Celtic still looking for midfield magic

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A comfortable win in the end masked a difficult hour for Celtic at Inverness on Saturday.  It was not until Ki Sung-Yeung replaced Georgios Samaras that Celtic were able to prize open the home team.  Ki has the range of passing and shot that makes him a formidable attacking threat but he has still to require the consistency of concentration that would make him a certain starter.

After Paddy McCourt appeared on 69 minutes Celtic were well on top.  The Irishman brings the double gifts of time and space to the team.  He has the ability to take and retain possession despite the close attention of several defenders, allowing others to take up advance positions or relieve pressure on defence.

We’ve tried more midfield formations this season that I can keep track of and despite Ki and McCourt improving Celtic considerably on Saturday I’m not going to insist either is given a starting berth.  Both still have more to give, as do the rest of the midfield.

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  1. Barrach Obampot on

    Árd Macha

     

     

    Look at this piece in the Herald.

     

     

    the victim is part of the problem

     

     

    A group that was set up after a Celtic fan was murdered are offering lessons to staff at the Scottish Parliament prone to anti-Catholic comments.

     

     

    The gist of the piece is its a “sectarian” problem and not an anti-Catholic one.

     

     

    Go figure.

  2. I will let you make your own views on this story. I am thinking bad thoughts about certain Scottish Officials…

     

     

    German referee Babak Rafati, who was found in his hotel room after trying to kill himself at the weekend, has been released from hospital.

     

     

    Rafati, 41, cut his wrists on Saturday before Cologne’s Bundesliga match against Mainz 05, which was postponed.

     

     

    His father Djalal said: “He said he loved me. He wanted to apologise. I am very happy that he is OK.”

     

     

    Rafati was found by his assistants in his hotel room bath tub two hours before the scheduled kick-off.

     

     

    German Soccer Federation (DFB) president Theo Zwanziger praised the three officials for saving Rafati’s life.

     

     

    Zwanziger said on Saturday that he suspected the reason for the suicide attempt was the “immense” pressure on officials.

  3. The Battered Bunnet on

    I don’t share the all-too-easy conclusions from the recent S74 data. The logic is flawed.

     

     

    For example:

     

     

    1 million Celtic supporters have been to Celtic Park during the period of the report.

     

     

    Wrong.

     

     

    45,000 season ticket holders, a group of about 25,000 regular and irrelgular attenders, and the odd celebrity Paradise Windfall Draw maker have attended the stadium in that time.

     

     

    Celtic might very well have sold over 1 million tickets to these games, but they sold them all to around 70,000 Celtic supporters. One in every 5000 of these people have subsequently been convicted of a religiously aggravated offence committed while at Celtic Park, not one out 71,000 as suggested earlier.

     

     

    Then the idea that Catholics are 4.5 times more likely to be victims of a religiously aggravated crime.

     

     

    According to Bishop Tartaglia, “”Since Catholics represent just 16% of Scotland’s population, the fact that they account for almost 60% of the victims of sectarian crime reflects poorly on modern Scotland and is an indicator of entrenched hostility on a worrying scale.”

     

     

    But by the same token, if Catholics represent just 16% of the population, and 37% of religiously aggravated crimes were anti-protestant, then you could equally all-too-easily suggest that Catholics were 2.35 times more prone to criminal sectarianism.

     

     

    Both suggestions are erroneous.

  4. ^^

     

    Last season, the cheating little orc picked up numerous yellow cards and had already one or two this season (added to whatever points were given for elbowing the Dunfermline player).

     

     

    There are additional disciplinary rules regarding the accumulation of 18 points twice within the space of two seasons.

     

     

    Now given that he’d had numerous (9 I think) bookings last season he was well on course for reaching such a tally (twice in two seasons). By not dealing with the assault on his victim, it is now unlikely that Naismith will reach such a tally for over another two years, i.e. until season 2013/14.

     

     

    Essentially he’s been given a license to cheat. Again.

