Chill your jets. Far better to win and score five goals in a preseason friendly than to lose, but these games are all about improving fitness, the score is the least important aspect. Notwithstanding that, I’m pleased Teemu Pukki showed some form in front of goal. I don’t think Celtic would stand in his way if he found a potential new employer, but if he remains with us this season, his pace is likely to sit comfortably with the Ronny Deila model.
After missing the bulk of the last two Champions League campaigns through injury and Brazilian diving, news that Scott Brown will miss an extended period as a consequence of his hamstring injury is a blow to club and player.
It could have been worse. Celtic lost Scott for the bulk of last season’s Champions League on 1 October, when they were unable to compensate by tweeking the squad. Expectations are we will be without the player until October and we are only nine days into the transfer window. Lots of time to ensure we are at full strength when the meaty part of the season starts.
Brazil players and Phil Scolari turned up for yesterday’s semifinal wearing Naymar caps in the absence of their star striker. Their Excuse To Fail – emblazoned across their foreheads. Literally!
Add to the mix what can only be described as inappropriately enthusiastic anthem singing, while holding up the no. 10 shirt of, let’s remember, another player, not a fallen war hero, and you have all the ingredients for cloudy and unstructured thinking, instead of focus and awareness.
I don’t doubt this was all well-meaning but it was amateurish naivety. Players should turn up to a stadium with their game plan dominating their minds, not lamenting the loss of their best hope, having been consumed by national pride, one of mankind’s enduring fallacies. The Brazilian FA should immediately sack Roy Hodgson Big Phil.
Has all this Tour de Yorkshire business put you in the mood to get the bike out? If you why don’t you sign up for the Cardenden Cycle, which this year takes place on 6 September. You cycle from Celtic Park to the grave of John Thomson in Cardenden, Fife, a 64 mile journey. Full details are here.
If your cycling days are over, they are looking for drivers and stewards… if you’re available.
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winning captains
Talking of cheats (i.e A Robben) hope Argentina do it tonight.
Sigdeshow bob(Luis) smilingat end of game last night caught himself on camera,next thing he is greetin on the shoulders of a team mate with the snotters blinding him
TT
Naebody monitors me. they awe see me comin.
MWD says AYE
Like Kingoh, I must reluctantly admit that I concur with T4 re Scott Brown.
I think anyone who saw the incident has to recognise that Broony was entirely culpable for his sending off. Sure Neymar dived, as he does almost every time he is challenged, but our captain was stupid to kick out, however soft it may have been.
No-one to blame but himself.
HAIL! HAIL!
Token
Sideshow :((
Teemu Pukki and pace.
I nearly spat my tea up my nostril.
He hasn’t shown any great speed of turn of pace in a Celtic shirt that I can recall.
There is another element of pace.
Speed of thought.
I competitive matches his speed of thought is a day late and a dollar short.
Scoring in the slower paced less competitive friendlies is one thing.
In competitive matches most of his goals have come when the games have already been in the bag and the competitive edge and pace has reduced.
He won’t do.
Sell sell sell.
Balde is in the sell ASAP cellar aswell.
We need better than them.
TT
IN-FORM Finnish frontman Teemu Pukki celebrated his first hat-trick for Celtic and warned: “We must do better.”
Pukki was on fire against Austrians minnows LASK LInz in the Hoops’ 5-2 win on Tuesday.
However, the former Schalke hitman, who also netted in the 1-1 draw against Rapid Vienna on the tour, insisted there is a lot more to come from the SPFL champions.
The 24-year-old admitted: “The goals, of course, help my confidence and that is important for any striker.
“I know I just have to keep going and working hard at my game.
“The real games are coming soon, with KR Reykjavik next week, and I hope to be part of the first team and keep scoring goals.
“But I think we still have a lot to do to be ready for the European Championship ties and the other games that follow.”
Pukki, who cost £3million when ex-boss Neil Lennon signed him in August last year, also took time out to praise his team-mates for helping him claim his terrific threesome.
He added: “My colleagues made it easy with good passes for me and I just had to put them in.
“I was really pleased with the goals. I thought it was a good game, too.
“Even after Liam Henderson was sent off, we still kept playing well and scored more goals.”
Pukki, who claimed only seven goals from 26 appearances during the last campaign, could have fired himself into new manager Ronny Delia’s thoughts for the European tie in Finland on Tuesday.
Delia said: “Teemu is a good goalscorer who understands football.
“He is really showing that he wants to fight for the first 11.
“Is he now high on my thoughts for Reykjavik? Of course, he is.”
MWD,
you’ve left an open goal there mate………but Im going to do a Derk on this occasion ;-)
Im sure there will be others more than willing to take the tap-in though…
HAIL! HAIL!
Token
Timjim @ 13:11
was speaking to the TO today and tickets are being sent out tomorrow and friday , 2nd class post .
