Today, unless you were on a mobile network called Three, you probably got your Doomsday Text.
A few weeks ago I lamented that it would not come at half-time in the match at Hampden, being just a week early for that. By full-time Ibrox fans phones were vibrating with yet more messages of doom, this time exchanged between each other.
But there was no need to wait for them.
They saw their future out on the pitch today, in the players who the manager told them earlier this week would still be there next season. Everyone but McGregor and Morelos. The rebuild will have a very familiar took to it then, and as long as James Tavernier is playing at right back we should all be fairly pleased.
The “myth” of Ibrox invincibility – which we have already directly challenged and routed – has today been utterly destroyed by an Aberdeen team led by the unlikeliest of heroes, our own Barry Robson who got the job on a temp basis but has instilled in this team the kind of fearlessness and aggression they have been woefully lacking a long time.
He has five games left in the hot-seat as the “temporary” figure, but seven straight wins including this one today has launched him to the top of the shortlist. If he has a good split then it’s going to be awfully, awfully difficult for the board to overlook him.
But today belonged to Liam Scales, who gave a superb man of the man performance and scored a blindingly wonderful goal which he says in the after-match interview that he meant and who are we to argue with that? It looked to me like he spotted McGregor dawdling on the edge of the box and thought “right, I’m having this.”
That’s not all he had.
He dominated Morelos so completely today that he should have been wearing the full leather outfit with the whips and chains on it. He made the Ibrox front-man his bitch, and Morelos scowled his way off the field at full time with the tripping face to prove it.
It was, all in all, a disastrous day for The Mooch’s team but particularly for the hard-core of it which their fans know will be there next season.
When The Mooch said that during the week Bayern Munich officials must have been pinching themselves to make sure they weren’t dreaming. “Is his club really going to pay us the guts of their transfer budget for Tillman?”
If they aren’t delirious with the prospect, then maybe we should be.
He, Cantwell and Raskin … this is the midfield trio who have been tasked with restoring their fortunes?
Cantwell might do a very good impersonation of Courtney Gains’ terrifying character Malachai from Children of The Corn but he doesn’t strike fear into the Celtic heart that much.
For a midfield iron man, Raskin looks as weak as watery piss. He was subbed today. The manager said he was carrying an injury. Well that would certainly account for his ineffectiveness … but so too would the alternative explanation; that he’s just not that good.
The Mooch gave such a deranged interview afterwards that I felt sure I might burst into tears laughing at him.
He doesn’t think there’s anything to learn from that today because next week will be a different game. Eah?
And there was a foul on Sakala before the goal? How long before? Ten minutes? Five? Sky found one minor incident where he was just outmuscled that was so lacking in anything to moan about even The Village Idiot dismissed the idea.
The petted lip was so far out on display he could have used that thing on the side of his face for a dummy.
His assistant manager was mouthing off in the papers this morning to such an extent that Tom English of the BBC was astounded and made the point that it does the guy no favours.
But let’s face it, he does himself no favours either.
Their fans were enraged with what they watched today.
They bring the loathing as usual, a loathing that now rips through this whole team, the one that the manager has already pledged to build next season’s side around. But the fans feel the fear as well, the fear that maybe The Mooch isn’t part of the solution anymore but that he’s increasingly a symptom of the problem itself.
The record he has spent the last few months boasting about is now in ruins.
They’ve dropped points in three massive games, and they’ve lost a cup final.
Next Sunday, at Hampden, the phones will buzz with a different set of doomsday messages but as with today they’ll already have watched Armageddon unfold out on the football pitch.
And from that into the charred landscape of the summer.
The shops better have enough ice cream and jelly, that’s all I’m gonna say.
This unexpected – but highly welcomed – result from Aberdeen sets up a highly
entertaining run up to the cup game for several reasons.
1.) Extraordinary, negative tall tales from the SMSM about Celtic.
Yes, we are well used to the negative CFC stories before a sevco game.
Apparently, out best players develop an urge to leave the club before a sevco game!
But, this week the SMSM has to come up with some real eye-catching, boll*x nonsense.
Parkhead stadium problems, Ange wants away [again], Lawwell becoming CEO, DD selling up – who knows?
2.) Incredibly good news for Ibrox.
And every negative CFC story requires a highly positive, SMSM dreamt up story about sevco.
