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Brendan the man-manager, Leigh – smarter than you may think

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By on CQN BLOG & Comments

It’s really refreshing to hear the positivity towards the manager from senior players at the club. He has the squad pulling in his direction like no one has since Martin O’Neill. This hasn’t come about by chance. When a player asked Brendan if he could arrive late one day this week to see his child start school, training was changed for the entire first team squad.

With term starting across several days at the start of this week, training at Lennoxtown started at 11:30 Monday and Tuesday (we’d a game on Wednesday, in case you forgot). The fathers all got to see their kids start, or return to, school, while the others fell into line.

This kind of family support is credit in the bank for Brendan (a lot more than some entire clubs have). Players want to him.

I watched highlights of the Hapoel game and caught things I’d missed on the night. Leigh Griffiths’ delayed run for his first goal being the most striking. As Scott Sinclair pushed the ball right to James Forrest, Leigh stopped his forward run, waiting at the left edge of the box.

This created space. With that space, he built-up sufficient momentum to out-jump a defender and power a header into the net. It was a stunningly intelligent thing to do.

I had a word with a Celtic coach a while back on how intelligent you need to be to be a modern footballer. It turns out footballers need to be smarter than you probably think. There are outstanding talents in football, and we’ve had more than a few at Celtic, who are just not clever enough to understand how and when to use an abstract entity like space.

Today’s great teams deploy very complicated tactical systems in defence and in possession. It doesn’t matter how good you are with the ball at your feet, if you can’t keep up with the tactical demands of the game, you’ll bounce around clubs never quite fulfilling your early promise.

Some big decisions for Brendan about the line-up tomorrow. McDiarmid has often been a tricky place to go, so resting players could result in points being dropped. We’re three days away from the >£20m game in Israel, which I’d be reluctant to take risks with, despite the three goal advantage.

It’s probably a good opportunity for us to have a look at Dorus de Vries but I’d be reluctant to tamper too much. Only the two big Glasgow clubs haven’t dropped points yet, and I’d like us to be the last man standing in that race. A win for us in Perth and a draw at Pittodrie tomorrow would do nicely.

Sorry to see Scott Brown retire from international duty but it’s unquestionably the right decision. It’s also an acknowledgement that he needs to manage his fitness and recovery cycles carefully.

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  2. weebobbycollins on

    The Battered Bunnet… :-)

     

    Seriously, the president of the Venezuelan National Assembly is called Diosdado Cabello, which translated means, Godgiven Hair… = paul murray (or bsr)…

  4. Thunder Road on

    Weebobbycollins

     

     

    If you are still about, it may be a long shot and its obviously up to yourself whether you feel comfortable enough attempting it but you might be able to discern the contact info Carlos wrote down for you by using an artists pastel.

     

    It would need to be a darker shade but it wouldn’t matter whether it was green, red, blue, brown, purple, etc., but avoid yellow as it will not stand out on the white paper.

     

    As long as it is a darker shade of any of these colours it might show up what was written or enough of what was written to allow you to work out all of the details, perhaps with the help of the internet.

     

    Its possible to show up indentation on paper by brushing a pastel across the paper on the side that was written on or by doing so on the back but if the pastel was brushed over the back, it would be a mirror image and you would then either need to try to look at it in a mirror to read it properly or take a picture of it, upload it to a computer with suitable software that would allow you to flip the image, which would then make it the right way round again and perhaps readable.

     

    The pastel will mark the paper permanently though so you would need to decide whether to keep the paper as it is and hope to find another way of discerning the info, or whether it would be worth trying.

     

     

    Btw, this probably sounds a bit shady/sneaky ive used to find out something that somebody wrote down but its just something ive came across when using a piece of paper to work on that has been under another piece of paper that was used to write on…..honest Guv!

     

     

    Im in the Falkirk area so if you are close by and feel it would be worth trying but not comfortable enough trying yourself then get my email from Paul and id be willing to try and help.

     

     

    HH

  5. mazzy on

    Barton not minded to have a pop at big Souey ? In his 60’s , whitens the knashers , and patronises a wig . Or is big brash Joseph feart !

  9. clogher celt on

    Davie Hay, from Level5 Testimonial Page…

     

     

    David Hay

     

    (ex-Celtic, Motherwell, St Mirren, Dunfermline and Livingston manager)

     

     

    “James Traynor is one of the most genuine and talented people I have met.

     

     

    “He is also one of the most determined and he always seemed to find a different way of tackling problems.

     

     

    “I am certain that he will provide the best solutions and first-class guidance for anyone who seeks his advice.”

     

     

    http://level5pr.co.uk/testimonials/

  11. An Teach Solais on

    So UEFA has started a disciplinary review. We can only hope and pray that it will be limited to a fine and not, eg, a ban on supporters attending an away game where small in number though we are the players are aware that supporters have travelled to cheer them on.

     

     

    By the way I agree that UEFA rules on the flying of the Palestinian flag is inequitable. HH

  12. weebobbycollins on

    Thunder Road…do you work for MI6?

