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cavalier-estes · 5 years

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A ‘Friend’ to Be ☪ (Alucard x Estes) Intro ship

At a certain heroes chamber, a group of members being the team allies was gathered namely with the members Zilong, Miya, Roger, Alucard and Estes.

Zilong as the recent top best fighter along with Miya, was currently giving out instructions to everyone pointing out at each and every members to take charge of the lane according to their skills and abilities.

"Alright there, team. We can do this if we just cooperate together with a great amount of team work. So, Alucard, you'll be in the top lane, Miya you can go to the middle, Roger and I will be at the bottom lane... Everyone got it?"

"Yes."

Miya, Roger and Alucard nodded respondingly towards the 'leader's' delight, however stood particularly away from the circle of heroes, there was one unnoticed being, unmentioned, most likely not included to the list at all towards the 'team work' plan so called.

If the hero has visible eyeballs, he would roll his eyes, facing almost the same neglect from a group, it's something he grown so accustomed to, otherwise to be blamed for unable to contribute any help to the team desPITE its some reckless people whom so eagerly charge 1 v 3 situation. Is he to be blamed at all? And not like it's his fault to be born as a slow runner. At times, he just tolerated all this unfair treatments bearing in quietude, despite being spited and ignored all the time. Casted aside, being that one least helper of a team, a mere extra that functions only as the tiny amount of support.

He is Estes. The Elf King of Moon. Being at first famous for his looks and abilities, slowly eventually his fame went down the hill, with more worshipping Zilong the striker hero. And him, a supporter rather used and avoided to build a team and fight. Well...as fate leads it. He can only quietly accepts the fact he's just used as a weak supporter, and friendless fighter.

Charge ahead and die. Or else be there to side for a certain ally, doing such as ensuring the hero's safety (weak chance), mustering the littlest speck of aid, otherwise on behalf earning credits which he doesn't deserve and all, in return to be faced disgruntlement by the heroes claimed to have their credits stolen by a helpless hero.

.. Sucks to be him sometimes.

But not like anything can be done to change the poor verity of the low life hero, Estes the moon elf King.

More like, 'The useless hero who can do basically nothing but run slow and be killed'.

"Alright, all set? We go!"

All this while throughout the recent tournaments that he had undergo, Alucard was quite the lone fighter with neither partners joining the lane which he was forced to cope. Being the said pronounced durable hero and marksman in the saddle.

Nodding in silence even though he knew the leaders wouldn't even bother to notice it. He followed behind the rest until they had to eventually split up into their assigned lanes.

He was always left to his own when assigned to a lane. Ever since the misunderstanding and break up between his previous partner, Ruby. All thanks to the Valentine's Skin event he agreed to go with just to gain extra credit. He never expected Ruby would take it so seriously and grown upset to the fact of the mismatching, which had them gone to emotional hardships, eventually as it led to an end of their affair, leaving the fighter lost and alone in state for long together being looked down upon and rumored by the other heroes of what a disloyal, playboy he is.

From there on no one wants to side with him as a team. It was something that never worked out since he had always ended up dying most of the match because of the depression and brought down self esteem he was facing, causing him to feed the enemy team and making the rest lose the round.

He used to call out for help but as always no one would come which over time he just gave up asking for it and instead continued to try on his own.

Much as how his life deserved right now. He never bothered complaining, and let the flow go as brutally upon his future route.

Doing so as usual, heading to the one and only unoccupied top land as the rest of the four members moved separately accordingly to the middle and bottom lane, all set with a helpful backup. As for him?

Smirking with a sense of bitter, call him pathetic. Or just outwardly pretentious and /strong/. All he can do is try by his luck and buff as many without being ambushed in the process. They say enemies fear him, in fact more of the opposite it happens, they all aim and counter him first. Woe is he then?

Sighing in forlorn, lifting his head to eye dully at the now deserted spot ahead, soon to be filled with the enemy team coming for him for the kills.

As fate leads, or rather, his group abandoned the choice to him, one way that he can only go on the flow without any complaints, since 'their hero' he is. Ought to prove a better image for the sake of winning.

Speaking of enemy, there comes Argus the imperishable creature and Gord the Beam killer of the enemy team lunging towards his main target--Him.

Alright then. Let's do this.

Grimacing

Meanwhile in the middle lane, Estes who had randomly gone to side with the arrow shooter Miya had already taken down quite a few kills and close to taking down to turrets.

However at the top lane...

An Ally has been Slain

"Hey Estes."

Hidden in the bush ready to cast his stun ring every time an enemy approached, just so Miya can have a better strike. He didn't quite do much, running back and forth into and out of the bush, healing the archery's health and throwing his small shots by the very least of assistance. Having most of the takedowns owned by Miya alone, he was only the main not quite benevolent assistant thus so far.

"Yes, Miya?"

The archer flashed him a tedious look, before her gaze shifted and directed towards the top lane, where the announcement of deaths are mostly sounded.

"Go help that guy in the top lane, he's alone and can't seem to handle by his own. I'll be fine."

He bears no doubt upon that insistence, Miya is as a matter fact in full controlled that she might as well take two enemies down at the very same time. She won't be needing the help of a healer, possessing since a pair quick legs to escape and her swift shooting skills.

