I’ve heard a lot about Patrick Roberts. He’s burdened by enormous expectations, compared to the greats since shortly after his 17th birthday. Manchester City moved 2 starts and 17 substitute appearances into his Fulham career – £12m on the basis of 399 minutes football.
He’s here to force his way into the team between now and the end of the season, and be ready for the European challenges ahead. I think we’re going to enjoy watching this lad.
We saw around 80 minutes of Erik Sviatchenko on Sunday. As I said yesterday, he’s probably our best defender, not that that is taking enormous liberties. In Virgin van Dijk we managed to recruit a dependable defender who wasn’t scared of the ball, and was first to organise those around him. If Erik’s near that standard, he’ll do well.
Ryan Christie (20) is a No. 10. We need a No. 10. He’s 12 years younger than Kris Commons, the only comparable player in the first team squad. Kris has been our MVP for more seasons than anyone else currently on the books, but we’ve been far too dependent on him, which has become acutely evident recently, when he’s out injured.
There’s an argument that we could have done with another No. 10 during our European campaign but it’s far from clear Ryan would have got his chance. We’ll see a good bit of him before the end of the season.
Many of the things I could say about Colin Kazim-Richards I alluded about Carlton Cole when he signed. He’s a physical presence, not easily intimidated, should be an effective foil for Leigh Griffiths.
Colin joins with an actual rap sheet. Online comments yesterday recalled the reaction the day Griffiths signed. At the time I wrote that it’s important for Celtic to affirm positive values in Leigh’s life. The player hasn’t looked back, he’s every inch a positive role model. It’s now important the club and Colin work to ensure a similar result.
Aidan Nesbitt (18) is also a No. 10. He’s the player you’re most likely to hear development and youth coaches talk about. The next stage of his development required him to play against men. Four months in the Premiership playing for Partick will achieve this.
Farewall Nadir Ciftci, who is off to Turkey until the end of the season. I described Nadir as less like a Ronny Deila player than any other I’ve watched and known Celtic to be interested in. He has a touch and is a better player than we’ve seen, but he was built from different material than practically all other Deila signings.
Last month’s business will hopefully mean we have a settled and secure defence for the qualifiers, something missing at the beginning of this season, something missing on Sunday afternoon. The Kazim-Richards signing could go a number of different ways. The player will get his chance to live up to his own expectations.
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Ernie lynch
A few days ago you said you said this about your feelings for the club: ‘I was/am a Celtic fan’… make your mind up??
You pop up out of nowhere to take issue with my praise of the core support – in what I can see as your only response so far today.
You invoke 1992-1994, a time when our existence was threatened. Lets apply 1993s solution to 2016 problems? Not as simple as that.
You’re the one taking issue with my praise of Celtic supporters – perhaps you’d like to explain why.
I dont agree with smoke bombs but 5 months imprisonment ?
Motherwell fan gets five months for setting off smokebomb
http://linkis.com/co.uk/3BhNj
!!Bada Bing!! on 2nd February 2016 2:56 pm
THE_HUDDLE on 2ND FEBRUARY 2016 2:47 PM
Ross County won because they played against 10 men for 80 mins of a match. You don’t know football if you think otherwise
-Soyou can’t win a game v 10 men? Just give up? HH I watched Aberdeen horse Ross County last week,after they had a red card,roughly the same time as we got ours on Sunday
———-
Where did I say that?
Im saying Ross County won because they played against 10 men for 80 mins. Do you think Ross would’ve won the game if Efe hadn’t been sent off?
Florida Bhoy –
Apologies for the long copy and paste. No idea what happened, I copied less than half of that. Honest guv. –
Aye, they all say that – get in the back of the van
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS
Did you forget the bit where he didn’t win a league?
Or was he just the same as Neil Lennon, Tony Mowbray, or Gordon Strachan?
TELBHOY67
What were your conclusions?
Nothing like a bit of positive spin
The boy Roberts has hardly played any first team football but is expected to get into our team & be a joy to watch
Our new CH has played 80mins & was part of a defence that shipped 3 goals & is now regarded as our best defender
As for Richards comes with a lot of baggage just like Nadir who lasted 6months & not much goals
Deary deary me
I am delighted with the transfer window.We now have two recognised CHs,thats the most important thing.A defensive midfielder?.We have one,who if we tried to buy from another club,we could never afford.Broony.We have a load of young vibrant midfielders already.The addition of the boy Roberts could light up Celtic Park.
Kazim?,who knows,but I remember not too long ago they were wanting him to choose England as his national team.I have not seen him for a while,but he was certainly a very useful player.We will see.
Aiden Nesbitt off to Thistle.Great for the boy,great for us.4 months 1st team football will sharpen him up no end.
The only problem is RD will have to play 4,4,2.Will he?.Can he?.
