Moussa Dembele

This audio is my new ringtone

 

A few people have that idea.

 

Love that his reaction is to run to der hun and get it right up them. He gets it.

 

Goal from the Celtic TV view

 

As Celtic left the Ibrox pitch on Sunday they might well have done so with La Marseillaise ringing in their ears.

The Parkhead side’s French connection of Moussa Dembele, Olivier Ntcham and Odsonne Edouard were instrumental to the victory, a win that effectively ties the ribbons on Celtic’s seventh successive league title.

The 3-2 win with ten men against Graeme Murty’s side means that Brendan Rodgers has gone nine games against Rangers unbeaten while the four consecutive wins at Ibrox sets a record for the modern era.

And former Celtic striker John Hartson believes that Dembele is showing the kind of form that could well win him a place in the French national squad this summer.

The striker has been pre-selected for the France squad, a situation he has been in before without making the final cut.

However, Hartson believes that despite the prestigious company with which the 20-year-old forward would be keeping in Didier Deschamps’ squad that Dembele is capable of earning his inclusion. The striker has been pre-selected before but has not made it into the full squad.

“For me, Moussa has always been a top-class young striker,” said Hartson. “I think he has everything. He is a big, powerful lump of a boy and I think that he has improved on is being able to use that bulk to his advantage.

“He has pace. He can score. He has power. He has the temperament for the big occasion and I honestly believe that he could play at the very top level. I have never doubted that.

“Obviously the expectations on him were very high at the start of the season because of the way he played in his first campaign at Celtic but when you are not at your maximum fitness it is difficult to go out and play the way you want to.

“But over the last few weeks you just get a sense that he is hungry and sharp again. I thought he took that second goal so well at Ibrox. It was a beautiful finish but equally important was the way in which he played in Odsonne Edouard for that third goal.

“The young lad still had a fair bit of work to do before he curled it into the far corner but it was fantastic play between both players. They really linked up well and they got the reward that their hard-work deserved.

“I mean, what a feeling that must have been for Odsonne. To come off the bench in a game like that and when you are really under the cosh, it must have been so special to go and score the winner for your team. To me it just spoke volumes for the character and determination in that side and that is what you need if you want to be successful.

“Yes, we know that there were defensive mistakes and there was a lot of sloppy play at the back but what was important to me was the way that Celtic didn’t allow that to get inside their head. They kept going and I just always believed that they would go and win it.

“They were the team that wanted it the most.”

Despite Hartson’s enthusiasm for Dembele’s qualities and the manner in which he has come to the fore again this season, the pundit has warned that the mark of true quality is the players who can do it repeatedly.

Dembele can expect a summer of speculation once again this summer as his long-term future comes under the spotlight and there is an inevitability that he will move south of the border or further afield at some stage.

And while Hartson expects that the Frenchman is capable of going onto play at a higher level he has maintained that Dembele doesn’t need to look too far for inspiration at Celtic.

“Look at what Henrik Larsson did at Celtic,” said Hartson. “And he did not do that just over the course of a season or a good spell here and there. He did it consistently, year in, year out.

“People used to ask me about Henrik and whether or not he could go and do it elsewhere and having played with the Ian Wrights of this world I didn’t need to be told how good Henrik was.

“And that is the example that Moussa should be looking at. These players like Henrik and Ian they did throughout their entire career. The goals were there all the way through and for me that is the hallmark of a truly top player.”

Next month the rigmarole will be revisited with Celtic and Rangers playing one another twice in the space of a week. The psychological impact of losing to a side with ten men while their defence was so woefully ill at ease may linger in the Ibrox camp. That coupled with the fact that they have lost with such regularity to the Parkhead side will come into play but Hartson is wary or writing Rangers off.

“I think you have to be careful,” he said. “Celtic will feel like they have the edge but this is a dangerous fixture. You need to be confident and you need to believe but you don’t want to be dismissive either.

“Rangers gave Celtic a few problems on Sunday and while I always expected that Celtic had the character and nerve to come through it you have to be able to deliver and that comes from being willing to roll the sleeves up at times.”

 

Don't know if posted before but this was after the game.

 

Great interview and view from Hartson there.

Cool video! Is that Tupac?

Talking of La Marseillaise, I'm sure the Frenchmen preferred our tribute to La Marseille ringing in their ears when a chorus of the classic COYBIG was shaking the foundations

 

If im not mistaken he has scored more goals against the huns since his arrival than their entire team has scored against us?

 

Hail Mary. They must be Fenians

 

Same amount

 

But..but...hes *.

 

It was a desperate clearance from Broony that luckily landed at the feet of Dembele who tried to control it and get it on the ground to take it round the keeper but he's so * he completely miskicked it and it could've went anywhere but the luck of the Irish haunts Ibrox again.

Celtic won't be so lucky in April when Gerd Miller returns to prevent the 10iar. He'll show Dembele what a proper striker looks like. And Dembele will be like you really shouldn't be hanging about my back garden but do you want me to autograph that for you?

 

Starting to look back to his best, long may it continue.

 

Goal and assist at Pittodrie.

Goal and assist at Mordor.

Not bad.

 

Just thinking back to Sunday, how * pathetic was the yellow card he picked up?
Got up early and won the header and Collum gets the * book out. Compare that to what he let go in first 20 mins