Rogic, defending, Derk, Ability Counts

522

Whatever maligned Celtic during the recent dark days when they dropped points to Hamilton and Dundee has cleared up. Hearts made the very best of a chance in the opening minutes on Saturday but the response was swift and conclusive.

Patrick Roberts deservedly picked up the accolades for his goals but the contribution of Tom Rogic should not go unrecorded. In creating the second goal he demonstrated ball-winning skills and creativity, a priceless package for a midfield player. Let’s hope he’s over his head knock for tomorrow night.

Mention should also go to Stefan Johansen, who played the deep-lying midfield role until Rogic went off, when he moved into the advanced position. His blind flick onto Roberts at the third goal was sublime.

The most pertinent comment I heard on Saturday was “It’s good to have the goalkeeper making saves again”. Craig Gordon appears to have his confidence back, perhaps as a consequence of the defence performing better.

For most of the second half Celtic defended more deeply than we’ve seen throughout the league campaign. With a two goal advantage, Griffiths and Johansen were asked to run into space, while the rest of the midfield became compact. As a consequence, Hearts had plenty of the ball, and created a few half chances, but they never carved Celtic open.

Had we been that compact during the European qualifiers our season could have been different.

There’s a process I go through when we sign a new foreign player: do I add his name to the spellcheck or not? I decided long ago I wasn’t prepared to pollute my dictionary with the names of transient players. Derk Boerrigter’s name still appears with wavy lines below in my word processor three years after his arrival.

His name will go down in Celtic annuls alongside Rafael Scheidt. We spent millions on them, they both went down with innocuous injury moments after starting for Celtic and that was pretty much that. In his opening 30 minutes for Celtic, Derk produced evidence that there was a football player hiding inside his psyche, but he soon found the rigors of the professional game too challenging.

He leaves Scotland with millions in his bank account and with a lot of frustrated people at Lennoxtown.

Did you read during the week that the Association of Irish Celtic Supporters’ Clubs raised €500 for the Foundation’s Ability Counts Ireland Project? The Ability Counts Project offers children with Downs opportunities to develop motor skills and team-working through football and dance. This is one small frontline of all the fundraising, badges, buckets, zip wires and dinners Celtic fans participate in.

It’s an important part of the relationship thousands of us have as Celtic supporters.

Consider getting involved. The Foundation is holding a H.E.L.P. Pilgrimage on Bank Holiday Monday, 30 May. Participants will walk the 17 miles between St Mary’s, Calton, Barrowfield, the Jimmy Johnstone statue and gardens at Viewpark and back to Celtic Park.

A 17 mile walk is no small feat, but most feet are capable of it, so get involved here.

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  1. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    Can we be ten points clear by Saturday afternoon?

     

     

    Wee treble on it,might be worth it.

  2. “He leaves Scotland with millions in his bank account and with a lot of frustrated people at Lennoxtown”.

     

     

    You could write a book on modern football based upon that single sentence!

  3. I’ve always said we’d win the league at a canter when we get a settled back line post Christmas.

     

     

    Too many games/injuries early season, and that will happen every season with Europe to pre-qualify for.

     

     

    Our support needs to recognise and accept this will be the norm.

     

     

    Keep on Clumping matey.

  4. thomthethim for Oscar OK on

    Johnny Hubbard?

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Now there was a man who knew how to take a penalty. Had plenty of practice, too

  5. Thought Brown was better in the second half than he has been for a while,the Griff was trying too hard to get a goal and had the chance to set up a team mate on a few occasions but chose to shoot.Tierney was excellent again and enjoyed the young loanee with the good name.

     

     

    Two more victories before the split and I think we are there.

     

     

    Was in the Kerrydale pre match it was mobbed,seems a little of the feel good factor is creeping back in.

     

    Great to see.

     

     

    I eventually did buy a ticket for the cup tie against my better judgement but the boy was nipping my head and I passed it on to him.

  6. I said before and will again,we have a player in Boyatta.Give the boy time instead of howling at any bad pass.Seems to be a Celtic thing.Great mention by some yesterday thay moving Eric into the holding role would be a possible change.He has the attributes.He is a warrior.Could be a bit like Wanyama,who if I remember was bought to be a CH.

     

    On to Dundee,cant wait to see the Hoops run out again.Another game under Broonys belt.Lets see if his game is upped further.

  7. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    PAUL67

     

     

    I wish we could annul Derk and Rafael.

     

     

    It would be nice also-as has been suggested often enough on here-that the useless (insert word of choice) who recommends players like,aw ffs,too many to mention,was named,shamed and booted out the door.

