Ciftci’s industry, the great Czechoslovakia

775

BBC’s Jim Spence reports this morning that Dundee United have rejected a £900k bid from Celtic for striker Nadir Ciftci (23), as Ronny Deila continues his quest to recreate the all-conquering (cough) Dundee United team of 2014.

While Ciftci is clearly talented, this is an unexpected move.  He can hold the ball up and bring others into play but he never struck me as having Ronny Deila-type industry.  Not that he would be the first convert to perpetual motion.

With John Guidetti away and Stefan Scepovic yet to stake a claim, we’ve space for a couple of strikers.  It would be good to have at least one before the qualifiers.

Dukla Prague are one of those teams who my generation grew up hearing about.  They were one of the finest teams in Europe, with one of the world’s top players, Josef Masopust, who sadly died yesterday.  Masopust won the Ballon d’Or in 1962, after leading the great Czechoslovakia to the World Cup final that year, which they lost to Brazil.

He faced Celtic with Dukla in the semi-final of the European Cup in 1967, losing only once in the competition, at Celtic Park.  Czech football retains the potential to create great teams, but, denied access to TV deals available in neighbouring parts of the EU, they have been robbed of the ability to achieve meritocratic progression.

The passing of Masopust is a chance to celebrate a great player and team, and to regret what appears forever lost because of television.

Enjoying Phil MacGiollaBhain’s work with the Belfast Telegraph, laid bare in his blog of yesterday.  He includes scanned letters from the newspaper’s editor who regards it as “outrageous to suggest that I, or the Belfast Telegraph, would operate a blacklist of any form”, including one which includes Phil, despite how popular such a move would be in places.

Click Here for Comments >
Share.

About Author

775 Comments

  1. Delaneys Dunky on

    Malvinas

     

     

    Thanks for the info. Coming over the Erskine Bridge from Clydebank, thanks to the bus the Easedales put on. :)

  2. tontine Tim @ 22.54 hrs,

     

     

    I love reading posts like yours. If I may say so,an excellent post and one the blog really needed.

     

     

    HH.

  3. the elbow room was the place rod stewart often popped in when flying out of glasgow.

     

     

    fact.

  4. Saint sitves

     

     

    Most of that I am with you , but don’t ruin my love of men dancing and signing…..

     

     

    P.s I don’t like whisky either

     

     

    Brnobhoy

  5. itscalledthemalvinas on

    Saint stivs

     

     

    Sorry mate,I’m an expert on paisley pubs. Rod go’s into the Wee Harrell in love street before the games. Closet to the airport and cheapest !

  6. saint stivs

     

     

    23:50 on 30 June, 2015

     

     

    No. It was The Wee Barrel.

     

     

    I’m now thinking (as Charlie Nicholas would say) that The Elbow Room is my derelict pub on the corner of Caledonia St and St James St.

  7. leftclicktic

     

     

    you kicking about?

     

     

    mind the picture you posted of the statue on Barra resplendent in the the Hoops? well for the last few days there’s been some dolphins swimming around the island the St Barrs statue is on. we weren’t sure why they were in so close to the shore, I mean the Hoops aren’t even on it right now to pay homage! One of my mates went out in his kayack and discovered why

     

     

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4InsA2WaJE

     

     

    :-)

     

     

    HH

  8. itscalledthemalvinas

     

    23:56 on

     

    30 June, 2015

     

     

    trust you on that, its your local.

     

     

    tell me though, the pub behind st james church, is that the venue for “the clansman” from still game ?

  9. i moved down to saint ives,

     

     

    where the locals called me stives

     

     

    but their prdictive cornish keyboards call me

     

     

    saint stivs

  10. itscalledthemalvinas on

    Saint stivs.

     

     

    Yes it was for a time before it shut down. The Cottage Arms.

  11. Mon The Hoops! on

    brnobhoy 21:07 on

     

    30 June, 2015

     

    Off topic

     

    Looking for some advice

     

     

    Taking Ms Brnobhoy to New York in August and would like to grad a Broadway Show

     

     

    Any top tips on when/where to buy tickets?

     

     

    Cheers

     

    Brnobhoy

     

     

    http://www.theatermania.com/ does print at home e-Tickets. Lots of ones on discounted tab too…

  12. Delaneys Dunky on

    Malvinas

     

     

    Is Gabriels still on the go?

     

    That and Hectors were my favourite Paisley pubs.

