Fans’ memories of football are written by the term “what if?” So many defeats and disappointments might have been ended if only a different action occurred.
Perhaps an earlier tackle, a harder shot or even just some obscure form of luck.
Except football doesn’t work like that. The only thing the history books care about is results.
Celtic were poor yesterday at Hampden. Yet had Cameron Carter-Vickers made it 2-0 the day would have been a triumph. Except it wasn’t. A great chance was missed and the Ibrox side equalised; unfortunately, it only looked like one winner after that.
Disappointment aside, the game’s done. We have to look now at what still remains.
This season has been a phenomenon. League Day 1 made it look as though all was lost and a long, hard year waited. But fortunes changed. Suddenly instead of a season of sufferance instead success loomed. The League Cup came. But still the League seemed a forlorn hope.
Until it didn’t.
The league turnaround that the Hoops have had in 2022 is phenomenal. Six points behind to six ahead is an amazing transformation. Five games to go; realistically three wins settles it.
Maybe even fewer.
The trick is to ensure that the focus isn’t on ‘what might have been’ but rather on ‘what is.’ The semi-final defeat is done. The focus must now be on Sunday’s Ross County trip.
A win next week brings back the positivity. And takes us much closer to a hugely important title win. It’s easy to worry about the negative. Or fixate on potential alternatives. But it’s all irrelevant.
Winning teams win; that’s all that matters. From next weekend, Celtic can start that again.
And don’t be in any doubt, if either club had to choose a priority at the start of the season – whether that’s the Scottish Cup or some improbable run in Europe, both would have chosen the League. With the £40 million up for grabs it’s no choice at all.
Right now, we are in command in the league. We have to keep it that way.
So smile. It’s always the best approach. We have a lot still to play for.
Matthew Marr is a frequent contributor to The CelticBlog. He is originally from Dundee.
Could anyone tell me why Bitton wasn’t on the bench. was he injured?
As flat as the team were yesterday and as disappointed as we all were at losing the semi-final, I’m still glad in a way that out great run went paps-up yesterday and not in any of the remaining games. Win our next three games and the season is a fantastic success, get our focus on those games and put this title to bed. Thereafter it’s time for the real Celtic celebrations to begin.
The game was decided on a fine margin. Yes there was the VIckers shot and the fact that Maeda was carrying an injury which allowed Tavernier free rein on the right. We now start a five game mini-league with a 6 point advantage.
The game yesterday was worrying in the sense that it seems to repeat a pattern – a good result against Rangers, and then a peak the following week, and then mediocre form. Let’s hope not.
As for the SC game who cares really?
The stats for Abada never cease to amaze me – he cannot pass, he cannot cross, he misses easy chances. He was a passenger
Jota really let Celtic down – he tried to showboat when we were trying to establish a patern of play in the first 15mins. A couple of simple passes and we were in very good positions.
This 2 winger thing really needs looked at. We cannot change it now but we played that game with 9 men
The criticism flying around yesterday was bang out of order. Some folk can’t seem to grasp where we were back in August and how this group of players have gave us everything to get us where we are now. Let’s put it all behind us and look forward to supporting the team over the finishing line.
We must focus yes now on the League of course. We were close to a treble. Let’s not be close in the league let’s go win it. Two trophies we be a good start and we build more for next season gaining a LB a CH and a DM. Agree on Abada he was poor at Ibrox at the start of the season also. He is young with much to learn. We miss Gio badly.
I would sell him if we can get our money back. He can ghost through defences and score but his link up play is just terrible. Why play Rogic so far forward and him? He was as well not turning up. Why not play McCarthy or even Ralston in central midfield other than him. Add Jota showboating and we were in trouble