On his third appearance back after injury, James Forrest pulled-up in the dying moments of Saturday’s game clutching his hamstring. The player will be devastated but the mood was no better among those walking away from the stadium minutes later. Just as James was back and planning for what looked like an important season in his Celtic career, fundamental questions were being asked about his fitness viability.
We’ve seen this before. Shaun Maloney was forever breaking down, sometimes minutes after returning from injury. Shaun was a different type of player from James, he had a speed on the turn which made him a valuable asset, but likely contributed to his fragility.
The other pace player in the squad at the moment, Derk Boerrigter, has similarly fragile muscles. I hear the same about Aleks Tonev, currently injured. One of England’s greatest hopes of the last 20 years, Michael Owen was another member of the Fast and Fragile club. There seems to be a link between speed and injury.
There’s good news for James, and Derk too. After leaving so many regrets on the Celtic treatment table, Shaun’s limbs matured and stabilised. Michael Owen can tell a similar story, both players found their bodies vastly more robust from the middle part of their careers onwards.
James has to stick with it, continue to work on strengthening his muscles, and try to find what’s causing the problems, which can often be obscure. After a run of inexplicable injuries, AC Milan discovered that poor teeth were afflicting their athletes. Apparently your bite affects your running gate. Owen eventually found that his choice of cars (more specifically, sports clutches), was putting enough regular strain on the wrong muscles to leave him exposed to tears.
James’ and Derk’s bodies will continue to mature, to the benefit of the second half of their careers.
Not that Ronny is short of cover for James, having signed wide players Jo Inge Berget and Aleks Tonev we now have Ghanian Walaso Mubarak going through a medical.
The squad is becoming wing-heavy. It remains striker-light.
Greatest Irony
Do you know what would produce the greatest irony in sporting history? If Efe Ambrose came on as a late substitute tomorrow night, and we later discovered a rule deep in Uefa’s Articles that forfeit matches don’t count for suspensions. Forfeit matches are so rare no one will be familiar with the rules concerning them. Should we check? Oh yes.
James Alexander Gordon
It was the way he told them. Every week the man would uniquely intone the football results, you knew the outcome of each game, home win, away win or draw, before he read second number.
Maestro Match
Really delighted Celtic FC Foundation have nominated Unicef and War Child as their beneficiaries from the Maestro match next month, where we will “assist in their humanitarian work in a number of current Middle East countries”.
Foundation cheif exec, Tony Hamilton, said, “From our living rooms we have all witnessed some of the terrible vivid horror of conflict in recent days and the particular effects that these events have had on children.
“The work of UNICEF and War Child takes no sides but simply cares for all the innocent victims of conflict on a humanitarian level. The match in September will bring together some great names in football who want to make a difference.
“We hope as many supporters as possible can join us to assist children and their families who so desperately need our help.”
I know Celtic fans will want to support this enormously important cause. Read more and book tickets here.
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corkcelt
19:06 on 19 August, 2014
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I refuse to withdraw the comment of – pillock.
Last week – RD was a pillock.
That was a mild description – given the stakes.
I suppose if you can take a balanced view Maribor will be happier to face Celtic than face the side that thumped them 6-1. This could suit us as Maribor may well be over confident and under rate Celtic I certainly hope that is the case.H.H.
Rather surprisingly, my dentist here in Italy is one of those who regards what happens to your teeth (your bite) as having a major impact on the rest of your body. There are only around a dozen or so in Italy who are specialised in this, obviously the AC Milan dentist is one of them. However, there are lots of athletes who look closely at their bites. My dentist is a nice guy, we’ve been to football matches together.
I’m tending towards this view, although I’d like to see more of an evidence base. Having been brought up in Glasgow in the 50s and 60s, the bar is set very low indeed. Any info would be welcome!
James’ and Derk’s bodies will continue to mature, to the benefit of the second half of their careers.
At 27 it will not be long until Derk’s body will be going off, let alone mature.
!!Bada Bing!!
19:07 on 19 August, 2014
Shortbread’s MacIntyre cant hide his hatred of us “will Celtic go in as underdogs as they went thru by default….” ,
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One of the, multitude of reasons why they should be banned. imho
But, if the ‘custodians’ sat back and let McLean and Nevin away with what they did then, the Celtic Football Club will ‘rightly’ be percieved as punchbags with no balls.
apricale-fill us in…….
Hatcoatcsc
Apricale
Luis Suarez’ bite has a major impact on other players’ bodies!!
re: Forrest
Not sure if this has been mentioned already, think it certainly has been alluded to on the 1st page but Forrest’s problems with his hamstrings I feel stem not from his legs but his posture resulting from a weak core.
His belly sticks out such that his body is always bent forward, in a sense he runs like he is always touching his toes hence why his hamstrings always get a bashing.
It’s instructive that his injuries rarely happen in training when he’ll be asked to run within himself.
With a smaller belly and better abdominals, Forrest would be helped not just by alleviating the stress on his hamstrings but by his posture being improved, his head position would be higher enabling him to both run and keep his head up and make him more aware of the people around about him.
Compare Forrest’s running style with Messi who always keep his head position level, rarely looking at his feet. Messi’s running position is caused by having a stronger core, keeping a better posture actually helps you gain an abs crunch with every running stride, not a huge crunch, but if you run 10k during a match, a better posture will enable you do 10,000 better abs crunches than already being in a bent over position.
