Consider this: with Celtic certainties to win the league, they have now been given three consecutive home Scottish Cup games, against Brechin, Partick and Morton, on the road to perhaps becoming the first club to retain the treble in Scottish football history. For so many years home cup draws were as elusive as the outcome to SFA review results into Rangers Uefa licence in 2011, but here we are.
The big picture from the weekend: Despite things still being far from flowing on the park, I’m delighted with the win over Partick Thistle. Of the two cup games this week, the Thistle game was the most important. An aggregate win over Zenit would flood more euros into the Celtic Park coffers, but progress of (perhaps only) one more round in the Europa League will be forgotten long before the outcome of this season’s Scottish Cup.
In his first five seasons in charge, Jock Stein won five league titles and five League Cups, losing three Scottish Cup games during that period. This is the standard we now dare aspire to.
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I see young Mr Murty has stated, it will be great for their (Sevco) fans, to win their FIRST trophy. At last someone admitting they are a new club. I predict it will not go done well with Gullibilly.
Missed out THE Gullibillys
DALLAS DALLAS WHERE THE HECK IS DALLAS on 12TH FEBRUARY 2018 11:59 AM
I have just read the tribute to Liam Miller by Tam McManus , very touching andvheartfelt.
Liam’s brother in law is Austin McCann , the Hearts assistant manager.
*just read on another site that Liam’s widow is Jamie Smith’s cousin.
Zenit – better than us and so they should be given their spend and squad valuation.
But no better than BMG from last season’s CL.
And BMG have gone backwards.
Top of our game both legs’, we’ve got a fighting chance.
But that’s been the problem all season – no rythm or consistency.
But it’s a free shot at a bit of Euro glory so what do we have to lose? Have a go, Celtic.
—
it is February 2018. By April 2018, 7 in a row could be tied up.
By February 2020, 9 in a row should be drifting in from the horizon.
TEN is coming. You can stick yer parochial arguments up yer erses, in my lifetime – after the black-dog doldrums of the 90s – to see the Celts hit TEN in a row, is a little piece of footballing nirvana.
TEN will kill the Huns. And every blazered acolyte and booler-hatted bigot and sycophantic goat-pumping pinkie-pulling prick in this blighted wee land; NINE is the Enola Gay circling above, TEN is the blinding airburst. Absolutely.
And hitting their sacred 55 before them soon after that will turn them all to croquet.
Around it all, CL/Euro is window-dressing.
For the next 3 years, domestic domination will bring a smile we’ll wear forever, and they’ll know it, and that’ll do me.
TimJim
FollyFolly regularly publish a transcript of interviews.
In Murty’s Interview transcript the changed “first trophy” to read ‘next trophy’
None of the sillygullybillys mentioned this error in the comments on the transcript thread.
You can just feel their cringe as they read it :)
I think PL was quite clever in his remarks on the SFA.
Rather than criticise anyone by name, he praised a few specific people for their work but glaringly omitted McRae and Petrie.
Re Liam Miller, his father Billy is Scottish, from Motherwell and a Celtic Supporter.
Not posted on here for ages, but looking forward to Thursday
I have a few concerns, but hopefully our tactics can mitigate
The keeper is first concern. He looks overweight, if you don’t believe me google pics of him from 5/6 years ago. During recent window, I wanted a keeper to challenge / dislodge Craig Gordon rather than a back up back up
My second concern is I don’t think our defence get the protection they need, and in most games, Brown is the only non defender who can tackle ( Forrest, McGregor, Roberts, Rogic, Sinclair) cannot tackle whilst Nthcham and Armstrong are average. This leaves central defence very vulnerable, and isn’t helped by Ajer who is slow to turn, gets caught out of position, and for a big guy isn’t much good in the air. Watching him get turned inside out by Brechin was worrying.
My third concern is the number of goals we concede in Europe, and whilst I accept pSG / Barca etc, have bigger budgets, there are teams in their domestic leagues who have same budgets as us, and avoid 5/6 nil humpings week in / week out.
