Whilst for Celtic, the cup semi final is just another game, it appears the rest of the world think its a little more than that. In fact, its beginning to take on a sort of little orphan Annie type story as the media whip themselves into a frenzy with the notion that the new club, who are the victims of some bad guys, could somehow win this trophy and then all will be right with society again.
Yeah, I know.
Take this screenshot from Newsnow; see if you can spot the trend…
and then there’s another “legend ” getting on Deila’s back…
And then, incredibly, we hear that Mark Warburton feels sorry for Ronny Deila. Bless him.
Then again, its from the Radio Clyde website, which one feels should really have the letter “h” in there somewhere.
Rangers boss feels sympathy for Celtic counterpart
Jeff Holmes
Rangers manager Mark Warburton admits he has sympathy for under-fire Celtic boss Ronny Deila.
Deila is under pressure following disappointing European and Scottish League Cup campaigns, while Aberdeen are chasing Celtic hard at the top of the Premiership.
Warburton and his team could put more pressure on the Norwegian in the William Hill Scottish Cup semi-finals, but the Rangers boss feels his counterpart is on the end of some ill-merited criticism.
Warburton told talkSPORT: “I referred to the goldfish bowl and it is a really passionate football city. I thought London was a football city and then you come
to Glasgow and really they live and die for their football.
“There’s 14-15 pages every day in the papers, there are radio shows every evening, and it’s scrutiny beyond belief. The fans phone in and it fuels the fire.
“So, he’s top of the league. They had a difficult European campaign, okay, but what more can he do?
“I do feel some sympathy for him but I think you know when you join a club like Celtic or Rangers, you know what you are putting yourself up for, that’s for sure.”
Warburton, whose Championship leaders face Celtic in mid-April, added: “We took 9,000 officially to Kilmarnock on a Tuesday night, pouring with rain, on a Champions League night, but there were nearer 11,000 unofficially. It’s an unbelievable support.
“This is the size of the club and we have got to enjoy it. The players have responsibility, we have a responsibility and if we can get the environment right
where they enjoy the responsibility, we will be in a good place. You have to thrive on it.”
Warburton attempted to focus his players on their league game against Morton on Friday night immediately after Sunday’s draw, but he is well aware of the importance of the derby.
“I was at Belfast Airport, I had been to see a player,” the former Brentford boss said. “I heard the draw and turned my phone off to get on a 30-minute flight and I had 27 missed calls by the time I landed. That gives you a clue as to what it is.
“It’s a fantastic draw and it is a challenge to test ourselves. It’s a game at the national stadium and there will be a 50,000 sell-out and we look forward to it.
“There is no doubt we will go into the game well-prepared and ready for the challenge but between now and then we have some very important league games and the week before we have the Petrofac Cup final.”
So if Morton beat them on Friday, will we see crisis headlines ? Or even if they make a game of it ?
You could be forgiven for thinking that this tie is between equals, but of course, it isn’t.
Essentially, this game is being promoted as the best thing about Scottish football there is, when in fact, its a game that belongs in the past. As far as i can see, it appears that if we turn a blind eye to the fact the other lot are no longer the other lot, who died because of some fraudulent and creative accounting while they decided that paying bills was something other people did, then everything will be alright.
And somehow, we are supposed to welcome that.
Yesterday, Dave king, a man not noted for his honesty, released a set of unaudited accounts which , on the surface, tell a story of a club -or company- that has now got its act together and -i quote-“doesn’t have any third party debt “.
He neglected to mention that this is because no-one is stupid enough to lend them any money, and left out the £9.5m of borrowing from those who are , er, non third party creditors, and also the money borrowed to pay off Mike Ashley, who had threatened to send the whole edifice tumbling down. This was spun as a payment to try and end the fiasco of Rangers Retail Ltd, which was more or less pawned to the Sports direct man to get a few quid in in the first place.
No matter what they say in public, the fact that no stock exchange listing exists, despite claims that it wasn’t going to be an issue, means that the clubs accounts might as well be written by JK Rowling , for all they are worth, yet the media seems happy enough to go along with the myth.
Put simply, they can say whatever they want. No-one is going to check it.
It’s kind of depressing, but the fact remains, Celtic have to put them in their place.
One report suggested that only a record win would keep the Celtic support off ronny deila’s back, and I suppose 3-0 is a fairly reasonable expectation, but I’m looking for more than that.
