Celtic Banter Archive August 11 2017

11 Aug 2017 23:13:28
My team for Wed would be

Gordon
Ralston
Lustig
Simo
Tierney
Forrest
McGregor
Brown
Armstrong
Sinclair
Griff

Ideally Roberts for Jamesy here's hoping.

11 Aug 2017 23:28:58
Wouldn't have Armstrong in the starting 11 just now he's been rotten so far think we all know why.

12 Aug 2017 07:35:19
No Ntcham?

12 Aug 2017 13:51:41
Ntcham for armstrong and I'd agree. Was impressed with Ntcham v partick, armstrong is off the boil big time.

12 Aug 2017 14:45:57
Ntcham was good in the middle, but his forward passing into tight spaces rarely connected. If you don't believe me watch the game again. Armstrong for me is more effective, will score more goals and gives a better balance to us both defending and attacking at speed. All the crap about surrounding Armstrong has deeply affected him, but I would put him in along with brown, Rogic and Ntcham and drop Mcgreggor. If paddy is back then he's in with griff and Sincy.

Probably be Hayes and Forrest though. With Rogic and Armstrong but surely Brendan can see Hayes is out of his depth?

11 Aug 2017 21:45:18
Well that was a struggle lads! Last 20 min were awful to watch! Something's missing IMO, missing a spark!

11 Aug 2017 21:56:30
Lacklustre.

11 Aug 2017 22:02:19
Paddy roberts?

HH.

📿

Chris1888🍀🍀🍀.

11 Aug 2017 22:33:41
Scott Sinclair has been very out of sorts. Hayes looks like the jersey is weighing heavy on his shoulders too. Bitton is a big worry for me for the Astana game as they should have had a penalty due to his lack of urgency and clumsiness.

11 Aug 2017 23:03:16
We are 3 positions short RW CH and Forward going with Forrest up top ant cutting it.

12 Aug 2017 06:26:52
FFS lads, its the 2nd game off the season, at least give them a few games to get match fit before you start giving them pelters,

12 Aug 2017 07:33:28
A few games last season Roberts was missing in action too . its easy to say if one of the guys are having an of game Roberts is the answer because he's not there .

11 Aug 2017 21:41:38
Not sure the slight changes in the midfield is working.
Sinclaire isn't playing wide enough this season and I think it's nullifying his best attributes. Going a at defender one on one.
It's also breaking up his partnership with Tierney.

11 Aug 2017 19:33:31
Just listening to Chris Sutton on BT saying how this celtic team is not as good as the team that Beat Astana last year. What a load of rubbish. He then says that Celtic need to do everything they can to get Paddy Roberts in for the game. As the deadline has passed for the play off round it doesn't matter if we get him in before Wednesday as he cannot play. Sutton the expert?

{Ed007's Note - You can make a wildcard signing up until midnight of the day before the first leg, Tuesday for us.}

11 Aug 2017 19:42:48
Though I don't agree we are weaker you might want to get things right when slagging people aff Edg.

11 Aug 2017 19:45:09
When we played astana last year janko oconnel were in back 4.

11 Aug 2017 20:35:41
Good point Mally. I'm sure Efe was on the bench if not starting too.

11 Aug 2017 20:48:11
We are mentally the strongest we have been in years. We are only weaker because moussa and boyata are injured. Also when we played astana last year wasnt roberts injured anyway.

11 Aug 2017 21:31:05
line up from last home tie
Gordon
Janko
Lustig
O'Connell
Tierney
Brown
McGregor
Armstrong Substituted for K Touré at 61'
Roberts Substituted for Johansen at 31'
Forrest Substituted for Dembele at 75'
Griffiths.

11 Aug 2017 21:34:19
And was moussa not playing second fiddle to griffiths and boyata not getting a look in?

11 Aug 2017 21:44:09
My only worry is only one CH and one CF going into such a big game.

11 Aug 2017 21:46:45
Guys we consistently play players out of position this season, that tells me that we don't have enough cover in the squad.

