Celtic Diary Thursday January 29: Boyd Not On Message

As the build up to the League cup semi final continues, its getting harder and harder to escape what is rapidly becoming hysteria. Thankfully, the game is on the BBC, because had it been on sky the coverage would have been insufferable.

Everyones at it. Everyone is trying to find a new angle, a new take on the story, and all they’ve managed to do is go with the “resumption of hostilities ” theme. Which is the idea that this fixture has been away too long, and its great to have it back.

Well, theres an obvious mistake in that theory, as explained by-and only by-former Celtic captain and current Celtic supporter Tom Boyd, who told the Irish Herald ;

“I don’t know what most people think but my opinion is that they are a new club,”

“A lot of people believe it’s a continuation of the game, I’d imagine that the atmosphere will be very much the same as previously but you can’t compare the teams to the way that it was. The new Rangers are a Championship team, previously they had internationalists so the game isn’t going to be the same.

“A lot of former players miss the actual match, that fixture was where players were judged and that’s something that is no longer there because of the situation with the new Rangers and the problems they find themselves in.

“There are some Celtic supporters who go along with the continuation opinion, they want that game back, it’s something that they miss. In Scottish football they feel that Celtic need a challenge, that fixture provided it but I can’t see the same with this match on Sunday.” 

I guess he has accepted he won’t get  career in the Scottish media after all.

Boyd is a lone voice though, and the “debate ” he refers to isn’t actually a debate at all, because there isn’t really anything to debate about. The old club is dead, and on sunday we’ll be playing a club which has filled the space left by them. With some clever marketing,although it didn’t really have to be that clever, they have managed to snap up most of the old clubs fanbase.

 Manager Ronny Deila is playing down the hype as well, in much the way we’d hoped he would.

“The club has been through this many times. Many players have been through it too so we know it will be a fantastic atmosphere and a lot of noise, but it’s also going to be a football match and we have to be up for the fight but we also have to get our skills out on the pitch and show quality.

“You never know what lies ahead before you have experienced it but you have to prepare for what you think is going to happen.

“It’s going to be a fantastic moment but it’s about the performances. If we can give a good one it will be even better. 

“You know a big game is coming and since the draw was made people have  been talking it and now it’s here. We have done the same things we do all the time, we’ve trained in the same way and believed in the same things we’re doing.

“In the cup everything is possible and it’s just one game. Everybody is dreaming of a fantastic result but the only thing I’m dreaming of is to win and that’s what is in the players’ minds as well because we want to play the final here.

“That’s the only thing that’s in my head. Nothing in football is easy.” 

 “You get trust through performances and results. You have to build trust and you do that by winning.

“If we win, everyone will be more connected. That’s the target, the goal and that’s what’s fantastic about football.”  

Not only did he not mention the Old Firm, the resumption of hostilities or the new club/old club nonsense, he couldn’t even be bothered mentioning their name.

 You gotta love the guy.

( Note, the author reserves the right to change his mind if things go awry on Sunday )

There are still those who trumpet the Ibrox cause , though, including the partisan Matt Lindsay, who is still a full time journalist despite showing a level of insight and accuracy that belongs only in in house magazines, or those wee flyers you get from the Co-op telling you whats on sale this week.

 Writing in the Evening Times, Matt tells us;

OF all the criticisms levelled at Ally McCoist during his turbulent reign as Rangers manager, his reluctance to gamble on youth sparked a firestorm of debate. 

Never mind that Lewis Macleod broke into the Gers first team as a raw laddie of just 18 and went from strength to strength under the guidance of McCoist.   

 Guidance of McCoist ? Now theres an interesting turn of phrase.

No, the fact that the likes of Kris Boyd, Jon Daly, Lee McCulloch and Kenny Miller were regular starters was proof, many fans felt, that he relied too much on older players.

But Kenny McDowall, who took over as caretaker boss after his friend resigned last month, is grateful those aforementioned thirtysomethings are in his squad just now.

For McDowall believes those senior citizens could be the key to victory in the massive League Cup semi-final encounter with Celtic at Hampden on Sunday.  

 The two of them presumably sat down and desperately tried to come up with something for the Ibrox hordes to pin their hopes on. If thats the best they can do…..

