Just A Small Town Bhoy

[Cardiovascular]

July 4th, in an office in the centre of Glasgow..

So Jamie, what do you think of his appointment?"

"Well boss, whilst he's not very experienced on the manager front, he has plenty on the field. He knows what he's doing and knows what happens when to a player when he's on the park. I'm certain he'll play a massive role this year, even if it's just one year. I think he can shape Celtic for the better. As I've said, there's a difference between being a player and being a manager. He's got the t-shirt and the experience and, with help from coaches and Mark Venus, I believe he will be a success. Providing he makes the right changes and strengthens the squad in the right places, I do think they could be make the knockout stages of the Champions League."

Jamie concluded his short story with a little nod to his boss. Apparently he didn't realise his boss was a Celtic fan and was raging at the appointment of Scott Jackson.

"You're lucky I'm a kind man, or else you would be out that door. You made your points well but they are wrong. Scott's appointment is awful - they need a man with experience, not some bloke who potted about in the lower leagues. I realise you're only a budding journalist but you'll have to learn the hard way. Your opinion is good, but the appointment of Jackson is wrong."

###

Meanwhile, in a conference room near Parkhead..

"What the !&*% John! You sit there and tell me you'll deal with the next appointment to the manager spot and you bring him in!? You sack Strachan, then Mowbray only weeks after his appointment for a man who has been going one step forward and two steps back in his career? Nice going, maybe we should hire Mr Blobby has his assistant as well!" Dermot Desmond fumed at John Reid, obviously unhappy with the chairman's decisions recently.

Reid wiped the sweat (it may even have been spit from Dermot) off his face and stood up and looked round at the members of the board.

"Whilst some may argue Jackson is an awful appointment, he has personally reassured me he will bring success to this club. If not, he has said he will resign. While he is charge of the club, I demand he gets the respect he deserves and a little time. If you don't want to give him this, I'm certain you could get a hundred quid for your share in the club during these times. Goodbye."

And with that, Reid picked up his briefcase and marched out of the room, certain he had made his point.

[Cardiovascular]

"Good day, Mr Jackson. Let me introduce myself; I am Mark Venus and I am your current assistant. I'll start by saying that, despite the media ridiculing your appointment, you can and will do well here. All of the staff are fully behind you and together we can be successful."

Venus flashed a warm, welcoming smile towards me and I relaxed as he handed me the teams sheet. As I looked at it, I established we had a strong squad altogether and it looked something like this:

GK - Artur Boruc - 29 - POL

GK - Lukasz Zaluska - 27 - POL

GK - Dominic Cervi - 23 - USA

DRL, WBR - Mark Wilson - 25 - SCO

D/WBR - Andreas Hinkel - 27 - GER

D/WB/AMR - Paul Caddis - 21 - SCO

D/WBL - Danny Fox - 23 - SCO

D/WBL - Milan Misun - 19 - CZE

DC - Gary Caldwell - 27 - SCO

DC - Glenn Loovens - 25 - NED

DC - Stephen McManus - 26 - SCO

DC - Josh Thompson - 18 - ENG

DM, MC - Marc Crosas - 21 - ESP

DM, MC - Landry N'Guemo - 23 - CMR (LOAN)

MRC - Willo Flood - 24 - IRL

MLC - Barry Robson - 30 - SCO

AMRC - Scott Brown - 24 - SCO

AMRLC - Shaun Maloney - 26 - SCO

AMRL - Pat McCourt - 25 - NIR

AMRLC - Aidan McGeady - 23 - IRL

AMRL - Niall McGinn - 22 - NIR

AMR - Koki Mizuno - 23 - JPN

AMC - Zheng Zhi - 28 - CHN

FC - Scott McDonald - 25 - AUS

ST - Marc-Antoine Fortuné - 28 - FRA

ST - Giorgos Samaras - 24 - GRE

Maybe this job wouldn't be so hard after all with a squad like that. My first port of call would be to get a decent back-up for striker - Mark Viduka was more than happy to join us - despite his apparent preference for a Ozzie club - and after he gained a work permit, he signed on a free.

The very night Viduka signed, I had my first match and first challenge as Celtic boss. We had to overcome FC Nantes in a friendly - ok, we didn't have to but for the sake of my reputation we did - which may have proved difficult. I lined up with a very strange formation - an asymmetrical 4-2-3-1, which saw one defensive midfielder, a central one who played on the right (of centre mid), a left midfielder, an AMLC, a right winger and the lone striker. My hopes were for the AMLC to play as an inside forward.

Celtic v FC Nantes

Friendly

Zaluska; Caddis, Fox, Caldwell ©, Thompson; Crosas (DM); McCourt (LM), Flood (MRC); Brown (AMR), McGeady; Fortuné

However, my fears of a difficult start were wiped away as Matteo Goncalves received a straight red just fourteen minutes in. The unusually aggresive defender seemingly took offence to Fortuné and went straight for him, resulting in red. McCourt was then taken off with a slight knock for precautionary reasons and replaced by Maloney.

After that, it was plain sailing as McGeady became the first man to score under my reign as manager. The young lad picked up on Fortuné's parried effort to knock home following some excellent play by Brown.

Some great teamwork occured for the next goal as we went from one end to the pitch to the other with McGeady turning provider, crossing for substitute Maloney to head home.

Six minutes later, the game was as good as over. Scott Brown charged into the box with a late run before taking a touch and volley home Maloney's cross. A fully deserved goal for the man who had played so well today.

Nantes did manage to pull one back ten minutes into the second half - some good play down the right saw the ball crossed for Thomas to easily hit home with acres of space. The glimmer of hope was not enough, and I wrapped up my first win.

Celtic 3-1 FC Nantes

(McGeady 24"; Maloney 36"; Brown 41")

(Thomas 55"; Goncalves s/off 13")

[ChrisNUFC]

Viduka back at Celtic haha

[Cardiovascular]

"So Mark, what are your views on yesterday's win?" I queried Venus on the bus trip down to Lancashire. I was feeling sick - buses had never been my strong point - and wanted to take my mind off things.

"Well boss, your formation worked for a start, so that will shut the media up for a second. All of our three scorers played well and each had a part to play in other goals. I found two players to be highly disappointing though, Fortuné failed to impress me with his one shot on goal. Willo Flood also wasn't particularly outstanding either although he did make a few good passes here and there." Mark whispered, obviously not wanting to be heard which I understood.

"So, our changes for the match against Rochdale?"

