When we lost 1-0 at Ibrox earlier in the season play was focussed on Odsonne Edouard until he was replaced by Ismaila Soro (yes, really) and Kyogo moved into the central position for the final 23 minutes. Cameron Carter-Vickers and Jota had yet to join the club, we didn’t have a fit left back and two of the starting line-up knew they were on their last outing in green and white hoops.
Despite this, and playing before an exclusively home crowd, Celtic enjoyed 66% possession and Edouard missed a chance that he hoped Crystal Palace did not see.
Only four of those who started for Celtic are likely to do so again on Sunday: Hart, Starfelt, Juranovic and McGregor. Beyond those who start, we have options on the bench who can change the game if necessary. Last time, as well as Soro, Ange Postecoglou brought on Tom Rogic, who remains in contention, and Adam Montgomery. Resources were chronically weak by comparison.
We will bring a new and vastly improved team to Ibrox, one that has overcome the points deficit we left the ground carrying in August and can effectively secure the second trophy of the season on Sunday.
None of this is conjecture. Whatever the merits of Celtic as they dominated possession and lost in August, the scale of transformation since is beyond any of the hopes we had back then. Recent form does not guarantee results, but we can draw confidence from it ahead of Sunday.
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In Ange We Trust
C’mon the Hoops!!
Apart from the Banter Years, I’ve never felt confident of a win going to Ibrox. Regardless of our improvement all over the park, they have a decent team and a team that will be looking to exploit our weaknesses at set pieces. Every corner they win will have me fearing the worst.
We will create plenty of chances from open play. If we take them we will win. Icing on the cake would be to see McGregor having a poor game. He was their best player at CP when we won 3-0.
Pressure is on them. Keep the baying masses….quiet and we will do the job.
I have watched them in most of their games and they have been at their best at home in Europe.
Our players will know what to expect and Ange will have them well drilled as usual.
We will go to win as we always do. 3 points and the title moves a step close, who would have thought?
What a turnaround..
A win and the huns will fold…”like a deck of cards “(sic)
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3 sleeps.
Think Der Hun will go at us 100 mph at the start, they will be vulnerable to a counter attack though.
Not a game for the faint hearted😱
TOM MCLAUGHLIN on 31ST MARCH 2022 9:48 AM
👍👍
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MCPHAIL BHOY
Aye penalties and free kicks , but also some crackers
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ZIGGYDOC1
Aye from the jags
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re tickets …
The sawdoctors barrowland tickets went on pre sale and then general sale at 9.am a day or so later , sold out 9 am not a ticket for sale ..mmmm …Tickets were on sale on ticketmaster shortly after …after many complaints a second concert was added and there were no special concessions so hopefully fans didn’t get ripped off the second time …
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http://celticbynumberscom.ipage.com/another-country/
Here is my piece on that first encounter.
thanks
I’d be happy with a draw followed by a win at Hampden to finish their season. I’d be ecstatic if we won both games.
I cannot shake the feeling that Collum will give Morelos or Kent a penalty for any kind of soft challenge and that a red card won’t be far away for Starfelt, Hatate or Biton if they play.
Paranoid? Not paranoid enough.
NOTTHEBUS on 31ST MARCH 2022 12:18 PM
A win and the huns will fold…”like a deck of cards “(sic)
____
😁I like that.
I think we’ve had a massive improvement in the character of the team this season. Quietly confident that we’ll show that character on Sunday. I love players who thrive in a hostile environment. We’re only playing those on the park (hopefully not the inept Collum, also).
Celticbynumbers,
You’ve been busy recently!! Is it 2 or 3 articles you’re putting out a day now?
😀
I’m going to catch up on them today and tomorrow. Keep up the good work 👍🏼
I never expect us to win against them. Seen us way too often completely dominate them and either their goalkeeper plays an absolute blinder or the Mib cheats us (or often a combination of both). Here’s hoping Collum doesn’t give in to the pressure from his bosses and refs the game to the best of his ability (which isn’t great, I know) and doesn’t give a penalty to them for nothing. (I still have nightmares about the non one he gave them at Parkhead, which happened right in front of me…..)
