As this clean sheet run has continued, every time Fraser Forster has made a good save, I’ve found myself suggesting that the defence is not playing as tightly as it used to. We quickly regard exceptional performance as the norm.
Fraser has, of course, been exceptional, again, this season. Efe Ambrose and Virgil van Dijk are fast and commanding. Virgil has a presence about him, like Wanyama, but bigger. On the flanks, despite the lack of competition, Emilio Izaguirre is performing at his best, while Adam Matthews, Mikael Lustig and Darnell Fisher have shuffled through the right back position as availability dictates.
I have a notion that Scott Brown is also worth credit for the defensive performance. He seems to have grown this season, perhaps as a consequence of fitness. This is his best season yet.
Ultimately the game is all about tactics. Any team can keep a clean sheet but 10-in-a-row (get used to reading that) is a consequence of team plan, which is where Neil Lennon comes in.
Tomorrow is the final day to confirm tickets for our CQteN St Patrick’s Day Dinner on 14 March at the Kerrydale Suite. The dinner will raise funds to build a kitchen at Kholoni Primary School in Mchinji, Malawi, where 1200 kids currently attend without food facilities. If you have lost your invoice email me, celticquicknews@gmail.com
See you there.
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Margaret McGill
04:55
All I’m saying is maybe there is something we can do here. I’m not saying it can solve all the world’s problems, but if European football has ruined the lives of 20,000 young African footballers and those of their families back home, it would be a good thing for Europe’s best club to take a small stop towards helping to heal some of them.
You do good because it’s good to do good.
I can even think of a CQNer to run a facility in Madrid for the Tommy Burns Project (he knows who he is).
Celtic_First
05:07 on 31 January, 2014
I agree with you. Count me in. I have seen Black Diamonds on netflix.
It’s crazy what you find sitting in bed perusing the web.
DEFENESTRATION
I once had the honour of meeting a philosopher called McIndoe
Who had once had the honour of being flung out of an upstairs window.
During his flight, he said, he commenced an interesting train of speculation
On why there happened to be such a word as defenestration.
There is not, he said, a special word for being rolled down a roof into a gutter;
There is no verb to describe the action of beating a man to death with a putter;
No adjective exists to qualify a man bound to the buffer of the 12.10 to Ealing,
No abstract noun to mollify a man hung upside down by his ankles from the ceiling.
Why, then, of all the possible offences so distressing to humanitarians,
Should this one alone have caught the attention of the verbarians?
I concluded (said McIndoe) that the incidence of logodaedaly was purely adventitious.
About a thirtieth of a second later, I landed in a bush that my great-aunt brought back from Mauritius.
I am aware (he said) that defenestration is not limited to the flinging of men through the window.
On this occasion, however, it was so limited, the object defenestrated being I, the philosopher, McIndoe.
TOM 0405
No,Tom. It was clever-cloggery,no question.
How can it be ethnic cleansing? Nobody died.
Or did you mean something else when mentioned garrotting?
Celtic_First
I have a special affiliation with Kolkata and not just this
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammed_Salim_%28footballer%29
and on the topic whatever happened to these guys…
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/three-talented-young-indian-players-876813
FFM said:
Not got the time to read a lot these days, but delighted to see that the subject of ethnic cleansing is still very much to the front of all our debates. Godwin’s Law doesn’t apply much to lovers of capitalism and the Celtic Board.
I think you’d best go back and read a bit more. You’ve got that completely the wrong way round mate.
BMCUW –
Just because I mentioned garotting does not mean I thought ethnic cleansing necessarily involved death. It was just one example.
Again, based on your own definition, do you still believe it applies to what has happened to the GB?
It’s pure dramaqueenery!
No,Tom. It’s a case of their face not fitting,beat it!
They may have been to the fore of a few contentious issues,but they were tried in the media and thrown to the wolves.
Some of the invective and hyperbole used in their destruction beggared belief. Their treatment doesn’t sit well with me,I’m afraid.
But what the hell,I guess if you’re ok with that,fine. Carry on.
‘GG
05:17 on 31 January, 2014
It’s crazy what you find sitting in bed perusing the web.