She's going to be just fine on her own. He does have faith in that.

Nodding quietly since the archer had gone back being busy shooting the half corrupted turret, lurking from one bush to another in a sloth mode, eventually ending up to the top lane, revealing slowly, as he starts to make his way to the half destroyed habitual turret, flashing a fleeting look at the now empty front land before cranking his head to see the young fighter catching forward from the rear with that mega sword that has yet seem to take down a single enemy, who seemingly flashed him a look that was both a mixture of confusion and a scowl, winding up to stand beside him in quite an awkward stature as that look as though given to a monster never really change, causing him to raise an inquisitive brow wondering why or what interesting combat moves did he do to deserve the look.

"Estes? What are you doing here?” the hunter asks, annoyance coaxed his voice.

"You don't seem to be handling the lane alone well, so I am here to assist you."

Replied Estes in his usual unfeeling tone of voice, not sparing a glance towards the constantly skeptical looking demon hunter looking forward as he proceeded to cast a stun spell on the few enemy minions approaching ahead before striking them with his slow attacks.

Assistance? Alucard frowned slightly at the notion. It had been quite a long while since he had been offered some help. What's more particular about it, by a healer.

He didn't need anyone's help, especially not from someone weaker than himself.

"I don't need your assistance. Go help someone else."

He huffed out at the elves offer before turning to attack one of the enemies that had gotten close to them. As he was about to take a step forward with his sword, the enemy was knocked up by a flash of magic.

Sparing not even a glance towards the one who had spoken to a stubborn reply, the healer persisted on his actions with an unaffected look as he eyed the minions seriously while his wrist shoot spells at them. Clearly ignoring the egotism protest of the demon hunter.

Needn't assistance even when slain in an amount more than the opponents.

He doubted strongly.

"Go deal with some nearby jungle creatures, you'll need it to enliven the hidden strength you possess. I'll watch over the lane for now, just don't go too far into the enemy's lane to avoid being ambush attacked."

With a provoked huff, the demon hunter made his way over to the healer who had just told him what to do. Moving to stand in front of the half head taller build, thus blocking his way as he glared deep into those glowing pair of sockets.

"You have no right to order me around. I am the fighter here and you are the healer. You follow me."

He explained as he poked at the elf’s chest, his features showed a hint of annoyance towards the elf.

Heeding to those words, the healer only reacted with a raise of brow as the rest of his expression maintained just as unaffected.

As a supporter, he possess his own will of actions, free of commands of the others, being a benevolent majesty and Lord of healer much as he is.

But, he won't need the time to debate with the others on that, glancing over the others shoulders and caught the approaching sight of a duo from the enemy team charging forward with faces so ready for this battle of death and alive.

His hands shot out and grabbed the fighter’s shoulders hauling him to stand behind turning his back to face the fighter as he threw a stun spell towards the opportunity to slow down the enemies ahead.

“Stay back, they are coming. I'll hold them down for a moment while you go charge yourself some regaining energy by killing some jungle monsters.”

“Now go!”

Stunned on the spot as he was shoved back, before finally snapping from his trance as the fighter bucked up in posture, sparing one glance towards the elf before heading towards the nearest jungle monsters dutifully doing so as he was given the command.

Anyway, it is what he was going to do in the first place.

“Be careful then. Know that you have a squishy form and will be countered easily in no time.”

“Just shut up and farm.”

If visible the elf would be seen rolling his eyeballs, sick of being underestimated as a powerful and durable support what is more careful at all times, unlike some aggressive fighters who charge without bothering that their health are low and that with more than one full health opponents at one reckless go.

He’s not that weak actually, just slow. And sacrificially submitting.

As the match endured on, in the long run, more and more turrets had been taken down and the chase of death and survival had just begin to start.

In the middle lane, where two turrets were taken down, Miya and Roger were struggling to counter enemy Argus and Zhask whose health never seem to decrease despite the numerous shootings of Miya’s arrow, her health is partially wasted while Roger who seemingly had buffed enough gained more health and was trying the best to protect Miya from the front.

While at the bottom lane, Zilong is doing a stable performance, managed to protect as many of the turrets and took down two of the enemy’s while avoiding the brisk attacks of Moskov. Among all the heroes, his health is just as secure as Rogers, opposing the enemy with a broad confidence smile towards the route of victory.

As for the topmost left lane….

A complete disaster, a turret is what left in the farthest close to the main base, while the others were brutally destroyed much as the little health left for the two currently escaping heroes, Alucard’s health was by far 5% left to survive as Estes was anywhere but good, yet 10% who lacks behind the faster pace of fighter, closing in from the rear was Karina and Lancelot with the fiery looks of that a predator running after two sore preys at the brink of death.

Soon about making in to the unharmed turret, a safer spot to shield from being attack, the fighter suddenly tripped by his own wobbly feet and fell upon the ground two feet away from reaching the turret, wincing and panting, by then unable to get up from the spot, covered in scars and bruises that the healer didn't have the chance to heal, looking just as damaged as a victim of a violent boxing ring. His face weary and agonized, finally shown forlorn, foreseen his own approaching decease as the healer is already so closing followed by the none mercy sparing enemies behind. Dropping his head in defeated, silently as he admitted his conquered.

