The Scotland team was announced today, and as most of us half expected, James Forrest got the call. So did Tony Ralston and Greg Taylor. Callum McGregor, obviously, will also be in the side. This is not the final squad, it’s the provisional one, but I suspect Taylor, Forrest and McGregor will be in the last one.
Only Ralston looks like he might miss out on it.
This is good for our players and our club. But look, I dislike tournament summers and especially those where we’ve got key players taking part. When I look at the players we’ll have away, it’s better than if this was a World Cup year, but I hardly think it’s ideal.
A restful summer is what every player wants after a long season like the one we’re coming out of.
The positive thing is that even when the Euros are over, Celtic players will get some downtime. This was an advantage to us last year, but one tempered by the change of manager. This season the Champions League is more lucrative than ever … and the road to getting there is going to be tough for those clubs who have to play qualifying games.
Ibrox faces two qualifying rounds to get there. Four games, before the season even kicks off. Four games in which they have to be ready, and they need much of their team already in place. I wrote earlier about the early signings; it’s pretty hilarious to be honest.
But this is the bind they are in. They have no choice but to do business now, before they know what cash is available, because they need the bare bones of a squad if they want to have any chance of grabbing that money. It will be rushed.
There will be a whiff of desperation about it, and in particular because Clement needs to get off to a good start if we win the cup final at the weekend. If he doesn’t, if he goes out, then the trouble at that club will erupt full-scale.
They are guaranteed an exciting time of it either way, especially when he is talking about introducing a new medical regime and demanding that the players be fitter than they’ve ever been. Even if it does them some good in the medium term, this is not the ideal close-season in which to be implementing a radical departure like that.
He needs time to put that in place … and he won’t get it.
Celtic’s biggest advantage this summer might be the time and space to get our own plans in place, and to give the players some time off before they get back to pre-season training.
These aren’t small matters; if we get the right players in, in a timely fashion, we can hit the ground running whilst their club is still trying to get its feet under them, and with their manager almost certain to be under scrutiny before a ball is even kicked.
With their new signings all being judged on the harsh Ibrox fan timeline, this could be hilarious to witness.
Not a great Scotland supporter but if he’s cutting 2 players out, it has to be 2 of the goalkeepers surely? He’s picked 4 goalkeepers for probably 3 games? 2 goalkeepers is enough, even if Scotland escape the group.
No only 1 GK will be dropped. EVERY country takes three GKs for obvious reasons – if your No 1 one gets injured then the 2nd choice plays and the 3rd choice is cover for the 2nd choice getting injured or more likely being sent off during a game – you don’t risk putting a non GK in as a sub. Even when it was 22man squads every country took 3 GKs….
What about America?
Are we not going now?
Vile and outdated, if it was marches against another colour or creed they wouldn’t see the light of day ever again.
But as it’s open season once again for openly visible and audable hatred and bias against Catholics everyone is expected to accept these heinous abominations on the streets of glasgow , ….thought they had just passed the new hate crime bill , well, I’ll assume the police are going to be very -very busy indeed. Whoever signed off on this should hang their head in shame, you are not fit for office you deplorable piece of shite.
I was wondering what you were referring to i then seen the article you meant this comment for, as for your comment i agree with every single word, maybe the one good thing to come from this hate crime bill would be the abolition of these hate marches.
“If we get the right players in, in a timely fasion…” “if” is the key word here. Our board has shown time and again that they struggle to get the right players signed, and the signing process moves at a glacial pace! Hopefully BR will be all over it now. On another matter, I think that CalMac will hang up his International boots after the Euro’s. I think he’ll want to end his Scotland career on a high, and then focus on Celtic. Hope I’m right, those International breaks could be perfect for him to recharge.
It’s probably the last thing that Cal-Mac needs is a summer without rest and at his age it’d be a good time to chuck it for Scotland from now on I’d say…
It’s probably nice for The Scotland supporters from around these shores to be there and enjoy the finals…
But the thought of bent and utterly corrupt peepil like Maxwell, Petrie, Doncaster and Bryson and Co. revelling in the good life there and milking it for all it’s worth makes me wanna vomit bucket after bucket of spew so it bloody well does !
There will be trouble after the Cup Final this weekend once Celtic have won it yet again.
I know they should be used to eating our shit, but because they are totally scunnered after their tame attempt at winning the league and because we will equal their all time trophy haul * the huns will be in a belligerent mood with nothing but anger and vengeance in their evil hearts.
For my fellow Tims who will be attending yet another bluenose thrashing, be careful Bhoys and get yourselves home safely.