I’ve never treated the Ballon d’Or seriously, but would you be alarmed if your manager overlooked two of the most outstanding footballers of all time, to vote for one of the poor relations in an outstanding, if waning, Barcelona team.
England manager, Roy Hodgson, is entitled to his opinion but in nominating Javier Mascherano, he’s started a debate which will not reflect kindly on him.
I remember when Martin O’Neill was in charge of Celtic, he could do or say anything and no matter how incongruous it seemed, we all looked for hidden wisdom. Martin knew much more about the game than all of us but this authority was uniquely evident. I don’t remember any other Celtic manager being regarded with such awe, and I go back to the latter Stein days.
Whether Mascherano is fit to pass the ball to Leonel Messi is beside the point, Roy’s opinion is a prisoner of fortune. He’s dead meat to his critics.
For all of Martin’s brilliance he wasn’t one for cutting edge tactics. He knew what worked for him and stuck to it. So when Gordon Strachan came along with some new, ‘ideas’, the reaction was not appreciative.
Gordon’s early days (years) were remarkably hostile but it’s what I’ve regarded as The Ross Wallace Deployment which remains in the mind as an unfinished debate.
Ross was a left winger. But, five goals down after a first leg capitulation in Bratislava, Gordon deployed him on the right. The outcry was palpable. We’d never heard of playing a left footed player ‘out of position’ like this. What is now commonplace – to mix a left and fight footed full back and winger on the same side – was both new and proof positive that Gordon Strachan was a deluded simpleton.
There’s value in the opinions of the outliers, so my vote for the Ballon d’Or would have gone to Efe Ambrose. Gordon Strachan was a better manager than any of us knew at the time.
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SFTB
Do I detect a pointed barb in that definition of my new word….mind you I CAN identify with it….perhaps we could employ it in relation to goings on just off Edmiston drive.
My life’s work would be truly complete if I had created an adjective/adverb that encapsulated the farrago of incompetence over there.
Hail hail
Estadio
Dundee United have rejected a bid of £80,000 from Sheffield United for winger Gary Mackay-Steven.
Blades manager Nigel Clough watched the 24-year-old score in United’s 3-2 win over Hamilton Accies at New Douglas Park on Monday night.
It is the third bid that the Bramall Lane club have made for the winger, who is out of contract in the summer.
Mackay-Steven has scored five goals in 22 appearances for the Tannadice outfit this season.
His latest came in Monday’s 3-2 win over Hamilton Academical as Blades manager Nigel Clough watched from the stands at New Douglas Park.
Mackay-Steven, who has earned one cap for Scotland, moved to United in 2011 from Airdrie United and has scored 27 goals in total for the Taysiders.
He recently revealed he expects to stay with Jackie McNamara’s side until his deal ends in the summer.
£150k and get the boy into Paradise.
A low risk signing to beef up the squad.
LB
GMS being pursued by a 3rd tier English club – wow
Estadio
All that missionary work by tbj over last few years going to waste after you being in goa less than a week
coolmore mafia
” neds and devil dogs .”
An oot his tree ned once made the mistake of trying to steal my devil dog’ s seriously solid black rubber ball.Dog gave the ned a choice – give me my ball back and I will give you your arm back..Ned decided to keep his arm.
Is anybody else fed up seeing this HITC clickbait on the newsnow site? Stop clicking their links please. You are only encouraging them.
livibhoy, I agree about sky sports bumming the epl up and it’s brilliantly marketed.
The spl doesn’t help itself, or sportscene, by not showing highlights until a Sunday night.
Aberdeen, United and Hamilton are playing some decent football but day in day out it’s all about the zombies.
pfayr
and in the latest bbc article ” the company that ran the club ” grrr
themaestro72
and the latest advert with Henri ” giving something back” bull
grrr
BT
Let me tell you about the stuff I’ve had to deal with because of that TBJ…..the man is a menace who I suspect is, even in his absence, pulling the puppet strings of every stall holder, grass grower and scooter hirer in Anjuna beach…..as for his recommended bar….I went there today…..and all I can say is…..I’ll be back there again the morra. :) :)
Great place. Going para sailing the morra night and hopefully get me in sillouhette against the sun with a targeted beam from the boat on my hoops.
Green lantern eat yer heart out.
Hail hail
Estadio
“just like Geordie think Ronny is a genius”
Tamrabam,
You don’t half invent some nonsense.
A new hazard will be in place for the next CQN Golf Tourney, here is advice on how not to get your ball out of the hazard…???????
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10150880059967510
gene
15:48 on 13 January, 2015themaestro72and the latest advert with Henri ” giving something back” bullgrrr
aye,in exchange for £4 mil….
gene
15:48 on 13 January, 2015
themaestro72
and the latest advert with Henri ” giving something back” bull
grrr
Sky sports news presenter Natalie Sawyer
mmm
Game starts at 4 on CELTIC TV …. :)
tinytim
13:32 on 13 January, 2015
John Barnes was simply a victim of the usual media agenda each CELTIC Manager encounters (unlike oldco managers, for whom every excuse under the sun was made)
Henderson playing No.10 with big o’Connel captaining the side
COYBIG
themaestro72
The league has to drive that.
This is what we want. Saturday night highlghts on BBC or ITV. Live matches on Saturday lunchtime and Sunday lunchtime on our own channel or BT or SKY. Not both.
Friday night fitba live if clubs want it. All games to be screened live for the season given at the start of the season when buying season ticket (apart from split games).
Reduced entry at all live on TV games. This will be reflected in reduced season ticket prices.
Fill the grounds and ensure the package for our TV is the best we can get. Get a sponsor for all comps.
If the EPL is worth a billion a year or whatever surely our game is worth at least £50m a season? Invest in youth and training facilities. Ensure all clubs invest in their stadia and reduce reduce ticket pricing in line with the new TV deal.
We have just took whatever we can get before. It’s time for the league to grow a pair. Hopefully we can get a much better deal in future. The money must be spent wisely though. No point just giving it in wages to foreign players. Our clubs I think have learned from the Setanta deal with the exception of a new club who think they are above the laws.
LB
Fecking Charlie want orcs back.
Ooooooft
CELTIC (4-2-3-1) Zaluska; Fisher, Denayer, O’Connell, Waters; Kayal, Lindsay; Tonev, Henderson, McGregor; Griffiths.
Celtic subs: Fasan, Ambrose, Izaguirre, Nesbitt, McMullan, Scepovic, Thomson, Bitton
KO in a few minutes
How many of the young lhads are making their debut?
Great to see Denayer back.
Celtictv showing match for all subscribers
I can’t believe nobody has mentioned seeing ‘The Ross Wallace Deployment’ at the Old Burns Howff ….
KO v Sparta Prague.
Hoops kick off – coybig
Ya beauty
Griffiths scores 1 up after 30 seconds
Griffiths goal
1-0 griffiths. 24 secs.
Goal fo CELTIC ….LG
Fastest goal ever in the Canaries?
Doing a little research about 1916, am I the only one that didn’t know that in October of 1916, Westminster enacted the Time (Ireland) Act to move Irish time forward by 25 minutes to match Greenwich! And aid communication with London.
I knew they took a lot from us but they even robbed time.
Having put my watch back 25 minutes I’m off out with the dog.
nice goal – go the Griff
I hope we don’t take our foot off the gas now!!
C’MON THE CELTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
park the bus
Kayal starting really well
Tonev and Kayal – what is the point, really?
HH
traditionalist88
Possibly shop window. May be scouts there.
LB
Missing GGs commentary even while watching it