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1st?
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Lovejoy, from previous article, I’ll do it tonight, promise. I was avoiding this place last night.
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a place in League 1? hardly the most exciting prospect...
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Bates is an odious little man, there's a good article in this months When Saturday Comes about him and his previous underhand dealings. He seems to feel the need to be high profile through football and Leeds have been the unfortunates in this instance to have him in charge.
League one eh? we could be in there with another European cup winning side.
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from last thread .....
The U2 soundcheck comment was a class comment. Spot on.
Bobo is our best defender (imho) but Strachan is looking for a CB that can play the ball out intelligently and safely. That Mc Manus and Pressley are being entrusted with this duty without Lennon´s cover is a worry. Especially as the weak sided are of the defense (right back) has to be covered by slow Stephen Pressley. I also think that somebody has to pull Pressley aside and hammer into him to play the game and forget about his inept attempts at influencing officials.He has a penchant for that and it´s a sign for any player that the game is up. Actually I wake up screaming in the middle of the night in a cold sweat over that one - regularly!!
I think it´s important that Strachan gets a consistent defence. First 5 names on the team sheet every week. No tinkering there please. We have a plethora (my english teacher will be well pleased) of centre backs, strikers, midfielders and a dearth of full backs and wingers.
I know it´s against the Strachan philosphy but he has a perfect squad for a 3-5-2 formation. Naylor would be sacrificed though and that is patently not fair.
So if their still is to be a WAO signing then it has to be either a right full back or a forward. My head says full back but my heart says striker.
My only wish for this season is for the football to be more dynamic and entertaining. Not in America but on a cold December Saturday at Parkhead oooohh and for us to draw Prague in the CL pre-qaulifiers.
Hail Hail
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Paul
Don't blame you :o)
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Mido to Birmingham for £6m.
Now that is taking the p...
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Matt-the-bh-agreed it's not exciting[apart from 2 fixtures against the mighty Carlisle-but it would get us into the Premiership in a couple of seasons[d.v.]and then who knows..
How much do Leeds actually owe?Sometimes you have to sceculate to accumulate.
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dbbia, according to the Beeb, Leeds United has debts of £35m, with HM Revenue & Customs owed £7.7m in unpaid taxes.
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Paul,
I see you are no longer dismissing my suggestion of 2 weeks ago. I couldn't reply to your reply then. I wanted to say that I had been talking to a Leeds Und season book holder and he was very peeved off about Bates. I think the supporters would welcome any solution that did not involve him. Maybe we could enter a team in both leagues initially, if we can take over them and then move them lock, stock and barrel, if we gain entry into the Premier League. My Leeds Und friend was sure this scenario was going to unfold because seemingly some other consortium had offered more than Bates and were passed over. Interesting times.
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Paul
I know that I mentioned out of chaos may come change but it would need to be change for the better.
I do not think that League one would provide that and also having no European nights to look forward too.
And whilst I know that Leeds have an over average number of moronic fans they also have a history which includes the great Billy Bremner, Lorimer, the Grays, Joe Jordan as well as Johnny Giles.
I would hate the club to disappear if only for the sake of these men.
Bates may be odious...no is odious but I have an affection for this club that goes back to my childhood.
I fondly remember my all yellow strip (save the blue and white stripes on the arms) with the sock lapels and the number 4. Ah well you can't put your arms around a memory.
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An intreuging situation indeed. In these days of league shares owned by clubs we move just a little closer to the American franchise system.
In a "pure" league system, as football used to be, the top x of the second league were promoted. No criteria outside final league position existed.
In a pure franchise system, owning the place in the leauge allows you to move the club, subject to economic criteria. That's why the former Los Angeles Rams are now the St. Louis Rams.
We are currently in more of a hybrid situation in fotball where criteria exist for promotion apart from league position, i.e. finanical, size of ground etc. Indeed, criteria exist to remain in the leaue, which is where the much maligned Mr Bates is now in trouble.
The question has to be "What happens next?". If Leeds' owners cannot satisfy the rules for remaining in its league then in theory someone else could buy the club and meet the criteria. Are there any league rules against moving a club once you own it? Is cross border ownership an issue? What would UEFA's reaction be to a club moving leagues by the back door? Interesting times indeed.
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It's unrealistic to think we can parachute into the EPL,or the Championship,for that matter so this is a theoretical solution to the problem of moving the club up a couple of notches in terms of football and TV revenue.
OK it's effectively Div 3 but it's giving us a chance to build up to the EPL.And as only one place is up for grabs we wouldn't have the cashstrapped goons of G51 chained to us.
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Gor J-once you own the club you can move it[Wimbledon>Milton Keynes,Clydebank>Airdrie]What you might not be able to do is move it over the Border.
I don't know how serious the proposal was but their was talk of Wimbledon moving to Dublin a few years ago.
What is possible in England is to start the club from scratch again and move back up through the league pyramid.Aldershot are doing it.I imagine it's hard work but in the long run good for the soul;)
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it wouldnt be allowed.
bottom line.
fanciful nonsense.
in saying that...
i suppose man city are thai.
i suppose chelsea are russian.
west ham are swedish
aston villa are american
man utd are american
so why cant leeds be scottish????
their stadium isnt owned by LU2007 so leeds united 2007 are not tied to where they play and theyd need to play somewhere.
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the only downside of div 3 is no euro nights for a couple of years , the games against carlisle etc imo would be no worse than gretna,st mirren or ict .i remember the uproar caused by the proposed move by wimbledon to dublin i dont think it will happen but it would be fantastic for our club if it did
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RRDH-I know all those Scandinavians look the same but WHU are Icelandic
DBBIA/NoggintheNogCSC
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Paul,
I can see elland road from my office. As it is payday I can nip over and buy them just now.
Just advise Gordon and the Bhoys they are flying back to leeds/bradford not Glasgow.
The rags
promotiontothechampionship07/08 CSC
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Out of the frying pan of a meaningless friendly defeat to the fire of an 'ain't-gonna-happen' scenario. A non-starter, as just as the epl turkeys wouldn't vote for Christmas, neither would the Division 3 turkeys. And Sky wouldn't drive a move to that division.
Meanwhile back at the football, we allow Boyd and now two Columbians to score against us - the defensive reality we have is going up in a puff of (white) smoke.
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Does anyone know how the league system works in England, how many leagues do you go through/win before reaching the EPL.....if you start at the very bottom?
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Gerry-knock yourself out!
http://www.thepyramid.info/asp/pyramid3.asp
i make it 20 to get out of the Lancashire Amateur League Div 7.
When Gretna joined the SFL they were midtable in the Unibond 1st Division,7 promotions away from the EPL.
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dontbrattbackinanger,
Can't someone (lets say DD) put a team into the bottom of the English leagues and let it be known, if they ever reach Div3,2 or 1 that games will be played in Scotland?
If they ever reached say Div3 then they join forces with Celtic FC......where there's a will there's a way.
if only we done this 7 years ago...:-)
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Paul67
Have you been reading any of the coverage in the Guardian by David Conn?
I find his take on financial issues really insightful and I also owe him a debt of gratitude for advising me on my own investigations into football finance back in the day.....
The latest from David was that the directors of the new Leeds company may in fact have acted illegaly (any surprise) in not applying for the right status to serve on another companies board given they had just liquidated the previous Leeds company.
On a side note, how Peter Ridsdale retains a job in football in ay capacity beggars belief.
#8
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dbbina
it was gonna annoy me all the next minute...i was typing thinking thats not right but couldnt put my finger on it.
yep jon paul sigmunsen did look a bit like henrik ;-) or was he finnish
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Henrik wasn't Finnish but he could finish.Harald wasn't Finnish but..
Gerry-Cleator Moor Celtic are only 10 promotions away from the Premiership.Most people in England think Cumbria's in Scotland anyway,so DD could start there.And they wouldn't have to change strips.
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Late breaking news items!
Ex Rangers target Faubert is out for 6 months with a knee injury.
It is expected that Scotland's most famous dis-organised crime syndicate and failed gambling oligarchs will now relaunch a bid.
This followed on from a leak from the report by City of London police:
No charges will be laid by the City of London police at the door of this magnificent institution and guardian of 17th century tribalism.
The leaked report to the DPP in England continues:
"The documentation we examined could not have been the product of grown men or adult intellects.
This was obviously a prank by naive children who understand nothing about finance, business, football administration and codes of ethics.
It is likely that they will now be long gone 'doon the water' on their summer holidays with their mothers, fathers, social workers, probation officers and carers. Anyone offered a a deal for a football club in exchange for two bools, a dead frog and a solidified second-hand oose-covered bit of wrigley's spearmint should immediately report the matter to the janny in charge of the playarea"- End of statement!
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Parkheadcumsalford, Steelica, I am beginning to think things look very bleak for Leeds. There are several obstacles which could prevent them from continuing.
TheRagsWe.. please do.
Great No 8, I do occasionally read him, but had missed that information.
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A minor point for several who are commenting on the defender situation esp why is xyz not playing etc please be aware that the likes of O Dea and Caldwell have been unfit as is the case also I believe with Evander Sno.
I also believe that it is conveniently forgotten that till Caldwell's injury he and Mc Manus had formed a very solid centre back partnership. No need to panic as yet.
That said re our USA displays I am in the camp that feels that pre-season or not we really do have to work harder at putting on a show so regardless of what the professionals may think the paying fan deserves better than he's getting.
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If my memory serves me, the geographical movement of clubs in englandshire is restricted to a 50 mile radius from their original location, any move that is further than this is deemed to be not in the interests of the clubs fans, it is this rule that allowed Wimbledon to move from South London to Milton Keynes,
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I'm still firmly of the opinion that there would be only pluses for Celtic in establishing a presence in the English leagues even if it were at the very grass roots for now. In one stroke we would create a platform for our young talent to gain "league" experience as well as conditioning the clubs and supporters to accept us being around. The presence woukld also be with efficient use of the loan system an opportunity to showcase talent who no longer fit in our plans but need astage to perform to attract bids. Instead of wishing and hoping this would be positive action. Really what's not to like? I know I'd want to watch them.
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I suppose come the end of the season the friendly results will be a distant memory.
I have been monitoring the friendlies over the last week or so and I notice that Chelsea, Man Utd and Arsenal are playing opposition of a similar quality to us and they just don't seem to get beat. They sometimes draw but they usually win. Now are they fitter or are do they have a winning mentality.
I don't expect to win every friendly, but at least a draw and a goal or two.
Notice I don't compare us with other 'heavyweights' who got beat by a German team the other night.
As for the Pressley debate....slower than a week in jail and definitely not fitter, faster.
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AWNAW,
The defence lacks pace and will always be exposed to class strikers. Not something we have to fear in the SPL but CL class strikers will punish us unless something is done
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To use a phrase we old Marxists have handed out a thousand times, it is no coincidence ...
It is no coincidence that our best defender is the last survivor from Martin’s time.
It is no coincidence that in the last three years we have a dismal record in pre-season friendlies and competitive games.
It is no coincidence that fans of Coventry and Southampton are on record as pointing out that Gordon CANNOT build a defence.
It all stems from this: Martin learned his craft from, indeed is a 21st-century version of, Brian Clough. Clough knew that the worst thing to face as a pro was a mentally and physically mean, hard, assured team, founded on an uncompromising defence. For all their progressive football, his championship teams had hard, hard men at the defensive core, playing a highly drilled and well-understood system, centred on big guys and organised/organising guys (I you’re lucky the big guys are also organisers – cf. K Burns). Young players at centre-back are anathema in such a system, in fact young guys in defence in general are a bit suspect. For Clough/Martin football is a difficult and often nasty business (remember Bob Paisley in an unguarded moment: "You never get anything here" [Nottingham he meant]) – one for grown-up, unpleasant men. And, in this school of thought, winning is a habit, there are no easy, warm-up, get-to-know-you matches.
For Gordon, judging by his teams and his published comments, football is a mixture of athletics and chess. To be in his side you have to train well, speak clearly (no mumbling), listen to what you’re told and play where you're posted. Diet is important, also clean and tidy appearance (the only thing he has in common with Clough). Defence is a matter of organisation and concentration – the correct position, the well-timed interception, the simple but effective pass.
I can tell you, having watched plenty of Aston Villa games over the past few years, Juan Pablo Angel would not have scored against a Martin team. Why not? Because he’d have disappeared, literally possibly, figuratively for sure, within 10 minutes of bumping into Balde, Vargas, Dolf, Jackie Mac, Valgaeren, or any of the other bristly grown-ups that populated Celtic's back line up to three years ago. I say with absolute confidence that not one of the players Gordon has introduced would have been in Martin's first-choice back-line, with the possible exception of Naylor. And, let's be clear, that was a very good defensive team indeed: had it had a goalie like Boruc it would have won a European trophy, in large part thanks to a number of clean sheets away from home (Blackburn, Liverpool, BoaVista ...).
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The Football League have a clear rule on administration designed to protect clubs and players from financial failure that could result in a domino effect where one failure pushes other clubs over the edge.
lots in that.
I never understood why he kept the name so closely linked to the old company.
If he were a businessman surely he would have looked for another way.
Folks get busted for dropping debt all the time a la phoenix.
Simpleton version.
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Deliasmith ,
Football has evolved since MON era.
MON's management style is outdated. Watch him struggle in EPL even with bucketloads of cash. For all MON's strengh and hard men for players in our european run in 2003 we won sweet FA. Imagine what a little bit of skill or extra fitness could have achieved that season eh?
Imagine us signing Marlon Harewood. Even the most purist MON diehard wouldnt let him away with that.
Last night we were poor. In fact Martin took a beating in the good old USA aswell. Liverpool and Man U
humped us 4-0 and 5-1 respectively. It happens. Unfortunately its tradition for us to get humped preseason. No matter which messiah is at the helm.
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Why should AV struggle next year under Mo'Neill?Leicester didn't struggle,and AV are a bigger club with some serious money behind them,and what is turning into a fruitful Academy.
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Paul67
As you know i am very keen for us to find a way into the EPL.
However this seems total "pie in the sky" to me.
It ain't gonna happen.
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On a serious note.
Just when are we going to wake up to the fact that Mr Strachan is wasting Millions ,almost every time he buy's a player.
The financial advantage that we have had over The Darnel,is being wasted.
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The issue isn't results in pre-season friendlies. It's the quality of footballer at the club.
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I know I’m going back to a couple of articles but the time zone and other factors have got in the way. I haven’t read much about the game last night as I was down at the BMO Stadium in Toronto for the Argentina/Chile game which I’ll get to later.
Last night’s defeat has once again a let down the NA supporters, we pride ourselves on being faithful through and through and yet the club comes over here for a training exercise, this unfortunately is a sign of the times as in big Jock’s day it never happened, he was the Mhan who coined the phrase that Celtic do not play friendlys someone should have reminded the “Blessed’ MON and WGS of this. Once again TGFITW have been let down.
Last night I had the pleasure of watching the semi of the FIFA Under 20 Cup, weird night as there were thunderstorms going all day long and it felt like a summer’s day in Glasgow as I sat in the stadium with the rain pelting down. I had my Celtic rain jacket on as I sat among the Chile fans, widnae have been hard as they were the largest group there.
I quickly started to favour their side as they were playing the best fitba in the first half although the Argie goal was a cracker. The postulating and theatrics of the Argentian side opened an old wound in me, I know that a lot of the young ones on here adored Maradona, love Juan Roman and put the Argentinean side on a high pedestal but for this ould Tim I shudder when I watch them, Alf Ramsey who I’m not a great fan of as I reckon he ruined the game called them animals and whether he’s right or wrong those on here who witnessed the River Plat and Athletico games will testify to seeing the ugly side of fitba.
The Madrid side who were managed by an Argentinean had at least six Argies that night who were not first team picks and their job was the kick and maim the Celtic players, if they were red carded as most were so what the wouldn’t have been playing in the return match anyway.
Our greatest living player was kicked and spat on the whole game which left a sour taste in the fans mouths similar to Rapid, I know I have no time for the Austrians national side or any of their club sides and cheered heartily when Everton gubbed them similar to Bayern beating the Madrid side, why oh why do our fans still rate the Argies, baffles me.
This young Argentina side is good, in fact they are very good but all this rolling around and waving imaginer cards is disgusting, it brings the game into disrupte, as for the official last night he clearly lost the plot and a good game was ruined by his favouring the corned beef mob, I for one will be rooting for the Czechs on Sunday.
As I left my seat at half time a passed a young Canadian/Argie and did the diving impression saying they were scandalous, he defended himself by saying that was their game, don’t I know it, a couple of Chileans jumped in and one said “listen to him man he’s Celtic he knows how to play the game” Felt good.
Moving on, the last couple of days on this blog have been a disgrace, as the bard, who I don’t really have much time for said “O wad some Power the giftie gie us. tae see oursels as ithers see us” and some of you on here want tae take a good look in the mirror cause yer halos are slipping. Paul son you’ve done a good job as usual in calming the waters but it NEVER should have got that far.
As for you pppp45 or whatever yer name is you say that you don’t post often and will leave the list unless the dug apolgies, good cyber hard man away and bile yer heid and take yer self righteous pals with you as you’re the problem no the canine. Why should Collie apologise if he in his mind has done no wrong, who the donald duck made you infallible, let he who has not sinned right enough.
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Delia...
Unfortunately for your argument, those big, bustling defensive types, tend not to have the subtleties required for starting an attack from the back. Hoofing it up the park was more their style to the big, bustling centre-forward. In other words, a 50-50 ball. In Europe against good teams this tactic tended to end up with the ball coming straight back into our half.
And while we're on the 'ifs'... If MoN didn't have Henrick Larsson, the ball wouldn't have stuck up the opposition half quite as long either.
Off-Topic, anyone know anything about Uncle Toms Cabin in Blackpool?
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Danny 14.36
You are bang on.
Instead of having several misfits for one position we should have fewer players of a higher calibre.
Also we have several options for some positions and very little if no cover for others.
We won the league despite Gordon Strachan,not because of him.
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TinyTim,
Can you tell me which players we have bought under Gordon Strachan that we have wasted millions on? Which players will we see no return on our money from?
Boruc? I would have thought he would reach 10 times what we bought him for.
Naylor? We turned down a bid of £1.5m from Fulham, we paid £650k
Naka? We paid, depending on you believe, anthing from 1.5m to 2.5m, I think we may get a wee bit more than that back for him.
Kenny Miller, free, Gary Caldwell, free, Riordan 175k, Donati 2-3m, Brown 4.5m, Mark Brown, free. Mark Wilson 0.5m.
So really the only players we might struggle to get what we paif for them would be Zurawski, Jarosik and Gravesen, although given the level of Premiership spending we might get it back on the latter two.
Any others?
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The history of clubs is not as clear as we think.
Aberdeen were invented to give the SFL a national appearance. They were bounced in over the heads of other, smaller, less interesting contenders.
New Brighton Tower were invented to make the amusement park of the same name a little more viable.
Arsenal moved to find a less crowded part of London in which to find/create an audience.
Bradford (Manningham) were not even a football team and were parachuted into the EFL because the FA were concerned at the encroachment of Rugby. They had never kicked a football before they got League status.
Newcastle and Gateshead tried unsuccessfully to enter reserve teams into the Scottish Third Division that stumbled along for about three and a half seasons in the 1920s. This at a time when it made geographical and travelling sense for them.
Leeds United (oh the irony) were invented to fill the vacuum left when Leeds City were thrown out of the League for financial dodginess.
Where there is a will there will always be a way. If Celtic bought the defunct Leeds Utd and fulfilled the terms of membership, there is no way legally they could not be allowed to do what they wanted.
All that we wait for is a club or FA to make the final leap on some matter in a court of law to prove that football has to follow the laws to which all other companies have to adhere.
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On the subject of Argentina, can anyone tell me why Celtic fans chant "Argentina" to English football fans?
Never been able to work that particular one out!
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Afternoon all
Time for another boring Great_No_8 post on player appearances…….
The following is the starting eleven for the first 6 games of last season:
Boruc, Wilson, Caldwell, McManus, Camara, Nakamura, Petrov, Jarosik, McGeady, Miller, Zurawski.
Boruc, Telfer, Caldwell, McManus, Wilson, Nakamura, Petrov, Jarosik, McGeady, Miller, Zurawski.
Boruc, Wilson, Caldwell, McManus, Wallace, Nakamura, Petrov, Jarosik, McGeady, Miller, Zurawski.
Boruc, Wilson, Caldwell, McManus, Wallace, Nakamura, Lennon, Jarosik, McGeady, Miller, Pearson.
Marshall, Wilson, Caldwell, McManus, Naylor, Nakamura, Lennon, Pearson, McGeady, Miller, Zurawski.
Boruc, Wilson, Caldwell, McManus, Baylor, Nakamura, Lennon, Gravesen, McGeady, J VoH, Zurawski.
Obvious point to make is that not all signings were made in time last season so the starting eleven was changing every week. It is however interesting to note that the defence was fairly static in this period with Boruc, Wilson, McManus and Caldwell playing together in 5 of the 6 games. I am hopeful that our manager will attempt something similar this season though the European qualifier may see his more conservative side come to the fore again and change the selection/tactics.
Further to this, the following is the team most oft picked by Gordon last season (based on starting appearances in all competitions):
Boruc (51)
Telfer (29), Caldwell (26), McManus (44), Naylor (46)
Nakamura (49), Lennon (43), Gravesen (23), McGeady (31)
Miller (27), JVoH (26)
Again some interesting points emerge. 3 of the back 5 from last season are stick on’s for this season. Boruc, McManus and Naylor will continue to form the nucleus of the back line. Wilson and Caldwell look to me to be the likely candidates for the other slots.
In midfield, both Lennon and Gravesen have been replaced by younger, faster and more ‘disciplined’ players. This is a huge change for any side as we all know how important the engine room is to the team. This leads me to think that Hartley might give some sort of continuity in the early months of the season as the two new recruits find their feet. On the wings, unless we are moving away from 4-4-2 then I think both Naka and Aiden will continue to be the first choice starters.
Up front is where competition will hopefully be at the most fierce for places. No striker covered themselves in glory last season or broke the mythical 20 league goal barrier (Kenny Miller was the only striker to start 20 league games). Just shows how blessed we were with Sutton and Larsson…… Anyways, I think a first choice of JVoH and McDonald supported by Miller and Killen (and maybe Magic) will be the chosen partnership. The front players offer a lot of options and it is worth noting the versatility of Miller in playing a wide role or lone role should circumstances dictate.
All in all, I think last seasons top performers give us the following 6 definite starters for this season:
Boruc, McManus, Naylor, Nakamura, McGeady, JVoH.
Add to this the big money signings of Brown and Donnati as well as the impressive showings of McDonald to date and I think we are almost there towards a first eleven.
Gordon talks about character and leadership a lot. I think a spine of Boruc, McManus, Brown and JVoH is a strong one and should provide the leadership needed to take Celtic forward.
