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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Overdue praise for Stefan Johansen who was nearly getting the whippin bhoy treatment.
The difference was he had Chas in with him, doing the the donkey work, he’s been attempting for weeks.
Hee Haw CSC
Don’t know if it’s being mentioned before but Johansen’s performance at Dingwall reminded me of Tommy Burns at his best.
Sat was against a very poor side , not time to count our chickens,too many questions regarding RD,S management remain,and I would still like him to leave A S A P ,AS WELL AS THE BONUS KING
Ronny should keep with that team for Thursday.
Just replace Gooooooooaletti with Sepcovic, no need to tinker just leave it alone – injuries permitting.
looks like Kris Commons (our top scorer last season) is now not suitable to pay in this side, which is as poor a Celtic side as I have seen?????????
Is Paul preparing the ground for his sale?
FWEE BAWABUS!!
lifeofbwiancsc
GerryBhoy
Mucho congrats to your daughter, they make you proud so the do.
HH
lawwellsacountant,
Have you ever had a double yoke?
LAWELLSACCOUNTANT
Go piss on your own chips,mate.
If you canny be delighted with Celtic winning 5-0,you shouldnae be here.
Ahhh the old Celtic played well so it must be because the opposition were poor argument,why can’t fholk give credit were credits due
gerrybhoy
12:25 on 20 October, 2014
Whoooft! Daughter GB just had her corrections signed off on her PhD in International Relations at Edinburgh Uni today. Will visit to see her receive her doctorate next month. Big party coming up after 9 years hard work.
JustaweebitoffthefitbaCSC
HH :-))))))
Gerry
~~~~~~~~~~++~~~~~~~~~
That’s an outstanding achievement,bud. I trust-after you have passed on my congratulations-that your wallet will be open for the celebrations.
During your speech,remind her that she is your pension plan!
Not sure if this has been mentioned yet but a couple of weeks ago lots of posters on here were wanting Johansen dropped from the team.I laughed then,and I laugh now.
Super Salary in frank interview with Evening Times about chronic steak bake, and flatulence habit.
lawwellsacountant @ 13.09hrs.
To quote Mao Tse Tung.” The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.”
HH.
oldtim67
Aye no everybody is as patient as you!
Hx2 fae the Swiss Valley!
oldtim67
guilty as charged
Good Morning from Grenada ( still here for a day)
Very well done Miss gerrybhoy :-) and family on supporting
Paul67, we could have got Johansen performing to this standard earlier, if we hadn’t persisted in trying Berget/Tonev/Wakaso, in numerous games
Should have been playing with either Bitton or Henderson in midfield earlier in season, may not have dropped so many points
Only my opinion, but what most have been saying for many weeks, Midfield of 2 with 2 wingers doesn’t work for us, with players we have
Hail Hail
Think I’ll post from Bannockburn later this week :-)
Oldtim
There are lots on here and many other blogs that don’t have a scooby about football.
All they see is the score, important right enough, but they also need someone to give out to, quite sad really.
Ronny will get it right.
HH
Oldtim67 13:19
A lot of posters were against the signing of Craig Gordon…..
Congrats, GB.
I know from experience how much smarts and staying power is required. May you all reap the rewards. Always great to see posts like that.
I’d be happy with Commons on from the start on Thursday – see what we can get from him and leave a faster, fitter, ‘change-it’ sub to come on to meet tired legs later in the game.
Courtesy of Celtic TV, game was a bit stop-start for me on Saturday but loving Guidetti – a character with determination and a self belief that transmits to those around him. It’ll be tough but signing him up should be a priority.
Hail Hail.
cowiebhoy,
Enjoy your day mate. HH
Looking forward to Movember, in the hope of another of TBB’s Jason King numbers. EuroChamps67 keeps it all year round.
davidopoulos
13:06 on 20 October, 2014
vinniethedog
I can’t understand the glee at all with any mike ashley involvement with the huns !!!!!
Huge worry for me…..
—————————————————
My opinion is that Mike Ashley is only interested in money. If he does become THE big player at Ibrox, it will be to make money. The only way that money can be made out of Sevco is to run a tight ship with a low wage budget…or shaft people…whatever…
——-
Or spend a mere £20m on a decent squad and. Imprudent manager, beat a complacent Celtic board and gain access to CL £Ms with attendant increase in we shall not be moved replica tops?
