Taking the foot off the pedal talk

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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. I’d like to build the world a home

     

    And furnish it with love

     

    Grow apple trees and honey bees

     

    And snow white turtle doves

     

     

    I’d like to teach the world to sing

     

    In perfect harmony

     

    I’d like to hold it in my arms

     

    And keep it company

     

     

    I’d like to see the world for once

     

    All standing hand in hand

     

    And hear them echo through the hills

     

    For peace through out the land

     

    (That’s the song I hear)

     

     

    I’d like to teach the world to sing

     

    In perfect harmony

     

     

    I’d like to teach the world to sing

     

    In perfect harmony

     

     

    I’d like to build the world a home

     

    And furnish it with love

     

    Grow apple trees and honey bees

     

    And snow white turtle doves

     

     

    I’d like to teach the world to sing

     

    In perfect harmony

     

    I’d like to hold it in my arms

     

    And keep it company

     

     

    I’d like to see the world for once

     

    All standing hand in hand

     

    And hear them echo through the hills

     

    For peace through out the land

     

    (That’s the song I hear)

     

     

    I’d like to teach the world to sing

     

    In perfect harmony

     

     

    I’d like to teach the world to sing

     

    In perfect harmony

     

     

    I’d like to teach the world to sing

     

    In perfect harmony, that’s the song I hear

     

     

     

     

    Read more: New Seekers – I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing Lyrics | MetroLyrics

  2. Forgot to add

     

     

    It is 32 years since Dozzell’s father Jason became the youngest goalscorer in the English top flight when he also scored on his debut, for the same club, at the age of 16.

  3. Hamiltontim

     

     

    The board are not Celtic but they are – corporate – Celtic, keep that at the foremost of your mind.

     

     

    At the foremost of your mind.

     

     

    Who are the board really?

     

     

    I know they have invested heavily in some cases, but is money more a passport than suffering?

     

     

    Have you ever suffered?

     

     

    Has any of our noted board ever suffered?

     

     

    If they have not then how can they ever represent our clubs ethos?

     

     

    It they have never known hunger then they have never known pain and if they have known hunger then they’d surely disdain.

     

     

    But we have silence only to ward off hunger.

     

     

    Hunger for justice.

     

     

    Hunger for equality.

     

     

    Equality for all.

     

     

    Not just the biggest board in Scotland.

     

     

    The brotherhood board.

  4. Canamalar:

     

     

    Send me an e-mail mate. I’ll let you know.

     

     

    How come I just knew it would be you that would be the first to help Muslim kids?

  5. Geordie Munro on

    HT,

     

     

    I’ll wait and see if he really has. I thought he was joking when he said it.

     

     

    To be fair to aguero, his misses were marginal. Not complete duff kicks.

     

     

    I’ll bet we have a wee gem of a penalty taker in the team. I remember filling with dread before Gary Caldwell stepped up to smash a brammer of a spot kick away in Europe.

     

     

    Well it looked a brammer from my seat anyways

     

     

    HH

  6. TBJ has no trust in the PLC on 16th April 2016 7:55 pm

     

     

    His equaliser cost my wee syndicate £326 :(

     

    ———————–

     

    Damn

     

     

    I remember his Dad starting out and also Chris Kiwomya at Ipswich (Kiwomya junior is playing, at Chelsea)

  7. Kitalba

     

     

    I wouldn’t disagree with any of that, I know very well the failings of our current board.

     

     

    Tonight, I’m just desperate to get tomorrow out the way.

  8. TheOriginalSadiesBhoy on

    BurghBhoy

     

     

    No one is giving Neganon a hard time. He can look after himself. He has plenty to say about his point of view. Few of us disagree with a lot of the things he has to say. For me it is the sheer unrelenting repetitiveness of it that gets to me. He is the Leonard Cohen of CQN – posts to slash your wrists to. We’re all aware of every aspect of every argument regarding the Board and we’ve been discussing Hibs victory today and looking forward to/ worrying about Celtic playing the Stickies tomorrow and on comes Albert Tatlock with his usual doom and gloom and brings the black cloud that usually follows him everywhere to rain on our parade.