“STOP!”

A voice roar ahead which doesn't belong to any of the enemies made his head snapped up in shock, much to his surprise to see the healer of before that was running towards himself, suddenly halted at a spot a stone throw away from where he sprawled, arms and legs spread wide stood in a bold stature with his back faced towards the clueless fighter. Even as the enemies are howbeit running forward with those bloodthirsty expressions.

The healer, however shown no sign of trepidation.

“SPARE HIM!”

“You shall not hurt him anymore.”

The fighter's brows furrowed, seemingly baffled upon the others words by that he means.

Him. Is the healer referring to Alucard himself?

“Take my life instead!”

That voice, so stern and unwavering, for a spell a very heated sensation pierced the blonde’s chest like an arrow as he stated with winded eyes and a very foggy state of look, eventually as the person that stood before finally cranked his head as their gaze dawned to a intent connect thereby.

“Run, Alucard. Just go! HURRY!”

Run.

His mind yelled at him. Breaking away from the trance immediately as he struggled and picked himself off the ground and battle towards the safe land of turret without looking back.

Watching as the male at last fade from his sight, feeling the pain possessed him all at once in the next minute he was transmitted to the resurrection chamber, where his health slowly progress to charge. A small smile formed upon his lips as he watched from the pale screen of map before him, the hero that he had used his life for the sake to rescue managed to make it to the turret, as the enemies then back away, leaving the poor fighter to be, settled down to sit as he begins the mode of recalling to regain full health transmitted to the main base.

Just then a hook suddenly sprouted out and hinged against the ground next to the corrupted male following out comes the half left health but of the enemy argus from the hedge situated closest, given no chance for the other to react, and slay him before his recalling can brought him back to the main base.

“Noo--"

“*Sigh*”

Cranking his head he comes to face with the fighter who he was expecting rescued ended up right next to him.

Guess the plan of escapade failed? That damn Argus…

“Hey, you. Why did you stop mid way running just to be ambushed. Are you out of mind there ?”

Turning to the fighter, whose face shown a baffling frown, a look likely described as confused, yet disgruntled at the same time. Or perhaps just a odd out demeanor directed towards the elf.

Well, isn't it obvious?

“I'm trying to save you, of course. I stopped so they can stay distracted to aim on me sparing you the chance to escape. Is it that hard for you to see? Although...I never foreseen Argus jumping out from the bush and ended the last bit of your health right before you reach to the base…”

His voice grew quietly apologetically in the end, despite knowing it's not his fault to blame. Yet he still feel the sense of lost achievement, failing to save the other. Looking down as his face displayed guilt. As a support he failed the mission, pretty a dejected evidence…

Everything had went quiet beside him, assuming the other clearly ignore his genuine conscience stricken, just as everyone did. No one actually appreciate his on time healing, as though it's something he ought to contribute, and when he failed to, he's the one to be blamed. Never once he spite a complaint towards the factual unjustness either. All along as he had just bear with it. And grown to accustomed to the situation of being matched up with occasional criticising teammates.

“.. But still, it's not necessary to just stop in front of enemies and get yourself killed, you idiot. Everyone die and resurrect anyway. Why lose that one life of yours and drop the opportunity of getting a gold medal. You contributed pretty much assistance to the others and might even gain yourself as an mvp reward in the end even if we didn't win.”

He just couldn't understand why of all others, this healer had insisted to betray his life and try to save him…

Like, is it worth it? If the one he saved is Miya then that's not a surprise rather since most do see them related romantically a way. Yet the truth is unsure. And he's not one to invade to both of the elves’ lives.

Also why of all others again, this healer chose to go and assist him…--Was it because he was pitied from being killed so many times. To be seen as such a loser with no one willing to help him so this all times kind hearted elf reluctantly submitted to help him. He bitterly smiled, probably that's the main reason. Which is so damn pathetic.

“If sacrificing myself can help save your life from taken away for once and for all. Even if that takes two or more of mine."

“I would gladly give away what I have just to save you, My friend.”

His eyes widened, head snapping up immediately to meet the warm yet sad smile of the elven king. That compared to all the others, it's an expression so purely genuine. As though the healer was actually feeling sorry for his poor encounters. And so willingly to help him. And by that, mean all that he had said.

“Why?”

Yes. Why. The question floods his mind. How does he deserve such a empathetic treatment from someone so sacrificially selfless. When he used to also backfire the other for not be able to heal him in time, joined with the other teammates to criticize the sole healer.

“There's no why to it. It is my desire. To keep everyone safe and secured and you being not an exception towards my guard of protection.”

“But I am a terrible person. I used to scold you, remember? Insult you for your slow escaping pace. And even left you to fight an enemy alone when my health was low. Why do you still want to help me??”

“I am meant to do so to distract the enemies from going after you so you can make it to the base. I did so with a willing purpose and no regrets-”

“I had also been a frail fighter. Because of how my emotions had attacked me all the time. I wasn't able to concentrate on the battle and cause numerous teams to lose just because of being team up with me. Don't you just feel as unlucky like everyone else ? I'm clearly a waste and loser, a sore teammate that had led bad luck to the team. I deserved no help. I don't even deserve to be qualified as a hero. I really am just a loser. The dog of misfortune that is better off de-!”

