Time Is My (your) Everything

Fitbaw players careers are all measured in time. In the short time they have as top class professionals they have to use it correctly to ensure they are remembered long term or just a footnote in the annuals of history. Correct choices have to be made at a young age and also good fortune to ensure that they don’t succumb to injury.

This has been a week full of probably goings, injuries and debates over who should play and how certain players shall be remembered. With the on-going saga of Neil Lennongate is he the abuser or the abused allowing the meeja to get more money for old rope.

Now, Lenny, oor Lenny has never been whiter than white, well unless you count his peroxide moments in the early years, since he arrived from Leicester.But he never had a reputation for being a nark or a troublemaker doon sooth.

He was not an enforcer of truth and justice or seen as a born leader. Maybe because he played in the same midfield as Robbie Savage kept him quiet as the long haired freak- one player ye widnae get tired of seeing getting a kicking- hogged all the bad press for himself. The only thing Lenny done of note was get his heid on the end of Mr England’s boot.

As soon as he signed for his boyhood heroes, the press gave him the tag of being a nark, loudmouth a dirty player even. Now having a watched Lenny for 7 years I haven’t seen him have a bad tackle in all that time. I struggle to remember him tackle in all that time, he harries, he steals and he annoys possession from opposition players but go into bone crunching lunging tackles? Nah, he leaves that to others like Mick and Bobo.

But, Lenny seemed to like the tag the press had given him. Now the presses motives of this tag are plain for all to see. It was purely sectarian as he was a catholic Ulsterman playing for Hoops. They made him oot to be someone that was easy to hate and the Scottish fitbaw fan and general tabloid rabble readers were only too happy to play along.

I bet you the press loved it when Lenny started playing up to the image they had created. A sending off against R*ngers when he acted as an enforcer, a few scraps outside nightclubs, a few bookings but most off all the FACT that Lenny backed up there claim of him being a troublemaker by ensuring that ANY major flash point- right, apart from Thommo and Ricksen- that the hoops have been involved in his involved the man from Lurgan.

Anything from sledging opponents, to confronting ref’s, flash points during games, spiting on r*ngers scarf’s and giving away fans the burd. Then he sometimes has the cheek to use the vehicle that created his image to complain that he is hard done by.

Mate, you have used the press just as much have they have used you over the years.

Now, over the last few games, again, Lenny has given enough ammo, and for one given me cause to think us as a Celtic support are blinded to the above facts. We back Neil to the hilt as we do any Celtic player, espsically who is the captain of oor club and has been subject to terrible abuse. But sometimes now looking back Lenny’s behaviour makes it very easy to buy into the party line of its behaviour that fans hate.

But anytime Lenny does anything we trot oot the sectarian party line without, maybe taking a step back and looking at the cold facts.

Will this behaviour sully the memory of a guy who should be remembered as an integral part of a team that has dominated at home, rampaged all over Europe and the captain of the side who got into the last 16- maybe further even further – of Europe’s most corrupted competition. Will this stop him being remembered as a Celtic legend?

Is he a legend in the true sense of the word? I mean the word legend is banded aboot so often now it has been devalued for me. I think Lenny has been a fantastic player for us. It’s probably testament to his abilities that at 138 years old he is still the best defensive midfielder we have. For me he will be remembered as a Celtic captain in a guid side. He will for me be remembered as fondly, maybe more so, than most of the Seville team.

But Legend that’s up for debate.

With Lenny still patrolling the midfield in his own unique tigerish manner, it came as no surprise that Pearo has had enough and maybe will soon be plying his trade elsewhere. It’s nice to see that GS didnae want him to go but the bottomline is Pearo missed his chance.

This season he has started a number of games and has failed to shine in all. His performance from the bench have been better but it was plain for all to see that not playing regular was not doing him any guid.

He needs to be playing regular and unfortunately we can’t give him that mainly due to the fact that he is has not performed guid enough for a 1st team slot in oor midfield. The fact that he is still highly rated enough for us to cash in or swap for a better benchwarmer makes a guid deal if one is reached in Jan for all.

Another want away star- copyright of Skysports news- is Aiden McGeady, who is citing possible lack of games as being the cause of him maybe, just maybe not extending his contract over the next 18 months. Now he is fighting for a wide berth currently occupied by another contract rebel- copyright Broadfoot in the Herald- Shaun Maloney and both are coming up to crucial decisions in their careers.

Shaun’s season has been stop start with injuries and frankly poor form. The high’s off last season have not been hit which, a few of his doubters aimed at him. One season disnae mean a summer or in fitbaw terms disnae mean £28,000 a week. But due to last seasons performance when fit he has been a stick on starter for GS.

This is meant oor most impressive player and most improved player this season Aiden McGeady has been left cooling his twinkle toed boots on the sidelines while playing 2nd fiddle to wee shorty. Aiden also knows that Celtic should be looking to start talking to him aboot a new contract this summer, thus avoiding another Shaun situation developing.

For all the plaudits the board have got, I mean the possibility of losing one home-grown talent for he haw is galling but two in two seasons is just mismanagement. So it’s down to GS to keep both players happy by giving them playing time. The fact both were dropped against Man U maybe tells us something aboot how GS rates them both at the top level at this time but domestically there is room for both in a starting 11.

Injuries to JvoH and the beats and the fact that Magic husnae kick his arse this season means that a strike partner is needed for Kenny. Shaun was impressive against Fawkirk there and maybe a wee run upfront is called for?

