Celtic overcame an awkward cup quarter final by virtue of Ryan Christie sneaking home a free kick. Even Chris Jullien was too embarassed to claim it.
Down there in the mud and the blood of McDairmid Park in Perth, Celtic got the train back on the tracks after the disappointment of last Thursday’s European exit.
And there were huge sighs of relief all round.
A second cup exit in just a few days could have shattered what at times seems to be a fragile condifidence amongst the players, but this time at least, when it mattered, they dug in and did what was needed.
On this, and Celtic’s phenomenal Cup record..34 straight wins in all domestic competitions…Lennon, too, sounded more relieved than he probably wanted to…
“That’s 34 undefeated and that’s amazing.
“It can go at any time so they want to keep it running as long as they can and they are coming up against all sorts of opposition and they’re dealing with it.
“They’ve faced some difficult opposition – and today was difficult, mentally and physically after Thursday.
“They have picked themselves up again on a really heavy pitch and came through it unscathed, hopefully.”
And on recovering from Thursdays cock up ?
“It was only a couple of minutes in the game on Thursday that they let themselves down, a couple of basic mistakes.
“I didn’t think we got what we deserved on Thursday, I thought we were the better team.
“But we got punished for lackadaisical mistakes, that are not like us.
“That’s Europe gone for this season and we still have a lot to play for domestically.
“Their fitness levels were good too. Some of them were out on their feet at the end which is understandable because you know what?
“They are human beings and they can’t keep churning out result after result and performance after performance.
“People expect that of them but it’s not easy.
“There is a good core there and they just will not leave it. There’s something in there that they just want to keep it going.”
It’s good man management, I’ll give him that. Saving any tantrums for the dressing room is sort of basic stuff, and it’s important to get the teams morale back quickly after a devastating defeat like Copenhagen.
But thats done now, and whilst some may feel that it’s an opportunity lost in Europe, there’s nothing that can change it now.
I even checked to see if all the Copenhagen players were correctly registered.
Sadly, they were.
So, domestic football it is from now on in, and the quest for a fourth consecutive treble continues.
Next up in the league are Livingston away on Wednesday, and thats the kind of game that will determine whether or not the league will be sewn up sooner rather than later.
Aberdeen will be the opponents in the Scottish Cup, which became more difficult to win when “rangers ” were knocked out by Hearts.
This now means that the other three sides in the semi finals will fancy their chances of winning it, and in a one off game anything can happen.
It’s worth remembering that when the new club/company was not strong enough to compete with the other Premier sides, the cups were won by an assortment of clubs who really felt it was worth having a go.
This year will be no different, and Aberdeen especially will feel they have something to prove.
Meanwhile, there’s a report from France of interest…
Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard has reportedly been offered a fresh contract in order to fend off interest from other clubs.
The Frenchman has been in prolific form for the Hoops this season, registering 21 goals in 25 league appearances as he leads the way in the Scottish Premier League top scorer charts.
According to French journalist Ignazio Genuardi, the Scottish champions are aware that Edouard will be in high demand come the summer, and are desperate for the striker to remain at Celtic Park for next season.
As a result, Neil Lennon‘s side are said to be increasing the 22-year-old’s wages in a bid to keep him on the books and ward off other clubs.
Edouard’s current deal at Celtic is set to expire in 2022.
A cynic would say thats to bump up his price, but who cares ?
Another year of the Frenchman would be a bonus, and there’s it’s worth remembering that had he not been open to staying, there would have been little point in making him an offer.
Fingers, and everything else, crossed….
Meanwhile, the opening salvo in the real battle to stop nine in a row may have been fired…don’t say we didn’t warn you…
VIRE CONSEQUENCES
Coronavirus Scotland: Celtic would NOT be guaranteed Premiership title if disease leads to mass cancellations
I don’t see how cancelling mass would prevent nine in a row, but it is the Sun.
“Whilst there have been no specific instructions from the health authorities in relation to SPFL matches, we will take full note of any guidance they provide.
“We are in regular contact with the Scottish Government and with our counterparts in the English Premier League and English Football League.
“We are also in dialogue with the European Leagues and continue to monitor the developing situation carefully.”
