The thing that will win us the league

All of the above is great; let me add a couple

- team spirit
just looks different
see how they celebrate goals/wins.
and strong determination!

- 5 subs
allows the manager to really change a game when needed
speaking of which....

- the manager is listening (to us, lol)
he would always play 2 holding midfielders even against bottom of the table opposition. no more!
no doubt he is becoming a superb manager on the pitch (although i would have liked to see 90 and 91 minute subs in benfica) and i think he and the coaches also superb off the pitch!

55
 
It's making a massive difference getting early goals and not having that nervous period in the second half where we start to get a bit panicky - in this regard lack of fans helps as well.

Out of all our games this season, the only ones we haven't been leading at half time were the 2 games we dropped points in, and Killie at Ibrox if I'm remembering correctly.

Smashing into teams early is making a big difference.
 
Tailwind said:
And the three of you can be wrong together. Nice one

I love the way people think someone on the tv saying something makes it cast iron fact. Nice little comfort blanket to wrap themselves in. :))
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I’m sure Neil was in a team that won the league on goal difference, he would probably disagree with you.
 
I think the schedule will at some point take its toll....

We need our captain and Borna to stay fit....

I’m cautiously optimistic but loving how Gerrard has this team finely tuned and working like a BMW...
 
Squad depth and consistency from players stepping in will see us win. With our style of play and system with the high press will no doubt take it's toll on the players, thats why we will need to rest players to stop burning out later in the season. I'm alot more confident this season than previous.
 
Liviger1984 said:
Squad depth and consistency from players stepping in will see us win. With our style of play and system with the high press will no doubt take it's toll on the players, thats why we will need to rest players to stop burning out later in the season. I'm alot more confident this season than previous.
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Agreed. I think the fact we now have that depth is massive and will limit the risk of burnout for any of our key players.
 
Tailwind said:
And the three of you can be wrong together. Nice one

I love the way people think someone on the tv saying something makes it cast iron fact. Nice little comfort blanket to wrap themselves in. :))
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Yet Neil did win a title on GD.

So, that indeed proves you to be very wrong. I imagine you were still a child back then though.
 
Bruce_Wayne said:
The only slight, and this is a very slight concern, is being able to keep up the intensity the full season.

Our most consistent performers, Tav, Goldson and Kent, thankfully don't go on International duty so that will help a lot and the squad rotation is working a treat so here's hoping it isn't a factor.
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A very good point mate ,

We drained the well last year , hopefully this year we’ll be fresher .
 
The team spirit and togetherness looks magic and the players are giving us their all

Keeping these levels of consistency up will be hard but we have had a superb start to the season and if we can keep winning we will see how the mentally challengeds cope with pressure as we look rock solid in defence and spreading goals across the team

Next up are the Sheep. Let’s get the 3 points
 
The great thing about this squad is that we have still to see the best of some major talent in it.

Itten, Roofe, Hagi, Zungu (obvs), Barker and even Kent have still to show us the very best that they have.

Add in Morleos coming back into form and you have a recipe for a great second half of the season.
 
bar72bear said:
If we win all the games up to the new year old firm and win that the league is ours .
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All the games in January are potential banana skins- poets at home, sheep, Motherwell and hibs away get through these games undefeated and we can then start believing- no use beating poets then fail in any one of these games is the key to 55 - we must win these games
 
Grigo Yossarian said:
We lacked consistency to a large degree due to a lack of squad depth mate.

We played guys who were injured, tired, off form last season out of necessity, as the quality gulf was too large between the first eleven & the others.

This season it’s seamless.

We didn’t even need Morelos, Davis, McGregor or Kamara yesterday.

And our coaching team have not only improved so many of our younger players, but they’ve shown much more adaptability to our playing system, so they’ve improved too.
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I don't quite know how we did it but the recruitment has been ridiculously good for the money spent.
Having the variety up front is the biggest difference. You can see the competition has upped everyone's game. They know they might not afford to have a bad half never mind a bad game! Early yet but it's very pleasing so far. One game at a time though. A long way to go.
 
