Celtic
Goal hero Robbie Brady feels ‘something is coming’ with Ireland after Finnish turnaround
Goal hero Robbie Brady feels ‘something is coming’ with Ireland after Finnish turnaround
Player of the match Robbie Brady says that the squad can “sense something is coming” with the Republic of Ireland team following tonight’s 2-1 victory over Finland in Helsinki.
Brady, who set up Liam Scales’ equaliser, scored the Boys in Green’s late winner, controlling a Festy Ebosele cross superbly at the back post before smashing the ball into the roof of the net.
It means a first ever away win for Ireland in the Nations League, but more importantly it lifts the feeling around the squad after a tough international window, with two chastening defeats to England and Greece last month.
“You see the hard work the lads are putting in and the results are not going our way,” he told RTÉ Sport after the game.
“We can sense something is coming. There’s millions of pounds worth of young talent in that dressing room and (we’re) just delighted to get the win.
“Scalesy’s done unbelievable to get himself a goal and Festy was a bit of magic, I thought he did excellently when he came on; pace and power and a great delivery for the second.”
On his winning goal Brady added: “I think I heard someone shouting to try a cross but as soon as it sat up I said I’d hit it, and lucky enough it went in.”
The equaliser for Scales was his first in an Irish shirt, heading home Brady’s cross to give Finnish goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky no chance.
For the Wicklow native, who has been getting regular Champions League football with Celtic this season, it’s another notch on his belt five years after he was playing in the League of Ireland with UCD.
“It’s brilliant, it was a great feeling, and the fans just make it that bit better,” he said of his equaliser after the game.
“We’ve been due a win, especially away from home, and to win it like that was brilliant.
“I don’t get many, I’ve had a few this season already. In the last 10 or 15 games I’ve more than I had in the previous two seasons already.
“Droughts come as well as a defender but hopefully I can chip in with a few more.
“It’s always been top of the list for me so to check that off is amazing. I’ll reflect on it tonight and take it all in.”
Scales heaped praise on Brady for his winner, which turned a decent night for Ireland into a great one.
“The ability to take it down and fire it into the roof of the net, he’s got that in abundance. You saw it in the delivery for my goal. He deserves it, as well. He’s had to work hard and get himself back in and playing for us.
“A brilliant feeling, a brilliant goal, and you could see it in our faces when we were celebrating.”
On what the result might mean for the national side, Scales said that he hopes it can be the catalyst for a turnaround in fortunes.
“It’ll give us confidence and I think that’s been missing. We want to make a habit of winning tough games away from home, winning games at the Aviva.
“We don’t want to make it a one-off; we want to make it more regular. That’s the plan, take the confidence into the next few fixtures and hopefully pick up as many points as we can.”
Paul Tisdale transfer plan revealed, Palma branded ‘high risk’ as forgotten £3.5m payday escalates – Celtic news roundup
The Scottish champions are busy during the international break
Paul Tisdale (Image: Getty Images)
Paul Tisdale’s potential Celtic transfer plan has emerged – with an Exeter City ally insiting he would ramp up the player-trading model at the club.
Former City director of football Steve Perryman – who interviewed Tisdale for the St James Park hotseat – worked by his side for 12 years. The 51-year-old – who has branded himself the ‘football doctor’ – has reportedly been selected as the man to revamp the football operations at Celtic Park.
There’s a void to fill within the Scottish Premiership champions after the departures of head of recruitment Mark Lawwell as well as as chief scout Joe Dudgeon last March. And with Celtic managing to snap up a series of big money sales – most recently the record-breaking exit of Matt O’Riley – Perryman has tipped Tisdale to continue the trend.
He told the Daily Mail: “He signed well, even when we were dealing with the lower-league market. When you are at an Exeter, though – and I think this probably applies to everyone now – you have to have a keen eye and a good judgment on young players.
“At Exeter, he was signing players from under-13 to first-team level and, if you had anything about you then, you could be in the first team by 17. As he did with Ollie Watkins, as he did with Matt Grimes, who is now captain of Swansea.
“He found Ethan Ampadu and put him in the team at the age of 15. He just had great judgment. Judgment in the boardroom, judgment in a trial match where you have 30 or 40 players and you only need three to make up your squad.
