What has GS got in store for Mizuno? Back in japan he was a winger. But in the game against Man U reserves he was a striker, and he came on for Scott McDonald into a striker position against Motherwell. Is the idea for him to play a second striker role in future games or does GS reckon he could become a proper goal scorer?
too early to tell. he may be trying Koki in that position as most of our other strikers are of the taller variety other than McDonald. although he was only on the pitch for a short while yesterday he seemed comfortable in the role. i watched his movement and the runs he was making and he looked the part.
so the club were fined €50,000 (£42,800) for the drunken idiot that ran onto the pitch against Manchester Utd. can't argue with that and the club have no intention of appealing against it. i still say the stewards and the police, but in particular the stewards, need a kick up the backside for allowing him to get on. right after it happened i counted 7 stewards in the vicinity he ran out from(at the corner of the Jock Stein and North Stand) and at least three police officers as well.
Argentina will train at Celtic Park ahead of their friendly against Scotland. DIEGO Maradona and his star-studded Argentina squad have chosen Celtic Park as their training venue ahead of the friendly match with Scotland next week. The Argentinians will train at Paradise this Monday, November 17 and the club are delighted to be able to welcome the squad and their new manager to the stadium.
Wow, you shouldn't miss that training session, Fraser! I got the opportunity to see their training during the WC 2006 (they had their trainingscamp in "Adidas & Puma city" Herzogenaurach - just 10 km's away from me). Unfortunately without Diegito...
Darren O'Dea's agent is making noises about trying to secure a loan deal for him in January. he's committed to Celtic but wants to play regularly at some point this season. could be a risk considering the injuries we've piled up and could do so again if we're still in all competitions, including Europe. John Kennedy has been a standout for Norwich and is due back in January, so his return could pave the way for Darren to go on loan. unless of course Norwich ask for Kennedy for the remainder of the season and Celtic allow him to remain in Norfolk.
Honestly O'Dea is better off be loaned out rather than sitting back behind Loovens again. I just hope he doesn't want out after the loan spell. I think he has the ability to be a great back for the national side and celtic if he could be given a match. Like tommorw for instance Mick should be rested and so should Caldwell paving the way for O'Dea and Hartley to get a match. Especially against such a poor side.
a nice little story from Parkhead earlier tonight Celtic ball boy Adam Brown was the surprise hero on Monday night, earning a big hug from Diego Maradona when Argentina's new coach took his first practice session. A low-key workout by the squad as they prepared for Thursdays friendly against Scotland at nearby Hampden Park ended with the stocky 48-year-old Maradona pacing Celtic's Parkhead turf looking for something in the grass. His staff took part in the search for the lost item and a dozen ball boys formed a police-style cordon and walked down the pitch before Brown found it, a crucifix on a chain. A joyous Maradona, who had been fairly quiet during the warm-up and a nine-a-side practice game which he refereed, bounded up to the ball boys and embraced Brown. He then gave him his woolly hat in gratitude amid cheers from a few spectators in the stands. Maradona made his customary sign of the cross as he left the pitch, bringing to an end Argentina's visit to Parkhead. Celtic put a welcome message on their giant screen including a photo of a teenage Maradona when he inspired his country to a 3-1 victory over Scotland at Hampden in 1979.
Scott McDonald has been pulled out of the Australian squad for their World Cup qualifier against Bahrain. STRIKER Scott McDonald has become the latest Socceroos player to be ruled out of the World Cup qualifier against Bahrain after being struck down by a virus. McDonald did not play in Celtic's 2-1 win over Hamilton on Sunday and his manager Gordon Strachan said immediately his player would not be available for the match. Australian team officials delayed making a decision on whether to fly the striker to Manama until late Monday but opted against it after his condition failed to improve. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24668591-5003460,00.html
rumours continue to circulate that we may be back in for Craig Bellamy in the January transfer window. The Hammers are in a precarious financial state and the talk is GS would like to have Bellamy in January. we're also apparently lining up a £2.5m move for Semir Stilic, the Bosnian internationalist. Stilic, who plays for Polish club Lech Poznan, has netted nine goals from midfield already this season and Celtic representatives have watched the 21-year-old twice already, including last weekend's win against Polonia Warsaw. seems like we may need to get the January transfer window thread up and running earlier than normal.
