Footballers often play two games a week but their peak fitness levels are achieved when the play once a week. More often than that and the muscles don’t recover quickly enough. Top players’ muscles are finely tuned to deliver 90 minutes of exertion. To reach this peak, they NEED games as well as training. It appears to be beyond the ken of sports scientists to create a training routine which matches actual matches.
Apart from a 25 minute run-out against Hearts two weeks ago, newco’s players will not have played a football game in 22 days when they line-up against the champions on Sunday. If the boot was on the other foot, I would be concerned.
Celtic watchers will note that they score more goals late in games than early. Ronny’s team try to win the battle for territory, the ball and energy before running over the top of opponents. Whatever happens in the opening 20 minutes on Sunday I would expect Celtic to be far more effective in the final 20 minutes of the game, when their superiority will be most effective. There’s a chance newco will crumble early on, but I don’t expect many chances at either end until later in the first half.
While we all know how Celtic will play, it’s harder to figure out how Kenny McDowell will line-up tactically. If he was Ross County manager he would defend his 18 yard line for 90 minutes and hope for a breakaway, but I’m not sure that’s a viable strategy for Sunday. Lose an early goal and he would be caught between damage limitation and attempting to get back into the game. It could get very messy.
My hunch is that he’ll play a conventional 4-5-1 and attempt to find space out wide behind Celtic’s full-backs for Kenny Miller to run into. The full-backs will play forward, there will be space, we’ve just got to be faster than the 35-year-old ex-Celt now plying his trade in the lower leagues.
Despite their form against Hibs and Hearts this season, newco have an excellent record against Premiership competition in the cups. Three wins, against Inverness (only one point behind Aberdeen on same games played), St Johnstone and Kilmarnock, without a goal conceded, is a measure of what they are capable of, when they put their minds to it.
The wins against Kilmarnock and Inverness are particularly noteworthy, as both Premiership clubs enjoyed the majority of possession, but were frustrated in attack and hit with sucker-punches. This is what McDowell will seek to do at Hampden.
Ronny, get the job done. Very, very, very, thoroughly.
A reminder for North American readers that the Annual Celtic Supporter’s Féile is on in Philadelphia this weekend. The events include live music each day, the US premier of The Asterisk Years, with a Q&A with Paul Larkin and Graham Wilson of Beyond the Waves podcast, as well as live coverage the semi-final. You can find out more, including how to book, here.
Have you booked for the CQN11 Str Patrick’s Dinner on Friday, 13 March? We’re hoping to raise enough money to build Mary’s Meals a school kitchen in Malawi. Mary’s meals emailed an hour ago with a report on one of the kitchens we built last year, in Kholoni, where they are now feeding 1245 children each day, a considerable increase in the roll-call since the availability of kitchen facilities, see the photo above.
Email me for tickets, celticquicknews@gmail.com (to the Dinner, not Malawi).
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topkat,
He will be instructed to cheat for the benefit of Scottish football.
masty.
It should be – and if we win 6 – 0 we will get no credit at all. The talk we be of our financial advantage, It’s a no win game for us. A close match and it will all be about the plucky underdogs.
I predict a riot
I’d hoped for a postponement of today’s encounter if not permanently for at least a lot longer. Celtic fans close, already know, I’m dedicating this one to my Grandfather, Father and Brother who all suffered at the hands of Sevconian predecessors.
The current gulf between Celtic in sheer quality and general football terms is practically immeasurable, and unlike in the day of EBT, thieving tax evading extinct clubs, this particular game, can’t be judged on ‘form’ because we are in a different league, and they are a catastrophe of a new club. The chasm between Celtic and this flawed entity is footballs equivalent of Harrods and Woolworths.
I instantly avert ex Celtic players that take the MSM shilling, and it’s sad that John Hartson and now Chris Sutton are the latest in a procession of former heroes that have figured out Celtic sniping remains a lucrative business. Celtic supporters are constantly let down by former employees that have to make money from Celtic, whilst we the supporter do not, and even Neil Lennon and Martin O’Neil follow suit with their very ‘British’ line of thought. Tom Boyd tells it like it is, and he knows he’d have to change his tune were he to venture outside Celtic media to the big bad world.
Man in black mibbery? – they would need to be special, and better than all that’s gone before, in Sevco’s incredibly short three year ‘journey’, and that in itself would take some doing.
The pitch at Hampden hasn’t been there long enough to take root, and it’s a fake surface. But I’d rather be in our position of having superior players on a bad pitch. I believe this Celtic side under Ronny Deila, is fitter, faster and so vastly superior that the locus might very quickly turn on Scotland’s tuped shame in the Mount Florida end and I think they’ll self harm, due to three years of unbridled hell, possibly to the extent of new Edinburgh summit levels.
With Rangers spinning in their graves Celtic will have prevailed continuing ahead of the abyss that separates Sevco and us, as they teeter on their latest brink of the next crisis loan, that leads to the next crisis loan, in the crevasse they created, in no time at all.
Celtic 4 – 0
Hail Hail
p.s. don’t stray from Celtic company.
Good morning tims
Whatever you are doing today,have a good day.
Those going to the game stay safe.
HH
Novak breaks back 2-1 Andy in second set
Goldstar10,
I don’t follow ?
I don’t remember killi being liquidated
Topkat
My worry is if he doesn’t think about it and it just comes sorta natural.
