Well, he’s had a busy week, and Brendan Rodgers might be thinking that he should save his inspirational captain for the games where the unbeaten season might be under threat.
Browns eventful few days culminated in the downgrading of his red card earned for a foul on Ross County’s Liam Boyce, which was deemed a yellow, and now he’ll have to wait for his suspension. However, he’ll be available for tomorrows match at Ibrox, but to further emphasise the chasm between the two glasgow sides, he’ll be rested, and Rodgers will call on another international midfielder to fill in.
Or not.
But it would be funny if he did…
And it sounds like Rodgers could do with a chuckle, its alright offering constructive criticism, but in a week where Celtic have secured two trophies and advanced to a cup final, maybe he should have cut the under 17s some slack..
The under-17s final was a poor game. In terms of Scottish football the standard was awful. “There were some good players in both teams and the kids won, which was great, and there was two or three moments of quality. But the overall level of quality wasn’t good. I have seen some good kids up here and it’s a good level. But they would have to play better football than that.
Miserable sod. Give them the trophy back then.
He was a little more complimentary about the under 20s..
“The under-20s the other night was a good game. They showed good tactical awareness and played at a good level, in terms of speed, organisation with their pressing, they got the ball back quickly and were fast getting forward. It was good. The progress will come with the 17s but we need to influence it even further down to eventually produce it at the top level. There’s a big difference if you want to produce players for Scotland that allows the national team to do well. “I’m new here but it’s my job to help. We have brilliant coaches here at youth level with Chris [McCart] overseeing it, Tam McIntyre and Michael [O’Halloran] with the 17s, their assistants, they have great enthusiasm and energy. But we’re trying to take a different path.”
Ah, he’s just burbling again. He does that from time to time, but as football is a results business, and he’s getting the results, he could tell us that “rangers ” are the same club, the SFA are doing a fine job and that he’s going to bring back Dorus De Vries as first choice keeper and we’d just nod and agree.
Well, maybe not the latter.
Looking ahead to tomorrows game, Rodgers tried to summon up some enthusiasm to sell the fixture, but was clearly struggling..
“When I have watched the games that have been [under Caixinha], they haven’t really been a high-pressing team. If you think of the Aberdeen game [Rangers won 3-0 at Pittodrie three weeks ago], they sat in [inviting pressure], and only in certain situations they would come and press it. If they feel the need to press and disrupt our organisation, it can also be dangerous because behind that then leaves a big space and we have speed to break into it. “I am sure their supporters will demand that they be better, they will want to be better, but we want to be better. We want to improve, to be better than what we were in our performance level but they are always great games.”
Their supporters aren’t that bothered about their team doing any better. They’re currently expressing their displeasure at the result of the SFA meeting that allowed Scott Brown to get a yellow instead of a red..
Apparently, part of that is that Peter Lawwell, Opus Dei and Jesus Christ himself now control Scottish football, and they have proof!
Not only that, FIFA have confirmed that Celtic don;t have to release Patrick Roberts !
Oh wait, they mean for the U20 world Cup, but its another sign we have friends in high places..
This all combines to instill a little venom amongst supporters of Scotlands newest club, and over on one of their more legible forums, the rage is not difficult to find..
Originally Posted by Elvis
It’s been coming. In all walks of Scottish life and not just football. People need to understand that a certain RC element is now entrenched in sport, politics and the media and this won’t change unless the apathy levels drop and we do something about it. The first opportunity is at the forthcoming election. After that we need to ensure that media organisations that will take a balanced, neutral view point are supported by us financially. Finally we need our club that to attack the SFA where our own interests are concerned. Where a ban is placed on a player we should be taking it to court if necessary, if only to demonstrate the inconsistency and favouritism that seems to exist for a certain club. We need to make more of this out with our borders to ensure the SFA are seen as a laughing stock for the double standards the obviously hold and how their interests in one team are doing nothing to promote the national game, progression of the national side or showing the game as a whole in an attractive light.
