After full time on Saturday Celtic fly east to play Shakhter Karagandy in Kazakhstan, which is five hours ahead of UK time, but fortunately kick off on Tuesday is 9pm local time, 4pm in the UK, so the team will not have to adjust body clocks. Such a long flight immediately after a game is not without risk, though.
Muscles need to stretch and move freely after exertion. Players will need an exercise routine for the plane to mitigate the risk of the kind of strain injuries we see so often. Get a schedule for them to walk up and down the plane every hour.
I expect Celtic will have a scout at the Astana Arena for Friday’s game between Astana and Shakhter Karagandy but it might not be too revealing. The Shakhter coach and first team squad didn’t even attend the game prior to their last Champions League qualifier against Albanians, Korce. They were locked away in preparation as the second team were deployed for the league game.
It’s back to the Astana Arena, with its plastic pitch and closable roof, which is 135 miles from Karagandy, for the visit of Celtic, who will be hoping the pitch is a better standard than the one they played on in Sweden last week. Neil Lennon could perhaps put a call into his former team-mate, Aiden McGeady, who played on the surface for Ireland 11 months ago (Ireland won the World Cup qualifier after being a goal down with a minute of normal time left).
Longmuir to Rangers International
It was a clear five months ago we ran the story, Longmuir and the Newco job, saying “Speculation that Mr Longmuir is taking care of current business until he is ready to move to Newco is becoming hard to ignore”. Back then CQN suggested that if Longmuir “loses his ability to be a dealmaker” there might not be much he could offer such a high-flying football team.
If the SPFL are surprised, they shouldn’t be. Anything other information Mr Doncaster wants I’ll be happy to help.
The March article linked above also speculates that Newco could go into administration this season, lose players and suffer a points penalty, resulting in relegation. Don’t know how I missed the target so badly with that one……
Charlotte Fakes revelations from last night will have been news to no one here, but they will embarrass more than a few elsewhere. What the Scottish football authorities must now consider are actions, and guidance and advice to Scottish Football League clubs during the last year.
“Have we actually offered him a job”? There’s one chief exec who is delivering £500k of comedy value per annum. Here’s a phrase which might come in helpful soon, “It’s too late, we’ve no money, you can’t deliver what we wanted and you’re useless”.
Has anyone suggested that being owned by a Hedge Fund is like a new signing? Positions are being adopted for the bun fight ahead. It will not be pretty.
Have you signed up for the 1254125 Great Scottish Run yet? For serious runners there is a 10k or Half Marathon to choose from, but there are shorter distances, from 1 mile, for the less-athletic and for kids. With the soul of our game being chased by so many unappealing influences this is a great way to anchor Celtic back where the story started.
Get involved, guidance tips here.
Anyone else who presents a Daily Record transfer story to me as fact is getting a right dirty look.
Plug for a show at the Fringe about a Leeds-based part of the Irish diaspora.
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The Spirit of Arthur Lee
Is Willie Collum the ref?
‘Mon Scotland, or I’ll be taking pelters all day at work (in England) tomorrow!
And just in case anyone was in any doubt re: The Finnbogason Saga…
From http://www.elfvoetbal.nl/nieuws/287891_heerenveen-wil-contract-met-finnbogason-openbreken (courtesy of Google Translate):
Heerenveen will contract with Finnbogason break
He scored three times already in this early stage of the season in the Eredivisie. Heerenveen would therefore endeavor to maintain Alfred Finnbogason for the club.
“It’s all balls to maintain”
This weekend is the club of the Frisian club whatsoever around the table with his agent Magnus Agnar Magnusson to convey that thought. The Frisians camps or with a deficit of three to four million in the budget, but coach Marco van Basten would like to keep him and the club is largely dependent on the goals of the Icelandic striker.
“It’s all balls on conservation”, says managing director Gaston Sporre compared to De Telegraaf. “Van Basten really want, we want to love and Finnbogason myself.” Last season was Finnbogason good for 24 goals in 33 official matches for the northerners.
