{"id":7453,"date":"2015-07-13T10:14:51","date_gmt":"2015-07-13T09:14:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/etims.net\/?p=7453"},"modified":"2015-07-13T10:14:51","modified_gmt":"2015-07-13T09:14:51","slug":"celtic-diary-monday-july-13-where-are-these-frustrated-celtic-fans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/etims.net\/?p=7453","title":{"rendered":"Celtic Diary Monday July 13: Where Are These “Frustrated” Celtic Fans ?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Or are they just a figment of someones imagination….<\/p>\n

I’m fine. most of the Tims I know are fine.<\/p>\n

There’s a number of reasons why.<\/p>\n

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When I sit down to put this nonsense together, I always have a wee look at the main news, which gives me a chance to put everything into context. This morning , the big story is around a man in Manchester trying to sell a baby.<\/p>\n

Astonishing. They’re sick of Raheem Sterling already.<\/p>\n

\u00a349m.<\/p>\n

\u00a3200,000 a week.<\/p>\n

Their ground holds about 40,000. At two home games a month, that’s \u00a310 each just to pay his wages.<\/p>\n

Of course the tv money, and the money from their owners will make up the shortfall, but it’s obscene whichever way you look at it, and i’d have a great deal of difficulty remaining a supporter if Celtic ever went down that path.<\/p>\n

Which to be fair, doesn’t look very likely.<\/p>\n

Mind you, there is always the other extreme…<\/p>\n

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New Celtic signing and self confessed flop ( See Scottish Sports media ) Nadir Ciftci has taken out an advert in the Dundee Courier to thank Dundee United and its fans for the two years he spent there.<\/p>\n

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Maybe we have got him all wrong.<\/p>\n

Gary Mackay Steven, who presumably would have been consulted about his personality, is happy enough to be playing alongside him again;<\/p>\n

I\u2019m glad he is here He is a really good player and will add something different from what we already have here.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cHe looked really sharp when he came on against Sociedad and gave a glimpse of what he can do.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI know personally what he is capable of and he will be a great addition to the squad. He is a big strong boy up front with a physical presence, but he has a lot of skill as well.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t really speak to him before he came. Obviously, I was hearing rumours. I spoke to him briefly when we trained at St Andrews last week but nothing about Celtic.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cSo it was quite surreal when he came into training at Lennoxtown for the first time, seeing him in the changing room with Stuart as well, wearing the colours of Celtic.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI have no doubts Nadir will cope [with the expectations at Celtic]. He is a confident lad on and off the park. He will show that in every game he plays and I\u2019ve no doubts he will be a big star here.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cHe was a fans\u2019 favourite at United and I\u2019m sure he will be a fans\u2019 favourite here. He is the type of player who gets bums off seats and I can\u2019t wait for him to show it with Celtic.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cNadir and I have a good understanding on the pitch. The understanding Stuart and I have with him can only help Celtic.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWe played together a lot at United and know each other\u2019s games inside out. It can only be a benefit on and off the park.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Mackay Steven also gave some insight into the dressing room ritual of being the new kid in town.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe will have to sing a song as a new player here. He\u2019s got that to look forward to when we are in the hotel before the Stjarnan game on Wednesday.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cHe had to sing one when he joined United. I think he sung a national anthem or something. It wasn\u2019t the best, so he\u2019ll have to do a little bit better than that this time.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Hmmm, the theme from Jaws doesn’t have any words, so he’ll have to think of something. Maybe someone can help him….<\/p>\n

Wonder what Anthony Stokes sung on his first day ? He gave us a hint when he tweeted his support for new UFC champion conor MacGregor at the weekend.<\/p>\n

Anthony Stokes<\/strong>\u00a0\u200f@<\/s>stoksey10<\/b><\/span>\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0Jul 11<\/span><\/a><\/small><\/div>\n

That freedoms light might shine through the foggy dew<\/em>\"\u270a\"\"\"<\/p>\n

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Derk Boerrigter is injured again, but there is an upside this time. The club have moved to recoup some of the money wasted on this fragile forward by introducing the latest in a line of Celtic accessories, spotted by Hullbhoy on twitter;<\/p>\n

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\u00a0Meanwhile, as we noted in the first paragraph, the professional Scottish sports media, and Matt Lindsay, are getting right behind Celtic’s champions league campaign.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Let’s see if you can spot the actual headline, two days before a crucial European game, used by the Heralds chief football man-imagine having to ask him if your article is good enough for publication, and the embarrassment if he said no- from these three.<\/p>\n

Ronny Ready To Roar Again!<\/h1>\n

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Celts Bought Quickly \u00a0To Ensure They Are Prepared<\/h1>\n

