Fraser Forster had a daily routine which verged on OCD. He rose at 6:00, ate his first meal of the day, drove to Lennoxtown (while eating six pancakes, as it happens), then worked-out in the gym. He stopped for ‘breakfast’ with the rest of the team, his third intake of the day, before training started at 10:00.
After training the players take lunch, then head home. Fraser stayed, back to the gym, or some specialist work with goalkeeper coach Stevie Woods, before heading home at 16:30. He was first to arrive and last to leave, every day.
This was his routine, broken only something as rare as a dentist visit. Every biological and fitness measurement was documented with improvements targeted.
Years ago, he decided he was going to this year’s World Cup. The personal relationship, which took visits to London to maintain, was put on hold. The visits interrupted the work schedule for two days, which he couldn’t afford.
There is a reasonable chance that he put more work into his game than any player in Celtic history, the contrast with some would anger you. The results were remarkable. Fraser transformed from a rough stone into the only man in the England World Cup squad not to play in their feted league.
Much of this was as a result of the meeting of minds he had with Stevie Woods. Stevie completely changed Fraser’s game, set career targets with him and planned how to reach them. I could make a good case that Woods is one of the leading goalkeeping coaches in Europe. He created one of the greatest keepers in Britain and will do so again.
On a personal level, he is everything you would want a Celtic player to be, had time for kids, time for fans. He graduates from Celtic as a credit to our club. We want more like this.
While I’ll have genuine regret if he goes, the axiom of the ages remains true, we manage our assets, or we fail to manage our assets. If we have £10m to add to or deny the budget, it should not be tied up in a goalkeeper.
So good for Celtic, but it’s left me with a problem. I’ve a nine-year-old who eats, sleeps, talks and, most of all, dreams, Fraser Forster. Hero worship has never been so intense, so I’ll delay wishing the big guy well, just in case….
Just so you know, Maribor would put us out if we played them this week. Don’t go dreaming of Champions League football yet.
Still cannot believe what happened yesterday.
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Think I would be moving Stokes on before Griffiths
Big Joe
I was only travelling fae Clydebank, there were Tims in Murrayfield who had travelled fae Ireland, Wales and England. Maybe even further afield? We were seriously short changed by oor team.
delaneys dunky
as i said mate my pleasure to assist a fellow rebel;-))))
jam67
Larrybhoy
12:30 on 10 August, 2014
‘Good to see he made it clear how much the club wanted him to stay…’
####
How much did the club want him to stay?
About £10m, that’s how much.
Celtic were under no obligation or compulsion to sell. They chose to sell because the price was right.
Nothing wrong with that, but save us the PR bullshit.
Loan signings eh.
Maybe we could try for ant and dec, or paul.daniels…hopefully wee jimmy krankie, or how about that wee guy from one direction.
Or how about George Galloway and Tommy Sheridan.
Pathetic loan signing nonsense.
God help us against the giants of Maribor.
Not so long ago…we were competing with and beating barca.
Wtf is going on.
HH
Toffeetim
Clap away
HH
Dan
Petec and I were saying the exact same on the drive home. They didnae deserve the faithful at Murrayfield.
ernie
What about the bit that Fraser Forster doesn’t say……………………………”I told them I wanted to go”
The Green Man
Get help.
I dont mind loan signings with the option to buy a sort of try before you buy it is better than ending up with another Balde or Boerichter. H.H.
Jeromek67
Guess I am waiting in vain for explanation you owe me big time.
Bournes we are very active in outgoing transfers but it’s a leap in the dark to say we are on incoming. Celtic do not believe the normal rules apply to us.
Martim1980
Dont know ye…never met ye.
Away ye go
HH
• Joe Filippis Haircut
12:31 on 10 August, 2014
Looks like the Tonev deal is a goer a seasons loan with an option to buy at the end of it. H.H.
Make sense if true…………………………………..
Always better to have a look first………………….
Pity we didn’t do that with Derrick…………………….
GoodmoveifTrue
Celtics press statement on Forster going is as ever full of nonsense. Poor Ronny the patsy obliges as ever.
