Amid all the consequences of Champions League group stage qualification, lies a subtle shift in the calendar for Celtic that could prove pivotal. The club has started competitive football for recent seasons in the first or second qualification round, often in the first week in July. Added to our habit of reaching (and winning) the Scottish Cup final, Celtic’s close season has been truncated into a period of between six and eight weeks.
This year, we will have an impressive 11 weeks to rest and rebuild before the cinch SPFL Premiership campaign gets the competitive season underway on 30 July. Consider what that differential means for the fitness coaches. They were previously tasked to allow the players sufficient rest, then accelerate their return to peak condition to avert a potentially disastrous exit from European competition.
In recent years, this has resulted in giving players as much time off as possible before a three-week fitness ramp up. You and I can speculate on what impact this has on Celtic’s multi-season catalogue of soft-tissue injuries.
Preseason is also when the base layer of endurance is laid. Players can do speed work between games, but they cannot do endurance work and play a game five days later. This training is only effective if it exhausts and breaks muscle fibre, allowing a natural period of regrowth, which builds the muscle. Squad-wide, it does not happen during the season.
We have seen enough hamstring injuries, as well as Celtic players looking exhausted late in games, to know we have preparatory issues to address. We also know the fitness coaches are not given the opportunity to work on either matter effectively. This close season is such a change to the norm, the techs at Lennoxtown will have no realistic experience of how best to spend the valuable weeks handed to them.
Getting it right could extend the careers of the likes of Callum McGregor. It will also make the type of football Ange Postecoglou wants to play more achievable.
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CHAIRBHOY on 9TH MAY 2022 4:21 PM
CELTIC40ME @ 3:59 PM,
Well surely this is the whole point, they didn’t have the money to strengthen the squad or to offer lucrative contracts to their current players.
They had no money.
Why were they paying their players with – more than our over the last two seasons?
Why do you think they had no money for transfers? Because they kept hold of all their sellable players while every year we sold ours.
He’s done half a job as director of football, spending money that he hasn’t had to generate himself. The hard work starts now, although through no planning it’s become much easier.
Meanwhile we’ve funded all our transfer activity ourselves. We did the unpopular thing and built up a cash reserve that saw us through the pandemic abd had us at the start of this season with a decent pot for signings.
Saint Stivs…”but they didnt try a leg.”
That’s just not true.
I watched a bit of the First half and thought they did quite well, just nae luck.
Ange has won more domestic Trophies in Scotland than the last 8 rangers* managers combined.😳🍀
9TH MAY 2022 5:00 PM
Ange has won more domestic Trophies in Scotland than the last 8 rangers* managers combined.😳🍀
—————-
Brilliant big man.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣👏👏
JHB on 9TH MAY 2022 4:47 PM
Could it be that the Ibrox wage-bill….and turnover to June 22, will be in touching distance of ours for the first time in many years? Will be interesting when the -‘dust settles’ – nb. I am aware that the Ajer, Edouard & Christie fees will probably tip the balance in our favour.
That’s a pretty basic lack of understanding of revenue and income
Profit from assett disposal isn’t included in turnover.
I have a feeling that Jans petter Hauge who scored for Milan in both games against us in 2020 might cause them huge problems
!!BADA BING!! on 9TH MAY 2022 3:08 PM
Starmer to resign, if he gets a fixed penalty notice.
=========================
Has he said that?
Bit daft if he has – Johnston shouldn’t resign because he got a fixed penalty notice – he should resign because he lied to parliament continually about it. Two entirely different matters.
Leaving your fate to the vagaries – and honesty and/or ability to stand up to political pressure – of the Police service is a bit naive.
From what I’ve read (and admittedly, it is not at the top of my list of interests) the Durham Police have already bent to political pressure by re-opening this investigation (and possibly before that by not investigating Cummins).
Who’s to say they won’t bend again under pressure / promises of reward / ill-will / whatever? Quite a lot of leeway rests with the Police in issuing fixed penalty notices, as I’m sure many of us will have experienced in the past.
Not smart.
HH
BGFC
INIQUITOUSIV 3.16pm 3.18pm
Cheers … am living in hope with Frankfurt & Hertz, hoping Frankfurt turn in another Spanish performance like in Barcelona and think the Huns have only won one game from around 10 away from home in Europe but anything can happen in a final ..
Main thing Tannadice to cement Ange’s first double
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-61379507
CELTIC40ME @ 5:09
——
New sentence: “tip the balance on our favour”, as in end of year figures. Point-scoring & nit-picking – never a consideration of context – stick in a ‘dig’ to finish-off -you excel.
“emphasis”
love the award to Eddie Howe in the other article paul67.
Anybody else convinced the hun will be allowed to win their games by 11 goals each and we’ll be beaten?
paranoiacsc
I like Eilidh Barbour – good presenter. Perth Super-J’s fan.
We really do need to pull ourselves out of the 1690’s.
HH
BGFC
CELTIC40ME @ 5:09
——
New sentence: “tip the balance on our favour”, as in end of year figures. Point-scoring & nit-picking – never a consideration of context – stick in a ‘dig’ to finish-off -you excel.
In the words of Charlie Mulgrew: “you just made that up”
How much would you say the balance will be tipped in our favour – how big do you think the differences will be from profits from asset disposal?
Sevco fans were less than impressed with the Daily Record coverage in the run up to Seville in 2003, not that I bought the paper then, they’ve been making it up to them ever since.
