What a football fan wants most from the World Cup final is a clear and worthy winner. Instead, there is a feeling that everything that could have gone wrong for Croatia, did so. They attacked more, were on the receiving end of a very unfortunate penalty, put the ball into their own net and will forever live with the sense of what could have been.
France eased their way to the trophy throughout the tournament without being spectacular. Their 2-0 quarter-final win over Uruguay and yesterdays’ final were the only occasions they won a game by more than a single goal.
The more interesting element of France’s development as a football powerhouse is what didn’t happen at Russia. The legacy of Guy Roux, who educated the nation on how to develop natural young talent into tier one achievers, fills every top league in Europe today. Celtic’s young Les Bleus are a remarkable example of this.
The win will turn the spotlight onto French football, as a consequence, following up on the signing of Dembele, Ntcham and Eduard will be more difficult. Let’s hope that the wealthy in England are fully focussed on taking advantage of the obvious superiority of the English academy system.
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Roll on Wednesday..
Young Hoops in Full Flight
Gorralaff…
Seems the huns are “Going for 54” off the park,even as they try for 55-or 1-on the park!
Honestly,clueless and dysfunctional doesn’t even start to describe them.
https://thecelticblog.com/2018/07/blogs/the-incredible-statistics-that-reveal-the-total-dysfunctionality-at-ibrox/
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS
I’m okay with loans if we’re developing a player, it’s good for them to play regularly and also if we can’t sell a player better he plays than languishes in our reserves.
Ryan Christie is one example, looks a very talented boy but I remain unconvinced of his future at Celtic???
Holiday time here Mick the village is empty which puts a smile on ma coupon:))
We’re good thank you mate and I wish you continued health and enjoyment watching the Hoops!
HH
Ryan Christie is a very good player but unfortunately not good enough to be a first or second pick as a midfielder or just behind the striker in our team. Scott Alan again is good but not good enough. We should take the money for them and let them go – they will both have good careers elsewhere.
BSR
Agree on Johnstons finish though – I hope he buckles down and learns his trade as I feel he’s a goodun’
http://celticbynumberscom.ipage.com/alashkert-whit-they-like/
First article of the new season looks at Champions League Qualification opponents Alashkert and considers how they compare to our usual opponents.
Includes some stand out numbers from the French Bhoys
STARRYPLOUGH
Ryan Christie is probably the catalyst for my viewpoint. Yes,he became a Scottish internationalist at Aberdeen while on loan,but I think he is the main target of BR’s barb about weight and condition.
I think he has the talent,but he has to convince the manager.
I also take TURKEYBHOY’s point about Callum McGregor and Kris Ajer. But that’s two successes in six or seven years.
Fantastic successes,mind!
Enjoy living in yer own wee Marie Celeste…
HH
WITS finished that book send an address to appingary@aol.com and I will forward it.
Word of The Day
Lollop (lol-uh p)
verb (intr) mainly British
1. to walk or run with a clumsy or relaxed bouncing movement
2. a less common word for lounge
Word Origin
C18: probably from loll + -op as in gallop, to emphasize the contrast in meaning
KTF
It’s been nearly 3 weeks since the JPDT met to consider the non compliance charges levelled at Rangers.
E Tims are suggesting why at
http://etims.net/?p=13151 .
Phil reckons it’s a slam dunk but the People of the Lie don’t know when they are lieing but the truth has to prevail or we are living a lie.
Living in France these days, so quite please for Les Bleus to lift the trophy (although would’ve preferred Croatia). However, when you see Giroud’s striking record 0 goals / 0 shots on target, it makes the French selection focus on our striking duo interesting.
Mind you, when you see the list of players that didn’t go to the WC with France:-
Benzema
Maritial
Payet
Lacazette
Koscielny
Ben Yedder
Coman
Rabiot
Zouma
Laporte
Bkakyoko
Gameiro
Lenglet
Kurzawa
Digne
…. it shows the depth of squad they could have. Any willing to take Ntcham to be the first of the three to get a full cap?
