Trending
Celtic News Now
Celtic Quick News on News Now
Celtic Quick News
You are at:»»The cry was Surrender

The cry was Surrender

741
By on CQN BLOG & Comments

Callum McGregor would have started the scoring on 65 seconds if he got his shot away a fraction earlier, but it was the intelligence of Patrick Roberts after 5 minutes that started the party. He laid the bait in front of Newco’s Beerman, showed him enough of the ball to convince the left back to attempt an interception.

At that moment, Patrick conjured up his version of the Missing Lady. Before Beerman could make contact, the ball was gone, replaced by Robert’s limbs. Referee John Beaton took his time before awarding the kick. Conditioned by an earlier refusal to give a stonewall penalty to Celtic, we thought the worst, but the award was made and Scott Sinclair rolled the ball into the corner of the net.

Leigh Griffiths unleashed a lethal shot for the second. Stuart Armstrong won possession off Hyndman, when he really shouldn’t have. Goalkeeper, Fotheringham, got a hand to the shot, but, in a moment symptomatic of Newco’s entire play, he didn’t have the steel to divert the shot from goal.

Scott Sinclair will be exhilarated today, but on the odd occasion he’ll ponder why he didn’t help himself to a hat-trick yesterday. He squandered two great chances, one after a Griffiths shot from 18 yards rebounded off the crossbar.

Measuring a manager is difficult as there are so many other variables go into a club’s season, but if you want to judge Brendan Rodgers, take a look at Callum McGregor. He opened Celtic’s account in the second half, six days after scoring the first against Newco at Hampden. This season, Callum has emerged as a tidy and skilful central midfielder. So much of our play is dependent on the speed of thought and movement he brings to the game.

Dedryck Boyata scored the fourth, a header from a whipped Griffiths free-kick. This act was superfluous to the big man’s imperious performance. He simply won everything that came within his considerable reach. More evidence of his manager’s ability to improve players, teams, leagues and the mood of a nation.

I doubt Dedryck’s partner, Jozo Simunovic, required a shower after the game. He strolled through the occasion. Really good defenders are not called to defend too often. They simply know where to go to inhibit or intercept. This was Jozo’s game, apart from a simply stunning tackle on Kenny Miller. He swooped like an eagle picking up a field mouse, making a surgical contact with the ball and clearing the danger.

This brought a period of utter nonsense on the Sky Sports commentary, where we were told Jozo’s “speed” should have been penalised with a foul. I can only assume parallel universes exist, in another, fast players are not allowed. We were also told that Jozo went in “with two feet”. He didn’t, one knee was bent, foot under his gluteus maximus.

We are at a stage where television is asking for fouls when Celtic bring genuine world-class football to Scotland. Make no mistake, this tackle was of Beckenbauer standard. Mr Walker, take a look at yourself.

We lost our shape around five minutes before Newco’s late consolation. The players are not robots, fatigue may well have crept in, and the occasion was getting to all of us, but fortunately Mikael Lustig had a plan.

You remember that moment in Escape to Victory, when Bobby Moore is talking tactics, and Pele picks up the chalk and says, “Give me the ball and I’ll go here, here, here and here, the score”, while meandering across the blackboard. Mikael must have watched that movie as a child, and some long dormant neurons, which were protecting the memory, sprung into life.

That’s pretty much what Mikael did.

They were absolutely brilliant, every single one of them. But let me assure you, this really is just the beginning. 12 of the 13 Celtic players who touched the ball yesterday were at the club last season. Wait until you see what Brendan does when he makes the squad his own.

Newco surrendered. They looked like they didn’t want to be there. By the end, not many of their fans were.

Season_DVDofferAULDWALLACE

Click Here for Comments >
Share.

About Author

741 Comments
  1. Pages:
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. ...
  11. 20

  1. Turkeybhoy on

    CANAMALAR IT LOOKS LIKE OCD OBSESSION on 30TH APRIL 2017 6:07 PM

     

    we cant have enough good players, so if Brendan want to put his mark on the team than I can only see anyone he brings in as an improvement on who he wants to replace and increase competition for places improving the standard across the board.

     

     

     

    I understand this viewpoint,but to bring somone in at the last minute,to change the way the whole team plays,is,in my opinion,very risky.We look perfectly balanced at the moment,each player covering the other.A playmaker sounds sexy,but we have a playmaker,when fit,Rogic.Who would we drop for the qualifiers to bring someone new in.These boys are all developing together.

     

    I would love to see a Silva playing for us,but we cannot afford this type of player.If BR can continue his work in the close season,I think we should give them a crack at it.They have had the experience of what it takes.Only my opinion.

  3. thetimreaper on

    There are stewards every 30 yards along the front of the stands at Celtic Park, for every game. That mob are obviously cutting back because they are skint. The trouble is the risk sits with our players only.

  7. cathedral view on

    James Forrest,

     

     

    Yeah, something seriously not right about the stewarding/policing plan for the stadium yesterday.

     

     

    Keeps the arrest figures low, I guess.

  12. Moonbeamswd on

    BSR

     

     

    That bloke HT gets into everything, if he’s not gettin hit in the coupon was a baw he’s there in the mix when TV and pro DSLR’s are about. I’m sure it’ll not be long before he is running oot the tunnel with the team. :-@))

     

     

    Turkeybhoy

     

     

    Happy to move on buddy. Hail! Hail!

     

     

    Just nae more betting against your own team now :-@)))

     

     

    Doc, I had to go but a pack of tena for men kegs and pads yesterday after your ‘nutmeg a mermaid’ comment. Actually I bought a spare pack of pads as I was pishing myself laughing all day and night. Guilty pleasures are under estimated.

