So Celtic have now reached their 34th League Cup Final (so far, won 18 and lost 15), and they did it through a very good performance last night as they more or less swept Hibs aside, only letting them into the game through goals where the concentration had clearly lapsed in the defence – a fault that must be addressed. Concentration must be for the whole 90 minutes!
But let’s talk about the good points.
Elyounoussi scored a couple of great goals and sparkled throughout and Scott Brown enhanced his reputation with a couple of second half goals which finally sunk Hibs.
But once again there was no-one on the field who could honestly be called a failure, or even an underperformer. Our team is a splendid one at the moment with great ability to pass the ball to each other. Edouard had a great game today, making opportunities for others rather than thinking about scoring himself, and that is a clear sign of a team man, but my Man of the Match would have been Callum McGregor for his passing, and the power of work that he did.
But, I repeat this is a fine team whose only problem is complacency. It is hard to imagine anyone, even Lazio or Rangers, getting the better of them. The only team capable of beating this team is Celtic themselves through carelessness.
Hibs now and again put up some spirited resistance, but they never really looked like capable of catching Celtic at 2-1 and 4-2. I remained confident throughout. Clearly more questions will now be asked about their Manager, and it may be that both Edinburgh clubs will be looking for a Manager soon. Their fans are disappearing quickly, as was seen by their inability to fill even the small section of the stadium that they were allocated.
And now for a couple of gripes.Is Hibs v Celtic really a clash of colours? They did not think so in 1972, the Scottish Cup final of Dixie Deans’ famous hat-trick, nor in 1974 either when he scored another hat trick, this time in a League Cup final. So why now? And in any case, why must BOTH teams change? What Hibs wore last night was not all that dissimilar to what Fraser Forster was wearing, and really what is the problem with both teams wearing their proper strip? Please, don’t anyone tell me about the need to advertise replica strips!
The others gripe concerns flares. The backing given to the team was quite phenomenal and awe-inspiring – no-one could deny that and I remain a great admirer of the Green Brigade, but I would appeal to them to desist from flares. They are dangerous, they could get us banned (let alone fined) and they do not go down well with other supporters. I was standing just above where the flares went off and they caused quite a lot of coughing among some supporters, and a certain amount of anger when they prevented a clear view of the game. So, they are not necessary and do not enhance the already great support that the Green Brigade gives the club. Stop them!
And so to today’s game. Sadly, I think I know who is going to win this semi-final, but maybe we will get a surprise. It shouldn’t really matter all that much, for we are capable of dealing with either of them. We however should turn our attention to Lazio. A victory in Rome would not only more or less qualify us; it would also be concrete proof of the long-awaited emergence of Celtic from European obscurity. But we need 100% concentration in defence for the whole 90 minutes. We had a centre half more than 100 years ago called Willie Loney. One of his nicknames was “No Road this Way”. Central defenders, I am looking at you when I write this!
David Potter
Good morning, Celts! 😁
Have a great Sunday 💛💚 pic.twitter.com/h9xCaaW1KD
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) November 3, 2019
ALSO ON THE CELTIC STAR AFTER CELTIC’S 5-2 WIN OVER HIBS…
“I’ve had enough now”: This is how it feels to be a Hibs fan after emphatic loss to Celtic
“All I want for Christmas”: These fans urge Celtic to sign Elyounoussi on a permanent basis
Together as one into the #BetfredCup final! 🍀💥 #Bhoys #CelticFC #HibCel pic.twitter.com/0tcZ13pECl
— Jeremie Frimpong (@JeremieFrimpong) November 2, 2019
