Joe Hart reflected on a disappointing afternoon at Hampden yesterday then looked forwards to the mission ahead for Celtic as the players turn their attention to the remaining five Premiership fixtures with the ultimate goal for the season, winning the league, very much in Celtic’s hands as they look down on theRangers from the top of the league with a six point advantage and a better goal difference on +19.
“We’re humble in victory and we will be humble in defeat,” the Celtic goalkeeper said to Celtic TV after going out of the Scottish Cup at Hampden yesterday afternoon before showing some defiance and pointing out that Celtic still have plenty to play for to make this a memorable season, with five games to play to get the points to wrap up the title, a remarkable achievement considering where Celtic were last summer.
READ THIS…That was sore one but not enough to derail Celtic’s season
Add the League Cup to that and it’s a more than satisfactory double for the Bhoys, most of whom are newly arrived at the club alongside manager Ange Postecoglou. Incidentally Ange yesterday was more animated about refereeing decisions than at any other stage in his first season, it may have taken a while for that pre-season warning he was given about Scottish referees but yesterday he got the message load and clear.
“At the end of the day, we have stuff to play for, we’ve got supporters to show up for, we’ve got a club to represent and just because we have lost this game that won’t change,” Joe Hart stressed, and of course he is bang on with that point. And yesterday, in contrast to the mob at the other side, whose disgraceful sectarian songbook featuring of course their banned racist anthem of hate and violence was heard repeatedly throughout the day.
I thought Rangers were terrific today at Hampden: strong, skilful, carrying threat. I hear debate about ref Bobby Madden but this was a deserved win.
Off the pitch…my God, this Rangers songbook. How the hell do we drag these people into the 21st century? Embarrassing.
— Graham Spiers (@GrahamSpiers) April 17, 2022
“It was a tough game. We had chances to put them away, we didn’t take them and ultimately that’s the story of the game,” Hart continued. Both sides hit the woodwork, both goalkeepers didn’t have too much to do with Hart perhaps being the only one to make a significant save. Madden’s failure to punish repeated fouling on Celtic players breaking the high press was a significant factor, perhaps but core fault lay in too many Celtic players either having an off day or not being sufficiently up for the battle. The Green Brigade were right all along, yesterday was going to be a war.
Lots of comments from the media on how poor Madden was but if they were honest they would point out that all those decisions went one way.
Madden’s game plan was carried out 100% to his liking.
VAR won’t stop refs breaking up our play at every single opportunity. pic.twitter.com/frv9vcBkdQ
— RhebelRhebel (@RhebelRhebel) April 18, 2022
“There’s still plenty to play for. We put on a good show but not a great showing to win the game. Over the course of the season, we still have stuff to fight for and we are looking forward to that fight,” Hart said.
“We just learn from it, it’s as simple as that, there’s nothing more we can do – we can’t take it back or replay the game. We are out of the cup so we can only learn from it and use it as fuel to go on. We’ve got an obvious mission between now and the end of the season and we want to complete that.”
