{"id":13978,"date":"2019-03-03T09:37:44","date_gmt":"2019-03-03T09:37:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/etims.net\/?p=13978"},"modified":"2019-03-03T09:37:44","modified_gmt":"2019-03-03T09:37:44","slug":"celtic-diary-sunday-march-3-that-was-the-week-that-was","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/etims.net\/?p=13978","title":{"rendered":"Celtic Diary Sunday March 3: That Was The Week That Was"},"content":{"rendered":"

We can all relax now.<\/p>\n

Celtic overcame Hibernian yesterday to advance into the semi finals of the Scottish Cup, completing a week that may live long in the memory. Perhaps even as a pivotal week in the quest for ten in a row and a third consecutive treble.<\/p>\n

The week the stars aligned ?<\/p>\n

We’ll see.<\/p>\n

What we did see yesterday was a Celtic team change tactics to counter an enthusiastic hibernian challenge which led to a comfortable victory, with James Forrest relishing his role as a central number ten, and Scott Brown dragging his team mates through the game in the way that Roy Aitken used to do.<\/p>\n

Forrest scored the first goal, which showed he can combine quick feet with a powerful finish, and Brown made the tie safe when he powered through the defence to unleash a shot that had people in the stand holding their hands in front of their faces in case it came through the net.<\/p>\n

Along with Nir Biton, Brown provided the muscle behind the hustle of the forwards, and for what was a makeshift team with a makeshift manager , it was a truly mature and professional performance.<\/p>\n

After the game, Lennon paid tribute to , well, everyone..<\/p>\n

\u201cI am absolutely delighted, I got everything I wanted,\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI thought it was an outstanding performance from the team. We had total control, and I thought that was the best I\u2019ve seen them play for a while.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWe had a brilliant mentality, it\u2019s been a very difficult week for them all \u2013 physically and emotionally \u2013 so for them to go out and play they way they did, particularly in the second-half, speaks volumes for this group of players.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI haven\u2019t seen Celtic play like that Against Hibs for a while, especially at Easter Road. The manner of the goals was brilliant too, and I couldn\u2019t have asked for more from the players.<\/em><\/p>\n

“With Forrest and Brown scoring goals, it was like going back in time. They were with me when I was first here and nine years later, they\u2019re still outstanding footballers at this club. For me, they\u2019re two Celtic greats, and they\u2019re still writing chapters in the time they have here.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cToday, I\u2019ve moved Jamesy into a more central position because we weren\u2019t affecting between the lines enough. We did that just about 10 minutes before half-time, and then John made a few tweaks tactically as well, just to give us better control of the game. The second-half was magnificent.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI want the players to have a rest, mentally and physically, but it\u2019s a great way to finish what\u2019s been a difficult week for them. The players are all champing at the bit to play which is great for me.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Away from the public eye, Lennon is back where he feels he belongs. He’s had to make a few, er, adjustments tp his life outside the club, and won’t be bringing Gary Parker back to help him do whatever it was Parker helped him to do.<\/p>\n

But there still may be a familiar face or two in his staff once the problems of his first spell are confined entirely to that spell.<\/p>\n

For Lennon, the job is his to lose, and if it is, it won;t be lost on the pitch.<\/p>\n

It could be argued that the first time around it was too early for him, however, this time, it could yet turn out to be a confirmation that last week all the stars were indeed in the right place, including the one that hovered over Leicester.<\/p>\n

