Tuned into Setanta’s coverage from Helms deep around 1.50pm yesterday to be meet with the whine of Craig Burley and Yogi Hughes, whose uncompromising punditry “style” which makes nae bones to the fact that folk ootside Leith are watching the coverage.
What I was shocked aboot though was the vast empty seats available in the stand- The Chadwick? Maybe, or the other one which, I have never frequented- behind one of the goals reserved for the Hoops support and the embarrassing small minority according to the meeja, Lawell and Quinn.
I know, a lot of fans are travelling to Lisboa, today, tomorrow and Wednesday by plane train and automobile, we have oor CL packages and season book repayments but I for one hope that the non attendees done so through choice and to stick the burd up to Killie who have been fleecing us for years. I hope that fans are deciding that we are no longer going to be the gravy train for provincial clubs.
Killie is one of the main offenders, if not the main. They are the cheapest away trip for all of the SPL outside but when we go there the cheap tickets disappear and a skydiver is added onto the price of the ticket. C’mon the pies are good but are they worth a fiver? I choose to leave the gravy train a few years back and pick the away games I want to attend, hopefully if a few more attendances like yesterday happen then the chairmen will start treating us fairly.
Anyway, the game itself was a typical sign o the times Celtic away performance. Arfur chucks one to the opposition, we wake up, Naka gets his arse in gear, bang, bang a few near misses a couple of goals and another 3 points won comfortably in the end. But since this was Killie there had to be a few talking points- well one- to keep that greeting faced balloon JJ going for a few weeks.
Did Caldwell mean to “do” hoopy the huddlehound Fernandez just before half time. In word no he didn’t. Fernandez showing the skill and the pace that made us sign him in the 1st place sold Caldwell a dummy and the big defenders momentum took him clattering into the Spaniard. Right aboot 10 mins before that Fernandez had nutmegged Caldwell in the same situation so the cynical ex Sunday league legend in me says that when it happened again Cadwell decided to “do” him.
But look at the challenge yes it was bad, yes mis-timed but was there any town called malice it in? I rest my case your honour. Things like that happen in fitbaw. Skilful players beat lumbering oafs and get hoofed in the air. Cest la vie. Oor ball players are privy to it as well. Greer and Hay were not exactly angels clattering in from great heights and from behind were they Mr J?
The game itself changed when once again Jarosik proved that he is no centre forward in the JvoH mould or even the Bertie Biggins mould and was promptly hooked for the morphing into a Frankie McAvennie look a like Aiden McGeady. Hopefully Aiden will stay away from Burds, disco’s and pirates sunken treasure.
Even though GS deserve credit his persevering with Jurassic Jaro as a centre forward is not doing the player any guid. The player is low on confidence and only playing in his natural berth will pull him oot of it before a wee trip maybe back doon the M74 to Bolton, WBA or the Boro is on the cards.
Wee Shaun- soon to be the new Liam Miller, maybe? -was shoved up front and right away him and Aiden added a purpose to the team, more movement and pace. Even when we went 1-0 doon the arrogance of me knew we had the players on the park to retrieve the game. With Naka, Shaun and Aiden on the park we were going to get chances.
Now, Shaun has been growing in confidence over the last few weeks. He has felt his way back in to the team and a few weeks back against the eagles of Lisboa played a delightful pass for the killer 2nd goal and generally annoyed the shit oot of the Portuguese all night. Maybe he hasn’t hit the heights of last season yet but he is once again becoming an important part in oor team.
Twice over the last few weeks he has set up the new king Kenny for important goals. How important is a goal when even if you drop 2 points you still are 8 points ahead of your main rivals is an argument for another day, but it becomes bloody important as now we have to lose 4 games for our main rivals to over take us whom you play this week and are a bigger pantomime than you’ll see at the pavilion this year.
Wee Shaun’s two balls for Miller sum up what he brings to the team. A vision, the ability to find a pass and an ability to annoy the hell oot of the opposition. On Sunday his ball was brilliant. He attacked the full back, wee legs in full flight, wee step over, burst of pace then a look up and a ball in between the goalie and the edge of the 6-yard box. Goalie is snookered, he canny get the ball and the defenders are beaten with the pace and accuracy of the ball. It’s a stoater of a baw for a centre forward to attack. Miller was slightly behind the ball and it looked like he was too wide but he produced a quality finish, wan that shows he is as confident as a male baboon in heat and it’s the mating season.
When the wee man burst into the box I was screaming at the telly, “look up use yer heid wee man, think aboot it” but past experience should have told me it was safe, shorty knew what he was doing and he is not the player that would have ballooned it of a few years back. Remember his last ditch fee kick in Seville?
So how much is the wee man worth a week? That’s a million dollar question or a million pound a year question. Mentioned Judas Miller earlier on and Shaun situation is slightly similar. He has been oot a few seasons injured we gave him contracts on the basis of potential so surely we can expect a bit of loyalty? But that’s a dirty word in the seedy business of fitbaw agents. Already seems to be a bit of a kafuffle and delay due to Shaun changing agents and possible changing priorities. In the end it will all come doon to how the agent plays this if he canny get a better deal elsewhere Shaun will stay.
So onto Lisboa. A city that will always have a place in oor hearts and a link to Celtic from now to the end of time. As the hoopy hoards leave today to take over the main square in Lisboa with our banners, songs, carry oots, Buckie and general Scottish-ness abroad mentality loads will make the pilgrimage to the estadio de national.
Last time I was there it was a run doon arena but the marble structure were big Billy stood like a king and held aloft the big cup was still in pristine condition. The fans that day all decided to re-enact the goals and a game of 125 a side kick off on the pitch much to the amusement of the assembled Portuguese meeja.
Must admit looking back we acted like twats. This is almost a holly place and we a bunch of drunken neds are charging roond the pitch slide tackling shouting “Gemmil” and “Chamlers” while scoring in the bloody wrong goals. Hopefully a bit more respect will be afforded this time round.
