{"id":13136,"date":"2018-07-07T08:42:59","date_gmt":"2018-07-07T07:42:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/etims.net\/?p=13136"},"modified":"2018-07-07T08:42:59","modified_gmt":"2018-07-07T07:42:59","slug":"celtic-diary-saturday-july-7-the-manager-hath-spoken","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/etims.net\/?p=13136","title":{"rendered":"Celtic Diary Saturday July 7: The Manager Hath Spoken"},"content":{"rendered":"

Manager Brendan Rodgers has been talking to the media.<\/p>\n

On the clubs efforts to finally bring in John McGinn…<\/p>\n

\u201cI just wait to see what happens between the clubs, really.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThat will be organised, hopefully, between the two clubs \u2013 and, hopefully, we have another player.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

The two CEOs , that is. They’re not the best of pals, as we know.<\/p>\n

On further squad strengthening;<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to strengthen. We have a core squad that\u2019s very strong and we want to add to that.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cBut I don\u2019t need to add guys who will be on the bench. I want guys who can come in and affect the team.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

If you don’t count John McGinn-or do you ? Those injury stories haven’t gone away…<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s going to take a bit of time and negotiation.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cTo improve, the reality is that there has to be investment. We can\u2019t deny that, but the players here have developed very well, players who have been fantastic for two years.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cTo bring someone in who is ahead of them is going to take money.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Well, we’ll have to dig out the cash card and draw some more out then..<\/p>\n

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On the fans, after Aberdeens Shay Logan, a sort of Neymar without the talent, accused supporters of racist abuse..<\/p>\n

But the Celtic supporters were voted the best supporters in the world (FIFA poll). That says it all in terms of the ambiance at the stadium and how they behave themselves.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not something the Celtic supporters are ever renowned for. It\u2019s a wonderful atmosphere at Celtic Park.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

One wonders if Logan, who has form for this sort of nonsense, had to be talked out of accusing Boyata of racism..<\/p>\n

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And finally, the manager, at last, on Keiran Tierney..<\/p>\n

\u201cKieran has been absolutely brilliant, as per normal.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s totally focused and, thankfully, he\u2019s at a club he loves. There has been no change in Kieran.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

So, we can now say that there hasn’t been a bid for him, a bid that was accepted and put to him in the expectation that he would turn it down, and when he didn’t,\u00a0 a frantic “lets blame the messenger” campaign when the story got out.<\/p>\n

“Okay, I’ll buy that”, he said, visibly putting his money back in his pocket.<\/p>\n

If only all rumours were dealt with as swiftly as the one linking Leigh Griffiths with a move to Turkey …when the striker was asked, via twitter, if it was true….<\/p>\n

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LG\"9\ufe0f\u20e3\"<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
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\u2714<\/b><\/span><\/span>@Leighgriff09<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Naw<\/em> \"\"\"\"<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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All of which\u00a0 means we can concentrate fully on the game in Armenia next week, and there’s a wee practice this afternoon over in Dublin, where Celtic face Shamrock Rovers.<\/p>\n

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Shamrock drew 0-0 at Cork yesterday in the league.<\/p>\n

Cork City and Shamrock Rovers played out a 0-0 draw tonight in the Airtricity League in what was another star showing for\u00a016-year-old keeper Gavin Bazunu.<\/em><\/p>\n

Incredibly, the youngster kept his fourth clean sheet in a row for Stephen Bradley’s side. That included an excellent penalty save. The result is a frustrating one for Cork City as Dundalk extended their lead at the top of the table.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

The keeper saved a penalty, and is interesting Liverpool.<\/p>\n

In Ireland , of course, they don’t wait for the bad weather to play their football, and then on Thursday they face AIK Stockholm in the Europa League.<\/p>\n

It’ll be a nice little kick about for everyone, and probably more of a day out for fans than anything else.<\/p>\n

Celtic will probably practice shape and positioning more than anything else, and just concentrate on making friends, and presumably leaving a contact number with that goalie..<\/p>\n

