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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hamiltontim
18:08 on 20 October, 2014
Jamesgang
I’m a bouncer….remember :-)
——————-
Are we still talking Primary School here?
I’llhodyerhomeworkCSC
Efe has not produced some of the worst performances ever from a professional football player or am I misinterpreting the poster who posted this.
Efe has not played as well as he can this season as have other players in our squad.
Since the Rubentus game, a lot of focus has been placed on him whether rightly or wrongly. As much as I like Efe, he shouldn’t have started that game.
Like others, I hope he gets a well earned rest and although he is a great athlete & very fit, a short time away from football would hopefully help him. He must be mentally tired also.
Bontybhoy, I’m not having a pop at you but your description of Efe in your earlier post was unfair on him.
HamiltonTim
I was having ma tea there.
Not hiding.
Honest!
UnconvincingCSC
HH jamesgang
Efe is mentally and physically drained and he has been doing the best he can while being played out of position.
Yogiy
Wasn’t an Aberdeen player!
MWD said AYE
cowiebhoy
17:30 on 20 October, 2014
Incidentally, the more £50 season tickets sold, the better, get our kids etc following the Celtic the earlier the better, the next generation of Green Brigadiers
Hail Hail
—–
TannedTim aka Cowiebhoy and others…..
….bring able to take the wee Mhan along for £50 has even magic. And I do think he’s a wee GB Bhoy waiting to happen!
Aff oot 4 a kickaboot with him.
HH jamesgang
Although Aberdeen is up for the Carbunkle award :-)
MWD said AYE
Celtic mac
There are a few aspects.
First, the basic contribution from domestic TV to Celtic is in the order of £2.5M per season. Trading that off against an uplift in ticket sales would mean a break even of an additional 5000 per home gate.
The second aspect is the relatively higher contribution TV makes to the other clubs. For a club like Dundee Utd, around 20% of their income comes from TV. Reducing that would impact disproportionately on their competitive standing.
The third thing that crosses my mind is the promotional value of domestic TV. While it’s a scandal that BBC does not broadcast Scottish football UK (it has the rights to) equally, Sky does, and limited though it is, the exposure is positive.
Finally, it’s customary for Celtic home games to kick off on a Saturday at 3pm. While there have been exceptions to this, in the main it remains so. Since we generate no income from away games, kick off times are largely revenue-neutral.
I’d say on balance that there isn’t really much in it. We need substantial change, rather than peripheral ones. IMO Getting SPFL broadcast UK wide with the same production values as MoTD, perhaps even merged into the MoTD format, would do more for the Game in Scotland, and Celtic by extension, than any amount of tinkering.
TBB
Gordon, Did you not read Lennys Passion’s post. He reckons its one of his Celtic team mates. Passion has a great track record of being totally accurate in all his posts, so for me it looks like its down to Kris Commons or maybe wee Jamesie.
lennybhoy…supporting the dam 5 and cfc until i die
18:36 on 20 October, 2014
Good stuff there.
I think you know I wasn’t referring to the Huns as ‘big’ games but was only paraphrasing what a couple of folk had said to me.
Your reasons for being disillusioned are correct not just for you personally but for many Tims.
I took my daughter (I think it was last season) to the home cup game v Arbroath. It was bitterly cold, the stadium was less than a quarter full and we could only manage a 1-1 draw.
She loved it!!!!
Me? I was left with the prospect of a midweek replay by the North Sea!!
My point is, she would have loved to have been there that freezing Wednesday night to see Matthews hit a 30 yard screamer to put us into the next round.
She wasn’t and sadly the bug she caught for Celtic for that month long period in her life had diminished.
Until Saturday when she apparently saw her auld man on the tele jumping about like a man who should know better!! And now she wants to go back.
The baton is passed on my friend. We don’t always know to whom and we don’t always get to choose when.
Rest assured, you’ve more than done your bit.
Why do so many posters refer to Juventus as Rubentus?
Just curious.
