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Oooh my...
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i have been critical of the performance today but i agree its worth experimenting but at ibrox against a resurgent rangers is not the time or the place.
i would ask paul67 why your not criticising gordon strachan with regards to caldwell as this experiment has failed time and agin and doumbe is looking much better than caldwell. I think the biggest thing to come out of the experimenting is that hartley,pressley and gravesen are not compatible with our first team and should be moved on
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It's hard to say something that hasn't been said but to all those who feel we're headed in the right direction i would say (through gritted teeth) that a HUGE part of our league success is down to the incompetence of the other teams.
We've scored a pitiful amount of goals this season and, considering the sheer gulf in resources(downsizing or not) between us and most other SPL sides, it's normal to dish out a few drubbings a season. This hasn't happened. How many horrible low scoring games have we struggled through this season? I don't think anybody here expects champagne football every game but to watch us splutter our way through games ALL season has been incredibly depressing.
As for Europe and our much vaunted last 16 place - this was down to our seeding earned in previous seasons and I'd be interested in hearing from anyone who disagrees. A decent performance in Manchester,an SPL like bore-fest against Copenhagen, a win born out of stopping another team playing(Which like everybody else I was more than happy with)those amazing 45 mins against Benfica and another couple of humiliations away would not have been enough for a 3rd seed to qualify with. We were the WORST team in the last 16 by a MILE. This was also the opinion of foreign sports journos not just your scots ones with all the bias that implies.
Someone else said "if it looks like a duck...". Well this is the funny thing - it sounds like one, it walks like one... but it's winning trophies.
We can't sack a League Winning Manager. Pure & simple. But we're not blind - we know what we're seeing and it looks like we're going the wrong way.
One more season Gordon.
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antsman, I know it has been a hard day, and bullets are flying everywhere, but....
I did criticise Gordon Strachan for his tactics today, and it was me who recorded above that he played Gary out of position.
TTTT, mixed start to my weekend so far. We needed Jinky out there today….
Which reminds me…
Great to hear his name being sung 40 years on.
Off for a night out now with Mrs 67, so no one else post anything that is going to annoy me as the whole mood situation could go either way.
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Wooaarrgh! Feels better to have got the negativity off my chest!
To be a bit more constructive...
A shopping list -
2 full backs
A Striker
A midfielder worthy of the tag. That would be one who can tackle, pass(both backwards and forwards), shoot and has some international(2nd or 3rd tier country) or top level experience.
A change of attitude -
2 holding players in the SPL?
1 up front in the SPL(or even worse against THEm with the title in the bag!!!)
Playing players out of position for an extended period(JJ, Wallace)
A clear out -
The usual suspects
Am I hoping for too much?
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Uncle P -
"As for Europe and our much vaunted last 16 place - this was down to our seeding earned in previous seasons and I'd be interested in hearing from anyone who disagrees."
Pleased to be of interest!
I hold the bizarre view that it was down to beating eventual semi-finalists Man United, and trouncing Benfica 3-0.
The fact that we then went toe-to-toe for 180 minutes with AC Milan - now favourites to win the tournament - just reinforces the fact.
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Sorry Hoopla, mate I just don't think that would have been enough if we glad been in our traditional 3rd seed spot.
I also didn't see us going toe to toe with Milan. I saw us holding out and stopping them playing. Toe to toe gives the impression that we gave as good as we got.
We all want the same things here but we all watch the same things as well. What have we been watching all season?
For what it's worth, I am a supremely optimistic guy and not usually given to putting down the team. i spent a good 5 mins looking for my car the other day convinced i had parked it in another place and that the Barcelona traffic monsters couldn't possibly have taken it and I didn't boo like others around me when Fergus raised the flag.
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Uncle P,
So our relative success was due to our seeding? So,in other words we were rewarded for past good performances?
Paul, agree with everything you said. But then I would have played Doumbe from the start anyway. Enjoy your night out!
I'm not a fan of one up front. Hell, even two up front isn't overly attacking.
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Sir Paul.....
Your synopsis of today's game is a good one.
Celtic played like they have been playing for the past...oh!.... Twelve or so weeks.
What would that be?
They played today, in a Totally unacceptable manner!
Are Celtic just experiencing a longer that usual run of BAD LUCK?......
Did the Referee's performance effect the result
As you know, Fargo's famous definition of LUCK...I know you Know... but, for the benefit of those who have never heard it... here goes..
"Luck is the RESIDUE of Design!"
Who is the Master Designer,in this instance?
The Master Designer is the whole ball o' wax..
Take the Dundee United Renaissance... Fr'instance.
I hate tae bring dis up....but ah must, if ah must......
Take the complete and utter about face in the performance of The G.A.!
It all comes back to the Performance of the Master Designer!!
There are no two ways about it.
Mr. Strachan's Winning Technique, is no longer Techniquing, like a good Technique should!
Kojo.
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Using Kojo's (Fargo's?) lately logic, where would Manchester United and Ferguson be?
Luckily, the coterie do not run our football club. Mowbray to replace Strachan? Next, they'll be telling us that Ross Wallace is a World Class left back ;-). (Sorry, Ross. I hope you do well wherever you play.)
Extremely disappointed with today. However, we are still champions and in the cup final. R@ngers remain trophyless for the second season in a row.
Our manager has the opportunity and the funds to put things right for next season. August - Christmas 2007 will be critical for him. The main components of our new squad must be in place for the start of pre-season training. I make this point repeatedly. There is no point saving a few £k in wages when there are £Ms at stake in qualifying for the Champions League. I know there are other factors involved (players holding out for best possible deal etc) but we need to be pro-active and not held to ransome.
Chris
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Uncle P said...
"Sorry Hoopla, mate I just don't think that would have been enough if we glad been in our traditional 3rd seed spot."
You might be right on that, we'll never know.
But saying it was "down to our seeding earned in previous seasons" makes it sound as if the credit for the success was due to previous teams rather than our present one (and previous manager rather than our present one) - and I don't think that's really fair.
Let's say the seeding helped us - I'd certainly agree with you there...
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Sir Paul.....
Ah Yes! Ah almost forgot....
Just goat the latest prognostication from the Supreme Gazer o' the Tea Leaves..concernin' the imminent Dunfermline Confrontation!
It's.....well, owing to the already depressing depression, that today's result has created....
YE DINNA WAAAANT TAE KNOW!
Kojo.
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I said when Elvis signed that as a player I simply did not rate him, no other reason, I just think he's a poor player. Can anyone, with all seriousness now tell me I was wrong, if he plays next season the baw is bust and WGS will be gone by Xmas. Let’s get some pace and attitude across the mid-field………..power puff rubbish. Wattie will now sign any hammer thrower available and kick lumps out of us next year. JVOH……..I know the service was poor, but you must do much much much better.
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I'll now repost my final one from the previous thread - not in order to encourage debate on the issue, but simply because of the immense pleasure it will give me...
ON a lighter note...
Mr Dave "Andy Webster's Pimp" Whelan is now short odds-on fer the Big Drop.
"Take yir lumps Mr Whelan
And don't geeze nane o' yir lip
For we are for the Champions
And you're for the Championship"
Olé.
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paul67
yes u said gordon got it wrong but immediately countered it sying it was an experiment, where as caldwell is no longer that
Jan has been of the boil a bit the only player i feel we have just now who is consistent is mick
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Kojo
let Paul have his night out without more depressing things to bother him :o)
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Gordon J
Ehh...aye. That's exactly what I'm saying.
Much as I enjoyed the 2nd half against benfica and the final whistles against Milan(home)and ManU(home) I don't feel our European performances would have merited a last 16 place. That doesn't mean I wouldn't have bitten my grannies arm off for it!
Still here we are, at almost the end of the season, and those 45 mins are the only memorable sustained moments of (televised)football from a long season.
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Kojo -
EEK!
Is the Tea Lady ever wrong?
Or is the icy hand of Fate already pawin' our shoulder?...
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My dear friend, El DiegoBhoy...
Dark humour is part of my persona.
Paul, knows me well, in that respect.
As a matter o' fact.... between me an' you,only.....
Alyss gave us Good News.....
But, in keeping with our pact...
Don't Let Paul Know!
Kojo.
Yer pal.....who likes ye!
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My dear friend, El DiegoBhoy...
Dark humour is part of my persona.
Paul, knows me well, in that respect.
As a matter o' fact.... between me an' you.....
Alyss gave us Good News!.....
But, in keeping with our pact...
Don't Let Paul Know!
Kojo.
Yer pal.....who likes ye!
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Anyway...favourite moments of the season anyone?
for me...
1. Naka against ManU
2. Boruc's penalty save in the same game
3. Kenny breaking his duck against THEM
Any arguments?
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kojo
you read your tea leaves or get someone to do it for you
cos you don't have a clue as to how to read a game of fitba'
have you eve kicked wan?
I know you haven't
and I know what you are full of
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Uncle P -
No arguments there - and add to that going three up against Benfica.
And... I blush to write this, but I must Be Truthful... Dunfermline going 3-0 up in their SCottish Cup third round match.
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Paul Hartley does NOT deserve a league winners medal.
He has contributed NOTHING since he arrived.
He shouldn't wear a Celtic jersey again this season.
Gary Caldwell ?
Carlisle are looking for players of your calibre [apologies to Don't BrattBack]
Pressley-just go away.
You are not and will NEVER EVER be fit to wear a Celtic jersey.
Tommy G-
For an experienced midfielder-
today you were an embarrassment.
Today was the straw that broke this Celtic Supporters neck.
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John 18.16.....
"But Peter stood at the door without. Then went out that other desciple,which was known,unto the High Priest, and spake unto HER that kept the Door,and brought in PETER"
Fascinating... doncha think?
Kojo.
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EdwardU,
Enjoy your victory.
Next year you will be lucky to get even ONE DRAW against us, just you wait and see!!!
Noel,
Obviously you feel as sore as I do.
I hope Tinytim enjoys Justin T tonight as I shudder to think what he made of that performance today.
STAND UP FOR THE CHAMPIONS.
A Very Miserable Martin.
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Martin
I'm sure you'll cheer up again before too long.
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noel90
Never.
A Celtic supporter's back is never broken.
Faithful through and through, remember
A bad day at the office.
Don't say your gonna be like kojo
and ask "what have you done for me lately, Gordon?"
say it ain't so noel
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strachan's substitution of gravessen was the last straw for mad tommy - gone in the summer
pity but i don't think the same can be said of caldwells hooking, - though i wish he would go away
and take pressley.
caldwell was culpable at both goals, he lost boyd and the ball went under his foot in the so called wall.
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i live in california, which means that for today's game i had to wake up at 4:AM. although the game was, in the end, meaningless in the results category, it's awfully annoying to wake up at 4AM to watch us get spanked by those a-holes.
4-5-1? that was NEVER going to work. awright lenny, on your bike. you were worthless today. you too hartley. absolute crap. kenny looked decent, but still can't seem to control a ball... what a shocker! dumbe comes on and suddenly we see a decent crossing option on the right! who'd have thought that a dedicated fullback would be better at fullback than a centrehalf? certainly not I.
frustrated
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I take no pleasure in this, but those of you who label others for for being whingers/not true Celtic suppoerters/lacking objectivity etc. for daring to be critical of the current atrocious standard of play should note Noel90's remarks.
I am sure they are not made lightly.
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John,Martin-
Celtic are my weans.
I am loathe to EVER criticise them.
After todays performance they should ALL be grounded.
Until they learn just how lucky they are to pull on that Green and White jersey.
STAND UP FOR OUR CHAMPIONS !
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Paul67
`Gordon Strachan is experimenting at the moment'.
I feel compelled to ask in what way because other than his team selection and tactics being set out in an even greater defensive, negative manner (4-5-1 I ask you !)I see little difference from the start of the season. How about he experiments by putting out an attacking side for a change. Just a suggestion like !!
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E D B,
Just about to depart for the festivities, will pass on your good wishes.
John,
I think Noel actually said supporters NECK.
However I am equally sure that Noel and the rest of us will be faithful through and through.
It is just becoming increasingly difficult to keep on defending the team week in and week out with such poor performances.
STAND UP FOR THE CHAMPIONS.
Martin.
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Can I just add that our local freemason in the black didn't disappoint his hosts.
Celtic Gladiators
11 against 12
As usual.
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Okay lads lets get this in context!!
We have been lacklustre and playing rubbish since basically Milan. WGS did get his tatics wrong today. One up front baffled me, or was it really when you analyse it?
It would have worked if your supporting midfileders in Gravesen, McGeady and Naka were on song. Unfortunatley they were not.
Looking at WGS's tatics he was playing a 4 2 3 1 which is an attacking formation. This formation only works though if your players carry out the instructions to make it work which they never.
Which brings me nicely onto the players:
Caldwell at right back, massive bloomer by the manager there. He will realise that. Subbing him proves that. He should have had Doumbe on for the start.
Tommy G i think it's bye bye for him. It aint working out.
Steven Pressley will have to be replaced.
Paul Hartley i'm wiling to give until next season begins.Jury still out though. Mr Hartley will need to start showing more. Has to take the chance given to him to wear the hoops. Stupid foul to give their second goal.
I reckon big Jiri should have been in the centre today. It's time WGS to either play him in his natural position or sell him. The guy when in the centre looks like he could play.
What i will say though and i said to a guy coming out of the game today. Don't worry about it. Different personnel in the summer. I'm willing stake that come August if that formation was to be played again you will have better players to carry out the instructions.
Next season we will see a more faster, combatitive midfield. (ie Appaiah and Joseph hopefully, maybe even Joey Barton who knows). That is the type we need so we play Rangers at there own bully boy tatics which were pretty evident today.
Who knows maybe the Bellamy rumour might be true. Add McDonalds pace as well. Guy will do a good job for us. Mark my words.Then you would be looking at very good fast strong technical team.
I have no doubts that a predator goalscorer will also be bought along with another quality centre half. My point is i reckon Team 3 will be the real Strachan team. One we will rave about. I appeal to everyone just wait a bit longer.
I got a good feeling with regards this summer activity and type of football we will be playing next year. Paitence my friends. Things will take shape come August. Walter and co will not know what has hit them.
P.S.
Alan Hutton you tosser trying to act the big man does not work. Getting slapped down outside the Shed by bouncers hasn't taught you anything. You shat it big time when big Jan asked you to go ahead after the game in the tunnel.
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GM -
Yeah, we were dreadful today.
Three points however:
1) We've been pretty damn poor for the last six weeks of almost every one of the last ten seasons - this is not a new development.
2) If we're talking objectivity, the afternoon of a losing Old Firm match is the hardest time in the sporting calendar to find it.
3) If we play as poorly in the first six weeks of next season, I'll be in the same camp myself - because then it will matter, in terms of the League. However, if this does turn out to be true, I will also eat my hat - and I mean the floppy festival one with the wee zip pockets at the side...
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WGS-
Whose tactic was it for Artur to lump every kick-out into an area where Weir,Ehiogue and sometimes JVOH were able to contest it?
Whose idea was it to miss out our TWO creative midfielders in almost EVERY forward movement in the 1st half ?
I have my suspects.
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WGS-tell us more about the tunnel incident.
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My dear friend, Gallinero....
I share your pain.
Ditto wit' da early morn, bit.
It must be dat good L.A. air!
Yer observations o' da peculiar devices dat Mr. Strachan doth employ in order to improve the Team..says it all!
I agree wit' yer remarks...
We hiv been done tole, by the Three Cousins, that Double Drum is da Real Deal!
In spite of their glowing admiration of Double Drum's training performances....The manager has/has, to their utter perplexity, decided to over-look, Double Drum's potential value to the First Eleven.
This act of inexplicable short- sightedness, was the first clue in our understanding of Mr. Strachan's incomprehensible inability to make a sensible over- all ,team selection.
He is suffering from a one too many, a Blind Spot.
And the inept performances of the Celtic Team speaks loudly, in revealing, that chink in his armour.
Which, in retrospect is seemingly an unalterable one.
Kojo.
Yer Pal...... who used tae live in Hollywood.
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John_H ,
With regards Jan he made a gesture to Hutton after the tackle on Naylor suggesting he and Hutton go ahead off the field. That was all. Seen it from where i was sitting. Pretty angry big Jan was. He was wanting to knock him out then and there. No incident in tunnel just a phrase i was using. Hutton ass collapsed. Then Lenny waded in.
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Kojo-my old mucker.
are you talking about myopia ?
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Just to change the subject, because there's little left to say about today's debacle...
..did anyone see the Manchester derby? Michael Ball (remember him?) had a somewhate eventful Saturday lunch time. He started by stamping deliberately on Ronaldo in the third minute, behind the back of ther referee. Swalex saw the incident and was righly furious. Should have been a red card.
He then brought down Ronaldo for a penalty which was scored with ease, before a blatent dive in the second half "won" a penalty which was missed.
Obviously learned at lot in his short time at Ibrox.
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My dear ole pal, Noel...
Dat's da woid!
Ah only Knew that is rhymed wit' cornucopia... but da best ah could come up wit' wiz... Utopia....!
Utopia and Strachan in da same sentence?
AAAAAAAAAH dinna think so!
So ....
"Short sighted" was ma choice!
Kojo.
Yer pal.....who is feelin' a wee bit jolly.
An' why is dat?.... Tak Three Guesses......DInna need three? ...
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Kojo
Feeling Jolly?
is the sun above the yardarm then?
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The most depressing thing about today is that the 2-0 scoreline flattered us,it could have been worse.
No fight,unable to string more than three or four passes together before giving away possession,pathetic in every way.Anyone thinking that we have only played like this over the last few weeks is deluding themselves.The last four months have brought us much the same level of performance.
As a supporter,while delighted that we continue to pick up trophies it has to be said the the level of entertainment and quality from the team is generally dire.Even the most basic of opposition are usually only dispatched by the odd goal.Over the course of a full season that is unacceptable.
Is our G.O.D. to be enjoyed with narrow 1-0 wins over St.Mirren and the likes??
I can't see any level of domination coming to pass as it stands.Also,as a club who relies on it's supporters turning up every week to keep the till ticking over,it worries me how many people may eventually be turned off from coming to games due to the lack of quality on show.
Interesting times for the board I think,if they stick with WGS and things do not improve next season it may have financial implications at the turnstiles.None of us want another season of performances like this surely.
The big question is,do the board trust him enough to let him loose with a cheque book in the summer?If the answer is not a resounding yes,then maybe a change of manager is required.
Not Mowbray for me Kojo,but i'd give Mark Hughes a call and see if he's interested.
David
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Just in from the game and have to say the fans were magnificent today espically at the end where we would not let the huns know how disgusted we were. Our play today was symptomatic of how we have played for months gutless ineptitude of the players and the tactical niavity of our manager.
The only bright spot from last weeks mauling by the junior huns was the performance of doumbe, so why does Strachan play cauldwell at right back. Cauldwell is never celtic class and made a fool of himself in the media saying he wants to replace lennon. As Mr royal would say my arse.
Cauldwell should never play right back for us again and I for one would not mind if he never plays again period.
This season has seen a very poor celtic team win a very poor league.
Make no mistake we were hammered today by a rotten rangers team.
Cauldwell, hartley, gravesen, pressley and mcgeady were shocking.
At least mcgeady can play sadly those others can't and its time to go.
Hartley is a waste of money and whilst i cheered gravesen he looked like a joke today.
Also why oh why does miller with the touch of an elephant get a game before deek?
I am all for experiments but not against the huns.
Strachan better get his finger out and get us two full backs a new midfield and another striker. 6 players at least.
If we get beat at hunsvile early on next year then it's brown trousers time and taxi for strachan.
Oh and while he is getting rid of the deadwood he might get himself some tactics while he is at it.
Waltie has him in his cardy pocket at the moment.
Frankly walking back to the car whilst we sang difaintly many of us debated that if strachan walked out for man city we would even offer to drive him down.
Frankly disgusted and frankly appalled at how bad we played today
God Bless arthur at least he is a player worthy of the jersey.
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David - and others
Wasn't it only very recently that BQ was praising Gordon for his achievements?
That being so do you really think there is a snowball's chance of them moving him out the door no matter what we think?
I'm as disappointed as anyone else with the performances in recent months but I do believe Gordon has earned the right to continue as our manager.
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In all my days as a Celtic supporter, i've never been less surprised by how an 'old firm' game went.
All week i've expected what happened today, and that didn't feel very nice let me assure you. If i'd had a ticket i'd have been there, hoping i was wrong, but today was always going to happen i felt.
The manager of course, given that the league is won, could have proven me wrong and sent us out to have a go at their slow ageing central defence, and put them back in their place, but he was never going to, because he is too defensive minded.
Celtic are not Southampton Gordon.
Are you the man to spend our millions?
I'm not convinced you are.
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Failures today:
Boruc
Pressley McManus Caldwell
Nakamura Gravesen Hartley Lennon McGeady
Jvoh
Not impressed! I know we've got little to play for and I really don't think there is much to worry about considering Rangers would be desperate for a win but that simply isn't good enough!
A huge overhaul is needed to get rid of the pretenders. I know people were saying Jarosik and Gravesen should get better but unless they magically get 10 times better than they are just now they're not good enough for me.
Someone like Appiah or (in fact and) Barton is needed for the middle as well as a top class goalscorer and an experienced footballer at the back. As well as cover at least for the full backs.
Also, McGeady needs a kick up the arse. He's better than the players he plays against, it's about time he showed it!
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el diego boy
every celtic fan wants strachan to be successful but we need to see a team emerging.