"In all honesty, I'd make one change. The striker position will need rotated 'til we see who suits the role best. I say we give Flood a chance to impress against the Dale and we'll take it from there. This may prove to be our best line-up, and if we can get them fit, we're sailing."

"I wish we were bloody sailing.." I muttered, closing my eyes to the sound of speeding cars, thinking about whatever drifted through my mind.

###

Rochdale v Celtic

Friendly

Zaluska; Caddis, Fox, Caldwell ©, Thompson; Crosas (DM); McCourt (LM), Flood (MRC); McGeady (AMR), Brown; Samaras

I had decided to make another change that Mark didn't suggest although it was only a switch of position. I moved Brown into the centre which meant that McGeady came out to the right; all this hype about him being a great winger was getting me excited, and I wanted to see it for myself. Samaras was the man to replace Fortuné and it was his time to shine.

It took all of twelve minutes for us to kick-start our game, and it was Caddis' cross from a move that set-up Scott Brown, who charged late into the box to meet the cross unmarked. Brown did exactly as I had hoped for him to do, making late runs into the box unmarked. An excellently worked goal by the team, and if they kept this up for the entire match, I would be delighted.

The big Greek who was playing as our lone striker (I say lone, Brown was supporting him) looked quite shaky and was doing an absolute awful job. It sounded harsh, but you'd expect better from someone who has been playing for nearly 8 years now. Every time the ball left his boot, one could tell it was going straight down the 'keeper's throat or sky high over the bar.

As half-time came and went, and our dominance came to nothing, I began to get worried. One goal would never be good enough for the media. McCourt had been playing well down the left, and the tricky Northern Irishman was the creator of the second goal. He had played through Samaras who had, shockingly, missed but when the ball was given straight back to him he decided to charge down the left instead. His final touch was to send the ball floating across goal, onto the head of Willo Flood who made no mistake from around five yard out.

Rochdale 0-2 Celtic

(Brown 13"; Flood 65")

[Cardiovascular]

Albion Rovers v Celtic

Friendly

Zaluska; Caddis, Fox, Caldwell ©, Thompson; Crosas (DM); McCourt (LM), Flood (MRC); McGeady (AMR), Brown; Viduka

Boruc's injury, which had kept him out of ourr last few friendlies, was now non-existent however Zaluska had been performing well in goal during recent matches, so well in fact, that he kept his place for now. Viduka made his Celtic return up front, replacing the rubbish Greek Samaras.

We played the Rovers off the park for the entire match and fully deserved the win. It was only fitting that the opening goal, to the joy of the 900 or so who had travelled to watch us, that Mark Viduka was the one who opened the scoring, slotting home Brown's through ball. The big Oz has scored 30 goals in 37 appearances for us in his last stint, and part of me was hoping he could continue in take two.

When a corner comes in and is cleared, you would expect a defender to start charging back. Not Gary Caldwell. While he may be useless internationally, he showed intelligence by staying in box when the ball was cleared. And it was Caldwell who was there when the ball was punted back in, and he glanced it beyond Gaston in the Albion goal to ensure we wrapped up a good win.

Albion Rovers 0-2 Celtic

(Viduka 29"; Caldwell 79")

[ChrisNUFC]

Yay Pieman Viduka scored! Keep him away from the battered mince pies!

[Cardiovascular]

Lay the off the lad, he can't help it..

Crusaders v Celtic

Friendly

Cervi; Wilson, Misun, Loovens, Caldwell ©; N'Guemo; Maloney (LM), Crosas (MC); Mizuno (AMR), McGeady; McDonald

I give a completely different team a run-out for no other reason than seeing how the gel. The main change is Scott McDonald replacing Mark 'who ate all the pies' Viduka, as I really want to know who the best striker is. Mark Venus was particularly interested in how Misun, Mizuno and Cervi did at their respective positions as all three were considered good prospects for the future.

We got off to the best start possible when some quick play saw the ball being fed from right to left, and it eventually fell to Maloney who blasted home a shot from the edge of the area. The shot was a bullet effort and the Crusader's 'keeper, despite his best attempts, failed to keep it out.

Just twenty minutes later, the crowd of 3000 or so knew they were in for a treat when the second goal for us was scored. From a free-kick in our own half, Caldwell fired it forward to the feet of Maloney. He rounded three players before firing a beautiful shot beyond Stewart and once again, his out-stretched fingertips could merely brush the ball as it rippled the net. The former Aston Villa winger was turning the left wing spot into his own.

It took until after half-time 'til we next extended our advantage, and it put me in a bit of a pickle for the next match. Koko Mizuno showed his talent by dinking a beautiful ball across the box, and the Japanese youngster was given full credit by Scott McDonald when he nodded it home from close range. The reason this caused problems was because I didn't know who to give the striker's shirt to in the next match. McDonald and Viduka had both scored one, and with our next match against tougher opposition, I'd wanted our best striker out.

With the match win sealed, done and delivered, Gary Caldwell decided to hit a rasping 30 yard volley into the top corner. I doubt even Casillas could've saved it so there was no chance for Stewart but whether Caldwell was having a ping because he knew we'd won or if he can do that as a hobby, I guess we'll never know.

Crusaders 0-4 Celtic

(Maloney 8"; 28"; McDonald 58"; Caldwell 87")

[Cardiovascular]

Preston NE v Celtic

Friendly

Cervi; Wilson, Misun, Loovens, Caldwell ©; N'Guemo; Maloney (LM), Crosas (MC); Mizuno (AMR), McGeady; McDonald

I kept the same team that faced and thumped Crusader's to play this match and more importantly, on Mark Venus' advice, kept Scott McDonald as striker for some part in this match. I was very impressed with the way this team played versus Crusaders, and I was hoping to see more of the same despite the better quality of opposition.

We started very brightly and it took all of six minutes for us to break the deadlock and get a firm advantage in the game. Caldwell showed his excellent vision at back and booted a free-kick into space near the 18 yard box. McDonald took the ball down, turned and fired into the bottom corner from the narrowest of angles to give us an early lead. It was an excellent start to the game and McDonald was delighted with his strike because he knew it could give him an advantage to being a starting player.

It took some serious thought - in fact, most of the 15 minutes - to decide whether to take McDonald off for Viduka, but the sight of Viduka tucking into the oranges was enough to let me keep McDonald on for at least 60 minutes.

