Returning from injury profile #2: Kelvin Wilson

The second of three potentially key players this season to return after a long absence is twenty-six year old Kelvin Wilson. 2011 has surely been one of the most frustrating years in the Englishman's playing career so far. In January he agreed terms with Celtic to sign for free in the Summer from Nottingham Forest but an effort from Celtic to land him earlier for a fee fell short of Forest's wants. The player ended up frozen out at the City Ground and after agreeing terms with Celtic never played another game for the Championship side. Despite not playing a competitive match for almost eight months by the time the season started he had managed to bring himself to the fitness level required to be a first choice centre back. Unfortunately only eight games into his Celtic stay Wilson suffered a tear of his achilles tendon in the League Cup fixture away to Ross County which has kept him out of the team for almost three months. With a possibility of featuring in Celtic's do or die clash away to Udinese tonight the big defender will be looking to make the position his own going into the new year. What have Celtic been missing?

Wilson had a fairly successful start to the season on the pitch. Of the eight matches which he started five of them resulted in clean sheets. Losses at Ibrox and Estadio Vicente Calderón were the only defeats and the other goal conceded was in the 5-1 mauling of Dundee United at Celtic Park. Sadly it's the derby at Ibrox which sticks in the mind of many when they think of the player. In a team of bad performances his was one of the worst even gifting a goalscoring oppurtunity to Steven Naismith which led to them opening the scoring. It's unfortunate that his injury occurred in the next game, the only reason this performance stays fresh in the mind is because Wilson has never had a chance to prove himself again in the wake of that agony while the rest of the team has.

It's fair to say the jury is out on Wilson as a Celtic player. The main reason being that it is unwise to judge a player's ability good or bad after only eight games. Therefore we have to look elsewhere for signs of his ability. At Forest the defender was well respected by the fans. A few individual errors aside Wilson impressed first at League One level and then in the Championship. In season 2007/08 he played a big role in setting an as yet unbeaten twenty-four clean sheet record in League One, playing forty-two league games. After Forest's promotion to the Championship he continued to impress although his best form didn't come until season 2009/10 when Forest reached third position and missed out on promotion to the Premier League in the playoffs. Retaining his place as a first choice defender for the third year in a row, Forest kept nineteen clean sheets while conceding only forty goals, the second best record in the league after Newcastle. He was noted at this level to have all the components the Celtic defence seem to lack currently... pace, composure and skill on the ball. It seems obvious why Celtic would seek the services of a defender who comes with this background, especially when no fee is involved. It's the form Wilson showed at Nottingham Forest that we're all hoping to see in the second half of the season.

When a player is out for a long time fan expectation rises by the day, especially when a team is struggling for form. Celtic have been fairly woeful at times defensively this season and so it's men on the sidelines, even out on loan, that we look to put all our hopes in. It's unlikely Wilson alone is an antidote to our defensive worries this season. However with Emilio Izaguirre close to full fitness and Mikael Lustig arriving on the right from Rosenborg he will likely be a key component of a strong defensive backline, on paper at least. It's important that Celtic have a much more settled back line after Christmas because consitency in defensive selection is directly linked consistent defensive performance, more than any other area of the ptich. Whether his partnership is with Daniel Majstorovic or Charlie Mulgrew is a decision for Neil Lennon but I think, of the three, the first pick will and should be Wilson every time when fit.

If his return is indeed away to Udinese then it would be harsh to judge his performance in the event of a defeat, barring heavy disaster. Of all our games this season, apart from the trip to Madrid, this is the hardest possible return he could have. Regardless of whether he starts tonight or not Wilson should have time to sow himself back into the starting eleven without performing miracles. However a very important game is on the horizon and there's little place for bedding in at this stage of the season. Wilson needs to cope with the expectation of performance and push himself further than his match fitness might allow in less pressurised circumstances. Celtic do not play in a league which has a reputation for quality football teams these days but it has always been a winning mentality that is the making of players in green and white, something that so far may have gone untested in his stints for clubs in the lower leagues of English football. His first key task will be to help the side keep a clean sheet on the 28th December against Rangers. Completing this task would certainly go a long way towards winning the hearts and minds of the fans going into 2012. A year which I hope is much more satisfying for Kelvin Wilson.

Scottish Government statistics on banning orders proof existing laws work

In a week when the topic of behaviour at football grounds has been dominating the headlines of organisations such as the BBC, STV, The Daily Record and The Scottish Sun... I stumbled upon an article in the 13th November edition of the Scotland on Sunday which has strangely gone unnoticed by the majority of the mainstream media. The headlines of these four organisations have focused mainly on Celtic and its fans, with a police force employee never far away from explaining that new laws are necessary to tackle the problem of offensive chanting at the club. The article in the Scotland on Sunday reported new statistics released which show that more than double the amount of Football Banning Orders (FBOs) have been issued to Rangers fans in comparison to Celtic fans. FBOs are used in the fight against criminal behaviour relating to football with most being issued for violent and sectarian offences. Let me be clear, I'm not trying to paint Rangers in a bad light but it's curious that in the wake of these statistics being released that Strathclyde Police have gone on an week long offensive against The Green Brigade and the rest of the Celtic support when this group of people only face punishment of sporting consequence in relation to the alleged singing. Why not focus on their own hard work in bringing supporters from all clubs to task for behaviour which goes over the line of existing legislation?

One hundred and seventy seven football banning orders have been issued since 2006 with fifty alone coming between April and October of 2011. Police forces nationwide are clearly applying existing laws in their crackdown against the problems which blight Scottish football. A question has to be asked that if FBOs are shown to be working in conjunction with convictions for violent and sectarian crimes across Scotland, what is the aim of the proposed Offensive Behaviour Bill? A Scottish Government evaluation of the FBOs concluded that the implementation of them is improving over time. Speaking to the Scotland on Sunday, Scottish Labour MSP and former police match commander Graeme Pearson said, "The biggest threat to a fan is not imprisonment, it is not being able to go and see his team. While everyone wants an end to the evils of sectarianism that is no excuse for poor legislation and there are huge concerns about the potential unintended negative consequences of the SNP’s plans. We must fully use the powers in place to deal with sectarianism before deciding whether there is need for further measures.” This common sense has been absent from most of the debate dominating the headlines recently.

It seems that the club and the fans themselves are now embroiled in a high stakes political dogfight which has relevance only in the corridors of Holyrood but has consequences for us all. The bill can't be seen to fail no matter how ugly it is turning out to be. The SNP and Strathclyde Police have set the tone in the media all week in pursuit of attaining credibility for the bill. Joe O'Rourke of the Celtic Supporters Association has stated tonight that statistics released tomorrow will show that most sectarian offences in Scotland relating to football happen at Celtic Park. Whether or not this is an attempt to further emphasise the need for new legislation through carefully placed spokesmen in the press remains to be seen. These statistics will appear only weeks after it emerged that records on sectarian crime in the period 2005 to 2009 have been destroyed. A previous study published taking some of these statistics into account showed around two-thirds of offences were directed against Catholics, with 80% of offences committed in Glasgow or Lanarkshire. The majority of these took place away from footballing activities. This week has been a masterclass demonstration from the Scottish Government in how to shape popular public opinion. It would be interesting to see other media organisations report on the FBOs in conjunction with these new statistics tomorrow and ask for comment on those opposed to the bill. Surely only then can the wider Scottish public form a balanced view on what is trying to be pushed through by the SNP? The language from all sides of this affair seems to be escalating by the day and the varying positions are only becoming deeper entrenched. It's time to have a grown up debate on the issues and not shower the influential mainstream media with one side of the argument. This only provokes defensive response from those you are claiming to try to engage.

You can find the full Scotland on Sunday article here: http://www.scotsman.com/scotland-on-sunday/politics/probe_into_celtic_fans_as_rangers_top_ban_league_1_1963278

You can find Joe O'Rourke's statement here: http://www.thecsa.co.uk/showthread.php?t=497

You can find a PDF document of a July 2011 Scottish Government evaluation of FBOs here: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/354566/0119713.pdf

Returning from injury profile #1: Scott Brown

The Celtic first team squad this season has suffered from a number of long term injuries. While not the sole reason for poor results by any means it has no doubt had a detrimental effect on the team in the league campaign. As the squad returns to what would be considered full strength in the coming weeks I thought it would be a good time to look at the players who've been absent and how they fit into the Celtic first eleven. First up is the club captain Scott Brown.

