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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HH
I recall Giggs speaking about how older Utd players all did yoga! I don’t think that’s a code for extra marital activities. They did yoga and Giggs went on and on
HH
Jamesie is 5ft 9in’s tall when he’s standing up straight, but when you give him a ball and tell him to run he’s 5ft 4in, voila…………… Wee Jamesie.
Paul67, so are we saying that the ole Moneyball concept of buying young talent, hoping for a diamond and selling on for huge profit has been abandoned?
OR
Are we saying the above applies with a caveat that we have to have the young talent on loan for 6 months to a year and then attempt to persuade owning club to sell if we think they are good enough/right fit? I don’t know how you could agree a price to sell for at the start of the loan agreement as there are too many variables. I know we did something similar with FF but it involved lengthy negotiations with Newcastle at the end of the loan and it might have fallen through, which would have left us where exactly?
When was this decision made to change policy and who were involved in it’s conception? Obviously Ronnie will have to fulfill the brief but was he involved in it’s introduction???
Q’s Q’s………
setting free the bears for Res. 12 & Oscar Knox but saying no to CQN racists
12:54 on 19 August, 2014
Someone posted a link to Mad Bill McMurdo’s blog earlier and I had a wee peek, followed by a cold bath and scouring with a wire brush. However I did catch one gem and would invite, at the risk of re-starting a political debate, our CQNrs to solve this particular bear’s political problems:-
“On my rant about voting mate, It’s just that I feel any true bluenose from Glasgow of voting age should never vote another Labour councillor in their lives and obviously the SNP can never get a bluenose vote either locally or nationally so who does that leave us mate ?”
————————————————-
A false dichotomy, SFTB! I doubt he’s got to “X” yet on his alphabet blocks and will therefore find it difficult to use the ballot paper without spoiling it….
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS
12:18 on
19 August, 2014
BOGNORBHOY 1213
Indeed,bud.
Now,who sang ‘Here I Go Again’?
Also Graham Nash?
Spooky…
Graham Nash , when he was in Manchester’s finest The Hollies,
Here I go Again was also a top 20 hit in 1976 for the model formerly known as Lesley Hornby.
In all fairness though the best song of that title was the Archie Bell & The Drells one.
My view of loanees (particularly those form clubs with greater resources that us) is that by agreeing to come here they are trying to demonstrate 1 of 2 things:
1) that they deserve more chances at their home club;
2) that they’re good enough to get a permanent move here.
That should hopefully benefit us in a few ways:
a) they might pull out all the stops so they impress;
b) once they’re here, even if they’re intention was to return to the other club, they like it so much they want to stay;
c) we get to evaluate them properly without a full commitment.
Of course there are downsides too. We might get a right good bunch of loanees that impress and improve the team but none of them decide to stay. Not exactly great for long-term development. There’s also the chance that they’re all a bit pants and do nothing for us but then that’s a risk with any transfer.
Again like all out ‘strategies’ I don’t think it should be pursued exclusively but I think it’s not the worst.
benjybhoy mul
12:25 on 19 August, 2014
Be afraid Bhoys, be very afraid according to Bill McMurdo, SEVCO are back!
http://billmcmurdo.wordpress.com/
———————————————————————-
Afternoon, definitely worth a read, reminds me of a now dead team, do they actually believe that a corner has been turned with a mighty victory over the pink strips of Clyde.
Has Steak bake dyed his hair? Like a blonde rinse type style thingy…?
Ayrshire is Green and White
clutches teeth straws excuses- Yawns. If the many ‘professsionals’ at the club cannot resolve these issues then they are not fit for purpose and should be replaced.
Geordie Munro
That was Colin Cameron. He was ready to retire. It was pelvis issue he had.
Down in the mouth
Scotland star Colin Cameron is attempting to cure a troublesome pelvic injury by using…a gum shield.
The Wolves midfielder has had the problem for a while and claims it flared up again when he lost a special mouth protector while playing for his country.
Cameron has lost his mouth-guard
He told the Scottish Daily Express: “I started wearing a gumshield because it gave my body balance and helped ease the discomfort.
“There are muscles on one side of my face that can tense up and throw me off balance, which causes problems with my pelvis.
