Since Ronny Deila became manager I’ve met a Norwegian journo a few times who has been keen to discuss our manager’s progress. One of the points he’s continually made is about Stefan Johansen, who he insists is known as a creative midfielder in Norway, someone who regularly makes defence-splitting passes.
Until recently, we’ve not seen this, Stefan has played as a box-to-box midfielder. Something changed against Hamilton Accies two weeks ago. Celtic were inept in many areas but Stefan seemed particularly exasperated at the lack of penetration. He ran and harried, pushed and prodded. It was as though the general malaise around him afforded him the authority to take control of the situation.
Late in the game against Accies he bent double with his hands on his knees, the outward sign of exhaustion anyone over 40 who’s played fives is familiar with, but which you seldom see from professionals, as it’s a sign your batteries are empty. When fans see this in a player the natural reaction is to berate him but Stefan’s knees deserved to be held, he’d put more effort in over the 90 minutes than anyone I’d seen all season.
Saturday’s performance from Celtic seemed to come from nowhere; suddenly we looked like a team. Stefan’s newly acquired authority, which I think he acquired two weeks earlier, goes some way towards explaining why.
I’m loving the love being shown to the glib and shameless one today, especially the accompanying commentary, “are you a fan who is staying away from Rangers matches?”, “this Rangers support is already dangerously close to a full-scale rebellion”. Framing the debate like this is an explicit call to Newco Rangers fans to ditch their hard-up club.
I would like to echo this sentiment. Go find another sport, or take up a higher education class instead.
That’s easy for me to say, I care nothing for Newco, but at least I’m being honest about it. There are those prepared to drive the club into the Clyde in their attempts to grab control on the cheap – i.e. instead of buying shares on the open market.
Good luck to them. I’m sure Mike Ashley and the Easdales will be easily bullied.
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If by chance you haven’t come across this remarkable testimony to the strength of love between father and son, watch this most remarkable team of two. Life at its most beautiful:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOMDzfbtO30
Wha’s Like Us?
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-29661446
DeniaBhoy
What an inspiration. The fathers love for his child is truly remarkable. Would bring tears to a glass eye.
Happy Birthday James Forrest
Here’s his latest….. @LaytonBhoy: Ally McCoist is cutting a lonely figure in these, the last days of his managerial career …. http://t.co/TTmiuYHT2s RT, share and enjoy. HH
HH
Sad to hear any Celtic player being castigated ridiculed even
when i hear or read it i always think back to the early sixties
when the Lisbon Lions got the same treatment, look how that
turned out.
H.H Mick
Everybody dossing?
Melbourne Mick
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJzdmLKMwl4
WK67
Nice one William.
H.H Mick
where’s all the moonhowlers?
o.k. a gie up
H.H Mick
Melbourne Mick
Moonhowlers Friday midnight.
Scotland is sleeping except for a few insomniacs.
WK67
Glen Gibbons – RIP
But – imho – the cage-rattling of the huns stopped when Gerry McNee hung up his pen and, thee only remaining – tangible – evidence of a Celtic supporter who comes from a hoose stowed oot wi Celtic SB-holding supporters is – Hugh Keevins.
Lukas Zaluska – Sorry to hear of the incident and I hope he is well again asap.
But, I canny imagine LZ being assaulted by someone who is a midget in comparison?
As I said, I’m not privvy to the ‘actual’ goings on so, will wait and see.
Bed time, bye. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Quick look in, quick look back…
Jude 2005…42 years! Serious congrats…
Mind you getting married just after midnight is unusual…
:-)
Captain Beefheart 22:31
I have never heard monkey noises on any stadium in Poland. None of the Polish clubs were under investigation from UEFA or Polish FA for theses kind of assaults. Don’t put Poland and Russia (who have a problem with racists behaviours) in the same line.
Good morning friends from an unexpectedly dry, clear skied (mostly) and chilly East Kilbride.
Oh aye and there’s a wee bit of a wind blowing too.
Was there ever a quieter night shift? Not even a page? I know few on here would click on a Daily Record link so I’ve copied and pasted their Zaluska story. He was attacked and hit by three different guys while out with his wife:
Oct 21, 2014 03:00
By John Ferguson, Jane Hamilton
THE Polish goalkeeper, who was out with his wife Magdalena, was knocked out after being punched twice by one player – before another footballer appeared and hit him on the head.
SNS Group
Lukasz Zaluska was attacked in Ashton Lane
CELTIC goalkeeper Lukasz Zaluska was attacked by two rival players and knocked unconscious early yesterday.
A witness said one player punched the Polish star twice – on the side of the head and then full in the face – in the street.
Then, as the 6ft 2in goalie stood doubled over in pain, another footballer appeared, tore off his jacket, ran up to Zaluska, 32, and hit him on the head.
Zaluska slumped to the ground and was knocked cold when he hit his head on the pavement.
An onlooker in Glasgow’s trendy Ashton Lane said: “He was unconscious for about three to four minutes. I thought at first he was dead.”
The witness said the second attacker fled in a taxi, after saying: “I shouldn’t even be here. I’m a
professional footballer.”
Zaluska, 32, was assaulted in the early hours while out with wife Magdalena and another young woman .