Riskorrie
Add Moussa, Edouard & Ncham to that list :-)
Turkeybhoy @ 11.36…you nailed the hit on the head–continuity is the key! And Brendan says he wants to strengthen the team yet again…of course Europe will be the yardstick, it always will be for us, but I sense something spectacular in this season’s SPFL..Steegie Vee arriving at the future Asda site has given BR a wee bit extra incentive to do the biz…cheeky pupil trying to usurp the master…nae chance! Goals galore this time round…park the bus? We dare you!!!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Qw-IeqBylDk
Try this link.
http://etims.net/?p=13151
I’d have preferred a Belgium or Croatia win, but I’m not too unhappy with France winning it.
They definitely got lucky with the calls for their first two goals in the final, but they did really well to come through Argentina, Uruguay, Belgium and Croatia in the knockout stages.
Some top quality individuals, but always played with a good team ethic, strong in every department and varied their tactics to suit the opposition.
Worthy winners in my opinion.
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS
I think Brendan will be very clear with Ryan this summer one way or another.
On another note Brendan does seem to have took a wee shine to Scott Allen??? Just my impression from seeing Brendan arm round the shoulder talking to him kind thing??
HH
I would like Croatia to have won and give smaller countries a belief that in football size isn’t everything.
Shows what can be done when a country is united when it comes to football and how football in turn can unite a country.
Or in Scotland’s case fragment it.
We have a long way to go off and on the park.
BMCUW, have you recovered from your birthday celebrations bobby,do you think ryan will go out on loan.
STARRYPLOUGH
I think Brendan wants players to conform to his rules,especially regarding fitness and formation. If you do that,he will give you a chance to prove yourself on the pitch.
I don’t think SA was really given a chance,any more than Saidy Janko,for instance. I’d be happy for him to get that chance now,even as back-up.
We need a squad,not just a team. Not that anyone on here needs reminded of that! But-if Brendan gives Scott a route into the first team,it provides hope for all the other players who thought they were hitting a brick wall.
I think it’s a great piece of psychology from him.
Och! Stoap it, you lot!!!!
Great to see the rainbow flag on Saturday! Let’s see more of them and French ones as well…yes, redwhiteandblue…put them up on KevJ’s jungle roof for the whole world to see!!!
Keep it lit sir!…
AULDHEID
Sounds promising, let’s hope so:)
Been a long time in the making!
HH
BIGPACKY
Aye,mate. Thanks for asking but never had a hangover in my life.
Certainly worked on it on Saturday,mind!
Thankfully,it only comes round once every seven years. I’ve decided only to celebrate the ones that fall on a Saturday.
Means I’ll have to delay my pension,so might have to rethink that plan.
How’s trix in your part of the world?
Croatia won the battle of stats except where it counted which was shots on target and goals.
They had lots of pretty possession but lack potency and forward movement.
France got lucky with the foul for first goal and penalty which i felt wasn’t.
They are a very talented team of players who had a pragmatic and cautious approach.
I wished they had played more expansively but they did what they set out to do at the beginning of the Tournament.
Although Croatia had more actual shots France had more on target.
Not surprised at this as Croatia’s square passing game allowed France to set up defensively and reduce them to hopeful efforts.
In the second half Croatia never really threatened and only a Loris howler gave them a glimmer of hope.
Pragmatism over pretty possession was the winner at this World cup.
AULDHEID,
What I heard was that Croatia managed to get to the final in spite of their governing body being an absolute shambles.
BMCUW, ok here bobby on holiday today,but guess what its bliddy raining here in deepest Cheshire.
Micky Johnston to St Mirren makes a lot of sense.
They have a Lewis Morgan shaped hole in that team and Mickey needs gametime. Send him over til January and let him review it with BR.
Punt Christie and Allan to the other SPFL clubs with buyback clauses.
If we can’t punt Gamboa, put Ralston out on loan.
GFTB, enyjoy your shopping m8 , fair Monday am at work ! Anyways for example bankiebhoy repeatedly refers to me and Kevj as one and the same , offered him charity bet on it and he took stage fright, so maybe am wan of those being attacked also couple other posters said same last week about it , didn’t see them being asked to name names anyway hope you and the family are good
WEEBOBBYCOLLINS
About six or seven years ago,my pet hun mate-right bigot,couldnae believe his best mate was an UFB-decided on another wee day trip to Bristol. He decided to head west instead of south-east from the station,just for a change.
