APPARENTLY the tide has turned. The bookies have our south side rivals as favourites for the first time since a new club emerged from the embers of the gross financial mismanagement of the real Rangers.
I guess that means the confidence emanating from Ibrox has transferred from mere bravado to hard cash being wagered with William Hill and Ladbrokes et al. Fair play. If you believe it’ll happen, I’ve long been a proponent of putting your money where your mouth is. I will be doing the same. Over 2/1 on Celtic? Buying money.
It would appear therefore that Celtic have reverted to the underdog in a Glasgow derby. Again it has been a while since that happened and as much as I’d question the reasoning I quite welcome the pressure. As Billie Jean King said “Pressure is a privilege it’s what you do with it that matters”.
Celtic thrive on pressure. We’ve evidenced enough as we’ve won 9 consecutive trophies and as we line up for the challenge of 9 in a row for a second time. No-one has lowered our colours when it comes to silverware since 2016-17 season.
We see pressure as the privilege it is. To carry that burden is something we’ve not only become accustomed to it’s something we’ve grown to absorb and relish. We’ve always risen to the challenge when it mattered, we’ve never wilted when our credentials have really been questioned.
We’ve sold the family silver and prevailed. We’ve been behind in cup finals and won. Read Tom Rogic in the last minute to become the Invincibles, right up to to last season’s cup final in May. Down 1-0 to Hearts and French Eddy’s ice in veins approach to coming back from adversity. When it matters we perform.
That is pressure and that’s responding to it. Consistently.
We’ve lost big players and important managers and still prevailed. You don’t get to 8 titles in a row and a Treble Treble without dealing with adversity. Its water off a duck’s back. We even waited for our dear old rivals return before we could even be arsed wiping the floor with everyone. It may be we were just waiting to make the point.
So why are we under pressure? Two defeats at Ibrox last season would be the obvious answer. One under the due to depart Brendan Rodgers, an injury crisis that forced Mikey Johnston to play the lone striker role and Callum McGregor having to play left back. The other a dead rubber when the title was won and Celtic minds were on a third consecutive treble. To our opponents it was their Cup Final. To us it was a game that carried no such weight. We were competing for and winning the real thing.
So who is really under pressure? The team going for 9 and 10 or the team trying to stop it? The team yet to win a trophy or the team who have forgotten what defeat when it matters tastes like?
Let’s look at how ‘Rangers’ cope with pressure.
One Scottish Cup final reached. A response of the weak willed in a 3-2 defeat to Hibs at Hampden. 2-1 up with ten minutes to go and crash goes the bottle. Anthony Stokes and Liam Henderson probably just showed their Celtic crosses under their shirts and it was enough to cause panic in the ranks. Lost 3-2.
How about the last time they really fancied their chances when it mattered. March 2018. Ibrox. 1-0 up through Josh Windass. 2-1 up through Candeias. Celts down to 10 men following the sending off of Jozo Simunovic. How did that work out? Super sub French Eddy slalomed through a defence superior in numbers and put them to the sword again. 3-2. Pressure is a bitch.
How about winning the derby at home before the winter break, putting yourself in a real position of ‘challenging’ in the New Year? The sound of bottle crashing on that occasion was louder than the recycling collection at my place after we won the Treble Treble. Complete capitulation when faced with a stand in manager and half the opponent’s support staff heading south to Leicester and a club in apparent disarray. The evidence doesn’t bode well.
This is not a team or a club who have yet proved they deal with duress. They’ve yet to show when the chips are down that the ghosts of the past don’t haunt them entirely, but somehow they’re now the favourites and Celtic are the underdogs. Only in the wacky world of Scottish football.
Celtic will once again show they’ve got the mentality to cope with pressure. It is already banked. Strengths of reserves, resilience and experience to draw on while their opponents try and break new ground.
Celtic have removed the shackles of the possession for possessions sake of Brendan Rodgers. This is a team who have averaged 5 league goals to date. Rangers have yet to face this Celtic. Middle to front this side have no peers. This is the best we’ve performed as an attacking force in years.
In contrast the two players who caused us the most worry in Ryan Kent and Daniel Candeias have left our opponents roster. Kent in particular was the one and only player I genuinely feared in that ‘Rangers’ team last season. It could well be they’ve replaced with even better, if not they’re a weaker team than we faced last year.
And then there is discipline. ‘Rangers’ have shown no evidence they can rise above harrying, badgering, intimidation, arm-twisting and mind games. The dark arts they in yesteryear were the renowned masters of now contradicts their confidence.
Let’s rewind to Celtic Park 31 March this year. Alfredo Morelos walks after assaulting Scott Brown. Ryan Kent avoids the same outcome despite a full blown attempted punch on the Celtic captain in the middle of the park and Andy Halliday sees red post-game as he defended the ‘honour’ of the hordes in the corner post-match. Doesn’t exactly give grounds to believe they are suddenly so strong of mind that they’ll be lining up this year having turned over a new leaf does it?
So let’s not be buying into any old nonsense that Celtic are as some have reported a busted flush. It’s merely wishful thinking. We’ve got three trophies in the cabinet, they’ve all been there for three years and it’s going to take some team to take them off this Celtic side. If anyone wants them they’ll have to earn them. ‘Rangers’ are a long way off having that sort of claim.
“Actions speak louder than words, but not nearly as often” said Mark Twain.
Celtic have the actions already banked. It will take more than bookmaker liabilities to change that.
‘Rangers’ are mere pretenders. All they have is words.
Niall J
Also on The Celtic Star
Taylor? Poker Latest plus ‘I like the challenge of trying to win games and win titles,’ Celtic latest star signing…see HERE.
Another Beautiful Sunday? Confidence is high on Celtic Noise ahead of Glasgow Derby..see HERE.
‘It’s astonishing that Rangers essentially got away with what they did,’ Tangled Up in Blue author…see HERE.
‘It’s been a week of negatives for me considering I’ve not done an awful lot wrong,’ Craig Gordon…see HERE.
