There is a belief in football that the seemingly small game after a significant victory is dangerous. Players psych themselves up for a big and important task, but they are not machines. When that task is achieved, the mental energy for the next game is never the same.
You, me and everyone at Celtic knew the incredible importance of last week’s games at Tynecastle and Easter Road. Neil Lennon got his second tenure off to a winning start and then kept the treble treble dream alive. The expectation that we will beat Aberdeen tomorrow is overwhelming.
I don’t like this scenario. Aberdeen will not compliantly roll over. They are a better team than Hearts or Hibs and if we win, we will earn it the hard way.
This could be a weekend the league pivots. If Newco drop points at Easter Road tonight and Celtic win tomorrow, the remainder of the campaign will be like a procession. But if this scenario is reversed, every game will be played under intense pressure until the lead is extended.
Neil Lennon’s Hibernian took four points from Newco within a week in December, significantly weakening their challenge. New manager, Paul Heckingbottom, will know that tonight he has an opportunity to put a stake of personal credibility in the ground.
408 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- »
Watch out now bhoys for the smsm, stating that it’s next year that Steevie G will really push to win the title.??? and I bet we have heard thus since the new club got promotion.?
D. :)
A CEILER GONOF RUST on 9TH MARCH 2019 2:59 AM
.
Thoughts and prayers with you friend Tony, his family and friends.
HH
EMERALDBEE\O/ STILL PROUD TO BE AN INTERNET BAMPOT on 9TH MARCH 2019 8:11 AM
Hadn`t occurred to me to dip in to the sewage works .
Just responded to a request from WEEBAWBABITTY .
Cheers , pal.
2am k.o. tomorrow.
Bound to be a tough game.
Mackay Stevens has a point to prove.
One Malloy
Hope you and S are well H. Saw your comment the other day: yes, I was torn between New Club and Sevco…! Maybe see you at the Corner today, will be with my bhoy instead of B. HH
ACGR
Good to see you posting, hope you are in fine fettle. Condolences on the loss of your pal Tony. HH
A CEILER GONOF RUST on 9TH MARCH 2019 2:59 AM
May Tony Rest in Peace.
Baptised in St. Brides Camslang.
Coupla years ago.
Good morning, friends and Happy Matchday from a rather grey and dreich East Kilbride.
Good Morning All… Pleasant Valley Saturday Here in The Chillederns…
Glad the Hibees got a result last evening, takes a wee bit of pressure of Lenny and the bhoys. Think the tension of the occasion may have stifled a bit of creativity in the last two games.
We can make Paradise a great homecoming for Lenny the’day.
BIGBHOY @ 2:07 PM
“Our Wage Bill increased in line with the size of the squad. We had 40 players in the First team Squad with only 18 stripped for each match day and only max 14 used. I reckon we had 22 un-used players each game. The wages for these players who didn’t contribute are around £11m, more than half the Dembele fee. Brendan wasted money on loads of players. He signed 28 players for Celtic but generally only used 4 of his signings left by Ronny.
Celtic backed Brendan financially and he spent the money on wages instead of transfer fees.
That’s why our wage bill has doubled. Numbers of players signed which also blocked young players getting in the 1st team squad”
Well this is only partially correct.
Our wage bill has risen due to a number of factors…
UCL bonuses paid to players – more than compensated by the money it brought in.
Improved contracts for players, this helped us to place our performing players on longer contracts and bring in better “prospects”, player retention was key to our recent success. As Brendan Rodgers and Chris Davies improved these players immeasurably we have received value back in improved performance on the pitch and and huge increase in the value of our squad.
Peter Lawwell and other executive’s bonuses. There has been a huge increase in the money paid out to these chaps, we’re not quite sure what their KPI’s are. But during Brendan and Chris’s tenure, their performance with the team meant the value of the squad increased, the turnover increased and profits increased Brendan and Chris would have played a huge part in getting the suits their bonuses – whether the Executive should be remunerated thus is another question.
Now, your contention that Brendan Rodgers bloated the squad with underperforming players and this led to a doubling of the wage bill is simply incorrect.
The main part for the increase in the wage bill will be due to the reasons above. The bloated squad was not due to Brendan Rodgers, what he said on arrival at Celtic…
22nd June 2016,
QUALITY not quantity is Brendan Rodgers’ motto as he starts his Celtic revolution.
The Hoops boss took charge of a 20-strong squad for the first pre-season training session on Monday.
And that was without NINE senior stars missing through injury or international commitments.
Rodgers has already axed Colin Kazim-Richards, Carlton Cole and Anthony Stokes in his early weeks at Parkhead.
And he admits more will follow out the Parkhead exit door as he makes space in his bloated squad for a couple of top additions.
Rodgers said: “All I ever want is the highest quality. It’s not about numbers.
