Can Celtic compete in the Champions League with the current squad? Celtic are bracing for a hectic conclusion to the transfer window as they pursue at least four new signings, hoping to strengthen their squad ahead of a crucial season. Despite a summer of mounting frustrations and criticism from fans, the Hoops’ board is under immense pressure to deliver the reinforcements that manager Brendan Rodgers has been clamouring for.
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Supporters have voiced their discontent, accusing the club’s hierarchy of hoarding funds rather than investing in new talent. Chairman Peter Lawwell faced significant backlash from fans before Celtic’s recent victory over St Mirren, highlighting the growing dissatisfaction with the club's transfer activity—or lack thereof—this summer.
However, there’s renewed hope that the tide is about to turn as Celtic’s coffers are set to be bolstered by the impending sale of Matt O’Riley. The Danish international midfielder is on the brink of completing a record-breaking £30 million move to Brighton, which will see Celtic receive £26 million upfront, with an additional £4 million in potential add-ons. This deal surpasses the previous record held by Kieran Tierney’s £25 million transfer to Arsenal in 2019.
Rodgers, eager to reinvest the O’Riley transfer fee into the squad, is reportedly closing in on his long-standing search for a new left-back. Barcelona’s Alex Valle, a highly-regarded Spanish Under-21 international, is poised to join Celtic on a season-long loan. Valle, who impressed during a loan spell with Levante last season, has been allowed to continue his development in Glasgow, with Celtic covering his £1.3 million wage bill. While there is no option to buy clause included, the deal is seen as a significant coup, with Rodgers playing a crucial role in attracting the young talent to Parkhead.
In addition to Valle, Celtic have set their sights on Augsburg’s Arne Engels, a highly-rated 20-year-old midfielder. The club has already tabled a £6.5 million bid for Engels, but Augsburg is holding out for closer to £10 million. Engels is viewed as a direct replacement for the outgoing O’Riley, and negotiations are ongoing to bring the promising youngster to Scotland.
As the transfer window edges closer to its deadline, Celtic fans will be eagerly watching to see if their club can pull off the signings needed to ensure they remain competitive on both domestic and European fronts. With the clock ticking, the coming days promise to be decisive for the Hoops’ season ahead.
Also on The Football Show:
Legendary football manager Sven-Göran Eriksson dies aged 76
Matt O'Riley signs for Brighton FC making Celtic a weaker team than they were last season... But for how long?
Brendan Rodgers shares his thoughts on Celtic's summer transfer window and their need to sign more players;
The latest Celtic FC transfer news and rumours;
We examine Peter Lawwell's influence on transfer deals concluding and the club's overall
SUBSCRIBE NOW: @PLZSoccer
Supporters have voiced their discontent, accusing the club’s hierarchy of hoarding funds rather than investing in new talent. Chairman Peter Lawwell faced significant backlash from fans before Celtic’s recent victory over St Mirren, highlighting the growing dissatisfaction with the club's transfer activity—or lack thereof—this summer.
However, there’s renewed hope that the tide is about to turn as Celtic’s coffers are set to be bolstered by the impending sale of Matt O’Riley. The Danish international midfielder is on the brink of completing a record-breaking £30 million move to Brighton, which will see Celtic receive £26 million upfront, with an additional £4 million in potential add-ons. This deal surpasses the previous record held by Kieran Tierney’s £25 million transfer to Arsenal in 2019.
Rodgers, eager to reinvest the O’Riley transfer fee into the squad, is reportedly closing in on his long-standing search for a new left-back. Barcelona’s Alex Valle, a highly-regarded Spanish Under-21 international, is poised to join Celtic on a season-long loan. Valle, who impressed during a loan spell with Levante last season, has been allowed to continue his development in Glasgow, with Celtic covering his £1.3 million wage bill. While there is no option to buy clause included, the deal is seen as a significant coup, with Rodgers playing a crucial role in attracting the young talent to Parkhead.
In addition to Valle, Celtic have set their sights on Augsburg’s Arne Engels, a highly-rated 20-year-old midfielder. The club has already tabled a £6.5 million bid for Engels, but Augsburg is holding out for closer to £10 million. Engels is viewed as a direct replacement for the outgoing O’Riley, and negotiations are ongoing to bring the promising youngster to Scotland.
As the transfer window edges closer to its deadline, Celtic fans will be eagerly watching to see if their club can pull off the signings needed to ensure they remain competitive on both domestic and European fronts. With the clock ticking, the coming days promise to be decisive for the Hoops’ season ahead.
Also on The Football Show:
Legendary football manager Sven-Göran Eriksson dies aged 76
Matt O'Riley signs for Brighton FC making Celtic a weaker team than they were last season... But for how long?
Brendan Rodgers shares his thoughts on Celtic's summer transfer window and their need to sign more players;
The latest Celtic FC transfer news and rumours;
We examine Peter Lawwell's influence on transfer deals concluding and the club's overall
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SportsTranscript
00:00Peter Martin, Alison McConnell and Tammy McManus here with me don't forget
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00:15to it at your leisure if you don't catch the show live you can
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00:22time that suits you either it's on the telly you can get it
00:25on your laptop and of course your tablet as well
00:30you can even watch it on your phone so fairly straightforward stuff
00:33lots to talk about and we'll start with just a sad bit of news
00:37Sven-Joran Eriksson has sadly passed away
00:40at the age of 76. I think all of us knew that time was running out
00:46for the great manager and I think he had said his farewells in a poignant message
00:51to everyone which really was a fair
00:54reflection of Sven-Joran Eriksson as a person
00:57I think a lot of people will miss him and a lot of people
01:01across the football world have been paying their respects to him
01:05and when you look at his career as a manager from the age of 27 onwards I
01:10mean in Italy especially and of course in
01:13Sweden he managed to win titles European
01:16trophies and I think he leaves behind a legacy
01:21which many people will be will be grateful for and look back on
01:24with great fondness yeah I think there's two layers to it I
01:27think there was Sven the professional and Sven the man and I think
01:31a real barometer of the effect that people have on others lives
01:35is how they speak about the humanity that they exhibit and I think lots of
01:39the stories that are being told are about the
01:42person about Sven the person how he managed people
01:45how people still felt very warmly towards him that he'd managed and
01:49I think that's a great success of anyone's life I think
01:52yeah absolutely and I think everyone will pass on
01:55their condolences right across the football world to
01:58Sven's family and friends we never like to
02:02talk and discuss obviously at great length
02:06you know players and managers who pass away it's just a great sadness
02:10and the one thing we like to do when that happens is pay tribute to them and
02:14I think everybody here certainly is
02:18fully aware of the value of Sven-Jørgen Eriksson to the football world
02:22now lots of things to talk about as far as Scottish football is concerned
02:26we'll have a wee look at the English Premier League as well
02:29you can give us your thoughts and your point of view on
02:32football any of the issues that's troubling you Tam and
02:36Alison are primed as we go into the last week
02:39of the transfer window so Matt O'Reilly confirmed he's gone to Brighton
02:45yeah I think that was always going to happen Peter I think that it's been
02:48ongoing for the last couple of weeks it was just a question of where he was
02:50going to go I think that it's such a fantastic season last
02:54last year you know 23 years old he's got you know
02:57real potential to go and kick on again and go for a bigger
03:00transfer so I think Brighton is a great move for him they've started the season
03:03tremendously well as well you know two wins out of two
03:06and I think he'll fit into their system and how they play Celtic get a massive
03:09fee and it remains to be seen in the next
03:12five six days if that money is going to be spent because
03:16we keep saying every week they'll sign a player they'll sign a player and they're
03:18still not signed anyone I've seen I've seen a clip of Peter Lowell
03:23yesterday getting a bit of abuse outside St Mirren's pitch so
03:26yeah the pressure's on it really is from his Celtic supporters they're not going
03:29to have you know losing arguably your best player
03:32for a record fee and not bringing anyone in so
03:35it's a huge week you've seen Brendan speaking about it as well I think he's
03:38starting to get upped to say the least so let's see what
03:41Celtic do in the next window up until this Old Firm game because as I said the
03:44pressure is on big time from the supporters
03:46yeah absolutely were you able to get Peter in the car to safety as quickly as
03:50possible Alison?
