Celtic News: Season 2013-14

Results / Fixtures


July

UCL 2nd Q: Cliftonville 0-3 Celtic (Lustig, Samaras, Forrest) Assists: Commons 2, Stokes - Att: 5000
UCL 2nd Q: Celtic 2-0 Cliftonville (Ambrose, Samaras) Assists: Stokes, Commons - Att: 44,389
UCL 3rd Q: Celtic 1-0 Elfsborg (Commons) Assist: Izaguirre - Att: 40,153



August

Premiership: Celtic 2-1 Ross County (Stokes 2) Assist: Commons - Att: 45,705
UCL 3rd Q: Elfsborg 0-0 Celtic - Att: 9,040
Premiership: Aberdeen 0-2 Celtic (Commons, Forrest) Assists: Samaras, Ledley - Att: 20,017
UCL Play-Off: S.Karagandy 2-0 Celtic Att: 20,000
Premiership: Celtic 2-2 Inverness C.T (Mulgrew, Matthews) Assists: Izaguirre, Brown - Att: 45,160
UCL Play-Off: Celtic 3-0 S.Karagandy (Commons, Samaras, Forrest) Assists: Samaras, Lustig, Stokes - Att: 58,000
Premiership: Dundee Utd 0-1 Celtic (Stokes) Att: 10,586



September

Premiership: Hearts 1-3 Celtic (Commons, Stokes, Pukki) Assists: Stokes 2, Commons - Att: 15,982
Champions League: AC Milan 2-0 Celtic Att: 43,000
Premiership: Celtic 2-1 St Johnstone (Pukki, Mulgrew) Assist: Stokes 2 - Att: 45,220
League Cup: Celtic 0-1 Morton (AET) - Att- 16,998
Premiership: Kilmarnock 2-5 Celtic (Commons, Samaras 3, Baldè) Assist: Samaras Commons 2 Mulgrew Lustig - Att: 6,149



October

Champions League: Celtic 0-1 Barcelona Att: 60,000
Premiership: Celtic 2-0 Motherwell (Stokes, Commons) Assist:  Brown - Att: 46,608
Premiership: Hibernian 1-1 Celtic (Forrest) Att: 14,220
Champions League: Celtic 2-1 Ajax (Forrest, Kayal) Assist: Stokes, Samaras Att: 60,000
Premiership: Partick Thistle 1-2 Celtic (Samaras, Baldè) Assist Izaguirre 2 Att: 7,978



November

Premiership: Celtic 1-1 Dundee Utd (Mulgrew) Assist: Izaguirre Att: 47,386
Champions League: Ajax 1-0 Celtic Att: 52,058
Premiership: Ross County 1-4 Celtic (Van Dijk 2, Ledley 2) Assist: Izaguirre 2, Mulgrew, Fisher Att: 5,982
Premiership: Celtic 3-1 Aberdeen (Commons 2, Boerrigter) Att: 49,638
Champions League: Celtic 0-3 AC Milan Att: 60,000



December

Scottish Cup: Hearts 0-7 Celtic (Commons 3, Brown 2, Ledley , Lustig) Assist: Ledley 2, Mulgrew 2, Lustig Att: 10,636
Premiership: Motherwell 0-5 Celtic (Commons 2, Ambrose, Stokes, Atajic) Assist: Stokes 2, Mulgrew, Izaguirre, Pukki - Att: 9,117
Champions League: Barcelona 6-1 Celtic (Samaras) Assist: Commons
Premiership: Celtic 1-0 Hibs (Pukki) Assist: Ledley Att: 46,065
Premiership: Celtic 2-0 Hearts (Commons, Forrest) Assist: Brown, Samaras Att: 46,058
Premiership: St Johnstone 0-1 Celtic (Van Dijk) Att: 7,034
Premiership: Inverness C.T 0-1 Celtic (Commons) - Assist: Samaras Att: 6,384



