Messages

I'm having a jar of cockles. What are you eating?

Beaver, I prefer Beaver over cockles, not that there's anything wrong with that shane! )

How the hell else would make the CL group stages 2 years in a row, go one better the following year and make the Europa cup stages in february, win a treble in the first year, have an eight point lead in the second year and all the while the League Cup is already won and the SFA Cup is still akive, all this and absolute morons are calling for the managers head, it defies all logic, 42 goals conceded against the best in the world with a hudredth of the budget, what they hell do you expect.

I agree they should have had more heart the other night, and pride in the jersey, that is not the managers fault, that is the players fault, they need to look at themselves individually and as a group and figure this shit out, Rodgers needs to learn that now and again you need to sit back, absorb pressure and hit the great teams on the break, damage limitation and there is the chance you might steal a game or two here and there.

[Five things to get off my chest after this latest awful performance in European football]

Five things to get off my chest after this latest awful performance in European football

1. LACK OF SURPRISE. Is there one single Celtic supporter anywhere that is surprised at the manner of that performance tonight. It was awful, absolutely awful. These players collectively seem to have a mental block when faced with quality opposition and Zenit are a decent side but hardly brilliant. In fact they didn't really need to show us what they can do because the goals were gift wrapped and presented to them by shocking Celtic defending.

2. BACKING BRENDAN. Let's start with the money. There's £30million in the bank from the money the club have made from Brendan's time in charge. Then there's the £9.5million they will get from the Virgil van Dijk sell-on clause after that and assuming we don't blow things domestically, then there's the Champions League money from later in the year. The thing about that is it is taking into account the supporters buying the three match package, should we get through the qualifiers. I have heard fans who go to the games home and away, start to question this and think that the money might be better in their pockets and watching the game for free in the pub. Brendan needs a goalkeeper, a central defender and a right back at the very least and everyone knows it. If he's not given the resources he may decide to let someone else have a go.

3. JAMES FORREST AND SCOTT BROWN. IN Ronny's last season when Griffiths scored 40 goals and basically carried the team to the finishing line, we wondered what would we do without super Leigh. This time around we are operating with Forrest and Brown consistently carrying the team, that's a little harsh on KT to we'll give him pass marks. As for the rest? We have more passengers this season than our bus to Pittodrie on Sunday and that's only due to the lack of tickets.

4. THOSE INJURIES. Our players after the 1998 World Cup returned and from France and Celtic really suffered for a while, we had a rotten season other than the 5-1 game when Lubo introduced himself. We had so many injuries that season and didn't Lubo play up from out of necessity? Anyway, this season after a summer break amounting to 2 or for the lucky ones 3 weeks – Scotland played England on 10 June and 6 of our players were involved. They reported back to Lennoxtown two weeks later. This season we have been falling like flies. Has anyone asked why?

5. THE WAY FORWARD. Everyone of us Celtic supporters want the very best for Celtic and we have supported the team 100%. However Brendan is a world class football manager and there are players in that squad who continually let him and us down on the bigger stages. They need to be replaced. Brendan made his mind up about numerous players in Ronny's squad when he arrived and they guys were shipped out one way or another. He now needs to do the same thing with the current squad and the Board need to give him the money that he needs to do the job. Brendan knows he's not got English Premier League money to play with at celtic and he has been happy with things – that, you sense is changing. He has adapted his ambitions to match Celtic's position in the game, now it's time for Celtic to adapt to match their manager's standing.

That was an article on a Celtic website and it's hard to disagree with it, i'm still quite angry from last nights games but as the article says "not surprising"

Good post Illdecide, I think young Ralston could be the next right back no bother, a goalkeeper is very much needed as is a fit, stong central defender, other than that Celtic are in good shape however they are naive in Europe away from home, bar the 3-0 Anderlecht result that is.

I am absolutely gobsmacked at so called fans clamouring for Rodgers to go, who the hell do they think they could get that could do anywhere close to the job he has done? They must have very short memories.

Rodgers has not put a foot wrong as Celtic manager apart from trying to play expansive football against the richest clubs on the planet, he drew with City twice in the CL, he has qualified for the CL twice and young players are flocking to the place to develop under him, yet the numpties want him out, unreal, maybe they could attract the likes of pedro or warburton or Brady to take over.

I hope they go out! I hope Sevilla got at them at sneak a win, somebody has to hold this clown accountable fornthe dirge he serves up, 0-0 is not a bad score away from home but you have to try

to score do you not?

