Whatever happens tomorrow I'd love us to support the team all the way to the final whistle. If it's a shocker we can boo after the game and continue any action against the board.
Make Hearts suffer. Boo, jeer, and heckle them.
The last 48 hours has shown that most of Scottish football are desperate for us to lose, let's enrage them all 😄
Don't care about Karma (never have)
The mods on that page have been bitter as fuck for the past 48-72 Hours (been removing loads of Celtic posts from various users)
🤣🤣🤣🤣
(hope this is alright, will remove if not)
It feels incredible that we could potentially do a league and cup double. It seemed highly unlikely for most of the season.
But to be fair, many of us (myself one of the worst offenders) overlooked how much some of these guys have achieved. McGregor and Forrest with 20+ medals each. Tierney being a top level LB, Maeda is an elite presser. Arnie is not coming from the Bundesliga because he's a bad player, and Nygren is not in the Sweden set up for nothing either. Ox and Ihenacho are past their best, but that best was elite level. I think we have to acknowledge that after 3 years, Scales is dependable.
I could go on, but basically: Form is temporary, class is permanent.
I said we don't deserve to win a league if we go an entire league campaign with 0 wins in 4 against Rangers. And to be honest we should also have enough to win at Motherwell and home to Hearts.
Motherwell are a well coached side, but 1 win in 7 and missing a couple of players. We should be favourites to win that. Hearts have had a great season, but we should be able to beat them at least once in four attempts. I think if our best players play to their potential then there is no doubt who wins.
We absolutely need to do more in the summer, but with 2 games to go this should be in our reach.
Let's be honest there were some big calls over the weekend. Hearts potential penalty, AJ potential red card (neither stonewaller for me).
But have you noticed what's not getting attention???
The shove on Welsh before the Hearts leveller, or the push on Mcowan before the Rangers goal. Neither were absolute stone wall errors either, but a second look would have been useful.
Incidentally I thought there was more than 1 spell in that game were Sevco get every 50-50.
If not for Don Robertson not doing his job at Easter Road, I personally think we may well have wiped out the goal difference by now. If we get the penalty we should have against Hibs at home in February we are possibly top. If Hearts don't get a soft penalty Vs Motherwell, they are possibly second.
The narrative whenever we have lost has always been "worst side since the 90s", we haven't went on about refs this year.
If we win this league, it won't just break Rangers, it will annoy a lot of others in Scottish football who have been desperate for us to falter.
That alone should be all the motivation we need!
Not harm to St Mirren. Been a wonderful team to have in the league these past few years, much deserved cup win too. But I make the winner of Dunfermline Vs Patrick slight favourites to go up.
Both have been brilliant and both I think would add to our league. It would be fun watching Lennon back in Scottish football's top flight. Partick for me have been growing steadily for a couple of seasons now.
I'm not convinced there is much gulf between the bottom 4 teams or so in the Premiership and the top 4 or so in the Championship.
Will be a series of great games regardless, and if the Saints stay up they will have thoroughly earned it.
Absolutely no celebrations can take place just yet. Motherwell will be extremely tough.
But the signs are looking good. That was a potential tough one, with Sevco having nothing to lose really.
Big game players also now showing their class.
Wonder how Hearts will react, especially after losing two key players.
Also, credit to our rivals when deserved. Nick Walsh giving them every 50-50 even at 3-1 down was the kind of resilience that I'm sure Sevco wished their players had!
As the title suggests if we cannot beat Rangers once out of four league games then we don't deserve to win the title. Same applies to Hearts who we have also not beat this season.
It's up to our so called big game players to prove it tomorrow.
Either way I think this Celtic squad will get what it deserves.
Edit: Ile add a bit more, and say quite a few of these players now have a chance to prove themselves as worthy of this club. I'm thinking Engles, Tounetki, Sinnisalo, and a couple others. Also Ox and Kekechi, if they come on, need to prove they can still play at this level.
Celtic fan here, but feel bad for Halket given his performances this season. Hopefully he's not out of the World Cup.
Listened to the managers pre match comments today. As expected Maeda is fit, and as always O'Neil speaks with class.
Delighted to hear him call out the officials from last week and Douglas Ross on particular being 4 yards off the pace of the move he deemed offside. It was a terrible decision and basically a choice that Ross made. Had it been offside the VAR would always offer a safety net.
The former Tory leader, does not appear fit to officiate at this level and we hope the SFA is reviewing him.
To be honest if we lose the league this season it will be in my view 90 percent our fault, especially the board. But that extra 10 percent still needs some attention.
The non penalty award home against Hibs, the Trusty red at Hearts, the couple of big decisions at Easter Road. It does add up.
The next two weeks has some interesting ramifications for European football next season. And by extension has some important financial consequences too.
The league winners (currently likely to be Hearts) go into the CL play offs. If Rangers had won the league they could have very possibly got automatic qualification. If Celtic win it they will likely be seeded. Hearts will almost certainly not be seeded, but would be guaranteed EL at the minimum.
Second place (currently Celtic) face three qualification rounds for the CL, with parachutes to the EL and Conference. Celtic would likely be seeded in the early rounds but not latter.
-Assuming Celtic win the Scottish cup
Third place (Rangers) go into the EL 3rd qualifying round with a parachute to the conference play offs if needed. Rangers almost certainly seeded.
Fourt and Fifth (Motherwell/Hibs), go into the conference 2nd qualifying round and need to win 3 ties to qualify.
