Who says the days of drinking and womanising for top footballers are over ?

Johansens enthusiastic tackle

Oh, I may have misunderstood the original headline.

An international incident was avoided last night when Johansen offered to shake Bulgarian coach Luboslav Penev by the hand after the Celtic midfielder had shook his spine with a crunching slide tackle during last nights Euro qualifier. Penev moved one of his legs out of the way, but the hoops favourite-he is now-took no notice and just got the other one. There was a bit of a rammy afterwards, but that was the Stefan Johansen that Neil Lennon signed in full flow, and not the one we’ve been watching this season. Anyway, if the midfielder is back, he’s getting a big welcome from me.

The interweb is alive with rumours of a rekindled interest from Arsenal in Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk. Gregory Iodannis, the sports lawyer and agent reckons Manchester Utd are in for a defender this January, and Virgil himself still hasn’t unpacked the cases he packed the night before Ronny told him to sit down because he wasn’t going anywhere…..

If you are thinking of buying him a Christmas present, or sending him a card, it might be worth pretending you couldn’t find one that he would have liked.

The Bath Chronicle, not , incidentally a plumbing magazine, sums it up best;

Arsenal and Manchester United will go head-to head in January over £8million Celtic defender Virgil van Dijk.

Reports in Scotland say Gunners boss Arsene Wenger had Van Dijk scouted during Celtic’s recent Europa League match against Dinamo Zagreb and is ready to sanction a move.

As Van Dijk is both a centre-half and Dutch, United have also inevitably been linked with the 23-year-old. 

An Arsenal blogger on Soccersouls has already made his mind up;

Come on Wenger Just Do it!

£8million For This Top Dutch Talent Is A Steal

Scotland face Poland tonight in Warsaw, and with two games in the campaign already completed, the Scots are in the novel position of still having something to play for this far into a competition.

Manager Gordon Strachan thinks that it will be a difficult game, there will be a lot of surprises further on in the campaign  and would have said something else but he couldn’t read the rest of his SFA prepared statement because he forgot his glasses.

What has become apparent , but played down a little by those at Hampden, is that buying a house in Poland, adopting Polish citizenship and moving over there would , in fact , have been cheaper than taking two kids to the Georgia game and getting them a burger.

Something to work on there for the SFA. Obviously if someone can afford to take two kids to a Scotland game they should be asking him to sponsor the league, as he clearly is listed somewhere in Forbes magazines Richest 100.

A good result in Poland will at least keep interest in the tournament, something, that quite frankly, Scotland fans are simply not used to.

Another former manager, Neil Lennon has given his first post-training session meal at his new club Bolton Wanderers;

We hear someone was hanging around outside the room…

Things can only get better for the Lancashire club, as they have had a poor start to the season. Still, Lennon has thirty five games to turn it around, but will be disappointed that Ally Mccoist is not in charge at any of the other clubs.

Lennon will be missed at Celtic, he did have a special place in his heart for the club, but perhaps its good that he’s moved on. Especially with statements like this;

I think it’s important that Rangers come back and there’s that balance again, of Celtic-Rangers games. 

They can’t come back. They died.

Honestly, how many times…. ?

“I think that’s been missed for a couple of seasons now – that edge, the competitiveness that all competitors need.

“There are some great competitors at Celtic who need that stimulus week in, week out.  

As expected, someone asked him about Ronny Deila.

“Once Ronny Deila finds his feet and gets a bit of time to implement what he does then the club will be very successful. They’re the dominant team in Scotland, and I’m pretty sure the club have picked the right man to take Celtic forward.”

And he finally put a lid on the MSM engineered row over his way of doing things in the kitchen….

“I think Ronny just wants to implement his own ways in terms of diet.

“The diet at Celtic was pretty good and I think Ronny’s just trying to eke out a little more.

“I don’t think he was critical of my regime or players. I think he just wants to put his own stamp on the club.” 

 And there it should finish.

