I FEAR, once they have got enough mileage out of Mad Phil from Donegal's latest forecast of imminent doom for his great obsession, Ra Sellick Family just might turn their attention to what is wrong with their club at the moment.
This Celtic team bestrides 2014 Scottish football like a colossus. They are the richest club, the most-successful - but. Just why should there be a but? Given all the advantages Celtic currently enjoy, to slide out of the Scottish Cup, AT HOME, at the last 16 stage.....well, clearly all is not well in Paradise.
The current Celtic squad are hostages to the club's heritage. Winning is not enough, they MUST win with style to protect the heritage of "the Lions".
Well, I saw the Lions, by a distance Scotland's greatest club side. As the only one ever to win THE big prize in club football, the European Cup, they have to be seen as such. Yes, they played buccaneering, joyous football, but, while he liked them to win with style - Big Jock would have been equally happy with a scuffed, jammy 1-0 win, provided he got 100% from most of his side.
And that I think is the problem Neil Lennon faces. He doesn't have enough players who give 100% every game - yes, you Georgeos. I have said before, in domestic football, Celtic, and the other lot, face a test of character EVERY game. Each of the other Scottish teams they face will always have in their ranks, supporters who will crawl over broken glass to impress and show they, and not some over-paid, over-hyped, over-here foreigner should be wearing the hoops.
That same opposition will also include one or two Bears, determined to put Timmy in his place, and, if the foreigners cannot match up to this tribal fervour, Celtic will struggle.
Twenty-first century Celtic enjoys so many advantages over the other SPFL sides, anything less than a Treble every year reflects on the players - clearly they are not prime Celtic class. To a lesser extent, they reflect on Neil Lennon. He's doing his best, but, until he lands a domestic Treble, he will be considered and might even consider himself a less than complete Celtic manager.
Of course, he faces problems Big Jock nev er had to battle. Keeping Jinky outy of trouble and the lid on Bertie Auld's dark side were just about the biggest problems the Big Man faced; he never had to deal with foreign mercenaries, who were so-well paid, they seemingly never got or produced the passion the fans demanded.
That passion was posted missing on Saturday.
HAVING said that, well-done Aberdeen - a phrase which, unfortunately, never emerged from Neil Lennon's mouth in the aftermath (that I heard anyway).
Derek McInnes now has a chance, a real chance of providing a league double for the Dons, a feat which will, unfortunately for him, propel him closer to Fergie-like status in the north, and, he's no Fergie - yet.
The Dons are now hot favourites to lift both cups.
EXCEPT, in certain ludges across the country, the belief is growing that, amazingly, Ra Peepil will claim the Scottish Cup this season. It is true, cup upsets do happen, but, naw, I cannot see this Rangers' squad going all the way in the Scottish Cup.
Certainly, the quarter-final draw will be welcomed by the conspiracy theorists around London Road. Were the old square and oval balls slipped into the bag for the draw so that Rangers and Albion Rovers came out together?
Maybes aye, maybes naw - but, you have to admit, that draw suits Rangers.
By the way, I wouldn't write-off Stranraer at Inverness. This season already they have twice come back from being on the way out of the cup, to first draw with, then beat Auchinleck Talbot - at Beechwood too; and they have gone to Ibrox and got a draw.
ICT should be very wary of the threat offered by the team managed by the man known across the south west, from Paisley, to Kilmarnock, to Dumfries by the less than flattering nickname of "Ginger Prick".
Stevie Aitken was a bloody nuisance as a player, he's developing into a good motivating manager.
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