Helicoptering in central defenders

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I know we are all concerned about the injury crisis affecting central defence, but it is difficult to move the dial here in the short term.  Central defence is overwhelmingly about partnerships.  You can try to helicopter someone into the team (think Carl Starfelt two years ago) but it seldom provides an immediate return.

If we only have two fit central defenders, Brendan will use the time he has to school them for the immediate challenges.  Liam Scales and Gustaf Lagerbielke will be spending a lot of time together this week.

You and I have discussed the need for significantly more wingers than we would have in the squad in earlier times, due to the five substitutes rule.  Most managers are reluctant to change defensive or central midfield players, meaning forwards are more commonly swapped out during games.

No surprise then that we are linked with another winger, this time 23-year-old Honduran, Luis Palma, who joined Aris Thessalonica in January 2022.  He would be our third new winger this window, with four others still in the first team squad (and that’s not counting Rocco Vata).  Surely at least one will move on?

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278 Comments

  1. TURKEYBHOY – Agree , given where we are at with injuries – we need to take the hit for a year on salaries for those loan players. We have the money but do we have the ambition!

     

     

    Over to the board – add experience to your list of projects

  2. Moderator 1888,

     

     

    I am glad you didn’t delete the post. I am aware of the previous issues with Kev J.

     

     

    However the blog desperately needs topical and controversial topics to debate. There is only so much historical copy and paste that resonates.

     

     

    May I take this opportunity to thank you for your time and effort. I can assure you it is much appreciated.

     

     

    HH.

  3. In the 1926 Scottish cup final Celtic played in a White top with a shamrock on it versus st mirren

     

     

    1926-04-10: St Mirren 2-0 Celtic, Scottish Cup

     

     

     

    Title: SCOTTISH CUP FINAL 1926 ST. MIRREN v CELTIC

     

     

    Reference number: 0561B

     

     

    Date: 1926, April 10

     

     

    Sponsor: [ La Scala Cinema, Paisley]

     

     

    Sound: silent

     

     

    Original format: 35mm

     

     

    Colour: bw

     

     

    Fiction: non-fiction

     

     

    Running time: 0.30 mins

     

     

    Description:

     

    1926 Scottish Cup Final between St. Mirren and Celtic held at Hampden Park. Score: St. Mirren 2, Celtic 0.

     

     

    Celtic

     

    Shevlin, W. McStay, Hilley, Wilson, J. McStay, McFarlane, Connolly, Thomson, McGrory, McInally, Leitch

     

     

    Referee:

     

    Attendance: 98,620

     

     

    https://wikifoundryimages.s3.amazonaws.com/N84nFDsAQpN1DSN4aDHYlA174359

     

     

    https://movingimage.nls.uk/film/0561B

     

     

    https://www.oldfootballshirts.com/img/shirts/163/celtic-retro-replicas-football-shirt-1925-1926-s_49988_1.jpg

  4. i would rather read or see a million histrorical items on the beloved celtcs than the ramblings of ……….

  5. My word….What a Day with the Horse Racing from YORK…..

     

     

    I had FIVE Winners from Seven Races. and I also had TWO placed 2nd, both beaten only my a ” Head”

     

    I didnt have the Five winners on ONE betting slip….the most I managed was THREE on one Line at good Prices of 9/1, 5/1. 7/2, 5/1 and 2/1 ( EARLY Prices on some ).

     

    I got a few quid back for the above.

     

     

    HOWEVER, the best was yet to come, as I thought my YORK Placepot Line was BEAT until I saw My BALANCE in my BOOKIE ACCOUNT, after the seventh race ?

     

    The Placepot is when you TRY to select horses to be placed in each of the First SIX Races at any chosen Meeting.

     

     

    The STAKE on my York Place Pot was £1.00.

     

    It Paid Out to the tune of ” £ 563.90 ” to a £1.00 Stake.

     

     

    MAGIC !

     

     

    As its a TOTE Computer Bet, apparently there were only 454 Winners Today in the UK ( and maybe beyond ? ).

     

     

    A VERY Good day indeed.

     

    HH.