DEFENESTRATION
————-
GG,
“DEFENESTRATION” is a word I encountered often while doing my honours degree in Latin at Glasgow University.
But I still can;t understand the Latin relevance as it’s a French word for “window removal”, “lit. from the windows”. It was because I kept panning in windows in the halls of residence while under the influence that has led to my inability to reconciliate the word with Latin.
Any help from maturer souls would be greatly appreciated :))
Tom
05:21 on 31 January, 2014
FFM said:
Not got the time to read a lot these days, but delighted to see that the subject of ethnic cleansing is still very much to the front of all our debates. Godwin’s Law doesn’t apply much to lovers of capitalism and the Celtic Board.
I think you’d best go back and read a bit more. You’ve got that completely the wrong way round mate.
—
Tom,
that’s rich from you, consider you are operating from the upside part of the world, mate.
Shark’s here swim with their fins facing down by the way – we spot them because their noses are all sticking up above the water :))
BMCUW –
In my earlier reply to you, I used quite a few words to describe my feelings about the way the GB have been treated. I might expect you to mis-read one but not all.
So how do you arrive at the conclusion that I support the victimisation of the GB?
Mr Kay at St Pats would have drawn the belt across our 1st year palms if we couldn’t decline fenestra
FENESTRA
FENESTRA
FENESTRAM
FENESTRAE
FENESTRAE
FENESTRA
etc
Take this to the bank ya shower of repros.
And for non-Australians – good song btw….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3hHbpCdRt8
Enjoy :))
GG,
Nah nah,
It’s Fenetre. The French have always have trouble with the letter “S”.
Good Morning Timland.
Ethnolurker
clever-cloggery
dramaqueenery
Brilliant!!!!
Ledley for the off
For the last few years I’ve heard from various sources about how much Ledley loves CFC
Joe gets it….his dad says he is very happy at CFC
Yada yada yada ….
Ledley is the epitome of the modern selfish footballer …up to them I suppose …
£800k ..take it I say …I’m not a fan .. He was appalling in his first season and has a wonderful knack of hiding during difficult games
On his game he is very good ….. just not on his game enough for me
Leaving CFC for Palace …..explains it all ……enjoy yer bank balance ,Joe …as for your career …downhill from here on in
valentinesday,
“dramaqueenery”??
You got a problem with dramaqueenery???
Bigoted bollocks.
Amanda Knox again……who’d have think it …
The Italian judicial system is bonkers
Fenetre replacement specialist.
A good job to get, but ruined by the influx of cheap and ugly immigrant glaziers from Ayrshire.
PF Ayr,
Though you would have been wise to this amigo.
Have you not noticed that all of our players who are worth the most in selling on fees are the ones who leave under a shower of media rain blaming them for their desire to further their careers.
Is it not possible that Hooper would like to have stayed? Is Sammy going through the same thing?
PL: We’d love you to stay Victor – I know another club is offering you double the wage, but I’d like to keep you here at half of your existing wage.
Media: Victor W not happy at Celtic, wants move to EPL
Victor’s Agent: Aye, …….more of this please.
Media: Contract concluded- exclusive story, thanks PL
CQN: Victor W. If he wasn’t interested in Celtic, just his career, then feck him. Good riddance.
And so on.
Sammi and Joe to go next. FF is the big question. Even PL would be reluctant to let the last man go.
Imagine Lenny had a clear and managable player budget every season- even we here on CQN would be happy, if not discussing the rights and wrongs of the budget.
But as it is, all responsibility is being diverted from the Celtic Board.
PFayr
For Ledley, see Gary Hooper. Not interested in trophies. Money is the key.
If we don’t bring in a goalscorer today, then that will be 3 windows come and gone without buying someone we knew we need going back a year.
Forward planning is in short supply down Kerrydale St.
TMWTL
Not sure it was all cash with Hooper ….he has aspirations to play for England
Ledley is a fixture in the Wales team …not an issue
tom
03:50 on 31 January, 2014
BMCUW –
What has that got to do with one poster accusing another poster of “ethnic cleansing”?
