The Pain Game. Skipper Excels

Boom!! You will have had your dinner Celtic. That was a slapping we received and I totally concur with Brendan who stated we did not compete. On the basis of that performance tonight we looked as if only one of our players would grace their line up and for me it was our captain. In a first half where Stuart Armstrong and Olivier Ntcham weppre AWOL only Broony sought to get and to try to keep the ball. Second half we were a bit more in the game – albeit PSG were coasting and Broony again was to the fore.

I thought both Paddy and Scotty Sinclair tried hard but were often left isolated and outnumbered. They never stopped trying and that is to their credit. Wee Leigh was so far off the pace he MUST have been still injured. Both full backs were pinned back and rarely able to get forward to provide an option for the wide men. The centre backs were under siege all night and I felt for the defence as we did not receive much support from our midfielders.

Mona alert for two paragraphs: I went into the game hoping we could have a crack at it. Unfortunately we capitulated and we were basically watching the opening stanza waiting for them to score their first goal.

What annoyed me more than anything was that they worked harder than us without the ball. It has been a trait of Brendan’s Celtic team that when we do not have the ball we press, harry and harass our opponents. To be brutally honest it must have been very sobering for everyone associated with our team. We may be top bananas in Scotland but we have a looooong way to go to get there in Europe. Yes they can buy better quality than we can but I watched this morning expecting us to be up for the challenge. Instead, not only were we out played, we were out-enthused and that is disappointing.

The games v Anderlecht were always going to be crucial for us and by all accounts they put up a good show against Bayern despite playing for 80 minutes with ten men. The game in two weeks time is going to be so vital to us and if we can get anything from that it will put us in pole position for third spot in the group. However there is a fair bit of football to be played prior to that.
My rational self tells me that just by being in the group stages means we have had a successful campaign, but I do not want us just to be making up the numbers. I want us to win, of course we all do, but I can live without winning if we are competitive.

Brendan faces the task of lifting the players ahead of our next game at home to Ross County and I expect more than a few changes as he seeks to freshen up and energise the team. For starters I think Tom Rogic ,Callum and possibly Nir Bitton if Broony needs a rest, will be back in the team on the weekend. Some of our bhoys looked knackered at the end and it was because we were chasing the ball throughout the ninety minutes. PSG did to us what we regularly do to teams in Scotland and move them around until they get exhausted.

PSG did well to take the crowd out of the equation and their support sounded very vocal on TV. Their passing was crisp and very fast. The passers job is to deliver the ball to a team mate as quickly as possible. The pass recipients always seemed composed and confident in their touch no matter the ball speed and we must never stop working towards that level of confidence, trust and belief in team mates.

Anyway the CL is parked for the moment. Let us ensure we get back on track on the weekend by delivering three points in the quest for that seventh league flag in a row.

Bring It On !!

Celtic duly despatched Hamilton on Saturday morning ( Oz time) with the minimum of fuss and maximum efficiency. I got very excited about watching young Odsonne play. He looks a real threat and whilst I was delighted for him that he got his debut goal I was really impressed with his movement. With wee Leigh we have a player who has a tremendous ability to play off the shoulder of defenders, run into space and get shots away. Big Moussa has the ability to come short, link play and bring others into the game. And Odsonne. Well, on the basis of the performance on the plastic pitch Odsonne looks comfortable doing both. He is very fast and I do not think he is here to be third choice striker. I think this young fhella is here to make an impact.

Odsonne Edouard aside I thought the team played really well and it was a very enjoyable match to watch. Patrick announced he was back and consider the difference between Paddy of last year and this. Last year Paddy would have been looking to take people on every opportunity. On Friday ( and in the closing month or two of last season) we saw a player who CAN take people on but who is now playing with his head up and looking to become involved in team moves. This shows me that Patrick is willing to learn and from Brendan’s perspective is very coachable.

The game v PSG is something to savour. They are a team capable of absolutely blowing anyone away if they are on their game and the signings of M’bappe and Neymar has not exactly weakened them. They are littered with stars and this season they may well prove to be the star team in Europe.

