With no match preview from yokerbhoy, it’s down to me to assess the trip to Tynecastle tonight…
They’re not very good so Celtic should win, and it’ll probably rain.
Yeah, I know, he’s better than me at it.
By the way, I’ve had a text from someone who says he knows Scott McKenna, and he says the Aberdeen defender says you can all fuck off.
It’s more or less two years since Hearts ended Celtic’s 69 game unbeaten run, and they are probably still going on about it.
Since then, however, Ann Budgem their commander in chief, has kind of made an arse of things, largely because she listened to Craig Levein.
They’ve brought in a new manager, and he;s a little less dour than Levein, (isn’t everyone ?-Ed ) .amd he actually fancies his teams chances tonight..
His name is Daniel Stendel, and so far he hasn’t really impressed, with even St Johnstone recording a win over the Edinburgh side, but as you can see, he can raise a scarf with confidence.
And that confidence spread as he spoke about tonights game…
“In a game against Celtic, with the expectations not so high, it’s a big chance for us to change the situation – and change things in the minds of the players,”
Thats one way of looking at things…
When we concentrate on our game and play with a little more courage than we showed on Saturday – which isn’t difficult – then we have a chance to create chances against Celtic.
“If we get results, we get more confidence back.
He’s going to say something about dogs and caravans, isn’t he ?
“My experience after Saturday’s game tells me that, if we want to do more in the future, we need more confidence. We need more players who say: “Okay, I take responsibility. I’ll take the ball. I’m defending this ball.
“When we can change that, we can change so much more.”
We have a lot of experienced players who have played a lot of professional football games. I expected more, especially from these players,” he continues. “But in the end we are all people, and when you don’t have confidence – even when you have played more games than other players – it is difficult to fix.
“I am trying to talk with some players about what we can change on the pitch and I have the feeling they want to change, too.
“But the question is how quick we can change it.”
I’ve a feeling they might be chaging their manager soon, so it’s probably not even worth him unpacking.
Kilmarnock, incidentally, have sacked their manager. Rumours abound that he didn;t get on with the players, and when he took their crisps and cakes off them, and demanded that training should involve more than a few half arsed jogs to the pub, the players wanted him out.
And these guys, beaten in europe by Connahs Quay Nomads, somehow got their way.
Kris Boyd, himself a fan of savoury snacks, said his removal meant that Kilmarnock could now concentrate on getting back into the top six, which showed his up to date knowledge of the game, as they are currently fifth.
Back to the Celtic game, and three points are a must, given that our rivals are still hanging on in there, like a klinker in one’s undercrackers.
Tynecastle can provide a hostile atmosphere, and Neil Lennon will vouch for that, it being a ground that holds special memories for him…
Incredibly, he was found “Not Proven ” of assaulting Lennon, as the judge doesn’t watch telly…the BBc from 2011 reminds us..
A football fan cleared of assaulting Celtic manager Neil Lennon has been jailed for eight months for a breach of the peace.
John Wilson, 26, was accused of a sectarian attack on the football boss as his side played Hearts at Tynecastle stadium in Edinburgh on 11 May.
A jury at Edinburgh Sheriff Court found the charge against Wilson not proven.
The decision came despite Wilson telling the court he had lunged at Lennon and struck him on the head.
However, Wilson, 26, a Hearts fan, was convicted of carrying out a breach of the peace at the side of the pitch during the game.
The court previously heard claims, denied by Wilson, that he had called Mr Lennon a “Fenian bastard” at the Scottish Premier League game.
He was cleared of making the sectarian remark during the incident after jurors deleted the allegation from the breach of the peace charge.
Wilson was also given a five-year football banning order at court.
That means he could well be at the game tonight, but the Celtic manager will be ready.. having studied sevaral techniques to defuse a difficult situation…
Scott Brown is looking forward to it as well…
“I love going to Tynecastle with the fans right on top of you. You hear every single thing they say. It’s lovely, there is always a lot of them saying nice things about me!
“But that good atmosphere is what it’s all about. I just go there to show them what I’m about and, hopefully, they’ll keep singing about me the next time.
“My first game there? I probably should have got sent off! Against Elvis (Steven Pressley) I think it was. I smashed him a beauty and Hugh Dallas was the referee.
“Somehow he let me away with it, I was already on a yellow.
Leigh Griffiths is another with no love for Hearts, and maybe he’ll clamber back on the goal trail tonight.
With the winter break in sight, Lennon will ask his charges to force themselves through the fatigue as if Celtic win their remaining games, they will have a comfortable eight point lead at least, and that would crush morale at Ibrox, as they don’t quite have that winning mentality..
Although it could leave them free to concentrate on the Europa League, where Alfredo Morelos is already breaking records..at least, according to the Record
Alfredo Morelos becomes UEFA record breaker as Rangers star smashes goal tally
The Colombian striker has been on fire in Europe this season and been recognised by the governing body.
