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Celtic Diary Monday December 31: Complacency: Our Own Worst Enemy

When the team for Saturdays Glasgow derby was announced, our CSC looked at it, and gave Brendan the benefit of the doubt. He’d put out a team that if things went wrong, an adjustment or two could put it right.

Calum MacGregor at left back was the eyebrow raiser, but it meant if need be perhaps Celtic could go to three at the back and move him more central. The muscle and the hustle was there, in Scott Brown and Olivier Ntcham, and in form Mikey Johnston spearheaded the front line with support from Forrest, Christie and Sinclair.

What could go wrong ?

More importantly, why send out a team in a formationย  that in his own mind may not work ?

Because, now that the dust has settled , it not only didn’t work, it was completely broken from the start.

Craig Gordon showed a bit of spirit, he kept the score respectable. In front of him Boyata, Benkovic and Lustig reverted to the “who’s turn is it to make an arse of it ?” style that they adopt every time the back line is changed, and only MacGregor showed any sort of composure or fight.

Boyata gave the ball away five times in the opening twelve minutes, it would have been more but he only had it five times.

Lustig and Benkovic seemed oddly intimidated by the hostile crowd, and when they don’t have confidence in themselves, the two midfielders in front of them lose confidence as well.

That meant the forwards, Christie apart, who at least did try to come back for the ball, got no service, it also meant that the wingers were backtracking to help clear the lines, and Johnston, well, he was isolated and would probably have been wishing he’d brought his phone with him, to at least give him something to do.

Celtic didn’t turn up, and as usual, when the manager tinkers with things, the players didn’t turn up because they didn’t know where they were supposed to be.

As a result, “rangers ” harassed, bullied and dominated the game, and Celtic were lucky to get out with just a single goal defeat.

 

Was Rodgers negligent ?

He certainly got it wrong, but he can consider himself unlucky that two substitutions were forced due to injury, but then again, when you have a referee who is prepared to interpret the rules to suit his own agenda, then thats always a possibility.

It doesn’t need to be a legbreaker to cause injury, several wee taps can damage a player, and if a team is allowed to consistently foul , then that is likely to happen.

We have seen that when Rodgers makes too many changes, either in formation or personnel, that the players struggle.

We have seen that referees have been somewhat leniant over consistent fouling of Celtic players…Beaton on Saturday just went one step further and broke play up when Celtic looked like gaining any sort of rhythym. It was as blatant a display of bias that you are likely to see anywhere in football.

But neither of the above can be used as an excuse when you consider how long its been going on.

Neither the manager or the club has spoken out about the lack of protection for the players on the park for some time now.

Thats negligence, they have a duty of care to all their staff.

We’ve a winter break now, and there are calls for the side to be strengthened, and frankly thats going to be difficult.

So far, Kolo Toure has got his phone book out and we’re looking at a loan move for Timothy Weah, in the hope that he turns out to be anywhere near as good as his dad, and if he does, he’ll be gone in the summer, which means that we’ll be looking for a striker again while the qualifiers, should we win the league, are taking place.

There’s also an Ivorian striker on the radar, and the Birmingham Mail has Olly Burke, of West Brom, heading north.

After several uninspiring transfer windows, this one is important, and although the money is there, its draining at an alarming rate among a squad that are now looking like they’ve lost the will to fight, and we may find that a blue chip signing, which was on the cards a few months ago, is no longer possible.

If we’re looking through Toures phone book, then we need to ask what Lee Congerton has been doing for these last couple of years.

Heading into the NewYear, things look pretty bleak, and yet there is no conceivable reason that it should be this way.

There are very few players, if any, that play in Scotland that would make the Celtic first team on merit, and yet time after time the hoops struggle to stamp their authority on games.

Put simply, we look to have run out of energy, ideas and most importantly, heart.

Celtic and “rangers ” are tied on points at the top of the league, Kilmarnock and Aberdeen are sitting right behind them.

Those teams have got better, but the reason for the “competitiveness ” of the league isn’t down to that, its down to Celtic not performing, or not be allowed to perform, to their capabilities.

We can cite referee interference, we can cite injuries, but the point is no one is standing up for the club or the players.

There’s a lack of leadership from the boardroom, the management and even the senior players.

On Saturday, Scott Brown should have spoken to the referee about the consistent fouling.

Alfredo Morelas got away with three red card incidents and although he is now wondering if any if them will get him a Compliance Officer ban, why is no one asking why the referee missed them ?

A diplomatically worded statement from the club about even a lack of consistency from the officials would not go amiss.

The manager , in his post match interview looked and sounded as though he didn’t care. If I hadn’t been watching the screen, I’d have thought Tony Mowbray was back in charge and we were about to be told we’d take it on the chin and move on.

In the second half of the season, Celtic need to rediscover their fight.

If the referees continue to influence games the way they have thus far, we are not going to win the title.

If the manager tinkers around too much , and doesn’t play his best players in their favoured positions, we are not going to win the title.

