 Sunday, May 22, 2005
Celtic face the harsh reality of failure
My friends today our club has entered a new phase. We have failed, and the harsh reality of failure must be addressed.
I am more surprised at my lack of surprise than the fact that we could not close out a game against an extremely under strength team from Motherwell (population 35,000).
The debates which have raged here all season have been answered; the players are not good enough and the system is not good enough.
The five year plan, which I have defended so stoutly here, has flattered to deceive. It will be considered a limited success in as much as it delivered three championships and European credibility, but it has been walloped down to size this season by Aberdeen, Rangers, Hearts, Hibernian and Motherwell.
Having spent all those millions did we get value for money? No.
Champions have the luxury of consolidation. Losers have the responsibility to change and a root and branch change must now happen.
The scouting system has not delivered. The youth system manages to win their leagues, but fails to graduate their prodigies into the first team. The first team squad are among the best paid in Europe and yet do not possess sufficient variation in their play.
I do not know how Martin O’Neill will respond to this most damaging defeat. He has loved his time in Glasgow, but he will feel the cold draught as much as any of us. He has now lost two leagues to a man most Rangers fans believe to be a weakness at their own club.
For what it is worth, I believe the Gordon Strachan story of today to be a complete falsehood, planned to inflict as much disruption as possible on our preparations for today’s game.
I expected a story along these lines to be carried by those who care less about our club than you or I, and it arrived right on cue.
I hope Martin responds positively and maintains that appetite of his to see Celtic succeed at the very highest level. He is a precious part of our larger family.
The estrangement between many fans and the club is a concern I have had all season. I have been a Celtic supporter long enough to remember only 16,000 attending most games and I have genuine concerns that this season will result in a reversal of momentum.
To those who mocked me last week for advocating greater financial commitment to the cause, please believe this. Our club will succeed or fail primarily on the efforts of you and me, not the players, the manager or the board.
We will be Celtic supporters long after all present office holders at the club have moved on. It is our club, and it derives all its strength from us.
Just as I am not sure how Martin O’Neill will respond, I am not sure how our board will respond. I am convinced they had not planned for today’s outcome.
In case they are in any doubt, they need to respond in a clear and effective manner. This will take more than just money (though it will certainly take lots of that). It will take leadership, good judgement, and perhaps even good fortune.
Today has violated how this great Celtic team will be remembered, for that I am genuinely sorry. This league is gone, the Cup Final cannot come quick enough for me to put this season behind me.
It is time for Celtic to rebuild and plan. It is time for you and me to look forward.
Celtic must prosper.
363 Comments:
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Thanks for putting all that so well Paul-just what I am thinking but I am unable to put everything into words at the moment.I have never felt so let down by Celtic in all my 40 years.
I cannot believe it.
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A bit harsh.
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It is the manner of the defeat.
It does not make sense to lose in the 88th minute, it just does not make sense, again aswell not the first time.
This team HAS to be broken down we can all see it, it cant go on.
I hope Martin stays but the man needs help, support and money yes money and no 15 million 30 million.
Goal difference and a good celtic boy scoring goals against us who would believe it 2 seasons lost, but thats us the tic the timaloy never short of controversy, we will be back, desmond underwrite 30 mill for the man HAIL HAIL.
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I believe todays paper talk did contribute. How much? We'll never know.
One thing for sure though is that if MON is leaving then he has left at a very low and with a reputation that is not deserved for the things he has given us over his tenure?
If he isn't leaving then he has to take blame for the paper talk as he has instigated it over the last couple of weeks.
Yours so disappointed in that the worst Rangers team for 20 years wins it's 2nd title in 3 years.
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I think we threw it away,we gave it to Rangers not only in this game but in others.
we nearly lost it last week with our inept performance over that whole game.
I am sorry but whoever came up with the idea that we should start waisting time with 30 mins to go should be shot.
Well heres to next season and hope it brings some better highs than this year.....
Also there is no taking it away from motherwell they played a good game Big Marshy and Scott McDonald played exceptionally well but again it was Celtics poor performance(not just today) that let us all down.....
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All Martin had to do was refuse to answer the question. His 50% reference did us and him no favours at all......
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WE ARE LIVING A NIGHTMARE BUT WE MUST REMEMBER TAKE THE GOOD WITH THE BAD AND THIS IS BAD BUT THIS IS WHEN TRUE CELTS COME FORWARD
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Copy of the letter I'm sending to Boyle re the outrageous way I was treated today....
Dear Mr Boyle,
I am writing this letter to inform you of the disgraceful way I was treated at the match v Celtic this afternoon.
I was invited to attend by my friend who lives in Motherwell and although not a season ticket holder goes to a number of matches each season. As a neutral supporter I was looking forward to being at the final league game of the season, as the championship had not been decided.
