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Celtic Diary Saturday October 3: Ain’t So Bad !

Yesterdays diary may not have been the most cheerful you’ll ever read, but it was a reflection of how I feel about the way the club is going. It wasn’t just the Fenerbahce game, it was the previous two European encounters as well.

 

They followed a pattern, celtic were in front, had the opportunity to win ( I’m counting the Malmo two games as one tie ) and then, rather than build on what we had, or at the very least try to hang on to it, we threw it all away.

Negligence ?

Well, taking in the bigger picture, it’s also the way the club seems to be run. Every time we feel like we have a team that can make an impact, we don’t throw it away, we sell it.

It’s frustrating.

Is it a lack of ambition, or simply a dose of reality.

An American student was asked the other day what he wanted to be when he left college. His reply ?

“Alive . ”

I’d like to think the club is a little more ambitious than him.

Every time we take a step forward, we take two back, and unless there’s a radical change in policy, then we are forever doomed to repeat this cycle until we finally decide that maybe this year I’ll try something else on a Saturday.

However, we all know how fickle the author is, so no doubt a win over Molde , however unlikely that may seem just now, and everything will be well again, and we can start looking at potential opponents in the knock out stages.

Maybe it’s because some of us still think we should be amongst the “big boys ” and competing at the highest level that we get so disappointed when it doesn’t happen.

Sure, money has changed the way the game is these days, but you only have to look at the performances of English ( well, they play in England ) teams in the opening UCL games to show that it isn’t the only factor involved. It’s a major one, granted, but not the most important one.

In the worldwide game, there’s news this morning that four major sponsors have told Sepp Blatter he should step down. In an extension of how national governments work, footballs governing body is now being told what to do by sponsors.

Of course, they sponsor the World cup, which is currently free to view, so there’s obviously no conflict of interest there.

Anyhoo, Celtic are off to Hamilton tomorrow, and nothing short of a convincing win is desired. Aberdeen still lead Celtic in this so-called one horse race, and further slip ups need to be avoided.

If you are anywhere near the Lanarkshire town, and you can get to the game, you should make a day of it. I went last year, and have to say the pubs, the pies and the patter were fantastic, and I’m a little dismayed I’ll be missing it this time round.

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There’s nothing to beat an away game in a partisan crowd where you are close enough to touch the players, and fortunately, Emilio Izaguirre decided not to press charges.

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However, Wednesday was my ( alright , our ) twentieth wedding anniversayr, and I forgot. As I do every bloody year. The twentieth should be celebrated with gifts of China, and she fittingly lobbed a few plates in my direction when I got in from work.

So I won’t be at the game this weekend. Or any other weekend , though there really was no need for her to use that sort of language.

Anyhoo, Manager Deila faces a dilemma tomorrow.

Will he put his faith in Efe Ambrose, who apart from one obvious mistake, has been excellent in the last few games, or will he go with a proper centre half ?

Only kidding. I’m still not entirely sure that Ambrose was fully responsible for the howler against Fener, but he certainly played a big part in it.

Fingers can be pointed elsewhere, but ultimately it was Efe who made an arse of the header, but as Kris Commons said afterwards;

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I’m quite sure that those comments weren’t the general gist of what was said at half time, but it’s a fair point. Ambrose was playing well before the goal, and he played well after it.

Despite what Ronny added, I’ve a feeling that there may have been harsher words;

 “Efe has played a lot of games for me. If I see people develop they have my confidence. But if they make the same mistakes over and over again we have issues.

“One year ago he was making more mistakes than he does now. He is much calmer on the ball and doesn’t take so many risks with the ball.

“I am not afraid of playing him. He knows he is in progress and he feels good because he knows he has played well over time. He was very sorry about the mistake on Thursday but every player makes mistakes.

“He needs to move on from it, learn from it and follow up the progress he has been making because 98 per cent of his game on Thursday was very good.

“But with Efe – and I say this all the time to him – his biggest task is concentration. He has issues with easy mistakes that we have to get sorted.

“He is only 26 years old and also off the pitch he is a very good person to have in the squad. He always works 100 per cent in training. He always stands behind the team and supports the team and that is important. He knows what he has to work on and he enjoys working and seeing the improvement.

“Now he is very disappointed but he will get over it and move on.”

 Just his tough luck to be the scapegoat again. He needs a run in the team, he needs the support of players and supporters, and I’m convinced we’ve got a top class defender in there somewhere.

( Tell him to say Aaahhh and we can have a look for one. )

Maybe it’s time to give Craig Gordon a break as well. Some would argue he’s not as confident as he was last season, staying on his line when it would seem a better idea to come out, and moving out of the way of shots when the obvious decision would be to try to get in front of them.

But if we are to recapture the solidity of last years back five, then ronny needs to pick his players and stick with them. The lack of consistency may well be half the problem when it comes to the throwing away of games in Europe.

Gordon, Lustig, Ambrose, Boyata and Izaguirre need to play together as often as possible. The understudies, Janko, Simunovic, Blackett and Tierney should be used , but only to rest players in the last half hour or so. Then they can all get to know each other, trust each other and play for each other.

The midfield two pick themselves, but there is debate over Rogic or Johansen. Commons or Armstrong. Mackay Steven or Forrest.

Here Ronny needs to go with form players. As he does with Griffiths over Ciftci.

Which means the following should line up at New Douglas Park tomorrow;

Gordon, Lustig, Ambrose, Boyata, Izaguirre, Brown, Biton, Commons, Rogic, Forrest, Griffiths.

If there is a need for Johansen to play, then shunt him out wide. Now that we have finally discovered a playmaker, the offensive part of the team should be built around him, and Rogic will only get better as he gets fitter and more confident of his place in the team.

Elsewhere, this appeared in the Norwegian press this week…

Celtic vurderer Leke James

Skottene så nigerianeren forrige helg mot Tromsø. 

Det er liten tvil om at Leke James er den mest attraktive spilleren AaFK har slik situasjonen er nå. Nigerianeren har scoret fem mål på de sju siste seriekampene og står med ti seriemål totalt denne sesongen.

