Celtic are still nine points clear at the top of the table, despite the presence of Michael and the Invincibeales.
A 4-1 win over St johnstone keeps things ticking over nicely as we approach the home straight in the league title procession. Nearest rivals managed a 2-1 win at home to Ross County as the nerves begin to fray over there.
It’s always the same around this time of the month as the players still worry whether or not they’re getting paid in full.
For a manager apparently rattled by his opponents on the other side of the river, Ange Postecoglou is coping rather well with the pressure, and hardly ever snaps at some of the ridiculous questions put to him.
If the hacks actually listened to his answers instead of trying to trip him up all the time, they might not only get an insight into his thinking, but also an interview worth listening to.
For instance, when the manager mentioned ( Daily Mail ) he was talking to the players who have eighteen months on their contract, wouldn’t it be worth pursuing that line ?
“It’s just about having discussions with the players themselves. I need to know where they’re at, where their heads are.
“Last year, we had Nir Bitton and Tom Rogic with a year left. It would have been easy for me to let them roll on for another year. But, after discussions, they felt there were other opportunities they wanted to explore and they moved on.
“With those three guys, I’m constantly talking to them about their ambitions. I want to make sure that every step of the way we’re looking after the player’s interests — but also looking after the club’s interest, too. Every decision will be made against that backdrop.”
Especially as it implies that he is planning ahead and therefore probably not about to up sticks and head south ?
Anthony Joseph of Sky sports pondered Postecoglou’s future, which , surprisingly, didn’t make many papers….
“If it was in the summer and a massive club came in for him I think he would (leave), if it was someone like Leicester (City) or Southampton or something like that even Everton, I don’t think so.
“I get that feeling that he is very honest, he’s very upfront, he very much sees that he’s in a very privileged job to be managing in Europe at a huge club.
“I’m not saying he won’t eventually leave, I think he’ll stay out to see what he feels is the end of the project, I don’t think two seasons is that.”
That narrative, that our manager is here for a while yet, is not one that is encouraged by sports editors in Scotland.
Which, of course, will be why they haven’t mentioned it.
Another bit of reading between the lines can be taken from the manager’s transfer market policy, which he has impressed on the board.
“ I said to the board we have to be aggressive , not reactive. “
“There was an opportunity in this window , I had an inkling that at least a couple of significant players would move on, Josip and particularly Giakoumakis, so I really thought it was important to get ahead of the game and get in players to replace them . ”
How things have changed….. usually we’d be holding out for as long as possible to get as much money as possible which would determine how much …usually not that much….we could spend on a replacement, who never usually came anyway.
What’s also notable is that Juranovic is “josip ” whilst first name terms do not apply to what was our second choice striker.
Clearly there was a reason, yet to be fully explained, why we got the top scorer in the Dutch league for next to nothing…..
All of this is important , for us, at least, because over the next three weeks in the build up to the League cup final, the media will continue it’s confidence building exercise for the Invincibeales.
Such as this, in the Record….
Michael Beale has Rangers matching Celtic and the numbers show it’s more than a new manager bounce
Keith Jackson, heir apparent to the Voice of Alzheimers title held for so long by his colleague Hugh Keevins, is clearly on message with the diktat issued from above.
It may have been Michael Beale’s turn to be a lucky man on Saturday. But just because the Rangers boss required a deflected winner from Borna Barisic to take all three points at home to Ross County, it doesn’t mean what’s been going on at Ibrox since his arrival has been happening by accident.
Note the reference to the accepted narrative that Ange is a “lucky man “….anyone in professional sport will point out that the amount of work put in is usually in correllation with the luck that seems to follow…..and then the disclaimer that it’s no accident.
In percentage terms, Beale is matching Ange Postecoglou’s numbers – and the big Aussie has banked 70 from a possible 75 this season – by winning 93.33 per cent of the top flight points available to him. Van Bronckhorst left town averaging 73.33 per cent.
In other words, enough evidence is beginning to pile up to suggest that Rangers have got something more substantial than just a ‘new manager bounce’ out of Beale’s appointment. It’s almost certainly too late to turn this season’s Premiership race into a proper title fight. Celtic’s stupendously ridiculous levels of relentlessness will see to that.
Which, of course, the Invincibeales have matched…..
This is the line which is now being peddled to soften the blow this season, to inspire the hordes in some way for the future.
