Shortly after Elfsborg cracked one against the crossbar last night I quickly scanned the Celtic team and had a thought. For the second season in a row we are taking on the Swedish champions but we’re missing two of last season’s big performers and none of this season’s new signings were ready for action. In short, this was Celtic 2012 minus Wanyama and Hooper. No wonder we looked unstructured.
Joe Ledley brought some vision to central midfield when he arrived, hopefully banishing the Brown-Kayal partnership to hidden corners of our mind once and for all. Anthony Stokes playing at the front of a wide diamond was equally effective. With the signing of Amido Balde, bids in for Kevin Doyle, and the addition of a wide-delivery-expert Derk Boerrigter, clearly Neil Lennon has a different plan for the months to come….. so there’s no real need for me to state the obvious.
Defensively we looked solid after a shaky opening few minutes. I’m not the only one who was a bit nervous about Efe Ambrose after he was (again) caught underneath a long ball, but he settled quickly. As we know to our cost, being great for 87 minutes is not how Champions League reputations are made, you are judged on your how vulnerable you become in your weak moments.
I said yesterday that Samaras and Commons were the two players who could cope at this level, which became plainly obvious during the game. Georgios was the one player who frightened Elfsborg, they either swamped him with four defenders or fouled him before he got near goal.
Kris is simply the most intelligent footballer we have. He is not the fastest, will never have the best stats, but he understands how games are won and is able to act accordingly. Without these two players Celtic would be distinctly vanilla.
Thanks to those who sent over their 1254125 Great Scottish Run details, I’ll have them on the page later.
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Rubicon
I agree with Tony .
Only Fraser would have a realistic chance of holding down a regular place.
Maybe Commons , but when I think about it , Naw.
TT
Rubicon
Just wait thirty years and there will be players from the current squad in the Best Celtic team from the last thirty years. As Yorkbhoy observed the other day:The longer a player is away from Celtic , the better he becomes. The same is true for Celts of yesteryear. They improve tremendously after retirement.
JJ
Morrissey the 23rd
Do you have a TEXT Donation option
RobertTressell, Livibhoy
Agreed – buying low/selling high is simply one strategy only, but you need continuity and experience. A tough balancing act.
HH
Could anyone direct me to a ‘ Celtic supporting site’! On second thoughts, don’t bother!
You probably would not recognise one!
Never again.CSC.
maleys boy
Persistent Celtic rumour on twitter only – sorry
Listen bhoys I am a Celtic supporter and a football fan.Now if I was interested in seeing things brought in cheaply and sold on for a profit I would go and sit in Marks and Spencers on a Saturday afternoon.I will stick up for the board when I they they deserve it I will stick up for Neil Lennon when I think he deserves it but they at the moment are making a complete hash of bringing in a quality striker.We have signed two Centre backs a left winger and a target man when every man and his dog knows we need to replace Hooper to all those on here that support the board that is good but wake up to the fact they do make errors or are you waiting until we fail to qualify for the CL group stages ? It is only hard for them to bring in a quality striker because they dont want to spend money and pay the going rate on the transfer fee and wages. H.H.
Livi – you’re right he did indeed.
I wad at the game he was talking about. Looking back its amazing how the flute band thing happened. Troubles were very much still on and there was a republican flute band playing rebs in the middle of old trafford!!
Later dudes. Off oot for a few days…..
Buying Strikers in particular at the 2/3 million level is an extremely risky business. The stand out success was Hooper but for every Hooper you can get a Rasmussen, Miku, Lassad, Murphy, Bangura. I’m not including Balde as he deserves more time to prove himself either way. Accordingly if you have a player in the squad who can score goals then hang on to him. Stokes is such a player, I cannot understand the amount of posters who want rid of him. Fine if someone comes in and is a roaring success, and if Balde and maybe Atajic show they can do the business then maybe he would be surplus to requirements but for the moment he is badly needed at CP.
16 Roads
Are you going to Dublin when we play Liverpool on the 10th?
TT
“I will stick up for the board when I they (sic) they deserve it I will stick up for Neil Lennon when I think he deserves it but they at the moment are making a complete hash of bringing in a quality striker”
The arrogance in the above statement is stupefying. Unfortunately, that type of post is becoming common place on here..
JJ
Corkcelt
I agree on Stokesy.
He is very underrated by some.
I like the Bhoy.
He will come good with vital goals.
He wasn’t ‘selfish’ with his two world class crosses for Hoops in the SCF at Hampden .
TT
leftclicktic @ 17:08
Morrissey the 23rd
Do you have a TEXT Donation option
I don’t but I will collect cash/cheques and pay The Celtic Charity cash in hand. I get a receipt from them. I recently did that with the Ben Nevis Huddle.
I could give my bank details then pass the donation on?
I could meet anyone in person, perhaps before a game at Celtic Park.
I am open to ideas how payment can be made.
UK tax payers should take advantage of Gift Aid while donating. So, I would need the persons name and address, including postcode, with cash donations.
UK tax payers donating via the link should also take advantage of Gift Aid.
https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/morrissey23rdskydiveforstiliyan
A quality striker will not come to Celtic while uncertainty remains as to whether or not we have anything better to offer than the mince that is the SPFL.
A quality striker if he has a good agent will be weighing up several interesting options.
In my opinion that’s why we haven’t/can’t get a quality striker at this time.
canalamar1
Glad AGM resolution document arrived ok this time
HH
Joe Fillipi’s Haircut
Joe, Ah agree with ye.. but only tae a Certain Extent.. no awe the Wey.
Sure, It diz seem that Neil and Co.. are fa’ing Doon the Celler Stairs..in the Daurk.. Again?
In Being… Blind.. tae the Glarin’ fact… that Celtic .
