Celtic Diary Saturday September 27: Celts To Kick Off A Good Weekend !

It all depends on how you look at things.

For instance, a woman in Bournemouth has just retired from the Post Office after 41 years without taking a day off sick. Friends say she was deicated, while her co-workers will remember her as that cow who kept giving them the flu.

And so it is with the management team of Ronny and Jonny.

Some supporters cannot see what they are trying to do, while others are prepared to give them time to implement their long term strategy of getting players fitter and stronger , thus enabling the team to perform at a higher and more consistent level.

But it seems the majority think they are a pair  diddies.

Diddies or not, they are in the job, and when theres a game on, its our job to support them. Websites, pubs and buses to the game are the places for moaning, while at the ground we should sing, cheer and applaud the good stuff.

Paisley or Sky Sports One is the place to see todays game, when the hoops play St. Mirren, who are second bottom with just three points from six matches. These were gained at the expense of a Friday night game at Firhill last week, and showed that they may well have turned the corner, but the same Partick side put them out of the League Cup a few days later to quash any feelgood factor.

Incredibly, this is the Buddies first home match this month, which might go some way to explaining their run of poor results, and if things weren’t bad enough for new boss Tommy Craig, he’s had the vote of confidence from Celtic assistant boss John Collins;

‘I had lots of good coaches and Tommy was the best coach I worked with, he taught me so much as a young player.

‘I have huge respect for him as a coach and as a person. He has a difficult job at St Mirren, lots of new players, players going out the door, key players, in the summer, not a lot of money to spend.

‘He’s had a difficult start but they got their first league win the other week so that lifts them off the bottom. I’ll have a small chat before the game and a good chat after the game but at the end of the day it’s about us doing our job and winning, we need three points and a good performance.’

‘I say that 100 per cent, he was a huge influence on my career. I was a young boy, desperate to learn, desperate to be pushed and Tommy is a training ground coach who loves getting boys out on a training pitch morning and afternoon and working on their weaknesses.

‘That was exactly what I needed, I loved a coach who would push me all the time. Anybody who has been on a training pitch with Tommy will tell you his sessions are organised, high tempo, and you never go on the pitch just to pass time. You go on the pitch to sweat and to get better.’

The two worked together at Hibernian, and its fairly easy to spot similarities between the two in their desire to test players limits. Here, for instance, Collins teaches defender Virgil van Dijk how to pick his nose whilst resting one foot on a ball.

Collins also spoke of his plans for today;

“The target is consistency, if you’re watching us week in, week out, we have played well.

“We finished the game well against Hearts. We looked stronger and fitter and we are looking for the same today but it takes time. We’re not magicians.” 

Perhaps not, but a defeat today and he and his pal might well be advised to ring David Copperfield and ask him to make them the stars of his next disappearing trick.

 Theres no reason to expect anything other than a win today. St. Mirren are struggling, still finding their feet under a new boss, working to fit the players around the style demanded by the new boss, and have struggled to find any sort of consistency.

 Whereas Celtic…..

 Anyway, its time to see if we can predict the line up again. With Dynamo Zagreb coming to Glasgow next Thursday, will a couple of key players be rested ? Or will the consistency Collins is looking for be attained by keepeing a consistent line up ?

 Lets ask him…..

“In terms of rotation it’s about getting the balance right. We don’t want to be chopping and changing too much.

“We have rotated the squad a little bit but it has been through a bit of necessity with players struggling with injuries, but the players are much fitter now and it’s important we get consistency in selection.

“The players now know what’s expected of them and know their individual role within the team.

“The players are aware of exactly what’s required and they have been working hard on the training pitch and it’s about taking it from the training pitch into the matches.

“We see progress being made all over the pitch in every department.” 

That seems to suggest it will be an unchanged side this afternoon, which would mean that the players have a chance to settle a bit more. Stokes and Izagueere played well together in the week, but there is a worry it may leave the left flank open to counter attacks.

John Guidetti got on the score sheet, and looked the part, but he’s ineligible for Thursday, so should he be left out and Stefan Scepovic get a start ? And hopefully, a pass or a cross aimed towards him.

