The plan for central defence this season was clear. Carl Starfelt would be allowed to leave, and Maik Nawrocki and Gustaf Lagerbielke would be signed. Liam Scales would return to Aberdeen on either a loan or permanent basis. Stephen Welsh and Yuki Kobayashi were not expected to play significant roles.
Before August was out, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Nawrocki, Welsh and Kobayashi were all injured. Celtic dropped their first points of the season at home to St Johnstone, with Scales and Lagerbielke in a shaky looking central defence. We anticipated a difficult time the following week at Ibrox.
Against St Johnstone, Liam Scales was caught in the headlights when defending a couple of over-the-top balls that forced him to turn back and clear. One which came late in the game could have resulted in the visitors leaving with all three points. On moments like this, careers can turn.
Newco were watching. One week later, they tried the same tactic against Liam, but he was ready for it. To be fair to Newco, Celtic were a bit deeper than they were against St Johnstone, so they had less space to aim for behind the defender. This allowed Liam to attack several of the attempts to turn him, or simply clear if the ball fell behind him.
He played every minute of our Champions League games but partnered Carter-Vickers, Welsh, Lagerbielke, Phillips and even Iwata during the campaign. Now, he is without doubt our first choice to partner Carter-Vickers, no matter who else is available.
Importantly, he is left footed, on receipt of the ball he can open the game up more naturally than Starfelt, who played left last season but preferred his right. Left footed defenders are rarer and therefore more valuable than the more common alternative.
By the summer, he will be 26 years old. He is not the finished article, like Carter-Vickers, and he doesn’t bring the ball forward, like Kris Ajer, but he is a better defender and less error-prone than Kris.
Were it not for how reliant the manager has become on him in the middle, he may have plugged gaps on the left. At this age, Liam is running out of developmental road but he is entering the peak five years of his career. Given a fair wind, his partnership with Cameron could sustain for a few years to come. There is no surprise Celtic have opened talks on extending his contract.
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Celtic friends of the crooked lying deceivers.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GGSVBTQXwAAe-mk?format=jpg&name=small
I`ve always wondered why the media didny report on Celtic PLC`s old firm ticket pricing compliance?
Were the media and all cosy Celtic blogs instructed to sssshhhh and we`ll all move on?
Show me a PLC that isny dodgy as f?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCuxw-jKfs4
Celtic By Numbers reckons Palma is a better player than we give credit for and Maeda’s productivity is worrying
https://celticbynumberscom.ipage.com/the-sharp-end-2/
TONTINE TIM on 14TH FEBRUARY 2024 3:55 PM
!!BADA BING!! on 14TH FEBRUARY 2024 12:13 PM
The bhoy should have had a better contract months ago
*why are you so negative all the time
I think you’re getting me mixed up with someone else, I said months ago,that Scales would have been on a low contract coming from the Irish League, and due to him stepping up when we needed it,he should have been sorted out,nothing negative in that,all positive, but depends on how you want to read it.
https://videocelts.com/2024/02/blogs/latest-news/the-mark-lawwell-quit-rumour/
FOURSTONECOPPI- incoming flak….
As the weeks have passed I’ve noticed the improvement in Liam Scales game, superb in the aerial duels, gets in some great blocks and can play some great passes with that left foot, all evidence of good coaching and been given extra game time. He continues to improve and is deserving of that new contract.
Mark Lawwell has indeed resigned is now working his 20 year period of notice.
After delays to the £80m Anfield Road Stand redevelopment dragged past the start of the 2023/24 campaign, the Reds partially opened the stand for the visit of Manchester United in December — with over 57,000 in attendance to watch what was ultimately a disappointing curtain raiser for the re-opened upper tier.
More significantly than the events on the field that day, was the number of fans in the stands.
Two months later, Anfield finally saw attendance jump to almost 60,000 for the visit of Burnley on 10 February — a league record, but not an all-time one.
Is Mark Lawwell resignation hold up something to do with the minutia of his severance package or are Celtic waiting until Friday to let the stock exchange know and watch for that Friday share bounce??
why would somone resigning get a severance package ?
why would celtic plc inform the stock exchange that a non-executive is leaving ?
Saint Stivs on 14th February 2024 5:54 pm
I just asked the very same questions!
G FEARON on 14TH FEBRUARY 2024 5:57 PM
i am actually asking you why you think these things are happening >
Saint Stivs on 14th February 2024 6:00 pm
Where?
SAINT STIVS on 14TH FEBRUARY 2024 5:54 PM
why would somone resigning get a severance package ?
why would celtic plc inform the stock exchange that a non-executive is leaving ?
Saint Stivs on 14th February 2024 6:03 pm
I asked those very same questions a few minutes ago. Maybe someone on here will know the answer.
Why would a guy who is meant to be intent on stealing money from or damaging the club submit his resignation.
Surely he would hang on for as long possible before being sacked and getting a huge severance package?
Makes no sense to me.
What’s this “6 clubs call meeting with SPFL” all about?
Why only 6?
Yes, I can read what the BBC says, but what’s the real agenda?