“SNAP out of it, Alucard!”

The sudden roar broke his train of relentless rant as his eyes opened to realize that he was spilling out self-loathing thoughts that revealed a part of his weaker side. He inwardly cursed himself at the thoughtless and unaccounted action and made a mental note to not do that again.

It just happened to triggered him to spill out his true feelings about himself. With no one to share his dilemma with, he subconsciously took the words of the elf king as a cue to spill out his concealed emotions and thoughts.

A horrible person to live of both relationship matters and as an existence of a op hero.

Suddenly a pair of arms shot out from behind and encoiled themselves around his waist quite unexpectedly, feeling the chest of a certain presence pressed against himself, those arms entangled soft yet inescapable an embrace around him, that brought a sudden flash of solace seeped inside his heart and had him close his eyes.

“...I’ll stay by your side and assist you from now on. You won't be fighting alone after today’s match.”

“I will always be there to assist you at all times and heal you. Be your shield, so if anyone is to be blamed. It'll be me. Not you.”

“You're not a terrible person either. I can tell you're going through something bad which I won't pry but know that I'll always be ready to heed your rants and correct you.”

“With me by your side, I assure your chance of being perished will be less and opportunity of countering an enemy successfully will be definite.”

“So don't blame yourself. Nothing is ever your fault. Everyone makes mistakes and learn from them..And I will be there within the process you learn to be better. “

“You can rely upon my words. I won't ever let you down..”

And it subsided to silence, the elf went quiet though as his arms remained never once loosened around the fighter, his face pressed close into the other's shoulder, acknowledging that the fighter wasn't at all alone then, heart pierced by an unspeakable feeling so warm and incredibly solace of that he never felt before, it moved his cold heart, such powerful words managed to break away a portion of the strong wall the hunter had put up as protection from the harsh truth of untrustworthy people. For once possessed by the warmth only a sun can provide. Feeling his torn up heart had began a process of healing bit by bit, eventually as he starts to calm down in that not leaving embrace. Opening his eyes, realizing they had been out of the resurrection chamber since don't know when, his cheeks heated red eyes meeting Roger sparing him a weird look before rushing off.

“So, are you ready to fight again?”

Cranking his head he was faced by that previous smile he now finds so heartwarming. A confident smirk appears on the hunter’s features, heeding the question with restored self esteem. His azures evidently showing determination for victory.

“Yes.”

“...Thank you, Estes.” “No Problem, My friend.” “...I’ll never be your friend.” “....Very well, I shall be your healer instead.”

#stories #mlbb #alutes #alucard #estes #fanfiction

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flauntpage · 5 years

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Premier League Betting Value Plays at PA Sportsbooks

The Premier League returns today after a short summer break and PA online sports betting is ready for it.

For years, the Premier League billed itself as the “greatest league in the world” only to hear chuckling and derision from serious world football followers who noted that the English teams regularly came up short when it mattered against the powerful European clubs (Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, etc.).

Well, those days are over. Liverpool beat Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League final last season – and neither of those clubs could beat Manchester City for the Premier League title. It is now very hard to argue that any league is better than the Premier League, at least in terms of the clubs at the top.

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WEST HAM UNITED v. MANCHESTER CITY

Both teams to score (yes) at -110

Manchester City is in the midst of a ridiculous run of form against West Ham. The Citizens have won eight straight matches against the Hammers in all competitions. In their two Premier League meetings last season, City won 1-0 at home and 4-0 away. But that bit of data runs counter to just about all of the other indicators.

West Ham scored at least once in each of their last five league matches last season. Additionally, West Ham played City in the Premier League Asia Trophy semi-final in July and lost 4-1. Prior to last season’s two-legged whitewash by City, the Hammers had scored at least once against City in five of their prior six league matches, including a draw and a win. So there isn’t much value in West Ham to win or to draw in this match, but you should be able to count on them to score. If they do, that ought to be enough – West Ham hasn’t shut City out since November 3, 2012.

Add to that the fact that the Hammers spent legitimate money in the summer transfer window – Sebastian Haller (from Eintracht Frankfurt for £45m) and Pablo Fornals (from Villarreal in a deal worth £24m) – and it looks like West Ham should at the least score once in their home opener.

Supporters of Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley will say he answered calls to spend more in the transfer window. Critics will point out that Ayoze Perez hasn’t been adequately replaced and squad depth is a real problem https://t.co/ppqCd4ImKB pic.twitter.com/w0syh3tQ0Z

— Forbes SportsMoney (@ForbesSports) August 9, 2019

NEWCASTLE UNITED v. ARSENAL

Arsenal to win at -125

These two storied clubs are going in separate directions; some might say they are simply reverting to what they generally have been. Arsenal spent significant money in the summer transfer window. They bought Nicolas Pepe from Lille for £72m. Pepe had 23 goals and 12 assists in 41 games in Ligue 1 last season. The Gunners also added David Luiz to handle central defense and brought in Kieran Tierney from Celtic to further bolster the backline.

