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Motherwell Are Confident Of Beating Us. That Should Be Music To Celtic Ears.

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I like Stewart Kettlewell’s confidence. He thinks that his team has a right good chance of getting something from the Celtic game, perhaps even a victory. That’s the kind of attitude I want from the people we’re going up against. It guarantees a good game.

Not for Kettlewell the kind of rancid performance that Livingston turned in last night, one devoid of guts and ambition to even challenge in the game. Kettlewell didn’t play that way when he was at Ross County, and it’s no surprise to see his Motherwell side doing well.

Nevertheless, Celtic fans should be pleased that he’s said that he fancies their chances and hope that he intends to stick to his principles. Unfortunately for him, a team that wants to come out and have a go at us stands a good chance of getting hurt. But without the risk there is no reward, and either way it will be a better game of football to watch.

There are, in spite of the likes of Martindale and McInnes and that deadening style of football they play against us, shoots of positivity springing up. Robson continues to impress at Aberdeen and Hibs have appointed a manager in the Ange mould; suddenly they look dangerous and are playing well and scoring goals. That’s more like it.

Celtic fans are sick and tired of watching teams attempt the same turgid style every time we play against them; that “sit back and soak up the pressure” stuff. We want to see sides having a go, we want to see teams at least try and win … which is why certain teams are more interesting to play than others. We always, for example, get a game against Hearts, no matter who is in the dugout. That makes every win against them feel all the more satisfying.

Which isn’t to say that there isn’t pleasure to be derived from visiting one of those clubs where the management don’t like us much and they try everything they can to stifle us and winning in spite of it.

Doing it with ten men last weekend made it all the sweeter.

But I am looking forward to Motherwell this weekend, in no small part because we’ll actually see some football getting played in that game. The boss has a lot of decisions to make, but they are easier, and more open, without us having to experience the hell of a plastic pitch.

He’s right; we’ve taken a mental step with the win at the weekend.

Now we have to take another one and won this latest away game.

Remember what I said after Ibrox; if we win these four away from home, and the two trips to Edinburgh are still to come, this title is ours to lose. A win on Saturday gets us to the halfway point. We’re almost there.

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5 comments

  • Kevan McKeown says:

    M’well will be a totally different animal from Livingston. They’ll definitely create chances. Hope Bain’s up for this one.

  • Johnno says:

    It’s about time more Scottish teams starting to show a more positive attitude within the Scottish game.
    For way too long the old guard of management, and there approach to the game, has been sucking the life out of it in the process.
    Yet the Scottish media dress this eejits up as tactical masterminds if they manage to get a result against ourselves, but destroying the game to the viewing public is seen as an acceptable cost to the overall good of the game?
    For ourselves, we should welcome such an approach as for way to long, the knock on effect of what we face within Scottish football, against what we face within European football has been way to big, with the adjustments required.
    Our counter attacking game needs to improve within European football, which is not so easy to imply when you face team’s with such a negative approach towards the game?
    Should be the sort of test we need with lazio next week, and ones to look forward to.
    Still looking for victory’s in both games, and nothing to suggest as of yet that it can’t be achieved either

  • Paddybhoy67 says:

    Did someone just tell Kettlewell who the ref is and who is on VAR duty?

  • Clachnacuddin and the Hoops says:

    The officials of course will have a big say in this important match and it’ll not be positive towards Celtic even though we just want fairness and not favours…

    Credit also to Motherwell for having a go (if they do) and for having a decent field of play as well…

    If any of their players is straight through on Bain though they will not be whistled back –

    Rest assured of that one !

  • Johnny Green says:

    Motherwell will undoubt3edly have a go and we should welcome being tested before our CL game in midweek. It won’t be easy, but our superior quality should win the day.

    COYBIG

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