Yours in Celtic,
#8
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Miketw10-I think it goes back to the Falklands War,as in'my enemy's enemy is my friend';given that at the time the situation in Norn Iron was'different'to today.
I was standing in the Jungle and saw 2 bhoys who had made strips that were 50% greenandwhite hoops,and 50%skyblueandwhite stripes.
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Delia
Can you remember the results of Matin's last pre-season tour of the Sttes?
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bambi
what about the best part of £3M on hartley and virgo
miketw10
think it stems from the hand of god incident, then augmented by beckham sending off
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Weren't there any Scots in the British Army then?
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Last nights result really means nothing on paper but highlights what for many season ticket holders i think is the major issue.
Building a team with a defence that allows our entertainers to shine.
Call it team 2 or whatever but last year we were a very poor side to watch and the entertainment value was low. Half empty stadiums tell a tale.
Yes we did have a magnificent run in europe for which i am grateful (will never forget the san siro even if i was quite drunk!)
In the league we played some shocking football. Boruc won us many points. lenny protected a very poor defence and naka supplemented the poorest strike force we have had for years.
Despite all this we won the league and have a solid platform to build a good quality side.
We must build from the back. While it is great to have Brown and Donati. Money must be allocated to full backs and a centre half that can play football.
O'Dea and JKennedy are prospects. Balde is nearing the exit.
Pressley we all agree is not good enough now.
McManus whilst celtic through and through looks lost when the ball is on the deck and one of the worst when positional sense is taken into account.
Caldwell is frankly as poor as pressley but a lot younger so he will get another club easy enough.
A strong defence and a good side to watch will define Strachan as a manager. I feel he has the ability to build a cohensive defense but will he have the money?
We only have to beat the huns to win the league. It's a shocking league full of rubbish teams and players who can hardly trap a ball.
Europe is where we want to be and the players we have need help.
So we have a a few weeks to prepare but i would like to have the defence sorted sooner than later.
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toonbarmy...
I suppose that would make more sense...?
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Tinytim,
We spent 1m on Hartley and around 600k on Virgo, the mythical £1.5m figure was mostly add on based. Again out of all those signings, most of which we will make a lot more on than we spent you came up with 2 players. Remind me again we are wasting millions???
Don't get me wrong, I don't rate some of these players but as long as we are winning and making more money on selling players that don't fit in than we spend then Gordon earns the right to keep buying. I'm just glad the players keep winning us trophys despite Gordon being such a bad manager. We must be doing something right.
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Gweedore,
Sorry to disagree with you again, we were doing so well too, but IMHO McManus, Caldwell and O'Dea all kept clean sheets at CP in the CL last season so they can't be too bad can they. Again we seem to be saying that we acheived these results and clean sheets despite the players playing, rather than because of? I don't really understand that argument? Surely if they were so bad they would have been found out against all of our opponents both home and away.
We played 180 minutes of football against the European Champions without conceding a goal, how does that fit in with the picture you have painted of our atrocious defence?
I tend to see the glass full rather than empty and of course these guys have their weaknessess and I'd like to see us sign another couple of defenders but these guys we have are nowhere near as bad as we are making themout to be.
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There were 4 Strathclyde Police cars outside Ibrox when I passed today at 2:20pm. Of course they could have been inside renewing their season tickets.....
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Tinytim, I presume we got to the knock out stage of the Champions League despite of Gordon Strachan, not because of him also?
We waste millions on players he signs, Boruc and Nakamura were mistakes?
The wasted millions on Miller, Caldwell, Riordan, Pressley Gravesen and Jarosik will not actually work out earning the club even more when they leave?
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Nope,definitely 1982.
I think after Maradona and Beckham it may have become more generalised but CP was one of the few places you could go and hear'Argentina'being chanted,which I expect is one of the reasons Maggie T wouldnt come up to draw the Paradise Windfall.
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Paul,do the wasted millions you mention depend on whent he players leave,and for how much?
Am I straying into amortisation,say if TG sits on the bench for another 2 years,drawing 40k a week?£2M per year?
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Well well well
How long have I been telling you all about GS'S inability or refusal to build a decent defence. It will again remain the one area that he will ignore in the hope that it will be alright on the night.
At least some of you are now spelling the coffee. Gordon Strachan cannot build a defence and this will always be our achilles heel. Stephen McManus as a potential captain tells you all you need to know.
We have not managed one cleansheet in our pre-season friendlies so far and I believe this will be the case in most games we play even in the SPL which will always need us to score 2 in every game to be sure of winning.
I long to eat my words and just maybe the top drawer defenders we need will be brought in before the window closes but somehow I doubt it.
This is now transfer window number 5 for Gordon please buy at least 2 good tough defenders.
Please.
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miketw10, “Argentina” was first shouted in 1982 when the Falklands war started.
You would not believe some of the stuff heard at CP around the early 80s.
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Well, well, well inthedark, good to hear from you after a friendly defeat, but remind me, what did you post when the defence kept a clean sheet for 180 minutes against the European Champions?
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DBBIA...
I bow to your superior knowledge! Like I say, I honestly don't know and I've certainly lived down here since before 1982.
All I do know is that it left my English wife and half Scottish sons feeling confused too.
Now that I know the real reason, I can let them know the reason so that they can feel unwelcome among their own support too.
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Apologies that should be smelling the coffee not spelling.
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Bambi
Don't think we are disagreeing i rate O'dea.
Caldwell and McManus will do ok against the dross we will come up against in scotland. In europe we had the much malinged lenny protecting the back four and also sno.
My point is i want a defence that alllows the midfield to play.
We have flair players but no flair play.
If we have a strong reliable ball playing CH then Donati and Brown can win and keep ball will Naka and Mcgeady help out the strikers.
At the moment I feel we lack this dynamic.
Anyway McManus and Caldwell are just part of the equation. A major issue is the full back positions.
God strike me down for saying it but at the moment we will miss Telfer.
What will happen if Naylor or Wilson are unfit for the CL qualifer?
Caldwell at right back and Hartly at left back?
Anyway as i said I don't think we are far away from the same viewpoint.
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bambi paul67
resale value is fine, but u have to factor in wages and bambi thats where millions will have been wasted. that is never recouped
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Paul67 15.26
Amazing to think people used to make a noise at CP :-)
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Paul, I would believe it!
They still do it! I know it's meant as banter and a wind-up, but aren't we meant to be an all-inclusive club?
I went to Parkhead enough as a kid listening to the proud chant "We don't care if we win lose or draw..." knowing full well that they did!
Confused or what?
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Hi Paul
Glad to be back. I have been abroad for the last couple of months and not had much time to post.
Regarding the 180 mins against AC Milan it was and still is my view that AC Milan took the stance that 1 goal was always going to enough against us as we had no great threat going forward again only my opinion. They were very unlucky not to score in the 90 mins.
I would agree that in this match the defence performed admirably but I have seen many teams and played in teams that have come to Parkhead and managed to hold out against some very good Celtic teams thsi does not mean that my team had a great defence but that they played out of their skins on the day, had a lot of luck and that Celtic's strikers had a bit of an off day.
I repeat this defence will continually leak goals which will ultimately prove very costly.
I think you have underestimated the type of team Walter Smith is building at Rangers and they will be aided fully by the charlatans who call themselves referees in this country.
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inthedark makes a valid point. Defence has been a weakness since the end of the MON era, and is frankly little better now. I don't think Strachan actually has much of a strategy for this part of the team where we are short on quality, pace, strength, and cover.
Paul67: yes we kept 2 clean sheets against Milan, but that was because we were barely out of our own half for 210 minutes. We had, essentially, a ten-man defence.
The trick is to keep a clean sheet with maximum 4 defenders on the park...
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Paul,
I took a wee wander over to Elland Road, unfortunately the store has a "Cash Only" sign in the window and I only had my chip and pin with me.
Quite appropriately their stadium sponsors are LSS waste management.
I am going to put a Celtic top on the statue of Billy Bremner one night. He deserves more.
The rags
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bambi,
" remind me again we are wasting millions???"
Regardless of signing fees,
If Hartley and Virgo are on 10 k a week each,
that equates to over £1m in wages per year for the pair of them.
Also take into account the plethora of higher earning under performing squad members ( Jari, Majic, Miller et-al), and, the fact that we allegedly lost Shaun Malloney to the EPL over a measly £100k a year, then i would say we are wasting or should i say, misspending millions a year.
What we need to see is, to use an Americanism,
more bang for our buck
That is why as much as i was uninspired by the purchase of Killen and MacDonald, i can't argue with the financial aspect of their signings. Wages aside i think we will get value from them both, Majic needs a rocket up his preverbal and MacDonald could help spur this.
Killen also might be able to show JVH how to work defenders more, an area i was quite disappointed with from his displays last year.
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Antsman,
A wee question for you? If we recoup a couple of million for a free transfer player, does that count as recouping wages?
Can you tell me a club in the world that makes money on players, recoups all the wages spent and still wins trophies?? I wouldn't have thought there were any.
I would have thought if we win trophies, compete in the CL each year and don't overstretch ourselves financially we would be doing ok, it appears not. Ideally the football could be better, no doubt of that, but lets wait till the season starts and we have all our new signings in, our team settled and the players we don't need or want are away, then we can judge surely?
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Interesting article from vital celtic
Some salient points some a bit harsh but a good read
Apoligies i don't know how to add links!!!
Unless Celtic boss Gordon Strachan has plans (and hopefully he does) to bring in a quality centre-back, then what is the point of getting rid of Bobo Balde?
He's miles better than either Stephen Pressley or Steven McManus - I know that Mick plays left centre-back but I'm talking in general here!
Elvis should be shown the door as soon as possible. When he joined in January we were in a position where we needed cover, and Elvis was always going to be an easy option as he was without a club and wanting to prove a point. After a couple of acceptable displays, he faltered and no longer brings much to the team.
McManus will, in my opinion, never make a good centre-back - far less a Celtic captain, and that would involve him playing every week. Sorry, but Big Mick's just not good enough to be doing either. However, Strachan will take the easy, dull option and name him as captain.
Gary Caldwell is a joke, but the joke is on us! Anybody who saw some of his displays last season know exactly what I'm talking about. Not only do Celtic fans worry when his name is on the team-sheet, but our opponents probably get something of a boost!
Mark Wilson was a good player for Dundee United but he's out of his depth at Celtic. It's a shame because he tries hard and seems to have the right attitude, but he's one of those players who seems unable to make the step-up in class that is needed to play for Celtic.
Darren O'Dea is currently injured, but he looks to be the best left-sided centre-back we currently have on our books. Hopefully, Strachan can see what a lot of us can see and that is the future-captaincy potential of O'Dea. He's still not the finished article, but he's still learning and I'm sure he'll get there.
And then there's John Kennedy. All of us want to see him return after his problems, but he still needs to get his sharpness and mobility back. He's still a bit overweight but that should surprise no-one given the amount of time he spent away from the game.
So from all that, it seems we're in a bit of trouble if we don't sign any new players - and we may as well keep Bobo Balde and hope he gets his form back. Not that we've got much choice if he wants to stay, though...
Or am I being too harsh and getting more worried than I should be? Probably, but I still have no doubt that while we should win the league at a canter again, we could have problems reaching the last-16 of the Champions League again - and that must be our main aim.
At least the waiting will be over in a few weeks...!
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Testing 1 2 3
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Inthedark, thanks for that take on the Milan game, you sound a lot more balanced now that you did in your first post of the day.
There will be more excellent defensive performances this season, in far more important games, I hope we hear from you then.
TheRagsWe, how ironic (again). They only accept payment with the Her Majesty’s head on it. Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs servants will be amused :-)
Toonbarmy, antsman, can I make a prediction?
On our managers signings, I predict that we will start to look at precedent and soon the name Joe Filipi will be mentioned.
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The most unbelievable thing I heard at CP in the early 80s was when the ground would chant'Sullivan!'in honour of the great Dom,or more accurately after we had won the League and we would go round all the team in turn.
The role of team scapegoat is an honourable and longstanding one,and DS bore it with rare good humour.
ACM got the result they wanted home and away.After the MU game they knew the main risk was from Nakamura,and how many freekicks did they give away in his range?
None.
That's real,professional,disciplined defending.
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Guys,
Can someone be good enough to post the phone number for Setanta again ? I need to moan about paying 6 quid more than my next door neighbour....
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I think a few posters are being a bit harsh on Mark Wilson. He was beginning to look pretty good before injury hit. He is young and will improve and i can see him being our first choice right back for years to come. My concern is more one of who our second choice right back may be.
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gweedore,
I still hope that Wilson can be the player he was before injury, ditto JFK. But the article is spot on about Pressley and Bobo.
Touch harsh on Mick, but he does sometimes look like a white Tebilly...
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italiabhoy
Agree im hoping for
Wilson O'Dea Kennedy Naylor
Frankly McManus as captain would be a mistake.
Don't get me wrong Love the guy to bits. i will always remember his mad tackle at Livi that injured himself. i was about a meter away from it. The guy is celtic through and through but that is not the only criteria for captain.
The sooner pressley and caldwell are moved on the better.
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Gweedore, the article.
If we sell Bobo but do not plan to replace him, there is no point. Hmmm. I could add:
If we sell Artur but do not plan to replace him….
If we sell Naka but do not add to replace him….
In fact, if we sell the team bus, but do not plan to replace it, we will pick up no points away from home.
I suspect that if we sell someone we will plan to replace him.
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Henriks_Sombrero
Good luck with Setanta! I got absolutely nowhere seeing as I had paid the year's subscription up front - you might have more luck if you pay monthly. After getting nowhere with them by phone, I emailed customer services. I got an automated reply saying that I would hear from them within 5 days. That was over a week ago, and I've heard nothing back from them. Totally scunnered with them - they need to learn a thing or two about looking after their existing customers. Think I'll change to being an exiting customer after this contracts ends! Grrrrrrrr.
lynnssetantahatinggreensocks
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Paul
Would these excellent defensive performances you allude to be performed by the current cast members of the defence if so I would disagree or are you confident that the 2 good strong defenders we need will be signed.
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Paul i agree if we sell our best defender i would hope we plan to replace him. I would accept bobo going if we use the cash to bring in a quality CH.
I also hope we plan to punt our deadwood very very soon.
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inthedark...
Who do you suggest we replace the 'current cast members' with?
Bear in mind when you answer,
1. Their pay demands, and
2. The attraction of the SPL
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miketw10
Re Argentina I would have to say that I could not have agreed with the sentiments expressed at CP at the time. The English may have many faults and things I don't like about them but they are not the only nationality I would hold that view about. I prefer to take a view of the man/woman not the nationality or religion.
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derbyshirebhoy...
Agreed!
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The irish have always had a great affinity with the Argentine cause in fact alot of the songs were generated by a great song by Brian warfield of the wolftones about Admiral William Brown the father of the argentine navy and a great man even if he was from mayo!
Admiral William Brown (also known in Spanish as: Guillermo Brown) was born in Foxford, County Mayo, Ireland on June 22, 1777 and died in Buenos Aires, Argentina on March 3, 1857. Brown's victories in the Independence War, the Argentina-Brazil War, and the Guerra Grande in Uruguay earned the respect and appreciation of the Argentine people, and today he is regarded as one of Argentina's national heroes. Creator and first admiral of the country's maritime forces, he is commonly known as the "father of the Argentine Navy"
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seen some comment on Mark Wilson.
I ain't no fitba player but he is.
Perhaps when the few games are shoogled under his belt ?
My goodness did you fools not see this chap toy with people.
Back to form soon Mark.
Terrific Footballer.
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lynnsgreensocks
I have sent Setanta an e-mail earlier today asking why no reply in 5 days. Guess what? Got an e-mail in reply telling me I'd get a reply in 5 days.
I'll post how I get on.
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Inthedark, last summer I shared the same concerns last summer, and for much of the season I/you was/were right, but we still had Milan.
Gweedore, sounds like a plan. I hope we do it.
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Wages simply don't come into the whole "wasting money" debate. Certainly not unless they are on huge sums.
The fact of the matter is that you need a squad so if these players weren't there then someone else would take up their wage packet.
Celtic will make money on what Strachan has spent, some players he'll make huge profits with others he'll make losses. That's the nature of football and the transfer market.
Now I do agree that the defense isn't good enough but then when was the last time it was? Mark Reiper days?
We seem to be able to get one type of defender or another - a slight frame who can play a bit or a monsterous beast who just kicks the ball as hard as he can.
Until we can get a combination of the two then the defence will never be 'good enough'. I feel sorry for Strachan as getting a player like that in and not paying upwards of £10m is extremely difficult!
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gweedore,
Interesting. A Scot, Thomas Cochrane is regarded as the father of the Chilean Navy. And of course Scotsman John Paul Jones founded the American Navy.
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Over the last few years watching us batter CL teams at home thier defnces, the beautiful Milan three players around the ball is interesting.
Imagine then trying to teach NL and BB how to cover/mark/play/defend/attack in the same tense.
No Workie.
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A shorter post: first, I admit it's true about the pre-season gubbings under MON, I just forgot. On the other hand, Ajax ...
As for the rest, namely hard-case, big defenders, you all miss the point. The distinction is between necessary and sufficient. It's necessary that central defenders stand up to, preferably dominate, attackers. Obviously it's not sufficient: you still have to get the ball forward, score goals etc. BUT necessary means it has to be done, and only Balde of the defenders presently on our books definitely has the necessary.
Of the winning sides in the good leagues and Europe there are NONE who entirely lack experience and power in central defence. Sure there are plenty of wiseacres who mock Carragher or Terry, for instance. But for all their shortcomings in World Cups they help their teams win matches.
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MikeTW
As an example I was dissapointed that we did not go after Hatem Trabelsi who left Man City in the summer as I felt he would have been a great addition to the side and someone should be affordable. If he has signed for someone on 30k plus then I will hold my hands up but I dont think he has.
I also think that Sami Hyppia at Liverpool would have brought some much needed experience and assureness to the backline for a year or two unti we see if O'Dea and Kennedy reach the heights that we would like them to.
Again I would like to think that we could have afforded his wages as he is available on a free.
I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this.
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italiabhoy
Dont forget Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme (August 20, 1778 – October 24, 1842), South American independence leader, was one of the commanders – together with José de San Martín – of the military forces that freed Chile from Spanish rule in the Chilean War of Independence. Although he was the third Supreme Director of Chile (1817–23), O'Higgins was the first holder of this title to head a fully independent Chilean state.
O'Higgins was born in Chillán, Chile. As noted in his certificate of baptism, he was the illegitimate son of Ambrosio O'Higgins, Marquis of Osorno, a Spanish officer from County Sligo in Ireland, who became governor of Chile and later viceroy of Peru. His mother was Isabel Riquelme y Meza, a prominent lady of a noble family in Chillán. O'Higgins spent his early years with his mother's family in Central-south Chile. He had a distant relationship with his father, who supported him financially and was concerned with his education, but the two never met in person. Spanish government officials in America were forbidden to marry locals[1]
As the wolf tones once said you'll never beat the irish!
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Delia...
You just mentioned 2 of my favourite Centre Backs there.
I honestly can't think of many better than John Terry, and Carragher has had a rough deal in the England set-up in my opinion.
For the sheer bottle of calling Adrain Durham's bluff on talkSPORT, he will always have a special place in my heart. I could almost see the fear on Durham's face over the radiowaves!
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Gweedore,
Yes, Bernardo is a legend in those parts. Guevara as well was reported to have had some Irish in him.
Which reminds me of the reputed chat-up line of the great Phil Lynott:
Lynott: "D'ye have any Irish in ye?"
(Girl pauses)
Lynott: "D'ye want some?"
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Champions League winners back 4 over the past 5 years:
Milan:
Jankulovski Maldini Nesta Oddo
Barcelona:
Van Bronkhorst Puyol Marquez Oleguer
Liverpool:
Traore Hyypia Carragher Finnan
Porto:
Valente Carvalho Costa Ferreira
Milan:
Costacurta Nesta Maldini Kaladze
Now all of these teams either have players in their back four who are both solid and good footballers - funnily enough you would expect that for Champions League winners. However how are we to achieve this? Buying ready made players of this sort simply isn't an option so what do we go for?
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Inthedark...
Agree on Sami Hyypia, don't know enough about the other one, but my main concern is the question about attracting them to the SPL.
It must be really difficult to convince players with real quality to play in Scotland, which is why I'd prefer to persevere with the home-grown option.
As far as I am concerned too, I trust GS's judgement, and if he says he is happy with what he's got, then so am I. After all, he knows what he wants from a defender!
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Paul
Although, Last Night's performance was Not a Night full o' Bliss,
I declare, Celtic's Performance,should not be awarded a Hiss!
Kojo was there, as was the Boss, They said that the Benefits to our Fitness,
Far out weighted the PREDICTABLE, Loss.
We were facing a Team who were Fit and were Mean,
While our boys were still Wooden of Legs
We were late to the Races, for their goals left our faces,all covered, in Scambled Eggs,
Boruc was Man o' the Match!
Why?
He saved that cheap penalty...Natch!
But McDee was Impressive, he was Sharp and Agressive,
His Snap Shot, that hit the Far Post,
Proved, as a Striker, he is better than most!
He will make the Team... that's a given,
But Jan needs to be, a wee bit more Driven,
Mebbe, when Killen is fit, Jan will return to the land of the Livin'
All in all we can't be too Harsh with our Team,
There is no need to Panic or Scream
In Flashes, our Passing has started to Hum,
It bodes well for the Future,
And We believe there are Good Things to come.
collie.
Tail's Awaggin',Awaggin'
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bambi
thats the whole point u asked where the millions are beinfg wasted, the answer is wages. assembling a huge collection of midfielders and strikers all being paid well with 1/2 no prospect of even making the bench
i never criticised signings just agreed millions are being wasted, add these millions to our budget and we can afford better quality
buy a player for £1m sell him 2 years later for £1m when he has hardly played..........there is still a loss in there and its wages
i am simply saying we should not be complacent with money and this for me is waste
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Italiabhoy...
Che Guevara's ancestor was indeed an Irishman by the name of 'Lynch'
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antsman
There is always going to be the cost of wages. Yes we have an unbalanced squad - too many strikers (none of which are that good) and absolutely no cover at full back however if it were to be balanced out the actual size of the squad would be practically the same and therefore so would the wage bill.
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Deliasmith, Ajax 2001 is an interesting point. We met them in Amsterdam when our league was underway but their’s would not start from another 10 days. They were very much in preseason form (ring any bells).
Two weeks later their change in fitness at Celtic Park was remarkable.
Collie, I wisely slept through last night. I am clearly getting old.
