Joe Hart’s post-match words at the weekend clearly contradict those who are saying that the support cannot and should not show their collective displeasure with the Celtic board and the most underwhelming transfer window since the Willo Flood shambles in 2009. Poor old Willo Flood, the only Celtic player ever to have had a window named after him, due to the failures of the Celtic board to properly back the manager.
We were ahead in the league that season too but lost it, threw it away really.
Willo Flood
Joe Hart didn’t appear to have had an issue with the banner displayed by Bhoys Celtic at Pittodrie, indeed he appeared rather impressed by its size! And crucially he confirmed that it did not have any negative impact on the players. The 1-1 draw and the two dropped points weren’t down to the supporters at the game, of which I was one.
We supported the team from start to finish in what was a cold and windy February day in the North East, not sure what else could have been done by the supporters who had one or two chants directed at the Board and the Chairman early on and after the final whistle but in between it was all about the team.
“It’s not a distraction for the players, not at all. We see it, there is no getting away from it – it was a decent-sized banner!” Joe Hart noted. “But that’s for the support and that’s what they need to work out. As players, we stay focused and the management team and staff have a job to do. And we’re fully focused on that,” he added as reported by Football Scotland.
“Ideally, we win that game 4-0 and everybody is smiling and everybody is happy. But it doesn’t work like that. Aberdeen had a lot to prove today and a lot to work on after losing their manager recently. It was always going to be a tough game.
“In the first half, we were very good and could have been out of sight, but weren’t. The second half was then a good game. But the support is there for us. They have come a long way – however far it is from Glasgow – and whoever else people travel from as they do in Europe and around the world. We feel that and appreciate it and put our heart and soul out onto the pitch.
“Sometimes it’s not good enough but we’re not perfect. We’re aspiring for that and we want to give this superb club victories. We train hard every day and we’re given every chance so there is certainly nothing we can complain about as players. We have the opportunity to perform at the top level. It’s up to us to try and do that for 90 minutes on a Saturday and a Wednesday.”
Hart was outstanding in that second half when Celtic’s defensive discipline seemed to fall apart. Indeed Sandman named Joe Hart as his man of the Match in his Definitive Ratings on Saturday evening – well worth a read if you missed it!
READ THIS…Sandman’s Definitive Ratings – Celtic at Wooly-Bully
If Hibs have done their homework they may well adopt similar tactics on Wednesday night at Easter Road where the Celtic support will be larger that the allocation received at Pittodrie, where incidentally there were plenty of ticketless Celtic supporters outside desperate for tickets in a stadium with so many empty seats in the home end.
Scottish football is short of money yet it’s doubtful there’s any other league that comes close as the Scottish Premiership for doing all it can to keep football supporters out of matches. Find a way to fill the stands!
Here’s our Photo Gallery from the game at Pittodrie on Saturday…
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