  5. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    UTLR. says:

     

     

    21 November, 2011 at 13:21

     

     

    Another day, and the orchestrated campaign against the Green Brigade continues with the publication of todays papers (with the exception of Spiers).

     

     

    More worrying is the fact that Special Branch are stopping Celtic fans on their way to Ireland and questioning who they know in the GB or any other info they can get.

     

     

    1 well known poster from Celtic Minded was questioned for over an hour about the group – despite the fact that he is not a memeber or ever has been.

     

     

    Special Branch were able to tell him where he sits at CP (not 111 incidentally), and also show his photos of himself at the recent FAC demo .

     

     

    Its also came to our attention that 1 lad who sits in 111 (not GB member), was bizzarly stopped and searched under the PTA in the middle of Glasgow city centre, as he made his way home from work. The guy was made to take off his shoes etc incase he was hiding anything ???

     

     

    1 of the cops who searched him, had been intently watching Celtic fans at Killie the week before.

     

     

    The attempted crminalisation continues.

     

     

    Who knows what tomorrow will bring or indeed Wednesday at the game

     

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

     

     

    That’s an absolute disgrace,and an abuse of power.

     

     

    SB are only supposed to concern themselves with a danger to the nation from an internal source.

     

     

    I’ve been pulled by them a few times at Stranraer,hold your ID to the camera,etc but I deserved it-bearing in mind where I’d been.

     

     

    This is becoming increasingly sinister. I personally think we ALL need to bombard our MSPs,MPs,EMPs,AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL,the whole kitbag and caboodle and highlight this.

     

     

    I’ve said since I came on here that it’s not our songs that offend them,it’s US.

     

     

    Tell me I’m wrong……

  6. I know big Dan has been getting some stick in recent months, and rightly so at times. But I think he deserves some credit for recent displays, especially with some inexperienced defenders drafted in beside him.

     

     

    Also surprised Joe Ledley hasn’t been getting more praise. I think he has been outstanding, and hopefully he’ll be playing alot more games in CM. Same goes for his fellow countryman, Matthews been composed and looks a great defender.

     

     

    Hail Hail

  7. The Honest Mistake (Sickened) on

    The Battered Bunnet 21 November, 2011 at 15:12

     

     

    Then the idea that Catholics are 4.5 times more likely to be victims of a religiously aggravated crime.

     

     

    According to Bishop Tartaglia, “”Since Catholics represent just 16% of Scotland’s population, the fact that they account for almost 60% of the victims of sectarian crime reflects poorly on modern Scotland and is an indicator of entrenched hostility on a worrying scale.”

     

     

    The logic appears fine to me.

     

     

    But by the same token, if Catholics represent just 16% of the population, and 37% of religiously aggravated crimes were anti-protestant, then you could equally all-too-easily suggest that Catholics were 2.35 times more prone to criminal sectarianism.

     

     

    Only if you are suggesting that all anti-protestant crimes are performed by catholics. No atheists, muslims, agnostics, jews, shintoists or jedis or even protestants have been responsible for an anti-protestant crime.

     

     

    The second statement you made is ridiculous, the first one seems logically sound to me.

  8. The reporting and dissection of games on Sportscene is astonishingly amateurish and one-way. The whole thing has to be reported outside Scotland. It is absolutely a tin-pot dictatorship of a place. I love Scotland and it’s people, but the polititicians and representatives leave a lot to be desired. The press is abysmal in quality, as is BBC sports. STV are the duplicate of what UTV was like in Belfast in the early troubles and beyond. Don’t expect the red card at St Johnstone to be forensically examined. The ned tried to damage Samaras–simple as that. As for Naismith–all we heard was how awful it was for HIM–forgetting the deliberate damage he did to that young player.

  9. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    AWE NAW

     

     

    I didn’t say you hadn’t mentioned the source,only that it was worthy of a repost.

     

     

    And,erm,that I’d tried to do it myself but cocked it up as usual!

     

     

    LudditesrmeCSC

     

     

     

    ps HH.

