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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West Brom have option of 1 year extension on Long should they want to exercise it
Delaneys
I have to give the credit to my best mate Wee google.
Right TnT
That Man U record, was that for domestic matches only ?
Last goal Celtic lost domestically was 23rd Nov, 7 games ago.
But
We have lost goals in Europe
Not lost a goal in 5 games since Barcelona
Clarity would be great :-)
Hail Hail
SFTB
Told you in new years day. Stop talking sense ; it will never catch on
Cowiebhoy
What is the record for steakbakes consumed in 90 minutes ?
The real question is…who is the first British and only Scottish team to win the European cup ( with all players born within a 25 mile radius of the clubs stadium)
derbyshirebhoy
22:17 on 3 January, 2014
Now didn’t know that. That would change the picture
Hail Hail
TnT
Well done, on your retrieval skills then :)
Cowiebhoy
Van der Sar record is world record for league clean sheets.
Old dot cotton was a bit of a player ;)
Good evening friends
Cowibhoy
1311 minutes
TBJ
Bobby Lennox was born 25 miles from Paradise. Anyone know who next furthest?
DD
I thought it was 33 miles, probably wrong mind you.
HH
TBJ & SFTB
Had a real laugh out loud moment with SFTB comments earlier in afternoon
He mentions the Blind and Deaf – now that is genuinely my Auld Da
He canny see (90% sight lost), yet my brother delivers 3 papers every morning to the house
He’s Deaf, my Auld Maw asked me to get him a new radio for his Christmas, so he can listen to fitba
So I go oot to visit last night, he’s sitting with these huge earphones oan, arguing with radio, which I could actually hear ( Central fm has Peter McGuire and Roughie on a football phone in)
Takes the earphones off, recognises Im in the hoose, and tells me never to believe anything I read in papers ( being telling him for 2 years I don’t buy a paper, and he needs to stop it) or listen to radio.
Their all out to get at the Celtic, canny handle Our Success
His words and true
Hail hail
DD
Isn’t it the case all but one were born within 10 miles of Paradise?
Twisty.
Was faither not from out your way?
weeron
17:57 on 3 January, 2014
Jeez….PL was the devil, as he didn’t sign Fletcher. Had we signed this player, we would have won league and cups and euro lotteries, we are told.
Now we are allegedly thinking about signing him….he’s not the answer…!
We seem to have created a home for the permanently unhappy.
………………………………….
Disappointed in your post above. My memories of your previous contributions is that they are a bit more analytical than that.
Surely it is not beyond you to comprehend that what may have been good for us in January 2009 is not necessarily good for us 5 years later in January 2014.
What has happened in the interim. Fletcher went to Burnley and showed what a good player he was by scoring a lot of important goals. He then moved on for a substantial increase in his transfer fee to Wolves (£7m ?) where he did the business again and moved once more to Sunderland for, I believe, £12 million.
He was fairly prolific in his early games but has sustained a serious shoulder injury and an ankle injury which has seriously affected his form and appearances for the first team. We are being told by the media that he may be available for £6m – seemingly a bargain. However, Celtic need to get a fit striker, a goal scoring striker in this window. We can’t afford to take a risk on someone with a serious injury. I don’t doubt Steven Fletcher’s ability, I doubt his fitness.
It’s not that we are hard to please. It’s that we are applying logic to the evidence that we are presented with. I firmly believe we should have signed him in 2009. I don’t believe we should sign him in 2014. Why do you think like minded supporters are hard to please? It really is quite a simple conclusion to arrive at.
Bhoys, Bobby was born in Saltcoats just over 30 miles from Paradise.
HH
TnT
Always knew Buzzbomb was furthest in Saltcoats. Have never known who was second furthest.
Ronnie was born in glasgow .
Was Lennox not from Ayrshire which apparently is “Green n White”?
Cowiebhoy
Nice story. Reminded me of my late uncle Jim. He took me to the games when I was a child. In his later years he was going blind. He asked me one day if he could borrow my horse racing binoculars. I asked him why? He said ” I want to watch the Celtic game on tv but can’t see well enough. I gave him my good binoculars. He tried them out, worked a treat. Some weeks later I was going to a horse meeting and called in to get my binocs. He said ” oh I hope you don’t mind but I took them apart and made 2 eyeglasses from them” he added, but it’s ok, you can have mine and handed me a small pair of cheapo binoculars that could hardly see a furlong oot!
Hey ho….I owed him more than I could ever repay. It was as I say, he who took me to my first games as an 8 year old. Great man. Taught me to drive. Taught me a lot actually. Miss him a lot.
I know a guy who will lose his job in this administration event.Nice guy and deserves better in life.
Got me thinking though…..Duff and Phelps the administrators for this 140 year old company….Will keep a keen watch on this one.
