View From The Wing- Celtic 4 Falkirk 0

Cauld winter night, no many bodies to warm the cockles, a few, well the majority of season ticket holders / fans / consumers- attendance 32,000, that’s only an approx, lost count after eight- decided a night in watching Liverpool or Eastenders was better than watching the Hoops against the fearless Fawkirk.

But it’s nice to know that we still hold sway in Europe or, at least, wie a 6 Lyon fans that decided to make the pilgrimage to CP or were just at the wind up for their visit to Govan. Resplended in offessial scarf’s purchased from the shop- to keep the PLC happy-; they were the main attraction in the LRT before the game. One, who looked like Cliff Richard trying to dress like an ultra, was wired for sound, and while the Lyon fans are not renowned for their passion he could sink pints of Guinness not seen this side of Cork.

So in respect for them it’s only fair that we give them an Allez Lyon...

Lets start wie stubborn management. The heid steward, who patrols the area around 413, really needs a bloody reality check and brought doon a few pegs. His “management” style of swearing at his minimum wage charges telling them to “Get fecking over there”, “Fecking, follow me you!” and “Get in those fecking bogs and bring me oot the smokers” is way oot of order. He was like Hitler in a fluorescent jacket and a stupid cap. Then his customer service manner is something to behold...

If I was one of the bhoys who were caught smoking last night, - right, they shouldnae have been smoking in the bog but...surely a warning and a wee on yer way is all that is required, is it worth the hassle for £6.00 odds an hour for the abuse, which this boys attitude deserves, right enough- I would have been marching the lard-arsed right round to the SSM and telling him to sack the f*cker on the spot.

The guilty Bhoys, got their season books, very gleefully, taken from them- I thought since they paid for them only a club official, i.e. the SSM could take it from them? - then escorted from the stadium by the rozzers.

I know Celtic officials scour the net and the message boards, so a wee note, if yer reading this hiya!!!! No, this steward is going to cause a riot one day soon. Get it sorted.

So lets continue wie stubborn management. On Saturday the manager was saved by a wee blond heided talent wie an instinct to score goals and guid ones at that. Last night, the manager repaid him wie what must have been like a slap across his coupon wie a big wet kipper when Evander Sno was fielded as a right-winger, wie the misconception that any player wie dreadlocks his the gene of Regi Blinker.

The manager made it quite clear last night, if he hadn’t before, that Deek Riordon disnny have a future at CP and his actions say a lot aboot his man management still or lack of one. His treatment of some players if they are not part of the favoured gym loving fitness freaks lacks taste and respect.

A game, which we were winning at a canter against 10 men, was the perfect opportunity to take off some of the main players and one who is struggling. This was also an opportunity for players, who are staying and the manager says he wishes to keep getting game time. Once again GS words are hypocritical when levelled against his actions.

But, enough of management lets marvel over a bumper Celtic performance. Well, not really lets marvel that oor MAIN players improved from Saturday’s slog-fest and that oor, fabled and lauded, “quality” players got us through what was a strange night.

It was a game that could have ended up 8-2. We created chances but we were ponderous by trying to score the perfect goal. Fawkirk, played better than St Mirren and apart from two goal line clearances from Caldwell and Conroy- one that he handled away but.... Fawkirk had a similar incident waved away by the MIB...so nae-bleating bairns...- when we were only 1-0 up that could have changed the game. Still reckon that we would have won the game but you never know.

We started the game at a blistering pace, wie Donati and Aiden the main contenders for being the biggest threat. While the Italian still drops oot of the game for long spells, during these spells fawkirk got a grip of the midfield, when he is on the his forward thinking is invaluable.

Ok, sometimes he picks the wrong pass, sometimes he misplaces his pass and other times he kills the baw persons wie his forward thinking but last night when we controlled the game, first 10, last 15 of first half then the whole of the second, Donati was on the ball, playing baw’s quickly from the middle and the ponderous nature of oor midfield performance on Saturday was banished like bhoys smoking in the bogs.

Aiden decided that the Fawkirk full backs, were going to get roasted like a China White wannabe WAG. Aiden wisnny the first to have a go at them, that privilege went to Skippy, who toasted the full back and won a ball, he had no right to be first to and a pen that KennyMline decided to protest aboot. A protest that produced a comic moment when he tried to show the MIB that he tackled Skippy oot side the box only to realise that the tackle creator that he created was inside.

After that moment the full backs and Fawkirk defence was fair game to ridicule. Like all decent pro’s they kept to thier task but the stats show Aiden walking away wie the match baw and the Fawkirk defenders probably phoning the Samaritans. Not that they did a bad joab. Aiden, I thought didnae have his best game, creative wise, but managed to take 100% of his chances.

Two one on one’s, the first one after, a poor first touch, showed gallusness wie a toe poke past the on-rushing Krull and his second one on one after a lung bursting run from the edge of the Celtic pen box, collecting the baw 35 yards from goal then slotting past the goalie. The second was impressive as he had space and time to fluff his lines but he showed composure and maturity.

The meat in the sandwich, was a now typical Aiden cut in from wide, twinkle toe across the box before shooting into the net. This season Aiden has added the cut inside and shot to his game to decent effect. I’m never going to complain aboot anyone having a go at goal, something Big Sno should learn. Get it banged bhoys.... it won’t go in if you don’t belt it.

Last night saw another one of oor managers many idiosyncrasies. Paul Caddis, who had been on the bench for what seemed like eon’s, only to be over looked for Ryan Conroy to be called into action before him.

Conroy, despite a sheepish start, went on to have a decent game. Anytime he was left exposed and one on one wie the impressive and bemusing Muntinho- bemusing as having seen a bit of this langer, it’s funny that he has seemed to have come over all Alan Gow and found his form going into the final months of his contract- he won the majority of duels, looked guid in the tackle and on the baw, plus showed the difference of having a natural wide left hand sided player- he has played wide left in the midfield for Scotland- in the team.

The guid thing was that he didnae seem to be effected by the baw that is know known as “The Caldwell” which, generally is a hump to no one that all oor other fill in full backs have been cursed wie.

If we never see the lad again he can be pleased wie his first team outing.

So, pleased wie the workrate, energy and some of the fitbaw we played. It told us nuthin that we didnae know already, that oor “star” men, if they turn up then we have an extra bit of quality to balance up the ordinary that we have. But that’s why guys like McGeady, Skippy, Broony and Hartley are first names doon on the team sheet. Can Donati maybe now get added to that list? Only if we learn the CB’s to give him the baw and play through him, starting wie Inversenkie on Sunday….

Right, 9 minutes worth of highlights here and an interview wie Gordon Strachan

Forza