SANDMAN’S DEFINITIVE RATINGS: CELTIC @ SALEM’S LOT…
“If you dare to struggle, you dare to win. If you dare not struggle, then damn it, you don’t deserve to win.” – Fed Hampton
THE FRIENDLY GHOST – 7/10 – Ha, ha, it’s Kasper! Just as you, me, and the entire Celtic nation were expecting the inevitable concession, out comes the Great Dane to foil at point-blank with the family dance routine as Da’ watches on. Given the conditions, a remarkable clean sheet for a tubby near-forty-something wage-thief; right,
haters? Big grin on his face to the goal-side camera at full-time said it all – a priceless three points dug out of the January gloom.
AZTECO – 7/10 – Very decent in testing parts; drug cartels might be one thing but Falkirk locals on dreich nights may make you long for shootouts (No, not penalties, kids…) on the backroads of Tamaulipas. He kept his nerve and heid prety well as the team struggled on the sticky-back plastic.
KATIE – 5.5/10 – Rough on KT but he scrapped his way through. Almost run-ragged by a lively winger for most of the game, his quality saw him prevail, staying steadfast into the depths of the match, taking blows and cards but
getting the job done.
OF JUSTICE – 7.5/10 MOTM – MOTM Again! The virgins must die! Well, not quite those extremes, but the pelters the Ginger Baresi has taken deserve some humble pie. Once more, with his defensive partner all at sea, Liam was decisive at the back and our most creative passer when he could step up. Which wasn’t often given the home side’s familiarity and adeptness on their own ‘turf’. And I use that word figuratively for the flaming atrocity underfoot. Like I remarked Saturday, Liam is a bhoy you need for domestic strife – was right on-point and sharp for the majority of proceedings, the defender we required for the conditions; just able to get the side through the turmoil by setting a calming, focussed example. And, boy, we needed that last night.
CRUSTY THE CLOWN – 4/10 – He hated that. Never managed to get his feet right, floundered around, unsure, ropey. Gone off the boil recently but thankfully bailed-out by others.
I disagree with all your appraisals with the exception of :- Schmeical and Scales . It’s a sad fact that a team like Celtic are second best in every department , to Falkirk .
Falkirk , under the tutorage of John McLynne have better , fitter , more skillful players than a club like Celtic . The only difference is that the Falkirk players are paid a fraction of what our ” Duds” are paid .
The Falkirk players were first to every ball and at times you would have thought it was :- Manchester City or Barcelona v’s Celtic . This is how far we have regressed in the last few years ; so the BOARD and BR. should be held to account for Celtic’s monumental decline . We need serious changes at board level and throughout the whole club when Martin O’Neil leaves . What has happened when we have an Academy which hasn’t produced a decent player in years ? What is going on ; when , so called Professional players , cannot beat opponents ,cannot shoot, cannot play a final ball , cannot score penalties nor score from free-kicks ? Our club , despite its wealth is run like an amateur out-fit . Can nobody , at the club see that :- McGregor , Teirney and Hetate are past their sell-buy date ; Engals is over-rated and a waste of money ; Neigren (despite his goals) ; McCowan , Yang and Kenny are simply not ” Celtic Class “. It pains me to critiise Celtic players but the reset button needs to be pressed . Martin O’Neill will be a miracle worker if he manages to win anything with these players .I hope , I am very , very wrong .