Let battle commence.

After a sleepless night for most and the nerves starting to jangle, derby day is only a few hours away. These games always get the blood flowing and this one is no different, but there is an extra edge today as it’s a game that could all but seal the title.

With sixty thousand home fans roaring the bhoys on, paradise will be at fever pitch, and with the incentive of a title win on the line it’s going to be quite frantic to say the least.

This is undoubtedly our most vital game of the season. Win this and the title is ours. The Rangers despite their recent form will also be well up for this, you can count on that. So it’s going to be a pulsating game that has the potential to be a cracker.

We will go through every emotion you can think of this afternoon as we roar the players on from the stands. Let’s hope they are focused on the job in hand and deliver the result we are all craving.

It’s a glorious sunny day outside, let’s hope the sun is shining brightly on all of us come full time today as we celebrate a well earned victory.

It’s derby day, we can all play our part in ensuring we get a much needed victory.

After a week of verbal sparring the battle is only a few hours away. Yes it’s Glasgow derby day and a vitally important one at that.

In a day we can virtually win the league sixty thousand supporters will flock to paradise in anticipation of an early title party.

It will be a battle make no mistake, talk of a comprehensive win for the hoops is premature, and if we want to win we will have to work hard to earn it.

These games are always close, and today I don’t expect any different. We will have to be totally committed and give nothing less than one hundred percent for the entire ninety plus minutes. Something that has been lacking from our game far too often this campaign.

I know it’s an overused cliche but the crowd could prove to be the 12th man today. The players on the park have the ability, that isn’t in question, but we as supporters can ultimately play our part in encouraging that talent to flourish and make sure we get over the line.

The atmosphere will be electric and it will undoubtedly give the players a massive boost. That advantage could prove to be the difference as we aim to all but clinch three in a row.

We all want to be celebrating a win today. From the Supporters, the players, and the management team. Each and every one of us can play our part. let’s make some noise for the bhoys.

Eddy up for sale, but talk of a return to Celtic is a non starter.

Former Celtic hero Odsonne Edouard has reportedly been told that he’s available for transfer as new Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner plans a summer overhaul of the eagles squad.

Eddy joined the London side in 2021 in a £14 million move and despite a superb start to life at Selhurst park, his time at the eagles has been stop start and he’s found it difficult to nail down a regular start, failing to replicate the form that made him a Celtic favourite.

This news has of course led to several Celtic supporters talking of a sensational move to bring Eddy back to Glasgow.

Eddy is still the clubs record signing after his £9 million move from PSG in 2018, and with the man who brought him to Celtic, Brendan Rodgers now back in charge again, it’s no surprise to hear talk of a dramatic return for the Frenchman.

But talk I’m afraid is all it is, as I can’t see any truth in the matter. Eddy was a superb player for us, and still has that talent that served us so well, but his price tag and wages will undoubtedly be well out of our reach.

That ship I’m afraid has sailed, and while we will have our targets in the striking department, I’m doubtful that Eddy is one of them.

Celtic’s biggest danger tomorrow is themselves.

Tomorrow is arguably the biggest game of the season. A win would all but guarantee us the title, and a draw, although not ideal would still keep us in the driving seat, a loss however would throw a big seed of doubt into the minds of both the players and supporters alike.

The scene is set for us. We’re at home with a full capacity crowd all behind us, we’re in a good place both in form and mentally. A win would all but secure three in a row. It’s all there for us to achieve.

It will be tough, that’s not up for debate. These games always are, especially with so much at stake. The previous three games between the sides this campaign are testament to that.

The Rangers, despite going through a bit of a ropey patch still have the ability to get a result on the day. To rule them out completely would be extremely foolish. However the biggest threat Celtic face tomorrow is from themselves.

It’s down to which Celtic turn up on the day. If we play to best of our ability, we will win the game. If we put in the sort of stuttering performances we’ve seen far too often for our liking this season then we won’t get anything out of the game.

I’m not being pessimistic, just heeding a warning, but I’m sure Brendan and the players will be well aware of such dangers.

One more sleep..

The excitement is building massively amongst a huge number of grown adults up and down the country and further afield. All of whom who at this very moment are experiencing butterflies in the pit of their stomachs as tomorrow’s vital Glasgow Derby at Celtic Park which is looms ever closer.

It’s akin to a wean the night before Christmas who can barely containing their delight at the thought of all those extravagant gifts that Father Christmas will be leaving under the tree.

Their excitement won’t allow them to sleep, although in the case of most of us, nerves might be the root cause of that!

Wether it’s the Celtic supporters or the Rangers supporters, both of whom who agree on nothing and disagree on everything, they will all be in equal agreement that nothing beats a derby day, or derby eve for that matter.

It’s the games we all look forward too. It’s the games we live and breathe. It may be a relatively new derby. Only 12 years old, but the will to win and beat the tribute act is just as strong as it was when facing the dearly departed Rangers 1872 all those years ago.

Tomorrow can’t come quick enough. The build up has been intense as usual, now it’s time to take to the park and do the talking on there. Hopefully come half past two tomorrow afternoon we will all be celebrating a vital victory.

Dortmund delusion.

Congratulations to Bourussia Dortmund who will take on Real Madrid in the champions league final at the start of next month after beating PSG over two legs to book their place in the final of the prestigious competition.

The Bundesliga side are aiming to win the trophy for the second time and most neutrals will be cheering on the Germans in the showpiece final at Wembley next month.

Our friends from Ibrox will certainly be cheering them on, and not because it has any bearing on them regarding European coefficient etc but for a different reason all together.

According to the deluded minds of the Rangers supporters, Dortmund’s European glory somewhat shines a good light on them.