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Forgiveness will not be forthcoming for Ronny Deila if Celtic come up short in Champions League quest<\/h1>\n

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Shouldn’t be too difficult.<\/p>\n

However, Lindsays piece does give us something to ponder….<\/p>\n

THERE are still some Celtic fans, a sizeable number in fact, who are frustrated by the Parkhead club’s frugal signing policy despite their rude financial health. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Really ?<\/p>\n

Where ?<\/p>\n

Go on Matt.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Name \u00a0three. \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Speaking of misleading headlines…<\/p>\n

Celtic boss Ronny Deila urges SFA disciplinary panel to go<\/h1>\n

softly softly on Ciftci over biting rap<\/h1>\n

Alison MacConnell in the Evening Times. however, thats not what Ronny said at all:<\/p>\n

\u201cWe knew when we signed him that he could be out for the start of the season if he is banned for some games, but we are prepared for that,\u201d he said.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cHe is a player we have watched for a long time and we wanted to bring him here because we believe he can do something special.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWe have seen him often enough to know that he is a big, powerful player and he is a handful for any central defence. He is so difficult to play against.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cEven if he is banned for league games, he will still be available to us for European matches, so he will still be able to feature. It is not ideal, but of course we were aware of it and we will deal with it when it comes.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cHe is still a young player and he will mature. He is a good player, but we know that he can get even better if he does the right things and plays the game the right way on and off the pitch at Celtic.\u201d \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

What Ronny did say was that he was happy with the way his new signings have settled in so far, and how they have performed on the pitch, which in turn, is a story in itself.<\/p>\n

Let’s take another quote from the same Times story, and see if we can come up with something a little more, well, cheerful.<\/p>\n

Those little things can make a really big difference to a new player coming into a club. Nadir is a confident lad anyway, but I think doing something like that means that your confidence is high from the very beginning.<\/p>\n

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New Signings Impress Ronny.\u00a0<\/em><\/h1>\n

Forty eight hours from the start of another Champions League game Celtic boss Ronny Deila is pleased that his new players are settling, and he’s delighted with the start made by Nadir Ciftci, who contributed to Gary Mackay Stevens winner against Spanish cracks Real Sociedad.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

“Those little things can make a really big difference to a new player coming into a club. Nadir is a confident lad anyway, but I think doing something like that means that your confidence is high from the very beginning.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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\u201cThat can be so important. But we have been impressed with Dedryck Boyata, too, and the way he has come in and settled into defence.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThis season there has not been huge changes to the team and things have been relatively settled. We will see what happens between now and the end of the transfer window.\u201d \u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

With Deila not wasting any time in replacing those players who left last season, there’s little doubt that Celtic will be ready for any surprises come Wednesday night. \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Thats better. not only is it more accurate, it reflects the mood within the Celtic camp, and probably sums up how most of us feel about the challenge from Stjarnan.<\/p>\n

As usual , we can expect the last minute scoops telling us that players are either wanted by other clubs, or have already decided they are going after the qualifiers.<\/p>\n

Most of us are aware that this may still be the case with Virgil van Dijk, but Ronny has said he will not be going to a mid table English club, and so far, there’s nothing to suggest that he’s wrong.<\/p>\n

Sure, there’s the odd story about Southampton and Swansea, but all they can offer him is a stepping stone to a big club in a big league, and to be honest, he already has that.<\/p>\n

Of course there’s the money, but he’ll get that one day anyway.<\/p>\n

The negative stories about Celtic are par for the course ahead of a big game, but this time there might be a more sinister motive.<\/p>\n

As we know, the appeal from Hector took place last week,as he tries to establish on the eyes of the law that the original Rangers club were involved in massive tax fraud \u00a0before they fell on their sword to avoid paying anyone, and we know that the club will be informed of the decision before the public.<\/p>\n

That could be tricky, but there is a way.<\/p>\n

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In reality, they will inform the next of kin, who currently reside in the family home, and if it’s gone badly for them, then they will need the services of Level 5 PR more than ever.<\/p>\n

Come to think of it, if they are the same club, and those EBT payments really were genuine loans, why don’t they just ask for them to be repaid ?<\/p>\n

That would bring some much needed cash into the club.<\/p>\n

And some good publicity as well.<\/p>\n

Speaking of publicity, athlete Lindsey Sharpe, which is a misnomer if i ever saw one, was on twitter last night;<\/p>\n

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She later apologised, claiming that she thought the phrase referred to Jock Wallace.<\/p>\n

Sharpe is her name, not a summary of her mental skills.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the revolution continues under Mark Warburton over at ibrox…<\/p>\n

It’s the Record, in case you couldn’t guess\/\/\/<\/p>\n

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Rangers set for talks with former Livingston starlet Andy Halliday<\/em><\/h1>\n
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