Brown joined Celtic from Hibernian in 2007 for a record domestic transfer fee of £4.4m. It would only take two and a half years for a manager to name him captain of the club. Due to the large fee and reported high wages, in the region of £20-25k a week, Brown has always been under scrutiny from the Celtic support. It's fair to say that opinion is often divided on whether he should be starting nevermind be the captain. When Brown played for Hibernian he caught the eye as part of the talented team which included the likes of Steven Fletcher, Derek Riordan, Kevin Thomson and Gary O'Connor. He was a direct, attacking midfielder and while this didn't always result in goals for the player he brought urgency to a successful team, landing Hibs their first trophy in sixteen years.

When Gordon Strachan signed Brown this is what Celtic fans thought they were going to see. Instead Strachan utilised him as more of an athletic ball winner while the creativity and attacking urgency from Celtic came through the wide areas from players like Aiden McGeady and Shunsuke Nakamura. At times he would still try to burst forward but his attacking form was patchy throughout the year. Nevertheless his first season could be considered a success as Celtic won their third title in a row and qualified from the group stages in the Champions League for only the second time. Brown played a large part in that with forty-eight appearances in all competitions though many fans felt short changed when weighing up his performances with the large transfer fee. There are even some who argue that had Brown not been suspended and subsequently dropped for Paul Hartley and Barry Robson in April 2008 then the storming Celtic comeback which produced three in a row would never had happened. I've always felt this was a harsh assessment. It later emerged when she passed away in May 2008 that his sister had suffered from skin cancer throughout the season and it shows his strength of character that he managed to continue to play for Celtic at the highest club level without letting it effect his performances.

His second season saw Celtic lose their tight grip on the title to Rangers on the last day of the season. The grumblings from the fans continued regarding his ability, specifically in terms of passing the ball. This is obviously a key requisite for any footballer and especially in midfield. It's true to say that Brown doesn't possess the largest passing range of a player we've seen at Celtic. His energy in the middle of the park did win him fans though; his desire to be involved in every game and cover every blade of grass on a football pitch had to be admired. This energy was at times vital to a team which had become fairly ponderous and predictable. While Celtic didn't have as successful a season they had hoped for Brown certainly improved as a player, chipping in with some vital goals and a man of the match performance in the 2009 League Cup Final victory over Rangers. His improvement and contribution was acknowledged in the end of season awards when he won the 2009 Players' Player Of The Year; a recognition from his fellow professional that he was as tough an opponent as anyone they faced that season. It was also in 2009 that the first signs of his re-occuring ankle injury started to emerge when playing for Celtic with the player having to receive injections to see through the tail end of the season.

The opening months of Brown's season under Tony Mowbray were plagued by the ankle injury and he eventually required a long lay off between October and February to receive his second operation in six months on the joint. He returned as Celtic club captain and a month later when Neil Lennon took control of the shambles Mowbray had left behind this was about the only thing he didn't change. It's my opinion that this was the making of Scott Brown as a Celtic player. He clearly thrives on the responsibility and watching Celtic in the last eighteen months have convinced me he is as important a player for us as anyone in the squad.

Neil Lennon also shifted Brown from the middle two of a 4-4-2 formation to a slightly wider role on the right hand side. This gives Brown a little bit more freedom to make forward runs and play himself into the box. Arguably this is the role Brown should have had for Celtic ever since Strachan signed him in 2007. With his energy and stamina he can play this position for 90 minutes without tiring and can tuck in to a more central position when Celtic do not have possession, being the third man in a defensive midfield set-up. This means Celtic get the best of both sides of Scott Brown, the harassing interceptor and the pacy attacking midfielder. When Brown is in the middle he is hindered with positional responsibility and this is one of the biggest weaknesses of his game. He has also a great motivator on the pitch for Neil Lennon. This was memorably highlighted in the opening Rangers game of the 2011-12 season. With Celtic finding themselves 1-0 down it was Brown, playing with injury, who dragged Celtic into a winning position. A position they ultimately conceded in the second half as the visibily injured Brown deteriorated and had to be substituted. This has resulted in another period out of the team for the captain, who has had to have a third operation on his ankle. He's due to return in a couple of weeks and I'm positive he will continue progressing as a Celtic player and play an important role in clawing back the points deficit on Rangers. It's this type of player the team needs to win games by any means necessary.

As it stands any club can open contract negotiations with the player in six weeks time. He would be able to sign a pre-contract with a club to move in the Summer of 2012. It's claimed by Neil Lennon that the reason he has not yet signed an extension to the contract he signed with Celtic in 2007 is merely down to negotiation of his agent's fee. Brown has been in the press himself claiming he is desperate to stay at Celtic and sign a new contract. However, as time rolls on it becomes more and more of a worry that no contract has been signed. It would be madness to let Scott Brown leave for free regardless of your opinion on his ability. He was signed for £4.4m and to not see any return for that would be gross mismangement from the man in charge of contracts and recruitment at Celtic, Peter Lawwell. My only concern in handing him a new contract is the state of his ankle. Three operations in 2 years on one joint without any sign it won't flare up again could be viewed as bad news. Can it hold up playing two or three games a week going forward? Saying this, I am hoping Brown signs a new contract and stays for a long time. I believe the following years will see the best football of his career. Having shelled out so much to guarantee we get a shot at seeing this at Celtic Park it makes no sense for the club not to put their faith in him now, when we need him most.

Supporters' "illicit chanting" enters sporting context for Celtic

Over the weekend reports surfaced in the media that Celtic could face possible charges over chants coming from Celtic supporters in the game against Stade Rennais FC on 3rd November at Celtic Park. According to the reports it was a member or members of Strathclyde Police who had alerted the UEFA match delegate to the chants. The match delegate then filed a report with UEFA which would be damaging to the club and ensure a meeting took place to decide whether or not the Celtic fans had acted in a way which could bring sporting or financial penalties to the club. Today this was confirmed both by UEFA and Strathclyde Police. It then emerged in the Daily Record that the Strathclyde Police officer involved in the reporting to UEFA was former SPL referee Eddie Smith.

There are three distinct areas to explore in this whole matter all of which should be spoken seperately of each other. Firstly there is the matter of the behaviour of the fans at the game. Secondly there is the timing of Strathclyde Police suddenly taking the time to involve themselves in sporting matters when they have never done so before. Thirdly there is the inconsistency of UEFA in dealing with matters such as these and the implications should Celtic be found guilty of the charges. As the story has developed over the weekend there's been a tendency from some I've seen, from fans to media outlets, of focusing on one aspect of this affair and painting the whole picture around that element only. For example, completely ignoring the chants to focus on how the media has reported it or focusing only on the chants with absurd broad brushstrokes about the Celtic support.

It is believed that the song at the centre of UEFA's investigation is "The Celtic Symphony".  The song, written by The Wolfe Tones, is a staple of the support. It builds through a verse and chorus to a chant of "Ooh ahh up the 'Ra", the context in the song is of the writer seeing this as graffiti sprawled on a wall somewhere. In the song this is the only reference to Irish Republicanism. In recent years, especially at Celtic Park, the chorus has by and large started to fall away and by the time the chant comes around it is much quieter, with only a minority remaining to chant the line with gusto.

Whether or not you're still into the song by the time the chant comes round and giving it the "Ooh ahh's" is in my opinion, a personal choice. A personal choice like anything in life you wish to express within the boundaries of the law. I'm one of those supporters who gets into the song but falls away when it comes to the chorus, I have my own reasons for that. Perhaps I'm a laid back sort of chap but I'd wager the majority of people upon being exposed to the song wouldn't care about it's content and at the very most would think it's idiotic and in poor taste. Would they be offended? Unlikely. It's my opinion that society is far too desensitised to care about this song beyond mock outrage. It's not sectarian, it's not illegal, it's not even specific. You or others might think someone is morally wrong for singing it but are they really impacting on your life in such a way that you are offended it is sung? You have to think about that too as a Celtic fan when Rangers fans sing songs such as "A Father's Advice", a song which isn't racist or sectarian. I don't like it, I don't agree with it's content but I'm not offended. It's still widely heard at Rangers games. Both of these songs in my opinion are wildly different to other songs that have been censured by UEFA in the past, like The Billy Boys, which is illegal within the current remit of the law. It's perhaps your opinion that this kind of song doesn't belong at a football ground full stop. It's OK to think this and pontificate this thought and debate it. It's when you're trying to stop people from doing so with force and punishment that it's completely the wrong road to go down. What you'd essentially be doing is stopping someone from singing something which has no consequence at all beyond expressing a political ideal. Is that a reasonable thing to do? In my mind, it isn't.