The game in the Estadio Da Luz tomorrow is a chance for this team to create history. What a place to do it eh? The city of oor most famous triumph and again against all odds. Can we do it? Well last time oot in Lisboa it was individual brilliance, skill and workrate that brung home the big cup this time it will be a tactical coup by GS a heroic performance from a group of players who will never reach the lions level. A draw is a fantastic result, a win unthinkable and a defeat recoverable.
Defeat leaves us two games to get 3 points to ensure qualification and the eagles of Lisboa need to win all their 3 remaining games. Tall ask for both teams. Benfica need a result tomorrow, as the shooing they got in glesga would have hurt. Their fans will be demanding it just the same as ours are expecting this team to get a result.
I’m hoping for a decent performance, but keep on thinking about Joos being destroyed by Capucho that night in Oporto, Lenny being oot paced for the Killie goal on Sunday and the fact that oor away CL record is bloody terrible. I for one will have no problems if GS decides to do an Everton or Dunfermline and park the bus in front of oor goals.
They need the result, they can come and have a go all they want for me. Kenny and Shaun showed what we could do on the counter, Naka can deliver a mean free kick and Benfica are not to hot at handling set pieces. If we get a result we will need to be streetwise and play the Portuguese at their own game. Time waste; get free kicks roll aboot like a dug with fleas.
Maybe looking back in history were due one over Portuguese fitbaw. I mean winning by a toss of a coin is no really winning and there is a rumour going around that we didnae win that either. Bit of skulduggery by Big Billy maybe? Seville and that night in Porto still hurt.
Whatever happens tomorrow it is not he be all and end all of this season European campgain, I mean it’s only the biggest game of the season until the next biggest game of the season….
But again we have fantastic expectations and that’s the sign o the times.
Strange title I know but I haven’t had a go at the Scottish executive and the meenisters for oh, at least a fortnight, so I decided before oor trip to deepest darkest helms deep or Kilmarnock as it is known round oor way I would have a look at the hypocrisy of what the executive calls “sectarianism” and what in world wide terms is known as fitbaw banter. It’s just that the executive sees banter and anti social behaviour as being as thick as thieves, one of the same.
One look at the footballing fixtures last weekend showed a number of El Derbies, county rivalry or just good old fashioned toon on toon hatred that steams from ship canals or red light districts and cafes that sell exceedingly good and funny cakes.
1st up was Rotterdam V Amsterdam. Feyenoord v Ajax a derby bourne oot of jealousy of one vibrant city against one that feels it has been left behind. Out of this comes some anti Jewish songs from the Rotterdamers and some mocking of the so-called poorer relations from the Astemdamers, now, I for one can’t see, or have read of, Holland having an anti-Jewish problem and the Feyenord while being renowned for have a punch up here and there are not known as right wing.
So why the anti Jewish songs twice a year? To wind up their main rivals of course cause really apart from being their main challengers to honours and the fact they come from different cities what else to they have to cast up. Sod all, that’s what.
Manchester v Liverpool was next up. Another derby based on jealousy and perceived mistreatment and favouritism from governments. What songs get banded about during these games? Ones about Heysel, Hilsborough, Munich and songs about Scousers being robbers and Mancs being twats. Some of the aforementioned are worse than you will ever hear at a Gelsga derby.
On the way home from the fitbaw last week, I was listening to Terry Christen on Talksport and he was stoking up the hatred between the cities and if some of the callers had came on Real Radio or Clyde they would have been hung, drawn and quartered and found guilty of being sectarian bigots then publicly flogged by the 1st meenister as being part of scotlands secret shame.
But in the end it was all classed as banter, it was ok to degrade other people whom are not like you in the name of football. Nae chance of Tony Blair calling a summit to broker a peace deal between Manc, Scousers, Cockney’s, Midlanders, Yorkshire men, Geordies, Smoggies and Mackams to stop them singing their songs of hate.
Now every week up and down the length of Britain you hear calls on the radio which people will get called their slang name. It’s a way of identifying whom you are trying to abuse, to give the bird to and to basically wind them up. All the time you hear this, on holiday when speaking the international language of fitbaw you hear other teams being referred to Yid b*starts, Gooner b*starts, Manc gits, Scouse gits, wooleybacks and cockney w*nkers.
In Scotland it’s slightly different, even though we have slang terms for places fans come from the majority can be stuck into two categories. Orange or Fienian. Billy or Tim. Hun or Taig. All have these have only one thing in common. It’s a way of identifying who you are. These terms are used millions of times in a week without any underlying hatred or sectarian connotations.
But the meenisters think using these terms are different from calling someone a sheep or tuchter and some of our songs are more sinister than singing aboot coming from Cowdenbeath. Right I know some of the songs have no place at fitbaw games but what I’m trying to say is the executive are wasting their time trying to get rid of the terminology that goes hand in hand, world bloody wide, with identifying and taking the pesh oot of your rivals.
The executives ignorance of the situation has caused, heavy handed policing at away games and even home games, surveillance of the away support, several supporters buses being reported due to this surveillance- still no charges yet- and worst of all a certain support not to far from oorselves shopping each other cause a wee blue book tells them your not allowed to do that.
For me the executive are ignorant, when it comes to Celtic to what we do that constitutes as being sectarian. They struggle, as we are not sectarian. They have have tarred us with the same brush as they are tarring everyone with but are having difficulty identifying sectarian issues with us.
I’m glad Lawell last night on Radio Scotland said some people were ignorant to songs that are sung at CP which, some term as sectarian. This is basically a go at the meeja and their lazy broad-brush strokes, both as bad as each other and as thick as thieves’ attitude when reporting this issue. I’m also glad Lawell stated that we have a problem with certain political songs aboot bloody time this was said by someone from the board. Right we have an element who like to get full of the drink and sing political songs, right we know that but we also now that some- mainly the younger schemie ones- use these songs as a wind up tool just the same as others singing aboot Hyesel or Munich.
Do they really mean it? I think we all know the answer to that. Aboot time the meenisters got educated and less ignorant aboot what is actually sectarian instead of fighting a battle on what has become banter patter and slang words. The whole sectarian issue is down to the ignorance of this country we call home the hypocrisy levelled at Celtic while others get away with worse acts of sectarianism- i.e the Tartan Army, gets lauded for their good natured banter.
