A week ago you and I discussed how Newco fans were more confident ahead of a Celtic game than they had ever been, while we, chastened by a lacklustre Celtic performance against them last month, thought we had a game on our hands at Hampden.
Five days after a very one-sided Scottish Cup semi-final and sentiment in both camps has shifted. Newco were awful on a level that it is hard to do justice on the page. Celtic were imperious in possession and attacked with a swagger.
Don’t let what happened a week ago cloud your judgement. I’ve been going to Ibrox for over 30 years, and many on here have been going twice as long, but no matter how poor old Rangers were in that time, we seldom had it easy. On my first visit there we scored four second half goals against a truly awful outfit, but 45 minutes into the game we were two down and struggling.
If you win at Ibrox, you have played well. Celtic will need to be unscrupulously faithful to their tactical system. Brendan will know how to prepare the players for this. They will need the concentration and energy to deliver the performance.
I have some worries for Pedro (apologies, but I’m not sure if he’s going to be around long enough to make it worthwhile learning how to spell his surname). His 10-second principle is a case in point.
In the interview Chris Davies gave to a few Celtic bloggers, including myself, he explained that when Celtic lose possession, the players are told to spend up to six seconds pressing directly for the ball. If they fail to win possession back in this period, they are to drop back into defensive positions.
They have been trained to do this since preseason. It’s risky, and you will note that they do it every week in domestic football, but the technique was used sparingly in the Champions League group stage. The risk of a Barcelona-type team passing through the press is dangerous, as when players are pressing, they are out of position.
This is how modern football is played, but Pedro should be cautious. You cannot reeducate players overnight. If you attempt to and fail, it’s the manager’s responsibility. In fact, this quote from Pedro is exactly what you should expect when you try to force a new system onto a team midseason:
“When we analysed the game in some moments of the game some players were acting in one direction, which was the right direction and other players were not doing the same thing at the same time.”
This was clearly not the outcome Pedro expected, but his explanation suggests he has a lot to learn about how to tactically change football teams.
What’s worse, instead of shielding his players by taking ownership of the blame, he put the players in the dock. It is no surprise that you can detect grumblings of discontent emanating from loyal Ibrox sources.
Taking about “in the dock”, Sir David Murray is currently in the witness box at Craig Whyte’s trial. Proceedings are enthralling, but we’ll catch up with that later. A point worth reiterating:
It is acceptable to report on what was said at court, but unacceptable to prejudice a witness or defendant with your view on that individual, or on evidence presented. So stick to what was said – that’s fascinating enough.
486 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- »
JJ
Piesporter?
Dallas
My sis is at the match just now, Marcus and her are watching the match tomorrow with most of the RC first team Tims in Dingwall. Quinn and O’Brien are her type of Celtic fans. ;)
Hunderbirds.
Thanks but no, not that one.
JJ
Delaney’s Will Cpunty’s Ex Cliftonville player be watching too?
Delaney’s Will County’s Ex Cliftonville player be watching too?
HOT SMOKED
Hock?
HOT SMOKED
What about plain old Hock.
Having said that I remember one called Prinz Kobold. I put away a few gallons of that.
KEEP THE FAITH
You want honesty, transparency, integrity and fairness……withhold your cash, till you do they will run the game as they want and you will get shafted every which way, so at the end of the day we get what we deserve and there’s no point in bitching about it.
Hot Smoked Hock? Piersporter? H H Hebcelt
Hockheimer?
Dallas
Of course, forgot about Liam and the wee Dundee Tim Michael Gardyne. The gaffer fae the Rock also. :)
oh the range*s are embroiled in an awful legal mire
oh the range*s are embroiled in an awful legal mire
greatfolksongsofourtimecsc
Hot smoked
Herondel – means ‘Swallow’ or ‘Swally’
Spelling might be off but it was cheap and did the job
5/6 for a yellow card before 24 mins.Bet 365.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
HH
JJ
Hunderbird??? :)))
Hot smoked
Seem to recall a wine called Hirondelle.
Brit wine, all fancy bottling of different vinegars lol
HH
Blantyre tim, ive just caught up on what’s happened in the Ross County Caley game.
I see what you mean.
I hope you dad along with surviving team mates, if well enough, from the 66/67 season , get to raise our league flag next season.
Pyro at Dingwall. Not got the commentary on, but game looks to be gettin’ feisty.
Delaney’s, I dont think Billy Dodds will be watching the game with them somehow
A club like no other.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVjrUccaqxk
HH!!
