Want to face stronger opponents or go home after the coin toss

535

We have a recurring theme on here: never make excuses before an event.  Allow players, the manager, or anyone connected with a performance an opportunity to make an excuse for a failure, and they will take it.  Before a game, I don’t like to hear complaints about a plastic pitch, hopeless referees or injuries.  Be ready, or don’t be at Celtic.

Yesterday, Mick Beale told the media “We’re competing against the odds if you like. In general, if you look at any league in the world, the team that spends the most is first. So, we have to compete against the odds because we’re not going to spend the most money.”

This is sport.  If you want to compete with only 50/50 odds, go home after the coin toss.  There are some narrow openings for this kind of chat in football.  I would let Ange away with it in the Champions League, where we have no expectation of winning.  But here, in Scotland, I’d march any Celtic manager out of town for throwing excuses for failure around.

Losers lose not because they have fewer resources, but because they have a loser mentality – and that’s a few days after listening to a self-help coach who recently picked himself up from a cell bunk after a DUI conviction!  Can you imagine what they would the mood would be like if they didn’t have that pep talk?

While we’re on the subject of the other lot measuring themselves against Celtic….  John Lundstam gave a really nuanced interview yesterday.  “It is one game, they turned up and we didn’t. I think the combination for that didn’t complement each other well. It looks like there is a massive gap but I don’t think there is a massive gap.”

Compared to his manager, this is faultless.  To you and me, Celtic dominated, but there was only one goal in it, they hit the post and really should have converted the rebound.  By objective measures, the gap was narrow.

There is a problem here, though.  Being narrowly worse than the team you need to be better than is almost as bad as being miles worse.  Winners can have planned improvements, losers have a responsibility to break-up even good teams, sometimes sack even good managers that reach European finals, because being narrowly worse is to fail.

There is a combined message from these two interviews: a team that is worth less money came close against powerful champions, which is respectable.  Being second to this Celtic team is respectable.  It is where they are in the food-chain and where they are likely to remain unless something incredible happens.  Maybe the Qataris will buy them!  (Joke, honestly, no one with real money is interestined in Scottish clubs).  Ibrox has had a buyer from Motherwell, then Hamilton.  Can’t you see, it’s circling the Larkhall sinkhole!

There is a few years of this type of chat to come before someone levels with their fans.  Second place with a puncher’s chance is where they are.  Take it or leave before your side’s runner up medals are awarded.

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535 Comments

  1. Prestonpans bhoys on

    Greetings from The Albert in Bowness on Windermere, a week of drinking begins 🍷🍸🍻

  2. Moderator1888 on

    Canamalar

     

     

    As a general rule no swearing and no personal attacks

     

     

    I couldn’t give a monkeys what people post about

     

     

    I draw a line under most of it when people start getting snippy with each other when they don’t agree with their opinion

     

     

    Which nearly always happens with politics etc etc

     

     

    The blog last year was pages and pages of people fighting and disagreeing with each other

     

     

    It won’t go back to that

     

     

    Ask yourself before posting, am I being a d!ck posting this (not aimed at you this is aimed at everyone)

     

     

    Generally if you are, it gets deleted

  3. Not only is goldson allowed to handle the ball in the box wait till you see McGregor bundling over the killie player in the box.

     

     

    It’s a mystery how they never get a penalty against them

     

     

    Or maybe it is not.

  4. McPhail Bhoy on

    Watching the Arsenal vs Bournemouth on Premier Sports, it was a 3pm kickoff. Have the rules changed in England? I thought no games could be broadcast live if they kick off at 3? It seems to be the reason why Celtic matches kicking off at 3 are not available to watch live. Is it only in Scotland is that rule in place, does anyone know?

  5. The McGregor foul on the Killie player not to be punished by either ref or VAR is truly astonishing. If ever there was a time when it would be ok for collum and var to be fair it was then when winning 3-0 and having already given a penalty to the home team. Yet no still no attempt to even look like being balanced.

  6. Canamalar it looks like OCD obsession on

    Chairbhoy :oD))

     

     

    GFTB give us a rest, your always telling people what subjects they should and should not be discussing, Petec was just the latest.

     

    Personally I (and I suspect many others) considered the Scottish news (it was real news) Petec shared and his opinion interesting, a lot more interesting than the much repeated common knowledge, how great are Reo & Callum, how often does it need to be repeated before it sinks in to some that they are good players? Then used to tell people what their only focus should be.

     

    It reminds me of why our musical aficionado in Sicily left the blog with the words, the blog has degenerated into an echo chamber. Hence the inspiration.

     

     

    I think you’ll find many read back to see what the night-howlers where up to.

  7. Prestonpans bhoys on

    BURNLEY78

     

     

    Gollum is protecting his interests, penalty at the bigotdome will have him barred again!

  8. Canamalar it looks like OCD obsession on

    Moderator1888,

     

    My recent deletions and subsequent bans were not for any of those, no one was abused, no profanities were included, I provided verifiable and academic research all of which was deleted and me being banned. Subsequent posts using same information were allowed from different posters, no continuity in application of whatever rules are being applied.

