It's The Hope That Kills You

The morning after the day before. I'm sure all Hoops heids are as murky as the day ootside my window. I know my heid is murky. It probably wont be cleared until the summer and we see for sure what direction oor club will go in. Mind you ma heid could clear if- to quote Frank MacAvennie- "Have the the greatest comeback since Elvis" and somehow end up winning the league.

As I say it's the hope that kills you. So how do the others see it?

"The hex continues. Celtic have now faced Rangers four times since Walter Smith returned to Ibrox for his second spell and on each occasion he has put the Indian sign on the Parkhead side. Nor has there been much variation in the script - aside from Rangers' comfortable 3-0 romp at Ibrox in October - as Smith's players have absorbed Celtic's huffing and puffing before blowing their rivals' house down." The Telegraph

"Despite controlling much of this latest renewal of the fixture, it seemed clear from some way before the finish that they were destined not to do enough to equalise Kevin Thomson's goal" The Guardian( but the Observer match report)

"WHERE NOW for Gordon Strachan? His side performed decently enough at Ibrox yesterday, but without the bite required to put Rangers' title aspirations under real pressure. The 1-0 defeat has left the club's supporters staring at a season without silverware." Sunday Herald

"The midfielder experienced the ecstasy and agony of the famous fixture when he bagged the winner in a pulsating tussle before leaving the pitch on a stretcher late on." The Scotsman

"It is going to be very difficult, but we have two Old Firm games at home and if we play like we did in the first half then we have a chance,"

Gordon Strachan

This is true. We didnae play that badly in the first half. Oor fears that we would be out muscled in the middle never came to pass. Hartley proved that he gets the best from Scott Broon and oor defence and forwards showed they were up for the physical elements of the derby. It's fair to say that I canny remember a Hun standing oot in that first half.

In fact, I must take the blame for the goal. I had just stated the fact that Thompson had done nothing and was lucky to be still on the park when the feeling on deja vu came over me. When the ball nestled behind the HG I had seen a goal similar before.The first goal in the 5-1 game. Fergiehuns run went unchecked that day as well.

After that all the stats and previous pointed to we would struggle to get back in. Der Hun have scored first in 24 games this season and won 23 of them in the process. On the other hand Celtic have lost the first goal 8 times this season and only came back to win three times. Added to that the fact the Huns are on a domestic unbeaten run of 20 odd games unbeaten- their best since 72-73- and that they huvnae lost a derby game when they scored first in 15 years meant a draw was the best we could have hoped for.

Them scoring mean't that their gameplan was executed perfectly. We were restricted to lumping long aimless balls as the desperation set in and ever 50/50 or loose ba' fell to a light blue jersey. Still, I don't think they had any outstanding performers and their victory was comfortable mainly due to oor failings rather than them being outstanding.

Like Dundee Utd and Aberdeen before them they proved that sitting in and letting us have the ba' is the tactic that works against us. They let oor CB and LB have the ba' safe in the knowledge that we will do sod all wie it. Mark Aiden and Naka out the game and you have us sussed.

That's when we hope the manager does something ootside the box. Go three up top or change the formation. Instead in true limited coach fashion his subs are always like for like. Hartley for Robson and McDonald for JVOH was not going to change the course of the game. What aboot leaving JVOH on, taking off Naka and bringing on McDonald? Take a risk, go 4-3-3 even take of a defender and go 3-4-3.

So can we take any positives from the game? Well, that is the best we have played against them for a while. Still a below par performance but,again, it was in line wie recent performances and was not a surprise that we were poor in the last third. The performance from Hinkel proved he is a decent signing, Hartley showed why he must play, Caldwell played well and the HG wisnny troubled.

Still to many under par performances and the question whether we will raise it to win the remaining two games against them is still as far away from being answered as ever. In fact the question must be will we ever look like scoring against them again. GS has another unwanted record in four games wieoot a goal against them.

We are now relying on the fitba' ghods. The stats and figures prove this Hun team, while being lucky and boring, know how to win games and disnny look like being found oot anytime soon. We only have oorselves to blame for being in this position.

We need to hope that there house of cards collaspes starting wie a hefty defeat to Sporting Club of Portugal......

As I said it's the hope.....

Forza