A Game Of Two Halves (!)
Morning,all.
Quite often when MAHE and I do a match review after the night before, we have that proverbial game of two halves to report on. How many times this season have we all moaned about only turning up for one of the 45s but being bloody awful in the other?
So it was last night too, but this time it had nothing to do with the players or the manager. Nope,they did the job they are meant to do-right till the end, I might add-the pity was that my access to the game was minimal in the first half.
Saw very little of it,no point in lying. I’ve seen potted highlights since, but it’s not the same. And just to prove the point, I saw the entire second half. In all its beauty and splendour. Six on the night, with the four in the second 45 running their own Goal Of The Season Competition.
Bear with me for the first two. We had the latest apprentice boy for a MIB last night-how many newbies have we seen this season?-but no problem, he would be ably assisted on VAR by Alan Muir. No great surprise then that the youngster “missed” a clear foul on Trusty at a corner. So obvious that even Muir had to lick the nettle and shout him over for a review. Arne Engels converted.
How often have we complained that when players go down in the box at a corner that it is ours who are penalised? This time MIB Steven saw fit to award a foul AGAINST Trusty instead of to him when he was rugby tackled. As he can only penalise what he has seen, one wonders what his excuse is for that decision when he had a clear view from five yards away!
Our second came on the stroke of half time, just to settle the nerves going into the break. The surprise is that it was necessary, as endless possession and little threat from the opposition should have seen us a few ahead (I’m reliably informed.) Anyway, Idah and Jota combined for them both to have shots saved by the keeper, but third time lucky as our on-form striker lashed home the second rebound.
My left index finger and the refresh button on my device were damn near worn out by this time, but normal service was resumed for the second half. And how! It’s hard to decide which of our forward six plus subs was putting on the style the most. They certainly piled on the agony for Dundee on the back of a 0-6 at home to Hearts. It isn’t the number of goals that’s the problem in this review, it’s the sheer quality of them.
I’m certainly not a sufficient wordsmith to do them justice. The greatest wordsmith in the English language is credited with the invention of over 400 words, simply because he couldn’t find the right ones for “the moment”. Honestly, they were a joy to behold. But no made-up words here, just watch the unique angle when it is posted later.
You won’t be sorry!
Briefly…
3-Jota on the (left) wing twists defenders blood and crosses for Maeda to come flying in from the opposite side after 55 minutes. Peach of a cross, impeccable finish to match.
4-On the hour mark, Maeda latches on to a through ball from Engels and casually dinks it from the edge of the box. Like it’s easy,you know?
5-Ten minutes later, Engels decides that twelve yards is toffee and lets fly from the edge of the area. Leaves the keeper with no chance. Are these goals actually getting better and better?
6-Well, maybe not. A few minutes from the end, Kühn does what he does. Cuts in from the right and across the 18 yard box and onto his left foot. We all know what he wants to do next. The keeper knows too. So what-knowing what is coming and stopping it are two different things. Carson has no chance of stopping this one. Goal of the match standard in most games, but a lowly 5/6 last night!
I hope I’ve given you enough of a taste of the game if, like me, you struggled to see the first half-and worse if you missed the second half. I recommend finding any source possible for highlights or even a full match replay. Because while the goals were outstanding, there were some periods of play which were on a par but unrewarded.
When we look this good, we really look the part. A thoroughly impressive performance even if against maybe the most inconsistent side in the league. That’s not to damn with faint praise though-on this display, who knows who we could beat? Well, let’s get the prayer mats, the beads and the juju looked out for next Wednesday,huh? After all, last night was only a practice session…
<><><><><>
Above article by BMCUWP
Only Bayern fans in the standing section will be getting offered the cheap tickets. Circa 15k , 60k not so cheap. Bayern have to my knowledge agreed a 10€ reduction across all categories for next season. The price of local transportation is not included in the price for Bayern tickets or any club in Bavaria.
INIQUITOUS IV
Ochone, ochone.
Awe Naw
That wasn’t the way I read the statement, but, perhaps I misread it. Thanks for clarifying.
