I spent a lot of time last season defending Stefan Johansen. His goals, goals created and interceptions stats were incredible. He needed defending because apart from when he was scoring or creating goals, lots of his work was done off the ball. Those who take note of off the ball work, his direct opponents, voted him Player of the Year (those who follow the ball, or action on TV, miss lots).
This season’s been different, none of the markers he put down a year earlier have been met. I don’t have enough information to explain why this is, so I’m not going to absolve the player from responsibility, but what we got from him on his return to Norway on international duty was the talking part of a good game:
“I am dissatisfied with the way I was playing”
“But in recent months I have felt my rhythm is better and that my body is good”
Perhaps more importantly:
“We are going to get those two trophies [league and Scottish Cup]. We have decided to do that.”
You very occasionally hear players talk in those terms – “deciding” to win. I remember writing up that Fraser Forster “decided” to make the England World Cup squad. He made his mind up, put the vagaries of form and fortune out of his head.
The commitment from Fraser in the year-or-so before the 2014 World Cup was enormous. He worked harder than any Celtic player. Enormously harder than some. That’s how you decide something which isn’t actually your decision.
Stefan has a lot of work to do to get back to where he was a year ago. Only he can decide if the time for talking off the park is over.
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At last the day is here, Dublin here we come, looking forward to meeting both familiar and new friends of the Celtic persuasion over the weekend.
KevJ- the Jungle tunes of that time, great!!
HH
BOURNESOUPRECIPE @ 10 57pm.
The defender in that clip looks like Mauro Bellugi…I am not 100% certain..
Coneybhoy,
How are you? They aren’t closed in the Aviva:)
Are you coming up to the Development Squad match v Barca at St Kevin’s?
Mr Pastry,
Sorry you feel that way. It’s a shame that the current board don’t seem to have an ounce of the courage or integrity of the men and women of 1916.
Maybe you can airbrush history and replace Michael Davitt’s attendance at Celtic Park in 1892, with someone more PC and less likely to ‘moan’ about inequality and social justice.’
Glasgow Celtic, the club that took them on with their own bent rules. The first British based club to win the European Cup. Glasgow Rangers were then liquidated in an attempt to emulate Celtic.
End of.
Hail Hail
Arriving at Edinburgh Airport. Dublin bound.
Fhriends new and old await.
HH jamesgang
Tá sé suaimhneach anseo ar maidín.
Caithfidh achan duine ar a mbealach go Baile Atha Cliath.
Quiet in here this morning.
Everyone must be on their way to Dublin.
Árd Macha
ROBERTTRESSELL@8:28
———————————–
I need no lessons on Irish history – my paternal and maternal grandparents were Irish – I am well-versed from the famine and emigration to Scotland and know all about the black ‘n tans and the like…etc etc.
I know all about the campaign by the Church of Scotland and the SNP to ‘send the Irish home’ – long before the Ibrox legions started singing ‘The Famine Song’.
I remember one of the key questions when applying for a job was “what school did you go to?”.
What I don’t get is what’s it all got to do with Celtic FC in 2016.
Turning to the absurd conflation of an United Ireland with a separate SNP Scotland, quite frankly this has me beat.
How any of our kind can throw their support behind a bunch of flag-eaters, who if they didn”t need our vote, wouldn’t give us the reek off their shite.
We might have been independent yesterday and every working-class person in Scotland would be paying for it for years to come – the SNP? – they would waltz-off and melt into the background and revert to type – job done, wrap the Saltire round us – we have sent the English homeward to think again. It’s a game to these people – separation at any cost – they are a one-issue dangerous cult.
The vast majority of our population would have to pick up the pieces after separation, without the help of our working class brothers and sisters throughout the British Isles.
Back to Celtic, whom I have supported all my life – there are people who, in this age of social media, want to use our club as a platform for their own narrow political agenda – they want to ban people from becoming officers and board members because they don’t like their political choices – they cast envious eyes on agreed remuneration received by employees of the club – they castigate the club for not ‘running-off at the mouth’ like them on various issues, forgetting that to do so without hard evidence could seriously damage our club – they accuse the executives, shareholders and board members of colluding and conspiring with ‘Rangers’ and the SFA to ‘pull the wool over the fans eyes’.
