Utterly gallus under a Glasgow night sky

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If Craig Gordon had the fortitude of his more vocal critics he would have crawled into a shell and you would be reading about a plucky Celtic defeat this morning. Fortunately for Celtic, Craig is grounded in solid earth.

He’s overcome greater challenges than his recent loss of form. Great to have you back, Craig.

Credit is due right across the back line, as well as to the goalkeeper, despite the loss of three goals. City have some of the finest attacking players currently plying their trade in Europe. A victory last night would have rewritten record books for English football clubs, but time and again Erik Sviatchenko and Kolo Toure timed runs, blocks and tackles perfectly.

I’m having trouble figuring out how Mikael Lustig can still put that kind of performance in. His fitness levels seemed to be inextricably heading south last season, but he’s back as good as ever. Kieran Tierney is that rare property, a left back with pace and endurance, who can defend and cross. He’ll continue to improve.

Tom Rogic was totally in control of what was an incredibly difficult area of the field to play football. Our performance levels followed the fuel in his tank. When he faded, we faded.

Brown and Bitton did very well too. Scott forced his influence onto the game in the first minute, which set the tempo.

I know Nir Bitton looks like he lacks urgency. In his own penalty area. With City players bearing down on him. On nights like this the easiest thing in the world is to play it long when under pressure. The hardest thing to do is to hold the ball, draw pressure but try to create space for others. It’s what the very top midfield players at the very top clubs do.  You’ll remember seeing the same from Nir in the second half.

Hands up if you thought James Forrest had this level of performance in him? His timed run from deep at the opening goal was straight from the training ground, but executed perfectly. We didn’t get him into the game often enough, but his work off the ball created space for Dembele.

Scott Sinclair was another who put in a brave performance; brave in the sense that he held the ball often under intense pressure. He looks like he’s enjoying life in Glasgow.

And what of Moussa? I doubt any of us knew the calibre of player we recruited. It was a gamble for the club and for the player, but it’s paid off for both, and how. His first goal was fortuitous – no bad thing in a striker. His second belied his age. It was utterly gallus. No other word for it.

Well done Brendan. I thought you got it wrong in Barcelona but you went toe-to-toe against the top manager in the world, who travelled home with plenty to think about.

What a great phenomenon this whole Champions League business is. Even Newco earned around £500 from selling stadium tours to visiting fans. Happy to help, guys.  High-fives all-round the city.

Thanks for the fantastic support for the Foundation ahead of the Great Scottish Run Half Marathon on Sunday.  I’m now carb-loading for the first time in my life.  It’s as much fun as it sounds.  Any more help greatly appreciated.

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623 Comments

  1. Saint Stivs says SACK THE BOARD on

    bloody boring on here tonight, all self satisfied and purring,

     

     

    bring back declan

     

     

    night

  2. Delaney’s Dunky @10.31

     

     

    The Na Na Na Na song was originally by a group called Steam and it saw the light in 1970 and was sung around about the time we played Fiorentina and Leeds I think. When Bananarama revived the song in 1983 or 84 the Jungle took it up again. And Miss Fahey – Siobhan- announced het delight at this development.

     

     

    Jimbo67

  3. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    JIM PAYNE

     

     

    A few of us announced our delight at Siobhan’s development back then.

  4. garygillespieshamstring on

    Harry Hood had the hare Krishna chant. There was another based upon a song called Mammy (or mama) Blue.

     

     

    We would sing

     

     

    Oh Harry, O Harry Harry Hood, Oh Harry Hood.

     

     

    Read Tontine Tim posting earlier about Roger Hynd. John Lawrence was quoted as saying that “hynd’ s inability to kick the ball straight over one yard cost me a knighthood”

  5. Sorry ghuys but the Na NaNa song by Bananarama is a cover version of the original by American band Steam,as Marrakesh pointed our earlier. Pedantic CSC H H Hebcelt

  6. Marrakesh Express on

    We actually have a large back catalogue of good old Celtic songs and it’s great to hear them being revived. Leaving out the heavy war stuff gives that mob not a leg to stand on. Anyway the time has come to leave them in our wake, on and off the field.

  7. Jim payne on 29th September 2016 11:13 pm

     

     

    Miss Fahey – Siobhan- announced her delight at this development.

     

     

    *and her wee sister was in the “Come on Eileen” video

  8. YogiHughes on 29th September 2016 11:22 pm

     

     

    The “Na Na Na” which we sang in the Jungle was definitely from Hey Jude 1968.

     

     

    *we also sung “die die die die ya hun” from the same era

  9. Just catching up with many things.

     

     

    Firstly, still in awe of what our club and support served up to the rest of Europe.

     

     

    €10k fine?

     

     

    Contrast that with the massive support the demonstration has had worldwide and the huge sum generated for those in most need in Palestine.

