Central-mid quandary for Celtic

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We know what to expect from Aberdeen tonight.  They will flood (pardon the pun) central midfield, defend deeply and, let’s be clear, they will score any time we allow them the kind of space they exploited at Celtic Park this month.

Question is, what will Celtic do about it?  If Stefan Johansen’s ankle knock keeps him out the central-mid triangle of Johansen, Brown and Biton will be disrupted, and surely Neil Lennon will not revert to a central two after the Scottish Cup lesson.  The picture is further complicated by the injury to Emilio Izaguirre, which forced Charlie Mulgrew back at the weekend.  Mulgrew would be a suitable direct replacement for Johansen.

In 10 years doing this stuff I’ve probably used no more than a few dozen words to praise emerging young talent; it’s been a rough decade in that respect.  Without wanting to go overboard in any way, Darnell Fisher has looked more than comfortable at right back in the absence of Mikael Lustig and Adam Matthews.  Darnell’s problem going forward will be that he has two excellent international players ahead of him in the pecking order, but for tonight, I would be tempted to bring Matthews to left back (if he can do it against Barcelona….) and restore Fisher to the right back slot.  This would allow Charlie to sit alongside Scott Brown and Nir Biton in central-mid.

Well done to Frank McAvennie, who is jumping out of an aeroplane 15,000 feet in the air.  You can play your part in this exercise by supporting the Quarriers run, Chavey Down residential home, in Newton Mearns, which helps young people up to the age of 16.

The need is for sensory equipment, toys and wheelchair-appropriate play areas.  To contribute, go to Frank’s JustGiving page, or text FMSD 89 followed by £1, 2, 3, 5, 10 to 70070.

If you would like to read the new CQN Magazine, GO HERE to read properly, and for FREE, the graphic below is just a taster.
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  1. Brogan Rogan Trevino and Hogan supports Oscar Knox, MacKenzie Furniss and anyone else who fights Neuroblastoma on

    SFTB

     

     

    Well to answer your question as succinctly and as accurately as possible all I will say is this:

     

     

    I am buggered if I know, m’lud!

  2. Danso – “scottish law and establishment is protecting itself, hmrc has no chance of winning, scottish judges represent the estabishment, the establishment wont concede that the former club rifc cheated it cannot as then it concedes that establishment is corrupt, a circle it cannot possibly square,those who believe in justice are sorely mistaken”

     

    Between you and Brogan’s legal stories of yore, you will be lightening up the day of any Rankers fan looking in.

     

    Paranoia reigns supreme for some here. For others, there’s a more toxic mix of paranoia and apparent experience. If I had a £1 for every poster who today who’s said “I knew a judge once…”

  3. BRTH, I mean no disrespect asking you to give us a health warning that the views you give are those of a lawyer.

     

     

    My judgement may be clouded by a memory of you giving a glowing testimony to the integrity and ability of Mure and Rae when they were named as being on the panel with Poon to judge the tax case.

     

     

    From memory you described the lawyers in the Scottish establishment as being all sort of trusty, intelligent, sound fellows; like Rumpoles of the Bailey I think I mocked.

     

     

    You spin a great yarn BRTH, but that was a spin too far I think.

     

     

    Yours is a much maligned profession and not without reason.

  4. embramike supporting wee Oscar and Res 12 on

    BRTH

     

     

    Wasn’t my expectation but suggested it to legals but didn’t really get a yea or nay! Surprised – no!

     

     

    Won’t be holding my breath as in reading through Judge Bishopp’s directions the phrase ” … In perhaps three or four years time, the evidence will be stale and recollections will have faded.” Tended to calibrate me as to possible time frames !

  5. RTH…..

     

     

    Sure I read somewhere UTTT decision wouldn’t be released until January 2015?

     

     

    Doughnut or aMerringue?

  6. What a display of wing wizardry from Wee Jinky against Real Madrid! The full back eventually, after getting repeatedly ripped, refused to tackle Jinky. Jinky was giving it bring it on and the guy turned his back on him. What a player he was.

  7. malceye,

     

     

    and you my friend are why its so easy for the establisment to do what it does and get away with it.

  8. The Comfortable Collective on

    ryecatcher

     

     

    January 2015 date refers to the Collier Bristow court case which relates to the takeover of rangers by Whyte, not the use of EBT’s.