Oil sheiks wanting to plough their millions into Ibrox, the ‘next Messi’ linked with sevco, selling stadium naming rights to Apple…? 🙂
3.) Beale the manager – or over-promoted coach?
Now, is the real test for Beale.
The chips are down: his team is playing mince – but they play CFC who are off the boil.
Can Beale do something this week to boost his players – and to tactically outsmart Ange?
These are the games he has to win to become a decent manager.
Does he have the ability?
Do his players have the ability?
Are his players desperate to win next week for him?
4.) The match officials might meet up in the Lodge, to work out exactly how they can help their favourite team avoid a total failure of a season.
…which makes beating them ALL the more enjoyable!
There was something comically pointless about McGregor’s attempt to stop the Scales goal.
He was feeling all of his 40 years just then.
Why can’t you comment on Beale without mentioning the mole on his face. These things can be the sign of something serious that puts a football match into perspective,
You rightly condemned the songs about Bell and Goram and then revert to something similar. To wish something serious on anyone because of a football match is the action of a total moron.
Just think about Tommy Burns and people who have lost family after developing something so innocuous but deadly.
Aye, it looks like Beale, after all, will not be receiving the manager of the year a wart.
James instead of fear and loathing why not give us the nitty gritty ,we all love a bit of point scoring and triumphalism, but they played far better away than we did at home ,to a team who hate them on the scale as us,they had nothing to play for the dons need the points for 3rd ,I swear every time we are due to play them you shout you mouth .
Are you S.Thomas’s brother? just asking like.
My husband is a sad blind rangers surporter, after the match, he said the same thing as usual, after rangers get beat. It’s always the same, when they play celtic they lie down, but when they play rangers the play their hearts out. Lol. He is so blind that he can’t admit that celtic have much better players that rangers.
Since it had been 5 or 6 years since the Dons beat them a Pittodrie they can’t have played their hearts out all that often. LOL
Aberdeen since the turn of the century have done no better against rangers than they have against Celtic. Your husband is just parroting Louden tavern talk
So coronation weekend still stands to be dominated by the bhoys wearing the green crown in the north of Ireland and Glasgow still.
Not a gambler myself but would say it’s a fairly safe bet that we will be sent to the ewe camp to keeping hold of our green crown of Scottish football after the semi.
With gapping wounds within the scum masses now, it’s only right for us to pour salt into them in the semi final next weekend.
Only watched the 2nd half and seen the real scum on show with how shite they remain still.
Would go as far as saying that the snidey prick can’t get nothing out of these shitehawks as still remain a bunch of bottle jobs still.
Should be a fairly quiet week now thankfully and just can’t wait for shut that mouthy snidey prick up next weekend along with all his DOBs also
This Aberdeen team has found a level of consistency about them not seen in a very long time. They now have the longest winning streak in the league by quite a margin, and have outscored opponents 13-1 since the last time they lost (Celtic), and even the one goal they did concede in that period was a penalty. Zero goals conceded from open play in over two months! They won’t have the talent to compete for the title next year, but with downsizing coming at Ibrox, there is no reason why Aberdeen can’t finish 2nd next year if they can play with this level of consistency next season.
If Aberdeen don’t secure Barry Robson as manager then someone else will.
Bang on Johnno, the Gaels will take the glory in Scotland and, but not only, the north of the ilse of Ireland. Particular joy will be had there in 2 weeks time because of our league title more than the pretence of a coronation of a false king and it will be a special weekend.
I say weekend because I have absolutely no doubt we’ll be scheduled to play on Sunday 7th probably in an away fixture. Anything that can be done by their funny handshake brotherhood to try to delay and spoil will be done. It won’t matter cause even now we are not trying to be Champions, we are Champions. I know first things first though, just the small matter of a treble to win, starting next weekend. HH
That’s been coming since the Mooch moved in the door Ha F***ing Ha .
On the subject of Liam Scales, I for one was very disappointed when he went out on loan as Ange had not given him a proper chance of establishing himself before shipping him off to Aberdeen. I actually thought the big man had done well in the glimpses we did get of him early in the season and, seeing as I do not rate Taylor, I thought loaning him out was a raw deal for him. Had we kept him Ange would not have had to fork out 4M for Bernabei, a big mistake in my opinion, and it would have been nice to have a LB with stature who could actually defend. A bonus also is that he can play in the left hand side of the central defence and so it makes even less sense that was loaned him out. I hope Ange can get over his negativity towards him and gets him back in the squad where he deserves to be competing for a place in the side.