Dexter
11:15 on
10 August, 2014
the green man
We. Are. Mugs.
===============================================================
Good lad.
I love humility.
Best you speak for yourself,though,in case anyone thinks that all Celtic supporters are mugs like you.
The Green Man
The difference between the Kelly White dynasty and now is that the balance between the money paid by supporters going into the Boards pockets and into players pockets was very different to what it is now.
The dynamic is still the same – use supporters money to buy better players but the cost of better players, because of that very demand by supporters, has gone beyond what supporters are able to afford.
It is simply economic forces at play exacerbated by the TV income in England producing a total imbalance.
Until those forces change anyone running Celtic will face the same choice – go into debt or run Celtic as it is being run.
That is not to say debt should not be countenanced but it has to be significant to buy quality and has to be paid back from the same income base.
So its either economics or the Board are closet huns out to ruin Celtic.
NegAnon2
12:45 on
10 August, 2014
Celtics press statement on Forster going is as ever full of nonsense. Poor Ronny the patsy obliges as ever.
That is his job.
As much as i want new quality signings i hope they club is trying their best to shift the dead wood.
Actually its money for them so im sure they are.
The Green Man
12:29 on 10 August, 2014
If it wasnt for people asking questions, and being quite rightly critical of plc inadequacy.
We would still be run by the Kelly/White dynasties.
Shhhh
Dont rock the boat.
Back of the bus.
HH
Good poing………………………….
However………………………………………
Look where we are now, compared to where we were then
justsaying
Delaneys Dunky .
Indeed !
Mate of mine drove from St Albans to Edinburgh and drove back immediately after the game . He was mightily miffed re what he perceived to be a serious lack of effort .
I went to the game in Warsaw . Flight from Catania to Bucharest and then a drive to Warsaw.. I was shocked by how lethargic and pedestrian Celtic were .
I have thought about going to Maribor . A relatively easy trip for me . A flight to Trieste and then a 4 hour drive . Dont think I am going to do it ———–progressing after a 6 -1 doing has left me with a bad taste in my mouth .
Sad days.
• Delaneys Dunky
12:35 on 10 August, 2014
Big Joe
I was only travelling fae Clydebank, there were Tims in Murrayfield who had travelled fae Ireland, Wales and England. Maybe even further afield? We were seriously short changed by oor team.
I………………….. and it’s the older more senior players who looked like there not interested…………………..
getthemooooooooooooooooooooooooooooot
Some people want to paper over the cracks…im not one of them.
The PLC owe the supporters, and they better deliver, or they can do what the fans requested of pl…gtf
No more biscuit tin…buy some decent fecking players.
Or face the wrath of the supporters.
Its clear as day.
HH
to early to say how good/ bad RD is or will be. If RD wants players to spend more time training and learning they do it or they go. its not rocket science.
I imagine we’ll have three groups of players:
group A) senior players willing to do what’s required.
group B) younger players in and around the first team squad who will do whatever it takes to make the grade as professional footballers
group C) players that are unlikely to want to push themselves (does not in itself mean they will not get dragged along as part of the plan).
I would hazard a guess about 70% to 80% of RD’s first team squad requires to fall into the first two groups in order to drive the overall team up
as a ratio of this measurement how may would fall into which groups at celtic park?
The Green Man
We got a result against Barca, it was fantastic! But it’s not where we’re at or will be for some time. No point spending crazy money to win SPFL whilst there’s no TV money. This is what made the Huns go bust.
Living within our means, who would you suggest we sign? permanent or loan?, from which league? On what wage? Without unsettling the entire squad? Who would actually want to come.
neganon2- Do you habitually make public statements that contradict your employer’s policies?
Jungle Jam
Come all you young rebels!
See you Saturday @ 11 at H&B.
Fly The Flag!
Jamesgang
Can’t you go out for a quiet bicycle run WITHOUT any kind of mishap??? You sure it was a bee or wasp? Probably a midgey, ya big Dunblane softy ;-) HH
Neganon2
If FF were to stand over you and ask you if you were calling him a liar, what would you say in response?
