There is something curious about the England national team. While pretty much every other country around England’s calibre select players, on merit, from clubs large and small, for decades England appear caught emperor role, seldom selecting players outside a top clutch of clubs.
This made Southampton striker Rickie Lambert’s recent selection memorable, despite the fact that his club sit comfortably above several of England’s heavyweights, significantly as a consequence of Lambert’s play.
Fraser Forster has been the best goalkeeper in Britain for a year, but he is English, and he plays domestic football for the Scottish champions, so despite his Champions League credentials, England Roy Hodgson has not capped him.
With the incumbent “England’s number 1” producing ample material to have most national team managers hide their eyes, no matter what Hodgson thinks of his preferred keeper, today’s news coverage suggests he has been boxed into a corner. If he plays Joe Hart in Brazil, and the keeper performs to his current level, Hodgson will carry the can for being the last man in England to see the obvious. England managers have a long record of having to deal with strong media sentiment coming to bear on their selections.
I’d like to see Fraser get the recognition he deserves. It would also be good for Celtic to be able to offer not only Champions League football, but also the chance to gain international recognition, at an ever-higher level. Holding onto him is another story, but all of those who were so upset when we passed on Stipe Pletikosa to take Newcastle’s third choice will not be too upset at that.
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Tom McLaughlin @ 00:51
Have you figured out who my friend in the photo is yet?
!!Bada Bing!! 17:32 on 29 October, 2013
“Type in rangers fc to google maps”
-;)
Tom McG, I was going to head to bed but instead I’m raising a toast to your good news. An excellent end to your long period of worry and that of your loved ones.
Live life like a diamond ring.
Hail Hail to you and slangevar (with a generous Glen Burgie 64).
Celtic
ACGR @ 00.46
Re Big Nan’s petition….
Aye, Ah thought I would add a wee bit support for his efforts with my wee reminder – realising that there was a 12 o’clock deadline – but forgetting that I am indeed 4 hours behind BST…..hic!
Well done Big Nan
Teuchter ár lá
Tom McLaughlin
02:16 on
30 October, 2013
That`s great news,Tom.
Morrissey
Good to see you got the suit out of the pawn for your photo with Petesy.
Respect :O)
CGT
Good news Tom,pleased for you . hh
ANTHONY STOKES set his sights on hitting the 100-goal mark for Celtic after penning a new three-year Hoops deal.
The Irish striker last night secured his Parkhead future after becoming boss Neil Lennon’s first-choice frontman in the Champions League this season and regaining his Republic of Ireland place.
Now Stokes, 25, wants to take his Celtic goals tally past the century mark.
He said: “As a striker you want to be getting over 20 goals a season and that’s always the aim.
“I didn’t realise this season that I’d scored my 50th goal, then I thought ‘that’s me halfway there’.
“It’s something else to aim for. I’ve a long way to go to reach 100, we’ll just take it game by game and see how it goes.
“But I’m buzzing at signing the deal.”
Stokes, who agreed to stay until the summer of 2016, was an £800,000 signing from Hibs in 2010.
He has won back-to-back titles and starred in the Scottish Cup Final win over his old club last May.
Talks He added: “I am absolutely delighted and I’m just looking forward to the next few seasons.
“It’s been great to be involved in Europe too after being injured last season.”
Lennon will now try to tie down Mikael Lustig, Georgios Samaras and Joe Ledley on new deals.
The Hoops boss said: “We have opened talks with Georgios’ agent and we have also had a very good chat with Joe’s representatives. Mikael is another we’ve started to talk to about a new deal.
“So far all the signs are good from all of them.”
It is understood Scott Brown’s appeal against his UEFA ban will be heard on Friday.
The Celts skipper was handed an extra two-game suspension for kicking out at Barcelona’s Neymar.
But Amido Balde has vowed to grow up by leaving Ajax bawling their eyes out.
Celtic’s Portuguese striker insists there was never any chance he’d spit the dummy at being told he’s still got plenty to learn.
The frontman was never expecting to be spoon-fed after boss Lenny splashed £2million to bring him to Parkhead.
But after netting Sunday’s winner against Partick, the 22-year-old feels ready to be the man in next week’s Champions League crunch clash in Amsterdam.
Balde said: “I know I will have to grow up quickly here but I am positive the manager knows me well and is aware of any difficulties I might have.
“I’m sure I will grow quickly and I’m not going to let the manager down.
“I know Celtic is a huge club. You can see that from how we play in the Champions League.
“I was on the bench for the Barcelona and Ajax games and it gave me a taste for the Champions League.
