We hear that John Collins idea of playing on red ash ( see above pic ) to toughen up the players was rejected by the SPFL, and thats the real reason we didn’t play Partick at the weekend.
Alright, I’m making that up. Though it wouldn’t have surprised me.
It kind of tugs at the heart strings. Legia Warsaw have appealed to Celtic to consider a one off match to settle who should go into the Champions League play offs. Their chairman sent us a letter, which coincided with a tv appearance to plead for clemency, or mercy , or whatever he wants to call it;
He may have a bit of a wait. We believe the answer from Celtic only had two words in it, and one of them rhymed with luck, somewhat ironically.
Actually, there was an official statement;
“We are disappointed by Legia Warsaw’s comments. This is entirely a matter for UEFA and its processes. Accordingly, we will reserve further comment for the appropriate time.”
Which pretty much amounts to the same thing.
Cleverly, the men who made the mistakes that cost their club millions of pounds have somehow shifted the blame away from themselves and on to Celtic. All we did was adhere to the rules. If they had done that, then they would have gone through and they would have deserved their place. Theres no room for cheats in European football.
( Of course, this doesn’t apply to Scottish football yet, at least not while the SFA still holds any sort of power. )
Fraser Forster has gone. He’s moved to Southampton to further his career and is already looking forward to the glamour of games against Hull, West Brom and Stoke. He will, of course, face a higher quality of striker in the English league, although none of them will be English, and we wish him all the best.
No, we do. He’s done four years with Celtic, improved enormously as a player, and whilst it appears his medal collection is probably complete, he will at least improve his bank balance.
The big man said;
“I really want to thank the Club and the Celtic fans for all they have given me over the past four years. It has been a wonderful honour to play for one of the world’s great football clubs and I wish everyone at Celtic and the supporters every success for the future.
“I have received tremendous support during my time at the Club and it has been a brilliant experience being part of a squad which has won titles and trophies and taken part in the Champions League.
“I know the Club wanted me to stay, and I know the Club has done everything they possibly can to keep me, but I felt now was the right time for a new challenge in the English Premier League.”
“I would like to pay a special tribute to Stevie Woods and the Club’s fitness coach Bill Styles for their hard work and commitment during my time at Celtic.”
“I hope the Manager, the players, the staff and of course the fans enjoy more and more great times ahead. I have accepted a new opportunity away from Celtic, but I am a Celtic supporter for life and will be cheering the Club on in everything they do.”
Ach, good luck to him. Ronny Deila tried to persuade him to stay, watched by a nervous Peter Lawwell in case he actually did;
“Clearly we were desperate to keep Fraser at the Club but we fully understand that players can seek new challenges.
“We did everything to keep him here, but that’s football and we understand the situation. When a player wants to look at a new environment it is always very difficult to stand in his way, this is nothing new.”
“Although I have only worked with Fraser for a short time, I can see that he is a top class goalkeeper, a magnificent professional and someone who gave his all every time he pulled on the Celtic jersey”.
“I wish Fraser all the very best for the future, I am sure he will be a great success at Southampton.”
There was a story that Forster offered to stay for the Maribor game, but to be honest, if he has decided to go, then let him go.
Craig Gordon will now get a couple of competitive games under his belt , starting with St. Johnstone on Wednesday and then Dundee Utd on Saturday. Lets hope he’s ready.
Aleksandr Tonev, the badly spelt Aston Villa winger who was the subject of a £2m bid from Celtic last year, is set to join on loan for a year this week. He’s in Glasgow for talks, a medical and a career kick start, largely because he, er, can’t get in the Aston Villa team. Well, he managed 17 games for them last season, didn’t score , and for some reason he’s coming up north as part of Ronnys Revolution.
So, a goalie who hasn’t played for two years because he’s injured, and two on loan wingers who hardly play when they aren’t injured.
What was it Ronny said ?
“Loan deals are a possibility but they are not ideal. You don’t want to develop other clubs’ talent”
No wonder the players have no faith in him. No wonder the supporters are a little nervous about the coming season.
There is talk of a bid for Aaron Johansen, who co-incidentally was also linked last year. He’s the Icelandic chap who plays for the USA. We’re “close ” to agreeing a fee.
Probably.
We’ll wait and see.
Anyhoo, based entirely on the way Celtic performed against Legia Warsaw, the two games this week could easily see us six points behind both of our opponents.
