Celtic have four central defenders in the first team squad, although Jozo Simunovic’s injury record and Jack Hendry’s complete absence from match day squads effectively reduces that figure to two. When required, Neil Lennon has used Nir Bitton as his third central defensive option.
This has worked well for player and club, but Nir was out of contract in the summer, so there is a risk for the Champions League qualifiers. We need four options in central defence in July and August, two to play and two to cover injuries (on top of Jozo’s perennial state), suspensions and the possibility that we have another central defender pull a Dedryck Boyata/Kelvin Wilson move.
I expect we will still try to add two central defenders to the first team squad between now and then, but the consequences of not getting the player you want, or that player turning in training performances like Marvin Compper, are great.
2020 could be a breakthrough year for 19-year-old Lee O’Connor, but the prospect of a Champions League playoff game is a lot to burden a player who has yet to make a senior debut at club level (he represented Ireland against New Zealand last month).
This is the primary motivation to award Nir a new contract. He is a player the manager knows and trusts to do a job when required.
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I fully intend to revert my to my original name but just to be very very clear-:
This is a shameful list entirely in keeping with Tory values
more than one in three children live in poverty – more than 4 million
national debt has risen £1,400,000,000,000 from £850bn to £2.25 trillion
UK government and policies condemned by UN for inflicting needless poverty and misery
1 million poor, hungry children deprived of free school meals
43,000 NHS nurse posts unfilled
student nurse bursary abolished
5 million bed spaces per year gone
millions of cruel benefit sanctions
millions left with no funds – intentionally – through Universal Credit system
massive failed NHS privatisations
massive social care crisis
approximately 185,000 extra deaths linked to politically-driven austerity
10,000 fewer medical professionals
25,000 fewer bed spaces for mental illness
almost half of people claiming disability benefits have attempted suicide
food bank use up 2,400%
homelessness up 1,000%
rough sleeping up 1,200%
left most of the Grenfell Tower survivors without a permanent home for years after promising to rehome them within three weeks
Bedroom Tax caused mass evictions
evictions running at record highs
massive cuts in school funding
student fees up 300%
student debt has risen 150%
forced academisation of schools against parents’ wishes
1,000 Sure Start centres closed
780 libraries closed
700 football pitches closed
removal of EMA (education maintenance allowance) for poor pupils
pound down appr. 15% versus EUR and USD
manufacturing in recession
construction in recession
services close to recession
25-30% cuts to all govt departments
25-30% cuts to all councils, mainly centred on Labour councils in poorer areas
half of councils close to bankruptcy
21,000 fewer front-line police
20,000 fewer prison officers
10,000 fewer border officials
10,000 fewer firefighters
OECD calculate 3 million hidden unemployed, rate is really 13%
mushrooming insecure work: temporary, self employed, gig economy and zero hours contracts
only 30k full time work positions created.
almost half of workers are in insecure work: self-employed, ZHC, or part-time ‘precariat’
80% of the 5.3 million self-employed live below the poverty line
more than 1 in 3 self-employed only earn £100 a month
25% cuts for our disabled people
80% cuts to Mobility Allowance.
Remploy closed
40% of working households just one crisis away from destitution
70% of households have less than 10k savings
60% of households can only survive 2 months without a wage
household debt reaches new peak, despite emergency base rates
50% increase in hate crimes
150% increase in knife crime to 22,000 per year
teenage suicide up by 70%
suicides up 12% just in 2018
self-harm among young women up 70%
life-expectancy down – for first time in decades – by 3 years
lowest ever NHS satisfaction level
council-home building down 90%
200k social homes lost
ZERO starter homes built, despite Tory flagship programme
council home-building down 90%
one million families on council home waiting list
36,000 teachers have left the profession
multiple collapsed private rail franchises
collapsed building and maintenance giants leaving schools and hospitals in the lurch – that the government knew were coming and ignored
The Tories might not be everyone’s cup of tea but Labour’s plans were diabolical. In my opinion.
https://righttolife.org.uk/news/labour-pledge-to-introduce-abortion-for-any-reason-up-to-birth/
MARSPAPA on 17TH DECEMBER 2019 9:33 AM
DAVID66
No “ATOM-ANT” Frimpong
—–
Marspapa – that’s why I should not even try and guess a team.
I forgot about the mighty atom
Back to Lurking for me.😂
D. :)
Fourstonecoppi
A very impressive list of figures and statistics . Can you evidence them for the ignorant to have an in-depth look?
HEADTHEBALL on 17TH DECEMBER 2019 5:15 PM
The Tories might not be everyone’s cup of tea but Labour’s plans were diabolical. In my opinion.
https://righttolife.org.uk/news/labour-pledge-to-introduce-abortion-for-any-reason-up-to-birth/
……………………………………………………………
Fuck everyone who supported the murder of the innocents.