Rangers star Alfredo Morelos has written his name into the history books by becoming the first player to score 14 goals before Christmas in Europe.
The Colombian striker has been on fire in the Europa League this campaign and is top scorer in the group with six.
Add in his eight qualifying goals and he becomes the first player to ever score that amount of goals before Christmas in a UEFA competition.
The governing body has revealed the news and Morelos is just four goals off the overall record for most goals in a season.
His international team-mate Radamel Falcao currently holds that record with 18 – set in the 2010/11 Europa League when Porto lifted the trophy.
However, that’s not quite what they said.
UEFA.com keeps track of the top scorers in the UEFA Europa League this season; if players are level on goals, then the player with the most assists takes precedent.
This article will be updated at the end of every matchnight.
Alfredo Morelos (Rangers): 6 goals
The qualifying top scorer on eight goals, the Colombian kept up that form in the competition proper. He struck against Young Boys to help Rangers through and leads the scorers’ chart for the group stage, with one assist to add.
You see, they say that qualifying goals don’t count in the Europa League, as if you’re in the qualifying rounds, you’re not actually in the europa League, which explains why they are called the qualifying rounds.
Thats not to take anything away from Morelos, to be fair. He’s scored a bucketload of goals in a team which is not the most creative, and deserves a move to a bigger club, but the price tag-somewhere between 20 and 50 million pounds, depending how gullible you are-has put potential buyers off.
The media in Scotland are anxious to keep him in the headlines, and to enhance his reputation, as the survival of the second Ibrox entity more or less depends on selling Morelos. Thats why there was such a kerfuffle over his two bookings and subsequent sending off at Motherwell, both of which deserved, and yet still hotly debated by his adoring fans with laptops loyally at the ready.
Even so far as for one hack to ask Scott Broan his thoughts, at a Celtic press conference yesterday.
Brown simply said he wasn;t answering the question, and you do have to wonder why he was asked it in the first place, or more importantly, why the reporter was allowed to ask it, and not thrown out when he did.
Celtic do have a PR operation, and one day I’m sure we can expect to see it in full working order, but it’s been a while now, and maybe someone , somewhere, might want to haul the main man in for some tough questions, which he will be allowed to ask.
In the meantime, we should maybe at least interview the guy behind this with a view to getting our public relations sorted…
It’s nearly January, window flinging open time, and whilst we know of one deal done, there is the usual veil of secrecy drawn over everything else.
That allows for speculation, and there has been quite a bit of it.
From what we hear from the ranch, thats exactly what it is, speculation, so don;t get too excited.
What we have heard is that business, again will be split into two main thrusts.
One as soon as the window opens, followed by the usual rummage around in the youth and reserve teams of the bigger English clubs, which isn’t a bad way to go as long as someone knows what they’re doing.
And whoever that someone is at Celtic, he seems to know what he’s doing..
By the way, maybe someone should point out to the headline writer here that he actually plays for Celtic, and I’m certain the club kept the receipt if proof is needed…
The controversy over old drunk Rod Stewart has opened up a debate on who would sit next to who in the ground, and it did make me think about the people we have sat next to over the years, shared all those highs and lows, and even worried about a wee bit when they weren’t there.
As a considerable proportion of our support could reasonably claim to be part of the worldwide Irish Diaspora, maybe this extract, from a 1950s encyclopedia, could help us work out whether or not we should ask to be relocated….
I’m the primitive type….which one are you ?
Speaking of Rod Stewart, this heartfelt and somewhat beautiful message has been circulating…
Yesterday, we had this…
Caption……..
oᴉzɐ˥ ʞɔnℲ
Today…
Caption, “Look, there’s the other Tory voting Tim away over there. Wave hello”.
Cation: Look there, I told you the Footy (sie) is on the rise. Thanks Boris.
Look I’m on a Green Brigade banner! There’s hunners worked at UEFA to get there, I did that by myself.
CAPTION
Look! They’ve got a banner about me. They must really like my new Albu… oh! Wait a minute.
They care about about the poor
“more importantly, why the reporter was allowed to ask it, and not thrown out when he did.” I think it’s a bad week to be suggesting suppressing the media after the blonde prick’s serial shiting it in the election. Just tell the diddy to fuck off nicely, exactly what Broonie did and leave banning journalists to the orcs.
“That’s what poor people look like, son.”
Caption: you think the huns singing about fenian blood’s bad? Remind me to play Ole Ola to you when we get home!!
Good old Rod I say he may have been tongue in cheek who knows.
Probably didn’t vote in the election and he probably would have said well done Jeremy also if he had won it. Would there have been the same uproar.
Lots of working class voters turned on Labour in England and Scotland I knew it was coming should we tell them all to fuck off if that was their democratic decision to do so. Should I tell those who voted to remain in the union at the last referendum to fuck off who brought this to our door anyway no I wont.
