The new normal
Thursdays performance and attitude must be the new normal and not become a surprise, it really is that simple.
The first line of yesterday’s article rightly claimed ‘I didn’t see that coming’ however we must turn that around now, so much that a poor performance garners the same statement.
That’s the standard we must set to even hope of retaining our title, and it must start on Sunday.
Derek would love nothing more than to play the spoiler for Lenny again, only this time there’s more at stake. Not only is there a chance to create never before seen history in lifting another cup, but there’s a real chance going out at McInnes hands after failing to best him last time would lead to an unbearing crescendo for change which would see Neil jobless. Again, Derek would love to be the architect of that dismissal, would be feted for it, relish it, and dine out on it for years. Might even buy him friends in the media or perhaps the Scotland job.
As for myself as much as it hurts me to say it I would have to agree to managerial change if we fail on Sunday. As much as it pains me I believe I would call for any Celtic manager’s head that cant just beat Aberdeen, for that would essentially confirm our manager is not one of the top two in the land, something totally unacceptable for our club which clearly has the better players and squad.
It’s not a decision reached lightly on my part, and giving the gaffer a game to save his career may seem very very harsh, but as the old saying goes ‘sometimes you must be cruel to be kind’ and I would see departure as a necessary evil but ultimately for the best.
The bhoys can and should take a lot of heart from our Lille performance but if its not repeated there was no point at all, and we just cant have a Jekyll and Hyde season when we face a very consistent rival with the tactics to beat us.
Stability and increased belief in ourselves on the field of play may not be enough, but its what we are aiming for and praying it works. It has in the past, but we have a genuine strong opponent now who cannot be expected to drop points it pains to say.
However I’m increasingly feeling that a corner has been turned within the footballing department. That’s two games in a row now I felt we displayed better attitude and application, looked hungrier and more up for it than usual. Those two games have earned two draws, but only because of the sieve at the back, they actually should have been wins and would have been with a decent defence and keeper.
That’s progress of sorts.
It’s hard to say how the players would view the cup itself now, seeing as cup finals are all about celebrating in front of the fans who have sung their hearts out with pride etc. That’s the one day it really will hit home how much the support are missed.
But the professional in them should want silverware in the cabinet upon retiring, the more the merrier, and the backroom staff must know this cup represents an opportunity to introduce some much needed feel good factor into not only the camp but also to the nervous fanbase.
Winning a cup can hardly hurt morale, fans or players, so with that in mind Neil should grab the opportunity with both hands. (Failing that Derek’s neck please as you’re out of a job with nothing to lose and the fans would at least love you for throttling him)
Players wise the rear 5 aka The Sieve will once again see changes after Kris going down with a hammy, no matter what he says he should not be risked for weeks as a precaution, plus we have Nir and El Hamed back thankfully. With John Kennedy clearly not being able to coach the gang to improve, we must pick the players that play best together rather than who was intended to play there on paper.
Bain should keep his place, I was delighted he was coming off his line to collect despite the almost goal blip, plus he is incentivised now to produce his best or back to the bench, I can only hope and pray that all our footballers have that attitude.
Tam was seen as a luxury to far for the French mob but those legs are rested to torment Sheep as he loves doing and Eddy should start up top but with who is the big question.
Its tempting to begin the Eddy-Ajeti partnership, but Griff will be in his own backyard and after scoring a beauty up at Pittodrie may just have played himself into a starting berth with Ajeti rested. The Swiss striker has not played much at all, three games in a week might be silly, plus Griff and Odsonne know each other well. I would have no qualms starting them together.
Broony, Calmac, Olly are the three with the jerseys, the latter very luckily imo but a big semi final would help convince me he is an essential cog in the machine.
With the Dons likely to test the defense as much as possible its vital they are well shielded and the midfield trio better remember that. Broony should not get ahead of the ball.
Probable team 4-4-1-1
Bain
Laxalt
Duffy
Biton
Frimpong
Rogic
Calmac
Broony
Ncham
Odsonne
Griff
4 – 1 The Bhoys rise to the occasion, slap McInnes, and book their date with history, again.
COME ON YOU BHOYS IN GREEN !!!
