Journo’s Friday thoughts
Heroes and villains
Celtic “enjoyed” only 16.36 per cent possession in their 2-1 Champions League victory over Barcelona. And were labelled as heroic. Last season, Chelsea had just 20.92 per cent in their 1-0 semi-final first-leg success against Barca. And were mostly derided. Says much about how Chelsea are viewed by the masses.
Levein feels the strain
Also on a Scottish theme. Compare the photos of Craig Levein when he took the Scotland manager’s job in December 2009 and shortly before he was sacked on Monday. From almost fresh faced to haggard. It is what football can do to you. It is shocking.
The meddling must stop
Chants of “Yid Army” from Tottenham fans have and always will be an assertion of the club’s cultural and collective identity, not an anti-Semitic slur. End of. The danger lies with the meddlers who want to hijack this for their sad political ends.
When I was young “Yid” was used as an insult, by non Jews. The same way as the N-word was used by white people, so “Yid was used by non Jewish people.
It does say a lot about what the average (non Chelsea supporting) football person feels about them, but it’s worth pointing out the vast difference in financial resources available to Chelsea and Celtic. When you invest the kind of money Roman Abramovich has into the Chelsea playing squad then there has to be the expectation that they are at least going to try and take the game to Barcelona.
Agreed. With Chelsea’s multimillion-pound resources, they should at least have had a go. Sadly, their ends justified their means.
Think the reason why Chelsea were slated and Celtic praised is simply Chelsea have lots of money and great attacking players but chose to be defensive Celtic have far less money youthful squad and had 4 first team players missing making it bigger achievement.
Personally don’t like my club Celtic being tarred a small club by some media in England bar man utd and arsenal how many other clubs down south can have 60,000 sell outs???? Just the league we are in I suppose!!!
With the players Neil Lennon had at his disposal, it was a magnificent achievement. They couldn’t have played in any other way. An evening to remember, especially for that tearful old rocker Rod Stewart !!
Celtic are clear underdogs, hailing from a failing league. Thewith comparatively paltry resources. Chelsea on the either hand are magazines rich and filled with globals stars Celtic, rightly have been lauded as the only way to compete against Barca’s might was the tactics they deployed. I don’t think the same is true of Chelsea with strength they have.
No probs with the manner in which Celtic played. Chelsea, inexcusably, just parked the bus.