Second gear Celtic

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Yesterday was the fourth time in four games this season Celtic have won without having to leave second gear.  Kilmarnock and St Mirren were both stretched by European qualification ties, while Hibs have had a humiliating start to the season, even for them.  Still, there could hardly be a starker illustration of the chasm between our domestic and Champions League challenges.

Scotland’s other leading club made it eight wins on the bounce this season, as Aberdeen continue to provide the main competition to the champions.  The first showdown between the clubs does not happen for another seven weeks, a game that could go a long way to determining the title.

Credit to St Mirren for dominating the first 140 seconds of the tie; unfortunately for them, Celtic scored the first time they got forward with the ball.  A trademark Celtic passing move opened space for Callum McGregor 24 yards out, who fired low into the net.  St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson’s plans to get stuck in early became unstuck before many fans had got to their seat.

Reo Hatate doubled the advantage 33 minutes in with the goal of the game.  Alistair Johnston pitched a high ball into the box for Daizen Maeda to run onto.  The Japanese winger headed back and down into space for Reo, who struck the ball on the drop-volley, clipping the inside of the post on the way in.  Johnston removed any doubt about the result with a goal midway through the second half.

Paulo Bernardo showed lots of tidy work in the central midfield role normally occupied by Matt O’Riley, who travelled south for a medical over the weekend and should compete his move to Brighton today.  More on Matt at a later date.

As the deadline looms, players and clubs across the continent have sharpened their options.  Barcelona agreed to a new-contract-and-loan-to-Celtic deal with 20-year-old left back Alex Valle.  The player is expected in Glasgow today for a medical.  At the end of this season, he will have one year remaining on is Barcelona deal, with a buy-out figure which is greatly reduced from where it was a week ago.

Goalkeeper is the only area of the field we are not looking to add to this week.  This is not your first transfer window, so usual caveats, but it should be an interesting few days.

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329 Comments

  1. bournesouprecipe on

    CorkCelt @ ages ago

     

     

    The emphasis in the Left Back story is on his buy out clause, when he seems to be coming to us without an option to buy in any case. All La Liga contracts have buy out clauses, Spain’s employment laws are stricter and players are more protected in law i.e. if they want out of their contract

     

     

    We might have a non publicised agreement to buy or have first refusal on the player only Celtic and Barca will know. Why it’s a loan with only days left of the window, is another matter.

  2. GENE.

     

     

    Ordinary racist joe is one and same racist 418/9

     

     

    Stephbhoy67

     

     

    Still waiting for where you picked your figures from 👇

     

     

    2023 – Tom Allison, Brian Wilson and Dermot Desmond have been awarded 62.5% pay rises to take their Celtic salaries from £25,000 up to £40,000. If wrong fair enough. Does not stop facts that celtic board are a bunch of torys who thing the money wee put in is theirs. No supporter puts money into the club so the board can sit back and enjoy the trappings of privlage

  3. sftb

     

     

    George Harrison ripped off ‘He’s So Fine’ by The Chiffons, written by Ronnie Mack, not the admittedly similarly sounding ‘One Fine Day’ by Goffin & King also from 1963.

     

     

    DooLangDooLangDooLangCSC

  4. glasgowbhoy1888 on

    I think it is worth remembering that Peter Lawwell only surpassed the turnover he inherited 7 times in his 17 years as COE. Indeed the turnover of Celtic in his final season as COE was approximately at the same level he inherited 17 years earlier. Not a very good performance at all.

     

     

    When we look at the team he left us with, it was not in the same league as the one he inherited.

     

    However his salary did increase by a factor of 10 along with an extremely generous long term bonus..

  5. Re the top 10 songwriters, I’m surprised that our very own Rt Hon Brian Wilson CBE wasn’t mentioned here.

     

     

    Miraculous how he made the switch from sunny Los Angeles beach boy to rain-drenched ‘Wegian polly.

     

     

    But he did – and knocked out a few decent toons in the process.

