{"id":13496,"date":"2018-10-08T07:59:31","date_gmt":"2018-10-08T06:59:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/etims.net\/?p=13496"},"modified":"2018-10-08T07:59:31","modified_gmt":"2018-10-08T06:59:31","slug":"celtic-diary-monday-october-8-back-in-the-saddle-again","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/etims.net\/?p=13496","title":{"rendered":"Celtic Diary Monday October 8: Back In The Saddle Again"},"content":{"rendered":"

A little bit sooner than perhaps one could have expected, but the Celts have decided that their generously accepted offer to take it easy early in the season to help make things a little more competitve than usual has now expired.<\/p>\n

A six goal thrashing of St Johnstone and a performance that had us thinking back to the Invincible year confirmed that all is now well at the ranch, despite what anyone else will tell you.<\/p>\n

James Forrest, a great player and fantastic servant who will go on to be the most decorated Celtic player of all time, showed most of us that we cannot see the wood for the trees when it comes to recognising his ability.<\/p>\n

Look, everyone else has done the Forrest Fire headlines. I had to come up with something different.<\/p>\n

Forrest rattled in four goals during a blistering first half-the first Celt to do so since John Higgins in 1956.<\/p>\n

Maciej Zurawski also scored four in an away game, but it was against Dunfermline, and if I’m not mistaken even Neil Lennon scored that day, so it doesn’t really count.<\/p>\n

It didn’t take long for the media to tout him for a move.<\/p>\n

Kris Commons tried to outdo his namesake Kris Boyd in complete and absolute fuckwittery when he came up with this.<\/p>\n

He is 27 years old and signed a new four-year deal just a couple of weeks ago, which made it seem like he might be set to spend his whole career at Parkhead.<\/em><\/p>\n

But, if he carries on playing like he did on Sunday, there’s no chance that will happen.<\/em><\/p>\n

One of the big clubs in England would soon snap him up for a hefty transfer fee.<\/em><\/p>\n

The transformation in him over the past 18 months or so has been remarkable because it seemed at one point a few years ago that he was on his way out of the club.<\/em><\/p>\n

He was in danger of being a wasted talent, a boy for whom the penny would never drop.<\/em><\/p>\n

He had no confidence, struggled with injuries, and had a manager in Ronny Deila who didn’t trust him.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

For Forrest, it shouldn’t be just the PFA award he’s targeting. It should be 20 goals, the league title, and every individual accolade in the country.<\/em><\/p>\n

If he does that, there’s no chance he will still be at Celtic in four years’ time. He’ll be playing in the English Premier League.<\/em><\/p>\n

He won’t.<\/p>\n

Forrest , like Tierney, has been at Celtic more or less since he could walk, and has a deep affection for the club. He doesn’t want to be anywhere else.<\/p>\n

Although his performance was noted overseas…<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

When he plays like he did yesterday, he is unstoppable, and opponents are reduced to fouling him. In fairness, Danny Swanson, who was sent off for an assualt on the winger, probably thought he’d get away with it, given the licence handed to teams to kick Celtic players, but it was that bad even Tom Rogic knew it was a red card…<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Commons claims to know whats going on inside Celtic Park, and theres a story doing the rounds that seems to hint that one of the disgruntled players manager Brendan Rodgers referred to on Saturday is feeding him a line or two,<\/p>\n

Kris Boyd, the other Chuckle Brother on the telly , who told Tom English, the Irishman who works in the Scottish media that there was a split in the dressing room, citing “because ” as his evidence, is the other who has been fed several lines, but as with all of these examples of tittle tattle, they have been fed simply to reveal who is behind the leaks.<\/p>\n

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Tom English<\/strong>\u200f\u00a0<\/span><\/span>@TEnglishSport<\/b><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n
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