‘Judgment in football is critical. And ‘Tis’ has the brain to get the best out of whatever job he is doing and just doing things right. He is honest, he is honourable, he is likeable and he just does things right.”
A transfer windfall that could be incoming to Celtic Park in January is the sale of Alexandro Bernabei. Currently on loan in Brazil at Internacional, the left-back is racking up regular minutes for the club.
With his temporary deal set to expire at the end of the year, the Hoops will be given the chance to recoup some of the £3.75m they spent on the Argentine back in 2022. Club president Alessandro Barcellos has confirmed they want to keep the left-back.
Alexandro Bernabei training with Internacional (Image: Alexandro Bernabei / Instagram)
He told Radio Gaucha: “Bernabei is on loan with the club until the end of the year. We still need to work with the club that owns his rights to buy him or extend the loan, whatever the possible strategy.
“We have already started talks with the player’s agent, who has expressed an interest in staying, which is important in the process. We hope to have a favourable outcome, but this will only happen towards the end of the year.
“Our idea is to keep Bernabei, as he increases in value with each game that passes. He is a player who has earned his space, conquered it, and maintained it, and today he is a very important performer for our team.”
Another man who is fighting for his future is Luis Palma – who didn’t do himself any harm with a hat-trick in the friendly against Sligo Rovers likely to catch the eye of Brendan Rodgers. The appearance in Ireland came after Honduras manager Reinaldo Rueda opted against calling him up – with Palma making just three appearance for the Hoops so far this term.
Rueda lifted the lid on the decision, stating to El Gráfico: “Luis Palma has faced difficult times after his injury in February. Although he had a good pre-season and some minutes, in the last month he has had no competition.
“It is a high risk for him to be out of his level, especially with complicated games ahead. In the matches against Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, we gave him minutes to stand out for his club, but he has had no recent activity. We hope he recovers, and we can count on him for the next date [international break].”
Kieran Tierney’s Future Takes a New Turn – Report
The ongoing saga surrounding Kieran Tierney’s potential return to Celtic has taken another twist, as recent reports suggest that his next destination could be a return to Spain, with Las Palmas showing interest.
Soccer Football – Europa League Round of 32 First Leg – Celtic vs Zenit Saint Petersburg – Celtic Park, Glasgow, Britain – February 15, 2018 Celtic’s Callum McGregor and Kieran Tierney after the match Action Images via Reuters/Lee Smith
Despite Celtic fans’ hopes for a reunion with their former star, it appears Tierney’s career could be taking him in a different direction.
Tierney, sidelined since suffering an injury at Euro 2024, has reportedly been informed by Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta that his time at the club is coming to an end. With his contract at the Emirates Stadium entering its final year next summer, Arsenal are considering loaning him out in January to boost his visibility and market value.
Las Palmas has emerged as a possible suitor, say Grada 3, with the Spanish side already having a Scottish connection in players like Oli McBurnie and Scott McKenna, which could help ease Tierney’s transition to La Liga. A loan move to Spain could offer Tierney the chance to rebuild his fitness and form in a less intense environment than the Premier League, while still playing at a high level.
A return to Celtic could still happen next summer; whether it will or not is another story. No doubt, until his permanent future is sorted, rumours will continue to emerge.
EXCLUSIVE: Celtic’s new recruitment chief Tisdale is one of the most intelligent men in football, says Tottenham legend Perryman
Spurs legend Steve Perryman believes Celtic are snapping up one of the smartest men in football in new recruitment chief Paul Tisdale.
A former director of football at Exeter City, Perryman interviewed Tisdale for the St James Park hotseat and worked by his side for 12 years.
A self-employed football consultant since leaving Stevenage in 2022, the 51-year-old is poised to become Celtic’s new head of recruitment after Mark Lawwell left the post in March.
And ex-England midfielder Perryman claims the Parkhead club have landed an astute judge of a player.
‘Paul is in the top three football people I have met for his intelligence,’ he told Mail Sport.
‘You meet people in football who have come from an education background and you think: “Yeah, but they haven’t played”.
Steve Perryman, above left, with Paul Tisdale during their time at Exeter City
Tisdale cut a fashionable figure on the touchline in his management days
Perryman, left, in action with Tottenham Hotspur during a London derby with Chelsea
‘Then you see people from an education background who look at players and think: “They’re not thinkers, are they”?
