I assume none of us knew Stuart Armstrong has been playing with a hernia problem? Stuart’s form has been below that of last season, but whereas others carrying an injury would raise the white flag, he’s made himself available to the manager.
Much was, therefore, said and written about him which was grossly unfair. As we know, footballers are not machines, even brilliant ones.
I know I’m not alone in being irritated by “the greatest league in the world” guff we so often have to endure, in particular from the (England and Wales) Premier League main broadcaster, Sky Sports. It was brought to my attention this morning that European Champions, Real Madrid, are three points closer to relegation than the top of the table.
Juventus are the only non-La Liga team to reach a Champions League final in the last four seasons, having done so twice. Even in current form, Real are one of the most dangerous teams in the history of the game, but the technical brilliance of La Liga is such that any vulnerabilities are exposed.
If only we were part of that guff to the south, but the game there is as relevant to football as pantomime is to the theatre (Oh yes it is). The game’s brilliance resides in Spain.
NEW CQN PODCAST OUT NOW FEATURING TOMMY SHERIDAN
A Celtic State of Mind presents its 30th instalment of insightful discussion around the culture of Celtic Football Club, the city of Glasgow, and fans of the reigning treble-winning Scottish champions.
Kevin Graham is joined by Scotty Alcroft to interview Scottish pro-independence politician, Tommy Sheridan, at The Penalty Spot in Glasgow.
The interview took place as part of A Celtic State of Mind’s first live event – Five-a-sides at The Penalty Spot – and, as such, there is some background noise (including mobile interference – apologies) from the audience.
The other voice you may hear throughout this episode is that of former Celtic striker, Frank McGarvey, who is a friend of Tommy’s, and who was also interviewed separately that day for a future show.
You are sure to enjoy Tommy’s eclectic input, as he discusses everything from Catalan independence to Coolio, with a constant undercurrent of that thing called Celtic.
Order Jim Craig’s new Lisbon Lion Diary – Right Back to 67 from CQNBookstore.co.uk and you will receive a signed copy from the man himself plus a FREE copy of That Season in Paradise – Ten Months of Celtic Heaven signed by fellow Lisbon Lion Bertie Auld! Simply order Jim Craig – Right Back to 67 and the second book will be sent automatically. Stocks are running very low so hurry!
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Hoops
Should have been whoops
Aye watching the greatest league the world has ever seen has become tedious…
Roll on Saturday
With the size of squad we have, surely Armstrong’s injury should have been sorted months ago….
Bognorbhoy, You are Frank Marker and I claim my five pounds :-)
P67, I live in England, my local has every televised game going. A few yeas ago you could guarantee a good attendance on match nights, especially if Man U/citeh, Liverpool, Chelsea were playing. I called in Monday night,Man U v Stoke, place was empty. The bubble has burst.
Still zonked
beautiful, beautiful meds
……..zzzzzzzz
TEUCHTER ÁR LÁ on 18TH JANUARY 2018 12:09 PM
“Cross That Palm When We Come To It,”
Wonder if Stuart Armstrong will be back for the Hibhernian game?
A KDS subscriber asked for any info on SFA investigation.
This is where matters stand based on Lunny’s explanation of Comp Off role and SFA requesting a document.
http://kerrydalestreet.co.uk/single/?p=30716392&t=9124931
Ok just revisited public eye there…
Some episode titles..
You Have To Draw the Line Somewhere
You Can Keep The Medal
But What Good Will The Truth Do
Honesty Is The Best Policy – But Who Can Afford The Premiums?
It’s Learning About The Lies That Hurts
There’s No Future In Monkey Business”
Morning Kev, Hope you are well mate.
The Liverpool v Man City game was the only one I have enjoyed in recent memory. Most of them I either don’t watch or turn off after 10 minutes of boredom.
There’s more . ;-)
Don’t you just hate when posters repeatedly repeat a point of view day in and day oot.
Never an original thought, just the same tripe day in and day oot.
