SPL Discussion Thread

[Poor Student]

very good at judging a sliding tackle

Well I wouldn't say that. Some of the tackles he pulls off are absolutely excellent but some are frightningly devestating. One way or another he commits his massive frame to any tackle he makes.

[RogerMilla]

i think sno will eventually replace lennon but they are far too similar to put them in the same team , sno is only young and already we have seen this season what he can do ,
i love balde but caldwell would certainly be my preference to partner mcmanus
eirebhoy , i too am happy with gravesen so far , he imposes his personality in a way the often diffident petrov does not , but he has a way to go to make as big a mark in the hoops as petrov did.
all in all the makings of a great team here
roll on the january signings!
sure there will always be a du wei or a virgo in any batch of signings from any manager

[eirebhoy]

A couple of articles on Nakamura:
http://www.theherald.co.uk/sport/75089.html
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article...467164,00.html

btw - here's the goal I was talking about earlier:
http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?...85066&q=celtic

pretty much identical.

[drinkfeckarse]

Strachan will primarily be on the lookout for quality players who are ready for the first team and who won't be cup-tied for the Champions League.

I think Scott Brown and Thomson could be arriving in January and I'd prefer if he went for them rather than Tymoshuck. I do rate the guy but I think it's important to have a Scottish backbone in the team and Brown and Thomson have what it takes to compete at a high level.

You would also get the 2 of them for the same price as Tymoshuck.

[eirebhoy]

I think Brown and Thomson have an excellent partnership but a Tymoschuk type player would improve the team much more imo. At the moment Celtic are pretty lost against decent teams. Lennon hasn't got a great range of passing. Tymoschuk would start off plenty of attacks just with his 40 yard passes out to the wing or lobbed balls up to Vennegoor.

I wouldn't say no to Brown and Thomson though.

[OwlsFan]

Anti-Irish football claims by MSP

Dennis Canavan wants action taken against clubs if necessary
MSP Dennis Canavan has hit out at Scotland's football authorities for allowing anti-Irish racism to thrive.

Canavan, Independent MSP for Falkirk West, told the Scottish Parliament: "Is it not a national scandal?

"That for many years in Scotland the Scottish football authorities turned a blind eye to anti-Irish racism in Scottish football.

"And it was not until Uefa took action that certain people were brought to their senses."

Rangers were fined last season for sectarian chants during Uefa Cup ties against Villarreal.

And Uefa has since been monitoring matches involving the Glasgow club and city rivals Celtic.

Canavan asked the Lord Advocate to urge the football authorities to take "strict disciplinary action against any guilty players, or supporters, or, if necessary, clubs to stamp out all forms of racism and sectarianism, which should not be tolerated in multi-cultural, multi-ethnic Scotland". There has been a very major change in culture in Scotland regarding this matter.

Lord Advocate Elish Angiolini stressed that the sectarian issue was being widely discussed.

She pointed out that chief constables had been given increased powers to deal with sectarian behaviour.

"There has been a very major change in culture in Scotland regarding this matter over the last few years," she said, adding that it was being treated with "utmost seriousness" by chief constables.

The exchange followed a question about alleged racism against Dan Gerrard, who plays for East of Scotland League side Spartans, for whom Canavan once played.

The Lord Advocate advised Canavan's fellow Independent MSP, Margo MacDonald, to write to her about the case and that the details would be passed to the appropriate procurator fiscal.

MacDonald had said: "I have no wish to see the long arm of the law moving into sporting arenas because I believe that the sporting bodies themselves should police anti-racism inside their own arenas."

However, she said that "the Scottish Football Association on this occasion declined to pursue the matter" despite witnesses to racial abuse directed at her constituent.

SFA chief executive David Taylor this month promised to re-examine the case.

[Poor Student]

OwlsFan, if you read the rules you'll notice discussion of such matters isn't allowed in this thread.

[Kerry Blue]

I can't believe that Hibs let their 2 goal lead slip yesterday. That's too many times now that points have been lost by conceding late goals. It's something that John Collins will need to sort out if the Hibees hope to finish near the top of the SPL. One other point. I can't believe that Bobo Balde wasn't sent off yesterday. How many times can a player commit fouls after being booked without getting another yellow. I counted at least 4! And most of those fouls were when he tackled from behind.

