What looks like fine margins are actually chasms between Celtic and Newco

191

If you’re my age, you’ve seen Oldco and Newco lose hundreds of goals to Celtic. In all that time, can you recall as amateurish a goal to concede as yesterday’s? We all thought we’d see the worst of them when they came to Celtic a month ago. Davies and Souttar made individual errors that were bad enough, but in all my football watching life, I’ve never seen a defence switch off anticipating a foul against them that was never awarded, then compond that error so spectacularly.

When Callum McGregor took a short free kick for Celtic, the Newco defence and midfield were all in place. Kent, Rankin, Lundstram and Arfield were goal-side, behind them were four defenders and the keeper. Only Cantwell and Morelos were ahead of the ball.

Kent was ball-watching, so allowed a pass to Matt O’Riley. Raskin body checked O’Riley on the edge of the area and remarkably stood still with his hands in the air in a Surrender pose. Daizen Maeda was between Davies and Barasic, both were on their heels. Maeda was in front of Barasic before the defender understood what his job was.

At this point, Davies, still on his heels, decides to chastise Barasic, with a rapid clap of the hands, then outstretching his arms, expressing despair at his team-mate’s lapse – he made no positive contribution. Maeda took a touch then whipped in a cross. During this part of the move, Davies remains a spectator, guarding no one. Goldson is marking Kyogo and repeatedly glances at the striker, as good defenders know to do.

The Newco defence is in a fairly straight line, with Tavernier picking up Jota at the far post, but unlike Goldson, Tavernier does not look to see where Jota is once, he focuses on the ball. When Maeda crosses, Jota is a yard behind Tavernier but he’s already on the move, Tavernier, like the thousands of fans behind him, is just watching.

Jota meets the ball four yards from goal, between the posts and does not even have to jump. As Jota runs away to celebrate, Goldson turns to his captain in despair. It was a fairly even game, so it may look like small margins determined the outcome, but this was no small margin. There was only one team on the field capable of conceding that goal. Newco dominated the middle of the park for long periods, but Celtic have a far better defence and attack. There are no awards for unproductive possession.

Reo Hatate returned for his first outing in six weeks and his performance never reached the levels we saw before his injury. Callum McGregor was often crowded out, resulting in a few unaccustomed errors. We did not look solid in the middle until Aaron Mooy bedded into the game after coming on as a second half substitute. It was not pretty in the middle, but it sure was effective.

Tavernier could not have come closer to scoring when his effort from the edge of the area rebounded off the inside of the post, resulting in a Groundhog Day moment for Fashion Sakala. When the teams met at the League Cup Final in February, Sakala had an open goal from a tight angle but hit the side net. Yesterday, when the ball rebounded off the post, Sakala was presented with the same chance, at the same end of the ground. Just as he did in February, he again hit the side net. All players miss great chances but good ones tend not to double down.

Cameron Carter-Vickers took Man of the Match award, although it could just as easily went to Daizen Maeda, who continues to grow as a Celtic player. Special mention to Anthony Ralston, who before yesterday had only made one appearance in 2023. Everything about him was on-point.

Congratulations, Celtic, on a great win. And I think we’ve all seen enough of Inverness in the Scottish Cup to have none of this talk about the treble until it’s done.

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  1. boondock saint on

    I was up in Chattanooga, Tennessee, yesterday coaching. Trying my hardest not to look at the score so I could watch the game later without knowing the score. Ding, phone goes yesterday I look at the text from one of my good friends, American, with Scottish mom, who just texts yesssssssss get in there. I text him back and say John, trying to not find out the score, Big apology from him. So there I am sitting in the hotel thinking whit the feck can I do for the next hour. Turned the phone off and watrched the Man City Fulham game. Phone dings again, yesssssssssss treble is on. I jumped up screaming in the hotel, ran outside to the car, not for anything, just needed to explode. Folks looking at me like i’m crazy but then congratulating me after I explained. Drove to the fields to coach, team won their game, walking back to my jeep and there is a team from Tucker Georgia, resplendant in the hoops, with the Celtic badge on it. I wandered over to their young coach, shook his hand, told his kids good look. They looked at me like who is this crazy BHoy:))))))

     

    Oh the joy of being a tim, and a right good wan at that!!!!!

     

    Hail Hail my fellow fellows,

     

    Sean

  2. Was watching Daizen at the water bottle incident. It looked like he saw Cantwell stopping Reo taking a bottle and he just stood there looking out for Reo in case the 4 Rangers players caused him any aggro. Daizen maybe had his best game for us yesterday – he is definitely getting better and better. Turns out Ange might know what he’s doing. CCV deserved his motm ably supported by Carl. Both guys were so solid and our full-backs just as good.

