Nir Biton, preparations for the ArenA

1993

There will have been tired limbs at Lennonxtown when the players resumed full training yesterday after their exertions on Tuesday night but they will still be desperate to take to the field at Firhill on Sunday.  This game is a necessary preparation ahead of the Amsterdam AreanA in 12 days.

We have an advantage for Amsterdam…..

Ajax are nip and tuck with a handful of clubs near the top of the Dutch league.  They have three home games in the league and cup before facing Celtic and the pressure is on to win each of them.  Ajax don’t have the ability to allow players extended recuperation time to ensure they are in pristine condition for Champions League duty, Celtic do.

I would rest everyone we don’t have good cover for.  This is also a game for Nir Biton to start.  The player needs to get back in the saddle as quickly as possible after Tuesday, he is also unlikely to see Champions League group stage action again this season.

After his international and other duties, Charlie Mulgrew would benefit from a rest.  We don’t have sufficient cover for James Forrest and Beram Kayal, so send them away for the weekend.

Use every advantage possible.
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1,993 Comments

  1. Ledley let his contract run down at Cardiff City and was always likely to do it with us….

     

     

    He’s a Premiership standard player- his MO would suggest he goes there for a nice sign-on fee.

     

     

    Hail Hail

  2. Samaras & Commons have been making the right noises about signing up so I would expect them to sign extended contracts.

     

    Stokes, IMO, will be off in January. His replacement is already at the club, Pukki.

     

    Ledley has already stayed longer than I thought he would have so I wouldn’t be surprised if he wanted to go to EPL at the end of the season. If he doesn’t re-sign and we get a reasonable offer then we would sell in January.

  3. pfayr- so what can we do? Say for example, Ledley is on £1m a year here, he knows if he runs down his contract he will get a huge golden hello elsewhere as he will be a free agent, plus maybe £2m a year.

     

    If Celtic and MidtablePremiershipFC agreed a £5m deal in the summer for Ledley the player could have said “no, I will see out my contract”.

     

     

    We are stuffed.

  4. With Brown and Mulgrew forming a very good partnership, with Kayal hopefully getting back to his best, with Biton and Rogic waiting in the wings for an opportunity to get a run of games and with the likes of Henderson & Twardzik pushing for squad places, we could afford to move Ledley on in January if he doesn’t want to stay and it would have no immediate effect on the team.

     

    I like Ledley, one of our better players over the last few years but if a player wants to go then its important that we at least get some cash for them in order to re-invest in squad.

  5. goldstar10

     

    11:12 on

     

    27 October, 2013

     

     

    He won’t go. However he shouldn’t play in the first team again (unless there is an injury crisis) ahead of those 7 players I mentioned who do want to stay at the club.

     

    If the choice is sit on your backside and do nothing for 6 months or go to an EPL club then that may change his mind. May not but the club needs to be clear that this is what happens if you don’t want to sign a new contract and want to leave.

  6. Valentine’s Day

     

     

    “Kick us up n Doon the Park”… Ah expect that Ye ur right,pal.

     

     

    N Why No?

     

     

    It seems everybuddy else diz it.. and gets away wi’ It.

     

     

     

    Yes. Ah declare..

     

     

    Partick wull Kick Us up n Doon The Park!

     

     

    Kojo

     

    Still, Laughin

  7. Ledley like others before him have a simple choice.

     

    Stay at Celtic,be happy in your place of work with all the

     

    benefits of being a Celtic player while becoming very wealthy

     

     

    Put all that at risk by signing for an EPL team,never play in Europe

     

    again,fight a relegation battle most seasons while getting even richer.

     

     

    Simple choice for me.

     

    Live the dream.Play for Celtic.

  8. leftclicktic oscar in our thoughts on

    Today I will be positive,

     

    today i will be positve,

     

    today I will be positive,

     

    today I will be positive,

     

     

    All together now :))))

     

     

    Glasgow derby…. Partick Th 0 -The famous Glasgow celtic 4

  9. I see that Fenlon’s men weren’t in the Don’s faces yesterday, going down meekly 2-0 at home.

     

     

    Maybe they knew that they wouldn’t be allowed to hoof the opposition players all over the park yesterday?

     

     

    Unless there is another explanation?

  10. bognorbhoyle oscar in my thoughts on

    sixtaeseven

     

    11:25 on

     

    27 October, 2013

     

    I see that Fenlon’s men weren’t in the Don’s faces yesterday, going down meekly 2-0 at home.

