Celtic are ninety minutes away from a twelfth consecutive domestic trophy.
Think about that for a moment, as even those of us who have been spoilt and know only this particular period of success need to let that sink in.
It’s a phenomenal achievement, unprecedented anywhere in the world, and it’s not over yet.
As Neil Lennon said;
…to question whether this Celtic side has any character is and always has been foolish. It’s also totally disrespectful to a side who have won 11 consecutive domestic competitions.
There will come a time when that ends, but it won’t come from a lack of belief/character/personality or whatever else you want to label it.
These players, their focus, desire and will to win is one of the best I’ve ever seen. They’re achieving greatness as they go along and sometimes that gets a bit overlooked at times.”
The 2-0 win over Aberdeen was the proverbial game of two halves, with the hoops finding something like their true style and speed from the off, overwhelming any resistance put up by the dons, and the two quick goals put an end to the game as a competition, so with the second half seeing a distinct drop in tempo we shouldn’t really be surprised.
The adrenaline had to an extent been used up, but it had been used effectively.
We can now look forward to a Cup final on December 20 against Hearts, and knowing how these things turn out, an inspired Craig Gordon showing us what we’re missing.
But thats for another day.
Right now, we can look back on a few days where Celtic started to remember what they are capable of, and adjust their working day to suit.
Character is needed at this level, especially when even your own are criticising , and there were a few little things that seem to have of not made the difference, certainly made a contribution to the difference.
Shane Duffy had a good game.
No, Shane Duffy had a really good game, and that may in part be down to the manager taking him to one side recently and having a heart to heart, as he called it.
At the start of the second half, the Aberdeen players were out early, and the tv camera went into the tunnel to show us the Celtic players, who were all together, all looking mean , moody and magnificent.
Ajeti and Griffiths clapping each other on the shoulder before entering the fray, another sign that the wagons are being circled.
Suddenly, everyone is pulling for everyone else, and whatever crisis was looming has passed…
We still have a lot to do, of course, a job made an awful lot more difficult by a refereeing circle determined to do their bit for their cause.
Off the field, Douglas Ross could be in trouble for putting a picture of him in referee uniform on a political pamphlet..though why he thought that would help his cause is baffling…as UEFA and FIFA forbid any kind of political/sporting links, which could lead to his suspension after investigation.
Yesterday we saw some bizarre decisions from don Robertson, including the right hook to Tom Rogic from Lewis Ferguson , which went unpunished…
https://twitter.com/i/status/1322983961413488642
Tom Rogic was fouled repeatedly yesterday, and this needs to be mentioned by the club. Whilst it will provoke comment about whinging and moaning in the media, they do have a duty of care to their players, and allowing them to be subject to assault and battery is a dereliction of that duty.
Mind you, there’s always Diego Laxalt, who whilst looking like butter wouldn;t melt in is mouth , has a touch of the Davie Hay about him.
Speaking of referees, who had James Tavernier to score at any time from the spot yesterday at the bookies ?
Come on, Andrew Dallas was the referee. He’d have just kept awarding them until Tav (pen ) scored one…
Next Sunday, yet again this season, Dallas takes charge of the Motherwell-Celtic game, and rarely has one man had such an influence on a league title race.
Indeed, the tactic favoured by referees of early Celtic bookings and breaking up play could see a six point turnaround if Dallas gets his way, and in order to highlight this, get your money on a Motherwell penalty….or find out who takes them and do an any time score bet.
Unusual betting patterns flag up beyond Scotland….
Imagine of thousands of Far Eastern dollars suddenly appeared alongside this possibility…
For no, though, we can relax a bit.
The players have got a huge chunk of their mojo back, and that means everyone else should watch out.
On Friday, we had this…..
Puggy 67
Would I have been Celtic’s mascot longer if I had been a polar bear ? I think I would..
Today..
Celtic doing what they should be doing shocker!!! So the big reason for yesterday was our formation and the other, key players being back, fine, brilliant but can the manager and coaching staff please remember that when we do have the inevitable injuries instead of the playground stuff we saw against the huns? The team and staff will only redeem themselves in my book if they go out n win every league game until the end of the season until then I don’t care about trebles n quadruple trebles.
Surely the reason we lost yesterday is the players didn’t try a leg, the ref gave them three penalties, Lenny has lost the dressing room,Brown is finished, Lawwell didn’t make money available to bring in class. We have to put up with Laxalt, Duffy (good blocks and clearances) Mo, and maybe the Keeper. You are maybe only two defeats away from a crisis at Elric or one victory away from a quadruple treble!r
Pish
“Celtic doing what they should be doing” is a good return to form, as we’ve patently not being performing well for large parts of this season but 2nd half Milan, Lille and yesterday show that things are improving.
We don’t need and won’t win every game from now on but we don’t need to, we need to make up an effective 3 points gap.