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bambi
sorry to answer your question, profit is whats left after you have paid out all expenses this includes wages bonuses etc this is in the most basic sense
To me it depends if he has done what he was paid to do i.e. play football then its not recouping as u have paid for services
if he hasn't u have essentially paid him to train and to me thats wastage
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Gweedore/Italia
I enjoyed your reminiscences re Irish conections with South America.If you are not familiar with the story of John Reilly and the San Patricios it might be worthwhile to google it.
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antsman...
It's not wastage if all of the players before him are out injured and he is your only available option.
Then he becomes the most valuable player in the whole team...
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I've said before on here that we don't YET have CL quality CB's at the club.
One or two of the younger homegrown players might develop into that category, e.g. O'Dea, but there are no experienced CB's at the club that I am comfotable with.
Yes, Mick and Darren did great in Milan, but the whole team defended and we hardly created a chance.
IMHO, a centre-back who can cope with the demands of the CL has most of the following attributes (not in any order) :-
1) Good tackler
2) Good in the air when defending set-pieces
3) Carries a threat at corners
4) Plenty of Pace
5) Can read the game
6) Can play the ball out of defence without needlessly losing possession
7) Doesn't give away daft free-kicks near our box
Even Carlos Puyol wouldn't tick all those boxes, but surely we can pick up two guys in Europe who possess most of these skills.
Clearly, we'll never get the top guys during their peak years as they'll be playing in Spain, England or Italy, but our scouts should be able to identify some candidates.
My concern is that current policy at the club will not allow major spend on experienced players with no resale value. Although this has been very successful since PL spread his wings, there has to be room in the budget for players who are brought in purely on the basis of what they can offer now in the CL.
Not what they can give us in a year or two.
TTTTwhoishopingforawowdefender
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italiabhoy
Good one re phil
Druidude
Will do
Tommytwiststurns
Excellent post agree 100%
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miketw10
thats for say a few weeks, worth paying him wages for the other 49. look at say the strikers
we have magic,mcdonald,killen,miller,JVOH and riordan
we have man for man cover and an extra 1 as well, if one is injured we still have a replacement and a replacement for him if necessary
having 3 men per position is excessive nobody else has it and thats where i am applying the erm wasteage
i am not saying in every case
u could argue for example kenny millers wages have not been a waste if we sell him for £2m as we still made a profit in the long
term
i belive tho some signings have been total waste, the main one being hartley
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TTTT
Agree with you on the attributes but would have anticipation and positioning or being able to 'read the game' right up the top when you're looking at CL class defenders.
Now this is my maing concern, we don't have anyone at the club who is accomplished at doing this and it's not something that is easily taught on the training field. The only real way to get good at this is if you have an experienced player there next to you on the field talking you through the game, telling you where you should be. Cannavaro or Maldini would be ideal!
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Malone - Can you imagine a CB pairing of Bobo (pre-African Nations Cup form) with Puyol taling him through games?!
The updated Bobo needs to be moved on and we need to spend some serious money on a quality player who will help us develop O'Dea/Kennedy/Cuthbert into players who are comfortable on the big stage.
Elvis should leave the building!
TTTT
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antsman...
Wasn't there a period last season when JVoH, Zurawski and Beattie were all injured at the same time?
Pressley was signed in January because of the lack of defenders through injury.
Did GS not remark then about the shortage of cover available to him and that he would make sure it never happened again?
I do agree though that there are maybe 1 or 2 positions top-heavy while some we are desperately short of. Full-back(s) being my main concern.
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tttt
i think those sorts of centre backs are rare in our price bracket
realistically 1 and 2 should be taken for granted of ANY centre back at our club
5,6 and 7 are where we fall down
our problem is currently rather than 6 we punt it and we continously do no 7.
i would personally add in the mix
8 - has a degree of composure
9 -is a good communicator
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mike
who else bases a squad size on 3 strikers possibly being injured
pressley i believe would of been signed regardless
its a paradox to say we need 7 strikers for 2 slots and 2 full backs is enough for 2 positions?
hartley was signed for example when
the league was all but over
he was ineligible for europe
we had sno,lennon,jarosik,gravesen, as well as naka,caldwell,teddy who could also play there
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Paul
Wisdom, my friend... comes with age...remember...
you now have passed, the yoof-full, Ingenuous Stage!
You have seen it all before!
So your Mind tells you...
"Let's skip this one,pal.....
I could use a peaceful snore!"
Making statements about the Future is for the birds,
We should know that all prediction attempts are absurd,
We simple refuse to believe,
that the Future is like a Maze,
With many Paths to Choose,to where it should go!
My guess is as good as any.... so here is mine...and it's only worth a Penny!
Celts will Triumph, and win the Pennant... which is good enough for me!
While ibrox will slip and stumble...
and become an Innocuous Non-Entitee!
collie.
Tail's Awaggin', Awaggin'
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Gweedore/Italia/Mike
Roberto Guevara Castro married Ana Isabel Lynch. There son Ernesto Guevara Lynch was the Young Ernesto's (Che) Father.
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who else bases a squad size on 3 strikers possibly being injured
I would guess any other team who doesn't want to be caught short
pressley i believe would of been signed regardless
I guess we'll never know, but we certainly needed him at the time.
its a paradox to say we need 7 strikers for 2 slots and 2 full backs is enough for 2 positions?
I refer you to the last paragraph of my previous post
hartley was signed for example when
the league was all but over
he was ineligible for europe
we had sno,lennon,jarosik,gravesen, as well as naka,caldwell,teddy who could also play there
OK let's take them all one at a time and apply the commonly-held opinion of the doomsayers. I stress these are not necessarily my opinions...
Sno - Too inexperienced and cumbersome
Lennon - Too old and slow
Jarosik - Too lightweight
Graveson - Headless chicken
Naka - Too lightweight for a central midfield berth/Doesn't do enough work
Caldwell - Not good enough
Teddy - Not experienced enough
According to that lot, I'd say there was a good case for signing him.
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hi paul.fellow celts.
reading through the posts re the american game.big pressley seems to be getting the sharp end of things .i agree he wont do.but imo he is not alone , i have read try this one with big mick ,that one with big mick, the other one with big mick ,i dont think big mick is the answer to our problems either. our defence has for a while now been in need of some serious money being spent on it, apart from boruc and naylor,we have never really had a settled formation,how long and from so many on here have we heard the call to fix our defence, i feel we have the makings of a fair team but my word that defence does not instill confidence in me .but and as you know paul, i think our problem is much deeper than that .
hail hail
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highligths of last nights game posted on
www.thelordofthewing.blogspot.com
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What have we learned from the friendlies so far?
From my point of view:
- Our defence isn't good enough
- Our midfield is promising we just need to be consistant
- Brown CAN control matches
- Scott McDonald for me will be our 1st choice striker next season (JVOH probably 2nd)
- McGeady looks to have improved again, at least he seems hungrier
- Boruc is world class
- Gravesen and Jarosik aren't going to improve
- We can rely on our best youngsters (such as Teddy) for cover at least
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While I have (too) often called on here for a class CH, I am not daft enough to imagine that someone like Puyol would want to move to the SPL but we DO need someone like that. If the manager can't see that, I would be amazed. Here's hoping those tasked with uncovering talent find someone who fits the bill. Otherwise I would start the season, as I've said already with Bobo and AN OTHER (and I DON'T fancy Bobo).
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Afternoon all
Well since we are all entitled to our opinion about the defence (i.e. none of us have to earn our crust based on our footballing knowledge...that's the joy of chirping from the cheap seats).....then i thought i would add my tuppence worth.
The back five are not the first line of defence but the last. If the entire team holds possession and position better this season then other teams will find it harder to create against us.
The chances and goals given up last season were not just due to our defensive line up. An imbalanced midfield and a powder puff atack contributed to the opponents chances. I think our team will be far better this year across the whole pitch and so the defence (as well as the attack) will benefit greatly.
McManus has played nearly every game when fit for our manager. He will not be dropped no matter how many under qualified commentators call him on positioning, tackling, reading of the game etc....
We have a challenge in front of us from Rangers this year and I am hoping that our manager will have the team ready to win ten on the bounce. I'll be supporting the manager from the off*.
#8
* provided hartley and pressley are not in the starting eleven for the european games.....come one, i'm allowed one completely inane gripe as well.
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Just watched those highlights...
The defending for both goals (and the one chopped-off) was deplorable, but I think that more than just the back four are to blame. Also, for those heralding Balde's return, I couldnt help but notice that he was back to his indisciplined worst for the final goal. TYou didnt have to be Mystic Meg to see that cross coming in-- it came with a 3-minute warning siren!- and still he was the wrong side of his man.
I thought Scott Brown's tackle for the penalty looked well-timed, no?
What about MacDonald's offside goal? Surely he only came into play when it came off the 'keeper? I cant keep up with FIFA's new offide rulings...
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Spot on Number 8... the team has to break down attacks and cover the defence.
I'm a fan of Naylor, and I'm willing to give Wilson time to prove himself, but I fear both players are a bit lost when they have to come inside to cover.
Larsson and Sutton used to halt many attacks (or at least stop the onslaught of obvious balls by narrowingt the options) before opponents got anywhere near our half. I dont see JVoH or Magic closing anyone down. Miller, to his credit, does what he can. From what I seen of him at Hibs, Killen could present a challenge to many an SPL defender, but we could do with a talisman-figure in Eurpope to lead from the front.
Last season we lost goals in Europe because Lennon and Gravesen couldnt track runs from midfield. I think Donati and Brown will do much better this season.
As #8 says, let's hope we can hold possession better this season allow opponents less chances. That way everything wont have to be desperate, last-ditch, seat-of-the-pants defending!
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Now Sutton, Thompson and Lennon have all departed who will be our "minders" in the new season?
We all know the the tactics Smith will employ so do we have the personnel that will be able to stand up to them?
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Just been reading through the blog and particularly noted a number of comments about the lack of quality in signings made by WGS.
The underlying implication in some arguments is that if we hadn't wasted money and wages on guys like Hartley, Caldwell, Miller, Gravesen, Jarosik, Wilson then we would have a big pot of money that we could spend on 'Champions League' standard strikers and central defenders.
Wake up guys - even if we had the money, most of the players that would fit a proven 'CL' calibre description will not come to Celtic - full stop.
Unfortunately, we are consigned to a kind of twilight world where we can afford and can attract middling players that may or may not be good enough.
In this scenario, we are probably looking at no better than a 50% chance that any signing will play football the Glasgow Celtic way.
We only have to look at a player like Donati to see the reality. He fits our budget but he could go either way. If he was any surer a bet, he would still be playing in Serie A.
So - the least risky strategy should be to buy the best players in the SPL but also bring on a few of our own if possible.
In that respect, it's a pity that Naismith may well end up at Ibrox.
The one WGS signing that did bamboozle me big time though was buying Paul Hartley for £1m+ - he was too old to part with that kind of money.
Sadly, I think that his signing was more of a knee jerk reaction to Rangers signing Kevin Thomson and was designed to keep us lot happy - got that one wrong!
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I see all this talk of Centrehalves earlier today, so here's a wee article I wrote elsewhere a couple of weeks ago.
Right, let me talk through my perception of our Centrehalves.
I stay on the Continent, and often only get to see Highlights of games, but as most of the guys we have have been around for a while, I can at least pass my Judgement.
We'll go through this alphabetically.
Baldé. He's a decent defender, but prone to be a bit rash in the challenge. His distribution skills are nil, but that's not really unusual amongst our Centrebacks. If he goes into a challenge, he'll get his man. To my mind, decent backup, but not at a reported 28k, unfortunately.
Caldwell. Seriously, apart from his nightmare in Lisbon, has he really had a bad game for us at Centrehalf (he certainly isn't a rightback, in any case)? As far as I could see, at the time he got injured last year, he was picking up some grudgingly good reports. He's maybe one I feel could develop into a player, given time, but he won't get that at Celtic. Might be worth keeping as backup, though.
Kennedy. I was at that game at the Nou Camp, and I was really excited by him as a Prospect, and certainly if he can regain the kind of form he had 3 years ago, I'd have him striaght in the Team. I also feel a certain empathy to him as I've had the same Knee Op. However, to Put him forward as the Cure to all our defensive problems is a big ask. I fear it'll take him the best part of 6 months being involved with the first team again till we know if he'll ever be the Player he could have been. I'd love to see him involved at first Team level this Season, though probably not as a Starter every week. Initially, anyway.
McManus. He's rash in the challenge, his Positional skills are poor, his distribution is woeful. He dosen't even have Bobo's presence when making challenges, so for me he has no positive aspects to bring to our Central defence (goalscoring isn't a defensive aspect). The fact he's a year older than Kennedy, but didn't break into the first team squad till two years later says it all. Personally, I'd punt him at the first opportunity.
O'Dea. Darren's probably the one of our CBs I've seen the least of, but what I have seen of him, I've generally liked. He appears to have a cool head, and can at least complete a 5 yard pass. Definately a keeper.
Pressley. Let's get one thing clear, Pressley is going nowhere this Summer. Last December, when he was Clubless, he was offered an 18 month deal with us, or a 6 month deal with Charlton, and he came to us for job security as his wife was heavily pregnant. He didn't want to uproot and move then, no way he'll want to now. As to him as a Player, most of what I've seen of him over the years has been for Scotland, alongside some donkey called Weir. From that point of view, I do think he's probably our best Centreback at Organising, and coaxing the younger players through games. He probably dosen't have the legs anymore, though, but I seriously wouldn't have a problem with him being a backup, maybe involved with Coaching.
Virgo. Actually, I've seen even less of him than O'Dea, so no comment.
So, in summary, we've got a decent couple of Centrehalves there, but none of them leap out at me at this moment in time as definite first team guaranteed start material. I've been decrying our lack of Defensive cover for 5 years now, at I'm still looking for 1 top quality Centrehalf who could be our rock at the back.
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Kevtic
I think the backbone needs to be delivered by the likes of Boruc, McManus, Brown and J VoH.
They have both physical stature and a good mix of never say die attitude that should see teams worried about playing Celtic again.
We are a little slight down the wings with the likes of Wilson, Nake, Naylor and McGeady but our new minders should set the tone.
#8
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kevtic
to answer your question of minders/ grumpy so and so's, only the following
boruc
naylor
balde
wilson
o'dea
pressley
brown
hartley
tommy g
killen
mcdonald
and
mcgeady
spring to mind
perm any three, i would be more worried on how the following will react to the rotten mobs physical presence next year;
brines
dougal
mccurry
thomson
clark
and
underhill
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Hi Matt
"McManus. He's rash in the challenge, his Positional skills are poor, his distribution is woeful. He dosen't even have Bobo's presence when making challenges, so for me he has no positive aspects to bring to our Central defence (goalscoring isn't a defensive aspect). The fact he's a year older than Kennedy, but didn't break into the first team squad till two years later says it all. Personally, I'd punt him at the first opportunity."
McManus played 42 games in Gordon's first season and 44 games last season. He has been our managers go to guy for his whole time in management. If he is so inept then why do you think our manager keeps picking him?
#8
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I've enjoyed the debate today and the absence of rancour from most of those posting.
We moved from the thread topic after having fun about the prospect of replacing Leeds. It's a pity there's no mileage in that scenario.
We then had the reappearance of the mineshaft tendency on the back of our poor performance last night. BTW I have no complaints about that. They have every right to comment and made some telling hits on our situation.
But mostly, we've focused on our defence, so that's what I want to add my pennyworth (my thoughts don't amount to tuppence) to.
I think we're looking at the wrong place in discussing the CH situation. I don't disagree that we do not have one top class CB in our squad but, if we did, they'd probably be transfer targets for some of the money rich clubs anyway, I feel.
We'll probably just have to get by in trying to patch a brave and competent CB partnership involving Kennedy, Cuthbert, Caldwell, McManus and O'Dea. I've left out the other CB we have because he doesn't fit the profile that deliasmith claims WGS has in that he does not look right in a suit. :-) Now if he was just wearing a bandolier round his hairy frame, he could make it big in a George Lucas film.
My problem is with full back cover is that we do not have any since the departure of Paul Telfer and JJPD.
At RB for Mark Wilson we have only Gary Irvine who was not sensational at Ross County and was played in midfield mostly with the reserves when he returned from loan there. After that we have tried Caldwell, Hartley and Bjarnasson without much sign of strengthening the defence. Paul Caddis could prove me wrong but, I suspect, he will have to prove himself on loan somewhere to be judged ready to make the big jump to Celtic first team standard.
AT LB, our situation is worse. We have the prospect of using McManus or O'Dea and sacrificing our team pattern where the full backs have to overlap, or we use Ryan Conroy, our latest attempt to recreate the Ashley Cole translation from winger to full back. Young Ryan did not look ready for this level of competition judging by the Scotland U-20's performance in Canada.
So, I think we might have to let our desire for a WOW signing at Centre Half and Centre Forward positions take a back seat to our need to have adequate cover for our full backs.
Any ideas about who we could sign, apart from Whittaker as Hibs will not sell him except at an inflated price this year?
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Maestro, McManus played 42 games in Gordon's first season and 44 games last season. He has been our managers go to guy for his whole time in management. If he is so inept then why do you think our manager keeps picking him?
I don't know, you'd have to ask WGS. I just don't rate him as a defender. My personal opinion of course, but like I say, I stay on the Continent, and am therefore maybe not so exposed to the whole he's come up through the ranks so must be good thing that seems to be present on a lot of message boards.
Yes, he's been pretty much ever present under Strachan, but he is a year older than Kennedy, but didn't break through till 2 years later, ie he was 3 years older than Kennedy when he broke through. Does that not say that MON didn't rate him either, despite not exactly having lots of CB cover in his last Season?
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OH MY GOD!
JUST BEEN ON HUDDLEBOARD FOR FIRST TIME.
THINK THERE IS MORE INTELLIGENT CHAT ON FOLLOW FOLLOW!!
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SFTB - My concern regarding the CB slots goes back to MON days. He played two holding midfielders because deep down he didn't fully trust the two/three centre-backs to keep out the opposition.
WGS played Hartley next to Lenny during the latter stages of last season, which was completely alien to the player's natural game. Earlier in the season, he also tried that with the indisciplined TG, another player who likes to wander up the park (well just wander basically). Both completely unsuccessful.
Assuming that Skoosh will have a license to get forward next season, if the manager plays Aiden AND Naka, then that puts a lot of pressure on Massimo. We may even hear how much we miss Lenny!
The full-back positions are vital and we certainly need to give Wilson and Naylor some serious competition. Personally, I would have paid the £400K for Doumbe!
I seem to recall GL2 & others saying that Wilson was better at left-back.
JVoH needs a partner of the right quality. Right now he looks like a lot of money for a player who will never be your top striker.
We need to punt a fair bit of baggage in order to address the deficiencies in the first team. The squad is nearly there as far as the title is concerned, but we're not ready to put out a team in the CL qualifier and feel confident.
TTTT
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Matt the Bhoy
Completley agree with you regarding our center backs, my thought exactly, especialy reagrding McManus. He's a worry and a half.
I suspect tho our CB pairing will be McManus with either Kennedy or Pressley, with whcih ever one of those two dosnt start on the bench (Shame as that leaves the likes of Claldwell ODea and Balde in the reserves)
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Collie, I will hear no dispute on our immediate domestic future; three in a row.
Jimtim, I would also spend a bit of money on the defence, it is at the top of my shopping list.
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hail hail tunnel one of my MINESHAFT has reopened.
God I love the smell of Celtic car park in the morning.
But fear not - a defeat to the MLS superstars is no disgrace we were playing at (in Scottish time) 2am in the morning.
These are athletes - honed and prepared for specific times - 2am is miles off there optimum performance level.
So try not to blame them.
There is the makings of a decent side here.
We need competition for the full back positions a decent centre half (if we sell Bobo) and a WOW striker.
Oh, and Paul67, if you think Bobo isn't good enough for the SPL anymore funny how Keane thinks he is plenty good enough for the EPL.
We also need to ditch Jiri, Gravesen, Miller, Magic, Pressley, Hartley, ~Caldwell and Virgo.
More importantly we need to ditch Strachan. Already his team is showing an alarming lack of tactical awareness and discipline.
I'm afraid he may have an eye for a decent player but he doesn't know how to build a team.
We can expect more of the disorganised rabble we had to endure last season - A LOT MORE - there's no Neil Lennon to save his ginger bottom.
Give Gordon a job as a scout. He'll be good - make us a few bob.
if we don't it's DOWN THE HILL AND INTO THE MINESHAFT
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Hi again Matt
I do tend to agree that McManus has his limits as a player but I wish people would come out and question the manager rather than denigrate the player.
It is easy to say that we could have a better player in the position but that could be said of almost all our out fielders. We have to put our resources where they can do the most good and our manager, so far, has decreed that Midfield and Forward were the places to spend the cash. On this decision we will judge him.
If we ship 3 away goals per game in Europe again then we will have just cause. If we lose goals that cost us points in the league due to specific mistakes from our centre halves then we will have just cause.
For now, I think we have more than enough at the back to win the league and, to be honest, I think games in the SPL are won more in the middle anyhow.
#8
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Folks,
I posted a few weeks ago my view that we would concede more goals this season without Neil Lennon in midfield. I stick by that view, and think there's a growing concern that the balance of defensive & midfield options available at present will not fit the bill if we want to make progress in the coming season.
glass-half-fullCSC - justified or not?
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It is unthinkable to go into the season with only 2 fullbacks.
Naylor ( a tremendous player) played too many games and looked jaded at times last season.Whereas Wilson wasn`t fit for half the season.
full back must be a priority
i went on holiday 3 weeks ago thinking that Doumbe was to be signing ....was he wanting too much money ?
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mcgrory-for-arsenal
so what is your favourite flavour of crisps?
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Paul
Could we have bid for Naismith? The following is from the Killie chairmen on various sites now:
However, Johnston revealed that the waiting game goes on.
He said: "There is nothing to report, Steven is still a Kilmarnock player. We have had no formal increased offer from Rangers. I haven't had direct contact with them for quite a while.
"They made their last offer and then they withdrew it. As it stands there are two Scottish clubs who have made bigger offers than Rangers.
Now is he playing games or have Hearts and Hibs out bid Rangers?
#8
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Let the huns have naismith. He is one of their own and no better than what we have already.
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paul,you know my views on leeds united.I wish that club,its chairman,its manager and its support all the very worst.
Unfortunately I dont see any way that we could take them over and move into the english league as the fa wouldnt allow it and I suspect UEFA/FIFA too and a legal battle is something we wouldnt win.
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Niasmith is about as inspiring as the other signings they have made this season.He fits the bill and will be welcomed by the loyal members who have always dreamed of all things Darnel.
Where is the football to come from....wee Barry again i suppose . We may not be world beaters but we`re better than that rabble new recruits et al
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Gweedorbhoy 21:56
Did you/do you have the same thoughts on Scott Brown?
Just curious.
