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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First ever Scottish Cup meeting with this new mob today. Pity about all the press hype linking it to games against a dead club,
As always when playing a minnow there is a bit of a no win feel. If we destroy them we won’t get much credit and even a narrow win will see criticism. Anything else doesn’t bear thinking about.
A fast start and couple of early goals is the way to go. Take the “honest mistakes” out of the game. Kill it off like we did in the first ever meeting. I’d be happy with a similar result.
MM-very sad news,the cruelest of diseases,Bobby RIP
BOURNESOUPRECIPE on 17TH APRIL 2016 9:38 AM
thank God for that
for all you bhoys and ghirls heading to the game stay safe
HH
MELBOURNE MICK
Very sad news.
Prayers said for those that remain.
Rest in peace, Bobby.
MELBOURNE MICK on 17TH APRIL 2016 9:46 AM
R.I.P. Bobby
Y.N.W.A.
.HH
Bobby Geddes R.I.P.
Thoughts with the family and friends
YNWA
MELBOURNE MICK on 17TH APRIL 2016 9:46 AM
Each of us will remember an absent friend tonight.
Kevin and Bobby
May God Bless them both.
Neil Lennon: Walter Smith’s bitter comments were inflammatory but don’t tell me Rangers are a new team
And of those Celtic supports who claim to hold little interest in cup semi-final against a four-year-old club from the Championship, Lennon said: “Of course they are going to say that. Publicly. But sub-consciously they will be itching for it. This is one of the great fixtures in world football and it’s been sorely missed.”
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/homenews/14432829.Neil_Lennon__Walter_Smith_s_bitter_comments_were_inflammatory_but_don_t_tell_me_Rangers_are_a_new_team/?ref=rss
Utter pish. I’ve followed the club since my dearly departed dad took me to my first match in the mid-sixties. I have not missed them one bit. It would be like the 14th century Black Death survivors missing the bubonic plague as far as I’m concerned.
Today’s contest is a being promoted as the return of the Old Firm by every news and media outlet under the sun. In the blue corner is them. In the green corner is us. Two halves of the same OF brand and this is tacitly approved by our board. It is a continuation of the Big Lie that they did not die and “we” are all supposed to be glad they are “back”… for the sake of the game in Scotland, of course.
Not me. The sun is shining where I live and I will be out on a long bike run at the time this farce begins. When I get back I might watch the Leicester match. Now there’s a football fairytale worth following.
C.O.Y.B.I.G.
HH
M6BHOY on 17TH APRIL 2016 10:20 AM
Well said
HH
Totally agree M6Bhoy, I will have nothing to do with this today. Everything inherently evil about this country
will be on show today – I can live without it.
For what it’s worth Celtic will win 3-0
Hail Hail
MELBOURNEMICK
Sad news,mate.
R I P
Jobo Baldie on 17th April 2016 9:34 am
GLASSTWOTHITRDSFULL –
I’m unashamadely going to steall those various facts and figures for Twitter and pass them off as my own ;-)
——–
Feel free. Gets it out to a wider audience! Don’t do Twitter myself anyway.
HH
Melbourne Mick
Sad news on the passing of your friend, Bobby.
I will say a Wee prayer for Bobby and for all those suffering from that horrible illness.
YNWA
Neil Lennon doesn’t speak for me if he has said I have missed playing the deid team. I have no desire to “play” them ever again, in any shape or form.
I am nervous about the game today but them I usually am before a match. Just win, Celtic.
RIP Bobby Geddes, enternal rest grant unto him O Lord.
COYBIG,
Big Hail!Hail! to ma Bhoy Chris,and his pal Big Mhan McGrattan,watching the game in “Cheers” bar in Sydney!
its YER DA!!
Hail!Hail!
I’d have been much happier if the new club had been knocked out several rounds back. A semi final at Hampden for the right to play Hibs in an all green & white final. A great day out.
Instead we’ve had a week of o** f*** nonsense and will be subject to a barrage of sectarian bile from a bunch of deluded zombies who can’t seem to accept that liquidation is permanent.
Need them? They’re a cancer on Scottish football,
Just like the club they replaced.
morning all – gorgeous morning in n yorks, the pp spared us a three page letter from the bishop at mass, all’s good
mon the hoops
C’mon the Hoops, zombie slaying is the order of the day!
Gordon
Lustig Boyata Mulgrew Tierney
Brown Bitton
Roberts Johansen GMS
Griffiths
RIP Bobby Geddes. All you Tims going to Hampdump, enjoy the game and get home safe to your loved ones.
Hail Hail
Good Morning.
Here are my final three pieces for the foreseeable future.
Yesterday’s:
One about Gerry McCulloch’s bizarre response to Anthony Stokes on Twitter
https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/2016/04/16/the-clyde-superscoreboard-book-club/
And one about our appalling MSM and the ‘Old Firm’ freak show.
https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/2016/04/16/a-21st-century-freak-show/
Today’s:
Here is the final blog. Which explains WHY it is the final blog
https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/2016/04/17/the-last-hurrah/
Thanks everybody for your support.
TC
On the train heading for the CSC in Dublin. Nervous as a kitten sitting Higher couch scratching after 10 cups of coffee and coming off an epic night eating spacecakes.
Mon the Hoops, please score early!
Hail hail to everyone supporting Celtic today
I’d go with:
Gordon, lustig, Boyata/Sviechenko, Tierney, Brown, Bitton, Johansen, Rogic, Roberts, Griffiths
Bobby Geddes RIP
Dena, my dote…..
HH jamesgang
Mulgrew at the back too
Cmon the Celts…smash those ugly bigots back to Hell….where they belong:)
Fight for the Green and White.
Go at them with pace.
Maul them Celtic.
HH
THE CLUMPANY
Good luck in your future endeavours,bud. It’s been a breeze,and I’ve really enjoyed your stuff.
JAMESGANG on 17TH APRIL 2016 10:56 AM
:-))
HH
Today’s Celtic team for the semi final against the new club “formerly known as mince”
Celtic Football Club @celticfc 11s11 seconds ago
Celtic Starting XI: Gordon; Lustig, Boyata, Mulgrew, Tierney; Brown, Bitton; Roberts, Johansen, Mackay-Steven; Griffiths
The Clumpany, best wishes for the future, haste ye back. Hail Hail Hebcelt
Celtic Football Club @celticfc 10s10 seconds ago
Subs: Bailly, Armstrong, Kazim-Richards,Commons, McGregor, Rogic, Sviatchenko KO: 12pm
No13
I don’t think Rogic and Johansen works in the same team.
We have been more 433 recently so we need a wider player if Johansen plays (which I think he will).
I see GMS or CKR getting the wide left gig.
Rogic for Johansen later in the game
Rather have fit Charlie today than half fit Erik.
Hail hail
JMcCormick @ 9.08 am
You mentioning you’re off out to Mass reminded me, at Mass this morning our padre for some reason spoke about St. Paul’s letter to the people of Galatia 4:16, which says, “Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?” How appropriate is that?
Tie them in knots with interlink between Johansen, Rogic, Roberts and Griffiths. Them bhoys have timing and know a defence-splitting pass. Then Mulgrew or Rogic can exploit with the dead-balls after the inevitable scything challenges.
Morning CQN
from the FIFA website regarding today’s game;
“Sunday’s Scottish Cup semi-final will, in fact, represent just the second meeting of these sides since the Gers’ financial collapse, and the first since they recently earned promotion back to the top flight.”
HH
Thats the team I would have picked