Latest rumour is 3 DU players re LZ attack
right I’m flouncing (to the novena) where I will say a prayer for you all (collectively) flouncing cos no-one even noticed that I am getting to the game Thursday one of only 24 able to travel on the stenna ferry and I thought it was a big deal Til later play nice
HH
:-))))))))))
Dallas.
I agree about Efe.
The guy has hardly had a break for at least 2 years.
I think Celtic have a duty of care to him.
They should give him a 2 week holiday and then a mini pre season of another 2 weeks. It’s the mental side more than the physical that he needs a rest from.
Corkcelt –
I don’t think we should start throwing about names of Celtic players who assaulted Zaluska. I know it’s difficult, bug if you know nothing, please don’t make it up.
caltontongues
Did you do your homework with a quill?
CiderWithRosieCSC
Jamesgang you made me laugh out loud very funny!
Dena29 I hope the weather calms down and you make it over!
Jimmynotpaul – hope you have recovered it’s great to see you posting.
!!bada bing!!
19:06 on 20 October, 2014
Paul Paton of United ?
tom mclaughlin
I think Corkcelt was being facetious mate.
Oh oh….
In any case, if it was a Celtic player who assaulted Zaluska, do you think the headline would be
CELTIC PLAYER ASSAULTDD BY PREMIERSHIP PLAYER
or
CELTIC PLAYER ASSAULTED BY CELTIC TEAM MATE
Tom, T’was a joke, Lenny’s passion is a troll and only he would say t’was a Celt did it. I just picked the 2 smallest players I could think of to take the pish out of his post.
Corkcelt.
The way STV news worded the incident with Zaluska it was definitely another club’s player.
Tom, in Italy they are known as Rubentus. It derives from the Italian verb for stealing/thieving.
The fans of other Italian teams believe they have stole so many trophies over the years.
When they recently played Roma and benefitted from a few honest mistakes, Totti after the game said, not his exact words but it is his drift, it wasn’t worthwhile for other teams turning up as the refs help Juve.
My most disliked existing club.
They were sent Serie C for interfering in the process of appointing refs to their league games and had two league titles stripped but they still claim those two titles.
Horrible club and fans.
I heard it was a tall white Afro-Caribbean dwarf striker mute with a strong European accent who plays at the back for killie and st johnstone when he’s not on loan for Utd, hertz and hibs what done it.
Corkcelt –
Sorry mate. I know nothing of the poster so went right over my head.
hun skelper-couldn’t possibly confirm………wouldn’t put a specific name(s) on the blog mate.HH
Stv report on Twitter said Lennon received minor injuries in a previous attack , kicked unconscious ffs
Minx.
Thank you.
Took today off work today just to be sure I had recovered.
Couldn’t believe H.T. was still posting at 9pm on Sat when I scrolled back.It was straight to be bed for me at half seven.
Jimmynotpaul, the grief he is getting is out of order. One of my pals has a go at him and I pointed out the good things he does.Efe does make errors, some self inflicted and others because he receives bad passes or no one gives him an option to make a pass to.
Dallas Dallas –
Thanks for that. Makes sense now.
!!bada bing!!
19:17 on 20 October, 2014
His name is all over the place and I live in dundee, he was there by all accounts HH
Tom English @TomEnglishSport 1m1 minute ago
Very sorry to hear my former colleague Glenn Gibbons has passed away. The big newspaper in the sky has recruited an outstanding journalist
Juventus are eternally shrouded in controversy.
!!bada bing!!
19:18 on 20 October, 2014
‘But that’s Lennon he proberly threw his head into the poor guys foot, you know what he’s like always asking for a doing’
Scottish media
Gary67,
Very sad news. Glenn Gibbons was a right good journalist.
Tom English @TomEnglishSport 5m5 minutes ago
Very sorry to hear my former colleague Glenn Gibbons has passed away. The big newspaper in the sky has recruited an outstanding journalist
Sad news as Glen Gibbons was one of the few not frightened to say it as it is ref Sevco
G67-one of the good guys-RIP GG