The headline at halftime had a familiar feel, Celtic’s run of poor results looked like continuing, but despite this, we dared to hope a corner had been turned. The apparent lack of Commitment to the Cause which – seemed to envelop the team (I may be wrong) was not evident. Instead, players looked up for it.
Whatever ailed Kieran Tierney until recently was not evident, this was the KT we remembered. Available and energetic. Sebastian Tounekti looked to be synchronised with his left-sided partner. A word too for Michel-Ange Balikwisha, his late cameo brought energy and a bit of physicality which helped get the game over the line.
Benjamin Nygren was destined for headlines after last night. I counted six headed chances he had. Benji is not a winger, nor is he a target-man striker, but he has a nose for goal and after passing up four headed chances, he connected with a corner to put Celtic ahead. He needed the goal; we all did.
Just three minutes earlier Liam Scales drew Celtic level, a move which also started with a corner, following yet another Nygren chance. The equaliser was not a glorious goal, Colby Donovan’s cross was mis-hit, but Scales shifted his body angle and made the necessary connection.
You are going to think I am ridiculous, but hear me out. There is a Celtic European tradition of sticking a foot out to make contact with a ball and divert it into the net. When Liam’s shot crossed the line, I got the feeling things were going to be OK. Inspired by legends, and all that!
I was calling for Reo Hatate to be hooked for most of the game. That spark he so-often brings was absent. However, he proved important during the last 20 minutes. Despite being a man down, Strum were able to get into the Celtic final third far too often. Reo was the man who slowed the play down and looked to impose structure.
We need to learn to hold the ball better. This involves players moving into space, and not passing to others who do not have more than one option. Reo’s muscle memory for this was evident. Better game management would have kept Sturm out of our box during added time.
The game cost us Kelechi Iheanacho and Alastair Johnston, both likely to be out for a month at least. We win things because we have the biggest budget and strongest squad. It is for others to step up.
Last night’s attendance seemed down on the Braga game three weeks earlier, but those who were there were as committed to the task as the players. The stadium had an energy about it, which perhaps lifted players’ confidence. That quality – confidence – is as important a takeaway as the three points.
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If that’s true about CCV, then either Dane Murray or Trusty, if fit, needs to step up.
With regards to hamstring injuries, they suck the dog’s bollix!!!! As soon as I saw that look on AJs face I felt so bad for the young man. You can feel fine, not even a pain, and then just over extend, or even feel it sitting on the toilet, and there is not much you can do about it. I did think it was a tall task putting him back in on a game like that , but if it didn’t happen last night it could have happened again at any time. We are approaching bare bones in some positions, but maybe that is just the chance for someone to step up, like young Colby did last night. Important wee part by Blokefaewishy last night when he tracked back on their goalscorer and toe poked the ball away from him. Found myself shouting at blokefaewishy and Reo to take the ball to the corner and waste time as we have seen that story too many times, Joe Miller vs Partizanin 1989, springs to mind.
Big game on Sunday my friends. On a personal note, my daughter in Bilbao is loving life. She found the local Celtic supporters club/bar, and took some pictures for her auld da. She even stopped into a bar walking home the other day when she heard Irish music and found a wee place that every wednesday plays traditional Irish music. She took some videos and sent them to the family, I was waaaaaay jealous of her.
Hail Hail and hope everyone is doing well.
Sean
quadrophenian
Six months in a stookie is gonna invigorating CCV?
Any o’ that snake oil still on the go?
Turkeybhoy on 24th October 2025 1:38 pm
Yes I saw that video too, there’s one thing showing anger but that looked like pure hated rage.
Way off the radar, they are a danger with serious threats to individual’s. At Falkirk the polis should have kettled them, they would have certainly done it to any of our bhoys!
A few injuries and our squad looks really threadbare.
Great attitude and determination shown last night.
Credit to he manager, he knows his players and what to say to motivate them.
If only our player recruitment was up to the task, we wouldn’t be so worried about a trip to Tynecastle.
I’d happily shake hands on a draw right now
Yup, looks like 5 months for CCV. Chance for our other guys I suppose.
Hope the big man stays strong.
Thought too for AJ – back and then out again.
Must be hell for an elite athlete to sit out for months.
Awful news about CCV.
He may not have been at his absolute best so far this season but we’ll miss him hugely.
scullybhoy on [24th October 2025 1:38 pm]
“Brennan67 still cannot praise Brendan. I can feel his pain at a Celtic win.”
………
Shoorley Paul67 let Rodgers off by not calling him an erchie for costing the club the services of AJ for who knows how long?
Did Rodgers make an erchie of the preperations for KI as well, as the TRUTH speaking Neil Lennon alluded to?
Did he play CCV whilst he was injured?
How will we ever know in Masonic/NDA era Celtic?
HH
oot.
Have we a right footed CH? CCV out for 5 months is very worrying.
https://celtsarehere.com/rodgers-big-call-in-defence/
BHOYS TOWN on 24TH OCTOBER 2025 1:42 PM
TURKEYBHOY
They Orcs also ranted at the directors in the airport, shouting and swearing. The Yanks must think they’ve bought a lunatic asylum by mistake. Wonder how long they’ll keep this up.
