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Celtic Diary Friday February 24: Read Between The Lines

Regular diary reader and contributor Brendan Rodgers ( I think I’ve spotted which one he is ) has taken the hint and launched an offensive against Scotlands piss poor referees.

“I think the players deserve a huge amount of credit. If there is a time these last couple of weeks to take your foot off the gas because of the number of points ahead we are then it could have been. But they haven’t shown any sign of that. The focus is very much on winning and we are never complacent.

“My only worry at this moment in time is the protection for my players. I’ve seen two tackles in the last two games that weren’t good tackles at all. We are a team that can play, with all due respect, any type of game. We’ve had physical games and we’ve came through them, we’ve had footballing games and we’ve came through them.

“My players never complain, they get up and get on with the game. That’s how I ask them to be. We respect referees. I would like them to have protection for our players.

“The tackle on Kieran Tierney, which I didn’t get the chance to see straight after the game last week, was a horrendous challenge. This is a kid who is coming through, 19 years of age and one of the great prospects of Scottish football.

“I have a boy who is a brilliant coach on my staff, John Kennedy, who was also a brilliant prospect and in one challenge lost his career. I don’t want that to happen to any of my players, or any player for that fact, whether he’s from Celtic, Rangers, Hearts or Hibs. We need to ensure the players are protected, and it’s the responsibility of the referees to protect the game and players.

“As I said, the challenge on Kieran Tierney was a horrendous challenge and the one in the game before against Inverness on Scott Sinclair was an awful challenge. If we are trying to have these best players in Scotland then they need a little bit of protection.

An undercover investigation by an Etims agent managed to get hold of an application form for the SFA’s refereeing course, and we discovered something that might shed light on the perceived bias against Celtic players…

There are two forms to fill in, in fact, and this is one of them..

Image result for application form dob

Now, on this form, there is a box to fill in headed “Date Of Birth “, where the applicant enters the date he was born.

On the second form, which for legal reasons we cannot reproduce here, ( well, that and one other reason, in that we haven’t seen it ) this is abbreviated to

D.O.B

Those of the right mentality , the kind the SFA are looking for, simply write “Yes, I am   ” in the box, and they are fast tracked to the highest level.

Image result for linesman union flag

But Brendan cannot come out and say this directly, so he is merely asking for protection for his players.

We’ll have to see how it pans out, but if Emilio Izaguirre starts tomorrow, then get some money on him being booked, sent off and charged with affray.

Image result for emilio izaguirre honduras foul

Rodgers continued..

“We are a team of men. We have young guys in the team but we are playing a man’s game. We have no problem with the aggression, no problem with that. Like I said, we coped with that. We’ve gone away to Aberdeen – a really tough physical game – and came through that. But it was a really good game, with strong and fair challenges.

“The concern for me is the ones that are late, like last week. If Kieran’s foot was planted you could be talking about another story for one of Scotland’s great talents.

“That’s the duty of the referee, to protect them and protect the game. You want competitive and aggressive games but they need to be within the law as well.”

As to whether his concerns are something that he will raise with the Head of Referees, the Celtic manager said: “It would be. I’ve seen enough challenges now for me to talk about it, for sure. My duty as a manager is to protect my players. I’ll have a look at it and see how it evolves of the next number of weeks.”

Thats from yesterdays press conference.

This is from the post match speech,

We were concerned about referees , and the tackle on our player was the final straw for some of our lads. When the officials ignored it, one or two of ours took the law into their own hands, I just hope the referee is okay, and they can get his whistle back out safely. ” 

I’m going to risk the pain and discomfort of the long trip tomorrow to see how this one pans out.

I say pain and discomfort not in a physical sense, but in a mental sense. It looks like being a long day tomorrow, a suspicion conformed by a comment in yesterdays replies..

VooDude February 23, 2017 at 9:53 am · Edit · Reply →

Ralph, I’ve often wondered whether one’s ‘gast’ is ‘flabbered’ or one’s ‘flabber’ is ‘gasted’ – For what it’s worth, I think it is the latter. 

There goes any prospect of light hearted humour and jovial japery on the bus, as its perfectly clear to me that we are going to have an eight hour etymological  debate.

Are there any other buses going from the Stoke on Trent area ?

For Voodude.

Please.

Celtic host Hamilton Academical tomorrow, and the manager took time out to praise the hard work of last seasons main man Leigh Griffiths.