  13. Barrach Obampot

     

    23:57 on

     

    30 June, 2015

     

    leftclicktic

     

     

    you kicking about?

     

     

    mind the picture you posted of the statue on Barra resplendent in the the Hoops? well for the last few days there’s been some dolphins swimming around the island the St Barrs statue is on. we weren’t sure why they were in so close to the shore, I mean the Hoops aren’t even on it right now to pay homage! One of my mates went out in his kayack and discovered why

     

     

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4InsA2WaJE

     

     

    :-)

     

     

    HH

     

     

    ————–

     

     

    thats magic/

     

     

    my brother went paddling up the holy loch and got a more frosty reception/

     

     

     

    last two paragraphs for the hard of reading/

     

     

    http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/22/world/europe/scottish-party-may-prove-crucial-to-future-of-britains-nuclear-fleet.html?_r=0

  14. Paul 67 : We are not looking at Vossen.

     

     

    Me: Should we not be looking at him? Great scoring rate in Belgium, previous record of scoring goals in Europe. Wasn’t a massive success with Middlesbrough but has scored goals in the past against Chelsea, Porto etc. Maybe not quite the target man we need. Must mean we are looking at an even better striker. Wonder if the Jonathas rumours are true.

     

     

    Paul67: Cifti is industrious

     

     

    Me: FFS

  15. brnobhoy

     

    23:47 on

     

    30 June, 2015

     

     

    10 beers for EUR 9? Incredible. Am heading to Brno in August…. will be my first time and am really looking forward to it.

  16. Delaneys,

     

    good man,just watching Hope Solo and Alex Morgan,

     

    and some other talent,

     

    hoping to make a good few games next season,

     

    so will have a few sessions to look forward to

  17. mullet and co 2 on

    Ciftci appears to be on the list but players such as Vossen are not.

     

    I haven’t see Vossen but o have seen Ciftci. I do hope I am wrong but we could be about to make another mistake in the striking dept.

  18. Delaneys,

     

    no mucker,would have been handy when I was working there,

     

    moved back to Clydebank this week

     

    so every chance of bumping into you in Dalmuir

  19. Delaneys Dunky on

    Gordy

     

     

    Dingwall is a must. We have a couple of couches to sleep on in two Ross County player’s flats. That is our weekend away trip. :)

  20. Luxcelt

     

     

    2nd biggest city in the Czech Republic, and I am would say the best. Does not have the tourist crap that Prague has, is still the true Country and a great place.

     

     

    A great weekend getaway for anyone who likes beer, people and a bit of a good time

     

     

    If you fancy it give me a shout and I will point you in the right direction

     

     

     

    Hail hail

     

     

    Brnobhoy

  21. Delaneys,

     

    that’s fine,just need to check the date to book the time off work

  22. Ciftci Could turn out to be a good player or he could not , clubs are entitled to find bargains that could make 1st eleven

     

    The problem is Celtic have had a strikergate scandal , where huge Sums of cash have been squandered on rubbish Ceo must take the blame

     

    In Celtic situation now , we can of course look for project strikers , but !!!only after we have 2 1st eleven goal scoring strikers in place

     

    Sackable offence to get this wrong Peter

  23. Big Georges Fan Club - Hail, Hail, Wee Oscar on

    Saint Stivs

     

    23:51 on

     

    30 June, 2015

     

    bgfc

     

     

    did you get the views ?>

     

     

    ——————————

     

     

    I did indeed – that’s why I’m posting.

     

     

    Great community this – been the fortunate recipient of so much kindness from people I had never met, other than through this blog – HamiltinTim, BlantyreTim, TinyTim, Almore, your good self, and others.

     

     

    HH

     

    BGFC

  24. BRnbhoy- re nyc

     

     

    There are so many good spots to eat it’s impossible to know where to start. I would try Yelp.com. Also use huber.com for transport.

     

     

    The StAndrews bar just off Times Square is a great whisky pub.

  25. Neustadt-Braw on

    flight OS 26 if you want to follow on the Flightradar24.com ………

     

     

     

    Miss Braw is presently over Turkeybhoys region …en route to Vienna then onto Hannover

     

     

    ….I had better get some shut eye ……38000feet and 500 plus mph…..at 19 …

     

     

    this will never catch on

     

     

    braw

  26. Delaneys Dunky on

    BGFC

     

     

    Was great to meet you and the wee Celtic warrior, however briefly. Our Celtic path shall cross often now and we shall become friends. Magic this blog. :)