The Battle On The Eastern Front – Report
Report Summery
Date : 24/10/2010
Location : Celtic Park, Glasgow
Outcome : Defeat By 3 Goals To 1
Reasons For Defeat : Carelessness due to key Tactical Mistakes although final blow was dealt by Outside Interference
Report Breakdown – Pre Battle
We rolled in to our first battle of the season against our mighty rivals in very fine form indeed, the type of form that filled us with the upmost hope and confidence that our technical ability could even defeat the sheer physicality of the opposition. The 8 training drills which had tested just about every war quality of our battalion had been passed with flying colours, but theres just nothing like the real thing is there? If there was one thing all those training drills hadn’t taught us about war was the actual war experience itself. Only a few of our warriors had ever experience the war before however the lack of experience shouldn’t have been a problem to our new recruits, some of whom have played in World Cups watched by the world, but it seems to me that there is always two things any player has to overcome when he goes into war against Rangers. 1 is the expectations of his own followers, but most importantly, he must discover a hatred of Rangers. He must be able to forget them, treat them like nothing, remember that its not just a normal game when it comes to the war against them. He must remember, Its War.
Early Stages
Even start despite some territorial scares from the opposition, they did come closest to the first blow but defence held tight and attack showed some signs that if given half the chance they’d strike, and it would be fatal. That chance came just before the break when a well drilled move, practiced every day, was executed to perfection and the striker Hooper buried his first chance, the first blow. First blood Celtic.
The Period That Led To Defeat
15 after the break, our battle plans were shattered. First mistake was a missile launched into our box and no one dealt with it, leading to the eventual friendly fire death of our clean sheet. The time that should have been spent regrouping and rebuilding and looking to re-take our lead in the battle, was spent licking our wounds, andthe taste was about to become salty when another error from our defence led to the strike to our goal that saw us go behind for the first time in the battle. Less than 10 minutes of battle-time had elapsed and we had gone from the jubilation of being infront to the humiliationof being behind, and being behind by gifting two strikes to the opposition.
Outside Interference
The battle was lost in the last 25 minutes of play. And it was through no fault of our own. We may have given up the lead, but the battle was well and truly still up for grabs. Until that is, Referee Willie Collum decided to award Rangers a penalty, and the chance to inflict the fatal blow on the Celtic war-machine. They duly accepted the chance to do so and a deficit of 2 was just too much to come back from. But looking back at the decision that led to the 3rd Rangers strike, some foul play is undeniably involved. For first instance, the referee cannot even see the ‘illegal contact’ that apparently took place. Which opens up another debate, even if our man took their man’s head off with his bare hands, the referee still can’t give a penalty, because he can’t see it. Theres foul play scenario number 1. Scenario number 2? Well there was no contact at all, it was a suicide leap from the Rangers player.
Steps To Take To Ensure Future Battle Victory
Now I don’t want to labour on about the battle. Whats won is nothing, and whats lost, is lost and gone forever. We’ve had another training drill before our next battle in January, a blistering start followed by more outside interference led to more carelessness which inturn led to a nailbiting finish. But not to worry, theres more training drills to get ourselves right before 2nd Of January when the battle of Ibrox will be fought. We must show the maturity that most of our players have, we have a terrific squad of players, that good infact, we are a defender away from, in this reports opinion, a war winning squad.
We must however, be better and very much better prepared, but the first experience is over, and most of our team have had their Old Firm Cherries well and truly popped.
And When This War Is Over, And I See Your Face Again, I Will Tell You, Of The Warriors Who Won It All, And Took Revenge.