After the excitement and it is genuinely exciting to be competing in the Champions league, it is back to bread and butter SPFL. We may well be likely to finish bottom of our CL group but I feel that we have been seeing a team start to compete in games and regardless of where we finish in the group this team will have more belief that they can do well in Europe next season. I have not completely written off finishing third, but I think that is based on heart rather than head :-).
A home game v Inverness should, on paper be straightforward enough but there is always one game every season at Celtic Park when we batter an opponent’s goal but don’t score. Let’s hope Brendan has the team switched on and that does not occur tomorrow. And as Brian Clough ( I think, I haven’t googled it) famously said….Football is played on grass, not paper. If it wasn’t Cloughie it was someone else.
All out attack and an early goal will do nicely please.
Brendan agreeing with me. Thanks boss.
We are now entering a crucial part of the season and the team has to keep ploughing through the heavy workload and delivering results. Squad rotation will be important and it is gratifying to see that the boss is ensuring that standards must be maintained.
Elsewhere I am now at the stage of hoping man Citeh and Barcelona get lots of injuries between now and the end of the CL group…but not so many that will prevent them beating Borussia Monchengladbach, but hopefully not us!
I see Man U may lose out in their Europa League group…how the mighty have fallen. Who will get sacked first…former Man U boss Moyes or current Man U boss Mourinho?
Some interesting games in the A League this week with the Big Blue tomorrow night. Come on Victory!!
Scotland and England potentially in dispute with FIFA. This is interesting and I wonder what the sanctions will be? Food for thought.
Staying Up Late. Getting Up Early 
I think Moyes is in more trouble especially since he just got the vote of confidence from the board. United will miss Joyce and it will be interesting to see who they appoint. As you have touched on before many a United fan hopes for an early exit in the Europa League anyway, even if it means Southampton go further. I will join your cause in hoping for City injuries. Given the amount of leagues rushing to rule Rooney out he may end up in the A League yet.
LikeLike
I read of a rumour this week he may go to Celtic. Can you imagine him playing for a really big team that he genuinely likes and wants to do well? A step up for the lad. As you know he is only in Manchester for the money.
LikeLike
Keane didn’t exactly set the world alight, I feel Rooney would have a similar impact, although he played alright against Swansea. One game does not make a season.
LikeLike
I like the Mourinho v Moyes sack race comp. I reckon big fat Sam is lining up a return to Weirside..
LikeLike
The A League is gash. Last game I went to was our 3-0 win against The Brisbane Huns in 2009. Paradoxically, although we have lost some truly awful games in cricket score terms, we sr extremely dominant domestically and I reckon on a handful against ICT.
LikeLike
Hi Summa and welcome. I was up at that game too and I thought it was the start of a brand new era with big Tony. I like the A league ( I just like football full stop). I hope you are right about the game tomorrow and we do score a handful. It shows how difficult it is in Europe when we go to playing, with all due respect to them, teams like Killie and ICT then go up against the likes of Barca , Man City etc. It is a huge jump in class. However I have faith that Brendan can help make us competitive on a yearly basis. If we could get three or four years CL money in a row we could surely improve the team further and that would help us recruit better players yet.
LikeLike
Aye, but have you accounted for the dead hand of Peter?
The Green Reaper doth come counting his beans and scattering his players for 30 pieces of silver.
Beware the abacus! (and the corporate bonus)
LikeLiked by 1 person
With ya!
LikeLike
True, and fair point Summa. The big fella won’t leave Celtic a poor man. It is almost as if we are now conditioned to believe that when we have a good/ great player we start hearing about how much he is worth rather than what he can win for the team.
LikeLike
The aint so special one is struggling atm but he isn’t getting sacked any time soon. Moyes however is hanging by a thread and his stock value since leaving the toffees has dropped like the value of the pound!
Good to see the hoops becoming at least competitive in the big league and if they can maintain that for a few years yet who knows where they’ll go! Can’t say i have the same level of confidence in Brendan tho!
United will splash the desperation cash for the next few windows yet as they fear dropping out of the “big team” dollars their name currently enjoys. Half the squad won’t be there in a few years time.
Come on Adelaide for the A league!!!!!
