{"id":8692,"date":"2016-02-29T10:57:00","date_gmt":"2016-02-29T10:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/etims.net\/?p=8692"},"modified":"2016-02-29T10:57:00","modified_gmt":"2016-02-29T10:57:00","slug":"celtic-diary-monday-february-29-an-extra-day-just-what-we-needed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/etims.net\/?p=8692","title":{"rendered":"Celtic Diary Monday February 29: An Extra Day. Just What We Needed."},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0“He is definitely one of the players that we would like to keep and we are working towards that just now.<\/em><\/p>\n

“We talk all the time and we are always looking to work on the squad. He is one of the players that we would like to tie up on a long-term deal.<\/em><\/p>\n

“He\u2019s very important in our team. He has a lovely technique, he has innovation and is creative. The technical aspect he has is the top level.”\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Ronny Deila on Tom Rogic, not so long ago. Sound familar ? Its the usual speech about how we relaly want them to stay, shortly before they don’t.<\/p>\n

The Aussie Ardiles has slipped out of favour since the manager found out he shares a car to work in the morning with the other “contract rebel ” , James Forrest.<\/p>\n

And he hasn’t signed his contract yet either.<\/p>\n

Maybe nobody can find a pen in the east end of Glasgow.<\/p>\n

Or maybe someone keeps hiding them.<\/p>\n

Over in Australia they rate Rogic quite highly, and they are a little concerned it will affect their World Cup bid, as “The World Game ” reports;<\/p>\n

It’s an impasse which could have repercussions for the national team as Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou prepares to name his squad for next month\u2019s crucial FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Tajikistan and Jordan.<\/em><\/p>\n

Rogic, 23, has been conspicuous by his absence from the Bhoys\u2019 last two squads – the 3-0 win over Inverness and the 1-1 draw against Hamilton Academical, as he apparently pays the price for holding out for a better offer.<\/em><\/p>\n

Though discussions began in November over extending Rogic\u2019s contract beyond mid-2017, it\u2019s believed the playmaker, who has scored six goals in 21 league appearances this season, is far from convinced by the terms on the table.<\/em><\/p>\n

As a result, the club appear to have taken the same hard-line stance with Rogic as they have with Scottish international winger James Forrest, who has been branded a ‘contract rebel’ for declining to sign a new four-year deal and also effectively banished from the first team squad.<\/em><\/p>\n

Both played their last games for the Hoops off the bench in the 2-0 win over Aussie Jackson Irvine\u2019s Ross County on 13 February \u2013 and have not been sighted in the first team squad since, despite being match fit and keen to help the club push on towards a Scottish Premiership and Scottish Cup double. ……<\/em><\/p>\n

……..However, it appears that with Rogic standing his ground amid increasingly tense negotiations, the club is playing hardball in an attempt to force a climb-down.<\/em><\/p>\n

Rogic’s frustration at Deila’s brinkmanship will be compounded by the fact that he missed four games with an ankle injury before his return against Ross County, and is desperate not to lose the momentum he has gained this season.<\/em><\/p>\n

Celtic\u2019s tough approach will not have gone unnoticed by Postecoglou, who was expecting a match-hardened and fully functioning Rogic to help spearhead the Socceroos into the final phase of qualifying for Russia 2018 by brushing past Tajikistan and Jordan to top Group B, with the games in Adelaide and Sydney next month.<\/em><\/p>\n

Emilio Izaguirre is also being watched by Seville, and there’s a feeling that this is only the beginning as players begin to realise that there’s no need for them to be paid footballs \u00a0equivalent of the minumum wage. Especially if they aren’t getting a regular start, as it’s apparently the appearance money that makes their wage, well, better.<\/p>\n

This isn’t moralising about the obscene wages footballers get. If it’s on offer, they’d be daft not to take it, and it won’t last forever, so you cannot blame them for upping sticks and picking up perhaps two or three times what they are getting n glasgow, and maybe a large signing on fee as well.<\/p>\n

Certainly non British players, as who knows what restrictions would be in place after an exit from the European Union if the impending referendum throws up that scenario ?<\/p>\n

Actually, one consolation of a return to “splendid isolationism ” ( if you don’t count colonialism and the resultant exploitation when you use the word splendid ) could be the collapse of the English League.<\/p>\n

Poor Rupert Murdoch.<\/p>\n

He hates the European union because they largely ignore him, loves Westminster because they let him do anything, but the consequence of a breakaway might see a big chunk of his business collapse.<\/p>\n