03:53It's well worth a dig because Ali and I totally disagree on this whole thing
03:57It's like their own narrative
03:58yeah absolutely well with that in mind let's look at what
04:03Brendan Rodgers has to say Ali because over the last four or five weeks
04:08he has you know he's come out with various lines
04:13I say over the last four or five weeks over the last
04:16you know five, six, seven, eight, nine months
04:20since he's come back second time around he's had two or three wee
04:24pops that quickly he's been reined back in on but here's his latest one in the
04:28final week of the transfer window this is what Brendan had to say on the
04:33whole issue we can't be happy to make our monies and
04:36build our pop because the bottom line is on the pitch
04:39having come back in and gone through three windows now
04:42it's definitely something we have to put right as a football club
04:45we shouldn't be going into this last week in the position we are
04:49in so there's the manager again highlighting what he's
04:56actually mentioned in three previous windows I mean I
04:59did say to Ali that last weekend he mentioned it when he got in there
05:04he mentioned it when he wanted them in the January and he's mentioned it again
05:09yeah and listen it's very clear that he wants quality players in
05:13you know and he's just lost one of his best players as the window
05:16you know vastly approaches closing I think you can see him getting more and
05:19more tetchy in press conferences he's sending a message out that
05:22he's been sending out as you said for a long time we need quality and we need
05:25quality players in we don't want projects we don't want
05:29guys at 19, 20, 21 for a couple of million pound we want
05:32real quality and I mean there's rumors that he'll walk
05:36away and all this stuff if he doesn't get the players I don't think I don't
05:38believe that he will but if he doesn't get two or three four
05:42quality players in between now and the end of the window
05:45I think he's gonna you're gonna have a really unhappy manager at Celtic
05:48the other aspect of this Ali and I think there's a there is a
05:51I know you and I joke about it but there is a genuine need to keep a sense of
05:54balance on this yes they will get players and I think
05:58Celtic will buy players but again it's the timing of it that's
06:02infuriating people that's one issue there are many layers
06:06to this that we could discuss ad nauseum but it's the timing of it
06:11that's becoming a real annoyance for Celtic fans
06:14and it's not a unique thing it's a strategy
06:18I don't know if it's a strategy but I certainly think there's frustration
06:22on the part of supporters and clearly on the part of the manager that business
06:26hasn't been done early I would say I think the window as a
06:30whole has been sluggish this year I don't think there's been a
06:33huge amount of movement I think now that players are starting to
06:36depart you'll see things accelerate a bit but
06:39Celtic obviously need to strengthen at the minute they're a weaker squad
06:42than they were last season why do they need to wait on the
06:46Matt O'Reilly money I don't think Matt I don't think they do
06:49need to wait on the Matt O'Reilly thing neither do I did
06:52but what I think you see is a domino effect of players
06:56elsewhere because transfers are a two-sided affair it's not just about
07:00identifying a player and going and getting them sometimes players wish
07:04to wait clubs wish to wait until they've sourced a replacement for someone who's
07:07ongoing it's not entirely a one-way street I do appreciate
07:11I think did you think I was some sort of prophet then when I said he'll go but
07:15he'll go in the last week what's that sorry did you think you were
07:18a prophet did you think I was some sort of prophet Ali that I was
07:22I was able to go to sleep one night and think no Matt O'Reilly will go in the
07:25I think you're conflating two different things
07:29however I you can sense the frustration from the manager you have
07:32you've heard the frustration of the Celtic players support
07:36the whole summer all this money in the bank and are you going to hold up a
07:41balance sheet at the end of the season etc etc etc we have heard
07:44and I think the board are under pressure I do think
07:48they have to come out now with a couple of big signings and they're all the more
07:53under pressure because of the remarks that were made
07:56after the game yesterday because quite clearly you have a manager who's saying
08:01this is what I want this is what I expect to get
08:04and you've now got five days to go and get it yeah
08:07which is not great listen the other big conundrum here
08:11Tam which I think a lot of people and I don't really care about the
08:17back end of who's got certain positions
08:21the board as a collective works to a strategy
08:26they absolutely work to that strategy and if I'm going to be brutal about it
08:30that strategy is one of the most successful this is
08:34not so much brutal balanced in the state that they are one of the best run clubs
08:38in the in the UK so that's that's where I think
08:42you know Peter Lawal and the rest of that board deserve credit because
08:48they have a principle they have a strategy and
08:51they look at it and say that's the way we're going to operate here are the
08:54parameters so they go about their business that way
08:57if you look at it they've got 72 million in the bank
09:01the season ticket sales there's a 10,000 waiting list
09:04and then some you've sold merchandise you've got sponsorship deals you've got
09:08player sales you've got champions league money which
09:11could net something like 60 million pounds
09:15now all of that in the conundrum you know is
09:18they're cash rich so they're a brilliantly run club
09:23but if there's any criticism of the board and I firmly believe
09:28Peter Lawal is the kingpin you do not have
09:32somebody who's so good at his job and so good at negotiating deals for Celtic
09:36he doesn't take a back seat and suddenly allow Michael Nicholson in there he's
09:39too strong a character for that I believe he calls the shots all Peter
09:43has to do with that board now is give the manager what he wants
09:48and you know it'll be because the biggest problem I think for Celtic is
09:55the manager's going to be judged in September and it won't be nice if
09:58they're getting leathered again you know and Ali made a point earlier
10:01that it's now a weaker squad than it was last season
10:04credibly when you look at Celtic squad how can that be possible going into the
10:07last week of the window that Celtic squad is now weaker than it was
10:10last season I mean with the money you've just mentioned there
10:13and all that things are great Peter but supporters don't care about that
10:17supporters want to see them making an impression in the Champions League
10:20domestically Celtic in my opinion that squad is good enough to dominate again
10:24probably win a treble but in the Champions League they're
10:26sick of getting scudded every game they're paying
10:2950, 60, 70 pound for a ticket you go and watch Celtic getting
10:32getting beat comfortably and the rest of the packages that Celtic are
10:36selling so the Celtic supporters are not going to
10:38have it again they've put up with the last couple of seasons because Celtic
10:42have been reasonably you know successful and domestically but
10:45in the Champions League Celtic are making no impression whatsoever they
10:48cannot go into the Champions League group stages with a squad because
10:51they'll struggle to win a game Peter so
10:55five six days to get three or four quality players in
11:00I hope they do get them in you know but if they don't get them in I think
11:03you're going to have a really set of unhappy
11:05supporters and a really unhappy manager so it's up to the board to to go and
11:08give them what he wants you're right yeah I don't think Ali there's
11:11any I don't like people being abusive to you know but when the board members
11:16Peter Law goes out and somebody gives them
11:18absolute pelters outside I do think they have to
11:22possibly look and listen to the manager's words and say listen
11:25you need to change the strategy you need to spend it
11:29I think the biggest thing I would like to see is a change in strategy from the
11:33board is just quite simply to look and say
11:36okay we like to have players that we can sell
11:39on but I think it may be a good idea to say
11:44let's see if we can give the manager a wee bit more experience
11:47that could maybe help the younger players in the team
11:52and then get a chance to get a foothold of some sort of credibility in
11:58European football I don't believe at nobody and and believe me Ali I
12:03speak to thousands upon thousands of people
12:06week in week out all want to inflict their opinion on you
12:09I do not believe Celtic any Celtic fan that I've spoken to think Celtic can go
12:13and win the Champions League they don't think they can get to the
12:16quarterfinals they don't think they can get to the semi-finals
12:18they just want to be able to get two or three good wins take a few scalps along
12:22the way maybe maybe get a knockout game