The only way United will change is that they lose, and lose often, revenues go down and four year deal or not, this tube will be gone because as well as being the biggest club in the world, they are the most corporate club in the world and money is everything to the Glaziers.

Very good analysis by Denis Bradley

https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/denis-bradley-how-do-you-solve-a-problem-like-unionism-1.3398989

"The Rev John Dunlop, once moderator of the Presbyterian Church, wrote more than 20 years ago: "We are a people who live behind spiritual, political and ecclesiastical ramparts. We behave like batsmen facing hostile fast bowling on an uneven pitch: more concerned to survive than to win the match; playing for a draw at best; always defensive; seldom taking the initiative."

He also said at the time of the IRA ceasefire that the unionist community was not ready, prepared or happy with the beginning peace. He believed it was psychologically prepared to endure the violence rather than engage with republicans."

John Dunlop is a very astute man, and the unionist/loyalist parties sow fear and negativity to their constituents and they in turn, believe the lies and bile they are fed, perpetual negativity is the best they can hope for, how sad and ignorant is that!

He makes a terrible ham sandwich

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPB6LTWThH4

Only you Gab.

Very quiet here. It seems Jose's exit strategy is in full swing. Major row with Pogba and Jones after the Newcastle game it is alleged. Lose dressing room, get sacked (nice extension, thanks) and off to Paris to that shit show.

I wouldnt doubt it, after all PSG is his sons favourite club dont you know. 

Celtic getting a hard time from the ref here, and without brown St Johnstone aren't a bit afraid to try and kick us about

Over 20 fouls and about 20 more not given. No consistency allowed. 7 changes didn't help and only 2 or 3 clear chances. Thursday more important.

Ned, the league is far more important than a cup you are not going to win, the league gives you a double with only the cup to go, a handy draw in the quarters makes for an intense end of season run, I will never understand why people put so much stake in the Europa cup when you still have not won the domestic league yet.

From a Sligo perspective I could sense the over reaction to today before I made my way to the exit after the final whistle. I'm not quite that downbeat. Going in there today I thought it a tough ask against a team that is going very well. We've a few major players only just back in the fold and a lot of young lads getting blooded. In that context, being 3 points down heading into injury time was not too bad.

Big disappointment was our attacking play. Whatever plan we had simply didn't work but what we saw out there made no sense. Personally I felt it was a day to try a few long deliveries into Murphy and Hughes but instead we had Hughes and wing forward struggling with the Fermanagh number 5 and Murphy eventually drifting out the field. His point, Sligo's 4th, was an example of what could have worked but when we did have targets inside we were too slow either coming out from the back or deciding to play it in. This needs a lot of work. I think we need to be more direct and quicker and think it's within the group to improve hugely here. Would have liked to see more of Finian Cawley and Sean Carrabine. Was slightly surprised to see both them and McHugh subbed when they were but perhaps there were injuries or factors not obvious to me.

Positives? Defensively, we looked solid for the most part and tackled fairly and honestly. This builds on what I thought I'd seen in the Wexford game. Fermanagh were pretty impressive and fast getting the ball moved up the field but we got set up much quicker than against Wexford. We needed to as Fermanagh were dangerous inside with Jones and Quigley. Thought our FB line coped pretty well....McGuinness and Nicholson doing well again. Was great to see Adrian McIntyre back and he had a fine game. He lost a ball which looked tired but I wouldn't have taken him off. Had a huge influence for us especially when you consider he's only back. Also just brilliant to see Kevin McDonnell back. 3 games in a week for him.....great to see after all his injury woes. Liam Gaughan's cameo as a sub was extremely promising, he has massive potential. We're in a much better place numbers wise that we were at the start of the league.

For us it's about survival. The games look tough but we need to eke out a win or two and I just have a feeling that we will. A lot of work to be done though to bring about the improvement I think we can make.

Armagh got robbed in Sligo last year, absolutely robbed, I would love to see Armagh pound on ye but ya never know.

Apparently the FBI is now 4 people in a room who are somehow too busy investigating Russian interference in us elections to investigate crazy (literally) kids.

This is what we have come to. The next president is going to have some job unravelling this mess made by cronyism and self interest.

The next President will in fact be a crony and be self interested, its what they do!

It has to be done in stages. You can't get a seismic shift in gun control passed in the US, so it's pointless trying. Take it step by step. And surely the most obvious first stage is to stop the sale of automatic weapons. There is no reasonable argument for that. You would have to hope that this would have support by enough in the US to get through. If not, then I'm sorry stew, but the collectives calls for stupidity against the US have some grounding.
So remove these weapons first. Then move to review the license process and make it much more strict. As wobbler mentioned, then move to restrict ammunition. Then remove to look at hand guns etc. Peel it back slowly over many years if it has to be. But at least start the process now, don't kick the can down the road anymore.

