The Scottish PL discussion thread

Eirebear

50 Euros say that if Rangers dont make the semi, the league finishes on the date its supposed to, Sunday 18th May. Deal.

ziggy

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Eirebear

ziggy wrote: »

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lol....whoops!

ziggy

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Eirebear

ziggy wrote: »

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lol.....who ever suggested you might be paranoid? Stop thinking those things! :pac:

A Dub in Glasgo

I was looking at the papers today and Rangers are reported to be furious at the SPL for not extending the season further to the 27th May. I thought Rangers stated previously that they would not be asking for an extension to the season? Did they actually ask for an extension? If they did not, why would they be furious at the SPL?

estebancambias

McGeady>Ronaldo.

Eirebear

A Dub in Glasgo wrote: »

I was looking at the papers today and Rangers are reported to be furious at the SPL for not extending the season further to the 27th May. I thought Rangers stated previously that they would not be asking for an extension to the season? Did they actually ask for an extension? If they did not, why would they be furious at the SPL?

We did ask for an extension, although there was a lot of mixed messages coming from Ibrox beforehand so i dont know when we asked.

@Esteban.........WTF?

ziggy

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Eirebear

Well done the wee bears again tonight.

3-1 after extra time against their Celtic counterparts.

John Fleck scored a wondergoal, by all reports literally out of the Roy of the Rovers handbook with a solo effort in the last minute of the game, and bagged another in the last minute of injury time to seal it.

Lets hope the big bears can do the same on sunday!

Eirebear

All the best Tommy

CELTIC coach Tommy Burns was given a blood transfusion yesterday after a setback in his battle against cancer.

Burns, 51,had the treatment at a private hospital in Glasgow.

He was admitted on Tuesday after his condition worsened. He had been due to travel to France for vital treatment.

Doctors at Ross Hall hospital gave him the transfusion in an attempt to build up his strength for the trip.

Celtic fans have been anxiously waiting for news of the Parkhead legend's progress in his latest fight against the disease.

In 2006, he underwent surgery to remove part of a lymph gland in his groin after being diagnosed with melanoma - skin cancer.

One month after the operation, Tommy told how he thought he was winning his battle with the disease.

However, he was dealt a devastating blow in March this year when it emerged the cancer had returned.

He has been forced to take a break from his duties at Celtic while he undergoes his latest spell of treatment.

Tommy is a hugely popular figure among Celtic fans.

He has been married to wife Rosemary for 28 years and the couple have four children.

The midfielder signed for Celtic in 1973 and played 352 league games, scoring 52 goals.

He won eight Scotland caps.

In 1989, he moved to Kilmarnock and took over as boss three years later. He then managed Celtic from 1994 to 1997.

He had a spell in England and with the national team before returning to Parkhead under Gordon Strachan.

One fan said: "Tommy is Celtic through and through and I am sure every single supporter will have him in their thoughts."

Dempsey

Alot of sick rumours of him actually passed away flying around the internet last night. People claiming to have 'insider info' etc

Eirebear

Dempsey wrote: »

Alot of sick rumours of him actually passed away flying around the internet last night. People claiming to have 'insider info' etc

Yeah i heard about that, its disgusting.

I know i speak for the vast majority of Rangers fans when i say i wish him well and hope he pulls through this (i cant account for the few arseholes) he has ben, and continues to be a fantastic ambassador for the Scottish game and for football in general.

Dempsey

Eirebear wrote: »

Yeah i heard about that, its disgusting.

I know i speak for the vast majority of Rangers fans when i say i wish him well and hope he pulls through this (i cant account for the few arseholes) he has ben, and continues to be a fantastic ambassador for the Scottish game and for football in general.

According to other Celts on another forum, they reckon that family members of the Burns were asked by some of the media to confirm or deny the rumours. It must of been distressing and infuriating for all of them, no doubt TB would have gotten wind of this if true.

Eirebear

Dempsey wrote: »

According to other Celts on another forum, they reckon that family members of the Burns were asked by some of the media to confirm or deny the rumours. It must of been distressing and infuriating for all of them, no doubt TB would have gotten wind of this if true.

Wouldnt surprise me, as soon as the media get wind of something like that its pretty much their duty to find out one way or another.

It must have been horrible for a family member to have to answer a phonecall like that, and as you say it can be very nice for the man himself to know that people have already written him off.
Mind you, knowing the kind of character he is, it will be something he uses in order to keep him going.

delija_sever029

You guys think Celtic still have chance to get championship?And is there any rumour who will leave club on summer or join it?

