McStay praise for two goal Kabat, Celtic u-19s draw with Dundee United

by Joe McHugh
Peter Kabat took his tally to seven goals for the season as Ujpest Dozsa beat Nyiregyhaza 3-1 to stay in joint top second spot in the Hungarian League, a point behind leaders Ferencvaros.

Nyiregyhaza took a surprise lead in the 29th minute through the appropriately named Gola but Kabat scored twice either side of half time to put Ujpest in front before Peter Rajczi sealed the points with four minutes left to play.

Thirty-one-year-old Kabat started his career with Honved and has played in Austria and Bulgaria before returning to Hungary where he has been a real star for Willie McStay's side.

The Ujpest boss said: "Peter is a very good player, the classic number ten. He links play up well and has a great eye for goal, he's got a nice touch on the ball and a good shot.

CAPTAIN
"I watched some dvd's from last season before I arrived and told the directors that I wanted Peter to be my captain.

"There was a chance that he would be sold during the summer but I stopped that. Six players left but I managed to get Peter to stay and everyone is delighted with his form.

McStay added: "It's a great feeling in management when your team is winning, everything is going well for us just now.

"At the start of the season we were without a few players through injury but they are back now, we have a tight squad of twenty players and everyone is fit.

"There was a great atmosphere in the ground today, our Ultras behind the goal sing and back the team throughout every match.

JIMMY WIGS
"In the main stand today we had eight friends of my son John over for the weekend. They had the Jimmy wigs on and managed to get the whole stand to join in the singing!"

Next week Ujpest travel to face Paks before the derby with Ferencvaros on the same weekend as the Rangers-Celtic match at Ibrox.

Elsewhere in the world of Celtic the u-19's, watched by Tony Mowbray, drew 2-2 with Dundee United at Barrowfield.

Defender Curtis Jones was sent-off after just 15 minutes but Declan Gallagher and James Keating twice put Celtic in front only for the visitors to equalise through Dale Hilson and Davie Shaw.

Celtic are currently sitting in second place on eight points, a point behind leaders Motherwell who hammered Rangers 4-1.

Round up of the loan Celts

U-19 SPL table

Peter Kabat wiki

McStay pleased with Ujpest progress

Ujpest Dozsa face mid-table Nyiregyhaza today at 5.30pm (local time) as Willie McStay's side continue their push towards the top of the table.

The Violas, their nickname shared with Fiorentina, have made a solid start to the season with just one defeat from seven matches.

McStay and assistant Joe McBride have adapted quickly to the new environment, especially the stifling heat, and have made an impact on the team with only midfielder Mark Millar coming in on loan from Celtic.

Coming to terms with an entirely new culture of football isn't easy but two months into the campaign the former Celtic reserve boss feels that he is coming to terms with life at his new club.

ADAPTED
McStay said: "There's a lot to get used to when you move into a new club, especially in a different country but I feel that I've adapted quickly to the demands of the job.

"I've had to get to know the league and the other teams as well as becoming familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of our own squad.

"Nyiregyhaza will be tough opponents, I've watched dvds of their recent matches but after our win last week and ZTE we want to maintain the progress that we're making.

"Home games are special for us with the support of the fans we're looking for a good game and a good performance against Nyiregyhaza.

"Physically and mentally I'm pleased with the condition of the players, there has been progress and this improvement is very gratifying to me.

"We've got a big game coming up against Ferencvaros, they are at the top of the table and it's important that we win our games leading upto that match."

Hungarian league table

Samaras puts Celtic in front, Rapid lead Hamburg 2-0

Georgios Samaras 25th minute goal gave Celtic the half time lead over Hapoel Tel Aviv in the opening match of the Europa League.

Gary Caldwell's diagonal pass found Samaras timing his run to perfection and without a linesman's flag inside the Greek striker took the ball in his stride before shooting across keeper Enyeama into the net.

The game was played at an incredibly slow pace which seemed to make it difficult for the Celtic players to adapt to.

The heat had little effect on the Celtic players although the temperature did rise in the closing minutes when Yadin was yellow carded for a crude fol on Aiden McGeady who was booked for retaliating.

In the other group match Rapid Vienna are two goals up on SV Hamburg at the interval, full details of all the matches can be found on the Uefa website

Update

After that it all went wrong, badly badly wrong with Hapoel scoring two goals in the last 15 minutes to win the match.