BSR
I’d say ‘great’, we enjoyed watching the product of his budget play, as much as he enjoyed spending it, even as we sat, but often stood, in blissful ignorance of the incredible cheating we were up against.
Not enough, more times than not, to stop him, right enough.
Which only adds to his achievements.
Tiny Tim
FREE TO A CHARITY
I have two men’s Canada Goose Parka jackets XXL size, they would fit a 48 inch chest.
They are high grade counterfeit goods, I bought them online and then claimed a full refund when I realised I had been scammed.
Free to a homeless charity or similar.
Make contact here: brian@executive-shaving.co.uk
Florida Bhoy
Agreed – again probably a combination of things – losing our best players, struggle to qualify for the CL, poor away support at CP outwith the Hearts and Aberdeen etc
HH
Beatbhoy
Aye sure, another super choice by the great Desmondo, after we were “well down the line” in appointing Guus Hiddink according to Guus Hiddink.
Wonder what would have happened? CSC
LIONROARS67 on 2ND FEBRUARY 2016 3:00 PM
That’s utterly ridiculous.
I suspect the beak has taken umbrage at the breach of the bail condition.
BOURNESOUPRECIPE
Not at all. I’m saying that MON’s achievements in the toughest league there is are greater than winning the Norwegian League. Frankly,I don’t think they bear comparison.
I was delighted when Davie Hay won that league with Lillestrom-?-but I didn’t think he should have replaced our manager who had won our league the year before.
Benjybhoy Mul
Why do Canadian Geese need Parka Jackets?
BSR
I’ll see your tittyligen and raise you 3 top 10 premiership finishes.
And don’t take that as an invite to out up one of yer photos!
Unless you really need to, of course!
Our own defensive naivety ensures that we have no way of knowing whether or not Ross County would have won had Efe not been sent off.
In the opening fifteen minutes, on pressure, were we any further ahead than against Morton two years ago.
What we do know is that Jim McIntyre was astute enough to make sure that his side retained its numerical advantage.
The real problem with Sunday is that it was just another occasion where our disappointment outweighed our surprise.
5 months in jail for a smokebomb. Wow the lunatics have really taken over the asylum.
I dread to think of the sentence once the facial recognition cameras pick up an undiserable tammy.
Football will soon have to come with a warning” this game can seriously affect your liberty, your career and your wallet.
Perspective.
HH.
From Reiver over in SFM
The following has been sent to every premiership football club. Similar has been sent to the SFA, SPFL and Ladbrokes.
Dear sirs
It may have come to your attention already but there is currently in place a petition to return the running of the sport of football in Scotland to a standard of fairness and integrity that has been increasingly lacking over recent years. As you are a member of the SPFL and therefore carry some responsibility for the running of that organisation I believe it is only fair to keep you abreast of any actions taken in support of this petition.
On the number of signatures reaching 1000, an event that took three days to reach, UEFA was contacted to make them aware of our concerns. I enclose a copy of the correspondence sent to UEFA along with a copy of the text of the petition. The petition can be accessed at –
https://www.change.org/p/scottish-football-association-return-integrity-to-football-administration-in-scotland-94421b40-2d6b-4d4b-9cff-912c9849478f
Letters have also been sent to the SPFL, sponsors Ladbrokes and every club in the Premiership. The next trigger point is the petition reaching 5000. So, with the rate that people are currently signing, I expect to be in touch again soon.
Yours
SIGN the PETITION
————————————————————————————————————
seems like kJ was scooped on o’hallahun :-)
http://www.sfm.scot/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/confirmation.jpg
———————————————————–
over and over. good post mate
HH
BSR
Re Guus
I never wonder what might have been as what was was so good.
Miracle worker!
Good to see Tony Donnelly and his ilk, rebut the permanent depressives on here. The League is the be all and end all. Getting rid of Delia? ok, who do we get? John Hughes? Jim Mcintyre? Suit me and others. Then their first defeat, comments will be flowing, what did you expect? FFS manager of Inverness/Ross County. Back in real world, the same supporters who live within traveling distance of Celtic Park refuse to go, if I was any of them and genuinely felt this way, I wouldn’t be on a Celtic blog, complaining about something I didn’t like. I would not go near something like I didn’t like EG. Conservatives/ Blog. Then the old Sevco arguement, Oh, they’re are coming, pant wetters. Martin Oneil suffered a defeat in Inverness, after Anfield win. Lenny got humiliated at Hampden by Ross County, he mentioned the 2 biggest physical players Fortune and the myth that is Samaras, hid, and let him down. This transfer window, I’m delighted, still amazed at how ‘Supporters’ who don’t go to Celtic Park, cast their visceral opinion on players that they have NEVER seen.
Cults Bhoy(?) sometimes takes his sons to Pittodrie to watch the sheep…hmmm. I wouldn’t go near there if I was offered for free. Cesspit, no friends of Celtic. So the motto is we’ll support you ever more as long as you don’t lose or draw, or concede a goal in a win.
