Ten points worth noting about today in Paradise as Celtic hammered St Mirren 6-0…
1. St Mirren making Celtic shoot the wrong way. Now, perhaps there is a gentleman’s agreement in place that the home side gets to decide which way they will shoot in the first half but occasionally a visiting side upsets the apple cart by forcing Celtic to attack the Jock Stein stand, the traditional Celtic end at Paradise, in the first half. Today St Mirren pulled that below the belt stunt and our initial reaction was that they’d pay a hefty price for that piece of skullduggery, and so it turned out.
2. Power getting his just desserts – they were very upset on BBC Sportsound about the red card that Willie Collum flashed at that notorious hatchet man Alan Power, who bailed out of relegated Kilmarnock and seems to be doing his bit to ensure that these Sinners, formerly Saints, could be heading for a similar fate. Collum apparently was harsh, an it was a yellow and a half apparently rather than a clear red and anyway Ryan Christie should have been sent off too blah, blah blah. Then they went to the Tony Macaroni to discuss the game there with Stephen Craigan about to give his thoughts on that game. However before doing that he turned the conversation back to the apparently hard done by Power’s red card. “I’ve just seen it and it’s a straight red card, if David Turnbull doesn’t move that’s a broken leg,” he said. The surprise lasted only a few seconds before remembering his relationship with Turnbull at Motherwell. He was spot on though.
3. McGregor giving Christie the armband – Ange Postecoglou killed two birds with one stone when he took off his captain in the second half with the points already secured and with at least one eye on the double header in Holland and Govan over the next week. McGregor removed his armband before getting a well earned rest, looked around for his target then placed it on Ryan Christie’s arm. A wee message there for the midfielder who may just be falling back in love with Celtic after a terrible year for both parties last season. Who was it that called Postecoglou the Australian Stein? But will Southampton nip in to break up this rekindled love affair? We’ll know soon enough.
4. Odsonne Edouard NOT waving to crowd as he was leaving the pitch after being substituted. Another sign? He’d played from the start. A shop window move thought some. He had a great game. The support appreciate this by sining his Wanna Be Edouard song. Ange takes him off, after the job is done, huge applause and appreciation rings round the stadium, all eyes on French Eddie. If he’s off he’s gonna give a wave to say his goodbyes. Did he? Nope. Hope? Who knows. When does this window finally shut?
5. New signing Josip Juranovic was NOT introduced to the crowd at the start of the game, or even at half time despite the signing being confirmed by the club as many fans made their way to Paradise.
🗣️ Ange Postecoglou on new Bhoy, Josip Juranovic as he previews #CELSTM.#COYBIG 🍀
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) August 21, 2021
𝙏𝙃𝘼𝙉𝙆 𝙔𝙊𝙐 𝙅𝙐𝙍𝘼 pic.twitter.com/KHe4dxLR60
— Legia Warsaw (@LegiaWarsawEN) August 21, 2021
Here’s the official statement – word for word – sent out by Celtic earlier today…
Celtic reach agreement to sign Josip Juranovic
Celtic Football Club is delighted to announce that it has reached agreement with Legia Warsaw for the transfer of Croatian defender Josip Juranovic, subject to the satisfaction of usual conditions and international clearance. On satisfaction and gaining clearance, Josip will sign on a five-year deal.
As well as playing with Legia Warsaw, Josip also played for a number of seasons with Hajduk Split in Croatia.
He will be the eighth new signing to join our first team squad in the current window, following Osaze Urhoghide, Liam Shaw, Liel Abada, Joe Hart, James McCarthy, Carl Starfelt and Kyogo Furuhashi.
Josip is due to join up with his new team-mates at Celtic early in the coming week.
Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou said: “We are absolutely delighted to be bringing Josip to the Club and we are sure he will be a great addition to the squad.
“As I have said before, everyone at the club has been working hard to add to our squad and we have made good progress. I am really pleased to bring Josip in to support the rest of the boys.
