El Cormaco has been out shopping, and now has a new sofa to do his pondering on
When a hammy knacks on a Forrest, does anybody care?
I took advantage of the January sales to buy a new sofa!
Exciting times, sadly the same addled brain and its poor capacity for thought remains.
Speaking of poor decision making (possibly) word reaches us that James
Forrest has knocked back a new contract offer and will seek pastures new in
the summer.
I’m torn on this, on the one hand he can be an asset, on the other he’s is an
injury prone frustration. Like a really fit girl who flirts a bit with you, but who
requires so much preparatory work to get in the mood by the time you
manage it, you’re broke, knackered and kind of get the sense you’re being
rinsed.
On the positive side, he is a quick and direct player, which is something we
lack. As Ronnie continues to stock pile midfielders like a Soviet Premier we
now have an almost infinite number of midfielders (26? 27?), but hardly any of
them have a decent turn of pace.
This matters; pure speed is one way to offer a threat on the counter attack
and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that some of James’ best displays have
come in European games – Spartak away when he changed the course of the
game and helped us secure our solitary away win in the CL, Karagandy at
home when he changed the course of the game and helped us to qualify for
the CL.
But this is the rub: the number of times he has changed the course of the
game are few and far between. Primarily this is because of his simply
horrendous injury record. I’ve made it clear I don’t do research in previous
articles, but I don’t need to do research to know that James is more often out
than in, and even now, when Ronnie’s super duper fitness regime has seen
him stripped for action more regularly (ooh er) he still rarely starts or does the
full game. He’s like the hokey cokey – you put your left leg in, feel a twinge,
call the physio, hobble off and rest up for 6 weeks. And that’s what its all
about.
The other main reason for his limited effectiveness is the headless chicken
formula. This is my own very complex formula based on my many years of
watching football from my various sofas. Its so highly complex, to give you an
idea of how complex it is, I’ll just say that in its full the formula can only be
understood by minds capable of understanding how an incorporated football
club can be liquidated but still be the same club when they revive from the
dead.
But in lay mans terms in boils down to this: when a player is really quick as a
young player all he has to do is run really fast and be judged a talent to
nurture. Things like game awareness, technique, positional play, passing /
crossing ability etc are allowed to wither and die and coaches get all giddy
Look forward to seeing him down here playing for , or against pompey.
English div. 2 is about his level.
Always has been overrated.
Shame. With a bit of effort he could have been average.
Proddie,
Have the creditors been paid?
This is a tough one. I’ve always liked Forrest and saw him light up more than a few matches. At that time, we had nobody else like him. There are wingers and then there are good wingers. We’ve had Wakaso, Boerrichte, Tonev, etc. However, we now have Roberts (for long enough) and Mackay-Steven and other wide men. I will miss James Forrest if he leaves, but he seems to want to go and good luck to him. I think of McGeady when I think of Forrest. I think Deila brought out his best and gave him the best opportunities to prove himself. Forrest had a tough job to do and on form, it was great to see him jink past three players, only to sclaf the ball or worse. He was a good player in the old Celtic mould. I remain a fan and wish him well. Close but no cigar. I think the best team we can field until the end of the season is:
Gordon
Lustig/Boyata/Sviatchenko/Tierney
Brown/Allan
Roberts/Christie/Mackay-Steven
Griffiths
We need to select a team that can win the league and then get ready for Europe, as a unit.
Devoy he is a fud.He has no bottle he is wee and weak lacking in attitude/application and of very average ability,proper Celtic material,compare his performances”lack of” to Kieran Tierneys,gives you an idea of what type of person/player he is.
john young- he is a fud is he?
who the hell do you think you are calling him a fud or commenting on the type of person he is?? your a disgrace of a human being calling someone out when you have no idea of the type of person he is!!
would love to ‘bump’ into you at a game
BG are you wishing to batter someone you don’t know because they called someone else you don’t know a “fud” on an obscure, Celtic only, forum?
What a fucking bellend.
And a fud.
someone else i dont know? try one of my best mates you clown!!
would you allow someone to slate your mate when its totally unjust!? whwn they dont know how your mates been treated by his employer?
‘greatest fans in the world’
its fans like you and john young that the celtic players laugh at behind closed doors
‘greatest fans in the world’
I’m not so easily led to listen to this “greatest fans in the world” nonsense. It is only perpetrated by the stupid and the desperate for attention. So if it was meant as some kind of insult to me then it has failed.