‘The hard part is getting the balance between the two, and “Tis” was – and is – a very, very well educated football person.
‘So, in terms of his judgment in situations, such as recruitment, selection, dealing with the board and players, he is excellent.
‘His intelligence saw him through – and his intelligence said to me “he could be chief executive chairman of this club”.
‘He covered every base because he had great character and intelligence.
‘He knows where he fits in, and he concentrates on that. He can wear so many different hats.’
Former Southampton playerTisdale was credited with discovering Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins, and Perryman claims the England striker is just one of a number of talented young players who came through during his time as Exeter boss.
He also believes Tisdale’s skill set fits in with the player-trading model at the Parkhead club, who sold Matt O’Riley to Brighton for £25million and brought in Arne Engels on an £11m record deal.
‘He signed well, even when we were dealing with the lower-league market,’ said Perryman.
‘When you are at an Exeter, though – and I think this probably applies to everyone now – you have to have a keen eye and a good judgment on young players.
‘At Exeter, he was signing players from under-13 to first-team level and, if you had anything about you then, you could be in the first team by 17.
‘As he did with Ollie Watkins, as he did with Matt Grimes, who is now captain of Swansea.
‘He found Ethan Ampadu and put him in the team at the age of 15.
‘He just had great judgment. Judgment in the boardroom, judgment in a trial match where you have 30 or 40 players and you only need three to make up your squad.
‘Judgment in football is critical. And “Tis” has the brain to get the best out of whatever job he is doing and just doing things right.
‘He is honest, he is honourable, he is likeable and he just does things right.’
Luis Palma Renaisance; Winger’s Hat-trick Gives Celtic Late Victory in Ireland
Celtic left it late in Ireland tonight as a Luis Palma hat-trick gave the Hoops a narrow 3-2 victory over Sligo Rovers.
25th February 2024; Fir Park, Motherwell, Scotland; Scottish Premiership Football, Motherwell versus Celtic; Goalscorers Luis Palma of Celtic and Adam Idah of Celtic celebrate in front of the fans at the end
The Bhoys travelled across the Irish sea for a mid-season friendly at the Showgrounds this evening, and despite a duo of calamitous errors from Scott Bain, fringe winger Palma saved the day with three goals.
Palma opened the scoring early doors, tapping home at the back post from a teasing Yang Hyun-jun cross:
Así fue el gol de Luis Palma ante Sligo Rovers en partido amistoso.
— Felipe Valencia (@Luiselpipe) October 9, 2024
Sligo then turned the game on its head as strikes from Kailin Barlow and Simon Power put the hosts ahead.
Rodgers made several changes throughout the game, bringing on numerous academy talents.
Going into the dying embers, it looked as though the Scottish Premiership champions were heading for a narrow defeat, but up stepped Palma.
In the dying embers, the 24-year-old struck twice to give the Celts a victory in their spiritual home.
Palma made it 2-2, slamming home at the back post from a teasing delivery from academy midfielder Sean McArdle.
Lightning then struck twice as Palma put his side ahead two minutes into stoppage time. The attacker, once more, popped up at the back post, this time converting from a teasing Samuel Iziguso cross.
Both late goals can be viewed below:
Hatricki de Luis Palma en amistoso con Celtic. El hondureño jugó los 90 minutos y logró anotar el 1-0, 2-2 y 3-2 para ganarlo frente Sligo de Irlanda.
Ritmo y confianza.
Que sea el resurgir, Luis. 🇭🇳 pic.twitter.com/Jd9fNIX7yE— De La Rocha 𝕏 (@AlvaroDLaRocha) October 9, 2024
A match-winning hat-trick might just be what Palma’s confidence needed. The winger has struggled to impress this season, but his contributions tonight could revive his campaign.
Report: Celtic Set to Make Key Footballing Operations Appointment
Celtic are set to appoint Paul Tisdale in a key behind-the-scenes role, according to a report.
Soccer Football – Champions League – Celtic v Slovan Bratislava – Celtic Park, Glasgow, Scotland, Britain – September 18, 2024
General view inside the stadium before the match REUTERS/Russell Cheyne
Stephen McGowan writes in MailSport that the club want to bring Tisdale in to ramp up its footballing operations.
