This season’s domestic form hasn’t contained too much to get excited about but yesterday’s 3-1 win over Inverness Caley Thistle wasn’t short of highlights.
Dylan McGeouch demonstrated that he’s ready for an extended run in the side with other notable contributions from Marcus Fraser and substitute Tony Watt. With Joe Chalmers and Tom Rogic also in action there was plenty to be pleased with as Neil Lennon confirmed afterwards.
Have Celtic ever fielded a younger back four than Adam Matthews, Thomas Rogne, Fraser and Chalmers?
Seeing the younger players make their mark will have given the whole squad a lift as they prepare for Tuesday’s match with Juventus but to ensure that we are competing regularly at that level we need to have young players pushing their way into the side in the style of Victor Wanyama and Matthews rather than throwing millions into the transfer market
Watt has been quoted as saying that he doesn’t only want to be remembered for being the guy who scored against Barcelona. His brief performance yesterday and more impressively at home to Dundee United after replacing Georgios Samaras showed that he has the quality.
Players like Watt are fully aware that there isn’t a massive amount of chances for them so they really do have to do the job when they are called upon.
Unlike some other blogs I have written, this one is covering a few topics, one of them is the stream of porkies coming from Sevco owner, Charles Green. He was recently quoted as saying that Celtic are getting approx half the number of fans that his team gets. Official figures (ie facts) reveal that Celtic’s average home crowd is under 1,000 less than Sevco are getting.
I know they are a new club and we are unlikely to play against them for a while but the fact that their owner is continually lying and dragging our club name into his statements is the reason that I have mentioned them in this blog.Â
Given the price difference between SPL / Champions League football and Third Division/ Ramsdens Cup, I have to think that our fans deserve a well done for coming along to so many games and for digging deep into the pockets to make it to so many games.
On that topic, I know that there has been a massive scramble for Juventus tickets and there hasn’t been the same number of people trying to get a ticket for other games.
Quite frankly, if someone only wants to go there to see Juventus, then I hope they don’t get a ticket. If a fan who goes to a lot of the “smaller” games gets tickets for it then that’s a good thing for me.
I think that as far as Champions League football goes in the UK, Celtic Park is the place to be. Just have a look over the excellent Celtic wiki website to read the thoughts of players and managers who have experienced it.
Moving away from general Champions League football and on to the opposition, I would like to think that we can get past Juventus. If it comes to it, I would take an offside goal or an own goal or a soft penalty etc.
It’s not the ‘right’ way to win a match but the last time, their cheating, Amoruso diving to win a penalty in Turin, was the difference between qualifying and not. Yes, it was a long time ago but certain things cannot be forgotten and forgiven – that’s one of them.
Given that Neil Lennon and Johan Mjallby were involved in that campaign, they deserve the win.
So all that remains to be said is hail hail and bring on Tuesday.
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Great article again. Thought Lenny’s Lion Cubs were great yesterday. Took them a wee while to step up to the pace of the game by once Commons equalised they seemed more calm and assured. A little bit panicky at the back in the latter stages but cooler heads will come with experience. I mentioned on CQN about Charles Greens latest rantings. A lunatic who says what he likes with no repercussions. A classic case of the tail wagging the dog.
If that was a taste of the future then i say bring it on.It was a great game to watch,played at high pace with a lot of good football from both teams.The 1st half flew in and 2nd continued in same manner so congrats to all.
Great performance from a young team.. I’d love to see a few more of the youngsters making an impact, especially young Atajic.
My only issue with your blog is the talk about tickets. As a student with limited income, i have to pick and choose the games i go to. I’m sure there are a lot of people in the same situation. So to be critical of fans wishing to go to the Juventus game, and not games against Hearts or Ross County for example is a bit rich.
Too many people seem to think they’re “better” fans because they’re in a position where they can afford/have time to head to more games than others. Can’t work that out..
Well said Joe, I am struggling to think of the last time any of the young guns let us down. Most certainly agree that Dylan McGeough is due an extended run, no matter the opposition. Hoping to see more of John Herron too in the remaining games, another top talent.
Tickets for big games is always a thorny subject, but I think Celtic did it right – Season book holders first, then I would have offered to those who attended all the CL games before a public sale.
Good article Steven a lot of good points
I suspect gullible fans who spend a tenner on a season ticket will after all attend more matches than those real fans of a team in the last 16 of Europes elite tournament who have to pay that amount on a match programme!
Celtic young Bhoys did the club proud on Sat Wish he had played some of them against St Mar Don’t think the ticket for the U E F A games are sold in a fair manner