We are a disjointed group of poor players lacking a tactical shape or even the makings of one.
I agree the board won't sack him they have him well trained and it would take ages to break in a new pet.
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I can't remember such a gutless performance against Rangers sine Dalglish was in charge.
Todays tactics was pass back, pass sideways and punt to our one striker with no support.
On a bad day for everyone our "flair players" were a waste of a jersey.
Naka is a very good player but he was again poor in a tough away game.
The only plus point for me was that it was only 2-0.
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while i am as disenchanted as the rest of you, GS should be in charge no question he has earned that right.
However next season is,on the face of it, going to be a whole new ball game. Rangers despite having much the same team as le guen look a different team. when centre backs with a combined age of over 70, one an everton cast off another deemed not good enough for leeds............yes leeds, dominate so easliy we must worry.
I think a clear out is required in the summer and i would say we are still in a stronger position than rangers, a clear out will raise money to add to what we have. however i would prefer quality players, yes gordon has downsized well but i would rather have say joey barton that miller,gravesen and jarosik.
perhaps a smaller squad with more quality, as gs seems reluctant to use squad players anyway. build on
boruc,mcmanus,naylor,mcgeady,naka and jan. that still leaves 5 positions and one right down the spine required. sell the dross like miller,jarosik,hartey,pressley,gravesen,zurawski and beattie
keep likes of caldwell,sno,riordan for cover
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We are in free fall and Mr Strachan is clueless. I wish he would go as I cant bear to watch Celtic anymore We are total mince but this is due to the manager and tactics and not so much the players. I am truly fed up with Strachan.
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Strachan will be here all next season and if we lose league(god forbid) be given the season after as well. thats the reality the board are behind him.
However i feel his position with the fans is shaky, the fans today were magnificent and i genuinely felt sorry for them
however if rangers are close next year people will inevitably start being happy with win very ugly as we will need to win.
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Guys, you can't be serious about Barton surely?
This is a guy about to face charges of assault on a teammate, and whose past charge sheet includes stubbing out a cigar on a teammate's eye.
He is a right nasty little piece of work, and I for one don't want to see him within fifty miles of Celtic Park......
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barton is still miles better than any central midfielder at celtic park. yes he can be trouble, but lennon has a rap sheet as well tho admitedly not as bad. lennon starts on his teammates on the pitch
strachans comments i just picked up, quick to shift any blame from himself
He said: "I'm very disappointed and we can't have any arguments.
"We played testimonial football in the first half and they played winning football and their winning football deserved to win the game.
"It all comes down to how many headers and tackles you win and how well you pass the ball and I'm afraid all the plusses go to the other side.
"There were not a lot of positives.
"But whatever your line-up is, the players are the most important thing.
"I'm not suddenly going to take the blame for everything.
"I don't take the credit for every victory so I won't take the blame for every defeat. We do it together.
"I will look at my selection and analyse that and then the players can look at their performance.
"And together we can hopefully come up with something positive."
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Ah, interesting McGeady's name has come up.
Anyone notice how he's gone compltely off the boil since Maloney was sold??
We're lucky if he performs one game in four.
Personally I'm not convinced. If being a professional footballer was just a matter of flicks and tricks, why has no one signed Mr Wu??
My kitten has more fight in her.
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can anyone of those wanting rid of our current manager tell me of another team who would sack a manager who has won 2 titles out of 2,and maybe 2 doubles?.no doubt performances of late have been poor but some supporters are showing no loyalty or support to a manager who has brought more success than any other in recent times
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Another game and another missed chance to raise our game and shake of the post Champions League slump that we are currently in.
Paul, I'm sorry for disagreeing with part of your match analysis but your ascertion that Lenny had a decent match is obviously clouded in the same sentiment fog that WGS is blinded by as he continually plays him in the run down to his departure. Lenny is done, has been for at least 6 months and certainly hasn't had a decent partnership in the midfield since big Evander got hurt. Hartley isn't helping either and my level of disappointment in TG gets lower and lower with each game.
The engine room of the team was non existant today, no dig, no mobility and surprisingly no leadership. The plaudits that Lenny has rightly been getting recently following "him" deciding to leave (not the club not offering a decent contract) is as a result of his first 6 years service, based on the last 6 mths he should be getting the same level of opinionated observations being heaped on Hartley who is a shadow of the player that played for the Jam Tarts.
Lenny still gets around the pitch after a fashion but even when the handbags kicked off near the end JVOH and a few others got there before him.
WGS reckons he wouldn't be able to replace him even if he was given £12m - if he is refering to the current model then he shouldn't be given 12p if that is how he values players. We are constantly being told that we won't see the true value of Lenny until he is gone, today and a few other performances in the last 6 months wouldn't back that up.
Lenny has been a giant for us since joining, he has put up with much more abuse, bigotry, media scrutiny and even death threats than any player I can think of in my time hear in Scotland and still turned in solid performances week in week out. He was an integral part in what should have been 7 in a row (1 goal and 2 minutes away) but he is done.
My other WGS concern (plenty more but 19 points, last 16 in CL, 2 in a row and a possible double trumps me as is constantly trotted out hear)is his apparent love of ex-Edinburgh based players. If we had to face a team with Caldwell, Pressley, miller and Deek in it, it wouldn't send many shivers down the old spine.
We get some decent debates going here when we are losing and that has happened a lot lately. Thought I would leave my own little hand grenade on Lenny and leave the room
Gerryb67
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This wasn`t the first Celtic side to go to Ibrox and lose it`s strength but it hasn`t happened for 7 years. I don`t like that!
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BECAUSE YOU WANT TO !!!
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gerry67
Yes it;s time for lenny to move on but he has earned the right to play the last few games. Just realised we may win the league by 6 points as we have no chance at easter road.
Anyway if a donkey like caldwell and an imposter like hartley can get a game lenny has years in him.
Of course strachan won't be sacked but he needs to get his finger out and be ruthless.
We need major surgery and i hope he gets the cash we need.
Anyone at the game see the boy in the judo suit pure class.
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Gweedorebhoy-
"see the boy in the judo suit pure class."
That's the nicest thing you've EVER said about me.
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noel90
well you did have a black belt on!
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Today for the first time I am seriously concerned. It’s not often thankfully we see so many players playing poorly at the same time. Please tell me one who played well? However when form is not there the least we should able to expect of players who wear the hoops is a dogged spirit to do their very best. What concerns me was the (lack of) spirit of the players, the lack of leadership on and off the park and the avoidance of responsibility by key players. There were a number unfit to wear the jersey today and that has nothing to do with ability and everything to do with heart.
For those complaining about Gordon’s tactics today please stop and listen to the man. He said that by winning the title he had earned the right to experiment. It’s just a pity that the players seemed to think its time to go on holiday. I trust that come cup final day at least one or two find that they are.
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EDB - WGS to Man City a great idea.
Paul67 said,
`Gordon Strachan is experimenting at the moment'.Who is he doing this with,today was another gutless,inept performance and it's been like this for months,we were again out fought and out thought.WGS has purchased a collection of duds or they have no desire to play for him either way he is the problem and next season is a disaster waiting to happen.I want a team that wins with fight and fair in the Celtic way.
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I can't bear to read previous comments (I need to watch the old blood pressure) so apologies if this is not original;
Boruc: Best keeper for a generation without doubt but if I need a spectator to keep goal for us I'll pick someone from the crowd. Failed us.
Cadwell: Not a full back, not in this life. Should be a player but I now conclude he is mentally fragile & won't be able to handle being a Celtic player. Failed us.
McManus: Effective as an individual, but failed to let others know their efforts were not acceptable. I expected more of him in the Big Roy style. Perhaps inexperience in leadership. I suspect he will not fail again in that respect. Pass mark.
Presley: An effective stop gap during Balde's Caldwells & Mc Mannus's injuries. Actually better than I feared but still only a useful squad player. Tried his best.
Naylor: Not the first & no doubt not the last Celtic player to be booked for BEING fouled. Love his attitude and his appreciation of the opportunity which Celtic has given him. Pass mark.
Naka: Was this his not football playing twin brother? Hard to imagine a more insipid impersonation of a footballer. Failed us.
Hartley: I need to be careful here as I was roundly criticised for my comments the day he signed. Not yesterday, not today, not tomorrow will he ever be Celtic material. Failed us.
Lennon: Not good, not bad, just ineffectual. Seemed to play in a fog just like 90% of his team mates. Just my opinion but should never have been captain of Celtic. It would have been better for him if he had not. Pass mark - just.
Graveson: What can anyone say? There is talent, energy, commitment in a way best suited to non team sports. Sad to say (since it is hard to dislike him) something seemingly so good actually so god-damn awful. Failed us.
McGeady: He played? You jest? No idea what that performance was all about. Same as against Hearts except, unbelievably, actually worse. Failed us.
JVoH: Some weeks Sutton like, some weeks Wayne Biggins like (don't really mean that just couldn't think of anybody else). Put in a shift but no support or quality delivery. But bear in mind he was playing against pensioners! Pass mark (maybe).
Subs:
Miller: Can't defend his goal scoring record but un-Miller like he controlled & held up the ball better than JVoH & put in a shift.
Doumbe: Can anyone explain why he started on the bench? No, I thought not.
Riorden: ???
Gordon S: I am not one for letting players off the hook. Once on the park they have to deliver and aspire to their best performance irrespective of the coach. However, the whole ambience and mindset of the team was wrong, wrong, wrong. An absolutely disgraceful performance reminiscent of too many I saw at Ibrox in the mid nineties. Gordon you are well in credit in my account book but a very serious debit entry has just been logged. I was relieved to hear (unlike some previous occasions) your comments afterwards and see your badly disguised fury at what happened. Perhaps you will also consider your own contribution to the fiasco.
The faithful: Well done all. If we ever have a team which measures up to the support the world of football will be in awe. (PS Don't hold your breath waiting for the Scottish media to assess the quality of the self-policing by the blue hoards).
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gordybhoy64
My loyalty is to the club not to individuals.I realise that it seems strange for people to criticise a manager who's won back to back titles,but my personal concern is that generally our performances over the last six months have been consistently poor and we show no signs of coming out the other side of this run of form.
There seems to be no team pattern,we play with a target man but play with wide players playing on their opposite side cutting inside all the time and full-backs who don't get beyond them to provide width and crosses to the strikers.Where is the service to the strikers going to come from?
If you don't go wide you need to play through teams,but none of our central midfielders seem capable of getting forward beyond the strikers or able to thread balls through opposition defences to the strikers.Where are the goals going to come from?
We're playing table football rather akin to the type Mourinho has Chelsea playing,but on a drastically smaller budget.And I wouldn't cross the road to watch them play.Add to that the fact that we don't seem to like a physical battle these days and it's a bit of a sorry state we're in at the minute.
WGS has done a fantastic job in collecting two titles while cutting the wage bill and the average age of the side.However,I think his defensive tactics are holding us back in some respects and certainly not endearing him to a lot of supporters who want attacking football.
Are playing attacking football and winning games mutually exclusive?
I don't think so and I think the support would generally accept the odd narrow win if we were being entertained from time to time too.At the moment that's not happening and my worry is that if performances don't improve then we may see some of those narrow one goal victories we've seen this season turn into one goal defeats or draws next season.
David
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I enjoyed the privilege of a ticket for the Ibrox game for the first time in many a long year, so I'll now be known as the guy that's jinxed it.
I enjoyed the guys in the Sumo suits and the lad who was PLG in disguise.
I didn't enjoy the train trip into town to hitch a lift with a Supporter's bus- BNP chanting and songs threatening violence- there are groups of fans at Ibrox who need to be seriously confronted.
I won't comment about the game because we did not produce one today. There is no defence of our performance today but I will not listen to more urine about getting rid of WGS now. Kojo's suggestion of Tony Mowbray was not the most ridiculous I heard today. That honour must go to the guy on the bus who said "Strachan must go now cos he's not a tim ( I really want to believe he was self aware and sending himself up) and we need to get Jackie Mac in as player coach."
Edward U
We've both got 2 in a row now.
We've won 2 championships in a row.
You've won 2 games against the Tic.
Would any of ours want to swap our 2iar for Eddie's?
Thought not.
We'll still be champions in the morning.
I still need to continue some consolation drinking tonight.
Nite everybody.
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Martin
I went to see JT last night.
Today's performance was exactly what i expected.
Celtic played no better or worse than they have for months.
The difference was that the opposition was better than when we face the rest of the SPl teams.
The league is won over a whole season.
Thank god that Walter Smith was not in charge for the whole season.
I have been listening to excuses for month's.
First it was .We are so ahead ,that we are not trying.Then it was was we are nervous.Then it was we are tired, the job's done.
The bottom line is that we are lacking quality throughout the side.
Walter Smith has brought in two aging centre halves and we are now whipped.
There are so many things wrong that i despair.
The blame lyes firmly with Mr Strachan.
He has wasted millions,this season.
I pray that he goes ,almost on a daily basis.
We have two wide men with no pace and therefore they rarely beat there fullback and get in crosses that will turn, immobile, aging ,and cumbersome defenders.
I pray that we do not sell Bobo.
Lenny, going is bad enough.
He is as good as he ever was.
The main problem is that he is surrounded by inferior players to the ones he played with in recent years.
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setting free the bears - Urine we are experts on this subject we have been watching it for the last four months.
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P8ddy
I hope that you are lurking in the background.
Many have been dismissing your view on this Celtic side all season.
I believe you were the first to post on here some weeks ago that we would not win at Ibrox.
You are not alone, in not being fooled by the dropping standard of player that we are watching.
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At 05/05/07 00:05, whitedoghunch said…
there is not a chance of celtic losing tmrw.
Got 30-1 rangers half time celtic full time.
No chance this celtic team will get beaten.
Whitedoghunch,care to comment?
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Today was poor and painful, but when I got home, Mrs First uttered the immortal words: "If you're looking for something to do … ".
That's how I ended up sanding the garage door and applying new putty to the windows (aye, Blindlemon, me). Then I set up the new barbecue and cooked as the weans ran around like wee maddies under the lilac tree.
There was beer, wine, laughter, great food and love.
Conclusion: This has been the least painful defeat to Rangers in my entire life.
Roll on the next game. Come on the Hoops.
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Did the Huns sort out their disgusting singing today?
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test
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What a disappointing football day.
Just back from Vila Park, have been watching Sheffield United since 1955, family moved from Springhill when Southfield Pit closed. For Neg Anon I am a customer of Sheffield United, whatever that means. I am a Celtic fan,first visit to Celtic Park in 1951 as an 8 year old on Sharkeys supporter bus.
Not seen the game yet, but reading on here the performance has been poor, as has been the last six or seven games... Whats going wrong
It seems quite obvious to me.. there is no invention in the team, no Lubo, no Henrick,
Who in this team would get in Sheffield Uniteds side.. In my opinion only Naylor.
Kojo, Mowbray you have got to be joking,, What has he done for W B A lately, not a lot.
Gordon deserves another season.
Can he deliver the football we want to see, and at the same time win the league.. Tommy Burns was not able to do it.. Lets see if Gordon can.
Can he see Smith of,,,He is not intersted in Europe, his instructions are to win the league.
Gordon needs two teams,, one for Europe and one for the domestic comptetions.
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tinytim, etc. - I posted before that we might not win an OF game next season with the devil-worshipping Cardigan back in charge, but we will win the league!
He'll buy all the best Scottish knuckle-draggers he can find and stick to his forte, i.e. getting them to run through brick walls for him.
We will buy the quality that will give us the consistency to win the league. They will throw away daft points.
I am of course, assuming that Caldwell, Pressley & Hartley will all be squad players by then! ;-)
We should keep Doumbe - looks like a proper full-back/wing-back.
Bobo, Beattie, KM, TG (shockingly bad today) - sell them asap!
WGS - use the money wisely!
TTTT
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CHAMPIONS !!!
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Paul
despite having those 3 strong personalities in midfield I cant fathom how they could produce so little fight. TG lost the head within seconds of coming on, over a foul he clearly committed and gave us a legendary headless chickenperformance yet again. Hartley the same, his biggest moment was complaining about a Hutton raised foot which to be honest the lad had pulled out of. The only reason i can think of for such lack of cohesion is that the players are not comfortable/confused with Prof 'we've been experimenting' Strachans instructions. I myself can't get over playing Aiden inside when today of all days we needed crosses in for Jan. Who was to supply, Lee with 40yard hit and hopes?
Doumbe showed some great pace and some exciting touches last week, he was the fresh unknown quantity to give us a new dimension up the right, I could have predicted our manager would leave him out, but why is only known to him.
Today was not a day for experimenting, yet GS insisted on confusing the team and all of us to do just that. To what end did we need to at this stage of the season? If anything it showed total lack of respect for such an important fixture and to our support. Today was about getting a respectable result v rangers, the draw a minimum requirment,particularly after our last meeting.Yet instead of playing even remotely like Champions we have a manager who has destroyed the feelgood factor with unreasonable, unfathomable and unfashionable tactics.
It's been a long season, we all need a break, GS has earned his but clearly needs it more than most as he has done nothing since Milan but dig himself a hole for himself, mineshaft deep.
Keep the Faith? I will as always, but I didn't think after being right behind him since his appointment GS could depress and confuse me so and could be so blatantly ignorant of what was required today and give us what was,in fact, no less than inept guidance.
Now I am going back to read everybody else's posts from today and no doubt find many are even more upset than me.
Hail Hail
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TTTT
Well said. Victory, sadness and smugness are so close and yet so fleeting in football.
Walt Disney will form a team of hammer throwers - die for the cause 'Scottish players'.
We will rebuild and renew.
And we will change.
I'm gutted to say this but I feel NL had a massive input in our team becoming back and cross field passing.
I've watched our team stop being cutting and incisive. I've seen free kicks in a reasonably dangerous area being grabbed by NL and quickly passed to the man next to him without thought for capability or position.
I've seen a team that needs NL to go.
If NL had been benched and Celtic won today I think fans would have cursed GS for not giving him his time in the sun.
Naka has never really done it in a gers game for us.
JVOH can't get a ball never mind make it stick like BBJ or CS used to - so why the long balls?
Oops no flank penetration...
Big rebuild required, but I still think we will be too strong next season.
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tinytim
Yes, you're right, Gordon wasted millions this season. Winning us the league. Desperate stuff that I hope is borne of frustration, as it's a really poor comment.
I'm not going to criticise a team that won us the league, but Pressley and Hartley in particular disappoint - the latter ineffectual since signing. and can we stop treating tommy gravesen like a cult hero until he performs?
No, I'm more concerned by some of the Rangers' fans singing, especially a lengthy 'Big Jock Knew', condoned and begun by the Blue Order. Lowest of the low, a glorification of child abuse.
And Paul67, for the record in the lead article, surely it was Alex McLeish's Motherwell, not Hibs. Apologies if I'm not the first to point this out.
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAUL.
I wish you lot of friends who will love you and will support you always, in happiness and in unhappiness.
Paul, this is only another birthday, nothing wrong in it. Belive me.
I thought I had a right to wish you earlier/in time. It's just 6th of May here.
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SDS Tim-
Yes.
Well said.
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Oldbhoy
Are you serious? Who in the Celtic team would get into the Sheff Utd team?
1. Boruc
2. Naylor
3. McManus
4. Lennon
5. Nakamura
6. JVOH
7. McGeady
Arguments for several more, although I do like Jagielka. This is the team that beat Man U, has won the SPL, held Milan to 0-0 over 180 minutes while Sheff Utd have acheived what, exactly?
Remind me where they are in EPL?
Bizarre night, this.
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At half time today, the huns unveiled a banner in the Copeland Road stand to the left of the scoreboard which read simply 'PROTESTANT AND PROUD'. Needless to say, the police did not remove it. At the same time, the Govan Stand paraded a banner 'RANGERS THE QUINTESENTIAL BRITISH CLUB'. Put the two banners together and it tells you everything.
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Tobi-
yup-
like paranoid.......
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Bad day today.
So what.
I'll still wake up tomorrow as a Celtic Supporter- and proud of it..............
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Lets be clear on this the huns are woeful,they have big,basic,aggressive scottish players like Boyd,Hutton,Adam etc.
It's true we need drastic surgery but we should have enough in our ranks to beat such limited s**te.
GS needs do to one of three things.1)Buy players of such a standard that the coaching required is minimal.2)Change his ethos on the game and always play his best team.3)Admit the job is too big for him and things aren't quite working out and leave.
Option 2 is the most plausible,I really hope he realises that and he is big enough to see were he's went wrong,but sadly I think he's done all he can.
We're the team with the money,infrastructure and most of all decency and respect.Lets not waste it.
Hail Hail
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Talking about banners, one of the few ocassions I was able to raise a smile today was at half time when the Blackpool Rangers Supporters Club unfurled a banner in the enclosure which bore the Latin phrase "Nullus Secundus" - Second To None.
Don't these guys ever look at the league table?
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Paul,
I'd like to agree with your final sentence, but can't.
Time and time again WGS has "experimented" with various players out of position (EG Jiri up front) and n apparently NOT learned the lesson...I fear we may let a decent player slip away because he's not getting a game in his favourite position, all in the name of experimentation.
Not too down as the job had been done a long time ago (although a loss against them always hurts) but I'd rather had a better performance and loose rather than that dis-jointed, disappointing display.
Hail hail.
G.
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Nice one Noel.
At least your much prized ticket got you into a good singsong:))
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Tinytim
Agree with everything you said.Spot on.
