The generous and thoughtful help given to Celtic to get the players up to speed ahead of the Champions League play off continues tonight at Firhill with the first derby of the season.
Last time out, back in May, Celtic won 5-0, although earlier in the season the Jags were just one of four sides to take anything from Celtic domestically.
With the all important european clash ahead, will Brendan field the A team, the B team or just ask a few lads from around town to bring their boots ?
Coach John Kennedy didn’t give us any clues..
“The manager has always stated he wants to win games and trophies – but we also want to develop our own players too.
“It was a perfect example the other evening there [the 5-0 win against Kilmarnock] as we finished the game with five academy players plus Kristoffer Ajer and Kundai Benyu also involved from the start.
“We had a very young team but the performance level was still high. This is the skill of the manager. He settles the players down and makes their role very clear. He also trusts them and puts belief into them.
“You saw that with young Anthony Ralston at full-back the other night. He played like a 25-year-old who has 300 games under his belt.
“That comes from the manager and everyone else making it very clear what is expected of them.”
If any game was ideal for resting a few players , it would be a league game where there’s time to make up any losses incurred, but Rodgers likes to keep his main men match fit, so although those who stepped up on Tuesday have excelled, we’re more likely to see the side who will start against Astana.
Until the games safe, that is, when the likes of Leigh Griffiths will be enticed to the sidelines by a couple of teacakes and a bottle of buckfast.
Moussa Dembele, Eboue Kouassi, Erik Sviatchenko and Dedryck Boyata won;t be involved, but there’s more than adequate cover in the ranks.
Early season optimism at Firhill may already have been dampened by the opening day defeat to hibernian, but they bounced back with a 3-0 win over St Johnstone in Perth on midweek cup duty.
Manager Alan Archibald was quite candid about whether Celtic will field a “weakened ” side
The other night I watched the game back and they were like clones, they’ve got guys coming in who are playing the exact same way, still pressing with a high tempo and great on the ball as well.
However, midfielder Adam Barton reeled out the usual blurb ahead of the game, starting with a reflection on last seasons drubbing…
“They have probably done that to every team in the league and we were the next team to get it.
“That’s the thing, if you can spend that type of money and other teams can’t, what do people expect? It is unfair but it is what it is and you have got to get on with it.
“I had never played against a team who basically expected to go out and win every single game by four or five.
“A lot of it comes down to individual errors. Their movement on the ball is incredible and that is down to the manager.
“But it is 11 men against 11 men. A couple of seconds not concentrating and a team like Celtic will score, while another team in the league would need a few chances.
“You have to be focused and make sure you are doing your job. We are up against a really strong side so you have just got to have everyone on their game and give them a hard time.”
They’re going to adopt the default position of kicking anyone who moves, aren’t they ?
Ten at the back, and a foul every forty seconds.
Last season, referees allowed several assaults on Celtic players to go without punishment, which sent a signal to opposition players they could be a little more physical than was necessary. Throughout the campaign, the diary pointed out that sooner or later someone was going to get hurt, and although it was largely forgotten in the aftermath of the Cup final, it did end up that way.
Tierney still has the scar.
Can we count on tonights referee to be any better ?
Oh bollocks, look who it is..
It’s Andrew “Phallus ” Dallas, fast tracked through the system due to his paternal connections at the SFA, and his ability to show that the orange hasn’t fallen far from the tree.
Back in 2016, Dallas failed to award Celtic a penalty at Dens Park in a tight 1-0 win over Dundee, when Erik Sviatchenko was ruled not to have been fouled as it was perfectly clear the injuries were not life threatening.
Afterwards, Charlie Richmond-another referee with somewhat dubious ability, claimed..
Andrew Dallas was wrong not to award Celtic penalty – but don’t dare blame it on his name says Charlie Richmond
We didn’t, of course.
We blamed it on his complete lack of ability to succeed in his chosen profession.
So far, there has been little evidence of the same sort of intimidation of Celtic players, as the opposition haven’t really got close enough to them to do any damage, but it will come.
And this time the club needs to be a little more vocal in demanding protection.
Patrick Roberts ?
Bit of gossip…from a well placed source-i.e. one who doesn’t actually drink- and again I’d like to remind you that we make things up on here.
I mean, me, spending enough time near a teetotaller to listen to anything he has to say ?
Manchester City don’t rate him. Apparently he “lacks presence ” , and the other options available to him are a considerable step down, as it appears they are not the only club who feel he’s not cut out for the top teams in the EPL circus.
Not yet, at least.
He can go, but right now, its all about the cost.
Or it was, or it will be or…who gives a toss any more ?
We do. Thats who, and thats why he wants to come home.
Whether or not the deal has actually been done already isn’t clear, but it would be a huge surprise if he doesnt come back.
Meanwhile, the SPFL were up to their tricks again, when Annan Athletic failed to receive a few quid they were owed…
The Scottish Professional Football League is warning clubs to be on their guard against online fraud.
Thats right, they are warning clubs about fraud.
Police Scotland were called to investigate at the end of June when Annan Athletic failed to receive an end of season payment from the league.
The League Two side were expecting about £18,000 but the funds were paid into a fraudulent account.
