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Regardless Of The Title, An End Of Season Shocker From Celtic Is Still A Shocker.

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Celtic fans will tolerate a lot from a title winning team, and especially one chasing a treble. But a complete breakdown? A complete downing of the tools? A team that chucks it and doesn’t want to do it for the travelling support?

That’s unacceptable.

Hibs were good for that win tonight. They wanted it and many of our players looked as if they didn’t care less. That’s understandable to a point when the title has been won.

That point has been reached. That team need a collective ball booting for that.

Anyone still thinking we don’t need a goalkeeper in the summer?

Bain was having a perfectly adequate game until that shocking mistake for the third. The fourth was not exactly a surprise although the word “shocker” definitely comes to mind.

Under normal circumstances, I don’t give a toss what the media writes about this team.

But we’ve allowed a negative narrative to develop here and if we’re being whipped with it far into the summer that will be our own fault. There is no excuse for the utter collapse of our form, even taking into account everything we know this team has achieved.

The travelling support tonight deserved better. They deserved much better than that.

They deserved a bare minimum of effort, of composure, of concentration.

Ange was right to say that even the champion is allowed to lose a round, but surely he can’t think a performance like that is acceptable at any point in the calendar regardless of what’s been achieved?

There are players in this team who appear not to know that they haven’t convinced fans yet that they have something to offer, and those players have done themselves no favours at all turning in a performance like that.

Some of these guys are almost out of time to make their case before the summer comes, indeed, in many ways they are out of time.

They will be under pressure next season on the first occasion they feature in the team. Bernabei, Kobayashi, even Iwata … not looking the part right now. Not looking anywhere near the level we require if we’re to progress.

I am not writing any of these guys off.

I don’t do that. I don’t do rush to judgement.

But I’m a realist and I know what the media will be writing about these guys for the rest of this week and into next when we’re heading for Hampden. I know what a lot of you guys and the wider support will be saying about them.

What’s worse is that these guys could yet conjure up our worst nightmares because performances on this level will put us in trouble in the final and there are players in this team who could not possibly recover from that.

This team has been sleeping for the past few weeks.

It’s wakey-wakey time. They have allowed the media narrative that this is a team severely lacking in depth to take root, and now they will have to respond to it, and the trouble is, at this point in the season, with no time to change minds, a lot of these guys are going to have to live with that through the summer.

A lot of our players have put themselves under needless pressure tonight, and I hope the manager is as pissed off about it as I feel right now. A lot of us have tolerated recent bad performances and even bad results with a certain amount of equanimity.

But that tonight was absolutely atrocious and unacceptable.

There are two games left. The holiday is over.

This lot better get back at it, and hard.

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  • Frankie says:

    At this moment in time the team is a comedy of errors no clue at the back, because they are very unsure of each other, to many misplaced passes , trying to tippy tappy outside other teams box, the likes of Turnbull not enough game time.

  • Hueymac says:

    Don’t know why your surprised and disgusted James, this has been in the making for months. We have just been getting by, Hatate, O’Reilly, even Callum have been very poor and does Maeda have a brain?
    Right now, the thought of Champions League is frightening!

  • Jack says:

    Eight goals conceded in last three games. One point taken from a possible nine. What happened to “We never stop”? I think it’s safe to say that Calley Thistle will not be shitting themselves for the final now.

  • Johnno says:

    Absolutely stunned at how piss poor that was tonight. I know that you have to expect a drop off in performance after the title was won, but to that degree?
    Places are still up for grabs with next season in mind, even to still make a claim for a position for the final still, and to produce such shite is shocking.
    Don’t usually name players for such criticism but really fear for the future of Bernie within the club.
    Yuki still a long way away from starting within the SPFL.
    Turnbull’s looks like he’s totally given up.
    Could go on, but far to many that have been so dependable seem to have developed that couldn’t care less attitude, and never like to see that regardless of the circumstances.
    Far more work ahead for Ange during the summer than he might have been expecting I would say now.

  • Ewen M Cameron says:

    Huge overreaction, IMHO, James.
    Until Maeda picked up his second yellow (and his first was a soft one), I thought we had that game under control. Even after Daizen went off, we looked as likely as Hibs to get the next goal.
    Bain, while your faint praise damns him for what was actually an excellent game until then, made an absolute Piers Morgan of Hibs’ third.
    Of course , it shouldn’t have got that far, because Kevin Clancy got the Hibs red card right first time – Doyle-Hayes had zero chance of getting the ball, and took Oh out from behind, which is an automatic red in my book – but unfortunately, VAR changed his mind, and the tenor of the game from then on.
    So yes, obviously disappointed at the result, but at the same time, not particularly worried because of the circumstances of it. I don’t think “shocker” is appropriate, or helpful.

  • michael mclaughlin says:

    You make six changes to a team it upsets the balance some will not be here next season so they did themselves no good ,one loss it happens to many teams after they clinch the league i.e. Barca,Napoli but St Mirren,Hibs not good enough better wake up or bye bye Treble

  • paul obrien says:

    Never fancied Bain, had a couple of bomb-scares before we signed Hart if I remember correctly.Worryingly signed a three yr deal recently. A strong goalkeeper is a must

  • Kevan McKeown says:

    Was that huge travellin support ah felt sorry for. They deserve much better than that, even for a dud game that was absolutely naff. They need tae get their attitude right for the 3rd June and ah think they will, tho the defence is a big concern imo. We know what’s gonnae be made of this latest dire display by the hysterical media. It’s how we react that’s important here now.

