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.
[calameo code=000390171853d2bfc4f69 lang=en page=38 hidelinks=1 width=100% height=500]
708 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- ...
- 19
- »
Dooooh last post was for
BoscoBhoy02
14:25 on 29 October, 2013
Anyone know if Dave King owns a vineyard ?
Watching escape to victory
Wit a goal that pele wan scored
4-4 the noo
HH
Did he not have it repossessed to pay part of his multi million pound fine?
Some interesting times ahead for the squad, and the board and the football management will have a much better idea of the long term prognosis for the team by the start of next season.
We quite clearly have a significant amount of cash reserves available to spend on the squad – if we wish to do so – but we equally have a number of key players approaching the end of their contracts in either 8 or 20 months’ time who I suspect we would like to keep.
This list includes the following who are only contracted for the rest of this season:
Georgios Samaras
Joe Ledley
Kris Commons
Anthony Stokes
And the following who are contracted to the end of next season:
Scott Brown
Emilio Izaguirre
Mikael Lustig
Biram Kayal
By my reckoning that is 5-6 of our first choice team and, with the likelihood of Fraser Forster moving on this summer, unless we start extending some contracts we could be faced with a long period of rebuilding. I think the desire to keep Samaras, Ledley, Commons beyond this season is a given, and I would like to keep Brown, Izaguirre, Lustig and Kayal beyond 2015. These are all core squad members and building blocks for what we want to achieve.
With other players such as Mulgrew, Ambrose, Van Dijk, Forrest, Matthews and Forster we have a very solid group of players to add to. The defence looks as solid as I can remember it and with a bit more care taken over possession in the midfield, and sharpness in the final third we could have an excellent team.
Of course, we remain vulnerable to predators and it is probable that we will see Forster leave for something like the feel Wanyama commanded last season either in the Summer or in January. We seem to have replacements lined up and I hope that we make the moves to snap up a striker and midfield playmaker over the next two transfer windows in order to develop the side further for the 2014/15 season.
One for Philvis (who I’m sure still has a sneaky peek into CQN from time-to-time):
Wo sind die Tränen von gestern abend?
Wo ist der Philvis vom vergangenen Jahr?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cY-QMUp8x1s
FF
(Who once pipped the Great Philvis to the Podium)
Philvis was a one-off.
He advocated his conservatism without sacrificing his humanity or his humour.
Not many can do that & no other of his persuation on this site comes close.
Most of his fellow-travellers on CQN are closer to the po-faced & taciturn stereotype that we expect of such unbalanced souls. Mind you, there are those among them who try the Old Uncle Remus school of psychological conditioning on those they perceive to not be greedy or selfish enough, & therefore not bright enough to understand.
Philvis was not easy to dislike.
I hope he is soon back with us.
Paul, or one of your crack staff:
Would it be possible for someone to forward me the contact details of BRTH? Thank you very much.
HH!
bigbones8867 supports wee oscar
14:35 on 29 October, 2013
Desertbhoy
Ouch!!!
There’ll be good days for the bad ones.
Ádh mór
“…………………..
Copy me in when the good day arrives
Slainte
sean fallon’s dad – saved by dysentery – weird for us to comprehend amidst the death in Gallipoli, fighting for Ireland and freedom (not to have to wear the poppy, sorry poppy debate)
Oh that Paul Michael Lyons McStay (whit a name btw)
678 games over 16 seasons scoring 72 goals for Celtic
3 SPLs, 4 SC, 1 SLC.
72 caps over 14 seasons scoring 9 goals and playing in 2 world cups and 1 european championship.
Captained the U18 Scotland team to European Championship in 1982.
Played more than 50 games in 1 season on 4 occasions.
Retired in 1997.
Some might regret he didnt play somewhere else, he might have got a bigger stage, and won more things, and got more recognition.
My regret, there wasnt a great team around him for his last 6 years, and then he retired 1 season to early, I wish he had got into Wims season.
John McKay, blue tie weighing you down, dobber.
Most interest expressed by other clubs in Celtic players lately centres on Forster, Van Dijk and Ambrose.
Efe is signed up long term, Van Dijk next. Forster will likely head south in the summer.
Sammi is going nowhere. Fella’s addicted to the Dolmades from Frosoulla’s on Sinclair Drive.
All in my opinion of course.
Philvis was my bestest most favouritist poster.
Politically we could never be further apart. However, his wit, intelligence and passion for Celtic were never in doubt.
He’s sadly missed.
Re Thatcher.
Ive quite enjoyed watching a programme called the 70s , I think it was the beeb.
The events I grew up living, and all so matter of fact, played back in colour, on the tv.
Thatcher, created her own movement, against any socialism and the unions, watching it back it was even worse than I could remember.
Some, not all, of the Left Wing tactics backfired, but the medicine given out was fay beyond what was required.
I disliked the old witch, then , now , forever, to borrow a zombie phrase
I don’t care what anybody says. Paul McStay could take a game by the scruff and run the show. He had vision, power and a good engine. He made up for his lack of lightning pace by his anticipation. I’ve seen him control games from schoolboy level to major international tournament level; a first pick for any manager he played for. Not bad for someone who definitely didn’t make it.
