I’ve been meaning to speak to you about this for a while; thought I would wait until the new season, see if anything changed, maybe we could avoid having the chat.
There are different ways of watching football games. There’s the way we watch World Cup games, as unpartisan observers, which is completely different to the way we watch Celtic games. If I’m watching a game in the English lower leagues with a one-time Celtic target, I’ll watch him closely, usually paying scant regard to anyone else. The same is true if I’m watching the likes of Wigan with Sean Maloney.
When I watch a game before writing a match report I often get a different perspective. The game flows in the normal manner but I then have to look at my notes and compose a report. It’s the notes that are often unexpected, they tell a story of incidents, not of what is essentially a pursuit which flows for 90 minutes. For Celtic, the incidents overwhelmingly, often as much as 80% of the time, involve one player.
He’s not the quickest, the most industrious, or the strongest, but Kris Commons makes things happen at a level no one else at Celtic comes close to. The evidence screams out at me every time I check my notes.
I’m sure Celtic will recognise this with a new contract but there’s reason to worry about this now. What if he’s injured, what if opponents figure out they better stop supply to him, what if his form shades, as it did two years ago?
I like the look of the squad. Lustig, Matthews, Izaguirre, Ambrose, Brown, Mulgrew, Johansen, Forrest, Biton, Stokes, Griffiths, Forster and van Dijk offer consistent standards of performance, most look comfortable in Champions League football, but the dependence on one creative talent feels like an unnecessary vulnerability.
As I said, football is not an incident-dependent sport, like golf, it is a flowing pursuit which requires industry, concentration and strategy, without which, the creatives would end up playing lower league football. But to win games, you need someone to invoke six of seven incidents more cunning than Tiger Woods at a cocktail bar*.
*Kris Commons behaviour at cocktail bars is impeccable, he is capable of on-field cunning only.
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St pats one up against leg is Warsaw. Away goal
St Pats one up against Legia, oops.
can i have raspberry on that champions league ice cream
I fear that if I don’t start ageing more quickly then they may converge!!!
uffaCSC
HH jamesgang
Raspberry
Is that on brit tv??
Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.
Just a personal opinion on our current Celtic team.
Last nights set up, sure I read on news now, that the team would be set up to play in their normal circumstances of NFL set up and style ?
Kris Commons best position is playing just off the main striker or behind a front 2,
Anthony Stokes cannot play as the Main striker, wanders out of position too often, and rarely in box if a cross does come in, poor disciplined player tactically ? And low work rate.
Disappointing, as there is a player there, if applied himself right.
Leigh Griffith can play through middle, but we seem to move him for stokes, which is not working (end of last season)
Interesting Griffiths playing in Kris role ? He has the skill and touch, with pace, not sure if he has the intelligence of Kris for the role
We need to find a way of fitting a fit Nir Biton into the team, giving midfield a base to work from, I would also give young Liam Henderson and Stefan Johansen an extended run in midfield, both can see a pass
I also think there is avery good player in Adam Mathews, could he be developed as aside right midfielder ?
Like a few Efe’s concentration at times is concerning his pace saves him a lot of times.
Talking of pace, we urgently need a major injection of this up front
There you go Ronnie, get it sorted :-)
Hail Hail
Weefra
You’re right. There is a lot of goodness on here.
Will be thinking about you on the day. Will cheer on your behalf. Your Mum will have the best view for this match!
KTF.
HH jamesgang
Weefra, will keep your Mum and all the family in our party ares through Next Tuesday
Oh and the Bhoys will give you all a Wee lift on Tues night
Hail Hail
Party ares = Prayers
Hoooops
jamesgang
Aye, along wi ma dad who she hasnae seen for over 20 years. I would love to be a star in the sky when they two meet, Dad-wit the hell kept ye>>>>Mum-have you got yer deef aid in>>>>Dad-I don’t need it up here>>>Mum-why did you leave me all alone 21+years ago??? >>>>>>>Dad-Eh, I think my ole deafness has come back on. That just explains them. Wit a couple.
Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.
cowiebhoy
Thanks for that buddy, really appreciated.
Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.
Cowiebhoy,
Have to say your assessment is much as my own. Efe, particularly in CL, worries me at CB, which is his best position. Just wish the management could work on his concentration (and his timing of his jumping).
WEEFRATHETIM
Brilliant,mate!
Hope it all goes as well as possible. She had a grand innings,and she’ll be missed.
Always a sign of a life well-lived.
Weefra
Sweet. Literally. The Big Mhan will be laughing at the pair of them!
Cowiebhoy
You said it all pretty much as I would about the whole team.
Early bath and then a doc about Chris hoy at 9. No need to measure his body fat %!
HH jamesgang
Stroemsgodset 0 – 1 Steaua Bucuresti Full Time
Ronny is being missed already.
Weefra
I buried ma wee mammy the day of the Villarreal UEFA QF in 2004. It was a very bittersweet day for obvious reasons but throughout the day and night I was in the company of good Celtic men who she loved as her own.