Given we need to play with the cards we have, I would go for a similar line up to the Hearts game, adopt a physical approach and see if they are up for it.
My team would be
Doris
Mika , Jozo , Dedryick if fit, KT
Kouassi, Brown
Forrest Ntcham, Sinclair
Moussa
if Boyata isn’t fit, take your pick from moving KT into centre and playing Calum, or include Hendry
Finally, we need some big performance, lets hope someone finds a bit of spark and makes themselves a hero
I’d have
Paul67
Too right, regarding our modern Celtic aspirations.
But the multi million pound gap progressed since Rangers suicide, disappeared overnight in Scotland when Hearts ‘thrashed’ us, at Tynecastle. Its referenced in every game we’ve played in since, that and the the six pointer ‘Gers’ won 0-0 at Celtic Park.
Just think how bad it would be if Sebo Morelos was really worth £10M more than Bazza Leipzig MacKay, throw in Lionel Windass and young manager of the decade Murts, its obvious we’re clearly doomed.
Doomed I tell ya CSC
HOMTHETHIM FOR OSCAR OK on 12TH FEBRUARY 2018 2:34 PM
Doncaster, no matter what we think of him, would be a useful ally in restructuring the SFA. He represents the senior clubs and, on behalf of those clubs, called for a review, that Regan vetoed.
*PL is close to Dung and went with him, at his request, to renegotiate the tv deal when deidco went breest up.
He was also close tae reagan at one time, I believe they worked together mibbees at Coors, but unfortunately he was got at but not before he kicked dallurse out of his office.
We need the support of the clubs if we want to clean up the game.
*agreed but that’s a really hard task.
For all the Loonies out there our game is on live at TSN 4 this Thursday
Tontine,
“*agreed but that’s a really hard task.”
******
It is indeed, but it is one that has to be achieved, or else.
It is a golden opportunity that may never present itself again.
CCB- IMO we can’t play both Sinclair and Forrest against good Euro sides, Forrest to support Dembele, and McGregor maybe for Sinclair HH
I hope we are still in the tie, come next Thursday….
♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫
There’s a starmaaaaaaaaaaaaan playing on our right his name is Jamesie Forrest and he’s fecking…………………………………..dy…………na……mite
♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫
David Bowie CSC
BSR, our own Stephen Sondheim.#sendintheclowns
Tontine Tim, I got my Austin’s mixed up. Sorry.
Austin McCann played left back for Hearts 15 years ago.
Austin McPhee is Hearts assistant manager.
Jamie Smith and Austin McCann are both from Duntocher , I believe .
I hope Liam’s family can gather strength fron all the outpourings of grief and support by many who knew and didnt know Liam.
Clashcitybhoy, good to have you back.
De Vries is my main concern , despite having little to do last Saturday as Thistle’s only goal threat was two mistakes Jozo made, he looked uncertain. The chance Thistle had right at the end , I thought he shoud have come out for the cross unless Kieran told him to stay.
Ajer is doing well for not playing his natural position however when he challenges for high balls , his arms are over the opposition player which he might not get away with in Europe.
Our home European record over the last five years , qualifiers apart, has not been the best. We need to find a way to improve it.
traditionalist88 on 12th February 2018 1:14 pm
AULDHEID on 12TH FEBRUARY 2018 12:28 PM
Risk can be mitigated by planning but next season we could face PSV in a qualifier, who plan to mitigate risk too, and have more at their disposal than us.
Thats all I was asking for of NegAnon, whose risk management posts makes sense on paper but when applied to Celtic needs to take into account several industry specific factors, which he didn’t.
In terms of the biggest risk being loss of CL money, possibly, but we don’t budget for that anyway?
HH
=========================
I got where you were coming from with Neganon.
The particular risk that I was thinking of was lack of match fitness. Playing as many “friendlis” as possible is within out scope. Changing the seasons which would have other benefits too is the best answer but one we can campaign for but not plan for.
With regard to not budgeting for CL money, if you spend all the CL money from season 1 to buy players on 3 year contracts to qualify for the next CL season, than you have to budget for it arriving in season 2 (and 3 and 4 etc)
Like Rangers did.