Rule C14 in the SPFL rule book says that clubs shall “disregarding any abandoned or postponed matches, play in 38 League Matches in any one Season”, something that every club in the post-SPL era has managed to achieve.
My original investigation into the Celtic Boys Club abuse story began with a taxi ride.
I was chief reporter at the Sunday Mail at the time.
So, here’s how it happened (or, didn’t happen)
The Sunday Mail news editor, at that time, hailed a cab on the south side of Glasgow, to go to work, and told the driver where he was headed—Sunday Mail HQ, on the Broomielaw, Glasgow.
The cab driver drove him to the office, parked up, turned around, and told him his story, in tears. My news editor (who can verify, if he so desires) called me to come downstairs to speak to the guy.
And that’s how the Celtic Boys Club abuse story began—a taxi ride and a phone call.
The taxi driver told his story over the course of a few days.
I will never forget his pain, as he tried to explain what had happened to him at the hands of Torbett and others.
Lots of crying.
A nice guy.
So, we had a single source telling us about his experiences.
I asked him to try to think of all of the people he could remember being around him at that time, and who he had spoken to about it.
That led me to a famous ex-footballer (he can verify if he so desires) who told me the same story of abuse, strictly off the record.
He cried as he recounted what had happened to him.
He was a prolific goal scorer for Celtic, but he didn’t want to go up front on something so contentious. What happened to him…horrible.
He then sent me to another, even bigger, Celtic “name”, and I spent the day with him as he spoke about what had been done to him.
He cried.
His first words to me, when I approached him and said, “I’m working on a story about Celtic Boys Club”, were:
“I knew this day would come.” (He can verify if he so wishes)
So, we had three testimonies.
Our Sunday Mail editor at that time had refused to publish the story based on a single source (quite right, too) and asked for a second source, or victim.
We found him.
Then he asked for a third, and we found him.
Then…the story wasn’t published…
The editor was a Celtic fan.
He just didn’t want to be associated with the story.
That’s what happens here, constantly.
So, the story lay in the dead zone for a while.
For me, it was important to tell the stories of the victims.
One week, two weeks, three weeks passed, and nothing was published. I was taught by an old mentor that important stories must always be told.
After a few weeks, I gave my entire file to a friendly contact (he can verify if he likes) and he gave it to the Daily Record, the Sunday Mail’s sister paper.
They splashed it and won multiple awards for their reporting on it.
Torbett was jailed as a result.
Celtic FC has been working hard on this issue, but the real story here is about the scouting system and the boys’ clubs, as well as the media cow-towing to clubs and taking everything they send as gospel, with zero fact-checking.
Editors MUST rock the boat. .
One print editor can decide what you read.
Online, one good social media editor can influence what pops up in your newsfeed.
The investigation conducted by @alextomo is a good start, but doesn’t delve far enough.
Every club.
Every agent.
Every S-form.
The bit in bold is the key, as its where a full investigation must begin, maybe by the media, but then again, we dont have the best media in the world, or the most reliable.
It’s allegedly controlled by the sinister guy at the back, the one who looks like some sort of pantomime villain, and it seems to criticise him is to invite unemployment…
Give Edouard 40,000 per week, minimum release clause of £40m.
NOUS SOMMES TOUS FRANÇAIS EDDY!
Absolutely agree, but the release clause is at the very least the right value, his agent unfortunately, must be given incentive for future deals to ensure he stays. Do not get me wrong, if he did a Henrik and stayed for at least 7 I would be delighted. HH!
I don’t think you know what a release clause does. It sets the maximum amount you can get for the player and gives you no right to right to reject an offer of that amount.
Did ye aye?
A difficult game in difficult conditions but the victory was all that mattered. The team took another step to becoming Quadrofenians. And lets give Edouard what he wants to stay for the 10.
Quintriple ?? Bookies stopped taking bets
I think UEFA/FIFA should allow us to move to a stronger league. We are too good for the one we are in and are clearly suffocating the life out of the other teams.
Spot on a precedent has been set with the Welsh clubs in England
Maybe a flippant thought. But I agree with slippys idea of a complete integration of all the British leagues. If we don’t get our independence then let us have the big money Murdoch is giving teams like Bournemouth
There wasn’t a Welsh league, that’s why they joined the English league.