There’s a lot wrong just now, but whats puzzling is the lack of interest in putting it right.

Scott Brown is talking to an Australian club about a possible three year deal. Good luck to him, but the prospect of moving a young family to the other side of the world will be playing on his mind. Of course he isn’t going to be focused.

Mikael Lustig hasn’t been offered a new deal yet, and the club are actively seeking a new right back. how do you think he feels, whether you think he’s worth it or not, its only fair to let him know where he stands.

Dedryck Boyata has been offered a massive new contract, and if its still on the table, may I suggest a transit van, a couple of ski masks and getting that table out of his house ?

With the greatest respect to our Academy players who have made the first team, the fact there are so many of them points to a massive failure in the recruitment policy.

If you count Dembeles sudden exit after the Rodgers -Lawwell spat last summer, it also points towards a retention problem, and maybe is an indicator as to why so mnay long term contracts have been handed out to certain players.

They get the security, but with that security comes complacency.

It needn’t be like this.

The manager has shown he knows how to win games, trophies and respect.

He knows how to convince top players to come to Celtic.

He knows how to get the best out of what he has on the park.

He knows how to change a game to win it when things aren’t going so well.

He just has to go out and do it all over again.ย 

Its just that he gives the impression he doesn’t want to, or isn’t going to be allowed to.

Its time for everyone at the club to decide where they want to go from here.

Onwards and upwards ?

We are at the top of the league, we are one trophy to the good, and we are still in Europe.

But the margin is too fine. If not for one late Hibernian goal, one late Rosenberg goal and a head knock to Gary Mackay Steven it could have been all too diferent…

Thats something to build on, and build we must. No more excuses.

Or do we accept that we’re a business, one which needs the Glasgow rivalry to keep shareholders happy ?

Except for the ones who have already registered their distaste with the Scottish football scene, obviously.

You know, if I was the sort of guy who thought there was a possibility that the game was being run by a corrupt governing body for the benefit of one club, and that somehow, for the “good of the game “, our club was complicit in all of this, the evidence of the last few months might lead me to think that there’s a committee that meets every Sunday night to decide the scores of the week aheads games.

For the benefit of tv viewers, and bookies.

But perhaps I’m just being overly paranoid.

Like I was the last time….

 

 

 

 

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Monti
5 years ago

BOYATA FUCKING OUT!

The Cha
5 years ago
Reply to  Monti

You get someone who plays a big part in 20 clean sheets in 30 games then I’ll agree.

He’s been poor the last couple of games but immense otherwise and that’s what would need to be replaced.

Going on our past record, his replacement would be of the Hendry/Comperr ilk. No thanks.

Monti
5 years ago
Reply to  The Cha

The Cha,
He’s fucking shite, open your eyes man!

Bgbhoy
5 years ago
Reply to  Monti

His last 2 appearances at Ibrox have been a complete shambles

The Cha
5 years ago
Reply to  Monti

I do and don’t judge just on 1 or 2 bad games but on balance on dozens of them.

FredDDobbs
5 years ago
Reply to  The Cha

Boyata has been one of our best players this season. I forgot about hendry, I need to forget about him all over again

Una
5 years ago

BOYATA FUCKING OUT!

The Cha
5 years ago
Reply to  Una

Agreed.

Both were after coming back from injury. I was hoping he’d get the rustiness out of his system at Pittodrie but clearly not.

That in itself is an issue as he was still considered the best option.

I thought Ajer was excellent last season and I know he’s had his injuries but is he going backwards?

5 years ago

Brown been agreat servant to the club, but our midfield has proved it plays faster more attack minded football without him, Ntcham needs a good talking to or moved on, because we cant carry 2centre midfielders anymore, Lustig unfortunately has lost any pace or ability to defend anymore, and Boyata, well where do you start. But Rodgers hasn’t helped himself or Celtic of late, the same poor team selection, poor tactics, and no actual plan B on way to many occasions, proving that he isn’t learning from his mistakes is the most worrying thing for me…

puggy67
5 years ago

I’d be offering Kolo Toure an extra biscuit – the access to the cream of French/African youth is a gold mine, if you will excuse the Chick Young use of metaphors. But they are investments for the future. We need a team on the pitch in a fortnight. I want to stop seeing 18-21yrs and start seeing 24-28 years after the names of potential recruits. I want to stop seeing players trap up, get injured and disappear. A man getting a ยฃ2 million bonus needs to accept the clubโ€™s recruitment strategy is not working. The team needs men with leadership qualities and a bit of dig.

The Cha
5 years ago
Reply to  puggy67

Eddy is 20.

We signed him for ยฃ4m and, if it goes higher, that’s down to the great negotiator.

He’s been a great, class act for us but due to Dembele’s strop, Lawwell’s incompetence and our 3rd striker only being fit enough to watch Hibs, he’s been overworked to the point of exhaustion and injury.

He’s the type of player we should be signing and not cheap failures who’s dedication to fitness and professionalism is straight out of the Kris Boyd school.

