I got my wish last night, that Leigh Griffiths would reach the 40 goal mark for the season, and what a great goal it was too, memories of Love St ’86. Also delighted Leigh was aware-enough to mimic Henrik’s ” five zero” gesticulation when he reached 50 in 2001.
40 goals for Celtic in a season is a very rare achievement, as Paul John Dykes pointed out this morning, it’s now only been done 13 times in 128 years. Jimmy McGrory (four times, three in a row) and Henrik Larsson (three times, two in a row), are the only two who have achieved this more than once in their Celtic careers, so Leigh knows what he needs to do next season to get a really special place in the history books.
As for the other pertinent points from last night’s game in Perth, I can cut Stefan Johansen some slack. McDiarmid Park was a farmer’s field not so long ago, and St Johnstone’s first goal looked like it came as a result of a plough intervention.
Efe Ambrose is another story. Last night’s decision to challenge (Logan Bailly) for a ball inside his own six-yard box was inexplicable but consistent with his general awareness this season. When the new manager is in place, someone inside Lennoxtown needs to find the earliest possible moment to sit him down and play the Efe highlights video.
We have a good central defender in Erik Sviatchenko (club captain in the making), and one who could become so in Jozo Simunovic. If Jozo gets himself fit for July we should be well-placed for the qualifiers, but those two aside, we are struggling in central defence.
Out of contract Charlie Mulgrew is in the latter stages of his career, but can be trusted to do a job without causing unnecessary alarm every week. Mikael Lustig’s days as a rampaging full back may be limited by his persistent hip issues, so playing as auxiliary central defender, as he often does for Sweden, works on paper.
I’d be far from confident facing Champions League qualifiers with Efe or Dedryk Boyata, who could still makes Belgium’s Euro’s squad, but if Jozo’s fit, signing a right back, with Mikael covering central defence, feels like an appropriate use of resources.
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Ffs predictive texting
From the gorbals originally
Masty-
I’ve been permanently living in Vegas just a month now. Still getting acclimatized.
I plan to contact the nacsf soon to offer my services for anything they need in the run up to 2017.
If you are still in contact with your pal, please pass on my email to him: nicpri28@gmail.com
Would be great to meet any local Tims.
SIn C Bhoy
Agreed
I am completely underwhelmed by prospective candidates and would enjoy the crack should Keane get the job.
I don’t think our underachieving shower of prima-donnas would and the concern would be that, perhaps after stiffening a couple of them and assorted Scoddish Media clowns, Keane would decide he didn’t need the hassle.
As for Martinez? Why in God’s name would we want to replace one idealistic fantasist with another?
Sin city bhoy
Tony d brother is an honoury president of the NACSF and is largely responsible for starting the yearly convention
Who is the journalist who asked Ronny whether Griffiths was going to add to his goal tally against Motherwell???
The Scottish sports press are f**king useless.
Masty-
Ah, the penny dropped. I Know who he is now. I’ll drop him a line.
Thanks for connecting the dots.
Aff oot into the blistering heat.
Neganon 2
I’m saying no more about news – good or otherwise. Time will tell if !bada Bing! Is right or not.
Maybe Thursday or Friday evening next week for the Q&A? If you are available to be on the blog to fire your questions then I can confirm.
NEGANON2
I did not chide anyone for swearing.
You are making that up so I’m calling you a liar.
Please be more carful what you post in future.
Sin city bhoy
Both myself and Tony will be over next year, we can get a few beers if your there
Paul 67
Not as confident as you in suggesting Jozo Simunovic has what it takes, to be a CB for us.
He got at least three injuries in the short time we saw him and when he did play, he was average
at best.
If I was a new manager heading for Celtic I’d be in the transfer market again, with one or two heading for the revolving door.
Looks like another Masonic cover up with the Royal bank
Strachan suggesting Mulgrew might be off…
MASTY Surely you were not expecting anything else ? H.H.
Winnings i fear you coukd be waiting forever. But like i said hope im wrong. I was talking to one if my work colleagues today. She has always been a big celtic fan. Stopped going this aeason. Wint be back until there is meqningful change. Unprompted by me she described celtic as broken and ahe has lost her link with them.
I am hearing this everywhere.
You may be right about season books but my god things are bad.
Philbhoy tell you what i will be more careful if you stop calling me a pr%@k?
Weebobbycollins
Mulgrew should have been the first out the door when Deila arrived. Even Stokes tried to knuckle down to the regime and lost a bit of weight.
Mulgrew wouldn’t have darkened the door for me again after Ajax.
Hard hat on now as his devotees rush to his defence.
NEGANON2
Please accept my sincere apology for that outburst!
Sorry.
We Celtic supporters must be some of the most fickle supporters in Football we wanted Ronny out and we got our way when the club did not renew his contract now he is saying he wont wait for any celebrations after Sundays game.He is rushing to catch a plane to take him back to see is family in Norway and some of us are saying this is disappointing I think there are some terribly selfish supporters it is all me me me. Good Luck Ronny and thanks for your efforts two league titles and a league cup not to shabby at all fella. H.H.
