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does embdy know where i can get some kestrel lager
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Is that to celebrate first post Spirit?
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...ooh podium! (in a homer stylee) Im off to find some Kestral too.
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help lhads
blogger keeps saying that i have incorrect password and i have to keep deleting account and setting up a new one
any ideas on how to fix this?
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Does everybody still know "Celtic, Celtic that's the team for me"? Let's be hearing plenty of that. As you say, Paul67, much of Scotland will be devastated. Long may they wallow.
Still, today is a day when our manager has put a smile on our faces (and the rain has stopped too). He has us playing the Celtic way and did our support respond. Cogratulations one and all, you've made an auld haun proud.
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soal and corrib04
Does your devil dog prefer Kestrel or is he more of a coke fan? Are you currently wearing a tracksuit?
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Gerry 'the voice of a big football ' McNee is over inflated as well as devastated.
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stbf
more of a pepsi max man myself
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Why our manager went on the "record" with that comment in the Sunday Mail , i will never know.
That particular journalist's eyes must have lit up when he uttered those words.
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STG-
What comment ?
notasundaymailreaderCSC.
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Paul67
I mentioned on the last thread the excellent behaviour of the support yesterday.
I have no doubt that yourself and the other websites influenced this excellent behaviour.
Please continue to encourage such behaviour via this forum and hopefully KTF, E-Tims and the rest will do likewise. It is not just one game we will be under scrutiny for.
Aberdeen away next week will see many more supporters attending the game with a small sherry or two in them. Regular reminders about behaving appropriately will still be required but Falkirk was an excellent start.
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I'll agree with you, Noel. The [i]Sunday Mail[/i] is as bad as it''s sister publication (which won't be getting a name check from me.)
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Noel
Front page has a picture of gordon Strachan with the following "quote"
Strachan on his critics
"its someone whose sitting with a tracksuit on,his devil dug at his side and a can of kestrel in his hands,maybe coked up to his eyeballs shouting down a phone"
This is the expanded upon in an "exclusive" interview with the well known Falkirk fan Gordon Waddell
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As good as our passing became towards the end of yesterday's game, it was only due to the tiring of the Falkirk team.
It is not acceptable for us to be outpassed and outplayed considerably by SPL opposition.
Obviously our centre-midfield is still building an understanding, and to a certain extent we are lacking a bit of ball-winning bite in the team at times, but we must impose our own tempo and style on teams early on.
It happened yesterday, and in the past (notably Hearts) when Strachan has commented on 'knowing the opposition wouldn't be able to sustain their tempo throughout the match', but we cannot rely on this as a sustainable tactic for victory.
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But what is he shouting down the phone,our KappaKestrelCokedup chum?
'Amortisation!That's A-M-O-R-T-I-S-A-T-I-O-N,ya tube.
And don't start me on the Seville money,or Tyson will be round to tear you a new a##e hole before you can say Generation of Domination'That's D-O-M-I-N-A-T-I-O-N.!
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WGS From the 5und@y m@il today:
"You talk about that question (of pressure) but that shouldn't be asked now because I think I've proved that. What you should ask is who is posing the question? Not an intelligent person, that's for sure.
"It's someone who's sitting with his tracksuit on, his devil dug at his side and a can of Kestrel in his hand, maybe coked up to his eyeballs, shouting down the phone.
"I'm not answering to that. I'm not answering a question from Mr Ned".
_________________________________
Honestly he doesn't help himself. Why is he coming out with stuff like that.
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This is the full article which ive copied om Celticminded. I dont see anything wrong in it. I also read the article in Sunday Herald today and Gordon came across really well.
WALTER SMITH once said an Old Firm manager is only ever three games away from a crisis.
Gordon Strachan? Turns out that's a bit generous for him. He gets one.
Despite the two league titles, despite the two cups, despite the last 16 of the Champions League, he still only gets one.
A rolling 90-minute contract with the Celtic fans, renewed every time the first whistle blows and picked apart like a carcass by vultures at the last.
And every point dropped a clear call to the phone-in masses to ask the same question.
Is Strachan big enough to manage Celtic? Can he handle it?
