PALMA’S 3-GOAL REMINDER IN LATE, LATE SHOW

PALMA’S 3-GOAL REMINDER IN LATE, LATE SHOW

LUIS PALMA sent a timely three-goal reminder to Brendan Rodgers in new-look Celtic’s last-gasp 3-2 victory over Sligo Rovers in an entertaining friendly at the Showgrounds this evening.

The Honduran winger, who has rarely figured this season, claimed an eye-catching hat-trick with two of his strikes coming in the fading moments to stave off a surprise defeat.

Rodgers took the opportunity to bring in a host of fringe youngsters while giving the likes of Palma, Maik Nawrocki, Stephen Welsh and Yang Hyun-jun some welcome game time.

Luke McCowan also made a start after looking lively in his substitute appearances since his deadline-day arrival from Dundee.

But it was international winger Palma who stole the show with a splendid trio with the first coming in the ninth minute.

McCowan and Yang combined on the right and the South Korean wide Bhoy’s low cross was superbly met by Palma at the back post and he tucked it away with ease.

However, the hosts stunned the Parkhead men with a swift one-two when Kailin Barlow levelled in the 13th minute and Simon Power netted No.2 just four minutes later.

Shortly after the turnaround, Palma came close to the equaliser with a cunning free-kick that just cleared the bar and then McCowan had an effort headed off the line by Charlie Wigan.

Yang was also just out of luck with a drive that flew off target and it looked only a matter of time before the visitors’ pressure would pay off.

Celtic left it late, though, before Palma whipped in a cross from substitute Sean McArdle in the 89th minute and, as the exciting friendly neared a conclusion, the touchline ace struck the winner after excellent service from Samuel Isiguzo.

TEAM: Bain; Agbaire (sub: Bonetig 61), Welsh, Nawrocki, Valle (sub: Robertson 45); McCowan, Turley, Bonnar (sub: McArdle 61), Yang, Dobbie (sub: Islguzo 61), Palma. Subs not used: Morrison, Rice, Dargie, Davidson, Cannon, Haddow.

Sligo Rovers 2 Celtic 3 – Luis Palma’s hat-trick, Scott Bain’s comedy of errors

Mid-Season Friendly, Showgrounds, Sligo 9/10/2024 Sligo Rovers vs Celtic Celtic s Luis Palma celebrates with the match ball after scoring a hat trick Luis Palma celebrates with the match ball after scoring a hat trick 9/10/2024 Photo :INPHO/Tom Maher

Good run out for the Celtic squad players at Sligo…

Mid-Season Friendly, Showgrounds, Sligo 9/10/2024 Sligo Rovers vs Celtic Celtic s Luis Palma shoots to score his side s first goal of the match.Photo INPHO/Tom Maher

With the international break upon us we had the chance to give a run out to some fringe players in a friendly in Sligo tonight. The big guns were either on international duty or back home putting their feet up for a well deserved rest, so it was the perfect opportunity for Brendan Rodgers to run the rule over his fringe players.

Mid-Season Friendly, Showgrounds, Sligo 9/10/2024 Sligo Rovers vs Celtic Sligo Rovers Kailin Barlow celebrates after scoring his side’s first goal of the match. 9/10/2024. Photo INPHO/Tom Maher

Squad players and young hopefuls

Only Scott Bain, Alex Valle, Maik Nawrocki, Stephen Welsh, Luke McCowan, Yang, and Luis Palma, players you would consider first team squad members started the game. With youngsters Lenny Agbaire, Francis Turley, Lewis Dobbie, and Jude Bonnar completing the starting XI.

Mid-Season Friendly, Showgrounds, Sligo 9/10/2024 Sligo Rovers vs Celtic Sligo Rovers Simon Power celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal of the match with Charlie Wiggett and Kailin Barlow. Photo INPHO/Tom Maher

Hoops salvaged a 3-2 win

Without being spectacular, the Hoops salvaged a 3-2 win after coming back from 2-1 down thanks to a Luis Palma hat trick, something that will do wonders for his confidence. The young players would have also gained some great confidence playing in the first team while the likes of Maik Nawrocki would have benefitted from getting minutes on the park.

Mid-Season Friendly, Showgrounds, Sligo 9/10/2024 Sligo Rovers vs Celtic Celtic’s Luis Palma celebrates after scoring his side’s third goal of the match with Luke McCowan 9/10/2024 Photo: INPHO/TomxMaher

Scott Bain blundered badly

As for Scott Bain though it’s a different story. He once again blundered badly for the two goals and showed why he is well behind Kasper Schmeichel and Viljami Sinisalo in the pecking order. It was like that dead rubber disaster at Easter Road in the dying days of the Ange Postecoglou era. Tonight’s disasters were just as bad, maybe even worse.

Mid-Season Friendly, Showgrounds, Sligo 9/10/2024 Sligo Rovers vs Celtic Celtic s Luis Palma is congratulated by teammates after scoring his side s first goal of the match. 9/10/2024 INPHO/Tom Maher

All in all thought, it was a decent run out for our fringe players and a hard found win in the end. The Sligo Rovers boys gave it everything and were just a few minutes away from an historic victory over Celtic.

That embarrassment was saved by Palma’s second and honours even at 2-2 would have been a fair result. But Celtic play to the final whistle and Palma got his hat-trick right at the end to give Celtic the win.

Mid-Season Friendly, Showgrounds, Sligo 9/10/2024 Sligo Rovers vs Celtic Celtic’s Luis Palma is congratulated by teammates after scoring his side’s third goal of the match Luis Palma is congratulated by teammates after scoring his side’s third goal of the match 9/10/2024 Photo INPHO/Tom Maher

In the end Celtic’s trip to Sligo will be remembered as Scott Bain 2 Luis Palma 3.


Mid-Season Friendly, Showgrounds, Sligo 9.10 2024 Sligo Rovers vs Celtic Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers and Hynun-Yang shake hands after the game Photo INPHO Tom Maher

Paul Tisdale ‘targeted’ for senior Celtic role as self proclaimed ‘football doctor’ in line to fill Mark Lawwell void

The former exeter and Stevenage boss is working as a consultant and has previously advised Crystal Palace and Fulham

Paul Tisdale

Paul Tisdale is reportedly being targeted by Celtic as the man to revamp their football operations, according to a report.

The 51-year-old, who branded himself a “football doctor”, has been working as a self-employed consultant since leaving Stevenage Town in 2022. Now the Daily Mail claim that he is in contention for a senior role with the Premiership champions. There’s a void to fill after the departures of head of recruitment Mark Lawwell – son of chairman and former CEO Peter – as chief scout Joe Dudgeon last March.

Tisdale, once dubbed “the most stylish man in football” due to his touchline attire while in charge of Exeter, sporting a variety of blazers, scarves and trilby hats, has previously acted as an advisor to both Fulham and Crystal Palace. He gave Aston Villa and England striker Ollie Watkins his first team chance at St James’ Park. However, he missed Watkins’ Euro 2024 semi-final winner for his country, instead watching Celtic take on Queen’s Park in a friendly.

“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. 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.”

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:

— 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:

— 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.”