“I need quality over quantity. We are working on bringing a couple in.
https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/archives/news/161321/brendan-rodgers-its-not-about-quantity-its-about-quality-of-squad/
He stated the same before lasts summer’s transfer debacle… since then we bought in one player he targetted (quality Edouard) and a plethora of squad fillers and loanees whom he didn’t want.
Last time Lenny was at Celtic Park he had a squad of 40… Lenny has recently bemoaned the constant rebuilding of the team when he was last at Paradise. So we can say bloated squads have nothing to do with the managers and everything to do with the moneyball obsessives.
Brendan Rodgers was not in charge of the recruitment at Celtic Park, often moaning about his targets not been “closed” and admitting to not knowing about some of the players we were bringing in… “1000s of wingers!!”
He admitted having nothing to do with the negotiations to extend Scott Browny’s contract… “that’s between Peter and Scott”
The executive sold a 30M pound player for 20M in the Summer, maybe a reduction on the wage bill but the impact on the team and the lose of 10M pound in transfer fees, that’s incompetence personified.
Due to the incompetent recruitment in the Summer we’ve had to pay loan fees and large salaries for Benkovic, Weah, Toljan and Burke… developing other Clubs players and paying through the nose for the privilege.
We have a similar wage bill to Ajax… the fact that we are not getting bang for buck sits squarely with the Celtic Board it is them and them alone who make the Executive decisions.
Hail Hail
FRIESDORFER on 9TH MARCH 2019 8:38 AM
One Malloy
Hope you and S are well H. Saw your comment the other day: yes, I was torn between New Club and Sevco…! Maybe see you at the Corner today, will be with my bhoy instead of B. HH
————————————————————————————————————–
See you there A
HH
just watched fan on sidelines last night.i think he was saying “TELL MAREORLESS THIS IS HOW TO SCORE FROM 2 YARDS AGAINST CELTIC.AND I TOLD HIM THE WHITE STUFF ONLY LASTS FOR 45 MINS,”
BOURNESOUPRECIPE on 8TH MARCH 2019 10:52 PM and Valeboy.
“I will apologise personally to Mr Tavernier.”
Leanne Dempster
——————–
I’m sure she stated in her interview that she had already personally apologised to Scott Sinclair.
I am no lover of Hibs, as I have stated many times. I have never bought into the ” Love affair ” that some have on here, especially when their fans kept flinging bottles at us.
I dislike Petrie with a vengeance. However I think she has been correct on this occasion.
Tot for tat, she said, she didn’t say seems churlish.
Point scoring will not help Celtic supporters as we head down the road of draconian actions which will make the OB act look like a picnic.
HH to all.
Morning Bhoys todays game could stretch our lead over the Rangers but we have to win first Aberdeen have a decent away record and will not be brushed aside.However,they may have there eyes on Tuesday nights cup replay as the cup is there only chance of winning silver wear this season. I hope the Celtic support give Lennie a huge reception and he can go on to win his third game in a row and stretch our lead to 10 points.H.H.
JOE FILIPPIS HAIRCUT @ 9:35 AM,
While I agree with that, Aberdeen are in an important race to secure a Europa League qualifying place.
It’s by no means certain that they’ll get there and they were beginning to make European in roads.
Us with a new manager and a nice wee gap… they might think this is an ideal opporchancity to get a result at Parkhead.
Hail Hail
Chairbhoy @ 9.18
So BR wanted quality not quantity? I think all Celtic managers say the squad is too big and then end up making it even bigger. Lenny will probably be the same. “More will follow out the Parkhead exit door” – which players were these? We don’t know whether players are actually signed by the manager but why was Benyu brought in, a player from Ipswich who had an undistinguished loan spell with Aldershot Town? And I can’t blame the board for selling Dembele for 20 million, the biggest fee by far we have ever received, when we also had Griff and Odsonne for the striker position.
Today’s CQN Coupon, with the selector’s identity in the preferred style of Madmitch ;-)
BMCUWP- Swindon
POG – Newcastle
JB – Middlesbrough
GFTB – Blackpool
AWATR – Sunderland
LB – Derby
TET – Forrest
MADMITCH
If the pitch invader was a player his behaviour would have been deemed acceptable.
BRILLIANT
KEEP THE FAITH
My friends in Celtic,
Today is our opportunity to showcase Scottish football and Celtic in particular.
A well behaved full house and flowing attractive football where we obtain 3 points in style.
But make no mistake, the media will be looking for events off the park to make headlines. We must disappoint them.
HH COYBIG.
It’s the afflict skools fault ?
https://mobile.twitter.com/dodgyfoo/status/1104000325122510848/photo/1
K
Deary me …
B
It’s the kafflic skools fault ?
https://mobile.twitter.com/dodgyfoo/status/1104000325122510848/photo/1
Focus on Celtic and Celtic only
Keep on winning Celtic,
and matters not a jot what any others do or think they can do
So 3pts today please Lenny & the Bhoys ?
????????? – tbc
79CAPS @ 9:41 AM,
This is true, it’s why I’ve often described our recruitment issues as a systemic failure. We just need to get better at this.