BBC Scotland has learned that the money has been retrieved and that the police investigation continues.
The SPFL said it has been subject to further attempts at hacking and fraudulent activity as recently as this week.
These days, its much harder to convince people the cheque is in the post.
One wonders of anyone will be arrested and prosecuted for this, or is it just one of those non stories ?
Or are they deflecting from their man caught looking for the hot ball during the draw for the League Cup quarter finals ?
Aye, aye…has the Herald finally got a decent story ?
Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell is one of several possible candidates for one of the most powerful positions in club football after Karl-Heinz Rummenigge announced he will not run for re-election as the chairman of the European Club Association.
The former Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and Germany striker has chaired the ECA since it replaced the G-14 group of Europe’s biggest clubs in 2008. Still chairman at Bayern, the 61-year-old has helped the ECA grow to 220 member clubs from 53 associations.
Or is it just speculation ?
It’s Friday, and of course that means its time to award the most prestigious award in Scottish football-the Etims
Knob of the Week
This week, it’s a kind of collective award, but there is probably one person responsible, who cannot be named as i don;t actually know who he is.
Allow for me to explain.
This is advertised online at the Celtic Superstore..
Sent from my iPad
On 27 Jul 2017, at 14:06, customer.services@celticsuperstore.co.uk wrote:
—– Original Message —–
Dear
Thank you for your email to Celtic Superstore Customer Services.
We have looked into your query and all our delivery times are once your order is dispatched not from the time of ordering.
The following printing disclaimer is provided when ordering any printed items:
IMPORTANT: Items with custom printing cannot be exchanged or refunded unless the product is faulty.
We accept no responsibility once a replica shirt or short has been printed, in the event that a player leaves the squad and/or his squad number changes, or if the badge changes in the future.
Please be aware that our supplier for lettering does not supply any special characters, such as accents, ç or ñ. Please allow an extra 3/5 working days for delivery. Reminder: The squad numbers that will be used on tour are not necessarily the final squad numbers for the upcoming season.
Close
After tracking your order I can see that has since been delivered and signed for.
Any questions?
Please email us at customer.services@celticsuperstore.co.uk and we’ll aim to respond to you within 24 hours of receipt or call
us on Celtic Orders: +44 (0) 330 100 9888
Celtic Customer Services: 0330 100 9888 between 8am and 8pm GMT Monday – Friday and 9am-4pm on Saturday and Sunday.
I don’t agree with you, you say if an order is placed before 12 with next day delivery charge paid, it will be delivered next day. This did not happen it was delivered the following day. The same thing is happening with a current order I have with you. You cannot say it is a printing order as these shirts are ready printed in stock. Regards,
Thank you for your email to Celtic Superstore Customer Services.
The printing disclaimer is shown when the personalisation is chosen at time of order.IMPORTANT: Items with custom printing cannot be exchanged or refunded unless the product is faulty.
We accept no responsibility once a replica shirt or short has been printed, in the event that a player leaves the squad and/or his squad number changes, or if the Premier League badge changes in the future.
Please be aware that our supplier for lettering doesn’t supply any Spanish characters, such as accents, ç or ñ. Please allow an extra 3/5 days for delivery.You will also see this at basket before checkout and this show as availability: Usually despatched within 3 days. This is also in our terms and conditions.Delivery timescales start at time of dispatch.
Any questions?
Please email us at customer.services@celticsuperstore.co.uk and we’ll aim to respond to you within 24 hours of receipt or call us on Celtic Orders: +44 (0) 330 100 9888 Celtic Customer Services: 0330 100 9888 between 8am and 8pm GMT Monday – Friday and 9am-4pm on Saturday and Sunday.
You can almost hear the sender saying “I wish this guy would just fuck off ” , before picking up her phone and checking Facetwitter, or whatever its called. ( It was signed by a woman, but I’ve spared her embarassment )
Customer service is fairly self explanatory.
If there is a problem, you first of all get as much information as you can regarding the issue, and then try to find out as much as you can about it.
Then, politely, , whether you are at fault or not, you explain what has happened.
One of you may be wrong, both of you may be wrong, but the matter must be resolved in such a way as to leave the customer absolutely clear about what has happened, and what steps are now being taken.
As you can see, that hasn;t happened in this instance, and the club shop have lost a regular and valuable customer. All because they couldn’t be arsed looking beyond the basics of a complaint.
By immediately going on the defensive, and refusing to even consider something may have gone wrong, they resorting to quoting terms and conditions and get out clauses and all the other excuses people use when they can;t acutally be bothered to investigate an issue.
And so, collectively, the staff at the Celtic online superstore -there were a couple of them named- and thise charged with running the operation, its a big pat on the back for beating off quality opposition to win the Etims
Knob of the Week
Sort it out. It’s not difficult.
Caption from yesterday, while we’re on the subject of consumer issues…
Caption: Anusol cream -for when your arse is so sore that you kick your own head in.
If that becomes a campaign, I want a few quid out of it.
Today…
If you would like a more balanced piece on the wartime activities of footballers and clubs, tirnanog has one which is essential reading..
Finally, a big welcome back to this Roy Aitken, the new club ambassador..
and Sean Maloney, the new Development squad coach…