I know some have touched on it and its not an excuse for our poor form of late, but the quality of the pitch at Celtic Park this pas two seasons has been shocking. Big Hayesy used to win awards for that pitch. I know its getting replaced again this summer with a Desso type pitch but the surface is not befitting of a club like Celtic. Don’t buy into the climate and weather, anyone who watched the Ireland rugby match on Saturday at the Aviva will have seen a quality pitch that gets battered by pretty much the same elements in Dublin as Glasgow.
AULDHEID on 12TH FEBRUARY 2018 3:58 PM
Agreed, hence why we can’t spend all the CL money – in fairness, I don’t think anyone is advocating that, and of course, we all know we have money available to spend. But that leads us to all the other factors.
People are expecting impressive new signings, but not specifying who. Fair enough – so they want a player they haven’t heard of, for a financial outlay that meets their expectations(but which they havent divulged).
Ok – we got Van Dijk for 2.6m and Wanyama for 900k(rough diamond then). But that adds another mitigating factor in our transfer dealings. We’ve had a number of great successes selling players on that other clubs are looking at our scouting system and making moves on the same players. But we have numerous selling points and can still beat many clubs to sign good/promising players. eg Musonda.
But unfortunately, Van Dijks and Wanyamas dont grow on trees, they dont all want to come to Scotland, their own clubs want to milk them for as much as possible, their is likely to be an increasing queue of clubs in for them for reasons mentioned above, not to mention the fact that those types(Van Dijk) are the exceptions to the rule that havent already been picked up by cash rich clubs in top leagues when they were teenagers, or at least the top clubs in their domestic divisions(How did we beat Ajax etc to VVD? How often is that possible?)
I know we CAN spend more money, but other factors involved in a transfer have to be given due consideration, at least, I’m sure you’d agree.
PS. The defence is the focus for most right now. Well…we did sign two defenders! But it appears the profile and the cash involved wasn’t enough for some.
Its a funny old game. Maybe we should just go to Brazil and sign the first CB quoted at £5m and with one cap to his name in a bounce game!
HH
Alisdair Macleod
I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news re the cup draw. While it was shown live on Sky as soon as a hand went in to pick the first ball a banner stating SCOTTISH CUP DRAW was superimposed over the balls so you couldn’t see the selection process.
To be fair though, the female didn’t wince when she picked up ball number 8 (Sevco) so it perhaps wasn’t just out of the microwave.
So, it’s probably just coincidence that Celtic and Sevco were kept apart and the other ties were all SPFL affairs, just like Hibs v Hearts earlier, giving Sevco a virtual bye to the semi final.
CAMBHOY on 12TH FEBRUARY 2018 4:04 PM
Tbf, theres been a blanket of snow in Glasgow numerous times this winter, I don’t think Dublin is quite the same.
Still, pitch at CP a bit of a concern,
HH
Rafael Felipe Scheidt (born February 10, 1976 in Porto Alegre, Brazil) is a Brazilian footballer. He was signed by the John Barnes/Kenny Dalglish management of Celtic from Grêmio for £5 million and failed to make an impact. Plagued by injury and finding it hard to settle he started one game in the 1999–00 season against St Johnstone[1] and was let out on loan to Corinthians by new manager Martin O’Neill after just five appearances. Indeed, Scheidt later admitted that following an umimpressive showing in a pre-season friendly O’Neill had told him “I like footballers who are not like you”, further adding “I like footballers who play well.”[2] The Guardian newspaper called Scheidt the second worst transfer in the history of soccer, behind Steve Daley, in an article published in 2001.[3]
Scheidt’s loan spell at Corinthians came to an end in 2002, and he maintained his hope of making it at Celtic, informing the Sunday Herald that “I want this year to be known as the Scheidt year”.[2] However, he no longer met UK work permit requirements and Celtic paid off the remainder of his contract. He then returned to Brazil, joining Atlético Mineiro.[2] A year later he signed for Botafogo,[2] before being released by them in 2006.
