For a couple of weeks now, I was looking forward to today in total confidence. Total confidence. Some people asked me, in the past week, how confident I was because this blog has not been as bombastic in tone as it was at times last season.
The answer was simple, really. I was so supremely sure that we would win this one, and win it comfortably, that I didn’t feel any great need to broadcast it. Most Celtic fans I know were of exactly the same mind. I would have been preaching to the choir.
Oddly, the people whose opinions I found most interesting were those who were quite willing, this past month, to deny the evidence of their own eyes, which showed a Celtic team that is massively improved from last season when we won the double, just as the manager’s career history has demonstrated and just as his biggest and most vocal fans right from the start promised the rest of us that it would be. They were right.
Tonight not a single one of them can continue to kid themselves that this is not a team built to do exceptional things, and with the talent to pull that off. As an attacking force we are so obviously better than any of our domestic competition.
Some people still think the real test is Europe, and we’ll very soon find out where we are on that front. Whilst it would be good to shut them up they’ve spent so long comparing us to the exploits of Ibrox on that arena that today must feel like a seismic shock to them. To those of us who have watched Celtic lately it was anything but.
Our next game is against Real Madrid. I suspect we’re going to learn a few things on Tuesday night, and I imagine we’ll see a further demonstration of progress at this club. Regardless of whether we do or not, I’ve ever believed that a club must focus – primarily, and as its main goal – dominance in the domestic sphere.
So tonight we sit five points clear of them and 17 goals better off in addition. Read that one again and try and wrap your brain around it. After six games in the league we are 17 goals better off than they are. That’s worth as much as another point, yes, but it’s also a deadly example of how far ahead of them we are just in its own terms.
Their goal difference of plus seven after six sounds nice. But ours is plus 24 … a stunning statistic for this early in a campaign. It threatens records. It threatens more than that though. It threatens the stability of our rivals, and threatens to establish another long spell of domestic dominance from our club.
To be honest, I don’t know how they can stop it.
I am hoping that Real Madrid underestimate us and that we catch them by surprise on Tuesday night. Sure they know fine well of the intimidating atmosphere they can expect at Celtic Park, but what they don’t realise is that this time we have a team to match.
It cannot come quick enough.
Difficult not to get carried away after today. What can be said is that team is dramatically better than last year.
Here we go
10 in a row 🙂
3rd time lucky ?
HH
The biggest threat to this team is that it will be sold off in pieces in the next 12 transfer windows, and that includes the manager. This club will almost certainly break some records domestically, and if they make a good showing in Champions League, the big money clubs across Europe will be eyeing our top players and poaching them in the same way they do Ajax players every time they have a good Champions League run. That’s a problem for another day though; today we should enjoy the ride for however long it lasts!
Heh. Meant to say next 2 transfer windows / 12 months. ?????
I preferred your original estimate….but you are right, of course. There’s an inevitability about it, really, the suits at CP will see £££££££££££££ appearing in front of their eyes every time one of our lads does well.
If that’s the case why have these new players signed 3/4/5 year contracts?
That’s part of the transfer strategy. You give the players a longish contract so you can command a higher price when the buyers come a begging. The longer the period of contract still remaining the higher the fee you can ask, all other things being equal of course.
You are absolutely right Benjamin. But a good club, like Ajax, always has good replacements lined up. I wonder if they have a director of football? Ange has been a revelation in getting his system to work, getting the players on board, relations with the media and transfer business. It’s unimaginable he’ll not want to try a more competitive league. He is ambitious for all the right reasons. They’ll come calling soon enough – maybe not a top four club yet but anything else is possible. I don’t believe he’ll do a Rodgers but we should be thinking of the inevitable. JJ, Jota CCV, Liel Abada and M O’Riley are young and will be in demand and will go for relatively high sums of between 10 million and 20 million, perhaps even more if they do well in Champions league. Some of the others could go for less. Some things that didn’t go well for Rodgers and his successor we should avoid: (i) trying to hold on to players that want to go (ii) changing the style of play that was winning and not ensuring it at all levels (iii) not getting in replacements soon enough (one of the reasons of course why Rodgers chucked it in) – every team needs to be refreshed. A lot of responsibility lies with the board. I hope they are studying Ajax at least. Or perhaps when Ange leaves we’ll finally get John Kennedy. Just saying …
Funniest thing i’ve seen this weekend was the Daily Record today screaming ,,
GIO SET TO UNLEASH MORELOS ON CELTIC
Morelos is fat, unfit, sulky and doesn’t want to be there. Long may it continue hahaha.
They got rid of some players that they could ill afford to lose, and didn’t even attempt to replace (maybe they can’t with the FFP thing over their heads)
Oopsie
The media pundits said last week that Celtic were only flattering to deceive because we had not played any decent teams until that point. So today’s result will surely save them a lot of bother as they can just run the exact same story.
They, the huns, press, media, etc, have been failing to see what’s right in front of their eyes. Understandable I suppose, they got caught up in the excitement of making it to a EL final, given they’re just a new 10yr old club. In doing so they’ve been focussed on results, not performances. Of course they got caught up in getting through each round but their performances weren’t great, resilient aye but they didn’t play good football.
