Callum McGregor feels the Celtic ‘heat’ as searing competition for places keeps Parkhead levels sky high

Callum McGregor feels the Celtic ‘heat’ as searing competition for places keeps Parkhead levels sky high

The Hoops skipper wants to maintain the 100 per cent start vs Hearts before focus turns to Champions League opener

Celtic skipper Callum McGregor with his Player of the Month award

Callum McGregor reckons Celtic are in top shape and ready to hit the ground running in the Champions League.

The Hoops skipper is looking to maintain the Parkhead side’s perfect start to the Premiership season against Hearts. And the August player of the month is convinced Celts are far better equipped to deal with Europe’s elite than 12 months ago. The champions were undercooked going in last term with several key departures and high profile injuries in the early stages of Brendan Rodgers’ second stint in charge.

A year on and the manager has his new-look squad firing on all cylinders ahead of Wednesday’s opener against Slovan Bratislava and McGregor insisted Celts are determined to make an impact. Deadline week signings Arne Engels, Auston Trusty, Luke McCowan and Alex Valle have boosted an already unbeaten squad. And McGregor said: “I think the manager’s happy with what he’s got in terms of the squad, the team are playing well, there’s good momentum, the supporters are enjoying what they’re seeing.

“There are successful players at this club who have achieved a lot and then you just keep adding, you keep moving forward and keep trying to get better and push the level. I think the guys that were brought in in the summer have certainly done that, the squad’s strong and now the competition for places is hot as well and that will just keep driving the level so that’s what we want.

“So straight away that gives you a much better feeling around the club, around the stadium, around the training ground. When you’re winning games of football everything feels a lot better. We just have to continue to do that, that’s the bit we as players can control, what we give to the games on a Saturday and a Sunday. All that feel good factor then comes with that as well.

“So the main objective for the players is to continue to push every day and we get the chance to play, give our maximum and hopefully the thing just keeps rolling from there. When the Champions League rolls around the expectation behind that comes as well. It’s a home game to start us off, everybody’s looking at that thinking can we maximise that game and then the momentum just builds and builds and builds.

“So for the players, obviously they’re excited but we need to be the guys with the calm heads and the coaches come up with the game plans and we try and execute them and it’ll be exactly the same for every game that we’ve got coming this month as well.”

McGregor was named player of the month for the first time in his career after blasting three sensational strikes – including a stunner in the 3-0 Old Firm win – to get Celts off to a flier on the home front. He said: “There’s a first time for everything! We’re off to a great start and with all of these things, you never get there without your team-mates.

“When you get some goals, and the type of goals that I’ve scored, it’s nice and it will always attract more attention. I’m really happy and pleased with how we started the season, but we know we’re only a month in and we need to continue to keep pushing.”

McGregor wants a big performance against struggling Hearts to open up an eight-point Premiership lead on rivals Rangers and take momentum into Wednesday. He said: “The league is what gets you Champions League. If you start to neglect that then you don’t have the glamour games and you don’t have the Champions League ties and the money and everything that comes with that.

“The players are under no illusion that this game on Saturday is as important if not more important in terms of where the club wants to be. There’s no getting away from the start Hearts have had, it’s not been ideal in terms of what they would have wanted, but for us, we take these games in isolation. Everyone raises their game to play against us, so our idea is to go and dominate the game and be as aggressive as we can.”

Celtic captain McGregor insists surprise Scotland retirement decision will pay off in long term

Callum McGregor announced his international retirement after Euro 2024

The midfielder made 63 appearances for his country

 His full focus now on maintaining performance levels for Celtic

WATCHING from afar as Scotland locked horns with Poland and Portugal in a Nations League double-header, Callum McGregor found himself at a loose end during the recent international break.

After making the surprise decision to retire from the national team after Euro 2024 at the age of just 31, McGregor tried to switch off as much as he could and enjoy some downtime.

He flew out to Spain and enjoyed some sunshine, whilst the storm clouds continued to gather for a Scotland team who have now won once in their last 14 matches.

Some have questioned the wisdom of McGregor’s decision and whether it may have been premature. Naturally a very fit and dedicated professional who routinely clocked up well over 50 games a season for club and country, there was a feeling he still had plenty left in the tank.

In the 3-2 defeat against Poland, Scotland went up against Robert Lewandowski, who celebrated his 36th birthday just a couple of weeks before scoring at Hampden.

In Lisbon last Sunday night, Scottish hearts were broken by a late Cristiano Ronaldo winner, the Portuguese superstar who is now only a few months shy of his 40th birthday.

Callum McGregor featured in all three of Scotland’s Euro 2024 matches in Germany

The 31-year-old was a key player for Scotland manager Steve Clarke

McGregor has now turned his full attention to clinching more silverware with Celtic

 When they travel to face Croatia in Zagreb next month, Scotland will come up against Luka Modric, an evergreen midfield maestro who turned 39 this week and who scored in his nation’s 1-0 win over Poland.

It does beg the question — has McGregor jumped the gun? Named Player of the Month in the Scottish Premiership for August, the Celtic captain is still operating at the peak of his powers. But he is comfortable with the decision. Playing the long game, McGregor insists that both he and Celtic will see the benefit of his Scotland retirement towards the end of a long, gruelling season.

‘The first four weeks of the season are fairly normal, so you don’t really need much recovery time within that,’ said McGregor. ‘But the schedule will get much busier now over the next three months, with the Champions League and other competitions. So, yeah, for sure I’ll feel the benefit.

‘Hopefully by that point, then you’re getting the benefit of those two or three days off and you feel refreshed and ready to go. I think it’s later on in the season where you feel the benefit of it.

‘There are obviously guys who have just joined us on Friday morning, guys who are even further travelled. I know that feeling well, where you’ve come off the back of maybe a Tuesday night game, come in here and recover, then straight into a game at the weekend.

‘It was nice to take the edge off and have a wee break, though we’re still relatively early in the season, so you don’t really need a refresher at this point. It’s just nice to change the scenery and then when you come back in you’ve got that energy again.’

Asked if he had watched the Scotland games or just tried to switch off, McGregor continued: ‘I watched a little bit of it. I probably missed the first half an hour of the Poland game then I turned it on and the boys did really well.

‘I just tried to switch off and stay away from football. But football’s one of these things where it just follows you about your life anyway. So even if you do try and switch off, there are always people trying to remind you of what’s happening.’

The Celtic skipper was named the Scottish Premiership Player of the Month for August

His goal against Rangers last time out sealed a dominant 3-0 victory for Celtic at Parkhead

McGregor will be back in action when Celtic host Hearts this afternoon, looking to build on a good start to the season which has seen them rack up four wins from their first four matches.

Brendan Rodgers’ side have yet to concede a goal and signed off with a dominant 3-0 win over Rangers prior to the international break.

It was in a controversial defeat to Hearts at Tynecastle last season where Rodgers landed himself with hot water with comments made regarding refereeing standards and the use of VAR.

The Celtic boss branded officials Don Robertson and John Beaton as ‘incompetent’ and later insisted he had no regrets over those comments, despite being hit with a touchline ban.

It was announced earlier this week that Willie Collum, the SFA’s new head of refereeing, will front-up in a new monthly VAR review show produced by the governing body.

In announcing the move, Collum admitted that VAR called two major decisions wrong in the opening weeks of the new season, one of which related to the non-award of a penalty for Celtic against Kilmarnock.

Brendan Rodgers has praised former referee Willie Collum for improving transparency

Collum will now front-up a new monthly VAR review show produced by the SFA

But Rodgers praised Collum for speaking out and feels the increased transparency can only be beneficial to all involved.

‘I felt at the time it was a penalty, then I spoke with Willie on the Monday, and I have to admit he was very, very clear on his thoughts,’ said Rodgers.

‘It can only be applauded — I think the whole thing about transparency is what we want.

‘His experience will help, and I know he’s trying to have an educational programme, because there aren’t many top referees up here, and I say that in the nicest possible way.

‘Guys like Willie and others who have experience will help those guys coming through. I thought it was open, and honest, but he can’t do that every single weekend.

‘Your phone lines would be really busy! He can do it the way they’ve planned to do it like every month or whatever. I thought it was good, and honest and it will help the referees increase their standard and level.’

Owen Hargreaves doesn’t think Brendan Rodgers will ‘miss’ with Arne Engels’ development after the midfielder arrived for a record Celtic fee this summer.

The Bhoys paid Bundesliga side Augsburg £11m for his signing before last month’s deadline and there’s excitement about what the 20-year-old can offer over the next few years.

It’s a lot of money to invest but Celtic now have a track record of polishing potential into players ready to make an impact at an elite level.

Hargreaves says he saw similar potential in Matt O’Riley years ago and thinks the Bhoys are onto another winner with their latest transfer deal.

Owen Hargreaves talks up Celtic business

The former Bayern Munich star said [The Scottish Sun]: “I said to Rio Ferdinand a few years ago I couldn’t believe nobody had picked up this guy O’Riley. Losing him is a big thing to Celtic, with his goals and assists. It’ll be interesting to see who steps up with that.

“Celtic lose out with O’Riley leaving but financially you gain a lot too. Then it’s up to the clubs to reinvest the money on who they see fit. I’m happy for O’Riley to get an opportunity to go and take that next step. He also probably wants that for his career.

“A player goes and then the young ones have got to step up. You get a chance, you’ve got to take it. But I do think he’s a tough replacement.

“Brendan knows his stuff. He’s not going to miss with Engels when they’ve invested that level of money in him. Celtic have done a good job on transfers.”

Arne Engels set to make first Celtic start soon

Whether it comes against Hearts, Slovan Bratislava or Falkirk, Engels is in line to make his first Celtic start over the next nine days and then fans will really get a sense of what kind of player the club has.

He made a half-hour cameo against Rangers last time out but supporters want to see how he can establish himself in a match.

It’s too much to expect him to make a 2024 O’Riley-style impact straight away. Let’s not forget the Dane had a fair bit of developing of his own to do.

We’ll need patience to help Engels settle into life in Scotland. As Hargreaves says, the chances are that Rodgers will get the best out of the new Belgian cap.

