Top Of The World.

“Look Maw, I’m top of the world,” said some gadge in some film that I canny remember. But tonight the hoops could be top of the world well, top of a Champions League group for keeps. Qualified for the last 16 as GROUP winners. Stick that in yer pipe and smoke it all members of the fourth estate.

Obliviously if it did happen then the achievement would be talked doon. Just like us qualifying has been talked doon and all the focus stuck on oor dreadful LLLLLLLLDLL CL away day record. It really it is a record that we should be worrying aboot as well. But tonight presents an opportunity to put it right without ANY pressure on us whatsoever.

Bet yer all today quite calm. No sweaty palms or plans to hid behind the couch for 90 mins? The nervous-ness that punctuated the build up to the Man U game has gone. That game produced the type of nerves no seen round oor way since a trip to Boavista. But I canny believe that it is already 2 weeks from that night.

Two weeks since scenes of joy, emotion and mental-ness that sums up CP on a European night. Shut ma eyes I can still see the reaction after Arfur’s pen save and I can still see the stadium’s final rousing walk on after the final whistle. Hell, ma hairs on the back of ma neck are standing up just typing this. Nights like that make us greedy for more. That night was a benchmark atmosphere just as the eagles of Lisboa gubbing at CP is this teams benchmark performance in Europe.

And one we are hoping they can reach again.

The joy of qualifying has been tempered by oor own want and greed to win the group. We want more and maybe some are writing off a Copenhagen side that are undefeated at home in Europe this season. Some believe the fact that we have qualified has turned this game into a easy coefficient boosting victory and one that the hoopy hoards are turning up to paarrrrrty at.

Oor CL away record of LLLLLLLLDLL should dispel those notions. This is another chance to right some of the wrongs that have been made by the players on and the management- old and new- off the park. If GS sets up oor stall correctly tonight then we should be guid for at least a point.

He will have to match the physical nature of the Danish beast. Which may mean a reprieve for Jaro as he could move to his favoured midfield position also could we see a performance from the Gravedigger Gravesen in his home country? Surely the press intrusion both from the Scottish and Danish meeja should spur him on to bring home the bacon?

Pace should trouble the lumbering oafs at the back of the Danes defence. Probably set up for a magic and miller combo with Naka or Aiden adding a spicy topping to the mix. Whatever happens these players have already marked their presence in the history of the club by qualifying but do they want more? Are they up for ending oor dreadful run?

What price will another defeat come as? More chance for the outside world to derive us a flash in the pan and lucky. Maybe the players will then start believing the press line that it is all in the mind. That we freeze away from home. That we are bottle merchants outside the home comforts of CP.

Defeat tonight is no disgrace but the manner of the defeat could be more damaging. A performance and a defeat maybe trotting oot the old hard luck stories then maybe we can look to the luck factor and the fact that we don’t get nane. But then did that not change when Arfur saved Saha’s penalty?

A good hiding and another going over away from home then we will be asking questions again. GS goes on aboot preparation and making sure the players are in the right mindset, well tonight is a test of that. It’s also aboot GS getting his decision making right and fortunately for him and us he has been spot on recently.

There is a lot riding on tonight and for me it’s not aboot who we get in the next round. It’s aboot whether we are making progress and learning from past errors.

FORZA THE HOOPS