Football Focus

[Mick Mac]

Tonight Liverpool reminded me of Newcastle under Keegan, when they had it to lose but the pressure from the fans and media was such that David Batty and co in midfield for the last few games struggled to string more than a handful of passes together and failed miserably in the run in.

Never underestimate the pressure of not having won the title for a long time and the effect it has on a club. If I'm honest it scared me tonight. The sooner they play Spurs the better as they might step up.

Otta and Jah should not watch this together. It's just too important.

[Jah Lush]

Mick Mac Wrote:

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> Otta and Jah should not watch this together. It's

> just too important.

Don't be silly. That's part of the fun. I'm rather hoping we'll watch it together. If they play better than us I'll be the first to congratulate him and his team and I'm sure he'll be the same with me. I think we're going to get hammered though. 1. Because Michael Dawson may be fit enough to be play on Sunday and 2. Because I think Sherwood will be silly enough to select him. 3. I like Dawson, he's Spurs through and through but his serious lack of pace won't do him any favours against Suarez and Sturridge. So if we lose as I expect we will (we haven't won up there too often in the last 100 years anyway) it won't be something I wasn't anticipating but if we do get lucky enough to even get a draw up there that will be a respectable result for me and a win a major bonus.

[titch juicy]

I agree wholeheartedly about Dawson. The kind of guy you need around the dressing room. Not good enough as a player though. I think a succession of managers have made him captain because of his attitude rather than ability, which makes him difficult to drop. I would've given Vertonghen the captaincy as soon as he stepped through the door.

[Jah Lush]

Hmmm....but Vertonghen's body language of late would tell you that he wants out.

[red devil]

I was just about to say that Jah, he looks totally disinterested. I don't think making a new signing the captain is a good move any way, surely that right has to be earnt...

[Mick Mac]

Jah Lush Wrote:

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> Mick Mac Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

>

> > Otta and Jah should not watch this together.

> It's

> > just too important.

>

> Don't be silly. That's part of the fun.

A bit tongue in cheek Jah of course. But nevertheless, when Liverpool drop points as i'm sure they will, it's gonna hurt their fans more than it's done for a few years. There will be a lot of arms round shoulders needed across the land.

[Jah Lush]

red devil Wrote:

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> I was just about to say that Jah, he looks totally

> disinterested. I don't think making a new signing

> the captain is a good move any way, surely that

> right has to be earnt...

Exactly and Dawson has certainly earned the captaincy.

[Otta]

Don't worry Mick, having paid my first mortgage payment this month (plus additional interest taking it to over 1500) I shall not be watching any matches in the pub with Jah or anyone else.

[Mick Mac]

Otta Wrote:

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> Don't worry Mick, having paid my first mortgage

> payment this month (plus additional interest

> taking it to over 1500) I shall not be watching

> any matches in the pub with Jah or anyone else.

Ouch.

[Otta]

Indeed.

[Jah Lush]

Don't worry Otta, the beer's on me.

[Otta]

Sweet! ;-)

[Otta]

From BBC

Football

Posted at 08:32

Former Celtic midfielder John Collins tells BBC Radio 5 live that it is "bad" for Scottish football that the Hoops have secured the title so easily. Neil Lennon's side have been crowned champions of Scotland for the third successive season, with seven games to spare.

"I think there's no doubt it's bad for Scottish Football," Collins, who won the Scottish Cup with Celtic as a player in 1995. "Celtic are so far in front, nobody wants to watch a one horse race do they? That is the reality.

"It's not Celtic's fault. They've built a really strong squad for Scottish football and the rest can't compete, certainly over a league campaign."

[????]

maxxi Wrote:

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> Team were boo-ed off when 1-0 up at half-time and

> boo-ed off at the end. A game of thumpball again

> with no imagination just lump it upfield - and it

> still took a penalty (dubious) and a freak

> own-goal to win.

>

> I think it's good to see BFS's boast that 'they'll

> change their tune when we win a couple of games'

> and the feeling behind it (that all fans care

> about is winning at any cost) is shattered.

>

> Neither he, nor a lot of the players, pundits,

> commentators - in fact anyone who earns a living

> through football and makes money out of it (rather

> than puts their own money IN) - can grasp the fact

> that some fans want a bit more for their

> hard-earned and from the club they love.

>

> Ultimately for Gold & Sullivan the fans are the

> customers and they aint happy and they won't keep

> paying for what they don't want - and G&S are

> businessmen. Which is a roundabout way of saying

> you may be right - and I hope to @#$%& you are.

This, exactly.