Sanna
the token tim
I’m not too much into conspiracy theories but I think you’re right, there’s plenty to be worried about from the present and past and of course into the future.
Internet bampottery like CQN becomes even more important against that backdrop.
HH jamesgang
Tontine Tim
Dont know if I can agree with Peles assessment that Brazil play well when things are good at home.
People need an outlet when times are tough and with various juntas in place Brazilians expressed their love of life through music and football.
Bossa nova and the 1982 team of Socrates and Zico are obvious examples.
HH
TTT , missed you on Friday . You’ll be pleased to know i excelled on previous performances – no-one has finished last with such a high stableford score !
Sanna
Re Celtic/Germany connections… The Luftwaffe??? TBM
the honest cover-up
12:48 on 9 July, 2014
I missed the national anthems last night. Did the Brazil players really hold up number 10 jerseys?
As Paul says, references to Neymar by the players shows a lack of professionalism and focus. Neymar could not help Brazil last night. The focus should have been on the 11 players on the pitch who could.
Looking through the pictures on the Daily Mail article is quite astonishing. It’s easy to forget you are looking at the reaction to a football scoreline, especially given events in Gaza.
It was an astonishing game of football, however. Will be talked about for generations.
I think it was the keeper and David Luiz who held up a shirt between them. I may be wrong about who, but it was only two. The support and players were so wound up expecting them to play like the team of 1970.
timjim
12:49 on 9 July, 2014
Heidless Chickens sprung to mind, last night watching Brasil. I bought a Brasil T shirt for beachwear on my forthcoming two weeks in Lanzarote. It will just have to do for sleepwear,
I think they used it as sleepwear last night.
Yeah sell a guy who,s just getting used to the game in this country,he is and never will be a out and out striker,but has other attributes we can call on,some posters on here have strange ideas perhaps they should get a job writing for the daily ratbag
the guy who thought Delia said he was not going to sign anyone before the group stages ,obviously never passed an english exam as the quote was we would not be signing anyone before the games against the icelandic side
Sannabhoy
Thanks for the info.
On a separate note, has anyone else noticed this,
http://www.bbc.com/news/business-28220281
Sounds like Man Utd could be set for a painful decline on and off the pitch.
.
TT..
Who Won the Pool..?
Summa
leftclicktic We are all Neil Lennon
13:24 on
9 July, 2014
Sigdeshow bob(Luis) smilingat end of game last night caught himself on camera,next thing he is greetin on the shoulders of a team mate with the snotters blinding him
———————————-
I know Lefty…it was like your school photie :O)
Summa a Sam
Me.
TT
TinyTim done what Brazil couldnae ,win on home turf…./table.
@TheCelticTrust: Just received excellent news from Amsterdam – one of the three Tims not tried in Nov has been acquitted – compensation claims to follow! RT
Hamiltontim
Many thanks. Two would be great. Taking my borther in law along. He is a Hibee but used to support Celtic in his younger days.
I suspect he may be a regular attender in the future with myself and young LB Jr.
LB
Whatever happened to the “Fridge”, didn’t NFL say he wasn’t a project but the finished material and would be in contention for a 1st team pick.
HT
Hopefully the rest to follow.
Livibhoy
Send me an email and we’ll sort it.
hamiltontim@hotmail.co.uk
Apricale.
13.06
Hiya, Pally?
n.. Ah dae concur..
Broonie, IS..the Kinda Chap ..whom Ma Sainted Ma, referrin’ tae… Whenever ,she saw a Bum.
(Na.. No THAT kinda Bum!..)
… when she declared…
“He is… un Chat De Faience!,”
Take too Long tae Explain ,whit She Meant.. but..
As faur as Broonie is concerned.. Well.. He fits the Bill!
Broonie ,wull Not be missed.
Pukki, has Settled..n… we hiv Goat Him… n..
He wull Mak us Happy! ( Dae ye Really Think so..??..ed)( Oh Aye.. Ah really think That Ah Dae..)
Two of his Goals..mebbe, even All three..
Bore awe awe the Hall Marks o’ a Goal Mooth Predator.
Who widda Thought??
No Me..or You..or.. Anybuddy else ..who frequents this Particular Spot in the Galaxy!
n.. We could sure use Wan o’ they Thingmies..
N..If whit Pukkki did , last Night…
Turns oot tae Be No a Flash In the Pooder Pan.. then
Woop ta Doo!!
Howevahhhhhhhhhhhh… Haud the Phone!
Ah jist remembered that The Opposition ,last Night, wiz pretty Woefully..well.. WOE FUL!
so
We wull hiv tae reserve judgment oan .. Pukki.. Ah am Afraid..fur a wee while.
Pity..
But, We jist must .. Gie Him Anither Few Licks at the Peerie..n.. See if He kin Keep It Spinnin’!.. over a Period of Time.
