Anyone can win when you are miles ahead and there is no pressure on, but winning when you can feel an opponent’s breath on your neck is far more challenging. Celtic dealt admirably with the pressure on Saturday.
If anything, the wind was worse than at Ibrox six days earlier. Playing against the breeze in the first half, Celtic struggled. We knew how much was on the line at the interval. These players – and manager – have been over the course before, however, and were able to cope with the situation.
Instead of containing emotions after his game in Dingwall yesterday, Phillipe Clement betrayed his own anxieties by leaving the pitch without shaking hands with Ross County manager, Don Cowie. It’s not that Clement is rude, the defeat was just too much for him to process his emotions appropriately. That is a perfect example of what happens when you are struggling to cope with pressure.
In his post-match interview, Clement had a ‘Don’t mention the War’ moment, saying that during the week, “everyone was busy with things outside of football, in the club”. It is Clement’s job to make sure his players focus is exclusively on the football. If this was not the case, it is his fault. I can’t believe he said this on TV, the man’s mouth ran away with him, high on an adrenaline cocktail.
There is still a long way to go, so no celebrations here, but you should be encouraged by Clement’s very obvious reactions to stress.
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QUADBHOY and !!BADA BING!!
Thanks!
We already know that we have to play the other five teams.
Sky Sports will decide the order of the fixtures
Unless the SPL want to draw them out of a hat on camera that is.
InCameraCSC
Listening to MON on the radio. He is delighted that there will be away support at Celtic v ” Rangers” games next season.
Not often I disagree with MON.
HH.
PS : Sky won’t be bothered either way. They just recorded record viewing figures without any away fans.
“you should be encouraged by Clement’s very obvious reactions to stress.”
——————–
Strangely, I find it difficult to get excited about what’s happening at other clubs, but it’s certainly good to see Celtic back to winning ways after last week’s slip-up.
Maximum points of 93 is clearly lower than you would be looking for, but given the team-weakening it’s maybe not too surprising.
more anti-scottish stuff from Phil McG on twitter.
he really doesnt like this country
LETS ALL DO THE HUDDLE
For a Scot he is shocking
One Punter in the UK Placed a £10 acc on FIVE Fitba games and WON just over £109,500.
Below is the Punters BET…
West Ham vs Fulham Away win 8/5
Liverpool v Crystal Palace
Away win 12/1
Arsenal v Aston Villa
Away win 8/1
Ross County v Rangers
Home win 14/1
Las Palmas v Sevilla
Away win 7/5
…
NAW, it wasn’t ME !
LOL
HH
Maybe the good folk on here could help me – if the top 6 are confirmed, why does Dundee v Sevco go to a neutral venue this week. Should that not be the very last resort in 2 or 3 weeks rather than now
Afternoon, all.
KELVINBHOY on 15TH APRIL 2024 2:32 PM
Maybe the good folk on here could help me – if the top 6 are confirmed, why does Dundee v Sevco go to a neutral venue this week. Should that not be the very last resort in 2 or 3 weeks rather than now
—————
Both have only played 32 games and this will bring them up to 33 with everyone else, before the post-split fixtures are announced.
They will have to play each other once more after the split.
Hope this helps.
Regular readers may recall Paul’s faux pas last week when he claimed bookies were offering a 40% return on winning bets for Celtic to win the league, when in fact they were offering a return of 120% (6/5 being the odds)…Well the good news for Paul’s accountant is a week later his figures almost add up…Bookies are now offering a return of just 44% on your investment with Celtic priced at 4/9…
Our friends from Ibrox are 7/4 a potential return of 175% on your investment.
In layman’s terms that means if you invest £40 on Rangers to win the league you will receive ZERO in return…!!!!
MELVIN UDALL on 15TH APRIL 2024 2:37 PM
Yeah, understood but can they not still do so even if it means they play each other twice in 1 week. Am not getting the haste to play it elsewhere when there are other free midweeks between now and the end of the season.
KELVINBHOY on 15TH APRIL 2024 2:52 PM
MELVIN UDALL on 15TH APRIL 2024 2:37 PM
Yeah, understood but can they not still do so even if it means they play each other twice in 1 week. Am not getting the haste to play it elsewhere when there are other free midweeks between now and the end of the season.
Was thinking that as well
In all the chatter about Dundee v Rangers potentially being moved to Paisley or Perth, why are they not considering Tannadice?
Am I missing something?
Tom
Would we play at ipox in a similar scenario
We’ve played at Ibrox in cup semis and finals.
Tom
Seems they don’t have Var facilities at Tannadice 🤷♂️
Was reading James Forest’s latest article on comparitive salaries awarded between us and the Hun and how the hype surrounding Thems have caused salaries over there to expand and expand (remember Fat Boy going to China for mullions then his agent demanding and getting an increase in salary for his very valuable client?).