[Alan Medic]

Otta Wrote:

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> From BBC

>

> Football

> Posted at 08:32

>

> Former Celtic midfielder John Collins tells BBC

> Radio 5 live that it is "bad" for Scottish

> football that the Hoops have secured the title so

> easily. Neil Lennon's side have been crowned

> champions of Scotland for the third successive

> season, with seven games to spare.

>

> "I think there's no doubt it's bad for Scottish

> Football," Collins, who won the Scottish Cup with

> Celtic as a player in 1995. "Celtic are so far in

> front, nobody wants to watch a one horse race do

> they? That is the reality.

>

> "It's not Celtic's fault. They've built a really

> strong squad for Scottish football and the rest

> can't compete, certainly over a league campaign."

Bit like Bayern Munich then...........

[titch juicy]

Jah Lush Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> red devil Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > I was just about to say that Jah, he looks

> totally

> > disinterested. I don't think making a new

> signing

> > the captain is a good move any way, surely that

> > right has to be earnt...

>

> Exactly and Dawson has certainly earned the

> captaincy.

I think giving the Ajax (Dutch player of the year) and sometime Belgium captain the Spurs captaincy is a no-brainer. He's a natural captain and one of the world's best centre backs.

As it is we gave it to a limited defender who tries hard. If we'd have given him the captaincy upfront, i'd argue that his body language would be very different now. You pick one of your best players as captain, not one of your best workers. The captain should be undroppable. Dawson should not be undroppable.

Man City wouldn't have thought twice about giving Kompany the cpataincy just because he was a new player.

[Parkdrive]

Celtic like Bayern Munich eh?

[Otta]

Alan Medic Wrote:

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> Otta Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > From BBC

> >

> > Football

> > Posted at 08:32

> >

> > Former Celtic midfielder John Collins tells BBC

> > Radio 5 live that it is "bad" for Scottish

> > football that the Hoops have secured the title

> so

> > easily. Neil Lennon's side have been crowned

> > champions of Scotland for the third successive

> > season, with seven games to spare.

> >

> > "I think there's no doubt it's bad for Scottish

> > Football," Collins, who won the Scottish Cup

> with

> > Celtic as a player in 1995. "Celtic are so far

> in

> > front, nobody wants to watch a one horse race

> do

> > they? That is the reality.

> >

> > "It's not Celtic's fault. They've built a

> really

> > strong squad for Scottish football and the rest

> > can't compete, certainly over a league

> campaign."

>

> Bit like Bayern Munich then...........

Almost coughed up my lunch when I read that.

[red devil]

titch juicy Wrote:

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> Man City wouldn't have thought twice about giving

> Kompany the cpataincy just because he was a new

> player.

Actually they did. He signed in 2008 and was only made captain in the 2011/12 season. I can't think off the top of my head where someone has been signed and made captain immediately. If it's happened it's the exception, not the rule. The role of captain isn't given to the best player, but to the best leader, both on and off the field. He's an ambassador for the club. A player needs time at his current club to prove those qualities...

[Mick Mac]

Otta Wrote:

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>

> "I think there's no doubt it's bad for Scottish

> Football," Collins, who won the Scottish Cup with

> Celtic as a player in 1995.

"Collins, who won the Scottish Cup"..... woohoo - big deal.

That in itself tells you how far Celtic have come since the dark days of the 1980s/early 1990s. There were no league titles then, and Celtic got used to finishing 4th or 5th in Scotland !!!

Never take success for granted - Celtic have turned this around to have now won 9 of the last 14 titles.

[Jah Lush]

Mac, you're forgetting Rangers no longer play in the SPL. Whereas before it was a two horse race, Celtic have got it all to themselves now.

[Parkdrive]

Mick Mac Wrote:

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> Otta Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

>

>

> >

> > "I think there's no doubt it's bad for Scottish

> > Football," Collins, who won the Scottish Cup

> with

> > Celtic as a player in 1995.

>

> "Collins, who won the Scottish Cup"..... woohoo -

> big deal.

>

Interesting, the man wins a trophy with your club and that's your reaction? I would have said that deserves praise rather than derision.

[Otta]

He then went on to much bigger and better things. But yes, I remember when Rangers were dominant, and how big it was for Celtic when they took the title back, but with Rangers gone (for now), I just don't think I could really cheer a title win with much conviction.

The team that has done the most impressive thing in the SPL this year will be the team that finishes in second.

[Mick Mac]

Jah Lush Wrote:

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> Mac, you're forgetting Rangers no longer play in

> the SPL.

Yeah you're right Jah. I completely forgot about that.

[Parkdrive]

Jah Lush Wrote:

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> Mac, you're forgetting Rangers no longer play in

> the SPL. Whereas before it was a two horses race,

> Celtic got all to themselves now.

See, you know that's going to piss him off don't you? ;)