Summer fitness claims never stack up

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After a week of hard training, Celtic take to the field for their first preseason friendly today when they face Portimonense this evening.  The Portuguese side finished 15th in the topflight last season, a comfortable 8 points above relegation, although only one spot above the play-offs.

We face the same side on Saturday before flying off to Japan on Sunday, where we have games against Yokohama FM and Gamba Osaka.  I am regularly assured that players take care of themselves over the summer much better these days than in the past, but watching preseason never convinces me of this claim.

Few players will get little more than 45 minutes per game Portugal.  The trip to Japan will be exhausting.  Not only will they have to contend with the flights and time difference, they face teams already 20 games into the J League programme.  You can be sure they will return home like the proverbial burst balloon.

The target is to be ready for league kick off against Ross County on 5 August.  County already have two friendly games in their legs and have four competitive League Cup ties before facing Celtic.  On paper, the league opener is one of the easiest games on the calendar, but we will need to do a lot of the summer’s heavy lifting in the games against Athletic Bilbao and Wolves.

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  1. !!Bada Bing!! on

    AD- It’s not but a 4/5 year deal,with no sell on value,if he sees that out,can’t see us doing that HH

  2. Ten short weeks ago…

     

     

    “Japan Korea Was The New Commercial Landscape”

     

     

    Now that it doesn’t seem like a Postecoglou, Lawwell & Son production it’s a burst balloon.

     

     

    Ach well

     

     

    Personally I’m looking forward to it…

     

     

    Hail Hail

  3. Back to Basics - Glass Half Full on

    !!BADA BING!! @ 12:39 PM

     

    https://twitter.com/Stuff32Funny/status/1678884468902305793?t=dsZ4gQ96pNTZ_Zsgk_kYsA&s=08

     

     

    —–

     

     

    The “ignitors” deserve great credit for their attempts to adhere to historical accuracy.

     

     

    The standard convention for commemorating historical events which actually took place before the adoption of the Gregorian calendar … is to commemorate the original Julian date.

     

     

    The battle took place on 01-July.

     

     

    Any “ignition” prior to 12-July is clearly an honourable attempt to preserve history and not, as some claim, an act of mischief by a bunch of *****s.

     

     

    Such noble motives should never be denigrated so blithely.

     

     

    🤔🤔🤔🤔

  4. !!BADA BING!! on 12TH JULY 2023 1:01 PM

     

    AD- It’s not but a 4/5 year deal,with no sell on value,if he sees that out,can’t see us doing that HH

     

     

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

     

    No wonder we cannot keep up with the Govan (Ibrox) Galaticos with that attitude.

     

    According to the Herald chief sports writter The Bealer has spent 4-1/2 mill on a 28 year old player from Cremonese and their not worried about a sell-on fee. No doubt he’ll walk away at enf og contract.

     

    Be afraid be very afraid. With the players the’ve signed we are lagging behind The Bealer Boys.

     

    I won’t sleep tonight with worry

     

    🤠

  5. As wae MWD, it was an absolute pleasure viewing the Hoops the gether.

     

     

    Your Amazing Brother went to Heaven way too early.

     

     

    It, although yours ur quality, is the Best seat in the house.

     

     

    I’m very excited about this upcoming Season.

     

     

    COYBIG

  6. For all the Junglist massive oot there….

     

     

    I made a mistook.

     

     

    Here is the Rewind.

     

     

    bournesouprecipe on 12th July 2023 12:29 pm

     

     

    As wae MWD, it was an absolute pleasure viewing the Hoops the gether.

     

     

    Your Amazing Brother went to Heaven way too early.

     

     

    It, although yours ur quality, is the Best seat in the house.

     

     

    I’m very excited about this upcoming Season.

     

     

    COYBIG

  7. bournesouprecipe on

    Not surprised Brendan Rodgers isn’t sqaud filling with unnecessary Bosman’s and punts. Celtic signings will cost real money and we have it in spades.

     

     

    Tete’s valuation is 25M on TM.com he’s a Brazilian and is 1. 75M

     

     

    As ever CSC

     

     

    P.s. We’ve already signed 5 quality players

  8. And just to be factually correct, I never actually sat wae Danny, he kindly facilitated 3 G for the easy access main stand.

     

     

    I hope we Rock Europe this Season.

  9. kevinlasvegas on

    100% Bourne

     

     

    Big squad to assess with no emergency signings needed. Decent money players take more time.

