Shaun Maloney was 24-years-old when he left Celtic for the first time. By then he was already known for both his talent and his susceptibility to injury. We accepted a £1m bid from Aston Villa for a player few of us thought would remain fit enough to make an impact in his career.
He retired 10 years later, having won an FA Cup and established his credentials in English football, although his play was regularly punctuated by various ailments.
Jozo Simunovic is currently a year older than Shaun was when he first left Celtic with a comparable injury record. He faces a small operation on his knee, which will hopefully see him return to action soon, but the harsh reality is that the remainder of his career is likely to be interrupted by spells on the treatment table.
I had difficulty believing rumours of interest in Jozo this summer for around £7m. When fit, he is worth that and more, but even Oldco’s knee specialist would fail Jozo at a fitness test.
I like the player. He is attentive, seeing movement before it becomes a danger and he is comfortable on the ball, seldom making mistakes. Despite regularly lacking games or training, he is never out of shape and manages to return to the team sharp and ready for action.
He has 21 months left on his contract, and there can be little doubt that a bid in the region of £7m would be accepted, but that’s not going to happen. I would persevere with him and offer a new contract.
There is every possibility that his career will extend for another nine years, as Shaun’s did. Jozo is not going to attract a contract that his ability would command on another frame, but there will hopefully be many years of value from him.
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Last one on this for me re Jozo as I’m still unconvinced…
We have Jozo as CH 3. Let’s say CH 2 gets injured and will be absent for 10 games running. Here’s the crux – the chances of Jozo being the answer for 10 games in a row (can’t play plastic and can’t stay fit) is slim, leaving us with CH 4 (probably El Hamed, shifted from RB).
That’s the reality. His 30 game run comes in spurts which might not correspond with the time needed.
Get a player who can play on plastic and have a run of games.
That’s not Jozo.
Better still get rid of the plastic.
CORKCELT on 17TH SEPTEMBER 2019 4:42 PM
Better still get rid of the plastic.
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Not in our gift. The other one is.
BTW I like Jozo but he creates problems. Of course, producing a 1st team ready academy CH could help. When was the last time we did that?
MCPHAIL BHOY on 17TH SEPTEMBER 2019 3:51 PM
Those are incredible stats, if pushed I would have said that he probably played no more than 12 or so games in each of the last three seasons, if you don’t expect to see someone play and expect him to be injured then the facts get in the way!
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Well, in his first season he only played 17 times. It might be the same this year if Julien & Ajer stay healthy.
BIG WAVY on 17TH SEPTEMBER 2019 4:40 PM
Last one on this for me re Jozo as I’m still unconvinced…
We have Jozo as CH 3. Let’s say CH 2 gets injured and will be absent for 10 games running. Here’s the crux – the chances of Jozo being the answer for 10 games in a row (can’t play plastic and can’t stay fit) is slim, leaving us with CH 4 (probably El Hamed, shifted from RB).
That’s the reality. His 30 game run comes in spurts which might not correspond with the time needed.
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I agree with your points.
But I suppose it’s just down to judgment & who’s available. I think our current squad is configured in the right way to provide adequate cover & I really think we haven’t seen the best of Jozo.
I think there is a very real chance we sell Ajer next summer. He’s contracted till the summer of 2022 and we are trying to sign him up to a new deal. If he doesn’t sign that extension he will be leaving next summer if the right offer comes in. I don’t think we’d do another Boyata under Neil Lennon.
Our current coach has shown he is more than happy to be a wheeler-dealer (selling McGeady & Tierney etc)
If Ajer won’t extend I’d extend both Bitton & Jozo. If you know you have Ajer next year then you know you can look elsewhere.
If Ajer won’t extend I’d extend both Bitton & Jozo.
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Or buy another well-scouted CH to complement Julien.
BGFC
MachuillS on Sat.hootenanny.you asked where to drop kit..I know he would welcome it and am sure MachuillS widnae mind.
Antearmann1967@gmail.com
Will tell u the plan.
HH
Eddy tells the Lapdogs to GTF,very happy here and still got a lot to do with Celtic
I am all for our keeping both Bitton (imo, the best passer of the ball among our defenders) and Jozo.
First 20 minutes Prague doing well away to Inter. Still scoreless but pretty even game.
Bham have been fined £42,k and warned of future conduct for the supporter attacking Grealish.
What happened to sevco for the hun that attacked broonie
Half Time Inter v Slavia nil all.
On evidence of first half I wouldn’t be too confident of us having beaten Prague had we got over Cluj.
A big strong aggressive team, they are not standing back & are giving as much if not more in aggression against Inter, in Inter’s own patch.
I do fancy Inter to prevail in the end but there is not a lot in it.
GENE on 17TH SEPTEMBER 2019 6:39 PM
Bham have been fined £42,k and warned of future conduct for the supporter attacking Grealish.
What happened to sevco for the hun that attacked broonie
Celtic were fined £42k and warned re future conduct for antagonising the poor wee huns by skelping them.
