Celtic Rumours Archive September 28 2013

 

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28 Sep 2013 22:51:27
Well how was that for a game today? Seven goals, apart from a Samaras hat-trick though, to be brutally honest, it was a pretty dire affair altogether. Celtic are still screaming out for a leader at the back, not a replacement captain but a player that can keep the defence disciplined enough to be effective in their job of defending. Losing a 3 goal lead to Kilmarnock like Celtic done earlier today is unacceptable in my opinion but the team did show a willingness to dig deep, keep the pressure on and go on to win the match quite comfortably.
With Barcelona due in Glasgow for the second match-day in the Champions League this coming Tuesday Celtic didn't do too much at the back to instil any confidence amongst their fans going into face last season's semi-finalists, and one of Europe's superpowers. Barcelona seem to be finding their way again under Tata Martino and have now recorded the best ever start to a season by the Catalan giants.
But we are Celtic, and at Celtic Park we have no need to fear anyone, as Barcelona well know. Come Tuesday with Celtic Park packed to the rafters and turned into a cauldron of noise by, without doubt, The Best Fans In The World anything can happen, and it usually does. I would take last year's historic win over Barcelona over five, ten or even twenty wins in the now dead Old Firm fixture .That atmosphere and sense of occasion is what we should define ourselves and the club as rather than the toxic cloud of hatred and bigotry that descended upon Paradise whenever Rangers came to visit.
Taking nothing away from our players though I think we are just a smidgen worse off than last year, we are still trying to bed in our new signings and players always take time to settle. I have been disappointed in Boeriggter so far, I thought with him we would have a diamond of a player who would rip up the SPFL and would be a valuable player on the counter-attack in Europe, there's no doubt he certainly has pace to burn, we just need him to stay fit and claim a place in the team.
Van Dijk is a different kettle of fish altogether, he sees to have slotted in well at the heart of the defence, if we could only find an imposing centre-half to partner him we would have a partnership to start building on. I fully expect Van Dijk to become a top drawer player for us, you don't get many players from Holland who are not at least technically solid.
The other main addition to the squad Teemu Pukki should start on the bench if, as expected, Neil Lennon goes with one up front. For me it has to be Stokes starting, he has started this season well and people seem to forget he gave Hooper a run for his money in the scoring chart for most of season 2011-12. Stokes is a confidence player, he needs to know that his manager is 100% behind him, and once he gets on a scoring run his confidence just goes up and up.
Hopefully come Wednesday morning we are celebrating after another great night watching the Hoops, maybe Pukki coming off the bench could do what Tony Watt done last year? We need to make sure that we put them under pressure at any set-pieces we get, but most of all, and the most worrying to me is how our defence plays, Izaguirre is looking more like a liability with each passing game and with Messi now injured I'm sure that Neymar will be looking to get down our left hand side as much as possible.
Me personally, I would play Mulgrew at LB purely for his defensive qualities. We will be under pressure for long spells in the game and although Izaguirre plays more like a wing-back, Mulgrew is the better defender of the two.
I have my doubts if the team is ready, or capable enough, to match last year's result against the four-time Champions League winners. I will happily accept a 1-1 draw and I think that will be the final result.

Bring on the Barca.

Thanks for reading, Hail Hail.

Che Connolly.

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When you hear Neil Lennon speaking about Barcelona he's completely honest and realistic, Messi must be a nightmare for any opposition Manager never mind the rest of the team. Messi can score for the tightest of spaces and from any angle.

Barcelona play until the final whistle something Neil Lennon is also aware of. Like last year, we cannot afford any lapses in concentration and their fitness levels are phenomenal.

My concern this season is we are not taking advantage of corner kicks at all, this is where Wanyama's goal came from and set pieces are really a 'must to advantage of' on Tuesday.

It will be a very defensive performance and I think if Matthews is fit, he might be played at left back as he was last November.

Killie yesterday for me would have been completely unacceptable and downright disastrous to have thrown away a 3 goal lead!

I must confess to judging Virgil on that performance away to Shakhter Karagandy, I just thought oh here we go again with a defence nightmare! But having seen him since, he has been composed and I like him :-)

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Mulgrew at left back for me also. Izzaguire is stale.
ParadiseAndy

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28 Sep 2013 17:24:34

{Ed007's Note - There is a new poll up.

Is it time for Celtic to look to sell Izaguirre?

Please take 2 mins to vote:

www.celticrumours.co.uk/poll22.html

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I've voted no but I do think we need another left back.