I didn’t have the facts gathered earlier in the week but Paul’s article assures me I was right in my recollection of our visit to Ibrox. 66% possession is a surprising number all the same.
It’s about making the improvements count. Running the legs off any half fit superstars they might play and test what I believe is a defence that doesn’t cope with pressure.
Van Bronkhorst is in a difficult position. He needs to win. So does he come at us and expose a defence that does well in Europe because it is protected by a deep lying midfield? Or does he play for breaks, set pieces and try and frustrate us? However, he can’t ‘park the bus’ at home to us and therefore a semi defensive set up just invites us into a situation where we have more space than usual to exploit.
High press? Maybe for the first half of each half but they can’t sustain it with the players they have and fitness levels they have.
I suspect a whirlwind start from them with that lasting about 20 minutes until the steam runs out.
CBN – Cap doffed!
I/m never ever confident taking thems on.
There’s too many cards stacked against us.
I never thought we;d be this improved already under a new manager – so I take heart ( hart? ) from that.
:)
HH.
Roberttressel,
They have been studying European Celtic to gain insight into how to beat us.
– They will target Taylor / Starfelt.
– They will press and seek to force errors in our passing from the back game
– They will put everything into set pieces.
They will take risks with half-injured players, drugging their wee bodies to withstand the pain and they will hope and pray that home advantage will will them on.
Play our game, be on the front foot and perfect the Ange game plan and they won’t be able to execute the above as Tav pen & Bassey are pinned back and they lack creativity from Jack & Lundstrum.
HH
Take our chances we will win, this mob have had unbelievable luck in that their recent opponents dortmund and red star missed plenty.
Collum is certainly a factor and if the game is close he could decide it, but as I said take our chances Celtic will win by a minimum of 2 goals.
Celtic By Numbers
Great insight with the three posts. I hope MOR will be high on confidence after making his debut for Denmark U21 and will be a key player.
First goals are always important but I think even more so this Sunday. If we get it then the pressure from the stands will see them implode and I can see us scoring as many as we want. Should they get it though (and this is where the honest mistake worry comes in) I still worry about our ability to turn a game around under pressure. Key battles will for once not be in the middle of the park for me, Juranovic against Kent and Maeda against TavPen will shape the game one way or another.
An early high press with one of their mids placed on CalMac to force Starfelt or CCV to play out from the back. We know what to expect. As is usually the case, get past the first twenty mins, handle the crowd and our game will come good. We shouldn’t be afraid to go long in the first quarter of the game. A draw is a good result.
We go there not looking for perfection to achieve a result – just good improvement from the last time; now with a vastly improved team/squad, and a manager now seeing his style & tactics being being implemented. Let’s serve it up to them and see how they respond……as Corporal Jones would say, ” they don’t like it up ’em” – 3-0 at Celtic Park proved that!
Don’t like it when Paul’s confident.
Usually a kiss of death.
Just realised I am in St Andrews all day Sunday, does anyone know a good Celtic Pub I can watch the game in? Thank you in advance.
North Curve Celtic
@NCCeltic
·
3h
On Monday we will launch a mental health action week, starting with a live podcast for our members.
The pod will be available on all usual platforms from Wednesday.
Anyone doubting the swift progress of the womens’ game need look no further than the 90k+ crowd in Barcelona for the game v Real Madrid. The playing of games in the main stadium is also another ‘hurdle jumped’.
We are nearing the ‘tipping point’ when clubs will need to ‘get down to brass tacks’ and address the equality demands on every level.
There will be a knock-on effect to the mens’ game set-up at all clubs – the extent is unknown, as is whether it comes voluntary, or, through legislation.
The snowball is rolling and picking up speed.
A win puts us in pole position. C.O.Y.B.I.G.
If ever there was a game where the first fifteen minutes are crucial it’s Sunday.
Start the way we did in the last game – we needn’t score three again (although I’d take that..!) –
and they could wilt, especially if the crowd get at them.
If we don’t and they have the upper hand in those minutes we could struggle.
I hope for the former of course.
With all due respect to our host on here however, whatever the result on Sunday it isn’t another trophy.
Being six points – and better goal difference- ahead with 6 games to go would be a brilliant position to be in but with 5 of those games against the 5 top teams ( including them of course) it would be far from over.
