There is a decent possibility that Celtic’s apparent malaise over the six games since the win at Fir Park has something to do with opposition teams closing space our midfielders used to so much effect against Newco at the start of February.
That game was such a platform for our midfield to demonstrate their ability to find and exploit space. Sure, form slips, but opponents watch and learn. Consequentially, Celtic must continue to change the script.
Through this period, Callum McGregor has continued to dominate his area as teams fall deeper, but the two more advanced midfielders, paired from Matt O’Riley, Tom Rogic and Reo Hatate, have been denied the acres available to them against Newco and Motherwell.
We cycled through Rogic-Hatate, O’Riley-Hatate and O’Riley-Rogic combinations during this period, to little effect. The latter combo looked the least effective, but that was against Bodo/Glimt, by far the better opponents.
Meanwhile, Yosuke Ideguchi waits in the dugout. We don’t know enough about Yosuke to make a proper judgement. He made his debut as a late substitute against Hibs in January before being injured at Alloa on his next outing. His only subsequent game time was again as a late sub against Raith.
When played, Yosuke has filled the deep-lying role. Nir Bitton can play here too. I cannot offer any great recommendation for either player, but I would like to see Callum McGregor higher up the field against St Mirren tomorrow, with Yosuke or Nir behind him.
For all the disappointments in Norway last week, Celtic improved when Callum came on to play in front of Bitton. When he steps into the final third, he brings a presence no one else in the squad has. I’m not going to tell you this should be a regular gig for him, but we need to change this area of the park for tomorrow and Sunday. We have options, let’s use them.
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Encore?
The Last Thing On My Mind – Tom Paxton & Liam Clancy.
https://youtu.be/NWMiFieDwsA
We’re well short of 61 perfect performances, never mind decent ones.
https://youtu.be/u-jMXWoX5Jo
Celtic Versus Vis A Vis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ef9QnZVpVd8&ab_channel=ABKCOVEVO
Scratch a liberal and there’s always a hypocritical tyrant underneath
“I’ll love you till the end of the world”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGq8bl_V6qo&ab_channel=CarolFriz
Aztec Camera – Good Morning Britain
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_QSMTtUQYY&ab_channel=RHINO
Elvis Costello & The Attractions – Oliver’s Army
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrjHz5hrupA&ab_channel=ElvisCostelloVEVO
Celtic FC Statement:
“Given the ongoing legal proceedings, it is not appropriate for us to provide any comment however we would reiterate that the Club is dealing with these sensitive matters.”
This seems to support what I alluded to yesterday in this article, i.e. that there is no relevant insurance covering Celtic in this historical matter.
I expect Celtic to attempt to settle with the twenty-two plaintiffs acknowledged by Thompson Solicitors. The problem may be that now leave has been granted for the class action to commence, others will come forward to join in. They will know they have nothing to lose and much to gain by associating with this action. I expect the court case to happen simply because, if successful, it will probably award higher compensation than Celtic will be prepared to offer.
The media is quoting “multi-million’ claims – in truth at the moment that is all guesswork & grandstanding. What is worrying however, is the possibility of a similar action being raised in the US, where at least one offence is alleged to have taken place. The settlements in US courts can be astronomical. There are also said to be some ex CBC members now living in the States, and talk that they too may look to bring an action in the US, off the back of the Scottish one.
This is a very serious situation for Celtic – it is pointless for some to be ‘burying heads in the sand’ and pretending it will all go away – it won’t.
There are troubling times ahead.
Good morning all from Govanhill.
So it has now been officially confirmed that Celtic will play Sevco in Sydney in November.
I wonder if Leith CSC will be running a bus.
Good Morning all .
Cold but a nice day in Glasgow
Looking forward to my fist game this year .
3 points please
AN TEARMANN on 1ST MARCH 2022 9:45 PM
MARTIM1980 on 1ST MARCH 2022 6:27 PM
Thanks for the link. I keep on meaning to watch the doc The Great Hack she’s involved in but I haven’t as I know it would just depress me…
JHB
Personally i just want this finally dealt with and justice for the victims .
This has been hanging over our club for far too long IMO.
Won’t be easy tonight, hopefully a win and no injuries.
No Arbroath Emerald running tonight and, in modern Scotland, as I cannot attend the game and then get either a bus or a train back to Arbroath until the next day, I will have to stay over. Others have far greater problems, I know but I still find this situation annoying.
GrumpyoldmanCSC
With regard to the upcoming games in ozz,
What happened to the -we are not half of anything?
Re The upcoming game in Australia.
I am assuming that the MSAM is not biased re Celtic in the way that the MSSM is. If so, could Celtic Tims not use the occasion to educate Australia on the truth of the matter re Sevco?
Anybody going for a pint before the game tonight near Paradise?
Some thoughts on recent events …
The club defence would appear to be very low energy / second rate.
Compare and contrast with the efforts of MC who were facing an actual employee.
Timelines were tight / change of circumstances highlighted / self aggrandisement exposed.
All of these issues are part of the CBC case — just a case that no-one wants to go there.
Not sure why but my conjecture would be that the 70’s are safer ground / the 90’s not so safe.
Football is a small world and the connections / friendships could get interesting.
TV careers could be at stake.
CBC — back in the day from the perspective of 70’s Kiltoon — was always seen as separate.
My memory was that the club were limited in who they could sign — it was not carte blanche or automatic.
This might be selective amnesia but I can remember comment about JS having to choose between players in the mid 70’s.
Then you have the feeding frenzy angle — if it becomes a free hit then the chancers will circle..
Plus the general nature of the situation means that it could bankrupt Scottish football.
The issue is / was societal — just a case that some now have a specific focus.
The selective element about recent events points to judicial capitalism.
Help for those who want to sue a rich organisation.
Nothing for those who were the victim of the poor.
