Could someone remind me the last time we heard rumours that Ronny Deila had players rebelling against him? I heard it often, and put it to the club, but was told the players had bought-into the changes, then underway and largely unproductive. I think we got our answer after the full-time whistle yesterday. This is a group of players and manager with a common purpose.
Celtic are now top of the league, a point away from qualifying from the Europa League knock-out stages, and are beginning to look like a team, but the results are largely secondary to the transformation. Even if Virgil’s 90th minute winner hadn’t arrived at Pittodrie, progress is evident. The fragility and lack of cohesion which marked so many of our performances until early last month has gone.
Success has many fathers so it’s difficult to know exactly what’s behind the improvement. Scott Brown’s return from injury helped enormously, as did the return of Mikael Lustig and Adam Matthews (although I thought Adam had a torrid time with Niall McGinn yesterday).
The blossoming of Stefan Johansen has to be the most striking element. He has without doubt been the most improved player this season and an early contender for end of season awards. By any measure, he had no right to score his goal yesterday.
The return of James Forrest, who yesterday played his fourth game in eight months, will give the squad an extra boost before the final two Europa League group games. If he has fully recuperated from the problems which blighted him throughout this year, he’ll give fresh impetus to the pacey product Ronny is trying to hone.
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sandman
13:45 on 10 November, 2014
lawwellsacountant
13:23 on 10 November, 2014
Exactly….
shieldmuir celtic
15:46 on 10 November, 2014
Hear, hear …and,….Hail Hail
Sammy Wilson RIP.
James Forrest
13:27 on 10 November, 2014
. . . well said.
Geordie Munro
15:45 on
10 November, 2014
Turkeybhoy,
I agree we shouldn’t be feart of them buy they are a good side and Altach aren’t exactly lowly.
Geordie,have you ever heard of them?.Comparing them with Salzburg and the other well known Austrian teams,is like comparing us with Thistle.Their average gate is 7,000.In saying that,Salzburgs is not much more.Not a league to afraid of.Aberdeen,Unt,would give any of them a game.I am really confident.
Ernie Lynch –
Just seen your ridiculous post asking me why I didn’t go to the cenotaph in Aberdeen. Why would I? I was in Aberdeen to see Celtic. I have never attended a cenotaph in my life. I haven’t worn a poppy for decades and never will.
I had no interest in a one minute silence, but its taking place was none of my doing.
I’d rather we kept it away from the football but again, what was I supposed to do but keep quiet and let it go?
So I criticised those who protested. How does that equate to me going to a cenotaph? It doesn’t interest me and never has.
Livibhoy 11:38
Top post this morning.
Rip your friend
HH
Sammy Wilson died at the week-end.
For an East Belfast Republican that post sure caught my interest.
RIP Sammy Wilson (Celt)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/29989571
I see McInnes has changed his tune on the offence committed by Shay Logan.
LB
When is the Easter Lily debate starting?
Shieldmuir Celtic
Sammy Wilson RIP.
Is that the same SW who scored the only goal for the Berwick Club against the Liquidated Club with the same name in 1967?
mullet and co 2
14:35 on 10 November, 2014
An excellent measured response to TT’s critique. Well done!
TT is entitled to his opinion and to his credit it was articulate and thought out, unlike some of the other posts with the vitriolic messages of Delia out which appeared on a regular basis after the man was only in post for 2 months!
Shieldmuir Celtic
15:46 on 10 November, 2014
Sammy Wilson died at the week-end. Some of the younger guys on here may never have heard of him. He scored the opening goal in one of our greatest victories – 7-1 in a League Cup Final against another Glasgow team – from a great cross by Neilly Mochan, a headed knock down by Billy McPhail and a first-time volley by Sammy. He was a much under-rated player. May he rest in peace!
I remember Sammy, didn’t see the 7-1 game as my dad said I was too wee to go. May God rest his soul…….
At the weekend I happened to notice that one of the female contestants was wearing a poppy whilst dressed in a leotard thingy during a practice session in a gym .
Come on .No one is going to tell me that the BBC is not FORCING people to wear them.
Get on message or leave the stage!
Turkeybhoy
at 15.46
Good Subject ..pal..
