Improvements on the left need balanced on the right

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After four painful defeats, Celtic steadied the ship with a late win over Aberdeen and a bizarre one over Livingston. We are entitled to recognise that as progress, however, despite the direction of travel, we should be prepared for anything to happen at Fir Park tonight.

Wilfried Nancy will have learned lots from those wins, just as he did from the earlier defeats. He has significantly improved the left side of the team since his initial games in charge, but the right side remains less effective.

Without Cameron Carter-Vickers, Anthony Ralston has filled in at the right side of central defence in preference to Colby Donovan. Jahmai Simpson-Pusey fits the bill on paper, but the Manchester City loanee has now sat on the sidelines for three successive managers at Celtic. You and I might know more about a few in the Celtic squad than Wilfried does, but that does not extend to JSP. If there are to be changes on the right, it is likely to be Colby for Anthony.

After a win and a clean sheet, a goal for Johnny Kenny would be very welcome. The player clearly lacks confidence, a state which will only be resolved by putting the ball into the net. He is miles off the levels shown in the League Cup semi-final win, when he bossed the opening stages and scored with an excellent header. A deflection off his knee tonight could be the fix.

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  1. I hope we support the manager tonight whatever the score. Celtic have their fare share of scumbags. It seems that only Celtic fans can curb them They have no respect for Stewards or Police

     

     

    Support the team for some reason they refuse to sing celt6songs

  2. I watched Kyogo last night he’s lost his magic and snatches at everything now,I wouldn’t pay anything for him, someoe asked about removing honours awarded via the King,a case has to be raised with the honours committee as to ,it often needs a media campaign, had it been a Celtic owner who had a knighthood who diddled the Tax man with duel contracts remember, the award would be gone a long time ago.

  3. bigbhoy — and you have respect for polis – especially in lanarkshire ?

     

     

    one of my bros was jailed and did a weekender at motherwell for swearing when mojo missed a sitter at fir park. he was in 5th year at school at the time. sheriff/magistrate to his credit asked the polis why my bro was there. suspended fine or sentence or similar.

     

     

    zero respect

  4. A year on from Kyogo going,Johnny Kenny is first choice striker, let’s you know what direction this Club is headed,and spare me the Maeda replacement stuff,it’s nonsense

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  6. Back in the ‘blame Brendan for everything days’ CQN posted this re Simpson-Pusey…

     

    There will be plenty of games where Inamura and Simpson-Pusey will be able to play, if they have impressed the coaching team anything like as much as Callum Osmand, they will surely get their chance under a manager who listens when a coach tells him, “Wait ’til you see this lad”.

     

     

    We then had this re Kenny…

     

    Regrets about what could have been, had he been used in August, are pointless. But the next man in the Adidas zipper must have a track record of transforming players like Johnny into top talents.

     

     

    To be honest, I’m glad we’re allowing the latest manager in the Adidas zipper more leeway, though it does strike me as being ever so slightly inconsistent.

  7. Big WILF is a Revolution.

     

    He wont be a REAL Celtic Legend like:

     

    Mr Stein, Mr McNeill, Mr Hay, Mr Jansen, Mr O’Neill, Mr Lennon.

     

    …if he does not play with 2 strikers FEASTING on long straight and diagonal balls blootered up the pitch.

     

    KYOGO in a long straight and diagonal ball playing team, would score a hat-trick in every game.

     

    WHY?

     

    Because nobody would be able to catch him.

     

    Cmon the WILF.

     

    HH

     

    oot.

  8. On the right side debate…

     

     

    Last season we had Kuhn, Engels, AJ…

     

     

    These players were not only an out ball against the better UCL sides we faced, but added goals and assists to our campaigns.

     

     

    Their technical ability and movement superb – did not look at all out of place in the Allianz ArenA

     

     

    I’m not at all sure if you can make a silk purse out of a pig’s ear…

     

     

    But you can certainly make a pig’s ear out of a decent football team…

     

     

    Hail Hail

  9. bournesouprecipe on

    GLENOWEN on 30TH DECEMBER 2025 2:00 PM

     

    Back in the ‘blame Brendan for everything days’ CQN posted this re Simpson-Pusey…

     

     

    ————————

     

     

    Allowed on loan by Pep to get ahem CL experience, then didn’t make the squad all

     

    Brendan of Arabia’s fault 👍

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  11. Back to Basics - Glass Half Full on

    celtic40me @ 12:42 pm

     

     

    In more predictable news Hearts start the madness before the window is even open

     

     

    A fee of up to 800k for a 22 year old right back from the Dutch second tier.

     

     

    According to the internet they beat Tony Bloom’s USG to his signing.

     

     

    ———

     

     

    Nice one C40me.

     

     

    Last sentence – what dual ownership looks like

     

     

    2 distinct clubs. Different leagues, constitutions, cultures, heritages, histories.

