Another Manager Loses To Celtic And Gives Us No Credit At All.
Soccer Football - Scottish Premiership - Celtic v St Mirren - Celtic Park, Glasgow, Scotland, Britain - March 2, 2022 Celtic's Cameron Carter-Vickers celebrates scoring their first goal with Matt O'Riley Action Images via Reuters/Lee Smith
I don’t expect any manager to enjoy losing. None of them do.
I don’t expect any manager to come out in the aftermath of a tight game and praise the opposition whilst offering no credit to his own side. That would be barmy. But I expect a little mutual respect.
I expect that when you dominate a match to the extent we did last night that the opposition manager at least tries to reflect reality when he talks to the press in the aftermath of it.
What is it with managers this season looking to downplay everything we do? Have we won a single match where the opposing boss came out and said “You know what? Well done to Celtic today, they were simply too good for us”?
Not Stephen Robinson last night.
He thought we were fortunate. With nearly 80% possession. Really, that’s what he said.
Our goals were “ricochets” and they deserved more because of how well they defended.
Over and over managers who have been beaten by Celtic this season have trotted out that dire line that there is merit in putting eleven men behind the ball.
That’s a tactic so basic that any coach with a badge can do it.
It requires no talent whatsoever to tell defenders to pack a penalty area, but in Scotland we seem to have elevated it to the point of High Art. No team which plays like that deserves anything except to be beat, and if they are well beat then all the better.
It might inspire some of them to play football next time.
If Robinson thinks that the only team to show up on the night with actual attacking play in mind didn’t deserve to win then he needs to hear a clear message from his own fans that it’s just not on.
The media certainly won’t.
They keep banging on about how we still look vulnerable at the back and then dole out praise for teams which steadfastly refuse to test the theory and play against us in the hope of holding out and snatching a 0-0 draw.
Robinson ought to have acknowledged the reality of the game.
They were, he said “comfortable out of possession.”
That is the antithesis of what football is supposed to be about.
If this poor man’s Mourinho thinks that’s worth commendations he’s wrong.