Emenike, Ashley and only Montrose

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I suppose we should start by heading the warning from Sevconian under-performer, Ian Black, who suggested that the Third Division is harder than the SPL.  By this logic, Second Division Arbroath will terrify the life out of the Celtic defence ahead of their Scottish Cup tie tomorrow, they did, after all, put three goals past Inverurie Locos in the Third Round tie, and again in the replay.

Only Montrose

Having previously experienced the delights of Brechin, Forfar and the Dundee clubs, after tomorrow, the only Tayside club I will not have seen will be Montrose.  These opportunities don’t come around often enough!

In all seriousness, Second and Third Division football is not difficult, it is essentially Keep Fit on the cheap.  Celtic must deal with the sincere endeavour of their opponents while giving an opportunity for several fringe players to grace Celtic Park.

With our midfield already stretched by injury and suspension ahead of the Spartak game, Neil Lennon will want to guard this area of the team in particular.  Spartak play their last game before heading to Glasgow tonight, at home to Zenit, who sit five points about them after 17 games.  This is a huge game for Spartak and interim manager Valery Karpin, who will either succeed as interim, and be made permanent boss, or to fail and to also lose his general manager position.

Unusually for the Champions League, they have five days to recover before facing Celtic, a game Karpin is keen to win.  Celtic will technically only have four days rest but the bulk of players likely to play in midweek will surely be rested tomorrow.

Spartak will be without striker Welliton, who travelled to Germany for an operation this week.  Emmanuel Emenike, who scored twice against Celtic last month, is likely to lead the line.  Emenike is a penalty box striker who is more than capable of exploiting gaps in the Celtic box.  Karpin may instead opt to play target-man Artyom Dzuba as a sole striker.  Dzuba is not a prodigious goal-scorer but he is able to hold play up and bring others into the game.

I loved media suggestions today that Sports Direct have a fight on their hands from other firms if they want their brand used to rename Ibrox.  You have to admire the intellectual endeavour that goes into news coverage in this country.  Sports Direct area THE key business partner for The Rangers.  The only issue open to question is how much skin they are in the game for and what they get in return.  Remember this when you’re buying sports kit for Christmas!

Unlike the CQN Annual, the perfect Christmas present, available here and not found in any Sports Direct store.

Lower league clubs will all surely be quaking in their boots at the news The Rangers will not only bring in well over £20m in a share issue, but could also earn countless riches from stadium naming rights.  The leaked IPO PowerPoint presentation suggested the Offer for Subscription would commence on Monday. I am sure it is on-plan.

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  1. TMWTL

     

     

    18:48

     

     

    Not sure you are right.

     

    I guess Karpin aka Hamlet will tell them today: look what team I got from Emeri? We have plenty work to do. We saw good signs but we need to work harder.

  2. Zbyszek

     

     

    Karpin appointed Emery. He also had a hand in appointing Michael Laudrup (another disastrous appointment)

     

     

    He will have to produce two great results against Celtic + Rubin to save his hide

     

     

    As is said earlier, this is a club at war with itself. It needs a total clearout. They want a ‘dictator’ now a la Oleg Romantsev

     

     

    Karpin’s days are numbered unless he conducts a remarkable turnaround

  3. I can remember the evening: driving up to Jeanster in EK OK when on Radio 1 some DJ started playing Leave Home…I blurted out “it’s like hip-hop…only better” :-)

     

     

    HappydaysCSC

  4. Estadio Nacional on

    The width of Tsvetnoy Boulevard, Moscow has been measured at 12.783m wide at latest measurement.

     

     

    Argyle Street on a good day has been known to reach 14.38926m wide.

     

     

     

    Stick somebodies mortgage on us on Wednesday 4/7 its an absolute cert.

  5. TMWTL

     

     

    I know what you mean and could agree with you. I meant to say : what is obvious , it’s not easy to happen there.

     

    Leonid Fedun trusts Karpin in full. They are very good friends.

  6. sixtaeseven: CQN, antidote to deceptive, selective journalism on

    Stairheedrammy

     

     

    is that 47 in metrics units or auld money?

     

    ;o)

  7. They don’t even care about attendance.

     

    Spartak average league games attendance this season is circa 18 000 fans. You know how much they spend on transfers and wages.

  8. JimmyQuinnsBits on

    Sainsburys doing an Old Vine Garnacha 2011

     

     

    Go an get some, crackin wine at £5 a bottle

     

     

    Only if u like em big and meaty

  9. Jimmyquinnsbits

     

     

    Sainsburys doing magic deal on Italian reds at the moment ..

     

     

    I’ll try some of your recommendation next time I’m in

  10. Zbyszek

     

     

    Fedun + he are close, but fingers are being pointed in Moscow now and LF will make sure they aren’t at him

     

     

    PFayr

     

     

    I’m sure he doesn’t want the managers job but it is his own position that is under threat. People are now thinking that Karpin is part of the overall malaise at the club

  11. Need a bit of Help Bhoys.

     

    My son is hinting at an iphone5 for xmas. He does’nt text or use his current phone much, so minutes and texts are not a problem just the amount of Data.

     

    Is 1 or 2 gb of data enough allowance for a month, or should I try for unlimited data?

     

    Also unsure of getting 16mb or 32mb version.

     

     

    I have got unrestricted use of my company phone, so really do not know about the allowances available elsewhere.

     

     

    Thanks in advance for any thoughts and tips.

     

     

    HH

  12. Taking my youngest to her first visit to Paradise tomorrow.

     

     

    So I’d like to ask that you all refrain from drunkenness, bad language outward displays of aggression just until I’ve got her safely back in the car.

     

     

    Many thanks…..

  13. TMWTL

     

     

    I just checked Spartak fans website. You might be right there with Karpin’s days are counted.

     

    Spartak crowd tried to attack Spartak players bus. Police in action.

  14. In the spirit of not giving your opponents dressing room wallpaper I though the Spartak side were a credit to their fans, manager and fully justified their vastly inflated wages where the life expectancy of a man is 58. Keep it up lads, terrific work. One more effort like that and they’ll have European football to look forward to after Christmas (with another team if lucky) ;-)

  15. HT –

     

     

    aahhh I remember the days. When I took my youngest to his first game (v Aberdeen) many years ago he was taken aback. with the singing and, much to my surprise, asked “Can I start a song?”. “Of course, son” I replied. 10 minutes followed without a sound. Then suddenly and without warning he bellowed out “Aberdeen…Aberdeen..canny kick a jelly bean, Rangers cannie kick the baw…Celtic are the best of all…”. Got a decent, polite round of applause from those nearby by which time I was cowering under my seat!

     

     

    Enjoy your (her) big day.

     

     

    Jobo

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