Jozo, Dedryck and maturing as a footballer

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Ronny Deila will see his international players begin a staggered return to Lennoxtown today as he prepares for two away games: in Motherwell and Molde. If Leigh Griffiths’ modest calf strain is the only injury the manager will have to worry about, he’ll be delighted.

The injury which occupies most fans is the sprained ankle which has kept Jozo Simunovic from playing since making his debut a month ago. Celtic’s greatest need right now is consistency of selection in defence. We need to allow a first choice central defensive pairing to become established, and that’s almost certainly going to involve Jozo, our most expensive signing 8 years.

Jozo’s partner is likely to be Dedryck Boyata. Dedryck has played 18 games this season. His career total prior to arriving at Celtic was 32 games, a low tally for a player who turns 25 next month.

The early season form Dedryck demonstrated was patchy, but with only 32 games stretching over five years, there’s lots about the game the player is still picking up, not least of all playing meaningful games in front of thousands of fans. He was caught-out by a fast bounce at Hamilton but since representing Belgium in a European Championship qualifier against Bosnia last month I think there’s been a perceptible improvement.

For some years now we’ve talked about how many games a player needs to have played for your scouts to decide he’s a genuine talent, but before the wealthy English step in. Dedryck, and Jozo, are still a dozen games short of the mark Wanyama, Hooper and van Dijk were when they became Celtic players. Which means the next few months should tell us lots.

Don’t bet against them establishing a very strong partnership.

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  1. Hunderbirds are gone

     

    cant do linky thing on this tablet:))))

     

    But watch efds debut in midfield,on youtube

     

    till later all

  2. Bada,

     

     

    wheesht.

     

     

    That game bust my tidy wee coupon. I bet the draw. I think the two teams were tied for more than half of the game. Strange for such a high scoring game.

     

     

    Braw wee lift for you though ;)

     

     

    HH

  3. mike in toronto on

    Summa

     

     

    Hope your ghirl I alright.

     

     

    Cowiebhoy

     

     

    Barbados might be my favourite island. Loved it!

     

     

    Some great windsurfing on east coast. Real life (not resort stuff) happens on the south coast. If you are there on Friday, try to get to Oistins for the Friday night fish fry. Lots of fun. We stayed on west side of island, which is the tourist resort area … some lovely places, but it can be ridiculously expensive ….. Sandy Lane Golf Course (owned by our own majority shareholder) was across the road, and Roman Abramovic owned a condo down the beach (we were told that he paid around $50 million for his condo!). Food was good but terribly expensive for (only decent) western food ….. if you haven’t been there before, my advice is to eat local food …. local food is not fancy, but delicious! and reasonably price. Some nice flying fish (but you can get tired of it)… Had a roti from a little shack just across the road from our hotel… best one I have ever had! Still dream a bout it!

     

     

    and take the local private buses … the little ones …. you will hear their reggae blasting minutes before you see them! crazy! but a fun way to get around!

     

     

    rum is a big thing there.. the trip to the sugar can plantations are fun.

     

     

    enjoy!

  4. Leftclicktic,

     

    Remember that Wolves game for the sheen on the Wolves strip, apparently to reflect the floodlighting ?,it was the only time I got to enjoy the company of my mothers` 5 brothers at the one game,sadly all have passed on since.Wolves I think were English Champions that game and won it again the following season.

     

    HH

  5. oneofthe70percent on

    Is there something wrong with our physio dept,when a player turns a ankle and is out for a month,i urned my ankle many times when I was young and was out running about in a few days,and never saw a physio, or are we being fed rubbish and its a much worse injury

  6. Jungle Jim Hot Smoked on

    0neoftheseventypercent

     

     

    You know very, very little about sprained ankles.Ankle sprains take an average of 6 weeks to heal but can take can up to 4 months, depending on the severity.

     

    JJ

  7. JJ oneofswventypercent appears to know quite a lot about very little. Matron meds!! H H Hebcelt Or perhaps it’s very little about quite a lot

  8. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    HEBCELT

     

     

    Or sod all about anything-including basic arithmetic.

  9. one of the 70,

     

     

    I’m quite sure Simunovic has been able to ‘run about’ for two or 3 weeks now.

  10. Thanks for the comments Bhoys

     

    MiT, intend getting along to that Sandy Lane place, looking for Mr Desmond for a word on a deceased mob, who must remain deceased

     

    ( I’m staying at the new Sandals resort at St Lawerence)

     

    CRC – Talking about walking dead, now I can understand that Doc Bhoy wanting to become Doc 2, but that Paddybhoy1888, well that surprises me, oh paddy paddy paddy :-), just make a donation and let it go :-)

     

     

    Ok next post will be from Barbados, so catch you all later

     

     

    Hail Hail

  11. The work RD has done with Biton,and to a lesser extent with Rogic,early days yet,seems to have gone unnoticed.Forrest has reaped the benefits of RD as well.Biton was nowhere near the player he is blossoming into.Up until Efe made the poor header against the Turks,you could also see the change to his game when he came back into the team.