The question you have to ask yourself when it comes to Strathclyde Police is... why now? "The Celtic Symphony" was written in 1987. Celtic have played around seventy European home games in that time. Why would you involve yourself in reporting a football club to a parent organisation when you've never done so before? Is it politically motivated? Well of course it is. The Scottish Government and the police forces themselves are desperate to rush the controversial Offensive Behaviour Bill through parliament so it becomes a reality sooner rather than later. Strathclyde Police like all police forces are also desperate to justify their funding and new measures brought in nationwide like the Football Policing Unit. It all seems to be an effort to control your average football fan in an age when policing is actually becoming more and more obsolete within sporting arenas. What better way to invigorate the 'need' for policing at football than to construct a scenario such as this? All that's needed to light the media fire is the slightest of hints that one of the big two football clubs in Scotland might be in trouble with UEFA over fans chanting. It won't even matter if UEFA throw this issue out at the disciplinary hearing, it's a job done for Strathclyde Police.

UEFA need to find a way of dealing with this that doesn't have consequences for themselves in the future. Truly if they wish to end political chanting at football games they will have to treat every football team in Europe with supporters who have political affiliations the same as they do Celtic. This seems an impossible task given the tendency of many fans of the sport to air politically diverse views in terraces around the continent. UEFA have targeted the club on the other side of the city before and even though it was, in my opinion, correct to do so, it would also be correct to target the fans of Chelsea... the fans of Real Madrid... the fans of Barcelona. All of these clubs have been guilty of racist chanting within the last 12 months. Is it easier to pinpoint Scotland because our issues are unique? If they target racism in Spain, they would need to do it in Russia and they would need to do it in France. When they tackled Rangers sectarian issue they only needed to do it in Scotland. The language within the rules and regulations does, strictly speaking, give scope to find Celtic fans guilty of infringement. However, they will think carefully before dealing with this issue as, in my opinion, the outcome should set a precedent in how clubs and supporters are treated by the governing body when expressing political ideology at football matches.

If, and I'll admit it's a big if, UEFA find Celtic fans guilty and impose a financial or sporting sanction upon Celtic it would undoubtedly divide the support further with regards to pro-Irish Republican chanting and singing in football grounds. In fact, I think it would be time to re-evaluate the songs that are sung and how we can move forward without hurting the sporting aspect of the club. As I've said, it's currently my opinion that singing the songs has no consequence beyond those that are made within the media or made by those pushing a political agenda. If UEFA deem the songs unacceptable and we wish to continue to play their game then there would be a direct sporting consequence. The club would need to be frank with fans' groups and open discussion about what's going on in the stands, finding out where people are coming from and what they would or would not be willing to stop singing. Self-regulation and making personal choices is a massively different proposition to police and government dictating what we can and can't do. With fair prior warning and elements eager to urge UEFA to use their powers it would be an own goal not to address the issue.

How A Resurrection Really Feels

Before the League Cup Quarter Final match between Hibernian and Celtic, Colin Calderwood gave a interesting interview on BBC Radio Scotland to Chick Young. He said teams don't turn corners, that this phrase is a media construct which gives pundits and critics something to talk about. It's probably what you'd expect to hear from an under fire manager though he does have a point. Just because a team wins one game it doesn't make them more likely to win the next or suddenly breeze into a series of victories, in fact statistically a team with inconsistent form is probably going to revert to type and stumble again. In a results business it's odd to think that whether or not a football team is resurrecting itself from a coma has little to do with results whatsoever. It's all about how you roll away the stone.

For a large proportion of the season so far Celtic have looked a beaten team when anything within a match has conspired against them whether it be luck, poor defending or good attacking play. For me, this has been the most disheartening thing. I don't like seeing a Celtic team with their heads down, accepting their fate. The fact Celtic won by the 4-1 margin in the League Cup means little against what is a relatively poor Hibernian side. Goals three and four were fairly inevitable as we took control of the game, though the confidence it may bring Anthony Stokes and Gary Hooper is welcome. What matters is that we equalised at all. The spirit of James Forrest, having the confidence to realise he can move into the heart of the pitch and change a game because he is good enough. In Rennes, the desire of all six foot of Joe Ledley to jump higher than anyone within five yards of him and get his head onto a swinging ball. In Kilmarnock, the fury of a penalty denied Anthony Stokes to spur on a "No, you're not getting away with it that easily" attitude. At Celtic Park, Charlie Mulgrew finding himself backed by a section of the stadium and repaying them with a triumphant knee slide in the rain. This is what Rangers have. This is what we are seeing develop again with Celtic. Two of these roots of recovery occured in games which still led to dropped points yet they are as big an indication as any that all is not lost in our season. When Celtic lost to Rangers at Ibrox the team showed none of this desire just as it never against St.Johnstone, Hearts or Sion. You can't exactly quantify this spirit with modern football's favourite measuring stick, statistics, but it's fair to say it's the sort of attitude which turns losses into draws and draws into victories.

Of course the questions of quality and consistency in more conventional terms remain. The midfield was again tonight lacking for the majority of the first half which puts a defence unfamiliar with each other under pressure and this is something Neil Lennon needs to look at too. It's welcome that Ledley found himself in a more central position than he's been used to recently. Last season our greatest central midfield pairing was Ledley and Beram Kayal and it's surely time we see this on a regular basis. Too often this season Ki and Kayal have found themselves drifting out of the game when not in possession of the football. In midfield it's just as important to be on the top of your game chasing the ball as playing the ball. Ledley provides a strength in this area more than any other player we have and provides balance in the middle of the park whether playing with Ki or Kayal. In attack Stokes and Hooper still don't seem like they're reliving the bountiful partnership of last season though much needed goals for both may see a returning swagger appear on Saturday. It may be because I've ran out of things to criticise the defence over but I'm starting to think the problems in the team run deeper than the cop out argument of a poor defence being our biggest problem. They are not protected in any way by the midfield. They struggle when quick players run at them as when supporting runners from the opposition appear there's no-one helping out when it comes to them having to make a key decision of whether to stand off or commit to the tackle, leaving holes and gaps in the final third. As much as desire and hunger, the quality of play needs to improve too and there's not much to suggest it is when it matters.

The league game against Hibs on Saturday will be just as difficult and awkward as every game we play until the gap to Rangers closes. Nothing will come suddenly. We might not click immediately or push on from the convincing win tonight. This is something I've come to realise only recently, that one doesn't necessarily lead into the other. It's a long, slow and sometimes bitter climb from the pits of finding yourself ten points behind in October. Every foothold you can find is a victory in itself. This is how it will really feel, anxious and frustrating as the strong willed in the squad ensure we bring points to the table. Celtic now seem to be showing they can push themselves on in this manner and that is as positive as the thought of quality of play improving. Sometimes it'll be pretty and sometimes it'll be as fist pumpingly ugly as a scuffed Charlie Mulgrew shot in the six yard box. No corners are turned, it's not as simple as that. As our squad slowly returns to full fitness we need to be in a position that isn't too far away from our goal of regaining the championship. If we come back from the dead too late it won't matter how good we can be, how fit we are or how scintillating our football is... we won't be winners.

A trip to Rennes

It's amazing that middle of the night car journeys, not being able to find the airport car park, conquering a fear of flying, losing your passport on the plane, three hour train journeys each side and not being able to speak French to the local taxi drivers was the least arduous way of making it to Rennes safely. I believe that a good thirty or so buses made it in a road trip fashion through Tuesday/Wednesday night and back again after the game via Calais. A feat I haven't come close to since I went on a school coach trip to Italy at the age of fifteen.

My journey began at 4am on Wednesday morning in freezing, gloomy Dundee when my brother picked me up in 'The Jambo', our maroon steed. Our flight wasn't until 9am but we had to detour to Helensburgh to pick up 'The Faither', the spark behind the whole trip (and a substantial contributor!). It was my first continental trip abroad watching Celtic. The other two had been abroad following the team before, my brother was a virtual ever present in the Seville year and my Dad had even been to France to see Celtic, taking in the first leg of the Paris Saint Germain tie in the Cup Winners Cup '96. At this point I was mainly concentrating on not having a complete mental breakdown ahead of takeoff from Glasgow Airport. I've had a fear of flying since I can remember and takeoff particularly takes it out of me. To put into perspective the way my mind wanders at this moment let me tell you my most rational thought was "I'm risking my life to see Celtic get thumped 3-0 away in Europe". If Dennis Bergkamp says it is dangerous then that is good enough for me.