If Dunfermline win the Scottish cup they basically get what 3rd would have got. 3rd and 4th go into the Conference 2nd qualifying round and 5th get nothing.
CONSEQUENCES
For Rangers in particular this means that the next few weeks are not meaningless. To spend 40 million and have no chance of the Champions League next season would be poor. The Rangers fans would probably love to see Dunfermline beat us, but the 49ers (if Rangers finish 3rd), would likely be disappointed at not even getting EL football next season after all they have invested. Would hinder ability to attract players. That said I could see Rangers doing well in the conference if they find that old Thursday night form.
The Hearts-Bloom plan does not depend on CL money so I think they will be okay regardless. CL would be incredible for Hearts and 1st or 2nd, I hope they get it. But the EL would be a significant milestone too.
Celtic in theory have the financial reserves to be okay regardless of were they end up, but not getting the CL or even EL may make the board even more cautious and hinder the ability to attract a higher standard of manager. It would likely make it harder to attract players and hold onto the likes of Nygren.
I suspect Motherwell, Hibs, and potentially Falkirk would be happy with European football in any form. Personally I'd love to see this Motherwell team play European football.
Dunfermline would be in dream land if they got European football and rightly so. Especially if they also get promotion.
WRONG ANSWERS ONLY
What would be your team talk for your club this weekend ahead of a few massive fixtures?
"Desmond says the leckie is getting cut off if we lose"
"We are going back to Loch Lomond if Celtic beat us"
"No pies if Killie lose to Saints"
"Any St Mirren player who underperforms has to babysit Shaun Rooney on a night out"
"There is a young crippled fan who wants us to win. I know this because I crippled him to motivate you" (Classic Simpsons, Mr Burns)
Just a bit of fun 🤣
I often feel we have shown an arrogance towards the Scottish league. I maintain that Martin Boyle is better forward than many of the players we have signed in the past few seasons.
With that, who are some players you think we may look at in Scotland? Ruling out Hearts and Rangers who are unlikely to want to sell to us.
Maswanhise is an obvious one. I think Fadinger too has had a great season. I saw some clips of Elliot Watt also from the Motherwell win at Ibrox and watched him glide past Raskin in a way we hoped Arnie would but never has.
Chaiwa seems a decent player at Hibs, Barney Stewart has great potential at Falkirk. He's faded big time, but I liked the look of Dolcek earlier in the season. John-Jules at Killie looked excellent against us.
Also a couple of good prospects in the Championship. Andy Tod and Findlay Marshall are both 20 and got into double figures for goals. Tod a winger, Marshall a midfielder.
Any others?
Apparently Martin O'Neill gave an interview to Celtic TV today.
His comments were:
"There’s no doubt at all about it. He’s had a new lease of life in recent weeks.
“He’s been terrific for us.
“So I think that even at this early stage of the week, I’d be very confident that he would be on the field.”
This is great news if so. I think he's been a different animal of late.
Hopefully the optimism is well founded.
Here is my opinion on our potential next manager. Based on who is currently linked to the job. Could be a left field option
Askou
Pros: great football, knows Scottish football, experience as a coach at Sparta and Copenhagen, won a title in the Faroe Islands.
Cons: relatively inexperienced, may get found out in Europe when we need to be more pragmatic.
Overall: I think would be a great appointment. I think there is more to him than 1 good season at Motherwell.
Robbie Keane
Pros: knows the club, on the verge of 3 straight league titles, good run in EL this year.
Cons: would infuriate a large section of the fan base.
Overall: I think this is the most likely Desmond appointment, fan opposition makes it more likely. I think it would be mistake though.
Martinez
Pros: managed at a top level and elite players, has a distinct style, knows Scottish football, Maloney link
Cons: awkward timing, style may struggle against low block, little recent club experience.
Overall: would be a statement appointment, but I think money and timing would be an issue.
Shaun Maloney
Pros: knows the squad, apparently a good coach
Cons: insufficient management experience and success
Overall; not for me, but would be a dream cheap yes man for the board.
Steve Clarke
Pros: knows Scottish football, solid record at Scotland and Killie, tactically good in Europe
Cons: boring style, difficult timing, don't think he'd like that Glasgow goldfish bowl
Overall: can't see it, and would split the fanbase
Martin O'Neill
Pros: absolute legend, knows the players, more experience than the other candidates combined.
Cons: moving into his late 70s, style at times not great albeit with a terrible squad
Overall: don't rule it out, and if the next manager struggles we will likely see him again soon.
I'd edge it to Askou personally.
What's your personal favourite season of all time in Scottish football???
Doesn't have to be objective in any way, just a season you always enjoyed. Can be for personal reasons too, like the first time you got an ST or the last time you watched it with your Dad.
For me it's 2007/2008. Celtic won the league, but it was a crazy and emotional ride. Although Tommy Burns and Phil O'Donnell passing away was devastating, the way fans came together was incredible.
Europe was a success also. Walter Smith took Rangers to a UEFA Cup final, Celtic beat the European champions and played in the last 16 of the CL (first time I saw Messi, who scored against us), Aberdeen battered Copenhagen in the UEFA cup and gave Bayern a fright in Scotland.
The national team beat France away and narrowly missed out on the Euros.
I recall Dundee United, Hearts, and Hibs being decent that season too. Gretna came up and then went back down
From a purely selfish Celtic perspective the Trebles were good, but I have a soft spot for European nights, so maybe the 12/13 season when we beat Barca.
What's your favourite????