Stokes, Griffiths, desolation and competition

1003

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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  1. starry plough

     

     

    Might be a teaching granny to suck eggs thing ——-but just in case .

     

     

    A soul / jazz gem from 1972 has been reissued ————

     

     

    Bayete ———-Worlds around The Sun ( Omnivore CD/ DL )

  2. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS .........FC not PLC on

    SOUTH OF TUNIS

     

     

    Not sure you need to teach an omnivore to suck eggs.

  3. 67Heaven ... I am Neil Lennon, supporting WEE OSCAR..!!.. Ibrox belongs to the creditors on

    downforsam

     

     

    12:52 on 19 February, 2014

     

     

    Does anyone know if the staircase is still THERE……? ….(under the dust)

  4. CQteN Dream Team.

     

    What a tremendous response to Paul article today teams flooding in.

     

    Keep the coming, details below.

     

    “CQteN Dream Team” less than 3 weeks to go until the closing date!

     

     

    Now is your chance to select and influence the CQteN dream from the last decade,

     

     

    Email us on doccqten@gmail.com

     

     

    Rules are very simple:

     

     

    Select 11 players from the list below, forming either a 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 formation

     

     

    So you will need:

     

     

    1 goalkeeper

     

    2 full backs

     

    2 centre backs

     

    3 or 4 midfielders

     

    2 or 3 forwards

     

     

    and of course….

     

     

    1 manager.

     

     

    Each player on the list below has made at least 10 starting appearances from July 2004 to date during the CQteN decade.

     

     

    So no Henrik, Lubo,or Mjalby then!

     

     

    When you are selecting the players, you should ideally base your selection on their performances during the CQteN decade, but then again that is your choice.

     

     

    Send your selection to us by email to doccqten@gmail.com with your CQN blog name (if you do not have one, then you need to get thinking as well)

     

     

    Anybody can enter: bloggers, lurkers, friends and family, but you can only enter ONCE.

     

     

    The closing date for entries is 3pm Sunday 9th March 2014

     

     

    The CQteN dream team will be announced at the CQteN night on Friday 14th March and will be published online soon after. There will be a couple of prizes for the closest teams selected to the winning team.

     

     

    Good luck and get selecting for a fantastic competition..

     

     

    HH

     

     

    CRC

     

     

    Goalkeepers

     

    Appearances Clean sheets

     

    Artur Boruc (G)

     

    220 82

     

    David Marshall (G)

     

    30 9

     

    Fraser Forster (G)

     

    177 88

     

    Lukasz Zaluska (G)

     

    40 20

     

    Mark Brown (G)

     

    14 6

     

    Rab Douglas (G)

     

    19 11

     

     

    Full Backs

     

    Appearances Goals

     

    Total Total

     

    Adam Matthews (D)

     

    82 4

     

    Andreas Hinkel (D)

     

    101 1

     

    Cha Du-Ri (D)

     

    35 2

     

    Charlie Mulgrew (D)

     

    144 25

     

    Daniel Fox (D)

     

    22 0

     

    Darnell Fisher (D)

     

    10 0

     

    Edson Braafheid (D)

     

    11 0

     

    Emilio Izaguirre (D)

     

    132 1

     

    Jackie McNamara (D)

     

    44 1

     

    Lee Naylor (D)

     

    134 3

     

    Mark Wilson (D)

     

    116 3

     

    Mikael Lustig (D)

     

    57 5

     

    Mo Camara (D)

     

    24 0

     

    Paul Caddis (D)

     

    10 0

     

    Paul Telfer (D)

     

    71 1

     

    Ulrik Laursen (D)

     

    15 0

     

     

    Centre Backs

     

    Appearances Goals

     

    Total Total

     

    Bobo Balde (D)

     

    93 4

     

    Daniel Majstorovic (D) 61 2

     

    Darren O’Dea (D)

     

    49 6

     

    Efe Ambrose (D)

     

    73 5

     

    Gary Caldwell (D)

     

    147 7

     

    Glenn Loovens (D)

     

    84 9

     

    John Kennedy (D)

