Strikers and the comfort zone

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There’s something healthy when the arrival of a new striker, who has yet to trouble the net, has raised the game of an incumbent.  If you talk to footballers they’ll tell you they need to be challenged.  Even most greats hit a comfort zone, where they know they are cherished by manager and fans alike, so that knot in the stomach about where the next contract is coming from never materialises.

Gary Hooper missed this at Celtic.  He was the apple of Neil Lennon’s eye, and clearly top striker at Celtic, but a few seasons in his appetite for the same old challenge seemed to wane.  I’m assured by those who shared a dressing room with Henrik Larsson, this was one area which set the Swede aside.  The accolades meant nothing to him, he wanted every trophy, every record, which perhaps indicates why he captured the Champions League in his mid-30s.

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538 Comments

  1. blantyretim is praying for the Knox family on

    Lovingly

     

    I’m away before I get into trouble

     

     

    8))

  2. Jungle Jim Hot Smoked on

    Have to go out. If anyone responds to my 11:35 request, thanks. I will read it later.

     

    Cheerio for now,

     

    JJ

  3. Re the Feyenoord Tournament 1981, was one of my favourite trips abroad. We stayed for the whole tournament in Rotterdam, loads of Celtic fans did. Great time, great memories por cierto

  4. Looks like TET might get commissioned to put together a muzzle to match the colours eh

  5. Bottle of Chips

     

     

    I saw this expression was used here overnight but it was I believe misused.

     

     

    When I lived in Edinburgh a friend of mine from Loanhead would use the expressiom

     

     

    Queer as a bottle of chips.

     

     

    The meaning of this was used to describe the truly odd and also of people who were gay.

     

     

    OldboreinthecornerCSC

     

     

    Jimbo67

  6. PS Feyenoord. Met a really great bunch of Arsenal lads at that tournament, they came up for a few Celtic games in later years por cierto

  7. lennon's passion on

    blantyretim is praying for the knox family

     

     

    11:50 on 20 July, 2015

     

     

    Maybe picked it up wrong reading the blog but is your father one of the legends currently on show in the new display at paradise ?

  8. BMCUWP

     

     

    Those odds do seem strange but Skybet are still offering 33/1. Think they mean 3/1 which would make more sense.

  9. Celtic being linked to Divock Origi from Liverpool on loan.

     

    Belgian striker.

     

     

    LB

  10. Morning

     

     

    I saw the picture of Ciftci allegedly biting the leg of an opponent yesterday, that’s the first I’d actually seen anything to do with it. To be honest it didn’t look good at all…..

     

     

    He’ll get hammered, a month ago he would have got a two game ban. If he’d been found guilty….

     

     

    Ayrshire is Green and White

  11. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    JIMBO67

     

     

    Best one like that of my recall was when I was doing the scaffolding in Glasgow,thirty-plus years ago.

     

     

    Proper working men in Glasgow don’t mess about wi niceties,so I was used to insults flying left right and centre.

     

     

    Occasionally they weren’t even aimed at me!

     

     

    Anyway…

     

     

    Hi,you. You’re as thick as pigs..t in the neckia boatil!

     

     

    Takes some level of friendship to let that one go as the rest of us dived for cover.

  12. MickTT

     

     

    Disagree. Biting someone regardless of who he plays for should carry a hefty ban. I don;t care that he is wearing the Hoops. If he is guilty he deserves a 10 match ban at the least in my opinion.

     

     

    LB

  13. That was a cracking goal by young Jordan Larsson, he will be at Celtic make no mistake…. or would his father advise otherwise…would it be to much of an expectation, naw he’s got him playing under him. Celtic bound, he looks a great prospect.

     

     

    Ayrshire is Green and White

  14. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    MICKTT

     

     

    The SFA are also accusing Ciftci of puncturing two tyres in The Galloway Forest wi those fearsome incisors.

  15. Pringle’s and their like are known here as a bottle of chips………Really!!!

     

     

    TBM

  16. livibhoy

     

     

    12:03 on 20 July, 2015

     

     

    MickTT

     

     

    Disagree. Biting someone regardless of who he plays for should carry a hefty ban. I don;t care that he is wearing the Hoops. If he is guilty he deserves a 10 match ban at the least in my opinion.

     

    ₩₩₩₩₩₩₩₩₩₩₩₩₩₩₩₩₩₩₩₩₩

     

    Absolutely, I just think he will now get hammered, maybe I’m just being paranoid….! Signing for Celtic makes decisions a lot easier.

     

     

    Ayrshire is Green and White

  17. por cierto

     

     

    I too had a great time in Rotterdam. I had a summer job in Zeeland that year. Took my wife and 4 month old son to the Friday night game v Feyenoord. John Grieg, then thems manager was there to spy on Dukla Prague against whom they had been drawn in whatever minor Euro comp they were in, and he got pelters from us.

     

    The Feyenoord fans came round all tooled up to attack us at half time and a steward moved us into a seated area to avoid what looked like serious bother. No worries, though. The fans were soon swapping scarves and stories and all ended well. We beat Feyenoord 2-0 and Dukla on the Sunday. Can’t remember that score.

     

    HH

  18. charles kickham

     

     

    I’ve being saying that for years, really annoying that those who make a good living from covering our game continually put the boot into. Compare and contrast with the other extreme where the bloated EPL is praised from the mountain tops and greed is celebrated as a gift from the gods.

     

     

    I don’t want that but some positivity would be good.

     

     

    HH

  19. bobby murdoch’s curled-up winklepickers

     

     

    12:05 on 20 July, 2015

     

     

    MICKTT

     

     

    The SFA are also accusing Ciftci of puncturing two tyres in The Galloway Forest wi those fearsome incisors.

     

    ₩₩₩₩₩₩₩₩₩₩₩₩₩₩₩₩₩₩₩₩₩

     

    Get to yer bed…. I am on the claim game with South Ayrshire Council.

     

     

    HH

  20. ger57

     

     

    11:55 on 20 July, 2015

     

     

    BMCUWP

     

     

    Those odds do seem strange but Skybet are still offering 33/1. Think they mean 3/1 which would make more sense.

     

     

    ========================================

     

     

    Where? on skybet but can’t see it. Under what category?

     

     

    I’m all over that if I get it.

  21. I hate the third top.

     

     

    It’s a feckin MONSTROSITY!

     

     

    Imo, of course.

     

     

    HH!!