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Celtic Diary Monday September 6: Unionist City Blues

For one reason or another, the Diary hasn’t appeared for over a week, and the comments section seems to have descended into a bit of a pit.

 

 

I’ve cleaned it up a bit and would like to apologise to anyone who may have had comments removed. Thats because one particular poster had so many removed that others may have been caught up with the broom.

 

 

I’ll try to keep an eye on things a bit more.

 

 

This page is supposed to be a wee bit of light relief from the usual stuff that does the rounds, occcasionally serious, and occasionally even informative.

 

But it’s not the place for anyone who has a desire to vent their own frustrations. There are people you can phone for that.

 

 

 

 

So, what’s been happening since I threw a tantrum and locked myself in my room for a week after Celtic gave “rangers ” the now traditional head start and forgot to join in the scoring ?

 

 

Another, more dramatic rebuild.

 

 

We now have the players that the manager wants and we now have rid of those who don’t want to be here. If you don;t count Jullien, but we’ll have to wait until he’s fit before he gets his ticket out of dodge.

 

Which might be some time.

 

Oh, and Ajeti, who no one wanted when Lennon bought him.

 

Probably not even Lennon.

 

 

Hopefully, though, Ange will stick with the those who have done him proud, and ease new bhoy Liam Scales in gently. There is no room for error now, with two defeats already out of just four games.

 

 

At Ibrox, he stuck with Christie and Edouard even though both players were going anywhere that would have them, which ultimately bit him in the bottom.

 

Surely he must have been fed up of them checking their text messages during the pre match team talk ?

 

 

In their place come players who want to be here, and unlike previous windows, only one loan..and there’s an option to buy there.

 

 

The others were all first team regulars, and even  star players, such as Giakoumakis and Fuhruhashi.

 

For roughly what was raised by offloading Christie, Celtic got the top scorer in the Eredivisie….and despite fears that the big three Dutch clubs may have ignored him, it’s worth remembering they ignored Henrik Larsson at one time as well.

 

And he played for one of them.

 

 

He signed from VVV Venlo, who have reverted to their original name of Venlo since sacking the guy who answered the phones with a stutter.

 

 

 

The aftermath of the Ibrox loss was quite bizarre.

 

 

With only Steve Clarke’s Scotland to suck the life out of supporters, you’d have thought that the media would have taken the opportunity to praise the resilient champions, with Steve Gerrard et all splashed all over the papers, and with criticism fired at an out of his depth new Celtic manager.

 

 

Thats how it usually goes, but it seems that the £25,000 demanded for access by the Ibrox PR team was too much for even the staunchest of newsmen, if thats the right term for what they do.

 

Throw in their DUP associated head of PR, and there was a notable change in attitude towards their favourite club/company.

 

 

Especially when their fans started up with their tunes.

 

 

The Famine song got an airing, which has led to arrests on charges of racism, unless you happen to work for the BBC, who described it as sectarianism.

 

 

BBC Sportsound
@BBCSportsound
Eight now charged after sectarian singing in Glasgow bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotla
Then again, perhaps this was a different incident.

 

That led to the usual cries that Celtic fans sing racist songs as well, though I cant think of any.

 

Dennis Nilsson must be kicking himself. If only he’d asked his lawyer to point out to the judge that other people go on mass murder sprees as well.

 

The hordes can;t seem to get their heads around the simple legal issue that of you break the law, and get caught, you will be charged. And thats that.

 

Why they continue to sing such ditties is beyond rational thought.

 

Does their hate burn so fiercely that they are willing to risk arrest and punishment ?

 

 

When the song first hit the charts, Jim Traynor, who, maybe not surprisingly, went on to be Ibrox media guru, wrote this….

 

 

Image

 

 

Effectively asking why a section of society was concerned about large crowds prone to violence were demanding that they “go home”

 

 

Little wonder the sore festered….

 

 

 

 

And out came the old debate that the it’s all down to separating kids at four or five and sending them to different schools.

 

 

Even the Times of London..under it’s regional banner… managed to find someone to give that argument an airing….

 

 

The Times Scotland
@thetimesscot

Due to separate schools, very few Scottish children escape our country’s primary religious divide, writes

which was backed up quickly in another piece…..

