It is worth more than a passing observation that in yesterday’s game Celtic had players from 11 different countries in the starting line-up:
England, Sweden, Honduras, Scotland, Nigeria, Netherlands, Finland, Israel, Ireland, Greece and Wales.
Recruitment came from clubs in 7 different league structures:
England (3) and Wales, Scotland, Norway, Honduras, Israel (2), Netherlands and Germany.
There were a further four different nationalities on the bench.
Of the starting line-up only Fraser Forster is not a full international, although that is surely only a matter of time, but Fraser is the only player we have from a large football nation, perhaps an indication that it is more difficult to recruit nationals from England, Germany, Italy, France and Spain than elsewhere.
The signing of Emilio Izaguirre from Honduras three years ago came two years after the player’s representatives had him on trial in England. It’s likely Emilio’s CV was in every mailbox in the British game, so I doubt we have much of an infrastructure in Central America.
Celtic have obviously matured links in Israel recently, Beram Kayal and Efe Ambrose have delivered value, while Nir Biton fits the profile of the player Celtic should be looking for. Embedding relationships in similar markets offers a higher likelihood of value – and therefore football development – than taking our chance on the mainstream British and European circuits.
Prize to anyone who can point to Guinea-Bissau (Amido Balde’s country of birth and location of a Sporting Lisbon-associate club) on the map. There is a lot of work to do to catch up with the Portuguese.
[calameo code=000390171853d2bfc4f69 lang=en page=36 hidelinks=1 width=100% height=500]
937 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- ...
- 18
- 19
- 20
- 21
- 22
- 23
- 24
- 25
- »
CELTIC’S goalkeeper could finally get his England chance, Dave King is cleared to make a move at Ibrox, and plans for a bigger World Cup get Scottish backing, plus the latest from around Scottish football in Tuesday’s Rumour Mill
Fraser Forster to get England cap vs Chile
CELTIC’S Fraser Forster is reportedly in line for his England debut against Chile on 15 November.
The Celtic stopper will replace Joe Hart as part of planned squad rotation by manager Roy Hodgson, as current first-choice Hart endures a poor run of form at Manchester City
Jorge Cadete could coach Celtic strikers
FORMER Celtic striker Jorge Cadete could be set for a return to the club as strikers’ coach.
The Express report that the Portuguese cult hero has been in discussions with Neil Lennon since the pair met at last year’s Scottish Cup final.
Cadete said: “Strikers need specific work and I would help them out.
“I am waiting and hope that I can do something to help.
“If they want me I am available. It would be a pleasure and honour to work at Celtic.” (Express)
• Dutch goalie Warner Hahn is aware of Celtic’s interest in him – but won’t move to the Scottish champions unless he’s Neil Lennon’s first-choice keeper.
Hahn, 21, currently plays for FC Dordrecht in the Dutch second division. (Record)
• Celtic’s Champions League opponents Ajax endured another setback yesterday – when the inflatable roof was torn off their training venue
Former Celtic ace Aiden McGeady looks set to leave Spartak Moscow in January. The Irish winger is out of contract at the end of the Russian season in January, and has yet to sign a new deal
Lennon will rebuff bids for Samaras and others
NEIL LENNON, the Celtic manager, has revealed he will not entertain any offers for Georgios Samaras after Hull City stepped up their interest in the Greek forward.
Steve Bruce, the Hull manager, watched Samaras in Celtic’s Champions League win over Ajax last week and is thought to be weighing up a bid for the player when the transfer window opens in January.
Samaras is out of contract next summer but has indicated he would be keen to extend his stay at Celtic Park.
Lennon expects Fraser Forster’s exceptional performances in Europe this season to lead to the goalkeeper moving to England in the near future but, after losing Victor Wanyama, Gary Hooper and Kelvin Wilson in the summer, the Celtic manager is determined to hang on to as many of his key players as possible. Cardiff City have been told any interest in James Forrest will be rebuffed, while Lennon was equally as adamant when it came to Samaras’ future.
“Georgios is very important to us,” he said. “He is quite unique in the way he plays and obviously we would like to get him tied down for a considerable period of time.”
