The search to resolve our defensive problems this season stretch back before the departure of Virgil van Dijk in August. Dedryck Boyata and Efe Ambrose have struggled with form, which our big summer signing, Jozo Simunovic, has endured two lengthy injury lay-offs.
Defensive stats have been revolutionised since the January arrival of Erik Sviatchenk, who was voted the Danish Superliga’s Player of the Year last night. We have achieved six clean-sheets in his nine starts, losing only a solitary goal each game the defence was breached. It took 20 games to record six clean-sheets before the Dane arrived.
We are far from the finished article at the back. The clean-sheets mask perennial failures to defend corner kicks, which have recently resulted good chances, instead of goals conceded. But, progress has been clear. Jozo’s been out of the team since the week before Erik’s arrival.
One of the things we need between now and the end of the season is these two paired up and tested. You win things (and qualify for things) when you stop conceding goals.
I remember the days I’d pour over Oldco Rangers’ accounts for insights into the future and comparisons with our own business model. I’d a cursory look at The Rangers Football Club’s accounts this morning. There is little of comparative relevance for us, or indeed, probably for Newco’s short-term future, should they gain promotion this season.
The one area that offers comparison is the cost of running a football business in a stadium which occasionally caters for crowds of 50,000 or more. With first team wages (I assume this refers to professional players employed) stripped out, expenses during the paired-down Easdale-led season was just north of £17m.
This is a useful guide of what it costs to pay your rates, electricity , insurance and the million other bills when you need to occasionally cater for 50,000-ish crowds, although many costs, like police, will reflect a lower tariff due to the lack of actual footfall. We don’t get as clear a picture of this cost from Celtic, who don’t separate player wages from non-playing staff. My hunch is that Celtic’s paried-down figure will be a few million higher (the silver polish bill alone….).
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Cosy Corner Bhoy
The handsome laddie does indeed have my number.
It’ll be grand to see you.
HH jamesgang
JAMESGANG
I’ve got your number too(!)
Sounds like James gangs number.might even be scrawled on the lavvy doors. .. women’s lavvys I mean; )
Bobbio – touché
TBJ – touche!
;-)
HH jamesgang
Lennon in Glasgow.
BPOI
TBJ is in Glasgow as well…..
Neganon
You are complicit in the everyday corruption in life. You use a bank, you buy goods from ll sorts of dodgy bastards, you travel by air and car, causing pollution and death to others, you accept slavery by buying stuff made by poor souls on pittance wages.
Sure it’s all Celtic plc and PL to blame. Aye right.
Cowiebhoy & Jamesgang “aren’t allowed on the same flight ” poses the question.
Why ?
That’ll get the rumours flyin’
ANGELGABRIEL
Too big a blow to the gene pool if a plane with that pair on went down.
If he was here, for what reason?
Jamesgang: It will be easy to get into Celtic match on Friday. I hope to be around on the Friday to help out, WITS and Cloghercelt will be too.
Ger57
“Sure it’s all Celtic plc and PL to blame. Aye right.”
I agree but I think the reason for the criticism is connected to the `You always hurt the one you love` observation. Celtic being perceived to behave badly hurts us a lot more than, say, St Mirren behaving badly.
JJ
Neganon
There is financial chicanery in EVERY plc. You say we Celtic fans cannot accept this from Celtic but it’s ok for other plcs. We make compromises every day. But not for the football team we support?
Get off your white charger and go to the games to support your team. Otherwise give the rest of us peace to do so.
“If he was here, for what reason?”
To visit? He did live here for quite some time. He might have friends here 0:-)
JJ
JJHS
Aye true, but…
BMCUWP.
Yon Jamesgang fella is actually Clarke Kent in disguise so Cowiebhoy is safe as houses.
Morning Bhoys a Grey old Morning here in Central Scotland. H.H.
Fascinating article on Pochettino on BBC Sport website, well worth a read – wonder if Ronny uses any of his ideas?
Neil Lennon in Glasgow . Non story.
Alan Bernard Brazil & Neil Francis Lennon , both good Tims are seemingly doing a show on Friday which involves visiting places of importance to them in Glasgow.
Jungle Jim
I accept the emotional attachment to us being put on a pedestal. But we don’t seem to care so much about those companies we use for everyday essentials. The food companies are poisoning us, the banks and finance companies are robbing us blind, the utilities operate a massive cartel to steal from us and our politicians, who we CAN vote out, are taking kickbacks from the companies, and we shout about Celtic’s relatively minor infractions? The joy I’ve had over 5 decades supporting my team far outweigh my misgivings about the Celtic board.
Ao ABB might be in the running too?
So…
Can anyone confirm wee story I heard from Norn Ireland.
Apparently there is a Grand Master, not of the chess variety, complaining that currently there are too many Kafflicks being employed in the province’s civil service.
Not only are there too many of them but, they make their non Kafflick colleagues uneasy by coming into work on Monday mornings and openly discuss having been to Mass or attended Gaelic Football or hurling matches at the weekend.
Any truth in the above.
BPoI @ 9:43
0:-)))
JJ
Incidentally, I can offer evidence that Jamesgang is, indeed, Clarke Kent. Jamesgang was here one day and all the time I was talking to him, Superman was nowhere to be seen. I rest my case.
JJ
PS …but if any further evidence is required, Jamesgang is also mild mannered. Need I say more?
Mr Pastry.
Pochettino is an obsessive football man. All about the team ,the team and then the team.
2 training sessions. Every day.
Tiredness not on the menu.
Spurs might still win the Premiership this year. Next year , a stick on.
From my viewpoint the difference in him & Ronny is an eagerness to please which afflicts our manager, not Pochettino.It’s all about the team, not individuals. Only my opinion.HH
Instead of a caption contest we could have a contest of the best reasons for Jamesgang and CowieBhoy not being allowed on the same flight. :-))
Morning all.
A very happy, hoopy 78th birthday to the one and only Bertie Auld.
HH!!
Jungle Jim Hot Smoked. 9.52.
No more evidence required. Case closed. ;-))
HAPPY HOOOOOOPY BIRTHDAY,BERTIE!!!!!!!
ANGELGABRIEL@9:42 – Is Brazil being Lennon’s squirrel, or am I just nuts?
Brazil Nuts?
Obviously time I was off !
Cheerio for now,
JJ
Angel Gabriel
I expect Celtic to comply with the highest standards re preparing players for matches. That for me would involve;- !. Peak physical fitness and match sharpness, 2. Psychological preparation, awareness of what it means to play for Celtic, and 3. team building and tactical drilling for the upcoming match.
I would expect each player to have a bespoke diet and individual fitness plans.
Surely in this modern era, this is the least we should expect?
ANGELGABRIEL 942
I expect bookies,casinos and high-end restaurants to be well-prepped for Mr Brazil…
“Yon Jamesgang fella is actually Clarke Kent”
I’ve heard him being called something similar :p
HH
Weather forecast for Dublin at the weekend.
https://www.google.ie/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=weather%20forecast%20dublin%20this%20weekend
Not bad.
Morning all,
I was going to come on here and talk even more about Res 12 and how the likes of Auldheid is in fact in cahoots with the board as is evidenced by his conatant writing here there and everywhere about the topic whilst behind the scenes he is secretly telling Celtic to bin it and defeat it at every turn so that it is of no effect.
However, that has all been done by others so I will just carry on with far more important news.
The reason Cowiebhoy and JamesGang cannot travel on the same plane can best be summed up by explaining that a woman never puts both boobs in just the one side of a bra!