Fears of a backlash from Kilmarnock after they exited the Europa League last midweek were swept aside by a Celtic side who swashbuckled their way to a 4-0 in their opening fixture of season 24-25.
Despite losing or about to lose several key players and not replacing them with anyone except a couple of goalkeepers, Brendan Rodgers begged , stole and cajoled his charges into a display of pace, skill and effort that surprised more or less everyone who reads the papers.
And James Forrest, probing and moving forward on the flanks, showed us exactly why he never got a game in the recent Euros for Scotland….. a statement equalled by Tony Ralston who grabbed the fourth goal , which was one more than his Scotland team mates managed between them in Germany
Veteran Kasper Schmeichel, a stop gap freebie at the end of his career showed us that he isn’t a stop gap freebie after all, and might yet have a few good games in him, not so much for his saves but his complete command of the defensive zone and the players in front of him.
Liam Scales seemed to benefit most from the old head behind him, so much so that he even ventured forward from time to time without shouting “oh bollocks ” and running the length of the pitch to commit a foul in the exact place he should have been anyway,
After the dull Euro series it was great to get back to real football, great to see a team wanting to win a game as opposed to trying not to make an arse of things, which as we know, leads to teams making an arse of things.
For Celtic fans , optimism should go through the roof, with one or two players excelling ….or putting themselves in the August sales..
Reo Hatate was back to his best, opening the scoring and making a nuisance of himself, and Matt O’Riley took another step in his quest to be the most artistic player since the heady days of the McStays and Collins’ of this world.
O’Riley certainly seemed to enjoy it, posting on social media
“Oof…it’s good to be back “
And Nicolas Kuhn showed why sometimes it’s better to wait until players are settled before complaining about them.
And could Odin Holm have his own song soon ?
In the pub and it shows a reply of Holm back flick pass to Palma . Someone shouts Go on Holm Instantly someone else shouts British soldiers.
Alright, calm doon, I hear you say.
All we’ve done so far is beat Kilmarnock, Chelsea and Manchester City, scoring four times against each side, so let’s not get carried away.
And weapons grade it is…
What’s wrong with being optimistic and pessimistic in equal measure ?
Just as we can be accused of being a wee bit miserable when things aren’t so good, surely we can be a little bit over the top when things start to look good ?
The team looks good and is playing well.
A couple of quality additions would make a difference, although I’d be surprised if we got them, but a couple of loans with the same quality as Jota or Bernardo, given time to settle and flourish is actually a long term plan of sorts, similar to what we’re doing with the goalkeeper postion.
Should we not recruit wisely and strengthen the squad, then no doubt fingers will be pointed at the board and Peter Lawwell, somewhat bizarrely in the case of the latter, who is more interested in European matters these days than the day to day running of Celtic.
And those fingers would then point to the piss poor start made by homeless neighbours “rangers “, who have already had their traditional 12 points from Hearts reduced to a maximum of 10 after a lacklustre 0-0 draw on Saturday.
Still, they at least have four more years of Phillipe Clement as manager, after he signed a new deal to make sure he gets a big pay off when they sack him.
Clement claimed he had grown to love the club and it’s support which perhaps lost something in translation, but with his retirement fund now secure, he won’t give a toss and will hang on as long as he can.
Worryingly for Celtic fans, we’ve seen how our board goes into downsize mode when things start to go a little out of shape over the river, and if there is any disharmony between management and executive at Celtic, it will be that Rodgers wants to make an impact on Europe whereas the board might just give a little less of a toss.
They do have form, after all, and the possibility of raking in millions for O’Riley , Hatate and possibly even Kyogo will be on their agendas and in their private Whatsapp groups, so Brendan will have to be at his most stubborn to get his own way, but he is still here , and seems to be a man with a plan , so indications are he is winning his arguments.
But there’s still time, I suppose…..
But there is also still time for us to look forward, and to maybe be more confident than optimistic that a memorable season is on the cards, and for now at least, I’m firmly on board that train.
To keep a sort of cheerful mood going, something a little different today.
I’ve just finished reading a book called Tales From The Jungle, or Jungle Tales, by a fellow called James Quinn.
Written in the nineties before the advent of fan media and the internet, it is a heavily sanitised trip down memory lane with recollections of the old North Enclosure, findly known as the Jungle, presumably because of the largely unkempt appearance of the place.
Come to think of it, it had it’s own river as well.
Readers of a certain age may well have their own tales of banter , excitement, triumph or disaster, and I’d like to hear them.
One of my own that springs immediately to mind is 1984, and that game against Rapid Vienna, and the sight of a lass jumping around shouting “Get it out ” after she discovered a firework fizzing in her jacket pocket.
you won’t see that these days….
Oh, a;right, caption competitions as well
This was the last one……
And today…..
Bennett suddenly realising he forgot to renew the insurance premium after implementing his “ibrox improvements strategy “
Who’s doing the captions, Tommy Robinson !
FFS.