Both sides recorded away wins at the weekend, while Celtic rested their players from their exertions of, well, whatever it was they were trying to do at Murrayfield, with Saints winning in Dingwall, and Dundee Utd hammering Aberdeen at Pittodrie.
Whilst all those knowledgeable pundits on telly and in the papers think that the league is a foregone conclusion, I don’t.
The players clearly don’t want to play for the manager, and the manager doesn’t seem to know how to, er, manage.
He may be a great, forward thinking coach who knows how he wants to play football, but he puts me in mind of Brian Clough when he joined Leeds Utd. The players didn’t take to him, because Clough had a management style that didn’t work with seasoned, experienced pros, and Deila looks to have encountered a similar culture shock at Celtic.
Still, with Henrik Larsson available in November, the Norwegian has a couple of months to make it work, and Celtic have their back up plan to revive interest in a potentially disastrous season.
That may sound a little pessimistic, largely because it is. but what we have seen so far doesn’t inspire confidence, and you have to feel for Fergus McCann, who will raise the flag on Saturday, in front of a support that may be a little disillusioned with the club so far this summer.
If I was him, I’d ring in sick. The wee man will think we hate him.
The situation is quite scary. And one story kind of sums it up.
We all love Georgios Samaras. He’s done his time at Celtic, and has moved on. Well, sort of. Apparently he keeps knocking back million dollar deals, and according to some, its because he wants to come back to Celtic.
But is that the level we have slipped to ? Bringing back an erratic forward after we already refused to give him a pay rise ? If we wanted to keep him, we should have paid the going rate. He’s been loyal, he’s maybe not the greatest and most consistent player we ever had, but he had heart, and never really hid when the chips were down.
More importantly, is he going to be brought back to hide the lack of transfer activity elsewhere, while the money received for Forster and probably one or two others just goes into the bank for a rainy day ?
Meanwhile, the football season started back at the weekend, and all the clubs with somewhere to play managed to get a game on.
Celtic are still putting Celtic Park back together after the Commonwealth games, but it should be done for Saturday. Unless we rent it out to someone else in the meantime.
Dundee Utd , as we have already mentioned, set the standard with a 3-0 win over Aberdeen, and there are signs it won’t be as easy in the league this season as we might have thought.
With a strong First Division as well, the cups could also prove tricky, especially as Hearts recorded a win over Scotlands biggest and newest club Second Rangers, which outlines the depth of quality in that league.
( Unless you watched the game, that is, when you would have seen that there is no depth of quality whatsoever. )
Hearts saw a second half lead cancelled out in the 90th minute by the Ibrox side, but while the blues were still celebrating , the Edinburgh side ran up the park and scored again.
Rookie manager Ally McCoist had to be separated from one of his young players such was his mood, according to tales on twitter, which means they haven’t quite got it right this season, and may struggle now they have to play full time teams.
Look out for moves to expand the Premier dividion to 22 teams, or however many it takes to include them in time for next season.
There were also rumours that McCoist has actually left the club, but unless he waddles away, then the severance package would bankrupt them.
Oh, and by the way, sherriff officers have been at their door again, popping in with those polite reminders about paying the bills…
Right, lets go back in time to a place that is quite important in Celtics history.
Where is it, and what is it ?
Hoi Victor!
Cheer up ya dour faced ****!
Talk about a “the grass is always muddy and sticks to your shoes and you cant get the stains out the hem of your troosers no matter how much vanish you use!” outlook!
Lighten up man, we’re unbeaten in the league for gods sake
In the words of Robin Williams in Good Morning Vietnam -“You’re in more need of a blowjob than any white man in history!”
The birth place ae vidar riseth ?
Brother Walfrids birthplace in Ballymote.
Was Brother Walfrid born there>
OFT
Old Father Tim; If I may be bold enough to make a suggestion: Ask Keevins he has often said that his family(Grandparents I believe)come from Ballymote. Hail. Hail.
BROTHER WALFRIDS HOUSE
You got Minday morning blues or are you going through the male menopause? Turning into another moany git of a column. Still enjoy the read now off to find a sharp knife.
Donegal turf for CP
Sligo
Been there Monti. There were a few more houses than those in the photo still standing when I visited. Take a wee trip further south to Ballymote then a boreen to somewhere that nobody knows and you will come to this little house. If you ever meet an Andrew Kerins, he will tell you all about it.
