Something for everyone
In many ways yesterday’s game actually had a little bit of something for everyone, a rarity in football, manna from heaven for blogs and chinwaggers across the globe.
The Champions elect weren’t bested by their dreaded rivals, that’s a fact, and as such our path home looks much easier. A scoring draw in the sun, at home,,,well there’s much worse things could happen.
The second best team in the league were unable to beat us twice, another positive which halts any claim of ‘having our number but focused on Europe more’.
The Tims had something to celebrate if so minded.
The purist welcomed a bit of actual football played, contrary to the previous meetings. After a frenetic start an actual game seemed to break out, periods of possession and drilled moves etc.
Despite the numerous bookings it wasnt a dirty game. It wasn’t a great game by any means, but I take encouragement our opponents came prepared to actually play.
Celtic are a team of footballers, they can be a team of battlers which puts us off our game, but their footballing minded manager seemingly wants a different approach. The fact his team came away unbeaten by their strong rival, his players have the ability to hurt us when they actually put their foot on the ball, and their general dominance of Ange’s system once again, will be very heartening to the Dutchman and that teams supporters.
Should he keep the position and bring in some skillful players, next season might offer a quality game of football between the two sides. I thought Sakala and Wright the best two players on the pitch.
The Whistler Watchers were given some ammunition, but it didn’t get farcical out on the field of play. The clash with O’Rielly was pure accident yes, however Beaton genuinely didn’t seem to know what to do with the beachball’s. Both sides had wrong offsides called, though he called back a handball in a dangerous area that he could have let slide. The bookings were all warranted.
In my book he’s just poor with a little bias,,better than the other way around.
Supporters of the Ibrox team will probably wake up happy this morning. Twice now they could say they were the better team, despite being exhausted from their European exploits. The clubs name is enhanced by semi final participation, their manager isn’t a dummy as feared, and in the absence of Morelos others stepped upto the plate, they haven’t been totally toothless up top but might actually have improved with the enforced rotation.
They are probably confident about next season, I’ve no problem with that. Helps make the season bigger, both fans thinking their team shall emerge on top.
The blues got a point, and a mini boost.
The glass half empty Tim has plenty to bump their gums about.
I find pre match manager interview intriguing, it usually displays his frame of mind, one can judge his demeanour and guess the mood in the camp.
Given the event, I fully expected this to be Ange’s day, predicted it in Saturdays article. Putting them to the sword, on Mayday in the sun, virtually claiming the title infront of an ecstatic fanbase, would have catapulted the man into living legend status.
He must have known this.
So when he stepped before the camera I expected our Greek Australian to exude confidence, to be reveling in the occasion, smiling and relaxed knowing his bhoys will bring home the bacon.
Nope.
He appeared guarded, somewhat nervous.
Is the camp nervous I wondered?
Within thirty minutes, a poor thirty from a Celtic perspective as we couldn’t settle and continually misplaced passes, he erupted and charged the sideline uncharacteristically yelling at one of his players. Later he ordered a triple substitution, a sure sign of unhappiness, another rarity for him.
Opportunity knocked, and for once, for some reason or other Ange didn’t answer. His system was dominated, his selectees failed to impress, his big day was rained upon.
We’ve all had bad days at the office, I shall chalk this down as one. He’s a smart man, and smart men’s learn from their mistakes.
He’s done fantastically well to reach the summit and place one hand on the title, the other on the league cup.
Hes earned a pass.
He’s earned a bad day at the office.
So have the players. Big Joe didnt have his greatest game but saved two points when called upon. G-Mak seemed more interested in a running feud with their central defenders, Ange should note that.
Kyogo was off the pace in my eyes as was Hatate but we’ve known that for months.
Ralston was rash at times, Starfelt the same, and despite the goal Jota didn’t have a significant impact on proceedings.
Yet we still could have won the game, still created the chances to kill our opponent off, showing quality even on a poor day.
I dare say a centre forward would have scored either of Maedas golden chances.