     

     

    KLV

  10. BOURNESOUPRECIPE on 12TH JULY 2023 1:23 PM

     

     

    We still need to get rid of the wee deadwood guys.

     

     

    Then we can start in earnest on getting anti-rangers monsters in

  11. quadrophenian on

    P67 assured us our ‘player trading model’ was firmly embedded and that Brendan agreed to play by that book.

     

    It was the system that found Abada, Johnston, Jota, Kyogo, Maeda etc etc – and made our pockets heavy.

     

    But now that an EPL manager is in, we all talk as if we have to spend way more on players than Ange did.

     

    If the asset truffling machine is set to stun, why are we elevating the price point we pay for players?

     

    Is there a realisation that at the price point we/Ange bought, you can’t do well in Europe comps?

     

    That’s not what the good Scandi minnows who sometimes do us over do ! Nor did the huns get to a final by spending mad-style.

     

     

    BEERBUDGET CSC

  12. bournesouprecipe on

    KEVINLASVEGAS

     

     

    Yip, as well as costing real money they usually have other options and don’t have to sign early in the window, or accept first offers.

     

     

    Celtic will be active in the window long after ‘ others ‘ have replaced their freebies.

  13. Greenpinata on 12th July 2023 1:45 pm

     

     

    Brendan is uncharacteristically quiet.

     

     

    HH.

     

     

    …………………………..

     

     

    I don’t mind that.

     

     

     

    Howeeeeeevvvvvaaaah,

     

     

    I could be right, or wrong.

     

     

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vq7JSic1DtM

     

     

    Mum has always said Patience is a Virtue.

     

     

    We might not Win Everything this Abdul Quadir.

     

     

    HH Brother

  14. I am finding recent articles rather down beat and not so positive, finding problems (travel to Japan) for every solution.

     

     

    Is P67 not fully invested in the new regime ?

     

     

    well the new manager.

  15. pop ups for the new kit, its a crying shame so it is, wtf has black stripes got to do with our hoops.

  16. quadrophenian on

    !!BADA BING!! on 12TH JULY 2023 2:10 PM

     

    A few in before e we get to Japan next week

     

     

    ———-

     

     

    Is that advance intel or simply a wish BB ?

  17. GuyFawkesaforeverhero on

    Received a match ticket for the Athletic Club game by post today for my own season ticket seat. Conclusion is our season cards are not being activated that night.

     

     

    Such a Spanish Inquisition moment at the front door was an unsettling stumble into Wednesday. Bit of heads up about these matters would be appreciated, Celtic.

  18. Bilbao game is a testimonial why would it be on the season ticket.

     

     

    And as to new signings, maybe they are still playing in Japan now, and will joins us over there, who knows.

     

     

    I dont really subscribe to the need to get them in early, yes when we had european qualifiers, but without them, why the anxiousness to get players in ?

     

     

    I am sure Bredan and the staff know what they are doing.

     

     

    Scared of Ross County , dearie me.

  19. On Tuesday August 16th, the day after the Feast of the Assumption, I left the relatively safe confines of my comfort zone on the bonnie bonnie banks where my heroes had been Rob Roy McGregor and Robert the Bruce and ventured intae that industrial metropolis of Dumbarton, alleged birthplace of the dear saint of our isle, where I would be introduced to new heroes in James Connolly, Roddy McCorley and a newly martyred one in Sean South.

     

     

    On the first day in music class, we were taught the school song which incidentally was written by a non-Catholic from the Vale of Leven, the 2nd song was the Wearing of the Green, why NOT as this was the Peoples Republic of Dumbarton where my da, 1st generation Scottish was born and raised, however the real “rebel” type first song I learned was on the school playground that morning which was germane to today’s date and the place I was standing in, so here it is:

     

     

    “Twas on the 12th of July to old Dumbarton town cane 50,000 orangemen loyal to king and crown

     

    They assembled in the High Street, raised their banners high singing “up to our knees in Fenian blood surrender or you’ll die”

     

    They marched along the High Street as far as Denny’s gate, but the Fenian blood had risen as it did in ‘98

     

    And when the reached the Vennel they got an awful shock as standing their undaunted were the Catholics of the Rock

     

    We kicked them up the High Street as far as Artisan oh we smashed their ribs and faces like the smashing o’ the van

     

    And when they were defeated, it was then made a of noise, they demanded police protections as a guard against the bhoys

     

    And when they reached the station glad to journey home, I can truly say they rued the day they cursed the Pope in Rome.”

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