Meanwhile at Newcastle, Rafa Benitez finally tired of trying to wring results from a threadbare squad and left the club. He wasn’t the only one. Ayoze Perez is now at Leicester City. Journeyman English manager Steve Bruce has been brought in to fill the void left by the departure of Benitez. Early indications are, well, not great. Per the BBC, Bruce brought in veteran, oft-injured striker Andy Carroll at the transfer deadline because, get this: “He [Carroll] was desperate – a bit like myself, I suppose – to come back.” Woof.

If this match was played in London, Arsenal would probably be a prohibitive favorite, perhaps in the -260 range. Being at home is normally an advantage, but the unrest in Newcastle these days makes for difficult conditions for a Magpies side that may be headed for relegation.

“Everytime I lead the club out it’s a really proud moment, we’re all going after the game, we’re excited!

‘They’re will be a lot of emotion around the first fixture’ 🔴

Chris Wilder on Bournemouth 👊🏻 pic.twitter.com/sGUTLijafM

— Sheffield United (@SheffieldUnited) August 8, 2019

BOURNEMOUTH v. SHEFFIELD UNITED

Over 2.5 goals at -112

They can’t all be beauty contests, and this match between newly-promoted Sheffield United — a 7/10 bet to be sent right back to the Championship at the end of this season — and Bournemouth, who finished 14th in the table last season, may not produce glorious football. But it certainly ought to produce goals.

Sheffield United scored at least once in each of their last 11 league matches last season. Yes, it was the Championship, but Bournemouth and its -14 goal difference last season doesn’t suggest that the Cherries are a defensive fortress. Fortunately for Bournemouth, they are potent against poorer competition. In their last five weeks of last season, Bournemouth played three sides who finished just above or just below them in the table, and the matches were packed with goals.

Bournemouth scored three goals at Crystal Palace and lost 5-3. They scored three goals at Southampton and drew 3-3. They scored five goals at Brighton & Hove Albion and won 5-0. Bournemouth might get three goals here on their own; if Sheffield notches even one, this match should comfortably feature three goals.

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Premier League Betting Value Plays at PA Sportsbooks published first on https://footballhighlightseurope.tumblr.com/

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celticnoise · 4 years

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It is the job of any Celtic blogger to be frank in offering an analysis of our club.

It is not my job to tell people that fairies live at the bottom of the garden, or that their wee bag of seeds will actually grow a beanstalk.

I frequently accuse the Ibrox fans of denying reality.

I’m damned if I’m going to do it myself, although I know that there are a lot of our supporters who will try to this morning.

The truth is, we are a club with some serious problems behind the scenes.

A grown up conversation about those problems is required, quickly, immediately, before they get worse but I do not believe that it is a conversation some of our supporters are ready, or will ever be ready, to have.

My view on how best to handle this is to be like Alexander walking up the Gordian Knot … screw messing about, just get out the sword and solve it in one clean sweep.

There have been tensions bubbling away behind the scenes at Celtic for a while now.

There were signs of this, and we didn’t ignore them.

We just didn’t put them all together in a way that gave us the full picture.

Last night, Neil Lennon unleashed the demons and the full picture is now depressing clear.

The problems we have at Celtic Park will only be resolved when some people leave … and it is the duty of everyone who wants to have this conversation to ask if Lennon should be one of them; indeed, the question is, should Lennon be the first one to go?

I’ve been concerned about Lennon since before this campaign began.

I’ve had concerns about Lennon, of course, since before he was confirmed as manager … and I made that abundantly clear on the day he got the job.

But Lennon’s domestic management record was, and is, sufficiently good enough that I never really had concerns that we wouldn’t win the league.

I harbour those concerns this morning.

Over the course of the last few weeks, those concerns have been steadily growing based on a number of things.

It began right at the beginning of this campaign, when he turned up for training looking quite scandalously out of shape.

I know he’s not a footballer but how many top managers to do you see on the touchline looking like something that rolled out of a kebab shop?

I remember thinking that it reeked of indiscipline.

And oddly enough, indiscipline has followed, starting with the players.

E-Tims did a fantastic piece on this whole thing this morning, and they made one very salient point; last season, when Bolingoli decided to sod off home in a taxi after being told he was being dropped at Rugby Park was the moment he should have been told to find a new club.

The lack of a disciplinary sanction is what encouraged him to think he could do the same again, only this time in far more perilous circumstances.

Leigh Griffiths should have been told to find a new club with him after his own health protocol breach and this website has been saying that since the start.

Lennon defended Griffiths, as he has many times before.

The days off training that the squad gets … that directly led to Bolingoli getting on that airplane and it’s another issue which this site has raised, and it goes back to last season.

Where is the extremely professional coaching set-up we had under Rodgers?

We have a skeleton crew at Lennoxtown.

Damien Duff left months ago, and do what?

To go and be assistant manager at the Republic of Ireland? It’s a part time job.

He couldn’t be convinced to hang around?

His replacement barely has his feet in the door … but to me, we’re still well short of the standards we had when Rodgers was here.

Do the players look fit to you right now? Do they seem motivated?

I’ve started the last two match reports in the league by talking about how disinterested and lax some of them look.

