There was much to love in yesterday’s win at St Johnstone, so many lessons played out, it was a clear opportunity to learn a bit about the game.
On Tuesday last week, before Leigh Griffiths had kicked a competitive ball this season, I wrote, “Leigh is one of the most natural goal scorers we have seen at Celtic this century. He has natural pace, confidence and an attitude that will not easily be subverted”, and that his campaign “could start as early as Thursday, if we need a goal late in the game.”
In July, after he was left at home while the squad travelled to France, I wrote, “My money is on him scoring the goal that seals the 10.” He is that good a striker you can hang yourself out there and know he will perform.
The header was a dream; watch how he arced his back before thundering the ball inches inside the post. It was an exceptional finish, from an exceptional goal scorer. If you think he is the only player in the squad with baggage, you were not watching carefully enough yesterday, but he has the talent that could be the difference between first and second in the league, and he wants to be here.
I don’t think I have seen a player play on after being scythed in two, as Patryk Klimala was yesterday. Mark him up as another with talent, who wants to be here. Tom Rogic did his part too, but how consequential was Scott Brown’s arrival?
Without Brown on the field, Kristopher Ajer would not have been advanced enough to do a jink on the edge of the St Johnstone area, making space for Hatem Elhamed’s cross. Nor would Shane Duffy be as high up the field to play a short pass to Klimala on the edge of the area.
After the game, Neil Lennon spoke about those throwing stats at his captain, you can see he’s been affected. Suggestions that the manager does not see what tens of thousands of fans see is ludicrous. Stats are a great tool, but they need to be interpreted correctly; some of the best defenders hardly ever touch the ball or tackle, but they can still control a game, while some captains impose a gameplan. Neither attribute shows up well on the stats.
Maybe see you later.
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Good morning all.
Decent and potentially significant window across Glasgow.
IMHO, credit due first of all to Neil Lennon.
Has clearly persuaded an, occasionally, reticent board about his needs.
– Beef up defence
– Freshen up midfield
– genuine goalscoring options
– don’t sell stars
Notable too that Sevco haven’t been able to punt anyone.
For those who’ve asked “how do they do it” or “when will they collapse again” …
…. This season is IT !!!
Based purely on the fact they’ve always lost money (income exceeds expenditure)
AND
their cost base has now increased (more players in than out) …
they cannot survive the season unless Champions League income next year is guaranteed.
GEEBEE1978 on 6TH OCTOBER 2020 8:10 AM
One question regarding Rangers share issue.
Nothing illegal about it but surely….surely they’re sailing close to the wind in terms of UEFA FFP.
________________________________________________________________________________
GEEBEE1978
Sevco (as with all clubs in Europe) get a bye this year, because of the pandemic the FFP rules have been relaxed, that does not mean that they can do what they want just the inevitable train crash will happen (or UEFA will sanction them) probably end of this season/beginning of next. Make no mistake this is a Ponzi scheme.
The auld SMSM must be very disheartened never in the field of sports ‘journalism’ have so many, battled so valiantly to seal a Colombian superstar transfer AND unsettle our players with dream moves to Crystal Palace, Burnley etc.
What next? Endless stories of how the Ibrox bigwigs resisted enormous bids in order to keep El Buffalo for the rest of the season, the January transfer window isn’t far away so they’ll be busy, these leads and stories don’t make themselves up… oh, wait
Has anyone ever noticed that an acronym for the Delapidated Edwardian Toilet Block is almost DEBT- fact.
HH
Phil
MCPHAIL BHOY
Yeah, I read something similar. Surely that should be for clubs hit this year by the pandemic – not a safety net for those who have been run shoddily for the last five years.
I think you’re right though – chickens will come home to roost.
They’ve put everything into stopping the ten. If we win the league this year, we could go on for 12,13,14….who knows. Lose it, and we could be back to genuine two-horse races again – especially if/when the guaranteed CL place comes in.
“Gerrard thrilled by Zungu capture.”
“The final piece of the jigsaw.”
By Enid Blyton
PHIL, what if you called it the Delapidated Edwardian Block Toilet? Would that sort it?
Emeraldbee
Simple solutions for complex times, or complex solutions for simple times (tons)…😉😉🤣🤣
Cannot wait to be back in 202 again, just above you in 102 and where DD used to be.
BTW, am I havering, or are you located up Dundee way, or is it EK?
HH
Whilst some departures are regrettable, off loading players & loaning out players is a hugely important ingredient in building a top class Squad.
Forster, Bauer, Hayes, Kouassi, Benyu, Gordon, Miller, Aitchison, Burt & Simunovic have all left,
Guys who probably won’t make it at Celtic, like Hendry, Shved, Bolingoli & Bayo have been loaned out, taking them off the wage bill & hopefully setting them up for sale.
Young Turks like O’Connor, Afolabi & Robertson also loaned out, hopefully to return better players.
That really is a very impressive housekeeping job done & opened up the space for the magnificent 6 we brought in,
FRIESDORFER, EK it is, now gloriously sunny (if Jobo is looking out his ‘office’ window).
Yeh, desperate to get back, just hope and pray that if we are successful this season (taking nothing for granted) we all might get back in to Paradise for a party – the last few years have been fun on Trophy Day of course, but that one would be special.
Ave Ave
Big Jimmy- the Czech player was called Petras…..
.