CountingCrows

delija_sever029 wrote: »

You guys think Celtic still have chance to get championship?And is there any rumour who will leave club on summer or join it?

There is a slim chance of Celtic winning the championship for the 3rd year in a row, I think we'll get a win on Sunday but after that we'll be relying on the dark side losing another 4pts and us winning our renaming matches.

There are plenty rumours regarding comings and going in Paradise but hopefully the manager will be the first name out the door!

Eirebear

delija_sever029 wrote: »

You guys think Celtic still have chance to get championship?And is there any rumour who will leave club on summer or join it?

NO!

Who will leave the club?
Either Gordon Strachan.....or lots of season ticket holders.....;)

ziggy

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CountingCrows

ziggy wrote: »

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I'll be there Sunday and GS better hope I don't get a seat anywhere near him!

delija_sever029

Well its gonna be tough even if Celtic win on Sunday,Rangers needs to lose or draw a lot in last few rounds so i supose nothing of championship title,but its not end yet;)
Where i can see some infos about potential leaving or joining the club?I just think Celtic needs just a few good players to be european top with his fans,i just start shaking when i hear you'll never walk alone which is way better than liverpool's.Strachan's leaving is only your wish or real option of clubfor the end of season?Are there maybe names of potential new coach?

CountingCrows

delija_sever029 wrote: »

Well its gonna be tough even if Celtic win on Sunday,Rangers needs to lose or draw a lot in last few rounds so i supose nothing of championship title,but its not end yet;)
Where i can see some infos about potential leaving or joining the club?I just think Celtic needs just a few good players to be european top with his fans,i just start shaking when i hear you'll never walk alone which is way better than liverpool's.Strachan's leaving is only your wish or real option of clubfor the end of season?Are there maybe names of potential new coach?

Wow there's a post! I'll take the easiest question, regarding Strachan's future, he is on a rolling contract so if either party wants to end it at the end of the season that'll be it.

ziggy

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Mr Alan

delija_sever029 wrote: »

i just start shaking when i hear you'll never walk alone which is way better than liverpool's

Because you're new here, i'm gonna let that slide

CountingCrows

ziggy wrote: »

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Actually had a spare ticket earlier in the week! There always a ticket turning up at the last minute. I'll keep you in mind for next year when were pushing for 4 in a row

ziggy

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CountingCrows

ziggy wrote: »

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I've actually been at more Old Firms in Castle Greystone than Paradise. Was there for a few victories but my favourite moment was MON bringing Lennon over in pure and absolute defiance of tyranny.

Eirebear

delija_sever029 wrote: »

you'll never walk alone which is way better than liverpool's.

Meh...its a rubbish song anyway!

Ziggy, gimme a shout next time you need tickets for Ibrox....any game at all...you can sit beside me!

delija_sever029

So is it time we start talking about tommorows game,well everyone already knows Rangers will again with a draw acctually win definitly championship but on the other hand if Celtic win that will put more pressure on Rangers to win all matches in their tight schedule.I hope it wont be draw and Celtic will win it,i support them and i would like anyway to watch interesting finish of championship and possible huge surprise and Celtic winning trophey;)

A Dub in Glasgo

Seems we had a co-ordinated whinge from Smith across all the papers today. Hopefully the dour fecker will win nothing else this year

redspider

Celtic got the result we needed, and whilst its still advantage Rangers on paper, there is definitely a chink in their armour. What with the fixture list pile-up, the advantage that Rangers have is not that great. One draw by Rangers and that will mean a mere 2pts advantage on paper. From here on in its points in the bag that count, and points can be dropped by either team in any match. Thats the nature of the run-in.

It was a good bustling Old Firm match. Celtic's zonal defending at corners was a major problem, but I thought Boruc should have done better on both occasions. A man on the near post may have also helped for the first.

Rangers didnt go defensive from the start but they played a bit which made for a good game I thought as they gave as good as they got. They deserved goals from their efforts. As did Celtic. McGeady didnt seem to be getting much of the ball early on but did get into it and more supply, and McDonald was playing well. Robbo had a good game in the centre of the park. Nakamura was also more effective than he usually is. VofH was also a presence up there. Rangers missed Cuellar, but they played well as a unit and were good at passing and creative.

The 1st goal was slightly offside but the linesman mis-judged that.

From another thread:

Eirebear wrote: »

McDonald stopped and backed into Broadfoot outside the box, he made no effort to go towards the ball.
Broadfoot as clumsy as he may be, had no option but to run into his back because of this.

