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Taking the foot off the pedal talk

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By on CQN BLOG & Comments

The count of how many times I’ve heard “I hope we don’t take the foot off the pedal like we did last year” has reached double figures. This is never a good sign. Football games, against any level of opponent, need to planned for and respected.

During last season’s League Cup semi-final, Celtic went two goals up early on, then made 100% sure the result would never be in danger by denying Newco even an attempt at goal (the match stats recorded one attempt, which was actually a wayward cross from a free kick). Compare and contrast with Borussia Dortmund’s two goal advantages last night. While I’d love to score a barrel-load, winning the game is all that really matters.

We have seen enough Celtic teams dominate possession in Europe against less-resourced teams only to lose to the sucker punch. This has been a harsh lesson, which I hope has been learned.

I doubt many of us know what to expect from Newco. They won the Championship but this season didn’t have to contend with vastly superior Hearts team. They are also in the semi-final because they thumped Premiership Dundee 4-0 at Ibrox, which is a huge result for any lower league team (we’ve failed to score twice against Dundee recently).

All my “Rangers” supporting pals tell me they are hopeless at defending, so there’s a decent possibility they will defend deeply and play on the break – just as several others have done effectively against us this season. We’re going to have a lot of possession in the final third, but Scott Brown and Nir Bitton will need to offer a lot of defensive cover.

Most of all, we’ll need discipline. There’s a red card winging its way to the first Celtic player to stare at an opponent in a rash manner. The First Minister will probably get involved too, so be prepared.

Did you read Walter “dare I say it, 10 in a row” Smith? What a man to have in your corner days before a big game. He’ll have them thinking it’s 1957 all over again!

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Charlie Gallagher! What a Player! is the new book by Celtic historian David Potter, published by CQN Books at the end of the month. Order your signed copy HERE or click on the image below.

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  1. Hamiltontim on

    TET

     

     

    I’ve been critical of our lack of team spirit, particularly this season. At the last home game I saw 11 Celtic players sticking up, not only for themselves, but also each other. I don’t think we’ll need CKR for that on Sunday.

     

     

    By all means let him loose at 5-0 with 5 minutes to go! :-)

     

     

    Ps spent the day with MMc the other day doing the handover. She was fascinated when I told her what I know of your background.

  2. weebobbycollins on

    TET….”Play him and feck the consequences.”

     

    Exactly! He’s not a novice to the high-profile game. They haven’t faced his like in any game this season. I believe we will show them up…

  4. eddieinkirkmichael on

    This wont sit well with a few supporters but I’ll support whatever team Ronny puts out against Sevco

  8. Hunderbirds are Gone on

    I haven’t seen a great deal in terms of ability or skill from CKR in the games that he has played so far. However I feel that the team as a whole has played better when he plays.

     

    I think motivation has been an issue in Ronny’s teams, and sometimes the teams attitude has been found wanting.

     

    Coincidentally, or otherwise, performances and results have improved, and I think his attitude and physicality perhaps bring something to the team that GMS, Armstrong and McGregor do not.

     

    I hope he plays.

  9. clunks on

    THE EXILED TIM on 15TH APRIL 2016 11:07 PM

     

    CLUNKS

     

     

    I gave up on it, it’s virtually impossible to get traffic to any site unless you weigh in with serious bucks, and I don’t have them or am not willing to pay for the privilage.

     

     

    I have my shop on Etsy, they generate the traffic for me, as long as I get my tags right I get the views, I average about 300-400 views a day, the sales are creeping up as well, my sales are 1200 in 15 months, way more than I could expect with a website on my own.

     

     

    The costs are not too bad either, 20c per item for four months to display it, they take 3.1/2% of sales as a fee, so as long as you factor it in it’s fine.

     

     

    It pays a bill or two and a few wee extras.

     

     

    HH

     

     

    ——————-

     

     

    TET

     

     

    there are many marketers who would kill for 300-400 views a day! Thats 9- 12,000 page views a month!

     

     

    There must be someone on this site who could help you with copy writing to increase your sales to page view ratio?

     

     

    If you could increase that then you are quids in without spending anymore money on traffic, coz you are getting the traffic?

  11. Hamiltontim on

    Clunks/DD

     

     

    All about opinions lads but for me the guy just isn’t good enough and I think we have much better options.

     

     

    Eddieinkirkmichael

     

     

    Just opinions on a blog. Ultimately, it means nothing, Ronny will decide what he thinks is best.

     

     

    Some will agree and some won’t.

  15. Delaneys Dunky on

    Eddie

     

     

    No matter the team Ronny picks, this manky sevco mob are gettin pumped rotten.

  20. clunks on

    HT

     

     

    Opinions wont win the games to be sure, they are for us dumb ass supporters to debate amongst ourselves.

     

     

    And it is good to debate the finer and not so finer points without trashing each other, something maybe CQN has lost its way with in the last few months?

