Superior fitness and mental fortitude will deliver for Celtic

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Having pummelled Newco repeatedly this season there is a notion that we’re going to do it again on Sunday. I’d be tempted to hold that result. St Mirren, an inferior team, demonstrated for 57 minutes how far blanket defending and a bit of organisation can take you. If Celtic record an impressive result at the weekend, they will have to be at the peak of their powers.

We can expect Newco will have watched replays of the opening 20 minutes of our Hogmanay tie dozens of times recently. They will do their best to capture what worked for them during that period, and attempt to replicate it on Sunday.

We started slowly that day, which is not entirely out of character, but one or two also looked spooked by the occasion. Newco started on the front foot, again, something they repeatedly do, but just as they have done throughout the season, they soon ran out of steam.

There is not a great deal they will be able to do about Moussa Dembele, short of cutting off supply to him. As a consequence, they will stick tight to Scott Sinclair, who will have work to do to even get involved in the game, never mind hurt the opposition. This is no bad thing, as while Scott is our most productive player, the team will be full of players hungry and capable of hurting the Newco defence.

This is a game which could be in the balance with 15 minutes remaining, but which Celtic could score three times in the closing period. They have the superior fitness and mental fortitude.

Our greatest danger will be from officialdom. Conceding a penalty, a red card, or both, opens the only door possible for Newco to take anything from the game. Keep cool heads as we’ll do just fine.

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  1. Gerryfaethebrig on

    Thunder Road 10.22pm

     

     

    Hioefully all is good mate, but in my opinion Souness was a coward, why else try and harm another professional, in fact I will add to my earlier post, I think he was a tax dodging coward :-)

     

     

    Kid on hard man with a kid on moustache ….. Just my opinion TR

     

     

    Maybe he could kick a ball with Liverpool, probably more to do with the guys about him, he came up here and in my opinion was a thug

  2. blantyretim is praying for the Knox family on

    BMCUW

     

    If it was ten minutes late you share it with our very own oldtim

  3. Keith Jackson also said tonight that the huns had paid 400K compo to Pedros club for his release.

     

    For 45 days, aye right, a friday as well where virtually everything will be closed in Qatar, they obviously think the huns are zipped up the back :-)

  4. “My Dad was so relieved at me missing the twelfth by ten minutes ”

     

     

    Aaaaah, so that’s how you remember ma wee lassies. Noted ;)

     

     

    Mag7,

     

     

    I’d rather you stayed :)

     

     

    HH

  5. DD

     

     

    Looks like the born on the same day as a Celtic player clique…….has been born(or added to the list of clique lists)!

  6. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    BLANTYRETIM

     

     

    I could not be in better company. Just realised that all those years of a hair of the dog curer have actually been a toast to OLDTIM67!

     

     

    Prosit…

  7. TIMBHOY3 on 10TH MARCH 2017 9:43 PM

     

    If yer a Tim…..go lie doon in a dark room for a while and gie yersel a good talkin’ to!!

     

    TC45

  8. Delaneys Dunky on

    GFTB

     

     

    My son said the same as you.

     

     

    VP

     

     

    Nae contest between KT and I for left back. Love watchin him fae North Stand instead. :)

  9. Dallas Dallas where the heck is Dallas on

    Bobby, one of my children’s birthday is 12/7.

     

     

    We knew from few days before that our child would be born on that date.

     

     

    I was consantly asked by people I know if it bothered me and could I accept it.

     

     

    I did not care at all, its a date that means hee haw to me other than it being one of my children’s birthday. I found it all quite amusing.

  10. GFTB

     

     

    Souness was a lot of things…….a nasty b and a thug for sure(done in me best only an excuse souness voice) but a coward? He could take it as well as give it,

     

     

    *oh aye, he was dishing it out against manure one game and in the return right after ko big Joe Jordan ran across the park and did him, hardly hit a ball the rest of the game. A coward and a bully.

  11. BT How are you and you and the Blantyre family getting on..Need to catch up with you and see if i can join the cleek (handshake or money????)

  12. In the Local tonight…

     

     

    one of the old Bhoys was resplendent in Sunday gear finished off with a lovely Celtic tie…no need to ask where he had been.

     

     

    “Lisbon, Milan, Daldowie…” Enough said!

     

     

    HH

  13. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    GEORDIEMUNRO

     

    DALLASDALLAS

     

     

    Also makes it easy to remember!

  14. Gerryfaethebrig on

    Dallas….

