{"id":13499,"date":"2018-10-09T10:04:31","date_gmt":"2018-10-09T09:04:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/etims.net\/?p=13499"},"modified":"2018-10-09T10:05:50","modified_gmt":"2018-10-09T09:05:50","slug":"celtic-diary-tuesday-october-9-griffiths-blamed-for-israeli-defeat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/etims.net\/?p=13499","title":{"rendered":"Celtic Diary Tuesday October 9: Griffiths Blamed for Israeli Defeat"},"content":{"rendered":"

Oh hang on, that will be later this week.<\/p>\n

When Alex McLeish has a go at him for a lack of loyalty.<\/p>\n

I know….I know..<\/p>\n

Striker Leigh Griffiths has pulled out of the Scotland squad with the diplomatic injury issue mentioned in a previous diary. No other Celtic players have been able to get a sick note yet, but we believe they have asked.<\/p>\n

Alex McLeish at first said he understood Griffiths’s reason, which was that the forward wanted to concentrate on getting himself fit as he had a few problems, but then, presumably after a few drops of tonic wine round the back of the bus station with his mates, decided to have a pop at the striker..<\/p>\n

It is up to Leigh to see what happens in the future. There are no guarantees. He knows that. That is how I left it.’\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

In response, Griffiths said;<\/p>\n

\u201cPlaying for Scotland still means the world to me.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m hugely patriotic and passionate about representing my country.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

I’ll do it before the SMSM does…<\/p>\n

\"Image<\/p>\n

\u201cDespite what some people will think, I have not taken the huff about potentially sitting on the bench over in Israel.\u00a0Anyone who knows me will say I\u2019m all about the team and it\u2019s never about individuals.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cSure, it was disappointing to be on the bench for the Albania game at Hampden \u2013 everyone could see how I was feeling on the night.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cBut that\u2019s football and I\u2019m big enough to be able to take decisions like that on the chin. I\u2019m not too big to sit on any bench.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThe fact is I need to be fully fit to be able to play to my best for club and country and right now I don\u2019t think that\u2019s the case.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI spoke to both managers of Scotland and Celtic and they supported my decision.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI need to be in the best possible shape physically and mentally and I think missing this one game will help me get to where I need to be.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Very diplomatic, and not the response I would have given…<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

As far as playing for Scotland goes, where Celtic players are concerned , I’d rather they all adopted a diplomatic calf strain, or an ear infection.<\/p>\n

Anything really, as the SFA stinks, the manager is a tosser and most of the players in the squad are bloody useless.<\/p>\n

It cannot possibly do our players any good to listen to McLeish ramble, or to watch Peter Grant point, and I’ve absolutely no idea what James MacFadden brings to the party.<\/p>\n

Here he is talking about James Forrest, who is clearly not a favourite of McLeish either..<\/p>\n

“Everybody here has got a chance of playing. There is nobody here to make up the numbers and that\u2019s what\u2019s great about the squad at the minute.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWe are looking at how we go into the game on Thursday, and it\u2019s great. We want players that are playing at the top of their level and scoring goals.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was fantastic for James Forrest. He\u2019s a great player and we want guys coming here saying \u2018I want to be the man \u2013 I want to play.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m delighted for him, and it\u2019s a great problem to have that we need to find ways to fit players into your team.”\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Its a problem fitting a free scoring winger into your team ?<\/p>\n

How about playing him as a winger, with a licence to get into goalscoring positions ?<\/p>\n

Michael Stewart, the token non EBT pundit at the BBC offers a bit of insight as to how things work with the Scotland coaching staff…<\/p>\n

Leigh Griffiths is for me, our number one striker and I can understand why he was annoyed.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThe game against Belgium was a thankless task. He\u2019s playing up front on his own against the second best team in the world at that point and then he gets dropped for the Albania game.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t understand how you can be so frustrated you drop him for the Albania when you know there\u2019s going to be lots of chances. There\u2019s no long term strategic planning thinking dropping him after that one game.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is clearly off the back of the Belgium game where I am led to believe Griffiths was absolutely hammered in the changing room by the staff.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Then there’s Craig Gordon, ousted to find room for Alan MacGregor, who was banned for life from the Scotland set up…<\/p>\n

McLeish has his favourites, thats obvious.<\/p>\n

None of them wear hoops in their day jobs…<\/p>\n

None of them deserve to be treated like second class players at a third class set up.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Anyway, Scotland should not be playing in Israel while that nation has its soldiers shooting and killing civilians.<\/p>\n

The counter argument is that Celtic have played in Israel recently, and that makes us all hypocrites.<\/p>\n

Its a fair point, but I’d rather the club had pulled out of those games as well.<\/p>\n

Which, of course, with our morally flexible board, was never going to happen.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

After Kris Commons and Kris Boyd offered their invaluable insight into the inner circle at Celtic, the even more fuckwitted Charlie Nicholas threw in his tuppence worth.<\/p>\n

He has a column in the Daily Star, Britains only newspaper that is entirely written in crayon, and seeing as how nobody buys the Star, I ficured i’d reproduce a bit of his burblings here, for your perusal…<\/p>\n

Brendan\u2019s relationship with Peter Lawwell and the board is strained.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI even wonder what players are actually Brendan\u2019s signings and which ones have been thrust upon him.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThe talk is that Brendan will get significant money in January. No chance!\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cHe didn\u2019t get the signings he wanted in the summer \u2013 Edouard aside \u2013 even though the team desperately needed freshened up.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t be sidetracked by a strong performance and 6-0 win at St Johnstone \u2013 which was long overdue.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThis Celtic team is stale, defensively weak and in real danger of sliding backwards at a time where their rivals are getting ever stronger.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Nicholas presumably was at the meeting where the budget for January was planned…sitting next to Boyd and Commons no doubt.<\/p>\n

Many have said that the club should comment on these type of comments, but in reality, there’s little point.<\/p>\n

By denying these stories, they give them credence, and by ignoring them they initmate that they aren’t worth bothering with.<\/p>\n

We should feed them even more shite to destroy their reputations, even though there seems to be plenty making their way to them at the moment, a few more titbits couldn’t hurt.<\/p>\n

There will be a podcast recorded on Thursday night which I can say with certainty will be especially interesting , as there are a few things that are better discussed openly than just written down.<\/p>\n

Keep an eye out for it.<\/p>\n

We promise it will possibly even reach the giddy heights of quality offered up by such luminaries as our own publicly funded state broadcaster…<\/p>\n

Can Boyd remember his eight dogs’ names?<\/h1>\n
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