As soon as I took my seat (East stand, Row B, 107) I was verbally abused by a group of four so called Motherwell supporters. I was called a “fenian bastard” as I was not wearing colours of any description. I refused to talk to or even look at these people. For the first twenty minutes this continued. The abuse was not only directed at myself and those beside me but towards some of the Celtic players as well. Agathe and Balde were told to “get back to their mud huts” and called “black bastards”, Lennon was called a “fenian bastard” and Bellamy was called a “welsh coke sniffing bastard”. On a number of occasions these so called supporters called over stewards to complain that we were Celtic supporters. One steward asked me if I followed Celtic and I informed him that I was simply a football fan wanting to watch a game. The steward told these people that there was nothing he could do, as we were quietly watching the match and causing no trouble. The abuse continued and eventually another steward (number 52), an elderly man with a hearing aid was called over by the fans verbally abused him for not ejecting us. He then approached me and stated “you will have to leave as I have been watching you abuse the Motherwell supporters for the last twenty minutes”. I could not believe what I was hearing. A police officer was called and advised us to go with him “for your own safety”. We duly did this and were advised that we were being ejected from the ground. I explained to the officer and senior steward my position and the fact that it was us who had been abused. This fell on deaf ears and I was advised to either leave the ground or be arrested. I was also advised to put my complaint in writing and send it to you.
I therefore write in expectation that you will firstly find these so called Motherwell fans and look into the possibility of in some way reprimanding them. Your cctv will no doubt corroborate what I have said. These people were guilty of racial and sectarian abuse and should be punished for this by both the club and the police authorities. I would also expect an apology from you. Your club was happy to take my £16 and then treat me in such a disgraceful manner. The steward as mentioned deliberately lied about the situation in order to engineer a reason to eject us. He too should be reprimanded for such outrageous behaviour.
In conclusion you should be ashamed of your so-called supporters and stewards who have done nothing to encourage a neutral fan to return to your ground. When the focus, quite rightly, is on stamping out racism and sectarianism from our society it is sad to see a football club such as yours doing nothing and indeed allowing these people a forum to express their appalling views in public.
I will be sending a copy of this letter to the First Minister and to the police authorities. I expect a prompt reply from you.
Yours faithfully,
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I think we need a change in direction but I am not convinced that Mon can change. He has always had big defenders and a big target man up front. BBJ has had his fair crack and I think its now time to wave him goodbye, he missed several good chances today, yes big marsh had a few good saves but BBJ continually goes for the top of the net and straight down the middle, he might have got 30 goals but with his chances this season the King would have been over 60, we need someone who can convert a higher percentage of chances.
The defence panic far too easily kicking the ball anywhere, we are in need of a central defender with more composure and that can play decent balls out of defence.
The longer it went at 1-0 the more I felt uneasy and it was no surprise when we lost the equaliser, the second mean't nothing we had already lost the league and we were looking for a winner when caught again on the break.
Roll on August
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What's the beef about Gordon Strachan here? Get off his case. More to the point, I think it would be more pertinent to take a long hard look at MO'N's record of the past 2 years. Aside from his domestic difficulties, was there no-one else at the club he could send out to check out prospective new signings in his 'absence' last summer? We have an ageing group of players at Celtic living on past glories. Hartson wants to keep off the pies, Lennon should should simply piss off to the English Mercenaryship if anyone is crazy enough there to pay him the money he thinks he's worth, and Alan Thompson wants to take a long hard look at himself in the mirror - he's had a couple of decent performances in the past few weeks, but aside from that his contribution to the season has been nil.
And God help us going into the Champions League qualifiers with a defence like that; they are the reason why we blew the league - just look at the recent nightmares against Aberdeen, Hearts and Hibs and todays result suddenly comes into perspective. Jeez, it's so hard conceding the league to such a poor Hun side as well.
I'm afraid I can't be too sentimental about the issue - Martin, your time is up....
Disgruntled in Glasgow.
(With Huns both sides of ma hoose as well..)
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Paul,
I can see where you are coming from, and I share the disappointment.
Yes, we lost the league today, but I would argue that we lost it against Hibs and Hearts over the last few weeks.
The squad is tired, and it shows.
I don't agree, however, with the comments re. the youth system or the comments re. the 5 year legacy.
Celtic have a strong youth setup, with several players emerging. Whether they are the answer to the problems we face right now, is open to question, but it can't be denied that they are capable. Compare our setup now to 5 years ago. Compare our setup now to the current Rangers setup.
Celtic have moved immeasurably over the last 5 years. We are in Pot 2 of the CL (assuming we navigate Q2 and Q3 games). We are in the top 25 sides in Europe. Compare that to 1999/2000.
Yes, its disappointing. Yes, that's an understatement. At the end of the day, we conceded the League several times this season. And to a very poor side.
Let's make sure that the Board and the Management Team understand the signal. Let's get behind the team. Let's build for the next 5 years.
Hail! Hail!
Sprite.
P.S. Its times like this that I thank the Lord that I live down South. Cowardly, I know, but...
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In all the references to MON etc and the ageing, failing team there seems little recognition, except for paul's initial refernce, to where MON and that team (bar Larsson) have taken us in 5 years. Remember, before MON we had just been horsed by ICT as well as our so-called management team.
This is more disappointing than Seville but, please, recognise that MON might just have something more than a game of fotball on his mind at the moment. He will always be a true legend at our club. Forever wearing his heart of his sleeve. Forever Celtic!
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O'neill is a legend, no doubt. He has however made the mistake of allowing the press to unnerve him, the team and the supporters. He did not have to make any comment about his future.....
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The team did not play badly today, the game should have been won by 2 or 3 goals and marshall was outstanding for Motherwell.
If Bellamy or Hartson took the best chances and put them away we would not be feeling like we are now.
