This season, Gary Hooper has looked well below form of last term; his touch, movement and goals record don’t match up, but he came off the bench on Thursday to score a truly excellent goal. Controlling a difficult ball in the centre circle, with defenders in close attendance, he picked out Giorgios Samaras before sprinting past his markers and finishing.
The winner against Motherwell was less spectacular but required sharp movement and spatial awareness.
Footballers cannot always play through bad form, sometimes they need a break, even for an hour on the bench, to get a different perspective on how they and the team play.
Despite his return to form I would retain the same 4-2-3-1 formation against Inverness next time out.
Issue 4 of CQN Magazine is out next week, let me know if you would like to advertise, celticquicknews@gmail.com.
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Just phoned three about my contract,Whoaft!
I pay 5 quid a month for 2gb of internet.
I get 1gb free as a long term customer.
I asked how much it would cost to buy out my contract so that I could take up the 35 quid a month contract so I could get absolutely unlimited net and mins but I only care about the unlimited net.
I was told I don’t have to do that as I can pay 2 pounds,yep 2 pounds for unlimited net on top of my existing contract the only catch being I had to have unlimited net for the remainder of my contract!
Quandary-
An extra 2 quid for unlimited internet or
A Fiver for 3gb with the risk of running over the allowance and paying even more.
Mmmmmm…………………….
ulysses mcghee
It counts for a lot in my book. Why wouldn’t a professional journalist make that a top priority. It bothers me that he doesn’t.
Ex Ludo says:
8 November, 2011 at 16:04
Ref your comment about the Phil report testing the temparature.
I actually think your closer to the mark than you realise.
I was approached recently to sound out if an amicable buy out of DD shares were proposed and a multi contributory scheme introduced would I be interested.
I said yes as I do not go along with the Lord Reid warning of beware if our main benefactor was not there.
In my view our Board have not stood up during the SFA debacle,nor have they consistently voiced their concerns each and every time we as a Club have been dis-advantaged,and I include all of the Lennon saga’s.
I believe they have kept their heads down and allowed NL to take the full brunt of both the hostile press and the thugs who masquerade as members of the public.
Sorry but the nod nod wink wink, we played a blinder with the SFA, does not wash as the game against M’Well demonstrated.
If this lot roll over,then the consequences should be maximised by all Celtic supporters,Share holders,and Season book holders,and despite 50 years service I will reluctantly walk.
ulysses mcghee – I share your solicitude.
I’m always having failures of communication with people.
This has caused me personal embarrassment in social situations.
Only last week at a dinner party I was all like “No, Sharon! I said show them your cunning stunt!“. (thumbsup)
Estadio
Only if we can haud wur meetings in Bar67 and no Sharkeys :)
Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo:
For the avoidance of doubt mate.
Do I doubt that there is corruption in the Scottish game? Hell NO. We proved it last season, hunted it to one of its sources and removed him with surgical precision. Do I doubt there are still refs out there who are bent? Hell NO.
Do I doubt matches have been decided by these people? Not even a little. No a SHADOW of doubt do I have.
Do I think it has cost us league titles? They have not helped. But if they were as all-powerful as some would have us believe – in other words nakedly biased against us and protected from on high – we would not have had a league lead going to Ibrox last season, nor would we have gotten a penalty late in the game. Because had we scored it would have been ours to lose.
It would have been ours to lose. Period. I have not gone off the deep end or lost my head today. I’ve been calm throughout, although maybe not reasonable, but that is, as many will know, my default reaction to being assuming I am a nutter with a keyboard. Yes, it plays right to their view but I will not stand for snide remarks when all I’ve done is state an opinion.
I do not believe that cleaning up refereeing would make us a better football team, more able to break down defences. An iron man striker, in the Sutton mould, would win us more points than refs cost us, and I believe that too.
Like many others here, like everyone I hope, I am offended, on every level, by the kind of blatant thuggery Motherwell players were allowed to get away with on Sunday, and I would hope Celtic are doing their bit behind the scenes to make sure our feelings on the matter are 100% clear.
But refs did not cost us the title last year. It was home games we should have won, a penalty we should have scored and weaknesses in our own team which needed to be addressed … and still need to be.
I am 100% behind all the efforts going on to reform the game, and drum out the cheats in official SFA blazers. It is long overdue, and it needs to succeed, for the benefit of all.
My concern with the theory that says they cost us leagues is that it lets other people off the hook. It allows people inside our club, who are failing in their duties, to point fingers elsewhere and it takes our focus off the very real need to change things within our walls.
I believe the notion that “we would not have been allowed to win the title” ignores the facts and flies in the face of reality, which is that had Georgios Samaras scored at Ibrox, a penalty given us late in a game Rangers had to win, we would have been over the hills and far away and Inverness would not have mattered.