Celtics assett management strategy has failed this year big time. We sold our major assett last summer in Stan Petrov in order to fund our transfer activity and DID NOT replace him with a player of similar quality. Like it or not we miss Stan badly.
Our strategy of buying a few "blue ribbon" signings and a few proven SPL players and adding in a few youngsters is fatally flawed . If this is the way to go then your top earners MUST be from the very top drawer. Unfortunately for us only really Artur falls into that category. JVOH and Naka do not cut it as top level signings.The former has never been top drawer and the later is just too inconsistent which is why we brought him from the relative obscurity of a lesser Italian club.
We will sell an assett or maybe two this summer to fund our transfer moves and I really fear fro next season if we follow the same transfer model as we have the last couple of years.
The club is in freefall and It's not going to be easy to arrest the decline.
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The title says it all and for months it has been the same!! Sorry for the long post but this man Strachan is not the man for the job and should be removed at the end of the season! What happens if we don't win the Scottish Cup a distinct possibility given recent performances???
This has been the worst Rangers team for years and he got lucky with that last couple of years title wins and likewise qualifying for last 16 of CL!!
Anyway on to his squad he's put together!!
GK - Boruc any bid over 6m will be accepted! Brown average gk who will remain #2! Marshall would sell, boy living on Barca peformance!
FB - Wilson showed early promise but has struggled badly due to injuries! Naylor a players player has played above expectations! Doumbe who knows brought in and so far we've seen 100+mins!
CB - Pressley was needed but now showing why we don't need him to the detrement of O'Dea and Kennedy! Try to move on in summer! McManus a squad player not a starter so therefore not your next captain! Balde still the best cb at the club and for all his stupid mistakes badly missed this season! Kennedy where has he been since Kilmarnock?? O'Dea being held back by Pressley playing! Virgo, move on this numpty!! Caldwell not a right back, not a very good cb and certainly not our next defensive midfielder, move on in summer!
MID - Nakamura any bid over 4m should be accepted doesn't do enough week in week out! Lennon gone in summer thanks but time is up! Hartley why did we waste 1m on him, move on in summer! Gravesen where do you start with him, no point, move on in summer! McGeady if he was chocolate would eat himself. If he doesn't do it next year sell him! Riordan he just doesn't look the part for me too lightweight and ineffective on left side midfield, move on in summer! Jarosik feel sorry for the guy and probably only one of the ones who likes him but game up here too physical for him, move on in summer! Sno looks like he can play would like him to loose some weight and stop putting his arm out to fend off opponents! Thompson back from Leeds and no future here, gone elsewhere in summer!
STR - Hesselink not convinced by him yet poor service most likely but still doesn't win enough balls in the air for me! Miller, Strachan only knows why he brought him in, move on in summer! Zurawski enigma who knows with him and in last year of contract might be time to move him given constant injuries! Beattie, chocolate legs, boy not good enough to start but squad player coming off bench though any bid over 500k should be taken!
26 players 17 he's brought in! You could easily get rid of a full team, Marshall, Virgo, Pressley, Caldwell, Hartley, Gravesen, Jarosik, Riordan, Miller, Zurawski, Beattie!! Lennon and Thompson are gone in summer so your down to 24! Boys on the out looking in like Lawson, McGlinchey, Quinn probably have no future here at Celtic!!
This squad is a mess,is it the players or is it the over coaching hobbit that oversees them?? I go with the coach personally and some of the players he's brought in! Realistically 5/6 will leave and same coming in but team 3 will still not be finished unless the 5/6 brought in are, Given, Distan, Metzelder, Sidwell, Appiah and Keane!! The 5/6 leaving will hopefully be Pressley, Virgo, Caldwell, Hartley, Gravesen and Miller!!
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TexTim
You're a card!
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Cheers, i think?? Good or bad and what kind of card, sdstim?? Just trying to speak the truth!!
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Paul,
You are being kind to Naka saying the ball wouldn't sit down - had he a right foot then the chance would have been buried. Great play by JVoH to set him up - our only decent move of the whole game.
WGS - I hope you are right
The other WGS - what are you seeing in Pressley, Hartley and Caldwell that I am missing? I have played a little football in my time and think I know a bit about the game - these 3 are p&sh week in week out. Hate to say that but it's what I see.
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Hi Paul67 et al, long time reader, first time poster - thanks for the forum.
I’ve been a Celtic supporter for 20 years now (still a kid) and throughout that time I’ve loved every minute of being a Celtic fan. Over that period we have experienced some amazing highs and some serious lows, yet I’ve always raved to everyone that will listen about what it is to be a Celtic fan, ‘Faithful through and through’.
But over the last couple of years I have slowly but surely lost the ‘connection’ with a sizable section of the Celtic ‘support’. Week after week we hear Celtic staff getting abused: ‘not Celtic class’, ‘Lennon’s done’, ‘McGeady’s c**’, ‘Strachans this’, ‘Strachans that’. Maybe it’s just me but I think those in Celtic shirts deserve our respect, God knows they’ll get it from no one else in Scotland. This of course does not mean you cannot criticise – I’ve been known to throw a cushion or 2 at the TV in frustration!!! The point is not to abuse people who, whether you like them or not, are representing Celtic, to the best of their ability.
Sometime, (probably not too soon because of the fantastic job some of the targets of ‘our’ abuse have done) we will be back to where we were in the early/mid 90’s - and I just wonder how we will handle it……….I won’t hold my breath.
The truth is that the Celtic support that made us what we are, are a dying breed. Sadly the Celtic that I loved and adored is slowly eroding away.
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Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday dear Pau-ul
Happy Birthday to you
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Dear Gordon - Pain or Pleasure?
Having bought a couple of tickets to go and see Tony Robbins in London in June with my long time girlfriend and recently announced fiancée Diana, I decided to go through some CD’s I had , to pick out the best ones for her to familiarize herself with before the event.
Robbins makes a huge point of the pain or pleasure effect in making choices in life, it’s the main factor behind every decision people make in their lives, you are either avoiding pain or seeking pleasure and as much thought as I have given this principle over the years, I honestly can’t disagree with it.
Yesterday, after the embarrassing defeat at Ibrox I started thinking about the football on offer for most of this season and wondered if this principle would have any effect on the club. I say embarrassing as it was a drab performance, not worthy of recently re crowned champions and with so little fight in the team. We have been seeing the same drab football for months now, it’s not something that just happened recently.
Yes, we have had some big performances this season…Benfica at home, Man Utd away, Man Utd home (fortunate to win), the first half against Copenhagen at home, and first half against Rangers in the last game at home are those that come to mind immediately. We have achieved probably what most of us would have settled for at the start of the season, and we still have a cup final to look forward to but in the main it’s been poor in style, aggression, passion and entertainment.
This is not what we are used to as Celtic supporters, I am not getting into the “play the Glasgow Celtic way” type of comment here, but for the life of me I cannot understand the slow, extremely frustrating, low entertainment value, tippy tappy football across the park, ending up more often than not in a long ball punted to the opposition or more commonly loss of possession in the final third if not sooner. It is Drab, dull, dreary, uninteresting, monotonous, lackluster, flat, unentertaining football!
Whatever happened to the promise given after the 3-0 defeat to hearts last year that we were going to have a younger, fitter, faster team this year? I understand some of the players have not worked out and from what I saw yesterday the blame cannot be placed solely in the Manager, however the style of play does not suit many of these players, in fact the style of play does not suit this club, this group of players or the fans, and if fitter faster is reference to playing across the park as soon as we win possession then don’t we need players who can pass the ball and keep possession?
I went to bed last night hoping that when I woke up this morning I would put the result in context and feel less frustrated, clearly from the above you can see that didn’t happen and I bet I am not the only one.
Watching the majority of games this season has not been a pleasure, in fact if you take Robbins comments into context, he means there are different levels of pain in his theory. Words that could be used to describe pain as he intends it to be understood would be frustration, drab, lackluster and dull all of which are widely felt among the support on a regular basis, even when winning. This is the main reason a large part of the support have never really accepted that Gordon Strachan is manager of Celtic.
It could easily be fixed, there are quality players at the club and a decent budget for the summer surely must be on the table.
Team 3 should be in theory a far better product than team 2. But the loss of Petrov and Maloney was a huge blow to the club, one thing is for sure Gordon, you need to play a blinder in the summer with transfers and if the football on offer does not improve, the pain or pleasure syndrome just might start affecting the decision of a lot of fans to come and watch, support you as manager and deprive the club of money that it has worked so hard to maximize, and has come to rely on to have any chance of competing with the best in Europe.
It has been said several times recently by members of the board that we are having to look at new markets because we are at saturation point with the revenue that can be made from the domestic support, I hope it’s equally obvious that this saturated domestic revenue should not be taken for granted and if the quality on show is not quite there it will be a long road back to saturation point.
If the average supporter is indeed making decisions on the pain or pleasure theory, and if they do link spending money on the club as pain (getting frustrated with watching drab football) then their patience will run out, especially with the huge improvement across the city with their reinstated manager who has managed to cut a 22 point lead to just 9 in a matter of weeks. The chance was there to seriously affect their own revenue streams for next season but all we have done has been to encourage their support to spend on their season tickets for next season.
I get the feeling the patience is still there as we achieved what we would have been happy to achieve at the start of the season, but if the winning is taken away and the drab football continues together with the improvement across the city the generation of domination theory may just be blown out of the water until we get a new manager, and that’s a thought that really would suit a large part of the support this morning.
I wonder if you will ever get to read this Gordon and if you do, will it make you think about the footballing decisions you have been making, and if you do what will you see, have your decisions been based on avoiding the pain or seeking the pleasure of building a much more entertaining team, surely an achievable target given the current squad and the money available to spend in the summer.
One thing I can tell you Gordon is that although we often label ourselves a fickle support, we love the club, it’s a major part of our lives and we don’t just deserve more respect than what the football we are watching this season offers, we demand it!
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This comment will not win many friends
But I will tell you this....
Some people are...quite simply... spoilt bar-stewards.
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Morning.
Welcome to The Aul' Hauns Club Paul !
Don't worry-you're still not as old as some people on this blog.......
Myself and Shug went to this game on the occasion of my 20th birthday.
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Morning;
Yesterday's defeat was an embarrasement to all Celtic supporters and, along with many displays this season has us now wondering where our next victory will come from.
This present side is full off players who are not up to Celtic standards, and for the manager to claim he is experimenting is a joke.
I will say again he has been the most fortunate ever Celtic manager in that the opposition were the worst i can ever remember, and unless dramatic changes are made we are most certainly on a downward spiral.
The board must be brave and change the manager and coaching staff now.
We are in dire need of a brave leader, one who can and will not allow a Celtic team to be bullied as we have been in recent months, and one who is not prepared to accept inferior displays by inferior players.
If the change the club so desparately need is not made then look forward to a season where we will play second fiddle to Rangers.
One more thing.
Anyone expecting a summer splash in the transfer market had better think again, and i for one do not want our well earned cash spent by the present manager who i feel has reached the limit of his ability.
The man to take us forward is Roy Keane.
JonG
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Noel, Saw you at the game You and Shug were standing next to me.
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Oldbhoy-
was that you wearing the bunnet ?
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Noel, Bunnet and nae teeth
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I watched MOTD last night and saw that some teams who were previously struggling are now doing well. For example Aston Villa and West Ham looked fast and Athletic. Jaded championship favourites Man U needed a penalty goal and a penalty save to win.
The fact that the Celts are going through this bad spell of results whilst Rangers are unbeaten has definitely been eating away at the supporters. I see supporters comments with no space for appreciation for what the team has achieved.
It is common for teams to go through bad spells and it`s also common that they don`t last for ever. Most of the auld hauns on here can (vaugely) remember similar runs. Sometimes they held on to win like in 1982, other times like in 1980 and 2005 things ran away from the team although the cup was won in those years.
I`m pleased that the support were so good yesterday, in the 70s and 80s we always thought that the support could lift the team. Hopefully there will be a happy end to the season!
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Watched the game yesterday in the pub.
Couple of Dunfermline fans in the pub couldn't believe how bad we were.
They both saw the Hearts game on TV and couldn't believe how we have lost all form.
They fanvy their chances in the Cup unless we improve.
One of the comments that made me shiver was that Celtic don't look any better then Dunfermline just now.
The question is why?
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test
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Not posted for a long while.
After watching celtic the past few months and particularly yesterday i feel we need to physically enhance the squad.
we are back to being bullied off the park. not just by rangers. by every other team in the spl.
also the fact that "the cardigan" has returned they quite evidently are allowed to put in any challenge necessary against us without reprimand.
yesterday i especially looked at the midfield and thought there wasn't anyone who had the character and fight to battle with a physically strong rangers midfield.
this was where we were outplayed.
the "personal" battles were lost all over the park.
only naylor gave as good as he got.
this is what's missing. it's the achilees heel in gordon's team.
we need to find players similar to bertie auld, tommy gemmell, alan thompson, johan mjalby, sutton etc.
guys who in their prime took no prisoners. they were also smart. cute you could say in letting their opposite number know they were in for a torrid afternoon.
they also had the ingredient missing from the majority of our team at present. Character.
Now i'm not on to dismiss our team's effort this season.
When it mattered this season we won the important games against a media-driven rangers revival and anyone else who came along.
When the league was tight we won.
The wheels only came off when we were so far in front.
The "cardigan" knows this.
The media knows this.
We've all forgot this due to our perfomances over the past few months.
The "cardigan" knows full well Celtic will strengthen and focus for the new season.
They all now fancy their chances against us in a fight.
Something no team would dare have tried a few years back.
My hope is Gordon has realised we need to fight the personal battles on the pitch first before we can win any game in the spl.
Finding these type of players is now top priority for Gordon.
Emjay
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Hi Paul,
A very happy birthday to you and welcome to the best decade of your life. (the forties will remain the best decade until August when I turn 50 lol) I hope this is the start of a great year for you and that all your non football wishes come true.
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Hi Paul,
You have converted me into agreeing with one of your sayings, after the recent youth cup and league, the form of Rangers in domestic competition since Mr Smith returned and our last two results against Celtic then I have to agree with you. The future is bright :-) (though we disagree on it's colour)
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Oldbhoy-
got you.
I remember you gave us a swig of your McEwans Pale Ale........
JonG-
I think you are kidding yourself with Roy Keane.
He has just taken his side into The Premiership.
I'm sure he will want to test himself against some of the bigger teams down there.
He will have at least £25,000,000 to spend.
He knows that if he can keep Sunderland in a decent position -he will walk into Alex Fergusons job at Old Trafford.
He couldn't wait to get out of Glasgow.
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Happy Birthday Paul.
Chris
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Happy Birthday Paul.
Wishing you a great day and a fantastic year.
Welcome to the 40's, your catching up on me fast but i still have more grey hairs:)
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Fair comment NOEL, however doesn't change my opinion that we are in need of radical change.
RK would relish CL football and would not allow standards at the club to drop,as the present manager has.
The fact that the coterie are now calling for change should tell you something about happenings on and off the park at the club, as they were until recently amongst his biggest fans.
JonG
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Artur With The Champions Flag At Ibrox
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hi paul.fellow celts ,
i posted on here months and months ago that imho we were watching utter rubbish ,yes we were streets in front in the title race ,yes we had made the last 16 in europe .yes we had beaten man u and thrashed benfica,but who on here can say with hand on heart that we have been the celtic team each and everyone of us wants to see.for many on here it is all one what happens how poorly we play ,how many wrong buys we make will still bury their heads in the sand, i know about this as i used to be one of them ,but fortunately enough after many years starved of success,and telling the celtic detractors that we will sweep the boards next season, to riddicule and scorn i may add ,it finally happened big jock arrived , the rest is history . my point. at the time i was told yes by you paul and many others who falsely defend all in green and white when i had my say and posted that imho we would never have the celtic team we crave as long as gordon strachan is manager /coach of our team i was told to chill out,and worse and was informed of our standing in the league and cl,well i am going to repeat myself again i for one am not happy with what i am watching ,i like many more on here attend every week.i have done so for nearly 50 years so it hurts me to have to post my thoughts on how poor my team are doing, i also stated on other posts that we were a team of wimps too slight with no steel in the team .(thank god for neil lennon. lee naylor )the only two on the pitch who stood up for the team, imagine hutton putting himself about had wee bertie ,or davy hay ,been out there yesterday. as always happens when we hold an advantage over them we let them back into the frame.we have or should have money to spend come the summer i am afraid we are going to need it all and more besides to make a team from that lot yesterday, and i wouldnt give gs one penny of it to spend . as i stated at the start of my rant the main concern is the manager ,i for one have no faith in him, we imho should splash the cash and secure a boss with pedigree,(and no i dont know who, im just an outsider people within should keep tracks on those things )how many on here think we would have won the big one had jock stein not been our boss,only two years after taking over the cupboard was no longer bare , i rest my case . hail hail
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Jon-
After yesterdays shambolic performance AND the pathetic and uninspiring football which has reared it's ugly head over the last few months-
I agree that major change is needed.
There are some players who are not fit to wear The Jersey.
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You're right NOEL.
Despite some great moments this season i feel we must change in order to progress.
This is not a knee jerk reaction as you know, it is born out of a belief that the manager, and no disrespect intended, has reached the point where he does not have the talent or ability to take the club forward.
The coterie know more than you think on the situation inside he club, and you know how they operate.
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PJBhoynyc, you may be right about being ungrateful, there may well be some of us who are spoilt bar-stewards as you call us.
We pay an emotional as well as a finacial cost in supporting the club. The product on offer is Drab in every sense.
Winning the championship may be not as huge as it used to be just a few short years ago, but the feeling this year was no where near what it should have been because of the quality of product.
Since March 11th - which was the home defeat to Rangers, we lost at Falkirk, had a draw at Dundee Utd, lost 3-1 at home to hearts, then yesterday 2-0 at Ibrox, in between we had 2 single goal victories over Motherwell and Kilmarnock.
There were some very dismal performances in that period and before.
To put it into focus we won 2, lost 3 and drew 1 game since 11th March, a possible 7 points out of 18, it was not pretty to watch and very few consolations in any of those performaces apart from finally winning the championship.
With that thought i will happily sign off as a spolit bar - steward.
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Paul,
Happy Birthday,
40 years ago today?
Monsoon conditions, Ibrox, titanic battle with Rangers and 2 goals from Jinky to win us the title.
Oh and a European Cup Final to look forward to.
Happy days.
Do you know that we actually had the Championship trophy in our house on the day of that game.
Our supporters club had a player of the year dinner dance that evening and we had picked the cup up from Celtic Park in the morning.
I always thought that it would have been a nice touch to take it along to Ibrox to let them see what they could have won!
What about yesterday?
The sad fact of the matter for me is that I wasn't surprised after last week's events and the gradual decline in performances since the AC Milan ties.
It's a long time since I went to Ibrox so pessimistic about the outcome.
As other fine contributors will testify, Celtic teams over the years have been soundly beaten at Ibrox.
In the early 60's frankly it was men against boys.
Even the European Champions were well beaten (though only 1-0) in their first League visit to Ibrox.
We can all painfully recall other disasters at that place.
Yesterday though was a capitualtion and to a poor Rangers team at that.
Smith has them organised and as the old adage goes "if you don't lose goals you don't lose games"
I know Gordon Strachan said that he has been experimenting and as our manager that is his right.
I have my own views about the tactics and players however it is the manager's opinion that counts.
He knows more about the game than I ever will.
However what I do know is that no Celtic team, not Jock Stein's, not Billy McNeill's, Davie Hay's or Martin O'Neill's have ever won at Ibrox without having that Celtic passion and fighting spirit when they took the field.
Even teams that had those qualities still lost games but you have no chance if it is missing to start with.
Yesterday was reminiscent of the early 60's, an inept, heartless Celtic performance and at the end of the day the Rangers supporters chanted "easy easy!" and sadly it was.
It has to be said that the Celtic fans were excellent yesterday in their backing of the team.
Coming out of the ground the prevailing air was one of celebration that we were the Champions.
"We're only here for the party" they sang, I am afraid that I couldn't join in. I was so angry.
It hurts like hell losing this fixture even more so when we go down without a fight.
As always though we keep the faith and look ahead albeit with less confidence than before.
Thanks for providing the opportunity to let off steam!
Enjoy your day.
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JonG,
The coterie know more than you think on the situation inside he club, and you know how they operate.
Apparently much of their information is passed to them by a talking Italian parrot called Luigi.
Kojo is touting Tony Mowbray to replace Gordon Strachan.
Consider their dream centre back pairing of Virgo and Du Wei alongside Ross Wallace at left back.
Their mantra is "What have you done for me lately?" Which is precisely not how to build and run a successful football team (Ref. Manchester United and Ferguson).
We're all a bit hacked off with recent performances but please don't drive us to despair ;-)
The coterie have three cousins. So have I.
Chris
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Morning all. Well almost 24 hours on and guess what. Mr Strachan can still leave and preferably just after the Scottish Cup final.
A sincere thanks you but please now step aside and let someone else take over. You started with team one and now have team -2. Please begone before you introduce team -3.
I cannot bear to watch your teams and I cant stand to see you at pitch side. The football this last 4 months has been total rubbish.
You have no tactics, you constantly play players out of position. Caldwell for Doumbe yesterday had my blood boiling before KO. You are filling the team with journeymen mediocre SPL players and for that reason I do not want you to spend the budget this summer.
Please leave. Wally and Sally already have the better of you. The huns for all their turmoil have only lost one more game than us and have taken 7 from 9 points off us.
Now close the door on the way out.