The impending million deficit rather fills Sporre to as “the commercial side” than with a lucrative sales of own star. With the approaching faster transfer deadline the club night is impossible to draw a replacement. To
In recent weeks passed several clubs interested in review. FC Augsburg Werder Bremen last week and again Celtic knocked. The Scottish champions would amount to 2.5 million euros have offered. Layer according to the club and the player would not see the Scottish Premier League sit. Sporre: “It is no once, twice and a third time soon no no We also want to keep Finnbogason..”
sc Heerenveen possession to extend. unilateral option in the contract of Finnbogason for its ongoing two-year commitment for another year The club hopes his top scorer, who last summer was acquired by SK Lokeren, however tempted by a long-term extension.
“It’s very realistic that Finnbogason remains. He is very happy at Heerenveen. We’re busy weekend,” said his agent Magnus Agnar Magnusson to De Telegraaf.
I see Ibrahima Toure Monaco top scorer gone to UAE, no mention of transfer, really liked the look of this guy. Will settle for Alfred though!!!
Also looking forward to Alan Hutton’s diving
some things never change
living_in_the_love_of_the_commons_people
You’ve not heard of Balde or Mouyokolo signing then?
eddie gray on your radio,great listening to a good footballer who didnt play for Celtic but loved them,some good stories from him fighting wi the english v scots at training games ,don revie had to put a stop to them due to the battles and fights.said bobby collins started the win philosophy at leeds .he’s just predicted a 1:1draw for scotland..c’mon Scotland!!get intaethem!!
derbyshirebhoy
17:59 on 14 August, 2013
Agreed
However I posted a link to his interview last night and suggested that the comments will no doubt make him the target of the usual suspects and boo boys the next time he makes the tiniest of mistakes while wearing the hoops and the majority of the boo boys won’t even be at Celtic Park
desertbhoy @16:58
Griffin – I was in the Griffin across from the Kings theatre last night, smashing place.
I’d forgotten how good it was.
Went to Baby Grand for food afterwards and for the 1st time, I didn’t enjoy the food. Shame.
P
Sevco fans urged to ‘find their targets’
Radio Clyde
asonofdan
18:29 on 14 August, 2013
Mouyokolo looks like a player and we have other cover in the CH position too, so the back four is probably our strongest feature of the team.
Amido is not the finished article yet, Lenny has said that himself.
Hooper and Wanyama have not been replaced. Lets hope Sammi has a blinder on Tuesday, we will need him. Karagandy are a very technical team, who hold their shape well. I have watched one of their BATE Borisov games and they play with a maturity that belies their underdog status.
Living_in_the_Love_of_the_Commons_People 18:16 on 14 August, 2013
“All this bumping of gums over the hun comedy is go absolutely no consequence to me.
“The spine of our team has been sold and we will face Karagandy, who by all accounts are no mugs, with a weakened squad. Even if we do sign a striker now, they will have had zero time to acclimatize to tactics and formations. The butterflies have already set in over Tuesday.
“If our strategy going forward is to be reliant on Champions League participation, our preparation for this has been poor to say the least. Lenny has not been given the backing he deserves and coupled with the PR disaster over the Green Brigade, IMO this has been a very disjointed start to the season.”
Celtic’s preparation:
Played five
Won four
Drawn one
If that’s your idea of a poor start to the competitive season then nothing Celtic does is likely to satisfy you.
In the meantime, we’ll keep laughing at Sevco and you can do the worrying for the rest of us.
Won’t be watching Scotland.
Hope Broonie and Forrest come through unscathed. Same for all other bhoys on international duty.
bournesouprecipe
17:46 on 14 August, 2013I won’t deceive you, Mr. Striker. We’re running out of time.
And we have a winner…
The England back four will be bricking it at the prospect of facing Kenny Miller.
Keevins telling callers not to be so negative about scoddish football… do journalists sign a hypocritic oath
In other news .. Scotland start with 4 ex rangers players. . If only the big club had paid their bills
And kenny misser starts up front… he knows all about getting tanned :)
Bada Bing
Shawshankcsc:o)
Fighting the Fuzz 18:45 on 14 August, 2013
“The England back four will be bricking it at the prospect of facing Kenny Miller.”
The England defence may be distracted by Kenny’s permanently confused demeanour, as he attempts to control the ball with his face for the umpteenth time.
Not that the England defence are any great shakes.
MARGARET McGILL
The more our silence on these n matters continues,the more I am inclined to agree with you.
Although I do wonder how the alleged misappropriation of funds by Longmuir and Ballantyne came to light.
What if?
Naw,probably not….