That's called shielding. If you get to a ball first, as McDonald did, and someone runs up behind you and bundles you over, its a foul. There is no question about that. And that's what happened, check out a replay again (in real time and slow-mo). Broadfoot should have checked his run when seeing that McDonald was going to get to the ball first. He clearly had the option.

I think overall, Rangers whilst playing well, cant be too miffed at the result in a close match. They still have everything to play for.

Btw, Robson's technique for the penalty wasnt that great if you ask me, a blast close to the centre. Celtic need a penalty taker, but no-one seems willing to step up to the plate. That's not a good sign.

At least its still interesting, and it could get very interesting ....

Redspider

CountingCrows

redspider wrote: »

Btw, Robson's technique for the penalty wasnt that great if you ask me, a blast close to the centre. Celtic need a penalty taker, but no-one seems willing to step up to the plate. That's not a good sign.

Not sure if they showed it on TV but Samaras grabbed the ball straight away but eventually Robson took it off him.

PauloMN

Ok so, leaving aside the last game , what do we reckon on the title now? I think it's too late for Celtic, I think Rangers will probably drop the 4 points we require, but I think we'll drop points in one of our last three games. I'm just glad we put up a bit of a fight though.

What about Strachan now? Do we want rid or not? I still think he should move on come the end of the season, but I'm glad he saw sense at the weekend and used the correct players (in particular Robson and Hartley for Brown and Donati) and the correct subs at the right time.

As for ins and outs - nothing changes really. Centre-back would be nice to replace Caldwell, although I thought he had a good game on Sunday. Riordan needs to head and we should tie up Samaras if we can. Not sure if Donati has a future, I haven't seen that much from the guy. As for Brown, he really has to do more next season to prove his worth. Would like to see a decent attacking midfielder added. Hope we see Mizuno and Hutchinson starting also.

CountingCrows

PauloMN wrote: »

Ok so, leaving aside the last game , what do we reckon on the title now? I think it's too late for Celtic, I think Rangers will probably drop the 4 points we require, but I think we'll drop points in one of our last three games. I'm just glad we put up a bit of a fight though.

I have no doubt the Huns will drop enough points to give us a chance. Whether we take it or not its very hard to say, Recent old Firm games aside our form isn't good.... but you never know

PauloMN wrote: »

What about Strachan now? Do we want rid or not? I still think he should move on come the end of the season, but I'm glad he saw sense at the weekend and used the correct players (in particular Robson and Hartley for Brown and Donati) and the correct subs at the right time.

Strachan has to go.

His obvious contempt for the fans aside, I look at it very simply - has he gotten the best out of the players at the club - NO.

ziggy

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PauloMN

ziggy wrote: »

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Good news indeed, if Rangers drop 4 points and we win our remaining games.

delija_sever029

good news,now only reamins Celtic win championship:D

redspider

> think it's too late for Celtic, I think Rangers will probably drop the 4 points we require, but I think we'll drop points in one of our last three games. I'm just glad we put up a bit of a fight though.

Its not over until its over. Rangers have a lot of games in rapid succession so are likely to drop points. We (Celtic) have more rest in between, so Celtic should win all their games IF the players put their minds to it and dont give up. We have 3 games left, Rangers have 6, so a lot can happen. Rangers are stretched at the moment. Lets keep the fight up.

In terms of Strachan. I think he has done enough this season and previous seasons to show that he can bring success to the club. Yes, there will be players that dont work out, that is the nature of the sport. I am sure he will be given another season. If he wins the league title next year, he will likely be retained again. I think many fans are calling for his head far too soon.

Redspider

Badabing

ziggy wrote: »

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Do you mean this year ie 2008/2009 season? If not what happens then.

PauloMN

Badabing wrote: »

Do you mean this year ie 2008/2009 season? If not what happens then.

I think he means '08/'09, as for the next season after I believe Scotland will get an automatic spot for the SPL champions, regardless of what happens elsewhere.

Eirebear

PauloMN wrote: »

I think he means '08/'09, as for the next season after I believe Scotland will get an automatic spot for the SPL champions, regardless of what happens elsewhere.

Yep, this is the case i think.

ziggy

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redspider

Congratulations to Rangers for getting through to the Uefa Cup final. Their best success in Europe since 1972 I understand. Rangers played well I thought, at least in terms of defence/middle of the park and getting the ball out of the danger area. But they only made a few half chances in the match and Darcheville was up on his own a lot. Ferguson was involved in a good move and something like that could get them a goal in the final if they set themselves up in a similar formation. I had a feeling beforehand that Vieri would miss his penalty, as his body language was all wrong. He is far from match sharp and fluffed a chance from 4 yards out.

