You and I will miss our football this weekend but the winter break came at an excellent time for Celtic. They get to rest after an arduous nine game December on the back of handing Newco a lesson on their own pitch. Having to sit for three weeks, unable to get a defeat out your system, would have been torture.
Celtic have already played 36 competitive games this season (only one against lower league opposition). That’s close to a full league programme concertinaed into a little over five months. Add in the fact that almost the entire squad is involved in some form of international football and you realise the players have been on match duty twice a week since preseason.
This is exceptional and not conducive to delivering top performances. By comparison, Aberdeen have played 30 games (two against lower league teams) and Newco have played 28 (five against lower league sides). That’s eight and 10 times we’ve played two challenging games a week more than our direct opponents – neither of whom are particularly burdened by international football.
The second half of the season will be more balanced. We only have three midweek games scheduled, including our game in hand – so you can be reasonably confident our “slump” will end soon………..
We all remember the days when someone talking about putting in a £20m offer for a Celtic player would be held in a locked room until a deal was signed. We’ve been on a long road since, but the financial stability we’ve earned through many tough years affords us the ability to keep players who have several years to run on their contracts.
As for Moussa, I hear if we can arrange for him to play against the Target Practice Torags every week, he’d extend his contract until 2027.
Really enjoying the dissonance in some places over the anticipated approval of Kouassi Eboue’s work permit. Play by the rules, work inside areas you are allowed to and pay your dues. It’s not difficult.
By now you should be aware of The Road to Lisbon project. 28 cyclists will set off from Celtic Park on 11 May, arriving in Lisbon in time for the 50th anniversary of the Lions’ triumph. It is an immense project which is expected to raise tens of thousands for Celtic FC Foundation, Solving Kids Cancer and Children in Crossfire.
An opportunity exists for corporate sponsorship of the project. If you would like more information, look here, or email, theroadtolisbonmay2017@gmail.com
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And write his/her ‘tell all’ book; if only.
Anntearmann …..hahahahahahaha ….. please introduce yourself at our next home game …. I promise not to sing ….hehe
Incidentally. Timbhoy3 is a bhun
BLANTYRETIM IS PRAYING FOR THE KNOX FAMILY on 9TH JANUARY 2017 10:20 AM
Cheers BT I think I have most of it but only got letter Friday afternoon and some things I just couldnt do
HH
CORKCELT
So sorry dont know how I issed it was your birthday
Hoopy Hoopy birthday :-))
HH
KITALBA on 9TH JANUARY 2017 10:38 AM
If only some mason would break ranks with the SFA
And write his/her ‘tell all’ book; if only.
we can but dream
HH
A very Happy Birthday to excellent CQN’er Corkcelt:))
HH
DENA29
We can read them like a book anyway …. hahahahahahaha
Let me know if any problems G
67HEAVEN .. CHALLENGING THE LIE ..I AM WEE OSCAR…… IPOX BELONGS TO THE CREDITORS on 9TH JANUARY 2017 10:49 AM
definitely without having to turn a page
BLANTYRETIM IS PRAYING FOR THE KNOX FAMILY
Cheers BT
HH
By A. La Pollutant
As a member of the squad that clinched nine-in-a-row with Rangers 20 years ago, Stuart McCall knows all about the enduring adoration that comes with such an achievement. “When I was shown the door at Ibrox having managed them they done it with such dignity that I knew my adoration would continue” But he believes stopping their rivals doing it might be as good as it gets for Rangers now. It is a sad reflection on how things have declined within Scottish football that an average Celtic team are so far ahead of the rest. Even Ibrox legends from a time when the very idea of finishing second was scorned can see how finishing second in the current deceptive campaign is the best they can hope for – unless Rangers are allowed to go one better than last season in the Scottish Cup. As far as the Ibrox side’s league ambitions go, it is now simply a matter of trying to cut the margin between themselves and Celtic while also warding off the challenge for second place from Aberdeen. McCall conceded the gap between Rangers and Celtic is currently “alarming” but puts little blame at the door of the current Ibrox management team. Rather, he saluted Celtic’s consistency. The champions have dropped points against only one team this season – Inverness Caledonian Thistle. “Yes, the gap is alarming,” said McCall. “But that is down to the incredible performances of Celtic and match officials and not necessarily the poor performances of Rangers. I would expect Rangers to think they could have had a few more points especially against Celtic, But you would also expect Celtic to have a few less. I would still expect Rangers to be second,” added McCall. “And I imagine that, in that Rangers dressing room, the manager, the board, the youth teams, the Wonga reps, the cleaner – they’ll all demand that they finish second. They will be saying: ‘We’ve got to be second’. “I mean, second to Celtic is not good enough. But, in the grand scheme of things, that’s what they will be getting. They can´t get much more” McCall, now manager at fourth -placed League One side Bradford City, knows things will hot up the closer Celtic get to creating a new Scottish record of ten consecutive league titles. He was part of the Ibrox side that were second to Celtic’s run of nine league wins won under Jock Stein so is sensitive to what it would mean in Glasgow if either side should be allowed to go one step further. It’s Celtic who are currently very well placed to do so. Unconvinced Rangers can prevent Celtic, who are on course for their sixth successive Scottish championship, going on to win seven and eight in a row, McCall views frustrating the champions’ plans to win a ninth or even tenth title as a more realistic aim. But, in order to do that, he makes the point that money, a lot of it, has to be made available to Mark Warburton, if it is still Warburton in charge. “It’s got to be the target, it’s got to be,” said McCall, with reference to stopping nine-in-a-row. “Because that’s what football is about up here, Money and rivalry, so it has to be the aim for Rangers, “We can talk about youth structures and progression, which you’ve got to do,” he added. “But, if Rangers do happen to stop Celtic before they get nine or ten, there will have to be a huge financial input akin to about 78.3% of the gross domestic product. That’s obvious.” McCall has his own worries at Bradford, who are trying to gain promotion to the Championship on a strict financial budget. But he admits he is kept up at night fretting about Celtic’s continued dominance. “No, I don’t think about Bradford at all … but Celtic winning ten worries me every waking minute of my life!” he said. “Seriously, we’re getting to the stage where it is being talked about. Going back to when we emulated nine-in-a-row, when we got to five and six, Rangers fans started singing songs – just like Celtic fans are singing them now, about nine and even ten. “Each season, it will build and build. And everyone will be aware of it. I’m just hoping they’ve got a transfer war chest somewhere, anywhere, building and building – so they can go and buy Messi and Ronaldo to stop Celtic, it’s natural if you are a Rangers-minded person that you should fear Celtic getting there. And, if you are a Celtic-minded person, that’s the dream for you, isn’t it? To go and smash it.” McCall knows Rangers, in their present state, are a long way from being capable of challenging Celtic. Even a Messi or Ronaldo might not be enough right now. Not when someone like Brendan Rodgers is pulling the strings at Celtic. This, he said, was the real glitch in Rangers’ plan to rival Celtic this season. It’s not as if Celtic have spent wildly more than Rangers have in the last 12 months. Rangers’ marquee signings Joey Barton and Niko Kranjcar have not contributed due to ill-discipline, poor form and a premature departure in the case of the former, injury in the latter. “They [Rangers] are a long, long, long, long, long, long way away at this moment in time,” accepted the former Scotland assistant manager, who was originally heartened by the signing of Barton. “Then Brendan Rodgers has come in, he’s been a massive success, and the Barton thing was obviously a disaster. I think the blow to Rangers, and there’s no doubt it was a blow, was when Celtic managed to go out and get the manager they have at the moment,” added McCall. “I was saying something last season, when we met up with the Celtic lads [with Scotland] there was something not quite right, that´s why I quit. It’s given [Scott] Brown, [Stuart] Armstrong, you could name a few more but I won`t, a new lease of life. “But how much have they actually spent over and above [Scott] Sinclair and [Moussa] Dembele? “Because it’s only two signings really who have come in and made an impact. “It’s been what the manager, the coaches, have got out of the players there, because the majority of them are the players who were there last season. It´s so utterly heartbreaking ” Stuart McCall was speaking at a William Hill media event. William Hill is the proud sponsor of the Scottish Cup.
DENA29:
Yeah you’re right, it was just wishful wishing on my part. In the interim though, I pray that Celtic cleave that gap between us and the establishments minions so wide, as wide as from here to Pluto, and back, that would do nicely.
Many Hoopy returns to ACGR & CORKCELT :))
And I’m not a Bhun, I wrote this piece early on,about how in the past ,it took ages for Celtic to sign players,that’s all, seems if you say anything negative about our club,right away you are classed as a Hun,which I’m not
Awe Naw- i think the lapdogs are actually plagurising (sp) your work now…
ACGR
A very Happy Hoopy Birthday to you…
HH
ACGR and CORKCELT
Best birthday wishes to you both!
ACGR…… Have a braw braw day….hope the brawderators wish you weel !!!! Heh heh….
Corkcelt hoopy birthday sir ,am sure all the Dubs are wishing you have a braw day …
Smiley thing
Braw.
AWE_NAW_NO_ANNONI_OAN_ANAW_NOO
I’m surprised you haven’t been picked up yet by a major international news agency like Vice or something:))
DD
Sorry to hear about your Mum.
Hope all goes well.
