The return of the winter break to the Scottish football programme is welcome. There are a couple of physiological reasons for this. Players are never truly 100% fit during the season, they always carry knocks and scrapes. Allowing them time away from competitive action will allow minor abrasions to recover with less risk of a more significant injury.
The way a player can train during the season is also limited by impending football games. Endurance training requires lots of stamina-sapping exercise. This is possible in the early weeks of preseason but its’ simply not practical to push players’ endurance limits at the start of the week and expect them to play at the weekend. Even less taxing training is possible when a player has two games a week.
A three week break from games in January will allow training programmes to be implemented which simply would not be possible otherwise. A mid-season foundation layer of fitness can be laid down which will allow legs to appear fresher in subsequent months. This foundation layer should also prevent injuries.
Can’t believe it’s been 18 years since the League Cup final was played pre-Christmas. I’ve fond memories of the last one – against Dundee United, at Ibrox. The 90s brought us a Scottish Cup win in 1995 but that League Cup win came early in a season we believed we had a genuine title chance for the first time in years.
It felt like, and proved to be, a profound moment.
It was also our first League Cup since 1982 – the Hampden in the rain final, another great memory from a period we were so far out of the picture in Europe domestic competitions were always the ambition. For those to young to know, the Celtic end at Hampden was like a 90° ash park, with three inch wooden planks standing upright, which some decades earlier held back the ash to create long-gone steps. Good job we won.
I see Aberdeen’s inspiration, Jonny Hayes, is out for a month. As we know to our cost this season, losing your top players costs points. We’ll see how it affects Aberdeen on Friday.
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Hamilton Tim
I wasn’t at Stranraer, and I saw what I saw on TV. The singing wasn’t bigoted or “sectarian” but the flares were real. The singers were probably not the flarers. The authorities have lumped them all together to get the desired headlines but surely we are not expected to condone pyros because the authorities treat them the same as the singers.
Ger 57
My point was in response to a ‘they deserve what they get’ comment.
I’m not condoning anything mate but such a suggestion is laughable.
CultsBhoy can not relate to Celtic Board ambitions on or off the park on 18th February 2016 2:12 pm – See more at: http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/injuries-training-hampden-in-the-rain/comment-page-2/#comment-2779389
I posted last week the stats for our injuries this season. ! in 4 of the players have been out injured at any given time. This means nothing to you though as you’ll simply say that our second or third choice should be good enough against other SPFL teams.
Beauty is only skin deep but ugly goes all the way to the bone
Timbhoy: re: the BBC report on the post Stranraer arrests: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-35603241
Are you naïve or just trying to stir things up a bit?
Don’t the comments attributed to match commander Supt Steven Lowther give you any pause for thought, wherein he apparently declared: “What was supposed to be an enjoyable event for all was tarnished by a group of individuals who were intent on singing sectarian songs as well as letting off smoke bombs and pyrotechnics within the crowd”?
Have there been any other pyrotechnic incidents at Scottish football grounds in recent months? If so, have there been any subsequent arrests, or indeed any incident into which our police ‘service’ has seen fit to take significant follow-up action (and draft in the media to report upon it)?
And what (precisely) are the ‘sectarian songs’ to which he refers … ?
VIP
Hamiltontim so you are defending fans that are a danger to other fans,
TIMBHOY3 on 18TH FEBRUARY 2016 3:40 PM
Hamiltontim so you are defending fans that are a danger to other fans,
—–
Nope, read what I posted please.
Moreover, have there been any other alleged instances of sectarian singing at football grounds which have stirred the police into making arrests, statements, etc. … ?
VIP
Weeminger I read through your figures but it’s clear to me that our footballing budget is massively bigger that Malmö
Posters on CQN giving their backing to the Offensive Behaviour act, truly shameful.
We like to say we’re a club like no other, maybe we are after all.
I wonder how many supporters, of any club, can honestly put their hand on their heart and say that they’ve been adversely affected by flares or smokes at a football game.