When you think about the teams who can go on and win the trophy you think Real, Bayern, Juventus, Barca and PSG. Two of those teams are in our group so if anything this is an even harder group than last year. However who knows what may happen tomorrow. They may get spooked and Celtic may pass them off the pitch and beat them or they may click into gear and give us a hammering. The last PSG team to visit Celtic Park were truly phenomenal to watch- and gave us a hammering. We need to be disciplined and alert and seek to have a rest by retaining the ball. Now this may be easier playing v Hamilton when you can knock the ball around for fun but against top class players in the European arena the ability, confidence and bravery to make and receive passes is vital.
I believe that we go into this game with nothing to lose. If PSG smack us 3-0 we look at their team and say it wasn’t unexpected. If we can put them on the back foot I believe the game might be one of the most entertaining we will see and who knows we might sneak a victory.

I think the boss will go with Ntcham, Broony and Stuart Armstrong in midfield with Callum possibly even filling in at LB with KT switching inside. Leigh will be back and it is a toss of the coin as to whether James or Paddy gets the nod on the right wing.

It is not the same on TV but there is no doubt that being at Celtic Park as Zadok The Priest blares out over the speakers makes you realise there is not a finer place to watch football. I am not really expecting us to win but I hope Bayern win and as long as we have a crack at it that will do me.
Bring It On!!

I Despair Sometimes. Focus on League. Europe Can Wait

The SFA also confirmed it had set out a full response to the SPFL over the matter.

The letter states: “After careful consideration, the Board of the Scottish FA has declined the invitation to participate in such a review.

“The Scottish FA is currently examining the detail of what was said in the most recent court cases and you can be assured that the matter will be dealt with by the Compliance Officer if there is any suggestion that the organisation has been knowingly misled in any of the matters that came before it.

“However, the image of the game in Scotland can only be damaged further by ‘raking over the coals’ of everything that has happened in the last six years for a further lengthy period of time.

The above quote is from the Daily Record which seems to be quoting the SFA. Look at that last paragraph….raking over the coals of everything that has happened will damage the image of the game. This defies belief. Thanks goodness the SFA were not in charge of the Nuremberg Trials. Using this logic they would never have occurred as we really don’t want to damage the image of Hitler and his associates. I mean, why hold anyone to account for anything that they have done in the past on the basis we do not want to damage their image? Beyond contempt.

It is reading things like that I become absolutely flabbergasted at the absolute contempt some people have for football in Scotland. It is basically a statement that says that nothing wrong occurred. What about the illegally registered players???? Teams have been disqualified from domestic and European competitions on the basis of improper registrations but not in Scotland. After all we don’t want the image of the game to be damaged by raking over the coals. FFS the game has been damaged indisputably and who knows, even irreparably.

When the same organisation gets into Twitter rows with Scot/Celtland fans about ticket prices I despair. Treating their fans with contempt yet again.

I will just leave it there for everyone to have a look at and make up their own mind…..

Huge game tomorrow/tonight. Forget Europe. I disagree with everyone who is looking at PSG next week and beyond that to the Anderlecht game. First and foremost let’s win the points tomorrow morning. We are not top of the league and I want to be top of the league. The European games will take care of themselves but there is a real need to focus on Hamilton.

We will have some players carrying knocks after the Celtland games last week and we really need to utilise our squad and win the points. No game is easy in the SPFL and any complacency will be punished by a team who will be rested and who have nothing to lose by having a go.

I wonder if we will see Odsonne tomorrow. We do need a focal point for our attack and the ideal situation for me (as with every game we play) is that we score early and put the game to bed as soon as we can.

Friday night kick offs means a 4.45 am start for us in Canberra but a victory sets us up nicely for the weekend. I hope we can get a win, no injuries and that we can entertain the fans. I reckon another ( second time around) debutant Mr Roberts can provide the entertainment and hopefully the cutting edge to create and put away chances.

I don’t expect our local bhoy Tom Rogic to play tomorrow. Australia played on Tuesday night our time and the very earliest he would have got back to Glasgow would have been your Wednesday evening, contingent on flight times.

Enjoy your weekend fholks and thank you for taking the time to read this.

Hoops Not Top Of The League Shock

Every season I budget for maybe one home loss where we pound a team but just cannot get on the score board. I also budget for two or three draws where for whatever reason we cannot score a winner. Saturday was just one of those days. We had a major trip midweek to Kazakhstan for the Astana game and we looked a little off the pace on Saturday, albeit we still had enough chances to win.