A valium later and somehow the 'long orange metal death tube' I was in had managed to defy all statistical certainty of fiery misery and arrive at Charles De Gaulle airport. I'm positive we made it safely because of Rule 1 of flight travel: 'If any celebrity/well known figure minor or major is on your flight then it will not crash." So thanks Hugh Keevins, you really did the business. Sorry about planting that package of Class A drugs into your luggage that hopefully means you never see the light of day, it's nothing personal, just business. It seemed for a while my brother would be joining him in airport limbo as he had conveniently stored his passport down the back of his seat, not realising until we were almost in the terminal! Forgetting which seat he was sitting in, it was only found because my Dad had left behind his bunnet as well, a marker from the gods of forgetfulness. Thinking back, it's amazing we made it at all.

The train journey to Rennes was as pleasant as you'd expect. It turned out that it wasn't a train at all and was, to my brother and I, essentially a smooth, high speed bar. Of course all the travelling tims did Scotland and Ireland proud, drinking it dry of lager. After this there was a supply which allowed us to have a glass or two of Merlot. I enjoyed sampling the delicacies of the local fare with dignity, I definitely did not down it as we entered Rennes station. We arrived in early evening and scoped out our hotel, an Etap affair. The receptionist was as friendly as a guy can be and sorted us out with maps marked with 'Bar Irlandais' and where the main hub of the action would be. In fact I think the conversation went more like "Not much to do in Rennes but this area has bars on both sides and many restaurants, is that OK?". I think it was a genuine question and not rhetorical, bless him.

Rennes, the capital of Brittany, is a small city with a population of 200,000 or so. It's full of wonderful buildings, a mixture of grand French architecture and half-timbered houses. Most of the latter appear in a large pedestrianised area full of the aforementioned bars and restaurants, in lanes leading to a square where the mammoth Saint Aubin church stands. The majority of the travelling support congregated in the square in front of Parlement de Bretagne, a 17th C building rebuilt in 1994 after a fire. Rennes also seems to have an abundance of Irish bars, I counted at least five in my wanders around town. Two were in close vicinity to the throng of Celtic fans and they must have made a fortune through the week with the high prices and steady flow of chanting, singing, thirsty folk. That evening the bar O'Connell's opposite the square ran out of vodka! The evening for us was spent having a nice meal and going to one or two of the bars. We learned  the squad headlines that Hooper and Samaras hadn't travelled and there was a general feeling of pessimism from everyone we met, it says a lot these days that we can't guarantee any name on the team sheet. Everyone was of course having a good time. Even I, after the long day and big meal, perked up with some well timed espressos and red bull/vodka combinations. We retired to the hotel at midnight or so with the party in full swing. The Moroccan taxi driver wasn't into football but we soon realised he enjoyed swimming thanks to my Dad's smattering of French understanding. His credentials as a swimming expert were put into question when, despite my brother's enthusiastic explanations, he didn't seem to understand who David Wilkie was, sacre bleu!

The next day a growing number of Celtic fans were making their way North to Parlement de Bretagne from the train and bus stations. By mid-afternoon the Sun was greeting us, the songs had started, the flags were out and a game of football was on the go in the square. The people of Rennes looked on in amusement and seemed to enjoy having us there. We took in Saint Aubin and found one or two other tims saying a prayer for Loovens as well. Time was ticking so after the wander we had a quick bite to eat, a quick pint and made our way to Stade de la Route de Lorient. The city had put on special free shuttle buses for people heading to the match. Upon arrival we found more parties spilling into the streets, the fans were in good voice and very energetic, particularly the boy who scaled the side of a pub and the fans holding up traffic with renditions of Paddy McCourt's in front of local buses. The policing of the match was excellent, a visible presence but only ever observing and patrolling with little to no interaction with the Celtic fans beyond being helpful. Our tickets were in the home end beside the away enclosure and we were welcomed by the stewards who seemed to enjoy my efforts to try and buy a match programme and Rennes flag, which they were giving out for free.

Even before the match you got a sense walking around Rennes that the people of the city and Brittany as a whole were well connected to their kicking-k Celtic roots. Celtic symbols were on bunting throughout the lanes and there were even flags in windows with Scottish, Irish, Welsh, Brittany and Isle of Man flags intermeshed. This was further emphasised with the excellent "CELTIC PEOPLE AGAINST RACISM" banner that the Rennes fans unveiled. I believe the night was designated by the club to promote anti-racism and the banner went down well with me and the other Celtic fans who applauded it.

The game itself I enjoyed. I thought it was a fine performance away from home in Europe and that we had the chances to take all three points. Victor Wanyama and Anthony Stokes were particularly impressive for me. The former mopping up most of the play in our defensive third and the latter creating a couple of good chances for himself, even if he fired them straight at the keeper. The own goal speaks for itself. When it went in I turned to the Frenchman beside me and we both did the universal "what the hell was that?" laugh and shrug of shoulders. The Celtic section was in fine spirits and went particularly wild after we equalised, with the flares and smoke bombs lighting up our end of the ground.One enthusiastic punter even set one off in the home end in the opposite stand. The Rennes fans in my section didn't seem to mind us going crazy when Ledley's header went in and hands were shaken at full-time. The luxury of being in the home section meant we weren't kept for twenty minutes after the game and managed to get a shuttle bus back into town fairly easily. By this time all three of us were pretty knackered. We found a quiet 'local-style' pub with some strange French characters from the 1970s and decided to end the night there with a night cap. The whole trip had been building up to the match so once it was over all thoughts turned to getting up at 4.30am again to catch our train at six.

We landed into Glasgow through turbulence. A great trip with little turbulence in any form up to that point, from Celtic to the fans to the people of Rennes. It was my first continental Celtic jaunt and it won't be my last. It's unlikely to be Bucharest in 2012 but if we get any trips early next year then the point we earned might have gone a long way to getting there. If not, the memories of Rennes are more than enough to have made the whole trip worthwhile.

Match preview: Kilmarnock vs. Celtic

It's hard to find a new angle on a situation Celtic have been in multiple times this season already. On the back of a preventable loss which sees the quest to regain the SPL title take another body blow, Celtic look to get back on track and kick start a consistent run of form. The season has been horrendously stop start so far. Every chance to put right the many wrongs we have seen has come to a skin crawling, infuriating halt. After the last international break the squad came out of the blocks quickly at Celtic Park and blew away a Motherwell team who have had a good start to the season. We lost two out of our next three league games, the only win coming at home to Inverness.

It's been said often enough that things have to be turned round. Hopefully Neil Lennon and his backroom staff have used the time the international break brings to try and piece together that beautiful jigsaw we saw in all its glory in early 2011. We all know this should have happened already but perhaps with the break he has managed to bring the belief to his players that this is a 'fresh start'. The only thing that can exacerbate the situation we find ourselves in is more dropped points. Even a poor performance will be forgotten by Monday as long as the three points are delivered. It would be something to build on at least. A Kilmarnock team who themselves are looking to be 'reborn' will not make it easy at Rugby Park.

Last season Kilmarnock were a breath of fresh air in the SPL. Creativity in midfield from the likes of Alexei Eremenko and Craig Bryson allowed players such as Connor Sammon to come of age and impress beyond the borders of Scotland. The midfield itself was broken up on the Summer and they are a much changed side  compared to what we saw last season. The style of football itself hasn't changed. Kenny Shiels has tried to continue the philosophy he introduced to the club with Mixu Paatelainen of striving to express yourself on the pitch with creative and forward thinking passing phases; both pretty and impressive if pulled off. Without the same level of quality in the team it's led to less than impressive results. Kilmarnock have conceded two or more goals in their last six games and have lost the last three. However, they aren't without danger. Paul Heffernan is Kilmarnock's top scorer this season with eight goals in all competitions, the Dublin born striker will be looking to prove to a UK-wide audience on ESPN there's still life in the legs which spent most of their career in the English lower leagues. No doubt Killie will have studied our defensive frailties and perhaps see this as an opportunity to become a team the rest of Scotland talk about positively again.

Celtic can again call on Beram Kayal and Joe Ledley after being absent in recent weeks which should ensure the strongest area of the squad is strong again on the pitch. A return for Anthony Stokes may be on the cards too after Neil Lennon highlighted a missed chance from Mohamed Bangura in the defeat against Hearts as a big moment in the match. It's frustrating for many Celtic fans that Stokes and Gary Hooper don't start together consistently enough and tomorrow should give them a chance to further prove themselves as our best options in the final third. Kris Commons is suspended after his red card in the Hearts match so any spark out wide will come from James Forrest. Forrest was largely unused on Scotland duty though Craig Levein did turn to him in Alicante and brought him off the bench to go up against the best in the world. Perhaps expecting the talent of a David Silva to rub off on him is asking too much but at the very least his confidence should be further boosted by the honour of representing his country for only the fourth time. Slowly but surely he is turning from a young talent into someone who can be relied upon, these are the types of games which may help show that. Defensively it's likely to be another rejig at Rugby Park. Both Cha Du-Ri and Glenn Loovens are again available for selection after absence and even the most eager of betting men would surely not like to wager on what back line we'll see tomorrow. Hopefully whichever combination it is becomes the base four of the XI and no tinkering continues.