Had the misfortune to hear Roddy Forsyth on 5Live giving an update after their third goal against Leipzig. He managed to mention it was their 150th anniversary, he didn’t need to say it , but chucked it in because he can. Another place man , their bloody everywhere.
Their- they’re
It is not often I agree with the Huns but I think it is time for a Bhoycot of all things Dundee United!
Anyone heard of the Liverpool fc conspiracy??
Using Salbutamol (spelling) or some other lung enhancing drug that’s banned in cycling.
I am sure Iread something a while ago on this. It’s doing its rounds again on social media.
Think it was a doctor who was taken to court in Germany.
Anyway it would not surprise me if Zombie fc are using it courtesy of Slippy G
Conspiracycsc
D :)
JHB
I remember having almost the exact same conversation with team JHB about a year ago. About the time of the100m champions league shot in the arm
And the Huns going into this season debt free
She wouldn’t walk of while Sky Sports was showing a live football match,she would lose her cushy well paid job at Hun infested Sky Sports,
Yawn.
Looks like Larry David’s repetitious, unwavering fawning over Old Firm FC’s Director of Football has gained some traction.
They’ve been in existence for a decade.
They’ve lost money EVERY single year they’ve been in business.
Businesses lose money by spending more than they bring in.
The majority of any football club’s spend is on players.
With all due respect? Connect the dots.
ST Tams I think if you went up to Tannadice on Wednesday there is always a few spare ,if you go up early try there store sometimes there ok with away tickets or put a Dundee accent on for a home ticket ya Ken☘️☘️🧤
CELTIC40ME @ 5.44 & 5:58
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5:44 – In the words of Kate Mulgrew ” assumption is the road to failure”
5:58 – £100m? – well 2×£40 CL money over two seasons would not have been a ‘kick in the ar** of it”, with the prospect of the EL then ‘kicking-in’ after CL groups – but of course Malmo & then Celtic put paid to that.
However……you might want to have a ‘ramble’ on Sentinel Celts – a forward case there being made by some for a £90m(nearly a £100m) windfall should Rangers win the EL…..something to sink your insisors into?
cmon Larry David is funny
JHB on 9TH MAY 2022 6:11 PM
I’ll stick to Swiss Ramble, thanks.
He’s got them at around 22.5m for next season in the champions league. Quite a considerable kick in the arse from £50m. Less than half a cheek if you do the maths
BACK TO BASICS – GLASS HALF FULL on 9TH MAY 2022 6:08 PM
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No “fawning” – just a recognition that if putting players on the pitch to achieve success is his remit, he appears to be good at it……Ange is good at it too.
The last ten years matter little now – we look forward!!!
Saint Stivs from earlier.
One of Bill Copeland’s bios advises, at school, “he learned the three R’s ….. Rangers and Rangers Reserves”
CELTIC40ME @ 6:16
——
So be it – glad you are getting to the bottom of things – I’ll “turn the other” after that admonishment! HH
CELTIC40ME @ 4:48 PM,
Well, I’m not at all sure where you are coming from here.
Yes, Ross Wilson could not sell the likes of Morelos for 20 million pounds, I wonder why!?
He did notoriously sell Nathan Patterson for 16 million pounds, of course part of that 16 million is dependent on him actually getting game time.
We on the other hand had a 120 million pound squad, 40 million in the bank. We sold our best players, bombed in Europe, lost the ten in a row and ended 2020/21 with a squad half the value and half the money in the bank.
It was a car crash – Dominic MacKay came in, Ange came in, in a short time had turned things around – Ange had a great January window, we’ve gone from strength to strength, we’ve done a double this season and will be in great shape next season.
The Rangers getting to a Europa Cup Final is certainly a curiosity and could have been a wake up call but the fact remains we’ve already had the wake up call and have reacted superbly.
Let’s look forward to finalising the league, celebrating the double.
Happy Days
Hail Hail
BGFC- it’s actually a smart move,Dominic Cummings didnt get one,as Durham polis said they didn’t do retrospective fines ….
D
Think we can get some of that for the ‘our’ board ?.
Mgt & others 😂😂😂😂😂
CHAIRBHOY on 9TH MAY 2022 6:24 PM
You keep on veering off topic.
It’s like them having no money to spend on transfer fees is not their fault, while us having money to spend, in the middle of a pandemic is a failing
We had money because we bought and sold players wisely, as part of a strategy over a long period.
They didn’t because they didn’t. They had no contingency in place for something like the pandemic. It’s cost them the league.
Where do you think all the money for the rebuild in the summer came from?
JHB on 9TH MAY 2022 6:20 PM
CELTIC40ME @ 6:16
——
So be it – glad you are getting to the bottom of things – I’ll “turn the other” after that admonishment! HH
Happy to help.
Story after story on clyde about the rangers giving supporters “free tickets”
CHAIRBHOY @ 6:24
“but the fact remains we’ve already had the wake up call and have reacted superbly.”
——
You make good points. On the above you’re right – we have had a (domestic) wake-up call after last season’s debacle. Ange has come in, answered it and delivered success. The Ibrox progression in Europe together with the Bodo lesson prompts another…..enter a ‘wakened-up’ Mark Lawwell. I’m hope Ange & he will answer that call….they have to!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-61386223
You won’t get me, I’m part of the Union