GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - AUGUST 18: Daizen Maeda of Celtic reacts after he scores his team's second goal during the Premier Sports Cup match between Celtic and Hibernian at Celtic Park on August 18, 2024 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
This morning, Barry Ferguson published his pre-match article, and I found it very interesting because it was very stupid—in that way only he can be. He’s talking about overconfidence at this end of the city. But I have to be honest with you, that’s not what I’m picking up on.
For starters, nobody at our club is talking big about running up a cricket score or winning the game comfortably or anything like that.
Now, some of our supporters—including myself—think that is a scenario which carries a certain amount of likelihood. I’ve talked about a statement win, and tomorrow I fully expect one, but most fans I speak to are cautiously optimistic rather than over the top, and the club itself has been stonily silent on the subject.
As per usual, our players, coaches and manager have been disciplined, professional, and calm. None of them has uttered a word that would give even the merest hint of overconfidence. Confidence, yes—but overconfidence? I think he’s imagining that one.
The thing about Ferguson and others in a scenario like this is that they believe what they want to believe—and what they have to believe.
These guys need to convince themselves that we will take this game less than seriously, that we will handle this less than professionally. I wrote in a previous piece about that scene in Rocky where he’s in the meat locker, punching the raw beef. Apollo’s trainer is watching it on TV, and for the first time realises that they may be in a fight. And when he tries to get Apollo to watch, he’s too busy sitting with his accountants, counting his money.
That’s what it would take for us to lose tomorrow: a loss of focus, for our minds to be elsewhere, for our attention to be on something other than the game. And so, they have to convince themselves of that scenario. They have to find some way to believe it; otherwise, they wouldn’t sleep tonight, worrying about what might happen when they get out on that pitch.
Ferguson’s not the sharpest tool in the box. We’ve all talked about that; we all know it to be true. But I’ve actually heard an increasing number of them talking this nonsense, and it’s interesting to me because it seems they all agree that complacency on our end is the only thing they have to cling to. Nobody really believes that players who have flopped and failed umpteen times are suddenly going to become good enough to come to Parkhead and win. It would take an off day from the home team. It would take our players and our coach really dropping the ball.
Ferguson said he can predict the Celtic team.
I don’t know what he wants for that—a candygram and a stripper, maybe.
But it doesn’t take a genius to realise that Rodgers is probably going to go with the tried and tested and to prove that it doesn’t take a genius, well, I predicted the same thing earlier in the week. The difference is that Ferguson thinks this confers some kind of advantage on the Ibrox club, on the grounds that Clement will know what to prepare for.
But the reason it’s so easy to predict the starting line-up is that it’s pretty much the same starting line-up we played against them every time we went up against them last season. And they had no answers for it then, and I don’t think his team is all that much better now. In fact, I think in certain areas of the pitch, they are a lot weaker than they were.
So, I’m having a bit of difficulty working out what exactly he thinks knowing our likely line-up is going to mean for him.
Anyone who has watched us already this season and in pre-season knows we’re a different animal. The football is better, it is quicker, it’s more alert. There’s more movement off the ball. We have wide players cutting into the penalty box, scoring goals, and getting assists. This is a different team; this is a different style of football. This is something Clement hasn’t seen before. So, the personnel may be the same, but I don’t think they’re prepared at all.
By full-time, I expect Ferguson and a good many others are going to know just how unprepared they are, not just for one game but for everything that’s coming at them over the course of this campaign. And I expect that when the full-time whistle blows, we’ll be five points clear and already heading over the hills and far away. I see no reason at all why they should have the slightest bit of optimism about tomorrow. Conversely, I know exactly why we do.
The only people who can beat us tomorrow are ourselves. If the bhoys don’t have their working togs on, with the mindset that goes with it, they will struggle. Tomorrow is too early to expect the signings to play much of a significant part on the pitch, however the significant impact that they can make, is to motivate the incumbents to play out of their skin and show Brendan that they are the Bhoys, and they don’t need replacing.
Three other things as well as ourselves can beat us Jimmy R…
Cheats with whistles, flags and monitors !
Chickens and hatched James, remember they’ve got MIB and VAR on their side ,let’s just wait and crow after we’ve beaten them.
Lol regardless of the win tomorrow for us those THICKOS in the press and TV and radio stations will still pick fault with the win.
Should it be by one goal then their mantra will be there is nit much between the teams even though we played sevco off the field.
Should it be by 3 or 4 goals well that will be because the new players at sevco haven’t settled in yet it’s early in the season.
The one thing we won’t get from anyone is credit for the win regardless of how we did it,in style or not.
Lol you might even hear a wee bit about a team having a sporting advantage.
Candygram? You are obviously referring to the scene from Blazing Saddles where Mongo gets an exploding Candygram.
