Something extraordinary

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Since Brendan Rodgers’ arrival in 2016, Celtic have played 27 games at Hampden, suffering only one defeat.  Three of those games went to penalties (against Hearts, Aberdeen and Newco), with Celtic managing to win each of them.  The only blot on the record was the extra-time loss in the 2022 Scottish Cup semi-final against Newco.

The ‘neutral’ venue has become anything but; we have also lost one of our last 27 domestic games at Celtic Park (two, if you count European ties).  Lots of ingredients go into a successful run like this.  Hampden cup ties bring their own intensity, and the more you experience this, the better adjusted you will be.

There is also a reinforcement effect of winning.  “We win here” must be front of every Celtic player’s mind when they walk out the tunnel.  I also suspect that Celtic can raise their game above their normal performance level.  The player’s attitude was questioned by the manager after the defeat to St Johnstone earlier this month; there is no chance of an attitude deficit on Sunday.

The years between 2010 Brendan arriving in 2016 were not so kind.  Ross County beat us at Hampden in the Scottish Cup and League Cup.  Rangers and Kilmarnock beat us in finals, while there were semi-final losses to Hearts, St Mirren and (controversially) Inverness.

That’s seven defeats in a period which saw us win eight times at Hampden.  It is almost impossible to gain perspective when you are in the middle of something extraordinary, but leaving Hampden as winners 26 times from 27 visits is astonishing.

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  1. bournesouprecipe on

    Ned Lasso interim boss at Sevco

     

     

    Played 10

     

    Lost 4

     

    Won 4

     

    Draws 2

     

    Scored 17

     

    Conceded 18

  2. Back to Basics - Glass Half Full on

    Minging set of penalties.

     

     

    Bodo win 3-2 after 10 kicks.

     

     

    Can see the “Ange on revenge mission” headlines coming

  3. Three different games in the last 35 minutes. Need new batteries for the remote.

     

    And the hearing aid!

     

     

    T

  4. Happy days….love their pain…..some genuinely thought they’d win it 😀

     

    On another note …surely some of these Bodo players are worth a look

  5. Back to Basics - Glass Half Full on

    Just caught the TNT highlights package of the match in Bilbao.

     

     

    R2ngers all over Bilbao.

     

     

    Statisticians clearly on drugs.

  6. The president of the United States is disappearing people to a Salvadoran prison for terrorists: a prison built for disappearance, a prison where there is no education or remediation or recreation, a prison where the only way out, according to El Salvador’s justice minister, is in a coffin.

     

     

    The president says he wants to send “homegrown” Americans there next.

     

     

    This is the emergency. Like it or not, it’s here.

     

     

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JN1oBfg0fwIbuil

  7. The Huns get battered in Bilboa….Thats what happens when you allow HUN CHUMPS like Ferguson and McGregor to use PEN and PAPER during a match…

     

     

    Ferguson, McGregor and TAVPEN…………..The Blind leading the Blind.

     

    Thats TWO Europa games in a row that I have watched the Hun Chump McGregor, trying to figure oot what a PEN is for during a game.

     

     

    LOL

     

    MAGIC….The Huns are OOT !

     

     

    HH.

  8. Vinniethedog

     

     

    Much as it would be nice to think we can go and pinch a few ‘Bodo’ players I think the reality is they are more likely to play CL football next season than us right now, they are higher ranked than us and are in a bigger shop window than we can realistically afford to shop from.

     

     

    If any chose to leave I would imagine it will be to decent level leagues. Sadly.

  9. Bodo win could be good for us in other ways. If they do win the trophy it would ensure they go straight into the Europa and ensure we didn’t play them, in their mid season, to qualify.

     

     

    Other results last night which could affect our seeding. Copenhagen lost 4-2 to Mitdjyland. This is good for us. Also not so good Zagreb narrowed the gap in Croatia beating bottom club. They are still a distance off the pace however. Rejika and Hadjuk each have a game in hand and are 4 and 3 points clear. 6 to play.

  10. The Huns are still Greetin about DESSERS, including his Yellow Card during last nights game.

     

     

    I suspect that Dessers was Booked coming back onto the Pitch WITHOUT the Refs permission

     

    ?

     

     

    As we all know, the Huns do NOT like to play to any Rules on and off the Pitch.

     

     

    LOL

     

    HH.

  11. Dessers is sleekit high balls he looks at where the defender is positioning himself to play the ball ,he dessers then goes in and nudges the defender so he can’t clear or play the ball cleanly, he also had a handful of the defenders shirt then spun to make it look like a penalty , 50 50 no penalty. Raskin is another dirty bam, they play one way 5 at the back 4 10 yards in front of the back 5 leaving no space between the lines and launch it forward for dessers to barge into folk.

  12. bigrailroadblues on

    Today is the anniversary of the passing of Gerry Chambers (Ger57). A fine fellow and great company.

     

    Rest in peace Gerry.

  13. The Blogger Formerly Known As GM on

    I wonder if the huns will issue a statement criticising UEFA and the referee or do they just save that for Scotland🤔

  14. Back to Basics - Glass Half Full on

    GM @ 09:05

     

     

    Lol.

     

     

    Yip, they’ll keep it zipped officially.

     

     

    Cowboy outfit playing the plastic hard man in Scotland without consequence, they know not to upset UEFA or else.

  15. Back to Basics - Glass Half Full on

    Good morning CQN.

     

     

    A day closer to seeing Celtic.

     

     

    Weather forecast across the weekend is improving.

     

     

    Who knows?

     

     

    Hampden pitch might even be playable on Sunday.

  16. Back to Basics - Glass Half Full on

    Always enjoy a good look at Bert Kassies site on a Friday after UEFA matches.

     

     

    Respect to Bert.

     

     

    Clearly a labour of love … his information and it’s presentation is superior to UEFA’s.

     

     

    Down to 12 teams across 3 competitions.

     

     

    4 English, 3 Italians, 2 Spanish and 1 each from France, Sweden and Norway.

     

     

    No German teams troubling the semis.

     

    (A major DFB enquiry into this failure looms no doubt)

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