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You'd think after more than two years of this it would get to him. You'd be wrong.
Sitting in his Celtic Park office last week, you'd think the echo of the weekend's boos after their draw with Kilmarnock would depress him. You'd be wrong about that too.
"Are you kidding?" he laughs. "I came in here on Tuesday morning rubbing my hands and looking forward to training. I can feel it coming."
Strachan looks as relaxed as he has ever been. Sharing laughs with his assistant Garry Pendrey and scout Ray Clarke. Congratulating his secretary for getting his tea order right.
Hot enough to melt steel. Three teabags' strong. Polystyrene cup. It looks like you could stand a spoon up in it.
Man's tea for a man's job.
Yesterday's game against Falkirk was Strachan's 100th in charge of the club. Wednesday night sees him back in the glare of a Champions League qualifier in Moscow that provides enough heat to melt lesser men.
Yet still he shrugs and still he insists the game is all that matters to him.
"Listen," he says, "I have my own ways of dealing with things and the main one is not being affected by the fantasy pressure. That would send you crazy.
"But dealing with reality is easy.
"You talk about that question (of pressure) but that shouldn't be asked now because I think I've proved that. What you should ask is who is posing the question? Not an intelligent person, that's for sure.
"It's someone who's sitting with his tracksuit on, his devil dug at his side and a can of Kestrel in his hand, maybe coked up to his eyeballs, shouting down the phone.
"I'm not answering to that. I'm not answering a question from Mr Ned.
"I've proved I can manage a team at the bottom of the league - I saved Coventry when I was there.
"At Southampton we were second bottom and I took them into Europe, to an FA Cup Final and as high as fourth in the Premiership.
"Now I've come here. I don't think anyone can ask if I can handle pressure. I've been dealing with it all my life as a penalty taker, a captain, a professional player.
"It's different if people ask how good you are, but whether you can handle it? No-one with intelligence would ask that question.
"Thankfully, though, that doesn't reflect on most Celtic fans. When I meet people they're always pleasant."
Just how pleasant they will be after the double-header with Spartak Moscow will depend on one thing only. Qualification.
Win and Strachan will be a certified £10million hero. Lose and every decision he has made in building Team Three will be pulled to pieces. That's what he's up against. Especially when he's also being measured against how far Rangers go this season.
Yet the Hoops boss is completely at ease with his choices, despite the fact that the quality has diminished at Celtic Park.
He said: "Every day I go to training and I think: 'I'm comfortable with this. I like it.'
"I see people who will be great players.
"And it's good to have potential to work with. It would be harder to deal with guys who had been here three years and were just hanging on physically and mentally. The players here, though, are just determined to get out in the morning and train.
"The average age of the team was 31 when we got here. It's 25 now.
And while people might look at where some of the players have come from and pass judgment, they need to be at training to see what I'm seeing.
"I'm watching and thinking: 'Chris Killen, God, you're good' or 'Scott McDonald, you're hungry, can score goals and will be a success.'
"Sometimes you bring players in and end up disappointed, sometimes you get a boost. And right now I'm getting a real boost."
The punters may not think so after last weekend. Mention the 0-0 draw and Strachan starts scouring the bombsite debris of his desk like an absent-minded professor.
Then he's out the office and the shouts of 'Gaz! Gaz!' drift as the door closes. Thirty seconds later he's back, thrusting a seven-sheet analysis in my hands. "Take a look at that at home," he says. "It's unbelievable.
"It measures every millimetre of every move made. If Paul Hartley blows a snotter out of his nose this tells you how far it went.
"I looked at the game again on Monday on the system. Who do you think covered the most ground for Kilmarnock against us?"
My Stevie Naismith guess is wrong by 0.1 of a kilometre. Turns out it's Colin Nish who ran 11.412km in 97 minutes.
"Surprised, eh?" Strachan laughs. "It's a small weapon but it's worth using to educate the players.
"But what the general story tells us is that we had 41 crosses and 20 attempts at goal. We had 10 corners, they didn't have one.
"If I'd said I wanted that before the game I wouldn't complain. If we miss from three yards there's nothing I can do so the newer guys thought it was strange I didn't give them a bollocking for not winning.