  10. UTLR or Vmhan

     

     

    I read last week about a fund that has been set up to help Celtic supporters charged with this trumped up rubbish , can you contact me through Paul 67 as I would like to donate to the fund when I am up for the game on Saturday.

  11. breaking news,

     

    another law firm has filed against the hun for monies owed.

     

    their name is fife and they are funky!

  12. Rogueleader,

     

     

    nope Craig Whyte has got that one as part of the new screen at Ibrokes … curiously the contract does not start until 2012. Mind you the huns have only two home games left this year. Can they survive the drop in income until then .. tick ..tock ..tic..tock

     

     

    Hail Hail

  13. the amount owed is tiddling, it should worry the hun, that they are being brought to court for so little.

     

    Watch this space.

     

    Amadeus, tomorrow’s news today!

     

    HH

  14. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    THE HONEST MISTAKE 1524

     

     

    The problem with bare stats is that they can be manipulated.

     

     

    I mentioned a few weeks back the following scenario.

     

     

    Ninety Rangers fans and ten Celtic fans in a pub.

     

     

    10% of each group decide to “do” an opposing fan.

     

     

    The result is 1% of Rangers fans are subject to sectarian violence,while 90% of Celtic fans get it.

     

     

    The fact of them outnumbering us makes comparisons very difficult.

  15. Barrach Obampot on

    The Battered Bunnet the problem here is its hard to draw conclusions when most of the information is not available.

     

     

    Was the COPFS data deleted by mistake?

     

     

    Releasing it would make the new proposed legislation very hard to justify…

     

     

    The Honest Mistake (Sickened) is right.

     

     

    How many Protestant victims of sectarian attacks are Celtic fans?

     

     

    I posted this last night;

     

     

    Regarding these statistics and the deleted COPFS data, the word obfuscation* comes to mind.

     

     

    They are deliberately confusing the issue here with vague statistics to ignore the real problem. This is sinister and does not bode well for the future.

     

     

    Write to your MSP, especially if they aren’t SNP;

     

     

    http://www.celtictrust.net/?func=d_home_article&id=323

     

     

    * From Wikipedia; Obfuscation may be used for many purposes. Doctors have been accused of using jargon to conceal unpleasant facts from a patient; American author Michael Crichton claimed that medical writing is a “highly skilled, calculated attempt to confuse the reader”

  16. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    RL 1536

     

     

    LOL

     

     

    Is that the reason CW canny get the jumbotrons back on at Ibrox?

     

     

    Waiting for the credit check to clear?

  17. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    AWE NAW 1538

     

     

    When I cock up,I cock up in spades.

     

     

    Once I’ve confused myself,I think it’s unfair to leave anyone out……….

  18. Edinburgh Sheriff Court

     

     

    Wednesday 23 November 2011

     

     

    26 Fyfe Ireland LLP – v – The Rangers FC Group Fyfe Ireland SA3147/11

     

     

    Hail Hail

     

     

    ah tell yeez whit nay way should SIr Craig Whyte be pying anyhing tay a cumpny way Ireland in its name … shows he´s playing screwball…I man hard ball

  19. hoopeddreams

     

     

    Thanks for the info :-)

     

     

    Another question, how come you never get +1 Channels that show good programmes.

     

     

    I mean how many times can a man watch A Place in Greece?

  20. Steinreignedsupreme on

    amadeus: 21 November, 2011 at 15:48

     

     

    The policy of the Motherwell-born businessman is to pay bills only when the Tax Dodgers are taken to court.

     

     

    If we had a fair and balanced media in Scotland the Huns would be getting ridiculed for their shabby behaviour. But it’s appears the press feel it is safer to target a bunch of wee boys singing songs they don’t like.

