Nothing To See Here
Morning,all.
I don’t like Mondays,as a certain genius could have told you forty-odd years ago. Especially not this season,having had to write match reports for you all which did little more than rub salt into the wounds. I said a week ago that if we hadn’t announced Eddie Howe by the end of the week,we should be looking elsewhere. Particularly Portugal and Marco Silva.
Well,would ya believe it? Another candidate from the same country put his head somewhat surprisingly above the parapet in midweek by announcing that he and Wolves would be parting company.
Can you imagine the uproar amongst the huns if we appointed a man whose surname translates as Holy Spirit? Their wee brains would short circuit faster than the sports journalists in the SMSM who would be forced to call our manager by his first name,Nuno! I’ve been impressed with his man’s progress in the four years he has had in England,taking perennial nearly-men to promotion and then two European qualifications.
The sales of some of his top players plus a few shocking injuries have seen a disappointing mid-table finish this season. I wouldn’t judge him on the latter. I reckon he would be terrific for us,although I also think that the other two mentioned would also be.
Sadly,Espirito Sancto seems to have left the club due to disagreements about transfer budgets. His file at Celtic Park will have been filed in the bin already.
Meanwhile back at the ranch,I also mentioned last week that “Operation Lie-and-deflect” was well under way. In fairness to the politicians who had already spoken out about the anti-Irish Catholic bigotfest last weekend,none of them has backed down,and indeed have continued to force the point home.
Did I say politicians? Still not many,still not enough-but it’s a start. That they continue to speak out is courageous,even though their voices should actually be lost in the cacophony of outrage at events. As would be the case elsewhere,for instance…
While Humza Yousaf wasn’t a lone voice in his own party the SNP,it was certainly the loudest. And he continues to double down on his words of a week ago,despite being reshuffled from Justice Minister (in charge of policing,btw!) to Health. Others from all parties could learn from him and Patrick Harvie of The Greens,those whose silence will be remembered-that’s most of the bloody rest of them!
Dishonourable exception is accorded the the Scottish Tories,who seem to think that anyone waving a Union Jack is alright by them and exempt from the law. And any investigation is a witch hunt.
Just to add to the Twilight Zone feel of all this,the cops announced the completion of an investigation into the party and singsong INSIDE the players lounge last weekend. All clearly captured on audiovisual playback. Admittedly,it may be difficult to accurately pinpoint who was singing certain lyrics-or who wasn’t!-but an indoor gathering,and with alcohol in a licensed premise,is quite clearly a starter for ten on criminal charges.
Police Scotland-exhibiting a most unusual alacrity-have concluded their investigations,and told the world that there is no evidence of criminality. And no,I’m not bloody kidding either!
I see no ships! At least Nelson was still willing to use his one good eye at times. Police Scotland are fast making themselves hot favourites for Episode Four of a recent BBC2 documentary series,and I’m frankly amazed that they haven’t been featured already. Just coincidence that Humza Yousaf had been removed as the appropriate minister? Oh,I wish…
Last but not least arrived yesterday in the papers. One piece from a journalist of 50 years experience may have been long overdue-it is!-but it was welcome nevertheless. This man has used his position more than most in newspapers and radio to push the concept that “they’re both as bad as each other”. Thanks for speaking out,Hugh. Took your time to do so,but at least you did.
However,the most shameful episode of the last week or so arrived in The Scotsman,which had given us some hard-hitting articles during the period. I can only suggest that they owed their former editor a favour or money or something. And while it would be wrong to assume that some old polaroids were involved,I would love to know the justification for perhaps the most disgraceful and inflammatory words I have read in a supposedly serious newspaper for a long long time. Read them and weep-that someone would actually put their name to this,that a newspaper would publish it,or that he is actually an elected official in this self-styled Greatest Wee Country in the World.
‘But having stood in the Celtic end at an Old Firm cup final (I lost a bet) and heard fans talking about stabbing Protestants, don’t tell me sectarianism is a one-way street.’
Operation Lie-and-deflect. It’s A Wonderful World…
***
Above article by BMCUWP
HAPPY 80th BIRTHDAY to my all-time non-Celtic hero,Bob Dylan.
Good morning, friends.
Can’t argue with most of that, Bobby.
On the after match sing song last Saturday, the brief statement was revealing in what it didn’t say. My own understanding now is that there’s no longer a claim that the footage was doctored. The disgraceful add ons WERE sung. But as you can’t actually see/identify which particular individuals sang it then that’s why charges can’t be brought?