We huffed and puffed and were unable to net the all-important second goal after wee Callum confidently despatched a shot low past the keeper with just over ten minutes to go. The woodwork was tested twice but Saints survived and left with a valued point thanks to Craig’s error. I know Brendan wants the team to play out, and I enjoy watching that, but the big fhella having a swipe with the OUTSIDE of his boot was just a tad too casual for me.

I am NOT going to say anything about the assault on KT. I always state that we should be making complaints when we are winning games and to do so when we don’t win just seems like sour grapes.
It is international football for the next two weeks now and we won’t get a chance to do much work on the training ground with the bulk of the squad as they head off to represent their countries.

Focus will now turn to transfer outgoings and incomings.

I wrote last season about Brendan emerging as the genuine top banana at Celtic Park and we will see if the Board matches his ambition whereby he gets the players he needs or whether the biscuit tin remains closed. I would hope that some funds are released for Brendan to add a player or two and it seems like the major outgoing will be Erik Sviatchenko who has been touted for a move.

Buying quality players for Celtic is not as straightforward as it seems. Firstly some players may not want to come to Scotland but we can counter that by stating that we can offer Champions League football. Then there is the issue of fees and wages. If we identify a target and other clubs are interested we are at a disadvantage. I am not worried about EPL teams outbidding us and paying more- that is a given. The issue for us is that Championship teams in England can easily pay more than we can.

The final thing to consider is the wage structure. If we tried to bring someone in on really big bucks we have to consider the wage structure throughout the club. I am not meaning to sound like Peter Lawwell here but these are things we have to factor in.

I am hoping for a genuinely talented, mobile centre half and would take a couple of full backs as cover. What has happened to Gamboa ? Injured or just out of favour? I think we are well covered in midfield although I think Broony has been off his game and the reality is if we signed a striker when Moussa and Griff are fit is he likely to be a third choice given the system Brendan plays. If we sign Paddy on loan then all and good but if not then so be it.

It is just weird looking at the league table and not seeing us there. Credit to Aberdeen who look to have recruited well and whilst it appears they will be our biggest rivals again Sevco will be closer than they were last season. It is up to us to raise our game and ensure we get back on the summit as soon as possible.

Generation Gap. Much Work To Do

As we watched the second leg of the Champions League play off in our house at 1.30 am on a freezing Wednesday morning in Canberra my anxiety went through the roof. Yes, the first half was comfortable and controlled and Celtic looked every inch the confident Brendan Rodgers team, dominating possession and scoring a quite wonderful Scotty Sinclair special to end the first half at 1-1.

What unfolded for the next half hour had thoughts of the Ghosts of Celtic past flitting through my mind as we seemed to crumble after Broony’s double mistake in the lead up to the Astana second goal and then we fell apart. Two further goals were added and one came immediately after wee Leigh missed a sitter, blasting over the bar from about eight yards out. I could not believe what I was watching and I and our guest for the evening, Gavin from Indy Celts, were becoming increasingly exasperated. Even when we went to three central defenders we were so porous and I was convinced we would find a way to blow it and crash out.

In among the panic and angst there was a voice of calm and reason. Young Staying Up Late was telling me to relax, that we were through and to calm down. The reality was that he was 100% right. The two late goals, one from the wonderfully impressive Olivier Ntcham and the other a fine strike from Leigh made the score 4-3 but gave us a thumping 8-4 aggregate win. Young SUL pointed out that we were never less than three goals ahead in the tie in the away leg. On reflection I was wrong and he was right.

It was a bit like last season against Be’er Shiva whereby we were pegged back at Celtic Park before finishing strongly and scoring a couple of late goals to secure a 5-2 first leg lead. In discussing the game with OzBhoy yesterday he pointed out it was a generational gap. Those of us of a certain age have been used to dramatic failures and unfathomable collapses and our defence mechanisms kick in at the slightest hint of adversity. Young SUL clearly has a lot more confidence in the team and Brendan than me and this was evident during the game. And rightly so. Brendan has shown we have resilience and the days of folding in these games are gone. The next step is to perform for the whole ninety minues and not just the first forty five.