Excitement is building ahead of Celtic’s entry into the Champions League.

The Bhoys play eight matches in the league phase over the next few months, hoping to make it into the top 24 of a 36-team table.

Doing that will require around nine or ten points, which stat-trackers Opta have predicted Brendan Rodgers’ side can pull off with their schedule of opponents.

As we countdown to matchday one next Wednesday night against Slovan Bratislava, naturally memories of European campaigns gone by pop up and UEFA themselves helped with those efforts on Friday.

Fraser Forster Celtic heroics vs Barcelona are as popular as ever

The official Champions League account on X shared highlights of Fraser Forster’s famous tussles with Barcelona to their 52 million followers and the clip quickly went viral, liked and shared thousands of times as well as racking up close to 700,000 views at the time of publishing.

Fraser Forster 🆚 Barcelona#UCL pic.twitter.com/7O9oSwRVrv

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) September 13, 2024

View Tweet

Forster earned the nickname ‘La Gran Muralla’, the Great Wall, from the Spanish press for his performances against the La Liga giants during the 2012/13 season – the last time Celtic qualified for the knockout stages of the competition.

Celtic will need similar heroics from current goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel to help them progress this time around – something that one of the Dane’s former teammates thinks he can demonstrate.

Anders Lindegaard talks up Kasper Schmeichel

Anders Lindegaard, formerly of Manchester United and Denmark, reckons that Celtic’s summer signing can come up big for the Bhoys at the elite level.

He said this week [Daily Record]: “It’s fantastic for him to be playing Champions League football again, especially at this time of his career. He’s had a very good start at Celtic and that is important for a goalkeeper.

“Kasper is a great signing for Celtic. It’s a great move for them and for him. He is a brilliant goalkeeper, he is top class and has a lot of experience.

“He will have a positive influence on the Celtic team, he has a lot of top level experience in club and international football. They have made a very good signing with him.

“Kasper is very good with his feet and already has that connection with Brendan Rodgers. He knows what he is getting with him, he knows that he will fit in with the way he likes his teams to play.”

Forster’s exploits in Europe with Celtic are almost mythical so Schmeichel might not quite reach that adulation but he does have the quality to help the Bhoys win points as Celtic shoot for that play-off spot.

Kyogo Sports New Haircut Ahead of Celtic v Hearts

Kyogo has debuted a fresh haircut as his team gears up to continue their perfect start in the Scottish Premiership this weekend against Hearts.

The fixture sees a stark contrast in form between the two teams, with Hearts languishing near the bottom of the table, securing only one point from their first four matches—a draw against Rangers at Tynecastle on the opening day of the season.

In stark contrast, Celtic sits at the top with four wins from four, boasting a formidable goal difference thanks to their robust defence and potent attack. The team has not conceded a single goal this season while finding the back of the net twelve times. It leaves them five points ahead of Rangers after just four games played.

Kyogo has contributed one goal and one assist so far, with his goal coming in the Glasgow Derby match against Rangers.

The striker, again, wasn’t called up to the Japan squad this international break, a trend that’s followed his time at Celtic.

Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate were both called up to the national team but had mixed fortunes. Maeda scored in his country’s big win over China, while Hatate failed to make a single matchday squad.

 

SFA confirm referee and VAR officials for Celtic v Hearts clash

The SFA have confirmed the refereeing appointments for Celtic’s game against Hearts on Saturday. The Jambos make the trip along the M8 to face the Scottish Champions as they look to arrest their poor form so far this season.

Colin Steven has been appointed as the referee for the game and will be assisted by Frank Connor and Calum Spence. Meanwhile at Clydesdale House, Alan Muir is on VAR with Graham McNeillie assisting.

Steven has only taken charge of one Celtic clash before, back in the COVID season as Neil Lennon’s team beat Hamilton at an empty Celtic Park. The whistleblower will be relishing the chance to take charge at Scotland’s finest stadium.

The appointments come just days after Head of Refereeing Willie Collum came out and analysed decisions where VAR had been involved. One decision that VAR had been incorrectly used involved Celtic’s opening game of the season in which Kyogo was sent flying by Robby McCrorie, the Kilmarnock goalie. Greg Aitken on VAR said that the ex-Rangers keeper was just making himself big but replays showed this not to be the case and the review confirmed Celtic should have had a spot kick.

This Ancient Celtic Helmet Is the Oldest Ever Found in Poland

Unearthed at the Łysa Góra archaeological site, the artifact, some 2,300 years old, is a prime example of Celtic metalworking

The helmet was excavated at at the Łysa Góra site in Poland’s Mazovia region. B. Kaczyński / State Archaeological Museum

Archaeologists in Poland have unearthed a horde of 300 artifacts dating back to the fourth century B.C.E. Found at the Łysa Góra site in the region of Mazovia, near Warsaw, the trove includes iron axes, scissors and, most notably, a rare Celtic helmet.

A team from Warsaw’s State Archaeological Museum and University of Warsaw’s Department of Archaeology has been excavating in Łysa Góra since the spring. According to a statement by the team, the helmet was buried in a charcoal pit, along with four iron axes.

Though it was damaged by age, researchers determined the “spectacular” helmet was originally shaped like a cone, possessing a separate curved neck piece and decorated with etched lines. Its discovery has changed the team’s perceptions of the Celts—a group of Central European tribes who thrived during the Iron Age, from 1200 B.C.E. until 50 C.E.

The helmet exemplifies advanced Celtic metallurgy. B. Kaczyński / State Archaeological Museum

The helmet is the first artifact of its kind to be found in Poland, as excavation leader Bartłomiej Kaczyński, of the archaeological museum, tells Science in Poland’s Ewelina Krajczyńska-Wujec. Before, only one other, much newer Celtic helmet had been discovered: a first-century piece found in the southern village of Siemiechów. The Łysa Góra helmet is at least 2,300 years old.

“At first we thought it might be some kind of ancient vessel, because bronze vessels are much more common on Polish soil than helmets,” Kaczyński tells Science in Poland, per Newsweek’s Aristos Georgiou. Then, the artifact’s neck piece—an arched plate near its edge—prompted archaeologist Andrzej Maciałowicz to suggest it could be a helmet.

Pieces of the helmet were taken to a conservation workshop. B. Kaczyński / State Archaeological Museum

Based on the artifact’s shape, and the fact that its tip was held together by a double knob, researchers concluded the piece is an early La Tène helmet. The Celtic culture of La Tène—French for “the shallows”—is named for Lake Neuchâtel in Switzerland, where researchers first found La Tène objects in the late-1800s, per ARTnews’ George Nelson. The culture formed around the fifth century B.C.E., about when Celts came into contact with Etruscan and Greek people from south of the Swiss Alps.

The La Tène style of metalworking developed between the fourth and third centuries B.C.E., and examples of it are “very rare,” per Science in Poland. While 1970s and ‘80s excavations at Łysa Góra revealed some small La Tène artifacts, researchers assumed they ended up in Poland via trading.

The recently discovered helmet, on the other hand, is an example of “the most advanced Celtic metallurgy,” Kaczyński says, and the piece was seemingly owned by a Celt, per Newsweek. The La Tène helmet’s presence in northern Poland changes researchers’ perceptions of the reach of the Celtic world in the pre-Roman period.

The other artifacts the research team found illustrate the ancient Celts’ proclivity for animal husbandry and farming: Blades from shears might have been used to cut sheeps’ wool, and scythes might have cut grain or grass. According to a statement by the archaeological museum, the researchers also found a collection of glass, amber and stone artifacts, including jewelry—bracelets, ornate necklaces and rings.

The helmet was taken to the State Archaeological Museum’s conservation department, where an expert in iron and bronze artifacts will spend several months conserving its pieces. As Kaczyński tells Science in Poland, the research team began excavating Łysa Góra to help construct an educational trail through the site. But the team’s “multitude of discoveries” indicates they may have more archaeological work to do than they thought.

Celtic set to make “strong” £17k-p/w ace one of Rodgers’ highest earners

Following an excellent start to their campaign, Celtic are reportedly set to reward one player with a bumper new deal to put him among Brendan Rodgers’ highest earners.

Celtic’s perfect start

With five wins from five games and just the one goal conceded, it’s fair to say that Celtic couldn’t have enjoyed a much better start than the one they’ve managed in pursuit of retaining their Scottish Premiership crown once again. The Bhoys have even already got one over on Old Firm rivals Rangers, easing past the Gers in a convincing 3-0 victory.

Rodgers’ side will now be tasked with picking up where they left off after the international break, with the return of the Champions League – and a new format at that – throwing up fresh challenges.

Amid that challenge, meanwhile, one player is already set to receive a reward for such a fine start to the campaign. According to Football Scotland, Celtic are now set to offer Alistair Johnston a new deal which will see him become one of the club’s highest earners.

As things stand, the right-back earns a reported £17,000-a-week at Celtic, but a new deal could see him jump up to around the £30k-a-week mark with highest-earner Callum McGregor earning a reported £32k-a-week.

The pay rise is more than deserved, it must be said, Johnston has enjoyed a flying start to the campaign, starting every game in Celtic’s dominant opening run and even getting a goal as well as an assist to his name in the process.

“Strong” Johnston will only get better

Since battling back from injury at the start of last season, Johnson has become more and more vital to Rodgers’ title-winning side at Celtic and is only likely to continue that improvement with a new contract to match his quality. The full-back, who can also play right-midfield and centre-back proved his eye for attacking contributions in the last campaign with seven assists in all competitions and is now even showcasing his eye for goal against St. Mirren.

Earning plenty of praise from Rodgers last season, the Celtic boss said via Herald Scotland: “I remember seeing him at the World Cup. He was outstanding for Canada. I thought at the time when he arrived in January it was a really good buy for Celtic.

“He’s a talented player and you get the sense from talking to him he’s very ambitious and committed. He wants to do well. It’s just been a real shame with the injury he’s had that he’s been out. But Alistair is a really strong boy and speaking to the staff and the players, he’s really highly rated here. I’m looking forward to seeing him more.”