Originally Posted by Meldy
It seems that we are all feeling a bit worn down and almost a kind of acceptance is in the air with what we’ve been through in the last few years. We need to get the “protest” back into Protestant and start to fight back again
Originally Posted by Bigmother
Gilmour the ex chairman of St Mirren said on radio that Lawell ran Scottish football. Our board should too. We should have banners at every TV game. Bombard papers and phone ins. It’s up to all of us. Pointless just moaning about it on FF.
It goes on in pretty much the same vein, and no one seems to offer a sensible solution, until we get to the real idiots..
One guy not only hit the nail on the head, he also showed us what one of their acronyms really means..
Here we see the next stage of the grief process.
We’ve had denial, we’ve had blame, and now we have self pity. That feeling that maybe one could have done a little more to either make the last few days of a loved one more comfortable, or perhaps even delayed the inevitable end.
I contacted this guy to offer my sympathies, but it was too late.
In fact, it looks like they’re all at this stage, including their manager..
“You are seeing someone who is clear, frontal and open but everyone has his own limit. When I feel I am not being respected I’m not going to respect. I’m polite, I’m educated but I’m a f***ing tough guy.”
“What I said is that when I’m defending my club – the way I’m defending Rangers now – they are the best club in the world. My board and my management are the best in the world so that also means that my players and my squad are the best in the world.
“I have explained this since the very beginning. They give the best in the world and they give the best in Scotland. It’s clear now?
What time is the first flight to Portugal after Saturdays game ?
Just asking…
Meanwhile, over in Portugal, Lisbon to be exact, John Clark unveiled a plaque at the Estadio Nacional..
There was also a rumour doing the rounds about next seasons strip. The 67 inspired hoops.
It’s a fake.
We’re going with a similar style to this one,
To go with the new strips, the club are hot on the heels of some new players.
We talked on last nights podcast about Bojan Krkic, who has improved his game for Mainz now that hos favoured move to Celtic is back on the cards.
Next in line for a few years in Glasgow could be FC Utrecht right-back Giovanni Troupee. It probably won’t happen, as its been reported in the mainstream media, but even a stopped clock is right twice a day , so it’s possible.
The question is whether Giovanni Troupée next season is still on display at FC Utrecht. The right back is enjoying the interest of clubs from England and Germany.
From the Premier League take Bournemouth and Middlesbrough operations of Troupée closely watched and Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt sends weekly scout to the Netherlands, reports Eleven Football . Additionally hopes the Scottish champions Celtic on the arrival of the youth international, who this season are breakthrough experiences at Utrecht.
Well, if we sign one of them they can keep the other.
Personally, I’d keep an eye on this story…
As reported by The Times, Manchester City could be set to lose one of their brightest prospects with contract talks stalling between the club and Tosin Adarabioyo.
What’s the story?
The young defender’s contract is up at the end of the season and with a fresh agreement having not been reached, City are facing losing him for just compensation and development costs.
That’s what The Times say anyway, and they reckon there’s no breakthrough in sight on a new deal despite the club rating him highly.
The situation is said to have alerted the likes of Celtic, Everton, Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig.
Is he the next young star ready to make a splash at the Hoops?
At fifty pence a letter on the back of replica shirts, it won’t take long before he pays for himself.
Adarabioyo joined the youth system at Manchester City aged five.[4] He made his U18 debut for the club aged 14 and was captaining the U18s aged 16.[4][5] On 21 February 2016, Adarabioyo made his first-team debut in an FA Cup match against Chelsea.[6] He made his Champions League debut on 24 August 2016, as a substitute in a 1–0 win over Steaua București, in a Champions League play-off round match.[7]
We’re keeping his face a secret for now, to keep the SMSM out of the loop.
It’s that time of week again. That time when we single out and reward someone for rising above the usual level of tripe we see out there, and name him-or her- as the Etims
Knob Of The Week
For the first time, we don’t actually have a name for you.
Thats because he or she must remain anonymous.
The juror who fell ill yesterday and caused the postponement of the Craig Whyte trial. Seriously, how much fun has be put the knackers on by declaring himself too unwell to attend.