Look to the future, if it is an EPL future then i would want MON to be the man taking us there.
It will be full of excitment at the players we are able to compete for in the transfer market and the atmosphere at all home games would be electric as well as many away games as our support throughout the UK is massive.
If Bellamy and MON announced they are staying at the club we would all feel better in an instant. Maybe this is as good a time as any for them to say what there plans are.
It's all very well for MON being annoyed with media speculation at every opportunity, but it is us as the supporters who deserve to know the situation we will have for next season.
Come on Martin, give us a lift, we need it!
Tony, Latvia
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Stunned.
Having gone out walking for the day to try to escape the tension, I hurried back to the car to listen to the last 10 minutes on the radio.
Then there were three minutes to go, with Hibs and Rangers playing out a result that suited them both, given the situation at Aberdeen. That is, 1-0 or 10-0, it made no difference to Rangers, and Hibs making no attempt to claw something from the game out of "professional pride". (A goal for Hibs would have rendered the Celtic defeat immaterial.)
Meanwhile Celtic were holding a 1-0 lead and I sat nervously with my fingers crossed, desperately awaiting the final whistle. But then I thought to myself: pull yourself together... if we were 1-0 up in the Cup Final with three minutes to go I would expect nothing but victory, so why should this be any different?
And then it happened!
Meanwhile Hibs remained happy to stroke the ball around in their own half, playing out time and hoping for a 0-1 defeat. The same Hibs that came to Paradise and threw everything including the kitchen sink at a shell-shocked Celtic. Where was their "professional pride"? If Motherwell could put everything into getting a (meaningless in their position) result just for the sake of winning a game - the same Motherwell that was so easily swept aside by Rangers - then why couldn't Hibs do the same?
Paranoia momentarily raised it's ugly head.
Then the thought entered my mind that maybe Rangers are just better than us. A fact borne out by the respective results against Hibs and Motherwell (and Aberdeen).
And the league was won, not by the team who won the most games or scored the most goals, but by the team that lost the fewest games and conceded the fewest goals. And perhaps we should take this into account when rebuilding our shell-shocked team.
Congratulations to Rangers. But Celtic will be back.
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As disapointing a day as I have ever had as a fan. We couldn't beat a very very average Motherwell team and started defending on our own 18 yard line with 15 minutes to go. We haven't been able to defend alead all season so what him think we could do it today. A good European Team would have strokec it about and killed the game, Celtic? we boot it up the park and it came right back down our throat ever time.
Petrov was dead on his feet with 20 minutes to go (after having been played out of position for the entire game) did the manager change him, did he heck. Martin, you need to have a good look at yourself.
Finally, £6M and 50K is what THE very best players cost, not ones who can't score with just the keeper to beat. Our money would be better spent on 2 or 3 £2M players.
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Unbelievable. I'm still stunned. It is so obvious our side needs freshened up. Lets hope our manager (O'Neill?) gets it right this summer by bringing in some decent players.
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I fail to see hou you can state:
"The debates which have raged here all season have been answered; the players are not good enough and the system is not good enough. The first team squad are among the best paid in Europe and yet do not possess sufficient variation in their play."
and then later in the same article declare:
"To those who mocked me last week for advocating greater financial commitment to the cause, please believe this. Our club will succeed or fail primarily on the efforts of you and me, not the players, the manager or the board."
In the first example your arguement is the tactics and the abilty are too blame despite money being invested and then in the second you seem to claim the opposite.
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Ahh wis never really into tae fitba anyway like. Hows dem lakers doin by the way.
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I hear what is being said about Martin and his home life! and i Wish Geraldine well however and i might sound harsh here last year we lost out on signings because MON had much more important things on his mind (and I don't disagree with his priorties) Are we to enter another close season of will he won't he. Or will he say yes (and I hope to God he does) say yes this is my club these are my mistatkes and now is the time for me to rise and make it all better! On the bright side Mcleish stays! Minx 1888
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Christ I hope it rains. My Hun neighbours are having a barbecue.
However, let them enjoy their day for they shall awake in the morning and still be Huns. And for us, tomorrow is another day nearer next season. In a week this will all be history.
Hail! Hail!
GerryBhoy
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Lets keep our heads held high and not be too harsh on this Celtic team, even though I still find it hard to believe that we are not champions tonight. You are right Paul67 that if they are to be judged on this failure alone that would be an injustice to this side. Sure, we feel very let down but tomorrow is another day and we must get on with it. I remember saying to friends after we had won at Ibrox that if we could not win the league from this position then we did not deserve to win it. Recent performances have not been the performances of champions - and it proved to be so. That said - lets remember that we are 'faithful through and through' - and that means taking the rough with the smooth - and today is very, very rough! I too remember the days of the average 16,000 attendance (and was one of them) - we have changed immeasurably since then - some things in a bad way, but most in a good. I sincerely hope that Martin is with us next season but if not he goes with my best wishes for him and his family and my gratitude for the past 5 years. And, if the name suggested in today's press happens to be correct I can assure readers that I know, from personal experience of the wee man, that he would be absolutely committed to the cause. Hail Hail!! Roll on Saturday. Sorry for the rambling, guys - don't know if any of the above makes sense - really hurting just now and lookig for some positives!
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A bit harsh ? Not harsh enough in my opinion. We did not perform well enough and we did not deserve to win.