Zenit St Petersburg are no flash in the pan, have good players technically and have a lot of scalps this season. One player though will miss the final through the 2nd yellow rule, the chap that scored 2 goals. Arshavin, potentially the worst name to have in marketing terms (unless Gillete??), will be back however and is dangerous. Zenit were well worth their win against Bayern. I think Kahn is well past his best before date however and didnt help. Zenit will provide tough opposition in the final for Rangers, but anything is possible in a final.

From a Celtic point of view, Rangers participation in that final will keep their focus split and should enhance the chances of Rangers dropping points in their league matches.

The what ifs .....
if Rangers draw two, or draw one and lose one, and win their other 4 league matches, and if Celtic win their 3 matches, Celtic will win the league. That scenario is far form beyond the realms of possibility.

But hats off to Rangers for getting to the final.

Redspider

CountingCrows

If Celtic go undefeated in the last 3 games we need the Huns to drop 4 points to keep the championship in Paradise.

I reckon the Huns will definitely drop points to Hibs & Aberdeen.

Hibernian v Rangers
Rangers v Motherwell
Rangers v Dundee Utd
Motherwell v Rangers
Aberdeen v Rangers

Killme00

CountingCrows wrote: »

If Celtic go undefeated in the last 3 games we need the Huns to drop 4 points to keep the championship in Paradise.

I reckon the Huns will definitely drop points to Hibs & Aberdeen.

Hibernian v Rangers
Rangers v Motherwell
Rangers v Dundee Utd
Motherwell v Rangers
Aberdeen v Rangers

Celtic will drop points too. Its very much Rangers title to lose at this point.

RefulgentGnomon

The what ifs .....
if Rangers draw two, or draw one and lose one, and win their other 4 league matches, and if Celtic win their 3 matches, Celtic will win the league.

Could it not come down to goal difference?

CountingCrows

RefulgentGnomon wrote: »

Could it not come down to goal difference?

Possibly but with Celtic having a +7 goal difference at the moment and the Huns "anti-football" tactics, it would seem highly unlikely.

RefulgentGnomon

But Rangers could make it up with their games in hand...
and remember the six goals they scored against dunfermline on the last day of the season in 2003

ziggy

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A Dub in Glasgo

This is from the team that stated they would not ask for an extension and who told Celtic to STFU when Celtic complained about the fixture list before and after Seville.

Rangers forward Ronald de Boer has branded Old Firm rivals Celtic moaners for protesting over fixture congestion.
And Dunfermline Athletic chairman John Yorkston fears that a delay to setting the date of the final Old Firm match will hit other clubs in the pocket.
The reigning champions have accused the Scottish Premier League of bias for insisting they play Rangers in a potentially crucial league clash three days after their Uefa Cup second leg tie against Boavista in Portugal .
But de Boer said fixture pile-ups were part and parcel of being a top European club and advised Celtic to accept their lot.
"The date is set and that's it," the Dutchman said. "If you look at Manchester United, they played Liverpool then Real Madrid, then Newcastle and Arsenal.
"They have another game before they play Madrid for the second time, but I don't see them complaining.
"You have to be happy that you are involved in those games and I would love to be in that position.
"It could be negative for Celtic, but it could be negative for us if they come through the semi-final and are feeling great."
The final five fixtures of the season were due to be announced on Monday, but the SPL will consider Celtic's appeal on Thursday.

Alex McLeish, the Rangers manager, has told Celtic to be "thankful" for their European adventure instead of complaining over the date the SDcottish Premier League has fixed for the final Old Firm game of the season.
The game has been scheduled for 27 April – two days after Celtic return from the second leg of their Uefa Cup semi-final against Boavista in Portugal . Ian McLeod, the Celtic chief executive, claimed his side will be "competitively disadvantaged" by the decision.
In contrast, the league leaders Rangers went out of the Uefa Cup at the first hurdle when they were defeated by the little-known Czech Republic side Viktoria Zizkov. And McLeish believes Celtic should be thankful that they have managed to progress so far in Europe this year.
"I hope that someday I can be in the same position, and that Rangers can be in the same position – that would be great, it would be fantastic," he said. "I'll be treating it like any other Old Firm game but there will be plenty of time to talk about that then."