If it were I, indeed i would have rolled in my my knackers rather than miss the latest instalment.
Or cause anyone else to miss it.
Sir, or madam, you are this weeks Etims
Knob Of The Week
Finally, I know I don;t have to remind you of this, but its worth saying nonetheless.
Don’t judge a man by his skin colour, his religion or his ethnicity. Thats what the police are there for.
which brings us neatly to our caption competition from yesterday…
COP ..” Take the shot goddamit,take the shot Now!!!!!!!!
and to todays…
00votes
Article Rating
512 Comments
Oldest
NewestMost Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
mike
7 years ago
Majic Ralphy just majic, just one complaint, could you plese supply me with a hearing loop for the podcast’s, I canny hear a thing, haw, haw. 😉
Rob O'Keeffe
7 years ago
Good for you Brendan slagging the weans,that’ll make training fun today.Don’t slag the big Bhoys for some pretty inept performances over the last couple of months,blame pitches,wind speeds etc.
I believe I wiz robbed of the caption,same as Una usually is! I also spoke about the “unwell”juror,am I morphing into Agent Pedro?
Great to see we have become the Establishment Club,finally,I can die a Hhappy Mhann(hopefully not before Treble Day).
Rob I totally agree with BR the under-17s was hellish nothing but blooter football and the under-20s not much better,what the fcuk are the coaches doing,there was hardly one redeeming feature from either game,they just haven,t improved at all,if you do not have the basics of control/pass/move what is the point.
Some are pushing up the daises and some are——-
Wee’l gather lilacs in the spring, Daaaling and some are pushing seventy and some (no names) are ower seventy.
Or was the juror the fud that was questioned outside the High Court by the filth for verbally abusing White? And so the smart money moves to mis trial!
Martin MacDermot
7 years ago
CAPTION: Competition for Knob of the Week reaches fever pitch.
Very interesting! The stats confirm my impressions of McG. He is one player who has benefited from playing different positions. Many do not. I think that Roberts has similarly benefited from the different roles that BR has asked of him which is why I hope we retain him. I see him ultimately occupying a more central role as his career progresses.
Keep up the good work,
Rebus
Mike Annis
7 years ago
Caption: Gaza to Sally, Is that your EBT or are you just pleased to see me?
Even better, leave him out then bring him on to take a late penalty (when the orcs realise they’re about to lose again and start kicking everything) then sub him straight back off again for one of the U17 side.
Saturday,One Day Away.Cant come Soon enough.Get Intae The Cretins.HH!!!Celtic 3 Sevco 1.No doubt Sevco would celebrate a goal as if they,d put us out of the Champions League Final.Sevco are complaining regarding Broonie getting his Red downgraded.Cmon Broonie score a goal on Saturday,Rub it right into them.TiocFaidh ArLa
What a cracking read on the John James site this morning eloquently put by a guest blogger. Go read it it’s a joy.
Ps can I get a flag made of the Vatican pic for tomorrow what a banner that would be at ibrokes hahah
That’s fair comment from Elbhoy, very well put together, though he has only paraphrased what we already know so far.
Despite ‘Sitonfence’ being a decent enough site, its owner’s shrill cries for money and pompous self aggrandisement get right on my wick, and his constant denigration of his readers if they haven’t stumped up any dosh is very off putting.
He banned a pal of mine for ‘not paying his way’, even though my buddy’s not only ‘unwaged’ but has suffered from long term health problems for over a decade.
(No other site anywhere does this, and trawling pages is partly what I do for a living, and I’ve had to wade through thousands of them down the years, so know a bit of what I’m on about here.)
My pal, understandably, didn’t want to share such personal information with anyone, far less a man who started his ‘speakeasy’ by claiming that:
‘The only Scottish journalistic with any integrity is Keith Jackson at the Daily Record’ …
(Look it up, it’s in the first few blogs, if he hasn’t deleted them already; we all know JJ doesn’t mind airbrushing history himself if it has made him look in any way incorrect).