Bloody EDL,we only moved here from the next street.
Caption: Caption: ” Go to England they said, they said we would be welcome there “
Teddy bear evicted along with the rest of the family after asbestos cloud is spotted in Govan
Billy why are ye bringing the weans here? Listen Willamena, we’re Rangers till I die!
Papa Gran says when you die we can go to see Celtic!
Gosh is that Ibrox now?
Enjoyed the game in St Patrick’s bar Valencia supposedly the HQ of the Valencia Celtic Supporters Club. My wife and I were the only Celts there and mind you I am not convinced about her even after 40 years. The team looked terrific, Killie did well against us last season only team to really do that, we needed to leave one on them and we did. More signings soon, well done Brendan..
The Valencia CSC has recently moved to St Patrick’s Scholars Bar in Calle Ramón Llul (no longer at St Pats in the Gran Via, which is where you must have gone). Mind you, at this time of year people who live here are usually on holiday so the numbers attending games is a bit hit or miss anyway.
Thanks for this my info was clearly out of date.
No probs. Maybe see you on Sunday if you’re still around.
Yes I intend to be there.
Your wife was certainly a Celtic fan when she was with me
Was that really necessary ?
Gerry my wife thought It was funny.
“See if you look away from the asbestos it’s totally harmless.”
Council trying to bring Govan into the 21st Century.
Wonder when the steel from Asia is due to arrive?
Source of Ibrox steel spotted above the smoke.
Caption: 1947 and at a Glasgow bus stop George Orwell overhears two locals complaining about The Celtic View and gets an idea for a novel.
Brilliant all-round performance yesterday and should have been at least 7-0. Hope to see some serious progress on new signings this week.
Caption : “Dad, do you really think it’ll be ready by the end of September.”
A few more days and we’ll have 600 more seats hanging under the club deck…
Caption: Mother, to the dad…” Ah told ye not to buy the wean that effin’ chemistry set!”
Apparently, they had an army of volunteer tradesmen rebuild it.
dad is that shit on your shoe
Caption …
You used to be able to see our house from here …
Caption:
Finally “ The Big Hoose is going”. Up in a huge cloud of dust and smoke.
Alas the Bears don’t know where to turn. Skint, Homeless and led by Muppets on and off the park. They’re placing their hopes for the fabled 55/56 on a squad of players, listed in the Balance Sheet of the Club as, ‘ A Basket of Asses.’
Espanyolification , Glesga style hurtling through the foundations of the Club. ,
Fate,Karma, Reality or plain old, long overdue‘ just desserts’.
Caption: “Something tells me to look around the Mount Florida area, we’ve more than a few influential friends around there!”
CAPTION
“The Germans are coming…so I m going to enlist in the shipyards dear. You look after the weans…”
Great start to the new season, if you ignore 2 examples of cheating already, both intended to favour the newest team in the SPFL. But they (refs and VAR) are DUMB! Our game was won when McCrorie flattened Kyogo and, if they want to cheat smart, they should’ve saved that decision for another day. Under the idiot Gollum nothing will change but if we’re good enough, and the plc board don’t hold Brendan back enough, the new huns and its old fleas won’t have much to look forward to. Poetic justice.
BTW, where TF did you get that ‘pic’ of Paulo yesterday? It looks like something a very bitter ex girlfriend of his would put online. I think he’s 22 or thereabouts and he looks like he’s had a hard forty years down the pits!
Caption: West Belfast 1974. Only known photo of Paddy the bomb maker, who unfortunately never learned how to tell the time.
we will stay here and stop any of these great unwashed rioters get their hands on the steel girders
Hopeless, homeless and struggling to survive, Billy and his family felt a connection with rangers.
My lasting Jungle memory from the 70s/80s (?) is getting kicked up and down the terracing by a team from Shettleston at half time as the tannoy blared out Patsy Gallant singing “You’re a star in New York, you’re a star in L.A.” That song still makes my ears bleed.
Christ was that really 1987? Seems so recent. That’s age for you.
Ok caption hit the not allowed bufffer weird nothing offensive. Best Jungle memories, Rapid Vienna game and tannoy announcement warning of pickpockets – you couldn’t move, mass laughter. Laurie Cunningham corner king Madrid half time official attendance announcement mass laughter. 1982 league win invaded the park at final whistle got 10 yards and had a virgin at an orgy moment and swiftly back where I belong. Worst getting pished on and all the early 80s political stuff headed to the Celtic end after that.
Best jungle memories: The 5-0 Sporting Lisbon game in November 83 and, more generally, getting swept right off my feet and carried several rows forward every time we scored, wilder than the Kop end of Anfield.
Worst jungle memories: having to duck from time to time as beer cans ejecting pash at all angles were hurled towards the front.
I was also at that Rapid Vienna game in 84 but I didnae throw any objects onto the park that night.
In fact I find it was 1977. Oh feck! I better get to my bed!
Nothing to see here, the steel boat is late…