January

Premiership: Celtic 1-0 Partick Thistle (Ledley) - Att: 52,670
Premiership: St Mirren 0-4 Celtic (Mulgrew, Stokes, Commons 2) - Assist: Matthews, Ledley, Izaguirre, Forrest Att: 5,778
Premiership: Celtic 3-0 Motherwell (Commons 2, McManus OG) - Assist: Stokes 2 - Att: 47,489
Premiership: Hibernian 0-4 Celtic (Commons 2, Van Dijk, Pukki) - Assist: Izaguirre, Pukki - Att: 12,542
Premiership: Celtic 4-0 Kilmarnock (Ledley, Ashcroft OG, Mulgrew, Baldè) - Assist: Forrest 2, Ledley, Commons - Att: 44,271



February

Premiership: Celtic 1-0 St Mirren (Commons) - Att: 45,014
Scottish Cup: Celtic 1-2 Aberdeen (Stokes) - Assit: Samaras Att: 30,413
Premiership: Celtic 3-0 St Johnstone (Stokes 3) - Assist: - Griffiths, Brown Att: - 45,239
Premiership: Hearts 0-2 Celtic (Griffiths, Pukki) - Assist: - Stokes, Baldè Att: 15,801
Premiership: Aberdeen 2-1 Celtic (Forrest) - Assist:- Brown Att: 16,638



March
Premiership: Celtic 5-0 Inverness C.T (Griffiths 3, Mulgrew, Commons) - Assist Izaguirre, Forrest 2, Commons Att: 46,552
Premiership: Kilmarnock 0-3 Celtic (Commons 3) - Assist: Griffiths, Matthews, Mulgrew Att: 7,495
Premiership: Celtic 3-0 St Mirren (Johansen, Griffiths, Stokes) - Assits:Griffiths, Stokes, Samaras Att: 46,538
Premiership: Partick Thistle 1-5 Celtic (Stokes 2, Henderson, Johansen, Commons) - Assists: Izaguirre, Johansen, Griffiths, Samaras 2 Att: 7,549
Premiership: Celtic 1-1 Ross County (Commons) -  Assist: Griffiths - Att: 49,270



April
Premiership: Dundee Utd 0-2 Celtic (Samaras, Stokes) - Assist: Commons - Att:11,033
Premiership: Motherwell 3-3 Celtic (Stokes, Samaras, Griffiths) - Assist: Brown, Stokes 2 - Att: 7,493
Premiership: Celtic 6-0 Inverness C.T (Stokes 3, Griffiths, Ambrose, Pukki) - Assist: Griffths 2, Johansen, Stokes, Commons 2 - Att: 45,712


May
Premiership: Celtic 5-2 Aberdeen (Brown 2, Stokes, Commons) - Assist: Matthews 2, Stokes, Kayal - Att: 47,468
Premiership: St Johnstone 3-3 Celtic (Commons, Pukki, Van Dijk) - Assist: Mulgrew, Brown - Att: 4,624
Premiership: Celtic 3-1 Dundee Utd (Stokes, Samaras, Commons) - Assist: Commons, Stokes - Att: 52,400




Goalscorers:

32 - Commons
21 - Stokes
20 - Griffiths (13 for Wolves)
11 - Samaras
7 - Forrest; Pukki
6 - Mulgrew
5 - Ledley; Van Dijk
4 - Ambrose; Brown
3 - Balde
2 - Lustig; Johansen
1 - Atajic; Matthews; Kayal; Boerrigter; Henderson




Assists:

18 - Stokes
15 -Commons
11 - Izaguirre
10 - Samaras
7 - Griffiths; Brown
5 - Forrest
4 - Ledley; Mulgrew
2 - Lustig; Matthews; Johansen
1 - Fisher; Pukki; Baldè