The 51-year-old has previously described himself as a ‘football doctor’ and works as a self-employed consultant.
Tisdale’s managerial career spanned over 1,000 matches, during which time he took charge of Exeter City, MK Dons, Bristol Rovers, and Stevenage.
He is widely known for giving current Aston Villa and England star Ollie Watkins his big break in football while at Exeter.
Tisdale, though, missed Watkins’ biggest moment of his career so far – his goal to send the Three Lions to the Euros final in the summer – as he was attending Celtic’s pre-season friendly with Queen’s Park.
It remains to be seen what the specific title of the role Tisdale will take up might be, but he is expected to oversee functions such as recruitment, data and coaching development.
The proposed appointment comes after recruitment head Mark Lawell departed the club earlier in the year, along with lead scout Joe Dudgeon.
Manager Brendan Rodgers has previously reinstated the need for an overhaul of the footballing operations at Celtic and could kick things off with the appointment of Tisdale.
Report names ‘Football Doctor’ to take over Lawwell role at Celtic
Paul Tisdale is being targeted to overhaul Celtic’s Recruitment and Development set up.
Brendan Rodgers has been measured in his criticism of the set up that he inherited but after a disastrous summer of recruitment in 2023 the hoops boss seemed to take control in January 2024 with Nicolas Kuhn and Adam Idah proving to be a cut above the previous template of project signings.
In March it was announced that Mark Lawwell, son of Chairman Peter, was leaving his recruitment role but there has been no word from inside the club of a successor or revamped Recruitment set up.
It took Celtic until the final week of the summer 2024 transfer window to get serious over recruitment with Rodgers insisting on a quality threshold.
Plans for January should be well underway with the well connected Stephen McGowan of the Daily Mail reporting:
Celtic are set to bring in former Exeter City boss Paul Tisdale to revamp the club’s football operations.
Describing himself as a ‘football doctor’, 51-year-old Tisdale has been working as a self-employed consultant.
The former Southampton midfielder also coached MK Dons, Bristol Rovers and Stevenage in a managerial career which spanned over 1,000 games in the dug-out.
With head of recruitment Mark Lawwell and chief scout Joe Dudgeon having left Celtic in March, Tisdale has been targeted for a senior role at the Scottish champions, overseeing functions such as recruitment, data and coaching development.
The summer transfer of Matt O’Riley created a trading profit but just as significantly were the moves out of the club of Sead Haksabanovic, Ben Siegrist, Yuki Kobayashi and Oh Hyeon-gyu with loan deals arranged for others recruited by Mark Lawwell such as Kwon Hyeoko-kyu and Gus Lagerbielke with earlier deals completed for Alexandro Bernabei and Marco Tilio to move out the club.
Why Celtic’s youth players must improve their ‘physicality’
Brendan Rodgers (Image: NQ)
Everything Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers said to Celtic TV after his side’s 3-2 win over Sligo Rovers at The Showground…
Brendan, a fantastic occasion here in Sligo. The fans were treated to an entertaining game here – what did you make of it?
It was a really good exercise for us. A lot of our senior players got 90 minutes in their legs which was great. It was much better in the second half than the first, we had better tempo, better rhythm and more speed in our game, so we were very good in the second half. It was excellent to come out here to Ireland against Sligo – it was a great little test for us with how they played and worked, overall, I’m really pleased.
Sligo Rovers played some pretty good football. What did you make of them?
Yeah, very good! You can see why they’re a top-six team in the League of Ireland. They’re fighting for European football and are at a good level of fitness. They passed the ball well and with confidence. It was a really good test, especially for some of our boys who haven’t played for a little bit of time. As the game went on, we were just more aggressive in the game and pushed into a higher starting position and that allowed us to attack a lot more. You saw that a lot more in the second half.
What lessons will the young players take from this game?
I think it’s physicality, and a lot of them need to improve on that aspect. They need to have more running power and get into contention more. They have talent with the ball, but it’s nowhere near enough. That physicality will allow them to play at a higher tempo, but it’s nice for them to feel that and play out there in front of a crowd and play with that personality that you need to play for Celtic. Some of them did really well.
What is the plan between now and next Saturday?
