Sport’s truism about great champions and the League Cup

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You and I are old enough to remember when a home cup draw for Celtic was a rarity, so we’ll take Dunfermline at Celtic Park in the last 16 of the League Cup with good grace.  I know this trophy is our fourth priority of the season, but it will not feel like that come the latter stages, should we get there, or even if we don’t.

Get past Dunfermline and there is a maximum of one away game before the neutral venue semi-finals.  This competition co-exists in the calendar with European group stage games, so it takes careful squad management to chart a successful course through them.

The League Cup represents every other teams’ best chance of getting a trophy off Celtic this season, especially so, if Celtic are the only side still in Europe.  As such, it takes on an importance it has seldom held since its inauguration in 1946.

This exceptional domination of Scottish football by Celtic has made every trophy, every game, more important.  This is why Brendan Rodgers was right to rest players for a Europa League game in Leipzig ahead of a League Cup semi-final against Hearts.  Conventional wisdom held that domination by a single team was bad for a sport, but there is a timeless truism: sport needs great champions for others to aspire to beat.  This is where Scottish football is right now.   Dunfermline have their chance in a few weeks.

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  1. Bada 4.22pm

     

     

    Dembelle / MacBurnie

     

     

    Chalk n cheese

     

     

    But that’s what Celtic are up against when Sheff Utd can blow us out the water … hence the Norwegian 15yr old is the way we need to go

  2. Bigrailroadblues 4.32pm

     

     

    Footballers (I use the term loosely) like McBurnie will be very rich in a short space of time, obviously money isn’t everything but really average footballers earn an absolute fortune in Engurlund … at times I can understand why KT could be tempted

     

     

    Disclaimer… I still hope he stays

     

     

    Paul McStay CSC

  3. Buddy Morrisey on

    GFTB

     

     

    If you count Billy McNeill and Davie Hay as winners of all three domestic trophies as player and manager then Neil Francis Lennon would be going for a treble treble treble!

     

     

    HHH

  4. Hunderbirds are Gone on 29th July 2019 9:56 am

     

    I suspect the Disney story is an urban myth.

     

     

    Btw What’s the difference between Bing Crosby and Walt Disney?..

     

     

    Bing sings, but Walt Disney. That jokes so old, it might be new again soon.

     

     

    ====================================================================

     

     

    Sorry, but there’s no difference between them. None of them sing, due to ‘difficulties’

  5. Bigrailroadblues 4.57pm

     

     

    I hope you are correct … I think seeing Andrew Robertson being the best left back in England might tempt Kieran as i think he is a far better defender & far better attacker than the Liverpool player ….am thinking the worst in case he does leave … but as you allude to the grass isn’t always greener :-)

  6. Tierney is a better defender than Robertson, but is definitely not as good an attacker

  7. prestonpans bhoys on

    Good afternoon from a rather wet Aberfoyle, can’t believe this time last week I was getting roasted in the lake district😵. Anyway caravan all inclusive🍺🍺🍺 had a wee look at the DR after noticing comments on here. They have a hun blogger piece which I hope exemplifies their attitude as a whole. Cause its the hope that kills them, this season should be fun👍👏

  8. The first ever Celtic Summer Festival seems to have been a rip roaring success not that your likely to be told other than through Celtic.

     

     

    25,000 fans attended over the three days, and a bond was strengthen, with the lifeblood of Celtic youngsters who’ll carry the Hoops to glory, in the next generation.

  9. ST TAMS on 29TH JULY 2019 5:30 PM

     

    Tierney is a better defender than Robertson, but is definitely not as good an attacker

     

     

    ——–

     

     

    Robertson’s been up against Hazard, Sane, Mane and Sterling regularly.

     

     

    KT’s been up against Niall McGinn, Candeias, Martin Boyle and Chris Cadden.

     

     

    Good luck convincing anyone of that…..and I love KT.

  10. Will Celtic TV be showing the match tomorrow?

     

     

    Asking for those of us who use streaming sites :-)

  11. Big Wavy 5.44pm

     

     

    Kieran doesn’t look out of place at CL level … did you think the same when Andrew was plying his trade at queens patk ,,, obviously not

     

     

    I like Robertson but don’t think he is a patch on Kieran in every aspect

     

     

    Pretty poor analogy … but all about opinions I just value mine more :-)

  12. GFTB

     

     

    It’s not a poor analogy and it’s actually the crux of what we are up against. KT will surely want to stretch himself against better players and will improve playing against that quality week in: week out in England. There’s a ceiling for development in Scotland for the top guys.

     

     

    Added to the fact that the rat has made us such a defensive laughing stock in general in the champions league, then as I say, good luck with that comparison….

  13. LAZYDYNAMITE on 28TH JULY 2019 10:27 PM

     

    Your post at 08:21 last night now deleted, thanks for the apology.

  14. !!Bada Bing!! on

    Gene- a few away games changed today mate,don’t want to post link to the Hun,they are on previous post…

  15. Of course the facts are that Bing Crosby was well connected with the mafia, not surprising given their role in clubs, gambling and the entertainment business. Bob Hope used to tell a story that Bing once told him the name of a horse and said it was a racing certainty and; “that if you don’t believe you can hear it from the horses mouth” “And that’s what happened!”

     

    Over time the old joke gradually changed; (ok I changed it)

     

    What’s the difference between Bing Crosby and Walt Disney?

     

    Bing disney sing

  16. Big Wavy 5.54pm

     

     

    The poor analogy was you can only play against the players you play against … you picked the best of the EPL and then some Spl players … why not the players from Leipzig or Salzburg who KT performed well against … or does that not suit ? I actually remember Andrew Robertson playing for Queens Park (man of the match both games against the Sevs in the 3rd division) so again am happy with my thinking that KT is a far better defender & attacker :-)

  17. Celtic TV saying they have the game tomorrow; so will deffo turn up ‘elsewhere’’

  18. Call_of_Juarez on

    The KT vs Andy Robertson debate. Andy Robertson was exceptional last season. Incredibly fit, he rarely missed a game. KT has struggled with fitness for sometime now. He needs to be 100% for him to be at his best. Whether he will ever again reach those levels of fitness remains to be seen.

     

     

    I hope to god he does.

  19. Brendan has gone … his choice .. surely we are better than the name calling … he brought very good times but obviously worked his ticket … his stock was high, he bolted …

     

     

    “If” we had lost at Easter road or tynecastle in the following 7 days I might have a different view

     

     

    Neil is in charge now … we move on

     

     

    BR might have a £100m transfer kitty but he gave up his chance for immortality

     

     

    Remember this one thing …. Neil left Leicester for Celtic for less money, Brendan left Celtic for Leicester for more money …. it actually is as simple as that :-)

  20. SSB … what a laff

     

     

    Hun “I don’t have any worries about our squad at all … apart from we are weak at left back”

     

     

    Obviously doesn’t comprehend his own words …

     

     

    He then says “I think Celtic will run us close” …. his team have never won a major trophy in their existence :-)

     

     

    Comedy gold

  21. Jeez, Gerry…..You going for a Personal Best? Must be at least 3 days now and making more sense than ever…

     

    “Remember this one thing …. Neil left Leicester for Celtic for less money, Brendan left Celtic for Leicester for more money …. it actually is as simple as that :-)”

     

    Impressive CSC

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