Me? Ah am Supremely CONFIDENT that …if the Crick Don’ Rize..or.. should the Hens no Quit .. Layin’…
Then..
Guidetti, wull become a Permanent Celtic Player..
Reason fur Ma Expressed Sanguinity in This?
Ah’ll gie ye wan..
As soon as Ah find oot..
Whit the Hell..
“Sanguinity”.. Means~
In any case..
Pit me doon fur bein’ Supremely Confident that..
Johnny Gee ,,wull stey with We.. Permanentleeeeeee.
Noo Ye know.
Kojo
Still.. Laughin’
“Geordie,have you ever heard of them?”
Turkeybhoy,
My ignorance has no bearing on the game.
I simply feel that they are no mugs. They are no bayern either mindya.
Praecepta
No. That was another Shieldmuir man called Sammy Reid. Sammy Wlson was a Viewpark man like Jimmy Johnstone and John Robertson and ,as I have suggested, a fine Celtic player.
Am I the only one that feels like spewin every time I see that wee runt mc murdo’s face??
jude2005 No HH Hebcelt
Tom McLaughlin
15:51 on 10 November, 2014
It helps to put into context, and gain a proper perspective on, your criticism of those who do care enough about the issue to stage some kind of protest.
weeman67,
Didn’t Sammy Wilson score our goal when St Mirren beat us in the semi final about 1960? It was my one and only visit to the old South Stand at Hampden.
BTW that was on Strictly (a subconscious reluctance to admit watching such sh?t even by accident:-) )
Strange Bedfellows
It shows how far the poppy has been hijacked from what should be a day of Remembrance to a commercialised Celebration of war even the worlds largest manufacturer of arms Lockheed Martin the makers of the drones, cruise missiles Trident etc were unbelievingly and this is no joke the Sponsors of the PoppyBall. I find this act more repugnant & offensive than a few drunken shouts at a minutes silence at a football match.You wont t hear about this in the daily rags though http://rt.com/uk/203311-uk-royal-legion-lockheed/ plus
http://www.redpepper.org.uk/the-arms-trade-must-be-kept-out-of-remembrance-day/
Mulgrew.. or.. “Darlin’ Charlie”..as Ah very often refer tae Him oan these Pages..
Is..
NO A MID FIELDER..
Ah wull Repeat that.. fur the Benefit of Ronny.
“Charlies No a Mid Fielder.”
Charley, is a Whole Hearted Celtic Man.
n..
‘
That aboot Says it awe..
Charlie, wid Run Thru a Minefield.. fur Celtic..
Wid You?
No Me.. But.. Mebbe You.. who kin tell?
Anyway..
That Desription of Mine ,concerning, Charlie.. is a Trew Wan..’
Howevahhhhh..
Is the Fact that He wid Run thru that Field fur Celtic ..
A Sufficient Reaso tae Include him ..in oor Mid Field?
Unfortunately.. it is Not..
There is a Place fur Darlin’ Charlie. Somewhere. In oor Team Sheet..
But..
Ah am afraid that Ah canny Help ye oot .. there.
Ah wull Need tae Think aboot it… some mair.
Kojo
Still, Laughin’
Sammy Wilson was someone I watched as a young lad. Though I was very young I still have an image of him as a great provider of crosses onto to our front man’s head. I missed the 7-1 game as I was in England then and I actually thought the person who conveyed the result to me was having me on.
Rest in peace, Sammy. You will always be remembered with your other team mates for that famous victory.
let’s move on from the poppy debate, it’s about time the SFA, SPFL and the MSM started to ask real football questions about the team playing out of Ibrox, so far this season, yes this season they have had 1 undersubscribed share issue and 1 emergency loan and we are still in November, by all accounts, another emergency loan will be required for the December payroll, yet they are allowed to continue to play in the championship, the football authorities and the media should be asking serious questions, should I hold my breathe.
Sammy Wilson RIP .
7- 1 was my first game v that lot.
I saw Sammy Wilson playing for Millwall in an away FA Cup tie v Bath City. Bath City won/ Sammy Wilson was sent off.