We’ve got a couple of free days. I’ve got a foundation event down in London with the club, so I’m looking forward to that. A little bit of rest, but then planning ahead for that really exciting game against Aberdeen. I’m really looking forward to that, we will have a couple of days to recover. It’s been a long period of games – seven games in 23 days – so some recovery time then we’ll look forward to having everyone back for the Aberdeen game.
Celtic set to make Football Operations appointment
Paul Tisdale, manager of Exeter City prior to the Emirates FA Cup Second Round Replay between Exeter City and Forest Green at St James Park on December 12, 2017. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
Celtic expected to appoint former Exeter City boss Paul Tisdale who will oversee football operations at the club…
Paul Tisdale the manager of Bristol Rovers looks on during the Emirates FA Cup match between Bristol Rovers and Darlington FC at the Memorial Stadium on November 29, 2020 (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)
Following the departures of both Joe Dudgeon and Mark Lawwell in March, Celtic have been on the lookout for a new Head of Recruitment. Tisdale, who since his departure from EFL League 2 club Stevenage in 2022, has been working as a self-employed football consultant.
According to a report in the Daily Mail, the Englishman is being targeted for a role which will see him be at the forefront of recruitment, coaching development and data.
A self-confessed ‘football doctor’ Tisdale has previously managed in the lower leagues of English Football. He racked up more than 1000 games as a manager between 2001-2022 with Team Bath, Exeter City, MK Dons, Bristol Rovers and Stevenage.
Paul Tisdale manager of Milton Keynes Dons during the Sky Bet League One match between Milton Keynes Dons and AFC Wimbledon at Stadium mk on September 07, 2019 (Photo by Paul Harding/Getty Images)
The Hoops have failed to get this vacancy right in recent seasons. Lee Congerton, Gordon Strachan (for a three-month period in 2021), Nick Hammond, Mark Lawwell and Joe Dudgeon have all made little impact in organising a modern football structure off the pitch.
Tisdsle also has experience in a similar type of role with Dutch side Ado Den Haag building a sustainable model and clean up in their football operational side.
READ THIS…
Celtic CEO Michael Nicholson at Dingwall on Sunday . Photo Vagelis Georgariou
An exciting appointment, and one that can relieve the pressures of CEO Michael Nicholson and manager Brendan Rodgers who shared transfer responsibilities this summer. A dedicated person in a sporting director job is required and, Tisdale looks set to become that man.
EXCLUSIVE: ‘Football doctor’ Tisdale set for senior role at Celtic
Former Exeter boss is being targeted by Scottish champions as they seek to improve recruitment, data, and player and coach development
Tisdale previously advised Fulham and Crystal Palace, and gave Ollie Watkins his big break at Exeter
The 51-year-old self-employed consultant has been described as ‘the most stylish man in football’
Celtic are set to bring in former Exeter City boss Paul Tisdale to revamp the club’s football operations.
Describing himself as a ‘football doctor’, 51-year-old Tisdale has been working as a self-employed consultant.
The former Southampton midfielder also coached MK Dons, Bristol Rovers and Stevenage in a managerial career which spanned over 1,000 games in the dug-out.
With head of recruitment Mark Lawwell and chief scout Joe Dudgeon having left Celtic in March, Tisdale will be charged with overseeing a review of functions such as recruitment, data and player and coach development.
‘I work as what I call a football doctor,’ he recently told a scouting podcast. ‘I go into football clubs and I try to find performance-improvement solutions using data and also my experience as a coach.
‘I can translate very well from the boardroom to the pitch, and from the pitch to the boardroom, and also deliver CPD (continuous professional development) or coach mentoring.
Described as ‘the most stylish man in football’, Tisdale looks to be on his way to Celtic
Paul Tisdale cut quite a dash on the sidelines in his time as a manager
The Parkhead club want Tisdale to advise on key areas including recruitment
‘I’m currently into a period where I am doing a bit of a lot of things, waiting for one thing really to take off. (It’s) keeping me busy and I am self employed with my own business and really enjoying it.’
Once described as ‘the most stylish man in football’, Tisdale has previously advised Fulham and Crystal Palace. As a coach, he gave Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins his first-team break at Exeter, but missed the striker’s winning goal for England against the Netherlands at Euro 2024 because he was taking in a match between Queen’s Park and Celtic.
