Celtic overcame a determined and organised Inverness by a single goal on Saturday, scored, predictably and re-assuringly by John Guidetti, who managed to break away from a multitude of markers , to fire past the Caley keeper.

Deila reverted to one up front, and as a result , the game was more difficult than it should have been. Inverness did have the occasional foray into Celtics half, and even had more corners than the hoops, but they seemed afraid to try to stay there, and on losing possession, which they never seemed happy with in the first place, they would all scamper back to man the barricades.

Celtic should have had a penalty when Guidetti was pushed and stamped on after that, but he was booked as referee Craig Thomson got a bit of practice in for the upcoming League Cup semi final with Second Rangers. Guidetti showed another side to him, a welcome side, when he threw a bit of a wobbly about the decision, and for a moment it looked like he was going to belt someone.

Anyone who doubts the lads passion for the game, and for Celtic would do well to have a look at that incident again. This is not someone playing out a loan spell looking for a big move.

This is a Celtic player in all but registration documents, which is a phrase you don’t hear every day.

With the number nine getting his ninth goal in nine games, Ronny had every reason to be happy with the result-after all, its five straight wins now, and he’s sailing comfortably into uncharted waters.

“We played against our best opponents this season in the league,” he said. “They’re well-organised with a pattern that you can see they play all the time. They play with confidence and they’re hard to break down.

“But in the first-half we kept the ball for long periods, we created chances and we needed to get that goal, which we did.

“At the end it was a bit nervy – I didn’t like that – but having played so many games in such a short space of time, it’s been very good with four victories. We’ve played four matches in nine days and I’m so proud of the boys.” 

“Lusakz has worked really hard and I was so happy for him when I saw him produce that save at the end,” he said.

“John Guidetti’s very important, and we’ve also got other players who can score. I have Stefan Scepovic, who didn’t play today, but it’s very hard for me to leave him out of the team, but he’ll get his chances and he’ll score goals as well.

“We’re looking good and we’ll have James Forrest and Kris Commons back soon too so it’s going the right way.”

 A bit nervy ?

 If it wasn’t for Lukasz Zaluska, Inverness would have got a point. The Pole , playing instead of Craig Gordon, who hurt his sides laughing at the news that Ally McCoist did offer him a contract after the men at Murray Park  made him the keeper he is, made a couple of superb stops in the last few minutes when it appeared that the defence switched off at the same time Mikael Lustig went off.

 Incidentally, quite why McCoist had to contradict Gordon when the keeper said he wasn’t offered a contract is unclear.

 Perhaps its because he’s a fat lying bastard.

“I’ve been put in a position by the press today where there was a question mark over myself for not offering a contract to Craig”  

Over myself ? Can’t he learn to talk properly ?

 Gordon could not have been offered a contract by Second Rangers, simply because he said he wasn’t. If it comes to choosing which ones telling fibbers, then its not too difficult to decide given past form. McCoist, for instance, says he’s a football manager.

 As predicted in Saturdays diary, and by anyone else who understands the working mentality of anyone associated with authority in Scottish football, the two hot balls came out of the bowl together, and Celtic will face Second Rangers in the League Cup.

 Thankfully, with all the baggage associated with what the media call the Old Firm, presumably as a tribute to the now defunct fixture, largely because one of the clubs is defunct, theres a clam voice over all the hullaballoo;

Ally McCoist has appealed for cool heads and calm in the build up to the first meeting of Rangers and Celtic since 2012.

The fierce Glasgow rivals will face each other in the semi-finals of the League Cup on January 31 or February 1.

Wary of the hype and mayhem which might attach itself to a resumption of hostilities, however, McCoist called for all involved to show restraint.

A resumption of hostilities ! Fierce Glasgow rivals !

Good old Ally. But its too late. Its already started, and you don’t need to be Sherlock Holmes to work out where the bile has been bubbling;

Rangers fan threatens to stab

Celtic star Anthony Stokes in

vile tweet just hours after Old Firm

League Cup draw

GARY PULLER said he would run on the park and stab Stokes and blow-up his dad – but just hours after posting the message he whined he didn’t mean any harm and his life “was going to be ruined”.

Stokes later said that Puller had apologised and that was the end of it. But its nice to see they haven’t changed their mindset despite changing their club.

 Better get used to it. We’ve got three months of this shite, especially from McCoist, who is over the moon to be big news again.

