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No covid goal celebrations at the piggery today....?

APOLOGY FOR AN APOLOGY Celtic chief Peter Lawwell has lost the plot but NO ONE is brave enough to tell him, writes Kris Boyd COMMENT Kris Boyd 15 Jan 2021, 20:31 Updated: 15 Jan 2021, 20:31 I CAN just picture Gerry McCulloch and everyone else in the Celtic media department now. “That was great, Peter. You’ve got that spot-on.” “You think so, Gerry?” says the club’s chief executive as he stands up from his chair and takes off his microphone, “Do you think that comes across OK?” “Oh yes, Peter. You nailed it. Perfect.” And there you have Celtic’s problem in a nutshell. A chief executive who is making so many mistakes right now. And no one around him who is prepared to stand up and say so. Because who in their right mind thought that “apology” was a good idea? My Sky Sports colleague, Andy Walker, got it spot-on when he said the first 40 seconds of the interview were decent. For a brief moment, Lawwell sounded like he was willing to hold his hands up and accept complete responsibility for the monumental error of judgment which led to Celtic’s trip to Dubai. But he couldn’t help himself, could he? No sooner had he said he was sorry than he started to play the victim card. And suddenly he was spouting nonsense about how the Covid pandemic had affected them more than any other club in Scotland. It’s such a staggering statement to make that it’s almost unbelievable. I mean, wasn’t he paying attention when Hearts were kicked out of the Premiership last season? Or when Partick Thistle were relegated to League One? Hasn’t he noticed how those clubs have been teetering on the brink of extinction on the back of that decision? The Jags had a game in hand in the Championship when they were booted down a division. They’ve fought tooth and nail to remain full-time and avoid redundancies. But since then they’ve seen other clubs given £500,000 in funding to keep their heads above water while they depend on handouts from their fans and much smaller cheques. If anyone has any right to feel hard-done-to in the last 12 months, it’s Jacqui Low at Firhill. There is a long list of clubs who could claim to be the worst-affected in the country but they don’t see it as some sort of competition. Celtic do. And clearly Lawwell does. The fact he was even thinking like that as he was supposed to be issuing an apology to supporters sums up how out of touch the club is. Sure, Celtic have lost a lot of money this season. Going by the fact they have the biggest stadium in Scotland, maybe that’s how Lawwell quantifies it. But the “poor old Celtic” act is pathetic. They actually benefitted from the season ending prematurely last year because they were given the title. They would probably have won it, to be honest, but they were still named champions when the season wasn’t actually completed. I just cannot understand why no one at Celtic listened to that interview before it went out and said, ‘Guys, this sounds awful’. Celtic supporters must have been watching it through the cracks between their fingers. It was the worst sit-down since Jim White went to meet Charles Green in his hospital bed. Celtic have just lost all grip of reality. They thought it was a good idea to spend huge sums on five days in Dubai — and then a week later are furloughing their Under-18s to save cash. Surely it must have crossed someone’s mind that people might start to ask questions about that. Look, Lawwell had to come out and say something. When Christopher Jullien tested positive, meaning Neil Lennon, John Kennedy and 13 players couldn’t be involved for the Hibs game, it was time for some crisis management that he simply couldn’t avoid. But if you’ve got no grasp on the mood out in the real world, and if no one is prepared to tell you, then you’re asking for trouble. And all it does is back up everything people think. Celtic supporters have been accusing the club’s board of being short-sighted and blinkered for a long time. They weren’t happy with the appointment of Lennon after Brendan Rodgers waved cheerio. And since then they’ve seen things go from bad to worse with appalling recruitment. They’ve been digging a hole for themselves for so long that it’s hard to see how they recover. The league is over, Rangers are champions in all but name, and things are so brutal at Celtic they don’t even know how to say sorry. https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/sport/football/6540697/celtic-lawwell-apology-boyd/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1610751631

He will be away hiding in the cupboard under the stairs with his fingers in his ears ?

From when I started watching Gers, when a handshake and a clap on the back sufficed, I honestly detest all the OTT celebrations that go on.

Agree. Out of the 3 away games in January this is the banana skin for me but if we get an early goal then Id see us winning comfortably. The only upside of Motherwell having a new manager is surely they wont sit in for 90 minutes with a 5-5-0 formation like the recent trip to Ibrox meaning they would be easier to open up.

The week is not over yet! Hopefully another update required tomorrow!

According to my calculations, we need 10 more wins, and a draw, to be mathematically sure, from 13 games. Until then, I'll be in my cupboard under the stairs, fingers firmly inserted, pretending the league table doesn't exist.

Nope.

@Rousseau, time to get your 55 tattoo done?

The most ridiculous mentioning yet. All for something that hasnt been proven. Just put 11 carboard cuts out. Im glad there was an article today with 3 players, one Glenn Murray who say may aswell not play of celebrations cant be done. How many have you seen drop dead on the pitch yet - zero and it will remain zero.