“He has had a good few weeks in training now and has looked fit and strong and ready to come back,” said the Celtic manager. “I speak to him every day. It wasn’t something I sprung on him. He knows I have my eye out for him and I want to help him.

“He has had one good season here and my aim here is to make that six or seven or eight seasons and the only way you can do that is by changing a little which can then change a lot in the short, medium and long-term. His response has been brilliant.

“He is a real good kid and he knows that I am looking out for him in every aspect of his life and I just don’t want him to be a player who has one good season and then falls away. I want him to stay at the top of his game and to do that then you need to stay fit and be ready to play as often as you can.”

Hat trick tomorrow ?

Don’t be silly. He’ll be out to do better than that should he start, and the enthusiasm he brings to the side will help make the run in, where much is taken for granted despite what the manager and players says publicly, a little more entertaining than you might think.

Overall, a very strong squad is being developed, and as long as they can be kept together, with occasional additons of quality rather than quantity, next season could be one to rival that one of fifty years ago…

Speaking of which, we’re putting together some kind of trubute ourselves to the men who made history in 1967.

We’ve no idea what form that will actually take yet, but what we’d like to ask is for anyone who has personal memories of any of the players who took part in that campaign, any wee stories that they’d like to share, to forward them to us, or give us a we note in the replies and we’ll get in touch.

2017 could be the year we pick up where the 1967 team left off, and we’d like to mark that.

Elsewhere, that German team took part in a spectacular comeback last night in their last 32 game with Italin side Fiorentina.

Summed up here by the Bundesliga website…

Good night!

Wow, what an evening we’ve been treated to in Florence. From three goals down on aggregate, Borussia came back to win – away at Fiorentina – by four goals to three, 4-2 on the night, with Lars Stindl scoring a hat-trick. Amazing.

It means Gladbach will be in the hat, alongside Schalke, for the last 16 draw at 13:00CET/12:00GMT on Friday.

 
Thanks for your company, and we’ll see you next time! 
We wish them well, they’re a good sort, the Germans.
There was also a sign that some teams just don;t deserve success, or even their moment in the sunshine.
Leicester City, the chemically enhanced side who won the league in England last year, have sacked their manager Claudio Ranieri, just a couple of weeks after he was named World Manager of the Year.
Or something like that.
Despite still being in the Champions League on merit, as well as actually being the English champions, the side have struggled this year, due largely to the players thinking they are champions instead of playing like champions.
As ever, the manager carries the can, and he leaves the club, deep in the heart of the English midlands, but probably shouldn’t worry too much about finding another job…

LEICESTER CITY have sensationally SACKED boss Claudio Ranieri – just 12 months after he won the Premier League title.

And cheeky Rangers fans have rushed online begging the club to snap him up.

12 months since May ?
Oh, and “cheeky ” in this context means ” stupid bastards who have continually proved that they have absolutely no idea what reality is. “
Although a pish stained source has told us that its Ranieri to “rangers “, Warburton to Leicester, and Elvis Presley to open for Donald Trump at next years  republican convention.
Frankly, I’m starting to doubt his credentials. Donald Trump won’t last a year.
And if he does, none of us will.
Image result for armageddon end of the world

Neil Lennon might have his head turned by the vacant Leicester post , although to be honest, Roberto Mancini has already has his office measured for a new carpet.

Although there may be a surprise contender…

 

Another former Leicester man was in the news , as he cast his eye over his Scottish football, where he made a bit of a name for himself as a manager, until Henrik Larsson left.

 

Former Celtic gaffer Martin O’Neill has branded the current

Rangers team POOR and says it’s the worst Gers squad he’s

ever seen

 

He said;

“Rangers are not strong at all. In fact, it is possibly the poorest side I’ve ever known at Ibrox. 

“For Celtic to stay strong and be strong in Europe they need opposition — and they need it to come from Rangers in the next couple of seasons, if at all possible 

Et Tu, Martin ?

 

But wait, maybe that challenge will come from Ibrox.

Not this entity, it’s already on life support, but we are aware that a third entity, funded by Mike Ashley of Sports Direct, is already in the planning stage.

Ashley, still apparently smarting that he hasn’t been able to break the masonic hold over Scottish law , is gathering his own set of vultures to feast on whatever is left when Dave King has had his fill.

