“The Aberdeen game plan on Sunday might have worked.
However, they pushed it too far.”
That was the opinion proffered to me by an ex-Professional footballer yesterday.
His view as that he detected a certain initial leniency towards some Aberdeen players, but they eventually overestimated the tolerance being shown to them by the officials.
I, of course, couldn’t possibly comment.
He specifically mentioned Lewis Ferguson as a player who did not know where the boundary was.
His view was that if the suspended Graeme Shinnie had been on the field then he would have been able to calibrate the brutality of his teammates to a sustainable level.
Of course, Association Football is a contact but not a combat sport.
Moreover, unlike the Gridiron or Hurling helmets are not worn.
Indeed, unlike those other sports, the cranium itself is a weapon in the battle for the ball.
Consequently, in aerial duels, an accidental head clash is always possible.
Especially as two players, with eyes only of the ball travel in the same direction simultaneously.
However, there are limits and on Sunday the foul on Ryan Christie was appalling on several levels.
If anything the second yellow to Dominic Ball was an exercise in leniency.
Look at these images and a case can be made for a straight red.
I’m sure that Mr Ball wasn’t intentionally trying to injure Ryan Christie.
However, he is certainly guilty of being reckless.
My ex-player’s rather cynical view of proceedings is that the only way to defeat Celtic in the domestic sphere is to put them off their passing rhythm with rough house tactics.
He said this dispassionately and without any rancour.
It was very much a case if it being business and not personal.
He suggested that the cup final against Hearts would have some similarities to the match against Aberdeen.
Put simply, he reckoned that if the Edinburgh side tried to match Celtic for skill then there would be green and white ribbons on the cup again.
Therefore, his assessment was that Levein’s men would have to rough up the cup holders on May 25th.
He may well be correct, I certainly wouldn’t challenge his views given his CV.
However, it got me thinking about who will be the next person in permanent charge of the home dugout at Parkhead.
It is no secret that the people in charge at Celtic are looking to continental Europe for the next manager.
For example, the Andre Villas-Boas rumour had some real substance to it and my ex-pro had heard them around the same time as I had before they broke into the media.
His view was that next season, with Celtic going for 9IAR, would be a physical battle every game.
That would not, he pointed out, come as a culture shock to Neil Francis Lennon.
There isn’t anything that opponents or officialdom can throw at Celtic next season that he hasn’t lived in the Hoops.
As I have written here before I’m conflicted on the subject.
My heart said the man from Armagh, but my head says get someone with an impressive European CV.
Of course, the latter might be beyond Celtic’s reach anyway.
However, after speaking with my guy I could see the rationale behind his advocacy of Lenny.
His assessment was strictly business.
He left me with my head and heart starting to come into alignment.
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Ah go on…
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Serious question. Has anyone seen published statistics of the number of drugs tests carried our in Scottish football over the last 3 seasons?
It appears to be a difficult question for anyone at Hampden to answer.
In fact one might think that the answer is none, nada, not one, given the secrecy surrounding the issue.
I remember a few years back reading something along the lines that the process was costly and the SFA had lost some funding which previously helped towards the cost.
I can’t find anything on the official SFA site in the way of statistics but it would be staggering to discover that the answer was zero tests.
If you are reading this Mr Maxwell your input would be much appreciated as my numerous enquiries on this subject to your predecessor fell on deaf ears!
Oh dear, I see that icon of Scottish football, Gordon Smith, former I know nothing CEO of Rangers and the SFA, has claimed that the Ibrox club might refuse to travel to Kilmarnock in future after Killie halved their ticket allocation.
As expected the fan base is up in arms about the Killie haters with many calling for the expected complete boycott of future games at Rugby Park.
Had to laugh at the comments added by the paper carrying the story as in, ‘this might, yes might, lead to some difficulties with the football authorities.’
Of course if Smith was still in charge at Hampden the points would just be awarded to Rangers, no danger.
Imagine the cheek of Kilmarnock. Yet another ‘hater’ to be added to the ever growing list.
As for Gordon Smith, I know nothing about anything, just when you thought he couldn’t be any less credible up he pops with an absolute gem.
Who knows, with this little kernel planted, it might put some ideas into the heads of the current SFA hierarchy.
God knows it would be welcome. Months of incidents at matches and not a peep from the guy appointed as CEO who would lead Scottish football into a bright new world.
Ferguson was running about like a maniac, kicking everything that moved from the get go.
The incident in the 2nd half when he wrestled Eddie to the ground inside the box was correctly called by Chris Sutton as a penalty whilst the ref wrongly awarded a free kick to the Dons.
Not sure what Ferguson’s motivation was throughout the game but his contorted face and permanent scowl suggested that anyone in green and white was a legitimate target.
No doubt Aberdeen will be the height of his career and he will be no loss to Scottish football.
However Celtic have one more visit to Pittodrie where a strong referee is a necessity otherwise one or more Celtic players will end up in casualty
They have history, remember Tierney having to go to hospital when assaulted by the Dons player at Hampden?
They certainly do have history – Ian Durrant!
Could your heart and head both get what they want Phil ?
Outside Celtic, Lenny doesn’t carry a great stock in football, and if not celtic, where does he go?
His stock was considerably higher when only a bankrupt Bolton came calling..
