Celtic completely ruined Scottish football with a 5-0 win last night, and \u00a0despite an illuminating and enterprising display of attacking football have now made it very difficult to summon up the enthusiasm for the rest of the season.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile , Second Rangers continue on their quest of completing a full season of victories in the league, which would be a world record, and an achievement that will put Scottish football back on the world map, more than compensating for failing to reach the World Cup finals next summer.<\/p>\n
There. That saves you buying a paper this morning.<\/p>\n
So, which of Beelzebubs minions went into Celtics dressing room and stole all of our players, \u00a0and swapped them for \u00a0the bhoys who put on another superb display, this time \u00a0against Motherwell , with five great goals and a plethora of great moves ?<\/p>\n
The second half of the season, despite all you may hear or read from a petulant Scottish Sports Media is all of a sudden something to look forward to and savour. Neil Lennon has suddenly moved from his rigid sidieways football to a controlled pressure game, with each player suddenly having half a dozen options every time he’s in possession.<\/p>\n
When you compare that to the ho-hup style earlier this season, which consists of hoofing the ball from Forster to Samaras and letting him hang on to it until he ran into the pitch side adverts, its like watching a different team.<\/p>\n
Celtic laboured for most of the first half last night, and seemed to be getting pulled into the old style, but when Kris Commons quick thinking opened the scoring with a cute back heel, the team appeared \u00a0to relax a bit.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
A few words from Neil Lennon at half time, and a wee adjustment-I know, it seems unthinkable -in the style, and Motherwell didn’t know what hit them.<\/p>\n
Efe Ambrose added a second with a header , Commons again-his seventh goal in four games-, Stokes, after good running and crossing from Pukki, and then Bahrudin Atajic caused a headache for the commentary team who had to [pronounce his name when he lobbed an otherwise impressive Motherwell keeper to make it 5-0.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Just pause there for a moment, Kris Commons has seven goals in his last four games. All of them proper strikers goals. That to me sounds like he has found his best position, probably by defualt, but he’s found it nonetheless.<\/p>\n
Credit must go to Motherwell, who actually weren’t that bad, doggedly defending and trying to make a game of it. Special mention to their man of the match Steven MacLean who denied Celtic two blatant penalties-one when a Motherwell player saved a cross from Scott Brown, and another when Teemu Pukki broke the new rule that says you cannot leave your foot underneath that of an opposition players, in case your opponent dmages his studs. This offence carries an automatic booking, as the flying Finn found out.<\/p>\n
As Stein once said, it doesn’t matter about the referee if you play well enough. As was proved in the Fir Park snow last night.<\/p>\n
The result leaves Celtic eight points clear of Inverness, who visit Paisley today to face St. Mirren . Both sides will have played fourteen games by tonight, and despite Celtics superb run, Inverness could still only be a win and a draw behind. And we travel to the highlands on December 29.<\/p>\n
Dundee Utd should leapfrog Motherwell into third today, if they beat Hearts, while an Aberdeen win at St. Johnstone would see the dons join them on twenty six points, just ten points separating the top four.<\/p>\n
Its getting better. Might take a couple of years yet, but the new clean, sporting version of the game is taking shape.<\/p>\n
Mind you, its the last time I watch it on tv in my house.<\/p>\n
Had a few mates round, and when I popped out to get some more beer, the \u00a0bastards smashed up my couch and threw a flare at the dog.<\/p>\n
There was a few people there, so I’m not sure which one did it, but one guy has left his business card scattered all over the room.<\/p>\n
Still, as they pointed out, its all insured and I can pay any fines to the council-the police were called because of the noise -out of my christmas bonus. And they did create a cracking atmosphere-one of them brought a big flag with him, and a drum.<\/p>\n
Something similar seems to have happened at Fir Park.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/i40.tinypic.com\/2q3vejd.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Smashed up seats, ripped out seats, and melted seats ? Melted as in burned ? Thats clever. Who could possibly be stupid enough to set fire to something in a crowded stand ?<\/p>\n
Now, it should be easy enough to identify who was given the ticket to each of those seats.<\/p>\n
And when they are identified, they should be banned, For life. Whoever they are.<\/p>\n
Enough is enough.<\/p>\n
Accusations have been hurled towards those lovable scamps in the Green Brigade, who in turn have blamed hangers on, who in turn have blamed the stewards for not doing anything , and deflection carries on. And on.<\/p>\n
Simple. See if you were in any of those seats last night. Don’t come back. You’re not wanted.<\/p>\n
And whoever threw the flare onto the pitch-next to the Celtic goalkeeper, ( not that it actually matters which end it was at, but your own keeper ? ) could you ask your mum to give the ticket to one of her kids who actually survived the birthing process ?<\/p>\n
Celtic have released a statement, which is fairly ominous.<\/p>\n
CELTIC Football Club has released a statement following Friday night\u2019s Premiership game against Motherwell at Fir Park.<\/p>\n
\u201cClearly we are appalled by the scenes from last night\u00b4s match and the actions of a small minority which have again tarnished the great reputation of the club and our supporters on a night when our team produced such a fantastic performance.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are currently investigating these events and will update our supporters early next week.\u201d<\/p>\n
By calling it a small minority , and saying they have done it again, the Green Brigade look to be on their way out. Whether or not it was them, and only the stickers and badges stuck to some of the seats point the finger of blame at them. If I was running a business and something was costing me as much in fines and damages as what they were, I’d be looking to get rid of it. It looks like the club have already tried them for this one, and found them guilty.<\/p>\n
In fact, I’ve a better idea. \u00a0You know the person who was in the damaged seat ? Make him pay for it. And extra costs, and an admin fee, and interest charged at Wonga rates on a daily basis.<\/p>\n
And take his \u00a0season books off him and give them to a schoolkid.<\/p>\n
At least that would raise the average IQ in the ground.<\/p>\n
If not neccessarily the average age.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Ach, Celtics playing well, it was a great game, and the Barcelona game next week, previously a meaningless midweek jaunt, suddenly gives us the chance to try out the new formation against a top class side. It should be fascinating.<\/p>\n
So why waste our time on a bunch of kids who can’t take a drink ?<\/p>\n
The pub in the picture was Tullys in Motherwell, sadly no longer with us. The pub was closed after a local councillor complained that the flag shown, which was on display at the front of the pub, was likely to cause offence, and trouble.<\/p>\n
This was how the landlady explained it to me at the time.<\/p>\n
Today, heres someone to cheer you up. No matter how happy you were already.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Who is she, and why could what she does this week affect Celtic ?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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