On Laxalt
I remember him in WC 2018 in a flat back 4 while was extremely mean. Great signing
I watched Milan vs Shamrock Rovers and they have Theo Hernandez as their left back, brother of the Lucas Hernandez who plays LB for France and Bayern. Came in not long after our man from Madrid. He was clearly one of their best players
Bit unlucky for Laxalt and strange recruitment policy from Milan to splash a lot of cash 2 years running on left backs. maybe they see the loan as good for his development and have youngsters to cover Hernandez if injured
dislav Petráš (born 1 December 1946) is a former Slovak football player. He played 19 matches for Czechoslovakia national team and scored six goals. Petráš was a participant at the 1970 FIFA World Cup, where he played three matches and scored two goals. Petráš also took part in the Euro 1976, where his team won the gold medal.[1][2]
Domestically Petráš played for Dukla Banská Bystrica and later for Inter Bratislava.
Best window in a long time. Neil has now spent circa £35m in 3 windows. Has any other Celtic manager spent more in such a short period of time?
I thought i would get that in before someone else claims it.
PS. MALCLM ALLISON named him man of tournament “so far” in 1970 WORLD CUP.
FU- thanks for back up info
Charlie Nicholas reckons it was a pish window for us and a great one for the currants.
A half-decent wide-o who loved the taste of champagne and, latterly, soup.
Easy enough for anonymous blog pundits to do it, but dont know how it’s so easy for exCelts to turn on us so viciously.
Throbber just about covers it.
The Dilapidated Edwardian Blocked Toilet?
Naw?
:)
( well, it is fuull o’ krap ! )
HH
MadMitch @ 9:01 am (To SFTB)
Pure frontier gibberish.
We are performing well below our potential.
So live in the past if you want to — at the moment it is all we have.
——————————-
Ah!- So that’s the reasoning. We’re second best because CURRENTLY we are second in the table!
Is that it? With a game in hand- we are one point behind, therefore, we are clearly and indisputably 2nd best.
I suppose the only appropriate reply to such reasoning is:-
“I wash born here, an I wash raished here, and dad gum it, I am gonna die here, an no sidewindin’ bushwackin’, hornswagglin’ cracker croaker is gonna rouin me bishen cutter.”
Rolling_Stone
The figure is remarkable, especially when you compare it to the money spent by Rodgers which wasn’t huge over 3 years
Was Rodgers happy with the squad once he got it working to potential or was he looking as players that the board didn’t want to take a risk on?
Maybe there is less intrigue in the background and Lennon just fortuitously came in when we had cash (Demebele/Tierney) and the team was clearly overdue a refresh? Similar situation in 2010 but with less money (McGeady) when the board sanctioned several decent buys to set up a great squad
Surely, if Ibrox was built in 1902 it is Edwardian but the main stand was re-built in 1928 which makes it Georgian (V).
We’re gonna need a new acronym:-
Delapidated Old Georgian Prison Of Undoubted Negative Debtors
SFTB @ 10.47
At least you can see the funny side …
Your comments last night were worthy of Mel Brooks himself.
But he was playing for laughs — not so sure about your intentions.
My original point still stands — we have been playing some utter dross this season.
Not sure where it is all coming from — but we seem to have had an unsettled squad for the past 8 weeks.
Now we have three months of stability — hopefully that will focus some minds.
And hopefully we will up our game in the coaching and conditioning departments.
One final question — does the SPL test for drugs at the moment?
If we don’t then it is a big miss — what is the situation in the EPL?
Rolling_Stone on 6th October 2020 10:27 AM
One of the advantages Celtic fans have over Ibrox followers is the release of information through interim accounts. It’s straightforward for us to view our activity for each transfer window in real money.
Summer 2019 window we spent £13.8m and received £18.5m. These figures are in the Cash Flow for six months to end December. When the annual figures are released later this week, subtract those numbers from the same two lines in the annual Cash Flow to have the spend and receipt for the January 2020 winter window.
We’ll have the actual numbers for this current window by February 2021 when the interims to December are produced.
GF @ 11.06
Have the 19/20 full accounts been released yet?
If not then we are running 6 weeks behind the normal schedule.
CoViD19 will be a huge influence so it is the be expected.
ERNIE LYNCH on 6TH OCTOBER 2020 8:35 AM
indeed Ernie.😊
0.01:0.2 fc
hh
MadMitch on 6th October 2020
Nothing yet which is no surprise during the world trauma we’re trying to survive. The prolonged transfer window will be another reason because our activity there is always included in the various reports which accompany the numbers. Won’t be long I’m sure.
The club addressed the market with a COVID-19 trading update in May (an old fashioned profits warning couched in polite language). It troubles me this update isn’t included in the Exchange Notifications page of the website. It’s nothing to be ashamed about and we will post Profit. Not every club in the world will do the same this year.
https://www.londonstockexchange.com/news-article/CCP/covid-19-trading-update/14544296
Not too sure about any new lockdowns but know a lot about lockouts the past day or so.
Not good, missing out on all those abbreviations, initials and acronyms.
Welcome to DSLS! Oh aye.
Emerald…
Yes that would suit but its not proper grammer!!
HH
Phil.
right, business done and I am happy with it.
how many celts are properly on international duty ? anyone now ?
It’s nothing to be ashamed about and we will post Profit. Not every club in Glasgow will do the same this year.
Ah PHIL,
Given the pervading odour coming from that part of Glasgow, a small change might work AND be prpoer grammar!?
Delapidated Edwardian Blocked Toilet
Ave Ave
At least the Scotland – Israel game has a purpose to it, a possible route to the Euros next summer, but continuing the Euro Nations tourney, which itself was introduced to replace pointless friendlies well, is there a word for even more pointless? Well there is always an England – Wales friendly I suppose.
Saint Stivs loved your tongue in cheek comments at 12.43. Wee biscuit will be proud of you.
Emerald…
Okay you win
I’ll just have to admit that you know far more than me about grammar,acronyms and shite.
Lol
HH
Phil.
new article posted.
Especially shoite, Phil. I’m an expert.
LOL
Ave Ave
Never ceases to amaze me how many CQNrs, and others, still harbour the belief that SEVCO is about to go bust.