The Offical Glasgow Celtic thread

[illdecide]

Glass half empty but I am really worried for 9 in a row. Rangers are getting their act together and Gerrard seems to have a buzz about Castle Greyskull. Lots of negativity from Parkhead and uninspiring signings. But at least the club will be fine financially 

Well that's the thing...and i've been saying this for a year or two but i think they'll go tits up again. They're throwing all their eggs into stop the 9iar or 10inar campaign and it is a very high possibility that it can backfire and they'll blow up for a second time.
My biggest concern is why Celtic can't see this and invest heavily for this year and next and we'll finally see them fold for good...just don't give them a sniff and slippy G will be off to the first guy to lose his job in Premiership after Christmas when he realises he'll be trophyless (is that a word)

[MoChara]

Good Post I'll Decide think it sums up how a lot of us are feeling, we seem to like to gamble the money that we would get in the Champs League rather than gamble before hand on a few players that would increase our chances.

Reports that Arsenal are dropping interest in Tierney cause we wouldn't budge on their shite offer. Perhaps this was the plan get the Tierney money in and then spend, but in theory we should still have Dembele cash to reinvest in the squad, or maybe I'm a bit deluded that we will spend big again after the Julian buy.

[illdecide]

Good Post I'll Decide think it sums up how a lot of us are feeling, we seem to like to gamble the money that we would get in the Champs League rather than gamble before hand on a few players that would increase our chances.

Reports that Arsenal are dropping interest in Tierney cause we wouldn't budge on their shite offer. Perhaps this was the plan get the Tierney money in and then spend, but in theory we should still have Dembele cash to reinvest in the squad, or maybe I'm a bit deluded that we will spend big again after the Julian buy.

Well to be fair it's the first time that i'm happy that Celtic didn't bow down and take the money offered, I agree every player has their price and KT has his and Arsenal didn't meet Celtic's valuation so they knocked it back and rightly so. If Arsenal want KT that bad they have to pay up or move on and it looks that way. However, I do expect Arsenal to some back with what Celtic are looking as they're clearly testing the waters and have known Celtic usually take the money but this time they've grew a set and stood firm...Bravo

[tyroneman]

Celtic do not need to worry about CL money to buy players.

They are on an excellent financial footing with the Dembele money and I firmly believe KT will go for somewhere between 20-25 upfront, so we can afford to buy quality.

Unless there was a major red flag we don't know about ie the knee issue being much much worse than reported, then I think they should have paid the money for Turnbull, given the 2-3 mill at a time we have spent on mediocrity over the LC years without blinking. I fear another McGinn style missed opportunity looms on the horizon.

Part of me thinks the board are banking on another financial collapse across the way paving the way to an easy 2 x titles, which is just a pitiful approach to 9 and 10iar.

[under the bar]

On whar basis would Sevco collapse financially again? Hardly busting the bank signing superstars?

[ned]

On whar basis would Sevco collapse financially again? Hardly busting the bank signing superstars?

Busting the bank? They can't get credit at a bank ffs!
They have signed something like 20 players since Gerrard has arrived. Transfer fees or not that is a lot of monthly outlay on top of what they had.
Just to stay afloat last year they had to borrow money from directors and from Close Brothers at exorbitant rates. And that was with Europa League revenue as well. Add in several court case losses to Mike Ashley and other possible litigation from others for breach of contracts.They are probably not close to collapse but are walking a precarious line, added to the fact their main "investor", King, is only in it for his own gain.
There is either something very shady going on, quelle suprise, or they have not learned from old lessons.
But otherwise all is hunky dory!

[illdecide]

On whar basis would Sevco collapse financially again? Hardly busting the bank signing superstars?

Key Figures:

Turnover £32.6m (2017 – £29.2m)
Earnings before Interest Tax and Depreciation (EBITDA) (£4.2m) (2017 – (£0.1m))
Loss for the year £14.3m (2017 – £6.7m)
Operating expenses £38.9m (2017 – £31.3m)
Average SPFL Home Attendance 49,173 (2017 – 48,893)
Season Tickets 44,658 (2017 – 43,253)

Sevco have continued to have a loss every year from the formed in 2012...this can't keep happening and now losing their latest court case with Ashley/Sports Direct they are walking a tight rope and i've said this many times they're close to becoming dead (again)

[Targetman]

Handy win tonight for Celtic and good to see Griff get a goal, would be great to qualify for the group stage but a bit of work to do yet!

[under the bar]

On whar basis would Sevco collapse financially again? Hardly busting the bank signing superstars?

Key Figures:

Turnover £32.6m (2017 – £29.2m)
Earnings before Interest Tax and Depreciation (EBITDA) (£4.2m) (2017 – (£0.1m))
Loss for the year £14.3m (2017 – £6.7m)
Operating expenses £38.9m (2017 – £31.3m)
Average SPFL Home Attendance 49,173 (2017 – 48,893)
Season Tickets 44,658 (2017 – 43,253)

Sevco have continued to have a loss every year from the formed in 2012...this can't keep happening and now losing their latest court case with Ashley/Sports Direct they are walking a tight rope and i've said this many times they're close to becoming dead (again)

Cheers for that ID.  Didn't know the figures. Hopefully the 2nd Oblivion is just over the horizon for the rancid mob.  LFC have seriously let their Irish fans down by allowing their young talent to go to Racism FC on loan to let Stevie Me build his CV.

[ned]

Handy win tonight for Celtic and good to see Griff get a goal, would be great to qualify for the group stage but a bit of work to do yet!

Good goals, especially McGregor's. Third round guaranteed now, where it will be a step up. The Estonians are probably a level below Sarajevo.

[toby47]

Do Celtic have a sell on fee for Mousa Dembele?