12:26and a wee bit of luck along the way that's all they want Ali
12:30they don't want 10 ones for the future they want yes by all means buy into
12:37Peter and Dermot and the board's plan by all means buy into it because
12:41it's a success but go and get two or three that the manager wants who are
12:46experienced to enhance that squad and give them give
12:49them a wee chance of maybe bloodying someone in a game
12:54yeah I think that's clearly what Brendan is asking for I don't think
12:58there is any ambiguity about the comments that have been made
13:01across the course of this month including
13:03going back a few weeks ago when when he was saying I'm not sending
13:06messages to the board and all this so I think he's been very clear
13:10I think he's put it all out this is what I expect to get and this is
13:14what I want in the window I think on a realistic sense I think
13:19what you have at Celtic are two elements where you're going to
13:23bring in that kind of quality you're going to get players at the very
13:26beginning of their career keen to make a name for themselves like
13:30a Matt O'Reilly or a Musa Dembele who come
13:33young with a club having a big sale on fee and banking the money you
13:38see with Matt O'Reilly, Celtic put on one and a
13:41half million they've just banked in excess of 25 million pounds
13:44you see that as an ideal example or you get players at the other end of the
13:48spectrum a Joe Hart, a Kasper Schmeichel players
13:51who have made their name coming into the twilight of their
13:54careers and thinking okay Celtic's now a plausible option where
13:59it may not have been a decade earlier or at a particular point in their career
14:02I think that's probably your most likely source of going and
14:06finding and bringing in the kind of experience that
14:10you speak of and the kind of quality that you want that
14:13might then go and make an impact at Champions League level I think
14:17everyone can see I thought Celtic you saw
14:21shoots of progression last year across the Champions League
14:24campaign I think there were there were grounds for optimism in particular
14:28games I think there's a naivety about Celtic and
14:31Celtic performances a lack of discipline at times too
14:34but I think it's clear that this squad has two things
14:38one it has a capability to lord over everyone domestically
14:42this season and it's not good enough for Champions League football it's not
14:45it's not a squad that's going to make a dent in it so the challenge now
14:50is to find a compromise somewhere that suits everyone and I think that's a
14:54very very difficult ask I think you have seen it before we
14:58saw Brendan frustrated before when it came to transfer windows
15:02and not getting players in that he wanted to get in and
15:05I think the next five days is hugely interesting
15:09for Celtic and I do think the time to judge it
15:12is this time next week when the window closes I think is your time to
15:15to judge the short term in the long term I would say that Celtic
15:19could do with a much more modern transfer system
15:23the recruitment side of the club I think could do with being overhauled entirely
15:28yes I think it could also do with a wee bit of humility
15:33that's what I think I think there is a need to
15:37suddenly take a wee step back as a board
15:40and say we are we all operate as business people
15:44accountants bank managers you name it it's a well-oiled machine
15:48but I think there needs to be a wee bit of humility which I don't see in that
15:52building I have to tell you at all and I think
15:55they just need to take a wee step back have a listen to the fans have a listen
15:59to the manager and say we're good at our jobs
16:04but let's try and shift the pattern a wee bit here
16:09and go and get maybe two or three players of experience
16:14a Kasper Schmeichel is nice because it's a goalkeeper a Joe Hart
16:17it's it's it's been a great signing but
16:20go and look for a wee bit of experience something that the manager is looking
16:24for a wee bit of quality without breaking the bank I don't think
16:29anybody has ever said get the 10 or the 20 million out they
16:32just haven't said it to him I don't know a Celtic fan worth his
16:36salt or a brain in his head who said we want 20 million pound player
16:40they haven't they've just said give us something to look at
16:44that's five six maybe seven million maybe 28 29 years of age
16:49maybe somebody at 33 who's coming to the end of his career
16:52but can sit there with runners all about him and give them that wee bit
16:56that's all they're asking for Tam and that requires
17:00some of that board including Peter who's a very strong-willed
17:05forthright man to take a wee step back and say okay
17:09we're going to listen to the manager we're going to try because if they don't
17:12and as you say I don't think the proof's in the pudding this week
17:16it's not they will sign players but if they get scudded in Europe in September
17:23their fans will not be happy no you're right Peter it's going to take Celtic to
17:28maybe push the boat out a little bit more than they usually do I don't think
17:30they're ever going to break the wage structure at the club the
17:33wage structure is the wage structure I don't think that's going to
17:36I don't think they're going to break that but even somebody on a loan deal
17:39at the end of the season somebody playing English Premier League that's not
17:41playing every week get them up and pay their
17:43you know pay half their wages or whatever till the summer somebody that's
17:46going to give you a little bit of stardust
17:49the Celtic supporters they need to see players in and you're
17:52right I think that Brendan Rodgers if he's not got three or four quality
17:57players in by this time next week it's going to be really really unhappy
18:00they're going to get into the Champions League he's going to go in with
18:04possibly a weaker squad than they did last season but the money they've got in
18:06the bank it's totally unacceptable for the Celtic
18:09supporters who shell out good money every week to go and follow the team
18:12whether that's here in Europe or pay their season ticket money buy
18:15merchandise they want to see they want to see
18:18quality players and they're interested in having 100 million pound in the bank
18:20they want to see a competitive team on the pitch in Europe
18:22Yeah absolutely and a lot of people pay a lot of money I think they're entitled
18:26to have a voice and maybe along the way
18:30have the ability to get that communication to say look
18:34the manager's come out and said it surely you guys need to actually
18:38maybe act on it because there's no doubt about it I mean Alison
18:42you watch the game against St Mirren they just trounced them
18:44at one point it was 80% possession to Celtic
18:48and they looked as though they had barely broken sweat you know you think
18:51they had gears to go through in that game you think there are
18:54levels that they can go up I do think that domestically I've not seen any
18:58evidence so far in the opening weeks of the
19:01season that anyone will lay a glove on Celtic I think they look head and
19:03shoulders above what else is on offer I may be
19:07wrong maybe over the course of the campaign will of course
19:10to rethink that but I think the big question mark
19:14is Champions League what do they need to try and supplement the squad and I
19:18think there is all there is obviously a balance
19:21to be had there I think they want to bring in quality but do it
19:28in a way that sustains the model that's there that they won't change
19:32the business model at all regardless of what the manager sooner is
19:37pressing for I think you know how Celtic operate you know
19:39the field that they're operating in if they don't change
19:43Ali and the inevitable happens where they get battered in Europe this year
19:50I think I think a number of them will make their voices
19:53heard I wouldn't like I don't like to see
19:56you know I don't like to see people being abused or anything like that but I
19:59think somewhere along the line somebody has to
20:02to listen to it I was wondering why they're stockpiling cash
20:05I was actually wondering what is the benefit there's no benefit to having 200
20:08million in the bank unless you're selling the club and you want to make it
20:11look really meaty and attractive I think that you'll find that there's probably
20:16chaos just now what behind the scenes is Celtic try and bring
20:20players in I think the idea that there may be
20:24sleepwalking through it or that they're sitting with our
20:27with our you know sitting on their hands is wrong I think there's probably a
20:30panic about trying to bring in the players that fit the mold and fit
20:35what they're trying to do which that suggests a panic
20:38try and get a more streamlined modern recruitment system that's why I think
20:43that is that's necessary but that suggests a panic that's unusual
20:47for them this is not a unique situation the last
20:50week Ali it didn't take me some kind of you know
20:54HND course to work out exactly what's going to happen
20:57Why did Ansh Pastakoglu got his players in early?
