Lets face it.

It would be nice of we could start every away game 3-1 ahead.

Thats the case in tonights second round second leg qualifier in Trondheim against Rosenberg.

Yet we’ve been here before, and these games have a habit of turning upside down as celtic throw a lifeline to their opponents.

Rini Coolen, who is looking after Rosenberg until Ronny Deila is approached, has come out fighting, and says his team will

have to take some risks and yes we have to give away some spaces”. 

They’re going to go for it, or so he says. The hope is that they get an early goal and Celtic then crumble, in the way that they didn’t do in the first leg when Rosenberg got the early goal that should have made Celtic crumble.

For Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers, this sounded like just what he wanted to hear.

We will be hopeful if the game opens up that we have the quality and speed in the team to hopefully exploit that.

“It is a game that Rosenborg will want to attack and obviously playing at home in front of their own supporters, they will have to do that.

“But like we have shown, our ability in the counter attack and exploiting spaces.”

Sounds like Christian Gamboa will keep his place in the team then. It’s like having a new signing…

Of more concern to Celtic are the centre half positions.

Jozo Simunovic will sit this one out, and Dedryck Boyata isn’t ready yet, as he has only just arrived back with the squad from his overseas exertions, and is tormenting everyone else with his “have you seen my medal “line.

You’ll notice all the other players getting on the plane with their heads down in case the big Belgian caught someones eye and sat next to them, in order to tell them all about his experiences in Russia.

They even blocked the middle seats off so he couldn’t force his way in…

Happily though, the pilot waited until Boyata had collared the guy who cleans the planes windows, and when he wasn’t looking, roared off into the summer sky…

Kristoffer Ajer is certain to play at the back, probably along with Jack Hendry, and with Keiran Tierney completing a back four, probably protected by at least one of Scott Brown or Olivier Ntcham at any given moment.

Oddsone Edouard will lead the line, with Sinclair, MacGregor and Forrest behind him, and Celtic should not only survive the tie, but record a fourth consecutive win in the competition.

All we have to do is keep the heid. Don’t do anything stupid and take our chances in front of goal when they are offered .

In Oddsone Edouard we have a guy who will get chances, and who will also convert a few of them.

We may concede a goal, or even two, this evening, but I’m fairly sure that Celtic will score.

Just keep the heid.

Brendan Rodgers has spoken of the unity between himself and Peter Lawwell, especially when it comes to buying players.

Presumably Peter found that bit of paper with a couple of names on it, and has now rung the numbers to suss out the lie of the land.

It’s a start, I suppose.

He’s promised to ring them again today, as soon as he gets some credit on his phone.

Rodgers slapped down some of the stories, like that one, that have been doing the rounds..

Indeed, he spoke of two deals he wants to get tied up as soon as possible..

“It is great to have Dedryck back. He had an excellent World Cup and gained valuable experience.

“He looks fit and strong, but, of course, just needs a bit of time.

“The talks have been on-going. I had a long chat with Dedryck yesterday and he is in a good place.

“We want to keep him for as long as we can, that is important. Whether he decides he wants to move on after this year, that will be up to him and his representative.

“But my priority is getting him fit and back into the team again because he is a top-class player.

“In terms of James, he is coming into his final year and he is clearly a player we would love to keep.

“So, I am sure the club will be working with James’ representatives to tie him down to a longer deal.” 

Which allowed for several on line headlines that claimed Celts To Close Double Deals-or words to that effect.

In reality, Rodgers is aware that other clubs are sniffing around Boyata, who has sent them all pictures of his world cup medal, and it is actually becoming more likely that we have seen the last of him in a Celtic shirt…

Resignedly, the manager said;

“I had a long chat with him yesterday, he’s in a good place and we want to keep him for as long as we can, that’s important.”

“Whether he decides he wants to move on after this year then that’ll be up to him and his representatives.”

“But my priority is getting him fit and back Into the team again because he’s a top class player and for however long he’s at Celtic we just want to keep him working and give him the best.” 

As for new players..

“I think there’s always going to be a limit and I am fully aware of that. No matter what my feeling is I have to respect where the club is at.

“The club isn’t a Premier League club down south. They’re always going to have to be mindful of the types of salaries they can pay because it is a totally different market.

“But it is the job of the manager, the coach, to try and push to get in the best possible players we can to help keep the club moving forward.” 

“I have got no reason to ever believe that club don’t want that, either. They have supported me extremely well since I have been here. All the changes I wanted to make, all the things I wanted to do, I have had great support in that.

“I can easily bring in 10 players. It looks nice and it might flash up on the telly. But I am looking at efficiency, I am looking at the quality of the players.

“I don’t really want to bring in players who are just going to come in and, you know, just stockpile a group.

“We’ve got a core that really connect to how we work, but we have to bring in the level of quality that we need that’s going to help us improve because that’s what’s important.” 

“We aren’t as strong a squad as we were last year. We have lost players.

“I think everyone can see that, but the club know that, as well. We all push to try and get in the best quality we can to make us better. That is always the key.

“Of course, every manager from time to time will always have that little frustration of wanting a player in. But it doesn’t happen just like that.” 

One of those players we lost is finding it tough at the parent club he returned to.