Oh, we also have a game on Sunday which we may or may not hear certain songs but as long as we hammer the greeting faced loon and give us a confidence boost- if we really need one- for oor travels to lisboa then bring it on.
I have no particular like for the men from the well. Stems back to when that wee naff Dougie Arnott used to wear their horrible kit and they would come to the old CP and turn us over often. Hated Steve Kirk, Colin O’Neill as well and their manager at that time, one half of the brothers grim, made them easy to hate just like it is easy today to hate the greeting faced loon Jim Jeffries.
I lurve geeing them a doing and a wet Sunday night on their patch under the good doctor, a 7-1 tanning with Henke in full flight still ranks as a top memory. Also Lubo in MON 1st season scoring a free kick against the flying p*g one midweek to ensure that the title could be won at home and last season’s 5-0 demolition again under the floodlights at CP ranks as a highlight of last year.
Nothing is better than sending that club and their nasty band of followers homeward after a gubbing. Even though black Sunday was bad it was made worse that fact it was them and I know how they would have enjoyed it. Had a ticket for the home end that day and didn’t go just because I knew how much they would have enjoyed it. Mind you black Sunday could have been worse, could have been Hertz.
Saturday ranks as a satisfying, while confirming that Scott McDonald is the new Dougie Arnott, as we won while going through the motions. We won at a canter and if it wasn’t for some players sleeping it would have been more comfortable and the stadium would have only had around 5 folk left in it at the final whistle.
Now performances like Saturday, a few weeks back would have been followed with mumping and moaning from the home support. The atmosphere on Saturday while being quite schtum for the most part, another effect of a CL hangover, there was almost a realisation that Celtic were going to give that type of performance and we were wiling to accept it as we knew the team had more in the locker. The difference between now and the start of the season is that we know the team can reach heights that are unexpected and the fare served up in a take away dish on Saturday is a means to an end.
While maybe CP wasn’t buzzing on Saturday while watching the game, in the concourses and kludges the place was alive. Since the smoking ban the kludges at CP now resemble a 1920’s American illegal drinking, smoking and gambling den. Now while I find it unreal that guys can sneak in carry oots and that by the end of half time the kludgie resembles a publicpark in coatbrig, the craic is great.
All stories aboot how they are getting to Lisboa, who they will rob to get to Lisboa and what fatal illnesses they will fake to get time off work. The game gets a mention to and it is usually a guid place to gauge how the keyboard commando’s will call the game in the following days.
Main gripe seemed to be aboot the lack of changes in the squad. Squad rotation, changing this one and that one geeing Rioirdon a run and Pearo. I’m not a fan of squad rotation; I think the inconsistency shown by Liverpool is testimony on how not to do it. While Rafa has won them the CL he has proved that sometimes he canny pick his nose and that his calling of team selection and tactics for certain games is way off the mark.
Now his excuse for doing this is that big clubs play around 65 games a season and no player can play all of those games. Granted ill gie him that wan, but its only October. Professional footballers with their pampered lifestyles, dieticians, physios on call 24 hours a day at the end of their 3G mobies surely bloody surely they are fit enough to play two games a week at the moment?
Changes, slight changes mind you, can be made to formations and tactics and some players suit some systems while others don’t. If a team is playing well though then there is no need for a major overhaul slight tinkering yes but only in fringe areas and only if the guys coming in are as guid as the wan’s their replacing.
Now Pearo, does well when he comes off the bench. It’s obvious he is liked at CP due to his commitment and character. But at the moment would he get a game before Lenny, Sno And Gravesan? Would he be able to replace Shaun on the left handside or Naka on the right? The answer is no and for guys questioning his comments aboot maybe moving to pastures new maybe have to look at the bigger picture.
It could just be that Pearo’s time at CP has come and gone. He has had his shot and now unfortunately for him and what happens at BIG clubs is that better players now are ahead of him. Would Pearo from the start weakened or strengthened the team on Saturday? He maybe would have given us more energy but what would big Evander think aboot getting rested? The big fellow is bound to be buzzing at the moment.
Another thing Pearo needs to worry about is the fact that the men in the know say the next big things to come from Barrowfield are 2 central midfielders in Charlie Grant and Simon Ferry. Now if the rumours are to be believed that these two will be featuring before the end of the season. Where does that leave the 21st century Burns? An old timer compared to these young pups, replaced by a 19-year-old rookie for the last few games and generally feeling his career is going nowhere. This is no reflection on his ability, he will do a guid job wherever he goes it’s just at the moment we have an embarrassment of riches in his area.
It was no surprise to me that GS made the brought on Jaro and Pearo . He has to keep them happy as they seem to be the ones he trusts to come in when needed, oh and the fact he paid money for Jaro tips that in his favour. My only surprise was that he didn’t do it sooner as the legs were going in some players. But again Jaro lackadaisical style caused their goal, didnae track the runner, and once again Rioirdon seems to have paid for an embarrassment of riches in his place of work.
On Saturday oor 3 gallus creative stalwarts all got a run, with Naka selling a well player a dummy that caused him to pay to get back in and was worth my bus fare alone, Shaun out of sorts looking a little perplexed and maybe trying too hard but still should be signed asap and oor Aiden getting a wee run oot to show of his new flock of seagulls style hairdo.
Thing is, it’s a long season. All players will be used at certain times but it’s whether they have the attitude and keep themselves match sharp to wait for their opportunities is a different story. A big squad needs some good man management especially when all that are getting skelves on their bahookies will do a job elsewhere.
1st round of games over and we are 8 points clear. If there is one thing history has told me it means nano at this moment in time, as we don’t know what is round the corner. But our position the now is a hell of a long way from the shambles of the pre-season world tour. Biggest difference is we believe in the team, something a lot thought went with MON and the big earners.
A word aboot the guys at channel 67 who are making me miss my pre match pint in the London Road Tav with their excellent montages of Celtic greats. The trailer for the forth coming Jimmy Johnstone DVD made my hairs stand on end and the tribute to Johnny Doyle again was fantastic and tastefully done.
