Ciftci’s industry, the great Czechoslovakia

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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.

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775 Comments

  1. Gary67 at 1106

     

    Many thanks, I will be aiming to be in there by 6pm latest, hoping to grab a bite to eat.

     

    HH

  2. KevJungle

     

     

    I think we were so bad against Legia that we would have been beat anywhere

  3. Italian fitba’ news.

     

     

    Inter wanting to buy the San Siro from Milan City Council, chop off the top(3rd) tier and reduce capacity to 60,000.

     

     

    HH!!

  4. friesdorfer

     

     

    11:10 on 1 July, 2015

     

     

    You’ll get parked no problem at that time. Not sure about eating places nearby but town centre is only a 15-20 minute walk from the stadium

  5. GlassTwoThirdsFull @ 10:08,

     

     

    Thank you, and you are totally correct, think fholk who are saying that Ciftci is not the answer maybe asking the wrong question. Where will Ciftci be in the pecking order? And how will Ronny utilise him? He’s a proven SPL player.

     

     

    The Pantaloon Duck @ 09:18,

     

     

    “It is a fact well known amongst the Dutch that any foreigner who tries to pronounce ‘s-Hertogenbosch will die of asphyxiation. In olden days, the residents of ‘s-Hertogenbosch took advantage of this when under attack by simply asking their invaders “where are you?”. Whereupon the nasty outsiders would drop dead half way through their answer.”

     

     

    Their neighbouring Bosch town in the southern part of the Netherlands weren’t as sleekit, they would put lookouts out and when the foreigners approached would violently ambush them. The were known as the Bish Bash Bosch.

     

     

    Celtic 3-0 Den Bosch

     

     

    Waaaayyyy too hot for Coats on so jist off oot.

     

     

    Hail Hail

  6. I’m ambivalent towards the Cifti possibility.

     

     

    Pros –

     

     

    Proven SPL striker, showed a lot of promise, only 23, good physique, ‘good feet for a big man’, looks hungry and the type who would bust his balls to win his shirt at Celtic. Aggressive.

     

     

    Cons –

     

     

    Pace suspect for absolute top-level, class unproven beyond SPL, temperament suspect at times – could be MIB cannon-fodder in the Hoops.

     

     

     

    All-in, could be a Griffiths or a Pukki, 50-50, but if we gamble on him I’ll not greet in a Finbogasson-esque manner; if Ronny Deila thinks he can do a job then who are we to dispute his judgement or sit in judgement? His call, his risk.

  7. timaloy29

     

    11:11 on

     

    1 July, 2015

     

    __________

     

    Maybe.

     

    I think that the board didny think that Neil would walk and, were left with a mess of their own making what with a new manager who was apparently 10th choice and, the game at Murrayfield which isny anywhere near the magic created inside Celtic Park on these nights.

     

     

    That magic…might just have made all the difference….imho.

  8. Captain Beefheart on

    Morning bampots.

     

     

    South of tunis,

     

     

    Thanks a lot for the news about the Jean Ritchie piece.

  9. Delaneys Dunky on

    Mountblow Tim

     

     

    How is my pal fae up the hill? :)

     

    EddieinKirkmichael and I are getting the bus from Dalmuir to Paisley tonight at the back of 5. Hope to catch up with you.

     

    Hail HaiL

  10. The Green Man on

    So its Ciftci…..well don’t say you weren’t warned.

     

    However, if that lad pulls on the Hoops, he will get my full support.

     

    I trust RD ad JC….they know their stuff.

     

    And I believe I will be purchasing that lovely green pinstripe top today.

     

    C,mon the Hoops.

     

     

    Bognorbhoy

     

     

    Hail Hail

  11. South Of Tunis on

    tallybhoy @ 11 12 .

     

     

    Heard a guy on the radio stating that Inter’ s average attendance in 2014 / 2015 .was @ 37 k.Maybe they should remove 2 tiers .