Had the referees been as against us as some claim, determined to hand Rangers the title at all costs, we would never have gotten that spot-kick, because had it gone in the game was over. If someone can demonstrate to me how the award of that penalty fits into the grand conspiracy I’ll accept it as fact right now.
But it doesn’t. What does fit is that we forced the level playing field last season with the way we aggressively pursued our enemies. And the result of that was the biggest moment of our season, and that we did not score was a failure in other areas, most notably the decision to have our most off-form player take the crucial kick.
Yes, I believe the SFA still has too many people in it who hate us, and they have to be removed. Accountability has to be forced on these people and their structures need to be reformed.
But the same can be said for people inside Celtic Park, and to blame refs for all of our ills lets these people off the hook.
THE DELPHI TECHNIQUE
How to achieve a workable consensus within time limits
http://www.seanet.com/~barkonwd/school/DELPHI.HTM
Hail Hail
So, Bhontybhoy, a Stirling resident? I went to Forthbank with my eldest grandson for a match a couple of years ago. To say it put him off football is a bit too far, but certainly my whelm was undered. I consequently am brain-training him in the ways of Celtic. Usually when over I head to the Settle Inn, just past the church on the way to the castle, for the traditional session on Wednesdays. Good stuff, mostly Scots tunes and songs which I like anyway. The Wallace for the Thursday night quiz, where I can bait the Rangers supporters (Why do you sing God Save the Queen?–William Wallace would have buried her and the rest of them)–just a little hun baiting to keep me happy. Agree with your take on the Rangers case. The ramifications legally, politically, and socially are huge. There is also the distinct spectre of EUFA getting in about the SFA/SPL, much like Motherwell did to our players on Sunday.
ULY
The number of people who get fed up with reading the word ‘Estadio’….I can tell you….my emails are full of gratuitous slander. Still it’s nice of people to take the trouble!!
My own bête noire is ‘egregious’ which was popular for a whole thread a few weeks ago. Especially when one famous/infamous/notorious polemical poster said that Lenny had been ‘egregiously good’.
Anyway got to go again and check out some of the music recommendations……and get that blinkin article finished.
hail hail
Estadio
Uly -Ryan Adams!
Good grief!
The bhoy hasn’t come up with a decent choon since that Robin Hood picture.
The Honest Mistake
To my mind Mibbery reached new levels in Mowbray’s season, culminating in the Dougie embarrassment the following season. It is a given that Rangers were roasted without Champions League money, and the combination of stupidity on the part of Celtic, complicity on the part of various persons at the SFA, and Walter Smith’s tenacity saw them through.
Following Dallasgate and his dismissal, things changed. Thompson’s performance in the New Year game was actually pretty good imo.
We went to Easter Rd in 2009 needing only a win to take the SPL Title. We drew 0-0. A win would have put Rangers to bed.
2010 was sewn up. They could have saved themselves the thread when Mowbray got the gig at Celtic.
We went to ICT in May this year in the same position as 2009 at Easter Rd. Better in fact. A draw would have been just enough. We lost. Were humped in fact.
Charlie Richmond on Sunday is the first time I’ve seen refereeing that influenced the way the game is played since Dallas went. I think in Richmond’s defence, he’s just plan bad at his job, and returning to the SPl fixture list for the first time in 2 years, didn’t have the courage to referee the match to the required standard.
Point in it all is…. excluding 2010, the SPL was winnable. That we didn’t win in 2009 and 2011 is our own fault.
I read Phil’s article and if it was a stalking horse (with or without Celtic’s approval) the reaction I have read so far means it has done its job to let Celtic know the feelings of our support..
TET and I had a beer last week and naturally the state of Scottish football came up and in particular what it would mean for us if Celtic were to acquiesce to any solution that was perceived as a slap on the wrists.
How deep a hold Celtic had on both of us was the issue and how hard it would be for any self respecting Celtic supporter to give up on Celtic.
I think the key here is self respecting. For me Rangers and their support have used their position of privilege to abuse Celtic and their support for years, but particulary since 2000. We have always felt this but the evidence of SFA and media compliance to keep us in our place is practically irrefutable to any self respecting person.
Out of respect for myself I could not allow this situation to continue. I want to watch a fair game of football in a fair league where the rules of the game apply equally to all sides and where a foul is a friggin foul and not “bordering on legality” as Mr Speirs had it last night.
Celtic are now in a position to DICTATE to Scottish Football the conditions under which Celtic are prepared to stay in the game and anything else would be dereliction of duty to Celtic AND the game, including Rangers, who need saving from themselves.
Moral hazard as Phil puts it has to be just that, there has to be consequences for wrong behaviour, otherwise what is to stop it continuing?
If Paul has confirmed Celtic have not adopted a position I would think that to be true, for I know for a fact they are very aware of the areas that need addressing and as the main but not only VICTIMS of Rangers behaviour, self respect for Celtic demands we do not allow this opportunity to stop being victims to pass.
