Assessing defenders and graduating talent

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The story of Celtic’s left back position has been largely painful over the years. Emilio Izaguirre arrived after the 2010 Wold Cup and, for a few seasons at least, strengthened what was a perennial weak spot in the team. You’re going back decades, possibly to Danny McGrain himself, before you’ll find someone in the left back position Emilio wasn’t clearly a stand-out improvement on.

Having supplanted Emilio in the Celtic team, there’s a good chance that 18-year-old Kieran Tierney will make his Scotland debut tonight on his breakthrough season. It’s a great story for a player who has physicality and maturity beyond his years. We might just have a genuine player on our hands.

The echo of a big failure at left back still reverberates around the club. Seven years ago Sligo Rovers’ Seamus Coleman, was on trial at Lennoxtown, but was sent home as he wasn’t judged able to put pressure on Lee Naylor, during Gordon Strachan’s last season. Then reserve team coach, Willie McStay, recommended Coleman to Everton, where the player has turned into one of the best left backs in the English Premier League.

Assessing strikers is comparatively easy; there are objective statistics (goals scored) to inform your view, including at youth level. It’s not as easy assessing a defender, where picking a winner offers you only subjective opinions. Kieran has achieved far more than any of his teenage contemporaries this season, some of whom were more lauded than him.

Perhaps the crucial deciding factor in all this was who was given an extended run in the team. If you don’t allow your youth players to graduate (at the right time), and don’t sacrifice first team mainstays (at the right time) you’ll forever buy other teams’ graduates.

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  1. hebcelt its a pay sports channel. i dont know if you are staying with a friend or hotel.i doubt a hotel would have it.

  2. Big Nan

     

     

    Last word on I hope a humerous note on the fear that the Board would charm the requisitions. If you met the other three – BRTH, Morrissey and Canalamar you would know that as likely as hell freezing over.

     

     

    Me?

     

     

    You cannot charm a charmer in the same way you cannot kid a kidder.

  3. tim horton thanks for clearing that up. It’s a friends son who is moving over there so it may be worthwhile taking out a subscription he also has the option of the aformentioned High Run Bar,I’ll pass it all on thanks to all for 6your help. H H Hebcelt

  4. THE GREEN MAN SAYS SACK THE BOARD on 29TH MARCH 2016 3:30 PM

     

     

    But…Im not in the least surprised that Paul67 does not want to be involved in all the bs, can anybody really be surprised that he does not want to speak badly of people he knows personally

     

    :::::::::::::

     

    A very commendable expression of empathy but would you extend it to Jackson, Young, Johnston, et al.

  5. Brogan Rogan Trevino and Hogan supports Oscar Knox, MacKenzie Furniss and anyone else who fights Neuroblastoma on

    For those interested in the history etc of the Easter rising see the tweet below to follow the link to Itish Foreign Ministry download where you get free access to a book that gives short biographies of 42 people who actively took part in the events of Easter 1916.

     

     

    Sorry I can’t recreate the link on its own.

     

     

    IrishForeignMinistry ‏@dfatirl 12m12 minutes ago

     

     

    Just 2 days left to download #1916PortraitsAndLives Find it here https://www.dfa.ie/our-role-policies/our-work/casestudiesarchive/2016/march/centenary-gift-ebook-1916-portrait-and-lives/ … @RIAdawson #Ireland2016

  6. My friends in Celtic,

     

     

    Working on the assumption that we are all Celtic supporters on here.

     

     

    There has been an interesting vibrant debate about Celtic having lost its soul and the ethos of why we were founded in 1887 / 88.

     

    To some, mabe even many it seems that 1897 was a key date; the date we became a private limited company and lost our way.

     

    It should be noted that our famous “Hoops” were not introduced until 1903, therefore they are part of our PLC days.

     

     

    As we are all aware in the early days, Celtic’s colours were Black, White and Green. Usually a white top but also a Green and White vertical top.

     

    To those who crave our original ethos and want to show it physically, why not don black, white and green scarves and wear the vertical stripes.

     

     

    Of course this is not entirely a novel idea as certain Manchester United supporters have adopted the same approach. The wearing of Newton Heath mementos demonstrates a similar longing for the past. The date of Newton Heath’s demise is even somewhat similar 1903.

     

     

    In summary; wear what you want if it floats your boat, but nevertheless support Ronny and the bhoys to an eagerly awaited and longed for double.

     

     

    Hail, Hail.

  7. The Green Man says SACK THE Board on

    IKI

     

     

    Jackson, Young, Johston et al.

     

    I take it you are referring to the rats of the scoddish meeja.

     

    Their stupidity knows no bounds.

     

    Hardly able to string a sentence together.

     

    Huns wi pens:)

     

    They dont count:)

     

     

    HH

  8. The Green Man says SACK THE Board on

    CLOGHER CELT

     

     

    Good find, and very interesting indeed.

     

     

    HH

  9. !!Bada Bing!! on

    The Liam Neeson narrated Easter 1916 programme on BBC was good last night,should be on IPlayer

  10. Good evening friends.

     

     

    Some amount of rain (and hail!) has fallen in EK the last 4 hours. Interspersed with sudden bouts of bright sunshine. What a time to be alive ;-)

  11. timmy7_noted on 29th March 2016 4:14 pm

     

    HH Timmy7_

     

    Denis Connaghan did the same against Airdrie

     

    TC45

  12. Stairheedrammy on

    Did you know there was a Celtic Battalion who fought on the Republican side in the Spanish Civil War? Spanish, not Internationalists.

  13. Watching the under 21s, Cummings could be a good acquisition in the Summer, also the wee guy Gauld is a good player who does he play for

  14. Clogher 4.12

     

     

    Class essays in there mate.thanks

     

     

    Glad you had a great weekend ;-)

     

     

    HH

  15. An Teach Solais: An-deas bualadh agus caint leat ar an Satharn. Glad you enjoyed your visit here.

     

     

    BMCUWP & CCB: Great to see you both again and delighted youse enjoyed yourselves. Haste ye back!

  16. STAIRHEEDRAMMY on 29TH MARCH 2016 5:40 PM

     

     

    It’s maybe worth remembering that three times as many Irishmen fought for Franco as fought for the Government side in the Spanish Civil War.

     

     

    I suspect James Connolly wouldn’t have been altogether surprised about that.

  17. Well done, Ryan Christie, 2 assists and mom in 3-1 win. Thanks !!Badabing!! For reminder.

     

    Timbhoy, young Gauld moved from the Arabs to Spain, maybe Seville, couple of years ago.

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