The Road Well Travelled.
Morning,all.
Well,it’s been a long phoney war,but it seems to be kicking into gear. A bit. The huns have done what they’ve always done,which is go for broke in the hope of getting it right with two signings. Who between them cost somewhere between six bob and nine million. Strikers anaw,68 goals in nine seasons isn’t to be sneezed at.
I think it would be another dwarf commenting on that,to be fair. And Dopey might have a word or two to say too.
Meantime,we are allegedly linked with Stephen Fletcher-who I didn’t want even in the Willo Flood window!-and Lenny adds credence with a statement on the subject. Personally,I think he’s winding them up,leading them up a dark alley. The one I would like,who we seem to be interested in,is Sebastien Anderssen from Union Berlin.
A goal every 220 minutes and more assists than goals,regular now for Sweden. We have till Saturday to cough the release fee of €4m. Then the price goes up.
Meantime,some of us are a bunch of pessimistic basterts and are already wondering why we bought those I Wanna Be Edouard t-shirts. Others are worse,and telling us that the world will end unless we sign a left-sided centre back.
And then there’s me who says we need a 2020 version of the Lennon 2000.
So who is right?
The obvious answer is all of us and none of us,because there are so many games in a season that you can prove your point,or other people can tell you that you know eff all. That’s why we call each other friends,btw(!!!!)
But maybe a lifetime of experience,all of it hard earned,can advise us on the pitfalls,and on what to be wary of. Because,one thing you can say about Celtic after a lifetime of watching them,they never build on success.
The players have to earn it.
Aye,it’s all the more a pleasure,but should it be such hard work? It’s actually been quite hard work for about two thirds of our title run. The fans can see the deficiencies in certain areas,and so too can the management staff. They’re not blind to faults,they know the score.
So why is it that our manager,no matter who,no matter which season,can’t simply go in and say
“We both know you want me to be successful,Peter. It’s why you hired me. At the moment,that’s a left sided centre back who can cover as full back,a Mini-Me in defensive midfield and a serious proposition up front if you sell Eddy.”
And not be told,noted and sorted.
I’m sick to the back teeth of not knowing who will be playing for us next season,despite having a well-founded dread of who won’t. It’s not good enough,and no manager should have to suffer this year after year. And nor should the fans.
I’m not worried about the huns stopping The Ten. I’m more concerned about the powers that be throwing it away.
******
Above article by BMCUWP. If you reckon you can do better,mail it for publishing as Article of the Day to MAHE
sentinelcelts@gmail.com
https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/s/leftist-football-why-these-clubs-matter-and-lessons-left
BOBBY, good article as usual, why dont i trust this board, well after nearly sixty years of watching celtic and the ups and downs, we have at our disposal a monumental chance of doing something that IMHO will never be equaled, but the board are still dillydallying in the transfer market, if steven fletcher is a replacement for french eddy forget about the ten, and those celtic supporters who bought season tickets with money they probably couldnt afford will be sold down the river, i hope and pray that does not happen H.H.
OOPS forgot MORNING ALL and JIM.
BP
There’s absolutely no chance of French Eddie being replaced by Fletcher.
Eddie would only go if a suitable replacement was brought in. Fletcher definitely wouldn’t fit the term ‘ suitable’
I honestly believe the front 2/3 position is the least of our worries. We will have enough firepower at our disposal to be hitting every Scottish team bar one for 3 and 4 goals.
The “bar one “ remains our only threat to the 10 in my opinion. I say that because I am certain they’ll hit most other teams for 3 and 4 goals in the majority of their matches too.
We are heading for 4 head to heads this season v them in which I believe the team who takes the majority of points in those matches will be the champions.
With that in mind I still can’t get my head around the clamour for more firepower. From rear to middle is the area that requires stiffening up.
That mob already out muscled is a couple times last year in the middle of the pitch. We need to ensure that does not happen again.
Jack, Kent, Arfield, Kamara and Davis ? Not exactly names that on paper should be scaring us. They’re all bang average.. All of them.
Their biggest asset is the aggression they show. Typical huns.
Christie, McGregor, Brown , Forrest , Elyanoussi are collectively more talented. What they are not , are thugs. Thugs with a free licence to take liberties as afforded them by the MIB. Ntcham? Again, talented but not a Wanyama type.
We need an enforcer in our side. I’d say that if we added 2 to 3 players middle to rear, all of whom have that aggressive side to them, we would comfortably win the aforementioned head to heads.
The clamour for more forward players confuses and depresses me in equal measure.
If, I say if, we go into these matches v them with the current squad, I’d say it won’t matter if we sign Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy or any other striker one cares to mention.
