That wasn't the case this season.
Huns beat Man City, Hearts drew with Sunderland, Hibs drew with Blackburn and Bolton, St. Johnstone beat Burnley.
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:greengrin: Changing your story now. We work in the present.
Based on the assumption that there isn't that much of a gulf we could beat Brum, Everton, Blackburn, Fulham, Stoke etc etc over the rigours of a season.
I'm sorry, but Hangeland is 5 times the player Chris Hogg is, as is Shawcross etc and they are in the bottom half of the EPL.
Robbie Keane will score goals.
Bad for us but it'll be good to see players like Keane playing at Easter Road.
I know he's an awful human being but Bellamys performance against us was a joy to watch when he destroyed us all on his own.
Let's look on the bright side here with the Keane (possible) move...he'll use up a large wedge of the wages, will therefore probably be undroppable and might bomb in the same way that other, fairly successful, EPL players did - see Juaninho, Keane and that scandanavian bloke Rangers signed from Chelsea (what was his name?).
Well thats what I'm hoping for anyway...
Hearts can't beat half the SPL, they would never beat Sunderland over a season. Hibs likewise with Blackburn and Bolton and St. Johnstone certainly could not beat Fletcher and co. You would think that by that St. Js could put up a decent fight against Chelsea...
:agree: We have done extremely well to get to February and still be on the coat-tails of Celtic. Their resources, their squad and their financial clout is in a different league to Hibs' and I believe that they will end up being at least 15 points ahead of us by the end of the season.
Who is saying anything about finishing above teams over the course of a season?
I'm just pointing out that Robbie Keane has struggled to get a regular game over the last two seasons, since his ludicrous transfer to Liverpool. There must be some reason for this. Just because he is now (apparently) moving to Celtic doesn't mean that he is going to piss all over the SPL. There's plenty of examples of big name players coming up from down south who have not done well, mainly because they have been near finished in England and are just looking for a healthy payday and easy life up here. I think there is a reasonable chance that Keane will fit that model. The point of the preseason results is that you can't just show up and say "we're a PL team, we're entitled to win the game and score loads of goals". Football is more complex than that.
I do think that our first XI would give their first XI a game, yes. As it stands, we don't have the depth of squad that they have, and that's what we would need to compete with them over a season.
Hangeland may be 5 times the player Hogg is, but his wages will be knocking on 10 or 15 times Hogg's. EPL players are well overpaid, and gap in ability isn't that big IMO.
But yes, I agree Keane will score goals up here - you don't score the number he has at club and international level without being a class act. It remains to be seen how much of his wages Celtic will end up paying, and that could well end up biting them on the erse because it's going to be a sizable chunk of the £80k he's reportedly on.
Jesus christ, this thread is enough to tan your wrists with.
Sometimes wonder why people actually bother their arse to follow Hibs if the football here is that bad.
Crab Ferguson is somehow managing to pull off good performances in the heavenly Premiership, and oh dear god another player from the hell that is the SPL, Steven Fletcher, has managed to bang in more than a few goals in the EPL.
It always gets to me why Scottish Hibs fans somehow take pure delight in putting the SPL and Scottish football down on .net. If it's that bad then **** off and support your glorious EPL teams full time.
Rant over:grr::greengrin
Well said Hainan
:agree: I cannae stand Bellamy, but he was unbelievably good against us at ER (think that was the same game as Konte's wonder-dive, and Boozy's headed goal).
Can't think of a time when one player has so obviously been the deciding factor in a game against us, other than if you include Zibby or Simon Brown.
Celtic potentially have 20 games left this season (22 depending on possible replays in the Scottish Cup). If that turns out to be the case and Keane does end up signing for them, I think he will score at least 12 goals.
Anyone going to predict anything different?
The 2 stories aren't that dissimilar imo. Player earns big money move (albeit the fees were a tad different) but they both flop at said new club and are moved on, in Stokes case with several loan moves. Both players still seemed to struggle as expectation and previous large price tags hang over their head leading to loss of form and confidence.
Stokes comes back up to Scotland and quickly finds his feet and scoring touch with a new lease of life and I'd expect Keane will do the same. He doesn't strike me as a primadonna only interested in money and a glamorous lifestyle and I think he'll come up here with a point to prove to himself and Harry Redknapp especially.
ok worded a bit wrong but I loves my football and enjoy watching great players in the flesh and Bellamys performance that day was excellent, just a pity it came at our expense.