Let’s get this one out of the way first: put notions of Newco out of your mind for tomorrow. Those of you who will be at Ibrox, and who are old enough to remember our last visit there, will have a familiar experience.
From what we gather, the stadium hasn’t changed, the home team play in the same colours, there will be some new fans, but many will have been there the last time we visited.
I’ve been going to Ibrox for over 30 years, we’ve faced some pretty awful teams in that time, but it’s never been easy. We were 2-0 down at halftime in the 2-4 game in ’83 (when Rangers were really awful). We were under the cosh for 60 minutes before things clicked in the 0-3 game in 2001. We’ve won plenty there, but we’ve had to battle for everything we’ve had. It will be no different tomorrow.
The 5-1 game in September happened because Newco were caught in the headlights. Perhaps believing their own preseason publicity, they matched up to Celtic. It was an embarrassing mistake, one they didn’t repeat in the League Cup semi-final, when they defended deeply, hoping for good fortune on the break.
Their big players were unprepared and looked unfit. Signs of the subsequent internecine squabbles were evident on the field.
Self-knowledge
Know your limits, who you are, what you can and cannot achieve, is a primary lesson in goal setting. As far as you and me are concerned, Newco will surely repeat their Hampden tactics, double-up in the fullback positions, protect central defence, and hope Auld Kenny can pounce on something on the break.
These are more-or-less the tactics we face every SPFL game, but I’m not sure what will happen tomorrow. This is a club who not only proclaim, but protest, with their every breath, that they are Rangers. Can ‘Rangers’ really line-up at Ibrox as scared of Celtic as everyone else in the league?
Maybe, but I’m not sure. There are signs that group-think has taken hold at Murray Park. They want to be the Rangers, with a century’s worth of ‘heritage’. If they want to live that out, they will need to take the game to us.
There’s a good chance that whatever they do, Celtic will win tomorrow. In the grand scheme of things, this matters little to the home team, who have beaten Aberdeen and Hearts this month, and look capable of snatching one of the Europa League qualifier spots. They were never really “going for 55”.
But if you bring the punters in on that promise, there will be pressure from the stands to live up to that sentiment. What to do, go for it and lose 0-4, or crawl into your shell, lose 0-1, and betray your season’s aspiration? I hope they go for it.
Brendan Rodgers has two problems; whether to play Moussa Dembele or Leigh Griffiths, and whether to give James Forrest or Patrick Roberts the nod? We have two highly-achieving strikers, only one of which will start, and two fit and ready wingers competing for the slot on the right side.
My hunch is that Moussa will get the nod. I know what you’re going to say: Leigh’s on fire, but Moussa has scored more goals in his two games against Newco than the striker they are all singing about this season has in his 17 appearances. Dembele terrifies then, with good reason. They have no answer to him, they cannot shove him off the ball, cannot keep pace with him and cannot seem to find him in the box.
I expect James to start with Patrick coming on late to pick at the bones.
Tom Rogic would have started if fit, but there’s an untold story of our recent form: Rogic, Stuart Armstrong and Callum McGregor have been our form players this month. Only two will start any game. McGregor and Armstrong will not be significantly weaker than any combination with Tom.
We also have Scott Sinclair back and approaching full fitness. He’s going to love Ibrox, he’s made for this game. I expect big things from him.
What are our biggest risks? Red cards. Newco’s best chance of getting something from the game is for Celtic to have a man sent off. I’m not going to mark your card on the referee, but we’ve seen too many Celtic players ordered off there over the years not to acknowledge the possibility.
The target for the team is clear: go into the winter break 19 clear with a game in hand. There’s a confidence in and about this Celtic team which makes anything seem possible, so don’t ask for my score prediction, as I might get carried away.
The target for our 7000 supporters is to have 7000 torches illuminating the 67th minute. If there’s one guy not participating I’ll want to know why. If you’re going, get this planned well in advance.
Juxtapose our targets with comments from Mark Warburton yesterday, who doesn’t want to be judged on results against Celtic.
I bet you don’t, buddy. I bet you don’t.
Ever feel you are being setup?
Following vandalism in the away section of Celtic Park earlier in the season a reciprocal agreement has been made with the offending club. In the very unlikely event Celtic supporters vandalise property tomorrow, the club will pick up the repair tab.
Without getting into detail, there is concern that some facilities will be ‘headline ready’ before Celtic fans enter the stadium. If you are at Ibrox when the gates open, go straight to the toilets, be the first there, photograph any damage (and how empty the stadium is at the time) and publish immediately on social media, to time-stamp what you observe.
There will be a minute’s silence before kick-off. For reasons which are difficult to fathom, Newco have not publicly announced this silence, it will be sprung on many fans. This will lead to some arriving at the ground unaware of the commemoration, making its observation less effective. Alert as many as you can that this is taking place.
