When I heard of Liverpool’s freak 3-0 defeat to Watford on Saturday, their first in the league this season, it portended to how Celtic are vulnerable to a cup upset. Football is not a sport where winning all the time is possible.
Even great teams score with a small percentage of their chances and sometimes will miss all chances in a game. Conversely, underdogs will sometimes score with their only chance(s) in a game; cup upsets are a statistical certainty.
As a consequence, this impossibly long run of domestic cup success simply has to end sometime and Perth on Sunday had all the hallmarks of the classic upset. St Johnstone are on form, the pitch was rutted and sodden; the weather, inclement. St Johnstone players were watching television on Thursday, while Celtic’s were exhausting limbs in a failed attempt to remain in Europe.
You will have noted that the only time any of our 33 previous cup games finished level after 90 minutes was at home to Dunfermline this season – immediately after our Champions League qualification defeat to Cluj. That European result hovered ominously over the domestic cup game; players are only human, full of human emotions. Perhaps that Dunfermline game put steel in the legs yesterday.
It takes more than good form, a horrible pitch, a sore European defeat and awful weather to knock this Celtic team out of a cup. The sheer determination to win, which was evident at Hampden in December’s League Cup Final, decided the outcome of yesterday’s Scottish Cup quarterfinal.
We are watching a dressing room united and with common purpose, unlike others I could mention. 34 consecutive cup wins is nothing short of miraculous, but the more miracles you perform, the more real estate you occupy in the minds of your opponents. Does anyone really expect to knock Celtic out of a cup these days?
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45 minutes, not 20
https://twitter.com/Caley_graphics/status/1233410918450593794?s=19
Opta breakdown of expected goals across both legs. Slightly different from the ones posted earlier as they are from a different source. Opta exclude penalties.
Westcraigs,
I think everyone in the country would be happy if everyone from
Blantyre stayed in Blantyre ;-)))
This should help increase ernie`s 5 % :
Follow these five steps every time.
Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap.
Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.
Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.
Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.
I agree with Bournesouprecipe in that Leigh is struggling a bit the last couple of games. I personally think we should give Polish Paddy a game with Odsonne as I do not feel it would be any more of a risk. Until we try these guys in the heat of battle then when the hell will they get a game to show what they are all about, same goes for Soro etc.
Only my opinion obviously
KINGLuBO
@ CELTIC40ME on 2ND MARCH 2020 3:47 PM
Not sure what your post is getting at really.
Are you suggesting Celtic are an excellent defensive team? We conceded 7 against Cluj and Copenhagen in two home games when 0-0 would have seen us through.
The only teams Copenhagen managed to score more than 1 goal against this year in Europe are: New Saints (2-0 away) and at home to the mighty Riga (3-1). They also sold their star striker the week before playing us.
Cluj similarly don’t score many. Their highest scores in Europe this year were Astana at home (3-1) and us away (4-3), all other games were two goals or less.
The aggregate of the expected goals in the Lazio tie was 3.31 to 1.87. To put his in perspective, the expected goals for Salzburg when they beat us (2-1) at CP was 2.53. Far from being a fantastic defensive team, I believe we are reliant on individual brilliance of FF. When that is not forthcoming, results like Cluj and Copenhagen happen.
The importance of FF cannot be understated. See link for further reading: http://celticbynumberscom.ipage.com/lennon-and-rodgers-in-europe-an-expected-goals-adventure/
re my 4:21 post
If we follow those steps, we will increase the chances of League fixtures being fulfilled and out team`s chances of winning nine-in-a-row :-)
Clean hands = Clean Sweep ?
Switzerland postpone all leage games till end of march
Tontine Tim on 2nd March 2020 4:12 pm
According to the SFA , ‘grabbing some nuts’ is an act of brutality -))
CELTIC40ME on 2ND MARCH 2020 4:15 PM
Yup. That’s the tie summed up in a nutshell. They made the most of their chances and Celtic didn’t.
I would never claim Celtic were robbed. They got exactly what they deserved from the tie. They missed big chances time and time again. They made major mistakes.
Anybody who watches the goals at Celtic park can see they are easily preventable. Jozo could have put the ball in row Z. He could have made a better pass to Forster.
Jullien didn’t need to go long to Rogic. He could have made a simple short pass to Ajer. The midfield didn’t need to be so high up the pitch creating a chasm of space for Copenhagen to counter in.
This below average Copenhagen team had the good fortune to draw Celtic instead of Inter Milan or Bayer Leverkusen.
They played a team that shot itself in the foot time and time again. It’s not just down to the defence making errors. It’s those errors combined with missed chances at the other end.
But this part isn’t true; “They defended well enough to limit us to fewer clear cut chances”
We had plenty.
Thought Celtic were excellent yesterday. Quite excellent.
The game itself had all the ingredients for a shock result – Thursday night’s events, an unplayable pitch, determined opponents and a complicit match official who knowingly ignored the laws of the game.
Every Celtic man, across the length and breadth of the park showed the character of a champion.
The MSM’s palpable disappointment underlined the importance of this victory.
This result should play a big part in determining the outcome of the final two domestic competitions.
Ernie
Sorry just back from washing my hands again
https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/when-how-handwashing.html
😉
@ @ CELTIC40ME on 2ND MARCH 2020 3:47 PM
I should add that I think we have the potential to be a fantastic team on the European stage. We have quality running through the team in FF (hopefully we can get him on a full time basis), Jullien, Cal Mac and Eddy.
