John Guidetti has put himself out there by letting us know he’ll score a hat-trick in next month’s League Cup semi-final. I’m not normally an advocate of showing confidence, if not contempt, for opponents prior to a game, but Guidetti’s comments come against a rich canvas.
The player is in a rut and will be feeling the weight of disappointment with each passing chance. He is a goal-scorer, he’ll score again, but he needs to find the spark to fire-up the second part of his season.
You will remember Kenny Miller ran his guts out in his early months as a Celtic player but it was not until a game against oldco Rangers in September that his landmark first Celtic goal arrived. Kris Commons has been a scoring sensation throughout his time at the club apart from his second season, when he took until April before scoring, a delightful chip over the oldco keeper.
Ahead of both of those games I knew it was all going to come together for Miller and Commons. John Guidetti has set himself a target. He will probably score before that game but he knows how important it is to perform at Hampden. He is good enough to deliver on this one, don’t bet against him.
Contrast John’s comments to those last week from newco defender, Steven Smith, who said, “The fans will probably be dreading [the Celtic game]because in the big games this season, we haven’t done well. Everybody has got their opinions and are entitled to them.
“But with the results we have been having and the way we have been playing, I don’t think we can think about it too much.”
You will be hard pushed to find a clearer example of the language of failure: “dreading”, “haven’t done well” and “the way we’ve been playing”. You normally need to work a bit to find a player’s insecurities. It’s good of John Guidetti to mark his card on what to expect. Give me a confident striker over a scared defender any day.
The Second Annual Celtic Supporter’s Féile is on the weekend of Friday 30 January 30 – Sunday 1 February in Philadelphia. The events include live music each day, the US premier of The Asterisk Years, with a Q&A with Paul Larkin and Graham Wilson of Beyond the Waves podcast, as well as live coverage of our first ever meeting with newco Rangers in the League Cup semi-final.
You can find more information, including how to book, here.
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Are Celtic interested in selling TV rights to Qatar?
Possibly.
Are they over there hawking the O#d F@#m semi to the Qataris 3 weeks before the quarter final was played?
Nurse.
Like I said . . . Doesn’t like criticism.
:-)
.
Got a Fright watching The Australia Vs Oman game tonight when the TV Panned over to The Oman Dugout and who is their Manager but the Skinny Ally McCoist..
4-0..
Summa
James Forrest said:
“My “exercise in self important self indulgence” is there to offer a different perspective. ”
Silly you, James. Didn`t you know that only The Establishment are allowed ANY perspective?
Tom,
Like Canamalar, I thought James` main point was quite clear. In general, I am sure it is better to support those making the effort to write the stories the MSSM ignores.It might be an idea to make be any criticism constructive. Division obviously weakens any cause.
JJ
Tom McLaughlin:
There are times when … I really like you :)
Keep on keeping on !
By the way, if we don’t rack up a cricket score in said game I will be very disappointed.
They may not be Rangers, but as long as they pretend to be I wanna whip them as if they are.
Thought I’d mention it :)
SoT –
Very funny story re The Listener.
:-)
To my addled, travel weary brain, I thought James’s latest offering was rather well constructed.
It seemed more of a ruminating, speculative piece to me. Nothing wrong with that.
A’hm no oan that Facepage thingumaby, ne’er ah um.
I like James Forrest’s blog…dont always agree with it,but i always read it..
.
Guys Guys..
Be Careful which James Forrest You tell to ‘Pull His Neck in’..;-(
Summa
PeteTheBeat
Bus journey from Palermo to Catania features a great trip across the mountains . Sometimes features delays whilst the State Police look for drugs and people without papers .
If the resort is to be on the east coast – Taormina is beautiful but pricey . ( easily reached by bus from Catania ) Giardini Naxos ( @ 20 mins south of Taormina ) is much less pricey . Public transport in Sicily is poor and driving is a nightmare – crazy crazy crazy anarchy !. Early May typically high 20s / low 30s but can be higher . If it rains -it monsoons.
Tom McLaughlin
11:47 on
13 January, 2015
Dear oh dear !
Perhaps you should stick to reading The Express.
It’s more your colour.
James Forrest –
They’re the same fans with the same old hatreds and nefarious agendas. That’s good enough for me when it comes to celebrating their humiliation on 1st Feb.
Will we play in the Catholic end of Qatar or the Protestant end??
“By the way, if we don’t rack up a cricket score in said game I will be very disappointed.”
James, I’d start to prepare to be disappointed.
I hope we absolutely hump them.
But arbroath, ict twice, Ross County, morton twice and a few others suggest a cricket score won’t be a given. HH
James/Tom/Canalamar
I heard about the discussions on the Qatar game all of six months ago.
At that time it was all but signed and sealed… The source, who may even be known on here, was more adamant than ‘discussions’.
Whether it has progressed to signing and sealing, who knows but the info I was given was neither sought nor prompted.
I’ll try and check….but JF may very well have some solid foundations to his analysis….(verbose, argumentative, diletarian prognosticator that he is… :). )
Hail hail
Estadio (a man of few but crucially perspicacious words)
Tom McLaughlin:
Indeed.
The King and I –
I stopped reading the SE when Danny stopped writing or he died, whichever came first.
Rips my knitting a bit when people slag off the work of guys (especially Celtic leaning guys) who put a whole lot of effort into what they do.