I have. Twice I’ve had to take the missus out of the shed at Tannadice because of smokes. I don’t like them at games.
That’s experience. I wonder how many can attribute their ‘experience’ to what they’ve read in the papers.
FLORIDA BHOY on 18TH FEBRUARY 2016 3:23 PM
Kris Ajer: Even when I’m not wearing the arm band I play and behave as if I was captain.
That’s the best quote I have heard from a new signing since Chris Sutton.We badly need more ‘captains ‘ in the team,and to be more vocal. Recent projects have been 100-200 k,800k if accurate,is a first team starter by our finances IMO HH
Obviously it is just coincidence the authorities arrest The Stranraer 5 on the day UEFA are about to sit in judgement on us
Afternoon Celts
The OB Act is a justification for anti-catholicism and anti-Irish racism.
The hun constructed sectarianism narrative…..’two sides of the same coin’…’one is as bad as the other’…where a crucifix is offensive, as is the sign of the cross….but religious hatred is fine because….its the Scottish Culture.
All bs….to cover up who the real perpetrators are…..institutionalised racism in Scotland.
HH
EDDIEINKIRKMICHAEL
I read your post with interest.
I guess part of my 3 players/ position is that we’d have better quality in a reduced squad so hopefully a no2 is decent enough to step up. That No2 could be any from the 2nd string able to fill the vacant position.
I also wonder how many of these modern day injuries would be declared if players felt their position was more closely contested?
I still believe 33 is a decent squad. What number do you feel is better? My thinking is too many causes it’s own issues.
HH
CB
NegAnon2 on 18th February 2016 3:44 pm
I agree it is but so is our entire football operation. It’s very hard to quantify exactly how much larger our 1st team wage bill is over theirs. It’s interesting to me that with twice the turnover of Malmo that year we made roughly the same profit.
Not only do I suspect that it’s not as big as people would immediately assume nor do I think the difference in quality is going to be massive.
Here’s a point though. The sheer size of Celtic means that players playing here will expect a certain level of wage. If Stuart Armstrong was on £1.5k/week at Dundee Utd (A made up number for illustration), do you think he’d take the same here, or would he expect an increase? If he gets double he doesn’t suddenly become twice the player,
Having said all of the above I still expect us to put in better performances than we’ve seen in Europe across the years but we’re a lot closer to these teams than many (not necessarily you) are happy to admit.
TGM
It’s gone way beyond that and now has more far reaching consequences for anyone making any form of political expression at football.
Oh and even if you just use a wee sweary word!
Adios.
HAMILTONTIM
Its racism, plain and simple.
That is the trademark of Scottish culture imo.
Calvinism, Evangelicalism, the Orange Order.
We dont fit in with their plans:)
HH
CultsBhoy can not relate to Celtic Board ambitions on or off the park on 18th February 2016 3:55 pm
33 was the number is theorised yesterday.
A 1st choice, a decent backup and then a youth that you’re bringing through to replace 1 of the above.
BURGHBHOY on 18TH FEBRUARY 2016 3:49 PM
Obviously it is just coincidence the authorities arrest The Stranraer 5 on the day UEFA are about to sit in judgement on us
-I have thought for many years that these ‘coincidence ‘,are coordinated,for maximum effect. HH
jungle Vip You are the one that is stirring it on here.in your view if celtic fans are arrested for lighting of flares and sectarian signing. You want Rangers or Sevco fans charged as well,we’ll to me that’s just a sectarian bigot speaking.
Disgraceful
Celtic fans went on a rampage of singing and enjoyment.
What next?
What’s the charge?
Smiling on the way to or from a Celtic game?
I wonder if there is anyone…anyone at all on the board.
Who has noticed the penalty statistics of sevco since the new club was formed.
Now….if that is above board and fair, which i very much doubt, there is something far wrong.
How it can go on so blatantly…is truly beyond me.
Right in your face cheating….not a word said.
Im starting to wonder why.