Da AaFK møtte Tromsø forrige helg satt Celtic-speider Øyvind C. Johansen på tribunen for å følge med på 22-åringen. Det har Sunnmørsposten fått bekreftet.

Aalesund og tre strake trøstemål på straffe 

– Min jobb som Celtic sin skandinaviske representant innebærer at jeg skal ha oversikt over de beste spillerne i denne regionen. Jeg er overbevist over at det er flere spillere i eliteserien som kunne klart seg på et høyere nivå, skriver speideren i en e-post.

Han svarer ikke på spørsmålet om han var der for å se på nigerianeren. Slik Sunnmørsposten forstår det kjenner Leke James selv til at den skotske klubben følger med på det han gjør.

Nigerianerens kontrakt med AaFK går ut etter neste sesong. Det kan bety at klubben må vurdere å selge han etter sesongen for å kunne sitte igjen med en god slump penger. Sannsynligheten for at 22-åringen skriver en ny kontrakt, er svært, svært små.

– Hva synes du om at en klubb som Celtic følger deg?

– Det viser at jeg har gjort noe positivt og at ting går stadig bedre for meg. Det er positivt for min karriere, sier han til smp.no.

– Kan du være interessert i en overgang til Celtic?

– Det er noe jeg må ta stilling til når den muligheten eventuelt dukker opp, sier han.

Nigerianeren sier han bare må vente og se på spørsmål om han ønsker å forlate klubben etter sesongen

Var ettertraktet i sommer

I sommer skrev Sunnmørsposten at klubber fra Russland, Tyrkia, Kina, Nederland, Tyskland, Israel, Belgia og Nederland tidligere har speidet på Leke James.

Kampen som må vinnes 

Interessen var i en periode stor fra den kinesiske klubben Guangzhou R & F, som er samme klubben som kjøpte Abderrazzaq Hamed.

Den gangen skal prislappen på nigerianeren ha vært på tre millioner euro, som med dagens kurs tilsvarer rundt 28,5 millioner kroner. 

Which, as anyone knows, means…. well, there or thereabouts, anyway;

Scots as a Nigerian, last weekend against Tromsø.

There is little doubt that Toy James is the most attractive player AaFK have the current situation.

Nigeria he has scored five goals in his last seven league games and stands with ten league goals in total this season.

When AaFK met Tromsø last weekend put Celtic scout Øyvind C. Johansen the stands to follow the 22-year-old.

It has Sunnmørsposten confirmed.

Aalesund and three straight consolation penalty – My job as Celtic’s Scandinavian representative means that I’ll have an overview of the best players in this region. I am convinced that there are more players in the premier league that could clearly at a higher level, writes scout in an e-mail.

He does not answer the question whether he was there to watch nigeria opportunity.

How Sunnmørsposten understand it knows Leke James himself that the Scottish club watching what he does.

Nigerians contract with AaFK expires after next season. It could mean that the club should consider selling his post-season in order to be left with a goodly sum of money.

The likelihood that the 22-year-old writes a new contract, is very, very small.

– What do you think about that a club like Celtic follows you? – It shows that I’ve done something positive and that things are going better and better for me. It is positive for my career, says he

smp.no. – Can you be interested in a move to Celtic? – It’s something I have to consider when the opportunity may emerge, he says. Nigeria he says he just has to wait and see questions if he wants to leave the club after season

Was sought after in summer

This summer Sunnmørsposten that clubs from Russia, Turkey, China, Netherlands, Germany, Israel, Belgium and the Netherlands have previously scouted the Leke James.

The battle that must be won

Interest was in a period of great Chinese club Guangzhou R & F, which is the same club that bought Abderrazzaq Hamed. At that time, the price tag of a Nigerian, have been at three million euros, which with the current rate corresponds to about 28.5 million kroner.

Peter Lawwell saw the bit that said 28.5 million;

Now, my norwegian translation may leave a little to be desired, like someone else to translate it for me, but it appears that Celtic are after a striker-who can score goals-and notice something else. It’s not the usual scout who is watching him, it’s one of Ronny’s crew…

And now, for JimtheTim, a birthday story, to cheer him, and everyone else, i suppose, a little after the traumatic events of this week.

The Daily Record decided to finally run with the transcript of a conversation between Imran Ahmed and Malcolm Murray, the then chairman of Second Rangers, which pretty much showed who was in charge at Ibrox. ( hint-it wasn’t the chairman)

If you cast your mind back a bit, these tapes-and others- were all freely available on the web, courtesy of charlotte Fakeover.

So why run them now ?

Well, it absolutely cannot be because Charles Green has a deal with the club to pay his legal fees, which could run into millions, and that could put the Warburton miracle in jeopardy due to a little cash flow problem.

No. no chance.

I mean, how could reporting on a sub judice story be deemed as influencing a trial, especially when the press were specifically warned about it.

would that mean all charges would be dropped, as Green would argue he couldn’t get a fair trial, and would it absove Second Rangers of paying his legal fees ?

Or even if they did have to pay, perhaps relieved that all the bodies in the story remain buried, could they not then claim insolvency,and merely start all over again, with Green the scapegoat ?

And wasn’t there some provision in the changes made after the last time they went down that they wouldn’t have to start again at the bottom ?

Paranoid ?

We weren’t paranoid enough the last time.

Let’s keep an eye on them this time.

 

Caption competiton, oh go on then…..

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fin49
8 years ago

Efe is suspended tomorrow, who will take his place?
Blackett and Boyata are our only two centre-halfs who are not carrying an injury.
Perhaps Ronnie might play Lustig at centre-half and Janko(if he has recovered) at right back.