Samaras and McManus in, McDonald and McGinn out

No sooner had I typed up my match preview, looking in particular at the striking options than the team is announced with Scott McDonald benched in favour of Georgios Samaras.

Tony Mowbray has rung the changes with Stephen McManus making his first start of the season with Gary Caldwell moved into midfield.

With Aiden McGeady and Shaun Maloney both starting the match it'll be intersting to see if Samaras is a lone striker or if McGeady or Maloney will be pushed firther forward in support.

Before television and radio coverage begins the Uefa website has the teams listed:
Boruc, Hinkel, Loovens, McManus, Fox; McGeady, Brown, Caldwell, N'Guemo, Maloney; Samaras
Subs: Zaluska, Naylor, McDonald, McCourt, McGinn, Crosas, Killen

http://www1.uefa.com/competitions/uefacup/live/index.html

Tony Mowbray's striking options

Tony Mowbray's team line-up for tonight's game with Hapoel will be eagerly anticipated with the striking decisions of most interest.

Since losing Marc-Antoine Fortune to injury there has been a disjointed look about Celtic's play following the free flowing football of the opening games of the season sandwiched around the impressive win away to Dynamo Moscow.

The Scott McDonald-Georgios Samaras 'partnership' looks uncomfortable to be kind, with Chris Killen, despite his goalscoring pre-season form, still down the pecking order and almost out the door during the transfer window.

McDonald has the best scoring record, over the piece as well as in big games, but would probably admit himself that being the sole striker isn't playing to his strengths.

OPTION

Into the mix comes the Aiden McGeady or Shaun Maloney option. McGeady playing off Maloney caused Rangers plenty of grief in the Co-Operative Cup Final in March but for reasons best known to others was never tried again.

Playing either McGeady or Maloney alongside McDonald will be much more appealing to Mowbray after the performance of Niall McGinn against Dundee United.

The former Derry City winger was transformed from being a mystery to an option over the 81 minutes that he played against Dundee United. With his turn of pace McGinn could be a very useful European option out wide allowing McGeady and/or Maloney to link up behind McDonald.

Getting the balance right is all important with Fortune being out of action for at least a month as Mowbray puts his side together.

SPINE

There are questions being asked all over the team with the spine still far from decided, Stephen McManus is available again for central defence with the midfield looking very weak against Dundee United when Scott Brown was pushed forward.

Hopefully tonight's game will be as illuminating as the Moscow performance and not an Arsenal like damp squib, with two home games coming up in the Europa League an away win for starters would make qualification less daunting.

Today's Evening Herald

Aiden McGeady's Tommy Burns tribute

Celtic View editor Pail Cuddihy has written an account of the life and times of Tommy Burns titled: Tommy Burns: A Supporter Who Got Lucky.

The book will be serialised in The Sun this week with the foreword from Aiden McGeady printed below

"EVERY day, when we come in to training at Lennoxtown, the first things you see are pictures of Tommy Burns on the walls outside the dressing room.

It's nice to be reminded of him all the time although there's no chance any of us will ever forget him.

The pictures are of him smiling, which are really appropriate because he was a happy guy in general.

SCHOOL

When I was about 15, Celtic wanted me to sign for them and Tommy came out to my house with Martin O'Neill who was manager at the time, and it was strange to be sitting in my living room, thinking I've got school the next day and the Celtic manager was sitting there asking me to sign for the club.

That meant a lot, as did the fact Tommy was there and he obviously thought so much of me that he wanted to bring the manager out to meet me.

Tommy was always there as I progressed through the ranks at Celtic, and he was always encouraging me, offering advice, wanting me to work hard and improve my game, and that was the way he was in general, not just with me, but with everyone else.

MAGNET

He seemed to be a magnet for all the younger players. Because he was in charge of the Youth Development set-up, he'd see all these young boys coming through and being so close the first team without really becoming a regular in the side.

And he just wanted everybody to give it their best shot. He knew the players had something and he just wanted to add to it and, to be fair, he was the man to bring out the best in everybody.

Then, when he became first-team coach in 2005, that was great for all of us who had come through the Academy at Celtic because we knew him and he knew us, knew what we were capable of and also what we still needed to do to become regular first-team players.

The two of us became sort of best friends - he was obviously still the coach and I had respect for that - but he'd always give me a bit of advice as we were going back into the dressing room after the warm-up.

