The most striking aspect of yesterday’s games came from Pittodrie and Tynecastle. Aberdeen scored twice in second half stoppage time to secure a home win over Fola Esch from Luxembourg (good grief). Hearts came from behind with the assistance of a penalty and an own goal to secure a narrow win over Estonians, Infonet.
Infonet finished fourth in the Estonian league last season, well below possible Celtic Champions League qualifier opponents, Flora, and will fancy their chances of knocking Hearts out.
None of this means that Aberdeen, Hearts of Celtic have an equal in Estonia or Luxembourg, but it’s a testament to how bizarre playing football before you have completed preseason is. Even very well-run clubs like Southampton, who were humbled a year ago by Erik Sviatchenko and his Midtjylland pals, can find themselves out of Europe before they realise they are in a competition.
Celtic are likely to be playing the Estonian champions in 11 or 12 days. If they overcome that they will face a vastly stiffer test in three weeks time.
Yesterday’s exercise in Slovenia will hopefully blow some cobwebs away but FC Flora are 17 games into their league season, that fact alone should give Brendan Rodgers plenty to consider. Aberdeen’s toils in particular disturbed me.
Many thanks to all who contributed to the fantastic raffle competition yesterday, you’ve raised £375 already. A reminder……
This is a once in a lifetime opportunity.
We have a £5-a-ticket raffle to win the chance to appear in your very own team photo, alongside the Celtic players and management at the preseason photocall for 2016-17.
You will then meet treble winning captain, Tom Boyd, who will give you a personal tour of Celtic Park.
Celtic will provide you with a strip, which you will retain, and you will receive your team photograph, framed and signed by the team, on a specially prepared mount.
Your donations go to Celtic FC Foundation, to support their work in Health, Equality, Learning and Poverty. The Foundation deliver often life-changing support and opportunities to children and adults in Scotland, Ireland, the rest of the UK and in many needy areas of the globe.
Buy your ticket at MyDonate here. You can enter as many times as you like, but only donations of £5 or higher will be entered into the raffle.
You. The team. The management. Getting your squad photo taken. And getting a strip!
You’ll have had worse days.
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Okay for starters we have not a hope in hells chance of qualifying for the champions league group stages. Firstly our defense is non existent and even a great manager like Brendan Rodgers will struggle to get the team ready for Europe this season(maybe next season). Anyone who thinks he was going to is sadly delusional
London press linking us with move for QPR’s Steven Caulker, possibly on loan. Still only 24, thought he was older, with over 200 first team appearances down south and 1 England cap.r
Would imagine it’ll be him or Shane Duffy and not both.
so who is signing players/.. Dembele was obviously not BR and I would imagine he hadn’t watched Dunfermline U-20s either
SANDMAN on 1ST JULY 2016 1:09 PM
January shutdown utterly pointless as the weather varies so much, and there’s no end-game benefit to players.
———–
I’m in my mid 30s. I’ve never known January to be anything other than utter pish. That never varies. Players would much rather be playing in May. Fans would much rather go to games in May.
A longer winter break with a short summer break is the only viable alternative not named summer football.
Steven Fletcher has signed for Sheffield Weds.
As I said earlier, CL qualification is not a given and most probably hasn’t been budgeted for in Brendan’s first season.
I would like to think that we will make the EL group stage and use it as a platform for next season.
The importance of domestic success must NOT be underestimated and/or devalued by any CL setback.
COLIN51 on 1ST JULY 2016 1:10 PM
Iceland.
Sadly deluded.
Mats Niloc
Well said. It’s fine to have targets, but let’s not get all Hunnish with entitlement-type behaviour.
MARADOMINIC –
Celtic signed him. That’s all you and I need to know.
Maradomic
Bang On.
The more things change.(:-)
TT
MARADOMINIC
Peter Lawwell and his band of dastardly villains sign all the players mate, BR is but a puppet and of course it will all end in tears…
colin51 on 1st July 2016 1:10 pm
Okay for starters we have not a hope in hells chance of qualifying for the champions league group stages. Firstly our defense is non existent and even a great manager like Brendan Rodgers will struggle to get the team ready for Europe this season(maybe next season). Anyone who thinks he was going to is sadly delusional
*******************************************************************************************
You are entitled to your Opinion, I happen to think you are wrong. After the incredible Celtic Support doing what it does best – Supporting the Team for what lies ahead. KTF
I happen to think the Support will ensure we progress to where Celtic BELONG.
In 1965, the Scottish Cup final – Celtic 3 Dunfermline 2 – was on 25 April.
That same day, Kilmarnock won the league on goal average with a 2-0 victory at Tynecastle.
Those 2 games were the end of rhe Scottish season and in those days, the end-of-April cup final was always the last day of the season.
Celtic v Barcelona
New fan video which I’ve never seen before.
PETEC on 1ST JULY 2016 1:44 PM
Dead right , pal.
BELONG.
Tam
24th April
My dad left celebrations at central hotel as my brother decided to make an early appearance he was born on 25th
Colin51…looking for a response? You haven’t got a clue…
COLIN51 on 1ST JULY 2016 1:10 PM
Okay for starters we have not a hope in hells chance of qualifying for the champions league group stages. Firstly our defense is non existent and even a great manager like Brendan Rodgers will struggle to get the team ready for Europe this season(maybe next season). Anyone who thinks he was going to is sadly delusional
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
That’s the spirit!