Nurse^
Pretty sure there was. Llanelli etc
The issue with abuse, is it happens everywhere but the media is fixated with CFC boys club. Celtic as a club should do more than just apologise, but the SFA are the football masters and are ultimately to blame for a lack of oversight. MY THOUGHTS ARE WITH THE COUNTLESS VICTIMS, as children seem not to have a voice in our society.
As for the football, Madhun is a joke, he clearly showed his bias, the tackle on Jamsie was a career ender, McCart was out of control. As previously with Ping Pong players suffer career threatening challenges, but Celtic say nothing as usual.
As for the mighty Wankers there Orks are in meltdown, but the team has been built up by the Jabba media into something they are not
I wouldn’t be counting my chickens just yet. To me the team look leggy, they looked it against Copenhagen and yesterday’s gut draining game on that pitch must have dipped into their reserves of energy. For me the game against Livvy will be telling, from a sand pit to the bouncy, bouncy of plastic, add rested, big physical opposition, niggly injuries and tickly fingered referees into the mix and it will be very interesting. Its asking an awful lot of the same players to deliver for club and country twice a week without rest, week in, week out, year in, year out, add in the pressure of winning all the time and an ever increasing workload as the number of games increase year on year. That is why we need a big squad, but if the manager doesn’t trust each and every player to deliver then something has to give. When you look at the squad players they aren’t very inspiring, yet the number Lawwell brings in but they do not play then the buying policy is failing, that doesn’t help the manager or collectively the team.
Mike, as usual you hit the nail on the head. Neither Klimala nor Soro have had a decent chance in the team. Why? If we already know they are not good enough, why buy them?
Same can be said of Bayo and Shved. That is almost 10 million worth of investment going nowhere.
Rebus
Expect a proliferation of Marches, particularly in the vicinity of RC Churches, as the OB’s do their (On The) level best to cancel Mass.
From “sand castles” to the bouncy, bouncy plastic. Tickly fingered referee’s to duff signings. These regular Celtic players overcome nearly everything. The team looked “leggy” against the Danes, yesterday’s gut draining efforts and niggly injuries will not have helped them. A big squad is imperative, but the squad players must be of a certain standard that the manager has faith in. He isn’t helped by Peters Picks, who seem to cost millions but never make regular team appearances. I am concerned, at the number of games for both club and country that most of our players play, twice a week is one to many, no time to rest properly add hammer throwers into the mix with feet of the ground tackles without punishment. So, i’m not chicken counting yet.
aye we heard ye he he
mikey a went intae the barbers this morning and the craic was so good 2 zombies left withoot a haircut ha ha ha ha aint treatin every barbers like a tim wan grand
HAHAHA. Does coos licking your heed give yeh a coos lick? 😉
every time he he
Charlie you’re probably the only one here that goes to a barber. Hairdressers for the rest if us with a bit of product at the end
he he
The only product that goes on my head is Durex play….
After Wednesday we’ve got no more midweek games lined up, so should be plenty of recovery times between games.
Obviously caused by the very dark clouds of our Euro exit and only a tiny slither of a silver lining.
Well they have stopped the sign of peace and getting the blood of Christ in Edinburgh. So only a short step to cancelling mass altogether
‘…as the editor was a Celtic fan’ ?
Not how it works here and this would have been overruled by a higher power. We are to believe he(the editor) sat on this story yet eventually allowed the Record to publish just because he was a Celtic supporter ?
re: the CS Lewis quote, is this the same CS Lewis that JRR Tolkein unfriended (they were very close)for being an anti catholic bigot?
No. It’s the CS Lewis that chose to join the C of E rather than the RC church after his conversion by Tolkein and who in his lifetime was criticised for ‘quasi-catholic’ views. But, and here’s where you have to laugh at the quote, it’s the same the same guy who listened to Tolkein in the pub going on about a book he was writing with talking animals and elves and fecked off and wrote the Narnia books before Tolkein had published – that’s when they fell out big time
73 year yon zombies been crawlin aboot and still learnt fuck all …..amazing ….or maybe not
typical zombie 73 year auld and still using crayons …..pity thu
Tough game yesterday because of the conditions, lot of respect for Lenny and the players overcoming that and Thursday’s nightmare. Livingston will be very tricky but after a disappointment we usually go on a run and I want us to step up again.