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Celtic v Aberdeen

Discussion in 'Aberdeen' started by Psychosomatic, Aug 4, 2012.

  1. Psychosomatic

    Psychosomatic Well-Known Member

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    Premier League, Celtic Park.

    The start of the match is as good as upon us, give or take twelve hours. But still.

    Niall McGinn, Jonny Hayes and Gary Naysmith have been snaffled during the “summer” and look like fairly reasonable additions - give or take some low-level anxieties as to how much Naysmith may have left in his legs - although these signings do nothing in themselves to dispel the lingering irritation felt at the loss of Fraser Fyvie to Wigan.

    His (Fyvie’s) contract was due to expire in January, so we must assume that the club did well to receive an “undisclosed fee” before running the risk of losing him for absolutely nothing.

    As an aside: how on earth are football clubs not forced to divulge such information immediately? What chance transparency in the realms of the “undisclosed”? Why the need for secrecy and from whom does this information need to be (presently) hidden? The fans? The tax man? Confident-sounding rumours estimate this undisclosed fee to have been in the region of £600,000, although, in the absence of concrete verification, it seems reasonable enough to imagine the figure was closer to £6m. (It should be noted that the extent of my research (and interest) into the amount Aberdeen received from Wigan was a passing glance at an article on the BBC website which said they’d sold Fyvie for an “undisclosed fee”. But that’s not the point.)

    Anyway, in their three pre-season games in Germany, Aberdeen whacked VfB Alstätte 12-0, lost 1-0 against Werder Bremen (credible) and drew 1-1 with St Pauli (also credible).

    This feels like reasonable enough preparation as we lurch towards the home of our champions, Celtic, and the unfurling of the flag and a spitefully reconstituted kick-off time to get the domestic season underway. I’m not sure how (or who) they’ve been playing pre-season, but just noticed the score from their Champion’s League qualifier against HJK Helsinki.

    A win’s a win, right enough, and I’ll admit to being surprised (and pleased, obviously – just so long as the job is completed in Helsinki) that they managed to beat the Finns in Glasgow, but we can maybe hope that the fraught balance of the tie will see Celtic minds elsewhere today and that Aberdeen brutally capitalise on these greedy euro distractions and sweep them aside in a scintillating display of carefree attacking football.

    Aberdeen have not won any of their last 13 matches against Celtic and the last time Celtic lost their first league match of a new a season was way back in 1997/98 (against Hibs), apparently. This is all about to change, guaranteed.

    Prediction: Celtic 1 Aberdeen 3 - a victory for the morally upright.

    Further prediction(s): Aberdeen will finish 3rd in the league and will score more than fifty goals whilst doing so (it’s not too much to ask for, surely) and will also (finally) reach a cup final. Home attendances (in the league) will be up and will average over 10,000.

    Such optimism normally disgusts me, especially when it comes from other people, but I can’t seem to shake it off (yet).
     
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  2. Mick

    Mick Probably won't answer PMs
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    Just think if Celtic win - then Rangers have proved their point that Scottish Football is uncompetitive without them - if Aberdeen win, then Rangers rejoice in our party being spoiled.

    Either way some hun will gloat - I think we should play a wee game whereby we point out the first one to do it, then snigger among ourselves at their predictability <ok>
     
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  3. Psychosomatic

    Psychosomatic Well-Known Member

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    You were still up at 3.47am? Brutal. (Administrator from hell in all-night drink shame as dysfunctional adults cry out for leadership….)


    But welcome to the funeral of Scottish football, Dear Leader. I’m sorry for your loss, just as surely as you will be sorry for mine. The death notice was posted on the BBC just this morning with the hysterical banner headline: SPL TV money is ‘down slightly’

    So that’s what ‘Armageddon’ looks like. Chilling.

    But it’s an interesting thing to believe that Scottish football will become uncompetitive in the absence of a successfully functioning Rangers. Even if this were true – and history suggests exactly the opposite, although I accept that these are changed days – I wonder why anyone might think that this would make a difference to the dribbling inhabitants of the Diddysphere, for example? Having one team charge over the horizon (Celtic), as opposed to having two teams doing so (Celtic and Rangers), will be greeted with a similar level of outright indifference (I imagine). I can only see positives, if I can see anything at all, but maybe I'm just blind to the unfolding disaster.