I will never tire of seeing Doyle scoring against Madrid- celebrations in those days were off guys who loved running to the jungle as they knew if they weren’t on the park they would have been in there, merry on tennents super dancing aboot with their mates- and crossing the ball smacking the ref in the coupon. Again another Celtic legend I never saw but I know all about.
As the trailer says “Where Legends are born and remembered”
After a conversation yesterday concerning the olden days when men wore suits, flat caps and had handle bar mustachios- its unfortunate that they are still sported by some at CP- our performance harked back to that era. An era when we would take on the best by playing pure fitbaw. None of this brutal, physical power play pesh for this group of bhoys, ball on the deck, pass, pass, move and pass.
So how does last night rank alongside other great nights we have had a CP? Better than Juventus? Yes, they had already qualified, rested a few players and took a typical Italian attitude to the game in those circumstances. Porto? Good result, good performance but never reached the footballing utopia of last night. Anderlect? We should have been humping them, as we were a far better side. Barca? Great night but we were outplayed for spells against them; result was more satisfying than the performance.
Last night was up there with our performance against Lyon. A game that was pivotal in the make up of the group. A game against the technically better team who fancied themselves to finish 2nd quite easily in the group. A team who thought they would just turn up and we would roll over. The end result was the same, European aristocrats getting papped back on their plane with their tail firmly between their legs.
The eagles of Lisboa showed towards the end of the 1st half that they are a good team. A team that had the quality to go and win at old Trafford and Anfield. They looked like a Portuguese team. All teams from that country have the same make up. They have a wee long haired midfielder, usually kept oot of his eyes with a hair band, directing traffic in the middle of the park, strikers with pace and slight builds, a smattering of sooth Americans working their ticket, centre halves that look cumbersome and the usual jester of a goalie.
Oh and they like a dive, to play-act and generally are cheating b*stards. As per se the ref fell for this and gave the usual inconstant and bizarre European ref performance.
We had no right to get a result like the one we did last night. We had no right to over turn a competent European team with our inexperienced, young and missing 4 1st team picks- 2 who were bought for the CL- but if anything we are a bloody honest side and we are now seeing a team hopefully developing into a great side.
While developing we will have set backs all young teams do, and there is nothing to stop Benfica giving us a terrible shooing in Lisboa. But somehow I don’t think a terrible shooing is in this team make up. We never got one at Old Trafford and while Benfica are still favourites to win in two weeks they haven’t scored in the CL yet and oor Arfur, Mick and Gary are keeping clean sheets for fun in Europe.
We all thought that when MON left that the monopoly of CL scalps and fortress CP left with him. We all never thought we would scale the heights again after the downsizing of the squad and the reducing of quality. But what we never factored for was individual brilliance and sheer bloody mindedness from the coaching staff and players some term as journeymen others as no Celtic class.
What right has Kenny Miller to be causing havoc to the Benfica backline? What right does he have to be a pest and a nark to all in sundry by out jumping, hassling and giving experienced backline problems. What right does he have to have such a nonchalant celebration in front of the old jungle after one of the best goals I have ever seen at CP? What right does Evander Sno have to be not fazed by a European night at CP and end up looking like he was enjoying it? What right has Gary Caldwell and Big Mick to be shutting oot team in Europe when we, well some thought, that they would struggle to keep oot St Mirren?
I tell you, they have the bloody right due to hard work, both on and off the park, and ability, yes sir hold the back page our team has ability. Seems a long way since Poland and the USA. Our fringe players are now doing a job and are good enough to come in and compete at the topper most level. See did I call Shaun, Magic and Sno fringe players there? They are 1st team players, in a 1st team squad and with our workload now looking like it will extend to after xmas then they will be utilised and are 1st team players.
The comparison between MON team and GS team can only be drawn when oor CL campaign is over. We used to say they canny be compared due to the money spent etc but GS side is getting the knack of winning when playing badly just like a certain Ulsterman’s team used to and we have a constancy that we have been used to over the last couple of years.
We canny get carried away, well we can where is the final being played? as if we fail now to finish 2nd we will have collapsed like a cheap tent on the Ochil’s in a gale and last night result will be worth a box full of Fairpak Christmas vouchers. But let live in the moment eh?
The crowd last night was magnificent. I for one have a go but when we are good we are good. There is not a better arena in Europe on a CL night than in Glesga’s east end. It surely has now the reputation in Europe that the Camp Nou, San Siro and the likes have in Europe. Players must want to come and play there on these special occasions. Hell even the bloke in front of me was singing last night, he usually takes notes in a wee pad and doesn’t swear when shouting abuse. 5 years and I think that is the 1st time I have seen him smile never mind bloody sing.
But on Saturday we will have a come down. The expectations of humping a rejuvenated Motherwell side 136-0 will take over and the slightest mistake will be meet with howls. Hopefully we can give this team a break eh? After a night like last night and a performance, not seen since probably the early 80’s in Europe, we know that there will be a hangover. A bit disjointed, slack maybe more route one but if it gets another 3 points then it’s worth it.
On the way home on wag said “That wiz so guid I forgot to shout abuse at Telfer, will need tae make up for it on Saturday”
Bloody expectations. We are now almost at oot of this earths atmosphere after oor performance in the second half at Tannadeechie. It was certainly the best spell of attacking fitbaw seen from the hoops this season, but then in truth that wouldn’t have been so difficult. But that’s 22 wins oot of 23 against the Hibernians of the Dee so 3 points is always a given reward for oor efforts. Our second half also proved that I really know sod all aboot fitbaw.
After a 1st half, seven and me had a text conversation. Basically we were questioning GS system of playing Jaroisk as a supporting striker and the benefits of having Shuggie Nakamura on the park. After going behind Celtic huffed and puffed but never really looked like blowing the Dee defence doon. Though our ball retention was good, chances, as per se, were at a premium as usual on oor road trips.