I see Sky Sports are reporting if Lukaku leaves, Man Utd will target Dembele

[Caesar]

I know we have signed plenty of duds over the years but it should be recognised that the Celtic scouting system have unearthed some top quality players in recent years. The likes of Van Dyke, Wanyama, Dembele, Armstrong and Forster spring to mind.

[tyroneman]

I know we have signed plenty of duds over the years but it should be recognised that the Celtic scouting system have unearthed some top quality players in recent years. The likes of Van Dyke, Wanyama, Dembele, Armstrong and Forster spring to mind.

Not during the LC era....Eddie (Yes), Bain (not bad) Ntcham (maybe) - the rest..........

[under the bar]

Tasty debut goal!  https://twitter.com/CelticFC/status/1156300280004251649?s=09

[illdecide]

Ryan Christie hit a hat-trick as Celtic crushed St Johnstone in a stunning start to their bid to make it nine titles in a row.

The league flag was raised before kick-off and Mikey Johnston kept the celebrations going with a fine finish.

Christie added a double before the break, his first a beauty and his second thanks to a Zander Clark error. He made it 4-0 with a cracking strike before Olivier Ntcham, Odsonne Edouard and Leigh Griffiths added goals of their own in a thumping victory.

The result ensures Celtic sit top of the table on day one and is a clear sign of intent from Neil Lennon's side, but St Johnstone were miles off the pace as their miserable start to the season continues.

Lennon thrilled with three-goal Christie
Christie hits treble in Celtic romp
Predict the Premiership table
High-class Celtic way too much
Given their awful League Cup campaign, with losses to Montrose and Forfar, the last place in Scotland that St Johnstone would have wanted to come on opening day was Celtic Park. If those cup defeats were painful for manager Tommy Wright, then this only added to the misery.

The place was electrified before a ball was kicked, the title flag raised by Liz McNeill and Sadie Chalmers, widows of the great and lamented Billy and Stevie. And Celtic were a blur of movement, imagination and goal threat from the start. When Christie wasn't causing them bother, it was Johnston. When it wasn't Johnston, it was James Forrest or Edouard or, later still, Griffiths. It was a high-class victory.

There was a debut for right-back Hatem Abd Elhamed and he was impressive, too, before he limped off early in the second half. By then, it had become a rout. The only saving grace for the visitors was that the three they had conceded hadn't become five or six. That pain would come later. Celtic's speed of thought and hunger for goals was way too much for the Perth side to cope with.

The champions were ahead after nine minutes when Christie's cross-field ball was gathered by Johnston, the winger then turning his unfortunate marker, Wallace Duffy, outside, inside and then outside again before slamming his shot past Clark.

Celtic's goals total in the league was only 77 last season, a sizeable fall from their average over the course of their first seven titles in their run of eight. Johnston only played in 36% of those games. Christie played in only 60%. Those two alone should ensure their ruthlessness in front of goal rockets skywards. Griffiths scored only twice in the last league campaign. In a better place now with his health, he's already halfway towards matching what he did a season ago.

Leigh Griffiths celebrates
Leigh Griffiths completed the rout after coming on as a substitute
Christie once again hammered home the point about Celtic being a far different attacking proposition when taking Forrest's pass on the right-hand side of the D and then smashing an unstoppable shot high past Clark. A peach to go with the pearler he got against Nomme Kalju in Europe.

His second, and Celtic's third, came just before the half-hour when Christie drilled a shot straight at Clark only for the keeper to let it go by him and into his net. They could have had more before the break, too, with Forrest (twice) and Edouard all creating trouble.

Just when you thought that the visitors might be spared any more punishment, Christie popped up again. St Johnstone once again gave him space outside the box, Christie once again measured his shot and this outstanding footballer once again lashed a left-footer past Clark via the underside of his crossbar for his hat-trick.

The thing about it was that it looked effortless. It looked like the type of goal he might fire home in training. It was his sixth in a matter of weeks. Already he's almost halfway towards his goals total from all of last season.

More goals followed, Edouard putting Ntcham away just seconds after the Frenchman had come on for the serenaded Christie. Ntcham, with his first touch, thumped home the fifth.

St Johnstone needed their bus to appear at the side of the pitch to take them away at that point. What they got was Griffiths coming on and putting Edouard away for the sixth, the striker going around Clark before scoring.

Then, Griffiths rifled in a goal of his own. A seventh and a gorgeous strike on a day of gorgeous strikes. A fitting end to a performance that started really well and only got better after that.

Man of the match - Ryan Christie
Ryan Christie showed his excellence last season, but he looks to have upped it in a very significant way. Christie is a happy amalgam of Callum McGregor and Stuart Armstrong - all the high energy and passing range of the former and all the cleverness and goal threat of the latter, at his 2016-17 season best.

This was a day when every Celtic player did their stuff, but Christie's hat-trick stood out. His strikes for his first and third goals were as sweet as you'll find. Not just that, his influence was constant. Mikey Johnston, Christie and James Forrest are going to cause some amount of mayhem on this evidence.

Christie's stunning start - stats
Christie graphic
'We're in a good place' - reaction
Celtic manager Neil Lennon: "It's just been a great day. I'm not getting carried away, but it was an outstanding team performance.

"Ryan Christie is playing really well right now. His first and third goals were sublime finishes. We are in a good place at the minute. It is a really good marker to put down for the rest of the season."

St Johnstone manager Tommy Wright: "There were two teams on the pitch - one was absolutely brilliant and the other was poor. We conceded early and did not have enough belief when we had the ball.

"At least four of the goals are outside of the box with people not doing their jobs. This afternoon shows there is a huge gulf in class of the squads but it's one we dust ourselves down from."