Celtic Diary Friday June 24: Out Of Europe Already!

Brendan Rodgers must go. He’s overseen a European exit which makes Ronny Deila look positively adept at continental success. Yeah, I’m a bit miserable this morning, so don’t expect to be spraying coffee over your monitor while you read this.

Stoke on Trent voted overwhelmingly to leave Europe, which proves that I am surrounded by idiots after all. The lad moves over to Dublin on Saturday, and I might just hide in one of his suitcases.

Referenda are simply proof that most people should not be allowed to decide on anything more important than which shoe to put on first.

But away from all that, there’s news from Celtic, and Charlie Mulgrew has signed a new deal, or at least agreed one, that will keep him at the club until his kids are old enough to look after themselves.

Does that mean the new boss has no faith in the centre backs already at the club ?

Or does he value the idea of having a Celtic man around ?

Do West Brom value the idea of having a Celtic man around ? The Birmingham Mail seems to think not, but stories are circulating they may hijack the bid.

There were also worries that after the strict regime under Deila, the players got a bit of a shock when it turned out Rodgers was a little more militaristic than first thought.

The boss did take time out to sing the praises of Keiran Tierney, and tipped the lad for the top;

“I saw in the first two days I was in charge that Kieran Tierney will be a top player.

“He’s a 19-year-old kid and probably before the start of last season no-one would have heard of him.

“But I can tell you that I know from my experience of working in England in the middle section and at the top end of the league, that this kid will be a top player. For sure. Absolutely 100 per cent he will be.

“Having worked with young players – and lots of them – and seen them grow and develop into top stars, there’s no question about that. 

“What stood out about him? Just about everything. His attitude and he’s quicker than what I thought. I had only seen him on the telly in highlights and clips but when you see him close up, he’s a super athlete. He’s strong, quick, balanced, aggressive, has a wonderful left foot and will get better.

“Of course, he still has bits where he could improve but he defends well, he’s hard to beat, he wants to go forward, he’s a good size and he has personality.”

But then, he started to babble, in a way that was a little reminiscent of his predecessor..

“I have to say, from being in England for so long and working in the Premier League, I grew up seeing top Scottish players. I looked at Allan Johnston the other night, he would probably never remember it but I recall being at Manchester United as a young player when he was there. He was 13 and now he’s like me, old and starting to lose the hair a wee bit.

“But I was at Liverpool and down through the years they have had a wonderful tradition of Scottish players, so the talent is there.

“Socially things have changed now as well and things are different because of that. But there is no doubt the country has talent, it is just about honing it and making it work.

“You have an outstanding national team manager in Gordon Strachan, who can develop the players he has coached with Mark McGhee. These are guys who will give youngsters every chance to develop. Kieran is the perfect example of that, but I look at the other guys as well.

“Some of the young kids here in the training sessions, with the intensity and tempo, dealt with it really well.

“That was two training sessions I put on at the very top level of the game. So it is still very early and it’s not all about the talent.

“You also need to have to have the personality to succeed. That will help determine whether your talent is wasted or not.” 

The draw for the first round of the new look Challenge cup,  sponsored by Irn Bru, the badly spelt hangover cure, took place yesterday.

Celtic under 20 will host Annan Athletic, which is a game that should generate a lot of interest, and the youngsters deserve support as they try to show they are ready for the next level. If it pays off, there will be dividends for club and player, so here’s to a good run in the competition.

The BBC explain how it works, although I don’t believe them.

According to some reports, the initial bid for Scott Sinclair, the Aston Villa forward, has been turned down, so maybe that ones on hold for now.

but here’s something to titillate –

Oh ho. Theres David Cameron “stepping down” …

I hope I’m still asleep. I keep seeing scary things.

Mind you, there is a chance to make money, literally, as the royal mint steps up production of the new ninety pence coin..

but, amongst all the gloom, perhaps there is a wee bit of good that come out of it.

Something that shows the electorate in England clearly haven’t thought things through.

Could this be the end of the financial muscle of the English Premiership ? No more freedom of movement, which caused a lot of jobs to be lost to foreign migrants-so they say- will certainly affect the signing policy of football clubs, which in turn will reduce the appeal of playing in England, which will reduce the money Sky will put in to the game.

You’d hope so, anyway, and if that happens, maybe it will put a smile back on my face.

After I’ve moved to a flat above a shop and got the kids work cleaning the inside of chimneys.

Yesterdays caption competition-

A tough one to judge, and probably not full of replies Commons himself might want to read, was won with this quip;

It’s Friday, and that means its time for Knob Of The Week, and its an unusually serious award -to none other than reptilian Nigel Farage, the man who failed to be elected to Parliament no less than seven times, but has managed to appeal to the lowest common denominator in his latest attempt to be in government.

Nigel Farage said ‘we won it without a bullet being fired’