Monti
8 years ago
Reply to  fin49

Morning Fin,

I’d play: Bailly, Janko,Lustig,Boyata,Tierney,
Forrest,Commons,Bitton,Brown,

Griffiths Ciftci

Carntyne
8 years ago
Reply to  Monti

Ciftci…fucking non scoring striker that makes Amido Balde look prolific?…

Yet havin’ a laugh!…

Monti
8 years ago
Reply to  Carntyne

Carntyne,
How many minutes has Ciftci played for Celtic?
Surely he has to be given a chance?

charlie
8 years ago

the thug says are you the auld bast’rd that says mr warburton hisnae got a majic hat

pensionerbhoy
8 years ago

Ralph

You are upbeat this morning but still clutching on to straws of despair. I need to educate you on the significance of our blip years approximately 1966 to 1973. The rest are par for the course so why are you worried? Ach, I forgot you’re only a wean even if you wear long trousers now. Haw, and get that hair cut!!! 🙂

Auld guy getting the hook at a Labour Party conference a few years back if my memory serves me right. It rarely does. I think he told the speaker – not sure who – he was talking what we politely refer to as shite about the reasons for the Iraq war. I think he was an German Jew who had been in a concentration camp or maybe he was just put there by the Nazis because he was a bit of a radical. That is what put the jitters up Labour and he was only a visitor not a member.

Now, you see, Ralph, what worries me is you might be in the same situation when you next visit the Celtic board and you might be camp but I don’t believe you were ever in one 🙂
Get the auld Andrews out for Sunday and partake or should that be Partick.

H H

pensionerbhoy
8 years ago
Reply to  pensionerbhoy

Oh and by the way, if it is the NB Sports board keep ye’r jaecket on cause their big bruisers will have you oot the door afore ye’r bum hits the leather chair.

H H

Steve Naive
8 years ago

Good, sensible comments on Efe. Well dodgy to say the least on the American College ‘gag’. Better than that Ralph.

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago

If you look at the history of most of the top Clubs in Europes elite competition a common thread connects them all…
Continuity and building a side.
Very few have built a side over a Season and had instant success it tends to take 3-5 years of fine tuning to achieve genuine success.
I have said this many times we have been hamstrung in Scotland by our financial situation and the death of our biggest rival and money maker outside of European Cup Competition.
As a result our Board have taken measures to change the way we traditionally approached the issue of competing at the top table.
We used to buy in genuine quality,ready made players who were good to go so to speak.
Seldom did we sell for profit if at all the mindset was keep the talent and build a side round it if we could afford it.
Therein lay the catch in doing so Under O’Neils reign we built up some large debt.
With Rangers in the equation that debt was manageable and serviced but like all debt there comes a time when you have to start clearing it.
The implosion at Ibrox brought that need forward action had to be taken.
The Board subsequently adopted the Porto type approach where you buy in upcoming Potential from obscurity,bring it on quicker and subsequently put it in the biggest shop window in Football.
It is a sustainable model but unlike Porto Celtic don’t have easy access to an Portuguese Speaking Brazil like them where there is a real depth of talent even in the lower Leagues.
Porto managed to balance the buy to sell setup whilst maintaining a genuinely quality squad throughout.
They made a killing over a decade doing it.
Other Clubs soon caught on though and they too have since adopted the same approach.
Meanwhile in Scotland there has been a bit of lull in quality within our own boders nothing by comparison to yesteryear when no end of quality young scots emerged and made their mark.
So as a result pickings at home have become slim,our spending has had to reduce to service our debt (over £15m has been cleared in 4 years) and our Team has almost had to be rebuilt every 18month or so due to the quality being sold on.
None of this is conducive to having a settled side built up slowly over time that will be successful in Europe.
Sure we had one Glorious Season in 5 where the start aligned and we took them on punching well over our weight but ultimately Juventus knocked us clean out in the end and we have never fully recovered from the blow.
Until a modicum of stability is reached within our Domestic setup and our Debt (£14.4m at the last count August 2014)is finally cleared we will not see a return to building and retaining a Celtic side able to achieve much in Europe.
Don’t get me wrong here I want a quality Celtic team,I want what Monti(Just an example bud nothing personal) and the rest want but I know until these fundamental factors change we are where we are..
A mediocre Europa League outfit capable of punching you out if your not careful and not on your game.
Fan perception varies some see us as a Big Club in the big scheme of things ,others like myself don’t.
As a result they will never keep us all happy.

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

stars aligned’

Monti
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

Charlie Saiz,
” you don’t see Celtic as a big club in the big scheme of things “?

That is the biggest load of shite I’ve heard in a long time….but it does explain why you tow the party line.

8 years ago
Reply to  Monti

LOL 🙂

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago
Reply to  Monti

What party line is that then?
Do expand beyond the usual pathetic insult.

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

Must be really expansive this answer quite looking forward to it…. still waiting 😉

class of 88
8 years ago

Saw warbo in Tam shepherds returning a hat claiming it’s not majic any more, the guy offered an exchange. look out for a new pair of majic brogues today.

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago

As for your Diaries Ralph you post them Daily bud and they are on the whole a cracking read so don’t be to hard on yersel because you have come across a certain way after a result.
It’s akin to sticking a mic in front of a Manager post defeat minutes after the whistle has blown.
Emotion generally takes over and things get said that you might keep in on any other given day.
Shite happens bud and we are only human.
Losing a game is never easy.

8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

Hear Hear Charlie. I’d be lost without my daily dose of the diary. Although I only started posting recently I’ve read it for ages.

Keep your chin up Ralphie bhoy.

8 years ago

Have to agree with your comments re Craig Gordon,I think he needs to be rested and Bailey given a run.I think Craig has gone off the boil this year and probably needs to be challenged for No 1 shirt.HH

Macca
8 years ago

“He is in progress” Ronnies view of Efe. In progress??? In permanent decline more like.

“He needs to move on from it” No, he needs to move on Ronnie, and btw, feel free to get in the taxi with him.

Sorry guys, not buying this morning’s optimism and 5 against Hamilton wont make it better.Whilst the Clib might be in good shape financially the team is a shambles. No settled back four, a midfield overcrowded with average (and below average) journeymen. We have a decent striker in Griffiths but a team incapable of gettimg the ball into his feet. As for the bench..Ronnie, Collins Kennedy….

Monti
8 years ago

” I want six out of six from Mode ” – Stefan Johansen.

You just can’t stop the quotes coming out of Celtic park at the minute.

On you go Stefan, you fire up the opposition son….

Can someone tell him to fucking button it!!