McDonald seemingly had a sixth sense (either that, or he heard me...), and just as I was calling Viduka back from his warm-up with the intentions of bringing him on, he extended our advantage to two. Again, it was some lovely, direct play as the ball went from Cervi's goal kick, to a through ball by McGeady which played in McDonald. He time his shot perfectly, delaying it until the 'keeper was grounded and cheekily dinking it over the top of him.

I simply couldn't take the lad off after that, he seemed so hyped up and looked confident that I just knew he was going to get a hat-trick. It was only 10 minutes after Scotty's second goal when Preston pulled one back. Neill Collins timed his leap to perfection and he got onto the end of Ross Wallace's corner to give Preston a glimmer of hope.

But the hopes of a comeback were shattered just before stoppage time, Maloney cleared the ball - although he does claim he knew what he was doing, he's talking b****cks I say - and McDonald latched onto it before slotting it beyond Spooner for his hat-trick.

The delight on his face was plain to see and no one could stop him after that. Just seconds - and I mean seconds - McGeady played one of his now-trademark through balls which Scotty latched onto, ensuring his fourth of the day and almost certainly his place in the team which would face FC Twente in an attempt to qualify for the Champions League.

There was one more goal to come and it would be one to please the Deepdale faithful and let them leave the ground with some dignity. Once again, it was our former youth player Ross Wallace whose corner was met by Paul Rowe and his header bulleted beyond Cervi. That was it for the action on the park, with McDonald and McGeady in particular having a brilliant game.

Preston 2-4 Celtic

(Collins 79"; Rowe 90+2")

(McDonald 6"; 58"; 89"; 90")

[Cardiovascular]

"Strikers! Over here, please." I called our first team strike force and the four guys gathered round me like children at a nursery, as though about to be told a story. "I think by now you'll all have seen the new formation. It involves one striker. Could anyone tell me how much strikers there are present here today? In fact, don't. There are 4. One of you will be leaving by the end of this window. I will not pick and choose unfairly. The loser will be the one who performs least well in matches so far and in training, and so far I have made mental notes. Just for the record, I don't care if you're new," I stared at Fortuné and Viduka. "Or if you're a veteran here. Am I clear? Good, now go out into the training park and prove a point."

All four of the lads did the job in training. I could see the determination in their eyes and even Viduka kept willing himself onwards when he got tired.

###

"Mr Jackson, take good care of that one. He is a great talent and I hope you will not let him go to waste. Trust me, it would not be a wise idea. I believe one day, he will be as goos as, if not better than his brother."

"Thanks Mr Jol, I will take this advice on board and once again say thanks for letting us discuss terms with him. I really appreciate it. Good luck with your upcoming season with Ajax and it was a pleasure doing business with you."

I hung up the phone on Jol, having finished my transfer dealings with him so far. I did have my eye on one of his other players, but for now, £1.5M to acquire 18 year old Rodney Sneijder's talent was enough.

A few days prior to Sneijder's arrival, there was a departure. I let homesick Andreas Hinkel return to his homeland of Germany and Werder Bremen to be precise for a tasty little sum of £1.8M

###

Glentoran v Celtic

Friendly

Zaluska; Caddis, Fox, Thompson, Caldwell ©; Crosas (DM); Sneijder (ML), Flood (MC); McGinn (AMR), McGeady; Fortuné

2 days after he joined, Sneijder gets his unofficial debut on the left side of midfield where he prefers to play. McGinn also gets his unofficial since joining from Derry City. Fortuné also gets a chance to start up front as he hopes not to be the unlucky striker leaving.

Over-confidence seemed to be play a part within the first 5 minutes and the Bhoys who were on the pitch got a severe wake up call when Burns' cross was completely missed by Thompson and headed home by Andy Hynds. I think the lads were still half asleep from the flight across but after this, they seemed to wake up.

Our equaliser came through some play which was quite lucky on our part. McGinn's original shot was parried out but it hit a defender. The ball seemed to be heading out but McGeady caught everyone out, and he cut it back for Fortuné to slot it home and increase his chances of staying come September the second.

The whole team was generally playing at it's worse today, none more so than Niall McGinn. Other than his shot which had created Fortuné's goal, the youngster had done nothing out on the wide right and his confidence seemed to be shattered. So at half-time, I took him off in place of Maloney before telling the lad that he was going to bounce back the next time he played.

However, the entire second half was absolute drivel and it took until our first piece of good team play in the entire match which led to our second - and winning - goal just before stoppage time was announced. Crosas had pulled off a stunning challenge to stop a potential opportunity, and he had played it to McGeady. McGeady then preceeded to feed a trademark pass into the path of Fortuné and he showed no signs of cracking under pressure as he coolly slotted it beyond Coluter in goals for Glentoran. A disappointing match and I made sure the lads knew that in no uncertain terms.

Glentoran 1-2 Celtic

(Hynds 3")

(Fortuné 23"; 90")

[ChrisNUFC]

Looks like Fortune is out to claim that spot his own! Hope Fatty-duka does you well.

[ldktalin]

Good luck vs Twente, it's the next game I believe. Maloney got sent off against them on my save, but the Derry duo pulled me out.

[Cardiovascular]

Celtic v FC Twente

Champions League Qualifier

Boruc; Wilson, Fox, Caldwell ©, Loovens; N'Guemo (DM); Maloney (LM), Flood; McGeady (AMR), Zheng Zhi; McDonald

Fox, N'Guemo, Flood and Zheng Zhi all get their debuts in what will be our first reall challenge according to the media. Both Boruc and Zheng Zhi didn't play at all during pre-season so it may be a bit of a risk playing them, but I'm hoping it pays off.

And it takes just 15 minutes to kick-start our season and it came from so great play. Fox took a throw in which went to McDonald, who turned and played it to Flood. McGeady timed his run to perfection to remain on-side and the promising Irish youngster latched onto Flood's pass to slot it home to cap an excellent move.

McGeady was involved in the second goal too. A deflected shot had fallen to him and, to the dismay of his team-mates, he turned away from goal. Huseynov went in for the ball but McGeady took it away from him at the last second and was caught - the penalty was given correctly. Up stepped our right back Mark Wilson who was somewhat a penalty expert and he made no mistake, firing it home from twelve yards out.

Nothing much happened afterwards, nor in the second half. I'm not complaining though - I'm more than happy to take a two goal advantage to Holland with us for the next leg.

Celtic 2-0 FC Twente

(McGeady 16"; Wilson (pen) 20")

[Cardiovascular]

"Gregory! It is excellent to welcome you to Celtic Football Club. I know you are here on a loan deal, but I can tell you that first-team action for you is in my plans. If you perform well enough, the move may become permanent unless you don't want it to."