McGeady after his match saving cameo needs a chance to terrify the sheep of the don on Saturday. Maloney also seems the type of player that needs to being shown the gaffer loves him so, by shoving Shaun upfront and playing McGeady wide he kills to burds with one stone and placates two natural talents for a few weeks.

The sheep of the don come to glesga with a WWDWWW record in their last 6 games. We have a WWWWWD record in the last 6 games. It’s the game of the day 1st v 2nd and it’s been a while since the dandy dons have been this high. Except those dons from Peterheid who I hear are high all the time. Must be something to do with the air on those fishing boats.

Anyway, the dons also come with the knowledge that they have performed well recently at fortress parkheid- copyright Kenny Miller- and once ended a proud unbeaten record there. They can come to CP and again end a proud unbeaten home record for this season at the weekend.

With the fact that oor strikers are not scoring, we only have one fit really and the other one see earlier, we struggle to create chances, except the last 20 mins against Hibs and the fact we have potential CL monkey off oor back away trip to Denmark to come the dons may fancy a smash and grab.

GS will have to ensure the players minds are on this game and not on the CL or in Bobo’s case his mind is doon the M6 it seems. The carrot of a CL away win to at to their already guaranteed place in Celtic folklore may just be playing on their minds and their wallets.

We might require a wee bit of tinkering with shape and formation if Shaun goes up front and maybe a chance of Sno being seen in the east end of Glesga as well. Also, Jaro has done enough to justify another start and he might start upfront if GS again rest’s Miller before a CL game.

Some many questions but one thing is for sure the players have to remember that their time is their everything in this game.

FORZA THE HOOPS

Substitute

“You say we look pretty good together” well any neutral watching oor game yesterday would have said Celtic and Hibs looked pretty good together. The teams produced a humdinger of a game that was a great advert for the much-maligned Scottish Fitbaw.

In a week when oor defeat of the mancuian hordes raised oor profile as high as a roadie on Pete Docherty’s tour bus there would have been an unprecedented level of interest in yesterday’s game. So I’m quite glad any passing observer saw a game that may just change the view of some of the Scottish game. As the style of the two teams was anything but Scottish.

It was all pass and move, pace, grit and determination. It was a game when the young upstarts who are visibly bouncing with confidence thought they may turnover the old guard. They thought they had done enough to end a winning streak after going 2-0 up with 25 mins left. But they forgot they were playing a team that doesnae give up and has some young talent of it’s own.

With 20-left oor comeback looked as likely as England batting oot the last day at the gabba and it pishing doon in Queensland. It was looking like oor winning run would be coming to an end, probably deservedly so as we have rode oor luck away domestically, but again this team turned a losing position into one that turned a winning run into, just, a undefeated one.

But it all looked so bleak with GS once again being questioned by his choice of starting 11, Right, we all knew Hibs would start like a tornado, slow doon to Hurricane force then maybe end the game as a gail force wind. Just the same as we knew Man U could pass us of the park. We all knew Hibs have pace in the midfield that would, again, leave us chasing shadows.

So why Jaro in the midfield alongside Lenny? Why not stick with a 4-5-1 until we had imposed oor style and had a chance to get the game playing at oor tempo? Oor starting line up handed the advantage to the Hibees right away. I for one wouldn’t have complained aboot playing a 4-5-1, as I know we always struggle against the Hibs midfield.

We have to learn to handle teams that have pace in the middle of the park or maybe we should buy pace for the middle of the park. Oor destructive water carrying donkeywork midfielders are while guid at their jobs are as slow as a week in the Bar-l. until we add pace we MUST look at playing a five man midfield against anyone with a bit of pace.

Again GS had to pull a rabbit oot a hat and he did with his subs. The introduction of the bhoy Sno added a bit of metal in the middle of the park and eventually calmed an ever exasperate Lenny doon. Poor Lenny as like Keano last year Easter Road was a place when yer lack of pace was shown up. Neil is now a dinosaur in the modern game and while the introduction of Sno bailed him oot also allowed the wee Ulsterman to have a great game in the 2nd half. In fact such a guid game I thought he was man of the match.

Well he was until his wee Lovencrap style cameos after Broon had stuck the heid in him. Right, I thought Lenny over-reacted- I have only seen it once- and went doon like a drunk on a Saturday night. It was pitiful to watch a Celtic player sink so low to try and get a player who he couldnae handle sent off. That’s twice this week Lenny has sunk to a new depth in ma eyes. Again I can see why he makes it easy for the doubters and the abuser to say it’s his style and the fact he is a bad loser.

Luckily for him the bad loser tag didnae wash as his mate the bhoy Sno scored the goal that fired us back into the game. Was more surprised the big fellow actually shot as he seems to have a phobia of having a dig but if he did maybe we would hear the Evander Sno song- to the tune of a “Bonkers” old skool happy hardcore classic according to Mrs G sister, I know, I don’t know what she was on aboot either- more often. It was then up to the other sub to get us a point.

Aiden McGeady or want away star Aiden McGeady as the match report on Sky put it rescues a point after a typical driving run from the wing and a cut inside to unleash a shot which the pole in the other goal was a bit slow to get doon to. Right, I’m glad Aiden came on as his direct style and pace trouble the Hibs defence and he created another few chances but why was he on for Shaun and not Naka?

Shaun was improving; he looked dangerous while Naka was anonymous as the pace of the game was ensuring it was passing him by. I know he is dangerous from free kicks and set plays but when he is not contributing surely he is available for the hook like any other minion?

Hibs had huffed and puffed and blew themselves oot but this time. We had the chances after that to go on and win the game. Aiden created a few half chances, Kenny was one on one and produced a save from the pole in the other goal but in the end WE deserved the draw.