When the Premiership returns, there’s no doubt that Johnston will be among the in-form players to watch at Celtic Park.

Former Celtic man Niall McGinn is back on the Scottish football landscape after joining Morton on loan from Glentoran.

The 37-year-old started off his senior career at Derry City before moving to Celtic, where he went on to register six goals and four assists in 36 appearances.

Following a loan spell at Brentford, McGinn joined Aberdeen and went on to experience some brilliant success in the North East, scoring 87 times and registering 81 assists in 356 outings.

Capped 67 times by Northern Ireland, the Donaghmore-born winger is now in the twilight of a career that has yielded three trophies, one of which was the Scottish Cup with Celtic in 2011.

Making the journey from the League of Ireland to Paradise in 2009, McGinn has opened up on how his move was an unexpected twist of fate during the early stages of his life as a senior professional.

Niall McGinn’s reflection on head-spinning Celtic move

Speaking to BBC Scotland, McGinn has admitted he had ‘shivers’ after his agent told him Celtic had been on the phone amid initial interest from Swansea City in taking him over to Wales, in an unanticipated twist.

He explained: “My agent told me Neil Lennon had been on the phone, straight away I had shivers.

“Paddy McCourt had moved from Derry the year before, so he was a big help. I settled in really well. Tony Mowbray came in and he was brilliant for me. I ended up playing a lot of football under him.

“In the space of 18 months, I went from part-time football to making my international debut and my Celtic debut in front of 60,000 fans.”

Listening to McGinn’s reflections, it is hard to imagine the transition from life in Derry compared to Glasgow would’ve been easy. However, he didn’t do too badly while at Celtic, and it was unfortunate that he wasn’t able to establish himself in the squad for a longer period.

Ultimately, he needed to go and play football, and a switch to Aberdeen brought out his true talent, with the Northern Ireland man becoming indispensable under Derek McInnes.

Still going strong at 37; hopefully, McGinn can continue to play on for as long as possible, setting an example to youngsters looking to make their way in the game due to his longevity.

Double deadline day deal as Celtic FC Women complete moves for Emma Lawton and Morgan Cross

Women’s Football

Celtic Football Club are delighted to announce the double deadline day signing of Emma Lawton and Morgan Cross.

The duo have signed three-year deals with the club.

Joining from Partick Thistle and Motherwell respectively, both arrive at Paradise with international experience having featured for Scotland at under-23s level.

Lawton joins the Hoops after spending several years with the Jags, having initially come through the Celtic Academy.

Following spells with the likes of Manchester City and Thistle, the defender’s development has continued to grow year-upon-year, and her performances last season were rewarded with a place in the PFA SWPL Team of the Year.

Cross is another familiar face to the Scottish game, spending time most recently with Motherwell.

Following a spell in America and at Coventry City, the striker returned to her homeland last season, and has already made a strong start to the 2024/25 campaign.

In the most recent match-up between the Celts and Motherwell, Cross was on the scoresheet with an impressive individual strike as Elena Sadiku’s side ran out 5-1 winners.

The two Scottish youngsters become the latest additions to Elena Sadiku’s squad on deadline day, adding to the options in defence and attack.

Emma Lawton signs for Celtic

Partick Thistle WFC can confirm that defender Emma Lawton has signed for SWPL champions Celtic.

Lawton started her senior career at Thistle at the age of 15 before moving down south to Manchester City. She arrived back at Petershill Park at the start of the 2023/24 season via a season with Motherwell

The right back, who was included in last season’s PFA Scotland SWPL Team of the Year also cleaned up at the PTWFC End of Season awards winning Player of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year. She also earned herself a call up to the Scotland Under-23 side.

Het latest spell in Red and Yellow finished with 42 appearances and 6 goals. Aptly her last touch in a Thistle shirt was her goal in last Sunday’s 4-0 victory over Motherwell.

In moving to full-time football, she follows in the footsteps of Abbie Ferguson, Ava Easdon and Linzi Taylor who have all moved on to full-time clubs after development at Partick Thistle.

Manager Brian Graham said: “Emma will be a big loss but as a club we won’t stand in her way of full-time football and achieving her dreams.

“She is a model professional and a role model already to so many girls and I’m sure she’ll continue to progress in the game and go on to even bigger and better things. I’m sure it won’t be long before we see her in a Scotland shirt”

Before departing Emma Lawton said: “I can’t thank Thistle enough for everything they have done for me. From my first spell to now they have been amazing to me, and I’ve loved every minute in Red and Yellow.

“Brian and Ross and the other coaches have been amazing for my development and I wouldn’t be where I am without their help and guidance. I’m sure the club will continue to go from strength to strength”

Morgan Cross has joined Celtic on a permanent deal

Striker Morgan Cross has moved onto defending champions Celtic after agreeing a permanent deal at the Parkhead club.

Arriving at the club 12 months ago, Morgan Cross overcame an instant debut injury setback before netting 10-times in 28- appearances throughout her time in claret and amber.

Leading the line alongside Rangers-loanee Laura Berry, the forward played a pivotal role in sustaining the women of steel’s exceptional 11-game unbeaten run that ensured SWPL survival and a seventh-placed finish in the 2023/24 SWPL campaign.

Cross made a long-awaited return to the international stage after the forward was named in Scotland’s U23-squad following a seven-year absence from the national-side.

“I have loved my time at the club,” Morgan Cross said.

“These have been some of the most enjoyable moments of my career and I can’t thank the club enough for enhancing my performances and skillset. I wish everyone nothing but the best!”

We’re immensely grateful for Morgan’s efforts last season and wish her well in this next step. Thanks for everything, Morgan.

First team

Fixture and TV update

Two of our matches have been selected for Sky Sports coverage. 

We will now take on Celtic on Sunday 27 October at Fir Park. Kick off is 3pm.

Our match against Rangers on Sunday 29 December, at Fir Park, has also been selected for Sky Sports coverage and will kick off at 3pm.

First team

Stuart Kettlewell ahead of Aberdeen

Manager Stuart Kettlewell says despite winning the last three games, his team are not getting drawn into the all positive narrative around the club at the minute, and that they have been working hard to make that four wins this weekend. 

He offers an update on the fitness of Shane Blaney, Apostolos Stamatelopoulos and John Koutroumbis. The manager also discusses the recent use of VAR within the games, as well as the successful international window for our players.

Reserves & Under 18s

Zander McAllister earns Under 17 Scotland call

Zander McAllister has been named in the latest Scotland Under 17 squad. 

Under-17 Head Coach Brian McLaughlin has listed McAllister in his squad for their upcoming friendlies later this month.

Scotland face Indonesia in a double header at the Pinatar Arena.

Indonesia v Scotland

Tuesday 26th September

KO 15:00

Pinatar Arena, Spain

Scotland v Indonesia

Sunday 29th September

KO TBC

Pinatar Arena, Spain

First team

September International Review

We had four players away representing their countries during the September international break. 

Krisztián Hegyi

Hegyi was named in the Hungarian Under 21 starting 11 for their friendly match against Slovakia. Hegyi playing the first 45 minutes, with the Hungarians trailing 1-0 at the break.

The match finished 2-1 to Slovakia.

In Hungary’s second match against Spain, Hegyi was once again named between the sticks. Despite running the Spanish side close, Hungary went on to lose the game 1-0.

Lennon Miller

Miller was an unused substitute against Spain.

Scotland travelled to Malta in their second match where Miller was named in the starting 11. Having assisted Murray with a pinpoint delivery from a free kick, the young prodigy also went on to find the back of the net to make it 4-0 with a header. Scotland went on to win the game 5-0.

Ewan Wilson

Wilson made his Scotland bow against Spain at Tynecastle in the first Scotland Under 21s match.

The full-back came on in the 75th minute, with Scotland losing the game 2-1.

After earning his first cap, Wilson was given his first start against Malta. He played the full 90 minutes and made an instant impact, when his cross was deflected into the Maltese net for an own goal, to give his side the lead in the early stages of the match.

Tawanda Maswanhise

Zimbabwe began their quest for AFCON qualification against Kenya in their first match. Maswanhise was named on the bench but was introduced into the action on the 75th minute. The game finished 0-0.

Having made an impact off the bench, Maswanhise was an unused substitute in the match against Cameron, where the game also finished 0-0.

First team

Aberdeen: Back to work

Motherwell will continue their William Hill Premiership campaign following the conclusion of the September international break, with a trip to Aberdeen on Saturday 14 September. 

Kick off is 3pm at Pittodrie.

How to follow the game

You can buy tickets online.

Away Stand Adults£28Over 75£18Over 65s£22Youth 18-21£18Under 18£12Under 12£6

Aberdeen will not do ticket sales on the day so the last opportunity for anyone wishing to buy a ticket for the match is 4pm on Friday.

Kit Watch

We will be wearing our away kit for this match.

Injury Update

Callum Slattery, Harry Paton, Apostolos Stamatelopoulos, Ross Callachan, Sam Nicholson, Shane Blaney and Johnny Koutroumbis remain out for this game.

There are no new injury concerns ahead of this match.

Filip Stuparevic has now recovered from injury and is available for selection.

Motherwell’s Fortunes

Motherwell went into the international break on a high. Six points out of six and progression to the quarter-finals of the Premier Sports Cup meant it was three wins out of three for Stuart Kettlewell’s side.

Goals continued to be spread amongst the team, with Dan Casey getting his first league goal of the season, as did Moses Ebiye against St Johnstone.

That late winner against St Johnstone moved Motherwell up to fifth in the table, with the Steelmen currently sitting on seven points.

Opposition Report

It’s been a flawless start for Jimmy Thelin at Aberdeen. The new Dons boss arrived in the summer and has hit the ground running with his new team.

Nine games played, nine wins. Aberdeen are sitting pretty in second place behind Celtic on goal difference.

Ester Sokler has four goals for the season but it’s been Pape Habib Guèye who has been finding the back of the net in the league, scoring three in the last three league matches.

Reserves & Under 18s

Youth Cup action at Fir Park

Fir Park will host the Youth Cup match against Edinburgh City. 

