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Good News About Hoops Hero
Posted by: | CommentsBig Bad John On The Mend
In a week of mixed fortunes on the park, winning at Wembley and then losing at Paradise, some really good news has reached Timdom today.
Hoops hero John Hartson has been moved from the ‘critically ill’ state to that of ’serious’ which in laymans terms means a great but gradual improvement.
John’s critical care consultant Dr Pushpinger Mangat, from Abertawe Bro Morgannwg (ABM) University NHS Trust, said in the latest condition statement that the big man is “improving gradually, and if this improvement is sustained, we will consider chemotherapy at some point next week”.
Everyone will be praying his improvement continues and he makes a full recovery.
God bless, John.
New Poll: Will Celtic Win In Moscow?
Posted by: | CommentsIt’s The Question We’d All Like The Answer To…
After last night’s match the question on everyone’s mind is the subject of our latest poll.
You decide Fanzoners, is Mogga right to be confident?
Will Celtic Win In Moscow?
Vote in our latest poll…..
Optimism All Round
Posted by: | CommentsOr Is It False Hope?
In the aftermath of last night’s home loss to fairly ordinary Russian outfit Dinamo Moscow, the sounds coming from the dressing room are that of optimism.
Or should that read ‘false hope’?
Granted anything can happen in football, but Celtic have NEVER won away from home after losing the first leg in any European competition.
And our recent Champions League away form is dross.
So, as much as we will give Mogga and the Bhoys time to get it right and build something worthwhile, we’ll have to take his word for it when he says we can win in Moscow.
I don’t think there are many of the Faithful thinking the same….
Hoops Rue Missed Chances
Posted by: | CommentsFortune Loses Out On Hero Start
There can be no excuses for Celtic’s 1-0 defeat to an ordinary Dinamo Moscow side at Celtic Park tonight.
Sure they are midway through their season and we’ve not really started ours yet but on the balance of play we had enough chances to win the game by two or three goals.
And, we committed the cardinal sin of losing an early goal.
After seven minutes Kokorin scored from a cross in from the right after Andy Hinkel was left for dead by the Moscow number 10.
From then on it was all uphill.
The Bhoys did manage to gain their composure and sure enough create a couple of decent chances.
Both fell to new Bhoy Marc-Antoine Fortune, the first a volley he misshit from seven yards, the second a slide-in at the far post he somehow managed to knock wide. To me he looked a bit caught up in the atmosphere.
Mogga must have thought the same and replaced him with big Sammy on the hour mark.
As the game wore on, the round them and through them tactics weren’t working and Tony changed to a more direct high ball route.
After more near misses the game finished with the Hoops on the end of a 1-0 defeat, something a lot better teams than Dinamo have failed to do before at Celtic Park.
So, now we have to produce one of the clubs most memorable victories in European football when we play in Moscow next week.
Personally, I wouldn’t bet on it.
Start of ‘New Era’ Begins Tonight
Posted by: | CommentsIt’s Serious Now
As Tony Mowbray said after Sunday’s Wembley Cup victory, “all this means nothing if we don’t win on Wednesday”.
With a sense of realism, Mowbray added: “I like to think I’m intelligent enough to realise there is a football side and a business side to every club. They intertwine.
“I’m fully aware of the financial implications of trying to get to the Champions League. As you move on it creates the ability to bring players in or not to sell players from the club.
Tony Hoping To Keep More Than This Lucky Bhoy Happy!
“It has not been set out to me in black and white terms because there is a financial flexibility at this club.
“I understand the books have to be balanced but no one has said if we lose this tie I’ll have to sell players or bring money in.
“But it goes without saying that if we do qualify my plans can be accelerated. It would allow us to move on faster.
“Ultimately we are going to get there and if we have to sell players along the way that’s fine. But football is all about good players who improve your team and your options. If you have to sell one player to balance the books then it isn’t the end of the world.
“But I am trying to build a team and add good players whenever I can. I have changes in my mind that I would like to make to redress the balance of the squad.
“In the ideal world we will have top-quality cover in every position and qualification for the Champions League would enable us to do that a little bit quicker.”
Mogga has ruled Scott Brown and Barry Robson making a comeback at Celtic Park tonight, but believes Aiden McGeady’s creativity could prove decisive during the crucial double-header. (A timely confidence booster for Aiden)
But Mowbray will be taking no chances against Dinamo tonight.
He added: “We hope to overcome this tie and then progress through the next round but in reality they are all very difficult games.
“There will be no excuses and I won’t be making any excuses after the game if it doesn’t go well but the fact is they look like a team who are halfway through their season and who have gone through their teething problems. They are a proper team.
“At this moment we are working very hard on the training ground to get the balance between fitness and organisational work and making sure our players know where to be if Aiden sets off on a run and gets beaten by the fourth tackle. We are doing a lot of work like that and hopefully it will pay off.”
So tonight’s the night as Rod would say. Let’s get right behind the Bhoys and help Mogga put his plans in place sooner rather than later.