"Thank you Mr Jackson. It is an honour to be approached by Celtic and I hope to enjoy stay in Scotland." Gregory van der Wiel nodded in case I had not understood his broken English and shook my hand, following the £650,000 we had paid to bring him to Celtic Park. I managed to wrangle a future fee of £3M in case he performed well, which I hoped he would.

###

"Well Mark, do we go for broke and try and secure the game with a few away goals? Or do we devise a new, defensive tactic and try and keep it the way it is?"

"Scott, I think we should go all out and try and score one or two away goals. Get an early goal too knock the wind out of their sails and kick 'em where it hurts. It's up to you though, but I personally don't think changing the tactic would be a good idea."

FC Twente v Celtic

Champions League Qualifier, Second Leg

Boruc; Caddis, Fox, Caldwell, Loovens; N'Guemo; McCourt (LM), Flood; McGeady (AMR), Zheng Zhi; Fortuné

I take Venus' advice and attack is what we do. It takes us less than two minutes to probably ensure our place in the next round. McCourt's cross-shot was parried out straight to Willo Flood and our other Irish talent made no mistake making sure the 'keeper paid for not catching the effort, which he should've.

Two minutes after that, we were definitely in the next round. Zheng Zhi's through ball was almost perfect, just slightly overhit, but Fortuné got hold of it nonetheless and made no mistake, showing everyone what he could do given the opportunity.

It was the combination of McGeady and Fortuné which created the next goal, as McGeady picked the ball up and ran towards the byline. Fortuné made an excellent run into the box which McGeady spotted, but he also noticed something which the FC Twente defence hadn't, and he crossed for McCourt who made a late, unnoticed run and he finished off the move with a bullet header to make it three.

And the final goal before half-time was one which came straight off the training ground. McCourt took a quick corner to Loovens at the front post and the defender showed his finishing ability by firing straight at the FC Twente 'keeper. Try as he may, the 'keeper could not keepe it out and Loovens was awarded the goal despite the awful initial shot.

Even then, the action was not finished. FC Twente actually managed to get the ball out of their half and N'Kufo was almost clean through on goal when Gary Caldwell tripped him. Expecting a yellow, I groaned under my breath and planned to tell him to be careful but to my, and everyone else's amazement, the red card came out. Both Fox and Loovens were easily covering Caldwell so he definitely wasn't the last man and N'Kufo was still in the centre circle! Nonetheless, the fourth official told me to calm down and we played the rest of the half a defender short.

I told Caldwell I wasn't angry with him, and I told the team not to be angry with him as it was never a red card. I apologised to N'Guemo as I told him he would be the man coming off to bring on an extra defender - Josh Thompson would be getting his European debut and the 18 year old's eyes sparkled with delight as I told him.

Despite our one man deficit, the lads didn't let up. Zheng Zhi was the next to get on the scoresheet with a debut goal, as he latched onto Fortuné's flick on to knock the ball beyond the goalkeeper. I was starting to think that the result was going to reach double figures and immediately sat down on the bench. Five goals up away from home! Excellent stuff.

It gets even better after that though as McCourt cross was met by Fortuné whose original header was saved by the goalkeeper. But he made a tragic mistake in parrying it straight back to Fortuné and lightning quick reactions from him saw us six goals up!

After that, Twente went ultra-defensive with 11 men behind the ball and a rare attack saw them grab a late goal. Hendriks un-selfishly cut the ball back for de Vries and he gave the FC Twente fans something to cheer about as they left the stadium following a 6-1 thrashing.

FC Twente 1-6 Celtic

(de Vries 88")

(Flood 2"; Fortuné 4"; 60"; McCourt 28"; Loovens 43"; Zheng Zhi 49"; Caldwell s/off 45+1")

[Cardiovascular]

"Mark, I don't want to be a pain in the arse and I hate doing this but I'm going to have to ask you to attend all future press conferences. I know this makes me sound like a p***k but I despise the media. Everything they write is a steaming pile of bull and they'll grab everything out of you and then twist it round until it's nothing close to what you said."

"You're the boss," Mark replied, his expression unreadable. I disliked that, I was unsure if he was not pleased with me or just in a mood. But I left it to sink in, leaving him to deal with the press.

###

Mark handled the conference well, not giving away much apart from his confidence that we would beat Aberdeen in the upcoming match which would kick-start our season. I had to admit, I agreed with him in every sense. Aberdeen were a team we really should beat.

Aberdeen v Celtic

Premier League

Boruc ©; van der Wiel, Fox, Loovens, Thompson; N'Guemo (DM); McCourt (LM), Sneijder; McGeady (AMR), Zheng Zhi; Fortuné

I made three big decisions; van der Wiel got a debut at right-back and I could tell the young Dutch kid hoped to impress. I also gave 18 year old Thompson a start in defence in place of the suspended Caldwell, and Thompson clearly was rising to the occasion. Fortuné started up front again following his brace against FC Twente.

It took just twenty-three minutes for the first goal to arise, and it came from the lone Frenchman up front. McCourt's perfect switch ball fell into the path of McGeady, and he crossed the ball and picked Fortuné out excellently, who simply nodded it beyond Langfield in the Don's goal. The Frenchman was really making a name for himself and was most certainly making the striker's role his own.

It would be just before half-time before our lead would be extended and it came in unfortunate circumstances. The Super-Pole-in-Goal who was our captain today launched a ball forward and it came off the head of Andrew Considine and looped over Langfield and into the net. I had my back to the pitch when Venus pointed out Boruc's actions. There was no fingers involved this time, but the Holy Goalie had charged up to the opposite end of the pitch to celebrate. The half-time interval was not going to be pleasant.

And it certainly was not pleseant.

"What the hell were you doing?!" I roared at Boruc but didn't let him reply before continuing. "If we wasn't two-nil up by now, I would have you subbed off here and now and a month's wages docked for your actions. It's not the first time you've celebrated extravagantly Artur, and I swear it will be the last. If you ever do that again, you're out on your arse son."

Boruc's solemn expression was enough to tell me I had made myself clear and he reluctantly handed the captain's armband to McGeady for the remainder of the game.

Boruc's morale seemed to drop during the second half - no surprises there - and it was pretty much his fault we conceded the only goal of the second half. Diamond's free-kick fell straight to Pawlett and Boruc parried his shot in dramatic style for the cameras, I assume. It fell straight to the feet of Lee Miller and he doesn't make mistakes from that kind of range and when offered the ball on a plate. I smacked my head and pleaded we would hold on or else my head would probably be on the line, even if it was day one. Fortunately, we did hold on, and secured three points on the opening day.