     

     

    Maybe they knew that they wouldn’t be allowed to hoof the opposition players all over the park yesterday?

     

     

    Unless there is another explanation?

     

     

     

    nope the was the reason

  11. kayal33- Yes, I agree, this is the only option open us, and I have a suspicion that this is why Kayal and Pukki got the nod v Ajax rather than Joe.

     

     

    I hope I’m wrong and he signs a long term deal, hae ma doots though.

  12. Kojo…….if PT do kick us off the park and the official’s

     

    don’t do their job then who in our side is going to dish

     

    out retribution………….you have to stand up to a bully,

     

    am sure yer mammy told you that.

  13. Dontbrattbakkinanger on

    PFAyr- unfortunately the players have the power.

     

     

    If they leave they leave and we’ll get new heroes to take their place

     

     

    But this is all speculation.

  14. Selling Ledley for nothing…… It’s just the latest installment in Lawell and Desmond’s grand plan to destroy Celtic.

     

     

    He shouldn’t be allowed to be in this situation. We should have sold him in the summer. Took the money.

     

     

    Can’t see how anyone would have complained at that.

  15. ....PFayr supports WeeOscar on

    Goldstar

     

     

    We shouldn’t be allowing people to enter the last year of their contract

     

     

    Either sign up during your second last year or you’re being transfer listed …..play hardball

     

     

    We’ve allowed this situation to develop … Not good practice IMO

  16. Ma criterion,when it Comes tae making a decision as tae whether or not tae Pick

     

    up a Guy’s Contract…

     

     

    Nevah Changes..

     

     

    It is written in Stain..

     

     

    “Wull He Be Missed?”

     

     

    Noo.

     

     

    In Ma Opinion..

     

     

    Celtic , wull Dae Very Well.. Withoot the Services o’

     

     

    Ledley.

     

     

    Sammi..

     

     

    No, Celtic , Wull NOT Do Very well. Withoot the Services of Sammi.

     

     

    Ah may be persuaded tae Gie Him .. Hauf of whit he Wants..

     

     

    No A Penny Mair, though!

     

     

    Stokes?

     

     

    Yes, Celtic wud still Be able tae continue tae successfully struggle thru…. withoot his Services..

     

     

    So

     

     

    There ye hiv it..

     

     

    Two of these Guys Kin Go.. Wi’ Ma Blessings.

     

     

    Hey..Things are Tough all over.

     

     

    Kojo

     

     

    Still, Laughin’

     

     

    I

  17. The Honest Mistake loves being first on

    Agreed, we should sell all players entering the last year of their contracts to avoid this situation. That way we could proceed without negotiating and avoid negative tabloid exposure. Shame on you Celtic board for failing to sell players the manager wants to hold on to.

  18. I guess Thompson of St Mirren’s comment last week supporting Hibs’ “get in their faces” tactic(?) if a team has better players than yours will be replicated against us by every other team without any MIB making them play by the rules.

  19. .

     

     

    I Wonder if the same People that Moan about the MSM Using ‘Celtic player set to Leave’ when a Old Firm game is on..

     

     

    Are the Same People that are Doing it when a Glasgow Derby is On..

     

     

    Then again l sometimes Wonder about the things l Wonder about..

     

     

    Summa

  20. Posted this earlier…

     

     

    I had a quick browse through the on-line version of today’s Herald, so maybe I missed it.

     

     

    I hope I did, because it would be inexcusable for the paper not to have a preview of one of world’s oldest fixtures, the Glasgow Derby between Partick Thistle v Celtic.

     

     

    The first ever meeting between Partick Thistle and Celtic was the Exhibition Cup semi final on 29th August 1888 (Inchview Park, admission 3d, ladies free). The game ended in a 1-0 win for Celtic.

     

     

    Since then there have been 214 encounters, Celtic winning 141, losing 33, and drawing 40, scoring 498, and conceding 212.

     

     

    Looking forward to the game today, their first league meeting since February 22, 2004 that ended Partick Thistle 1-4 Celtic (in which Jorge Cadete played for Thistle).

     

     

    I would like to see a similar scoreline today.

     

     

    Gardez la Foi

     

    Sixtae

  21. ....PFayr supports WeeOscar on

    DBBIA

     

     

    It’s not even speculation ….

     

     

    Goldstar

     

     

    I don’t agree that players have it all their own way …..they certainly do when it’s in the last year of their contract tho

     

     

    No point in getting £12m for VW then seeing an equivalent value of players walk out the door for nothing the next season