     

     

     

    I miss yesterday. It was a great day.

     

     

    MWD

  14. bournesouprecipe on

    If were doing whataboutery we need only look to the ‘plastic doll’ fiasco when SMSM ramped it up for days.

     

     

    Mind when the Daily Record group hunted down the lone Celtic fan that made a 9/11 gesture, guy was very nearly deported.

  19. thebhoyfromoz on

    I’m being a not lazy, but can anyone post the opponents and scores of the trophy presentation games over the past 5 years?

     

    It’s to settle a minor dispute with number 2 son. I say we have been at all of them he says we missed 1.

     

    Thanks in anticipation of winning an argument!

  20. petec on

    Its good to have a P67 article on a Sunday again. ;))

     

     

    Big Mikaels goal was so wonderful.

     

     

    It should have been more.

     

     

    Next Season it will be more.

     

     

    Oh and I should have said, Good article. :D

     

     

    Relentless.CSC

  21. Doc on

    MWD’s, I will never get that image out of my mind.

     

    Neither will many on the blog.

     

    Can we do group therapy:-)

  23. thetimreaper on

    THEBHOYFROMOZ on 30TH APRIL 2017 8:31 PM

     

     

    All at home,

     

     

    15/16 Motherwell 7-0

     

     

    14/15 Inverness 5-0

     

     

    13/14 Dundee Utd 3-1

     

     

    12/13 St Johnstone 4-0

     

     

    11/12 Hearts 5-0

  24. fan-a-tic on

    Did the hun who ran on park get arrested?

     

    In the video it only looks like he was returned to the stand.

  25. PeterLatchfordsBelly on

    We were majestic, a truly great Celtic team in the making. We’ll miss Paddy when he goes, but so long as we have Brendan and Chris Davies we will Ben imperious.

     

     

    They are done and they know it. Just spent a rewarding hour reading their fan sites. They were beat before they got on the park yesterday, their sense of inevitable doom written all over them. This result and performance against them has been in the post all season long. I salute the relentless hunger of our players.

     

     

    There is no way out for the Hun. They forlornly hang on to pipe dreams of huge investment that even they recognise to be fantasy. Meantime the Craigy Whyte trial serves up daily joy, whilst we impatiently await the Supreme Court decision in EBTs.

     

     

    This is the happiest I have been in my 45 years as a Tim, even more than during MO’N, Henke, Lubo, Lenny, Sutton, BBJ, Stan et al era. Because karma is catching up in spades with that entitled, corrupt, supremacist shower of you know what.

     

     

    It simp,y doesn’t get any better than this. Lap it up, every last moment.

  27. thebhoyfromoz on

    Cheers Timreaper, as I thought me and number 2 son were at them all.

     

    He’s getting to the age when he either isn’t available to go to the games or he can’t be bothered.

     

    I said to him that we should be at all the trophy presentations games up to and including the 10, he said we missed one, I disputed his recollection!

  30. Tontine Tim on

    PRAECEPTA on 30TH APRIL 2017 5:50 PM

     

    Yet another player diving/ throwing themselves to the deck to win a penalty in an EPL game today.

     

     

    *your surprised, remember Seville and the pretentious one.

  32. Cowiebhoy on

    Someone posted a very good video of the attempted assault on Scott Brown in the previous blog, earlier this morning, I’ll go and have a look

     

    But as pointed out, where are the Polis or Stewards along that stand ?

     

    Question MUST be asked

  34. petec on

    Paddy Roberts has good options.

     

     

    I’ve never been more confident of progressing through the qualifiers to the CL proper…. Despite idiotic scheduling of International games… well if you are from a smaller League.

     

     

    Patrick obviously Loves playing for Celtic.

     

     

    This Summer is going to be very exciting.

     

     

    :))

  36. Hamiltontim on

    MWD/Bourne

     

     

    My seat was about 10 yards away, I kind of lost the plot for a moment.

     

     

    The Celtic end was swarming with polis and stewards yesterday it’s absolutely astonishing that it took stewards from the opposite side of the park to deal with the monkey thug.

  40. Park Road 67 on

    The moron mimicking a monkey has been arrested today ghuys , hope they throw the key away !

  41. Tontine Tim on

    THOMTHETHIM FOR OSCAR OK on 30TH APRIL 2017 10:33 AM

     

    Cathedral View, agree with your ref’s assessment. It appeared as if Mr. Fleming has sent out a memo. Will be interesting to see if that standard is repeated in our remaining games.

     

     

    *I have a huge concern here, as much as we love beating them and vice versa this was really a nothing game to those that run it. They are 3rd and will finish there as they will not lose any more games, especially to woolly bully’s side if they need the points and wright will make sure his side just stay ahead of the calvinists.

     

     

    Also we are now being led to believe that they will be playing in the Europa next year no matter what so it was just another game as far as the SFA are concerned.

     

     

    If it had mattered we would NOT have gotten the penalty and when video replay said it was in the box it would have been a case of beat-hun and madhun say “oh dear me bad” and phoning Brendan to apologise.

     

     

    Same with Jozo’s marvellous tackle, any and every other Saturday and that’s a red card coupled with it being rescinded a couple of days later in fact they’re being very calculated as they prepare for the rest of the season and next.

     

     

    So as far as I’m concerned the worm husnae turned.

  42. Moonbeamswd on

    HT

     

     

    There is one guy in pic along from you who is obviously CID. Only guy without a smile turning trying Tae look away. Not a happy Billy Cop.

     

     

    MWD

  1. Pages:
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. ...
  11. 20