Football in Glasgow is a zero-sum game

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They come and go, some kiss the badge, they all talk about how great the fans are.  Of all those who played with Celtic in recent years, it was Christopher Jullien, in a private moment, who asked, “Why would anyone want to leave Celtic?”  At the age of 26, he found his paradise.

We rated him not for what he said in private, but for his performances on the field.  He was the most dominant central defender Celtic had since Virgil van Dijk departed four years earlier.  It was his head, chest, leg, on the ball, when we were under pressure.  He could then pass the ball out of defence with both feet.

Of all the glories during our second nine-in-a-row years and the Quadruple Treble, the 2019 League Cup Final holds a special place.  Celtic were on the rack throughout; with an inspired keeper, Christopher holding the defensive line and scoring the winning goal, the win felt so much sweeter.

His 89th minute winner against Lazio was a perfect example of his aerial dominance.  Celtic were a shambles a year later, when he collided with a post at an empty Celtic Park, but they were not yet out of touch.  Had he remained fit, who knows?  As it was, the shambles continued.

Chirstopher’s exclusion from action on return from injury was down to team tactics.  Ange wants his central defenders wide, leaving them plenty of ground to cover, in the event of a breakaway attack.  This is not Chris’ forte, it wouldn’t work.

Best of luck, Chris, don’t be a stranger.

Ignore it all you like, but the most important game of the season in Scottish football takes place tonight.  It will determine the competitive balance, perhaps beyond even this season.  Football in Glasgow is a zero-sum game.

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  1. Iljasb

     

     

    Please, dont even begin to compare both supports as similar. That’s as big an insult as saying Celtic also defrauded the taxman for 140m.

  2. Saw about 5 minutes of that game early in the match, then watched bodo, it was clear eindhoven hadn’t the pace or willingness to attack sevco, space all over the pitch and zero pressing, whether they thought it would be easy or not who knows, shocking performance in a match where 1 goal was needed.

     

    This victory was masterminded by gvb who after Saturday many of the mob were shouting for his sacking, a guy who worked at feyenoord and was sacked.I think Dutch football is seriously over rated but accept ajax at times can put a good team together then flog it off, sevco will now spend of that I have no doubt.

  3. Daft question. Doesn’t the fact that us and now (I’m sorry to say) the huns are in the champions league, make it harder to boost the coefficient? I mean on the basis that we would be more likely to accumulate points in the Europa. Similarly, hearts would be more likely, in the conference. Or does being in the higher ranked tournament boost it some other way?

     

    It’s an amazing how one mistake can effect so much. Fat Charlie would have been shafted had they gone out last night. Van Bronckhorst would be under pressure and of course we’d be facing a weakened rival (well now they can spend their own money).

     

    Back to concentrating on how and what we do ourselves (which isn’t going too badly).

  4. Let’s be honest, they’re a decent team who know how to compete in big games, that lends itself to cup competitions and derbies. My main concern this morning is the rescheduling of our league games, now we are both playing in the same competition someone is going to get the shitey end of the fixture stick!

  5. An T

     

     

    Thanks for sharing the McTaggart lecture. Really refreshing and really very inspiring to hear Emily speak so well and honestly from the heart.

     

     

    If she was running for PM she would have my vote in an instant. Integrity CSC.

  6. Normally CL draw feels like Xmas day about to unwrap my presents.

     

     

    Today it feels like the same only I have been told to share them with a horrible new neighbour who is a nasty piece of work. And he might get the better pressies.

  7. Bhoyjoebelfast on

    Media sports news (Scotland) probable headlines.’

     

    ‘Gers sail through to champs draw.N

     

    ‘Colak and dagger’ style performance from brave warriors.

     

    Gio plots Dutch victory.

     

    Night of joy for Ibrox battlers.

     

     

    ●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●

     

    Now:

     

    Howler gives Scots victory.

     

    PSV under perform and hand tie to Scots.

     

    RVN slams ‘weak’ performance.

     

    Which???

  8. Tom McLaughlin on

    I was at the Theatre last night and got back very late so just read back this morning.

