When we signed Dedryck Boyata, while simultaneously losing loanee Jason Denayer, I heard that bullish comment from Celtic Park “We made Denayer into a regular Belgian international and we’ll do the same for Boyata.”
Teenage Jason Denayer was part of a record-breaking Celtic central defence. Fast and skilful, there was little chance parent club Manchester City would allow him to extend his stay in Scotland. Dedryck was older, had played less football, and City allowed him to leave for £1.5m. The claim that we could make him into a Belgium regular seemed fanciful.
Belgium are the top team in the Fifa rankings. Getting anywhere near this squad is an achievement, but Dedryck is now a regular fixture. When Jason Denayer made a late entrance in the game against Iceland last night, it was captain, Vincent Kompany he replaced, not the Celtic central defender.
Dedryck has only been at Celtic three years and the early months of his time here were memorable for an own goal against Malmo and a very poor performance away to Molde. His transformation is beyond belief.
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Hail Hail
To be honest, there’s not many who would have kept him (Boyata) in January, bit of a bombscare till then.
So should we be trying to hang on to him or looking for his replacement?
Hi al and thanks for letting me be first on my birthday.
In case the message from Dallas below was too cryptic, he means going for 55 NOT 65.
I beat Sevco to it.
Happy birthday to Johnbay and thanks for the kind wishes.
Hail Hail to all.
DALLAS DALLAS WHERE THE HECK IS DALLAS on 16TH NOVEMBER 2018 5:41 AM
A happy birthday to fine man that he is, Jimmynotpaul. I hope you are going for it .
I did of course mean the summer, not January.
Happy Birthday Jimmynotpaul and Johnbay.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=co5Ar8PIFak
When’s the Ref’s strike……………?
Where’s the hyped outrage and clamour for heids in the spotlight…….?
Come on Shortie, whaurs yur integrity?
Emdy seen or heard fae wee Chic an’ his high-pitched, hunned-up burr?
HH
Thomthetim53.
Thanks for the link and a good version.
I would much rather watch Claire, rather than Stevie and his version.
Hail Hail
Paul67
Yes , you need to go back a lot further than his contract wrangle to see when his Celtic career took off.
Morphed from ‘liability’ yada, yada, yada to £9M alleged bid.
The Internet CSC
Jimmynotthom,
Imagine a fellow Jim getting my name wrong! LOL.
Hi Paul67,
Yes, Dedryck Boyata has been a revelation…
He seemed to have all the attributes of a first Class CH but his decision making and concentration seemed an issue.
As you say, what a transformation, he seems to have it all now. Also the way he dealt with this summer’s spate, he has proven himself to be a first Class footballer, a first Class athlete and a consummate professional…
It also puts a lie to the myth that the Celtic coaches cannot produce, enhance defenders…
Hail Hail
Alex McLeish is set to be hit with another hammer blow as Kieran Tierney emerges as a major doubt for the Albania clash.
The Celtic star would become Scotland’s NINTH withdrawal if he doesn’t shake off a leg injury.
Nice one Kieran. ?
KT withdraws from both games
More bad news for Scotland with Kieran’s injury. It’s going to be a really tough couple of games now. Certainly not ‘nice one Kieran’ from me!
It’s not beyond belief, Paul. It takes around 100 senior matches to learn how to play that position. He’s now played 100+ games, and the progression is natural. City signed him as a kid for his potential, but his career could only develop with the requisite game time.
The remarkable thing about Boyata is not that he’s now a better than perhaps expected, it’s that when he joined us aged 24 he had played just 32 senior games. And that’s a consequence of the current strategy of such wealthy clubs hoarding young talent.
Just catching up after doing my back in TRYING to change a tyre on my daughters car :)))))
HOOOOOOOOPY Birthday Jimmynotpaul and Johnbay.
Belated birthday wishes to Mrs CRC and NorrieMs grandson Jude.
last but not least MAH delighted to read you were on your way home.