The bad news is that the Huns won another tough away game so it looks like they’re going to drop few points to the others.
This means that the head to heads could become crucial and we need to improve our performances in these from the last 3 games.
Good Diary Ralph, but it is the Celtic supporters right to call out when things just don’t seem right.
Now here is my most favourite Celtic player ever, the best left back that walked on this planet, no question, he may have looked like Danny Kaye, but he was no caricature of a player. Tommy Gemmell and me, had a passing aquaintance, we passed each other most weeks down the aisle of the Stirling Tesco, with a nod and a smile sometimes a laugh as we picked up the same biscuit packet. Tommy scored in two European Cup Finals and in the final of the World Club Championship, we idolised Tommy, one of the saddest days in my life was watching him and his family pass me by when his funeral cortege went up the Celtic way on his way to Daldowie Cemetery. We will always remember our cheery chappy. Tommy Gemmell – 16th. October 1943 – 2nd. March 2017. RIP.
# Lisbon Lions.
In the 39 steps, one of its characters was Mr. Memory, Tommy was Mr. Velocity, in that he struck the ball with such force goalkeepers had no chance of stopping it. The ‘cut back’ was then one of big Jocks tactics to score goals and to suprise teams with his newly thought out plays. To this day, many teams employ the ‘cut back’ from inside a packed box back to the, just outside the perimeter of the box for a player to strike at the goal. The team was well versed in this method of scoring. When you think that our right footed left back (Tommy) was our attacking full back, with Bobby Murdoch in front of him, then you realise just how talented and strong the ‘Lions’ team was down both its left and right hand side. I always thought that one of big Jocks many talents was in recognising the strengths of his players and in what position that they should play, he constantly changed players from their recognised positions into another position, inside forwards into midfielders (Bobby) right backs into left backs (Tommy) and others. ‘There’s not a team like the Glasgow Celtic, no not one, no not one’.
Do not though,Aussies do it better.
It was Ajeti getting a forearm smash in that clip, surprise surprise the hun didn’t see anything wrong.
And it was shown on sportscene and not a whisper about it. If Celtic had retaliated, even later, straight red Hope Duffy gives him a slap under the stands out of sight, but we’re not thugs. Surely Lawwell will send a copy to the useless, corrupt SFA and UEFA. HH!
No he won’t, we all know he won’t because he never has.
I’m now certain that Lawwell’s failure to protect his playing staff and club from thuggery, bigotry and blatant cheating form the referees is the reason so many players wanted to leave earlier in the season.
The Celtic PLC have never defended their players nor our club from all this, Kieran Tierney’s testimony to being played even when he couldn’t get out of bed that morning for the pain is testimony to the u caring unprofessional attitude behind the scenes at Celtic Park.
Lawwell & Desmond have done nothing for our club except maybe share a few handshakes at the signing of the 5 Way Agreement in exchange for what we’re witnessing now.
And who knows when that deal expires but I doubt it will allow us to get the Ten.
And Peter will come out all smarmy and say ‘But we won a quadruple Treble, you can’t win em all’ and the fans will get back in their boxes as usual and suck up whatever garbage we’ll be fed down the next decade with the jeers and mockery of the Sevvie ringing in our ears forever as they sing about how we ‘bottled’ The Ten and Lenny the man the board will pin that failure on while they sail off into the sunset on Dermot’s yacht laughing their balls off at just how much they made off us and how nobody noticed or even cared, so long as we beat the tribute act.
He won’t.
He never has.
(Longer comment Awaiting Approval’ which likely means we’ll never see it again.)
Caption; Hey …stop horsing around we have a race in 5 minutes…I also feel this could be the turning point of the season. HAIL HAIL
‘Tavernier, will you get off of there!’ ‘No chance gerrard, I’ll come doon after moreless dives and dallas gives the pen.’
Caption: Fuck your Honda Civic I’ve a horse outside
Sadly after Covid there was nae mare holidays abroad
Caption: New Cala Development at Shergar Circuit, Cambuslang.
The rolled up trouser and sash mob will do anything to stop Celtic, the refereeing yesterday by Robertson allowed Ferguson to run about assaulting people. As for penalties for the sons of William says it all when you look at how many goals Tavernier has scored this season. It was not an outstanding performance yesterday but solid, all of the team made a contribution, especially Roguc and Laxalt who gets better every time you watch him. Loved the looks on the faces of the Hun munchers whi we’re convinced wee Deeks would turn over Celtic, as for the Billy Boys Club they were bealing.
Caption
Slippy prepares his escape plan
Caption……..
We’ll see what that prick Zorro thinks when I land on his napper for a change.
Caption, Skylark, the original one trick pony.
