Celtic are lucky regarding central def injuries

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48 hours ago, Celtic fans were in relative equilibrium.  Defeat in the League Cup and an injury crisis in central defence put paid to that.  Maik Nawrocki injured his hamstring at Rugby Park.  He played until the end of the game, doubtlessly conflicted by the team’s predicament, but as Oh did earlier this month, almost certainly exacerbated the damage.

We are four weeks from our fist Champions League game, with only new signing Gustaf Lagerbielke and Liam Scales fit and able to play in central defence.  Neither have been tested at that level, or played together, and they need to navigate another month without injury before being considered for action.

Cameron Carter-Vickers has a chance of returning for then but is by no means certain, and as you and I both know, rushing a player back from a hamstring is never a good idea.  Yuki Kobayashi should be ready, in the fitness sense, however, reruns of his Ibrox performance from last season will give Brendan Rodgers plenty to consider.  Stephen Welsh will be out until the turn of the year.

Reframe this fortune for what it is.  Celtic are lucky; this happened during the transfer window when the club are in funds.  It is no more than a normal football problem to be addressed.  Brendan will have an idea on when Cameron and Maik can be expected return, he will sign others if necessary.

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359 Comments

  1. I suggest if we had a coach who didn’t instil total awe and fear in his team around playing in the champions league last year we would have qualified from our group.

     

     

    GS or NL or even BR might have got us through.

     

     

    Frankly even if we had the same run of fixtures as Shakther with Leipzig away first perform they sacked their coach we would have got through.

     

     

    Ange had the team too fearful. IMO. We were not clinical in front of goal despite incredible X index scores.

  2. SAINT STIVS @ 3:44 PM,

     

     

    Yes…

     

     

    We can only prepare as best we can as the draw is after the window closes.

     

     

    We were unlucky last season, RB Leipzig started off in disarray and got their act together by the time we played them

     

     

    Shakhtar were there for the taking, thought Jota’s selfishness cost us a win.

     

     

    Overall it was a learning curve for Ange and the team.

     

     

    You don’t take a knife to a gun fight and you don’t take Angeball to the UCL

     

     

    My feelings if we go fortress Celtic Park again, it may mot be pretty football but we can stop the cannon fodder.

     

     

    Hail Hail

  3. SAINT STIVS @ 4:03 PM,

     

     

    No, that’s one of APs objectives this season

     

     

    Hail Hail

  4. BURNLEY78 on 22ND AUGUST 2023 4:02 PM

     

    I suggest if we had a coach who didn’t instil total awe and fear in his team around playing in the champions league last year we would have qualified from our group.

     

    —-

     

    Ange had the team too fearful. IMO. We were not clinical in front of goal despite incredible X index scores.

     

    ——————

     

    Fear had nothing to do with it.

     

    Being far too open cost us the goal v Shaktar.

     

    Lack of mobility in midfield cost us v Leipzig.

     

    Only having one quality winger in Jota showed up.

     

    Headless Chicken Maeda shown up at the level as a winger.

  5. I can take the odd loss to Killie, Clyde or Morton in a cup game.

     

     

    I cannot take regular record defeats in Europe home and away just because of a romantic “playing football the glasgow celtic way” 1-5, 1-6, 1-7, it is bloddy horrible and in the record books for ever.

     

     

    stop the thrashings, get back to fortress parkhead as you say, and definately definately defend better away from home.

  6. SAINT STIVS @ 4:10 PM,

     

     

    It’s interesting, GS has got a great reputation with Celtic in Europe.

     

     

    Yet his home record is very good and his away record is as poor as anyone’s – he just made the team competitive.

     

     

    Hail Hail

  7. SAINT STIVS on 22ND AUGUST 2023 4:10 PM

     

    I can take the odd loss to Killie, Clyde or Morton in a cup game.

     

    I cannot take regular record defeats in Europe home and away just because of a romantic “playing football the glasgow celtic way” 1-5, 1-6, 1-7, it is bloddy horrible and in the record books for ever.

     

    stop the thrashings, get back to fortress parkhead as you say, and definately definately defend better away from home.

     

    ——————

     

    You contradict yourself.

     

    In order to do this we need properly quality players to come in which cost real money, in the positions we all know that we need strengthened.

     

    Whereas you constantly quoted the 7 new signings as being the players you are happy with in order to do that.