I am not arrogant, nor, snobbish – I will not stand back and listen to some of the unsubstantiated tripe posted as fact on here, or, anywhere else.
Yes we can all have an opinion and disagree with each other from time to time – that’s life – but dressing up that opinion as the undeniable truth with not a scrap evidence to back it up, is not on and needs to be challenged.
Oh father why are you so sad
On this bright easter morn
Cos everyone is away to Dublin an am nawe
Dare everyone not to respond and give us all a care free day.
Last time I was in Dublin was at my great friends stag night. I was best man at the Wedding at Mullingar a few days later. Can’t remember a thing about it as it was almost 20 years ago.
Come to think about, I couldn’t remember much about it, the next day either :)
Changed days, that great friend is large in my daily thoughts these days, as he fights a heroic battle for his life against serious illness.
To all of the latter day rebels in the CQN Brigade enjoy Baile Atha Cliath. I am sure you will. ⚽️
Good Morning all,
There is no need to hope that everyone going to Dublin will have a good time — The city takes care of that without trying.
I have had manay an adventure in Dublin over the years:
Singing in O’Donohue’s on Merrion Row, Being driven home by Paddy Slattery from his pub in Caple Street,
gatecrashing weddings at The Clontarf Castle, heading out to a mad party in Swords with God knows who and God alone knows why, going on the razzle with an 80 year old woman in Ranelagh in the early hours of the morning, attempting to check into a Drug Rehabilitation centre which I thought was a B&B, barely avoiding driving a car clean into the Liffey (only the front wheels went in), Hanging a woman’s knickers from a light fitting in a restaurant ( she had been wearing them moments before and it is a long story as to how they came to be hanging from a chandelier ), Missing the plane home and just deciding to stay, The Wolfe Tones at The Wexford Inn, Attempting to persuade Aer Lingus and the staff at the Shelbourne Hotel that I was a visiting diplomat (failed), Being served free beer in a pub as a thankyou for being their best customer for three days, ………. and all of that is outwith any trips to any sites or attractions of any significance.
I haven’t been for a few years on health grounds ………..
Lovely sunshine in Blantyre
Hope everyone heading over for the festivities has a great time
Me I’ll head to church then a wee fish tea
KTF
BRTH
Glad your not joining us :-)) will be bad enough with BMCuWP, and he’s brought his Auld Mhan to look after him
Right next post will be from Dublin in the Sun
Hail Hail
Radio 4 11.00. The Easter Rising 1916.
We place the cause of the Irish Republic under the protection of the Most High God, Whose blessing we invoke upon our arms, and we pray that no one who serves that cause will dishonour it by cowardice, inhumanity, or rapine. In this supreme hour, the Irish nation must, by its valour and discipline and by the readiness of its children to sacrifice themselves for the common good, prove itself worthy of the august destiny to which it is called
Those were the closing words of the Proclamation of POBLACHT NA H EIREANN.
Wish I was there in Dublin, but for certain reasons it is not possible. Have a great time all who are there. And when you visit the place where they shot James Connolly you will be forgiven if you leave with a tear in your eye.
Lastly I hope Dublin survives the green and white invasion.
Goooooooood morning all,
To all those goidng to Dublin, have a fantastic weekend,to all those not going the same goes to all you,
Hail Hail
Deary deary me,cant even spell going :(((((
Honest my mind wisnae on the Dublin trip.:))))))))))
bgx & wits
It’s completely pointless to try and convince some people on here regarding vote Indy then vote for your favoured economic theory.
People in Scotland have been enslaved for so long, plenty simply don’t know what making decisions actually means or how to go about making your own decisions.
A guy I know who is a committed yes voter actually said to my face he was kind of glad that the UK govt are still making Scotland’s really big decisions such as going to war.
I had to point out that that’s a classic no voter get out clause.
That’s what you’re fighting against.
The people who bang on about obf are those for who obf is the limits of their thinking. Killing innocent adults, kids and babies by blowing up hospitals using British bombs is obviously a much less serious crime to such folk and also off the grid of their own horizons.