I also entirely doubt that you are friends with Forrest. I suspect you are just a mad beeler with too much fitba on the brain.
haha no bother plum
you speak to the author of this site and put your ‘doubts’ at rest
its thanks to the treatment of one of my best friends that i will be turning my back on the club i have supported all my life
that will be insignificant to you but a big deal to me, and something i thought i would never be ale to say
I think you need to separate reality from fantasy. Take a few deep breaths and calm down.
It’s only fitba ya madman.
You are an obnoxious piece of shit plumsack.
You’re a tragic little non-entity Andy. I’ve drunkenly sharted out more relevant things than you.
You lot need to grow up!!
HH
Plum,
There is no need for that whatsoever!
John Young,
If you think James Forrest is a ” fud “, why?
Good article. Leaving emotion out of it and looking at it in a pure business sense it makes sense. He doesn’t give us any return on the investment, or at least not enough. I can’t believe that Ronny was prepared to offer him a further four years! Now that is worrying.
Do you really think Deila had any say in the offer?
I think probably yes. I personally don’t think a player like Forrest is worth a four year punt considering he has previous but maybe Ronny sees something and put a value on it.It appears that his valuation is lower than James’s.
Ronny is a useless nonentity who has been out of his depth since day one and would have had no say in Forrests or any other players contract. He is totally impotent in matters of player contracts.
I think there is more than a hint of truth in that.
I am of the opinion that these matters should be left to the likes of Lawwell the Manager (not coach ahem) should be left to concentrate solely on Managing the team and instructing or participating in the coaching?
I have always felt this regardless of who is the boss.
Same as the player should leave all negotiations to his agent whilst he the player concentrates solely on his Football.
If this is indeed the case at Celtic at present then I have no issue with any of it as it make complete sense to me.
Not that my opinion matters one iota on the subject you see as I am just a dafty on a forum talking shite about things that I have no control over 😉
A proposed four year deal? Thank f..k he knocked it back. He has had enough chances, well passed his sell by date.
Doing a Gary Hooper will see him playing down at the Notts Forests (getting?) of this world.
Look at Hooperman, now dropping down the leagues to Sheffield United, a guy more interested in money he doubled it at Norwich to what end?
With Celtic he earned in a week what millions of people earn in a full year of hard work.
Sort of puts it into perceptive eh?
Bye James, don’t rush back.
Jay has a valid point and it’s nice to hear from folk with different ideas.
HH Bud
Especially when they agree with yourself of course.
Monti,
thanks for your concern.
All sorted apparently.
Not my debt, so I’m not that bothered.
My team is , and always will be Celtic.
Mmmmmmmmmmm…..not sure!!
You got issues with your m button Monti?
This r button is pure doing ma swad in.
James plays football like he would rather be playing FIFA on his Xbox, he simply doesn’t have a football brain. After an unsuccessful time in the championship, he’ll sign for sevco.
Wax on Wax off….
get a grip of yourself schoosh
not a bad work allowed to be said against the norwegian dumpling but ‘the greatest fans in the world’ are slating one of there own and they dont even known whats going on!!
its shameful
That smacks of the kind of disgusting tribalism which is the fall-back of Rangers fans.
“One of our own”
“Norwegian Dumpling”
You’re a pathetic little racist, xenophobe aren’t you?
Plumsack, he is a Norwegian dumpling and you are a tosser.
Another sad wee racist. Tragic when you are unable to use wit or eloquence so you resort to insulting a man’s nationality.
Silly little boy.
Deila out!
send wee jamsie oot on loan and bring in gary harkins
gary harkins is a fast runner
gary harkins could get fitter
gary hakins has a brother who plays for elgin
gary harkins played with a broken ankle for four years
elcormaco,
brilliant article, on the money for me, like forrest but injuries have no doubt played a part in his demise, hope he moves on and does well wherever he goes
Players come and go,and usually the ones that do go come back and bite us.
James was great to watch at times,fast, direct, and like other players of his skills frustrating too.
I wish him well, I hope it works out for the lad,and I have to agree with Monti not getting the lad to sign an extension even if it was for a year, two years ago was bad management,and maybe then the writing was on the wall.
Hopefully Ronnie will follow him out the door,at the end of the season.