BOGNORBHOY on 31ST MARCH 2022 12:23 PM
The sawdoctors barrowland tickets went on pre sale and then general sale at 9.am a day or so later , sold out 9 am not a ticket for sale ..mmmm …Tickets were on sale on ticketmaster shortly after …after many complaints a second concert was added and there were no special concessions so hopefully fans didn’t get ripped off the second time …
—————————————————————
Some might argue it was those who managed to purchase a ticket that were the ones ripped off, given the price of tickets…
HH
That’s more like it Pablo.
Proportionate antidote to the deflections and negative spin we are going to have to endure over the next 3 days.
Personally, I’m neither confident nor cautious about the game.
The antiquated stadium in Govan is tough for away teams. Strong psyche required.
If we perform we’ve a good chance of a positive result.
PS – watch out for the click bait.
You know the kind of stuff.
“Celtic Dealt Blow Before O*d F**m Showdown”
“Celtic have been left reeling by the shock, late news that the Lennoxtown tea lady’s kettle blew a fuse on Friday.
The club are keeping tight lipped about the significance of this late development ….
…. But the inability of the club to provide Ange Postecoglou with his usual hot cuppa at 5pm is far from ideal and is sure to leave Celtic fans everywhere worried about disruptions to the manager’s preparations for the huge game at a packed, noisy, architecturally majestic Ibrox”
The First 20mins are crucial in any game. I always say after 20mins mediocre teams fall away as they can no longer keep up the early pace that disguises their lack of quality. We have an abundance of quality at the club and that is what will win it for us. Keep it tight or even score in the first 20mins and the game is there for the taking, por cierto.
CALL ME GERRY
Fair point , they were a bit pricey 👍👍
it is great that Marc V Real Ladies football got to be played in front of such a large crowd but a bit of context must be added:-
“Barcelona Club members were initially offered the chance to claim tickets for free, while for non-members ticket prices started at 9 euros (£7.50). Some 70,000 tickets were snapped up within a few days of being made available in January and only a small number remain available.” In contrast a standard ticket for Barca’s Euro tie with Frankfurt range from 119 to 149 euros, and the is just for a Europa match.
“these games” (Ladies matches with large crowds) becoming a regular occurrence is probably unrealistic in the near future. Although Barcelona have the largest crowds in the Spanish league, their average attendance figure is shy of 3,000.”
We are a long way from any trigger points.
Barca not Marc
https://twitter.com/CelticFC/status/1509504792758046721?s=08
ST renewals
CBN @ 12.25
We played some good stuff that day but we looked raw and unsettled.
As you note some of our decision making was poor and AP was wearing L plates.
They played a very limited game and worked hard to gain attacking free kicks / corners.
Not sure if this was the plan but they never tried to stretch the game / push things.
Consequently not sure how things will shape up on Sunday.
They can’t be as poor as they were in the first 45 minutes at P/head.
However at the moment they only seem to roll up their sleeves for the EuL.
We are by far the better team — talentwise — but we do have a glass jaw and the MF still needs work / is prone to the odd off day.
The bookies are still taking a lot of money on them so somebody believes in them / the power of Ludge MIB / the influence of the SPL scheduling committee.
All the media chat about how decisions have gone for us recently can be interpreted as their booster club preparing the ground for an honest mistake — real howler — that might make it to the UK / Aus news
If we play well then we win — so no pressure then …
Toaty Trumper @ 10.54 last night.
Pure moon howling — bad even by your own poor standards.
At least we are starting to see the Nat / Tartan Tory / Not Jacinda angle coming to the fore.
Not sure if that has always been your worldview — Thatcherite / Big Bang / City of London bean counter that you are — but you were giving it the full monty last night with your frontier gibberish.
Your 2008 stuff would appear slightly problematical in that you have a City background but would have been happy to let the banking system go under — quite a statement from someone who sucked at the City teat for so long.
I fear you bought RBS shares when they were “cheap”.
However consistency has never been your strong point.
Your voting record would make interesting reading.
Progressive politics is a stranger to you.
Morelos has zero chance of playing on Sunday.