I sympathise with his plight in being chased from his home by angry nutters, with the cops acting as their messengers, but his smug arrogance, and daily bitching about not being paid enough, is putting me right off even opening the page these days.
Besides, can’t someone with that level of intelligence do something else to make a few quid on the side, other than thrashing his readers and gnashing his teeth at the (admittedly outrageous) corruption within Scotland, her football and her politics?
Oh, and his constant harping on about winning that Blogging Award is nearly as bad as his minute by minute demands for money.
He has produced some excellent work in this time but I don’t know any other site on’t internet where the host gets in his own way as much he does.
He’ll probabaly go apoplectic when he reads this too, after his outraged rant at Phil’s sly dig at his alter ego the other day, but, seriously, anyone who puts them into the public eye in such a brash and upfront manner has to be prepared to take a bit of justified criticism when it comes, as its all part of the ‘public eye’ territory.
No one should be above criticism, no matter how big the posse on their tail.
It’s not like he’s the only person who has been threatened by bitter huns, it was a way of life, and death, for us, quite literally, where we came from, the only difference being that we did our speaking out against them in the street, to their faces, where we revelled in watching them squirm in their badly schooled stupidity, but you had to be careful, or it could be a brick through the window or a knife through the heart, if you went that bit too far.
Anyway, I don’t mean to aggravate the already prickly (ex) bear but I do think it’s time that he grew a thicker skin and just got on with the job that he himself chose to do, and stop blaming everyone else for his predicament.
Either work on the book or erect the paywall, or it comes across like he doesn’t understand the basic rules of blogging, ie, Don’t alienate all your readers by demanding they pay for something they already get for free.
My theory is that his site is filled with masochists, who quite enjoy the master cracking the whip, but they don’t even know they’re masochists yet, and I laughed out loud when some lady pointed out that he ‘clearly writes all the replies’ himself, as his readers copy his grammar and diction so much.
Says it all, really.
And, Ralph, I do believe you ‘done’ me out of a mention when I posted around 100 songs for the Sevco Song competition a few weeks back.
Not that I give a monkeys, as the laughs were all my own, but the ‘winner’ didn’t even know his Jam from his Style Council.
C’est la vie, say the old folks, cos the young folks really never can tell.
Tomorrow, no rest for anyone,no mercy, just fuckin keep them in their place bhoys.
Stevie D
7 years ago
Comedy trio: Gazza, Ally, and Ally’s Des O’Connor.
Rab Wallace
7 years ago
Caption” 2 fuds in duds”
IRISHGUY
7 years ago
CAPTION…….
A VOICE IN THE BACKGROUND..
“Hey, has anyone seen my socks?”
ewanbhoy
7 years ago
oh i am loving seeing the huns hurting so much and the pain is only going to increase as they watch us grow stronger and stronger while they will self implode.
their numbers will start to fall quickly…..the pain will be too much to bare and walking away they will do…..as for the younger fans..well they dont want to support a team that always loses and it wont belong before they too realise that Glasgow is green and white and they will support us too 🙂
i dont mean the youths, im talking about the under 10s who hopefully are still innocent enough to come to the light away from the dark.
my youngest daughter is 6 and many of her friends like Celtic too because we are winning and have good players to idol and they dont come from Celtic families
The Cha
7 years ago
Although it was a good result for Broonie we shouldn’t forget that it was merely correcting a wrong and not a read card challenge like Haliday etc al.
We haven’t got away with it merely avoided having salt rubbed in the wound.
I remember everyone celebrating when Lenny’s 4 match ban for the “shame game” was “only” 1 extra game as we successfully argued that it ran consecutively with another ban he was serving.
What people forgot was that McCoist got off with exactly the same charge.
We may have moved a seat or 2 closer but we’re still a long way from the front of the bus.
Caption: “Lucky Charlie Adam’s sister was here when we couldn’t find our shorts”.
Celtsfan67
7 years ago
Caption –
Enjoying Buckfast Tonic ??
Too soon?