Right, oot played for 60 mins, we made tactical errors and oor system didnae cope very well with Hibs but we never gave up and came back from 2 doon. We had a massive week and now have kept up oor unbeaten run after CL games. We got a draw in a place others have faltered. We have to look at how we have started the last two games but we are 12 games unbeaten and in ANY league in the world that is a guid innings. Yesterday proved once again that this team couldn’t get written of. It was a point gained at the end of the day rather than 2 dropped.

Ian Crocker yesterday roared after Hibs second goal that this was Celtic being put in their place. By the end of the 90 we had probably just put the rest of the SPL in their place.

Forza Celtic

Call The Cops…

And it’s not for the Man U casuals being naughty in the city centre. No there’s been a robbery in Glesga’s east end. Dick Turpin, Robin Hood and some wee ginger naff were last seen leaving the vicinity around 9.30pm last night with a swag of 3 points and untold millions.

And wasn’t it BLOODY FANTASTIC.

Right we were murdered all over the park. It was like an episode of Taggart oot their at times. Mare bodies and mare chasing shadows than Glesga’s finest. Man U proved to us they are the BENCHMARK, which we must aim. Money will stop us getting there but a look at there set up drove home a few home truths.

I’ve never respected Man U as a fitbaw team. After seeing them last night they are on different level from us. One of the best teams to grace CP in European competition. One and all they were better than us in every single area of the park. One and all had pace, all had a 1st touch to die for and all never once treated the ball like a hot tattie.

Their midfield proved that we are so slow in that area it was like formula one verses go karting at butlins. It was a non-contest and if it were a boxing match would have been stopped after the 1st round. But then again if you make it easy for class to rise to the top then you’re in for a hiding. Well you should but, then again

GS made it easy for them to strut, pose and preen. He needs his baws booted for the starting line up. If Man U could have been bothered the game should have been loused by half time due to a tactical blunder by wee ginge.

If he wanted to play 2 sitting midfielders then why did he not just go with a 4-5-1 to start with and keep the natural width? His own admission of square pegs in round holes is an understatement. Oor team in the 1st half couldnae live with Man U. We couldnae get the baw and when we did we gave it straight back or hoofed up into the channels for a runner that was never there.

Oh, how the mancs and meeja doomsayers were laughing at this point. They were watching a team dominate their lesser cousins- now twice removed and barred from all family functions- and in their notions of winning the big cup this was a routine 3 points.

How wrong could they be. They weren’t creating. It was the most one-sided 0-0 I have ever had the pleasure to witness. It was only a pleasure as the longer the game went on the more I saw a draw as a fantastic result. A win was unthinkable.

2nd half was slightly better, with Jaro and Shaun giving them problems and the fact we had flooded the midfield stopped Man U having complete control. I don’t care that we were at home and we should have been attacking GS knows he made a mistake with his starting 11. He had the guts to admit this and changed. He GOT LUCKY AS IT WORKED. Man U over cooked things while we were just waiting for that chance and it came…

A free kick won from an impressive dive by an eastern European coached on how to win free kicks in Europe. Never a free kick then the ref, who had a mare and showed that BIG teams do get a high % decisions their way, gave it as most European ref’s do.

Up stepped oor Japanese bhoy. Surely he couldnae again. Peach of a strike, peach of a goal. The gloating mancs were now dumbstruck this was Copenhagen all over again for them. There was 10 mins left plus injury time as the parkheid bounce stopped a nervous air descended we had been here before within touching distance of the holy grail. Like Indian Jones except those pesky Nazis have got a tank and are ready to let it loose on you.

And they did. Rio up front, O’Shea up front reeks of desperation to me. Saha missed a sitter before the ref done his Man U credentials the world of guid with THAT award. In the mellay that followed after the dumfound ness of the emotions being felt I saw something that embarrassed me to be a Celtic fan. A show of unsporting-ness that blackened the name of oor club.

In the moment Neil Lennon booted the ball from the pen spot I then understood why people claim it’s his attitude and style they don’t like, not the fact he is an Ulsterman playing for the hoops. It was the most petulant, acting like a wean, spoilt brat ness I have ever seen. If he had been sent off for it I would have been bloody glad. Then oor club would have had to take action against him. That moment will sour my memory of a great night.

But Arfur ensured that it would be looked over. Was confident the pole in the goal could save it. If he went the right way then there is a guid chance he would save it. And he did. Bedlam. Cue bloody bedlam. I thought the roof was coming of the place. The memory of Lyon disappeared from oor thoughts and WE KNEW THAT WE WERE GOING TO QUALIFY.

On a night when we deserved the some total on zero from the game, in what was oor worst performance at home in Europe since Blackburn how did we do it. How did GS mould a team of Bosmans, middle order signings and honest journey men get us into the last 16? How did he do something ST Martin never could?

Well I’m sure MON was sitting in his mansion wondering the same thing. But a closer look at it makes it simple. If Martin knew a goalie from arse then we would have qualified long before noo and I would have a UEFA cup winners 2003 tattoo on ma leg.

I’m not going to get into the argument over if oor’s is better than there’s it just means that GS and his team of talented but not in the top drawer players will have a footnote in Celtic’s history. And that’s something you don’t get everyday.

Now you may think I’m a bit doon on the performance and not carried away. Nothing could be further from the truth. I’m over the bloody moon. It was one of the best nights ever at CP. History will show that we won the game and fergie was sent back doon the M6 with a boot up his arse. We have over achieved and it’s a bloody great achievement one that I will remember for the rest of ma life.