Nice to see you posting. Perhaps we can prevail on you to post more regularly – sort of an SC spy in behind enemy lines sort of thing.
Nite all.
Wow, just wow.
1973/74 – Celtic v Atletico Madrid (European Cup S/F 1st Leg – 10.4.74)
https://youtu.be/MjVVUzVJQ60?si=kdY_QnqlQ4LDAYJr
Last orders at the bar… SENCELPOTY@GMAIL.COM
MIT,
I haven’t checked it out personally. The info I have is from a Bayern fan. He told me there is going to be a one off thank you gesture across the board for all categories and next season a 10€ reduction across all categories.
My ticket for Eintracht v Bayern costs 75€ for a league game. A bang average Joe ticket. Celtic charging 46£ for Bayern in the CL is very good value for money by comparison.
Eintracht raise their prices for the glamour games. EL games, Bayern, BVB and recently Leverkusen and RBL the robbing bastards.
I’ll post a bit more in the coming weeks.
Evening,
Auldheid as you know we have a huge amount of cash waiting to be spent.
Can I ask you, after the accounts come out, at what level of cash in the bank will be too much?
If other clubs see you have a huge surplus of cash reserves, then markets will dictate that you will be forced to pay over the odds when purchasing a player.
It works both ways mind, when the bids come in for Khun, Daizen & Reo.
What do you think the board will accept? Irrelevant of CL qualification, they will be sold if the price is right.
Now if this means we have moved onto the next level in the transfer market, then I will be more than happy. But we need to expect the clubs will demand more for their players, and this is were the paying over the odds comes in.
Or as someone once said.
” you are only worth what someone is willing to pay for you”
Catch 22
https://readceltic.com/2025/02/06/well-were-not-going-to-beat-bayern-munich-anyway-can-somebody-tell-me-when-this-was-ever-an-acceptable-attitude-at-celtic/
INIQUITOUS IV
Allegedly Bayern’s ST prices for season 23/24 were
Cheapest standing section @ 165 euros, cheapest seating area 385 and cheapest posh seat 840.
No idea what ST for 24/25 are.
source of info
https://www.dw.com/en/bundesliga-price-check-2023-24-the-cost-of-german-football/a-66547548
G64,
When it became imperative for Celtic to turn a profit from every window. That will not change. That became “obvious” when the statement was made about provisions for non qualification to the CL. Project fear a well worn path. The billionaires/oligarchs rule the world and the masses love it.
Working Class Hero csc
Football prices are cheaper here in Germany and most regions include transport cost but not Bavaria be careful with using BVB and Bayern as the goto comparison. They can afford to be extra generous with larger attendances. The prices between ST and match day tickets are not comparable.
Òglach,
Do you think they prices have something to do with German law that clubs need supporters groups at board level.
50+1 rule
Time we all moved to Germany
*SENTINEL CELTS PLAYER OF THE YEAR 2024-25*
*RESULTS FROM GAME #38 CELTIC 6 DUNDEE 0 (ENGELS(2), IDAH, MAEDA(2) KUHN)*
Good evening, friends.
An apology to start with. After each game, whenever anyone picks the same 3 as me, I do try to send a personal reply. But the results would have been delayed until midnight with this game as it became pretty clear early on that 3 folk were in many folks’ minds. Approximately 43 (forty three!) had the same 3 as me.
Most folk seem to agree that last night was one of our best performances of the season to date. Our levels remained high throughout the entire 94 minutes, and it really was 6 going on 10 by the end. And all 6 goals had something great about them.
A lengthy VAR check midway through the first half seemed to confuse pretty much every fan in the ground and every player on the pitch given that there had been no apparent claim for any infringement. But later TV pictures showed a clear pull on Trusty’s shirt and Arne Engels put his disappointment of 2 weeks behind him to dispatch an unstoppable penalty into the left hand corner. Our 100th goal of a pretty successful season.
We had to wait until stoppage time to give us our comfortable half time cushion. A wonderful through pass from Taylor reached Idah, whose shot was parried by the Dundee keeper. Jota’s follow up was also saved but Adam managed to score from that rebound making it 4 in 3 games from the ever improving Cork man.