     

     

    Two clubs with competing (yes, competing) needs.

     

     

    Daddy gets to decide which of his boys gets the last biscuit on the plate.

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  13. Spikeys

     

     

    Re 2.15.

     

     

    It is interesting looking at the language used when thee Irish refugees came here.

     

     

    It is language now used by low educated racist vermin when they talk of ‘invaders’ it usually ends up in the dehumanising lingo of the

     

    Irish pishtriots

     

    Irish Paytriots

     

    The Coolock commandos

     

    The Empire Bar snorters.

     

    Dowsons Debonaires

     

    The Billionaires rent boys

     

    The less than 2% racist scum

     

    They are on this site.

     

    A clubsite founded by refugees.

     

    Wee see them.

     

     

    HH Spikeys

  14. lets all do the huddle on

    who would win a fight between ‘winning by 4 goals’ and ‘winning by 4 clear goals’?

     

     

    #TautologyCSC

  15. PHILCOOL on 30TH DECEMBER 2025 2:57 PM

     

     

    A 6-2 win for the good guys and a defeat for the Huns will get odds of 800-1

  16. I cannot recall a time when my beloved CELTIC were so in need of 6 points.

     

    Never easy against Motherwell or indeed the bigots, so we simply must play hard ball for the full 90 minutes. Sick to death of one half wonders

     

     

    May I wish everyone in Celtic land, a healthy, happy New Year and hope we see our team be champions again in May

     

     

    kingLUBO

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  18. BACK TO BASICS – GLASS HALF FULL on 30TH DECEMBER 2025 2:25 PM

     

     

    It’s mad that Transfermarkt have him as their third most expensive signing ever, behind the Brazilian they signed in the summer who has been injured and John Robertson in 88/89.

  19. The Battered Bunnet on

    Celtic40me

     

     

    “Chris Sutton had it just about right when he said the back three need to be the best players in the team in Wilf’s system”

     

     

    Darn tooting. We’re talking 3 Van Dijks (Celtic vintage).

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  21. bournesouprecipe on

    The horseshoe of death,

     

     

    2023/24

     

    Motherwell vs Celtic (Sep 30, 2023)

     

    1–2

     

    Win

     

     

    2023/24

     

    Motherwell vs Celtic (Feb 25, 2024)

     

    1–3

     

    Win

     

     

    2024/25

     

    Motherwell vs Celtic (Oct 27, 2024)

     

    0–3

     

    Win

     

     

    2024/25

     

    Motherwell vs Celtic (Feb 02, 2025)

     

    1–3

     

    Win

  22. bournesouprecipe on

    AN DÚN on 30TH DECEMBER 2025 3:41 PM

     

     

    Signing players before the window opens, what weird and wonderful magic is this ?

     

     

    ————————-

     

     

    This board haven’t quite mastered signing players whilst the window is open.👍

  23. forewarned is forearmed.

     

     

    i am going to do a post about season book trends and average attendances, wrt what might happen for renewals for 26/27.

     

     

    it will be boring, it will include lots of numbers and some observations.

     

     

    letting you know before i post it.

     

     

    scroll on bye if you are not interested.

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  25. 67 European Cup Winners on

    BigChipsUK on 30th December 2025 1:10 pm

     

    I don’t disagree

     

     

    But given we are out of options we have no choice but to, pray and hope we are wrong

     

     

    67ECW

  26. Tounekti mentioned twice in BBC website match live updates:

     

     

    Foul by Sebastian Tounekti (Tunisia).

     

     

    ??????

  27. 67 European Cup Winners on

    Back to Basics – Glass Half Full on 30th December 2025 2:25 pm

     

     

    Yes good point

     

     

    It is for the same reason there is zero chance that Celtic will get Ewen Ferguson (from Brighton) on loan or to buy

     

    Why would a guy with an interest in Hearts (and Brighton) let a Brighton player go to Celtic

     

     

    And on the same note – I expect a few Leeds reserves heading to Ipox

     

     

    67ECW

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  29. Wheras other teams get players through the transfer window we restrict ourselves to the trickle vent

     

     

    Good luck tonight bhoys

  30. lets all do the huddle on

    SS,

     

     

    i think the issue is that using the ‘attendance’ figure that celtic give out is meaningless.

     

     

    it is not a true reflection of how many folk actually attended that game.

     

     

    as we can easily see with our own eyes.

     

     

    it would be very interesting to know how many season ticket holders dont renew however each season.

     

     

    but as we know with the smoke and mirrors approach from celtic when it comes to the whole ticket sham, they wouldnt be giving that number out

  31. bigrailroadblues on

    I hope the Celtic are Steppin’ Out tonight.

     

    Baker, Bruce and Clapton. The fire and the fury.

     

    BBC 1966.

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