This was mainly down to Naka and Jaro. Naka couldn’t find a hooped jersey with the help from a sat nav system and Jaro’s work rate, well lack of one, was the main reason we were creating nano. Naka had his worst game since arriving from Italy. Every pass found a tangerine jersey, every corner meet the defender at the front post and in every tackle he lost the baw. But his worst game produces his 1st hat trick in the hoops and it was so Japan-easy for him in the end.
His drifting into the box from his wide berth is something for me he doesnae it do often enough. He should be scoring more goals by arriving from that position and I feel it is one area of his game that we don’t get value for money from. How many times are balls swung in and there is no one arriving late, Aiden has done it against them from across the river a few times, to take advantage of a blindside run?
Naka says the reason for this, is he is covering the forward runs of the former Stan P and the current Tommy G. after he drifted in to devastating effect on Saturday he should be as selfish as Tommy Sheridan at a swingers party (allegedly) and get himself in the bloody box mare often.
Jaroisk created all Naka’s goal. One was a knock back across the goal, the other his miscued overheid kick fell kindly to oor Japanese bhoy and the 3rd was a lovely cushioned pas back into Naka’s path. But overall Jaro still disappointed. He looked like a lazy lanky streak of pish but a lazy lanky streak of pish with ability to change the game if he could be bothered.
I thought and still do that Jaro was a fantastic signing. Even after the guy from the Brum told me to watch his temperament and attitude I thought his ability would shine in the Scottish league. I mean a guy who has played for CSKA and Chelski in the CL should surely be able to handle Motherwell, St Mirren and Dundee Utd. But his wishy-washy performances and attitude have been a bemusement to me.
Right, GS is playing him out of position, but then would he get into the midfield on the current form of the guys who are holding the jerseys. For a guy trying to establish himself at a new club he is taking the stereotype of moody eastern European superstar a bit to far for my liking. But then again he could be useful tomorrow evening and he did have a better 2nd half on Saturday.
With the gravedigger oot, it looks like a Sno and Lenny midfield partnership which, for me lacks the balance of Lenny and Gravesen. Could maybe do with a bit more forward thinking in there so could Jaro once again be called into the role in the hole with added defensive responsibilities?
While Sno looks to be a find, again he is as ruff as a gypo’s wife and as raw as the burgers you get outside CP. Again on Saturday his heavyweight boxer build was not used and his tendency to try and steal the ball instead of tackling them like his look-alike Edgar the Bulldug Davids is my main gripe with the big fellow. He is also lackadaisical on the ball and gets caught but this is Europe not the schoolyard kick and rush of the spl.
But I have no worries about throwing the big fellow in the mix. He has ability and the right experience alongside will see him ok. If he does nothing stupid and keeps it simple early on he will grow into a game, we want him to grow into the game, as his story is so typically Celtic. A fairytale if you would have asked him a year ago he would have laughed at you if you told him he would be playing in the CL.
How many other teams in Europe are going into a European game talking aboot playing a 19 year old in midfield, a defensive partnership with a combined age of 48, sweating on the recovery of a 20 year old who we will replace with a 23 year old player of the year if he doesn’t make it and a squad which on the whole will be playing in only their 3rd CL game?
Magic, bloody magic and I for one canny wait. Underdog status don’t you just love it? Any result tomorrow night will be a triumph for this young side, it will be a like a welterweight knocking oot a middleweight, it will be a triumph of work rate and togetherness over ability and streetwiseness. It will just be a humdinger of a result if we even get a draw as I for one are willing to take the draw and take oor chances of getting something from Man Yoo at home and Fc Copenhagen away.
Our expectations of victory may be justified as we have a fantastic home record but that goes for sod all when we look at the lack of experience in the squad. We are playing against an experienced European side that will handle the atmosphere of CP no problem and have knocked oot better teams than us. They are misfiring just now but most observers now say they are better than they were last year and their league position both at home and in Europe belays their ability.
It’s a bloody interesting game; it’s a game we will be up for both on and off the park. Fantastic expectations indeed…
Crash! Bang! Wallop! That was the sound at 7.50pm on Wednesday night as a nation which, takes pride in working itself into a frenzy of expectation came crashing to the ground from somewhere just by Mars. Now we will have to face the other Scottish trait of the aftermath, the accusations, the blame culture and the general realisation of where we belong in the grand scheme of things.
Now there is a similarity between the Tartan Army and the Celtic support. Fortunately for us it’s not an unhealthy obsession with deers, Posh Spice, Jimmy Hill and generally making a tit of oorselves but when it comes to going into hyperbole then us and the kilted hordes are exactly the same.
We love to raise oor expectations to unprecedented levels after victories and performances. We tend to exaggerate when things are going well. We tend to believe oor team have suddenly become world-beaters, world class and unbeatable and forget that we are limited and have faults. Also we tend to forget that there are better teams out there us.
While the Tartan Army got their week on the pesh comedown hangover last night we almost got oors on oor last outing. After a week that was almost perfect for a hoopy bhoy in beating r*ngers and winning a CL game we went to the shameless Westfield and almost left with faces as red as Alex Ferguson. A terrible performance it was master yoda I do not deny.
Outings after international weeks are fraught with danger. Luckily only one, so far, has been ruled out as wee Aiden was subject to a freak accident or a knee-high challenge or a boot to the baws in training. You can just see him nutmegging John O’Shea, then doing it again and again until O’Shea hoofs him in the air. Freak accident eh? Was big Mick McCarthy’s “tackle” on Colin Healy not classed as a freak accident as well?
Injuries are part and parcel of the game, but what us as fans don’t take into account is the mental welfare of oor players returning from all corners of the globe. Take Gary Caldwell for example. He has had two games in a week when he has been under the cosh for the whole game. He has had to carry Elvis and an OAP in football terms. He has had to chase Terry Henry and Scevchenko. He will be mentally and physically tired but still expected to handle whatever Dundee Utd throw at him.
See us as supporters or those anyway that don’t follow the game, you know the ones the guys who think we should hump Benfica as they are not a big name, expect level of performances that never fall below brilliant. They don’t understand the pressure Caldwell will be under cause he knows his position within the Celtic support is still not secure even after immense performances over the last few weeks. He is the only man that is glad to see Telfer on the team sheet as abuse wise he might get a break.
