January - Important month in the title race

[Tannochsidebear 2,429]

TB, cracking post.

 

The only part I have issue with is, and I cant believe I am saying this, suggesting they were only missing one player yesterday. If we are going to suggest that we are missing Bougherra then you also have to agree they are missing N'Guemo. They are also missing Brown who would most likely be a starter for them. They also were missing Fox yesterday too.

 

For consistency sake we should be at least objective with who they are or are not missing. They were missing 4 starters yesterday - but we are missing more than that - and yet the two results would have posibly suggested the reverse.

 

They say that we are poor, our squad is too small etc etc - yet we are churning out the results they wish for.

 

We played poorly yesterday but does anyone honestly think that there is a Tim out there that wouldnt have accepted our poor performance but with the same result ? Regardless of them wanting to play the "Celtic Way" they would all, to a man (or should that be animal ?), have accepted our performance and result yesterday.

 

 

I wasn't aware that they were missing Fox, and I had forgotten about Brown and N'Guemo (like they wish they could). On re-checking their line-up I see Loovens missed out as well, so I suppose I was wrong in my suggestion that they were almost at full strength.

 

One thing I will add however, is that it must be taken into consideration that Timmy got rid of 12 players (mostly fringe) in the summer of 2009 and already another 4 out the door in January 2010. A couple of injuries and their squad is threadbare. Look at their bench yesterday. Only McGinn and McCourt have any real experience and they are both rotten, and the rest were kids.

 

I think it is clear to see who has the better depth in the squad, as without 5 players they cannot win at home against the bottom side, and without 7 (boyd,miller,mcculloch,bougherra,beasley,naismith,mendes) we still win away from home. Over a 38 game season it is the best squad that generally wins the title, and the table at this point is quite accurate.

[pete 2,499]

Fox

McDonald

Brown

N'Guemo

Loovens

Maloney.

McManus after a half hour.

 

As far as i know all these players were out.

[Tannochsidebear 2,429]

Bougherra

Boyd

Miller

McCulloch

Mendes

Naismith

Beasley

 

Plus Edu and Thomson not yet match-fit.

 

So we had about the same number of players missing, so it about proves my point that our squad is that bit better in-depth to cope with injuries and suspensions.

 

Still, come the end of January and they have bought another 10 world-class players, I might even be worried about them;)

[pete 2,499]

In my eyes Mowbray was stupid to sell Caldwell and buy a player who is three weeks away from match fitness. Hooiveld sounds like the idiots we had for a while. Talk a good game in the papers but show nothing on the park.

As i said before no one here had ever heard of him. 26 year old and only played 130 games doesn't say much for him either.

[pete 2,499]

If Angola win this afternoon we may have Boogie back for Saturday.

[Tannochsidebear 2,429]

Even if Boogie's mob get knocked out, it will take him more than 5 days to get back given his previous antics, so it will be Paisley at earliest before he is back in the team IMO.

[Super_Ally 0]

My preview got us off to a good start this month. Lol

 

As I previously suggested, if we really are to reap the benefit of an excellent run through December and the New year fixtures where we beat all of our closest title challengers except Celtic (with whom we drew), then we need to attain maximum points across an "easier" run of games.

 

3 hard won points against Accies today, with Celtic dropping 2 more points. :spl:

 

If we can take maximum points from the 3 remaining league fixtures in January (and dispose of Accies in the cup Tuesday) we will be positively flying.

 

Ah well.

 

With Celtic unexpectedly dropping points in addition to our weak squad atm I'll try and take today's game as a freebie even if Celtic make up the points they dropped against Falkirk by winning tomorrow. The lack of key players was going to tell sometime soon.

[Zappa 0]

Ah well.

 

With Celtic unexpectedly dropping points in addition to our weak squad atm I'll try and take today's game as a freebie even if Celtic make up the points they dropped against Falkirk by winning tomorrow. The lack of key players was going to tell sometime soon.

.

Cheer up mate! It could have been Falkirk that we only managed a point against today...

[Super_Ally 0]

.

Cheer up mate! It could have been Falkirk that we only managed a point against today...

 

Aye, true.

 

Just don't like the idea of giving Celtic any more motivation than they need ahead of their games. Could have piled the pressure on them by being ten points clear. Now they know if they win their games in hand it will be down to "just" 4.

[Zappa 0]

Aye, true.

 

Just don't like the idea of giving Celtic any more motivation than they need ahead of their games. Could have piled the pressure on them by being ten points clear. Now they know if they win their games in hand it will be down to "just" 4.

.

Sod them! They'll drop more points before the end of the season, so as long as we don't drop too many more ourselves, we're still going to be champions!