Ronny Deila played it down , and pointed out where the Ibrox lot stand in the big picture;

“It is no problem for me. There were three good teams there and I think we didn’t get the best one,” the Norwegian told the Sun on Sunday.

“I haven’t been to an Old Firm game before but I am looking forward to experience.

“Everyone knows it is unbelievably important in Glasgow. Everyone is looking forward to a fantastic atmosphere. It’s going to be huge and hopefully we’ll win and make it even better.

“Right now, we are favourites. We are favourites in every game here in Scotland.

“I will of course speak to John Collins about the game, and John Kennedy has played a lot too. The whole club has a lot of experience in those games.” 

The BBC, for instance, gave us this puzzler, from their 606 programme, which is a sort of low brow Radio Clyde phone in;

 You work them out. I can’t.

There is a way , through patient and well worked debate, to convince those who don’t quite understand what happened to old Rangers;

 McCoist, though, can’t help himself. In that wonderful, sleekit way of his, he ramped up the tension-by telling everyone to keep calm;

‘It is only right we make an early appeal for calm.

‘Common sense has to play its part in all of this. I believe there has been a frenzy for this fixture in some quarters. I understand that, I get it. But from a sanity point of view we are talking about a game that’s still three months away.

‘It’s the first Old Firm game in almost three years and I hope all the fans can come along and enjoy. But let’s remember we have a duty and a responsibility here.’ 

And , of course, they will approach the tie with dignity;

‘Unlike the Celtic dressing room there was no hollering when it was made,’ he said. ‘There was a quiet nod of the head from some. That will do for me. 

‘I said: “Great lads, that’s the draw and that’s who we are getting but we’ve got Cowdenbeath on Tuesday.” They all nodded in agreement.

Cowdenbeath ? He’ll meet up with an old friend there. Wonder if the press will work some more on this story, perhaps even ask the Cowdenbeath man to explain himself.

‘Nothing in the next three months will surprise me or shock me. You don’t need to tell me or my players what this game means.

‘I’m fortunate to have the likes of McCulloch, Miller and Boyd. These boys have been over the course. I looked at the three of them when the draw was made. There was no hooping or hollering or high-fiving.’ 

 No. I’ll bet there wasn’t.

You see, for us its not a big game. Its a semi final, and one we should expect to win. And win comfortably. Although we do have an extra midfielder on standby, should Ronny need a bit of bite;

 We can laugh about the game. I’m not sure that the other lot can.

Oh , wait.

McCoist has already called Craig Gordon a liar, and now we have Kris Boyd with a few words of warning for John Guidetti;

“Good for John Guidetti but that’s someone speaking who has never played in an Old Firm game and doesn’t know what he’s in for.

“Until you’ve played in that fixture you don’t know what it takes – anyone can win those games.

“We have five or six players who have been in Old Firm games. I’m not sure about Celtic. It can be an advantage because you know what you’re going into.

“I don’t think it makes sense for anyone to say they’re going to steamroll teams or do this or that or such and such is going down. 

 Fair enough, in one sense, Boyd hardly ever got the nod against Celtic, and thats because he never scored in big games.

“Celtic should concentrate on what they’re doing right now and that means trying to get to the top of the Premiership – the cup will take care of itself.” 

 They really are asking for it.

10-0, 11-0. Its not enough. I want to see the Arbroath Bon Accord game beaten for goals. If they play Mcculloch and Moshni at the back, its more than possible.

 I hate them for making me hate.

 Three months of this shite.

 Still, we should be thankful for small mercies. At least Hugh Dallas won’t be the referee. Thats not to say the man in the middle won’t be one  of the same mindset when the game rolls around, because he probably will, but at least it won’t be Hugh.

 He’s now head of refereeing in Greece, where he is pretty much carrying on where he left off.

Elsewhere, Stuart McCall has quit as manager of Motherwell. He had started to look like the pressure was getting to him.

 Graeme Spiers described him as relatively speaking, the most successful manager in Scotland. If he thinks Mccall has been successful , he must be a relative.

Meanwhile, congratulations to local Stoke lad Robbie Williams, who has become a father, and who bizarrely decided to video the whole thing and show it on the web.

 The first time he’s not been the most painful experience in the room, I suppose.

 On Friday, we showed this picture;

 Which is a list of things that will not be permitted in the ground when Celtic face Astra on Thursday.

 Bit harsh, as I was planning to take my step ladder with me. We’ve not been getting on since my real ladder arrived back on the scene.