     

     

    442 Park the Bus has destroyed CQN and has been allowed to do so wirh impunity.

     

     

    I’ve had enough.

     

     

    I don’t do social media to avoid that sort of madness and don’t expect to have to suffer it on an otherwise excellent Celtic blog.

     

     

    I have no problem with people I disagree with politically, but the constant and repetitive conspiracy nonsense, and being daily mocked as a ‘dim tim’ has done it for me.

     

     

    I have better things to do with my time.

  9. The concern has to be that the huns dull but pragmatic style of football is more likely to succeed in Europe than Celtic’s idealistic and more entertaining style.

  10. With the recent sales and the qualifying for the CL will

     

    The people/investors be circling Ibrox looking for a payout.

     

     

    Looking forward to the draw

     

    regardless who we get….CL nights under the lights, Zadoc blasting out, the atmosphere we create inside the ground. Can’t wait.

     

    💚🤍💛

  11. Bhoyjoebelfast on

    Scully:

     

    “Off as well” meaning, are you finished with CQN or taking morning leave?

  12. AN TEARMANN on 25TH AUGUST 2022 2:31 AM

     

    ‘Full Emily Maitlis lecture from Edinburgh from 13.20 in.’

     

     

     

    ###

     

     

    This Emily Maitlis?

     

    https://twitter.com/i/status/1248150551788912641

     

     

    I heard a play on Radio Four once written by that Alexi Sayle.

     

     

    One of the characters was a street walking prostitute who (from memory) was described as being ‘dressed like a Newsnight presenter’.

     

     

    I wonder who he had in mind?

  13. 442 PARK THE BUS on 25TH AUGUST 2022 2:36 AM

     

     

    Mate season ticket holders don’t pay 52 pounds to play sevco they pay x amount to see 19 home games of which sevco make up 2. You might know that if you bothered to get a season ticket and as you say there are over 50000 of them. When i see sevco I know they are not rangers and that is just a legal fact. Otherwise they would have to find 150 million to pay back the tax man etc. All the cunts saying let’s move on do so cause they know any logical discussion will lead to them looking stupid.

     

     

    When a lion kills a zebra and another one appears in the same place looking stupid as fuck and as useless as the last one, does the lion just leave it alone and pretend it’s not actually real. Of course not, does the lion think its the same animal as before cause it looks and acts like the one caught and killed earlier, of course not the lion not stupid.

     

     

    A massive number of sevco supporters are stupid, racists, anti irish Catholic scumbags that travel the length and breath of Scotland singing hateful and grotesque song and perpetrate violence based on that hate. It was never gonna take much for celtic supporters to find themselves hating sevco as much as we hated rangers. Much like the lion we know rangers died. It was the Lisbon lions that killed them

     

     

    HH

  14. Ernie – Que Sera, Sera, whatever will be, will be.

     

    We are in the CL on merit, so are they. The qualifiers are never easy, as we know. We’ve lost to teams a lot poorer than PSV.

     

    Looking ahead, we are capable of getting 1-2 good results at home, that could be draws or wins. I would fancy them to do likewise. Away from home, a complete lottery. Both us and them will be underdogs in every game, a couple of heavy defeats would not surprise anyone. Cavalier Ange or Pragmatic GVB ? Only time will tell.

     

     

    Last night was a game changer for their balance sheet, that’s for sure. They can look forward to at least 12 months of being able to actually afford what they habitually spend.

  15. I hate to say it but yes Kev under a 100 different monikers over the years is destroying the Blog and curiously neither Paul or the Mod seem too bothered,

     

    Sentinel Celts kicked him out & their Blog has gone from strength to strength.

     

    If Tom & Scullybhoy do go permanently they will be a huge loss.

     

     

    Re the Football, I can’t pretend that the Huns don’t bother me, of course they do,

     

    I will watch their CL matches and enjoy it when they do get gubbed and will be disappointed big time if they don’t,

     

    However the Huns are just a side show the main event for me is and always will be Celtic.