But I think last night proved that we are a long way off dining at that level or competing at that level on a regular basis. But I will take the day in the sun while it lasts. Now how does that Fratellies song go again?.

FORZA CELTIC

This Is The One

There was a moment on Saturday when I was transported back to the 80’s. It was the moment that Naka was on the receiving end of a fore armed smash from a giant inversenkie defender. It reminded me of the days the wrestling was on “World Of Sport” presided over by the mustachio’s Dickie Davis. It looked like; the evil giant haystacks in his quest to take on big daddy had once again foiled Kendo Nagasaki.

But I must apologise to any inversenkie fans that read this blog; I wonder if any other fans read this blog or sometimes wonder if anyone read this blog!!! Anyway, I compared them to Bolton last week and I admit I did them an injustice. They played nice stuff on Saturday and even though they are a massive team like to play the ball on the deck and with a bit of pace thrown in.

3-0 was a bit harsh on a team that gives us a hard time every time we play them but overall they weren’t worth a point or a victory. If they continue to play like that a top 6 finish and hell, even a top 3 finish could be their reward:-)

Unfortunately Saturday wasn’t aboot Inversenkie they were overshadowed by a big event this week. Oor minds were all on something else. Aye, that’s right the Ashes start on Wednesday. Get in there, Mon Freddie and the lads lets retain that stupid wee urn and teach the Aussie’s another lesson.

I’m a confused one eh? Celtic fan supporting England in the Ashes, some of oor away support will be choking on their cornflakes, lunch, dinner or Buckfast reading that. Don't even go their with that statement to the Scottish meeja they would be more confused than they already are. Find it easier to support Engurland at cricket, as their meeja are not as jingoistic and full of themselves. Oh and also the England team have an awe of gallus-ness aboot them.

If Freddie Flintoff played fitbaw he would be a Tim. He has a gallus-ness and flair to his game, which would have been honed on the Barrowfield training pitches. I would expect he would be an old skool winger and him and Aiden would be on the wing trying to out do each other with tricks, flicks and taking the pesh oot of opponents.

Wit a midfield that would be be. Flintoff, McGeady, Pietersen and Naka. It would be so gallus that if you looked up gallus in the dictionary if would have those 4 names beside it. Unsure how Naka and Aiden would be faced with Shane Warne though?

Talking aboot gallus-ness we are probably going to see the closet thing the engurland fitbaw team have to a Flintoff tomorrow night. Shrek Rooney has unlucky for us found form. His performance on Saturday at the blades of Sheffield was frightening and puts into perspective the stage of development that oor young bhoys the same age are at.

Couple with that are Giggs, Scholes, Ronaldo and Saha. Add to that a £30 million centre back, dodgy centre back and a slightly puzzling £18 million pound midfielder. It all adds up to a big ask. It also shows the difference between the have and the have not at Europe's top table.

The big leagues have a monopoly over Europe’s top competition. Only one winner has come out of the so called 2nd tier of Europe and event hen the Hoops are not even close to that 2nd tier as Benfica proved at the estadio de luz. Even though tomorrow night is probably the biggest game ever in oor CL history it won’t register the same amount of interest in Europe as the mass hysteria it has created here.

Big team v wee team. They don’t take into account the fact that we have the 2nd biggest support in Britain behind Man Utd and in truth this is the meeting of the two biggest teams in Britain in Europe’s premier competition.

THIS is the most important game in oor CL history. It’s bigger than Barca, Ac Milan and Munich. A win will take us through to the knockoot stages a defeat will probably pap us oot of Europe all together. It’s a game when really the gulf of money and riches should come oot on top but then again have these fitbaw experts ever been to CP on a euro night?

So how are we looking? Not so guid even in beating Inversenkie to complete the clean sweep we still have flaws in system, tactics and game plan. Still don’t move the ball around quick enough at times and we don’t like fast teams playing through the middle, which is basically the whole of Europe and some of the SPL.

Oor game plan is based on percentages. Not the Egil Olsen percentage hoofs the ball forward game but the proven facts that 30% of all goals scored come from cross balls. Also add to that 40% of goals come from set pieces then the proof in the pudding of having players who can swing in a decent ball is there for all to see.

GS has us playing a passing game with the emphasis on width and getting balls into the box. Problem we have is the delivery of the final ball is so hit and miss we don’t create as many chances as we should from the % of possession we enjoy in ALL games.

We also don’t create enough chances as we are so slow in the build up and teams know the game plan is to get the ball to the wide men to whip in balls. We need more variation in the game, more pace and not to give the ball away cheaply if we are to get anything from Man Utd. Then add to that we need to get them on a bad night.

Its a night when oor creative players need to be at their gallus best- something that has been missing for weeks- we need to up the tempo- cause Man Utd will come at us like Tasmanian devils- and get in their faces. WE have a part to play as well. And that’s one thing I’m sure off we as a support will turn up.

In European terms tomorrow night is a David and goliath clash, men against Bhoys. Just the way we like it.

FORZA CELTIC

Two Of A Kind

Another important 4 day spell for the hoops coming up with one game, probably, och stuff it with one massively overshadowing the domestic business we have to attend to. Inversenkie then Team Usa of Mancland. One a chance to extend oor lead the other to either make the last CL match day a Sunday afternoon stroll to the boozer or a nerve shredding, heart attack inducing, get yer pampers on 90 mins.

GS has called League games before CL games as part of a two game package. A package when he looks at each teams strengths and weaknesses and chooses his horses for the courses as he see's fit. This selection policy- can we call it rotation?- usually means only slight tinkering with the strike pairing or the wide midfield men. So can we expect this weeks games to see a different approach?

