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KEEP THE FAITH'S PARTISAN PREVIEW – CELTIC v Anti-Football FC
By North Sea Bhoy
Guess what? This is another “must win” game for Celtic. It goes without saying that every game against the Dark Side is a “must win” game, but this one has added significance. Anything other than a Celtic win is unacceptable and will surely hand the SPL title to the Ugly Ones.
Ten days ago at Celtic Park, we got the 2-1 win that our approach to the game fully deserved in what was difficult circumstances for Celtic. And Anti-Football will be the name of the game again this afternoon at Celtic Park, as far as the Orcs are concerned. Yet another 0-0 draw will be their aim.
I don't often give the Dark Side credit for anything, but I have to tip my hat to their propaganda department this week. How Cheats FC have managed to turn the SPL's disgraceful decision to illegally extend the season to aid the Huns' League campaign into a decision that somehow hampers them was a masterstroke.
How Walter Smith could attack Celtic Chief Executive Peter Lawwell and accuse him of “getting everything he wants” is beyond belief. The SPL have bent over backwards to aid the Orcs this season and to claim anything else is deception epitomised. A dignified silence would be their best course of action, as anything else just makes them look ridiculous, not too mention dishonest. Perhaps the tension is starting to get to Smith. Was that the sound of his bottle crashing?
Anyway, back to the job in hand. Gordon Strachan is likely to make changes from the side that squeaked past Aberdeen 1-0 last weekend. The Manager's love child Gary Caldwell is a certain starter now that he's served his one-match ban for slapping a pensioner. Less certain for a starting berth is Scott Brown after his three-match suspension. Gordon Strachan strongly hinted that Skoosh wouldn't walk back into the team, and with Paul Hartley and Barry Robson working so well together in Celtic's central midfield, that is only right.
Shunsuke Nakamura is expected to start despite injuring his ankle in training this week and you can only imagine that it won't be long before someone in blue tries to leave his mark on our Japanese genius. I expect the Referee will be unsighted.
There have been worries about the fitness of several Bhoys this week following our last encounter with the Ipox Storm Troopers. Andrea Hinkel, Lee Naylor, Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink and Paul Hartley all missed training at some point this week. So although we'd like to see the same Celtic line up as the last time out against this mob, it'll probably go down to late fitness tests to see who starts the game. The lack of information on these Bhoys could be interpreted as either bad news or an attempt to unsettle the Huns' preparations for the game. I suppose it depends on whether you are a glass half-full or glass half-empty kind of ghuy.
I suspect that the Celtic line up this afternoon could be:
Boruc, Hinkel (or Caddis), Caldwell, McManus and Naylor (or Wilson); Nakamura, Hartley, Robson and McGeady (who will be looking to make that odious wee reptile Novo pay for his “pocket” comment): with McDonald and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink (or Georgios Samaras) leading the line.
Hoops, I covered the bases there, eh?
The Dark Side are missing Ugly Betty and Kevin “The Cheat” Thomson through suspension and up to six others are missing through injury. With MythGregor, Adam, McCruncher, Burkey Burke, Naisy Naismith and DeMarcus Goesdowneasily all currently in the Mordor medical room, you would imagine that the ugly meter has gone off the scale. I would definitely not let children anywhere near that room, or in MythGregor's case OAPs for that matter. Allegedly.
There can be no doubt, following the previous humping of the Huns, that if it all boils down to football then we'll end today's game five points clear. However, we all are painfully aware that outside influences can make telling contributions at important stages of these matches. Sometimes decisions not awarded can be just as important as ones that are given in controversial circumstances. Frustrating though this is, there is nothing we can do about it.
I want to see Celtic cut loose in this game and knock enough goals past Alexander in the Orcs' net to make any dubious decisions immaterial. Let's pile the pressure on, as there are already signs of TFOD cracking, and if we keep on chipping away, their walls will come tumbling down, leaving nothing left to guard.
Make some noise for the Bhoys and C'mon The Hoops.
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