11 Aug 2017 21:49:54
Looked good for first 20 mins but Sinclaire has really gone backwards. We just picked too many poor passes. Bitton is never a centre half. Forrest can't open up defences, Hayes not what we need. If BR does not think we need another striker then I am lost for words. We don't play Griff in case he gets an injury and if he does pick up an injury what do we do? We need to buy a centre half and a striker and do it quick.

11 Aug 2017 23:27:59
No mate Roberts played.

11 Aug 2017 23:36:01
Apologies I didn't realise that an emergency signing could be made. Perhaps I will check and then double check my facts Kev before I give an opinion although you agree with me?

12 Aug 2017 10:16:21
Having to make emergency signings at all is a sign of bad, even worse, complacent planning. Everybody knew we needed a CB even if Boyata and Shev were fit. They a both bomb scares. Cover for FB after Izzy left. Replacing Roberts with Hayes, who was so out of his depth in Rosenberg, that it was easy to see why Aberdeen eff up every year. Armstrong saga dragging on and Ntcham hasn't found his killer forward pass yet. I think Armstrongs a better player and not playing Rogic astounds me. Hayes getting on before him is bewildering.

If we get through I hope lessons are learned. I doubt that very much though. I had great hopes our CL preparation would change. We were supposed to have things sorted to make qualification easier. That's what Rogers said. Well, it hasn't happened and we go into these games hoping we have a striker and a midfield player at CB.

That is just not good enough. We are praying Paddy comes back, we need him on Wednesday. Forrest and Hayes combined couldn't lace his boots.

11 Aug 2017 13:46:13
I honestly believe Armstrong is away after the qualifiers. That said i've been really impressed with young McGregor - wasn't picked for the first euro match but put his head down and earned himself a starting place ahead of Rogic who i love. So, what i'm saying is no one is bigger than the club - there are always ample replacements.

11 Aug 2017 17:38:41
Mcgregors attitude is top class and he's came on leaps and bounds luckily brendan sees it to.

11 Aug 2017 13:22:14
PSG are going to run away with the French league this year and will be a force in Europe aswell. On top of the £198 million transfer of Nemyar they have also won the race for Kylian Mbappe for a fee of £160 million pounds. There is going to be no action from financial fair play at all I think this is mental.

11 Aug 2017 16:21:28
Its disgusting.

11 Aug 2017 18:05:25
Spending big money doesn't necessary mean you will win everything.

11 Aug 2017 08:25:47
3 million for Armstrong? Tell them to do one cheeky b*****ds. I'd rather let him run down his contract that let any team get away with that.

11 Aug 2017 09:33:36
They can double that and let him get on his way! 6 million for a player in the last year of his contract would be good business! Said it a few times, the lads heads just not in it at the moment! Get as much as we can for him and reinvest it in a winger/ striker! He's obviously got no intention of signing a new deal so we move on! The sooner the better because I'm sick of hearing it now!

11 Aug 2017 09:47:18
think he wants two yrs but club want three, give him his two yrs and punt him in jan.

11 Aug 2017 10:00:29
Offer him the deal he wants rather than lose him. If that wasn't to work. I'm with Lh just sell him and reinvest in an attacker.

11 Aug 2017 10:14:12
He obviously doesn't want to sign lads so like I said on your way son! Bigger and better have left before him. squeeze as much money out of one of the also rans in the promised land and put this to bed!

11 Aug 2017 10:29:58
@Lh86 I don't buy into this talk about his head not in it. He's played in 5 games and scored 2 goals which is good for a midfielder. Personally I want him to sign an extension as he looks more dangerous when playing than most of our centre mids that said if he doesn't want to commit after Astana away match take 3-5 million and please celtic reinvest in a player not a potential player.

11 Aug 2017 10:51:07
Jim his body language has been off since the start of the season, I think it's actually quite plain to see mate! And I think we'd all have loved him to sign an extension mate, and he's our best goal scoring midfielder no doubt! But he's had plenty of time to sign a deal and the time has come to move on! Like I said before we've lost bigger and better than him in the past! Just want it put to bed now and concentrate on the players who actually want to be there.

11 Aug 2017 11:30:32
I still think he might sign. But if we are only getting 3 million for him I'd keep him till end of season.
Worth more on the pitch than that crappy figure.