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Tony @ 7.51 am
Don't know the artiste you're going to see but the pleasure principle and the reality principle are two psychoanalytical terms coined by Sigmund Freud.
Respectively, the desire for immediate gratification versus the deferral of that gratification.
Quite simply, the pleasure principle drives one to seek pleasure and to avoid pain.
However, as one matures, one begins to learn the need sometimes to endure pain and to defer gratification because of the exigencies and obstacles of reality: "An ego thus educated has become reasonable; it no longer lets itself be governed by the pleasure principle, but obeys the reality principle, which also at bottom seeks to obtain pleasure, but pleasure which is assured through taking account of reality, even though it is pleasure postponed and diminished" (Sigmund Freud, Introductory Lectures 16.357).
Enjoy the concert.
Finbar
we're on the one couch CSC
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Not one serious shot on goal is a definite concern. Check my new blog 'Celticdelia' for a light-hearted take on yesterday.
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Dick Byrne -
I watched the Robyn documentary on Friday evening - the man is a legend. I had the privilege of meeting him last year.
WG
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Evidence please.
Who amongst you who are constant critics condemned the signings of Jiri Jarosik and Thomas Gravesen at the time? Who did not believe that JJ would provide invention whilst TG would provide steel? Who was it had the foresight to see that neither would deliver what it said on the tin?
My own view of those two is that TG needs to go asap whilst JJ deserves to be played in the centre of midfield. No doubt in my mind that JJ has suffered through Gordon's use of him to shore up our absence of attackers at times. Only when he has been played consistently in a midfield slot can he reasonably be judged to be a success or a failure.
TG can be inventive as an offensive midfielder but is not so good as to make up for the disarray that his defensive indiscipline causes to the team overall.
Paul Hartley? Where has he gone? There is surely an impostor playing in his jersey?
Of course yesterday we could also direct that comment at Naka Aiden Mc Geady JVOH Artur Boruc with Neil Lennon Lee Naylor maybe just scraping pass marks. I exempt Stephen Pressley Stephen Mc Manus from criticism whilst I have sympathy for Gary Caldwell who has taken over the whipping boy role so that anything positive he does is ignored whilst every mistake is illuminated in support of pre-conceived prejudices. Paul Telfer anyone?
Finally I am presuming from some of the comments that its Happy Birthday to you Paul. May the increase in years not diminish your resolve to continue providing this platform for mineshafters and happy clappers equally to enjoy in their support of the world's finest team.
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I cudny believe it when I looked at the tv screen in the Teser last night and our lead over the darnel had been chopped to a mere nine points. It's absolutely lashing down in ML2 - have we fallen foul of God ?
Best of luck to the Wishy Whizard
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t
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Many happy returns,P67.
Or as the Kerrang!CSC would have it,Lang may your blog rock.
Take comfort the next time CQN gives you a splitting headache that May 6th is also the feast of St Dominic Savio,patron saint of choirboys,falsely accused people and juvenile delinquents.
Yesterday's events are too bl##dy depressing to mention here.Suffice it to say that the highlight of my weekend so far has been the first signs of life in the tatties I planted.
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Subterranean
Thee was also the highway they paved for the Stan the journeyman except he signed a new contract instead of taking the journey.
Shaun Maloney ,on the other hand,was going nowhere...does his career at Villa count as a hit if you speak in riddles?
Some of their more opaque calls open to multiple interpretation appear to be right (Hitler`s invasion of Poland?)However for the moment Nostradamus need not consult his crystal ball regarding his preeminence.
JohndeeCSC
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finbar
tony robbins is a motivational speaker, a self-help guru.
god that was awful yesterday. i've never seen so many players in a celtic shirt hide from the ball.
we lined up almost exactly the same as they did yet their midfield showed basic discipline and in barry ferguson had the only real quality player on show. tommy g clearly wont do as he has been told, he managed to spend the whole afternoon being in the wrong place. no more please gordon.
hartley went missing, lenny was playing a totally different game to everyone else.
while gordon must take ulitmate responsibility for the defeat yesterday for me the players are far more culpable. someone needs to remind them that they are playing for celtic. if they dont step up between now and the end of the season they should be moved on. any and all of them.
wgs has to be given the opportunity to sort out the mess we're in. we owe him that much at least, surely?
depression turned to outright anger for me with the 15 minute-long rendition of "big jock knew." every time i go to iborx my optimistic outlook on the human conditon takes a bit of a kicking but the singing started by the blueorder that spread to much of the ground really did me in.
artur boruc is threatened with police action for taking a flag out of the crowd, yet fifteen minutes of this filth doesnt even warrant mention in the media. they know this campaign is going on, there has been enough about it on the various rfc websites, banners at cp, but noone says a word.
i hate them and their club. i hate their "protestant and proud" banners, i hate their "rule britannia banners," i hate their bomber impressions when naka takes corners, i hate their squeeling indignation whenever someone pulls them up for their disgusting behaviour.
however, even in my darkest moments i can look at whats in front of me at iborx and it makes me happy to know that i am not one of them and will never be one of them. no amount of horrible defeats will change that.
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and a happy birthday to paul67
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watchow -
Maybe the Protestant And Proud banner was for Big Jock as well...... those 'people' are incapable of rational thought.
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Paul67 -
AD MULTOS ANNOS
JSJ
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Derbyshirebhoy, you are being a bit selective in your analysis.
I think most of us would admit to being pleased with signings of TG and JJ. Without doubt, both have been hugely disappointing (I cannot believe these two have become bad players overnight).
However, I also think it is undoubtedly true that Kenny Miller, Gary Caldwell, Steven Pressely and Paul Hartely have conformed EXACTLY to our expectations.
The aforementioned quartet represented 40% of yesterday's outfield team and cost a combined total of £1m!!
When looked at in this light, is it any surprise we are so poor??
As they say, if you pay peanuts, you get monkies.
I watched the game yesterday with a mate and we both laughed out loud as the Rangers squad was shown on the screen.
To then watch them steamroller us had my stomach churning.
No one knows what the summer will bring, but I'll say this: unless drastic action is taken we are heading for a debacle of Le Guen proportions.
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Finbar,
Thanks for the background.
Glad to say i am still young enough to seek pleasure as well as avoiding pain:)
I must admit accepting reality without that ability would be a dismal existance.
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Gordon Strachan
"We only need 2 or 3 players"
IF IT DOESNT MAKE SENSE IT DOESNT MAKE SENSE
Enjoy your prawn sandwiches
Bye
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1. Rangers spoiled my youth due to 9 in a row.
2. We are champions, remember that and remember the hard times.
3. Support your team over and over.
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We can only be Celtic supporters, through thick and thin and I've had plenty of both....
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Antonrogan said...
1. Rangers spoiled my youth due to 9 in a row.
2. We are champions, remember that and remember the hard times.
3. Support your team over and over.
I support Celtic but not the work being done by Strachan. My support for Celtic is such, that I want Strachan out and for a more suitable candidate to run the team.
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Can anyone else actually believe that we have a worse goal difference than Rangers?
They spent half the season when they couldn't buy a result.
It puts into perspective where we are going wrong.
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Paul67 - cumpleaños feliz. I wish you and your family and friends a grand day.
For those wishing the SACKING of Gordon Strachan, you're point's been made. It's not going to happen so let's get on with SUPPORTING Celtic.
McGrain - faithful through and through
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in the last 9 games we have scored 1 goal from open play.
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There have been quite a few changes since the team lost 3-0 at Tynecastle at this time last year but are the Bhoys faster, fitter and stronger?
(Note: Younger wasn`t mentioned!)
At least success has been maintained but with less points and goals.
Keep the Faith!
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Happy 40th Paul. Best wishes and have a great day.
Seems you share your birthdate with some exalted and certainly 2 not so exalted names!
1501 - Pope Marcellus II (d. 1555)
1574 - Pope Innocent X (d. 1655)
1758 - Maximilien Robespierre, French Revolutionary (d. 1794)
1856 - Sigmund Freud, Austrian psychiatrist (d. 1939)
1868 - Tsar Nicholas II of Russia (d. 1918)
1895 - Rudolph Valentino, Italian actor (d. 1926)
1915 - Orson Welles, American director (d. 1985
1945 - Bob Seger, American singer
# 1953 - Tony Blair, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
1953 - Graeme Souness, Scottish footballer/manager
1961 - George Clooney, American actor
Hail Hail
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Today, maybe tomorrow at the latest, the happy throng curried by booze, the mist of it clouding the realities of life, will cheerily troop out of the Louden Tavern as one. Singing their majestic way towards the Valhalla they know as Ibrox, a sanctuary and temple to all that is good and right and true in this sceptered isle. They will goose step knee-deep in a substance half blood/half Lanliq. The families of the area will open their windows and line the streets, cheering these disciples of right.
This band, this happy band, will make their way up the marbled steps towards that Holy Grail - the trophy room. And slowly, as the singing and cheering dies and an emptiness clutches their hearts, the mists will lift.
For what good is wisdom when it brings no profit to the wise?
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Paul 67
I have been on about the state of our midfield for months, they are incapable of winning the ball and then doing regular constructive work with it.
None are exempt but I feel that both Aiden and Naka are to weak to play wide on each side of midfield, perhaps selecting one from the two would help, but we need to compete we are not even doing that.
The box office signings have failed no more excuses get rid.
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I need to pop out to a first communion celebration now, but I'd like to leave a quick qnd simple question.
How come, when WGS wins matches and gets us to the last 16 CL, he is a lucky manager, but when he loses matches, he is a crap manager, rather than an unlucky one?
Smacks to me of twisting the evidence to fit the pre-concieved theory each time.
finbar
Tony Robbins is a charlatan posing as a life coach. There has been a long history of such false prophets
from Samuel Smiles through to Noel Edmonds and Paul McKenna.
SFTB- still hurting and lashing out but at different targets.
I'll catch yiz later.
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Paul - a very happy 40th birthday to you. Welcome to the 'auld hauns' club.
(If that had been GL2 typing then it would have read 'bald Huns' club!)
Enjoy the day!
I'm going to work tomorrow to look every smug Hun in the face and congratulate them on finishing 2nd to the CHAMPIONS.
TTTT
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for those of us strong enough to talk about it
BIG SUMMER SALE
hail hail
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Shocking kick at Ronaldo by Michael Ball[the ex-hun -not the singer]
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My mole has just informed me that Scott Brown is definitely NOT going to Rangers.
Roon ye Tinytim-
my mole is bigger than your mole...........
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According to the Sunday Herald, Artur has been reported to the police for waving a flag with "Champions" on it.
"A police spokeswoman said last night: "Strathclyde Police are aware of an incident which took place involving the Celtic goalkeeper at the end of the match. No criminal act took place but Strathclyde Police will address the matter to both Celtic and the SPL."
If there was no criminal act, why are the police involved?
It's easy to get paranoid, but that doesn't mean they are not out to get you. How far will this go - is it illegal to state a simple fact: we are the champions!
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Its been a pretty horrible season in many ways, with yesterdays performance being
another bad one out of many. We can’t put in a decent performance, can’t score goals, get the tactics wrong (once again), and don’t seem to have any urgency moving the ball around.
There are underperformances individually and collectively.
The team has no spunk.
Things have been going wrong for quite a while now, as pointed out by many over the last few months. Lucky for us that the Fod were even worse.
We have though had a horrific injury list to deal with, and lost a couple of good players.
We have money. We’ll have a new team for next season.
It feels strange to be going for 3 in row, but I don’t see Rankers stopping us.
Trying hard to keep my chin up.
HH
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We have just won the League for the second time in a row[hooray!]and yet...
We now look as if more work needs to be done to the team than when GS joined the club.
The minimum requirements for next season will be a defence of the League title[no longer a given]and European football in some form after Xmas.I am not confident that either can be achieved.
I cannot remember when a manager with this degree of success was having such a divisive effect on the Celtic support.
And this has nothing to do with him being'Celtic Minded'-something else that will be going on the Beltane Bonfire next year-but his style of play,his tactics and his team selection.These are exacerbated by his habit of distancing himself from any responsibility for the poverty of the displays on offer.
Like many others who post here I will shortly be parting with the thick end of £1000 for 2 new season tickets.Usually I look forward to the start of a new season but I just feel flat just now.Flat,angry,disappointed,cheated,irritated,baffled and scunnered.
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Artur should have bought this Champions Flag rather than one of those "unofficial" ones...........
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michael -
keep your pecker up, could be worse, you could be a darnelist
noel -
congrats on your 'first'
WG
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WG-
I thought I was fourth.......
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Just noticed wattching English football that Derby has a player called St. Ledger - a classic surely!
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Noel -
mine don't count
gordon_j-
:-)
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when has it been a given that we win the league?
it all starts again in the summer. the transfer window opens 1 june. who knows what next season will bring.
somone said recently that being a celtic supporter is the prize, everything else is a bonus.
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Are my eyes decieving me.
Is it true that Scotlands richest man struck a deal with a star signing that meant the player had to pay £4,000 per week from his own pocket in order to play for the gers since the chairman "couldnt afford to pay him"
Surely this will make the front pages....
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WGS at West Brom game.
I reckon the player he went to watch is not playing. Diomansay Kamara
Koumas is playing though
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Yesterday was the WORST performance of the season bar non.
I have tried to wait a day before posting so below is the watered down version.
I have a number of fundamental questions.
1. Has any Celtic fan ever seen a Celtic team before who have no clue how to attack ? Well after yesterday the answer will be yes.
2. In Milan we played O'Dea and Mick together at the back, both were outstanding. Since then not once have we seen them together. Why ? My answer is the WGS is making room for Pressley who looks more done than anyone on the books right now.
3. Have we signed Paul Hartley forrmer Hearts midfielder or JR Hartley 78 year old author. Paul's performances since signing have been shocking and IMO he does not merit a place or any more chances this season.
4. JJPD. last week had an impressive debut and is dropped for Gary Caldwell who clearly will never be a fullback. This took Naka right out of the game. Why ?
If you want to know if JJPD can cut it then test him.
5. Aiden ? where have you gone ?
Hutton walked by you time and time again and you did not offer one challenge. If you want to make it have a look at the way Henrik usd to work for the team.
6. Graveson - why is he always the fall guy ? Was he worse than Hartley or Aiden ?
I sat in the stand at the final whistle actually shocked, worse than Seville as at least there we gave a performance. I am not saying that there was anything at stake yesterday but I was shocked at what I consider to be the worst performance of my life as a Celtic supporter. We have had less technically gifted teams but none so gutless as what we saw yesterday.
Sure we are Champions - but right now it doesn't feel like it.
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Oh- and one more thing.
Why don't we buy a real winger ?
Having two central midfielders playing outside on the wrong side takes away the bye line as an option.
We have a 6ft 3in CF and I can't remember one header this year with a cross from the byeline.
There - I feel better now.
I just read the earlier posts and it's good to know that Noel knew what I was going to rant about and ranted first.
Champions - lets act like champions over the summer and make some Champion signings.
Joey Barton - Yes please.
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GM
It does go to show that it's all a matter of opinion.
I don't agree for example that Pressley or Caldwell have been a disappointment. With Hartley I'm puzzled and hopeful that he'll come good. Kenny Miller? Oh dear. No argument.
Of course the vast majority of opinion from those who normally criticise evrything that has happened since Gordon Strachan became manager was that the Lee Naylor signing was another indication of the club's downsizing and the manager's lack of ability in picking a player. We can all be selective when dicussing the team but that's part of the fun isn't it? After all P8ddy has almost made it an art form. Where is he by the way?
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Sev67-have to agree with your assessment of recent events;although mercifully I'only'listened to the game yesterday.All I would add is that when PH was playing for Hearts he looked perfectly capable of playing in the SPL.My understanding is that he is being told to stay back to allow SN and AMG to go forward,rather than play his more natural game which is to go forward himself,to support the front players.
The basic problems are ;
The tactics-too conservative and unimaginative,tired and predictable.
The personnel-either not good enough or being played out of position.
WG-Thanks for that.Can I sit next to you in the lifeboat?
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Sev67-if Mad Joey Barton is the answer then we really are in trouble`¬)
DerBh-I think P8ddy's got bigger things to worry about,along the lines of a serious family illness.
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WATCHOW:
Someone said recently that being a celtic supporter is the prize; everything else is a bonus.
I Love this comment; thanks for reminding us. I personally will use this to sustain me through the summer when the rags will do their best to unsettle us with transfer rumours and Walter's new wave.
Today I Have to smile and remind myself that we ARE Champions; but I feel very annoyed (I rarely get annoyed at anything...) that I feel short-changed because for quite a long time now we haven't been playing like Champions. I am also annoyed that our team, apart from a few good men, have not grasped the psychological significance of encouraging Ranger's self-belief for next season.
I hope Gordon Strachan (who I still rate) uses this as the catalyst not just for a clear-out and a new team for next season, but also as a good excuse to pick a team for the upcoming Cup Final who will individually play with fire and try to prove a point, and who collectively will play for each other and as a team. On the basis of yesterday few of the players on show deserve the chance to contest the Cup final.
Something along the lines of this team should be good enough to see off Dunfermline. (IMHO).
. Boruc.
. Balde, McManus,
. Doumbe Naylor
. Lennon,
. Nakamura, Riordan,
. Sheridan, McGeady,
. JVoH
Subs: Brown, O'Dea, Kennedy, Miller, Zurawski.
I was going to say "Lets see the REAL Celtic step forward for the Cup Final!", but recent evidence dictates that I should amend this to "Let's see a REVIVED Celtic step forward for the Cup Final!".
Yours in Celtic, Jim.
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The pressure on Celtic this summer will be intense.
We can't afford a pre-season like last season.
On the playing side of it Rangers have the momentum.I accept that they were so bad I could probably have improved them
They are on the up and we are definately on the slide.If we are not careful we will meet in the middle.
How many of that Rangers team would get a regular game at CP?Probably not many.
Instead of punting everyone except Boruc GS should look at why some new players have been poor.
IMO Jarosik and Gravesen have played in the wrong positions.
Hartley/Miller/Caldwell/Presley now small fish in a bigger pool.
Time to get a couple of aggressive midfield bullys.Keep the foot to the throat.
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Seville67,
Joey Barton ??
You at the wind up ?
He and his family are a disgrace and should be nowhere near the hoops.
I do agree that it was the WORST performance.
Hail Hail
Pob
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michael
Thank you for the information re p8ddy. Let me quickly say that I hope that all turns out well for him and those concerned.
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This debate could run and run on whether WGS should be removed or not,it's ultimately a board decision and like McGraininSpain said it aint gonna happen.
All I would say is that if the performances of the last six months are repeated over the first six months of next season it is unlikely we'll be SPL Champions again.
He needs to make the right signings this summer and improve the standard of football on offer because "Team 2" are much less attractive to watch than "Team 1" was and the lack of goals are a real concern,especially as we still concede at least one every game these days.
How much do we give WGS to turn this around?
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02:04, Maestro_8
Your spot on with your comments re. the support although yesterday they were great. It was an inevitable result I suppose that when the av gate rose from circa 28000 to the present 57000 that a lot of the 'prawn brigade' would be included and they are far more critical of the performance of the team and , more damagingly, of individual players.
It is a fact, that the majority of human beings respond better to praise than damming citicism.
Keep the faith.
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That was the first time since 1999-2000 season we have failed to win at Ibrox. This included a game against PLG's duds and Watties OAP's.
The performances have been very poor this season. I think we need a Manager rather than a coach.
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David - how much do we give WGS to turn things around?
We give him that which we can afford and without equivocation. He is after all the man who has delivered back to back championships and hopefully a grand double this year.
He deserves our support at a really tough time - really tough, title in the bag and double on the horizon, really really tough.
Yesterday was crap.
McGrain
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Roy Keanes Sunderland are Champions.
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paul67
all the best
getting close to that age myself
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Guys,
Joey Barton for a couple of reasons.
I agree his family are a disgrace -but don't care.
He can play
He can compete
He hates losing.
He will put a stop to being over run in midfield by Rangers.
It's football not a church choir.
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joey barton would be a good signing football wise there is no question, he is the type you could imagine hurting yesterday.
is the baggage worth it is the real question , esp in the media spotlight.
its the area we need to spend, tho i still think jiri deserves another season
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just talking to my dad there, and he posed the question
who is our best central midfield player, i didn't have an answer
so i ask fellow bloggers
"who is celtics best central midfield player"
answers on a postcard to
gordon Strachan
parkhead
glasgow
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Anyone care to postulate just why last year we scored 93 goals and yet this year with 2 games to go have managed only 62?
I think back to the great impact both Shaun Maloney and Craig Beattie had coming on in games and the fact that there were often murmurs of displeasure in the slowing up of John Hartson to be on the end of the ammunition provided.
I know it can't be all the answer but for me Shaun Maloney was key to the way the team played last year and was more often than not the team's heartbeat. I'm not sure that his absence via injury since early on has been fully appreciated. As soon as he collected the ball the whole momentum of the side altered. No-one this season has had that sort of impact.
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'It's football,not a church choir'
So where would you draw the line?
Serious assault?Too late for that,in Mad Joey's case.
Rape?
Kiddyfiddling?
It's not just football;it's playing for Celtic.We would only be signing him because his value[ie transfer fee] has plummeted through his own despicable actions.If Lee Bowyer becomes available should we go in for him as well?
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antsman
Best central midfielder at Celtic has to be Nakamura... he'd be better there than the rest of them who aren't up to much.
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Paul67,
Many happy returns of the day. I hope you're feeling brighter than you must have been at this time yesterday.
