Anthony Stokes started the season with a flurry, scoring four goals in the first three league games of the season, but he managed just another three goals before the arrival of Leigh Griffiths two weeks ago. He has since scored against Aberdeen in the Cup as well as Sunday’s hat-trick against St Johnstone.
Three goals in 28 appearances is a desolate return for a Celtic striker, especially during a season where the team have been so dominant, and would have contributed to Neil Lennon insisting a striker, capable of scoring regularly in the league, was recruited in January. Managers often talk about needing competition for places, so it’s natural that we should extrapolate from the arrival of Griffiths. While we may see both strikers play together between now and the end of the season I’m not convinced the manager will have this pairing in his mind for next season.
A generous CQN’er, who would like to remain below radar, has offered £1000 sponsorship of the CQteN Dream Team, if 125 people submit a team. The Dream Team is your chance to select your team from those who have played 10 or more games during the CQN decade.
Select 11 players in either a 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 formation; you’ll need a goalkeeper, two full backs, two central defenders, 3 or 4 midfielders and 2 or 3 forwards. You also need to select a manager from the decade.
The team judged as the strongest will be announced at the CQteN St Patrick’s Dinner on 14 March. The event is open to bloggers and lurkers but you can only enter ONCE. Closing date is 3pm, Sunday 9 March. There will be prizes!!
So far around 60 people have entered teams so we have lots to do to hit the £1000 target. For a comprehensive list of players who are eligible for selection, see CRC’s comment here. Email your entry to Doc here, and remember to include a manager: doccqten@gmail.com
If you would like to read the new CQN Magazine, GO HERE to read properly, and for FREE, the graphic below is just a taster.
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An Tearmann 10:46 on 19 February, 2014
There is no talking to them. English football is a circus. Only the English fail to see how poor the standard actually is in that league. I could walk into a room filled with EPL players and I wouldn’t even know most of them.
Meanwhile, we have people coming on here trying to downplay Celtic’s win against Barcelona. In similar circumstances to last night, Celtic were a Charlie Mulgrew header away from getting another result against Barcelona this season.
Yet people come on here and rave about English football. Barca didn’t even play particularly well last night and they totally controlled the game.
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS ………FC not PLC 10:59 on 19 February, 2014
I’ve got the original version of that.
And it’s by THE VALENTINE BROTHERS!
———
Surely a family heirloom?
You’re far too young to have been around when that came out…
Shuggiebhoy67
09:24 on
19 February, 2014
I love Cubans.
Human rights?
Why don`t Cubans have a vote?
The most basic of human rights.
54 years of Fidel Castro,followed by Raul,Castro`s brother.
Healthy political system?
Keep it in the family.
Mate.You`re a Tim.
Forget politics and the system.Think about the people.
South Africans now have a vote.
What`s wrong with Cubans that they are not permitted a vote?
Steinreignedsupreme
Totally agree on the English league. If they don’t put a rule in regarding the amount of foreign players per team they are going to end up toiling to fill their national side. I would take them in Scotland’s group for the Euro’s. I think Scotland could take something from both matches. The other sides in pot one would beat Scotland home and away.
LB
Embdae any photos of the Beanie Hats,colour,cost etc ta
The EPL keep banging on about ‘Best League in the World’ but the number of mind-numbingly boring games on TV don’t back that up. They just stock their teams with average players but as long as they are foreigners ‘attracted’ by the ludicrous wages then that’s ok. And they wonder why their national team is pants!
All the worlds top players play in Spain, followed by Germany and France (not so much Italy these days) – you just have to check the annual football awards to see that.
Also the European team of the year featured no English or EPL players if I remember.
And let’s not forget their balanced and level headed commentators and pundits – talk about sour grapes and excuses !! And obviously never read the Laws of the Game as is countenanced by the orgasmic exclamation when a ball goes anywhere near a hand!
Best thing that could happen to the EPL would be Sky going bust – then we would see just how strong the league is and how many egotistical oligarchs and billionaires would leave to have their egos stroked in other leagues !!!
gorbalstam
09:31 on
19 February, 2014
macjay1 for Neil Lennon
09:17 on
19 February, 2014
Well Macjay, now that you’ve agreed that you’re first statement was nonsense, would there be any point in taking heed of anything else you said?
————————————————————————————————————————-
Forgive me.
I was under the impression that I was communicating with a rational human being.
Steinreignedsupreme
11:03 on 19 February, 2014
‘Barca didn’t even play particularly well last night and they totally controlled the game.’
###
Only once they went a man up.
Its quite strange reading everyone tell me that the EPL is pants when for the past 10 or 15 years EPL sides have featured very heavily in the CL semi finals and finals
Personally i think that our current Celtic side would struggle even against the bottom half of the EPL
Greenpinata
10:28 on 19 February, 2014
NatKnow – Supporting Wee Oscar @ 10.10.