Hunbelievable, if such a concept exists, perhaps maybe greenhunbelievable then.
Ireland/Dublin quick news? It’s a Wee bit over the top ffs, childish actually imo,but each to there own. Not my cupa tea and the Irish will be glad to see the back of the lot of you, my last visit to republic was with Masty, and he was told to stop singing rebel songs in a bar, swore I’d never be back and never have been, full of Man.U. Tottenham, Liverpool,and Everton fans, CFC fans in the republic? A myth.
YNot67
Im sure the people in Ireland will be really hurt by your disapproval.
Do you think anybody there will give a flying feck about what you think…I wouldnt think so.
You shouldnt really talk about things you dont understand.
I am sure the Irish were glad to see the back of you.
Till later all
Live and let live
So why do Scotland play in Red (white and blue)?
Good morning all.
Another day on this earth as a Celtic supporter. How wonderful is that?
Mr pastry @ 10:24 – ordinarily I skip past posts with any political slants but I enjoyed reading yours immensely.
Leftclickcelt @ 11:23 – a beautiful sentiment.
Safe and rewarding day to all celts.
Hail hail
Envious of the CQN expeditionary chaps over on the Emerald Isle.
Wish I was there …
VIP
Mr Pastry
Are you a ‘Son of the Manse’ as well….like your hero Gordon Brown?
A True Unionist.
Your politics…are the politics of the gutter.
Your understanding….is negligible…..and fecking boring:)
You are a political dinosaur.
Party Political propaganda….at its most feeble.
You are convincing nobody, of anything.
HH
Fear and loathing of the Irish on CQN
Now, isnt that just incredible.
However….very significant, and noted.
Hey Green Man
Steady on. Nothing wrong with Monarchists, I am one.
Just don’t have the right family in at the moment. Don’t like constitutional monarchies either.
I’m for the Divine right to rule: One man at the helm and we obey. Better than an expensive bunch of self serving politicians.
BIG PEAT
Divine Right.
Jeezo…you have got to be kidding me…right?
HH
BRTH
And i thought you were a sensible one :)
Green Man
Not at all pal. I believe in One God The Father Almighty, and his plan.
Feckin hell
All thats missing on CQN now….is a chorus of the billy bhoys.
Maybe we should change from CQN….to UnionistQuickNews.
WTF has happened to this site
Big Peat
No problem….each to their own.
Although i hope you wont be telling me that you have a sash to go with your monarchist beliefs.
HH
new article posted.
To the Bhoys and Ghirls who have gone to Dublin have a great time, but could you not have picked a weekend when you are not going to lose an hours drinking time? ;-))
Presently sitting in Weeze airport waiting to head to Nerja for a week’s holiday with the wife – the only problem being is the wife is not going now as she started a new job in Brunei 3 weeks ago.
What is an old Bhoy to do for the next week ?……… Let me see :-)
I hope everyone in Dublin is having a great time. Sair heids in the mornings notwithstanding :-)
Paul, I enjoyed you alluding to Quantum Physics in that “deciding” to do something with faith and certainty is the secret to success.
Wouldn’t it be great if, in Scotland, the media would encourage and support young players as they do in Oz. Just read the Aussie articles concerning Tom Rogic’s form- pure, positive energy. In Scotland the gutter media wants hysteria, scandal, smut and negativity. Apparently thats what sells.
The green man
This your blog now? You taken over like?
I can post any time I like and on any subject I care to chose, as of the Irish not giving a feck about me that’s fine, PS last time I looked this wasent your blog, ignore my posts would be your best choice, please don’t get personnel and keep it civil, that’s what I’v been told, so I’m sure that goes for you too, another personal attack on me and you leave me no option but to inform the blog owner, you have been warned.
BEst wishes to all those going to Dublin today. Hope you have a great time.
Mr party’s and ynot67 are simply appeasing racist Scotlands need to make anything about Ireland and Irish republicanism as sectarian.
However it is surreal that we have the usual bullying Scottish nationalists back to try and castigate those of IPAs who would prefer not to cosy up to racism in Scotland. Turkeys voting for Christmas indeed.
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