Add a Bobo and a Vic? We will bury them.
Morning all and Packy.
I agree with you and Bobby about Steven Fletcher. No harm to him but I hate to think of Celtic being used as a step towards retirement for big/ish players who spent their careers playing in England. Boyhood Celtic fans who want to have the bragging rights to say they once played for us. Even if it was for a single season in their thirties! I’m sure I recall Dermot Desmond funding a big name so to do! Typical of him.
That’s a very good point at the end of Bobby’s article. We should be more worried about the PLC board throwing Ten in a Row away than the huns stopping it. Our board appear to be more concerned with Celtic not being too far ahead of the pack in Scotland, for the good of the game in Scotland, you understand! Nothing to do with it being a two horse race every year. or the Blessed Balance Sheet.
The Celtic transfer way is to, most often, do it discreetly, quietly and surprisingly. I reckon this usually serves us best, unlike the buns who whistle and make eyes at every freebie and sick note floating around the fitba fringes. Who of us really saw the transfers of Elhamed, Frimpong, Jullien, Klimala, Moi or Soro coming? Every one of them’s a player, especially Soro who IS the deep defensive mid you’re seeking Bobby. As Twisty says, we do need to mix it in the middle; Soro can do that the Ngolo Kante way.
I actually think we’d win it at a canter with just Griff, Paddy and Fletch in rotation up top, esp as we score so freely from Jamesy, Ryan and – watch him go this year – Moi. But we have to accept all players are mostly in this game for money, even Eddy. Speaking of cash…
All’s not good up Govan way; refusing to shake El Gordo’s hand v Bayer, Steevie knocked a mill+ off his imminent sayonara fee.
As that great football sage, George Michael, sang; ‘Cos you gotta have faitha, faitha, faith’. In NFL and the Board, I do.
You know what bhoys, I’m pretty cool about us not signing some fresh players right now.
The Covid situation is so volatile and totally out with our control. Matches called off at short notice, players having to isolate for 14 days, regions or countries lovking down and matches postponed or players stuck. The season could be suspended, cancelled even.
And, the window is open till 5th October.
I honestly don’t think any player brought in now would guarantee success in a one off Euro tie in say Poland. We have the best squad in Scotland by a mile, so for me there is no great urgency. If we suffer a couple of injuries, we have the time, and money to go into the market. The additions we require can also be bought. And of course we’re all on tenterhooks in case any big offer comes in for one of our stars, esp Eddy. Again, this is all out with Celtic’s control.
I realise I’m providing an excuse to do nothing, and we don’t trust Lawwell, but at this particular time, extreme caution required.
TWISTY, hope your right? JIM, im aff oot dugwalking, speak later, BTW who won last night, when i went to bed steve davis was two frames ahead of joe Johnson ?
Good morning all from Govanhill.
Packy, the Steve Davis v Joe Johnson game had to be abandoned. They had to be back in their retirement homes for 8pm.
Meanwhile the Wishaw Wizard, John Higgins lost. Despite scoring a 147 break he was too inconsistent over the piece. Kept missing shots that would normally be no problem to him. His opponent, the Norwegian Kurt Maflin had the game of his career. He deserved to qualify.
Go,girl.
Who in their right mind tells a student,aiming for and tipped to achieve the grades required to study as a vet,that your A in the prelim was being marked as a D in the “final” based purely on the street you live?
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/our-future-stake-scots-schoolgirl-22481613
Bobby, I’m sure Douglas Ross, the new leader of the Tories in Scotland will be straight on to that injustice. Apart from his Tory credentials he is also blessed with a sense of fairness, being an SFA official.
Bobby
My grandson lives in Plains. He got a B in his maths prelim but was disappointed to get a D in the awards. (He got an A in English prelim and an A in the awards.)
He can’t fathom out why the Maths D was given. We told him to appeal . He said he wouldn’t bother but seeing that story you sent ( ty) I think I’ll get on to him today to appeal. Seems dreadfully unfair.
Bobby
You’ve captured the mood well in the article.
Disgraceful events at the SQA. They should get their jotters.
HH
Bobby
Sorry, misled you.
My grandson didn’t get a B in Maths. It was his biology. He failed Maths prelim too.
I somehow misinterpreted his mail.
So he probably got a fair result in his Maths.
Biology the one he didn’t understand the D being awarded.
Apologies.
BMCUWPs…
Great lead, it’s very true, Rangers can’t win the league this season, only Celtic can lose it. If we prepare, invest and motivate properly in the first two months of this season the league is ours.
Unfortunately the way our Board approach the business is the antithesis of this.
