There were two certainties yesterday from the minute that game kicked off; that Aberdeen would make it hard for us but that we would eventually find a way. It has gotten to the point now where you expect this team to produce, even if takes until the latter stages of the game. We’ve gotten very, very good at this stuff.
But every one of these games is a test.
A test of your fortitude. A test of mentality.
A team with a nine-point lead can afford to drop a couple and still be comfortable but this team doesn’t want to give up a thing. This team wants to win every game. It wants to dominate.
It hungers for success and that hunger is what pushes them to the final kick of the ball.
These games all ask questions of our team though and it is gratifying to see how often we answer them with victories. Make no mistake, we were the only side who were going to win that yesterday, and I’ll talk more about that later today.
It was a frustrating game to watch at times, and it must, therefore, have been a frustrating way to play in, but our footballers kept on going regardless. This is the mark of champions, and it’s why it doesn’t matter what happens across the city.
Games like that decide titles.
Afternoons where you keep throwing the ball against the defensive line and wait to catch the break.
If you have enough quality and belief it always comes; still, some clubs cannot handle the stress. This team was built for it, and the self-belief it takes to keep on chipping away, to know it will happen, is immense.
When we predict that we won’t be caught as long as we stay focussed this is why it isn’t arrogance or ego or anything like that. Just a strong belief in these players and in this manager and in what we can do.
We watch this team do this again and again and again and every time they do it adds to the conviction that when the chips are down we can keep on doing it, and keep on winning points on the back of it. And those points, of course, all add up.
This is why we’re champions. Not only that, it’s why we’ll stay champions.
To paraphrase the ‘Orcs’ it is us that never surrender, while those over there may or not maybe “Do walking away”
I point you to an article I the herald by Matthew Lindsay there is bitter and there is clear bitterness have a look at that article James .
Aberdeen defended as if their lives depended on it and they almost succeeded in stealing the draw they had set their stall out for. It was a frustrating watch for me and, despite not giving up on the victory in my own head, one of these times we are going to slip up. We must also consider how, with 81% of the play, we could only manage that one solitary goal. We are far too wasteful in attack and Ange will need to sort that out and find the answers to our poor finishing.
It was crap, embarrasing,
Any decent team can beat bus blockers.
Just try and score the sitters, don’t fk the ball a mile over the bar and wide of goals.
Don’t shoot at goal from 30 yards with a fkr standing in front of you.
Try practice crosses and short passes at Lennoxtow, and penalties.
Ae, take a fkn breather and let teams come at you, take long corners.
Substitute early when you see players struggling..
Etc.etc.
We need to improve our shooting, make sure we hit the target and always follow in for goalkeepers mistakes/ rebounds.
On another point I thought ref McLean was decent yesterday that’s a first for me .
Makes you wonder if someone has had a word (after reviewing the horrendous decision making against Celtic pre WC) during the WC break, because that was a great ref performance…..
HH
Excellent article – keep up the good work. Disappointed re Goodwin. The amount of time wasting was off the radar – pulling every stunt to try stop us.
Got there in the end, tho it didnae look like it was gonnae happen. Need tae take these chances we’re creatin and def think we should get another striker in there imo, somebody who’ll be a fkn pest in the 6 yd box. Calmac, well on his way tae bein a legend.
Great result , Jim Goodwin should be embarrassed wi that set up yesterday – 9pts clear with 2 strikers who wouldn’t get in any celtic team from the last 30 yrs ! Ange get it sorted
I’m really not happy as this result keeps us in 2nd place in the 85 min championship….
HH
jim the tim says “any team can beat the bus parkers”….seem to remember the great barcelona team couldn’t do it against us 2 or 3 times…when the bus was well parked…!!!!
tho i agree…a couple of really good chances missed…
but the aberdeen tactics were awful……they should be embarrassed….
however…3 points in the bag…..roll on the huns…shut a few mouths….AGAIN !!!
HH