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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MARRAKESHEXPRESS
Ron Yeats at cf?
Jee-zoh,that could not have been pretty.
Bmcuw
Forward line Forrest Bremner Yeats Hughes Cooke.
0-0 would have qualified Scotland
They blew it v Poland at Hampden, lost 2-1.
MULLET&CO 1034
Excellent post,mate. Hit every target
You have to feel for the sports “journos” in Scotland. It must stretch their imagination trying to put a positive spin on news about their beloved team.
They get a hard time,but I for one congratulate them on this.
What do you mean,Jim Traynor writes it all for them? Who writes it for him?
I’m totally up to date with this thread ( including Petecs posts). Need to get back to work.
TINYTIM-what hotel are you staying in
Scientists have given up with alchemy, splitting the atom, finding an alternative to fossil fuels and stuff like that and are now following Moussa Dembele in the hope that his discarded DNA can be used to create a superhuman to save the planet.
I’m not worried about the bids for Dembele, by the time they manage to get the ball off him at the corner flag the transfer window will be shut.
A egg fried hard?! Say it ain’t so!
Haven’t read back, so iSight have picked it up wrong … but if anyone is in Las Vegas this weekend, be warned (and make sure you say hello to) the CQN legend Dan from Milan, who is there with the lovely Waheeda.
THETIMREAPER
Ole
I’m kinda bored now with all the celebrating and remembering 67 stuff. In the interest (best interest) of Scoddish Freebaw this slight on the history of our game should be forgotten and never again spoke of. It’s disputable as most use it just as a stick to beat our city rivals with rather than a celebration of our history and success.
MWD making sense again
DELANEYS DUNKY on 7TH JANUARY 2017 1:48 AM
TT I played in a Saint Thomas Aquinas team that contained 2 future Celts. Tosh McKinlay and Pat McGinlay. Saint Pat’s hammered us in the Scottish cup in Dumbarton. Best team I ever played against at any level.
*sir furious said the same thing many years before about when he was playing for a strong govan high side. What should be though noted was the huge catch basin St Pats had, only Catholic high school from Whitecrook tae Garelochead and Dumbarton tae Luss/Gartocharn.
did any cqn’ers dad/uncle etc play in the 1956 annual schools match between our ladys/holyrood v st mungos/st gerards at celtic park?
i have just found the official programme amongst some family stuff
a certain wm mcneil is only listed as a sub for our ladys/holyrood
obviously they knew at a young age that he wuldnt make it
:-)
Late on today, but I have done my gym rehab, yes the hammy has gone again. Four weeks with no running means I will have to go easy on the grub and beer.
Probably go off beer and cider and stick white wine, pints of.
Boring without Celtic to be honest, yes I enjoyed the Hibs game last night but it was simply an interest a bit like all this English FA cup nonsense over the weekend.
Will anyone be watching Real Madrid v Granada to check out the new darling of the Scottish press? Nope, me neither.
Enjoy the day.
See that Jon Toral is having a good look at Ronaldo…..from the subs bench.
Grenada 3-0 down after 30 minutes.
Theres sure is some amount of guff written to appease the Sevco hordes.
DELANEYS DUNKY on 7TH JANUARY 2017 2:01 AM
TTT I used to regularly bump into John McGinn, his mum and dad and brothers and sisters on the train fae Clydebank to Paradise. Beautiful family
*their Celtic connection through their grampa Jack is well known, however there is another link on their late granny’s side, our 1st centre forward and the father of Czech football who revolutionised the game out there Johnny Madden.
Tim Malone
4-0 down now – but he’s a game changer so expect a reversal when he comes on
TONTINETIM
IIRC,BRTH does a lovely wee tale about Johnny Madden.
I’ll try to find it.
Gene
It’s okay, I’m sure that if he doesn’t get a run out, the Magic Hat will take the chance to run the rule over Jaimie Rodriguez , Garett Bale or CR7 …. I after all, there is a war chest that he hasn’t used yet
MARRAKESH EXPRESS on 7TH JANUARY 2017 11:15 AM
Ron Bacardi If I remember right, big Stein (stand in manager?) got it badly wrong that day. Ron Yeats at centre forward, Yogi inside, and other strange choices. Tore apart by Italy and a pity because that squad would have went far in England 66.
*In all fairness tae Jock players were withdrawing daily including Bill Brown, Denis Law, Neil Martin, big Billy, baxter and henderson, and only needing a tie Ron Yeats although wearing No 9 went straight intae the defence lining up with mckinnon and forerst a natural centre was on the right wing. A 0-0 tie would have been enough for Scotland.
