Adam Matthews has had his operation, and apart from feeling “a bit stiff ” , he says he’s okay;
Though what he is feeling thats a bit stiff doesn’t bear thinking about.
The standard of post op care is a little worrying-no cards, no cans of beer and the ashtray is right up at the top of the wall. And I’m not too happy about the nurse who is looking after him, either;
Still, she has offered to sort out that niggling ankle injury of his;
Barcelona, or the other half of the “New Firm ” as some see them, have added Georgios Samaras to a christmas shopping list that apparently already includes Fraser Forster. Having already lost out on Victor Wanyama , who went to Southampton to join the other exiled Celts down on the coast, the Catalans are determined to get at least someone from Celtic Park, presumably because several offers for the support have already failed.
Samaras could be available on the cheap as his contract is up at the end of the season, whilst Forster could be the man who is sold to pay the bills.
All depressing stuff, but if the big Greek and the giant Englishman want to know what life would be like for them at Barcelona, they should ask for a copy of the Catalans training video, which outlined how they intended to deal with Samaras last time out.
With no domestic football to look forward to this week, focus has shifted slightly to the upcoming double header with Ajax in the champions League.
Danny McGrain, the former Arbroath manager , now on the coaching staff at Celtic, has given us his thoughts, something of a rarity these days, as the man concentrates on improving the first team.
“We’ve got to aim for second spot.
“That means beating Ajax twice and AC Milan here. It’s possible and nine points might be enough, but we don’t think it will be easy.
“The loss of Adam is a blow, but not a big blow. He is a quality player and we’ll miss his marauding runs up the line.
“But Mikael Lustig is equally as good at right-back and Efe Ambrose can play there as well.
“We’re certainly not naked for full-backs. We have great power down the right and we might have to change that, but we have enough players to beat Ajax.
“I don’t want to say too much about Scott’s red card.
“He has been a great captain and his energy and devilment – which can sometimes get him into trouble – helps drive the team.
“When you see it live it’s nothing, but when you see replay after replay of the incident he did move his foot, although I don’t think he even touched him.
“However, the referee was right behind him. He might have got away with it had the linesman been up the other end of the park and the referee hadn’t seen it.”
McGrain is currently spending time helping Portuguese forward Amido Balde to improve his game;
“Big Amido is only a young man and he wants to be better,” .
“I give him some exercises with the ball. I enjoy doing it, rather than standing about seeing the other boys working with the sports science people.
“He enjoys doing it, he enjoys kicking the ball and heading the ball. He hasn’t had many games but he is getting better.
“He came here with a good record of scoring goals. He scored against Liverpool in pre-season and against Kilmarnock.
“That is his job, to score goals, and if he does that we will all be happy.”
I like the back to basics thing, pushing the sports science thing-important as it is to the background, and concentrating on working with the ball. After all, thats what the game is all about. With McGrain becoming his mentor, Balde will succeed. As long as Danny doesn’t spend too much time passing on his own goal scoring tips, and just trusts the big mans own instincts on that one.
McGrain also mentioned his own time learning his trade-playing in practice games.
“When we trained with the first team I played against wee Jimmy and it was a nightmare. I hated playing against him because he always roasted me. I was 18 at the time and I was stupid enough to try and kick him.
“Sometimes I was unlucky, sometimes I got him, but if I did he would just get up, rub his head and get on with it. And again, that taught me, I was learning things without realising what I was learning. ”
Get up and rub his head ? What sort of tackle was it ?
Foot over the ball there, Danny.
Anyway, the legend was publicising the release of a new Celtic book, much to the relief of women everywhere struggling to think of a christmas present for their partners who have already got the Celtic watch-I have, it tells the tim- the Celtic mug, the celtic ashtray-handy if you are thinking of taking up smoking,-the celtic wine glass, the celtic toothbrush …the list is endless.
Then there is the Celtic Satnav, which will just tell you that you are on the road again.
Sorry, I’m rambling.
The book is called the Quality Street Gang, and Danny was in promoting it with another legend, former player and manager Davie Hay. Some of these players, apart from Hay and McGrain, also went on to do very well in the game, such as these two
whilst at least one other failed miserably, and can still be seen hanging around the place wondering if its not too late;
From legends to legneds, and with rumours circulating of an impending financial disaster over at Scottish footballs newest club, Second Rangers, Walter Smith , who invented the famous Wattenacio style of football, has chucked in his tuppence worth. Unusual for him to be using his own money, but perhaps he is a changed man;
“There is no common business sense at a club such as Rangers.
“Yes, money is being lost. But what can you do?
