All this hype over the weather is a little depressing-and totally out of context. This “great storm” has nothing on the one that appeared when I mentioned I was going to the game on saturday…

Anyway, none of it has anything on those two terrible winters I remember when I was growing up. Mike and Bernie, they were called.

The Daily Record has picked up on the link with Dordrecht keeper Warner Hahn. In todays edition, available at a barbers near you, the Dutch keeper says;

“I would not join any club to be the No.2 keeper – I want to be No.1.

“Of course Celtic might be thinking they will get offers for the very good goalkeeper they have now.

“But I certainly wouldn’t accept being the No.2 keeper anywhere.

“My aim is to be the No.1 for the Dutch national team eventually – and of course if I am playing Champions League football that will give me a much greater chance.

“To play against teams like Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich really tests your ability – and is great preparation for playing international football.

“I have heard about Celtic’s interest in me and of course it’s always nice to be linked with a move to such a big club.

“I have the option to move on in the summer so it will be interesting to see what offers I get.”

Reading that, it looks all done and dusted to me.

Forster is now tipped to make his England debut against in -form Chile in a friendly next month. In fact, we can go one stage further and say he will make his debut in that game. And with that appearance, should he do well, his price will rocket and Lawwell can upgrade his company car.

A Newcastle Utd website is calling for Forster-the ex Newcastle keeper-to start for his country;

” Forster has been superb for Celtic in the Champions League this season, and although the Scottish League isn’t exactly the sort of place we want him to earn his bread and butter (on par with Northern League Div 4), his performances against Europe’s best have been mind-blowing. ”

Northern League Division 4 ? They can’t let it go, can they ? Forster has bypassed them, outgrown them, and he ain’t never comin’ back.

The Mail in England is actively pushing for Hart to be dropped from club and country, whilst Hart himself must regret ever listening to advice from Justin Fashanu about deciding when to come out.

The Mail helpfully has this video ( it might not work, since I still have the occasional blind spot with Information technology ) of the two in training.

hart and forster training for England

Interestingly, Manchester Citys next game is against Norwich, and former celt Gary Hooper could do his old mate a favour…

With just two draws in the league this season so far preventing a one hundred percent record after ten games, manager Neil Lennon has paused to reflect on the difference between now and this time last year, when Celtic had already suffered two losses and three draws;

“It annoyed me at times last season when we dropped points, so I’ve been delighted at how consistent we have been,” he said. “I think it says a lot about them. They want to win, they’re hungry and they have a good attitude about them.

“At the start of the season, I said to the players I wanted us to better our points tally in the league and I wanted us to be able to pick it up after the midweek games and keep it going. So far, they have been able to do that and it’s been important to me that we are keeping the run going.”

At this point in the season, a quarter of the way through, its worth stepping back ourselves and having a look at how we are doing.

Fraser Forster has been excellent in goal, picking up where he left off last year. He’ll get his England cap, which on the one hand takes away his reason for wanting to move, but with that comes the inflated price tag that makes it difficult to keep him. However, its worth noting that playing for Celtic is no longer a barrier to an England call up. Which should make it easier to tempt young English players that are not deemed a big enough name for the major clubs down there, and in effect may have opened another market for us.

The defence has been the real surprise this year. Efe Ambrose and Virgil van Dijk have formed a partnership that , although still in its early days,and still prone to the odd lapse, looks to be as formidable as any since Stubbs and Reiper, or Aitken and McCarthy, where both units were much better than the individuals would have suggested. Even Caldwell and MacManus had their moments, but lacked a guiding hand, whereas the current pairing have Danny McGrain and Johann Mjallby to call upon.

Adam Matthews has been unlucky with injuries. but along with Emilio Izzaguerre and Mikael Lustig gives us a trio of dependable and effective full backs, and Darnell Fisher isn’t bad either.

Beram Kayal looks like he’s finally ready to play again, and with Scott Brown, Joe Ledley and Charlie Mulgrew in the mix as well, central midfield looks covered-especially if Nir Bitton can manage more than a cameo and the manager remembers that Tom Rogic is still at Celtic-and theres a plethora of options with Kris Commons, James Forrest , Georgios Samaras and Derk Boerrigter all capable of creating from the flanks.

Up front though, we may have a problem. The signing of two strikers meant that Lennon clearly hasn’t faith in the ones who stayed on from last year. With one a direct target man type, and the other a bustling creator, then it could be argued they were signed as a partnership-and only the form of contract rebel anthony stokes is preventing this option from being tried.

