Can we purge all negative overtones today, make sure we start tomorrow with a clean sheet? Injuries and suspensions are part of the game, we accept them and plan how to win important games.
Celtic are at their best when they are up against it, when everyone knows that nothing short of a herculean effort is required. This is the case tomorrow. The requirement is straightforward enough: win your personal battle, inhibit one of the best teams we will play this season, take control of midfield and find spaces in the Ajax defence to exploit.
We have more than enough players bursting to set about this task.
Ajax had a taxing game on Saturday, scoring late to secure a draw away to top of the table Twente. Although fourth, they are one of six teams no more than two points off the pace in what is currently one of Europe’s tightest leagues, but there is a fragility about Ajax.
The game against Twente was their first away match after a run of four home games, three of which were won comfortably, while they were denied a win against Milan by a ridiculous penalty in added time. Their away form, however, has been less than impressive; they are still waiting for their first win away from the Amsterdam ArenA this season. As a result, they travel to Celtic Park with the same trepidation they travelled to Groningen, Heerenveen, Twente, AZ, Barca and PSV, a series of games which returned three draws and three defeats.
Dutch media have also been reminding them of a quirky record to maintain. While Celtic eliminated Ajax the last twice the teams met in European Cup/Champions League duty, the Dutch avoided defeat on both games at Celtic Park. For us, this is a meaningless fact, but it is an added burden of expectation on Ajax.
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Maybe the board will concede the living wage resolution in an attempt to hide their embarrassment over the SFA one.
12:19 on 21 October, 2013
Burnley 78
No one has to work at Celtic if they dont want to.
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not a view shared by Wanyama and Hooper last season…
Some incredible, myopic statements about wages paid by the club. Workers need an incentive, employers need staff who are valued.
Restricting wages, hinders the money cycle and in turn hinders growth.
MWD
Succinctly said.
How are you? Good I hope. Been a long time.
Posted modern tripe is rubbish.
BMCUW
I think a certain Burnley78 fits into the last category.. it was directed at his comments. He is correct, if people don’t want to work at CP then they don’t have to. They can be unemployed and be even hungrier and poorer. I don’t think that’s a great choice to be faced with.
Burghboy… In that case you are correct to use anyone who fought for social justice and Connelly (in that context) is as good as any.
DD endorsement of the bigots was staggering, and now it looks like PL and his minions are turning the other cheek once again.
Condoning intimidation of Celtic supporters, while secretly attempting to facilitate an enemy who lives to hate, the very club you claim to represent…betrayal in my eyes
IMO the board don’t have the balls to stand up for what is right, and you can see that by their silence on corruption….don’t rock the boat eh
They might think they control Celtic by their use of big block votes, but let me say now….its the Celtic supporters and players who have made Celtic great, and in the end it will be the supporters who decide what direction the club is going.
DD,PL, and the rest….you are nothing…..but we, are Celtic supporters, and will be, long after you have gone….hang your heads in shame.
Hail Hail
I’m off for now very depressing in here, my god when some of you get a topic you don’t half ring it dry, what are we playing in tomorrow night? Honest ti god, does my heed in some days in here.
Burghbhoy
12:47 on
21 October, 2013
robcfc11
Connelly was a socialist whose motivator was justice for the working man & woman .
It is in this context I mention his name
Hail Hail
==
Intersting to consider that had James Connolly not been executed by a British Firing squad in May 1916 he would have undoubtedly been executed by the Free State as an ememy of the state in 1922 / 1923 such was his stance on land ownership and property.
The food is rotten inside Celtic Park, never touch the stuff and we need a full change of what is on offer as part of the matchday experience…..that is what Celtic should be looking into and that may raise the revenue to afford living wage.
Christy Moore’s version of ‘Connolly was There’.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WQyZfF6nx7I&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DWQyZfF6nx7I#
Hoops 2-1
To everyone that is fortunate enough to make it to the game
MAKE SOME THUNDER!!!!
It will be a special night.
Everyone else no matter where on the planet you are enjoy the moment, we are 1 of only 32 teams in Europe fortunate enough to be in the mix so savour every second of it.
Hail Hail
oglach
12:42 on 21 October, 2013
—
They are not far wrong, we dont look to be as dangerous up front anymore.
