Yesterdays piece on the proposed next phase of development around Celtic Park , described by some as thought provoking, provided some thought provoking answers, ans while the debate may continue for some time yet, the general conclusion seems to be that if handled correctly there is an opportunity for the club to contribute to the aesthetics of the area, the people of the area and importantly, to improve its image among some of the more cynical amongst the support.
We’ll have to wait and see.
But the first mention of zero hour contracts either for those who build it, or those who work in it and they’ll get the rough edge of my tongue again.
So , with the floating casino and hoverpitch dominating the agenda yesterday, was there anything we missed ?
Not really.
There’s no midweek football for the club, so the players are amusing themselves by taking it in turns to speak to the press. Or anyone else that will listen, which makes me wonder if they’re playing some sort of game.
Mikael Lustig first, no doubt attempting to play down the outbreak of mouse in his house… gave away a little tactical secret, perhaps unwittingly, which may have gone unnoticed by most…
“When we play, especially here at Celtic Park, our opponents drop very deep and then there’s space for to come round as well. But at the start of the game, we play with three at the back and let KT bomb on.
Is he taunting the opposition by pointing out to them that a long diagonal ball behind the three and a quick cross into the centre to meet four or five runners could make the game a handicap event for the Celts ?
Keiran Tierney has dropped a hint about the support providing him with a song of his own….
“I told Scotty and Dedro about theirs, and whoever made them up deserves something special as both the songs are brilliant.
“If my music is on in the dressing-room, I will play both songs, ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire’ or the ‘Logical Song’. Scotty’s song gets you going and Dedro’s song is a bit different in tone but they are both great tunes and whoever is behind them is a genius.
“They both love them as they are good tunes … I was just gutted that they weren’t about me.”
Well, he had his chance to start one..
“It was good to go back to the game with my mates. Nothing changed for them as they go to every game anyway and I just tagged along as we did when we were younger. It did bring back memories of when I was 14 or 15 and I enjoyed it while I could.
“It took me about half-an-hour to get in and out of every game, but that’s what’s going to happen. They are Celtic fans and I play with Celtic, and I would be doing the same as them.
Ah, the life of the professional footballer. Reveling in memories of when you were a mere fourteen or fifteen year old. Which I think was about a fortnight ago for him.
Then there was James Forrest, who enlightened us with this gem..
“I think you can see already that we look like a strong team. But we all know that there isn’t anything handed out at this stage of the season.
He meant anything else handed out, presumably.
They all just sound happy, relaxed and confident.
The perfect preparation for the next campaign, a campaign which Moussa Dembele wants to be a part of..
His agent has been talking to the media about the why’s, the where’s and the whatevers of the forwards decision to join Celtic. And also why he wants to stay here for a while, which is exactly what anyone would say if they represented a player who may be the subject of a summer bidding war.
“Moussa doesn’t stress. He signed a four-year deal at Celtic and, in his head, he’ll be at Celtic for those four years.
“If he has to leave, that will happen at the right time, but it’s not in Moussa’s head or my head.
“In January, there was speculation, but there will always be speculation if he does well.
“It’s good. It means we are all doing well. The boy is doing well, Celtic is doing well and we as agents are doing the right things for everyone.
“But it’s so important to focus on the right things. Moussa remains cool.
He’s not affected.
“I am not even thinking of the future. I don’t wake up in the morning thinking where Moussa will go in the summer.
“The future does not exist. The past has gone. It’s about being a better player right now.
“The plan with Brendan and the club and Moussa is private, but I can say it will remain the same and it stays the same.
”We are there for the boy to become a better player, for the club to achieve more things and the club wants to keep their best players.
He goes on a bit, but its good to hear him leave out phrases such as “improved contract ” and “hasn’t settled in Glasgow “
The overall impression is of a happy camp. We probably knew that already, and it seems that unlike the intense start to the season, the players are more relaxed about themselves, and the new manager.
It shows on the field, and it is showing off the field as well.
Then there are those who have to find something to moan about ( like the ones who write the diary ? -Ed )
This is from a chap called Jonathan Gorrie, who published this on Football Fancast, whatever that is…
As easy as it is to wax poetic about Rodgers and his backroom team’s ruthlessness in keeping up with their own searing pace, it does serve as something of a missed opportunity for the club. In all honesty, this sort of attitude should have been adopted at Parkhead back in 2012, when Rangers went into liquidation. Moving along at such pace would have entirely killed the threat those just across Glasgow could offer for the foreseeable future, with Celtic almost certainties to replace their Old Firm rivals as Scotland’s most successful club.
The final two years of Lennon’s reign in charge, coupled with Ronny Deila’s two-year stint, saw Celtic limp over the line when they should have been sprinting. They’ve picked up the pace this time around, though they really should be further into the distance than they already are. If not in the table then certainly in terms of development.
Now, that may well still happen, though even allowing the sheer notion of Rangers catching up to be a feasible one could come back to bite top brass at Celtic Park. Should the Gers appoint a big name boss to replace Mark Warburton, with ambitious options such as Frank De Boer touted in the media, and start closing the gap before Celtic hit 10 league titles in a row, 2012 will provide as much as a missed chance as it is a celebration amongst the club’s support.
I mention this because it’s surprised me. In fact, one might say my “ghast ” has been well and truly “flabbered “, and at my age that isn’t a laughing matter .
It’s not the content as such, but it does seem the article is based around the idea that “rangers ” could bring in a big name manager. You know, someone with experience and ability , someone who demands respect , who demands results, and yet doesn’t demand a pay packet.
Despite five years of the gullibillies being happily hauled along by venture capitalists and convicted fraudsters, there are still some out there who think that others can’t see the basket case of assets for what it really is.
Some of whom are actually paid professionals…but we won’t go there for now.
Those of you who read the other bits, the ones less likely to be made up, in the papers may have noticed that there’s a by election in Stoke , where am currently in the middle of a twenty year plan to improve the average IQ.
The BBC are holding their edition of Question Time from the town tonight, and I applied to go on it. Not surprisingly, they didn;t want my charm and magnetism distracting from the serous issues, so I won’t be on it.
Disappointing, i guess, but nowhere near as disappointing as that time I was accepted to appear on trash TV dating show “Take Me Out, where loads of women compete amongst themselves to win a date with you.
Look what I got.
A big crowd of uggies can be upsetting, as this shop owner from Dundee discovered …
Er, Butt the Liquor man ?
Maybe its just me who chuckled at that.
As a penance for the childish reference to the fellows name, I’ve decided to publish a still picture from his CCTV outside the shop to help catch the offenders..
Meanwhile , a theory has surfaced that explains a lot of what has happened in Scottish football. Something that would no doubt be featured on a site called E-Huns in their Daily diary…
Bloody hell.
I thought we’d get away with it as well.
But over on the other side of the city, it’s starting to look like they aren’t getting away with anything after all.
The papers, having turned voraciously on former manager Mark Warburton, are now giving a voice to those who are dissenting against Dave King, such as Derek Llambias, who had been at the club during a time when Mike Ashley had a say in things…
Something is in the wind,
Scottish football , deemed to need a strong “rangers “, is actually doing quite well for itself, if you ignore all the doomsayers.
As explained in this tweet,
Celtic get a new hotel. Hearts a new stand. Aberdeen a new ground. But what about Rangers? They got a new club. Hard to beat, that.
Tuesdays caption competition, which was centered around this picture…
“young Kieran shows us what his new career might have been had his leg not been in the air when he was on receiving end of recent horror tackle’
today… and to be honest, i’m not even sure this needs a caption to raise a chuckle, but give it a go anyway.