And just wait for the triumphalist Remembrance Day stuff with full military bampots abseiling in. All in front of a young German manager who will probably feel sick.
…………………….
It might be incorrect information but I’m sure I read last week that the Army do not intend to participate in the Ibrox Armed Forces extravaganza this year.
What’s happened to that highly rated young striker we signed from Fulham?
Can’t even remember his name.
Here is my perspective on loss of CL revenue aka a Philosophical Ramble.
To get players of a quality to make Celtic competitive against clubs not as dependent as Celtic are on a large but finite support with finite money to spend on players requires wages of a level that attracts players of higher ability.
Players, not Directors or Executives
Players eat up most of Celtic’s income.
So to count the CL losses soley in terms of what is lost from not qualifying, without taking into account the wage costs that are fixed over a contract length of 3 to 4 years, where the risk of not qualifying is faced every year, of having well waged players to pay is to deny the circumstances in which Celtic operate.
FSR sets the wage ceiling and whist the current income of £145m leaves lots of compliance room to spend more, that all time high will not repeat itself next season, especially if EL income and Merchandising income drops.
The reason for the current angst to me is a wide misunderstanding of the economic constraints that Celtic operate under.
(That is not to argue they operate well under it, that they haven’t is a big angst factor.)
The idea that Spend not a Penny will impact on the Board and not the players illustrates this wrong thinking.
Wrong thinking based on the idea that The Board and support are separate one from the other.
The idea that the CL produces more enjoyable matches is only true now and again and at what angst cost?.
It all depends on how enjoyable is defined, but once the players found their feet last night we always had a chance of winning which was enjoyable.
At the end of the day to me watching a game like that is better than watching Celtic being toyed with by clubs with much greater resources.
In short Celtic from Board down need a reality check, but once that happens what is, ie reality, will turn out to be a lot more enjoyable than what isnt.
My perspective is based on my experience.
Different perspectives will be as many as there are different folk experiencing but the meaning given to our experience is a free will choice of each individual.
I prefer Joy but recognise (to quote from Gibran.)
Joy is our Sorrow unmasked.
Let’s leave the sorrow of what isnt as quick as we can and look to a more enjoyable season regardless of the next result.
It will only have the meaning we choose to give it anyway whilst reality marches to the beat of its own drum.
Callum Osmand
Thought Celtic played very well last night. Kieran and Tounekti forged a dangerous partnership. Scales was outstanding and CalMac seems to be returning to his previous excellent form. The long ball over defenders almost paid off several times.
Huge difference between last night and the Dens game. There was no lack of effort in Dundee but last night the players played the Celtic way.
Sien Fien Yamada also may get on the bench at Swiney
Really liked the look of Shin and Osmand in pre-season. The latter now playing in the Lowland League – where our B team are v poor.
It would be good to see them both in and around the squad. But BR sees them every day and is best placed to know.
I’m still waiting for the motor mouths from “KNEECAP’s” response to the present day Ireland tragedies which Britain’s great ally from the stolen land of Palestine are behind?!
The WESTERN Lobby controlled medias will say: “Well it is rather complicated so we won’t go into it.”
Is it aye?
Ireland will NEVER be free if those who claim to love it, remain willfully dumb.
https://x.com/Jklunden/status/1981703195413155920#m
HH
oot.
https://x.com/ACSOMPOD/status/1981716500944769317?t=w9F7iwcEcUlBAgu2QSO1ew&s=19
Carter-Vickers – long-term Achilles
Jota – long-term cruciate
Alistair Johnston – hamstring
Kelechi Iheanacho – hamstring
Daizen Maeda – hamstring
Sebastian Tounekti – AFCON
Michel-Ange Balikwisha – AFCON
Our squad is going to be absolutely decimated for many months
Already having lost Kyogo, Khun, Idah and Taylor to transfers in 2025, we have now lost Jota, Maeda, Iheanacho, Johnston and CCV to injuries. There are very few teams in the UK that could lose that much quality and not suffer a significant drop in performance and outcomes.
With several of these injuries likely to involve long term absences, I hope the board are already discussing the release of significant funds in January. We can’t risk rushing the injured players back and risking any more AJ like recurrences.
Imagine if we could put out this team…
Schmeichel
J̶o̶h̶n̶s̶t̶o̶n̶ C̶C̶V̶ Scales T̶a̶y̶l̶o̶r̶
K̶h̶u̶n̶ Engels CalMac J̶o̶t̶a̶
M̶a̶e̶d̶a̶ K̶y̶o̶g̶o̶
KEVJUNGLE
My missus and I had our annual flu vaccination this morning and we’re no deid.
Get it right fuckin up ye.
PCS @ 2:47
Have we a right footed CH? CCV out for 5 months is very worrying.
————————————————————
Dane Murray and the kid on loan from Man City.
HH
How about Tierney and Scales?
We have decent cover for KT and I think he has played CB for Scotland.
Blogger GM
Nah. Club signing. Like Shin and Inamura. Or maybe like Pussey the manager wants to make a point.
kenny playing style reminds me of tommy johnstone.