"But when you ask guys to do something and they do, it's crazy to start screaming at people. I can't change it after a game."
Strachan's awareness of his side's limitations, of their mortality and his own, means he's never stupid enough to set himself up for a fall.
Even after sharing touchlines with the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson and Carlo Ancelotti last season, he smiles when you mention the three names in the same sentence.
He insists: "It's not an individual challenge. I'd never think I was as good as a Ferguson or Ancelotti anyway - but they can also do more with their team.
"They can fantasise more than I can. All I can do is use what I have. And if I was religious I'd pray.
"I'd judge myself against these guys if I had the same weapons. I wouldn't judge myself against you if I had a knife and you had a gun. And you're bigger than me so I'd be under pressure and I'd have to be tricky.
"That's why I'm always learning, because I have to. The day you think you're good enough? Forget it."
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"its someone whose sitting with a tracksuit on,his devil dug at his side and a can of kestrel in his hands,maybe coked up to his eyeballs shouting down a phone"
Can anyone explain why has Gordon Starchan got such a negative view of the Scottish press?
Well done to the Celtic support.
More Celtic songs and a couple of Irish numbers too.
Just a couple of points - was in with the Falkirk fans and they were no worse than any other football fans. Apart from some booing of Aiden it was just industrial language ie effen swearing. No backpage headlines about Aiden - was it in the SPL observers report?
What was impressive about Celtic yesterday was the level of fitness of Celtic of all except Donati. They were getting better and better as the game went on.
It was the perfect game and opponents to have before going to an away European tie.
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neuronshepherd-
"Can anyone explain why has Gordon Starchan got such a negative view of the Scottish press?"
Are you serious ?
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Read an article in the Sunday Times with Henrik.
Mentions he'll be playing against Drogheda this week. Not sure where the match will be played but apparently not at Drogheda's own ground.
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Wayne Rooney to me is not really a striker, a centre-forward and if you accept that then Ferguson is playing with no strikers at home to Reading on the opening day of the new season which they go into as champions. None up front and dull as dullness.
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EDB, the Drogheda v Helsingborg game is to be played at Dalymount Park, Dublin at 7:45pm on Thursday.
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U19s beat Sevilla 3-1 in Villareal youth tourney.
See fishal site for report.
http://tinyurl.com/2tlq3l
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matt
Thanks for that. Hope there will be lots of Hoops around to make Henrik welcome.
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while i am not always impressed by gordon in the media these comments impressed me
"I'm very pleased for Kenny Miller. He set the standard on how we close down up front.
"He got about the place and we followed him in."
Asked where Miller features in his plans, given Celtic's abundance of strikers, Strachan said: "He's number two. They (Vennegoor of Hesselink and Miller) are number one and number two at the moment.
"Kenny forced himself into the team because of his training performances and his hunger."
to me thats sends out a positive message
1 - train well and u have a chance of playing come saturday
2 - show genuine hunger - as above
3 - play well, u will keep your place
not to mention the fact this will have kenny's confidence up, kenny's finish was excellent left foot bottom corner - clinical. can't remember saying that about kenny to often
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ballwinningcentrehalf ,
We're playing a more European style game. We play with more patience. Sometimes in home or away games in modern day football it takes time and effort to break down teams. My Dad always told me these SPL teams are "60 minute teams" and its true , they'll huff and puff until they run out of steam. This falkirk side won 4-0 last week and beat Ajax 2 weeks ago in a friendly. They have shown their capable. God Forbid that the Spl can provide some competition for a change.
What these "wee" teams lack in ability they make up for with disciplined work ethic to stifle the bigger team. Sometimes you have to be patient.
I'll give you an example , arsenal today toiled against fulham. They were patience and ground out a display. From 1-0 down to win 2-1.
At this time and moment Man.Utd are struggling to break down the resistance of reading at home.
As you can see it sometimes you half to stick to your game then finish them off with your quality.
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bigliam
totally agree, sometimes the gameplan is to run them ragged or let them run ragged till they tire then pick them off and win the game
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Antsman
Can't see anything to argue about with your conclusions.
A few additional observations.
