To our eternal confusion, when Daizen Maeda got to the World Cup in November, he was used as a striker, a role he only fulfilled at Celtic when there was literally no one else available for the task. It was not madness on the part of manager Hajime Moriyasu, who left the brilliant Kyogo back in Glasgow.
Daizen is not as accomplished a striker as Kyogo, but Japan were in Qatar to play a different way than Celtic, they were prepared to concede possession for long spells, so needed someone who could press defenders at an elite level. There is none better for that role than Daizen.
At 25, I don’t think we have seen the best of him yet. The vast majority of games he plays for Celtic provide little scope for his natural game, as active space is so contained in Celtic’s attacking third. It is perhaps only against Newco, who vainly try to go toe-to-toe with the champions, where he can really turn it on.
His goal at Ibrox in January, when he spooked Tavernier is a perfect example, as was his Scottish Cup semi-final move, when he won a ball he was third closest to, before whipping in an inch-perfect cross for Jota to nod home.
“Another four years” is perhaps a bit misleading. Sure, he’s contracted for that long, but I expect bids for him in 2024 or 2025. His physicality, speed and perpetual motion is made for the dozen-or-so teams that regularly counter-attack in the EPL.
You can imagine the goings-on at Celtic this week. “We’ve all this money, do we need to tell the stock market?” It reminded me of an old Dave Allen joke:
A man sits in a confessional and says, “Father, I’m having an affair with a gorgeous young thing that lives down my street.”
Priest, “That’s not how a good Catholic should live.”
Man, “Oh, I’m not a Catholic.”
Priest, “Well, why are you telling me?”
Man, “I’m telling everybody!”
Football is a hard enough business, if you have a good story to tell, tell it.
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From Paul Heaton
Glasgow, as a thank you, and a small amount of help during the cost of greed crisis, Paul is leaving some money behind the bar at a few local pubs near to TRNSMT festival so that some of you can have a drink on him tomorrow afternoon (until the money runs out, or the bar runs dry!).
The pubs involved will be 226 Gallowgate (226 Gallowgate), The Old Burnt Barns, Lynch’s Bar (179 London Road), The Braemar Bar (147 London Road), The Tolbooth Bar (11 Saltmarket) and Whistler on the Green (5 Greendyke Street).
Brilliant Gesture but BRRB’s is barred in case he drinks all the pubs dry.
GENE on 7TH JULY 2023 6:24 PM
This Test has been like a Series of One Day games ! Not so sure that i `approve`.
Unless the weather intervenes, the once fairly regular `draw` will be a thing of the past.
Djokovic game just starting 8.50,will they call time at 10.30,as in Murray game last night, when the shut off was 11pm?
Paul Heaton ,take a bow
Greenpinata 8.33
😂😂
Hogmanay 2019 we were preparing the following day’s dinner, steak pie complete with links, totties, turnips and peas, real ones that we steep and no oot of a can either, this was an annual occurrence as we usually went tae one the weans for Christmas dinner, Mrs. TT hudnae been feeling that great for a couple of days but as the day went on it got worse, now she does suffer from an auto immune condition and is a very brave wee lassie but as the day went on it got worse so eventually around 7:00 pm asked to be taken tae the emergency at the local hospital as the pain had worsened.
Not going to drag this out but she went fae emergency tae the icu and fentanyl tae morphine tae extra strength Tylenol within the 6 days she was in there and they still couldnae determine what was up with her and she only got out as the cardiologist who had been on vacation came back and said her ecg was fine, now although the bottom half of her left lung had collapsed the reason they couldnae tell her was that Covid hudnae been declared in the country yet, oh they suspected that’s what it was but still not a registered illness.
Anyway, she was on painkillers etc plus an enhanced inhaler and that was that but come back if you have any more concerns, oh it did return in a mild dose and a couple of my daughters and grandkids caught it but again NOT a declared illness in the country as of yet, but to be perfectly honest as the year went on I told one of my daughters that she widnae see next Christmas as she was struggling pretty bad.
Then one day she requested a new inhaler from the pharmacy, now as it was a hospital issue our family doctor was contacted for a refill, she called her and on hearing her breathing immediately sent her to a Pulmonologist who on again another phone call detected a lung problem, so she has now had her 3rd Pulmonary Function Test, and thankfully its getting better but she still requires 2 inhalers, now like me she has never smoked a day in her life but at least the concern for COPD has dissipated and we managed a long trip back hame last year and another as soon as the forest fire smoke clears and flights are again readily available.
So, GG there I always hope, its just a case of keeping your proverbial chin up and thinking positive as when you do that then positive things do happen to you, plus you will also be added to my candle lighting group at the Saturday Vigil.
“!!BADA BING!! on 7TH JULY 2023 8:53 PM
Djokovic game just starting 8.50,will they call time at 10.30,as in Murray game last night, when the shut off was 11pm?”
Not sure where I heard it but I think they stop `early` because of Tube times and the perceived unfairness of a player being on court until the early hours.
Tontine 9.10
Great post. 👍
HS- The cut off was 11pm for Murray game last night,I think if it was played to a finish last night he probably would have won,he went 2-1 up in sets and had the momentum ,called off at 10.30,he could have got a couple of games up before 11pm,he protested a wee bit to the umpire,nothing doing.It’s either 11pm or nothing, and I get it’s for folk to get home HH
Great news that Kyogo and Maeda have committed to the Celts.
As some may remember, I watch Brentford and the rumour is that Celtic are interested in Max Dickov – Paul Dickov’s boy.
Also heard that in an amazing development, Brendan Rodgers is showing some interest in taking fat Charley on a free transfer – should finally settle the debate as to whether Kyogo is better than Morelos if they are playing in the same side.
So expect a front 4 of…
Kyogo Maeda Dickov Morelos
You heard it here first.