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Tinlord(?) that would be the same Keane who bought Stan Varga and Ross Wallace. No harm to either player, but I also wanted Celtic to move on from those options. I wonder what would your reaction be to Gordon Strachan if he signed Wallace, Varga and was going back to the same club for Balde.
We would have worried about you if you did not show after a preseason friendly defeat, though I have to admit I was hoping for a bit more hysterical flapping like last year :-)
Great No. 8, we have not made a bid for Naismith, I suspect the Kilmarnock chairman has extrapolated a telephone enquiry from Celtic into something more formal. If we wanted him, he would be signed by now. Our man made a very predatory enquiry; I don’t know how highly he is rated at CP, or whether we will scoop him up if our other targets do not materialise.
The Naismith saga is another fascinating sub-plot to our summer. Rangers were edging ever closer to his signing right up until last weekend before the dawn raid on Ibrox.
If Rangers having something to worry about, they may well pull back from all business. It is likely to be months, maybe years, before the police enquiry reaches a conclusion, but this could be an early weather vane.
For what it is worth, I think he is worth a punt.
Awalkacross, aye.
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toonbarmy...........????
IF WGS HAD JUST SIGNED BALDE FOR A FREE IN THE SUMMER AND WAS PAYING HIM £5K WEEK. HE'D BE FIRST CHOICE.
GORD DIDNT SIGN HIM BUT HE DID SIGN PRESSLEY!? WHO IS AHEAD OF BALDE IN GORD'S FAVOUR
TO SUGGEST THAT HE IS BEING SOLD FOR PURELY FOOTBALL REASONS IS DISENGENUOUS.
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Hysterical flapping???
There was nothing hysterical and certainly no flapping in my comments last year.
Celtic were a poor team in a poor league. I stand by that.
Artur saved us and got us into the last 16.
If Martin had secured such a keeper then we would have been some team.
Martin should have signed Gordon as a scout.
Fair play to Gordon - he can find a player - but he can't shape a team.
These friendlies mean little nowadays. Since Martin we have become the big team which the wee teams raise their game for.
A bit like us when the only opportunity we had to play against EPL sides or continental opposition was in pre season friendlies.
Then these games meant something to us. The fans are still hanging on to those memories.
In truth they don't matter any more.
But what does matter is the lack of cohesive shape and Gordon's unfailing ability to coach natural talent out of players.
He over coaches - the team will suffer for it and he's to much of a temperamental fella to suffer his own failures.
Sure winning is winning - but there was little joy in it last season and to be honest it was done despite Gordon - we scraped past the nonentities of Scottish football and lucked our way into the last 16.
I have no problem with luck by the way.Martin could have done with it when it came to signing keepers.
Hedman was his Gravesen
Anyroad there's a good enough squad there but there isn't a man in town capable of shaping them.
Smith's bullyboys will kick us off the park this season and Strachan's inabilty to build a cohesive unit will only make his job easier
Gordon has won the right to manage this team for another season but I fear it's DOWN THE HILL AND INTO THE MINESHAFT
And as far as I'm concerned the appalling football we had to endure last season was enough to send any fan heading for the pick and shovel
Open the tunnels bhoys the gane is almost up
down the hill and into the mineshaft
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Hysterical flapping???
There was nothing hysterical and certainly no flapping in my comments last year.
Celtic were a poor team in a poor league. I stand by that.
Artur saved us and got us into the last 16.
If Martin had secured such a keeper then we would have been some team.
Martin should have signed Gordon as a scout.
Fair play to Gordon - he can find a player - but he can't shape a team.
These friendlies mean little nowadays. Since Martin we have become the big team which the wee teams raise their game for.
A bit like us when the only opportunity we had to play against EPL sides or continental opposition was in pre season friendlies.
Then these games meant something to us. The fans are still hanging on to those memories.
In truth they don't matter any more.
But what does matter is the lack of cohesive shape and Gordon's unfailing ability to coach natural talent out of players.
He over coaches - the team will suffer for it and he's to much of a temperamental fella to suffer his own failures.
Sure winning is winning - but there was little joy in it last season and to be honest it was done despite Gordon - we scraped past the nonentities of Scottish football and lucked our way into the last 16.
I have no problem with luck by the way.Martin could have done with it when it came to signing keepers.
Hedman was his Gravesen
Anyroad there's a good enough squad there but there isn't a man in town capable of shaping them.
Smith's bullyboys will kick us off the park this season and Strachan's inabilty to build a cohesive unit will only make his job easier
Gordon has won the right to manage this team for another season but I fear it's DOWN THE HILL AND INTO THE MINESHAFT
And as far as I'm concerned the appalling football we had to endure last season was enough to send any fan heading for the pick and shovel
Open the tunnels bhoys the gane is almost up
down the hill and into the mineshaft
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Balde has pace and can often get back and cover tackle .We do not have another CB who could comfortably beat BBJ in a foot race.Pressley is slow because he`s old ....Mick and Caldwell are just slow
imo niether JK nor O`Dea are ready yet
Balde best we have ..no brainer regardless of his wages
anyway does it not make financial sense to play a player that your paying a fortune to ,TG excepted as he`s become a parody and we have better players in his position
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tinlord
Welcome,mon ami... ye hiv chinged yer moniker---ah see!
Ah like it sae much Bettah! Dat Suttel chinge o' Lettah!
Noo, in answer tae yer query aboot why is Martin no leery....
Aboot signing Big Bobo,
Doncha Know?
Fur Martin also liked Petrov, who we wur delighted tae see da BACKOV!
An' he liked the wee Barra Maloney..
Who wiz so Dis-loyal,
Aand may yet, turn oot a Foney!
So we ur weel rid o' him, as weel, Doncha know!
Na, Martin mebbe Bettah at Pickin' an Irish Settah!
He may hiv a loat o' Doggy NOUS!
But, he disnae know a guid player any mair dan me an' you!
So, if he goes fur Bobo?
Which, we think wid show some Pluck!
Although, mebbe dis time roon, he'll hiv some Luck!
collie.
Tail's Awaggin', Awaggin'
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Paul 67 - As for Wallace - i always like the boy thought he had real talent. varga never impressed me.
However Balde has more European experience than anyone in our side bar, possibly Jarosik.
He is a much better defender than Pressley.
I was at Anfield when he nullified Michael Owen, I was at Celtic Park when he removed Paul Scholes as an attacking threat.
He offers much more to us than Caldwell or Pressley.
Lose them - keep Bobo - unless we have quality lined up and we get a decent price for the big man.
Young Master Wallace proved himself at Sunderland - he had his ups and downs but he scored key goals for his side in key games.
He is a good player I wish him the best - I doubt he will have to play at left back again.
Unlikely to meet such a manager - it's like surviving a plane crash - chances of being in another one are incredibly slim.
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pfayr.youre right abt balde and his ability to get back and cover.only problem is very often his own mistakes hes trying to cover for.
agree the centre halfs need looked at but at 28k a week off the wage bill yes thank you.
he at times can be a liabilty eg seville but I feel his time has come and gone.
pressley aint good enough true.
mick/odea still raw.
jk still trying to get himself totally ready.
caldwell not good enough
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Ah collie
no more bones fur you.
I never rated Mr Stan - maloney suffered from Celtic's man management skills.
McGeady Riordan Gravesen Jarosik suffer too
But don't worry Gordon is yet to see the mineshaft under the car park which is why he still puts his money on Hartley, pressley and Caldwell.
God help us
No - get him gone - goodbye gordon - a scouting role for you my friend it's that or DOWN THE HILL AND INTO ThE MINESHAFT
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Tinlord (I prefer this name much better) luck, I detect a flap!
I do not take “luck” from Rangers fans and I will not have it here.
If we had been lucky in the Champions League, we would have had those two incredibly soft penalties that Man Utd got against us.
If we had been lucky in the Champions League we would have one of the two genuine penalty claims against Milan.
Four penalty decisions went against us in the Champions League, good luck had nothing to do with our campaign.
I remember hearing "luck" from a Rangers fan after we beat Boavista, "lucky scuffed shot".
The same guy said the same thing when we beat Celta Vigo after "Hartson foulded at the goal".
Write off our achievements as "luck" and you will be left with little to celebrate.
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tinlord gies peace..
what more does strachan have to do?
a short memory my friend brady,macari,tb,venglos,barnes never won much if anything for the club.
sure things aint all singing all dancing but give me gary caldwell as opposed to muggleton,biggins,lee martin,rafael,berkovic,slater,byrne etc
no pleasing some people.if you want to stay in the dark ages up to you.
a manager whose succesful??
it will never catch on
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It's a TIN mine then, where they post from the TINternet, as they sing along to "we're the bhoys TIN Alloys'
Hail hail
Estadio
ps whit TINe's the game on Monday a.m
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estadio 8pm sun nite
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onlive on the usual free streaming web site
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Anyone who tells says that Bobo Balde is not the best central defender at Celtic Park must have knowledge of someone who has yet to appear in the first team.
We have 38 SPL games ahead of us. Not only is Bobo the best at Celtic, there isn't a better central defender in the SPL. It matters not one jot about his salary - he is the only defender we have with a real physical presence and real pace.
Ask any SPL striker if their heart sinks when the see Bobo in that tunnel their answer will undoubtedly be yes. There is nobody else at Celtic who has that effect on the opposition just now.
(Imagine standing in the tunnel looking over at Bobo, Sutty, BBJ, Johan Mjallby....and the King of Khings. Ahhhh, the good old days).
I think we all agree that Steven Pressley is not up to the task. He may be a good communicator with experience, but then so is Billy McNeill. I would expect neither to be a first choice defender for Celtic this season.
We are lightweight. I've debated this with TTTT previously.
Rangers will build a team that will take care of the rest, primarily through physical presence. They will also identify Celtic's weaknesses and make a concerted attempt to exploit them. Our weakness is our defence, left back excluded, and our physicality, or lack of.
It's ok trying to get a cultured central defender with the CL in mind, but if you can't take care of business at home there won't be a CL the following season.
bobosgoanniegetyeCSC
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I have checked The Impostor Syndrome on Wikipedia and discovered that it is not what the term would lead you to think that it is.
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Guys,
some interesting and diverse posts tonight. No view is 'right' and no view is 'wrong'. The only view that counts is that of the one that makes the decisions. But all good stuff today for sure.
A wee thought. Football is a wonderful game. Celtic is a magical club. I love following the team. I get a tingle every time they come out the tunnel, whether I'm in Paradise or in a CSC in North America. I love it.
I do worry about some fans....including a few on here. Do you really allow yourself to enjoy what Celtic does? Some fans might be too entrenched in publicly shouted views. So much so, that that sometimes reality doesn't fit.
Example. A guy at my club 'loves' Nakamura and 'hates' Aiden. That is, one can do no wrong in his eyes, and one can do no right.
Me, I accept that one is much more the complete, mature player, while the other is erratic. I, like my pal, have higher expectations of Naka.
So, when Aiden gets the ball, I hope for the best, but I know there is a chance he'll cough the ball up. When he DOES get it right, I love it. Absolutely love it.
My pal? He can't enjoy the moment. Why? Aiden is 'crap'. So he goes into his 'aye but' routine. 'Aye but Naka does that ALL the time'. Or 'Aye but Aiden only does it once in a while'. Aye but this, aye but that.
So, wonderful things happen on the Celtic tapestry, and some fans can't see it, can't appreciate it, can't enjoy it.
So, lighten up. Yes, some players are better than others. But they can all do things that lighten up our football supporting lives. Open your eyes, or you'll miss some great stuff.
Who knows, maybe Mick will have a good season? Maybe Aiden will slip a clever wee ball to McDonald to win an important game?
Maybe our manager will coach us to a title? Or two, even?
Don't miss the party by getting overwhelmed by Aye But. If you do, you are taking yourself and your opinions too seriously. In fact, take some time out and enjoy being wrong!!!
I've seen umpteen Celts who have done well and proved me wrong. I love it.
Enjoy your Celtic Supporting lives, folks.....:)
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Get the polis someone has kidnapped TTTT as someone has actually agreed with something he said and laso he quoted someone who knew what he was talking about... me.
WDH I know you like Mark but I seriously think he is a better left back than right and if you or anyone can stomach it watch the copenahgen away game and watch when he tries to tackle with his wrong leg. Also when we signed him and he played against his former employees they punted high balls to him and he did not cope well.
Kollie Maloney was driven as I have said before by bad management from us and our tightness not his desire for more money.
I believe we need 2 full backs at least preferably 2 right backs.
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Awalkacross....
Thanks for the info.
The reason I asked is that on the fishal website the MLS game was down as a 19.30 ko, obviously US time, and for Scotland it Kicked off at 02.00 (the next dated morning).
The site states that the Chicago game KOs on sunday 22nd at 21.00.
I thought it would then be circa 4.00 am in Glasgow (Monday morning)or is the site wrong?
Hail hail
Estadio
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Estadio/awalkacrosstherofftops, Sunday's game is a 3pm CT kickoff in Chicago, which is 9pm BST.
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A couple of observations & (at the risk of repeating myself) a plea to 'cool them jets'!
We have not been as strong in the CB department since the Stubbs Reiper combo. Problem is we haven't determined the best partnership. We've been unlucky with injuries and no pairing has really had a decent run to cement itself. I thought Caldwell/McManus was beginning to shape up before Gary was crocked. Thereafter they all seemed to fall down! I'm no great fan of Pressley but could absolutely understand the signing as the only men left standing had little experience. Despite everything else which could be said, Pressley brought the experience of hardened professionalism after playing at a reasonably high level of the game throughout his career.
Saddened by some assessments of McManus. Everyone entitled to their opinion of course but I hold him in high regard and would expect the ultimate partnership to be Mick (as captain) and A N Other.
Friendlies - no time for them. Stopped attending them after the Arsenal home game. Complete & utter tosh, all of them. Good, bad or indifferent performances have no bearing on anything, except it seems some supporters morale. Poor things seem a tad sensitive if you ask me. For myself, can't get excited in victory; can't get agitated in defeat.
In general this is not a great Celtic team and we should build our expectations accordingly. It does not mean we need be despondent but realistic. As supporters we should work hard to encourage this group because some of them will become legends in due course. We will get better year on year and glory awaits but can we agree to lend them a hand meantime? Has anyone the patience?
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weeron well said
the anti strachan brigade are exteremly tiresome
back the team warts and all.
becoz what we all want want is a winning team and I for one dont care how we do it.a reapeat of last season will do for me.
we all know that the cardigan will try to get physical but we can take care of ourselves have no worries abt that
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63thirds it was not a partnership Reiper and Stubbs....it was in reality Reiper and anyone. I think Marc made every player near him better if Marc had been playing in Front of Rab he would ahve looked good as he made the paper runner behind him look good.
U2 I believe you are basing your assessment on Bobo as in Bobo a few years ago not a guy of 32 with a bad injury record. I love him for what he brought to the club but everyone has their time.
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Thanks Matt....
I can now return to the intellectual exercise of comparing our progress as a team and club with my latest attempt at rebuilding my shower room.
My findings will be published at a suitable juncture!
However just before I go, I would like to make this one complaint to the whole world.
Having taken the plunge and acquired a widescreen, flat panel mega-supersize- cinematic experience viewing facility that required the demolition of one wall to get it into the 'now alfresco' living room, the broadcasts of various preseason games and sport in general from abroad have all been in 4:3 transmissions.
Gawd life really gets me down!
Hail hail
Estadio
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Weeron
Congrats, pal...ye pit it weel..
everything ye wrote ah Stamp wit' ma Seal!
Ye, hiv shown dat Dislike, is really a form o' Like,
Fur some people really Like tae Moan, tae reveal der Dislike!
Da thing dat's main, is dat we awe worship at da same Altar,
Even when oor brave wee Celts...
gie a wee stagger an' may falter!
So, ye wrote guid stuff,da Best o' da Day,
It made ma best day,since da 26th o' May!
collie.
Tail's Awaggin', Awaggin'
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matt cheers.knew it was sunday nite ko in uk thought it was an 8 bells ko.
mind u on usual stream website...
clashing with bily sloan on snyde dilemmas...
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Agree wi Weeron.
Wanting to trip up the Porto fans from the top of the stairs where we were sitting at the final whistle in Seville. So disappointed.
Almost getting ejected from a pub in Twickenham when Marshall/Kennedy defied Barcelona. Too much swearing at Ronaldinho apparently.
Praying Saha would miss from right behind the goal last year. And he did.
And now it starts again wi the CL qualifiers when I can't relax til I see the draw, then the games, then the result.
Like everybody I have opinions on players/formation/management but they all go oot the windae when the game starts.
Roll on the season.
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sorry billy sloan even...
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Having expressed concern about one aspect of the current team I feel obliged to balance it with an appraisal of other aspects.
I believe we have the basis of an excellent short to medium term team. Players such as O'Dea, Brown, McGeady, McDonald (always been impressed by him, if once or twice gutted by him), Riordan, Sno and Bjarnnason are still very young. They will be better this year than they were last year. Also quietly hopeful about Kennedy.
Add to that the fact that Boruc, Naylor, Donati, JVOH and McManus still have their best years ahead of them I am excited by the future.
I also hope a few quid is left aside for January. A wow signing in January may be required to turn the screw at a time when others can't afford to spend.
We will also get good money for those players who do not fully fit the bill. It may come in August or it may come in January. But it will come.
Greenlion, tightness? Driven? Not sure your fairly assessing Maloney's situation there. If he chose to go for something other than money then I missed what that something was. As a 23 year old with next to no international experience I'm not sure one good season warrants a 'give him what he wants' approach.
I hope he does well as I loved him that one season, but he left for more money through his own choice. Nobody else's. His choice of club tells you all you need to know.
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u2 saw the post re maloney
have media player on and simple minds life in a day comes on.spooky...
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Two somewhat irrelevant questions..
Anyone into German music - bands called Madsen and Fantastiche Vier. And anyone ever bought any of the gym equipment you see on Eurosport after it closes down - like '6 second abs'?
And a tad more football-related. Anyone been able to substantiate the earlier-posted Mendy from PSG rumour. And Collie, earlier when you posted at 18.00, you spoke of 'Celtic triumphing and winning the Pennant'. This clearly had nothing to do with Jermaine Pennant on loan from Liverpool.
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bloke 109 propganda only
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U2 why the choice of club? He went to a manger who played him as a young bhoy and up until his injury and even during his injury showed every faith in him.
After his injury and comeback Shaun showed what MoN had seen in him earlier and what MoN did not think he could show (if that makes sense).
Some players need a wee bit of loving and respect from those high above them.
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legendary german band.
mate into neubaten but bit extreme for me
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walkacross
Yup, got their stuff from the 80s, the Trevor Horn one. Was on holiday and heard a couple of German things which were ok - stuff's on youtube. I also saw Nena's (99 red balloons) latest video. Got a massive i-pod to fill and trying to broaden taste.
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GL2
I know nothing of the Shaun situation.
I do however know someone who posted on this site that Shaun had decided to go months before he actually did.
I also happen to know where his info comes from, and it isn't someone that would even think of holding a conversation with the likes of me.
One of you must be wrong!
Hail hail
Estadio
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Greenlion2
My opeenion aboot Maloney's Run, is no Exactlee, carved in Stone,
As everyone knows, whatever was his True Desire, is known only to Him Alone!
However, from some Info. ah goat, it led me tae thote,
Dat de lad was an ungrateful an' Cangin', wee Toasser!
He wiz den condemned in ma Eyes as a Ingrate who Lies,
as fur Six months he had lived da life o' a Gold plated .... Loaby Doasser!
Mebbe, ah goat it wrong, mebbe Molly wiz an Innocente, all along!
If ye know any bettah, then ah offer ma deepest apologies,
collie.
Tail's Awaggin', Tail's Awaggin'
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By the way, a good morning/afternoon/evening/wee sma’ hours (what a time-travelling support we have! - Tims And Relative Dimension In Space)
I think we are about to launch into the new season in a far better shape than we were in last year.
Undoubtedly we are more talented across the park, we have more depth, we are younger and I believe we have more options.
We will also be fitter, know each other more effectively and crucially understand our own capabilities after the last strenuous few weeks where games have come pretty fast and training to overcome the ennui of the summer break has been balanced and productive.
But most importantly we have the lessons of my shower room/wet room/ downstairs bathroom to build upon.
And that is to come.....
Hail hail
Estadio
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Arsenal, last of the EPL big four to remain in domestic ownership, are in play. Stan Kroenke, who owns all or part of the St Louis Rams, Denver Nuggets and Dogpatch Turnips, has made an approach to the Arsenal board to take over. He's let it be known that if this approach is rejected he'll go 'unfriendly'. This time next year I think Celtic will be third or forth biggest turnover UK club NOT owned by a US or Russian plutocrat.
Mr Desmond will surely be faced with an offer that is difficult to refuse in the next year or so. After all, we don't have the EPL 30 million, but we do have the CL 10-15 million plus a bit of Setanta cash to add to the terrific gate money and all those jumpers ...
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Bhoys im not saying im 100% Shaun compliant but from the information I know and published on here and also the long lost Vinniethedog used to publish on here we were not far away from each other that my source was good.
Estadio did the t-shirt arrive and what size was it?
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GL2,
His choice of club was Aston Villa.
MON gave him his debut when the league was won and regularly gave him a place on the bench. Not withstanding his injury periods, which were not insignificant, I don't have the same recollection of faith being shown in him by MON that you do. If anything I felt MON showed moe faith in McGeady than Maloney.
He may need a wee bit of loving, but would he have went for a wee bit of loving if the money was less than Celtic offered him? I'm sure the loving he received during his one season of delivery will not be matched wherever he goes, and certainly will not achieve it at Aston Villa.
I hope Villa are successful as I liked Shaun, admired Stan and loved Martin for his contribution to Celtic.
I am fairly certain I could take a bet that he won't win anything there though and be comfortable that my had earned pound would remain safely in my pocket.
On Bobo, he is worth one more run in the team. He is well rested and ready to go. Only then will we know if he is past it. I doubt it. Centre halves get better with age...up to a point!
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U2 I will drop the Shaun debate as it gets to the stage no one will ever get it right (aprt from me of course!!!) but Bobo was a great player for us along with the bhoys he played along side but time moves on.
As I have said on here before Big Mick has played along Bobo, Gary and Darren last season and looked good beside them only when we have played Stephen and not had Paul Telfer has our defence been exposed against normal level teams.
If my memory serves me right Paul T played 40 minutes against man utd away and Milan away for 120 minutes and the defence only conceded 1 goal. I think he played against Benfica away but did not play agaianst Copenahgen away. Consodering since our new team (ie MoN revolution) I would say that Paul is 1 of our best defenders in europe as in 4 away games he has ONLY conceded 8 goals!!!!
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Its quiet and im going to bed soon so a wee quick quiz taken from celticminded write down all the teams in the spl apart from gretna and name 5 players who have played for them and also us....
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GL2- Easy ones to start with:-
Rangers- K. Miller, A.Conn, M.Brown, S. Pressley, Judas.
