Anthony Stokes is in the best form of his Celtic career at the moment, arguably the best form of his life if you overlook his stunning cameo at Falkirk. It’s hard to know if this is related to no longer being in the shadow of a more favoured son, or if Anthony has just got his ‘stuff’ together, but his intervention was absolutely crucial in our only Champions League win so far. He had all the wisdom necessary to bate an opponent into a clumsy foul.
The psychology of a three year contract, worth more money, before performance bonuses, than the player will be able to spend is not always a good thing for a footballer, but the competition for a starting berth up front for Celtic is acute. On the back of his winning goal on Sunday Amido Balde has been talking about his ambitions to secure a regular place, Teemu Pukki is guaranteed nothing while Georgios Samaras has been used regularly as a striker. Anthony will remain under pressure to perform.
All of this competition will come into sharp focus in Amsterdam next week. Celtic will come under pressure for most of the game, but this is something they are comfortable with. We will need someone to exploit the openings Ajax will leave in their defence. Put your money on Anthony for the George McCluskey role.
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Fenway getting smoked out by the fireworks…UEFA will hit them with a fine :)
Hail Hail
“Boston is the only place where the Police tell you to stay in the bars when celebrating a Victory”
Have I just logged on to rounders quick news. Whits next netball??
PETER LAWWELL wants Neil Lennon to stay as Celtic boss for years.
It still won’t stop Hoops chief Lawwell drawing up a shortlist of potential replacements for the gaffer.
Lennon’s stock has never been higher in his three years plus in the job.
Celts are on course for three in a row and are in the Champions League group stages.
Lawwell has worked very well with Lennon, the duo forming a formidable partnership.
He is realistic enough to know the point will come when an approach is made to take the Hoops boss away.
On the scenario of Lennon being targeted, Lawwell said: “Being realistic, that is one of the by-products of success.
“Our people are courted and the most high profile guy, the most prominent guy in that success has been Neil Lennon.
“Neil has done a fantastic job here and if he continues to progress I’m sure he will be courted at some point.
“I don’t think fearful is the right word but we need to be realistic and accept that.
“I actually take a lot of pleasure in that, for him and for us, and plan for the succession.
“No matter who you are talking about, commerical director or marketing director or finance director, as chief executive you have to be looking within the organisation for people to take over.
“There is nothing specific. We are not looking for a manager.
“We hope Neil will be here for many years but it’s just in a general sense you have to think about his successor.
“You can’t bury your head in the sand. Hopefully, though, Neil is here for the rest of his career.”
Lawwell insisted there has never been interest in Lennon from other clubs.
Regardless of the manager, Lawwell also isn’t daft to ignore the possibilities of clubs coming in for Celtic’s star players in January.
Keeper Fraser Forster, poised to get his first England cap, is a prime example.
Celtic have just got striker Anthony Stokes tied down on a new contract until 2016.
Lawwell is also closing in on deals for Georgios Samaras and Joe Ledley while mindful of the likes of Kris Commons and Mikael Lustig. The Hoops have long established a successful pattern of bringing players in, developing them, then cashing in big time. Lawwell insists that won’t change.
On this and contract talks, he added: “These things sort themselves out.
“If we are bringing players here to develop them and get in the Champions League and they do well, then England is down the road.
“They come here and see what is happening. If we are offered the right fee we will take it and re-invest it in another keeper or another centre-forward or another midfielder.
“Also within that equation, if a player is trebling or quadrupling his wages then it is an easy decision for him, so there is no real friction preventing that happening.
“The player is happy, the club, for the right fee, is happy and the buying club are happy.
“No matter what we do there is a realisation that in a very short period of time, the market down south can pay huge amounts of money that we could never compete with.”
Hitman Samaras has been a standout in Europe again, and Lawwell is keen to get him to follow Stokes in penning a new deal.
He said: “We are meeting Sami’s guys next week and we are in constant discussion with Joe Ledley’s people.
“Hopefully we’ll get some form of resolution before the end of December.
“I think both are keen to stay and realise what it means to play for Celtic. We need to do it ideally before the transfer window.”
Almost 18 months ago SFA chief Stewart Regan described a Scottish football with Rangers banished to the wilderness for at least three years as an ‘Armageddon’ script.