“I misplaced my old mouth-guard when I was with Scotland, but I have been given a new gumshield and I pray it will make things better in time.”
LB
Traditionalist88 –
The season cards are valid for your normal seat for the home game v Maribor. A number of season card holders will receive paper tickets in the post for alternative seats due to UEFA regulations.
So if you do not receive a paper ticket, your season card should be used for access to your usual seat.
I flew back from Germany yesterday on a Ryanair flight that was delayed 4 hours due to ‘a technical issue’.
I thought you can get EU compensation now for these delays, but I imagine getting Ryanair to pay up would be like imagining Sevco would settle their tax bills.
Has anybody ever got compensation for delayed flights ?
Thomthetim, I think everyone has moved on from where’s the x money gone and its now about realising what Celtic can REALLY afford.
Do I agree with a wages to turnover ratio which is less than 50% yes.
Do I agree with a wage ceiling yes but only if that ceiling is paid out to quality players in less numbers. We patently pay less than the market rate but substitute quality for quantity.
Pukki Balde and Boerrigter were stand out mistakes. A striker who didn’t score goals a raw lad who I suspect only got a game for Portugal u21s because of his size and an injury prone winger.
We have now taken in 11 million in transfer fees and have guaranteed income of 5 million from Europa league participation. We have shipped 3 first team players of the wage bill and brought in 4 spending nothing in transfer fees. We are far from teetering on the brink of financial collapse.
What we as a support need to know is are we trying hard enough to spend the cash we undoubatably have and are we identifying players that are ready to improve the first team?
Its seems a bit obvious to point out the example of a goalscorer but our coaching staff must be really frustrated with the lack if ability to convert intentions into delivering a goalscorer.
Duje Cop plays for Croatia Zagreb. Top scorer for them last season. How much for him? Obviously our Scouts have better resources than I have but it’s an easy correlation between top scorers in European leagues to then come up with likelihood of transfer to Celtic. Would Duje Cop come as an eg… How much would he cost in wages and how much in transfer fees? Maybe Celtic are just a little too secretive with their targets, maybe they are too frightens that folk will spin the lack of a signing… Who knows but it looks to me that we won’t pay any more than 2.5 million in transfer fees and the wage cap is prob around 15k.
I am taking it from the lack of a signing of a striker that we can’t attract a Duje Cop, Jonathan Soriano or someone like Aron Johannsson for that kind of money? If not goal scorers from good leagues then maybe scouting in the same places as the Dutch, Croatians, Belgians etc.
Somebody should be getting their jotters for signing crud last year. Maybe they already have.
Yoga ?
Remember a RAI documentary re Rubentus .
At the training ground 5 days a week . 10 -6 .
Things they do include Yoga, Qi Gong and Jazzercise .
Apparently Pirlo enjoyed Jazzercise so much ,he signed up for a Jazzercise class on his day off
South Of Tunis
13:28 on 19 August, 2014
Yoga ?
Remember a RAI documentary re Rubentus .
At the training ground 5 days a week . 10 -6 .
Things they do include Yoga, Qi Gong and Jazzercise .
Apparently Pirlo enjoyed Jazzercise so much ,he signed up for a Jazzercise class on his day off
——————————
Nice!
Just received a nice pressie from my old uncle who has been staying with me this week and attened the Edinburgh Book Festival.
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/jun/14/once-upon-time-bob-dylan-review
All I need now is time to read this 500 page tome and plan ahead to accommodate Part 2!
Knowing how the SFA are run I’d be surprised if they don’t declare a half days holiday so they can’t register our “new Bhoy” until tomorrow. !! Cynic, hope not.
Best wishes to big Sammi and thanks, you really “got” Celtic big fella
KINGLuBO
PeteTheBeat
13:27 on 19 August, 2014
I flew back from Germany yesterday on a Ryanair flight that was delayed 4 hours due to ‘a technical issue’.
I thought you can get EU compensation now for these delays, but I imagine getting Ryanair to pay up would be like imagining Sevco would settle their tax bills.
Has anybody ever got compensation for delayed flights ?
——————————–
Yes, I did a couple of years ago. Check out the CAA website for more info on claiming – there are certain conditions regarding delay time and journey distance. I had to stamp my feet with BA to get them to pay, but they eventually did. Definitely worth it if your claim qualifies
Does anyone know if it is the same hamstring that James Forrest keeps rupturing?