20:59Well he didn't get all of them in Ali said maybe three or four
21:02but he got a lot of them in and he got a lot of them in
21:05Never seems to get in any early he seems to
21:08always seems to be the last week of the window
21:11coming from a market that he knew particularly well
21:14if you look at players who came in but even still as I pointed out to you
21:18last week there were big players who came in in the last 48 hours of the
21:20window Jota, Cameron and Carter Vickers, Jack
21:23Amakis all came in in the last 48 hours of
21:26window, Kyogo came in at the the day before the opening game at
21:30Hearts he came off the plane and basically came off the bench and
21:33played in that defeated Tyne Castle. Hugh Scott who
21:36has been a regular I think God Hugh I think you may have been with us since the
21:40very start he's a Rangers fan always talks a lot of
21:44sense he says Peter it's the usual dilemma
21:46no need to spend big to win domestically but can they spend enough to make a
21:50difference in the Champions League clearly they'd rather keep the money it
21:53seems you know so many Errol thinks that the
21:56board will need to show some ambition to get
22:01to the next level and he thinks they're working on it
22:04wait and see well Errol I have no problems with everybody's opinion on
22:08this looking at it domestically they just
22:12look as if they're in cruise control but
22:14you know as ever as I say in this program and try and keep a balance
22:17August to December Celtic are viewed very critically because of Europe
22:23January to May it's just a procession if you look at
22:27you can go back to 2000 it's a procession towards dominance in Scottish
22:32football because they've got so much money
22:35and Rangers are finding it very very difficult without
22:38investment coming in on a large scale Rangers are finding it very difficult to
22:43lay a glove on them so it's an interesting one it's a topic
22:47that could go on and on and on honestly you could dedicate an entire program
22:51to this situation but I hope we've offered some balance on it because quite
22:56simply it's not anyone on this program anyone on
23:00the radio programs or anyone on television
23:04who's dictating the anger it's Celtic fans
23:07it's a manager who's come out on more than a few occasions and shown
23:12his displeasure regardless of whether he gets reined in
23:15or his knuckles wrapped a week later it's we can only deal
23:19with what we are hearing and what we see we wait to see
23:23what type of players Celtic will bring in whether it remains
23:29a Barcelona left back at 20 years of age or whether there's going to be any
23:33quality in there as far as the game against St Mirren
23:36absolutely cruised it won it by three goals to nil
23:40St Mirren just weren't at the races and there was a few things that irked
23:44Steven Robinson the Saints boss
23:46and he gets booked early on
23:49potentially could have been a penalty after so you have to make decisions
23:52and then we put Alex in there to protect the middle of the pitch
23:56but we didn't really do that to be honest that didn't work
23:59and we had to take him off to protect him from a sending off
24:02second half was slightly better but it was probably more that they
24:06probably took their foot off the gas rather than us really being significantly
24:09different so yeah look we need to reset it's
24:12been a tough period of games yes but that's not an
24:15excuse for us today we just didn't show the best version of ourselves and
24:18as I say they've done the free stuff from football which won't get
24:21appreciated amongst the quality but good teams do the
24:24simple things really really well and we didn't do them well
24:28hmm they didn't really I mean he was I think he was
24:31even questioning why he would put Gogic in the middle of the park you know
24:35I like Alex Gogic but he's just Alex Gogic yellow
24:40yeah I think he's better than the back three I've seen him at Hibs
24:43for a couple of seasons playing the middle of the park I think he's better
24:46than the middle of the back three I think he reads the game well you know
24:49he can get across and cover centre backs and cover space
24:52I think middle of the park he's not as effective gets booked after about five
24:55minutes and then he's thinking you need to take him off before he gets
24:58sent off Celtic again just totally dominant
25:01another great goal from Calum McGregor seems to have since he's retired from
25:05international football he's he's hit four is he worth a tenner on 20 goals
25:09I've never seen a guy hit that many he's just he's
25:12I can't remember him scoring many goals and he scored two in the first three
25:15games so you know fair play to him he's getting
25:17into the areas to go and have a pop and he's he strikes a nice ball anyway he
25:20strikes a good ball and he stuck that in the bottom corner great goals for the
25:23second goal as well he attacked a nice little knockdown and
25:26took it well with his left foot and then second half it was just you know
25:29Celtic were cruising they got the third goal
25:31late on but St Martin were disappointed with their performance they usually give
25:34Celtic a game particularly at home Celtic Rangers
25:37they give they do give teams a game at home
25:39and they didn't they weren't at the races at all
25:42I think they'll be looking to now get a sustained period Stephen Robinson where
25:46they're out of Europe now they can start looking to pick up points because
25:49you know that you look at Kerman you look at St Martin both down near the
25:52bottom of the league hearts and hubs and so it's been slow starts for two
25:56clubs three clubs were in the top six last season
25:58yep absolutely thanks to so many of you who are sending messages
26:01Brian says Peter you're just anti-Celtic Brian we read out
26:06you know people who are negative towards I don't mind all I would say to you is
26:10try and listen in context to who's saying it Brian
26:14I don't think Brendan Rodgers is anti-Celtic he's making the comments
26:18and we are only commenting in what we are seeing in front of us here
26:22a lot of Celtic fans not happy with the policy but
26:25we wait to see if the manager who made these statements
26:29is going to get what he's looking for only time will tell
26:32and I also like Stuart Derrick who says welcome to the Celtic show well
26:36that was the game we started to talk about Stuart now we're going to talk
26:39about Rangers six nothing six nothing to Rangers
26:44if Celtic cruised it against St Mirren Ross County
26:48you know they could have brought on all the fans that were there at Hampden for
26:52them as well and they'd still have lost yeah I think it was
26:54I think it was very comfortable from Rangers and I think
26:57a performance that will do them a bit of good ahead of
27:00this weekend's first derby of the season when they go to Celtic Park on
27:04Sunday I think they'll be relieved to be going there in the back of a
27:07not just a win but a comprehensive win an emphatic
27:11win that maybe just gives a bit of confidence
27:14ahead of that first game on Sunday well here's a here's a but I mean I don't
27:18know I would hope Cyril Dessars has no social
27:22media because this boy for me you know his
27:26first goal I mean the ball from Lawrence was an absolute peach anyway but his
27:30first goal he scores goals you just can't seem to win everybody
27:34over and by the way have a listen to this this is what
27:36Philippe Clement said about Dessars we talk with the board about if there
27:42a bit comes for for a player if we can let him go or not we can only
27:46let players go if for that amount you can
27:49you can find better or you can find two for example one
27:52the same position and one another position otherwise you
27:55you work backwards that's not the idea also so clearly for him there
28:03hasn't been a bit that was enough to let him go
28:07and he's also somebody who loves to stay he loves
28:10to play for Rangers he loves the shirt and he wants to die for the shirt
28:15well I have to tell you every time he's in an interview he's always got a smile
28:19on his face that boy um but he he's one of those guys that
28:24one minute one minute they like him the next minute
28:27they don't like him yeah he's unorthodox the way he plays