B78, if BR wants to make a point, perhaps he should pick John Kennedy to replace CCV.
Crowd of 49,000 was second highest in Europe last night. 3,000 shy of Roma.
So good to see so many non regulars enjoy the experience at Celtic Park last night.
Credit too to the Graz fans who were in full voice for the 100 mins.
Turkeybhoy
Delighted with the win.
Squad is entirely on Rodgers.
Why would anyone give the guy credit after the circus he has created and losing to teams with a fraction of our value.
Why would the board not support the new manager with the funds. There is zero evidence for that.
our b team will not compete in the lowland league
truelly boys versus men.
“ The idea that Spend not a Penny will impact on the Board and not the players illustrates this wrong thinking”.
As I’ve said before, whatever happens they will get a team they deserve.
Kev racist/Britpup
Today its kneecaps fault,
the lobby’s or
some racist scumbag in ireland who has no comment in the white misogynists who commit the great majority of sex crime in ireland.
Are they the reason you are crippled inside? A racist living in Blunt’rr?
I dont think so.
A gullible simpleton that defaults to racism.
Ireland ignores you less than 1%’r’s,
Ireland ignores Brit puppeteers like you,the hand of the union is right up your toilet box,pishing and farting out your ancient divide and rule ethos.
Only scum racist call their fellow humans illegal
the language of the unionist boat chaser
From David Low on X
Celtic shares on the rise. Action expected ahead of the AGM. 🍀
Ties in with what I heard about change.
The Blogger Formerly Known As GM on 24th October 2025 4:53 pm
“ The idea that Spend not a Penny will impact on the Board and not the players illustrates this wrong thinking”.
As I’ve said before, whatever happens they will get a team they deserve.
====
We’ll see.
This squad is weak enough without losing 4 of your best, most experienced players to long-term injury. Hopeless bad luck. Feel for those guys.
Good performance last night. Team deserves credit.
I may have a dodgy price feed, but as far as I can tell Celtic’s share price was down 4% today, up slightly over 1 month and down 11% over 3 months?
Below is BBC extract explaining Sheffield Wednesday’s situation (now in Administration).
– Rangers FC entered liquidation in 2012 and were dissolved, restarting under new ownership in the fourth tier of Scottish football. –
I’m not sure what restarting under new ownership (as The Rangers) is meant to convey but they are probably trying to keep it simple ie new owners of the assets purchased from the Liquidator is maybe harder to understand (esp in Scotland).
Good that parts of the BBC understand Company Law (not newco, but new club). Have also often though that BBC Scotland’s almost daily use of Ol* F*rm is a surrogate girlfriend (and dread to think what gratification is derived from them typing it).
It is not yet known how many face painters in Sheffield are owed money.
Anyway Rangers 1872. Deid. Buried. In the Ground. As confirmed by the Free BBC in Engerlund.
Burnley78
‘This squad is on Brendan’
Is that the guy you asked Dermot to grow a set and get rid of?
Here was me thinking our summer tfer window was bollox!
We had nightmare of executive indecision/decision aversion during the window.
We had Board failure in the summer.that simple.
Reading here its the guy who brought us so much of the success you parrots fault.
Also B78 I do not think you have had trust in BR since he came back.You share that view with P67,I think you may have settled comfy like into your view
Wee question B78
Do you think PL as exCeo,now Chair is an impediment to our current Ceo?
I ask as in my experience in that world I would find it troublesome,but then again as we see Celtic board pay very little attention to executory advice in company law,job definition and the length of time in position are not refreshed,thus leading to our current malaise and stagnancy with some members/neds there way to long
I am pretty confident PL will go next agm,no logic other than its time to retire,I look forward to a fresh new board and will be interested to see how both Michael and Chris operate with no PL spectre haunting.Will see what happens.
HH
Good result last night ,
Great to see our manager making good use of ‘club signings’ he prefers Johnny Kenny, Liam Scales, and pushing Colby Donovan ahead of other club signing Tony Ralston who’ll likely return for Premiership Tynecastle.
Necessary switches made sacrificing a ‘winger’ gave us a more solid Engels CalMac, Hatate, Nygren, all four should be retained and perhaps Saracchi in for Kieran after his first two consecutive 90 minute games.
Injury curse strikes again, and interesting to see if BR will prefer Dane Murray to give him his left and right footer preference. Auston Trusty though paired well in Bergamo verse Atalanta, so might be two lefties again.
Hearts will be much tougher than Sturm Gratz and Tounekti will have been noticed by McKinnes. Bizarre that rookie Johnny Kenny is suddenly the main striker, maybe Daizen to come back, but sure BR will have no hesitation in calling in so far unquoted Shin Yamada.
For the first time in living memory not overly confident of three points at Tynecastle.
MOM Liam Scales
Auldheid on 24th October 2025 4:59 pm
From David Low on X
Celtic shares on the rise. Action expected ahead of the AGM. 🍀
Ties in with what I heard about change.
————–
what have you heard ?
and whom bought the LT 0.69%. ?