Scouting and development, from Lanarkshire to Dumfries

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There’s some fresh enthusiasm in Lanarkshire this morning with the appointment of Englishman Ian Baraclough as Motherwell manager.  Baraclough had a couple of successful years with Sligo Rovers from 2012-14, winning their first title in decades, before things fell apart this year, but his role as a scout for Huddersfield over the last six months is likely to interest Motherwell as much.

Motherwell directors have had a long-term tradition when looking for a manager of saying they want someone ‘plugged into’ the scouting and agent network.  This game is all about the right contacts, you don’t get to acquire a promising Blackburn Rovers reserve (as Motherwell once did), but this particular activity is also very competitive.

The small matter of how to deploy players is, of course, equally important, but if you’re Motherwell, Celtic or Barcelona, that call is a shot in the dark.

I watched newco Rangers for the first time last night, although I ended up watching a lot more Queen of the South than I expected.  The latter, each of them journeymen, were excellent, the former were symptomatic of everything that’s wrong with comfortably well-off footballers.  Newco’s medium-term future, if they have one, will be to spend the next few years building a self-sustaining lower league club, capable of winning promotion and remaining a top-flight football team thereafter.

Get along to Celtic Park early tomorrow, Davie Hay will be signing copies of Caesar & the Assassin in the Superstore.  If you ask him nicely he’s promised to sign your CQN Annual too.  Don’t forget your camera!

Also remember to look out for the Foundation bucketeers as you approach the ground or enter the turnstiles.  My boys and me will be at the North Stand, turnstiles 1-13, say hello if you’re around.

Thanks to everyone who donated to Mary’s Meals yesterday, the response was overwhelming.  Emails went out this morning to winners of the Magners’ tickets.

You can order your CQN Annual here, or get a special Annual-DVD bundle here.

As a special offer, everyone who buys an Annual, or bundle, before Christmas will be entered into a prize draw for a VIP Meal of 4 at a Celtic Park restaurant on a match day. One entry for each Annual bought; pile in.

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  1. I see a lot of people full of pity for those duped into voting no by the media. I wonder if anyone lookin at current oil prices an just how far away the snp are with their target of classroom sizes if there are many yes voters who feel duped by the snp into voting yes?

  2. I think as well as being a great Celt, Davie Hay is turning into a great CQNer. See below…

     

     

    CELTIC legend Davie Hay is tipping Ronny Deila’s side to make a clean sweep of the domestic honours.

     

     

    The former boss said: “I think it is well within the scope of this squad to win the lot.

     

     

    “Despite their poor start to the season, they are top of the Premiership, in the Scottish Cup Fifth Round where they will meet Dundee at Dens Park and face lower league opponents in the League Cup semi-final.

     

     

    “As a team, they are capable of it, but they can’t afford any off days.

     

     

    “They suffered a couple under Neil Lennon during the last campaign and went out of the League Cup to Morton and then the Scottish Cup to Aberdeen.

     

     

    “Those were unexpected setbacks and, making matters even worse, both ties were played at Celtic Park.

     

     

    “The players need to keep their focus if they are to complete the Treble which would make it a memorable first season for Deila.”

     

     

    Davie was speaking to CQN ahead of his book signing session for Caesar & The Assassin tomorrow at the Celtic Superstore from 10.30am to just before kick off.

  3. CQNs Facebook page has a link to a publication called Winner sports that claims Celtic are getting a new shirt sponsor, some mobile gaming rubbish. The article is quintessential lazy journalism and repeatedly mentions the Huns demotion after administration.

     

     

    Very disappointing CQN should piggyback this stuff.

     

     

    HH

  4. captain moonlight –

     

     

    Aye, and had me a good few drammies! Imperial (’95), Glanfarclas 10yo, Auchentoshan, Dalwhinnie 15yo, Aberlour 10yo, Monkey Shoulder. The Imperial is imperious, crying shame that the still was closed and demolished. A finite resource, and one that will be greatly missed once it has all been quaffed.

     

     

    Cluyr

  5. Corkcelt

     

    Thanks for that she does indeed have a lovely voice (pleasing on the eye as well)

     

    Is she new on the scene, would not have thought so by the number of vies on you tube?

     

     

    Highlandbhoy

  6. Good luck to the bucketeers tomorrow and to Celtic against St. Mirren!

     

     

    Much more important than the vote-losing posts from No and Yes this morning and, this time, it was the No side which initiated the conflict.