Much more.
I want everyone to see the gulf between the two sets of players.
I want everyone to see the difference between the two sets of fans.
And, I want to see Neil McCann crying on live tv.
Sky Sports pundit Neil McCann says a section of the Celtic support will have worries ahead of their Scottish Cup semi-final against Championship side Rangers.
And McCann is confident his former Rangers side will give a better account of themselves than they did in the previous clash between the clubs when Celtic won 2-0 in the semi-final of the League Cup at Hampden last season.
McCann, a five-time winner of the Scottish Cup, told Sky Sports News HQ: “There are some Celtic fans right now who will be a little bit worried and there will be some Rangers fans in the same camp, but I think this will be a closer game than people expect. I really do.
Well, he’s not the only one who thinks he knows our own minds better than we do.
Take Scott MacDonald, for instance.
“I think any fans who say they haven’t missed the derby are kidding themselves on. How could you not miss it?
“For all the other things that it brings at times, it’s still a special day and hopefully it can be a special spectacle for Scottish football for all the right reasons come six weeks’ time.
“Hopefully the players behave themselves accordingly and outwith that everyone else does as well to make it a good day. It really puts Scottish football back on the map because for the next six weeks this is all we’re going to hear about.
“There’s a League Cup Final at the weekend, but we’re all talking about this game, which comes in the middle of next month.
“It gives a real buzz again to the city and a real meaning. Hopefully it makes for a good spectacle and the promise of a lot more excitement to come next year.”
I’m not sure which part I’m supposed to be missing.
It certainly isn’t the quality of the football on show.
It certainly isn’t the poisonous atmosphere.
It certainly isn’t the relentless establishment bias.
I’ve managed four years without the minimum four fixtures.
And genuinely, I can say i haven’t missed them.
Yet MacDonald even thinks that the game will somehow “save Celtic’s season”…
However, if you’re asking who wants this game more then I would say it’s probably Celtic.
“I believe they need it more in order to get their season back on track and get their heads right again.
Back on track ? Has he seen the league table ?
If the media were to concentrate, even just for a short while, on the other clubs who have not had to resort to illegal financing, and who have got their houses in order and still managed to improve on the pitch, then we might have something to be pleased about. Something even to shout about.
Instead, they have even given a platform to retiring Police Scotland chief Andy Bates. Master Bates knows how to police an “old firm ” game, which shows financial law isn’t his strong point.
Talking bollocks is though;
“I still passionately believe we can eradicate bile they spout at each other.
Good luck with that. Perhaps we should all be fitted with voice recorders which can be examined after the game.
“And Police Scotland are much better at policing Old Firm games than in previous years.
“We do certain things differently now, we have a much more intelligence-led approach.
Intelligence ? Police Scotland ?
“Officers will identify problems and nip them in the bud before any incidents can develop.
Ah. they’re going to kill the first born child in each household. Been done before, I think. and it didn’t work.
“Overall, we are better at policing events.”
Than who ?
I’d like to see the organisation which Police Scotland are superior to.
I could do with a laugh.
Who is this guy ?
Mr Bates joined Strathclyde Police in 1983 and throughout his career, has performed largely operational roles.
He was instrumental in developing Police Scotland’s Events Intelligence Model, which is used as a blueprint for all major football matches, concerts, protests, marches and parades across the country.
Mr Bates said: “The model has improved public safety, as well as reducing the cost to the public.
Really ?
Somehow, i’m not overly confident in him or his police farce. Thats not a typo, by the way.
The “resurgence” of a club that felt it was above the law, and feels even now it can carry on regardless, whilst blaming everyone else for the mess they got into, well everyone has an opinion on that, as long as they leave that bit out, and hey, that sells papers.
Pardon me for not wetting myself with excitement.
Though I am looking forward to putting them in their place.
Then we will know the world is spinning happily on its axis again.
In other news, Carlton Cole is away to England for “personal reasons” , and i suppose you can’t get more personal than an operation.
Nir Biton will soon be fit again, an announcement made almost as soon as his agent read Saturday’s Chinese whispers Diary.
The players now have a couple of days off, no doubt to help them ignore the hype about the clash between the respective leaders of Scotland’s two top divisions, and next week they will have a day at the races, to encourage gambling which means they’ll all be living in a flat above a shop by the summer.