Monti
8 years ago
Reply to  Monti

Molde!

8 years ago

Ronny has been talking about the Hamilton defeat a year ago. “We has 12 big chances”

Seems like nothing changes, if there is one thing that has characterised Ronnys teams it is that, loads of chances not taken.

Falkirk have jut equalised 🙂

8 years ago

had

8 years ago
Reply to  Jimthetim

just. Can’t type to save myself.

8 years ago

Liam Hendersn just scored for Hibs.

el_guapo
8 years ago

Great diary as per usual, Ralph. One thing I would disagree with, though, is that money isn’t the most important factor in modern football. It absolutely is and it’s worth remembering that clubs like Chelsea and Man City wouldn’t be anywhere near the Champions league without it never mind progressing to the latter stages. In my opinion it has killed the game which is shown by the fact that it would be a bit of a shock if anyone outside of Barca, Real or Bayern won the Champions league. Right now it is literally impossible for us to get to that level. It’s sobering but it’s a fact.
The other depressing thing is that we will constantly go through this cycle of making it to the group stages before falling short for a couple of years with our current “business model”(a fucking horrible term). In the long run I think we have to bring through more of our own players and hope we can keep them for longer than our foreign signings. Though I think this will require a higher level of coaching than there has been for the past 15 or so years because, even though we have produced plenty of players who have went on to have decent careers, very few of those have been at Celtic.

Buckie1967
8 years ago

If Celtic had played hardball with all the players that left for big money and kept them till they could sign 6 months before there contract was up & don’t forget everyone off them wanted to leave what would all off those fans that said we should not sell our best players say.
If we didn’t sell them we would be in the same predicament as the team that used to play in Govan, because where would we get the money from to even buy players.
We are a club in a small league & small country with no money swirling about so we have to buy small sell big and I think that is good business sence,you me and everyone else may not like it but that is the way we have to stay in business.

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago
Reply to  Buckie1967

Realism sucks too many kidding themselves on that we can go out blowing Millions like under MON.
Those days are gone for the near future.
Good Post Buckie

Monti
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

Charlie Saiz,
” Those days are gone “?
The board are still charging the supporters Champions league prices for Europa league games, so the boards demands of the fans haven’t changed.

You are lying down to the board Charlie, if you want better for the club then demand it.
This board has opted for the cheap option on appointing the last two managers Lennon and Deila, they hope to get to the CL they aren’t ensuring we do, it is a joke!

If you don’t have the stomach for a fight with the board Charlie, don’t call fans like me unrealistic for making the likes of Dermot and Lawwell answer for their lack of ambition.

I notice you mentioned the dead club again today, will you be happy to see them in the top flight Charlie?

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago
Reply to  Monti

You are right of couse they shouldn’t be charging what they are for a less attractive Competition.
But the fact is our running cost are high.
I would rather we had a smaller squad but with better players in it.
Ronny has touched on this too he too has said we need to slim down a bit and up the quality when we can.

Monti
8 years ago
Reply to  Buckie1967

Buckie,
NONSENSE!

Cartvale88
8 years ago

I am confused with your ongoing suicide vibe. The team played well against Fenerbace, except for two clear aberrations by a poor defender signed by Lenny, not Delilah. If you were to pick a team against the experience of the Turks you would probably have gone for Awfy Awfy, otherwise Blackett or Lustig.
Your comments are heading towards the Molde of the Daily Gersport. If you read the hotline on a daily basis, as a Celtic supporter you would give up.
Considering our budget, the quality of opposition, note today,s score of ABZ against the Saints, the team tend to do better than where they come from.
Desmond will not dip into his pocket, so the manager has to get on with it.
Some of the football played against Ajax and Fenerbace was good, I enjoyed the game and more so the atmosphere.
Do not join the MSM who constantly run down our team and traditions.
Remember what Xavi said about Barca and Celtic.
Thank god we do not have any magic hats and a team full of loanees.
We should qualify for this group, again we have only lost one game in eight in Europe in 2015.

Monti
8 years ago

GET IT RIGHT UP YE MCINNES….YA WANK!!!

8 years ago
Reply to  Monti

That will take the smog look off hi coupon. Whit a riddy the league leaders getting humped by 7th placed St. Johnstone.

Pleased for Stuart Cosgrove.

Monti
8 years ago
Reply to  Jimthetim

Jim,
Why are you pleased for Stuart Cosgrove?

Paul Reid
8 years ago

The comment regards the American student crass and classless

Funkyy
8 years ago

The sheep just got sh….eared by St Johnstone 5-1. Now that should put a few smiles on a few gloomy faces at least.
Got to agree with Cartvale88 and Buckie1967, we’re ambitious as fans, but we need to accept that building a stable strong team takes time. When a Ferrari is half way along the assembly line it’s not worth any more than scrap metal…but when it comes off the assembly line that’s when it’s every car lovers passion.
We’re still on the assembly line, and like it or loathe it we have to accept that we are edging forward…even with the recent disappointments.
Van Persie is on 320,000 pounds a week…was he worth it? And Moyes’ team did well today didn’t they? (6-1 for Man City)…5 of the goals in 13 minutes..if that had been Ronny some guys on here would have been screaming from the rooftops about his lack of ability to change tactics and demanding Moyes for Celtic. And remember Moyes has access to more money than Ronny.
It’s good to have ambition..but it needs to be tempered with a dose of reality.
Right the team just got a boost with the sheep´s result…a good win tomorrow and we’re breathing down their neck. They must be in shock…did anybody here foresee them losing 3 games in a row so early?

andybhoy
8 years ago
Reply to  Funkyy

Pray tell.
What has Davie Moyes got to do with Newcastle ffs?

andybhoy
8 years ago
Reply to  andybhoy

PS
Van Persie earns less than £100k a week at Fenerbahce.

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago
Reply to  andybhoy

That would account for a bulk of our entire teams wages that played against them.

Monti
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

And that’s one of the reasons we aren’t in the CL Charlie!

andybhoy
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

I wasn’t making a comparison, simply pointing out that he quoted £320k a week, big difference.
There’s also a big difference and distance between McLaren and Moyes.