HH
schoosh71
7 years ago
Only in Bonny Auld Alba in a post apocalyptic 3rd World War will what school you went to decide whether or not you lived. HH
Albert_kidd
7 years ago
Mike 9.43 , that poem is completely about me.
HH.
mike
7 years ago
Lee Wallace is a grass,
his team are shite, with necks of brass,
they canny dribble or make a pass,
beating them is such a gas.
Andy Halliday, is a cunt,
overweight, fat and plump,
an arse like Serena, what a rump,
no like Susanna, cos she’s a jump.
At half-time, with the scoreline at Dens Park still 0–0, it was announced over the public address system that Celtic were winning 4–0
Midway through the second half, with the score at Dens Park still locked at 0–0, the Dundee manager Archie Knox brought on Kidd (a forward) as a substitute for left full-back Tosh McKinlay in an effort to win the game. Dundee needed to win the game to stand a chance of qualifying for the UEFA Cup.In the 83rd minute, with Hearts less than 10 minutes away from winning their first championship since 1960, Kidd scored the opening goal with a close-range finish from a corner kick. Six minutes later, Kidd effectively ended Hearts’ chances by scoring a second goal to make the final score a 2–0 win for Dundee. Remarkably, Kidd had not scored all season before scoring two goals in the last 10 minutes of the season. Celtic won their game 5–0 to win the championship on goal difference by three goals
Monti lol. Im actually not but I’ll have a word anyway.
Will echo my words from last week. Get the job done first Celtic, anything after that is a bonus. Win the battles and the footall will take care of itself. Despite their inferiority, make no mistake they will be fuckin up for this!!
Monti
7 years ago
Caption: Wifebeating Gascoigne shows serial wife cheat Sally McMoist his Raoul Moat escape kit.
Way aye man!
henkesdreadlocks
7 years ago
Caption………
Hey Ally, you want to see me when I’m pished like!
Devoy45
7 years ago
at Huns:
Gordon
Lustig/Simunovic/Boyata/Tierney
Brown/Armstrong
Roberts/Rogic/Sinclair
Griffiths
Until the Cup Final:
DeVries
Gamboa/Sviatchenko/Toure/Izzy
McGregor/Henderson
Forrest/Rogic/Mackay-Steven
Aitchison
Final:
Gordon
Lustig/Boyata/Simunovic/Tierney
Brown/Armstrong
Roberts/Rogic/Sinclair
Dembele or Griffiths
Unbeaten season not the priority but Treble is.
Tomorrow, not lose. The bhoys 2-1?
Peace and good health to you all.
Party political broadcast:
to all Labour voters and supporters. Home Rule was good enough for John Maclean, Hamish Henderson, James Connolly and Keir Hardie why not for you/us? We can’t have a socialist Scotland until we are independent unless you see equality and social justice with Ruth Davidson, Theresa May and Boris Johnson, who will be grinding us all down for the next three decades!!!! Help ma boab, jings crivvens…Getting rid of the SNP will happen overnight if Labour adopts independence as part of its manifesto, then we can build a wee nation we can all be proud of.
Sorry, Devoy, I must disagree, the Labour Party men, McLean aside, were only happy to sit and talk about Scottish independence, so long as they got to stay on the Parliamentary gravy train.
I posted these quotes by Manny Shinwell the other day, and will post them again now to illustrate the reality of the Labour Party being nothing else than controlled opposition (from ‘Lord’ Shinwell’s biography by John Doxat, at the time of Manny’s 100th birthday)
On the shallowness of Labour MPs:
”This party of ours, time & again it’s devoted itself to men whom would come out and pretend to be revolutionaries, who would fight to the death on behalf of their principles, only for it to be discovered they had no principles.’
And on their innate, and justified, fear of the unions:
‘The greatest danger would be that the trade union movement, upon which the Labour Party depends for its finance, might decide to hive off from the political section of the Labour movement and produce an organization of its own, based not on Parliamentary democracy but concerned with unconstitutional direct action.’