Caption:
New starting gate trials encounter teething problems
Have you seen the new Neighnour
My observations on yesterdays game: Relief, relieved that Ntcham was on the bench and that Tom Rogic was back playing, relieved that he was not sold a few weeks back. Relief that players had shrugged off illness and injury and were back playing in the team. Relieved that Boli was gone and that we had Diego Laxalt who put in a tremendous shift and has surely made the left back position his own. Relieved that the team had its mojo back and that Oddsonne was back up front leading the line. Relieved to see two cracking goals and that the defence looked more solid than it had before. Relieved that all of the players escaped without injury after some horrendous tackles, what can you say about that shocking Mib that hasn’t been said before, incompetent seems far too lenient. Relieved for Lennon that he got the right result, relief at his change of shape and that he too seemed to be more engaged with the players. So now we move on with confidence restored, looking forward to seeing our team getting better and better. COYBIG. H.H. KTF. AND MON THE HOOPS.
Caption: ‘Well, ye told me to “pony up”, so…….’
Rodeo, Rodeo, whereforth art thou Rodeo
CAPTION: Neeeiiigh, a still canny see them coming!
Filter stuck to a dry lip.
There you are. Sweet,that weather.
Story.
Enjoy.
Caption…
fur fecks sake , See next time Sammy is sent to pick up ,show him what a bag of horse looks like…
Nir is from Perth.
Tam,last cab to Celtic.
Jam.
In-between the posts.
Palm down. My fault.
Tom Rogic is class.
Tic Toc, tried to reply yesterday but – surprise, surprise – post disappeared. As I’ve already told Duncan and others who were worried about him, charlie is okay but can’t get on the new ‘improved’ site for some reason. He says it won’t accept his email address. He’s a loss to the diary as he was always optimistic even in the days after a defeat.
For the umpteenth time and the umpteenth poster will someone SORT OUT THIS F*CKING SITE before we all die!
It’s like waiting for Ralph to deliver a parcel.
I have asked this several times too Arsene but didn’t want to risk the tag of ‘nagging wumin’ so gave up. Perhaps Ralph & co may have more free time during lockdown to address the issue! Hope you’re keeping well – lots of love xx
You just replied to Christina, Jimbo.
But the site is in serious need of repair before it falls apart.
This with knobs on!
Caption: If you think this new layout is an improvement, yer ‘orse is oot the windae.
Tried to vote this up my love but it voted down – sorrreeee!! Hope all fine with you xx
RSP, I’ve just seen this and thanks for letting us on here know that.
Aye, charlie is a real loss on here, but just really glad to hear he’s well.
He’ll find a way to get posting again and his exuberance and wit will be most welcome!
HH
FC not PLC
Try a new email account
2 nil with six there on the line. Miracle.
RIP Sean.
…seemingly.
Broony usually scores against thy Hearts.
Open punishment.
We shall not…
Final, look at his right haund.
Bonus at Hampden, nae that whistler in the crowd.
Woodwork final!
Is he no a tropical salt water Angel, referee Willie Collum?
Lewis`ll see Red.
Till the end Steven Naismith. Protect hymn.
Maybe though, Ntcham can still somersault? 17m and a trick.
Bain went bonkers.
When was the last time you seen a keeper with a bloody heid?
thiv awe goat heids
Don`t stop and complain to a Scottish referee ,put the ball through him.
And one player to follow him around where he goes.
Back to should`ve been a good idea.
Left is sweet.
Melbourne Cup… Master of Reality…can make amends.
Caption: Mr Hull, can you not fix your own Aerial?
Tough opponents.
Is that Kris Commons away to arse again?
Could be but should not let be in the box.
Jockey a quicker player goal side. Day on there the line.
Caption “What’s that you say, Mr Ed, Celtic in another Final? Just Champion”
“Aw this shoutin fur Lennon’s heid his made me hoarse”.
Caption:
Oh good, that must mean the lift’s working again
who gives a flying if Johnny Depps wife is a nut job?
Can you not just fvck off somewhere?
and when s/he gets there s/he should fvck off there too.
Caption
Horse gets to keep head at Shane Duffy’s apartment after Celtic progress to Scottish Cup Final.
Caption (one for the kids to google) A horse is a horse, of course, of course, And no one can talk to a horse of course That is, of course, unless the horse is the famous Mr. Edouard
That horse is called Riding Their Luck and is the one the Huns have been using for quite a while.Game after game,desperate defending and penalties.
Loved the picture that showed Broonie and Calmac laughing at FergieHun ‘s dire shot which still hasn’t landed.
P.S.As Mr.Parcelle states,come on Ralph,even before this new set up some posts never appeared and others had to be lifted from the trash by D.Mond.Now,it’s even worse.If you don’t do a diary for days,it takes days for posts to appear.What is the problem?Is it the manager’s fault?
P.P.P.Told you we would have a Cup Final to look forward to…..
What do you mean logging on?
I can access the site fine today but wouldn’t have been on yesterday.