Man of the Match:

vs Cliftonville - Georgios Samaras
vs Cliftonville - Kelvin Wilson
vs Elfsborg - Kris Commons
vs Ross County - Anthony Stokes
vs Elfsborg - Mikeal Lustig
vs Aberdeen - Charlie Mulgrew
vs S.Karagandy - Kris Commoms
vs Inverness C.T - Tom Rogic
vs S.Karagandy - Kris Commons
vs Dundee Utd - Virgil Van Dijk
vs Hearts - Anthony Stokes
vs AC Milan - Adam Matthews
vs St Johnstone - Virgil Van Dyke
vs Kilmarnock - Georgios Samaras
vs Barcelona - Virgil Van Dijk
vs Motherwell - Kris Commons
vs Hibernian - James Forrest
vs Ajax - Virgil Van Dijk
vs Partick Thistle - Emilio Izaguirre
vs Dundee Utd - Anthony Stokes
vs Ajax - Mikeal Lustig
vs Ross County -Virgil Van Dijk
vs Aberdeen -Efe Ambrose
vs AC Milan -Emilio Izaguirre
vs Hearts - Kris Commons
vs Motherwell - Anthony Stokes
vs Barcelona - Fraser Forster
vs Hibs - Mikeal Lustig
vs Hearts - Kris Commons
vs St Johnstone - Virgil Van Dijk
vs Inverness C.T - Kris Commons
vs Partick Thistle - Joe Ledley
vs St Mirren - Kris Commons
vs Motherwell - Kris Commons
vs Hibernian - Virgil Van Dijk
vs Kilmarnock - Joe Ledley
vs St Mirren - Stefan Johansen
vs Aberdeen - Virgil Van Dijk
vs St Johnstone - Anthony Stokes
vs Hearts - Leigh Griffiths
vs Aberdeen - Nir Biton
vs Inverness C.T - Leigh Griffiths
vs Kilmarnock - Kris Commons
vs St Mirren - Anthony Stokes
vs Partick Thistle - Anthony Stokes
vs Ross County - Virgil Vam Dyke
vs Dundee Utd - Kris Commons
vs Motherwell - Anthony Stokes
vs Inverness C.T - Anthony Stokes
vs Aberdeen - Scott Brown
vs St Johnstone - Kris Commons
vs Dundee Utd - Anthony Stokes



Average League Attendance for Season 2013/14: 47,079 from 19 games (894,501)
Total Home Attendance for All Competitions in 2013/14: (1,264,454)
Average Home Attendance for the UEFA Champions League in 2013/14: 60,00 from 3 games (180,000)
Average Home Attendance for the UEFA Champions League Qualifiers in 2013/14: 47,514 from 3 games (142,542)

Appearances:

Player's Names	SPFL Premiership (Subs)/Goals	Champions League (subs)/Goals	Scottish FA Cup (Subs)/Goals	Scottish League Cup (Subs)/Goals	Total Appearances (Subs)/Goals
1. Fraser Forster	37	12	2	-	51
2. Adam Matthews	20 (2) / 1	4 (2)	(1)	1	25 (5) / 1
3. Emilio Izaguirre	34	10	2	-	46
4. Efe Ambrose	37 (1) / 3	11 / 1	2	1	51 (1) / 4
5. Virgil Van Dijk	35 (1)/ 5	7 (1)	2	1	45 (2) / 5
6. Nir Biton	9 (7)	1 (2)	1	1	12 (9)
8. Scott Brown	37 (1)/ 2	9	2 / 2	1	49 (1)/ 4
9. Georgios Samaras	10 (10) / 7	12 / 4	1	-	23 (10) / 11
10. Anthony Stokes	30 (3) / 20	8 (3)	2 / 1	(1)	40 (7) / 21
11. Derk Boerrigter	4 (10) / 1	2 (3)	(2)	1	7 (15) / 1
15. Kris Commons	32 (2) / 27	10 (1) / 2	2 / 2	(1)	44 (4) / 32
17. Amido Balde	3 (17) / 3	(3)	(1)	-	3 (21) / 3
18. Tom Rogic	1(2)	(3)	-	1	2 (5)
20. Teemu Pukki	13 (12) / 7	2 (3)	(1)	1	16 (16) / 7
21. Charlie Mulrew	27 (1) / 6	8 (2)	1	1	37 (3) / 6
22. Steven Mouyokolo	1	1	-	-	2
23. Mikeal Lustig	9 (7)	12 / 1	1 / 1	1	23 (7) / 2
24. Lukas Zaluska	1	-	-	1	2
25. Stefan Johansen	13 (3) / 2	-	1	-	14 (3) / 2
28. Leigh Griffiths	11 (2) / 7	-	(1)	-	11 (3) / 7
32. Tony Watt	1 (1)	(1)	-	-	1 (2)
33. Beram Kayal	7 (6)	6 (1) / 1	-	-	13 (7) / 1
37. Bahrudin Atajic	(3) / 1	-	-	-	(3) / 1
41. Darnel Fisher	10 (2)	-	(1)	-	10 (3)
46. Dylan McGeouch	(1)	(1)	-	1	1 (2)
49. James Forrest	10 (6) / 4	10 (1)/ 3	1	-	21 (7) / 7
53. Liam Henderson	4 (4) / 1	-	-	-	4 (4) / 1
56. Filip Twardzik	1	-	-	-	1
Players On Loan
18. Tom Rogic - Melbourne Victory	7 (1)	3	-	-	10 (1)
32. Tony Watt - Lierse	8 (8) / 8	-	(1) / 1	-	8 (9) / 9
37. Bahrudin Atajic - Shrewsbury	3 (10)	-	-	-	3 (10)
42. Callum McGregor - Notts County	32 (5) / 12	- [	-	2 / 1	34 (5) / 14
46. Dylan McGeouch - Coventry	(8)	(8)	-	-	(8)
Players Sold
Joe Ledley	18 (2) / 4	4 (4)	1 / 1	-	23 (6) / 5
Kelvin Wilson	-	4	-	-	4
Gary Hooper	-	(1)	-	-	(1)

