When exceptional becomes the norm

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As this clean sheet run has continued, every time Fraser Forster has made a good save, I’ve found myself suggesting that the defence is not playing as tightly as it used to.  We quickly regard exceptional performance as the norm.

Fraser has, of course, been exceptional, again, this season.  Efe Ambrose and Virgil van Dijk are fast and commanding.  Virgil has a presence about him, like Wanyama, but bigger.  On the flanks, despite the lack of competition, Emilio Izaguirre is performing at his best, while Adam Matthews, Mikael Lustig and Darnell Fisher have shuffled through the right back position as availability dictates.

I have a notion that Scott Brown is also worth credit for the defensive performance.  He seems to have grown this season, perhaps as a consequence of fitness.  This is his best season yet.

Ultimately the game is all about tactics.  Any team can keep a clean sheet but 10-in-a-row (get used to reading that) is a consequence of team plan, which is where Neil Lennon comes in.

Tomorrow is the final day to confirm tickets for our CQteN St Patrick’s Day Dinner on 14 March at the Kerrydale Suite.  The dinner will raise funds to build a kitchen at Kholoni Primary School in Mchinji, Malawi, where 1200 kids currently attend without food facilities.  If you have lost your invoice email me, celticquicknews@gmail.com

See you there.
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  1. THE EXILED TIM-Free the Dam 5

     

    22:11 on 30 January, 2014

     

     

    Good move for him. He needs game time and he’s never going to get it with us, this season anyway. We would get to see how he develops before deciding whether or not to bring him back or punt.

  2. NatKnow – Supporting Wee Oscar

     

    21:41 on

     

    30 January, 2014

     

     

    “Rangers Ladies”!

     

     

    Is that an oxymoron or a paradox? :-)

     

    ====================================

     

     

    I’d just go with oxymoradox

  3. SmashingMilkBottles on

    Rumours of me buying that richard 31003 a sesh the morra

     

     

    Like all rumours – pure pish

  4. tootingtim supports wee oscar

     

     

    21:58 on 30 January, 2014

     

     

    Palace Cardiff and Norwich for me mate think they’ll all go down x x x

  5. Green Lantern (((((0)))))

     

    19:24 on

     

    30 January, 2014

     

    One Britt Assombalonga, there’s only one Britt Assombalonga!

     

    ===========================

     

    Could lead to the old chant, if he’s on the bench, “Get the Britt, get the britt on now!”

  6. Twitter : Miserabilst FC have agreed an undisclosed fee for CQN posters Neganon and sydneytim who are expected to sign a four year deal.

     

     

    If Carlsberg did posters transfer deadline days

     

     

    :)

  7. JM

     

     

    Thought Joe Ledley had his best game for us this season, last night. Commented this to my son, who replied. “Aye da, wonder what scout is in the Main Stand watching him?”

  8. BIG-CUP-WINNERS on

    Will be having the Cultic quiz tomorrow evening at 9.

     

     

    BMCUW was the winner last Friday.

     

    All welcome to try and take his title.

  9. Cowiebhoy supporting the Celtic to 3 in a row on

    Daughter just dropped me a note , Bellamy in at Celtic Park today ? Wonder if anyone was with him ? Apparently on twitter

     

     

    Hail Hail

  10. Ht just seemed a big more gung-ho last night with nutmeg flicks near our defence – just looked like more than a little showboating for me – even said to kik that ” he’ll be on soccerAm on Saturday ”

     

    Agree more forward role looked better but just looked like he dressed to impress hh

  11. pedrocaravanachio67 on

    HT

     

     

    £30 for Tynecastle….

     

     

    Whit are ye moaning about? That’s £5 a goal :-)

  12. TBJ Praying for Oscar Knox on

    Cowiebhoy n Doc

     

     

    my flight from Heathrow to Mumbai leaves at 10:30am and arrives in india at 9pm celtic park time. Got 2.5hrs before my connection to goa so if the wifi is working at the airport I might get the news that we signed boyd and Griffiths ;)

  13. Cowiebhoy supporting the Celtic to 3 in a row on

    TBJ

     

     

    Now, the window shuts at 11, only giving you 30mins max to get news, you could be sitting in new plane by then :-)

     

     

    Enjoy Bhud

     

     

    Hail Hail

  14. Anyway good news today ht that the weans today that the weans will be on till 6pm !! :)

     

    Mrs m – away for a lie doon !!!

  15. NatKnow - Supporting Wee Oscar on

    paulsatim is neil lennon

     

    22:15 on

     

    30 January, 2014

     

    NatKnow – Supporting Wee Oscar

     

    21:41 on

     

    30 January, 2014

     

     

    “Rangers Ladies”!

     

     

    Is that an oxymoron or a paradox? :-)

     

    ====================================

     

     

    I’d just go with oxymoradox

     

     

    —————————————————————

     

     

    Had that for back pain last year. Will it work for Repetitive Strain Injury induced by moaners on CQN? :-)

  16. BIG-CUP-WINNERS on

    TET

     

     

    All welcome mate. Just a wee bit of fun and variety.

     

     

    Took your advice last week and have tried to balance it out.

  17. I am Neil Lennon e El Juarez Bravo on

    As time goes on, I increasingly wonder why we don’t scrap the transfer ‘window’ and just have two transfer ‘days’ at end of August and end of January. They’re the only days that anything actually happens anyway!

     

     

    Not surprisingly I expect tomorrow to be a busy day at CP with 2 or 3 in and probably more than that out…

  18. BIG-CUP-WINNERS on

    Delaneys Dunky

     

     

    You’ll be -5 points tomorrow.

     

    :-)

     

     

    See you made it through to the game, great! We got a reward as it was a good night

     

     

    HAIL HAIL

  19. Balde has looked alright whenever I’ve seen him play. He has scored a few goals, knocked it down for a couple more and puts most efforts on target. He must have a decent goals per minute rate?

     

     

    A mile away from Murphy (quicker) or Bangura (err… less useless). I don’t know why we are talking about loaning him.

  20. TootingTim supports Wee Oscar on

    hun skelper

     

     

    Interesting choices – first year I’ve watched the circus for aeons this season – Cardiff agreed, but think Fulham are rank and West Ham – well. Big Sam and the twelfth biggest pay packet in the world of sheepskin coats and bibs’n’cones – he has been well schooled by Gartside in extracting, um, value:) They haven’t stopped banging on about that for weeks down here.

     

     

    Think it’s also possible Hughes has enough time left to clinically depress Stoke and drag them down. But Pulis will not get relegated.

     

     

    HH

  21. 67Heaven ... I am Neil Lennon, supporting WEE OSCAR..!!.. Ibrox belongs to the creditors on

    clashcitybhoy

     

     

    21:50 on 30 January, 2014

     

     

    Sorry, bit we already know what the manager is up to…….he, and PL, are dealing with a very complex (transfer) process

  22. pedrocaravanachio67 on

    DD

     

     

    A little birdie ( fae Kilwinning ) tells me your supplying the corporate hospitality doon at Cheltenham this year :-)

     

    Whit’s the dress code?

     

     

    Jings that labour mp on QT’s a bit butch aswell!!!

  23. 67Heaven ... I am Neil Lennon, supporting WEE OSCAR..!!.. Ibrox belongs to the creditors on

    malarkey

     

     

    22:41 on 30 January, 2014

     

     

    Balde is brilliant, and is going to be a revelation / real star…….Neil is, wisely, introducing him gently…….watch this space….!!!!!

  24. BCW

     

     

    Big OG. :)

     

    Aye, made the dash through worthwhile, and took us -3. Thanks Amido and Samson.

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