John Hartson was on TalkSport earlier, telling Ronny Deila how wrong he is to label this weekend’s Scottish Cup semi-final as “just another game.”
I agree with Hartson that it’s not.
I disagree with him on the reason why it’s not.
Hartson appears to be coming at this from the lazy, and offensive, angle that it’s an “Old Firm” game.
I’m not going over those arguments again; I’ve done them to death this week and last. We all know this isn’t one of those and our reasons are all on the record. I’m sick to death hearing from ex-players and managers too intellectually lazy or lacking in the balls to say what every single one of us knows to be true.
I’ll leave it at that.
But whilst this isn’t a massive game in quite the way Hartson suggests it remains a hugely important one for Ronny Deila and Celtic. It’s no exaggeration to say that this is a do-or-die game for him, and at least one player – Michael Lustig – has already identified it as being of the utmost importance to certain players too.
“We are playing for our futures,” he told the media earlier in the week.
How glad I am to see that at least someone in the current squad gets it, and understands exactly what’s at stake.
These guys are playing for their futures and the manager is playing for his.
Lose this game and it’s over, and that’s because of who the opposition is.
I don’t care who they think they are or what they think their “achievements” this season mean – this is a lower league club in a Scottish Cup semi-final and I’d be saying the same thing about wanting the manager’s head at the end if we’re out whether it was Hibs or Falkirk or Queen of the South.
Losing to a lower league club is unacceptable in a season that’s already been characterised with bland football, baffling tactics and team selections which warp the mind.
There are no excuses and no alibis.
There’s no way he can survive a defeat like that.
So in a sense, yes, Hartson has it right and Ronny is a mug to be playing down this one and saying that it’s a game like any other.
It’s not. It’s plainly not.
The media is hyping it beyond belief, the Celtic fans will not accept defeat and at stake is a place in the Scottish Cup final.
I understand why Deila would say such a thing; I believe he’s sick of the hoopla surrounding this, as many of us are.
But he gets no extra points for it.
Failure is not an option, Ronny.
It’s as simple as that.
Win, and make yourself a hero.
Lose and it’s pack your bags and beat it buddy.
There’s no room for sentimentality here.