Celtic Diary Thursday November 6: Ronny to Raise Roof In Romania.

He’s never said that as such, but its a catchy title. Sort of.

Anthony Stokes coughed or sneezed or something on the way to the airport, and his mum says he can’t go out to play with his mates, which means the hard working Irishman won’t be available for tonights Europa game against Astra Guirgui.

Pity, really. He might not score or even create much, but he doesn’t hide and always puts in a shift. With Kris Commons also injured, a crisis looms as there is no-one to pass the corner kicks to the near post defender. Instead, Charlie Mulgrew will take them, and thats caused panic amongst the bookies, as it makes Virgil van Dijk a cert for first goalscorer.

Theres no John Guidetti either, as Manchester City specifically said that they didn’t want any of their players doing well in the group stages of the European matches, including those on loan, so he has to sit it out, but Aleksandr Tonev  is okay to play, and he might well take Stokes place out on the wing.

Or it could be Wakaso Mubarak, who works hard and fits the model required by Deila to play out wide, or even Leigh Griffiths, who may be a lot of things, but he’s not lazy.

Speaking of Tonev, captain Scott Brown has come out and said that he, and all the other players, are right behind Tonev after he was found guilty of racist abuse under new SFA rules that have done away with evidence and use the playground rule of ” he done it sir ” to convict. Brown said;

“We know he didn’t say it. All the lads in the dressing room believe him because he doesn’t come in and lie.” 

Brown knows a win tonight for the Bhoys and a win for Red Bull will mean European football after Christmas, and although its not entirely in Celtics own hands to qualify tonight, Brown wants Celtic to do all they can to get the win;

 “All we can do is try our best to win our game, then see what’s happened in the other match. Hopefully, we can secure the three points in Romania and Salzburg can also get a result.

“But if we don’t get through tonight we won’t panic. We’ll still have another two games to go.” 

 “We are not going to put all our eggs in one basket.

“If we don’t go through tonight we will then face Salzburg at home. Or we could even qualify when we go to Zagreb.” 

We’d rather not leave it that late, if thats okay. Brown agrees;

 “If it’s possible, we would definitely want to avoid that scenario.” 

 “It doesn’t matter how we get through. Reaching the knockout stage has always been the target for us.

“If you had asked us at the start of the group if we would have taken seven points from our first three games and the chance to go through tonight, we would have bitten your hand off for that.

“We have not played our best, but we have got the results and that’s all that matters.” 

 Which should give them the confidence to go out and win tonight. an early goal should settle the nerves, but with no Guidetti, the responsisbility will be with Stefan Scepovic, who has a lot more to his game than he is given credit for. Not only can he hold the ball up well, his movement causes confusion in opponents defences, and he creates space for others. Which means that the three attacking midfielders, probably Wakaso, Johansen and McGregor will all get chances.

 With Scott Brown and Charlie Mulgrew likely to play the holding game, with Mulgrew dropping deep to provide a three man back line, alongside  van Dijk and Denaayer , when the full backs ( Lustig and Izaguerre ) go on their wanders, the team and tactics look fairly predictable, which is probably a first for a Deila team.

 But, bearing in mind that its been almost impossible to predict any line up this season, we’ll probably see;

 Zaluska, Matthews, Ambrose , O’Connell, Twardzik, Bitton, Kayal, Henderson, Tonev, Griffiths, Berget.

 Looking at that line up, the squad is maybe not as paper thin as we sometimes think. Except for probably Berget.

And don’t forget those that are injured.

Incidentally, Radio Clyde, which provides people who like football but don’t know a fecking thing about it with the chance to host a phone in, is going with the Guidetti gone in January line, presumably to wind up Celtic fans so they will listen to the show. Guidetti cannot go anywhere in January. He can, however, sign a pre contract with anyone he wants.

 But he will still be at Celtic for the Europa knock out games, should we qualify.

 Aleksand Tonev is not the only one who has been accused of racism. UEFA want to talk to Man city midfielder Yaya Toure, who attempted to offend Russian fans and players alike last night when his side lost to CSKA Moscow by making the shape of a swastika on the pitch.

 With over 25 million dead during the Second World War, this shameless act puts anything Tonev may have said into the shade.

 Manchester City, of course , are having a terrible spell in the UCL again. But this is what happens when you reward players financially before they have actually proved they are worth it at your club. Just one of many things wrong with the game these days, and a glance at the list of teams who have already qualified for the last sixteen of that competition shows you another.

 Its the same old horses galloping down the same old track. Maybe we should enjoy the Europa League before we end up back in the UCL.

 While the Champions League leaves a slightly sour taste in the mouth, a request by Racing Club Buenos Aires makes one positively want to vomit.

 The Argentinian club won the Intercontinental Cup, or the World Club cup, by beating Celtic in 1967 over three games. You all know the story, and its still impossible to watch tv clips without jumping up and shouting at the telly.

 They want to celebrate fifty years since winning the trophy by reprising the fixture so they can gloat about how they cheated their way to the title that is probably the hardest of all to win.

 The game would take place in 2017, and if the board have any sense of how the support-the older support-feel, they should simply send a two word reply.

 One of those words is “off “

 I know it was a long time ago, and I know that fifty years is perhaps too long a time to hold a grudge, and I’m aware that we have played Atletico Madrid and Rapid Vienna since those shame games, but we had no choice in that.

 Racing should be told no.It would dishonour the Lions if we were to take part.

 Speaking of anniversaries, Celtic are 127 years old today, and I bet you never even sent a card.

Joe Sullivan on the official website explains;

 Sunday, November 6, 1887, exactly 127 years ago today, for it was then that representatives from the upper echelons of the Irish community in Glasgow, most of whom who had witnessed John McFadden’s speech back in February, gathered at St Mary’s Hall.

Bodies such as the St Vincent de Paul Society, the Catholic Union, the Irish Foresters, the Home Government Branch of the United Irish League, the St Aloysius Association and the Irish National League as well as local Penny Savings Bank and a Total Abstinence Society were present in some manner but the main objective was the formation of a football team to raise money for the Soup Kitchens of the East End. 

This glimpse back in time brings me to this stunning painting of Brother Walfrid amidst the tortured souls of the starving , painted by Peter Howson, which not only captures the horrors of starvation, but the concern that Walfrid would have shown.

 I like it, and it deserves a home in Paradise, but apparently Howsons paintings usually go for six figures, which would have Lawwell keeling over at the auction.

 Still, lets hope it finds a good home. Where it can be appreciated.

Fancy a chuckle ? The new non executiove director at Second Rangers, Mike Ashleys puppet, I forget his name, flew into Glasgow at the same time the hoops were flying out to Romania, and thinking that the assembled press pack was for him, he asked a policeman to move them.

 Thanks to Celtic collectibles on twitter for the pic. And to Jobbytash , who made it. I think. apologies if I’m wrong.

 Diosgyeori Miskolc wee the side Celts beat before they faced Politechnica back in 1980.

 Still on 1980, why did Danny McGrain have to shave  his beard off ?