Look on the bright side before a ball is kicked in earnest!
No doubt you will be back on here when/if we fail to make the CL group stage.
HH!!
dontworrybehappyCSC
The bhoy hasn’t kicked a ball and already they’re arguing over who signed him.
Yes indeed. The more things change . . .
BT –
Thanks mate.
I was close :-)
Who signed Moussa Dembele?
We should be told!
My money is on Brendan, who obviously knew a lot about the player already.
HH!!
REPOST————- REPOST
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=297706923902473&id=157179334621900&ref
Auld Tam on 1st July 2016 1:48 pm
Celtic v Barcelona
New fan video which I’ve never seen before.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Thanks Tom for the Link – Excellent stuff.
I hope to see a guy like Victor 67 running oot there again. Efter that – All offensive mids please.
Gracious piece, worth a read
http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/international/martin-o-neill-s-words-were-humbling-and-showed-a-touch-of-class-1.2706046
Winning Captains
T-shirt arrived in KA26 thank you !
JonnyRambo67 12:49
Spot on. The early start to the League Cup solves a problem which didn’t exist. The teams in Europe STILL don’t get the early games they need. Typical Scottish football incompetence!
TALLYBHOY
Mouassa Dembele seems to have been a result of work by the scouting department,the Chief Executive,and the manager.
First one to identify. Second to sort out the contract and fee. Acting only on agreement/recommendation of the latter.
That’s my perception of things. And the way it should be.
I seriously doubt it was always the case,but those days are gone. For good.
Or they should be.
O.G.Rafferty on 1st July 2016 2:01 pm
Gracious piece, worth a read
http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/international/martin-o-neill-s-words-were-humbling-and-showed-a-touch-of-class-1.2706046
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
What that Man done for Celtic was incredible. Thanks for the link. I’m sure Brendan has been in touch with both Martin and Neil for advice.
You know when Something good is gonnae happen.
TALLYBHOY –
Don’t think it WAS Brendan. Moussa revealed the other day that Celtic tried to sign him in January and was delighted when they came back for him.
Doesn’t matter anyway. Brendan obviously had no objection to his being signed. We must be the only support in the world who argues with each other over who signed which player. Total nonsense.
In England, a good few clubs can spend tens of millions, and sometimes over a hundred million in one transfer window.
Anyone who believes that sort of business is left in the control of one man’s decision-making, is deluded.
Tommy Burns
The Legacy is about to Shine.
Laters
Hello again all you young rebels.
I know I’ve not been on a while and I’ve explained why, but it seems to me
that there are a load of new bloggers and some of them are a bit too obvious
where there allegiance lies, and they always start with a timmy sounding nom
de blog and empathising worm on a hook but it’s obvious to me that all the
regular bloggers have twigged and don’t bother to reply, after all they are just
an irrelevence.
H.H Mick
AULD TAM
I doubt any players were signed by Man Utd without the say-so of Fergie.
But those days are gone,too. Have been for years on the continent.
Two examples of successful continental managers would be Rafa at Valencia and PLG at Lyon. Neither had input on the players signed. But the scouting networks were,by all accounts,extensive.
In fact,the MD of Lyon referred to PLG’s success as “driving the Ferrari we gave him”
O.G RAFFERTY.
Yesterday morning ..
Many thanks for the heads up re Ernest Ranglin in London . Tried to get tickets but couldn’t — but will be going to see/ hear him in Istanbul later this month…
Man sound tracked much of my youth.
Played golf with a Pars supporter this morning who was totally bewildered by our signing of PJ Crossan. Although a season ticket holder he admitted he hadnt seen the player in their Development side but according to my friend the player made 2 unimpressive substitute appearances for the first team last season. Time will tell no doubt.
Brendan and every other manager in England would have been well aware of Dembele IMO
Steven Fletcher-bullet dodged
“. Firstly our defense is non existent”
Quite right, too…..apart from Scotland`s best `keeper.
JJ
PS ,,,,and Sweden`s full back.
PPS ….and Scotland`s young player of the Year at left Back.
PPPS …..and the very dependable Erik Sviatchenko.
Not the who signed the player debate again?
Brendan is a well prepared and savvy coach.
He would have had his system and plans ready to implement.
Not rushing into transfer market suggests he is being meticulous.
The17 yr old from Dunfermline will have had a scouting dossier prepared and Brendan must think he can be a part of our future and sanctioned.
Very pleased with direction we are heading since Brendan’s appointment
SOUTH OF TUNIS, 2:28 PM
My pleasure. Two hour set backed by Tony Allen into the bargain.
For once I will regale you with a little lunchtime anecdote. I go for coffee every day to a small record/coffee shop in Clerkenwell, where the owner chews the fat about anything and everything, though his heart belongs to Studio One.
There was a jolly black guy in, early 60s, suit, tie. They are chatting and he mentions in passing Jackie Mittoo, my ears pick up. He says he was his favourite musician and when younger he and his mates were jamming, doing a Jackie Mitto cover, in rehearsal studios at the back of a record shop on the Leyton High Road (maybe late 70s) and who happens to hear this and walk in but only Mr Mittoo himself, who had some deal with the shop/label at the time. The esteemable King of Studio One then joins in their jam before he heads off into the grey East London evening