After the nights out on the beer, followed now by a stint at the bookies, it can only be a matter of time before they decide a Thai massage parlour will help with the bonding.
The SFA have not announced who will referee the game, but it will see the debut of the new referee uniform..
Willie Collum staked his claim for the job with his performance in the Morton game, and there’s still six weeks for other refs to show they can do even better.
We’ll be lucky to have any players available for the game. They’ll all be injured, suspended or in prison.
Yesterdays caption competition, as promised, here is the winner, thanks to charlie saiz who put the picture together, and of course, to Stevie, who suggested the caption.
Your prize is in the post, but not on its way to you.
And for today, we see Lorenzo amorouso, stealing an old lady’s trolley to fund his Baileys habit.
Or do we ?
Caption:
Sengas maw catches up with the culprit who took her up the wrong aisle yesteday…
You are offa quiete the noo,soldier Bhoy,whats up Doc?
You boy are up to mischief,ah can smell it,please dont make me issue the order to switch on Phasers,from the Tayside express.
Kinda hope we beat Gretna in the cup semi final
or is it Annan, one of the new boys. Anyway I hope they enjoy their day out at a big club, the history the trophies, hope they don’t freeze, it’s a lot to ask for such a new entity didums.
caption- sir mintys secret agent drops off another pile of e.b.t cash to a grateful ex employee
From Saturday onwards Celtic need to be hitting top form, send a message out to those who are waiting for us to fail.
The only way to silence critics is to win games and do it in a convincing fashion, this is all that I ask.
As for Sevco? I wouldn’t get caught up in the hype, let them do all the talking and then just smash them on the park.
This game will tell me volumes about the character of our players and their mentality.
We are better than them to a man, but we must want it, desperately want it.
Of course the policeman in his younger days was known as master bates! The fixture is back to all and sundry,except to us Celtic fans,for we know the truth.
They are not the same club,this is not the old firm.
This is a game between the premiership leaders and the leaders of the championship.
Celtic should do the decent thing and tell the players to make no comment when asked about the fixture.
We have a league to win,which is the most important thing.
The cup,well anyone can win a cup,it will be who performs better on the day. Relax into the match by winning all the games before it.
Celtic should boss this game, Brown Bitton Johansen, should be too powerful, Roberts Commons Griffiths to smart.
With Lustig Eric Mulgrew Tierney then there is no problem.
Only the players themselves, by not playing to their full,can lose this game. But they have done so in the past, stick to what you do best should be the message,and remember who the true Champions of Scotland are,for this is not a club but a cause for which you play.
Hail Hail
Ralph,it will not be popular,but if ever a match needed a strong message sent out its this one,we do not want you we do not need you,we dont want your friends in the media,we dont want to condone the Sfa with its support of lying and cheating.
The Message is to Bhuoycott this game,its the only message that they will understand,if we dont then we accept all the lying and cheating and accept that it will continue.
H.H.
This match with sevco, will be a timely reminder for all fans who sat at the ‘back of the bus’ and have enjoyed over the last 4 years, a wee bit of comfort with the fresh air you get, as a consequence of sitting at the front (even then we’re still all moaning,’5’In a row). They’ve walked away from a £160m debt and 2 decades worth of cheating has went unpunished, as the game administrators run amok with ‘their own rule book’. I’d like to see ‘ALL’ Tims put up some kind of case or argument on ‘WHY’ the back of the bus isn’t for us no more. Now is the time for this skulduggery to see the light of day, at the Court Of Arbitration For Sport. I believe it costs £40k to bring a case to it and to simultaneously having RES 12 seeking a ‘Judicial Review’ at the COS. So we can get ‘findings of facts’ detailed and acted on accordingly. Only my opinion. HH
I would be willing to contribute to the cost of this,just say the word.
Mike,
Sadly, it’ll take more than a couple of peh’s and a copy of the Broons to solve this issue…
Phasers Tae Malky,
Your just an Android,yev goat Kak aw Knob.
You are right their Monty,for me if i had a say in the running of the club i would return the tickets,fine or no fine.What will be will be.
So only two days on from the draw and I am already sick hearing about them and their progress from last year as I admitted myself they are better than they were but how hard would that be. If the players can ignore Ronnie and concentrate on their own talents and strengths we will beat them man for man we are better, I mean Kenny Miller for gods sake.