We are now the people.
Phil
I’m the same – it’s the personal embarrassment that gets me the most. I find associative embarrassment entertaining. Except when someone like that Attenborough fellow shows footage of wild animals getting drunk on over ripe fruit – that’s just wrong.
U
Estadio – Never misunderestimate the power of egregiousness. (thumbsup)
You can tell Hugh Keevins dislikes Tony Mowbray intensely I heard from a reliable source more reliable than anyone Keevins would know that Mowbray would not give Keevins the time of day, at least Mowbray knew who his enemies were in the press up here.
You can tell Keevins still likes to get the last word in as far as Mowbray is concerned he ran this wee snide side story in his Sunday Mail page (The Man you to love to hate) 30/10/2011
—-
Keevins writes
“Satanic Rights”
‘Tony Mowbray tells the posh papers down south the Scottish press thought he was the Devil incarnate during his time at Celtic. Not quite. Losing 4-0 at St Mirren Park just convinced us he was hellish at his job. And it seemed the Celtic board agreed with what we’d been saying when they sacked him the following morning.’
—-
Now for the sake of truth and fairness I thought it only fair to post these links to what Tony Mowbray really said about the Scottish press in the “posh papers” i.e. The Telegraph dated 2009 and 2011
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/celtic/6730979/Celtic-manager-Tony-Mowbray-accuses-Scottish-media-of-having-an-agenda.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/middlesbrough/8785070/Tony-Mowbrays-special-bond-with-Middlesbrough-survives-cost-cutting-25-years-ago-and-now.html
I’m not posting all this in any way as a defence of Mowbrays record at our club it’s because I don’t believe Keevins should get away Scot free with his continual demonization of the man. Lets face it we all know the press up here is biased and that’s all Tony Mowbray has said, I believe most of us agree on that ?
Keevins has set himself as the unofficial spokesperson for the less than posh sports journos up here imo he needs to be exposed at every turn as a dinosaur of the old media with a memory that barely functions to his convenience at times, something Danny from Dennistoun a caller on Clyde last night proved to be so
when i am in a confused/annoyed state this song always calms me.
http://youtu.be/7MX7so7Ir74
Good evening friends, hope we are all well?
Jobo
Auldheid
Whit.
You are everything that to date you have despised.
Well I’m not. The Wee arra peepul attitude needs to be buried. The concept of dictatorship needs to be interred with it. What’s the point if it continues to breathe just wearing different colours?
Wait a minute according to you I have no self-respect. That explains it.
Hail hail
Estadio
Auld Neil Lennon heid:
“We are now the people.”
IF and only IF we act like it. We have to do our fighting on a number of fronts, and that means making sure other clubs know the consequences of a deal which allows Rangers to slither out of the noose.
Your opinion on this question would be of interest;
If we were to exercise, fully, our authority and use, fully, our position … could we stop an compromise in its tracks?
Bear in mind, we are NOT the ones asking for special favours. Only the application of the rules.
ulysses mcghee – Except when someone like that Attenborough fellow shows footage of wild animals getting drunk on over ripe fruit – that’s just wrong.
I didn’t know they were filming in The Corinthian. Is that how they caught poor Grant Adam? (thumbsup)
The Battered Bunnet says:
And that is precisely why over the last couple of weeks I have been preaching that we should be concentrating on our own repeated failings rather than THEIR real or imagined imminent demise.
James
I dont think there are many that will blame the fraternity on all of our ills.
I disagree on a lot of what you said.
The penalty was given by Craig Thomson. The ref who changed his whole approach to OF games upon the revelation of who funds his full time wage.
Collum performances at Parkhead and at New Hamilton park last season was as CRITICAL as our heartless bunch at ICT that day. Who is to say that if it wasn´t ICT it might have been the next game where we lost heart for a kicking match.
We luckily won at fir park at the weekend but Euan Norris performance in the same fixture last season where we didn´t was just as abhorrent. If our players do not believe that they will not be allowed to win it .. it is a psychological handicap especially for young inexperienced players. I think that Euan Norris experience stood them in good stead.
I think through frustration and the fact that we COULD have won it is where your anxiety lies but to remove that factor ENTIRELY is too difficult for me to contemplate. That factor is what sport is all about a level playing field. Anyone who was cheated was cheated that´s not up for debate or opinion and we have been systematically cheated due to who we are where we come from and what we believe in since day 1.
Hail Hail.
MWD I love you too … you should kiss and make up with James
Hail Hail
The Battered Bunnet 8 November, 2011 at 17:07:
I disagree with your conclusion.
If we had drawn with ICT, if we didn’t get a valid goal chalked off against Hamilton or if Jelavic wasn’t bought on the never never, Celtic would have won the league.