Lenny has an opportunity; by design or serendipity we now find ourselves in a situation where half the first team will be out of contract in the summer.
This won’t do our UCL Qualification chances much good but may be a blessing in disguise. We have a great core of players staying at the Club.
If we can take the opportunity to learn from our mistakes. We will have a reduced wage bill and money in the bank to make a fresh start.
Benyu is a funny one, my nephew (like several of his extended family) is a ST holders at Ipswich Town, although he has a soft spot for Celtic he was gutted that they’d lost their “best prospect”. Why has he and Kouassi and the like not kicked on… maybe Aldershot Town is not the benchmark – a strange one.
On that subject I forgot when responding to BigBhoy that Brendan Rodgers and Chris Davies had done more, much more for our past, present and future Academy bhoys than anyone other regime in the previous ten years.
Hail Hail
I live out in the country but last week I was speaking with a friend who is more connected to street-life and he told me that Scotland was awash with cocaine. If this is true then maybe there is a link to some of this crazy fan behaviour.
BAMBOO on 9TH MARCH 2019 10:14 AM
I live out in the country but last week I was speaking with a friend who is more connected to street-life and he told me that Scotland was awash with cocaine. If this is true then maybe there is a link to some of this crazy fan behaviour.
———
Its true yes and there is a lot of it taken at the football. It’s not hidden in the same way it was in the past, I’ve seen folk take it on the terraces.
Chairbhoy/bigbhoy
Positive we had a squad of 38 players when the previous management team joined us
Payroll may have increased
But
Profits massively did as well
Let the Good Times continue to roll as the 2nd homecoming of NFL as Manager starts in earnest Today.
Go to it Neil – get the place rockin and rollin’.
Celtic, Celtic thats the team for me,
Celtic, Celtic on to victory,
They’re the finest team in Scotland, I’m sure you will agree,
We’ll never give up till we’ve won the cup and the scottish football league
They come from bonnie Scotland, they come from county Cork,
They come from dear old Donegal and even from New York,
From every street in Glasgow they proudly make their way,
To a place called dear old paradise and this is what they say.
Celtic, Celtic thats the team for me,
Celtic, Celtic on to victory,
They’re the finest team in Scotland, I’m sure you will agree,
We’ll never give up till we’ve won the cup and the scottish football league.
There’s Fallon, Young and Gemmell who proudly wear the green,
There’s Clark, McNeill and Kennedy the best there;s ever been,
Jim Johnstone, Murdoch, Chalmers, John Divers and John Hughes,
And sixty thousand Celtic fans who proudly shout the news.
Celtic, Celtic thats the team for me,
Celtic, Celtic on to victory,
They’re the finest team in Scotland, I’m sure you will agree,
We’ll never give up till we’ve won the cup and the scottish football league.
Repeat all the way from yer work till you see the stadium CSC
BAMBOO @ 10:14 AM,
Heart breaking stuff… if there anything like me and the kinda guys I grew up with in Airdrie schemes it’s the last thing they need…
NORRIEM @ 10:19 AM,
Spot on…
Lenny’s, Ronny’s & Brendan’s squads were pretty much the same size with a far too many underperforming and peripheral players.
Brendan Rodgers is getting blamed for this now but it is one of the first issues BR identified.
His approach the way each individual player is positively and individually supported with a wide range of expertise, technicians, trainers, coaches, physiotherapist, dieticians etc etc means Celtic can’t offer this to a huge squad… at the level required we don’t have the resources.
Hail Hail
a good choon to get you through the day and help us beat the sheep
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vW_3bUMwoiA
KINGLuBO
Another great choon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWG81mdUaKA
KINGLuBO
Cocaine –
On Sicilian tele last Thursday night .-
OAP man and his OAP wife in a van stopped on the outskirts of a wee town by the polis for driving without lights . There was 51 kilos of cocaine in the back of van .
Did the £20m buffalo not grab a hat trick last night?
Early to the game today.
An Gorta Mor collection. I’m stationed on Celtic Way, at the Gazebo.
Eurochamps67
Good morning from Cambodia.
ACGR condolences for your fried Tony, may he Rest In Peace. We visited the Killing Fields as you suggested – a very sombre and thought provoking experience and bought some flowers and placed them at the Memorial Stupa.
ACGR, on a less depressing note, I was impressed with the photo of yourself and BMCUP’s Hootenanny flag at Angkor Wat.
Just need somewhere to watch the game tonight.
Hail! Hail! PMTYH
Fat Charlie – 3.5m………MAX
A turkey bound for “Turkish Cracks”……….Bulgar Pilav FC or sumdy else…………….
Who would win in a fight between a Celtic burglar and a……..burglar
ACGR- Good to see you posting, sorry for your loss HH
For Alfredo and the pitch invaders.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03JYIF4usYI&list=PL4MTKJ2OCnurXNVj5OTMkYiSI0C903cg8