He'd say: "This is a big game for us today. You know you can make the difference. I want you to get the ball and I want you to go at someone, just go at the full back."

CONFIDENCE

It was just to give you a little confidence booster, though sometimes before games he would say something to spur you on a bit, maybe something not so pleasant. I remember at the start of the 2006/07 season, we were playing Kilmarnock at home in the opening day of the season and the day before the game they'd read the team out.

We were doing set-pieces and Tommy was standing with me and he asked me what age I was now - I was 19. And he said: "You should be going and running this league - you on your own.

You should go out tomorrow and show everybody what a good player you are. You should go out and score two or three goals, or set up two or three" - something like that.

He said I was at the age where I really should be running games and he wanted to see that tomorrow. He said: "You've done all this coming on and playing well and playing the odd game here and there but you need to have consistency."

And to be fair, I went out and played quite well. It was just something that stuck in my head, although I remember at the time thinking I'd been doing alright recently, but then you actually analyse it and you realise he's probably right.

PUSHING

I was at that age where I should be pushing on and being a regular in the first team every single week. So it was just something along those lines that he was trying to get into my head.

It was never more evident than in the season when he died. That season he worked closely with me. He used to look at every aspect of my game and go through it with me.

After every game he'd point out things I did well or things I could have done better, and then we'd work at them on the training ground. I'd be working with him every single day, practising crosses, finishing, working on speed.

And he'd always be the one who'd say that if these little things make one or two per cent difference to you, you're as well doing them.

PHILOSOPHY

That was his philosophy and I still try and benefit from everything he taught me.

It was also during that season that he got really ill. I knew things weren't right for a while but I just always thought he would pull through. When you hear of cancer returning for a second or third time then it's never good but I never really believed he would actually die.

Tommy was always a fun-loving guy and a funny guy - all the players have a million and one stories about him - and he didn't even mind too much when the likes of me or Jim O'Brien would do impressions of him and the one-liners he'd shout at us during training.

But he was also a great coach and someone who helped many of us in our careers.

LEGACY

He's the one who brought us through and worked closely with us, and I think it's a good legacy that there are players in the Celtic first team now who owe it all to Tommy. Even the younger boys pushing to come through.

He was an incredible individual and had an impact on everyone he met because he had this infectious personality. So many will associate Tommy with Celtic, but he had a lot of friends from the other side of the city.

He always wanted us to beat Rangers - he was passionate about that - but he had a lot of close friends there as well.

When the Rangers team and supporters travelled back from the UEFA Cup Final, a lot of the buses stopped at Celtic Park to pay their respects to Tommy. He really was a one-off and his funeral united the city.

I remember being on the bus on the way to Linn Cemetery and thousands were lining the streets. Naturally, the majority were Celtic supporters but there were fans of every team, and people from every walk of life.

So many people knew Tommy, so many loved him. I don't know if anyone else could unite the city like he did.

Big Malky impresses as Barnes prepares for the end

by Joe McHugh
Former Celt Malky Mackay continued his impressive start in management last night as he guided Watford to a 1-0 win away to Plymouth.

Tom Cleverley's fourth minute goal was enough to give the visitors the points and lift Watford into sixth place in the Championship.

Stepping into management is the great unknown. As players Roy Aitken and Willie Miller seemed naturals to move into management but like many other accomplished players before them they were unable to translate their on-field leadership into the dug out.

Mackay the player was a similar type to Aitken and Miller in being a powerful leader and organiser but never achieved the same level of success although there are few players that have managed to survive a decade in the cut-throat world of the Championship.

QUALIFICATIONS
At 37 he is one of the youngest managers in the division but has been preparing for the move into management for some time collecting qualifications on both sides of the border.

All the qualifications in the world count for little when you're left to your own devices to manage a team, especially so when the Premiership parachute payment ends and other clubs in your division pick off your better players and your own transfer targets come from Aberdeen and Carlisle Utd.

That's when management ability kicks in.

Speaking after his side's win at Plymouth Mackay transferred all the praise to his players, he said: "I see the maturity of two or three of our players and I think that it's outstanding, they keep learning and I think that they're going to play an awful lot of football in their careers.

ACADEMY
"We had 10 Academy products in the squad, Plymouth changed all three forwards in the second half and sometimes you deserve a little bit of luck.

"To come down to Plymouth and and win 1-0 is very pleasing, we had to withstand a lot of pressure near the end and the players made me proud.