     

    I note again I am the subject or your ire and again believe I am being subjected to special treatment, remind yourself when I was involved in any of those disputes last year?

     

     

    Provide me a single example of where I overstepped the line of profanity or abuse, to be honest I believe I was the subject of abuse which you ignored and I said as much during our offline correspondence, I note not once you even considered it.

  9. Moderator.

     

     

    Yeh the blog had its racist and its fascists on here last year.that was the source.

     

     

    Do you not remember JHB ??

     

     

    Seem to recall his early posts saying he had heard ‘cybernats’ had all the say,defining his political need to be here,not Celtic

     

     

    I do.i also knew of the politics behind the tramp and his racist friends.i remember it given free rein in its unionist racist trash.

     

    I remember the weaponization of Scottish people dying of covid and used by the racist vermin in political points scoring,no word of deaths under his regime in wales,ni,and england.but scottish deaths could be of political use to the charlatan.facts and figures didnt matter,as a racist unionist he took up the ancient habit of “othering” those not for the union

     

    I remember same Brexit racist who did not criticize his fellow racists who were attempting

     

    to hinder rescue services in english channel.

     

     

    “Ange a mistake,not even top6”

     

     

    I also remember daily,headers from Paul about SNP(oh hark ye back to the last generation of working class marketeers to take their seat in the lords! Class betraying tramps!) Paul is a redmarketeer,last year and those headers done as much harm to the blog as anyone.so look at home first,dont put it out if you dont want it answered.

     

     

    Moderator,

     

    I am only responding mate as last years blog i have seen you mention a few times.my response is you had racists and fascist vermin on these dear green pages.they have no place in Celtic.their goebbalism was met head on

     

     

    HH

  10. Ps Mod the blogs fine btw.

     

    Ups and downs.

     

    Bout the Celtic for me.whatever the angle.

     

     

    HH

  11. Canamalar it looks like OCD obsession on

    Think Tony Ralston will be getting some time on the park tomorrow. Certainly hope so.

  12. Canman 4.33pm

     

     

    Hilarious…

     

     

    You hardly post about Celtic … don’t even think you like our team …

     

     

    In all the years I have posted on here I have never told anybody anything … take a wee look in the mirror mate

     

     

    I actually understand other people’s views

     

     

    You don’t … that is s fact

  13. Canman 5.02pm

     

     

    “Think Tony Ralston will be getting some time on the park tomorrow. Certainly hope so”

     

     

    Exactly … thank you

  14. itscalledthemalvinas on

    Arsenal doing a Celtic !

     

    Thank goodness,I had them on my fixed odds !

     

    Carry out Indian tonight Mrs Malvinas

  15. Canman

     

     

    Obviously you were putting your rod in the water and as usual I bit …

     

     

    It won’t happen again

     

     

    Best of luck in whatever part of the world you are in

     

     

    Canny believe your one post about Celtic is displacing Alistair Johnston … says it all

     

     

    Adios amigo … Ralston over Johnstone :-)

  16. Moderator1888 on

    ITSCALLEDTHEMALVINAS

     

     

    Turned it off in the 96th minutewhen bournemouth had a goal kick

     

     

    Can’t post the response I had from a bournemouth supporting mate, when I ask how they hibsed it

  17. yet another decision for them for the statistics! if thats a penalty in football , the game’s a bogey! quite simply , VAR is not a system – its a group of men bent on finding decisions to help the establishment team.

     

     

    corrupt game and the stats are starting to back it up

  18. Sean Thornton

     

     

    dont be so precious mate.i will stick to that assertion of that poster.I know of no Celtic fan who would not offer the hand of help to a refugee,it stood out as it did not decry lifeboat services being attacked by his fellow racists goin to assist humans in distress.those humans were refugees.

     

     

    Whats your team for the morra?

     

    Gie Iwata a start?

     

    Take it easy Sean and keep postin.

     

     

    HH

  19. Moderator1888 on

    I reckon as St Mirren are one of the few teams to have taken points of us

     

     

    We will start with a similar if not the same team as we did in the cup final

     

     

    Iwata and Ralston, won’t get a sniff until the last 20 mins or an injury forces somone off

  20. Moderator1888 on

    And looking at the last lot of games

     

     

    The midfield and forwards suffer the bulk of the subs

     

     

    So Ralston, I think, won’t be on unless we are spanking them

  21. Canamalar

     

     

    Can’t agree re giving Tony R a run tomorrow.

     

     

    Our record in paisley is not great recently. Part of that has been due to putting out slightly weakened teams after big wins in previous week. Eg league Cup final last season.

     

     

    For me it has to be the strongest team tomorrow and we can flex a bit on Wednesday when playing at home.

  22. BD – I reckon they get a goal advantage a game from VAR. WG never strong enough to deny them an inconsequential shove in the back- though his life must flash before him walking over to the screen- the VARs must know they are throwing him to the lions asking him to look at a ridiculous incident like that.