It’s not only the points you articulate, it’s also the fall-out and unintended consequences.
What do players really think when they see players like Lustig, Sinclair, Simunovic, Hayes silently ushered out the back door?
Of course maybe they didn’t particularly like the guy, maybe Mikey sees Scotty going as an opportunity, maybe they see a close buddy gone. Whatever. But what they will all see is football players being treated like commodities, they will no doubt have experienced it, to a certain extent, in the negotiations to bring them to Parkhead.
The Moussa Dembele fiasco was so damaging in it’s own right but the unintended consequence; like that of N’tcham downing tools, a potentially great midfield player manifest into the cameo he has been since.
Modern management techniques, current negotiating protocols and courteous professional demeanor have washed past this Celtic Board like self awareness passed Arthur Daley.
It’s little wonder few have the time or desire to put themselves through this…
Hail Hail
Morning all from an overcast Renfrew. I’ve landed an unexpected day off, result for me, so sitting in the garden enjoying SC and a coffee. I hope this finds everyone well.
Regarding the exam results my wee girl is in fifth year so just received her results for her NAT 5s, GCSEs to our English-speaking friends. She was generally happy with what she got but was graded a B for Modern Studies and every class test has been marked between 95-100%!! Like Twisty’s grandson there is a tendency to just accept it, next year will hopefully see a return to normal and a chance for them all to prove that they are capable of better…but that’s not the point! My girl has already, consistently proven that she is better than a B and should be marked appropriately. Fifth year pupils have another year or two at school to rectify anomalies but for fifth or sixth year pupils who are finished with school and expecting to start Uni are being put under a huge stress if they’re waiting for the appeal process to decide in their favour!!
My missus sits on the Parent Council in our school and last night was on a Regional Parents Council Zoom call with Renfrewshire Council’s Education Convener. There are procedures and strict timelines in place to ensure all students who require certain results to get into certain courses at Uni are fast tracked by next Friday, this should alleviate some of the worry.
There’s a lot of anecdotal chat about individuals’ situations and there’s a complete lack of transparency about the SQA grading processes but it’s an unprecedented position we find ourselves in and the hope is that everyone eventually gets their entitlement.
Fingers crossed for anyone adversely affected!
McCaff
Excellent post.
Your daughter, has, as you say, demonstrated her ability over a period of time and deserves her well earned reward. I’m sure sense will prevail.
Congrats by the way. Sounds as though she has done you all , and herself, proud.
Aberdeen game now off, tomorrow.
Our game against them next week has to be in doubt.
McCaff.
Pouring down here in the land that time forgot, no sitting in the garden here.
Twisty
She’s the quietest of the three and probably the shyest, and was definitely worried about her exams even before they were cancelled so, yeah, delighted for her and so, so glad that she inherited the grey matter from her maw but thankfully got my looks!! ???
That last post will self destruct in 3…2…1….
JNP… how’s things with you, mate? As soon as I posted about sitting in the garden the rain came on!!!! I’m on the decking under cover of the gazebo tho, do it’s fairly pleasant! There’s a million things I could be doing instead but hey-ho, this doesn’t happen to often…
Nicolaita no happy wi Aberdeen footballers, fuming. Can see footie stopped if this continues. Players of any club whose players go to pubs should be fined. also points given to clubs whose games cancelled.
McCaff.
I’m fine, thanks.
Working from home indefinitely.
I took my Gazeebo down when I went on holiday, last month, haven’t put it back up yet.
Lazyitis.
Nicola Sturgeon
Twisty… incidentally, yesterday I was texting a guy I’ve previously done work for and he was asking about the family (his boy lectures on the uni course my oldest is on) and I said about my girl’s NAT 5s results. He lives over on the Southside of Glasgow and his kids attended St Ninians at Eastwood Toll. He said, if she’d been at that school she’d have got her 7A’s!!
To be fair, our school over-performs in most departments when compared regionally and nationally although it is in what is classed as a deprived area. And when submitting expected grades although schools and teachers are required to be realistic there would be a natural tendency to be optimistic and hopeful rather than pessimistic. If every school/teacher across the country applied for estimated grades based on over optimism we would have an abnormally successful year with no real documentation to back it up.
Maybe it is a Postcode Lottery maybe it’s just an impossible thing to get right!!
From a Sky Sports reporter.
West Ham striker Albian Ajeti is close to agreeing terms with Celtic for a loan deal, with an option to buy.
Neil Lennon held further talks with the player’s agent last night.
Lennon’s intervention has convinced Ajeti to choose Celtic.
Could be done early next week.
JNP
Just received two messages saying that Ajeti signing is a definite. Bayo off to Toulouse too.