It's a perception that midday kick-offs are often tricky occasions but this is bread and butter for a Celtic team who do this on a consistent basis and have done so for years. If anything it's more of a problem for the opposition who have to switch to such awkward times only when one of the Glasgow sides come calling. As things stand it'd be a relief if tomorrow turns into one of those games that pass by without incident beyond a goal or two for Celtic, the kind of game you don't necessarily get massively excited about. I'm certainly not hoping for any plucky performances from Kilmarnock, even it presented a good advert for Scottish football. I don't believe Celtic are in good enough shape to come up against a serious challenge at this precarious stage of a resurrection. Perhaps later we can look upon this game, cold and Autumnal in Kilmarnock, and think 'it started there'.

The Curious Case of the 67Fanzine

Yesterday, 8th October, a thread was started on a Celtic fan messageboard asking for information on the Celtic fanzine 67Fanzine. The person starting the thread was Joe from The Celtic Collector's Club. Joe runs the fantastic hobby websites http://www.celticcollectorsclub.co.uk/ and http://www.celticmatchprogrammes.co.uk. It's probable you've clicked on one or both of these websites before in your travels around Celtic cyberspace, they are fantastic for tracking down pieces of Celtic memorabilia. Joe collects every fanzine ever produced by the fanbase and was concerned that Issue 3, which he paid for, had never arrived at his door despite repeated promises it was printed and on its way.

In the first replies of the thread someone stated that the person who ran this fanzine was Andy Muirhead, of the website Scotzine. He's a well known figure in the Scottish football online world. I immediately thought to take myself to Twitter to see what he was saying about any allegation that may have been put to him. Sure enough he was in conversation with someone regarding the fanzine. He stated he had nothing to do with the fanzine and that he had only been involved initially, hosting their website and giving them a design template for the 'zine. He also went on to say he too is owed money by an 'Andy Lamont' and 'Padraig Fitzgerald' from 67Fanzine for hosting costs incurred by him since the website has been online.

Something immediately didn't seem right about this so I did a number of things in an effort to find out what was going on. I was hoping Joe, and presumably others, could get their money back if these people were tracked down. I got in touch privately with Joe and started a discussion with him about the different ways he'd been in touch with people from the fanzine. I also managed to speak to a writing contributor from the first couple of issues. I also asked Andy Muirhead to e-mail me to help clear up the rumours about him running this whole thing despite his claims it was two other people.

The writing contributor got in touch with information that the e-mail account 67fanzine@gmail.com had been in Muirhead's name for around five months before it was changed to 'Andy Lamont/Padraig Fitzgerald'. The first correspondence from the account in Andy L/Padraig F's name was August 5th, five months after initial contact from the account under Muirhead's name. Andy Muirhead's explanation for this is that he set up the account and later handed it over to Andy L and Padraig.

I received the e-mail I had requested from Andy M with his explanation of the situation. In it he explained that one of the people he had set up the fanzine with, Andy Lamont, was not contactable and the other, Padraig Fitzgerald, was in Dubai and had cut all ties with the fanzine. He claims he has been trying to get in touch with them for over a month yet doesn't have a phone number for either of them.

I received information from our friend Joe which showed that the recipient in his Paypal payment to 67Fanzine was named 'Andy Muirhead'. I managed to get in touch with another complainant, Stephen, who hadn't even received Issues One or Two despite paying for them. He too confirmed the recipient in his Paypal payment was the name 'Andy Muirhead'. It was a verified account meaning it is linked to a bank account held by someone called 'Andy Muirhead'.

Before posting on the fan forum, in his efforts to track down the people who run the fanzine, Joe initially had e-mail contact with the address 67fanzine@gmail.com and then with two phone numbers. One of these phone numbers was given to Joe by the distributors who had agreed to sell the fanzine at their stalls on matchdays, the distributors had never seen Issue 3 either, seemingly it was never printed at all. The other number he found on the website of 67Fanzine and inside print copies of Issues Zero, One and Two. He phoned this second number a few times, the person on the other end answered as 'Andy' and assured him copies were being sent out on two occasions. They never arrived. This number was available on the fanzine website at noon on 9th October, it was removed once questions started to be asked online. These two numbers seem to belong to Mr. Andrew Muirhead and they are both listed in the print copy of 67fanzine under 'Editorial' and 'Enquiries'. One of the numbers appears in the e-mail footer of e-mails from the account editor@scotzine.com and when you google either, they both appear linked to Muirhead. The screenshots that follow show this. I have blacked out the full numbers to protect Andy from prank callers. You can click on the images to make them bigger.

I urged Joe and Stephen to e-mail Andy Muirhead direct at editor@scotzine.com and ask for their money back in light of this. He continued to deny he had anything to do with the fanzine beyond web hosting and initial template design. I decided that it was time to ask him some direct questions myself.

I asked:

1) Why is it when people donated money or subscribed to or paid for issues of the fanzine was the recipient's name on Paypal 'Andy Muirhead'?

2) Why is it that the number in the fanzine, the number on the 67Fanzine website until noon yesterday and the contact number a complainant used last week to speak to an 'Andy' about Issue 3 is the same number as yours? You had it in the footer of your e-mail to me yesterday.

3) How did you hand over the Gmail account details without any other form of contact with these people? The names on the account changed in July/August.

4) Why if you were not involved are two of your mobile telephone numbers in the editorial and contact sections of the fanzines?

As of now, I have still received no answers to these questions and the complainants involved have received no reasonable explanation for the evidence linking him to 67Fanzine. In fact myself and Joe were threatened with legal action should we go public with this information.

It was never my intention to publicly go down this route. I had only ever wished people receive money due to them and initially thought Andy Muirhead could put me in touch with those responsible as it was clear he had dealings with these two people. It seems strange to me that a man who is prepared to set up a paypal account, e-mail account and website (which continues to be paid on a monthly basis and which he/Scotzine legally owns) would have no way of contacting the people he was doing this for apart from the e-mail address he set up for them. This isn't an attack on Andy Muirhead or Scotzine, it's just an attempt to get to the bottom of Celtic fans' lost money. The Paypal account appears to be is in his name and his personal phone numbers are on the publication. The last known contact Joe had with the fanzine was through, what appears to be, his number last week. It may be that nothing the circumstantial evidence points to is true. I'm sure if Andy could answer these questions the matter could be cleared up, but he has avoided them. If Andy Lamont or Padraig Fitzgerald come forward then maybe they can deal with questions too but I doubt they even exist. The amounts due to Joe and Stephen may be small but there's no way to tell how many people have ordered issues and not received them. The 67Fanzine website is still online and the 'Donations' and 'Subscriptions' services are still running and accepting money through Paypal.  I feel like I have to present this information to the online Celtic community and the online Scottish football blogging community as a whole because of this. There are only questions, no accusations... but they remain unanswered.

Neil Lennon's Celtic: We're hopelessly devoted to you

It's a sign of the times that again this season the international break comes welcome to most Celtic fans. Another poor display all round from the team today saw a winnable game versus Hearts slip out of their grasp for the third time this season already in the SPL. Two goals in the second half sunk Celtic without trace as they couldn't find a way back into the game despite huffing and puffing for ninety minutes. It leaves us ten points behind Rangers albeit with a game in hand. In early October this is a grave situation that needs rectifying as soon as possible.

There are reasons for today's loss outwith the box marked 'Criticism', namely the number of injuries to key players the squad is suffering from this season. As much as it was a poor result it seems bizarre to me that the majority of fans would look at today's team line-up and think "This is going to be tough, we'll do very well to win today" and then ninety minutes later lose the plot exclaiming "That was terrible, I can't believe we lost today". Two of our first choice defenders were missing and three first choice midfielders were missing. Our squad players are good enough to cover a position when the rest of the team remains strong but any club would find it difficult to shore up five positions and maintain consistency. While today's loss is explainable at least, it's sadly typical of the way this season has gone so far. As we continue to struggle from week to week every bad result sparks a brutal and thorough inquest into the failings of the club.

