The Scottish Cup draw was just made and Celtic will face Dundee at home in the 4th round. Other notable ties are an Edinburgh derby at Easter Road and St Johnstone hosting the Huns. These games will take place in early January.
Celtic fixture list this month:
Dec 7, Hibernian away (League)
Dec 10, Villarreal home (Friendly)
Dec 13, Hearts home (League)
Dec 21, Falkirk away (League)
Dec 27, Huns away (League)
Itās a tricky enough programme and late December through to the next home derby on February 15 is our toughest run of fixtures given January and early February will also see trips to Aberdeen and Caley Thistle and home games against Dundee Utd and Hibernian. But weāre coping pretty well domestically despite our lengthy injury list and need to keep turning the screw on the Huns.
Aiden McGeady looks like heāll have to have an operation on his knee as the tendonitis is still causing discomfort even after rest and rehab exercises. Thereās no sign of Vennegoor of Hesselink returning any time soon and weāre missing him now the streaky Samaras is taking a while to get his game together after his own injury problems.
This month also leads into the winter transfer window. Please Sir, may we have a left back?
Jan was in the extended squad for the Aalborg game wasnāt he so he shouldnāt be too far away? Sammy looks like heāll need a run of games to get his sharpness back. Weāve had a cracking domestic spell really and with the huns looking very uncertain we should be pressing home the advantage as much as possible before weāve to go and beat them at Ibrox.
Iām not sure how accurate the reporting about Jan travelling to Aalborg was. Did you see any footage of him at the airport or training at the stadium on TV? He wasnāt fit enough to make the bench last midweek or at the weekend. The only interview I saw in relation to him was Lenny at the airport on the Monday before they flew to Denmark and he said Aiden was travelling and theyād give him a fitness test and Jan was probably a bit away still. I think (possibly incorrectly) that people just assumed Jan, like Aiden, was travelling because Lenny mentioned them both. We could do with him back - heās a bit maligned, at times by me too, but he gets important goals and is a good team player.
I think heās our best striker to be honest. He gives us something different, heās come to terms with the physicality in Scotland now and has started scoring headers (he scored plenty with his feet the whole time). Probably right about how close he is to a return though, people just got it wrong Iād say.
I often wonder (late at night generally) if heād score more headers if we didnāt play with our wide players on the wrong side. Aiden and Naka cut inside onto their stronger side a lot (though it could be argued that both can deliver quality crosses with either foot). As a result, he doesnāt get a whole lot of balls whipped in from the by-line. That said he scored some belting headers after Christmas last season (Barca at home, to win the Huns game at the death and to win the League on the final day at Dundee Utd).
Yeah I think thatās a fair point. Strachan likes a goal threat from his wide players so they cut in more and it does mean there are less crosses from the byline. Even when Aiden takes the piss out of his defender and knocks a cross over with his left foot itās invariably a floated type cross. A few more whipped crosses would see him score more I think.
[quote=āHBV*ā]in fairness, if you support a scottish football sideā¦it does not get any bigger or better than this!!!
enjoy:eek:[/quote]
True enough, any month that involves a game against the Huns is a big fooking month. For example, Henrik Larssonās played in El Clsico for Barca and said it was tame in comparison to the Glasgow derby. Throw in games against the two Edinburgh teams, a high profile friendly against a team riding high in La Liga and a trip to a team managed by an ex-Celt and it doesnāt get much bigger than that. Big, big month indeed.
See thatās the thing. Strachan likes his wide players to play infield and drag their full back inside and leave space for an overlapping fullback (since his days at Southampton with Fabrice Fernandes and Chris Marsden - ha ha ha!). So, for a whipped in cross youāre relying on Lee Naylor or someone. Fair play, McGeady tormented Puyol in that Barca game and laid it off for Naylor to deliver a superb cross that Big Jan buried. But more often than not, a Lee Naylor cross on the run will end up in the top deck of the Jock Stein or Lisbon Lions Stand.
Sure ye might see a half decent player in the friendly. Whatās the friendly in aid of anyway. Surely Villareal have better things to be doing.
Tame in comparison to what? I presume you are referring to the sub human antics that pass for normal behaviour when the Old Firm play.
Any neutral accounts I have heard from people who have attended the Old Firm derbies have commented on the vile sectarian chanting and disgusting atmosphere that pollutes the game. Have either of you been to them?
What is the context behind sectarianism in Glasgow? Is it a Scotland wide problem or just confined to Glasgow? I dont know of any other city in the UK that has the same problem. Well Belfast obviously
[quote=āKIB manā]Sure ye might see a half decent player in the friendly. Whatās the friendly in aid of anyway. Surely Villareal have better things to be doing.
Tame in comparison to what? I presume you are referring to the sub human antics that pass for normal behaviour when the Old Firm play.
Any neutral accounts I have heard from people who have attended the Old Firm derbies have commented on the vile sectarian chanting and disgusting atmosphere that pollutes the game. Have either of you been to them?