Gordon @10.01's comments struck a chord with me. I think I said a couple of weeks ago, it was like watching Celtic playing in the early 60s. Even then, we had people like Paddy Crerand who gave their all for the jersey.
As you say, our manager has earned the right to experiemnt but, personally, some of his "experiments" baffle me e.g. why was Caldwell preferred to Doumbe and why has he continued to play Hartley behind Lennon much of the time? It is getting it worrying.
Still, we can find consolation in the fact that we are Champions. That wasn't even on the horizon in the early '60s (when we often played fast, flowing football the Celtic way and won hee haw: I remember it all too well. It still hurts).
Pleaase keep up the great work of promoting the 'Tic.
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malone86
if he doesn't play there how can he be?
in that case who is the best of our current players that actually play there
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Dboy
Look no further than Stan petrov.A loss we have never recovered from
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The question of who is our best midfielder could easily be broadened and can anyone honestly say what our best 11 is?
I honestly cannot say......and it's possibly the first time in my life that question would leave me scratching my chin as the current crop of players are an absolute mystery. On paper these guys are all decent players. Good players don't turn bad overnight...is it down to these guys not understanding what is being asked of them? Or they won't do it for their manager? They all seem to like him on TV \ Radio when saying how good a manager he is!
yes some players get older and lose pace etc but the age of this side has been drastically reduced and we should be doing more to win the ball back when we lose and forcing other teams into giving away possession yet we are the team who get harrassed and look very poor a lot of the time.
I recall MON introducing a real work ethic whereby we worked harder than anyone at winning the ball back and SKY commentators often referred to us as being one of the hardest working teams around. You can hardly say the same nowadays!
Why has the team never recaptured that electrifying form shown against Benfica at Celtic Park
Celtic 3 Benfica 0
Celtic: Boruc, Telfer, Caldwell, McManus, Naylor, Nakamura, Lennon, Sno (Pearson 87), Maloney, Zurawski (Jarosik 84), Miller.
Subs Not Used: Marshall, Balde, Thompson, Riordan, O'Dea.
Is it that Maloney played such a real part of a fired up Celtic team? Not so sure about that myself.
Someone on the blog pointed out we've scored 1 goal from open play in the last 9 games. That is a pathetic state of play for us..we are better than that.
I feel really guilty (yes guilty) voicing concerns over a manager who has led us to back-2-back titles and the last 16 in ECL but I've never seen what I'm seeing just now from a winning team. A v poor performance week in week out yet we end up champions? Someone pass me some thinking pills cos I can't for the life of me work out how we can be so poor, for me it's not down to bad form it is simply because we ARE poor.
Nerves were said to be the cause of our woes a few weeks back, then tireness, then the league was won and now it's cos the team has lost that edge after a long hard season...surely we should be playing with real gusto as CHAMPIONS and going to Ibrox ready to have a real go at a team and see what we can do when we WANT to score goals, goals, goals!!!
I'm baffled ........I'm so proud to SPL champions yet honestly have some real worries about where we are going...
some on the blog were waxing lyrical about a generation of domination on the horizon. That prospect seems a long way off based on the last few months displays \ results.
Unless the close season sees some good quality signings(who have the winning mentality), I see a real slog between ourselves and our blue nosed neighbours next season....I don't see us going on unbeaten runs unless we can score goals and win midfield battles.
No doubt we are all so fed up with these opinions being splatted across this blog, but it's just so weird to be feeling so let down by a team who has just won us the league title.
Please Gordon do what needs to be done and give us back a team that plays like it means to win and not just happens to win.
hail hail
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A couple of posters have asked why the performances this season appear to be so much poorer than last season. When I consider the players in each position the answer becomes simple – the players are not as good.
We have suffered through injury and the replacements for Maloney and Petrov under performing. In fact in 7 of the 11 positions we are significantly weaker and only left back significantly improved
Goal keeper : no change
Right back: Weaker due to injuries to Wilson
Left back: Stronger, Naylor big improvement on Wallace/Camara
Centre back: Weaker due to injury to Balde, Mcmanus continues to improve and Caldwell & Pressley not in the same class as Balde .
Centre Midfield: Weaker in both positions – Lennon naturally is losing effectiveness and the 3 replacements for Petrov ( Gravesen , Hartley and Jarosik) have not delivered. In fact the signing for the future ~( Sno ) has offered more than the three big names.
Right Midfield: Nakamura – improved – more consistent.
Left midfield: Weaker – much as I rate Aiden for the future , he has not been nearly as effective as Maloney was last season.
Striker: Weaker in both positions – JVOH too many injuries to be effective, Zurawski07 & Miller do not compare to Zurawski06.
In summary we have been unlucky with injuries –Balde , Wilson, Caldwell, JVOH, Maloney , Zurawski. Two of the three big signings Gravesen and Jarosik have failed and the other JVOH has been frequently injured. Last year the 3 big signings Zurawski,Boruc and Naka all contributed.
The other signings have generally reflected their background with the exception of Naylor and Pressley.
Naylor much better than I expected and Pressley I always thought was average but is actually much worse than that. Caldwell, Miller and Hartley will be decent squad players although I may be underestimating Caldwell as some of his early performances were OK.
Riordan, I can’t make up my mind.
In considering this I find it difficult to blame GS, most commentators thought Jarosik and Gravesen were good signings , most commentators thought Mcgeady would develop beyond Maloney (which I still believe he will) and GS can hardly be blamed for the injuries. There is an argument that it is his fault that Gravesen and Jarosik have not performed but I find that unconvincing.
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Here's an idea for next season's midfield: buy a genuine right winger who can whip crosses in for JVOH, Aiden ditto on the left and play Naka centrally as a playmaker in front of a holding midfield player.
Comments??
PS Please not Barton. He injures more of his team mates than any player I know.
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wg
now the cqn know what i look like
thanks
malt tonight
go on john higgins
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The Sheep come to town next week holding a 4 point lead over Hearts with 2 games left to play.
They'll be right up for it.
It's also Neil Lennon's last game at Celtic Park.
I detect the patience of most supporters has run out and the team are in for a real roasting if they don't up their game.
It will be tragic if Neil is part of a team that is booed off the park.
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Interesting point GM.
If, in Neil lennon's last game as captain and champion of Scotland, the fans were to boo the team off I can see myself getting into an argument. Hope and pray and still have faith in the Celtic support that they wouldn't lower themselves to that level, but recently any feeling of superiority about the support has evaporated.
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Zbyszek, many thanks for your wishes as the day started in Poland.
Welcome Maestro 8, such is human nature. Yesterday’s fillet is tomorrows mince.
Happiness is all relative.
Hey Chennai :-) Thanks Hugh.
Noel, “the aul’ hauns club”, you know how to cheer a guy up ;-)
Hampden looked a bit busy that day.
Thanks Edward. My forties have been great to me so far; I think I’m going to enjoy them.
Cheers Chris.
Tony, :-) I’m catching up with Moses as well! Worrying time.
Gordon, I was hoping you would share a memory from that day, great times, many thanks.
Agree on yesterday, have we ever been so far ahead and yet still been expecting a defeat?
Cheers Derbyshirebhoy, I am now in my first cantankerous decade.
Thanks Watchow.
Winningemmell, grazie.
McGrainin, gracias.
Sdstim, Ha! Souness and Tony Blair. Orson Welles is an interesting one, that my brother 'Oor Kevin' will relate to. Thanks for that.
TTTT, thanks. On leaving Ibrox yesterday I was a blue clad former acquaintance. I shouted out to him, but he had his head down, shouted, “I’m not talking” while walking quickly away. Enjoy work tomorrow.
Spirit of Arthur Lee, enjoy the time you have left in your thirties, though so far my forties have been my best yet!
Thanks Parkheadcomesalford.
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Are SingaporeCelt or timoot around? My brother, Kevin, is heading to Singapore this week.
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1-0 for Arsenal over 10 man Chelsea. If Jose really is the special one this is the time to prove it.
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Paul67,
What are the managers options at the moment? He's peservering with players that quite frankly are not performing. Reminding me of before MON reign finished.
What does he do? Carry on till the end of the season in the hope we will come out of it and risk criticism or shake it up by dropping players like Hartley, Pressley, Gravesen, McGeady and Caldwell who are not performing.
My team for Saturday would be:
Boruc
Doumbe
Naylor
O Dea
McManus
Naka
Lennon
Jarosik( in his natural position)
Bjarnson
Riordan
JVOH
I think Tommy Gravesen will be away. However, by dropping the likes of Hartley and McGeady it might give them the proverbal a boot the jacksy to realise if they carry on like this then they might not be living the dream no more.
I actually think Hartley needs time to settle and i reckon a good pre season might shake him up. However, surely he can show more than he is at present.
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Paul67,
What are the managers options at the moment? He's peservering with players that quite frankly are not performing. Reminding me of before MON reign finished.
What does he do? Carry on till the end of the season in the hope we will come out of it and risk criticism or shake it up by dropping players like Hartley, Pressley, Gravesen, McGeady and Caldwell who are not performing.
My team for Saturday would be:
Boruc
Doumbe
Naylor
O Dea
McManus
Naka
Lennon
Jarosik( in his natural position)
Bjarnson
Riordan
JVOH
I think Tommy Gravesen will be away. However, by dropping the likes of Hartley and McGeady it might give them the proverbal a boot the jacksy to realise if they carry on like this then they might not be living the dream no more.
I actually think Hartley needs time to settle and i reckon a good pre season might shake him up. However, surely he can show more than he is at present.
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/irish/6630323.stm
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As I was driving back here at about 12 o'clock, I had the misfortune to be tuned into Radio 5, which I normally enjoy. My ears were accosted by the not so dulcet tones of one Joan Burnie who did a character assassination job on Neil Lennon and his time in Scotland. Appalling isn't the word. She made no reference to his being wantonly attacked in the street and being subjected to abuse just about everywhere. No whatever has happened he brought it upon himself. There's spin and there's LIES.
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In defence of Paul Hartley, he was rushed by Hearts from injury at the start of the season in their Champions League aspirations and looks to have never recovered. Perhaps a summer rest and a full pre-season will see him at his best, but he has been a massive disappointment.
Furthermore, is it too simplistic to put our current malaise down to one man, namely Kenny Miller? In the SPL, including sub appearances, he has 4 goals in 30. A striker in ok form would maybe have 15, in good form would maybe have 20. Not too hard to see where our problems lie, and add to this mix an unfit JVOH and an underperforming MZ - 6 in 26 (in as sub). Reasons for the poor 'goals scored' column.
Buon compleanno Paolo Sessantasette.
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Ianinjesi, great news. Bon chance to WG’s other lot.
WGS, GS has few options at the moment. I believe the whole club is desperate for the season to finish. There are several months to change things and get things right, if it makes you feel any better, I know that the pain of how the season has ended is being felt all the way to the top.
Bloke 109, you are correct about McLeish. I wrote the above in a hurry without checking references. I was cleaning my teeth last night when it occurred to me.
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Paul67,
We all know the problems in the midfield and up front. However, i believe we need another centre half. Quality CL one.
Out of the lot just now. I would keep O Dea, Kennedy, McManus.
Balde, Pressley, Caldwell(might have a new position not RB though)for me can be replaced.
Any thoughts?
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Happy Birthday Paul, enjoy your generation of crankiness!:-)
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If i was the manager i would take a copy of back page of the Sunday Mail with Boyd's comments and put them on next seasons champioship winning T shirts.
I'm still see the white line markings are still on the pitch at Ibrox. Quite suprised really!!
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WGS,
there are good young defenders coming through but a top class experienced defender would be welcomed.
(1-1 and Chelsea piling on late pressure.)
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WGS,
Whats boyd been sayin ?
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Chelsea had Arsenal shaking but Man U are the champs of the EPL. They deserve it, 83 goals scored!
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Pob,
"Can't wait till next season. bring it on"
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Paul happy birthday and I hope yopu have a lot better day than yesterday.
I said to my mates at the end of the farce which was yesterday look on the brightside they actually think they are a good team.
Also just in on Talksport or five live I was jumping between the 2. It was said that Billy Davies is leaving Derby to take over at the bigotdome with the tank toppes 1 moving up to be director of football (now if there was ever a contradication in terms)
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Edward, you're smiley faces posted earlier were not appreciated one little bit. The fact that you need to post on this site says as much about your own sites as it does about this one. Our celebrations are also very different. At the end of the season we can celebrate winning & achieving something. What have your hollow wins achieved except false hope. Your establishment team can neither lose nor win with any dignity. I have also read your earlier comments alluding to a generation of domination - I need a new pair of champion underpants after reading this. I assume this is down to your U19s success for the first time in years against Celtic under 17s. How is your reserve team doing? May your next one be a hedgehog
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Baz13-
Obviously Teds good natured sense of humour went right over the top of your head.
Grow up.
The Holy Goalie
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antsman
On the evidence of displays this year that's a very difficult question to answer as not one has been any sort of standout.
Neil Lennon has consistently done what Neil Lennon does and well but as you will have gathered from my previous post that's not what I believe the team actually needs right now.
As for the others TG is an extreme disappointment, JJ hasn't had the opportunity I feel he deserves, Paul Hartley looks overawed at the moment, Naka might have been a candidate earlier but is currently way out of form whilst Aiden
continues to flatter to deceive. Evander Sno may very well be one we will be delighted with in the coming years whilst Teddy Bjarnnsson will need fire in his belly to supplement his undoubted skill.Please God somewhere close by there's a Bertie Auld lurking, waiting to be signed.
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canbla at15.59
Much sense and well presented. Agree with virtually all you say
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bbc reckons we are in for a striker
Celtic are poised to sign teenage striker Mark McAllister from Irish League side Dungannon Swifts.
The clubs are in talks after Parkhead coaches Tommy Burns and Willie McStay watched the 19-year-old in Saturday's Irish Cup final against Linfield.
McAllister failed to score in the 2-2 draw and missed the vital spot-kick as the Swifts lost in a penalty shoot-out. Cardiff City, Norwich City and Leeds United are also linked with the player, who scored 15 goals this season.
Dungannon manager Harry Fay informed McAllister of Celtic's interest after the cup decider at Windsor Park.
"Five clubs were over looking at him in the final and one club definitely wants him," Fay told the Sunday Life.
"Obviously we're delighted for him and are determined to do what is best for him - we'll have a firm offer on the table for him on Monday.
"Mark has been unaware of what has been happening so he has some thinking to do.
"I was determined to keep things under wraps until after the cup final."
McAllister, who has been a sensation in his first season in the Irish League, would welcome a cross-channel move.
"Of course I'd be interested in progressing my career," he said.
"It would be very hard to turn down the chance of a full-time career in either England and Scotland."
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Noel 12.52pm;
The sharp suited gent met him and his advisors two weeks ago in London after his group had finished talking with Spurs.
The talks are ongoing.
Noel14.54pm;
The first off many managerial honours to come.We have to be bold and make our move before the rest wake up.
JonG
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Long time lurker here.
Best put this into perspective.
Since Smith took over.
Ranger won 10
Celtic won 8
If this time next year Strachen's Celtic are looking up at Rangers have a go.
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Baz13 @ 18.19 :- I'm sorry you didn't appreciate the smiley faces but I did so at least one person did. I'm under no illusions as to what our last two victories mean in the great scheme of things, they don't add one bit of silver to the trophy room so the bring only the delight at beating your rival. However they do show that we are moving in a better direction than we were at the start of the season. The under 19's did bring me some pleasure and a slight hope for the future but as has already been discussed on here very few manage the step up. As far as posting on this site goes, you are half correct it is everything to do with this site and nothing to do with Rangers sites, as I've said before this site seem unique. I won't return your hedgehog wish as I would hate to ruin your championship pants for next year and I'll refrain from any scatological jokes about your chances :-) As far as any "generation of domination" lines this is something I've swapped posts about mostly with good humour (on both sides) since it first came up on this board, the same with "the future is bright" line. I'm sorry you were offended at what I see as a couple of very light humorous posts but that maybe says more about your sense of humour than mine, there was no attempt to cause offence, a gentle wind up at most.
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Edward;
I don't normally have a lot of comment on your offerings,however,i do read them and admire your efforts to portait the scenario as you see it.
I hope you continue to offer the alternative view.
JonG
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each passing week the "generation" of domination seems to get smaller and smaller
alot of people here are calling for a clearout in the summer but if we do that, it could see a poor start to the season with players trying to gel
i do not believe there will be a clear out and i fear seeing players like beattie,miller,pressley and hartley being here next year
we will never dominate with these guys.
i still struggle to see the case for EVER having signed hartley, £m for a player the wrong side of 30 with no real pedigree. he has been poor and hopefully will onlt be a squad player soon
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edwardursus
i know you're one of the good guys and i dont expect you to feel responsible in any way for the misdemeanors of some of your more idiotic supporters but i would like to know your opinions on the "big jock knew" campaign that seems to be growing in popularity among the rfc support.
this isnt meant as an attack on you, its just i want to know what one of the balanced rfc supporters thinks.
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If I base a prediction on the last 8 games I would be probably be stating that celtic would finish in 3rd position for 2007/08 and would be out of the C.L. by August. However I'm a realist and I cannot accept that the same players could and would not resurrect the form that they showed for the first 7 mths.
This is the year that GS will be judged on and by this I include who he decides to let go (imo, Beattie, Jarosik, Graveson, Millar and of course Lennon) and who he brings in (I haven't a clue). He will also be judged on whether he changes the style of play into a faster more direct one.
He has won us 4? trophies inc 2 Championships and he fully deserves our support at least till the new season has got under way.
Keep the faith.
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Watchow :-Firstly I'd like to say I'm an admirer of Jock Stein, my very first post on this site (as KilwinkieHun) was a post on a thread about him. So I find those attacks on someone I admire to be sad. What I would say is that a fair portion of Rangers supporters do believe that he knew of a cover up. To clarify, I don't. I also prefer my digs and wind ups to be of the more humorous variety so I'm against it for a few reasons.
Noel & JohnG :- Thanks :-)
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Edward
That'll be Noel not needing his wallet this week then:o)
What's new there many would say LOL.
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17:02, WGS
Have no problem paying to watch your team or any other one, other than the one which represented us on Sat. but I will be very interested in one decision that GS has to make, i.e. Will he select Hartley (Hartley needs to play in the last remaining league games in order to qualify for a Championship medal).
GS will go up in my estimation if he makes the decision on form and not sympathy.
Keep The Faith
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17:28, WGS
I don't have the facts but I would wager a tanner that when we have had Bobo in the team our goals conceded column is lower than when he doesn't play. I know his weaknesses but I just wish we could have had him the Hoops yesterday.
KTF
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EDB :- I've heard that quite a few times now, I'm beginning to think his wallet has aquired the status of urban myth :-0
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Quick question anyone been to Luxor in Egypt and is it a good holiday destination?
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Edward
Was about to say we'll likely pay for this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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celticlover,
I agree with you about Bobo. I said he was going because he's on thoses wages. I happen to think out of all our central defenders Bobo is the best. But due to his wage he is gone. You could probably get better vaue for money somewhere else.
Interesting to see the manager down at the west brom game. Everybody assuming it's Koumas. I reckon it could be Diomansy Kamara. However, he wasn't playing today.
Kevin Phillips scored a hat trick today. U think??? No surely not??? Then again he had him at Southampton.
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19:36, greenlion2
Visited Luxor 3 years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it but I would imagine that I'm a few? yrs older than you and my enjoyment came from travelling by train from Cairo, visiting the dam, spending a few days cruising on the Nile and stopping off at all the archeoligical sites.
I don't think it's a hive of bars, discos,curry houses,beach football , etc. but it is fascinating.
Good luck
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Happy birthday Paul don’t let yesterday spoil yer big day hard as it may be, as my da used tae say tae me at times like this “you cannae win them all son”.
As I’ve previously stated on this Blog the day you were born it couldnae have rained any harder. To we who had spent too many years in the wilderness this did not dampen our festivities as we won the League that day with a masterful display by the wee mhan and 007 was still a Tim.
What we all fail to recall is that we only tied at the den of iniquity with the 1967 version of Sebo scoring both hun goals, nevertheless, “what the hell do we care”, we now had four trophies in the bag and the Big Cup was on the horizon.
Lets step back a bit though, nine years and seven months to be exact to October 19, 1957, between that memorable victory and the Big Mhan’s arrival we only beat the huns four times and one of those by the toss of the coin in a Charity Cup game, twice in the Glasgow Cup where we would lose the final tae the Maryhill Magyars and the now defunct Hi Hi and once in the League.
The latter was on John Thomson’s 33rd anniversary, we were ecstatic as an injury hit Celtic side thumped the boggin on a boggin day with the Bear running amok, we also had a goal chalked off and a penalty turned down (what else is new) for good measure, this was my first ever live manky mob victory and yet true tae fashion seven yes seven weeks later we lost tae them in the League Cup Final, the day before my birthday. I know how you feel Paul.
I was still in the primary for Hampden in the Sun and a frustrated (in the football sense) teenager by January 31, 1965, “we’ll be there tae give the Bhoys a cheer, when the League flag flies”, mibbees it occurred in my lifetime but I had no memory of it and didnae see it in the future either, Celtic were not just a sleeping giant we were a dinosaur heading down the road of Dumbarton, Queens Park, the Vale of Leven and the Renton, a once grand old team, but for the grace of a man fae Burnbank we might have ended up like our old adversary Third Lanark who after a humiliating 1-5 defeat at Bogheid on Friday, 28th April 1967, a mere two years and three months after our Messiah came back, to another founding member of the SFA, declared bankruptcy and were dissolved in shame, this was also the night before we defeated the Sheep 2-0 at Hampden en route to our fabulous clean sweep.