Former Celtic player speaks out following release from prison after baseball bat attack
Former Celtic player speaks out following release from prison after baseball bat attack
Former Celtic player speaks out following release from prison after baseball bat attack
14 mins ago
0 comments
A footballer who was jailed after attacking a man with a baseball bat has spoken out for the first time since being given another chance to play.
Declan Gallagher, 25, was sentenced to three years in prison after being found guilty of assaulting a chef outside a hotel in April 2013.
Victim Steven Findlay suffered a brain haemorrhage and a fractured skull in the incident which happened in Blantyre, South Lanarkshire.
is this DECLAN who was on cqn a few times??emdy remember him playing for CELTIC.?????
DD
I hope your mum recovers properly this time.
The NHS is unable to cope with the demands placed on it by Government, also this care in the community policy of NHS/Social Services joining up will be a disaster unfortunately for all who rely on the NHS.
This is a policy that has seen people being discharged to clear beds and only for that reason, many with complex care needs, in time passed we had the abilty to allow convalesence time where people could recover properly, now they want folk home as its too expensive, the small units that provided this are shut. Small community hospitals are closed and the land sold or up for sale, these often proovided beds for the elderly who had no one or their care needs required in patient services.
Make no bones about this, it is a Government dogma policy of care in the community and it will fail as already attempts to patch this up are being made by throwing money at it. It is disgraceful however if you challenge the thinking you are seen as backward in your ideas or worst, so opposition is railroaded over and place men/women implement without it being tested and evaluated in pilot schemes.
The Government aint listening .
He played for the youths in 2010.
No first team appearances.
Minus five degrees in Leipzig today lol. Could rise to zero degrees by Wednesday. Wonderful place for a winter break.
FAVOURITE UNCLE
“Former Celtic Player” they just can’t help themselves, he’s played at four clubs since he left Celtic…
Former Dundee player just doesn’t have the same ring does it:))
HH
Bada,
they must be knowingly counting the days to the dole. The lickspittle, ass-kissing bootlicking brown nosing, fawning flattering grovelling sycophantic toadying lackeys yes man flunkies that they so are
HH
It wiznae mè, it wiz big beano that done it. A tried to stop him and think of the consecutives but he done it anyway. Some folk just won’t take a listening to
DECLAN1867
Beats me where Beano or anyone else can buy a baseball bat in Scotland.
I mean,it’s hardly our other national sport,is it?
Oh,wait…
Brendan finally wins SPFL Manager of the month
Must have been a close call
BLANTYRETIM
I believe Sandy Bryson said he was improperly registered.
CORKCELT & ACGR…
Happy birthday wishes and many hoopy returns to you both.
=== === ===
DD…
Sorry to hear your mammy’s having a hard time of it,love and thoughts for her mo chara.
=== === ===
Winter breaks might be a good thing for the players but it’s just a big,gaping maw that imbues boredom and frustration in me.Football without Celtic is nothing. ;)
Having watched a fair bit of English cup games over the weekend I have to say they have a profundity of both average footballers and master marketing folk down south:EPL,best league in the world my fundament.
Hope Brendan and the bhoys enjoy Dubai but they realy need to hurry back into action for the sake of my sanity.
HOOPSHIATUSHARUMPHcsc
Blantyre Tim –
BR won the Manager of the Month award back for August and October according to the CFC website
Ulryc
ACGR & CORKCELT
Many happy returns (as my dearly-departed mum used to say).
All the best from me and Wee BGFC
Hail Hail
BGFC
Keep tellin that celticrollercoaster I’m big boned not fat….
I will however accept the fatbhoy tag in the interests of group harmony ’cause I’m that kind of guy.
Floating (just about)
Hey Corkcelt and ACGR.
Happy Birthday to both of you, have a blast.
Corkie.
I hope you are lurking. Braws post gave me a laugh when he spoke,about the Dubs wishing you a happy birthday.
D.D.
Hopefully your Mum will receive the required treatment this time and make a full recovery.
Hail Hail to all.
FLOATING
If you were big boned,it’s likely you would sink.
Just saying,like…
PS-Good luck to all on the diet plan.
KITALBA on 9TH JANUARY 2017 11:08 AM
sorry I missed your post
agree the sooner the better
HH
DENA29
Best of for today’s wee trial. You’ve had worse recently,nae bother.
HH
FAVOURITE UNCLE on 9th January 2017 11:49 am
Former Celtic player speaks out following release from prison after baseball bat attack
Youth career
– Celtic
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2009–2011 Celtic 0 (0)
2010–2011 → Stranraer (loan) 26 (3)
2011–2012 Clyde 25 (2)
2012–2014 Dundee 60 (4)
2014–2016 Livingston 51 (2)
2017- Livingston 1 (1)