The Under 18 Motherwell side are in second round action against The Citizens.

Entry is free to the stadium, with fans being housed in the Phil O’Donnell Stand.

Kick off is 7pm.

First team

Davor Zdravkovski // The life of Davor

In this feature, Davor Zdravkovski takes us on a mini tour of his daily life and discusses his mentality to his setbacks.

Zdravkovski arrived in Scotland back in the summer of 2023, having spent six years over in Cyprus, a place he moved to at just 18-years-old. However, after his big move to Motherwell was complete, he didn’t hit the ground running.

Six months of hard work and relentless endeavour later, Zdravkovski eventually muscled his way into the starting 11 and hasn’t looked back since.

Despite the slow start, he remained mentally strong and was determined to show his worth. That approach is now required at international level.

The 26-year-old was left out of the latest North Macedonia squad, having been a regular in the last 12 months. This set back hasn’t de-railed the midfielder and he is more determined than ever to get his first cap for his country.

First team

Stephen O’Donnell is August POTM

You have voted Stephen O’Donnell as your G4 Claims August player of the month.

The full-back picked up this accolade for the first time back in March and now collects his second award.

Taking the captain’s armband in our season opener against Ross County, O’Donnell played every minute during the month of August, which included extra-time being played against Kilmarnock.

The 32-year-old bagged his second goal of the season against Hearts, with a bullet header at the back post from Lennon Miller’s free kick.

His work rate and endeavour didn’t go unnoticed by the Motherwell support, with O’Donnell continually going the extra yard in every match.

“I really appreciate the support from everyone,” O’Donnell said.

“Thank you to everyone who voted for me. It’s so important we use this start to build and push the club on.

“We have some massive matches in September and we’re going to need everyone behind us to get through them. There is a really good feeling amongst everything associated with the club and we, as players, will do our best to maintain that.”

Archive

Mason Blyth-Clark: “We are ready for the game at Fir Park and we need your support.”

An afternoon on the Fir Park turf will await the women of steel this weekend, with Motherwell returning to ML1 for the fourth successive season after previously facing Hamilton, Glasgow Women and Dundee United in the previous SWPL campaigns.

The hosts will be poised to regain their early signs of momentum when they travel down the Fir Park road on Sunday. Assured victories over Dundee United and Glasgow Women on their last meetings in ML1 will inspire confidence when they encounter Partick Thistle this weekend. Summer acquisition Mason Blyth-Clark is relishing the opportunity in North Lanarkshire

“The squad is absolutely buzzing,” Blyth-Clark emphasised.

“Everyone feels like it’s the perfect stage for this type of game. It feels like a huge privilege to be able to play at Fir Park this weekend, and i’m sure it will mean a lot to the fans as-well.

“It feels like there’s a right buzz around the game which makes it exciting as a player but also getting to play in an amazing stadium with a perfect surface.”

Despite the magnitude of the game, Blyth-Clark insists the weight of the occasion won’t distract the squad from their preparations.

“As a team we always prepare and approach games in the same manner,” Blyth-Clark noted.

“Everyone is always pushing to try and make the starting 11 every week and to improve on our performances from the week before. Personally, my goal is to be apart of the starting 11 as consistently as possibly and to help the team in any way I can. If I can contribute then that’s a bonus, but the end goal is definitely to reach the top-six.

“I feel like we have a good balance in the dressing room between younger players and experienced players. The experienced girls are always so good at helping us through the game and any new experiences that we come across.”

The women of steel will target a resurgence in form after an initially positive start to the 2024/25 SWPL campaign, where they netted five-times against Spartans before defeating Montrose by 3-goals at K-Park. After a disappointing result in Edinburgh, Motherwell will be determined to earn three points when they take to the Fir Park turf this weekend, as they welcome Brian Graham’s side to North Lanarkshire.

“During pre-season, collectively we had a chat as a team about our standards and expectations for the season ahead,” Blyth-Clark explained.

“The team have been striving for a top-six finish since Paul and Leanne joined the club and I think it’s not only the goal for the team but for me personally, one of the things that made Motherwell an exciting prospect was the opportunity to help the club achieve their goal.

“The team were really disappointed to not achieve a top-six finish last season and even the year before the club came very close, so that has become an extra motivator for the full squad. Paul and Leanne have made it clear, top-six is the goal this season. They’ve shown their belief in us collectively and have gave us the correct tools to go and express ourselves and play within the Motherwell identity.”

Since arriving on loan from title-challengers Rangers in the summer, Mason Blyth-Clark has provided necessary competition for places as a central component at the core of the Motherwell midfield, with the 18-year-old already proving to be a positive addition this season.

“⁠I’m loving being here so far,” Blyth-Clark said.

“I think it was the right decision for me as a player, I am playing football at a great level but I love that playing here pushes my boundaries. The team has been so welcoming with me and the other new girls and it definitely feels like there’s a togetherness in the team.”

The women of steel’s forthcoming meeting with Partick Thistle at Fir Park will have free entry for all supporters. However, if you are able to, there will be buckets available for fans to place donations. All profits will go towards the girl’s academy.

“⁠It means the world to the team,” Blyth-Clark said.

“To feel the fans behind us and supporting us through the whole 90 minutes, it means a lot and can be the difference in achieving a positive result or not.

“We really hope the supporters turn out in their numbers to support us and make this occasion one to remember. We can’t wait to have you all at Fir Park with us.”

Johnston To Play? Kuhn On The Wings | Predicted 4-3-3 Celtic Lineup To Face Hearts

High-flying Celtic remain firm favourites to clinch all three points against struggling Hearts.

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – MAY 04: Callum McGregor of Celtic is seen at full time during the Cinch Scottish Premiership match between Celtic FC and Heart of Midlothian at Celtic Park Stadium on May 04, 2024 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images) (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

After a sensational win in the Old Firm derby, Celtic will resume their season by hosting Hearts on Saturday afternoon. They have yet to drop a point or concede a goal in the Premiership, and the gaffer Brendan Rodgers must demand another flawless display from his juggernaut upon their return to action after the international break.

Meanwhile, the Jambos have failed to win a game so far this campaign. Minnows Falkirk have knocked them out of the Scottish League Cup second round, while defeats against Viktoria Plzeň in both legs of the playoffs have shattered their Europa League hopes. They are desperate to bounce back from the disastrous start; however, it would take a colossal effort to cause an upset and secure a result at Parkhead given the Hoops’ scintillating run.

Predicted 4-3-3 Celtic Lineup To Face Hearts

Defence

Kasper Schmeichel is enjoying a perfect start to life in Glasgow since replacing Joe Hart as the Celts’ ‘number 1’. With the Edinburgh side struggling to find the net, the veteran Dane must aim for another clean sheet over the weekend.

Alistair Johnston sustained an injury during Canada’s victory against the United States. Anthony Ralston would replace him as a right fullback if Les Rouges’ star fails to recover before the upcoming clash. Cameron Carter-Vickers and Liam Scales remain irreplaceable in deep defence despite the presence of Maik Nawrocki, Stephen Welsh and the deadline day recruit Auston Trusty. Greg Taylor should retain his first-team role ahead of the Barcelona loanee Álex Valle.

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – MAY 04: Kyogo Furuhashi of Celtic heads at goal during the Cinch Scottish Premiership match between Celtic FC and Heart of Midlothian at Celtic Park Stadium on May 04, 2024 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Midfield

Skipper Callum McGregor is red-hot form with successive long-range stunners in the previous outings. He must orchestrate the tempo from the base of a three-man midfield as his composure and experience would allow space and freedom for the ‘number 8s’. Signings of Arne Engels and Luke McCowan have bolstered the Bhoys following the egress of Matt O’Riley and Tomoki Iwata.

Yet the gaffer might still rely on Paulo Bernardo and Reo Hatate for box-to-box slots. Besides Engels and McCowan, young midfield prodigy Odin Thiago Holm could grab some minutes as a second-half substitute.

Attack

Celtic are well-equipped across the frontline, particularly after a permanent swoop for Adam Idah. But the former Norwich City attacker is expected to feature as the understudy to Kyogo Furuhashi high up the pitch. Daizen Maeda should operate from the left after a blistering performance against Rangers, and so is Nicolas Kuhn who has cemented a regular status down the right-hand flank.

Luis Palma, Yang Hyun-jun and James Forrest could appear from the bench to add more flair as wide attacking options.

Celtic and Rangers fixtures plus Hibs v Hearts selected for TV coverage as dates and kick-off times confirmed

Seven matches

The Scottish Professional Football League has confirmed a number of amendments to the William Hill Premiership fixture calendar following confirmation of TV selections.

The first Edinburgh derby of the season, three Rangers away fixtures, one Celtic road trip and two clashes between Dundee United and Aberdeen are all affected.

In total, seven top flight fixtures have been moved to new kick-off times at the behest of broadcast partners, Sky Sports and Premier Sports, starting with Rangers’ trip to Kilmarnock next month.

The Rugby Park showdown has been moved to a 12 noon kick-off on Sunday, October 20, and will be shown live on Sky Sports.

The following weekend, the match between Aberdeen and Dundee United at Pittodrie on Saturday, October 26, has been put back to a tea-time kick-off with the match due to start at 5.45pm, live on Premier Sports.

The first Edinburgh derby of the season takes place the following day and will see Hibs take on Hearts at Easter Road in a live Sky Sports clash at 12 noon as David Gray goes up against Steven Naismith for the first time. That will be the first part of a double bill on Sky with live coverage of the Motherwell v Celtic match following at 3pm on the same day.

Rangers have also been handed a tea-time kick-off on Boxing Day with the trip to St Mirren on Thursday, December 26, to be shown on Premier Sports with a 5.45pm kick-off.

Philippe Clement’s side will be back on the box three days later with their away match against Motherwell at Fir Park on Sunday, December 29, picked by Sky Sports for live coverage and moved to a 3pm kick-off.

Viewers can then switch channels to watch Dundee United v Aberdeen on Premier Sports with the Tannadice match also set to take place on Sunday, December 29, with a later 5.15pm kick-off.

