Starvin’ Marvin of his glorious day out
Robby: Final defeat can’t define our season
STEPHEN WELSH will never forget what Neil Lennon did for his career.
But, with the old gaffer gone, the young stopper is now hoping two former defensive talents in the shape of John Kennedy and Stephen McManus will help him push on to the next stage of his development at Celtic.
Welsh is indebted to the faith shown in him by Lennon.
The former boss handed him a Parkhead first-team debut just over a year ago at Hamilton.
He dished out a second start at the beginning of this campaign in the biggest domestic game of the lot against Rangers.
Days later, Lennon trusted Welsh to go in against AC Milan in the Europa League. Lennon is no longer in the building, but his confidence in Welsh looks like being well placed with the youngster stepping up to the plate in recent weeks to keep Shane Duffy out of the side as replacement for injured Christopher Jullien.
Welsh won’t forget and admits it’s been a tough education seeing Lennon leave as he said: “I will always have a lot to owe the old gaffer. He gave me my debut, my derby debut and my European debut.
“I can’t thank him enough for that and what he did for me. As a footballer, all you want is someone to trust you and give you a chance. That’s what he did for me.
“It’s all part of the learning curve for me and it’s been a difficult week for everyone at the club. It’s never nice to see a manager leave and, personally, you feel a wee bit of responsibility for that. “The performances on the pitch haven’t been good enough and that is why it has happened.”
The departure of Lennon led to two promotions within the staff. Kennedy, of course, moved into the main position, but McManus also moved up into the top-team picture.
Both of these individuals made it through the ranks at Parkhead. Both of them were deemed good enough to play in the Champions League for the club.
McManus won 26 caps for Scotland. Kennedy may have won more had he not been struck down in his very first assigment by a brutal Romanian tackle which, really, signalled the end of his playing career.
Welsh knows both men can play a pivotal role in his growth going forward as he said: “We are moving on now with Kendo and we are trying to get results.
”My first experience of working with him was when I first came to train with the first team, maybe four years ago, but he’s been a big help all the way through from that day and he’s a great coach.
“As a former defender, I know he can help me a lot and he already has. I don’t remember Kendo playing for Celtic. I’m only 21, but my dad has told me a lot about him and said he was a top player and would have done big things, but I know he was unfortunate with injuries.
“But he has put all that experience into being a coach now and I think it’s worked out well for him. Stephen is also up with the first team and he was my reserves coach.
“Both of them played central defence for Celtic at a really high level, so that’s great for me as a young player. It’s a very familiar set-up for me and I find it easy to go and talk to them about things and have a chat.
“Likewise, they know me and that probably helps when it comes to coaching.”
Kennedy and McManus needed their defenders to be strong in the 1-0 weekend win over Aberdeen as they came under fire in the second period while protecting an Odsonne Edouard opener.
Welsh said: “It was a good win for us and I thought we were excellent in the first half. We played the way we know that we can. We kept the ball and we were patient.
“We got the goal and I felt we could have scored two or three with our play. In the second half, it was the same as the last game against Aberdeen.
“They pressed really high and they did it very well. When it gets to the last 15 minutes and they are chasing an equaliser, they throw balls into the box.
“But I thought we dealt with that really well and it was good to get the clean sheet.”
Kristoffer Ajer was excellent in the game and Welsh did his bit alongside him with a crucial block of his own in the closing stages.
The Scot’s numbers are stacking up. Since his full-time recall to the side as a replacement for the injured Nir Bitton at half-time in the January loss to St Mirren, Celtic have lost just two goals in his six-and-a-half games on the park. It’s character and confidence building as he said: “To get through that period of pressure at the end against Aberdeen without conceding was good for us.
“We have been conceding goals at times in the season, so to get over that barrier is a positive mentally.“
I will always have a lot to owe the old gaffer. He gave me my debut STEPHEN WELSH ON NEIL LENNON
Bartley switch costs boss dear
DAVID MARTINDALE has talked openly about how making bad decisions cost him four years of his life behind bars.
So a wrong call in a cup final is hardly the crime of the century in comparison for a man whose past puts football into perspective.
Martindale knows better than anyone that you can’t turn back the clock but he must wish he could and start the Betfred Cup Final again.
The Livingston gaffer will regret opting to deploy Marvin Bartley on the left in a bid to combat the threat of St Johnstone’s marauding Shaun Rooney.
Not only did the Lions lose Bartley’s presence in the middle of the park but it was Rooney who proved the difference as he headed the only goal and was named man of the match.
Martindale’s tactical move was an eye-opener from the start but one he hinted at pre-match when he spoke of focusing on combating the main threat of their rivals.
