Are you sitting comfortably ?
Sandwiches to the right, beer to the left ?
Then let the season begin…
The campaign for a tenth successive league title starts this weekend, with Celtic entering the fray sometime tomorrow, kick off time is not that important since we’re not allowed in anyway.
Along with the core of the players who voted champions last season comes a new goalkeeper, Greek international Vassilis Barkas.
He said;
“Winning medals and trophies is why I came here.
“I want to win 10 in-a-row and help us get into the Champions League. That’s what I want.
He then grabbed his microphone and burst into a song he used to sing as a child….
“some men fight for silver, some men fight for gold ” before being tossed a bottle of buckfast and swaying up the road arm in arm with manager Neil Lennon.
Barkas is a keeper of the sort Celtic have been looking for for a while. He is comfortable with the ball at his feet, confident when the ball is in the air, and at 6’5″ stands a reasonable chance of getting to the ball first.
Barkas has been on the radar for a while, and the signing is the result of a lot of work going on behind the scenes, without fuss or fanfare , that gave the manager another option if Fraser Forster was to elect to fight for gold rather than silver.
Which he has done. So thats that.
The work behind the scenes on Barkas may also be the same policy that has sparked a bid for striker Ivan Toney of Peterborough. Although a low bid, which has been rejected, that must have been made in the knowledge it wasn’t going to be accepted, and if Celtic fail to qualify for the champions League this season, there is a distinct possibility that we could see three or four first team players leave.
Toney could well be already lined up as a replacement, with Celtic asking to be kept informed of developments, which also sends out a signal to Oddsone Edoaurd that either he signs an extension or he will be sold, which is undoubtedly a consideration for the board.
Other players, such as Kristoffer Ajer, Olivier Ntcham and Ryan Christie will have their agents touting and scouting on their behalf, with all three having made it known that they would not be averse to bigger wage packets should they be on offer elsewhere.
Don’t you just long for the days when all you had to worry about was how long the bloke in the queue at Aldi had had that cough ?
But the manager and captain of Celtic are men that not only fight for silver, they will fight for anything the Saxons try to steal from us, and no one of value to the team will be allowed to leave without a massive tug on their hearts from the two men entrusted with putting to rights one of the greatest wrongs in sporting history.
Celtic simply have to get that ten in a row.
For us, it means something, whether its restoring the pride of the first nine for what it was after it was cheapened by a club who equalled it as part of a massive mission to destroy football rather than enhance it, or whether its just so we can be the first to do something as opposed to playing catch up.
Other clubs in Europe will also be hoping to continue long runs as champions, such as Juventus. Paris St Germain and Bayern Munich, who despite their dominance don;t play in a predictable one hiorse race of a competition, which will be worth remembering when achievements begin to be belittled.
This season, we do it for ourselves, for the sheer enjoyment and pride of doing something no one in Scotland has ever done before, and also to use the freedom from pressure that will allow to go on and build a bigger and better version of the cub that began its makeover under Fergus McCann twenty five years ago, and has since gone from strength to strength.
Ah, the pressure.
The players and manager are all winnners, they have the medals to show that.
But this season is different.
Miss this chance , and its another decade at least before we get another shot at it.
Every game, every point matters. There must be no let up until the trophy is won.
As the manager said yesterday…
“It’s exciting and the anticipation is building now,”
“It’s been a long time since we’ve had competitive football. We’ve done a lot of work since the middle of June and it’s been a good week so far.
“We’ve not really touched on the magnitude of this season yet, but we’ll probably touch upon it in the next 24 hours. There have been a lot of other things going on, but now we have to get back to work on what’s expected of us, in order to accomplish what we want.
“We’re going into a historic season, but we can’t let that get away from the day-to-day work and the standards and values that the club has set over the last few years.”
He sounds calm, but he also sounds like he’s straining at the leash..
On Wednesday, we had this…
Caption: Embarrassing moment at Ibrox Armed Forces Day as a travel expense claim is more than the collection.
Today…
Caption: NL – ” Sorry Moi what did you say “?
Moi-” Thae disco lights boss, can you get them tae fuck “?
Nice to see you commenting M, and that Caption patter’s no’ too bad either! 🙂
Peter Thomas Lawwell is “always happy to receive feedback from the fans” (not sure if the supporters are offered equal rights). Anyway M, as a supporter tell him of your 2nd sentence, and tell him (PTL) to join them. GHTF.