Too posh where we normally went,he reckoned.
Must have walked about two or three miles before I saw a pub. Believe me,that’s not what I want on Saturday mornings. He refused to go into it because of the rainbow flag.
“Wtf ye worried about,Jimmy? Yer an ugly fat basturt,I reckon you’ll be safe??!!!”
So we went into the next pub,about 200 yds away,I ordered up and mentioned that Jimmy had refused to go into the pub down the road,and I was choking for a pint.
“Did he miss the flag outside this pub,mate?”
PMSL,ordered another round and one for the barman. And took my time over them. One not happy hun that day…
To win the Cup,France had to beat probably the 4 best teams in the competition.I won’t include Argentina in that,as they were Argentina in name only.An ageing shadow.
France had to do it the hard way.
BIGPACKY
Blame yer self,nae sympathy.
Taking Fair Monday off means Fair Monday weather.
SP- I wouldn’t rule out Allan getting a new deal and loaning him out again.
TURKEYBHOY
France went out with a job to do in each game. They did so.
I think they only lost to Sweden in the whole competition over two years. About twenty games. That’s some going at that level.
Worthy if unspectacular winners,imo.
Pretty cheap stuff.
France has a long history of age group success — I remember it being mentioned in 1982 in the run up to the WC SF game with West Germany.
The senior team was always second best while the youth teams had a great record against German and other strong opposition.
Now it is England that have managed to find age group success while still being “gallant” losers at the senior level. Consequently things might improve for them in the future.
France did win the Euros in 1984 so there is hope for our Southern cousins.
Just a case of more quality at CB / CM / CF and everything will be OK.
For the record — swap the GKs in the QF and Sweden would have won.
Dont think football is a priority in France like it is in the UK ,Germany ,Spain,Italy Brazil etc.
Though there are football hot-spots big sections of the population are quite lukewarm about the game.
Of course the general interest does increase when the national team is winning but my experience of France is -food first – then rugby -cycling and then football-maybe.
What they do have though is superior organisation and coaching at all levels of the game.
WEEBAWBABBITY
Did he,aye? Didn’t notice,tbh. Not on as often now as I used to be.
Obvious reasons.
I tend to have a day here and there,and largely leave it alone. Surprised you haven’t noticed.
But once again,and for the last time,its you who is doing the personal attacks today. The ones that you suggested were causing people to stay away.
Gaun yersel,son. I cannae be bothered
BMCUW.
For years on my way back from Middle East,I used to stop of at a wee hotel at Victoria.Meet up with mates,and have a night in London.Frequented a
cracking wee pub nearby on many occasions,during the day.Got really friendly with the owner’s.They were having a charity night,so I dragged my mates there for an hour or two,before we hit the town.Drag Queens,Jimmy Sommerville look a likes,everywhere.Turns out,its a very well known Gay bar in the area.Around 5 years going there,as I said,during the day,but still.You think I would have twigged.Innocents abroad.
Fantastic night,and none of us left.Said to the owner”I never knew that this was a gay bar”He said”You mean to tell me I have been wasting my time fluttering my eyelashes at you for years”
Dearly me.
France won the WC with 10 players — OG really was that poor.
However not many takers for my view that MD would have been perfect for the CF role.
To me he would have added an extra dimension to that team.
Plus the team itself still has to mature.
They will have found an extra gear in 2 or 4 years time.
AG really is some player.
PP is good but he is still learning.
WEEBAWBABBITY
Believe what you like,but I have never complained to PAUL67 about anything anyone says about me. In fact,the few occasions I’ve contacted him have been to apologise.
But knock yourself out. I made a huge mistake a couple of weeks ago,and have decided not to be confrontational. If someone-yourself,for example-says something I disagree with,I’ll attempt to explain my viewpoint as politely as possible.
Especially if,for some reason,it is ad hominem.
It’s up to yourself how you interpret my reply. I can’t help you there.