Tomorrow will be a celebration of Celtic. 7000 light will shine at the 67th minute, the players will shine brighter-still on the park, but be ready, the same old faces are plotting the same old distractions. Be aware of their tactics.
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It’s very much a case of not allowing them to drag us down to somewhere near their level. There is no reason why we can’t go there tomorrow and conduct ourselves to a standard befitting of our great club. I thought we managed it brilliantly at the League Cup SF. We go there 16 points clear with a game in hand. Even in the unlikely event we are losing, we can sing about 10 in a row and Championees all day long.
As far as the toilets are concerned, Celtic should have had them surveyed already. It should have been part of the terms and conditions of selling their tickets. I hope we have been diligent in all respects as that lot are on the rack and desperate to attack us in any way possible. It’s all driven by fear and inferiority.
I didn’t even know there was an Ibrox disaster song, but if there is, how can we complain about the Famine song?
CANAMALAR
Strangely enough my lhad is desperate for a ticket for tomorrow as I would have been at his age.
Can’t say I have ever heard the Ibrox disaster song, for that I am truly grateful.
JMcC..,
I expect you’ll hear it tomorrow
ALMORE
Out of interest why is Bad Ass Cafe not showing game tomorrrow ?
Distractions, deflections, diversions.
The only thing that matters tomorrow is a victory.
All the peripheral shenanigans are meaningless.
One-upmanship will come in the form of three points and an ever widening gap.
The saner Sevco supporters know deep down that they are extremely long shots.
They know we have a superior operation, manager and team.
Warburton’s whingeing about the salary gap highlights their fear.
No mention of why we have better financial resources.
Just playing the victim.
The only win they will get tomorrow will be provided by their outrageous ticket prices and the near £400k our support will spend on their lifeline.
Self PRing the Ibrox disaster song.
Great! Never heard it, never want to hear it. In all my years following our club (at home now-a-days but away 80’s through to early 2000’s it was not ever once aired on a bus or a pub or at a match.
If it is sung now it is not at Celtic Park.
But anyhoo lets play into their hands and make out we are as bad as them. Suppose we are anyway since we now help support them financially via backing our PLC who back them by purchasing season tickets and selling 7000 briefs at £49 a pop to put your life at risk from more than the usual attacks on individuals.
MWD
SCULLYBHOY:
I’ve heard it once in my life. Once.
In a chip shop in Cambuslang Road. It was a “mate” of mine singing it.
I hit him so hard his ancestors must have felt it.
No longer friends, as I’m sure you understand.
Judith looking dominant in black tonight…
CANAMALAR
Oh no, I won’t. Will be far from the bigotfest.
JMcC..,
It’ll be on the news
Don’t give any cyberspace to an alleged song , the permarage victims and the Level 5 lapdogs will do the rest.
Like most of you I despise the hateful atmosphere that comes with that mob and basked in their demise. There is no better feeling (football wise) though than humpin’ them.
Avoiding the result till Celtic TV releases the game at midnight isn’t an option for tomorrow, and the game’s not for being spoiled watching a dodgy stream so….
Looks like a train to the West London CSC pub at Brentford, as has been my habit recently, on my tiptoes trying to see the screen over jmccormick’s son’s lofty head.
Trouble is I get so wound up watching these games, should really avoid them as my dad died at an us v old them game 40 years ago.
Just raided the boat’s wine cellar and opened a nice bottle of Pomerol to help me decide.
BADA BING
No, – that’s right.
Celtic’s deference to ‘no comment’ irks the support or at least to many, more widely concerned about the game we play, and played and lost.
A simple statement in 2012 would have sufficed but instead the silence is only nearly getawayable, whilst we GOD.
Sevco only have deflection, the Celtic board tell Celtic supporters
to ‘keep your eyes on the prize ‘ © Paul67
If Celtic are serious we’ll know soon enough with ‘the spend’ and ‘stockpiled money’ starting in January, if we were to fail as spectacularly as a Sevco, we’d be statemented out.
Just seen a picture of the intended display by the GB tomorrow, if it is in any way accurate, it’s a belter.
BFSDJ Mr Dignity himself-LOL talkin about fisticuffs with Rob Tiernan in the game the other night.
Aye,……
DJ, tell us about the time that ye sneakily tried to land the nut on Big McGhee up at Pittodrie when, BMM was looking in the other direction and…..then ye were feart tae go near Big McGhee the rest of the game – 1982.
Or, DJ,…..fast forwarding to the time when, a foreign player was lying on the ground and and, sneaky-sleekit-hunlike Alex Rae kicked the floored player on the head twice, that’s 2 times DJ and yet, you DJ were the only person at the game who didn’t see the incident ???????