The GB have no right to speak on my behalf and raise a banner to tell any Celtic supporter to fuck off. They have my support in what they do the majority of the time I think it was crass.
Rod you are welcome always will be.
JIMMYBEE
Couldn’t have put it better myself. He’s entitled to his opinions,same as a lot of my friends have different ones from me. We can discuss it,sometimes heatedly,but still as friends because of what we have in common.
A former tax exile and multi-millionaire voting Tory is hardly news. The number of blue collar workers and unemployed in Swindon,where I live,voting Tory? Sadly,it’s not news now either. Five elections in a row they’ve done it. Basterts.
If you think he would have congratulated Corbyn then you don’t know him.
He supported Enoch Powell’s White Power racism, was on UN blacklist for supporting SA Apartheid and that’s before talking about any of the more recent abhorent stuff.
Please can we dispense with the petulant “The GB have no right to speak on my behalf”.
When have the Green Brigade ever said they speak on behalf of all fans?
If I agree with their words and actions then I’m pleased but if I don’t, then so what, its not me saying it.
Caption; Look lads, there’s my next wife!
Uuugh, Dad, That’s Moritz Bauer!
All things being equal we should be ok for tonight’s game. Hearts have been gash but mustn’t be taken lightly as we’ve had our fair share of problems in recent times inside that ghastly stadium with its tight pitch and putrid festering atmosphere. I’d expect Taylor to slot in at LB and I hope Mikey Johnston has recovered from whatever it was that kept him from being selected against Hibs. Elyounoussi has already been ruled out so if Mikey can’t make it we’ll have to make do with Morgan. Wee Jamesie owes us a good performance and maybe Griff will feature in the second half. The rest of the team will pretty much pick itself. We might see the odd youngster appear on the bench in the odd game or two this month but the huns are too close to give Lenny much leeway for resting players or experimenting. I still have great memories of Lenny’s team’s brilliant 7-0 cup win at this dump some years ago with the likes of Commons, Stokes and Mulgrew in scintillating form but I’ll settle for a modest 2-0 victory tonight.
HH
I wonder if he might be tempted to start Griffiths given that he lasted the whole match in Cluj, albeit a low-key one.
Also the fact that Eddy appeared to pick up another niggle on Sunday but would be available if another injury time winner was required.
Taylor deserves a game, he is good defensively and doesn’t give the ball away like Boli. Forrest last two games have been poor so maybe he will give us a good one (or maybe needs a rest). That 7-0 we played without any wingers. Commons played through the middle. Lots of good passing and movement. More of the same re passing and movement. Christie should be back for this one I hope. I agree with you YokerB.
JM Joe McBride
Hope you’re keeping well Iain. Enjoy the game m8.
Thanks, looking forward to watching it with an afternoon beer. You too.(enjoy the game)
Taylor’s a midget. Why do we sign midgets when there are normal guys out there?
To be honest I find the criticism of Rod a little too much. Surely we are a broad church that can accommodate many points of view? Otherwise we show the very intolerance that we accuse the Ibrox crew of. We mock them for the insincerity of their “anyone, everyone” campaign but are prepared to put old Rod in the stocks. And besides, the Green Brigade ultras who want him to f&ck off may be die hard fans, true believers, who bring a lot of energy to games but, let’s face it, they also bring a whole pile of trouble with them. All those pyros and the fines and adverse media attention they bring don’t exactly help our standing. Personally, I think I prefer to have the aged and doddery old crooner as one of our fans …
Did ye aye?
Also we don’t mock them for being ” insincere ” we mock them because they don’t wash & shag their sisters & mothers!
But surely it’s hard to do both at the same time – not that I’ve ever tried it mind …
I’ve seen some stuff on youporn, but it was step-mothers and step-sisters at the same time. Apparently that’s a grey area.
Some more prawns in your sandwich perhaps?
Er, is that a polite way to tell the Green Brigade to Fuck Off?
Really, you prefer a White Power racist, Apartheid blacklisted etc “supporter” over a group that devotes a lot of time and money to good causes and challenging corrupt power?
Hopefully you are in a tiny minority of Celtic fans.
Caption: look son its my hero Lord Livingstone
is Rod saying “and he paid for YOUR ticket, and he paid for YOUR ticket and she paid for YOUR ticket!”
Btw..re found “Not Proven ” of assaulting Lennon
This is techinically not correct, it was NOT PROVEN of sectarian assault as the stupid Prosecutor tried to be a big shot and went for a special type of charge rather than clear cut Assault.
The jury weren’t convinced the guy actually “said” anything sectarian and that’s why it was NOT PROVEN…the Prosecutor Fiscal just fucked it up by seeing glory rather than following the hard evidence
I don’t think its that simple, as some of the Hearts backroom corroborated the sectarian charge.