McKay is a twat!
HT
I never knew that.
I suppose the blog’s loss is Minx’s gain eh…
one snake and philvis
there’s only one snake and philvis
one snake and philvis
there’s only… actually that’s two isn’t it
No way
The well respected
tactical genius
I’m John McKay
Doesn’t rate Paul mcstay
Who gives a shegite
Slow news day then
Lol
The Battered Bunnet 15:19
Now that made me smile :)))
Till later all
Get in there and support big nan. He’s nearly there and a few more signatures will take him over the 3000 line.
Help the big chap oot.
Monikerchangeday.com
Afternoon Bhoys
Reading back on the Scott Brown debate he would never be out my team and when playing in SPFL I wish we had 10 outfield Scott Brown’s against certain teams.
On Paul McStay he is a legend sometimes even carried the team he was that good,
On John blue tie McKay what do you expect from a Zombie !!!
The deid teams best ever player was a Hatchet Man John Grieg
IMO
Hail Hail
HT
Couldn’t agree more. Want to start a clique? ;-)
THATCHER?
I said at the time that I took no pleasure in her death. How could anyone do that?
And I certainly would never wish the inignomy of her final years on anyone,either. No-one deserves such a fate.
However,the irony of being alive without really living will have struck a chord with many in the de-industrialised areas which she gladly sacrificed on the altar of a divisive dogma.
Had she died thirty years earlier,I would have celebrated for weeks.
When she did eventually go,she was an irrelevance. And that must have hurt….
TBB
And for that reason alone philvis will be offered the position of chief flower girl…..
Barcabhoy 14.00
Blue tie Mckay obviously hasnt got a clue about football with that statement. Paul McStay is one of the few players who’d be knocking at the door to get into the Lisbon Lions team. As far as Celtic midfielders go, he’s only behind Murdoch in my book, and on a par with Lubo and Bertie Auld.
If we are talking about medals to ‘make it’ then we can demote the likes on Gerrard, who will probably finish his career without a League medal, yet many scousers have him above Kenny as their number one of all time. And what about George Best? Never played at a World Cup Finals and won three major honours in his career (excluding balon d’or)…
McKay sums up the modern day Smsm. Totally clueless.
HT,
Couldn’t have put it better myself.
TBB, oh you are naughty ;)
Bobby
yer confusing me now. (easily done I have to admit)
“I said at the time that I took no pleasure in her death. How could anyone do that?”
“Had she died thirty years earlier,I would have celebrated for weeks”
Which one is it? Or, is it down to the 30 years older Bobby being a more mature and considerate person than young Boaby wiz?
Saint Stivs @ 15:09,
“Some might regret he didnt play somewhere else, he might have got a bigger stage, and won more things, and got more recognition….”
Who knows, certainly Kenny Dalglish went on to be a King of Europe but Charlie Nic while respected at Arsenal was no legend.
If he had carried on making the progress he did at Celtic he could be a legend.
There are no guarantees with transfers…
Howevah one things for sure Paul Mc Stay is a Celtic Legend and a member of Scotland Football’s hall of fame.
Hail Hail
Doc what
I’m already in too many, or so some would have you believe :-)
BMCUW
She had no concept of the meaning of hurt!
In my time watching Celtic two men shine above all others as true Celtic men. For their devotion and love of the club as well as their ability as players.
Tommy Burns and Paul McStay.
Leftclicktic
Thanks for that. I was being sarcastic. I never thought he owned one. I wonder which member of the SMSM will be first to mention that. Is it true that the other guy with private jets and vineyards is basically just an employee of Lloyds or TSB or whatever they’re called these days.
HT
Have you any idea of the price of Gloriosa buttonholes and Saffron headdresses?
desertbhoy
15:34 on 29 October, 2013
‘BMCUW
She had no concept of the meaning of hurt!’
####
‘All of us that grew up under Thatcher were taught that it is good to be selfish, that other people’s pain is not your problem, that pain is in fact a weakness and suffering is deserved and shameful.’
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/apr/09/russell-brand-margaret-thatcher
Ahhh…3.40pm. That’ll do me for the day. Hame time I think.
TBB
No but I can get 400 sausage rolls for “40 quid” (copyright Mr K Bridges) and I know a guy who works in the cemeteries who can do me a smashing deal on flowers.
Don’t post so much but thought I’d add something to the great how does Philvis make the podium debate.
I remember years ago on the old BBC Fans Forum, Philvis would threaten to ‘smite the forum’ and hey presto the thing would crash straight after. He done it quite a few times and nobody could figure out how.
Don’t give a stuff about anyones politics, this place is called CQN on PQN
HH
TWISTS N TURNS
A good question,that.
I think it is because thirty years ago,she was in a position to cause a lot of people a lot of pain.
Thirty years later,she wasn’t.
Is there a statute of limitations on the suffering she caused? Dunno,but a lot of what she did was against the law,and a helluva lot of it was immoral.
But I still wouldn’t wish her last years on anyone.
Over many years have been asked thousands of times “why did you move to pastures new”, some green, some not so green……
… Biggest reason… Thatcher