I thought KT performed well and Olivier Ntcham did well. I also thought when Tom Rogic came on we were able to keep the ball better and he remains such an important player for us. Least said about the defence the better. I know Brendan said he had to put a midfielder in there but he had also lauded big Nir for his defensive displays prior to the game. The big mhan is a useful fill in for SPFL games but for Europe we need more quality.

So we made it through and we made it, in my opinion, through in the best way possible. We have given Brendan enough ammo to go the Board and say I need better players/ defenders if I am to progress (or Progres if you are Moussa!!) in our group.

Which brings me nicely to the group. Our season is a success just being there say I. We have secured top flight European football until Christmas and are back on the big stage with a wonderful group to play in. We are small fish in a big pool. However Brendan and Chris Davies, whom I just think is amazing, want to play in Europe after Christmas. The drive that these ghuys have is so impressive and who can rule anything out? Someone identified the second game v Anderlecht as being hugely crucial but it may well be a dead rubber for us if we have already qualified as group winners!!

Seriously though, the support for the home ties will be crucial and it can sometimes spook players a little with the incessant noise. No wonder Buffon said he wanted to experience Celtic Park just one last time.

I am sure everyone in Scotland will be fully behind the six in a row champions and grateful we have given them an additional wee windfall that may help with a player or two along the way. I am sure all the clubs and their fans will be grateful to the hoops for doing their bit for Scottish football.

But before the Champions League we have an important league match tomorrow to think about. We take on St Johnstone and the Perth side can be guaranteed to be well drilled, fit and stuffy. Hopefully we will be able to keep the domestic unbeaten run going even if Astana broke the overall run on Tuesday night.

Young Hoops In A Canter.Tense Game Ahead?

Youthful Celtic cantered to a 2-0 victory over Killie on Saturday night at Rugby Park. The Hoops monopolised the ball and passed Killie off the park. Aussie talisman Tom Rogic was the architect of the victory, creating two goals thanks to his quick feet and ability to play an incisive pass in tight areas. James Forrest and Callum McGregor were the grateful recipients as the Hoops rested some key players ahead of the crucial away trip to Kazakhstan and the return leg with Astana on Tuesday night. Loved the fact that KT was the eldest of the back four at twenty years old. If Kris Ajer, Calvin Miller and Tony Ralston can emulate KT then the future indeed will look bright.

Excuse me, go back. Did you type crucial? Yup this is, in my opinion, our season right here. I am not for a second being complacent and thinking that we turn up and it is a formality to qualify. I have faith in the team but is it fair to say that tomorrow could be the most important game of our season?
We know what the stakes are in terms of qualifying and the exposure, glamour and money that goes with that and it is up to us to be professional, disciplined and committed to producing a good performance.

The one thing I am confident of is that Brendan will ensure the team takes the field with the mentality to concentrate, be solid and seek to impose ourselves on the match. If we can do this we will have every chance of qualifying.

So why I am I so cautious about this match? I think it is rooted in history gone by whereby Celtic have had a tendency to capitulate in away European games. I just want this game over and done with and the tie put to bed. Talking of bed, it is a 1.30 am kick off on Tuesday night/ Wednesday morning as we Aussies and Kiwis get our early preseason prep in for our Summer and the games kicking off at late O’ clock. So tomorrow night it will be bed at 9 pm and alarm set. Hopefully a comfortable ninety minutes then back to bed about 3.30 am. Tough, but doable.

Great to see Stuart Armstrong has signed and hopefully he will be a crucial player for us this season. I wonder if we have inserted a release clause and whether the immaculately coiffed midfielder will see out his contract. I would argue that midfield is currently the strongest area of the team at the moment with Broony, Olivier Ntcham, Stuart, Callum, big Tom, big Nir and Liam Henderson all able to play as part of the midfield three. I have no doubt that all will be utilised throughout the course of this season with a huge amount of matches to play. So for example whilst Tom Rogic was essential at home last week to create chances I expect an altogether more solid three tomorrow with Broony, Stuart and Olivier. This should give us a balance of power and workrate. I would also expect that if he doesn’t start that wee Callum will icome off the bench to replace Jamesy Forrest shortly after half time to ensure we shore up the midfield and hopefully see the tie safely through.

We have already played eight competitive matches with the three league games and five European ties and we are only in the third week of August. This is a huge workload for the team and anytime a player is selected he has to step up and show that he deserves to be in the starting eleven. The young lhads who played at Killie showed they can be relied on to fit into the team and again this is testimony to the standards that Brendan and the coaching team sets in training.