     

     

    I always loved the bittersweet and sunny atmos of Beach Boys tracks whenever I heard them on the wireless.

     

     

    GOODVIBRATIONS CSC

  6. Bada,

     

    As I said he was poor last night,but strange tactics by his manager.He had Giroud up front,and Bogusz seemed to be playing behind him,but no service at all,and constant bad play out of defence.Stats were,73-27 in favour of Cleveland when Bogusz got hooked in 65th min.Switched off then.Dreadful game.

  7. I think the Board have doe a very good job, We are enjoying the good times. Off to sleep, as happy as I have I in the last 20 years.+

     

     

    HH all you Celtic supporters.

  8. Burnley78 on 26th August 2024 9:30 pm

     

     

    Head in sand stuff, look over the southside, bla bla bla, why compare ourselves to the southsider? Look at our own first. No ambition shown, I am not looking for us to go into debt but fact is we are far from that. We are an outlier in the football world but not in a good way.

     

     

    Ps it is cowardly of lawell and Co to hide behind closed doors, setting their own agenda and shutting down others questioning any decision they make (think of the agm)

     

     

    Fergus actually showed a hell of a lot more ambitious than the current incumbent. He took the supporters millions, told them what it was being used for and away he went about rebuilding the club. This lot are talking our money and refusing to spent it to make the team better. The mainstand might get built in my lifetime but wont hold my breath, the hotel, museum etc never got off the paper but was a good wee distraction.

     

     

    Wee Fergus also had a backbone ( to supporters, media and the governing bodies) and would never have allowed the sfa or spfl to get away with even half the shite this current board rollover and accept.

     

     

     

    HH

  9. CHAIRBHOY on 26TH AUGUST 2024 8:28 PM

     

    DARWIN @ 1:10 PM,

     

     

    You know it was written by a Top Freemason…As was Rabbie Burns and Charles Darwin, oddly enough a Scottish Masons…

     

     

    *As was Sir Walter Scott who wrote the lyrics used in one of the greatest hymns of all time “Ave Maria”

  10. Racist joe

     

     

    Or counting your racist monikers.

     

    Little wonder you stay anonymous

     

    Digital shoitbag.

     

     

    Beyond yawn

  11. glasgowbhoy1888 on

    PTS

     

    Yes, as he retired in June 2021. However, it is also fair to point out that in 2016 the turnover of CFC was £61 million around 8 million pounds less than he inherited in 2004.

     

     

    Mainly our turnover surpassed 2004 when we attained CL money or we sold our best players and more or less failed to reinvest the proceeds.

     

     

    This is reflected through our appalling performances in European competitions.

  12. Agree on Bogusz opinion. He didn’t standout on a pitch full of average players. Didn’t see any crunch tackles , first touches , one twos, or speed in wide areas ( pass instead of taking man on). I was confused on his position.

     

     

    Maybe he’s good in a team with more possession , maybe they see him as potential (like Holm) , maybe he and team just had an off day.

     

     

    There are better midfielders/forwards out there to help out cause in Europe imo.

  13. Was that Celtic specific Covid?…Or the same Covid everybody had to deal with?….The Celtic virus is new one on me…sounds more like blaming Covid rather than Lawwell and all of they other yins that are awe feart to stand up to Lawwell for watching 10 in a row dead before the end of October and the pretentious Rebels all blaming Neil Lennon coz they are feart fae Lawwell as well….Cowards FC.

  14. Is that 5 days to go to window closes?

     

     

    Come on Celtic back our manager anything less than 3 or 4 1st team ready 7,8,9 million pound signings is a dereliction of duty.

     

     

    A few loanees thrown in if you like.

     

     

    D. :)

  15. Well,if we get the 2 midfielders,the LB cover,With Idah,Kasper,Sinaloa,Bernardo,wont have been many better windows.CH missing,but maybe January window,depending,on progress in CL.

     

    No nonsense about Idah and Paulo,they had to be paid for this window.

     

    A good few out the door.

     

    “If”doing a lot of lifting there.