H H
one things right,Sevco will be going up this season,no matter what,even if they end up bottom of ‘the best league in Scotland’
I think Johnny Giles could do a job in midfield for us. Terry Cooper could certainly help out at the back. Shame Ronnie can’t handle these types.
forward in time ralph,view from the tardis circa.2016 at the corner of copland rd.the”big hoose”,with a gender transformed alison mccoist thinking…….we should have listened to charles
Big fan of etims but this piece is poor. The attacks on the manager, in particular, are unworthy.
Looking forward to tomorrow’s diary.
Maybe Sammy isn’t getting offered those millions more than is presumed
to add to the injured signings theme Johansson is out for 6 – 8 weeks according to local press in Alkmaar
Bring back Sammy, he’s better than what we got and he’s free.
yeah we did everything to keep Fraser except offer him a pay rise,or tell him to play out his contract,and don,t say what about the money apparently a big chunck is heading to
tyneside,and what,s left will not be spent on new signings
and I would not let delia spend a penny hes,s crap
Good diary.
An honest and frank assessment,of where our FINANCIALLY
SOUND club,are at this moment.
A coach whose MAIN focus is on the workings of the
MIND,rather than the CHEMISTRY between players,ie Stokes and Griffiths who are proven GOALSCORERS as a partnership.
Yes,players don’t know HOW to play for him,rather than not WANTING to.Confusion reigns in dressing room.
HUMILIATION against Legia was down to tactics,personnel chosen and NO leadership ON or OFF the pitch.
Now we have 2 FLOPS in Berget and Tonev,just to MAKE it look like we are doing business.
For a club,who CAN spend on 3 QUALITY players,circa 10 M,our NEGLIGENT board are CHEATING us. FACT !!
But,I still go, WHY WHY WHY DEILA ??
Meant to add,why why why don’t we go for Mackay Steven ???
As he has 1 year left on his contract,a bid around 600k would get him.Yes,like most wingers,he is inconsistent.However, with
? over Forrest’s future,due to injuries,and Boerrigter( 3M ffs ) a
waste of space,surely it would be a NO-BRAINER going for
GMS ? But,will BRAIN MAN DEILA oblige ?
Is it the new stadium in Cambuslang??
Made me laugh 😉
What a crazy week to go on holiday!
Watched the Legia game in a bar in Spain, feeling about as pessimistic about Celtic as at any time in recent memory. Let’s not forget in the whole reprieve thing that followed, we were absolutely rotten. Embarrassingly so. We’d get to about thirty yards from goal, either give it to an isolated wide player with no support who loses the ball, or play it blind inside to be intercepted and see Legia counter on us, where our defence again look like strangers. If this is the new way Ronnie wants us to play his stay in Glasgow will be brief.
I m not writing him off but so far nothing that he has said seems to tally with what is happening –
Pressing high up the pitch? Fail
Quick tempo passing? Fail
Lots of attacking play? Fail
Super fit players? Fail, they look f**ked
Much more committed second leg performance? Fail, after 5 minutes you knew we weren’t going to do anything
No players on loan? One so far, another to follow.
I don’t know if players have chucked it, and I d be interested if anyone knows of any rumours of how players are really finding it, but something isn’t right and I think Maribor will turn us over too, unless something changes very quickly. In my work we are facing cutbacks (thanks Tories) and it affects staff morale, I think the players left at Celtic may be facing a bit of the same thing. The club is showing no ambition off the pitch, and players are then finding it difficult to get motivated on it (not to excuse the pathetic “performances” against Legia)
I m sad to see big Fraser go, but he did a 4 year stint and was always looking to be a better player during his time here. No scandals, no fall outs over money (that we heard about) just a good pro, a great goalie and a seemingly decent man, I wish him well in England and thank him for the many games he saved – I think we’ll miss him more than we might be ready to admit at the moment, especially if Gordon breaks and Zaluska is our no 1.
Poor Second Rangers, an overpaid legend rookie boss, a squad that looks competitive – in 2009 – Chuckles flying kites and looking for a few more handfuls of blue pounds, rumours of Hector back around Ibrox & other unpaid bills piling up, a stadium in a state of disrepair, revolting fans – again – and players like Kenny Misser slagging off his team mates after one game.
