Got any highlights of this @Rocko ?
I thought yer man Cornelius was very lucky not to be red carded for that dangerous, out of control, over the ball tackle on Kenny’s ankle before their red. They’re having a fierce whinge about decisions but they were very lucky there. Does Miovski actually trip/shove Ralston over to prompt his diving block for the penalty? He kept his hands tucked in & it hit his elbow. I don’t know if that’s a penalty. If you say he’s diving to make himself bigger then what about Miovski causing it?
O’Neill: I feel 94 after that!
Celtic interim boss Martin O’Neill speaking to Premier Sports:
"I was 73 on Monday - I’m 94 now!
"Delighted to have won the game, for a start. I thought we played splendidly 11 vs 11, then we lost impetus. Rangers came into the game, had a good spell 10 vs 11, when they were actually controlling the game for a while. But we missed some great chances in the match, and if we’d have taken those, perhaps maybe… we won.
"Part of me enjoyed that, believe it or not! Sometimes, I thought we had a little break, then Kasper gets hold of it and tosses it out quickly to somebody who is absolutely knackered. But anyway, it was a great effort and I’m delighted.
“I shall take no credit whatsoever. We have a couple of young players who probably don’t really know what it’s all about and we’ve got some serial winners in there, and that’s really important. The backroom staff were terrific.”
On Osmand: "He’s very sharp. He’s really good. I didn’t know anything about him until Monday, and I thought he was excellent.
“Just sometimes, as a centre-forward, you have to get hold of the ball, rather than flicking it all the time. He wants to get a couple of DVDs of Henrik [Larsson]. He’s got plenty of confidence.”
On whether he will be in charge for final: “I don’t even know when the final is. There’s a fortnight break at the end of next week when I think the club would be making inroads into getting someone in.”
On whether he would like the job: “Maybe ask me that tomorrow. Today, no.”
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Osmond was ok. Nothing more. He should have scored a couple. Ill wait to see him lead the line against a team that hasn’t been run ragged with 10 men for an hour, and has a vaguely competent defence, and centre back who isn’t middle aged and slow.
Kenny led the line from the start and gave it socks to the Huns after the goal.
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I’d say it was a penalty alright. He was pushed but still did a diving block and it hit his arm. Still think trusty was a red all day long and we were lucky butland didn’t call for a stretcher. That performance was a reflection of how stale we were under BR. Just playing Maeda out wide transformed him.
I thought trusty and scales looked less ponderous than CCV and scales. We should have won pulling up though, that’s the worry. That’ll give the Huns significant encouragement and Rohl looks a decent and fearless manager.
We’ll see.
Hmmmmm. Did you swallow huns tv & BBC Scotland subscriptions overnight?! Let’s not forget that Celtic annihilated them in the first half every which way & it was Rohl’s three at the back set up that was trampled all over. I wouldn’t be proclaiming him the messiah, as much as they’re intent on creating that narrative & positive sentiment around him & the club. Cornelius should have been sent off before the other lad too. Celtic lost control of the game in the second half but still should have put the game to bed before the penalty (Forrest off bar, Nygren header etc) & Celtic could conceivably have put 5 or 6 past them. The more I look back at it, the more Celtic absolutely destroyed them. Celtic Celtic Celtic.
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I also think that’s a fairly mad take. Taking nothing away from Kenny who had a great game but Osmand was excellent too. Sometimes you can tell pretty quickly from a player’s movements & instincts whether they have “something” & I thought it was very clear that Osmand has it alright. Compared to some of the other strikers who’ve been & gone anyway. The movement for the goal is brilliant, that’s the type of finish Kyogo was producing in his peak under Ange. Osmand will be disappointed with the one on one at 1-1 alright - think his second touch doesn’t let him stride on to finish with authority, it kinda gets stuck under his feet. But the header at 2-1 was a very good effort & his pace & direct running caused them lots of problems. A few good dribbles to relieve pressure, a great spin at one point that forced a cynical yellow. O’Neill mentioned how he could take the ball in more rather than looking for flicks but I even felt that was harsh enough - I can’t recall him cheaply losing it more than once if at all. For a second ever professional appearance & to come up big like that in a derby cup semi final was tremendous. I’m not saying it means he’ll power on to score 100+ goals for Celtic or anything, but that was about as good an impression as he could have made.
The much maligned Tierney was good too
That pass/shot/corridor of danger for the 3rd goal was sublime
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The header at 2-1 wasn’t an excellent effort. It was a decent effort but too hard into the ground which took the speed off it. Kenny’s was an excellent header.
I’m not saying he won’t be good, I’m just suggesting it’s a little early to judge.
He was playing against a knackered team short a man.
Rohl does concern me. Fortunately he doesn’t have much to work with.
I particularly liked this….
In an alternative world, had the Brendan Ballsup been allowed to continue, neither Kenny nor Osmand would have been on the pitch to score, Maeda and Engels would have still been unenthusiastic at best, left out at worst, Trusty wouldn’t have put in a man of the match performance and McGregor would not have launched one from distance.
Dermot might have annoyed us, and yes, undoubtedly the parting could have been handled better, but one is beginning to understand the anger, if not to condone it.
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This was a yellow.
I agree.
“It shows me how much talent and ambition is in that dressing room”.
To think that scumbag rat with his Honda Civic comment. A horrible divisive cunt. The performances yesterday of Trusty, Maeda, Osmand.
I won’t gloat about being right.
https://x.com/bbcsportscot/status/1985325861327773921?s=46&t=hLFVM4tcaAF7TEDm5mgJyQ
https://x.com/G__S__7/status/1984599657415377218
This was underneath that.
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That is fucking brilliant!
Celtic goals from the hun end:
Statement from Rangers tonight on refereeing decisions 