Super_Ally

Ageed. I just think people often mistake a strong punch for a "flap" and like to attack our keepers whenever they decide that a decent punch is the best option. Therefore I was suprised that no one has commented on Alexander not making a couple of catches.

A show about the year '71 and they're discussing that? How'd they manage that tenuous link?

Whilst Alexander had a fairly quiet night and was rarely troubled I can't help but feel the usual "flapper" jibes would be out had McGregor played like that. Palmed one cross away and dropped another at his feet. No biggie, but then I think too much is made of McGregor punching balls away. Sometimes a punch is the best option.

You best answer Danny, Frankie, lest MF takes up his cause of demanding clarity on the issue of membership size!

Those who liked to bash Boyd with the "aye but half his goals are penalty kicks" comment, do you feel a wee bit daft each time someone else misses one? :devil: Not so easy as some think eh?

We will be huge favourites to win both the league and league cup now this season and are still in the Scottish Cup. The treble is a possibility. If we were to secure what would perhaps have seemed an unlikely treble given our financial predicament; if you think it's been fun to be a bear and laugh at timmy over the last 48 hours or so imagine what May would feel like should we pull it off. A lot of football to be played between now and then and I'm not saying it will happen, but it's looking possible. :spl::spl::spl:

Realised my error when in the commentary they mentioned we'd dominated this trophy. My bad. Good reason to keep it going then though.

Aye, don't agree with the calls for it to be at Tynecastle. Just not big enough.

It's been a good 24 hours for that, just didn't know if DMB was coming up with his own material.

Celtic have won this one more than us I believe, so I want us to win it. :spl:

I thought they moved from about 9/4 to 2/1. A minor change. Our odds eased a similarly small amount.

What jokes are these?

Both fair points mate. Forgot about Thomson's absence tbh. I think it's great to stick it to their mob atm when by their own thinking their supposed financial muscle should see them dominating. I bet they can't fathom how they are not far ahead never mind trailing badly. http://www.rangers.co.uk/page/tables/0,,5~20090124,00.html 4 points better off than we were last season when we won the league. Celtic being poor would not be the only reason we're doing well i'd suggest. Especially when you factor in how strong Hibs and United have been I think it shows domestically we've been very good.

Keane loan fee rumoured at �£1million.

I was trying to figure out what it was all about and donated a load of points to andrew_2010. Didn't make things any clearer though.

