GREEN ink today - and why not? Any Scottish football fan NOT prepared to stand up and salute Neil Lennon and his troops this morning, clearly has severe mental problems.
While I am not going down the road of hailing this as "one of the greatest wins in the history of the club", even I, old cynic that I am, can acknowledge what a superb win this was. But, the hyperbole has to be tempered: this wasn't as big a win as that over Inter Milan, all those years ago in Lisbon, or their Hampden win over Leeds United in the biggest of football's many 'Battles of Britain' back in the black and white tv days of the 1970s. I know, in today's climate of media over-hype, almost every win is the biggest one ever, but, let's not forget, great result though this was, against a team with much more money and a supposedly superior squad, it was still a win in a qualifying group, from which Celtic could still fail to qualify for the knock-out stages.
I accept, they've got themselves into a great position, I further accept that Celtic, from where they currently are, SHOULD reach the last 16 knock-out stages, which would be a great boost for them and for Scottish football, but please, as Allan Wells so memorably told himself as he did his victory lap back in Moscow in 1980: "Keep the heid".
ON A related subject: is it just me, or is anyone else thinking that, without the weekly media hype around Celtic and the team in blue from across the city, isn't Neil Lennon growing into a statesmanlike manager.
The wee man from Lurgan will always wear his heart on his sleeve; he does get a lot of stick, some of which he has in the past tended to bring on himself, but, he does it his way and the Barcelona results - a 3-3 aggregate draw over two games lest we forget - indicates an up-and-coming manager.
He motivated a below-strength team to a superb win on Wednesday. Nice one Neil.
THAT single result should be a catalyst for a better season in the SPL. If I was an SPL team manager, I'd be telling my players from now on: "Celtic could go out and beat Barca - why cannot you go out there and beat Celtic? They believed, why not you?
St Johnstone and Kilmarnock have already proved this season, Celtic can be beaten in domestic games. If more clubs believe they too can beat them, it will be a boost for our oft-criticised league, and, the extra competition will help Celtic in what, we can now begin to dream of, as a good European season. Win, win all round.
NOW the downside. These are troubling times for Jambos everywhere. I fancy it might be a good idea for the concerned fans in maroon and white to hold fast on any thoughts of reaching for the cheque book to buy shares.
Romanov has previous in trying to manipulate the fans and, even allowing for all the media and social media shit which has surrounded events since last season at Ibrox - going into liquidation has not (yet) hurt Rangers too much.
I don't see the same level of (allegedly and still unproven) criminality surrounding Hearts, as surrounded and still surrounds Rangers, so, given that Newco Rangers were shoe-horned (probably against the rules) into SFL3 - why not the same deal for Newco Hearts?
If I was a Hearts' fan, I'd be telling Romanov: "No thanks - do your worst".
FINALLY, with nothing better to do on the night, I watched the Manchester City v Ajax game on ITV1 on Tuesday night. Post-match, the big stooshie was about that last-second non-penalty.
From my seat, the referee got it spot-on. BOTH Balotelli and the Ajax defender were "at it"; each was tugging at the other's jersey - so, waving play-on, or to be precise, blowing for full time, was a great decision by the referee. He got a few wrong ont he night, but he got that big one correct, although, he might have booked Balotelli for his petulant and pretty poor spot of "simulation" as he flung himself to the turf.
As ever, the ITV commentary was a disgrace. It's ok for Scottish commentators to be myopic - they're only speaking to a small audience. It's another thing altogether for ITV commentators to be fans with microphones.
Their lack of awareness is breath-taking; insisting that few if any Ajax playersd would get into the City team. If that is indeed the case - how come, over the two games, Ajax won 5-3 on aggregate a result which, in the good old days of a true European Cup, limited to national league champions, would have seen City OUT.
Technically, Ajax were the better team. Sure, they rode their luck with a couple of tight offsides, but, for me, on the night, they were the better team.
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