Was it really only a couple of months ago that Aberdeen and Celtic met in Glasgow and produced the SPL's most one sided result?
That 9-0 walloping seems a long time ago now.
It's hard to claim that Celtic have enjoyed a regal procession to the top of the league since then. They haven't, there has been the odd faltering step along the way.
But they are now top of the SPL. And in January's big clashes they've shown their resolve and their ability. Could even the most optimistic of Celtic fans have predicted the ease with which they brushed aside Rangers or the brutal show of attacking force that crushed Hearts at Parkhead?
Since that infamous trip to Glasgow Aberdeen have experienced both more despair and the promise of redemption.
Mark McGhee, the man who, despite everything, delivered them to this semi final, has fallen by the wayside. Few mourned the passing of another manager who stood hapless in the face of the quirky pressures that abound at Pittodrie.
In his stead they called on Craig Brown. A 70 year old Scotsman, no trophy winning pedigree, devoid of glamour. And yet it has been a long time since I've seen the odd (they're all odd!) Aberdeen fan of my acquaintance so enthused.
Brown, the veteran maestro, has achieved the twin coups of an immediate impact and a few promising signings in just a few weeks. The result is a club free from the swirling uncertainty of the very foot of the table, a club beginning to look forward with optimism again.
Two clubs with confidence, two clubs looking forward. An almost perfect semi final clash.
The lesser of our cup competitions? Yes, but still a prize to cherish. For Celtic, Neil Lennon's first managerial trophy. Most Old Firm managers of the past will tell of the importance of claiming your first silverware and Lennon will be keen to make amends for the Scottish Cup defeat to Ross County last year.
The chance of a first club trophy for Brown as well given his late, late emergence as a top flight club manager. And a trophy for Aberdeen, the first since 1995-96, a way to assuage some of the pain of the past few years.
So still a trophy to cherish for both these sides. Painful to fail at the semi-final stage as well, no matter what the competition is.
And an intriguing battle in the dug-outs. Craig Brown and Neil Lennon. A clash of styles right there.
The elder statesman Brown with his, mostly, measured public utterances, the novice Lennon with the passion to say what he thinks and hang the consequences.
But maybe not complete opposites. A steely desire to win and a genuine passion for football can hide behind many guises. And this match will mean a lot, a hell of a lot, to both of them.
What can we expect of the game itself?
Celtic remain favourites. But despite their recent form it is a measure of the progress at Pittodrie that they are not the certainties they would have appeared in November.
That Brown was publicly critical of his players after they beat Inverness in midweek suggests that, whatever his tactics, he'll be looking for an extra ounce of efforts, just a touch more determination from each and every one of them tomorrow.
I certainly don't expect Aberdeen to freeze on the big stage and, we can't forget this is Craig Brown, they'll look to keep it tight. To frustrate and deny before plundering an advantage for themselves.
For the plundering they'll be hoping to catch out Celtic's still depleted rearguard in a way that Hearts couldn't manage on Wednesday night.
Brown will also be aware that Hearts defended badly and Celtic were ruthless in taking advantage of that largesse.
So a fighting, defensive Aberdeen looking to catch Celtic on the counter. It's a hard task but other teams have pulled it off this season.
Other than guarding against complacency, asking for calm heads and patience it is difficult to see what Lennon can really ask his players to do differently.
Celtic are now in possession of the most dangerous attacking threat in the country. If they are kept supplied the goals will come. The danger is that Aberdeen actually manage to work out a way to frustrate and contain.
It's when teams manage to do that I feel Celtic look vulnerable, too quick to lose their patience and chase the game. That in turn drags the shape out of the team and exposes the defence.
Might a sustained show of stubborness suddenly have Celtic fearing the worst, the hangover from that Ross County game creeping into their minds, adding to their apprehensiveness?
It would be an impressive feat for Craig Brown to pull off.
I suspect it will prove to be just beyond him though. Aberdeen should be able to keep this one tight but I think Celtic will eventually just have too much for them and win it by the odd goal.