I always felt more for my da then than myself then, he had as a young lhad delivering rolls and milk in the Silverton part of Dumbarton saw the great Empire Exhibition side and then witnessed the demise of the club until the 1951 Scottish Cup victory over snotterwell, this was followed that same year by the arrival of a former Albion Rovers centre half who would change all of our lives in ways we could only dream.
The Coronation Cup, a League and Cup double and the greatest domestic victory in the club’s history, “I see niven on bended knee….”followed, and then………..nothing, nothing but misery. By the time Jock came back my da was more of a 3 cross tanner double and a tanner each way treble mhan sitting in the hoose on a Saturday afternoon and picking what games, if any, he chose tae attend, we were that billy cotton.
On your third birthday Paul I sat in the San Siro on another dreich night demoralised as our team capitulated to an unknown dikepluggin side, changed days as we were a European name now.
Using the oul Scots term abut, as in abut what if big Billy hadn’t slipped at a shy against Milan the year before then surely we would have defeated an Ajax side who bottled it in the final that season, then we would have been the holders that fateful night in Milan and having already had a taste of Dutch football would have seen off Wim the Tim’s mob.
Abut what if Dixie hadn’t skied the penalty then a return game against the same side might not have finished in our favour but we would still have been there.
Abut what if Jose Reina’s da had conceded a few goals at Parkheid then we would have beaten Bayern two years later, 4 titles out of 5, then again we widnae be celebrating the 40th anniversary of Lisbon as much as we do, we don’t celebrate the anniversary of our 1st Scottish Cup Final or League Championship win as we have done that habitually.
Abut what if Davie Hay had been allowed tae sign Joe McLauglin and Stevie Clarke, the beasts rise might have been halted before it began.
I could go on, abut what if we had won on that May 6 day then mibbees WTT might never had achieved any success in the game and the dreaded TIAT and more might have continued.
When MON arrived and the term Leicester O’Celtic was being banded about I said to a friend of mine outside chapel on the morning we heard he was coming that I didnae care if we didnae play football the Glasgow Celtic way as long as we won some silverware, Tommy Burns epitomised the old adage “good guys finish last” or second in Scotland.
May 6 remains indelibly etched in my mind as much as October 19 or May 25 but not for the same reason, I’ve never saw footage of that gemme or read much on it, it’s a memory that I’d rather do without, but it’s still there and it remains not because of the score but because as a Celtic supporter it was one of the best days of my life, why? because as a support we were immense, sad and despondent but gracious in defeat as well.
On a horrible day when the locals were not particularly friendly, 1967 may have been too close for them, the airports were in chaos the bhoys behaved remarkably and would do so again in Seville under similar circumstances.
I woke this morning without the angst that usually follows a hun defeat, in fact losing the Youth League and Cup upset me more. This was not like other defeats at Hades, first loss as European Champions against a ten men hun side plus a couple of 0-4 against them, especially the humiliation of no less than seven, again that number, year ago when the media were proudly (and protestantly) informing us of a 100 million pound investment and proclaiming a hundred year reich or words to that effect, raith and falkirk also sadly come tae mind. This was just like any other end of season loss when the title was in the bag, usually coming tae their cuzzins on the East Coast.
I woke up this morning with the thought that 3 weeks from yesterday we’ll have achieved another double, only the 14th in our 119 year history.
I woke up today knowing that the greatest manager in Europe/World was NOT coming tae the satanic coven as he was seen off earlier this season.
I woke up today knowing that the cardigan peaked yesterday in getting tae second place and like another former past master who returned tae save the day will be off before the 2007/08 season is over taking the happy chappy with him.
I woke up today with the thought that the manager of Derby who was put in his place by a former, for a wee time, Celt and another manager who was a part of the Old Trafford Celtic minded colony who travelled up tae watch the bhoys and knows more rebel songs than maist on this lhist, will be the next custodian at the gates of hell.
I woke up today knowing that OUR club is in safe hands and not at the whim of an egotist not to dissimilar to Bill Hiddleston, who it is alleged may have wished to personally profit from the sale of Cathkin Park for property development. Ironically Cathkin still stands today as a monument to a once-great football club.
I woke up today as I do every other day and thank the Lord that I’m no a billy I’m a jungle jim.
I woke up today on the one road and singing along.
I’m away oot tae cut the grass on this sunny Sabbath afternoon before Mrs. TT has a hairy.
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Edward
Congratulations on your victory (beween gritted teeth).
As a sensible soul I wondered what your take is on the Boruc "flag" waving episode. I might have hoped he'd have waved more effectively at Boyd's "sclaff" but I do really wonder whether we will ever be able to enjoy banter between fans any more?
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Noel has got a wallet. Last time we met, he gave it to me and asked me to give it a good looking after in sunny India. He said that if I ever needed the key I only had to ask, but that all it's got in it are Clydesdale Bank notes so they would probably never change them anyway.
It's a very slim wallet, by the way.
He also told me to ignore any telegraphic requests to courier it back to him urgently. He assured me that he would only do that in moments of weakness, and he'd be regretting it by the time Blue Dart delivered it.
So it's here, safe, locked.
Paul, hope you're having a STAND UP day with the golf balls (ref. BlantyreKev the other day).
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Edward at 19.24
'What I would say is that a fair portion of Rangers supporters do believe that he knew of a cover up.'
What purpose does that comment serve?
The neanderthals at Ibrox believe it therefore they believe they are justified in singing a disgusting song?
You have claimed admiration for Celtic's greatest ever manager then try and justify why your fellow supporters sing that song.
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El Diego/Ted-
I don't have a wallet.
I have been known to ransack Mrs 90s purse from time to time.
When she is sleeping-
obviously.
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Edward
Congratulations on your victory. Gritted teeth cannot be displayed in print but you get the point.
As a sensible soul I wondered what you make of the Boruc "flag" episode. I might have hoped he'd have waved more effectively at Mr Boyd's "sclaff" but I do seriously wonder if the police and other officials are determined to eradicate any sort of banter between supporters?
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Ianinjesi, :-)
Cheers GL2.
Welcome neilbhoy, tell me, who won the league during the period you refer to?
Antsman, you should read your 18:56 comment again. You list several players you (in common with many) do not rate, and then suggest that this is evidence our period of domination looks like being short.
When we win the league with such players, we will surely do better when we get it right. Hmmm.
Hugh, Standing up as we speak.
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Celticlover...Thanks very much both for me being young and your account. It sounds like a place for the lioness and me but not for the cubs.
Tontine Tim excellent post.
Noel are you related to TTTT by any chance?
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Paul
Afore ah forget,to ma lastin' regret,
Ah Hap Happy Birthday, plus a "Hail Fellow, well Met!"
Kojo'a no here,he's in Purdah,as dey say,
He is Hurtin' an' Grievin',an' Rues... Yesterday!
But, ah'm still Perky and Upbeat,
fur, as ye so weel know....
Celts ur Top of Da League!
AN' DA G.A. IS NO!
An' nae maitter whit Twists an' turns tae da Trut',
Da Press distorts wi' a Wiggle,
"Da G.A. is BROKE!"... FARGO DONE SAYS... Wit' a GIGGLE!!!
An' when da Windae o' Fame, rolls up, come dis June......
We're sure, when ye see oor Noo Signin's
ye'll be OVER DA MOON!
Listen tae me, fur ah know whit am sayin',
When da WINDAE COMES DOON ... den da Press wull be BAYIN'
Sae pey attenshun' tae whit Pierre an'his team...they ur daein'!!
collie.
Tail's Awaggin' AWaggin'
So we loast a meaningless game,
An'hiv tae pit up, wi' a wee bit of Wraggin'!
But, in a fortnight or so,Thurs da CUP .... we'll be BAGGIN!
Ah like dat line sae much so, that Ah'll hiv tae repeat it...ye, know!
CELTS UR TAP O' DA LEAGUE"
An' DA G.A. is NO!!!!!!!!
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what grates me is when we won the league the review of the game in the papers next day HAD to mention there was singing about the IRA.
i can accept that if they report EVERY time rangers sing songs that are not suitable.
which happens to be every single week. including of course yesterday.
The silence is deafening.
It is way past being paranoid when non football people happen to notice the difference in coverage.
Emjay
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19:44, TontineTim
My first live Celtic game was the one and only "Hampden in The Sun" and I was in the Rangers end (you'll remember that they opened the gates 20 mins before the end to let people out and me and my brother in!)
Lived in Kings Park right next to Hampden and after that game I was hooked and saw many a game by standing on the toilet in our house (yes, we had an inside one!) and could only see a third of the ground but luckily it was the Celtic end. I monitered the score by the supporters reactions.
Cathkin Park was also another of my unpaid venues and they had a great goalkeeper called Jocky Robertson who was only about 5'6". They also had George Young as a manager and my favourite player of that era, Bobby Evans, as coach. It was a sad day when they went bust on the 28th April due to having a crook as a Chairman.
Thanks for bringing back some great memories.
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Tontime Tim
Great post - expect your 1st victory was also mine 3-1 at Parkhead. This after an overnight coach journey from London to be met with the papers regaling me with the list of injuries and the number of youngsters likely to be playing.Was that the game when Yogi went right through the Rangers defence and the ball seemed to roll agonisingly slowly across the line with me jumping up and down as each inch passed?
Then as you say it was back to normal(for then)come the League Cup Final. Wee red haired guy scored our consolation I do believe.
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DerbyshireBhoy :- I would class it as the same as Mr Lennon's trophy lifting or the Rangers huddle at Celtic Park, provocative, designed to wind folk up, a good dig and funny. They all worked, they all got folk riled up (we are all so childish at football grounds at times) To me the correct response is to laugh at it later and then plan how to get back next time round, not for police to get involved, that is just stupid. It has to be accepted that an intense and bitter rivalry exists between our clubs and this event like the others is just part of it.
TheGofather :- I was asked my views on this and I gave them, I believe the line you refer to aided in the clarity of the post and what I was trying to get over, you feel it muddied the waters, however I feel it's only fair to point out that I expressed my admiration for Mr Stein and stated I thought the campaign was wrong.
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Collie,
Tell me the striker negos are going well. We need one with Jan big time.
A general or 2 in midfield wouldn't go a miss as well.
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Glenn Roeder sacked well they said resigned.
Anybody taken bets on big Sam Allardyce??
Let's put Michael Owen out of his misery.
Peter Lawwell Laporta if you log on here along with Gordon, bring the man to paradise.
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edwardursus
from what i've seen from you on here i did think those would be your thoughts on the matter. it's good to here that there are some like you out there
sorry if it led to someone having a pop. it wasnt a trap.
thegodfather
i think you're being a bit harsh. i dont see what you did in his post at all - i thought it was an honest answer to an honest question
emjay
keith jackson.
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CelticLover
Here's wee bit oa trivia, dat mebbe ye'll no know.
Da Crook wiz called, SANS UNKLES... an'his Looks wur like SMEAGOL!
But, he must hiv bin good at somet'in,
Fur he wiz Mairit tae......
Anna Neagle!
How dae ah know dat?...
Ah wiz done tole by a Cat....
Who lived at Shawlands Cross...an' who knew a loat of interestin' t'ings ....like dat!
collie.
Tail's Awaggin',Awaggin'
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a good day for newcastle to bury bad news, what with the back pages being full of man uniteds championship for the next few days.
things could be so much worse - we could have an incompetent balloon like freddy shepherd in charge at celtic park.
i hope sam allardyce falls flat on his fat face.
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Edward/Watchow
What riles me about the comment is the moral justification (from Edward) that the reason the song is sung is because the Rangers support feel that Jock was aware of a cover up of paedophilia by Celtic employees.
It makes no difference to me that Edward 'admired' Jock Stein yet is backing the Rangers supporters right to sing it.
Dignity FC!
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The Godfather
Think you're being ultra sensitive about this.
The comments are clearly in the worst possible taste. They're being sung by the Rangers support so there's nothing changed there then is there?
The plain fact is that were the shoe on the other foot the Celtic support in the face of a lack of evidence to the contrary would believe whatever suited their purpose. To think otherwise is naive.
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TheGodfather :- I had no intention of giving any moral justification, if it read that way then it's my fault in the wording. I was giving an eplanation not justification.
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WGS
can you delete your 1959 post I thimk the link you gave is knackering the page width.
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Godfather
Ah see dat ye are no Beguiled,
fur we still canny see,
how awe o' Eddy's Beliefs, kin be reconciled,
An' as Kojo says.... an wit' a Knowing Smile.......
Be aware, dat Ed is like da Scorpion,whose Nature wull eventually Show!
Fur he kin nevah act any different..dat much we dae know!
collie.
Tail's Awaggin',Awaggin'
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Collie-
shut yer mooth or it's the muzzle for you.
And you WILL get neutered.
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gents we have to drop that one. He is not around so we will never know.
I never played fitba but my time as an altar boy harbour suspicions.
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Paul
Happy Birthday
And many many more.
And me I be around to witness every one.
Great site, great people, great times.
40 is good, cos your old enough to know better and young enough not to care.
Cheers
Ulysses McGhee
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Real Madrid 0 Sevilla 1
Half time.
Probably the best goal I have seen this season.
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Whitedog,
Comment deleted
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Collie,
WGS @ 20:08
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Collie @ 20.45 :- fur we still canny see, how awe o' Eddy's Beliefs, kin be reconciled, All you have to do is say which ones you find contadictory and I'll do my best to clear them up, I like to think I've always been consistent in my views and that this is reflected in my posts and I don't see any dichotomy or paradox in my views on different subjects.
Be aware, dat Ed is like da Scorpion,whose Nature wull eventually Show! That one is easy my nature has always shown, I'm a Rangers supporter who enjoys the banter and debate on this site, there has never been anything hidden. You can relac though I've no intention of asking you for a lift across the river :-)
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I got back home in time to see the end of the Arsenal: Chelsea match and, though I was glad to see Mourinho and his team lose the league, I did admire his performance at the end of 90 minutes. He went to his own players and fans and told them to keep their chins up and be proud of their efforts. He braved the boos of the Arsenal crowd. It was an impressive performance from a man I don't like generally.
I wonder if the Met Police on duty will have a word in his ear about inciting unrest? Or is that just reserved for Polish immigrants to our sad wee country.
Noel 90
Did Jim Hamilton not score one just like it last year?
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Noel
Ah should no be surprised at yer ire at ma awfy detraction.
But da Trut' always Hoits!...it's a normal Reaction!
So tak two aspirins and call me when it feels a wee bit bettah.
Or if ye've nae aspirins... mebbe a Guinness or Twa, wid mak ye feel bettah!
collie.
Tail's Awaggin',Tail's Awaggin;
i
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SFTBs-
Yup.
Jim Hamilton meant his tho'
The Sevilla lad was just lucky.........
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my therapist's are a few quid down thanks to cqn
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Ed
Ye are Sooth and we ur East... an' ne'er da two shall meet.
An' if ye don't believe me... den try tae show up at Parkheid wit' yer scarf....
an' tak yer place whur da Celtic supporters meet!
Thur is nae shame in whit ye are,an' it's ever da same wi' us!
Fur we are Rabid Scorpions ...jist like you!
So ah ask ye...
Why awe da Fuss?
collie.
Tail's Awaggin',Tail's Awaggin'
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Collie
that wasn't the way the first one read.
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I guess that Barca would be happy if it stays 1-1 in Madrid but Sevilla are down to 10 men. The worries of teams still vying for their title. :-)
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sftb
did you see what happened immediately following the final whistle? a camera was poked into his face at which point he looked a littel annoyed and told the camera man to get to france. it looked like the mask slipped.
wdh
the debate here isnt about whether he knew or not. its about the songs and banners that are extrememly offensive and defamatory about a man who isnt here to defend himself. and using allegations of colusion in child abuse to put one over on rival football fans.
they plumbed new depths yesterday.
2-1 real madrid, robinho sent off. right old ding dong - what a game
now sevilla player gets straight red. real madrid are the spanish huns
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whitedog
Of course ,it diz no Read da same,
fur dat'is how ye play da game!
If every t'ing ah wrote, wiz da SAME as afore,
Den dat wid accomplish wid induce ye tae Snore!
Noo, lichten up, ah wiz tellin' da Trut'!
But mebbe ye can't handle dat fact?...
Wan must ayeways be trut'ful, especially tae wanself....
an' am prood tae be able tae dae dat!,
collie.
Tail's Awaggin',Awaggin'
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Now 3-1 Madrid!
I visited that stadium 3 years ago and put a curse on them that led to a 7 game run of defeats. :-)
The stadium is a bit blue!
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...ted's a welcome contributor to this site.
...the enigma: if you are non-sectarian, anti-rascist and anti-fascist, why would you choose to follow an organisation that is inherently sectarian, rascist and fascist? I know many that changed their ways when they understood what that club was all about.
Why can't we have a friendly bear when we huv a dug, a parrot...?
Chris
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Tontime Tim & derbyshirebhoy...
5 September 1964,
Pouring rain, heavy pitch, Big Yogi and Jinky led the way and derbyshirebhoy your recollection of Yogi's goal is the same as mine.
It squirmed through Ritchie's hands and trundled over the line.
We did actually get a penalty that day however Charlie Gallagher missed it by smacking it off the foot of the post.
Celtic team :-
Fallon, Young and Gemmell, Brogan Cushley and Kennedy, Johnstone, Divers, Chalmers, Gallagher and Hughes.
Tontime Tim...40 years on and that day at Ibrox is still a cherished memory.
As you say the 1967 version of Sebo (Roger Hynd) scored their second, their first was scored by Jardine with, it has to be said, a fantastic strike.
Jinky scored the goal of the game though and one fit to win a Championship...which it did!
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sub
what is it with you and parrots?
i have never encountered a parrot that isnt bad tempered and, if able to talk, foul-mouthed.
i too have 3 cousins. and some others as well.
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neead a pee 2 secs
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Hi Paul67,
Hope you had a blogging good birthday.
Hail Hail
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I had problems with blooger (sp!)earlier but whane we talk about us being paranoid how many yellow cards were handed out yesterday for players going off the park celebrating goals... oh thats right we will get our captain and our goalkeeper pulled through the mire
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watchow,
...Luigi fits the bill then. ;-)
I'm a cynic when it comes to negotiating papagallos and the unnamed three cousins that supply the total sum of the coterie's football knowledge.
...Petrov a journeyman.
...Maloney staying.
...Ross Wallace, world class left back.
...Virgo...
Now, Strachan for the chop...
Chris
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WGS
Noo ah've goat da time, tae reply tae yer dime..
Da papers are fu' o' a loat o' Big Names,but ah hiv tae remark,
dat dey ur playin thur games,
Noo tak dis fr'instance....
If ye cast yer mind back... mebbe Two Years ago ,when a made dis wee crack...
"Ders Dick, Jock an' Snowy,a trio so clever.... a trio o' guid guys who'll awe live forever,
But, it widnae surprise me a teeny wee lick,
if da last name o' Dick, wid be da wan we wid pick!"
Noo, da Papers ur pushin' dat very Same Name,
but, Dat's Guy's Connel's gone oot,
an'ders nae sign o' a Flame!
Ah still stick tae my guns....
Fur Big Names no longer justify
da depletion o' oor Funds!
It's Unknowns, an' Yoofs dat we ur tryin' tae catch....
So look fur those Types, when we introduce oor noo Batch!
Targets, ah've mentioned ..an' ah hiv done so in da past,
Are still oan da Front Burner!
But oor net's no done spreadin' an'is still, bein' cast!
Der is no way in Hades dat ah kin name a name wit' no Doot!
Fur da names keep achangin' as Pierre, crosses them oot!
So tak dis advice from that Man known as Dom, does senda....
"Savea da Applausa ...an' wait fur da enda!"
collie.
Tail's Awaggin',Awaggin'
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20:17, Collie
Huddleston - fishmonger - 3 shops - died shortly after liquidation of Hi,Hi's.
Marjorie Robertson??????????????
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Greenlion-
Boydichenko rattled the 4th official[Kenny Clarke ?] on his way to celebrate with Sue Barkers fat ex-boyfriend.
4th Official then adopted the ostrich stance as EVERY hun player trooped off the pitch into the home sides technical area.
Glad it meant soooooo much to them.
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Noel if you watch the celebration on TV you will see that the fourth official had a big smile.... but then again ive got a chip on my shoulder. We were crap yesterday but all we ask for is a level playing field.
At least we were not far enough up the field to get a penalty turned down
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BTW since Paul Telfer has left we seem a differnet team as we dont have an out ball
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CelticLover@22.29
Ah see dat ma Input wiz no tae yer likin',
But dinna blame may if it wiz in need o' a spikin'!
Ah wiz only repeatin' whit wiz passed oan tae me,
Noo it looks like Miss Neagle had as much part in da story, as da Rose o' Tralee!
Weel it jist confirms ma lifelong suspicion o' Cats...
Fur they're wiley and tricky,
..let's face it...
They're Rats!
Huddleston da Fishmonger is da name dat ye say,
Could it no be mistaken fer Sans Unkles?
Naw! Der jist is... NO WAY!
Oh! weel!....
Ah'll accept yer correction...
An' awe o' da rest o' my info, frae dat Crazy Cat.....
Demands a closer.....
Inspection!
collie.
Tail's Awaggin',Awaggin'
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Zbyszek-
I'm sorry.