     

    14 0

     

    Joos Valgaeren (D)

     

    25 0

     

    Josh Thompson (D)

     

    19 3

     

    Kelvin Wilson (D)

     

    72 0

     

    Stanislav Varga (D)

     

    57 7

     

    Stephen McManus (D)

     

    195 20

     

    Steven Pressley (D)

     

    24 2

     

    Thomas Rogne (D)

     

    54 3

     

    Virgil van Dijk (D)

     

    31 4

     

     

    Midfielders

     

     

    Appearances Goals

     

    Total Total

     

    Aiden McGeady (M)

     

    194 36

     

    Alan Thompson (M)

     

    56 13

     

    Baram Kayal (M)

     

    88 3

     

    Barry Robson (M)

     

    40 7

     

    Didier Agathe (M)

     

    22 0

     

    Evander Sno (M)

     

    20 1

     

    Efrain Juarez (M)

     

    10 2

     

    Jiri Jarosik (M)

     

    35 7

     

    Joe Ledley (M)

     

    136 30

     

    Juninho Paulista (M)

     

    14 1

     

    Kris Commons (M)

     

    106 55

     

    Landry N’Guemo (M)

     

    43 0

     

    Marc Crosas (M)

     

    40 1

     

    Massimo Donati (M)

     

    34 4

     

    Neil Lennon (M)

     

    130 1

     

    Niall McGinn (M)

     

    15 6

     

    Pat McCourt (M)

     

    19 10

     

    Paul Hartley (M)

     

    74 4

     

    Ross Wallace (M)

     

    18 3

     

    Roy Keane (M)

     

    12 1

     

    Scott Brown (M)

     

    246 26

     

    Shaun Maloney (M)

     

    97 31

     

    Shunsuke Nakamura (M)

     

    157 33

     

    Stephen Pearson (M)

     

    11 4

     

    Stiliyan Petrov (M)

     

    94 24

     

    Sung-Yong Ki (M)

     

    60 11

     

    Thomas Gravesen (M)

     

    23 6

     

    Victor Wanyama (M)

     

    80 13

     

    Zheng Zhi (M)

     

    11 1

     

     

    Forwards

     

    Appearances Goals

     

    Total Total

     

    Anthony Stokes (F)

     

    100 55

     

    Chris Sutton (F) 43 18

     

    Craig Beattie (F)

     

    18 14

     

    Craig Bellamy (F)

     

    15 9

     

    Derek Riordan (F)

     

    13 8

     

    Gary Hooper (F)

     

    127 82

     

    Georgios Samaras (F)

     

    162 70

     

    Henri Camara (F)

     

    16 8

     

    James Forrest (F)

     

    85 22

     

    Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink (F)

     

    89 44

     

    John Hartson (F)

     

    83 50

     

    Kenny Miller (F)

     

    28 11

     

    Lassad Nouioui (F)

     

    10 3

     

    Maciej Zurawski (F)

     

    53 30

     

    Marc-Antoine Fortune (F)

     

    30 12

     

    Robbie Keane (F)

     

    17 16

     

    Scott McDonald (F)

     

    117 64

     

    Teemu Pukki (F)

     

    15 4

     

    Tony Watt (F)

     

    13 8

     

     

    Managers

     

     

    Neil Lennon

     

     

    Tony Mowbray

     

     

    Gordon Strachan

     

     

    Martin O’Neill

  5. Mmm –

     

     

    Wee Champions League thing on Sicilian radio _

     

     

    ” If Joe Hart is the best goalkeeper the English have then I dread to think what the rest are like..”

  6. Auldheid.

     

     

    The E.P.L. is a Tough League,in which tee Survice,

     

     

    That’s a Given.

     

     

    When Ah wiz making Ma Prediction of Celtic’s First Season Fate..

     

     

    Ah wiz .. basing that Prediction oan the Following:

     

     

    Celtic, wur Going to Enterthe E.P.L..

     

     

    with the Same Team Members extant ,as we hiv the Noo..