Consultant Tisdale has also given advice to clubs like Fulham and Crystal Palace
Tisdale was a manager at Exeter, MK Dons, Bristol Rovers and Stevenage
Speaking to talkSPORT the morning after, he said: ‘I was delighted but I was actually at Queen’s Park last night for the pre-season game against Celtic and I was in the boardroom afterwards. When Ollie came on the pitch as a substitute I had a feeling he would score. But I didn’t want to start screaming if he did, so I ran out to the car. I actually missed it because of that.’
Celtic have gone down a similar route before, drafting in former manager Gordon Strachan on a three-month consultancy basis in 2021.
Working as Dundee technical director at the time, Strachan reviewed the club academy, women’s team and B team operations, providing recommendations to former chief executive Dom McKay.
Palma hat-trick bails out Bain as Celtic snatch victory in Sligo
Celtic staged a trademark late rally to come from behind to defeat Sligo Rovers 3-2 tonight in a friendly at The Showgrounds.
Luis Palma had opened the scoring in the ninth minute but left it late with goals in the 89th and 92nd minutes to deny the League of Ireland side a famous victory.
Palma, Yang Hyun-jun, Luke McCowan, Stephen Welsh and Maik Nawrocki provided the experience in the Celtic side but Scott Bain was the fall guy with two badly conceded goals to give Sligo a half-time lead.
90+2′ – Another Goal for Celtic!
Palma grabs his hat-trick late on! ?
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) October 9, 2024
The home side dominated the first half after going behind to Palma’s back post opener- a move that he would repeat in the closing stages.
Kailin Barlow equalised in the 13th minute with a high effort that Bain flapped at as it fell over his head into the net.
Four minutes later Simon Power tried his luck with a low 25 yard shot that Bain lost low to his right hand post.
After the break Celtic dominated the match, substitute Sean McArdle caught the eye with neat touches and vision in the centre of the park but it was Honduran internationalist Palma that snatched the win in front of a relaxed and appreciative crowd.
Sligo Rovers: McGinty, Morahan, Denham, Wiggett, Hutchinson, Henry-Francis, Malley, Barlow, Fitzgerald, Pearce, Power.
Subs: Brush, Mooney, McElroy, Mahon, Radosaljevic, Malone, Muldoon, McDonagh, Reynolds.
Celtic: Bain, Agbaire (Bonetig 61), Welsh, Nawrocki, Valle (Robertson 45), McCowan, Turley, Bonnar (McArdle 61), Yang, Palma, Dobbie (Isiguzo 61).
Subs: Morrison, Rice, Dargie, Davidson, Cannon, Haddow.
Aberdeen’s Celtic Park Allocation
Aberdeen fans are set to descend on Celtic Park for the crucial top-of-the-table clash on October 19. It’s now been confirmed that 1,150 Dons supporters will be in attendance, with Aberdeen selling out their full away allocation for what promises to be one of the most significant encounters between the two clubs in recent years.
The travelling fans will add extra spice to an already electric atmosphere, with Celtic also selling out their home tickets for this high-stakes fixture.
While Celtic sit at the top of the table on goal difference, Aberdeen’s resurgence has caught the eye, and their fans will no doubt believe their side can pull off an upset.
Soccer Football – Champions League – Celtic v Slovan Bratislava – Celtic Park, Glasgow, Scotland, Britain – September 18, 2024
General view of a corner flag inside the stadium before the match REUTERS/Russell Cheyne
The packed Celtic Park crowd of nearly 60,000, including the loud Aberdeen contingent, will create an unforgettable setting for what’s shaping up to be the game of the season so far.
Given the form of both teams and their position in the league, this encounter feels bigger than your average fixture. With a healthy rivalry between the clubs, the presence of over a thousand Dons fans in the corner of Celtic Park will only add to the tension.
There could have been an argument for giving Aberdeen more briefs, but Celtic put out the last of their tickets late last week, so there’s no room to accommodate them now. Celtic will go into the game as favourites, but Aberdeen have shown so far that they never quite go away. Even when they looked like they might drop points they find the win.
Watch: Duo of Calamitous Scott Bain Errors Against Sligo
Celtic goalkeeper Scott Bain was suspect for two goals this evening as the Hoops beat Sligo Rovers 3-2.
