As the transfer window closes for 2023, there is a marked contrast of emotions in the ranks of the Celtic support.
Those who look out of their carriage to see a bleak, dark wall and choose a negative perspective will see an understrength squad which will struggle to retain the Scottish Premiership title and will be horsewhipped in the Champions League.
Those viewing the world from the opposite side of the train with bright sunshine and fields of garlands will thank the Lord for Lagerbielke, Nawrocki, Phillips, Holm, Bernardo, Yang, Palma and the new contract Bhoys who helped bring us the Treble, Abada, Maeda and Kyogo.
With Scales likely to exit via Pittodrie at some point, probably in January, Haksa ‘Stoking’ his under-appreciated fire elsewhere, no-hopers Soro and Ajeti off the books and Vata hopefully repositioned rather than sold, what’s not to like?
Ok, a new ‘keeper and a left-back would have been helpful, but, despite the ‘biscuit tin’ protestations, I feel it’s wiser to splash the cash on genuine quality rather than do a *Rangers and flush the dosh down a well utilised and improvised toilet. Screaming out for a striker? We’ve got the finest proponent of net-busting in Kyogo, the eager and sturdy Korean, Oh Hyeon-gyu, and the speedy, if not overly technical, Maeda in that role. Rocco Vata being promoted to assist will only strengthen the case for calm as we move forward at the TOP of the table! Lest we forget!
Ibrox looms and we need to be firing on all cylinders on Beautiful Sunday since the bears in blue will be seething and embarrassed having been horsed 7-3 on aggregate by PSV, denying them a much needed Champions league group stage berth. (Celtic pocketed their Champions League television cash in their absence without an EBT is sight!)
With a ‘flush’ of new signings, plus fees due for aspiring loanees, AND with the spectre of fiscal scrutiny delving into their succulent books, the Ibrox accountant may well be preparing for a taxing season ahead. Kris Boyd’s favourites will, of course, be Bealing at that capitulation, one which they have become accustomed to having earned the tag, ‘Worst Ever Team in The Champions League’ since inception in 1992.
In order to herd the hordes peacefully back into the ground that John Brown played for, the remit is simple; beat Celtic. If not, the natives may be somewhat more than restless. Park benches will be in mortal danger and with them, the League flag, you know, the big green one nearly always fluttering over Paradise in case the recent outlets have had you believe otherwise!
After all, the Parkhead club is on her knees, isn’t she? theRangers are reputed to be streets ahead, what, with their elite signings over the Glasgow summer, (we’re just into spring here in Brisbane), and Celtic’s dismal (cough!) window.
So, a victory is not a plea, no, it’s a firm demand from the Tina Turners, otherwise the songs in the stands could become a funereal dirge, you know, wallowing in our blood, celebrating a 400-odd year old rammy and glorifying the worst of the worst in other areas of life; you get the drift.
However, this rejuvenated Celtic brigade may not arrive meekly as lambs to the slaughter as widely expected in the mainstream media. Down Govan way you may encounter a twist-or two. Lagerbielke and Phillips may well shore up the backline, offering nothing but a consoling pat on the back to the misfiring Lammers, Dessers, Danilo et al.
Where’s El Buffalo when you need him? Oh yes, (no pun intended,) he’s been told to pack his ‘aggressive’ bags before he’s even kicked a ball for Fenerbahce leaving the Ibrox hero all dressed down with nowhere to go. With only eight red and sixty-six yellow cards whilst flashing his wares to ‘The People’, one can only assume his Turkish card has been well and truly marked. Anyway, I digress. Back to reality.
Captain Calmac could well find his form to compliment the striding O’Riley and galvanise the man who, I feel could become one of our greatest assets, Paulo Bernardo.
Maeda rampaging with Abada, Yang or newbie, Palma will look to terrorise the Dutch-stung Tavpen, Souttar, Goldson and co, whilst Kyogo should give Butland a sleepless night as he sharpens his lethal pencil in the Ibrox cauldron. Or maybe he should just pass to Goldson?
Should we be afraid of a revamped theRangers and their new signings? I think not, not unless we allow the scribes and Pharisees in the press box to dictate terms and lull us into a sense of inferiority to suit their agenda.
Ex-Celt, Alan Stubbs recently outed a referee who blatantly told him during a game against Rangers (1872-2012) after a stonewall penalty kick was denied the Hoops that, ‘Celtic will NEVER get a penalty against Rangers whilst I’m the referee!’
With the advent of VAR (no sniggering in the back of the bus!) we should have expected a better deal from ‘honest’ officials who are now under more scrutiny from the eye in the sky. No, not THAT eye! Behave!
Regardless, they’ll still do their darndest to ensure there’s not a four-point gap come 1:45pm, but I’m pretty sure Brendan Rodgers will have his men battle ready to face the foe. According to Jock Stein, you cannot beat cheating unless you hit the net with incessant regularity.
For me…3-1 Celtic. If your view is of the aforementioned wall, 1-1. Wake up and smell the roses. Embrace the sunshine and let’s roar the Bhoys onto victory, even if only on the telly, or in pubs and clubs around Scotland, Ireland, the rest of the U.K, and in far-flung regions around the world.
I’ll be watching from the heaving, bhoysterous Lord Alfred pub with my Brisbane Celtic Supporters Club comrades. I expect a win and a massive celebration to welcome spring to beautiful Queensland.
They may be the self-entitled People, but…
We’re the finest team in Scotland-I hope you will agree! HH
Eddie Murray
If the rumors are true, a club in Turkey scouted Scotland for a striker, realized they could get Morelos on a free, and decided it was better to pay half a million £ for Albian Ajeti instead. 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/60oC1ZsnfN
— Matt Hanan (@HananMatt) September 2, 2023
If Celtic beat Rangers at Ibrox on Sunday, then yes, I will agree that Celtic remain the finest team in Scotland. In fact, I will concede even if they draw. If they get beaten however, then I think it would be more sensible, given the poor transfer window, to suggest that Celtic were the finest team in Scotland until Peter Lawwell re-entered the scene and started once again to view fine profits more favourably than a fine team.
Totally agree. Is there anyone in their best XI who would command a place in ours? Not for me. Most of our subs would be heroes either in the light blue or the Papal Guard colours. VAR will help them as much as possible but, as you quote Stein, just keep putting the ball in the net and make them irrelevant. A draw will suit us better than them but that would disappoint me. I reckon we can take care of them comfortably.
Another great article.
When you’re born into Celtic, it’s in your blood and you take the good with the bad. That is not optional. If you think when we sing “faithful through & through”, is only words to a song, then maybe Celtic isn’t for you. We are the finest team & fans in the country, and we also have a new generation of fans who haven’t experienced too many seasons when we haven’t won at least one trophy, for the older ones among us, well…
Keep up the good work!!!
HAIL HAIL
KEEP THE FAITH🍀🍀
Had to laugh if quality isn’t available wait and get it later,we have no intension of buying any quality while Liewell is Chairman it will be about a load of project’s burning through wages that stop’s us buying quality due to a bloated squad again.This board have no ambition in Europe
whatsoever,we will be lucky to win one game in this group with that team.
This is the kind of articles best written tomorrow night after a victory. Let’s not forget, we had the finest team in Scotland over the covid season and still finished over 20 points behind their team of dross. How you can see a 3-1 victory to us when we haven’t offered anything for 180 minutes is beyond me. These kind of remarks can and usually do come back to bite us.