1. The positive message is probably for the support. The players will already know all of the points.
2. Derek Riordan is not meeting one or more of them.
3. If you get the chance, watch Paul McGowan with the reserves. He plays like a combination of Brian McClair and Mark Hughes, albeit at a lower level for the moment. I reckon he is GS's ideal forward (assuming his development continues).
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Sorry about this RANT but ....
WGS yesterday was approached by the 4th official for celebrating Celtics goal. As was Gary Pendrey. WGS even intimated in his post match interview that it was ok to hurl vitriolic abuse at him and the Celtic bench for well over an hour with children present but that he is not allowed to celebrate seeing his own work come to fruition for fear of upsetting those that should be immediately sterilised for the damage they do to the gene pool. Sorry but it has to be said. Meanwhile WGS is about to serve a 4 game suspension for being sent off again for diddley sqaut ?????
I posted yesterday immediately after the match that the lack of material necessary to beat Celtic up with due to the impeccable behaviour of our fans yesterday would result in a change of focus. That the spotlight would fall on WGS dealings with the media etc. Now I am not exactly staking a claim for Nostradamus mantle but why oh why do WE have to pick up and be sympathetic to an agenda that is set up by this media ?? COME ON LETS BE HAVING YOU <- WHY ?
All the tic fans that are moaning about this should listen carefully as it seems to me that WGS is more of a tim than you could ever dream of being.
We dont care what the animals say .... remember ??
WGS keep telling it as you see it. Don´t compromise. Keep showing our fans how a tim should behave. You set a fine example.
RANT OVER
HAIL HAIL
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Wish I could post links as I've just read some good stuff on KDS concerning articles with Gordon Strachan. Really entertaining and ensightful at times.
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What hapened to the enquiry into the Rangers fans at Inverness ?
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0.0 at OT after 75 minutes
Are Man U going to surrender the EPL like we did last week against Kilmarnock ?
Mind you Reading are now down to 10 men. If we had Rob Styles reffing our match yesterday then Higdon would be walking the walk after 2 minutes for his tackle on Naylor.
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Sorry to harp back on this topic but I can only agree with Smelltheglove 15:17 when he says the journalists eyes must have lit up at Gordon Strachan’s comments about his critics.
His talk of “shell suits”, “devil dogs” and “can of kestrel” are at best naïve and at worst stupid.
The point he is making is not bad or offensive in my opinion but taken out of context and sensationalised the way it has been makes him look like a poor mans Cantona.
It’s a daft statement and reflects badly both on him and the club.
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Reading have player sent off less than a minute after he comes on as a substitue and before he kicks a ball.
Bad tackle but certainly no worse than the one committed on Naylor early doors yesterday, resulting in a yellow.
Should Falkirk have been down to 10 men within 2 minutes?
Now for a series of stramashes in the Reading goalmouth.
'GG
'GG
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Awe Naw
What's this about our manager being banished to the stand?
I seem to recall something from last season but why would that not have been implemented before now?
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tobi
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/6931472.stm
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EDB is it this 1?
KDS
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Tobi 17.34
Good call. Clearly they were waiting for us to slip up at Falkirk so they could dish out the same punishment to both clubs. This would prove that "One's as bad as the other"
Well done to the Hoops at Falkirk. Your a credit to the club.
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Just had a look and found out that the great taste that was Kestrel lager was last made in 2003.
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EDB,
Dougal sent Strachan off for a second time in the season when he said something to Neil Mc Cann before he came on at the tail end of last season. He appealed so he could be present at the SC final. His case comes up next week.
The shell suited kestrel drinking Rangers protection racket driven panel panel will be delighted to have the opportunity to slap him on the face
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GerM
The journalists' eyes lit up because that's what Kestrel, and McKewans lager for that matter, does to you.
My advice is stick to the Buckie and support the monks!
Who gives a monkey's what they think, we've protested long and loudly and they've loved every minute of it.
Read ANNAOAN's post above.
Hits the nail right on the head.
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Cheers awe naw
Delayed until they can have us as well, no doubt.
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GerM
Have to disagree with you.
I have no problem with Gordon speaking his mind and can't see how it reflects badly on the club.