     

     

    CKR plays or not I am pretty sure we will win.

     

     

    Hail Hail buddy

  22. Canamalar it looks like OCD obsession on

    I’d rather see a bit of bite and fight than a silky sparrowheart everyday of the week and we have too many of them.

  24. gribbies32 on

    Just logged in and can’t believe Judas is on the sky panel for Sunday. Thats pre-meditated – murder not man slaughter. Imagine the uproar if Luis Figo was on the panel for Barca – Madrid

  26. THE EXILED TIM on

    HT~WBC

     

    It’s all about how we see things, we know what we are up against, and we all see it differently as to who should start etc, thankfully we don’t have the decisions to make, RD is the fall guy, he gets it right he is the hero, he gets it wrong……..

     

    Whatever the outcome, I honestly can’t see us not turning up for this one.

     

    HH

     

    ……………………………………..

     

    CLUNKS

     

    My views are 311 as we speak, my sales are four for today, problem is they are for little money, average 10 euros a sale and the goods are only for people with disposable income, it’s no like I am selling food or cloths.

     

    Etsy is good, I have tried my own site many times, it doesn’t work.

     

    Now up to 313 :-)

     

    HH

  30. Hamiltontim on

    Typed my musings earlier, so far. If I can be bothered I’ll finish it tomorrow.

     

     

    The hotel Wifi had promised cloudy with outbreaks of sunshine for the Tuesday so that pretty much set our minds as the Sunday and Monday had promised rain.

     

     

    As we crossed the road I took her hand, she was bad enough at a crossing on Springfield Road never mind the wrong way traffic in Lisbon’s financial district! The opposite side offered the temptations and delicacies of Portugal’s most favoured cuisine, pastries! As I watched the red turn to green, I led her towards the day’s first delight. Amidst the hussle, bussle and immaculate manners of the countries wheelers and dealers we stood in line. The suited and booted, male and female, eyed my T shirt without comment though I acknowledged a nod or two. Respect? I’m not sure. An enemy? Certainly not!

     

     

    As the queue frittered away way we decided whether to order in Portuguese or English. As the businesswoman before us took away her briefcase and espresso I decided that a mix of Scottish and Spanish would work best, Thankfully, the young lady serving could decipher the world renowned language of gibberish!

     

     

    A couple of plain croissants, a tea and a two lattes (the head was fragile) were withdrawn and we took a seat in the corner.

     

     

    “Taxi or Metro?” I asked.

     

     

    We’d already planned in meticulous detail every stop and every minutae of the journey.

     

     

    “Taxi, I know where to get us dropped”.

     

     

    Her confidence decided it, she’d been before.

     

     

    “Honestly, I know where to get us dropped!”

     

     

    With that my anxiety dissipated, slightly.

     

     

    As I watched the patrons depart on their journeys I thought of where they were going. Five minutes? Ten minutes? More? Offices or shops?

     

     

    It didn’t matter. I was on a journey that had taken decades to make.

     

     

    “Ok”.

     

     

    But she could sense my nerves.

     

     

    “Go for a smoke Chris”.

     

     

    I slithered through the throng and made my way to the covered, canvassed area outside. As I inhaled deeply, I talked to myself. I reminded myself that I was a 45 year old man and that this was a tiny part of things and life. I thought of the personal difficulties of the past 18 months. I thought of those who’d asked for thoughts and prayers, I thought of the many thousands who’d made this trip before and I remembered those who’d set the sails for this voyage. I went back inside and quietly sat back in my seat. Slowly, I picked up my spoon, scraped the remnants from the cup, scooped them into my mouth and sat back in the chair.

     

     

    I was ready.

     

     

    We made our way to the main road, about 50 yards along the road.

     

     

    “Taxi!”

     

     

    “Taxi!”

     

     

    “Taxi!”

     

     

    Nothing.

     

     

    “Haw you!!!!”

     

     

    It worked.

     

     

     

    Yep, success :-)

     

     

    “Onde?” asked the driver.

     

     

    I showed him the full address on my phone,

     

     

     

    “Ahhhh!” he replied with a smile.

     

     

    I thought I was nervous until I saw the first sign.

     

     

    “ESTADIO”

     

     

     

    At this point the real emotion started to kick in.

     

     

    Not sobbing, just a lump and a choke, you know the way when you think that you’re gonnae give up and admit you’re a softie!

     

     

    There were another two signs that elicited the same response.

     

     

    As we drove up through a beautiful, subdued park, it appeared before us.

     

     

    It was silent apart from the swallows whistling in the trees, No traffic, no athletic competitions, no swarms of green and white jerseys.

     

     

    It was almost just us.

     

     

    It was just exactly how I’d wanted it.

     

     

    As we exited the taxi I looked to my right and gazed upon the main stand. This was where Billy, oor Billy had lifted the European Cup!