HH
Does anyone have the penalty count against teams?
weeminger
Malmo are an interesting case. I examined their accounts, club structure and articles of association/constitution just before Christmas. When they compete in Champions League they report excellent profits as a result. However, I don’t have my notes with me right now so can’t remember the pattern of how their wage budget flowed as a result. The impression I do remember having is that they got more bang for their buck than Celtic ON OCCASIONS but had to tolerate a more cyclical level of success than Celtic are expected to achieve.
I think it is difficult to compare the two.
TIMBHOY 3
Sectarian bigotry is it.
Were you not on the blog a few days….stoutly defending masonry.
So…we will have no half-arsed lectures from you.
Celtic fans are not bigots…..but the huns certainly are.
HH
Meanwhile in another dimension
I’m looking forward to Spring and Summer when police will be arresting hundreds of Citrus Strollers for singing and playing vile anti Catholic tunes, defiling churches and fighting in the streets.
I see Ms Haggerty will be back in The Sunday Herald from this week onwards. There will be much wailing and gnashing of teeth among the hordes.
Weeminger
33 seems more than adequate. If you risk assess it – the likelyhood of 1 in 4 injuries occurring as outlined by Eddiekirkmichael means 3 could be out of 1st team. That leaves you with 20 options to fill 3 positions. Id go further you decrease the injury rate by smarter recruitment Detk and Simonuvic were bought with known sick note history.
We need smaller squad more cohesion and better quality as well as direct competition for places. Right now we have umpteen midfielders competitions for a berth. 3 players pushing each other on gives hope to players and squeezes out complacency. I bet you Tierney was 3rd in pecking order until recently so it is proven you can jump from 3 to 1 …. And 1 to 3… Or that you can get sold or loaned.
‘Mangers (sic) Premium Seat Competition’…..
Is that in the ‘dug-oot’????
TBM
Davidopoulos on 18th February 2016 4:15 pm
Well they reportedly had the players on massive bonuses to beat us. My reading of their figures is similar to your and I think any European football at all can bring them profit.
They can probably provide relative bonuses well above the level we can. Not that that should be making that much difference but it clearly helps.
As I said above half the turnover but the same profit tells a story in itself about the costs we face compared to teams in similar leagues.
Here’s a wee stat ive dug up.
In late eighteenth century Glasgow, there were only 39 Catholic residents.
However, there were 43 anti-Catholic societies.
(Gallagher 1987).
Institutionalised racism….yes indeed.
Made in Glasgow.
HH
Phil MacGiollaBhain @Pmacgiollabhain 16s16 seconds ago
Delighted to hear that @newsundayherald have given @AngelaHaggerty her column back.
“pandering to the mob” is never a good idea.
#nuj
Hear Hear but…………………………. i wonder how sales have been ?
weeminger
They can probably provide relative bonuses well above the level we can.
———————————————————————————————————
This is true. I think the question of relativity and ratios makes it difficult to find a reliable comparison with Celtic. The make-up of income for Celtic in ratio terms is so different to other clubs in similar leagues because of proportional value that TV income and European football contributes to the revenues of clubs in other leagues.
I tried to do a comparison between Celtic and Anderlecht but it was impossible because of the difference in the relative structure of incomes. And i do think that is a really important factor.
Ms Grahame told the select committee at Holyrood that “things had to be evened up”, thus the reason for certain sections of the OB Act having greater effect on Celtic supporters. It is a pity the lady (?) did not look for justice for all in time that she was chairing the committee looking at the setting up of the Act.
CONNAIRE12
Indeed.
Professor Devine seemed rather mystified at her reasoning.
Which says a lot.
I also remember Professor Devine having to explain the history of Celtic , to the CEO Peter Lawell.
In Scotland, when it comes to history….politicians like to make things up to suit their agendas.
Just as well we have people like Prof Devine to remind them of reality.
Scoddland eh….The Land That Time Forgot.
HH
connaire12 on 18th February 2016 4:33 pm
And did it even things up?