Efe Ambrose, the big Nigerian defender we have grown to love, well, maybe appreciate, has signed a new deal with Celtic that will keep him at the club until 2017 or a big offer comes in for him. Whichever is the sooner, presumably.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
“It’s simple – I love the club. Celtic are a massive club, one of the biggest in Europe, and the history behind the club is great.<\/p>\n
“I am delighted. I have to thank the club, the management and everybody.<\/p>\n
“I still believe I have a long way to go. But this deal shows how committed to the club I am.<\/p>\n
“I feel at home here, my family is settled and that is important to me.”<\/p>\n
Manager Neil Lennon enthused over the player;<\/p>\n
“Efe has been fantastic. He is low maintenance in terms of injury, he is always available to play.<\/p>\n
“He has terrific pace, athleticism and he is improving.<\/p>\n
“He gives us an extra dimension to the way we play in terms of when teams are camped in,
\nEfe is not afraid to bring the ball out from the back and take a risk now and again.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
“I don’t want to discourage that because he is becoming more and more consistently good at it and he has started the season very well.<\/p>\n
“So I am delighted he has signed a new contract because he is an important player for us.”<\/p>\n
Ambrose has improved virtually beyond recognition already this season, and forms a central defensive partnership with Dutchman Virgil van Dijk that is as strong as any since the days of Mjallby, Valgaeren and Balde. And theres only two of them. Alright, so we still have the occasional pass me the defibrillator moment when he comes jinking out of the defence, but they are getting less and less as the lads confidence grows more and more.<\/p>\n
Its a great move by the club, and according to reports Georgios Samaras is next on the list for renewal.<\/p>\n
“We are aware that he [Samaras] is out of contract at the end of the season,” Lennon told reporters.<\/p>\n
“We will be speaking to Georgios and his representatives pretty soon and we will speak to Stokesy again. I don’t know when but it will happen.”<\/p>\n
You get the feeling that Stokes is still on a work trial with the club, and Lennon is yet to be convinced of his value, and may yet be looking to replace him in January.<\/p>\n
Lennon has also , for the first time publicly, that he sat down with Fraser Forster in the summer and told him that he would be better off staying at Celtic, and his now regular inclusion in the England squad seems to have proved him right. In fact, there are more than a few calls for the big keeper to play in Englands last two qualifiers ahead of cataclysmic keeper Joe Hart. As Feargal Sharkey once said, a good Hart these days is hard to find.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Hodgson, as we said yesterday, will keep faith for now with Hart, as it will deflect a lot of criticism should his country fail to reach Brazil, and that itself is far from certain, mainly because they are shite.<\/p>\n
Anyway, Lennon said of Forster;<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had to settle Fraser down a bit because the transfer window is always an unsettling period.<\/p>\n
\u201cI told him just to stay. I said there was no rush and that with a bit of luck we would have Champions League football.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can\u2019t give him that kind of platform on a weekly basis like in England.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut he has justified his faith in us and we\u2019ve justified our faith in him by giving him the platform to display his talent all over Europe.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you look at some other players who have left, they are maybe looking over their shoulder and regretting what they have done.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cFraser is in a good place and it shows the importance of having Champions League football, not just for the development of the players but for the club as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Forster has been linked with other clubs again, but Lennon countered;<\/p>\n
\u201cYou need to stop asking me about my players leaving \u2013 but it is flattering for Fraser because it is coming from high places now.<\/p>\n
\u201cGianluigi Buffon has been talking about him as well. I don\u2019t want it to be a short-term thing. I want him to have longevity and for people to be talking about him over the next four or five years rather than just over a Champions League campaign.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe is happy here but I don\u2019t have a crystal ball. And we may get an offer we can\u2019t refuse.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Anyway, today Motherwell roll into town in the big game this weekend. Currently third, the steelmen have recovered after a sluggish start and will be looking to take advantage of any hangover from Tuesdays defeat at the hands of FC Barcelona. ( The FC stands for fucking cheats )<\/p>\n
The media will be watching for the crowds reaction to Scott Brown after his ill judged kick at the theatrical Neymar, but on balance we need to remember that Brown , on balance, does more harm than good and after all he is one of our own , and a wee bit of forgiveness may be in order.<\/p>\n
Manager Lennon compared the vitriol aimed at Brown-can’t think where he might have seen that-to the treatment of a criminal, and was asked of he thought it may have got to the player;<\/p>\n
\u201cYou would do, wouldn\u2019t you? You are treated like a criminal sometimes.<\/p>\n
\u201cI mean there\u2019s a guy in the paper today holding a knife to a picture of me on a frozen TV screen but that is sort of laughed off, whereas Scott does something on the pitch and is treated far more harshly than other people are. You have to have a sense of perspective on this.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is upsetting for my family more than anything else. It doesn\u2019t affect me all that much but what is concerning is the mindset of some people.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhether it\u2019s innocent or they think it\u2019s funny, for me it is disturbing. You like to think those days have gone but obviously not. I\u2019ll leave it to the proper authorities to deal with it. It has been getting better recently. For the last couple of years I have been free to get on with my life and on with my job.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut some people think it\u2019s a bit of harmless fun. If it is done in the privacy of the home fine, but why put it on a public forum?\u201d<\/p>\n
He’s right about that. And how come the guy in that photo is still un-named ? Some would have demanded to know the name…<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Georgios Samaras and \u00a0Nir Bitton are doubtful for todays game, Joe Ledley is still out, but Derk Boerrigter might return.<\/p>\n
Motherwell are not a popular side amongst the support, and a damn good thrashing would put a spring in our step until the next game. Do we do predictions on Etims ? Well, we do them, but you wouldn’t be advised to take it to the bookies.<\/p>\n
Neville Chamberlains Peace in our Time speech would be a better indicator of how things turn out than our tips.<\/p>\n
Still, I’d expect a tidy 4-1 win, with the game done and dusted fairly early on.<\/p>\n
Yesterday, those pictures were of Marc Antoine Fortune, Jorge Cadete and Peter Scarff. Its rolling over as no-one got the connection. What did they all think they had done ?<\/p>\n
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