Dallas
Paul Quinn’s party. Doddsy persona non gratis along wi Schalk. :)
Rebs day in Dingwall.
Dallas
God willing, he will be in his usual position tomorrow in the thick of it with the bhoys
A tweet on the go pointing out Miller holding a sev top with Miler 20I8 on the back of it in a photo on the sevco twitter .
The letter I has been used rather than a 1 .
Surely they can’t of run out of 1’s in the mega mega store run by Ashley adjacent to Ibrox.
Blantyretim, that would be good .
Delaney’s , the bhoys sound lie good judges of character.
I’m fed up with Caley and would prefer them to be relegated .
Hamiton’s special treatment of Wee Jay the other year are my preference to stay up plus , in most cases, its less effort for our away support to get to New Douglas Park than up to the Tulloch.
Hot Smoked,
I remember when Mad Dog 20/20, Thunderbird et al came out. It was soooo easy to drink. Even now the young team have it so easy .
In previous times it was a challenge to drink some of the brew, and more so keeping it down. The drink may have been really cheap,but added to the inevitable fines that followed :- was it really that cheap ?
Bevy that could floor an Arapaho War Horse with a single gargle were common; such as :-
Lanliq
El Dorado.Rich White and Old Twany .
Old England
Emva Cream.
Vordo
Four Crown.
Scotsmac
VP.
Lucky numbers 365.
Clandue.
In the jungle and Celtic end at Paradise you could tell from the refreshments where you came from. Those who favoured Buckfast were lightweights, after all it’s only a tonic wine.
Life then was a continual daze, no wonder some compared it to a minestrone .
Hail Hail. Pioneercsc.
TALLYBHOY on 28TH APRIL 2017 8:54 PM
A club like no other.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVjrUccaqxk
HH!!
Sat and watched that and could’nt help smiling .
Hope they get tickets for the final .
Had some time this evening, so here is a preview of the game tomorrow summarising the data from the first 5 derbies. What can those games tell us about tomorrow given they are onto their 3rd manager of the season? Probably not much, but heh, it’s a bit of fun!
http://celticbynumberscom.ipage.com/the-rangers-v-celtic-preview-by-numbers/
HH
Jedi Greenpinta
You have just catalogued my youth in bevvy
Eldorado is available again in a slightly posher bottle – had a wee go on a fishing trip last month
Mad dog – been there got the pee shirt!
Blantyretim, sorry, I meant to say in my last post , your dad’s support of our team is incredible .
His enthusiasm travelling home and away to see the Bhoys is brilliant.
Thomshun defo got County on his coupon.
Hi Bhoys
First date wi the wife 30/7/1977. Ma kerry oot was a bottle of Old England (rich white) and a big Whitbread tae wash it doon.
Don’t know how after that but we’re still together.
Also loved going gigs and getting a bottle of MD (kiwi fruit & lemon) for the train from Johnstone to Glasgow. Other flavours of MD are available but mine was GREEN.
KEEP THE FAITH
Delaney’s , Liam Boyce’s second hat trick v County this season.
That’s his 20th goal so far in 2016/17.
He has definitely improved his game . I dont think he will be playing hs football in Dingwall next August.
Thanks very much, Bhoys. Hirondelle was the one I was looking for. Now I will be able to sleep tonight.
Thanks a million.
JJ
TonyRome
I canny remember the exact date, november iirc, a couple of years before and we are still together, just got blootered in the pub tho, wisny much of a hoose drinker then, how times change :-)
HH
watching ATALANTA v RUBE. AT captain gets wife to design his arm band every week we get told.
“whats that the ATALANTA team on there”????
“NO THAT”S THE POPE”
GREENPINATA
WOW. I have not thought (shuddered?) of El Dorado in near 40 years. Haha those were the days. Half bottle fitted in the back pocket of the Wranglers perfect. Kept ye warm shivering on the terracing at Love St, Easter Road or other cold grounds. Only drank it at the game. Drunk gallons of it mind. Thanks for the memory prompt. Haha
TET
I wasnae auld enuff for the pub then Iwas only 17 and looked aboot 12. I had tae get a big boy tae get ma drink for me. Noo I don’t drink in the hoose unless I have tae.
KEEP THE FAITH
HOT SMOKED on 28TH APRIL 2017 9:21 PM
well well HIRONDELLE..hope CAROL is not looking in.
first night i took my wife out we had chateau d;yguem.