Everything But The Goal

Everything But The Goal

There are moments which turn football matched and we witnessed one today when Nir Bitton was caught wrong side by Alfredo Morellos and decided to attempt to hold him back with a less than subtle grab around the waist. The corpulent Columbian needs little invitation to go to ground and duly fell over. Bitton's rashness saw him deservedly red carded; had it been at the other end most Celtic fans would have been screaming for a red card. Up to that point Celtic had looked the better side and under fire manager Lennon had set the side up in a manner which had Rangers hanging on. Griffiths had clipped the post, Edouard came close as did McGregor and late in the game Elyounoussi smashed one inches over the bar. It was a good display overall from Celtic which had everything but the goal they needed to really get under Rangers; skin. 

The two greatest pillars of a winning side are defending well and taking your chances. Celtic defended well for most of the game until Bitton's foolish tackle and McGregor's unlucky deflection for the goal.The side have been vulnerable at set plays all season and it came to haunt them again.

In a normal season we would curse our bad luck and move on from such a loss confident that the team had the match of Rangers but this is no ordinary season. Celtic sit 19 points behind their rivals in a season which started with such high hopes of completing the mythical ten in a row. Celtic's autumnal collapse which saw them embarrassed in Europe and slip miles behind in the title race came home to roost today as did the squad's lack of depth in central defence. Bitton is a midfielder who really doesn't have the nous to be a good central defender. He can handle it against lesser opponents but against more pacey, streetwise players is often exposed. It says much that Celtic preferred him in that position to Shane Duffy, an experienced international player who looks strangely ill at ease in Scottish football. With Jullien out for months with injury, it may be an area Celtic need to address in the transfer window or, as some would like, give youth a chance now that the league looks beyond the team. All of that being said, Celtic should not be going to Ibrox in January needing to win to save their league season.

There will be no admission from Celtic that the title is gone until it is mathematically impossible to catch Rangers but long experience suggests the Hoops best hope of silverware this season will be the Scottish cup. The past decade has seen a remarkable period of dominance for Celtic and despite what their detractors say, they won four consecutive trebles, nine titles in succession, achieved an invincible season and gave their followers enough good memories to last a lifetime. There is a feeling though that we are now at the end of an era. Celtic need to rebuild for the future and move on any player deemed surpluss to requirements. There is no reason to suggest that Celtic can't come back stronger next season and look to reassert their dominance. What will be in doubt is whether Neil Lennon will be the man to lead the rebuilding process. 

Today we marked 50 years since the dreadful events at Ibrox in 1971. Both clubs respected the memory of those lost as did the vast majority of Celtic and Rangers supporters around the country. There were a few classless morons waiting outside Ibrox to hurl their brain dead abuse at Celtic players and officials as they arrived for the game. The usual 'Paedos, fenian c*nts,' etc, was shouted at players as Police officers standing idly by did absolutely nothing to stop it. How does that behaviour honour the memory of the 66? All big clubs have their share of fools and knaves following them but the Ibrox club has what Graham Spiers once described as a 'white underclass' attatching itself to them like a limpet to a rock. It must be embarrassing to welcome a visiting club to your stadium while the uncouth and unreconstructed morons outside holler out their outdated prejudice with impunity.

Others took it upon themselves to engage in a graffitti war with a few of Celtic's less cerebral followers and painted, 'Kill All Taigs' onto the Kingston Bridge. I wonder if they realise that half their team are 'taigs?' Most Celtic and Rangers fans hate this bullshit. It demans the game and gives outsiders the skewed and unfair impression that supporters of both clubs are bigotted idiots which is far from the case.

These fools represent no one but themselves and really need to grow up.  Of course it's all posturing, gesture politics with a nasty, bigotted edge? No it's a national embarrassment that has gone on for too long because too many, including it seems the police, accept it as normal. 

I hope 2021 is a good year for you and that the scourge of Covid 19 is lifted in the months ahead. 

I also hope some of our less enlightened citizens wisen up. you may have been brought up to express hateful sentiments towards others but you don't have to stay that way. People can change and when enough of them do, so does society.