I don’t remember any of the game apart from it being the first featuring 22-a-side….
Your wee mammy is in a better place now, you did her proud m8
Hail hail :D
BMCUW
Aye and then some. You know the story, she was a wonderful wife, mum,grandma and great grandma. Her life is to be rejoiced which she enjoyed to the full with our dad. The world owes her nothing, she enjoyed everything the world produced. And I mean that in every sense it was meant. Ghod bless my wee mum.
Weefra Hh praying to Wee Oscar.
Feeding time, shortly ghuys. :-)
Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.
Weefra
Never easy making the arrangements, thoughts will be with you and yours next Tuesday,
WeefratheTim,
Gon, yerself. Thoughts and prayers.
lilys
weefra that solves a mystery for me, i now wear hearing aids and never go out without them, but in the last few years of his time on this earth my dad was prescribed one hearing aid now back in the eighties they where a bit chunky so we all asumed he never wore it out of vanity (and considering ,as an optician, the NHS glasses he prescribed to others) but it was just forward planning,he wouldn’t have to listen to her for an eternity!!! ….brilliant wait till i tell the family they will howl……..on second thoughts , wheres my hearing aids?……..ye cannae beet a good plan eh? eh? ..eh?
Derk latest photo
http://instagram.com/p/qhGdBbgkli/
Weefrathetim,………….the only consolation I can even try to give you is ……the pain becomes less….and it turns into wonderful memories that never end…..
RWE
20:10 on
16 July, 2014
An orc walk in Benidrom – whit?
About ten years ago, made the mistake of actually choosing to go to Majorca for a mid winter week (January).
Most miserable 7 day holiday ever, and we have never gone back to the island.
———————————————————–
Mhate the Neanderthals would bring any place down.
Majorca is a beautiful Island ,many good resorts ,Palma and the towns oop North and East are worth a visit.
HH
Weefra
Best wishes to you and yours
80 mins gone: Legia Warsaw 0-1 St Patrick’s Athletic
nearly scored again..
Weefra
Will be thinking of you from Spain on Tuesday. Fly out to the place of the Orc walk tomorrow. 11 Tims fae my family will brighten up Benidorm wi green n white. :)
Article is dead right, you need an outlet, someone to make things happen.
Even someone to give the ball to when your under pressure and playing with your back to the wall
D D
Did you catch Fannings 8/1 shot today?
squire danaher
20:53 on 16 July, 2014
Weefra
I buried ma wee mammy the day of the Villarreal UEFA QF in 2004. It was a very bittersweet day for obvious reasons but throughout the day and night I was in the company of good Celtic men who she loved as her own.
I don’t remember any of the game apart from it being the first featuring 22-a-side….
Your wee mammy is in a better place now, you did her proud m8
Hail hail :D
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
danaher
I owe everything to my ole mum. She owes the family nothing, due to her steadfast Govan upbringing. (If that makes sense). She was loved from so many quarters you would not believe, but could drop anyone who disagreed with her with one sharp whip of her tongue. Aye, Clyde Built indeed, and by ghod, she was.
Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.
Legia 1-1 St Pat’s
goal for Warsaw in the 91 min
Jude
Had one bet today. Lumped on Spanish Optimist. :(
FT Legia 1-1 St Pat’s
Athletic were under the cosh for most of the last 15 minutes but not a bad away goal to take back to Dublin
Thank you all so much for your thought and comments, they are well appreciated. My mum had a wonderful life which was blessed by having my sister (an angel, still alive) and, of course, the runt, me. We had a very privileged upbringing because my dad managed to work as a labourer through all sorts of economic upsets. And work he did. Which was the philosophy he passed on to myself and my sister, work, and you’ll survive. I believe I have had, roughly, 6 weeks sick leave in a 51 year working career. My dad and mum were correct. Luv them.
Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.
Weefra
You seem like a very nice man
You mum and a long and fulfilling life which has unfortunately now come to an end
Sorry
All the best
https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/scottish-government-ban-all-sectarian-marches-in-scotland
Sign here please
vinniethedog
21:05 on 16 July, 2014
Weefrathetim,………….the only consolation I can even try to give you is ……the pain becomes less….and it turns into wonderful memories that never end…..
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That is one of the Finest things said on this blog, IMO.
And it will certainly be one of the most comforting.
Wee Fra, Ye ur a big Strong Man. I only seen Dad cry once, so be prepared.
Feeling more confident about these qualifiers after seein st pats draw with Legia Warsaw who I thought wud be a tough challenge if we met them!!
Just watched a rerun of Igloo Country.
Kris Commons was Celtic ‘s best player last night and had to be single minded and shoot for goal anytime the opportunity presented itself.Unimpressive end result most of the time.
The movement of the guys alongside him was underwhelming.
Must do better Celtic.
Teams waiting to eat us soon without serious investment in that squad.