Matthews master of discipline

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Few Celtic players have glided through four seasons with scarcely a critical comment directed his way but Adam Matthews can make this claim.  I didn’t expect him to make it as a first team player as a 19-year-old when he arrived from Cardiff City, but he so comprehensively made the position his own, you’ll struggle to name the two right backs at the club when Adam arrived………….?

The limiting factor in his Celtic career arrived in the form of a tall Swede.  Mikael Lustig has had plenty of injury problems but when fit, he’s first choice, with Adam playing backup.

Adam’s most memorable performance came against Barcelona in that game.  With Lustig at right back and Emilio Izaguirre unavailable, Adam was asked to play left back.  Tony Watt and Victor grabbed the headlines that night but Adam’s performance was remarkable.

He didn’t miss an angle all night, no matter how fast Barca pinged the ball, Adam was there.  We faced so many balls on the wing that night but the discipline in defence was remarkable.  He was clearly asked to give the Barca players space outside the box and drop to the 18 yard line, I remember yelling “Close him down” all night, but Neil Lennon had done his homework, the tactics were sound.  That game is recalled so often, for so many great reasons, but while the tactical discipline deployed was not as sexy as the goals or the atmosphere, it was genuinely world class.  We analyse games through different perspectives: when Celtic win like that all you hear about is the atmosphere, but if a German team had won that way, UK pundits would wax lyrical about their discipline.  Adam was a big part of that success, and if he goes to Sunderland, he’ll flourish.

Those two right backs were Mark Wilson and shampoo hero Cha Du-Ri, b.t.w.  But you knew that anyway, didn’t you?  If you can remember the left back we signed that summer you’re doing very well.  So many miss the target for every Adam Matthews.

Well done to Celtic, who have improved the look of two stadiums this week.

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  1. “gene

     

     

    08:54 on 4 July, 2015

     

    jungle jim

     

     

    Ignorance of the law is no excuse is long established – seems to follow that principle”

     

     

    Problem I think is with what she actually said,

     

    ““The courts have stated ‘there is no need for proof of knowledge that the particular supporter was aware of the law or the status of the song’.”.

     

     

    That last little ad on is very important, the status of the song is all important and until that is defined in law as opposed to the opinion of a racist sectarian in a uniform this abomination of a law remains an abject failure, dependent on subjectivity.

     

    The status of the song ffs

  2. Top of the morning to you all from a drookit Dunfermline.

     

     

    I hope the weather is as bad in Glasgow?

     

     

    This is well worth a bump:-

     

     

    bankiebhoy1

     

     

    09:07 on 4 July, 2015

     

     

    Here’s to CQN……

     

    ……an’ all its posters……….

     

     

    Here’s to the roastirs………an’ the

     

    ….boasters,

     

    The fraudsters and impostors.

     

    Here’s to the cuddies an’ the caddies,

     

    The maddies an’ the baddies.

     

     

    Here’s to CQN

     

    The “NO-Hopers” , the name-droppers an’ the No-Popers.

     

    An’……the mawkit rockets

     

    wi’ the boattle –in-the –back –poackits.

     

    Here’s to CQN.

     

     

    Here’s to…the stoatirs, and the topers….

     

    The toasters ,

     

    the Toppers,

     

    …………………an’ the toakers……

     

    …..the DOB’rs,

     

    the …gie-ye-the-boakers……

     

    …. And the ones-you love – the-mosters

     

    Here’s to the guid guys an’ the wise guys……

     

    even the sleekit “surprise” guys.

     

    Here’s to CQN….

     

     

    Here’s to CQN..

     

    …..the runners,

     

    the fun-ners……

     

    …the big rid-heidit-stunnahs.

     

     

    Here’s to CQN…

     

    To the scrollers an’ the hi-rollers

     

    The Jungle Jims an’ the Boardroom Dims….

     

    Here’s to The Thinkers, the huv-a-wee-drinkers

     

    an’ even…………

     

    The wee stinkers…….

     

     

    Here’s to CQN

     

    An’ all the

     

    “You’ll-Never-Walk–Aloners”

     

     

    HH.

     

    .

  3. Wonder how many new signings we’ll see today, looking forward to the game hope I get a better stream than the last one.

  4. 67 European Cup Winners on

    Ciftci – doesn’t do it for me I feel we are not ambitious enough – BUT – since RD arrived I think we have bought well (time will tell on Boyata and Janko) but I feel they will fit in develop and be good buys

     

    So if RD fancies Ciftci – then I am not arguing if he is good enough for RD he is good enough for me

     

     

    BTW what price is he to score 20 goals in the SPL this year ??

     

     

    67ECW

  5. Jungle Jim Hot Smoked on

    Gene, Canamalar beat me to it ( I was out for an invigorating stroll along the beach!) re:

     

     

    “Ignorance of the law is no excuse is long established ”

     

     

    The problem I have is with `status`. Surely a person cannot be accused of ignorance of the `status` of a song if no `status` has been accorded to that song?

     

    Has a list of banned songs been issued?

     

     

    JJ

  6. Art of War

     

     

    Thank you for good wishes, my friend.