Full SPFL fixture amendments:

Sunday October 20

Kilmarnock v Rangers

Live on Sky Sports, kick-off 12 noon

Saturday October 26

Aberdeen v Dundee United

Live on Premier Sports, kick-off 5.45pm

Sunday October 27

Hibernian v Heart of Midlothian

Live on Sky Sports, kick-off 12 noon

Sunday October 27

Motherwell v Celtic

Live on Sky Sports, kick-off 3.00pm

Thursday December 26

St Mirren v Rangers

Live on Premier Sports, kick-off 5.45pm

Sunday December 29

Motherwell v Rangers

Live on Sky Sports, kick-off 3.00pm

Sunday December 29

Dundee United v Aberdeen

Transfer Latest – Celtic make surprise late-night double signing announcement

Celtic FC Women have made two more signings on deadline day, with Emma Lawton and Morgan Cross joining the club with experience in the Scottish Women’s Premier League…

Anyone for some late transfer business? 🤔✍️#CelticFC🍀 pic.twitter.com/XTdabtH4fs

— Celtic FC Women (@CelticFCWomen) September 12, 2024

Emma Lawton

Lawton joins from Partick Thistle, where she earned her place in the PFA Scotland SWPL Team of the Year last campaign. She was a regular starter in Brian Graham’s side and has impressed so much that she earned a call-up to Scotland’s under-23s after her brilliant for Morgan Cross

Cross joins from Motherwell after 12 months with the SWPL side and finishes her time at the Women of Steel with 10 goals to her name. Last season, she played a pivotal role in helping her side to stay in the top flight, and she has continued to impress this season, even netting against Celtic in the Scottish champion’s 5-1 victory.

Now, they both join up with Elena Sadiku’s squad ahead of their return to domestic action on Sunday. The squad is certainly looking even stronger now with these two promising young players now in the Hoops.

Welcome to Celtic, Emma Lawton and Morgan Cross!

Jessica Elliott

Deadline Day Double ✌️🆕

✍️ We are delighted to announce the signings of Emma Lawton and Morgan Cross, who join from Partick Thistle and Motherwell respectively 🙌

Welcome to Celtic 💚

— Celtic FC Women (@CelticFCWomen) September 12, 2024

Even a sugar daddy couldn’t help Rangers bridge the gap to Celtic now… how new UEFA Fair Play rules will affect spending on players

To close the gap on Celtic, Graeme Souness suspects his former club Rangers need to spend a figure in the region of £50million. Three or four quality signings, he believes, would make all the difference.

There’s a problem with that, of course. Speaking on the William Hill podcast Three Up Front, the former Ibrox boss acknowledged the brass tacks of the situation when he said: ‘Rangers don’t have the money right now. If they were to spend £50m, it’d be nip and tuck between the two of them.’

Since a chastening 3-0 defeat at Parkhead, the subject of external investment has focused the minds of supporters. A financial deficit off the park is now mirrored by the deficit on it.

And with their bitter rivals set to hoover up another £40m from participation in the Champions League, many now see a Middle Eastern sovereign or a Texan billionaire as their best hope.

Before the loss to Celtic on September 1, a report in City A.M. claimed Rangers had been targeted by an American consortium for a £150m takeover, suggesting that a number of existing shareholders at the club might be willing to sell.

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Largest shareholder Dave King, the former chairman, wasn’t one of them. He dismissed the report outright.

Even if a benevolent sugar daddy with deep pockets came along waving a cheque book, UEFA’s financial sustainability rules — introduced two years ago — would make it devilishly difficult to catch Celtic.

More stringent than the rules which saw Everton hammered for Financial Fair Play transgressions, UEFA make compliance a condition of playing in European football.

Designed to ensure that clubs are stable, solvent and keep their costs under control, they were drawn up by Europe’s governing body after consultations with the European Club Association (ECA), European Leagues, FIFPro, supporters, the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council of Europe.

And, as football finance expert Kieran Maguire tells Mail Sport, the regulations effectively mean that Rangers ‘can’t do a Manchester City or a Paris Saint-Germain or a Chelsea when they were acquired by hyper-wealth individuals or sovereign wealth funds’.

Celtic’s new recruit Luke McCowan takes on recent Rangers signing Connor Barron

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers was able to spend big in the most recent transfer window

Subjecting clubs to squad-cost controls for the first time, spending on player and coach wages, transfers and agents fees is restricted this season to 80 per cent of a club’s revenue.

Maguire, co-host of the Price of Football podcast, reveals: ‘What UEFA have said is that, for every £100 that Rangers or Celtic generate from ticket sales, TV money and commercial deals — plus the average of their player sales from the last three years — they can then spend in this calendar year £80 of that on player costs.

‘Player costs are wages, agents fees, and transfer fees amortised. If Rangers sign a player for £10m on a four-year contract, they have £2.5m costs going into the accounts every year on that player.’

Next season, the amount a club can spend on player costs will drop to 70 per cent of their income over a single calendar year.

While it’s impossible to predict what the final financial figures of any club might be in future, Champions League football and a profitable player-trading model from the sales of players like Jota and Matt O’Riley guarantee Celtic substantially more wiggle room under UEFA’s football sustainability restrictions than that available to their city neighbours.

Put simply, 70 per cent of what Celtic earn will be a significantly higher figure than 70 per cent of what Rangers bring in. And there is no magic wand the Ibrox club can wave to turn the situation around quickly.

‘When Rangers won the Premiership (in 2021) and qualified for the Champions League, with television money on the back of that, they narrowed the gap,’ adds Maguire.

‘But they had to keep moving forward and they didn’t. Celtic have now returned to being dominant on the pitch — and off the pitch they don’t seem to have the internal conflicts which appear to afflict Rangers.

‘I speak to John Bennett (Rangers chairman) and get on well with him. I have spoken to Stewart Robertson, the former chief executive, as well. They came on our podcast.

‘I’m a Brighton fan and I keep an eye on Rangers because Connor Goldson was ex-Brighton and Jamie Murphy left us for Rangers as well.

‘But I have no partisan position in this and it’s clear that Celtic have moved ahead. How Rangers catch up is now the question.

‘I think it needs Celtic to do a lot of things wrong and Rangers to do an awful lot right at the same time before the gap can be eliminated.’

Leicester have shown, rules can always be challenged. While a call to a top sports lawyer like Nick De Marco might kick FFP charges down the road in the English Premier League, UEFA ordain that any club planning to enter its competitions must play the game.

Penalties for infractions might range from heavy fines to being booted out of their competitions altogether. Given how lucrative European football is in comparison to the SPFL, the latter simply isn’t an option.

‘If you take a look at the value of the domestic Scottish TV deal, then winning it brings in roughly £4m,’ says Maguire.

‘Yet Celtic would get £2.5m for winning one game out of eight in the new Champions League format.

‘Simply for being there they will get £30m, and that’s not the case in the Europa League where Rangers will play.

‘That’s why it’s very challenging for Rangers now. I read John Bennett’s comments in the summer and they were pretty sombre.

‘If I was a Rangers fan, I would have to take that on board. John hasn’t caused the problem, he is simply calling it out as it is and, as football fans, we sometimes don’t want to hear the cold, hard facts.

‘But Rangers have a lot of hard work to do in a country where finishing second is finishing nowhere so far as the fans are concerned.’

Celtic told they have a ‘superstar’ on their hands and Brendan Rodgers is the man to take him to next level

New Celtic signing Arne Engels was unveiled to the media at Celtic Park on Tuesday. | (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)

Celtic made a big transfer move for the star during the summer.

A Celtic hero reckons Brendan Rodgers is the prime candidate to take one of his summer signings to the next level.

In search of a replacement for Matt O’Riley who’s gone to Brighton, the Hoops boss has moved for Augsburg and Belgium midfielder Arne Engels. An £11m deal shows how highly he’s rated at Celtic, who had already agreed a deal worth £9.5m for striker Adam Idah during the summer transfer window.

Club hero Frank McAvennie would like to see the likes of new signings Auston Trusty and Alex Valle thrown into the starting XI vs Hearts on Saturday in the Premiership, but it’s Engels who has superstar potential. And Rodgers is on hand to get that talent out of him.

McAvennie told Football Insider: “I’d love to see them come in. They’ll definitely get game time, I’m not sure what they’ll be given but I’d love to see Trusty play with Cameron Carter-Vickers, I’d love to see that happen.

“I’d also love to see the Barcelona left-back play (Alex Valle). It’s a home tie and Engels knows he’s got to fight but I think he going to be a superstar, he just made his debut for the Belgium senior squad.

“Playing with Kevin de Bruyne, you’ve got to have something about you if you’re in that team. I know they’ve not been winning but wow, they’ve got some real good players.

“He’s only 21-years-old, I think Brendan Rodgers is the right man to coach him further, I really do. He’ll be looking after him, he’ll be getting game time but I do think he’ll go with the midfield from last time, Callum McGregor, Reo Hatate, and Paulo Bernardo.”

Celtic to Face Former Ibrox Star next Wednesday

Celtic are set to kick off their Champions League journey next Wednesday, with their opening fixture at Celtic Park against Slovan Bratislava.

As they enter into the group stages of Europe’s elite competition, the draw has presented them with a mixed bag of challenges and opportunities.

They will face formidable away matches against Borussia Dortmund, Atalanta, Aston Villa, and Dinamo Zagreb, while RB Leipzig, Club Brugge, and BSC Young Boys will visit Glasgow.

A subplot for the upcoming match against Slovan Bratislava involves a familiar face: 34-year-old Vladimír Weiss.

Football – Celtic v Rangers CIS Cup Final – Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland – 10/11 – 20/3/11
Rangers’ Vladimir Weiss in action with Celtic’s Mark Wilson (R)
Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Andrew Boyers
Livepic

The former Rangers star, who once played against Celtic in an Old Firm cup final, will be returning to the city, this time in a Bratislava jersey. Weiss had a significant impact during his season at Rangers, including providing an assist for the winning goal in the 2011 League Cup final against Celtic.

Now 34, he’s playing with Bratislava and is set for the trip to Glasgow next week.