(Lord Shinwell: A Biography, by John Doxat, 1984)
He continues in the same vein throughout the book, more or less openly, if slyly, admitting that the Labour Party has done nothing for the working people of Britain in all its years in power, (like we needed telling!)
He is, effectively, saying that Parliamentary politics is a rigged game, a puppet show to keep us distracted, and, having spent decades involved in various political struggles myself, not only do I agree with him but know it to be a fundamental truth that I’ve seen from all sections of the political classes, from the most vociferous working class firebrands to the most entitled clueless twats that ever walked.
And, if you believe otherwise, just take a look around the streets of Scotland: over a century of Labour rule and they can’t even paint the fuckin lamp posts.
Aye, Devoy, the Labour Party ‘did all they could’ for Scotland in the same way the mob guys ‘did all they could’ for Tommy in Goodfellas when they shot him in the back of the napper when he thought he was gonna be a ‘Made Guy’.
The Labour Party are, have always been, controlled opposition and for evidence I recommend that you read John Doxat’s biography on the great Labour peer ‘Lord’ Manny Shinwell, who unequivocally exposes the charlatans mat the heart of the party throughout:
‘This party of ours, time & again it’s devoted itself to men who would come out and pretend to be revolutionaries, who would fight to the death on behalf of their principles, only for it to be discovered they had no principles.’
And on the Unions:
‘The greatest danger would be that the trade union movement, upon which the Labour Party depends for its finance, might decide to hive off from the political section of the Labour movement and produce an organization of its own, based not on Parliamentary democracy but concerned with unconstitutional direct action.’
He’s basically saying that if the people rise up, Labour would be as fucked as they deserve to be for stringing folk along for all these years.
Look around Scotland and see what 80 years of Labour councils brought.
They can’t even paint the feckin lamp posts, ffs, and if you think there’s any hope of Scotland being freed from the corporate machine that is taking over the entire planet then you are living in a dream world.
As for independence making the slightest bit of difference, take a look at Ireland; they’re as tied to England as they ever were economically and anyone who says otherwise is living with the Sevconites in LaLa Land.
In today’s corporate society, the very idea of ‘Home rule’ is nothing but a sop for the mouths of the disgruntled, and won’t make the slightest bit of real world difference in any way at all.
50 years in politics has repeatedly shown me this, at least, even if I felt like I’ve wasted most of them by even getting involved in the hoax, which is all Parliamentary politics is, a Punch & Judy Show for adults, who think they’re somehow clever because they swallow what they’re fed by the muppets before them.
Manny was right, the greatest fear of any political party is that the people rise up and dispel with the lot of them and their centralised government fallacy.
There’s no such thing as democracy today and, even if there was, it would be, as Plato said, the worst from of all government, because it’s a system that is entirely non functional without genuine cooperative trust.
Yessss the Sevco Jobbi Jabbarz are going Hysterical over Broonies Red Card being turned over.What a bunch of Over Obsessed Drama Queers.Broonies timing was a bit out f sync on the other hand Hallidays was calculated and most certainly Deliberate…Bhoys n Ghirls take extra care if attending Ibroke tomorrow.Its just a matter of time before the Dome starts crumbling.Im not to sure Dave King n Co have put crowd safety at the top of there priorities.Theyre probably in the process of having a whip round with the intention of getting a Loan in to Challenge the Champions of Scotland.No doubt the mneys runnng thin after giving Kenny Miller an extension for another year.If thats there way of letting Us know theyre going to put up an almighty challenge Next Season.Aye Ritey O HunZzzzzzzz.;))HH its just Magic Being a Tim
Iancelt67
7 years ago
Caption
News of the world employees and sigh at the bosses decision to hack the phone of a halfwit
5TB
7 years ago
Caption;
Two fat hun orinj pricks standing in a shitehole. One turns round and says to the other, ‘I moustache you a question’…
Pensionerbhoy
7 years ago
Ralph,
Loved the Diary today – just a tad more than usual. The comments are excellent and the poetry has every daffodil in the Lake District preening its petals – pastoral piquancy! Rhymes and murray myths make a mouthwatering mixture.