Monti
5 years ago
Reply to  The Cha

Charlie Saiz,
Of course you can be exhausted at 20….see the amount of shagging i was doing at that age……

The Cha
5 years ago
Reply to  The Cha

He is professional and applies himself as such, unlike the apple of your eye.

Rest, rotation, recuperation is the name of the game these days.

Unfortunately he’s not been afforded that due to our 3rd striker being unable to apply himself professionally.

Monti
5 years ago

ยฃ2m bonus to the CEO who is complicit in the corrupt Scottish game.
Shame on him!

Bgbhoy
5 years ago

Boyata out
Lustig out
Brown out (with best wishes)
Griffiths out
Ntcham out (if we could still get decent money)

Midfield of Christie Mcgregor and Rogic.

Right back in, 2 strikers in and another defender

FredDDobbs
5 years ago
Reply to  Bgbhoy

I would probably agree but we also have way worse shite than the above who should be out before them

Bgbhoy
5 years ago
Reply to  FredDDobbs

Hayes etc a given

The Cha
5 years ago

I agree with the experience issue but don’t see it changing.

Lawwell gets paid, win, lose or draw, so has no incentive to pay.

He appointed the Deila disaster and didn’t suffer financially and he had nothing to do with appointing Rodgers but still reaps the rewards.

At the AGM, Rodgers apologised for his failures in the January window but Lawwell said he’d nothing to apologise for the summer despite everyone knowing that wasn’t the case.

He’s bomb proof, so it’s madness to expect it to change.

Mike
5 years ago
Reply to  The Cha

I disagree, he is NOT bombproof, if results like Saturday were to continue and number eight was lost, then there would be a que at the front door of Celtic park with placards raised shouting “Lawwell Out”

The Cha
5 years ago

Caption “Lawwell scans the firmament and sees no problems on the horizon”

Any suggestions that he’s spent his ill gotten gains on white powder ala Al Pacino in Goofellas is purely in your mind.

Mike
5 years ago

Look at the new team recruits brought in, in the summer, Mulumba, Morgan, Bain, where do you even begin with that player recruitment biscuit tin mentality, Johnny Hayes also, the Huns massively outspent us, despite being skint. We lost Paddy Roberts, we lost the best Celtic striker since Henke. Odsonne is a striker with a huge amount of talent and still only twenty years old. Everyone knows that Brown and Lustig are done, so you add a new midfielder and a new right back. Boyata, has got to be for the off ๐Ÿ˜‰ so you add another centre-back. Another loanee in Benkovic.
Mr. Invisible Commper is added to the blend of totally useless and you begin to realise just where the fault lye’s. I find this totally unacceptable, but just like Res.12 or the board’s silence and cowardice in sticking up for the club, or the bent officials from the SFA and it becomes another note in the book off Scottish Football Farce. SAD.

Macca
5 years ago
Reply to  Mike

As good a summary as any Iโ€™ve read.

Mike
5 years ago
Reply to  Macca

Macca, it pains me to type this, but I see a club being run for the benefit of its custodians, for the benefit of Scottish football, I see the supporters wish for better players being at the bottom of the pile. I see the playing facilities costing a huge sum, but does it give value for money? When a CEO. gets a ridiculous salary and an obscene bonus and a chairman who gets a salary rise to ยฃ80k P.A. for what? What could they possibly do to justify that? Release Lawwell, appoint a new accountant on ยฃ150k bring in a Director of football on the same salary as the accountant, their are masses of great Celtic men like Davy Hay who would do a brilliant job. The current custodians are running the club to do JUST ENOUGH, but not enough to put the Celtic support at the top of the que and to repay them for their big hearts..

Christina
5 years ago
Reply to  Mike

Happy New Year Mike, Monti the incomparable Ralph and all on here!
Have reply in my head to this post, need to shrink it down a bit in my head first ๐Ÿ™‚ ๐Ÿ™‚ to make it through the WordPress wormhole though! Really am sick at the rather obvious helping hand given to them as would see us in the dirt! Don’t even get me started on their obscene banners and the silence from both clubs on this! Don’t expect any better from King tbh but our lot are just as bad! Anyway, will marshall my thoughts and return ๐Ÿ™‚

FredDDobbs
5 years ago
Reply to  Christina

helping hand? what fucking game were you watching? we played most of it in our own third. we were well and trully fucked up the shitter.

Christina
5 years ago
Reply to  Mike

FredDDobbs- I am well aware of what happened on the field of play and I know we got a doing! The ‘helping hand’ referred to is to discuss off the field matters i.e.the reason WHY we got said doing! It was only a message to Mike and first part of a further post to discuss this. Sorry if I upset you by making it seem that the on the field debacle was less than it was!

Christina
5 years ago
Reply to  Mike

P.S. Mike thought best not to continue with this post in the circs ๐Ÿ™‚ so I have just replied to a couple of your posts elsewhere!!