We will have other players who have played two games in a week. Games some might see as big games others might see next weeks CL tie as bigger. Internationals do not hold the same sway now as they did in the days of cotton “v” neck tops and tight shorts, most professionals see their club sides who fill their bank balances with filthy lucre as their main priority, so they may have conserved their energy when games were being won easily or lost more easily. When the team they were playing took to hammer throwing tactics they might have not fancied it, feigned an injury or done a Petta i.e. hide on the touchline. Or some might still have national pride and run their guts oot.
But whatever their choice for them arriving back today then training tomorrow Dundee Utd may come to soon. Preparation time is almost non-existent and if we have another scrappy 1-0 victory I will be happy. But some won’t.
I read and have heard comments that are solely concentrating on the Lisboa dogs of war. Maybe that is a bigger game than DUFC as in all probability losing points to DUFC will get made up by beating Hertz’s or R*ngers at a latter date. But the flippantness that Benfica is being afforded by some of us is quite frightening.
Even though oor home record against Portuguese teams is good, a few recent 1-0 victories in the last couple of years, we struggle against them. We canny cope with their superior technique, pace and streetwise-ness. Away from home, Boavista aside, I canny remember winning a game away from home against a Portuguese side when it really mattered. And we all remember that night in Porto and Seville.
So how come we are bullish and confident that we will beat Benfica? So what we gave a decent showing against Man Yoo and we beat a FC Copenhagen side that were a bit off colour on the night. Playing decent football but keeping it tight and trying not to give anything away achieved both those results.
Again against Benfica I expect them to have loads of the ball but I’m confident, unlike Scotland, when we get the ball back we can be quick, expansive enough and at one point WILL have a spell of pressure that we need to make count. We have better creative players than Scotland. And GS won’t shackle them as much as Wally the cardio did in Kiev.
How the dogs from Lisboa approach the game is the key. They might see a point as a result. A point in fortress parkheid might see them jumping for joy al la Byern Munchian, or they might see this as a chance to separate the wheat from the chaff.
Take a point as a good result just now, thank you sir, bitey your hand off for that and it’s better than getting poked with a sh*tey stick. But 3 points at Tannadeechie is important as well. Probably more so as we want CL football every year so oor young guns improve at that level.
Most think going to the Dee is a straightforward 3 points thank you very much. Oor record against them since the year dot gives us that confidence but a look at recent history dictates that Craig Brewster teams know how to trouble us and oor away form, for want of a better word, is sh*te.
When you think of Tannadeechie good memories come to mind. Last minute goals against the Hibernians of Dundee- another team that reinvented themselves must be something to do with the name Hibernian-, Craig Burley, Harald Brattback are in that exclusive club, a Craig Bellars hat-trick and also I can always say I saw oor samba Brazilian Bhoy Juninho have a good game there and have the miss of the season there. Last season saw a humdinger of a game that took us to the top of the league for the 1st time under GS and the debut of a song that has been heard all over this land since “oh the r*ngers are sh*te”
Unfortunately for the DUFC support their team is full of under achievers, charlatans and money grabbers whose position belay they’re supposed quality. The fact that they take points from oor friends in the west regularly makes me suspect that they are all Tims but on Saturday I expect them to lift their game be full of the special brew and get stuck right in.
The reason being we are not firing on all cylinders, have just returned from an international break and have one eye on a CL game on Tuesday. Injuries to McGeady and The Beats- time for a taxi maybe?? - mean that Short arsed Shaun will start and Zurawski better start looking interested rather than looking all biscuit arsed. Know JvoH didn’t play in midweek but do you reckon GS will risk him? Bigger fish to batter and all that?
But deep down oor expectations are of victory. It goes without saying that we expect a victory. We are on a decent run and results have hidden poor performances. It’s a results business after all. But oor expectations always outweigh the ability of the team or the real world.
I mean do we really think the DD will give us a slice of his £700 million pie for selling a wee airport doon sooth?
What a weekend eh? Was in a heaving throng of drunken 30 something’s reliving their yoof and all were in a general state of europhia, leaping about going mad. Nothing to do with a poxy international taking place in the sooth side, but all to do with a tribute band to the mythical Stone Roses.
Never saw any of the so-called europhia that was meant to have gripped the nation after a smash and grab 1-0 victory against Les Blues certainly wasn’t any dancing in the streets where I was.
Mind you it was peshing down, maybe they were doing the highland flings in living rooms with, thankfully, the curtains shut or listening to the Proclaimers on ipods while eating haggis suppers. Or maybe they were like the tartan army members I had the unfortunate pleasure to meet on Friday night were in there own wee groups singing about Victoria Beckham, Alan Hansen and Craigie Broon doing something naughty to the behind of Victoria Beckham.
Now replace Posh with the queen and in the eyes of this country it becomes sectarian. But in the hands of a kilted wearing, student, lawyer, civil servant, brickie, then it’s good old-fashioned banter and a bit of nationalistic xenophobia is allowable and almost welcomed by politicians. Hypocrites the lot of them. I mean singing folk songs, about days gone by is frowned upon weekly but every few months 52,000 can sing about it no problem.
And it gets called atmosphere. It gets called nationalistic pride. It gets journo’s slavering like rabid St.Bernards aboot “the best game they have ever covered” and clichés like the hairs on the back of necks standing up etc. it also justifies in the eyes of the SFA the fact that they revamped Hampden and not just gave the national team a tartan tour playing in stadiums that suited the expected attendance.
But how can the much-maligned Hampden generate an atmosphere. It is universally hated by the Celtic support cause if your sitting behind the goals your so far away a pair of binoculars is needed. That fact is that before the CL refit the facilities were just as bad as they were when it was standing. But hampden is hated as it has been, I think, done on the cheap.
Doing it the cheap kept its original shape. It’s this shape that gives it a nostalgic feel and as one French journo said it was strange playing in an old-fashioned type stadium with it’s crappy scoreboards and it’s soup bowl shape. But I for one am glad it exists. I’m glad that the views are as dodgy as they were when I 1st went there in 1985. It’s been done up but it reeks of familiarity and character. Something in this day and age of the new kit stadium should be cherished.