In the Champions League qualifiers for the side, he played 8 games, scoring twice and assisting a further twice. In the league, he’s yet to score or assist in his three games, only one of which he’s started.

Hopefully, he won’t be causing too many problems for Celtic next week.

Star reveals back fracture found in Celtic exit medical as frustrations mixed with relief after £3m move

He featured in pre-season for Celtic. | SNS

His exit from Celtic to Stoke City did come with a hitch.

Bosun Lawal has revealed the extent of the issue found in his exit medical from Celtic when joining Stoke City.

The versatile star who can play in defence and midfield signed for the Potters in a £3m deal during the summer transfer window. It didn’t go smoothly though, as Stoke sporting director Jonathan Walter revealed an issue had appeared in his medical.

After a loan at Fleetwood Town last year where he played regularly, Lawal has revealed to Stoke Live that he has a lower back stress fracture. There have been frustrations in not being able to get out on the park for his new club but Walters was a massive hand in calming him when the Celtic exit hurdle appeared.

He said: “I’ve had it for a while without realising and I played with it all through last season. I’m happy that it has been identified now and it can be sorted and I can get to my best for the long-term, rather than it getting worse.

“It’s frustrating of course. Every footballer wants to play but I’m happy that it can be taken care of and I can be my normal self, playing again. It’s not affecting my day-to-day life but it’s just something we need to get on top of so I can be at 100 per cent and give 100 per cent for the club.

“He (Walters) was calm and was telling me not to worry, that I had a long-term future at the club. That really helped. I enjoyed my time at Celtic. It’s obviously a massive club.

“I didn’t play as much as I would have liked but I still learned a lot and I’m grateful for the opportunity to have been part of that team that won the amount of trophies that they won with some amazing players.”

SPFL announce Celtic fixture change for match in October

MOTHERWELL, SCOTLAND – AUGUST 25: A general stadium view before a William Hill Premiership match between Motherwell and Heart of Midlothian at Fir Park, on August 25, 2024, in Motherwell, Scotland. (Photo by Mark Scates / SNS Group) (Image: Mark Scates – SNS Group)

Celtic have had one of their upcoming league fixtures altered.

It has been confirmed this afternoon that the Scottish Premiership champions will face Motherwell away from home on Sunday the 27th of October at 3pm.

The tie was previously set for 24 hours before, but has been changed because Sky are now set to show it live.

Fir Park has predominantly been a happy hunting ground for Hoops manager Brendan Rodgers.

The gaffer masterminded several wins in Lanarkshire during his first spell with the club and won on each of his trips to face the Steelmen last season.

This time around, though, Rodgers and Co. will hope they don’t leave it so late against Stuart Kettlewell’s side.

Indeed, it took stoppage time strikes from Matt O’Riley and Adam Idah to give the Bhoys consecutive victories on their travels to Motherwell last term.

The latest fixture change for their next trip to Fir Park comes as Celtic prepare to return to action this weekend against Hearts.

The Jambos come to Parkhead having not won a competitive game all season, so will be desperate to pick up something on Saturday.

Rodgers’ men are in fine fettle, though, having won all of their domestic games this campaign.

They are yet to concede in the league, too, and will aim to keep that impressive record going at the weekend.

Report – Celtic to Offer Key Star Bumper New Deal

Celtic are set to offer Alistair Johnston a new bumper contract, which would put him among the club’s top earners, according to RecordSport.

It comes after the Canadian made a sensational start to the new season.

25th August 2024; St Mirren Park, Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland, Scottish Premiership Football, St Mirren versus Celtic; Richard Taylor of St Mirren tackles Alistair Johnston of Celtic

Johnston has been key for the Hoops in their opening five games, marauding up and down the right-hand side with ease. He scored in a 3-0 win away at St. Mirren a few weeks ago and set up Daizen Maeda for the opener in the recent Glasgow derby.

Now, the club looks set to reward the 25-year-old for his recent efforts. Indeed, they want to give him a pay rise and extend his current deal, which is due to run out in three years.

Celtic will soon open talks with the player’s agent in a positive update for supporters.

The news comes after the Hoops ended the transfer window in a busy fashion. The Scottish Premiership champions brought in three players on deadline day but remain busy.

They now aim to tie down Johnston after extending several players’ contracts at this stage last term.

The likes of Reo Hatate and Matt O’Riley were both given new deals in September 2023, and a year later, Johnston could be the next.

Fans will hope this one is done swiftly and that Johnston gets what he deserves.

Celtic Park’s unique atmosphere needs no second introduction, and it is known worldwide as one of the most exciting venues for fans or players to experience.

There are many arenas of similar size or standing to Paradise, but within its walls, there is a tradition and passion that has eroded slightly elsewhere in the world of football.

Many players have noted the decibel level in Glasgow’s east end on matchdays in the past, and European nights are always a popular topic of discussion among those who have experienced them on the pitch.

In reality, the reputation Celtic Park has forged goes hand in hand with the club’s reputation as one of the most iconic around the globe.

Either way, there is a special feeling in the air when the Bhoys are in action on home soil, something Kilmarnock loanee Oliver Bainbridge noted after making his debut for the Ayrshire side on Flag Day.

Oliver Bainbridge on Celtic Park debut

Speaking to Sunderland’s official website, Bainbridge has admitted that he will cherish his loan debut at Celtic Park ‘forever’ after starting in what turned out to be a 4-0 defeat back in August. If you can’t tell, Sunderland are his parent club.

He also expanded on the noise levels on Flag Day, claiming he needed a few minutes to settle into the action amid a passionate atmosphere in the stands.

Bainbridge stated: “It was a no-brainer for me to go and get that experience in first-team football.

“I signed on the Friday, travelled to meet the team on the Saturday and the Manager just asked me how I’d feel going straight in for the league opener against Celtic. I obviously said yes.

“The defeat was disappointing, but the experience was one I’ll cherish forever. It was the noise that shocked me. You always know it will be a good atmosphere, but it takes you a few minutes to adjust and focus on the game.”

There isn’t much else to say here, really; every Celtic fan knows how special the atmosphere can be on home soil, especially when a celebration such as hoisting the league flag is pencilled in before kick-off.

Hopefully, there can be many more examples of the support coming together in the stands over the season to generate a noise that makes it difficult for the opposition to function effectively.

Celtic have started the campaign in strong fashion and look primed to make further strides in their hunt for silverware.

Celtic ready to offer improved deal to January 2023 signing

Celtic are reported to be ready to open talks to provide Alistair Johnstone with a new improved contract.

Following the 2022 World Cup Finals in Qatar Celtic signed the defender on a five year deal with Johnston taking over from Josip Juranovic in a perfect example of succession planning.

After some injury issues at the start of last season Johnston was a key player in delivering the domestic double, taking that form into the international arena with Canada reaching the semi finals of the Copa America.

Last season Celtic improved the contracts of Callum McGregor, Reo Hatate, Daizen Maeda, Kyogo Furuhashi, Matt O’Riley and Cameron Carter-Vickers.

That policy looks set to continue with transfer specialist Scott Burns of the Daily Record reporting:

Celtic are set to open talks with Alistair Johnston over a new deal to bring him in line with the club’s top earners.

The Hoops hierarchy have got the transfer window out of the way and want to continue the trend of tying up their top stars on long-term contracts. The Canadian international still has three years left on his existing deal but they want to extend that and hand him improved terms.

The 25-year-old moved to Scotland from CF Montreal back two years ago and has pretty much made the right-back slot his own. Johnston is still on the existing contract when he first arrived at Celtic. Brendan Rodgers is keen to bring him in line with some of his other first-team stars. The Hoops have already made initial contact with the player’s representatives to get the ball rolling.

It seems a win-win situation for players to renew their contract with the case of O’Riley demonstrating that if the price is right players will be sold.

Johnston picked up a hamstring injury during the international break with Brendan Rodgers likely to provide an update on that at his media conference on Friday

Alistair Johnston due ‘new Celtic contract’ as Hoops to bring him among top earners

The Hoops defender has become one of the key performers at Parkhead

Alistair Johnston (Image: SNS Group)

Celtic are reportedly set to offer Alistair Johnston a contract extension to bring him “in line” with their top earners.

The Canadian international full-back, 25, has become one of the key performers at Parkhead in recent times with his performance in their 3-0 win over Rangers a particular standout. In recent times the club has been credited with tying down their top talents down to long-term deals and they did so with the likes of Matt O’Riley, Reo Hatate and Kyogo in recent times.

Now Johnston is the next in line to be considered by the boardroom for new terms and the Daily Record are reporting that conversations have already begun on a bumper deal to take him up towards the upper echelons of the wage structure

Johnston is believed to still be on the same terms as he was when he arrived but after 67 appearances over a season-and-a-half, Brendan Rodgers wants to reward the player.

It comes as the defender is nursing a knock he picked up on international duty with Canada as boss Jesse Marsch moved to allay Hoops fears about his chances of a sharp turnaround.

“Alistair said he felt a little bit of tightness in his hamstring and he felt it was smarter to step out. I am hopeful that he will be okay,” Marsch said.

Celtic and Rangers fans in line to spend over £2,500 to attend European away games this season

A general view of Celtic and Rangers supporters | SNS Group

Combined, fans of both Celtic and Rangers can expect to spend a total of £2,567 on flights and hotels to follow their team in Europe

New research has revealed that Rangers fans will pay £125 more than Celtic fans to watch their team play away games in Europe this season – but fans of both teams will have to fork out more than £2,500 travelling the continent.

The combined cost of the Ibrox club’s trips to Athens, Copenhagen, Manchester and Nice is the second most of any UK clubs competing in the Champions League or Europa League this season.

The study carried out by football betting tips, predictions, and news site Footy Accumulators calculated the cost of flights and accommodation for the four away trips that fans of the eight English and Scottish teams competing in Europe’s top two competitions will have to pay to watch their team abroad this season.

