We have developed a genuine player

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Liam Scales is often judged against his central defensive partner, the impeccable Cameron Carter-Vickers.  It is only when Cameron is out and we see Liam as the senior partner in defence that we get to appreciate the gap between him and those aspiring to replace him.

After around a year as first choice at Shamrock Rovers, Liam arrived in Glasgow three years ago and played a handful of games in his first season, before going on loan to Aberdeen.

Jim Goodwin took him there but was sacked after their historic Scottish Cup defeat at Darvel.  That game was live on TV and we got to see Liam play right side of a back three; it is no wonder Goodwin didn’t make the cut.  Barry Robson got the Aberdeen gig and came close to securing Liam on loan for another season, before an injury crisis at Celtic stopped the move going through.

The pivot which took place in Liam’s career late August 2023 was incredible.  Liam was called into the team after Kilmarnock dumped us out of the League Cup for a home game against St Johnstone.  Celtic were poor, St Johnstone took a point back to Perth with them, and Liam was repeatedly caught out by the ball over the top.  One occasion late in the game almost produced a breakthrough for Saints.

We went to Ibrox the following weekend with some predicting a thrashing.  With a weakened side, Celtic lost 3-0 there a few months earlier.  It was not just Liam who would pivot that day, the whole of Scottish football did, but Liam was an absolute rock in defence.

He is never going to be Cameron Carter-Vickers, but when you see him alongside others, you know that Brendan will need to bring in an exceptional player to replace him.  A month after scoring his first Champions League goal, he scored his first international goal for Ireland in a win in Finland last night.

We have developed a genuine player; credit to all involved.

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  1. Celtic Mac

     

     

    Liam Scalès rolling his left foot over the ball before kicking it?

     

    It’s an old school habit we were were taught so that when the “T” bladder arrived at the striker the laces were facing away from his forehead.

     

    At Liam Scales last game for Shamrock Rovers he was subbed with 10 minutes to go. The whole stadium stood up to applaud him.

     

    Don’t know if it was 100% full but we could ask our “Empty Seat Correspondant” if he has any info that.

  2. The returnof weeron on

    TINYTIM, I agree with what you are saying.

     

     

    In addition, I would add timing and/or luck.

     

     

    Remember Gerry Britton and Gerry Creaney? 2 young strikers in the reserves. Celtic decided that they would let one of them go in the approaching summer. That one was Gerry Creaney. Britton was going to be moved up to the 1st team squad.

     

     

    Then, Britton got injured. Creaney got the gig, and enjoyed a few decent years.

     

     

    I believe that Scales was heading out the door on a permanent move. Injuries meant that he got some playing time. He did well enough that Brendan hung on to him.

  3. celebrating that I took my dog out this morning

     

     

    (who is reactive as fook – and wants to murder all dogs who get within 2 feet of her)

     

     

    all the peoples I met put their dogs on a leash

     

     

    Not one smiled and said;

     

     

    “its okay my dogs lovely”

     

     

    #munters

  4. Also celebrating she “pooped” in the long grass

     

     

    Thus activating the long known rule of:

     

     

    if she sh!tes in the long grass then we walk on….

  5. fess19@12.18am

     

     

    Long time since we had to lace up the ol’ bladder and the balls have moved on a long way since then*

     

    That said it makes for a good explanation, but one which begs the question, why do it now, then again maybe old habits live on in the fitba psyche. I liked Liam from the getgo, saw him make his first appearance for the Celts, a League Cup game against Raith Rovers, memorable also, perhaps for the first time, of the new music and light system played before the game, confirming for many that we really were dancing to the Big Pete Disco Beat. Liam had something about him even then, playing a kind of left wing back position, getting forward etc.

     

    Didn’t really get many opportunities after that, and his real development happened in the season he played up at Aberdeen, loads of game time, under Barry Robson, a manager who would appreciate what Liam brings to a football club, as in not too far removed from what he did himself. Fact is though Liam was getting shipped out, two new shiny centre backs had been brought in, with apparently the blessing of Brendan himself, unlikely as that now seems, didn’t or hasn’t worked out for them, Liam gets the gig and once again proves that old adage, the more games ye get, the better player ye are likely to be.

  6. TONTINE TIM on 11TH OCTOBER 2024 4:13 PM

     

    HRVATSKI JIM on 11TH OCTOBER 2024 11:48 AM

     

     

     

    Peter Cormack has died. A fine player. RIP

     

     

     

    8canane disagree there as the Big Mhan coveted him fae his time at Eater Road but allegedly he turned us doon

     

     

    ………………….

     

     

    He turned us down became de he was a Hun.

  7. Bhoy Joe I’m planning a wee trip over in March for a long weekend and was going to ask for tips and hints for pubs and restaurant me and ten others. 👍🍀

  8. THEORIGINALSADIESBHOY on 12TH OCTOBER 2024 10:53 AM

     

    TONTINE TIM on 11TH OCTOBER 2024 4:13 PM

     

     

    HRVATSKI JIM on 11TH OCTOBER 2024 11:48 AM

     

     

     

     

    Peter Cormack has died. A fine player. RIP

     

     

     

     

    8canane disagree there as the Big Mhan coveted him fae his time at Eater Road but allegedly he turned us doon

     

     

     

    ………………….