TIM MALONE WILL TELL, :)
Djokovic and his team are liars and cheats.
What has Djokovic got in common with the huns?
I don’t care wo beats either of them.
And the heavier the defeat the better.
Feck them.
Phil
Ffs who rattled yer cage? My favourite Bo’ness bampot. 😁
BRRB
Who asked you anyway?
BRRB
Despise the man!
Just getting it out of my system.
Hope yer good!
I also despise the huns, for the avoidance of doubt!
Phil
All fine here mate. You available if selected last Friday of the month?
BRRB
We are at a wedding in Balbirnie House in Markinch on the Thursday. Staying the night, so Friday will not be possible.
We are going to a wedding tomorrow, Crete on Monday for 10 nights, then a wedding on the 27th.
The misses is 65 on August the 2nd.
No wonder I’m skint!
Tell the ghuys I was asking!
Philbhoy
The Balbirnie is a very nice wedding venue .
Enjoy .
TT
Djokovic eases through to the next round.
Have to admire someone who wouldn’t be browbeaten by baying mobs along with questionable ‘science’ and who stood up for what they believed in.
Touché Novak.
TINYTIM
Really looking forward to it!
Thanks!
Djokovic is a liar and a cheat in spite of his views on the covid vax.
Fraud.
Philbhoy
By way of balance I think Novak is an outstanding and brave sportsman who has succeeded around the world despite never pandering to the crowd in any affectations manner to covet their backing.
A true champion. A man of principle also.
But he did lie to the Australians- some principles are flexible
Bit like Bolingoli
Anyone heard from Tom following his exchange of views with the MOD? I got my account deleted simply for challenging the MODs unsubstantiated claim that the vaccine will be directly responsible for the deaths of thousands, (it involved no swearing or rule-breaking so was kindly re-instated by Paul a few days later) so who knows what new punishment lies in wait for having a post deleted…
HLS
Tom has a post on page 1- no banning involved.
Philbhoy
Balbirnie is a lovely venue as TT says. You will enjoy it I am sure.
Philbhoy
When many other tennis players had quack doctors to administer fake jabs in order to safely keep playing around the world without getting vaccinated Novak stood out alone in standing up for his beliefs.
Murray’s conqueror today was at the tip of that iceberg.
SFTB
The easier lie for ND would have been what many (some say most) athletes (who didn’t want to endanger themselves) did and have a quack sign them off as having been jabbed.
He didn’t do that and suffered for it.
It wasn’t just the athletes who were getting quack doctors to inoculate them with saline.
Those virtue signalling on Facebook were the test subjects.
MCPHAIL BHOY on 7TH JULY 2023 1:40 PM
Green strips may be popular as 2nd or away strips in the UK now.
Here downunder, to this day no AFL team plays in a home green and – until the formation of Western United 3+ years back – no football team did either. Does it blend in too much with the grass maybe ;)
Djokovic could have followed the advice of RFK jar and injected ozone into his buttocks or followed Trump’s advice and inject disinfectant.
Instead he lied about not travelling after supposedly contracting the coronavirus. He was not honest about when he contracted the virus and definitely lied about not traveling.
There were no principles being upheld.
He did not say, I am unvaccinated and proud of it and I think I should play anyway, despite the rules of the country I have traveled to. He placed winning the Aussie Open above the rights of that country to set its own vax policies.
There are still many legitimate disputes about Covid policies but there are no principles involved with deliberate lying and there is no heroism in being prepared to lie in order to gain entry to a country whose rules you don’t agree with.
Novak is a magnificent tennis player, though personally I think Federer is the artist in that sport. His misdemeanour is way below that of the likes of Lance Armstrong but it is a misdemeanour and it was unprincipled behaviour.
“Djokovic could have followed the advice of RFK jar and injected ozone into his buttocks or followed Trump’s advice and inject disinfectant.”
He did neither and he wasn’t going to be bullied into injecting a trial vaccine into his body for a virus with a 99.8% recovery rate.
What occurred during the covid ‘pandemic was fascism, and you all stood idly by and applauded it every evening from your front door.
Australia and Canada were at the forefront of this fascism.
Lying to those who are lying to you is par for the course where i am from. The man should be applauded for having the cojonés to stand up and tell these snake oil salesmen to shove it.
The Amish must be wiped out by now, seeing as they didn’t bother partaking in the circus.
SAM QUENTIN on 7TH JULY 2023 10:47 PM
Djokovic eases through to the next round.
Have to admire someone who wouldn’t be browbeaten by baying mobs along with questionable ‘science’ and who stood up for what they believed in.
Touché Novak.
======================
Sam Quentin is that a wee monthly change of moniker or are you?
Novak was not browbeaten by anyone as you infer.however at a time of a global pandemic,to an uncommon virus “the baying mob” you infer being Australia rigorously applied their own immigration laws.meaning he failed them as he was the posterboy of selftaught inturnet doacturz which still proliferate,like you and Burnley78.
Alas you both don’t count.
Let Novak be a beacon for Tennis.thats it.
And Oz ďeportation.
An Tearmann.
Nice of you to keep it short. Very few are interested in the inane ramblings you’re so fond of.
All the best to Edwin Van Der Saar
Good health is all.
============================
Philbhoy
Enjoy your holiday
This phase ýour goin thro of being vague am no so sure it’s you :-))))))
HH
Hahahahahahaha
So many salmon
Run along its inane to read the same default non knowledge you default to each time.vax et al
At least B78 explained eloquently his personal position on the blog at that time and is a respected moniker whether I agree/disagree on this or any subject
I don’t think even you will recall your own moniker then,just like then you would not have the confidence to stick to the one moniker.Consistent tho not uncommon alas.keep hiding.
DalachyMuffincsc