I think the attacking full back suits Neil Lennon's style of play

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Ha voted no then noticed there was keep him as a back up, think maybe there's not an attacking left back there to push him. He's defo not a bad player

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Izzy very underrated and a hard worker. he was left exposed today by the forward players . I like him.

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Hi ed been told ther is a bank debt 2 rbs and
wer tryn 2 hide it it do u no anythin {Ed007's Note - CFC don't use RBS.}

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Hearing a lot of these money problem rumours to, that's all they've got to be surely

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I have voted to keep him as a back up, unless we get offered a fair sum. But why isn't mulgrew playing there? Better crosser and keeps playing in many positions to keep getting a game he should be our first choice lb

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I really like Izzy but he not recaptured the form he showed his first season, teams seem to target us down the left side all the time, big big fan of Sammie but he doesn't track back enough to help Izzy, feel sorry for Izzy at times but not the player he was a few year ago understandable way the injury, hope he stays but. Chris30

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Imo he's a left midfielder not a lb he gets caught sleepin far 2 many teams spartak goal at parkhead last season a prime example wold rather see charlie lb and izzy lm when sammys bein rested

GunnieBhoy

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30 Sep 2013 15:59:25
I think Izaguirre is more suited to play on the left side of midfield than at left back, we need to sign a left back who can defend, someone like Paul Dixon from Huddersfield would do us a turn and not cost the earth . Drewzybhoy .

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Heard these hidden debt rumours for weeks now. I mean Really do you really believe Lawwell and our chairman would hide debts they are not liable for? That's the stupidest thing I have ever had. Lawwell Celtic and anyone else would be struck off by the stock exchange if there was any truth in it. Also if we had debts then so what. Most clubs do have them.

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28 Sep 2013 17:19:06
Guys hate to say it as I was a big fan, but is it time to move Izzy on in Jan. Great going forward at times but his defending is awful, that was Killie for god sake what will Barca do and will Lennon play him as he dropped him last time. Thoughts guys?

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I like him too but; He's the same every week no matter who we play and everyone knows he is our weak link at the back (even worse than Ambrose these days).
If NL persists in playing him it should be in front of Mulgrew who is a better defender.

JJ

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Like him and yes he is a risk at defense but he seems to play well when it's the big games in cl. He steps up his game for cl as against ac Milan where he was a stand out defensively and received a lot of praise

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Nae more a liability in our team than browns passing, stokes one footedness, forsters fear of crosses, samaras infuriating form, ledleys pace and shooting etc. my point being if we had players who had no faults then they wouldn't be playing in scotland. I like izzy hard worker.

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To the no named person above!? Browns passing? And picking at what really good players don't do that we'll!? Scott brown has been the best player for us this year, and an incredible captain! Izzy has been poor in many games with no edge in defence or attack just a missing man in an 11 man team, mulgrew should be at lb as we have a strong mf. No player is perfect but izzy needs to at least sit out a few games his performances have not been good enough for the hoops

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Use izzy as a left winger more then a defender I think he could do a job there when others are injured and get a left back in (mulgrew can take his place till the jan window)

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If he is used as a winger he will never get a game for us, can't see lenny dropping Sammy or boriggter or even forest for him. Also to the guy that said sammys infuriating form. If it wasn't for Sammy scoring 6 goals at cl level last season we would never have got through the group stages. Sammy is a tremendous player for us. He even seems to be performing better at SPL level now to.

Darrenbhoy

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Even when we played Arbroath in January, you could see they targeted every attack in behind Izzy. He's been our weak link for a long time, great personality who loves Celtic (running over to the GB to get a silk scarf in the SC final + Stokes' Tweet last week about him singing HH in broken English) but a complete liability.

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28 Sep 2013 14:07:12

{Ed007's Note - Celtic and Swansea are both interested in Anderlecht's centre back Chancel Mbemba Mangulu. There are questions over the player's real age though and that could impact on any work-permit application.}

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A player with "four birthdays" is a player to be avoided, no matter what talent he has. Keep ourselves distanced from anyone who could incriminalise our club or bring the game in to disrepute!

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Maybe its chancer mangulu

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How old is ambrose?
No, really?

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28 Sep 2013 11:56:26

{Ed007's Note - Celtic XI v Kilmarnock: Forster; Matthews, Ambrose, Van Dijk, Izaguirre; Commons, Brown, Mulgrew, Samaras; Stokes, Pukki

Subs: Zaluska, Biton, Amido, Rogic, Lustig, Atajic, Henderson

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