But much as laughing at them is enjoyable, and it surely is, I m a Celtic fan, and I m not feeling too good about where we are right now either – we need a centre back or two, left back, one or two midfielders, some one with pace who is fit to play from time to time and a no 9. We’ll get …. Some young “prospect” we never see in the first team, some one on loan who takes a wage but nothing else, and sell one, two or three more.
Christ, I m more miserable than Ralph!
Stevie May effed off to second tier in England for 800k when we could have easily had him, and improved our lot. Not happy …
After listening to Ronnie and watching his tactics I said teams like dundee United would have a field day against us. I hope I am wrong but unfortunately I can’t see anything to suggest otherwise. Saturday will tell the story. No ambition whatsoever from the board, this guy is one step up from junior football manager and his assistant has no man management skills.
I see sad sad days ahead, back to its grim being a tim.
Jackie mac would have been a better choice.
This is one of the bleakest times in all my years following the famous Glasgow celtic.
Hail hail , let’s hope I am wrong
That’s three of my posts disappeared in the last two weeks
2 went into the Spam area. ( now retrieved)…the wordpress template seems to have a mind of its own!
Well said. Lawwell needs to GTF. the question is – and this extends back as far as his first season with the club and his clashes with support and groups like the GB. Is he actually a Celtic supporter ? Deceltifying Celtic is something I thought of often in the bleak Jock Brown days.
Signing RD was taking the p%sh – everyone kens it. Lack of further signings comes by virute of the fact that mid-level players won´’t play for a mid-level manager with a grease ball like Lawwell standing behind him waiting for the players lunch money to fall on the floor so he can pick it up.
there are very few clubs with a support (globally) the size of Celtic who are in constant austerity. I have yet to meet a Celtic shareholder who has stated he wants a few pence more on the pund than to see the ball hit the back of the net more often.
W5nquers all of them. Quizlings
Regarding these qualifiers, has it ever been put to Platini that any club with the “star” on their jersey, i.e. European Cup Winners, should be exempt from playing qualifiers IF they win their league.
Since this already applies to the major league teams , as far as I can see this would only apply to 2 clubs Celtic and Steau Bucharest. Therefore not a lot of disruption in implementing this.Surely it is demeaning for previous champions to have to go through these Qualifiers.
It would be a nice recognition of these clubs achievement.
Wonder what Celtic would do if offered this in exchange for stepping aside now.
Brennan over on CQN made a startling, for me anyway, point about our demise going back to the Lustig signing. That was the point the Board stopped investment in the team and that was December 2011. Less than two months later the manky mob went into administration. Shirley a coincidence I hear you say. Well, maybe not.
I returned my season book to PL after the fiasco that was the LNS and haven’t been back since. It’s clearer to me now than it ever has been. This Board cannot and more importantly will not see itself outside of the Old Firm. We’re waiting on them. Like a slave does with his master or a “ho” does with the pimp. No thanks and under those circumstances thank fuck I got out early.
Have you ever ben whispered to by a travelling pie salesman?
I’ll go wan better than that Charlie, me old son. I am a traveling pie salesmen.
I miss the rumour mill…please bring it back..I miss the piss stained liar…Oh wait, step forward PL..
I’m no fan of Lawell but, to put a bit of perspective on things, I’m not sure how keen I would be to hand over a decent sized transfer kitty to Ronny either.
What if he and Collins really are another Barnes/Mowbray scenario and we not only have to replace them but also end up with more under achievers on the playing side and no budget to do anything about it?
And no, I don’t know the a way round this
Morto – well either way Lawell appointed him – the least he can do is back him in the transfer market – allow him to bring in a couple of decent level players. If he doesn’t and he fails then he will be equally guilty of that failure.
I agree 100% on the downsizing
Ralph – I can’t even bring myself to laugh at “rangers” – I AM TOO WORRIED ABOUT THE MESS OF MY OWN CLUB!
lets see how Ronny does, the omens aren’t good, but its very early.
I wanted Jackie Mac in the summer, despite all those saying GTF coz he left under a bit of cloud. Looking at our board now, it was not so different then and a good many “celtic” men left the club over the years due to penny pinching by the board, so I wouldn t hold that against him.
As to those wanting Lawwell booted, I m no fan of him personally, but Celtic is not his plaything, he is an employee and its Dermot Desmond who decides if and when Celtic can spend a few quid.
