Glasgow arms race failure, thanking Sir David

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KR Reykjavík recorded a 0-2 win in the Icelandic Cup on Sunday and have one more league game, against bottom club Thor on Thursday, before facing Celtic on Champions League duty a week today.

Celtic have a game this evening against LSK Linz before facing a famous name from our past, Dukla Prague, on Friday.  While the world will be coming through a World Cup climb down Celtic will be facing a committed team in the mid-Atlantic.  There is no room for complacency.

Next week’s qualifier has all the potential to cause a fright.  Ronny Deila will by now know all about Gordon Strachan’s competitive start at Celtic, which cast a shadow he never completely shook off, so it is absolutely critical the manager gets us playing the way he wants us tonight.

Ross McCormack’s route from Murray Park reject at 19 eight years ago to a player Fulham have just bid £11m for is worthy of consideration.  It’s easy for us to point to how Rangers ruined young talented footballers but the stark truth is that for well over a decade Celtic had vastly better youth talent that Rangers but failed to graduate anything like as many as we should have.

McCormack had to go to Motherwell, a club well experienced at nurturing talent, to build his career, but he would have fared no better at Celtic.  Having no space for youth is one of the many unhealthy consequences of having two massive clubs engaged in a football arms race.  Our game was destined to destroy talent.

Fortunately, the man who loaned his name to Murray Park ensured that arms race would end in spectacular fashion, when he sold his club’s assets and liabilities to a liquidation specialist for £1.  In a perverse sort of way, Scottish football should thank him.

Thank you to everyone who supported CQN’s efforts for Glasgow the Caring City and The Cookie Jar Foundation, especially the reader who paid an incredible £530 for the signed European Cup canvas.  You are all a credit to our club.

Best wishes to Argentina tomorrow, I hope the overcome Netherlands for the memory of the first worldwide football hero they gave the game, Alfredo Di Stefano.

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1,245 Comments

  1. paolosboots FC before PLC on

    Eldiegobhoy very good my brothers wife had their second daughter last week so he has no idea what hes in for :-)

  2. I think Ronny has thrown the young guns out to observe them, not sure he’ll be overly bothered about the score as long as it’s not a humping!

  3. I agree TriColoured, he is being played out of position. He is making attempts to track back, maybe its a silly thing for me to say but after making the run back his heart does not seem to be in it when challenging for the ball. It just seems he is tracking back coz he knows he’ll get a bollocking if he doesn’t.

  4. Great move, Henderson played a good ball to Adam M on the right flank, great cross and Teemu finishes.

     

     

    At the kick-off Celtic played the ball all the way back and O”Connell was beaten for pace. Linz must have thought they were playing against amateurs.

  5. thebhoywithmcgraininhisside on

    79caps

     

     

    19:07 on 8 July, 2014

     

     

    Cheers for the info.

  6. Tricoloured Ribbon –

     

     

    It wasn’t O’Connell’s fault. It was a ridiculous pass by Dylan that put him under pressure. Simply not good enough.

  7. Hey Tam

     

     

    How’s the old gob?

     

    Between that and the rain hope you’re no contemplating returning to Oz!

     

     

    HH jamesgang

  8. Balde , McGeeoch, Fasan & Herron on. Zaluska, Biton, Matthews & Atajic off, no sign of Tony Watt yet.

  9. Not watching the game , seems like a very inexperienced defence so no point in being too harsh on them.

     

    Is Darnell Fisher injured?

  10. McDowellcelt god bless wee oscar on

    Seriously what does tony watt have to do to get a chance in these games. Putting on Balde before him?

     

    Is there something I’m missing.?

  11. Tom.

     

     

    Good to hear. Relieved for you mhate.

     

     

    Mind and put them under your pillow for the tooth fairy!

     

     

    HH jamesgang