Anyway enjoyed the overall read, but something he said about TavPen made me go and check his Wikipedia page. I was astounded (no, not really) to find out that he played for nine different clubs before ending up at Ayeboaks. During his travels he failed to score ANY goals for seven of those clubs, then scoring 5 goals at Rotherham in 27 games and 3 goals at Bristol City in 12 games. His massive goals-scored tally at Ayeboaks is another statistical outlier it would seem. Whodda thunkit?
Ave Ave
I disagree with splitting semi-final gate money proportionate to each club’s ticket sales.
The beauty of the cup is that smaller clubs like Buckie Thistle get a big pay day from a visit to Celtic Park. Ok Aberdeen is not Buckie Thistle when it comes to finance and stature, but you can’t have the 50/50 gate money split for some ties and not others.
Think someone stated no VAR at Tannadice hence St. Johnstone
KELVINBHOY on 15TH APRIL 2024 2:52 PM
MELVIN UDALL on 15TH APRIL 2024 2:37 PM
Yeah, understood but can they not still do so even if it means they play each other twice in 1 week. Am not getting the haste to play it elsewhere when there are other free midweeks between now and the end of the season.
—————
Think the first round of fixtures (pre-split) have to be completed before they can start the second round (post-split).
Agree, the split is a complete farce though. So was allowing them not to play this game on the first available midweek, before they played us.
The delay in announcing the split games will be to benefit Newco , as everything done in Scottish football is to benefit Newco as we should all know by now . We had some good fortune from Dingwall yesterday , but still some work to put in to get over the line , some of our fans are counting the chickens before they hatch .
A wee aside,gate money from both semi finals is pooled and shared 4 equal ways……I’m sure……
FANADPATRIOT
Thanks. Makes sense.
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PITCH BATTLE Major Dundee vs Rangers update as SPFL back-up plan & venue confirmed – with UNALLOCATED seating to allow fans to attend
Fans WILL be allowed to attend if the game is moved
Robert Thomson
Published: 15:07, 15 Apr 2024Updated: 15:09, 15 Apr 2024
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McDIARMID PARK has been selected as the back-up venue for Rangers’ crucial title clash against Dundee – if Dens Park is unplayable again.
Philippe Clement’s side head to Tayside on Wednesday for a third crack at getting the game on.
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Dens Park failed another pitch inspection last week
2
Dens Park failed another pitch inspection last weekCredit: Willie Vass
Dundee vs. Rangers could be switched to McDiarmid Park
2
Dundee vs. Rangers could be switched to McDiarmid ParkCredit: Getty
Dundee are confident the pitch will be fine at last if the clear weather forecast for the next 48 hours is correct.
But the SPFL have demanded they come up with a contingency plan should rainfall intervene again.
That means Dundee chiefs have had to provisionally rent the stadium off their Tayside rivals to guarantee it goes ahead.
Supporters would be allowed in, with tickets for the initial game valid and seating unallocated.
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Confirming the contingency plan was in place, the SPFL said: “Dundee were also informed on Thursday that they must provide the pitch consultants, SPFL and Rangers with daily updates on the playing surface and weather forecast, and immediately report any concerns regarding Wednesday’s match being played at Dens Park.
“It has further been agreed that the match official will carry out an inspection of the playing surface on the morning of Tuesday, April 16, after which, taking weather forecasts into account, a final decision will be taken on whether to play the game at Dens Park.
“If the game cannot be played at Dens Park, the SPFL has confirmed that it will be moved to St Johnstone’s McDiarmid Park on Wednesday, April 17, with Dundee making arrangements for fans of both teams to attend. If the game requires to be moved to McDiarmid Park, it will still be categorised as a Dundee FC ‘home game’.
“The SPFL is grateful for the assistance of St Johnstone and will make a further announcement tomorrow.”
Weather forecast is decent for Dundee seemingly
BADA BING
Didn’t know that. Thanks.
Sorry……an edit option would be good…..
Unallocated seating, Dundee home game blah, blah – recipe for disaster with planning on the hoof.
!!BADA BING!! on 15TH APRIL 2024 3:18 PM
A wee aside,gate money from both semi finals is pooled and shared 4 equal ways……I’m sure……
*might be a meringue but I believe the final gate money is also thrown intae the mix, unless sevco had that taken out.
Delaying the announcement of the remaining fixtures makes it more difficult for people like me to get affordable flights over for games.
Almore- it’s nonsense, game is run by idiots here
TOM MCLAUGHLIN @ 3:12 PM
I disagree with splitting semi-final gate money proportionate to each club’s ticket sales.
—————————–
I’m with you on that Tom.