28:30I don't think he's a particularly great football in terms of
28:33you know touching linking the play but he's a goal scorer
28:36he's a goal scorer his first finish was tremendous I don't think he's an issue
28:40at Rangers I think without him they'd be in real bother I think he's
28:44a goal scorer one thing I like about him he's very very strong
28:46mentality you've got to have that to play for Celtic to play for Rangers
28:49you've got to have a real strong mentality
28:51no matter if he misses a chance two chances three chances always in there
28:54Peter doesn't hide and which I really really
28:57like about him and two great goals again at the weekend
29:00I think he's going to score 20 goals in a canner I think me and you are toiling
29:02against Ruffey and me yeah and Alisson did we say he
29:06wouldn't score 20 yeah we said he wouldn't and I think he'll
29:08if he stays fit and stays at Rangers I think he'll get 20 no problem because
29:11James has just said here on our feed he thinks he'll get 30
29:15yeah I think you know he's as I said he's always in there Peter he's a good
29:19finisher yeah he gets in there
29:23parts of the game you think you know you have a poor touch you run the ball out
29:26the park he'll sky on over the bar and you'll think
29:29and then two minutes later he'll take a touch and put in the top corner so he's
29:32that type of player but I thought Rangers were superb I thought
29:36Ross County were poor but I think you've got to give Rangers credit to win six
29:38nothing at home as a huge result you've got Danilo coming off the bench
29:42getting a goal which will give him the world a good I think you've got
29:44Lawrence who played well scored the goal he's been getting a bit
29:47of stick for the Rangers fans as well Matondo's another one
29:50Rangers supporters we're not entirely happy with so
29:53I think getting six goals getting a clean sheet takes him into
29:56into the Lions den on Sunday and good fell well
30:00with that in mind though Ali if you're talking about
30:04what the board need to do at Celtic to satisfy the manager
30:09it's a totally different set of circumstances I think for Philippe
30:12Clameau on the basis that he knows he might
30:15have to try and get a few off and if he could
30:17get Todd Cantwell out that door get his wages off and then maybe a few
30:22others he might have some wriggle room for
30:25someone to bring in before the window closes he can't he
30:29can't bring in anyone in until he sells he's been fairly open about that
30:32that he needs to get players players who are on substantial salaries
30:36out the club and bring in players and reduce the wage bill
30:40overall I think he's been it's been unambiguous it's been
30:43it's been his commentary across the last couple of weeks
30:48and I think that can be I think that can be difficult you need a
30:51you need a buyer you can't just show someone the door when they're contracted
30:55you need you need a willing buyer to come in and
30:57take them off your hands I think who are the who are the real sellable
31:01assets I think Cantwell is one of them and I think for me I would have played
31:04him I know that there's a lot going on and
31:07that there's been question marks over his involvement I think it would
31:10have made sense to let him play yeah to play him and
31:14have him in the shop window and try and encourage people to come in at least
31:17then he's at a level of fitness the longer
31:19the window goes on the harder it is to offload a player who's completely out
31:23of the picture I don't think you ever then Tom I was
31:26never impressed with him I thought he started well Peter and
31:28then I thought he started well at Rangers yep I thought when he first
31:30came in I thought he looked a quality player I think he was going to improve
31:33Rangers but as I said in the show last week a
31:36lot of stuff off the pitch you know getting involved with spats with pundits
31:39and posting cryptic messages on Instagram when
31:42you're losing games and you're not playing and
31:44Rangers fans not interested in that just go in the park and play well and do well
31:47Rangers fans were fed up with that even last week you could see there was a
31:51message I think on on Instagram posted it's a bit
31:54cryptic I think you had to I think he needed a more senior figure at the club
31:59to say knock all that in the head just stay off it or if you're desperate
32:04to be on it with your own contemporaries and friends go on
32:08under an alias that nobody knows but if I was a
32:11if I don't know it's clean and just you know focus on your football and
32:14whatever happens just keep it he'd hacked Sabanovic at Celtic done it and
32:18was out the door yeah I think I read something about Lewis Palma doing
32:22something putting something on Instagram as well this morning you know
32:24if I was the Rangers not playing just get your head down and knuckle down in
32:27training and try and get back in the team there's no
32:29yeah fans aren't interested in that stuff Peter if I was a Rangers captain I'd say
32:32to him listen how about going out in the park and doing
32:34it yeah look at the boys 21 year old
32:37Conor Barn is a star man for them he's in the back line dictating to older
32:43players give me the ball I want the ball I'm
32:46not going to hide I'm going to try and play the ball forward
32:48that boy's been that boy's been magnificent his
32:52attitude even if he doesn't have the ball he graphs
32:55so I mean take a leaf out of his book and he's an experienced player can't
33:00we? No I understand I just mean in terms of
33:03trying to get rid of players I think it becomes very hard when they're
33:06completely out the picture I think it's hard to encourage people
33:10to come in and take them one whoever comes in from now is thinking
33:13how long is it going to take you to get much fit where are you in terms of your
33:16physicality being up to speed to go straight in I
33:19think I think it would have made sense to
33:22keep him involved while you're trying to offload him. Well Rangers get the Ben
33:25Davison loan that's a big chunk I think he'd be on good money because you know
33:28remember there was some big clubs obviously interested in him I think he'd
33:30be on a fairly whoppery wage and you've got you've got
33:34Yanis Hadji there and you've got Cantwell I think that goes right down to
33:37the last couple of days of the window Peter I've been in that situation
33:40myself you're out the picture at a club the closer
33:43that comes to the window you know the closer they either get a
33:47offer something to go or the player themselves will be thinking
33:50do I want to sit and play in the B team for another six months yeah there's
33:53something available there I'll just go and take it
33:55and I'll get myself back playing again. It's a fresh start I can move on and
33:59as it as that window approaches I think you start to see players and clubs
34:02getting a wee bit itchier to go and play football or to get
34:05rid of them off the books. It's an awful lot of money to be paying
34:08someone to basically sit and languish in the
34:11B team. Yeah and you'll never get anybody better Ali than
34:14Tam who knows what it's like to be able to be moved on in the in the window
34:19did you find Tam did you find that the money you eventually got
34:23from being moved on did that force you into always trying to stay fit so you
34:27could wear all the gear you're wearing apart from the freebies that you
34:32get from Mark Corker? The worst one for me Peter was when I was
34:36at Dundee and under Alec Ray and Davy Farrell and I was
34:39out the picture and I was training with the youth team and
34:42that was and as I had a year in my contract left and as that window
34:46approached the amount they were going to pay me
34:50off kept going up and up because they didn't want me there for another
34:54six months paying me a full wage yeah and that's what's going to happen
34:56with these players as well Peter it's either going to come to
34:58a head a day or two before they go right that's what I want and just get
35:02them out and get rid of them and that's what could possibly happen behind you and
35:05Cantwell. Yeah the longer that goes on the harder it is to bring anyone in
35:10And Rangers won't be bringing anyone else in until they two are out the door I don't think?
