MJC_MKI

It's utter lunacy to suggest that 2nd place is 'in the bag' considering we've got Celtic tomorrow then have to play Inverness away before two further tough games to end the season. It's still very much in the balance and I would say that there was as good a chance of us finishing 2nd as not finishing 2nd.

Which means we will. There is far too much optimism on this thread, especially ahead of a game against Celtic, a side who are head and shoulders above us and the rest of the league. We only ever get a result against Celtic when the support least expects us, like the last time. We will lose tomorrow, count on it.

If you'd actually read what was posted in the thread instead of just assuming what had been said then you'd have seen that I and others have one more than one occasion stressed that its not so much that its 'just because its Celtic', that we don't want to give them 'recognition' for winning the league, rather that we don't feel they deserve any recognition because of the complete lack of respect that they have shown toward us and our players over this POTY nominations episode.

Of course it is, and they give us none atall so why should we give them any?

I'm not disputing whether or not the club should or should not 'make the support' do anything with regards to applauding or not applauding Celtic. I'm putting forward my view as to why I believe that Celtic do not deserve to be applauded or recognised in a positive fashion by our support. It's nothing to do with the players, as like I say, it's the 'done thing' to applaud the winners of a particular competition in their first game since securing the title, but given who the team in question is and the remarks in the media by that club's manager, then I do not believe that they deserve to be given any respect or recognition by the Motherewell support on Sunday.

Well, each to their own. If someone wants to applaud Celtic for winning the league then that's up to them, they can milk the occasion and applaud to their hearts content. But I, and I suspect the majority of the Motherwell support will react to the. 'Guard of honour' as they see fit...

Maybe it's just me, but I think there's a difference between shaking hands etc before the game and doing so afterwards. When the game is done, it's done, players shake hands and put behind them any personal battles which went on during the game. They've been in a contest, now it's over. Before the match however, they're psyching themselves up to go into battle with the 11 players opposite them so the last thing they'd want to do is shake hands, no matter how fake it may be. They want to beat them, get the better of them so why show them 'niceties' before the battle has commenced?

I completely about the pre match handshakes, it's very pretentious, very 'Americanised' even and there's no need for it. However, again it's the 'done' thing nowadays between both sets of players but I don't remember any occasion where the supporters have joined in with it and that's my point here. We're going to witness our players provide a guard of honour to a team and a manager who has shown nothing but disrespect towards us and so while our players may 'go through the motions' we, as fans do not have to do likewise and should, IMO give them as much 'respect' as they've given us.

And again, while the Arsenal players may applaud their Man Utd counterparts, I really cannot see too many, if any Arsenal fans joining in. This 'Guard of honour' thing is a fairly recent and incredibly fake addition to the game in the UK but while the players reluctantly in some cases participate, the supporters do not, especially when it's a club they in general do not like. That's before you chuck in the manager and captain of said club throwing a tantrum about none of their players being nominated for a POTY award and suggesting that those who have been - including a nominee from the club expected to provide the guard of honour - do not deserve the award. Like I say, respect is a thing earned, not given and Lennon and Celtic have done nothing to earn respect in this instance.

To be honest, I'm not so much bothered about the players doing the guard of honour as its the 'done thing' these days but I'll be damned if I'll be applauding them and can fully understand why the majority of the support wouldn't either, firstly because, well lets face it, there's hardly any sort of affinity between the two clubs and with Lennon's rant about the POTY awards then him and his team don't deserve that respect shown toward them. They may have done well in Europe but they have limped over the line in a title race that they and everyone else knew they would win before a ball was even kicked this season and have dropped a ridiculous number of points throughout when you consider the gulf in quality between them and the rest of the SPL, so it's perfectly understandable that other players such as Higdon, Griffiths, McGinn and Shinnie should be up for awards before any of their players.

Exactly. And for those who say "it's the players, not Lennon we're applauding" don't kid yourself. Scott Brown has already been ranting about this today on twitter and if Lennon boycotts the ceremony, I hardly think any of his players are going to go against him and attend it. Celtic are and always have been, but now more so than ever, a classless and downright arrogant bunch who are never done trying to run their mouths off about other clubs, individuals and officials to try and pressurise them to get their own way then spit the dummy out and stamp their feet when they don't get it. In any other country in the world they would be ridiculed but they get away with it here because they've got the media in their back pockets and they won't dare question anything they say for fear of being labelled 'sectarian' in some way or other. The players will applaud them on Sunday but I won't and I hope, and think, that I won't be alone in that either.

Fuck this "don't lower yourselves to their level" nonsense. There are some people who do not deserve any respect shown to them and Neil Lennon is one of them as his latest rant has shown. He and apparantly some of his players are going to boycott a player of the year dinner because they've spat the dummy out about a vote going against them, even though they've won that particular award for the past six or seven years. Where's the 'professional respect' in that? Respect is something which has to be earned and Lennon hasn't earned himself or his club any.

The Motherwell support should collectively turn their backs to the pitch whilst this 'guard of honour' is going on. It may be the done thing these days but given Lennon's latest display of 'Celtic petulance' they deserve fuck all.

We've had our win against them this season, we won't get another. 3-0 Celtic

This. He is everything that is wrong with Celtic FC and their attitudes to anyone of a non Celtic persuasion, ie. utterly obnoxious, arrogant and unable to see anything from a non Celtic perspective yet that doesn't stop him venting his spew about everything and everyone else in the game. And that's before you throw in the professional victim mentality.

Would have been better with Claret shorts but that apart I like it and think it's a very nice effort, especially the socks. That'll be our Scottish Cup winning kit of 2014.

If he goes, he goes. Motherwell FC will still be here regardless so no point worrying about it.

Have we ever lost when playing in that? Superb result and performance last night and Higdon has shown yet again that he is one top notch striker for us.

3-2 us in a tense encounter which we just manage to see out.

Graeme Smith was an absolute liability of a goalkeeper. The worst we've had since Stevie Woods.

No we're not. We are, however, the worst for infighting though.

The quality of the league has nothing to do with it, you can only score against what is in front of you and Hidgon does that. If its simply a case of 'Higdon has only scored 20+ goals because the quality he is facing is so poor' then why has he scored more goals in the SPL than the majority of other strikers in the same league? And who is a better striker, goal for game than him currently? I usually agree with your posts but I think you're being very unfair on Higdon.

Dare I say it, but Utd at Tannadice is a MUST win game for us given we have Celtic and then a trip to Inverness next. If we lose to Utd and Celtic we could well be behind Inverness by the time we play them.

Well it would to me. Motherwell do not beat Celtic twice in the one season.

Lets just hope and pray that Celtic clinch the title before they come here. It's not a bad set of fixtures but I think we really need to be looking at picking up points in all three away games if we are to finish 2nd. Celtic will beat us regardless of whether they've won the title or not when they face us, we've had our win against them this season and we won't get another. The Ross County and St.Johnstone games could go either way but both are winnable so we've still got a good chance of 2nd.