Aberdeen 1-2 Celtic

(Miller 68")

(Fortuné 23"; Considine O/G 42")

After Saturday's matches, we sat third behind Motherwell and Rangers with four teams yet to play. The positive side of today was van der Wiel's performance; the youngster coped well and blocked out almost every single attack Aberdeen tried to create down the right. Next up for us? Arsenal.

[Cardiovascular]

"Blimey, this'll get one up on them Rangers fans. The only problem I can see is the squad being unsettled by a former Rangers player but I'm sure they'll get over it. Go for it, I say. £90,000 for a lad of his ability is a bargain!"

Mark advised me and needless to say, I took his advice and within the hour, Libor Sionko was confirmed by Sky Sports News as our player. Sadly, Glenn Loovens went the opposite way, leaving the club to go back to his home country of Holland, and more specifically, Ajax for a fee of £2.5M. Most of this would hopefully go into my budget as we now desperately needed another central defender, although it would have to be after the Arsenal match that we started scouting potential targets.

Celtic v Arsenal

Champions League Qualifier

Boruc; Caddis, Fox, Thompson, McManus; Crosas (DM); McCourt (LM), Brown; McGeady (AMR), Maloney; Viduka

Viduka was given a start up front and I was hopeful he could use his strength to make his way through defenders. More importantly, I pleaded successfully with McManus to play through the pain of his knee injury and he reluctantly accepted. I did tell him that I would hopefully be signing a centre back soon for more cover.

Only seventeen minutes into the match itself and their was a moment to remember for Bhoy's fans who were in the crowd and those who were watching on television globally. Crosas put a lovely ball over the defence which landed straight at Viduka's feet. The Ozzie boy laid it off to Maloney who smashed a screamer for 30 yards out and it curled beyond the outstretched fingertips of Almunia. Parkhead erupted out of the stunned silence and Maloney himself looked shocked, but pleased nonetheless.

The goal was cancelled out just less than 10 minutes later and Arsenal pulled it level. Eduardo made a great run down the left and the Croatian looked to have over-hit his cutback to van Persie but Aaron Ramsey ran onto it to score his first for the club and pull them level. We held on - to my delight - and made it 'til half-time.

Words of encouragement - or anger, knowing Wenger - were obviously said during half-time to the Arsenal lot and they came out revamped and refreshed, shown by the fact their goal was only seven minutes into the second half. A quick free-kick over the top of the defence by Sagna caught our back four out, and when it came down to Arsenal's wonder Dutchman up front versus the injured McManus, their was only ever going to be one winner. van Persie ran onto it a placed a shot beyond Boruc into the corner. A good goal putting Arsenal deservedly ahead.

From then on, we were on the back foot and as 90 minutes crept closer, I would've been chuffed with taking a one-goal deficit to the Emirates. On the 90 minutes mark, we launched a rare counter attack and when Maloney burst clean through, I had high hopes. Unfortunately, Arsenal's centre back* decided there and then would be the right moment to clip Maloney which earned him a straight red, which left me and Celtic fans around the world muttering (well, I was) insults at him. 'Bastard' was one of the politest insults.

Celtic 1-2 Arsenal

(Maloney 17")

(Ramsey 26"; van Persie 52"; Arsenal's centre back* s/off 90+2")

*Author's notes: Yes, he has a name, it just changes everytime because he's a grey player.

[ChrisNUFC]

Unlucky against Arsenal, hopefully you can overcome them in the 2nd leg!

[Cardiovascular]

"Bloody hell, Scott. You keep these things quiet eh? This is an excellent signing you've pulled off here. We have one of Belgium's brightest stars in our team!" Venus exclaimed following my big news that Romélu Lukaku would be joining up with us for a fee of £1.5M.

"I am also pleased with the arrival with Romélu and cannot wait to see him in action. Obviously he will not feature against St Johnstone as he's only young and new so we'll give him time to settle." I smiled and prepared the team sheets for the match against the Premier League new boys this year.

###

Celtic v St Johnstone

Premier League

Boruc; van der Wiel, Misun, Caldwell, Thompson; Crosas (DM); Maloney (LM), Brown; Sionko (AMR), McGeady; Samaras

Two debuts were given against the lower class side which I was sure we would beat as Milan Misun comes into the left back spot and Sionko starts on the right. I could hear about a hundred boos ring out across the stadium as Sionko's name was announced which meant a tiny majority were unhappy with his signing. I couldn't blame them though. The Old Firm rivalry is too big to be ignored and I understood they didn't like his history for Rangers. Despite this, I was pleased with the arrival of Libor.

Less than ten minutes in, I and many other Celtic fans were even more pleased with his arrival as he danced round players down the right and defied his age of 32 before winning a corner. The resulting set piece was whipped in by Maloney to the feet of Gary Caldwell whose first touch was bloody awful. Apparently the defence had fallen asleep though and Caldwell was able to run onto the ball and smash it in from about four yards out. Awful defending by the Saints and pretty much an awful-looking goal but nonetheless, we were ahead.

Half-time came and whilst we had pressured, we hadn't followed up our chances. Samaras was doing awful up front on his own which made me believe he really wasn't suited to it but instead of taking him off, I gave him words of encouragement and let him continue for the second half. Just minutes in, he repaid the faith as he ran onto McGeady's through ball and scored. Samaras looked delighted to say the least as he knew he was in with a chance of staying now. He didn't know I had already offered his services to other clubs but I was considering changing the decision later on. For now though, three points took us to the top of the league after two matches.

Celtic 2-0 St Johnstone

(Caldwell 8"; Samaras 47")

###

"Positives today then Mark?"

"Well, we'll work our way from the back to the front. Milan Misun had an excellent day at left back and showed no signs of pressure or nerves which can only be a good thing. Caldwell was solid at the back and never missed a beat adding to his 'excellent' goal. Maloney and McGeady both had excellent matches and the Saints defence could never rest when they were around, and finally Samaras had a good second half compared to his abysmal first one and rounded it off with a well-taken goal."

"Excellent, thanks alot for your assessment Mark."

[Spav]

A very promising start so far, CV.

[Cardiovascular]

Cheers Spav, I hope things can only get better from here!