     

     

    Ah did not ,Consider.. Hoops or the Ither Lads We Hiv loast.. as Members of that Team..

     

     

    Also..

     

     

    Ah did not Know that Clubs , who were Newly elected tae the E.P.L.

     

    Received A Bumper T.V. Money Package..Up Front..

     

     

    Afore a Ba’ wiz Kicked..

     

     

    Ah hid reckoned that that T.V. allowance wiz only Granted . At the End of the Season..n only if the Team involved, survived ..the Drop.

     

     

    It Now appears that My Surmise ,concerning when Celtic wid Actually receive that T.V. Largessse…wiz an Inaccurate wan.

     

     

    then.. Obviously..

     

     

    If Celtic would have the Opportunity to add More Top Players tae their Present Line-Up, using that T.V. Money.. which they could Borrow Against..

     

     

    Thereby Strengthening their Prospects of Avoiding the Drop,at the End o’ their Virgin Year,

     

     

    In the Weeks Afore Officially Entering the E.P.L..

     

     

     

    Then..

     

     

    Sure. Ah believe we would Be able to Survive that First Critical Year,in the E.P.L

     

     

    Fur..

     

     

    “It’s Awe aboot the Money, Honey”

     

     

    N.. Don’t you .. EVAH.. Forgeet it!

     

     

    Kojo

     

     

    Still , Laughin.

  7. jude2005 is Neil Lennon \o/ on

    Janice Lockhart commentating at the curling. “The GB team must have a No Surrender attitude”. Mmmmmmmmmm

  8. Kojo

     

    12:50 on

     

    19 February, 2014

     

     

    Even of you spend just 1 season in the EPL and finish last you’re guaranteed a minimum of £60M due to EPL money and then parachute payments for 2 seasons.

  9. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS .........FC not PLC on

    MAH

     

     

    I ripped up my membership the day that slimeball became leader.

  10. eddieinkirkmichael on

    AULDHEID

     

     

    Well put as always, there is no way that those 13 clubs would sanction aCeltic being in the EPL but the clubs in the lower league may be tempted to allow entry, at what level is the issue for me.

     

    At what level would we be willing to enter the English setup? Obviously the preferred level would be Championship but what if the invite was for Conference? Would we accept that?

     

    I for one would grab it with both hands as it would allow steady progress while allowing us to gradually increase the quality on the pitch. To try and integrate more than say 3 top quality players in any one season would be to difficult and potentially lead to disaster, so for me an entry at a lower level makes more sense.

     

    It would also, hopefully, mean that we would continue to win a high percentage of our games. Something which Celtic fans are used to, imagine the pressure on the board and the manager if we were to get beat on a regular basis in our first season in the Championship or EPL.

     

    We don’t take defeats very well and if we enter at the lower league state this allows for the fans to get used to getting beat on a more regular basis as we move up the leagues.

  11. Doc is Neil Lennon

     

     

    The conference then work our way up. no teams will allow us to enter, example, entering the prem will never happen ahead of championship teams, it would be great us joining the conference then building ourselves up, win the FA cup and get Europe on the way no bother.

  12. We’re gonna buy Celtic Nation once they get into the conference

     

     

    We could be like Chivas Guadalajara and Chivas USA!

  13. TheOriginalSadiesBhoy on

    I would be grateful if any techies on here can help me. My wife can’t get access to her work on the family PC. When she tries to enter, a message comes up saying,

     

     

    “The User Profile Service failed the logon.

     

     

    User Profile cannot be loaded.”

     

     

    My wife doesn’t use a username/password to get into her work on the PC.

  14. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS .........FC not PLC on

    ROBERT88

     

     

    Bearing in mind the negative publicity down here in articles from “big-hitters” telling their readers just how awful we are,I think there may be something in the offing.

     

     

    Personally,I canny see it happening.

     

     

    But these people,Martin Samuel for instance,and others like Rod Liddell,won’t waste a column if there wasn’t serious talk.

     

     

    Ten twelve years ago we could have taken it to them. Now,too far behind to much less than cannon fodder.

     

     

    For the first few years….

