Fantasy Football Pt II

UPDATED- See highlights of the first half, and then separately the second half by clicking on the links on this site, or else go straight to Beattie's sublime finish here ...

My God it's worth it. The man, Shunsuke (or) Nakamura (take your pick from those two approved names- no rubbish, rubbish nicknames so far) was very exciting today- had some of us blinking with excitement at one point where the ball was played in-field to him, and he did that 'control the ball with your studs, look around, then play a short pass, just to show you're totally in control of what's going on' thing, nearly lobbed the keeper from the corner of the box- he looks like someone we want to have around.

Overall- Celtic were good! Yes, I swear!

Brief marks below, because it's late and I'm tired:

Boruc- 6- flapped at a cross, otherwise totally fine and made a great save at the start of the second half.

Telfer- 7- looking good, very positive going forward, solid at the back. Still a wee bit slow.

Balde- 7- Solid, no nonsense, no mistakes- that's all he needs to do. [UPDATE- see here for the latest rumours about him going to Marseille (he was spotted at Glasgow Airport this morning, apparently), presumably meaning that Du Wei will come in for him. Also, Adam Virgo said he was aiming to be fit for the falkirk game next week.]

McManus- 6- Good, solid again, hopefully getting more comfortable.

Camara- 6- as the other night, looks a bit shaky, but is totally committed to bombing forward- could cause problems at Ibrox.

Thompson- 7- looked ok- still not there 100%, but is definitely approaching it. Did a lot of good defensive work which gets him a 7.

Lennon- 6- Was there, did his job, may he get 6's all season...

Petrov- 7- Maybe an 8, very energetic, seemed to be there all the time, and, without wanting to speculate too much, he looked to be enjoying the challenge of having to contend with another star at the club.

Nakamura- 9- nearly left him to the end. Looked great on the ball, had the knack of switching the play suddenly (great vision), and did the other stuff which I described in the first paragraph. Also was given a totally free role, which makes me like Strachan a bit more...

Zurawski- 5- Went clean through, didn't score, after a great ball from Nakamura. I hope he just needs a goal- looks a bit uncomfortable still: oh for three goals in ten minutes at Ibrox to settle the nerves.

Hartson- 8- Again looked energetic, deadly, took a good goal, maybe should have had another. Maybe I got him wrong, or rather, maybe I chose right for my fantasy football team...

Maloney- Really excellent- got an ovation that would restore Tebilly's confidence, and put in a most beautiful ball for Beattie's goal.

Beattie- Like Maloney, must be raging that he's not starting, but actually must also, like Maloney, be delighted that he continues to make a difference when he comes on. People are beginning look at him and Maloney as real answers.

Also, both Maloney and Nakamura asked me to ask you if you liked this song- it may take a wee while to download- they both love it, do be nice... Let me know if you can download it ok- it'll take about 30 seconds if you follow instructions, hopefully.

One last thing- my wife loves you, but get your team registered in the Walking on Snow Fantasy Football League...

Fantasy Football

Go here to join in the Walking on Snow Fantasy SPL. Totally free. Choose your team, choose your manager, choose a team name, and let the needle begin.

I stole the idea from a post on Celtic Quick News. My team has entered their league too. Also, I think you can join at any stage of the season.

Once you get your team selected, you can choose to join a friend's league- enter the following PIN when you're asked for it: 0377575100.

I chose my team in less than ten minutes, it is pretty bad, and I will be happy with a mid table finish.

What the World Is Waiting For

Go here, click on MP3s, and then download 'Never Lose Your Sense of Wonder'. I may regret saying this, but this really is perfect pop- if you can listen to it without thinking of early Beatles, Byrds, Stone Roses, La's, etc etc I'll give you one hundred pounds.

The trouble is that I said the same things about the Thrills when I first heard them, and I am blushing even writing that. It turned out they were the pub band you'd hear if you popped out for a pint on your arrival at the 7th Circle of Hell. Sadly, the rest of of the Yeti songs have annoyed me sufficiently to put in this reservation while recommending the good song.

I also recommend 'Worked Up So Sexual' by The Faint as the best thing I've heard this summer (go here, click on 'Bands' at the bottom of the page, then click on 'The Faint', then go to 'Downloads' at the top of the page, then download 'Worked up So Sexual'- duh...). The Faint supported Bright Eyes on his last tour, and they were wonderful. This song could be number 1 in the charts, except I think The Faint are focused on other things in life. Also, it might not be the thing most parents would want to hear coming out of their kids' bedrooms- yes, it really is about that...

On a technical note, Anonymous posting is now disabled- that is, you have to register to post. However, everyone who is posting seems to have registered, so it might not matter too much. Also, I'll lock threads when I post a new one, so that only the two most recent threads are available for comments, which will hopefully keep comments noticeable (obviously anyone can comment on whatever they want- no need to stick to the thread).