Rooney was a standout against Hibs in the semi-final, where he also scored, and the man the fans call the Bellshill Cafu was again the hero.
The 24-year-old’s battle with Bartley was key.
He said: “It was probably the hardest tussle of the season. He does the dirty work well, always grabbing you and trying to wind you up, and he’s got a wee bit of pace about him as well.
“He stuck to it but I was so happy to win the battle.”
Martindale will reflect on his decision, one that former captain Stuart Lovell, who led Livingston to the League Cup, admitted was costly.
On duty as a pundit at Hampden, the Aussie said: “With respect to Marvin, he’s not as powerful a runner as Shaun Rooney.
“His best position is No.6 so put him in the position that he’s best at with Craig Sibbald next to him.”
Even when Sibbald was introduced in the second half as Martindale made a string of changes Bartley didn’t return to his natural position.
The 34-year-old was flagging and he picked up the first booking with 11 minutes left for a foul on Jason Kerr to compound a miserable afternoon.
Bartley was an unused sub when Hibs won the Scottish Cup in 2016 and said prematch that he would have taken a back seat again if it had meant Livingston getting their hands on the trophy.
Given how the game panned out, in hindsight that might have given them a better chance.
Not since that historic day for Hibs five years ago had a team other than Celtic lifted silverware at the national stadium.
That was an “I was there moment” for the Leith faithful as they witnessed the club end a 114-year wait to get their hands on the famous old trophy. While the unsavoury scenes at the end marred the occasion with the ugly pitch invasion, it was an afternoon the Hibs supporters will never forget.
Contrast that with this occasion where there were no fans at all and you couldn’t feel anything but sympathy for supporters of both clubs.
St Johnstone waited 129 years to lift a major trophy and when it came they were denied the occasion at Hampden.
Their final win took place at Celtic Park with the national stadium getting ready for the Commonwealth Games that summer. It’s 17 years since Livi were last in a final when they won this very competition.
The fans suffered but it was strange for the players too with no fans lining the street on their way to the stadium.
Livingston players even travelled to the game individually in cars but they weren’t motoring on the pitch and they’ll regret it.
Martindale knows all about second chances. There are
none in finals.
ROBBY McCRORIE insists Livingston won’t allow Hampden heartache to derail their season.
The goalie admits the agony of being on the losing side in yesterday’s Betfred Cup Final will only serve to strengthen their ambition of ending this campaign on a high.
McCrorie believes a season on the verge of delivering topsix success after an appearance in a major final still has plenty of time for a fairytale ending.
Davie Martindale’s Lions have a five-point cushion in the table’s top half, having played two fewer games than sixth-placed St Mirren and Dundee United in seventh.
McCrorie, 22, said: “The manager said at the end of the game we can’t let this define our season.
“It was a huge game for the club and everyone was desperate to do it for the fans and the staff.
“But we need to stick together and emerge stronger from this.
“What’s happened at the club this season has been unbelievable but the season is not over yet.
“At the end of the season we will be judged on where we are come the last game. We can be proud but there’s more to come from us.
“Everyone in the dressing room is gutted but this team more than capable of coming together when times are tough and pushing through.
“What a story it would have been for the club and him [Martindale] but unfortunately it didn’t come off that way. But he will be as determined as all of us to try to put it right. “We all want to have as successful a career as possible and get the most out of every day we are at our work. Today is no different. We all want to do the best we can.” McCrorie was beaten by Shaun Rooney’s first-half header and the on-loan Rangers youngster admits the showpiece had no surprises other than lady luck didn’t shine on them. He said: “The game probably went as we expected it – two teams doing everything not to lose a goal and a set-piece separated us. We did everyare thing we could to get back into the game but unfortunately we didn’t manage to do that.
“St Johnstone cleared their lines well but we were missing what we needed to get back into it.
“At their goal I got a fingertip to it. I was so close but so far away. On another day I get my fingertip on it and it hits a post.
“It’s disappointing because we do so much work on setpieces to try to clear our lines.
“To lose the game that way was disappointing.”
One positive for him was the faith shown by Martindale in handing him the gloves instead of Max Stryjek.
And McCrorie is adamant there will be other career highlights ahead at Livi – as long as they don’t allow cup final disappointment to linger.
He said: “I love playing football and I wanted to be involved in games like this.
“I would like to play every week but I know I need to work hard in training to get opportunities like this.
“This is what it’s all about. I’m out on loan to learn.
“Unfortunately we did not win but the only thing we can do is make sure this does not define our season.
“We need to kick on, learn as much as we can and make sure we finish as strongly as we can.”
It was a huge game... but we need to stick together and emerge stronger from it