     

     

    Signings like these cause many problems. Other players get angry at the wage packet being picked up for bunce. Fans get angry at rubbish being presented as world-beaters.

     

     

    And managers must surely get mightily miffed at having to even look at them,much less shoulder the blame for having been “responsible” for their signing.

     

     

    Derk will probably end up getting paid a fortune in China. I hope he’s on a slow boat,wouldnae like him to be jet-lagged for the next three years.

  8. Jeremy Corbyn has been booked for Glastonbury 2016 14:02

     

     

     

    FFS,I thought I was pushing it last week making a comeback.

  9. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    TURKEYBHOY

     

     

    Davie Hay?

     

     

    There’s a fella who can spot a player. Another reason to dislike Jock Brown.

  10. TheOriginalSadiesBhoy on

    From last blog:

     

     

    TallyBhoy

     

     

     

    I think I’m getting confused with Cudicini (?) who played in that game and whose son played in goal for Chelsea a few years back. Thanks for putting me right:-))

     

     

     

    An Tearman

     

     

     

    Piero Prati’s goal is indelibly imprinted in my mind. A throw in from Jim Craig to Big Billy from the right of our box and Billy taking a fresh air swipe. Prati was on it in a flash and buried the ball. The guy who ran the game was Hianni Rivera. He was simply outstanding and we couldn’t get near him. I can remember Karl- Heinz Schnellinger and Kurt Hamrin and their goalie Cudicini as I’ve said above. I had a spare ticket for the game and I was offered £20 for it, a fortune at that time for an 18 year old. I sold it for face value which I think was 18/-. I believe spare tickets were changing hands for £100.

     

     

     

    I was really deflated by that result.

     

    THEORIGINALSADIESBHOY on 4TH APRIL 2016 12:25 PM

     

    Hianni????? = Gianni of course.

  11. The Green Man says SACK THE Board on

    Afternoon Celts

     

     

    Derk…total imposter..whoever signed him, knows nothing about football.

     

    Oxford….thats a good yin.

     

    Erik S…cracking player.

     

    Paddy Roberts…Cmon Paddy…Hat-Trick against Sevco…run them cheats ragged wee man.

     

    Tommy Rogic…Better get that Bhoy signed up…Pronto.

     

    Tommy Boyd…I salute you Tommy.

     

     

    KevJ

     

     

    Hail Hail Fellow Hun-fighter

     

    Keep that Rebel flag flying high.

     

    The Celtic Revolution is at hand.

     

    UTLR

  12. South Of Tunis on

    TALLYBHOY _previous thread.

     

     

    Sto bene -tutto a posto . grazie .

     

     

    Been on holiday -Beirut and the Bekaa valley. Sunny -low 20s .

     

     

    Went to a tea shop in Baalbek to watch El Classico . Packed .. Druze chaps and Hezbollah . Kalashnikovs deposited behind the bar ..Thick with hash smoke . Druze chaps were pro Barca / Hezbollah lot were pro Real .An experience !. Fly to Istanbul tomorrow , stay the night , fly to Rome on Wednesday and then fly home on Thursday..

     

     

    Auguri !

  13. “Whatever maligned Celtic during the recent dark days when they dropped points to Hamilton and Dundee has cleared up. Hearts made the very best of a chance in the opening minutes on Saturday but the response was swift and conclusive.”

     

     

    One thing that caught my eye about Saturday’s game was the possession stats. Hearts apparently had most of it. At Celtic Park. This is a reversal of the usual situation where Celtic have great possession but seem unable to break down dogged defences. When I’m watching those kinds of games I often think “Just give them the ball” – my logic being that the opposition will need to do something with it, commit themselves and made the kind of mistake that allows us to capitalise.

     

     

    Am I wrong?

  14. TTT

     

     

    I remembered Zoff but was sure it was someone else – so looked it up! :-)

     

     

    Enrico Albertosi Cagliari (Zoff in squad).

     

     

    H!H!

  15. The Green Man says SACK THE Board on

    SOT

     

     

    Ha..you certainly get about:)

     

    You must have some yarns stocked up.

     

    I hope you are writing about it.

     

    And if you are…I want to read it.

     

    HH

  16. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    THEORIGINALSADIESBHOY

     

     

    Similar wi tickets for Real Madrid in 1980.

     

     

    Story was two tickets available per person as you paid admission for a game prior to it-Dundee,IIRC.