Celebrity Fans Wish Celtic Well

Some of the coolest people on the planet have contacted Walking on Snow to wish Celtic all the best tonight in their attempt to stage one of the truly great European comebacks of all time. Below is just a selection from the deluge of mail that arrived at WoS this morning:

Morrissey- 'Come on lads, you can do it. Get stuck into them.'

Kate Moss- 'Let's wipe the grin off Gordon Smith's face- come on the Hoops!'

David Brent- 'Professionalism is... and that's what I want to see tonight at Celtic Park. Bada bing.'


Al Pacino- 'If we get in amongst them and get an early goal they'll be rattled. Make yourselves legends, Bhoys.'



Conor Oberst from Bright Eyes- 'Wish I could be there tonight. I'm praying the new Bhoys live up to the club's heritage- as Big Jock said, 'The Celtic shirt does not shrink to fit inferior players'- come on the Hoops!'

Cat Deeley- 'Best of luck tonight. Do it for me, Bhoys- Hail Hail!'

Stevie Wonder- 'Come on the Hoops- let me see you do it'.

Federal Agent Jack Bauer of the FBI's Counter Terrorist Unit- 'Shoot on sight. Do anything you need to do to get the result- I'll be watching on Sky at CTU Los Angeles Frank McGarvey no.1 CSC. My daughter Kim will be wearing her new Nike top too. Don't let her down, dammit.'

Add your own messages of support below...

'Livin' easy, livin' free/ Season ticket on a one way ride...'

First of all: I was pleased to see this photo tonight >>>






Ok- here's the team I would use against Motherwell:

Boruc

Telfer - Balde (Do I dare?)- Varga - McManus

Aliadiere - Petrov - Lennon - Thompson

Zurawski - Maloney

I think, anyway. Here's the team I'd play if everyone was fit:

Boruc

Agathe - Kennedy - Varga - McManus

Aliadiere - Petrov - Lennon - Nakamura

Sutton - Zurawski

A note or two on the above- I know Aliadiere is left footed, but I love seeing players like him coming inside and running at central defenders; Nakamura will obviously need someone (ideally Lennon) to help him out with defensive tasks; I'm not sure about McManus, but my despair regarding Camara allows him a starting place; I'd never seen, nor heard of, Adam Virgo before he arrived- please let him prove himself.

Let the defenders defend, and let the forwards attack- let everyone know their job- let the football make the goals, and let Motherwell underestimate Celtic.

It may be a highway to hell, but at least all our friends are gonna be there too... I'm looking forward to it.

Against All Odds

Best to do this in list form- still a bit too numb for sentences at this stage. First up- the team:

Marshall- strange keeper- has few enough real howlers, but always looks a wee bit uncomfortable, and simply does not make enough saves. Anything close to his body seems to go in. Looked at fault to some degree for the last two goals, even though he should never have been exposed. Made a couple of decent saves, but he should do that anyway. (3)

Camara- I'm reluctant to even get started on this impostor- zero concentration, zero composure, close to zero chance of rescuing anything from a Celtic career that didn't even get started. (Zero)

Balde- was caught out very badly for at least three of the goals- looks, like a lot of Celtic players at the minute, completely lost. One or two completed tackles, and at least he looked a wee bit upset for once. (1)

Varga- showed hardly any presence, made a couple of saving tackles, but for many of the goals wasn't even in the television picture as the ball hit the back of the net. (2)

Telfer- was actually doing ok until the world collapsed in the middle of the second half. Looked energetic and nearly scored at one point. Still can't be absolved of all blame in a 5-0 defeat. (3)

Lennon- worst game of his Celtic career- we knew he was slow, but normally his brain keeps in the right place- totally bypassed tonight when he was really needed. Real disappointment. (1)

Sutton- major turning point when he went off- it's only speculation, but surely it wouldn't have gone so, so wrong with him on the park. (Excused)

McGeady- too young, too inexperienced to have been brought on for a player like Sutton in a game like this (see below for discussion of tactics)- still, on a more positive note, made sure he'll get a few quid from his certain appearance in 'Football Bloopers' videos from now until the end of time, for that unmissable miss. And looked like man whose confidence has been truly shattered after it. (2)

Petrov- another major, major disappointment tonight. Despite playing most of the game in the middle, he neither got nor demanded the ball, and consequently, for a player who is supposedly one of the finest in Europe (and obviously he hasn't become a bad player in six weeks), he must take a lot of the blame for what happened on the park. (1)

Thompson- unfit, static, even poor delivery from corners. He has taken a lot of money from Celtic in the past year or so and has contributed next to nothing. Still, shouldn't have been taken off when he was. (1)