I think a Germans speciality skill set is coaching a high energy, high press, high intensity game and the fitness and sports science that’s necessary – incidentally where I feel Lennon needs most improvement.
If Lenny became part of a new management structure that included head coach, assistants and acadamy management I think there’s a massive case to built on him taking control of the academy or under 21s manager in the same manner as Southgate did for Engerland and Whatshisface is doing for Ireland.
Graduating our own is going to become the predominant means of supplying the first team very quickly. Lawwell already won’t pay out the money the equivalent standard of player is asking for to replace our current first teamers and the gap is only getting wider.
He won’t revise the £30k wage limit he reduced the max to when we signed broonie over a decade ago, let alone maintain the limit with inflation or adapting it to the changing face of football.
We have some wonderkids in the academy at the min and if Lennon works with them daily now – when it comes time for the German to move on (If he’s successful it will be in 2-3 years) the transition will be seamless
Lenny could then easily fill the head coach shoes, with a better skill set of his own and being a father figure to what may become 60% of the first team.
Ego or pride may be the biggest barrier however the biggest ego of them all Roy Keane has recognised he needed to do it.
Thoughts ?
Can I point out Phil that Lennon’s European record is a helluva lot better than BR’s, both in terms of performance AND progress in the CL. BR’s record was, frankly, woeful. He presided over the worst European results in our history.
Maybe get your green mate to comment on the number of seriously bad fouls Brown has committed over the years before tarring Hearts with the same brush.
Please cite examples of these and state clearly how many is,”a number”. It’s easy to make these claims but without some evidence it’s just looks like another dig at Celtic and Brown.
Please advise how many has Broonie put in the hospital?
is your name John Thomas..because you mate are a dick
How many of Celtic’s most creative players will be seriously injured in the final 2 league matches? Of course, we can always rest them for the treble treble final??
I have little doubt that Ball intended to “leave something on him” as they say. Ferguson’s intent was written on his face as he left the field. If you watch the Forrest goal then you can see the rugby tackle on McGregor as he attempts to run through on the right. It is just thuggery. The problem is what then ensues when you cannot do that. Kazakhstan 3 Scotland 0 comes to mind. Somebody like Ferguson has no incentive to improve his game, to become a yard faster, to shift the ball accurately a second quicker, because he can get by clogging people. That’s my problem with Scottish referees. They tolerate a level of thuggery that simply would not be tolerated in Germany. “Good referees do not go yellows out too quickly”. That is crap and it is killing the national team, and our sides in Europe.
Sticking the heid on Christie had to be intentional as Ball used the very top of his head to maim his target. If he was after the ball he would have used his forehead, surely? HH
Can anyone point me in the direction of a full match replay of the semi
Hail Hail
I recorded it on Free Sports the day after the game HH
Thanks Irishboy, keep forgetting about that channel, will keep my eye on that one for a rerun. 👍🍀🍀😀
HailHail
Sean,freesports seem to show all Scottish cup games in their entirety the day after the game has taken place,they also showed the Jambo’s v ICT as well.Worth remembering for next season as I’m sure BBC Scotland will be showing this year’s final.Hope that this helps.HH
The reckless assault on Ryan Christie was not an accident in my opinion. In some of the replays I have seen it appears Ball changes his body position to make sure he connected with his head. However, my brother said it best when we were talking after the match; it was the best example he had seen of a flying headbutt!
Good luck Phil. 👍🍀🍀🍀🍀
Did your ex-pro not call this challenge a “Boyata”? Both were horror challenges.
The decision for the Glasgow team was play on, no foul.
The decision against the non Glasgow team was foul, second yellow.
And they say decisions don’t go for the Glasgow teams!!🤔
Of course Celtic are shrinking violets, who never go over the ball as Grieg Spence of Alloa will testify.
Go look at the two incidents then come back and comment, we will be waiting.
If you think Thomson was refereeing that game in Celtic’s favour you are sadly mistaken. Thomson (and several others) never give Celtic anything, in any match, unless it is so blatant it can’t be ignored. Week in and week out Celtic are kicked about the park with rarely a yellow issued to stop habitual fouling. McInnes sent out his team to crunch anything that moved in green because he KNEW that Thomson would allow it.
Really!! Celtic never get anything!! Aye, right!!
I don’t think Thompson refereed the game in Celtic’s favour but that’s fine with me. I don’t want favours from refs. As long as we get fairness we have NO RIGHT to expect more. And I think he was fair. He didn’t get everything right but maybe that’s because he’s human. He missed a couple of clear yellows from Simunvic. Not a single one of our fans has complained about that.
You appear to think that both incidents were similar but I suggest you look again at the difference between a 50/50 ball and the flying header that only had one target in mind. HH
The Boyata GMS clash cannot be compared in any way to the clash on Sunday. The first was two commited pro’s going for the same ball. When there is a collision in those circumstances, invariably the guy who is physically bigger, stronger and more robust comes out of it better. Incidentally, Boyata was down for a lengthy period after that clash as well.
Look at the first picture in Phil’s post. The Aberdeen player has no chance of getting anywhere near the ball. In fact if he seriously wanted possession he should have hung back and gone for the second ball when he saw where it was going. He didn’t even go down he landed on his feet. My initial reaction was “complete accident”. I’ve since watched it several times. It was assault. If you did that to someone in the street, particularly given the injuries sustained by Christie, you would be jailed.