HH jamesgang
Jimmy McGrory’s league goals account for 1 in every 22 LGs Celtic have ever scored (1890-2014).
@Maley’s Bhoys
Hit thaaaaat
jamesgang
Didn’t really work the last time they tried that though…
Johansen 1 good game out of 60 or so and he,s Celtic class , my oh my at least I go to games seems like many on here don,t,and are just foul mouthed apologists for a duff manager who has ruined the team he inherited
ziggydoc1
Again sorry for the late reply, nursed a massive hangover all
day, those Oz tims can drink, must be the heat.
Regarding the Mornington Celtic club if your brothers mate
lives there he couldn’t miss it as it’s situated on the main rd
with two large shamrocks and social celts sign outside, the
club was founded this year by a guy called Pat Macillhinny
who was instrumental in starting up the Melbourne No 1 in
the city.
Pat is an ex boxer and after a few beers he told me about a
few fights he had and mentioned that he had beaten a guy
called Macmillan and thought he was the bees knees until
he fought his brother who gave him a real going over lo and
behold he was talking about the Macmillan brothers all seven
of them boxers and Celtic mad, i’m sure some of the older
posters will remember them as their photo of them all lined up
with the gloves on were in the papers back in the day.
Five of them ended up working offshore with me as scaffolders
and what a laugh as they were all characters and a two week
trip passed quickly with their high jinks i’ll always remember
working away in a big cold module and suddenly there would be
a loud hail from somewhere up in the gods and another bro would
answer hail from across the other side and then the whole place
would erupt like a big echo chamber to the Celts are here.
Anyway i’m rambling on still full of the gabby juice.
H.H Mick
Sipsini
Thanks Bhud, last minute topping up of Tan :-)
“Or spend a mere £20m on a decent squad”
Jamesgang,
Thems have spent circa £70 m in the last few seasons and still can’t top the 2nd tier of Scottish football and have won 2 trophies out of a possible 8.
There’s nae quick fix coming from Ashley neebs. HH
GB congratulations to your daughter a great achievement.
on a footie note I have just been confirmed as getting a place on one of only 6 cars on the boat for Thursday yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
see anyone who can make it to cqn corner Thursday night
C.O.Y.B.I.G.
HH
lawwellsacountant
The apostrophe is found between ; and # on the keyboard. If you do nothing else today, I’d recommend mastering that…
Drat my yes fell off the end
HH
jamesgang
13:28 on
20 October, 2014
That’s fine except with the squad as is, they’re losing almost £1M/month. Even filling the cesspit would leave them with a deficit of c£5M/season. Upping the quality of the squad only increases that. With player turnover etc taken onto the mix I think it could take 4-5 years consecutive CL group football to turn a profit.
That’s risky.
In our two most accomplished performances, Charlie Mulgrew was playing.
However, in one of them Kris Commons featured and he was absent in the other. Likewise Scott Brown. In one of them, Efe was right back while it was Mikel Lustig in the other. It really is too small a sample of scintillating performances from which to draw any definitive conclusions. We need more sparkling performances before we can deduce anything about this.
Team v Dundee United
26 Gordon
03 Izaguirre
04 Ambrose
05 van Dijk
22 Denayer
21 Mulgrew
42 McGregor (Forrest – 69′ )
25 Johansen (Kayal – 45′ )
15 Commons
16 Berget
10 Stokes (Griffiths – 70′ )
Team v Ross Co.
26 Gordon
23 Lustig (Bitton – 60′ )
22 Denayer
05 van Dijk
03 Izaguirre (Matthews – 53′ )
42 McGregor
08 Brown
25 Johansen
21 Mulgrew
10 Stokes
09 Guidetti (Scepovic – 67′ )
Is our club paying the living wage yet?
Is our club still charging babies for entry to our stadium?
Sispini good for him
It’s 50 shades for the rabbi now but he is 90 to be fair
Jc2 he could have made a few quid as a lookalike
And there’s always Halloween !
lawwellsacountant
13:33 on 20 October, 2014
I’ll repeat what I put up on blogs a few times
Johansen looked every bit a good player when we signed him in January through to end of season (last) a more than adequate replacement for Joe Ledley, in my opinion
Yes had been poor this season, but change of formation and Bingo
Hail Hail