Last season the fans fell in love with Neil Lennon's Celtic. Some even saw a passion re-ignited that had lain dormant for a large proportion of the decade. The players and backroom staff became one with the crowd, everyone was on the same page. This even culminated in a spectacular show of support to a team that lost the league on the last day of the season with their bitter rivals picking up the silver. I was at Celtic Park that day and I don't think anyone that attended will regret standing up and applauding the team. We lived in very strange times and it seemed appropriate to 'stand as one' in backing the manager and team after what was an extraordinarily difficult season on and off the pitch. The team did amass a very large points total in the league and they did deliver a thirty-fifth Scottish Cup. The season was considered a minor success in that Lennon had managed to spearhead a revitalisation of the team and 'bring the thunder back' to the terraces in grounds wherever you found Celtic.  Ultimately though they failed in their main objective of wrestling the title away from Rangers and it seems the disappointment of this failure has lingered more than any other feeling in the relationship between fans, manager and team.

The problem we have as fans is that we are a mere point in a love triangle involving Celtic and another it is betrothed to: mediocrity. We are not the force we were even five years ago. Our squad is littered with players who are paid to train and do little else. Even the stars we gushed praise for last season are contributing in bursts instead of the week after week form you need to win championships. Did we go too far, too soon with our adulation? There's an argument for that. At one point it seemed inevitable that Celtic would build on last year and become the top team in Scotland once again. A team that is successful does not require massive change to continue it's glories. In the Summer we were not coming off the back of a successful campaign even though we were overly positive about the strengths of the team we adored. We required significant looks at a number of key positions. We needed fresh faces to push the complacent 'successful failures' into championship winning form. It seems at this point that Celtic and Neil Lennon have failed to address the issues which caused us to fail in our main objective last season.

There is still a possibility Celtic will turn this around. We did so last season after a poor December. As our squad slowly returns to full fitness we should see an upturn in results on a regular basis. Every game from now until the next derby game at least is a must win game. Rangers are currently rampaging their way through the rest of the SPL yet they have not visited the traditionally difficult Easter Road, Pittodrie, Celtic Park or Tynecastle. We must capitalise on their failings as they do ours. Neil Lennon has never been under this much pressure in a sporting context although we know from other issues that he has as strong a character as you could hope to have. Calls for his resignation or sacking are extremely premature but they won't go away for the foreseeable future. It's now about Neil Lennon conducting his own inquest into our failings and finding working solutions to these. We are in a dark place at the moment and whether he can lead us out into light will be the making or breaking of him as Celtic manager. In the past we were hopelessly devoted to another Celtic team, Tommy Burns'. Let's hope this time around the team can be bringers of success rather than precursors to success. We can't keep waiting to cement our relationship with truly meaningful silver jewellery.

Stand up for The Green Brigade (And every other fan group in Scotland)

For me, yesterday provided the first hair raising, spine tingling moment of the season so far. It came in the first half when as part of their silent protest The Green Brigade produced the 'NO STANDING' banner to immediate backing from almost every person in the stadium who stood in defiance and applauded. A further chant of "Stand up for The Green Brigade" followed in what was a unifying day for everyone present. The group also unfurled banners which said "NO SWEARING", "NO LATERAL MOVEMENT", "SMILE FOR THE CAMERA - SEE YOU IN COURT" & "NO POLITICAL EXPRESSION" before a message which read "Our songs are not sectarian. Our songs are not illegal. We will not be criminalised. We will not be silenced". As the group exploded into life in the second half it cascaded round the stadium and by the end of the match everyone was engrossed with what was happening in the stands, not on the pitch. The Green Brigade have a controversial history in Scottish football already with some seeing their banners and songs, some of which are political in nature, as inappropriate to bring into the arena of football. There are some popular misconceptions about who the group actually are or what they represent due to bad press in both the media and fan forums. Most of these critics would have you believe they're sectarian bigots out to cause harm to the peace and civility of the national game by pushing their agendas onto us. This isn't the case. I have no problem with those who disagree with banners they produce or songs they sing. I have a big problem with people who try to deny their right to do so.

In a statement which traveled round the Celtic internet communities yesterday the group laid bare their reasons for the protest at the match. In it they highlight some experiences with Police forces around Scotland they've encountered, from light intimidation to full body searches, even serious allegations of made up charges being brought upon their members. I've read some opinion today which labels The Green Brigade as 'attention seeking' or 'self-centered', completely ignoring the point that they were protesting for every football fan in Scotland who has a voice and not just themselves. It comes at a time when the culture in stands at Scottish football seems to be "shut up, sit down and know your place". It appears that if you don't do this, you're fair game to be labelled out of order, or worse, a criminal. In Dunfermline the club have threatened to close a stand because some fans aren't sitting down. In the past Green Brigade members have been threatened with bans from Celtic Park for 'lateral movement' in their section. If you have a smoke canister or flare you can be prosecuted under firearm laws. This season you'll see designated police officers at every match filming and documenting everything for reasons unknown. A Motherwell fan was removed from Fir Park for having a banner with the word 'hun' on it. It seems in an effort to rid the game of sectarianism and racism we've gone too far... or is it just a police force who are completely out of touch with a new generation of football fan?

A point that appears to me to be often missed is that regardless of political opinion or ideology, channeling that into making a banner or singing a song is a ridiculously positive way to convey your message. It happens in fan groups all across Europe. Of course some will argue that the football is no place for this and it's fair to think that. Though it seems natural to me that a group of young people will come together and express a shared belief, especially in an arena where you all first happened upon one another. Would police and stewards suddenly be easy going and relaxed about organised displays if there wasn't a banner about a poppy being on a Celtic shirt? I'd have to say probably not. They're scared of something else. It seems to me that they're stuck fifteen or twenty years in the past when organised groups of young guys didn't make a banner to express themselves, instead storming a pub or kicking a rival fan's head in. The Green Brigade lead the way for fan groups in Scotland at the moment with fans from other teams noticeably raising their game in the last two or three years to compete with the colour and noise, this can only be a good thing. In light of this protest, authorities should now begin an effort to open communication with every fan group in Scotland to try and get a perspective on where they're coming from. Whether or not groups would be open to that is debatable but for me it would make sense to try and find some other way forward, because hurling guys out of stadiums isn't it.

In many ways this isn't about Celtic or The Green Brigade. Scottish football should be looking to make itself as vibrant, exciting and atmospheric as possible. It appears to me that we've hamstrung ourselves with constant conservatism and small-minded thinking. We will continue to do so if new legislation being discussed at the moment comes into force. It's my opinion that this legislation is an over-reaction from a Scottish Government desperate to land headlines to be seen to do something about Scotland's societal problems of alcohol abuse and violence. It's certainly not about football OR sectarianism. Unless overtly abusive of creed, ethnicity, sexuality, colour or a call for violence then we should be encouraging expression and different voices. You cannot seperate life into neat little sections of 'Sport', 'Politics', 'Entertainment' like some sort of programme guide and to try to do so is folly. I'd ask every fan in Scotland to let themselves be heard. Bring awareness to your ideas and your personal opinions. Become involved in a fan group of similar minds and use it as a conduit for positive thinking. Support your team. Sing songs of past glories. Stand up and scream obscenities. When you get home start a blog to discuss anything you want. Jump about and sing Discoland for all I care. I may not join you or believe in everything you do but that's your right as a member of free society and no-one should try to take that away from you regardless of the enviroment you are in. I was inspired by The Green Brigade yesterday, not even because of the message they put across, but the clever way they went about expressing it.

Match report: Ross County 0 - 2 Celtic

Celtic got on the road again after Sunday's disappointing result with a 2-0 victory in poor conditions at Victoria Park versus Ross County. Neil Lennon named a very strong team to face County, making a point that tonight was a must win game as the team looked to progress further in the Scottish Communities League Cup. Anthony Stokes' partnership with Gary Hooper was given priority again. Kris Commons was completely absent, Charlie Mulgrew took up the berth at left midfield. Daniel Majstorovic returned to the centre back position while Adam Matthews again started on the right of defence.

The rain was lashing down in Dingwall as the game kicked off. Ross County made a bright start getting in the faces of the Celtic midfield, managing to use their energy to mark their men, making it difficult for Celtic to build from the back. However, it didn't take long for Celtic to make the breakthrough; from two yards Hooper tapped in Joe Ledley's downward header in the fourteenth minute. The chance came from a corner whipped in by Charlie Mulgrew; as the ball went deep to the far post Stokes managed to keep it in play and lob the ball back across the face of goal to set up Ledley.