A nice , uneventful game, no injuries, no stories and plenty of relaxation.<\/p>\n

The manager explained how it will work;<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had a great time here last year in terms of how we were received when we came over here for the game and we\u2019re really looking forward to that again,\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re still building minutes and fitness at this stage. Tomorrow, it\u2019ll be a team that will play 60 to 70 minutes of the game and then we\u2019ll look to make some changes.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is another step towards our match fitness. We have to work your players towards full fitness very, very quickly, especially when you have qualifiers. We had a really good week in Lennoxtown and followed that up with a great preparation week in Austria.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cAt this stage of pre-season the players will never be 100 per cent,\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been really impressed with how fit the players have come back. That\u2019s what the toplevel modern players should be doing, coming back with a really high level of fitness. We\u2019ll look to push that and extend that over the early part of the season.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cAs much as we can, we\u2019ve had good preparation in terms of weather. Of course, it\u2019s always difficult to play in extreme heat like that.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWe just need to monitor the blocks of pressure in the game. It\u2019s hard to press the game for 90 minutes so it\u2019s just preparing the players physically as well as tactically in terms of how you can put a full pitch press on.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve done as much preparation as we could. Our analysist was out and we have some footage on video so we\u2019ll be as prepared as we possibly can be.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

There’s work to be done on Tuesday. Lets get it done.<\/p>\n

you can tell they are taking it seriously, there’s no beer in those glasses..<\/p>\n

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Alashkert themselves suffered a setback when their Croatian defender, Dino Skvorc, left to join Honved in Hungary earlier this week, which means he won’t be able to play.<\/p>\n

Skvorc trained for a week with Celtic back in 2010, but the fee demanded by his then club of around \u00a31m was reckoned to be too steep, so he must have been good.<\/p>\n

In fact, an Alashkert statement , released after his move was worded in such a cold “we wish him luck way”, devoid of any emotion, that one wonders if they even knew who he was.<\/p>\n

So it might not even have been a setback, come to think of it.<\/p>\n

In other news, Dave King will find out on Tuesday if Mike Ashley, who suddenly seems to have found his tanks again and knocked them back into forward gear, will allow him to sell his new strips anywhere else apart from Sports Direct<\/p>\n

Over on follow Follow they seem to understand it, and as usual , blame everyone else..<\/p>\n

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But there are more serious matters to contend with, as King could himself be huckled if he turns up in court…<\/p>\n

Of course , the papers are right on top of it….<\/p>\n

Record…<\/p>\n

Rangers 6 Bury 0 as Glenn Middleton shines in Steven Gerrard’s Ibrox bow<\/h1>\n

Herald…<\/p>\n

Rangers 6, Bury 0: Steven Gerrard’s reign gets off to a perfect start as bumper crowd flocks to Ibrox<\/h1>\n

Sun..<\/p>\n

GER CRAZY\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Rangers 6 Bury 0: Steven Gerrard\u2019s Ibrox debut watched by 40,000 fans despite being pre-season friendly<\/h1>\n<\/section>\n
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There was no stopping Gerrard’s Light Blues side – captained by James Tavernier – as they blitzed Bury on their new gaffer’s Ibrox bow<\/strong><\/p>\n

On a Bury forum, one of their fans was a little more realistic about his team than the fans above, on rangers forums, were about theirs..<\/p>\n

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\u00a0\u00a0<\/a>\u00a010 hours ago, gameplan said:<\/em><\/div>\n
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From the look of it, given how we played at the end of the season, Lowe seems to favour 1 up front which for me is baffling. It didn’t work last season and can’t think why he sees it as a viable formation.<\/em><\/p>\n

For it to work you need lots of energy in midfield and down the wings and we don’t have that…<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

We are in very poor shape. The quality of signings will tell you that it will be a big achievement if we manage to stay in the football league.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

But…55 is coming…right ?<\/p>\n

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They fall for it that often that they’ve flattened more grass than Neymar.<\/p>\n

In fairness, Neymar gave us the best moment of the World cup last night, as his team were sent packing by Belgium…<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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