Brilliant Oranje, notorious Franz

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Absolutely delighted the Dutch injected some swagger into the World Cup last night.  Diego Costa continued the pattern this week of Brazilian born players profiting from a tumble inside the box, gifting Spain an early lead from the penalty spot, but the Dutch were irresistible.

Exactly how they managed to improve their performance against Spain, four years after losing the World Cup Final with the imperious Edson Braafheid, is a mystery of the modern game.

Netherlands scored all those goals and created even more chances with a meagre 36% possession.  If they were German, we would be reverting to the national stereotype that they were the epitome of ‘efficiency’.

Speaking of the Germans, I’ve always had a lot of time for Franz Beckenbauer, but to find himself banned from football for coming up short in a matter with the words “Fifa” and “ethics” in it, must make him the most notorious German since, erm, well, in quite a long time.  With his former Bayern Munich teammate Uli Honess due to be jailed this month for financial maleficence, it’s better to assume no one in the game is above sticking his snout in the trough.

The soul of football depends on the outcome of this Fifa investigation; no one should be above its reach.  Beckenbauer’s provisional ban should be verified.  Kick him out the game.

Fantastic stuff on the blog yesterday from Bertie Auld; what an honour to have these great guys among us.  I’m heading to the Celtic Shop on Argyle St today where Bertie, Tommy Gemmell and John Hughes will be signing books between 13:00 and 16:00.  If you’re in town I’ll see you there.

The Big Cup’s going to be there, so bring a camera.

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2,184 Comments

  1. thomthethim for Oscar OK on

    TET,

     

    Good to hear from you and your usual well balanced and intelligent comment,( which means that it agrees with my opinion).

     

     

    If there is proper liaison between the DOF and coaching staff, then it should work out fine.

     

     

    RC sounds like a confident chap, secure in his own mind, so I expect him to get on with his job, carrying everyone with him.

     

     

    Hope you are all well in hunless, hilly Andalusia.

  2. ” the source of any money that purports to be income entering football should be investigated beforehand.”

     

     

    I thought that was the law anyway? E.G. You canny buy a house for cash.

  3. GuyFawkesaforeverhero on

    KevJungle-who misses,MURDO’s,battling,ball-winning,hun-skelping,4:2Ten men-Title-winning-screamers fom 30yds-who was a perfect foil for the Maestro and was cheered to the echo from the JUNGLE.

     

    08.28

     

     

    Haven’t seen who started the search and I don’t know about over 90 minutes but I’m sure I remember being grateful to hear the half-time whistle at a game against Aberdeen.

     

     

    Eric Black, a hat-trick against Celtic at Celtic Park in the first half. Devastating.

  4. Best performances at Celtic park by a player.

     

     

    Both friendlies so maybe not relevant.

     

     

    Lillian Thuram for Parma

     

     

    Dragan Stokoivic ?? Red Star Belgrade

  5. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    IIRC,we were heavily linked to STOJKOVIC at one time,but we got Martin Hayes instead.

     

     

    Brentford remain grateful for that to this day;they had lined him up in a £100k deal.

     

     

    He cost us £650k.

     

     

    The biscuit-tin mentality must have had an off day for once.

  6. BMCUW

     

     

    We snatched MH from under the noses of Charlton – who thought they had a £90K done deal on the table for him!

  7. TET

     

    Hi mate, wrist 9n halif at bone, 10n half to get over hand

     

    Soz bout that.got it done properly:-)

     

     

    Vicarwizboastinooerr csc

  8. Be gutted if we lose virgil so early.

     

     

    Hopefully he stays another season.. A real gem of a find.

     

     

    Hopefully the new gaffer can have chat to him and maybe a good early signing will convice him another season in europe will benifit him.

  9. antipodean red on

    Best team that I can remember seeing at Celtic Park was PSG at the UEFA Cup tie in the mid 90’s, we chased shadows all night and if I can remember, they got a standing ovation from those left at the end.

     

     

    AR

  10. John Collins is a big NO for me.

     

     

    He is not a man manager and is too conceited to keep a dressing room onside.

     

    If he were a bar of chocolate he would eat himself.

     

     

    I also witnessed him coax Tosh McKinley to leave the NACSA convention dinner because he had “had enough,let’s get the out of here.”

