I take my grandkids to football training now and again. They are coached to play it out from the back and to retain possession. They are told it’s ok to go backwards and play it back to the keeper. Gone are the days when one player, just one player would take a risk. I watch a few Witton Albion games each season, I think they’re currently 8th tier. They can play the possession based stuff but, thankfully, do mix it up with a long ball when required and also wing play when the winger actually beats a man and crosses the ball, rather than playing it safely backwards to a team mate. Things go round in circles and the old way (of sorts) will return at some point. It will help when Pep finally buggers off back to Spain. Hopefully not too long off.

Some great Tifo from the Green Brigade on Tuesday night, unveiled just before Celtic’s 3-1 win over RB Leipzig. A cracking performance from the team, needless to say.

He’s with the producers of the ‘Who do think you are?’ tv programme and found out Tuchel’s great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather was born in Daventry, so he’s now more than happy with the appointment.

Mine still not sorted on my iPad. However, I’ve downloaded DuckDuckGo as my browser and it works fine on there.

One for Waggott to try and get his head around..

A cracking game of Rugby League last night between two very good teams. HKR have come on over the last few seasons and look real contenders these days. You feel they’re a club going in the right direction, on and off the field. Over all though, Wigan had the edge, a better defence and flair players when you need them. A real arm wrestle though and a great watch in front of 68k. Two lads came up to us, after the game, wanting directions to the tram stop by the cricket ground. Thinking they may be from Hull and needing more specific directions, I asked where they were from. Burnley came the reply. Oh, ****ing hell, said I. I know, one of the lads said, it’s a ****ing sh!t hole. I’m from Darwen, I said, I know that..😂

Have a look on footballkitarchive.com It’ll tell you all you need to know.

Bit of a half hearted penalty appeal by Spurs as Maddison ‘clashed’ with one of Brighton’s defenders. Nothing given. The Brighton lad then lifted Maddison up to his feet with Maddison, in turn, giving a ‘get off me’ gesture to him but without actually touching him. Cue the six foot plus, fourteen stone defender then falling theatrically backwards onto the deck, implying being hit by Maddison. Absolutely laughable, nothing said by either the referee or the tv commentators. It’s as if this soft, baby-like stuff has become the norm. I would get the Brighton ‘bloke’ in front of the cameras, after the match, show him the replay in slow motion and get him to explain just why he did it. Not a chance of that happening, so it will continue unabated. I’ve still got my rugby league ‘hat’ on from last night. Any one of the Wigan or Leigh players would have run through a brick wall for the cause, without flinching. What has made football players behave in such a wet manner?

My Wigan Rugby season ticket is digital and is able to be added to my wallet on my iPhone. Assuming my phone is fully charged in the morning, there is no way my battery is run down, even for evening kick offs. Two grandkids season tickets on my phone as well. This has been implemented this season and will also apply to Latics’ fans watching the football. A few teething problems in the week or so prior to the season starting, whilst the new system got up and running but as smooth as clockwork from then on. It’s the future and the way everything is going. So much easier although I do accept some of the older generation may find things difficult and prefer to do things the ‘old way’ and be given a choice.

When you get to the numbers bit, sing 4 3 1 2 or 4 2 3 1 and when we’ve beaten them, we could say we even sang our formation to your head coach and we still beat you. Just a thought.

Yeah, Nakamura was a cracking player who had around four seasons at Celtic. He arrived in 2005, so a couple of years before John Park was recruited by Celtic. Scored an absolute beauty of a free kick against Man Utd in the Champions League. Not really sure about any specific history John Park may have had with Japanese players although he may have been responsible for bringing Mizuno to Celtic whilst he (JP) was working at Celtic Park.

These two photos were from when we played Manchester United, mid 1960s, think it was the season we went down. All good natured stuff, no fighting, just changing ends at half time. The gap on the Blackburn End/Riverside corner was just that. A gap which was tiny. Much easier and quicker to go via the pitch but, obviously, that was usually frowned upon.

Celtic were one of the first British teams to delve into the J League, signing several players due to Ange Postecoglou’s connections over there. They don’t all work, of course, (a few have since departed) but Kyogo, Maeda and Hatate are all mainstays of the current Celtic side. I said at the outset, if Ohashi was half as good as Kyogo, we’d have a great player on our hands. Doesn’t have Kyogo’s electric pace but Ohashi reminds me so much of him. Both goals yesterday were top drawer. Not sure who was responsible for scouting/recruiting him but credit is due here, job well done.

McTominay 1-0 Scotland.

Fully agree with what you say here LB. For a bit of balance in this, Carsley also didn’t sing the Irish national anthem when he was a player with Ireland. Nothing to do with disrespect to either country, it was to avoid losing concentration prior to the game starting and all explained on the BBC sports pages. I bit flimsy if you ask me but there you go. How times change. Back in the 1970s and 80s, English football fans booed the national anthem before every FA Cup final. The royal family were as far removed from working class football fans as anyone could be and there was little love for them. Fast forward a generation or so and now everyone and his dog sings along with gusto. Weird.