We're not quite living in a P.C. world.
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Man Utd 0 Reading 0
Sack Ferguson.
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So Man U have blown the league. 30 million pound spent on rubbish as Chelsea walk away with the EPL. Manchester United should be beating teams like Reading.
Sir Alex Ferguson I´m still not convinced about. He´s far too surly to the media and can you believe that he would rather help his wife move house than spend one half in Scotland and and then one half in Ireland.
The boy Rooney is a good EPL acquisition but he´s NOT going to score any goals at World cups or in CL games.
Even though Reading came with a Kilmarnock type plan we should be beating teams like this - NO MISTAKE
Time for a rethink :-)
Bir Ron Atkinson is looking for a club
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GerM, as you say yourself, WGS's comments were "taken out of context" and "sensationalised".
The Media will take every opportunity to distort comments and report against those Celtic employees who do their best to make our Club succesful. Because they don't like us.
I'll never forget that terrible day in 1998 - my worst as a Celtic fan - when a summer long campaign by the Tabloid press succeeded in having us boo Fergus. It was a disgrace then and remains a disgrace now.
As Annoni rightly says, they are raging that they can't print the sectarian stories today, so they'll have their attacks elsewhere.
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Bang goes the title.
Sir Awex's jaikit on a shoogly peg.
Manchester's Mineshafters emerge.
(Maybe ours have a longer tunnel than we thought.)
'GG
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GL2
Go to the top of the class:o)
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Second time of trying.
I sometimes squirm when our manager speaks and then I think: he's right (and often funny and witty too). We all know that the media in Scotland are never gonig to give anyone from Celtic a fair crack of the whip. They detest us and now that they can't get us for sectarian chanting they'll try another tack. Gaun yersel, Mr Strachan. Keep telling it like it is. Rant over.
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El Diego Bhoy given his position as manager of Celtic any comment Gordon Strachan makes, particularly while being interviewed as manager of Celtic, reflects back on the club.
This is equally true of intelligent comments as well as stupid comments.
I think this comment falls into the latter category and detracts from the point he was making.
He himself knows, probably better than most, that the press in this country are not exactly on his (our) side. So there is no need to go making the bullets for them to fire right back at us.
Lisbon Lions Upper. I agree they are struggling for negative comments today because of the good behaviour of the away support yesterday. So along comes our manager with some mannah from heaven.
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GG
the only club with no mineshafters are the gers
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The language used in illustrating his point has been used in a negative sensationalized way. His point is lost and he comes across badly
It was naïve for the manager not to see this and he should have known better
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Thanks Aw Naw.
Hope the committeeeeeee disnae huv any dugs. Don't think Gordon likes them.
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You know its been a good weekend for Celtic when all some can find wrong is the managers interview technique.
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I only caught the second half yesterday but the team started to show a bit more of what we have been hoping for and some well taken goals into the bargain.
I was also very proud of the support who sang their hearts out with good ol' celtic songs.Well done guys.
I feel the SFA were holding off until after our game at Falkirk to decide on the huns punishment re' Inverness.
They now have a tricky one their hands..how to punish without actually punishing.
Docked points,dont think so.
Big fine,unlikely.
A finger wagging and a ticking off would be my guess.
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Looks like the enquiry into the Rangers fans at Inverness will take place after their next away game. No chants and it'll be a slap on the wrists, more chants and it could go further. Not exactly holding my breath.
Lisbon Lions Upper: Re that day with Fergus, he may not want to return but as they say in American sitcoms, we, as a support, need closure on that day. We need to cheer him. All of us.
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As we're struggling to find something to moan about, what was everybody's opinion of our ball-boys last week at the Kilmarnock game ? I thought they were really poor..........and I am actually being serious.
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IF WGS treated the Scottish press like this would he be feted like Walter Smith ?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dG27qGTMXa4
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Noel,
Read the lad's post again and notice the sarcasm.
neuronshepherd said...
"its someone whose sitting with a tracksuit on,his devil dug at his side and a can of kestrel in his hands,maybe coked up to his eyeballs shouting down a phone"
Can anyone explain why has Gordon Starchan got such a negative view of the Scottish press?