Scheidt won three caps for Brazil in 1999 shortly prior to his transfer to Celtic. These games were friendlies and rumours later surfaced that Brazilian based players at that time were being handed caps in return for sweeteners from their clubs wanting to sell them to European clubs for large transfer fees.
@wiki
Watching The Plough and the Stars on talking pictures TV right now. That John Ford was certainly a Tim.
I seem to remember Alex Ferguson was supposedly coming to the Anderlecht game to watch a young Vincent Kompany who was given an extremely torrid time by John Hartson.As soon as Liam Miller was substituted Ferguson left.Too young,too soon.
• The line-ups at Celtic Park on 21 October 2003 were:
Celtic: Hedman, Agathe, Baldé, Varga, McNamara, Lennon, Petrov, Miller (Gray 76), Larsson, Sutton, Hartson (Maloney 83; Sylla 90+1).
Anderlecht: Zítka, Deschacht, Kompany, Żewłakow, Baseggio, Hendrikx (Kolář 63), Hasi, Wilhelmsson, Tihinen, Mornar, Dindane.
I think we are lacking a CB and regret the deal for the South African Bhoy didn’t materialise in the summer.
But I’m not suggesting mass purchases of bank-breaking proportions.
And I’m aware of our lengthy injury list……
But……..
Mainly I’m actually looking for our present squad members to play better.
Auldheid is oft quoted in matters financial. This time I’m going to cite him ref tactics….. pass the ball to the bhoy’s feet if he’s in a tight BUT INTO SPACE for him to run into whenever possible.
Way too many passes fail that simple test, destroying the dynamic of moves and making us increasingly Deila-Esque to watch.
HH jamesgang
great podium EC
Last Chance U on netflix – fabulous view of modrin america
Tontine Tim on 12th February 2018 3:22 pm
HOMTHETHIM FOR OSCAR OK on 12TH FEBRUARY 2018 2:34 PM
The relationship between Regan/SFA and Doncaster/SPFL is interesting if you follow the document timeline on the commissioning of LNS from 15 March 2012.
In a nutshell if SFA and SPL worked in full concert in setting up the commissioning of LNS then both were aware of DOS ebts, via Campbell Ogilvie if not documentation. itself. That taints Doncaster.
If however the SFA withheld DOS information then in effect Doncaster and so the SPL were duped.
There is NO evidence that SPL tried to exclude the DOS ebts in their letter of 15 March 2012 to Duff and Phelps given they asked for details of ALL ebts with side letters, which covered the De Boer ebt of 30 August 2000 that was not disclosed nor accompanying HMRC documents relating to it) so it is possible that the SPL were misled by the SFA, which puts Doncaster in the clear.
Interestingly when the non disclosure was drawn to the SPL’s attention in 2014 by SFM, the SPL after trying what became their final defence after the Supreme Court Decision (ie it was a registration issue only) eventually passed the non disclosed evidence from to the SFA, who did and said SFA.
Where Doncaster is tainted imo is his use of a rule change only made in 2005 to introduce the concept of a club being owned separately from an owner into the 5 Way Agreement definitions leading to the same club narrative that he and only he has backed publically.
An admission of error now that narrative’s use has gone (to keep Rangers supporters supporting the phoenix) would do much to untaint him.
He has after all the support of Andrea Traverso Head of Club Licensing where a club is defined under UEFA FFP rules.
If he wants to become head honcho
Hello lads
Some potentially good news … received a call this week from a breeder saying that a golden retriever puppy may be available for adoption next week (someone had a change of heart, so I got bumped up to the top of the list…. will find out tomorrow for sure, I think).
But, here’s the twist … I had thought I was going to get another girl puppy, and I had some names for a ghirl … but the one that is available is a boy … so, I have been thinking of bhoy puppy names …. so far, as contenders we have ….
1. Seamus
2. Kieran
3. Henrik …
But, I’m looking for ideas….
Suggestions are welcome.
