If you were lucky enough, like me, to enjoy a long Christmas holiday, I hope you had a good one. I’m sure few of us are delighted to be back at it today but there’s an indisputable mood on the blog for bringing in the New. A fresh start is needed and fortunately we’re at the start of the transfer window.
For Celtic most attention will be directed towards recruiting a striker who is capable of doing the business in the Champions League, not to overlook the important point of doing the business in Champions League qualifiers. 20-year-old Icelandic striker, Holmbert Fridjobsson, finally joins the club this month but although we’ll hopefully see plenty of the player this month he is surely considered ‘one for the future’.
One prolific striker does not solve all of Celtic’s issues, however. The club remains acutely dependent on Kris Commons’ creativity (as well as goal scoring), which will become increasingly less-effective as opponents setup to inhibit him. He needs a foil.
Since the annihilation in Barcelona Celtic have offered greater protection from midfield but with both full backs encouraged to overlap the midfield anchor role, previously occupied by Wanyama, becomes crucially important. It also offers support to the strategy of allowing Commons a free role as an attacking midfielder.
Over the break, Archie MacPherson, Scotland’s greatest ever broadcaster, wrote an article for Celtic Quick News comparing two of Scotland’s greatest ever managers. These debates are, of course, subjective, but the article provides a few objective points for consideration. Archie has a totally unique range to deal with this question and is in no doubt as to who the master was. Look out for the article next week, you’ll enjoy it – no guessing now.
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HeeeeeEEEEERRRRREEEEESSSSS 3sy
NFL
he shoots………….he scores……….
Boom
HH
I posted at tale of last article..
HH
4th this is not good when am I going to be first.
A new year and a new blog …. It’s time to do away with the establishment baubles.
Why New Year Honours Should Be Binned
….. hohoho
The preparations for the CL qualifiers will start now and that’s why I feel we may see more activity than expected, by many, in this window.
Archie was on CTV as a guest commentator a few months ago paul, he done ok.-))))
Paul67
I didn’t realise i had that amount of influence -i’ll let you know when you should post the next one
happy new year to you and yours
Paul67
Welcome back!
Where the hell have you been?
:-)
A very happy, peaceful and prosperous 2014 to you and yours!
HH!!
Just logged on. Will read back!
Where’s Spartacus?
THREESY’s BACK!!!!!
Welcome return,bud.
This is for you…
http://www.henry-thepodiumist.com
fritzsong @ 13.20
An excellent post.
Many don`t like to face it but their are many gullible Celtic Supporters on CQN just as there are in the world in general. In support of my statement, I offer you the fact that the DR prints something concerning Celtic and that immediately gives rise to discussion on here.
The topic itself MIGHT be worthy of discussion but only the most gullible would consider a DR article as worthy of consideration. Unfortunately, many do and gradually the unreliable source is forgotten and a little more division is created in the Celtic support.
JJ
20hats are all your hats made of tin?
Hello to you bhoy:_)
Still no philvis!
Will he ever return?
HH!!
Thanks BMCUW
What’s Mel Brooks doing at the formula 1 awards?
Paul 67
Quite obviously the two greatest ever Scottish managers are Walter and Alastair.
Personally, I would have gone for Jock Stein and Alex Fergusson but what do I know.
JJ
Read back now. Scotland’s greatest ever managers
Jock or Ally? Hard to split them!!!
Is Archie waiting to see if he manages a Ramsden Cup winning outfit before deciding!!
I know a guy who knows a guy…who knows another guy who is ADAMANT that the tax man has NO choice but to go after the players who received an EBT
31003
He’s after a follow-up to History of the World.
The best person to ask is Bernie Ecclestone,as he was born before it started…..
Good luck to OldTim today. Will the surgeons allow him to have a wee swally on the operating table?
Like you Paul67 I have been enjoying an extended break enjoying every min of the festivities spent with loved ones.
I’m not back to the grind until Monday! On the downside, that does give me more time to read the dross that is rolled out at this time of year! Who are we signing? Why we are not signing this one or that one! I won’t care until they actually pull on the hoops. But then as is fashionable of late we will rip him apart and rue the ones that got away! Even though they were never in the running in the first place!
Happy New Year to each and everyone of you.
Signing players ready for first team action and who will immediately make a difference to our play will lift the whole place. There is nothing like it. The excitement when Frank McAvennie signed say or Chris Sutton or Joe Miller or Broonie…there are many more examples but you get my point.