  15. garygillespieshamstring on

    Do they seriously expect us to believe that in the event of Celtic being in a position to win the league in either of the two remaining home matches there will be no change in the date or time of the fixtures?

  16. What intrigues me is the possibility that Sevco will completely run out of money in the next few weeks (if they haven’t already) with absolutely no prospect of finding someone to put up the dosh. If there was someone, wouldn’t they have shown up by now?

     

     

    So, if they have zero left, the question of points deduction might not arise.

     

    If they fail to complete their fixtures….. now not even the SFA could bend/invent rules to get around that one!!

  17. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS .........FC not PLC on

    THEORIGINALSADIESBHOY

     

     

    POP3 problem,mate.

     

     

    She needs to contact her IT department.

     

     

    May have missed a required password update. Happened to me once when I was on holiday.

     

     

    My IT guru said-don’t you check stuff when you’re on holiday?

     

     

    As KOJO would say,still laughing!

  18. ” with absolutely no prospect of finding someone to put up the dosh. If there was someone, wouldn’t they have shown up by now?”

     

     

    Its easier to pick up the pieces, buy the assets and start fresh. Hopefully another lot of Spivs

  19. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS .........FC not PLC on

    timaloy29

     

     

    12:35 on 19 February, 2014

     

    Neil McCann says that Celtic need to bring in more of their youth players to the first team. For once I agree. I have been moaning about it for a while.

     

     

    However, when I think about the under-20′s games I have watched over the past couple of years I think of these players as the ones who could have “made it”

     

     

    Jackson Irvine (on loan at Killie)

     

    Tony Watt (On loan)

     

    FIlip Twardzik (Been out 18 months)

     

    Paul George (On loan at Accies)

     

     

    The first team currently have Fisher and Forrest from the first team.

     

     

    If I was managing our transfer policy I wouldn’t want to sign much in the summer unless they were really special

     

     

    We will have good young players returning from loan and injury to integrate into the already bloated squad.

     

     

    ~~~~~~~~~~~**~~~~~~~~~

     

     

    Sorry,bud.

     

     

    Meant to say that I totally agree with this.

     

     

    For me,the demise of the huns was a four year window of opportunity to blood youth and blend it with experience.

     

     

    Heyho…

  20. TheOriginalSadiesBhoy on

    bobby murdoch’s curled-up winklepickers ………fc not plc

     

     

    13:29 on 19 February, 2014

     

     

    twists n turns

     

     

    13:29 on 19 February, 2014

     

     

    Thanks a million ghuys.

     

     

    Hail! Hail!

  21. Whilst I can accept English football is not as strong as some of their media would have us believe, neither is it in my opinion as bad as some are making out.

     

     

    English teams have contested 7 of the last 9 CL finals, only missing out last year and in 2010. In that same period, (9 years) the only Spanish club to have contested a final is Barcelona.

     

     

    The breakdown over that period of teams (country) competing in the final is

     

     

    England (8 appearances)

     

    Man Utd (3)

     

    Arsenal (1)

     

    Liverpool (2)

     

    Chelsea (2)

     

     

    Spain (3)

     

    Barcelona (3)

     

     

    Germany (4)

     

    Bayern Munich (3)

     

    Dortmund (1)

     

     

    Italy (3)

     

    AC (2)

     

    Inter (1)

     

     

    I would suggest that outside of Barca and Bayern, the much lauded Spanish, German and Italian leagues lack depth of quality as much as the EPL does.

     

     

    In fact, since Barclays got involved in the EPL, (1992) I’d argue the English teams’ performances in Europe have strengthened. For the 7 years prior to that, English teams hadn’t been in a final.

     

     

    Undoubtedly the cost to their game has been the national team decline. As the big money comes in, attracting the foreign mercenaries, the club sides are full of foreign players, which can only be bad long term.

     

     

    English club sides will be there or thereabouts in Europe for the foreseeable future. The national side will continue to slump as a cost. They have fallen behind Chile, USA, Greece, Switzerland, Columbia. They are ranked 15th, and falling.

