Top of the table specialists

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St Mirren are on a Christmas hangover which lasted past Valentines and through to the end of winter (today).  Their nine league games in that period have brought defeats to St Johnstone, Dundee, Kilmarnock, Hearts, Dundee United and Celtic.

The only team outside the top four who have not recorded a win over St Mirren in that time is Ross County, who last met the Paisley side a few days before Christmas.  Despite that, there is a buoyancy around Steve Robinson’s side, largely because of results against the teams in second, third and fourth in the table.

You probably didn’t hear, as the result did not materially affect Celtic’s lead, but a week ago, St Mirren beat Newco for the second time since Christmas.  They also went to Pittodrie and won 0-3 and are the only team to stop Hibs scoring in their last 14 games, when the teams drew 0-0 earlier this month.

Defeat to Hearts midweek meant they slipped out of the top six with five games to play before the split.  Claiming another top four scalp tomorrow is beginning to look crucial to their chances of a close to the season that delivers a good payday.

Our two earlier games against St Mirren this season ended in 3-0 wins for the champions.  If anything, the away performance was more convincing.  The extra day’s rest Celtic have, combined with St Mirren’s less familiar challenge of playing twice in a week, should be enough to see another sound win for the visitors.  After all, the gap between top of the table, and those in second, third and fourth, is as wide as Paisley Abbey.

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285 Comments

  1. So the Huns are finally invited back to cause mayhem in our stadium.

     

    I get a feeling this won’t end well .

     

    On the same day it’s officially accepted that we were indeed cheated out of a point last week.

     

    Apart from that , not much else happening

  2. For those who are keen to get an update on our possible play off seeding and how the rivals are shaping up here is a wee update on how last weekend went and what’s happening this week in the 6 relevant leagues. All assuming we win our league of course.

     

     

    The 6 leagues which matter to us are those where there are teams who could win who would be seeded above us in the play off round thus relegating us to more likelihood of a more difficult tie.

     

     

    Bodo and Red Star are through and as good as already through which leaves 3 places for seeds in the 5 ties.

     

     

    Greece Croatia Ukraine Austria Denmark and Hungary are the leagues which matter. Only 2 of these can produce champions who will be seeded above us or we most likely miss out.

     

     

    Greece

     

     

    Last week saw Olympiakos beat PAOK who were 4th and Panathinikos who were 3rd also lost. So the top 2 AEK and Olympiakos face off at AEK on Sunday at 6.30pm. AEK trail by 2pts with 12 games to go. They will play each other twice more post a top 6 split. Obviously we want AEK to prevail as they have a higher co efficient than us. Olympiakos will have a distraction of Europe also this next few weeks.

     

     

    Croatia

     

     

    After losing 4-0 to league leaders Rejika (7pts gap) Zagreb host second place Hadjuk on Sunday at 2pm. They are 6 points behind them also. Rejika play at 9th placed Gorica. With 12 games to go this could be a defining weekend if Zagreb ship more points.

     

     

    Ukraine

     

     

    Already today Kyiv have dropped 2 points after a 1-1 draw with 13th place Vorksla. Sadly Shakhtar won 1-0 on Monday to narrow the gap a bit. They have 2 games in hand on Kyiv and are 11 points adrift now. Next up for them tomorrow afternoon is Oleksadriya who are currently 2nd and 5 points clear of Shakhtar having played a game more. Anything by a Shakhtar win would be great. 11 games left here.

     

     

    Austria

     

     

    So there are 13 games to go in Austria. RB Salzburg are our concern and they sit 9 points adrift of Sturm G and 6 behind Austria W. They beat Austria W last week 1-0 away and so bring some form into the really big match this week at home to Sturm. They play each other 2 more times post split but tomorrow could really have an impact.

     

     

    Denmark

     

     

    Not so good news here as Copenhagen won 1-0 v Mitdjyland last weekend. Copenhagen will have European distractions and they do still play each other twice again but they have a 3 point gap and goal difference. Copenhagen are at lowly Aalborg whom we remember well.

     

     

    Hungary

     

     

    Puskas Academy go to Diosgyor who are 5th tomorrow and Ferencvaros who trail Puskas by 5 points host ETOgyor who are 7th on Sunday. It’s unlikely Robbie Keane’s team will drop any points this weekend unfortunately.

     

     

    Currently we would be sitting nicely in 5th seeded spot but Zagreb, Shakhtar, Salzburg and Ferencvaros might yet come good as we come round the bend and can see the home straight. Likewise Copenhagen and Olympiakos might stutter with European commitments.

     

     

    Hope this is of interest and apologies of not.