And I mean everyone.
I hope you all have a good night.
Why cant we all just be pals? Fat Chance, its in our nature, “I cant see why you cant see that I’m right and clearly your no” kind of stuff. Ah well, thank God for the Celtic, a fabulous distraction from all the day to day strife that drags us down. Hearts need to be straightened out tomorrow night, clearly they are definitely wrong and tomorrow night we will show them just how right we are – hope so anyway.
Awe naw! Labourites not welcome now either…well, I voted for the Green Party.
I do love a party!!
Fourstonecoppi
Problem with lists is that they are open to interpretation and indeed questioning.
Could you clarify two of them for the record?
The national debt has risen £1.4 trillion from £850 billion to £2.25 trillion. Where does this figure come from?
Five million bed spaces per year gone. What does this represent?
Marspapa – that’s why I should not even try and guess a team.
I forgot about the mighty atom
Back to Lurking for me.
DAVID66
I used to get hangovers like yours when i frequented the Drydock back in the day , late 70s early 80s lol
You’ll feel better by tomorrow , just in time to celebrate a win over Hearts with a few beers :))))
Marspapa- a few mates coming in for the game and I finish on Thursday at 3.30pm until 6/1/20.
Tomorrow night could get a bit messy.
HH
D. :)
Without commenting on the content, is it awrite to question the use of swearies?
I hope so.
To me, it’s one wee thing that still separates us from the other angry social media platforms.
HH.
PHILBHOY@5:50pm-Tonight’s the night it’s gonna be alright 🕺😉
BANKIEBHOY,
It seems the moderators have downed tools.
Bankiebhoy,parkheadcumsalford-this place is supposed to be a pub🤔
Have you never heard sweary words in your local 🤔
Say it the way you would to yer face👍
BANKIEBHOY1 on 17TH DECEMBER 2019 6:57 PM
Completely agree, we have been abandoned by the mods, and its not good that we even need them in the first place.
If someone swears whilst making a comment, that comment loses impact for me.
Colts still scoreless against Thistle after 30 minutes.
P.S. 5 Irish players started, O’Connor, Connell, Afolabi, Oko-Flex & Coffey.
Snow flakes are us ❄️☃️
Scott Brown presser
https://youtu.be/SRzaZZ9sqFc
HH
FAIRHILL BHOY on 17TH DECEMBER 2019 7:53 PM
Snow flakes are us ❄️☃️
_____________________________-
Swear away mate – the only person it reflects on is your good self.
Hot smoked-absolute f–king nonsense 😉
FAIRHILLBHOY,
I don’t know when you joined but one of Paul67’s few rules since the beginning is that we refrain from swear words, as children read this site. It wasn’t intended to be a pub.
RTB-so you never swear?
You can’t believe any children read this site now and the mods are long gone
Parkheadcumsalfor-yet how many times has it been said on here talk to a person the way you would if you were in a pub 🍺
Half Time Celtic Colts 0 Thistle 0
Honestly,when did children read this place in recent times
HOT SMOKED on 17TH DECEMBER 2019 7:51 PM
If someone swears whilst making a comment, that comment loses impact for me.
SO how would you describe midgies when they put you off a golf shot.
FU-now now,not allowed to talk golf here
Fairhill Bhoy.
It’s a nonsense rule, anyway, because the mods were always selective in deciding what swear words were allowed,
I actually mailed Paul because, some people had great posts deleted because of a word that I wouldn’t have deemed to be a swear word.
Yet, other words like bugger, were used frequently.
When I grew up that was deemed one of the worse swear words going.
Paul did take the time to send a kind response.
Children are one of the worst offenders when it comes to swearing, to use that as an excuse is frankly ludicrous.
I agree with the rule though.
FU ( !!)
As a release of tension /anger, swearing is partially effective.
As a means of emphasising a considered point, it lessens the chance of the point being well received..
In humour, it can work well :
` FAIRHILL BHOY on 17TH DECEMBER 2019 7:55 PM
Hot smoked-absolute f–king nonsense 😉`
is a good example :-))
PS No midgies in Arbroath.
Corkcelt
Have you got a feed for the Colts game?
JIMMYNOTPAUL-sorry bud but swearing is an everyday thing,it doesn’t offend me .But everyone to their own.You looking forward to the game tomorrow night 🍀
No Jim,
Just following it on Celtic Academy Twitter.
The way I see it
The difference is that in a heated discussion down the pub or elsewhere then sweary words can easily be used without much thought – on here the word is typed out before posting so opportunity to use a different expression.
You’re right about kids using it in everyday conversation – not a welcome addition to our culture.
HOT SMOKED-so are you saying I’m funny?
You think I’m funny 🤔😉
#GOODFELLOWS