Hypothetically if Edward Snowdon was a Russian whistleblower ( Эдуард Snowdown ) and was given refuge in the USA do you think the students would be clamouring for their typewriters in such record numbers.?
Many students are idealistic at Uni but dramatically change their views when they enter the real world. ( Not necessarily for the better ) cue John Reid and Alistair Darling both avid communists in their younger days.
HH.
—————————————————————————–
If he was Russian and Russia had committed the same act and he was seeking asylum in USA I think clamour would be even greater – for the reason that Russian justice is usually considered, if anything, even more draconian than US justice. I get the impression you might be thinking of this as a Right vs Left debate or Goodies vs Baddies. It is not. It is to do with personal freedom and affects everyone across the world and how much we want the State to control our lives. I’m a free-thinker and I want to keep my freedom.
I agree that young people can be idealistic. Thank goodness for that. Because we need something to balance and challenge the cynicism, politics, greed and lack of compassion that prevails in the adult world.
Still got a handful of place available for CQTEN on Friday 14th March – one CQNer has bought a table of ten but isn’t coming and wants the money to go to the charity – more on this from Paul.
So if you want to come along please let me know – remember too we have a 50% discount available for those on low incomes or unemployed – just ask for the discount and it is sorted!
We also have the virtual tickets for those who want to be involved and contribute but can’t make it along – ideal for Celts abroad etc
These virtual tickets cost £50 and for this you get:
CQTEN matchday style ticket
CQTEN t shirt
Green Cqn badge
Copy of Seville book signed by loads of CQNers at the dinner
Wee bottle of whisky
Souvenir menu ( zero calories!)
Postage – wherever you are and most importantly a £20 donation to Mary’s Meals re the Cqn kitchen in Malawi
You can email BRTH on this – editor@cqnmagazine.com
Ernie
Barca controlled the game from beginning to end, 11 men or 10 – and they never got out of first gear. That was their game plan – keep possession – wait for the opportunity and take the chances. This is exactly how it panned out.
If they had needed to lift the pace , they could have. It was about getting a result to take home to the Camp Nou.
Mission accomplished.
Steinreignedsupreme @ 11.03 hrs.
Very true. Charlie Mulgrew should have scored. No excuses. I do not buy the defence that he’s not a forward.
That’s how fine the margin is between success and failure. ( Failure is a word that I personally do not like but it is cliché which is often used )
Ref the EPL. It is English by geography only and must ultimately devastate the English national team. Even the geography may change as the idea of playing games in various countries will not go away.
It is competitive but the standard is not great. It is however the biggest circus in these Islands by far.
HH and back to the Curling.
STEINREIGNEDSUPREME 1106
Why,thank you,kind sir!
Is it any wonder that I big you up to friends and acquaintances?
Someone told me it was like a dance version of “B-MOVIE” so that was good enough for me. Maybe not my type of music,but certainly my type of sentiment.
It still gets a regular airing on the oul’ turntable just to annoy the copper who lives next door. Btw,he’s a hun fae Stirling-ish. He gets a lot worse than The Valentine Brothers…
LiviBhoy – God bless wee Oscar 11:09 on 19 February, 2014
England are already struggling at national level.
Watch them in the World Cup – the players are dead on their feet after an hour in every match.
Scottish football supporters are honest enough to acknowledge the many faults in our game. But the English really do believe they are the bees knees.
Only Zombies are more deluded.
embramike supporting wee Oscar and Res 12
They confuse money for best! thats the problem, january transfer window, all this hype about smashing the amount of money spent as opposed to saying that a team has signed a quality player that could help them win the league for example, its more along the lines of we signed so and so but for a record breaking £50 million, no mention of who or what the player has done, does my nut in!
With regards to Sky going, BT will step in and the money unfortunately will be there for the forseeable future, however a sign of things to come is the health of the teams in the richest league in the world, the a,mount of teams making losses is extra ordinary compared to the incomes, the rich oligarchs use the clubs for money laundering and nothing else, not as a play thing!
Watch the two escobars and compare that to the prem and many of the owners!
I wonder what Neil learned from last nights game ?
ernie lynch 11:16 on 19 February, 2014
Barca never looked ruffled at any stage.
TV panel commentator to Andy Townsend…….”so do you think the tie is finished for City”?
LMAO….bless their little cotton socks.
City had a couple of half chances and one excellent effort by Silva……..Barca could/should have scored 4+ goals.
Anyone in Scotland subscribing to SKY does no one any favours at all. They take our money and kill our game while giving nothing in return……….dump them!
Robert88
Is that the Columbian Escobars of the Sevco Escobar brothers ??
embramike supporting wee Oscar and Res 12
11:22 on 19 February, 2014
If the roles had been reversed and Man City awarded a penalty and Barca had a man sent off the result would have been different.