It has not worked out that way at Parkhead with Celtic, thanks largely to Champions League riches, in remarkable financial health.
Lawwell added: “At the time we said we had our own strategy, not dependent on any other club, which I think we have delivered on so far.
“That strategy was built around the hope of European participation and also the trading of players. We have been able to deliver on that and it will continue as we go forward.
“As far as Celtic are concerned, we are doing well. We have got real good stability, a good foundation to take us forward, a great young management team and a good team on the park — and we are playing in the Champions League.
“Looking to the longer term, we know the game in Scotland still has its challenges.”
Sydneytim
Lol
Been reading back while on nightshift.Contrary to popular belief, this whisky does after all make itself.
Best wishes to Fernando Ricksen. A bit of a daft lad but far from the worst. This sort of thing goes in my opinion beyond football rivalries. Be glad that we are above the type of comments that would appear on FF or RM if a similar illness struck one of our own. It’s one of the things that makes us different.
Glad to see that by and large there is a lot of respect for others opinions on the ‘watch the hoops against sevco / watch the hoops at Ibrox’ scenario. I personally would never visit Ibrox and have no desire to ever see us play the tribute act but that is only my opinion and I’m sure that, as has been mentioned, a true bhoycot would be impossible given the range of views.
Both Hibs and Hearts are awfull and that we have to play against these teams and others like them on a weekly basis is a major obsticle to further progress in Europe. It is creditable that we compete as well as we do when you see our usual level of opposition.
I haven’t been on much since the Ajax game having spent a few days in Lisbon over the weekend. Was humbled and amazed at the walk up to Estadio National on Saturday. Minx suggested I took tissues and to be honest I was a bit damp. There were rugby posts up and preparations for a game going on with players leaving training and groundsmen everywhere. When my mate and I walked in, the security guard approached, noticed my hoops and said that he understood I was from Scotland and wanted to see round but that he would have to clear it with his director, a big chap stood on the pitch, with a clipboard, talking to some other important looking types. We waited about ten minutes while they chatted and the guard eventually came back over and said it was ok but to stay off the pitch and to enjoy myself. He added that he was a Sporting fan himself so liked the hoops and we shook hands as brothers. What a place. So evocotive.
HH
cowiebhoy
20:24 on 30 October, 2013
Bhoys
It is with a real heavy heart I come on tonight.
Today I lost a very real friend, and Celtic lost a real fanatic in
Robert Murphy
Rest in Peace BIg Yhin, and thanks for the great memories, both in following our beloved Celtic, and for being a friend
Big Rab, met a few of the CQN Bhoys at the recent CSA night, so he would have got into our clique, although would have said call yourself Feck.n Celtic fans
Hail Hail
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
COWIEBHOY,
My sincere condolences on the loss of yer buddy. Please convey my good wishes to his family.
R I P Big Rab.
Good morning friends from a dry (again) clear skied (again) and a tad chilly (again) East Kilbride.
Mornin’ all
Dropped in to read last night’s posts and thought I’d inadvertently logged in to a wee girls primary school site “Rounders Quick News”. I never realised that ‘Rounders’ was so popular in America, what do they call Rounders in North America – Baseball i think?
What next Netball Quick news or whatever our American cousins re named another wee girls game :-)
HH
Good morning CQN from a bright and dry Nordrhein Westfalen predicted high of 12*C. A happy Halloween to one and all, just make sure you don’t break health and safety regulations when you’re dookin fur aipples. Remember we’re living in an age where health and safety rules ya bass and has seen the demise of the City Bakers’ Halloween cake with its hidden trinkets.
On a more serious note, Cowiebhoy I’m sorry to hear about the sad loss of your friend Rab, may the good Lord have mercy on his soul. As for Fernando the Commando may he have the strength to deal with this horrible illness I would not wish this disease on any human being.
Cowiebhoy
R I P to your mates family
F R never liked him but best wishes fella,
Horrible illness
HH
Cowiebhoy
Sorry that didn’t come out right
R I P YOUR FRIEND
HH
morning all from a hun free league
From the FT only 6 days to do it ;-)
Get your application in, you know you want to!
As delusional as ever, will these peepul never cop on?
Just so the scores from last night
Go on the Dandy Dons!
