Vasilis Barkas does not enjoy too much appreciation among the Celtic support. It is not that he makes mistakes, more that he has failed to take the numerous opportunities presented by a largely lax defence to convince us he has the talent to become a mainstay in the team for years to come. What’s for sure is that he cannot perform the miracles we were treated to last year by Fraser Forster.
At 26-years-old, Vasilis should be approaching his prime years, but instead of building on a solid reputation gained at AEK Athens, he has seen Scott Bain and Conor Hazard chosen ahead of him this season.
There will be many changes this summer and if the manager (?) wants to move Barkas on he will likely find a taker, but there are reasons I would persevere with him for the rest of the season. First of those is the development we saw in Fraser Forster under goalkeeping coach, Stevie Woods.
When Fraser first arrived at Celtic on loan a decade ago the jury was out on him, some of the support preferred Lukas Zaluska, whom he shared the gloves with for a period. Fraser was 18 months into his load period when a penalty save against Hearts brought wider recognition of his improvement over that period, however, he continued to improve well into his third season at Celtic. There are few keepers Stevie has not improved in his years at Celtic, given time, Barkas will also benefit, although let’s hope he does not have too many opportunities to demonstrate that against Hamilton tomorrow.
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Good luck Jerrie a nice young man
NORRIEM
Shved seems to be showing some form, can we recall him , he could play RB. 👍
GREENINBINGLEYINOSLO on 26TH JANUARY 2021 11:16 PM
Very well said. The Scottish press treatment of this fine gentleman was a disgrace.
it’s been a sad week losing Dr Venglos and Johannes. I hope they enjoyed their time with Celtic as much as i enjoyed what they did for us, both at time in our history when we were not at our strongest.
RIP to both
CelticDawn – rumours abound he and a few of the younger players were being bullied by older hands in Dubai, so his demands could simply have been for that to be acted upon. Or he was promised a run at right wing?
I’d be wary of dismissing it out of hand – Moussa Dembele posted something about “being wary of those who lead” when he left and it later turned out he meant Rodgers and stories about China, etc.
With non-disclosure agreements, and footballers being very careful what they say, things like JF’s tweet generally have some basis in fact…
David 66:
“The mighty Hamilton, I am not even going to guess what team the Roulette wheel will pick so I will pick my own team.
Hazard
Ajer El Hamed Bitton Laxalt
Soro McGregor Moi
Turnbull
Eddie Griff”
Your back four got me wondering if , perhaps, El Hamed and Bitton could turn out to be one of those unexpected success stories. We have already seen that Ajer does a fine job at `Right Back`so that trio MIGHT be the answer. I would go with Barkas and Taylor in our defence and Johnston instead of Moi but apart from that our selections are identical :-)))
….but I am certain they won`t be identical to Lennie`s Line up !
Bada,
Neil’s always been an OF fan and it will see him paid handsomely by Sky in years to come. He knows where his bread is buttered.
From 2016:
“Yet Lennon rejects the claims of some Celtic supporters that Rangers are a new club.
And he believes even hardcore Hoops fans have missed Gers and the Old Firm fixture.
He smiled: “Of course, they are going to say they haven’t missed the games. Publicly.
“But sub-consciously they will be itching for it.”
HH
JF, i wish you and any others who wish to leave nothing but the best , thank you (all) for the memories .
I hope that you get back to enjoying your football again , that smile and big effy ‘s backflips will long live in my memory .
A great bit of business , hopefully we get good money for the rest of the guys who need to go /want away, i wonder who will spend it ?
RIP DR Jo
Dr Jo RIP. Thanks for everything…
Team for tonight’s dead rubber:
Barkas
Welsh>>>Bitton>>>Ajer
Christie>>>Henderson>>>McGregor>>>Moi
>>>>>>>Turnbull
>>>>>Edouard>>>>>Griffiths
No defenders.
7-6 to Celtic.
HH
Good to see Resoulution 11 moving forward demanding answers. sad to see Dr Josef has passed away, not the best time to come to the club but I hope he had some pleasurable times at the club.
Jeremie Frimpongs’ comments warrant some thought, does he mean money, does he mean the club is regressing and its not what he was sold on when joining , have things taken place through the season and when in Dubai that have completely destroyed his hopes and desires to build a career at Celtic Park?
I hope we get to find out, the manager now seems to be picking fights with the support and his use of OF was not in error, I wonder what was under his fingernails that seemed to be preoccupying him.