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English media in tears as inexperienced Gunners go two points clear of mancs on Day One
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Bloke109, I agree, and I do think we've moved on. He would receive a standing ovation now. I was just trying to make the point that we were manipulated by the press once before, it can happen again...
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Gordon knows cat lovers are the true football cognoscenti. remember we used to give devil dog alsations the John Greig treatment at cP ?
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Tobi: The CP ball-boys have been poor for some time. I hear they are yourth team players. If that's the case someone ought to teach them to run properly with slightly more agility than a turnstile. As with some other grounds, I've never seen the point of ball-boys sitting behind the goal - is that not what a net is there for? To be a ball-boy is to have free entry to the game and not have to do that much. The worst type though is the Gregory from 'Gregory's Girl' type who runs right up to the players, usually the keeper and hands them the ball. Actually the worst was that eejit at Ibrox who tried to be hard with Neil Lennon. One look at the stas for any game which shos the amount of time the ball is in play should be enough for us to tell the ball-boys the importance of not shilly-shallying. Gawd I sound like my dad.
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Lisbon Lions Upper
The bitterness campaign against Fergus began the day after the 2-0 victory over St Johnstone.
Gordon Waddell wrote something along the lines of, 'Celtic fans may be smiling this morning, but it won't last. Wim has had enough of the back-room wranglings he has been subjected to by Fergus and Jock Brown and is walking out.'
He couldn't even allow us to savour victory for 24 hours.
That summer, there was clearly someone inside Celtic Park blabbing to the tabloids about things like the bonus dispute for the Champions' League qualifiers.
This sort of thing ended when Craig Burley left the club, although this could be a coincidence.
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Tommy-
whoosh !
Right over the top of my head that went.
Getting a bit slow in my old age.......
Apologies to Neuronshepherd.
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Paul67,
On your initial article you describe things changing when Hartely arrived on the scene.
Interesting use of fact and wording.
Hartely had no input into 3 of our goals yet you insinuate he brought impact from the bench. Although it is a fact he entered the pitch and we scored 3. You where harsh on Donati as he wasn't the most guilty midfielder in giving the ball away.
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Newcastle United top of the EPL. What a crap league as they only managed to beat us 4.1
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No, Noel, you're not getting old. Just a wee bit tired.
You need a wee holiday.
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enrico annoni
Paul Hartley delivered the pass to Kenny Miller, in space, who slid it through to JVOH for our fourth.
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Enrico,
I agree with you that Paul67´s assertion might be more than a little favourable to Paul Hartley. If it´s the type of thing that jolts the lad to start playing the way we know he can then what´s wrong with that ?
Not so much lazy journalism as Celtic minded journalsim. More please ?
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Sue McGregor just played a clip on Pick of the Week of a plummy guy complaining that contemporary music has no melody, but focuses entirely on beat, because "that's all the great unwashed out there can deal with".
I hope the Sunday Mail are following up.
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mineshaftersoftheworldunite
The Southsiders have no mineshafters as they only have to crawl back into the holes they made when they were spawned.
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Celtic First
A coincidence I'm sure........(!)
It also seemed to start the trend for ex Celtic players to be lined up to have a go at our Club, Messrs McLeod and Nicholas prime culprits. Murdo never denied the 'I can be more loyal if you pay me more' comments he made to Jock Brown. Seems he has a similar approach when making anti-Celtic comments.
As for the erstwhile 'Champagne Charlie', I heard his disdain of all things Fergus and consequently Celtic as a whole began when Fergus heard about and brought to an end Charlie's seemingly endless supply of match day comps, suggesting that perhaps he ought to start paying for them...
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At the moment, Donati only has about 60 minutes of fuel in his tank, as has been evident in every game he plays. It may be that he will never gain more stamina and that is what has hindered his career.
However, that's what subs are for and if he can give an effective hour in every game, he won't do too bad.
Considering the important position he plays in, we can't afford to have him on the pitch when his touch and passing goes missing.
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Daily Record Internal Memo:
Celtic fans celebrated Massimo Donati's flukey oggie equaliser on Saturday, with two perhaps leaping the advertising hoardings. A pitch invasion? Please investigate as there's a back-page to fill here guys.