     

     

     

    He turned us down became de he was a Hun.

     

     

    ………………..

     

     

    Aargh! Predictive text strikes again.

     

     

    He turned us down because he was a Hun and wanted to play for the Dark Side.

  9. Good article today by Alex Gordon on CQN.

     

     

    I like Hatate, however there is real merit in all Alex writes. Perhaps he’s just not Brendan’s cup of tea – a pity if that’s the case – I had visions of Nakamura no2 when he first arrived.

     

     

    The season is young and there is still time for Reo to come good again. HH

  10. So, in a blog article praising Liam Scales for having the patience and application to develop as a club and international player, we are now being invited to admire an article from our tabloid section inviting Reo Hatate to give up international ambitions because we pay his wages.

     

     

    I know and respect the view that we have little interest in International competition but the players we want to attract do have international ambitions. It is the player who must decide if it’s worthwhile to travel as an international sub, not the club who contracts him to play league football. Just think what would happen if we restrict Reo’s international ambitions and then try to sign another promising Japanese players.

     

     

    Nakamura and Maeda did and do well by us without limiting their Japanese international ambitions. It is just remotely possible, if you can put aside tabloid thinking, that the cure for Reo’s temporary form lapse might have a cause and a cure that does not involve pissing him off

  11. Prestonpans bhoys on

    Correct, playing international football is a personal choice for Hatate and he obviously enjoys the experience, this statement from him is excellent:

     

     

    “The team comes first. Whatever the manager decides is good for the team, I accept. Just by being selected for the squad means I am always being evaluated by the manager and staff and I respect that.

     

     

    If called upon, I will always do my best.”

  12. setting free the bears for Res. 12 & Oscar Knox on 12th October 2024 1:58 pm

     

     

    ” Just think what would happen if we restrict Reo’s international ambitions and then try to sign another (sic) promising Japanese players.” Good point.

     

     

    Then:

     

    ” It is just remotely possible, …….. that the cure for Reo’s temporary form lapse might have a cause and a cure that does not involve pissing him off”

     

     

    Another good point but more amusingly made :-))

  13. Reo will have a stage at the highest level at some point in the next few weeks to show his abilities. We have 6 huge games to come in the CL. He will feature in some for certain.

     

     

    International breaks have their side benefits. For me it’s a chance to get away and keep Mrs B78 happy without missing any Celtic games. Aberdeen, Bergamo, Motherwell and the rest can wait for a week.

     

     

    I feel very lucky that thanks to some lovely friends we are enjoying the beautiful Ionean Sea today. It really is special on days like this. Even better when the friends are skippering, fuelling and leaving us to sit back and enjoy.

     

     

    It is over 32 years since I last visited Albania. It was a very different world we all lived in back then (I recall wearing a zig zag Celtic away top which had both red and blue colours on it when I last was there) but for the people of Albania the change has been ‘off the scale’ since then as many of the clever folk on here know far better than me….the president is of course a Celtic fan.

     

     

    I remember in 2008 wondering if folk over in Cuba were going to be happier, or not, as they evolved into a more ‘westernised’ society as I watched an old chap (who became a friend) who lived in a small village there, finish his days work fishing at 10am and divide his catch up before sorting out the fruit in his decent small holding / garden for an hour or so. The big baseball game on TV and a beer was his scheduled fun that night before he went back out on the boat at 4am. He and his family were all well educated and seemed really happy with their lives. No one was telling him he needed a Bentley or a Gucci man bag. He feared the lure of Nike or Budweiser for his kids but that aside he was well cared for by the country of his birth and he seemed at ease. I am sure it was not how everyone felt.

     

     

    I wonder if those incredibly well educated Albanians I met back in 92 are feeling it is a better place for them now than before. I am sure the answer will depend on who I ask. I am sure I no one imagined posting from Albania on the internet back then. Then I also don’t think anyone would have expected Celtic to win 20 of the next 32 league titles in Scotland either.

     

     

    I also wonder if many of the Celtic supporters would prefer the club back the way it was in 1992. Going by the abuse aimed at those who have been involved leading the club since then I do feel that maybe many were happier back in those days despite the trophy haul. Back in a time when we had little hope of ever winning anything twice in a row never mind dominating our largest rival domestically many seemed to feel more emotionally connected with the club. Maybe now ‘our day has come’ the world of Celtic is not as we expected. Maybe the moral of the story is ‘be careful what you wish for’. Even St Pauli, as good a model as it is, are experiencing their growing pains right now.

     

     

    Just as there is no utopian model for countries I don’t know if there is any perfect model for football clubs. We all have our own backgrounds, hopes, dreams and reasons for supporting ….. just as the people of Albania and Cuba have their expectations of their evolving countries.

     

     

    Just a thought or two during one of the more enjoyable international breaks in my personal experience.

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