If so a slight leg length discrepancy might be the cause of it. A young David Beckham suffered recurrent strains because of this. A bespoke shoe insert for his boot sorted the problem out
Is like a retirement home for injured wingers
jude2005 is Neil Lennon \o/
13:09 on 19 August, 2014
In case you missed it.
Yvonne Hama a Union person from Airdrie seemingly tweeted a post at Christmas last year.
“Just got the Christmas lights out they’re like Tims all twisted…and look better hanging from a tree”
———–
The Better Together campaign said her views were “views like this are completely unacceptable”. then she appeared on their TV ad last night.
She also shared a stage with A Darling & Tom Clarke recently her views on Celtic supporters are interesting aswell ,though you will have bother finding them now as all the tweets ,FB posts and blogs from her have been removed
I see some posters are still downplaying the Maribor threat.
In recent years, in Europe they have managed the following home results
Panathanaikos 3:0
Spurs 1:1
Wigan 2:1
Sevilla 2:2
Away from home, they have managed
Hibs 3:2
Rangers 1:1
Zulte Waregem 3:1
Maccabi 2:2
But they do look more vulnerable away from home and they have experienced poor results alongside the ones listed above.
Legia are ranked 124 in the UEFA club rankings, Maribor are ranked just above them but are projected to go into the top 100 in 2015.
Celtic remain at 62 in the rankings so this remains a dangerous tie but one where we can have a bit more hope, especially if we avoid a disastrous away leg. Their team is just about as experienced at CL level as ours (Tavares has 8 CL goals over 9 seasons, Ibraimi has 5 in 4)
Our top Euro scorer was Sammi with 11 goals, joint 9th with Bobby Murdoch on the all time list.
Of the current squad Stokes has 2 goals, Commons 4, and Forrest 3.
Point of information. Shteak Bake’s hair has turned that colour due to prolonged and frequent dookin’ fur chips, as witness also his florid Swalex type coupon.
setting free the bears for Res. 12 & Oscar Knox but saying no to CQN racists
They lost 4-3 on Agg to Sevilla.
That alone was enough to get my complete attention.
leftclicktic
“She also shared a stage with A Darling & Tom Clarke recently ”
Recently? Like before or after the tweets were discovered?
As I understand it, the lady published a “Why I am voting No” piece on the Better Together website. It was then pointed out that she had re-tweeted a Nick Griffin tweet and made another really offensive tweet about Celtic fans/ Catholics. She was then dis-owned by the BT campaign and her stuff taken down, quite rightly.
If, since then, she has “shared a platform” (as opposed to merely being on the same stage) with Alistair Darling Tom Clarke then that shows a real lack of judgement, at best, on behalf of BT. At worst, it is pandering to a known bigot.
DO you have the information which would clarify which?
Davidopoulos
Thanks for the reply about flight compensation.
I looked at the Martin Lewis site and it seems that you would have to take Ryanair to the small claims court before they would pay up.
I suppose a 4 hour delay while annoying at the time is not that much on the main scheme of things in life.
Can someone give Didier Agathe a call and ask him how he ran like a bullet but never seemed to pull up holding his hamstrings.
Give J.Forest a thigh heat blanket at the start of the games when deemed fit.
Priority – get him to a sprint coach FFS – it’s not rocket science – it’s health and well being.
Wednesday and next Tuesday have nothing to do with previous results and performances and all to do with results and performances on the night.
KTF.
Lunchbreak over -way down south .
Dined on prosciutto with figs and a fig cremolata .
Back to work in 35 degree heat ——harvesting figs .!
Very good crop this year — !
benjybhoy mul
12:25 on 19 August, 2014
Be afraid Bhoys, be very afraid according to Bill McMurdo, SEVCO are back!
http://billmcmurdo.wordpress.com/
==========================================
‘ I keep saying it – Templeton is easily the best player in the Scottish game and the team should be built around him.’
Comic GENIUS.
I can’t agree that Michael Owen got over his injury problems in the mid to latter part of his career.
It looks like James Forrest cannot cope with the physical side of modern day football.
Such a shame as he had great promise.
