Celtic FC Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 2014/15 Mod Warning post #6011

Coillte_Bhoy

Thought Dempsey and pig iron might enjoy this, saw on the huddleboard

Reported today that Lance Armstrong will be stripped of his Tour De France titles. I have decided to call myself The Lance Armstrong, buy his old bike, claim his titles & demand entry into next years tour. If anyone objects I will call them a bigot.

Lance Armstrong then, Lance Armstrong now, Lance Armstrong forever.

We don't do cycling away!!

Dempsey

On a more serious note, John Hartson seems abit down about the whole Lance Armstrong thing on Twitter. At the time he was battling cancer he got a message from Armstrong which meant the world to him at the time which no doubt helped him remain positive and beat it. Hartson along with millions upon millions of other people used Armstrong as a idol to beating cancer and getting on with your life. Spare a thought/time for those still battling away.

Dempsey

Stokes confirms on Twitter that he's out of tomorrow's match.

Anthony Stokes ‏@stoksey10

Not involved 2mo for those asking, still injured and will be for nxt little while! It's frustrating but working hard in the gym!

Stokes, Ledley, Kayal, Murphy & McGeouch are all definitely out. Rogne, Brown and Commons are doubts.

I think I read somewhere that Lennon had to confirm that Celtic would be travelling by bus to Inverness. Terry Butcher had told someone that Celtic were getting a plane up!

Lawrence1895

Dempsey wrote: »

Stokes confirms on Twitter that he's out of tomorrow's match.



Stokes, Ledley, Kayal, Murphy & McGeouch are all definitely out. Rogne, Brown and Commons are doubts.

I think I read somewhere that Lennon had to confirm that Celtic would be travelling by bus to Inverness. Terry Butcher had told someone that Celtic were getting a plane up!

Is he still around? Ar-gen-tina

ColeTrain

Dempsey wrote: »

Stokes confirms on Twitter that he's out of tomorrow's match.



Stokes, Ledley, Kayal, Murphy & McGeouch are all definitely out. Rogne, Brown and Commons are doubts.

I think I read somewhere that Lennon had to confirm that Celtic would be travelling by bus to Inverness. Terry Butcher had told someone that Celtic were getting a plane up!

I wouldn't be too worried about tomorrow. I'd rest all the players who are doubtful and save them for Helsinborgs. We still have to see the tie out.

Dempsey

We have to get used to having big midweek matches and performing on the weekends although ensuring that we have UCL ball this season is more a priority than ICT!

Anyways,

Forster; Lustig, Wilson, Mulgrew, Izaguirre; Matthews, Wanyama, F. Twardzik, McCourt; Hooper, Watt
Subs: Zaluska, Irvine, McGregor, Bangura, Forrest, Slane, Chalmers.

3-5-2 again! :mad:

I wont get to see the 2nd half but looking forward to big performances from Twardzik & Watt. A few years ago, guys like this wouldnt have gotten a look in and rotted in the reserves.

EDIT

Lennon: Stokes is out for at least 3 months

RoryMac

That's bad news on Stokes, what's the injury?

the realpigiron

Starts for Watt, McCourt and F Twardzik. This is what we can and hopefully will expect for the season, first team pick for CL games in midweek and plenty of second string picks for SPL games.

the realpigiron

Goal for Victor

Dempsey

Unreal by Watt, he's going to be a star!

the realpigiron

Nice finish from Watt, easy for Celtic. Fans can spend the rest of the match concentrating on winding up Terry Butcher about Maradona and other things:D Diego Diego Diego Maradona:D

Badabing

Tony Watt bit of a superstar 4 up

ColeTrain

Comfortable win. Fair play to Watt.

Good to see the other fringe players get a run out. I think we'll be seeing this happen most weeks while we have a mid week game in Europe.

Savage Tyrant

Badabing wrote: »

Tony Watt bit of a superstar 4 up

Has to be worth, what? 30 million? Yeah?