There is clearly some deep discontent at Celtic Park and you could see that before Lennon spectacularly confirmed it last night.

Where does that discontent begin?

Is it all about money and players wanting more?

What’s changed this summer from every other summer since the EPL was rolling in dough?

What’s the difference?

Why are so many of our players in a hurry to get out the door?

Do they see a corresponding fall in professional standards at the top end of the club?

And yes, I include the CEO because if our club self-detonates over what happened last night, and Lennon has well and truly lit the fuse, then I am going to hold Lawwell accountable for all of it, because the “strategy” – including the hiring of the manager – is entirely in his hands.

The concerns that many have expressed about what’s happening behind the scenes at Celtic, and I’ve talked about some of them including the manager’s total disinterest in involving himself in any transfer related business, are not unknown to the CEO.

If training sessions aren’t up to par, he knows it.

If the manager is letting certain players walk all over him and flaunt the club’s discipline code, Lawwell is well aware.

If the manager’s own standards are not up to snuff, the chief executive is not blind to that fact

Yet he hides.

Where was he over the last four weeks, with the Bolingoli story raging in the papers?

Who leads our club right now?

This question was asked in the aftermath of that affair, and I do believe that there was a kicking of arses behind the scenes … but that took the involvement of the big man in Ireland.

If he has to impose himself like that then those minding the shop are doing a dreadful job of it.

What the Hell must he have thought listening to the manager’s press conference?

How about “the responsibility for sorting this out is on me, as I’m one of the architects of it”?

What Lennon did last night prior to the game, in his team selection, was shocking.

What he did after it was where the real damage has been done here.

For openers, he has sparked his own version of the witch-hunt, with forums and blogs all trying to unravel his comments about the players and identify those who aren’t interested in being here … that is going to have an impact for the rest of this window and for the rest of this campaign.

It is a deeply destabilising move.

Gerrard has often thrown his players under the bus, but never to this extent.

Remember, what’s Lennon’s done is suggest that some of the footballers who have won unprecedented success are the ones holding the club back.

Yet some of Lennon’s comments are undoubtedly grounded in truth.

When he says players don’t want to be here I have no reason whatsoever to doubt that.

But I want to know why so many of them can’t wait to be out of Celtic Park in this, the most historic year in our recent history.

You have to question his own attitude too.

He claims players don’t want to play for us, yet he decided to start those players last night when guys like Soro, Klimala and Ajeti cooled their heels.

Presume, as I do, that a couple of those want-away players are in that midfield last night … you could have dropped one of them for the revolutionary tactical act of playing a striker and you could have given Soro a chance to show us what he can do.

If he’s not up to it, what did we spend £2 million on?

Lennon’s comments have driven a wedge between him and the squad.

He has driven a wedge between the players and the fans.

Our exit from Europe last night lies totally with him and his disastrous tactical decisions but today we’re focussed – doubtless as he intended – on trying to identify which players should no longer be at the club.

But Lennon should carry the can for that result, and he most certainly should carry the can for the inevitable upheaval and chaos into which he’s plunged this club this morning with that dreadful after-match press conference.

We weren’t beaten last night by a superior team but by a tactic right out of Football 101, and that’s what scared me most watching it.

We were beaten by a long ball up the park to a pacey striker, and I knew that’s exactly what Rebrov had in mind when he made the substitution.

It was a tactic I was able to divine from my living couch, and yet the manager of Celtic failed to see it.

There was more in that press conference than just destroying his own players.

In a segment I heard but didn’t believe he actually said the match was “easier than I thought.”

I had to replay that moment again and again. It’s the first time I’ve ever heard a manager whose team has just been beat in a massive match talk such dire nonsense.

This was the kind of incoherent rambling we’d have torn strips off Caixinha for.

The last few weeks have been a slow-moving disaster made momentarily better by a late goal against Dundee Utd from a new signing.

His reward for that was to dumped on the bench.

Lennon said that neither striker was match-fit; here’s a suggestion … give them 45 minutes each so we’re actually playing with a recognised forward and get them fit at the same time.

Too complicated apparently.

But there’s one thing that should be readily apparent and isn’t complicated at all; people’s legacies are being determined right now, based on the way this season unfolds. The people with their hands on the reins at every level at our club will be judged based on whether or not the ten in a row opportunity is seized or squandered.

And last night, Neil Francis Lennon, the man entrusted by our board with getting us over that particular line, did more damage to that cause than any bad result or SFA sanction ever could, and not during the game itself with his decision making, which was deplorable enough, but in his broadside against our own footballers in a petulant rant to cover for his own mistakes.

We’re in a bad place this morning folks, and we ought to be having a full, frank and adult discussion about how we got here and if it’s even possible to fix this without drastic, and perhaps even more destabilising, actions.

I fear we’re not ready for it.

I fear that some of our supporters are never going to be ready for it, though ignoring a problem never made it go way.

This is the most successful period of domestic dominance from any football club in the history of the Scottish game.

That’s a fact, but it has covered a multitude of sins and grotesque failures of long-term vision and leadership at the very, very top of Celtic.

Sooner or later – and it’ll be sooner now – that has to be addressed.

