So at long last, after more than four months of ducking and diving, Ra Sellick are finally ready to face up to the Rangers at the Kerrydale Khazi. The Ginger Mourinho has been telling anyone inclined to listen that his team is back on song but I don't think anybody at Ibrox will be losing any sleep. We are in the driving seat and another composed, disciplined performance will keep us there.
FC Semtex have to win this one so that will make Timothy a very dangerous beast. They will throw everything at us and, if it doesn't work, there will be no trick too dirty, no depth too low, no skullduggery unacceptable to them in their desperation to turn things around. The crowd will be a seething mass of hatred and, should it not work out to their liking, it certainly won't be a very nice place to be.
But you don't get to European semi-finals without knowing how to handle a hostile atmosphere. Walter and Super Ally have been over the course so many times before, the players will be made only too well aware of what they face and, as they say, fore-warned is fore-armed. The Gers will be up for it, no matter what the other shower have to offer.
With the finishing post coming into sight, each game takes us a giant step closer to the line. As things stand, we are five victories away from the title. Even defeat at Parkheid won't alter that statistic so, while it is always a highly charged occasion, with Celtic in the last chance saloon, our guys should be able to go about their business confidently to prove what we have all known for quite some time now. i.e. We are a better team than that lot.
The old 4-5-1 formation has come in for a lot of stick but it has served us well thus far and is tailor-made for this game. With McShagger in goal, I'd go for Whittaker, King Carlos, Weir and Papac across the back, Davis would be wide on the right, Dailly and Hemdani should play in front of the back four to link with Barry, I'd use McCulloch on the left and look for JCD to put himself about for an hour before making way for Cousin Dan.
We don't have to win this game so all the onus is on Septic to break us down. The longer it stays at 0-0, the more desperate they will become and the more opportunities we'll get to play in behind them. The pace of Novo and Naismith could be significant if they come off the bench in the latter stages.
Super Ally was spot-on when he stressed what victory would mean to our quest for the SPL title. Our need for five victories to clinch the thing is based on Them winning all their remaining six games. Anything we achieve at the Piggery eases the demands on us - and we really need that with such a fixture pile-up looming - and heaps the pressure on to Gordon The Garden Gnome and his Knuckledragger XI.
So the long-range forecast is as follows. An unlikely FC Semtex win would keep them on course for a finishing total of 89 points, leaving us needing five wins to amass 90. A draw reduces their maximum possibility to 87, so four wins out of our remaining seven games would give us 88 points. But if Walter stretches his Old Firm winning sequence to five in a row, Celtic's points tally could not exceed 86 and, as we would be on 78, no more than three wins out of seven would be required to take us on to an unassailable 87 points mark.
Our target has to be to get the thing done and dusted ASAP. The sooner the flag is in the bag, the opportunity will be there for hard-pressed players to be rested, which can only be good for our chances of pulling off a quite incredible trophy haul.
It would be all too easy to go to Breezeblock Boulevard and settle for a draw. If it happens, I won't be slashing my wrists but, when a draw is the extent of our ambition, all it takes is one flash of brilliance (unlikely in light of the opposition), one silly mistake (Gers haven't made too many lately) or one controversial decision (what are the odds on them getting the benefit of at least one?) to rob us of that point.
So by all means lets be cautious, expect them to pile on the pressure right from the start, but Rangers must always be alive to the possibility of doing some damage on the counter-attack. We've shown we can pass the ball, keep possession confidently, then move the game upfield quickly. Darch's strength and pace will worry their hammer-throwers and quick support from Barry, Stevo and Lee could be decisive. It will happen!!!
The mere sight of another set of green and grey jerseys sparking off a Lisbon-like performance will be more than enough for me, thank you very much.
LITTLE BOY BLUE