There was enough for glass half full Tim to walk home content. Our last big hurdle negotiated without giving hope, our unbeaten run extended, that draw makes the title a formality.
We’ve come a long way when a draw in the derby feels a little like a defeat, this time last year we certainly weren’t waltzing into the derby clash with expectations of victory.
The glorious scenes of the squad gathered on a tier, bouncing up and down with the league trophy shall soon help dissipate any feelings of regret, and shall remind all who is the best team in the land.
Yep, there was a little bit of something for everyone, except those hoping for a slip up and title tilt collapse.
And that’s the most important fact.
By Mahe
sentinelcelts@gmail.com
Mahe
We looked very nervous in opening stages and same in the last three games against Sevvies.
Does this point to players being uncomfortable with what they are expected to do – or do they lack some confidence in the personnel around them in some of the key positions?
I suspect it’s the latter.
Anyhoo -The job is almost done and probably one title in the last 30 we really didn’t expect to win, so that is a good feeling.
As you say, Ange is smart and next season will be interesting with all that learning going to good use…
Morning all.
Mahe, correct, OF FC. last chance has gone,
Off to ‘ma cot.
HH
What’s ‘ma name π
So yesterday felt like a defeat to a sizeable %??
If you know your history.
Between 1938 and 1966 – 1title win!
I partied last night like it was 1999 (we lost the title that year too!!)
We’ve now won 10(!) of the last 11 titles :o)
Our competition want to be seen as the same club they’ve always been? Fine!
Since 2011 you have won 1 League title, no Scottish cups and no League cups.
GIRFUY!!!
(Its not just the future that’s green and white, it’s the past too)
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A game of two halves in my humble opinion, put any of the chances away after Jota scored, its done. The huns came out stronger in the second half and could have taken the three points. They needed the points and failed. Roll on Hertz.
If Maeda doesn’t shit his breeks, which he did!, we might have been looking at another 5-0 yesterday.
Instead we are having to deal with the narrative we have today – LUCKY to get a draw.
Chris Sutton would have put the ball and McGregor in the back of the net!
Not sure me and Ange are on the same page but …next season?
MUSCLE
MUSCLE
MUSCLE
Good morning everyone, busy family day after being at the game yesterday so didnβt manage to post, great to read everyone elseβs thoughts this morning.
I always anchor back to Sunday 26th September 2021 when assessing the success of this season. That was the date of our 7th league game, a 1-1 draw at home to Dundee Utd when we already had been defeated 3 times in our first 6 games leaving us on 10 points out of a possible 21.
If anyone had told me then that weβd draw with Sevco on 1st May 2022 to stay 6 points clear with 3 games to go Iβd have bitten their hands off.
So yes, a little bit disappointed we didnβt finish the job yesterday but itβs a marathon not a sprint and overall, we are running a great race.
Just one ps, Hatate is clearly a very good player but also very clearly not at his best in recent games. Is Ange so concerned at our lack of depth in midfield that he keeps playing him or does he believe heβs doing a good enough job to stay in the team?
Not sure Mahe and I were watching the same game! Sakala and Wright!! The best players on the pitch!!
Have I dropped into Follow Follow by mistake?! π€
RFC * statement about hate crimes being committed yesterday and they’ll be contacting the authorities about this, fucking hell.
A nice wee day out in Bristol yesterday with BMCUWP at the former home of the Bristol CSC π€£π€£π€£ Seven of us with a choice of seats! We never got the victory which would have cemented the title but crucially OFFC never got the win they needed. Beat the minis next week and it’s done.
Cockles.
Cockles.
Cockles.
Alive – Alive – Oh.
Mahe, Sakala and Wright best players on the park. You at the wind up.
Ange has learned nothing from previous games against them. We got away with one yesterday.
CCB, I think you answered your own question re. Hatate
Bawheid.
Very funny …pick up a lolly on your way out
Mahe
I felt Starfelt was the one player who never hid and took the game to the huns.
