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DAVID POTTER'S CELTIC VIEW – DREAMS AND SONGS TO SING
By David Potter
Your correspondent didn't go to the game because of problems climbing steps with a bad hip (awgh, diddums!) so he shouted at his TV, wife and dog instead. The latter two escaped to the garden for it was a beautiful afternoon. Yes, indeed, it was that, a profoundly beautiful afternoon in which I now think we can allow ourselves the luxury of a hope or a dream or two.
Celtic Park was tough and no place for the faint hearted, but Celtic emerged triumphant, beating Rangers 3-2, by showing a little character after surviving two self-inflicted blows of naive defending at corner kicks.
Scott McDonald took his goals well, the first by remembering the cardinal (is that a politically correct word in this context, I wonder?) rule of kicking the ball once, and only once, in the penalty area. His second goal was a little trickier, but it was a fine turn and shot, though Skippy got a wee bit of help from Christian Dailly who played as well on Sunday for Rangers as he normally does for Scotland.
Aiden McGeady played well in the build-up to Celtic's second goal, which equalised the match at 2-2 just before half-time, but I often feel that Aiden stays too much on that wing, and that the team could benefit with a little more inter-changing.
Barry Robson matured as the game went on, and although I have seen better penalties, it was effective, it was the match-winner and at 3-2 ahead Celtic then settled down to finish the game on top. Not well on top, but on top, a point admitted on Setanta TV by Terry Butcher who, in his new role as Scotland's Assistant Manager, is bending over backwards to be nice to Celtic, even at one point talking about Scott McDonald's bum! No kidding, he did! He said he'd seen it at close quarters – “but not that close”.
Setanta TV did go on a bit about Celtic's early goal being marginally offside (Scott Booth in particular), but it was very marginal and they only noticed it on about the third replay. So, no blame can be attached to the match officials who actually had a good game in extremely difficult circumstances.
No fisticuffs, pulling hair or scratching each other's eyes out at the end of this Celtic victory, and even old Wattie was almost gracious at the end, but the Setanta cameras caught our Artur with a T-shirt on in which he claimed that God was blessing a world religious leader. I can't remember which one. It may have been the Dalai Lama, or maybe the Archbishop of Canterbury or maybe even the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. No, come to think of it, it wasn't any of them, but whoever it was, it was a nice gesture - and no-body could be offended by that...or could they?
So, can Celtic do it – win the League? The odds remain slightly against it, but I am no longer writing them off as I did a month ago. If Celtic win their three games (a big if), then Rangers might crack. Motherwell are now the key team. They have to play Celtic once (at Fir Park), and Rangers twice (home and away) and I cannot see Mark McGhee's team losing all three.
Rangers also have to go to Easter Road next week (when Celtic could be eight points ahead, if we win at Fir Park) and also Aberdeen, and although Jimmy and Jimmy are anything but Tims, Zander certainly is, and besides, the Dons hate the Huns more than Artur does.
Stephen Whittaker further eased Wattie's problems about who to leave out after trying to put Naka into a wheelchair. So there are possibilities. Celtic may not win the League, but credit must be given to Gordon Strachan and his men for putting up a fight, after the dismal months of December and March in which everything seemed to have been thrown away.
We may not win the SPL, but it would be rather wonderful if we did.
David Potter
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