The Good
It’s always good going into a game on an unbeaten run, getting important players back from injury and with confidence seeping out of every living, man, women, child, dog, cat and goldfish that has a Celtic bone in it’s body.
Usually, this would see me as pessimistic as a Lib Dem MP at re-election time (which I will be later on but this the time a look at the GOOD) as all runs come to an end but can I see this one coming to an end on Saturday lunchtime?
Naw. There is the hex. Right there. Three little letters.
We have players in form. A manager who is approaching 100 games in charge – with a win rate of 73% – saw us blow a lead last season- in typical circumstances and in typical surroundings – and saw his Mowbray Moment stare and laugh in his face already this season.
We are now top of the league. 33 out of 33 points. We are smoking, Joe.
We have an aggregate score of 8-0 against St Midden this season with Gary Hooper scoring 5 of these goals. He also scored a last minute winner at New St Midden Park last season (after a bit of Paddy magic). Hoops looked sharp last week and as long as his head hasn’t been turned then my lunch money is going on him scoring again. Lennon is also unbeaten against St Midden and they haven’t scored a goal against us with him in charge.
Though it hasn’t always been pretty – see the aforementioned 1-0 slogfest – we have always taken 3 points. What can possibly go wrong?
The Bad
The above is all too good? Where is that train? Is it running a bit late or is that light we are really seeing at the end of a 3 season long tunnel?
St Mirren are a strange lot. In that pack who are looking at the top 6 but are doing their level best not to get into it. Last week’s trip to Swinecastle saw them get royally Skaceled despite playing against 10 men for 3 quarters of the game. They – like The Marnocks – are condescendingly treated by the press for attempting to play football, trying to be the Blugrana Buddies if you wish.
This still comes at a shock to the wider Scottish populace brought up on a diet of shin worriers and licensed thugs.
In Paul McGowan, Steven Thompson, Nigel Hasselbaink and Gary Teale they have household names – at least to those that read the Metro – who on paper should trouble all SPHell defences. Their biggest result this season was beating them 2-1 at the Fergielee Camp. Despite their recent woes the chance to beat us – getting another DVD release opportunity – ending our run and getting a massive Celtic sized monkey of their back is, really, enough reason for them to be fired up.
The Ugly
Ok, are you buckled in? Here is my rant.
This has really nothing to do with the game but it has everything to do with the game or more the OUTCOME of this game and the others we have coming up, which will see us go to our two hardest away grounds – do I really need to say what they are? alright then: Inversenkie and Swinecastle – in quick succession and by the end of it we could be behind in the league, out the Community Crime Cup – is that a long shot? remember Ross County (Sky will remind us often enough) – and out the Scottish Cup.
From the treble to Armageddon in 3 weeks. Haven’t we had enough of that woe this season already, can we not be spared?
With us willing to be spared we get desperate. The news that Baba Diawarra had signed for Seville – something that HASN’T happened (though we won’t be signing him) – cause more than a few cases of Roberto Mancini vigorous card waving in the direction of our CEO.
Yes, we had the chance to sign the player and YES the visa excuse has been proved to be rubbish but I can’t help feel the outrage about not signing a player that 99% of us haven’t got a clue what he is about is over the top. This reaction is borne from The Fletcher Farce Of 2009.
We all know how that one ended. He’s scored 9 goals in 17 games (in the greatest league in the world(sic)) and we haven’t won the league since.
While galling and annoying it’s not the only reason we have failed. I’m over not getting Fletcher. That’s finished it’s dead to me. I’m not going to lose sleep on not getting a player ever again. It’s just a stupid notion when the global world of football is now so small and players nomadic.
I’m not bothered we didn’t get Diawarra I’m more bothered about that we seem to have been shoddy- again – in taking care of business. For every good thing we do, we seem to balance it up by seemingly coming over all bumbling, thrifty and amateur.
In the summer we had the choice. Whoever made that choice went for Bang Bang who has only started 1 game and not scored yet. The coaching staff seem as enthused as a wean who asked for a puppy but got a kitten about him. I’m not writing the player off. He has been disappointing and that is me being generous. Rome wasn’t built in a day though (they say).
The whole Diawarra situation has made it as predictable as a Mrs Brown Boys gag to write Bang Bang off as another Sebo. It’s easy to dismiss but not as easy to give people time.
And that is what I’m calling for. TIME.
We need a 3rd striker (I have been saying that for months) . We have Hooper with 16 goals. We have Stokes with 15 goals and then Samaras with 3. Forrest has chipped in with 7 and we have Commons returning. That is not enough though but those riches mean that we are not desperate and shouldn’t be panicking.
We need a different option but maybe not THE final option, maybe NOT the answer and maybe JUST someone to do a short term job.
I’m thinking a Dion Dublin type.
This whole situation is like that time I wanted a top of the range BMX bike. I got up on Christmas morning knowing full well that I wasn’t getting that bike. I got a BMX bike and it was a bike I knew was the best we could afford. Did I enjoy that bike any less because it wasn’t that fancy one with the shiny wheels, front and back jump pegs and top of the range brakes?
No I didn’t. I loved that bike and was even more thankful a year later when I got the mountain bike I wanted.
The next 2 weeks are as important off the park as they are on.
What about big morten? He’s a poacher and how often has the ball been in the six yard box with no one to tap it in? With forests supply I reckon he’s our Kris Boyd.
Remember a 3-2 victory against Hibs early in Lennons reign? A last minute winner from Ras brought unbridled joy from the stands mainly because it stopped them having a chance to win the league the following day (ah, all the sma’ things!)
He impressed me that day because the Hibs defender and resident baldy – Rob Jones – had won EVERYTHING in the air that day. Ras game on and with 30 seconds had flattened him and won a header.