DESPERATELY, ur in Dire.. Need.. Of a Striker of Note.. who Kin Fill the Void
left by the Departed.. Hoops.(And also.. forgetting,wance mair.. tae Put oan the Light .. Fur the Celler!)
But, Even I.. A Constant Critic of Neil..
Must no Judge , Neil and Co’s Inaction oan this.. too Harshly.. or..
Mebbe, even.. Prematurely.
Mebbe, this New Left Winger.. the Flying Dutchman..
Could be.. In the Minds of Neil and his Helpers..
Oor New.. STRIKER.
Again.. Ah am probably pitting thoughts and Actions.. that are No .. in the Minds of Neil and Co..
but.. Again, Again..
Mebbe Ah am .. No!
At Six Foot or is it . Feet?.. Four .. and Hiving a Terrific.. Shot.. in Eethur Fut..
and bein able tae Shame a Linty..over.. a One Hundred Yards Sprint..
This New Fellow. Could be ..
Celtic’s New Striker..
Is that Possible?
We wull See.. Won’t we?
Nice Chatting
Kojo
Still. Laughin. and Happy and Larry.
William Hill has Celtic at 500/1 to win the Champions League. The next highest odds are 300/1 for Pacos Ferreira. Maybe those odds will help some keep a sense of perspective over Celtic`s place on the world stage. Then again, maybe the detractors will blame the Board for not spending the millions that could make us a 250/1 shot.
JJ
eldiegobhoy-too true,unless we can dig one out from lesser leagues.We live in hope as money talks…
Jungle Jim
I hope that there are no current Celtic players in the best Celtic team of the last 30 years , in 30 years time.
My reasoning is that I want our standard of player to continually improve.
(:-)
TT
Rubicon
I’d probably agree with you in terms of individual players. But the team we have now ( and under WGS) for all both were short on flair in comparison to those managed by Big Billy, Davie Hay, Tommy Burns and even Liam Brady didn’t win much ( or indeed anything ) and often flopped in Europe. I’d like our team to be as good to watch but success is hard to argue with.
Jimbo
TT
Don`t worry. I can guarantee that our current players will improve tremendously when they stop playing. Thirty years retirement will see them reach superstar status !
Hope all is well with you. A Ceilor and I will be playing golf in leven in the near future. Are you near there?
JJ
I wish CQN had been on the go for,say, fifty years. It would be fascinating to look back and see what the posters then were saying about the standard of player they were watching at that time. My guess is that it would be very similar to the current CQN comments on the current Celtic players.
JJ
LEFTCLICKTIC
Mail me how much you wanna donate,I’ll do it for you,you can square me up in September or whenever.
Is Derk the first Celtic signing to bring his parents to his first press conference?
A nice touch.
HH!!
BMCUW
Is the intended get together in September likely to be in Glasgow?
so far so good for st johnstone…..0-0 half time..
Tallybhoy…Javier Sanchez Broto brought his dad when he signed for Celtic…he was so proud of his boy…
Kojo The new bhoy Derk is an interesting signing as he plays in the same position as Sammi and in my opinion Sammi is doing a fine job.Now I suppose we could put Derk on the left and move Sammi into the middle and look for more goals from sammi but we still need a striker at the very least to coverfor injury.H.H.
0-0 half time St Johnstone.
Jungle Jim
Re fifty years ago – I remember when I was wee ( 45 years ago) listening to older guys, knowledgeable and committed, picking all time XIs and largely ignoring Lisbon Lions. It’s the way we are- the team may not have the stars of my childhood and adolescence but we’ve got some good players all the same
Jimbo
JJ
There are two golf courses in Leven.
The Municipal and the Leven Links course.
If you play play the Links course ( which is the better of the 2)
As you pass the 15th , I wave to you from my front window .
(:-)
When your in town let me know .
If I’m about ,I’ll make you both a wee cup o tea.
TT
jimbo67
18:00 on
1 August, 2013
That must have been some footie conversation
See these Lisbon Lions, see winning every competition they entered, its overrated
Gies the times when we won nothing, brilliant players though
Fickle fansCSC
TinyTim
Pushing the boat out there mate. A cup of tea:o)
has anyone got new BT.channel and is it working.???choooned in this morning and ZILCH so far.
Judging our perfomances in Europe, our current team MUST have players who are among the best we have had in the past 30 years.
By the bye, jimbo67, my auld Dad used to wax lyrical about Malky MacDonald and Charlie Tully and a lot of others. He now reckons that wee Bertie and Bobby Murdoch are the best he has seen.
Joe Fillipi’s Haircut
Joe, Their Is some Merit in Your Proposal..
Some..no a Loat!
Sammi, as A free Scoring Centre..is Not the Picture that Kojo carries in HIS mind. of Sammi!
Sammi, In Ma Opinion..is a Damn good Guy tae hiv oan yer side.. But, only in the Capacity of a .. Left Wing Raider.
Since..the FlyingD… Is A Left Winger.. and Ah hiv jist ,Already, Painted Sammi, in Ma Senario.. in that Position..
It jist seems tae Me.. that The FlyingD.. must be oor New . Handy Dandy Striker..
Who . Scores fur Fun and Floric..
But, whether Neil and his Men.. Share that same Idea with Me..
Remains tae be seen.
Nice Chatting.
Kojo
Still,Laughin’
Those press conference questions in full:
Derk, what school did you go to?
Why didn’t you sign for the mighty gers?
How much do you regret not being able to play in a packed Ibrox in front of the finest supporters on the planet?
Sure Murray Park’s better than Lennoxtown?
Aren’t you pure beelin that you’re not being coached by the finest young manager in the country?
Have you had a shot on the pure gallus orange bus?
Is it true that you had a bust up with Neil Lennon because you weren’t picked last night?