Socrates MacSporran

Socrates MacSporran
No I am not Chick Young, but I can remember when Scottish football was good

Saturday 28 November 2015

Another Week At Billy And Sean's Punch And Judy Show

ANOTHER week on Planet Fitba, and, as is usually the case, the Bigot Brothers have claimed most of the headlines. Plus ca change and all that.
 
First up, we had that Europa League game, between Celtic and Ajax, at Celtic Park. This was a clear case of: "How are the mighty fallen", as two teams, whose closest resemblance to the great teams of yore in both clubs was the crests on the jerseys, and, in Celtic's case, the actual jerseys.
 
We know this current Celtic squad is a pale imitation of the real thing - almost, but not quite, a Celtic Tribute Act. If we hadn't known that, Thursday night's terrible display just might have convinced us. But, we didn't know, how badly standards at Ajax had fallen, until we saw that lot on Thursday night. Nae wonder the great Johan Cruyff has decided he wants nothing more to do with the club, allegedly.
 
However, poor though the Dutch were, they were still a good bit ahead of Celtic both technically and in terms of team spirit, and, they deserved to win.
 
Leigh Griffiths has blamed himself for Celtic losing. I think the boy is being unduly harsh on himself. It is all very well opting to play with only one guy up front, but, he needs at least one midfielder to arrive in the box to help him. Leigh seldom had any team mates close to him when he got the ball in the Ajax "red zone", so, he had to try to do it alone.
 
OK, his frustrations were all-too-obvious when he missed that one-v-one chance against the 'keeper, a chance set-up by a glorious through ball from Scott Allen. I can understand his frustration at missing the chance, but, as a former goalkeeper, can I say, the Ajax back-stop was given no credit whatsoever for a brilliant piece of goalkeeping to make the save. Griffiths did everything right, but, the keeper trumped him - remember, shit happens.
 
By the way, a wee observation here. Celtic, going with only one man up front, AT HOME, in a Must-win European game. Aye Right!!
 
 
 
THAT Celtic defeat, condemning them to be out of Europe before Christmas, was an early Christmas present to the baser instincts of Ra Peepul, and was a late night bonus, coming as it did on top of the news that their club would not be required to pay Charlie Green's legan fees in whichever of the miriad cases swirling around Ibrox, he is involved in (I've lost track).
 
The Rangers Tribute Act has now been dragged into a real promotion battle. A return to the top flight as Champions is no longer a given, so, they needed a wee bost. Of course, on Friday, their cheer-leaders in the media tried their best to talk-up events at Ibrox following a brilliantly stage-managed agm at the Armadillo.
 
The choice of venue is, in some ways a metaphor for the club, a hard shell covering lots of internal turmoil.
 
The club and their paid helpers in the Lap Top Loyal can spin it all the want. They can make all sorts of predictions of an early return to the good times, but, with all the writs and legal briefs flying around the club, I fear the RTA is in far from rude health.
 
However, they did score one "goal" over the other half of the BB, by announcing they were playing the living wage to all employees - something which the Celtic board's failure to do earned them some flak from the Family at the recent Celtic agm.
 
The Donegal-based font of all knowledge on matters Ibroxian is convinced the club remains a basket case, and, as he has shown over the past five years or so, he is seldom far off the money.
 
However, I find his current obsession with the Blue Bigot Brother somewhat strange. Considering how things are unravelling somewhat around Celtic Park, I would have thought a Celtic Fanatic might have been turning his forensic skills on the travials of his club, but, no, the bold PMGB continues to obsess with the enemy, while all is not well among his friends.
 
Mind you, there is something sort of Scottish in that attitude.  

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