What is the context behind sectarianism in Glasgow? Is it a Scotland wide problem or just confined to Glasgow? I dont know of any other city in the UK that has the same problem. Well Belfast obviously[/quote]
KIB as a matter of interest what do you think of your managers (Martin OāNeillās) obvious fondness for Celtic (way above Aston Villa quite obviously). You are right that the atmosphere in the games can be awful and Rangers fans truely are worst bunch in Europe Iād say.
Must be a bit frustrating for you that your manager doesnāt hold the club in as high esteem as you seem to. Have watched him a fair bit managing Villa and pretty clear to me that he doesnāt have same passion for club as he did for Celtic. Seems nowhere near as animated on the touchline and his interviews are timid in comparison to his time at the club āhe would have walked to in order to sign the contract to joinā.
[quote=āKIB manā]Sure ye might see a half decent player in the friendly. Whatās the friendly in aid of anyway. Surely Villareal have better things to be doing.
Tame in comparison to what? I presume you are referring to the sub human antics that pass for normal behaviour when the Old Firm play.
Any neutral accounts I have heard from people who have attended the Old Firm derbies have commented on the vile sectarian chanting and disgusting atmosphere that pollutes the game. Have either of you been to them?
What is the context behind sectarianism in Glasgow? Is it a Scotland wide problem or just confined to Glasgow? I dont know of any other city in the UK that has the same problem. Well Belfast obviously[/quote]
Iāll post up the King Henrik interview when I get home from work - I should be able to find it on You Tube. In relation to sectarianism and racism, the devolved Scottish parliament have their āOne Scotland - Many Culturesā slogan but the country is riddled with anti-Irish racism alright. The recent raft of newspaper columns devoted to deriding and lambasting James McCarthy for declaring for Ireland provided just a small snapshot of that. As for the atmosphere, I donāt want a friendly rivalry with a body of people I despise. Thereās naturally going to be tension and the games regularly reach and go beyond boiling point. That makes it all the better when you get the result and you can see how much the opposition are hurting.
Imagine you had to make do with a Birmingham derby every odd year (when both are in the top flight) for your fix of passion. Itād drive you mad. Deluded Jewish kid at Christmas with his spinning top springs to mind.
Whats the obsession with Aston Villa Larry? This is a Celtic thread
I havenāt read too many quotes from MON mentioning Celtic and/or his fondness for them since he left Celtic Park so no Iām not too bothered. Iām presuming that he has happy memories of his time at Celtic like many managers do of their former clubs. Post up a exercept that shows his obvious fondness for Celtic way and above that for his current club Aston Villa.
No I wouldnāt regard him as a bigot. Not sure where you got that from. Neil Lennon was attacked because he was a Celtic player - pretty sad state of affairs. Lennon is still in Glasgow though so he can obviously live with it.
MON seems to hold Villa in the same high esteem that I do. Find a quote that proves otherwise. Id say he is relishing his task.
[quote=āKIB manā]Whats the obsession with Aston Villa Larry? This is a Celtic thread
I have read too many quotes from MON mentioning Celtic and/or his fondness for them since he left Celtic Park so no Iām not too bothered. Iām presuming that he has happy memories of his time at Celtic like many managers do of their former clubs. Post up a exercept that shows his obvious fondness for Celtic way and above that for his current club Aston Villa.
No I wouldnāt regard him as a bigot. Not sure where you got that from. Neil Lennon was attacked because he was a Celtic player - pretty sad state of affairs. Lennon is still in Glasgow though so he can obviously live with it.
MON seems to hold Villa in the same high esteem that I do. Find a quote that proves otherwise. Id say he is relishing his task.[/quote]
He has a connection with Celtic because of his nationality and background that he certainly doesnāt have with Villa. Donāt think he would join Leicester City tomorrow if offered but I do think he would join Celtic. He said that Celtic were the one club above anyone else that he always wanted to manage since he was a kid. His dad once told him to walk to the club if he was ever lucky enough to be offered managers position.
Correct me if I am wrong but never heard him talk about Aston Villa with such fondness?
[quote=ātherock67ā]Imagine you had to make do with a Birmingham derby every odd year (when both are in the top flight) for your fix of passion. Itād drive you mad. Deluded Jewish kid at Christmas with his spinning top springs to mind.
Rock, I dont even want to know what you typed into Google to find that. A touch disturbing though.
Whats the obsession with Aston Villa. We beat Bāham home and away last season. Handy six points. Bāham fans rioted on their own pitch last season after they went down and broke the goalposts. Interestingly Alex McLeish is their manager. Did I read somewhere before that he has as good a record as MON?
I know Rangers went further in Champs Lg than Celtic ever managed. McLeish also commented that he would never manage in Scotland again as he had achieved everything there. A yoyo club like Bāham City seemed preferrable apparently.
[quote=ātherock67ā]Imagine you had to make do with a Birmingham derby every odd year (when both are in the top flight) for your fix of passion. Itād drive you mad. Deluded Jewish kid at Christmas with his spinning top springs to mind.