11-17th Jan 2021
Whilst we continue to remain in pandemic stasis at least the sporting world still goes round.
This week saw upsets, frustration, debate and a huge slice of idiocy from a football club – not naming names but they play in green and white, come from Glasgow and are called Celtic.
Misery for Aberdeen in a place they usually find happiness
–Aberdeen hammered 4-1 by bottom of the table Ross County: Reaction
When Aberdeen go to Dingwall they usually win – five on the bounce on the banks of the River Peffery over five years.
However on Saturday the Dons were slaughtered 4-1 by Ross County who are seeing a resurgence under new manager John ‘Yogi’ Hughes lifting themselves off the bottom of the league.
Aberdeen’s season is turning into a procession of groundhog weekends yo-yo’ing between themselves and Hibs for third, and will they ever get to play Livi?
7 wins 6 draws and 4 losses in the last two months sums up what’s turning into a frustratingly frustrating campaign for the Dons.
The big debate in Scottish football – not so much a debate as a slap fest between the heads of the game – was the decision to shutdown all leagues below the Championship in a continued effort to stop the spread of the virus.
It’s incredibly complicated and tiring trying to keep up with the ‘he said’, ‘she said’, ‘who done it’, but one quote to jump out of another controlled mess by the SPFL is the description of their forty-plus club Zoom meeting to decide what course of action to take. Verbs used to paint a picture of the call apparently included ‘nauseating’, ‘disgrace’, and ‘soul destroying’.
Bundesliga: Bayern back on track and a thriller at Signal Aduna Park
The game of the weekend in Germany turned out not to be eight time reigning champions Bayern Munich, who won again, but their supposed main rivals Dortmund playing lowly Mainz (second from bottom).
As usual with Dortmund it’s the second half where anything happens. On this occasion it began with a wonder goal by Levin Oztunali, cutting inside and delivering a 25 yard rocket on the hour that left Roman Burki no chance. Then Mainz had a chance to double their lead but hit the bar. Thomas Meunier equalised for Dortmund on 74’ then a minute later won a penalty which captain Marco Reus shot wide. And with thirteen minutes to go Mainz had the chance to win it but again hit the frame of Roman Burki’s goal, this time watching the ball hit the inside of the post and roll across the goal line.
The most interesting thing to happen in Munich, other than crashing out the Cup to a side in Division 2 in midweek, was the usually well tempered Hansi Flick shutting down further questions about Bayern’s shock loss saying it’s expected that a team will go through a slight slump in form having managed to lose only one match in a year – fair point.
Six Nations 2021, is it going to happen?
Consensus in the media sways between ‘thank god sport’s giving us something to watch’, ‘games are rubbish without fans’ and ‘should we really be allowing elite sport at the height of this affliction on the world?’.
We acknowledge the latter but our opinion is selfish – with elite sport still allowed to be played at least we have one thing to look to. But with the French Government shutting down travel – which meant the final two rounds of the European Champions Cup were scrapped – there is real concern the Six Nations will not go ahead as scheduled with the first round of matches due to be played beginning of February.
Celtic’s trip to Dubai
It might be over a week now but with the players returning from quarantine today, it has to be catalogued as one of the most stupid acts ever in Scottish football.
Nicola Sturgeon made her views clear saying, “I can’t tell you how disappointed and frustrated I am to be facing another briefing dominated by football.”
To take your team away for a warm weather training camp, have photos of players drinking pints of lager, have a player test positive for covid on the return, thirteen players then miss the must win game against Hibs on Monday – which you draw – and eventually, like pulling teeth, your chief executive comes out and says in the current circumstances the trip might have been a bad idea.
No one could imagine how badly Celtic’s attempt at 10IAR was going to go.
Harry Jamshid Reporter Sports Pages 