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.
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Weather Report…https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IDk6rbKG26E
Dallas
Courtesy of Marspapa, getting me tickets, I sat next to Jay and his dad on the day he scored the penalty at Hamilton. Warmed my heart what Hamilton Accies did that day. My son still talks about it too.
TonyRome
My daughter is 34 and was asked for ID the last time she was out for a drink with a few workmates, dead chuffed she was.
I just find the bars are too much of a rip off these days and they are as cheap as here, so it’s the hoose for me.
HH
Rain…https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9HYwn2RTFq8
broony hattrick tomorrow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a23945btJYw
Delaney’s , Hamilton went so up in my estimation that day. The Acces treatment of Jay put other top league clubs to shame.
TeT
My 24 year old daughter is always asked for ID for pub entry. It really annoys her when I say that she is lucky to look 10 years younger. :)
TET
You’re spot on about the pub prices but if I start drinking in the hoose she’ll never let me oot.
KEEP THE FAITH
P.S.
Sorry I don’t know what country you’re in?
LD and Lanny. Haven’t thought of them in an age…………………………Emva Cream. I think that disappeared when I was a wee wee bhoy. Memories…………..nah.
Exiled Tim. You have mail .
DD. Just switched on the game up north . Looks like the family will have a good one tonight pal , and hopefully another good one tomorrow . HH
AG
Marcus couldnae have asked for a better score in his debut as captain. The RC bhoys will be rooting for 4-0 Celtic tomorrow too. :)
Heavy Rain…https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YET270wKasE
FFS, RC v Iness game, decides to put a wee bet on exactly 10 corners, 4 mins + stoppage time to go, a reasonable bet me thinks when there are already 9 in the game and the referee doesn’t play any stoppage time, blows the whistle on 90 mins exactly, dirty cheating hun barsteward.
Given the amount of game time LG has had in last 3 months ,i would be surprised if he starts tomorrow
BB
I would prefer Patrick to start with SS and JF and run them ragged.
Then bring Griff on late for Craig Gordon. :))
Not had the opportunity to post over last few days but the tweets from James Doleman have been interesting . Sir Minty was surely telling porkys when he stated that the price of sale was reduced to a pound so Whyte could invest in the playing squad !!
If my memory serves me correctly , the original price was never a pound but when Whyte completed due diligence there was a rather large deficit . Namely the wee tax case fine that was never paid .
On other matters. I would seriously have preferred if Broony wasn’t available tomorrow . There comes a time when a team needs to step up to the plate without their captain .
Tomorrow at the midden , would have been a good opportunity. We have players who are more than capable . It just needs brought out .
Any how , lets just keep our boot on their throat . HH
Just looked up Hirondelle there, and when somebody said earlier it meant Swallow, I thought they meant Swally, as in “havin’ a swally”. But it’s the bird. Which is nice.
!!BADA BING!! on 28TH APRIL 2017 9:55 PM
Given the amount of game time LG has had in last 3 months ,i would be surprised if he starts tomorrow
———–
I would be surprised if he doesn’t. He played for 60 mins on Sunday without issue. If he doesn’t start it will need to be handled in the correct manner because the wee man will be crushed.
Prediction: Huns 1 Celtic 3, Griffiths hattrick !
AG
Made me laugh when I read earlier today.
Minty’s song. The cry was no remember.
Delaneys
She will be happy to look that young in a few years, you can trust me on that.
HH
…………………
TonyRome
South of Spain in the mountains, well away from the costas where all the brits are, it’s the sticks where I am, so much so I live in a cave.
You keep going oot then :-)
HH
broonie – gotta balance being captain gettin br’s ideas onto the pitch, getting the players up for ibrokes but not falling for red card ploys and getting them up for enjoying free flow hunschlep and maintaining focus whilst kennard miller runs around – helluva job but he’s the one to do it !
by the way , fantasy ref at ipox – anton chigurr
Unfortunately
RF looks done.
Shame
I’m another who would prefer that Leigh didn’t start. Have Sinclair playing through the middle, with Roberts in behind him and Forrest out right. We should win at a canter, but I have suffered too many bad results against the deid team to ever take anything for granted. Imo, if we don’t lose, I’ll be more than happy, especially if none of our players are crippled. (Of course, ideally, we will win with a cricket score. 7 sounds good.)
AG
Replied
HH
Hi Guys, does anyone know of a bar in Moffat to watch the game tomorrow, thanks in advance
It has to be said Roberts and Sinclair have an amazing link up with each other on the pitch.
Is thon linesman who tried to influence the game last week to our detriment anywhere to be found in Govan tomorrow? He should be barred sine die. I think he might also have been behind the goal where Meekins punched the ball away.
Anybody know what this stupid hun is talking about.
Is he related to Arnold.
stuart bowman28 April 2017 at 06:20
Celtic claim no debt. But they owe Desmond over 40 million. It’s the same boat but the press like to throw it in rangers face. Celtic don’t even pay there manager ATM and a number of the players. Desmond has to give them the cash each month to pay them, which he has done for years.
TeT
Aye. She disnae believe me when I say she will be happy to look like 30 when she is 40. If a knew then whit a know now. :)
ANGELGABRIEL on 28TH APRIL 2017 10:01 PM
Sir Minty was surely telling porkys when he stated that the price of sale was reduced to a pound so Whyte could invest in the playing squad !!
======
See Paul67 main article
“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.”
Fan-A-Tic
He forgot to say the the Glasgow council don’t take any rates from us either, state aid n awe that.
HH
FAN-A-TIC on 28TH APRIL 2017 10:13 PM
It’s all true, 100% I’m afraid.
How is everyone feeling about tomorrows game
Chilled ??
Hirondelle was dreadful stuff but still about in the early 80s when times were hard and it was cheap. For the sophisticated boozer of the 70s though it had to be Lutomer Laski Riesling from Yugoslavia. Washed down many a post pub (10pm closing remember) Chinese feast.
WITS
I feel chilled about Celtic’s superior ability over our opponents. If all of our players play anywhere near their norm tomorrow, we will prevail.
The pressure on the referee from the intense media spotlight and the beilin’ Hun hordes, amplified by their current feeling of injustice. That concerns me. Deeply
HH
WITS
i suspect a lot of wining about the MIBS
Delaneys
Aye, if only :-)
HH
……….
Stars
Not bothered if the truth be known, what will be will be, the league is won, we are miles ahead of them and they know it, we are on a hiding to nothing anyways.
HH
Looks like North Korea just fired a ballistic missile…oh dear