Ohhh mam sitting in ML4 tonight the phrase the blind leading the blind springs to mind :))))))))))))
Till later all
Serial failure McLeish losing people faster than Theresa May!
Maybe he might consider calling up McKenna.
Then realise he’s already in!
JIMTHETIM53 on 16TH NOVEMBER 2018 1:01 PM
Many apologies Jim.
It was either trying to do too many things at the same time or being a doddery git. :-)
Once again, thanks for the link.
Hail Hail
Mibbe if the MIBs gave young Kieran Bhoy some protection from the savage treatment dished out to him on a weekly basis,he would be fit for international duty.
No wonder!. KT is kicked off the park every game in Scotland. He gets no protection from the SFA referees. Hell mend the SFA. And btw I support Scotland. But I have no sympathy for the suits and blazers at Hampden. Don’t get me started about McLeish.
Leftie and any others.
Thanks for the kind wishes
Leftie, I couldn’t agree more about Kieran.
Bang on, my friend.
Right, family arriving, see you later.
Hail Hail
JIMMYNOTPAUL
Happy Birthday !
Struggled to think of a choon I had with 55 in the title – then this popped up in the ole bonce –
https://youtu.be/PejBkU4-1fk.
Nature watch – 2 drookit heading south for the winter Scops Owls currently dozing / drying out under my garage roof .
SOT
I had to reply to your post.
Music, nature, Celtic, my favourite things in life, as you know.
Tom, a great artist and underrated in my opinion.
Scops Owls, wow, I’m jealous, brilliant birds.
Hail Hail and thank you.
South of Tunis, Enjoyed that tune, never heard it before. Must have been popular, 1.2m hits on utube.
Lunch time -way down south –
2 45s for Friday —
https://youtu.be/u041AQpHljM
https://youtu.be/zsx7ZikAMVE
SoT,
looks like these guys might come in handy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApFB-GylZNQ
South of Tunis
Can I give a heartfelt thank you for the music contributions you give on here.
Always wonderful. Often brilliant.
Kept me going.
One more for Friday lunchtime –
A 1961 gem from the great (IMO ) Ahmad Jamal .-
https://youtu.be/woWACSYXGiQ
On the shelf next to the Playboy Five 45 above -so why not .
Siesta time -old man me got up too early this morning
SAINT STIVS @ 1 59
Thank you ! .
Never post a choon I dont have and never ever post anything on those monstrosities called Cds
Guy from the Port-
https://youtu.be/anvXNfZq4_c
CANAMALAR .
Owls have a big place in Sicilian folklore . Mad mental Inter supporting ole codger down the valley has an owl skull on his front door . Keeps bad things away (allegedly )
For a modern day CB he lacks the ability to pass accurately over distance. He reads the game better and his pace helps hide some of his negs.
IMO
Random Celtic anecdotes
Johannes ( aka Shuggy ) Edvaldsson’s father was the deputy head of the Estonian Police during Nazi occupation in WWII , he was later imprisoned but escaped to Sweden in 1944.
In 1946 he was due to catch a boat to Venezuela but the boat was stranded in Iceland, where he remained for the rest of his life and where the Celtic legend Shuggy was born.
Ha Robbie rental
OOPLA !
Typing error – both of them came from the Port . . One now dead — can’t remember which one .
Memories of seeing them in a dive in Camden . Playing in a run of the mill punk band called (I .think ) Pressure
KT withdraws from shambolic Scotland set up.
Good.
Our players can learn nothing but defeatism and bad habits from it.
Also they get kicked enough in the spl so why put their bodies on the line to be kicked again by the mssm as a convenient scapegoat?
Our players have more important games to concentrate on.
Experience and game sense make a big difference to defenders.
Game sense can be coached and Boyata has benefitted from Brendan and staff plus experience gained by being a regular pick.
Centre backs are reliant on the midfielders in front of them and this has improved.
The benefit of having an intelligent guy like Benkovic alongside makes decision making easier and both players roles seem clearly defined.