Speaking of Barry Ringers, James Forrest, who has a one hundred per cent scoring record since the change of management, told the papers about the phone call he received from the previous manager, a mere four fucking days after he’d last seen him.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe phoned me on Thursday night and for me he has been really good over the past couple of years,\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI will always remember what he did for me. It was good that he contacted me, he has put so much into the club over that time. But he has a new job now and we need to get on with ours too.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was pretty hectic. Everything happened within 24 hours,\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cPreviously I\u2019d known managers to leave at the end of the season so it was different. The boys did well to cope with it on Wednesday.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cEverybody was here on Monday. We had heard wee rumours on the Monday night and Tuesday morning and then it happened. But I think maybe because of how well we have done over the past couple of years it was bigger than it might otherwise have been. Celtic being a massive club too it\u2019s big news, his profile too.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I woke up on Tuesday it seemed as if everything had moved forward. On the way into training it was done. I had no inkling on the Monday. We had played on Sunday so the ones who played were in doing recovery.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cHe must have been speaking to the boys out on the training pitch but all we heard were the wee rumours on the Monday. I have spoken to him since.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not sure if he has been phoning round all the guys. It\u2019s been a bit mental, we\u2019ve had a game and so have Leicester. Sometimes in football things can happen so fast. I think everyone would like to have said bye but it can\u2019t always be like that.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cBecause it has been so good over the past couple of years and he [Rodgers] has done so well for me, the team and for Scottish football I was gutted. It was strange because we had two huge games in the league and the cup, two huge games in terms of our season.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cBut I think the club handled it really well by getting the manager in so quick. We still have John Kennedy so we\u2019ve kept everything the same and it\u2019s been a case of trying to settle everyone down.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Maybe once it settles down everyone will think of how good it\u2019s been,\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWe didn\u2019t go into any of that too much. Things can change quickly in football.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI think that\u2019s a hard one. Once it settles down people will think it\u2019s seven trophies out of seven.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen he took over the club was kind of not in the best state and now it\u2019s looking really good and positive.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe in time\u2026 but the games are coming thick and fast and we just need to concentrate on them. \u201cWhen he was here it was always game at a time. It was always about what came next., not looking too far in front. That message stays the same, we have a lot to prepare for.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

There will be suspicions among the support that this, and other calls may be a form of tapping up, a sort of “ring you back in the summer ” type thing, but this from Forrest shows that they were kept in the dark and the then manager clearly had only his own interests at heart.<\/p>\n

They won’t forget that if the phone rings and its a Leicester number.<\/p>\n

More importantly, guys such as Tierney, Forrest and MacGregor want to be around for the next couple of years…for obvious reasons, and everything else can wait.<\/p>\n

Mind you, judging by todays Irish Post, we may have to go trough all that trauma again if this guy is right..<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The biggest talking point of the game yesterday will be the bottle throwing incident. Scott Sinclair was the target, and the sun seemed to have identified the perpetrator..<\/p>\n

COMPLETE IDIOTS’\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Rangers legend Ally McCoist blasts yob who hurled Buckfast bottle at Celtic\u2019s Scott Sinclair<\/h1>\n<\/section>\n
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Sinclair was taken ( sic-he means taking a , but it is the Sun ) a corner when a missile missed him by inches before being later targeted by coins<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

RANGERS legend Ally McCoist has launched a blistering attack on the yob who hurled a Buckfast bottle at Celtic star Scott Sinclair.<\/em><\/p>\n

The missile was launched at Sinclair during the second half of tonight\u2019s Scottish Cup tie between the\u00a0Hoops<\/a>\u00a0and Hibs at Easter Road.<\/em><\/p>\n

From the picture used, there is even the implication the bottle was handed to the offender by a steward or police officer…<\/p>\n

\"Image<\/p>\n

and then , when asked which of them passed him the bottle, they all looked the other way, like a puppy sitting next to a pile of ripped toilet paper..<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Not one of them moved to find the culprit…<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In a way, with the arrival of Lennon and the apparent smoothness of the transition on the pitch, we can now concentrate on other matters, such as stewarding and the safety of players and fans at games.<\/p>\n

Something that has slipped under the radar of late is the report into the Janefield underpass crush, which was expected in December.<\/p>\n

However, at Easter Road yesterday, the police helped to refresh our memory as to just how useless they are at crowd control..<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Note how small the queues for entry are behind them.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Note the crush ..again.<\/p>\n

From another angle..thanks the The Mire CSC<\/em> on twitter…<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Safety ?<\/p>\n

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bh62<\/strong>\u200f\u00a0<\/span><\/span>@bh62bh<\/b><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n
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