Olivier Ntcham stole the show with a stunning free-kick goal for France under-21s against Bulgaria last night. Celtic’s midfielder came on as a 75th minute substitute, not long after teammate Moussa Dembele was subbed off.
Olivier has been capped by France at every age group since under-16. It is a mark of the expectations we have for him, and Moussa, that they are exposed to the demands of the Allianz Arena, despite Olivier having less than 50 senior games under his belt, and Moussa having less than 100.
At similar stages of their development, expectations of Kenny Dalglish and Henrik Larsson were considerably less, while contemporaries, Stuart Armstrong and Tom Rogic took years to reach peak form.
What we have seen from Olivier, and to a lesser extent Moussa, is a glimpse of their potential. Playing for Celtic, with its unique mix of expectations to win every domestic game, indifferent domestic opponents, and regular Champions League football, provides a great opportunity to polish potential into the finished article.
Young players will get first team opportunities in less demanding games, while 18-year-olds like Anthony Ralston will be asked to get stuck in against PSG. I doubt any other club can offer a better environment to develop talent, which explains why we can attract Moussa, Olivier and Odsonne Edouard.
NEW CQN PODCAST OUT NOW!
A Celtic State of Mind presents its 23rd instalment of insightful discussion into the culture of Celtic Football Club, the city of Glasgow, and fans of the reigning invincible Scottish champions.
Paul John Dykes is joined by Bafta-winning documentary director, John MacLaverty, and Scottish comedian, Phil Differ.
John’s Lisbon Lions documentary – Glasgow: 1967 – is an incredible celebration of Celtic’s European Cup win 50 years on.
Phil has been a staple part of Scottish comedy for decades, and has worked on such iconic productions as Scotch & Wry, Naked Video, City Lights, Rab C Nesbitt and Only An Excuse.
The CQN Podcast has gone from strength-to-strength over the last few months, and there are many more guests lined up in the months ahead from the world of sport, music, film, art, broadcasting, literature and politics.
NEW FROM CQN BOOKS! JIM CRAIG – RIGHT BACK TO 67, THE LISBON LION DIARY, ORDER A SIGNED COPY NOW!
ORDER YOUR SIGNED COPY NOW AT CQNBOOKSTORE.COM
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Happy birthday to Park Road 67 and also to Richie
☘️☘️☘️☘️
Seems Ronny Deila wasn’t a total numpty , after all
Lovely sunny day -18 degrees at 9.30 am -way down south .
Accurate analysis –
https://youtu.be/Hzdxi5-eN24
Park Road 67 and Richie – Happy Birthday to you both, have a great day.
HH
HAPPY HOOOOOPY BIRTHDAY to
RICHIE!!!!!
SOUTHOFTUNIS
Marcotti didnae miss in his summing up. Neither did Burley.
I still think Italy will go through,so that’s them sunk!
SETTINGFREETHEBEARS
I didn’t think RD was a numpty. He was badly let down by some senior players,and our signing policy at the time didn’t help. Nor did his inexperience at that level.
He definitely had some good ideas but lacked the authority to push them through,I thought. Which is fatal as a manager. Brendan,with a largely similar squad,has that in spades. If the players don’t buy in,they’re out. If the board don’t buy in,he’s out.
(I wonder who the U20 coaches rated more highly as a left-back than our latest superstar?And,where is he now?)
Miners welfare in Blantyre was gutted last night, another wee community hub destroyed
Feel for pensioners who went in daily for cheap meal and kids who used the cinema
Last club left in Blantyre as KSC also closed recently
Happy birthday Richie & Park Road 67
HH
BMCUW —
Lots of people would rather they didn’t get through — the thought of that shambles playing a good team has them in full on I’d rather avoid the humiliation mode .
Sweden were like a version of the legendary Wimbledon coached by Jock Wallace with added tactical input from the Cardigan . . The Swedish front 2 were beyond brutal. Sweden were dreadful . ( with the exception of Forsberg – he looks like a player ). Guy on the radio made the point that he’d witnessed Italia losing to the likes of North Korea and Costa Rica but he never thought he’d witness an Italian team losing a game of football to an American Football team . If Sweden progress I hope they draw the likes of Uruguay or Argentina . Hard to imagine South American defenders putting up with their crap .
Lots of rumours that a desperate Ventura might finally get round to picking a team based on form and fitness rather than politics and favouritism .
Mad mental Inter codger from down the valley is visiting tonight to watch it — normally he has no interest in Italy but he has high hopes that Ventura and more importantly the corrupt dinosaurs who appointed him might not get out of the stadium alive —
Happy birthday to Park Road 67 and Richie!
Park’s problem with his bus pass will be Location,Location , Location :).
BT – Thats a shame, I had many good nights between both of those clubs in years gone by
HH
Happy birthday Richie, ParkRoad 67 and anyone else whose birthday that’s coming up today.
SFTB
Norwegian Numpty?
PedanTIC CSC
Ladies football needs a strong Rainjurs
PARK ROAD & RICHIE.
Many Happy Hoopy Returns Bhoys…have a great day.
HH
Happy Hoopy Birthday to Park Road 67 and Richie. Have a great day bhoys.
p.s. the bus pass is a wonderful thing…!
Thoughts and prayers with ex Celt Liam Miller this morning.
I’m gonna have a feckin episode……………..NOBODY said I was Cute on Saturday ??/
I’m so upset……….
I’m hitting the Saltmarket pubs this 11.00 oclock for another curer as I went out yesterday for a wee curer from Saturday…although I wisnae bevvied on Saturday as ( according to BLANTYRE TIM), I was only drinking half pints ? ( Bottles of Miller actually, as I had to point oot to him)…cheeky bassa…
I still love ..BT……….great to meet new friends on Saturday…BMCUWP…must be George Clooney’s stunt double
HH
Good morning from the Central Highlands where I was greeted by a snowy vista as l pulled the curtains. It has been snowing quite heavily for the last hour and a half.