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Showing posts with label Celtic v Aberdeen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Celtic v Aberdeen. Show all posts
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
League Cup: Shades of Brown
Snippets from a radio interview on Wednesday night seemed to offer a glimpse of the dualism of Craig Brown's career.
First there was the promise of a new signing at the start of next week. An English Premier League player no less, set to feature in the FA Cup this weekend before moving north on loan.
This was Brown the conjuror, the ageing maestro sprinkling the SPL with his magic. A league so moribund that at times since he took over at Motherwell and then moved on to Aberdeen he's seemed to reinvigorate it with consumate ease.
And then there was talk of the upcoming League Cup semi final with Celtic. Talking about the last clash between the two sides Brown noted that Aberdeen had outperformed Celtic in various Opta tracked measurements.
This was Brown the hard to love Scotland manager. The man who could find a positive spin on an abject defeat to Morocco, who would justify his loyalty to older players with ever more tenuous claims about "statistical" victories all over the pitch.
His reinvention as the grand old man of the SPL has been fun to watch for those who like Brown and for those who have only realised with hindsight the blessings he brought as national manager. But it might not play quite as well with others, with those who look back on that horror night in Saint-Etienne when Morocco drove a fleet of buses through Jim Leighton's near post and remember only the pain and the anguish and a manager in denial.
Which explains perhaps why Brown is still not universally loved. But there is, I suspect, a growing fondness, an increasing respect.
Because since his surprise reinvention as a club manager with Motherwell, Brown has performed admirably. As he prepares to lead Aberdeen into a national cup semi final he can already reflect on a job well done since taking over at Pittodrie.
13 points gained in the league and only one defeat might not sound much. But Brown has eased relegation woes and brought solidity to a club that seemed to lurch from crisis to crisis. In his first six games Scott Vernon and Chris Maguire scored ten goals between them. Just ask Colin Calderwood how hard a trick that is to pull off.
The mysterious player from down south - was Brown ever such a media tease when he was with Scotland - is likely to be another product of a deep knowledge of the English game and an enviable contacts book, both of which he shares with Archie Knox, his astute choice of assistant in a veteran double act.
His signings so far for Aberdeen include Nick Blackman on loan from Blackburn and Robert Milsom who was released by Fulham. There's little reason to suggest they will be less successful than some of the useful players - including Blackman - he picked up at Fir Park as he showed an admirable agility to operate within the Motherwell budget.
To prove the point Blackman scored on his debut on Wednesday night.
Motherwell. Poor Motherwell. The spurned lover in the Brown-Pittodrie romance. And now having to watch Nick Blackman pull on the red shirt as well.
It wasn't a great moment for Brown, his departure from Lanarkshire. The way he handled it was poor. And out of character. As far his sport is concerned Brown has always given the impression of probity and honour, of being a man of his word. The whole episode was shoddy and meant his career with Aberdeen didn't get off to as smooth a start as he would have liked.
But a man who took Tosh McKinlay to two major championships is obviously used to having unwanted luggage to haul about when he embarks on a journey. In his defence, the managerial merry-go-round, the broken promises, the switched affections are part and parcel of football.
And with Brown you know you are getting nothing less than a football man. A man steeped in the game, a manager with a deep love of football who has retained all his enthusiasm. Which is why he remains such a refreshing addition to the SPL even as he approaches his 71st birthday.
It's early days for Brown at Aberdeen. The semi final is another test to be negotiated. But the results so far and his recruitment policy are grounds for optimism.
Brown perhaps missed the most important statistic from that defeat to Celtic. The 1-0 loss was an eight goal swing in Aberdeen's favour since the two sides met at Celtic Park in November.
Now that's progress. If he keeps up at this rate Brown might just be savouring one of the best results in his career come Saturday night.
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First there was the promise of a new signing at the start of next week. An English Premier League player no less, set to feature in the FA Cup this weekend before moving north on loan.