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TomtheTim,
Donati cost 3m. If he can´t play for 90mins then he should never have been bought.
I think you will find that his stamina will improve as he comes to terms with the pace of the Scottish game. Which must be a completely new way of playing football for him. I see him as finally providing the ammo that Jarosik has so far not managed
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Awe Naw..
Hopefully his stamina will improve. It is just me wondering why a once £10m. player who never established himself in any club in Italy and has undoubted talent, finds himself at Celtic Park.
Is his fitness level his weakness?
Put it another way. If 60 minutes is his lot, then it is still worth more ,arguably, than the combined contributions of Jirosik and Gravesen.
Hopefully, as I said, he will come up to speed, stamina wise.
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http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/european_football/article2241153.ece
Ghod Speaks
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I think
"It's someone who's sitting with his tracksuit on, his devil dug at his side and a can of Kestrel in his hand, maybe coked up to his eyeballs, shouting down the phone."
is worthy of Irvine Welsh or James Kelman. It just needs a couple of sweary words and it would be perfect.
"Slabbering into his cellphone" might be better than the slightly cliched "shouting down the phone" but maybe he thought that would be too derivative. What do you think, Estadio?
Great interview Gordon. I can't think of any other manager who would even have had to talk about that kind of stuff after achieving what you've achieved here, but I hope your patience outlasts the prejudice.
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chennaiseabird,
The hair on the back of my neck stood up when I read;
"It's someone who's sitting with his tracksuit on, his devil dug at his side and a can of Kestrel in his hand, maybe coked up to his eyeballs, shouting down the phone."
I though how does WGS know that this is exactly how I perceive James Traynor, Hugh Keevins, BFDJ, Darrel King etc.
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Awe_Naw
Ah'm tellin' ye. Gritty urban reality. Don't forget, oor boss kens Leith.
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Strachan searches for artificial intelligence
The Celtic manager has very real concerns about playing on Spartak Moscow's plastic pitch.
Patrick Glenn
August 12, 2007 2:52 AM
Among the assortment of reactions expressed by the Celtic players on being paired with Spartak Moscow in the final qualifying round of the Champions League, there were more negatives than positives. Since the draw nine days ago, manager Gordon Strachan has not heard another word about the assignment.
The silence does not necessarily betoken a potentially damaging apprehension, but it is reasonable to infer that Wednesday's mission in Russia will be viewed more solemnly than a trip to St Mirren.
'My talking to you now is the first time the European match has been mentioned since right after the draw,' said Strachan when we spoke on Friday. 'The first reaction was, "Oh, great, we've never been there before." Then it was, "What? They're 18 matches into their league season? Oh, that's not so good." That was followed by, "They play on an artificial pitch? That's not so good, either."
'Obviously, we do have to face some disadvantages, not least of which are the timing and the playing surface. We'll only have had two league games before we go to Moscow and they will have had 20. They'll also be high on confidence and conviction, as they are leading the championship in Russia.
'It does seem a bit unfair that they should be allowed to play such a match on a plastic pitch. I mean, it's no advantage to us to be playing on grass in the return leg, as they play every second domestic game on turf.'
Bizarrely, Uefa have selected Spartak's Luzhniki Stadium as the venue for this season's Champions League final, with an insistence that the showpiece event be played on grass. That Celtic should be forced to face the Russian team at this stage on an artificial pitch is an irritant the effect of which has yet to be determined.
'There's really no way of knowing how we will handle it,' said Strachan. 'You can't really try it out elsewhere because artificial surfaces tend to differ. So we won't know until we work on it. Even then, a training and practice session is no substitute for a proper match.
'It does seem strange that Uefa are not insisting on their playing on grass, as it is still summer. In fact, we're told it could be very hot in Moscow. I understand their need for an artificial pitch in the winter. The Russians are able to assure Uefa they'll host the final on turf because it will be early summer when it's played. But that applies now, so where's the logic?'