But to answer the question, there are many things he could have called it, but “Ethnic cleansing”? Really?
So the act of removing a group of football fans from a mainstream support is described as ethnic cleansing. I question the use of such a term in such a context and your response is “what would YOU call it?”
Idiotic?
Unfair?
Unjust?
Unwarranted?
Cruel?
Illegal?
Immoral?
I could go on, but let me ask you a question . . . Have any of the GB been taken away in the night and garotted?
Now THAT just might be construed as ethnic cleansing.
~~~~~~~~~~**~~~~~~~~~~
Now in your 0544,you are saying that I am somehow supposed to realise that all those words were descriptions of how you felt about it,and not what you thought might be a better term for NEGANON to use?
Well,isn’t that ironic?
To answer my own question,naw it’s revisionist crap.
NEGANON has the balls to state how a fair few of us feel with regard to how the board are playing us,and on many important issues.
I was brought up to support CELTIC FC. And I do. But i do not support the way that the board is going about its business in many ways.
Some people might see fit to shout down posters like that,condemn them for their condemnation. I don’t. There have been too many instances of lies and deliberate falsehoods being laid at their door for it to be a coincidence,or poor communication.
We need a damn sight more transparency than we are getting,better co-operation and understanding.
Meantime,feel free to reverse the meaning of one of your posts. It only serves to reinforce mine about clever-cloggery.
FFM
Ledley wouldn’t be furthering his career at Palace ….just enhancing his bank balance …
Just in to say…..
If Joe(the ghost) is going to Palace – Sellic should do a deal and get Barry Bannon. imho
BB is a box 2 box – midfield dynamo – who isny feart to put in a shift first and foremost and, unlike our captain headless chicken, BB can tackle withoot fouling and, in case the ‘closet Andy Roxburgh n Craig Brown’ comes on and tells me that – BB was on the bench the ither night so – he’s no use and he’s too wee – I’ll always refer the hight issue to the best player to have played in the EPL(imho) – WGS. So there. But, ah know that there isny much imagination in the dug-oot transfer wise so, ah’l no be holding my breath. Btw, do Celtic currently have a better striker than Kris Boyd ? Do I find myself on the ethnic cleansing list if I opine that – since signing his new contract – Stokes has put the tools away ? If so ? Then…….
P.S.
____________
valentinesday
20:55 on 30 January, 2014
Goodnight Timland.
Late night tomorrow with the last day of the windae, so it’s
early bed,hoping for a wee surprise fae PL, maybe good
enough tae get my cqn hero KEVJ to come on here and
sing his praises.
noteffinglikelyCSC.
_______________
Careful how you go AMIGO.
A manager without b#lls means that the window will be yet, another source of frustration but, what I’d do if I was PL….I’d say to Neil that he has enough players at his disposal and that it’s NOW time to show – PL and the ‘bored’ that Sellic have a manager who, can manage his resources. imho
Anyway – I hope all is well with yer guid self and, that it would be grand to meet up with ye some time ? Maybe the Dons cup tie ? Talk to ye later aboot it – have to go Off oot.
Hail Hail – Take Care Tims – Laters….
I see a mention for Wes Hoolahan earlier. Not a bad player at all,31yo not in his favour though.
Here’s a Norwich fan who wants to have his babies!
http://www.edp24.co.uk/norfolk-life/opinion_an_ode_to_norwich_city_s_wing_wizard_wes_hoolahan_1_3257956
BMCUW,
“NEGANON has the balls to state how a fair few of us feel with regard to how the board are playing us,and on many important issues. ”
HH Fella, completely agree.
@SkySportsNews: BREAKING: Middlesbrough have agreed a deal to sign Wolves striker Kevin Doyle on loan. #boro #mfc #wwfc
Could this impact on the LG move???
HH
EXCLUSIVE ROBERT GRIEVE and DAVID FRIEL Published: 5 hrs ago
CELTIC will today DOUBLE their original offer for Leigh Griffiths with a £1million swoop — as contract rebel Joe Ledley mulls over a £700,000 move to Crystal Palace.
