It’s the magic of the League Cup today with Celtic in Kilmarnock to begin their defence of a trophy that’s always nice to have in the cupboard to set up the second half of the season.
Although Carpet World on a Sunday afternoon does sound more like something one’s wife came up with as a way to spend some quality time as a couple.
It could well be yet another edge of the seat thriller, though, because Derek McInnes has started the season quite well in Ayrshire, presumably because he thinks his dream job is about to come up.
Derek McInnes is future Rangers manager as Brendan Rodgers backs Killie boss for second Ibrox chance
The Record hacks won’t admit it publicly yet, but Mickey Beale will pick up his first award as Ibrox boss soon, well, that’s what he thinks a P45 is.
For a match preview to rival any other, it’s over to Yoker Bhoy….
Maybe not the ideal draw for a second round league cup fixture but it has all the ingredients for an explosive tie where a positive result cannot be taken for granted.
Killie go into this one on a high with a notable hun league victory already racked up and were clearly the better team after a 0-0 draw at Tynecastle last weekend. McInnes has got this team well-drilled with his new signings already making a positive contribution and gelling well. In his own words he claims that they are ‘starting to look a bit like Steve Clarke’s Killie’.
They’ve been playing 3-5-2 lately and are unlikely to change that system against our good selves tomorrow. Loanee goalie from Bournmouth, Will Dennis, has looked very confident so far while their likely back three will comprise Stuart Findlay, Robbie Deas (both Celtic Academy products) and Lewis Mayo (hun academy product) although Ipswich loanee Corrie Ndaba could come into the reckoning although he is currently being deployed in midfield, where Brad Lyons has been imposing himself extremely well as a highly efficient organiser and grafter.
They’ve also picked up midfielder Kyle Magennis on a free from Hibs and he’s also enjoyed a very successful start to the season.
He was a great prospect, especially during his St Mirren days, but serious injuries have severely hampered his progress. In the wide left position Matty Kennedy (ex St Johnstone and Aberdeen) has been playing above himself (MOTM at Tynecastle) while the pesistent and speedy right winger Daniel Armstrong, who has been a nuisance against us in previous games) also possesses decent technical abilities. It’s up front where Killie are lacking and it’s difficult to understand why McInness would want to persist with ex-Aberdeen freebie Marley Watkins, who’s definitely over the hill and, to be honest, hasn’t been very good anyway over the last two or three years. Their best bet would be to use big old fashioned style Nº 9 Kyle Vassel, who showed a reasonable goal return last season but they’re badly in need of a proven goalscorer if their rise in form is to continue.
It’ll be interesting to see Rodgers’ starting line up for this one but I fully expect big ‘Lagerbeer’ to make his debut given that neither CCV nor Welsh will be involved. I also expect to see further impressive contributions from recent signings Thiago Holm and Yang, although I expect Daizen will start. The Japanese ‘buzzbomb’ was in top form last time he appeared at Rugby park.
Although Kilmarnock have been potent in midfield and solid enough at the back lately, the main weakness to exploit will be on their right flank as Armstrong is not great defensively while Mayo can be a bit hit or miss.
As long as we spray the ball around quickly and show plenty of movement off the ball the gaps are bound to open up for us in their defence.
Our two league outings there last season turned into goalfests so here’s hoping that recent trend will continue.This’ll be a great opportunity to rise to the occasion, put on a show and knock McInness off his high horse.
There’s little doubt it will be a difficult game, Celtic have yet to hit their stride this term, with only a couple of games under their belt.
And we need something to shout about for the right reasons.
The transition fro Angeball to Brendanball hasn’t been completely seamless, amd at least one hoops fan…me…has been casting doleful eyes at the news from London yesterday which saw the Australian impose his will on his new club with a 2-0 win over Manchester United.
Tottenham then decided taking our manager wasn’t enough….they plundered the songbook as well…
*volume up*
The scenes after Tottenham beat Manchester United.
Spurs fans singing Ange Postecoglou’s name.
Early days, but they’re loving him already.
— Sacha Pisani (@Sachk0) August 19, 2023
And you know what else is bugging me ?
One of those niggling little doubts that won’t go away ?
I’m not entirely sure that the reason Postecoglou went was entirely down to money or the lure of the EPL.
Especially when you factor in this , from Brendan Rodgers…..
Has Brendan taken on a role that Postecoglou refused ?
Might explain why he always looks so bloody miserable.
The Irishman did say he wanted to make a mark in Europe, and the transfer policy was to buy low and sell high, but to re-invest in a higher quality and sell even higher…
Did that change last season ?