     

     

    No one was duped in the last referendum, at least not anymore than David Murray was; we are all responsible for our own vote.

     

     

    There’ll be time enough for re-fighting the Referendum soon enough.

     

     

    Looking forward to Naka getting the send off he missed first time round

  7. Up_Over_ Goal

     

     

    You replied to my post on last thread re Thursday’s match. I disagree with your assessment of both Kris Commons’ performance. I know it was a cold night in the stadium but to me he looked repeatedly off the pace and his touch was repeatedly poor. I like KC a lot and it saddens tgat hus Celtic career seems ti be fizzling out. I did not hear a single persin disagree with my assessment of his performance in the stadium or on the way home incidentally.

     

     

    As for the Ronny cultists here and elsewhere I am not one of them. He has not yet achieved anything which Paul Hartley or Jackie McNamara would not have ( definitely) and as I said earlier we are at European level going backwards

     

     

    I do though think that not all is bad about him either. The team does look a bit fitter and domestically we dominate gsmes more than we did two months ago against domestic opponents.

     

     

     

    Jimbo67

  8. Joe Filippis Haircut on

    Give Nakamura a jersey and play him in midfield I bet he could do a good job for us.Oh well its nice to dream sometimes.H.H.

  9. Brogan Rogan Trevino and Hogan supports Oscar Knox, MacKenzie Furniss and anyone else who fights Neuroblastoma on

    Skyislandfill

     

     

    Just had a look at the facebook page and can’t see the link you refer to.

     

     

    Where did you see it?

  10. Let me get this right…..the ‘bored’ have to be praised for giving away tickets for seats that would have been empty anyway?

     

     

    The ‘bored’ have to be praised for knocking-off £100 from the price of SB’s that wurny selling?

     

     

    If, the huns die again(LOL) and the susequent impact on SB-sales will be to fall to about what – 20k?….how much will the samaratans on the ‘bored’ reduce the tickets by? Another £100?

     

     

    David Low said earlier this morn that – “Scottish football is heading for the Irish league level.”

     

     

    He also said that Scottish football is now back to were it was before the arrival of the ‘beast’ and David Holmes back in 1986.

     

     

    From a personal point of view….the crumb of comfort for me is that, it shouldny be too long now until a ‘Jungle’ type of area is built in the new CP that was built by the fans share-issue money.

     

     

    It’ll probably be junior players who’ll be wearing the hoops by then, such will be the continuation of the down-sizing.

     

     

    All of the above is – imho.

     

     

    The only reason that I miss the huns – the Jingle Bells song has died as well :(

     

     

    Off oot, bye.

  11. South Of Tunis

     

     

    Out of interest did he think he was one of those old folk who thought they’d lose their pension?

  12. Apologies if discussed previously…..

     

    I liked this line in today’s Scotsman, by Andrew Smith when discussing the present Sevco manager.

     

     

    “…..a man being paid beyond his abilities and paid to a level – in common with players and executives – that could yet cause this post-liquidation Rangers to go the same way as the original club”

  13. BIG-CUP-WINNERS on

    Snake Plissken

     

     

    Think you could let that one go ?

     

     

    If you read my earlier post and with respect I think your chain is getting yanked by a couple of trolls.

     

     

    The Referendum is gone and why those one (or two) personalities keep bringing it up, is in my opinion just to sow some discord on CQN.

  14. skyisalandfill

     

     

    It is a shared link – sometimes we share stuff like this which is nonsense so that what is being said elsewhere is apparent. It is a particularly poor piece so that is why it was shared.

  15. Celtic, Celtic. .. Celtic, Celtic

     

     

    sad to see so many writing off Adam Mathews so soon, yes he has had apoor month, but is trying to recover fitness, and I will repeat, anyone playing behind Calum McGregor will look poor, as he offers No support

     

    Also those saying give McGregor a rest, I’d give him away, poor standard if you ever think he will make it with us

     

    Would play K Commons 100% of the time before Mcgregor

     

    Now unfortunately I think KC time is coming to an end with us, but several others should heading before him, start with head scout who is giving us some absolute dross over past few seasons, and costing us millions

     

    Kayal, Boerrigter, Tonev, Berget, Wakaso to start

     

    Sign Armstrong, John McGinn (St M) best left sided youngster in Scotland,

     

    Also get young Henderson and Biton into team playing together, and build team around them

     

     

    Now, where do you get that Camu Camu ? Also got manflu, and need a wee help to ensure I can see the Bhoys tommorrow

     

     

    Hail Hail

  16. big-cup-winners

     

     

    12:55 on 13 December, 2014

     

    Folks, I’ve just finished reading back, stopped mid morning, out of frustration. Until then the blog had been positive, having a laugh and discussing our club’s progress on and off the park.