As much as it was our own fault, it was also the fault of cheating refs and cheating rangers.
Dont you wish Tommy Burns had been there last season to stand by Lenny
‘Frankie Cocozza has left the X-Factor’
-FACT!
James Forrest is Lennon says:
8 November, 2011 at 17:03
I would hope Celtic are doing their bit behind the scenes to make sure our feelings on the matter are 100% clear.
I am 100% behind all the efforts going on to reform the game, and drum out the cheats in official SFA blazers. It is long overdue, and it needs to succeed, for the benefit of all.
————————————————————-
I always enjoy and in the main agree with you James,however the two paragraphs I have extracted from your post is my main concern,as I do not think the level of attention we are led to believe occurs actually happens,and I think The Board are either not interested or too complacent.
As you said Motherwell was an example,appointing a failure to ref our game so he could be a scape goat if required.
Our guys should be on to this and they are not,otherwise stunts of this sort would not be attempted.
Another possibility,
Could Phil have deliberately received false information from inside Celtic Park from someone with instruction from the Board, designed as a “what would they do” exercise?
Dermot Desmond & Peter Lawell & the rest…….., don’t do it……., if you do, we will build your Gallows High.
TLJD
DBBIA
Yep – seduced by Hollywood he was – Don Juan De Marco – Have you ever really loved a woman?
What sort of mad, insane question is that?
But he was young back then – probably about 58…
U
The Battered Bunnet says:
8 November, 2011 at 17:07
If it were a black and white issue 2010 was the blackest, leading to Dallasgate and grey returning.
The argument that is black and white is unhelpful in that it divides the Celtic support into two camps rather than one that says we made our mistakes but are always up against it.
How good we need to be to turn grey into white becomes the field of debate. but the pursit/idealist in me says there should be no need for such a debate, a level playing field should be a given and we must strive to make it so.
Somebody send this on a disc to the boardroom please
http://youtu.be/JSlBrmPqKS8
James Forrest is Lennon says:
8 November, 2011 at 17:03
Got to agree with that post. Last year we had it, twice, no way were we going to get a third bite at the cherry.
The Honest Mistake (Sickened)
Well then… I’m just going to have to agree with you.
Kojo… the Big C….?
It’s just business nothing personal…
Take the Hun, leave the Cannolli’s.
Love to hear Paul and Phil exchanging notes…
That would be the big C
Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo says:
8 November, 2011 at 16:58
Thanks.
DBBIA @ 17.17 – he certainly left it somewhere, he was crap.
Vmhan who Supports Neil Lennon says:
8 November, 2011 at 13:27
I can’t believe Phils article., if it were as Phils says then I’d be finished with Celtic FC, the only way I’d ever consider returning is getting shot of those responsible….. all the way to the major shareholder. It would prove what the huns have always said that “we are the people” with timmy CFC sitting at they’re side ready to grab any scraps from the huns leftovers.
No sorry Phil Mac, I’m not buying that in any shape or form, it would destroy our club.
V
HH
……………….
Thought I posted this in the current article but it got lost in Celtic cyber space.
Re the earlier spat between 2 great CQN’ers, they are of course both right but not exclusively so as both scenarios caused us to lose the last three titles…..
KeepingitsimpleCSC
V
Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo:
Okay, let me throw you a curveball, okay? Cause this is where you, MWD and others might – just might – have a case that I can accept, and someone on this site had figures to partially back it up.
Take Celtic OUT of the equation entirely. Because I still say we are responsible for our own destiny – this is what I find offensive, yes offensive, about the notion we would not have been “allowed” to win the title – and that our own mistakes contributed to the outcome.
Take us OUT of it though. Let’s look at other teams.
Say I am the manager of St Mirren, coming to Celtic Park. Now, if I know my stuff I know I can send out players to kick the Celtic midfielders all over the pitch. But if I’m coming to Ibrox, I can’t do that because I would have players booked left, right and centre. The scenario is even more blatant when Celtic come to town, where, in front of our home supporters and without 60,000 screaming fans every time there is a tackle, the chances are that we will get away with even more. When Rangers come to town, we have the problem that they are afforded EVEN MORE protection from refs …
I look at some of the goals they score, at defences which part, at midfields which do not even TRY to win 50/50 balls, and I wonder … do teams approach games against us in a different way than they do not simply against Rangers but against their SPL peers?
And you know what? Of COURSE they do. You see it, every single week.
If you guys have a case it’s there, not in indvidual moments in our games, but over the whole course.
I’ll tell you what though, there is one season the Serious Fraud Office should have investigated, and it was the huns 9-in-a-row year. How many sendings off did we have? 11? A scandal of a season, as bent and corrupt as any ever has been.
The Battered Bunnet 8 November, 2011 at 17:23:
Fantastic. Did we just turn (Les) grey into (Craig) white for Auldheid?