Vasilios Barkas returns to Celtic Park on Thursday, four and a half years after his last appearance at the ground. That 1-1 draw with Midtjylland was our first home game in front of fans in 16 months, with 9,000 allowed to attend. It was also Vasilios’ only appearance for Celtic in front of a home crowd. The goal conceded led to a curtailment of further chances for the keeper.
He was awful at Celtic but it would be a mistake to assume that is an accurate assessment of his abilities. His reputation blossomed since moving to Utrecht, where he has remained first choice for over three years. He is better than any of us remember and will do his best to demonstrate this on Thursday.
Barkas arrived at Celtic late July 2020, when unnecessary travel was prohibited, including trips to scout a keeper. Fraser Forster had just completed an incredible season and had returned to parent club Southampton, who agreed in principle to a return to Celtic the next season, when they had secured backfill.
Fraser told the club and his pal Craig Gordon he was also keen on a return. As a consequence, Craig, who was out of contract, rejected a Celtic deal and went to Hearts for less than half the money Celtic offered, in order to play first team football. A week later, Southampton got cover and green-lit the deal for Fraser. Fraser, though, thought he had a bite at Chelsea, so backed out. These events lost Celtic a known keeper and cost Craig a lot of money.
No travel, no fresh scouting, where do we go? Barkas played for the AEK Athens team who eliminated Celtic from Champions League qualification two years earlier. The deal was done.
Vasilios arrived in Scotland alone, unable to speak the language and not permitted to socialise. Players were not even allowed to eat together, they had breakfast and lunch in their cars at Lennoxtown. After training, he went home, and cooked and cleaned for himself. If you anything about young footballers, those tasks are not familiar territory. Barkas was one of millions of desperately isolated people that year.
He was not alone suffering this way at Celtic that season. Others – who travelled up from England – fared even worse personally, but there is no hiding place between the sticks and Vasilios was exposed. Celtic adhered scrupulously to the rules that season. This had a cost which not every club was prepared to pay. Some believe rules are too taxing.
I don’t know if he will suffer some mild form of PTSD when he walks out the tunnel on Thursday evening, or if he will rise to the occasion, fortified by his subsequence successes. Best of luck to him, either way.
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bournesouprecipe
Thanks??
The Blogger Formerly Known As GM (2:32pm):
Speaking of the midfield, `i’d have hoped to see Engels showing more signs of promise by now.
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IMHO Engels was bought as CM’s successor, and we won’t get to see if he has what it takes for that role unless CM gets an injury or a few weeks’ rest. If they’re both playing together than Engels is just another body in midfield, pushed slightly further forward than his best position. That said, I reckon we need a CM successor (as the lynchpin) to have more bite than either Engels or CM appear to have… more of a Duracell powered enforcer, a la Broonie. Our midfield has never quite been the same since he departed.
Bada Bing 1.36
I posted the same thing on here last night .
TT
Suttons arse.Calmac totally shut down by Hearts,Nygren,a man short in midfield,not his fault,not his position,leaving Engels to cover everywhere,to no avail.
Sutton trying to be ” Edgy”.Grab a headline.MON has seen enough of Nygren to know he is not a midfielder for that game.Of course,Sutton won’t say that.
Sionnaigh
Why?
Come on, explain it.
Engels has shown nothing to suggest that he is an adequate replacement for C. Mac.
MON didn’t even fancy him to test the role against A. Talbot .
TT
Big Chips,
Said it for Donkeys,not possible to play anyone in the midfield with Calmac.He is a” Ball Monster”..Not a criticism,by any means,its just him.Would run over the top of you to take a pass,meant for you.You are right,for someone to get experience there,Calmac can’t be there.
Some boots to fill.Someone will have to.Don’t know if it will be Engels.
Hmmmm…….
Sutton pans the board – “nails it”.
Sutton pans Engles – only trying to grab headlines.
Bigchip – “IMHO Engels was bought as CM’s successor”.
If that’s the case we need to see him play in that position.
There’s no point hanging on to him for a few more years until Callum retires only to find he’s no good in there either.
It will be too late by then.
Some Celtic fan podcast who plays with a straight bat [good luck finding one of those] should ask Celtic “Hero” Peter Grant why he and other Celtic “Heroes” prevented Lou Macari from becoming a Celtic Managerial “Hero” when they all downed tools to get rid of uppity Luigi and gift wrapped the next 3 titles to the Huns including equalling Mr Stein’s World Record 9 in a row achievement?
Ex Celt, Davie Provan said this on Radio Clyde Super Scoreboard after every game that Lou Macari was Celtic manager, a Stein educated uppity Tim knifed in the back by a pretentious clique.
Cliques are anti Celtic.
Pretentious “Heroes” Peter Grant, Paul McStay, Tom Boyd, Pat Bonner, Charlie Nicholas, and others, downed tools to effectively put a knife into the back of Lou Macari’s hopes as a Celtic manager.