The truth is Beale may be a decent enough coach, but his squad is about to fall apart and there is no money to rebuild it.
Winning the League cup is paramount for them, as they will be planning on announcing season book renewals pretty much the day after should that happen.
If it doesn’t, and that is probably more realistic, unless the officials and their new toy can counteract the gulf in quality between the two Glasgow sides, then they will feel the wrath of the hordes in the ground, and in their pockets.
And they certainly can’t afford to find another new manager.
It’s going to be an intense few weeks, but as our manager says, all we have to do is keep winning.
The narrative about him rattled is nonsense, it’s similar to guilt transference, they are obviously in what is called in some circles a “blind funk ” and have no idea how to see their way out of it.
Claiming Postecoglou is rattled when it’s themselves who are shaking is probably all they have left, as even the greatest writers of fantasy and fiction would struggle to sell the current state of the currant buns to even the staunchest of fans…instead the focus is on Celtic, waiting for our club to collapse when in fact it looks like the foubdations are not only in place to prevent that, they’re a lot more solid than previous constructs….
Last time out we had this..
Sancheto
John Beaton in the VAR bunker orders Willie Collum to send Jota off for leaving the field of play
Today…
Where’s ma monster munch
Caption: Kris Boyd in ‘embarrassing photo’ scandal after he is pictured wiping his arsehole!
Caption: if only I could open my gub wider I could get all the monster munch in!
Having run out of ideas at one end Boydy looks for something new to moan about
Caption: Too easy really.
shut yer hole, fat boy
Caption
My new false teeth are too big!
The muppets are in meltdown, you can polish a turd but it will never be a rose, they have hirpled to be the ‘Invincebeales’ (like it), only game where they looked fast was against the Hertz
Even with the dubious muppets reffing the game, yesterday, must have looked at VAR from every angle to disallow the goals, totally ignored a clear foul on Hatate when Wright scored. They will do a serious rerun in the League Cup final to disadvantage. Celtic, but Ange has created a strong unit.
I noticed the Hatate foul as well and you can imagine my surprise when there wasn’t a long delay for a forensic analysis.
Spoiler – I wasn’t.
Caption; How many times kris have I told you?
it’s your foot that you put in your mouth..
who ate all the pies
The dafter journalists questions get the more common sense we get from Ange, love it. Too often in the past Celtic have been caught on the hop by recruitment issues whether in coming or departing, Ange is on the ball.
( signed Grey lines).
Share the love of Daniel Fergus McGrain: There are many players in Celtic’s long history that can be called ‘Legends’, as we move on like Ange and the team, time – never stops, but before the chapter of the Lisbon Lions ends, here was a player who began his Celtic playing career two weeks before Lisbon. Hugh McIllvanney said this about Danny Bhoy – “Anybody who saw him at his best had the unmistakable impression of watching a great player, probably one who had no superior in the world”.
663 games for Celtic and one of the ‘Quality Street Gang”. Jock gave him two seasons to bed into the Celtic first team, a wise decision that would pay dividends later. One of the first attacking full backs with a burst of speed, an antenna with his positioning,superb ball control and vision, with a strong tackle. ‘Faithful Through And Through’ and with absolutely no ego, make the barley shake for Danny Bhoy, our pipes certainly called for this Celtic legend.
Was the glass ceiling of Celtic players, playing for Scotland broken by Danny McGrain? I think that it was, because he won 62 Scottish International Caps, BF (Before Danny) Celtic players struggled to get SFA recognition for their talents, no-one could deny the talented playing skills of Danny Bhoy.
My eldest son wanted Kenny Dalgleish’s Celtic shirt for his birthday, he got Danny’s instead, that says it all. Celtic FC was moving forward with a wealth of football talent, forging ahead trying to make new history as we moved forward to “Nine In A Row”. Danny McGrain led the way forward.
Morning Mike, Danny will have a statue at Paradise one day, proper Celtic legend!
Morning Monti, good to see you on, hope you and yours are doing good. Danny McGrain broke the SFA glass ceiling for Celtic players and won 62 Scottish caps, as you rightly say,
‘a proper Celtic legend!’ All the best mate.
Hi Mike, yes all is well with us thanks for asking.
When you think of some of the ‘ pitches ‘ ( ploughed fields ) that some of the past greats played on, I laugh when the pundits talk about the state of Mcdiarmid & Hampden….you just get the fk on with it & deal with it.
