Celtic comfortably won on our last visit to Livingston, in March. Prior to that, we endured three draws and two defeats since our previous win, during Gordon Strachan’s second season in charge. There are excuses given for what by any means is a bogy team, specifically, the plastic pitch.
We regularly see Celtic struggle to get their passing game right at Livingston and Kilmarnock, even defending can be haphazard, as Stephen Welsh discovered when anticipating a through-ball early last season. Excuses, though, are the refuge of the loser. We know they have a plastic pitch, we have a plastic training pitch and more than enough of a Brains Trust to figure out how to win. If the result is not to our liking, I don’t want to hear anything about the surface.
While not quite catenaccio, Livi have mastered the low scoring game. St Mirren are the only team to score twice against them in the league since August, and that required a 90th minute breakaway. Don’t think that they are in good form, though, St Mirren and Ross County both beat them this month, County on the plastic.
When the pitch is poor, we have to go direct on occasion, so Giorgos Giakoumakis will surely lead the line. James Forrest may also get the nod after a couple of impressive recent performances. I would also be tempted to rest our first-choice full backs. Anthony Ralston’s crossing ability, in particular, may prove useful.
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HH to the Shipbank bhoys.
Taking a half day today so will pop a cheeky wee IPA around midday and raise it to you.
Aipple ya bassa
Back at you PHILCOOL
Strong coffee after a late night made a podium chance a little more likely. Bourbon on beer never a good choice on a school night. In spite of the Old Forrester still beat PHILCOOL at the final turn.
Jobs a good un.
Aipple, will get you again buddy,
PHILCOOL
I’ve been training. Daily fingertip stretches and polished my refresh button.
P67 — changing the FB’s won’t improve the crossing.
The issue is focus / attitude / desire — we need the squad to take every SPL game seriously. That is make the most of every opportunity / treat every chance as if it is going to be our last / win every personal battle.
The SPL allows bad habits to form.
AP is working to fix this but the squad is still having a lot of “after you Claude” moments.
No matter that we win most games while being wasteful — sometimes we don’t get the breaks / luck is against us / Ludge MIB plays its joker / the opposition score a worldy and we are testicle naked when this happens / the football tide goes out.
Thirty minutes of hard work / effort will win the game.
Just a case that we have the hangover of the last 15 minutes against SD to work out our system.
Hopefully SH starts — he looks to be coming on to a great game.
Would leave JF on the bench — still cutting inside too much in the SPL.
I think he has found his mojo — just a case he needs some more practice before he would be a starter in the SPL. He is still burdened by his NL experiences.
Someone gatecrashed our party of 2 PHILCOOL.
Reminder that Superbru predictions are needed by 3 pm tomorrow
“testicle naked”
Too chilly for that in Louisville this morning.
coveredtesticlesareus CSC
Diary cleared this afternoon — autumn sunshine as well …
What joys are available on this fine Friday afternoon?
Trip to the pub has been talked about — worth a donner?
SFTB
‘Mon the sheep for the SuperBru clean sweep.
Tom McLaughlin on 28th October 2022 11:25 am
White was great he was still there when I started. He was a huge Tim, if you ever wanted to leave early to either play football or watch it he was the go to for the approval :-) I believe our year was only the second year where girls went and we were wearing Purple by then. My brother went when it was all boys and the Blue blazer. First two years for me was boys only in the Airbles building with the rest of the years and all the girls up in Muirhouse.
I lived in the flats behind the chippy in Carfin, Maryann drive ( spelling probably wrong).
AI @ 12.25
Please don’t admit to reading that with thoughts of a smile.
The Claque / Easily Affronted Brigade — they know who they are — will be on to howl that the comment is sexist and is discrimatory / not eunuch inclusive.
I won a pair of Billy McNeill shin guards from the ole Evening Citizen….
Aipple, 2,s company 3,s a crowd.lol.
!!BADA BING!! at 28TH 12:32PM
Made me think of the time I bought my Puma Dalglish Hat-trick fibs boots. Spent a couple of weeks delivering Yellow Pages and spent the money well.
Only donner some will see today is a kebab.
Never been convinced about the plastic pitch excuse. Always thought it was more to do with breaking down a packed defence. We have struggled against them at home on occasion and also away to the likes of St Mirren.
Not sure I’d go with Giakoumakis. I think that’s exactly the type of opponent they would want to face. I’d go with Kyogo who operates well in tighter spaces and has better movement. Get him dropping off the front and disrupting their shape. Still think we are missing an Armstrong-type MF to make the late runs in behind.
Will have to be patient but NOT slow! Shift the ball, plenty of movement, overloads in wide areas. Should win the game if we do the right things.
PHILCOOL
True story.