Murray mints, Murray mints, the to good to hurry mints.
Please Lord make this an everlasting trial.
What would you do,
if you sang out of tune,
would you, stand up and walk out on me,
lend me your ears and i’ll sing you a song,
and i’ll try not to sing out of key,
OH I GET BY WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS.
ooh i’ll get high with a little help from my friends. 😉
I’m off to pray for you. Not that you need prayers as those Murray mints seem to have you high in the sky and flying like an angel already. I am just overwhelmed by your poetic artistry. William McGonnagal would be so proud o’ye! But, fair dues to Muttonchops. He is supplying all of us with plenty of fodder and fun down in the old dock.
H H
mike
7 years ago
Butterkist, butterkist, makes you happy, when you are pissed, they are number one on the list, hope you get my gist. 😉
Celtsfan67
7 years ago
Findlay “You left the club to a group of men who sat around waiting for the Sultan of Brunia to decide to buy a Scottish football club”
mike
7 years ago
My take on todays trial at the High Court.
Findlay, ” I appreciate loyalty” Sir David, a nice wee dig, after his hypocritical sacking as Vice Chairman.
When pressed Murray did admit to considering Administration.
Everyone can see through the bluster, they/ he knew, that the club, being run by the bank, was desperate to get its money back, asap. Whyte was the ONLY game in town.
King was angry, that he had lost his £20.00mill.from the family trust, but had sat back and did nothing to prevent it, he had the chance.
Murray, threatened Paul Murray, by going to the press if the board blocked Whyte’s take over.
Elbhoy on the john james site, has a wonderful post, it is very much worth the read. You learn a lot from it, especially about the antics to get them into Europe, then and mibbee now.
Roll on Monday, compulsive reading.
whyte was out patsied. He probably still has no idea. fucking brilliant.
greene and whyte, ye couldnae have made it up…
Veronacelt
7 years ago
Caption:
The Gallant Pie n’ Ears rode into Ibrox on their dromedaries if you look closely you can see the camel toes!
Pensionerbhoy
7 years ago
Ralph,
I just listened to the podcast and have a few comments. I need to go out soon and there have been problems with long posts, so I will comment in stages.
First of all, I was somewhat surprised to hear you all talk of the way we are playing football just now. Well, I was surprised till I realised you young fellas did not witness live each week the fast-flowing football of the Lions when on song. What I will say about the way Brendan has the team playing just now is there are glimpses – only glimpses – of that Lions’ style.
What is missing? There are a few things that stand out for me. First, we are not quick enough going forward, especially moving the ball from back to front. In fact, there are still infuriating remnants of the Lennon/Deila days of playing across the line. I am getting a bit annoyed at the amount of times Kieran and Michael actually play the ball back because they have no outlet on the wings. Funnily, Jim Craig mentioned this in commentary on CTV just recently when talking about Forrest staying too close to the right back. Jim’s words “I would hate to be a defender behind James Forrest…..” (strongish words that surprised even me) because he is too close and surrounded by two or three players preventing the full-back from passing to him. Consequently, the defender ends up passing the ball back the way.
This also highlights another key element Stein’s “system”. He always said you should make the ball do the work and one of you mentioned about the ball being faster than any players. But to make this work, players must look for a space to receive the ball. We elderly fans used to remark that the likes of Tommy Gemmel or Bobby Murdoch never had to look where they were passing the ball because one of the forwards would have run into the space they aimed for. It may not have been a fact but it certainly often looked like it, confirming the old adage that it is just as important what a player does off the ball as what he does on it. I think we still have a ways to go with this tactic.
Finally, Brendan needs to look at using the long ball as a viable alternative. We have started to become obsessed by playing out from the back and, whilst I am in favour of this being the ideal, we do often tend to get bogged down as seen in many recent games. This means we end up playing that dreadful passing game across the middle of our own half that gives the opposition time to regroup and seems to provide them with confidence. We also end up dropping a gear or two and letting opposition off the hook when we should be in for the kill. This has become uncomfortably the case in recent weeks. I believe we should be looking at a good well aimed thump now and then to catch defences out. It sure worked for the under 20s second goal the other night. Stein was not averse to any move when it could lead to a goal and I presume his tactics are the benchmark for forming the current players into a truly talented team. I really worry about our slow build-ups in Europe where opposition will not give us the same respect or time on the ball.
