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Buying Easier When Selling Is Done…..
Posted by: | CommentsSammy And Shaun Reluctant To Leave
Getting players to sign for Celtic is always easier than getting players to leave, especially if they are on good contracts and are going to lesser clubs.
And this transfer window is no different.
With Lenny trying to bring in new faces to freshen things up and hopefully improve the team, the need to move players on is being somewhat undermined by the reluctance of Georgios Samaras to leave Celtic Park.
Apparently a move to Sunderland in the Premiership isn’t what the bold Sammy sees as a good move. Whether that’s true or not the fact is the big Greek isn’t for shifting his ass away from Glasgow.
Neither it seems is Shaun Maloney.
Wigan have made a move for constantly injured player but haven’t met the valuation Celtic have on Shaun. God knows what that will be!
On the flip side, we did get a new player in today, on the recommendation of the King of Kings. Mo Bangura put pen to paper on a four year deal to ply his trade in Paradise after signing from AIK Solna in Sweden.
A fee of around £2m was reported to have changed hands for the Sierre Leone striker.
With just over 24hrs to go until the transfer window closes I’m sure we’ll see at least one other face coming to Glasgow, let’s hope a couple go the other way!
Oh Hampden In The Sun, Celtic Four Aberdeen None!
Posted by: | CommentsSecond Half Show Put Hoops In Scottish Cup Final..
There’s something about playing Aberdeen this season.
Scoring a total of twenty-one goals in five games takes some doing, when you consider we’ve only lost a single goal in return. That’s the stats we’re looking at tonight.
Quite remarkable, 9-0, 1-0, 3-0, 4-1 and now 4-0. (The only thing the Dons have won is the sending-off count at 3!)
It’s no wonder the Faithful would like to play our Northern neighbours EVERY week!
Anyway, that’s not going to happen so let’s stop gloating and get on with today’s Scottish Cup semi-final.
Recently I posted on this site a kinda tongue-in-cheek question; Is Stokesy A Hibs player? Well after twenty minutes of the game it looked like he was trying to live up to that billing missing two gilt-edged chances AND a penalty.
The penalty a result of Hooper being brought down by Considine who saw red, reducing the Sheep to ten men with only nineteen minutes on the clock.
Although he was busy and causing the Aberdeen defence problems you have to wonder how he’s scored so many goals this season. Though in fairness to the big Irishman, Jamie Langfield has a good first half and was instrumental in keeping the scores blank at half-time.
That was all about to change after the interval.
Only minutes into the second-half Charlie Mulgrew swung in a long range free-kick that everyone missed, including the aforementioned Langfield and nestled in the Dons net. 1-0 Celtic.
The goal seemed to settle Celtic and it wasn’t long before we doubled our lead.
After 56 minutes, Joe Ledley slipped Stokes’ cut back past the Dons keeper for his third Scottish Cup goal of the season, and his second Hampden goal in successive games.
The game was effectively over now and the Bhoys started to stroke the ball about with ease, but that didn’t stop the players wanting more.
And when Stokes chased down a lost cause in the Dons’ box, Derek Young stupidly brought the striker down to give Celtic the chance to increase our lead.
This time Kris Commons stepped up to send Langfield the wrong way and make it 3-0 to the Hoops.
That was Celtic’s 20th goal against Aberdeen and we weren’t going to stop, so it came as no surprise when substitute Shaun Maloney knocked the ball over the line to finish off the scoring. Celtic 4 Aberdeen 0!
All in all a good day for Lenny & the Bhoys, and the chance to give Shaun, Paddy and Big Dan some game time was a bit of icing on the cake.
Well done Celts!
Vote For Your Favourite Goal This Season!
Posted by: | CommentsFive Crackers From This Season
With the lull in our domestic season now is probably as good a time as any to look back at some of the goals the Celtic have scored this season.
We’ve complied a wee video with FIVE crackers from the Bhoys.