Mike
5 years ago
Reply to  Mike

Hooper swanned about, that’s why they call them Hooper swans FFS. Anyway we didn’t get ยฃ20 mill. for Hooper, did we and there is a reason for that, because Hooper couldn’t lace Dembelle’s boots.

5 years ago
Reply to  Mike

Behave hooper better than dembele! WTF have you been drinking…

5 years ago
Reply to  Mike

Hooper is bang average. Thatโ€™s why heโ€™s in the nether region league in pommyland

Devoy45
5 years ago

Ralph, excellent post. You’ve said it all.

Auldheid
5 years ago

One of the aims of Res12 was to give Celtic enough leverage to bring about reform of an SFA who can influence what happens on the park by gerrymandering what takes place off it.(and they do).

Beaton”s insidious refereeing is a hurdle Celtic players should not have to face, not be Supermen to overcome it.

If you are worried about a serious career ending injury when you go to collect a ball then you are not concentrating on collecting the ball.

If most decisions go one way and you can do nothing about it then attitudes can be affected.

From 2000 “rangers” have played the game at unfair advantage over other clubs. Most seem ready to accept it as long as their supporters are, but Celtic supporters are not like supporters of other clubs or are they?

So far Res12 has failed in its objective but it persists and perhaps with a wider understanding of the dynamics of Scottish football and its dependence on “rangers” more supporters will demand that the Board finally grow a set and play as dirty as the opposition.

Mike
5 years ago
Reply to  Auldheid

When was this post Gerrymandered into the diary? its that diarist playing his dirty tricks again, sneaky bassa.
Keep on telling them Auldhid, sooner or later it will dawn on them that Scottish football is rigged. Oh some would prefer Res.12 to go away, some Celtic supporters even. But when the cheating is in 3D right in front of their faces, in plain sight, it will begin to get through to them that Scottish football is corrupted with bias and bigotry and if nothing is done about it, then we are just as well taking the dog for a walk and saving our hard earned cash.. As for the board growing a set, well don’t hold your breath, until we all unite and force change.. Wellies off says Jimmy Cricket and marching boots on…

Christina
5 years ago
Reply to  Mike

As I have said in a previous post Mike – it was ever thus! In fact, it is my belief that had this not been the case then David Murray would not have felt so emboldened to embark on the industrial scale cheating of the EBT years (both versions); the subsequent, and consequential,events that followed -Res 12, the continuation myth and the victim lie all stemmed from this. So I think we can safely say that the Scottish game was never ‘clean’but the difference now is, having got away with cheating on a breathtaking scale easily the biggest sporting scandal in UK, they now cheat out in the open! What have they to fear? The SFA are so guilty of collusion and corruption they cannot dare take a stand against the Ibrox club. The other clubs have been convinced of the ‘social unrest’ and the collapse of Scottish football as we know it without the ‘blue pound’ and the need for a team playing as ‘rangers’. So what are we left with – Celtic FC to take a stand? Perhaps in the days of Fergus that might have been possible but nowadays we have a Board of accountants, business men et al and not a drop of real Celtic blood in their veins. They are running a plc which just so happens to make its money from football. That is the only possible explanation of our current situation, of the continuing silence over the blatant cheating of referees and the total non-protection of our playing staff as they try to do their job, no other employer would allow their staff to be assaulted on a weekly basis without a murmur of dissent. No other business would allow it’s competitor to cheat them out of, potentially, millions of pounds without even a token fight back. No wonder Peter Lawwell can do as he pleases with transfer dealings he’s saving the company money doncha know?! That is why we are where we are!!

Devoy45
5 years ago

Brendan is an excellent manager. He sometimes gets things wrong.
We want him here for as long as he wants to stay. However, I would like him to speak out about poor refereeing, especially on Saturday. When Gerrard, McInnes and Levein do it, they get instant rewards, penalties, ‘honest’ mistakes etc. Brendan can do this with more class than those I’ve named.
Brown, our captain, and Tierney, our engine room, have been victims of some brutal tackles and off-the-ball incidents. That must stop. Cue Morelos.

Monti
5 years ago
Reply to  Devoy45

Devoy,
You sort it out on the park m8, if somebody stamped on me in my playing days, i’d deliver an elbow to the pus when the ref was distracted….i did this a few times ๐Ÿ™‚

Evilgenius9
5 years ago

Why BR thought Ncham was a better option than McGregor against 3 defensive midfielders Iโ€™ll never know. Brown clearly struggled, maybe he needed longer to recover after the Aberdeen game. The Huns were out to stop him playing and succeeded.

The wider problem is that we play posesion football at the back to try and tease teams out of defence, which works most of the time in the SPL but hardly ever works in Europe or against Hibs and now 2nd Rangers. We donโ€™t have ball playing centre halfโ€™s we just have one that thinks he is! And we donโ€™t have a ball playing goal keeper either.