I wouldn't expect so, but due to the size of Inversenkie's team and the fact that since his return, JVoH has become a focal point of the rushed hoof's up the park and crosses from wide areas then maybe much to GS worry the big Dutch man has to play when maybe, just maybe, GS was looking to keep him in reserve to rumble up Rio onehundredandthirtygrand.

Inversenkies backline is the land of the giants. Their fullbacks are bigger than their centre backs. The centre midfielders are bigger than their full backs. They grow them big up 'em highlands I tell ye.

Much to Craig Brewsters dismay and also to his Jobcentre plus officer dismay, even though the system they play is based on workrate, their height and some skill and is simple system to implement when working with players of limited ability it disnae always work. You have to have the players to carry it off.

Charlie Christie has came in and not changed much, Dargo keeps on scoring, defenders keep on defending midfielders keep on kicking etc, but the difference is the Inversenkie players have ability to carry oot this system and as Brewster found oot it's not as simple getting better players to adapt. For me they are like the Bolton of the SPL. Ye widnae watch them if they were banging Mitre Delta's off yir back window but your quietly impressed by their results.

JVoH hasn't had the pleasure yet of meeting these lumbering oafs. Saturday will be his chance as GS knows we need a presence upfront. GS has tried Jaro up there- mainly due to The Beats ongoing absence- but Saturday is not that time again to deploy him in that role. Even though he is 6 foot odds, he is not a presence up there, in fact some would say he is a waste of space up there. The giants of the senkie would slap him aboot like king kong slapping planes on the empire state building.

Last night JVoH came on against Engurland and right away the Dutch became more direct and more potent in attack. They had a focal point to hit- one which, brilliantly for us big JVoH oot jumped Rio for the equalizer- that gave them a purpose. Just like the big man gave us against Fawkirk and St Mirren.

Now who to partner him with is another rouse? Kenny or Magic.

Kenny might be better of sitting this one oot as the thought of him running at Rio and Wes Brown is just too guid to allow him to get injured. After last season or even when we signed Kenny would we have imagined that Kenny Miller would be oor 1st choice striker before Magic. Magic has more ability but Kenny's work rate, movement and general annoyingness makes him a must start in big games.

Magic this season is an enigma. Potent, explosive and a goal scoring threat last season this season looking uninterested, impotent and as threating as a pink poodle. He looks tired with life as a hoop but in saying that he is oor highest scoring striker this season with 6 goals- I think?.

He is also the most natural goal scorer we have. This seasons sharing of goals around the team is testimony of a system that allows runners from the midfield to get forward and create while oor forwards are ootside the box creating these chances. This maybe doesn't suit magic. Last season he was oor most mobile striker, right I know that widnae huv been hard- but when you see him alongside JVoH and Miller then you realize there is more of the "Jackie" in him than just natural ability.

But Magic has ability, it's maybe just that unless he gets his finger oot a taxi maybe waiting for him in January or the summer. His forlorn expression and petted lipness is not what we expected from a guy who I said would top the scoring charts this season.

I reckon he will get the chance on Saturday to redeem himself, to try and strike up a relationship with JVoH and maybe hit the onion bag to get his confidence up. Then again after a World Cup summer he could be just needing a wee break or also he could have a possible hump at us signing JVoH and Miller as he seems like the type of player who needs to be loved.

Well magic performances will make you be loved mate.

Hail Hail

There's A Store Where The Creatures Meet......

......at the bottom of Love Street. Seems fitting then that a player who looks like Uncle Fester and has been portrait as a strange creature and a beast in the press should score, what is rare these days a perfect hat-trick.

1st with his left foot, 2nd with his right and the 3rd with his heid. If Sky had been still covering Scottish Fitbaw a mention on Soccer AM would be forthcoming for "The Gravedigger" but as Sky view us lower than the conference then we will just need to put up with the tin pot coverage, Jim Duffy, Scotty Booth and future r*nger manager Sally McCoist whining and moaning on Setanta.

Now the fact Tommy G made the headlines for the right reasons will annoy the members of the fourth estate, whom are only interested in delving into his private lfe and stories aboot him eating weans, dugs and boiled ham raw. No interest at all in the fact that he is a creative midfielder, from Real Madrid, played in the EPL, played in Germany and has had a successful international career.

What probably annoys them more is the fact that it was Celtic heritage and history that attracted him to CP not money. Also that he is bloody guid player whose quality, along with JVoH, and pedigree set a marker to the rest of the league of the quality we wanted to attract. It's pure jealousy. The lose of Petrov has been superseded by a quality replacement and one who has already had the nack of scoring goals.

Which was a worry when the sulky bulgar left for the black country. Tommy G and Naka have chipped in with a hat trick each in two difficult away games. Two of the three creative forces from midfield have contributed with goals which, probably shows how our tactics are set up away from home with runners from the midfield breaking into the box.

Tommy G looked like he was enjoying himself yesterday. An early goal- missed in the LOTW household due to a nights excess and a visit to pray to the china Buddha just as the game kicked off. Never before have I felt as terrible as I heard the nasal whine of David Begg describing the goal as if someone had shot a family member. He really disnae like Celtic scoring does he? Add Craig Paterson to the mix and Radio Scotland is a place that no Celtic fans should go on a match day, then Bill Leckie commentating? What the fuck is going on? Nae license fee for me next year.