The Importance of Concentration. Is This Guy For Real?

The biggest concern for me about the Killie game is whether we have an adverse reaction to such a comprehensive win on Wednesday night. If we do you can bet your bottom dollar that they will seek to punish us. Our best defence against dropping our standards is Brendan and the coaching staff. I love to hear and read about how he is constantly challenging the players to improve their game in every way. The whole ethos about never being satisfied is a great motivator for the players and anyone who does get a position in our starting line-up will be so motivated to put on a performance and not to let standards drop that this can only be good for us.

The mantra about only focusing on Celtic and not being concerned about other teams has worked for us so far under Brendan and long may it continue.
I expect a couple of changes from the team on Wednesday night and if Stuart Armstrong has signed a new contract I fully expect he and wee Callum to anchor the midfield. I love wee Callum. He is such a tidy wee player and must be a manager’s dream as he is so versatile. This may mean that he will never truly lock down a position of his own but in a sixty plus game season I expect the wee mhan will rack up dozens of starts and many appearances. He has never publicly complained and seems as far as I can tell (albeit from a long way away) to be well regarded and respected by the players.

Old elbows will have his team fired up tomorrow and for Scottish clubs it is no longer about merely beating us now it is about taking our scalp. The longer the undefeated run goes on the more of a target we will have on our back and there will be a degree of notoriety and an answer to a quiz question as to which team will end the Invincibles domestic run. I really hope it is not Kilmarnock and it is up to the team put on the park to ensure this does not happen.

There appears to have been a bit of commentary this week as to whether Celtic progressing in Europe is a bad thing for Scottish football. The answer to that is an unequivocal yes if you consider putting a sizeable wedge of money in each team’s coffers should we qualify for the group stage of the Champions League and improve the European co-efficient for Scottish teams. https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/aug/17/celtic-champions-league-play-off-astana-scottish-football-disparity

Mr Murray wrote of Celtic potentially qualifying for the Champions League group stage ( and fingers crossed we do) : But great for Scottish football? A boost to the status of the national sport? We should be spared this overreaction. When a club – or two clubs, let us be clear – with fiscal power to dwarf all before them earns another £30m advantage, the case for broader benefit is virtually non-existent. Only two factors serve as counterpoints: other clubs receive a small and variable consolidation payment from Uefa because of Celtic’s progress, and if indigenous players are afforded more game time against top-level opposition then no harm can be done. Beyond that, the benefit is entirely Celtic’s, as they should be perfectly happy to admit in celebration of their own efforts.

It absolutely blew my mind that Mr Murray suggested that other clubs are not boosted by the fact that they will receive a sum in the region of a quarter of a million pounds when he writes in the same article that Motherwell cannot afford to pay a player an extra 500 GBP per week. I guess the extra 250,000.00 may not make much of a difference then? Gobsmacking journalism.

Of course Celtic benefit IF we qualify as we should but surely other Scottish clubs in Europe should be striving to go further every year and win football matches to get to the group stages of the respective European competitions. Then their own budgets would improve. I read that the money that St Johnstone and Sevco could get if we qualify actually outranked their own efforts to make money by going out of the Europa League at the first hurdle or two. From Phil Mac Ghiolla Bhain on his website https://philmacgiollabhain.i.e.

How dare we boost ourselves when others are unable to boost themselves by improving their standards on a fu@king football pitch.

Mr Murray, and everyone else involved in Scottish football, should be looking at the root cause of continued abject failures in Europe and I include us in the past. We have taken some steps to improve and it is only right we benefit from the rewards of this but if other teams won matches everyone would be happier with their lot. Using the logic above it seems to me that we really should not be spending money to improve our houses as we are the only ones who benefit and not everyone in our street. Unbelievable.

It is this mentality that seems to me to be favouring a driving down of standards in Scottish football rather than striving to raise standards across the board. (Shakes head in absolute disbelief).

Wow. Masterclass at Celtic Park

Wow. Just. Wow. Scoring five goals without reply was amazing but what really got me excited was the control of the tempo of the game and the possession. Brendan will have been pleased with that and to rattle in five, all from the inside right channel, was just sublime.