The amount of times in Europe and on Saturday we just gifted possession away 25 yards out or kicked the ball out the park is unbelievable. Itโ€™s painful to watch and has to stop. Itโ€™s so basic. We had 3 lightening quick forwards on Saturday yet not once did we knock one in behind for them to chase. That would be breaking some unwritten rule seemingly.

The Huns player like a team who had been humiliated and were up for the fight a lot more than we were. Itโ€™s our turn next time to put that right.

Re player recruitment, the 19 year old from PSG for 6 months wasnโ€™t what I was hoping for. No more loans please.

Monti
5 years ago

For me we have THREE glaring weakness positions, maybe four if we factor in Craig Gordon’s attempts of distribution.
Right back:
Left sided Central defender:
Striker who is masterful at hold up play:

Fill those three positions with serious qualty and we will be fine.
The players coming in cannot just be loan projects, we need a bit of quality here, not potential.

Craig Gordon? This should be his last season with Celtic, we needa keeper who is comfortable playing the ball out with either foot.

Monti
5 years ago

Brendan Rodgers is a man i love, he is one of us & he loves us & the club, he isn’t getting everything right but he was let down badly in the Summer, he needs the better quality player now.

Broxburnbhoy
5 years ago

Brendan did speak out about the dive at Aberdeen. The grass at Tynecastle and plastic pitches. I agree it is time for Peter Lawell to speak out about refereeing and the danger the way it is done today to Celtic players. Collum and Beaton were so poor and obviously anti Celtic in the last two games, itโ€™s hard to believe it goes unoticed. Where is Chris Sutton and the rest of the pundits on this? More than that where is Celtic on this? Both Aberdeen and Sevco went out to kick lumps out of us. They got away with it.

Mike
5 years ago
Reply to  Broxburnbhoy

Even the BBC has highlighted two of the four Morelos incidents, but in the two that they show, you can see Beaton looking straight at them from a few feet away.. Peter Lawwell needs to go ASAP.

Pjarvis
5 years ago

Somebody will have to explain to me how one of the best paid CEO’s in the country justified getting a ยฃ2m bonus.

Yes we had record turnover, but we failed to qualify for the Champions League and the past 2 transfer windows have been a farce.

Think its time Dermot Desmond moved him on and brought in new blood

puggy67
5 years ago

Anyways I’m off to get mad wi’ it and come ‘the bells’ have my sleeping face drooling in a mixed kebab. I personally think it’s maudelin, pass the shortbread Farqhaur, wha’s like us, tartan troosed, pseudo-Masonic, holier than thou, Rabbie Burns infused, hypocrtical fucking bullshit. But have a good New Year ETimmers.

Daniel Docherty
5 years ago

Granted we need a couple of players in but the slagging of those that are there and who have given us so much makes many sound like a bunch of spoiled weans

Monti
5 years ago

Daniel,
You are correct but things need to be discussed

Mike
5 years ago

Back to the future of the Kelly’s and the Whyte’s as the custodians of Celtic F.C. run the club for their own benefit and for the SFA.
Where is the letters to the SFA demanding protection for our players, the team bus being attacked outside the swamp. Where is the action on Res.12 sweep, swept under the boardroom carpet. Where were you when Morelos was kicking lumps out of our players, oh sitting side by side laughing up your sleeves at the bonus’s and salaries that the cough remuneration committee came up, on their own initiative. The silence speaks volume’s.

The Cha
5 years ago
Reply to  Mike

Never knew about the team bus being attacked, any further details?

PS Lawwell isn’t bombproof but it’ll require a strike of surgical precision to take him out.

Christina
5 years ago
Reply to  Mike

I think the secretaries of all the CSC’s should be writing to the Board of Celtic FC asking these very pertinent questions Mike! I really believe that something needs to be done to get this bloody Board off their ass and into the trenches! We are in the middle of a very blatant campaign to stop our team winning the league and absolutely nothing is being said or done about it by Celtic FC! I totally despise Dave King and I am not, for one nanosecond, suggesting we adopt his style of leadership but ffs if this was happening to his team it would be statement o’clock every second day! Fkn grow a set Celtic stop letting everyone walk (and stamp) all over us. We are the biggest and strongest team in this country. We bring more money into Scottish football than anyone else, we raise the profile of the Scottish game far more than anyone else – start acting like it!! Start flexing some muscle- we,as fans, continually say we are never going back to ‘the back of the bus’ but our Board would have us there without a murmur of protest! Lions led by donkies comes to mind here!!

Mike
5 years ago
Reply to  Christina

Spot on Christina, well said!.

Mike
5 years ago

It was on twitter and was on the E-Tims twitter account, it was said that it had been widely organised on Hun sites prior to the game. To be honest I saw the picture on CQN page 22, but it was probably Ralphy setting off a stink bomb trying to get the game abandoned. It looked like a smoke bomb was let off when our team bus arrived, no-one was injured but it must have left the players surprised bearing in mind what’s gone on outside that place. Can you imagine if that had happened to them outside Celtic park, curiously it has not been reported in the Scottish press, funny that..