Exactly.
Its not that  complicated.
Start with banning removing the weapons capable of doing the most damage, the assault rifles.
No one expects this to be done over night, it may take 20 years or more, but at least try!

So it is complicated, how can anything so simple take 20 years for just the first step?

I would love to see all of the above acted upon, who of us here wouldnt? That said there are a few fundamental flaws I have to point out.

Stopping the sale of Automatic weapons may, just may be achieveable, due to the NRA it probably wont happen, they have too many bent politicians in their back pockets.

Reviewing the Licensing process is badly needed however I refer you to my first point.

Restricting ammunition is a band aid, it will solve nothing, the ammo will be made underground, sold on and wont be a problem even if by some miracle leglislation was passed on this front.

looking to take their hand guns willbe used by the NRA as a mean to civil disobediance on an unprecedented scale, it will lead to anarchy and chaos, you have to bear in mind, these people grew up with guns, they know guns, they had them in racks in their pick up trucks, shit, three years ago I went up north to Michigan to play golf and not only did the other three have guns with them, but there was a gun rack in the back of the truck, it was weird to me them packing all that heat but they thought I was the irrational one when I mentioned I was uncomfortable with the weaponry, it is a cultural thing in America for Americans, we can never understand it but it does not make them thick, it makes them different, the yanks might be many things but thick they are not on the whole.

13 Russians charged by the Special Counsel's office today with meddling in the election

Good, let the truth come out regardless of who is implicated and from what side of the aisle they hail, the last thing America needs is another cover up, bring it on.

6pm start next Thursday. A chilly -7 over there this evening

Celtic teams are used to shit weather and the kit guys will have them all sorted, they will be fine, I think they will rue so many missed chances but all in all an excellent performance and I hope they make it through obviously, it will be tough.

There will be no worries about the weather. Zenit have a brand new stadium with a retractable roof, the world's most expensive stadium.

I highly doubt that!

13 Russians charged by the Special Counsel's office today with meddling in the election

Does this delegitimise the result??

Sorry I mean more than it has already been delegitimised?

And the President is??

You lot should be used to this after a certain Global warming expert ran and got fucked on hanging Chads!

Take your medicine like a man. )

[I could see a scenario were snowflakes like you sidley go knocking on doors demanding gun owners hand over their guns, I would watch in fascinated horror as your chest exploded with a 45 ripping through it and your mouth agape with that wtf expression before you expired, the fact you see this as a simple problem with a simple fix speaks volumes, in my scenario you would be missed sidley, truly missed, and this from a man who has no time for guns at all at all anymore, you are living in fantasy land kid and you know nothing about the gun control situation in America, absolutely nothing!]

A lot of people are talking about how there are no solutions to the problem of gun violence in America.

But then I overheard somebody on a bus say "they should ban guns".

I thought to myself, that sounds so obvious that it just might work!

You didnt think, thats the problem, you ban guns it gets worse, do you seriously think that banning guns will solve the problem? If so you are a biggr idiot than I took you for!

Yes mate, I think it would work way, way better than the current situation.

It's a very simple problem with a very simple solution, and only very simple people, like you, think otherwise.

Siddles, how much time have you spent in the States? If you think this is a simple problem you are the one that is simple, I just read about many police officers and servicemen who, when asked if they would go to peoples homes and take the guns from them, to a man/woman they said no, they would refuse ANY order to do so, so that makes things a tad complex, who is going to collect these guns? the liberal politicians? Hardly ked!

What is your simple solution sidley? Pray tell, I am all ears.

The fact is guns have been a part of American history since the beginning of American history and no way in hell will the gun ever be removed from American society, its not going to happen ever!!!!

I could see a scenario were snowflakes like you sidley go knocking on doors demanding gun owners hand over their guns, I would watch in fascinated horror as your chest exploded with a 45 ripping through it and your mouth agape with that wtf  expression before you expired, the fact you see this as a simple problem with a simple fix speaks volumes, in my scenario you would be missed sidley, truly missed, and this from a man who has no time for guns at all at all anymore, you are living in fantasy land kid and you know nothing about the gun control situation in America, absolutely nothing!

Police officers, Marines, Armay men etc will refuse en masse to take guns from the people, it will not happen.............Ever. Simple.

So exile, it is a simple fix as your mucker siddles infers?

Great movie by the way, you gotta love slim pickins!