Hoops chiefs are hoping to finally reach agreement with Wolves for the Scotland striker before the transfer window shuts tonight.
Celts tabled an initial £400,000 offer for Griffiths on Tuesday only to see it immediately rejected.
But now — after backing away from talks — they’re ready to return and up the ante by going back in with an improved £800,000 bid.
Another £200,000 in add-ons — depending on appearances the 23 year-old makes — will also form part of the offer.
In addition to that Wolves will also potentially benefit from a ten per cent sell-on clause.
Celts midfielder Ledley is set for switch to Palace
PA
It should be regarded by Wolves as a serious bid for Griffiths who is now surplus to requirements with Kenny Jackett’s side.
Chief executive Jez Moxey is renowned as a tough negotiator and has played hardball with Celts counterpart Peter Lawwell.
But Lawwell has been prepared to play the waiting game until deadline day.
Meanwhile, Ledley is expected to head south for talks after Celtic accepted a last-gasp £700,000 offer from Eagles boss Tony Pulis. And if the Welsh midfielder agrees personal terms with the Premier League side, he could make his debut against Arsenal on Sunday.
Hoops boss Neil Lennon was keen to keep the 27-year-old and had offered him a new long-term contract.
But with no answer forthcoming, Celtic decided to cash in now instead of losing him for nothing in the summer.
Ledley, who scored in Wednesday’s 4-0 win over Kilmarnock, joined Celtic on a free from Cardiff in the summer of 2010.
Georgios Samaras also looks to be be on his way out of the club.
Trabzonspor are one of many European sides tracking the Greek and would like to sign him now.
But sources close to Samaras last night claimed he has NO interest in moving to Turkey.
The Celtic star has several options but is content to sit tight until the end of the season and let his deal run out.
Midfielder Dylan McGeouch is headed for Coventry on loan until the end of the season.
SCOTT BROWN reckons he is captaining one of Celtic’s best teams for years.
The 4-0 midweek hammering of Kilmarnock at Parkhead stretched the Hoops’ unbeaten Premiership campaign to 23 games and leaves them just 15 from completing a sensational invincible season.
Add in the tail end of last season and they are now 26 games without a loss in the league, while they have also won their last 12 matches.
Hoops keeper Fraser Forster and his defence have gone almost 17 HOURS of action in the league and Scottish Cup — 11 straight games — without conceding a goal.
Forster equalled Charlie Shaw’s 92-year-old club record of 10 successive league shutouts when he blanked Killie on Wednesday night.
Celtic are sitting 18 points clear at the top of the table and skipper Brown said: “It’s a great achievement.
“Looking around our dressing room and seeing what it means to all the players, it shows we have so much still to play for this season.
“It was a great result against Kilmarnock. The lads played well from start to finish and I think it was played at a good tempo as well.
Celtic No1 Fraser Forster is 366 minutes from breaking the world record for clean sheets
Kenneth Ramsay (Photography)
“We were playing one and two-touch on the pitch and we looked really good.
“There was one chance for Kilmarnock at the back post, but we can always rely on Fraser at times like that because he always produces the big saves at the big times.
“With this run of results and the added achievement of the clean sheets, I think this is one of the best Celtic teams in a long time.
“Hopefully we can keep going for as long as possible.”
Brown is certain their winter break in Turkey was the perfect booster for the Hoops. He added: “The lads got five or six days off and that refreshed our legs.
“We had a chance to relax, get some time away from the training ground and just get some time for ourselves.
“I think it’s helped our style of play because we’re starting games brightly and those 10 to 15 minutes are crucial.
“The home crowd are brilliant and that helps. But it’s also the lads’ determination and the heart in that dressing room.
“We want to keep that going and the fans want to keep that going and the recent performances show just how determined we are to do that.”
However Brown’s Hoops team-mate Charlie Mulgrew insists records are NOT at the forefront of their thinking.
He said: “We are not trying to think too much about records.
“We don’t speak too much about it. I know it is there in the background and sometimes it’s hard to ignore.
“I know it’s a cliche, but we are trying to take one game at a time and do the best we can.”