Oh, and Broony was banned 3 matches for being Broony.
GENE on 17TH SEPTEMBER 2019 6:39 PM
Bham have been fined £42,k and warned of future conduct for the supporter attacking Grealish.
What happened to sevco for the hun that attacked broonie?
In line with a precedent set years previously the resulting punishment for this incident was a 5 match ban for Neil Lennon increased to 6 on appeal………
GLENDALYSTONSILS snap- well nearly
https://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/17907780.top-cop-calls-catholic-schools-abolished-tackle-glasgow-sectarianism/
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Good to see times have changed……unbelievable :O(
If you assume most of us prioritise 10 in a row over European success(big assumption), and that Sevco are our main rivals now (not so big an assumption); then I think we should view the renewal of any current player’s contract in terms of:-
Are they better than what they have?
Would they love to have said player in their team?(similar to the first question)
How much would it cost us to get a better player in and could be we do it in time to affect the next 2 titles?
I work in business improvement and there is a point where you stop changing , consolidate and excel before a major goal(sale or IPO for a business, 10 in a row for us)
Based on the above hypothesis; I would tie Simunovic, Bitton and Ajer into new deals.
Pay rises for McGregor, Johnston and Christie.
Let Sinclair go next summer or earlier if he wants to go at Christmas. Love him but he has played at Sevco level for a while now
Corkcelt
No way we’d have beaten Slavia. The EL is our level and I’m not unhappy with our group.
Voguepunter
There are Catholic and CofE schools all over England without the sectarian bile that happens in Scotland – of course we don’t have hundreds of orange walks. Maybe he should look elsewhere.
all thats missing from the ex polis chief, is something like “no sectrarianism , if they just went home”
bloody digraceful positioning from the old duffer,
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Top cop calls for Catholic schools to be abolished to tackle Glasgow sectarianism
A FORMER top cop has claimed Catholic schools should be abolished to help tackle sectarianism on the streets of Glasgow.
Tom Wood a former Deputy Chief Constable, has questioned whether religious segregation in schools remains acceptable, and urged Glasgow City Council to address root causes of the divide.
Last week the council decided to ban six Loyalist and Republican parades through the city over the weekend following violent scenes over consecutive weeks.
This prompted hundreds of protesters to line George Square on Saturday morning to challenge the decision.
Now, Mr Wood has compared the scenes in Govan and the city centre in the past month to incidents the streets of Hong Kong, calling the ban “stupid”.
Writing in the Scotsman, the former Deputy Chief Constable said: “It’s a disturbing sight, Scottish police officers drawn up in full public order kit, flame-proof overalls, long shields, helmets and visors – not to mention dogs, horses and a helicopter. It’s the last thing we want to see and the last place our police men and women want to be.
“As we enter a new age of extremes, it’s a sight we have become used to on our television news but it’s usually happening in Hong Kong or Paris not the streets of Glasgow.
“It was the latest tedious eruption of Scotland’s shame, our endemic, chronic problem of sectarian hatred so deeply ingrained in our country or at least the west of our Central Belt.
“Much has been made of the need for new laws to deal with sectarian marches and we may well need to strengthen the regulation of these events.
READ MORE: Church of Scotland back Glasgow City Council on loyalist and republican march ban
“But one thing is clear, while sectarian parades should be limited, it’s plain stupid to ban marches, it breeds grievance and encourages illegal assemblies that are more difficult to police. It’s always best to know who, where and when.”
Mr Wood also questioned whether this should mean that Catholic schools across Scotland should be closed to deal with the ‘shame’ of sectarianism.
He added: “We also need to look at the roots of the problem and question what divides us. And if we do that then we simply cannot escape questioning our system of religiously segregated education.
READ MORE: Glasgow City Council get Scottish Government backing to limit parade numbers
“I have no doubt that the provision for separate Roman Catholic education was a good idea 100 years ago, but is it acceptable that in the 21st century, we emphasise differences by separating five-year-old children based on their parents’ religion?
“Most advanced Western societies have, as a matter of policy, adopted strictly secular education systems – are they all wrong?
“As Scotland moves forward with equality as our watchword, our century-old practice of segregated education is contradictory to say the least.”
READ MORE: Catriona Stewart: We must tackle sectarianism – it must not be allowed to take hold
“Passing stronger laws to deal with disorderly marches is easy but if we really want to dig out the roots of sectarianism, we must do what’s difficult, and have the courage to tackle the historical anomaly of religious segregation in our schools.”
A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: “With all due respect to Mr Wood, the council is confident in the assessment made by Police Scotland and officers with experience of policing these events in Glasgow over recent weeks, months and years.”
A spokesperson for the Catholic Church said: “The right of parents to educate their children in accordance with their religious beliefs is a universal human right.
“Suggestions that Catholic schools somehow contribute to sectarianism are unfounded, deeply unhelpful and offensive. There is not a shred of empirical evidence to back up such claims.