He and Jota who did not get enough service were excellent.
Game recognition or lack of was our issue.
Coaches seem clueless when system not working so add/change nothing.
Simply compressing space would have helped as would pushing wide men tighter to opponent to stop diagonal cross field balls.
Simply instructing McGregor to hold his central defensive position instead of chasing would also help stop our opponents way too easy runs at defense.
This penchant for our midfield to chase often leaves us wrong side as we are often too late when simply holding position would serve us better.
We desperately need an on field leader to take responsibility and organize us better when it gets tough.
I’m being honest here, I didn’t know Wright was on the parkπ±
Morning all,
Mahe,
Whatever your drinking over by, then I would lay off it for a few days πππ
Thought Starfelt was my MOTM ππ
Weβre on the top of the league πΆπΆπΆ looking down on the β¦β¦β¦.. ( Well you know the rest !!!!! )
Happy Bank Holiday everyone and HH πππ
Lindsay in the Evening Times claims a moral victory for huns after yesterdays draw?
Cue the sharpening of crayons at mssm desk’s allover the best weeeeee country as Operation Belittle Celtic’s title win when it’s confirmed goes into full swing.
I expect all sorts of nonsense in coming weeks.
Sour grapes from the bitter orange!
FAN,
social media is full of it, “the better team” “we threw it away” and various other shite being spouted. They have conveniently forgotten that the 29 game unbeaten run and all the other stats that go along with it are the reason for them being losers. Huns, whit they like!
Claiming to be the victims of hate crimes by people whose blood you proudly boast of being knee-deep in?
Hun logic.
https://thecelticstar.com/it-was-actually-not-a-bad-day-it-was-better-for-us-than-it-was-for-them/
Wonβt read match reports, they tell you nothing but the allegiances of the scribblers.
But for the width of a post , could have, should have nonsense.
Hate crimes – Hun awareness off the scale.
Up to their knees, chanting about deceased Lisbon Lions. A vile support which in great numbers dredge the cognitive dissonance barrel.
And what about the bottles being thrown, you can spot one coming over from them on YouTube. Shouldn’t be difficult to ascertain what went on since the police commander is situated above themππ±
As can be seen here. https://videocelts.com/2022/05/blogs/latest-news/the-video-clips-that-destroy-ibrox-statement-about-elderly-disabled-loyal/
Test
BAD – As it happens I agree with you, everyone and his granny can see that we need to add some steel into the midfield, a proper defensive midfielder that can read the game ahead of him. Cal-Mac is a wasted talent as a defensive mid.We were in a dire situation when Ange came in,no-one could have predicted that we would be 6 points ahead with 3 games to go. Ange will make changes and strengthen the team, he has said so and he is a man of his word. Direct entry into the CL Qualifiers will give us guaranteed cash to add to the pot, to bring new players in and he will be the one picking those players. Progress will happen.
Joe McHugh pointed out the foul well inside the box on Jota, which was a stonewall penalty, Beaton was around 6 feet away watching – on.
Looking back on yesterday,itβs hard to take much from it,apart from the point. Once again,we had players losing their personal battles,players up front not taking their chances,while too many of the midfield and defence were out thought,out fought and frequently outpaced. A win would have been better,of course. But a draw certainly suits us more than it does them.
A disappointing display,but hindsight is a wonderful thing. And we are one game closer.
Celtic – 35 league games played, 20 goals conceded.
GlassjawCSC.
Upyeez!
BAWHEID
While Iβm not as critical of CalMac as FAN,Iβm certainly not blind to his faults. And like you and FAN-and most others,tbh-Iβd prefer him in his more natural role. I actually think Hatate can play the deeper role,and I hope that the summer break will allow our players to recharge and come again.
Some of our players have been lucky to get a fortnight off for the last five or six years. Six weeks and more,that will do them a power of good.
BMCUWP
Fair point regarding the 6 week break.