BBC News – McKechnie Brass Ltd in Aldridge goes into administration
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-25586742
12 hours ago – A historic Aldridge brass firm goes into administration with 60 out of 75 …
Longest unbeaten run in domestic league
104 — FC Steaua Bucharest from August 17, 1986 to September 9, 1989
63 — FC Sheriff Tiraspol from April 1, 2006 to March 12, 2008
62 — Celtic from November 20, 1915 to April 21, 1917
61 — Levadia Tallinn from May 10, 2008 to November 7, 2009
60 — Union Saint-Gilloise from January 8, 1933 to February 10, 1935
59 — Pyunik from October 20, 2002 to November 11, 2004
58 — Olympiacos from March 8, 1972 to April 21, 1974
Milan from May 26, 1991 to March 21, 1993
Skonto Riga from October 17, 1993 to May 25, 1996
SFTB
So after two failed and very expensive attempts at trying to expand our horizons. That horizon being his EPL obsessession. He loses total interest unless we can get back into the EPL. Never going to happen and certainly not without Rangers , thats another story …but intimately intertwined with what is not going on..but should be. He decides the best thing for Celtic football club is to be run similar line to all his other businesses. I.e attract private investors. A neoliberal existence for Glasgow Celtic football club and your delighted. Bangura as big a waste as Scheidt etc. Nothing has changed except the enphasis has now firmly been placed on profits over football advancement or even an attempt at it. Ajax, Anderlecht, Benfica exist within an association that is not anti them and is for the advancenent of the game as in a sport.As in sporting excellence They also are not operated along such proud neoliberal policies as Celtic. They are brave enough to take a hit and rebuild.
And you are delighted by this ?
Banking the money for the benefit of the larger investors as there is not bang for buck out there ????
I find that horrific.
Congratulations SFTB you have left me speechless and scunnered. ;-) ;-(
HH
Turkeybhoy
My post, you don’t like it fine, scroll by, no need to get personal, just because your posts are clever and everyone waits with baited breath for the next one,cough! Cough!
Strange lot are Celtic supporters.
Stamping our feet, and scweaming and scweaming about buying a striker, we are linked to a striker for 6 mill and some are still no happy.
I for one would be over the moon if we sign Fletcher, just can’t see Pedro going for it.
He has a bit of a conundrum, how to make sure season books are kept at the same level, make sure we qualify for the CL again, rather him than me.
FickleCSC
HH
Whats the name of that football team that play at Ibrox these days?
Not the criminal corporate money laundering front but the football club they represent?
Im thinking along Airdrie lines. Maybe Kojo knows?
Fletcher for anything over £3m is a waste of dosh imo..injury prone and no sell on value for the club. For £2m shane long defo.a good shout better all round striker than fletcher..22 goals in 85 games for west brom.
36 from 104 for fletch with wolves and sunderland..would still push the boat out for alfred finnbogason 47 goals in 52 games for heerenveen is incredible and he has the height also at 6’1/2″..but who would our playmaker be to help supply these guys..??
Cowiebhoy
I really don’t need to tell you this. But… your dad aint wrong :)
Saltcoats counts as Greater Glasgow btw… and its pronounced ” sillcuts”
BT
Couldn’t tell you where he was born, but I can tell you this about him. He’s been in my wee village, and better, in ma grandads hoose with big Billy and Stevie Chalmers. 1967 after the big cup win, the local csc of which my aforementioned uncle Jim was the convey or had their dance only weeks after the Lisbon final. My auld grandad was on his last legs, and couldn’t make it up to the local hall where the dance was. So, Stevie, Billy and faither paid him a visit.
In1998, on my 40th, my family got the picture of all 4 framed for me. Nice.
Btw, unless my memory is playing tricks on me, I’m sure I bought a Celtic scarf from Ronnie’s sports shop in Edinburgh many moons ago?
Consecutive clean sheets is it?
There’s a joke in there somewhere. And hopefully no one will tell it ;-)
Maybe i missed something with sevco /deidco earlier..no.89?uefa
Delaneys Dunky
John Clark was born in Larkhall and Willie Wallace in Kirkintilloch. (CelticWiki). After Lemon they appear to be furthest away and going by John’s birthplace he was 300 years away :)
HH
Awe naw
“Banking the money for the benefit of the larger investors as there is not bang for buck out there ????”
Can you tell me the difference between dividends paid to the larger investors when we finish in profit as opposed to when we finish the year in the red? I was under the impression that their dividend payments were guaranteed regardless of financial performance.
Confused messages from UEFA regarding their treatment of the Newco.
On their website they list Rangers last game as being against St Johnstone in May 2012. So far, so good.
But in the co-efficient ranking list posted by Bawsman, http://www.uefa.com/memberassociations/uefarankings/club/ , the former Rangers have been awarded the standard Scottish co-efficient of 0.650 in season 13/14. How can dead clubs be awarded co-efficient points?
Why the clamour for Finnbogason ? Who has actually seen the guy play ?
I’d rather Celtic take a punt on Alfie at Reading. Boy is a goalscorer and would have a barrowload at Celtic park.
the glorious balance sheet
They stay on the list for 5 years after death as Gretna did also(allegedlly):))
Twisty.
Great stuff..
KTF