"Our youngsters have been alive all season, they are alive to any sort of quick free kick or set piece, these things can win or lose a game for you and I impress that on them."

BLEATING
In contrast to Mackay, and quite predictably, John Barnes is bleating about his players and blaming everyone but himself as his revolutionary management plans run aground at Tranmere Rovers.

Dealing with reality, and the fact that he isn't managing the Brazilian national team was a big issue for Barnes as Celtic manager, an issue that he has carried into the Tranmere job.

Management by definition is about managing the players that you have, not wishing that you had Kaka and Robinho to pick in the same midfield.

P45 time doesn't look too far away for Barnes, once you start blaming the players for your own shortcomings it's unlikely that the dressing room will dig you out of a hole.

RESPONSIBILITY
Washing his hands of blame for Tranmere's start to the season Barnes said: "I'm not going to take all the responsibility. The players have to take responsibility and if I could make changes I would.

"I'm thinking of making changes, if I'm still here, and I'm hoping to be. We can't get players in because we haven't got the money to bring players in.

"But I'm sure we'll have a conversation this week now. So we'll have to wait and see what happens. But it can't continue because I can't have those players out there making those decisions."

In Barnes' mind the problem is never him, the problem is always elsewhere. It looks too late for him already at Tranmere and doubtful if he'll get another job having waited nine years in between managing Celtic and Tranmere.

Should he ever be given another chance he could learn from others that management is about managing and dealing with players, getting the most from them rather than pointing his finger elsewhere to deflect the blame.

With Tranmere currently second bottom of League One, ahead of Southampton who started the season with a ten point deduction, it looks like the end is nigh for the one-time Celtic manager.

Whatever happened to Cillian Sheridan

by Joe McHugh
As Celtic's striking options continue to reduce it's natural to wonder what has happened to Cillian Sheridan.

The young striker never figured in any of this season's preparations and quietly slipped out the door on-loan to Plymouth Argyle, managed by Paul Sturrock.

Sheridan's Celtic career seems to have been squeezed into two months of last season during which he arrived, scored four goals, made an impact then suffered badly after the Aalborg defeat last season took the wind from his sails.

His gangly appearance wasn't the easiest on the eye but there was certainly a strikers instinct to find the net whenever a half chance appeared within the penalty box.

INGREDIENTS
Link up play, running the channels and tracking back hardly featured in his game but underneath there was a footballer needing to develop the raw ingredients that started and ended with having an eye for goal.

Sheridan was packed off to Motherwell on loan last January for experience. He did make an initial impact but that fizzled out with Motherwell's season whilst Celtic supporters despaired about the club's striking options which consisted of hoping from week to week that Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink or Georgios Samaras would find some of the form that they had displayed twelve months earlier as three-in-a-row was spectacularly clinched.

Tony Mowbray quickly made the same assessment as Gordon Strachan had of Sheridan, not yet ready to be relied on.

Last week the 20-year-old scored his first goal for the Ireland u-21 side against Estonia.

DEVELOPING
Plymouth's struggles at the bottom end of the championship isn't helpful for developing young players but in football, like no other industry, it's sink or swim with Sturrock needing results fast.

Reading the local reports on Plymouths matches this season it seems to be a hard luck story week by week with a soft defence shipping goals too easily.

Comments on Sheridan have been rare, after losing 3-1 at West Brom on Saturday Sturrock said: "Sheridan did well when he came on. I think he's going to be an exciting player for us."

Strengthening his defence is the priority with the club's location a major problem in getting players to join Plymouth.


UPHEAVAL
A transfer to Devon requires a lot of upheaval compared to joining a club in the North West or Midlands where if it doesn't work out there are another dozen or more options within an hours drive to try your luck at.

Manchester United defender Craig Cathcart was on loan at Plymouth last season but knocked back a return deal in favour of Watford who face Plymouth tonight.

Sturrock admitted: "We have had another couple of knock-backs, and it's the usual frustrating answers we are getting at this minute in time.

"I didn't feel it was going to be as hard as it has been to bring people to the football club. It's a big obstacle and it's costing us dear.

"It's not down to finance any longer. We have discussed terms with certain other clubs and we have always reached agreements.

"We have always agreed with the agents of the players as well. It's when we have come to talking to the players, they have decided not to come to the football club."

CLICK HERE for news on what's happening at Plymouth

Hapoel win away from home ahead of Celtic clash.