Ma erchie,……DJ!
Or, maybe you,……DJ could enlighten us as to, when the sectarian songs issue was raging from side to side….only you and, fellow sleekit-hunlike-sneaky-cliquey-brither Mark Hately wore headphoes that could pick uo dodgy singing from all fans…..apart from, Rangers FC.
DJ, the morra there will be another shame-game and, ye know what DJ ?…..There has ‘never’ been a shame-game that hasn’t involved Rangers FC being on the losing side….and you played in plenty of the shame-games……didn’t you…..DJ?
Santa and his reindeer’s will be singing Sellic songs the morra and, his reindeer’s will always be more than welcome in the, hunlike-cliquefree-all-inclusive-Jingle-all-the-way-Jungle-with-bells-on.
Hugh Keevins should get a M.O.H. for sitting in the same studio as BFSDJ for 30 years.
M.O.H. or,…..a flag for life on the ole Jungle roof above the reindeers singing Sellic songs ?
Decisions, decisions…..??????
PHILBHOY – DOC -Thoughts and Prayers
….off-oot…..
FLOATING
The West London CSC is a good call, were you in there for the thistle game last week?
My tall lhad will be elsewhere tomorrow so you should have an uninterrupted view. It will also be a bit quieter without him.
Just realised the obvious problem in starting a twitter rumour when one ‘only’ has 286 followers. D’oh!
Money is Keevin’s god. Miserable p**ck who sold his soul. ….IMHO of course
Aye, I feel so sorry for spew heevans. What a shame.
He’s 10 times worse than BFDJ every day of the week.
MWD
Macjay 6.43pm
Enjoy the game……. Just another game ? my older brother who is now in his 60’s is picking me up the morra morning at 11.30am to go to my mates new house, he sort of built himself, my young nephew which is obviously his son…….my phone has been going aplenty today, about some game that doesn’t mean anything tomorrow………it’s all about opinions but for some who think their opinions are more valid than others believe what you want
The song that has been discussed earlier was sung once or twice on our supporters bus back in the day…..it was soon stopped…….. If others want to drop their poison let them, none of us are perfect, is it not better that it’s never heard at all now ?
Some Celtic fans on here, and I am positive they are Celtic fans will never be happy
Enjoy the good times……
Macjay have a great day/night
Hail Hail
Hugh Keevans wrote Celtic books, but then discovered BFSDJ and other dafties.
jmccormick
Only make the trip for hun games, I have enough will power to avoid the result and wait for Celtic TV for Hearts and Aberdeen games, the rest usually a dodgy stream suffices.
Hugh Kevins was once a respected journalist working for a Scottish ‘quality’ newspaper, Artur Jorge put an end to that
Hamilton Tim, Minx, thank you. You are a credit to this place.
When I walked up the isle and saw you sitting you fair warmed my heart.
My Dad is lying in his Church tonight at rest.
Evening Celts
Hope our bhoys wallop those cheating bigots tomorrow.
Sinky and Jamesie to rip them a new one.
Go right at them with pace….they will fold.
Cmon
HH
JOBO.
About 100 more than me, quality over quantity all the time.
Park Road 67: tbh I don’t know. It has something to do with its license as far as I know. It is a restaurant not a bar so Celtic match days with a large attendance means it is more of a pub than a restaurant. All speculation on my part though.
For his headstone?
“I don’t know what I find more laughable, the fact that Celtic cannot find £500,000 from their biscuit tin to sign a proven talent like John Spencer, or the fact that they then spent £300,000 on one of Dr. Jo’s old pals, the unknown Lubomir Moravcik!”
Hugh Keevins
Artur Jorge…then a stiff one fae MON re Leeds. A kiddy on journo that doesnt drive but begs lifts tae games !!!!.
He never learns….but is there a book in the offing ?
DOC on 30TH DECEMBER 2016 7:19 PM
Thoughts are with you and your`s and will be later on today.
bournesouprecipe
Classic :)
Hmmmm…….
……nahhhhhh.
Doc
Condolences.
HH
” SCULLYBHOY on 30TH DECEMBER 2016 6:46 PM
I didn’t even know there was an Ibrox disaster song, but if there is, how can we complain about the Famine song?”
The fact that you ` didn’t even know there was an Ibrox disaster song,`should tell you all you need to know about why we can complain about the Famine Song. Thousands of Huns sang that regularly whilst you are far from being alone among our support who have either never heard of the`disaster` song or, if they have, have never heard it being sung.
Anyway, much of the talk on here tonight, even though well conducted, reminds me of how much I hope for them to disappear completely.
Cheerio for now,
JJ
KevJungle, MacJay, thanks.
Any early team news for tomorrow?
Rogic out for sure?
JMCCORMICK –
feel free to steal and pass off as your own…