The reason? Well as we know the Ibrox side produced a magnificent result a couple of years back when they dumped the Bundesliga side out the Europa league on their way to the final.

A 4-2 victory in Dortmund is a decent result, as was holding them to a 2-2 draw at Ibrox as they advanced in the Europa league. That is not in question, you grudgingly have to applaud that.

But what that has to do with today’s two sides is anyone’s guess. The Dortmund side that were dumped out by The Rangers is a completely different side than the one that is presently in a champions league final.

Only a handful of players remain from those two matches. Only two or three are considered first team starters in the present side. Not to mention they have a totally different manager and coaching staff.

The Rangers also have a different set of players, manager, and coaching staff. Both have two totally different sides, so any shouts of ‘look where they are now’ are completely irrelevant.

If Dortmund were to play The Rangers at this moment, what would the outcome be? I think we can all hazard a guess.

The greatest day ever in the lives of a generation.

26 years ago today we witnessed the lifting of the league title for the first time in ten long years for Celtic football club.

It seems unthinkable nowadays, but back then it was reality and that sunny day on the 9th of May 1998 remains for a lot of Celtic supporters myself included, the greatest moment of my Celtic supporting life. It was the greatest day for a an entire generation, it was that big a deal.

Tom Rogic hitting a last minute winner to clinch the invincible treble. Winning a double treble, a treble, treble, a quadruple treble, Henrik’s goal that sent us to Seville, it’s all a close second to that monumental day back in May 1998.

It was a mixture of joy and relief when the final whistle went that day. Ten long years of suffering had simply evaporated the moment the ball left Harald Brattbakk’s right boot and nestled in the back of the net.

Rangers couldn’t be allowed to break our nine in a row record, it simply couldn’t happen. That day made sure they couldn’t, and that coupled with the sight of our side lifting the league title made it a very special and memorable day.

Indeed it was the first time a lot of supporters had seen the club lift a league title, as they either weren’t born or were too young to remember or appreciate such success.

That wonderful memory will be embedded in their minds for the rest of their days. That’s what makes it for some, their greatest ever day supporting Celtic football club.

The record trying their best to fuel the flames.

The Daily record today upped the ante in their pursuit to further fuel the flames ahead of Saturdays Glasgow derby, and gave the Rangers more incentive at the same time.

Their ‘clickbait’ headline of ‘Callum McGregor challenges Rangers to live with Celtic at their best as he tells rivals let’s see what you’ve got’ went down a treat regarding the gullible bears who foamed at the mouth when clapping eyes on the headline, instead of taking just a minute to read what Callum actually said.

What Callum actually said was “if you don’t enjoy them (Glasgow Derby) then you’re going to struggle to play for a big club like this. So over the years you build up more experience and when the games come around then you know when you’re in the middle of it, you have to enjoy it”

“You’ve got to enjoy the fight and the battle of it. Generally when you do that you have positive experiences. So we’ll definitely be trying to have another one of them”

We’ve just got to stay calm and focus on doing our job. Sometimes you can be become over emotional and you understand what the game means in the context of the season. But if we focus on our performance and working as hard as we possibly can for each other and the supporters, then you notice straight away that the energy levels go up”

“When we take the game to a level and intensity that teams struggle to live with, that’s when we play our best football. So I think the message for us is, focus on ourselves, work as hard as we can for each other and let’s take the game to them and see what they’ve got”

That’s not the words of an arrogant man goading a side to show how good they are, that’s the wise and respectful words of a successful skipper confident in his own side’s abilities.

Not that you’d think that with the disgraceful headline the Record gave it. They can’t help themselves and are trying their upmost best to make it as difficult as possible for us on Saturday.

Getting Liam Kelly as back up would be a great move.

Celtic have been linked with a summer move for Motherwell and Scottish international goalkeeper Liam Kelly.

With Joe Hart hanging up his gloves and Ben Siegrist looking likely to leave, it’s imperative we get not just one goalie in the door, but two.

Kelly who is out of contract in the summer is a keeper that’s well known to the Celtic coaching staff and the supporters alike. He’s one of those keepers who always has a good game against us, although his time wasting antics leave a lot to be desired!

It has to be stressed though that any proposed move would be to bring strength and numbers to the goalkeeping position. Without being disrespectful to the 28 year old shot stopper, a keeper of much higher quality is needed to take over from Joe Hart on a permanent basis.

Kelly would be an ideal back up. He’s decent, and experienced, he’s an international and he knows our game well. It also helps with our home grown rota for European football.

Some supporters will scoff at the idea of bringing a keeper such as Kelly to the club, but it would be a shrewd move to bring in such a player on a free. He’d be more than a worthy back up.

Adding a new name to the scouting team is good news, we should now add a few more.

Celtic yesterday added to their recruitment department by appointing Mark Cooper. The 40 year old Englishman’s area of expertise is scouring for talent in South America, where he was based in a previous role for the club.

This is a smart move by the club to permanently employ the Englishman who was previously working in the MLS. It’s an appointment that is much welcome as our scouting structure has been very underwhelming these past few years.

While it’s a good appointment bringing Mark aboard, we shouldn’t rest on our laurels and Mark should be the first of many new faces brought into freshen up the scouting department.

It’s an area that is in dire need of upgrading if we want to keep enjoying the success we’ve been so accustomed to this past decade or so.

All the elite clubs in Europe have multiple scouts worldwide, and we shouldn’t be any different. It’s an area that’s been neglected through sheer incompetence for far too long now.

With a new head of recruitment soon to be appointed, the onus should be on the successful candidate to make sure our scouting department is top drawer. We consider ourselves a big club after all, and it’s time that was reflected in our scouting department.