This was Brown the conjuror, the ageing maestro sprinkling the SPL with his magic. A league so moribund that at times since he took over at Motherwell and then moved on to Aberdeen he's seemed to reinvigorate it with consumate ease.
And then there was talk of the upcoming League Cup semi final with Celtic. Talking about the last clash between the two sides Brown noted that Aberdeen had outperformed Celtic in various Opta tracked measurements.
This was Brown the hard to love Scotland manager. The man who could find a positive spin on an abject defeat to Morocco, who would justify his loyalty to older players with ever more tenuous claims about "statistical" victories all over the pitch.
His reinvention as the grand old man of the SPL has been fun to watch for those who like Brown and for those who have only realised with hindsight the blessings he brought as national manager. But it might not play quite as well with others, with those who look back on that horror night in Saint-Etienne when Morocco drove a fleet of buses through Jim Leighton's near post and remember only the pain and the anguish and a manager in denial.
Which explains perhaps why Brown is still not universally loved. But there is, I suspect, a growing fondness, an increasing respect.
Because since his surprise reinvention as a club manager with Motherwell, Brown has performed admirably. As he prepares to lead Aberdeen into a national cup semi final he can already reflect on a job well done since taking over at Pittodrie.
13 points gained in the league and only one defeat might not sound much. But Brown has eased relegation woes and brought solidity to a club that seemed to lurch from crisis to crisis. In his first six games Scott Vernon and Chris Maguire scored ten goals between them. Just ask Colin Calderwood how hard a trick that is to pull off.
The mysterious player from down south - was Brown ever such a media tease when he was with Scotland - is likely to be another product of a deep knowledge of the English game and an enviable contacts book, both of which he shares with Archie Knox, his astute choice of assistant in a veteran double act.
His signings so far for Aberdeen include Nick Blackman on loan from Blackburn and Robert Milsom who was released by Fulham. There's little reason to suggest they will be less successful than some of the useful players - including Blackman - he picked up at Fir Park as he showed an admirable agility to operate within the Motherwell budget.
To prove the point Blackman scored on his debut on Wednesday night.
Motherwell. Poor Motherwell. The spurned lover in the Brown-Pittodrie romance. And now having to watch Nick Blackman pull on the red shirt as well.
It wasn't a great moment for Brown, his departure from Lanarkshire. The way he handled it was poor. And out of character. As far his sport is concerned Brown has always given the impression of probity and honour, of being a man of his word. The whole episode was shoddy and meant his career with Aberdeen didn't get off to as smooth a start as he would have liked.
But a man who took Tosh McKinlay to two major championships is obviously used to having unwanted luggage to haul about when he embarks on a journey. In his defence, the managerial merry-go-round, the broken promises, the switched affections are part and parcel of football.
And with Brown you know you are getting nothing less than a football man. A man steeped in the game, a manager with a deep love of football who has retained all his enthusiasm. Which is why he remains such a refreshing addition to the SPL even as he approaches his 71st birthday.
It's early days for Brown at Aberdeen. The semi final is another test to be negotiated. But the results so far and his recruitment policy are grounds for optimism.
Brown perhaps missed the most important statistic from that defeat to Celtic. The 1-0 loss was an eight goal swing in Aberdeen's favour since the two sides met at Celtic Park in November.
Now that's progress. If he keeps up at this rate Brown might just be savouring one of the best results in his career come Saturday night.
The Scottish Football Blog News Feed
Saturday, January 22, 2011
SPL Today: Celtic Face Ancient Regime
Five games, five traditional kick off times.
This is what Neil Doncaster’s ten team SPL could look like if everything is as bad as feared and Sky and ESPN run screaming for the hills.
Celtic v Aberdeen
The last time Aberdeen visited Celtic they were sent home humiliated and robbed of their dignity. Particularly galling for Mark McGhee who had gone from being an apparent contender for the Celtic job to being Neil Lennon’s bitch in a matter of months.