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

@Monti correct it’s the main reason.

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago

Game week 10 in the League tomorrow and this is normally when I view the table to compare the previous Seasons start.
A win tomorrow would put us a point off top with 23 Points.
To put that into context we were sat in 5th after 9 games (rest on 10)
6 points behind Hamilton and a point ahead of Aberdeen who had player a game more.
Aberdeen are currently 8 points better off at this time so have improved.
As have we
A win tomorrow closes the gap to 1 and the push begins.
Incidentally we have only conceded 1 more goal in 9 games than we did last Season.
Considering we are without our settled central pairing from last Season in Denaayer and Van Dijk then that to me is a positive I think.
Still in 4 Competitions so even though we have been a bit hit and miss progress has been made.

Just some facts for you to ponder.

Monti
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

” Still in 4 competitions ” but OUT the only one that matters….again!

andybhoy
8 years ago
Reply to  Monti

Level 5’s employee of the month.

Monti
8 years ago
Reply to  andybhoy

Lol

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago
Reply to  andybhoy

E Tims contributor of the year has spoken.

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

And his bum chum has unsurprisingly backed him up.
You two cum on the same bus?

andybhoy
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

Bit naughty Charlie.

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

Jungle rules apply don’t like it get back to the fuckin playground.

andybhoy
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

So you get off on homophobic jokes…. sad cunt.

andybhoy
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

Should have read insults rather than jokes, I stand corrected.

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago
Reply to  Monti

Interesting to note your reaction to losing/drawing these games that “don’t matter” Monti EVERY TIME WE DO regardless of what competition it is you are on here ranting about it.
They all matter bud they all contribute to a Seasons Football and nothing in football is a guarantee.
Especially the Champions League.
Time you dealt with that concept bud otherwise your life as a tim will be forever a series of let downs.
Some fans are happy just getting into the Promised Land no matter the results when we do.
It’s like the Kudos of actually being is more important than the performance when we do.
You bring up the fact I bring up Oldco going bang when I am talking about our Financial situation?
Why not IT’S FUCKING RELEVANT to the reason we had to change our approach.
THAT’S A FUCKING UNDENIABLE FACT BY THE WAY…a fact our Board tried to shrug off with their PR pish “we operate a stand alone setup”.
Judging by the empty seats around them there might actually be some truth in there somewhere?
If they come up then am comfortable with that because in my mind they are a new entity who will bring a large support with them.
That means full houses when we meet home and away and more coins going into Celtic Bank Account.
Who in their right mind DOESN’T want that for our Club?
I tell you who the bitter among us who rightly scream at every opportunity “your deid” yet won’t entertain the the thought the newco means a fresh cash injection a minimum 4 times a Season.
It’s nonsense.
They are deid I don’t miss them but I do miss the traditional Celtic approach of building a team and keeping the players long term at any cost within reason.
Now either you don’t read my post properly or you are unable to grasp the gist of them?

Monti
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

You miss them, you talk about them all the time!

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago
Reply to  Monti

Stop talking shite.

Monti
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

” Jungle rules apply “?

You been watching your Arnie dvd’s again?

I’ll be back!!

andybhoy
8 years ago
Reply to  Monti

Think he thinks he’s some literary Rambo.

Monti
8 years ago

Dermot Desmond has shown in the past that he was willing to push the club on, with bringing in O’neill and backing the manager with serious money.
Deals for Bellamy and Robbie Keane came later.
Why can’t he back Deila with a few Bob now?

andybhoy
8 years ago
Reply to  Monti

Monti
It wont and cant happen, that particular strategy caused enormous losses even when the stadium was packed to the gunnels and that also included the period of Seville and a 1/4 final the following year against Villareal. What I will conclude with is that I don’t agree with this current strategy.

Monti
8 years ago
Reply to  andybhoy

Andybhoy,
I disagree mate, I think it can happen but there is no will in that fucking Tory boardroom for it to happen.

andybhoy
8 years ago
Reply to  Monti

Monti just chill and enjoy this.

Monti
8 years ago
Reply to  andybhoy

Good track andybhoy,
I prefer ’18 Brits ‘ by Damian Quinn tho!

yestim
8 years ago
Reply to  Monti

He has no need to spend this kind of money to win the league. Possibly for CL but that is a gamble they won’t take. As has been pointed out already,English clubs that spend fortunes still struggle in the CL. The league has always been the priority, if you look back MON, and Lennon both quoted this. Without the monkeys the board will spend enough to win the league and domestic cups and no more.

Monti
8 years ago

Charlie Saiz,
You seem to be a man for facts and figures, can you share with us how Celtic could afford to spend the sums we did in Martin O ‘ Neill’s first season?

andybhoy
8 years ago
Reply to  Monti

Changed days from then to where we are now.
I think there was far more optimism back then and a genuine belief that a move to a far more affluent league was in the offing.
We then saw a crash in the financial markets and a depression far greater than the world has experienced and we will continue with that specter hanging over us for the foreseeable future.
They are simply protecting the club as they see it, but I think they are doing a fair bit of damage themselves.

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago
Reply to  Monti

Debt.
Co-op Loans and soft Loans from DD.
If you actually read my posts and digested them you would know this.

Funkyy
8 years ago

Andybhoy..I put my hand up…I thought Moyes was manager of Newcastle.
About Van Persie…I read a couple of days ago that he was on 320,000..I didn’t make that up.
But I’m 99.9999% certain that the sheep got gubbed 5-1. lol
Anyway, I stick by my belief that we are still a work in progress and that we will reap the benefits if Ronny is given time….and hopefully doesn’t pick big Efe again.

andybhoy
8 years ago
Reply to  Funkyy

Funkyy
He took a wage cut of more than £150k a week (nuts!) to sign for them… poor wee soul!

Magic… the Aussies have just scored a try and conversion.

Monti
8 years ago
Reply to  Funkyy

I’d give Deila time….a year in Bar-L!

Funkyy
8 years ago

Monti…did you really create the world in 7 days? Wow!!!