After my trip to Westfield last week, were they have got it so wrong, I was discussing that stadium with some fawkirk fans. They shared my opinion and hate the bloody place. Away games are their vehicle of choice now, as they put it, you want to see the true fawkirk support.
Now I fully believe, that if it was logistically possible and they done up Brockville that it would retain some of the atmosphere of the old all standing shitehole. The reason being again familiarity and character. No need to change your routine, you can still go to the same pubs, chippy and bookies on the way to the game.
That’s why CP sometimes still generates an atmosphere. As well as being well designed, with you now being closer to the park that you ever were in the old Celtic and r*ngers end, it is at the end of the day Celtic Park. It hasn’t moved, hasn’t changed its name and is still our base same as it always has been for most of our history.
Other stadiums I still enjoy going to are the same. Old stadiums just converted to meet modern day standards. Some of them are still shite holes with bad views, seats scrapping your shins, terrible toilets and worse catering. But they still have a character and a Scottish ness, which, I think make our stadiums unique.
I mean, tynecastle is better now it’s all seated, Fir Park is more vitriolic and quirky due to its oddness, Tannadice gave me one of my best away days ever last season, Easter Road still has the ability to make your hair stand on end and it’s all due to the fact that the clubs are still playing in their original homes.
Reckon it should be criteria for the SPL. You need too play at your original ground and not an out of town soulless, corporate sponsored breeze blocked monstrosity. Hell, might even go to Tannadice on Saturday now, as it’s damn good nostalgic day oot and DUFC got it right unlike Fawkirk. And in these days of live Tv games, dodgy kick off times and high prices you have to REALLY enjoy the places your going to visit.
This nostalgia thing, becomes more prominent as you get older, doesn’t it……?.
International Week Gubbings and A Nostalgic Blether
When writing a club-based blog an international week is the equivalent of how Deeky Rioirdon must be feeling every other Saturday at the moment. Wondering what to do with my spare time- as it has been busy over the last few weeks- but unlike Deeky I won’t be wasting it in the pub, allegedly, no sir.
But trying to find things to blether about from a Celtic point of view is hard in an international week filled with such non stories as Nigel “survvvveeee London” Quashie being injured, Barry “Bothwell Young Team” Fergie not getting his 20 tickets and Wally “The Cardie” Smith getting a contract extension.
Also the radio moan in’s this week have been going on aboot a GB football team; in the words of Catherine Tate I am boverred? No. Question of the week has to be though is how many of the Scottish Meeja actually watches football? How many saw Patrick Cregg’s assault on Lee Naylor? Well judging by their subject matter this week none. Not one saw it, not even on highlights of the game.
Do these guys actually research their jobs and watch games? Do they not know that on football moan in’s punters call up to talk about incident’s that happened in the weekend games? Do they not earn enough to afford a year’s subscription to Setanta?
The story about them across the river going to the SPL, SFA and Scottish Executive with a plan to make all Scottish clubs follow their “Pride over Prejudice” charter and to award a benchmark charter to the clubs in the fight against racism, sectarianism and anti social behaviour at football grounds made me chuckle though.
This reeks of the bad boy going to the headmaster, please sir look I’ve changed my ways and now I’m as good as soapy Souter and the other swots. Please don’t punish us again as we want to go to the end of term dance with Helga from Easterhoose.
Never heard us jumping up and down like a hyperactive wean going look at me look at me when we launched “Bhoys against Bigotry”. We never went running to the bigwigs saying all clubs should implement this and get a nice we kite to put on their heided paper.
Hopefully Celtic will tell them to stuff it as we are getting our own hoose in order and don’t need other initiatives especially one that stole it’s name from Millwall’s anti racism campaign.
So thank god for a load of over weight, slightly out of shape, red faced and massively egotistical men running around trying to recapture their youth in a game that was loosely termed “The Legends”. I thought the scheduling of this game was sheer folly, in between a run of home games, CL games, season book repayments and guys planning jollies to foreign climes in the name of Celtic.
But I think the 15,000 that turned up is a cracking turnout in the circumstances. I mean, it was never to reach the 40,000 that turned out for the 1st one of these charity events, at ipox a few years back, but then this was not in a midwinter break when people were desperate to watch any kind of football.
The team line up does though make you wonder how they define a legend nowadays. The Celtic team was made up of such luminaries as Lex Baillie, Tony Shepard, Owen Archdeacon and Darren Jackson and I’m sure they even themselves will laugh at the tag Celtic Legend when it is associated with their name.
Had to laugh, when the biased commentator was talking about where players had went after CP. Clubs such as Barnsley, Carlisle and Reading were mentioned along with others that made us sound like a feeder club for the Coca Cola league 2.
Now ALL of the players playing for Celtic had the distinction of winning a championship medal with us. Makes last seasons championship winners of Telfer and Camara seem like Maldini and Carlos compared to Baillie and Shepard. But no matter what our memories of these guys they played for the hoops and all will dine out on this fact until the end of their days.
The reason, these attract and players dine out is we love nostalgia. We love talking about the good old days when players were players, pies were pies and stadiums were slums. When peshing down the punter in front of you leg was a sport. These games will always draw crowds as da’s take their weans to see their heroes the heroes the wean is sick hearing of, when they are watching Scooby Doo.
Makes you wonder if any da last night said the immortal words “I remember oor Oweny crossing the ball at Love Street 85, what a player he looked in that lime green top, and son you think Aiden is good…”
I thought it was great to see the basis of the “Legend” hoop team made up from the Centenary Double winners. That team was the 1st Celtic team to call my own. 1st team I really loved with my own eyes. Right, I had been at Love Street in 85, but at 9 was still a bit to young to appreciate the quality of McClair, McLeod, McStay, Burns and Archdeacon.
But by the 87/88 season I was ready to embrace a team of my own and one that would represent Celtic in their most important year since their formation. A team that even though was of dubious quality had Celtic spirit running through its veins. It was the spirit of that team that made me this mad obsessive that I am now.
