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Celtic Diary Tuesday February 26

The substitution of Efe Ambrose just a few minutes before half time against Dundee has set tongues wagging and speculators speculating.

Whilst manager Neil Lennon claimed it was due to fatigue, (presumably he was tired of Ambrose ignoring pre-match instructions) several papers, admittedly Mersey based have seen this as a sign he is out of favour at Celtic, and will be joining Liverpool in the summer, for £6m.  The management team (pictured above) , are not thought to be taking it seriously

Ambrose could well end up surplus to requirements, but its too soon to mention bids at this stage, as an Irish sports paper has.

The manager is already looking ahead to the summer , for differing  reasons. Celtics Champions League campaign , this year featuring three qualifiers, will start in July, and with a lot of players going to be on international duty in June, he fears that some of them will be “burnt out” before the season gets underway.

This means that a few fringe players will get a chance to impress as the season comes to an end, but Lennon won’t be standing still a he looks to make sure that the club is back in the group stages next year.

His policy of buying young and selling on works to an extent, but recently he emphasised the importance of having a core of “Celtic minded ” players to help the new ones along, and retain some sort of stability. Brown, Ledley, Mulgrew Samaras and perhaps Commons seem to be his chosen few, although the new offers made to Rogne and McCourt suggest they have a future at the club. Even if Rogne has turned down the first offer.

The game at Dundee saw Celtic face an ex keeper in Rab Douglas, and one or two sources, though not our regular drunk, suggest that tomorrow we will face a next keeper in Darren Randolph. Although the sensible money would be on him only joining if Forster heads south. Craig Gordon, now helping out with the training at Dumbarton, is too far gone with his dodgy knees to be expected to sign up, and unhappily for him, may not actually play again at a high level.

If Ambrose is to be away, then Rami Gershon may soon find his loan deal being made permanent, and fellow new boy-who does look the part-Tom Rogic may be a ready made replacement for Victor Wanyama should he leave. Its difficult to see Beram Kayal hanging around for much longer, and the Miku experiment may well also be judged a failure, but Samaras, Watt,  Stokes and Lassad will get a chance to fill any gap left by Gary Hooper. Unless we get some one else in.

But, like in the papers, its all ifs, buts and maybes.

When Lennon was a player at Celtic, he said, more than once, that those who pledge a big part of their career to Celtic should be rewarded handsomely financially, and this may be the key to future contracts , with in built loyalty clauses, which of course , will give us a chance to attend farewell matches…

One match that might be easier than previously thought to attend is the away leg in Turin. Juves official website has announced that tickets for the game are now on general sale.

Don’t worry about being in with the away fans, they’ll probably change sides halfway through. (Stereotypical Italian joke inserted purely to raise a cheap laugh.)

Speaking of laughter, the mystery of Rangers community singing has been solved . Billy McBiggot of Larkhall, who occasionally gets in touch, sent us this summary of events;rangers rant

I think, deep down, we all knew it was something like that.

Meanwhile, Sevco Rangers boss Ally McCoist, who didn’t hear any songs, either on Saturday or in the previous year of his clubs existence, reckons a “safe “songsheet should be given to his clubs fans in order to leave them in no doubt what they can and cannot sing;

“If that eradicates the problem, than I am all for it, absolutely all for it.” He said , desperate to avoid having to actually say anything that might upset his new club followers. Sevco have attracted a lot of followers of the old Rangers, mainly due to  the closing down of the old German Natioanal Socialist Workers Party, after an unsuccessful European campaign, and the reluctance of the Ku Klux Klan to have such extreme bigots in their ranks.

McCoist continued;

“It might seem like a drastic measure but if it helps…. I’d encourage it.” He then called the songs “unacceptable,” adding that “there is no place for them in a modern society”, in the part of the speech which was obviously scripted.

The new club relies heavily on pandering to the supporters er, traditions, and with Chuckles Green travelling the world and playing to the gallery, its no surprise the stench of the old club is clinging to the new one.

Instead of telling them to stop it, and threatening bans and prosecutions, Mccoist reckons a Janet and John book is a good idea. Absolutely frightening.

Most papers claim they won’t be punished as a club for the singing, which is no surprise, but there may well be a few charges brought.

One person who has emerged with a wee bit credibility is Rangers supporters chief John MacMillan, who wants bans and stiffer penalties, meaning  he won’t be able to open his own mail for a while, but fair play to him. At least he is trying.

Sorry to go on about them at such a length, but with the Dual contracts issue due to be sorted this week, it may be worth keeping an eye out for the reactions, and an ear open for the implosion.

Meanwhile, the new Celtic scratchcard is on sale, promising a top prize of £12,500 to celebrate 125 years of the club, as someone obviously put the comma in the wrong place on the original template.

Which reminds me, hows that million pound crossbar challenge doing over at Ibrox….?

The next top four scorers in the Premier league are Henrik Larsson, Derek Riordan, Scott MacDonald and John Hartson. All of whom played for Celtic, as indeed did the next one in the list, Kenny Miller. The latter also tops the charts for most misses when it would have been far, far easier to score list.