Did somebody at Celtic wrong you badly in some way. You sound a decent level headed guy other than on how Celtic are being run.
It sounds like something personal is going on and you hold a degree of resentment that is poisoning you.
Let it go.
Auldheid
12:46 on
10 August, 2014
Whilst there are valid arguments for fiscal prudence, surely there times when the boat could be pushed out.
For example in the run up to current transfer window bot NL and PL referred to the club being in a healthy financial position.
Yet we still have the same approach of not a penny out until there plenty of pennies in.
End result will recruitment of bingers to appease the fans as the transfer window closure approaches.
Celtic turned over £76m last year vs £51m the previous year. The gap was largely down to Champions League participation and player trades.
Operating costs increased 2012 to 2013 by £8.3m which Peter Lawell states is largely due to increased labour costs and bonuses. (Presumably due to the Champions League).
We had cash in the bank of around £4m last year before the sale of Wanyama at £12.5m
Since then we have reportedly got income of £5.5m from The Commonwealth games and will have the Fraser Forster and Tony Watt income at £11m. Costs have been on Griffiths and Johansen at £3m plus the rent of Murrayfield. Put that at £1m for arguments sake. Samaras has been off the wage bill and we got £1m was it for Joe Ledley? Lesley’s salary presumably split between Griffiths and Johansen.
So far in this transfer window we have spent nothing and now due to Legias error we can secure a guaranteed £5m income from Europa League participation. The management team costs presumably are down as well.
Now I am no accountant but can someone please tell me where this idea that the Champions League will soon mean we will not make money from it come from?
How much cash at the bank will we have? Presumably Forster going after the accounts are due is just happenstance.? I also presume that the capital work around Celtic Park will show in this years accounts in part? What are we looking at there? £8m? Still a fair old double figure at the bank?
Now back to my point I have no doubt been annoying folk with over the last couple of days…
If you believe that we need to sell to break even then where will those player sales come from next season?
We quite patently do have cash to spend and this years increased Champions League cash pot will take care of scaremongering on even taking part.
I am quite happy for anyone to look at this arithmetically and tell me I am wrong on either cash at the bank or provide further unforeseen costs?
If there is anyone out there that thinks we could make any sort of impact in Europe this season with the existing squad and They have not been watching football.
The management team is not so much of a worry as a horse with a broken leg.
NegAnon2
If you didn’t think that Celtic were going to sign new players you would have given up posting, and supporting Celtic a very long time ago.
You are on CQN like the rest of us, waiting to see who we buy.
Celtic have bought players in every window including wee Willo Flood’s .
We are being goaded by MSM and the support join in on the feeding frenzy it’s a question of who we buy, not if.
• quonno
12:46 on 10 August, 2014
NegAnon2
12:45 on
10 August, 2014
Celtics press statement on Forster going is as ever full of nonsense. Poor Ronny the patsy obliges as ever.
That is his job.
Negative Anon has been on this site for 9 yers or so, and he has ALWAYS been like that…………………
In-fcat I believe he has mellowed in his old age.
theoldfirm
Oh the great Waldo appears on the screen…thought he walked away…!
Jungle Jim
11:58 on
10 August, 2014
Also, where is the `dressing room unrest` story coming from? Again, sounds a nonsense to me and the kind of story the MSSM would `leak`. It`s a pity some have already taken it as a fact.
JJ
================================================================
Mea culpa,pal.
I gave credibility to and repeated something another blogger suggested a couple of days ago.
SOT
You know you will go to Slovenia, the same as I know I will be at Paradise for the return. Why? We are faithful through and through.
Enjoy your trip! :))
https://twitter.com/joebhoy2412/status/498432942562357249
New signing …?
67heaven … i am neil lennon ….the angels are with wee oscar in heaven.. ibrox belongs to the creditors
12:57 on 10 August, 2014
https://twitter.com/joebhoy2412/status/498432942562357249
New signing …?
Really hope not.
Would rather sign GMS from United than him. Or McClean from Wigan as mentioned by proudbhoy earlier.