     

     

    Fella asked me how many I wanted,I asked how many I could get,and settled on a dozen.

     

     

    £24 was a lot of money for a 16yo. Never made a penny.

     

     

    I think I knew then I was doomed to penury.

  17. TheOriginalSadiesBhoy on 4th April 2016 12:28 pm

     

     

    I was near the old Programme sellers hut wi ma Faither waiting on my uncle Robert who had our tickets. We were offered £50 for the two tickets we were waiting on.

     

    I could see my auld man wilting, that was a fortnights wages. When he said naw, I could have burst.

  18. NL was manager when Boerigter was signed dont know who scouted him or how he passed a medical the guy was a total parasite

  19. MARRAKECH EXPRESS

     

     

    From last thread:

     

     

    Albertosi(GK), Cera and Riva all of Cagliari.

     

     

    HH!!

  20. S o T

     

     

    Enjoy the rest of your holiday, and safe journey back to Sicilia.

     

     

    HH!!

  21. Just imagine if we’d signed Davie Weir when big Raphael was with us, we’d have a half back line, Weir, Tebbily Scheidt. Now that would have been good,eh

     

     

     

    KINGLuBO

  22. Eyes Wide Open on

    I think the praise for Celtic on Saturday was when Hearts were clearly trying to put it up to us, we put it back to them – we showed some balls and wouldnt allow ourselves to be bullied.

     

     

    I don’t think we were particularly compact – a better team would have scored 4 or more against us. At times you could have driven a bus through the middle of our midfield and defence.

     

     

    Sveachenko and Boyata were too far apart and Scott Brown had one of his worst (his body language and slow reaction times were actually reminiscent of a hung over person) games in a long time.

     

     

    They ran through us 3-4 times in the 1st half and the horrible Juanma put a free header straight to Gordon in the 2nd.

  23. eddieinkirkmichael on

    jc2 there a couple of Celtic bars in Marmaris, one is called the Hoops Bar, any taxi driver will be able to take you. Most locals will also be able to direct you as they have been established for a few years.

  24. South Of Tunis on

    Marrakesh Express – previous thread .

     

     

    That would be the 3 who played for Cagliari but – my addled ole bonce thinks 1 of the subs was a Napoli player -I will need to check

  25. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    KINGLUBO

     

     

    Wi Ron Seal making up the four?

     

     

    Does what it says on the tin…

     

     

    Tebily was responsible for the first heated argument my kid sis and I had at a Celtic game.

     

     

    Away V Kilmarnock,she was back from London for a visit.

     

     

    Tebily did his usual,I uttered my frustration and annoyance.

     

     

    She gave me both barrels,you don’t badmouth our players,you taught me that!

     

     

    Suitably chastised,I shut up.

     

     

    Ten minutes later,kid sis launched into one,same player.

     

     

    Moral-there’s only so much you can take. Not sure that is a moral but I know it’s true(!)

  26. S o T @1255

     

     

    You are correct.

     

     

    Juliano of Napoli was one of the subs.

     

     

    HH!!

  27. Gerryfaethebrig on

    Kinglubo

     

     

    We were also after Roger (?) Fanni a centre half when Balde was playing so it could have been Bobo & Roger at the back

     

     

    Tom Rogics pass for the 2nd goal was excellent (just watching the highlights)

     

     

    Stef Jo’s touch for the third also excellent, I think I watched a different game on Saturday, or maybe just more relaxed after the event

  28. BMCUW

     

     

    Kilmarnock v Celtic games at Rugby Park.

     

     

    Mrs Tally has only ever attended two matches with me, both at that venue in the early 90s.

     

     

    After the second game she vowed that she would NEVER EVER accompany me to another match because of my behaviour.

     

     

    I had a perfectly valid reason ‘tho, if you think back. We were utter mince and were relying on players like Wayne Biggins to lead the line.

     

     

    She’s never been back.

     

     

    She doesn’t like fitba anyway.

     

     

    HH!!

  29. TheOriginalSadiesbhoy

     

     

    Thanks for your superb recall.it made an indelible mark on this at the time 7 year old.gret myself to sleep, same with feyenoord and inter defeats.still dont take kindly to defeat :-)

     

     

    BadaBing

     

     

    Re john park

     

    Coming round to that way of thinking, we just cant afford all these boerrigter/balde errors, and am sure there is more.

     

     

    Jimmynotpaul

     

     

    Spoke to our mutual acquaintance yesterday.genuunely worried bout the knee injuries and the future.:-(

     

     

    Hail hail to one and all

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