[Hibs4Ever]

I can't believe that Hibs let their 2 goal lead slip yesterday. That's too many times now that points have been lost by conceding late goals. It's something that John Collins will need to sort out if the Hibees hope to finish near the top of the SPL. One other point. I can't believe that Bobo Balde wasn't sent off yesterday. How many times can a player commit fouls after being booked without getting another yellow. I counted at least 4! And most of those fouls were when he tackled from behind.

Collins IS getting things together. We played Celtic off the ppark up til Sno scored. Even Zibi is playing with more confidence. Collins is still unbeaten so will have to wait and see. Hopefully celtic beat Aberdeen on Saturday and we get result against Arabs. Balde statying on the pitch was a disgrace, but something we've gotten use to with SPL referees.

GGTTH

[OwlsFan]

OwlsFan, if you read the rules you'll notice discussion of such matters isn't allowed in this thread.

Sorry about that

Enjoyed the Hibs vs Celtic game far more than the much hyped Man U vs Chelsea game. Was impressed with Hibs and I suspect it won't, with all due respect to Hibs, be long before Sproule goes on to one of the bigger clubs. Looks a decent player.

Not impressed with Nakamura - loses possession a lot. Is he a sort of current day Beckham? Only worth having in the team for free kicks. Maloney was once again ineffective. I think he is overrated by Celtic fans. McGeady did well when he came on.

[geysir]

:One other point. I can't believe that Bobo Balde wasn't sent off yesterday. How many times can a player commit fouls after being booked without getting another yellow. I counted at least 4! And most of those fouls were when he tackled from behind.

You have to suspend disbelief when matters of Bobo's performance are dissected. Normal laws do not apply.
.

[drinkfeckarse]

Sorry about that


Not impressed with Nakamura - loses possession a lot. Is he a sort of current day Beckham? Only worth having in the team for free kicks. Maloney was once again ineffective. I think he is overrated by Celtic fans. McGeady did well when he came on.

Don't let eirebhoy hear you say that! Very important player for the team but a frustrating one for me personally. Always on the fringes of the game IMO. Lovely flicks and passes but if I was his manager I'd expect him to be more directly involved. Someone with his talent should be dominating games rather than showing it in fits and bursts.

[eirebhoy]

Not impressed with Nakamura - lost possession a lot.

Changed that for you. Nakamura at home is world class, I'm really not joking. :-) The difference between Naka at home and away is the difference between night and day. He is a world class passer, really intelligient, dominates home games and probably only Lennon gets more of the ball than him. He's also the most respected player in the team and if there was a vote today within the squad for Celtic's best player he'd come out on top by some margin.

Strachan said last season that he's the most technically gifted player he has played with or coached. Some praise from an ex-teammate of Cantona. He has proven himself on the international stage and was regarded as the best player at last year's confederations cup, along with Riquelme, getting motm against Brazil and Greece.

He is poor in the majority of away matches. I don't know the reason for that but I'd say there's plenty of top class La Liga players that would struggle in grounds like Caley Park.

Have a look at these video's:
vs Killie
vs Hibs

He has his tricks:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1auktvxJVsk
but the reason I like him is probably the same reason Andy Reid is now my favourite player. They're passing ability and intelligience.

Ok, they're only clips but that is Naka in 90% of home games. He is a joy to watch and he's not my favourite player for no reason. He probably scored or set up more than 50% of Celtic's goals this season but he's not just about goals. If there were more players on his wavelength Celtic would cut any team open. This is exactly the type of play you like to see away from home with Naka at the heart of it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u08DCQT0LWE

It's frustrating for me having to back Naka up, probably because Celtic's home games aren't televised. We'll see how valuable Naka is when he's out of the team. I think Celtic would be half the team without him. Anyway, we do a vote after every game on a Celtic forum with 3 points for the best player, 2 for 2nd and 1 for 3rd. Naka is top.