Cambuslangger said:
I don't quite know how we did it but the recruitment has been ridiculously good for the money spent.
Having the variety up front is the biggest difference. You can see the competition has upped everyone's game. They know they might not afford to have a bad half never mind a bad game! Early yet but it's very pleasing so far. One game at a time though. A long way to go.
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Agree CG.

We need to try every single week to win our games & stretch the lead.

It’s still all to play for, but I think we’ve at least come to a fight with guns this time.
 
My 3 things:
Belief in #55B410
along with a strong bench

and keeping on doing what we’ve been doing..
 
Chas said:
I’m sure Neil was in a team that won the league on goal difference, he would probably disagree with you.
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The thing about 1 in a million things. They happen once.

The point being debated is about goal difference being a factor this season.

You think it will come down to GD?
 
BlueKeld said:
Yet Neil did win a title on GD.

So, that indeed proves you to be very wrong. I imagine you were still a child back then though.
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It doesnt prove me wrong.

I said GD wont be a factor this season. I stand by it.

Wouldnt be surprised if i'm older than you.

The absolute distress and lack of clear thinking that one title has caused our fans is absurd. Its addled more of our fans brains than the mentally challengeds.

If I say the title this year wont be decided on goal difference, the once in a lifetime event nearly 20 years prior doesnt make me wrong about this year.

Nice try moving the goal posts on the current debate though. ;)
 
Coplandfrontier said:
Aberdeen will be a tough test, one game at a time.
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Yes exactly we must take it one game at a time and be completely focussed on that game.

I have also seen comment on other threads about it being OK for celtic to keep winning games as it papers over the cracks - I don't quite get this. The more points they drop the better, morale drops, players down tools, leave, and general mayhem ensues.

That said - if we maintain our focus on our own game and system then we will be OK.
 
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daven37 said:
Yes exactly we must take it one game at a time and be completely focussed on that game.

I have also seen comment on other threads about it being OK for celtic to keep winning games as it papers over the cracks - I don't quite get this. The more points they drop the better, moral drops, players down tools, leave, and general mayhem ensues.

That said - if we maintain our focus on our own game and system then we will be OK.
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The key is like everyone says, keep winning. It’s that simple. The longer we keep winning the more agitated they will get as we‘ll still be top of the league. And if they drop points again before we do, it might snowball as the chaos will be off the scale. We have the upper hand, we can make this happen. Do it Rangers.
 
I agree that on the whole we are in good shape in terms of winning the league. Barring any major injury crisis, or lengthy suspensions for key players, I think we can bring it back home.

All OF fixtures are important for a whole variety of reasons, but I have a strong hunch that the upcoming game at Ibrox against them will be pivotal in determining the outcome of league title. Win it and we are 6 ahead (assuming no points are dropped in the interim), but psychologically, a victory would deal a devastating blow to their morale, and almost certainly cost TLB his job.
 
If we beat them at Ibrox to at least 12 points clear then the title is ours

I can’t see us losing two games or drawing three and them not doing the same they aren’t good enough to do that especially in defence

the strength of our squad this season and the quality of our play is joy to behold

we could also go along way in the europa league
 
Sir_Walt’s_Slippers said:
We're in a good place, no doubt about it. If we're still clear come the end of January, I'll then start to seriously believe. Some real tough fixtures that month.
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There is indeed but I reckon they will drop even more before they play us at Ibrox and beating them at home and opening up a real cushion will win us the league
 
Pepe Silvia said:
It’s our squad depth as a whole that will make the difference for us this year I reckon. Looking back its mental we went into a season last year as our main striking options as Alfie, Defoe and Gregg Stewart. This year we are so much better equipped for period of injuries or periods of players going off the boil a bit
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I was reading a progamme yesterday and it highlighted the Rapid Vienna home game in 2018. Now that was an amazing night and we played great but looking back at the team was interesting - Flanagan, Worral, Coulibally, Ejaria, Candeis all started. I’d argue none of that lot would make our current bench. Tells me 2 things - we were never going to win the league that season (although at the time I was a chief referee conspiracy theorist!) and right now we are more than capable of doing so. Our depth come January will blow theirs out the water. Guys like Rogic and Griffiths will be fucked by then, while we’ll still have a hungry bench itching for a chance.
 
