You could see Celtic mature during last night’s game. They were defensively solid during the first half, and Craig Gordon was assured throughout, but for the best part of an hour we scarcely tested St Johnstone.
That changed after the goal, which arrived just as St Johnstone were enjoying their best period of the game. Kris Commons didn’t have his most productive night but it was his pressing which led to the break through.
During the second half Ronny Deila replaced Commons, Stokes and the tiring Forrest with Boerrigter, Inge Berget and Kayal. Even before the home team were reduced to 10 men moments after the final substitution, Celtic were clearly in a more comfortable shape. Players were finding space which didn’t exist earlier.
Maribor made seven changes for last night’s Slovenian Super Cup Final, which they won comfortably against opponents who are pointless in the league after four games. Celtic’s scouts are unlikely to have learned too much useful information ahead of next weeks’ game.
What is clear about Maribor is their aerial threat. Five of their 12 goals this season have been headers, which may influence Ronny’s team selection. They also break quickly down the flanks, so maybe a 4-5-1, offering protection to our full backs, is the way to go. Hopefully we’ve learned we’re not quite ready for 4-3-3 away from home in Europe.
The Slovenian media are dismissive of Celtic’s chances, encouraged, it seems, but continuing celebrations from Maribor that they pulled an “easy” draw. I suspect they’ve yet to see the Celtic who will take the field on Wednesday.
Fancy winning a pair of tickets in the padded seats of the Jock Stein Stand for flag day on Saturday – and helping Mary’s Meals? Magners have kindly offered a pair of tickets, which you can win, if you donate £1 to Mary’s Meals. You can, of course, give as much you like, but £1 is the minimum donation.
You also need to answer the question: Which team will Celtic play this Saturday, shortly after the League Flag flies? To enter, forward your MyDonate confirmation email to celticquicknews@gmail.com, with your answer. Competition closes at noon tomorrow (Friday), winner will be notified by email, so check you inbox.
It’ll cost you £1, you could win premium seats to the premium event, enter here. Cheers to Magners.
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I wdnt have Forrest eether. Punt him ASAP!!
• SpanishJohn
12:54 on 14 August, 2014
From the last thread:
Big Joe
12:23 on
14 August, 2014
Jan Aage Fjortoft tweeting Leagia appeal thrown ooooooooooooooooooot………………………..
Joe, who is this guy? A former footballer.
Still nothing on the UEFA website. You might have guessed I’ll wait on them or Celtic confirming.
And to answer your question from earlier: I have lots of connections with Spain particularly the north east of the country but I don’t actually live there. My moniker comes from when we were in Seville. I was the only one in our, ever expanding, group that could speak the language. :-) I got to do all the ordering of drinks and meals (mostly in that order).
HH
SJ
Mucho Gracias amigo, me casa es en La Costa Blanca.
Myspanishisshite
67Heaven … I am Neil Lennon ….The angels are with Wee Oscar in Heaven.. Ibrox belongs to the creditors
12:52 on
14 August, 2014
hoopy-do
12:42 on 14 August, 2014
Opposition supporters, not Ceiltic Supporters …..sheeeeeeesh :)
———-
What – there are opposition fans giving PL more abuse than some Celtic ones?
I cant imagine St Johnstone have a hotbed of fans who are violently anti-PL – im not sure of the need for security up there last night for him
walk safe PL, they are out to get ya….
<strongSmashin Milk Bottles
Looking for some spares for the ICT game if you’ll have any going spare.
Hamiltontim
Had one and then got let down for it. Guy in question went on holiday with the ticket in his wallet.
Need one for the North Stand lower. May have to buy one but if someone has a spare happy to take it off their hands and give them a few quid.
LB
67heaven
Nothing new there m8
HH
Jan Åge Fjørtoft is a former Norwegian footballer. A powerful centre forward with goalscoring ability, he played professionally in Norway, Austria, England and Germany. He appeared in 71 international matches and scored 20 goals for Norway.
He also likes to read Scottish poetry and play the bagpipes.
Oh dearie meeeeee, a 3-0 lucky win last night, and still in the CL , phone in should be a hoot tonight, oh! And banner headlines on the Dundee Untd. Game last night from a sub. Who came off the bench to score the winner ( never heard of him) he sais ” we will spoil celtics flag party” yup headlines, a tell ya, I bet a few in here wet there knickers looking at this post, I may have left myself open, yi think? Hehehehehehe
Smashin Milk Bottles
Looking for some spares for the ICT game if you’ll have any going spare.
Trad 88
Very quick lol :-)
Hamiltontim
12:55 on
14 August, 2014
Trad88
Make it a score and yer on :-)
====
Ha not sure I’m that confident;)
HH
https://twitter.com/67_heaven/status/499888775531880448
• jude2005 is Neil Lennon \o/
13:00 on 14 August, 2014
I wdnt have Forrest eether. Punt him ASAP!!
James Forrest is a fantastic player……………….
Why would we “ punt him “
aconfusedBigJoe
Sir Cliff could be in bother
Kit
How many?
4 possibly 6
Scrolling through the last few pages.
Seen SuperSuttons remedy to the happy clapper mineshafter debate at 08.59.
He recommended happy motoring
The CESC is full
poss only 1 or 2 I could get….
We’re headin up the night before to enjoy a curry and then copious amounts of lager in Johnny Foxes….
You home?
hoopy-do
13:02 on 14 August, 2014
You, of course, knew that Neil was going to get attacked at Tynecastle …..silly me
Shane Long moving for £12,000,000?
