View From The Wing- Celtic 1 Hibs 1

Bring on the Barca.....do we really need to think aboot that?

Was just thinking on the way oot of the ground, that it wisnny like this in the bad auld days. Yes, we would be mumping and moaning but, the difference is, that we would have FULLY BACKED the team to get the equalizer, we would have been thankful for the equalizer- as in the bad auld days a Hibs winner would have booted us in the baws.

At least the bus journey home was like the auld days. Shite performance but the banter, the spirit and the singing- some of those wrong songs, I must admit- was a blast from the past. The FACT that we maybe just watched the league slip from oor grasp….always said we would be masters of oor ain doonfall…..6 points oot of 15 is Macari and Bradyesq….was a burning show of defiance in the “hardcore” who are busy planning their trip to Tannadeechie.

At least away from home the team might get some backing. Today, when Hibs scored the team became soulless, gutless beast wie players unwilling to take the chance and want the baw. The reason. The unforgiving pit that is CP these days sucked the life from the players. They knew that any misplaced pass would be pounced upon…..any tackle not won would be berated……any taking of risks and failing would be screamed at…..in fact, nuthin bar beating 10 men rounding the goalie and scoring would do….

Not that the players were faultless.

The use of the long baw as no one was showing for the baw in the middle is a bugbear that has been happening for weeks. We play the baw slowly along the back, the midfield turn their back and one of the full backs, usually Caldwell, boots it forward towards JVOH- who had a decent game- to try and flick or hold it up.

We had no inventiveness, no creativity and no guts. Effort as usual but TOO MANY players were looking for someone else to do it. Aiden, Skippy, JVOH and Broony all tried to make things happen. But if they don’t play…………..THERE IS NO PLAN B.

Plan A involves decent baws getting put into the box. Well, I canny remember the last time we put a decent baw into the box. They are all hung up high, are to long or are booted oot the park.

Today, I struggled to work oot where Paul Hartley was meant to be playing. Defensive or attack-minded? He didnae have a clue either. Massimo had one of those days when you wonder HOW DID HE EVER SIGN FOR MILAN……and again we ponder why is Scott Broon oot wide right?

The subs again today…..Jiri for Donati…Jiri to CM???? Has he played there since Killie the first game of last season? Deek for Elvis…again Hartley to left back, why not just revert to a 3-4-3 and Deek getting 15 mins to impress or in REAL TERMS the manager hanging his arse oot to dry….

Today, for the first time since MON last season, I reckon I saw a spent team. A team that has nuthin more to give…team 3’s coffin lid is nearly nailed doon…last week was the fatal blow, today….losing the first goal was the doctors discussing whether or not to switch of the life support….JAN 2????…..WHO KNOWS?

Walking from the ground, apart from wishing some peepil would crawl back to wherever they were on Saturday afternoons 3 seasons ago…I was thinking WHY didnae we bury them? Not Hibs, r*ngers. A major spend in the summer would have finished them off. Instead I’m now wishing that the transfer windae was in November and not Jan. It’s two months too late.

What kind of spend would GS get anyway? Another WAFFA cup spend, another spend that means shopping from the Aberdeen’s, Hibs, Hearts and Motherwell’s of this world. Then if GS got a major spend would we see more failed big money signings as his record wie those is looking poor now.

While GS will get this in the neck, scratch the surface and you will see a lack of ambition from the suits. A manager who husnae sorted defensive failings in 3 seasons, his ability to buy players and play them oot of positions and be hit or miss wie his transfer budget coupled wie the boards tightness in appointing a cheap limited option then giving him the remit of cutting cost while spending next to nuthin are ingredients that even Jamie Oliver couldnae conjure up into a 5 star meal.

It’s a wonder this run husnae happened sooner. It’s been in the post for 18 months…WE COULD ALL SEE IT COMING..we just didnae want to admit it. The problem is now oor rivals will take advantage.

So, where do we go from here? Sacking the manager is not an option. The suits will not sack their puppet and to tell you the truth it’s not the way I would go either for two reasons. First reason is that for the money the board give to the fitba operation we widnae get anyone better than the current incumbent and two sacking a manager that has won us the league twice, two cups and twice into the last 16, would cast us up for ridicule in the fitba world.

We need to get back to basics. Back to winning games. The board need to back the manger wie HARD CASH as soon as the bell tolls to single the end of hootenannie. We can’t let this injury situation arise again and not be prepared like the guid boy scouts we should have been.

We need to get back to supporting the bhoys. It is not as if they don’t give us the effort.
Sometimes being honest and giving yer all is not guid enough. But it’s all we can ask when those sailing the ship are steering us blindly towards the rocks……

I canny wait for Wednesday and Tannadeechie……the guid auld days are back!!!!!



Forza