EXCELLENT P.B, ARE YOU READING BR? OR ARE YOU STILL INSISTING OUR COACHES ARE BRILLIANT BUT THE WEANS ARE AWFUL. YOU MADE THE POINT, AS SOMEONE POSTED THE OTHER DAY, THIS TO ME TO YOU STUFF IS MINCE AND ONLY DONE TO MAKE THE STATS LOOK GOOD
I was merely putting in my twopenceworth to the podcast discussions because there is nothing better than knocking Ralph, Desi and Hector off their pedestal. If you let them away with it, they start to sound like pros from Radio Clyde when they are really just three young upstarts :). One of them said we were playing some terrific, classy football these days. I would agree if you only go back a decade or two (excluding the early O’Neil years). I am fortunate to have been a regular at Lions and Quality Street games. When compared to them, I see all the flaws I listed above in our present team. In my opinion that is down to everyone involved, management and players. For the former, it may be still to come and this is a work in progress. The later I think is more straightforward. The players are simply not as good as then.
As for the weans, I think there is great potential among our current young players. However, I see similar flaws when I watch them as I do in the first team which would indicate there is perhaps a weakness in our coaching, either staff or approach. The sad thing is, given the way the game is today, even some of the best talent on show will probably have to seek their future outwith Celtic, a loss both ways.
In spite of all that I said, Celtic are streets ahead of any other team in Scotland. I am not sure if that is a sad reflection on the Scottish game or just a purple patch for us. It is hard to see it changing any time soon though and there is one area where I hope the chasm proves lethal.
Totally understand PB.My dad used to take me to the first team and reserve games because he said both squads were “Quality”.I still thank him for my love of Celtic,born in those days.My bugbear is that BR stated the coaches were brilliant,with plenty of “energy and enthusiasm ” BUT we’re TAKING a different path! Talk to the coaches then and explain but don’t lower the morale of the young Bhoys by demeaning their “work” especially in public.He doesn’t do it with some of the duds in the first team squad.Enjoy the game today.Yours in Celtic.
Decent post PB.
Spot on about the square and backward passing. Not only is it infuriating to watch, with certain players it verges on kamikaze. They WILL get caught if they keep that shit up.
The times I’ve screamed “now run into space”. Fortunately, Callum McGregor is never included here. He seldom gives the ball away cheaply, always looks to help his team by being available and, in my view seriously under-rated, extremely versatile player.
At the heart of defence we only need another Cesar……… aye, ONLY. If only!
Anyway, Brendan says we’re pretty much a work in progress, and I agree. But what a work in progress we are……….
Can’t wait for the finished article.
COYBIG, give us another performance tomorrow, we’re head and shoulders above that scum, so just go out and show them, again.
HH
TicToc
7 years ago
Caption: Fat Sally to the press photographer
“I telt ye ah wiz a fanny magnet”.
Cortes
7 years ago
Caption: Robson and Jerome sing the quintessentially British classic: “Unending Comedy: The 39 Steps (to get rid of Minty’s Male Model…)” PG
i see monti u still dont rate boyata lol…..i was the same up until a few months ago but i can see a good player in him now…..whereas Sviatchenko has gone down in my estimation because of how poor he was in the last 2 games he played against secvo…he was pish poor.
i would also go with Roberts and Rogic before Forrest and Mcgregor even though i thought mcgregor was really good last week……glasgow is green and white 🙂
Ewanbhoy,
Boyata is a 3/10 for me m8, should have been sold at the start of the season.
That said, he has been ok but i’m 100% unconvinced he is anything other than a substitute!
James Forrest would start every single game for me m8, Paddy Roberts is more of a goal threat than James is but i like the both of them.