     

     

    How come we were allowed to win last year? Didn’t Big Jock say that the way to remove the referee from the equation is to keep putting the ball in the net? I’m not saying that the min won’t be trying his best to hurt us tomorrow but I expect our Bhoys to follow Jock’s advice. We are superior in every way to them in a football sense.

  9. Canamalar it looks like OCD obsession on

    Kit,

     

    Muslim does not come into it, their religion is not important, you said kids, why even mention the religon ?,

     

    Mail coming

  10. Delaneys Dunky on

    I have three friends from Bavaria who are in Glasgow for the weekend. They got tickets for the Hibs game and Saint Mirren game today. They are desperate to get Celtic end tickets for Hampden tomorrow. Any suggestions or ideas on where they might find 3 spares?

  11. Hamiltontim

     

     

    Feck the huns,

     

     

    I need your help to keep distant kids alive.

     

     

    Will you help me to help them.

     

     

    Please.

  12. Geordie Bhoy………….

     

     

    ;)

     

     

     

    I feel some Coke might just help the nichts performance…………never mind the morra’s…..

     

     

     

    HH.

  13. TheOriginalSadiesBhoy on 16th April 2016 8:00 pm

     

    ————-

     

    Great post

     

     

    Ultimately it’s a game of football, if it brings you so much misery then give it up, life’s to short

  14. For anyone interested in the OBaF Act, Nicola Sturgeon will be taking part in a hustings at Holyrood Secondary school at 6:45pm on Monday.

     

     

    Supporting your team is not a crime.

  15. How on earth is that the first time I’ve heard the word husting, spell checker doesn’t even recognise it as a word, yet it is.

  16. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    KITALBA 724

     

     

    I’ve got your back as much as I can on that,bud.

     

     

    You can send me details-or not,as you see fit-later.

     

     

    HH

  17. There was a very valid point in my mentioning their religion.

     

     

    Their religion means absolutely hee-haw to me other than there appears to be a western bias against kids of the Muslim faith who need help just like kids of any faith and none.

     

     

    I am not a crusader.

     

     

    I am from Glasgow and I have a Glasgow heart and upbringing.

     

     

    I thank Glasgow and my parents and friends for my heart.

  18. The Huddle

     

     

    I aim to confuse :-)

     

     

    If you’re local get along and have your say.

  19. Delaneys Dunky on

    Kitalba

     

     

    What help do you need?

     

    Physical? Financial?

     

    Eddieinkirkmichael has a project in mind in Malawi that I am keen to offer my labour for.

     

    Would offer similar for you.

  20. Jungle Jim Hot Smoked on

    Re Concern about the ref cheating us tomorrow. I don`t expect anything major. I do expect a certain bias in the award of free kicks and in stopping play when we are building a rhythm but nothing that we, on form , cannot cope with.

     

    JJ

     

    I know we should not have to cope with it . I am just offering my expectations.

  21. TheOriginalSadiesBhoy on

    Geordie Munro

     

     

    Yes I’ll definitely be getting behind the team tomorrow but from the comfort of my couch rather than from the Celtic End. I didn’t get a ticket although I’m signed up to the Home Ticket scheme. I only went to the Morton Cup Tie. I’ve since discovered that if I’d gone to the Ticket Office I could have got one without too much bother. To be honest I didn’t try too hard. I’m sure our fans will get right behind the Bhoys and that we’ll win the game. I don’t think that the Celtoc supporters who attend tomorrow are Old Firm fans either. They are true Celtic fans getting behind the team they love.

     

     

    PS – I’ll be raging again if we lose :-))

  22. Delaneys Dunky:

     

     

    I would love money, but I could never guarantee it would ever get to those who need it to stay alive. I don’t want money, I could not police it and I would not ever want to be responsible for it.

     

     

    I need toys and cloths.

     

     

    I’ll try and find the food from elsewhere.

     

     

    My God was kind when he conceived you and your like.

     

     

    He really was.

  23. The Huddle

     

     

    I’ve heard a few comments from young Emma that make me like the cut of her gib, Nicola, not so much :-)

  24. Delaneys Dunky on

    Kitalba

     

     

    If we were able to collect clothes and toys, which we will. Where will I drive them to in a van?

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