###

"It's going to be tough, but we're going to line-up like this. I'm not expecting you to go out onto the pitch at the Emirates and blitz goals in left, right and centre. But I do hope we put up a hell of a fight. We will go down screaming, kicking, fighting and throwing every toy we have out that pram. Don't just do it for the fans tonight. Do it for yourselves. Prove to Scottish football that we can do something in Europe! Good luck. Off you go."

Arsenal v Celtic

Champions League Best Placed Playoff Leg 2

Boruc; Caddis, Fox, McManus©, Caldwell; Crosas (DM); Maloney (LM), Flood; McGeady (AMR), Zheng Zhi; Fortuné

The line-up was the strongest I could think bar one; Caddis starts in place of van der Wiel due to the fact I don't want too much pressure on the young lad, despite the fact I think he has slightly more ability than Paul.

It took seventeen minutes for our Champions League dream to be in tatters near enough. van Persie dribbled weaved in and out of our players before smacking a shot towards which Boruc did very well to tip round the post. From the resulting corner, Arshavin whipped the ball in and Eboué made a very clever run by running out, then back into the danger zone and heading a bullet beyond Boruc.

Half-time came and I decided to make a bold decision on my part to take off Fortuné. Marc's having a pretty bad time, whilst I still think there's something to get from him I need a pacy striker with some flair. Scott McDonald will get the chance to impress tonight and I hope he can perform under the limelight.

And as we entered the second half, I was pleased with the decision. A good effort from McGeady was tipped over and from the resulting corner, Caldwell made a late run only to fall in a heap at Bendtner's feet having been tripped. The referee did not hesitate to award a penalty, and Scott McDonald confidently stepped up and sent Almunia the wrong way to give us a glimour of hope in the match.

It was shattered with just over twenty minutes left. van Persie flicked the ball on and McManus completely missed what should've been a relatively easy clearance. This allowed Nicklas Bendtner to run past him, collect the ball and slot it past Boruc.

I accepted defeat was inevitable and Arsenal's Mexican star of the future could do no more than rub salt into our wounds. Before he had a chance, Caldwell limped off to send us down to ten men having used all our subs. Vela ran onto Eboué's pass and knocked it through the legs of Boruc to ensure a disappointing day at the office for us and sending us out the Champions Cup and into the Euro Cup.

Arsenal 3-1 Celtic - Arsenal win 5-2 on aggregate

(Eboué 17"; Bendtner 69"; Vela 76")

(McDonald pen 48"; Caldwell inj 71")

###

"Mr Jackson, I am afraid I have some bad news. You obviously know Gary Caldwell had to come off in the Arsenal match injured and he will be out for two to three weeks with a thigh problem. I advise you not to play him until he's fully fit or else the problem may get worse."

"Ok, cheers for letting me know Gavin." Damn.

[Cardiovascular]

"Mark, I'm not going to ask for your assistance today. I want to make my own decisions, and the decision I'm making is that today we'll play a weaker side. I don't expect an easy game but I do think a young squad can handle it. We'll have Boruc in goal so we do have cover if things go pear-shape. van der Wiel and Misun on the right and left respectively; both are young but I feel they have developed well enough to merit a place today. Mc- ach, wait, I'll right it down now for you."

I scribbled the team line-up onto a piece of scrap paper and showed it to Mark. He nodded and said nothing, respecting my decision. I admired this and it was this quality which made me keep Mark as my assistant. Not only did he have the respect for the manager, he had valuable opinions of his own. We made the hour-long bus journey over to Edinburgh to face Hibs at Easter Road, a match I was treating as a less difficult one as shown by the line-up.

###

Hibs v Celtic

Premier League

Boruc; van der Wiel, Misun, Thompson, McManus; Crosas (DM); Maloney (LM), Flood; Caddis (AMR), McGeady; Lukaku

The line-up I had was not the greatest as I mentioned to Mark. Lukaku got his debut up front; I had put alot of faith in 16 year old to play the lone striker and I sincerely hoped McGeady would help him through the centre. I also decided to play Caddis on the right wing to see how well he faired which would hopefully be excellent.

It took all of 3 minutes for us to kick-start the game as Crosas went for a rare run out of his defensive position. I wasn't particularly pleased and was rather relieved when he was tripped and won a free-kick some 30 yards out. I was delighted when Maloney stepped up to belt it home from the said distance and near enough establishing himself as the free-kick taker on the spot.

Our bright start continued and a second goal was on the horizon. It was to come just a couple of minutes after the 15 minute mark. McManus' free-kick fell to Maloney, and cleverly flicked the ball to McGeady. The young Irishman who was being chased by lots of top clubs showed us why they wanted his talent as he hit a rasping effort into the top corner. The man in the Hibs goal, Stack, had no chance of saving it and it was down to two screamers that we were 2 goals to the good.

And before 20 minutes of the first half were up, we had extended our lead to 3. Lukaku looked to have no chance of keeping the ball in as it trickled to the corner flag, but the young Belgian lad picked it up and passed it back to Misun. The Czech's cross was deep and looked to have evaded everyone but Caddis popped up out of nowhere and headed it home. An excellent goal as the two youngsters combined but whether Misun picked out Caddis or overhit his cross is a different story.

The half was shadowed by a serious looking injury to Hibs striker Benji, and he was stretchered off writhing in agony as the half-time whistle went. Half-time was serious after Benji's injury and I told the lads that I was delighted by their performance so far but that didn't mean I didn't expect them to relax.

The lads did just that and whatever was said in the home team's dressing room had made the whole Hibs team angry. Tackles were flying everywhere and one could tell there was going to be a red thrown in amongst the yellows somewhere. The man who got the red deserved it and as Patrick Cregg walked the walk of shame I fumed. The whole Hibs back line had gotten a yellow, except Izzy Iriekpen.

Of course, that was all to change. As one last attempt before injury time for us to get a goal came in, Iriekpen was blatantly pulling McGeady back, resulting in a penalty and a yellow, completing the back-line's yellow card charade. Maloney stepped up to take the penalty, but unfortunately he fired it in the same direction as the 'keeper, resulting in Stack saving and morale dropping for that dying seconds.

Hibs 0-3 Celtic

(Benji inj 45+2"; Cregg s/off 87")

(Maloney 4"; McGeady 17"; Caddis 20"; Maloney m/pen 89")

[Cardiovascular]

A two week break for internationals blessed us next which gave some of us a well earned break. Before we could relax, deadline fast approached and I scrambled about looking for a central defender. None could be found but we did secure the signing of Motherwell's 20 year old midfielder Ross Forbes for a fee of £2.5M. Forbes is capable of playing in the anchorman position or in a more attacking position. His versatility will prove useful in the forthcoming season.