     

    I just think a lot of the work RD does,along with the staff does not get enough recognition.With a lot of the fans its Jam today.If,as looks likely,we get Soutar,we will have snapped up the 3 best prospects in Scotland.Changed days from watching Mc Carthy,Mc Arthur etc drifting away to England.RD seems to be building a bit of a dynasty.In my opinion,this is what I call progress.Games can be won or lost,as we have seen this week,but building for the future,improving players to become the best they can be is vital to the future of our club.

  12. One week into my new job making public address systems and the feedback I’m getting is amazing.

  13. Jungle Jim Hot Smoked on

    Turkeybhoy

     

    I am of the opinion that an important function of CQN is for articles/posts to offer positive aspects of Celtic. We know the MSSM will not do this so it is up to CQNers. Your post is exactly the kind of thing I am talking about. Well done.

     

     

    JJ

  14. A bloke’s wife goes missing while diving off the West Australian Coast

     

     

    He reports the event, searches fruitlessly and spends a terrible night wondering what could have happened to her.

     

    Next morning there’s a knock at the door and he is confronted by a couple of policemen, the old Sarge and a younger Constable.

     

    The Sarge says, ‘Mate, we have some news for you, unfortunately some really bad news, but, some good news, and maybe some more good news’.

     

    ‘Well,’ says the bloke, ‘I guess I’d better have the bad news first?’

     

    The Sarge says, ‘I’m really sorry mate, but your wife is dead.

     

     

    Young Bill here found her lying at about five fathoms in a little cleft in the reef. He got a line around her and we pulled her up, but she was dead.’

     

     

    The bloke is naturally distressed to hear of this and has a bit of a turn.

     

     

    But after a few minutes he pulls himself together and asks what the good news is.

     

     

    The Sarge says, ‘Well when we got your wife up there were quite a few really good sized lobsters and a swag of nice crabs attached to her, so we’ve brought you your share.’

     

     

    He hands the bloke a bag with a couple of nice lobsters and four or five crabs in it.

     

     

    ‘Geez thanks. They’re bloody beauties. I guess it’s an ill wind and all that…

     

    So what’s the other possible good news?

     

     

    ‘Well’, the Sarge says, ‘if you fancy a quick trip, me and young Bill here get off duty at around 11 o’clock and we’re gonna shoot over there and pull her up again!

  15. havent been on lately

     

     

    so have been catching up on the blog

     

     

    Glad to see all those attending the hootenany enjoyed themselves as well as contributing to the wee shay fund BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS congratulations on another sucessful hoot. HH

     

     

    but there was never any doubt in my mind that would be the case I’ve never been in thew company of cqn’ers that I havent enjoyed the company

     

     

    HT and Cowiebhoy hope you are enjoying your holidays

     

     

    Lefclickit :-)))

     

     

    Jamesgang ………a cyber hug oo

     

     

    Turkeybhoy on 12th October 2015 3:12 pm… agree a lot of unseen work goes unnoticed or appreciated

     

     

    HH

  16. The Media in Figures: Sales of national newspapers in Scotland-Allmedia

     

     

    THE year-on-year average circulations in Scotland of both The Times and The Financial Times newspapers have increased, according to official figures.

     

     

    Says newspapers auditing body, ABC, the average circulation in Scotland of The Times during last month was 19,744 – up 0.04 per cent on the average of 19,736 during September last year.

     

     

    Meanwhile, the corresponding figure for the FT was a three per cent increase, from an average 2,425 during September last year to 2,499 12 months on.

     

     

    In the most recent, previous set of national newspaper ABC figures – issued a month ago (as noted here) – it was also both The Times and the FT that had enjoyed year-on-year sales increases – while all other national newspapers in Scotland had seen their year-on-year figures fall.

     

     

    Then, it was a 0.3 per cent increase for The Times to an average 20,489 two months ago and a 5.8 per cent increase for the FT to 2,447 (again, two months ago).

     

     

    For The Times, those August figures, like these ones for September, represented a rising trend over several months.

     

     

    In summary, ABC figures read, as follows:

     

     

    Daily Mirror – 20.4 per cent drop = from 17,529 on average during September last year, to 13,959 last month;

     

     

    Daily Record – 11.2 per cent drop = from 202,831 on average during September last year, to 180,100 last month;

     

     

    Daily Star of Scotland – 13.3 per cent drop = 41,519 to 35,976;

     

     

    The Scottish Sun – 9.4 per cent drop = 238,823 to 216,291;

     

     

    Scottish Daily Express – 12.4 per cent drop = 47,570 to 41,682;

     

     

    Scottish Daily Mail – 5.5 per cent drop = 94,028 to 88,817;

     

     

    Daily Telegraph – 4.4 per cent drop = 18,192 to 17,393;

     

     

    Financial Times – three per cent up = 2,425 to 2,499;

     

     

    The Guardian – 11 per cent drop = 10,189 to 9,075;

     

     

    i – 5.5 per cent drop = 18,870 to 17,838;

     

     

    Independent – 13.8 per cent drop = 3,001 to 2,586; and

     

     

    The Times – 0.04 per cent up = 19,736 to 19,744.