Napster’s follow the link
https://sentinelcelts.com/?p=5781
Score predictor link below
https://sentinelcelts.com/?p=5783
We are all in this together, how the team plays sets our mood for the rest of the week. We may criticize but we have every right to do so because we care , and we have always been there through thick and thin. And that is why Celtic are the wealthiest team in Scotland. Our recruiting should be done on the basis that our only target is to win, and bring success, the players we hope we have bought, don’t fear Aberdeen, don’t fear Rangers if we play to our standards the rest can fill in behind us
To all those who knock us for our criticism ,we will not lower our standards and we will not surrender our title without a fight
THETIC
Damn right. We only criticise because we want the best for our club. Those who don’t criticise,are they happy to settle for mediocrity? I bloody hope not,but letting the powers that be know that we are alive to their faults hopefully keeps them on their toes. Sometimes,at least.
Terrific article again,MAHE. A call to arms,and surely no better time for it than in a semi,a one-off match. Any manager who can’t see off a McInnes-led team twice in a week needs taken out of the firing line,and like I said last week,our game against them then showed the players being much more up for the game.
Now,I don’t know whether that was from professional pride or because they wanted to show that they were fully behind the manager,and frankly I could care less. The performance that day,coming so soon afet the fiasco against the huns,gave us back some pride in our players. Thursday simply added to that.
We haven’t hit the heights yet this season,for whatever reason,but those two performances suggest that we are perhaps back on an upwards gradient again. We will hopefully keep the forward momentum going tomorrow.
As for Ajer,I’d be inclined to give him till after the next international break to fully recover. Little point in playing him and maybe causing him long-term harm.
Why do we always seem to get the Sunday games in Semi Finals, after the pitch has been roughed up the day before?
JIMTHETIM53
Very true,but not much choice this time. We played on Thursday night.
OK, I’ let them off with this one! 🙂
BMCUW.
This has been posted on Twitter.
Just driven by a banner saying
‘Happy 30th birthday grandma’.
You’ve gotta love Kilwinning.🤣
Someone else is saying they thought it was Stevenson.
JIMMYNOTPAUL
Definition of mass confusion is Father’s Day in Stevenston!
Afternoon All,
A wee topical one….
https://postimg.cc/2VhPw2rR
HH
CALTONTONGUES
Snigger…
Like it!
RIP Sean Connery
https://youtu.be/xPZ6eaL3S2E
The Untouchables
RIP Sean Connery
Celtic supporter – errr i mean old Rangers supporter – errr 🤔
‘Would be good if Rangers won the league this season….’
Ex Scotland manager Craig Levein, on Radio Scotland
Levein also doesn’t like Michael Stewart, one of the better pundits in the media. Tells you everything about him!
Mahe,
Unless the two goal hero, Elyounoussi, is injured, he will play, surely.
I agree this game will have more impact on the manager’s longevity than Lille, as it should.
Rebus
Levein is certainly unique, never won a thing as a player or a manager, quite a record, considering he’s been involved in professional football for over 40 years….
Sean Connery’s Nike Shlippers….
https://postimg.cc/xcS5yXHx
HH
When I arrived in Canada, I quickly got interested in it’s real national sport…..ice hockey. In the early eighties attention was turned to a relatively new team full of emerging stars…..the Edmonton Oilers. They had an excellent coach, Glen Sather. As predicted, Staher’s young stars emerged as the dominant team in the eighties, playing swash buckling hockey. After every successful year, Sather would let one star go and bring in an honest mucker who had won little to nothing in his career. He was often asked why would replace a star with an inferior player. His response was that it instilled hunger in the team. Smart coach! The mucker usually excelled.
Celtic have adopted this method by bringing in Taylor, Klimala, Soro, and Turnbull. The flaw is that they hardly get played! Klimala must be at a low peep by now.
Part of the problem is that the team rarely gets into a comfortable lead that gives the manager confidence to bring on a Soro or a Turnbull, or a young player.
An important aspect of the development cycle is being missed because the team cannot kill an opponent off quickly. Why, one asks? Perhaps it is because tactics are not really important!
Rebus
Press conference from Johnson in three hours,presumably putting England and possibly the rest of the UK into lockdown for a month. Bang goes my trip to London next weekend. And looks like I will need to hit the pub tomorrow,which I hadn’t planned on.
Heyho…
Hopefully he will remember to tell Cummings about it this time!
Rest in Peace Sean.
Here’s one for MIKEINTORONTO,if he is still looking in.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/oct/31/the-godfather-how-the-mafia-blockbuster-became-a-political-handbook
Premier Sports discount code CELTIC 499,,not sure how long you need to sign up for
Well done Voguepunter 5/2 winner and Leftclicktic at 13/8
Rebus,
I did consider keeping Mo in place.