To clarify earlier chat on previous thread …. getting 25% of the gate receipts (half of one semi) when contributing perhaps 12.5% of the crowd (a quarter of the crowd at one semi) should come with some responsibility ….
…. including
“Don’t ask for half the tickets only to return unsold in FIVE separate tranches … safe in the knowledge that Celtic fans will pick them up right up until match day” and you’ll still get 25% of a big pot.
That is what Aberdeen have done.
Goes to ensuring Celtic fans receive the same courtesy (“tickets will go on sale on DATE”) as all other fans.
Best outcome from this nonsense?
Dens Park pitch playable by a whisker on Wednesday.
Most of the responsibility for not having the pitch ready lies with Dundee FC (No argument)
But some of the responsibility lies with the organisations who permitted this game to be moved from the first available slot as outlined by the rules (midweek of 02 & 03 April).
Typical Sevco …. wanting to have their cake and eat it while shouting “Where’s my cake?” at just about anyone
BACK TO BASICS – GLASS HALF FULL on 15TH APRIL 2024 4:37 PM
Best outcome from this nonsense?
Dens Park pitch playable by a whisker on Wednesday.
—————
Hardly any rain forecast between now and the game. So it should be fine to play at Dens. Watch for the Huns trying to get it moved regardless though.
Re the guy murdered outside Queens Park Cafe,15 year old stabbed someone earlier, arrested then released……WTF is wrong with this country
Bada
Going to hell in a handcart
With Dundee now confirmed in 6th place, the rearranged fixture against Rangers* is less critical – the SPFL got lucky in respect of how meaningful this fixture is to teams other than those actually playing, as it’s really not acceptable that a team could go into their final pre-split fixture knowing exactly what they need to do in order to secure a top 6 finish. Rangers* will now face an opponent whose goal for the season may have already been surpassed, though Dundee should still believe that they can catch St.Mirren who are only 3 points ahead of them.
As we now await the post-split fixtures, we should quickly realize that the fun has only just begun. Given the lack of any hard and fast rules, or guidelines, the SPFL remains fluid in administering the cluster#### that is the post-split fixture schedule. After a simple review of information on their website, it is clear that they retain ultimate control in determining how to set fixtures to achieve the “fairest” of schedules for all teams, while acknowledging that nothing can be guaranteed. The SPFL states:
“The most important thing is to try to ensure clubs finish the season having played 19 games at home and 19 away. This is not always possible”
“Fixture reversals, to a greater or lesser extent, have been required in every season since the split was introduced”
“We generally aim for the fewest switches possible and try to avoid reversing fixtures that have a key impact on the league title”
There is no good news for the SPFL as if either Hibs or Motherwell had finished 6th, their job would have been so much easier. The “natural balance” of setting fixtures would have been straightforward as no team would play any opponent for a third time at home (or away). However, with Dundee confirmed in 6th place every team would have an imbalance based on simply scheduling games home or away based on their previous three fixtures against each of the other teams (this is the starting point for the process). In other words, an adjustment to those fixtures will be necessary where 3 teams will play an opponent at home for a 3rd time in the season, and conversely the 3 other teams will have to play an opponent away from home for a 3rd time. This is the only way that each of the top 6 can finish the season with 19 games played home and away. The question is really how this gets determined, and although that should not be too difficult, it is the SPFL!
So, Celtic’s fixtures would “naturally” see them with HOME games against Rangers* and Hearts, and AWAY games against Killy, St.Mirren and Dundee. One of these would need to be reversed to provide Celtic with their 19 home games. While with HOME fixtures against Killy, St.Mirren and Dundee, in order to give them 19 home and away games, Rangers* would need one of these reversed to add to their other two AWAY fixtures against Celtic and Hearts.
There are a limited number of options for these changes. For Celtic, selecting the fixture to be reversed is very simple, as although there would appear to be three options, both St,.Mirren and Dundee also need one more home fixture (precluding them from consideration), so it is only the Killy fixture that can be reversed. Rangers* and Hearts find themselves in the same situation as each other, where they need one less home game and the options for both are either St.Mirren or Dundee (both of whom need one more home game). No idea how the SPFL would determine this (again there are NO GUIDELINES), and although a coin toss would be appropriate, my guess would be that the SPFL will be loathed to entertain the risk of sending Rangers* back to Dens Park.
I hope that it’s a simple 5 out of 5 wins for Celtic to get the league done! However, it might be highly entertaining to see how the SPFL handles this process. It would be hilarious to see the Rangers* have to go back to Dens for a third (fourth or fifth) time, while Celtic avoid a trip to play on Killy’s awful plastic pitch!
in other foreign sports news..
the mens discus world record got broken for the first time in 38 years. it was the longest standing mens world record. 74.35 metres.
not a bad effort for chucking a metal frisbee