He changed that game when he came on.
That seems like a distant memory. Is he worth a shot again? The coaching stuff seem less enamoured with him than Ban Bang and that is some feat.
Oh, stop mentioning Boyd while he hasn’t got a club. There is always still a chance he becomes our OPTION…….
Steven Fletcher has scored 9 in 17 during this season 2011/12.
We were looking at him in January 2009. In that 08/09 season he scored 11 goals with Hibs.
He moved to Burnley 6 months later and scored 8 in 35 matches with them. His strike rate was a similar 8 in 29 with Wolves the following year. That is the calibre of player he was then not the 9 in 17 he is this season, his best ever strike rate.
Rumours of Steven Fletcher’s scoring prowess have reached myth-like levels. He would have guaranteed nothing in Jan. 2009. He played in the game where we lost the league that year and he never came close to threatening a goal.
I agree with you. My argument was and has been since the occasion is that Fletcher wouldnae have guaranteed us the league as we had other MAJOR problems that effected that run in.
i.e that manager not wanting to be there.
Fletchers purple patch coupled with Diawarras fantastic record (29 games 21 goals) with a small club in a league that regularly produces European competition winners/finalists/quarter and semi final worriers -looking at that he is top end market – has magnified the situation into something that it isn’t and wasn’t.
It’s like lancing a blackhead with a knitting needle.
I’m a little confused as to how you know that the visa excuse was rubbish? Both clubs confirmed that was the reason we didn’t move and maybe I have missed something but I don’t remember any different stories. Him signing for a Spanish club does mean that he had to pass the same regulations as with a Scottish club. Each country has different criteria to meet regarding the issuing of a work permit.
The ‘excuse’ for not signing Baba in the summer was that we wouldn’t get a work permit we already had our quota. This is rubbish no such quota system is in place and a club can apply for as many work permits as they want.
One of the STV journo’s on Twitter confirmed this a few weeks back on twitter to @harrybradycu I will try and link when I am home
Now rightly or wrongly Celtic HAVE allowed this reason to become gospel and at no time have attempted to put it right. Maybe they just can’t be bothered or are just happy to play along with it?
Celtic Rumours stated a few days ago that they think Diawarra now no longer needs a permit.
Then who is it to be? Who is available either on loan for 6 months or a reasonably priced transfer?
Obviously Kris Boyd’s name has been used by the ‘media’ but I don’t think he would be keen and he was never the fastest or fittest player therefore 2 years older and not having played for mnoths is hardly going to make him read to start. Plus most of us would be less than keen and there are bound to be better available even at this time of the year. But who? Even the guy from Charlton would cost in excess of 2 million if he were available.
A friend of the blog keeps on saying that we have enquired about Jason Roberts – currently of Venkys and 5 Live – on loan.
I would be happy with that.
we should throw money at the problem and buy justin rhodes !!
No, no and no again. We only throw wonga at the situation if we need to throw wonga at it and……we don’t. Unless we sell Hooper or Sammy (where did the Sammy rumours come from? Bids on the table seemingly with the CEO reaching for the envelope to say YES!).
Do other teams sell their best players in January? Ok, The Toon took a ransom for a drunken pub league striker and our friends over the river were desperate to get Misser of their books (but they had a BETTER striker to replace him with and one that could go this window but without that replacement)
Factor in our potential Euro earnings if we win the league. If the asking price is close to that or more than sell, sell sell. If it’s not then hold on to your hand and don’t twist.
January is a poor time for the value for money. Let’s look short-term and get it right.
Boyd wouldn’t touch us with his barge-pole …thank feck…you can forget him.
As for Fletcher..I’ve been told personally, by Lenny, that Hibs refused point blank to sell him….end of..
IF THATS TRUE LENNYS TALKING CRAP HOW DID WE GET BROONIE THEN?
Maybe the FACT that we got Broonie (and overpaid for him) meant that the Leith Loonies didn’t want to sell Fletcher hence ignoring that unwritten pact from 1888, which stats that we get their best players. 🙂
If we left a trail of Monster Munch from Karbon to Lennoxtown I’m sure he would be interested.
Whoever we go for will not be a player who’s a cert start for games, it’ll be another squad player there just incase Hooper or Stoke’s get injured. It’ll be as cheap as our board can get. If the mob from over the road were not as incompetent in their transfer dealings we’d be the ones looking very amateurish.
I’m unsure if ‘Babagate’ (I’m calling it that) bothers the PLC that much. They have let the permit mis-truth out the box and made no attempt to catch it. It’s worked. A lot still believe we couldn’t get a work permit. They don’t blame us being overally thrifty. Job done?
You are correct. We are looking for a player that might play 10 or 11 games all in (most from the bench) and chip in with a few goals (say 4 or 5?).
fletcher is class was then is now if you cant see that you dont have a clue 2 goals in 35 games for burnley would be good. Per minutes played his scoring record was in the top 5 best stike rates in europe last year if you think hooper would do as good your all nuts come the summer see whos going where, my guess fletcher 15 mill to liverpool or arsenal.Hooper to bottom 6 lets see how many goals are scored ps fletcher more headed goals than anyone in epl we would be going for 6 ina row now but peter lawless gave us willo flood instead of fletcher who will we get this time instead of diawara ?
Well said, jimthetim.
Fletcher is certainally more noticeable this season than he has since he left Leith. I disagree that he will end up at a top, top club. His form will see him move to other bottom enders in the EPL if Wolves get relegated. See Kenny Misser for an example.
Fuck never mind fletcher I’m
Filling up at the bike story thats more of tear jerker than lassie does Marley and me. Mate I’m dropping off a top of the range bike at yours next week…..
Cheers, remember I am carry a lot more baggage than when that story happened. The bike will need to reflect this.