Trending
Celtic News Now
Celtic Quick News on News Now
Celtic Quick News
You are at:»»Wright within rights, Ciftci running upstairs caveat

Wright within rights, Ciftci running upstairs caveat

1205
By on CQN BLOG & Comments

I was disappointed for St Johnstone at their exit from the Europa League last night but not for Scottish football, or our coefficient points.  Saints are a provincial club in a very rural part of Scotland.  You only have to travel through the hills to Perth to realise that pocket of Scotland, with its tractors, knitwear and wellie boot shops, has no God given right to beat a team from any municipality anywhere.

They have done very well for the last couple of seasons, from a tiny catchment area, but managed to reach Europe by pipping Dundee United, who ironically were good enough to have key players poached midseason.

St Johnstone don’t have potential superstars, they are also the oldest team in the league, which gets you through a long campaign but they are never going to sparkle.  Or earn Scottish football a hatful of coefficient points.

Dundee United were decimated by the loss of those two players midseason, and were done no favours with the shadow of uncertainty which enveloped backroom and boardroom for months, but they, Aberdeen and Celtic are the only Scottish clubs capable of getting their act together to the extent required to reach European group stages.  For everyone else, Europe is strictly a July pursuit, so don’t stress about it, and Tommy Wright is well within his rights to talk up his own club.

If Scottish football wants to get all introspective about last night, we should concern ourselves with concentrating resources on clubs who are independently financially viable: Dundee United, Aberdeen, Hearts, Celtic, Hibs and maybe Dundee.  If more of our sponsorship and TV money went to Aberdeen and United and less to the thirty-or-so hangers on, they would be better placed to consolidate their development work and compete in Europe.

Celtic are five days away from their opening competitive game of the season, so I would think tonight’s friendly against Davie Moyes’ Real Sociedad will be the last strenuous exercise the players go through after what will have been a taxing first few weeks of preseason.  After this workout it should all be about recovery before the visit of Stjarnan on Wednesday.  The usual caveats apply to Nadir Ciftci, if he looks like he couldn’t run upstairs, he’s about where I’d expect him to be right now.

Click Here for Comments >
Share.

About Author

1,205 Comments
  1. Pages:
  3. 1
  4. ...
  5. 20
  6. 21
  7. 22
  8. 23
  9. 24
  10. 25
  11. 26
  12. ...
  13. 32

  3. Clashcitybhoy on

    A few thoughts on game tonight

     

    1) against a better team we would have lost an early goal

     

    2) Fisher on at RB before Janko, is a good piece of man management

     

    3) Cifci on before Scepovic suggests he is 3rd choice …at best

     

    4) No run out for Stokes – Anthony has been a good club player for us, but I suspect a parting of the ways in the future, to a mid to lower end Championship team

     

     

    Good performanes from GMS , but long term I think Armstrong will be a bigger player for us, possibly club captain ?

  4. jamesgang on

    ‘gg

     

     

    22:35 on 10 July, 2015

     

    MIT

     

    Where have I heard that before.

     

    To continue your NFL analogy

     

    I think Bitton is more like the QB

     

    Whereas Brown is more like the tight end, protecting the QB when a play breaks down and eligible to carry the ball forward in the odd attack.

     

     

    ——

     

     

    You get this!

     

    Broonie is like a tight end when we have the ball.

     

    And then like a Ronnie Lott kick ass safety when we don’t.

     

     

    Cmon MiT!!!

     

    Get with the programme, as they say over your way!!!!!

     

     

    HH jamesgang

  8. calibhoy on

    bournesouprecipe,

     

     

    Thank you. It looks like the 3rd round format is the same, and then the playoff round

     

    they don’t have the home and away draw defined.

     

     

    CaliBhoy

  11. Farfar Celtic on

    Chuck berry was pretty good bbc 4 tonight. Proper entertainment ! That’s what it’s all about. T in the park , you’ve got no legends. Oh well slam tent it is….

  12. jamesgang on

    Sips

     

     

    My Dad was fab.

     

    Naturally he wasn’t quite you, but he was a fine stunt double sipsini!

     

     

    And then back into town for beers with richiebhoy. At the risk of going all Father Dougal on you…..life doesn’t get much better than that!!!

     

     

    HH jamesgang

  13. calibhoy on

    Clashcitybhoy,

     

     

    Agreed Ciftci before Scepovic will be the order and I think you are right Stokes

     

    time is coming to an end. I think I would rather have Lustig at CH rather then

     

    Mulgrew when VVD is missing.

     

     

    CaliBhoy

  18. jamesgang on

    SOAL

     

     

    He was in grand form when I left him. Pulling into Stirling now so he’ll not hear me from here!

     

     

    HH jamesgang

  20. 'GG on

    My CQN participation was abruptly interrupted when the wife called me from the kitchen letting me know my dinner and a beer was out.

     

    Better half 1-0 CQN

  26. sipsini on

    jamesgang…

     

     

    Good stuff james.

     

     

    Yer dad always comes first, I’m up tomorrow again to get my dad out and about, he’s the closest you could get to Victor Meldrew and no doubt he will pick holes in something:) HH

  32. kikinthenakas on

    BSR

     

    Would prefer the early season friendlies at a smaller ground as the atmosphere was much better than an empty paradise. Maybe we should move it around a few clubs. Enjoyed the needle in the game too..

     

    Kikinthenakas

  35. sipsini on

    roy croppie…

     

     

    I think you posted a link up to the song Grace, if you wouldn’t mind could you post it again as I’ve tried to no avail.

  41. cliftonville celt from belfast on

    1) blether

     

    2) wheesht

     

    3) houl on

     

    4) Aa the best

     

    5) clipe.

     

     

     

    1- talk/conversation

     

    2- talk speaking as in houl yer wheest

     

    3- hold on

     

    4- see ya

     

    5- dunno

     

     

    It’s all bollocks but neighbours from Ballymena

     

     

    And that’s me pissed on my way to bed !!!

     

     

    it’s all about da KULCHER

  1. Pages:
  3. 1
  4. ...
  5. 20
  6. 21
  7. 22
  8. 23
  9. 24
  10. 25
  11. 26
  12. ...
  13. 32