     

     

    The Rangers obviously need to rebuild from the ground up, but I can’t see them making any inroads into the chasm for a long time if they are depending on Beale to oversee the turnaround.

  3. Exactly MNCELT and where’s the money going to come from?

     

     

    bealeshi* alert

     

     

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/football/65435701

     

     

    – this guy is a genius of hunspeak and saying what they want to hear. I’m so glad he’s in charge of them. any football community would get rid of him after our goal but where do they go ?

  4. A poster yesterday nailed it when describing Jota’s goal as karma. Rasqin, Davies and Barisic all stood stock still anticipating a Celtic free kick – mainly because it was a Celtic free kick. But referee, Robertson, was having none of that playing by the rules nonsense. First to grasp the opportunity Robertson had created was Daizen Maeda. The rest is history

  5. DAVID17 on 1ST MAY 2023 1:26 PM

     

    Carl Starfelt flying under the radar again (unless he made a mistake). He was outstanding yesterday.

     

    …………….

     

    CARL was my Man of the Match, with CCV a VERY close 2nd.

     

    Ive been saying so since yesterday.

     

    Carl had my Vote, as I thought it was his best 90 odd minutes in a Celtic Jersey, whereas CCV has had many fine games, but CARL was SUPERB yesterday.

     

    HH Mate.

  6. SCULLYBHOY….

     

    Make sure that you do contact me on here, but please dont look for a Meet Up on the DAY of the Cup Final, as the Pubs will be mobbed, and I ALWAYS need a seat in a Pub.

     

     

    Cheers Mate.

     

    HH

  7. BIGRAILROADBLUES on 1ST MAY 2023 2:11 PM

     

    Big Jimmy and Scullybhoy

     

     

     

     

    Where is my invite?🤔

     

    …………

     

     

    AHEM…..IF you read my Post in reply to SCULLYBHOY, I CLEARLY State that I will see IF any of the other Bhoys can also Meet Up, when he and I actually arrange ” WHAT” Day it will be ?

     

    YOU were INCLUDED….Ya silly auld sausage !

     

     

    Ive just Posted above to SCULLYBHOY, that its NOT practical for me to meet in any Pub on the Day of the Cup Final as all the Pubs will be mobbed, so hopefully we can Meet Up for many Beers the Day BEFORE or the Day AFTER the Cup Final ?

     

    I will watch the Final in my Hoose, so I am reluctant to go to a Pub that Day.

     

     

    HH Mate.

  8. MNCELT….

     

    Captain TAVPEN can be seeing talking to CANTWELL immediately after he moved the Bag with the Water Bottles, but obviously I dont know ” What” was said ?

     

    Maybe TAVPEN was calling CANTWELL…..A BAWBAG ?

     

    Then again, maybe he was saying ” Well done TODD…..Give those Fenians Feck all” ?

     

     

    Shocking conduct by CANTWELL…..But NOT surprising cos the Huns will always stoop as LOW as they can at every opportunity.

     

    HH

  9. Big Jimmy on 1st May 2023 3:01 pm

     

     

    BIGRAILROADBLUES on 1ST MAY 2023 2:11 PM

     

     

    Big Jimmy and Scullybhoy

     

     

    Where is my invite?🤔

     

    …………

     

    AHEM…..IF you read my Post in reply to SCULLYBHOY, I CLEARLY State that I will see IF any of the other Bhoys can also Meet Up, when he and I actually arrange ” WHAT” Day it will be ?

     

     

    YOU were INCLUDED….Ya silly auld sausage !

     

     

    Ive just Posted above to SCULLYBHOY, that its NOT practical for me to meet in any Pub on the Day of the Cup Final as all the Pubs will be mobbed, so hopefully we can Meet Up for many Beers the Day BEFORE or the Day AFTER the Cup Final ?

     

     

    I will watch the Final in my Hoose, so I am reluctant to go to a Pub that Day.

     

    HH Mate.

     

     

    >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

     

     

    I am flying in n the Friday and out on the Sunday so whatever suits Jimmy.

     

     

    I will look very stupid if I can’t get a ticket, though.

     

     

    HH

  10. “UNCLE JIMMY on 1ST MAY 2023 12:36 PM

     

     

    There is a delicious irony that the ref failing to award us a blatant free kick, cost sevco the game.”

