{"id":13561,"date":"2018-10-28T03:57:25","date_gmt":"2018-10-28T03:57:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/etims.net\/?p=13561"},"modified":"2018-10-28T03:57:25","modified_gmt":"2018-10-28T03:57:25","slug":"celtic-diary-sunday-october-28-remind-them-whats-ours","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/etims.net\/?p=13561","title":{"rendered":"Celtic Diary Sunday October 28: Remind Them Whats Ours."},"content":{"rendered":"

Its Cup Semi final day.<\/p>\n

Its four o’clock in the morning, or three o’clock, depending on which timepiece you trust in my house.<\/p>\n

So if this piece gets cut short it’ll be because I’m looking at the wrong one.<\/p>\n

As you can gather, we’re on the road again today, hence being up with the larks, and even they’re having a moan because they expected an extra hour in bed.<\/p>\n

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We pulled a flanker on the hire company as well. They told us they only had a seventeen seater available today, but when I went into their office yesterday pretending to be going on a fishing trip they suddenly found a nine seater, so we won;t be rattling around the highways and byways at forty miles an hour getting on each others nerves.<\/p>\n

Its amazing what a little polite desperation can do.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Anyway, in a week that has seen all sorts of tittle tattle hit the headlines, the players simply need to be reminded that the League cup is theirs, has been for a couple of years, and that they should offer no qurter to anyone who tries to take it off them.<\/p>\n

Hearts will be backed at Murrayfield by a support around twice the size that they are used to, whilst around 30,000 Celts will be in attendance, roughly half of what our lads are used to.<\/p>\n

Potentially, we could be in for a treat.<\/p>\n

The manager appears to be leaving nothing to chance. Or fretting over the tiniest of details… according to the Record<\/p>\n

Brendan Rodgers insists Murrayfield will be pitch perfect for\u00a0Celtic<\/a>\u00a0today \u2013 after talks with the SRU\u2019s head ground.<\/em><\/p>\n

The Hoops manager was embroiled in a bitter turf war with Hearts over the met there back in May.\u00a0Rodgers<\/a>\u00a0claimed Hearts\u2019 tactic of growing the grass long to stifle Celtic\u2019s style of passing on the deck was \u201cembarrassing\u201d.<\/em><\/p>\n

But the Celts boss has satisfied himself that they\u2019ll be playing on a \u2028carpet at the home of rugby in tomorrow\u2019s Betfred Cup semi-final.<\/em><\/p>\n

Murrayfield has the same \u00a32m hybrid surface installed at Celtic Park \u2028earlier this year.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Rodgers said:<\/p>\n

It will hopefully make for a good game then.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cThe pitch will be 105m long and 68m wide. That\u2019s the same size as Hampden.<\/em><\/p>\n

And the length of grass? That will be down to 24mm, which is UEFA guideline size \u2013 and just happens to be the exact same length as at Celtic Park.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI have spoken to the groundsman at \u2028Murrayfield and they\u2019ve got standards.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThey have top ground staff, the pitch is superb and they want a showcase game too. One guy was from Falkirk and the other is a Raith fan. I had a good chat with both of them.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

They\u2019re neutrals and want the best pitch.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI spoke to them when they were working on the pitch when we were \u2028training there on Tuesday.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cIt would be ignorant not to talk to them, right?<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI was just asking them what size they though the pitch would be \u2013 and how long the grass would be!\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

I bet they were thrilled.<\/p>\n

Celtic will have Tom Rogic and James Forrest available, and its these two who will be expected to create the chances for each other and the rest of the team.<\/p>\n

Leigh Griffiths hasn;t gone AWOL, despite a few stories to that effect, he’s merely concerned he’ll get the blame for another baby which came along this week and has gone into hiding.<\/p>\n

\"Image<\/p>\n

Due to Conservative party policy, the couple are only allowed another one, and they’ve been deciding what colour to go for this time.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Celtic need to put the defeat to Liepzig behind them and focus on retaining the League Cup.<\/p>\n

You can’t have a treble without the League Cup.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It would also be nice to wipe that smile off Craig Leveins face.<\/p>\n

You cannot deny he’s done a wonderful job clearing up after the mess he made when he was football director and Hearts are a different proposition from last season, but he does go on a bit.<\/p>\n

And Stephen Naismith has , in his own mind, been elevated to a standard that should have Barcelona knocking on his door in January.<\/p>\n

Again, lets put them in their place.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Gordon, Lustig, Hendry, Benkovic, Tierney, Mulumbu, MacGregor, Forrest, Rogic, Edouard Griffiths.<\/p>\n

You know why , if fit, I’ve chosen Mulumbu…<\/p>\n

\"Image<\/p>\n

Naismith,,,and the rest of the cloggers…need a bit of a taste of what to expect.<\/p>\n

The game doesn’t promise to be pretty, and will as a result generate a decent atmosphere.<\/p>\n

All I want is for Celtic to play like they want to win, as that should be enough.<\/p>\n

Prediction ?<\/p>\n

I don’t think Hearts will be in this one at all, and reckon Celts will cruise to a 3 or 4 goal win.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Those of you travelling today might want to have a look at this map, and be aware that for some time now the Celtic SLO has been advising everyone to get there early.<\/p>\n

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Celtic FC SLO<\/strong>\u200f\u00a0<\/span><\/span>@CelticFCSLO<\/b><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n
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