Artur is one of ours now.
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mineshaft is full
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Great.
Start pouring the concrete.
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couple of things
TIMLORD says kojo is not a man to find yourself in the trenches with
a turncoat with no regard for loyalty a bandwagon jumper with no hint of honesty
he will have to dig his own mine cos he aint coming down mine
lovely paul67 is as misguided as ever you were warned from the off strachan was a dud
poor p8ddy has beev slayed and the shapeshifting coterie still survive spouting silliness
time to put down the dog
clap on clap on clap on
from deep underground where knowing it was bad from the start has allowed a little perspective at the end
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Day off school tomorrow so you're allowed up late.
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Collie, many thanks for your celebratory bark. I know fine well that Pierre is on form. “Nothing is easy”, I wonder who said, that, anyway, “Nothing is easy, but so far so good”.
Celticlover, that is a fine story about that day in 1957. Speaking about the 28 April 1967; I was talking to a neighbour last night who told me his father died that very day. He and his brothers gathered after the funeral and decided to honour his Celtic supporting memory but making a pilgrimage to Lisbon.
The late father had predicted Celtic would win the European Cup 12 months earlier, after they won the league at Motherwell, his boys went along knowing the outcome in advance.
Watchow, I know what you mean about Freddie, but he has been a friend of Celtic in the past, and it is hoped he will continue to be in the future.
Ulysses McGee, so far, 40 has been much better than I expected. I think it is going to suit me.
Gordon, my above mentioned neighbour also spoke of Rodger Hynd last night with a broad smile, recalling his day in Germany (was it Nuremburg), early June 1967.
HHBhoy, sure did, thanks.
Chris, only one person knows when Gordon will depart Celtic, and I am not telling you yet!
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Timlord
Did you slip and fall in the dark mineshaft, suffering a nasty accident?
Or was the sex change to Tamzin a voluntary decision? :-)
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sftb
Google and Blogger maybe have taken their toll.
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Never had a 300th post before. Ho Hum.
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TIMLORD thinks it important we explore our feminine side in time of extreme darkness
however, the mineshft, i am told, has running water, electric light, natural gas, bonhomie, craic and a clear view of the future
happy birthday paul67
sweet dreams ground dwellers
but make sure you secure some shelter i hear the weather is about to change
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EDB
That's some toll!
I just had to supply Google and Blogger with my personal details.
Is there a discriminatory toll for mineshafters where they have to donate their favourite organ?
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SFTB
If there isn't there should be LOL
It's quiet tonight.
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I am tonight's winner of Dusty Bin, the prize awarded for reading too much into Collie's posts.
Sans Onkles = French for no uncles, or as near as darnit. No uncles = no aunts = Nantes. Couple of years back we were linked with Christian Wilhelmsson, who's with Nantes, and on a season-long loan with Roma.
Turns out the post wasn't even about transfers.
No car for me.
Tail's a-between legs
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Paul,
just dropping in to wish you the best of birthdays. You'll enjoy your 40's. I'm just about to graduate from mine. It was the most challenging, difficult and rewarding decade of my life. You'll enjoy it....:)
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23:23, Paul67
Wonder if your neighbour has a story to tell about the method of transport he used to get to Lisbon. So many of the lucky ones who went did so by hook or by crook.
The great thing about reaching 40 is that you are nearer than you were to being given that great gift called Wisdom. Ask your father if he agrees with this little adage
"Wisdom comes too late in life to be useful to you and is best passed on to your children, who aren't wise enough to realise that you finally know what you are talking about.
Enjoy the candles.
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Cheers Tamszin, hope the sunshine doming this summer reaches you.
Weeron, you can keep challenging and difficult, they are both overrated. I am looking for some of that rewarding stuff. Many thanks.
Celticlover, believe it or not I did get the transport story last night. Flying from and back to Abbotsinch; he was the first out of the airport on the first flight back. Travelling through the streets being waved at by one and all.
Wisdom is in plenty supply at this time of year.
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GL2 -
Luxor was the title of Robyn H's solo album of 2003
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Wishy Wizard lookin good........
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Paul - WG might tell you that it was my old school's patron saint who said...
'It is a characteristic of wisdom not to do desperate things.'
A timely thought for those of a subterranean disposition.
Listening to Sergio Mendez.
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...there's more than one kind of subterranean disposition.
Chris
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Paul, let me be the first to wish you a belated happy birthday.
WG, glad you finally got to see RH.
Everyone else, keep the faith.
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To you guys who mentioned Roger Hynd... it brought back painful memories. He "taught" PT (now PE) in St Mirin's Academy in Paisley in the early 60's. When he left, he was replaced by Joe Gilroy who played for Clyde, Fulham and managed a few teams...Morton? In fact I think Joe Gilroy managed Queen's Park when they beat Roger Hynd's Motherwell (Roger was manager) in the Scottish Cup. Maybe Winningemmel can confirm although he would be in nappies at that time!
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At 06/05/07 12:52, noel90 said…
My mole has just informed me that Scott Brown is definitely NOT going to Rangers.
Roon ye Tinytim-
my mole is bigger than your mole...........
Noel, i have no current info.
I will be very surprised if he comes to Celtic.Very, very surprised.
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mncelt - I'll be at the Twins game Tues night - in the hoops - so I'll gie ye a wave.
We have a box so might have to come outside to wave.
:-)
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Many happy returns Paul
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Mornin gChampions!!
Ah 2-0 so what about it.....?
Let's just wait and see how we respond to our recent beow par performances.....
The players need to stand up and look at the way they have played..... I know they will recover for the BETTER!!
Paul67, Happy belated Birthday!!
As to your brother coming to Singapore, let me know his agenda and how long he will be here and I will gladly take him for a famous cold tiger beer.... :-) My email john_the_wayne@hotmail.com
Hail Hail
SPCwhowillgladlyentertainP67bro
inSingapore
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Morning ghuys and ghals -
new post on Celticdelia
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Cabin doors to manual?
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Paul67 -
The 3-0 win over the darnel to which you refer in your piece took place exactly 12 years ago today. The attendance was 31,025 including me. We would finish the season 18 points and three places behind them and two places behind Murderhell. We would also win the Scottish Cup.
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This wonderful thing happened 41 years ago today :-
Scottish League Division 1
Murdersmell 0 Bobby Lennox 1 (89)
Our Bhoys -
Simpson, Craig, Gemmell;
Murdoch, McNeill, Clark;
Johnston, Gallagher, Chalmers, Lennox, Auld.
Att - 20,000
In the last minute of the last game on the last day of the season The Buzzbomb confirmed Celtic's first Championship in twelve years.
We don't know we're living.
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Wwww.bloGger-where on the interweb would you find Celticdelia?
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dontbratt -
via my blogger profile I think
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WinsomeGhuy-is that you in the picture?
Not quite the mental picture I had of you..or is it NAFOS?
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Peepz,
Let Big P know I replied about his brother coming to Singapore....
Got plans this week so want to make sure i can squeeze in a beer or 10....
Hail Hail
SPC
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Tinytim-
I never said that he was going to Celtic.
Just that he is NOT going to Rangers.
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SingaporeCelt-
you got mail.
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Just logged on as my computer was knacked over the weekend, haven`t had time to read other posts but I was at the game on Sat and can honestly say it was the WORST Celtic performance since a certain Ian (julie) Andrews was in goal for us. We are playing utter crap. We need massive change in the summer. Gordons 3rd year is the one he should be judged on. I know we have won 2 in a row, and I am happy for that fact, however like most fans i want to see football played the Celtic way. Pressley was a stop gap for injuries, injuries are over, either punt him or keep him for cover only. Hartley, where has your drive and determination gone? Did you just show that when playing AGAINST us? We have 4 or 5 good players in the first team, you know who they are. Now Lenny is off, who are we going to replace him with? Although I`m not in the `we`re a` doomed` camp I do worry for the future. We really should be so far ahead now we should be out of sight. To let that Lillian Gish control us on Saturday was soul destroying.
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Received Noel,
Champion holiday to you too!!
BigP let me know when you can... i promie to behave.... :>)
Hail Hail
SPC
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Damnit. Had a dream that Keano took over and personally threw half the team out the parkhead door and won the cup with the youths.
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dontbrat -
the late great Arthur, as if you didny know. Hopefully get a drink wi NAFOS tonight in Teser.
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Having been following Celtic since Jock Stein handed over the baton to Billy McNeil, I have to say that this is the least enjoyable title winning season I’ve experienced. Since the start of the year, and that’s a lot of football, I’ve enjoyed less than a handful of games.
Saturdays performance was absolute dross.
Having listened to Walter Smith pre match praising of the job GS is doing at Celtic, I have concluded that wiley old Walter is using a tactic designed to keep GS in charge of Celtic for as long as possible, a bit like us singing Seebo Seebo if you like.
If we win the Scottish Cup playing the way Celtic should be playing, then I’ll be more than happy to ditch any doubts I have about GS and get right behind him for next season, however if its typical of the dross we’ve been getting since the turn of the year, then I for one will remain unconvinced that we have the right man in charge of our team.
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BhMo-Don't think we'll see RK back at CP anytime soon.Not with the seriously silly money now available in the EPL.
It must be a unique achievement in the Club's history to be on the verge of winning the Double,on the back of repeat championships,and the support can't see the back of the season quickly enough.Strange days..
WG-Lee,or Lowe?
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dontbratt -
Strange Days.......that would be Mr Mojo Risin
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This happened 30 years ago today:
Scottish Cup Final
Celtic 1 dar 0 (Lynch 20p)
Our Bhoys :-
Latchford, McGrain, Lynch;
Stanton, MacDonald, Aitken;
Dalglish, Edvaldsson, Craig, Wilson, Conn.
Subs: Burns and Doyle
Att - 54,252
From The Celtic Football Companion :
" Controversy raged over Celtic's Scottish-Cup-winning goal. With 20 minutes gone Conn swung over a corner from the left. MacDonald headed back across goal and the ball was only partially cleared by Kennedy. Edvaldsson charged in and his shot beat the goalkeeper but was handled on the line by (Derek) Johnstone. Referee Valentine had no hesitation in pointing to the spot despite Rangers' furious protests. Andy Lynch, who volunteered to take the kick, had taken only two penalties in his careers - both of them with Hearts - and had missed them. It was 3rd time lucky, however, as he cracked the ball past Kennedy with his left foot. Stein's surprise in bringing back Paul Wilson was a winner and Alfie Conn made history by gaining a winners' medal with both Rangers and Celtic."
Protests and Proud indeed.
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Dick Byrne, many thanks.
Cheers Kano.
SingaporeCelt, I will pass your details onto Kevin, thanks.
Winningemmell, thanks for that blast of a reminder about when it really was bad; only 12 years ago. Hmmm.
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I honestly wonder if Dermot Desmond and his fellow board members also harbour secret thoughts about the football we are NOT playing. You suggested Paul that all the way to the top at celtic they cannot wait for the season to end. Normally you'd reserve those feelings to a season like our bluenosed neighbours have just had!
Sure we heard Mr Quinn praising the manager after clinching SPL, but is there any divisions within the dressing room that can be causing the dreary perfomances week in week out? T G is just a complete nighmare and he is a far better player surely than we've seen. Does he have issues within the team?
As I logged last night, I honestly feel guilty even mentioning or hinting a new manager should be an option as Gordon has WON back to back titles, but it's such a bizarre position to be in.
We've played dire football for the majority of the season and as some bloggers have already said before, it was only when we went a goal down or looked like dropping points that the team sparked into life? I cannot believe motivation is the problem cause GS is hardly prone to hiding emotion! he gets seriously miffed when things go against us...so can see him telling it like it is behind closed doors.
Have we honestly become complacent and now feel that winning is a given right and that winning in style is the next level for our team?
Is there any possibility that behind the scene certain players undermine his own management?
i don't think I've ever been in the position of being proud to SPL champions yet so fed up with a team so devoid of attacking flair \ ideas.
Paul you mentioned before (a good few weeks ago) that you reckoned Majiec would be on his way and that all was not well behind the scenes with him. Is that still the case?
So many questions that get banded about when i talk about Celtic these days and it seems noone really has any answers......maybe we are just a couple of key players off sparking to life?
We are still CHAMPIONS and will I hope lift the Sc Cup in a few weeks so cmon Celtic and show all of us that when we really want to we can lift our game and blow teams away!!
Hail Hail !!
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We must NOT go to Hampden on the back of a non-winning sequence. Aberdeen will be well up for it on Saturday and Hibernian will want to end their season on a high. Our Bhoys seem to be on holiday but they should be reminded they still have three exams to sit before the bell rings.
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grandchild finally arrived, a beautiful bouncing baby girl, no idea what position she will play, but she will play a big part in our lives, mother, baby and father all exhausted, their season is finally over.
oh nappy days
hail hail
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Congrats to wee Shug,and his family,on their excellent news.
If you're nappy and you know it..
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Congrats wee shug and family
Nappy days are here again
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Belated birthday wishes Paul67 been off line all weekend a bit like our team!
wee shug many many congratulations health and happiness to your grandaughter
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From one aul' shugh tae another.
Congratulations wee shug. I'm adjusting to the thought of being a granda later this year as well.
Whit happened? It was only a few years ago yesterday that I stood and got wet to the underpants (from the outside in!!!) watching Jinky joust with the giant Roger and his blue meanies.
Sureit'sagrandashugoldteamtoplayfor
CSC
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I don't know if the team is in a bucketandspade frame of mind but there is something not right,which the Support is picking up on.
I think Aberdeen will come down on Saturday with every intent on spoiling the Skipper's swansong.
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Happy Birthday paul
That was awful on saturday - no excuses.
This is just what we have seen too often over the past 2 years a lack of drive.
To put things in perspective we have got beaten again by a team strengthened by signing David Weir & Ugo Ehiogu.
Wier being how old and Ugo not being good enough for the Leeds team which was relegated from the Championship. Something not quite right there.
Oh well lets see what happens over the next few months then.
Hailhail
baldy
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Gary Caldwell Showing Just Why He Should Seek New Employment In A Job That Doesn't Include The Use Of Spherical Objects.
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WeeShug :- Congratulations, I take it you will be joining the ranks of the nappy clappers now.
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Noel-they should have asked JJPD to have a go..
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itz @ 10.41 - you're comment made me think...
'Having been following Celtic since Jock Stein handed over the baton to Billy McNeil, I have to say that this is the least enjoyable title winning season I’ve experienced'.
I might agree but here's the rub...
Well of that 30 years we've actually only won it 11 times and so there are around 20 worse years for us to remember. Let's hold on to that.
McGrain
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And of course should we win the double (and I won't take that for granted), I guess it'll be our least enjoyed double in that period. So there's another 25 or so worse years to reflect on.
Perspective amhigos, perspective.
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Caldwell is a player.
got 20-1 on charlton ladies.
fancy a pint 90
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knickers
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Whitedoghunch-
Caldwell is a donkey.
I'm off the booze and in Mrs90s bad books.
So the answer is yes-
I do fancy a pint but there is no chance of me being let off the leash again
until Friday.........
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A wee drop of perspective- the Celtic team that may win the Double this year is no better than the Nameless XI who won the treble under Alec Mcleish.
The Celtic team that won nothing that year would marmalise the current team,both on and off the park.
All that glitters isn't silverware.
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Given the options of winning nowt or this year's bunch, I'll take the tarnished silverware every time.
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But we're supposed to be building a Generation of Domination,not Instant Gratification`¬)
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Surely this year the problem is we have dominated without being pleasing or gratifying.
Tiresome pedantry on my part - back to work!
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PjDali, very astute observation. Without wanting to get drawn into specifics, there are several players in the squad/first team who have been busy with their agents in recent weeks. We all know those who will possibly be on their way in the summer, and they number a significant percentage of the team.
Wee shug, great news, I was wondering how things were last night. My congratulations to you, mother, father and the whole family.
Minx1888, thank you. Martin42 has also been off-line this weekend, he has managed to fry his hard disk. Panic is setting in over arrangements for Friday (he got your email minutes before the trouble started). Does anyone know a good computer company?
Baldymeister, cheers. No arguments from me.
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DBBIA,
Cant we have both :o)
Hail Hail
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Paul-
Tell Martin to give Local Planet a call-
they should be able to help him............
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Good idea Noel, I'll email him :-)
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Paul and others,
the dust is still settling from Sunday, but it really only confirmed what a lot of us had suspected - this team is just not good enough.
Lack of motivation, lack of urgency, call it what you want, but the most important fact is that you cannot win games if you do not play your best side.
Kenny Miller, Steven Pressley, Paul Hartley and Gary Caldwell are just not good enough to pull on the Celtic shirt and it hurts me to see such inferior players getting a run out.
I am loathe to criticise the manager when he has won two trophies and feel he still deserves our support, but am I alone in thinking that it's not fun watching Celtic anymore?
Whether it's on telly or at CP, it's an endurance test watching this shambles of a side, and has been since October.
We don't look capable of scoring from open play, there is no heart, little technique and no excitement.
I don't know why, but it's just not fun watching my side play these days, and I don't remember things being like that since the Lou Macari era!
Changes need to be made.
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Sorry - meant to say dust still settling since Saturday!
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Afternoon. Not been the greatest weekend but we've all been here before. How many times have we felt like this and had hee-haw to show for it ? How can i complain when the bacon has been brought home, duly prepared and sat in front of my face. How it got there i dont give a toss! Yes its nice if its garnished with golden veg and creamy spuds but hey-ho, if the pudding dont have a cherry on top so be it.
So here's to more puddings, and if all you got wis the After Eights then you've missed yer dinner...
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fly the flag artur
hail hail
www.tictalk.org
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Oh, and Paul welcome to the club. Hope you have a good night next week.
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Paul many belated happy returns.
Liked your comment re Arthur and knowing what its like to be a fan.
Saturday was Neil Lennons last game against Rangers...
We had players who where intimidated by the occassion (Naka,Caldwell)
Aiden has courage but had his worst game.
Gravesen an arm round the shoulder imposter.
Hartely i hope is suffering because of doing part of Neil Lennons shift so i'll reserve judjement on him.
The meek acceptance of defeat,the early trepidation shown by the back four in possession especially Caldwell,he looked like a condemned man.
The slow deliberate frightened to make a mistake type football in the middle of the park.
We weren't at the races on Saturday but some Celtic players felt good enough about themselves to attend Hamilton racing yesterday.
It takes courage to go to places like Ibrox and put on a display that says Hey we are the Champions and this is why,six years last Sundat we gubbed Rangers 3-0 with exactlty that type of display,Lubo in a shell,no chance.
I would have been ashamed to show my face after such a cowardly display as Saturdays far less attend the racing.
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Poor result at the weekend and by all accounts poor performance - didn't see it myself and by the sound of it I lucked out by not wasting 90 mins.
I have however had the pleasure of speaking to the blue-nosed outlaws about it and was able to remain smug throughout the conversation. While they crowed, I glowed in the knowledge that the game had no bearing on anything worth mentioning.
Here's hoping those well-advanced plans we keep hearing about are being executed as we speak.
WeeShug - many congratulations on your newfound status as a 'grampa'. As a fairly new 'da' myself I can understand your joy. Long hours but the rewards are most definitely worth it. Bit like being a Hoops fan in fact!
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Like most on here, I'm having great difficulty understanding the paradox of a Championship winning and Cup Finalist team and the utter poverty of the displays on offer this season.
If, as Paul says, many of the first team squad are briefing their agents for an escape route, does that suggest that there is unrest? With the exception of NL and BB, all the players are only in, at most , their second season.
I have been a supporter of GS since he arrived, except for a slight wavering at the CIS semi last year, but a manager has to have an influence on bad performances as well as the good ones.
If we were watching any other team disintegrating as rapidly as we are, we would nod our heads wisely and murmur that the manager has "lost the dressing room". I'm not saying that this is the case here, but one of Gordon's mission statements is beginning to worry me.
He stated that his aim was to make good players better. How ? By his coaching . Could it be that these players are being overcoached, to the point of not knowing whether they are coming or going. Players thrive on confidence and nothing undermines anyone 's confidence as much as being constantly corrected or told you are doing something wrong.
Perhaps the day of the tracksuit manager has passed and their function now is motivation and tactics, not telling experienced, highly paid professionals how to suck an egg. If a player needs to be taught how to play football, he shouldn't be at Celtic Park.
You can tell by this ramble that I have no more idea of the reasons for our malaise than the next person, but I don't accept it started after the Milan exit. The signs have been there all season.
I hope the manager can sort it out for next season and that means players playing to their strengths and not contorted into a shape that the manager thinks should be played.. If you are going to play "wrong-sided wingers" then you must have wing backs who can get to the goal line. We don't have that.
During Jock's NIAR, most seasons would end with them hitting a rich vein of form, causing them to regret running out of games, only for normal service to resume in August. My father used to say,"the season's too short for them".
Let's hope we have seen the last of this transition and push on with the "fitter, faster, etc.", as was promised.
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We often talk about Artur Boruc as being our best goalkeeper in a generation (at least). We are biased.
There are, however, plenty of signs that the outside world shares this view and doesn't like what it sees (Celtic with a top goalie).
We need look no further for an explanation of why our football and civic authorities and appalling media (take a look at the BBC website today - the old claim that Artur "made gestures" at the Rangers support is back) are persecuting the man.
They are trying to hound him out.
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Sellik First -
oh yes they verily are.
whereabouts on the planet are you today amigo ?
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WG, hame.