Early in the second half and we saw the best goal of the night (until that point). A double step over from Jota on the left created space for him to send in a vicious curling cross to the far post for Daizen Maeda’s diving header.
Not long after that brought the highlight of the night and a potential goal of the season. Jota worked back and found himself down at Celtic’s own left hand corner flag. A couple of passes to get out of trouble and then Jota squared to Calum who played the ball across to Johnston and then forward to Engels. Arne sent a beautiful 50 yard curling pass into the path of Maeda. And having executed a Larsonnesque header in our last game, this time Daizen decided on a Larsonnesque chip over the onrushing goalkeeper into the gaping net. A very European like roar from the stands hailed this wonder goal.
Our final 2 goals were – shockarooni – shots from outside the box. Firstly, Engels tried his luck from 28 yards, getting a slight deflection that was enough to create some top spin on the ball which fley into the top right postage stamp. And then with about 10 minutes remaining Nicolas Kuhn reminded us all that he hasn’t gone away! Cutting in from the right and from the corner of the 18 yard box he sent a brilliant curling shot into the far corner of the net. Another screamer on a night with fantastic goals.
Since 30 November 2024 we have played 9 home games in all competitions. We scored 1 against Young Boys, 2 against Dundee United and Kilmarnock, 3 against Hibs and St Mirren, 4 against Motherwell and St Johnstone, 5 against Ross County and 6 against Dundee. A total of 30 goals. And we have conceded just once, against Kilmarnock in the cup. That is some going!
And if instead we just concentrate on league games, then the last goal conceded at Celtic Park was Aberdeen’s equaliser in the 2-2 draw on October 19th. Since then, we’ve played 9 home league games, scored 29 and haven’t conceded a single one!
Overall, we have now played 38 games this season, winning 28, drawing 7 and losing 3. We have scored 105 and conceded 33 (domestically it’s 92-19 and in Europe it’s 13-14).
Thank you so much to the 78 who voted this time around. The total votes cast for each player are as follows, with my own nominations asterisked.
Schmeichel: 0
Johnston: 0
Carter-Vickers: 2
Trusty: 0
Taylor: 5
McGregor: 1
Engels*: 71
Hatate: 26
Maeda*: 78
Idah: 2
Jota*: 49
Bernardo: 0
Kuhn: 0
Schlupp: 0
Kenny: 0
McCowan: 0
And so, the players receiving POINTS for the game against Dundee are –
Maeda – 5 points
Engels – 4 points
Jota – 3 points
Hatate – 2 points
Taylor – 1 point
Note – the top 5 for Sunday’s game at Motherwell were almost identical – Maeda, Idah, Jota, Hatate, Taylor!)
And the overall positions after 38 games played are –
58 points – Kuhn
54 points – Maeda
48 points – Hatate
47 points – Engels
45 points – Schmeichel
43 points – McGregor
41 points – Bernardo, Scales
31 points – Trusty
24 points – Kyogo
23 points – Carter-Vickers, Johnston A, McCowan
21 points – Taylor
19 points – Valle
14 points – Idah
7 points – O’Riley
6 points – Jota
4 points – Forrest, Yang
3 points – Welsh
0 points – Cummings, Holm, Johnston M., Kenny, Murray, Nawrocki, Palma, Ralston, Turley
The 2nd of our 4 consecutive home games is this Saturday. It’s a 5.30pm kick off for our fourth round Scottish Cup tie against Raith Rovers.
Nicola Kuhn has led the player of the year chart since Game 16. Will he still be leading after the weekend? Only you can decide!
Hail Hail!
In Germany, unions have a significant influence on company boards of directors through a system called “codetermination,” where employee representatives, often elected by unions, are guaranteed seats on the supervisory board of larger companies, giving them a voice in major company decisions; this means that in larger German companies, the board of directors includes both shareholder representatives and employee representatives elected through union involvement.
Ptiymevin
With Trump being too close and coveting Canada’s resources, and little Trump Polievre likely to get in here, I might be looking for a new country soon enough myself.