I thought Celtic put in a very professional performance last night, we were on a hiding to nothing, expected to win but went there and produced a display you'd expect from a club with realistic ambitions to make the Champions League group stage proper

Game was quite lively, the atmosphere was electric as you'd expect 3 away goals, clean sheet and hit the woodwork 3 times, im happy enough with that.

The squad does need strengthened though, Hooper will leave soon enough and that leaves us with a squad of 21 players with first team experiance although McGeouch as highly as I rate him looks like he'll struggle to establish himself in the team so that leaves 20 players and im not completely sold on the merits of Amido Balde

I've got a horrible feeling Kevin Doyle will be signed to replace Hooper although I'll hold out hope for Charlie Austin

Team last night

Forster
Lustig Ambrose Wilson Izaguirre
Brown Kayal
Commons Samaras Forrest
Stokes

I see watt came on as a sub last nite. Do you see him getting more games this season with hooper looking likely to leave soon?

You'd have to hope so dont you? I thought he would have been a cert to get more game time in the 2nd half of the season but he got less...

I read over the weekend that there is plans to loan him and McGeouch out, I dont know about Watt but it would be good for McGeouch as he jusy doesnt get enough minutes on the pitch.

I'd heard rumours of Tony Tony Watt being a bit unprofessional since 'that' goal.

I'd say my view on a Kevin Doyle would all depend on his price. Cheap enough then I'd take him. He has a very high work rate and would score in Scotland. I used to really like him but I'm not as fold as I once was anymore. Do like Charlie Austin though.

Thought Kayal looked like his old self last night and there has never been a player that has made me change my mind like Sammy.

I heard all the rumours about Tony Watt, my mrs stays in Cumnock and shes related to James Forrest through marriage, we were at a family party a few months ago and I was speaking to James, he was asking me if I go on forums and twitter and stuff and askes me what I heard about Watt, I told him what the rumours were and Forrest laughed and said it was all bull, he said there isnt a more shy lad in the squad than Watt and he apparently goes training with the U19s after the full time squad finish

Good lad then Tony! Want to see the young fellas get a bit of a run this year.

I've got no idea why he was held back though, Forrest did say the manager is known to do that with younger guys after their initial burst onto the scene and said the same thing happened with him

I don't get it myself. Same with McGeouch. Be interesting to see Rogic too. Maybe he doesn't wanna overexpose them but I always think the more football the better

Fergie used to take giggs off at half time in games and only play him every other week etc.

Method to the madness some times.

So is that where he got the time to ride like a rabbit?

Not much in the media I see about pro-IRA chanting from the always disgusting Celtic fans. Shameful.

