History records the possible apocryphal observation that Napoleon favoured a lucky general.
Well, the more I learned about the situation in the Celtic camp before the match I realised that the score draw was a damn close run thing.
I now have it from two independent sources: a nasty vomiting bug was rampaging through Postecoglou’s squad.
My information is that one Celtic player, in particular, had not eaten anything substantial in SIX days.
When the pre-match breakfast for many was a bit of dry toast approached with the trepidation of a work experience bomb disposal officer, then charging around a football field was a big ask.
Consequently, any objective analysis of the team selection or deployment of substitutes is rendered null and void.
It also puts into context Ange’s rather relaxed demeanour post-match and his observation about “human beings” and “robots”.
Both sources also told me that the Japanese players were largely unaffected by this uninvited visitor to the Celtic squad.
Indeed, Reo Hatate and Daizen Maeda appeared to have plenty in the tank during the match.
This was much to the chagrin of Sevco’s delightful supporters.
It is perhaps no coincidence that it was Kyogo, late on in the game, who was the decisive element.
He had the awareness and concentration to be in the correct place and at precisely the right time to level the match.
In doing so, he almost certainly destroyed Sevco’s hope of winning the title for the second time in their short history.
However, this unforeseen event, the vomiting bug, could have been the hinge factor that made a Sevco title win a realistic option this season.
General Beale got lucky, and it was almost decisive.
Of course, a hinge factor, as explored by Erik Durschmied, isn’t identified as such until the event is in the rearview mirror.
For the want of a handful of headless nails and all that.
A damn close run thing, for sure.
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Jim Devine, I suggest you look at Starfelt’s positive game data before commenting on two errors one of which was not a penalty?
The new boy Johnston has a lot to learn about Scottish football. “It was a decision that that went against us, but there will be plenty hopefully that go for us.”
Such naivety. Ach, he’s young and new to the country. He’ll learn. Looks a decent player though.
I really can’t believe the negativity being spouted by so called fans about the players on Monday. Ravaged with illness they gave sevco supporters nothing to go home happy about. Next time at Celtic Park will see them drop further behind but meanwhile the status quo considering the mitigating circumstances will do for me. HH
I cannot believe that Star.felt has got away with very little criticism on his performance against the rangers. To go to ground in the box is completely amateurish. From a very young age you are always coached to stay on your feet in the box. As for lack of ability in the air,he is terrible to be beat in the air by a fat lump of lard as Morelos in the manner he was is scary. He is a disaster waiting to happen and is not at the standard required to play for Celtic.
Managers have their favourites for some reason and I remember Rogers playing Ambrose with everybody warning him not to. The “Red Imps” game soon woke him up. With Ange, it seems to be Starfeld, Forrest and Hart who are “in with the bricks” and they say some people only learn through experience. All the forums mentioned Forrest’s only two goals against the Ibrox team and most couldn’t believe he was picked, but this is something that Kennedy should have pointed out. If he didn’t know or was too timid to say he should go either way.
I don’t believe they have played fast attacking football since the Dundee United 9-0 game and with this constant sideways and backwards passing remind me of Lennon’s team.
I have been told with the new Japanese guy arriving, Macgregor will be able to move forward so hopefully they’ll get back on track.
It’s difficult to disagree with the points you raise…so I won’t.
Well said.
Hart was the right man for the job when he first came in regarding an experienced head. Its now become apparent hes not the right man as his failings are outweighing his ability. A bit like their goalie well passed his best. Time for a change. As for GG and Jouranovic get rid as soon as possible for as much as we can get, we don’t want anyone who doesn’t want to be there. As far as the var situation goes it’s as plain as day there’s something far wrong beyond inept referees and we need to call it out. The worry is even without var Beaton was not giving that penalty. Also little has been said about the penalty against us Sakala has gone down knowing that Starfelt has gone to ground and his little celebration on the deck just proves to me he’s a cheat. The new club have the same mentality as the old one. Cheats from top to bottom.