Holy crap!
HH
Lionel Messi is the best player I’ve ever seen. I’ve seen him play at Celtic Park about as often as I’ve seen James Forrest play. JF also a good player but only if he plays … Which is very rare. . I say PUNT if any offer came in above £1.9m
Awash with cash? Why don’t we spend some?
This is how I see where we are and why we have a strategy of reducing players wages, selling or releasing our big earners and cashing in on our assets when good offers are made (Wanyama, Hooper, Ledley, Forster and others to follow).
Simple fact is we have debts of circa £22m and are required to clear them in April 2019.
Now we could try and roll them over but the chances of getting such amounts at 1.65% are minuscule. The strategy of the club is to be in a position to pay off the cooperative bank when the time comes. I think that is the correct thing to do.
I hear all the time (e.g. last night at Perth; from my postman when he nabs me; from broadcast journalists on shortbreid) that we are awash with cash and should start spending it. The former is wrong. We are not awash with cash
The last accounts showed that we had Cash and cash equivalents of £14,348,000. So we have over £14million squid. Why don’t we spend it? Doesn’t that prove that those who say we are awash with cash are correct?
No! The accounts also show that we had a Year end net cash at bank £3.76m. That was good going. We haven’t been in that position very often.
So where is the other £11m? It is our overdraft from the bank? We hold it, but owe it. We need it for working capital. It is not for splashing out on a £6m striker.
I think it is clear that we need to be in a good position to repay the loans when they come due.
Afterall, Celtic Park, Lennoxtown and Barrowfield are guarantees for these loans.
Much as I’d love to see an instant solution to our team problems, I don’t want that at any price. I see a bigger danger to our club if we don’t pay our debts.
Tom Molach – “Simple fact is we have debts of circa £22m and are required to clear them in April 2019.”
No we are not required to clear them. That is hun comforting fairy stories.
The debt terms are up then. We can refinance because we have excellent credit and the full support of our lenders, backed up by billionaires on the board. Or we could clear them with the cash we have sitting in the bank.
The huns couldn’t get a 50p overdraft and have to use a 3rd tier, web based bank as no main stream financial institutions will touch them
Sad to see Celtic are texting me 48 hrs before flag day match, asking me to buy tickets for game. I would have liked to see this game as a sell out long ago.
It is flag day after all, with fans given the chance to thank the players for winning the league…..and moreover thank Fergus for all he did for our club.
Two reasons for my non attendance……lack of money, and a 12 hr shift at work!
If I had the free time, and the money to go….well, easy choice for me.
Are finances so bad we have too many supporters like me, and not enough with funds and time to fill Park head on such a special occasion?
Over and over csc
@RobertBlaszczak: Polish FA chairman on Twitter: “Hanno vinto i furbi non chi meritava!” [Italian: The smart ones, who do not deserve, won!] #legia #celtic
There is quotes from the legia chairman and the chairman of the polish fa on twitter saying they have lost their appeal.
SMB
London. I’ll be travelling up the day before too, going to go to Culloden and then pub. Two would do and I’ll scratch around for more.
J Edgar Hoover had a penchant for fancy clothes too ;-)
HH
Watching SSN, or whatever its called now……………..
I love all sport………………………. However,
I can’t get me head round woman’s rugby…………………………WTF
2scaryforme
Was over at the stadium on Tuesday…the pitch looks stunning. Forget artificial surfaces, real football should always be played on real grass…After the Commonwealth Games it was necessary to completely re-do the playing field and the work was only finished on Monday evening. So a big deserving hand (not the Charles Green kind) goes to John Hayes and all his team for a great job…
• googybhoy ♥ celtic
13:15 on 14 August, 2014
@RobertBlaszczak: Polish FA chairman on Twitter: “Hanno vinto i furbi non chi meritava!” [Italian: The smart ones, who do not deserve, won!] #legia #celtic
seeeeeeeeeeeeeenthat
Tom McLaughlin
I am afraid you are mixing me up with someone els. I wasnt even aware of the DR story you accuse me of bringing up. Perhaps it was someone else.
To repeat I dont even read the MSM let alone let it influence me in any way.
I look forward to the apology!
God thats two apologies I am due after having been accused of xenophobia against poor ronny!
googybhoy ♥ celtic
Cheers I have been waiting on him posting
latest
Robert T. Błaszczak@RobertBlaszczak · 48s
I must stress that the official UEFA Appeals Body decision has not been announced yet.
Big Joe
you would of you were playing.
I reckon your nickname would be swivel head prop meister :)
HH
Ohhhhhhhhhhh and another thing
Boniek was scathing of legia yesterday saying they deserve to go out for incompetence
Jeg er Delia Smith
12:54 on 14 August, 2014
NatKnow, cultsbhoy
I too support the idea that the club should commit to pay the Living Wage (even better if they can pay the Living Wage to a few of the playing staff until we can get them off our books…) but, out of interest, what other expenditure at the club would you cut to fund that commitment?
—————————————————
That’s a very good question. Not sure I can provide a useful answer – I don’t know the current breakdown of spend within the organisation. Additionally I do not how how much it would cost. I think Celtic issued an estimate of sorts at the last AGM but it sounded like it might have been a fairly high-level estimate. First step would be to accurately cost it. Maybe the additional funding requirment is not as great as we would imagine. One thing is for sure – if it became mandatory then Celtic would find a way to comply. Currently they have an option to comply.
The Scotsman saying……………………wearein
If we are “the smart ones” , does that indicate an acknowledgement by CL that they are the opposite..?