There’s little evidence this summer so far that a higher level of player is being brought to the club, even if the ones who have arrived are more than capable of playing in the first team.
Sadly, I feel we won’t progress in Europe as we’ve found that domestic dominance and the sale of a few players more than pays the bills….
At least until Desmond sells up….and this current fiscal policy does suggest that’s on the cards.
Successful business with cash in the bank, millions of pounds worth of assets, world wide customer base ?
With massive potential for expansion with significant investment ?
So, having made myself feel a little more miserable than i was an hour ago, it’s time to laugh at thise less fortunate than ourselves, and the desperate attempts to gloss over what is now becoming a potential catastrophe on the other side of the river….
The BBC yesterday praising the guts and determination of a piss poor “rangers 2 who barely overcame Morton.
Whereas a similar scenario for Celtic involves the saving of blushes….
But they do have Europe to look forward to….
Michael Beale vows Rangers will go all out against PSV as he takes veiled SPFL swipe over Dutch FA help for Euro rivals.
Ah, wait, the sub editor left a word in there that’s redundant….. I’ll fix it.
Michael Beale vows Rangers will go out against PSV as he takes veiled SPFL swipe over Dutch FA help for Euro rivals
That’s better.
As with Pittodrie last week, any win will do today.
Let’s get this show back on the road, let’s get that feel good factor back because of our own actions, and not because of anyone elses.
By the way, England’s womens team, or ladies, whatever you prefer to call them, could win a World Cup today.
By contrast, if it was their mens team, I’d have been on some Hebridean island by now, with all forms of communication blocked.
The media down here haven’t thrown their usual shite at us, and another blessing is the lack of David Baddiel and Frank Skinner blasting that three lions dirge either.
And they’re leopards, by the way, you uncultured barbarians…my own message to the England fans there.
So, on that note, I’d like to wish them good luck.
If nothing else, that pathetic attempt at an olive branch will mean the ex England ladies player I work with will speak to me again after I said that my favourite part of any English campaign was when they crash and burn after getting their hopes up.
Last Monday we considered this image….
Caption: 3 points ahead of the rest so 3 yards off and wall distance, simples
As the season progresses the wall will be behind the kick taker……Scottish referees.
In a class of their own.
Today….
Caption: those lovely chaps on the board will be thrilled when they see we’ve spent the transfer kitty on designing training grounds for the ladies team
Not to mention ladies tops for the men’s team!!
Caption …
Just sign this contract , hang around a while , date one of the men’s team move to hotter climes and if he follows you he’s a keeper …
Caption
See Kweevins and the rest bigging up the mole and slagging the Brenda off again.
Spurs looked like a work in Progress a bit like Celtic, too early to say, but the Zombies are heading for a dark place. The next three games will show if there is any progression, there will be incomings and probably outgoing over the next two weeks
There is nothing good about playing on the manky carpet at Rugby Park. McIness. Is a decent coach but we usually turn up trumps there. I suppose it is settled on the day , mind you I wouldn’t mind a replay and another competitive game, we seem a bit rusty. Pleased for Ange.
There won’t be any replay – if all square after 90, it goes into extra time and pens if necessary.
Caption : ‘Now the hoops really aren’t hoops at all. They’re a juxtaposition of levels in colour, both methodical and analytical in fashion, given the different forms of information made available to me by a complete fucking idiot’.
Oh Marjorie that stained glass window is just lovely. I’m sure we can incorporate it into the latest Celtic jersey.
Now here’s the layout of the trophy room, you tackle the Loving Cup with a duster, and I’ll dig through the dust looking for silverware
Awwwww, poor England. Thank ‘the fates’. It’ll stop that sycophantic, monarchy-grovelling, boak-inducing English media from driving us all nuts for the next decade, and unfortunately their Scottish counterparts too!
Hail! Hail!
Excellent, as always, match preview from Yoker Bhoy and, I hope, he’s been paid for his service. 😉
The odd thing (so far) about Rodgers Return is that he seems to be the antithesis of what he was previously eg accepting what he’s given, tamping down fans expectation of next level players.
Is it a blind before rabbits are pulled out of hats or is he just a different, less ambitious, humble (!?) beast?
Havind said that, I don’t hold with all the body language BS, as you’ll always find an image to suit your agenda eg anyone who used the MSM would think that Neil Lennon was permanently snarling.
Our impotent fury against this dereliction of duty and failure to be the best we can possibly be should be directed at the cunts on the board and not those who physically have therm.