Don’t know what is going on with our own pitch at Paradise but it’s not good enough is it? £2m for that?
It needs addressed in the summer!
HH
Good stuff! sorry to read about your dog, it’s like losing a part of your family and we all know how much that hurts. The pitch is infected with Blue – Nose disease (oops!). Every time them’s play on it, it gets worse with all their detritus infecting the green grass. “Yoker – Poker – Bram Stoker. Your post before yesterdays game, Bravo!
I did reply to you Monti, but its currently waiting in Limbo.
And he recovered from a skull fracture heading a free kick away from Celtic’s goal. Add to that he had diabetes which was revealed when he had an ankle injury that wouldn’t heal..If my memory serves that’s what kept him out of the Scotland World Cup team in Argentina. He was one of a kind, a real attacking defender with tremendous speed and ability to match.
Diabetes as well I believe
Yes Funkyy, He fought through many adversities as well as some brutal tackles, but it was the mans humility that shone through. A fantastic lion hearted player on the pitch, but off it he was the most humble person. I had the privilege to meet him once and was struck by his complete lack of ego. Daniel Fergus McGrain, ‘ was just the most beautiful person off the pitch, but the most brilliant player on it. We were the winners when he donned those famous Hoops. # Danny Bhoy. There goes them pipes.
Caption:- Money for nothing and the pies are free.
Fried Mars Bar fanatic, Fatboyd Dim.
No excuses for not winning the treble even with VAR, get it done.
” St.Johnstone v Celtic live on Pie Sports, kick off is next “
Caption -” A typical Hun biting the hand that feeds them”
Caption – And Boyd settles on taking in garbage instead of spewing it as he looks on in hope for the following season to fill in other big holes in Beales squad.
Caption …
Only another two bags of pies to go , I’ll need to hurry I heard ally’s on his way …
Caption: Fat ugly bastard!
Caption – a monster munching
So in effect and contrary to what some might want to believe there has been no shift from the model Peter Lawwell brought into Celtic post Season 2012-13 when in 2013 we moved on Wanyama ,Hooper and Kelvin Wilson in the same window.
In fact it would appear Ange Postecoglou came to Celtic accepting that this would indeed be the case.
Interestingly though the first two windows he was signing players based solely on ability rather than concentrating on the age bracket first in orde to build a side good enough to take the Title back to Celtic Park after a 1 year hiatus.
The return of Peter Lawwell however has seen a very visible return to signing u24’s with a view to developing and selling on for profit.
As Ange previously stated Celtic fans had better not get too attached to their heroes?
What if one of those heroes turns out to be the man himself?
Ange the lifelong Liverpool Fan might not get another chance at Managing his heroes should they come calling in response to Klopp apparently reaching the end of his road at Anfield.
Don’t kid yersels that our Board and Investors (Peter Lawwell has over 350,000 shares btw) won’t accept a large offer from a major Club like Liverpool should they press the button on such a scenario.
The fact is we’ve let go two experienced assets in Juranovic and Giakoumakis mid Season and replaced them with Johnston (24 in October) and Oh ( 21) neither of whom have any experience in European Football.
On one hand we have both the Manager and Club insisting we are building for Europe bit on the other hand continually replacing key players to fund that rebuild.
Well it is a fact that despite operating this way for a Decade we have gone from reaching a major European Final in 2003 and subsequently reaching the last 16 of the Champions League 3 times in the previous decade to losing 17 games in the Champions League and getting nowhere near the last 16 of the Competition since.
At what point do you start to question the logic in this Approach?
Nah it seems you a pushing the idea that you keep gambling and chuck yer money at the next Lawwellball Rollover.
Good luck with that Ralph
I’m not sure you understand either Ange’s position at Celtic or Lawwell’s, Charlie.
We didn’t move either player on: they both wanted to go and Ange was prepared to accept that and bring in new talent. Lawwell has NO executive role at CP, he’s a figure-head, albeit one I’d never have let back across the CP threshold. Whilst Desmond will no doubt try to use his placeman (Lawwell) to his advantage, any attempt at executive influence by Lawwell should, and IMO would, be called out. Re-read and re-think your arguments as I think you’ll see they’re flawed. The Celtic is moving FORWARD and Lawwell is yesterday’s man-prikk.
HH
I’ve listened to every word he has spoken and looked at every transfer unfold.
First two windows (No Lawwell) we sign players of all ages but primarily of experience.