And we’ve added a wee poll so you can vote for your favourite.
Enjoy!
C’mon the Hoops!
Game Time For Injured Duo In Toronto…
Posted by: | CommentsRogne & Maloney On Road To Recovery
Although Celtic lost 3-1 to Manchester United in front of 30,000 fans in Toronto last night , manager Neil Lennon was pleased with the overall performance from his charges.
Without reading too much into the result, Lenny must be chuffed to get a full game out of young Norwegian defender Thomas Rogne and 75 minutes from Shaun Maloney. Shaun was given the man of the match from Celtic’s official website.
The game also allowed the manager to give a first full debut to James Forrest and introduce new signing South Korean Cha Du-Ri.
But ironically, it was the introduction of the Greek enigma Georgios Samaras that changed the way the match was going.
Sammy had a headed goal disallowed then took the spot kick to equalise after another new Bhoy, Joe Ledley was upended by Man Utd’s Chris Smalling just after the hour mark.
Sporting what looked like a disguise, (wait ’til you see his Judean National Front beard) Sammy slammed the ball high into the net past Van der Sar to score Celtic’s first goal of their North American tour.
It’s possible that Sammy is playing for a move or the fact that Daryl Murphy has signed jolted the player into a performance. With the big man you just never know!
Two goals in the last eleven minutes, the second a heavy deflection, saw the English side evenually run out 3-1 winners.
Next stop, Seattle on Sunday where nearly 50, 000 fans await the Hoops take on local side Seattle Sounders.
Would The ‘Lost Bhoys’ Have Made A Difference?
Posted by: | CommentsAnd Will They Be Back For Next Season?
Every team gets injuries. There’s no doubt about that.
But three injuries in particular and the timing of them made me wonder‘what if’ these Bhoys had stayed fit.
The players in question are; Shaun Maloney, Jos Hooiveld and Thomas Rogne.
Let’s take them one at a time.
Shaun Maloney: Made his last appearance in the Hoops against Hertz in the Co-Operative Cup quarter final at Celtic Park. That was on the 28th October 2009.
Despite many false dawns and promises of recovery, Maloney never made it back into the first team for the rest of the season. His ‘tendonitis’ injury seems to be more of a mystery than an ailment. It remains to be seen if Shaun will be fit for the new season. Some reports out of Celtic Park point to the injury being ‘career threatening’.
Hopefully not. Shaun showed in the first Derby game of the season at Legoland just what he can do, although both his penalty claims were denied, he was a constant thorn in the MM’s side.
Who knows what impact he might have had if he’d lasted the season?
Jos Hooiveld: Tony Mowbray took the bull by the horns and moved on Gary Caldwell and Captain Calamity Stephen McManus in the January window, just as the fans wanted him to. He then brought in Joos Hoiveld from Denmark to replace them.
The big Dutchman had a fine debut at Hamilton in Celtic’s 1-0 win, thanks to a goal from fellow debutant Morten Rasmussen.
However, Jos was to suffer misfortune in only his second game for the Hoops. Although most of the hype at Kilmarnock was the debut of Robbie Keane, Celtic lost two of the starting back four due to injury that night.
Jos hobbled of with a hamstring injury and didn’t feature again all season.
Thomas Rogne: The young Norwegian came to the club as more of a ‘prospect’ than an immediate player. That soon changed. A mixture of good performances for the ‘stiffs’ and injuries to the first team presented Thomas with a debut at Celtic Park against Dundee United in mid February.
Only a week later he played at the Hunnery and looked to be a good find, only for injury to strike once again. Thomas pulled his hamstring, sound familiar?
Unlike Hooiveld and Maloney, Rogne did pull on the Hoops again last season, making and appearance at Tannadice a full two months after Ipox.
But it didn’t last too long, in fact he didn’t even make half-time before being replaced by Darren O’Dea.
So, would the ‘lost Bhoys’ have made a difference?
We’ll never know!