Shieldmuir Celtic
Many thanks. Sometimes difficult remembering all these old Bhoys – me being one myself!
Gearoid 1998
Thank you.
HH
The poppy debate goes to extra time……
Even with the assistance of the giant microscope – it is impossible to tell for certain if it was a corner or a goal kick. However it looked like a corner to me.
Over 8 minutes of highlights, and that was the only incident from the game that was deemed necessary to provide the giant microphone to be brought into play.
Strange.
They are suffering alright.
HH.
Sammy Wilson RIP.
HH!!
Zico-any update?
ernie lynch
16:13 on 10 November, 2014
Shouldn’t be doing it while at Celtic game. Makes the club look bad if they feel that strong about it go to a memorial service and do it. Would highlight there point more.
macanbheatha Oscar Abú 16:04 on 10 November, 2014
…No one is going to tell me that the BBC is not FORCING people to wear them.
——
BBC say that they ask people if they want to wear them – my arse. Saw a clip on this morning’s breakfast show and they had pinned a poppy to a mannequin of a nurse – ffs. And when shows are recorded weeks ago which they will broadcast during poppy time the participants all have poppies – even rough old farmers
Phil…
I nearly mentioned Slim Jim but by God I’d gone on long enough lol.
From today’s Telegraph. Had me going for a wee minute: thought it was bleedin’ predictive text. Jelly and Ice Cream back in cupboard fridge.
——————————————————————————————————-
More than half a billion pounds was wiped off the market value of Serco this morning after the support services group announced its fourth profit warning of the year and said it would launch a rights issue.
Shares in the outsourcer plunged more than 30pc to 220p as investors took flight following the latest update from the embattled FTSE 250 company.
Serco – which was last year caught up in a tagging scandal where it charged the government for monitoring criminals who were back in prison, had left the country or were even dead – said it was cutting its forecast for adjusted operating profit for this year by £20m to between £130m and 140m. It also warned that it was downgrading its outlook for 2015.
A review of the group’s contracts and balance sheets has also revealed impairments and further provisions are likely to total about £1.5bn, about half of which is related to goodwill and intangible assets.
The impact of these contract provisions are likely to affect Serco’s banking covenants and the company said it would be starting negotiations with its lenders to counter this.
Serco also said it was planning to sell businesses not core to its future strategy, including the majority of its private-sector business processing operations.
The company also said it was planning an equity rights issue of up to £550m in the first quarter of 2015 as it attempts to strengthen its balance sheet.
In May Serco raised £160m with a placing of 49.9m new shares at 320p, having days earlier issued its third profits warning of the year that predicted operating profits of £170m, down from the £220m to £250m it had forecast seven weeks before when it published its annual results.
What Serco called a series of “self-help” measures to get net debt to 1-2 times earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation over the medium term will also be introduced. One of the first parts of this is not paying a final dividend, and controls on day to day working capital will also be strenghtened.
Rupert Soames, chief executive officer and the grandson of Winston Churchill, said: “The rapid progress we have made in recent weeks on the strategy and the contract and balance sheet reviews has brought us to the point that we are able to provide an initial estimate of the impairments, write-downs and onerous contract provisions that are likely to be required at year end.
“Whilst it is a bitter pill, it is better for all concerned that we swallow it now and establish a really solid foundation on which to build Serco’s future.”
As the shares crashed to their lowest level in a decade, analysts slashed their target price for the shares but did praise some of the news.
Cutting its target for the shares by 90p to 210p, Liberum called the writedowns “massive” but said Mr Soames, who was announced as the new chief executive in February, “quickly and decisively to get the business back on track”.
———————————————————————————————–
Sammy Wilson R.I.P. – unsung goal-scoring hero. Sammy scored 46 goals in 68 appearances for Celtic. In terms of goals per game, in my reckoning that puts him No. 5 in our post war goal scorers. If you take Jorge Cadette (No 1) and Robbie Keane (No 3) our of the picture due to their relatively small number of appearances, Sammy compares favourable with Joe McBride (No 2: 88 goals in 97 appearances) and Henrik (No 4: 242 goals in 315 appearances). Of course K o K is IMHO our greatest post-war goal scorer.