Big W- Lennon is not stupid, but I seen his delusional press conference, where he said he doesn’t understand the dismay of the support, seriously? 7 wins in 22 games? He is giving us the finger now,and IMO the OF reference was deliberate on this occasion. HH
I don’t get this.
There was always going to be a big rebuild at the end of this season.
I think that we all agree that if players are unhappy and want to leave they should leave.
The question to be asked is why are players unhappy? What is going on at this club that so many players want to leave?
RIP Dr. Joe, a gentleman and someone who had more football knowledge and brains in his big toe than all the so called Scottish football experts combined.
Lenny, Lenny where to start? He seems to be resigned to pretty much everything now (apart form his own resignation and why should he? He’s an employee after all and until his employers think otherwise…). His whole demeanour is all about resignation to not knowing what’s happening next, which players are going to be here next year, resigned to losing Frimpong etc. etc. This is a death by a thousand cuts, it’s not pretty and it’s not conducive to a team winning games or for a club going forward, we are a shambles. There seems to be resignation from the manager, coaches, players and Board all helpless in the face of it. This is not how a well-run club operates, it seems that in a one-horse race we were fine but with any competition we crumbled from the Board down. They all seem to be hoping for someone or something else to fix it.
Westcraigs,
We may not know the detail but we have all experienced a drop in standards when the new boss comes in, the toxic nature of favouritism or the calling out of individuals publicly. And for young guys from overseas who see us a developmental stepping stone, the deal collapses when development stops.
HH
!BADA BING!! on 27TH JANUARY 2021 9:14 AM
Big W- Lennon is not stupid, but I seen his delusional press conference, where he said he doesn’t understand the dismay of the support, seriously? 7 wins in 22 games? He is giving us the finger now,and IMO the OF reference was deliberate on this occasion. HH
——————————————-
Bada – Agreed
D :)
Celtic:-
Warner, Boyd, Mahe, Stubbs, Mjallby, O’Donnell, Lambert, Moravcik (Burchill 82), Riseth, Donnelly (Hannah 79), Larsson.
Subs not used:- McCondichie, Brattbakk, Annoni.
Booked:- Stubbs,Mjallby.
Goals:- Moravcik 11, 49, Larsson 51, 57, Burchill 89.
Rangers:-
Niemi, Porrini, Numan, B. Ferguson (I. Ferguson 74), Kanchelskis (Vidmar 61), Van Bronckhorst, Albertz
(Durie 61), Guivarc’h, Wallace, Wilson, Hendry.
Subs not used:- Nicholson, Brown.
Goal:- Van Bronckhorst 53
.
Sent Off:- Wilson (22).
Booked:- Numan, Hendry.
Att:- 59,703
Ref:- W Young
RIP Dr Jo; One of my favourite all time skelpings.
Genuine question
Who are the older hands in the squad? I can only think of Brown and Griffiths.
No prizes for guessing who this remended me of:
Income Tax v Bengaluru B
PS Bengaluru are leading 6-1. Anothe goal would be nice!
BIG WAVY on 27TH JANUARY 2021 9:05 AM
Lennon has always bought into the “Old Firm” mantra.
Does not give one iota for the supporters views.
This excellent site is Paul’s and he alone decides what lead article should be.
Personally, i’d prefer if today’s starts the conversation around where we are and why. The structural changes we need and wrap some timescales around this.
I really hope we dont have a vanilla piece re which left back to start with against Hamilton, or which midfield shape to take. Oh, and no more politics!
As I say, Paul’s blog and an oasis of excellence in the Celtic cyber desert
ST TAMS on 27TH JANUARY 2021 9:14 AM
I don’t get this.
There was always going to be a big rebuild at the end of this season.
I think the issue is squad and succession planning, where the Club is in charge of transfers, and not players,a big bid can always upset this of course. If you go back to Boyata and Dembele, 2 players who didn’t cause a minister’s bother,yet both did at the same time. My theory at the time was,both were promised moves that summer, but the Club reneged as there were no replacements brought in. We watched Dembele getting sold at the last minute, no chance of getting anyone in,for a derisory fee.Boyata refused to play, and if you noticed after the fans went after him,the squad were always very warm towards him,says a lot for me.He played the season out,and walked out the door for nothing, when Fulham were bidding £10 m plus in the summer, I posted at the time that Lawwell should have been sacked for losing that amount of money.We offered an extension the previous January, he didn’t sign,and we done nothing to replace and sell him.Thats why we need a DoF,to assess and maximize potential sales,and identity replacements.None of this will happen if Lawwell is still at the Club. HH
I don’t understand all this soul searching about JF.He wants to move on,whats the big deal?We take in a huge profit on a guy who had me ,personally,tearing my hair out watching him.Some others want to leave.We have known that for some time.They see the mega bucks elsewhere.KT,being the catalyst.Thats it,nothing else.Nothing sinister in the fact,except maybe to those who try and make so.I see a supposed Celtic blog giving out the “Toxic”dressing room pish.Seems that Celtic should have let them all go in the Summer,to pacify them.
