{"id":7964,"date":"2015-10-26T09:24:35","date_gmt":"2015-10-26T09:24:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/etims.net\/?p=7964"},"modified":"2015-10-26T09:24:35","modified_gmt":"2015-10-26T09:24:35","slug":"celtic-diary-monday-october-26-big-hugs-as-a-defence-takes-shape","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/etims.net\/?p=7964","title":{"rendered":"Celtic Diary Monday October 26: Big Hugs As A Defence Takes Shape"},"content":{"rendered":"
Celtic swept to a convincing 5-0 win over a lacklustre dundee utd side yestareday, moving further ahead at the top of the league table, and restoring a little confidence to the side in the process.<\/div>\n
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Leigh Griffiths opened the scoring after nipping in to relieve the dundee Utd keeper of the ball, before cutting it into the net from an almost Larssonesque angle, Deydrick Boyata headed a second, Kris Commons got a couple, one from the spot, and finally Scott Brown blundered down the left wing before another one of his passes went astray, although this time it hit a Tannadice defedner on the head and ended up in the net.<\/div>\n
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So, thats it. we’re all happy again .<\/div>\n
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Right ?<\/div>\n
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Well, no.<\/div>\n
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First of all, Dundee united were shocking. No interest, no enthusiasm and most of all, none of their players threw a wobbly at the coach when they were substituted.<\/div>\n
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Then again, he is a big lad.<\/div>\n
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Too many passes went astray again, and a hatful of chances were wasted.<\/div>\n
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But, there is good news, something that does point to a little progress being made.<\/div>\n
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Keiran Tierney, in at left back, gave an exemplary display of how to play the role. Full of energy, pace ,ability and directness. And he could defend as well. Emilio Izaguirre, who has been going through a rough time of late, now has genuine competition for his place in the side, which may mean he lifts his game a bit. That can only be good for Celtic.<\/div>\n
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Also in defence, we saw Jozo Simunovic stroll through the game. Tough when he needed to be, calm when required, and although dunde united rarely threatened, he looked as though he could step up a gear if needed.<\/div>\n
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What was noticable about him was his ability to read a game, and be in the right place at the right time. With more game time, and more familiarity with his colleagues, that will get even better.<\/div>\n
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Boyata should settle a bit more now he has a regular partner, and in fairm=ness to Deila, when Celtic exited the Champions League, and van dijk was off, it appears that these two were his plan A. It’s just unfortunate we’ve had to wait this long for them to look like they may be a partnership.<\/div>\n
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Stuart Armstrong also had a good game, and Gary Mackay Steven looked a little more sure of himself than he has been of late.<\/div>\n
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As for the others, theres not much to say, as they all just went about their jobs, and were never really tested by the side who already look doomed to playing in the championship next season.<\/div>\n
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Oh, did I mention commons ?<\/div>\n
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Despite his tantrum in midweek, he was handed a start, ran about a bit, put a few corners into exactly the same place he usually does and scored a couple of goals.<\/div>\n
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This time when he was taken off, he was restrained by manager Deila;<\/div>\n
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Alright. It was a hug. A bloody big girly hug.<\/div>\n
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Designed almost certainly to show there are no hard feelings between the two.<\/div>\n
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But , importantly, it shows that both of them have moved on.<\/div>\n
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However, the look on John Collins’s face when Commons went over to shake his hand was an entire;ly different story.<\/div>\n
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Forget about Deila going anywhere. Its not going to happen. Within the next few months we will see a team comprised of his own signings and players he has salvaged that Lennon wasn’t using properly. (Biton, Rogic, et al ) Add to that a couple of youngsters in the mould of Keiran Tierney and a few of the doubters on the Deila bus might start looking out of the window again instead of hiding their head between their legs.<\/div>\n
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Yesterday saw seven Scots in the starting line up, if you count commons as a Scot. Calum MacGregor coming on meant we had used eight. and thats without Mulgrew and Forrest.<\/div>\n
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Or Scott Allen, Ryan Christie, and Liam Henderson.<\/div>\n
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For those of you wondering why I’m sticking with Deila, there’s your answer.<\/div>\n
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If you can’t afford the ready made product, you have to make your own. That was always the plan, and it seems to be well under way.<\/div>\n
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After the game, ronny played down all the fuss;<\/div>\n
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\u201cIt is hard demands here at Celtic, At a successful club, you are always winning trophies. Now we have won the league four times in a row and will hopefully do it a fifth time. We are winning cups as well.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cEverybody wants us down, except of course the Celtic fans. When you have done a lot of good things, the demands get very, very high. That\u2019s how it is at big clubs like this.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you look around, now it is Aberdeen getting troubles but it is not the same pressure on<\/em><\/p>\n

them as there is in Celtic.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cBut that\u2019s how it is here and everybody has to cope with it. You need character to do what we did today.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThere were a lot of brave players out there, you also saw players have fun and that\u2019s the most important thing in football.\u201d \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

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The MSM, fearful of another meltdown at ibrox, have been quick to jump on divisions within the Celtic support, and i was a little worried that the Green Brigade may have come up with a banner they could seize on to put Deila under further pressure.<\/div>\n
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But he lads did us proud, with this one;<\/div>\n
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The lord alone knows how they managed to get past security with that one, but well done. The only way to defeat this ludicrous bill is to keep pushing.<\/div>\n
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And then push some more.<\/div>\n
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Especially as the media want to ignore the protests.<\/div>\n
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Craig Swan, at the Record sat with his crayon in hand ready to pile on further pain;<\/div>\n
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Craig Swan: Celtic Park an eerie place before the game..<\/h1>\n

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but 5-0 win over Dundee United soon lifted the spirits<\/h1>\n

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Which was pretty much the theme for the media.<\/p>\n

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Never mind, we might just have seen the season kickstarting, albeit against a very poor side, but there was enough in hooped shirts to give cause for optimism.<\/p>\n

There is a little worry over at ibrox, apart from the usual legal and financial issues.<\/p>\n

After being overlooked for the Liverpool job in favour of the untried and inexperienced Jurgen Klopp, Mark Warburton has been installed as favourite for the newly available position at Aston villa, not by any bookies, but by the knowledgable and trustworthy Level 5 PR company, led by crusading journalist James Traynor.<\/p>\n

I suppose the name Fifth Columnists was already taken.<\/p>\n

Warburton has, acoording to at least one source, been telling people he would jump at the chance to return to England, isn’t a serious contender for any big jobs down there, or any small ones come to think of it, although the Co-op near me are looking for a manager.<\/p>\n

If he were to leave, as unlikely as it seems, be prepared for him having just been a figurehead, and it was, in fact, Davie Weir who was in charge all along.<\/p>\n

Hibernian are breathing down their necks in the league after a shaky start, and will face Warburtons Magic Hat at Easter Road soon. Is it the pefect start about to become the perfect storm ?<\/p>\n

I figured it might be worth putting a bet on hibs to win the Championship, or Second Division, as it should be known.<\/p>\n

So i had a look on william hills….<\/p>\n

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