I really have tried to support Ronnie,he is a likeable guy. But this all high pressure game,quick passing,high energy isn’t there.
A 3-0 score line on Saturday flattered us,the first half was a disgrace. But it happens too many times now, and is the reason why we can’t win in Europe.A decent team of any kind without being insulting to Inverness would have had us dead and buried. That’s the concern,as it happens constantly.
Bitton is just not upto the task of being the defensive general that Ronnie wants him to be. Broony is far from fit,and our two Central midfielders are leaving the team exposed,providing no cover. The 4231 game plan can’t work if your two centre midfielders can’t play the role. Lambert, Lennon, Wanyama Ledley,Robson all could do it Bitton no Brown to a lesser extent,but he would be better right side helping out lustig.
The balance in the midfield is weak and here lies the problem IMO. I don’t see the signings we have made either beefing it up.
What’s your thoughts this week a plastic pitch,I would play the two big guys up front,and Leigh behind them and do away with the wide players just knock it back to front,and let Leigh run riot.
Simples.
Team for me
Gordon,lustig svitchenko,Boyata ,Tierney,
Armstrong Brown Mulgrew
Griffiths, Cole Kazim Richards
Subs Johansen,Roberts,effe,commons, any other Goalie.
Hail Hail
jimmybee Armstrong??
Monti,Andybhoy and Bb. Your wasting your time,for whatever reason,the vast majority of the so called support want to see the back of James Forest.International player at all stages including 12senior caps,lauded by other senior Managers and players alike,i for one will be very sad to see him go.
You would think there ire would be better targeted at cheating huns, dodgy refs. a bigoted press, charletons like Derk Boeriggter or a management team that are after 2 years frankly fucking hopeless,but there you go,lets all insult a CELTIC player thats been at the club since he was 9 years old.
Thanks for the comments on the article. When I write something its always with the goal of starting an interesting debate, I dont have all the answers. Initially coming back and seeing thirty odd replies was great, but checking them, so many are just playground insults. Not really much of a debate from some, but thanks any way for reading.
Good article, it seems the fitter Forrest gets the less effective he is. I like him and remember his pace and clinical finishing but he is inconsistent. Ideally Inwould like tinkers him but with the number of midfielders we have and you can make a case to keep or lose everyone of them. There needs to be a balance between competition for places and a settled team. However in Europe possesses the one attribute few of are other options have pace, keep him if we can.
Not tinkers but “to keep him.”
Like most I won’t be too disappointed if Forrest leaves. He burst on the scene and looked a great prospect, but I think even his best mate would agree that, for one reason or another, he hasn’t lived up to his full potential. Probably best for James & Celtic that he moves on and hopefully kick starts his career.
Despite not knowing him personally, I will question his attitude during games, and the comparison with Tierney is, I think, valid despite the fact one is an attacker and one a defender.
James, it would appear to me, lacks a real desire to work for the team and I think this has contributed to his lack of game time under Ronny (NB. I’m no fan of Ronny!).
Anyway, best of luck James and onwards and upwards.
Excellent stuff, on Celtic TV we get to watch interviews and I think it was one of the away days with Tom Rogic. When asked for the laziest player in training he answered “James Forrest” figured his days were numbered then.
We should sign Johnny Hayes from Aberdeen.
Skilful,direct and effective as both a winger and finisher.
He’s Irish too and still only 28 with an average of 38 games a season the past 4 years.
A better player than Forrest hands down IMO and would walk into our squad right now.
I shall throw it out there to lighten the mood in here too many toys getting chucked out the pram mehtinks…
Hayes on a 3 years deal on less money or Forrest on a 4 year deal on more money?
You decide…
Charlie, honestly I’ve not seen enough of Hayes (no excuse I know but that’s the way it is) but what I have seen has been pretty decent. He has pace, can beat a man and works hard also. And as we’ve seen to our cost, he can score spectacular goals as well.
Contract status? Doubt Aberdeen would let him go cheap so that would have to be factored in.
That said; I think we need to be reducing the number of players in the squad so I doubt we’ll see a ‘one-in one-out’ approach.
Nurse!
Bgbhoy and Andybhoy,
Ignore the thing called plum, just ignore it!
I’m sure Ralph will be having a word with him.
Forrest wants to try something new, he should try finding a team mate with a cross.