Var rule to save face you can now peep through your finger’s in the box
A think Ange mentioned the bug before the game
Phil, I was reading all the stuff on VAR exposing a clear bias towards sevco from the Lanarkshire referee society….then the revelation came…. how desperate do your team need to be to openly cheat… you must really need the pot of gold at the end of the champions League rainbows
If sevco ain’t going bust they most certainly must known that if they don’t get the pot of gold this year then they will never compete with the mighty Celtic.
Will they stop… Will they hell, desperate People do desperate things
I doubt very much if a Sevco win would have affected the outcome of the league race this season . A six point and many goal advantage , with them having to face a bug free Celtic another twice? The stars aligned for them on Monday and they still could not beat us . If the bug had been in the Ibrox camp , we would have won with goals to spare .
Aye, and it would have been shouted from the rooftops as a valid excuse.
I accept it negates any criticism of the starting selection, substitutions and tactics but I feel if it was that bad they should have asked for a postponement and taken the brickbats.
The draw was the worst result for Rangers. A decent showing will reinforce the Board’s view that the new manager can do miracles WITH WHAT HE’s GOT and the biscuit tin need not be troubled
Or as another great mind observed ,
life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.
Kierkegaard
Dear Auldheid,,,Let me say from the outset…Your work over the years, in the pursuit of justice, is to be admired and applauded…so thank you.
However, your post in defence of the Board, has to be challenged.
I totally disagree that they have been proactive in addressing issues…and as far as I’m concerned …The only reason for their current approach to the SFA for “discussions” is because of the overwhelming anger of the support which was, and still is, doing the rounds, after Monday’s cheating.
Its all about opinions…and mine is…The Board has continually failed to address issues that badly need addressed.
EG….John Beaton refereeing a Glasgow Derby ?
Hail hail.
The idea I was defending the Board comes from a long held belief that The Board are -name your negative adjective.
In setting out the process i.e the gathering and verification of evidence is much more likely to get a result than shouting from the Hampden car park ” you mob are a shower of cheats”.
Both the CEO and Company Secretary are lawyers by profession. Lawyers work on a credible evidence base.
I was defending know one. I was setting out how the process works.
In mid mid December I was told by The Company Lawyer that the delay in The Foundation Announcement about the Res12 contribution to The Foundation that was his responsibility to see published is that he had been busy working on the referee issue but he would get the announcement out the next week. He did as a separate announcement from the main one that the Foundation made about raising £385k.
His reason for a stand alone announcement was that the Res12 effort deserved more than a one liner in that would get lost in the other Foundation Christmas appeal report.
I have two options on the referee issue being his reason for delay.
a) think he was telling me lies
b) trust him which I did and he did what he promised and said more than I thought in terms of giving Res12 credit. .
The thing is should I not set out what I believe to be so in case it is interpreted as defending The Board or should I be trusted to set how things work without that being seen as taking sides?
What would folk prefer? I put forward what I think to be the case in a particular circumstance or remain silent because folk do not trust my motivation because the information challenges their view?
I posted this below as a comment onaanother blog tonight which was about why Rangers have to cheat as losing the title this year would see them becoming the perennial CL bridesmaid in Scotland.
” Perhaps after last season The Board saw the possibility of Celtic becoming another Espanyol if Rangers got a run at the CL?
I don’t know, but it is hard to argue that they are not doing what they can to make sure we get two in a row, whilst nobbling the opposition via FSR to keep the financial advantage that enables quality recruitment, especially if an an influx of cheaper Japanese players gets full value from the money we have.”
I was aware when posting that para that some might take the view I was defending the Board instead of suggesting that things had changed.
Do you think I was defending?
Do you take my point that the idea I am defending the Board comes from inside those who read my words and attach a meaning to my words that I never intended?
My aim is to heal the division between The Board and support not widen it, but I am not sure that idea is a welcome one. Is it?
First of all…Thank you for reply…much appreciated.
Can I go to your final paragraph first of all.