Only a few minutes later the ball bounced from the Celtic penalty area, it sat up for Michael Gardyne who volleyed it onto Fraser Forster's post. The only other chance in first half came through Ledley who had a low shot saved smartly by County keeper Michael Fraser after Hooper poked a through ball into his path. Celtic dominated possession for most of the first half but the majority of play was ponderous. The defence, Kelvin Wilson in particular, looked nervous with the ball and they struggled to find men in midfield throughout. Most of Celtic's good play came from Beram Kayal who did well to ping crossfield passes into the wide areas where the likes of James Forrest and Badr El Kaddouri could probe the County penalty area.

At half-time Victor Wanyama replaced Kelvin Wilson; the Kenyan slotted into central midfield with Ledley moving left and Mulgrew moving into defence. Celtic started with purpose and it took only six minutes for the second goal to come. Michael Fraser made another good save from Hooper at his near post but the Celtic striker regained possession and shifted the ball out to the far right where Stokes pushed into the box and fired the ball low across the six yard box. Scott Boyd was caught in two minds as the ball came to him and he turned the ball into his own net.

The goal deflated Ross County who showed none of the determination or spirit we saw at Hampden eighteen months ago. The game petered out and became a mere runabout for the Celtic team, most of whom played within themselves. Any possession did not find it's way to threaten the County goal. Forrest continued to run at the defence and at points linked well with Hooper, demonstrating again one of the best combination of players we've seen in games so far this season. Kayal continued to be strong in midfield with Wanyama; the two ensured there was no meaningful late push for a goal from Ross County.

With Ross County offering no threat, Neil Lennon managed to give Mohamaed Bangura a little more game time when the Sierra Leone player replaced Anthony Stokes in the seventy-seventh minute. Bangura showed a glimpse of quality when he skillfully cut inside from the wide right and played a delightful ball through the County defence which Hooper should have done better with. It was a proud night too for young Irishman Paul George who made his Celtic first team debut coming on in the eighty-ninth minute for Hooper. It was nearly a dream start when he almost converted a late chance to make it 3-0 but Michael Fraser made another fantastic save to keep the score respectable for Ross County.

The result puts Celtic into the League Cup Quarter Final draw tomorrow with Dundee United, St.Mirren, Kilmarnock, Hibernian and rather remarkably three SFL teams. East Fife, Falkirk and Ayr United all managed to knock out SPL teams on Tuesday and Wednesday night with Aberdeen, Rangers and Hearts being their scalps. Celtic now look to complete a Highland double bill when they face Inverness Caledonian Thistle on Saturday at Parkhead. Neil Lennon will be as relieved as the Celtic fans to avoid a slip up which would've put further pressure on the club moving into a series of crucial league games before another international break in October. It's never easy going away in a cup competition, especially in midweek and in poor weather conditions. The job was done and done professionally. This is all we can ask as the team looks to rebuild consistency and confident performances.

Match preview: Ross County vs. Celtic

When Neil Lennon took over as caretaker manager for the remainder of the dreadful campaign Tony Mowbray left behind he was asked to do two essential things; one was to close the gap as much as possible on a marching to victory Rangers team and the other was to win the Scottish Cup. 10th April 2010 will be a day Ross County fans never forget because that was the day they stopped Celtic doing the latter. In a season which couldn't get much worse it sent the Celtic fans into deep reflection and the entire club into a Summer of revolution. Ross County went on to have their cup final day out vs. Dundee United and whilst they came up short it was a unifying moment up North for fans of Highland football.. On Wednesday night the two clubs meet for only the third time in their history. The media will build the game around these events but it's unlikely either team will want to focus on the past.

I've invited another guest blogger to give their thoughts on how the opposing team's season is going for those of us unaware. The man with the task this time is Alan Ross from Ross County fansite TheJailender.com (you can also find Alan @TJE_Updates on Twitter). He explains:

Ross County’s start to the season was sluggish, although has steadily improved as the season has progressed. 

The season opened with a shock defeat at home to Third Divison, and former Highland League rivals, Elgin City in the Ramsdens Challenge Cup; a trophy they were looking to retain after winning it only three months beforehand. The following week saw an improvement as County scrapped a 2-1win against Queens Park at Victoria Park in the first round of the Scottish Communities league Cup. 

As for the league season, the First Division is as tight as ever with only 2 points separating second top from second bottom, with only 6 points between top and bottom. It’s no surprising that the majority of County’s games have ended in draws then. That’s how the league campaign started when they drew 2-2 at home to the early league leaders Morton. County then suffered their heaviest defeat since entering the Scottish League 16 years ago when they lost 5-1 away to Hamilton the following week. 

However County recovered from the defeat and beat Queen of the South the following week before returning to Hamilton’s new Douglas Park to win 2-1 in the League Cup. This revival in fortunes coincided with County Manager Derek Adams’s return to the dugout after serving a four match suspension.  

Since then County’s performances have steadily improved week on week, although their long running frustration of not being able to convert chances created in front of goal has seen them draw many of their games.

Ross County will undoubtedly smell the blood of a Celtic which was wounded by the hand of Rangers. Saying that, teams facing either Celtic or Rangers after a bad result often fear the wrath of a team itching to set the record straight. County's side remains surprisingly similar from the exploits at Hampden. First goalscorer Steven Craig (whose father Joe played for Celtic) remains at the club and six further players in the squad started that day; Garry Miller, Scott Morrison, Scott Boyd, Richard Brittain, Iain Vigurs and Michael Gardyne. The game is a showcase for the players again with it being shown live across the nation on BBC1. Victoria Park is home to the small but imposing stands and tight pitch you often see in the SFL; under the lights it's likely to be a claustrophobic place to play football.  The team will be eager to write a new giant killing chapter into their relative short history in the football league; they will believe that if they can get in the faces of supposed stars of the SPL anything is possible. The prospect of Hampden is now closer for the Dingwall side looking forward rather than looking back.

For Neil Lennon it's a tricky proposition. Whether the manager decides to give fringe players of the squad a meaningful game to prove their worth or opts to send out the complacent team from the second half at Ibrox remains to be seen. Another defeat and exit from the League Cup at this stage would be further damaging to his and Celtic's reputation regardless of the strength of the eleven. In an already hectic schedule perhaps it would be prudent to send out a mixture of youth and proven talent. It should also be a good chance to give Charlie Mulgrew and Kelvin Wilson further game time together if, as hoped, Glenn Loovens returns to being very much a squad player for what seems like the third or fourth time. Mohamed Bangura will perhaps get his first start after coming on in the latter stages of the only games he's played in so far. Adam Matthews may get to continue his development at right back and Badr El Kaddouri might be given the opportunity to play his way out of his Sunday nightmare. In midfield Victor Wanyama could get a start in the middle to further adapt to the pace and physicality of the Scottish game. Then there's the enigma that is Paddy McCourt; will he get the chance to show he can be part of this season if fit and available for selection? Youth knocking on the door of the first team squad includes Filip Twardzik, Paul George and Lewis Toshney; any combination of these players, who traveled to Madrid, could feature if the game is going well.

Celtic will be looking to enter the deepest stages of both domestic cup competitions and the only thing we know for certain is that Neil Lennon will take the threat of Ross County very seriously after we were collectively embarrassed eighteen months ago. A team will be sent out that he believes is good enough. Going forward there's no room to take any team we face lightly. While respecting County, Celtic should really be looking to take a comfortable victory on Wednesday night. Even if the majority of fans do not look upon the League Cup as one of the most glamorous trophies we compete for there would certainly be a a lot of discontent if we are dumped out of another competition at the hands of 'the Staggies'. As I've previously written... a momentum of defeat can not be allowed to gain pace.

Match Report: Rangers 4 - 2 Celtic

In my match preview I urged caution about the strength of confidence in our chances to go to Ibrox and sweep Rangers aside, collecting three points in the process. It was a tough day. Rangers surged to a convincing victory after a shambolic second half from the team in green and white. It leaves Celtic four points from the top of the table and if current form continues Rangers' lead will be stretched to seven when they play their postponed game against Kilmarnock (so they could face Chelsea) a week on Tuesday. Celtic would have a game in hand but it's a depressing situation to be in before October.

Both teams started the game anxiously and it was only through a Kelvin Wilson clearance error that Steven Naismith found himself completely unmarked in the box to fire a sweet shot past Fraser Forster into the top left hand corner of the net.