It was great to see wee Josey Miller still looking like a ball bhoy who had stolen a top, a pair of shorts and boots and snuck onto the park. The partnership of Walker and McAvennie reunited, Packie in the goals, Derek Whyte still looking like he had stepped out of a littlewoods catalogue and Peter Grant still pointing in the midfield.
It was a shame, that McStay, Burns and Feed the Bear were missing. The heart beat of that team. Celtic men through and through. And whose idea was it to play McGrain before Chris Morris and Tosh McKinlay before Anton Rogan.
Macca was my favourite player, and every 11 yearold Celtic’s fan favourite player, at that time. Frank had the talent but was probably, now looking back, not as good as the adulation he got. His ego and mystic was bigger than his talent but he was a personality. It was a shame that he became a parody of his personality in his later years.
His strike partner Walker scored more goals than Macca but never had that x factor about him. As an 11 year old with dreams of playing for the hoops you needed to have that x factor. Maybe Walker was never really accepted by the Celtic support and his meeja leanings now are a product of the treatment and bit part he was afforded at that time.
Hell, I’m calling for that centenary team to be reunited and to play Dundee Utd in a re-run of the 1988 Cup Final. I’ll pay to go to that.
Even though that team was not full of legends, they will go down in Celtic folklore and that, for me, is something worth dining out on for the rest of your life. Unlike the Liverpool team who had a certain Michael Thomas playing for them, who will dine out because of a goal he scored against Liverpool for the rest of his life……
Sunday, reminded me why there is some stadiums I’m quite happy not to go to and that sometimes a view from your sofa in front of the telly is a lot better then a view from a kit stand. Falkirk’s new stadium is a perfect example of an out of town stadium gone wrong. If any chairman is thinking about moving their club then they should visit Westfield before deciding on their plans.
It’s the best example of, what not to do in Scotland, the worst new stadium I have been in and I thought McDiarmiad and Livi would have taken some beating. But Westfield makes them look like the san siro and as lively as the Notting hill carnival.
Falkirk went for a multi purpose stadium, which, could be used all year round. Their mistake has been that all the multi purpose amenities are in one stand. A stand that dwarfs all the rest of the ground. On one side you have an impressive stand, behind the goal a bog standard kit stand, which looks out of place against the main stand and a tented gazebo village that should be on the 18th tee of St Andrews populates the other two sides.
It reminds me of some eastern European contraption that you see on Europort. You know the ones? The ones that are public parks with a temporary stand put up for the Intertoto cup ties against FC Nobody from nowheresville.
It’s no wonder the Falkirk players couldn’t win there. The pitch is massive and the gap between the edge of the pitch and stands only lends itself for the ball attendants, as they have on the back of their trackies, to take ages to return the ball. Any noise generated, drifts across the gazebos to the industrial estate that is Grangemouth.
You could not get a place more chalk and cheese from their old decrepit, rancid falling down hole that was Brockville. Brockville had character; this place has less character then an episode of River City and about as much atmosphere as a smoke free bingo hall.
It’s no wonder that the players produced a game so woeful that it could have got football stopped. The game was that flat that even the usual abuse dished out by the Falkirk support got lost in the vortex of the open spaces. Hell, even the Celtic support usual gusto in places like Falkirk was lost as we watch our troops toil and sweat without much purpose.
A game littered with mistakes and even our usual constant performers were off. Lee Naylor had his worst game since his arrival from the midlands, Caldwell and Mick looked like it was pre-season all over again, Lenny couldn’t get near Cregg or the chain smoking 150 year old Rasta Lapaty and Tommy G was, what is becoming an accustomed, passenger.
Tommy G is looking more like a player that has hardly played for 18 months with every passing game. Instead of looking more lively and adjusting to the pace he seems as much far off the pace as he has ever done. Why he wasn’t haring around hassling Lapaty I will never know? All he had to do was move up 10 yards, stand close to him and deny him the space. His passing is shocking and he seems to be suffocated by the role GS has marked for him.
His replacement Sno done everything Tommy G couldn’t. He kept the ball, he won the ball, he broke up play and he generally looked like a midfielder. His only fault is that he was not decisive enough. A couple of times a welly was called for, a shot at goal instead or frustrating tactic of one more pass and trying to score the perfect goal came into play and a pointless ball wide was played.
Our midfield in away games this year, Aberdeen apart, has never dominated a game yet. Our away performances have been peppered with slackness in the midfield which, leads to hardly any chances being created and our strikers working more outside the box then inside. A GS tactic perhaps, is the team set up different away from home than at home?
But, 3 points is 3 points. A battling 3 points and a grinding 3 points is what wins you leagues. You can’t have “escape to victory” performances all the time and after being at Westfield it’s no wonder players after a derby and a CL game found it hard to lift them cause the support did as well.
This season we have relied on individual skill to win us games. It’s no surprise that Aiden has supplied it and got us out of holes this season then. Most skilful individual at the club and most creative force this season, so far, at the club. His goal came when I was settling for a point, as the performance was that bad a point would have been all we deserved.
A poor game was marked by another poor reffering display from Mr Ian Brines. As the game struggled to get above medicore he decided it should stay there with some baffling decisions, which descended the game into a stop, start nature. No chance to flow no chance of a decent spectacle.
Then to top it off he decides that the impressive Patrick Creggs assault on Lee Naylor was a fair challenge. It was the most blatant assault since Paul Hartley kicked Ross Wallace last season. It was the most blatant red card I have seen all season. If he done that up the toon on a Saturday night a wee court date would have been forthcoming.
Shame too, as the ex-Arsenal player impressed me. He has a nasty streak and energy to his game that reminds me of Scott Broon. Rumours that we are interest in him excite me. He is the type of player I would love to see come to Celtic. A bit of a bad boy that all midfield need.
He was just lucky that Big Mick didn’t rip his heid off in the following melee. Then his transfer would have been right up the swany!!!!!!
Well quiet week this week, internationals who needs them?
