The importance of the 1st old firm game

[club175]

Sitting reflecting on the season so far and obviously delighted. We have been absolutely magnificent both domestically and in Europe.

I can’t help but look at the 1st old firm game and see the significance of winning it, especially at Celtic park. Without double checking it’s the first time we have won the first game since coming up from the championship. In previous years losing that first game has put us under pressure straight away. Before that game Celtic were actually in very good form domestically and a win for them might just have pushed them on.

 

[Kinbo]

We bossed them and they couldn’t cope. Even the new year game, we never turned up and they couldn’t do anything.

The next time we go there, we need to have the 5-1 home defeat of April 2017 at the back of out minds and let’s avenge it

 

[BlueCofIbrox]

I might be wrong but did we not go into that game in October facing being 5 points behind if we lost? (Or maybe 2 points and they had a game in hand?)

winning that game was huge. The run of wins after it was incredible.

 

[club175]

I might be wrong but did we not go into that game in October facing being 5 points behind if we lost? (Or maybe 2 points and they had a game in hand?)

winning that game was huge. The run of wins after it was incredible.

that’s correct , by winning we went 4 points ahead but having played a game more. If we had went potentially 5 behind it would have become very difficult for us

 

[The Crimson King]

I might be wrong but did we not go into that game in October facing being 5 points behind if we lost? (Or maybe 2 points and they had a game in hand?)

winning that game was huge. The run of wins after it was incredible.

Going into the first game we were on 26 points and they were on 25, but they had a game in hand. So had they won then you're right, aye, we would have been looking at them being 2 points in front with a game in hand.

So not just for the result, but the emphatic manner of it, I reckon the OP is correct.

 

[london_bluenose]

They had won 8 games in a row going into the game, but they had scraped a number of those wins with late goals. I found that frustrating because it seemed like they were having their "blip" and still fluking the wins.

Then we beat them and they followed that up by drawing at Pittodrie, and it turned out I was spectacularly wrong for diagnosing their early season form as their blip.

 

[bobba]

what’s everybody’s thoughts on having it later than the first week in sept?

 

[Cap10]

Sitting reflecting on the season so far and obviously delighted. We have been absolutely magnificent both domestically and in Europe.

I can’t help but look at the 1st old firm game and see the significance of winning it, especially at Celtic park. Without double checking it’s the first time we have won the first game since coming up from the championship. In previous years losing that first game has put us under pressure straight away. Before that game Celtic were actually in very good form domestically and a win for them might just have pushed them on.

For me, it was the mentality of the players after that win that really triggered it - "Done - onto the next 3 points!".

No real celebration, just a quiet determination that has continued throughout the season.