That’s the best spine since MON days.
If we could improve on tactics, formation, drilling, we could be a real force. The result earlier this year at Ibrox proves that we can do it. We just don’t implement such tactics sufficiently often or well enough.
Ghordy.
That hurt.
Plenty of Rangers Fans Hoping Daniel Sturridge Ends up at Ibrox
Breaking news Breaking news.FFS ANTON have you heard what has just happened to him.
And on another not pal o’mine who worked for coral bookies told me years ago someone in ayrshie went round all the betting shops “lumping on “walter smith to get rangers job.He was using credit card belonging to none other than KRIS BOYD.
Lubo.
After virtually a year out , Leigh is undoubtedly ring rusty .
You can see his passion and determination with every appearance .
I feel he needs game time for his confidence to return .
Without compromising team performance .
Yep. A tough call .
I feel he is worth it . And will repay us.
With goals .
Hot Smoked on 2nd March 2020 4:21 pm
All to no avail of course if you then touch the tap with your hands , or worse, a clatty door handle that some dirty bastard who hasn’t washed their hands has just touched.
HOT SMOKED on 2ND MARCH 2020 4:21 PM
Any idea whet name we are to sing happy birthday to.
Ernie
Gloves. Vinyl. Unused.
After hand washing.
Ernie
Who said anything about leaving the washroom 😨
ERNIE LYNCH on 2ND MARCH 2020 4:39 PM
Hot Smoked on 2nd March 2020 4:21 pm
All to no avail of course if you then touch the tap with your hands , or worse, a clatty door handle that some dirty bastard who hasn’t washed their hands has just touched.
*that’s what elbows are for and if they don’t work use paper towels or toilet paper, never, never, dry your hands with an air dryer, end up using tons of hand cream to soften them up again.
Air dryers are useless – takes ages to dry after a shower.
And don’t have a bath – disgusting way to bathe – washing your face in the same water your bottom has been sitting in.
We’re doomed
A lot of handwashing going on in here today……
Makes a difference from the usual handwringing it has to be said….
Several years back when it was revealed that slippy was going tae hades it was rumoured he was seen as a waste of space at Melwood and was being reassigned tae work with his buddy mcallister as a jack the ripper aka nipper in the hospitality suite at Annfield.
However, he then became the heir apparent tae Klippety who must have been urinating himself at selling that kent kent tae them especially after they had bought rossiter who incidentally is still on their books.
We also here how wonderfully the backroom staff he brought up are especially broth mooth beale, aye if their that good how come domestically their being found out and will be again on the 15th of this month.
League could be all over before the clocks spring forward.
http://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-british-airways-and-ryanair-cancel-hundreds-of-flights-due-to-outbreak-11948097
FRITZSONG on 2ND MARCH 2020 4:32 PM
Thought Celtic were excellent yesterday. Quite excellent.
The game itself had all the ingredients for a shock result – Thursday night’s events, an unplayable pitch, determined opponents and a complicit match official who knowingly ignored the laws of the game.
Every Celtic man, across the length and breadth of the park showed the character of a champion.
The MSM’s palpable disappointment underlined the importance of this victory.
This result should play a big part in determining the outcome of the final two domestic competitions.
——-
Completely agree.
favourite uncle
Take your pick!
Billy McNeill
Damien Duff
Lou Reed
Rory Gallagher
Robert II of Scotland
Mick Gorbachev
Jon Bon Jovi
Kurt Weill
Pope Pius XII
Other anniversaries are available…
When BHOYJOEBELFAST posted earlier re cancellations/closed door situation, I thought nothing of it. Now, I feel it is likely.
Maybe now we’ll get HOT water in the toilets at Celtic Park. Well overdue. Might persuade some to wash their hands.
Now.
Droplet transmission .
THE HANDS CANT HIT WHAT THE EYES CANT SEE on 2ND MARCH 2020 4:26 PM
Are you suggesting Celtic are an excellent defensive team?
No, I’m suggesting you’re going out of your way to run down Celtic’s achievements in Europe this season.
Copenhagen arent a good defensive team because their statistically excellent record in the groups was only achieved because fo weak opponents.
Celtic weren’t in a group with weak opponents, but our statistically very good record was only ached because of an over reliance on a goalkeeper.
I’m not sure what the problem is with being reliant on our best players to get results.
“We just don’t implement such tactics sufficiently often or well enough.”
Sufficiently often and well enough to have a good season in Europe, not that you’ll acknowledge that without belittling it.
We’ve played 16 games in Europe this season and had two terrible 45 minute halves.
Michael Stewart tweeted: “Unfortunately due to a change of plan I won’t be on Sportsound tonight to talk about the huge weekend of Scottish Cup football we’ve just had.”
His mysterious absence will once again spark speculation over his long-term future with the public broadcaster.
As well as other pieces of information,I`ve just been told that a certain Insurance Company is expecting to lose 50 million pounds owing to the effect the coronavirus will have on the Olympics.
Hence my change of mind re SPFL games.
Bada !
Interesting.
Anyway, apologies for a clogging the blog up with another circular argument.
For the rest of the season I will be mostly enjoying Celtic winning stuff
HS- I was hoping Michael Stewart would tell Shortbread to foxtrot oscar
is CorkCelts birthday not around now as well ?
Bada
They’ll only let him on is newco win