You do wonder if Jose is about to implode again and through the toys out. Form has been awful. Bar Son and Kane they are average yet Lucas Moura is a player I rate who never gets a run - how he was drop after the CL semi at Ajax was criminal. No team with Dier and and older Tody Ald wins anything - zero pace and too many attacks with exploit that.

HALF-TIME: Separate Entity FC 0 Livingstone 0 Hibs 0 Kilmarnock 0 Ross County 2 Aberdeen 1 Hamilton 0 Dundee United 0 St Johnstone 0 St Mirren 0

It looks like Dave King was right. There's no longer much point being coy about where this league title is heading (I know, I know) and it has utterly destroyed them. The chances of Celtic taking anything from Almondvale are small. The chances of them finishing second are receding. For every Rangers fan that has waded through the shit of the last 9 years, what we are experiencing is nothing short of catharsis. This is our deliverance. Don't waste a moment of it, no group of supporters deserves it more.

Just caught up tonight with the latest in the excellent “away days” series on Rangers tv from the Dolly match last weekend. It really is so insightful and brilliantly edited. I think the decision to just use whatever noise the mics pick up is what makes this so special, and this season particularly with no crowds we get to hear so much more of what is said on the pitch during the games. What impressed me the most about this episode was the sound and pictures from the full time whistle. There was no celebrations, not even a yeesss or anything. The players were not happy at just winning the game, they knew we were poor for the last half hour or so and were not happy about it. One picture showed Barasic discussing a particular passage of play with another defender and the body language was as if we had lost, never mind just grubbed Dolly for the 3rd time this season and twice this season at the hill of dung. It shows the level our club has got to now, and the team of winners we are building. Not even happy with a 2-1 win at Pittodrie to cement our lead at the top, they strive for perfection and unless they achieve it, there is little room for satisfaction. Absolutely tremendous stuff ???

There’s something deeply pathetic about the ongoing narrative that football players can only be expected to “do their best” to curb celebration contact, when (rightly or wrongly) the rest of the country is expected to change its be social behaviour at a minute’s notice. Why do we cosset and indulge these players like children being protected from responsibility.

Fair enough mate, but by that game the bheasts had long been eliminated and Lille already qualified for ko round so it really was a meaningless match

We started the week 22 points ahead; now, it's only 20. Ra Sellik fightback is gathering momentum?

I'm still not comfortable...

As many of us, I haven't seen much of Wright so far, but one Youtuber has put this together ...

Don’t know what all the gloating is about. Celtic has clearly steadied the ship and is now unbeaten at home in 2021.

It's all these contrived celebrations I cant stand wee silly dances lying down fannying about like big jessie's ?

Bill - same as Itten and Roofe Id like to see Zungu get more minutes. SG has a record that isnt broken and just wants to add so these guys are going to have to wait. As for your comment - I was in agreement yet Kamara should / could be more box to box and it all depends on who we are playing.

The concern for the SFA XI is touching. Let's hope this alliance with Scotland's football authorities is as precious when they declare the season null and void to stop us winning "Celtic's title". I'm sure Ryan Jack would be quite happy extending his Rangers career at the expense of Rod Petrie's team.

Id give Jack the first hour in this game next to Kamara with Davis getting a bit of a rest. Id probably go with Hagi Aribo and Kent infront of them with Morelos up top. I would like to see Roofe and Itten getting more minutes but more so in home games first. Yet in saying that Jack and Kamara next to each other earlier on in the season was getting a but stale in some games - Livingston away was the biggest example.

The first time was a specific incident though that was well documented. The second time he was fine when he returned and started the game ahead of Kamara and others. He was injured during the game. It could just as easily have been a European game during the week.

Twice he has came back from international duty and missed club matches, so it makes a difference to his employer and our team. I stand by my initial comment.

He plays a handful of international games a year. It makes little to no difference at all.

To me it seems they are just working the way up the leagues to suspend the whole lot.

I think you have to bear in mind that your stats are going to be a lot lower playing for a team who have only scored a pitiful 28 goals in 21 games, compared to our 59 goals. A couple of encouraging stats in there, a very high number of through passes, and a very high shot on target % despite having a very low number of shots.

Jack's not going to quit international football this season, that's for sure.

Nope, always been proud to have Gers in the national team, always will be. Another tough game in what has been a pretty solid stretch of games, keep the foot on their neck Rangers.

Gonzo, Those sharing the platform of BBC Scotland with Stewart must be made aware that Michael's line and script is provided by Alex Barr's BIG Partnership. When Hollicom stepped down, the SPFL's PR firm ie BIG Partnership stepped up to take on ra Sellik remit. Two and two makes four, there is a reason why Michael's line comes across as co-ordinated because it is co-ordinated by the very same PR firm. It's time for those disagreeing with Stewart at PQ to ask which line he is following during any particular broadcast?