The Cha
5 years ago
Reply to  Mike

Fuxake Mike, you know if it’s on etims, it’s pish. ๐Ÿ™‚

There were plenty of our players stinking the place out on Saturday. ๐Ÿ™

Mike
5 years ago
Reply to  The Cha

That’s why I always double check before revealing my pish stained source ๐Ÿ˜‰ <3

Christina
5 years ago
Reply to  Mike

The team bus WAS attacked with flares and smoke bombs as it arrived at Ibrox stadium. I saw a DR video of this, which has since strangely disappeared! Anyway, point is you may have heard of a similar incident happening in Argentina a few weeks ago? Think it may have been the River Plate/ Boca Juniors game – need to look that up not sure but I think it was. Point is when that team bus was attacked the game was called off! In this country it was hardly even mentioned much less any action taken! Where was the police protection that should have been in place given the volatile nature of the home support? Why hasn’t the SFA called for an investigation into this serious incident? I’m not saying that this impacted on the game but it was hardly an ideal start to the day was it? If attacking a team bus is reason for calling off a game in Argentina Why isn’t it reason for same in Scotland- aren’t we all governed by same FIFA rules?

Christina
5 years ago
Reply to  Christina

Furthermore, why hasn’t Celtic FC called for action when their playing staff were put in jeopardy like this? No wonder our players get kicked stupid up and down every pitch in this damn country – no one is looking out for them, no one is protecting them! This could be impacting on the performance of some players – those who are using Celtic as a training ground and a launch pad to ‘bigger & better’ things – they could well be thinking “sod that I’m not risking a career-threatening injury here”! Not saying it is but it not outwith the bounds of possibility is it?

FredDDobbs
5 years ago
Reply to  Christina

when football becomes a non contact left wing tree hugging piece of shit sport no fucker will go anymore. Then the left wing tree hugging trouble causing fuckwits will go and fuck up something else.

portpower
5 years ago
Reply to  Mike

Next time we play sevco,Peter`ll pipe `em in.

Mike
5 years ago

Forceps and surgical saw oot!

jimmybee
5 years ago

Brendan got is wrong at ibrox simple as that.
The players didnt play as well as they can.
Injuries and a ref not prepared to act when watching red card incidents taking place. All in their own way stopped us doing our job.

So let’s take a deep breath and remember.
We are still top with a game in hand.
We have the first cup in the bag.
We are in Europe after Xmas.
Our strongest 11 when playing at full pelt are better than anyone. Our class will tell.
Come May back to back trebles will be won the last time they made a cunt of us Dermot acted he will do so again. Keep the faith. Our bhoys will sort it out.

Broxburnbhoy
5 years ago
Reply to  jimmybee

Agree – no panic here. Lost a game – 18 more opportunities to win.

The Cha
5 years ago

Plus we’ve 2 more home games, where we’ve been imperious, than away in the second half of the season.

They’ve got 2 more away, where they’ve been equally shaky.

Hopefully also 2-3 class additions ie 1st team players and not young projects or never have beens from Englanshire.

Devoy45
5 years ago

Monti, the trouble with enforcing on the pitch is that the MIBs will send our player off, not theirs. When a manager speaks out, he gets media attention and the Mibs don’t like that and scurry about trying to show that they aren’t biased: in other words, they will pander to McInnes or Gerrard. Big Jock knew how to do this, so did MON and Lenny. Subtle? Brendan can do subtle better than all the moaners and whingers. (Levein/McInnes/Robinson etc)

Monti
5 years ago
Reply to  Devoy45

Devoy,
You are quite correct……

Steve Naive
5 years ago

It is the loss of three points, same as other league losses but we will come again. Stress not. All the best to everyone that writes and contributes to Etims.

Devoy45
5 years ago

After the break:
Sevco are away (7) to Killie/Livvie/Aberdeen/Celtic/Hibs/Motherwell/Hamilton (plastic pitch)
We are away (5) to: St.Johnstone/Killie/Hearts/Dundee/St. Mirren
After the break, our first two matches are:
St. Mirren and Hamilton at Celtic Park.
Sevco are away to Killie and Livvie.
Livvie are very tough at home.
I think we might break away very quickly.

Mike
5 years ago

Oh the bells will be ringing,
In my ears they’le be singing,
Jackie’s Bra will be padded,
My sub-titles added,
We will raising our glasses,
To all the E-Tims bhoys and lassies.
A very happy and healthy 2019 to all on E-Tims and of course to the lads that give us so much entertainment but with humour and information as they write so many brilliant articles for all our delectation. I hope that those who are the current custodians of this great club and it is great, become more aware of just how kind and generous our support really are, they fully deserve to be treated so much better and to be looked after much better, if they don’t then.. A guid New Year to one and awe.. 2019 number 8.

Puggy67
5 years ago
Reply to  Mike

Braw

Monti
5 years ago

PISH

Rob O'Keeffe
5 years ago

Ralph,the most important word in today’s diary is HEART!
P.S.Brendan,take a swatch at how your good friend SG treated the Celtic players at the end of the match……cut out the nice guy pish…..especially against that scum of the Earth….SMH this coming year….