\n

Worth the risk, I suppose. If we slip a wee note to the Europeans as to our motives, they should let us back in when Cameron, Murdoch and a few other loons have been consigned to history.<\/p>\n

They’d be up for that, the English league is playing havoc with their set ups as well as ours.<\/p>\n

Anyway, I digress… ( You mean ramble-Ed-again. )<\/p>\n

Aberdeen blew another chance to gain ground on Celtic in the title race, drawing 1-1 with St. Johnstone. Still, they’re an optimistic lot up north, as dons defender Mark Reynolds shows us, or you’d think so from the headline, which appeared in the Record;<\/p>\n

Aberdeen defender Mark Reynolds: \u00a0 <\/span><\/h2>\n

We can still catch Celtic and win the Premiership title.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/h2>\n

Nit really what he said, as you can see. More a sort of well we might but don’t put any money on it sort of whine.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were always confident that Celtic would lose points as they did on Friday night.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWe knew there would be the odd draw here and there and that we were close enough, that that might be enough, especially as we\u2019ve still to play them again.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe just need to keep it tight, but with just 11 games there is very little time left now.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s got to the point where these chances will be few and far between. We need to start capitalising on them and keep ourselves as close as we can.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve always been careful to take it one game at a time. We just want to get the three points whenever we can.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a tough run-in. You saw from Celtic last Friday against Hamilton that it\u2019s a tough run-in. Football is a funny game and things happen.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t even need them to lose, just draw and drop points, lose two points as we did against S Johnstone.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cIt could give us a chance to get closer and then, as long as we can keep them close enough, we still have to face them again and that then turns into a massive game.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cYou want to look ahead, look at the 11 games and see how you can deal with that.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cBut when you start looking too far ahead, you start tripping yourself up.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cWe leave it to the fans and the media and we just need to concentrate on getting three points from the next game.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cOur focus is now Wednesday and trying to get three points.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cAs long as we keep doing that and keep the pressure on, Celtic will either answer or they won\u2019t.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

In fact, he sort of talks himself out if winning the league the more he carries on.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the league below, where fallen giants Hibernian and new kids on the block Second Rangers are battling it out for a chance to play with the big boys next season, it appears that Alan Stubbs has taken his eye off the ball for a moment , and now the route seems clear for Mark Warburton’s Wonders to increase the all round quality of Scottish football by joining the top flight.<\/p>\n

Stubbs can now join that long list of managers who would do much better at Celtic, despite never actually having done anything anywhere else.<\/p>\n

Speaking of which, Neil Lennon has had regret’s about walking out on Celtic, and would love to come back on day.<\/p>\n

No problem with that, as our tarrier carrier goes past Bolton and he’s more than welcome to join us for a game , as long as he pays his fare like everyone else.<\/p>\n

But thats as far as it goes. His time has come and gone.<\/p>\n

For him to return, if we go along with the idea he left last time and wasn’t co-erced, would allow the board to be vindicated in their downsizing policy, and mean that things would get worse, and not better.<\/p>\n

\n

Lennon knows, and Lawwell knows, he ain’t coming back….<\/p>\n

But it helps the media to pile pressure on Deila, who by now must be wishing he’d never heard of Celtic . Scotland or Peter Lawwell.<\/p>\n

When he closes his eyes at night, he can probably still see the headlines discussing his successor. Whilst he has made one or two mistakes, its still astonishing that the Celtic support, who are a little more savvy than most, have not quite seen that even though the football isn’t great, the press have been on his back from day one, and he has had little or no support from within the club either.<\/p>\n

With the clubs PR non existent, Deila finds he has to deal with reporters hell bent on tripping him up and and constantly putting him on the defensive, and there is nowhere left for him to turn for support.<\/p>\n

The fans have it in for him, the players appear to be reading the papers and waiting for the axe to fall, whilst keeping their own heads down out of the way, and the board have seemingly no intention of publicly backing him.<\/p>\n

You couldn’t blame him if he is thinking “fuck this”<\/p>\n

Lets hope he’s not a vindictive sort of chap who decides to play the under 16s for the rest of the season.<\/p>\n

Or put anthrax in the water barrel.<\/p>\n

So for as long as he is here, can we get behind him ?<\/p>\n

If we don’t win the league, then we can have a moan, and maybe look to support the next man.<\/p>\n

But for now, he’s the manager.<\/p>\n

\n

\n

\n

Heres a wee caption competition to try to cheer you up a bit…<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n

What he isn’t saying is this, a rant which is possibly one of the best ever by a former Celt..<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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