SENTINELCELTS

It’s a big, big week in football.
Yesterday’s CAS ruling has set the cat among the pigeons, and signals the start of a fresh power struggle for control of sections of the world’s game.
Those in Nyon were already unliked by essentially their boss FIFA who wanted a global Champions league aka Club World Cup, but Europe just isn’t interested essentially.
Now City have tossed FFP out the window for everyone, and it was already on shaky ground because of Covid-19.
It’s a fustercluck and there will be much public posturing, but ultimately imo this is a fight that needs to happen, at some stage and there’s no time like the present.
Especially after that ruling and with empty stadiums, plus maybe the clubs smell blood with the governing body on one knee.

Football needs a direction and it needs a level of trust in those running the game, There hasn’t been either for a long time and self interest rules the roost. FFP was fundamentally unable to change the games pre existing hierarchy, but it has helped owners stop losing as much money after investment.
There is office after office and suit after suit out there, all making a living from the game, but yet there’s very little that could be considered real progress with regards to ending the .
predictability factor of the “galacticos” hovering up leagues and big cups into eternity.

Of course UEFA won’t go quietly into the night, and will have immediately started finishing the detailed plans for a revamped competition, which will be cosmetic as the real action will be in the fine print, and that’s probably where the next big row will be birthed.
I expect terms such as “Act in good faith” to be axed, much too vague for the modern world of boundary pushers backed up by legal beagles who just love the money and shadiness in football, with new specifics introduced.
If these specifics indicate or appear to be any further stepping on clubs toes, especially the biggest one’s, then no doubt the whisper of Superleague will start doing the rounds again.
This was always going to be a long term battle with the current format and rights having been sold until 2024, but it will affect us and the next generation a lot, so it’s worth keeping an eye on.

Something that’s also usually worth keeping an eye on are FA cup semi finals, now of course in what is one of the worlds iconic stadiums, Wembley arena. The best battle can on occasion be both sets of fans trying to out-sing each other, a lovely innocent fact about the neutral venue for a big game. Our old left back will more than likely be on display against very stiff opposition, but then is this not the sort of occasion and quality of player that sold him the move? Of course it is.
The more ex-Celts shine down there, and a hat tip to Stuart Armstrong for scoring at Old Trafford to continue to show his quality, the stronger the hand we can play in any future negotiations, so let’s hope the bhoy gives a good account of himself.
Good luck Kieran.

But it’s a really, really big week for one obvious reason.
Here we go, Ten in a row !
After what feels like forever this week will finally see the Hoops run out again, and the final leg of the ten begin in earnest.
There’s been much angst, change, and water under the bridge since we last saw our team take the field of play, but at last, at long long last, the campaign of campaigns will begin and with it the lockdown will have become a little bit more tolerable for us all.
The tradition of attending may not be there again, yet, but the simple knowledge and tingle of “were back” will enlighten many a heart and give a feeling of order to frustrated and perplexed Tims everywhere on God’s green and white earth.
Watch the spring return to many a step, the wee bit of extra joy in many a voice, and the mood generally turn to enthusiasm all around.

I’m going to stick my neck out here and say we actually won the off season battle this time instead of the usual trouncing. The new strip and kit are a winner, the training centre is top notch, victorious in the battle of the season books, did not get embroiled in the civil war, manager isn’t under pressure in the press or meeting potential suitors in public in a move designed to flex some muscle and get some breathing space, and all this despite a rocky start with the renewals forms issue, so well done all around.
To make it a win beyond question perhaps some contract renewals for key players just before the season proper begins and a couple of positions strengthened, not least between the sticks.

On the field of play I regard these two run outs as nothing more than building fitness up, maybe trying a formation, but our French lads will not want to be walked over on their home soil no matter what.
As far as Griff goes I’m going to treat it like potential transfers and say when there’s something concrete we will address then for you could spend your life speculating, apologies to speculators but that’s not us.
One must imagine the Klimala Odsonne partnership spearheading the attack for a while now, which is exciting in that no one at all knows what to expect, but it’s also dangerous in that no one at all knows what to expect. This is where the management team could really earn their coin.
He could feel like a new signing if he hits the ground running, and if he wants to be a (cult) hero then that’s exactly what he needs to do. Now that would be exciting.

There’s usually someone who shines in preseason giving the manager pleasant selection headaches, and ideally it would be the player rumoured to be our Captains long term replacement, Soro. We have been linked with another Israeli but this one has been here long enough so now it’s time to start the career in earnest. Kouassi couldn’t cut it, Rogic unfancied, Ncham isn’t long term, Calmac needs an anchor player for freedom, so it stands to logic it’s time to start blooding him with the aim of accessing on the park.
One problem there is our Captain seems the type of player that needs to be always playing to keep the physique ticking over, and sitting out every third game or so may not suit at this time of his career or this campaign.
Decisions like that are why the management team get the big bucks.

A quick check of the betting market at this point shows us at 1 / 2 and our rivals at 7 / 4 which is quite a difference indeed from those who seldom get much wrong. The Celtic facing media personalities are already piling the pressure on those who wish to stop us, and the timing plus appearance of those dinner photos can hardly give inspiration to all involved that no matter what their manager will be here fighting their corner for the entire campaign even if it should end in defeat.

Speaking of betting, if I had to take bets which organisation did not try to cut corners when it came to providing digital content, and which one was less likely to suffer a blackout during times of peak usage, I know which club I would have more faith in. It’s gotta be said that the VST’s have the potential to go very wrong being untested live at scale, but again there are professionals at our club who do tend to get what they want done, so any failure of system should be very temporary. But still, it’s the one campaign that no one will want to miss a minute of, and that we will probably write about ad nauseum no matter what, a flawless match delivery system will take many a mind off the fact they aren’t in the usual seat witnessing history live in the flesh.

This Thursday after what feels an eternity the mighty Glasgow Celtic run out again.
History begins and the march for ten starts.
Bring it on and let’s do this.

The above is by Mahe. The electronic mail address is sentinelcelts@gmail.com