I just think that’s a bit harsh on Mongo being compared to the room temperature I.Q of Barry the Fud.
I meant to say that the only hope the huns have tomorrow comes in the form of the bretheren Beaton and Dallas.
the only people who think we are exhibiting over-confidences are the Huns themselves. Why? because they are mincing their knickers that they are going to get turned over. They know they are a limited team and are worried we will slam them. It’s not us being over-confident, it’s them hyping us on their forums and projecting their fears as comments from us. We aren’t boasting, nor goading, they are simply shitting their pants. It’ll be a close game, I think, cos people (players) up their game when required. if it is close they will delude themselves over the size of the gap (again). Mon the Hoops
That’s a good comment Gav and I think in a similar way, albeit with two sides. And if it’s anything like close then their numbers 12 and 13, no need to name them, will be HUGELY important. Of course, in that event, our board will remain as silent as the ‘p’ in phuck.
Other side of my own coin is telling me that Kyogo will score and maybe more than once.
If my gut feeling is correct and the 1st goal happens early then it could, indeed, be a rout.
End of day I’ll be happy with 3 points, no injuries and some classic Celtic football that we all know is in there with this side, and growing.
HAIL! HAIL! THE GLASGOW CELTIC, COME ON YOU BHOYS IN GREEN!
celtic-celtic (half time, full time) at 6/4 looks a good bet. I believe we will start so fast and press them from the word “go”. We will scare them!
Dizia Media, will get a card 4/1 , it’s all they have to calm him down. Sad but true.
Most of Mike Tyson’s opponents – especially during his ‘imperial phase’ – had a pretty good idea of what he was going to do. It didn’t help them when the bell rang for the start of round 1 and the referee allowed the remorseless creature in the black shorts to begin hitting him. … they often didn’t make the bell for the end of that first round!
I have a feeling that Celtic may well win tomorrow by a few goals. It’s something we haven’t done for a while, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if we gave them a going over.
Personally ah never predict these games. If Fergusons sayin the support are over-confident, there are ah suppose some who’re showin that. Tho as far as the team goes, he obviously missed BR on stv news the other night addressin that very point. If there’s any over confidence it won’t be from the team. They won’t show up ‘expecting’ tae win. They’ll be treatin it like every other derby game. Maybe somebody should show BF a re-run.
I have a nice feeling that Daizen Maeda shall twist Tavpen into a giant pretzel tomorrow . Daizen running freely will torture the full back ,of whom nobody wanted to buy in the transfer window …nobody ! I can envisage the penalty taker being a nervous wreck at the prospect of being humiliated in front of the entire planet watching at some point . My message to Daizen and Celtic : go for the jugular and do not stop under any circumstances . No letting up ..full bore for 90 + minutes .
HEAR! HEAR! HAIL! HAIL!
If I was over confident I’d be saying 6 nil as it is I think 4 nil is a reasonable prediction.
Candygram for mongo. Ferguson would be great fir blazing saddles
I read his piece and I was thinking,where is this coming from?.Not one player,not one coach ,staff member or any Celtic fan I have spoken to thinks tomorrow is a gimme.So yeh James he’s at it big time,it’s simply not true.
Usual nonsense from Barry the low IQ “pundit.”
No one at celtic has or ever will talk about the outcome of any match, especially this one .
The facts are we still have the core of a team that has brushed aside all competition for many a year and that alone is why we are ready for such matches, the manager will have given his briefing professionally as always and the team will always be ready.
Baz is obviously worried about what could happen tomorrow and hopes his beloved patch work quilt sevco will not begin unravelling as soon as the pressures on.
They’ve emptied half of the overpaid serial losers and replaced them with amateurs and journeymen. Hopefully we turn them over and deliver a real doing, then Barry can turn his frustration on his beloved sevco and manager.
PS , always love looking at the knarly wee ugly faced Alex Rae,s face when we hump sevco , never tire of that …ever .HH.
I’m not one to listen to Clyde Superscoreboard if Sevco are doing ok as they appeared to be last February etc…
But by fcuk if they get beat tomorrow it’ll be awesome…
Probably even better on that Scotland Radio Channel if The Hoops prevail !
We are all confident, not over confident, for a very good reason, we are a far superior team in almost every department. If we play Alex Valle instead of GT, then I reckon we will be better in every position. That would be the only change I would hope for from our tried and tested formation.
I am expecting a comfortable win with just a little bit of concern about the officials. However we are more than good enough to overcome that possibility and a Celtic victory should be assured,
COYBIG.
I love the comment or description that Barry is not the sharpest tool.
BecuSe he could play a bit and asked for opinions !!
He then drifted into philosophy.
He is thick as fudge.