As supporters what more could you and I do today Paul? We gave our all.
If we cant beat Motherwell away from home did we truly deserve the league title? I don't think so.
Its time for MO'N to stop playing games, either commit to Celtic for the long term or go. If he choses to go then I for one say thanks but lets look forward. If his wife is seriously ill then they as a family have all my sympathy. However all this mystery over his future does not help us as a club so we need to put an end to it.
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I'm not going to say a thing,I'm going to give it 24 hours before I put my thoughts into the public domain,a lot of people have to think long and hard what they are doing for Celtic and I'm not talk about the fans,they never entered my mind,they are the best in the world with no exception.
We seen it coming,just a bit quicker than we thought.
Heres a few things to think about before I go.
I'm only 35(next weekend Bhoy)and have been through the lean years at CP since a kid standing in many a queue at the turnstiles for tickets for me and the family,I have NEVER seen such a wasteful and dreadful team as the Glasgow Rangers yet where are we?
No matter what you have to post Paul67 as the next exclusive even with a bright slant on it you are going to find there is to be a huge backlash against the custodians of OUR Club.
It's time we the fans got a grip of the Club and send it into the direction that is needed not waiting for the board to do it as you have said recently Paul67
Negative Anon
Hope to hear an interesting few lines from you in the coming days after you have come out that dark cupboard.
Yes you have been banging on about lack of investment in OUR Club for a long time with the board only looking for the interests of themselves,that much is true.
50p a share,that's all they are worth at the moment.
I just hope the officials of OUR great Club are going to be reading the comments of the CELTIC supporters on this site over the coming few weeks as we KNOW they are.
I just hope you are happy with yourselves now.
The vein in my neck is starting to bust,time to go.
And that's me trying to POSITIVE.
We will pick ourselves up and hold our heads high.
Papers,referee,lines men.sorry I'm just getting paranoid now.
Feel like an alien in my own country.
1.1 million population in our city in the 1950's now only 550,000
I wonder why?
Sour grapes maybe!
Reality probably!
Cabbage
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Utterly gutted. Walked home from VC’s house and I could hear huns celebrating from various houses.
I can’t remember ever feeling so low as a Celtic fan but, as you say Paul, it wasn’t entirely unexpected.
What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.
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It hurts. Its not even that the hun took the candy away, at the last minute, it hurts to see billy havin the business end of the cake.
We tripped and stumbled, fell like an old derby winner, it hurts because we gave it to them.
It hurts because in the 88th we had it, but you know what? celtic yesterday, celtic tomorrow and celtic forever.
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Maybe there is a God after all. It's just started raining. Maybe my neighbours will take their CDs of "Popular WW2 Tunes Played By Flute Bands" indoors now.....my what a rich cultural tradition they have!
GerryBhoy
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Anon 6.06 Scott McDonald is Australian,his parents are from Scotland and his dad watches the games at the Frankston RSC in Melbourne,one of us i don't think so,his dad will be so proud tonight.
The better team won the league.
Pot 3 anyone?
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Celtic have been unprofessional for 80% of this season and this is a disaster that has been waiting to happen. Good luck to the wee teams if they can get stuck in and get one over on their overpaid rivals. No use complaining about us beating them regularly 5-0, then saying they're all against us when we can't.
If we had won the league we would have been as lucky as Rangers have been today.
In saying that, there's always the feeling that not only do we have to be better than them to win the league, we have to be a WHOLE LOT better...
We can thank our lucky stars we are still in the CL qualifiers next season. A lot better than us are not so fortunate.
We can forget about jaunts to the States and get back to the drawing board cos the revolving door is going to start turning at a tremendous rate of nauts as from now.
The only thing I thankful for tonight is that I live in a country where everybody is oblivious to it all.
Just hope that next Saturday will be one of our 20% good days. I think for a few it will be their last chance in the hoops.
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I see the crowds have came down to 16k Paul a bit hysterical on your part there Paul any one who was really there in the mid to late seventies know that they should add on 10 k to the real attendance figures{ anyway enough of the past stewardship of the club]the team has underperfomed all season JH the worst offender with AT right behind him and a a player will always play if selected the manager has to hold his hands up he has got it wrong more than right all season replace the above with CB and AMcG AND CELTIC WOULD HAVE BEEN A FAR MORE FLEXABLE TEAM TODAY
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They can't be in Pot 3. In terms of Champions League it makes no difference to their seeding at all whether they're champions or not. It just means they have to play an extra qualifying round.
With the squad the way it is which pot they're in is the least of the worries - just getting there could be a major problem.
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Here,Here,Boltonbhoy.
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Anyone old enough to remember Devon Loch?
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We didn't deserve it, pure and simple.
As has already been mentioned, it isn't just down to today's result.
I'm also trying to not be 'paranoid' (even though I got a bad feeling in the 1st minute when Dallas booked a Motherwell player for a foul inside the box, but no penalty)
Im with you Sprite, living down here does have some advantages.
If you find an extra hole to crawl into Boltonbhoy, give me a shout, I'm not too far from you.
We really have a bad track record on days like this, today, 2 seasons ago and does anyone remember the 2nd last game of the season when we could have won it at East End Park and lost an equaliser in the last 5 mins. At least we had a home game afterwards to redeem ourselves.