Seriously though, definitely looks like he could well be a very good player.

lubo_moravcik

Todays goals
http://www.kirkintillochemerald.co.uk/showthread.php?t=16669

Lawrence1895

The 2:0 was a real beauty of a goal :cool:

More of that on Wednesday, please. I'm off work for a change and can see a match for a change

PauloMN

Just in case any of you haven't seen this - highlights of each weekend's SPL games - quite good from what I've seen:
http://www.youtube.com/user/splofficial

PauloMN

Savage Tyrant wrote: »

Seriously though, definitely looks like he could well be a very good player.

Only caught the highlights (again :mad: - the cheek of families needing stuff done at the weekend... ) - but looking at Tony Watt, if you didn't know otherwise, you'd think he'd been a first team player for years. Very confident player, could have scored at least another one. Really like the look of him, I hope Celtic can get the best out of him as players like him will always attract interest from elsewhere.

Ladjacket

Watt was very good and grabbed the plaudits but Twardzik also played very well and looked quite composed in the middle.

McCourt was average I felt. I think looking back on things, that McCourt became an idol during the times of Mowbray when he scored wonder goals and it was something to cling onto when the team was not playing well. Since Lennon has come along, the emphasis is on quick attacking football which does not fit into McCourts make up I feel. I like Paddy as well, I think he is a Celtic man and has never been in the papers shouting his mouth off about not playing.

I really do not like Lustig however, I think he is a hazard at the back and once we get Wednesday night over and hopefully on the right side of the result, we can sign a few players and go from there.

Looking forward to seeing Ki in the EPL and I think that he will be followed by Wanyama next season. A good european campaign by Victor was alert clubs to his presence and put him in the shop window.

eire4

Scoreline flattered Inverness this weekend. Which when you consider how many players we had missing and the fact that minds might well have wandered toward Wednesdays Champions League game is kudos to Lennon on keeping the players focused on the task at hand.
In fact I cannot recall us having such an easy win away against Inverness since they got promoted to the spl in 2005. Obviously everyone is lauding the 2 goal performance by 18 year old Tony Watt and rightly so. He was excellent not just his goals but his all round play and his willingness to work hard and close defenders down as well. Twardzik looked solid in central midfield while alongside him Wanyama was totally dominant all afternoon. An excellent all round performance other then the last 10 minutes when we had clearly switched off.

Dempsey

http://sport.stv.tv/football/clubs/celtic/187619-celtic-ship-out-mohamed-bangura-on-loan-to-aik-until-christmas/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Celtic striker Mohamed Bangura has returned to Sweden to play for former club AIK on loan until December.

Between starting at a new club in a new country and carrying serious injuries for too long this guy has not settled at all. Hopefully 6 months in his comfort zone will have him back up to speed to give things a proper shot at Celtic. I havent written him off yet but he needs to get it together this season.

I wonder if this was in the pipeline before or after Tony Watt sent him tumbling down the pecking order. Surely a deal for another striker is almost done if this is going through. Bad squad management if not.

EDIT

For anyone that doesnt know Mo Bangura, here is some footage of him training at Lennoxtown

PauloMN

Good luck to him. Complete waste of £2m imo. All talk and no action. I hope we can get something for him when he returns, because I can't see him getting back in the side.

polarbearhead

any strong rumours on signings yet?

Dempsey

polarbearhead wrote: »

any strong rumours on signings yet?

Other than clubs confirming that we've registered our interest in certain players and Lennon saying that he likes certain players we've done nothing. We seem to be sitting on our hands until after the Helsingborgs match with regards to players coming in despite Lennon wanting players to come in for a good while.

The strongest rumour I've been hearing today is that Daryl Murphy is going back to Ipswich on loan. Now if that turns out to be true, along with Bangura going out on loan & Stokes out for 2-3 months, surely Lawwell has a deal for a striker ready to be announced once UCL football is confirmed.