Whatever I’m doing, I’ve done it again or maybe you feel I need censured. HH
Awe diddums?
Couldn’t agree more Mike. I would absolutely love to see the whole celtic end empty. Like the stadium was on Sunday. However, we won’t see it. Therefore, we accept that they are the same club. Celtic have been poor this season but I personally feel the ‘supporters have been a disgrace. right down to boycotting the game against Morton. Yet the same boycotters will be first in the queue for a ticket for the game against their second favourite team. I will not be attending. I will never watch another game against them again, either live or on TV. I just wish the Celtic support wpould do the same. The world would take notice that they are not the same club. If we go we recognise them. Shameful.
Well said John,but i fear that we are lonely voices in a sea of acceptance.
H.H.
there was no boycott of the game against morton,on tv and all home cup games have had shit attendances for years
Caption: As the old lady waddles on to George Square, just off the bus from Dundee, the old dear say’s to Amorouso ” OH thank fuck son, I had to get away from there for the day ”
Do you fancy a PEH, Amo?
There he goes again with his mystical staunder about Bonny Dundee and his fascination with the famous Pehs.Do you get the impression that he misses the silvery Tay?Oor Willie,Desperate Dan msm or is he fantisising about Maw Broon or Daphney.
Methinks he does,send me your address Edinburger Bhoy and i will bring you doon 6 Pehs,one for each of yer Holes.
Why is Andy Walker doing “Im a little teapot” behind them?
Caption:
Isa Drennan proves she’s still game as she goes in knee high on big Amosumo
I was at the Morton game so is it OK with everybody if I go to Hampden to see the team I support in a cup semi-final? I would be going no matter who we are playing as I go to see the Celtic, nobody else.
ibhoy, As far as i know its a relatively free world and you can do what you want.
Personnally i will not be attending,although i have attended most games at home this season,why,well because i do not want to be associated with thems in any way shape or form.
It is my opinion that the only way to combat the lying, cheating and total lack of sporting integrity,is by highlighting this fact to all,including thems,the bigoted media and their friends at the SFA.
Like it or not,its a political world.
Thats my opinion and i will stand by it.
H.H.
A free world right enough so you are of course free to do what you like. But you called for a boycott, which is an attempt to tell other people what to do.
Why should I miss out on seeing my team because of others’ cheating? Besides, a boycott would achieve nothing.
So ibhoy, we just accept all that has gone on before,take it and move on,leave it up to the Board or do nothing.
Enjoy the game.I hope we gub them.
time others who post crap on this site got off their ass,and wen,t to games
FYI King’s financial statement – Not…. 🙂
https://wordpress.com/post/carljunglebhoy.wordpress.com/19673331fference
Doh! I meant ….
https://wordpress.com/post/carljunglebhoy.wordpress.com/19673331
Caption: Amarouso fails to sneak his £639,000 in illegal EBTs past eagle-eyed undercover HMRC agent?
Caption….”yer names Amo is it? …whit? Like in Amo, Amas, Amat, Amamus, Amatis, AmaFenian?”.
HH
Sue
Susan,
Non flocci est AMO!
Rebus
Caption….”Ah wis behind yer burd in the supermarket yesterday”
HH
Sue
Latin declination Ms Murphy! very clever but it will never catch on on here :-).
That would be conjugation mate. You decline nouns and conjugate verbs.
Mea culpa
Every day is a school day I say.
Since Celtic have virtually no promotional strategy, other than reaction, what I am about to say is irrelevant.
Back in the days when Scotland had a national team that could beat anyone on the day, the games against England were very interesting. I refer not so much to performance on the field but to the promotional campaigns that went on prior to these games. From the Scots it was, basically, we are going to murder you, you uppity English gits. This is our defining game. On the other hand, the English took the following view, we are involved in many important matches all the time, we would like to win this one but our efforts are focused elsewhere on more important events, such as beating the European/World champions and progressing in Europe and the World Cup.
This used to irritate the heck out of me, but there is no doubting it is an effective strategy. If England lost, the ground was already laid for saying it was disappointing but we are concerned with other important events. If they won, well, that was to be expected because, as they said, they are involved in very important matches all the time.
