Celtic Close In On Greatness
15 days ago Celtic swept Benfica aside in Paradise in a display of football which hasn't been seen for many a night. Under MON Celtic played a game which played to our strengths, but Strachan's Celtic Team Two has an added dimension of killer pace upfront.
The second goal from Celtic V Benfica in a sweeping break from their opponent's corner is probably one of the greatest goals ever seen in Scotland. The speed and directness of the goal and the clinical finishing shown by Kenny Miller that night is still amazing to watch in re-runs.
Shaun Maloney has developed into such an influential attacking midfielder that he could become almost as brilliant a player as Paul McStay. McStay at his peak was probably one of the best midfielders in the world so for Maloney to be in such company isn't to be sniffed at.
Kenny Miller himself is turning into the type of forward that his former team desperately need. Le Guen's Rangers have plummeted to the depths of Celtic during the Brady/Macari era, with David Murray's barricading himself in the Boardroom of Ibrox being reminiscent of the situation of the old board at Celtic.
A broken team, a weak manager, and a fan base who are ready for car park demonstrations is all so different to the Celtic position recently announced financially and footballing wise by Chairman Quinn. Celtic are in such a dominant position over Rangers at this time that Murray's failure to spend even 2 quid for every 10 quid Celtic spend has the usually loyal press cohorts turning their crayons on their former Master.
It is a situation made worse by the fact Celtic have a pile of money to spend in the January transfer window. When you consider we have found a gem of a midfielder in Evander Sno, who has just been called into the Dutch squad, and have an embarrassment of riches all over the field you could almost take pity on the poor bears who see Celtic getting stronger as their team gets weaker.
Rangers lie in a seeming position of disrepair compared to Celtic's position as financial kings of the SPL, and when you compare the Murray Park conveyor belt of talent to the players who are emerging today at Celtic Park then the picture looks all the more depressing.
If you do the numbers you will see Celtic are basically a goal and a point away from 7IAR. We're well on our way to winning this year's title and you have essentially had a decade of dominance of Celtic over Rangers, with the odd flurry from Rangers in between.
And Celtic are only getting stronger.
So what of the away game against Benfica. If ManUtd win and Celtic take a point then both British teams would progress to the last 16. While we haven't won away for 10 CL group games, the law of averages says it has to happen eventually, and what more appropriate location than Lisbon?
Celtic, returning to their spiritual home when they became the first British (and only Scottish) club to win the European Champions Cup, are in as good a position as we've ever been. We've been robbed before when an accidental hand ball led to a penalty away to Lyon three minutes from time, then another stolen penalty in the away game to Juventus 5 years ago robbed us of our rightful progressing.
Tonight is the night we return to the place we have been on sabbatical from. We will get at least a point and return to Scotland as legends.
The second goal from Celtic V Benfica in a sweeping break from their opponent's corner is probably one of the greatest goals ever seen in Scotland. The speed and directness of the goal and the clinical finishing shown by Kenny Miller that night is still amazing to watch in re-runs.
Shaun Maloney has developed into such an influential attacking midfielder that he could become almost as brilliant a player as Paul McStay. McStay at his peak was probably one of the best midfielders in the world so for Maloney to be in such company isn't to be sniffed at.
Kenny Miller himself is turning into the type of forward that his former team desperately need. Le Guen's Rangers have plummeted to the depths of Celtic during the Brady/Macari era, with David Murray's barricading himself in the Boardroom of Ibrox being reminiscent of the situation of the old board at Celtic.
A broken team, a weak manager, and a fan base who are ready for car park demonstrations is all so different to the Celtic position recently announced financially and footballing wise by Chairman Quinn. Celtic are in such a dominant position over Rangers at this time that Murray's failure to spend even 2 quid for every 10 quid Celtic spend has the usually loyal press cohorts turning their crayons on their former Master.
It is a situation made worse by the fact Celtic have a pile of money to spend in the January transfer window. When you consider we have found a gem of a midfielder in Evander Sno, who has just been called into the Dutch squad, and have an embarrassment of riches all over the field you could almost take pity on the poor bears who see Celtic getting stronger as their team gets weaker.
Rangers lie in a seeming position of disrepair compared to Celtic's position as financial kings of the SPL, and when you compare the Murray Park conveyor belt of talent to the players who are emerging today at Celtic Park then the picture looks all the more depressing.
If you do the numbers you will see Celtic are basically a goal and a point away from 7IAR. We're well on our way to winning this year's title and you have essentially had a decade of dominance of Celtic over Rangers, with the odd flurry from Rangers in between.
And Celtic are only getting stronger.
So what of the away game against Benfica. If ManUtd win and Celtic take a point then both British teams would progress to the last 16. While we haven't won away for 10 CL group games, the law of averages says it has to happen eventually, and what more appropriate location than Lisbon?
Celtic, returning to their spiritual home when they became the first British (and only Scottish) club to win the European Champions Cup, are in as good a position as we've ever been. We've been robbed before when an accidental hand ball led to a penalty away to Lyon three minutes from time, then another stolen penalty in the away game to Juventus 5 years ago robbed us of our rightful progressing.
Tonight is the night we return to the place we have been on sabbatical from. We will get at least a point and return to Scotland as legends.
posted by big tommy at
6:54 PM
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