Samaras, who scored his 70th goal for Celtic in Sunday’s 2-1 win over Partick Thistle, had previously said he hoped a new contract could be agreed soon. “I am fully committed to Celtic,” said the Greek. “I’ve had six years here and they have given me this. I feel important and well within myself with the club, the city and the fans.
“I am almost 13 years away from my home country and, trust me, it is not easy to be away from family and friends for so long. But even in the tough periods, I feel Celtic Park and the club is my home. Both of the sides want me to stay and, in the end, there will be a solution.”
Lennon said Cardiff have little chance of signing Forrest in January. Malky Mackay, the former Celtic player now managing the Welsh club, is thought to be an admirer of the winger but Lennon warned he would be disappointed if he tried to make a move for the 22 year-old.
“It wouldn’t be a surprise if other clubs were looking at James because he is a brilliant player,” he added. “But he signed a long-term contract 18 months ago. We are months and months away from the window – he is not for sale.
“I don’t know if people are trying to unsettle players here. It’s as if everyone wants me to sell a player every month – people talked about Virgil van Dijk, Scott Brown, Fraser Forster and now James. These players are not going anywhere.
“We are in a very stable position as a club and that is something which is a rarity in this day and age. The players are happy, vibrant and we have a lot to look forward to. We are on a great run domestically and we’re in a hell of a group in the Champions League where we have competed brilliantly in all three games.”
Where would Aiden fit in?
A team with nae strikers and countless midfielders?
I’d go for it. We love creativity, and that is why we don’t need a striker :)).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5-wkcTyFNs
Meantime, 20,000 leagues below;
Remember the excitement you felt, and the nerves you experienced pre Boavista? That anxious gnawing in your brain that kept you awake? Could we do it? Was a final possible? The second leg was away in Portugal though. Wishing it was at Paradise?
Well spare a thought for Ally and his team pre fish and chip cup shop tie;
McCoist says;
” I’d rather it was at our place. There’s the potential for us to slip up and we have to guard against that.”
Anxious times over threadbear way.
….and in case you didn’t know, the away tie they have is……. v …..Stenhousemuir.
Twist and Turns @ 7.48
“Well spare a thought for Ally and his team pre fish and chip cup shop tie;”
Not to be pedantic,but the Ramsden Cup is sponsored, not by Harry Ramsden’s fish-and-chip shops, but the largest PAWNBROKERS in the UK.
I think that’s even funnier.
Nah, its the fish and chip crowd amigo…
Ramsdens Debate….
Emerald
haha…yes I did know that bud, but I prefer to refer to it as the fish and chip shop cup. (I know because I was corrected on it before by someone)
On a serious note, this is important to all fans.
http://www.celtictrust.net/index.php?func=d_home_article&id=443
Review the Act Now!
Published on Tuesday 29th October, 2013 by Celtic Trust
Let’s make it an issue for them
Despite the Offensive Behaviour Act being supported only by the governing party members, there has been a marked absence, with a few honourable exceptions, of MSPs of other parties pushing to have this legislation reviewed and hopefully repealed. The legislation had, when passed, a review period built in. It is due to be repealed at the end of the 2014-15 season. With a marked acceleration of young people being arrested in the past few weeks we simply cannot wait that long. We need to have this illiberal and unworkable Act reviewed and repealed at the earliest opportunity.
Today, Fans Against Criminalisation is launching a new campaign (via the Celtic Trust website) to ask our elected representatives to make a concerted effort to push for an early review.
This is a call for fans of all clubs, who we know have been subjected to the unjust type of policing engendered by this Act and for people who are not football fans but who don’t want otherwise law-abiding young people victimised and criminalised as they have been over the past two years.
The set-up is very simple. Just put in your postcode and the system will generate an email to all your MSPs calling on them to push for a review of the Act. There is also an extra part function which allows you to email Alex Salmond, Roseanna Cunningham, Kenny McAskill and Christine Grahame from wherever you are in the country and, indeed, the world.
Let your representatives know today and in the coming weeks – Kill the Bill!
HH
michael- kelly?
