Celtic Diary Monday December 28: Celtic -2, Bet of the Day

Go on. admit it, it won’t hurt.

You enjoyed that game yesterday, didn’t you ?

I did. sure, i had to take the dog for a long walk afterwards because the result wasn’t what i wanted, but on reflection, it was as good an afternoons entertainment as you are likely to get these days.

Though if I want entertainment, I would go to the pictures.

When the old adversaries at Ibrox were told they had to pay back all the money they had borrowed, causing alarm amongst their accountants and a mass exit of those who had spent it, the inevitable outcome was bankrupcy. After they were gone, the duopoly ended.

And its not quite the monopoly pundits expected.

Scottish football is well on the way to recovery, so much so that teams now only have four games a year they are not expected to win, and have , with one or two notable exceptions, relaxed a wee bit and are prepared to give it a go. As a result, there is the appearance that Celtic have fallen to their level, when in fact, domestically at least, its the other sides who have raised their game.

A 2-2 draw at Tynecastle with a number of your key players missing isn’t a bad result. When three great goals are scored, and the fourth is the result of an exquisite pass and finish, then there is an argument to say it  was a quality contest.

It certainly wasn’t dull, and manager Ronny Deila has every right to feel a little relieved that his charges put in a shift, fought a bit harder, and managed, on the whole, to pass to each other not only with a lot more accuracy, but with a lot more pace and confidence.

 “There were a lot of positive things. We started the game well. We were unlucky with a couple of injuries and it took a bit of time to get organised again.”

“We went 1-0 up with a beautiful goal and then we conceded an unnecessary goal, which was tough mentally going in at the break.”

“But showed quality of mental strength to go out and control the game again after the restart.

“We scored another beautiful goal and I felt we had good control of the game. We had a bit of stress towards the end but you always have that when you are 2-1 ahead and playing in an atmosphere like this.

“Sometimes you have to give credit to the opponent when they have a strike like that. Craig had no chance, though maybe there was a deflection as well. It was an unbelievable goal. 

“That was disappointing, but what I’m happy with today was the team spirit. Against Motherwell, that was what disappointed me.

“There was little energy and there were a lot of individuals playing for themselves instead of the team. Today, I saw my old team back again.”

“This was a hardworking team, who were well organised, playing forward and quick with their passing.”

“This is how I want to see my team play, and that’s the positive thing, and something we have to try and produce again on Wednesday (against Dundee).” 

He’s right about the second  equaliser. At one point Hearts boss Robbie Neilson was seen to shout at the scorer Osman Sow afterwards as it appeared the Hearts man had left this earth and was freely floating among the clouds.

No wonder.

His shot took a small deflection and then, unlike any free kick ever taken from that position flew into the opposite corner to the one where he was supposed to aim it-and probably did.

A bit like the way in which Shunsuke Nakamura would selfishly take free kicks before the keeper was ready. Except, of course, the wee Japanese fellow meant it.

One of those things, but on a more serious note, the more times Celtic concede this mow obligatory two goals, the more an opponent will fell confident they can do it.

Early in the game Dedryck Boyata pulled up with a hamstring injury, and that may yet turn out to be the biggest stroke of luck for Ronny Deila since he lost Derk Boerrigters phone number.

To a massive cheer from the crowd Efe Ambrose entered the fray, as the Hearts fans realised that they , too, would get their two goals against the Hoops.

Except they weren’t getting them at the expense of the big Nigerian.

He won every header, every tackle and usually found a team mate with his new style of a long ball out of defence, which replaced his mazy runs of previous games. And he wasn’t afraid to bully someone when it was needed.

His decision making was swift, and more often than not correct, and we may just have found the man we need to compliment Jozo Simunovic.

Not so much in what he did, but in what he didn’t do.

He didn’t leave too much of a gap between himself and Simunovic, and although that had a disastrous outcome at first, which lead to Mikael Lustig helping Hearts with their first equaliser, it plugged an alarming hole which the tynecastle side had threatened to exploit-the pass right through the middle that was deemed to an offside player showed how easy it is to split the Celtic defence.