I would loved to have heard them if we had let them all go.Even getting in,probably,the first building block for next season,the boy Davies,a CH,we desperately need,is being swept away in disgust by some.
Going to take a rest from reading anything about Celtic for a couple of months.Doing nothing for my enjoyment of watching my team.The tin hat was a few on here the other day,saying they could not care less what our scores are now,no interest.
Celtic fans,my arse.
MARSPAPA on 27TH JANUARY 2021 8:55 AM
NORRIEM
Shved seems to be showing some form, can we recall him , he could play RB.
———————
Or in Goal, or Centre half or ….
D :)
Just popped in to say R.I.P. Dr Jo Venglos, a lovely guy and a great coach, vilified by the Hun Scottish media.
Dr Who, copyright Hugh Keevins, what an arse, who also rubbished Celtic buying Lubo Moravcic one of the best ever buys by Celtic, saying that we should have bought John Spencer instead, amazingly that clown still works in the media, albeit one I never listen to.
God Bless you Joseph Venglos R.I.P.
TB- if that post was meant for me,put my name on it.
Seems to me that DD is doing an Ashley on us. Since the neds pissed him off outside the stadium his ego has hardened his stance of keeping things as they are and damn the consequences.
Hope I’m wrong and change is just around the corner…
HH
Slabhoy
Uncle Jimmy
I’d expect today’s article will be on Dr Jo and Frimpong
Ben Davies – 25 years old / no record of note to speak of / three fairly significant periods out in the last 18 months with hamstring injuries – we should stay well-clear.
HH
BGFC
Gene
That could be a good article.
How to source and secure previously unknown talent – how to do it well, how to do it badly.
HH jg
DAVID66 on 27TH JANUARY 2021 10:09 AM
MARSPAPA on 27TH JANUARY 2021 8:55 AM
NORRIEM
Shved seems to be showing some form, can we recall him , he could play RB.
———————
Or in Goal, or Centre half or ….
D :)
———————————————————–
dontcha know ,we’re well covered in those areas …..i’d go with Bain btw.
will we bring O’Connor back from loan? he is a RB and has an international cap. Same age as Jeremie
CONEYBHOY,
Good shout re: Lee O’Connor.
A first team regular for Tranmere this season with 20+ appearances if I’m not mistaken.
BHOY FROM THE BOYNE on 27TH JANUARY 2021 10:40 AM
CONEYBHOY,
Good shout re: Lee O’Connor.
=====================
Agree – and particularly if a change in manager is planned. It would be sensible to utilise players already on our books rather than spending money on players that the new manager may not fancy.
Might feel different if we weren’t out of realistic contention for the league and the strong hints of planned structural / managerial changes had not been dropped via Paul / others.
HH
BGFC
BADA BING
My point is. A club like ours should never be in a position where we need a complete rebuild or restructuring.
We should be making changes as we go along and planning for the future continually.
There is no succession planning. We must be the only major club in uk without a DOF, even Dundee have one.
If everyone is fit tonight; i would play
Barkas
Ralston Welsh Duffy Laxalt
Rogic Soro Turnbull Moi
Griffiths Edouard
Christie can come on later for Rogic at half time
Johnston for Moi (at 60 mins)
Ajeti to get last 30 too
PS is Ntcham definitely the guy who has Covid or is he injured? Surprised we have not heard any news on the health of the mystery individual or how Julien is getting on. maybe they don’t want it out there
My friends in Celtic,
I am looking forward to the game tonight as always , it is an outlet to relieve the lockdown and allieviate the Covid pressures we all all face.
However, I have never seen so many of the Celtic supporters I work with so disheartened.
Sad it has come to this.
HH.
WEEBOBBYCOLLINS on 27TH JANUARY 2021 10:55 AM
On reflection I may have misunderestimated your post.
Ones nerves are starting to fray, with everything that isn’t going on.