These games are not good for the blood pressure or anxiety that’s for sure. Tonight we made it so much more difficult than it had to be at times. After sailing into a two goal lead by half-time again, we didn’t find that third – and crucially killer – goal that would have broken the opposition spirit and given us another chance to rotate the team in the second period early on.
We always knew that it would be tough and so it proved as we were caught off guard yet again from set-plays. This is not a pleasant thing to view or write about, especially since we looked as if we had put basic crosses into the penalty area to bed in regards to losing goals. Although the first goal was well worked for Aberdeen, it’s just a basic lack of organisation that has led to Ramirez getting that run and space to fire in a Dons’ lifeline in the second forty-five.
The second was really poor in my opinion; Ferguson isn’t the tallest player and yet he’s managed to not only steal a yard, but leaped above our defenders to fire in an equaliser that really shouldn’t have happened, even if the Aberdeen TV pundits made out they were deserving of being level in the game. Stupidity at the back is one of the themes that can become the undoing of a team with title aspirations as we have seen in England already this season.
We have gotten there in the end and as I said before the game: this really is all that matters at this stage, particularly because our rivals also won at home tonight against Hibernian to keep the pressure on. It may be like this until the very last kick of the ball this season, so best to prepare for the emotional instability this may cause Bhoys and Ghirls. No finger nails and episodes of mania could lie in store at every turn if Celtic insist on not putting games to bed when we have the upper hand in league business.
Alas, all is well that ends well.
But please, Celtic, no more giving away positions of strength so cheaply…
Paul Gillespie