Tomorrow’s game is the classic ‘season defining’ game. Lose and it’s a long haul to next May. Win and itis potentially a catalyst for a great season..
Losing will further diminish our already reduced ability to attracyt decent players and will also pose difficulty imo in tretaining Fraser F, James F, etc.
Winning might just cement our emerging position as EPL springboard club.
Lots to play for …
Hamiltontim
Brilliant!!!
Ajax in 1982
bournesouprecipe,
“Thats the team for me”
Just a question on the “Minimum wage”.Are Celtic responsible for the wages of all employed at Celtic Park?.I thought(rightly or wrongly)that Celtic sub-contracted out most of the work to various firms.I know that the NHS sub-contract out and very few of the companies pay the minimum wage.Ie cleaners,catering etc.Its shameful,but many of these companies prey on the immigrant population to fill their ranks.
Maybe I am off the mark,I dont know,but can anyone tell me?.
Amazed that folk seem to think Celtic, in line with 80% of other employers in the UK haven’t signed up to this that they are suddenly ‘bad employers’ and abusing their workforce !
A huge majority of those working at CP are part time workers who, like my daughter was, are dependent on the extra cash to augment student loans etc. They are paid the rate they would for similar jobs throughout the city.
I am not sure that it necessarily makes Celtic bad employers.
But if people want to believe differently then that is fine !
ROBCFC11. 1254
That was pretty much what I meant by saying that it was a poor topic on which to go against the grain.
I respect everyone’s right to an opinion,but when faced with overwhelming opposition,even I keep schtuum. Sometimes.
Actually,no,I don’t. So,BURNLEY78 can have his say,and we can have ours. That way we all know where we stand.
That seems fair.
If Commons is out for Tuesday night then what line up do we go for?
Fraser
Lustig (god I hope he’s fit!)
Ambrose
Van Dijk
Emilio (hope he’s fit too)
Forrest Mulgrew Ledley Samaras
Stokes
Those 10 players pick themselves which leaves us with a choice between 4 players
Option 1) Pack the midfield and play Kayal,
Option 2) Playing somebody in the Kris Commons number 10 role – Rogic seems the only choice here
Option 3) Play Pukki up front with Stokes
Option 4) Play big Balde up front as a target man with Stokes in the hole behind him
Option 2 or 4 for me…. give Ajax something different to think about and give one of those players the chance to be heroes.
Turkeyb
Therein lies the problem, – most stewarding and nearly all catering is contracted out, and which destroys the supporters doing it for the love of it, myth.
However, Celtic are still accountable, since it’s Celtic, and contracting out leads to problems other than minimum wage.
WG- why was the ole QF against Ajax in 1971 played at Hampden?
To get in a bigger crowd?
Turkeybhoy
13:07 on
21 October, 2013
bournesouprecipe,
“Thats the team for me”
Just a question on the “Minimum wage”.Are Celtic responsible for the wages of all employed at Celtic Park?.
=
In a nutshell yes they are. When tendering for catering etc Celtic can and should stipulate that the succesfull bidder will pay a minimum wage along with a stipulation that there is an index related pay increase structure for workers over the period of the contract. Somehow i think it is probably the cheapest bid with the highest net return for Celtic PLC was accepted. Feck the workers look at the bank balance.
After Fergus took control, I felt for a long time that the staff at the TO were pretty dreadful. I felt that the fact that Celtic were giving employment to people who might not have another chance was more important. I think things in the TO have improved. Certainly, I have more trust in them.
With regard to the catering, the odd time I have used it (very reluctantly), I have found the staff quite friendly. The quality of the said catering, however, leaves a lot to be desired. As for the price…..I thought that we were promised that there would be an improvement this season. Haven’t seen any of that myself.
One other thing: could those provide the paper towels for the toilets in the North Stand possibly replenish them during the first half. There are never any at half-time. Often, in fact, even before the game starts the containers are empty. Basic hygiene.
BURNLEY78
As an example of the benefits to a company of paying a decent rate to its employees,the drivers in my department are paid considerably more than The Living Wage.
I am genuinely struggling to recall the last time one left for another job. I think it was over five years ago. As a result,the department has an excellent record on KPI.
But don’t tell them that-I don’t want them getting above themselves!
Turkeybhoy
13:07 on 21 October, 2013
It’s living wage we’re talking about, not minimum wage.
