The overlap-ers are back

143

Kieran Tierney’s cross for Liam Scales to score Celtic’s fourth goal on Saturday encapsulates why Brendan Rodgers wanted the player back.  Meeting a ball first time and sending a cross into the danger area sounds like an easy thing to do, but how many times have we seen promising moves crumble when the cross hits the first defender, clears the penalty area or goes out of play (looking at you, Daizen)?

That goal is an early indication of what we have discussed a few times recently.  Celtic will pivot away from the inverted fullback system to the overlapping model.  Kieran and Alistair Johnston (who is also naturally an overlap-er) will be asked to get crosses into the box.

This impacts who you need in the box (more like Adam Idah, less like Kyogo) and changes the shape of the midfield.  It will be an interesting watch to see how this progresses between now and September.

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  1. Tom McLaughlin on

    INIQUITOUSIV

     

     

    Anybody get tired about stories about Celtic phoning clubs to ‘Express an interest.”? What damn use is that?

     

    Nor really. Mainly because I don’t believe everything I read in the papers.

     

     

    You just give information to the competition when someone at the selling club blabs. Just get the cash on the table equal to our evaluation, “Here’s our bid. Take it or leave it. You have 7 days to respond.”

     

    If I was the chairman of a club receiving such a demand, I wouldn’t even respond.

     

     

    I’m reading now that Antwerp state we have never bid or even been in contact about Balikwisha.

     

    You read that in the Daily Record and you’re blaming Celtic?

  2. Hrvatski Jim on

    bognorbhoy on 22nd July 2025 8:50 am

     

     

    Six and a half minutes of magic. Thank you very much for posting.

  3. Good Morning BRRB et al….

     

     

    Bognorbhoy @ 8:50 am,

     

     

    Great Collection

     

     

    Grand Stuff…

     

     

    Hail Hail

  4. Tom McLaughlin on

    I spent a week by Lake Como about 25 years ago. A beautiful part of the world.

     

     

    I can guarantee that the local Carabinieri won’t mess about if the Ajax fans start their nonsense, especially in the height of the tourist season.

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  6. How Premier League clubs’ most expensive adult season tickets compare

     

    2025-26 season

     

     

    Fulham

     

    £3,084

     

    Tottenham

     

    £2,223

     

    Arsenal

     

    £1,726

     

    West Ham

     

    £1,720

     

    Manchester City

     

    £1,600

     

    Bournemouth

     

    £1,164

     

    Manchester United

     

    £1,121

     

    Chelsea

     

    £1,095

     

    Brighton

     

    £1,035

     

    Aston Villa

     

    £992

     

    Crystal Palace

     

    £980

     

    Newcastle United

     

    £940

     

    Wolves

     

    £939

     

    Nottingham Forest

     

    £915

     

    Liverpool

     

    £904

     

    Everton

     

    £900

     

    Leeds United

     

    £870

     

    Brentford

     

    £815

     

    Sunderland

     

    £780

     

    Burnley

     

     

    BTW Celitc’s most expensive ST is the South Stand:

     

    £792

     

     

    por cierto

  7. quadrophenian on

    Was interesting watching the Shin Yamada interview with Celtic TV.

     

     

    CTV: “When did you first hear of Celtic’s interest ?”

     

    SY “It was around the end of last year.”

     

     

     

    To me, that suggests the club – mindful of Kyogo’s itchiness – was doing some scenario/succession planning.

     

    Mibby the availability and arrival of prodigal son and forward threat Jota, meant we didnt need Shin as much then. Now with Jota out, Shin looks like a low-price, low-risk forward option.

     

    If he’s as much a surprise package as Inamura, we’ll have won a watch !

  8. Weebobbycollins on

    Fans do have to be patient with transfer business. (yes, turkeybhoy that includes you.)