     

     

    My thoughts exactly. Will Robertson be given credit for an Assist? :-)))

  11. “JOCKODEE on 1ST MAY 2023 1:48 PM

     

    If you watch the Unique Angle you can clearly see the foul that Raskin commits –”

     

     

    I agree. It was a very obvious foul but in a dangerous area so Robertson ignored it.

     

    What also suprised me was the reaction of the Sevco fans in the clip. They seemed to ignore Jota and were directing their wrath towards their own players — deservedly so.

     

    Maybe they were just confused that the ungiven foul led to a goal!

  12. kevinlasvegas on

    100% on Dazien yesterday. Had Hatate’s back and I also think tavpen was telling him to grow up.

     

     

    I think ruskin and cantwell are causing even more disruption to their team, ruskin is constantly shouting at seasoned pros as if they are daft wee boys and cantwell does what he wants by the looks. Beal’s player right enough.

     

     

    KLV

  13. SCULLYBHOY…

     

    Because of your schedule and with the Cup Final being on Saturday JUNE 3rd, it will be BEST if we Meet on FRIDAY 2nd JUNE ?

     

     

    We can Meet on the Friday in my Local Pub ( The SHIPBANK) which is on The SALTMARKET, just down the road from Glasgow Cross. The Beer is great, and the ” SHIPPY” has plenty of seats available during the Day on any Friday.

     

    If you agree, I will be in the Pub from around 11.30am ? A FRIDAY is usually a good Day for some of the other Bhoys to join us, IF they wish ?

     

    IF YOU wish to meet in some other Pub, just let me know ?

     

     

    Cheers Mate.

     

    HH.

     

     

    Cheers Mate.

  14. Paul67,

     

     

    Because of the sheer quality of the cross in such a Big game, Daizen could easily have been MOTM. The guy is going from strength to strength. Newco must hate hearing he is playing.

     

     

    He is obviously a very hard worker and his rewards are coming. I’ve noticed his crossing is getting better but that ba’ was World Class, Jota obviously made it the awesome goal it was.

     

     

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-usFDKOL0YY

  15. Big Jimmy on 1st May 2023 3:57 pm

     

     

    SCULLYBHOY…

     

     

     

     

    Because of your schedule and with the Cup Final being on Saturday JUNE 3rd, it will be BEST if we Meet on FRIDAY 2nd JUNE ?

     

     

     

     

     

     

    We can Meet on the Friday in my Local Pub ( The SHIPBANK) which is on The SALTMARKET, just down the road from Glasgow Cross. The Beer is great, and the ” SHIPPY” has plenty of seats available during the Day on any Friday.

     

     

    If you agree, I will be in the Pub from around 11.30am ? A FRIDAY is usually a good Day for some of the other Bhoys to join us, IF they wish ?

     

     

    IF YOU wish to meet in some other Pub, just let me know ?

     

    Cheers Mate.

     

    HH.

     

     

    >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

     

     

    The venue sounds grand, but I am only getting the flight at 15:10 and will be in Glasgow shortly after 16:00. You will be very drunk when I eventually arrive!

     

     

    HH

  16. Afternoon all,

     

     

    Great to see Charlie Starfish and Daizen getting their well deserved credit on here and elsewhere.

     

     

    Maeda could have had two glorious assists had the (otherwise brilliant) Jota, trapped his cross as we all would have expected our Portuguese superstar to do. Joe Hart deserves a mention as well for a good performance.

     

     

    I am a melancholy, nostalgic character at times and I would love to have seen McStay and Collins in an Ange team with CCV, CS, Alistair Johnston etc. McStays long passing would get Kyogo 50 a season !!!!

     

     

    TJ

  17. Stephbhoy67 on

    In the first half Celtlic were the better team playing our game. In the second half celtic tried to play through the high press, position of sevco. They needed a goal and played with 2 10s, celtic continued to play from the back and through the press, they managed to do it on several occasions and had jota, meade and haska had better final balls the score would have been much heavier.

     

     

    HH

  18. Petec, agree on both counts !!

     

     

    It’s clear obstruction on O’Riley.

     

     

    It’s delicious that they stop, expecting the foul and are completely undone by the refs willingness to help them out.

     

     

    On the goalkeeper, a few strong punches at important moments really helped. CCV and Starfelt so good in from of him also. As our midfield faded a bit between 45 – 70 mins, it was just fantastic to see the backline assert themselves and help win the game. There are many ways to skin a cat !!

     

     

    TJ

  19. Amazing how every goal we score against der hun the smsm and sevco players shout about it being them that made a mistake.

     

     

    Dontcha just love Hun tears.

     

     

    D :)

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