-
Yahoo! First?!
-
Am I first?
-
Dammit!
-
3 in a row
-
He scores! I can't believe it!
What a hypocrite I am... I always sit here saying "Bah! Who cares about getting the first post anyway..." then I visit and see "0 comments" and all of a sudden I'm hooked by the thought of getting the first post in! Actually shouting at Blogger to get a move on and post my comment!
I want to thank Paul for making the news post, which I did read before posting, a nice short one, else my chance would have gone forever!
-
these fixture arrangements are a farce,its like having syd james and hatty jaques in charge
-
Lets hope it's not frosty on Saturday night or the game will be called off...:-)
-
What a carry on,and there even wanting farry back say tranyor of the daily ranker
-
Following discussions over the weekend and today it was agreed by the SPL that Almondvale Stadium, Livingston, will be the venue for the Gretna Vs Celtic fixture on 23 March, 2pm kick off, and the Gretna Vs Inverness CT fixture on 5 April, 3pm kick off.
The undersoil heating at Almondvale Stadium will be available to be used if needed for these matches.
Lex Gold, Executive Chairman, said: "This is the most difficult and unprecedented fixture situation that we have faced. Our priority over the past weekend has been to confirm the arrangements for Gretna's match against Celtic which will now take place in Livingston.
"Arrangements are also now in place for Gretna's match against Inverness CT and we thank Livingston, and the other clubs with whom we have been in discussion, for their assistance. The remaining Gretna home game against St Mirren will be allocated in the coming days.
"Talks are ongoing in relation to the Motherwell V Hibernian fixture scheduled for 29 March with a range of options being explored.
"Further developments in relation to Motherwell's other home games will depend on the work currently being done to assess when Fir Park will be available again for our matches."
Why do they have to do things in such a short term way? If Gretna can't guarentee fulfilling all fixtures to the end of the season then bin the club now.
-
I know I'm a bit behindhand with this comment, but I'd like to know how they can celebrate knowing that but for indulgent or timorous refereeing Dundee Utd would have won.
I also don't believe Wilkie tried a leg with his penalty kick. More like a passback. I believe he's got previous in this regard.
-
no celtic big guns in the scotland squad
needed to breaked the hindenburg line in next ranker game
luddendorff csc
-
paul67
As we reach a critical stage of the season it is clear that the next 2 games will make or break our season.
we must beat gretna by at least 3 then draw with rangers i feel.
If we draw with rangers at ibrox we need to beat them twice at home to win the league-all else being equal- which at the start of the season we would surely of taken.
Dundee United on sunday was a lesson to us, play good football and Rangers will struggle.
Interesting to see Gordon quoted as saying it's money that matters. then you made cowardly comments i felt, almost pre-empting any title loss
"We have more energy than perhaps the previous sides I've had but we don't have the experience.
"I can't take a time-machine and whisk the players to the age of 32 and then whisk them back again because I didn't get a time machine for my Christmas - I wish I had.
"We will soon find out (if the energy can compensate for lack of experience). But you have just got deal with it and use the experience that some players have picked up to help the younger players."
we have plenty experience, Boruc,Hinkel,Naylor,Balde,pressley,donati,hartley, Jan plus the sold Jarosik and punted gravesen.
Gordon you were given money
Brown £4.4M
Hinkel £1.9M
Robson £1M
Donati £1.2M
Skippy £0.75M
Time to deliver a draw at Ibrox will do nicely.
-
Do Hibs not use Almondvale for their reserve matches? Is the ground in a good state? Did anyone look?
Dbbia
From the last thread , you were talking about thought crimes on CQN.
How about posting gratuitous details of your love life as in your post of 14.03:-
"During extra time I went into the shed and chitted my spuds."
-
And talking about Traynor, did I mention that on the radio on Saturday he nastily said that he'd no sympathy for those Irish supporters who'd left home at 2 am to be at Fir Park for the game.
They should stay at home and support their local team he said.
the guy is just a swine.
-
Dennis @ 1916,
I can't make comment re. any previous that Wilkie has, however I have always been of the opinion that whenever a centre-half steps up to hit a penalty he has one option available to him.
Hit is as hard as he can.
This option inevitably has an either/or result:
Either he bursts the net or he hits Row ZZ.
I HATE to see a centre-half try to place a penalty (unless of course he is and has been designated penalty taker for some time previously) as for me it is counter to the centre-halfs natural instinct to attempt to caress the ball into the corner of the net.
For me they should always put the lace through the ball and try to keep it on target.
By the way I say this as someone who played sweeper for many years and was designated penalty taker for a couple of clubs. During a 6 season period with one of them I had a strike rate of 28 from 31 pens. (I should state that rather than being a statto geek I tended to remember scoring as it happened rarely if at all from open play as I spent so much time nowhere near the opposing goal!).
HAIL! HAIL!
Token
-
trayonor is a pompous oaf ,who thinks his scribbles are of mailleresque proprtions,and his ego thinks he is the doyen of scottish sports journalism
jimmytraynor pork pies
-
Malcolm, enjoy your moment.
-
token,
I appreciate your thoughts and insight. I had to smile,though when I read of your scoring exploits. I have a brother in law who bores the life out of me with detailed analyses of his goals at the 5 a sides.