With Balde scoring again after coming off the bench, and Pukki beginning to settle, then they might soon start a game together, which I think was the plan all along. Stokes, as good as he is, is similar to big Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink in that he is good at what he does, but not outstanding in any one thing. For example, Larsson was outstanding in the air and on the ground, Hartson was excellent in the air, Sutton was a fantastic all rounder, Hooper was a mean finisher. Stokes, is well, just good. A bit like Scott  MacDonald. Balde is a big strong guy who runs at defenders, Pukki will surprise us all when he settles, already his positional sense looks a cut above the average, all we need are the goals to come.

And if they don’t, theres always Sammys pal;

From Football365:

ARSENAL AND LIVERPOOL BATTLE FOR NAUGHTY GREEK
Before this season, you may have heard the name Kostas Miroglou in relation to thiscelebration, in which he pretended to shoot away fans with a gun. Well now he’s firing in goals. I’m sorry. Really sorry.

14 goals in 14 games this season for Olympiakos, including three hat tricks) have grabbed the attention of a few clubs, with the Daily Star reckoning that Arsenal, Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund are three flirty admirers.

With a price tag at a reported £7million, surely someone will take a chance on such a goalscoring record?

Ah wait, not only is there the price tag, but pointing a pretend gun at away fans ? Thats six months in the Riddrie Flats.

There isn’t much wrong with the players, there isn’t a lot wrong with the way Celtic approach games of what can be frighteningly different degrees of difficulty, and when you take into consideration the side is three regulars down from last season, we haven’t done badly at all so far.

Still in with a shout of the last sixteen in Europe-albeit its not a particularly loud shout, but its a shout nonetheless, six clear in the league, and some great memories already from this season. The glass is certainly more half full than half empty.

If you don’t count the League Cup, that is, but that just goes to emphasise how much the rest of Scottish football is beginning to haul itself up after years of starting every season with no chance of winning everything. Now they only have one team to beat to open things up, a team that that adheres to the rules, such as the one limiting teams to just eleven players.

And long may it continue.

Theres a wee bit of news that will cheer you even further. Allow me to explain. As it stands, Danny McGrain and Johann Mjallby can teach defenders a thing or two, and theres always John Clark as well if advice is needed. Midfielders can listen to Lennon himself, but strikers have no-one to turn to for that word in the ear that can help them with their game.

So…..

Jorge Cadete wants to strike a deal to coach at Celtic

JORGE CADETE has held talks with Neil Lennon about becoming Celtic’s striker coach.

Well, at least its not Wayne Biggins.

Its in the Express, so there might be nothing in it, but its interesting anyway;

Cadete said: “Many clubs in Europe have a striker coach because it is a specific position on the field, just like a goalkeeper. A goalkeeper can save one, two, three games but the striker can give 20 points a season and they are very important.

“Strikers need specific work and I would help them out.

“I spoke with Neil Lennon after the Scottish Cup about this position.

“We also spoke at the Stiliyan Petrov charity game.

“I am waiting and hope that I can do something to help.

If they want me I am available. It would be a pleasure and honour to work at Celtic.”

Perhaps the loosest possible application of the phrase “has held talks with”  that has ever appeared in print, but we could do worse for a striker as a coach;

Above we see a man who made a career out of ineptness, often finding himself completely out of his depth in unlikely comic scenarios, while the other is cinema legend Stan Laurel.

We won’t get McCoist anyway, he’s the new designer of graphs at STV, as explained in this great wee article by the Rev. Stuart Campbell on WingsoverScotland;

McCoist joins STV

Yesterdays picture was pretty much the view I had all those years ago of another comic situation, when Rapid Vienna, finding themselves completely outclassed at Celtic Park , resorted to underhand tactics to try to keep the score down. A bottle was thrown on to the pitch, later transforming miraculously  into a coin in doctors reports- which eventually became the most expensive drink ever offered in Scotish football.

I was in the jungle that night, and clearly remember such comments around me like;

” Oh, gosh, thats rather unsporting ”

” I say, these johnny foreigner chaps don’t always play to the rules you know ”

and ” Getfuckinupyacheatinweebassa ”

Heres another trip down memory lane, roughly around the same time..where, what and who ?

Meanwhile , RIP to singer Lou Reed , who died at the weekend. He will be buried early dawnin, sunday mawnin.