Still with the SPL, Celtic look to wrap the league up early this year. SPL only, whats the earliest the club has done it before, games to spare wise?

 

 

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jon littledick
11 years ago

12 games?

San MIguel
11 years ago

Ralph,
If the titles are stripped and all games were awarded 0-3 to the opposing team – would we not have won the league in the early 2000’s in October with 20 games to spare ? 🙂

I will guess at 11 games

San MIguel
11 years ago

oh aye – songbook – did Rod Stewart not have a whole series of them – The Great American Songbook etc.

What would theirs be called ?

The 1690 symphony in a A minor (division) ?

Danny
11 years ago
Reply to  San MIguel

PMSL

11 years ago

Kenny Miller was a Hun double agent. Could not score in a whore house with hundred pound notes glued to his body. Slithers off to Mordor, and in first appearance against Celtic? Brace. Good riddance you weasel!

Raymobhoy
11 years ago

I thought they already tried that songbook thing a few years ago when they first got done bu EUFA?

stubhoy
11 years ago
Reply to  Raymobhoy

Ray this has never worked due to the fact zombies have no brains lol

elcormaco
11 years ago

I look forward to reading this in my brief lunch break from work, where its stress and cuts etc etc, and its normaly good for a wee chuckle.

Today though I spread tomato soup all over my keyboard when I read that excellent piece of writing from a Zombie fan followed by

“I think, deep down, we all knew it was something like that”. Brilliant. My keybaord is a mess of spat out tomato soup, but thanks all the same
Maybe the answer was 12 games, in O’Neills first year maybe?

Andy
11 years ago

I thought the quickest win was 2005/6 under WGS, after the DVD was called quicksilver.
Kingsnake – he scored for us in his first game against them as well, which didn’t go down a storm with them, also scored a few in the champions league for us. Selling him was a misjudgment by Lawwell, when we sold him he had scored 2 goals in 3 games at the start of that season, given that the league would only be won on the last day at Tannadice he played a part in that. Our treatment of him when he left (telling him was 5th choice or something silly) was a mistake given that by the next transfer window we had a striking crisis and of course as you point out he didn’t half come back to bite us because he was well motivated everytime he faced us. Not saying I would take him for a pint or anything but I just feel to an extent we created our own monster with this guy.

11 years ago

i always thought Miller could have been trat better, we knew he wasn’t Celtic minded. While it’s correct to say he missed a good few, I always thought he helped in a few assists and his speed came in quite useful in a few games. One of the few huns I had a bit of respect for. Billy McBiggot’s contribution was hilarious Ralph, keep up the good work.

Pensionerbhoy
11 years ago

Ralph

I was worried at first that you had gone all serious. Not that that was an issue given the topics being written about. Who is going where; who is staying put; who is replacing who and who is doing what with whom and where and why, is all very important stuff and not to be laughed off. Then came the wee Billy Goat bit and I knew your indigestion was cured. Excellent piece of exposure. It is hilarious in the extreme but definitely carries a warning sign.
“but with the Dual contracts issue due to be sorted this week, it may be worth keeping an eye out for the reactions, and an ear open for the implosion.”
This really could go all serious and you are right and wise to bring it to our attention.

Another serious note is the one that was out of tune at Berwick. And, while recognising Mr. McMillan’s openness, Mr. McCoist was certainly off key. Nor was the club statement worthy of the praise it received, given that speed is not quite the same as a strong reaction. But then, times have changed from when we got the belt just because we may have said something even if we had not actually been heard. To be fair, it was rather on the cold side in Berwick last Saturday and perhaps some had overdone the earmuffs.

Somewhere in the deep recesses of my memory (about 1 mm beneath my scalp and about 10″ from my brain) I have a glimmer of a 6 popping up and down. In fact it is literally popping up and then popping up. Could that mean a double 6?

H H

Pensionerbhoy
11 years ago
Reply to  Pensionerbhoy

Wow! Wow! Wow! Wow! First time! Where’s your records now Sevco?

HAIL HAIL – YOU ARE WORTHY OF CAPITALS AND THE FULL WORDS FOR THAT GUYS.

the lurgan tiger
11 years ago

I’ll say 7 games. Just to go one better that pensioner bhoy.

Bloody green brigade eh? Timposters everywhere

bognor bhoyle
11 years ago

lets state the bleedin obvious dont sing the songs you keep getting hammered for ,oh wait , told not to sing ,oh wait you know the songs that gets you’s slagged by the m.s.m oh wait
why dont you’s just sing nothing .
H.H.

Ralph malph
11 years ago

Wont be long before they have nothing to sing about

11 years ago

SO Lenny wants to give rogne and McCourt new contracts why. Rogne always injured, McCourt never played 90 mins with Celtic,naw do us a favour celtic chase the pair of them, along with a few more out the door, just not good enough.

Hamish
11 years ago

If results are awarded 0-3 to the opposition, what will happpen to Kris Boyds scoring records?

11 years ago
Reply to  Hamish

I always wondered that too when match results get over-turned, what happens to the stats? Like when we were cheated by Sion …

bognor bhoyle
11 years ago

the rules will be bent to show that they all count
as his

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