TT
PeteTheBeat
Fair enough if you don’t want the hassle, but there could be potentially €250 in it for you (if your claim is valid under the regulations):
http://www.ryanair.com/en/questions/what-happens-if-my-flight-is-cancelled-by-ryanair/
Ryanair would have to prove the delay was caused by something outside of their control to avoid not complying with the EU regulation.
Don’t you just love these European official bodies and their handy little rulebooks?
http://sport.stv.tv/football/288894-celtic-must-drop-one-senior-player-to-accommodate-wakaso-for-maribor-tie/
Someone is going to be unhappy.
LB
NATKNOW
It takes you up to BLOOD ON THE TRACKS. Surprising,maybe,as I reckon STREET LEGAL would be a better time to finish.
He became Born-again after that,so maybe a good time to draw a line.
Blood on the tracks is one of my all-time favourite albums by any artist.
Biased due to my long love of his music,of course. But the emotions he was experiencing as he wrote and recorded it are obvious.
His own fault,mind.
How he thought he would get away wi asking Sara if it was ok if his girlfriend moved in,aye right!
“”Football club Rangers have won a trademark case against a rugby fan over their logo.
The club faced opposition when they tried to trademark their “RFC” logo in an attempt to stop others from profiting from the name.
However, rugby fan Russell Campbell opposed the application, arguing that “RFC” had been in use by rugby clubs for years.
The UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO), which makes rulings on trademark disputes has found in favour of Rangers.
IPO hearing officer Al Skilton said the club could register the trademark given as it was not being used by rugby clubs in order to sell football merchandise.
She said: “The opponent submits that the three letter combination “RFC” is used by a number of rugby clubs in the UK.
“However, as the applicant submits, in order for the letters to function in the way described by the opponent, it is necessary that they be used as a suffix with another identifier preceding the letters, eg Aberdeen RFC.
“By analogy the letters Ltd (Limited Company) operate in a similar way, being identified by the preceding company name.
“In isolation the letters may have any number of meanings or no meaning at all, simply being seen as a three letter combination.”
She added: “I have no submissions from the opponent providing its reasons as to why the letters RFC are descriptive of the opponent’s goods. The only submission is that RFC is descriptive for the services of rugby clubs.
“With regard to the applicant’s clothing, footwear and headgear items, these are limited to ‘goods relating to or for the promotion of football (soccer)’.
“The three letters RFC used in respect of the goods are capable of acting as a badge of origin.
“Even if RFC is seen as an abbreviation for rugby football club, by the relevant public, rugby is not a non-distinctive term for goods relating to soccer any more than cricket is a nondistinctive term for goods relating to tennis.”
Mr Campbell, in a submission to the hearing, said: “The letters ‘RFC’ are used commonly as abbreviations by many clubs to indicate a rugby/football club including without limitation such clubs as Aberdeen RFC, Dundee RFC, Gala RFC, Melrose RFC, Ellan RFC, Edinburgh University RFC, Currie RFC, St Andrews RFC and Richmond RFC.
“According to a 2011 report by the Centre for International Business of Sport at Coventry University, there are now over four and a half million people playing rugby in clubs using ‘RFC’ as part of its name.
“There are over 1,200 rugby clubs in England using the abbreviations ‘RFC’. The letters ‘RFC’ have therefore been perceived to indicate a rugby/football club.”
Rangers argued it has been selling merchandise bearing ‘RFC’ for years and that they had no connection with rugby.
Mr Campbell was ordered to pay £800 towards Rangers’ legal costs.
The club declined to comment on the decision””
did Mr Campbell forget to submit that the ole RFC no longer exist !?!!
Livibhoy,
Good to see the media have stopped all their nonsense when picking pictures of our managers.
setting free the bears for Res. 12 & Oscar Knox but saying no to CQN racists
Sorry sir
I dont know the date just saw the twitter pic of them on stage.
LiviBhoy
13:52 on
19 August, 2014
http://sport.stv.tv/football/288894-celtic-must-drop-one-senior-player-to-accommodate-wakaso-for-maribor-tie/
Someone is going to be unhappy.
LB
=====
Hopefully Kayal.
HH
I wonder what % of games Forrest and Matthews have missed in the last couple of years.