     

    :::::::::::::

     

    When I read a Horrid Henry post that brought together Thems and the SNP, I was on the verge of responding in a less than complimentary fashion but I decided that it was better to ignore it.

     

    It is unfortunate that others gave it oxygen.

  17. No interest in Motherwell!

     

     

    Snake – I agree with others that it doesn’t help to belittle No voters. Some may have been duped but many were not.

     

     

    Aye ok. I have the odd wee dig in jest but those that know me know I’m just being a wideo. :-) I’m not in the main a serious person.

     

     

    I do note however that some still can’t see past the Yes campaign as being SNP. That for me is just plain silly as the Yes alliance (for want of a better phrase) was brought together from many political alliegencies and none and that included Labour Party members and card holders.

     

     

    Today’s result for Scottish Leadership will destroy the party from inside out. I know a good few trade union Labour members who intend to quit party now. The only hope for Scottish Labour in a unified UK was Neil Findlay who’s intention was to seperate the party from it’s UK control. His left leanings were also more in time with traditional labour values.

     

     

    Today I think is the beginning of the end of the Labour Party in Scotland.

     

     

    It is now the political equivalent of Sevco.

     

     

    MWD said AYE

  18. Oh Doc,

     

     

    Is the winning manager from last night not a Bannockburn Bhoy ? Know his uncle and brother in law go up on Oor bus :-)

     

    Well done James Fowler

     

     

    Hail hail

  19. Snake Plissken .

     

     

    Lose his pension ?- No .

     

     

    His position was quite clear -independence wasnt on offer / the currency stuff was laughable etc etc

  20. BIG-CUP-WINNERS

     

     

    Well I did in the last thread let it go and went to do my dishes.

     

     

    I was just asking a question in response to my view.

     

     

    It is clear to me and obviously to others I am easily wound up by these things.

     

     

    It matters to me. I cannot help it.

     

     

    I’m not going down this road all day.

  21. Shortbread

     

     

    Spiers is alluding to McCoist being a p*ss poor manager but Fitzpatrick and Craig Paterson just can’t do it. “He’s done well winning two leagues”…dearie me! They’re all far too brotherly and chummy.

     

     

    Still it’s funny…

     

     

    HH

  22. South of Tunis

     

     

    Fair enough.

     

     

    My grandparents had a different kind of courage, they asked me what I wanted back in 97 because they knew that any effects of a Scottish parliament wouldn’t change their lives so they asked what myself and my brother wanted.

     

     

    We wanted a Parliament, they voted accordingly.

     

     

    They also said no one their age should have had the vote on that one, it’s the young people who’d have to live in that Scotland but if they did they should only vote the way their children or grandchildren wanted them to.

     

     

    I think that if there is another vote – both of these things should be at the very least considered.

  23. BRTH

     

    On Facebook

     

     

    Winning captains

     

     

    It is toe curlingly awful.

     

     

    Thanks

     

     

    HH

  24. Snake Plissken .

     

     

    Would ” old people ” be expected to pay tax whilst being denied the right to vote ?

  25. BIG-CUP-WINNERS on

    NEGANON2

     

     

    Do you recognise any of this: ” boring”, “repeated”,”condescending” and “manic” ?

  26. The Comfortable Collective on

    Are Sevco planning to set a new world record for the most number of games managed by a manager who has resigned?

  27. My friends in Celtic,

     

     

    One of the key principles of the Celtic foundation is equality, which I endorse wholeheartedly.

     

     

    Nowhere is this epitomised better than the active participation of the wives and girlfriends of our players.

     

    While not wishing to specifically mention anybody, a debt of gratitude goes out to Kris Commons and Lisa Hague, no matter what happens in a footballing context in the future.

     

     

    Occasionally, to be a football great does not require the skills of Messi

     

     

    Despite everything; Yes, we truly are more than a football club.

     

     

    HH.

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