Anyway, back to Crocker and Booth on the TV, as i don't know what was making me worse the sound of Begg or the effects of a dodgy pint in Condorrat the night before. Aye, the early goal set up oor must comfortable performance in an away game this season. Tommy G pulling the strings in what looked like a diamond formation in the midfield, Lenny his usual self in the midfield, wee Shaun buzzing aboot to no great effect but his movement was troubling the Paisley panda's and even with Naka having a quiet game oor midfield was running the show.

We never created many chances but unlike Tuesday night we took the ones presented. We also fired more balls into the box on Tuesday night as we did yesterday. We actually created more chances on Tuesday night and got papped oot. Funny old game.

Two early goals and we relaxed. Our support got into party mood with ole, ole ole being cried in one move which saw the ball pinged back and forth around the park. Then the pish taking of St Mirren got boring and the party mood turned a bit political as once again the away support haven't grasped the nettle of doing things quietly.

Now the St Mirren PA announcer shoulnae have made the comments he did at half time. I mean are they trying to take over from Partick Thistle as the Swizterland in the west of Scotland so-called bigotry war. I mean the St Mirren fans sung flower of Scotland so we sang the soldiers song. If someone can tell me what the more sectarian song is? Answers on a postcard.

Once again the papers have highlighted the word orange being sung. A term used to describe a r*nger fan which today I think should not be seen as sectarian. Banter, yes. sectarian no bloody way. But the bottomline is oor support are leaving oorselves open for these accusations when we should really be oot of sight on the moral high ground stakes.

But what can we do? I was with a away game regular on Saturday and he was showing me some stuff on his mobbie. If this stuff was relating to Jihad movements then he would be in Govan polis station under the prevention of terrorism act quicker than Kenny Miller chasing a lost cause.

When ask why he had this stuff as I have known him for years and he has never struck me as the type to be right into the rebel thing he said that most of the bhoys he goes to away games with have this type of material on phones and PC's. Now this guy is a young. Just oot of short trousers, never read anything aboot the things he is singing aboot. The worrying thing for me is all this did was highlight the problem in oor support. It's not aboot changing oor ways it's aboot re-educating older types and bringing the younger new generation up correctly to know that there is a time and place for these songs and views.

But in this civilized world it's a sad state of affairs that oor right of free speech and views is once again being compromised by a this narrowminded, racist and sectarian country we call home.

Hail Hail

The First Cut Is The Deepest

Well that’s us oot the 1st trophy of the season. The win you can win before all others. Maybe it’s not got the prestige of the Scottish Cup or the League, maybe it doesn’t get you a place at Europe’s top table at the end of it but it’s still nice to win. Especially when a domestic treble could be on but we were getting ahead of ourselves thinking that far ahead.

What we didnae legislate for was being deservedly papped oot on oor arse by Falkirk. A team we knew could cause us problems- form team in the SPL at the moment and a decent fitbaw side- but we really didnae think they would come to CP and win. The fans and players didnae think they could come to CP and win.

So how did this deserved defeat happen? Was it because GS made 6 changes to the team that started at the weekend? Nah. The team that started and finished last night’s game is guid enough to beat any opposition in the SPL. They are also guid enough to get a game for any other SPL team. The changes did not, for me, lower the standard of the team.

Did the fact that it was an iffy performance, maybe due to the changes, contributes to the deserved defeat? Not for me, we have been iffy for weeks, seem to have discovered an inconsistency and a self doubt when we have the ball. But we have played worse and won recently. The changes should have been for the good of the team as apart from those who suffered from ring rusty-ness others have been getting playing time recently.

Maybe the changes unbalanced the midfield. Pearo now looks like a man who knows he is in the last chance saloon and canny hack the pressure, and Tommy G was, well, how could I put this nicely, looked like a guy who has hardly played for 18 months. Riordon played well- took a guy from my work last night, Burnley fan knows Andy Paton, and he thought Riordon was well impressive- worked hard and showed he can do a job for us.

But still there was enough quality on the park to over come those slight tweaks to our normal system and personnel.

It must be GS fault then? Nah, not having that one. When we saw the team everyone said strong line up and he couldn’t be accused of taking the game lightly. Maybe his subs could be questioned- bit harsh Tommy G was knackered, Sno don ok but Miller on right wing???- and the fact that once again we allowed the 138-year-old 250 fags a day Lapaty run the show but again he had enough quality on the park during the whole 120 minutes to dispose of Fawkirk.

So it must have been a fantastic fawkirk performance then? Nah. Couldn’t get a skinny supermodel between the teams on the night, while they did play well and contributed, for me, to a good game of fitbaw - a view back up from Burnley, mind you he watches Burnley and Accrington Stanley so is that a guid sign? – they were 2nd best for the 1sthalf and all of extra time but they did win the 2nd hands doon.

Ah the deserved defeat was caused by us the fans, taking the game lightly and only 15,000 of us turning up. Bolloxs! Roond aboot me towards the end of the game, extra time and pens there was enough fretted faces to tell that we were taking it serious and when Miller missed the pen the reaction was just as bad as it would have been in a European pen shoot out.

Nah we lost because we didnae take oor chances when present with them. An iffy performance maybe but two off the line, goalie had a few saves, number of free heiders, wasted free kicks and one off the post we had enough chances to bury the game.

Worst though is the fact that we weren’t ruthless enough when we had the CHANCE to win the game. Going 1-0 then losing a goal a minute later. Skool bhoy stuff. Shouldn’t happen. That goal should have knocked the stuffing oot of the bairns and we should have seen the game oot easily.

Even worse than that is even though pens are a lottery we had the chance to win on them. We had the bloody chance to bury a WINNING pen to save the further lottery of sudden death. Even before that we had the chance to heap pressure on them by going in front before they took the last pen.