     

     

    Meanwhile, the Sunday titles’ sales figures in Scotland were as follows:

     

     

    Daily Star of Scotland – Sunday – 16.2 per cent down = 22,723 to 19,051;

     

     

    The Scottish Sun – Sunday – 10.2 per cent down = 172,652 to 155,114;

     

     

    Sunday Mail – 13 per cent down = 227,160 to 197,477;

     

     

    Sunday Mirror – 26.2 per cent down = 17,398 to 12,830;

     

     

    The People – 21 per cent down = 9,274 to 7,323;

     

     

    Scottish Mail on Sunday – 6.4 per cent down = 81,237 to 76,009;

     

     

    Scottish Sunday Express – 11.4 per cent down = 26,951 to 23,881;

     

     

    The Sunday Post – 10.9 per cent down = 144,345 to 128,580;

     

     

    Independent on Sunday – 8.3 per cent down = 5,548 to 5,088;

     

     

    The Observer – 5.3 per cent down = 13,706 to 12,978;

     

     

    Sunday Telegraph – 9.1 per cent down = 15,667 to 14,246; and

     

     

    Sunday Times – 4.2 per cent down = 45,771 to 42,679.

     

     

    Source: ABC, October 9 2015. Please note: The Scotsman, Scotland on Sunday, The Herald and the Sunday Herald now appear in the twice-yearly ABC regional newspapers report.

     

    ===================================================

     

     

    hope all had a great day on saturday,roll on Dublin.:-)

     

     

    HH

  17. lennon’s passion on 12th October 2015 3:51 pm

     

     

    Why do you think it is that Stokes hasn’t kicked on and improved the same way lots of others have? Too old, unwilling to take coaching advice or just already at his best – which isn’t quite enough to get into the team?

  18. lennon's passion on

    WEEMINGER on 12TH OCTOBER 2015 3:54 PM

     

     

    Not knowing all the facts but reading between the lines of the information we know. I would hazard a guess at attitude. Could you list the other players that have improved genuinely interested.

  19. lennon’s passion on 12th October 2015 4:04 pm

     

     

    Aside from those mentioned previously I’d say Izzy has definitely at least got back to his best from before, maybe better.

     

     

    I think Griffiths may well end up being the 30 goal striker we thought we needed to buy.

     

     

    Brown has hit his high point in patches. If he can now do that consistently I’d class that as improvement.

     

     

    Others are too new or too recently back from long term injury (Lustig) to really tell.

  20. Jungle Jim Hot Smoked on

    An Tearmann

     

    Not often I introduce a negative to a positive but I think out fans, in terms of atmosphere created, are only really special on Champion`s League nights. Our average Home league games are reliant on a very small number,The Green Brigade, to create any noise at all.

     

    I have , in fact, often wondered if the GB`s indubitably enthusiastic support were to cease, would the rest of us take up the mantle and make a better atmosphere?

     

    I accept also, incidentally, that our travelling support, in general, is very well behaved as well as being very supportive.

  21. South Of Tunis on

    ” Our objective is to beat Norway and be top of the group..The absurd ranking system means I have know idea what pot we will be in…For all the sense it makes , UEFA might as well do the draw in alphabetical order.”

     

     

    Antonio Conte 11 10 15.

  22. Jungle Jim Hot Smoked on

    Improved players?

     

    Denayer, Izzaguirre, Brown,Bitton, Rogic,Forrest and Griffiths. Also, Efe, before his headed blunder, was looking pretty decent. If young Tierney is an example, there will be some of the younger element also showing improvement.

     

     

    JJ

  23. Jungle Jim Hot Smoked on

    I have just read some of the accompanying articles that can be accessed via CQN and I have to say the Bhoys who write them are doing a fine job.

     

     

    JJ

  24. Turkey – agree that Ronny can improve players under his charge – it only goes to reinforce my belief that he is a good coach, but is NOT a manager.

     

     

    We need a strong manager e.g. Stein, or, Fergie, type – my ‘chosen one’ would be David Moyes.

     

     

    Would Ronny stay as first-team coach?

     

     

    Moyes WILL be our next manager (imho)

  25. An Tearmann

     

     

    Not so sure how positive I feel that Sepp Blatter thinks we are “Marvelous”

     

     

    The article from “Foot” also said Celtic fans eyes were red with emotion.

     

     

    Actually, it was the day after a Hootenanny ..

  26. Mr Pastry/horridhenry/AlfieNoakes 4:39

     

     

    i disagree with all your personalities and i am a tad concerned at your various persona displaying signs of discontent as Peter picked him!Now can you tell me which if your personalities is breaking rank and hit him with the correct medication.wishing you well :-)

     

     

    HH

  27. RWE i dint make hoot:((

     

    is Tonys huddle on Twitter?

     

     

    hope you and yours are all good

     

     

    HH

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