Also, I presume you're only really watching SPL this season? Maloney isn't having the best of seasons. In fact he's had more bad games this season than the entire of last season. Nobody would argue that he deserved the SPL player and young poty last season though. I've no doubt he'll be back to his best again but he has to sort this contract situation out. Seriously, Celtic fans are no worse judges than anybody. Maloney is deserving of every bit of credit he gets.

Try your best to watch or even download Saturday's match against Aberdeeen to see the real Nakamura.

[Hibs4Ever]

Sorry about that

Enjoyed the Hibs vs Celtic game far more than the much hyped Man U vs Chelsea game. Was impressed with Hibs and I suspect it won't, with all due respect to Hibs, be long before Sproule goes on to one of the bigger clubs. Looks a decent player.

Not impressed with Nakamura - loses possession a lot. Is he a sort of current day Beckham? Only worth having in the team for free kicks. Maloney was once again ineffective. I think he is overrated by Celtic fans. McGeady did well when he came on.

A recent interview with Sproule:

"I have a lot of respect for Hibs, for the fans and for everyone associated with the club.
At the end of the day, we all aspire to bigger things in our lives but one thing I can truly say from my heart is if I never kick a ball for one of these bigger clubs I would be delighted to stay with Hibs for the rest of my career.
That's how highly I regard this club."

Ivan Sproule

[drinkfeckarse]

He is poor in the majority of away matches.

For that reason alone you cannot class him as World Class.

[eirebhoy]

For that reason alone you cannot class him as World Class.

I said Nakamura at home is world class. If Nakamura joined Seville when they enquired about him in the summer he'd be doing it consistantly at home and away as he's much more suited to the Spanish game. Even in Italy he was captain of Reggina when he can't even speak Italian and certainly wouldn't be regarded as captain material.

Out of interest, do you watch Celtic home games? My mate thinks I really overrate Naka but he only gets to see whatever is on Setanta, Sky or RTE. He was again a joy to watch against Inverness before the Man U game.

Liam Brady and Ruud Gullit say he's a genius, I certainly think he is. Strachan definitely regards him as Celtic's best player by far and he's not bad a judge. If only he had a Roy Keane mentality he'd be taking the world by storm.

[drinkfeckarse]

Out of interest, do you watch Celtic home games? My mate thinks I really overrate Naka but he only gets to see whatever is on Setanta, Sky or RTE. He was again a joy to watch against Inverness before the Man U game.

Tbh eirebhoy I don't get up as much as I used to due to the fact I play myself on Saturdays and really only watch the highlights on Scotsport on a Monday night. I'll only go to a handful of games per season.

My friends all go up though and are heavily involved in the local CSC and while they would agree he can be a class act I'm not sure that they would rate him as highly as yourself. I could be wrong though as I've never had a real in-depth discussion about him with them.

Do you go to the home games? I won't disagree though that someone who goes to the games will be able to judge a player better than one who views the games on the box.

[eirebhoy]

I don't go to many games at all. Average about 4 home games a year. I've seen pretty much every game bar 2 or 3 over the last couple of years though and Naka is pretty much now guaranteed to have an excellent game when playing at home. He does have his off days at home, as everyone does, and in the most recent game against Man Utd he was poor.

[eirebhoy]

Was impressed with Hibs and I suspect it won't, with all due respect to Hibs, be long before Sproule goes on to one of the bigger clubs. Looks a decent player.

I don't think Sproule is good enough for a top team tbh but he seems to be in top form atm. You have to ask though, with the likes of Thomson, Brown, Zemmama, Beuzelin in Hibs' midfield how are they not cemented in 2nd place in the SPL at least? Killen also seems to know where the goal is. The 2 centre halves can't be the greatest in the world while the keeper is a bit dodgy. Is that where the problem is?

[Hibs4Ever]

Our keeper has been playing really well since Collins came along, he's much more confident, but I still think he won't be with us next season.

We have a new centre back pairing of Jones and Martis. Jones is class, and its only a matter of time til the partnership is at its best.

Our midfield IMO is the best in the league


We're definitely good enough to finish 2nd, and IMO we are better than Rangers, Aberdeen or Hearts.