On another note, (IMHO the 1st sentence for you, shoulda been sine die, or even longer……as the wonderful Spike Milligan may have said. 🙂
HH
FC not PLC
PS I huv tears in ma een, the Champion Ale and Henry’s Best is almost gone. The Guinness had already ‘left the building’, or rather ‘left the table but not the hoose’, if ye ken?) 🙂
Aye, left wi’ the Remy….if I was religious, what I’m about to do with the Remy would perhaps (wrongly) be ca’d ‘sacrilegious’. There ye go, bright spark Christians: without external aid, a) did I spell it right? and b) is it appropriate in this context?
And, BTW, ‘Martin’ is okay with me drinking his Cognac in industrial doses, reckons when I’m conversing that it improves my French! Whit wid ah know.
Ps(st) Rhyming slang: whit’s the difference frae Brandy tae Cognac (nae cheatin’ noo, admit the Truth of what ye think.
Mo: I can see the headline, Mo Mo Super Mo.
NL: More like Mo Mo feck you Mo. He was a dirty Judas bassa
That’s a big no, no from me so Mo
Caption Can a leave boss av got an important video chat wae Brendan it’s just tae check he’s no got Covid nuffin tae dae wae me wanting a move Honest
Caption: Moi, “Boss I have a vision…..a dream, it’s in the fairly near future and will NEVER be forgotten, but it’s a bit confusing…..random words keep cropping up….glisten, hasten, often, listen…..YES, I’ve got it….it’s in the last syllable, ten: WE’RE GOING TO DO THE TEN”.
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
HH
FC not PLC
caption, boss ive been here a year now and i still cant see them coming
Caption: You see that tit there boss?
Caption: Mo: I have a vision
Neil: I can’t see anything
Callum: I’ve cut ma finger boss
John: He’s not that kind of manager lads
Aberdeen are terrible this is an embarrassing advert for Scottish football.
Must, er, ‘confess’ I watched it too, Jimmy.
Dons were woeful, especially 1st half but still never a threat.
An easy through ball beats the offside trap (well it was close) and new huns are a goal up. Texted my brother after about 20 minutes and told him not to get his hopes up.
Anyway, we’re streets ahead of BOTH of them. BTW, had a Pavlov’s dogs moment just after HT when watching shite led to needing one! 🙂
Onwards and upwards to THE MAGICAL TEN!
HH
FC not PLC
Caption: Have you seen the tits on big John boss they are that size? He’s behind you son, we’ll call it a groin strain, see you in a month.
Caption
Come to me and I will lay waste to the land of the zombies.
Crap game, ABZ are a poor team will struggle to Finnish in top four. As for the Rankers ran about in circles, anyone watching zE Buffalo would decided two milk bottle tops would be too much, watch ra media go into hysterical crap.
Caption:
‘We can put the ten in a row flag just there, next to the other nine.
“we can be the first to do something as opposed to playing catch up.”
Eh, first to 5IAR, 6IAR, 7IAR, 8IAR and 9IAR etc.
Cha, I fully understand, respect and agree with your clear annoyance/frustration and knowledge, but don’t know who’s comment it was you refer to. Of course, it’ll just be another paid-for hun apologist. THEY’RE (Hun2012) IN A DOWNWARD SPIRALLING SPIN WITH NO HOPE. The hun SMSM, the paid-for (no longer by me) BBC at top. The lying media add fuel to the fire and therein lies the only form of British ‘justice’; scum kills scum without consequence. Just dead scum. Fukk it, I’ll Remy tae that! 🙂
HH
FC not PLC
Caption…
Moi ….Right boss , I learned this mind meld from Spock , Callum might know E.Ts phone home finger point , but I’m telling you he wants to stay for ten…
Caption : John Kennedy “Season’s no even started and two them’ll be oot for a fortnight wi’ sair fingers”
Congratulations to KT. Left a season early and to the wrong team, his next move will be bigger and better and he will be back for 18 in a row. Seriously well done kid.
Well done KT. You left a year to soon and to the wrong team but your next move will be to the best and you’ll be back for 18 in a row. Spoke about Sutton as a Celtic legend post match. We’re never far from your thoughts. Good luck and congratulations son.
caption mo saiz am tellin ye lenny ma vision is hawf wae through the season yon zombies will run oot wae sports direct stamped oan thur foreheids
Caption:
Callum: I cut ma finger on ma Starbucks cup.
Caption,john kennedy feels left out as Moi shows lenny and Cal how to do the Y M C A dance
Caption,Right boys just ignore young Cal as there is no way i am falling for the old pull my finger joke
Today we’re up against top quality opposition. Hamilton have had a longer run in the top flight than the top 2 teams in the division combined.
yer erse. Hamilton have two 18 year olds playing for them.
Hey yeah, you with the sad face
Come up to my place and Celt it up
Have a Grand Day Khids.