And I do know a stunning blonde German lady who just moved back to Germany…
but with Musk/the AdF looking to grab power there, I might be bettter staying here…
or grabbing Seamus and heading back to the caribbean…
if the world is going to go to hell in a handbasket, at least I can enjoy the nice weather until it does!
The Bayern price reduction initiative came about because Shakthar playing in Hamburg Volkparkstadion were gouging fans. This pissed off the Bayern fans who mobilised 36,000 fans to protest about it and the continual increase in tickets prices at the Allianz Arena. Without the protest nothing would have happened.
The protest involved 36,000 fans relinquishing their season tickets.
Mike, irrelevant of trumpet and any other outside influences.
Get yourself to the Caribbean and enjoy yourself, its later than you think.
Pity
Mike, now your talking.
I know I don’t listen to as much music as I did in my happiness times.
Time to change my ways
One of my favourites
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uw66FA6OTqA
Salah penalty vs Spurs.
https://youtu.be/2pitAyBXPM0?feature=shared
MIKE/PITYMEVIN liked that toon ,especially the trumpet solo, a bit louis Armstrong 👍👍👍❤
BP, if its got your seal of approval, thats good enough for me pal.
By the why the lions would have only won 5-0 last night.
That was a great performance, another true store.
Just catching up on the highlights of Newcastle – Arsenal.
Great game! Isak is something special.
https://youtu.be/c5Kblm1bVOg?si=KE0MCFdUtKcXhls6
Ange 3-0 down at Anfield.
PITYMEVIN yes probably 5-0 as stevie chalmers was Injured😎😎😎😎 hope you are well buddy.H.H ❤❤👍
Pity
Cant go wrong with Toots. A pure classic.
For ska, Prince Buster is still my favourite.
For reggae, Bob will always be the king. But, outside of him, these are two of my very favourite songs, althoughI know some seem to think that they aren’t proper reggae … for me, I dont care what you call them… just great, great, great music …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-y9Q7ud7Or0
Mike, great indeed.
Music lifts the soul.
Packy, I doing alright pal.
Need to get of the podcasts and start to enjoy my Music again.
Puff, puff has the right idea.
Saturday night is music night on here
Pitymevin
Too many imponderables but let’s assume that to attract the higher standard of player the going weekly wage would be £70k a week. Call that £3.5m a year.
Call that £10m per player over a 3 year contract.
So if only straight arithmetic applied and we only signed good players that were on more than £70k a week but were released as their club had to stay within the 70% wage ceiling under FSR then in theory if there was £100m to spend we could sign 10 players!
That does not mean we have to and under the possibility the market finds itself with a glut of ex £70k+ players now on to plums who would take £70k then it’s a buyers market, so Celtic would not face the price hikes of a sellers market.
I would be surprised that Celtic with two maligned Directors in MN and CMcK, who helped develop FSR, were not aware of this possibility which might explain building the cash stockpile in a wait and see mode to see what the summer market looks like.
Another imponderable is that Celtic themselves cannot exceed the 70% ceiling so that might limit what they can offer to less than £70k pw.
If we were to assume we bought from a selling club who had no need to unload a player but would if price was right and xfer fee was £10m, then we could buy 5 players rather than 10 in theory.
However FSR and it’s deflationary impact on player wages is the big imponderable .
If it in effect brought the going rate for a reasonable level of player nearer to Celtic’s wage structure then that is a game changer, but I would be very much surprised if the Celtic Board were given any credit for being far sighted enough to indulge in an exercise that made Celtic more wage competitive in the market in future years.
Spurs gubbed 4-0 with not one single solitary shot on target.
Liverpool – Newcastle final will be a doozy.
Angeball is burst
Barca 5-0 up at Valencia in Copa del Rey quarter final.
Fiorentina beat Inter Milan 3-0 to get into the 4th Champions League place in Serie A. That’s 3 times the number of goals Inter lost in 8 Champions League games!
Pity
Every night should be music night.
First thing I do in the morning is put on music.
