Celtic Diary Saturday August 2 : That Was Some Game In 67

Common sense has prevailed at Celtic with manager Ronny Deila opting to keep all the first team in Glasgow-bar Efe Ambrose , Teemu Pukki and Amido Balde, ahead of next weeks assault on Polish side Legia Warsaw.

The rest of them, under the watchful eye of his number two John Collins, are in Helsinki to face Tottenham in a friendly which is available on Celtic TV and wherever else you can find it later on.

Celtic have played Tottenham a number of times over the years, but none come close to matching the 3-3 draw at Hampden in august 1967 for quality, in front of an incredible 91,000 fans;

‘NOT SO MUCH A FRIENDLY……..MORE OF A CLASSIC!’

Glasgow Celtic 3 Tottenham Hotspur 3 

Jimmy Greaves opened the scoring after thirty seconds which was an early indication of what was to come. Celtic were ahead by the 20th minute as they played some of the classic, cultured football which had brought the previous season’s European success. Celtic were now in control but Spurs came back strongly in the last fifteen minutes of the half and Alan Gilzean had them level before half-time. Greaves restored Tottenham’s lead four minutes after the interval but Celtic pulled them back again on the hour. Pat Jennings had an uncomfortable afternoon having difficulty with Celtic’s powerful shooting from distance and questions could be asked about all of the goals that he conceded.

In a barnstorming finish, Celtic should have won the game in the last twenty minutes as they hit the post, hit the bar and saw a goal bound shot hit Cyril Knowles on the head and rebound to safety. 

Thats from a Spurs website, taken from a newspaper of the time, and theres a highlights video here…

Tottenham v Celtic 1967

Assistant boss Collins , who yesterday claimed Celtic wouldn’t make any panic buys in the wake of the Warsaw collapse, explained the reasons for taking a shadow squad to Finland;

“This is squeezed between the two big games so it wouldn’t have been wise to bring the first team out.

“They’re resting and preparing for Wednesday.”

And he showed a wee bit of support for his beleagured chief as well, which was nice;

“I don’t think you can write any manager off after one game.

“I know how hysterical people can be but Ronny will be fine, don’t worry.”  

Looking ahead to the return, and the task involved, Collins continued;

“It was a disappointment of course but It’s only half-time,We have goalscorers in the team and I’m sure we will create plenty chances and we just have to take them and keep it tight at the back. It will be a different ball game at home.

“The home fans will get behind us, and if we get an early goal it will light up the stadium and give us energy – that’s the target. 

An early goal ? Like in the first game ?

“It’s been done many times and hopefully it can be done again. That’s the target. We have to think positive. We know we can play better and we have good players and goalscorers.

“We don’t need any extra motivation. We have to turn around a 4-1 deficit. The players know what is at stake, so do we.

“They will go there and give it everything – I have no doubt that they will give it absolutely everything we have got. If we play as well as we are capable of then we will create chances.

“We have all been in situations where matches haven’t gone our way, but as a manager, coach or player you look forward to the next game and try and put it right.

“First and foremost we are looking forward to today’s game and Wednesday where we will look to put in a good performance and get a result.

“We have to dust ourselves down and get ready for Wednesday. We know it’s a big task but with a good support cheering us on – which we know will happen – we have to respond to that, come out the blocks, play at a high tempo and put them under pressure.”

Collins then moved his attention to the game today, and made it clear that it was a chance for the young lads involved to stake a claim for the first team;

“It’s a big game, we have a young squad and all the young boys are excited to be here and play against Spurs,” he said. “We will take the positive view from the game – they will be getting great experience against a top team and that’s the challenge.

“It’s an opportunity for the young players to show me and the manager that they are ready for the first team. There won’t be any motivation required from a team talk.

“As soon as they step out on the pitch and see their opponents they will be fired up. It’s about believing in themselves and having no fear. This is how you learn your trade – against good players and good teams, and I’m looking forward to seeing the young boys in action.”

“The senior players will also be important in helping the young boys through the early stages of the match,” 

 I can’t shake this feeling that Deila and Collins have an attitude of superiority towards the players, and have adopted a schoolteacher mentality. Its good that the players are being allowed to rest ahead of Wednesday, but theres no need to overdo the training.

 Surely just telling them that they got us into this mess, so they need to get us out of it should be incentive enough ? You treat people like kids, and thats how they’ll behave.

Such as when Leigh Griffiths was showing off his new trainers.

Which gives the papers something to harp on about. Well, something else to harp on about.

 New signing Jo Inge Berget hasn’t gone to Finland. Despite only playing a couple of times in the last few years he obviously needs a rest as well. Its too early to judge him, and too unfair to criticise him, but maybe save him for the crucial upcoming League Cup games, and not the pressure of the Murrayfield encounter.

 Former Celtic keeper Artur Boruc is a surprise target for Bayern Munich, who are seeking a deputy for World Cup winner Manuel Neuer , which in turn would open up a position for Fraser Forster, should he choose to have Southampton as his next employer. Southampton, not the first people to find after a summer break that someone from Liverpool is away with all their valuables, seem to be confident of getting their man.

 They need to. The last time so many people left that place the boat hit an iceberg.

 With several players reportedly restless, Deilas task on Wednesday is even harder. Does he use players who appear to have chucked it ? Or does he begin the rebuilding process that will be inevitable this year anyway ?

And thats the saddest thing. Just a couple of years ago we looked like we had a squad that was going places. They have indeed gone places, but not the same ones.

 If Celtic want to be a big club on the park as well as off it, rewards for loyalty need to take precedence over transfer fees. If we lose a top player, we need to bring in similar quality, or at least as close to it as we can. The object must be to continually improve the team, not steadily weaken it.

Otherwise, we won’t be a big club off the park either.