Cgo elsewhere to get your bites, Duty.

 

I'm just saying. There was plenty of pro-IRA chanting during yesterday's game, but very little mention of it in the media.

In Ireland? You're joking? Clifton illegal are a traditionally nationalist club too so saying its Celtic fans is baseless thus far. Not saying there wasn't mind you.

Looking forward to getting back to the football tonight but in true Scottish form the record breaking weather has disappeared and it felt like the middle of winter this morning when I woke up...wind cold and rain

Talk this morning that Gary Hooper might play, id not be surprised by this, I've felt for a while that Hooper wont be sold until near the end of the window unless we get a bid of £5m+ for him before then, unless we do I felt Celtic would hold onto him to give them as good a chance as possible of qualifying for the Champions League.

Would I play Hooper? I love him, hes the best striker we've had since Larsson but i think its probably better to use this opportunity to allow Stokes and Balde an opportunity to form some kind of playing relationship.

Team I'd play tonight would be

Forster
Lustig Ambrose Wilson Izaguirre
Commons Brown Kayal Forrest
Stokes Balde

Infact I'd rather see Steven Mouyokolo and Charlie Mulgrew as CBs if both are fit

I'd have Chuck and Kelvin at CB if mulgrew's fit.

No harm in Hooper playing as it doesn't look like he's going to be going anywhere playing Euro football so no chance of getting cup tied.

Do you really think Hooper is the best since Henrik? I do like him and he's done great the last 3 seasons but Hartson and Sutty are better and quality wise we've had a few better on loan.

Yeah I believe hes the best we've had, Hartson had the one very good season after Larsson left and Sutton was never the same player after Larsson left, his goals and assist rate for me put Hooper above both, hes got a goals and assist rate of 0.89 per game for his entire time at Celtic...82 goals in 127 games, Old Firm Goals, CL Qualifying goals, Champions League Goals, Europa League goals, Cup Final goals...for me he has more than proved he's a big game player and his consistantly risen to the challenge, I'd be tempted to say Robbie Keane and Craig Bellamy were the best since Henrik but short bursts of 4 months or so dont stand up to 3 years of consistancy in my opinion.

I cant stand Kelvin Wilson to be honest, if we got a bid remotely acceptable i'd drice him to the Airport myself, I don't like him and Mulgrew together either, I feel they're both too similar with Wilson being the poorer version and I also think Wilson is more comfortable on the left hand side of Central Defence which he can't play if Mulgrew is in the team

Ye I was thinking of Keane and Bellamy myself. Maybe I've idolised Sutton and Hartson a bit as they're the strikers I remember from my early teens after Henrik. Hooper has been exceptional and I suppose you don't know what you've got till its gone.

I didn't like Wilson to begin with but he won me round and has turned into a solid defender. Mulgrew is the best defender in the squad. Who'd have thought we'd be saying that when he went to Aberdeen?

Guys do you think Hooper will end up at Norwich?

I think he will

It looks like it olly. He'll do a very good job for you and will get goals no matter what league.

Yeah there are some Norwich fans who don't want him, I'd be more than happy for him to come here. Scored goals in the lower leagues, Scotland, and in Europe.

No guarantee he'd do the same here, but I think he'd be a good option to have

He's a goal scorer he will get goals for you. That's one thing I'm sure of. One problem I do have with him is he can tend to be a bit lazy at times. Obviously there will need to be chances created by the likes of Hoolahan but he will put them away v

I dont really buy into the whole Hooper being lazy myth, I used to hate it when John Hartson got called it too, I'm not to sure Hooper will go to Norwich, he might but I feel if thats the move he really wanted he'd be gone by now, I think he's waiting to see if any so called bigger clubs or London clubs come in for him.

He can look lazy at times but Kenny Dalglish was the master of that art, sometimes standing still can get you more space than running around, at the end of the day though he's a goal machine and also has a ridiculously high amount of assists too.