FFM
Nice debating skills bud :)
HH
Good morning from an overcast Nordrhein Westfalen, sunshine predicted later. Welcome back Mr C. One week to go before I visit the Dam and still no tickets, I might take a wee drive up and see if I can find any.
A wee yellow canary
Donald Trump
Morning from a chilly blue skied Chilterns…
Good result fro Lenny and the bhoys on Sunday, must say we do seem to labour a bit in these games, thought Mc Gueoch and Amido gave us some inspiration and enehrgy.
Think I’m with the guys who think we should play our fringe players more often – their appetite juxtaposes that of their more experienced colleagues who for several legitamate reasons must ensure they come through these matches unscathed.
We were talking about this during the game, someone pointed out to me how inconsistent the team was when NL was rotating the squad and we certainly have been much harder to beat since Lenny has had his core players featuring regularly.
But I still feel with the talent we have coming through and our need to protect our first choice players there must be a way to inject some enthusiastic youngsters for SPL games.
Looks like Big Fraser is going to get his chance for England well deserved but with Hart being dropped from Man City the pressure Will be on, good luck to the big man.
~ Looks like Lou Reed has gone to meet his man ~ a Legend who leaves an incomparable musical Legacy.
Morning Tims from a superb looking Sunny Beach.
Me and the other Tim out here have now formed a ‘Clique’.
Applications are now being received and the closing date is the last Friday in 2020.
He’s in Sofia and i’m down here, so if you’re anywhere in-between drop us a line through the gaffer and we will consider ALL applications.
IF you happen to own a Siberian Husky/s you will pushed to the top of the list.
KamenitzaCSC.
Note to the camalanar dude: ‘We reply to all our e-mails’ -)))
Happy Birthday Starry Plough hope your celebrating in style
HH
The Green Man @ 08:24
What did you call me??
For the Harmony Clique
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kh3mwjKGqek
Happy Birthday Starry, I hope you have a great one. Awe_naw you off this week? Looked like you enjoyed the Allianz.
Noticed Chick Young has featured on CQN, as it’s quiet thought I would put a thought from a few weeks ago.
Now I was listening to Radio Scotland before an Aberdeen game, the ‘pundits’ and commentators started to discuss Scotland teams great striking duos.
Now the chap in the chair was a self confessed Don and came up with four Aberdeen pairs.
Now Chick managed to come up with four Rangers Pairs, starting from a pair I’d never heard of from the early sixties, to Prso and Novo…
What of Celtic you think, the most successful club over the period, well we were mentioned as an after thought…
Mmmmmmm Bobby Lennox, one of my Scotland all time eleven says Chick, condesendingly generous…
Good shout thought I, probably scored more goals than the sum of the pairs mentioned, Bobby is not a pair…
Larrson they said, well I thought good call again but then not a pair – still this was almost saved…
Well with Hartson or Sutton I guess… Was the sub-thought.
Now round my head I’d already had half a dozen Celtic pairs who would be in the top ten.
Now, as I get first dabs I’m not going to put down my favourites and Will introduce a wee bit controversy…
My Scottish Football all time striking pairs…
Brian Mc Clair & Maurice Johnstone…
Hail Hail
I seen it somewhere this morning that the AIM stock market are saying Dave King is a fit and proper person to be on the board of new Rangers.I find this amazing a guy with 41 convictions for tax fraud who stayed out of jail by paying the South African Government Millions of pounds is fit and proper. I thought I had seem most things in life but how the new Rangers continually brush aside any rule or law that gets in there way has to be seen to be believed.H.H.
Chairbhoy, like the guy who battled against the Grim Reaper with a vacuum cleaner I think you’re Dyson with death.
I’ll get my coat ;-)
Apart from obvious greats such as Lennox and Wallace and many more I thought we had a great developing pair with Stokes and Hooper but we all know what happened there.
Ps as regards Choccy and Judas I am reliably informed through a friend who had Choccy as an extended member they did not speak to one another.