Jeez, one time we had the Celtic View……….that was IT.
Read, digest, think, agree/disagree then give thanks that someone has gone to the bother of giving you some information you can use to form your own opinion.
Hail X2
James Forrest
11:38 on 13 January, 2015
I thought your last blog was one of your best and based on reasonable analysis.
Dexter. As we are not , nor ever have been, a sectarian club, we can have any end we want. Sevco, of course, are in the same position so no problem.
Geordie,
You just HAD to mention Arbroath, didn`t you? 0:-)
I am, however, of the same view. Any victory will be fine but if some keep calling for a massive score, even 3-0 will seem like a defeat.
JJ
I reckon KevJ is Gerry McNee. Might be wrong, of course. If it is, he has had his bus pass for about 5 or 6 years.
Tom McLaughlin,
I remember that Danny Blanchflower column in the Express, or at least one, which was virulently anti-Celtic about the time of the Lions. I wrote to the paper expressing my disgust. He was, as has been pointed out, a left-half and captain of Spurs and Northern Ireland.
.
It’s a Well Know Fact a Overseas Old Firm Derby is up on Offer to the Highest Bidder..
Brisbane and Sydney have Already put forward a Monetary offer to Host it..
Think there was One in America also maybe GG Could Confirm..
Summa
As a matter of interest, is every opinion posted on here an “exercise in self important self indulgence” ?
JJ
JJ,
Sorry neebs. I thought you’d appreciate the shout out for your ‘big club’.
Glad to see the wind didn’t get you yesterday. :)
PHC Salford
I have met Kev J. He is not Gerry McNee ( whom I have not met).
JJ
jj..,
I know mine ur :)
James forest ( blogger) is s bit like James Forest the player.. Sometimes he’s brillisnt sometimes he’s rubbish. Sometimes he goes missing. There’s only one of them Id keep tho and he contributes for free!
Free James Forrest
tom mclaughlin
12:10 on 13 January, 2015
The King and I –
I stopped reading the SE when Danny stopped writing or he died, whichever came first.
—-
Now Tom, I’m no doctor.
But in my experience the latter often causes the former.
;-)
HH jamesgang
Summa
I was not aware of the well known fact of a Celtic vs a club who plays out of Ibrox game being up for bids.
Are there any other facts you consider well known, that you could let us know about? It may be that they are not so well known, either.
PHC Salford
….and whilst I am in a correcting mood, Danny B was a right half. Dave McKay was left half.
JJ
wait till The Green Man reads James Forrests blog……
;-))
jg,
Now now, maybe he stopped writing long before he died, I suppose the only person to ask would be cults. :)
Jamesgang at 12:24
Very funny. Genuinely made me laugh in a manner audible 0:-)
Canamalar at 12:21
So, with you and I , we have a list of two .
JJ
Cathedral View said:
san diego bhoy,
I agree. The Celtic brand must be a marketing departments dream.
How much did the likes of Chelsea and Man City spend to become the global names they are today?
Cast your mind back to Celtic facing the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea in the US in recent years. The stadium in both occasions was populated by a large majority of United and Chelsea fans, with Celtic followers being in the minority.
Similarly, when Celtic played Liverpool in Dublin, the Reds support outnumbered the Greens by 5 to 1.
It has nothing whatsoever to do with the failings of the Celtic marketing department and has everything to do with the other teams playing in the richest, most-televised and most-marketable league on the planet.
Man City don’t really need to spend much on marketing. The just need to pay their FA registration every year.
Tom Mc
Good point.
JJ
.
Dharma Bam..
Adelaide Oval could host a Old Firm Derby match between Rangers and Celtic — the oldest rivalry in soccer
ADELAIDE Oval has been presented with an opportunity to host Celtic and Rangers — the oldest rivalry in world soccer.
The Old Firm clash has been proposed for July 2015.
The friendly is bound to have unprecedented world-wide coverage given the two Glasgow-based sides haven’t met in a fixture since April 2012.
Former Rangers defender Stuart Munro who was a former Perth Glory assistant coach, boss of South Melbourne and Parramatta Power said the proposed clash would be massive for Australia. Munro says he featured in perhaps 20 Old Firm clashes.
“It’s a massive fixture,’’ Munro said
“The derby is so important in Scottish football that it determines the working week for a lot of people in Scotland, either they’d be bragging about their club winning or hiding in the toilets because their side lost.”
The proposed Old Firm clash is sure to attract global attention for the $535 million redeveloped Adelaide Oval.
Andrew Daniels chief executive officer of Adelaide Oval’s SMA stated the venue is perfect for soccer but would comment with regards to the proposed fixture.
“While we won’t comment on specific events before they’re confirmed, I can reaffirm that the Adelaide Oval is committed to exploring any and all opportunities to host major events whenever we can,’’ Daniels said.
But SA has a huge fight on its hands in a bid to win the titanic match.
It’s understood the Celtic and Rangers match — the first time the match is proposed to be played outside of Scotland — has also attracted key interest from the state government of Queensland.
In 2012 Rangers was liquidated. A new club was formed and Rangers had to apply to the Scottish league system where the club started again in the lower tiers of Scottish football.
But Rangers is making its way back towards the top flight Scottish Premiership.
While Celtic this year claimed its 45th title Rangers won the League One title.
Rangers will be playing in the Championship next season — a division below Celtic.
Summa
…..and cheerio from me.
JJ