It feels different this season for a few reasons.

We’ve said since Gerrard came in that ‘someone was due a real doing’ but it never happened. Until Sunday.

We beat the scum comfortably at the shithouse, which is a pretty big deal.

We haven’t thrown away the advantage a game or 2 after gaining it.

Very exciting times and I cannot wait for the Aberdeen match.
 
Hopefully they have learned from the last couple of seasons and with better players and options can keep it going. One game at a time!!
 
I feel what is most likely to win us the league is actually two fold.

Firstly we obviously need to maintain consistency avoiding the same sort of post Xmas lethargy that’s scuppered our last two title challenges.

A squad with greater quality options - Roofe, Itten, Zungu, Balogun and Bassey have undeniably improved us in this regard - should help surmount any fatigue or injuries.

But secondly, it probably still needs Celtic to continue stuttering more than we do.

So far the signs there are encouraging, but I think it’s going to take a combination of the two to propel us to victory.
 
DougieJones said:
I was reading a progamme yesterday and it highlighted the Rapid Vienna home game in 2018. Now that was an amazing night and we played great but looking back at the team was interesting - Flanagan, Worral, Coulibally, Ejaria, Candeis all started. I’d argue none of that lot would make our current bench. Tells me 2 things - we were never going to win the league that season (although at the time I was a chief referee conspiracy theorist!) and right now we are more than capable of doing so. Our depth come January will blow theirs out the water. Guys like Rogic and Griffiths will be fucked by then, while we’ll still have a hungry bench itching for a chance.
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I think the difference in the fitness of us & them is very noticeable Dougie.

If you think of their Aberdeen & Motherwell matches, where they needed a reaction to bad results? In both games they did well first half but really got slack in the second half.

If that was their squad reacting to send a message, you’d think they’d be on it for 90 minutes.

Yet we were pressing the hell out of Hamilton even in the 93rd minute.
 
Grigo Yossarian said:
I think the difference in the fitness of us & them is very noticeable Dougie.

If you think of their Aberdeen & Motherwell matches, where they needed a reaction to bad results? In both games they did well first half but really got slack in the second half.

If that was their squad reacting to send a message, you’d think they’d be on it for 90 minutes.

Yet we were pressing the hell out of Hamilton even in the 93rd minute.
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You're absolutely right & for some reason - I didn't think of that before

Of course having a bigger & better squad should help maintain fitness levels across the board - & will be important going through the rest of the season

The quality of the squad now should be much more able to cope with international duties & these niggly injuries which may need a week or so to fully recover from - rather than to play on aggravating a minor problem
 
gersandproud said:
You're absolutely right & for some reason - I didn't think of that before

Of course having a bigger & better squad should help maintain fitness levels across the board - & will be important going through the rest of the season

The quality of the squad now should be much more able to cope with international duties & these niggly injuries which may need a week or so to fully recover from - rather than to play on aggravating a minor problem
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Exactly G&P.

It was a really big issue for us last season, eg Davis & Jack had a brilliant season up to Xmas & then just dropped off of a cliff.

The great thing is we’ve got some cracking players who have hardly kicked a ball & were in mid November. Aribo, Roofe, Zungu are obvious examples.

Then I see snippets of their games & Brown & McGregor can’t last a game.
 
Grigo Yossarian said:
I think the difference in the fitness of us & them is very noticeable Dougie.

If you think of their Aberdeen & Motherwell matches, where they needed a reaction to bad results? In both games they did well first half but really got slack in the second half.

If that was their squad reacting to send a message, you’d think they’d be on it for 90 minutes.

Yet we were pressing the hell out of Hamilton even in the 93rd minute.
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True mate, and if you factor in guys like McGregor and Frimpong are never rotated, I can see them running on empty come February. No winter break will help us and damage them, 100%
 
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