 Want to make a few quid ?

 Have a look at the individual odds on players to get booked. Ian Black, Lee MCulloch, Kenny Miller, are all certs to pick up a card, as are Scott Brown and Stefan Johansen. In fact, you can get odds on the players picking up any card. Now that Bobby Madden has been excused duty from the game, Craig Thompson is the man in the middle, and he awarded us a penalty at Ibrox once, so he won’t be afraid of the hordes.

 The police have apparently been down to speak to Celtic players about keeping the head, and have even warned the team about over celebrating. Its not known if they’ve been over to speak to the Second Rangers players , but to be honest, its unlikely that we need to worry about them over celebrating, unless they get a throw in or something.

 Supporters, too , are being warned. Flags will be examined, songs will be listened to and even shouting at your mate could get you lifted. With the Offensive Behaviour Act coming under criticism for being unworkable and ridiculous, the police, with the backing of the Scottish parliament , will be out to impress on Sunday. From 1,30 they will be hanging around Hampden to make sure that no-one will say, do or even think anything unpleasant about rival fans , and yet surprisingly, theres been no warnings about drinking excessively.

 Which, given the kick off time, would be my first concern if i were Police controller on the day.

 It also appears that those “rookie ” police officers who have never been on duty at a Glasgow derby will be taught the offensive songs that they may hear on Sunday, in order to arrest anyone who might have offended them, by er, singing a song they had previously not heard.

 Seeing as how most of them probably already sing some of the banned songs  down the lodge, we can only imagine that somewhere in Glasgow, several police officers are sitting in a room singing the Decommision Song, or the Helicopter Song.

I hope they make this one sing it loud.

 They might even be singing the officially banned “Ibrox Disaster Song ” , which I’ve never heard at a game, though I am assured it does exist, and I can honestly say I’ve never sung, which to my mind makes me wonder if they are just coming up with these ditties so that each side can be as bad as the other.

 “Offensive” songs , by definition, offend someone, and the entire Celtic supporters catalogue contains only a very few that can be deemed as such, mostly add ons, in fact,  as most Celtic songs are about celebration or commemoration.

 On the other hand, the sounds you will hear from the other lot are almost exclusively anti-Irish or anti Catholic, which again points to an official line of “they are both as bad as each other ” , presumably in order to avert the worlds gaze from the bile that will be heard from the stands.

 Anyone still looking forward to the game ?

 Stewart Regan might be. He’s touting Campbell Ogilvie for a top job at UEFA, which is not entirely surprising. I’d want him out before the police seize all the emails as well. But , as ever, he’s a little deluded as to not only Ogilvies capabilities, but also his past;

 Actually, anyone who does get lifted at the game should get Stewart Regan to defend them. He’ll believe anything you tell him and valiantly support you. If I was at school with him I’d have had his dinner money every day. And his trainers.

 I’ll be glad when every last trace of that club is gone, and when finally someone starts to ask the Murray men exactly what they were up to when they ended up half a billion in debt,money which the taxpayer will have to repay.

 And onto the transfer window.

Peter Lawwell has started to get a little bit of criticism from a section of the support who have reminded him that theres less than a week left of the window, and we haven’t strengthened the squad yet. With two central defenders almost certainly away in the summer, surely now is the time to get replacements in so they can get settled in time for the Champions League qualifiers ?

 Its like watching the same film on a continuous loop. But a very poor and predictable film. One that makes you say “is that it ? ” when it finishes.

We are ready to “swoop ” for Charis Mavrias, a winger at Sunderland on loan, we are looking at a young Argentinian striker at Boca Juniors, Sergio Aruajo, but theres no sign of any defenders. Someone needs to get his finger out, because although the Glasgow derby is taking attention way for the support, it should not be distracting the scouts.

Or anyone else at the club, for that matter.

 On Tuesday we showed a picture taken at Celtics 2-2 draw with Wisla Krakow, today its a picture of a reserve game. Note the size of the crowd, and tell us why its so big.

 And because events overtook me yesterday, and I didn’t have a chance to do the Diary, heres a bonus caption competition, whats the Big Man saying to Herrera ?