    Ho hum.

    Meanwhile, back on earth.....

    The Teams:

    Celtic: Forster; Matthews, Wanyama, Rogne, Izaguirre; Commons, Kayal, Ledley, Samaras; Hooper, Stokes.

    Aberdeen: Langfield, Osbourne, Anderson, Considine, Naismith, Jack, Hughes, Rae, Hayes, McGinn, Vernon.


    (Mulgrew is suspended for being sent off in a friendly? Bloody hell. I'm delighted, but that seems a bit harsh.)

    The Aberdeen team looks good. I stand by my mesmerisingly attractive prediction (3-1 Aberdeen).

    James Traynor: "Aberdeen can use today, with Celtic unfurling the flag, to their advantage. Last season they didn't score enough goals."

    Big Jim, as ever, bang on the money.
     
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  4. Psychosomatic

    Psychosomatic Well-Known Member

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    Oh dear. This could have been choreographed better. What an age the Aberdeen players were kept waiting. Not cool.

    Good travelling support. Players shaking hands. Huddle thing.

    And we're off......
     
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  5. Mick

    Mick Probably won't answer PMs
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  6. Highland Gunner

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    Seem to be holding on at the moment keep at it the dons

    COYR!
     
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  7. Psychosomatic

    Psychosomatic Well-Known Member

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    Never.

    Never.

    Never.



    (Maybe.)


    I'm impressed by your diligence, if only because it reflects back well on me to be impressed by such things as I have a habit of working through the night, as well. To be fair, we're special people, Administrator, very, very special. (esp. me, obv.)

    Good luck with the thing involving dads and planes and alcohol. (What could possibly go wrong?)

    Half an hour gone, 0-0. I'll take that.
     
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  8. Psychosomatic

    Psychosomatic Well-Known Member

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    Hello. How are you doing?

    It's going pretty well, I feel, nothing to be particularly worried about (famous last words).
     
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  9. Highland Gunner

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  10. Psychosomatic

    Psychosomatic Well-Known Member

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    Plus, I quite like the look of McGinn (and Naismith).

    Half-time: 0-0

    Celtic had 62% of the possession, which is hardly desirable, right enough, although probably to be expected, but it doesn't present a problem if they continue to do so little with it. And I loved that Aberdeen break. Swift, concise, penetrating. So near.....
     
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  11. Psychosomatic

    Psychosomatic Well-Known Member

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    I know. I can hardly believe what I'm seeing. They almost look - whisper it quietly - professional.

    Wonders will never cease.
     
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  12. Highland Gunner

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  13. Psychosomatic

    Psychosomatic Well-Known Member

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    Ooft. We're coming close......
     
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  14. Psychosomatic

    Psychosomatic Well-Known Member

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    Commentator says that you can sense the frustration of the Celtic supporters. True.

    But I'm also going to be highly frustrated if we don't win this thing. 15 minutes to go and the game is there for the taking. I wonder if we'll find a way to ruin this.
     
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  15. Psychosomatic

    Psychosomatic Well-Known Member

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    Step forward Jamie Langfield.
     
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  16. Highland Gunner

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    Sorry went for comfort at the bottom of a bottle what a tool Langfield is
     
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  17. Psychosomatic

    Psychosomatic Well-Known Member

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    You deserted me in our hour of need? It's a shocker.

    I deserted myself, actually, leaving only a shell of me watching proceedings as my better angels tried to battle with a petulant strop that was brewing internally. I was prepared to be irritated at a draw, as well, so Langfield's flight from competence felt like a particularly heavy blow. I recovered my equilibrium roughly ten seconds after the final whistle, right enough, but it was touch and go there for a bit.

    Next up, Ross County. I'm going for 3-1 Aberdeen. Redemption and glory await....

    (And there is an outside chance that this will be one of those rare matches I actually get to attend.)
     
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  18. RAVENBLACK

    RAVENBLACK Well-Known Member

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    Um, I havent been keeping up with things lately but why was Langfield playing?
     
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  19. Bib Fortuna's Maw

    Bib Fortuna's Maw Well-Known Member

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    Just picked ahead of Brown.

    I'm assuming CB wants him as number 1 this season.
     
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  20. Highland Gunner

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    I assume he has realised his error in that call
     
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