Sign O’ The Times….

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.

Hail Hail