Derby games are a bit like the concept behind Come Dine With Me. You are forced to invite unwanted guests into your home knowing full well that they are unintelligent buffoons, who lack conversational skills and will abuse your families fish pie.
R*ngers brought their own brand of erotic asphyxiation to the East End. Though there is nothing erotic about it. What can’t be argued is that its’ damn successful and they are on – what can be argued as maybe THE best of Smith’s two reigns – a run that should be above the sum of their talents.
Celtic were more than willing to get a Satsuma put in their gubs and a bag over their heads. The team gagged as if they were getting deep throated by a giraffe when they got in – undeservedly – front. It was a quiet strangulation with no post death boner to get excited over.
Frankly, we were as poor as at anytime under Neil Lennon. R*ngers record, or more Smith’s record, demanded us to be respectful but not too respectful that we tried to mirror image them.
Both teams in the first half retreated so deep when they didn’t have the ball that I was expecting BBC News to have 36 hour of non stop coverage of the rescue of stranded midfielders, smothered defenders and lonely forwards. Passing was something that is only seen on Tv as both teams resembled. giants throwing rocks at each other.
Our goal came after we got excited that we had won a corner kick. We were that poor. Hooper proved that one chance is all he needs and I really thought that his Davina McCallesq call to arms that he is coming to get you, Kenny was not a flight of fancy.
Kenny Miller. He does what he always does against us. Scores. Bastard. I don’t hate Miller. It’s hard to hate someone with no morals, who is butt ugly and despite him scoring a few goals still hasn’t quite grasp how to celebrate without looking like a burglars amphetamine crazed assistant running to open the front door after sneaking in the slightly ajar bathroom window.
Not one player stood out yesterday for them or us. That is unusual. If it was a colour it would be beige. They lacked an unlikeable element. They didn’t need to be harry hunt’s. McCulloch’s booking rendered his game useless. Even Sons Of Satan need some quiet time. Lafferty is a pipe cleaner and Naismith a peroxide gerbil who can work the wing a bit.
But, they are better than us. That is a worry but only temporary.
Of course if you keep sane thoughts then you may point to that we have new team and that our unbeaten run was an over-achievement at this time in our evolution. We had to many variables for us to be favourites and our optimism was misplaced as well as being sucked from every orifice, making big loud POP noises as it leaves, by a Dyson called reality.
Previous to this result I said that my opinion on the merits of Neil Lennon wouldn’t change. He is a rookie manager making his mistakes in public. We have made to much progress to throw the baby out with the bathwater.
Agree with most,we were to bad for words on Sunday. but progress, getting humped in Europe twice, Struggling to beat ordinary teams in the spl, lennon it seems doesn’t know his first 11, It was a big risk giving the job to a rookie, not one win in a big game, progress to me clearly not.
Jim the progress is there. We are over achieving in a transitional state. Europe was too early though Utretch was highly embarrassing. After two rounds of games we can judge the progress with a spirit level.
Didn’t see the game but it sounds grim, especially after the Dundee Utd game. Think we’re just not as street-wise as the Huns (yet). I don’t know if it was an issue in this game but the lack of wide midfielders in the squad could be a worry, relying on strikers to do that job may bite us on the arse.
Will be interesting to see the team, and obviously the performance, against St. Johnstone on Wednesday. Need to bounce back quickly and definitely can’t afford to go out of a cup on the back of a defeat against the Huns, even the CIS cup.
Strikers as wide midfielders was Moggas downfall. Lennon seems to like the same template. It wasn’t a problem on Sunday, well it might have been.
There is progress indeed but at the end of the day we were gifted a goal at what would seem like a perfect time, that aint gonna happen too often against against against the sfa’s XI. However Lennon didnt take the lifeline in his favour and two terrible errors later we had blown our best chance of a victory of great significance against the shame.
I thought we would have learned from Braga, we didnt
I thought we would have learned from Utrecht, we didnt.
I can only hope we learn from this and more importantly Lennon does otherwise I forsee more big game heart break.
If you rub your magic ball that foresees more big game heartbreak a bit harder it says nothing is won in October. The only significant thing that happens is British summer time ends. But you can only take the horse to water you can’t make it drink.
Just re-watched the game with a clear(er) head. Agreed chief and lotw on strikers out wide. Stokes and Wilson were woefully ineffective down the right. In fact, we had nothing down the right side. I know the jury’s still out, but McGinn might have been a better choice as a natural wide midfielder. I think Samaras is good wide but he has this propensity to cut in just outside the box, run the length with head down and ultimately give it away. Lack of width was also obvious when we broke from defence and Hooper was left to take on 2 or 3 Rangers players by himself/or had to lay it off to Samaras early which gave them time to get back up the pitch. Ki had his best game in a Celtic shirt,very impressed, even though he got no help from Ledley, who was absolutely rank. Juarez was terrible too. What happened to him ? Stripper-gate ? Hope he’s not suffering from Naylor-Fox syndrome. Rangers were well drilled and stuck to their plan. Everyone knew their job. We were all over the shop trying to play total football when the players just aren’t good enough to play out of position. As you alluded to lotw, shades of Mogga, kind of..
Gannonball, IMHO, we did learn from Europe..that we were not ready for it. As lotw points out, we are still very much a team in transition. I think Lennon is trying to tailor his tactics to the team in opposition and use the squad. That is smart. Unfortunately, aye, he’s a rookie and he got it wrong on Sunday. We gave Rangers way too much space in midfield, our defence lacked pace, vision and positional sense and the central midfield pairing were one man short of dictating the game. The 4-2-4/attacking 4-4-2 needs to be put on the shelf for when we face less organized teams. I hope Lennon learns from this too, we do need to start and nail down the big games !
The Juarez situation is strange. Started great and as a Lenny signing you’d expect him to be given more game time but something clearly isn’t right.
Question: I’m no fan of Loovens but does his presence mean big Dan gets less criticism than he should? I love his attitude but at times the actual defending could be better.
Juarez, I don’t know. I feel he may have “impressed” too quickly. For many seasons we’ve been stockpiling midfielders as if we’re expecting a plague that’s going to strike them all down; it’s difficult to shoehorn them all in. I’ve seen elsewhere that we should try him at RB. It can’t hurt, neither Cha nor Wilson have consistently covered themselves in glory..
Your Loovens question is a good one ! I just don’t know. Defensive communication and marking is poor throughout the team. I’m personally not a fan of Loovens, he never seems to be in the right place, or always in the wrong place. It’s a real failing that the defensive issue hasn’t been properly addressed.
Juarez for me had a new player bounce and now we are seeing the settling in period. Must not be impressing in training or Lenny is pissed off that he never got an invite to THAT party.
Big Dan is what he is. An experienced journeyman who has never played in a top league. Could he be there more for presence than actually ability?
Progress? We cannot talk progress while ‘players’ such as Samarashole and Loovens pull on the famous hoops. “The celtic shirt does not shrink to fit inferior players!” I beg to fekn differ.
It makes those two look like Karen Carpenter mate.