As for the suggestion that it was also an illegal gathering, breaking COVID rules – just to play Devils Advocate is it possible that the ‘players lounge’ (or wherever it was) comes under the ‘safe bubble’ area where players and management can mix freely? Players were still in their playing gear. Any similarities to the dressing room antics after Scotland won their penalty shoot out back in November?
Just putting it out there as a remote possibility!
Jobo,
I can’t link articles but Keech Jackson is in the record this morning saying it wasn’t sung and humza yousaf should basically be ashamed of his actions in suggesting it was. I hope Yousaf takes this further because as you say it would appear the police have not said it wasn’t sung just that there was no criminality. Could that mean as it was a private party ( no coughing at the back) and as no one reported being offended there was nothing the police could do or wanted to do. If that is the case it is a pointer to why the fans behave the way they do. It’s a cancer at the heart of their klub that they just can’t get rid of.
JOBO
Possibly,but in that case,why were we hammered in January over a new THREE metre rule when we got back from Dubai. And why can we only fit three players on a bloody huge coach?
If only the charlatans who run our club put a fraction of the effort our fans do on Celtic fc we would be in a very good space.
But their effort is spent on a partnership with people who wish us dead.
Go figure but it’s never a good idea to dance with the devil no matter how much instant gratification it brings.
Wonder what they and Sevco have planned for us going forward?
Was the plan on recruiting a coach put on hold so their business partners could have a prolonged celebration of destruction and supremacy?
Wonder what date they’ve been given by their partners to announce a new coach?
And will his calibre depend on how much they can fleece fans with season ticket uptake?
Hope it happens soon as even in cyber space apathy is taking over.
As a nation who would cause a fight in an empty hoose it’s jist nae healthy.
I predict that Mr. Yousef along with the, sadly very few, other MSPs that correctly called Sevco fans celebratory gatherings as nothing more than an excuse to indulge in a carnival of anti-Irish Catholic hatred will be told to wind their necks in and keep quiet.
Along with Eddy, big Ajer can sign a pre-contract agreement come Jan 1. Just how much money are Celtic expecting to bank from selling our 2 most sellable assets? I think the low figures being mentioned for these 2 could have a bit of substance behind it. Might be lucky to bank £20 mill combined for these 2, of course, then we have to deduct the 40 – 50% sell-on clause for Eddy. 🤔
The times they are a-changing !
Doubtless the vast majority of Celtic fans will be hoping Kilmarnock lose and the dreaded plastic pitch goes down also!
Much as I hate them myself, for selfish reasons, I hope they stay up!!
It’s the only away game Clan CCB ever get tickets for and it’s only ten miles and the bar is 100 yards from the entrance😀😀🤗😀😀
Oglach – my understanding of previous sell on clauses was that the % split only applies to the profit that the selling club make. So even if it is 50% for Eddie then, if he went for, say £19M then Celtic would get their original purchase price of £9M with the £10M profit being split 50/50 with PSG? So Celtic get £14M, PSG £5M.
But I’m sure individual cases may all be different with all sorts of future contingencies built in.
Just in case there was some dubiety or Steve Naive is still with us, I meant hate plastic pitches not Kilmarnock FC!!
JOBO
But as you can’t actually see/identify which particular individuals sang it then that’s why charges can’t be brought?
==========
Statement says ‘no criminality’ which, to me, means that no crime had been committed not that the criminal could not be identified.
TBH I expected a statement that they could not prove that it had not been doctored.
Yup
How about a massive demonstration against anti Irish and anti Catholic prejudice once things are far more settled with the pandemic? In saying that, I suspect the huns would be all over it and would look to create trouble.
Off topic, but worth a question to all the folk on here. I interrupted a chat with the huns in my work about the best football anthems outside or own clubs sung by fans and I suggested Hibernian FC’s rendition of Sunshine Over Leith. As you can imagine the responses were typically hunnish. What do you think folks?
Sunshine on Leith…typo.
Good article by Hugh MacDonald in the Herald at the weekend re the huns…….with a disclaimer from the Herald at the end of it…..reprehensible rag
Bada, they’re all the same, total shitebags.
IKI
To be fair to the polis, they genuinely believe that no crime HAS been committed. Had the misfortune to attend a Christmas bash at a certain pub near a cop shop, in the distant past. Let’s just say, the song in the video, was being belted out with gusto by off duty cops. I certainly learned a few wee ditties that night. Now, as this was years ago, many of the singers may well be in prominent positions in PoliceScotland.