35:15Yeah listen it all boils down to this you know we can talk ad nauseum about
35:21what Celtic have to do the type of player they're going to bring in
35:24Rangers ducking and diving trying to get players out maybe to bring in
35:28one or two as well but suddenly regardless of what you're saying and I
35:32I throw this out to everyone here and we've been very complimentary about
35:37Conor Barron and then Paul says Barron will be judged on Sunday Peter
35:41I don't know about you Paul but you know if you think you're a half decent
35:45midfielder I always think it always helps Tam if
35:48you've got three other half decent midfielders alongside you
35:52to take the battle. I think you've seen how good McGregor's been at the start of the season
35:55because Atati's back Atati can get about the pitch and he didn't have him last season
35:59Yeah and that's the problem for Conor Barron he's hoping
36:02that he's in the midfield he'll have people who are up for the fight
36:06can do the high press can put the yards in that he's doing
36:09to alter what will be a fantastic game on Sunday
36:13what do you think about it we'll continue our build up to that game
36:17on Sunday all through this week various interviews right across the board
36:21you can give us your view on it as well because
36:24Celtic versus Rangers it's at Celtic Park
36:28so it could be that first advantage to Celtic on their home ground they are
36:33the champions they've got a two-point advantage already
36:36yeah I think you would find it hard to see beyond Celtic if you just look at
36:41the the evidence of the opening few weeks of
36:43the season I think Celtic look like the stronger team
36:46I think when you add in home advantage and you look at the circus that we have
36:50of home fans and away fans and it's 60,000
36:53Celtic fans I'm just not sure that I can see
36:57any evidence there of Rangers going and getting a result
37:02yeah I think until Rangers can prove that they can beat Celtic in a big game
37:06I think Celtic will continue to dominate Scottish football I think
37:10you know under Steven Gerrard Rangers started to beat Celtic again
37:14and at Parkhead that's not happened in a long time I think that
37:17would strike a real psychological blow if Rangers can go to
37:20even get a draw at Celtic Park avoid defeat then
37:24the confidence starts to build amongst the supporters that you know they've got
37:27a team that can they can put a challenge out of Celtic go and win
37:30comfortably again on Sunday then it's just going to be much of the same
37:33it's going to be a five point gap after four games
37:35and I think to yourself Celtic could go and win the league
37:38you know double figures again. Okay give us your view
37:41on that what about the rest of the games
37:45a lot of really tasty games to talk about coming up
37:48after the headlines. Welcome to your daily news headlines brought to you by
37:52Arnold Clarke I'm Patrick and here's your top stories
37:54on the 26th of August some big transfer news coming out of Celtic this morning
37:58and that is that the club has submitted a 6.5 million pound bid
38:02for Belgian winner Arne Engels they've also got
38:06lonely Alex Valle a left back currently undergoing a medical
38:10from Barcelona in other news well Aberdeen continue their fine start
38:15to their premiership campaign under Jimmy Thielen with a 2-0 victory
38:19over Kilmarnock at the weekend they'll be looking to go unbeaten
38:22up until the international break and Jimmy Thielen knows just how hard
38:26that will be oh it'll be really good but it's really difficult so
38:31um you can't look behind you you have to confront and now we have to prepare and
38:35we'll be really really prepared for this game and for Rangers
38:38it was a 6-0 victory over Ross County at the weekend but
38:42Philippe Clement says he is desperate for a few new additions into his squad
38:46before the transfer window closes I expect a busy week but more busy
38:50in incoming and a few outgoing but outgoing not for players who are in the
38:56squad today and some sad news this morning and that
38:58is that Sven Gorsson Eriksson has died at the age of 76 all our
39:03thoughts here at PLZ soccer are with his family that's
39:06all of your headlines brought to you by Honour Club
39:14yeah and off the back of that of course um
39:17the confirmation that Matt O'Reilly has joined
39:21uh Brighton the deal finally gone through it was
39:24almost like a soap opera it was just has he gone yet every day he's finally gone
39:29um and now the onus is on both uh managers as you've heard
39:33uh to get those signings in ahead of the big one
39:36on Sunday how do you think it's going to go um
39:40the other games some belters Aberdeen I mean it must be
39:43must be great being an Aberdeen fan at the moment you know in that city where
39:47there's only one team and everybody's you know everybody is
39:51absolutely delighted with what Jimmy Tolleen is doing
39:55yeah I think that he's came in and he's hit the ground running I think the league
39:57cup campaign Peter they were pretty impressive as well I think
40:00the fixtures there's no doubt about the fixtures have been kind
40:03you know they've played a couple of teams that have been in European football
40:06at home um but you still got to go and win the
40:08games and they've lost Mijovski they've banked a
40:11you know a tremendous amount of money they've got Kevin Nisbet in on loan which
40:14could be a really good signing for them you know Kevin as we know at Hibbs was
40:17was excellent he scored goals at this level so
40:20I think everything in the garden is rosy at Aberdeen we've spoke about
40:23they've got harder games to come they've got a really tough October but
40:27if they can go into the international break you know near the top of the league
40:31you know you can you can go and you can go and try and get some more players in
40:35and I just think that Aberdeen this season you know will be will be up there
40:38challenging for third place I think you look at
40:40their hearts and Hibbs both struggling early doors Aberdeen already have an
40:44eight point gap over both of them so I think if you're an Aberdeen supporter
40:48you're right Jimmy Tilleen you know you're right behind them the way the team's
40:50playing at the minute yeah absolutely and of course that
40:53signing of Kevin Nisbet has gone down well with the fans and
40:57the manager sure and that's no problem it's good
41:01with good characters and how we compete but also
41:07whatever player you need to find a rhythm with the team and we've trained
41:10one training so far but I think you're gonna learn quick he's a clever player
41:13so I'm not worried about that it's gonna be fine
41:15yeah well what a signing that is Ali yeah I think so I think it's a
41:20really good signing for Aberdeen it's quite seamless you've got one one out
41:23and one in I think he might take a wee while to get up to
41:26speed he's not been playing regularly I think
41:28you maybe so you need some games just to
41:32to catch up a bit but I think we know what he brings you know his
41:36qualities I think he'll be a good signing for Aberdeen yeah what about
41:40he took his goals well didn't he two headers
41:44sluggish from the European one yeah they have
41:48I think they've got a point you have the bottom of the league
41:51it's always difficult I think when you look at the teams at the bottom of the
41:54league the two of them have been involved in European football hearts
41:56are going to be involved in group stage football shortly as well so
41:59I think Derek will be more disappointed that they lost two goals for set pieces
42:03you know I think that Kermarnock and Derek McKinnon's teams are
42:06always strong at set pieces Aberdeen didn't cut them open you know two
42:09crosses into the box two goals so obviously losing a man as well so I
42:13listen I think that Kermarnock have obviously got a huge game coming up
42:15against Copenhagen with a massive amount of money at stake
42:18I don't really see them getting through that but once Kermarnock
42:21get out of Europe I think that's going to happen fairly soon then they can
42:24concentrate and get up the table because it's been a tough start for them
42:26yeah oh well um talk about putting a whole city or a whole town on a downer
42:31he's just he's just he's just wiped him out of
42:34Europe and I didn't even get a chance to ask him about it
42:37I think it'll be very very difficult for Kermarnock and Thurzinette I think
42:42you would like to see the same kind of performance that they produced
42:46over there in Denmark in the first leg I think that second goal
42:49is just a killer I think if they kept it to 1-0 you give yourself a fighting
42:53chance but I think 2-0 is really really hard to see
42:56them get beyond get over it get it beyond