“I was paying a lot of attention in those matches because — if you are given the chance to come on — you have to fit into the game immediately. To do that you have to be very focused on the bench.
“Am I ready for Ajax? Yes, I could play. I never doubt myself — that’s why I am here working every single day.
“I am not one of those players who is going to give up easily.
“I am motivated here — I want to play against Barcelona, I want to play against Ajax next week.”
Balde has struggled to find his feet since his summer switch from Vitoria Guimaraes but now has two goals to his name.
Fellow new boy Teemu Pukki has still to get off the mark in the Champions League after his £3million move from Schalke.
With Anthony Stokes yet to score in Europe this season, and Kris Commons facing a race against time to make the clash in the Dutch capital, Lennon is looking for heroes.
Balde — who celebrated his winner against the Jags with a statuesque stare into a TV camera — said: “I know myself well and I know it wasn’t easy for me at first having to adapt to coming here.
“I know Celtic want a forward who will score goals but I am calm and I am prepared to take my time because I know the goals will come.
“It’s all about learning little by little at this stage. My goal was very important for myself and for the club but I am still new here and I am still eager to learn and to work.
“I am always learning from watching Anthony Stokes and Georgios Samaras.
“Even when I am sitting on the bench I am watching them and taking note of their movement and how they play the game.
The first line of the above story is;
NEIL LENNON might think he’s still a big baby.
tom mclaughlin
02:16 on 30 October, 2013
Glad to here your good news.HH
Morning Fholks
Jobo will be along shortly to let you know that the Dechmont Massif is still shrouded in darkness.
Elsewhere; Good news for Tom.
Great news Tom.
“live life like a diamond ring” new one on me. Anyone care to explain pls ?
Good morning friends. Dawn just breaking through to reveal a dry, clear skied and chilly East Kilbride.
Jorge Paulo Cadete Santos Reis “puts the ball in the nettie” wants to be a coach for our forwards and why not oul Jorge was one of the best strikers we have had in recent times. However (controversial bit) I do not believe our forwards require coaching, perhaps apart from teaching Teemu how to shoot rather than try to pass the ball into the net. We really need to get Lubo or the Maestro in to coach our midfield how to play the ball into space for the forwards to run on to, stop making every pass played a square ball (a wee bit of a hyperbole there) or how to master that one thing our midfield never seems to do that is the elusive defensive splitting pass.
Tom McLaughlin
Great news re your health, so glad for you. Hx2.
Morning,
CELTIC have sent Ajax a bill for £25,000 for demolishing seats at Parkhead, and the Dutch club will demand its own fans pay for it. The Amsterdam club took 2600 fans to Glasgow for its Champions League defeat earlier this month. But a section of supporters let themselves down by ripping up seats and flinging them at police and stewards. A spokesman for Ajax said: “We have been advised the bill from Celtic will be £25,000 to replace the seats that were destroyed. “We want to recover these costs from the fans guilty of this destruction. We hope that the footage will point out the perpetrators.”
Charlotte Fakes III stirring it during the night by printing docs that are supposed to show any Ramsdens Cup money is to be paid to SPFL.
Beginning to think Jabba is behind this current Charlotte account.
ASonOfDan @07:34
Can you post a link please?
Morning, the aul storm blew away the mild Autumn,certainly a few degrees cooler but blue skied and fresh in the Chilterns…
Great news that Stokes has signed his extended contract, he certainly has a great Footballing brain, we need his guile & goals.
Well done to the GCT hope his recuperation continues.
Hail Hail
See the DR talking are bollocks re: King again.
“A spokesman for the LSE last night confirmed the businessman would be free to become chairman so long as Ibrox advisers rubber-stamped the move.
It had been thought King’s South African tax conviction and his previous board appointment at Ibrox may have stood in the way of a comeback.
But a spokesman for the LSE, where Rangers shares are listed on the Alternative Investments Market (AIM), appeared to clear the way for King to plough money into the club.
He told Record Sport: “I had a look in the reports and there were these issues in South Africa, the other thing was that he had been on the board previously.
“So the question would be whether these things would stop him taking a stake again.
“I think the answer on both these points is they wouldn’t.
“From the Exchange’s point of view if we are satisfied Rangers’ nominated adviser Daniel Stewart and Company has carried out the correct checks then he would be allowed to make this investment.”
Note to John Ferguson, DR spin-man:
“…allowed to make this investment…” DOES NOT EQUAL “…free to become Chairman…”.