Paul67, I was one of those 16,000 and your right, we have got to keep the focus on all the positive aspects of the last few weeks. 'Its going to be really exciting'.
One game doesn't change that, just like the Craig Bellamy Show didn't turn us into world beaters.
We will prosper but can we start tomorrow, cause I'm going to the pub, I need it
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This result has been coming for weeks. With 20 minutes to go we could all see it.
Bellamy aint worth 40K if he can't bury a simple 1 on 1. The defence is a complete and utter disaster waiting to happen and has been for all season.
What can I say about MoN.... He has brought us to a place we thought we deserved but would never see again but unfortunately events have conspired to bring us to a point where we just lost belief.
If Martin is leaving, then I thank him for these wonderful years of unsurpassed joy but in my opinion Strachan will not take us to the 'next level'. If he stays then please show less dependance on the tried and tested. The tried and tested bottled it in a mannner I would never expect from a Celtic team, regardless of the importance of a match.
Like all of you, I'm feeling hurt and let down beyond words. The cup final will be an enormous anti-climax and what confidence will we take into it.
I could go on but it's only my heart talking..
Hail hail, we never walk alone.
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CeltsDownUnder,
Pot 3 my arse.
Celtic will have a skoosh of draw in R2 qualifying, as the top seeded team in the draw.
Hopefully we will have a decent draw in R3, where we will be in the top half of the seeds along with Rangers - if we can avoid Shakhtar Donetsk and Everton.
We should then be ranked 14th, if we can qualify - firmly in Pot 2 of the draw for the league stage.
Let's no panic.
This may be a watershed for the club.
GerryBhoy
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As i said before - they CAN'T be in pot 3. If they make it the're in pot 2. If not...
And Shakhtar aren't the only dangerous opposition Udinese/Sampdoria, Betis/Seville etc.
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LETS HOPE THAT THIS GETS RID OF THE GLORY HUNTERS AT CELTIC PARK WHICH HAS MADE PLAYING AT HOME A NIGHTMARE AND MORE TRUE FANS GET TICKETS
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6.48 sorry for the mistake,pot 2 was intended,that's my point,will we even get into Pot 2? hope we don't get the next CSKA
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Alex McLeish talks complete, and utter PISH. First the classic about them never questioning a decision. Today? Well, obviously today's title will "silence all the critics in the MEDIA". When was the last time you saw a rangers-negative story?
I mean, the "Marvin Andrew- medical miracle" story would have dislogded a new 9/11 from the front page for god's sake. AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!
Anyway, i'm sure tomorrow i'll be thinking a bit more on the performance and i'll be able to look a Hun in the eye and say 'well done'. Lucky for me, i won't be living with the knowledge that i am a Rangers football fan
westim
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Gerrybhoy.
Watershed, you say? We have to hope that those in charge recognise it as a watershed.
However, I'm not holding my breath...
A blind man on a galloping horse has better vision at times...
Words fail me...
Georgiebhoy.
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Certainly the end of an era, the fact that we did'nt win the league will hopefully spur us on for a mass clear out in the summer. Big defenders and big target men are not the way to play football, arrival of bellamy opened our eyes a bit to what we have been missing. I don't think he will stay now, potential targets maybe robbie keane and robert green from norwich.
Ready to hang myself here !!
Hail Hail
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Well you're out there and you know who you are - all of those who told us it was acceptable to put up with the football we played as it didn't matter as long as we won – those who suggested that this was the worst Rangers team in 20 years – what does that make this Celtic team and who’s laughing now?
Fortunately for you Paul I accept that latterly you’d begun to see the light though you’re condemnation of the youth system is too severe. You should instead be wondering why players have not been given an opportunity to develop. Why we prefer to play older players out of position rather than younger players in their natural position? Why we weren’t blooding these youngsters last year when the title was won by a distance?
You should be considering your defence of John Hartson as good enough for the team we need to be.
For you and the other defenders of Hartson please simply remember Chris Sutton can do everything he does only more effectively but we have continually disrupted the balance of the side to accommodate someone who isn't fit enough or good enough. Doesn't make sense and we finally paid the price today for all that went before. But then BBJ doesn't pick himself.
Sadly I’m afraid the blame needs to be placed where it belongs, with a manager too stubborn to change and that flaw in his make-up now means that in terms of trophies won in the record books he’ll be lucky to rival Billy Mc Neill .Worse than that Alec McLeish has now won as many trophies as the “blessed Martin”
Of course the other inevitable consequence of today is that we will have to negotiate 2 rounds of CL if we are to get into the fabled pot 2 and is anyone willing to take odds of Craig Bellamy being with us?
I'm angry. Why ? Because it was obvious all along and we failed to do what was necessary.
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http://www.celtic-mad.co.uk/news/loadrprt.asp?cid=MTCH&id=222972
http://www.followfollow.com/news/loadrprt.asp?cid=MTCH&id=222970
Based on the info on the above links I should probably withdraw my suggestion that Hibs might not have been really trying. Whilst they managed only 2 shots on target during the entire match, incredibly Rangers are reported as having JUST ONE SHOT ON TARGET. And that secured the title for them!
Celtic mustered 8 shots on target to Motherwell's 7, but their 41 year old ex-Celtic 'keeper was their (other) hero.