Not ready for another winter. Like them less and less, as I get older.
WishingIwasintheMedinstead CSC
BMCUW —
Pundit on the radio —
” Conte achieved much more with an inferior squad than the one available to Ventura .. The absolute highlight of that game on Friday was watching Ventura waving a pen and a piece of paper at Insigne and when Insigne entered the field of play – Bonucci asking him ‘ what’s your role? ‘ and Insigne stating -‘ I don’t know ‘
BLANTYRETIM IS PRAYING FOR THE KNOX FAMILY on 13TH NOVEMBER 2017 9:35 AM
………………………..
Ive just seen the story about the fire at the Welfare Club, hopefully some strong spirited socialist ( or some ugly Tory)…will put their hands in their pockets and rebuild a new club ?
Sometimes life aint feckin fair……
All the best BT….your the wee brother that I never had.
HH
Thanks CorkCelt, BMCUW and others for info on Liam Miller.
Terrible news.
SFFS
BLANTYRETIM
Bad loss for the community. I’m surprised too at the closure of KSC.
Way of the world,it seems. My wee club in Swindon closed in September. As a co-operative,the members are due a payout when the building is sold-prime site,by Swindon terms-but there will be very little left after professional fees and debts due to years of mismanagement/theft are taken into account.
Crying shame,a great wee club till certain people got their foot in the door,etc.
BIGJIMMY
I’m sure the lasses in the BV think yer cute. Cuddly. I’ll stop there.
Good to meet you,big fella. I’ll see you next time I’m up,for sure.
HUNDERBIRDS ARE GONE @10.04
” Not ready for another winter . Like them less and less as I get older ” .
Me -too ! .
Part of me would rather spend the winter in Glasgow than in this particular part of the South East Mediterranean .. Day time temps can be 20 and sunny but after dark a horrible cold humidity descends and once it’s entered your body it doesn’t leave you . You feel like your lying in a cold bath . Houses built to deal with 100 degree heat act like sponges for the cold humidity . .When I moved here ( 2000) one of the first things I bought was a super duper electric blanket — first one ever !!!!!
Hi bhoys n ghirls just wanted to say thank you to all who have supported me on my six runs this year for The Oscar Knox Fund of Solving Kids Cancer and to the bhoys who gave me donations at the Hootenanny on Saturday. I finished my runs on Sunday and as it stands i am £90 short of £3000 (once i put in money from the hoot) so any further donations welcome :) (dont ask you dont get)
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/TheOscarKnoxFundSKC#
Once again THANK YOU ALL!!!
Some hard assed blues
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhlsaEkrB34
KINGLuBO
SOT,
Still sitting here basking in the beautiful sunshine.Starting to get a bit colder now at nights.Most it drops to here is around 3 degrees,but only for a week or two.Forecasting 16 degrees,sunny,on Xmas day.
Mrs TB got her electric blanket also.
Choons of the day — get oot and do something time
Big at Queens Cross -summer of 66
https://youtu.be/-VwFEg9HOz8
Big at Queens Cross -summer of 67 – only choon I own by this lot
https://youtu.be/PfHcVTOmC5g
Hi bhoys n ghirls just wanted to say thank you to all who have supported me on my six runs this year for The Oscar Knox Fund of Solving Kids Cancer and to the bhoys who gave me donations at the Hootenanny on Saturday. I finished my runs on Sunday and as it stands i am £90 short of £3000 (once i put in money from the hoot) so any further donations welcome :) (dont ask you dont get)
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/TheOscarKnoxFundSKC#
Once again THANK YOU ALL!!!!
TURKEYBHOY
I’ve seen 25 on Christmas Day and felt chilled to the bone indoors after dark . The mad mental Inter ole codger down the valley has no heating in his house — his house feels like a fridge in the winter ( after dark ) He suffers big time from arthritis -wonder why ? . Suggest getting a source of heat and you get — there’s no need !
Good morning.
I’m still searching for a ticket for the PSG game. Greatly appreciate any help.
Can be contacted via email bigcupwinners@gmail.com
Kieran Tierney
His next competitive game for Celtic
wiil be his 100th for the club
as of this date
98 starts
01 Sub appearance
05 goals
Though he should have a
Champions League goal
against Manchester City
goal given as og (Raheem Sterling)
Scott Sinclair(Linfield)
Tom Rogic(Astana)
Leigh Griffiths(Astana)
wiil know how he feels
though Patrick Roberts kept his goal
V Anderlecht .
SOUTHOFTUNIS
I suspect yer pal disnae need external heating sources. He has a fire burning within-from that mad mental Sicilian liquor that he knocks back.
Absolutely terrible news about Liam Miller,Celtic have now tweeted about it
https://twitter.com/celticfc/status/930025067777544192
What’s the matter with Liam Miller? Wishing him all the best. HH Hebcelt
BMCUW @11 17
He is bringing some of his new Vino Collapso to help us get through tonight’s horror show( 6weeks old at best ! ) . The Woman From Padova will trot out her annual joke –“that’s great — it’s just the thing for cleaning the windows “.
Tonight’s match is getting more interesting -Italian media are claiming that Ventura is going to give Jorginho a game — Napoli midfielder . Easily the best passer of a ball in Serie A . . Better stats than Pirlo ever managed — Last week Ventura said this –
” He is a good player but there is no space for him in my formation ” . That space went to Parolo whose only qualification is that he doesn’t play for Napoli .
Thinks are bubbling up nicely for a fun night -just heard the corrupt racist old fart who heads up the Italian FA using words like disaster and apocalypse to describe a failure to qualify — ” First time since since 1958 -it’s unthinkable ” .