All that now seems a long time ago. Aberdeen have been energised by an elder statesman, undefeated six games into Craig Brown’s reign. You can’t see his side capitulating in the manner of McGhee’s cowardly crew.
Celtic will be aware by kick off time what impact earlier events at Tynecastle have had on the championship race. After the drama of their draw at Hamilton, Celtic should now be refreshed after Hibs had the decency to lay on a training game for them last Saturday.
It is still early days for Craig Brown. He’s still to prove his arrival is going to coincide with sustained improvement rather than what has so far been an impressive quick fix. But a result at Celtic today would be a huge statement that the ancien regime has been wiped out and replaced by a much brighter ancient regime.
I’ll apologise for the ageism of that last attempt at a joke and give Aberdeen a creditable draw in this one.
Inverness v Hamilton
Terry Butcher left Ibrox an angry man on Tuesday after his side lost 1-0. Scheduling issues meant the SPL had left his players “pooped.” The referee had annoyed him. And the league are “bullying” Inverness over their ten team “deconstruction” plans. The “innocents” will suffer in a footballing “armageddon.”
He had a lot to get off his chest. And he did it forcefully, allowing me to wallow in my own wisdom at appointing him this blog’s Manager of the Year.
That said Inverness have stumbled of late, even if they’ve upset the pundits who predicted they might find themselves at the wrong end of the table this season.
Which is exactly where Hamilton currently languish. Billy Reid’s players simply haven’t won enough games to drag themselves from the bottom of the table.
I can’t see that changing today. A home win. And maybe Mr Butcher can finally enjoy a glass of red wine.
Kilmarnock v Dundee United
Kilmarnock’s impressive undefeated league run came to an end after they lost their one goal advantage to a second half Hearts fightback on Tuesday.
United will still be wary of trip to Rugby Park though and endured the drama of extra time and penalties before seeing off Ross County in Dingwall last week.
With games in hand aplenty, United would put a bit of pressure on Kilmarnock’s fourth place with a win today. Six draws in their last seven - including 210 minutes against Ross County - suggest that while more than capable of competing, United are struggling to seal the deal at the moment.
The last time these two met it was 1-1. Another draw today wouldn’t surprise me.
Motherwell v Hibernian
Colin Calderwood made his first signing as Hibs manager yesterday when he took Matt Thornhill, who played under him at Nottingham Forest, on a two and a half year deal.
A big moment for the boss but one that can’t deflect on the despondency around the club at the moment. A perilous league position has been compounded by the cup defeat to Ayr United.
Expect more changes to the starting line up today as Calderwood continues to search for the alchemy that can turn his paupers into princes.
A quick stat attack: in 2010 Hibs won ten SPL games and drew eight. That includes last season’s 6-6 madness at Fir Park and two wins against Motherwell this season.
To lose twice to a Hibs team that have managed only four wins so far suggests that Motherwell are encountering a bogey team today.
That might make for some nerves as Stuart McCall continues to find his feet and Motherwell continue to search for goals having scored only twice in their last five league games. Hibs defence might be just what they need.
Hibs were bad against Ayr at Easter Road, poor again against Celtic and then deservedly dumped by Ayr at Somerset Park. Hard times indeed. Home win.
St Johnstone v St Mirren
St Johnstone have bumbled along this season without really being one thing or the other. A good run now could offer a glimpse of the top six. A bad run and they might find themselves being sucked into a battle of a less pleasant nature.
St Mirren continue to struggle, at times admirable and at times looking to be fully deserving of their spot as relegation battlers.
Goals, of course, win football matches. And neither side has scored enough this season. St Johnstone have managed five at home, St Mirren a barely more respectable seven on their travels.
So probably not a high scoring extravaganza today. A 1-0 home win.
The Scottish Football Blog News Feed
This is what Neil Doncaster’s ten team SPL could look like if everything is as bad as feared and Sky and ESPN run screaming for the hills.