Zurawski- made some decent runs, should have got more of the ball, did hardly anything, but at least tried a wee bit to get involved. (4)

Hartson- another infuriating and anonymous performance from a player who, everyone can see, is not fit, is selfish, cannot be bothered, and who spreads lethargy throughout the team. Should never have played the whole game. (0)

Maloney- decent performance- looked interested, took responsibility, missed a great chance, then made that chance for McGeady. The only player who, based on tonight's performance, would, if we'd had his equivalent in every position, have helped avoid the major humiliation and capitulation that occurred. (6)

Aliadiere- again, not a disastrous performance- made a few things happen when he came on- didn't sustain his involvement. (4)

The Manager- has to take the blame. Some of the reasons are listed below:
He started with the wrong keeper, and has as a result possibly damaged irreparably Marshall's confidence. Surely he was the only person with any interest in Celtic (apart from Marshall himself, and maybe Marshall's dad) who thought that was the right decision?
He didn't seem to know what to expect from a decent Eastern European side, obviously didn't do his preparation properly for the game.
He didn't coach his team properly- none of the players seemed to know what they were doing or supposed to do.
He chased the game after it went to 2-0, which would still have left Celtic overwhelming favourites for the second leg. He threw on (young, inexperienced) attacker after (young, inexperienced) attacker, when even the most naive fan would have tried to board things up.
He looked paralysed with shock during the second half meltdown, and stared, stony-faced, as Celtic collapsed into an embarrassing and embarrassed mess in front of his eyes. I would urge him, if he wants to salvage anything of his reputation, to at least pretend to be doing something, pretend to be berating and encouraging his players, even if he is sick to the stomach and hurting so much he can hardly move.

Even having said all of that, given a decent hammering of Motherwell on Saturday, I'll be dreaming of three quick goals on Tuesday evening, and then, you never know, anything can happen...

Nakamura

Click here to find the latest on the Nakamura deal- he's signed, and he seems to be a sensational talent. Also, hopefully by clicking here you will see one of the greatest films ever made.

Those video montages can be a bit deceptive, can't they? However, his goals from free kicks look incredible, and although he's obviously very leftsided, he can take free kicks and score from both sides- it always looks very impressive when a left footer takes a free kick from the left side, and curls the ball across and away from the front of the keeper into the far corner. Very difficult to do. Hopefully that will sort out the problems of taking corners from the left hand side as well (Petrov's and McGeady's efforts from there can be pretty awful). Also, he looks very mobile, pacey and skilfull in open play too, and not particularly small or slight either.

Here's hoping- it could make all the difference as regards the frame of mind the supporters (and I suppose the players) start the season in.

Where does this leave us in terms of Celtic's ideal line-up? It even makes me wonder what formation Celtic will play, but assuming for now that it's 4-4-2, how about this for starters:

Boruc

Agathe - Balde - Varga (or Virgo) - Camara

McGeady - Lennon - Petrov - Nakamura

Sutton - Zurawski

Subs: Thompson, Hartson, Aliadiere, Virgo (or Varga), Marshall, Maloney, Beattie.

Mmm, not quite- maybe a 4-3-3?

Boruc
Agathe - Balde - Varga (or Virgo) - Camara

Lennon - Petrov - Nakamura

Zurawski - Sutton - Aliadiere

Subs: Thompson, Hartson, McGeady, Virgo (or Varga), Marshall, Maloney, Beattie.

There are also players like McManus, Wallace, and eventually John Kennedy who should be looking to push for a place. Anyway- comments welcomed!

Jandek- The finest twice yearly event on the musical calendar

How to even comment? Danny La Rue- sorry- I mean Jandek is back, and he's doing this album called Diamonds Falling Down- hopefully it will spawn another 'Sweet Caroline' or 'Brown Eyed Girl' and take our hero back to the top of the charts.

Not only that- our favourite publicity junky is actually playing in America- see details here. Personally I'm expecting blanket media coverage between now and the end of autumn.

Goalkeeping: the new philosophy

He is the goalkeeper for Sporting Lisbon, and he is watching Celtic play against him. If you look closely at the photograph, he seems deep in thought. Which of the following is he thinking?

• Is their opening line-up a joke? Petrov out wide again? Sutton in midfield again?;
• Marshall in goals from the start?;
• I thought there was a new manager here? They seem to be playing the same bad way they played at the end of last season?;
• Where's the Polish striker?;
• David Fernandez still plays for Celtic?;
• All of the above and more?

Anyway- this seems like a good starting point- I'm not prepared to start panicking yet, but I repeat- let's not play our best central midfielder on the wing, and let's not play our best centre forward in midfield.

Phil Collins- Master of understated melancholy

Check out the very beautiful video for the Postal Service's version of Phil Collins's 'Against All Odds'.