“You can’t sit on the board of directors at Ibrox and tell the Rangers fans, ‘We can’t afford to do this.’ You have to go out and find the money to do it.
No, he is still the same witless Walter who contributed probably as much to the demise of the First club as anyone, with the possible exception of David Murray himself.
“If you get into the Champions League you make a profit. Celtic have shown that. So Rangers have to use their money to create a situation where they put a challenge in to Celtic.
“That’s the gamble you take. It’s not a sensible gamble but that’s what you have to do.
“The financial bit of Rangers Football Club and common sense don’t go together.
“But what would have happened if, during Sir David Murray’s time in charge, he hadn’t invested in the team?
“They wouldn’t have got to the Champions League. And the problems Rangers have at the moment weren’t created by putting a whole load of money into the football team.”
Er, yes they were. Not this particular team, granted, but the ones that came before. The ones he paid for. Out of borrowed money that never got paid back.
“Rangers are too big a club and too great an institution not to find an answer to the problems they’re facing at the moment.
The problem with great comedy movies is that the sequel is often the same joke repeated , and gives the old saying that nothing is funny twice.
I have a distinct feeling that this current crisis, which will signal the end of the short lived Second Rangers, will be just as funny as the death of the first.
Last word from Walter ?
“You have to feel a sense of optimism for the simple reason Rangers are a great football club.
So, did the press tear into him for his ridiculous ramblings ? Well, Hugh Keevins didn’t, but thats no surprise. Keevins has long since lost any credibility within media circles, and is simply kept on like the faithful old retriever, until somebody one day decides to do what is kindest……
Tom English didn’t pull his punches though;
” This is the 2013 version of David Murray’s freakonomics. ‘We are Rangers and we’ll spend what we like’. Either through arrogance or stupidity – or both – that mindset hasn’t changed all that much despite the torment. ” – was his opinion on Smiths utterances.
You can just see the rest of the MSM going quiet every time he walks into the room from now on, and you’ll be able to spot him easily at press conferences from now on
But its not all bad news for the Second incarnation. There is a new chairman on the way.
Thats Dave King, an old pal of Dave Murray with Ally McCoist . He’s going to be the next chairman , as the current ones already been there over a week and its time for a change.
There are absolutely no stories of any financial misdemeanours about this man.
None at all. He arrived in Glasgow and met the board for a chat.
With yesterdays diary missing due to an urgent appointment that took all day while the jury deliberated, here is Tuesdays quiz answer. They all went to Middlesborough after leaving Celtic, which must have seemed like a good idea at the time.
Today, a little more cryptic..what links these guys ?
Jack Wilshere, of Arsenal, has shifted the attention away from the Fraser Forster playing for England debate as his country get ready to face Montenegro in a crucial world cup qualifier.
He has controversially said that he wants to keep the English team English, which considering the amount of Colombian he has in him is strange. He has also said that if he had lived in Spain for five years, he wouldn’t play for their national side. Well, he got that bit right.
Is it Ajax…? Sutton and Lennon destroyed them in Amsterdam and Frankie-boy looks like he’s just had a pint of the stuff.
Is it they all got done for speeding apart from Franky who alledgedly got done for a different kind of speed?
Ralph
Great to see you are still alive and kicking – ouch!! I have put the flowers and chocies away till next time. You do like the wee blue fluffy kind, don’t you? I thought so. That is why I have kept them for you for two years.
I too have a Jury’s appointment at lunchtime so I won’t be Inn. Now that your circulation is back in running order, I will happily , come back to you later when I look like Franky’s grandfaither full of A Jax – great Northumberland drink, second only to turps.
H H
It’s crewe, or in frank’s case screw, alexandra.
their second names end in “-on”, except frank mcAvennie. john francis sutton, neil francis lennon and frank francis mcavennie.
the were all found not guilty of something.
hunskelping? am I getting close?
They all got themselves sent off at Ibrox. How much more cryptic can you get?
Big headlines in the Daily rancid,then you read the story and it’s all speculation that dave tax dodger king .is on the way back,not a hope of anything about A being a fit and proper person,then Campbell will vouch for him,Claims he will invest
massive amounts into the comedy tribute act,not a mention of financial fair play,and if pays big money for shares then that money will go to those who own the shares not the tribute act
as msm wet their pants ,craigy white must be looking on waiting for his moment
They’ve all been fleeced by dodgy scams?
Have they all been guests on Soccer AM? Sutton was on it on Saturday and whacked that finish at the end through the slot wearing a pair of shiny shoes. Class is permanent.
