{"id":14890,"date":"2019-12-04T09:49:30","date_gmt":"2019-12-04T09:49:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/etims.net\/?p=14890"},"modified":"2019-12-04T09:53:05","modified_gmt":"2019-12-04T09:53:05","slug":"celtic-diary-wednesday-december-4-complacency-is-the-enemy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/etims.net\/?p=14890","title":{"rendered":"Celtic Diary Wednesday December 4: Complacency Is The Enemy"},"content":{"rendered":"

In his press conference yesterday, manager Neil Lennon was at pains to stress that tonights game against Hamilton had an importance of it’s own, and claimed that he has put that across to the players over the last couple of days.<\/p>\n

Hopefully, it has sunk in.<\/p>\n

This game , sandwiched between a great European night and a cup final has the potential to be a non event, and maybe tonight we’ll see the answer to that age old question..do the support lift the players when the game is a bit dull, or do the palyers have to lift the support ?<\/p>\n

The biggest threat to Celtic’s domination is Celtic.<\/p>\n

Lennon has said he’ll put out a strong team and he will.<\/p>\n

What I fully expect to see tonight is little more than a shooting practice and a workout for the midfield in possession.<\/p>\n

However, if the players adopt that attitude , we could be in trouble.<\/p>\n

Oddsone Edouard and Mo Elyanoussi won;t start tonight, leaving the door open for either Lewis Morgan to carry on as a false number nine, and he hasn;t done too badly, or the return of Leigh Griffiths.<\/p>\n

Griffiths has shown he wants to play, but there is a kind of “he’ll have to do ” air hanging over this issue.<\/p>\n

With Bayo and Edoaurd out Griffiths has been handed a chance to get back to being the player he once was and it’s up to him to take it.<\/p>\n

However, if that is the case, then Lennon must give him a fair crack of the whip.<\/p>\n

Lennons desire to “go strong ” tonight means there will be no rest for MacGregor or Forrest, though he did say that Olivier Ntcham would start, meaning someone has to drop out, and that someone will likely be australian enigma Tom Rogic, who is a laid back fellow most of the time, but now it seems he’s gone full horizontal.<\/p>\n

Ryan Christie could also get a rest, with Mikey Johnstone certainly deserving of a start.<\/p>\n

Celtic should line up with Forster, Frimpong, Taylor, Julien, Ajer, Brown, MacGregor, Ntcham, Johnstone, Griffiths, Forrest. But they probably won;t, as Lennon is likely to favour Morgan over Griffiths.<\/p>\n

Speaking of yesterdays press conference, Neil Lennon had to point out several times that he wasn’t going to talk about the Cup final, and that simple statement seemed to confuse one or two of our esteemed reporters, with one even asking about his memories of his first Cup final, against Livingston.<\/p>\n

We can probably guess which paper that guy works for..<\/p>\n

Neil Lennon’s Celtic press conference in full as tetchy boss snaps at repeated Rangers questions<\/h1>\n

The Hoops boss refused to speak about the weekend’s Betfred Cup Final on the eve of their clash with Hamilton.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Thats the headline from the Record, which fits exactly the kind of headline you’d expect to see from someone who has made himself look a bit of a knob, in public.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Then someone tried to bring him into the debate surrounding Alfredo Morelos, the \u00a350m rated striker at “rangers “, a club who owe roughly \u00a350m in unpaid bills and other assorted debt. Many have made comparisons with Oddsone Edoaurd, wh++o one day may well sell for \u00a350m , though not yet, and probably not from Celtic.<\/p>\n

Lennon was diplomatic enough to keep a straight face..<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are great players, each different in style and bring a lot of quality to both teams.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cFans will compare. Young fans, old fans, that is what all supporters do when there is a rivalry. I don\u2019t mind that at all.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWe have more than two top players in the country. They are two excellent forwards and are the ones that make a difference, I suppose.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cIt depends how you define great. If he [Boyd] is comparing everyone to Messi and Ronaldo then\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cBut Virgil van Dijk played in Scotland not so long ago. Do we have a Kevin de Bruyne or an Eden Hazard? Maybe not.\u00a0But did we ever have great players at that level? Maybe Henrik Larsson.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cListen, we had Virgil and can we go and create more great players along the way? Of course we can.\u00a0I think it\u2019s an idiotic statement to make.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cGive me \u00a350million and I\u2019ll bring in a load of players here and we\u2019ll see what we can do with them.\u00a0We have to create our own monsters again.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cJohn McGinn could potentially go on to be a great player. Callum McGregor, I think, is a great player.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cBut how do you compare them? If you put them in the Premier League would they thrive in it? No question.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cMcGinn already is. Callum would, James Forrest would, Andrew Robertson is a great player who was playing here in Scotland three or four years ago.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s folly and doesn\u2019t make a lot of sense to say these things. I get that pundits like Kris have to be controversial and make these sort of statements, but it just doesn\u2019t wash with me.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWhether it\u2019s petty jealousy or something? I don\u2019t know.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

He’s referring to Kris Boyd, and hos “no great players inScotland ” nonsense.<\/p>\n

I can explain that, though, you see,\u00a0 it’s because he’s a knob, and more than that, he’s a knob with a microphone and an audience, which means everyone can see he’s a knob.<\/p>\n

Still, he got everyone talking, and when he does that, it comes with the blessing that it means he isn’t talking any more.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Also tonight, “rangers ” travel to Aberdeen, and as its a tricky tie for the new club, they will be delighted that star man John Beaton has passed a late fitness test and is available.<\/p>\n

Beaton twisted an ankle as he leapt for joy when he was selected for this game, as he feels he can make a difference.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Oh, and spare a thought for a former Rangers player who has fallen on hard times..<\/p>\n

\"Image\"<\/p>\n

Yesterday, we had this… my own entry would have been..<\/p>\n

Long ago, we were the next big thing,<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Image\"<\/p>\n

but this one is a clear winner…<\/p>\n

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Puggy67<\/div>\n