Monti
8 years ago
Reply to  Funkyy

No, I managed it in 6, I took the Sunday off!

8 years ago
Reply to  Monti

just back in from y birthday doo. And listening to R. Shortbread. Some good stuff. ELO . When I was a bhoy.

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago
Reply to  Jimthetim

Jeff Lynne is a genius.

https://youtu.be/oRfW5Nahgc4

andybhoy
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

Is that Vera’s boy?

Funkyy
8 years ago

Van Persie must be on an EBT (Extra Big Turk).

Monti
8 years ago
Reply to  Funkyy

” Extra big Turk “?

Need to sharpen up your Craic, Funkyy.

andybhoy
8 years ago

That’s why he was walking and running strangely the other night.
15% income tax rate will probably help him make ends meet.

andybhoy
8 years ago
Reply to  andybhoy

….and ease the pain.

andybhoy
8 years ago

Bye Bye England.

Rab Wallace
8 years ago

caption “buy a season ticket ya auld cunt or else”

Monti
8 years ago

Goodnight all,
Charlie remember and put your ‘ Old firm classics ‘ dvd back in it’s box before bed.

You miss them Charlie, just admit it.

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago
Reply to  Monti

There is no Old Firm you get back to your Fantasy Island Box set Tatoo

Monti
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

Agreed, but you still watch the dvd’s from a time when there was….because you miss them.
You must miss them because you keep talking about them.

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago
Reply to  Monti

The plane boss the plane.

Monti
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

The only planes I’m interested in Charlie, is the plane that takes a Celtic representative to Monaco for the Champions league draw!

Half_Fool
8 years ago

Caption:

Harry Hills question on liquidity and lack of acquisitions is greatly appreciated at the latest zombie FC EGM.

Devoy45
8 years ago

Sunday sermon:Austerity? Rich people owe a lot of money but won’t pay. It’s called tax evasion. In order to make up the ‘deficit’ we squeeze all we can out of the poor and disabled with things like the bedroom tax and tax credit adjustments. Deficit: the difference between what the rich owe and what they actually pay.
Working people don’t have the option to refuse to pay taxes or take shelter in tax havens.
Austerity would end if the rich paid what they owe. It should be entirely their problem not ours.

Football today.
Here is the team that should be:
Bailly
Lustig/Boyata/Blackett/Tierney
Brown/Bitton
Forrest/Rogic/Commons
Griffiths

Here is the team that will be:
Gordon
Lustig/Boyata/Blackett/Tierney
Brown/Bitton
Forrest/Johansen/Commons
Griffiths
I’d be happy to see Tierney start. He’s earned it.
We need the three points and don’t care how we get them. No predictions except that we will probably have 65% possession, get 25 shots and about 10 corners.
C’mon the Hoops.

8 years ago

Was on TSFM there and got some stuff off my chest. (I’m Jimbo on there) here it is:

‘Everyone hates us and we don’t care’

That’s pretty sad.
When a team from Scotland is playing in Europe I support them and hope they win, not just for the co-efficient but because they are from our country. But not Rangers. There, I’ve said it.
Not because they were Celtic’s biggest rivals either. But for as long as I remember there has always been something seriously wrong at Rangers.

First of all there was the anti Catholic signing policy from the early 1900s to MoJo. It’s unbelievable that throughout the liberal 60s and onwards that policy survived as long as it did. However thank goodness it is now ditched.
Then there is the ‘Establishment club’ thing. Why? Why should there be any such notion? One thing is for sure much of the hatred towards this club is thrust upon us by the bias of the press and the bias of the SFA. Why do they do it? I have some suspicions but will not air them here.

Then there is the succession of Spivs that have controlled the club since David Murray (I will leave out the ‘Sir’ bit since he should stripped of it). From EBTs cheating, to wearing orange tops to hyping up loyalism with Army days at Ibrox just to satisfy the more base elements in their support. I have several members of my family who served in the army but I don’t expect it to have any place in my Parkhead experience.
Until they get rid of the idiotic leaders at Ibrox and just concentrate on running it as FOOTBALL CLUB and not a means to rob and cheat and a rallying point for stuff that should be consigned to history they will never be liked.

Bgbhoy
8 years ago

This another bad luck performance Charlie? Or is this not the managers fault again?? Pathetic. Ronny out now

Bgbhoy
8 years ago

Ronny must stay

Monti
8 years ago

Another scraped win against the mighty Hamilton Accies.
Another defensive calamity and another nail biting, tedious and unnecessary nervy ending to a match.

For all the positive folks out there, another three points, a single point off top spot and Derek Mcinnes not enjoying his Sunday Lamb.

Enjoying your game of golf Dermot?

Devoy45
8 years ago

3 points is 3 points.Sometimes, winning is all that matters. We have three centre backs out at the moment. I’ll take it. I’ve always supported wee Griffiths. See why? Well done Ronny and the bhoys. Win ugly, sometimes. Even Big Jock had to do it. I give credit where credit is due.

Monti
8 years ago
Reply to  Devoy45

Devoy,
Ronny Deila is taking the club backwards, surely there must be domestic games where we can play two strikers?

This one up front carry on is absolute nonsense, Nadir Ciftci should have stayed at Utd, the guy needs games to show what he can do, Deila is clueless!

charlie
8 years ago

talking to a coupla huns today i said i thought mc innes had lost the dressing room at aberdeen now why sevconians were so protective of an aberdeen manager i dont know ha ha talk about transparent ha ha doncha just luvem

Half_Fool
8 years ago
Reply to  charlie

Naw I don’t, I have had my fill of deluded tools 🙂

But yes, you are right charlie, they know wan of there ain.

charlie
8 years ago
Reply to  Half_Fool

i meant i luv to ridicule them ha ha

tomo
8 years ago

Rubbish game but three points. What has happened to Commons? He was always slow , today it was walking pace.I even thought he pulled out of a tackle.He is the most technically gifted player we have but he is no use to us if he doesn’t try in a scrappy game like today.Maybe Ronnie was right in hesitating about offering him an extended contract.

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago
Reply to  tomo

He’s that technical he would have trouble trapping a bag of cement.

