Celtic Diary Wednesday January 30

Fraser Forster will miss tonights game against Kilmarnock at Celtic Park, but manager Neil Lennon says he could be back some time before the end of the season. Meanwhile, staff at Celtic Park are frantically coating Lukasz Zaluskas gloves with evo stik.

Its hard not to feel sorry for the Polish keeper. He’s sat around for over a year, and when he is finally called upon, it coincides with the defence forgetting how to tackle, the midfield forgetting how to pass, and the forwards, well, just forgetting. However, the speed with which tonights game has come around means there is a chance for Sundays flops to put the whole thing behind them with a convincing performance and result against the Ayrshire side who have been a bit of a thorn just lately. Following last seasons League Cup final win, they also recorded a victory at Celtic Park this season, so they cannot be taken lightly. Just the same as St. Mirren, these teams will raise their game against Celtic.

Which makes Murdo MacLeods comments even stranger, as a full time paid commentator on all things football in Scotland, he should have known this. Instead, the former Celt chose to accuse manager Neil Lennon of throwing away “not one, but two trebles” He went further;

“…I feel sorry for supporters who turned up at Hampden and forked out hard earned cash to watch that”

Thing is, those of us who fork out hard earned cash to watch Celtic can say things like that, but not journalists. Why? because they don’t feel sorry for fans, not in the slightest. Lennon was right when he accused MacLeod of  “trying to put a wedge between the players and supporters”

Then it all went a bit silly, and the teacher sent them both to detention.

MacLeod is just one of many former Celts in the media who makes his living by expressing his opinions, and they have to be seen as just that. His opinions. anyone within the game, or indeed anyone who watches it, is fully aware of how difficult it is to win a treble, especially without help from referees or tax free payments.

Thats Murdo in the top picture, and  I have no idea why he has got that expression on his face, though its fair to say he is probably hoping his wife doesn’t walk into the room.

Lennon, still clearly hurting from Sunday, also had a pop at Killmarnock boss Kenny Shiels, who, on Radio Scotland last week, claimed Celtic had threw away two trophies and massively underachieved, to which Lennon pointed out how successfully they had defended their League Cup, having exited in the First Round of this years competition.

Then he rang the newsagents to complain about his paper bill, the council to moan about his bin not getting collected, and Tesco because his groceries hadn’t been delivered yet.

Still, it shows he is hurting, and will put things right as soon as possible-tonight hopefully.

Another former Celt, Jackie MacNamara will be named as Dundee Utd boss today, prompting anguished howls and beating of fists on tables in the Levein household. Also rumoured to be upset are Jimmy Calderwood, Derek McInnes and surprisingly, Billy Dodds. Dodds on Radio Scotland had thrown his hat into the ring for the job, well, sort of tossed it tentatively towards the ring, but the Tannadice board decided he couldn’t manage a fart after eating a bowl of sprouts, so he was passed over. Very quickly.

His first game in the job will be a cup tie against Third division minnows and first division whingers Sevco Rangers. We at Etims would like to wish him all the luck in the world.

Speaking of the new club, with the Nimmo Smith inquiry now underway, the south side of the city has gone sort of quiet.

One of their spokesmen, the not quite all there David Leggat, has opined on the cowards on the army high command, who have vetoed any further remembrance day embarrassments at Ibrox. He called them “Donkeys” and Wimps”, and couldn’t see what was wrong with “dancing, ” “singing ” and “having fun” to remember the fallen of  international conflict.

Which explains why he hasn’t got a job anymore in the media. and thats going some, to be considered not good enough for the Scottish sporting press, where Keith Jackson and others make a living.

You also get the feeling that the Ibrox clubs owners are a little more worried about Nimmo Smith than they are letting on. After all, the facts are there for all to see, the punishments plain and simple, and FIFA ready to jump on the SFA if they don’t do it right.

But thats enough of them.

Pontus Janssen has flown in for a trial from Malmo, and thats about it transfer wise.

Gary Hooper hasn’t got a price on his head, and no-one bar Norwich seems interested. Wanyama is the subject of a lot of speculation, but not much else, and with just a couple of days left now of the open window, perhaps we will emerge with the players we went into it with.

“Tell him I have never been a zero ” was the reaction of Lubomir Moravcik when a well informed Scottish hack asked what it felt like to go from “zero to hero”

Well done to Old Father Tim for that one, sticking with better memories, .whose  post match interview began with “We were shit”, and what game was it?