Beefy78

You've taken Bilel Mohsni on trial for a couple of days.

http://www.echo-news.co.uk/sport/9896444.Celtic_trial_for_Southend_United_s_Bilel_Mohnsi/

PauloMN

Dempsey wrote: »

EDIT

For anyone that doesnt know Mo Bangura, here is some footage of him training at Lennoxtown

LMFAO at that!

blahfckingblah

Beefy78 wrote: »

You've taken Bilel Mohsni on trial for a couple of days.

http://www.echo-news.co.uk/sport/9896444.Celtic_trial_for_Southend_United_s_Bilel_Mohnsi/

let me be the first to say... who?

Beefy78

French-Tunisian centre-half/centre-forward/winger who Southend found playing park football in Paris two summers ago. Had a trial at West Ham a couple of weeks ago and they wanted to sign him but can't agree a fee.

Very naturally gifted player and a real athlete but he's still very raw and is a bit of a mentalist.

PauloMN

Beefy78 wrote: »

French-Tunisian centre-half/centre-forward/winger who Southend found playing park football in Paris two summers ago. Had a trial at West Ham a couple of weeks ago and they wanted to sign him but can't agree a fee.

Very naturally gifted player and a real athlete but he's still very raw and is a bit of a mentalist.

Already got one of those, thanks.

Mohsni, who can also play in midfield and up front, has not returned to Roots Hall since the end of the season.

Personally, I'm always a bit put off by a player who can play essentially anywhere. Bit of a "jack of all trades, master of none" about it.

Beefy78

It's because he's never played for a proper club before he was 23. He was just a bloke who was good at football. Personally I think he's a natural striker but whoever can work out where to play him will have a hell of a player on their hands.

Shame it won't be at Southend but he's well and truly burnt his bridges with us.

PauloMN

Beefy78 wrote: »

Shame it won't be at Southend but he's well and truly burnt his bridges with us.

What's the history, what did he do? Was it him or his agent?

Edit: just reading up on him now, that's quite a disciplinary record!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/16177243
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/14555309
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17222792
etc.

SomethingElse

Beefy78 wrote: »

It's because he's never played for a proper club before he was 23.

Fyp

Dempsey

Last thing Lennon needs is a headbanger at the club. I could imagine rows between him, Stokes & Blackman already. He needs a physiciatrist not a football manager

eire4

Dempsey wrote: »

Other than clubs confirming that we've registered our interest in certain players and Lennon saying that he likes certain players we've done nothing. We seem to be sitting on our hands until after the Helsingborgs match with regards to players coming in despite Lennon wanting players to come in for a good while.

The strongest rumour I've been hearing today is that Daryl Murphy is going back to Ipswich on loan. Now if that turns out to be true, along with Bangura going out on loan & Stokes out for 2-3 months, surely Lawwell has a deal for a striker ready to be announced once UCL football is confirmed.

I was thinking along those lines myself when I saw Bangura was sent out on loan that with Stokes injured we must have a new striker on the way before Friday. Otherwsie thats a real risk to take depth wise with the heavy game load we have coming up.

Beefy78

PauloMN wrote: »

What's the history, what did he do? Was it him or his agent?

Edit: just reading up on him now, that's quite a disciplinary record!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/16177243
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/14555309
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17222792
etc.

The "fracas" quoted in the middle story there was him trying to attack another player with a pair of scissors after a cup match against Orient this time last year.

The irony is that he's a really, really lovely guy. Does loads of charity work in the community and will spend hours signing autographs for the kids.

SomethingElse wrote: »

Fyp

Ouch. :mad:

Mulgrew & Hooper didn't do too badly out of their spells on the Essex Riviera.

Coillte_Bhoy

Presuming ww go through an im not counting any chickens but there is a possibility we could get Pot 3 if certain results go our way, we need panathanikos, braga and anderlecht to go out tonight, all losing at the moment. Think basle as well, anyone got any def info on this?

nordydan

Coillte_Bhoy wrote: »

Presuming ww go through an im not counting any chickens but there is a possibility we could get Pot 3 if certain results go our way, we need panathanikos, braga and anderlecht to go out tonight, all losing at the moment. Think basle as well, anyone got any def info on this?