Lustig had found himself in no mans land for the second time in the game, and despite a valiant effort, succeeded in only diverting the ball off the forwards foot for what Sky summariser Andy Walker called a fantastic finish.

In yesterdays Diary, I mentioned I wasn’t sure about who should partner Simunovic, but after yesterday, I am now. boyata isn’t going to make it. He looks afraid, nervous and maybe even fragile.

And as anyone will know, if you are looking to bully someone, head for the guy who looks like he is used to being bullied.

As for Mikael Lustig, perhaps now he can get on with just being a right back, without concerning himself with the others in the back line. He isn’t the player he was, and in order to get back to that, he must get back to basics, and just be a full back again.

Ambrose and Simunovic is a better option than Boyata and Simunovic, and the time for experimenting is now over. From now until May we go with the form players, and thats that.

Because we need to stop losong two goals every time we take to the field. Alright, its not every time, but it certainly feels like it.

In midfield, Celtic lost Stuart Armstrong early on as well, and he was replaced by James Forrest, who had originally been left out. Perhaps it would have been better to leave him there, and introduce Scott Allan at this stage.

Forrest looks tired, and his lung bursting runs are all well and good, but he needs to stop running along the eighteen yard line and hitting the old daisy cutter wide.

It’s predictable. And it’s lazy, at least mentally.

And thats something a winger should never be. Sometimes he should head to the bye line and cut the ball back. That means the defenders have to turn around, and it allows midfielders to catch up with play. If you do that, he, and his opposite flank man, remove the need for a target man to hold the ball up.

Going back to Scott Allan, and it would be interesting to see how he and Calum MacGregor perform alongside each other.

MacGregor is not a headline grabber. You won’t come out of a ground telling your pals about how he dominated a game, or will be the next ten million pound player.

But he stays the course, is direct, and can pick a pass, as Nir Biton, scorer of the opening goal will tell you.

Tom Rogic did his usual shift, and even scored a delightful goal to restore Celtics lead, but apart from that it was the same old fare from him. some great touches, but again that urge to run into a crowd of defenders and lose the ball.

When he was replaced by Gary Mackay Steven, it was presumably because he was tired, but also to add a little width to the side, as Rogic was insisting on running straight into trouble, which must be because he thought the Hearts defence thought he wouldn’t be stupid enough to keep doing it.

Stefan Johansen came in for some criticism, but in actual fact, a lot of it was undeserved. With armstrong having left the field, it was down to the energetic Norwegian to do most of the off the ball blocking, and to be in position to receive the out ball when needed.

And he did it very well, proving that there is a player in there still, and we might get back the one from last year yet.

In fact, I’ll say it again, the passing and movement at pace yesterday was as good as anything this season. And I’m looking forward to the Dundee game, to see how the players respond now they’ve got a little bit of their confidence back.

Up front, Nadir Ciftci can count himself unlucky not to have added to his four from nine scoring ratio, he battled, he ran, and he saw a couple of efforts saved.

But he needs to be a little more disciplined. He’s a centre forward, so perhaps he should stay centre, and forward.

On one occasion he won the ball out wide, and crossed to , well, no-one, because he wasn’t where he was supposed to be.

I stayed off social media last night, more so than usual, as the usual suspects were still demanding the removal of the management, some of the players and probably the guy ho drives the bus as well, but that wasn’t bad yesterday, and when all is said and done, theres still a point and a game in hand between Celtic and Aberdeen.

There has been a lot of talk in the media regarding a number of players heading out on loan in January.

Aye, okay.

So far, only Tyler Blackett is leaving, and thats because he’s shite.

Again, whoever saw this guy in Manchester, and thought he could do a job at Celtic, needs to be sat down and explained exactly what his remit is, because there is no way anyone with even the slightest talent for spotting a players potential could have seen anything in Blackett.

It wouldn’t make any sense to loan out players now, with the champions League qualifiers only a few months away, and anyone who has a mortgage or rent to pay will tell you exactly how short a month really is.