Soccer Football – Champions League – Group E – Atletico Madrid v Celtic – Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain – November 7, 2023 Celtic’s Scott Bain reacts before the match REUTERS/Juan Medina
The Bhoys headed across the Irish Sea to take on the Rovers in a mid-season friendly at the Showgrounds tonight.
Manager Brendan Rodgers fielded a team mixed with senior fringe players and exciting academy prospects.
Although Luis Palma put the visitors ahead early doors with a back-post-tap-in, strikes from Kailin Barlow and Simon Power turned the game on its head. Palma, though, scored twice late on to give the Celts a dramatic win.
The Honduran winger will undoubtedly take acclaim for tonight, but focus will surround stopper Bain, who was at fault for two goals.
Barlow’s shot from inside the box, which looked like a simple effort for Bain to deal with, ended up in the back of the net to draw Sligo level in the first half.
The third-choice Celtic ‘keeper fumbled the ball in, much to the delight of the home fans:
Scott Bain hahahahahaha
— Barry McCann (@Bazzinho9) October 9, 2024
Soon after they drew themselves level, Sligo took the lead. Power’s strike from a distance beat Bain at his near post:
Is Scott Bain actually serious
— Barry McCann (@Bazzinho9) October 9, 2024
If the 32-year-old’s position as a fringe player wasn’t already coherent, his performance this evening only reinstated it.
Granted, Bain hasn’t played much football recently, but he should have been doing much better with the two goals he conceded tonight.
Rodgers forced to dig very deep for Sligo squad
Brendan Rodgers will need to dig very deep into the payroll for tonight’s match against Sligo Rovers.
Callum McGregor, Kyogo Furuhashi, Nicolas Kuhn, Luis Palma and Luke McCowan are available for the friendly match but beyond that there won’t be many familiar faces.
Goalkeepers Kasper Schemeichel and Viljami Sinisalo are both away with their countries, Tony Ralston and James Forrest are with Scotland, Reo Hatate and Daizen Maeda with Japan with Liam Scales and Adam Idah in the Irish squad.
Stephen Welsh, Maik Nawrocki and Odin Thiago Holm can step up with the B team the next port of call even if they are smarting from losing three goals in the last 10 minutes of Saturday’s match at Bo’ness United.
Three players from the B squad- Mitchell Frame, Josh Dede and Colby Donovan are in the Scotland u-19 squad for friendlies away to Hungary today and on Sunday.
Rodgers will lead the Celtic squad which flies out this morning to face Sligo who are sitting in sixth place in the LOI table, seven points behind leaders Shelbourne but with a game in hand, Sligo drew 0-0 away to Shelbourne in their last match, on September 27.
? Team news! ??
Here is how the young Hoops line-up to face Bo’ness United this afternoon ???#BONCEL | #CelticFC? pic.twitter.com/TarzoikrYU
— Celtic FC B (@CelticFCB) October 5, 2024
Celtic could blow Rangers out of the water after ‘huge’ reveal – Stefan Borson
Celtic could start to outspend Rangers by a “huge” amount if they can consistently secure their place in the knockout rounds of the Champions League.
That is the view of finance expert Stefan Borson, who exclusively told Football Insider a place in the knockout rounds could be worth up to £100million to the Scottish champions.
Celtic lost 7-1 against Borussia Dortmund in their second group stage game on the back of their 5-1 victory over Slovan Bratislava in their opening fixture.
The Glasgow giants still have to make the trips to Atalanta, Dinamo Zagreb and Aston Villa in the competition, while they will face RB Leipzig, Club Brugge and Young Boys at home.
But they are already likely to make significantly more than Rangers from their European exploits due to the difference in prize money on offer in the Champions League compared to the Europa League.
Celtic will increase financial gap to Rangers with European success
Borson insisted Celtic will continue to increase the financial gap between the two Old Firm sides if they can qualify for the knockout rounds of the competition.
He told Football Insider: “Their focus will be ‘Can we win our home games, become a regular in the second phase of the Champions League, start to get £100million per annum and, if we can, then we can start to spend more money on the wage bill’.
“Their key focus then can continually be Champions League, and Rangers will find it very hard to keep up if they manage to do that.
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“That’s the other side to the equation of course.
“If they are outspending Rangers by a huge amount because they have got Champions League, that clearly will give Rangers a problem.
“That won’t be Celtic’s concern, but it will be Scottish football’s concern.”
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