     

    Every window it’s mainly the same story; it gets busier as it nears closing time. One club agrees to sell a player and needs to replace him with another, possibly already lined up. And so it goes, a kind of domino effect. Celtic are possibly waiting to see what will happen with Daizen and Yang. Kuhn has gone and will probably be replaced but by whom we will have to wait and see. I’m sure there are options lined up but it’s early yet.

     

    It’s all part of the game nowadays…

     

    We’ll be fine, we are already looking good and can only improve.

  9. When I look around me in the South Stand Upper most fans tend to be of the Senior Citizen variety. I wonder just how many of us there are on Concession Season tickets and how much it affects Celtic’s income compared to other clubs whose fans might be of a younger demographic in the main. One thing I found heartening though on Saturday was because none of the usual suspects who sit in my row or the row in front and behind me were in attendance it freed up the seats for families. This seemed to be replicated in other parts of the ground too. Lovely to see so many children with their parents and also groups of fans from Asian and Afro/Caribbean backgrounds. Hopefully this will be the future for Celtic when oldies like myself pop our clogs.

  10. TheOriginalSadiesBhoy – I read somethng recently, not sure if it was on here or not, that the fact that we have 10,000 more season ticket sales than at Ibrox, does not mean we have significantly more ST revenue due to us selling a lot more STs with concessions.

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  12. The Battered Bunnet on

    Deniabhoy – I think the stat you refer to was about spend per head – the hoards spent marginally more per head per match than our bhoys and ghirls did.

     

     

    In hard figures, Celtic’s revenue from ‘stadium operations’ last year was £50M, down from £51.5M the previous year. The equivalent figure from Hades was £43.7M, up from £39.8M the previous year.

     

     

    The numbers change annually according to the number of home matches played, most particularly, the number of European matches.

     

     

    There’s no cause for concern, although there is room for improvement.

  13. Back to Basics - Glass Half Full on

    Por Cierto – re highest ST prices.

     

     

    Interesting.

     

     

    As is the hordes spend data.

     

     

    Basically they get charged more for less.

     

     

    Good business model … but one that requires an innately, enduringly stupid customer base.

     

     

    … so might work.

  14. Back to Basics – Glass Half Full on 22nd July 2025 11:05 am

     

    Por Cierto – re highest ST prices.

     

    Interesting.

     

    As is the hordes spend data.

     

    Basically they get charged more for less.

     

    Good business model … but one that requires an innately, enduringly stupid customer base.

     

    … so might work.

     

    _______________________________________________________________________________

     

     

    It might, but it is also dependent on those ‘enduringly stupid customer base’ turning up to watch the games. When the wheels come off their league challenge or their European adventures they tend to stay away in huge numbers. Have a look at the stadium the last few games of the last season, half empty and not just after 70 minutes, at kick off!

  15. Back to Basics - Glass Half Full on

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cy8g26yg56lo

     

     

    Day late. Dollar short.

     

     

    Note the images used.

     

     

    Quite deliberate.

     

     

    Took planning and effort to select.

     

     

    Three clubs represent singularly.

     

     

    O** F*** presented as a package with Celtic firmly at the back of the bus.

     

     

    One of the reasons the hordes are “happy” to pay more.

     

     

    Lindsay and his types think they are doing good work for the blue cause.

     

     

    In fact, they are part of the problem.

     

     

    Keep up the good work, chaps.

  16. Reading through last night’s posts took me back to my favourite away trip. 1982 Ajax 1 Celtic 2

     

    5 of us went over Hull to Rotterdam ferry

     

    Sadly there’s only 3 of us left …but great memories

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  18. Weebobbycollins on

    “O** F*** presented as a package with Celtic firmly at the back of the bus.”

     

     

    Why are we at the back of the bus? We, as champions of Scotland are driving the effin’ bus…

  19. i dont have the figures in front of me but from memory using the accounts and the uefa finances report.

     

     

    Celtic have 53000 season book holders generating 36 M POUNDS

     

     

    The 2nd rangers have 43000 generating 34 million .

     

     

    so we have 10000 more sales but huga amount of concessions.