Canamalar
I agree with you mate
For those who go to every away game it’s another away game
For others …well …that’s up to them
Gordon
dont agree mo chara,
no win?…cup final
the talk?…feck them
Bankiebhoy
Sadly there are some of our number right into the OF thingy
Travelling from abroad to attend etc
Topkat/ BCW
Thompson cannae help it
….PFayr..,
Wonder howmany would be turning up to “support my team” if it was Alloa or East Fife
Celtic to win by the approved 5-0, and everyone to get home in one piece.
That’ll do for me the day.
Andy getting into a needless heid mess here three unforced errors
As Novak brings it back to 2-2
Andy has serve
Canamalar
I think you’re wildly off the mark with your numbers. Almost everyone I know who goes week in and out is going today mate.
Granted, that’s only a microcosm of the entire away support, but I do think it’s fairly reflective.
shadow warrior
09:51 on 1 February, 2015
No problemo amigo. That’s my good deed done. Karma owes me. Now what would I like, today, this afternoon?
Good luck and hope you get the game.
Hail hail
Bournes. My main message today is for everyone to stay safe. We can then debate whether Paul took the MSM shilling and went against all that cqn stands for and why it was founded in his prematch media duties once he explains what happenned.
Novak rope a dope tactics?
Just broke service – love game
Hail Hail to everyone going to Hampden today, support Ronny and the Bhoys loud and proud and look after yourselves and each other. This fixture is a necessary evil that we need to get out of the way and your support today will be an important factor.COYBIG
3-2 Novak leads and 1 set to 0
Novak to serve
I’m a glory hunting OF supporter am I?
Geez peace.
I’m a Celtic supporter, going to a major Cup Semi Final to support my team.
Wats the score now wae Andy M…..got 2 pages to catch up on…..;-))…..mustv scratched my right eye…..its all still blurry & sore…..thank god fur hangovers…..;-))
H.H.
PF……..
…..That’s Life!
We accepts all sorts into the support of Our Great Club.
Remember tho’ the huns have always had an advantage in scoddland – a compliant meeja.
While it exacerbated their demise – the same hacks still sit at their desks pining for their klub and the job security it brings thum.
For once tho’, the truth is out there and that is a powerful antidote to their biased opinions.
For those Bhoys attending today, should any of you have the misfortune to have a camera or mic put in front of you.
Take a moment to think about what you say about this game – stick to the facts,
and don’t get suckered into fanciful meanderings that pander to the lie.
HH
Bhoys & Ghirls
Regardless of whether you are at the game or watching on TV, enjoy and stay safe.
A boring 4-0 pummelling with KC (if he is playing) scoring will do me nicely.
HH
CRC
Novak 4-2
PF Ayr –
Just a heads-up old bhoy, and I hope it’s nothing, but I heard from a reliable source last night that there were Drongan Huns heading to the Market Inn today to ‘watch the game’.
Third-hand info casually mentioned to me but on days like this you never know the extent of their lunacy. Unusual enough that I thought I’d better mention it; keep an eye out.
Morning timdom
Stay safe. Hope you get to witness a football annilination of the FOD. And us with (many) more goals than them at full time.
HH jamesgang
I heard that idiot Durham on talksport was ott, sticking the boot into us big time yesterday. This clown is worse than any of our resident hun /soup taker pundits.
Masty.
Times it open mo chara?
So, we’re potentially less than half way through the second set of a possible five, and they have already been on court longer than the women’s final…
Celtic, Celtic thats the team for me,
Celtic, Celtic on to victory,
They’re the finest team in Scotland, I’m sure you will agree,
We’ll never give up till we’ve won the cup and the scottish football league
They come from bonnie Scotland, they come from county Cork,
They come from dear old Donegal and even from New York,
From every street in Glasgow they proudly make their way,
To a place called dear old paradise and this is what they say.
Celtic, Celtic thats the team for me,
Celtic, Celtic on to victory,
They’re the finest team in Scotland, I’m sure you will agree,
We’ll never give up till we’ve won the cup and the scottish football league.
There’s Fallon, Young and Gemmel who proudly wear the green,
There’s Clark, McNeill and Kennedy the best there;s ever been,
Jim Johnstone, Murdoch, Chalmers, John Divers and John Hughes,
And sixty thousand Celtic fans who proudly shout the news.
Celtic, Celtic thats the team for me,
Celtic, Celtic on to victory,
They’re the finest team in Scotland, I’m sure you will agree,
We’ll never give up till we’ve won the cup and the scottish football league.
NegAnon2
10:20 on
1 February, 2015
Morning Neg and hope you are well?
CQN is a broad church and we stand, sit and fall for many things! Think you are being harsh.
As the great prophet Idina says, let it go :-)
HH
CRC
How’s tricks big chap
Novak 4-3 in second set
Leads 1-0
Credentials; Season ticket holder. Seldom home for half the season. Cup Scheme member.
Today; not in Glasgow but would not have gone. Refused ticket offer from club in spite of brother wanting it.
A small personal protest.
…… and as for the history of this fixture, do not be surprised when our opponents have the same strips, songs, chants, conduct nor when we have the same refereeing.
…and the players are covering more than twice the distance per point than the women.
Obviously the prize money should be equal.
Marrakech
Don’t listen to TalkSport because of him …cretin
Canamalar- ok, forget it then.