What an @rseh0le – high kwality journalism again -jeeezzooo
HH
BGFC
Oh aye – “… there were these issues in South Africa…” – jeezzzooo again!
Ill-informed numpties – I despair, I really do!!!
HH
BGFC
Tom McLaughlin
Great news my friend.
A big weight of your mind.
Hail Hail
Tom
From yesterday… If you like Gorecki’s Symphony No 3 you should give Faure’s Requiem a try.
pod i
From Charlotte
@CharlotteFakes3: Rule I38 set to be invoked should Rangers not hand over £250,000.00 to the SPFL.
http://t.co/NvBFIjDMUm
#EBT #RamsdensCashGrab
HH
Followed up by these
@CharlotteFakes3: Some have been asking about an Iain Morgan, ActiveCorporate. A few hits with Whyte and Whyte Senior, as well as Jim Park.
@CharlotteFakes3: A few emails referencing Belbios, Debt Recovery and targets
1. http://t.co/qR5nc09cD7
2. http://t.co/jN2UnqYnfR
3. http://t.co/ruAApX2snb
HH
Have I missed a new article?
yorkbhoy .have you got a snow shuvl yet ???
gie cauld in york this morning.
Fav Uncle
I do have a snow shovel…
Bright, sunny but cold… Can cope with that..
Morning All.
Great news from Tom.
Can I ask all the tweeters to follow @cqnmagazine as it is a great way to get news and info out during the day to all cqn’ers who use twitter.
But the best reason of all is that …… I am ltd to 140 characters!!!!!
Congratulations to Tom McLaughlin great news fella long may it continue. H.H.
Top of the morning to you all from sunny Fife. The weather is just about what one would expect of Autumn and the colours they are fine…sorry about that.
Nice to get a bit of good news about one of CQN’s stalwarts Tom Mc.
The other good news for most I supspect is that I will not be bothering you to sign my petition as it is now closed and will go before the Public Petitions Committee for consideration.
The final number of supporters was 3,101 and thanks again for all on here who supported and for Paul67 who tollerated. If Teuchter ár lá wasn’t in a different time zone we may have had even more!
Morrisey with Big Peter in the boardroom….mmm
Serious note now I hope the weather is fine for the AGM and this will encourage a big turn out to hear what people think of the resolution re the clubs/SFA’s handling of the Rangers debacle.
I support the resolution but fear it will have support in bodies though not in votes.
Very pleased to hear about Anto.
Just in to say….
I admire greatly the effort being put in by the ‘revolutionists’ I really do.
I hope they get the effect they desire. But…the ‘bored’ will somehow
slither off the hook imo. The SFA will as well. The stench of collusion
is in the air imo.
I’ve said for years now on here – the only time that the ‘bored’ will strike
the ‘Cellic’ cord on my guitar will be the the day that I see them driving oot
the London Rd car park – NEVER to return. That’s NOT going to happen. imo
You know why it wont happen ?
Cause 50k of innocent(wet behind the ears) well meaning tims turn up and
hand over their SB money and – as a thank you – their served up a mediocre(at best)
product on the pitch.
Worst of all – these worshipping fans who have the ‘brass neck’ to laugh at how gullable
the huns are – accept medicrity as though it is ‘Cellic class’ ?
Tony Stokes has been given a new contract. Hmmm ?
Some say that he deserves the deal – the more cynical would say that the play breaks down when AS gets the ball and that he’s a greeting faced so n so who looks to blame somebody ‘every’ time the ball dizny bounce his way ?
I agree with the cynics. AS is mediocrity PERSONIFIED imo.
Samaras and Joe(the ghost) Ledley are the other contract concerns.
I’d get rid of them both.
Sammi plays in aboot 6(?) games a season imo.
Joe is a poor mans Peter Grant imo.
What’s next – stale scones n blue moulded cheese ?
Keep it !!!
HH – Off oot.
tom mclaughlin
02:16 on 30 October, 2013
Good news, best of luck when you go to see the surgeon.
Vive La Resolution.
Laters.
Kev-Jungle. It would be a different Celtic if you were in charge.However,im not sure it would be for the better. H.H.
KevJungle
08:57 on 30 October, 2013
———————
Joe the ghost ledley
hahaha magic
On Tony stokes I think he’s more of a midfielder than a striker
Samaras takes the pressure off us in Europe with his aimless at times runs
Morrissey23rd
Look good for an auld fella ;-)
HH
kevjungle,
Interested to know if it is the PLC status you object to or if it is merely the present incumbents of the ‘bored’ you have trouble with?
cv