Alfredo José Morelos Aviléz (born 21 June 1996) is a Colombian footballer who plays for Sevco in the Scottish Premiership, as a forward.
Morelos began his senior career with Deportivo Independiente Medellín in his homeland before moving to Finland to play for Helsinki side HJK, initially on loan then permanently. In June 2017, he moved to Scotland to join Sevco for a transfer fee ‘rumoured’ to be £1 million.
Just before the close of the January transfer window the still ( uncapped ) genius who had blitzed the SPL with sensational goals week in week out at Hamilton, Ross County, Motherwell, and Govan was the subject of a mystery verbal offer from still ( unnamed ) Chinese Galacticos for a whopping £10M.
Still not quite able to confirm the precise nature of the crypto currency let alone its existence, in any exchange, the bid was confirmed by Supremo GLIB King from his South African vineyard as being a concurrentcy..
With the window now firmly slammed shut SMSM persisted with the outrageous fantasy ( reminding Timmy, to move right along ) but much LOLLING proved insatiable to the normal Scottish football supporter.
In the following following few days the toxic Ibrokes pariahs announced a belting new deal with new loan arrangers called The Chemical Brothers a low profile pair of Merchant Bankers with commensurate Loan Shark interests rates.
@wiki
tribute to CQN’s finest Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_ Oan_Anaw_Noo CSC
JAMESGANG on 12TH FEBRUARY 2018 4:35 PM
pass the ball to the bhoy’s feet if he’s in a tight BUT INTO SPACE for him to run into
Too often the receiver of the pass is not only tightly marked but is stationary when the pass comes to him.
I thought James Forrest was quite brilliant on Saturday not only controlling the ball, but already moving away from the defender and into the available space. He was already on the move as the ball came to him and was able to assimilate all of that in an instant.
CLASHCITYBHOY on 12TH FEBRUARY 2018 3:20 PM
Not posted on here for ages, but looking forward to Thursday
I have a few concerns, but hopefully our tactics can mitigate
The keeper is first concern. He looks overweight, if you don’t believe me google pics of him from 5/6 years ago. During recent window, I wanted a keeper to challenge / dislodge Craig Gordon rather than a back up back up
My second concern is I don’t think our defence get the protection they need, and in most games, Brown is the only non defender who can tackle ( Forrest, McGregor, Roberts, Rogic, Sinclair) cannot tackle whilst Nthcham and Armstrong are average. This leaves central defence very vulnerable,
@@@@@@
Spot on , As far as I’m concerned , our problems are stemming from our way too soft midfield . I’ve stated on here often , god help us if scott brown gets a bad injury that keeps him out the team . Now we have the wee boy musonda , obviously got talent , but he is not going to battle for you either . Hearts tanked Us with brawn , killie battled against us , as did the jags on Saturday , they now all know we don’t like it .
BOURNESOUPRECIPE on 12TH FEBRUARY 2018 4:49 PM
Morelas is a Colombian footballer in the same way that Scheidt was a Brazilian footballer.
Halfright CSC.
DALLAS DALLAS
I share your doubt’s over DeVries.
His ability to stop shots seems limited.
Don’t know his stats but i’m thinking his shots to goals ratio is mediocre.
Also his much touted ability to play ball out with feet seems exaggerated .
I have only seen a lot of high hopeful punts and no great passing.
Traditionalist 88
fair play for fighting your corner.
With regards to the 2 new defensive recruits, do you personally think they are of a suitable quality to improve on what we already have in our current flawed CB’s.
I watch quite a bit of dundee, and whilst Hendry can indeed pass out from the back his other qualities are extremely well hidden, Comperr well thats to be established.
in my view instead of improving on the CB’s we’ve went backwards. Happy to be proved wrong, but in this day and age its nigh on impossible to discover a gem for £1m outlay. Calculate the risk factor for regressing as a team, which we undoubtedly have this season.
Glend
Agreed. Thought wee jamesie was classy and intelligent on Saturday.
Jimtim
We bossed the Diets with Broonie, Kouassi and Oli. I think we need to see all three on Thursday evening.
MiT
Broonie