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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SoT
Absolutely. Approach with caution. The weight of the ECL money at this stage can’t be underestimated too on our season.
Which Celtic will turn up ? – The Legia one or the DUFC one ?
celt55
15:24 on 19 August, 2014
Is it not meant to be about himself?
TD67
If there was a complete zoomer of an idea it was those hybrid ferries.
Total political grandstanding and back door subsidy for absolutely nothing.
The technology on the ferries wasn’t good enough to grace a fag packet.
It was a pathetic attempt to be seen doing hi-tec in the marine environment.
The ferries cost 3 times what a conventional ferry would cost.
And for what — to try and prove Duracell / Everyready can go to sea.
Total waste of public money for a political ego trip.
And what happened the place still shut.
They needed an injection of brains ambition and desire.
Not a bloated, public ally funded pair of white elephants.
Imagine a club where,.when you get a big crowd you pay over the odds to shareholders and contracted in service providers, and when.you get a small crowd you are making a loss.
What a terrible predicament.
Onerous contracts and crappy cup competitions. The gruesome twosome.
I doubt there would be to much difference between us and Maribor. Not that I know I haven’t seen them and couldent say what kind of a team they are, but like every other team on the day anything can happen, but I’m certainly not shaking in my boots at the game ahead, no way, I said the I told you so brigade are starting to come in now putting the mockers on us wi the negativity crap, don’t listen to them, and by the way clock them, because if we get any sort of a result tomorrow they won’t be in here, trust me, you’ll get the usually suspects aweee just because my opinion is diff from yours I can’t post it, sure post it but Ffs try an post a positive one for a change, asking to much? Aye.
SoT @ 15.26
Maribor in the SPL — where would they finish?
My thoughts are second or third and no cup finals.
ernie lynch
15:24 on
19 August, 2014
Moonbeams WD. Wee Oscar’s our Bhoy and Kano’s our mhan.
14:19 on 19 August, 2014
‘don’t go worrying about that. Only an Independent Scotchland will be bigoted!!!’
####
The point is that the bigots would have more say in a separate Scotland.
I assume that would be all kinds of bigots.
Or only the bigots of people’s fevered imaginations.
https://twitter.com/celticfc/status/501725463224795137
http://uk.soccerway.com/players/james-forrest/110336/
This shows that in the 4 complete seasons, 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13 & 2013-14 JF has started a total of 15, 23, 10 and 10 SPL matches
I make that 58 out of 152.
The last 2 seasons he has started 20 of 76.
Get him fit and punted
Celtic brought in a sprint coach for the late Phil O”Donnell.Phil was plagued by hamstring and groin injuries in his time with us,if you remember.Cant really remember if it did him any good.It IS all down to sudden bursts.In Phils case the sprinter tried to get him to shorten his stride.
Dont really think James Forrest sitting on the bench for a period then coming on will help his problem.
I think it is shocking that no Celtic directors have stepped forward to save Ferguson’s Shipbuilders!
They should ask Tomachevsky (sp), Djakenowski (sp) and yon Legia owner bloke for quotes.
They Celtic directors should be hounded out of Europe, so they should.
ernie lynch
15:29 on
19 August, 2014
Could well be, I’ve never heard him speak on it. Other opinions, only conjecture mind, I’ve read was that it was about journalists, whom he didn’t seem to have much time for.
Michael nowak looks upset on that twitter thingie, lol
Re hamstrings; I am sure there is an inborn weakness in the muscles of some players which gives them balsa wood rather than prime beef; I also think more work needs to be done on getting the muscle balance right; if your quads are too strong [useful for kicking the ball ] then the imbalance will put extra strain on the ole hammies.
In an interview with hoopslegend Henrik Larsson [ mercifully immune to muscle pull type injuries] he said he made sure he got plenty of rest once training was finished.
SFTB
Aye he can be a huge influence but may not be remembered as a great if every time he has a head of steam up in terms of games he pulls up and is out for weeks/months.
Very frustrating.
HH
ernie lynch
15:27 on
19 August, 2014
Bob Dylan.
The early stuff is more inspired.
The later stuff is more crafted.
According to the man himself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKkZcgrec8A
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What would he know? He just writes the stuff – we have to interpret it! :-)
SFTB
I’m not aware that there is a political or social movement based on or around Bill Walker’s idea of harmonious marriage.
But let’s, for a bit of fun, imagine that there is an organisation, an activist group, campaigning for the rights of men to beat their partners and their children. Let’s further imagine that they support the Yes movement because in the view of the organisation’s leaders, an independent Scotland is likely to promote the rights of a man to primacy within his household, and the subordination of women to their husband’s will.