Taylor was really showed up at that goal on Saturday ,we can’t have that no Celtic player should be so poor in defence like a wee bhoy he was getting ragdolled and turning away schoolboy stuff, I hate critising our players and he has improved but he never had the sheer athleticism for the left back we need going forward, there no way Johnson on the other side would be shown up so bad it reminded me of mark Wilson against the huns in 2008 where that big french striker they had destroyed him,can’t be having that very poor we need an upgrade big time
Aberdeen hardly played an ounce of football, they simply lumped the ball forward at every opportunity. They out ran and out muscled Rangers, forcing Rangers to make mistakes. If Celtic players decide to run and press like Aberdeen , we should win handsomely on Sunday given that our players have something else; sheer talent. However, if we decide to play crab football as we did against Motherwell, it could be a dire afternoon.
I believe Scales also set up the second so well done big Fella. He may still have a part to play at Celtic.
If rangers get pumped next week Beale will be finking the rebuild task on a shoestring regardless of how he spins it will be a thankless task especially with those early CL hurdles. If they are bombed from that he may not see the season start.
To appease he’d need to start on the Klan PR rhetoric, a no surrender here, a WATP there for the season end. I am sure he has got that in him though.
He’d be needing at least £10m to spend to bring in replacements to those offski and that is with some bargain basemsnts and freebies.
I hope Aberdeen upturn and hearts without Neilson will see them more competative next season and a Hibs and Utd too to make for a great season. One thing is for sure Celtic will be stronger. Competition for second place.
Scales was highly regarded in Ireland. He showed considerable promise at times but had a lot of rough edges to him when he played for us.
Taylor is ahead of him at the moment although getting turned inside out by a clodhopper like Van Deem at the weekend is not a good look.
Christie went to Aberdeen for 2 years and came back ready to slot into the Celtic side. Maybe Scales can do the same. The goal will do wonders for his confidence.
“He dominated Morelos so completely today that he should have been wearing the full leather outfit with the whips and chains on it. He made the Ibrox front-man his bitch, and Morelos scowled his way off the field at full time with the tripping face to prove it.” Chapeau. ??
@JG. Selective short term Scales admiration to use him to attack Taylor is pretty low. Taylor’s had the better season of the two, the whole season, by far. He plays a differing LWB role to Scales as designed by Ange for him. Most that have watched him, actually watched him, have spoken of his positional contribution. Here’s a question to aid longer term memory – what about earlier in the season and Darvel? Oops and not just pre Darvel matches that contributed to managers getting the bullet this season, there’s last season too. Never say never though with Scales, there was and is potential and different players develop at different times.
As you say Jim he went out for development and match experience and if he appears recently to be benefitting from it, all well and good. It is recently though.
Van Veen did lose Taylor with a clever in/out movement in a mostly central position. Question – where were our CBs not up front scoring so why are they both up there? Not so sure about a clodhopper though Jim, there’s a look of a natural finisher about Kevin Van Veen. He didn’t just rinse Taylor, he finished really stylishly, almost as though the former England no. 1 wasn’t even there. Here’s a memory – Darvel anybody? Did I say that already?
My views on Taylor are well known, I can easily have a go at him, without bringing Liam Scales into the argument, as he is just not good enough for this Celtic team. I am dreading the CL games next season if he is still our number one choice in that position. Good full backs who are smouts are few and far between, they have to be exceptional to be remembered, in fact the only one I can remember is Alberto Carlos. Granted, I don’t have a great memory, so there may be more?
Celtic had 17 corners on Saturday and they resulted in just one goal – for Motherwell. Criminal tactics to leave just one player in defence, especially when their only ploy was to punt the ball up the park to the lone striker, who’s no mug by the way. And Hart didn’t exactly cover himself in glory either
Well you’re consistent JG. He has something about him but he’d be better making his career elsewhere now. I’m hoping for a new improved RCB and surely Kobayashi has the LCB sealed. With Ange getting Berna in and so 2 LBs already, like it or not, I can’t see a way back unless he’s happy to bide his time as rotation/injury CB cover like Welsh and how often does he get a shout now. Fecking amazing goal though and great to see them arrogant twats greeting at the end but never say never somebody might offer £10m for Taylor, thought you’d like that. HH Champions