Could any manager be succesful if 6 or 7 of the players lay down on the pitch to sack the uppity manager and retain their cosey dressing room clique.
2 titles out of 14 is only termed “Heroic” at anything but Celtic FC post 1994.
And now Grant can be seen making Donald Trump, Irish President Connolly, types of pyramid masonic hand signs every time that Grant is on Sportscene.
Should watch Charlie Mulgrew on Sportscene as well as he does this too.
Celtic are controlled opposition.
https://www.67hailhail.com/news/celtic-hero-peter-grant-calls-out-hearts-boss-derek-mcinnes-for-his-actions-calls-for-sfa-action/
CELTIC MAC on 27TH JANUARY 2026 2:35 PM
Ahh, more Shakespeare. 💫
“If music be the food of love, play on.”
– you guys and your music ‘Green Door’ – played 👏
I knew you would say that about his Timmyness I think he was too, I hope he was.
Like Michael that’s Corleone not Nicholson, he would have made a great ‘ Don ‘ unlike Sonny who was a bad Don. Wee Ross would be a bad Don and I hope that never happens but who knows.
Tram it was, but it doesn’t cut it for legals, who like Omnibus better.
As you like it CSC
How is it these young elite footballers can only play in one midfield role? That being asked to play a few yards forward or back paralyses them? Like Superman being too close to kryptonite, their powers just drains away.
If Engels doesn’t like or can’t cope with a physical game where he is expected to graft, win tackles, impose himself on the game and link up play then he is at the wrong club and most definitely in the wrong country. The same goes for Nygren and Hatate.
We need battlers not bottlers.
Kyogo might yet replace Kyogo
FLYNN on 27TH JANUARY 2026 2:48 PM
Engels was hiding against Hearts – Chris Sutton.
I distinctly remember him being almost decapitated twice with fast flying elbows. On one of the occasions McLean awarded a throw in.
HHH
Once by McCart ,a former Celtic academy player and son of the Head of Celtic’s Academy Chris McCart.
Vale Bhoy
Dermot Desmond.
Post Scriptum
For a longer explanation, read the petition.
vale bhoy on 27th January 2026 2:58 pm
Sionnaigh
Why?
Come on, explain it.
============================
Its Sionnaighs path to Celtic,he is a Celtic man.
Might not post what you or i agree with,as far as I see he has a petition going and posts saint of the day,re establishing an ancient cqn tradition.
Harmless enough,I guess he hisnae any gas in his modrin pitchfork as It appears you cant convince him he would be an example of who you have to convert.
Hoop hoop hooray👇
Did engels not get booked for not accepting an elbow in the gub on the way into the stand!
HH
😄😄😄👍
You are a bunch of rogues, rascals, cads and bounders. That’s youse telt.
In the Scottish Premiership, Celtic face an in-form Falkirk team at the same venue just three days later. David Dickinson will be the match referee, assisted by David Roome and Chris Rae on the touchlines.
At Clydesdale House, Andrew Dallas will operate VAR and Frank Connor will provide technical assistance.
Gaslighting is the term.
https://x.com/i/status/2015937631960375418
Beaton again
Engels and McGregor totally outnumbered on Sunday….its weird that Engels best games are mostly on the European stage …excellent in Munich for instance….maybe just not suited to the rough and tumble of the Scottish game ….after all hes probably seen nothing like it or the refereeing…because if he dares to put in a harder challenge…its a free kick !!!!
Hibs knock back £5 million bid from Verona for Keiron Bowie
They wont be getting a better one from Celtic then.
Any update on Auston Trusty appeal? I thought the hearing was today ?
Who would win in a fight between Paul Tisdale and analytics?
GLENDALYSTONSILS on 27TH JANUARY 2026 5:06 PM
No date set
Hearing is today
EPL refs saying VAR should not have been involved
Should hear tonight then or tomorrow
If Celtic don’t sign 2-3 starters by the end of the window I will never forgive this board. It’s would spell their demise as fans will not purchase season tickets and avoid the stadium and merchandise. We are one defeat away from having an empty stadium for rest of this season.
We are watching the champions get outplayed and outmuscled by hearts Motherwell rangers etc
They are truly disrespecting the fans and the club. MON will be furious right now and pushing hard. He will not hold back if they don’t deliver players.
The silence from Nicholson is utterly shocking – at least come out , tell fans you hear them , tell them we are pushing for signings – give us something you ignorant c*nt
Pitch will be heavy on Thursday, not good for Falkirk on Sunday
Celtic lose trusty appeal. It is Scotland after all.
Appeal fails
Trusty appeal kicked out
a whitewash by a shower of hun bastards.
they know if they had upheld the appeal then that would open a can or worms for the 2 cheats who engineered the red card.
Fergus mcann wouldn’t stand for this corruption. Current Celtic board are take it on the chin Charlie’s