Plans for tomorrow:
Will be remembering the Lions no longer with us.
Will read a book or two about that day.
Will have a few beers.
At exactly 17.30 hours, will watch the full game, cheering like a maddy when big Tam and Stevie score.
Will text a few Glasgow Rangers/Sevco supporters of my acquaintance, to remind them that their original club died, trying to match the achievement.
Who knows, perhaps we may even announce a new manager tomorrow.
Catch y’all Wednesday.
This is a Celtic blog, the best around in my opinion. Celtic fans are justifiably suspicious of, and many downright hostile towards, the SNP and the prospect of Scottish independence. The OBF Act was a clumsy measure to make the “One’s as bigoted as the other” trope official. It failed because James Kelly and the Greens saw it for what it was, and the rest of the opposition saw it as a good opportunity to diss the SNP.
The establishment are shit scared at the prospect of independence, and when senior figures in the SNP are calling out anti Irish racism, the Tories find they have nowhere to go, hence the Scotsman article and senior Tories trying to equate George Sq with Kenmure St. The orange mob are their muscle on the streets.
The constant snide references to “wee Nippy” and blaming the SNP for almost everything miss the point. It’s the Masonic cabal in Police Scotland who take all operational decisions and I honestly believe that the politicians do not have the necessary clout to remove it. Notice how the two most senior law officers have resigned over the malicious prosecutions fiasco, which was driven by Police Scotland and shady elements within the Crown Office, not politicians.
Many ordinary members of the public and the SNP viewed the OB Act as a genuine attempt to tackle the issue, being unaware that the law didn’t need amended, only properly enforced by Police Scotland. I know that Christine Graham is a sneaky orange woman, but she is not the SNP. Anyway, we can hardly complain when our own directors have done much more to embolden the hordes than any politician.
The implication that Hamza Yousef was moved from the Justice dept within a couple of days of calling The Rangers out is disingenuous and again misses the point. Labour enjoyed total hegemony in Scotland for decades, and did absolutely nothing to tackle the Huns open bigotry and anti Irish racism; indeed quite a few actively participated in the “banter.”
Those who think that somehow Catholics are protected from the bigotry by the British State are deluded. It’s the state which instigated it in the first place and has used it over centuries to deflect, divide and rule and, as we’ll see in the coming months, use the hordes to cling on to the last vestiges of Empire. Remember, self determination for a nation is normal. Scotland has a terrible problem with this issue and it’s only the Scottish people themselves who can put an end to it. The SNP who have historic anti Irish/Catholic elements within it merely reflect Scottish society generally. We should applaud and support the progressive elements within the SNP who are trying to change it. Sniping at “wee nippy” whilst waiting on the British state to become progressive, and voting alongside the hordes, is ludicrous.
We’re told that more arrests will follow from the George Sq carnage. As I’ve said before, let’s see. It would be a start.
Ger57
An excellent and timely post G. 👏👏👏
Happy 80th Birthday Bob.
https://g.co/kgs/ywBMko
I’ve been looking at the Transfermarkt site for the contract situation of Bournemouth players who may fancy a link up with their ex-gaffer:-
According to Transfermarkt, the following have contracts expiring at the end of June 2021-
Steve Cook- CB valued at £6.3m
Adam Smith – RB valued at £3.6m
Jack Wilshere – CM- £2.25m
Junior Stanislas- Left winger – £1.62m
Rodrigo Riquelme- RW – £1.62m
They have 2 players on loan whose contracts with Bournemouth end next week-
Cameron Carter-Vickers- CB from Spurs £1.8m
Shane Long – CF from Southampton- £1.35m
Others of interest include-
Asmir Begovic (GK) has a year to run on his contract. Surprisingly is only 33 – £1.8m
Diego Rico- LB- a year to run valued at £4.2m
Of those, we might be interested in Cook and Stanislas and I would add Begovic to the list. Not sure about Wilshere who was a very good player but is, perhaps on a downward spiral. Would welcome views from those who see more Championship football.
SFTB
Don’t really fancy nor rate any of those players, and I definitely don’t want Eddie Howe as next Celtic manager.
Just don’t get the hype for this loser.