On the international front, Scotland lost by two clear goals to Holland which put their qualifying chances to a very slim chance as they relied on Macedonia win to secure second place. Macedonia duly delivered, a Dimovski double was the only source of goals and Scotland secured second place in Group 9. It all depended on results in a month's time to see whether they would make the play-offs with their ten points.

But until then, we had to face some more teams who we may struggle against, and next up on the agenda would be a home match versus Dundee United. I couldn't see us losing to the Tangerines but I could see it being difficult.

Celtic v Dundee United

Premier League

Boruc; van der Wiel, Fox, McManus ©, Thompson; N'Guemo (DM); Maloney (LM), Sneijder; McGeady (AMR), Brown; McDonald

The game started rather poorly and was awful for us. Robertson went off with a knock for Dundee Utd but it didn't stop them dominating; Danny Swanson picked up on a loose ball to smash it into an empty net after Boruc had a nightmare whilst coming to collect the wall. It would be the only real talking of the half as we went in one-nil down disappointingly.

"You're taking this far too easy. You have gone out there and it expected it to be easy. Whilst we are only one down to a mistake by Artur, you still should've scored. I want you to go out there and show some passion because so far, I can see none." I nodded and McManus stood up and attempted to motivate the team.

Whatever was said by him - or it may have been me - was clearly working as Maloney dipped an excellent free-kick over the wall. Banks had to dive low to save it and done it well, but he didn't parry it out far enough. It fell to 18 year old Josh Thompson and he fired home to earn his first goal for the club. The goal itself was scrappy as players scrambled to get it clear or in, but Thompson was the man to score for us.

Some excellent football was what would lead to our second goal and the goal that put us ahead in the match. N'Guemo and Sneijer combined for a neat one-two and N'Guemo fed a through ball to Scott McDonald who slotted it past Nicky Weaver who had replaced Banks for some reason which must've been due to an injury. Nonetheless, McDonald was pleased with his contribution today and it was this goal which won us the match.

Celtic 2-1 Dundee United

(Thompson 51"; McDonald 64")

(Swanson 36")

[Cardiovascular]

It was only a few days later when our next game crept up. It was our first game in the "Champions League Losers Cup" - more often known as the Euro Cup - and Israeli team Hapoel Tel-Aviv made the long journey to the wet and windy city of Glasgow.

In all honesty, I expected a win. They were playing away from home in conditions they were most certainly not used to so I was almost certain a win was ours.

Celtic v H. Tel-Aviv

Euro Cup

Boruc; van der Wiel, Misun, Caldwell, McManus ©; N'Guemo (DM); McCourt (LM), Robson; McGeady (AMR), Maloney; Viduka

Robson made a long awaited return to the first team line-up after a considerable amount of time on the sidelines with a knee problem. Misun made a start at left back, and Viduka was given the chance to impress up front for the match.

It took all of 2 minutes for Parkhead to erupt. The sea of gren and white were bouncing when Mark Viduka latched onto Maloney's perfectly weighted through ball and he made no mistake slotting beyond the goalkeeper to give us an early advantage. The former Newcastle employee seemed intent on making sure his name was first on the team sheet as he took his first chance of the night well.

Azarva - the Tel-Aviv 'keeper - was at fault for the next goal but I'm pretty certain Viduka didn't care. Azarva had tried to be a tad too big for his boots by taking a touch well outside his area instead of hoofing it clear. The big Oz man made him regret it as his first touch fell straight at his feet and he fired into an empty net from 25 yards out, delighted with himself for taking his opportunities.

And the groans could be heard from the thousand or so Israeli fans who had made the ling trip to Glasgow as an awful half was rounded up for them; our third goal came courtesy of Ofer Shirazi. The central midfielder must be the only one knowing what he was doing as he headed Barry Robson's corner into the top corner.

"Don't let go of this lead. You have two hands on three points today. Don't let go." My words of wisdom were short and sweet at half-time and I told Robson and McGeady they were coming off to be rested; Flood and Caddis would be their respective replacements.

We were defensively solid during the second half but lacked some attacking flair up front. I wasn't bothered though; the victory was more important than the goals scored. However I was pleased when substitute Willo Flood got onto the end of Maloney's parried shot to blast his effort into the top corner, beyond the outstretched fingertips of Azarva in goal for Tel-Aviv.

And the game was signed, sealed and delivered when Gary Caldwell was left completely unmarked from a corner. The towering centre back headed home a bullet header to ensure three points were most certainly in the bag in a convincing fashion.

Celtic 5-0 H. Tel-Aviv

(Viduka 2"; 23"; Shirazi O/G 44"; Flood 63"; Caldwell 86")

The win left us on top of Group B until the next set of games but we were hotly contested for it as Roma dumped Croatian team Rijeka by four goals with Rijeka managing none. Our next European adventure would see us face the Croatians at their place, a match I was not looking forward too.

[Cardiovascular]

We rode into the Hearts on a high following our trashing of H. Tel-Aviv and with the Jambos currently occupying 9th spot after a poor start to the campaign, I expected a comfortable win.

For the match, I made what I believe was a rather bold move and completed changed the tactic to a more attacking one. We lined up with a 4-2-2-2 with 2 central midfielders, two attacking wingers and a couple of strikers. A big risk, but I'd told everyone my placs during training and I hoped it would pay off.

Celtic v Hearts

Premier League

Boruc; van der Wiel, Misun, Caldwell, McManus ©; N'Guemo, Santonicito (CM); McGinn (AML), Maloney (AMR); Skuletic, Viduka.

As well as the tactic, I handed 3 debuts. Skuletic made his first competitive appearance after grabbing a brace on his Serbia U21 debut. Santonicito was making the push towards being upgraded from reserve to first team and McGinn started on the left. There was no McGeady in the line-up and there wouldn't be for three more weeks after he twisted his ankle in training.

It took all of 2 minutes for us to grab a head-start in the match. Apparently, Hearts were still asleep and McGinn picked up the ball on the half-way line and charged down the left. When he reached the byline, he whipped in a beautiful cross which look to be going straight to Sol Campbell. However, the big stopper completely misjudged his leap and Skuletic made sure he paid for his error by grabbing a debut goal.

Hearts' promising young midfielder Ryan McGowan hobbled off injured minutes later, before Andrew Driver scored a great goal. He picked the ball up mid-way into his own half and ran towards our goal before finishing it off into the bottom corner. It was a great goal and there really was nothing the team could do about it. Except re-take the lead.