i realise that Chris Burke's football career is skidding down the pan but it's a bit early for him to start doing stand-up. in saying that, he did make me roll with laughter with his material - keep taking the tablets Chris...
the feud between Nicholas and PL continues to rumble on. 'champagne' had stated after the Aalborg game that Lawell was getting too big for his boots and questioned if GS's heart was still in the Celtic job. i was delighted to see PL respond by calling Nicholas 'bitter and paranoid' but champagne won't give it up and has had a go back at PL. he finished his latest rant by saying - Nicholas would do well to remember that most fans of the club have long stopped holding him in such high regard. it was often stated that he was the so-called 'mole' in the dressing room that was feeding McNee his titbits and the majority of fans would probably agree that without McGarvey to work off Nicholas would never have had the success he had in his first spell in the hoops. so give it up Charlie and stick to pleasing your paymasters at Sky as attempting to appease the Celtic support would be a bridge too far for you nowadays.
Dundee at home for us in the 4th round of the Scottish (Homecoming) Cup. CELTIC will face Dundee at Celtic Park in the fourth round of the Homecoming Scottish Cup. The match against the First Division side is scheduled to take place on the weekend of Saturday, January 10, 2009.
Sometime times he can be a bit of a C*** eh? Get that Transfer thread open so you can keep me up to date you fountain of knowledge!! Bellamy, I hope we get him his pace and work rate was amazing. He'd get his game easily with us.
i think it's mainly started because of the financial trouble that West Ham are in. they have to offload big earners and Bellamy must fall into that category. i can see us spending a few million in this window but it would take all of that easily just for Bellamy and we have far more pressing needs, as we all know, than another striker.
i don't normally take much notice of the Carling Cup but i was delighted to see Manchester Utd's reserves slam 5 past Paul 'men against boys' Ince's Blackburn Rovers. couldn't have happened to a nicer guy. GIRUY Paul
for all Celtic fans. our greatest 11 voted for, put into pictures. music by Oasis. [youtube]0w0tfwuSBR8&eurl[/youtube] after watching it all again seeing Danny Mcgrain still brings this huge smile to my face that i can't erase.
Naka won't be leaving in January. Yokohama F. Marinos have admitted they will not be signing Shunsuke Nakamura in January but hope the Celtic midfielder will return to the club in future. Club president Masaharu Saito announced following the final J. League match of the season - the 6-1 away win over Urawa Reds - that Yokohama will have to wait to sign the Japan international when his Celtic contract expires in June as they cannot afford to pay the transfer fee. "We have formally decided to postpone the signing (of Nakamura) in January," Saito was quoted as saying in Japanese sports daily Sports Nippon. The current global economic crisis has hit their major sponsor Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. and Marinos will not be able to match Celtic's required fee for the 30-year-old.
McGeady has talked himself into trouble. AKITOD alluded to this in the transfer thread and the statement from Celtic Park today would seem to back it up. FOLLOWING a breach of club discipline, Celtic manager Gordon Strachan has suspended Aiden McGeady from training with the first-team for two weeks and has fined the player two weeks' wages. Gordon's decision has the full support of the Celtic Board of Directors. i'm glad the club have backed the manager regarding this. McGeady has to learn that GS has the final say. if you're getting a bollocking after that performance on Saturday then you probably deserved it. unfortunately Aiden seems to have gotten it into his head that he's made it already. at times last season he carried us alone but his form so far this season has been patchy at best. we'll see how he reacts to this suspension. if it's in a negative fashion then he could well be gone by the end of January.