Focus, Focus, Focus

After Sunday's game with Rangers we control our own destiny. Win 6 games and we win the Double, it really is that simple. Dougie, Dougie. Dallasgate, Old firm games all mean nothing now. All that has happened this season, good or bad, should be put to the side and all focus should be on the next game. Don't want to put a dampener on things but 2005 Fir Park still wrankles in the pit of my stomach, if that fateful day taught me anything it was that you should never get ahead of yourself. That season we were in a better position than we are in just now. Saying that Neil Lennon and Alan Thompson were on the pitch that day and I'm sure they will have drummed it into the squad that there is still a job to do in wiining the remainder of our games.

Dundee United at home on Sunday could be tricky, if the last home game against St Mirren is anything to go by. Too many nervy games at Parkhead this season, one goal up going into the last ten minutes in many games has shortened my life considerably in the last 8 months. I know at this stage of the season it is difficult to keep a quick tempo, but in most games we start brightly we win comfortably. This can happen if we start with our best 11, I'm not a big fan of rotating the team. Especially in the midfield, teams like Barca can afford to do this as they have players who can drop in seemlessly. I'm afraid we can't do this, evident in the old firm game and the St Mirren game. Too many changes in the midfield leaves disjointed and our passing game disappears, Kayal and Ki together doesn't work for me. I don't have a great explanation why not, it just doesn't seem balanced. With Ledley out for the rest of the season I would have central partnership of Brown and Kayal with Commons on the left or right and between Maloney, Forrest , Paddy and Freddie filling the other slot.

The defence I think picks itself now, so onto the attack. This is cut and dried for me, Stokes and Hooper all the way. The game on Sunday proved to me again that Samaras can not play with a partner up front, too many times he drifts wide and leaves his strike partner isolated, whether it's Stokes, Hooper or even Murphy. I Know Big Sammy has a lot of admirers but afraid I'm not one of them, Two league goals (albeit at Ibrox) is not acceptable for a Celtic striker, even Kenny Miller scored 4 goals and he was shite for us. I just don't see what he brings to the team, I've yet to see his amazing workrate that some people talk about. He doesn't set up goals and he doesn't score them either. Sorry if you think that's harsh but Have out uo with the BIg man for too long now.

Hopefully I don't sound too pessemistic because i know we are more than capable of winning these games. However the word that has become more and more prevelant  is 'BOTTLE'. This is going to play a big part in winning the league. So let's hope the next six games are as comfortable as possible because I'm losing enough hair as it is.

Hail Hail.

P.s. Heard rumours of a possible takeover at Ibrox, might want to keep an eye on that. 48 hours people, 48 hours!!!!!!

Turning of the Tide.

What a week this has been, starting of with outrage and ending in hilarity.
I don't think I've ever seen such a swing for one club to go from high to low.

First let's deal with the outrage as short lived as it was. Coisty, Bougy and Dioufy all getting off for their part in the 'Shame Game' was nothing short of laughable if not predictable. This decision means any player can now attempt to stop a referee from brandishing a card to him or one of his teamates. Also u can refuse to leave the pitch after being sent off and go on a lap of honour and throw your shirt into the crowd. Is this the major changes the SFA were talking about after the McLeish Report. Kind of makes the Police and First Minister's involvement after the game even more comical.

Now we come to the hilarity, like many of you I was enjoying a quiet night last night. Listening to the Radio Snide phone in, hearing Huns calling us paranoid, thinking the whole world is out to get us. When they announced a breaking story, UEFA have charged Rangers for sectarian singing in the home leg vs. PSV as well as the away leg....ha ha ha!!!!! Cue the clamber of calls, UEFA are out to get us, Celtic fans dobbed us in, it's all Neil Lennon's fault and so on. Each call thereafter from most Rangers fans were basically same. Who reported us? Completely missing the point, did you sing sectarian songs? At no point has this question been answered no. The funniest part of this must go to Stephen Smith of The Rangers Supporter's Trust. When interview on Sky Sports News, he launched a staunch defence of his club. How a deliberate campaign against Rangers from 'Other' parties were trying to put the lug out of business. Then when pressed for answer to the question " Where these songs being sung at Ibrox?", by Jim White ( who would've believed that)he responded after five seconds ....... Well aye. Can't make this shit up can you.

For me this is where the problem lies, for too long the acceptance that people have been singing that for years just doesn't wash these days. Police , Scottish parliament and the mainstream media with a few exceptions, ignored the problem at the recent cup final. Calling it a showpiece for Scotland, well that sums up Scottish culture for me "We are all for ethnic diversity, except for the Catholics and the Irish"

However there is a much more pressing matter to deal with than social prejudice, and that is Rangers troubles with UEFA could derail the fictional , sorry proposed, Fakeover, sorry did it again, Takeover by Craig Whyte. I'm sure Davie Weir was an S-Form at Falkirk when this due diligence started on Whyte. Since this guys name was mentioned 6 months ago I find it funny that absolutely no reporting on his background business or personal has been looked into. Personally I would look into anyones psychological background who wanted to buy a club that has been in serious debt for the past 15 years, multiple pending tax cases and 5 UEFA charges in the last 5 years. Saying that I have heard that the next 48 hours will be vital.

In case you haven't noticed I have deliberately not mentioned Celtic in this article for the simple fact.......it's got nothing to do with Celtic.

Hail Hail!!!