Repeatedly repeating rubbish or as I now call it the 3 r’s.
The 3r’s wholly responsible for boring the rest of the blog, seems to be the same chaps are on after a defeat or draw with much glee.
Boo to the 3R’S
Wind up merchants —- trolls—- or just plain nuts.??? Or maybe all 3 .
Received a nice Thank You card today from Agnes Johnstone who wishes to thank CQNers for the gifts we sent before Christmas to her and indeed all the Lisbon Lions ladies.
Divide and Conquer
Who Wants to Be Told Bad News
Shades of White
Bankrupt
Nobody Wants To Know
What’s To Become Of Us?
Hard Times
It’s almost like someone could see the future
Why are Pirates called Pirates?
Because they arrr.
Coat.
TWC- Nice touch.
I have now received replies from all eight Inverclyde/West of Scotland MSPs, Neil Bibby, Maurice Corry, Maurice Golden, Jamie Green, Ross Greer, and Mary Fee will vote to amend or repeal the OBAF Act, Ken McIntosh as Presiding Officer abstains from voting in the Parliament. That only leaves Inverclyde’s SNP MSP, Stuart McMillan who will toe the party line and of course vote to retain the Act.
Bognorbhoy
Are you suggesting that Frank Marker sat on the Hunclub board under John Lawrence…..Surely not? :-)
Barney67
that made me laugh, just like you did yesterday.
HH
Work beckons, Aff oot.
This, from Auldheid`s link at 12:16, shows that. although we are not receiving the instant gratification we would like, the search for justice continues. It IS a slow process but it is still going ahead.
” last week the Res12 lawyer was asked to provide to the SFA a copy of a letter the SFA don’t have that is proof of a key point, where a breach of FFP may have occured before UEFA were notified of the clubs who were granted a licence.
JJ
Who would win a fight between Bananarama and Fun Bhoy Three?
There’s guff in the lower end of La Liga, Paul. As in any league.
I think the Bundesliga is most entertaining. Depends what you are looking for though.
Bognorbhoy
Great theme tune Public Eye had. Used to be allowed to watch it as a treat though I mind get carted off to bed with an episode that had Susan Penhaligon in it – still do not know what happened.
Jimbo67
Bad news about Rogic being out a bit longer. Assuming Christie can’t return, I would like to see us switch to a 4-3-3 with McGregor playing deeper and the front three closer together.
GK: Gordon, De Vries, Hazard (U20)
RB: Lustig, Gamboa (injured), Ralston (injured)
CB: Simunovic, Boyata, Ajer, Compper (injured),
LB: Tierney, Miller (U20 & Injured)
CM: Bitton, Brown, Armstrong (injured), Ntcham, Kouassi
RM: Roberts (injured), Hayes (injured), Forrest
LM: Sinclair
10: Rogic (injured), McGregor
ST: Dembele, Griffiths (injured), Edouard
26 players 2 of which are probably still classed as (U20’s) with 9 injuries
That looks THIN
2 replies to the e-mail regarding the OBAFTCA, Richard Leonard and Mark Griffin, both say they will vote to repeal the act.
S1916- Miller and Johnston been used this season, but i see what you mean.If Jack Hendry is signing, keep him instead of loaning him back.
SeanP1916
The scientific approach and detail to fitness is such that I accept that the professionals know what they are doing. Even so,9 of 26 injured does not feel like it can be put down purely to bad luck.
Confused.
JJ
It’s a bit of a false economy though because if we were to go out and buy to fill gaps within a couple of months the squad would look really bloated and there will most likely be fewer games to play than we have had in the first part of the season. It’s a real balance, I think the manager is pretty much dammed if he does and dammed if he doesn’t.
We need to strengthen and bring in cover.
Cover should be easy…just cherry pick spfl get in John McGinn and Hendry from Dundee.
I anticipate last day action for the player or two who might improve the team. We need to pick the scraps from down south and offer the proverbial stepping stone and European experience. We have the form for developing players now. It must be well known so there will be guys who will come with a point to prove …even if we are not their first choice.