The Postal Service are a band made up of members of Death Cab for Cutie and Dntel, and they make the kind of music that should really prompt the cheerful suicides of pretenders such as The Kaiser Chiefs, and (shudder) Razorlight and (shudder, shudder) The Bravery. The Postal Service are interesting for many reasons, but one of them is the fact that it is essentially a side project which really works, and doesn't seem like cloying indulgence. Ben Gibbard's Death Cab are a great band, but rarely do they ascend to such brittle great heights as 'Such Great Heights'. Dntel are ok- but Jimmy Tamborello (great name) finds his real moments of mastery working with others such as Gibbard in The Postal Service and Bright Eyes on 'Digital Ash in a Digital Urn'.

Anyway, this is the sound of today- dry your eyes and give thanks for this little nugget of genius.

Mmm, well, yes, at least we haven't conceded a goal yet

Didn't Martin O'Neill's first pre-season leave us cold too? Anyway, this is the point- please leave Petrov alone, don't push him out wide, even as an experiment, even just because it's a friendly. Can't you see his head falling just a little bit every time a manager says 'Can you go out wide for just this one game...?'

Let's not annoy him. I remember, I think, Liam Brady playing John Collins at left back (I'm sure because he 'could play there')- Collins left soon after. Don't annoy your very best players.

Boruc played well. That's something. Weird personal website, but I don't think website design is a major criterion when signing a goalkeeper. I especially like the Celtic u Roda Stewarta mystery. I'd love to know what that bit means.

Virgo- the signs are good etc

Let's be honest- Celtic have signed five players (Camara, Aliadiere, Zurawski, Boruc, and now Adam Virgo) and are chasing a sixth (Nakamura), and I have never heard of any of them. However, that doesn't stop me being more excited about the new season than any of the last five. Or is it four? Since O'Neill's first season, I mean.

The defence is looking stronger, but I would be a lot happier if Agathe could shake off his injuries- he is no longer trustworthy because he's injured so much. The forwards are looking faster, and we seem to have more width, especially if Nakamura comes. The only missing piece is a goalkeeper we can be really confident in- but you never know, Boruc may be that, or Marshall may become that.

Also, the signings are pleasing because of the possibility of rubbish puns they allow (especially Magic's name, Virgo's surname ('cue' the snooker puns, and I 'predict' lots of astrological wordplay too), and Nakamura (opportunities almost infinite there)).

Nakamura coming in before the Champions League signing deadline on Thursday, and maybe getting paraded at the Sporting Lisbon game would make me even happier.

The Raveonettes- or, What is the most underrated pop single of all time?

I went to see the Raveonettes in King Tut's tonight. My God, there's a band. How we love the Raveonettes. Apart from the fact that no photograph can ever do her justice, the girl in the band (above, Sharin is her name, Sharin Foo) is the single most beautiful girl I've ever seen. Also, their last single featured Ronnie Spector taking us all back to 1963 with her 'Woh-oh-ooohhh' backing vocals, which appeared in ghostly splendour on a backing tape at tonight's show. They are a fine band, the Raveonettes.

During the show, while they played it, it struck me that they have recorded the most underrated, most overlooked pop single of all time, and it's called That Great Love Sound. My question to you is- what is the most criminally ignored single, by any band, of any era, to your knowledge? A muffin for every worthwhile suggestion.

Muffins

Check this out! I made these from scratch- almond muffins. Has mankind ever begat anything more awesome? Strange as it sounds, I never thought that if you used a recipe and followed every step carefully, that it would actually work.

First Exciting Event Since I Started This Page (Yesterday)

Celtic begin their preseason series of friendlies, against Fulham, a typical friendly. Notable outcomes are as follows:

Marshall started in goals and looked pretty shaky;
Camara looks fast and sensible at left back;
Aliadiere looks fast and a bit too eager to please up front;
Sutton is in midfield again (bad);
Petrov is out right again (bad);
Zurawski came on, looked stylish, had strange hair, and missed a penalty (see the miss and some other stuff here).

Other exciting events of today included getting a lend of a DVD with the top fifty albums on it- these were reduced to seven albums which I thought were worth saving onto my ipod- and in truth, the Mylo album is the only one I'm interested in having, but I suppose it's better to have 'A-Ha- The Definitive Singles Collection' than not to have it.

Welcome to the world

Hello to the world of insomniacs, bored people and friends. This page is dedicated to the following: the music I've/you've heard; the films and tv I've/you've watched; the football news I've/you've been interested in; the food I've/you've been eating; the drink I've/you've been enjoying; the holidays I've/you've had; anything else good or cool or interesting, apart from golf. No golf. Let's begin, and let's not allow it to drift and become a witness to my/your lethargy or apathy.