AFTERNOON ALL and JIM, went to kilwinning once it was closed, then went to ardrossan and saltcoats they were open but I never went in, dont know why, another true story😎😎
GARRY,thanks for the kashmir video the other night👍 I get the impression mr howe is playing us along incase he gets a premiership club.H,H,
“A certain genius”? SIR Bob? The same guy who described the events of 1916 as nonsense, and its leaders as delusional, and compared them to Jahadi suicide bombers? THAT SIR ROBERT?!
:).
HI mike, are you talking about mr kelly or mr geldof,😎
BP
Think it is SIR Bob that is referenced..
Gorgeous day here, so off to take Seamus to the lake. Hope you guys are having a good day.
Garry
If we compare Brendan’s time in charge of a comparable club i.e. Swansea, he managed them for one season in the Championship with a win rate of 1.8 points per match. In season 2011/12 in the Prem, he managed 1.22 PPM.
Howe, with Bournemouth managed –
2012/13- 2.03 PPM ( promoted from League One)
2013/14- 1.44 PPM (Champ)
2014/15- 1.98 PPM (Promoted from Championship)
2015/16- 1.23 PPM (Prem)
2016/17- 1.20 PPM (Prem)
2017/18- 1.23 PPM (Prem)
2018/19- 1.26 PPM (Prem)
2019/20- 0.95 PPM (relegated from Prem in 3rd bottom place- 1 point behind Villa)
In one season with a cannon fodder team in the Prem , Brendan managed 1.22 PPM, In 5 seasons in the Prem with such a club, Eddie Howe managed an average of 1.17 PPM. Without his final poor season – one season too long trying to keep makeweights up with no budget comparable to the rest, he would have scored 1.23, comparable with BR’s Swansea’s time.
After finishing in 11th place with Swansea , Brendan got the Liverpool gig and finished 7th, 2nd, 6th and 10th (after 8 matches when he was sacked).
Under Eddie Howe, Bournemouth finished 16th, 9th, 12th and 14th before their 20th place finish in 2020.
I think his performances with Bournemouth stand comparison with BR’s at Swansea but he lacks Brendan’s Liverpool experience prior to coming to us.
Can he manage a Big Club mentality and can he cope with managing a team that dominates possession rather than a counter attacking one (Europe excepted, of course)?
One of the very first concerts I was at was Boomtown Rats at Glasgow Apollo, when I was 14. An absolutely excellent concert. Geldof went downhill quickly.
MIKE, pissing down here, enjoy your walk👍
SFTB
Howe has never won anything in the game.
He has no European experience.
His last achievement was to get Bournemouth relegated. He had a bigger budget than champions Liverpool, backed by Russian Roubles.
He is too mild mannered for me. He would get destroyed in Scotland.
If we employ Howe, then I feel he would be a Tony Mowbray mark2.
Give me Bielsa please.
Garry
Bielsa, after this Leeds season, is beyond our reach. We’d be as well to demand Pochettino, Mourinho or Diego Simeone. Those guys are not gonna slum it here or in Austria or Holland or Belgium or Croatia, or any makeweight league in Europe. They’d rather go to a lower table or 2nd tier team in England, France, Italy or Spain than waste time here.
We are torturing ourselves with thoughts of managers like that. Bielsa would have to mess up badly in his next 2 jobs before Celtic get a look in at him and then we wouldn’t want him.
We have to look at realistic candidates. Howe is , at least, a sought after candidate, in that we are not the only club after him.
He may turn out to be a Tony Mowbray or he may turn out to be a MON or WGS. Only time will tell. I can back most managers (and players) until they prove to be inadequate but, after blowing the 10, our next manager, whoever he is, is gonna be awarded less patience than most new Celtic managers get. I hope he is tough enough to live with that pressure.
CCB
Tonight I will be cheering for Dundee. Get the plastic pitches to feck.
SFTB
I recommend you read the Marcelo Bielsa biography by Tim Rich. Bielsa, The Quality of Madness. You may change your view on whether Bielsa would take the Celtic challenge on.
I think if he was asked, he would come.
He is an identikit Celtic manager, very similar to Jock Stein imo.
Garry
I am glad you believe that. My prediction is one more successful Leeds season gets him a bigger club job. One less successful season with Leeds will see him get a mid table club in Spain, Italy or Germany or even another one in England. Since managing Bilbao, he has been at Marselle, Lazio, Lille and Leeds. As we did not get him when he was with Bilbao, his subsequent trajectory in management does not suggest to me that Celtic or Anderlecht or Austria Vienna is next on his list. And , at 65, he is also likely to get offered the less strenuous job of International Management.
