Celtic Diary Sunday March 15: First Trophy There to Be Won

Celtic face Dundee Utd today ( soon to become the most frequently used phrase in the English language, overtaking “Rangers drew today”..) in the QTS League Cup final.

No, I don’t know who QTS are either, but it might be something to do with trains.

Although it’s going to be  hard not to smile when someone is awarded the QTS man of the match. Especially if its said quickly.

There are doubts over Kris Commons, Adam Matthews and Nir Bitton, as well as the usual absence of Mikael Lustig and Charlie Mulgrew. Emilio Izaguirre should be okay, and Efe Ambrose will be on the bench, ready to replace one of the midfielders when Virgil van Dijk gets sent off for jumping too high.

Bobby Madden is the referee, despite a late effort from Graham chambers to be involved in the game at some point. The BBC should have hired the linesman to hear his views on the match incidents, which would have been compulsive viewing.

Madden is not noted for loving anything green and white, and it may be that the hoops will have to raise their game to overcome any honest mistakes which take place, and we hear that Celtic’s players have been ordered to play the game in the Dundee Utd half as much as possible, to avoid the inevitable penalty kick when Craig Gordon handles in the box.

Expect all of the injury doubts to start, even nir bitton, although he is the biggest doubt. Earlier in the week, he told the official website;

“It’s doing better now but it’s too early to say. I will do everything I can to be fit as it’s a big game for me and the team.

“I want to be fit and will do everything I can but sometimes you have injuries and this part of our job and you have to deal with it. There is still time leading up to the game and hopefully everything will be fine.”

If all are fit, then it will be Gordon, Matthews, van Dijk, Denaayer, Izaguirre, Brown Bitton, Commons, Johansen, Stokes Griffiths.

If Bitton is out, then johansen will move along side Brown, and Liam Henderson will add a bit of strength on the flank, with commons moving inside.

Or it will be someone else.

James Forrest could be an option, although he is more of an impact player , and could be used later on to stretch a tiring United if goals are needed, but thats unlikely. Celtic should, if they play to ability, comfortably win this one. By four, five maybe even more.

The big story of the week, concerning Scott Brown, hasn’t had the effect that the press were hoping for, no Celtic fan seems bothered, and most think its a load of nonsense anyway. This has caught the MSM unawares, and so they have resorted to plan b, which is a half baked yarn about Steven Gerrard, the aging Liverpool midfielder, joining the club on loan in January.

No, thanks. Celtic Park isn’t a rest home any more.

Another little snippet comes from Christian Dailly, once of Dundee Utd and now defunct Rangers. Presumably his head is still spinning from the tackle Barry Robson put in early in a game between Celtic and Rangers a few years ago;

“Brown certainly seems to be getting away with tackles others don’t. He plays right on the edge.

“He could only get away with it at Celtic. And he wouldn’t get away with it in any other country, in any other league. 

This is from the Dundee Courier, who fair enough can be expected to be a little partisan, so its not aybe as outrageous as first thought, although i’m surprised its not been picked up elsewhere.

Dailly, described as a former Scotland captain, which itself is astonishing, went on;

“Just look at the difference in how referees treat his tackles in Europe.”

 “What I would say though, is that it’s a huge boost for Celtic that he isn’t suspended.

“He’s their most important player and United will need to find a way of making sure he doesn’t have everything his own way.” 

He isn’t suspended because he hasn’t done anything wrong. Hardly a boost. But the implication he should be out is there.

Brown will be an important player today. Its six years to the day since the League cup had a home at Celtic Park, and thats far too long for any domestic trophy to be away. In fact, the team that won it back in 2009 will have the North Stand named after them should the current lot fail today.

The BBC will be covering the game for those of us who can’t make it, and in order to rub it in, they will have Pat Nevin and John Hartson as their resident experts, which should have us all fuming by half time.

Hartson , in fairness , has come around to Deila, and as a late believer myself, i have a little bit of sympathy for him. As for Nevin, its still beyond me how he gets a gig on the telly at all.

Though we hear the BBC will have anyone on giving their opinions on anything, as Watchdog Test will prove on Wednesday morning at 11.45. An extraordinarily handsome, charming and witty fellow will be telling how he heroically saved his house from burning down after a fire caused by one of his dumber children started in an upstairs bedroom.

Still no sign of a book deal though.

And still no sign of any replies from either Radio Clyde or Celtics PR department.

Maybe my email is broken.

No, can’t be. Theres one from the library saying that the Paul Larkin book I wanted is in, and another from a chap selling Russian women.

The players in yesterdays pic were out in Bermuda, in 1972, and not Rothesay, as was suggested.

Whats going on here ?