GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - NOVEMBER 30: Celtic's Luke McCowan celebrates after scoring to make it 2-0 during a William Hill Premiership match between Celtic and Ross County at Celtic Park, on November 30, 2024, in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ross MacDonald/SNS Group via Getty Images)
There are things I find profoundly amusing as a Celtic fan. One of them is when an Ibrox boss or an Ibrox player, with all their pomp, swagger and arrogance, takes offence at a stray comment that has nothing to do with them and starts stomping their little clawed feet. (Yes, that’s a Rats of Ibrox joke, okay?)
Last night, in the aftermath of the game in Germany, Luke McCowan gave a press interview where he said that when Celtic are on their game, no club in Scotland can touch them. That seems to have driven the Ibrox boss a little out of his head, because he had a pop at McCowan this morning in his press conference, although McCowan never mentioned his club once. All he did was state a simple fact.
When Celtic are on their game, no club in this country can touch them.
That’s just true. The league table reflects it.
We’re still right in the fight even though we’ve been nowhere near our best for much of this season. Rohl pointed out that we’re currently sitting third, but we have a game in hand and sit only two points behind them. If that game in hand were played before we go to Ibrox and we won it, we would arrive there ahead of them.
So, I’m not entirely sure what he thought he was doing this morning, or what point he believed he was making.
I noticed he didn’t mention the games between our clubs this season. One win, one draw and one defeat. He certainly doesn’t like being reminded that Martin O’Neill has already proved this theory essentially correct by beating him at Hampden.
McCowan wasn’t having a dig at anyone. He was simply stating his confidence and his belief in the Celtic team. Are players not allowed to do that now?
I’ve heard plenty of commentators say that Motherwell have been the best footballing side in the country at times this season, yet they sit behind all three title contenders. That doesn’t stop people saying it. Confidence and belief are part of football.
They really are a prickly, easily annoyed little bunch over there. A comment that, on the surface, had nothing to do with them has sparked outrage. It wasn’t directed at them. It didn’t mention them. Yet you just know the forums over there are foaming. You know the players are spitting venom, just as their manager clearly is.
To me, it proves something important.
Even this Celtic side, even this squad, which we all accept isn’t at the level of some great teams of the past, still has their number. Even this team lives rent-free in their heads. Maybe McCowan did intend to poke them with a stick. It certainly doesn’t take much.
What I do know is that, for someone who said he didn’t want to get into discussion about the opposition, their manager then went into a fairly lengthy analysis of our game last night, our team selection and even who might play in goal against them.
That tells you everything you need to know. The comment got under his skin.
McCowan wasn’t wrong.
He’s been at Celtic for three years now, and during that period this group of players has won six major trophies in Scotland.
When your side has won the last five league titles, you are the best team in the country. That only changes when someone else takes the title off you, and that doesn’t get decided until the mathematics say it’s over.
I know their manager believes his own story, that he’s made everything shiny and bright at Ibrox. The reality is rather less impressive. Their league record this season stands at 15 wins from 28 games. Eleven draws. Two defeats. Five of those draws are his. One of the defeats is his. He also lost in the League Cup to Celtic.
His European record, since he wants to talk about what our club should or shouldn’t have done after going a goal up last night, reads: played six, won one, lost five. There are other people I’d prefer to take advice from on that front.
It makes me laugh. It really does.
Every Ibrox boss of the last decade has carried that same swagger.
Every one of them has lost their composure over Celtic sooner or later. All have allowed the presence of this club to get inside their head, so that even the most harmless comment grows into something bigger than it ever was.
They do it to themselves. If this is his mood now, before the game has even kicked off, can you imagine the reaction if we go there and win?
Go and do it, lads. Go and give him exactly what he’s asking for.
The biggest slice of humble pie ever served in Scottish football.
James F — Might need to update the article.
McCowan has been with us for 18/19 months.
This is his second season with us.
Regarding McCowan — I think he has found the step up difficult.
At Dundee he is remembered for his 19 good / great games as in 50% on point.
With us McCowan is remembered for his 50% hit rate regarding poor games.
Some games — even as a sub — he has come in and tried to run the game.
Shows a hunger / desire / energy that has gone missing from our captain.
However other games have seen him isolated / in poor form / not at the races.
And unfortunately this season we cannot carry a player in poor form / learning his trade / getting up to speed — we are struggling so all our faults are in full view.
Regarding last night — if had taken a step forward they would have taken a step back.
They are a functional but limited side — easily the poorest of the three Bundesliga teams we have played recently. Stuffy with some spark but they are an average teams getting results so while the win last night was great the tie was their for the taking if we could find some energy / appetite / belief.
For the record CMcG had a good game in parts — he took the brake of and showed his mobility. Surely MON is mature enough to give him 60 minutes at full chat and an early substitution if he starts to flag. CMcG needs to be full on from the start — another economy run will kill us.
Huge job coming up in the summer.
Sunday — Govan FC are an average team getting some results.
We are a better team on our uppers with a failing squad and poor cioaching / set up.
Ludge MIB and especially Ludge VAR are our biggest threats — they are beyond shameless now.
I fear they are having Ludge seminars to work out how best to play the wiggle room that is available to them in the game and the new wiggle room that they have managed to find in the face of a forced partial and slanted media who probably frequent the same ludges.
No matter — Q1 2022 offers hope.
How much we have missed CCV.
Rohl is a nobody in comparison to MO’N. He’s now appearing to have caught the virus that Gerrard, Beale and Clement found themselves infected with during their time at the WilliamDome. I sincerely hope we win and Rohl gets put in his place.
So many ifs and buts about the team selection on Sunday, I’m leaving the team selection and system to MON. The C/B’s are probably going to be Murray and Scales The Rangers will try and exploit the inexperience of Murray, let’s hope the lad stands up to be counted. Then we have the goalkeeper situation, I hope it’s Sinisalo but again it’s up to MON.
I honestly think we can damage that Sevco defence, they are no great shakes and if it wasn’t for their goalkeeper they wouldn’t be in contention for anything.
The MIB’s are a big worry, The Rangers {2012} players will fall down at every opportunity, and will be awarded soft fouls all over the park.
Wins away recently in Europe at Feyenoord, Stuttgart, plus a draw away at Bologna with ten men for most of the game, should give us the confidence to go to Ibrox with no fear.
Away games might suit us at this time, courtesy of our Board, the atmosphere at Celtic Park is toxic at the moment, Support for The team is better at away games from our enthusiastic away fans.
Heard him on a radio two minute news bulletin tonight describing Celtic as “The other club”
It didn’t take long for him to fall into the appeasement division did it !
He’s turning into a bit of an arrogant wanker, Clach. What is it the happens to outsiders when they get involved with the huns? I’ll never get it.
This article raises an issue that I’ve often pondered – the uniqueness of managing us and them. It’s been easy to laugh at a succession of their managers but if you step back and look at some of their recent choices Clement had a solid record, but he couldn’t handle the very unusual pressures of managing that club, to the point where it affected his mental health. Rohl arrived as a well regarded progressive young coach and initially steered them through challenging circumstances but now we’re already seeing the signs of Ibrox derangement syndrome infecting him. We’ve had our moments too but apart from Ange who is exceptional our most successful managers have been those with an understanding of what it means to be a Celtic manager and the biases they’ll have to overcome. To be honest I wouldn’t like to be the one who chooses the next manager…