G. Fearon fancies himself as a cunning linguist.
I reckon you can cut out a lot of superfluous middle letters there
More of this please. Chris Williamson Workers Party GB.
https://x.com/DerbyChrisW/status/1757691380447547535?s=20
Labour would rather self implode than face George Galloway.
No media will face this unrepentant rebel.
No politician will face George Galloway especially the SNP vermin who tried to jail Celtic fans for singing about their bloodlines story in history and all of its ramifications.
I wonder if the PLC think they “got away with this one…our supporters are beyond thick…as long as we’re scoring points with Israel” like Sir Starmer said about Labour supporters??
https://x.com/chai_ste/status/1757717290865283282?s=20
Did the banking cartels of W.H.O. and, W.E.F. and I.M.F. and E.U. and U.S.A. and (neoliberal led) Boris Johnston led U.K. all agree to pull the Covid scam on the very day that the poor peoples from North of England, Scots who were savvy enough, and other poor folk from elsewhere in U.K. voted for a Brexit escape from the unelected banking cartels in the E.U. who have bombed Palestine to smithereens for the past 80+ years?
Vote to leave the E.U. scammers and we’ll genocide you with untested vaxxines – tests on the 8 mice that all died does not count.
https://x.com/LeilaniDowding/status/1757772263854625152?s=20
oot.
setting free the bears for Res. 12 & Oscar Knox on 14th February 2024 6:11 pm
Dressing up in your tranny gear tonight champ?
Here’s a question I’ve been struggling with, we all have players in and around the squad we don’t fancy, (for me its Mikey Johnston) but once you come out and nail your colours to the mast e,g, the way Turkey Bhoy has done with Maeda – when they do play do you want them to fall flat on their face so you can be proved right – or do you want them to do well for the team?
GM- The clubs have lost money, due to the Teamsters stand off with Cinch,who have cancelled the sponsorship early,I’m sure all the clubs will be footing the bill for their costs and legal fees,for a totally bogus claim as The Fat One wasn’t a major sponsor,another con job,but another attempt to get rid of McLennan and Doncaster
Rumour Bagwash ecstatic at Poundland
Two day Media frenzy in full swing for a League game.
Bizarre CSC
Two day Maeda frenzy on CQN :)
When the huns go top tonight, maybe some will wake up and smell the coffee. What referee is going to make a game changing decision against the huns? Aitken, Dallas,Beaton? Collum and Clancy have already been put back in their box,compliant Tims back in the Gang.
GARYGILLESPIESHAMSTRING 👍
Ready for the bedwetting lines,but the facts are there,we have spunked an 8 point lead against a shite huns team,who have already sacked a manager this season
I really hope but doubt it, that they drop unexpected points tonight cos according to some, THEMS are gonna be outta sight😂
BADA BING
When did we drop points to Rangers?
FOURSTONECOPPI- a few months ago we should have been out of sight, huns in turmoil, another manager sacked,right now I would say this is 50- 50
Not content with explaining imploring a victory at Snake Mountain we had an interview with the kilmarnock manager on how he can beat Celtic on Saturday, BBC sport Scotland, I have never in my life every seen a club targeted by state media like this.
Tom- you need to be realistic, and see what is in front of us right now,this is a shambles of our own making, we have beaten them twice this season and will be behind them at 10 o’clock tonight.
Rock Tree Bhoy
I would be absolutely delighted if my unfancied players- Bernabei and Tilio- were to make it with us. I would be surprised but I’ve never held a grudge against players I don’t fancy being picked for a Celtic team.
I never rated Glenn Loovens because he had an irredeemable habit of letting the ball go over his head and trusting himself to win a foot race. I also thought Gary Caldwell got an easy ride from fans compared to Stephen McManus but I was delighted to see that particular sieve be involved in 6 Champions League last 16 ties- Caldwell- twice and McManus 4 times.
I don’t write players off early but, at present, Bernabei, does not look after the ball well enough often enough and Tilio was not yet ready to challenge for a Celtic first team spot.
As I see it we have allowed the league to be decided thru Celtic V huns games (not calling it the old ….) but will gladly take a £49 ticket if anyone can find one.
And thats whats gona happen this year I think
If they win tonight 3-0 they got top of the league by a goal
We had it in our hands and we have now given the lanarkshire referee assoc a reason to ramp up the cheating
And they will
If its 0-0 at half time tonight, get your bets on a penalty in 15 mins of the second half
Whats this about mark lawell resigning?
SFTB, if Bernabei had a better first touch he wouldnt turn over the ball in forward positions more
He has a better cross than Daizen and would be super keen on him coming on as a sub for left wing later in games
As a left back he is not gona work for us I dont think
As for tillio
He wont come back
TOM MCLAUGHLIN on 14TH FEBRUARY 2024 2:01 PM
So some Celtic suppoeters still feeding off and passing on daft rumours. Will they ever learn?
After the embarrassing “Brendan to Switzerland” debacle, all I can say to the regular rumour-mongers is — Fool me once . . .
You know the rest.
—
What Brendan/Switzerland rumour was this? He’s not been doing a Keith Richards and going over there to get someone else’s blood has he?