Celtic march on in Europe, while Scotland's shame does what it does best, shaming Scotland in Manchester.....again

01/24/2025 09:21 AM

Last night, we did an extra podcast to commemorate Celtic qualifying for the knockout stages of the Champions League.

And while the tone of it was somewhat angry, it doesn’t take away from the fact that we are happy with what the club has achieved.

What we were not happy about was the timing of the sale of Kyogo Furuhashi.

James elaborated further on that today in his article on Kyogo’s departure, and I for one, cannot argue with the points he has made.

YouTube: Mission:(Almost) Complete – Trinity Tims Podcast

Right now, we should all be euphoric, but it seems as if the board always takes some sort of sadistic pleasure in ruining our short-lived joy after Wednesday night’s heroics.

That said, we are marching on in Europe.

To what extent?

Well, that will be decided next Wednesday night, minus Kyogo.

Celtic stand to make a quarter of what Rennes are willing to pay for Kyogo by winning that game.

It would have made logical sense to have Kyogo available to help us win that game, thus delivering the win bonus that comes with it were we to be victorious.

That is going to be an arduous enough task as it is, not having Kyogo has just made it all the more difficult.

Having him available might not have.

That’s what you call strategic thinking.

Here’s another example of strategic thinking.

The board has panicked and pushed through the sale of Kyogo because they know he will depreciate in value rapidly as he heads further into the other side of 30.

However, did it never occur to them what the value of a contribution of around 20 odd goals per season for the next two or three seasons might have amounted to?

I mean, current injury aside, look at the renaissance James Forrest has been undergoing at Celtic of late?

Players don’t just become senior citizens over night when they turn 30.

In fact some have delivered the best years of their career post 30.

Look at what Henrik Larsson went on to achieve in his 30’s.

He won the Champions League with Barcelona at 34 years of age.

Look, I know a lot of people are saying Kyogo wanted to move, and Brendan Rodgers has further reiterated his desire to move in today’s press conference:

Kyogo had expressed an interest to leave a number of months back. Obviously then that expression becomes stronger and then it gets to this stage where he clearly wants to leave and we have to then do a deal and look to finalise that for him.

He's been an incredible player for the club in the three-and-a-half years he's been here and, like I said, he's not someone we wanted to lose. But we have to accept where he's at and after the work that he's done to give to Celtic, and his age and where he's at, we have to accept that.

All of that is fair enough, but could we not have held onto him until after the Villa game?

Or even until the end of this season, and let him go then?

Still fulfilling his desire to take on a new challenge?

And as James said in his article, it does make sense, it’s the timing of it that does not.

I just hope Celtic don’t pay a heavy price for this next week at Villa Park.

However, what has somewhat softened the blow of losing Kyogo was the performance of Scotland’s shame on tour last night in Manchester.

Both on and off the pitch.

The levels of their 2008 carnage weren’t quite reached, but they shamed themselves and Scotland nonetheless.

They just cannot go anywhere in Europe without visiting their sectarian bile and their neanderthal ways upon the populace.

Fletcher: "I'll let you speak about them"

*Rangers fan continue to sing "Fuck the Pope and the IRA"*

McCoist: "They're amazing that lot"

This isn't acceptable @tntsportspic.twitter.com/QQ6PA7N3K9

— Conor Keenan (@ConorJKeenan) January 23, 2025

Manchester was no exception last night.

They somehow managed to get a large amount of tickets for the home end at Old Trafford, and needless to say, visited mayhem upon that section of the stadium.

They also marched around Manchester singing their hate filled anthems, oblivious to the fact they resembled something more akin to a KKK march.

I suppose the icing on the cake was the way they succumbed to Manchester United.

Firstly to concede an own goal courtesy of Super Jack Butland, and then to be sucker punched in injury time by the Manchester United skipper just after equalising in the closing stages of the match.

That was as sweet as it gets.

No doubt, Bruno Fernandes felt he had something to prove.

Especially after the previous Saturday’s capitulation to Brighton at Old Trafford.

The SMSM had been bigging them up for this one all week long.

With the usual Ibrox cheerleaders being wheeled out to give their valued opinions.

I wrote an article on Wednesday, stating that you’d think last night’s game at Old Trafford was the only European game on this week.

Funnily enough, things turned out just as we, the bloggers, expected.

Celtic qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League, and the Ibrox side were beaten at Old Trafford.

Anybody with a brain knew that was the way it was going to go.

Even if Celtic did make it difficult for themselves on Wednesday night.

Keevins, Jackson, Walker et al, all got it wrong, as usual.

Some things in life are as predictable as the day is long.

We knew Celtic would win.

And we knew Manchester United would beat the Ibrox side.

We also knew Scotland’s shame would do what they do best.

Shame Scotland.

It was ever thus.

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