Italy also pulled a fast one by moving the game to Naples as they had a fiery crowd which that day lived up tae their reputation.
The Scotland game plan seemed tae be working out until near half time when Eddie McCreadie miskicked a cross allowing the Italian too score from close range.
With 15 minutes to go Blacklaw in goal collided with one of his defenders which allowed the king of cattenachio tae lob the ball intae an unguarded net.
The 3rd goal came in the last minute which was the trigger for bonfires to start up all over the terraces. See Naples and die right enough.
As for doing well in 1966, why not at least they wouldn’t have been humiliated by the likes of North Korea or pelted with tomatoes on the return home.
As was stated earlier the trains and busses were full that early afternoon with the building sites, factories and shipyards emptying as punters bailed out tae see the game live on tele which could have probably influenced the Dukla Prague decision.
TONTINETIM
Best enjoyed with a relaxing dram,this one.
Savour both.
https://broganrogantrevinoandhogan.wordpress.com/?s=Johnny+Madden&submit=Search
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on 7TH JANUARY 2017 12:52 PM
TONTINETIM Best enjoyed with a relaxing dram,this one.
*cheers Bobby, amazing the decent people we seem tae produce.
Phil’s up …
http://www.philmacgiollabhain.ie/pertinent-questions-from-a-serious-prpfessional/#more-8596
Afternoon All.
I have been working on something pretty big on the charity front which will hopefully be revealed in the next couple of weeks. At the current time, websites are being built and arrangements made re something which I hope will be pretty special.
Re Lisbon, I will be in touch with others next week about choice of accommodation and the arrangements re some events but need to catch up with Mouldy and one or two others first.
Off to the sisters 50th tonight – rumour has it that WC has saved up enough to buy me a pint!
Last time he did that he calmly asked me if I could write part of Willie Wallace’s Biography, and then after another couple of drinks added “…. and could you have it finished in 6 weeks?”.
Oh well – I see that Toral never made it off the bench in a 5-0 gubbing.
I actually watched Brentford the season Toral was on loan – and they probably had the best midfield in the Championship.
Sadly for the Sevconians, Toral also spent that season sitting on the bench and was never a regular starter – regardless of SMSM spin to the contrary.
Did I mention the amount of guff that is written?…
wonderful read back today.
cqn at its best.
Toral is the new Kranjcar Timmy and don’t you forget it:)))
Ssssssh The Rangers are coming…
Ho di ho ho ho…
Mullet & co 2 10.34
Grand post Sir,
but this ‘rangers lesson learned folder’line
What is it? Lol
Shoorly yir no implyin they learn from mistakes :-)
HH
St Stivs 1, 55
Agreed mate.ably assisted with your own post of Paul Bradys homes of Donegal.my favourite .
Thanks
HH
I hope this John Toral youth prodigy uses his loan move to Ra-Rangers to put himeself in the shop window and secure the dream move every young player across Europe is currently eyeing – a permanent deal with Celtic De Glasgow.
Gladbach are currently training in Marbella. The club’s official Twitter feed has published the players timetable for the day. I would like to know what our players are doing. I think we could learn a lot about pr from the German sides.
Just when St Stivs compliments the blog on being at its best this morning, Sandman has to go on and ruin it by introducing sectarianism into matters.
Whether or not yon Jon Torel is a prodigy or not, it’s the boy’s own business and has no place on CQN.
Does it mention in the Gladbach timetable if Lars Stindl, Hahn and yon big Viking central defender are having signing talks with Brendan?
The original sadies boy – they seem to be keeping those negotiations quiet. Good players right enough.
CALL_OF_JUAREZ
There are many things we, Scottish football, could learn from the German teams.
Looking at some Twitter pictures BR is in training gear today anyway.
I understand from rumours the training starts on Monday , up till then it’s r n r . Seems fair enough to me, they only arrived last night.
CALL_OF_JUAREZ on 7TH JANUARY 2017 2:58 PM
The original sadies boy – they seem to be keeping those negotiations quiet. Good players right enough.
……………..
They were great against us and I don’t think Gladbach had to pay a fortune to get them. I’m sure I heard the commentator during a Bundesliga game say that Stindl and Hahn cost them €1.8m and €2m a couple of seasons ago. I’m fairly sure that a buying team would have to pay several times those amounts now.
Daryll Murphy scores for Newcastle.
Kayal scores for Brighton.
VVD scores for Southampton,