Ironic though that a team managed by a former Rangers captain beat Celtic to deny them the title, much to their managers huge delight, while Hibs were losing to a Rangers team managed by their own former boss!
Sorry, there go the conspiracy theories again...
Roll on the Cup Final. And please please let us not capitulate against The Arabs. One league championship out of a possible three and one cup out of a possible nine will NOT be good enough for Celtic Football Club.
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Hard one to take
been here before but....
and still here......
and will always be.
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Sorry but the truth is we are not good enough.Of the fringe players only Beattie and when fit Kennedy are worth keeping. In the first team Douglas Varga Balde Thomson and dare I say Jackie and Lennon need to move on.We gave 25-30 grand a week to Juninho when everyone could see we needed a goalkeeper left back and a centre half
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A wee survival tip for tonight: Lock yourself away with your favourite people and listen to your favourite music. Just spent a great hour with Mrs Timmy and Timmy junior dancing to Nina and The Cocteau Twins.
Tomorrow if any huns come out the woodwork to talk to me I could lose my job but tonight 'I aint got no…………..'
Hail Hail
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I wasn't going to post but feel I have to. I can't really describe how I feel. When McDonald scored I just sank to my knees (was close to being physically sick - then again that might have been my hangover). I would normally head into that dark cupboard that cabbage described - but I forced myself to watch and listen to the huns getting the trophy. I wanted to remember how this feels and why we should never let anyone put us in this position again.
As supporters all season we sensed this - the booing of Quinn was a symbol of our unease. Many of you thought this was stupid or crass. But the reality is that the support know and understand what is going on.
To lose to Rangers like this once is bad enough - but twice? To lose to a very poor Rangers side as well.
We had all seen it coming - when we failed to get the second goal and began to sit back I just knew they would score.
The truth is - this defeat was hatched in the boardroom and perhaps at DD's luxury home. They have effectively sacrificed this season (though they very nearly got away with it thanks to players who have tried to keep going and a manager squeezing the very last fom them). Responsibility for this debacle sits squarly on the board. They gambled and we lost. Their gamble may succeed in that they may well still make all the money they dream of. But I for one will never forgive them.
So what are they and we going to do about it.....?
I await a statement from Quinn or Lawwell - but guess what - they will be nowhere to be seen.
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Gerrybhoy,are you sure,maybe it's Pot Black we could enter and win!
Alex has the same record now and he can't get throught the quailfiers
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Gutted, absolutely gutted.
To be honest I had a feeling that the equaliser would be coming. It summed up our season entirely. Not good enough.
Let's face facts. The Dark Side did not win this league - we lost it. How any Celtic team can go into the last four games of the season five points ahead and then still manage to loose the title is beyond me. But somehow this team managed it.
There are many factors that resulted in the Shambles that was today. However, one of the biggest ones for me is the inability to play players in the correct position. Yet again today we had Petrov out right and was largely annonomous. Then when Beattie came on for Hartson, I thought great. Stan will go back into the middle Beattie will go out right and Sutton will go up front. Everyone in their best positions. But no, Petrov stayed out right, Beattie up front...why??? This was not the game to start experimenting in. It worked well last week, and if it ain't broke why fix it??
Who knows what effect the managers family situation has had on this season but it would be silly to think that it's had no effect. I am not sure if I was in his role with that situation I would struggle. The team needs surgery now. And if Martin - and I've been one of his biggest fans - feels he cannot do it with everything else on his plate then this sabatical may be the best thing.
However, we are Celtic fans and as such you take the lows (and God this is a low) as well as the highs. It's football after all and we have to prove that we can bounce back. However, like my earlier poster above I just want the cup final out of the way so we can start the rebuilding in earnest.
Hail, Hail.
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Today is indeed a sad day, but it makes the good days all the better.
Three minutes changed all our perspectives today and put a sense of reality into our team, our lives and confirms the fact that we have a lot of work to do.
It is clear we have been spiralling downhill since Seville and the loss of dear Henrik.
Today is not the day to shoot from the hip and blame everybody and anybody. Remember people will be watching and laughing at us.
We have a cup final to win first; we must get behind the team.
We have a whole summer to reflect, blame and be mocked by the Red(Blue?) tops as well as the Forces of Darkness.
Sometimes to go forward we have to take one step back.
Today, we took one day back.
Hail Hail and to next week to salvage something in this season!!
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Re: Conspiracy Theories - while we might have thrown this title away we haven't really played like champions ourselves this season.
Their is a much greater question than whether the five year plan has worked. It's what can we learn from it and where do we go from here. I disagree with the critism of the youth setup. Over MONs time we've seen a couple of folk who weren't cut out for it (Crainey, Healy, Burchill etc) and quite a few who have shown promise and have contributed at key times: Marshall (Remember the Nou Camp?), Kennedy (Lets see if he can come back from injury), Maloney (again, see if he can come back), Beattie (is he the real deal or not is still to be answered), McGeady and Wallace. The current crop of youngsters in the first team are like all prospects in the game, might work out or it might not.
It will be interesting to see what happens next. Whether it's with MON or whoever the need for a long term plan (3 to 6 years) is still a must.
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Unlike you guys, I never saw it coming.
