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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A few years ago during a routine health inspection at my business I was asked by the inspector to demonstrate my hand washing technique. A truly weird experience made more embarrassing as she was really young.
Apart from the corona virus China is a mega success story . Taking 1000000’s out of poverty and poised to become the largest economy in the world.
US-UK are getting worried that the balance of power is shifting and are now going after China with propaganda and dirty tricks. Notice how the media have switched from blaming everything on Russia and are making China the big target.
Unlike the UK-US China is not invading countries and starting wars .
FRITZSONG on 3RD MARCH 2020 9:25 AM
Politically, I am more in agreement with Canamalar than with the opposing view. Does that mean I need to be led by the hand ?
Aff oot ( cycling).
Fritzsong,
iWork with quite a few Chinese from different areas of China including Hong Kong so yes good for me.
I note you would rather have a dig implying I am intransigent, than provide the requested reliable references that help you form your opinion.
A bit more Orwellian than you project onto me, don’t you think.
Melbourne Mick most of the lasses in glasgow i know if they married guy fay France would be on the first ryan air flight to Paris
China .
A human rights free zone.
Loan sharking the developing world.
Capitalist colonisation.
To P.N.G. We`ll let you aff wi` yer debt if we can put a wee military base on yer soil .
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-07/png-to-ask-china-for-help-refinancing-national-debt/11391186
Soon they won`t have to create any more military bases on newly created islands in the South China sea.
Now have a look at Africa.
” There are concerns PNG could face a similar “debt trap” situation to Sri Lanka, which was forced to sign over a 99-year lease on the Port of Hambantota when it was unable to repay a Chinese loan.”
Aye.
Parkheadcumsalford,
Do you think China is worse than Scotland for anti catholic sectarianism, do they have ludges and state sponsored anti catholic parades celebrated annually or is it just part of their antipathy towards all religion.
I have not tried in any way tried to argue that they are not a totalitarian state, but I do however question the assertion that the US and the UK are not totalitarian, we only need to look at the public torture of Jullien Assange to demonstrate that the much espoused freedom of speech is a myth trumpeted by useful idiots.
My point is western cultural arrogance is the problem, China has always been a totalitarian state, previously it was dynasties who behaved like the western empires and today’s imperial capitalism, the west does not like the idea that China have made a choice that does not maintain that form of feudal law as it competes with the flawed wisdom while it tries to turn the clock back and reintroduce feudal conditions on the west. Like it imposes on weaker sovereign states that step out of line.
Macjay,
At least they are getting something for it, the yanks simple move in and suck the place dry.
China make the loans without conditions on how the money is spent and who it can be spent on, no interfering in domestic policy, I know I know pure madness to an imperialist like you eh. When the west makes a loan they demand the eternal loyalty and servitude of the borrower while dictating what and who the money spent on whole terms of repayment can and are changed to suit the lender during the repayment period but then you know that and believe it is the correct way to do business innit.
Then wonder why sovereign states would rather through choice work with the Chinese, knowing all the terms and conditions.
While you’re waiting for the end of the world –
C’Mon C’Mon – a mighty fine 5 CD compilation of recordings by Scottish groups during the 1960s . Packed full with choons from groups you danced to down the club or at the dancing after you’d been to see The Celtic .
Assange broke the law .
And was jailed for the offence .
https://techcrunch.com/2019/05/01/julian-assange-jailed-for-50-weeks-for-breaching-uk-bail-conditions/
Stevie G has done some real thinking and is ready to go again with everyone right up for the Hamilton match!
Translation: Stevie G has done some real reading of his contract and Sevcos financials, realised they can’t afford to pay him off and will take being the fall guy with lots of excuses lined up…
HH
Siempre………..
Thanks for clearin’ that up. I concur….
:)
HH
BANKIEBHOY1 on 3RD MARCH 2020 10:50 AM
No problemo:) I think he knew he was taking a massive gamble when he took the job, and his hopes were raised in November/December 2019 that it may just pay off for him, which made the realisation of the reality of the situation a little harder to stomach than if his hopes hadn’t been raised :)
Still, I do believe that a replacement for Gerrard would be more in the Caixinha mould, so their best bet of stopping the 10 in 2021 is Coronavirus and Gerrard. In that order lol
HH
Well a part from Corona virus (the latest) virus originating in China, the issue of climate change is the elephant in the room when considering the country’s success.
China continues the construction of mega polluting coal fired power stations both in China and abroad. I realise The West have played a huge historic role in climate change but the attitude of China as regards climate change is risking life on this planet for thousands of species and millions of people.
Gerrard playing Morelos again in the absence of a public apology from the player, indeed, Gerrard hasn’t even said if Morelos has apologised at all, is a sign of weakness.
They obviously need Morelos on the field to sell him in the summer but his presence will now inevitably lead to trouble in the dressing room.
@ SETTING FREE THE BEARS FOR RES. 12 & OSCAR KNOX on 2ND MARCH 2020 5:36 PM
Thanks for the reply.
I agree that Lincoln Red Imps was a disastrous result but in the end it wasn’t of any consequence as we went through and because of that, it won’t live in the memory as long as, say, Artmedia will.
Objectively, I could maybe agree with your line of argument, but once you add context and background, I’m not sure.
In the first instance, Lenny failed to get out of the qualifiers in two out of four seasons. I recognise Sion were thrown out for an issue with registration (but that result against Sion was at least representative of the level we were performing at. Even discounting their domestic points deduction, Sion still finished the season over 20 points behind Basel). In and of itself, failing to get out of the qualifiers in 2 of 4 seasons adds weight to the argument that the average standard was lower but highs (qualification for last 16) were higher.
Considering the groups that Lenny faces in the CL to Brendan is also of relevance. Finishing second against Spartak and Benfica is one thing, doing it against one of Barca, Man City, Bayern and PSG is another.
BR lost 3 out of 4 in the knockout phases of the Europa League. Again, that does sound poor until you add some context Zenit and Valencia are miles ahead of Copenhagen. In the year they knocked us out, Valencia reached the semi-final of the Europa League, finished in the top 4 in Spain and won the Spanish Cup. Again, it’s a stretch to weigh defeats to Valencia and Zenit as on par with Copenhagen; particularly as we failed to even beat Copenhagen in either leg.
Also, would you class losing 5-0 at home to PSG (with their £400m front line) as worse than 4-0 away to Utrecht who finished 9th that season in the Dutch league? I do not think Utrecth is in the same ball park as Red Imps; a team doesn’t fluke a 4-0 victory, although they may do with a 1-0.
For what it’s worth, Brendan could and probably should have done better in Europe (at least in not being on the receiving end of some maulings). He was an ideologue and it was to our detriment. I remember being at the 5-0 PSG game. We approached the game as if we were playing Hibs.
Overall, WGS had the best bang for buck record. He did have Artmedia, but qualifying out of two groups and then giving a good account of ourselves in the knockout phases (taking Milan to extra time and losing 4-2 to Barca on aggregate) evidenced that our progress was no fluke and that we were a well organised and disciplined team.
Good late morning, friends, from a clear skied scorchio Playz Blanca.
Apologies for the later than usual POTY results but the 2-girl ABBA Tribute act in my hotel were very, very good. Their singing was good too.
Life’s Great!
Gerrard has changed his tune today based on what I’ve read of his presser.
Today he said he was aware they needed to strengthen in January. However, at the time he was saying how happy he was with his squad and lauded the board for their backing of him.
He’s a man clearly trying to shape the narrative as he prepares the ground for his summer exit.
new article posted.