Left to me, it would be Craig Gordon, Efe Ambrose Virgil van Dijk, Jason Denayer, Emilio Izaguerre; Then his two midfielders of Scott Brown and Stefan Johansen, leaving Kris Commons , Anthony Stokes  and Wakaso Mubarak to supply Stefan Scepovic.

Which, if all play to their abilities , should see a convincing win that would put a spring in our steps for the rest of the weekend. Calum MacGregor is knackered, and needs a break. Guidetti can’t play on Thursday, and bearing in mind that Deila rested players before the Hearts game, there is every chance he could priritise this one as well.

Actually, I’ve got no idea who he will pick, and have a far better chance of getting the six numbers right tonight.

St. Mirren striker Calum Ball is confident, not only of getting a result against Celtic, but against Aberdeen in their next game.;

“We have been unlucky and not getting the points. On Friday we came out at half-time and showed our spirit and got the win.

“We have two big games coming up but I feel we can get four, possibly six, points out of those two games because we’ve got the players and the ability. It’s just been the luck. In most games we have been on top and getting done in the last few minutes.

“If we can repeat the second half against Partick Thistle, I think we can beat any team in the league. We worked hard as a unit and dug in and pressed well.

“If we play like that against Celtic I feel we can give them a good run for their money and put them under pressure, and hopefully nick three points.

“It’s nice to play a big team like Celtic. You can show them what you can do and show other people because it’s live on Sky as well. I feel we can get three points.” 

Bless him.

 Elsewhere, Leigh Griffiths still isn’t going to Hibernian, presumably their second offer to pay some of his wages wasn’t good enough either.

And once again , Celtic have put the fans first by moving the Hamilton game next Sunday to a 1pm kick off. With a little over a weeks notice.

I wouldn’t book any flights, buses or time off work until Sunday morning, and then ring the ground to check they haven’t changed it again.

No reason was given, although the club did say they had spoken to supporters groups. Presumably the ones who live fifteen minutes walk from the ground.

Former Celt Alan Stubbs has expressed his concern about the referee for his sides upcoming clash with Second Rangers.

We can reveal the source of his worry, after we were given a diary, from which we obtained the following extract.

Deep into injury time at Ibrox, I managed to get in the way of a Macloed through ball. It cannoned off me into the path of Kenny Miller, who crashed it beyond a despairing keeper to secure a draw. I was overjoyed, I took off my shirt and ran towards the adoring crowd. It was only then I remembered to blow the whistle . 

He might have a point.

That was Dr. Jo Venglos in the picture yesterday, during his time with the Czech national team, where he had hidden from the view ( actually winning the European Nations cup with them, ) of the Daily Records football experts, before joining Celtic years later and bringing us the “unknown ” Lubomir Moravcik.

Venglos himself was heralded with this sort of headline

And Moravcik ?

Well, the experts lined up to give us their informed opinion….

“I don’t know what I find more laughable; the fact that Celtic cannot find £500,000 from their biscuit tin to sign a proven talent like John Spencer, or the fact that they then spent £300,000 on one of Dr. Jo’s old pals, the unknown Lubomir Moravcik!” 
Hugh Keevins (journo), Sunday Mail; Nov 1998 (How wrong can any journalist be?)

“Josef Venglos will live to regret his decision to play this unknown Slovakian ahead of Mark Burchill in such a vital Old Firm Game.”
Derek Johnstone, Lubomir Moravcik scored twice as Rangers were destroyed 5-1. (1998)  

“If anything the signing of Lubomir Moravcik at a cut price has merely caused them further embarrassment.”
Jim Traynor (journo) on Celtic buying Lubo, another journo wrong (1998)  

They should have listened to Venglos, who said this of the gifted midfielder..

”He has played on the right side of midfield and on the left, has vast experience internationally and I am sure he will work well with the top players at this club.”  

Which , it has to be said is a bit of an understatement.

Right, thats the feelgood feeling started, all we need now is a win to set us up for a good weekend.

And to continue the little glow in our hearts, whats going on here ?