Michael
Your posts where outstanding, and have swaid me against the resolution, and to be very honest I was heading that way regardless, the Canamala thing not reading page two of the agenda for the board meeting, and the running around telling all his cronies he was banned from CQN was just plain stupid, as I said at the time, playing the martyr suited him, he should have checked his spam, because I am sure he gets plenty of it, he is back and never was banned and STILL not one appol. To Paul67 from his cronies on there accusations, as I said before I do not like the cut of his jib and the press gang attitude of his little cabal either, and this vote for the resolution not the messenger is rubbish, so that’s no more debates on it I’ve had enough, HAIL HAIL.
joe filippis haircut
09:22 on 29 October, 2013
—————————————-
That was from the Rumour Mill in the Hootsmon, give it what credence you may but probably the usual made up MSM p’sh.
Pog
No I wish I was but Friday is a Catholic bank holiday here in Munich :-)
All Saints day.
Yes I enjoyed the whole match experience. Special Team, Special stadium. Crap fans
HH
Pogmathonyahun @ 09:26,
Believe you are right, don’t think there was any love lost between them, but when you look at their record and undoubted ability they have to be up there with Prso and Nacho:-))
Wallace and Lennox is a great shout.
Hail Hail
joe filippis haircut
09:22 on 29 October, 2013
Truly incredible……they cheated Scottish Football for well over 20 years, the taxman for over 10 years, and are liquidated…….but they are being allowed to continue operating…….corruption, which is being allowed to continue, unchallenged…..!!!!
Ahhhh the old LSE spokesman card gets played again.
How many times are they going to fall for the same nonsense.
Awe_Naw, they celebrate All Saints up here as well, NRW being a bit of a Catholic area. Friday is a holiday and the only thing it will mean to me is all the shops are shut as I’m still off work :-( or is it :-) I’m not sure these days.
So you’ll get back to the family a day earlier than usual?
I’ve been to the Allianz a couple of times I took my mate who is a big Hoops and BvB fan to see Bayern play Dortmund, we hadn’t even taken our seats and it was 1-0 to Bayern ended up Bayern 5 BvB 1 the other guy we were with is a big Hoops/Bayern fan! It was still a great day out as both of them are cracking lads.
Pogmathonyahun. I knew I read it some where but I think there may be more than a grain of truth in it. Every time they hit what I considered a legal finality they get over it.I definately think there is are no rules for them the rules are only for everyone else. They are certainly being helped along by powerful allies. H.H.
67 Heaven. Who is pulling the strings and allowing them to tramp over both the law and the rules ?It makes you wonder. H.H.
FFM
I was referring to your debate with Martin earlier on the blog
HH
FFM
Sorry…your debate with Michael
HH
John Keats – To Autumn
I
Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;
To bend with apples the moss’d cottage-trees,
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
And still more, later flowers for the bees,
Until they think warm days will never cease,
For Summer has o’er-brimm’d their clammy cells.
II
Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store?
Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find
Thee sitting careless on a granary floor,
Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind;
Or on a half-reap’d furrow sound asleep,
Drows’d with the fume of poppies, while thy hook
Spares the next swath and all its twined flowers:
And sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep
Steady thy laden head across a brook;
Or by a cyder-press, with patient look,
Thou watchest the last oozings hours by hours.
III
Where are the songs of Spring? Ay, where are they?
Think not of them, thou hast thy music too, –
While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day,
And touch the stubble plains with rosy hue;
Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn
Among the river sallows, borne aloft
Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies;
And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn;
Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft
The red-breast whistles from a garden-croft;
And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.
All I can say is if Keats lived in the house I moved into 8 years ago, surrounded by deciduous trees, he would not have written the above!! I hate to think how many tons of leaves me and my wife have shifted in those 8 years, well actually my wife :-).
Well off oot to shift leaves.
Nae fighting when I’m oot noo!
Hail! Hail! PMTYH
joe filippis haircut
09:48 on 29 October, 2013
People in high places, with low morals…..it’s all so blatant, and comical……however, when sevco goes bust, they will have their work cut out for them….hahahahahahaha…….
Chairbhoy
09:18 on
29 October, 2013
Chalmers & Wallace
Deans & Dalglish
Nicholas & McGarvey
Cadete & Van Hooijdonk
Larsson & Sutton