Will certainly benefit our captain as the amount of games he has played in recent years has been incredible.Our Japanese contingent coming from a full season into a high intensity league and the demands Anges football requires I believe will make us a better team next year once refreshed and in the knowledge of what Scottish football entails.
Hatate has looked like a tortoise in treacle of late but we are nearly over the line and we can not over emphasise the importance of how great this group of players have been this season in regard to the expectations levelled at the start of it.
We have very much exceeded any targets the majority of Celtic fans set when Ange replaced Nei Lennon.
Now that we sit on the verge of bringing home another title we should not forget the magnitude of the achievement.
Bobby, They said the same about Soro, but after a few games he too disappeared. Every player deserves a chance and to be judged after having some games, but if you are afraid as a defensive midfielder to put the foot in and to make a tackle then that renders you unsuitable for that position. Taking one for the team is expected of you and you are judged on how good you can read the game as well as organize your team-mates. I will alway’s remember Broonie in one game against them’s, he went on a fishing expedition to get Morelos sent off and he succeeded, a whisper in his ear, a laugh at him, leaving the foot in, the dark arts of football, he was a master until time caught up with him. Cal-Mac is a great and loyal player in his natural role, but we need a leader to organize things on the pitch.
The tragedy in the SPFL is the lack of real quality, at half time on Saturday I checked the teletex, one goal scored in all the games, big heifers but not much talent, that in itself is tragic. Imagine if like the past there was some serious competition and we didn’t need them’s. Alternatively someone with balls, a truth teller, cos our sheriff is shot and the game is more bent than a letter S.
Mahe
I was absolutely delighted with a point yesterday. A win would have been nice, but…
Crucially, the Huns did not gain any ground on us, and the title is all but wrapped up. I view this year’s title, as our most important since 1997, when we stopped the 10. Direct entry-God willing-into the CL group stages, may well persuade CCV and Jota to stay, as well as persuading other players to join Celtic in the summer. Win this title, and I’ll be partying like BRB and Leggy all summer.π
Not too sure that I agree with your assertion that the Hun supporters will be waking up happy this morning…I passed more than a few of those scowling feckers on my way home yesterday. Happy was the last thing they felt. They all looked as miserable as sin. I meanwhile, was doing my best to look suitably glum, while of course listening to the rebs, on my ear-buds. Perhaps the Huns had a reason to look glum, giving what is likely heading their way. If Leipzig beat them on Thursday, their whole season may crumble and fall. For the sake of the good people of Seville, I refuse to consider any other outcome. I would also expect them to drop more league points on Sunday, and to crown it all, wouldn’t it be just wonderful, if Hearts scudded them in the Scottish Cup? Then of course, is their current financial plight to consider/piss ourselves laughing at. We may well be in for a summer of fun, fun, and more fun. π
BAD
Spot on, my good man.
DannyMac23
Your last paragraph will pretty much sum up the feelings of the support as a whole, I would have thought.
Catch ye all later.
Hail Hail.
Celtic should have had 3 in the first half Rangers 2 in second we were lucky in second half rather us being Lucy than them
Why we let any of their fans inside our stadium is beyond me. All the pish about letting more fans in makes for a better atmosphere turns my belly , I fear for supporters lives everytime we play them and no oneβs life is worth losing for a football game. Donβt give them any ammo ban them
DANNYMAC23
I fully appreciate our achievements so far. Weβve come a long long way in a short time.
BAWHEID
Four goals in five games on Saturday. Sportscene must have been funβ¦
Bhoys,
Re the best players on the day, Wright came on and was the impetus for their dominant last 30 with some great probing runs. He made the biggest impact of allsubs and thank f@#k he didn’t start.
Sakalas shooting with either foot was very impressive and he was a post away from two fine goals to win the match. If he was our player on the day, we would have won in my book.
It’s in the eye of the beholder.
Our two central defenders were probably our best two players, and they were just ok I reckon.