Caption (back in the 50s) “Have you seen this mysogynistic bullshit in the latest Paper Tims?”. “Sad but, at least when our great granddaughters are reading the electronic version, they won’t have to put up with it”
A very hard (fairly level) watch 1st half but what’s to be expected? It’s a shocking, sticky surface today; to quote an English con-artist named Charles Green, “I’d happily dig it up and grow potatoes on it”.
And we’ve got a new central defensive pairing due to injuries and they’re (mostly) doing well. Nawrocki’s got a lot of talent as exhibited since he arrived and he’s got a natural eye for a telling, forward pass. I’d just settle for a result today and progress to last 8.
Hail! Hail! The Glasgow Celtic.
Penalties denied, Muir involved, no shock there then.
See, see if you’re gonna lose a game, go outa cup, it’s that LC today.
I’ve already accepted that and not too bothered. You could see it coming.
And anyway, it allows for one of the lower clubs (naw, no’ THAT low) to win a trophy in a business today that was a sport in my younger days although cheating was there then too.
Hail! Hail! The Glasgow Celtic.
Well, TT, we all know which ‘lower club’ will win that trophy now given that Mickey’s job depends on it.
Well, that was the worst Celtic performance since the days of passing the ball from one side of the park to the other side while the opposition waited to see which Celtic player would be the one to
lose it.
Champions league???? We make 5 or 6 passes to get to the opposition box, while our opponents
make one pass to cut us open. I’m not a sore loser if we have played well and get beat, but that display today wasn’t acceptable.
Now we have to suffer the press gurgling like content babies as they write their hunbiased columns.
Come on PSV, lift my spirits on Tuesday.
good to see turnbull coming on to slow the game down so that we could hold on to a narrow 0-1 defeat.
lawell is back.
Well that that was pish.
If we start the game like today we will will be gossed ten nil every match in Europe
H
And not just in Europe, gossamer.
‘Right, JimBob, the Thumbs Down button is here and the Log Out button is here.
That allows you to Thumb Down Gringo multiple times so he thinks it’s everyone doing it.’
’Sho’ t’ing, mistress!
Whatever you say, mistress!’
All kidding and swanking aside, that was a disgraceful performance today, from the boys on the pitch to the man on the touchline making like for like substitutions and expecting a different result.
But the scariest thing of all was seeing the inimitable Neil Lennon in the crowd waiting for his next big shot at glory.
All kidding aside, that was a disgraceful performance today, from the boys on the pitch to the man on the touchline making like for like substitutions and expecting a different result.
But the scariest thing of all was seeing the inimitable Neil Lennon in the crowd waiting for his next big shot at glory.
‘Tell me, dear, have you ever seen a lion roar?’
’Why, yes, mistress, that lion is definitely roaring!’
Btw, Doughball, I never knew you wore a bow …
Makes an odd kind of sense …
Maybe we should change your name to ‘Bowball’ ..?
‘So, Brendan didn’t work out, Neil.
How do you fancy following ‘the model’?’
’Yes, massa!
Anything to remain relevant, massa!’
Ye must admit, if that blonde moved that bow up to her upper lip she would look a bit like Dermot Desmond …
One thing I’ve never understood…
Why do they call it ‘Rugby Park’ when they play (some kind of) fitba oan it?
Kind of like how they used to always play ‘Oh, I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside’ when it was pishing down with rain.
If the process of VAR tooth decay is allowed to continue, expect todays result again next game.
Red card not given.
Offside goal given.
Penalty not given.
Let us move on.
Caption: So sign here for the contract and here to consent to the breast enlargement surgery and the sports presenter job with Sky is yours.
Caption
“It might BE a 12incher Morag but that’s no’ whit Ralph had in mind when he asked ye tae pick the Knob o’ the Week”
Hello Bowball!
Welcome back!
Enjoying your wee ‘Let’s Thumb Down Gringo’ game with yer wee sidekick JimBob?
This pathetic behaviour means YOU are Knob of the Week.
Every week.
But you already know that, don’t you?
More than one reason we were rank yesterday but the Killi players looked like giants compared to us. Constant boot left in and shoves. Red card for deliberate elbow and stone wall penalty. CalMac was man marked out the game. But we were rotten.
Well what a terrible performance. Happens I suppose and that said it’s a bit of a wake up call. Others will study Kilmarnock’s and the officials approach to the game and copy it. We need to be ready for that. One of those days
BB, it was ALL about the awful, sticky, unplayable pitch and the men in black.
Oh, and we were down to 10 men when they scored, Greg Taylor was receiving treatment and the move/cross came in from Greg’s side.
As I’ve said here and/or on other Tim sites, IF you had to choose a game to lose it would be in the LC every time unless, of course, it was in the final against the new huns.