Aberdeen- Hewitt, Nicholas, Stark, Whyte, Jimmy Smith.
Hearts- Whittaker, Lynch, McKinlay, Pressley, Hartley.
Motherwell- Walker, Deans, McLair, McDonald, McBride.
Hibernian- Caldwell, Brown, Collins, McLeod, Stanton.
St. Mirren- Stark, McGarvey, McAvennie, Fernie, Lambert
more to follow
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Using loan moves and cheating with repetition of player:
Aberdeen
Hewitt, McGhee, McNamara, Aitken, Nicholas
Dundee United
Wilson, McInally, Hannah, McQuilken, Jackson
Falkirk
Judas, Gillespie, Fulton, Hughes
Hearts
Whittaker, Colquhoun, Pressley, Hartley, McKinlay
Hibs
Riordan, Caldwell, Brown, Collins, McLeod
ICT
Prunty, M Brown, Christie
Kilmarnock
Burns, Stark, Quinn, McInally, Fernandez
Motherwell
McDonald, O'Donnell, Coyne, Marshall, Falconer
Rangers
M Brown, Judas, Conn, Miller, Pressley
St Mirren
Aitken, McAvennie, McGarvey, Lambert, Stark
Falkirk 5th escapes me
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Jim Duffy?
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That leaves:-
Kilmarnock- Fernandez, Provan, Sylla, Gary Holt
ICT- Mark Brown, Charlie Christie
Dundee Utd;- Mark Wilson, David Hannah, Pressley again, Jim McInally
Falkirk- John Hughes,Gary Gillespie,
I need 1 from Killie and United and 3 each from Falkirk and ICT. I can't believe there are 5 at ICT.
Going to bed to think it over.
Night.
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I'll add
Kilmarnock - Ally Hunter
Falkirk- Gordon Marshall
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Mornin, I find it hard to be negative about any player who plays for Celtic. They dont actually go out to make a mess of things, they may not be what we or the manager expects but that does not mean they are always going to be a complete nightmare when they step on to the park.
I felt sorry for big Balde after the UEFA cup final after THAT challenge and speaking to a relative recently,thats how he remembers him. Unfair or what ?...in my opinion over the piece he was fantastic.
Other people decide whether someone is Celtic class. Some make it and some dont. But i'll support any player who sets foot on that park and that he will do his best. It may not be good enough but i expect others far better placed than me to recognise it.
Keep going Mr Strachan as i am quite sure your there to make Celtic the best it can be.
Hail Hail, and get stuck right into them all.
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ArdRi1014.... fully agree.
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Can we please stop all this nonsense,about us having a great defence under MON?
We did have a good run for one year 2002-2003.
Anyone for a Champion's League away game?
Seem to remember,when it mattered,many goals sailing in against us,or is my memory playing tricks.
Seem to recall Rangers putting five past us at Ibrox,or is that a dream too?
Seem to recall us having a succession of goalkeepers,which really were no better than me.
Yes,it is correct to say that we had a few big scary bullies,and a even a few decent defenders,but we never had a great defence as a whole.
It took months,or even longer,when it was plainly becoming an embarrassment with a back three,(and this was exposed by none other than the tactical genius McLeish,with a negative cash flow for players)for us to change to a back four.The reason he persisted so long with a back three was because he wouldn't have known a full back or a goal keeper if one had bitten him on the backside.
The best player we had in defence,was Johan Mjallby,a Dr Jo signing.
Both Joos and Bobo,had a good two years,but with obvious failings,and at fullback,let me see,we had a winger on one side,and a midfielder on the other.
These were not experiments(Ross Wallace)or people filling in,due to injury(Gary Caldwell)
No,this was a long term situation due to either,an inability to see the defence as anything other than having a few big bruisers there to kick people,or,he was unable to purchase,anything but big bruisers.
We had that good a defence under MON that even he felt we had to play Lambert and Lennon in the same team,just to protect them.
Thus causing players like Lubo to miss out entirely.
Our defence at the moment(well in the practice game the other night,and after we had won the league)is not the best we have ever had,don't get me wrong.
But to say it was much better between 2000 and 2005 just because MON was the manager,just goes to show that some people are comparing Gordon Strachan with MON,and Mon will always be the man,and they will attempt to bring up unsubstantiated and patently wrong,nonsense,to try and make their point.
If we could discuss the current players without constant reference to the "sainted" MON to try and prove a point,we may get on a lot better.
He was a good manager,even a great manager for us,at that particular time,but I will let you into a secret.
He is gone,left,somewhere else.
Apart from the final season,and setting up a few of his mates financially before he left,he was good for Celtic.
Let us leave it at that.
And just in case anybody comes up with numbers regarding the particular defences under each manager.
I will simply rebuff that after two seasons under MON we had won four trophies and managed to play in the Champion's League group stage,whilst having the good fortune to have a player like Larsson.
After two seasons under Gordon Strachan we have won four trophies and progressed to the last eight of the Champion's League,whilst spending a lot less money on the team,and having to be rid of expensive driftwood left by your predecessor at same time.
So what do these numbers tell you?
P.S.
Estadio,
good to see someone making an observation on the relative merits of the players and squad,year on year,after the practice games,rather than passing judgements on players based on pre season game results.
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Hi Lhads,
Unfortunately, I believe there will be no more signings before the start of the season. I think Gordon will try to work with what we have already and gel them into a formidable working unit for the coming season (fully understanding supporters apparent doubts concerning some areas of the team). This is my 'published' prediction!
Lets have some 'on line predictions' and see if they materialise in the coming season.
cheers
Freddiewhoisknackeredafterstayinguplastnight
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Apologies,I meant the last sixteen of course.
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Kano
spotted it but before I could jump in with, ‘Ya tube you’, you got your correction in.
FreddieBhoy.
I'll go first with your challenge.
One more signing at least before deadline day and four departures. (Sadly)
Celtic to win the Championship.
Celtic to get to at least one domestic cup final.
Possibly winning it, depending on what else may be occurring, which may prove a distraction.
Europe.
Well to be honest at this stage only a fool would hazard a guess.
I'll reserve predicting on that, until we see the draw for the groups. Assuming we qualify for them, which in itself, is a total unknown.
Gordon Strachan to still be our manager.
Celtic to return another profitable year.
Celtic to announce another major sponsorship deal.
The high courts in London to be busy hearing multiple fraud cases, some with ramifications impacting close to home. (Home being, Glasgow.)
The end or the World.
One day after the posted End of the World expiry date, a massive recruitment drive by the mineshafters and the doomsday boys on a revitalised crusade against the ginger heided one who will have done a ‘three in a row’.
Think about the actual achievement of a, ‘three in a row’.
(How many Celtic managers did three in a row)?
Those are my predictions freddiebhoy. Hope the wee man can help me out in fulfilling them because, between now and next May, he’s the main man.
Again I think well achieve it a lot less painfully if we try a little bit of positive supporting. Who knows, some even, may find it quite enjoyable.
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Kitalba,from memory I would believe only two managers,Jock Stein and Willie Maley.
With Willie Maley doing it twice,a six in a row and a four in a row.
Freddiebhoy,I have already stated my predictioms for the new signings.
As far as the team is concerned.
One more signing at the most,like yourself,I would not be surprised if their was none.
And two to leave,at the most,with maybe a couple of loans going out with the younger ones,and I think John Kennedy may go out until Christamas.
We will win the league,and one of the cups,again.
If we qualify for the group stages,I think we will do well to get to the third place in it.
If I am wrong,and we do get through to the knock out,we will go one better than last year,but I think we will be disappointed in the Champs League.
Gordon Strachan to leave at the end of the season,along with Peter Lawell.
Then we will know what trouble is.
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Just back from the Denver game and thought I would post my thoughts.
Firstly I'm not just a half glass full man, I'm three quarters full - and I'm also a Strachan supporter.
But I'm not sure why Gordon would take so many positives out of the game (ref. Celtic website),I was actually quite disappointed. Now I know the main purpose of these pre season games is to get the players match fit, see how the competition between the players sorts them out and also allows some new tactics to be tested. I imagine thats the measure of success, which would tick the positive boxes.
My view of the players and some predictions:
Boruc - world class again. Apart from saving the penalty he also kept out 3 real scoring chances to save our red faces even more.
Naylor and Wilson - neither one of them at the races. Both were given a torrid time all night by the 2 MLS wingers. They are quite short of match fitness.
Pressley- This man gives an honest effort with the talent he has, however he is not good enough, especially for the CL. He gives away far too many fouls on the edge of the box. I'm worried if he gets the nod to partner McManus which is looking likely.
McManus - Steady enough, gets passing marks.
Hartley- a shadow of the player he was at Hearts. Didnt show anything last season at the club and starting off the same way this year.
Donati- without setting the heather on fire he gets pass marks especially with some nice passes. I think he'll do a fine job for the club.
Scott Brown - Our most industrious midfielder who put in a full shift. I am so thankfull he joined our club and he will be a star.
Gravesen- I was excited about him joining the club last year and gave him the benefit of the doubt for longer than most. After this showing he is living off his past reputation. Was disposessed 3 times, giving MLS breakaways (sound familiar). Taxi Tommy!
Balde- watched him warm up on the sidelines for 20 minutes. The man has never looked in better physical shape. I know the fans are split on Bobo but I tell you we should pick him over Pressley every time until someone better is signed or 1 of the young ones breaks through.
Jarosik- Lazy performance and he's playing for his spot? Taxi!
McGeady - Looking very sharp and I expect big things from him this year. Showed drive and determination.
Jan VOH- quiet all night. We all know he can put the ball away, but if he doesnt get the service he is innefective at digging something out. Needs a digger alongside him.
McDonald - a true 'digger' who complements big Jan and creates some movement across the box. Had a goal chalked off and hit the post. Will be a big player for us.
Miller - what more can we say about Kenny's first touch.
Jarosik - Looked fitter and sharper than I've seen him since his first season. I think he will do us a turn again this season if he stays fit.
Overall the team was completely flat in the firt half, no pace and gave the impression of being out for a stroll. Strachan was giving them stick from the sidelines in the first half and at half time. hence the 'holidays are over' quote.
I didnt see the QPR game, so maybe this was just a poor performance from some of the players and the team, but I'm not as cocky about our chances this year as I was.
I am pumped about the new signings but see we still have gaps to close with a number of players who are just not good enough for a further push in Europe. I'm still hoping for another full back, centre back and a forward before the transfer window closes. If we get some extra quality in these positions and transfer some others then I would say we can be very optimistic.
If this is the squad however and we continue with some of the players who are underperforming, then we are not going to improve.
Otherwise a great time was had by all. My guess was about 4,000 Celtic fans sprinkled around the ground for the game.
Highlight was the 4 F16's that roared over the park at the end of the Star Spangled banner to signal the start of the game. It was a complete surprise and scared the living daylights out of everyone with the noise. So thats why the Bhoys put in such a timid performance until they changed their shorts at half time!
I would love to hear other views from anyone who was at the game.
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Kano
beggars belief that the achievement of three in a row has only been recorded on three previous occasions.
Just think MON was unfortunate not to do it, and after that failure, I think the time is now.
I have more faith in the law of averages than I do in, unquantifiable luck, and I have confidence in our current squad and manager. Luck is part of the equation but remains immeasurable. The integrity and consistency of the MIB, to police impartially, will also prove, part of the equation.
I believe the powers that be at Celtic Park are well aware of the significance of securing that third title and I would be a little disappointed if they didn’t push the boat out in pursuit of it, i.e. a couple more signings.
Re: your prediction about Peter Lawwell, is that a gut feeling or do you have info to steer you to that prediction.
I have heard from a couple of sources that this may be Gordon Strachan’s last year. Paul, apparently, alluded to such, in his speech at the Golf Day.
I hope that in winning a third title it would give G. Strachan the fortitude to contest another.
I agree with you whole heartedly, people should be careful what they wish for.
Some may think G.S. the devil, but better the devil we know.
And if he wins us four in a row , well maybe then some may forgive him his past and the lack of him having not been baptised in the Brotherhood of the CelticMinded.
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I cant wait for the season to start, so that we may can the negative conjecturing and get back to supporting the team. Does that make me a happy-clapper?
The rags say we've made a 2mil bid for Mendy. If this is true and we get him, it's problem solved at the full-back position. He is a good few grades above Doumbe (and Wilson, alas.) Back 4: Mendy-O'Dea-McManus-Naylor (with Wilson and Balde on the bench for cover.)
CanajunBhoy, you changed your mind of Jarosik pretty quickly! :)
Kitalba, Lawell said in an interview mid-season (with the Herald, I think) that his role at Celtic is very enjoyable, but very high-pressure and he may only be able to give it another 18 months (from then) before he has to get back to a "normal" job. I hope he stays, as he has something of a midas touch.
I think that if Strachan wins the league this year and is still getting sniped at he'll be off to a Premiership club, which is why I'd love to see the fans get behind him and mute the redtop agenda. Of course, if he doesnt win the league there will be so many cries for his head that I think he'll be offski anyway!
The elusive three-in-a-row. I think everyone in the game is aware of the significance... get three and it starts to look like an era (by which time Rangers would be skint, hopefully shackled by UEFA and HMPS, and will have very thin gate-receipts, early 80s-style.) O'Neill nearly did it, and I think we should remember why he didnt... that season we had arguably the best of the O'Neill teams, but we were knackered by a European run and by dodgy refereeing. That was the season that Rangers won the league by one goal and WERE AWARDED MORE PENALTIES THAN THE REST OF THE LEAGUE COMBINED! We wont have to just win the league this year, I fear. We may have to obliterate it, with so much daylight beteween us and them that no amount of skullduggery can handicap us.
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barca striker link to us in spanish press
Ulster-Celt
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Cheers Blitz
two thing I didn't know there.
Actually three.
The bid for Mendy?
Missed the Lawwell interview.
Was not aware that they got more penalties than the rest of the league combined.
Not doubting you but would be interested in seeing the numbersif you had them to hand.
Various reasons.
Did spot the double take on Jarosik.
Hedging your bets!!!!!
Cheers again.
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canajunbhoy,
Cheers for the update. I agree with one of your opinions on Jarosik, but I'm not telling you which one!
Anyone heard anything on Capone? Are we interested?
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Article on Mendy from vitalfootball, with a cheeky wee slant on PLG:
Former Rangers boss Paul Le Guen could do Celtic yet another favour - by selling French international defender Bernard Mendy.
The 25-year-old Paris St Germain player is considered one of the best right-backs in the French league and, according to reports in France, Celtic have made a bid of between €2-3million. Le Guen has reportedly said that none of his players are untransferable.
Mendy, who has won three caps for his country, started his career at Caen before moving to his current club in 2000. He made more than 20 appearances for Bolton during the 2002-03 season, where he showed that he can adapt his game to suit different conditions.
The Daily Record are carrying the story today, but it had previously appeared in French-language publications and seems to be the real deal. Celtic certainly need to strengthen at the back (related article here), and Mendy is clearly a classy player.
Perhaps a lot will lot will now depend on whether Le Guen wants to help out his favourite Glasgow club again - and given his performance while in charge of Rangers, perhaps he'll do all he can to help Gordon Strachan strengthen Celtic even further.
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I'd like to see Bobo and JFK at the back.
My own suspicions are that WGS hasn't announced McManus as captain yet as he knows he isn't good enough to keep down a starting place.
If all our centre halves were fit neither Pressley nor McManus would make the bench.
Bobo is the most experienced and still potentially the best CH we have - unless we punt him he has to play.
I'd pick Kennedy, O'Dea and Caldwell (they all offer something different) in that order ahead of an old slow lumbering centre half and a young slow lumbering centre half.
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If we get Mendy he will be a star. Quick and hard.
Very athletic.
Bloke109.
Celtic connection with Propoganda. Drummer for a while was Brian McGee a Glasgow Tim,(Owen Paul's older brother)!
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Ulster_Celt
My admiration. Don't kown how you managed to unearth that. Translation too.
Maybe I should revise my predictions to at least two in four out.
May not be anything in it but I would most certainly extend the courtesy of credibility to the Spanish press long before I'd entertain the malicious excretement that diarrhea's from the Scottish equivelant.
Well spotted. Even if nothing comes from it, it shows we are still active.
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testing
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i'm gonna take the risk of a yellow card here...
for anyone who wants to chart Naka's pre season
http://www.sportsnet.cc/v1/component/option,com_mtree/task,viewlink/link_id,1137/Itemid,31/
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GL2,
ICT - Liam Keogh
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GL2 (at dark o'clock)
Thanks for reminding me about the T-shirt. IT hasn't arrived AND the money hasn't gone from my account. Can you remind me of the website. Ta.
Kano (presumably relaxing in the antipodean winter)
I got worried for a moment there and thought I was on the cusp of a dismantling, so to prepare myself I went back and had a look at what I said. Fortunately the Guinness had made me all aglow and positive with visions of slick wall passing, Aiden 'turns', Artur 'acrobatics', Scott B 'tackles and turns', Scott M and JVOH turning into Toshack and Keegan, and Naka and Massimo mesmerising and majestic in a melifluous midfield of magic.
We won't need a back four (just as well mind you)
That was close I thought.
God knows what I would have written on the whisky, or even worse...sober!
Hail Hail
Estadio
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Testing. this is not john
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Estadio
for a moment there I thought you were gonna run out of breath
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tinlord at 22.48
Sorry but I just had to mention that Roy Keane played Ross Wallace at left back in two matches to my recollection last season and commented that his versatility was one of the things that attracted him.
You say that Gordon overcoaches the talent out of players. Can you expand?
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Estadio (the Genius)
How is the slabbery woman that is Liz McDonald?
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So why the delay over appointing big Mick as captain? I know that some here don't like him but it's pretty clear that GS does, as do I - he's played pretty much every game since GS took over - he might make the odd mistake but he's never let us down and he shows he really knows what it means to play for the hoops. So, why has GS not appointed him already? Just that he, clearly, likes Pressley's greater experience? I wonder though if it's down to Mick not being a good enough communicator on and off the field - clear from GS interviews that's something he's looking for. Anyone have any insight into this?
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Estadio the web page is
http://www.global-hoops.com/
tomeister correct
SFTB well done. On CM thye have 5 from each team except they are stuck on 4 from ICT. I have bumped it over there to see if anyone has the fifth.
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Back to the MLS game.
I am glad that Mr Strachan is unhappy with our performance.I am glad that he let JVOH know that he has to do better.
He now has to man manage the player's emotion's.
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Would Mendy be a WOW signing?? I dont believe a WOW signing will happen and I dont believe it has happened. Hype hype and more hype, when will we ever learn.
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Still on the MLS All Star select side.
Excuses are being made about the climate and the fact that the MLS side has played more games.The climate factor i accept.
That should be counter balanced by the fact that this was a league select side.
They have not played together regularly.They have had, very little ,if no time, to gel together.
They still managed to rip us apart.
The quality of player we have ,has to improve.
Hopefully guy's like Mendy will become Bhoy's,and stretch to fit the shirt.
We have far too many who are waiting on the shirt shrinking,and as Big Jock said "The Celtic shirt does not shrink to fit inferior players." Or something like that.
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tinytim,
I heard it was 25c during the game. Thats hardly a problem. And lets not forget a recent thumping to Young Boys of Berne or whatever they are called. I could understand if Celtic tired towards the end of a game but I understand that the MLS make shift team thumped Celtic in the first half.
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Morning/afternoon all
Heading off soon to watch the falkirk v Rangers game (Alex Totten testimonial).
Not sure what kind of side Rangers will be putting out given that they have a couple of home friendlies to prepare for their european qualifier. Falkirk have been blooding a lot of youngsters this pre season so they are running around like whippets.
Will report back on anything interesting from the game.
#8
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Kitalba, the only good thing I'll say about the Spanish sports media is that at least they are blatant(and therefore less sinister) about their bias.
They are intense BS merchants who are required to churn out even more nonsense even more regularly than their Scottish equivalents and have a disregard for non-Spanish football that would embarass Mark Laurenson and co.
Santi Esquerro has barely kicked a ball for Barça since his arrival and they are desperate to offload him. Can't say I've ever seen him play.
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U2_1888 at 23:31 last night : We already know that the Cardigan is going to try and physically intimidate us, so I actually agree that if Bobo is still at the club then I would use his brute force against them.
But if he starts a CL game, including the qualifier, then I'll be watching from behind the couch!!
GL2 : Martin does the quizzes on here, ok?! :-)
Thanks for the previous invite, but if I attempted a half-marathon then Mrs TTTT would be counting up the life insurance money!
See Ned Flanders is up to his old tricks on Snyde and in the DR.
TTTT
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Tinytim
Slabbery Woman, typical of that offspring of Noble Mankind's spare rib has managed to forget her password, along with forgetting to make me breakfast, and ironing my simmet and drawers.
She is feverishly searching around her distended purse, but so far has only found shergar, Atlantis and the lost world of Conan Doyle.
No sign yet of Lord Lucan or her teeth!
She has promised to return when her wet rash dries up and I go to finish the re-building of her operatic practice chamber (the downstairs bathroom).
She would however just like to mention that she thinks the new Setanta offering is brill, since she can now, "for a mere £19.95 + £6.95 pp, obtain the limited edition diecast model of the 1941 Ajax Flatbed truck with complimentary 1932 Fire Chief Coupe. Available only via Setanta. Not only does it come with 4 balloon tyres and a certificate of authenticity but at a huge four and a three quarter inches (I suggested the word 'huge') it is guaranteed to delight!"
"Ah so that's what you meant by a dinky" she exclaimed
Hail hail
Estadio
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Bhoy_Molloy - cover at full back is one of my concerns but Mendy wouldn't be a WOW for me.
At the time I thought GS was a bit over the top about Scott Brown and was pretty sceptical but having seen how he's started pre-season I'm convinced he will be a WOW this season. Donatti too has the potential to be, though the jury's still out on that.
As for a further WOW signing, I think that now depends on moving on TG & JJ - if they both go then I think that will make room. A top quality striker to partner JVoH would suit me just fine.
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GL2
Thanks for the website.
Hail hail
Estadio
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bhoy_molloy : Mark Wilson confirmed my fears about the altitude that the game was played at. He said he was knackered after 5 minutes.
Our players probably needed a week to acclimatise, but then again how many of the MLS players actually play their football in Denver?!
TTTT
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TTTT you could do the second part and come to the worlds greatest club which you could not join...
Right Harry Potter awaits ...
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Bhoy Molloy, we have a couple of WOW signings last year, and to be honest, I think we have matured in our collective view as a result of the season past in this respect.
When I look at Celtic as a business, I hope they create a feel good factor over the summer, which a WOW signing can do, because it is good for box office and sends tills whirring. The £4.4m signing of Scott Brown in May done this and as a result, we have had a summer full of much more anticipation than last.