I m all for aiming to balance the books, and I think no one wants to see Celtic spend recklessly like Rangers did, but that excuse is getting very tired – if the board need money for the Co op bank or state aid paybacks as the moon barkers in blue online suggest, come out and tell us the situation – we wont like it but we ll understand.
What we get instead are financial reports crowing about the rude financial club is in alongside a heart breaking lack of ambition, dreams or hope to be seen in the investment policy on players.
Rarley does something in the Record make any sense, but one of their crayon pushers said the other day Celtic have no players fans sing songs about, which is very sad and very true. We have no stand outs, no heroes – if they come in and do well the bord can’t wait to sell them on a profit, so we re left with the unsellables Kayal etc
I get that we need to operate a model of this type given the revenues we can generate in the Scottih league, but its got out of balance, the team on the pitch is getting worse, fan disaffection higher, and our ability to access revenue like CL is in huge jeopardy, and should be gone but for Legia/ UEFAs cock up. But not one statement from the board recognising what we all know – we re downsizing and putting our ability to access good revenue streams at huge risk in the process, with no rationale as to why
is the picture whats left of the asbestos dome after the fat fellas payoff
Jaysus!!!!
What a bunch of moany faced cnuts!!
We get a reprive/miracle and get back in the CL qualifiers. So what do the board give the new manager? A loan signing who knocked us back last summer and couldn’t get in the 4th worst team in the EPL.
Its clear the board are saving up for the return of second Rangers. I would LOVE to win 10 in a row but surley we should be spending something for today not tomorrow.
The board need to back Delia and give him money to BUY players who are in the first team else where. Not loans who can’t make Blackburn or Villas team. I hope the new signings do really well but if we get £20m from selling Forster and VVD we should be spending £15m of it.
The new managers deserves better and so do we.
Glasgow Celtic have lost the soul of the club.They have been taking money and not spending it for the last 2 seasons and who arranged the match with rapid vienna? Lawwell, the board and the fish farmer along with joan collins can GTF.
Even the Falkirk manager or JMC could get something oot o’ this team. Where is the replacement for Broon?
Ralph
You are a great remedy for depression. I now know there is someone a hell of a lot worse off than me.
I currently have little hope. I agree charity should begin at home and not in Poland. Just the first of many honest mistakes we will encounter again this season. But I still have faith though I may not know in what.
Take the needle out, man, and stop overdosing on downers. You should have lived in the glory days of Jimmy McGrory and then you would have known what it is really like to bang your arse on the bottom of the barrel.
H H
we are celtic supporters faithful through and through iff you canny do that chuck it you wont be missed
Firstly I would like to say that developing a new team without the previously disastrous consequences incurred by Portsmouth Leeds Rangers takes skill and expertise. Yes we were on the end of horrible scoreline in Warsaw. I felt we would after 11 minutes win the game comfortably but for the characteristic disorganisation a team can experience when achieving early success in a game so important. Man sent off we still looked ok for a 2-1. The penalties were missed due to the performance and skill our highly trained goalie.. Now murrayfield was lovely for the previous game, no pressure….but needing a good win there was never gonna happen, can you imagine another team have to play for a 3-0 win in another sports stadium in another city from there own….if I was a player, which I’m definitely not I would feel handicapped. Legia made a pure arse of it. Do you think that when we put Ajax out in the early 2000’s if one of our players had been illegible they would have gone against uefa’s decision on the basis we had never been in the champs league. No way and we would have slated them but understood. I love Celtic, we deserve all the luck we get, things have conspired against us for years, laugh it up whilst u can dark times will return in ur lifetime as they have in the past. HH
Bring back the Maley Board on this site, least yi goat a laff !!
MON THE HOOPS !!
Is it whats left of ibrokes after charles green returned
Whit a Bunch o’ Pantywaist ..well… Wasters!
Whit a Celtic Forum..
Never saw The Like o’ it!
Am Ah allowed tae say That?
Ah Jist Did!
Losers? Moaners? Gie-er-Uppers?
That’s the wan..Gie-Er-Uppers!
Ye ur a Bunch of… Whit wiz THAT again?
Oh..Aye..
Pantywaisted Gie-Er- Uppers!
Disgusted..in .. Scranton.
jac.