That the Scottish champions should be involved in such an exacting tie at this early stage underlines the disparity between smaller countries and the more populous nations, the latter enjoying the enormous advantages that were the reason behind the reshaping of the old European Cup into the Champions League.
Uefa president Michel Platini has talked of his unease over the inequality that allows countries such as England not only four representatives, but two automatic places in the group stage. Whether or not the Frenchman will be able to effect a more equal format remains to be seen, but Strachan shares his dissatisfaction.
'It shouldn't be called the Champions League because it isn't,' said Strachan. 'Actually, it should be called the make-a-lot-of-money league. It's not a competition for champions when teams can finish 20 or 30 points behind the winners of their domestic championship and still qualify. And, as we saw with Liverpool two years ago and Milan last season, even win it.
'But it's what we have and the draw has brought us what it has, so we have to go about getting the result required to take us into the groups.'
Strachan's players often speak of the manager's thoroughness in preparing for expeditions such as this week's and a deep appreciation of the strengths and weaknesses of Celtic's opponents, as well as a strategy that will maximise the team's prospects of success will again be at the core of the build-up.
With chief scout Tom O'Neill already in Moscow and hours of video evidence at hand, Strachan will forgo his usual sleep quota over the next 72 hours. But he insists that, in the matter of feeding his players information, there is a delicate balance to be struck.
'You have to be careful about the amount of pre-planning you do,' he said. 'When you're talking tactics, what the opposition are likely to do and what we want to do, players have a limited concentration span. You want to avoid overloading them and cluttering up their minds.
'It's difficult to do all you'd like in preparation away from home because there's always somebody watching, even if it looks as though the stadium is empty. If you want to try certain shapes, for example, you can't be too obvious about it. I would change the basic shape of our team if I thought it necessary. What you hope is that your system will cause your opponents to change theirs, perhaps wrong...#8209;footing them a little.'
Asked if changing the shape of the team was the one way in which he could surprise Spartak, he offered a characteristically sharp response: 'Well, not if you and I keep talking about it.'
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Clawed goal(s) back on darnel, mothers (best start in many a year I'm told) and Hibernian.
Hartley is trying to look like that French rugger chap.
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9thLegion :- Quite right too, and then you could start a chant of "we are the people" as obviously you are on a higher social and intelectual level than those who are spawned in holes in the ground. It's a disgrace you have to share a city with them, perhaps they should all be taught there place in life.
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edward -
how's the altitude sickness amigo ? I hear it's normally shortlived :-)
WG
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...... also, Edward
I think Gordon has been lurking on CQN, remember our Kestrel/Charger convy ?
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WG :- The view is good if quite novel lol, however that isn't as important as the fact that..
You are FOURTH in the SPL
You are FOURTH in the SPL
and so on :-)
(thanks for that line Paul)
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WG :- He may well do, I wonder if he is a mineshafter or a happy clapper?
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Edward
Good, logical response.
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EU -
well he's deffo no a ML2er. Although we honestly did have a Kestrel Lounge in the 80s which was the hippy hangout of Girdwoods Bar near the station (NAFOS' local). It was opened by that guy and Hercules The Bear, any relation ?
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Aw Naw
Yet another thanks! I'd read this on KDS.
Give the man a break and our support. He deserves it cos he has earned it.
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......for clarification, Girdwoods Bar is NAFOS' hangout not the railway station.
Old Pervert - The Soft Boys
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Gordon Strachan is a Happy Shafter.
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No problem Noel 90.
I think there's a further clue that he was talking about the Scottish press in the second part of the statement which is obviously incomplete
"It's someone who's sitting with his tracksuit on, his devil dug at his side and a can of Kestrel in his hand, maybe coked up to his eyeballs, shouting down the phone.
"I'm not answering to that. I'm not answering a question from Mr Ned."
Could it be that he meant to say that he is not answering a question from "Mr Ned Flanders" aka Hugh Keevins?
Say it is so Gordon.
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....then again I've never seen what's under that fake crombie of his....probably items belonging to MrsNAFOS....
Arnold Layne - The Pink Floyd
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Gordo Strachan is of the can-half-full persuasion
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I'm more of a Can Can man masell.
Advertising has never been the same since Guinness canned the Toucans.
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