     

    Afraid I tossed it away. I used to keep it inside the letter/itinerary I got from the travel agency at the time…still got that though…almost 50 years now…could it happen again? We are Celtic and there is something magical about us…

     

     

    Thanks for the kind offer all the same…

  14. Neustadt-Braw on

    CLOGHER CELT on 19TH AUGUST 2016 4:13 PM

     

     

    Are you trying to put me aff ma krombacher??

     

     

    Braw.

  18. mike in toronto on

    In keeping with the True Bobblie Spirit … I suggest that our response to UEFA begin …

     

     

    “Dear Running Dog Lackey of UEFA Imperialism”

     

     

    …. just to set the right tone, ya know…

     

     

    I mean, we know we are going to be fined … so lets have a bit of fun with it.

  20. traditionalist88 on

    mike in toronto on 19th August 2016 4:25 pm

     

     

    Always an advocate of getting our moneys worth, lets do it.

     

     

    HH

  21. BABASONICOS71 on

    SIXTAESEVEN – GARDEZ LA FOI on 19TH AUGUST 2016 4:20 PM

     

    Nowt was said in the SMSM about this in 2007(?):

     

     

     

    http://i41.tinypic.com/ny5jqv.jpg

     

     

     

    Crazy mixed-up folk …

     

    ===================

     

    Reactionary bigots.Anything that’s the opposite of a Celtic backed cause/theme is what motiv(h)ates them.

     

    If there was a Bugs Bunny flag at our games there’d,inevitably,be an Elmer Fudd one show up amongst the thems.Dolts.

     

     

     

    Bring on the fitba

  23. Back to Basics - Glass Half Full on

    Wouldn’t worry bout UEFA disciplinary proceedings.

     

     

    Any fine or loss of revenue from the section of the ground being closed will be met by those who protested on Wednesday.

     

     

    That’s what people of conviction do.

     

     

    I’m sure also they’ll repeat the protest next week in Israel despite the risk to their personal safety.

     

     

    That’s what people of conviction do.

     

     

    Finally any suggestion that the non Celtic supporting elements of the pro Palestinian movement who helped orchestrate this will now just skip town PT Barnum style leaving others to pick up the mess is SLANDEROUS.

     

     

    People of conviction would never do this.

     

     

    Hail hail

  27. Thunder Road on

    Weebobbycollins

     

     

    Nah just the good ole nhs!

     

     

    Ach….it was worth a try.

     

     

    Love it that some of you bhoys were THERE :)

     

     

    Guess you’s are all legends in your own right as well!

     

     

    HH

  29. hendrix67 on

    I’VEHADTOCHANGEMYNAME on 19TH AUGUST 2016 4:33 PM

     

    67 – my son wants to do a degree in France – any tips ?

     

    ————–

     

    Learn French

  32. An Teach Solais on

    BACK TO BASICS

     

     

    Wouldn’t put any money on it – but it would be nice if they contributed to a fund which CFC could then send to humanitarian agencies within Palestine.

     

     

    The worry for me , and I have sympathy with the objective of putting a spotlight on the degradation and suffering of ordinary Palestinians, is do we continue down this path with ever increasing sanctions. I am not too sure of the rosy views expressed on this blog that UEFA will never do more than fine CFC. The players have burst a gut to get this far.

     

     

    I appreciate that it is only a flag and flags don’t hurt anyone unlike for example the possible ldamage to health which a smoke bomb may cause and it is ludicrous to punish for flying the Palestinian flag. But what is next on the agenda since it would only take one flag. If we really want to tell UEFA to go **** themselves then better to withdraw participation IMHO.

     

    HH

  33. Hamiltontim on

    I’ve just watched Brendan’s response when asked about Barton’s comments regarding him having a mid life crisis.

     

     

    BG just exudes class. He’s left Barton looking like a daftie and given the MSM nothing at the same time.

  34. BABASONICOS71 on

    HENDRIX67 on 19TH AUGUST 2016 4:33 PM

     

    No UEFA sanctions against Hamburg for this

     

    ================

     

    Shut up and just do what they tell you,it’s the rules.

     

    UEFA – bent as an Arab’s sword.

  36. GlassTwoThirdsFull on

    Beeb now only saying Lescott deal has “fallen through”. No mention of failed medical. Hmmmm….

  37. jc2 on

    I’VEHADTOCHANGEMYNAME on 19TH AUGUST 2016 4:33 PM

     

    67 – my son wants to do a degree in France – any tips ?

     

     

    Tell him to look out for Bonnie Tyler

     

     

    Seriously know someone who studied in France

     

    but they are down South just now and would tell you

     

    everything you want to know

     

     

     

    If i have a contact for you

     

     

     

    Leaving work NOW will read back later

  38. Hot Smoked on

    Geordie Munro

     

     

    I will do the Teamsheet after I have stopped laughing at this:

     

     

    ” Maybe he has a relative who is a doctor and he advised him not to be so stupid.”

     

    and the one by Fess re It was a family matter. He needs money to feed them .

     

     

    JJ

  40. hendrix67 on

    AN TEACH SOLAIS on 19TH AUGUST 2016 4:42 PM

     

     

    The problem I have with the charge is the “Illicit Banner” tag. It’s a flag. And only a flag.

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