His two goals are a great sign and I guess it’s easy to see what the plan is with him, he’s a midfielder when they have possession but an attacker when we do. Pep would be happy with Lennys choice.
But Odsonne is fit now and he is the one who drops back, we can’t have two coming deep.
Mo suits Klimala and Ajeti both of whom will stay high, but I don’t think he suits Eddy.
Dropping Mo after scoring would be another stick to beat Lenny with, if we lose. But then I’m not sure the Mo experiment has been a success and even two goals hasn’t convinced me.
I would much rather see two real strikers paired, enough of square pegs for round holes, plus to accommodate Rogic one of our screening midfielders needs to come out, giving Mo more work if he plays. Tam and Mo and an attacking right winger? Could leave the two in the middle very exposed.
4 in the middle doesn’t leave room for Mo I’m afraid except up top where I believe we would play better with two actual strikers.
We would get more goals from two real strikers also, and with a sieve at the rear its goals goals goals now.
It’s a big decision, and I’m glad its not mine.
You would have Mo and Odsonne then?
I worry about that pairing.
In a one off game I would blow them away then shut shop,, two or three strikers from now on.
What about 4-5-1 Mo left of midfield?
Keeps him in the team but can he do the work?
He needs to find his role still, but scoring goals always helps to keep your place.
Youve just shown that actually by wondering where he was.
This is really our season in a microcosm, not knowing where to play someone, still not sure who goes where. We play a back four now, would love two strikers on the field, but finding a middle four that blend and work well, who won’t be flooded and overcome is beyond us.
That forces us to a five man midfield yet we don’t have a striker who plays well alone up top, which costs us goals and makes us easy to play against, simply smother the solo striker, drop deep and compact the lines restricting us to long shots.
We have massive flaws.
Looking forward to the game.
Enjoy your weekend. I’ve been enjoying your contributions a lot cheers. Beppe who has graced these pages got a camper van stuck under a bridge also!!
Hail Hail
A lockdown should give the local Tims more time to bump their gums on here.
VP- you’re hitting a bit of form old Bhoy…
Bada bing
Cheers Bada,can’t get fek all with it… a non runner and a naewhere :O( hh
Craig 76
Cheers mate hh
One of my favourite Sean Connery films-Director cut of Highlander.
Scotland manage an away win in Wales 🏉
VP Well done amigo 👍
Pubs ,restaurants to close in England until 2nd December, schools to stay open
Walking dog there listening to a podcast advocate 4-2-3-1 with Eddy up top yet I seem to recall that formation being dumped because in Neils own words Eddy needs somebody ahead of him.
Eddy up top alone nearly cost us the title, we were forced away from it.
Mo and Ajeti if Mo is starting please.
G Mhan
Ta amigo
Bada With Brexit looming large in January Cummings is desperate to create a feel good factor down south at Xmas 🤔
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=y3KEhWTnWvE Mary Hopkin-Those were the days VP Defo a day for the pub 🍺
If the Fairy Liquid ad had been shot in Stevenston……….
Wee girl: Mummy, why are your hands so soft?
Mummy: Because I’m 12.
I’ll get ma coat……😎😎
“We train all week and on the Saturday we get a day off to play football” Bertie Auld
My neighbour came banging at my door,shouting and screaming “lend me your phone quick” I said “ffs calm down,what’s up”? she said “the Orange Lodge round the corner is on fire” I said “what’s wrong with your own phone”? She said “mine doesn’t have a camera” 😜
GORDON64,SOLKITTS
Keep them coming. In about five minutes I’m gonna need something to smile about!
Hopefully my beer stocks will cover me for a month.
Knock Knock
https://postimg.cc/BtCbWhQs
HH
Seems the lockdown won’t happen till Thursday. Guess what I’ll be doing for the next few days?
SCSF Hibs v Hearts on BBC Scotland
‘You’ll have had yer dinner’ derby….
44 secs in and two fouls already.
Collum’s gonnae be busy.
As I type there’s been about another 6.
Coverage from North Stand looks weird.
HH
Got cold feet with my fitba coupon and cashed out for £66 (£1 stake) I will kick myself if liverpool win the night
What a save by Craig Gordon !
Craig 76.
It might be a good cash out, West Ham 1 up.