We keep anyone who is any good, get rid of anyone who isn’t, and add a couple who might make a difference.

Piece of piss this management lark.

Now, can anyone tell me what this is…

Here it is again, after allegedly being confiscated by a police officer at the game yesterday..

Without googling it, I wonder how many of you genuinely recognised it. I certainly didn’t, and its just that I wonder of the officer did either.

I caught an article in the Huffington Post earlier today, which discussed the concept behind the description “Orwellain “, used often to describe nation states, institutions and anything else which has been accused of totalitarianism.

This bit, however, somehow made me think of the SFA, a little nation state within a nation state.

While most people equate the book with the ever-watching tele screens or the ominous presence of Big Brother, what I came to realize, reading the book, is that it is actually about history, or rather, the control of history. The narrative.

“He who controls the past controls the future,” O’Brien tells Winston Smith. “And he who controls the present controls the past.”

There, in a one line, is the real essence of Nineteen Eighty-four. It is about the power of historical narrative. History becomes the rationale for virtually every political or economic decision that is made, regardless of the impact. And the person who can ‘control’ the past, decide what the ‘true history’ was, controls the future. 

Full article here, its worth a look;

1984 all over again

Historical narrative. Supported by a compliant media.

History has taught us we weren’t paranoid enough, and on that basis, maybe its time to make our voices heard in this Orwellian theatre, and the crowd should remove the actors from the stage.

Theres more football today, as the top of the table clash in the first divsion takes place at Ibrox. If you’re out that way, take care on the roads as the locals are already heading to the ground.

Especially when you take into account what appeared in the Greenock Telegraph- something which had been noted in the Diary previously, but not in the mainstream media, who will now no doubt be sure to pick up on it…

MORTON chairman Douglas Rae has hit out at the Rangers fans who he says hurled objects including a Buckfast bottle into the away section at Ibrox a fortnight ago.

According to the Golden Casket chief, items including coins, pies, golf balls and the tonic wine container all rained down on the Ton travelling support as their side claimed a surprise 2-2 draw in Govan.

Writing in his programme notes for the match with Raith, he said: “Regrettably we were unable to hold onto our lead when Rangers equalised with five or six minutes of the match remaining.

“It was still a wonderful day, one which I am sure will be fondly remembered for a long, long time. Our match with Rangers was the first match at Ibrox this season that Rangers did not win.

“Regrettably, some Rangers fans were not at all pleased and resorted to pelting the Morton fans with coins, pies, Bovril, and even golf balls.

“In addition, a Buckfast bottle was hurled into the Morton section which missed a young Morton fan by inches. That was a sad end to an exciting match.”

Chief executive Gillian Donaldson confirmed the club had contacted Rangers and Police Scotland regarding the incidents in question.

She told the Tele: “We were contacted by a couple of supporters regarding incidents that took place during the Rangers game. We followed them up with both Police Scotland, who are investigating the matter, and Rangers, who have advised that they are reviewing procedures.

“We, as a club, have also offered any help and support we can to them regarding the incidents.”

Anyway, wish me luck. i’m starting out on a new business venture, i’ve just heard about some cheap land;

And theres a caption competition as well…. or at the very least a desire for an explanation

Anyhoo, I’m glad that Christmas malarkey is all over and done with. Maybe its because the kids are all grown up it doesn’t have the same feeling to it. When i was out getting the wifes present a couple of days ago, I was in a supermarket, which had a santa, and some elfs, amnd some goblins and all the other things you’d associate with the time of year.

I couldn’t find what i wanted, so asked one of santa’s helpers to,er. help.

He ignored me, not once but twice, and when I got a bit irate, as i have been known to do, he let loose with a string of expletives usually only heard by whoever has to play alongside Dedryck Boyata.

As I reeled back , stunned, it was fortunate I remembered he was only playing a character, and as a result, probably didn’t mean any of it.

But you can’t be too  careful, and I went to customer services and reccomended that next year  they do away with the GofuckyoursElf