Celtic picked up the pace and Scott Brown started to put his foot on the ball and push the whole team further up the pitch. Prior to this every hooped man was sitting far too deep and allowing Rangers to pressurise their box too easily. The equaliser came for Celtic when Brown played a clever reverse ball, completely bamboozling everyone apart from Gary Hooper; he broke free from his opposition, took control of the ball and slipped a smart finish past Allan McGregor who must have thought he'd had his angles completely covered.

Growing into the game, Celtic began to pass the ball with more urgency and accuracy. It was Scott Brown again who made space for Ki Sung-Yeung to square the ball to Badr El Kaddouri who struck a powerful low shot towards the Rangers goal; instead of putting his body behind it, Allan McGregor let it slip through his gloves and through his legs to send the Broomloan Stand into delirium. The half-time whistle came with Celtic very much in control of proceedings; while fortunate to be ahead, the team looked comfortable.

Rangers emerged from the break in a typically fired up fashion. A series of chances then followed for the Govan side; Steven Davis crashed a volley off the crossbar and Kyle Lafferty had a goal disallowed after he was wrongly judged to be offside. Celtic were nowhere. It was no surprise when Nikica Jelavic was found unmarked in the box from a corner; the Croatian powered a header into the ground and the ball bounced above El Kaddouri into the net.

The men in blue now looked the more likely to take the lead; Lafferty squandered two clear chances. The only bright spot from a Celtic point of view came when Glenn Loovens came so very close to regaining the lead when his glancing header defied physics by bouncing off the inside of the post without going in. Shortly after this the Celtic defence failed to deal with Gregg Wylde's ball into the box and after two blocked attempts Lafferty nutmegged Forster. Rangers had taken the lead after all their huffing and puffing.

As Rangers took complete control of the game Charlie Mulgrew got himself sent off after a yellow card in each half for crunching tackles on Steven Naismith and Steven Davis. Celtic pushed forward and by this point had Mohamed Bangura, Anthony Stokes and James Forrest on the pitch but the lack of cutting edge in the final third remained. Naismith's second of the game in the dying seconds was a formality of a game long lost; the Rangers player exploited a lack of defenders at the back to fire home from a Steven Davis lob.

Questions will be asked of Neil Lennon now. His team selection was another head scratcher. Too often Lennon changes his winning team to stop Rangers instead of letting his trusted players flourish against the rival team. Anthony Stokes again didn't feature; he hasn't started against Rangers at Ibrox since his signing from Hibs. James Forrest was left out after his best performance in a Celtic jersey against Motherwell; the young Celt would surely have given Gregg Wylde a run for his money. Charlie Mulgrew started in midfield with Glenn Loovens replacing him in central defence. Joe Ledley was left on the bench for the duration. Lennon's team looked completely unmotivated in the second half with the manager even commenting after the game that some appeared to believe the game was already won. Scott Brown was left on the pitch limping for 10-15 key minutes before he was replaced by James Forrest. It's all rather worrying.

Regardless of Neil Lennon's decisions on the day I feel the team had enough about them to see out the game after being in a winning position at half time. The problems at Celtic run deeper than team selections and the fans should be more worried that our defence can't seem to track a man at a corner or clear tame balls into the box without it going straight to an opponent. It seems in an age of over analysed, over thought football that we can't even do the basics correctly. I had highlighted Ki Sung-Yeung as a key player in my match preview but the South Korean disappointed me greatly, he was simply missing. Ki has fantastic technical ability but you need more than that in games like these, you need more than that to be considered a good Celtic player. It's my belief that Rangers won today because of player error and because of the deficiencies in the Celtic team rather than playing their way to victory. I said in my match preview "Whether Celtic take victory or not is entirely down to the the players and no-one else, it's yet another measurement of how good these players together actually are right now." Well to put it plainly, they aren't very good.

It hurts... it will hurt all week. While it might seem small consolation, strong performances and results against Ross County & Inverness Caledonian Thistle are now even more essential. It's still very early in the season and nothing was decided today. Celtic mustn't let a bad feeling linger, they must bounce back. I will be more worried if they don't because it would mean something is amiss at Celtic beyond a lack of all conquering ability. Some of the knee jerk reaction to a result and performance like this is to be expected and the questions of Neil Lennon and his team will remain. The next few weeks will be some of the hardest for Lennon as Celtic manager... on the pitch at least. Rangers now have breathing space but Celtic must focus, stay postive and take advantage of any slip up across the city. It is those moments that decide where the league title heads over the course of a season.

Match preview: Rangers vs. Celtic

After a busy week, Celtic travel to Ibrox to take part in their biggest game of the season so far. There's no arguing the importance of a Glasgow derby, not just in terms of points at the expense your closest rival, but for the momentum it will give the victorious team going forward against the rest of the SPL. While Rangers' off field problems have been brought to the fore in recent weeks, it has barely effected their playing form and they remain undefeated domestically this season, their only slip being a 1-1 draw with Hearts on the opening day of the season, which also saw their only goal conceded so far. It's a tough test for a Celtic team that battled Atlético Madrid not even twenty-four hours ago. The game in Madrid was what you would call a 'graceful defeat' in that Celtic didn't disgrace themselves in a way the fans have been accustomed to in recent European adventures away from home. Neil Lennon said that Celtic wouldn't have a full training session on either Friday or Saturday, feeling that the team is ready after a decent display against top class opposition.

Rangers have used a light schedule recently to bring their squad close to full fitness with Sasa Papac, Lee McCulloch and Nikica Jelavic all expected to be available for selection. The Rangers team is full of experience and more specifically, experience of playing against Celtic. However, in key areas, Old Firm debuts await. Doran Goian and Carlos Bocanegra will both be under pressure in their central defensive positions and even though they have international experience we know this unique occasion can unsettle even the most unshakable of players. The midfield too may feature fresh blood in Matt McKay and Alejandro Bedoya, neither of whom will have come close to taking part in such a massive football match. The return of Jelavic is a boost to Rangers even if the Croatian hasn't picked up where he left off from last season so far. He will undoubtedly be a threat going forward even if Rangers set up defensively.

It's worth noting that Celtic were undefeated at Ibrox last season, in one game even playing an entire half with ten men. Neil Lennon has a fantastic record in these games so far and had the measure of the way Rangers play by season's end. It will be interesting to see if Ally McCoist opts for similar tactics to Walter Smith by packing the midfield and playing a lone striker or being slightly braver and playing a partnership against a less than convincing Celtic defence, the line-up of which you wouldn't like to bet on at this stage.

One of Celtic's key players in that impressive record against Rangers last season was Scott Brown and the captain looks set to return to action. Lennon made sure he would be fit for the game by keeping him behind in Glasgow to rest his ankle while the rest of the squad flew out to Madrid. Brown, for me, typifies the kind of passion, guts and cocky attitude that every Celtic player needs on occasions like these. He's also a leader in the big games and I'm positive he will be vital to any success we have on Sunday. Ki Sung-Yeung likewise will be a catalyst for any good work we do. The Korean has been in excellent form so far this season and is arguably the best player Celtic have in their possession. If the Celtic midfield turn up to the best of their abilities on Sunday I can't see us not creating the number of chances we will need to win the game.

Of course there's always a chance of 'the unknown' playing a factor in the outcome of these games. All the talking in the world can be done before the game about tactics and team selections but it's really how the players react to real-time situations that produces the result in a Glasgow derby. Keeping a cool head, not reacting to inflammatory situations and being sensible are all as important as laying all the footballing skill you possess down on the pitch. There's always a danger that a fear of this from both teams can cause a stalemate to take place but the early season games tend to see a more relaxed set of players who know the title isn't being dramatically won or lost.

Despite it not being a definitive answer to the question of who will win the title, Sunday represents a perfect opportunity for the Celtic team to take a victory which would be as valuable to them as it would be damaging to Rangers. This fixture has never been played with a backdrop of Rangers' very existence being in question. A defeat would be another demoralising and bitter blow to a blue support which has already taken many so far this season, albeit most of them off the pitch. It would cause further spotlight to fall on Ally McCoist who has managed to rally his team after humiliating exits from both European competitions, exits which angered many in the Rangers support.

As perfect a storm as it appears to be brewing over Ibrox, we know things are never that easy. Celtic need to prove they can embark on a European campaign at the same time as challenging strongly for the SPL title. The Celtic support might underestimate Rangers but the team never should, they are going to the home of the reigning champions after all, champions who know how to win when it matters, champions who will not give an inch to us. Whether Celtic take victory or not is entirely down to the the players and no-one else, it's yet another measurement of how good these players together actually are right now. A lot of talking has been done of market value, renewed contracts and playing at a higher level. It's time to prove that by taking our first big step towards regaining the title.