I thought a win was a certainty today if we could turn up and do what we’ve been doing, I thought if we do that, we’d win by more than the 3 of last Feb. Well we did and being able to do that should mean we’ll turn up on Tuesday too and purvey our brand on the European Champions. 2-0 I reckon. Again, do it for Doyle. I’ve been around a long time and been reluctant to say this but that there is the most consistently entertaining Celtic team I’ve ever watched. Mibbies not the best team but the potential for going much further has still to come.
All the banged in about was how we where average…we sent them home to think again , thought it would be 5-1 but 4 nil will do nicely thanks HH
Composure and focus are two of the key things the team need to maintain v Real Madrid.
If we can guard against avoidable mistakes e.g slack passes, and keep the same rhythm going in our movement on and off the ball, we’ll have a chance, so long as we take our chances!
Madrid as we know can punish any team and any error, and we need to be every bit as ruthless!
I just love watching Ange’s Celtic. I’m now70 and have watched some terrific Celtic teams – most notably the Lions .
They will always be the benchmark for any Celtic side but this one is so, so special. Quality wherever you look and Ange has some of Big Jock’s magic dust,
The atmosphere in the stadium is wonderful.
Treasure this team and big Ange. They really are very special. I could watch this team all day, every day
It’s true we haven’t been tested. They looked at the two games at the end of last season and thought they’d compete with us no problem but 1) the’ve sold decent players and replaced them with fresh air, and 2) we were absolutely knackered by that point in the season. The last time we were tested was last year’s European games and we weren’t anywhere near the finished article then…but the early signs of what Ange was doing were starting to appear and we showed no fear. I felt we were a little unlucky at times but still not quite there as a team yet. Now I think we are a team firing on all cylinders…
It’s a strange feeling…normally if we were playing any of the Super-Clubs like Madrid or Barca I’d be no more than hoping for a point at best as a win is usually rather unlikely. Since I saw how Ange approached Europe last year and then the draw I’ve been in a sort of state of confused anticipation because I believe it’s seriously possible we could actually nick a win here…against the European Champions….am I mental?
I’m in too Seppington-gotta try and spook them early doors and who knows.
It would be some way to kick off the group with a win and this group of players can do just that.
I really feel Patrick Power should pay out now as it’s impossible to see any other outcome..!!
Magnificent, I agree totally with James. However, I must highlight the several assaults on Celtic players there should have been at least two players. The sewer rats who are called referees must be challenged. Today was deplorable. The Celtic directors have did a fantastic job on the transfer front, but must tackle this huge problem before a Celtic player is severely injured or crippled
Should have been 5, and two sending offs fir those dirty bustards. About time Foreign refs took over from the useless fuckers we have here…
6th November 2012. Anything can happen Tuesday night.
Where’s Kris Boyd when you need him!!! ?
Screw the nut FFS. You were saying his when were going for 10 in a row. You said what happens after 10? 11, 12, 13, etc …. how did that prediction work out?
Live for the moment. Beating the huns 4-0. That was beautiful, man. That was better than sex.
PS. I am Michael Fished.
I think we are all getting too carried away and it could very well bite us on the erchie. Let’s keep it calm, we have still not been fully tested at the back and I fear RM on Tuesday night will test us to the limit. If we can survive that game then we can get excited, a draw or even a slim defeat would be acceptable to me for we are playing the Champions of Europe after all. Tuesday will give us a better idea of where we stand so let’s not get too over confident just yet.
Calm your jets JG. We beat the huns. Nobody is getting carried away. We know Real Madrid is a massive step up. But let the fans celebrate trouncing the huns and we can worry about Tuesday when it comes.
Roonsa, my point exactly, beating the huns is great but not the be all and end all. When some folk are saying this is the best Celtic team in their lifetime, it is time to take a reality check. Pumping the huns has been done before, this team has still to prove itself before it gets the best ever acclaim.
The O’Neiil team that got us to Seville was pretty damn good. But it fell apart all too quickly and it was all based on money laden long term contracts for players that weren’t really worth it. E.g. big Bobo who was a good player for us but not worth what MON committed Celtic to paying for him.
I first started going to see the Celts in 74 at the start of the failed 10 in a row season. Cannae think of any better Celtic sides between 74 and 03 albeit we did have some good moments in the late 70s / early 80s coz the huns were fucked. However we did have to contend with the “New Firm” so the good times were limited.
So aye. This team does have the potential to be up there with 03. I know we did the 4×3 and that will never be matched. So early Brendan era Celtic was a good one too.
Goin by what the media and certain supporters of one particular team have been daily gobbin out these last months, ah thought Celtic HAD dismantled a ‘top’ European side yesterday and we’ve apparently just tanked (again) one of Europe’s elite. Today they’re havin tae drag their feet back down tae reality big time in their tabloids and blogs. It’s a rivettin read, lovin it.