HH
BGFC
CELTIC GIVING LAST YEARS 125 STRIP AWAY IF YOU SPEND OVER £50 IN STORE..
OK WITH CHRISTMAS COMING UP….
I’ll stop shouting now… o)
Peter,peter,peter
With your SFA hat on,
If you felt there was a direct conflict of interest,re the comlex issue of D.King,you stated that you would forgo your SFA duties ie do nothing.
Yet want us to believe you pushed SFA and UEFA to the limit about licensing of the dead club.
Seems to me you only develop a pair when dealing with your own fans.
Sorry feel better now. Back to lurking
Hh
Never mess with your next door neighbours wheelie bin.
From this
To this
In the space of 20 years. Hail! Hail!
Be original this Halloween
– and dress your wean as Gordon Ramsey
Morning Lhads…isn’t this technology lark great, where you can work from home, and log on to CQN….and get pelters:)
HH
Solmick
Not a massive PL fan, but your statement is not true, in that he said he would opt out of any discussion regarding King.
Lets not create hysteria regarding something that did not happen.
Pogma
Nicely done, – without wishing to start the ole London Rd school debate, demolition starts
soon.
Big Rab…
Never knew or met you
R.I.P
Ayrshire is Green and White
TGM
If you’re working from home on your lonesome, go bollock naked except for an oversized sized shirt, – it’s a whizz.
bournesouprecipe
08:24 on 31 October, 2013
“If you’re working from home on your lonesome, go bollock naked except for an oversized sized shirt, – it’s a whizz.”
Ah right! So have I been going wrong all these years with a crop top?
bournesouprecipe
08:20 on 31 October, 2013
————————————–
PMSL, does that rank as child abuse?
http://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/oct/30/brazilian-footballer-decapitated-world-cup-rio
Dreadful story
Cowiebhoy my condolences on the passing away of your friend, he will be in good company up there with jinky, big jock etc.
cadizzy
You need a Butler’s six pack for a crop top
Hi Ho Hi Ho – it’s away to work I go
Hail Hail
BSR
The good one is away to work….now that its Halloween, I get to cackle a lot, talk to myself, and generally pretend to work:)
HH
BSR, another crime against fine architecture, St Enoch’s Station comes to mind and, dare I say it, Paisley main police station, though I’m sure one or two people were delighted with the latter :-)
Interesting interview with STV and PL, sounds like PL is keeping his powder dry till the AGM
(Clever Man) and does not seem to worried about it either.
The man is a legend, ok he has not pleased everyone, but if you can find a better man and a sharper guy in the football business world.then you would be doing well.
The even better thing about him is he bleeds Celtic, and no one can argue that.
Yes he is a business man first, that’s his job running our club, keeping things on an even keel.
On the resolution? It will be interesting to hear why he is saying back off, he is not a silly man to come away with a statement like that without back up, I am only stating my opinion here, and I am not up for a debate or discussion on this, as far as I am concerned the debating on the subject has been exhausted, and it should be left on the back burner until the AGM. HAILHAIL.
From the Guardian…..this guy is so stupid, his stupidity is almost as great as his offensiveness.
“In the US, comedy claims a politician’s scalp. Last Wednesday, satirical broadcaster,
Aasif Mandvi from The Daily Show interviewed Don Yelton, chair of the Buncombe County Republican Party, about a new voter ID law in North Carolina. Given rope, Yelton duly hanged himself with remarks on race that shamed even the GOP. He referred to “lazy blacks [who want] the government to give them everything”, and said: “when I was a young man, you didn’t call a black a black, you called him a negro” – comments that prompted the amazed Mandvi to ask Yelton: “You know we can hear you, right?” The consequence? Yelton quits, and his party scramble to dissociate themselves. “Mr Yelton’s comments are offensive, uniformed, and unacceptable of any member within the Republican Party,” its spokesman claimed.”
There is a great typo in that extract I just posted
uniformed should probably read uninformed……or was it not a typo at all?
Tonydonnelly67
C,mon lhad, you cant get away with that, you are being far too positive there
Is big Peter standing behind you, whispering in to your ear:)
HH
TD
We will doubtless discuss it after agm.
We could maybe all retire to your local in the south side as we are open to offers for post agm bevvy…
HH
Cadizzy
Plenty of WASP cousins of similar intellect up here