Had it not been for Callum McGregor’s uncharacteristic mistake, I firmly believe we’d have won the game at Ibrox. They had scored from the penalty spot, but we didn’t look under the kind of pressure that would have broken us.
Sima’s goal was not exactly the sort to have fans talking for years; Callum’s misplaced pass put us in trouble. Then his slipping at the last second caused the deflection. With two more weeks under him, neither would have happened.
The first half display was as good as we could have hoped to witness from our side. But Hatate got tired. Iwata got tired. Both are just back from spells out with injury. As these guys get stronger so will we. On top of that, Kyogo is back on form and we look as if we have found the perfect backup for him in Adam Idah, someone who can do it when it counts.
There is not a player in this Celtic side who will not have taken great heart from that display at the weekend. Callum will be the only one feeling angry at himself. He will fight through it. He will get the chance, at Celtic Park, to make up for his error.
This has been a season of ups and downs, but the title race is finely poised as we go into the last six games, and we have the narrow advantage of the home game against their club to come. But our real advantage lies in getting the big players back; you saw how even a half-fit Hatate played well at Ibrox and how the team plays better when he’s in it.
It just feels as if the pieces are all starting to fit together, as if this team of ours is starting to motor at the moment when you would most want it to happen. We have blown a league lead which we should have used to cruise into the latter stages of the campaign, but that we’re still in it should fill our rivals with dread and our own side with surging hope.
Listen to Rodgers, and the players who have spoken since the game; they are believers. They are as confident as I’ve heard Celtic players in a while.
Here’s the thing; we’ve only won six league games on the bounce once since this season started. It’s been such a stop-start campaign, one where I don’t feel as if we’ve hit our stride at any point. Our last six game run came when we won at Ibrox at the start of the season; it included one of our most impressive displays, which was the 4-1 win at Tynecastle.
But that was also the last game of the six; we drew 0-0 with Hibs six days later. It just never feels like we got up a head of steam. That’s what we need right now … but for the first time since that early spell, I feel as if the team is in the right place.
My only regret just now is that the games are not coming fast enough. I just want us to knock down the skittles as fast as we can and get on with the business of celebrating. Of course we do have to wait, but there is no trepidation there, no jitters and no fear whatsoever. I like to think that I am as every bit as confident and at ease as the players themselves, I think we are all very relaxed and in a certain cruise control mood. The mess from the West now are just a slight hurdle to navigate on our way to the title. I would like us to win the Scottish Cup as well, but it is of much lesser importance than this season’s League Title, I just don’t want them to win the Cup as Celtic achieve 6 of the best.
Is it to our benefit that the Sevco game is off for another week or not – I wonder if they’d have dropped points tonight or not…
They have been really jammy with no game either side of The Glasgow Derby…
Wonder what The SFA and The SPFL will conjure up to help them this time !
Unfortunately this might be the problem because we’ve continually dropped points during the second half of the season. We may well beat the Rangers in the last encounter at Celtic Park but that stands for nothing if we keep dropping points else where because they probably won’t.
I back Brendan all the way as you do James. However, I believe he erred in bringing Yang on at Ibrox rather than your namesake as I think wee Jamesie would have closed down Matondo to prevent him getting his shot off that brought about their second equaliser. Right now, Yang very MUCH looks like a project player who like Oh shouldn’t even make the BENCH for Glasgow derbies as his poor overall display cost us the win. These games are far too big for him.
The only thing i fear is the officials thats why we have got mclean and dickinson now its getting beyond a joke now if we get passed st mirren on Saturday wonder who’s our next officials eh collum and walsh maybe our muir and Robertson but let me tell Crawford Allan will send them out telling them that they must stop celtic our the newco club sevco will be going to the grave along with oldco because the new club are up to there knees in debts thats why the officials are trying to help there club our its bye bye to newco penalties kings of masonic fuckpigs scotland so hope BR has a good talk with our players and tell them to watch their selfs on the pitch incase they get injured buy other players…like hearts and killie players
What is the betting we have Kilmarnock away last day of the season?