And Gers fans will have to cough up a combined £1,039 for flights to see their team play at each of the four Europa League away games, as well as an additional £307 for hotels. Their most expensive trip will be against Malmo, which will set fans back £341 for the flight alone, and a further £100 for the hotel. Rangers fans can also expect to fork out £393 for the trip to face Olympiacos, and £381 for the journey to France for their game against Nice.

The cheapest trip will be their final away game against Manchester United, where an open return ticket via train from Glasgow is much more affordable and expected to set fans back around £61, with a further £70 for a two-night hotel stay, meaning a total of £131.

Meanwhile, Celtic supporters will pay the fourth most for their European away games at £1,221, although they play a step above in the Champions League. The Hoops’ most expensive away trip will be to Zagreb, which will cost fans £408. Flights are available at around £338 for this, and a two-night stay in a local hotel is another £70.

Shockingly, the Parkhead side’s second most expensive away trip is for their game against Aston Villa in January. A direct flight to Birmingham is currently priced at £283, and a local hotel will add a further £63 to this for a total cost of £346. Celtic other away games are better priced, with fans being set back £258 for the match against Atalanta, whilst the trip to Dortmund is the cheapest as return flights will cost as little as £132 and the hotel £77.

Here’s how the total travel costs ranked for the eight competing UK clubs

Celtic Paid A Lot For Me – New Bhoy Keen To Repay Faith

New Celtic signing Arne Engels has stressed his desire to repay the faith the Hoops have shown in him by paying a big amount to sign him.

Following drawn-out attempts to replace midfielder Matt O’Riley, the Bhoys finally managed to seal a deal for Augsburg midfielder Engels.

The deadline day move cost Brendan Rodgers’ side a club record £11m.

Acknowledging the huge amount the Scottish side paid for him, Engels insisted that his desire is to repay their trust.

Engels further took time to stress the need for him to have faith in himself rather than trusting others for that.

“It’s nice to see this and to experience it, and I also believe in myself because I think that’s even more important than other people believing in me”, Engels was quoted as saying by the Daily Record.

“But yeah, it’s a really nice feeling that you see they did everything to get you.

“They paid obviously a big amount for me and I want to return a lot for the club.”

Rodgers handed Engels his Celtic debut in the 3-0 win over Rangers before the break.

He came on as a second-half substitute and played 28 minutes at the heart of midfield at Celtic Park.

Engels will hope for more first-team action when domestic action returns against Hearts this weekend.

Willie Collum tackles ‘insulting’ Celtic and Rangers ref conspiracies as he reveals what must be declared…

The SFA head of referees took to the airwaves after releasing VAR audio from several Premiership incidents

Willie Collum on Clyde 1 Superscoreboard

Bullish Willie Collum insists it’s INSULTING for referees to face questions over their integrity based on who they could support.

The SFA head of referees has fired back at cynics who have “barraged” by “comments in the west of Scotland towards one club of the other” amid conspiracy theories emerging from some sections of the Celtic and Rangers support. The refereeing supremo fielded a series of questions on Clyde 1 Superscoreboard after releasing VAR audio from a series of controversial flashpoints in the Scottish Premiership on Wednesday afternoon – and was sparked into a passionate response following a question over whether then men in the middle should declare who they support before taking charge of a game.

Collum responded: “First off all, referees need to declare an interest. We had a top assistant a couple of years ago and his son was playing for a senior club, even though he was playing for an under-19 club he declared that as an interest. Also, if somebody is working for a company that sponsors a particular club, these are the things we would expect the referee to declare an interest in.

“In terms of a team that somebody might support or a connection with a family member, where do we draw the line? We want to encourage people into refereeing and say you can referee the top games – you can referee the top games. We would put a blocker on that, and I keep saying where do you draw the line?

“If somebody’s third relative had a connection somewhere, or had a season ticket to support somebody – what I would say is, and I want to be really honest with people, when you are refereeing at the top level of the game you have a passion for it, you want to achieve well. Refereeing took me places as a young kid that I never dreamed I would go to. Why would I jeopardise or risk that to say ‘I want this team to win or affect this’ – I want people to trust me that it’s not the case.

“We are barraged by comments in the west of Scotland towards one club or the other – that is not the case. People make genuine decisions, genuine errors and we are honest.

“If referees weren’t honest we would have a problem. It’s 2024, I think we need to move away from that. I would ask people to shift that narrative, let’s get behind referees rather than try to pick a fault because a person is associated with that or that. They are top referees for a reason and it’s been a long journey to get there. And when they get there they want to stay there.”

Pressed on how referees feel about claims of bias towards Rangers or Celtic, Collum went on: “I think it is insulting because it is questioning people’s integrity. Referees integrity is alway at the utmost. What I would say as well is people say geographically a referee comes from here, or comes from there and has a background as I mentioned earlier – I don’t care about any of these things. I want quality, and that is what we (the SFA) judge referees on. “

Celtic to offer Alistair Johnston improved terms, surely Greg Taylor deserves the same

Alistair Johnston is set to be offered a new contract by Celtic, according to Scott Burns…

The well informed journalist reports that the Celtic Board are keen to tie the Canadian International right-back down on an extended contract and he will be rewarded with a bumper new deal that will take him up amongst the top earners at the club.

Johnston arrived from CF Montreal just after the World Cup in Qatar and made his debut at Ibrox in the New Year 2023 game in Ange Postecoglou’s second season at the club. The full back still has three years of his existing deal to run so rewarding the player while protecting the club’s position seems sensible and is in line with previous activity at this time of the year after the transfer window closed.

Celtic according to Scott Burns writing in Daily Record, have made contact with AJ’s representatives to set the ball rolling.

What remains a mystery is the lack of progress on Greg Taylor’s deal at the club which is actually ending at the end of this season. Taylor has been outstanding for Celtic for the past three seasons, after having a difficult time adjusting following his move from Kilmarnock.

There is no doubt that securing Alistair Johnston on a long term deal is the clever thing to do but surely Taylor too deserves to be rewarded for his contribution and for his own salary to increased to reflect his importance to the Celtic team?

Meanwhile after his tight hamstring scare at the weekend in the win over the USA, the Canadian defender will be assessed before the game against Hearts at Celtic Park on Saturday. With the Champions League starting next midweek, it’s likely that Johnston will not be risked against the Tynecastle outfit, who are currently joint bottom of the league.

Celtic set to open talks with Alistair Johnston over new deal

Celtic are looking to open discussions with right-back Alistair Johnston regarding a new contract that would make him one of the highest-paid players at the club, according to Daily Record.

The Hoops have closed the summer transfer window and will focus on tying their stars with long-term contracts.

Johnston still has three years remaining on his current deal. However, Celtic are keen to extend his contract and offer him improved terms. They want to give him a salary that reflects his importance to the team.

The 25-year-old joined Celtic from CF Montreal two years ago and has established himself as the mainstay at right-back. He has played all their Scottish Premiership fixtures this season, scoring once and creating four big chances.

He has helped the club keep two clean sheets in four of those games, winning 69% of his duels.

Manager Brendan Rodgers is eager to reward the Canadian international for his performances and bring his salary in line with other first-team regulars. Initial contact has already been made with the player’s representatives to lay the groundwork for negotiations.

After representing Canada on international duty, Johnston returned to Celtic’s training ground this week.

He limped off during the 2-1 victory over the USA with a hamstring injury, but Canadian head coach Jesse Marsch does not anticipate a serious issue. Johnston will undergo further assessment by Celtic’s medical team before the Hoops resume their Premiership campaign against Hearts.

Celtic have already flown to the top of the standings after winning all four of their opening fixtures. They lead their arch-rivals Rangers by five points and look set to retain their league crown.

Celtic hope to blitz their way to a domestic treble like they did in the 2022/23 season with the momentum they have started the season with.

More importantly, they will be desperate to give a decent account of themselves in the UEFA Champions League after some shambolic European campaigns over the past decade.

Willie Collum in Celtic fess up over VAR howler as defiant ref chief defends madcap Rangers incident and 3 others

The SFA’s refereeing guru opened up on a host of big decisions

Willie Collum

SFA head of referees Willie Collum has admitted that VAR got a big penalty call wrong during Celtic’s first game of the season.

However, the ref chief has launched a defence of a string of other incidents in the opening weeks of the campaign. Brendan Rodgers’ side opened their Scottish Premiership campaign against Kilmarnock and ran out 4-0 winners on the day – but things could have been worse for Derek McInnes’ side after goalkeeper Robby McCrorie collided with Kyogo Furuhashi as the Celtic attacker looked to control a looped ball into the box.

At the time, the Killie No. 1 avoided punishment with man in the middle Don Robertson waving play on while Craig Napier in the VAR room backed up the referee. However, Collum has now conceded that the match officials got it wrong. Speaking to the SFA’s VAR Review, he said: “We believe this is the wrong decision.

“We have coached the referees and the VARs that a penalty should have been awarded here. There are a couple of things I would like to discuss about the clip. Firstly, it is an unexpected free-kick with the way the ball is chipped over the wall and it catches the on-field referee by surprise.

Kyogo was taken out by Kille keeper McCrorie

“It is then very difficult for the referee to find an angle around that wall to get a view of the incident, because the referees priority is that if there is a shot there is potential for handball in the wall. So, he has positioned himself correctly to judge that and it then becomes a very difficult decision for him to make on-field.

“The Celtic player clearly gets ahead, wins the ball, touches the ball past the goalkeeper and we then think the goalkeeper’s actions are reckless. So for us, this should have been a penalty kick and an on-field review should have been requested and the referee then asked to make a judgement on the call.”

Collum also conceded that Dundee defender Luke Graham should have been penalised for a handball in the penalty box during the 2-2 draw with Dundee United adding: “For us this was a missed handball, a punishable handball. The cross comes from a distance and the proximity doesn’t come in here. The Dundee player when he comes in, in our opinion, is in an unnatural position.”

Kilmarnock’s Danny Armstrong was penalised for a tumble on the edge of the box against St Johnstone and shown a yellow for simulation – which Collum conceded was “incorrect” – but that the VAR had got it right as it was “impossible” for the off-field officials to intervene because the contact didn’t happen in the penalty box. But the Ayrshire men were told that Brad Lyon’s red card against Aberdeen was the right call.