  6. Home → Articles → A Celtic State of Mind → The history of the Shamrock jersey.

     

     

    On Saturday, 14 March, 2020 / A Celtic State of Mind, Articles, Articles, Football

     

     

     

    ‘THE SHAMROCK JERSEY’ 1953-1965

     

     

    The first Celtic matchday programme to be issued was for the Scottish League encounter against Clyde on 14 December 1946. Inside-right, Tommy Kiernan, appeared on the cover wearing a Celtic away kit. Although it was a black-and-white image, it can safely be assumed that the jersey was green (as nearly all Celtic away jerseys had been before), with white collar, shorts and socks. It was an away strip that Celtic had worn (with various selections of shorts and socks) since as far back as 1934. This was a fairly nondescript design and not one that would be instantly associated with Celtic, other than the colour scheme.

     

     

    By the time that right-back, Bobby Hogg, was the cover star of the programme two months later, a far more recognisable design of Celtic jersey was in place. The image of Hogg, who was part of the famous Empire Exhibition Cup-winning team of 1938, appeared for the visit of St Mirren on 22 February 1947. It shows him, arms-crossed and stern-faced, wearing a white jersey with green collar and shamrock on the left breast. This was a similar design to that worn by Jimmy McGrory in the 1926 Scottish Cup final, with the green collar replacing the round-neck of the 1920s.

     

    Listen to the latest episode of the award-winning A Celtic State of Mind with PHIL GORDON

     

     

    The third version of this shirt included the addition of green arms, and it is this design that has become known as the cult ‘Shamrock’ or ‘Political’ jersey. It was unveiled on 17 May 1952 in a friendly match against Belfast Celtic, and it is this game that has added some myth to the tale of the shirt’s origin. Charlie Tully led Celtic out in this Belfast encounter wearing the familiar green-and-white hoops. His former club were captained by Jackie Vernon and his Belfast Celtic side wore the ‘Shamrock’ strip. This led to many believing that it was a Belfast Celtic kit and that they thereafter gifted these strips to Celtic.

     

     

    “Belfast Celtic folded in 1949,” pointed out Celtic author and historian, Ian McCallum. “The friendly played in May 1952 in Belfast was a one-off charity game and was their first match in three years. The team was cobbled together over the week previous to the game. I’ve seen a photo of them training in their green-and-white strips prior to the game. Under the circumstances of both sides playing in hoops, I think it likely that Celtic brought that shamrock strip with them from Glasgow.”

     

     

    Martin Flynn of the Belfast Celtic Society Committee is of the same view, “As far as I’m aware, this was the only time Belfast Celtic wore this jersey. By 1952 – three years after Belfast Celtic left football – the club had no kits and so Celtic brought a second set of strips over. This was the last time the clubs met, although Celtic would be back again in 1954 and 1956 playing ‘select’ sides.”

     

     

    The jersey then appeared on the cover of the Celtic programme for the league match against Clyde on 12 September 1953, but it was not an action shot of a player wearing the shamrock shirt, so it is possible that Celtic did not wear it themselves until they faced Kilmarnock on 8 January 1955 in the league. According to the Evening Times (Glasgow) report, which ran with the headline, “TULLY TRICK IN A NEW STRIP, CELTIC JUST MAKE IT,” this was the first time a Celtic team wore the shamrock jersey.

     

     

    Eminent Celtic historian and author, Pat Woods, pointed out that, “Kilmarnock had not been in the First Division during the period 1947/48 to 1953/54 inclusive and had not played Celtic in any competition during that time. Kilmarnock matches were the only occasions which necessitated a strip change to avoid a clash of colours (Celtic normally wore green-and-white hoops; Kilmarnock normally wore blue-and-white hoops).

     

     

    It is a distinct possibility that Celtic had the shamrock strips available to them since 1952, but never had the occasion to wear them until 1955. The final time the kit was worn was also against Kilmarnock, this time in a Scottish Cup tie on 6 March 1965. This 3-2 victory was Jimmy McGrory’s final game in charge of Celtic, which means that the shamrock jersey was never worn by a Celtic first team managed by Jock Stein. Would it have been pulled due to it being deemed ‘the political jersey’? Or perhaps, after wearing it for ten years, it was simply time for a change.