Celtic v Aberdeen
The last time Aberdeen visited Celtic they were sent home humiliated and robbed of their dignity. Particularly galling for Mark McGhee who had gone from being an apparent contender for the Celtic job to being Neil Lennon’s bitch in a matter of months.
All that now seems a long time ago. Aberdeen have been energised by an elder statesman, undefeated six games into Craig Brown’s reign. You can’t see his side capitulating in the manner of McGhee’s cowardly crew.
Celtic will be aware by kick off time what impact earlier events at Tynecastle have had on the championship race. After the drama of their draw at Hamilton, Celtic should now be refreshed after Hibs had the decency to lay on a training game for them last Saturday.
It is still early days for Craig Brown. He’s still to prove his arrival is going to coincide with sustained improvement rather than what has so far been an impressive quick fix. But a result at Celtic today would be a huge statement that the ancien regime has been wiped out and replaced by a much brighter ancient regime.
I’ll apologise for the ageism of that last attempt at a joke and give Aberdeen a creditable draw in this one.
Inverness v Hamilton
Terry Butcher left Ibrox an angry man on Tuesday after his side lost 1-0. Scheduling issues meant the SPL had left his players “pooped.” The referee had annoyed him. And the league are “bullying” Inverness over their ten team “deconstruction” plans. The “innocents” will suffer in a footballing “armageddon.”
He had a lot to get off his chest. And he did it forcefully, allowing me to wallow in my own wisdom at appointing him this blog’s Manager of the Year.
That said Inverness have stumbled of late, even if they’ve upset the pundits who predicted they might find themselves at the wrong end of the table this season.
Which is exactly where Hamilton currently languish. Billy Reid’s players simply haven’t won enough games to drag themselves from the bottom of the table.
I can’t see that changing today. A home win. And maybe Mr Butcher can finally enjoy a glass of red wine.
Kilmarnock v Dundee United
Kilmarnock’s impressive undefeated league run came to an end after they lost their one goal advantage to a second half Hearts fightback on Tuesday.
United will still be wary of trip to Rugby Park though and endured the drama of extra time and penalties before seeing off Ross County in Dingwall last week.
With games in hand aplenty, United would put a bit of pressure on Kilmarnock’s fourth place with a win today. Six draws in their last seven - including 210 minutes against Ross County - suggest that while more than capable of competing, United are struggling to seal the deal at the moment.
The last time these two met it was 1-1. Another draw today wouldn’t surprise me.
Motherwell v Hibernian
Colin Calderwood made his first signing as Hibs manager yesterday when he took Matt Thornhill, who played under him at Nottingham Forest, on a two and a half year deal.
A big moment for the boss but one that can’t deflect on the despondency around the club at the moment. A perilous league position has been compounded by the cup defeat to Ayr United.
Expect more changes to the starting line up today as Calderwood continues to search for the alchemy that can turn his paupers into princes.
A quick stat attack: in 2010 Hibs won ten SPL games and drew eight. That includes last season’s 6-6 madness at Fir Park and two wins against Motherwell this season.
To lose twice to a Hibs team that have managed only four wins so far suggests that Motherwell are encountering a bogey team today.
That might make for some nerves as Stuart McCall continues to find his feet and Motherwell continue to search for goals having scored only twice in their last five league games. Hibs defence might be just what they need.
Hibs were bad against Ayr at Easter Road, poor again against Celtic and then deservedly dumped by Ayr at Somerset Park. Hard times indeed. Home win.
St Johnstone v St Mirren
St Johnstone have bumbled along this season without really being one thing or the other. A good run now could offer a glimpse of the top six. A bad run and they might find themselves being sucked into a battle of a less pleasant nature.
St Mirren continue to struggle, at times admirable and at times looking to be fully deserving of their spot as relegation battlers.
Goals, of course, win football matches. And neither side has scored enough this season. St Johnstone have managed five at home, St Mirren a barely more respectable seven on their travels.
So probably not a high scoring extravaganza today. A 1-0 home win.
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