As usual, there’s all sorts of rumours flying around on all sorts of sites, but rather than go around asking people this, or deducing from people that, we’ve opted for the much simpler option of reading between the lines, (i.e. making it up ) as we did at the top of the page when discussing Brendans bite at the referees.

Ashley is going to make the third “rangers ” the second force in Scotland, and he will get his way.

Rainjurrs men like a good old fashioned dictator to doff their caps to, and he is just the man for the remnants of the original board, having now served their five year punishment, to start praising as their latest saviour.

 

Yes, its Friday, and despite a splendid last minute effort from the author in the above paragraph, it wasn;t quite enough to secure the Etims

Knob of the Week 

award, though you have to admit , it was a pretty good effort.

No, this week a seasoned professional knob returned to the scene to claim his birthright.

Image result for craig burley espn

Currently employed by Disney sports channel ESPN, Burley proves that he “disney ” know anything about Scottish football….

 “Scottish football is quite embarrassing at the moment in terms of the standard, but he is head and shoulders [above the rest]. He’s a good player and is young.

“Chelsea, I’m hearing, are the favourites [to sign him]. Talking to one or two guys I know back in Scotland, they said he is pretty much nailed on to go to Chelsea and possibly for around £40million.”  

Comedian David Mitchell does an uncanny impression of Burley….

Image result for masturbate hand gesture gif

Anyway, Craig will be pleased to know we haven’t forgotten him, despite his American exile, and this week, he is one of our more emphatic winners of

Knob of the Week  

 

The picture from yesterday

SATC (Students’ Army Training Corps) pole-climbing training for telephone linemen, 1918.

 

which had me giggling when I first saw it, was given a caption

Charlie Friel February 23, 2017 at 4:10 pm · Edit · Reply →

Caption- Soldiers Are Tree….

which had me giggling even more.

 

To put a stop to all that jollility, here’s a serious picture to consider…

 

 

And here’s todays caption competition…

Shoppers wait patiently in a queue. This photo was taken in London in 1945. There had been rationing in Britain since 1940.

 

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7 years ago

Caption: the shortlisted candidates queue up for their 2nd interview at Ibrox. This photo, taken of the middle of the queue, was taken at Paisley Road Toll, close to The Grand Ole Opry building.

Rob O'Keeffe
7 years ago

Caption: Mr.McAvennie opens his new “Celtic sex shop”

On a lighter note.Did BR not have a wee look at KT’s leg after the game?Then ,he should’ve mentioned cloggers as much as he did about the bloody pitch (no pun intended).

P.S. Not a third entity,pleeeeesssse,ah cannae take much more.HH

CarlJungleBhoy
7 years ago

Caption: State-aid Stevens attempts to re-write history fail as everyone ignores his stock store of spurious shit and queues up instead for daily rations of truth

(Yeah. I know. Dreadful. Taxi)

desertbhoy
7 years ago

as rationing ends… the queue to sample FatSally’s eggs!

Monti
7 years ago

If it’s true that senior Leicester players, went behind Ranieri’s back and approached the owners to complain about the manager, then that is poor stuff.
I hope they go down and don’t come back up for a decade.
They are the English champions, they are in the late stages of the Champions league, deservedly, yet players have got him the sack? Out of order!
Anyway, halfway through this i realised i don’t give a fuck about Leicester!

HH

7 years ago

Caption.. Wellwishers gather to congratulate Clint Hill on reaching his 100th professional cap..

7 years ago

War time questions for a bottle of wine and a patsy were just as bad as today.

7 years ago
Reply to  Banjo

Is that a Motherwell born billionaire type of patsy?

7 years ago

Queues phones eh?

jimmybee
7 years ago

Caption: Buckfast launches in Airdrie

Pietro Guberti
7 years ago

Caption: they’re the applications for the new Sevco manager!!

Peter Mcglone
7 years ago

Caption. Sevco wives queue up for first aid after Rangers lose Again!.

7 years ago

I don’t get all this sentimental pish about managers.

Griffiths scored 40 goals last season but doesn’t deserve a starting place this season and no one complains.

The bottom line is that it’s about this season not last and the only debate should be over whether he’s good enough to keep them up not past glories.

Monti
7 years ago
Reply to  The Cha

The Cha,
PISH!

Claudio Ranieri turned Leicester into English Champions, he has taken them into the Champions league where he has done well, they are still in with a chance, albeit a slim one, of going further in the competition.
In terms of the Premiership results, yes they are in a dodgy position, but there are plenty games left to turn that around.
The Tinkerman deserves a fucking statue, no the sack!

