Pleased to see both Liverpool and Man Utd winning today, as they are my 2nd and 3rd favourite teams respectively.
I'm beginning to think that Liverpool might be the main challengers to the two Manchester sides for the title, instead of Chelsea, as Conte may need time to get used to English football and build his side, which Klopp has now had and done, or is well onto the road of doing. Arsenal won't be far away either.
Yup, we won 6-1 at home today against Kilmarnock. I've still to watch the match, but apparently in the second half, the football Celtic played was breathtaking and just blew Kilmarnock away, in a game that they could have won with double figures.Originally Posted by struth
Very glad to see Leigh Griffiths return from injury, and come back with a goal, as he is a HUGE player for us, and also Dembele continue on his impressive scoring run. Furthermore, it should be noted that FIVE different players scored our goals today. There's no doubt that middle to front we're on fire, and it's likely we'll be thrashing a few more teams in the SPL like that, before the season ends.
Defensively too, we're starting to improve, as Simunovic returning to the side has made us look more solid and purposeful at the back. De Vries was subbed at half time, apparently after another howler, although the Kilmarnock goalscorer apparently hit a screamer from 35 yards, which was next to unstoppable. Some folk are saying it was the former, and that De Vries should've saved the shot, and some are saying the latter.
I'll need to watch the match later on Celtic TV, in order to make up my own mind. Brendan Rodgers has since come out and said that De Vries picked up a chest injury in the first half, so that's why he was subbed, but I suspect the real truth is that BR has finally accepted that at the moment De Vries simply isn't up to the job and looks very nervous playing for a club the size of Celtic, and so will need more time to adjust.
Either way, I'm pleased that Craig Gordon will be in goal on Wednesday night against Man City, as otherwise we would've definitely lost goals. We may still do with Craig Gordon, but at this moment in time he's ahead of De Vries, certainly in terms of confidence - and that, along with ability, is something that we'll need in spades from our goalkeeper on Wednesday night, as it will be a very difficult game.
I also think it will be a very different game from the Barcelona one. Firstly, because Celtic are at home, and thus are always a different proposition there, compared with when playing away, where their record is poor. Therefore, unless City really turn on the style and Celtic play very badly, I don't see us losing a barrowload of goals, although we could definitely still lose the game.
However, I think we'll be really up for this one, not just because of winning 6-1 today (after all, we beat Rangers 5-1 before the Barca game and still got cuffed), but because it'll be Brendan Rodgers' first CL group game at Celtic Park, so he'll want it to be memorable for the right reasons, and also Celtic will want to make amends to their fans for that 7-0 drubbing by Barca. Furthermore, I think that Sinclair will want to show what he can do against his old club, where he never got a chance.
Couple that with Roberts also wanting to do well against the team who owns him, and Dembele and Griffiths being on great form and keen to show that they have the ability to compete against top quality opposition, then finally factor in the 'Battle of Britain'/England vs. Scotland thing, and I think we'll be in for a cracker!!
I remember, during the Martin O'Neill era, what everyone thought Liverpool would do to Celtic, when we played them in the UEFA cup, during that great run we had to the cup final in 2003, and we drew 1-1 at Celtic Park, and then beat them 2-0 at Anfield.... Who knows - maybe the script is written for BR to follow in his fellow Irishman's footsteps? As a Celtic fan, I can only hope and pray that is the case.
Chris will no doubt have other ideas, and deservedly so, as City (on paper) are the far superior side. One way or another, it's certainly a match not to be missed!
Marco.
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