“You can have the best team, but if you don’t have that spirit and togetherness, you won’t succeed.

“It also gives me a chance to assess how the fitness is coming along and time to work out what the most stable system and shape is going to be for us.

“I like my teams to be flexible tactically, but that’s going to take time.

“Physically, we’ll work on the fitness. Tactically, we’ll give them a better idea of the game and socially, it’s a chance for us to be together and get closer.

“It will be good, but at the same time it will also be intense.”  

So much so that fitness training will commence during the flight.

Well, he was hardly likely to say they were all shite, I suppose.

The idea of socialising together is a little encouraging, but at the same time a little worrying. With a press pack following, its important to realise that they won’t be interested in the work being done on the park, but merely in who gets drunk and falls down the stairs of a Slovenian massage parlour.

Be careful out there, and focus on the job in hand.

That job begins on Thursday, with the first game of the new era, and continues over the weekend.

You’ll note the shameless plug for Celtic TV there, which will be the only place to see the games. If you don’t count Slovenia.

Theres been a bit of talk around Fulham striker  Moussa Dembele, who is available on a free from Fulham. Of course, nobody is “free “, so its a matter really of who gives him the biggest package, which still leaves Celtic at a disadvantage.

He doesn’t seem impressed by whats on offer;

But you can’t really tell from that picture . Its from 2015.

His strike partner at Fulham, Ross McCormack offered an insight into where he will end up.

“If Celtic manage to sign Moussa, that will be a real coup for them. Wherever he ends up this summer, it will be at a good club.

“I would think Celtic will be doing well to get him. He is 19 years old and, halfway through his first full season playing in our team, he nearly went to Spurs.” 

 “Moussa has a bit of everything — pace, strength, is a decent finisher.

“He won’t drift out and put in a cross. He’s a real goalscoring centre-forward. He’s a very good young player who’s had a fine season and scored a few goals. It’s hard to know where he will end up.” 

Might as well have asked the cat, as he clearly has no idea where he’ll go.

Dembele himself has spoken of a desire to remain in the UK, which rules out a move to Scotland, who have expressed a desire to leave the UK.

There have been a lot of names bandied about, and to be honest, as Celtic usually sign someone not previously mentioned, then I’ll not get too excited about anything just yet, neither will I worry about the lack of incoming, as its important for the manager to assess what he has got, and what he feels he can do with them.

We spoke yesterday of a possible clear and present danger from Ibrox as “rangers ” enter the fray amongst the big boys, and its clear whilst those with any degree of knowledge about the game are fully aware of their sides limitations, one or two who have the platform to encourage the gullibillies have detached themselves from reality.

The Record have taken the economical step of allowing a few fan bloggers the column inches to put their own views across, and as ever, they make for intersting and thought provoking reading.

James MacFarlane is their voice from the Copland road…

THERE can be fewer individuals more divisive than Rangers Chairman Dave King in Scottish football.

For many he’s a ‘glib and shameless liar’, a charlatan who doesn’t have the money to cash the cheques he writes with his very loud mouth.

In contrast, for the army of Rangers fans who have watched his revolution since wresting the club from the clutches of Mike Ashley, he’s fast becoming a legend.

It’s now impossible to look at the huge strides the club has made and not marvel at the board’s achievements, the recent, brilliant series of communications with the fans serving to further strengthen this extremely satisfying body of work. 

However, it does appear to be possible to type whilst having ones head firmly placed between someones arse cheeks. Which may explain the somewhat unusual and er, dramatic style.

On the pitch the club has been promoted, playing the most exciting brand of football since the big-spending Advocaat era. We have a modern, professional manager who is bringing the elite standards of the English Premier League.

The entire infrastructure has been refreshed with key appointments made behind the scenes with the club having appointed some impressive individuals in important areas. Long gone are the days when ex-rangers players whose only qualification was being ‘a rangers man’ being put in key structural positions.

Off the pitch season ticket sales are buoyant and heading towards the club record. The club’s supporters are galvanised and united. Billionaire Mike Ashley has been kicked from pillar to post in the courts and is looking like a faded force in events.

What’s not to like I wonder?

Absolutely, theres loads to like about King and his regime at Ibrox. 

But surely not if you’re a fan of the club…

King, who, like the blogger above, prefers style to substance, has also told Ally McCoist, the bumbling former manager, that he is welcome back at Ibrox any time.

Presumably he plans to tap him up for a few quid.

After all, McCoist did very well out of his sojourn in the lower leagues.

Its all part of a media led campaign to introduce a feel good factor into Scottish football-its just a shame that they haven’t done it before. You know, perhaps when there wasn’t a club around thats fleecing  fans under the pretence of being another club.

With Private Eye now on the case of Resolution 12-and there’s a letters page where you can add your opinion to the magazines revelations- it will be interesting to see if the legal ramifications of mentioning the issue will affect them. Eye editor Ian Hislop isn’t one for worrying about intimidation.

And if the Eye doesn’t suffer from “legal” issues,   then surely the road is clear for the Scottish hacks to begin their own investigation.

That was why they were silent, after all, or at least thats what they told us.

Its not going to go away, and whatever it takes to hold the SFA to account will be done.

Its going to be an interesting season, one way or another.

Yesterdays caption competition, and its another topical quip that lands the prize-well, would have done if there was one.