Last August, ArsÃ?¨ne Wenger cautioned against the typically British opinion that “In England, people think all problems can be sorted out by buying players”. Certainly, as Tony Mowbray and Celtic have discovered thus far, that is not always the case. As the third transfer window in succession closed without a new signing arriving at Ibrox the blue half of Glasgow cast envious glances across the city as the hordes of hooped horrors bared their behinds in our direction. The temporary signing of Robbie Keane, a man who has amassed Ã?£70million worth of transfer fees over his career, is undoubtedly a real coup for Celtic. A player of EPL pedigree should run amok in Scotland. But I’m not ready for jumping off the Kingston Bridge just yet. During the summer I wrote an article calling for calm amongst the support as stage one of the Mowbray revolution was underway. The point was made then, and is perhaps more appropriate now, that the reason for so much turnover at Celtic Park was due to their greater need. Walter Smith presided over a team of double winners whilst the new manager at Parkhead was tasked with rebuilding a team that could challenge for the title. The vast number of transfers in and out, in addition to a change of management, did not just demonstrate a financial strength currently unavailable to Smith. It was a clear indication of turmoil in the East End. First team stalwarts of previous seasons; Nakamura, Hesselink and Hartley were moved on as a number of fringe and youth players also exited Parkhead. 12 players left Celtic either permanently or on loan, with Darren O’Dea (now back at the club) among their number. At the same time 7 players were brought in, all to questionable success so far. Zaluska has rarely featured with Boruc number 1. Zheng Zhi had an Old Firm cameo that ended in defeat, whilst left-back Danny Fox has already returned to England. Young defender Josh Thompson has only featured due to a recent lack of viable alternatives whilst N’Guemo and more strikingly Fortune have yet to justify their fees. As I quoted in the summer article ArsÃ?¨ne Wenger is a firm believer that purchasing players is not the only way to develop and improve your team. Consistency of selection with a group of players who know and are willing to work for each other can be far more valuable than a high-profile transfer earning mega-bucks who could disrupt dressing room harmony. How will Keane’s team mates react to Celtic reportedly paying half of his Ã?£130,000 wages? The flurry of activity in this transfer window, like in the summer has further highlighted our lack of incoming business. During the summer, only Jerome Rothen arrived on loan whilst Barry Ferguson, Brahim Hemdani and Christian Dailly amongst the high profile departures. A large number of players left the squad, but the majority of the double winning squad were retained with the impact of those leaving questionable at best. I appealed for calm in the summer as just because Celtic were making a lot of moves, there was no guarantee of success. No one could judge how the signings would settle and it was not as if they were merely adding to an already strong unit. Only selling key players from the first team allowed to finance their summer spending spree, as has been the case this January. The effect of continuity is there for all to see. Despite a first team squad reduced to around 20-23 first team players, Walter Smith has led Rangers to a ten-point lead at the top of the SPL table. All this achieved despite a desperately unlucky run of injuries and suspensions. With Bougherra, Boyd, Miller, Edu, Beasley, Naismith, Mendes, Novo and Broadfoot all unavailable at various points in the season (and most of our star performers missing in January) many predicted our title challenge to falter as we started the new year. Instead, we extended our advantage at the top. There was no doubt an element of luck in coping without so many key players, but it is also testament to the character and collective will of the players who performed in their absence. We are undoubtedly a better unit with the likes of Bougherra, Boyd and Miller in particular are available. But we have the players to keep picking up the points when the first team is down to the bare bones. It is highly unlikely that we will contest the rest of the season with the number of players unavailable that we suffered through January. Bougherra, should he not lose himself or his passport, will be back for this weekend’s match and if he has aspirations to return to the EPL should relish the challenge of Robbie Keane when that arrives. Kenny Miller seems to have aggravated a long standing injury and may miss a few more games but should hopefully be available for the tougher upcoming fixtures. Kris Boyd should be playing bounce games next week ahead of a first team return and will look to renew his partnership with his international team mate. So we may not have strengthened the squad with new bodies, but we will have a host of the key players from earlier this year to bolster the squad that battled valiantly in January. The loss of Mendes weakens the squad but due to injury his contribution to developing a ten-point lead was minor. There is every reason for positivity in the ability of those who remain in spite of his absence. If the squad turnover at Celtic in the summer was a sign of turmoil, their January spend has done nothing to dispel that view. Summer signing Fox had already returned to England whilst Darren O’Dea, packed off down South on loan, has returned and already taken the captain’s armband (if temporarily) with McManus going out on loan... Hardly the sign of a manager with a clear vision for the future of his club. A further 12 players left the club last month, most notably the captain McManus, his centre back partner Caldwell, Barry Robson and top scorer Scott McDonald. These players have been replaced by South Korean Ki, Jos Hooiveld, Rasmussen and 3 loan signings in Keane, Diomansy Kamara and defender Braafheid from Bayern. With Celtic’s preference for masking their transfer business with undisclosed fees and using the press to augment their signings values by increasing their wages across the duration of the transfer it would take a more financially astute poster (visit our forum for our two accounting experts' views) to assess the impact of their transfer dealings and hence gain insight to their real financial standing. However, with the fact that the big name players have come in on loan and the departures of their top scorer, captain and first XI players it appears their incoming transfers have only been possible by flogging half their squad. Suggestions of financial strength appear wide of the mark. Having lost the title last year and missed out on the financial bounty of the Champions League, Celtic cannot afford to miss out again. Having fallen ten points behind after their match with Kilmarnock last night they have taken an enormous gamble by throwing money at expensive imports in an attempt to wrestle the title from our grasp. Should they fail their financial problems should become more apparent. The rumour that Dermot Desmond has put up the money to cover the cost of Robbie Keane’s expensive loan stay further supports this theory. As does Redknapp’s insistence on Sky Sports News that it is only a temporary move. Essentially, Celtic have not spent much money this transfer window to flex their financial muscle over Rangers. Mowbray has wheeled and dealed better than Del Boy Trotter, or even dodgy ‘Arry to manoeuvre his club into a position to attract big name players from down south. The suggestions out with Parkhead suggest falling attendances were a further motivating factor. Whilst bringing in EPL class strikers is most surely going to strengthen your squad, selling your top scorer, your captain, your first choice centre backs and your most effective combative midfielder does not. Celtic are not going from strength to strength. They are trying to resurrect the phoenix from the ashes of the last 18 months. By contrast, whilst we do not have the funds to bring in EPL squad players, we do not have to sell Boyd, Bougherra and Davis to try and turn round a misfiring squad. It is distinctly unlikely we will suffer the injuries and unavailability of player that we have over the first half (or so) of the season. A full strength Rangers in December was a ravenous beast - chewing up and spitting out the best the SPL had to offer out with the Old Firm. When our player of the year candidates return there is every reason to expect we will be strong enough to maintain our title advantage and secure a second consecutive title. The lack of continuity at Celtic is an unknown quantity that could backfire for Mowbray as he tries to rebuild a squad in January and the sensible money will be on Rangers retaining the SPL championship.

From a poster on FF:

Fuck me, he probably wouldn't expect this in the worst areas in the US. Disgusting animals. I've read they were causing mayhem in Kilmarnock too.

Ha ha. Fair point. They'll have one, whatever.

Well spotted (heard) that's absolutely cracking.

Hahahhahahaahhahaha

Aye, just checked that out. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/fixtures/default.stm

Tony the fourth and his fourth choice striker. :spl:

Ha ha. I like it. Would love Hibs to squeak into 2nd, even if only temporarily.