SQUIRE DANAHER. I agree with you Charlie Mulgrew should be long gone but maybe it will happen this summer. H.H.
Hmmmm. Strachan not picking players who will be involved in Euro qualifiers, but picks two Sevco players. Does he know something we don’t know…..?
Charlie is out of contract. He can sign for who he likes. I know he has been picking up a few injuries but he is only 30 years of age. He has been a good servant of Celtic and is a very versatile back up player.
Presumably nothing is being done until new Boss is in situ but I would have no problem at all if Charlie signs a 1yr extension.
We are looking to put a full page advertisement in The Guardian and NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG, the newspaper of influence in Zurich.
We will be working our way through the legal requirements on this over the coming week or so and at that stage we will be looking to crowd fund as per the Sunday Herald advertisement.
More details on this to come after certain other events happen!
If you want to support Les Resolutioners et Leurs Amis then this will be your chance.
Shine a light CSC
GLASSTWOTHIRDSFULL…
Well spotted Sherlock :)
Joe
It took seventeen minutes.
If Peter Lawwell spoke to The Sun about resolution 12 and other issues but none of it was reported, all he has to do is issue a statement on the website covering the key messages he wanted us to hear.
Job done.
He’s either happy to have the Club’s view in the public domain or he isn’t.
Why Squire, Would you prefer to post an opinion and have it ignored.
Or did you deliberately set out on a fishing mission to post something you didn’t really believe in just to solicit a response.
StillsayRoberts is a one trick pony,mark my words,he will struggle,next season in the hoops,and good luck Ronny,you were hung out to dry,with the Celtic Board of Directors,whom I hope that a few of them won’t be at our club,for much longer,and Phil Mc G I’m sure he makes up a lot of stories,which don’t come to anything,were is this bit of sad news he was saying on his blog last night,
BSR
Think some have selective memory.
The game I watched where Jozo was below average, was the St Johnstone game, where M.O’hallaran gave him a tough time….. But by that point big Jozo was already playing with a cracked knee-cap.
Jozo racked up 12 starts I believe, and I thought the big lad was more than decent. Particularly when you consider he is 21 , from Croatia, with probably limited English, and no real friends or teammates of similar background.
My plea would be for fans to wait and be patient. I recall a certain Stan Petrov took more than 6 months to find his feet. Let the lad get fully fit, establish himself, then judge. He is a good one I am sure.
wc
count me in crowd funding is ok by me.HH
Philbhoy no worries. We have all been there. God knows it’s understandable that we are all feeling a bit emotional.
Winnings I would be happy to contribute. Why are Celtic doing it?
Sorry why aren’t Celtic doing it?
Brendan Rodgers or Roy Keane according to Phil Mac.
Brendan for me. His Liverpool stint wasn’t great after the first season but he got some great football out of his previous club.
Can he organise us to be a tight unit for european games? That would be my concern.
Rest in peace, Bobby Carroll. Lovely tribute to him by Bertie.
One of Bobby ‘s grandsons is in my son’s year at school and is a season ticket holder at Celtic Park.
Bobby’s grandson told my son, Big Billy visited Bobby quite often. Billy would visit his own daughter in East Kilbride then pop in to see Bobby.
At the game on Sunday, Mulgrew was impressive until being subbed for tight hamstring or whatever.
There was a marked difference in the team, defensively as a result of his absence.
Charlie is more than capable as a centre half, and I firmly believe he would warrant a 2 year deal.
Erik and Jozo would be my first choice pairing. Charlie should be kept as back-up / stand-in, as we need cover in that position.
With Izzy leaving my concern would be we are short on left backs. More so than right backs.
Tierney aside, there is no cover in this area.
Brendan Rodgers,
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2016/05/12/brendan-rodgers–why-does-no-one-want-former-liverpool-manager/
Ruggyman what are you talking about sensible things like cover etc?
That doesn’t matter when it’s just about money.
Moneyball!!!’!!!!!!!
What a roaring success.
Corkcelt
Absolutely not.
I do realise that the whole point of a blog is for people to engage is debate and indeed have differing views on any given subject.
I do not see myself as some all-knowing guru as such but it never ceases to amaze me that so many people have such high regard for C Mulgrew.
I am aware that he was voted player of the year a couple of years ago. I generally see him as a makeweight, whose evident level of influence and ability within this Celtic team is more a reflection of its overall mediocrity than his quality.
In short, a good Celtic team would not have a space for Charlie Mulgrew.
I directed the comment to JFH because he and I have agreed on this matter before.
Winning Captains @ 6.39pm. Count me in.
BTW.Anyone. What exactly is a one trick pony?
MASTY on 12TH MAY 2016 6:02 PM
Looks like another Masonic cover up with the Royal bank
Maybe someone who knows about these things can enlighten me.
Would it be true to say that the only person punished for the banking fiasco was a guy brought up in a council housing scheme and that the establishment protected its own?