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Celtic Won The Lot Last Year. Gerrard Cannot “Sacrifice” What He Never Had.

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I have been writing for as long as I can remember.

I also have a media degree and I was active in politics a long time.

I mention these things because I have learned a few things along the way, and one of the things I learned was to study language carefully.

I was, thereby, astounded to read The Evening Times discussing Steven Gerrard and dismissing the idea that he might be willing to “sacrifice” the cup competitions for the league.

He denied this, as if it made one iota of sense, as if the idea itself were grounded in reality and not sheer fantasy.

He denied it as if he was ever in a position to do any such thing.

The paper got the headline it wanted though, based on a thoroughly dishonest premise.

Someone should point out to them the simple truth of this …

Celtic hold both of the domestic cups, as we hold the league.

We are the only club, and Lennon the only manager, who is faced with such a choice and is able to “sacrifice” anything.

Gerrard’s team didn’t even reach a semi-final last season.

The media’s efforts to paint his failure as a peculiar kind of success is their own business, but they don’t get to do this.

The language they use is an insult to Celtic and to other clubs. The idea that his club can “prioritise” what trophies it wins and doesn’t is ridiculous. They are seven years without a major honour. We have won the last nine domestic competitions on the bounce.

We have five of the last ten Scottish Cups; a team called Rangers has made the final once in that time, and Hibs won that.

We’ve won four of the last five League Cups, and – of course – the last eight league titles.

It is a joke to suggest that the Ibrox club is in any fit state to decide that it should ignore those cup competitions for a crack at our title.

We all know that their club would celebrate a domestic cup win as if they had just secured a European trophy.

It is pathetic for anyone to pretend otherwise.

This is just the media getting in their excuses early in anticipation of the next failure.

Celtic is the only show in town here, and for the record Lennon has said repeatedly that he isn’t remotely interested in the actual act of sacrificing anything. Champions League qualification, nine in a row, another domestic grand slam … he wants it all.

And we’re in a good position to get the lot of it.

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