Hapoel Tel Aviv beat the strangely named Hapoel Beer Sheva 3-1 away from home tonight ahead of Thursday's Europa League game with Celtic.

It was the first league win of the season for Hapoel after two draws domestically whilst beating IFK Gothenburg and Teplice of the Czech Republic to reach the group stage of the Europa League.

Beer Sheva took the lead in the 15th minute but midfielder Nemanja Vucicevic equalised before the break with Michael Zandberg putting Hapoek in front in the 58th minute before Avihay Yadin clinched the points in the final minute.

The win lifts Hapoel into sixth place in the 16 team Israeli league, trailing leaders Maccabi Haifa by four points.

Hopefully I'll soon have more details from the match, more details on the Hapoel-Celtic match can be found on the uefa website

RECENT POSTS

Ujpest move, briefly, to the top of the Hungarian league

Ujpest Dozsa moved to the top of the Hungarian table with a 4-1 win away to Zalaegersegli to the delight of manager Willie McStay.

The staggered nature of the fixture card means that their lead is likely to be short lived but that's unlikely to effect McStay's satisfaction.

ZTE as they are better known took the lead in the 20th minute but captain Peter Kabat led by example with a hat-trick with Foxi Kethevoama striking the other as Ujpest fought back to claim the points... CLICK HERE for more

Clip from John Hartson documentary

On Monday Stv will screen the first television interview with John Hartson since he was diagnosed with cancer.

The Stv website has a clip from the programme which is both concerning and reassuring at the same time.

The Big Bad John image has lightened a lot, the face that we saw on Setanta, unshaven and with the top button undone has been replaced with a much softer image and a different tone to his voice... CLICK HERE for more

Niall McGinn's Gaelic passion

Celtic new boy Niall McGinn could easily have been lost to football/soccer if his heart had ruled his head into pursuing a career in GAA.

The former Derry City winger made an impressive debut against Dundee United on Saturday in a move that surprised the player as much as anyone.

The McGinn story has been a whirlwind over the last two years since he ended his dual sporting career with Dungannon Swifts and Tyrone GAA to concentrate on soccer with Derry City.

One season at the Brandywell was enough to take him into the Northern Irish international squad with the award of Young Player of the Year for the League of Ireland bringing him to Celtic's attention and a move to Glasgow at the start of 2009.

Whilst speaking to Niall after the match on Saturday he dropped in a mention about playing GAA and only giving it up when he was offered full-time soccer with Derry City.

GAELIC
He said: "I've been playing Gaelic since I was eight-year-old right up until I turned full-time with Derry under two years ago. After that I had to knock Gaelic on the head.

"I had an option to play with Tyrone, the soccer was going well for me so I decided to go with that and thankfully it's proved to be the right decision."

That prompted some googling on my part, cynically to begin with, as there are often stories from people in one field or profession mentioning what a near miss they had in another career.

Niall however underplayed his talent at GAA as my googling soon uncovered references such as

Aidan Cassidy and Niall McGinn, who eventually proved tormentor-in-chief with 2-6, posted the goals to supplement Tyrone s eight point haul at the end of the first quarter

Niall McGinn, the Teamtalk Young Club footballer of the year, came on in the second half in place of Philip Toner, both players unable to play for the full game with an All-Ireland Colleges final coming up three days later.

It'll be very interesting now to see how McGinn's career develops.

AUTHENTIC
Neither Aiden McGeady or Shaun Maloney could be described as authentic wingers, they are mainly wide midfielders more likely to cut inside than hit the by-line or send in a punishing cross.

While McGinn's pace and control was impressive on Saturday there was no real target for him to aim at with Scott McDonald the sole striker until Georgios Samaras came on.

To get the most out of McGinn a target man, possibly Chris Killen, playing alongside McDonald would give more options.

MOWBRAY
The return from suspension of McGeady is likely to end McGinn's first-team 'run' but he did enough to suggest that he is a more than useful option for the first team, Tony Mowbray remarked that ideally he'd liked to have had the former Derry City winger available on the bench to give Maloney and McGeady a breather now and then.

Time will tell whether McGinn makes it or not at Celtic but in a flat performance against Dundee United his performance was one of the few highlights.

Hopefully his Celtic career will accelerate leaving no regrets over his decision to give up on Tyrone GAA in order to play for Derry City and earn a move to Celtic.

EVENING HERALD REPORT