In other words, keeping his head up while running is self perpetuating to a better posture, and will make him a better all-round player.
Pillocking
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Pillocking
Geordie M
I did manage to finish before the rain came so it’s on to wallpapering tonight.
Not sure I should get involved in cutting another man’s grass. That has a different meaning to some Glaswegians.
No prob KevJ. After the Legia match I very much feared he was a pillock, but the performance against Dundee United but more particularly the performances of the 2 guys he brought in, made me think again. I’m most certainly in “The Jury’s out” section and the acid test is doing it in Europe. Tomorrow’s game will be huge, I must say though, I am feeling a lot more hopeful.
Interesting that Ambrose is allowed to play… dont quite get it, that a 2 game ban becomes a 1 game ban.
Anyway, with big Efe included… i wonder if he gets the nod at right back, or Lustig.??
personally i feel Lustig is still trying to get back to level he was pre injury
No rainbow in Oslo, sad to relate. Getting nervy about tomorrow. A draw – excellent. Narrow loss – OK. Anything better – prime.
And now my flatmate, with time on her hands, has decided to re-upholster a chair. With a hammer.
Last time she did this I was dragooned into helping her reverse the process at 2am when she decided she liked the original fabric after all.
But I was awake anyway, on account of all the hammering.
Weighing up the cost effect of booking into the Radisson for the night.
Girls, eh. Pffffft.
corkcelt
19:17 on 19 August, 2014
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Yeah, me too.
Take care fella.
Hail Hail
Off oot.
VP @ 6.33
A story so unbelievably fantastic it can only be true!
HH Paddy of Impeccable Taste
HH jamesgang
Don’t get why Ambrose is available either. But I also don’t get why he would have had a 2 match ban in the first place.
Every other time a player gets sent off it’s a 1 match ban unless it’s violent conduct or points build up – why would it be different in the CL?
quonno
18:59 on 19 August, 2014
Did my ears deceive me, or did I really hear one of the Easdale brothers utter those immortal words’ a work in progress’?
—–
Closely linked to that other well known Renfrewshire business plan, ‘an insurance claim in progress’.
HH jamesgang
Apricale 19:12 on 19 August, 2014 ………….
As the classic line goes (paraphrasing, maybe) ‘in Glasgow, we don’t do salads, dentists or forgiveness’……….
Regards & Hail Hail
TBM
Evening all. The club certainly should check with UEFA whether the Ambrose suspension is served via the forfeit game. I’m sure many of the media men who enjoyed the hospitality on the Celtic charter flight will be checking it out in the hope of getting the boot in.
Bob o baldy – makes sense. Posture has a lot to do with it.
That and static stretching before games. Which imo is a no no but still widely practiced in fitba.
Btw Paul – could the fast guys get a sprinting coach from athletics in? He might have some ideas. Not often you hear of 100 metre guys pulling hammys……
PR stunt from the Easdales …..quite a good one
I’ll be astounded of forehead if anything comes of it
‘Am only interested in Scottish football ‘
‘We are were we are’
‘I am worried about the debt in scottish’
Can we start a book of hurtiest comments?
:-)
HH
Jamesgang.
So, come on then!
You asked for 90s songs, amidst the Neil Young stuff.
I gave you 3 of the best. Reciprocate please!
Sips
Herri F@nni is home on leave .. Think he might be in Glasgow at the weekend
upthehoops
19:28 on 19 August, 2014
The Club already have that is why he was left at home. However, after UEFA clarified the position he will fly out to join the squad.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
http://www.berwickshirenews.co.uk/news/local-news/football-fans-prosecuted-in-scotland-for-offence-in-england-1-3513209
Arsenal CLQ on ITV
4 other games on SS5 red button
upthehoops
19:28 on 19 August, 2014
Celtic did check and EUFA have confirmed Efe is OK to play tomorrow night
That’s me fed, go easy on the bold Kev, he’s
a cage rattler,thank God the Celtic support
have them,anyone who was in the jungle that
Monday night will never stray far from the fhlock.
Efe only had a one match ban.
The confusion was caused by the voiding of the return game, with the assumption that the ban would not be served.
However, when the decision was first announced,it was said that any bookings, etc., that were handed out during the void game, would stand.
Therefore, if the disciplinery mearsures were to remain in force, then it followed that Efe’s ban was served.
Thomas Delaney captain for Copenhagen v Leverrkusen? Embdae?
Besiktasplayer almost scores from kick-off with shot from halfway. Not clear if he hit the bar or keeper saved it!
slabhoy – duntocher is green and white
19:03 on 19 August, 2014
I’m with you on this, give him a minute to get to know the names of his team mates ffs
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Mubarak, “Which one of you is Zengh Zhi?”
Cheers for the Ambrose updates to all who replied. I should have read further up the posts before writing. Wise move not to take any chances to start with though, as I’m sure had he played and there had been no clarification beforehand, the phones from the Scottish sports desks to UEFA would have been red hot looking for that clarification.
Hit the bar. Crossbar challenge, right enough. Demba Ba?
Efe Ambrose
Player registration gives me the fear…..
……………..was a statement never said in the corridors of Legia Warsaw :)
https://twitter.com/celticfc/status/501777393011654657