  8. The celtic team that beat Barcelona.

     

     

    Lineups: Celtic: Forster; Lustig (Watt), Ambrose, Wilson, Matthews; Commons, Wanyama, Ledley, Mulgrew; Miku, Samaras (Kayal).

  9. VINNIETHEDOG on 22ND AUGUST 2023 4:40 PM

     

    Well that’s another 24 hours away !!…..Down to 10 days and counting

     

    —-

     

     

    GK, LB, LW & CAM. Maybe a CF. Mybe an emergency CH. Upgrades.

     

    McCarthy, Soro, Scales, Kobyashi, Ajeti, Siegrist, Bernabei, Haksa, Vata, Forrest & Johnston. Tae Feck.

     

     

    We’ll be needing Anneka Rice soon :)

     

     

    HH

  10. St Stivs,

     

     

    Agree with you all the way.At least that Trumpet has not called you a Hun.Thick,gullible,stupid,but not the ultimate.:-))))

     

    Burnley,wasting your time with them.How dare anyone say,Kyogo,Hatate,Jota,CCV,Johnston,were projects.

     

    Sorry,so were,O Riley,Maeda (still is ).The anti PL brigade have been waiting their chance.One defeat is all it takes.

  11. Lambert

     

     

    I get you are just salivating for any chink in the armour of Celtic’s success and an early cup exit gives you it.

     

     

    Just as 3 years ago you had your year in the sun when we lost all 3 trophies.

     

     

    I also sense the phenomenal period of success Celtic has had this past 23 years must be tough to take for you but I don’t think things are as bleak as you try to paint. I don’t think knee jerk response when we are top of the league and not yet played : games on grass, never mind any in the CL is the time to be too upset.

     

     

    Let’s see where we are at end of December and we can see if we are winning again or not.

     

     

    I am still waiting to see if there are any players you can suggest that wee could actually buy to improve our squad but you seem mute on that ?

  12. Prestonpans bhoys on

    BSR

     

     

    Thought that game was on council telly, thankfully I still have TNT or BT Sports in old money.

  13. Greenpinata

     

     

    Surely if someone says we can sign better on a blog then they must have some idea who that might be otherwise such a claim is totally vacuous ?

     

     

    The Lambert chap keeps saying we should and then seems to insult anyone who asks him for his solutions. To me there is an equivalence to the much mocked claim of the rangers supports ‘we deserve better’ about that. Zero substance only fault finding and whinging.

  14. my neighbours just passed the window on their way to the ranjurs game.

     

     

    they look like condemned men walking.

     

     

    will it be the plucky back to the wall physical battle they enjoy, will they score a couple of freak goals that often happens in these fixtures for their benefit.

     

     

    will PSV actually tunr up this time.

     

     

    a pal text from the city centre, big mob of psv hoolies in town, carnage awaits.

  15. Was watching the Candy on Saturday against Glasgow Utd.

     

    The Candy have a cracking left back who could do a job for us.

     

    Hopefully Lawwell jnr knows about him

  16. St Tams,

     

     

    I bet many CQN,ers are now jumping up and down shouting:- ” What the f@ck is he on about, who or what is the Candy. ”

     

     

    I won’t tell if you won’t. 😀

  17. BURNLEY78 on 22ND AUGUST 2023 5:19 PM

     

    Greenpinata

     

    Surely if someone says we can sign better on a blog then they must have some idea who that might be otherwise such a claim is totally vacuous ?

     

     

    —-

     

     

    It’s genuinely a really, really stupid thing to say but you keep insisting on it.

     

     

    Given the science that goes into spending literally millions of pounds of other people’s money, I’d like to think it’s a difficult question to answer and best left to the experts & their analytical tools to get it right.

     

     

    You’ve reduced it to someone bellowing out a name on the internet.

     

     

    Catch yourself on.

     

     

    HH

  18. At the end of last season I mentioned on here that we hade 4 consistent, CL level players, possibly 5 or 6 on a good day.

     

     

    CCV, McGregor, Jota and Kyogo.

     

     

    Hatate, O’Riley, Alistair Johnston have potential to get there too.

     

     

    I thought if we got two or three of this level in then we could really compete to get out of the groups. It seems the board have no appetite to do so. I hope they prove me wrong.