Let’s imagine that the group campaigns for the removal of the offence of rape of a woman by her husband, and that members of the group are optimistic that an independent Scotland would so legislate. Let’s imagine that their optimism is based on the significant number of mainstream Yes campaigners who are sympathetic to traditional Judeo-Christian marriage constructs.
Should we be told?
Or should such a campaign partner be sidelined and hidden from view in case the voters at large associated Scottish independence with diminished gender equality?
Players in the 50s never got hamstring injuries because they took public transport instead of driving Porsches. BTW, it was Giggs who had the clutch problems, not Owen.
Anyway, MakeThemTakeTheBusCSC.
Td67 Pmsl :)
Hamstrings! Troublemakers – they should be banned.
Bob Dylan chat too….
Jo Berget to score anytime and Celtic to win 9/2.
Hmmmm
MadMItch @ 15 31.
On the basis of having watched them for 2 games . ———-Maribor would finish second .Cup Finals —–who knows ?
Davidopoulos
15:46 on
19 August, 2014
Hamstrings! Troublemakers – they should be banned.
Bob Dylan chat too….
——————————————
Fair enough.
How do you like your cheese – roasted or toasted…?
JAG was, by all accounts, a lovely guy. However, while his style of delivery was a godsend for the millions of punters marking off their pools coupons every Saturday, for those of us who would have preferred to be kept in suspense until the very last syllable, it was rather irritating. I wonder if I am alone on this…
Celtic have a great pool, not as good as this one .
What a $2 million pool looks like.
http://wimp.com/millionpool/
Natknow
hate cheese! Can take mozzarella on a pizza but other than that cheese is a sweaty word in my house. Blessed are not the cheese makers.
so technically in answer to your question; roasted.
Sweary not sweaty although I do get the sweats…
Sir Paul
Like Kojo Done Tole Ye,,,jist
Yesterday Too..
Wako ,is Here..n .. or.. he’ll soon be.. the Noo,
He kin Duke like a Stoat..and.. Run like a … Gnu,
and..His Teeth ur First Class..
and his Ham-strings… Brand New.
So..
Whit’s no tae like .. aboot this Fellah..
Ah ask You??
collie
Tales awaggin’. awaggin’
davidopoulos
15:54 on 19 August, 2014
Sweary not sweaty although I do get the sweats…
_________________
Lol
Collie2
——————-
aw bloody hell, another moniker?
squire danaher- have to agree,i wonder if RD has looked at JF stats before getting the 2 wingers on loan.
My favourite Dylan song is arguably “You aint goin’ nowhere”, which actually first appeared on the Byrds “Sweetheart of the rodeo” LP in 1968.
I think it first appeared on a Dylan album in the early 70s.
For what it’s worth!
HH!!
Oh sister you are naughty.
I can’t stop laughing at what this nun does to these guys.
http://wimp.com/laughingnun/
TBB
“I’m not aware that there is a political or social movement based on or around Bill Walker’s idea of harmonious marriage.”
Nor is there a movement arising from Ms. Bigot’s tweets, so the equations hould have stopped there. I seem to have made the mistaken assumption that you were being playfully provocative because you have Yes Vote sympathies. It looks now that you were attempting to mount a serious argument that Ms. Bigot should not be sidelined in the same way Bill Walker or any Yes Voting bigot, was or would be.
“Should we be told?
Or should such a campaign partner be sidelined and hidden from view in case the voters at large associated Scottish independence with diminished gender equality?”
These are not two polar choices.
Of course you should be, and were told. The story was uncovered by Wings Over Scotland and Better Together made a statement dissociating themselves from her bigoted views. They represented that dissociation by dropping her (unbigoted) views from their website and making it clear they did not share or condone, in fact condemned, her bigoted opinions. So far, just the usual murky spin of politics.
So being told about them is a good thing, in my view.
And the subsequent sidelining is a good thing too.
Or would you prefer it if No Voters did associate the Yes campaign with wife-beating? I would have thought that was both a stupid and unfair thing to do. But then I think I am being more balanced about NOT trying to make political capital out of either.
As I understand it, Hilary’s run for president of USA will not feature any cigars or interns. Why the hell is he sidelining that part of her history?
Tallybhoy
For what it’s worth!
————————
that’s Buffalo Springfield.
Sorry about that.
FC Barcelona vs León FC: Party atmosphere for Camp Nou debut
http://www.vilaweb.cat/noticia/4207607/20140818/fc-barcelona-vs-leon-fc-party-atmosphere-for-camp-debut.html
“And it’s all over now baby blue”
Livibhoy
Kris wasn’t trained by the association eg Griffiths at Livingston, or wasn’t homegrown by us eg Mulgrew, Forrest etc, he trained at Stoke I think!
Silly rule mind
HH!