Shower and work beckons. To all those meeting up today have a ball and drink one for Aipple.
Have to interview people this AM. Is it appropriate to ask what their favourite hangover cure is?
HH all.
Livingston restricted Sevco to pretty much no chances for 90 mins at Ibrox last weekend despite 80% possession. Nouble is the kind of CF our CHs have struggled with at the Macaroni. Big and physical.
Might not be an easy watch.
Happy with a 0-1 and an injury-free game.
Hoping fo a 0-5 with a GG Hat trick.
Did sevco not have 70+ crosses last weekend – Livingston were well prepared
Ahoy all you pavement pirates heading below decks on the olde shipbank .
Hope all you bhoys have a jolly good time
Let’s beat the livi landlovers on sunday and if HMS sevco get gubbed by the Don’s we might see a few rats deserting the sinking ship .
At least if their league challenge goes down they can all jump aboard morelos in the battle for the buoyancy.
D66 you lay aff the rum or you will end up with the old scurvy.
Although I’m sure big jimmy and BRRB will keep you right
HH
Last time Celtic won comfortably at Livi was a welcome outlier. We were only 1 up at half time and scored two quick 2nd half goals before immediately conceding.
Our front 3 were the not too muscly Forrest , Maeda and Jota with Jota being MOTM overall. Giakoumakkis only played the final 15 minutes.
I hope we can repeat last march’s result- that’ll do me.
TIMMY7_NOTED
I see you mentioned Cleland. Played football there with the Dalrymple.
HH
Team sheet latest……………….wee Jamsie
Clean sheet would be good too. One in eleven now.
Seems we have a 4th kit coming out soon,ridiculous……
Pitch at the Spaghettihad is well pasta sell by date, having helped keep Livingston penned in the top league for years.
Should have started Jamsie on Wednesday, been there done it, and had four goals in two games, hope he gets a gemmeli on Sunday.
Expect a very difficult game as usual the surface inevitably leads to a fusilli mistakes but Joe Hart’s a bigoli and we should be fine.
“Bogey team” is simply an expansion of “bogey man” – an imaginary evil spirit.
Most effective way to dispel the myth.
3 good wins on the trot on their patch.
We’ve already got 1 of 3 in the bag.
Last time we played them there? … they got their ass handed to them.
TOM MCLAUGHLIN on 28TH OCTOBER 2022 11:30 AM
That`s a cracker !
`Keep that scarf on!` indeed.
adi_dassler not for 2nd best on 28th October 2022 12:47 pm
Ma das family ended up there from Ireland to work in the pits so we were regular visitors when young but never lived there myself.
GLASSTWOTHIRDSFULL on 28TH OCTOBER 2022 12:36 PM
I agree re the plastic pitch and Kyogo ahead of Gio.
Not so sure about the packed defence comment though, inasmuch as that`s what we face every week in Scotland and usually manage to find a way.
I am reasonably confident of a decent victory, though. We are bound to start taking a higher percentage of the many chances created.
BADA BING @12:32
I made shin pads from the pages of the Citizen and other papers. Stuffed them down the inside of my socks.
The plastic carpet is a leveler that’s for sure moreover not watering the carpet makes the ball stick and potentially dangerous.
Training on them is completely different from a competitive game, they should not be in the top flight.
Evening Citizen Celtic
MADMITCH
Looks like you resent seeing a peaceful, friendly and respectful CQN and decided to throw a spanner in the works, trying to bait posters into confrontation.
Pathetic
Why can’t you just john in the chat, or are you devoid of memories of watching Celtic? Alternatively, if you have nothing of import to add, why try to start a fight? You wouldn’t dare do that if this was a pub.
The blog was superb during your week’s suspension. We even had a LIVE UPDATE with circa 1,500 comments. That says it all to my mind.
One last question – Just what do you get out of CQN if all you want to do is start fights and insult people? Seriously, you need to get a life.
Great reading about experiences going to Celtic Park this morning.
I’m now going to have to go into the loft to find the old colour pictures from the Citizen, I have a scrapbook full of them, I seem to remember a lot from a trip to Bermuda, anyone else remember this?
If you have a spare 45 mins this is a great podcast from Oz on Ange.
Thanks T 👍Great listen.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/3WnzAqHdGhGbprnUQTievW?si=tKUzTaMORgm-c4Jh14297Q&utm_source=whatsapp
Enjoy Celts.
Hail Hail
PRESTONPANS BHOYS on 28TH OCTOBER 2022 1:07 PM
I agree they should not be in the top flight as it gives an obvious advantage to the Home team ( more than simple Home advantage on its own does) .
Personally, I liked playing on them and I guess SOME of our players might feel the same.