TimesEditorScotland
@magnusllewellin

Rangers and Celtic fans are as bad as each other .. But the Famine Song should be seen as a kind of theatrical performance, not an invitation to ethnic cleansing, writes ⁦

 I looked elsewhere in the paper, but there were no articles about women being at least partially to blame for being victims of rape for being women, or perhaps because they go to girl guides and not the boy scouts.
 Couldn’t find anything about muslims having the temerity to have their own religions , or anyone else for that matter.
 Just catholics.
 The wider issue is that when they demand the closure of faith schools as they cause division, it’s not a huge step to businesses and even home ownership.
 After that it becomes camps to keep them safe, and maybe a wee badge so that they can be spotted in public.
 Thats the mentality we’re up against….not just those of a catholic faith… but anyone who dares to be different.
 There was even an attempt to justify the offences with a sense of victimisation, which again, is an interesting defence.
 However, whilst the “quality ” papers ran with the persecution of catholics angle, the red tops went full force on their former favourites…..
Image
 The Heart and Hand…heart to show their love for their club, and Hand to express how they show their love physically, came under fire for doing what they’ve always done.
 There’s nothing new here, and it’s odd that suddenly the smsm are going after them.
 Or is it because the world’s media have their eyes on Scotland, with the first manager from the southern hemisphere out to make a name for himself in the north ?
 Ange Postecoglou is known globally, which itself would have embarrassed the hacks who had to google him when his name was first mentioned for the Celtic job.
 There is interest in how he performs.
 That also means that there is interest in how the local media perceive him…..and absolute terror in editorial circles that some news outlet somewhere else might take an interest in goings on in Scotland, not only of a racist nature, but any financial shennannigans as well……
 Jon Dahl Tomasson mentioned something that the media wouldn’t talk about when he said they needed the money….perish the though that foreign outlets might think they pander to racism and bigotry as a cash cow…….
 Which brings us back to Celtic, the polar opposite in many ways…..who tweeted this yesterday…….

Celtic Football Club
@CelticFC
 One Club open to all since 1888. Happy #Pride to all of our supporters celebrating in Glasgow today     
Image
 Although I am a little suspicious that yet again they appear to have borrowed a concept from LDTStore…….
Image
 The message behind it is in stark contrast not only to the attitude of another club, despite their Everyone Anyone campaign, which doesn’t seem to sit happily next to We Are The People in any way, but a message to society in general.
 One we can be proud of.
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StevieD
2 years ago

Why has nobody questioned why they’ve timed the unfurling of their league flag to coincide with the big orange walks weekend?

weered
2 years ago

Ralph.. DID YOU USE TRIGGERS BROOM ffs

Gerard Reilly
2 years ago

Good post compadre, very apt and very accurate, just saying your catchy nom de plume in Engerlund is now mysteriously pronounced Raif Maif…yip, why I don.t know? ..whit next , help ma boab, ” sir Raif Richardson, Raif Fiennes, Wreck it Raif , etc

weered
2 years ago
Reply to  Gerard Reilly

🙂

Monti
2 years ago

Still disappointed we didn’t bring in a quality left back, Scales might be just the lad, here’s hoping.

Weered, good to see you on comrade, maybe you’ll get your apology……who nose 🙂

weered
2 years ago
Reply to  Monti

I am not bothered about an apology from Mike.
He is a good man and we all have our OFF moments.
That subject is now closed

Iancelt67
2 years ago
Reply to  weered

I think he’s cleaning his blunderbuss

BornCelt!
2 years ago

After reading this I am slowly losing the will to live. Thank goodness fro Ange-Ba’! HH!

BJF
2 years ago

There is general agreement we have had a good transfer window. A few buts, can the Spurs guy do it,will Jota achieve his potential in the ‘kicking’ league? I think the Swede will settle and I hate to see Ralston, who has always given his all, lose out to a guy who looks a terrific player, but that is what Ange is paid for and again he has won us over. They have kept their squad together, could be good, could be their Achilles heel. Looking forward to the next few months.

Yoker Bhoy
2 years ago
Reply to  BJF

Tony Ralston has now established himself as an important part of the squad on his own merits and even if he does turn out to be second choice RB, that shouldn’t mean permanently playing second fiddle to Juranovic. With Ange’s style of blitzkrieg football there’ll have to be plenty of rotation making it vitally important to have quality in depth. After the window, one of the biggest concerns will be the Nº10 role as although both Turnbull and Rogic have bags of talent, their issues concerning fitness and consistency of performance are no secret. We know that Kjogo is a bit wasted out on the left wing but could he be an effective option down the middle playing just behind Giorgos? As Monti says, if Scales could prove himself at LB and solve that gaping problem, that’d be grand. We’ve brought in two on loan but at least with an option to buy in both cases (Jota and Carter-Vickers). Very interested to see how both of them fare in the coming weeks.