A lot of the people who are only there on match days are employed by contractors. Celtic can insist though that contractors pay a living wage while staff are at CP.
tonydonnelly67,
Tony,a lot of people on this site are concerned at the wage structure at Celtic Park.If they cant discuss it on here,where else?.So many topics get discussed,not just football.How many posts can we actually make up about Tuesdays game?.What the team should be?.What the score will be?.I think personally that this type of post,done to death is the most boring..
Not having a go at you,but I love this site because of the diversity of topics and opinions.
In saying that,my team for tomorrow would be.Only joking.
winningemmell (12.40), whilst I’m hopeful about our chances of getting a positive result tomorrow night, but about the only thing that is almost guaranteed is the continued decline in attendances for home games against Ajax…
Sack the board!
;o)
The Green Man
12:41 on 21 October, 2013
Ernie Lynch got it right earlier…..Celtic cant pay a living wage….but they can pay PL a big bonus….shocking.
What this Celtic board is going to find out very soon, is that the supporters have a better grasp of morality and compassion than they ever will.
PL hang your head in shame.
I have nothing but contempt for the money grabbing old firm agenda that the board is chasing…I will have no part in it.
The Celtic board have no shame, and are starting to behave like….well, you don’t need me to tell you…its clear
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Does PL work for a living?
If so, is he not then a worker?
Are we saying that the supporters have the right to ask one worker to take a pay cut to pay another?
That is not my understanding of social fairness, in my understanding we are one and should bear the cost as one.
I support the Resolution, but as a matter of personal principle I think that the cost (which is minimal) is something I should contribute to because the cause it is going towards is one I think is right to support.
So I’ll be voting for the resolution but with the readiness to pay for my share of the cost, not expect someone else to bear it totally.
An alternative to supporters agreeing to an uplift to one of the income sources to pay the £120k, (that Phil mentions) is to reduce squad numbers or quality, which might affect results but that would then be a cost we all recognise and are willing to bear to pay a living wage. I doubt £120k would ever be reflected in poorer results, but if it were manifestly so, we would stand proud that as a whole club we put the Brother Walfrid ethos before winning.
Really think that we should be showing the way regards ‘ a living wage’
We should not be perpetuating the master/servant type mentality.
The rhetoric on ‘ The Celtic family’ really does pull on the heart strings but when placed in context of employees rights to a living wage, rings a bit hollow.
Our history, our ethos , our very being opposes the type of thinking that espouses the serf employee.
We are better than that!!
Fancy us strongly tomorrow, cannae wait. It is in the face of adversity and our injury crisis puts us in adversity that we rise to the challenge.
The spirit of 4-2 , David Marshall/John Kennedy at the Nou Camp will see us through.
Hail Hail
“Due to renovation work at Celtic Park, the return leg, played on this day in 1971, was re-scheduled at Hampden Park, where a crowd of 83,684 turned up on a fine evening. ”
The Board CSC
DubaiBhoy (nee LondonBhoy)
I’d be inclined to go with option 4 myself as Stokes is second only to Commons on setting up goals, but whether you go with Balde or Pukki as the lone striker is the question.
Burnley78
13:08 on 21 October, 2013
‘Amazed that folk seem to think Celtic, in line with 80% of other employers in the UK haven’t signed up to this that they are suddenly ‘bad employers’ and abusing their workforce !’
####
For most of us the relationship we have with the Club is different to the relationship we have with the ‘80% of other employers in the UK’ who haven’t signed up to the Living Wage.
Crazy, I know, but that’s just how it is.
Any chance of a spare ticket for tonight?
If you can help please email me at mickredsun@gmail.com
Dontbrattbakkinanger
13:16 on 21 October, 2013
“WG- why was the ole QF against Ajax in 1971 played at Hampden?
To get in a bigger crowd?”
It may be because the “new” Rangers end had not been completed.
It was certainly still flattened in 1970 (hence the Leeds game at Hampden).
My dad was the site agent on that job and quite frequently he was asked by Celtic supporters if he could possibly ensure that the concrete was not poured properly or if the structure could in some other way be rendered unsafe…..not fully tongue in cheek either.
Stokes need to step up tomorrow. Time to Shine on the big stage.
Ernie,Bournesrecipe,
Thanks for the reply.