They were heading for a taxi rank at the time. The players involved cannot be named for legal reasons.
A witness said: “Zaluska was walking up the lane with his wife when this player walked up to him and punched him full force on the side of the head.
“Zaluska was completely stunned but found his bearings and started questioning what was going on.
“But the guy just punched him again, straight in the face this time. Zaluska’s face exploded.”
Another bystander said Zaluska was bent over with blood pouring from his face when the second player attacked him.
He said: “The guy threw his jacket off, ran up and punched him right in the head, and Zaluska went down.”
Police and paramedics were called and Zaluska was treated for a head injury in the back of an ambulance. A pool of blood was left in the lane.
As well as the players involved in the attack, St Mirren’s Jim Goodwin and Mark Wilson of Dundee United were in the lane at the time.
Both men spoke to police but there is no suggestion they were involved. Goodwin told us: “I’d been out with my wife and a few other couples and we found the big man lying in the lane as we left.
Mark Wilson with Zaluska and Magdalena at the mouth of Ashton Lane Mark Wilson with Zaluska and Magdalena at the mouth of Ashton Lane
“He’s had some cuts and bruises to the head. I don’t know whether that was the result of the fight or if he hit his head when he fell.
“We waited with him until the ambulance and the police turned up and Lukasz was given some help.
“He was OK when we left him, though he had a bit of a head injury. It’s a real shame.”
Police said they were investigating and checking CCTV footage. No one had been charged last night.
Former Celtic manager Neil Lennon was viciously assaulted in Ashton Lane in 2008. Two thugs got two years each for the attack.
Anyone surprised Samaras is getting nowhere near that West Brom team? or is he out injured or something, I saw him make one bench appearance and that about it!
DeniaBhoy
The witness said the second attacker fled in a taxi, after saying: “I shouldn’t even be here. I’m a professional footballer.”
I have a feeling that bit has been made up! Like a mobster after a hit I shouldn’t be here I’m in the Mafia!
Funniest thing I’ve read in a while. Courtesy of jakethesnake on twitter:
MCoist “We don’t have a scouting system but we still watch players. Our IT guy, Steve Harvey, keeps us up to speed” < Mega lolz
Morning all.
Hope to Ghod they get the thugs who attacked our goalkeeper. Just shows the level of some of our opponents in Scotland. The SFA should ban them, if and when they are punished by the courts. (Don’t laugh at the back!!!)
Hope our team put on a show on Thursday evening.
I guess the young laddie Fasan will be on the bench on Thursday?
Lukasz surely won’t be fit having been knocked unconscious on Sunday?
Jobo
Wind is definitely of the perceptible type this morning!
Hail Hail
Jamesgang
Weefra
All good I hope?
Heard something blow past my window about 5am. It was either a bit of a bin or a wee fermer from Lanarkshire!
HH jamesgang
a ceiler gonof rust
23:50 on 20 October, 2014
jamesgang Need my beauty sleep. Oh Lordie don’t I just!!’
………………..
Aye ye do ya big ugly bassa, you need to sleep for about a week:_)
————————-
If JamesGang needs to a weeks beauty sleep you’ll make Sleeping Beauties 100 years look like a nap!
HandsomeCSC:-)
Right, off tae Airdrie, wish me luck.
A friend of mine has taken a 6 month contract in Abu Dhabi.
It would be nice to get a bit of sunshine in January or whatever for a few days.
Anybody know if there is much to do there, bearing in mind he’ll be working a lot of the time.
Another important question – is beer hard to get and expensive ?
Doc
You’ll stick out a mile in airdrie!
Way2HandsomeCSC!
HH jamesgang
Morning all.
No ‘Thugs…’ headline in the DR today I take it?
Wishing Lukasz a speedy recovery.
Any arrests yet?
HH!!
Robert88 – Wouldn’t be the DR if some of it wasn’t made up. More likely he jumped in the taxi shouting “The Fenian B******d asked for it, we are ra Peepil”.
Sad news re Glen Gibbons. Rip.
Sad to hear about Glenn Gibbons’ passing.
One of the few beacons of Scottish journalism and a succulent lamb avoider.
May he rest in peace.
DeniaBhoy, watched your vid last night of the guy doing the iron man with his disabled father.
Very moving stuff. Iron man doesn’t begin to describe the guy.
Hail Hail
Petethebeat,
Depends where i your friend works in abu dhabi, on the mainland beer readily available in all the hotels, it can be expensive.
Morning,all.
Seems one of our players took his wife out for the night,probably a nice meal,wine.
Decent part of town.
Gets given a right doing. ,totally unprovoked.
Couldn’t believe it when some hunter loping troll from FF suggested he was blootered,and that it was two of his team-mates who assaulted him!
(Breaking news-apologies to all hunter loping trolls for the above. The suggestion was made by our dearly-beloved Las Vegas correspondent. Twat)
why does sky sports cover the summation from teh judge in the pistorius case ?
quick snow flurry in bishopton,
one for our legal beagles on here.
how high in the justice system is the judge in the pritorius trial ?
is it normal for a summation to go on so long and refer to so many other cases ?
Pistorius -5 years jail + 3 years for firearms charge ,suspended for 5 years
!BADA BING!
Suspended?
Bloody hell…