LikeLike
Hi Grippo. Indeed the Hoops are being competitive and if Brendan can keep the majority of the group together and add a wee bit more quality I think we could be looking good. This year is a learning curve in Europe and all about the status and the money.
Interesting that Jose’s signings have yet to gel.
LikeLike
Hi guys. Shame that fifa has banned the poppy wearing. Its an accepted symbol for something more significant than football. Think it will be a fine only on this ocassion.
I cant wait for the game, living in a split household, and as a rangers fan i am very happy that the lego man is back, has been great for your mob so far.
I think a draw will be the best we can hope for.??
LikeLike
Loneranger. Completely disagree and unfortunately the poppy has been hijacked and has sadly become a symbol of the right wing.
As for international football my thoughts on how crap it is ( tournaments aside) are well documented so it is immaterial to me as long as no Celtic players are injured.
LikeLike
Sorry but i disagree with your disagreement. Extreme factions always try to lay claim to recognised symbols. This should not deter people from recognising it for its original purpose.
As for scotland. I know your views but im trying to build some interst and reignite some fire for you. Still believe that this is the pinnacle of football and something that has been missing in our football psche for almost 20 years. If we could unite for intl games then surely that would close divisions in our nation?
LikeLike
Poppygate.
Scotland played England Nov 13 1999. Not a poppy in sight. What changed in the intervening years? Gordon Brown supporting his pal Tony Blair, when sadly the body bags started returning from Iraq, introduced Armed Forces day and promoted the poppy for political reasons to try and sway public opinion. So sadly,the poppy has become political. My uncle served in the Canadian forces for 30 years and I used to wear it in respect of him. I’ve not worn it for 8 years. Poppy fascism rules in the UK. Fight for freedom then deny people a choice. All very sad.
Back to football Richie Foran, the Inverness manager, has said Celtic aren’t as good as we think and the 9 point gap in the league is misleading. He’s correct there, it’s 9 plus a game in hand to all our chasing rivals.
Hail Hail.
LikeLike
Jnp
I agree re the poppy fascism.
With the football. Do you think celtic will hit the new manager slump at some point?
Also great result for andy murray – although its not football.
LikeLike
Turned on TV to watch Thistle -Dons but not on today. Caught end of Murray game. Looking forward to Aussie Open and our annual Melbourne trip to watch him.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Loneranger at 9.19pm. We will agree to disagree.
Jimmynotpaul. I love when the opposition write our team talks for us.Hopefully the bould Richie will have to reconsider after tonights game.
LikeLike
Stayuplategetupearly.
You’re not kidding about the get up early hit.
Posting at 5.49 on a Saturday morning. :-)))
LikeLike
Jimmynotpaul. It is an hour later than that. I think my clock settings are an hour off.I am a bit rubbish technically so not sure how to change it. The big challenge tonight is a 2 am kick off!
That is a hard shift 🙂
LikeLike
Loneranger.
Yes I would think Celtic will hit a mini slump, virtually every team does. Celtic have cup final at end of Nov. Then 9 league games plus Citeh away in Dec. Very heavy schedule. I would imagine they will have a couple of blips. The teams behind them will also drop points though, as they aren’t consistent enough.
I love Andy Murray. After what he had to endure as a young boy. What mental toughness he has. I was jumping about like crazy when he won Wimbledon for the first time.
LikeLike
Ive got my fingers crossed for a slump but think it’ll be more of a blip. Yous seem to have a good squad with the others hitting form. Like broony. Missing europa league will be sore. But the cash was secured in getting to the group stages. After celtic there is not much between the next 4 including us.
I have the same views about murray. All round good guy. I thought djokavic was bullet proof tbh but murray has stuck in and has come through.
LikeLike
Half time. Ref having a stormer- for ICT. I know I keep harping on about these things but we need to talk about them when we are winning games. the ref is having the biggest influence on this game at HT.
Tom Rogic time?
Well done Andy Murray on reaching number one. Best tennis player on the planet.Not too shabby.
LikeLike
Justiiiiiice!!! Wee Leigh 2-0
LikeLike
Re the poppy.
Because we have lunatics on both sides attempting to politicise that honourable emblem, doesn’t mean we abandon it.
No Ned will deter me from wearing it.
Hail hail. KTF.
LikeLike