I understand the need for ‘projects’ but we need to lift our performances in the SPFL and be ready for some tough qualifiers; give us some quality and watch the empty seats filling again.
HH
Hi Paul67,
Glad you enjoyed your festive break…
Number 1 son got me the CQN annual for Christmas – an excellent job by the team I must say.
You catch the tone perfectly with your latest piece – no surprise there – but…
“One prolific striker does not solve all of Celtic’s issues, however. The club remains acutely dependent on Kris Commons’ creativity (as well as goal scoring), which will become increasingly less-effective as opponents setup to inhibit him. He needs a foil.”
If we had brought such a Striker this time last year, I believe many of our current issues would have been greatly lessened.
The fact is things are unnecessarily fraught and the pressure on the Board and Management and Players have been counter productive and the Club has become somewhat disparate.
A lesson in doing the right thing in a timely manner.
Hail Hail
I don’t buy this Archie McPherson revisionism one little bit.
He rode the Murray Ibrox gravy train as long and as hard as any. During their triumphalist, debt fuelled pomp he was Rangers man on TV. Whatever he was before, or is now, doesn’t change that.
Satirists often get closer to the meat of an issue than commentators.
Look at how he was lampooned by Only an Excuse during the period of Rangers domination. A mindless Rangers man who enjoyed laughing at Celtic. This is how I recall McPherson.
Not as the guy who wrote the Stien books, or as the self cast elder statesman of scottish football he now aims to be, but as the guy who held a microphone and an audience for decades and never once mentioned debt, sectarianism or bigotry from Rangers.
In all those hours commentating from Ibrox, not one word. Not a single word as the stands crashed to the bigots choir. Not during the game, not before it and certainly not after it. Are you watching Fenian scum?
He was another sheep in the media flock. A succulent lamb herded into the Ibrox pens. To merit a role now as some kind of grand old sage of Scortish football his own CV should have more moral integrity. I have as much time for him now as I did then.
….a pacy striker that’s selfish and runs for goal at every opportunity……with a helping hand from a creative midfielder……..now that would be a Christmas present…
Jungle Jim
12:46 on
3 January, 2014
fritzsong @ 13.20
I’m impressed. Commenting on a post not due for another 30 minutes :-)
You’re so right about how some of our support take as gospel what they read. Then when we don’t sign someone all the bickering begins.
It’s great to discuss transfer targets but we should let the club communicate or update. Not a biased media.
From the clumpany twitter
Ally concerned about hostile atmospheres! Does he remember his “who are these people?”cry? http://t.co/KoEofYlm3B @Pmacgiollabhain @alextomo
Got to agree with Stringer Bell, no condemnation heard from the great broadcaster. Now lets see Celtics intent in this transfer window, will it be another winter of discontent or will we put down a marker and make serious attempts to improve the first 11 or is it squad fillers we are going to be left with??
Glad you enjoyed your wee break, Paul.
As I see it, yeah we do need a striker who strikes (sounding like ma old pal KOjO there!!) and again in my opinion we need a “Lubo” in the midfield. I know I sound like a broken record but I feel Marc Crosas is the bhoy for us in midfield.And he is a real CELT too!!
Still can’t understand why we keep buying so called strikers who are seldom played and it begs the question, why buy them in the first place!! What little I’ve seen of Balde I like and I would dearly like to see a twin striker roll fielded with Balde and Pukki for a few games to see how they would do. If they are not up to the Celtic standard then sell them on. Simplistic? Maybe.
Hail Hail
KINGLuBO
Meanwhile in other news:
http://newstoad.net/2014/01/01/whats-wrong-with-us-demand-government-as-romanians-fail-to-arrive/
ItaliaBhoy 12:12 on 3 January, 2014
Surely those Ballantyne programme notes are a wind-up?
No-one could be such an embarrassing dufus? Surely?
No. They are in the programme for all to see.
A total emabrrassment of a man.
And to think he helped run (ruin?) Scottish football.
How many more like him still left though?
EBT Ogilvie for one.
And all your wee Sandy Brysons ensconced at Hampden.
~SPF~
£5M players for Celtic – why do we fall for the well placed rumours every transfer window – a whisper in the right ear starts these things off – let’s be pragmatic – it’s not going to happen this January
if ole Sherlock Holmes can return then so can Philvis.
I mean what’s the point of philvisreturns if he never actually returns?
Jim Ballantyne has the ole fleg flying every day of the year much to the frustration of Zombies from the north of Ireland.
That may explain the hostile atmosphere at the liquidation derby last night.