BJF
5 years ago

Jimmybee thank you for some adult common sense.I read this
diary with increasing amazement , so many clowns with no idea about football, Boyata out , Brown chicken hearted never played a game for us probably really a Hun, Lustig never tries a leg , Rodgers well letโ€™s just sack him, what has he ever done for Celtic, certain he is Rangers through and through, he did this deliberately Why canโ€™t I talk garbage most of the rest of you have, its all his fault. All the criticism of individual players is probably correct but we are on our way to a third treble, we are still in Europe. Has any Chief Executive done better than Lawwell look at Man Utdโ€™s. STOP THE PANIC. We need a break two or three additional players but no more projects please and Brendan needs to use Saturday as a motivator to our for the second half of the season.
Does anyone believe Sevco will win or draw their next eleven games against us, yes the idiots who forget our trebles and seven in a row.

Monti
5 years ago
Reply to  BJF

BJF,
Not idiots, just a differing viewpoint.

Mike
5 years ago
Reply to  BJF

BJF.
Has any CEO done any better, yes many have done better than Lawwell and not one of them earned a ยฃ2.7 million pound bonus and for what.
You mention M.U. one of the biggest clubs in the World but with huge debts. Celtic operate in a tiny and a poor league, to win the league your club receives ยฃ3.00 mill. Lawwell’s salary is ยฃ1.3 mill Put that into context and think about why the club was formed, think of the supporters who pay a lot of money to support there team and still give generously to many different charities. There is NO panic, what there is, is anger, anger at the way our team underperformed and the manner of the loss, capitulation. Then think about why we lost, mostly because of the cheating Mibs and then ask yourself, who spoke up for the players as they were booted all over the park, where is the letter to the SFA about the cheating Mibs, where is the duty of care for our players, the silence of our CEO is telling, so pardon me if I think that he should fuck off and take his huge salary with him, we could, we would do much better without him.

Celtic mikey
5 years ago

The team line up was abysmal, the players lacked bottle and fight. They are useless against teams that press them and press them all game. We have see this in Europe time and time again. There is a core of great players there but it needs a proper leader on the pitch, which we have been missing for years. Also it needs a cunning, sly double hard bastard to join the team who is willing to take a few red ones at the end of games for kicking and stamping, biting and headbutting a few of our opponents.these wankers are taking the piss too much these days and are in need a doing.
The manager needs to up his game because he is getting caught out at the moment.
The board, we have a stable future, Great stadium, good economic plans going forward, good standing in Europe. But it’s always going to fuck the fans over when it comes to sevco.
We need Fergus back, it’s the only answer.

BJF
5 years ago

Ok Monti fair do s not idiots a different view, I think what makes me mad is a super manager and some great players let us down. I just want them out on the park obliterating the opposition this week but I recognise they need a break. We need a few players into the squad ready to play, even Bitton will seem like a new signing. I just donโ€™t think the play on Saturday was typical of what that team has displayed over the past few years. Deep breaths, we will have the last laugh.

5 years ago

Have a good Hogmanay etimmers already 2019 here at work 7 am think of the double time and a half I suppose and thereโ€™s the tax. Oh well. Loss was a good thing means thereโ€™s a shake up happening. Canโ€™t be like spoilt weans must take the medicine and come back stronger and put the hun back where he/she belongs. The referee is a hun whoโ€™s his faither he hasny goat wan h s a bastard referee ad nauseaum

charlie
5 years ago

celtic will win the title before the tap and bottom split then be the first team in the history of world football tae win the treble on 3 consec seasons ……..so wit the fuck ar yees awe greetin aboot …happy new year wen it cums ya buncha greetin faced cunts COYBIG

Monti
5 years ago
Reply to  charlie

Charlie,
Happy new year to you & the family my fenian friend!

BJF
5 years ago

Like the mood music now guys, onwards and upwards.

Yoker Bhoy
5 years ago

A very happy and successful 2019 to all etimmers and their families. I’m pretty sure things will get sorted and we’ll go from strength to stength once again as the second half of the season unfolds.

HH

Mike
5 years ago
Reply to  Yoker Bhoy

Happy New Year Yoker Mo Chara to you and to all of yours, I hope that you achieve all that you want to and have a great 2019. ๐Ÿ˜‰

Yoker Bhoy
5 years ago
Reply to  Mike

Cheers Mikey.

5 years ago

Flight 302 to Brussels final call for a mr Dedryck Boyata mr Dedryck Boyata.

Monti
5 years ago
Reply to  Iancelt67

๐Ÿ™‚

BJF
5 years ago

Mike whoever is CEO of Celtic will earn a huge salary, I know it is provocative, envy is understandable when things go wrong. So many earn so little and there is homelessness, food banks and asylum seekers but would Lawwellโ€™s successor be better, worse, the same? Ok get rid of him, what can you guarantee from his replacement? On Lawwellโ€™s watch we have won what 9 or 10 League titles, a fair number of cups and some really good players, done good transfer business, Virgil, Ki, Victor, Forster and some bad transfer days too.It is an ill divided world but the guys earning the big bucks on Saturday that let us down were on the pitch. I donโ€™t think Lawwell is the problem, lots of things are but the problem can be sorted.