     

     

    I am going to search that utube coverage of the 2-2 game, when Billy scored both goals, as a Bhoy I was working in Morristion Steet with a good friend of BT, ….SH’s wee cousin PH, who whatever away game I want to PH was there… Am sure BT will know who I type of….. Dallas, that game was my favourite ever away game, leaving work at 12pm, heading home from Aberdeen around 1am, even better the “driver” who chose to drive was scunnered as from Aberdeen to Coatbridge he had to listen to 4 eijits singing the “broad black brimmer” for a boot in the backside of 3hrs …

     

     

    Happy days :-)

  15. Delaneys Dunky on

    BMCUW

     

     

    I was so proud when my daughter Patrice was born on March 17. 25 this Friday wow. Where did that quarter century go???

  16. Gerryfaethebrig on

    Roy C 10.37pm

     

     

    Excellent…..

     

     

    Daldowie might bphouse a legend or two, St Joseohs is full of legends :-)

  17. SAINT STIVS on 10TH MARCH 2017 10:31 PM

     

    And packy is the better taxi driver.

     

     

    ——————–

     

    He’s welcome to it :O)

  18. Dallas Dallas where the heck is Dallas on

    Bobby, we told our child bands are out marching for them on that date

  19. Delaneys Dunky on

    TR

     

     

    Must admit I was chuffed that KT has the same birthday as me when I read it. :))

  20. Bobby,

     

     

    Aye. It sticks in the mind. Bit like Jj’s and my Mrs.

     

     

    DD,

     

     

    I love how your daughter and pat rice share a birthday. Never ceases to tickle me that :))

     

     

    HH

  21. Dallas Dallas where the heck is Dallas on

    Gerry, I can’t do the link thing unfortunately.

     

     

    The league cup quarter final at Pittodrie in 1986 was favourite midweek game up there.

     

     

    YTS, young Tony Shepherd , was sent off and we won on penalties with Choccy scoring the decisive spot kick.

     

     

    The highlight of the night was Wullie Miller missing in the shoot out or big Bonner saving his penalty , as he was a hate figure among our support. It was in front of the Beach End.

     

     

    As time has passed, my pals and I now think he was a terrific player . He is the best pundit on radio shortbread.

  22. I’ve mentioned this before but several years ago the Shoot or Goal magazine ran a series of articles where an ex-pro picked the top 6 regional players from his generation.

     

     

    For example Denis Law chose the Mersey group…ham and egg the Scottish one etc. The only player to make 2 different groups was Kenny.

     

     

    After Denis Law picked his he did say that he deliberately left the beast out as any player that tried to intentionally injure a fellow pro was not fit to be classed as a “great”.

     

     

    Everton had a cracking young player called Paul Bracewell, the beast shortened his Toffee career with a trademark tackle. He was NEVER a hard man just a thug.

  23. As one of the old yins on here…..I can only say that Tommy Gemmell was a superb player and great guy. Young KT shows the same flair as big Tam, as does Izzy. So proud and happy to be a Celtic man.

  24. Gerryfaethebrig on

    Tontine Tim

     

     

    As a Bhoy I was an Everton fan

     

     

    Southall, Ratcliffe, Mountfield, Bracewell, Reid, Sheedy (left out the 2 Stevens & Greame Sharp :-)

  25. GFTB

     

     

    Totally agree that he was a thug.

     

    Totally agree that he had that nasty streak that some players possess(would go as far to call it evil) that would see him do a fellow player just for the sake of it and yeah, i agree that its a cowardly(and despicable)trait.

     

    I just sort of remember that tie(was young then and had an interest in english fitty)and he was a marked man but went over there……took what they threw at him…..and got them into the final.

     

    Brave man at times too…….even when it comes to dodging Liz her dues!

  26. Dallas Dallas

     

     

    I have to agree Willie Miller is very fair on the radio, and what a player. I used to wish for him and Narey for Celtic Park.

     

     

    HH

  27. Gerryfaethebrig on

    Dallas 10.51

     

     

    Willie Miller is a decent listen, I also like Michael Stewart….. I don’t need pundits to like Celtic just a fair and honest view

  28. Keech Jaxhuns level 5 headline in the daily rectum that DK and the bankrupts paid 400k compensation to release Pedro the bull fighting celtic soul brother from his contract is a contender with the Sunday Sports ‘Lancaster bomber found on the moon’ for the most incredulous nonsense ever printed.

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