Had to laugh at Walter’s rentaquote lines yesterday. It shows how deeply ingrained the peepel mentality is when a supposed leader of them shows such naivety when it comes to financial matters – “Yes, money is being lost. But what can you do?”. Erm, stop fecking spending it to win matches against fishermen and YTS joiners and live within your means. It’s not that difficult a concept to grasp is it? Except for the average Zombear.
Some buns have quoted Tom English’s opinions in the past. I see he’ll be back to being a FB again after his latest truthful comments.
Bank managers office, c6 months ago.
“good moring mr smith, how can we help you?
“aye, Im here tae get some money for the rangers”
“what do you need the money for?”
“eh? we were never asked that before. Well, us rangers people, we’re the best, and we deserve the best, and we will only accept the best, and to get the best we need money”
“I see. And how much?”
“well, at the minute we need about a million pound a month to keep going, but ideally we would need more, coz thats only getting us mince SPL players and covering the boards wages”
“and what would the money be spent on?”
“on giving ra peepil what they deserve, on putting Rangers back on top and keeping us there. And sticking it right up the tims obviously. Cause we re the rangers, we deserve to be the best”
“and how would you pay back any loans?”
“how would we what? What school did you go tae son? We d well, we d get into the champions league, and likely win it, cause we re rangers, we re the best, and then we d be pure dripping in money and could pay back any amount you d want”
“ok, so you re spending more than you earn, you want to spend even more, because “you deserve it”, have no real plan for paying it back, and this is all because “you re rangers”?
“Aye son, thats it, when Big Davey was aboot thats how it worrked, so goan ahead and gies a blank cheque and ill be on my way tae give the fans what they deserve, which is teh best, cause we re rangers, and we deseerve the best, cause we are the best, cause we re rangers and thats what Rangers deserve, and ..
“Ok Mr Smith, if I could just stop you there. I m afraid to say your application for a loan wont be accepted today. If you ever develop a sustainable business plan we d be happy to talk again”
“But we re the rangers,and we are the best..”
” Security…”
Elcomarco – bang on! Funny cos its (probably, nay, likely) true.
Even if that specific event didn’t happen, the mentality remains. When we were a shitey wee sectarian bigoted backwater relying on the MSM for (mis)information and it was important to the elite they got away with it – times, laws, information channels and the wider global priorities of the establishment elite have changed. They’re no interested and have little use for them anymore, and they haven’t realised it yet (or don’t want to).
Elcormaco,
Did you ever eavesdrop in on one of Minty’s meetings with RFC’s bank manager in the 80s, 90s or 00s? I’m sure that’s exactly how it would have sounded except with a willing bank ‘manager’.
How shifty does McCoist look coming through those doors with Dave “Dodgy” King.
He has the look of a man who has been told there are no goat hooves left to be added as an essential ingredient to his pies. They’re just not the same without them.
Ralph. Big round of applause for the double diary dose today – well worth waiting for. I’m still pishing myself at the Adam Matthews bit.
As for the quiz. I haven’t a scooby. Wait! Thats it! – They all resemble characters in Scooby Doo? – Macca = SHAGGY. erm urm.
NAW, furgeddabouttit.. NURSE!
Ralph
The Jury was out longer than expected. The outcome was even worse than I thought. I came home sober and it took me four hours to get the wife up the stairs. At least, I think it was the wife. I’ll check the attic after this.
Glad to see that a full day’s work yesterday did nothing to blunt your humour. I take it Adams knee was itchy. As for Sammy and Forster, it sounds like the main characters in a Spanish soap. At least at Braca, we should still hear about them when they come to Parkhead for a hammering. The summer flights seem to have landed on runways of obscurity. Thanks for the Danny photo. I was up all night trying to copy Jinky’s technique and ended up going to Jury’s in a string vest. I know the wee man was good, but he must have got himself in a real knot with Danny’s tongue twisters.
Imagine! There are more happenings in Ibroxopia. Exhaustive story does not sit easily in that place. There is a definite hankering for going on and on and on. ‘n there’s more, there’s more! Is that not a Cricket catchphrase? Cricket? Now there’s a thought for a blue blooded entrepreneur looking for new ideas.
I see Wilshere has confirmed that the football brain is universal!
Quiz: I have to admit the only common them is the red cards at Ibrox but that seems too simple. But then, it is football and what did I just say abou Wilshere?
Welcome back!
H H
Quiz, they have all lost money in dodgy investments, they all scored lots of goals for Celtic except Lennon. they are all legends, they all scored at ipox, Frankie boy scored the same amount away from football as the other two scored at football.
Great stuff once again Ralph, keep up the good work
HH