  9. Alessandro Mazzola opened the scoring for Inter with a 7th minute penalty after Jim Craig had brought down Renato Cappellini. The Italians then retreated into their famous 11-man defence. Inter did not win a single corner and forced Celtic goalkeeper Ronnie Simpson to make only two saves. Celtic had two shots off the crossbar, and 39 other attempts on goal, 13 of which were saved by Italian goalkeeper Giuliano Sarti, seven were blocked or deflected, and 19 were off-target. Craig made amends for his penalty mistake on 63 minutes, when he laid off the ball for Tommy Gemmell to fire home for the Celtic equaliser. With 83 minutes on the clock, Gemmell was allowed space, and he played the ball to Bobby Murdoch, whose long-range shot was deflected by Steve Chalmers past Sarti into the net.

     

     

    Celtic were the first British club to win the European Cup, and still the only Scottish club ever to have reached the final. Celtic are one of only three clubs to have won a “Quintuple”, the others being Barcelona (2009 and 2011) and Inter (2010).

     

     

    Giuliano Sarti was 5ft 10in but never back heeled the ball in a European Cup Final.

     

     

    @lennymurdoch

  10. malceye-no disrespect to you my friend,given the huns dealings with authorities (legal and sporting)) in recent years,particularly LNS,can you see where our scepticism comes from? HHP

  11. tonydonnelly67

     

     

    14:43 on 25 February, 2014

     

     

    Excellent program

     

    If that didn’t bring a tear to the eye you shouldn’t support Celtic that’s what where all about. Can’t wait for tonight HH

  12. Hamiltontim is praying for Oscar on

    I too would like to see young Henderson given a run out tonight but I’d be astonished if he’s given a start.

     

     

    Neil Lennon trusts Mulgrew in several positions as we’ve seen on numerous occasions. I expect that if Izzy isn’t fit that Fisher will come back in to the side and Mulgrew will play in a midfield three with Biton and Brown.

  13. thomthethim for Oscar OK on

    danso_1888

     

     

    14:29 on 25 February, 2014

     

    for those that will always support celtic no matter what fine thats your choice but to pay for corruption and cheating in favour of establishment of new huns is your choice also which you are entitled to do, but remember you are paying for the priviliege and are condoning it, think about long and hard if you want a clean uncorrupted game then you know what needs to be done.

     

     

    *******

     

    The point you raise about paying and condoning the corruption is the question that every fan, who hasn’t already turned their back on the game , in the country should very asking their self.

     

     

    It is an uncomfortable one for many, therefore they won’t ask it.

     

     

    Some may respond by saying that they support Celtic, end of, with no acknowledgement to the Game itself.

     

     

    I’ve before about the clamour for tickets last season, to cheer and witness Ogilvie presenting the SC to Scott Brown.

     

     

    This gave validation to the SFA.

     

     

    Think of the effect a boycott of the final would have achieved.

     

     

    At least, we will be spared a repeat this year.

     

     

    However,there will be another opportunity to support the National Association, when the ROI come to visit .

     

     

    In the meantime, what are Celtic doing about the situation in Ukraine, Syria and the Edinburgh trams?

     

     

    Ask not…etc.

  14. Sky sports 1 2-15pm

     

     

    Footballs greatest team Glasgow Celtic 1967

     

    Worth a watch I would think HH

     

    ___________________________

     

     

    Well yi see, my house looks right onto a bus stop, and many, many times I see wee lassies running with there wee brew of kids in the pish in rain 10 yards fi the bus stop, an tha bass as run right past them, old people as well, and when old people get on the bus they don’t even give them a chance ti get to there seats, many an argument I’ve had wi these clowns about that, don’t get me started wi them, ignorant bass as , the lot of them, well the majority the way I see it.

  15. ryecatcher

     

     

    13:39 on 25 February, 2014

     

    Tony D…

     

     

    Die….as in Rangers…….died

     

     

    Die Castings

     

     

    SpellingandsemanticsCSC

     

     

    *************

     

    Ghents

     

     

    I think it’s plural of dice. So had Caesar been a Weedgie he may have said, ‘yon dices have been flung’…. Or ‘ye pays yar money, ya take yar chances….’

     

     

    But he didn’t cos he wasn’t!

     

     

    Only1TrueCaesarCSC

     

     

    HH jamesgang

  16. jamesgang

     

     

    15:05 on 25 February, 2014

     

    ryecatcher

     

     

    13:39 on 25 February, 2014

     

    Tony D…

     

     

    Die….as in Rangers…….died

     

     

    Die Castings

     

     

    SpellingandsemanticsCSC

     

     

    *************

     

    Ghents

     

     

    I think it’s plural of dice. So had Caesar been a Weedgie he may have said, ‘yon dices have been flung’…. Or ‘ye pays yar money, ya take yar chances….’