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flauntpage · 5 years

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celticnoise · 5 years

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Anyone who has ever lived with uncertainty in any segment of their lives knows that gnawing feeling of things happening just outside your line of sight, of things that will impact you, going on out-with your control. That feeling can be so unsettling that the end, when it comes, and however it does, brings a sense of relief, of a weight being lifted, even if the outcome is not what you hoped for.

I sort of felt that way this morning reading Boyata’s agent, telling us that the player has other offers and that they aren’t even considering Celtic in the equation.

Yes, it feels like a weight has been lifted because it makes things suddenly clear; this guy has already checked out. We rebuilt his career, gave him a platform on which to show off his limited skills, the club even forgave him a spectacular public tantrum.

And he never gave us a blind bit of consideration the whole time.

The events of the summer have never completely sat right with me, as everyone knows. I said at the time that Boyata would only be forgiven for what transpired before the Athens game if he signed a new deal with Celtic and showed loyalty and commitment to the cause.

For a while it looked as if a new deal was on the cards; he even publicly hinted at it, a move which in light of today and the performance at the weekend was as spectacularly ill-judged as some of his stupider mistakes. They should be the last the club allows him to make.

Dedryck Boyata should never pull on a Celtic shirt again, regardless of what that means. At some point in the future, someone is going to have to answer for the fiasco in the summer where we turned down more money than this guy will ever be worth in a hundred years.

Brendan Rodgers own judgement has to be seriously questioned if he was the one who refused to sanction that sale on the grounds that he believes a guy with a year left on his deal and who has never impressed for more than a handful of games at a time was worth hanging onto when there was £9 million on the table for him. I know not one single Celtic fan who did not think turning that down was lunacy. It becomes clearer by the day.

Rodgers’ assertion that Boyata is the best we have is damning and speaks to a woefully bad two years in which we’ve singularly failed to recruit properly at the back. Because he’s just not that good. The suggestion that replacing him would cost a significant sum is not tenable.

I refuse to accept that there aren’t better players than him out there, even within what limited price range Lawwell allows us to operate in. They exist, and I won’t pretend not to know that just because Brendan’s mate, the hapless Lee Congerton, cannot find them.

I think it’s a scandal that Brendan Rodgers has failed to sign a single first choice defender in two and a half seasons.

There’s only so much that can be blamed on the directors. He obsesses over positions midfield to front whilst ignoring a glaring issue, assuring us with breath-taking complacency that, yes, Jonny Hayes can play as a full-back if something happens to Kieran Tierney only for a game like Ibrox to come around where he deprives us of our best midfield option to play there instead because he belatedly realises he has no reliable cover.

The entire defensive unit needs rebuilt. I do not believe that Lawwell will authorise the spending required to do that, except one little piece at a time, although in the end that will cost us plenty if we suffer the attendant consequences.

Gamboa and Izzy are out of contract in the summer. Benkovic will go back to Leicester. The idea of bringing back Calvin Miller to act as cover for Tierney is frankly terrifying, especially as KT plays more games than anyone at the club and can’t be replaced. Simunovic has proved his own worth; if any kind of offer comes in for him we should have him out the door. Hendry has gone to Sunderland on loan and I doubt we’ll see him again. The German, don’t even get me started.

That leaves us with Ajer. Scandalous.

With Boyata, at least, we have come full circle. He has no loyalty to us and with that now confirmed the uncertainty is over. Ibrox should be his final game in the Hoops, and it will sum up his time here which but for a brief spell in which he looked a decent choice convinced others that he was a lot better than the player we have.

He was woeful at the weekend, gutless, weak, nervy, the worst things a defender can be, reminding us why that £9 million should have been snapped up in the summer, because turning it down was an act of folly which indicts people at our club who should already have been looking beyond his limited skill-set for someone vastly superior.

That six months on, uncertainty about the whole backline still stalks us is disgraceful.

That we still haven’t got a “better option” should see Congerton, to name but one, jettisoned with him.

Our summer was a shambles.

Already in this one, we’re bringing in an 18 year old kid on loan as backup to our only fit striker and haggling over the fee for a player that none of us has even heard of.

If he’s worth pursuing then pay the money for him.

If he’s not worth £2.7 million then frankly he ought not to be under consideration in the first place. This is a replacement for Dembele we’re talking about here, a player who scored Champions League goals and helped us win a clean sweep unbeaten in domestic football.

A player we sold for £19.5 million.

If we’re not replacing him with genuine quality – and that costs money – then something is badly, badly askew at Celtic Park.

Above all else, I see no sign that a central defender is even part of the equation.

If we’re relying on Boyata and a loanee from Leicester for the remainder of this campaign, the summer will be a desperate scramble to replace both of them on the cheap, especially as Boyata might leave us high and dry on a free.

Unless there’s a defender on the Rodgers’ shopping list – and I don’t mean some SPL prospect – then this has all the hallmarks of another disaster.

We’re three days into the window, it’s not yet time to be concerned … but it’s important that we see the emergence here of a plan, something that tells us people are thinking beyond the horizon of this window. The claptrap has already begun about how “difficult” it is to sign players in January … exactly the excuse I said at the end of the summer that people would use. Don’t be fooled by it for one minute. Watch what other clubs do. They will find players, they will find ways to get deals done.