We’ll come good and do the things that REALLY matter.
HH
Looks like Nawrocki has pulled a hamstring and will miss the Hun game with AJ, CCV & Reo also major doubts.
That’ll be a laugh, eh?
This is really weird, right?
A guy called The Green Machine used to come on here, do multiple postings and attack folk whilst seldom ‘talking’ about Celtic FC, the main reason the site, (thank you Ralph and co) actually exists.
Whilst I’ve probably picked the wrong 1 of your multiple posts, the point still carries.
I’ve seen you make sense. Please Pal, revert to making sense instead of enemies.
(‘Friends’ on public forums are just a self-prescribed illusion.)
I’m doing all I can to be a friend of the site, TT, as I value Ralph’s output tremendously as he has a unique way of looking at the world in some ways not too dissimilar to myself and he never fails to make me laugh,
As for the multiple posts, well, isn’t that what message boards are for?
That we can exchange thoughts on things?
I haven’t been on this site for some 6 months or more (like Ralph himself :D) and was stunned to see a certain poster target me in my absence the other week by claiming it was me Thumbing Down all his daft posts and insulting me in any other way he could think up, in his admittedly limited thought processes, as though I’d nothing better to do.
Now why anyone would insult someone in their absence then run & hide like a wee lassie when they DO show up to defend themselves only they can answer but personally I’d much rather have peace in the valley amongst Tims, with of course, a wee bit of rib tickling thrown in.
Cos if we can’t enjoy a laugh together then what’s the point?
Some people take things far too seriously these days and this site was always one of the last great refuges for fellow Tims to have a bit of craic.
And as you yourself can testify, it’s not very nice to have your name dragged through the mud whether you’re in the building or not.
Plus, you’re not impervious to more than a few multiple posts yourself, particularly when the Courvoisier’s flowing,
BTW, I have an absolute hatred of all religion and its suppressing (insidious) effect on individuals, whilst cosying up to monarchs both religious and secular (normally hand-in-hand) but that’s not to say the Quoran, Bible etc. don’t have positive points. So, in your defence, I say “let he amongst you whom is innocent, cast the first stone”.
Have a wee think Pal. If you feel I’m patronising you then you don’t know me at all. I TRY to be equal in my views of folk (I don’t always succeed)………FFS, make my efforts easier.
On another note I must confess: Mea culpa. I started watching a new huns game recently……the fact that I questioned myself and switched channel after 5 minutes is NOT a solid enough defence. Mea maxima culpa.
Tomorrow night I’ll start watching that shower at home to PSV and fully expect to watch all of it and be dancing for half-an-hour after and like those lovely children’s stories it’ll all be “happy ever after”.
Night, night.
Hail! Hail!
I don’t think you’re patronising me at all, mucker, we’re just having a blether.
Celtic is the reason we’re here and if we can’t discuss our joys and concerns on a Celtic blog then there’s no hope left for any of us,
Here’s to the Huns getting absolutely humped in both legs by a randy PSV dog 🙂
I fear that we were good enough the past two seasons the refs decisions couldn’t make an impact. This season not so.
Amazing deduction after 3 competitive games!
FFS, chin up and go FORWARD like a proper Celtic Warrior!
Elementary. But the window remains open until 1/9 and as BR said there’s something afoot in the transfer market. Maybe him. I’ll stick that in my pipe and smoke it.
So if we got to Ibrox without our entire established back line and minus our most creative midfielder in Hatate who thinks the VAR will be used to our advantage or to that of the Huns’?
And why isn’t Iwata getting a game?
He’s looked more than decent any chance he’s had and didn’t win the Japanese League’s Best Player Award for nothing last year.
There’s so much self evidently wrong behind the scenes at Celtic right now that it’s impossible to find a place to start …
McGregor & Taylor looking lost on the park, no defence worth the name and the manager, or should I say, ‘Head Coach’, looking absolutely clueless on the sidelines as to how to break down the might of Kilmarnock …
Worrying times alright but one thing I’m sure we can all agree on is that Lawwell’s Moneyball project is without a doubt, bavk in action, with Peter pulling Mark’s strings.
The plethora of one million quid punts and a couple in the 4-5 million price range proves that beyond all & any doubt as that’s the very same ‘model’ big Peter had going for the past 20 feckin years.
So if we go to Ibrox without our entire established back line and minus our most creative midfielder in Hatate who thinks the VAR will be used to our advantage or to that of the Huns’?
And why isn’t Iwata getting a game?
Everyone has the right to defend themselves, TT.
And most particularly when it’s against lies and scurrilous made up rumours by clowns with nothing better to do with their time.