Sure we havn't played well all season, but it was Motherwell for gods sake, 47 points behind us in the league. I've been following Celtic for over 40 years, have seen Milan and Seville, but never felt the dissapointment I feel now.
These players were seasoned Pro's who have been round the block, yet in the last 15 mins defeneded like schoolboys. Next Saturday is such an anti-climax. We've let the big prize slip. Paul I was also one of the 16,000, and thought that the lows we experienced then, were a thing of the past (domestically). Oh how I've deluded myself. -
We all need some time now to put this behind us. We will come back stronger for it. Faithfull thru' n 'thru.
an aside. Paul J I was sitting a couple of rows along from you and can honestly endorse what you said The racial tants were a disgrace from Some of the Motherwell support. To be fair, also, some of them gave the guy with the Union Jack an earful too, when he started waving it... Sad day alround
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I stood in a packed bar today and the cheers rang to the rafters. While i watched the game on a tiny telly all the big screens showed eintracht frankfurt gain promotion to the bundesliga. They have a fabulous following who cheer them even when they are down with no hope of a comeback. They havent experienced the highs that we as celtic supporters have known. Their club hasn't got a history to rival ours ( not many have) and only now have they got themselves a decent stadium.
We need to get back to basics , from top ( supporters) to bottom ( board members) , no more booing the young lads ( or agathe) at CP when they make a mistake. No more negative attitudes. no more leaving early , how sickening is that to see for those of us who would love to be there? Next season we need to get behind our team and manager whoever it may be. We talk a good game and sing a good song , we need to take it to the next level as fans.
Discussion of personnel etc i will leave for another blog when i am in beter fettle.
Hail Hail lads and congrats and commiserations paul67.
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Yeah it is time for Celtic to face the music - we need major changes. Rangers won fair and square and they by thier own standards are a poor team - what does that make us? At the game, we sang from about half tme until 70 minutes and then the fans began to sense something. There were no songs about champoinies or the like. Everyone was thinking the asme thing - give us a second goal this is too dangerous. But the team could not deliver they ran out of ideas. Petrov and Belamy had the ability but the rest of the team were just giving them the ball and saying - go on do it. I have said this for some time now but we need another dimesion to our play. No width today whatsoever. Thompson on 30 grand a week should have a look at himself.
Anyway lets be positive, 2 rounds of qualifiers and we will be second seeds in the champions league, we will get a big spend in the summer.
Today was a wake up call - a reflection of the voices on this site for some time, we are simply lacking.
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Gutted. But not really surprised. Our form these last 5-6 weeks has been awful, and some of our play simply excruciating to watch. Against Hertz last week I genuinely thought I was watching two Sunday League teams.
And here's the rub: our players are among the best-paid in Britain, but only a handful of them can put their hands up and say they've given their all this season.
Complacent, unfit, lazy, and unprofessional are words that can applied to at least 50% of our first team squad.
Maybe we need today to emphasise just how far the rot has set in. Winning the title would have simply paered over a few cracks.
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I can only echo much of what already has been said.
The simple fact of the matter is that we were just not good enough. We have got from this league season exactly what we deserved.
There can be no excuses. The facts speak for themselves - a five point lead with four games to go thrown away, capitulation to an injury-ravaged Motherwell side on the last day of the season.
It says a lot about the state of the Scottish game that such a limited and lethargic side could come within two games of winning a double.
Hard as it is to admit Rangers are worthy champions. Sure they barely scratch they heights of mediocrity but over the course of the season they deserved it.
They were hungrier and fresher than a creaking and stale Celtic side which should be dismantled before it crumbles any further.
Sure if we had held on today I would be celebrating with everyone else, my doubts and fears blinded by silverware.
But my lack of surprise in the way today's event unfolded told me that in my heart of hearts I knew this Celtic team did not deserve the title of champions.
Indeed I wonder how we would have fared if our friend Souness hadn't so appallingly mismanaged the Bellamy situation at Newcastle? You can't help but feel that the title would have went to Ibrox somewhat earlier had Bellamy remained in England.
The Scootish Cup has historically provided Celtic with renewed hope and joy - even in our darkest days. Lets hope next week is no different.
But lets also hope it marks the start of a new era at Celtic Park. Not for a long time has the need for change been so evident.
Hail! Hail!
Wee Jinky
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Derbyshirebhoy, not sure I recall defending John Hartson to any great extent. If I was in charge I would be asking big questions of them all – even failure has a silver lining.
My condemnation was not meant to hit the youth system per se, more at the irrelevance of it all. Twenty years of irrelevant activity which has not produced a tangible success for a period greater than 12 months.
Again, if I was in charge I would want to know what I was getting for my £1.5million annual spend.
Paul J, I have long held the view that Fir Park is totally consistent with your experience of today. For 2005 read 1950.
Anon 6.25 I don’t follow you. The first quote dealt with the failures of this season, the second with where Celtic go in the future.
Cabbage, my big story for next week will have lost some shin all right. There will be a backlash, and I will be accused of all sorts for daring to talk about future positives.
Thanks for endorsing the message that it is Celtic fans like us who need to take responsibility for our club. I know we cannot direct things, but if we want to rebound from this we need to continue to turn up and support the team.
On Scott McDonald, he did not celebrate very enthusiastically today. More Larsson than Albert Kidd.
Thanks Timmy7, spending time with my boys helped a lot.