But Collum did stand by a host of decisions by on-field officials and the VAR teams across the country. Hibs defender Marvin Ekpiteta was cleared of a tackle at Celtic Park when James Forrest claimed for a penalty – with both the VAR and whistler standing by their on-field decision.

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Hearts were snubbed for a penalty in the first game of the season when Yan Dhanda’s cross struck the hand of Rangers’ man Connor Barron, while Ross County protested about a foul by Tom Lawrence in the build-up to Cyriel Dessers goal for the Light Blues. Collum stood by his officials over both flashpoints.

He also insisted that the Dessers’ opening goal against St Johnstone at Hampden was ultimately correct after ref Matthew MacDermid appeared to penalise the Rangers striker – before VAR intervened and the strike was given. The striker found the net but it appeared to have been chalked off by the on-field whistler, who gestured for a St Johnstone free-kick for an adjudged foul on Jack Sanders – seemingly before the ball hit the back of the net.

The goal was reviewed in the VAR room by Greg Aitken and assistant Alan Mulvanny. MacDermid was called over to the monitor and after a review of both the foul and a possible offside, he gestured for the goal to stand. Despite fury from St Johnstone, Collum stood by MacDermid.

Rangers’ Cyriel Dessers collides with St Johnstone’s Jack Sanders before he scores to make it 1-0

He said: “So the starting point for us is we coach the referees about good body language, and the referee here probably doesn’t use good body language. We see on the edge of the penalty area everything is edging towards a free-kick, body language wise.

“His body language is showing that but he correctly delays the whistle. He correctly communicates to the VAR what he is intending to do if a goal is scored, and when the ball hits the net he then blows the whistle for a defensive free-kick punishing the Rangers player for a challenge.

“The VAR then goes into a check and they quickly come to a conclusion after accessing the correct angle that there is no infringement. I would also say this is a normal footballing contact, something people have said to me ‘would this have been a penalty had it been against the attacker’ – for me this is normal footballing contact and would have been played on. VAR checks and realise the Rangers player has not committed a foul and they refer the referee to come to the screen for a review.”

Willie Collum admits VAR errors – Celtic and Dundee United denied penalties as contentious Rangers goal addressed

SFA head of referees explains big decisions in new VAR review show

Willie Collum has claimed that Celtic and Dundee United should have been awarded penalties following his early-season assessment of VAR.

The Scottish FA’s head of referees also criticised referee Matthew MacDermid’s body language before Rangers striker Cyriel Dessers scored against St Johnstone in their Premier Sports Cup win at Hampden Park last month.

Former referee Collum, who took charge of Scotland’s officials this summer, explained some big decisions from the first four weeks of the season in ‘The VAR Review’, a new monthly show on the Scottish FA’s YouTube channel.

He reviewed the controversial incident at Celtic Park when Hoops striker Kyogo Furuhashi touched the ball past Robby McCrorie before colliding with the Kilmarnock goalkeeper.

Referee Don Robertson and VAR officials concluded that “the goalkeeper just makes himself big”, but Collum said: “We believe this was the wrong decision. We have coached the referees and the VARs that a penalty kick should have been awarded here.

“It is an unexpected free-kick with the way the ball is chipped. It catches the on-field referee by surprise and it’s very difficult for the referee to find an angle round that wall to get a proper view.

“The Celtic player clearly gets ahead and touches the ball past the goalkeeper and we then think the goalkeeper’s actions are reckless. An off-field review should have been requested and the referee asked to come to the monitor.”

Celtic striker Kyogo Furuhashi is brought down by Kilmarnock goalkeeper Robby McCrorie in an incident that should have resulted in a penalty, according to SFA head of referees Willie Collum. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group) | SNS Group

Collum also highlighted the incident when referee David Dickinson turned down Dundee United claims for a spot-kick after the ball struck the arm of Dundee defender Luke Graham.

“This was a missed handball,” said Collum. “The ball firstly travels from distance, from a corner kick.

“The Dundee player, when he jumps, his arm is in an unnatural position and he’s not jostling with an opponent.”

Collum also cleared up a contentious Rangers goal against St Johnstone when Dessers netted after dispossessing Saints defender Jack Sanders.

Some of the players and manager Craig Levein suggested their defenders had been distracted by MacDermid signalling for a Saints free-kick.

Collum revealed an audio recording confirmed that the official had not blown his whistle before the goal was scored.

“Here, the referee probably doesn’t display good body language,” said Collum. “His body language when the challenge is made is edging towards a free-kick.

“But he correctly delays the whistle, he correctly communicates so the VAR is aware of what he intends doing if a goal is scored and, when the ball hits the net, he then blows his whistle for what he deems to be a defensive free-kick.

“VAR checks and realises the Rangers player hasn’t committed a foul and they therefore recommend an on-field review.

“Apart from the body language, the correct process was followed and ultimately the correct decision was reached.”

Celtic’s storming start to this season has been extremely impressive as Brendan Rodgers launched the defence of his Scottish Premiership title.

Four wins out of four with 12 goals scored and none conceded has sent a message to our rivals that that is going to take something special to remove Celtic from the top of the Scottish Premiership.

Brendan Rodgers has his team playing some superb attacking football and that was on full display as Celtic easily beat Rangers at Parkhead just before the international break.

That result caused pundit, Kris Boyd, to display a public show of anger on Sky Sports as the former Rangers striker lost the plot after watching Celtic hammer his old club.

And it seems now, that after watching that defeat and Celtic’s performance, Boyd has come to a stark realisation about Rangers’ chances of pipping Brendan Rodgers to the title.

Boyd: Celtic will have ‘too much’ for Rangers

Boyd sounded defeated when he was asked to give his predictions of where he thinks all the SPFL teams will finish this season and when it came to Celtic, he admitted that he has been ‘impressed’ with how the Parkhead club has started the season.

Boyd told Sky Sports, “Even I’ve been impressed by the way Celtic have started the season and that takes a lot for me to say that!

“I just get the feeling they’re going to have too much. The business they’ve done, they’re strong enough and they will win the league by a good few points.”

Boyd’s Rangers prediction still hands praise to Celtic

The former Rangers man was then asked to give his prediction on where Rangers will finish and whilst he believes his old club will be runners-up, he reckons it’s not going to be an easy season trying to catch Celtic.

Boyd continued, “I knew it was going to be a tough season, I didn’t think it would be as tough as this. I still think they’ll have more than the rest but I don’t think it’s going to be as easy as it’s been over the last few years to get that second place.

“Once the season settles down a bit and players get up to match speed, they’ll be ok. Once injuries start to hit the smaller teams that’s when you see the bigger ones pull away.

“Rangers will have more than enough to finish second but I don’t think they have enough to challenge Celtic.”

Whilst nothing is won in September, the Celtic fans will be confident that the team Rodgers has assembled will be good enough to defend the title.

Wit the Champions League campaign starting next week, European progress is the aim this season and the Celtic supporters will be hoping that Brendan Rodgers will deliver that this season.

The VAR Review – Willie Collum admits Kyogo penalty error but ignores offside

The VAR Review is a brand new monthly show that gives Scottish football fans a behind the scenes look at some of the big decisions made across the game – whether they are right or whether they are wrong – and how those decisions are reached…

Match official Willie Collum arrives at the stadium prior to the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and theRangers at Celtic Park on May 11, 2024. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

The intention is to provide a unique insight through the use of VAR and referee audio.

Host Gordon Duncan is joined by Head of Refereeing, Willie Collum, for the first show, which looks back at the opening of the 2024 season, up until the September international break but does NOT cover the Kyogo ‘offside’ goal in the 3-0 victory over theRangers.

Talking of theRangers we get shown two incidents that went their way against Hearts and St Johnstone and are told that both are correct decisions, although the handball on the opening day would have been a penalty last season. Not like them to catch a break from the referees is it?

Celtic had two penalty incidents reviewed, neither of which was given. The James Forrest one against Hibs, Collum reckons was a correct call not to give it but he believes that the Kilmarnock goalkeeper clearing out Kyogo after Matt O’Riley chipped the ball over the wall should have been a penalty.

❌ | 𝙑𝘼𝙍 𝙒𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝 – 𝘾𝙚𝙡𝙩𝙞𝙘 𝘿𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙚𝙙 𝙋𝙚𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙮

Celtic should have been awarded a penalty in the opening day vs Kilmarnock according to Head of Referees Willie Collum.

It’s hard to get behind VAR when this wasn’t given on the day👇🏼

pic.twitter.com/RDb2Vw7y5w

— Everything Celtic (@aboutceltic) September 11, 2024

Not surprisingly the most controversial decision of the lot – the offside call in the Glasgow Derby match at Celtic Park – was NOT featured, so we didn’t get to hear Andrew Dallas’ assessment on how Kyogo was offside and how he got to draw those lines in the manner that he did.

Nor did we hear Gordon Duncan question Willie Collum on this call and ask what happened to giving the benefit of the doubt to the attacker?

The more the Scottish FA come clean the more it looks like they are still hiding their dirty little secrets.

No surprises there. Everyone could see that it was a penalty for the challenge on Kyogo the moment it happened. The big question is why was it refused in real time when it was obvious to everyone, and then again after a closer inspection on VAR? https://t.co/OPmCwovJU1

— JustAnOrdinaryBhoy (@ordinarybhoy) September 11, 2024

Confirmation that VAR made a wrong decision in failing to award Kyogo a penalty in the opening day of the season when he was wiped out by Kilmarnock goalkeeper Ross McCrorie.

The speed in which the VAR (Greg Aitkin, from Ayrshire…) dismissed the claim is worrying. https://t.co/spfWyCvB4o

— ᴘʙ 🍀 (@p_bov1) September 11, 2024

So the VAR review said today this was a penalty (which even sitting in the stands we knew it was) and the reason it wasn’t reviewed at the time by VAR is because the referee didn’t request it. Seems odd, had the ball rolled into the net it would’ve been!
pic.twitter.com/mzhuKmZbE6

— Matt McGlone (@MattMcGlone9) September 11, 2024