BMCUW –
So by your own admission, I answered your question “What would YOU call it?” by listing a few words describing what I would call it, and now you claim I meant what someone else should call it.
You need a good sleep. Or something.
PF Aye,
And I’d be surprised if Joe was only interested in an extra £20,000 week in the bank. As I was with Victor. And competiton in the CL…
Nah, it stinks to high heaven. I respect the notion of buy low and sell high, but we are being manipulated. Along with all the other issues which prove complete disregard for supporter concerns, it’s foul.
And in that sense, in solidarity with the GB, I say feck the Celitc Board – but then, like players and supporters, they will see me as expendable, and slip a few quid to muppets like Tony Donnelly and 67Heaven, who seem to have a frightening amount of people supporting them on this site.
God help us all.
Kevin McDonald has read and absorbed the tales of Leigh Griffiths’ extra-curricular activities.
Yet the Wolves midfielder has difficulty reconciling the player featured on the front pages with the player Celtic hope to parade on the back of tomorrow’s papers.
A Celtic supporter who attracted a £75,000 Parkhead bid in 2006 before leaving Dundee for Burnley a couple of years later, McDonald expects Griffiths to make his waves on the pitch — rather than off it, the 23-year-old having spent the last six months reinventing himself as the mild-mannered man of the Wolves squad.
Attracting interest: Wolves striker Leigh Griffiths is wanted by Celtic
‘You would be surprised by how Griff is about the dressing room,’ McDonald told Sportsmail. ‘What I’ve found is that he keeps himself to himself — and that’s it.
‘He is the first man at training and the first one out again most days. He just gets on with his work and that’s it.
‘I don’t even know what he does off the pitch. He has this reputation, which follows him around, but I would say he’s actually a pretty quiet guy.
‘He is not one of the loud people in the dressing room by any means.’
Controversial figure: Griffiths’ potential signing has been met with discontent from Celtic fans
In contrast, Celtic supporters remain decidedly vocal — bordering on the hostile — to the prospect of the former Livingston, Dundee and Hibs striker pitching up at Parkhead.
Undeniably, Griffiths comes with more baggage than just his kit and a pair of boots. Acquitted of shoplifting, accused of online racism and infamous as the father of four children to three different mothers, the former Hibernian player’ s reputation goes before him.
‘Of course, he has a mental streak in him,’ said McDonald. ‘But most 23-year-old guys do, don’t they?
‘I knew of Leigh from his days at Dundee — but I didn’t really know him well.
‘He’s still young and I always see him as a nice, quiet guy — quite different from his image. He gets on with his work.’
High praise: Kevin McDonald insists Griffiths is different from the image portrayed by some critics
The off-field infractions only partially explain the remarkable level of scepticism shown by Celtic supporters towards Griffiths.
The PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year after scoring 27 goals on loan at Hibs in 2013, Griffiths returned to League One Wolves in the summer.
Celtic fans, meanwhile, had primed themselves for a statement signing this window. A £6million Champions League capture, perhaps, which would reinvigorate season-ticket sales and offer hope of consolidation in Europe.
The spectre of their club having bids rejected for an English League One striker available for under £1m has come as a source of bewilderment to those led to believe a marquee capture was both affordable and achievable.
Loan star: Griffiths smashed 27 goals during his spell with Hibs last season
‘I’m kind of a Celtic fan, though I wouldn’t say I’m a massive fan,’ added McDonald. ‘And that is the question on people’s minds right now — how will Griff do in the Champions League?
‘I couldn’t predict the outcome because I haven’t played there myself. But it’s going to be hard. Playing against the best teams in the world, I think anyone would struggle and need time to adapt.
‘But when Celtic play at Parkhead, it’s a great team effort — it’s not about individuals.
‘Gary Hooper went up there from Scunthorpe and I played against him before he joined Celtic. I don’t know if I would have seen him as a guy who could score goals in the Champions League.
‘Yet he went there and he did it, so I would love to see Griff go up and do the same. But everyone knows how hard it is to play at that level.’
Talking tactics: Griffiths takes tips from Scotland boss Gordon Strachan
Less so at SPFL Premiership level, where there is widespread acknowledgment that Griffiths has the ability to grab 30 goals over the course of a season. A feat that appears to be beyond Teemu Pukki, Amido Balde or even Anthony Stokes currently.
