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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Neganon
No apology required mate.
A lot of what u say is true and some on the blog are in denial.
I am disappointed to hear u are drifting away from Celtic, however.
The club is our heritage, precious.
A gift from Bro. Walfrid and our forefathers which we have a duty to protect , preserve and nourish for our kids and theirs.
I owe it to my Dad to continue the fight.
C’mon bud some things are just too important to turn your back on
HH
Bollocks Neg. Yep we might get a bad decision but ultimately if we turn up we should win tomorrow.
If you are slowly moving away from Celtic, that is sad but it will be a whole lot sadder if you are the cause of turning other Celtic Fans away from Celtic.
If you don’t feel the passion any more at least you must remember what it was like to feel it, so let those of us for whom the flame still burns alone to savour the experience.
P.S. Happy Birthday Philbhoy.
UTLR
Enthralling game at Stamford Bridge.
It’s so riveting I went outside, in the warm sunshine incidentally, to take pictures of the local ground hog.
He, or she, is a wee bit skinny looking after winter’s hibernation.
I hope our team is as hungry tomorrow.
Hungry to silence the media.
Hungry to put a lie to their claims.
Hungry to show the difference in class.
Hungry to erase the memory of previous Hampden farces.
Hungry to send the zombie fans home with 30 minutes left.
could some fine fellow with a memory remind me of Pauls line about Celtic not ‘needing’/ wanting any bit that requires sevco – very poorly put by me there
cheese cheers
Corkcelt
C’mon bud , give neganon a break.
He is just angry and frustrated.
He speaks at times about things which are unpalatable but true.
( IMO)
I seriously am sitting here with what feels like the weight of the world on my shoulders.
I know if is a fair and even handed game we will win.
I’m not confident that will be the case unfortunately.
I struggle to shrug these things off.
Our club means so much.
HH mate
‘GG on 16th April 2016 6:54 pm
Enthralling game at Stamford Bridge.
It’s so riveting I went outside, in the warm sunshine incidentally, to take pictures of the local ground hog.
He, or she, is a wee bit skinny looking after winter’s hibernation.
—————
But did he or she see their shadow?
PunxsutawneyPhilcsc
whitedoghunch on 16th April 2016 6:55 pm
could some fine fellow with a memory remind me of Pauls line about Celtic not ‘needing’/ wanting any bit that requires sevco – very poorly put by me there
—————————–
“Whatever part of my club is dependent on Rangers I am willing to lose.”
I’m impressed that The_Huddle can spell Punxsutawney. Assuming the spelling is correct.
Penalty City. Red card goalie. Off for a wee trip down the King’s Road.
I guess he was as bored as the rest of us.
Arguero scores from the spot, for a change.
Googled it :O) knew what I wanted say just not how to spell it though I had pete in my head for some reason
the_huddle
efharisto
To relieve the boredom a wee bit, lift the mood, I’m reposting this jibe at our zombie friends from the overnight shift.
GG on 16TH APRIL 2016 8:22 AM
The Greatest Show on Earth
Roll up. Roll up. Roll up.
For one day only
Courtesy of PT “There’s a Hun Sucker born every minute” Barnum
From the Mt Florida sheep meadow carefully tended by Sevco’s own gardener.
The Zombie Carnival
Before the main event when the zombie hordes will be slain by the Sons of the Lions,
A CORNUCOPIA of sideshows featuring:
Marching Bands
All manner of exotic animals in the menagerie:
Ostriches with their heads in the sand
Bears in training to walk on their hind legs
BFDJ and his untrained slobbering elephants
Leopards changing their stripes
See the Freak Show on the Midway
Bearded ladies
Accounting jugglers
Verbal Contortionists with their heads in hitherto impossible anatomical postures.
(We apologise that the “Guess Your Weight” stand holder declined to appear)
And the unique attraction of the Clown Alley
Where you will be guided through the Mythical Continuity Maze
“Up to your knees in EBTs”
Secure you entrance to this wondrous attraction with just a
POUND.
