One story which caught my eye last week was that we have 33 players out on international duty over this break, from a pool of 51 employed professionals (and that includes Derk Boerrigter). 13 Celtic players will join Scotland youth teams, with a further 6 going to other countries.
We know we can’t compete as we once did in the transfer market, so getting and developing the best youth talent has become an important part of the strategy.
All of this groundwork is for the long-term, though. Getting three points each Saturday and preparing for the challenges ahead is another question.
There was a moment on Saturday when Aberdeen manager, Derek McInnes, could have turned to his assistant and said, “If Killie hold on for another two minutes, the league is in our own hands”. That’s how close things got. Tom Rogic’s immaculate strike punctured that notion, before McInnes’ team’s second half collapse at Fir Park.
Now Aberdeen need us to drop seven points more than them, or eight if you consider goal difference. It’s not going to happen. Aberdeen didn’t just slip up on Saturday due to a couple of defensive lapses, this result has been in the post for months. They clawed their way into contention by gaining a series of marginal advantages – they haven’t won a game by more than a single goal since before Christmas – 14 games ago!
This season they have been ‘everyone’s favourite second team’ who have only just got over the line for three months of the season. This is a statistical anomaly. A more regular distribution of chances created and converted would have seen them win several of those games comfortably, but winning far fewer games. Their dopplegangers in England, Leicester City, are benefiting from a similar phenomenon. Both teams’ form could drop off a cliff next season, but the chances of either improving win ratios, if not performances, are slight.
Leicester are favourites to win in England because the behemoths, whose spending-power dwarfs most others, have been unable to dig deep to find a dirty win often enough. Like Celtic’s on Saturday. That, as we will soon declare, is why we’re champions!
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Was there a season when we could have had a team which featured Jimmy Johnstone, Danny McGrain, Davie Hay, George Connelly, Kenny Dalglish and Bobby Murdoch? If so, that team should have lifted the Big Cup. They were all among the world’s finest.
Auldheid
If you’re still about – email sent (with 2 attachments).
H!H!
Urgent requests were being sent out today by the Scottish media.
They have reams of paper needing shredded containing articles from Friday and Saturday on Ronny’s successor, interviews with ex Celtic players, pullout S containing highlights of Aberdeen’s season and pen portraits of McInnes.
Think of the trees.
parkheadcumsalford
April 19 1972; Celtic versus Inter Milan, European Cup semi-final;
Williams
Craig, McCluskey
Murdoch McNeill Connelly
Johnstone Dalglish Macari Callaghan Lennox
I’m guessing you were probably there!
PCS
This Celtic team : Hunter, McGrain, Brogan, Murdoch, McNeill, Connelly, Johnstone, Dalglish, Deans, Hay (Murray), Lennox (Hood). Substitutes: McCluskey, Lynch, Callaghan, defeated Penarol 3-1 in a friendly match on 28/7/1973.
http://www.thecelticwiki.com/page/1973-07-28%3A+Celtic+6-1+Dunfermline+Athletic%2C+Drybrough+Cup
Best Wishes to MountBlow Tim & Family in this very sad period of their lives. YNWA..
Celtic Mac,
Was that the game Dixie blasted his penalty way over the bar? If so, I was there. Should have won, of course, but Inter played for penalties and won.
BCW,
Was at the Penarol game. From memory, we didn’t play too well. Just shows what our expectations were in those days……
Phylis D
Cheers — by all means correct any typos etc — the suggested para is a style mandate, knocked up and sent out between day jobs etc.
But you get the gist etc.
Empitre Exhibition — I was asked to get involved in a project a few years ago which sought to recreate Tait’s Tower in Bellahouston Park. I think I still have all the paperwork as I tend to hang on to such things. Never happened but a lot of work was done.
Did Matt Lynch not feature in that team or was that the Coronation Cup side?
parkheadcumsalford
The very same. Dixie came on as a Sub. Notice Danny McGrain didn’t play, and that the late Jimmy Quinn was on the bench. So no Danny, but a very good team indeed.
lot of auld yins posting, glad i am a young yin born in 1945.
Perhaps one of the reasons that res 12 has less of a profile amongst fans/support is that it is being taken forward on behalf of shareholders.
Season card holders who don’t hold an equity slice of the pie, regular ticket buyers or ‘god forbid’ those who view the capitalist snout in the trough ‘self interest’ that has seen us arriving at this juncture, may not see themselves as relevant.
You can have a legally rock solid proposition, but if the ‘Celtic blood and guts just see a Shareholder centric obsession then the uphill struggle will become ever more steep and slippery. We aren’t all children of the share owning democracy, and neither does owning a share automatically endow a monopoly on wisdom.
Get all those who care on board.
The voyage will be smoother.
Just a thought.
Hail hail
Matt
Fanatic
I got the point that you were not a Biton fan after you’re 10 th negative post about him, that was a month ago and 80 per cent of you’re posts are about that subject.
Nir is not in the best of form, granted, however, if you think Nir is a big part of the reason for Celtics poor play, you are seriously misguided.
Nir was absent for the Hamilton away match and Dundee home match, we won neither , and were awful, how much blame did you apportion Nir for they two performances?