Rebus67
7 years ago
Reply to  Monti

Monti,

I agree with you 100%. A few months ago, he was the best manager that Leicester had ever had and now he is out the door. Disgraceful actions by the Board. They should have backed him to rebuild the team. The players and the mgmt succeeded as a team, both should accept responsibility for the failure. Ranieri worked hard to keep this team together and they reward him this way. Something sadly wrong with their values.
Serves them right if they fall into the Championship. I suspect that several of the moaners will leave at the end of the season anyway, so a re-build will be necessary whover gets the managerial chair.

Rebus

Monti
7 years ago
Reply to  Rebus67

Rebus,
Agreed.
I know they are flirting with tbe relegation zone but there are a lot of games left, they do have quality in their side but it’s the ugly, nasty streak they need to show now to survive.
I willed tbem on last season, now i hope they go down.
Football is s results driven business they say, yes it is but there has to be consideration to the good guys as well, it’s important.

HH

henkesdreadlocks
7 years ago

Are they dead yet?

Honest Hoops
7 years ago

Caption, The tims queue awaiting the appointment of the greatest manager in the clubs history…Mr Jock Stein…Hail, Hail

Tictalk
7 years ago

Caption : Leigh Griffiths, this is your life.

Rebus67
7 years ago

Ralph,

I agree that the deckchairs are being arranged for, not the Third Lanark, but the Third Rangers. A possible replacement board or consortium has been sounded out and together with Ashley’s pockets will create something thst is more financially stable than the current sink hole for soft loans. Will they challenge Celtic? I doubt it……at least not in the short term. They may challenge us for the ten in a row but not before unless BR leaves in the next couple of years. The immediate threat will be to Hearts and St Johnstone, and latterly Aberdeen.

The interesting question is whether Ashley will tolerate the bile that leaks from the fanbase.

How successful could Ashley make the Third Rangers? Thst will depend on who he gets as a manager. Newcastle have not exactly been a roaring success under him.

Rebus

Monti
7 years ago
Reply to  Rebus67

Rebus,
Mike Ashley has no interest whatsoever in funding any “rangers”!

Ralph is scaremongering!

rebus67
7 years ago
Reply to  Monti

Monti,

His proxy met with the Easdales last week.

Rebus

Cartvale88
7 years ago

Caption
Excited sevco fans queue for the volunteers positions at Ibrokes.
They never learn!
My attitude towards the unbiased Huns that referee Celtic, is that they should be hassled by the team at any major decision, Ferguson had Man U do that for years. It would unsettle them and make them think twice about their officiating.
Could not believe Gollum, Madsen et all refereed a Champions League game on Wednesday, the deid hand of Dallas reaches far.
COYBG

Monti
7 years ago
Reply to  Cartvale88

Cartvale,
Did you see Beaton on the goal line screaming to Gollum for a penalty?

They aren’t so careful and beady eyed in the SPFL or cup games domestically!

desdamoaner
7 years ago

The queue builds outside the solarium as Kenny miller still hogs all the beds

jimmybee
7 years ago

Caption: Ann Summers opens its first shop in wartime Britain.

Monti
7 years ago
Reply to  jimmybee

Pensionerbhoy at the front of the queue?

Herbert
7 years ago

Cross dressing Sevcoites queue to be Dave Kng’s patsy.

Brencelt
7 years ago

Panic breaks out as the victoria wine company takes delivery of Buckfasts finest tonic

Rob O'Keeffe
7 years ago

Caption: Discerning ladies waiting at the Celtic Hotel for a special night(ticket only) with special guest,Monti !!

Uralius
7 years ago
Reply to  Rob O'Keeffe

With side show Mike… if you think his nose is big.

Monti
7 years ago
Reply to  Uralius

It is!

Uralius
7 years ago

Caption: With the “rangers” fans banned from every shop selling beer in Dundee, their wives get a rare day out.

Cartvale88
7 years ago

Karma, a great thing.
They may sing the famine song and the rest of the drivel, but again they are beaten by the bottom team
Great to be a Tim,

TicToc
7 years ago
Reply to  Cartvale88

Hail! Hail! to that, and Inverness were fucking abysmal. (Er, allegedly :-))
Add to that, they were fighting each other at HT and smoke bombs.
As Monti said, stupid, stupid huns. Hell mend them.
HH

AntonDeclan
7 years ago

Agent Whyte, Agent Green, Agent Murty……

Monti
7 years ago

Just give Murty the job 🙂

Stupid, stupid Huns!