42:59it however where are they to get an early goal
43:01and they've got the back in a rugby park you just never know but I do think it's
43:05a significant ask to to overturn a 2-0 deficit and not just
43:08overturn a 2-0 deficit but against a team
43:11who are very seasoned in European football yeah um by the way
43:15great credit to Aberdeen three games three wins
43:18and the start to the season as well which has really got everybody
43:22purring up there but uh you know as everybody mentioned and Tam mentioned it
43:27last week there's a few tasty games to come and then we'll get the measure of
43:31Jimmy Tolleen's side but I think they deserve
43:33tremendous credit no doubt so many Aberdeen fans absolutely
43:37delighted with their start in contrast to that I mean I just I
43:41cannot believe what I'm watching with Hearts I mean
43:44they were just absolutely dismantled by Motherwell
43:47yeah they were again you're talking about teams are struggling you know Hearts
43:50I don't think anyone's seen this coming I thought they'd signed
43:53some really quality players in the summer I think their squad's deep
43:56in terms of quality players in different positions
44:00um they kept Shankland you know a dreadful start to the season you know
44:04obviously a decent result the first game against Rangers but
44:07you know two heavy defeats away from home losing losing the last minute go
44:10against Pilsen over there they've got a big job on
44:14um at home to overturn that but just just miles off it Peter defensively
44:19two set pieces again two set halves you know
44:22scoring the goals two headers you know Hearts not defending set pieces
44:26Drobolet, Law and Shanklands started slowly as well
44:29and Stephen Naismith incredibly after being mentioned for managerial
44:33last year now under under fire from a large section of Hearts supporters
44:37yeah absolutely and he's not shirking away from
44:40what's happening at Hearts I think the goals that we've conceded are
44:44individual mistakes and it's not if you look at some of the performances
44:50against Falkirk we start the game well with four good chances
44:54Europe the other night we performed really well um and then even today it
44:58spells I felt we we got into good positions that then we
45:01expect we need to either make the goal and make a save or
45:03or score a goal or or ask them to defend and
45:06and ultimately that's not what we're doing um
45:10so I think it's it's clinical areas of the pitch that are going to
45:14define games and that's where we're we're short at the moment
45:18strangely enough it's balls into the ball just can't defend them yeah I think
45:21it's been a desperately poor start but I just wonder sometimes that the
45:26opening weeks of a season can set a tone you've
45:29just spoken about Aberdeen and how they might not have played anyone
45:34of note or anyone who'll be challenging and
45:36up in top six but what you would have to say is you bank a confidence very early
45:41on you bank a bit of distance between
45:43yourselves the distance between Aberdeen and Hearts could be
45:46significant the contrast is true for Hearts when you have a
45:50difficult start I think it can be quite tough to recover just to find that
45:54morale to get over the the confidence that gets knocked out of the squad I
45:58think when you start to to lose games and you
46:01start to see small things not come off you start to see like
46:04just moments in games it can turn them go against you rather than go for you
46:09still a couple days of the window left if someone were to come in for a big
46:13offer or any kind of offer for Lauren Shankland
46:16where would they be if they do lose them? I don't think they will lose them
46:21I think Lauren Shankland needs just to buckle down
46:25window closes get on with it try and start scoring goals they've had four
46:29defeats one draw they've got a game against Victoria
46:32Children's which I think is winnable win that game and then try and get
46:38some kind of as Ali mentioned momentum I just I can't
46:42believe the start they've had yeah and as I said Peter I looked at
46:46their squad and I thought they're really really strengthened they
46:49signed no players from other SPFL clubs that
46:52you thought were good signings Penrise, Dander,
46:55Blair Spittle you know they kept Shankland I think they've got a really
46:58really strong squad this season but it wasn't just that it was pre-season as
47:01well you know my friends at Hearts support you know pre-season they took a
47:04couple of hammers as well down at Fleetwood and
47:06and against Tottenham so all throughout they've been really poor
47:10I don't think they've won a game this season so
47:13whether that be a friendly game or a league game or a cup game so
47:17you know listen they've got really really tough games ahead as well they've
47:20got a big big game on Thursday against Pilsen I think if you can get
47:23through and get into the Europa League I think that takes a wee bit of heat off
47:26the manager but if they get put out of that as well then
47:28the pressure just increase on Stephen Naismith which
47:31which is incredible when you look at how well he done last season but it's been a
47:34really really really dreadful start for Hearts
47:37yeah I'm going to try and keep this as
47:40as decent as I possibly can Ali which is why I'm going to look to Tam
47:45for this next one but Dundee naked Dundee naked 2 St Johnston 0
47:50and I'm dying to know I'm dying to know what was going through Sidibe's head
47:56when he thought by the way I've been sent off so I'll just scalp this boy
48:00between the legs just to compound matters
48:07he's getting a massive ban isn't he he's going to I mean I don't know how
48:10many games he's going to get banned for I mean he's been a real bright spot for
48:13them as well he's been linked to a lot of clubs and
48:16not only that I think the goalkeeper was at fault for both of the goals as well
48:20they've lost the boy Mitoff who in my opinion kept him in the league
48:24last season yeah
48:27the setter I mean when he goes around the goalkeeper and that's the post and he comes
48:30back to the number I yeah I think you just I I what I
48:34think it's a different game all together if that goes in it's a
48:36it's a setter yeah
48:39do you know what you do though Tam at that point what you do is
48:42you turn around to the boy Sidibe and you say listen
48:46I've got my car out there we'll just I'll just drive you home
48:51so we don't need to get on the bus and you can explain
48:54why you needed to punch somebody and I'll and I'll
48:58I don't need to take the embarrassment I mean he's he could have taken a touch
49:01and still put that ball in it it was a dreadful miss
49:04and that totally changes the game and then the goalkeeper throws the second
49:08one and you know comes out for a throw in and
49:10misses the ball so yeah yes a poor result a poor day for
49:14St Johnston but doesn't deny that they've started the season well
49:17yeah absolutely I can't pick between Ross County
49:22and St Johnston again it's it's it's one of those situations I think Ross
49:26County for me are going down and St Johnston are going to be trying
49:30to pull off the great escape again yeah I would agree with both of those
49:35summations I think I think Ross County have looked very
49:38poor St Johnston I just think you're struggling to see
49:41where they're getting any kind of spark from and
49:44Sidibe I think now will be out for when you're thinking it was
49:48two yellow cards and then a red card on top of it
49:52there could be a charge of violent conduct
49:55thrown into it you know he's looking at an extensive period on the sidelines I
49:58don't know that St Johnston have the depth really to to cope with
50:02that Craig Levine had said that he was going to he was keen
50:05to to bring in players over this week to to bring in at least two or three
50:10before the window closes and I think he needs it yeah absolutely
50:14I was at Easter Road at the weekend oh fantastic loved it
50:18because I mean I think it's I've seen Dundee twice this season already
50:22and they've been a joy to watch in contrast
50:27I don't know what I'm getting with Hibs I really don't
50:30because I keep going you know it's nothing's really changed in the last two
50:34seasons with Hibs they're good going forward they'll score goals but at the
50:37back they'll lose goals and and it's not just
50:39it's they lose leads all the time you know I'm
50:42granting that five minutes to go Hibs are winning
50:442-1 you're just thinking Dundee will score here
50:47you know I think that I wasn't at the game but I think you're probably getting
50:50that feeling amongst the supporters we need a third goal you know I don't
50:53think Hibs ever 1-0 or 2-1 up are comfortable