As we said in a previous Diary, Patrick Roberts hasn’t even unpacked his cases yet down in Manchester, and his manager, Pep Guardiola hasn’t even spoken to him yet.

The English side,  -well, they are based in England-will name their Champions League squad soon, and if he isn’t in it-he won’t be-, then he’ll have a decision to make.

We could use him, to be honest, and there a great player in there who could get even better…

Especially as James Forrest is beginning to show signs of wear and tear…

Over on the other side of the river, they appear to be getting themselves in order…

Indeed, but who will protect Rangers fans finances from Rangers ?

Or from Rangers fans ?

I feel a crowdfund coming on, just as soon as they work out who they want to blame…

Meanwhile, there was an interesting tweet from writer and comedian John Cleese yesterday..

thats from Gordon “Piss Poor ” Parks in the Record..yesterday

He explains..

Kyle Lafferty’s agents will today try to broker a deal with Hearts that will pave the way for the striker to make a dream return to Rangers.

Record Sport understands the Northern Ireland frontman’s representatives will meet Jambos owner Ann Budge and manager Craig Levein at Tynecastle today in an attempt to break the stalemate that followed the rejection of an initial £200,000 bid from Rangers.

The 30-year-old has his heart set on re-signing for the Light Blues as Hearts brace themselves for a second bid to lure Lafferty away from Gorgie.

Ibrox chiefs are expected to table an offer of £300,000 and both parties will attempt to bring an end to the saga.

And yet…back in november last year…same paper…

Kyle Lafferty wants to be a Hearts player for life to repay club for helping him battle gambling demons

The former Rangers striker paid tribute to Jambos owner Ann Budge and coach Austin MacPhee for their role in tackling his addiction. 

Striker Kyle Lafferty has revealed he wants to stay at Hearts for life and shoot them to success to pay the Edinburgh club back for helping him with his gambling addiction.

In a frank and honest interview ahead of Northern Ireland’s World Cup play-off second leg game in Switzerland tonight, former Rangers ace Lafferty paid tribute to owner Ann Budge and coach Austin MacPhee declaring that if it wasn’t for Hearts he would have continued to keep his betting problems secret rather than coming out and speaking publicly about the demons he faces on a daily basis.

The 30-year-old added that his time at Hearts has given him a new lease of life after a frustrating, largely inactive spell at Norwich City and he promised the fans that he is keen to spend the rest of his career at Tynecastle giving his all for the club. 

On his future, Lafferty said: “I absolutely love it there, the team, the lads, the club. They have been so good to me and supported me through a lot of things.

“Would I mind finishing my career there? If the opportunity came up and things were right for both of us, I would love to because the fans are passionate and I’m putting in 110% in every game and they know they are going to get their all from me.

“I’m enjoying training every day and enjoying being involved every weekend which I haven’t had for three years.”

Until the Record tries to sell him to “rangers “, that is.

As of yet, Lafferty has said nothing, but he is understood to be keen on a move.

As we have seen with other players touted for a move to Ibrox, there is a pattern.

We’re almost at the “End My Hearts Hell ” stage, which comes just before he says he owes “rangers ” fans a debt for walking out on the new club and not signing for them when the old Rangers died.

You know, a chance to make it right between them, and so on.

Which will be interesting, as the media will completely ignore the circumstances around that move, which, of course, is one of the more outstanding pieces of evidence that the current Ibrox entity are a new club.

With no history, no bank account and no grip on reality.

Want to know what their next big anti Celtic story is going to be ?

Have a look at this picture and see if you can guess..

And all we have to do is wait for the first kid to fall off his bike…

Though to be fair, whoever sanctioned this needs a proverbial boot in the haw maws.

Speaking of those who deserve a boot in the haw maws..whoever was behind this deal needs one as well…

Scottish football is facing a global TV blackout on the eve of the most eagerly anticipated season in years.

Broadcast giants from around the world may be forced to pull the plug on plans to beam Steven Gerrard’s first league match as Rangers manager at Aberdeen on Sunday into the homes of tens of millions of viewers.

The firm who are supposed to be selling the Scottish game overseas are teetering on the brink of financial collapse.

SPFL media partners MP & Silva – who snapped up the foreign rights for Scotland’s top flight in a deal which lasts until 2023 – are battling to stay out of the hands of administrators after defaulting on payments to a number of top European bodies, including England’s Premier League. (Daily Record )  

I didn;t really need to add that it was from the Record, as this line tells the reader it must be..

Broadcast giants from around the world may be forced to pull the plug on plans to beam Steven Gerrard’s first league match as Rangers manager at Aberdeen on Sunday into the homes of tens of millions of viewers. 

Tens of millions ?

If they were beaming it into that many homes they’d probably be able to pay their bills…

On the other hand, this means that the contract can be ripped up and new partners found.

At a decent price, although negotiators might want to leave out the bit about this lot being the second company to go tits up after showing Scottish football.

They need to have an argument ready to counter that, or they’ll be paying the broadcasters to show the games.

Oh, hang on…didn’t that actually happen ? Wasn;t there a “rangers ” game that the SPFL paid for a gantry or something.

Thats what happens when this grinning imbecile is in charge of your product marketing and selling..

Yesterdays caption competition..

By the way, tonights game is on the following channels..