Normally this would be enough to substantiate a charge against a poor defendent, so its a bit more than PF cock-up.
My take was the Fiscal knew that was a much harder charge to prove , so something ‘strange’ went on , maybe including a rolled up trooser
A Celtic supporting friend told me he thought the Huns would win the league and I told him to Fuck Off.
Strangely enough he didn’t have a hissy fit and thought it was fair comment.
Caption “Oh look it says ‘Luck to Rod'”
“Fuck off ya auld cunt, you’re not wearing your lenses, are you?”
Caption: “That one, the big tall blonde, I’d ride that rotten kiddo.”
“Dad that’s Kris Ajer.”
Can’t believe the apologists for Stewart on here. He just needed to keep his fuken Tory mouth shut. Dickhead.
Caption …
Go on son pull my finger …
The wee yin at the side ….
Nooo he had the pie at half time and I’m in the firing line
Caption : “Is that an Everyone, Anyone banner with my name on it?”
with my name on it?
Caption
Look – poor people!
Caption
I used to be one of them!
Let’s stuff the weee huns tonight
Team tonight
Forster
Frimpong Jullien Ajer Hayes
Brown McGregor
Christie Ntcham Forrest
Edouard
Looks a little unbalanced for me. Taylor could have started at left back and Hayes in his normal position as well as Jamesy on the right no need for Ntcham and Christie in the starting line up.
Celts to win by 4 none the less
COYBIG your in my heart your in my soul
Haha wtf do I know 🙂 thank fuck lenny is the manager COYBIG
Lovely 1 -2 by Eddy for the goal. Classseee
That wee linesman is looking good for immediate promotion…
A good win in treacherous conditions. Took a while to get into the game but we were fast and clinical for two very well worked goals. Christie’s finish was something else. Once again Jullien’s aerial dominance in defence was a huge asset for us. Not a pretty game to watch but we got the job done and how nice it is to offer a helping hand to the maroon hun bastards in their quest towards championship football next season.
Yoker,
It was a good win, easier than it looked finally. The ref was poor as were the conditions.The chalked off goal should have stood because the ball rebounded to McGregor from a Heart’s player, hence could not be offside. Madden was determined to stop Hearts being swamped which looked very likely at one stage. Still three points is a trio of points but the goal difference could really have surged.
Rebus
Agreed on all points Rebus. Could and should have scored two or three more and yet another below par refereeing performance from Madden. Here’s hoping Hibs can turn on the style on Friday night.
It was offside. As soon as Eddy plays the ball forward, even though it comes off the diets foot, it’s still offside.
Good victory tonight well done bhoys HH
Good win Bhoys.
We still need to kill sides off though.
When was the last time they Prods had a raison d’etre to laugh or smile?
Would it have been when,”Shunsuke Nakamura ate their Dog” ?
They really are effin hurting they huns…
Beautiful.
Caption: See those dud EU “rangers” players they won’t qualify for work permits after BREXIT. All of ours will.
Every time that we play there, either watching at Tynecastle or at home on B.T. you are left with a bad taste in your mouth, its always the same, not even a packet of polo mints can shift it. It could be the atmosphere but most certainly its the many injustices in how our players are fouled or the histrionics of there players. The boot is always left in, they are always fouling, or jumping down looking to get our players sent off. There must be an effluent plant outside Gorgie.
Super-Flagalistic- Hearts- they-were-atrocious.
Alright Mike! I agree it’s been like that for years and it won’t change because the MIB have strict instructions to make our league appear competitive.
I___________I Mind the gap.
” MERRY CHRISTMAS FUCK THE HUNS “!
Agree about the atmosphere at Tynecastle. Need a gas mask. Horrible weather, horrible reffing, MIBs trying hard to give us nothing, and yes, Calmac’s chopped-off goal was a rebound. Job done, more pressure on the Orcs.
Caption.
What’s the senile old cunt pointing at now
Will we miss them when they are gone? the rancour, the dealing with one sided mibs. Will we miss them when they are gone? The meeja with a vested interest, writing made up powder puff stories. Will we miss them when they are gone? the sectarian sing song, singing loony tunes. Will we miss them when they are gone? with their lies and cheating. Will we miss them when they are gone? with their abject stupidity. Will we miss them when they are gone? with their cling-on to our coattails trying to remain relevant. Will we f.ck, some might, some might who welcome their business, willing to swallow a brick to put up with the thick prick’s. Some might, some might who want the cash flow, income-coming blue-orange hued pounds. Some might, some might who secretly crave the love of the songs, the patter, who welcome the excitement of the bile. Some might, some might, but not those of us who still have a desire for those two words that mean honesty and openness. Sporting Integrity, those two words that mean so much, to so many, but are disregarded by those whose sole desire is the lucre.
Caption:
Look, there’s another wean that Bozo hisnae owned up tae.