“We have so many challenges ahead of us and Josip will add important quality and depth. I am really looking forward to working with him.”
🇭🇷 𝗝𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗰 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗕𝗵𝗼𝘆 🟢🔥
We’ve reached an agreement to sign Croatian international, Josip Juranovic, subject to conditions! 🍀
Full details ⤵️#WelcomeJuranovic ✍️
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) August 21, 2021
So why then was new Bhoy Josip Juranovic not introduced to the support? SUBJECT TO CONDITIONS…
6. Whisper it, maybe my eyes are deceiving me but Albian Ajeti is looking slimmer, faster and much fitter than the version we saw last term. Maybe there’s a player there after all? Many had written off Ajeti as a £5m waste of money after his arrival from West Ham where it has to be noted his impact there wasn’t great either. He was the striker that former Celtic manager Neil Lennon – famously with an eye for a player – coveted and only managed to get at the second attempt. Now though there seems a change in his attitude and his fitness levels. Is he buying into Ange Ball? Looks like it…
7. The early exodus from the stands was significant today, nothing to do with the standard of football being served up on the park but everything to do with the worse traffic congestion around the stadium since the supporters were allowed to return. Is anything being done about the recent traffic congestion? Thought we told you the other night that with all those additional bike lanes it was an idea opportunity to cycle to the game and park-up at the Velodrome. Perfect weather for it too.
8. The two centre sections in the lower main stand remained empty today and it’s hard to think how the season ticket holders are going to get back in to their normal seats while the covid protocols are being observed by the club. Are all parties being open about this and are alternative arrangements being put in place to find a satisfactory perhaps season long relocation?
Thanks to the Kano a few refugee families will experience Celtic Park for the first time. Well done to Erin and Lauren for making it happen.
Built by immigrants – Refugees Welcomes 🍀 https://t.co/R9fqGiWCXg
— 5K for Kano. (@5kKano) August 21, 2021
9. Nice to see a gradual return today from the Kano Foundation, another welcome sign that things are slowly but surely returning to normal at Celtic. During the last time of national crisis, the Second World War, football was played but titles weren’t counted as most clubs (not all obviously) had so many men fighting for King and Country. The same should be retrospectively applied to last year with the league winners being awarded a wee Coid cup as an appropriate alternative.
10. Hope that the 16 year old boy who collapsed directly in front of us at the back of the North Stand early in the second half before having to be helped from stadium by the on call doctor and two paramedics makes a speedy recovery. He gave us all a real fright today and it was amazing how the health professionals in the support immediately stepped up to make sure that everything possible could be done to look after the teenager before the on duty medical staff made their way up to deal with the emergency.
The traffic congestion has now become dangerous.
Twenty years ago the police used to have officers stationed at the traffic lights ensuring they were constantly at Green allowing traffic to rapidly leave the area.
This no longer happens and despite the M74 being extended and two exits now a couple of miles from the stadium the whole area is now a car park.
London Road now has a ridiculous cycle lane that I’ve never seen a cycle on. This cuts the road to one lane each way and adds to congestion.
The roads within the housing close to the stadium are now chocked with traffic with their engines running. Heaven only knows what the carbon monoxide levels are.
All of this is going to be used to enforce the ridiculous vehicle exclusion zone around the stadium.
Basically the authorities use this to solve a problem that they themselves have created.
Utter farce.
The cycle lanes are about as much use as closing lanes one and two of a swimming pool to save water.Like most cycle lane in the city a complete and utter waste of time and money. If they were to be used as pedestrians only that could improve the flow as the cyclists are normally on the pavements anyway especially at junctions and traffic lights and of coarse do not pay one penny in road tax for their private lane.Whoever thought the idea up is threepence short of a shilling.
The young lad taking a bad turn in the North stand was the only dark spot on a great afternoon.
I was going to offer my first aid assistance, but it seemed that he has plenty of more professional help.
I hope he makes a speedy recovery and that it was nothing serious.