Monti
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

Not in the Jungle tho, eh Rambo?

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago
Reply to  Monti

No call for cement in the jungle Tatoo.

Devoy45
8 years ago

Monti, we may not agree on the future of Celtic under Deila, but I agree with you here. Hamilton, artificial pitch against a tough physical side, with one or two who can play. I would urge Ronny Deila just to try a conventional approach with Griffiths and Ciftci up front together. The big fella can hold the ball up well, I’ve seen him do it and I’d like to see wee Griffiths buzzing around him. For me, Hamilton today was the kind of venue and team where we need a plan B. Have you noticed how high teams are pressing us now? We taught them how to do it. We give the ball away far too often and too cheaply. I thought the Accies would equalise in the last seconds, that’s why the whistle was such a relief.
Hamilton will take points off lots of teams this year.

Monti
8 years ago
Reply to  Devoy45

Devoy,
I just can’t get used to seeing a Celtic side with one striker, I completely disagree with it, surely we can incorporate two strikers against anyone, never mind just domestic sides?
I’m a little old fashioned when it comes to strikers and surely having two quality strikers gives the opposition a hell of a problem?

I understand the theory behind it, midfield runners supporting Griffiths.
You can’t beat seeing a front two with a telepathic understanding of each others game.

Funkyy
8 years ago

Monti’s got a tattoo? “I love Ronny” ????

Monti
8 years ago
Reply to  Funkyy

Funkyy,
I like Ronny Deila as a person, I think the Celtic job is beyond him.
I want a manager who plays with two strikers, I think it is essential.

McGarvey and Nicholas, Mcclair and le petit merde, Larsson and Viduka, Larsson and Sutton

I like a lot about Ronny Deila but there is a lot I question of him as well.

I know Celtic can be better, we need to get a real fear factor back at Celtic, a nasty edge to us, in the Martin O’ Neill era, opposition teams were beat on their way to Celtic park, on their team bus.

That’s what I’m talking about.
Dermot and this board need to give Deila the right tools to do the job…..I would get rid of one tool though, Ambrose!
There is no sense in defending Ambrose, get rid in January, he does nothing but create chaos.

tomo
8 years ago

Leaving cement aside for a moment … I would be interested to hear opinions on what we think the game is with Kris Commons.

Monti
8 years ago
Reply to  tomo

Tomo,
Do you mean Commons inconsistency?

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago
Reply to  tomo

Here is where I am at with Commons.
Great professional ,great guy with a lovely family and wife who has totally grasped the concept of Celtic.
As a player he is clever,quick thinking,a great passer and as you say capable of the killer pass.
His shooting from range is terrific and considering he came to Celtic a £300k winger he has certainly made his mark in the 10 role.
That’s positives for me and there a plenty of them.
The negitives to his game I feel have been highlighted under the new system.
Ronny stated on arrival he envisioned us playing a quicker tempo,higher pressing game.
He also stated every player had to play their part within this otherwise rightly it fails to be as effective.
He also stated through a change in diet and approach to fitness he wanted our players to be able to sustain this approach for 90 minutes and not just for 60 then take the foot off the gas.
This aised alarm bells for the less fit and slower players at the Club.
Kris fell into that bracket.
He’s slow was allowed to stroll through games under Lenny and was seldom asked or required to track back as a result.
This was fine under Lennon.
Not so under Deila and this is where his problems started.
He struggles to keep up.
He seldom tracks back
He loses possession a fai bit
His first touch is criminal at times
Now all that aside the positives do outway the negatives some sides we will face.
But not so against others.
In a game like today where he had little opportunity to have a dig at goal it would appear we are carrying him as a passenger.
That’s not to say he’s lazy or having a bad day it’s just that he’s not influencing the game as he might have done previously?
I read previously on here and elsewhere he should never be dropped?
Utter shite in my opinion he’s not that important within this new System.
He was under Lenny because he deployed a diamond with Kris at the point all our attack went through him and this is why he ended up scoring so many goals.
Some might argue with the amount of shots he was taking he should have scored a few more?
Though suggesting that was tantamount to mutiny within the ranks.
That’s where I am at.
He can be influential
He can go missing
He can score wonderful goals
He does have a poor firt touch
He is not however as indispensable as some seem to think.

He was decidedly average today but then again so were others.

Monti
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

Dalglish and McGrain went for a chippy after training…they were two world class players.

Diets and fitness? A lot of shite!

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago
Reply to  Monti

Ronaldo just papped in his 501 st goal at the weekend FROM MIDFIELD

I doubt very much that would have been possible without his approach to diet and fitness Monti.

tomo
8 years ago

I mean his game in general. He has bags of skill and can thread a pass to open defences. But as you say he is inconsistent. Maybe he thinks scrappy games like today are beneath him. He seems to turn in on in the big games. Maybe I am wrong. I cannot go to live games and either listen on the wireless or watch bt sport when the games are on. That is why I’m interested to know what fellow supporters who see him more often think.

Monti
8 years ago
Reply to  tomo

Tomo,
Deila fucks him about, he has done since he took over from Lennon.
Kris Commons shouldn’t be out a Celtic side, Deila is out of his depth!

Monti
8 years ago

Charlie Saiz,
You’re awfy quiet tonight, playing with your Warhammer soldiers?
New action man or both?

G.I. Joe

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago
Reply to  Monti

I was polishing my medals sorry Monti.;-)
What did I miss?

Funkyy
8 years ago

Monti, I agree with you on 3 points (surprise surprise)….1) we need to play 2 up front, 2) Commons should be playing every game, what he lacks in pace he has in creativity,3)and Ambrose should be let go.
I don’t think Ronny’s out of his depth, but I think he’s getting hampered by our best players being touted (and unsettled) as “for sale” and this must affect his long term planning. The young boys starting to come through is a positive, and hopefully we’ll eventually have a settled group of guys who aren’t looking to use us as a stepping stone to the EPL.
I didn’t expect that Ronny would arrive, or any manager for that matter, and wave a magic wand and have immediate success..that’s not to say I wasn’t as gutted at not qualifying for the Champions as anybody else. But I believe a wee bit more patience and we’ll get there in 2016-17. HH

tomo
8 years ago

I don’t want to sound goody goody but so many of my friends have given up us these forums. You try to pose an opinion. Fair enough. Some might agree or disagree. It is when someone is so intolerant of hearing an alternative opinion. I have read people being called a f…. c… on this forum. Come on! Let’s appreciate the website and the entertainment we are given each day in the diary.At the end of the day we are all Tim’s and should love and respect each other. We are the same people and been through so much together,please don’t spoil it. Respect is the most important thing and let opinions be heard.