Mike
5 years ago
Reply to  BJF

BJF.
Any new CEO of Celtic doesn’t have to have a huge salary, this is determined in the terms and conditions of the appointee. This isn’t envy either, just common sense. He has had limited success in transfer dealings, for every success there has been ten failures. So that is why I suggest that a new accountant is appointed on a salary of ยฃ150,000 GBP and a Director of football who knows football is appointed on a similar salary to the accountant. That is ยฃ300,000 a massive saving and don’t tell me that there isn’t people available to do the job and do it better. So why is the board so silent on the cheating, its because Lawwell who has had the Res.12 file since June of this year and done nothing. I will tell you why, its because he wants some form of “Rangers” in the league, that is why and why I detest him so much. So yes he is a part of the problem a large part of it…

Monti
5 years ago
Reply to  BJF

BJF,
You don’t think Lawwell is the problem?
Who signs off tge cheques then?

The Cha
5 years ago
Reply to  BJF

Deary me, envy?

Sounds like your a cap doffer who will always be deferential to his “betters”.

Lawwell was responsible for appointing Mowbray, Lennon and Deila and was rightly excluded from the appointment process of Strachan and Rodgers.

Under your hero our revenue plummeted to ยฃ50m under Deila and under Rodgers this has soared to ยฃ100m.

There’s your bang for your buck, right there.

For the size of the club we are, a CE on ยฃ0.5m and the same on a DoF is what we we should be looking for.

Young, keen and dynamic is what’s required, not someone who’s so comfortable that he doesn’t even bother to get simple transfer business done.

Monti
5 years ago
Reply to  The Cha

The Cha,
Well said….

The Cha
5 years ago
Reply to  The Cha

Expenses +ยฃ20m
Revenue +ยฃ50m

Other than executive pay and bonuses, only you could consider that a negative.

Your hero would’ve had, perhaps, more of a comparative advantage given that he had no “them”, Hibs & Hearts in the top league.

Despite this, he won a paltry 1 cup out of 4.

Strange that someone who appears to be obsessed by our comparative advantage doesn’t judge others by the same standard.

Cuts both ways, my arse.

PS We’ve had a negative net spend under Rodgers, aye, that’s some backing.

FredDDobbs
5 years ago
Reply to  The Cha

Neil Lennon wanted to take celtic to the next level and to do that was going to cost. The cunts on the 2m bonuses for sitting on thier condecending arseholes wouldnt back him. He left because he loves celtic.

FredDDobbs
5 years ago
Reply to  The Cha

spelling correction in the style of CS

“considerably fat arseholes#

Mike
5 years ago

BJF Lawwell is a big part of the problem, he has done SFA about the cheats at the SFA and about Res.12 parked on his desk since June.

Mike
5 years ago

My bigger post is gone and that is why you got a short answer, he isn’t very good at all in any respect..

Monti
5 years ago

Where’s Desimond?

Monti
5 years ago
Reply to  Monti

What the fuck are you on about ya prick? ๐Ÿ˜‰

5 years ago
Reply to  Monti

What about Seamus? Did he ever amount to anything? Titles etc

Monti
5 years ago

Just sat down with my first beer of the night & put ‘ Taxi Driver ‘ on.
Better than anything else on the tv….thank fuck don’t pay for a licence ๐Ÿ™‚

Monti
5 years ago

” Vote Palantine, we are the people ” ๐Ÿ™‚

Monti
5 years ago

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL WHEN IT ARRIVES, GOD BLESS OUR SUPPORT!

FUCK THE ” rangers “!

Monti
5 years ago

He’s a bastard an Orange bastard, his name is Jimmy Bell

๐Ÿ™‚

Monti
5 years ago

We need Craig Whyte to do something….does he have a ยฃ1 coin?

portpower
5 years ago

Slawn-cha ogg-uss tawn-cheh Ralph & Co.

May a lass with beautiful Auburn hair cross your threshold offering spirits.

Happy New Year one and all.

Aussie Arnold is a coont.They`ll get theirs.I curse them.
(There`s something shonkie goin` on)

It`s gotta be rock-n-roll music if you want to dance with me.

See it in blind Khids.

Enjoy.

Monti
5 years ago

Ralph, Desimond & Hector the Bandido,
Thanks for bringing Etims to us throughout the year, life would be poorer without this blog, good health to you all & your families going into & throughout the new year!

God Bless!

Mike
5 years ago
Reply to  Monti

PISH!

Monti
5 years ago

To all the children in Hospitals tonight, battling illness, i hope & pray your health improves & 2019 brings happiness to you & your parents!
God give you his strength!

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