“Since sectarian anti-Catholicism long predates the existence of Catholic schools in Scotland, the schools cannot be the cause of it. Catholic schools exist in dozens of countries around the world, including England, nowhere else are they charged with being the engine of intolerance.”
Did anyone listen to the guff on Sportsound regarding the best striker in Scotland? These people must be blind to even compare mororless to Edouard. What a joke!
Famously Police Scotland only promote to Deputy Chief Constables if they have a doctorate on Theological Studies, likewise all who appear on Shortbread have a Degree in Journalism and their UEFA Pro Licence.
Was there ever a time when the credibility of the speaker mattered before their p*sh was printed or aired? Serious question.
Yogi
They are completely wrong if they are comparing Morelos favourably with Edouard but they are not blind. They are simply playing the `promote Sevco as much as possible` card.
JJ
Martim1980
A couple of years ago I wrote to BBC asking how much they were paying the ebt pundits overall in a year. They said they didn’t have to reveal that as it came under the banner of journalism.
Titter ye not
Gene- nearly spat out my tea- hunbelievable!
For all the guff aboooot fa’in ooot with the Huns, Shortie has been in lock-step wi’ thum every step of the fabled journey.
When they neto be on the telly “Boom” there they wur – bold as brass.
Like our leagues in Scotland the rest of the Brutish isles couldn’t give a monkeys about the northern extremity.
Same goes for Auntie Beeb…….they’ll have no care or clue what trumpets and turnips like Chic ‘n’ Co get up to. None whatsoever.
AN TEARMANN on 17TH SEPTEMBER 2019 5:53 PM
BGFC
MachuillS on Sat.hootenanny.you asked where to drop kit..I know he would welcome it and am sure MachuillS widnae mind.
Antearmann1967@gmail.com
Will tell u the plan.
==============================
Cheers pal – will email in a wee while – in the middle of something the noo :-))
Probably have two guitars and an acordion (assuming his burd lets him come)…
HH
BGFC
Well Slavia have got a draw away to Inter. Might make us a bit more realistic in our expectations that we should be going through the Qualifiers as a matter of course.
Cluj gave them a fair battle as well so maybe Cluj are better than we have given them credit for.
We will find out about that soon enough.
Folks we’re holding our final big fundraiser for the An Gorta Mor memorial which will be built in the grounds of St Mary’s Catholic Church in Calton. It’s Saturday 16th November in the Kerrydale and tickets are priced at £35 for a 3 course meal and entertainment. We’re now taking bookings for individual purchases or tables of 10. We’re expecting tickets to sell quickly so if you’re interested in attending please email me at hamiltontim88@yahoo.co.uk
HT
Did you get my email
CORKCELT
Given that we really should have beaten Cluj , another way of looking at it might be that we could have given Slavia a good game and might even have taken something from Inter if we had been in their place tonight.
Optimistic CSC
Evening bhoys, I’m working in Girvan this week, can anyone recommend a watering hole for watching the game on thursday ?
ThanksCSC
Timaly, genuine qn where did u get those games played stats? Wiki (I know) has him at 69 appears for celts in 4 years, which if true does again qn his reliability or rather availability, OK its more like 3 years but still that’s 20 a season not 30+…
Yogi- Shortbread, even though they’re banned from Poundland, still have pounding hearts for their heroes, desperately trying to stay on Message with Level 5,and keep Moreloss relevant. I always tell Sevconites that he wouldn’t get on our bench, as LG is a better player, ask them who’s the biggest team El Dufalo has scored against? Aberdeen?
I don’t know the figures but I wouldn’t be at all surprised if there are a fair number of Muslims, especially girls, in Scottish Catholic schools. Why you may ask? Because in Muslim countries like Pakistan or Malaysia, Catholic schools are often seen as the best schools.
In my experience, only in Scotland are they seen as contributing to sectarianism. In England, e.g, house prices tend to rise (often quite highly) if there is a Catholic or Anglican school in the catchment area.
Actually it is 4 years – 15.16, 16.17, 17.18,18.19
Old friends Salzburg up 3-0 in 36 minutes in Champions League.
PARKHEADCUMSALFORD on 17TH SEPTEMBER 2019 8:27 PM
I don’t know the figures but I wouldn’t be at all surprised if there are a fair number of Muslims, especially girls, in Scottish Catholic schools. Why you may ask? Because in Muslim countries like Pakistan or Malaysia, Catholic schools are often seen as the best schools.
In my experience, only in Scotland are they seen as contributing to sectarianism. In England, e.g, house prices tend to rise (often quite highly) if there is a Catholic or Anglican school in the catchment area.
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Agree – my sister-in-law (Blantyre girl married to Galway lawyer) lived in and around London for a while – demand for Catholic schools far outweighed their ability to accomodate children. Two brothers live there too (one Staffordshire, one Surrey) – same experience.
Only a problem in Scotland (well, that’s not right – an even more violent problem in some eastern countries too).
HH
BGFC