     

     

    from uefa. celtic generate 2.1m Euros per match. 25 last season. gets us to the 50m revenues. 1.3m attendees

     

     

    divde by total attendees in 2023/24 – celtic supporters spend 39 euros per head per match .

     

     

    rangers fans spend 41 euros per head per match

  20. for season just passed though we are going to smash all those earnings

     

     

    we had 4 more home games. 300000 additional attendees.

     

     

    that 20 year high Scottish cup game of 59000 included.

     

    and 2 more european high spending games.

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  22. bournesouprecipe on

    RANGERS will begin another European campaign on Tuesday night, and with that comes the opportunity to again show the very best of our club on the biggest stage.

     

     

    Across the continent, Ibrox and the Rangers support are renowned for your incredible backing both in noise and in colour, and that backing can again make all the difference against Panathinaikos and beyond.

     

     

    Supporters are, however, reminded the club remains under a suspended stand closure sanction. That means should there be any repeat of what UEFA deems as ‘racist and/or discriminatory behaviour’ in any area of the stadium, the Copland Stand will be closed for a future European match.

     

     

    That will mean thousands of fellow Rangers supporters will be deprived of the opportunity to attend a potentially key game, while the players on the pitch will lose a significant proportion of that amazing support you provide.

     

     

     

    Discriminatory behaviour includes (but is not limited to) illicit singing, chanting or the displaying of banners.

     

     

    Ahead of this match, and indeed the season, the club also reminds supporters the throwing of objects onto the pitch is unacceptable, illegal, and will lead to serious consequences for the club and the potential arrest of the individuals responsible.

     

     

    Tuesday’s huge match heralds the beginning of a new era for our great club, and another opportunity to show the very best of it to the watching world.

     

     

    What UEFA deem racist ? They still don’t get it and have to tell their supporters that throwing things onto the pitch is illegal 😂😂

  23. listening to podcasters with their opinion the celtic plc pricing for the newcastle game will be vindicated with a near 50000 attendance paying the prices.

     

     

    so 10000 empties. would lesses pricing allowed even more families to attend

  24. DENIABHOY on 22ND JULY 2025 10:18 AM

     

    TheOriginalSadiesBhoy – I read somethng recently, not sure if it was on here or not, that the fact that we have 10,000 more season ticket sales than at Ibrox, does not mean we have significantly more ST revenue due to us selling a lot more STs with concessions.

     

     

    ………………..

     

    That wouldn’t surprise me at all. I believe Sevco horrendously overcharge their fans as well compared to us.

     

     

    It also got me thinking about Cup Final tickets at Hampden. Most of the people I know who are season ticket holders (concessions) failed to get a ticket for the Aberdeen Cup Final when we usually all are successful in the ballot. Most of us didn’t mind because other fans deserve a fair crack of the whip but it got me thinking because of the age profile. Could this be the start of Celtic reducing the number of Cup Final tickets to concession season ticket holders so that they can maximise their income from these big games? Is this the end of the days of wine and roses for old timer Celtic Das like me?

  25. as an aside i was reminded of a Liverpool podcast were a supporters group were advocating for there never being an empty seat at anfield . and through low pricing for kids and concessions and ticket give aways to groups it has happened even with 61800 capacity.

     

     

    9 pound a kids ticket for champions league ours was 4 times that

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  27. Saint Stivs on 22nd July 2025 12:20 pm

     

    john paul taylor said just under 50000

     

    ______

     

    Looked to be a bigger crowd than what I expected, from what I could see on TV.

     

    Someone mentioned the Huns potential draw, if they drop into Europa, it definitely looks harder then their potential CL opponents. Albeit, I’d need a closer look at the teams recent form. Stayed at lake Como 40 years ago (in winter). Beautiful place. A week there now, would be brilliant. Not a bad life being a footballer 😁

  28. Russel Martin said these games won’t be season defining,which might be correct, but progressing to the CL would make life a lot better for him. I’m exo9te9 very close matches. Come on you Greeks in Green😁

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