There’s no doubt Barca were the better team and deserved to win,but they didn’t totally control the game for 90 minutes.
EMBRAMIKE
I know what you mean about the handball calls,but I think the law is wrong.
Just my opinion,obviously,but deliberate or not,if an advantage is gained because of handball,it should be a penalty.
I’d like to see any referee anywhere else in the world bar Scotland justify the one given against Joe Ledley v Hearts.
embramike supporting wee Oscar and Res 12
Lol!
NatKnow – Supporting Wee Oscar @ 11.18 hrs.
Many thanks for your well reasoned counter argument. I too am a great believer in free speech within acceptable parameters, hence IMO talking of banning people and media outlets contradict everything I believe in.
However the opportunity to vote for freedom of speech in Russia was and still is available. i.e. the band “Pussy Riot”
Thanks and HH
I’m Neil Lennon (tamrabam) 11:17 on 19 February, 2014
“Its quite strange reading everyone tell me that the EPL is pants when for the past 10 or 15 years EPL sides have featured very heavily in the CL semi finals and finals”
“They have four teams in the competition ever year. It’s no surprise that they have teams in the latter stages.”
“Personally i think that our current Celtic side would struggle even against the bottom half of the EPL”
I don’t think Celtic would struggle at all playing in that league. Why would Celtic struggle against the likes of Stoke, Crystal Palace, Newcastle, Cardiff and West Ham?
kevjungle
11:26 on 19 February, 2014
I wonder what Neil learned from last nights game ?
1. That Barca are inverted heightists and would benefit from a VVD type in defence. Hands off my Catalan pals!!
2. That Izzy & Dani Alvez have a lot in common!
3. That it’s always best to put the ball in front of the boy to run onto when breaking at pace.
4. That the wonderful Xavi is starting to wane.
5. That we currently employ England’s best goalkeeper!
HH jamesgang
I think that the regular appearances of English clubs in the latter stages of the CL is due to the non football related sending system.
An open draw, Heavens forfend, would find them out sooner.
KevJungle 11:26 on 19 February, 2014
“I wonder what Neil learned from last nights game ?”
That 10 men Celtic made a better first of it against Barcelona that 10 men Man City.
The current Celtic squad would have difficulties in the EPL. But with the additional £50M or so a year we would receive from tv revenue we would soon be able to cope very nicely.
kitalba
09:26 on
19 February, 2014
G`day,mate.
Now that was interesting.
My Faith has taken a bit of a pounding after various revelations about ,not sin,but ecclesiastical cover-up of paedophilia.
The Nixon syndrome.
Reading about the Pope,an Argentinian , and his opinion on economics fills me with dread.
“Render unto Caesar….etc…..etc.
What`s his record on Argentinian capitalism?
Where`s his opinion on same.
Argentina is a monument to the unacceptable face of capitalism(Edward Heath),not to mention fascism.
Argentina and our Pope reinforce the opinion of non-Catholics that fascism and Catholicism go hand in glove.
Pal.
Now starting to see myself as a Christian first and a Catholic second.
A common error, in my view, when evaluating how well Celtic would do in the EPL, is overlooking the probability that we would have a better class of player, commensurate with a higher income.
jamesgang
11:35 on 19 February, 2014
______________________
Steinreignedsupreme
11:36 on 19 February, 2014
______________________
Thanks for yer answers guys.
HH
Steinreignedsupreme
It will soon be 5 EPL teams in the champs league, 4 automatic and a 5th through playoffs
Id expect them to be in the semi, finals etc with the money available to buy anyone they want.
The league itself is not great and the Pr machine is doing a great job of papering over the obvious cracks.
Expose Celtic to that kind of money and the EPL would realise what a ‘big’ team can do in every sense of the word.
WINNING CAPTAINS. 1118
While I appreciate the magnificent gesture from the CQNer who has paid for a table despite not attending,does this mean there will actually be an empty table?
IIRC,the original capacity was 450,now 440?
We are all aware that some of us on here-and there but for The Grace of God go us all-are having a hard time just now. Is there any way those ten places can be offered without fanfare? i.e. No mention of it on the blog,just a quiet request via mail with a name of someone who will appreciate it?
Not that I have anyone in mind-honest-but I’m sure others will. Just a thought…
!!bada bing!!
11:10 on 19 February, 2014
twitpic.com/dpdfyb
You can order them here
PaddyBhoy1888
Nom de blog on back and CQN on front. Designs vary slightly from production runs, but they’re all green:-)
Gordon_J backing Neil Lennon
11:37 on 19 February, 2014
‘The current Celtic squad would have difficulties in the EPL. But with the additional £50M or so a year we would receive from tv revenue we would soon be able to cope very nicely.’
###
Quite.
The other way to look at it is how would the EPL sides do in the SPFL if they had the same budget as us.
*****
Sending = seeding.
PaddyBhoy1888
patmcg1888@aol.com