I can’t speak for others…but I have no interest in widening a gap between me and the Board…and if your intention is to heal the division …then power to your elbow…I see no problem with that.
But let me make it clear…Because of our Board’s silence and lack of transparency on many matters, coupled with statements that have caused people to perhaps question their accuracy, I decided not to renew my season book of more years standing than I care to remember.
This was an individual decision…and I stand by it.
And let me ask you this one question…
Should a referee, who drinks and fraternises with Sevco fans in a Sevco Pub…be allowed to take charge of a Glasgow Derby ? Or should our Board have protested in the strongest possible terms and got him removed from the fixture ?
This is just one of the “circumstances” that fellow supporters and myself can’t understand.
Or is it too much to ask why no Official comment has ever been made?
You are in the fortunate position of working closely with Board members…and therefore see first hand the good stuff that they do.
People like me, however, are left in the dark…hence our grumbles.
Finally I will thank you again for the sterling work you and your colleagues have done over the years with particular emphasis on FSR….A HUGE well done.
And once again…Thank you for your reply.
I have had the advantage of one one dialogue with one executive whose role has been extended from just Company Secretary to engaging with the support more. In that context at one meeting on the Foundation issue improving relationship came up and he asked to see a paper I had written up about opening up avenues of contact all year rather than wait for a bun fight at the AGM .
That idea was actually implemented at the last AGM via a note in The AGM papers but I think it needs a bit more publicity for general awareness to grow and lots more to be done to increase awareness.
My main concern is the time available from day to day job to spend on his extended role. The capacity to get things done timeously is, in my opinion as an ex capacity builder, one of the causes of complaint but the intent is there.
On referees, how the referee service operates in Scotland is bloody joke, The process itself is seriously flawed and needs revisited but as Phil’s latest article says change will not come from inside the organisation in need of change but The Tracy Crouch recommendations would change the culture at the SFA if implemented in Scotland (and why not?) and that in turn will change the culture which protects referees from being transparent and accountable.
Onwards and upwards.
Cheers Auldheid…Thanks for insight.Keep up the good work…As for the Tracey Crouch proposal …I would love that to be implemented…but if its detrimental to you know who…It probably won’t be….Hail hail.
Absolutely no reason to doubt your source Phil….My only puzzle is why Ange didn’t highlight it after the game.
Surely it would have made sense for him to explain the situation ?
Don’t understand why he didn’t.
It would have cleared a few things up for me.
Still…Ours is not to reason why.
Keep shining that light,
Sources.
Plural.
My comment was about Ange…Not your sources…I apologise for my slight oversight.
He did mention it as a matter of fact in early post match interview and not as an excuse for the performance level. He tends not to make excuses
No harm in letting them believe that they’re better than they are. A sound humping at Parkhead in March will let them know the reality of the situation.
I also think, that irrespective of the real reason for any defeat or bad performance, you WON’T hear excuses from Ange. If he was forced to put out a second string eleven, he’d shrug and say, “It is what it is, mate!”
I found the whole game tedious. It amazes me that it produced 4 goals. Two mistakes each on the part of two over-rated right backs with assists from Morelos and Starfelt. How bad is Tavernier? Being taken on the inside like that for the second by Jota. Juranovic has been inept all season in a positional sense. Same last season when Kent almost caught him out twice. It was marginal then too. This year he did not get away with it. Something needs to be done about Hart. The man does not move like a professional athlete. It is like watching Chris Sutton at 70 with athritis. We need to get Jota back in the game and cutting inside. The only highlight of that game was Johnston rattling Lundstrum’s rib cage with the flat of his hand. Interesting technique.
Celtic used to have to play against 12 men, now it’s 13.
General Var could still mount a charge
Looked to me like WE were playing with 12 men in the first 20 mins on Monday,
12th man being the Hun support.
All the howling and wailing was making their players crap themselves every time they received the ball.
Hart’s shenanigans changed that but regardless, Kyogo’s equaliser saved the day and secured the title.
HH
Aye, and that worries me far more than Sevco ever could.