The biggest compliment I could give, especially second half, was that it was like watching a ‘European ‘team at Celtic Park. Our patience with the ball and our ability to continually recycle possession showed a confidence and maturity that has emerged with the players really buying into and trusting Brendan and the system.

We had a couple of shaky defensive moments in the first half where we were guilty of turning over possession cheaply but second half was there was a calm authority about our play and the ability to take chances was clinical. Craig was under used in goal and it just seemed…I dunno….different. Usually when we are a goal ahead, even two in European games, there is an anxiety that we will concede and this was gone. It was comfortable, measured and controlled.

Astana were not a bad side. They had seen off our old friends Legia Warsaw in the previous round, scoring three at home so I am taking nothing for granted, and they do look fast and strong up front if given any encouragement at all. That makes the performance, and of course the scoreline, even more scintillating. If we can see out next week’s game where they will have to throw the kitchen sink at us and hopefully we can pick them off on the break, we enter the group stages and access the glamour and finance that accompanies this.

I am taking nothing for granted next week. Of course I am confident, but not over confident. We need Celtic to be professional and see the game out with the minimum of fuss. I am sure there is rejoicing all over Scotland that we are carrying the flag and single handedly keeping Scottish clubs in Europe. If we qualify other clubs will benefit too, but not as much as we will.

It was lovely to see Scotty Sinclair burst back into life. The rebound that set him free was fortuitous for his first goal but his finish was composed and gave him the individual lift he needed. As the second half wore on we saw more of the Scotty we know and love as he wove his way past defenders and looked a real handful. His second half goal and his overall performance was just what we have become accustomed to.

I thought Leigh led the line really well and even though he could have had a couple of goals (the header in the first half and the left foot shot blazed wide in the second) his continual movement off the shoulders of defenders was a joy to see. For what it is worth I thought he was level in the first half when he was called offside before he dinked the ball over the keeper’s head and into the net.

I thought before the game Brendan might give Tom Rogic the nod and the big fhella did not disappoint going down the “Hampden channel” after some silky footwork and clipping the ball past the keeper for the first goal. The poor defender was caught between a rock and a hard place as he turned the ball into his own net. He would have been very aware that Leigh was loitering behind him and would have had a tap in at the far post.

Olivier Ntcham showed composure and poise as well as strength. He was efficient and effective and has settled into the team very well.

There was an indication that Stuart Armstrong might sign a new deal and if he does we will have strength, quality and depth in abundance in the midfield area. Sign that dotted line Stuart.

Now before the clichés start I would like to get mine in first. Next week’s game will take care of itself. At the moment it is imperative that we fully focus on Kilmarnock. Nothing less than 100% concentration will do. But…Wow. Just. Wow.

Time To Bring It Celtic

Tomorrow morning’s game is huge and the most important thing to take into account is that we must not panic if we don’t score. Our opponents have come through two potential banana skin ties themselves and like us have Champions League aspirations. I expect the game to be tense, tough and with scoring chances for both teams hard to come by.
Whilst it would be wonderful to win handsomely tomorrow and put the tie to bed the realist in all of us will know that any victory will do at all and even if we don’t score a nil-nil draw is not the end of the World. Rosenborg away showed we can be disciplined and confident in going away from home and playing our game.
I know that it has been said many times over the years but the fans in the stadium will have a huge role to play. The ability to intimidate the opposition and at the same time lift our players to great heights makes Celtic Park one of the must play destinations on the European stage.
For that reason our support will go beyond our borders and into the professional ranks of footballers throughout Europe. I think guys like CR& will have watched and read about Barca players marvel at the atmosphere at Celtic Park and I am sure that the pros would welcome an opportunity to play here rather, and I mean this with all due respect to our formidable opponents, in Astana’s stadium.
So how can we win tomorrow? I am looking for Scotty Sinclair’s season to burst into life. I know he has a few goals from the competitive games we have played thus far but it would be truly magical, wonderful if Scotty can produce a performance that will electrify Celtic Park.
There have been some eyebrows raised over big Nir being given the nod over Kris Ajer in central defence. On the surface this appears a gamble by Brendan but I reckon we go with his judgement as he has not been wrong on too many things thus far in his tenure.
Tomorrow will be gut wrenching in the Stayinguplate household with every Astana attack being viewed through a lens of panic and fear and every Celtic attack being willed on by every sinew and emotion. Yup it will be THAT tense.
I wonder what the midfield combo will be? I wonder if Stuart Armstrong will be given the opportunity to drive Celtic forward from the heart of the midfield at the expense of Olivier Ntcham and whether the potent goal threat of Tom Rogic will be favoured over the more industrious Callum Mcgregor?? Only Brendan knows at this point.
In the media in Scotland there appears to be an obsession with NFL. His gesture towards the Sevco fans appears to have caused great offence and caused the hordes to give Neil abuse before Hibs scored, not just after the goal. Maybe the Sevco fans were anticipating Neil noising them up and decided to get their retaliation in first. They are a bit pro-active that way.
So early mark for me tonight to get as much sleep before the 4.45am kick off. Come on the Hoops and come on ( almost) everyone in the stadium, lets roar the team to hopefully a great performance and a famous victory.