Nir is in my opinion one of Celtics best players who produced in Europe far higher performances than the vast majority of teammates even scoring important goals.
Form is temporary, class is permanent, I don’t think you will have to wait too long.
Cosy Corner Bhoy on 21st March 2016 4:19 pm
My Granda played then, Pat McAuley
hh
Matt Stewart
I agree with you.
Unfortunately, to have had the right to vote at the AGM and to have a legal locus to challenge the SFA this way you have to have a legallly defined “interest” in the club — which means being a shareholder or having control of someone else’s shares.
I wish it weren’t so but legally we are where we are.
As I posted the other day, as soon as you go down the PLC route you create a very real difference between the shareholder and the seaon ticket or ticket holder and/or fan.
There may well be other routes that fans can take without the need for being a shareholder but in this instance we need shareholders.
Regrettably.
Do we have two or three Home games after the split ( please do not answer `Yes` ! )?
JJ
BRTH
Mandate completed and email copy sent to jjoe88. Away to post printed copy.
SJ
HH
JJHS
I think it’s 3 home games but it might be 2
BRHT
What about sending said link to either BMCUW or Lennybhoy who maybe catch any that either don’t post much or miss your post
I acknowledge that not all on their list will be shareholders but some may well be
Just a thought, feel free to ignore. ⚽️⚽️
I am fed up with CELTIC supporters telling me we are poor. We are the best team in Scotland…….. which is where we play. If being the best in the country is not good enough for you, fair enough but at least explain compared to whom are we poor.
JJ
Jim,
We’ll have played 1 more away game prior to the split so I’m guessing it’ll be 3.
HH
GFTB
0:-)))
JJ
CosyCornerBhoy: Will your son remember where he is travelling to in a couple of days time:-)
I think I have a Neil Lennon badge put away for you. Will see you Thursday or Friday. Really looking forward to catching up.
Geordie
Thanks. If that is not the case, we would end up with 18 Home, 20 Away. Is that allowed?
JJ
Jungle Jim Hot Smoked
I think it’s maybe more to do with what we want the club to be.
We can all see how great the Celtic is when we reach the heights in europe: Seville, Barcelona et al.
That’s maybe what so many hanker after ?
anybody see the goal at the weekend?
Jungle Jim
If you are making a point about someone’s post, why don’t you ask directly otherwise they might not know who you are talking too, it also looks cowardly.HH
BJMAC 5.07 I remember him vaguely and thinks he played left half . Think he was before Joe Baillie but unlike BMCUWP I never say definitely.
SID
I agree with you. Bitton is a class act on a poor run of form. Not sure why. Previously he would find time, space and a pass. Now he seems too slow and gets caught in possession.
Broonie is more concerning. He is less commanding and prone to making mistakes.
I hope Saturday pulls the team and fans together. Don’t care about winning ugly. Better than losing beautifully!
JJ,
I don’t think it’s allowed . That’s why we often see 3 games at the one venue against some teams and 1 at the other venue.
I could be wrong though :)
HH
I don’t feel cheated because I’m a shareholder. I feel cheated as a fan and supporter of Celtic because the people who were meant to be regulating the game at the SFA were bending the rules they were meant to uphold to attempt to ensure “their” club survived.
Pity about how that turned out but my club was wilfully cheated in the process. The financial aspect , as far as I’m concerned, was collateral damage.
HH
BT
Great idea — If it is possible please pass it on to all and anyone.
I am working from a new laptop and will have to go back through all old e-mail addresses stored on a drive — might be able to do that tonight. However, any help from anyone else in passing this on is greatly apreciated.
Cheers
BRTH
BRTH….
3 Mandates signed …. I’m now chapping doors of known shareholders with copies of the mandates and Bournesouprecipies excellent condensed summary of the Res12 issue for those who need it explained… HailHail…
Almore 5.22 He will remember because we are in the same house and he has a passpoft so we are travelling together! Look forward to the meet up and the badge. A Charlie Tully one would be magical. Lost mine (given to me by a Celtic Bhoy From Belfast in pub many years ago) and never seen one since. passport not passpoft.
CCB: I’ll be at the match on Friday night so will see you then if not beforehand. I don’t have any Charlie Tully badges but I would still have a couple of Brother Walfrid and James McGrory badges.
GEORDIE MUNRO on 21ST MARCH 2016 2:41 PM
Tonyrome,
I’m sure they said on the beeb last night it was just under 31 yards out.
And a smidgen over 60mph
——
60 in a 20 zone……
Daily Haemorrhoid headline…..
‘Aussie Bad Bhoy caught Speeding in a Built Up Area – Police Scotland Demand More Powers….’
Personally I blame the schools. And especially those teacher types….
HH jamesgang
HH
BRTH
Mandate completed I will post it to the solicitors first class tomorrow also sent an e-mail to JJoe
Cosy Corner Bhoy
I trust you’ve got him his own wee suit case?
You know the cartoon ones on Wee wheels so he can zoom about the departure lounge keeping himself amused so you and the other grown ups can nick a quiet pint?
;-)
HH jamesgang