Lousy At Love Street But Not Naka’d.

"You saved ma Italian arse wee man"

Strange week, a week in the fitba’ world. Don’t think any bookie in their right mind would have gave you odds on Gary Calderbuer ending the week as a winning Celtic captain. Think Big Mick McManus must have a sick, perverse sense of humour. This was proved when he handed the capitano armband over to Calderbuer and I wonder if, like me, he was laughing at thought of “fans” up and doon the land going apeshit and booing at their Tv.

From Barca to The Buddies, a comedoon akin to the way you would feel after a night oot wie Pete Doherty and Amy Winehouse. The European hangover, a fabled beast that rings true all over Europe after midweek games- unless the fixture computer gives you easy hame games post midweek excretions against a team relegated and bust- a beast that makes you ripe for a kicking if the opposition want to take advantage.

When you look at the surroundings that the players ran oot to yesterday it’s nae wonder the players get a culture shock. From 58,000 passionate fans to an emptyish stadium- still wie a vocal and passionate away support- which looks half cocked, unfinished and it’s appearance will be vastly improved when a 24-hour Asda is fired up in its place.

The main stand is on one side partnered wie moss ridden never used terracing wie a banner “Supras” hanging from a disused advertising hoarding- some of the St Mirren “Supras” were shown on Setanta beforehand, oldest was 10 and his two-stick banner looked like a panda on acid after being spooked by his own shadow, not that I’m slagging anyone trying to bring a bit of life back to modern fitba’, I love what the Green Brigade and other groups, apart from Hun ones, are trying to do and it should be encouraged, the quicker we get away from this Soccer AM type “fan” the better- and on the other side of the stand is a car park used by the emergency services.

Not exactly a modern crème de la crème European venue but a venue that pay the bills and a venue that for us to return to the crème de la crème modern European arenas we need to win at. Yesterday, a win was all aboot we can take from the game.

After 10 minutes, I thought we were in for an easy afternoon. We had three corners and around 70% of the possession- Setanta said it was 50-50 the LOTW calculator thought differently- so it looked like the early goal would come. When it didnae oor play developed into the sort of unimaginative turgid shite we put up wie against Fawkirk and for the whole of December.

For me, it’s no coincidence that oor worst display in weeks came when we dropped Nakamura. This meant we only had one outlet from the midfield and Aiden after a bright start, started to fade like the rest of the team and found combination of Van Zanten and Dorman a harder nut to crack than Carlos Puyol.

No surprise either that Donati, while have a quiet effective game, all the same, seemed a bit nullified only having one ootlet to find and he must have ended the game wie a creak in his neck to the left such was the frequency of the passes oot into that direction.

The dropping of Naka maybe was justified on paper. He was poor against Barca and since he has returned has not hit the heights of last season. But fitba’ is not played on paper and can we take from yesterdays game that Barry Robson on the right will not offer the same ootlet and creative force that a not 100% Naka does?

Oor fullbacks, where or attacks start from mostly, were terrible in possession wie Lee Naylor in particular proving that his ba’ for JVOH the other night was a once a lifetime cross never to be seen this side of Hayley’s Comet again. I’m wondering if Mark Wilson is fancying a wee shot at LB as he canny be any worse but it’s a sad state of affairs when I’m advocating a right fiter to play LB.

Andy Hinkel, like a fine wine improved as the game wore on. He had a decent last 15 minutes- again proving that he will be a decent signing when up to speed- but a forgettable 75 before hand. But, he did enough...just for me not to start thinking aboot the heady days of Paul Telfer.

Georgios of the junglios got his first start after JVOH tore his tights, again, against Barcelona. After watching JVOH prove to his doubters that he has got a worth over the last few weeks watching the misfiring Samaras was not a comfortable watch.

Georgios, re splendid in is banana boots, struggled after a lively start. One ba’ in he second half that he tried to cross was last seen worrying the flight path into John Smeaton International Airport. His “party trick” of cutting in from the wing to shoot, will produce fantastic goals but will only come off occasionally. Is he a one trick pony? That remains to seen but to write him off and send him back to Eastland’s after one dreadful performance is just sheer folly.