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WG, have you seen the name of your erstwhile decano and nemesis mentioned in despatches again in the wake of Donald Findlay's efforts last week?
Do you think, "There but for the grace of God …" or, as Noel might put it, "Round ye,"? For me it's the former. The guy was always all right with me.
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Stracahn is being interviewed on Radio Clyde tonight at 6pm.
Maybe we'll get some answers to the many questions we have at the moment,
that's if you can bare listening to the other dross on the program.
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Tom The Tim 16.14
What an excellent post.
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Sellik First -
you know I'm not one for the chip wrappers (well not the empty ones anyway) so no I haven't seen them. However I can imagine where they're getting off. Lambchops used the trial as a stick to beat the whole Church with which will doubtless increase his after-dinner-speaking invites. I still prefer him to the decano though which says it all really.
VIP
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tiny tim -
Aye, aw you Tims stick the gither. I appreciated his post too.
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tinytim,
Thank you. So many questions, so few answers. But don't despair, Gordon will reveal all to the enquiring minds or Radio Clyde's hotshot journos tonight.
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WG, I don't know, man. Alex Ferguson, the decano … you guys hold onto your grudges in ML2.
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should be "of R.C's hotshot journos".
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Celtic_First,
I share your concern at the apparent persecution of our goalkeeper. The police were quoted in the Sunday Herald as saying that no crime had been committed but that they would discuss the matter with the SFA. Well, if there was no crime why are the police involved at all?
The flag that Artur waved had a simple statement of fact: Celtic are champions.
If the police are now looking at flags I'm sure there were one or two elsewhere in Ibrox that they could better spend their time looking at.
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And Higgy's lost the first four frames at The Crucible.....
Giles Corey
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Why does Higgy have JJB as a sponsor? Has the man no Principles?
I think we should be told.
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If the Catholics among the Celtic support (are there enough of us left ?) had a banner to counter the Protestant and Proud banner what would it say
CATHOLIC AND PARANOID ?
CATHOLIC AND ALCOHOLIC ?
CATHOLIC AND CHAOTIC ?
CATHOLIC AND CHAMPION ?
CATHOLIC AND ML2 RESIDING ?
I could go off on (another) one here.....
..........and before the usual mob start, naw Ah don't think it would be a good idea....
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Sellik First -
maybe he's a closet darnelist, he's deffo playing like one a ce moment
I wonder if McGrain's supporting the Jester of Leicester.....hmm
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WG
Sure,aren't we all Tim's.
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Last year in Atlanta (at Mass, right enough) I saw a woman wearing a T-shirt that said 'Proud Catholic'. I didn't ask her where she had bought it, but I kind of wish I had.
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tinytim -
of course we are, even Edward
Sellik First -
she probably bought it in Zagreb's Oxfam, an unwanted Christmas gift for Mr Prso
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Tom The Tim
Mr Strachan has been telling us all season ,he knows whats is wrong.
I want him replaced by a better manager.
Mourinho,Allardyce,or Moyes would do.
Oh! My God .Tinytim doesn't feel it is necessary to have a Celtic background,to manage the club.Surely that is why he is unhappy with Mr Strachan.
Nope,it's because i believe that there are managers available to us who could do a better job.
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Paul67 or anybody else go along with that outlook? Or have i been pretty harsh?
Outs:
Pressley
Balde
Lennon
Gravesen
Miller
Zurwaski
Beattie
Jarosik( would keep though as him and Petrov showed together at the start of the season a very solid partnership the centre. If spurs interest true include in a swap & cash deal for Malbranque or Taino. Likewise, Man City for Barton)
Keeping:
Boruc
Wilson
Doumbe( Impressed me so far)
McManus
Kennedy
O Dea
Hartley( Hopefully a boot up the jacksy in pre season)
JVOH
Riordan
McGeady
Sno(Although does peeve me off with his laid back play)
Nakamura
Caldwell(Only cause WGS likes him)
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Martin42
Please email me about Friday.
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If Allarlice comes to G40 I'll scweam and scweam and scweam
WailinGemmell
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Paul67
A belated happy birthday.
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WGS-
Taxi for Caldwell.
I'll pay for it myself.
Tinytim-
Martin is having pc problems just now.
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I have the English version of the Guardian. The article re the match on Saturday is written by a guy called Ewan Murray. I have taken to read what he writes on the simple basis that he will consistently and inevitably demonstrate all the ingrained prejudices that the Scottish media have made their own.
Sure enough the article consists of 587 words 297 of which or 50.2% consists of a less than thinly veiled attack at Artur Boruc. Mind you he also managed to involve Neil Lennon for good measure with a classic paragraph.
"Controversy did, however, surround the Celtic pair of Neil Lennon and Artur Boruc. This was Lennon's final Glasgow derby after six years in Scotland, with the captain the subject of goading by a delighted home support from the first whistle; the 35-year-old typically played to the gallery, lifting an imaginary trophy above his head as he walked up the tunnel at half-time and waving goodbye to Ibrox while grinning widely at the end."
I completely agree that they're out to get Artur. Judging by the flag episode however that may be the very thing that will have him stay long enough to rub their noses in it.
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My dear friend, Tiny....@17.07
No need for your good self to be so self-deprecatory, regarding your stated opinion.
Mr. Strachan, is not showing that he is getting any better.
And that my friend, is a serious descrepency in the contents of his managerial kit-bag!
His job is hanging by the proverbial( that being?... thread?..ed)(( Thread? more like... midge's jimmy!)
The looming Cup Final... is the Camel's Nemesis!
We have no time for Back Sliders...
Our advice to the good Gordon..
"Buck up... or..... SHIP OUT!"
Kojo.
Yer pal..... who thinks yer swell
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I remember sitting at Celtic Park watching us play - BBJ still there and we already had the news that KM and DO'R were coming. I remember saying to a mate that I could see what GS was going for - speed, pace etc. What I cautioned was that the midfield/defence better be well pepared because I could not see the ball sticking like it did a la Sutton and BBJ. And that invites a lot of pressure on our guys.
As it has turned out not only has the ball ceased to stick up front, but the signings that were meant to cause havoc have not worked out in any way shape or form for whatever reasons. KM, DO'R, JJ, TG, MZ (Will always be an enigma to me).
One thing I did think about after Saturday was that young McDonald would have been in about that old defence. So I see that as a positive whereas this time last year I was a hung jury on the prospect of KM.
NL has been done a great service by his manager i think especially the way results have gone.
One thing's for sure this next season will be WGS's team and his team only.
As someone on here said during the match reports - the Govanites have no real class up front hence the low scoreline - I don't expect their line up to change too much over the coming months.
And I'm sort of glad that I expect ours to change immensely.
As WG said earlier though present form aside we cannot/should not be considering going anywhere near Hampden without some victories under our belt. And I see the first one coming against the dons.
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Collie
So why the change of heart? Dear old Kojo was one to loudly proclaim his merits aginst prevailing opinion and now you and he are going for the jugular. Why so?
Are you suggesting that if he wins the Cup he should stay? What will he need to do to regain your favour?
Who else do you think is culpable?
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All.... Yes it's me......alright!...
Canny get in,using ma usual Nomme de Blog.....
The fair Mabel is woiking on that leetle problem!
Kojo.... Yer pal
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Just so as nobody thinks I harbour any ill will towards our Southside neighbours-
I would just like to congratulate them on finishing second ...............
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ArdRri, don’t know what I was so worried about, thanks.
WGS, no arguments, but we will not get shot of all of them.
Tinytim, many thanks, Martin42 is without PC at the moment. 7:30 for 8:00 at the Avonbridge is the outline detail. He will be back on tomorrow.
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My dear friend, DerbyshireBhoy...
I am not in any way suggesting that a Cup Victory, will suffice to improve my rapidly deteriorating appreciation of the now doubtful services ,of Mr. Strachan.
A Cup Defeat on the other hand, will put the Hot Wax on his Walking Papers!
Kojo.
Yer Pal... who thinks that Gordo is walking da tight-rope, withoot a Brolly!
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Think you're getting your names mixed up a bit, Kojo :-)
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John H-
I think Collie has distemper......
Got the number of any good cybervets........
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My dear friend, Derbyshirebhoy....
There is trouble in River City... I say trouble... with a Capital "T".... and it begins with.......
"D.R."
If something is not done soon.....
well!!!!!!!!
Kojo.
Yer pal.....who is no kidding!
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Ah now I see it's yersel' Kojo. Careful though - ye'll be geein' a dug a bad name:>)
DR - a bad influence or simply someone to put a wedge between WGS and the support?
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Paul67,
Who do you reckon we will not be able to shift?
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my concern is gordon strachan continually sayd he knows whats wrong and he will fix it, yet is unable to do so
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Paul67
During the MON years we enjoyed our most successfull period of football in 20 years.
We had the benefit of a manager in his prime.A man in the right place at the right time.
He had the financial support of Dermot Desmond, to bring in players that were on paper,out of Celtic's normal economic reach.
We all enjoyed some magnificent performances and results,
culminating in Seville.
The financial reality was however, that unless DD was going to bankrole us ,and wipe out the debt.
Celtic were living beyond there means.
We are now watching the result of having to cut our cloth accordingly.
I firmly believe that if the cloth was not being cut then MON would still be here.
I love the man,but in essence i feel that he was in conflict with the financial reality of the situation of the club at that time.
His wifes illness obviously had an effect,but i believe that he jumped ship before his reputation was tarnished.I think that ,behind the scenes ,he was at odd's with BQ.
Also with him it was my way, or the highway.
So he went.
The board needed,indeed Celtic needed, a new manager who was willing to accept the financial limitation's that are forced on the club due to our SPL status.
Gordon Strachan was that man.
He may have been the best manager available to us at that point in time.
I sincerely hope that ,that is still not the case.
Whilst unhappy with him as manager.If and when he leaves, he must be replaced by a better manager.
One who will accept the financial reality of Celtic whilst they remain in the SPL.
Mr Strachan to his credit has done this.He has,and continues to work very hard for Celtic.
Like many i have a paradoxical view on his tenure.
We have won trophies ,yet there is little enjoyment in watching,this trugid football.
His big name singing's have for the most part ,flopped.
I will add that i was happy when he singed all of them.
His job is to get it right and this season he has wasted million's.
He will yet again have more money available to him than Walter Smith.
Walter Smith is saying all the right thing's.Remember "Rangers are the benchmark."
MON at his pshycological best.
Smith is a wiley old fox.
I suspect that you too are preparing us for a decline in standards.
On the pitch we are now watching the footballing reality of having to cut our cloth.
We are now watching inferior players to what we had as we entered the MON era.
I know that it is your stance to support the board and put a positive spin on all thing's Celtic.
It is good that someone does it, because there are far too many who are agin us.
I suspect that you yourself, are concerned that we are about to see a further drop in standards on the football pitch.
Some of your recent articles have been aimed at setting the scene,lowering expectation's ,yet trying to take any negative note and turn it into a positive.
The recent thread on the Leed's financial plight was factually correct ,but it could also have been seen as scare mongering.
It was akin to the tactic used by the Labour party with regards to devoultion.
Look what will happen if you do this.Settle for what you know ,don't go for change.Better the Devil you know.
There has to be a balance when spending, Leeds didn't balance the books.I am not advocating the type of spending that Leeds embarked upon.However we should have a bit more in the tank,so a bit more should be spent,and that should not just be what we bring in from transfers out.
Which will be considerable.
Boruc,Naka,anybody will be sold for the right offer.Let's not be kidded.
You have done a great job in Championing the asset management strategy of the board.
For the record ,i am in favour of asset management.However better players must be purchased than the ones who are sold.If the sporting achievements, are to match the financial.
Right now, if good offers came in for Naka and McGeady i would take them.
Your recent thread on how it would be beneficial for Celtic's euro standing to gain more point's through winning matches in the UEFA cup. Was another example of setting the scene, to take a positive out of a negative.
Paul, c'mon.
Celtic should be in the CL every year.We only have to finish second to have a chance.
This is why i believe, that you yourself believe, that we are currently going to struggle to maintain last years outstanding CL achievement.
I know that you are an intelligent man.
You can see for yourself the drop in the standard of player that we are attracting.
Mr Quinn and Mr Lawell are doing a good job.
Despite my unhappiness with Mr Strachan ,he will keep his job.
He will keep his job(for the time being) because Mr Lawell know's that he has him to thank for keeping the heat of him.
Whilst the team win's on the park ,the masses don't really focus on the finance.
That knife will turn if Mr Strachan ,yet again, wastes this season's transfer budget.
When the board start to feel the heat, that is when Mr Strachan will go.
He will then need to be replaced by a better manager.Right now the board should be clear on the candidates.
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What's this rumour of John Reid joining the board ?
Does that mean asylum seekers won't be allowed into games anymore ?
Is Strachan 'fit for purpose' ?
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My dear friend, Derbyshirebhoy...
Owing to the skill and forbearance o' da Digital Goddess.... all is now right with the woild.
D.R.?
It is no Derek....it is a place, no a Human Bean!
Notwithstandingly,nevertheless, it is Trouble.... with a Capital "T" and it begins with D.R.!
The Aberdeen game, could be another cobblestone on the road to Perdition, for Gordon.
Let's hope he confounds his critics and come through with a turn around!
Kojo.
Yer Pal...who is vera worried.
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tiny tim
That was an excellent post. My alter ego agrees with every word you say.
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Derbyshire
Mr Murray of the Guardian is an acknowledged Hearts supporter which may have some bearing on the slant of his article.
He attributes Artur`s action to stupidity rather than malice(big of him is it not?).
He links it to the occasion in which Artur "made gestures" to (Ranger)supporters for which he was warned by the SFA.
He also couples Artur behaviour to that of Neil Lennon mimicking the lifting of the league trophy.
Is it coincidental that as a player, hounded for being a representative of a country that has a large emmigrant population in Glasgow and is largely perceived as being Catholic exits stage left a new hate figure from a "Catholic" country with a large emmigrant population is ushered in stage right?
Mr Murray Says that "Ranger fans are due credit for not reacting in the ugly sort of manner which might have been the way five years ago in such circumstances".
I recall an occasion where Rangers clinched the title at Celtic Park in an explosive match where Hugh Dallas awarded a ridiculous penalty(probably for being ,disgracefully,struck by a coin) and sent off Stephane Mahe for shouting at him.
At the finish the Ranger`s team celebrated their league victory by carrying out a mockery of the Celtic huddle.
I do not recall the Rangers team being chided for what ,in the circumstances ,was reckless provocation,or the Celtic fans being praised for their forbearance.
It would seem the cry " croppies lie down"is still the watchword in some quarters
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tinytim@18.13
I think that your post of the above time is the most succinct and plausible summation of our situation.
Hopefully with the ship steadied and finances healthy, a bit of expansion in the transfer market can be anticipated.
If so, I think that GS will more than earned the right to continue with his quest.
Anyone got a clue as to who/what Kojo's DR reference is?
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Just heard the Gordon Strachan interview on radio. Be assured that he has the same concerns as people on here. Hopefully he can improve things, the supporters are waiting.
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druiddude
Thanks for that/ I seem to remember I first took note of him via his report on the Mc Manus two in the last minutes game. I have now given up protesting to the Guardian as all comment appears to be ignored.
Kojo
I've just finished the Guardian easy crossword so I'm feeling slower than normal. Is the 2nd R Road?
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I'd tried posting already. It seems to have got lost in cyberspace.
Between yesterday and today I have spoken to two Tims, who must muster the best part of a century supporting the 'Tic between them. Both of them ,without any prompting from me, actually voiced my own unspoken dread: if we keep playing like this, we will lose the Final.
Whatever happens there, we all have to get right behind our goalkeeper. When the likes of the BBC and the Guardian start trooping out the same old lies about his "making gestures", we know he worries them. As Billy Connolly might have said (with apologies, Paul), making gestures my arsium.
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Rangers fans sing 'Big Jock knew' for 15 minutes, then get upset at a man waving a flag.
Did Artur wade six rows into the crowd to get the flag?
Did Artur plant it in the centre-circle?
Did Artur wave it in the face of Barry Ferguson?
Did Artur do a lap of honour with the flag?
As Paul said, he demonstrated simply what it means to be a fan. He waved a flag that said 'Champions'. Not 'roonyees' or any such. Just one word. Worse things happen at sea.
Parkheadcumsalford
Yes, and what if Dunfermline lose their next three games - would they be in bad shape for the final? And we've beaten them 1-0, 2-1 and 2-1 this season - likewise, this means nothing. No matter what form we are in, a cup final takes care of itself. I really don't see how anyone could bet against us.
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My dear friend, Derbyshirebhoy...
No.
Keep ruminating!
Kojo.
yer pal....who is now going out, to partake, ma Half- Past Elevensies.
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Anyone know how to find a previous article if it's not on the list to the right?
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Druiddude
This is my theory, untested, unscientific, but I grow more convinced of it with each passing year.
Dislike, not to say hatred of Catholics and the Irish has been a hard-wired part of mainstream Scottish life for centuries. Now it would be illegal to display either attitude.
What's left? Dislike, not to say hatred of Celtic.
Contempt for Celtic used to be part of the anti-Irish, anti-Catholic sentiment. Now it is the anti-Irish, anti-Catholic sentiment.
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Celtic_First
Yes, absolutely.
But that's not to say there does not exist the anti-Irish and especially anti-Catholic sentiment. I hear about it every day.
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WGS, Miller and Gravesen should be easy to move, though there will be some negotiations with Thomas. No guarantees with anyone else.
Tinytim, I am certainly not preparing you for a decline in standards, nor am I expecting one. We have progressed in Europe this season and won the league. While the Seville season was one type of high water mark, Basel, Inverness and Rangers found clear deficiencies.
Next season will be difficult in the CL as I expect we will be 3rd seed and we have never eliminated a first or second seed. A run in the Uefa Cup after the CL group stage might be our lot next season, but as long as we win the league and progress to at least the Uefa Cup quarter final, I would be happy.
The product on the park will get better; it cannot really go any other way, so you are getting no conditioning from me.
I will continue to write articles that I think of interest, including the recent Leeds theme, however, it does not help if I am being accused of having ulterior motives for doing so. Celtic Quick News readers are not as easily led as you suggest I believe them to be.
Only a couple of years ago the majority of Celtic fans wanted more money spend irrespective of the losses we were running. I believe the importance of financial discipline is better appreciated now, perhaps as a result of the many debates we have had here, but I still meet people who equate transfer spending with ambition. I believe the debate is much more subtle than that.
I like to think I have my finger on a few pulses, but I hope you allow me some lateral not to post everything that passes my eyes. Gordon Strachan has deserved the right to throw the dice again this summer. Next season will be like every season for a Celtic manager, a very important season.
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tinytim (18:13) -
Good post. Don't agree with all of it, but you make a lot of very accurate points.
Howevvvvah, there's one crucial bit that doesn't make sense for me.
You say "You can see for yourself the drop in the standard of player that we are attracting", and then go on to say that we need a better manager, and the board should already be looking at candidates.
If we can't attract the standard of players you'd like to see, what makes you think we could attract a better manager than one who has just led us to back-to-back league titles, the cup final, and the last 16 of the Champions League?
And if we were to get rid of the manager who has just presided over this historic success, how do we think that would play with prospective candidates for the job? The term "poisoned chalice" springs to mind...
Personally, I reckon we would be vying with Hearts for the title of Least Envied Managerial Job in Christendom...
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Paul67.
Just like to wish you a very belated HAPPY BIRTHDAY.I'm just coming too after Saturdays shock.
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Bloke 109
You're right, but to give vent to those sentiments is illegal. To spew bile about Celtic is not.
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Dunfy already 2-0 ahead.
Our Jim O'Brien with the first.
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Paul,
For all that I agreed with tinytim's view of where the team is, I should have qualified that by saying that I do not subscribe to you having, in any shape or form, ulterior motives in your articles.
Sorry if any other impression was assumed.
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Celtic_First
I accept that 100%. Am just dismayed by and despair of the anti-Catholic sentiment I see and hear of on an almost daily basis.
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EDB -
Other interesting point is that if Dunfermline do win today, Motherwell will suddenly be In The Frame themselves.
Which means that St Mirren will face a real battle at Fir Park on Saturday.
Dear me - what's that on the Love Street tannoy now?
"I am sorry to have to announce that we're GAWN DOON."
Luvvin it...
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GL2 - yuo heave mial.....
How is the DYI giong?
TTTT
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Paul
I'd also like to echo Tom the Tim's clarification re Tiny Tim's post and my comments.
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i think it will be interesting to see how one good perfomance could change the current mood
i don't know if anyone is like me and keeps thinking every game they go to "this is the week we spank someone and play a blinder"
i have stopped thinking that after months of it being an anti-climax
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should i say was like me
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TTTT I read you mail and the forfeit has been carried out...
DIY is starting big time come Sunday so if you are down this way bring your tools and i'll supply the vino.
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oldtim67, 'cheers', in every sense of the word. Saturday? Less said the better.
Tom, Derbyshire, no need to point that out.
It doesn't look like being a good day for ML2 in Sheffield.
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One for Zbysek,
Wdowczyk in running for Livi job
A belated happy birthday Paul. Ya auld fart;-)
Lubo.
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GL2 - respect! Will explain when I see you next.
You've been quiet on the WGS stay or go debate.
Personally, I think that we would be the laughing stock of European football if we tried to get rid of our manager after back-to-back titles and CL last 16.
Although the football was better last year, Gordon deserves the right to splash some serious cash this summer on Team 3.
Some of his Team 2 buys