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celticnoise · 7 years

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Tonight Celtic banked their place in the Champions League groups.

We’ve played six games in Europe this season and up until tonight we’d yet to lose a goal.

The Sevconuts are delighted over our loss of four in one game, although we scored three and booked a £30 million bounty. As Brendan said, we did it with midfielders at central defence and even played two games without a recognised striker. Not bad going for a wee Scottish club.

Still, there’s delight in La La Land.

You’d think their own club had made tremendous Progres.

You’d think they had nothing to worry about.

But they do. And they know they do.

You ever watched someone who’s been dozing off suddenly come awake?

That’s always fascinating.

It’s because of a neurological mechanism called a myoclonic, or hypnic, jerk; it’s an involuntary muscle twitch that startles you out of a sleep state momentarily and gives you the sensation of falling. Everyone knows what that’s like.

This week an entire football support is experiencing that in one way or another, and websites like our old favourite here, Ibrox Noise, are wondering how they were ever so lulled into the dream in the first place. You know, the dream of glory and victory and this “going for 55” garbage. That has rapidly taken on nightmarish qualities and one by one they are waking, with a start, and that sense of falling is all that’s left.

It will not go away. It will only become more acute as the season goes on.

Because they are falling, rapidly, from a great height and it’s a long way to the ground.

The question their fans are asking is this; can disaster be averted? Can the board scramble together a rescue, either by giving Caixinha more players (chortle) or by moving him on and bringing in someone who can do a better job?

The answer to both of those questions is the same; it has two letters, and the second one is o.

They are in trouble, and there’s no easy way out of it.

The hacks, too, know that Pedro has almost exhausted the patience of the support. They are already writing about how the next few matches are “must win” games for the club. They are, but I ask you, honestly, what will happen if they don’t?

I’ll tell you what will happen; a lot of griping, moaning, wailing … and nothing.

Pedro Caixinha will get time.

Not a lot of it; by Christmas he’ll be on the edge because then there’ll simply be no choice for the board over there.

But in between he’ll get enough time to thoroughly wreck the Ibrox operation.

They’ve bet all the marbles on this joker.

Amazingly, King has been able to absolutely isolate himself from any responsibility here, which makes it all the more absurd and incredible.

Caixinha was the figure the rest of the board plucked from obscurity after a global search and not a one of us can understand how that came about, far less how King dodged out of any involvement in it. Imagine a scenario where some members of the Celtic board chose the manager without bothering to get the input of our biggest shareholder, or the chairman of the club, or Peter Lawwell himself … this is just unbelievable, and yet it happened there.

King didn’t even speak to the guy before the deal was done … and that’s perhaps the most staggering thing of all.

So when this falls apart Dave King will be able to blame everyone else, and with full justification. Caixinha and his backroom team ought not to be the only people who are shown the door, but that raises the first major question here and presents them with the first problem.

The people who are keeping the lights on over there are precisely the people who made this calamitous decision.

What’s King going to do?

Ask them to leave the board?

All they’d have to do is call in their loans and the ball is up on the slates. So if Caixinha and his people swing the likelihood is that they will swing alone, save, perhaps for Stewart Robertson who on paper cannot possibly survive this when things go balls up … although I suspect he will.

The thing is, Caixinha still has a cadre of supporters, people who believe that all these exotic players he’s bought have to come good.

But as I keep saying, had they been signed by Motherwell or St Johnstone no-one would have blinked far less tipped them as title challengers and so far that looks to be the appropriate level for these guys.

Their fans already sense this, and they know this board is rabbit in the headlights scared of what they might have to do.

Because listen, there’s going to come a moment where the fear of sacking Caixinha is replaced by the cold realisation that there’s no other option open to them.

They will have to do it, it’s as simple as that, because it will become readily apparent that if they are to maintain the slightest semblance of support in the stands they’ve have no choice at all. Season ticket sales will tank and at that point it’s game over.

Where’s the money going to come from? I have no idea, and neither do they, but they can’t go into next season with him still at the wheel, not unless they want to play in front of empty stands. So they’ll have to act, no matter who picks up the tab.

But yes, the question is valid; who’s going to pay?

Because on paper, they can’t afford to do it.

They’ve given this guy every available penny, and a little more.

The European result was a catastrophe, no matter how they might try to dress that up now as something unimportant.

Its effects will be felt at Ibrox for years to come.

The financial consequences will reverberate well into the future, with their seeding shot to Hell and their chances of reaching the groups of the Europa League almost non-existent.

But equally, there’s going to be a point where the anger in the stands explodes.

This garbage they are constantly fed about being a special club, a big club, one that has to be challenging is going to assure that those fans will not indefinitely live with mediocrity although it’s the level their club is at.

When those fans lose it there’s not going to be a choice in the matter and at that point no matter what the financial consequences are they will not be able to afford not to do it.

The earlier that happens the better off their club will be, but until it becomes impossible to do otherwise they’ll give Pedro every minute they are able to.

To sack him now, so early in the season, is financially unfeasible and it would make them look an anarchic mess.

So time, yes, and just enough to make matters worse.

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