PMFL

jimmybee
7 years ago

Caption : queues form in govan as women seek refuge,as the result comes through from Inverness.

Pensionerbhoy
7 years ago

Just heard tonight’s result. It gets closer to their true position in the league each game. Another 12 and they will be there. I wish them every success in the downhill. I just hope there are still working toilets in Inverness as I plan to stop off there on my hols this year.

Caption: “Architects impression of new Ibrox shopping mal in keeping with stadium”

One for Monti: Glasgow’s women flock to see me in shop (Ann Summers, of course. Who is she, by the way, Monti?).

H H

Pensionerbhoy
7 years ago

Ralph,

Some good really reading this past week, very thought provoking subjects and good heated debates. I understand your reaction to the hotel etc. but it just proves the side of the bed you fall out of does count. I think it is a question above all of intentions rather and purpose. As some rightly pointed out, Walfrid used the same business approach to raise the money for the poor and hungry of the East End and I firmly believe he would have built hotels, museums and entered any other money making ventures to achieve his objectives. In fact, I am certain he would have had the approach fo desperate times requiring desperate measures. I accept things are not quite so desperate today but there is still a lot of dilapidation, neglect and deprivation in the East End. I am certain, in this day and age, Walfrid would have seized this development opportunity around Celtic Park to meet today’s needs, not so much of hunger but of unemployment, hopelessness, degradation and dejection in a still depressed area of Glasgow despite the recent developments.

That said, I am in no way certain this is what is motivates those involved today. However, it is a matter for their consciences and it is nigh impossible to make a judgement on that. But, given some of our board’s behaviour in the past, I am a little on your side about its intentions. If regeneration and civic improvement were at the heart of the proposed plans, I would have thought there would have been much discussion and agreement reached prior to submission to GCC as it would have been phenomenal PR for it to be involved with such outstanding development of the area. Yet it would seem this is new to everyone except the board, including GCC, and being muted so soon after a financial windfall, one has to wonder. Someone once told me when I had fallen out of the wrong side of the bed and complained bitterly about charities taking large percentages of their income to pay what I thought were exorbitant salaries to CEOs and upper management, if they did not, we would not even get the crumbs that were left to do the real work. Perhaps better something than nothing at all. We will wait and see and then ask the pertinent questions.

I think plenty, if not enough, has been said about tackles, referee protection, bias and media misrepresentation for me to be able to add anything worthwhile – not that I do on anything – is this where I put the “Ed” bit in or is that privileged. At least I got some time to mouth off tonight and say hello to everyone. Keep up the good work all of you.

H H

Cortes
7 years ago

I’m shocked, yes shocked that Iain Vigurs took the softest penalty kick since time began. Shocked I am.

And just a few days after thon tackle.

Monti
7 years ago
Reply to  Cortes

He kicked Sinclair harder last week tha he did the penalty…..i knew he’d miss.

TicToc
7 years ago

I felt pretty sure he’d (Vigurs) miss too Monti but, as it panned out, it didn’t really matter. What was evident though was this; ICT were a fucking poor outfit last night but the new huns still got pumped. That’ll do me.I’m seriously happy with that. 🙂
On reflection, having watched the full 90 minutes of Dundee vs them new huns last week and the full 2nd half last night, it dawned on me that, under Deila, it may have provided the ONLY satisfying football I could watch, and essentially for the wrong reasons. I’m a CELTIC supporter 1st and a hun-hater 2nd. That’s how it should be and how I want it to be. Anyway, since (Saint) Brendan (the name of my primary school) arrived, the new huns are a distant side-show. We’re watching quality, week in week out and it’s beautiful….just fucking beautiful. In Brendan we trust and also in our reformed squad…..I really hope Leigh plays tomorrow, that wee man is Magic, growing in sense and stature and will be our match-winner again as he’s been before. Sorry about length of post, but I’m just lovin’ it, really lovin’ it and want to spread my glee.
Love to the Celtic family, wherever you may be.
HH

Monti
7 years ago
Reply to  TicToc

Tic Toc,
I share your happiness m8
Long may their pain continue!

HH

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