The most annoying thing about the whole Hooper situation is that he genuinely is happy at Celtic but with our wage structure and guys he grew up with like Andy Carroll who hasnt had a better or more successful career than him on £100,000 a week then its no wonder he wants a piece of that pie, he wants £30k p/w to sign a new deal, our top earner is on £25k and that in itself is an anomaly due to a historic contract that is outwith our comfort zone now

Another professional display. I do love Sammy now and will eat a massive slice of humble pie over my old thoughts of him.

The Hooper lazy thing is a perception I picked up last year. He just didn't look to be working as hard as he did in his first year or so to me. Obviously he works hard when we have the ball and we need him at his most energetic but I just got the impression in a few a euro games that he was saving his energy when the rest of the team were busting their balls to pressurise and close down the opposition.

I get what you mean, I wasn't always happy with him last season either truth be told but I just think I was over analysing the boy coz the whole team in SPL terms majorly under performed from the previous two campaigns they went through yet to be fair he became only the second guy since Henrik Larsson to get over 30 goals in a season

I enjoyed the game tonight, the park looks incredible, funny seeing the closed off section but thought there was a good atmosphere, we played at a good tempo and our passing was good, all those constant long range shots began to annoy me though, instead of looking for the killer pass we resorted to long shots...good work out though, Kelvin Wilson was my man of the match

Team from tonight

Forster
Lustig Ambrose Wilson Izaguirre
Brown (c) Kayal
Forrest Commons Samaras
Stokes

Norwich and QPR bids accepted. Who's the replacement?

Celtic accepted a bid from QPR last week from what I heard, Hooper wasnt overly sold on going back to the Championship, Norwich matched it last night

Replacements? Unfortunately I think its going to be Kevin Doyle...don't like him don't rate him and don't want him

If its Kevin Doyle then I'd expect another goal scorer.

I heard the same about the QPR/Hooper stuff, that he always prefered us. Seems QPR forced our hands a little, don't think we really wanted to go as high as what we have

Surely you should go for a younger option?

I'd be thinking the same myself Olly but we need quality. Stokes is a 20+ goal a season in the SPL but in Europe I don't know where the goals will come from.

Im really hoping we go for Charlie Austin now, aLennon has liked him for 18 months now, could be the step up he needs

With regards to Hooper, I heard and im not sure how true it is his reps were expecting a bid from West Ham and that would have been his preferred move, im gutted about losing Hooper, I hope he does good things with Norwich though this season

Hooper has just passed his medical, this should be tied up tomorrow, sooner the better now so we can get the mighty Kevin Doyle in to replace him...probably give him the #7 jersey too

I used to be a fan of Doyle but he's done nothing since joining Wolves and i hope if he joins he can get back some of his old form but even if he does, he has never and will never score a lot if goals. We need a finisher!

The Boss wrote:Norwich and QPR bids accepted. Who's the replacement?

Just gonna throw this one out there.

What would you say to getting Darren Bent.
Only a matter of time before he leaves us.

I've got absolutely no time what so ever for strikers who aren't goalscorers, we're Celtic, any regular striker should be threatening the 20 goal mark in a bad season, look at the past 15 years, whether we blow big money on proven talent like Sutton or Hartson or have a gamble on a goalscorer like Pierre Van Hooijdonk or just sign SPL goalscorers who proved their more than a one season wonder like Stokes or McDonald, they all scored goals because they where all goal scorers but when we sign players who aren't renowned for their scoring then they dont generally start banging them in when they've got a Celtic shirt on
.....Kenny Miller, Samaras (as a striker still way off) Fortune, Ramussen, Murphy, Bangura, Lassad, Miku

Its not rocket science, sign goalscorers and they'll generally score us goals, sign strikers who dont score goals and we wont score goals....


Im hopeful we'll sign a good striker with a hunger for goals...

westisbest wrote:

The Boss wrote:Norwich and QPR bids accepted. Who's the replacement?

Just gonna throw this one out there.

What would you say to getting Darren Bent.
Only a matter of time before he leaves us.

I'd absolutely love Darren Bent, doubt he'll walk away from £70k per week for £20k though unless Villa gave him a sweetner

Heard whispers we were after Barry Bannan though

Probably Billy Sharp or the like from the Championship.

0 incentive for Bent to go up north.