Time will tell but bookies will give you good odds if you think Bielsa will be at CP anytime in the next decade.
Big Yogi leaves Ross County 🤔
Eddie Howe………i don’t know why all the hype.
Went to see Bob Dylan at Earls Court in 1978. Sitting four rows from the stage, it was a magical night watching and listening to my hero who was in his prime. Great memory.
On the manager debate, I think Eddy Howe will do a job for us and will greatly surpass the previous incumbent. The bar is not that high! Are there others who are potentially or certainly better managers, of course. Will any of them be rolling up to Celtic Park any time soon, I don’t think so. I believe it will be Eddy Howe, as he has never once made a public comment denying interest in the Celtic job.
SFTB
Very useful stats.
I dont think Eddie Howe will win us the CL but from what I’ve seen of his teams and listened to him articulate his views, very important in Scotland, I reckon he is well capable of taking back the title next season.
My Auldheid radar that wanted Scott Brown at Celtic to replace Neil Lennon that the same radar wanted at Celtic is telling me he is just what we need.
If he falls through then Nuno of the Holy Lupus Spirit is also on the radar scope.
I would take him as a No3,knows Scottish game,and takes no shite
GER57
I honestly can’t see where the anti-SNP orientation of the article is that you spent so long attacking. Here are the only two paragraphs which mention the parties.
“ While Humza Yousaf wasn’t a lone voice in his own party the SNP,it was certainly the loudest. And he continues to double down on his words of a week ago,despite being reshuffled from Justice Minister (in charge of policing,btw!) to Health. Others from all parties could learn from him and Patrick Harvie of The Greens,those whose silence will be remembered-that’s most of the bloody rest of them!
Dishonourable exception is accorded the the Scottish Tories,who seem to think that anyone waving a Union Jack is alright by them and exempt from the law. And any investigation is a witch hunt.”
They take up less than 10% of it he article,and in fact praise the SNP and The Greens while pointing out the silence of the others,and the downright hostility of the tories.
I think you are searching for things that aren’t there,and then wrongly applying your own interpretation to what is. For example,you say
“ The implication that Hamza Yousef was moved from the Justice dept within a couple of days of calling The Rangers out is disingenuous and again misses the point.”
I said that he continued to speak out.
“And he continues to double down on his words of a week ago,despite being reshuffled from Justice Minister (in charge of policing,btw!) to Health”
The only implication there is that while he spoke originally as Justice Minister-so therefore it was within his remit-he continued to do so from elsewhere. The only thing that can rightfully be read into it is that congratulations are due for consistency.
There are literally millions and more reasons I can think of to criticise governments north and south of the border-and elsewhere-and I frequently do. Misinterpretation like yours earlier is why I generally avoid such subjects on here. Especially when,as in this case,I was handing out a rare compliment.
https://twitter.com/soccerreform/status/1396846073629577220?s=08
Cosy Corner Bhoy,
I am still here. No dubiety, I only ever thought that’s what you meant.
STEVENAIVE
Ignore the crabbit auld bugger-he’s at the wind-up!
BMCUWP
This is the game that wanker John Mclellan was bumping his gums about
Danny Boyle (@deejaypb) Tweeted:
the match @johnmclellan is referring too happened 41 years ago. 1979 Dryborough Cup final. From a previous piece.
No idea how this relates to 15,000 people holding a city hostage in 2021 and attacking key workers for being “fenian bastards” ie. Green suited Paramedics https://t.co/YHTq2cbxsm https://twitter.com/deejaypb/status/1396382649212669960?s=20
Can’t argue with any of today’s leader, it’s spot on. 👍
CCB you may not hate Kilmarnock, but i dislike them an ‘awful’ lot and their plastic pitch, and the fact they gave us Mulumbu when we wanted McGinn.
PedroPennypincherCSC
So Hughes, Duffy and Mellon all look to be available,is this the managerial dream team we have been waiting on 🤣🤣
Gattuso fired from post at Napoli. Good. Never liked him from the time he played at Ragers.
BMCUWP,
Bryan Burnett’s show on shortbread is playing cover versions of Dylan songs tonight. I put in a request for you which they read out, including your blog moniker, but didn’t play it, sadly.
Here it is anyway, in case you haven’t heard it. I have the album and it’s good;
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BkIywiNyARg
‘Mon The Dundee 😉