SteveNaive
2 years ago

Huge front page for the DR… Abba to return !

SteveNaive
2 years ago

Yoker,
Agreed but also the number six.
We may not need the fast becoming redundant protection of the four ( or three)in the SPL but I’d argue we do in Europe. Possibly Ange wants a footballer there and I’m not sure it is Soro at present.

Yoker Bhoy
2 years ago
Reply to  SteveNaive

Hi Steve, hope you’re good mate. On the domestic front you’re probably right about there being no real need for an out and out DM, at least against the weaker sides, which constitutes most of the league. Soro has done a good job domestically but would probably fall a bit short at European level. McCarthy, if he can just steer clear of injuries, could be a great option in that role for European games with Calmac in the nº8 role.

Mcklintop
2 years ago

Never understood how it’s the fault of Catholic education when a bunch of racists who presumably never had a Catholic education display their behaviours for everyone to see. If anything it’s an advert for more Catholic education not less. Maybe that’s what they mean by ending separate schools?

Good to see Callum McGregor getting a rest against Moldova whilst the latest wunderkind gets lashings of praise poured on him again. I don’t see why everyone is raving about Gilmour, he’s just a water carrier, never going to change a game in your favour. He’s good a retaining possession and playing sideways but against a team like Moldova who are happy to give you possession what more can he add.

Anyway when’s the real football back?

Owen Mcgrandles
2 years ago

Good read

Monti
2 years ago

Weered,
Whilst i respect your viewpoint that you are not seeking an apology from Mike, i’m afraid i must insist on you receiving an apology from him.

Mike is indeed a good man but that doesn’t give him immunity from criticism when it’s deserved.

So Mike, if you are reading this, get your finger out & unequivocally & unreservedly apologise to our dear friend, Weered.

You nose it’s the right thing to dae….ken.

Funkyy
2 years ago
Reply to  Monti

Wise words from the man who calls someone “c*nt” just because of some kidding about the caption contest eh?

Effarr
2 years ago

In most towns and cities in Scotland the ratio of
catholic to protestant schools is 1:6. So how come that it is OK for a protestant nursery-child leaver to go to any one of those six schools without anyone batting an eyelid but all hell breaks loose if a catholic child goes to the school of its parents` God-given choice?

And why is it that the bigots and troublemakers mainly tend to be products of the non-catholic schools?

Could James Traynor explain that one, please,
if he is lurking around?

Owen Mullions
2 years ago
Reply to  Effarr

Jim cannae explain it. He didnae get wan ae yon fancy Cafflick educations. That’s why he’s a fat Hun!

Christina
2 years ago
Reply to  Owen Mullions

🙂 how you doing? This damn thing wouldn’t let me post the other day – probably just as well in hindsight 🙂 🙂 – anyway I’m allowed to post on this diary page but not on current page! So looks like I’m gonna be a day late and dollar short most of time! Happy to see you and hope Arsene & JimboH will be too. Haven’t seen any posts recently from JimboH have you? Or maybe he’s changed his username….might try that myself if this posting malarkey keeps up!! X

2 years ago

I’m really impressed that the Onion Bears are quoting from Irish Soldier Laddie:

Will ye stand in the band like a true Irish man

It certainly sounds like they’re preparing to go and fight the forces of the crown.

Although this window was a start in addressing the shitshow left by lennon and lawwell we still need to acknowledge familiar failures eg too late to affect Champions League (terminal) and Ibrox (damaging but recoverable).

Just about all of our signings come with a risk factor eg Gio has had one stellar season after a nothing career so is this him kicking on or is it like Klimala, who had a similar trajectory?

Jota has never managed the step up to senior football so will he now make the break through?

Scales has a similar step up to manage and CCV is a relative short erse amongst our similar CBs.

Kyogo looks the star of this team, although he’s well into his season and international commitments will likely me he’ll need some downtime, so others will need to step up.

Although he’s only played 1 game, on the wrong side, but Juranovic looks the real deal and him and Ralston should see their side well covered without any drop off in intensity.

I’m positive for the future but need similar big windows in January and next summer, especially early and not last day additions that mean we’re unnecessarily short for vital games.

Hopefully Ange Team 2 next year will cover all the basis.

This is a good summary of where we’re at:

celticbynumberscom.ipage .com/managing-risk-on-the-postecoglou-rollercoaster/

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