In the last few days of August we made two WOW signings; too late to give us a summer feel good then, but WOW signings none the less.
I know for a fact that Celtic are still very active in the market, and may well cause an intake of breath with one of their targets, but I don’t see why you have an interest in a WOW signing for football reasons.
WOW is good for the newspapers, and great for those who like "hype". Hype is fair enough if this is what your enjoy, but if so, remember that hype is just a bit of fun, it does not win football games.
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I agree we had 2 WOW's last season and its a shame they have been so poor, but the excitment of signing these guys provides a great feel good factor. Roll on the WOW signing, if only for the sheer buzz.
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So not having seen Celtic play but having read lots of reports from all the sources available, but mostly here on CQN, I feel we need to cover two positions: we need a striker and a defender. I think nearly EVERYONE sees this as a necessity to alleviate any lingering anguish that we may feel before endeavouring into the Champions League. In my opinion the present squad is strong enough to win the SPL. With that out the way, I am more concerned about Celtic’s performance and progress in the Champions League. However, if we come back to our striker/defender problem, it would appear too much to ask for Celtic to invest in two quality players to cover these positions. So we need to make a choice.
Much and all as I would really love to see a great striking partnership up front (which would bring us the necessary excitement and produce goals, which we all want to see, and win us matches even though we would leak more at the back), I feel we have to strengthen the defence. Since it is the Champions League that presents a concern, we should invest everything we can in the best defender that we can buy. Unfortunately I feel that Pressley shouldn’t be seen in the Champions League and could well be a liability to our progress. The defence is just an “I hope that Balde, Kennedy, MacMannus, Caldwell, Wilson become reliably good” strategy. Therefore, if we invested in another player, namely a defender, I would sleep soundly. I believe that a defender is what we need more than anything else.
A defender, a defender, defo a defender.
Hail Hail
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i think as has been said in the past and concurrs with paul67's view "wow" does not always mean good
i personally would not class SB as a "wow" signing
all i want is a centreback better than we have and full back cover
Paul67 by "still very active" could u specify in which positions? if u can not or don't wish to then i would understand
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Oh Yeah!!!!!
do the record books record pre-season friendlies. Does anybody really care about them other than the terracing trainspotters.
Where did I put my campanologist anorak.
Who's gonna manage your emotions if Mr. Stachan rams your antagonistic ,cynicisms down your PC with three in a row.
Mr TinyTim is there anything in this world of Celtic that actually puts a smile on your face.
Uncle P
if my memory serves me well you live in Spain and would no doubt have a better appreciation of what is on offer and how the media spins it.
After reading the directing post I did search and came up with nowt.
However, as always, I live in hope.
Where are you in Spain Uncle P?
I'm off the mind that you live out there??
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Paul67
Let me add,it is more than football reality its the dreams of another european cup and Rangers whitewash or a treble that a WOW signing can inspire before a ball is kicked.
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I know that there's a minor sporting event taking place near Dundee, but for those of you who follow the sport of kings how about "Sign of the Cross" in the 3:05 at Newmarket?
In honour of the world-class "Holy Ghoalie"!
TTTTrottentipsCSC
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kitalba
I've been living in Barcelona for just over 3 years but am on the point of moving down to Cadiz to spend a year.
The press DO seem to have a bit of affection for us though. On Catalan telly there's a program called Futbol Int which covers all the big leagues fully then a little bit on the smaller leagues. When it comes to Scotland they'll often just show "Los Catolicos" goals. I remember they also had a Celtic top as a prize once.
But they way Gravesen is viewed here is a big eye-opener. On a program called Maracana they had a series of sections where they'd follow Gravesen for a game. The guy cuts a sad figure who is looked upon as being quite ridiculous by opponents and teammates alike.
Anybody here evr watched Celtic games in Cadiz?
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Cheers Uncle P
I've always said that if I won the lottery I'd move to Spain and commute to Glasgow.
Well it wont be this week.
Enjoy the adventure mate.
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TTTT :- Re Sign of the cross, it may be worth a place bet (a bit like your own team lol) but at 10 - 1 I don't see it winning. It's had four races with a 1st a 2nd and two unplaced. One for the tote rather than on the nose I'd say.
Like most folk I give the bookie more than he gives me so don't anyone be swayed by the above :-)
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Re. Sign of the Cross @Newmarket today. Mirabile dictu, Radio 4 was tipping it this mroning; like Teddy Bear, I give more to the bookies than I get back so I disclaim all responsibility beforeand for any potential disasters.
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Antsman, I have learned from seasons past not to make pronouncements as there seems to be a wee army of people writing them all down to throw against me should the occasion arise. I’ll hope to be able to say more next week.
Bhoy Molloy, at the fear of contradiction, Celtic did not make a WOW signing the summer before winning the European Cup, or before any of their trebles (Chris Sutton was called something different in 2000), or before the whitewash season.
WOW signings have been few and far between in our history, and I cannot find any correlation between them and success.
I’ll not badger you further on this, as we are all entitled to our summer fun.
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paul,
In my lifetime of watching Celtic;
singings that said WOW after the event
Joe McBride
Wullie Wallace
Alfie Conn
Paul Elliot
Henrick Larsson
Chris Sutton
BBJ
Lubo
Scott Brown (he hasn't done it yet but he will)
No doubt I've forgotten one or two but in a haze of good whiskey these are the guys that spring to mind
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Kitalba 8.29,
I have no idea whether to believe the Mendy thing. I hope so...
Regarding the penalties, yeah, I was horrified. I heard on an English radio show as they were doing a rubdown of interesting football facts that season, with two weeks to go before the end of the title run-in. No mention of it in any Scottish papers. I remember running it by my Rangers-supporting friends, aghast. Half of them claimed it was because they'd created more chances and so merited more penalties (but that doesnt add-up, because we scored about 20 more goals from open play) and the other half just chortled, as if to say "yeah, why are you surprised?"
If you remember, that was the season that Barry Backpass scored 20+ goals (about 17 from the spot.)
I'm going to hunt down the facts, so that I can exorcise my demons and dont have to carry this bitterness around any longer! Will post wehen I do....
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kitalba
Brian McClair ?
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At 21/07/07 07:45, Blitz said…
The elusive three-in-a-row. I think everyone in the game is aware of the significance... get three and it starts to look like an era (by which time Rangers would be skint, hopefully shackled by UEFA and HMPS, and will have very thin gate-receipts, early 80s-style.) O'Neill nearly did it, and I think we should remember why he didnt... that season we had arguably the best of the O'Neill teams, but we were knackered by a European run and by dodgy refereeing. That was the season that Rangers won the league by one goal and WERE AWARDED MORE PENALTIES THAN THE REST OF THE LEAGUE COMBINED! We wont have to just win the league this year, I fear. We may have to obliterate it, with so much daylight beteween us and them that no amount of skullduggery can handicap us.
*while I fully concur with your summation of the underhanded tactics that were used to guarantee a hun title, the Pars assistant manager allegedly said in the Rock Bowling Club the week before their final game that if rankers need goals then rankers will get them, take that as you see it.
However, I still can't absolve MON from any of the blame as that season we seemed content to sit on one goal leads even at home trying to save the energy of the players on the park while failing to use the bench when needed.
At the time when the hun were gaining momentum I kept thinking we would pay for this and we did even though we won our last game firing on all cylinders, even so they would still have got that extra goal no matter how many we scored, considering Tango's da was a hun guest of honour that day it disnae take much tae see what was going on.
At the end of the season MON said that he knew what had went wrong and the next season, arguably hs best, we scored goals for fun running away with the title.
Stats might prove me wrong but I somehow don't think so.
As for his final season, same scenario different year only this time the legs just gave in and if it hadn't been for Bellers then there wouldn't have been a Black Sunday as the title would have been gone well before we got that far.
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Strange item on the BBC Sport- Football site where it states:-
"Sam Allardyce's innovative training methods at Newcastle have led to problems. His vibrating muscle toner machines give players an uncontrollable urge to visit the toilet. (The Sun)"
Whatever can they be doing in there and how will it affect their performance against us next week?
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Real WOW signings when they actually happened...
Alfi Conn
Frank McAvennie
Alan Stubbs
Marc Rieper
Raphael Scheidt
Eyal Berkovic
..and the daddy of them all was Paolo di Canio
They didn't all work out well.
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uncle P
if you have not tried it nip in and say hi to Jordi and the family.
Across from Gaig.
1000 times the better than Abac.
I do have a soft spot for Alkimia though.
Bryan
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The ultimate WOW signing gone wrong : Mo Johnston
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Danny,
I agree - how do you do WOW backwards :)))
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Blitz
Much appreciated
Danny
I don't know why, but no. Not for me.
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Tontine Tim
Yes, and apart from the Dunfermline assistant saying that, slightly off topic, Calderwood said his side were 'going to enjoy the occasion' and the club had a post-season trip planned, with a flight leaving Glasgow for Spain at 7pm on the day. Despite Yorkston's horror, Chris Sutton was right.
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Paul 67 - i understand hence why i said if u don't want to say to some people thats ammunition
the fact we are still active is encouraging enough
as much as i would love "WOW" signing i am not that fussed. for me what i want is playing good football and trophies
For me whilst i have some reservations about wgs i would be the same about any manager
Last season he got the league,Scottish cup and CL progression. Frankly i think that ticks my wishlist as CIS cup means nothing to me really.
So while i have doubts about wgs and think money is being wasted with an inflated squad when he delivers what i would class as as successful season as we could have i can not complain other than style of football.
bring on the parma game cos i have missed paradise
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Looks like Japan v 10 man Australia is going to pens, though Japan dominate the stats.
Don't like to be selfish in wishing Naka comes home quick. It might serve us well if Japan go on to win this with Naka outstanding.
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Japan win on pens. Naka scored with his.
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Naka's still playing. It's 4:3 to Japan. Aussies miss the first and fifth pens I think, Japan their 3rd.
Commiserations to Kano, Michael Collins, Kitalba et al.
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Tontine Tim,
The most blatantly obvious measure that was invoked to ensure that Rangers had a maximum chance that season was when after the Rangers clash with 5 games to go when we were neck and neck in the league, was BBC Scotland´s decision to "screen the next FOUR Rangers games live and would ONLY screen the last match for both teams IF they were still neck and neck in the final game" - as if we should be thankful for that. That ensured that Rangers knew exactly what was necessary in terms of points because Celtic had played the day before. This is when we saw Rowbottham award three penalties in one half against Dundee. Our postponed game against Motherwell from February was also scheduled to be played within the last three weeks of the league campaign. The decision whether Motherwell would be relegated or not at the expense of Falkirk(I think) was postponed until the end of the season so that Motherwell knew they would still be fighting for their lives against Celtic rather than taking part in a meaningless game. That was a first and previous similar situations had always been remedied by the SPL long before that. A precedent that has never been followed. The last games of the season was a forgone conclusion as Chris Sutton- "God how I miss and love that man"- clearly and accurately intimated.
Rangers were well and truly cash bust that season and needed the CL badly. The SPL, The SFA and BBC Scotland were all complicit. I have many time since then used the analogy; can you imagine if Arsenal were given the same advantage in the EPL over Man united what Man U plc and what SAF would have to say about it ? In fact any major football league in Europe ?
We (i.e the Celtic Board) accepted that situation with our usual courtesy. Cap in hand. Staring at the floor. Not a murmur. I often wonder what it will take for our board to speak out and address these shenanigans ? I am in my forties and I am still waiting. I do believe that an American or Russian billionaire owner would not accept such a scenario so meekly with their investment. Look at how much effort Mr. Whelan the Wigan chairman put into correcting the failure of the EPL to act properly with regards to West Ham even after he knew Wigan was already safe. It was a point of principal. The CL cash cow to Celtic and Rangers is as important as the EPL money is to a team like Wigan or Sheffield utd..
Rangers are in an even more serious situation now than they were then. I fully expect to see AndyDavisits to become an epidemic within the Scottish refereeing fraternity this year. Smith and Mc Leish´s absolutely innapropriate appointment within the SFA is an idication of the help that Rangers will receive this year. Yet again we say nothing. Even an off the record cheap jibe made by the Celtic hierarchy with regards to such shenanigans would be appreciated by our support rather than what seems like silent complicity.
Hail Hail
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white dog
wooft! is it pricey? maybe save that one for a pretty young thing.
It's not too far from my gaff actually and just after my new favourite - el cargolet on diputacion. They have the best waitress in the bcn. A perpetually cheerful dominican woman who is a proper grafter. place is easy on the pocket too.
on the transfer front, i'm just happy that we appear to be active. i'm sure wgs knows what needs doing.
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SFTB
I have it on record that I want Naka to score the goal that wins the cup irrespective of who they are playing.
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aw_naw
Absolutely brilliant
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Uncle P
It is cheap comparing the same quality of eatery back here.
I always sneak up to dry Martini after for a wee cheap brandy.
If I could only see your IP as your language looker familiar.
POP your heid in and tell them I apolgise for my missing last weeks reservation.
Keep up the good work CQNERS.
GOOD reading
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Blitz,Thanks for spotting my mistake on double mentioning Jarosik. The second comment about him should have read Zurawski.
Italiabhoy, now I suspect we might be more aligned.
On Capone he was certainly part of the greater squad, quite evidently hanging about with the players - apparently he has an infected toe. I dont think he would be on the trip if Gordon wasnt serious about him.
FIAGOTTPF McManus captained the team for the game,was the only player who roundly applauded the Celtic fans at the end of the game from the centre circle(very captain like) and to my mind will be the next captain. The fact that Gordon hasnt picked him yet says to me he he is testing Stephen before making the final call.
Paul67 on WOW signings, I agree most flatter to deceive.Most of our stars of the past never were WOWs until their stint at Celtic gave them the platform to reach their potential. Like you I'll settle for the signings who WOW after they join.
Back to the Denver game. the weather was cool enough temperature wise. No question the width of the park was a factor for our bhoys.Not being fully match fit such a park would drain quicker than the MLS boys. Altitude at 5280 feet above sea level contributed too. The MLS players coped a lot better due to their fitness level. Most of them dont play at that altitude.
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Paul67,
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/2007/07/21/where_the_fans_really_roar_lou.html
You dont get a mention.
Disgraceful !! Funny article though
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Good healthy debate yesterday/today re our defence.
Although I not convinced there is a split in the fans general opinion. Bobo is the best defender in Scotland but his salary is very high (so what we cam afford it). Pressley isn't good enough (and we seriously can't afford to play him).
McManus, Kennedy and Caldwell are all young with great potential.
Left Back is sorted while news of a bid for Mendy is most welcome.
As for WOW signings Scott Brown for me. Glad he's got the No. 8 shirt!
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Predictions....
Celtic will win the league and a cup.
The league will be closer, going to the wire, only to be won with a couple of last gasp strikes by.....Scott McDonald!!!
We'll win a couple of CL games, but come 3rd. We'll get to the semis of the UEFA Cup. Don't know what will happen after that, as I'll come home for the semi, bump into TinyTim who'll be in raptures singing 'One Gordon Strachan'....and I'll faint.....
Mick McManus will be a candidate for POTY, surprising everyone but myself.
Murray will lose his appeal (many meanings to that one).
Edward will say 'screw this....IWANNABECOMEATIM!!!
And some guy will come up from the mineshaft and say 'Aye but.....'
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I remember the ball at his feet, head up, moving it a wee bit as players ran in to try and take it off him.
He never looked at them or the ball.
Head up always.
Nakamura is the nearest I've seen.
No 8
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SFTB,
cheers,but it is no more than they deserve,by all accounts.
Supposedly,there has been infighting,players with heids too big for their own good behaving like Prima Donnas.
Going into the tournament as favourites,well at least as far as the Australian bookies were concerned,must have made them think they were better than they are.
A draw with Oman,and a good gubbing by Iraq(which pleased me enormously,I have just finished a book called Baghdad FC.These guys deserve a medal for just being there,and for even wanting to play football) soon made them knuckle down,although I honestly feel that most of the players didn't want to be there.
This will change for the next Asian championships,as they are used for world cup qualification,I think.
I was right behind them at the world cup what with no Scotland or Ireland.
This was due mainly to one thing.
A man called Johnny Warren.
He was the captain of Australia when they last qualified for the World Cup in Germany in 74.
He,along with a television guy by the name of Les Murray(real name Laszlo Urge,I think)who was a Hungarian refugee,done more to promote the game here than any other two men I am aware of.
They did this in the face of ridicule,from most of the Australian population,with no corporate or television backing(apart from Les Murray's employer SBS,which was/is a publicly funded channel which shows foreign language movies,shows and news programmes for Australia's many ethnic minorities)and virtually no coverage in the print media.
They both new that for the game to become accepted as part of the wider Australian culture,that the national team would have to qualify for the World Cup.
Continually they were put out at a play off stage,once against Scotland,mostly against South American teams,Argentina and Uruguay both put them out.
One year they somehow played against Iran for the play off,and after drawing in Teheran in the first leg in front of 110,00,they played the return leg at the MCG in Melbourne,again in front of 100,000+.
As both Johnny and Les well knew,the support was there for the game,it only had to be tapped into.
Tragically,for Australia,after taking a two goal lead,and seemingly coasting to the finals,they somehow managed to concede two late goals and go out on the away goals.
After the game finished,and Les asked Johnny Warren for his thoughts on the game,the man could not speak.He was visibly shaken,white as a ghost,and in tears,live on national TV.
Yet again their dream had been taken away at the last hurdle.
And as fate would have it,the man passed away with cancer,just a matter of months before they finally made it to the finals,courtesy of a penalty shoot out win,once again against Uruguay.
The result produced such a wave of emotion with the football community,that it burst from the shadows,and presented a threat to the established sporting kings of Australia,namely Australian rules football in W.A.,South Australia and Victoria,and Rugby Union and League in N.S.W. and Queensland.
The "this ones for Johnny" comments were heard from many of the players,and all of the TV presenters and pundits.
So yeah,I,myself got caught up in the wave of support at the World Cup.
Another thing he was always promoting was to become part of the Asian confederation,and get used to playing competetive internationals on a regular basis.
I hope,for Johnny Warren's sake,and the others like him that the qualification will do the game the amount of good that they hoped for.
It seems to be so far,there is a new(two seasons old)national league with mostly newly formed teams,and the crowds are very good,I think they average about 13,000 per game over the whole competition,with a couple of teams averaging more than 20,000.
It is just quite sad that the guy is not here to see it.
A few of you were discussing some football books that are a good read.
I can highly recommend two.
Baghdad FC,the story of football in Iraq(not sure of the author,have lent the book out),it is written in a journalistic style and is an amazing read.
And Johnny Warrens own autobiography,an amazing footballing story about the sport in Australia.
Paul,apologies,the name of the book is Sheilas,Wogs and Poofters.
Because they,according to a lot of Australians are the only people who play football in Australia.
R.I.P. Johnny Warren.
You done well.
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What did I miss?
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My prediction for last night still stands after recovering from self inflicted liver damage!
At 21/07/07 03:21, Freddiebhoy said…
Hi Lhads,
Unfortunately, I believe there will be no more signings before the start of the season. I think Gordon will try to work with what we have already and gel them into a formidable working unit for the coming season (fully understanding supporters apparent doubts concerning some areas of the team). This is my 'published' prediction!
Lets have some 'on line predictions' and see if they materialise in the coming season.
cheers
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I predict that we will win the league but not as comfotable as the previous two seasons and that that will make everyone much happier. I reckon we will go into the UEFA cup buy finishing 3rd in our league and go out at the QF stage of the UC.
I also predict that at least three recognisable players will leave before the end of this transfer window and that one more significan aquisition will be secured around the same time.
I predict that the football going forward will be scintillating but defensively we will be relying heavily on Boruc again.
I predict that Rangers will finish in second place.
I also predict that if the football is as boring as it has been last season that their will be a groundswell of opinion that WGS should move on and can´t take the club any further. I have to say however that Nostradamus predicted all of this before I did. :-)
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Quick question. Has WGS ever won a game away from home outside of the home islands?
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Thanks to Kitalba, Kano, CanajunBhoy & Weeron for their predictions so far. Its only an opinion but concentrates the mind and you can all have a laugh at the end of the season as to our successes and disasters just like when the daily rectum regularly gets it totally wrong. As you know they dont take it seriously so neither should we? Anyone for a Rangers title....? Edward?
cheers
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Chris Killen leads the huddle
Ulster-Celt
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and Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo ....
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I see Mc Cullogh scored after 1 minute against Falkirk and that Motherwell drew with Millwall 1.1
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rangers have had Kevin Thompson stretchered off due to injury in that falkirk game.
Possible horror injury. (according to online commentary)
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San_Frantic
We beat Basle 1-0 in Switzerland not so long ago...
Thom
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Thanks Thom...on the response
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Ok here is my prediction. Against all reason Rangers will manage to stay up this season. While not having as good a squad as either St. Mirren or Gretna. I think two things are in play that will assist them in avoiding the drop.
1. Disproportionate penalty awards , always expected but may be outside their normal favourable range.
2. and, perhaps the key differentiator is the lack of home support for Gretna having to play a their home games at M'Well. I think without this chink in Gretna's armour Rangers would for sure go down.
Be sure those 'in power' were aware of Grenta's superior capabilities and tried to level the advantage by making them play all home game 1690 miles from Gretna. Don't believe the cover story that their stadium is not up to spec. It is no coincidence that Gretna's and anagram for Tan' Gers. It frightened the Goat Worriers when they rearranged the carved Raven bones and saw the anagram. The Great Wizard Moonbeems asked to be taken into protective custody only this week till the Gretna curse is better understood. Of course "Tan Gers" it could be something to do with Sun Beds and Snr. Bain??
Anyway it's a long season and Rangers must still be early candidates for the drop. Edward?
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I didnt see any problems when JVOH was substituted against the MLS. He trotted up the tunnel. Big smile for the fans, no petted lip that I saw.
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AweNaw, an Anglocentric view from The Guardian.
Kano, thanks for that excellent commentary on Australian football.
San_Frantic, reluctantly, I agree; Rangers will probably avoid the drop this season, but next…
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CanajunBhoy
Are you staying down for the Chicago game?
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Canajun_Bhoy
I chanced upon the Daily Mail today and they report JVOH scowling, throwing his jersey off and heading for the tunnel. They say this in contrast to JJ who showed 'no passion, no emotion' when subbed. Your version sounds better.
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FreddieBhoy @15.49 :- I've already said and placed a wager on here with a couple of posters. I take Rangers to lift the title bye 5 points. European prediction I'll leave until I know what's happening.
SanFranTic :- I think you have been dabbling in some of the substances your city became famous for in the 60s :-)
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Edward
The BBC site has us sencond top and you second bottom. So relegation avoided :)
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Bloke109 :- Who can trust the BBC nowdays though.
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Edward
Call 0891 100 if you think you can trust them. Then make up the results later.