‘I would be surprised if he didn’t make a big impact with Celtic,’ added former Dens Park playmaker McDonald.
‘He has scored 13 goals and has always looked lively for us. Lately, he has not had the luck where he needs it most — in the box. But Griff is a great player. He scored 27 goals at Hibs last season for a team which wasn’t even at the top of the league.
‘To score that number of goals for any side is a terrific amount and, if he was to go to Celtic, with the passes and service he would get there and the standard of player they have, he would be sure to do even better. I’d be very surprised if he wasn’t a 30-goal-a-season man there.
Vote of confidence: Griffiths would be a big success at Celtic, according to McDonald
‘He would make an impact and soon become a fans’ favourite — whatever they might be saying now.’
At least some of the sniffiness of Celtic supporters owes much to an innate snobbery.
Griffiths has been warming the bench at a club seeking promotion from England’s third tier. Accepting Celtic’s new financial model is proving harder for some to accept than others.
‘Unfortunately for Griff, he fell out of the team in recent weeks,’ continued McDonald.
‘But I don’t know if that’s more to do with the transfer stuff and what’s been going on than anything to do with his ability.
‘It’s a good enough standard in League One. I’m sure if you asked Gary Harkins, who is now at Oldham, he’d tell you exactly the same.
‘I spoke to Gary the other night and he has been impressed with the standard since he came down here. People in Scotland should know it’s a good league.
‘The English boys ask me all the time what Scottish league it compares to and I don’t find that easy to answer. I would say that most of the teams are SPL standard.’
+9
No regrets: McDonald insists he made the right choice rejecting Celtic for Burnley
Had circumstances been different, McDonald might have been a team-mate of Griffiths’ at Celtic rather than Wolves.
Gordon Strachan submitted a £75,000 offer for the then 17-year-old midfielder in 2006. The bid was rejected.
‘I think I could have moved to Parkhead before I went to Burnley,’ McDonald recalled. ‘It was about seven years ago and it feels like a lifetime ago.
‘They bid £75,000 for me — but I made the decision to move to England and I never regretted it.
‘I like playing football in England and I am settled down here now. I’ve enjoyed my time here.’
Celtic remain part of Europe’s famous five
By: Newsroom Staff on 30 Jan, 2014 16:34
CELTIC’S midweek victory over Kilmarnock means that the Hoops remain unbeaten in their league campaign this season, one of only five top-flight teams in Europe who can boast of such an impressive record.
Neil Lennon’s side have now won 20 out of their 23 Premiership fixtures, drawing the other three. And they’ll be aiming to maintain that unbeaten record when they play host to St Mirren this Sunday.
The other four European teams still unbeaten in their respective domestic leagues are Bayern Munich, Olympiakos, Sparta Prague and Steaua Bucharest.
The reigning German champions, now managed by Pep Guardiola, are 13 points clear at the top of the Bundesliga, having won 16 of their 18 games.
Olympiakos, meanwhile, continue to lead the Greek League with an 11-point lead over PAOK Salonika, having won 19 of their 21 fixtures.
In the Czech Republic, Sparta Prague have won 13 of the 16 games, and have a five-point lead, but while Steaua Bucharest remain unbeaten in Romania, with 11 wins and six draws, they are currently third in the table, three points behind Astra Giurgiu, but with two games in hand.
FFM
CQN is in the main populated with compliant fans …..I find most of the justification given for acceptance of board policy verges from convenient to down right disingenuous
My personal favourite is the myth being promulgated that CFC are in some way responsible for the continuing Sevco difficulties ….reality suggests something different
ffm – i’m the only conspiracy theorist in the village)
06:12 on 31 January, 2014
Now don’t you be telling anyone, but that’s what clubs do…..they buy and sell players…..in this Country, we need to do it more often to survive (and to pay the players we have)
….pfayr supports weeoscar
06:55 on 31 January, 2014
You have to admit, there are one or two negatonians sprinkled about the place also.. ,hehe