So if it wisnny for Naka and his party trick we would probably today be staring at the dying embers of a season that promised so much. Instead, a last few minutes winner, a quality winner at that means we are dusting oorselves doon ready for ICT putting Sunday doon to another bad day at the office.

The game followed a similar path to the hame game in December. Us, all the possession, The Buddies scared to come over the half way line but being “up” for it. That day in December it took a quality strike to equalise from the long forgotten Derek Rioirdon. On Sunday it took a magical free kick to win the game.

They can bleat all they want on the phone ins, message boards and in print. Naka got touched and went doon. He left the decision up to the MIB- who was terrible- like all guid professionals should. The MIB decision is the only one that matters. If the opposition player is slightly rash or has slightly mistimed, had a wee tug then the players should be going doon.

Yes, the decision was soft, yes I would be annoyed if it was giving against us but Naka asked the question of the MIB. It’s just that in oor leagues the MIB are that terrible that 9 oot of 10 times they will call it wrong.

When the free kick was giving we knew what was coming. We knew that oor last chance- a chance that always comes when watching the Hoops, that’s 9 games we have scored in the last 10 mins now, lucky ma arse- had arrived. We knew if it went across the wall it was in.

Ma nerves were shot by this point. I was physically shaking, thinking to maeself I would rather win by 5 goals every week instead of putting maeself through this. The Japanese Genius done the only thing of note since coming off the bench by bending the ba’ over the wa’ and in.

I could just picture the scene at Ipox, in boozers up and doon the land as the orcs contemplated our jammyness and lucky taigism. Us, winning ugly and late always brings the same post match review Setanta.

In the studio Rob McLean- the fulcrum of Setanta Sports- tried to get Macca and BBJ to admit we had been lucky barstewards. He failed both stayed true to their roots and pointed oot that while not playing well Celtic ground oot a deserved win.

Over in The Buddies camp the recriminations and sair loserness was flying aboot. Uncle Fester McPherson was staying true to his roots by bemoaning the free kick award, he touched, he went doon, the MIB decided, get over it and spouted pish aboot St Mirren competing and deserving to win the game never mind lose, a view that Setanta wanted to peddle like a drug dealer dealing his wares to desperate junkies.

For me that’s bolloxs. The team that deserved to win won. Unlike 3 weeks ago against Fawkirk when we did rob the points. Yesterday, unlike three weeks ago, there was only one team trying to win the game. St Mirren competed by parking Jose’s bus across the 18 yard line.

Unlike Fawkirk they didnae try and play fitba’. They deserved to get the proverbial kick in the bawbag wie a late goal. I understand and fully accept why teams play this way against “bigger” sides. I just don’t like the viewing that running around awe energetic and wieoot purpose is classed as competing. Fawkirk, Dundee Utd, Hearts and ICT have all sat in but played wie purpose when they have had the ba’. Twice I have seen St Mirren and twice they huvnae tried a leg to have purpose. Feck, even Gretna attacked at CP…

So to all the lucky peddlers and St Mirren did well brigade, youse got what you deserved. He haw…..yer two chances came from Celtic mistakes, not purposeful play before you peddle that line…..

To finish, I see in today’s Glasgow Herald- the broadloid to end all broadloids- Darryl Broadfoot has been listening to the game on his “bearphones” and he must have shared them wie Hugh Keevins who has just backed up his view on Radio Clyde.

He said

The songbook was distasteful at best and sectarian at its worst. In a five-minute burst during one of the many lulls in Celtic's play, they chanted about how Artur Boruc hates the Huns', made reference to orange bastards' and mocked the sectioning of Paul Gascoigne under the Mental Health Act with chants of let's all laugh at Gazza' and Gazza's a psycho'.

Now, I cant really comment as I wisnny at the game but….having watched the game on the TV and spoken to fans that were there- whose views I trust mair than Mr Broadfoots- then I really hope the SSM is sending a wee lawyers letter to the Heard offices asking Mr Broadfoot to detail the minutes he heard the songs he found sectarian, asking him to define why HUN is sectarian and why he husnae slated numerous medija outlets for making fun of Gazza and his parrots.

As I’m sure Only An Excuse and Off The Ball will get years worth of material oot of that.

Broadfoot has once again proved he is just a prick wie an agenda….

Forza