That’s why we didnae deserve to win. We never took oor bloody chances no more no less no other analysis needed. Nae excuses. You need to take your chances at any level to win games, don’t take them ye get papped oot.

Arguments can rage all they want. Fitbaw is aboot chances, goals, opportunities; fawkirk took theirs and guid luck to them. Is the surprising nature of this beast called fitbaw no the reason that we love it? The fact that lesser teams can beat big teams on any given day? We have no divine right to win.

More worrying for us is that now we haven’t had a decent performance for at least 4 games. The Hertz game faults were papered over due to the ending. Hertz’s played oor midfield of the park, so did Killie and Benfica. Last night in the 2nd half Fawkirk played us oaf the park.

That is something GS needs to look at. It’s not that the players are not guid enough- a charge in close season- it’s they are just not playing as well as they should. Winning has blinded us maybe that oor performances maybe haven’t been worthy of the praise the team have been getting. But winning is all in this game and there are no happier fans than fans of a winning team.

It’s sticking by a team going through an inconsistent patch or bad spell that is a sign of a true fan.

Hail Hail

No Good (Start The Dance)

What a difference 4 minutes make. Instead of talking aboot how once again we were hassled oot of the game in midfield, lacked creativity, oor passing, pace was non-existent, the fact it was a poor poor performance and one that Fawkirk will take advantage of if we turn up half cocked again we left the stadium bouncing, singing and dancing like big daft loons.

Fitbaw is an emotional game and there is nothing better or worse than late goals for getting your emotions pumping. Fitbaw is used as a vehicle to let go of your emotions after a week of pent up frustrations at your joab, mundane life and escape from the norm for a few hours. You put your happiness in the hands of a bunch of highly paid professionals some of whom don’t care a jot aboot your well-being.

Some guys use the emotions fitbaw generates to use it as an excuse to abuse others, act the goat, sing daft songs and fight with other like minded folk. The bit in the football factory when the hoolie meets his burd’s well to do parents and when asked what he like doing replied “weelll I like nuthin better than smacking some heads at the football bit of an escape you know from ma shite life”

While the vast majority wouldn’t dream off smacking heids in the name of fitbaw, being emotional involved disnae hauf bring oot the sadistic side of you. And last minute goals bring oot sides that are hidden deep in your genetic make up. You escape your normal behaviour and can start behaving like a caveman.

Everyone I spoke too after the game said the same thing. That beating them in the last minute was better than a 5-0 or a 4-0. It’s more a kick in the guts than a heavy defeat, which, they get time to get, used to the fact it’s happening. The elation they must have felt with 5 left must have been what we were feeling 10 mins latter. From that high to a low and we wished that pain on them and bloody enjoyed the fact they were hurting. We enjoyed the fact that their weekend had just been ruined. That they were locked in and had to put up with us geing them it tight big style.

I mean I didnae know any Hearts fan there, if they passed me in the street today I wouldnae know them from Adam. So why did I want to gloat and goad them so much? The fact there club has this image of being full of gobshites, bad winners, bad losers and their fans- not all I know some that hate a section of their support- for me are wannabes and canny see the bloody wood for the tree’s. Bridesmaid always will be until Romanov sells up and they join Third Lanark.

I wished their current manager who is on sick leave were there on the touchline to see the winner after his antics at Tynie earlier on in the season. I’m glad GS went mental and took to sledging an unknown player Hertz player after the winner, unsure what he was saying but it look like “get it up ye ur not so mouthy noo” I think this is a run on after GS was abused at Tynie during his setanta interview. Hope it was Hartley, the big gobshite.

Glad Craig Gordon gave me a Henry Henry drop the ball moment after his trips upfield a few seasons back for corner kicks, I’m glad Romanov had parked his Russian submarine in the Clyde to see a sicking blow delivered to his team. Blame the ref mate, dinny look for the faults in your team. Time wasting, cheating, playing for a draw gobshites. You nearly got away with it too.

I’m also glad that those who leave the stadium with 10 mins to go missed it as well. You got what you deserved, how many times do we do things like that at home? Still they don’t learn, still they leave usually after shouting abuse at players, missing half the 1st half to get a pie or taking photos or texting on their phones. They won’t have had the same feeling we all had when they heard the roar outside or in their car going up the London Road listening to the radio.

We went mental at the winning goal and after the final whistle. Never seen so much joy and gloating on the way oot the stadium. I left my seat in the gods to make my way doon the stairs when we got the corner. This is oor usual routine due to my cousin having sciatica in his back and the stairs are a pain for him. We move doon closer to the exit and find some seats to watch the end of the game, which is usually no problem. Celtic willnae move us, not even short term.

Anyway, ball across, McManus scalf and it’s in. Cue bedlam I’m jumping around like a loon, the guy sitting next to me looked like giant haystacks picked me up like I was some no mark wrestler, my mobbie smashed oot my pocket onto the floor, much to Mrs G annoyance who says that after the Benfica game will never watch another game with me again, and for a full 5 mins after the goal I was still jumping around.

Left the seat and went right doon the front of the top tier and gave the Hearts fans dogs abuse. Loved the fact they were bouncing around to Johnny Cashs “ Ring Of Fire” thinking victory was there’s and they had been deflated and reduced to getting oot the rid hands and union jacks.

Meet guys from the bus and they were bouncing around in the street. We spoke in raised voices and too fast blabbing aboot, Suttons winner against r*ngers whether that was better and i was told that the only reason I love beating them probably more than I love beating r*ngers is because I’ve been knocked oot twice on the Gorgie road.

