Celtic Diary Tuesday October 21: Normal Service Resumed

So, did anything happen while I was away ?

I managed to catch the Ross County game in a bar in one of those Spanish towns that featured heavily in the Spaghetti westerns of the sixties, but the heat had forced an excessive intake of liquids which in turn led to an extended afternoon siesta that lasted until Sunday morning.

As far as I can see, Celtic -who were 4-0 up when the urge to rest overtook me- put in one of their best performances under Ronny Deila, and I distinctly remember John Guidetti and Anthony Stokes in particular doing well. From the comments about the game on here added to thursday Diary, then it looks like it was a good day at the office.

Kris Commons didn’t start, but Stefan Johansen put in a good shift in that role, which simply shows that the players are flexible. Maybe because they are all starting to get the hang of the system it allows for them to be more adaptable.

We’ll wait and see. But a good run over the next couple of weeks, and performances like the one in the highlands will see a lot of knives being put back into the drawer.

Attention now shifts to Thursday Europa game against Astra Giurgui, who I am perfectly sure was the singer at another bar I visited on Saturday.

But we’ll work that one out tomorrow.

Lukasz Zaluska was the victim of one of those sneaky Punch A Big Guy and Run Like Fuck attacks in the west end of Glasgow the other night.

The Pole was walking back to a taxi with his wife when the incident took place, and some papers are claiming that there were two assailants. And that they were both “Premiership “players, which initially caused some confusion, as the SPL is also called the Premiership these days because no-one at the SFA could think of another name for the new entity.

We shouldn’t be surprised at that, they still refer to the new club operating out of Ibrox as Rangers.

A witness told the Daily Record what he saw…

“Zaluska was walking up the lane with his wife when this player walked up to him and punched him full force on the side of the head.

“Zaluska was completely stunned but found his bearings and started questioning what was going on.

“But the guy just punched him again, straight in the face this time. Zaluska’s face exploded.” 

It happened in Ashton Lane, which is where Neil Lennon was attacked by a couple of Rangers fans in 2008, who were subsequently jailed

 As for who hit Zaluska, One or two names have been hinted at, and the police have someone in for questioning. One player cannot be named for legal reasons-I’d love to know what these reasons actually are, in case the video evidence-the place has cctv

Etims doesn’t go in for tittle tattle or rumours, so we’ll leave it there until more conclusive stories emerge.

Completely unrelated, here is a picture of Glenn Quagmire, from the popular cartoon series “Family Guy ”

Who appeared to be in this picture from another tabloid today

But no conclusions should be drawn from that.

Speaking of crime and criminality, Oscar Pistorious has been given five years for killing his girlfriend, ten months of which will be served in jail, and the rest under house arrest, presumably if they can find somewhere to put the electronic tag.

Making him serve four years at home could come back to haunt the authorities, especially if he has any pals staying over for the night.

The moves over at Ibrox to found someone else to fleece the support have continued. Tax fraudster Dave King is still in talks with the Sevco board, and manager Ally Mccoist is already looking forward to a £16m cash injection, which is what the press are saying will immediately become available.

Although, of course, they are a little more vague about where it will come from.

Still, at least we know where it will go.

Bill MacMurdo, the son of Bill MacMurdo , the football agent, has started the campaign to alter the rules on promotion from the First Division ( or the championship, or whatever its called. whats wrong with just calling them 1,2,3 and 4 is beyond me ). He claims that the top divisions managers are scared that Second Rangers won’t make promotion….

My sources also tell me that there is a state of virtual panic among Premiership Chairpersons at the prospect of Rangers not managing to obtain promotion this season.

There has been much discussion and handwringing over the matter and it is considered to be an unthinkable possibility, so dire is the state of the game without Rangers being in the top tier.

It has to be said that Celtic are likely to be among those fearful at the prospect of another season without the Blue Pound. The Parkhead club are between a rock and a hard place with former boss Neil Lennon already making noises about swooping in for his former players. Celtic will have to sell, you would think but this will further weaken the squad and dissipate the competitive edge of the team.

 If the club, from Desmond through Lawwell and the board down to the management and players do think this, and it is possible, then they won’t be able to give season books away next season.

Which reminds me, any sign of a living wage yet ? FC United of Manchester have done it, becoming the first in the country.

United were formed by supporters who didn’t want to be associated with the soulless corporate monstrosoity that mow plays out of Old Trafford.

Hang on, if the Celtic support were to form a new club, would the authorities allow us to enter Division 4 ?

Daft as it may seem, it wouldn’t take long for a well run outfit with a massive support to play its way through the leagues with a young team and promising manager.

Just a thought.

After all, if Celtic go down the corporate route, and contninue to neglect on field achievements in favour of the balance sheet, then it might not become as daft an idea as it forst sounds.