     

     

    We are blessed to have the Green Brigade.

     

     

    Polis now chapping the doors of employers at 5am when they can’t get to the accused! (It gets worse but it’s not appropriate to say more just now).

     

     

    Moyes allegedly one of those accused of corruption?

  10. What is the Stars on

    there are 2 Na Na Na songs

     

     

    Na Na Na ,Na Na Na…. Na Hey Jude

     

    Na Na,Na Na Na Na,Hey Hey Hey,Goodbye

     

     

    Makes sense to me

  11. Stan Collymore tweeting that if the list he has seen is true football in England will never be the same,

     

    sorry canny do link

  12. garygillespieshamstring on

    What is the stars

     

     

    Don’t forget the Banana Splits song.

     

    Shamelessly ripped off by Bob Marley for use in Buffalo Soldier.

  13. let the people sing on

    Haven’t posted for ages – been enjoyin’ lurkin’

     

     

    Thought we were immense last night – watched it with my 2 bhoys and love their passion for the team – no1 boy nearly brought the house down when we scored the 3rd.

     

    We still tend to go through a spell in each half where we lose our way and the passing goes off a bit, but we’ll sort that with experience at this level – loved how we dug in for the last 10 minutes.

     

    This game would have been a struggle under Ronny (real admiration for RD though), but just shows what a good manager can achieve with broadly the same players – always thought we had good players, so good to see them performing and responding to a manager that has them believing in themselves.

     

    Hard to pick a man of the match, but KT and MD really fantastic for their age, with Kolo and Broonie ably assisted by TR who was so good first half.

     

    Support were just the best. – what a great advert for football we are – Grace is so special and emotional – no other fans evoke such feelings as our own.

     

    No2 bhoy was at the Kilmarnock game on Sunday and has been raving ever since about how good we were – loving this reaction and genuine excitement about the team!

     

    What a Club, what a Support and what a great time to be part of the Celtic family

  14. Celticrollercoaster supporting Shay,our bhoy wonder along the way on

    Bhoys and Ghirls

     

     

    If you are around the Uddingston area tomorrow between 10am and 2pm and half 5 mins spare, please pop and join our Coffee Morning for McMillan Cancer with a difference. We have the Big Cup (full size replica) in our presence and you have the chance for a wee donation to get a picture taken with it on your mobile with the ribbon colours of your choice ( surely there is only one choice)

     

     

    Address is Mears, Tannochside Business Park, G71 5PW

     

     

    Come along and say Hail Hail

     

     

    HH

     

     

    CRC

  15. TONTINE TIM,

     

     

    Remember it well

     

     

    ….from “Those were the days” by Mary Hopkins.

     

     

    Wits,

     

     

    The first the Beatles and the second The Doors.

  16. What is the Stars on

    Gary Gillespie

     

     

    Jaysus

     

     

    The Banana Splits or Banana Bunch

     

    thats my childhood,sitting in front of the TV on a saturday morning, and The Double Deckers

  17. What is the Stars on

    Delaneys

     

     

    Its not just rich people that are like that.

     

    I have met rich people who are beautiful souls and poor people who are black hearted bassas

     

     

    Good and bad everywhere

  18. garygillespieshamstring on

    Delaneys

     

     

    I can’t hear the wee section on buffalo soldier without starting to sing the splits song in my head.

     

     

    I should probably be worried.

  19. 67Heaven .. CHALLENGING THE LIE ..I am wee Oscar...... Ipox belongs to the creditors on

    Watching the game again, we seemed to lose midfield a wee bit when Rogic was subbed ….a class act ….anyone know why he can’t seem to play for 90 mins ?

  20. Celtic Park was Amazing last night.

     

     

    I got home 20 minutes before midnight and was totally shattered, I mean really knackered – @ Half Time a seat was most defnitely required. The Support gave Everything just like the Players did.

     

     

    Brendan got Everything out of his Players. I’ve just finished watching the game.

     

     

    Every player played very well, some were just sensational when we really needed them to be.

     

     

    Celtic have Heroes again and that is what it is all about.

     

     

    We have a chance to get out of this Group, IMO.

     

     

    It might be a small chance, KTF, Always.

     

     

    Barca can beat City twice I reckon.

     

     

    The flipside is Borussia Monchengladbach could also beat us twice, I reckon we could, given the Luck of the Irish, beat BMG home and away.

     

     

    Those City away Tickets would then be hotter than Hell itself. :))

     

     

    67, In the Heat of Lisbon. :)

  21. GGH

     

     

    You have now fecked my head up wi they two tunes. Accusing Robert Nesta Marley of plagiarising a cartoon show hit, makes sense. What you hear in your cradle, sticks. Noel and Liam Gallagher have made a career from that. Nursery Rhyme Manc sounds.