11 Aug 2017 11:37:45
Itll only be 3mill if the club are daft enough to accept that there's bang average players down south going for 3 and 4 times that. Just get the market value for an international and cl experienced player and if not then anno itll hit us in pocket but run down his contract and get the best out him.

11 Aug 2017 12:00:06
Swap him for forester.

11 Aug 2017 12:03:51
I think you're being disrespectful suggesting his body language is off as he in my opinion gives 100% and looked happy when he scored in midweek and disappointed when keeper pulled off a good save to deny him. I'm not arguing the point about selling him if he doesn't want to extend his contract but i don't doubt he'd give full effort at least till Christmas if need be.

11 Aug 2017 12:09:51
Will we get the best out him but that's the question! I'm not sayin just accept the first offer that comes but for me anything 5 million up I would take! I don't want a player in the team who isn't committed to the club! What does that say to the other guys in the dressing room who've committed to the club!

11 Aug 2017 12:18:05
Andre Gray went from Burnley to Watford for 18 million and he had only one year left on his contract. On top of that he's rank rotten. Three million is a joke.

11 Aug 2017 12:22:52
It's down to Rodgers and the player and the club really. I can only hope that we will just offer him what he wants. They'll know together when he wants to leave. If it's now, or next season, then sell him now. If he wants a two year extension then I'm confident he would give his all for that duration. And I think we can all live with players having their own ambitions. Give him the two year extension, get two seasons out of him, and sell him with a year left (providing acceptable bids don't come in before that) . He seems like a sensible chap, if he's after a move in the down the line, he'll know the best way to do that will by to continue trying to improve and by performing well.

11 Aug 2017 12:25:32
Nothing to with being disrespectful Jim1972! I'm giving my opinion, and I feel the Armstrong from the end of last season and the one at the start of this look different players! I'm not questioning the boys commitment on the park, that couldn't be further from the truth! I'm questioning we're his heads at and if he sees his future with us? If not then see you later!

11 Aug 2017 15:06:36
If he's wanting a move he shouldn't be playing. Even for his own sake incase he gets injured, the last thing we want is an unhappy player in the dressing room. Sign what's on offer or see ya.

11 Aug 2017 16:26:12
Fair do Lh86 I see it differently and I'm more of the opinion that he's being made to look like the bad guy. The ed and others suggested the problem was the contract length that was the issue, if this is the case then more fool the club and they are forcing an issue over 1 year which to me as a fan is ludicrous. This whole thing should have been nailed down in the summer and start with a new improved contract or sold with a suitable replacement brought in. On a side note does anyone know if the green brigade are coming back soon or still waiting on a resolution?

11 Aug 2017 17:33:11
rodgers said at the press conference the other day that celtic and armstrong weren't far away from agreeing a new deal.

11 Aug 2017 18:09:01
Jim Jim if Celtic agreed to give every player who had 6 good months everything they wanted we might have no more Celtic.

11 Aug 2017 19:54:33
Calm down old yin I'm talking about the difference between a 2 year extension and a 3 year extension try keeping up. ps it's only for certain individuals the manager wants to keep also.

11 Aug 2017 23:32:34
Well Jim I think I've been vindicated in my comments about Armstrong after what Brendan had to say about it after the game! The contract situation is affecting his game, he was great last season and since this has happened his heads not been right! Doesn't give me any pleasure to be right by the way! Think this finally tells us he's for the off.

12 Aug 2017 08:30:28
I think it also shows Brendan has been talking a lot of bull the last 4 months about the boy wanting to stay and being close to agreeing. I would prefer Brendan took a firmer stance in June to stop this situation developing days before our biggest match as I've no doubt it will be a big play in the media.

12 Aug 2017 22:08:34
Jim, I regard the idle speculation on here with the light hearted amusement that it is posted as, good for fun, but not meant to be accurate .
We have no idea what separates Armstrong from the offer Celtic have made . B R has to maintain that both sides are not far apart as long as there is any hope he is going to sign .
Unless he doesn't want him to sign and then he can talk down the possibility.