Match Pictures | Matches: 2008 - 2009 | 2008-2009 Pictures | Form

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Trivia

• Last game of the season, and we lose the league. Rangers win the league.
• We have to go through two rounds of qualifiers in the Champs Lge.
• If we'd have won this and the last game we'd have won the league likely. But we didn't. A disgrace. Two nil nil draws.
  
• Most damning was WGS' quote: "Congratulations to Rangers. We weren't up to winning four-in-a-row."
• WGS' last game in charge, he handed in his resignation the next day. There were few if any who would have disagreed with that decision, but we are still all thankful for some of the highs over the years esp the 3-in-a-row, plus lots of good humour.
• End of Season review
  

Review

It's over, and we've stuffed up the league. This game turned out to be irrelevant as the Huns needed to win their game to take the title and they duly did, so this turned out to be procedural. Not much to write home about and seemed to reflect much of what was wrong at Celtic for over the past 6mths. Little good from the players, little shape, squandered chances, disappointing entertainment and dropped points. We're gutted.

WGS's last match in charge as he handed in his resignation the next day.

Teams

Celtic:
Boruc,
Hinkel, Caldwell, Loovens, O'Dea,
Nakamura, Scott Brown (Flood 82), Hartley, McGeady,
McDonald (Maloney 69), Samaras (Vennegoor of Hesselink 46)
Subs Not Used: Mark Brown, Crosas, Conroy, Naylor

Hearts: Kello, Neilson, Karipidis, Mrowiec, Lee Wallace, Jonsson, Michael Stewart, Zaliukas (Johnny Stewart 80), Obua, Elliot (Nade 61), Templeton (Novikovas 51).
Subs Not Used: Balogh, Tullberg, Thomson, Park
Booked: Mrowiec

Att: 59,685
Ref: C Thomson

Articles

• Match Report

Celtic manager Gordon Strachan: "Today, it wasn't good enough. The game was dead after the result filtered through.
"But, at this moment in time, we'd like to thank the players and staff. They gave it their best shot.
"I'd like to thank supporters. It wasn't easy for them today.
"We weren't up for the challenge of winning four in a row."

Pictures

• Match Pictures

KStreet

• MOTM
  • Result - Glenn Loovens - (Link to MOTM Winners 2008/09)

Stats

CELTIC v HEARTS
Possession

50%

50%

Shots on target

9

2

Shots off target

9

0

Corners

11

0

Fouls

8

14

We weren't good enough - Strachan(BBC)

Gordon Strachan avoided speculation about his future as he admitted that Celtic had not been good enough to win four Scottish title in a row.
"We already know where we think we went wrong," the manager said after a 0-0 draw at home to Hearts was not enough to prevent Rangers winning the league.
"But it's not the time to talk about this, because all hell breaks loose in the media.
"Congratulations to Rangers. We weren't up to winning four-in-a-row."
Celtic had gone into the final day hoping that they could defeat Hearts and that Rangers would drop points away to Dundee United.
But Rangers' 3-0 win left events at Celtic Park flat and meaningless as Strachan's side fell short of their fourth championship in a row.
"It wasn't good enough; the game was dead after the score at Tannadice filtered through," he said. "It is disappointing, but we have only ourselves to blame.
"What has happened this year is that we finished four points behind, and our points total was not good enough to win the league.
"I would like to thank the players, the directors and the fans for the effort they made this year.
"But it was not good enough (on the park) and we have to sit down and analyse that.
"It doesn't take a genius to see that in some areas we weren't as good as we have been in the last three years."
Strachan gave no indication that he might be thinking of leaving.
"We have won quite a few things in recent years and we've got to regroup," he said before praising the new champions.
"Congratulations to Walter Smith and his coaching staff. We know how difficult it is to win a title.
"And congratulations to their players, because they have gone to difficult places and won at the end of the season.
"I'm sure we will give them a run for their money next year."