Lawwell returns in the 3rd of 4 windows and Ange starts talking about the Clubs Transfer Policy and the fact fans should not get attached to their heroes.
Fourth window and now he’s talking about targeting the U24 bracket and how Celtic need to sell in order to build.
All of this to a backdrop of Celtic entering this Financial Year with £30m cash at the Bank and the high likelihood of Champions League Football on the cards.
Both Juranovic and Giakoumakis may well have wanted a move (no one is asking why given the Champions League situation) but both were tied up into 5 year deals.
This has been out strategy for a decade at Celtic and although the way we have done the business has improved under Nicholson the fact remains we are still operating in the market at a neutral spend despite sitting on a stack of cash.
If Ange wanted any proof that this approach has been anything but successful on the park in the Champions League then all he need do is look at the results.
We’ve gone from Last 16 to lost 17 in the 10 years since it was introduced post 2013 Season.
if you are naive enough to think that the influence of Peter Lawwell has somehow been diminished by him taking a year out then sorry bud you are deluded.
Its musical chairs at Celtic but the song of choice has never changed.
Talking Heads
Replied but the ever-annoying hook was applied! FFS!
No doubt it will appear after the next instalment of Happy Clappy Celtic.
A O C, Completely agree with every word of this, well said!
Caption – Kris Boyd left in embarrassing situation as he finds a pubic hair stuck between his teeth after exclusive Micky Beale interview.
Caption.Boyd practises his interviewing technique when he next gets on his knees to Mick Beale
Caption: Boyd “Diz embdy want that last pork pie? Sure?”
Interestingly the Occasional Contributor was the first comment not have grey/black bars in months. Was my earlier contribution hooked because it mentioned grey bars?
It was edited, so does that explain it?
I’ll edit this to see.
Edited Just for Men.
Apologies Ralph I see my earlier comment behind the bars
Ralph, re your point about us signing the top scorer in the Dutch league for basically nickels and dimes and with no apparent interest from the leading Dutch or other Continental Clubs is I think down to the fact that the vast majority of GG’s goals, while playing for the bottom placed Club, were from the penalty spot.
(Seems weird considering his record with us).
Actually, we’ve extended our lead (by Goal difference) 4 times and never had it cut once since ‘perhaps the best coach in Britain’ took over.
We’ve also played at their place, which is their best hope at taking points of us, without losing ground.
Keef will be bealeing when he finds out.
Although we’ve administered a couple of Hunpings in Paradise, at Ibrox (W1 D1 L1) and Hampden (L1) its been a lot tighter and LCF likely be the same, so top form required.
Was there an answer to how to get rid of the dark areas that cover the comments section? If so please share
Anyone remember the time Danny took the ball inside his half, the Aberdeen defence moved out as one but The bold Danny ran through the defence and squared it for KD to stroke it into the net. I was in the jungle and when he made his move the main stand was on their feet to see this piece of genius.
And now enter the Ibrox Evening Times with their headline that Ange is on the shortlist to take over at Leeds Utd, giving the impression that he might soon be off. Further reading reveals that he has been “mentioned” by the “odds makers” (fekking bookies)…ffs my name is probably on the bookies odds list. But Operation Destabilize Celtic is in full swing..the hun loving criminals that make up the Scottish media are doing their part to aid “Mr Blobby” Beales’ staunch eleven to win their, I forget..is it second title? You can smell the fear from Ibrox…a Celtic treble would have the hun support marching on Ibrox calling for heads…and heads would have to roll to appease them or the season ticket and merchandise sales would drop like a rock.
Caption: Man gives burger the shits.
Fathole boyd quickly stuffs all the pies in when he sees fathole morelos coming.
Faddy , look , bulimia , sorted , I’ll stay at 16 stone
Yoker, looked at your post before the game on Sunday. Checked it again after the game. Bravo- you nailed it! Check out the water polo. But that support – Wow. Its not just for the financial support that Celtic bring to the table and it is massive, its the atmosphere inside the ground – Fan Daba Dozy.
Cheers Mike, looked like the support were having a brilliant time right enough and the team were excellent, despite the dodgy conditions
@Monti Would respond under my post but can hardly read it and definitely cannot reply with the watermark splattered allover the comments section.
Nothing has changed at Celtic all they have done is throw glitter on it and repacked it as a new product.
See you on the Bus.
HH