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Edward...If you saw us this week you would look for some humour too. No wait, that was humour for the Sons of the House of Lunaris.. Any bets on Naismith? What is scuttlebutt in Rangers land? I like that kid, hope he does not go to Rangers, we don't need him so I hope we don't buy him now - unless he can convert to a defender. Should have bought him before we added another 42 strikers.
San Francisco is still a little like that - but the Haight is an embarrassment Hippy tourist stores and tattoo parlors. So commercial it is funny in terms of what it is selling off the back of; Love, Peace and Equality not senseless consumerism.
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Institutions, who can trust any of them? You just never know where the police will turn up nowadays?
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Nicked from the Sky Sports rumour site:
I live only a couple of streets from Fratton Park and I saw Celtic defender Steve Caldwell having a tour of the stadium and there is a rumour that they will sign him for 4mill on a 4 year contract as a replacement for Sol Campbell who could be on his way to Everton for 2mil
Ryan Menezes - Portsmouth
If you're going to start a rumour, at least get the blumin name right Ryan.
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Bloke109
yes my version is true. I was close to the pitch and saw it all.
Old Media, eh.
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fell asleep on the beach in sizzling mallorca
I had a dream ................
boruc
mendy
balde
naylor
then a passing spaniard selling melloni woke me up
hail hail
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San Fran,
I would have loved staying for the second game in Chicago, but work calls on Monday. If youre going I'm sure you will see a good performance.
Gordon will be upping the ante and expecting a raising of the standard.
Enjoy if your going.
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Say The Leeds And You're Not Smiling
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lovejoy/gl2 -
thanks for the links the other night
WG
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Canajun
I was hoping to but my Bro backed out. He used the work excuse too. I met both my Bro's for last years games in NYC and Boston. The East Coast is a little easier for those Bhoys and NY is always a draw. Denver less so and a longer flight. I have a cousin in Calgary but he wimped out too. He is back in Europa for year.
What killed me last year was the distance to the stadiums from the cities. Boston was a joke, no way to get to the game. My Bro's and I ended up getting Limo's to both games as Public transportation was not an option and driving would have dampened our spirits. Of course for the Sterling traveler everything was scatter cash against the dollar.
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WG
No problem, worth staying up for wasn't it? ;o)
The game might be on tomorrow night as well
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Canajun. I am sure you know this but tomorrows game is live on Fox Soccer Chanel not ESPN2 like the All Star game.
Chelsea LA today. Don't think I care enough to say inside today for that one.
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Afternoon all - as promised for those interested:
Falkirk 1 v 1 Rangers
Match Report
Rangers fielded almost two completely different elevens over the course of this friendly/testimonial but the first half provided the most clues as to how they will likely set up this year.
Walter Smith set his team out in a standard 4-4-2 formation but certain players had licence to move:
MacGregor
Hutton; Weir; Cuellar; Papac
McCulloch; Thompson; Ferguson; Beasley
D’Archeville; Gow
Ferguson was given more freedom with Thompson sweeping up behind him and this was the real feature of Rangers’ play for the first half. Gow played one off the front and so both he and Ferguson were able to snap into tackles and really press the ball high up the pitch.
Indeed they did this right from the kick off and produced a goal. Ferguson bullied the Falkirk midfielder, stole possession and fed Beasley. He hung the ball up the back stick and in came McCulloch from wide to fire a crisp strike into the far bottom corner.
McCulloch has excellent technique for striking the ball and times his runs into the box well. He is a lot more disciplined than most SPL players and I think he will be a real asset to this Rangers team. He is strong in the air, a handful in the box and plays with a higher level of intelligence than most SPL players I have seen. He moved up front in the second half and didn’t receive much service but still won plenty of air balls, especially from set pieces.
Thompson was stretchered off after 40 minutes and this totally changed the Rangers team. Adam came on but is not a central midfielder and this meant Ferguson played deeper. Ferguson really is the only player who is positive in possession from the middle but he doesn’t track runners well and this is an area we can exploit (ala Petrov….). Ferguson didn’t appear for the second half and that killed any positive play that Rangers had. Without him, they are a slow and ponderous outfit so he really is the heartbeat of this side.
The second half saw 7 Rangers subs, a Falkirk equalizer and a dead game.
Points of Interest:
Cuellar is powder puff and looks to the Ref for help at all times. He was easily bullied for the goal and doesn’t like the rough and tumble aspect of the Scottish game. Ditto for Beasley – he doesn’t like a tackle and hid for most of the game.
Weir is still the brains behind the defence and still has enough ability to be a positive force for them. Not quick but a better player than Pressley right now from what I have seen.
Thompson/Ferguson looks to be the preferred midfield combo and they do compliment each other when going forward. Neither is too strong in the tackle (the reason for Thompson’s departure here…) so I will look forward to seeing a free running Scott Brown commit them time and again.
Set pieces – Rangers had all 11 players in their own to defend the corners. No break away pace so they look to be concentrating on not conceding. In attacking set pieces, both Cuellar and McCulloch won plenty and it is obvious that they are working on these.
D’Archville is a dangerous hammer thrower who will injure more players than the number of goals he scores. He is a willing runner and is powerfully built but his technique is average and he is not a good link man. More Sebo than Prso.
Overall, I was impressed in the first half at the tempo of the Rangers play and how quickly they shut down Falkirk but the pace dropped after 20 minutes and the Thompson injury changed their entire approach. No obvious combinations, no great understanding between the wide players and full backs, no great link up between the forwards and the centre mid.
Rangers have a good first eleven that will create and contain in equal measure but the quality of their bench is not impressive. Guys like Sebo, Novo, Adam, Murray, Broadfoot and Hemdani do not improve this side when they come in.
Cheers
#8
p.s. Latapy is still a class act and his technique is first class. He should be put out to stud in the central belt and Scotland will benefit in 20 years time!!
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Hi Paul,just back from the CP superstore and very disappointed i must add.I thought i would pre order the new non-carling home top ,that someone posted would be available in August.When i asked the girl 'sorry we're sold out,we only received 250 early July and they're gone'. I dont buy many tops these days but would have liked this one for obvious reasons,so i suppose Celtic wont be receiving my £40+ now.
Anyone know any more on this?
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Lynott67
nothing new in the continuing saga of inept management at the celtic store.
i had to buy the new top from a sports shop before the cup final because they couldn`t guarantee delivery before the game and when i offered to drive to Glasgow , they advised that they had no 3xl left. apparently they only had 50 in stock at the launch.........hopeless
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San Fran
Know what you mean about getting transportation to the games.In Denver I had to rent a car to get to and fro.
I may know your Canadian cousin. E mail me at
ynwa@canada.com
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pfayr-
Yeh i agree with you on that one.
I find self myself saying 'Celtic' and 'not good enough' in the same sentence for the second time in two days.
I dont know ,maybe carling dont want thousands of carlingless shirts paraded around the world?
Answers on a postcard please!
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Hi Great_No_8 excellent analysis of the game, checked out report of game on the official rangers website and they said of the Thomson incident :
"Kevin Thomson's involvement in the match ended after 30 minutes when he was stretchered off after feeling nauseous and dizzy as a result of an ear infection and he was replaced by Charlie Adam."
any thoughts ?
cheers
Freddiebhoy
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Hi Freddie - Hows tricks?
Thompson had a couple of meaty collisions just prior to him coming off. He was trampled on by big Moutinho after trying to kick him and then he dived into another tackle within seconds.
He just sat down in the middle of the park with no one near him so it looked like some sort of concusion. They took 5 mins to take him off and were very careful with him so we presumed it was an injury. No comment was made in and around the stadium and none of the rangers bench followed him up the tunnel.
#8
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Lynott67, I didn’t know how many shirts Celtic are allowed to produce without the sponsors’ logo but knew it was likely to be a small number. The £2m Celtic bank from Carling each year is for the logo to appear in as many places as possible. If sponsor-less shirts were widely, or freely, available, the commercial rights would be worth less and Celtic would, therefore, have less money.
I fully support Celtic doing everything reasonable to maximise commercial income, in fact, I insist on it. This will both support our challenge in Europe and at home, and reduce the need to increase ticket prices. As such, 250 sponsor-less shirts sounds about right.
I also support Celtic's sponsors whenever possible, in fact, I think I'll go and do so now, cheers!
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Lynott67
Buy the shirt with the Carling logo.
After two washes the edge of the logo will start to peel off, well my daughter's did.
It came off easily and looks fine.
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Paul67,
My sentiments echo a blogger earlier on. I reckon WGS is holding off announcing the captain as he is either still undecided or the he hasn't arrived at the club yet.
He has maintained the stance of someone he can get on with, confide and trust. For me alone that counts McManus out. McManus is a reporters dream. He is a rent a quote who believes to much in his own press. Couldn't believe how naive he was at the others day media gatheriing.
If wants to fire the other city up all they will need to do is put up the paper cuttings. That's sort of stuff they would do pre O'Neill as we had players who were good at giving out sound bites and ended up with egg on our faces. We should leave that sort of stuff to the likes of Adam and Hutton to do.
We need a centre half who wins the first ball in the air and made crunch tackles in games. Under MON we had this air of nothing shall pass with the likes of Mjallby, Balde, Valegaren, etc.. That's gone now.Apart from Boruc of course. Just a pity he hasn't go people like the above mentioned in front of him as we would be devesating. A keepe that could pull of a save when you need one and a strong defence.
At moment we have no one like that apart from Bobo who i believe is still the best defender out of the lot when playing. To me he still has that presence to frighten players like Darcheville. Darchevillve is a bully and Smith sees him the player like Hatley to an extent to rough us up.
None of our defence can cope with that. Pressley is past it for me. McManus is a decent defender but over rated in my opinion. No any great shakes. Caldwell the same. JFK needs time some time considering the lay off he has had and i think it would be mad and unfair if we put so much expectation on him.
O'Dea for me is the real deal who needs another season to come on.
This could be WGS downfall this season if he hasn't got plans to sort it out.
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#8
Trying to keep fit for the next CQN fives outing! I suppose you may be the best person at this moment (having seen our possibly closest rivals in action, with what could be close to the actual starting line up for the season in the first half)to ask for predictions for the coming season?
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I'm singing my heart oot the night in lovely old Stirling Beanscene.
details here
www.mayspace.com/garymillermusic
cheers
if ye go...
say hello.
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WGS, I have not asked the question, ‘why has the captain not been named’, as I am certain not to be told, but it is a curious one.
If it was going to be Stephen, or Steven (which I seriously doubt), why has the decision not been made already?
The truth is we do not have an obvious heir for the first time in over 40 years (maybe longer, my point of reference does not stretch back any further).
I would not discount a surprise.
Ulysses, belt you heart out.
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U
www.myspace.com/garymillermusic
myspace?
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maybe the new captain hasn't been signed yet....
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Paul,will have to agree to differ on that one.I think 250 a bit on the shy side.
Saying that if i was in the lucky 250 i would probably be saying it was just about right too.
Anyway will probably end up bying the old cotton 67 replica top instead.
Lostrambling-i think the quality has improved lots since the bobbly batch a while back,thanks for the advice all the same.
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Paul67,
And the centre of defence what's your take? Do you think it needs strengthed? If so do you think it will happen?
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WGS, too wide, deleted.
Lynott67, I think our conversation illustrates how difficult it is to run Celtic.
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'Sign of the Cross' unfortunately provided no plenary indulgence today.
Teased for a while, and in fact led at 1 furlong out.
It seemed to suddenly remember that I had some money on its nose and it went for a wander - backwards!
I think it came in a plucky ninth!
Hail hail
Estadio
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Predictions for the season? Tricky... we qualify for the CL group stages, and we win the league, come what may. I can't bear the thought of any other scenario.
How about our HOPES for the season?
Personally I would love: unbeaten at home in the CL and a WIN away, doesn't matter how we do it, or who it's against; Scott Brown to impose himself as we know he can; a goalscoring hero to emerge; a Scottish Cup final against decent opponents (ie, not Dunfermline), and victory for us after a thriller in the sun.
(ps: At 21/07/07 14:13, Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo : absolutely brilliant stuff!)
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WGS, on central defence, I'll check in next week on that question.
TheGreenTrumpet, that is a reasonable call.
I would settle for another crack at the Uefa Cup Final in Europe.
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Paul,
I am guessing here, but I don't expect a captain to be signed. Unlike others, I think Mick is growing into being a decent defender. We miss having someone that the other players trust with the ball at his feet at the back. Caldwell was beginning to take on that mantle before his injury.
Just as we haven't replaced all of the strengths of MON's team, we have not yet recovered from all of the weaknesses. There wasn't a true full back on the books when Gordon took over. Now we have 2...well, one and a half.
Rome wasn't built in a day as my Mother would say. Or, as TinyTim would say, Rome wasn't built....:)
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Freddie - i have joined a local team for some pre season fitness to get me in shape for the next outing as well.....doing the hill runs tomorrow!
Watching Rangers today, I would be confident of causing them problems were I the manager of any of the SPL sides.
I would have one player disrupting Ferguson at all times (much like Big Eck did to Lambert when he was Motherwell manager). He gives their team a flow and an edge. All the rest just try to beat their man and don;t very often succeed.
They will try the cross field ball to McCulloch a lot so I would have my centre halves ready to deal with second ball. The full back will challenge but my centre backs would beat Darcheville to the ball every time.
They will score a lot of goals when teams give up against them but a hard running midfield will cause them problems all day. An intelligent forward dropping into the 'gap' ala Latapy will have a lot of joy against a fairly static (but strong) back 4.
I see Walter Smith as a momentum manager. If he can get some early wins under his belt then he will get them on a roll but I have never seen him win a game from the bench and I don't see that from him now.
#8
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Referring back to the subject of WOW signings. They very rarely work out, in fact some have been really Scheidt. Anyway, here is my list of dissapointing WOWs..
Juninho
Graveson
Brattback
Berkovic
Rafael
I'm sure there are loads more.
BTW. What about Brown for Captain?
#8. Excellent report on rangers stengths and weaknesses.
Lubo.
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wee ron
I know rome was not built in a day but hopefully a defence can be built in 3 seasons.
We now have 7 first team strikers
10 first team midfielders
7 Center halfs and
1 right back and 1 left back
For those doing the predictions i hope the one about no new additions is wrong. We need a squad clear out and at least 4 new players in.
A ball playing CH
A left back
A right back
A goal scorer
We also need at least 6 out the door
Pressley
Hartley
Gravesen
Jarosik
Miller
Zurawski
This can and would fund the activity required. Does anyone think we need any of the above to stay?
Oh and Naylor or Boruc get my vote for captain. mcmanus isnt even our second best CH so why make him captain. i think Strachan knows this and hence the delay.
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Paul
I presume when you talk of a UEFA Final you mean dropping down as a third place team in the CL Group stages and not as a casualty at the qualifying stage. Financially, surely it's imperative that we go as far as possible in the CL. The difference in potential revenue proves this.
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Kano
Great post about Johnny Warren. We decry people like him and Peter Lawell as "blazers" and "suits" but, when you have a good one, they're worth their weight in gold.
Great No. 8
Tremendous match analysis. You almost have me worried about revisiting the nightmare of seeing a succesion of Celtic right backs- (Morris, Grant, McNamara) outjumped by a ball to the back post for Johnstone, Hately, Drinkell et al to peel off and select a weaker oponent to jump against for the headers. They don't have the quality of Tommy McLean or Laudrup to supply that consistent quality ball though, do they?
WGS
I have never been convinced about players attributing their success to the motivation provided by an opponent bad mouthing them. If they need that sort of kick start, they'd never have become pro footballers. In any case, I've never seen evidence that Stephen has a particularly loose tongue. My concerns are purely over his technical skills. I consider him mentally strong and an overachiever as such.
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I expect McManus to be made captain. He was, I believe, vice captain last year and is likely to move up. I would make Naylor vice captain, as I think he is a consistent player and can be a motivator on the park. Scott Brown may well be a future captain, but not yet.
Predictions for next season? Well it's always a mug's game so here goes!
League - winners
Scottish Cup - winners
CIS - Who cares? Let's play fringe/ young players and see what happens.
Europe - Qualify and get to the group stages. With a favourable draw we can make the last 16 again or maybe even the last 8. If you look back at previous seasons, there is usually one side from outside the big leagues makes it rhough. Why not us?
Top scorere - JVoH closely followed by MacDonald (assuming we don't sign that Wow striker)
Player of the year - Scott Brown
Young player of the year - Teddy Bjarnsson
If most of those come through I will be a very happy bhoy!
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Cheers Lubo, STFB
I was impressed by McCulloch - a lot more than I usually am when i go to SCotland games.
They try 2 different kind of balls to him. One was a hanging high ball whenever Gow or Beasely was wide left and in the final third. THe other was a driven diagonal from either the opposite full back or the central midfield.
It was this second type of supply that was causing problems as McCulloch would basically be heading a through ball to D'Archeville.
It only came off twice but I can see them using this tactic a lot in tight games.
I would say though that I don;t think a forward pairing of D'Archeville and Boyd will work well as neither can link or work the channels. They were both very poor outside of the box today.
#8
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Great No.8
I like your mis-arrangement of my acronym as STFB. It does not take much wit to invent some appropriate words for those initials. :-)
SFTB but thinking about changing it, only if Paul relaxes the language code.
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Here are some clips of Bernard Mendy;
1. Scoring a cracker for PSG against AEK
2. Leaving Roberto Carlos for dead while playing for France against Brazil
3. In a Nike advert..
No idea what he's saying in the advert but he looks like quite a character.
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great no 8
sounds like mcculloch at £2.2m is not the lauging stock many predicted
if the mendy rumour is true does this suggest wgs plans him as first choice and wilson as cover for either full back position do people think?
I see the lad fanni has signed on elsewhere
Paul67's comments about the CB position makes me wonder if its a position we are looking at, if it is and i believe it should be we surely need to offload someone as well. I don't believe bobo will go even if the manager would like him to
However all this talk of him never breaking a contract, i seem to remember him thinking he was and happy to be on his way to bayern/marseille
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great no 8
i take it that big lee is to be their main man this season , if today is an indicator. Do you have any thoughts ,after watching today, of how to counter this.
imo you either challenge him first off or let him win the header and stoutly defend the knock down area.
i am getting the impression that the darnel are going bto try to bully teams , is that not what big eck tried in his last season?Do
you think that they have the personel to do this as apart from that eejit Hutton they don`t seem capable of those type of tactics.It may not stop them trying.....paper hard men springs to mind.
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Predictions is it!
CIS Cup - winners
Scottish Cup - Winners
SPL - Winners
European Cup - Winners
European Super cup - winners
World Club Championship - Winners
Reserve League - Winners
Reserve Cup - Winners
Ladies League - winners
U19 League - Winners
U19 cup - winners
Grand National - Winners
The Derby - Winners
The Open - Winners
Wimbledon - Winners
The Boat Race - Winners
Super Bowl - Winners
World Series - Winners
Six Nations Championship - Winners
Chelsea Flower show - winners
National Eisteddfod - winners
Strictly Come dancing - winners
X-factor - winners
Miss World - runners up to Angelina Jolie
Right time to get the wine out for Jekyll and Hyde.
Hail hail
Estadio
p.s. National Lottery - winners
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Estadio,
If we lose out on Miss World, Strachan must go!!
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estadio -
if Sign Of The Cross had won Mr Angry would have had kittens and Donald Loselay would have been called in for consultation by the stewards.
Enjoy the vino - NAFOS wants our cozy foursome to try out a rival to The Teser in the blue side of town. Pray for my safe return (dinnae bother wi the other three).
I went to the Princess Vic twice, nae tell-tale sign ay ye.
WhitefatherGemmell
Missionary(position)CSC
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I hope the Mothers get relegated but I think Mark McGhee will keep them up :-(
.....therefore the darnel might go down ;-)
WishfulGemmell
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hail hail -
which Spanish club does Melloni play for ?
:-)
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Great No 8, interesting comment on the importance of Barry Ferguson. I believe his fitness is not all it could be, which has discouraged potential suitors.
Lubo, Juninho! I forgot about him. Enough said.
Kingoh, yes, I meant CL first, then Uefa Cup Final.
San Fran, there will be banana trees growing on the banks of the Clyde before Rangers are punished by relegation, no, if they fail, it will be through the abrupt effects of acute financial hardship.
A lot of water will flow down the Clyde before this comes to pass, but with (literally) hundreds of millions of net debt out there, and a bank (under new ownership) as the main creditor, anything can happen.
Dick Byrne, :-)
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Gweedorebhoy,
I don't pretend to understand nor agree with everything Gordon does. However, if you've coached at any type of competitive level, you'll know that a lot of things that look easy, don't always work out.
The tone on one side of the debate appears to be...why are things not better? My question is this...better than what?
I know some folks don't like stats. But they can help put things in context.
Number of championships won and rounds in Europe competed in each 5 year period:
57-62 = 0
62-67 = 2
67-72 = 5
72-77 = 3
77-82 = 3 plus 9 rounds in Europe
82-87 = 1 plus 10 rounds in Europe
87-92 = 1 plus 6 rounds in Europe
92-97 = 0 plus 8 rounds in Europe
97-02 = 3 plus 14 rounds in Europe
02-07 = 3 plus 24 rounds in Europe
Earlier European comparisons would have been misleading. However, both tables give you what is often missing from these discussions. Context.
Since the reign of Mr Stein, CELTIC FANS HAVE NEVER HAD IT SO GOOD. EVER. No apologies for shouting. We have lots to be proud of.
Could we better? Do we want to be better? Should we hope to be better? Yes, yes and yes.
However, there is something unseemly about such dissatisfaction with our lot. We have risen from the abject poverty of the late 80's and most of the 90's. We have attained relative prosperity and a great wealth of success in the last few years.
What is it that compels us to say that this is not acceptable, and that people should lose their jobs as a result?
As MON said at the beginning of his reign: Rangers are the benchmark.
We would do well to consider who is the benchmark now. It is us. And the standards we have set over the years are there in black and white. Compared to our own standards, we are doing well.
Not intending to have a go at you, Gweedorebhoy. I'm just disappointed with the lack of context, appreciation and respect being displayed by some of our support.
I don't disagree with your wish list...both those you want in, and those you think we could live without. However, I am sure you know full well, that moving a player out requires the agreement of several parties...ie easier said than done.
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What would you bid for the darnel to be demoted - toe, finger, home, first Celtic strip, Bobo Balde, The Teser, psychedelic album collection, wife .....all of these things ?
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Cat ?
Now that's a toughie. I will have the answer after several pints of Arthur T wi NAFOS.
Jinky O'Malley, your fish and milk may well be oot amigo
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Paul67
Re: your teaser from earlier. Next season Rangers in Div 1? Would this be courtesy of a Juventus type punishment drop? That is truly the only way I could see them there. Using us as a reasonable analogue circa 1992 we could always expect outperform financially and in league position the likes of DDee Utd., Falkirk, Motherwell, St. Mirren etc.