     

    I am extremely pleased with progress under Ange to date,

     

    It’s early season nothing won or lost but I’m looking forward to a great Celtic Season with total confidence,

  16. Sead Haksabanovic was a flop singing at Rubin Kazan. He is not a good signing for Celtic either. One of the reasons of that he disappears in close contact game.

  17. Guys,

     

     

    There are two ways to look at money.

     

     

    The hun train of thought : Money is worthless until you spend it

     

     

    Our train of thought. Keep money in the bank for a rainy day ( eg Covid ) and let prudence be our guide.

     

     

    One is moral and fiscally correct, the other is reckless.

     

    What strategy will prevail. ?

     

     

    One thing is for sure, we are not like them and we are half of nothing.

     

     

    HH.

  18. I do wish everyone would stop acknowledging the multi monikered fellow. It only encourages.

     

     

    He is what he is. Ignoring him if you want to is easy.

     

     

    Every now and then he says something interesting and relevant but for me it was lost in the garbage a long time ago and so I ignore them all. The £49 crap is just rubbish like Mark McGhee.

     

     

    Please just ignore. No one is being mocked.

  19. ZBYSZEK – if true, I assume our manager thinks the player can adapt as required. The days of signing wispy wingers who disappear when the wind blows are hopefully over.

  20. DENIABHOY on 25TH AUGUST 2022 9:30 AM

     

     

     

     

    ‘Both us and them will be underdogs in every game’

     

     

    ##

     

     

    Which is why I think their more rudimentary, down and dirty style of football might be more effective. It’s rotten to watch but it’s more difficult for skilful teams to deal with.

  21. It disappointment me when decent posters leave the Blog because of the likes of Mad Mitch and Even Madder Kev.

     

    I cannot remember the last time I read a post from either of those two.

     

    I find MOST other posters somewhere between bearable and excellent. A couple of guys who ADD to the quality of the blog have indicated their departure today. They MUST realsie that that just increases the percentages in favour of the spoilers.

     

    Think again, Bhoys. As has so often been said: JUST SCROLL BY.

     

    Also, it is obviously up to others if they wish to respond to the strange guys but I would ask them to at least consider the possibility that that only encourages them to keep posting and, in so doing, lowers the quality of the Blog.

  22. “DENIABHOY on 25TH AUGUST 2022 9:30 AM

     

    ‘Both us and them will be underdogs in every game’”

     

     

    Probably true …..but I don`t expect Ange`s set up to reflect that opinion !!

  23. Manipulation / external influences in football — where to look / how would it shape up?

     

     

    We win the league / TFOD2.1 make it into Europe — just what the “doctor” ordered?

     

    It definitely suits the “OF” acolytes of which there have been many on the club board.

     

    The irony is that our friends in Govan doing well means more pressure on our board.

     

    Ball had started rolling with our terrible knock out stage form and their crawl to Seville.

     

     

    Last night’s result brought back memories of the Malmo manager.

     

    His comments 12 months ago about the TFOD2.1 needing the CL money.

     

    Always seemed strange that he was so up to speed regarding them.

     

    Lots of clubs need money — very / very rarely does the opposition mention it.

     

    Unless “money chat” was swirling around him / the squad / the club.

     

    He knew them too well — and you have to ask how / why?

     

     

    If you are starving then you will turn any trick to survive.

     

    Are “TFOD2.1” starving now / then — and what would hunger drive them to do?

     

     

    For me — too much money in football / games can be played / angles worked.

     

    After last night — the “OF” are winning all ends up.

     

     

    One final angle to be played — the group draw.

     

    TFOD2.1 will want two big names and someone they can engage with.

     

    On and off the park.

  24. My dream draw:

     

     

    Frankfurt (weak), Sevilla (trip to Seville), Sporting (Lisbon trip) , Celtic- not too hard, avoid BoB hassle and nostalgia

     

     

    PSG (bursting to do well, crap city for footie trip), Juventus (pragmatic team to match huns, expensive trip), Shaktar (nightmare trip and Ukraine nationalism bounce), Huns – hard games and no cheap bevvy up in England with fells right wingers

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