Stevie Chalmers passed away earlier today so it’s only fitting that he gets a tribute considering his contribution to the club and that will follow later in the week.
Until then a quick look back at the games over the weekend and Celtic eked out a 1-0 home win over a pretty resolute and ambitious Kilmarnock side at Celtic Park.
The visitors are a strong outfit these days under a talented manager and on their day can give anyone problems and on a few occasions in each half goalkeeper Scott Bain had to come to the rescue.
Steve Clarke is almost a guarantee to be leaving in the summer whether it’s for the Scotland national job – which he probably won’t get due to the standard SFA incompetence – or somewhere down south and the difference in this Kilmarnock team between now and before he came is incredible. It’s a shame their lack of crowds meant that they were never going to come close to being able to match his ambitions but they’ve done really well to get nearly 20 months out of him.
They’ll likely get fourth spot and a possible place in Europe next season and God knows who will replace him but if I was one of the few Kilmarnock fans who bother to show up every week I would savour every last moment under him. They really won’t see his like again.
I’d actually like him in the Celtic Park hot seat next season but that’s not likely to happen and for now and likely the foreseeable future Neil Lennon will have that honour.
As far as that goes you can’t deny Lenny is getting the results – we’re now unbeaten in ten since his return with seven wins and only two goals conceded – but it’s the way in which we are doing it that is pretty underwhelming.
With the exception of the performance against Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup semifinal two weeks ago and the first half an hour or so of the last game against Rangers, we’ve really struggled to kick into gear.
As good as Kilmarnock were on Saturday it was a pretty uninspired and insipid display from Celtic side lacking any real spark or imagination.
Big Jozo and Ajer at the back were strong and are starting to look like a really good central defensive pairing with Jozo back to the kind of form he showed in 2016/17 and the young Norwegian Ajer looking increasingly accomplished with every game. He even made up for giving the ball away to Eamonn Brophy in front of goal by redeeming the situation with a brilliant tackle.
Not long before that Bain had to deny Chris Burke at point-blank range after the former Rangers man manoeuvred his way through on goal quite brilliantly from the edge of the box.
Despite dominating the ball chances were few and far between for Celtic but when the goal did come we had been knocking on the door for some time in the second half with Rogic, in particular, passing up a great chance to put us ahead but instead electing to try and set-up Edouard.
The goal itself was a fantastic header at the back post from Simunovic after a wonderful delivery from Callum McGregor. Big Simo was wearing the number 5 jersey worn so many times by the legendary Billy McNeill and the goal came in the 67th minute just days after his passing. Things like that are just too incredible to be coincidental.
In the end, it finished 1-0 and though he probably wouldn’t have thought much of the performance I’m sure Big Billy would have loved the result and it means we now need only one point from our remaining three league matches to make it 8-in-a-row.
Elsewhere on Saturday, it was goals galore as Dundee made it nine straight losses against ten-man Motherwell in a spectacular 4-3 loss at Fir Park and are now more or less doomed at the foot of the table. Hamilton Accies blew a chance to virtually confirm they couldn’t finish in the bottom spot and suffer automatic relegation by throwing away a 2-0 lead before rescuing a point with a late equaliser to make it 3-3 at home to Livingston. And St. Mirren also gained a point with a hard-fought 1-1 draw away at St.Johnstone.
Earlier in the day Hibs and Hearts had battled to a 1-1 draw at Easter Road with not one coconut in sight. It now looks increasingly unlikely Hibs will catch Kilmarnock in fourth spot.
Then, of course, to yesterday where the title could have been won if Rangers had dropped any points at home to Aberdeen.
This was a pretty one-sided affair with an injury-ravaged Aberdeen remaining stoic but being unable to create much in the way of offence against a Rangers team that looked by and large ready for their holidays.
In the second half, the home team were awarded two penalties – the second for a farcical piece of play acting by Katic which even gained the scorn of his own manager and led to a second yellow and subsequent sending off for Andrew Considine – and both were converted by captain Tavernier.
So the three points for Rangers means that the champagne goes on ice for another weekend and we’ll head to Pittodrie for an early kick-off on Saturday where just a point will do us.
Though I was hardly cheering them on I was pretty glad that Rangers won. I’d much rather win the title on the pitch and it sets us up for a big day on Saturday with it being an away game adding an extra sense of occasion as I don’t expect the hosts to lie down to us by any means as they try and secure third spot and European football.
However, we’re due a performance in the league and taking into account how well we played in the cup against the Dons plus the fact they will be missing several key players – Considine’s suspension added to an injury list that includes Niall McGinn, Gary Mackay-Steven, Graeme Shinnie, Shay Logan and Connor McLennan – then I’m pretty optimistic we can turn them over and make our eight consecutive title official.
That’s one to savour and that combined with the hopes for a Treble Treble means we could be making a very fitting tribute to our dearly departed former captain and manager as well as the man who scored the winning goal in Lisbon.
Rest in Peace Billy and Stevie. Your feats will live in legend forever.
....Always A Tim! 