The LOTW Diary- Inversenkie 1 Hoops 2

The Late, Late, Late Show

Why? Can someone tell me why we treat the senkie as if they are bloody Real Madird? I mean they are organised, granted, physically imposing, workmanlike but are so unspectacular it makes the fact that we struggle up their puzzling. The wee boy black apart- now he looks like a player- the rest of the senkie team wisnae look oot of place in a line up for war crimes against fitbaw at the Hague.

In fact they widnae look oot of place in a polis line up for muggers awe, nae teeth, skinheads and tattoos.

But struggle we do and yesterday was no different. Difference was that yesterday we played some no bad fitbaw but the lack of the final ball and a focal point upfront was the main problem. Hard as it was on the senkie it was aboot time we ended their undefeated run in the main cup competition against us and also shut up the assorted meeja men on Sky who took great pleasure in reminding us that “Super Caley went ballistic”

At the final whistle I must admit I was laughing at the coupons of Jim White, Chubby John Robertson- Caley won’t lose this game was the fat jambo’s mantra- and Charlie Nick. The difference from their look of delight at half time to their look of sheer shock at full time was worth the wait.

The Last Chance Saloon.

Now, after oor no bad opening in which Jaro looked like a fitbawer before disappearing from view, the fact that we only had one centre forward, whom at a push is the most unnatural centre forward on oor books, and a system which allowed the midfield to swap at will looked to be a guid call from GS.

The senkie goal put paid to oor good work but, as usual, we never deviated from the game plan, which at 1-0 doon and not creating chances is frustrating. We keep the ball, we probe and we get ourselves in great positions but the final ball was letting us doon.

At 1-0 doon you want urgency or you start to look to the bench for someone to change it. Yesterday as wie Milano we had not one striker available who has had 1st team game time. The shuffling of the deck had to come from out the box thinking and a few hail Mary’s being said by Tommy Burns if they were to come of.

This was where GS got lucky.

The fact that we scored two goals shouldnae over look the fact that when Aiden replaced Jaro we were chasing the game with only one forward one the field. The fact that wie 20 minutes left he went one up front wie the hope that Naka and Aiden would support from wide.

Also that when this change happened Evander Sno and not Paul Hartley had been pushed into a more advanced position. In fact Hartley was the deepest lying midfielder who replaced Lenny in the joab of taking the ball from Elvis and Mick deep inside oor ain half.

Now while Sno is slightly more, ahem, forward thinking than Lenny, he is not an attacking midfielder.

The 2nd last throw of the dice came when the untried and unheard of Cillian Sheridan came on for Mark Wilson thus shoving Hartley to right back. Sheridan gave Millar a partner but the fact remains that we had 10 minutes when the team was tactically a shambles.

Maybe oor possession play deserved a slice of luck and a replay but as a coach I don’t think GS will look back on this one with any fondness or inclining that he was a tactical genius to pull of the escape.

The Final Ball.

Our guid possession play was undone by shocking wing play from the 2 full backs. Mark Wilson seems to be feeling his way back into the game after a serious injury while Lee Naylor seems to be going from one offensive mare to another.

His delivery was terrible and barely got by the 1st man all game. The guy is solid enough in defence but what set him apart was his crossing ability and rampaging overlaps that were so prominent in his early hoops career.

Lack of confidence maybe? But one thing’s for sure his performances have slipped to a droppable level. His early promise and arrogance, which he radiated when he signed has gave way to, by the look of it, under pressure performances and a look of a man struggling to come to terms wie his surroundings.

When speaking to a fellow Hoop last week I mentioned that I thought Naylor had been a guid signing but what the hoop said was very true. He said it’s ok doing it for 3 months but at Celtic you need to do it for 3 years before you can be judged as a success or not.

No S*rrender

The two goals yesterday that sent the hoop hoards bouncing back doon the A9, carry oots and chips in tow, were defiantly had made in Govan stamped all over them. Not that we cared and not that Elvis and Kenny Millar care that they used to frequent the dark side.

The way both were celebrated by the players, wie all the badge thumping, clenched fists and jumping into the crowd verve of a life long ginger heided, skinny and freckled Tim who attended the correct skool and still goes to chapel.

While again it’s maybe just me, but I found and find the badge thumping a bit naff, I love it really as in the boozer after the game and today at work the gers are beilin that two former dirties got us oot a hole and they bloody enjoyed it.

As I said Kenny and Elvis are on the road to redemption…

Iversenkie Polis Hate the Hoops

Again another late winner and again another jump into the crowd celebration. The wee stand at the Tulloch stadium seems to have a big walkway doon the front. The lateness of the equaliser and winner caused a mass gathering of celebrating hoops doon the front in the walkway. Who could blame them, they fancied a bit of a dance didn’t they?

Anyway, when Miller jumped in the crowd a move, which 20 minutes before would have saw him lynched by the same supporters, the stewards and polis moved quickly to defuse the situation. Celebrating wie yer own fans is not allowed roond oor way I’m sure the big coo pie-eating Sergeant was thinking.

So in he steamed and pulled poor Kenny oot. C’mon mate, oor Kenny canny hit a coo wie a banjo and is low on confidence, he scores a peach of a goal and needed a hug from his devoted following to show him that we believed that he was a top drawer striker.

Nah, a booking and from the officish ref and clot roond the ear by Pc Murdoch was the order of the day.

Up For The Cup Still….

Can you hear the drums Fernando? Maybe not but we can all hear and see the spookily reminiscent of the centenary year mob when comebacks and late winners were the norm. some say we were lucky, yes but you need luck in fitbaw and the amount of times we have came back from the deid is a testament to the spirit of the players.

It’s maybe more doon to the quality of individual rather than luck. Yesterday’s equaliser came from a decent set piece swung into the box from a quality player. Again the second was great build up play- involving Naka and Tommy G who added a bit of pace to the middle when he came on- and a smart finish.

The amount of ball we had, we were eventually going to get a chance. The lack of the final ball is a worry but the return of oor injured parties I think should mean we will have targets to hit and options in the final third rather than the one pass to many or sideways display we had yesterday.

Patience is a virtue, which has been drilled into this team while it is frustrating you have to admire that we dinny panic. Well the players that is, us the fans are hiding behind couches up and doon the land. If we had got beat I still would have said it was a no bad performance but lacking the killer instinct doon to the fact we lacked a decent delivery.

But at least we got two decent deliveries at the end of the day.

Forza The Hoops, who like to keep us sweating