  • Dora says:

    This isn’t the Celtic we know, who’ve won a double followed by another double, and hopefully another treble under Ange!!
    The only problem is they won the league too soon so a couple of dodgy line ups and results don’t really matter but that treble does..!!
    Proper starting 11 and more history!
    HH

  • John Maher says:

    The manager should have taken Maeda off at half time. Hatate showed nothing and can’t play with Iwata. Kobayashi is a mistake. Abada wants a move. Turnbull has chucked it due to lack of game time. Bernabei is an an attacking full back not suitable to system. Ralston is a tryer but celtic class? Starfelt can’t head a ball further than 5 yards.

    Inverness could destroy Ange 2 season reputation in 90 minutes. Guys paying good money to watch that crap.

    • James Forrest says:

      I’m just wondering, reading that, if we should bother turning up for Hampden.

      • Kevan McKeown says:

        Ah think we’ll have more than enough on the day and personally think they could find Maeda especially hard tae cope with wi his stamina.Tho they’ll be thinkin they can get at our defence and tbh ah dae as well. Def need tae waken up tho.

      • Denis McInally says:

        Maybe not!

    • Ewen M Cameron says:

      Has anybody ever told you you should have stopped after the first sentence? Ços if you had you’d have been bang on.

    • John smith says:

      Agree ,,100%,,where’s the John Maher blog,,,

  • John says:

    Think you are being a little unfair to Sctt Bain with your comments.Sure the third goal was a shocker and should have been dealt with but up to that point he was the best player in the team.That about sums tonight up. Turning point for me was the stupidity of Maeda. It was obvious to all who watched the game it was only a matter of time before he got a second yellow. somebody surely should have had a word in his ear before that happened

  • John A says:

    Only Starfelt of our back 5 is good enough. CCV, Taylor and Johnston are head and shoulders better than their replacements. Couldn’t care less about the result, the performance was shocking. Bain ain’t good enough for back up.

  • James Forrest says:

    Haha all things are possible my man!

    • Fat mike says:

      My thoughts exactly, maybe he’s just said, “go out and enjoy yourselves, I’ve give you enough instructions” then come cup final week… on another note, can’t wait to see the Tina Turner tifo at ibrox for the song she wrote about them, surely another week of mourning kkkulture?

  • Michael McCartney says:

    A shocker from the manager, the coaching staff and the players. Some players are proving they’re not good enough. The only fringe player who looked half decent was Oh. Bernabei and Koboyashi have done themselves no favours, Iwata I wouldn’t write off but he will have to improve.
    Why Maeda wasn’t subbed is a mystery, it was obvious a second booking was coming.
    The summer is going to have to be busier than we thought, that defence needs better back up players. At the moment Welsh looks to be a better replacement for CCV than Koboyashi. It is crucial we get the show back on the road this Saturday to build confidence for the Cup Final.

  • king murdy says:

    come back bolingoli – all is forgiven ……
    bernebei IS RUBBISH….
    and we all knew bain is useless……
    haksa dances around a lot – with hardly any end product
    forrest should have been got rid off 2 seasons ago…
    and david turnbull, for his own sake should leave….
    but 1 thing here….it puts the huns win into perspective….

  • Observer says:

    Permit me to observe thusly.
    Ange has created a tremendously good team; he has structured his squad so that he can make substitutions which will not change the shape, style, and approach of said team.
    Ange has created an idiom in which Plan B is Plan A, but with three different people.
    Hmmm…

  • SSMPM says:

    The result and post Maeda sending off performance was shocking. Until then we had every chance of coming away with a result playing our usual post Xmas below par game.
    Since the cup semi and the league was won certain players have gone through the motions which I’ve put down to end of a long season weariness and job done campaign. Since Xmas we’ve had little Angeball but at least managed to win the games with an ability through team effort if not performance to manufacture and get the goals to win.
    Since then I’ve been one of many that wanted Ange to change it up a bit, to see how our younger additions and squad players would do particularly Berna, Kobay, Iwata, Haksa and Oh. Well I/we’ve got the answer these last few games, these bhoys are simply either not ready or in a few cases don’t have what’s required. No Angeball, no never stop and no confidence that they guys can step up when things go against us, as is required of Celtic players. Couple some really sub par performances from our tired minded, energy lacking and usually reliable midfielders Ange surely now knows what has to be done in the summer. We can’t make wholesale changes to the first team with these players.
    Its seriously highlighted how much we miss the likes of CCV and his determination to battle for every ball. Ange needs to acquire three or four with his character and strength for the season ahead. With the cup final ever nearing I’m sure rested first teamers will be returned by Ange on Saturday.

  • Michael Clark says:

    I know Celtic are on the verge of another treble and I know it isn’t luck when achieving this but…. I sometimes wonder if its taking a herculean task from all of them to play the level they’ve been playing. What I mean is all season Celtic have conceded goals early on to come back and win. Celtic all season have won games in the last 10 minutes. But what I’m asking myself is Celtic really as good as we/they think they are? This team looks out on its feet, they look jaded. Is this Celtic team finding it difficult to turn out the performances that won them the league!?!? Its maybe a level of play that these guys are finding difficult to reach every week of asking. The Champions league is on the horizon and Celtic are far from ready. Ange is going to need a keeper and another central defender in the close at least. It’s now so evident how much Cameron Carter-Vickers is missed in that team.

  • John S says:

    Reserve goalie won’t be expecting another outing too soon. The youth goalie would’ve given an arm for that opportunity.
    We never stop ? We stopped prior to the game at Ibrox.

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