8 years ago
Reply to  tomo

Agreed. But Monti & Charli Saiz is banter, don’t take itoo seriously.

Monti
8 years ago
Reply to  tomo

Tomo,
We are only having a laugh, come on noo…..do you want a hug?

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago
Reply to  Monti

Man hugs without andybhoy Monti you 2 fell out?

Monti
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

We will never fall out….our love is unrequited!

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago
Reply to  Monti

We defo need more loving in here it’s a sterile as an Arsen Wenger interview in here at times.

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago
Reply to  Monti

Oops dropped an e’ there (very naughty)
https://youtu.be/YFJdUJg4wOk

8 years ago

Back on R Scotland , Roddy Frame ‘Reason for Living’. Never heard of it but very good.

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago

Reply to Tomo reference Commons gone missing..

Monti
8 years ago

Liverpool have sacked Brendan Rodgers…Dermot give the man a call!

Half_Fool
8 years ago
Reply to  Monti

Monti, you know Rodgers likes to employ one striker as his main choice of formation.

I think a lot of Liverpool fans never forgave him for sending a second-string side out against Real Madrid in Madrid. Which to most of us seemed a bizarre decision at the time; effectively ensuring that Real would win. We at Celtic, would not take that either.
One of the biggest games of the season being forfeited.

Monti
8 years ago
Reply to  Half_Fool

Half- fool,
Suarez and Sturridge isn’t one striker.

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago
Reply to  Half_Fool

His prefered Setup is 3-5-2.

Half_Fool
8 years ago
Reply to  Charlie Saiz

Nope. Wrong.

It was 3-4-2-1. Then 4-3-3 then 4-5-1.

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago
Reply to  Half_Fool

Really?
Liverpool Fc.com
BRENDAN-why-3-5-2-can-work-for-reds
3rd October 2013
Tactical discussion was the order of the day at Melwood on Thursday as Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers explained how a switch to 3-5-2 will not alter the Reds’ philosophy but can prove effective for his team….
With injury leaving full-backs Aly Cissokho and Glen Johnson on the sidelines in recent weeks, the manager utilised different formations during September, including a set-up with three central defenders.

The switch worked perfectly on the side’s last outing, with a solid defensive platform allowing Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez to cause havoc at the other end in a 3-1 victory over Sunderland last Sunday.

At his pre-match press conference today, journalists quizzed Rodgers on whether 3-5-2 is now his preferred formation. “It will depend on the players that are available,” he reflected.

“When we tried it last year, we looked at it in training and then played it in a couple of games. But you have to see it under pressure and have to see where you need to adapt things.

“The players have carried it out really well in the last couple of games. It can be a system that works for us; but what doesn’t change is our idea of the game, how we want to pass, how we want to be aggressive in our attack.

“It gives us numbers going forward, which is important. It’s another system that the players have shown we can play. With more play and more development, it’s one that we can flip to quite easily.

“It’s wherever you can get superiority in the game. If I look at Daniel and Luis Suarez, they are both nine-and-a-halves. They are not straight up and down strikers, they like to move and get in between.

“The game is evolving all the time; as a coach you are always looking at your players. The style never changes. I’ve always asked teams to control and dominate the ball, be aggressive in your defending, and press really aggressively and high up the pitch – but that can be in whatever system.

“The system is irrelevant; it’s normally based on the characteristics of your players. If you have got them [Sturridge and Suarez] through the middle, moving and interchanging, then your structure has to then change behind that, and that’s obviously something that we have done.”

Funkyy
8 years ago

Monti…if Rodgers couldn’t do a job with all the money at his disposal with Liverpool, how do you expect him to do it with our limited budget?
And even IF his coming here was a possibility…what wage would he be wanting?
Every argument comes back to money…and we don’t have it to burn like they do in the EPL.

Monti
8 years ago
Reply to  Funkyy

Morning Funkyy,
Brendan Rodgers proved himself at Swansea before going to Liverpool m8.
He had Swansea flying and their attacking style of play was a joy to watch.
Don’t forget Brendan was just a couple of games away from taking Liverpool to the EPL title.

You may not know this Funkyy, but Brendan is a Celtic fan himself, he will be in a job very quickly, Mark my words.

It wasn’t all that long ago that the likes of Guus Hiddink and Martin O’neill wanted the Celtic job.
Don’t listen to Charlie Saiz….Celtic ARE a massive club!

Monti
8 years ago
Reply to  Monti

Funkyy,
I don’t believe everything does come down to money, look at Alan Shearer for an example, he put the club he supported, Newcastle, before money and medals and trophies.
Shearer could have walked into ANY team in the world at that time, yet he put his colours before money!

Half_Fool
8 years ago

Despite all the gnashing of teeth and bemoaning of RD, the Scottish Parochial League table does look a lot healthier now.

I don’t know what shampoo Griff uses these days, but his fabulous flowing follicles have kept him in the right frame of mind, and he is keeping us on track.

Monti
8 years ago
Reply to  Half_Fool

A point behind Aberdeen after 10 games isn’t healthy at all, a ten man Aberdeen defeated us, a late goal lost at Kilmarnock, home draw to Hearts and Hamilton were a bit unfortunate not to get a draw of us yesterday?

Healthy? Not for me it isn’t.

Half_Fool
8 years ago
Reply to  Monti

The word was “healthier”.

The late goal at Killie was a very, very dubious penalty.

With Hearts, we had a perfectly good goal chalked off against them.
Need I go on in regards the MIB element?

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