     

     

    This was particularly poor as the players are sponsored by the clubs and their trips paid for.

     

     

    He inherited a great bunch of kids at Hibs and lost the dressing room within a few short months.

     

     

    He rivalled Wiggy Smith for self adulation.

     

     

    I say all this also loving him for rejecting Souness and coming to us ,and being a great player ,who was one of my favourites.

     

     

    TT

  11. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    PRAECEPTA

     

     

    I bow to your superior knowledge,old bean.

     

     

    I thought it was Brentford,but our information about the fee is much the same.

     

     

    Bloody hell,he cost us virtually the same as Arsenal gave us for Charlie Nicholas!

  12. Billy Bhoy 05 on

    tinytim

     

     

    11:00 on 16 June, 2014

     

    John Collins is a big NO for me.

     

     

    He is not a man manager and is too conceited to keep a dressing room onside.

     

    If he were a bar of chocolate he would eat himself.

     

     

    :::::::;

     

     

    I’ve heard the same thing from a few of my mates so I agree and would’t like to see him at Parkhead

  13. thomthethim for Oscar OK on

    an tearmann,

     

     

    I have mailed you a photo of Carrickfinn, taken last week.

     

     

    Would love to be able to post it on here. But unfortunately, the ability to do do is beyond my pay scale.

  14. antipodean red

     

     

    That PSG side were one of the best exponents of off-side – their back 4 played a very disciplined ‘high-line’ that night. Our Andy Thom suffered that night – I still remember him getting caught off-side on the edge of the centre-circle.

     

     

    The other thing that I remember was their half-time warm-up drill. No meaningless kick about like our lot – they formed a circle and all their work was; short, sharp passing and heading the ball.

  15. AlbertKiddCSC on

    Ronaldinho was frightening in the Barca game where Thommo scored and we won 1-0.

     

     

    Messi wasn’t bad in the 3-2 game either…

  16. antipodean red

     

     

    10:53 on 16 June, 2014

     

    Best team that I can remember seeing at Celtic Park was PSG at the UEFA Cup tie in the mid 90′s, we chased shadows all night and if I can remember, they got a standing ovation from those left at the end.

     

     

    AR

     

     

    3-0 and we were lucky to get nil… PSG were a joy to watch and they did get a standing ovation from the Celtic fans that night.

  17. If Ronnie was to bring on board Danny Lennon into his backroom staff i would have no complaint, Danny could be invaluable with his recent managerial experience in the SPL notwithstanding he is a Celtic man, to supplement Lennon another European coach with in depth knowledge of European football would make up what we would hope to be a perfectly balanced management set up

  18. BMCUW

     

     

    Your Brentford info might well be correct (possibly a few clubs were looking at him).

     

     

    The only reason I know about the deal – my B-in-L lives in East Grinstead and has been going up the Valley for 30+ years. A Tim and keen golfer – he got to know a guy on the Charlton board thanks to a Saturday morning golf tie. They’ve remained friends and he unfortunately reminds me of the MH story on occasions. :-(

  19. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    Re John Collins.

     

     

    Everyone makes mistakes in life,and few are blessed with the necessary interpersonal skills to be immediately successful in their first management role.

     

     

    Collins should have known better though than to force a confrontation so early in his career. I’m sure he knows now!

     

     

    Also,his role will be completely different to the one at Hibs. RONNY is in charge. If he can deal with that-and I don’t see any reason why not-he’ll be fine. He will only be enforcing Ronny’s ideas of discipline.

     

     

    That said,I’m not in favour of him coming back. He knew damn fine well what he was doing when he left us in 95. He pocketed the transfer fee which was ours by right,and allowed UEFA,CSA and SFA to stitch us up over it.

     

     

    I can imagine Fergus booing him when he unfurls the flag in August!

  20. Few negative comments on collins

     

     

    Hopefully the break he has had and also the chance to work with a massive club and his club will mean he may be a different guy from the one at hibs.

     

     

    Im sure he’s smart enough to know what went wrong in the past and also to seek advice from more experianced guys in the game.

  21. John Collins is exactly the gunny highway(Clint Eastwood)

     

    type of, get fit ass-kicker that the Celtic players of today – need.

