Keevins wonders about Ibrox eccentricities as they catch up on Bazza, while Celtic have the chance to go 16 clear in Perth
Eric Knott 
(Photo by Craig Williamson/SNS Group via Getty Images)
Well, it’s all becoming rather predictable over Ibrox way, isn’t it?
Last week, I wrote a couple of articles in relation to this weekend’s fixtures.
I stated that although it was a meeting of two rookie managers at Ibrox yesterday, I thought that David Gray would have Barry Ferguson’s number.
I echoed those sentiments on the Trinity Tims podcast, and I’ve been proven right.
My logic was that the difference between David Gray and Barry Ferguson was that Gray had developed his own team, using his own tactics, whereas Ferguson was just using Philippe Clement’s template.
A hybrid version, as I had put it, with the addition being some real Raynjurz rage.
Which we saw in spades yesterday at Ibrox in the aftermath of their 2-0 defeat to a very well organised Hibs side.
Yesterday evening, in his Fear and Loathing article on the Ibrox side’s defeat, James hit the nail on the head when he said that the current crop of Ibrox players don’t really care if Barry Ferguson loses his shit with them.
Ferguson even went so far as to say that the reason the players went all out to win against Dundee, was because they didn’t want to face his wrath.
Something we also discussed on the last podcast.
We knew this even before he’d said it.
He’s actually that predictable.
This is what makes this all so predictable.
It’s almost as if he wants to strut and preen on tv, to say to people, “Ahm the boass, an’ ahll huv the players shittin’ thumsels when ahm done wae ’em!”
The bully boy tactics of an era long dead and gone.
Which is why this project is doomed to failure, however long it lasts.
Hugh Keevins believes they are a dogs dinner of a R*****s team.
But he had to get his Celtic dig in to say that we’re the only side that still fears them with them in his usual Sunday morning drivel.
This is the headline to his article:
A dog’s dinner of a R*****s team remain a concern to Celtic fans and remember one thing about this takeover – Hugh Keevins
No Hugh, they’re no longer a concern to us.
Because there’s a good chance we’ll be title winners by this time next week.
Added to that, I will quite confidently say today that Brendan Rodgers will deliver Ferguson’s arse on a plate to him at Ibrox later this month.
If Rodgers hadn’t figured out his tactics at Celtic Park last month, you can be sure he has his number now.
Just as David Gray has, and Michael Wimmer before him.
Of course Keevins was writing his article without knowledge of yesterday’s Hibs win at Ibrox.
Because he writes his Sunday article on a Saturday.
Those eccentricities he mentioned catching up on the Ibrox side?
Well, they certainly caught up with them yesterday.
Keevins reckons though, that Europe has been easy street for the Ibrox side this season.
Well, easy street has a cul de sac, and they’re about to hit that cul de sac next Thursday.
I have no doubt that Ernesto Valverde, and his Athletic Bilbao side will make sure of that at Ibrox.
One thing Keevins got exactly right, was when he said this:
And by the time Rangers head to Aberdeen on Sunday, Celtic could already be crowned champions.
The last time Rangers were at Pittodrie, in October, the home support were chanting about winning the league themselves
Of course, Jimmy Thelin’s star has been on the wane since then.
But, such is the rancorous nature of the clubs’ rivalry, it would be in the ascendancy again if Dons inflict another blow after Celtic landed their 13th title out of the last 14.
Assuming, of course, the defending champions beat St Johnstone in Perth today and Kilmarnock at home next weekend.
In between times, there is not a Celtic-supporting man, woman or child who wishes Rangers anything other than ill-fortune in Europe.
Ill-fortune is probably putting it mildly.
In fact, there is not a Celtic-supporting man, woman or child who won’t be rooting for Athletic Bilbao next Thursday night.
The bond between both sides will be at it’s strongest then.
In the meantime, Celtic have the opportunity to go 16 points clear today in Perth against St. Johnstone.
Doing so, will set up the opportunity to clinch this season’s title at home to Kilmarnock at Celtic Park next weekend.
On the podcast I predicted two things for this weekend.
The first was that Hibs would win at Ibrox.
The second was that Daizen Maeda would score a hat-trick against St. Johnstone today.
The first part of that prediction has come to pass.
I’m pretty confident that the second part will come to pass today.
Enjoy the game today folks.
It will be like a home game with three stands at McDiarmid Park filled with Celtic fans.
Oh yeah, and my score prediction was 5-0!
Well your score prediction went tits up today.
Teams have got us sussed on these small tight pitches and Rodger’s tactical inflexibility doesn’t help.
St Johnstone could put our Scottish Cup aspirations in jeopardy.
Why is Rodgers sticking to playing out from the back, teams know this , punting the ball up the pitch sometimes pays off , it’s what st Johnstone did all day, was glad to see celtic try something different with the corners though, the amount we get and waste previously was criminal, another bad day at the office, like watching 1 man and his dog sometimes with the slow press consistently.
Septic peg strikes again. I believe this week lottery winner will be a man or a woman.
@SFA,Nadir
We will eat St Johnstone alive at Hampdump in a fortnight !
Today’s result was just what the doctor ordered.
When we played Aberdeen in the league earlier in the season I said it would be no bad thing if we didn’t win,and we didn’t as they managed to scrape a 2-2 draw.
We blasted them 6-0 in the semi final !
Same with Hibs at Easter Road, losing 2-1 to them wasn’t anything to worry about as we had a huge buffer between us and the huns.
We went on to comfortably beat them in the cup game soon afterwards.
My point is that today’s result gets rid of any potential complacency we may have had if we had horsed the Saints this afternoon.
The odds on us doing the treble just shortened with today’s setback.
No way we will lose to tgem now.