     

     

    The Champions League.

     

     

    Call it what you will.

     

     

    My team were the first non Latin team to achieve it!

     

     

    “This way”,Helen stated.

     

     

    I followed.

     

     

    As we walked up a short path a security guard stepped from his office.

     

     

    I bristled as he looked over at us. I wasn’t prepared for anything to hinder our plans. He didn’t say anything but his demeanour suggested that he was awaiting an explanation.

     

     

    “We’re just going in to look around”, offered Helen.

     

     

    At this point he glanced at my top. With a smile and a wave of his hand, we were in!

     

     

    By this point the weather forecaster had got it right and the midday sun was beating down upon us. As we walked up towards the stadium I looked around. Not to the stands or even the winner’s podium but to see who was there. At this point there was an older guy cutting the grass and one female running round the track. We strolled around the perimeter of the pitch and up towards where Billy had held the cup aloft. Climbing the steps I felt my stomach churn and once again I welled up. As we reached the top my heart sand and my stomach flipped. The way to thee glorious spot was blocked by a glass gate which was locked. With a heavy heart I descended the steps and sat alone taking in the silence, but also the history and passion.

     

     

    As I scanned the cauldron I watched the wee grass cutter. I’d noticed the time and sat there in hope and expectation. I was right. In a matter of minutes he made his way to the small hut at the side of the pitch and parked up the vehicle which had become the obstacle to my dreams.

     

     

    He was obviously going for lunch.

     

     

    I was like Craig Whyte with one eye on him and one on the prize! As he exited the footprint I took more and more steps towards the locked, glass door. In seconds he disappeared from sight. Go!

     

     

    I ascended three at a time and moments later it was only a piece of blasted sand between me and my aim. I viewed where Billy had stood, a matter of 10 yards from me and looked down at Helen.

     

     

    “Go for it!” she shouted.

     

     

    Thankfully, there was a gap below the glass gate and equally thankfully, I was ever so glad that I’d spent those hours playing 5s and at the gym. With a slither of the ole snake hips I was under the barrier and on the side of virtue and right! I was now about 10 steps from my target.

     

     

    With every step the emotion built within me.

     

     

    As I reached Billy’s spot I turned and looked down. The Estadio Nacional was before me just as it was on that day on 25th May 1967 when a Lanarkshire Bhoy took his place amongst football’s greats.

     

     

    With my arms held wide and aloft I cried and in a broken voice I broke into song.

     

     

    “In the heat of Lisbon…”

  35. clunks on

    GRIBBIES32 on 15TH APRIL 2016 11:22 PM

     

     

    Just logged in and can’t believe Judas is on the sky panel for Sunday. Thats pre-meditated – murder not man slaughter. Imagine the uproar if Luis Figo was on the panel for Barca – Madrid

     

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

     

     

    For sure mate.

     

     

    Had judas been rolled out to prove a point, just like the broguemeister smith and the murdering son of a f&*k “who got the highest EBT” souness?

     

     

    Are we being predictively programmed (or are they) to produce a particular response to a particular stimuli??

     

     

    When you look at it like that the last weeks press (souness and smith) plus the press bites we have had to suffer (old firm players getting hammered on tax demands – when no Celtic players get mentioned in the story) makes you think that the huns are almost getting prodded to produce a reaction? As are we with Judas being tramped out on sky?

     

     

    Think about that for a wee bit…………..

  36. Dallas Dallas where the heck is Dallas on

    Roy, Anton’s goal aainst them is my favourite, not the best goal against them I have seen us score but Anton scoring a scrappy effort right in front of that venomous crew , meant so much to Anton and us.

     

     

    Anton was not everyone’s favourite but Anton was very much one of us.

  38. GlassTwoThirdsFull on

    Clunks

     

    The self-serve machines in supermarkets are so rubbish they need someone to tell people what to do and correct errors.

     

    Why not just have that person on a till???

  40. Hamiltontim on

    Clunks

     

     

    Sadly, the blog has gone downhill for about 18 months in my opinion. I think many of us need to take responsibility for that. It’s still worth coming back for though mate.

  41. clunks on

    CLUNKS

     

     

    My views are 311 as we speak, my sales are four for today, problem is they are for little money, average 10 euros a sale and the goods are only for people with disposable income, it’s no like I am selling food or cloths.

     

     

    Etsy is good, I have tried my own site many times, it doesn’t work.

     

     

    Now up to 313 :-)

     

     

    HH

     

     

    —————————–

     

     

    Whats the web page for your work? If you dont want to blast it out on CQN the email it to me on cqnclunks@gmail.com

  42. Dallas Dallas where the heck is Dallas on

    Clunks, those self service machines in supermarkets are the worst.

     

     

    Machines may be efficient but are not programmed with common sense and conversation skills.

     

     

    Good night all and sleep well.

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