  21. Legalized theft

     

    Leaves me bereft

     

    I get it straight in the neck

     

    (Somehow expecting no less)

     

    A court of justice

     

    With no use for Truth

     

    Lawyer …liar

     

    Lawyer …liar

     

    You pleaded and squealed

     

    And you think you’ve won

     

    But Sorrow will come

     

    To you in the end

     

    And as sure as my words are pure

     

    I praise the day that brings you pain

     

    Q.C.’s obsessed with sleaze

     

    Frantic for Fame

     

    They’re all on the game

     

    They just use a different name

     

    You lied

     

    And you were believed

     

    By a J.P. senile and vile

     

    You pleaded and squealed

     

    And you think you’ve won

     

    But Sorrow will come

     

    To you in the end

     

    And as sure as my words are pure

     

    I praise the day that brings you pain

     

    So don’t close your eyes

     

    Don’t close your eyes

     

    A man who slits throats

     

    Has time on his hands

     

    And I’m gonna get you

     

    So don’t close your eyes

     

    Don’t ever close your eyes

     

    You think you’ve won

  22. It only takes a little slide for the whole shebang to come falling down.

     

    Endgame might be closer than you think.

     

    Hearing other stuff now, nothing I would say as definite.

     

    The hun ba could well be on the slates

     

    Starry, how long have we waited for this!

  23. The Battered Bunnet on

    Gentlemen

     

     

    The issue is one of Quantification over Qualification.

     

     

    As Awe Naw says, torture the numbers long enough and they will tell you what you want to hear.

     

     

    Unless you understand the context of each entry, you cannot draw a considered opinion.

     

     

    For example, have the figures been analysed for the influence of public policy on rate and place of arrest?

     

     

    Have the figures been analysed for the influence of any institutional biases in the Police and Courts response to these offences?

     

     

    Have the figures been analysed for ‘victim’ or ‘subject’ status? In what number of cases was there no subject?

     

     

    Course not. They are simply a bunch of numbers set outside of context.

     

     

    In the current political environment, it is likely that the base data has been manipulated in any case.

     

     

    Almost all of the opinions I have read on the topic borrow the numbers to lend credence to their own point of view.

     

     

    There are very few reliable conclusions to draw. I have yet to read one of them.

  24. I can feel it coming in the air tonight, Oh Lord

     

    And I’ve been waiting for this moment, all my life, Oh Lord

     

    Can you feel it coming in the air tonight, Oh Lord, Oh Lord

     

    Well, if you told me you were drowning

     

    I would not lend a hand

     

    I’ve seen your face before my friend

     

    But I don’t know if you know who I am

     

    Well, I was there and I saw what you did

     

    I saw it with my own two eyes

     

    So you can wipe off the grin, I know where you’ve been

     

    It’s all been a pack of lies

     

     

    And I can feel it coming in the air tonight, Oh Lord

     

    I’ve been waiting for this moment for all my life, Oh Lord

     

    I can feel it coming in the air tonight, Oh Lord, Oh Lord

     

    And I’ve been waiting for this moment all my life, Oh Lord, Oh Lord

     

    Well I remember, I remember don’t worry

     

    How could I ever forget, it’s the first time, the last time we ever met

     

    But I know the reason why you keep your silence up, no you don’t fool me

     

    The hurt doesn’t show; but the pain still grows

     

    It’s no stranger to you or me

     

     

    And I can feel it coming in the air tonight, Oh Lord…

  25. The Honest Mistake (Sickened) on

    BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS 21 November, 2011 at 15:41

     

     

    The problem with bare stats is that they can be manipulated.

     

     

    I mentioned a few weeks back the following scenario.

     

     

    Ninety Rangers fans and ten Celtic fans in a pub.

     

     

    10% of each group decide to “do” an opposing fan.

     

     

    The result is 1% of Rangers fans are subject to sectarian violence,while 90% of Celtic fans get it.

     

     

    The fact of them outnumbering us makes comparisons very difficult.

     

     

    We have stats on the number of attacks on each religion, we can make qualified statements and refer to these stats to back up our statements.

     

    On the other hand we do not have stats on attackers religion. We cannot make qualified statements on the attackers religions and any statements we do make are made up and subject to prejudice.

  26. The Battered Bunnet on

    Barrach Obampot

     

     

    All of the data remains intact and is safely stored in the Criminal History System on the Scottish Police Services Authority’s extensive database.

     

     

    TBB

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