     

     

    The reason Spain and Germany have managed to stay on top is that there are more home internationalists in their top teams of Barca and Bayern. England club sides won’t drop out of the CL picture, as long as the current tv deal is in place, but their national side will soon drop out the top 20.

     

     

    Scotland’s national side will be capable of turning them over soon enough!

  22. theoriginalsadiesbhoy

     

     

    13:24 on 19 February, 2014

     

    I would be grateful if any techies on here can help me. My wife can’t get access to her work on the family PC. When she tries to enter, a message comes up saying,

     

     

    “The User Profile Service failed the logon.

     

     

    User Profile cannot be loaded.”

     

     

    My wife doesn’t use a username/password to get into her work on the PC.

     

     

    Is she no being a bit optimistic trying to get into her work in her PC. Why don’t you give her a lift or tell her to get the bus.

  23. BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS ………FC not PLC

     

     

    I agree but i think thats more as a deflection at whats on offer in England, we are an easy target, no matter what we do its oh well its the SPL so you should go unbeaten a whole season…. Fraser breaking records…

     

     

    I do agree its a long shot us moving leagues, but long term i cant see the SPL improving or getting better deals to increase revenue to help it improve and because of that the gap will continue to increase between us and other leagues in Europe not just the EPL and the attraction decrease to the point of the football becoming part time.

  24. RE: City/FCB last night

     

     

    Red card yes.

     

     

    Pen no. Outside the box.

     

     

    Foul on Navas was a dive.

     

     

    Clichy penalty would have been harsh.

     

     

    Mascherano got away with typical latin fouling (shirt-pulling) in the box.

     

     

    Demechelis is getting all the blame. Navas and Kompany should be taking some of it

  25. the long wait is over on

    Mea Culpa

     

     

    “If they fail to complete their fixtures…..”

     

     

    Unless they shut the doors at the big hoose I can’t see that happening , ever.

     

     

    All they need are 11/ 14 bodies and a manager.

     

     

    The boys would be played.

     

     

    The manager would work for free. He’s done that and take a wage cut of 50% already , hasn’t he?

     

     

    Oh , wait a minute…

  26. TnT

     

     

    As someone who (cannae help masel’) takes stats very much into account I found that interesting so thanks for that.

     

    On your last point – not soon enough. ;-)

  27. Bmcuw

     

     

    Off course you being a apologist for the Labour Party will spout the propaganda. You seriously think that that during the thirteen years of misrule Labour did a great job for Scotland. Every major decision made by SNP for the benefit of us Scottish residents such as free tuition has been opposed by Labour. So please no more of pot calling drivel.

  28. macjay, it seems to be working for 11.2 Million Cubans,

     

    if by socialism you mean healthy and,educated,the quality of life that has transpired there in 50 years,..and extending that to less fortunates in Africa and South America with aid via doctors, medicines.

     

    My auld ma used to regale me with her favourite mantra,”As long as you have your health,thats all that counts”…. so maybe they dont have the material trappings of the West,electronic gadgets,mobile phones etc. So what?a longer life will compensate meantime,the USA Blockade will wither and die in time,

     

    And everybody needs help at some time or other! you obviously missed the banking crisis,but the USA can and do just print money to get over their “leeetle” problem

  29. LiviBhoy - God bless wee Oscar on

    twists n turns

     

     

    They have 4 teams in the group stages. They spend millions on players. They should be contesting every other final.

     

    How the rest of Europe can compete is beyond me. Look at the Italian sides. They are toiling big time.

     

    There is no doubt they have great players and a decent league but their players are thrown together in most cases and are not teams blended over the years with the exception of Man Utd under Ferguson and Wengers side which he appears to have been building for 10 years.

     

    The problem the EPL has is that the players believe the hype that the league is the best.

     

     

    LB

  30. Kojo,

     

     

    I agree that Celtic would struggle in the epl in their inaugural season and quite possibly they might never win a championship for 10+ years.

     

     

     

    But you can’t say we’d enter with the same team as we have right now.

     

     

    Championship clubs NEVER not buy after promotion and neither would we.