Maybe, but over the years I have been privy to a few last minute winners. And have acted the same way whether it was Dundee Utd, Rangers or a few weeks back at Falkirk. Last minute goals make my £450 a season worthwhile if they go oor way. Right I’m embarrassed by the way I reacted. Would have been a divorce case if Mrs G thought I was bad watching the Benfica game on the box. See I’m a nervous watcher of my team, I fidget, get up and doon so when things like Saturday happen I explode as my nerves give way to pure joy.

So instead of releasing my tension by smacking heids I lose it by acting like a big wean. Maybe it’s just as bad, maybe I should grow up but if it happens again this season I will react the same way.

Think I pay for enough for that the privilege.

Hail Hail

The Song Remains The Same.

22 minutes in and the games a bogie. Finished, fineto, damage limitation exercise and another inept European away performance to file away for future reference when oor support gets carried away again. The eagles of Lisboa never lose at home, when they do it’s to teams better than us and they also feel the arses of teams better than us at the Estadio de Luz.

So why did we think that we would go there and get anything other than a shooing? Because we are Celtic, and we seem to forget oor on the road CL failings each these must win encounters come round. To the back of the mind go Rosenburg, Donestk, Porto and Anderlect. In each of the season we have been at fitbaw’s corrupted table we have had a hefty defeat and a damaging performance in at least one of the away games. Why would this season be any different?

Different team different style but same old same old. Guid players failing to turn up perform and basically making it easy for last season ¼ finalist to gain revenge for the lesson they got in Glesga. Two down before we got oor arses in gear and started passing the ball to guys in green and black. You can’t give guid teams two goals a start and expect to come back. You also can’t legislate for bad luck and a freak accident to allow you to go 2 down.

But what you should be able to stop is the other team playing. It was evident that the main Benfica threat came from that leg breaking right back Nelson. His 1st ball in the box caused an own goal and he set up the third. Now we were troubled doon the left hand side all night . Pearson to start with and Naylor had their Capucho and Michael Gray games. They couldnae handle Nelson. GS should have seen this and changed.

So what aboot the rest? In truth we did nothing so bad apart from a few flashes from Benfica we weren’t stretched by any matter of means. Arfur only had one save to make and as GS says that happened when we put on Magic for the blooing oot his arse Sno. Oor main downfall was that we couldn’t keep the bloody ball and oor creative players, oor main honchos were terrible on the night.

It was a collective bad performance. I know Caldwell will get made the scapegoat as he is not Tommy G- who for me made far worse mistakes at Old Trafford- and fans will want him hung drawn and quartered his baws kicked and banished to Coventry or such like. Sheer hypocrisy. Never heard them shouting aboot sending Tommy G back to Madrid. I hear already witch-hunts are being organised and it wouldn’t surprise me to hear his name booed on Saturday when he keeps his place. Oor support is a fickle bunch.

Caldwell was just as bad as Lenny- who again proved that he struggles away from home in Europe- Naylor, Pearo, Telfer, Naka, Miller, Magic, Maloney and all others who didnae turn up to the game. We live in a blame culture, as it’s easy to blame someone else for a collective failing and it’s easy to blame an individual rather than face up to the truth.

If you blame Caldwell for last night then your just as well blaming George Bush, Tony Blair, Maggie Thatcher, Hugh Keevins, me for not going to Lisbao, the beatles for singing octopuses garden, Oasis for be here now as it’s just as ludicrous. Footballers make mistakes, it’s part and parcel of their make up. Every goal comes from a mistake of some sort but as it’s a team game their mates sometimes bail them oot.

If players keep on making mistakes then it’s time for them to move on but Caldwell was only playing in his fourth CL game. Only his 2nd away game in the CL. In both his away games him and Mick have lost 3 goals per game. Just like 5 other away games where we lost 3 goals. Games in which oor defence contained so-called better players. For those shouting for Balde to return remember he played in all those games as well.

The bottom-line is we can’t work oot how to play away from home. We are either a glorious failure or an inept bunch of reprobates who shouldnae be playing at that level. We play with a fear; a lack of belief in oor own ability and that is galling. If we had reached any level of performance we could have got a result or at least made them work for the result. Benfica looked more dangerous at Parkheid than they did last night.

Positives? The performance of Big Mick, to a lesser extent Sno and oor fantastic support that made my hair stand on end with the non-ending Wullie Maley song towards the end of the game. A show of defiance that was appreciated by the Benfica fans who applauded it.

It’s still in oor hands. It will take a bloody big performance against Man Yoo to ensure a point, but really with oor away day record all 3 would be better. Dinnae fancy going to Copenhagen them needing a result to finish 3rd and us with the possibility of finish 2nd 3rd or 4th. Don’t think ma nerves could handle that.

Having looked at it last night was expected. When we looked at the group and fixtures how many thought we would have had 6 points after 4 games? Did we count on getting points from Benfica away from home? Even oor most optimistic supporters, those who today are shouting to sack the board, the manager, the cleaner the club doctor and the wee wimmin who sell the programs would have said Copenhagen was probably oor best chance of getting a point away from home.

The players and manager never over reacted to beating Benfica and I’m sure they won’t panic- unlike some- and over react over a defeat. They will bounce back, we have too much quality not too and we do have mental strength to bounce back. They just need to find the answers to get the results to get the job done in the last 2 match days.

Last night’s results have actually made the group the way I thought it would look at this stage. I didnae think we would be 2nd fancied us to be 3rd with an outside chance of qualifying so are we over achieving and Benfica under achieving? Whatever has happened there is a gale blowing in the ochils and ma tent is getting a bit loose.

Hail Hail