50:56but if you're 2-1 up Tam and you know Simon Murray's on the park
50:59yes poor defending for the boy it's caught wrong side Peter
51:02it's really really poor defending David Gray will be really livid with that
51:05because you just got to get right side him and
51:07show him away for goal he lets him turn too easy and Simon Murray's deadly in
51:11that situation you know he works hard especially after
51:14he's seen the two goals that Hibs scored great free kick then the boy Bowie comes
51:17on and scores a great goal as well I think both teams will be fine this
51:21season um but in terms of Hibs they just they just cannot seem to see
51:26a lead out cannot see a game out and until such times that changes Peter
51:31they're not going to get anywhere near the top six
51:33no absolutely not great credit to Dundee though I mean they're
51:36they are a good footballing team as well they very organized
51:39I think Dundee I think you can see the structure that's there the way they
51:44set out I think um compounded a lot of expectations last season
51:48and where they finished and how well they done after coming straight back up
51:51and I think they've picked up where they've left off yeah absolutely um how
51:55they sorted out at Hibs only time will tell
51:57do you think they've got any leeway in the transfer market
52:00hopefully for another set of half Peter a defender I think I think
52:03midfield to front now they've got plenty of options but I think they need
52:08I'm not convinced about the two set of halves I've brought in
52:10I think I don't think there any improvement of the ones that went out
52:13the door well I think David Gray actually shares
52:16your concerns on the mistakes that have been made in
52:18the back line and I think it's clear for everyone to see
52:21the areas in which we need to improve I think that's um
52:25very clear um one thing we can't keep doing is have to score three four five
52:29goals to win a game of football um not shying away from that at all
52:33it's a collective responsibility it's not an individual
52:36in terms of just one player it's something that we all need to be better
52:40yeah absolutely um here's a look at the table
52:43see exactly where your team is um and whether you think they're doing well or
52:48not um apart from I think Aberdeen have
52:52certainly hit the ground running uh and and
52:55pleased the Dons fans anybody else there that surprised you Tam
52:59yeah I think that Hibbs and Hart's both been in the bottom three it's pretty
53:02surprising and Kermarnock been bottom um you know there's teams who have been
53:07touted this season for top six they're all struggling so
53:10listen there's a long long way to go but um
53:13Dundee United I think have surprised me a wee bit I didn't think they'd be up so
53:16high on the table and Murlow as well um but as I said there's a long way to go
53:20um in terms of of the season but I think the
53:23surprise package for me has got to be Aberdeen
53:25yeah absolutely bottom end I mean we've already highlighted
53:29Ross County and St John's I can't see past them
53:32being totally in a dogfight yeah I think Ross County are going to miss Simon
53:35Murray massively I think that he again probably kept him in the league last
53:39season you know his goals then goals in the
53:41playoff against Fraith Rovers I think he was he's a massive massive blow
53:44for Ross County to lose to him his energy
53:46his leadership his goals and I think I think St Johnson losing the boy
53:50Meethoff who won every player a year the goalkeeper last season is going to
53:53is going to kill him as well so for me they're nailed on bottom two
53:57okay you might agree with Tam you might disagree uh we've got
54:00Scott Allen with us on Wednesday uh Ali has a
54:04one-to-one with Eric Zviachenko talking all things football and looking ahead to
54:09the weekend and that Sunday fixture Celtic against
54:12Rangers we're going to be speaking to players of the past uh who enjoyed that
54:17fixture you can see that feature uh throughout this week on PLZ Soccer's
54:22YouTube channel we'll have the women's football show
54:25we'll also have the journals Michael Grant is joining us I couldn't think of a
54:28better time for Michael Grant to join us because
54:32um Michael of course uh you can actually be
54:35a journalist and be a football fan and Michael's
54:38an Aberdeen fan he's a Dons fan but a fantastic writer
54:43um and I don't think any I don't think anybody does anybody question Michael
54:47Grant on his allegiance when he's writing the way we get
54:50pelters on this side and across the super scoreboard and
54:54and on various broadcasting television shows
54:57Michael would tell you that there have been aspersions cast in his direction
55:02I don't think any of us who have any kind of social media presence who write
55:07about football escape up yeah absolutely I don't
55:10think I'm not quite sure other than the bog
55:14standard ones so you could actually give
55:16Michael any pelters he's one of the nicest guys in journalism anyway he's
55:19joining us on the journals on Wednesday we've got
55:22some great one-to-ones coming up straight talk we'll be back
55:26uh on the air we've got some really good interviews
55:29and I think on Friday it'll be the big build-up
55:32Tam and of course to Sunday as well that's
55:36the build-up to this suddenly can make or break
55:39some people's life for about three or four weeks their mood
55:44the whole swings I don't I don't like some elements of it in the aftermath of
55:48an old firm game but it does formulate a picture of oh I don't want
55:52to get into work or I want the manager out that's the way
55:54it goes isn't it? Yeah I think in terms of
55:56yeah it's a huge game it's the biggest game of Scottish football
56:00you know obviously a double hand over the last few seasons in terms of
56:03winning trophies and beating Rangers but
56:05you know if Rangers turn up and play really well on the day and get a result
56:08you know everything can get flipped in its head it's just
56:10interesting to see how many new faces are in either team
56:13come Sunday yeah that's the other thing about it I'm trying to think
56:16that's a feature for us for a top five alley the top five
56:19debutantes in an old firm game that have actually
56:23shone in the old firm game have been absolutely superb in it
56:27that's a good question Ali isn't it people that have made their debut
56:31in an old firm game and actually been top drawer in it
56:36um I was thinking about real Huttati but I'm not sure if that was his
56:39debut it's certainly it's certainly one to think about isn't it
56:43and get our mitts into it I mean I think Torrie Andrew Flo had been
56:48uh yeah maybe a Roy Keane Torrie Andrew Flo had actually been there
56:52maybe yeah so he did um I reminded him of that a couple weeks ago Ali
56:58on stage he took to it fairly well yeah absolutely um I'm trying to think
57:05can you think of a Rangers player or a Celtic player
57:08who made a debut in an old firm game uh and was a star
57:12it's a belter of a question time isn't it we'll get we'll get our thoughts on
57:15that throughout the week we'll have more
57:17top fives and top tens much to Ali's annoyance I only do it now because
57:22she says it's a man's thing I cannot believe it surely there's
57:26surely there's surely there's somebody out there
57:29who likes top fives and top tens tell me now
57:34so hopefully you're enjoying the content and all the banter and of course over
57:38and above that we've got some belter competitions
57:41coming up for you we're going to be giving away
57:43lots of prizes that you can enjoy all the way through till Christmas so
57:47if you hit that subscribe button on PLZ Soccer's YouTube channel we'll be
57:50absolutely delighted if you download the app you'll get all
57:53the breaking news at your fingertips and and and just for the benefit of yourself
57:57if you do download the app in this week of all weeks if you're a
58:00football fan download the app and when you get onto
58:03that app there is a section on the app where you can go to the bottom on
58:07contact and you can actually record a message
58:10record a video of you giving us your wisdom ahead of that big game or
58:16indeed any of the clubs that you support we'd
58:18love to hear your point of view on it as well
58:22I wonder if there'll be anybody brave enough to do that Tam so that we can
58:26actually see them good to see their faces
58:28yeah absolutely hide behind the keyboard and use abuse yeah
58:31absolutely we'll see if anybody downloads it and then records the video
58:35anyway all to look forward to this week it's a big big week for football
58:38hopefully you're going to keep it locked to PLZ Soccer from
58:41Alison from Tam and from myself Peter Martin thank you for listening and
58:44watching