Joe Jordan on Teamtalk picking his best team from those heplayed with
Shilton
McGrain Baresi Hunter Cooper
Jinky Bremner Giles Robertson
Dalglish Law
not a bad 11
Margaret McGill 18:48 on 14 August, 2013
What should Celtic say about Longmuir?
steinreignedsupreme
18:42 on 14 August, 2013
I’m not usually a voice of dissent and the stats would indeed at face value seem to speak for themselves. The emphasis of my post is that our key players have not been replaced, hence my alluding to “preparation”. I don’t think that anyone can argue that against Elfsborg at times we rode our luck. One goal from them and our European journey could already have been over and everyone would have been criticizing the board for the points I’ve mentioned.
Karagandy are a significant step up in the quality we have faced thus far.
kenny effin’ miller ffs
http://www.onfieldsofgreen.com/when-first-we-practice-to-decieve/
A wee light hearted piece of “banter” before the game starts !
You can’t simply kidnap players to play in the horrors of the SPFL for several years.
Sensible quality players, and we only need one or two to add to the present squad, will have lots of offers on the table and won’t come to us before knowing they’ll be playing CL group stage football.
Seems fairly logical to me but hey bash the club for the sensible stance that’s being taken by our top targets meantime.
Maggie, we keep hearing about our strategic plan, but I think it’s been only partially reported. For the full title, read, “strategic planning and interdependency”.
Living_in_the_Love_of_the_Commons_People 18:56 on 14 August, 2013
“The emphasis of my post is that our key players have not been replaced, hence my alluding to “preparation”. I don’t think that anyone can argue that against Elfsborg at times we rode our luck.”
“One goal from them and our European journey could already have been over and everyone would have been criticizing the board for the points I’ve mentioned.”
We were very poor against Elfsborg, and it was hellish to watch but I don’t think we rode our luck at all. They had one shot on target.
“Karagandy are a significant step up in the quality we have faced thus far.”
I don’t know anything about Karagandy – so, I can’t say whether they are better than Elfsborg or not.
What I do know is we have lost three players, but we have an experienced squad and I think it is best to go with experienced players in these games.
None of the four new players have played in the qualifiers, for different reasons, but our results in competitive games and our performances have all been extremely professional with the exception of Elfsborg away which lacked some discipline, but was still good enough.
Two years ago, we would have gone out of Europe playing that poorly, but we have learned a lot in that time – more that the team are given credit for.
steinreigns….,
We’ve lost far more than 3 players, irrespective of how they left and how you rate them.
eldiegobhoy
19:03 on 14 August, 2013
You make a good point.
Anyway I’ll shut my gob for now. Once Karagandy are dispatched, it will be interesting to see who signs up.
My interest in the game today goes as far as hoping Broony and Jamsie escape unscathed.
Evening all
Just finished work. Just checked my Facebook and there’s some stuff about Benfica wanting Fraser Forster? Is this garbage?
Jimbo
Margaret McGill 19:00 on 14 August, 2013
“How about any decisions made by any Scottish football institutions that he was chief executive for should now be rescinded in light of this obvious conflict of interest. For starters.”
Has anything been proved regarding his conduct?
I thought an enquiry was taking place at the moment.
mickbhoy1888
18:31 on
14 August, 2013
Wherever and whoever those boo boys are they are people we should feel sorry for. Sad sad people.
James forrest is injury prone and hes playing for sconnie botland tonight… ffs .. Betcha hes injured for the car a grand eh match
Jimbo
Its a story from the scottish bun
canamalar1 19:10 on 14 August, 2013
We have lost three first-team regulars.
How I rate them isn’t important, if they are not getting a regular game they are hardly a loss.
I haven’t had a reply from you regarding other matters. It may have got lost in your inbox.
JIMBO67
Rumours at the moment. Fraser will be more difficult to replace than any other player we have lost this year.
But I doubt he will fancy a move to a club where he is not automatic first-choice.
Hope not,anyway!
James Forrest is Neil Lennon! We are ALL Neil Lennon!
19:02 on
14 August, 2013
http://www.onfieldsofgreen.com/when-first-we-practice-to-decieve/
A wee light hearted piece of “banter” before the game starts !
******
Excellent piece of writing.
Hits the spot.
The Boy Jinky
So an utterly unimpeachable source then? :-)
Jimbo
Jimbo
One of the best… of the worst ;)