     

     

    But he didn’t cos he wasn’t!

     

     

    Only1TrueCaesarCSC

     

     

    HH jamesgang

     

    ______

     

     

    Eh?

  17. The team that beat Aberdeen at pittodrie earlier this season was :

     

     

    Forster

     

     

    Matthews Moyoukolo Ambrose Izzy

     

     

    Brown Kayal Mulgrew Ledley

     

     

    Commons and Sammi

     

     

    The Dons were reduced to 10 men on 45 minutes when the goalie was sent off but it took us till the 87th minute for sub James Forrest to make the game safe at 2:0. Three days after this game we had our disaster in Khazakstan.

     

     

    This should be a tough game.

  18. Brogan Rogan Trevino and Hogan supports Oscar Knox, MacKenzie Furniss and anyone else who fights Neuroblastoma on

    Big Nan

     

     

    You are correct in that i waxed lyrical about the integrity of Ken Mure QC.

     

     

    And I still stand by that.

     

     

    I don’t know Rae at all but I did know Ken and he was one of my standing Counsel.

     

     

    Now, the guy ain’t perfect and I think he has got this wrong but there is no way he is corrupt or anything like that.

     

     

    I think I also said before that on occasion Ken would come with a view and you would talk him into an alternative conclusion.

     

     

    You can look at that in two ways — the first is that his initial view was wrong and the second is that he can be talked round — sometimes.

     

     

    I haven’t seen or spoken to him in years so have no view on his current leanings fitba wise or whatever.

     

     

    He was also standing counsel to wee Peter McCann when he was alive and wee Peter had a greater distrust of Masons, the Edinburgh establishment and all that stuff than your goodself.

     

     

    I think I can see Ken’s narrow reasoning behind his decision…… it is just wrong.

     

     

    As for the legal profession itself …… well like any other profession…….. in my experience you very rarely hear of the good guys……. and that’s a shame.

  19. Folk talking about the game not bein on tv due to CL games.

     

    It wasn’t that long ago that sky had a CL game and the Manchester derby on the same night.

  20. setting free the bears supports Res. 12 & Oscar Knox

     

     

     

     

    14:45 on

     

     

    25 February, 2014

     

     

     

    The 42 clubs depend on their support and were reminded of that. Even Celtic have had to pay attention to governance matters via Res 12 when they would much have rathered no noises were made. Quiet life stuff. Human nature.

     

     

    So the 42 clubs include the support whom they depend on and who have shown as in the refusal to renew SBs if Rangers were allowed into the SPL or Res 12, if they get their act together, must be heeded.

     

     

    It is because removal of Ogilvie etc. would only produce another head on the hydra that I say complete reform is necessary. I’ve had a look at the relationships between the SFA and what was SFL and SPL and now SPFL. They are back to front, no checks or balances, definition of responsibilities, clear lines of authority.

     

     

    Total basket case but could be sorted out in a year . Either that or continuing decline because the equivalent of the football police force are viewed as corrupt.

     

     

    I could think of no better way to achieve justice than dismantle the machinery of injustice, but giving up title stripping would be conditional on agreement to reform with a timetable produced and resources allocated not offered to appease.

     

     

     

    Cuban crisis 1962. USA give up valueless Jupiter missiles in Turkey to get missiles removed from Cuba, but Cuban missiles removed first. All done back door.

  21. The legal process in Scotland/England compared to the one in Italy, is a bit like a 100m race between Usain Bolt and BFDJ.

     

     

    HH!!

  22. Hendrix,

     

     

    When was that?

     

     

    A game was mentioned yesterday but nobody could tie down the exact game.

  23. geordie munro

     

     

    I can’t remember the date but it was either the season before last or the one before that.

  24. If we have nothing to fear from masonic influences in hun issues, why would Alastair Johnston seek their assistance?

     

    ” He said: “The tax enquiry is an ongoing investigation and an ongoing mission from the Inland Revenue which has been around for several years.

     

     

    “It’s a standard situation where an assessment is presented, some with hope and faith and charity involved by the Revenue, and we then either accept, or reject, or appeal it.”

     

    http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/editor-s-picks/chairman-alastair-johnston-maps-out-his-plan-for-rangers-1.1030769

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