Celebrating a draw isn’t the Celtic way, but not being bested is always nice.
Happy day of the moon y’all
Hail Hail
https://twitter.com/JoshuaPotash/status/1521127697858318336?t=7Q6yE0JBJTXTlmacLYkMpg&s=19
B.A.D. @ 1.30pm
“Celtic β 35 league games played, 20 goals conceded.”
That’s an interesting point. In the Scottish Premiership the average goals conceded is – 43 !!!
In the English Premiership the top 3:
Man. City – 21
Liverpool – 22
Chelsea – 29
Happy MoonDay Mahe…the impetus was GG being yellow-carded! Till that point Celtic were intent on winning the game. Sakala chances all came after GG’s card. Wright came on after GG’s card. Beaton, whilst not giving any penalties – TavPen on Jota anyone? – smelled blood after Sakala scored and subtle decisions changed the course of the game. Ten minutes left and they did have the better of the chances but if that’s how we’re gonna remember games the first half should have see Celtic out of sight with Maeda and Jota both spurning VERY good chances. Also, Maeda’s second half miss should have been taken better.
The last couple of Sevco games I’ve highlighted Wright to the wee man, explaining how he’s not the best but can cause problems, I honestly didn’t think he featured yesterday!!
You are correct of course to say we all see it differently there’s also the difference between watching it live and watching on the telly.
As has been said already, though, a better point for us than them!
I agree with Mahe: Sakala and Wright were very influential for them – sadly.
HH
Big Packy
When hunger strikes π
https://twitter.com/drunkbritain/status/1520790926590885889?s=21&t=zYnf9A0lzB6ifDDdDmlrLQ
BMCUWP
More than most you do.
Thought the negativity regarding only drawing yesterday was very much indicative of how far our team has came in one season.
Not levelled in anyway at you.Enjoy your articles and I am thankful that you somehow find the time to contribute as much as you do.Labour of love.
DANNYMAC23
Oh,I didnβt take your comment personally. You make a good point that our disappointment at the last two games them is an encouraging sign,as we have indeed come so far.
And thanks for the kind words,of course. Iβm a sucker for them!
BMCUWP
π
Very much hoping that if and when we win the league it will be a catalyst for successful seasons ahead.
There have been a lot of comparisons made between the two teams in terms of style,physicality and height etc but the fact that we were a team that was losing our main players and essentially starting over again versus a unit that were battle hardened I believe to an extent the situation is turning in our favour.
They are in a European semi final for a reason (luck partly) but they have a lot of experienced individuals that know how to handle big occasions.Those players and some of their better players are either out of contract in the summer or have 1 year left on their contracts.
As such they will have to rebuild their squad so essentially Ange is ahead of the curve.
If our manager is consistently backed in the transfer window and recruits as well as he has done hopefully our success continues.
π₯ UNIQUE ANGLE: Celtic 1-1 Rangers | Celtic share the spoils in Glasgow derby / Celtic FC
Photo emerges of Big Packy back in the Brig
https://twitter.com/thebigtreebar/status/1521026344200646657?s=20&t=g22a73zF5_IYFi_ZcdZw3w
Thank goodness for a comeback from Judd Trump at the snooker final. Last night he finished 7 frames behind. But today he won the penultimate session 6 – 2. So we go into this evening’s finale 14-11. What a fightback! Good luck Judd π
I think we should realise that there are two teams in Scotland and “rangers” are pretty good.IMO
We have some way to go………..agree with BAD @8:42am
SOL that was not me, probably jimthetim53π€©π€©
JIM give me your analysis from yesterdays game please, and no not the snookerπ€©
Packy, Sol Kitts, Hands up it was me. I was feeling a bit peckish! π
Craig, that looks a rare auld pub in the Brig! π
SOL that beer i bought off you, remember me telling you it looked like Irn bru well it bliddy well tasted like it as well,.another true storyπ€©
CRAIG76 ive been trying to hide that photoπ€©π€©