Although Lennon explained what was actually said….

 “At the time I was speaking about Rio Ferdinand’s book where he talked about David Moyes stopping chips at Manchester United.

“All I said was if players are happy and playing well then what’s the problem with a few chips or a glass of Coke? It wasn’t a jibe at Ronny Deila.” 

 No, it probably wasn’t.

Roy Keane has another book out-you might have seen it mentioned somewhere. The latest snippet concerns training days at Celtic….

You’d get changed at Celtic Park and you’d get in your car and drive to the training ground up the road. It’s different now but this was when I played.

“The biggest challenge was whose car were we going in. We’d be sitting in the dressing room and someone would say: ‘Whose turn is it?’

“Because after training you’d have to drive back and nine time out of ten the rain was p****** down so a gang of players would be getting in your car, covered in muck.

“I enjoyed that, the bit of banter. You would hear things like ‘Listen lads, I’ve a Bentley. Nobody’s getting into it with their f****** boots on.

“I had the United car for the first few weeks so I invited everyone into the back of it, boots as well.

“I got to know the lads in the car. I’d go with Dion Dublin, or Stiliyan Petrov. We’d only be in the car for five minutes but we’d have the crack.” 

 All this talk of crack and Coke. No wonder Ronny is changing things.

Richard Gough, who used to play for the now defunct Rangers, who were liquidated in 2012, showed his business acumen in the North east Chronicle, when he was asked his thoughts on potential investment in the new club by Mike Ashley, who is still reeling from a dozen or so new club supporters crowding his shops on saturday. Apparently, according to some rather hopeful hacks, Ashley is involved in a head to head with Dave King for control of the new club, which is stuttering along with the usual financial problems.

 “Does it have to be that way?

“Is there no way these two businessmen can work together for the benefit or Rangers? 

He’s right, its always better when theres two of them.

“The Newcastle owner appears to have watertight retail contracts at Ibrox and is obviously out to make money.

“It’s in everyone’s best interests that Rangers are back in the Champions League as soon as possible.

Except for the European cities that will have to host them….

“I’m positive about that.

“He has a plan and will invest the cash if he gets the chance.” 

 “Charles Green’s Rangers legacy has been handing over these lucrative contracts to Ashley.

Oh, I think we’ll remember him for a few other things…

“The Englishman is not going anywhere and by calling for an EGM and trying to remove Graham Wallace, he’s clearly out to make his presence felt.” 

Or just keep his name in the papers to distract from the arse he’s made of things at Newcastle.

And if you think Gough is talking shite, heres what Sky summariser and soup addict Davie Provan thinks;

 “Am I missing something with Mike Ashley?

“He wiped Newcastle’s debt out, handed them £130million interest free and backed Alan Pardew beyond reason.

“Yet the billionaire’s money isn’t welcome at Ibrox? 

Another billionaire ! The way they go chucking their money around its surprising they’ve any money left. And they all sem to be wanting a piece of the action at Ibrox…

“Sure, Ashley can see there’s money to be made from Rangers merchandising but rich men usually want some bang for their buck.

Its not the merchandising these people are making money from……

“At Man City, Sheikh Mansour bought the club and renamed the stadium just to promote Etihad Airlines.

“Try finding a City fan complaining.” 

Have a wander round Manchester. You’ll find more than a few.

More disappointment, on a personal note.

When I got home last night the wife was away at some aerobics class or other, and on the bed was a dress clearly marked Mylene Klass on the label where the name goes. I looked everywhere for her, but unfortunately, it appears I’m the only person who writes his name on his clothes, and its in fact the brand name of the garment. Which is a shame. As you can imagine, my imagination was working overtime…. especially as I could hear the shower on.

Turns out one of my sons was getting ready to go out, and I’ve wasted a tenner on some flowers and a bottle of wine.

Wee teaser again today-who is this guy, and what is he remembered for amongst those of us old enough to remember ?