Redemption? – “Tak a man apiece!” and “Face the ball, Celts!” David Potter

Well, it wasn’t pretty, but we are into the quarter finals of the Scottish League Cup, and the treble treble is still on. Had we lost today, “regime change” would have been inevitable.

No-one will say that everything in the garden is rosy again – far from it – but there was enough to show that the club is still in good heart, and that we might now think that the “crisis” came early enough in the season to allow us to deal with it.

Several things I would like to see happening – we have had one or two public statements from Brendan Rodgers and it would be nice to get one from Peter Lawwell also. Let us hear what the policy is on recruitment, and whether we are still interested in strengthening before the deadline! I would like to think that we are all in this together.

Dedryck Boyata? Brendan has made a few conciliatory noises today. Let us hear some from Dedryck himself. A full public apology for his disgraceful behaviour would not be out of place at all, not would a statement that he wishes to play for Celtic and no-one else this season.

I honestly think that a “coming clean”, and a public dissociation from the influence of his grasping agent would be accepted by the support. Without these, however, I feel that the supporters, like myself, would find it difficult to reconcile what happened last week with the statement of Willie Maley that “it is an honour and a privilege to wear those green and white jerseys”.

Another more general requirement is a major propaganda offensive. We have rather lost this battle over the summer. Time to claim it back. Let Celtic dominate the back pages of the newspapers! Jock Stein knew how to do this.

But to the game itself. There was a horrible time in the second half when I felt we were going to lose it all. You sensed it in the support, but full marks to Cristian Gamboa for making these two goals. He is now surely worth a run in the team, and how nice it was to see Emilio Izaguirre again! He knows what it is like to be apart from Celtic, and it would be nice if he could have a quiet word with Dedryck on the subject!

Another player worth a few more games is Mikey Johnston. He was quite impressive today and once again, we have to say that wherever we have problems, it is not in the midfield. We are currently over-subscribed there!

Leigh Griffiths has now scored 99 goals for the club, and it was good that Scotty Sinclair made it for him. Brendan has been more than patient with Scotty. I would like to think that there will be a payback.

The defence? I think the important thing is hard work – hard work at understanding each other and hard work at dealing with any possible situation. Anticipation is important, but so too are the more basic instructions of Sunny Jim more than a century ago – “Tak a man apiece!” and “Face the ball, Celts!” Or even the “no pasaran” of Dolores Ibarruri! Simple stuff really – just don’t let them score!

Today has bought time. We must continue to develop, and I would like to think that the horrors of last week can provide a lesson in that we must all TRUST each other and that includes the fans. The season has barely started, and there is still plenty silverware to deck in green and white.

David Potter

About Author

The Celtic Star founder and editor, who has edited numerous Celtic books over the past decade or so including several from Lisbon Lions, Willie Wallace, Tommy Gemmell and Jim Craig. Earliest Celtic memories include a win over East Fife at Celtic Park and the 4-1 League Cup loss to Partick Thistle as a 6 year old. Best game? Easy 4-2, 1979 when Ten Men Won the League. Email editor@thecelticstar.co.uk

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