Im not keen on too many £3m 30 yr plus players. Perhaps centre mid Kompper but no more.
Guys who will impact this year Ncham Ajer Ralston….hopefully Christie. He deserves a chance.
One possible solution is to look at the players who are injured and buy a replacement for them (hopefully of a higher quality). By doing this you are effectively writing that player off and would have to punt them in the summer.
Risky strategy??? I think so!
MIKE IN TORONTO on17TH JANUARY 2018 11:27 PM
You asked a question regarding The Boards input to the Five Way Agreement.
How many folk have seen that agreement or a draft of what is believed to be the final version?
Doing so would enhance and inform any discussion.
For example two easy observations.
It names the parties to the agreement. Celtic are not named.
The SP(F)L were a party and they would be the mouthpiece for all clubs. Thus Celtic’s view would represent only Celtic’s interest as would the view of all clubs and a consensus decision taken.
That decision would be based on a fear that some clubs would have more than others of the impact on them of no agreement. So whilst Celtic, who made it clear they can stand alone, might have expressed reservations, these would be lost in a final vote.
It is also interesting that the basis of the same club debate is the introduction in the 5 Way of the concept of an owner separate from the club. That concept was based on a change in SPL rules in 2005 and was introduced not to confer immortality, but to let SFA fine Romanov and deal with a situation at Brechin (from memory) who had such an “owner” arrangement.
Doncaster and McKenzie would be behind that new interpretation and significantly only Doncaster alone has said RFC and TRFC are the same club.
UEFA have said otherwise based on their rules designed to protect the integrity of UEFA competition.
Out of fear, integrity was abandoned by the SPL clubs. It matters not whether Celtic opposed the same club notion ( if they were even aware of what this hijacking of a rule would lead to) they would only be one voice voting against.
That is not to say Celtic were not in favour of the agreement but in their position they would have to judge the benefit of making their view public against the futility of it changing other clubs’ decisions.
One of the fears of other clubs would be Green pulling out of the deal which gave him some leverage.
Green wanted a transfer of RFC’S SFA Full Membership to TRFC as part of the agreement. That was not necessary to concede to as the normal path from Registered Membership to Associate Membership to Full Membership was the normal alternative.
Green (Sevco) and the other parties (RFC/SFA/SPL/SFL) would not be blind to the commercial benefits of the appearance of continuity or the outcry from fans of other clubs, but if Green made it a deal breaker, again fear of the short term consequences led to acceptance of Sevco’s request for membership transfer and again Celtic would be a lone voice against.
In that 5 Way Agreement Scottish football was turned into a franchise whether they realised it or not and the consequences of that will only emerge long term.
However one short term consequence might be TRFC’s inability to get credit via a recognised bank. I mean who would want to loan money to a company that loaned it to a club they owned to generate the income to repay if failure to do so had no consequences for the company or club and left the bank with unpaid debt?
There is a blog somewhere covering the Birth of a Myth that looks at some of the above.
I think that before any judgement is made against Celtic in terms of the 5 Way, folk should take the context of the time, the parties involved, the voting structures and the politics of fear into account before passing judgement.
Ethics are essential but they come at a price whether they are upheld or dumped.
The 5 Way dumped them, discontent and mistrust is the price. If that starts to impact on commercial value then the dynamic changes but with crowds up some would say ethics have no value at all, which is the saddest bit of this little corner of Armageddon.
Mike in Toronto
Whilst my previous was addressed to you I’m hoping it is a subject others might take up in the interest of a general improved understanding of what was involved (as I see it based on what I’ve read of the 5 Way).
The blog that looks at some of the different aspects is at
https://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/neil-doncaster-and-the-birth-of-monster-myths/ and if anyone scrolls down to the bottom they can read how the 5 Way defined the outfit based at Ibrox.
we seem to have a lot of players injured following winter break , are we pushing them to hard during these sessions , only saying and causing needless lengthy spells out?