Going to see Branford Marsalis this weekend. seeing Yuja Wang next week. And got tickets this morning to see Mavis Staples in the summer.
As someone once said, soothes the savage breast… the world needs another Bob Marley now more than ever!
And before one of the reprobates on here snickers …yuja wang is a world famous…pianist … okay, I’ll quit while I’m behind…
🙂
MIT
Goodbye and take all your Marxist self serving Trudeau cult members with you. Also what does your nonsense have to do with a Celtic blog?
Thanks,JOBO. As you point out,it was a relatively straightforward choice on Wednesday.
⭐️👏👍
Awe Naw
February 6, 2025 8:55 pm
G64,
When it became imperative for Celtic to turn a profit from every window. That will not change. That became “obvious” when the statement was made about provisions for non qualification to the CL. Project fear a well worn path. The billionaires/oligarchs rule the world and the masses love it.
Working Class Hero csc
====
Only you could turn a standard business practice of setting aside PART of a cash surplus against a possible future income decline into some plot by The Board.
Project prudence mate. Bless you.:)
Auldheid, is FSR not only based on your last 3 years takings, and if so, how and why would you hoard money?
Surely the spend it now and keep within your sphere make more sense, as money in the bank will be discounted after the 3 years !
I’m only asking for clarification
I shouted out “Who killed the Kennedy’s?”
when after all it was you and me
Mike, someone posted earlier that the waterboys are playing near me.
Tickets now booked after our conversation.
So many thanks
Bobby looks like another one of my innocuous posts has got caught in your filter
😀😀😀
Mags, I wasn’t born and we all know it was CIA.
Bobby sorry for getting your site shut down😉
Celger
you always seem to be angry.
if BMCUWP or Mahe have an issue with something I post on their blog, I’m sure they’ll tell me. If you don’t enjoy my posts, feel free to scroll past
Mags you know I’ve not got a chance with them big words.
I will ask my Mrs and get back to you the morra.
Night all.
Stay safe and keep well.
Good Evening 👋🏻
Big Packy I’m sure you know that Tear Gas teamed up with Alex Harvey to form SAHB.
Did you know you share your birthday with Alex who would have been 90 yesterday.🥲
5th February 1935 – 4th February 1982 🙏🏻
Sol Kitts , The Bo-Weavles were formed by Zal Cleminson , guitarist with Tear Gas and SAHB among others , and his friend Dave Batchelor . Dave would be replaced on keyboards by Hugh McKenna in Tear Gas – SAHB. However Dave excelled in producing SAHB albums and also for Nazareth , The Skids and more.
( Dave was the original producer for Oasis but a disagreement led to him being replaced before the release of Definitely Maybe 😱).
P.S. Dave Batchelor produced early Fingerprintz releases 😉
Anthem for Alex Harvey by Hugh McKenna
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Kv55fMDfdw0
HH 💚🍀
Auldheid, is FSR not only based on your last 3 years takings, and if so, how and why would you hoard money?
Surely the spend it now and keep within your sphere make more sense, as money in the bank will be discounted after the 3 years !
I’m only asking for clarification
===
Fair enough and the first step is to clarify that a key aspect of FSR is that what a club can spend in a season on improving squad quality is limited to 70% of well defined football earnings as set out in a clubs annual audited accounts.
I wrongly assumed you knew that as I have posted about Celtic”s part in FSR development before, but you might have missed it.
Anyhoo..
There are players earning more than they are worth because of hyper wage inflation. Still good pros but no where near same level of quality as highest earners.
If a clubs squad bill exceeds 70% of football earnings then it is those good but still overpaid players clubs will sell or unload creating a buyers market.
I am not predicting that will happen but the Jan trading was down when limit was 80% so drop to 70% keeps deflationary pressure up so it is reasonable to expect it is possible and reasonable to expect Celtic are aware.
At the end of the day it is not Celtic that are paying player wages it’s supporters and it is in their interest not to pay more than the value a player adds to the team.
Hope that clarifies my response, as I said earlier that is why I sometimes correct the basis on which comments are made. To add to the “knowns”.
Who’s that clown giving abuse to MIT?