     

     

    Fa caldo

     

     

    Auguri !

  12. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS

     

    10:16 on

     

    1 July, 2015

     

    MACJAY

     

     

    There are no easy answers to this,btw. I have never commented either way on the Austtralian approach. For that very reason.

     

    ———————————————————————————————————————-

     

     

    The distance makes it much more difficult to stop the boats,but it has been done.

     

    Surely Tony Abbott should be commended for this.

  13. Delaneys Dunky on

    TGM and 16roads

     

     

    Got the new tap (without magners logo) first thing. It looks beautiful in the Clydebank sun.

  14. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    KEVJ

     

     

    I widnae take that third strip if they paid me. An absolute eyesore.

  15. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    MACJAY

     

     

    Only if you think they should be stopped. That’s my quandary.

     

     

    I genuinely don’t know the answer to this. Everyone has a right to a better life,every country has the right to decide who lives there.

  16. The Green Man

     

     

    a big HAIL HAIL to you..

     

     

    hope all is well

     

     

    BMCUWP

     

     

    :-))

  17. S o T @1124

     

     

    Yes indeed.

     

     

    About 7/8 years they were averaging c55,000.

     

     

    Allegedly.

     

     

    Caldo here in SP as well.

     

     

    Dip later in Portovenere.

     

     

    Buona giornata!

     

     

    HH!!

  18. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    SANDMAN

     

     

    Have you looked at Ciftci’s record prior to Dundee Utd?

  19. The Green Man on

    bognorbhoy

     

     

    Doing well, really annoying a Hun Historian at the moment, so you can imagine the fun im having at his expense:)

     

    Tell bognorbhoy Jr I was asking after him, hope to see you both this season.

     

     

    Hail Hail

  20. cliftonville celt from belfast on

    bobby murdoch’s curled-up winklepickers

     

     

    11:28 on 1 July, 2015

     

    KEVJ

     

     

    I widnae take that third strip if they paid me. An absolute eyesore.

     

    ————————————————–

     

     

    Wouldn’t throw it at the Brits as they say in Belfast !

  21. eddieinkirkmichael on

    Tickets for tonight purchased. Think I may partake of a wee swallow on the way to game.

  22. setting free the bears for res. 12 & oscar knox

     

     

    11:48 on 1 July, 2015

     

    Is Ciftci the nadir of our ambitions?

     

     

    Should he not go to Zenith St. Petersburg?

     

    __________________________________________________________________________

     

     

     

    Well, he Azimuth, and he’s not shy in using it!

     

     

    Aff oot, as oor Kev would say!

     

     

    HH

  23. Latest news from the Estonia Cup competition.

     

     

    After yesterday’s 31:0 drubbing, the latest competitors to enter the fray include the wildly named Tartu FC, Joker, and Eston Villa.

     

     

    This is more fun than the Petrofac Cup.

     

     

    Well, except for the games where the Ibrox club messes up

  24. Mountblow tim on

    DD

     

     

    Every thing ok just now

     

     

    Hope to see you on the bus

     

     

     

    I will try and get the 1720 at the top of the hill

     

     

    Mt

  25. South Of Tunis on

    Eviva – work done for the day .

     

     

    Marked by downing a litre of chilled acqua frizzante with added fresh lime juice..Consumed whilst listening ( 4 times in a row ) to one of my all time favourite choons –

     

     

    The Gaylads – Sounds of Silence.A gem of a rocksteady choon from 66.

     

     

    Got – A what are you like look from Mrs S of T .

     

     

    Beach and cool sea time !

  26. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    CLIFTONVILLECELT

     

     

    You Irish have a lovely turn of phrase. And spot on too.

  27. The Green Man on

    Wooft…I can see myself swanning down Maryhill Rd, wearing the new away top and shorts.

     

    Get in.

     

    Pair of shades will set it right off.

     

    I might even do a wee micro-turn-up on the shorts for added effect:)

     

     

    HH