So Rangers may/will flounder and find their new natural level somewhere between 3rd and 6th in their post financial apocalypse. Yet, relegation could only be enforced as a punishment rather than an outcome of natural order - I think....is that were your precognition is leading you? Some type of punishment for atypical business practices that were obscured by financial window dressing?
Paul was Paddy Cairney from Vpark in your year at CNHS?
Canjanbhoy
My Cuz is from Viewpark, Lanarkshire like me. He is a Prof. of Medicine at a University Hosp in Calgary...I got the looks. The good Doc is in Europe right now. He is a keen Celtic fan, and a picture of Jinky (Viewpark's favourite son) has pride of place in his office at the Hospital. Still think you may have a bead on him?
Can I assume you are in Calgary?
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x
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paul67
interesting comment regarding wee Barry, my thoughts have on the darnel team this year have been dominated by an incling that a large number of their players do not have the best of fitness records.
Thomson...spent half his time at hibs injured
Ferguson...see Blackburn and he`s older
Weir ...he`s older than ME
McCulloch ...i may be wrong but is his injury record not extensive
Boyd...drink`s going to get him(where was he today?)
S Smith..still not fit
Buffel..niether fit nor interested
I am aware that we had a few injuries last year , but other than FB we have strength in depth
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Another reason why Naka is more use than Freddie Adu:
Show me the money
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17:46, Great_No_8
Found your report on the Rangers game very informative. Glad to to deduce that it was written by a person who wasn't wearing green glasses as so was able to highlight their strengths and weaknesses.
Thank you
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Winningemmel
I would like to see Rangers always hover at about twenty points behind us in the same league. The rationale for this is twofold. Perhaps flipsides of the same thing.
1. We would miss the comic relief if they were in lower Scottish league, out of sight out of mind. Being in the same league with its relative data points in terms of playing same teams and each other would be at the forefront of the collective consciousness - comparative assessment would be continuous and embarrassing to the Rangers fan.
2. Never being able to close the gap but still being able to see the goal would be slow death for the Rangers soul, each year a little hope of “doing it”. They would not have that misery in a lower league. An experiment with a rat dropped into a glass jar filled with water in a room in complete darkness gave up swimming after three minutes. The experiment was repeated with another rat (obviously) placing the glass in a lit room. This time the rat swam for 33 hours. As Nick Hornby said....it is not the disappointment that kills you; it is the hope.
Of course if we went Euro league…we would need to lose them or they would blight us by association.
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Venerable Estadio & others : apologies for yet another duff donkey tip on here earlier today.
I should know better, but my tail was up after a particularly good Royal (yuch!) Ascot.
I'll stick to the day job.
Kano - here is a photo of your old mucker tinytim before he ate all the pies
TTTT
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PS No cockney rhyming slang please !!
TTTT
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Lynott67...re the "logo-less" Celtic top.
I was in the Celtic shop in Sauchiehall Street back in May buying a Celtic View when the helpful assistant asked if I would like to order the new strip.
I said that I would if she could arrange a long sleeved top without the logo.
She took my name and telephone number and promised to call me when the jersey was available.
She did forewarn me that it wouldn't be available until July and right on cue I got a call three weeks ago to let me know that it was available.
As you say there are only a limited amount of logo-less jerseys available for the very good reason Paul explained earlier.
Sorry you missed out.
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Considering Benetiz is looking to bring in Heinze from Man U, anybody reckon we should go for Sammi Hyppia?
Carrager,Agger,Heinze will be first choice for them next year leaving Hyppia surplus to requirements.
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weeron
This year will show what our manager is made of.
The huns are not as bad as people think they are and secondly Strachan has been given some money to spend.
Appreciation comes from many things.
I appreciate the fact we have won two leagues in a row.
I appreciate we have won two cups. i appreciate we had a great run in europe.
I do not however appreciate the standard of football we have to watch week in week out, which is frankly dire.
I also do not appreciate the money he has wasted on sub standard players on fees and wages.
Jarosik
Virgo
Pressley
Hartley
Miller
Zurawski
Caldwell
Camara
However, that's life every manager buys duds and i appreciate the gems such as naka , naylor and boruc.
So after all that I still think he is a good manager and I appreciate we have him.
Strachan will be more appreciated in my view after he has gone, sadly not before then.
I go to every home game and most away games and in the pubs at the away games it's always great to share the crack with fans from all over the country. The topic always gets round to the boss and let's be frank the jury's out.
Before any uber happy clappers spout that nonsense about "its because he is not celtic minded" that's frankly a pile of manure.
It's because the team is not that good to watch and we do not appear to have a tactitcal plan.
Come on folks we can count one our fingers the amount of good games we have played and entertained.
My personal view is Strachan will win 3 in a row then walk. Sadly he will only be missed after that.
I guess we only appreciate some things after they are gone
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Well, seeing as I'm the only saddo in on a Saturday night, can I just say how much I am looking forward to the resumption of battle on Monday evening between Ned Flanders and our very own Terry O'Neill - as sponsored by Vicks Nasal Spray.
Ned : (groan!) our first caller of the new season is Terry in Uddingston. Hello, Terry what can we do for you tonight! (mutters 'bast**d' under breath)
Terry O : Hello Shugh. Well Shugh it's about the comment you made about Gordon Strachan on the third last Saturday of the season.
Ned : Terry, how on earth do you expect me to remember that far back? (Turns to BFDJ and says 'Typical paranoid Celtic fan'.)
I mean, Terry, what exactly is the point that you're trying to make here?
Terry O : Well Shugh, the point I was trying to make before I was so rudely interrupted....
Ned : Well Terry, get on with it....what is your point?
Terry O : Well Shugh, if you would just let me finish....my point is this.
Yer a FUD!!
Click brrrr
TTTTwhoonlylistensinwhenhesdoingthedishes
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After last night's quiz do I get a bonus point for a player that's played for both Celtic and Gretna?
And another for having seen him play for both teams?
A new centrehalf was a priority at the last transfer window.So we signed the Wookie.Signing Mendy would give us more strength at fullback,and if we could load up the Deadwood Stage we could look seriously at another striker and another CH.
Just been for a beer with Pablophanque.He is in good form and out there lurking,pop-pickers.
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Do we get more money from Nike or from Carling?
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gweedore
100% on the money
results great
football crap
tactical decisions mystifing
interviews....stoic but annoying
imo
package not for me but i`ll take the results
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Paul67,
I wonder how many shirts we sell in France as alcoholic sponsors names are not allowed on shirts ?
What´s definitely noticable these last three years is the fact tha the hoops is openly on sale at most large retailers - well those that stock Nike. I do believe that they would sell more without the logo. I think it puts prospective buyers off. It loses it´s appeal as a fashion ite´m and who wants to walk around advertising something that you can´t even buy over here. It´s nice to see the raised profile however and it shows to me how important CL exposure and product identity really is.
I recently made a suggestion to a few of my tim mates here that the next time I´m in France I´ll bring back a load of them without the starling ooops I maen Carling logo but so many were interested that I´ll have to collect first.
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I shoulkd point out that the last post refers to central Germany
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Regarding my earlier comment on penalties awarded in 2002/2003 (when Rangers won the league by a solitary goal), I cant say for certain, but I am man enough to admit that I almost certainly got it wrong. My claim was that in that season Rangers were awarded more penalties than the the rest of the SPL combined...
http://www.upyarkilt.com/summary.html
shows that there were 43 pens SCORED in the league campaign
while
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rangers_F.C._season_2002-03
shows that Rangers SCORED 10 pens in the league.
Of course, missed pens could alter the picture, but I doubt by a great deal (I remember them missing 2 pens in one game, but obviously other teams missed them too, altering the total amount awarded, not scored.)
I am certain I heard it on an English-based "facts" roundup with 2 weeks to go in the campaign. The wikipedia site could be wrong (ie not putting "pen" in all the right places), but it's more likely that programme is inaccurate.
Apologies to my fellow conspiracy-hunters! We have to remember that we're the goodies, though, and if we want to take the high road then we have to admit when we're wrong. Just as when we know we're against a 12 man (in black) and the establishment, we have to rise above it, turn every cheek in our body and win with more *dignity* than they ever could.
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blitz
no way
will have to advise all my pals of your error as i`ve been trumpeting it since i read it ....made for a good story though
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Blitz-I'm with pfayr.Never let the facts get in the way of a good story.
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Blitz,
I knew that particular fact. If you look at where , how and most importantly when those penalties were awarded alerted my paranoia genes very early on that season along with the red card count. The number of articles in the press at the time referring to the fact that the "Old-Firm" always have had this advantage due the size of the crowds influencing referees and that they will more likely be in the box with their better players against poorer defenders etc. were a plenty yet there were no articles examining that same season statistics whereby Celtic proved that those current theories were completely untrue. What a corrupt little organisation the Scottish press is.
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awe naw
surely we can`t be denied as many stone wall penalties as last season
it had become ridiculous even before the lenny incident at snake mountain
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Gweedorebhoy,
I agree with much of what you say. Fergus McCann ran into the same nonesense from some of our support.
Bear in mind that MON's team wasn't exactly Brazil, either.
Bottom line....since no-one since Jock Stein has bettered 3 out of 5 leagues....on what basis are people demanding that we do better? I hope we do better, but I don't think we have a basis for demanding such....
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Icould well be, but then I´m comparing your fiercest rivals geting three unabashed penalties given in 45minutes when it´s neck and neck in the title with 3 games to go compared to the refs not giving us the penalties last season in what was a Rangers damage limitation excercise.
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Weeron
My problem which i think is in common with many of us is that the darnel are rubbish with no money and no way back(hopefully)yet we are not as far ahead as we think we should be .Also a great deal of the football is awful, which doesn`t help.
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......hic...... there was three this mornin' an aw. Whit am ah caring fur. Some people's dugs'll dae as they please. Tony Blair. Tony Blair. That road used to go right up past the shops. Aye an then they went a burst the baw. Ecclefechan! Ecclefechan? That would have tasted a lot better with a layer of marzipan... hic...
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San Fran, I don’t recall him.
pfayr, you are correct that Rangers have no money, but the relative difference between them and us has been slight until the season just finished.
In the 6 previous years (since 2000), Rangers total t/o was only £18m less than ours, £3m a year, or circa 5% of our t/o.
The season just finished is likely to show a difference greater than £18m, the first significant difference.
On the above basis, I disagree with your assertion that we have not been as far ahead of them as we should be. The dominance we have held is at the very least comparable to our financial advantage.
The club have managed to overturn Rangers advantage, sorted the finances and now have a really good platform to move forward on.
An excellent job well done.
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paul67
fair do`s paul
but a great deal of the football is turgid, boring ,disorganised dross
i think the finance guys deserve all the plaudits ...but the football
NO STYLE.....SEXY FOOTBALL ...WHAT!!!!
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Paul,
good summary. I am looking forward to the coming season. Nervous about gettinto the CL....aware that watty's mob will win many of the games in which they failed last year....hoping for some happy days and nights.
Some of our support are condemned to never enjoying even the really great bits. sad, really.
Anyway, do you really think there might be a captain coming in? I really can't see it myself.....
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Blitz..I read your post earlier today suggesting that Rangers were awarded lots of penalties in the 2002/2003 season.
I had a look at these stats a while ago and I am afraid that it's not the case that they were awarded many more than everyone else.
That season they were awarded 12, including the (in)famous 3 in the one game at Dundee. Two of which were missed by Ferguson.
Penalties awarded were as follows :-
18/08/02 Hibs (A) Ferguson 4-2
25/08/02 Aberdeen (H)Ferguson 2-0
01/09/02 Dunfermline (A) Ferguson 6-0
14/09/02 Livingston (A) Ferguson 2-0
27/10/02 Kilmarnock (H) Ferguson 6-1
16/11/02 Aberdeen (A) Ferguson 2-2
01/12/02 Hearts (A) Ferguson 4-0
14/12/02 Dundee Utd (H) Ferguson 3-0
04/05/03 Dundee (A) Arteta 2-2 Ferguson missed 2
25/05/03 Dunfermline (H) 6-1 Arteta.
We were awarded 8 penalties as follows :-
28/09/02 Kilmarnock (H) Henrik 5-0
24/11/02 Livingston (A)Henrik 2-0
01/12/02 Motherwell (H) Henrik miss 3-1
27/03/03 Rangers (A) Alan Thompson 2-1
03/05/03 Dunfermline (A) Alan Thompson 4-1
10/05/03 Hearts (H) Alan Thompson 1-0
25/05/03 Kilmarnock (A) Alan Thompson 4-0 also missed one.
My paranoia from that particular season stems from the fact that Rangers' opponents always seemed to end up with ten men!
Mind you three penalties in one game at Dundee is stretching credibilty isn't it?
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pfayr
'disorganised'? Hardly.
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pfayr
I'll look forward to your comments when we play the type of football you clearly yearn for - only to lose out to a team playing the crap you laid out in your previous post.
We are not on the same level as the top European sides for fairly obvious reasons. Can't you be thankful for what you have now?
I suspect you are too young to remember lengthy periods of disappointment and apparently seem to take our present period of success for granted. Very unwise.
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Weeron, no, I suspect you are right.
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EDB
very thankful, but it doesn`t make the football good.
whilst not an expert i think i can spot a good team
being played off the park by Falkirk et al (sometimes at home ) is noy nor ever will be my idea of entertainment.
WGS...love the results hate the football
TB loved the football hated the results
i`m only looking for some value for money , otherwise it amounts to a fast forward to the end of the season and lets be happy
not for me
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WG
Went in te Princess Vic when I got to Uxbridge road, but the service was diabolical. So I went along to Conningham arms both before and after the game.
GweedoreBbhoy.
I also go as you do to every home game and most away games. I get involved in the same conversations but my reading is slightly different.
When the the topic gets round to WGS, those who have made up their minds that he is and never has been for them will stick to that point of view in the face of a hurricane.
Those who really discuss the pros, cons, barriers, challenges, performances and future usually end up split between 'those who will keep him because they can see the progress he has made from where he started', 'Those who will keep him because he keeps taking us forward as a team and club, albeit the performances leave a huge scope for improvement' and those who change their mind depending on the last person who spoke.
If I remove the last category and the very first one (those that will never take to him) the vast majority of rational supporters want to keep him but are split on the priorities that he should address.
I also find that that is a pretty common split throughout the eastend .
Having said that the final impression that anyone gets usually comes from those who shout loudest, and as you have yourself said much more succinctly, we will only realise his talents when they have disappeared over the horizon.
That being your veiw, I would ask you to shout it loudly in the bars and buses around the grounds.
On a separate topic, Jekyll and Hyde tonight was brilliant. Following on from Life on Mars we have had two absolutely cracking television series which leave all the other channels with their advert breaks (and extortionate costs) in the shade.
Culture break over!
hail hail
Estadio.
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I would give Scott Brown the captaincy.
The boy has leadership in him. Let's capitalise on it.
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pfayr
Simple really. Don't renew your ticket. Doesn't mean you can't continue to moan on CQN.
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Gordon,
the penalties for Rangers stopped by Christmas that season. They already had ten penalties by then and played the majority of those games against 10 men at some point. Celtic should have been out of sight by then. There was much wailing and screaming about the old-firm getting the benefit of the doubt as I have already touched upon. The penalties dried up until that Saturday afternoon at Dens Park !!
"If you torture your stats long enough they will speak for you" :-)
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From Heraldo on Let the people Sing. I'll do a proper link some day.
http://letthepeoplesing.com/videos/Celtic_Video/The_Road_To_Seville_-_The_Goals
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Estadio
sent you a nice picture - did it arrive ?
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bloke 109
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Whitedog
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TTTT,
Faaabulous troosers.
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whitedog
by george i've done it.
cheers!
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I sit in 109
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used to be beside the two big guys from fife in the front row- one in a wheelchair- but am a bit further back now.
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EDB
i note that you don`t seek to disagree re the standard of the performance.
i love winning but i`d just like more pleasure along the way
why should i not support my team but ask for more from players whose weekly wage wage is almost the national annual average
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have been in Y but am moving up in the world to upper tier. 109's been fine, save for the guy 3 behind me who screams 'talk to each other' every 10 minutes. He's either a poor marriage guidance counsellor or thinks there's a lack of communication throughout the team. How he can tell with the noise from the crowd is anyone's guess, but he is in 109 where the opening of a bag of crisps brings tutting.
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pfayr
As before, if winning titles and trophies is not your thing then seek your Celtic happiness elsewhere.
Goodnight.
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EDB
never ever said that it wasn`t
but still doesn`t make the football good
goodnight to you to
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Right not saw any TV or web today as trying to make sure I dont find ou the endeing in a book. I think it will be outed at 10 o clock mass by some wean i want to batter each week .
So did we sign anyone, did we get beat today, did Elvis leave the building, Did TTTT pick a good horse.... Ok I saw the last bit and checked...Even Edward said it was a dud and he is an expert on duds..
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Right before I return to the servants quarters and get another Guinness and a packet of 'sunseed naturally lower in saturates Walkers ready salted', is there anyone out there?
Am I alone in the universe, am I a product of intelligent design, an accident of the primordial sludge, a figment of quantum mechanics, or simply a fallen angel being punished for Eve having taken a bite of a granny smith?
These are the questions that need answered so I think I will get two cans of G. and talk to myself for a while anyway.
Where oh where are our far flung cousins, our wandering knights of Columba and Patrick, spreading the seeds of Celtica Greenandwhitea in lands far flung but whose soil is rich and urgent, rippling with desire for the essence that makes our soulful chronometers tick and tock, tic and tock, tic and .....!
I may have to get the Slabbery Woman to remove the cucumber slices from her eyes and entertain me with her tales of garlic laced aphrodisiacs!
I will post this when I return with Guinnesses and snackeroonies!
Wait a minute, my super CQN extra terrestrial dish has picked up some signals.
WDH - Got it, but not sure how to access it. This is down to the Guinness!
PFAYR
YOUr points are well made. However it is like being told to work harder at your place of employment. If you are at the cutting edge of your ability, then all the dosh in the world is not going to help.
If the boss can't afford to hand out more because some big daft employer down the road is paying 4 times as much, then his options for improvement in the short term are limited.
He needs to keep his head above the lapping waves until such time as he gradually increases his internally developed talents and with a steadily rising level of success also generates the wherewithal to step up the rungs of the competitive ladder that rises before him.
WGS has done that admirably.
For those who also predict or even suggest that he might be for the offski after a three-in-a-row, I suggest that they may have misunderstood him both as a manger and a stubborn little g..ordon, and also ignored what he said last week.
"I did say that three years was enough of a tour of duty at any one club. But that was down in England where you are lucky if you get three years. I am now at a Club where I can do something, create something, something worthwhile and long-lasting, and something that gives so much pleasure to so many people all over the world. I am here for the long haul because achieving that would be worthwhile"
I believe he meant it, and I believe he is capable of it!
Hail hail
Estadio
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gl2
Mrs Bloke got said book from our local Asda last night (only a fiver!) and said there must have been two thousand people in total there between midnight and 1am.
I'm surprised none of the red-tops have linked Rowling with Rangers for a massvive cash boost.
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Bloke 109
Had me in a panic there.
I've just moved from 438, and thought it was to 109.
Checked card that arrived yesterday and it is 103!
Having said that, I am a singer and shouter although hopefully not to repetitive.
I also eat a lot of crisps so I may not have gone down well in 109.
Hail Hail
Estadio
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soggy crisps boudin noir and pitch up with get it up the park every 10 mins is the survival pack for 109.
The real understanders of the game shot 'Get it wide'
I'm not their yet. (sp)
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We will sign a right-back! We will!
Er, we don't have a number 2 in the official squad.
Or a 13, 19, 22-24, 29-32, 34, 36, 37, 39. At least according to wikipedia. Hunners of signings to come. I am now confident.
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The best wan wis the guy in front of me in 438, not sure if it was Waldorf or Stadtler, who turned to his mate and said'
Bloke: '****** 4-4-2 again.'
Mate : 'naw. They're 4-3-3'
Bloke : 'they must have moved when the whistle went'
Me : ' Strachan's tellin them tae get back tae wghere they were supposed tae be'
Waldorf and Stadtler : 'bout ****** time he done sumthin'
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Some brilliant reading on here today.
I have to say before I pass comment that I have been at awedding and am bucking flootered so please make contemporaneous allowances….
Awe_naw 14.13
Twice I read ‘brilliant post’ after that. Personally I thought it one of the most substanceless ‘have a go at the board’ posts I have ever read. Undermined the quality of Tontine’s post no end.
Kano 15.19
What’s with the apology? That was the name of the book. ‘Wogs’ as you and I know has nothing to do with Africans or black people in Antipodean lingo. Italians and Greeks is generally the reference, can’t rememeber the actual acronym. Whites of Greek ……… something or other. Jonny Warren is alegend. Sorry to hear of his passing. When I left Oz (freely I hasten to add) he was almost single handedly dragging ‘soccer’ to the fore. His wee mucker on SBS (Craig wotzisname?) was a wee turd right enough. Always talking about his nights on the lash down at the Sydney Casino with the blue nose brigade. Scruffy Murphys on George Street ya bass!!!!
Graet No 8
Nice one. Here we go for 3-in-a-row!
Lynott 67
Sorry to hear of you troubles. I heard about the sponsorless tops on the grapevine. Albert Kidd did all the hard work, we got one, got it signed by one sgr. S Chalmers and hey presto. £535 to GtCC. Hope that eases the pain.
Tinytim will tell you the theory of when that top will multiply in value. (blush)
Weeron 21.14
Uttterly bamboozled. To the point of diziness.
G’nite all. One last thing……………the captaincy.
Prepare for record hits on the site Paul……..
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A 109 opinion re signing would be to sign someone with the Christian name 'Hugh', then he can react to the cries of 'och, c'moan Hugh' - that could be what they shout. Talent scouts aplenty in 109, mind, as bizarrely, any player younger than 35 is 'not going to make it', anyone over 19 is 'finished'. And agents too - 'no way he's worth 20 grand a week' (or, insert own made-up salary). How I shall miss being the only one on the rown with ten minutes to go - having had a shower that month, too.
Kev
So Petrov's coming back, then. I'd heard Sol Campbell.
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Estadio,
I've just moved to area 439 to be near the brother. What's the view like from up there? Do I need opera glasses?
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SFTB.
I was in 438 row M right next to the entry/exit arch.
The view was magnificent.
Waldorf and Stadtler always brought opera glasses but that was because they were used to appearin in the muppets.
Obviously the further back, the more panoramic the view and the more use was made of the big screen when we were attacking in the first half.
But I will miss that view as I only really moved to firstly annoy some other unsuspecting sleep apnoeia sufferer, and secondly to return as close as possible to my spiritual Jungle home.
Hail hail
Estadio
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