Braga unimportant.

Celtic need 3 from these four to win:
Malaga, AEL Limassol, Moenchengladbach & Cluj

so that Celtic are 3rd seeds.

were this to happen, Celtic could be drawn with Nordsjaelland, Cluj or AEL giving them a shot at 3rd place in their CL group (which would be an achievement).

SomethingElse

Beefy78 wrote: »

Ouch. :mad:

Mulgrew & Hooper didn't do too badly out of their spells on the Essex Riviera.

I'm was only having a joke Beefy, I have much respect for you for following a real club and not just jumping onto the bandwagon and following Man City or whoever. Best of luck to Southend this season, with or without the crazy dude

Oh, and I er, hate those Northend scum :P

nordydan

Anderlecht take lead after 81, it was coming a long time. Looking unlikely now for Celtic

Dempsey

Wishful thinking about Pot 3 tbh

Least we cant get PSG, Montpelier, Dortmund, Galatasaray or Zagreb now! :pac:

Tough draw whether we be in Pot 3 or Pot 4 imo

Lawrence1895

Dempsey wrote: »

Wishful thinking about Pot 3 tbh

Least we cant get PSG, Montpelier, Dortmund, Galatasaray or Zagreb now! :pac:

Tough draw whether we be in Pot 3 or Pot 4 imo

Borussia Dortmund and Celtic in one group? That will secure third spot at least for Celtic, Borussia was more than poor on the European stage recently

Dempsey

Lars1916 wrote: »

Borussia Dortmund and Celtic in one group? That will secure third spot at least for Celtic, Borussia was more than poor on the European stage recently

You misread me, being in the same pot means that you cant play each other in the group stage. All those teams I mentioned are likely to be in pot 4.

RoryMac

Once we're in the draw I don't care what pot we're in, realistically it's all about gaining experience and a shot at 3 place to drop into El this year.

Got to watch out for complacency tomorrow and get that game done first.

Lawrence1895

Dempsey wrote: »

You misread me, being in the same pot means that you cant play each other in the group stage. All those teams I mentioned are likely to be in pot 4.

Sorry, my fault, am getting old

Coillte_Bhoy

RoryMac wrote: »

Once we're in the draw I don't care what pot we're in, realistically it's all about gaining experience and a shot at 3 place to drop into El this year.

Got to watch out for complacency tomorrow and get that game done first.

well i'd prefer to be in whatever pot would give us an outside chance of 3rd though i think it'll be a miracle if we make 3rd, regardless

RoryMac

Coillte_Bhoy wrote: »

well i'd prefer to be in whatever pot would give us an outside chance of 3rd though i think it'll be a miracle if we make 3rd, regardless

Of course, my point was more about not getting too far ahead of ourselves, we've a game to get through tomorrow first then I'll worry about the draw.

PauloMN

Pot 3 or 4... doesn't matter much to me tbh as either way, if we make the groups, we'll face two really good sides and an ok side. No easy games and all that.

Nervous about tomorrow, have a feeling we'll have a scare or two. I expect Helsingborg will be wondering how they didn't score last week and will be looking to force the tie by trying to score early on. Need to be very careful for the first 20 mins until the game settles. Still think we will progress but with a tight scoreline.

Signings must be made should we progress. Stokes being out just strengthens the case further.

Dempsey

Marcus Henriksen is going for a medical at AZ Alkmaar

Also Stuart McCall tells the world that Celtic made an inquiry about Chris Humphreys a couple of weeks ago.

We'll hear more of this before we actually get some good news!

PauloMN

Just fyi, tonight's game is on RTÉ Two (HD also), and on Sky Sports 2.

eire4

Should be close to a full house tonight. Hopefully a great European night on tap for us. I am a bit anxious about our lineup though with so many important players either out for sure or others seemingly carrying injuries.