     

    10/10th would be my second trip this year to Glasgow, but who knows?

  7. Hrvatski Jim on

    bankiebhoy1

     

     

    09:07 on 4 July, 2015

     

     

     

    Excellent.

     

     

    We are a broad church. Let it stay that way.

  8. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    JUNGLEJIM HS

     

    CANAMALAR

     

     

    Long said that the law is subjective not objective,and that would be its downfall. I live in hope.

  9. Jungle Jim Hot Smoked on

    I haven`t a clue as tho whether or not we will buy Ciftci but I do know he has talent. If we do buy him, I trust that Ronny believes he can deal with the `issues` ( which, of course, will be magnified greatly should he join us).

     

     

    JJ

  10. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    ZBYSZEK

     

     

    Be a genuine delight if you can make it,mate.

     

     

    And I wish you good health!

  11. jj..,

     

    Especially when referring to originations that don’t exist any more, the Spartans were considered a terrorist organisation, no, will Celtic supporters get the jail for singing about them ?

     

    Ok an extreme argument but IMO valid since there is some commonality.

  12. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    JUNGLEJIM HS

     

     

    That occurred to me so I googled it to find out if tenors are used.

     

     

    No mention. But apparently there are two buffoons and three trumpets involved,so he’ll be fine!

  13. canamalar

     

     

    You got a poor stream watching the game on Wednesday , you never mentioned it -:)

  14. Joe Filippis Haircut on

    When we sign players Ronny believes they have the basics but wants all his staff to improve and that is a big part of his philosophy.I dont think Cifti would be any different in that Ronny would be looking to improve the player for the first time in a long time I feel we have the right man at the helm of our great club and that he really believes we can make an impact in Europe. H.H.

  15. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    GREENYIN

     

     

    I’m away for drink to flesh out the bones on yer secrets. You’d be better to fess up first,mate.

     

     

    Enjoy yer day,you and everyone else.

     

     

    Especially those attending the game.

     

     

    MONTHEHOOOOOOOOOPS!!!!!!

  16. 67 European cup winners

     

     

    They’ll not give a price on twenty goals until they know who he’s playing for.

     

     

    Would guess 6/1 for league only

     

     

    Kittoch

  17. Tim Malone Will Tell on

    Canamalar

     

    10:29 on

     

    4 July, 2015

     

    jj..,

     

    Especially when referring to originations that don’t exist any more, the Spartans were considered a terrorist organisation, no, will Celtic supporters get the jail for singing about them ?

     

    Ok an extreme argument but IMO valid since there is some commonality.

     

     

    ——————————————————————————————————

     

     

    Ooh – aah up the Spa

     

    I said ooh – aah up Spa

  18. The three most active and biggest terrorist organisation on the planet at the moment

     

    Th US army

     

    The British army

     

    The Israeli army

     

    But you won’t get the jail for singing about them

  19. Jungle Jim Hot Smoked on

    Canamalar

     

    When you referred to the Spartans, I thought there must have been some modern , political group of whom I had not heard. When I realised to whom you were referring, a possible singing scenario made me laugh but your point is certainly valid enough. Maybe we should pen a Spartan Song, belt it out at Celtic Park and await the outcome 0:-)

     

    JJ

     

    PS When I was a student at Loughborough Uni., a local chip shop was named The 300 Spartans. Unfortunately (perhaps) , the `3` looked like a `z` and EVERYONE referred to the shop as The Zoo Spartans 0:-)

  20. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    LURGAN57

     

     

    Will do,mate. Much missed here,but more so by your good self.

     

     

    R I P

  21. fieldofdrams on

    I wasn’t aware that the Unseen Fenian Hand works at The Herald.

     

     

    Go the Herald home page.

     

     

    Scroll down to the Sports section.

     

     

    The section below it is the Comment section.

     

     

    Last headline in the Sports section: “Keeper Foderingham targets Champions League with Rangers.”

     

     

    First headline in the Comment section, directly below it: “Who’s been drinking?”

  22. Celticrollercoaster supporting Shay,our bhoy wonder along the way on

    The celticrollercoaster family are mobilising and off to see those Bhoys in green and white.

     

     

    Congrats ( if that is the right word) to Mighty Tim, 28 years of bliss. :-)

     

     

    HH

     

     

    CRC

  23. “We’re the famous Spartan Army

     

     

    And we’re off to Thermopylae

     

     

    Thermopylae, Thermopylae. . ,”

  24. Jungle Jim Hot Smoked on

    “Maybe we should pen a Spartan Song,” …..and Tim Malone has already done just that!

     

     

    BMCUW @ 10:32 0:-)

     

     

    JJ

  25. Lurgan57,

     

    Good to see you again,

     

    I often think about watching the webcast of his funeral, it was very touching and sad.

     

    I still miss sparring with him, though he slaughtered me regularly :)

     

    You know he’s in a better place now though it won’t feel like it, watching over protecting you all and still enjoying his football.

     

    Hail Hail

  26. TAL

     

     

    Thanks bro.

     

    Not asking for much, just a wee victory and a few swallies!!

     

     

    Hail Hail