     

     

    The match-worn version featured in my forthcoming book The Celtic Jersey and in the recent Stevie Chalmers auction were both unusual as they had white collars. Ex-Celtic goalkeeper, John Fallon, explained that the club had two sets of shamrock strips – the green collars were worn by the first-team, and the white collars were for the reserve side.

  7. BIG WAVY

     

     

    Thanks!

     

     

    What about Ralston in midfield then?

     

     

    Gives us a bit of bulk and dig.

  8. PHILBHOY on 24TH AUGUST 2023 5:59 PM

     

    BIG WAVY

     

     

    What about Ralston in midfield then?

     

     

    Gives us a bit of bulk and dig.

     

     

     

     

    Nope.

     

     

    HH

  9. BIG JIMMY

     

     

    Well done!

     

     

    I always like to hear the bookies are getting cuffed.

     

     

    Keep up the good work!

  10. History is defined and available to peruse.

     

     

    My focus is on the now and the future.

     

     

    COYBIG.

  11. PHILBHOY

     

     

    Thought about Ralston in midfield too

     

     

    Don’t think it would work as he aint mobile enough (by that I mean positionally aware)

     

     

    If he is there for dig, then don’t think he is cute enough ala broonie

     

     

    The problem we have in midfield is we are still playing a 4-3-3

     

     

    with one deeper midfielder and 2 further forward

     

     

    This worked for ange as he used the full backs as options to receive the ball and pass forward

     

     

    Meaning, even if calmac was marked out the game we had good options

     

     

    And in the main it was taylor and not Al Johnston that was doing this (Johnston is more like a tierney full back – all dig and up and down the line)

     

     

    Prioblem is we are playing the same same with out the inversion of taylor

     

     

    Meaning calmac is man marked and our defense has on one to pass to

     

     

    Hence the crabbing back and forth at the weekend

     

     

    Brendan has a decision to make

     

     

    One of the wingers must be binned for a midflder

     

     

    We just surrender our midfield too much just now playing as we do

     

     

    Hope Brendan see’s this too and makes the changes

  12. Philboy

     

     

    I would too

     

     

    But team has been 2 years playing something different

     

     

    Hope BR has been drilling the shoite outof them this week in training

  13. MODERATOR1888

     

     

    There was no humour in his presser today.

     

     

    He looks and sounds focused.

     

     

    To me anyway.

  14. I have said for years that we need a granny eating def midfielder, the last one we had was big Vic, it won’t help us win the CL but getting one in will sure help us not getting skelped every game, we have to money, use it, or play the balance sheet instead, that should do the trick, why the eff have we never done that.

  15. paulsthroughball88 on

    NICK

     

     

    Re the penalty rule, as long as ‘keeper’s foot is “in line with” the goal line, it doesn’t have to be “touching” the goal line.

     

     

    Maybe they should have added “hovering” above it. ( Careful with my spelling there. . hoovering could have got me into trouble).

  16. Saturday…no new faces and we’ve lost Nawrocki from last week.

     

     

    Drill the life out of the CHs. Give AJ 70 minutes and sadly Taylor stays as Bernie is not up to it in Rodgers eyes.

     

     

    Would bring in Yang for Maeda and Iwata for Holm.

     

     

    HH

  17. Wavy

     

     

    I would be inclined to play bernabei instead of maeda on the left

     

     

    More end product and may help provide mobilty and options in that part of the pitch

     

     

    Maeda would be a good sub to bring on to help protect Kyogo in the latter stages

     

     

    I would like to see Calmac and Holm stiffen that midfield and play together as a unit

     

     

    The korean winger starting instead of abada

     

     

    and allow oreilly free reign across the front of midfield and behind the strikers

  18. GREENPINATA

     

     

    Blog is just lots of faceless peoples giving opinions

     

     

    Working well as it is

     

     

    Every now and again we veer off track

     

     

    But in the main

     

     

    We are good…

  19. From The Daily Ranger this afternoon…

     

     

    ” Brendan Rodgers has been told a ‘statement’ Celtic signing will ease supporters’ transfer groans” .

     

     

    We will see IF the above is actually true ?

     

    HH