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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Off to cheer on The Hibs. In Gaelic. Featuring Neil and Kris. Supported by pissa and Chateauneuf de Pape…..
Vhman.
Welcome back. I wish I was as fat as you.
Member. Not barefoot this time.
Go on TEAM 67LISBON
That awkward moment when Andy Carroll has still to stay fit in the warm up.
Garcia.
I posed the question.
In Jan 67.
If a world record £350000 offer was on the table from real Madrid would the board. Jock. Or the fans have been ok with any of our guys leaving ?
At that point we had a league cup. Did the fans dream of a clean sweep and the big cup ?
Hibees on fire.
SAINT STIVS on 6TH JANUARY 2017 7:55 PM
Hibees on fire.
=============================
Damn.
I`d forgotten . The events in Florida.
Link comin` up.
The Hibs game.
Wall to wall current and former Tims.
Alba coverage is magic.
Its Gaelic and makes more sense than tanner McCann and walker.
There is a tricolor on the scoreboard.
Lennon. Commons. McGeoch. Mcginn.
Good watch so far
S.Stivs.
Agreed.
Toshney.
Willo Flood.
Two nuffink hibs
Decent game here between the Dundee and Edinburgh Huns.
Been based on Manchester, Salford to be exact, and will be there most of January. Struggled to find a decent boozer to watch football last night around the Media City area. Any suggestions welcome.
Cummings scores again Live reporting here!
Yeeees.
Hibees.
“When Rangers Went Down The Toilet”
https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/2017/01/05/when-rangers-went-down-the-toilet/
Dundee and Edinburgh Huns ???! Just shows what my spell checker predicts . I did mean Hibs.
ALBA will be on the banned list now,the team names up in the corner of the screen shows nice colours :-)))
JMCCORMICK on 6TH JANUARY 2017 8:13 PM
Stream here.
;-)
http://www.watchallchannels.com/bbc-one-html/
Hammers versus City . Freeview hence the link
HH
Hibs, my joint 3rd favourite other Scottish team battering my other joint 3rd favorite other Scottish team 2 nil.
Regarding Vegas- I was there in November, bloody freezing,I’m sure sin city will see u ok? But don’t book the hard rock hotel,it’s a long walk from the strip-:)
Just got word from a Celtic supporting friend at BBC HQ Londoon. The manky mob are flooding them with complaints to re Irish tricolour displayed at top left corner of BBC Alba screen?
Mon the Hibee provies!
Watching the hibs game,KC would never get a game for us the we play know
That awkward moment when your wife changes the channel cos its Friday night and your watching fitba in gaelic
Foxy-terrible in it-:))
West Ham need a£30 mil striker-:))
Some clubs die.. RFC 1872
Some clubs get their hearts ripped out when healthy enough .. West Ham
West Ham are more in need of bog-standard Left Back!
Just seen Gascoigne’s tackles in the 91 FA Cup final. Absolutele thug.
The boys have just landed in Dubai!
Hibs dont know whether to stick or twist hwre. 2 – 0 up after 55.
Stick or twist? Who knows:-))))
Hi all. hope you are enjoying your weekend. Shameless cut, paste and repost from me from previous article. Thanks as ever to our host Paul67 for permitting me to do this.
https://stayinguplateblog.wordpress.com/2017/01/06/celtic-season-so-far-so-very-very-good/
JOBO BALDIE on 6TH JANUARY 2017 8:57 PM
The three points are vital for Lenny.
Very happy for Hibs that they have a very decent chance of promotion due to having IMO the best manager in their division.
Must admit tho, they style of the Hibs play is no the may west
West Ham looking for a knew manager in 65 mins-:))
TET – 6 out of 7 coupon picks in ;-)
18786 at Easter road tonight.
St Stivs- need to ask my wee brother but I think Joe McBride got injured around the New Year 1967 period and was out for the season. I think we all felt that we had lost something really special. For me he remains the finest centre forward – in the classic sense – that I have seen in the hoops. I don’t think anyone ( other than my late father who always claimed that if Celtic could win the league then we could win the European Cup because Europeans played football like Celtic ) thought we would win everything but as New Year became Spring then it was definitely on. Beating Vojvodina that night fixed the possibility of Celtic winning the European Cup in our minds. Once that idea took hold it was like a fever. Could Celtic actually do this. Hard to explain the magnitude of the task to the current generation because as has been widely recorded that cup belonged to Italians, Spaniards and Portuguese. The idea that a club from Scotland might win it was laughable to the wider ( mostly English ) world. Still recall the nerves and excitement sitting in our kitchen in Glasgow listening to the tortuous commentary from Prague with my Mum, Dad and brothers as Celtic produced a most un – Celtic performance in the semi final second leg to o Tain a 0-0 draw. Celtic were in the final of the European Cup. Time to rent a plane- but that is another story.