Aberdeen’s Jonny Hayes fit to face Celtic after being bitten by dog
STV 14:55
LIONROARS
ERNIELYNCH
Ludicrous sentence,but as Ernie says,breach of conditions counted against him.
As,I suspect,did the hoodie and mask.
Why would you wear that to watch a game of football?
I think most of us want to see the back of these things,and it’s unfortunate for him that he’s the first to be made an example of.
BMCUW
Your’e right I shouldn’t have stuck MON in, because you can’t compare winning a league, with not winning a league.
Beatbhoy
Wee Christina could never compete in a wee diddy league like what Ronny won.
Mon the Molde CSC
AN TEARMANN
Signed,mate. Thanks for the tip-off.
Any truth in the rumour that Craig Whyte has vowed to be signatory 1690?
Aberdeen came from a goal down and had only10 men and still beat Ross County a couple of weeks past.The difference being the 10 men rolled up their sleeves and fought for their team unlike our lot who meekly gave up in the second half.
We were brutal for most of Sunday’s game,that’s why we lost.
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on 2ND FEBRUARY 2016 3:21 PM
”the hoodie and mask.
Why would you wear that to watch a game of football?”
###
Because you’re young and daft?
BOURNESOUPRECIPE
You can though compare leagues. That’s why The Golden Boot has parameters for which league goals are scored in. It’s why UEFA award more places to some leagues than others.
Celtic Vs Ross County. Last 15 games including our Semi Final defeat. Head to head stats look like this.
Played Win Draw Lose Goals Scored Goals Conceded.
Ross County 15 3 4 8 0.93 2
Celtic 15 8 4 3 2 0.93
Celtic win ratio 53.3 %
Ross County win ratio 20 %
Draw ratio 26.7 %
Hail Hail.
Wonder how many of the ole permanent depressives brigade were in the Celtic support that trudged out of Hampden on Sunday?
Things that weren’t said on cqn but some seem to think they were…
Mon was pish.
You can never ever win with 10 men.
HH
winning captains on 2nd February 2016 9:43 am
My first time at Hampden was to watch a much better Celtic side than Sunday’s and we got horsed 4-1 by Partick Thistle. Now that was a shock result!
*only time I left a game early, (I did stay to the end of Paddy Crerand’s last game and that was a horsing), once the 4th goal went in I was heading for the exit. I was terrified our 7-1 record was in jeopardy as it seems that every time the jags went up the park they scored.
By the time I reached Queen Street Station Kenny had scored and I’ve since been led tae believe that we could have won the game in the 2nd half on the chances we created and missed.
Davie Hay, Tommy Gemmell, Bobby Murdoch (captain for the day) and Jim Brogan all played. No shrinking violets there.
Up front we had Kenny, Harry Harry and Skip tae ma Lou, enough firepower tae win most games. It just didnae happen.
In my lifetime I have only been to 7 Scottish Cup Finals, we lost one due to being outcoached by a rookie manager, another one we were well outplayed in a replay after a gallant first game, that one can be put down to boardroom interference.
Another one, also after a replay, was just bad luck playing the other team off the park.
And 2 more where we were downright cheated, both of those defeats cost us trebles.
We had the 4 players mentioned above plus wee ten thirty involved in at least 2 of these finals, Jinky and big George tae. All fine players and not of the quitting kind, but when you know you cannae win, the final whistle cannae come quick enough.
Don’t ever discount the effect that the craft have on the game in the best wee bigoted country in the world.
ERNIELYNCH
I was young and daft once,and probably pulled a few strokes worse than he did.
I would no more wear a hoodie then than I would now.
He knew what he was doing,pre-meditated and breaching his bail order.
Five months,and possibly ruining his career,is ridiculous. Good kick up the arse required,and the army seem to have promised that to the court.
Btw,I wouldn’t have worn a mask then either,but I’m considering it nowadays…
Monaghan1900 on 2nd February 2016 12:52 pm
Karyn McCluskey appointed to FFin’ SPFL board
“the clue is in the name are we really that daft”
*FFS whit was the name of the MITB from a Lanarkshire mining village who was allegedly drunk at a clementine walk.
BOURNESOUPRECIPE on 2ND FEBRUARY 2016 3:13 PM
Beatbhoy
Aye sure, another super choice by the great Desmondo, after we were “well down the line” in appointing Guus Hiddink according to Guus Hiddink.
Wonder what would have happened? CSC
####
Aristotle Onassis probably wouldn’t have married Mrs Kruschev.
BMCUW
i am goin to try smuggle a pencil into the bellshill billyunerrrz cell lol
HH
TONTINETIM
That was my first time at Hampden too,and I think it was the first time-in four years-I had seen us lose.
My next time was better. 6-1 v Hibs.
Much moe enjoyable.