Cheers Xavier
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This is a tough one. Don't ever remember feeling this bad after a game. The club gambled on getting through this season with what we had and they lost - just. On another day we would have scored 3 or 4 with the chances we had but sadly, Agathe, Varga and Hartson let us down today. Hartson hasn't played well since he got his contract, Agathe looked tired and Varga just wasn't there for us. MON wanted his tried and trusted players to win the league and go out on a high - they deserved it for their efforts over the last 5 years, but they came up short - the manager has to take much of the responsibility for that.
As I say this is a tough one. Hopefully the bhoys can get some enthusiasm back for next week - for me it is going to take at least that long. Right now I couldn't give a toss for the cup final.
Roll on next year - faithful through and through.
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Thanks for the comments about the motherwell "supporters" today. At least I was kicked out before the goals were scored! Seriously remember the song "faithful through and through" hard to take but its now history let's look forward not back.......
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Paul J
Great sympathy for your treatment today.Regret it only confirms for me the reason why I would never return to Scotland. Afraid its a society that has failed to grow up and the fault lies squarely with leadership that has singularly failed to lead.
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Thanks Derbyshirebhoy. So much for making racial abuse an offence.... I told the police but they were more interested in getting us out of the ground for our "safety". Crap.....
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I agree with alot of this article. The time for severe rebuilding is NOW, well it should have happened right after the Uefa Cup Final. MON looks set to go, but i will have to see it to believe it, and who knows if Bellamy is cumin or goin?? If we lose them both, i don't know what state we will be in. I know £15 million would be a MASSIVE help, tho i feel we'd need more to conquer Europe. I was ashamed of our performance today, we didn't deserve to win, i could see it coming from the 60th minute or so. Lets look forward to the cup final and end this below-par season. Celtic WILL bounce back!
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Once again we have shot ourselves in the foot. As poor a Rangers team for many years has been allowed to steal the title from our grasp, or did we throw it away ?
Once all the finger pointing has stopped we will all realise that the writing has been on the wall for some time.
Our defence has been very poor this season and I cannot believe that this was never addressed. OK Larsson was always going to be missed but our defence this season has been awful.
I hope that Martin clarifies his future asap as his recent comments did us no favours in the build up to this weekend. If the reports are true I cannot see how Strachan will take us forward.
However,don't forget that Celtic is our club and if there was ever a time that it needs our support it is now !!!!
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Devastated like all of us but hereare some thoughts.Hibs/Hearts/Aberdeen play their socks off but lie down to the Huns. Motherwell get walloped 4-1 and then play their match of the season against Celtic and then there`s Hugh Dallas doing his very best for the Huns in his last match. Martin O` Neil... give the man the money to replace this team of ageing warriors and let`s not forget the heights they took us to we`ll never forget them but it`s time for Celtic to move on with MON
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Long time reader of this page, but never posted. Still not sure what some comments are all about, but never mind...
Feel I should add a comment now...
To be perfectly honest I do not think the team has failed us.
It is very unlucky to loose the league twice in the way we have and I have to say last time there was the memory of Seville which eased the pain, but this time it is a real sore one. As sore as it can get.
I do however hold the board responsible for both lost titles.
Football is a cyclical business and you can not expect a team no matter how expensive it is or was
to be at the peak for a long period (5 years is exactly that in football). I am not talking about mega transfers, but if money had been made available at an early stage (early enough to be able to spend wisely) I do think we would be talking about 5 in a row now.
How much will this lost league
cost us? If we do not make it into the champions league it will have a big financial impact particularly as it appears to me that we would be in case of qualification seeded in pot 2.
And for all who are unhappy with Martin O`Neill: Where were we before him?
And Paul67: Among the best paid in Europe. That sounds to me as if we are in the top 10. I doubt we are in the top 30. Sometimes it gets said we can`t even match English 1st Division wages and then we are top payers.
Toby
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Don't agree. We lost the league by our own demerits. If we had beaten Hibs, Hearts, Motherwell it would not matter how much they lay down to the huns............
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We have a wage bill ten million more than anyone else. We hade a 5 point lead with 4 points to go.
Just like Fergus, MON has stayed on for one seasson too many.
His lack of foresight and his conservativism has cost the club big time this year.
I ask you, Bobo signs a contract which could mean he leaves on a free but (as seems more likely) we will have to cough up a million a year for four years if he stays and just how awful has he been this season ?
We pay Hartson a million plus yet he is so physically unfit its embarrassing. But MON won't drop him.
Truly great managers know when to get rid of players who have reached their peak. MON does not. For all his success in previous years, MON IS NOT a truly great manager.
Today was his nadir. We have given the title to one of the worst Rangers teams I can remember. Bearing in mind our wage bill what does that make us ?
All we had to do today was beat a team whose players most of us couldn't name and even then then they had half of them out injured.
Disgraceful - that Celtic team should hang their head in shame. And MON, thanks for the memories but GO for godsakes GO
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A sad end to a poor season.
I hate to say it but rangers probably deserved to win the league this year, mainly because they have overachieved (yes they are probably the worst champions in memory) Celtic on the otherhand have massively underachieved.
Blame can be pointed in all directions but everyone is collectively at fault, the players the manager and the board.
Fortunately for Martin, a measure of what he has achieved as celtic manager can be meas |