I honestly can say, I don’t hate anybody in this world. I often hate the things people do but don’t hate the person.
I don’t even dislike that many people in life, when I come across unpleasant people, I have a happy knack of mentally deleting them from my mind.
Obviously I dislike those who commit crimes against the innocent but in normal life nobody bothers me to the extent that I intensely dislike them.
That is apart from one little *unt. I am deeply ashamed to admit that if the *ucker got knocked down and killed in the morning it wouldn’t bother me.
He says he did it for the money, he was well named, Judas all those years ago, Judas today, Judas for ever.
Neganon,
You are a brave masochist.
Up you.
Up the RA
Wee Jay….Making his conformation…his folks tell him not to mention Celtic.
Wee man walks up…says to the bishop ‘Can you pray that Celtic win tomorrow’
Bishop says ‘Dont worry, we have got it covered’:)
HH
Why will we not be allowed to win?
Did we not win in a canter against them last year.
As for Thompson consistently cheating, I remember him giving us a soft pen at Ibrox against their old mob when Sammi got knocked in the box. Unfortunately, we missed it- what’s new? All those biased refs giving us pens we contrive to miss.
Now, I know we have been cheated at times down the year but it is far from consistent. The worst spells were before TV was brought in and the 2nd worst was in the Tony Mowbray era.
We have had players sent off at Hampden when an Ibrox club were not involved, some justified, some dubious and a few inexplicably.
There is a lot of corruption in our game but I do not expect it to be blatant tomorrow.
Neg
Sad to read you are turning away from our beloved Celtic. I know how much you care.
I agree with a lot you write. Could never walk away…… unless I learnt for definite that Celtic were colluding with sevco.
The Board at Celtic have conducted a fiscal prudence policy not based on spending money wisely, but based on the lowering of playing squad quality.
This in turn has led to a lowering of the fans expectations. For example on here in recent months we have had posters asserting that the manager, god help him, should not be judged on European performances, or if you prefer it, non performances.
And really we should not worry unduly about diddy domestic cup results.
And under no circumstances should the Board even remotely give a nod towards the idea of seeking retribution for years of cheating.
Then when apathy caused by the above sets in, the fans are told we must back the team.
Green Man,
That bhoys class.
HH
SFTB
There is a different atmosphere surrounding tomorrow’s game than last year’s .
The Hun is looking for confirmation that they are back.
That self entitlement was still present last year but not to the same extent.
Every dirty trick in the book will be played.
I hope to God we can rise above it
I have a good friend here. In his mid 80s and was a professional footballer late 50s early 60s.
Played in the hoops a few times.
He has been highly critical of us this season.
Poor passing, lack of penetration, low energy, no dig
Just some of the descriptions he has used after games.
He was happy with our Hearts display and ecstatic with our first half against Motherwell.
He also watched the Huns game last weekend as a penance for precious sins.
He says that we are a far superior side in every department and he can’t understand the praise from the media.
Never one to exaggerate our possible goal scoring he says we will take 5 off them
Now who am I to contradict an old professional?
So I’m headed into tomorrow with a barrow load of confidence, a skip in my step and a light heart.
COYBIG
quonno on 16th April 2016 7:19 p
The Board at Celtic have conducted a fiscal prudence policy not based on spending money wisely, but based on the lowering of playing squad quality.
This in turn has led to a lowering of the fans expectations. For example on here in recent months we have had posters asserting that the manager, god help him, should not be judged on European performances, or if you prefer it, non performances.
And really we should not worry unduly about diddy domestic cup results.
And under no circumstances should the Board even remotely give a nod towards the idea of seeking retribution for years of cheating.
Then when apathy caused by the above sets in, the fans are told we must back the team.
———–
No one on here has said that.
There’s been plenty of comments about why should our current manager only be judged on his European results when previous managers haven’t been. Is that what you meant?