     

     

    I know we have done very well in the Asian market but arguably our two best signings of recent years have been CCV and Jota. It is no coincidence that we went outwith the 2-4m market to get them.

     

     

    TJ

  19. gonna be a long hard season if the board don’t get the finger out and support rodgers – it looks like they are waiting and hoping for loan deals last minute of the window. its a gamble on the season.

     

     

    I loved watching Ange teams play – but they were NEVER going to impact europe with that defense – no height , weak left back and no physical presence in midfield.

     

     

    I’m happy with the center back signings so far – i’m not happy with lack of movement on other key areas.

     

     

    I’d move taylor on and replace with physical 1st team ready defender. At least Bernabei has pace and can come on as an attacking wing back – Taylor offers nothing in this team.

     

     

    Vibes for the season are not good yet – hoping the board show some ambition!

  20. TB

     

    Kyogo and Hatate were not bought as projects, neither was Maeda nor Ideguchi, sadly he didn’t work out, in the main due to the lack of protection from the cheat with the whistle.

     

    CCV and Jota were a slightly more cautious approach, they were to split hairs half projects, they passed the test and were signed.

     

    No way was AJ a project, no way.

     

    Anyways the point still stands, the players brought in are not first team starters, all decent projects but not starters as yet.

  21. The Exiled Tim,

     

     

    Dont disagree with anything you say. AJ and Reo were bought as starters for sure. Both excellent players.

     

     

    The point I am making is one that Ange himself made last year. I am paraphrasing but he said something like the model is to sign for 2-4m and sell for 8-10m. Then hopefully buy for 7-8m and sell for 15-20m and so on and so on. Clearly we are not going to do that and continue with the 2-4m model.

     

     

    TJ

  22. bournesouprecipe on

    BADA BING

     

     

    Not surprised, as you know I think it’s Joe Hart for this season at least.

  23. TOMMY JOAD

     

    Hence why I think that Pedro still has his grubby paws on things, all his bumlickers will tell you that he has nothing to do with the workings, what we are seeing says different.

     

    Anyone who listened to BR’s presser the other day should have told everyone where things are at.

     

    I agree with David 66, Lawwell should be nowhere near the club, the lies told to the Res 12 bhoys should have his sin die

  24. Stivs

     

     

    I just put a post up asking peoples to behave and you swore!

     

     

    Fair do’s I got Hot Smoked all wrong……apologies

  25. Lambert14

     

    I am seriously scared of sevco. They don’t have a strong team but neither do we. Points will be dropped by both teams and I think the outcome of the league will depend on the results of the glasgow derbies.

     

    By the way, they have the officials on their side. Before the season started I posted on this site that we were already 12 to 15 points behind sevco. Before VAR was introduced last season I posted that it would be used to disadvantage us. We go to ibrox soon and it is very likely we will be cheated. What went on on sunday was barefaced, brazen, shameless cheating. I have never seen a referee publicly celebrate a result with a manager before. In this country they usually do this behind closed doors.

     

    I should remind you that three seasons ago we lost the league to sevco when we had tens of millions in the bank and they were struggling from financial crisis to financial crisis.

     

    We never learn.

  26. I think the biggest difference between Brendan and Ange’s teams are the inverted fulbacks

     

     

    They help flood the midfield with bodies and allow our wingers space a freedom

     

     

    It also gave space to Calmac and the rest of the midfield as we overloaded the area

     

     

    Read lots about Calmac losing it as he is now 30…..

     

     

    Think he is just outnumbered – I did notice Taylor step more to midfield in the 2nd half at the weekend

     

     

    So far all Brendan has done is to get Kyogo and Maeda (when a striker) to drop deep for the ball

     

     

    If we aint gona allow the fullbacks to invert as Ange did

     

     

    We cannot play with 2 wingers and a striker as we surrender the midfield

  27. Stivs thats twice now – the second after I explained the first

     

     

    Don’t push it….

  28. The 3 Celtic board apologists. Turks, Burnley and Stivs, still wearing blinkers.

     

    When the manager himself has said that we need quality then surely by now even the Gerry McSherrys like yourselves can see this.

     

    On your man Lawwall, if Celtic do, as rumoured, build a new full size indoor pitch at Barrowfield, then that would sum up how incompetent he was in only building a two thirds size one at Lennoxtown, which Tommy Burns despaired at.