Celtic took care of business yesterday with a 3-0 win over St. Mirren. Goals from Stefan Johansen, Leigh Griffiths and Anthony Stokes put the hoops within four points of the title, which could yet be won at Firhill on Wednesday if Aberdeen drop points on Tuesday.
The Norwegian Johansen was delighted to get his first goal for his new club;
“It was a great ball in from Leigh and I managed to put my head to it but I´m just delighted to get my first Celtic goal. It´s so important for me to start scoring.
“I´m a midfield player and usually you expect the strikers to score all the goals but it´s important to support them by contributing with a few.”
“The first half was not as good as it could have been but the second was great,”
He’s right there. St. Mirren made it difficult-as teams have this season on more than one occasion, and often the scorelines don’t always reflect the way the game went. Yesterdays was bizarre in that Celtic could have had six or seven, but St. Mirren could have had a few as well.
Manager Neil Lennon was happy enough, though;
“It’s just all about us now getting over the line as quickly as we can,” Lennon told Radio Scotland
“I’m very pleased again. I thought, second half, we were terrific.
“The only criticism was we were a bit wasteful in front of goal, otherwise the score would’ve been a lot more impressive,” he added. “We missed a couple of good chances but, second half I thought we dominated the game. We’re playing some really good attacking football.”
“It could have been anything today. We had three goals disallowed and two shots cleared off the line. ”
There was a suspicion about one of the officials.
Good to see the referees getting their eye in for when whichever club rises from the ashes of the various Rangers offshoots
He decided not to mention the first half, where Celtic were sluggish, and a better team, taking their chances, would have punished his charges.
The lesson are there from the past, in fact Lennon himself reminded us of the time we went to Inverness in 2011 and lost, which eventually meant losing the title to old Rangers, which shows it still rankles, even as he approaches a third consecutive league win;
“Looking back, it should have been four,” he said last night. “That first season we went up to Inverness in midweek and lost to them after having already done the majority of the donkey work.
“Then we drew at Ibrox and ended as runners-up when, if we’d kept our focus and our consistency, we’d have won the league. So regardless about what people may say about Rangers not having been here for the last two seasons, in the two before that we picked up 92 and 93 points so we have been very consistency. ”
Maybe it will all come together next year.
It would if we had another dozen players with the attitude of Emilio Izzaguerre;
“I will be happy when the title comes, but a bit sad because we couldn’t get the cups as well. We will work hard on that for next year”
“I don’t rest at all, so I will be ready for the World Cup and then after that I will be ready for champions league qualifying.”
“I don’t enjoy holidays. I am happiest when I am with my family and I see them every afternoon. Football is my life.”
These days, its refreshing to find a player who is happy with what he’s got and not motivated by money or fame. You have to love the wee guy.
Maybe it will come together after all.
Even if it doesn’t, though, he’s already getting his excuses in, much to the delight of Mark Guidi in the Sunday Mail;
Celtic boss Neil Lennon says finances could make
it hard for him to compete for players in the
transfer market
“We have an extensive list of players we want to look at.
“Affordability is obviously the crux of it. I don’t think things are going to change that much in that respect. I have been looking for players in the Championship but value for money isn’t there so we are looking elsewhere.
This is the key point. Lennon simply doesn’t think the players on offer are worth the money they want. which isn’t the same as not being able to afford them.
“Championship teams are finding it hard as well and with the Premier League on their doorstep they’ll be looking for decent money – certainly at times more than we would be willing to pay.
Only a fool would pay huge sums just for the sake of paying the, and the term for such a fool is “EPL manager ” Thats why most of their clubs, despite bringing in vast sums of money, are in heavy debt. It won’t last forever.
“The price currently would be three to four million and you are never guaranteed they are going to be successful. Although the British players here in my time have done very well.
“I have to accept that’s where we are. Sometimes it’s difficult, sometimes it’s frustrating but I totally understand it. It’s not always going to be that way but in the short term that’s how we have to strategise.
“If we don’t have Champions League football we’re going to have to sell one of our better players anyway, just to keep things afloat.”
Which sounds like a barbed threat to Lawwell to make sure business is actually done swiftly, and this time we swallow our pride and perhaps do pay above the odds for what we need.
With the old tin hat firmly on, though, I don’t think major surgery is required. Just a wee tweak here and there.
Stokes and Griffiths are beginning to build an understanding, Johansen and Bitton have looked the part. The only real worry is if we lose any of the defenders, who are the best-as a unit- we have seen at Celtic Park for decades.
Meanwhile, multi faced Ibrox boss Ally McCoist has given another example of what a truly horrible piece of work he really is. With a semi final against Dundee United just a few weeks ahead, he has decided to comment on young Gavin gunnings future, before telling us that it would be wrong to do so.
“I like Gunning as a player. Any footballer has to look after his family and, if there are question marks over finance, and let’s be honest there have been at our place, it does become an issue.
Except when their names are Alan MacGregor, Steven Naismith or any of the others who looked after their families because of concerns over finances. As in the club club they played for had just gone out of business.
“I can honestly understand his concern because, as you know, we have been in administration, liquidation, bank loans… it’s only natural.
Actually, they haven’t. Though the emergency loan the other week is a sign they will be soon.
“Gavin is a good player that is out of contract but, with the semi-final coming up, it would be totally wrong of me to start commenting on Dundee United players.”
“I wouldn’t comment at all on players at other clubs because it’s not fair to do that,” he elaborated, “I have spoken to two players. I can’t give you names but that’s where we are at the moment. The unfortunate position we are in is that we can’t offer anyone anything.