     

     

    How many times did they look unfit in the CL group games?

     

     

    How many times did ‘star’ player KC, roll about on his ass as if

     

    injured?

     

     

    How many times was ‘star’ player Sammi allowed to, disappear

     

    in the same games without being subbed?

     

     

    John Collins is ‘exactly’ what Hibs needed when they got him as boss

     

    but, some players couldn’t handle the truth, players led by BIG ‘Heided’

     

    Gary Caldwell lay siege to JC, behind his back, aided and abetted by,

     

    rattle-snake chairman Petrie who, is now reaping what he sowed.

     

     

    John Collins will stamp ‘class’ all over the team on the pitch.

     

     

    John Collins was ‘ballsy’ enough not, to allow Fergus to sell him to

     

    the likes of – Derby & Middlesboro – JC instead, showcased his talents on the

     

    CLKSF stage with Monaco.

     

     

    Btw, if Fergus didny get rid of all the ‘rebels’ then, he wouldn’t have needed

     

    to sell the Celtic fans best player at that time – just a thought.

     

     

    Hail Hail

  22. Bawsman

     

     

    I am talking football law. Something simple that defines unacceptable funding and says that if it is found to have been used subsequently the club is suspended from football. No discretion allowed.

  23. proudbhoy

     

     

    11:22 on 16 June, 2014

     

     

     

     

    ‘Hopefully the break he has had and also the chance to work with a massive club and his club will mean he may be a different guy from the one at hibs. ‘

     

     

     

     

    ######

     

     

    I’d rather not risk it.

  24. Thomthetim for oscar 11.06

     

     

    That will be great Thom and very much appreciated.not near a pc at mo but will defo answer later.killyhoey, marble hill etc Donegal is blessed with plenty

     

    .i was in Arisaig last week(on road to mallaig) and the beaches up there are superb too.

     

    HH

  25. BMCUW & praecepta

     

     

    “we got Martin Hayes instead.

     

     

    Brentford remain grateful for that to this day;they had lined him up in a £100k deal.

     

     

    He cost us £650k.

     

     

    The biscuit-tin mentality must have had an off day for once.”

     

     

    Pity we did not have a DoF to overrule this purchase instead of a football man with no training in the financial parameters of what was value :-)

  26. Back in…..

     

    _________

     

    setting free the bears supports Res. 12 & Oscar Knox

     

     

    11:39 on 16 June, 2014

     

    ___________________

     

    The ‘same’ guy had plenty of experience when he – wheeled and dealed – us to

     

    the Centenary double. Only saying.

  27. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    SETTING FREE THE BEARS

     

     

    Touché

     

     

    Having said that,do you really think Billy McNeil controlled the purse strings?

     

     

    Me neither.

  28. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    JUNGLE SPY GUY

     

     

    I love it when you post.

     

     

    It’s so much easier to write that moniker than your other one.

  29. When the Celtic directors sacked big Ceaser and, then compounded the felony by, bringing in, inexperienced Liam Brady….they should have listened to KevJ’s favorit journalist – Gerry McNee – and followed his suggestion of putting a ‘coach’ in charge of the 1st team instead of a manager. GM’s suggestion was Tommy Craig!!!

     

     

    Better than, Liam Brady?

     

     

    Maybe?

     

     

    Be interesting to see St Mirren under TC’s watch this season.

  30. If John Collins has been appointed, it will be because Ronny Deila thinks he can work with him. At least he will not be a universally popular figure (KevJ excepted). Otherwise there would be cries for the asst. to take over if Ronny runs into any trouble in negotiating the CL qualifiers.

     

     

    This is just the asst. managers post. How bad would you have to be to mess it up? We needed someone with better local knowledge to supplement Ronny’s skillset. The choices would be limited.

     

     

    The only worry is, if this indicates some kind of bootroom succession planning. Maybe he is only keeping the seat warm or is under evaluation.

     

     

    I doubt John Collins is as bad as he is portrayed. After all, Kojo has not threatened to stop posting if JC is appointed. John is older and wiser than his first spell in management. His recent spell at Livingston was relatively uncontroversial and he resigned over an honourable matter rather than in a hissy fit.

     

     

    I doubt that John Collins lives up to his stereotyped image any more than Roy Keane does to his.