W.RT. The semi final, Celtic could benefit from this approach(the English one). We should establish the position that we would like to reach the final of the cup(note not saying that we want to beat Sevco) but that we have been involved in many important throughout the season, both domestically and within Europe. The remaining matches in the league are more important than progressing to the final of a cup. Winning the league has to be the priority because it affords entry into the modt important competition in Europe.
We now have ambassadors who should be charged with getting that message out there. Similarly, the management team should emerge from hiding occasionally and expound the same message. Players should also be made aware that this is the theme that needs to be followed in interviews.
Will it happen? If it does, I want a commission! However, I think the approach will be like Henry Cooper again Ali……largely defensive, reactionary and swinging the odd lucky punch.
It is likely that I shall be leaving the blog, at least for a while, the moving hand having written and all that……..I have enjoyed it very much. I salute Ralph for his consistent dedication to providing a forum for everybody’s ramblings. I really do not know where he gets the patience!
Rebus
Hope you are ok. Rebus,I sincerely hope that, that Monti hasnt offended you by his racists chants about Bonnie Dundee.
BTW Ralphy gets that patience by being Blootered every weekend.
Haste Ye Back,Auld Yin.
Mike,
I am fine as far as I know!
Tx for your concern,
Rebus
“Gonnie geeez some haunders love….”
An opportunity to beat the championship side, raise the ill gotten gains of EBTs, burst the “same club” myth and rejoice in their ineptitude. What an opportunity this game is. Bring on “the basket of assets”. We all need to be talking about title stripping, criminal asset transfer and sectarian singing. Let’s get the pressure on the basket boys!
What says more than an empty stadium,no cash for the SFA,the Bigots can sing there hearts out,to themselves,for themselves and the world ponders,what happened to the Cellic support,why are they not here?
Then we can tell them why.
No matter what support your team,I will be there even if the filth make me feel sick,and the ref is Thompson,as i am sure it will be
You can do what you want,me i would rather not be in the same stadium as that shite,listening to there loony tunes.Btw i do go to home games as many as i can so dont lump me in with your lack of support garbage.
rangers have every chance of beating this team. any team that has a reasonable structure can beat us because we are the antithesis of a structure. 11 individuals who dont know shit from pastry because they are chopped and changed that often theyve forgotten the structuref football taught to them during their apprenticeships and afterwards.
its a fools paradise to get all wound up because its thrm we are playing old or new. we are in crisis bereft of unity and formation. wake the fuck up. last year we were better and they eere a pub team. now its different and the chasm that was there has disintegrated into a possible even game. for the run in ronny has to put a settled team out there and stop experimenting. otherwise we will lose
its not old or new its deid or sevco
Rangers love in, media bum them up week in and week out. Most games they have played in the Championship have been won by the odd goal, Warbsys trophy cabinet is overflowing with silver, I don’t think so.
The reverse is true, irrespective of the media, Celtic have won two trophies, are top of the league and the only similarity with Sevco, they are in a semi-final but as you say with your quotes Ralph, Celtic are the strugglers.
The media full some of the people all of the time, Celtic are the clear favourites to win this tie, irrespective of the dross the media publish. Dundee fell apart at the weekend, previous meetings with Premiership teams were a struggle for Sevco.
For the next four weeks all we will get is drivel, whilst Celtic will improve with Simunovic, Biton, Johannsen, Janko returning to the full team.
COYBG HH
iancelt 67,
amen to that, was going to make a comment but you summed it up perfectly for me, I,ll just fuck of then back to deal or no deal
Oh Torrance mate no not deal or no deal you will rot your brain cells switch it off
Tbh there no fear in the semi bring the Huns on tbh we will beat them that’s all I have heard since Sunday sevco this and that
Caption….”Don’t feckin pretend you don’t remember that night in Victoria’s”
HH
Sue
Booom 1-0 Jaggies
Live Radio Coverage
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/football/35736262
1-2 to the sheep!
Need to get into a run of form before the Rangers game and of course also to ensure the league and CL qualification. But those who say the Rangers game will be a sort of litmus test for this squad are right – will they be hungry enough? Brave enough? Wise enough to make it difficult for the referee to stack the odds in Rangers’ favour? A lot could go wrong. A loss will define RD’s season but a win won’t change much as the fans’ reactions will be: “Only to be expected even under this manager!”
rangers ur deid