I have a lot of time for Bolton Wanderers. During their extended stay in the English topflight, their late chief exec., Phil Gartside, was a regular supporter of Celtic joining the English and Welsh league pyramid.
When we signed 18-year-old Luca Connell from them in 2019, Bolton were in financial trouble. Celtic could have acquired the player without paying a fee, but as an act of solidarity, agreed to meet the terms Bolton were asking from English clubs, who, operating under different criteria from Celtic, were required to pay.
£350k made its way into the bank of the Greater Manchester club. Three years on and Luca has been released, having made no competitive appearances for Celtic.
The football department at Lennoxtown have decision makers at various levels, each with responsibility to recruit for a part of our internal player-pyramid and with an authority to spend budget. The manager has oversight, but he cannot know enough about who is right for the youth squads.
Paths crossed when it came to Luca. He was at Bolton as a youth when Neil Lennon was manager there. Neil became ‘permanent’ manager at Celtic five weeks before that £350k payment went south in return for Luca.
All managers have their pet projects, so this is no reflection on Neil, but we have people in positions lower down the ladder for a reason. Sometimes the boss needs to stay in his lane.
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Footballing gods not favouring Ukraine today, Bit of as fluke goal against them plus VAR deciding not to award a penalty, which many would have given. They definitely have better players than Wales but the Welsh boys might see this out.
GENE
If it’s not the EPL the BBC are shoddy
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I guess they don’t employ editors.
INIQUITOUSIV
We’ll it wasn’t going to any Welsh player nor troubling the keeper
SFTB
I attacked the post, not the poster.
He then called me thick.
See the difference?
I guess not.
Ramsey misses a sitter.
Good luck Wales.
45 mins.first time since 1958.
HH
Great move only for Ramsey to miss a sitter
See Ramsay got his clown boots on again……wat a sitter!
GENE
His percentage rate for scoring these is amazing. Here are 10 of them, starting 40 seconds in. Keepers seem mesmerized.
This is old, and he has scored many belters since.
https://youtu.be/FkvUb7Fed9E
Stan James loves to throw himself to the ground – so when he’s actually fouled it isn’t given
ZIGGYDOC1
Never a penalty. He was playing the ball and didn’t see the Ukrainian step up from behind him. After that it was a blatant dive.
Still love watching this one minute clip.
https://youtu.be/iV1Qy3Bz-s0
Welsh hanging on.
Ukrainian first time passing is first class.
Norn Ireland, with McGinn and Laffatme playing, drawing 0-0 in Cyprus after 60 minutes. Wonder if Neil is at the game?
Great tackle by Ben Davies – no not that one
Ramsey and Allen struggling to contain Ukrainian midfield.
62 minutes, no subs. Managers contemplating possible extra time?
Shot just misses from Ukraine.
Wales defending well, especially Ben Davies. Like CCV avainst Sevco at Ibrox.
Welsh concentrating in the middle, allowing their opponents to have the wings, but the Ukrainian passes into the box spell danger every time.
Sounds end to end on the radiogram
HH
AN TEARMANN
Now there’s a blast from the past 👍
It’s all Ukraine at the moment
U.S. commentator spouting nonsensical jargon as usual. Sounds as if he normally does basketball,
“ double teaming, give and go, overload the zone, rotate the space.” Hard to take, but if I turn down the sound, I lose the crowd atmosphere.
Row z Christie style
Wales off the post
Wales unlucky. Hit post.
Bales misses sitter
Welsh hit post.
Baked misses a great chance
Wales with 2 great chances.
Baked – Bale 🤭
GENE
🤣😂😅🤣😂😅
End to end stuff now.
If Wales exit, that was Bale’s McGinn moment.
Ukrainians resort to shooting from distance.
10 minutes to go. Can Wales hang on?