Charlie  Austin would be great, long time target for the manager...as for Darren Bent, as already said, he doesnt fit into our wage structure, the only 'incentive' he'd have for coming here would be to play Champions League football but we wont find that out until the end of August at the earliest

Kay Fabe wrote:

westisbest wrote:

The Boss wrote:Norwich and QPR bids accepted. Who's the replacement?

Just gonna throw this one out there.

What would you say to getting Darren Bent.
Only a matter of time before he leaves us.

I'd absolutely love Darren Bent, doubt he'll walk away from £70k per week for £20k though unless Villa gave him a sweetner

Heard whispers we were after Barry Bannan though

 
Mate you can have Bannan.
Heard a rumour Blackburn are after him.
He can go anywhere, as long as he goes. Poor.
Used to be ok, got worse last season or 2.

Charlie Austin or Billy Sharp most likely. banyan looked a goodun in his 1st couple of years but he's stalled big time. Has he not got himself in a bit of bother as well?

He got done for drink driving a while ago.
 
He's not up to it in the premiership.
As i said, think Blackburn linked with him.
Think they just got rid of a midfielder.
 
Championship/league 1 is more his standard.

I think Bannan is a really intelligent footballer but by all accounts has lost hisnway down at Villa, we're crying out for a playmaker and if he can screw the nut I think he'd be a very decent signing for Celtic, great touch, excellent vision and likes a pass, he'd need to improve big time though, Celtic like a project tho so this one does make sense

Boss i'd love Austin, think we could help him do a Hooper up here, im not so sure on Billy Sharp, scored goals everywhere but he seems to have found his level, I do think he'd score goals up here though but Celtic are about improving players Nd selling them on so dont know if he'd fit the bill

Anyone at the game yesterday? I didn't bother going, can't be arsed with friendlies, used to love Pre Season friendlies when I was younger but now not so much.


Heard we gave a good few kids a run out, the lad whose name escapes me that played right back was meant to be excellent, good to see Stokes get a goal, hopefully he motors on now, no idea if Van Dijk or Mouyokolo played, heard Mulgrew, Ledley and Matthews were in the squad which is good news ahead of Elfsborg on Wednesday

Celtic strongly linked with Ajax left midfielder Derk Boerrigter, talk of a £2.2m deal aleady agreed and he's due in Glasgow for a medical tomorrow, Celtic have until midnight on Tuesday to sign players for the CL Qualifier with Elfsborg.

Celtic are also reported to have bid for Alfred Finnbogason, I didnt think this one had many legs but the lad himself just tweeted that he loves listening to good music while going to sleep and tweeted a link to You'll Never Walk Alone, seems a very cheeky tweet considering Celtic have suddenly been credited with a link.

He'd be an outstanding signing but it just seems to good to be true although the fee is rumoured to be around £4.5m

I heard the rumours yesterday too. He could be on the wind up but you never know. When was the last time Celtic spent 5m on a player?

Been a while hasnt it? We spent £4.4m on Scott Brown in 2007 butbthink you'd have to go back to John Hartson in 2001 for that kind of outlay

Think he might be at the wind up but hearing we're als meant to be looking at Jelle Vossen from Genk and he's valed around £6m

The Cynic in me thinks we could gonafter these guys with nonreal hope of getting thembthen end up with Kevin Doyle and Billy Sharp with the club pedeling to the fans that we went after bigger value names

Ye that wouldn't surprise me at all. I have allowed myself to get a wee bit of hope built up here. Although when was the last time Zceltic got near 20 million in over a summer.

Dutch news outlet has quoted Finnbogason today as saying he'd be open to a move to Celtic, still dont want to let myself believe it just yet.

Apparently we're looking at Abdisalam Ibrahim as well, 22 year old kid just freed by Man City, was once touted as the next Patrick Vieira,  apparently Celtic have been monotoring him for a while, could fill the void Wanyama left.

Just bought my ticket for the game tomorrow, £20...hoping we've got a big crowd tomorrow, hoping for 50k+...hate how these early games are probably our most important of the season, hoping for a 2/3-0 but wouldn't be surprised if we lost a goal