Can’t remember any posts about diddy cups
DELANEYS DUNKY on 16TH APRIL 2016 7:14 PM
Neg
Sad to read you are turning away from our beloved Celtic. I know how much you care.
I agree with a lot you write. Could never walk away…… unless I learnt for definite that Celtic were colluding with sevco.
Admittedly a hypothetical question.
What would it take, apart from guff about great club with a wonderful history, would it take to convince you of collousion.
DIXIEDEANS
Wee Jay is a SuperCelt extraordinaire.
Love the wee fella.
Makes a lot of people smile:)
Top Bhoy he is.
HH
I need help, lots of help.
Children are dying.
Slowly they are dying.
Through hunger and the cold they just rot away and then their little bones are burnt and used as fertilizer.
They are white, not black, they are Muslim if they have any faith, not Christian.
I am so tired trying to help them. I need help from those I trust.
I want to keep every kid warm. I want to feed every kid.
But I can’t.
Can any of you spare a toy or a wee bit of clothing?
The lives of those children without parents means so much to me but I am nothing of any worth without you.
Nothing.
And just like in so many parts of our glorious world… kids die.
They just die, it is the way of the world.
Our world.
I need help.
Quonno
If any of KevJ’s claims of Celtic funding and aiding sevco were true.
THE_HUDDLE on 16TH APRIL 2016 7:22 PM
quonno on 16th April 2016 7:19 p
Five gets you ten that should we lose tomorrow there will be those who shrug and say, its just the cup.
Never a truer word spoken.
DELANEYS DUNKY on 16TH APRIL 2016 7:26 PM
Quonno
If any of KevJ’s claims of Celtic funding and aiding sevco were true.
You have no qualms about Celtic’s silence on what goes on.
quonno on 16th April 2016 7:19 p
Five gets you ten that should we lose tomorrow there will be those who shrug and say, its just the cup.
—————-
Is that new thing?
THE_HUDDLE on 16TH APRIL 2016 7:28 PM
quonno on 16th April 2016 7:19 p
Five gets you ten that should we lose tomorrow there will be those who shrug and say, its just the cup.
—————-
Is that new thing?
It may or may not be a new thing.
But I never, ever shrugged off a Celtic defeat as being just one of those things.
Philbhoy
Happy birthday! It was mine 10 days ago. Enjoy your night with your friends. I couldn’t have put it better myself. I’m no lover of the Board either but as you say, let’s all get behind the team.
Aguero completes his hattrick after missing 2 out of last 3 penalties.
Disgraceful decision to keep him on pen duties by the manager.
(tongueincheeksmileythingy)
quonno on 16th April 2016 7:30 pm
THE_HUDDLE on 16TH APRIL 2016 7:28 PM
quonno on 16th April 2016 7:19 p
Five gets you ten that should we lose tomorrow there will be those who shrug and say, its just the cup.
—————-
Is that new thing?
It may or may not be a new thing.
But I never, ever shrugged off a Celtic defeat as being just one of those things.
—————-
Nor have I.
The posts I remember on here were those criticising the current Celtic manager for only winning the league and a diddy cup and not performing in Europe. That’s a new thing that’s appeared over the last couple of years.
” I’m no lover of the Board either but as you say, let’s all get behind the team.”
Tosb,
Are you going to manage to get behind the team tomorrow?
Somebody didn’t explode with rage when we exited the league cup the other month ;)
HH
Neganon
I know that many have made the point to you before but the board are not Celtic.
Keep that in mind mate.
Quonno
No, their current silence is better than stoking the fire, like grandmaster bitter myth did.
GM
I think the difference is that LG seems to have abdicated from penalty duties by himself.
Not that we’ll need to worry about that tomorrow I suspect!
HT,
How many times do we need to make that point and I don’t mean just to neganon !
Anyway Hibs fans in good voice in the pub, looking forward to Hampden in green and white…….