Ah wid be extra Pleased tae Sell Forster..
The Morra…if Possible.
Fur..
He is A Hoat Property.. so the Timing could No Be Bettah.
Ah never miss an Opportunity tae Sell a Hoat Property..
fur..
Hoat Properties kin. Cool Doon.. P.D.Q.!
Don’t believe me?
Look, how we missed oot.. In Getting a Big Fee fur the “HOLY GOALIE”???
In fact Ah am no sure,if we Made a Penny oota His Leavin… If we made any Money
fae his Leaving.. It wiz a Pittance..
Yes, Virginia. Ye should Nevah Look a Gift Horse In the Mooth.(is that the Correct Euphemism, tae use in this Case.??..ed) ( Furst if Awe,kid.. Whit Ah said ..Is NOT an Euphemism..it’s an IDIOM… So There!.)
N.. Let Virgil go.. tae..If He wants.. He may No.. It is dootful.
But.. Ah am dead sure that Forster wants tae Leave.. No Doot ,at awe aboot that ,Yin.
Na…Broonie wull No be Missed..
Ah know that Ah already said THAT.. but..
Jist in case.. He Missed it.
Nice chatting.. Pally.. as usual.
Kojo
Still,Laughin
I see you still have not managed to get over the Barcelona game from last season Paul……. Maybe one day you will realise the mistake was from Scott Brown. If he doesn’t kick Naymar, then he wouldn’t be rolling around on the ground. Was Naymar correct, or smart, certainly not imo. But the stupid player was ours, and he made the mistake first.
As for singing the national anthem with pride, and holding up Naymar’s shirt, if it works then the idea will be seen as a good one. They had lost their best player, and even though you don’t like him, his team mates obviously do. I guess in hindsight its easy to say they should just have forgotten him, and got on with the game. But at the end of the day, they are human.
I feel sorry for Brazil, probably not the reaction of most, but hey, each to their own. I knew losing Naymar could be seen as a ‘reason to fail’. I think they tried to turn it into a reason to win, do it for Naymar kind of thing. But it didn’t work. They were always going to lose that game. I guess its perhaps a Scottish thing, we would have gone out trying not to get beat, and Brazil actually tried to win the game. Wonder who is more wrong.
Can’t see big Phil staying anyway, never mind having to be sacked. But I doubt that will change anything. He didn’t have a good enough squad to pick from to win the World Cup. So I don’t see how his sacking would change that.
To make things worse, I would think that Brazil will be back to win the World Cup before Scotland even get there. Which is probably the reason for most people feeling the way they do towards Brazil right now.
Por Cierto
I think its a no brainer that we should be looking to buy a box to box midefielder on the back of Broonie’s CL qualifiers exit, we’ve got the cash and we definitely have the need,
wheels could be turning as you have suggested, but personally I doubt it, the expectation is on the new manager to maximise his employment of the squad as it is today, only if we sell someone will he be allowed to recruit,
goalie position excepted of course.
Another “wee” fine for Sevco? They’re not named, but strong rumours that it is them.
http://www.londonstockexchange.com/companies-and-advisors/aim/advisers/aim-notices/ad12.pdf
HH
End London rule. YES
“To make things worse, I would think that Brazil will be back to win the World Cup before Scotland even get there. Which is probably the reason for most people feeling the way they do towards Brazil right now”
Really!?
Liam Henderson to replace Broony?? Boys got it in spades..
JAMESGANG
Just off the phone to TRAVELLERBHOY. Strangely enough,I made the same comments to him.
Pretty sure Tom would love to get his hands on times and dates.
TRAVELLERBHOY certainly has one or two,and a few names to boot.
Well done to the Bhoy who removed the anti homeless spikes from St Vincent Lane.
Take a bow Sir.
Hamiltontim
Great news on the Amsterdam Bhoys front more to come hopefully.
VP
:))))
Bom dia,
Well, thankfully, my work has taken me to Paris this week, so managed to avoid most of the cringingly painful outfall that was, is and will be for a long time Brasil’s display last night.
Snedoni – to answer your post. Felipao was always leaving after this WC, the CBF have publicly stated that (the only proviso being that they may have mutually agreed extension terms had Brasil won the WC).
Spare a thought for the Brasilian fans, they only support two teams Brasil and whoever plays against Argentina. So do you hope Holland do the business tonight and avoid the ignomnity of your greatest rivals winning a World Cup in your own back yard (canny see past Germany ma’sel) ot have the nail biting prospect of them humbling you even more in the 3rd/4th play-off?
Leftclicktic
Great news mate let’s hope sense prevails in the other cases.
Right I have chores to do, who invites the priest for dinner on the night of a World Cup semi final??!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xRCrAfCCLY
The wee man in his heyday…