Garry.
Thanks for that.
Is Bayo a loan deal?
JNP, I’ve got a wee 2m x2m pop-up gazebo which has been set up permanently on the decking for a few weeks now, since the end of the spell of really good weather. I have another one for a different purpose…
I’ve had Building Control issues for an extension which has been in our plans for longer than I care to remember! A couple of years ago I had everything in place to start building and then hit a brick wall at Renfrewshire Council’s building dept. I’ve about £7/8k of timber and insulation materials in the garage and the garden rendering the garden unusable.
At the start of Lockdown I knocked down the kids’ climbing frame and replaced it with a 3m X 3m pop-up gazebo which I then stored all the building materials in. I reseeded the grass and painted the decking and made the garden presentable-ish again!
Then it rained and the gazebo roof struts bent in! So i had to use some of my timber to build a wee support structure to stop the struts collapsing, sorted!
Then the rain, still collecting on the roof, pulled the sides in and threatened to collapse the whole thing, so I had to use some more of my timber to build frames inside the gazebo which stopped the rain collecting on the roof, sorted!!
So, now I’ve got no timber for an extension which I’ve got no building warrant for…but I have got a superb, armoured pop-up gazebo which is full of insulation…which my missus says is where I’ll be sleeping soon if I don’t sort out the fecking building warrant- her words, not mine!!!
????
JNP
Unclear, but it looks permanent deal Toulouse want.
McCaff.
Superb, the last bit made me laugh.
McCaff
Hahaha. Brilliant.
I like your wife’s attitude. ?
Toulouse have agreed a deal with Celtic to sign 23-year-old Ivorian international attacker Vakoun Bayo. No details on fee.
Another project offski. Hope we at least recouped the transfer fee we paid +£2 mill if i recall.
Oglach, I’ve no issue with Bayo going but how many times have we done this to players in recent times? As was pointed out yesterday, by Chairbhoy, our successes in our signing policy is vastly undermined by signings like Bayo. His cost was neglible in the grand scheme of things but hugely relevant in comparison to the annual running costs of the academy!
AFTERNOON ALL and JIM , jim do you think i came up the clyde on a banana boat,steve davis and joe johnson retired, pull the other one its got bells on it, next you will be telling me bertie auld and bobby lennox have hung up their boots?
serious question,. anyone know a good floor layer in the govan area, cheers bhoys
nobody bothered that aberdeen game called off by government due to inconsiderate players. Every game called off 3 points should be forfeited. If teams have play their youth squad, so be it. Why should Celtic be next to suffer.
MARIO,nice to see you posting. best wishes on your health issues?
Packy, all those years of drinking Buckie before you moved south have caught up with you. You’re all muddled up.
JIM, what do you mean buckie, lanliq mate, only the best for me
Big Jim Packy and JtT, I hope you guys are well.
SuperMarioB! I hope things are going as well for you as they can! Regarding the Aberdeen game being postponed I can only expect there are no rules in place that permits punishment under these circumstances but now is surely the time to introduce them! As far as instructing the game to be played, even if fulfilling the fixture with youth players, perhaps it is precautionary as more members of the squad could have been exposed to the infected players which in turn could lead to infecting the St Johnstone players!
It does highlight the precarious nature of both the easing of lockdown and the desire of people to return to normal!!
Kieran Tierney has been revealed as Arsenal’s top shirt seller on the club’s website.
Well seems the Gooners are recouping some of the pittance, in EPL transfer terms, which they paid us for KT. Glad for KT as i thought he may become one of the permanent injured.
MCAFF, all ok here thanks, dont suppose you know any good floor layers do you, im desperate
Big Jim Packy, I know one but I cannae tell ye his name, unlike JtT I’m not one to blow my own trumpet…????
MCAFF, no problem ill get wee joan to lay it ???
McCaff LOL 🙂
I’m off to the shops. Catch you later. 🙂
What’s with the duplicate posts?
What’s with the duplicate posts?
Morning troops.
God bless all those less fortunate than ourselves and those with health issues.
Thank God It’s Friday.
The crow flies south, what a surprise.Bye bye Boom boom Bayo.
I honestly never got to see him play.
Well done Peter.
Twists while I understand where you are coming from we have been winning the leagues due to outscoring the rest, not the defence being right. Without those amount of goals we have no chance. Odsonne going would reduce out chances by 50% imo.
Bobby is correct, it’s us messing this up is the worry.
On the Dons, I thought protocol said if they have 13 players they play? Surely the Dons had 13 so why is this off? What is the rules? This needs established now. I think my mate was right now, no chance being a full complete league.
Hail Hail