Celtic Just Do Enough

This mornings game at Firhill won’t live long in the memory. Let’s start with the positives, and there were a few. Three points-tick, a clean sheet-tick and a first Celtic goal for Olivier Ntcham ( aided by Broony)- tick. I would add the performance of KT who was our most threatening attacking player.The kid is just an absolute joy to watch.

The first half hour we zipped the ball about well and gave the Jags the run around…then it began to slowly unravel. Passing was sloppy and this gave Thistle some hope. Broony and wee Callum seemed to over or under hit passes and to be honest we did not really pose a goal threat. Sure wee Jamesy tried hard but our wingers, Johnny Hayes and Scotty Sinclair created very little. I think wee Johnny Hayes is still coming to grips with the expectations of playing for us and hopefully will improve as the season unfolds. I don’t know if it is just me but is anyone else a wee bit worried about Scotty Sinclair?

The ghuy had such an amazing first season that I wonder if he may be suffering a wee bit from second season syndrome? I hope I am wrong and that the wee ghuy gets back to beating defenders for fun and creating chances for himself and his team mates. I seriously hope that by the end of this month people will be telling me that I was wrong to be worried and that Scott is doing what Scott does best.

My view is that Celtic play best when we fully respect our opponents and it seemed to me we were a wee bit casual at times. Maybe it is all part of Brendan’s Grand Plan as I am sure any Astana representatives would be reporting back that we are there for the taking.

FFS mate, lift the mood- Ed.

Come Thursday morning I am sure we will be fired up and ready to give Astana a torrid time. Key to winning the game will be the support in the stadium.Fholks in attendance will need to support the team very vocally for the full ninety minutes. It would be great to record a comfortable win but recent seasons have shown that it is likely to be tight.

I suspect wee Leigh will start and we have to hope he can a) last the ninety minutes and b) provide that focal point in attack that means we can really create and hopefully convert our chances.I think Brendan has a decision or two to make about the midfield. I wonder if he will be bold and play Tom Rogic or whether he will go with Callum or even Stuart Armstrong.I would go with our Aussie magician. His ability to receive the ball in tight areas could be invaluable as could his ability to spot a pass and shoot from distance. That we are even considering Stuart Armstrong as a possible bench player would have been unthinkable at the end of last season.

Stuart seemed set to become a very valuable and valued player over the following few seasons but has shown a reluctance to sign the dotted line.

We know Stuart is a very intelligent young man and I am sure he knows his worth.Maybe Stuart feels that the offer on the table does not reflect his worth and is holding out for more. Maybe Stuart’s head has been turned with the chance to play in the EPL and earn a lot of money.If that is the case then he will be sold but I would expect the bidding to start at about eight million, pounds not dollars.

I know there is not a lot of loyalty in football but I do wonder if Brendan is feeling a wee bit let down by the player…after all Stuart was not exactly setting the heather alight until Brendan played him in his favoured midfield position and made him a central part of the Invincibles.

Whatever happens has to best for Celtic but it would be a fantastic boost if Stuart signed before the midweek game, with a release clause built into his contract if a team in England is really prepared to break the bank for him.

Will Patrick return? I doubt it but what a boost that would be if he did.

It will be interesting seeing the outcomes of the other league games this weekend. I think there will be a message from Ibrox as to whether Hibs are going to be a force or whether Sevco will be realistic challengers this season.