And they did. Maloney whipped in a free-kick right to the backpost. Kello misjudged the flight of the ball completely and Caldwell had the simple task of nodding it into an empty net. Maloney's ability to strike a ball was great and he had real promise of being the full-time free-kick taker.

And the game was made easier six minutes as Hearts' Lee Wallace saw red for a late two-footed tackler on Maloney. Que the Hearts players swarming the referee and two yellows being handed out. Wallace quietly accepted the decision with no complaints.

We extended our advantage 10 minutes later as Maloney took a quick free-kick and passed it to an unmarked Viduka who has a good 25 yards out. Nonetheless, the big Oz turned and smashed the ball into the top corner with a stunning striker. We had two contenders for goal of the season now.

And the game was sealed, done and dusted just before half-time. A Hearts corner was cleared and McGinn picked it up on the left wing. With one person closing him down and no one marking both Viduka and Skuletic in the box, McGinn had all the time in the world to pick out Viduka who grabbed his second and our forth to complete and excellent match for us.

Celtic 4-1 Hearts

(Skuletic 2"; Caldwell 18"; Viduka 35", 41")

(McGown inj 4"; Driver 6"; Wallace s/off 24")

[Cardiovascular]

There was only a three day break before the next game however most of those who played in the last game would have an extended rest as we travelled to Dundee and Dens Park for a Scottish League Cup tie.

Dundee v Celtic

League Cup

Cervi; Wilson, Thompson, Caldwell, Misun; N'Guemo (DM); Santonocito (CM); Mizuno (AMR), McCourt (AML); Skuletic, Lukaku

Our 4-2-2-2 from the previous match, however this time I decided to trial with an anchor man and a central midfielder. Caldwell, Misun, N'Guemo, Santonocito and Skuletic are the only players who faced Hearts last Saturday.

I didn't expect it to be our easiest match and I was proven right. We did pressurize from the start and Dundee seemed to be solid at the back with their Slovakian stopper Maros Klimpl, a summer signing from Denmark, cutting out our potentially threatening attacks. We did break the deadlock on the 18th minute when Mizuno threw the ball to Wilson. Mizuno's run dragged the defender away from Wilson and, more importantly, allowed Mark to play the ball to N'Guemo who made no mistake and smashed it into the top corner from the edge of the area.

We continued to pressure although not as heavily as we did in the first 20 minutes and we were caught by a well worked set piece. Gary Mackenzie lost his man and was left wide open to head past Dominic Cervi in goal just before half-time. There was nothing Cervi could do and he was left shouting at Gary Caldwell, the oldest player in the line-up at 27, for leaving his man unmarked.

The lads came out for the second half looking more fire up as I told them to keep pressurizing, and they did just that. Lukaku and Mizuno played a neat one-two and the Japanese winger picked out Skuletic in the centre. The young Serb volleyed home beyon Derek Soutar to grab his second goal in as many games and certainly looked confident out there.

We were once again caught out by a set piece when Griffiths picked the ball up for a Dundee team who looked fired up themselves, and he cut it back for Brian Kerr to smash home beyond Cervi. Dundee now pressed forwards themselves and took more risks; it seemed they were looking for the winner as well. Despite my double subsitution which saw McCourt and Lukaku make way for Maloney and Fortuné, neither side found a winner and extra time beckoned.

Even extra time proved to be a stubborn affair. We pressured but Dundee obviously thought their only chance of advancing was through penalties. The 15 minute mark, signalling half-time in extra time, saw me throw one last roll of the dice and I threw on Caddis for Mizuno. And Caddis was involved as we regained the lead two minutes into the second half. His cut back to Wilson meant the 25 year old had time and space to pick out Skuletic for his second and potentially the winner. He looked delighted, as did his team-mates and myself.

Even then, the goals weren't finished. As the final whistle crept closer, Wilson and Caddis combined and this time, Caddis was the one who picked out Fortuné for his 5th goal in as many competitive appearances. With the game sealed up, I was preparing for the final team talk when we nabbed another. Quick-thinking Caddis nipped in between Paton and Conroy to grab the ball and rounded 2 more players before teeing up Maloney and the Scottish international made no mistake to round up and late victory.

Dundee 2-5 Celtic after extra time

(Mackenzie 42"; Kerr 60")

(N'Guemo 18"; Skuletic 55"; 107"; Fortuné 120"; Maloney 120+2")

[Cardiovascular]

"Well done. You guys played excellent and though some might say the older subs changed the game, it was you guys who held it for them to change. Well done; the future looks bright here."

My speech to the young guns who faced Dundee was short but to the point; they had played well - especially Skuletic who was coming along nicely - and some would get more playing time against others. For now, I concentrated on the forthcoming SPL match versus St Mirren at their new ground and I was hoping we'd come away with a victory from a difficult tie.

St. Mirren v Celtic

Premier League

Boruc; van der Wiel, McManus, Caldwell, Wilson; N'Guemo (DM); Robson (CM); Caddis (AMR), Maloney (AML); McDonald, Fortuné

Ross Forbes looked like he would make his debut until he miskicked the ball in training and would now have a month on the sidelines. Likewise Aiden McGeady, this gives Caddis a chance to impress on the right. Skuletic gets a well earned rest.

Caddis was grabbing that chance with both hands and was causing terror down the right. It was his cross that led to the opening goal as Fortuné flicked it on for McDonald who tapped it beyond Howard in the St Mirren goal. Another excellent goal and the team seemed to be coming together very well.

It was not too last however and just before half-time, and harmless ball was being chased by Robson and Darren Potter when Barry inexplicably tripped him, giving away a penalty. Up stepped Robert Sloan, who took the corner moments before, and he sent the Pole in goal the wrong way. We went in at half-time drawing when we really should've been winning.

I gave Robson a chance to redeem himself and he was determined to make sure he went back in the good books. Chance after chance was started by hiim but the strikers just couldn't convert them and with ten minutes left, I began to get nervous. When Maloney poked a through ball to McDonald, I had some hope and the little Oz skinned one man before slotting it beyond Howard.

As St. Mirren pressed for the equaliser, I asked the guys to sit back and attempt to counter. They did just that; a St Mirren corner quickly fell to Caddis and he drove down the right before playing in Fortuné. The Frenchman slipped the ball into the net to secure the win for us with five minutes remaining and if I do say so myself, it was a deserved win.

St Mirren 1-3 Celtic

(Sloan pen 41")

(McDonald 25"; 80"; Fortuné 85")