Consequently not a great place to be.
I just hope that the club is / has put in the effort to find out the whole picture.
We are not going to get it from a lawyer with a financial interest in it.
All the victims — football related or not — deserve the full story.
I have heard comments made that would suggest that the abuse of children was one step beyond abuse of a wife and only slightly worse than drink driving as a crime against society.
As long as it wasn’t your children then accommodations could be made to allow the world to move on.
Disgusting and words were exchanged. Too many in Scottish / UK society worked at that level.
We still have that predatory attitude today — just that the victims are over 18 not under.
The issue maybe that this transition has made it more widespread.
I know some think we shouldn`t be interested in our main Title challegers but I felt this needed a mention:
`… Glenn Middleton is not allowed to play against his parent club, while midfielders Cammy MacPherson, Craig Bryson and David Wotherspoon, striker Chris Kane and defenders Callum Booth and Shaun Rooney remain on the sidelines.`
St Johnstone`s situation before playing the Huns tonight !
My team for tonight; J.Thomson, McGrain, Gemmell, Murdoch, McNeill, Evans, Johnstone, McGrory, Larsson, Auld, Delaney. That’ll sort em.😁
BIGRAILROADBLUES on 2ND MARCH 2022 9:16 AM
Wot .no Crerand ?
No Charles Patrick!! Well, at least it has been my privilege to see 8 of those players in a Celtic jersey.
Regarding the tour in OZ could we not have played in Melbourne against the two Aussie teams and Panathinaikos instead. Would sell out three Stadiums. Highest Greek population density outside Athens.
Golf calls (Semi-Final),
Cheerio for now.
Hail ! Hail !
R5 just announced the games in Australia, our board are a fucking disgrace.
Every so often I wonder whether not renewing last year was a bad decision then those tory scum helpfully confirm that I was correct.
I guess the main driver for this Aus tour is that we have an Aus manager, why on earth would we allow the huns to piggy back on that?
As a sadly missed poster would say ” every day and in every way”.
MARTIM – good points. Much more linkage and synergy in Melb.
Ange’s adopted hometown.
Ex-manager of Melb Victory.
Melbourne City, part of same group as Yokohama Marinos.
Generally, Melb has bigger fitba/soccer following.
Possible tho, some exhibition tourney entrepreneur in Sydney has underwritten the whole shebang without appreciating some of the Scots-based ire.
Have the Sevvy fans been as revolting on the idea as many of us Celts have I wonder?
quadrophenian on 2nd March 2022 9:48 am
I don’t know I don’t read their websites. But if anyone thinks they would reciprocate for a match in the Netherlands or Columbia yir aff yir nut!!
The Sydney Super Cup takes place during the World Cup. So it will only really involve players not heading to Qatar.
It will effectively be a warm weather winter training break, with a money making exercise thrown in.
Michael Nicholson has certainly learned a trick or two from his former boss Peter(1872-present).
Why is Peter Grant missing from that line up for tonight ? Shocking.
Celtic and Rangers set to meet in Australian tournament in November
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/60569590
JHB on 2ND MARCH 2022 6:26 AM
Celtic FC Statement:
“Given the ongoing legal proceedings, it is not appropriate for us to provide any comment however we would reiterate that the Club is dealing with these sensitive matters.”
This seems to support what I alluded to yesterday in this article, i.e. that there is no relevant insurance covering Celtic in this historical matter.
I expect Celtic to attempt to settle with the twenty-two plaintiffs acknowledged by Thompson Solicitors. The problem may be that now leave has been granted for the class action to commence, others will come forward to join in. They will know they have nothing to lose and much to gain by associating with this action. I expect the court case to happen simply because, if successful, it will probably award higher compensation than Celtic will be prepared to offer.
The media is quoting “multi-million’ claims – in truth at the moment that is all guesswork & grandstanding. What is worrying however, is the possibility of a similar action being raised in the US, where at least one offence is alleged to have taken place. The settlements in US courts can be astronomical. There are also said to be some ex CBC members now living in the States, and talk that they too may look to bring an action in the US, off the back of the Scottish one.
This is a very serious situation for Celtic – it is pointless for some to be ‘burying heads in the sand’ and pretending it will all go away – it won’t.
There are troubling times ahead.
———————-
JHB
Did you expect Celtic to say in the statement ‘we have been paying malpractice insurance and it will be dealt with in that way’?
Wee question for you, were you the guy standing outside ibrox stadium after it was confirmed that rangers were sent for liquidation, who said that he hadn’t slept in months?
So the NSW gov is the financial underwriter; prob not a bad spend of their marketing/PR dollar to run the ancient bile-fest on their nicely manicured turf. Huge PR coverage accruable if they can ride out the initial backlash.
Yep; a wee exhibition cash-spinner.
Chance for both teams to see ex-Accie Ziggy Gordon’s smashing new tan.
KINDAHALFASUMMIT CSC
So, another old firm game – whoopee!
Well, they do say that the best ideas are the obvious ones!
18 years without a knockout win in Europe. Other clubs would look at what they could do to improve. What do we do? Say that it’s too difficult and hitch ourselves closer to the arrangement that caused the problem in the first place!
Great news for partner club though!
QUADROPHENIAN on 2ND MARCH 2022 9:48 AM
I wonder if they trying to sway Aussie fans away from watching the Eng premiership.
Increase league profile, getting better TV deal for Scottish football.
I expect celtic to try and settle (they wont)…I expect it to go to court 😂….clown 🤡
“We are not half of anything”….unless it makes us a fast buck.
Sell your souls CSC…..pathetic…
MARTIM1980
Regarding the tour in OZ could we not have played in Melbourne against the two Aussie teams and Panathinaikos instead
It’s an invitational tournament. Celtic don’t get to choose venues and opposition.