But he spoke to them anyway ? Reality is just something that happens to other people where McCoist is concerned.
“That’s not ideal but we will continue to do our homework and prepare to move when we can.”
The only move that he’ll be making is a very quick one along Edmiston Drive when his staunch support finally realise how much he has fleeced them.
Which is a lot.
Theres an interesting article in the Irish Independent, penned by Peter Geoghegan , for those of you who like your history, which loosely discusses the poppy issue, but also pays tribute to the Celts who went off to battle in the Great War.
Get yourself a coffee and have a read; And make me one.
Elsewhere, the Better Together campaign suffered a major setback last night when a light bulb at one of their meetings went out. Nobody would replace it, because even though it would have made everything a lot easier and everywhere a lot brighter, they are reluctant to risk change.
There was controversy during an English game yesterday, when referee Andre Marriner sent off the wrong player during Chelseas 6-0 rout of Arsenal.
He will be appointed head of the SFA Referee committee on Monday, a spokesman said;
” We are going to need a lot of guys like him soon. ”
March 22 1958 , Celtic 4, Airdrie 2. The last appearance of Sean Fallon for Celtic.
That was him in yesterdays picture, with a list of the injuries he had whilst in the hoops. There is no equivalent list of injuries other players got when they tried to intimidate or bully him.
Today we have a legendary player in a different environment. Who is it ?
Bobby Collins?
Bobby Collins for me too
It does look like The Wee Barra.
That there is John Greig who was sent into the bowels of the earth to find Craig Whytes fabled “Warchest” on the mudflats below the Erskine Bridge.
McCoisht is the other chap his EBT is in the Barra.
“As of yet there is nothing further to report” said Greig.
“But no matter how deep we will just keep digging the hole we are in added McCoisht”
I don’t buy the line that we blew the league in 2011. We amassed a huge haul of points that would’ve won the league in most seasons.
The reason we lost the league is that Rangers (deceased) bought a player (Jelavic) they couldn’t afford and never actually paid for and he bagged them countless points.
And they were staring into a financial abyss which would have seen any normal business downsize. They should have been selling off the rest of the squad whose wages were unaffordable and repaying the debt they ended up running away from.
We lost the league after selling McGeady & Fortune, allowing our loan players to leave without re-signing any of them and signing cheaper replacements. We played fair, they didn’t. They cheated, won the league and were allowed to keep it. That is what rankles!
Craiginho
This! 🙂
Bang on, but we should have beaten ICT. However they (Oldco) should have been no where near us, and when u look at w player of Jelavic’s quality and the contribution he made its just one of many examples of the ‘sporting advantage’ they clearly gained from their financial cheating. Yet they got away with it. Daylight robbery in front of millions of witnesses plus confessions yet a judge still rules in their favour.
People still forget that they’ve not been puns
*punished for any of this!
I don’t like to see players throwing their arms up in the air, and flapping them about in disgust, if they think they should have received a pass. Encouragement is better than being critical, especially on the pitch. For me, it’s a little glimpse that everything might not be that rosy between the front three. HH
Commons and Stokes could win Olympic Medals if Arms in the Air in Despair was a sport Skoosh.
I would not be too bothered but those two are both guilty of making poor choices whilst in possession of the ball.
Stokes can be greedy whilst Commons loses the ball too much with a poor first touch more often than not.
I agree totally it breeds nothing more than resentment in a team.
A bit of encouragement can work wonders…Didier Agathe was a prime example of what positive encouragement can achieve.
” The Wee Barra ” – Bobby Collins.
P.S. McCoist is a tool!
Why should players sign for Lennon while players sign on for 3-4 years what does Lennon do puts a player on the bench plays him and he doesn’t want to play for us.
The directors should be saying to Lennon don’t even let that guy train with first team never mind helping him get ready for the World Cup tell him to piss off spoiled my day yesterday when I saw him trotting onto the park and with the amount of booing I wasn’t the only one.
Buckie
I am sure that was not the case several months ago. But I do think he should not even have a track suit now. If players no longer want to play for Celtic they know how to get out, through the door they came in. I do think there are signs of the Lennon “favourites’ clique” in this.
H H
“That guy”Has given Celtic 6 years service,Scored vital goals for us both in Europe and on the Domestic front and done so with the boo bhoys on and of his back all the while Buckie.
He has dropped down the pecking order due to the fact he is probably going to leave (having fulfilled his contract obligations to a T)sat on the bench patiently and when called upon at the weekend came on and supplied the kind of final ball we have all been used to from him for years resulting in a goal.
He should have been sold in January but obviously Neil and the Board think he deserves an easy ride for his almost perfect Service to our Club.
Yes his form has been hot and cold throughout but his attitude for me has always been professional and polite.
Good luck to him I say and thanks for the memories Sammy.
http://youtu.be/jkXxvUxFkSo
Is it Cole Porter ?
OK , I’ll get my coat.
Colins minor!
Wait for me SM.
H H
Ralph
Two goes with less about six lines and he still bins it.
Let’s see if third time lucky or if he just doesn’t like me.
H H
I wonder who he thought I was this time!!
H H
Yes , Neil Lennon is quite right when he says this should have been Four in a Row. However , I don’t see him putting his hand up and admitting his team selection for the game at Inverness was shocking especially as all that was required was a draw. I agree with some of the comments made by Craiginho but it was still within our grasp. If he had played Charlie Mulgrew wide left like he had done against old Rangers we would now be about to celebrate Four in a Row ! Neil’s team selections and substitutions are quite bizarre at times and had he not been too stubborn and proud to have an ” old heid ” ( such as Davie Hay ) alongside him perhaps this would have improved.