  3. We were told,as soon as they could cobble a statement together, they had factual evidence the ball was out,we were lied to

  4. Burnley78 at 5.22

     

    Many thanks and keep the updates coming .

     

    They are very interesting and save the rest of us fron doing the research 👍

  5. Muir must never be involved in any match that involves us and also any match involving thems due to his allegiance , better still sack him

  6. The Blogger Formerly Known As GM on

    In a tight race for 3rd place/European places/top 6, what if Hertz, Aberdeen or Dundee United loose out to Hibs by 2 points?

     

     

    Incompetence/bias/corruption against Celtic could end up costing them a lot of money yet these didi teams are happy to keep quiet and go along with it.

     

     

    They deserve everything they get.

  7. did the huns ever make the changes to their stadum to accomodate us

     

     

    we spent a few mullions changing ours….

  8. Lies and cheating should never be tolerated and muir has to go, interesting that nick walsh will be involved with thems match this weekend, first time since he sent off thems player only for it to be overturned to a yellow offence later

  9. Zelensky has just been publicly filleted by Trump and Vance on live television. He must be absolutely shattered and feeling humiliated.

  10. the season for honest mistakes & orange tracksuits is here

     

     

    And now we let them back into our stadium

     

     

    Watching them coming out in orange tracksuits was a throwback to the 90’s with they were at their most staunch and hateful

     

     

    A throwback to a time I thought we had passed

  11. Burnley78 pointed out the throwback to the 90’s on wed night, I think

     

     

    It’s their last play, by trying to bring back the 90’s

     

     

    wee barry looked like a copy of walter

     

     

    and the little genital

     

     

    We need to bury them this year

  12. FAVOURITE UNCLE on

    dessybhoy on 28th February 2025 5:50 pm

     

    Zelensky has just been publicly filleted by Trump and Vance on live television. He must be absolutely shattered and feeling humiliated.

     

    If you think 2 guys shouting and spouting lies is filleting someone go ahead and THUNK.

  13. and the refs and var that try to enable them

     

     

    Muir should be gutted and left on the factual hill he has built

  14. According to a guy on Celticminded who said his source was sound.

     

     

    As I said in another post , this came directly from collum to the refs associations

     

     

    Just listened to the VAR audio from the Hibs game. Muir “Probably out but can’t be sure” his assistant then says “yeah, probably out”

  15. Muir lied and whoever issued the SFA statement shortly after the game to state there was a factual evidence also lied. So I assume that both will be censured and depending on the full circumstances sacked from their role? Or will we all move on, Muir will keep the head down for a few weeks and he won’t get VAR at another Celtic game this season and then carry on regardless?

  16. That ignorant wanker Trump said a couple of weeks ago he hates bullies,….obviously doesn’t do irony…it’s all about the money for him as always

  17. bournesouprecipe on

    Well done Celtic, and in particular Brendan Rodgers for articulating publicly in calling out the SFA, and its blatant misuse of VAR, in disallowing Daizen Maeda’s goal at Easter Rd.

     

     

    A widely predicted and very expected development. Of course saying the goal should have stood without an explanation doesn’t even begin to solve the mystery of why VAR was involved, and what image was ‘used’ to prove the ball was out.

     

     

    I’m sure Celtic will be on it.

  18. It really is embarrassing.

     

     

    Spitting Image could not concoct better ridiculous parody puppets than these guys are themselves.

     

     

    God help our kids and our kids kids with the values this lot project as leaders. It makes Boris seem quite moderate and reasonable…… well maybe ???

  19. Had a look at the referee appointments for this weekend

     

    Muir isn’t on any Spfl games – Andrew Dallas has 2 var paydays including our game

  20. loving the trump show

     

     

    Atleast he is honest and upfront at the comedy show that is modern poiltics

     

     

    You think this dont happen behind clsed doors??

     

     

    Burn the “western” world and its values to the ground

  21. who’s the best buddies’ player bhoys and ghirls have seen ?

     

    must be some great aul memories – can’t think of one meself – I’m only 55

  22. The Blogger Formerly Known As GM on

    It is what it is, so I’d now be interested to know if Celtic have a legally binding agreement with clearly defined T&Cs for reciprocity at Mordor post-split or whether it’s an agreement “in good faith”.

     

     

    I hope it’s the former.

     

     

    Indeed, given the much touted “marketability” of this “showpiece” fixture, it would be in the huns’ best interest to, er, show it off, to potential suitors.

     

     

    Hopefully Celtic also took this in to account.

  23. The Blogger Formerly Known As GM on

    Dodds at odds with Starmer.

     

     

    When will we read Dodds at odds with Barry?

     

     

    Are they bound together in a Faustian pact or will they there’s no honour amongst thieves?