FRIENDLY FIXTURE
TUESDAY 10TH AUGUST, 2004
CELTIC 2 (0) TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 0 (0)

Scorers:-
Beattie, 60
Camara, 67

Attendance:- 30,000

Referee:- Mr. S. Conroy

Teams:-
Celtic (4-4-2):- Marshall (McGovern, 77) McManus, Sylia, Balde (O'Dea, 77), Thompson (McGeady, 77), Corridon, Pearson, Beattie, Wallace, Laursen, Camara.
Subs not used:- McNamara, Valgaeren, Sutton, Lennon.

Spurs (4-5-1):- Keller; Mabizela, Doherty (Capt.), Richards (Defendi, 45), Bunjevcevic; Yeates, Brown (McKenna, 45), Hughes, O'Hara, Ricketts; Silva
Subs not used:- Burch, O'Donoghue, Malcolm, Price, McKie.

There doesn't seem a lot of point in trying to describe this match 24 hours after it started. Sadly, I had already spent at least £250 on pre-booked flights and accommodation (for two) (which of course had been changed at additional expense, thanks to the late re-arrangement of the fixture), before I realised there had not been a lot of point in making the effort to go to Glasgow for what had been billed at the end of last season as a prestigious friendly. I got off the plane yesterday morning to be greeted with a text from good friend Ian Dawson, listing the Spurs squad for the game. Then, about lunch-time, came a Spurs ((on!))) message telling me that the game may be called off! Alright it had been raining heavily for two days solid in Glasgow, and was still raining most of the day yesterday, but what was the point of warning us of a possible abandonment (7 hours before planned kick-off), when those fans attending were already in or near Glasgow? Luckily, within an hour or so, we were told the match was on.

I'll talk about the game a little in a minute, but both teams fielded weakened sides. Celtic were without doubt stronger than Spurs, and probably their main purpose for the evening was to see how trialist (also from Lens) Corridon performed. (Quite decent in his approach, but little end product I think is the answer). Celtic's league programme started on Sunday. Spurs start playing football for real (Thank Goodness!) this week. What was the point of fulfilling this fixture, if it was not to be something near a full-blooded competitive game?

The announcement of the teams (in Scottish) was so rapid, and sometimes completely absent, that I am afraid I have little idea of who was playing where for Celtic. I do know that ex-Wolves striker Henri Camara played and scored, thanks to Bunjevcevic's charity. Alan Thompson skippered the side, and the other scorer, Craig Beattie is also one knocking on the door of the Celtic first team. Spurs half-time substitutes were not announced, and I recognised McKenna, but thought that Richards had been replaced by O'Donoghue, not our new boy Rodrigo Defendi, who did not look too Brazilian from our little corner of the massive wrap-around stadium, which when full, holds 60,000. Hence, I cannot give you much in the way of a fan's assessment of Defendi, who was given great encouragement from his team-mates as he entered the field of play.

Apparently, some 30,000 souls attended last night. Most of them would have been Celtic season ticket holders, who got this game for nothing. Spurs fans had to pay £19 plus those expenses I mentioned earlier for the privilege of watching what, to me, was an un-competitive game. Yes, I know, I'm a mug for following the team all over the place, when the management are experimenting, but this is the worse pre-season I have endured for as long as I have been following the Spurs so ardently.

The young Spurs side featured no-one I suspect who will start against Liverpool this Saturday. By their absence, you could deduce that the team will be Robinson; Taricco/Marney/Ifil, King, Gardner, Edman; David, Mendes, Redknapp, Jackson; Kanoute, Defoe. If Gardner remains doubtful, then I expect Richards or Doherty will step in. The fact that Brown and Richards were withdrawn at half-time suggests they will be involved on Saturday. Spurs played with only Silva up front, and a five-man midfield, bolstered by a fairly experienced back four in Mabizela, Doherty, Richards and Bunjevcevic. It was to be expected therefore that Spurs would get men behind the ball, and with Celtic dominating possession by about 56% to 44%, that's just what happened.

To their credit, Spurs were defending well, and it's my fault they lost, as I was just saying the prospective 0-0 would be a spectacular result, when up popped Beattie to start the misery. There were plus points, and many people have commented about Mabizela's success at right back. Mark Hughes showed yet again his full-blooded endeavour, and ball-winning skills. Hughes has probably been one of the great successes of the pre-season, and has been rewarded with some high-profile games. Even Silva won plaudits, firstly for nearly scoring in the fifteenth minute, but also for playing quite well as the lone striker for most of the game.

Keller was exercised first when Balde hit a low shot to his left, and that man Silva drew some applause with a first time shot to the keeper's top left corner, just tipped round for a corner. Silva had another chance ten minutes later, when he got on the end of a Hughes cross, but could not get power on his shot. Bunjevcevic tried his first charity gesture after 32 minutes with a soft back header, which gave Camara a shooting chance, which was blocked. Just before half-time, a slow Spurs build up broke down through an aimless long ball, and Keller had to make a flapping save, diving to his left, and just getting his right hand to another effort from Camara, who was rapidly winning over the "Hoops" fans.

After the break, most of the play was at the far end, and Spurs struggled to keep possession when clearing the ball. The first goal came on the hour, with a ball to Beattie, a run down the left and a low left foot shot past Keller's left hand. Yeates (who managed a few shots in the second half) had a good chance to equalise five minutes later, and I thought the ball was wide, but I've heard descriptions of the shot hitting the post. "It's for charity mate" Bunjee tried a suicidal long ball back to Keller from out on the touchline, and Camara gratefully accepted the gift, and finished with glee. Camara nearly got a third for Celtic when his glanced header from a cross on the right beat Keller and hit the woodwork, bouncing back out.

Take from these words what you will. I understand that some people saw the game on TV and thought it was a good match. It just didn't seem that way from my position. This is a man that (like many others) will think VERY carefully about bothering with the pre-season next year. I think I saw one decent performance, and that was at Forest. I cannot tell you just how glad I am that the pre-season is over, and how much I hope and pray we are going to get a real show this week against Liverpool!

COME ON YOU SPURS!

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