Did Wilkie not give away a last minute penalty in inexplicable fashion against Rangers a couple of seasons ago?
-
After seeing them yesterday my confidence in three in a row has never been higher. Too many "big" games now appears to be takig its toll.......either that or they are now being found out for the limited team everyone knows they are.
A team who plays the entire first half of a cup final without a single striker strikes me as a team (manager) who are running scared. A team with no ambition will ultimately acheive that ambition.
On another note, if the Scott's get booked on Sunday they will miss both of the games against them at Celtic Park, if the speculation that they will take place on the 16th and 19th is true. Wonder what the odds on both getting booked will be?
-
Malcolm-
thought you were bigger than that........
-
Dennis...lol!
It's not the first time and almost certainly won't be the last time that particular stat has been used my friend :)
I also meant to say that contrary to my post I actually placed the ball in almost every penalty I hit (keepers bottom right for the record but usually with pace - low and hard as they say!).
Cheers
Token
-
Tinytim,Sean South,Sean South Jnr and any other Gordon Strachan haters-
Can you deny any of this ?
"When Strachan replaced Martin O’Neill in June 2005 he could have, had he so wished, offered one golden promise to the Celtic supporters, which would have had them eating out of his hand. If Strachan had said, “I promise you, I will give you two successive titles and two qualifications from the group stages of the Champions League”, the Celtic punters would have been agog.
O’Neill, the messiah, couldn’t work the trick of getting beyond the Champions League’s group stages in his various stabs at it. As much as we quote the fact, it is an underrated Strachan achievement. "
From Graeme Spiers- Times On Line
-
Ok,
thats it for me for a while.....off to play 5-a-sides.
Dennis, I shall regale you later with my exploits :-)
HAIL! HAIL!
Token
-
Sir J Stein,
might be the right time to give the Skoosh and Skippy some bench time. This would allow us to play Big Jan and Georgio together with Paul Hartley or Robson replacing Skoosh.
It's something I think most supporters would be in favour of. Skoosh and Skippy do tend to get themselves in trouble a lot because of the lip service and the MIBS no this.
This game against Gretna and future games should be played the way we are going to handle Rankers, all out, scoring three in the first 20 mins will do just fine.
BF
-
The Token Tim@19:40
"During a 6 season period with one of them I had a strike rate of 28 from 31 pens"
You didn't have a spell at R**gers, did you? That many penalties!
BTW Lee Wilkie singlehandedly gave the aforementioned team points they ddn't deserve at Dens Park (when he played with Dundee)in the Seville season by either scoring own goals or by giving away successive penalties in the same match, memory is a bit hazy, anyway he probably cost us the league, that year.
-
Apologies "know" not no
BF
-
Tonight's quiz:
Name any SPL opposition player who has missed a penalty against us since the SPL began in 98-99.
-
Sir J Stein
After watching them yesterday (and in Bremen) my confidence in 3 in a row has never been lower!
They are the luckiest shower of cheating so and so that i have ever seen in my life.
I cannot believe they play 1 up front against Dundee Utd in a cup final (fair enough in Bremen) and get away with it again, albeit with a little help from the officials again (another reason for my confidence being low). The minute he denied that penalty you knew they'd somehow come back and win that game.
I pray that i am wrong but everything is stacked in there favour, never mind winning the 3 games against them, can we win the remaining games against the rest??
My main hope is they blow it and start dropping points to everyone and give us some kind of boost but i feel yesterday was a massive point in the season whether its a mickey mouse cup or not its got the monkey off there back, had they lost yesterday the doubts of ending up with nothing would've been playing on there minds, they can now relax a bit.
As i said i pray i'm wrong but don't feel too good about things right now.
HAIL HAIL.
-
bhoysfour
to be honest my personal preferred frot two would be Georgios and JVOH so losing Skippy may be a blessing in disguise. Yes he is our top scorer but in recent play his general play has been that of £750K player.
Broony is a different matter. Even if he has not quite lived up to expectations i still think we are a better team when he plays, alongside Hartley against Aberdeen they were phenomenal and IMO we missed his energy against Barca at CP.
We'll still hammer them whatever happens ;o)
As you say a couple of quick goals and its in the bag, their attempts at being creative yesterday when they were forced out of their comfort zone were laughable.
-
Bryce,
I think Artur save one from Burchill?
-
Han solo,
Often wonder what motivates journos to write that sort of stuff?? Do they love WGS?? Do they think MON was`nt as good as some thought he was?? Is it a genuine honest article or one written with a hint of "not celtic minded" suspicion.
Whatever the motive - and again I find it interesting that journos - on one hand - keep telling us how bad we are - but on the other we must be better now coz we`ve got through two group phases of CL!!
I must say it does puzzle me.
If i was to meet Spiers I would just ask "are we better now? or are we a poor shadow of the team of three or four years ago? I know which one I would opt for.
-
looks like the games are taking there toll on der hun,fergushun of to see the specialist with his Dr tomorrow,his ankle it seems.wee fly kick there may be in order,if he plays against us ,though no doubt he will
honestly think we after seeing the cup final its imperative we score first then they have to come out and play,and we destroy them as an attacking force
beingmilitaristictonite csc
-
James McFadden playing some nice stuff.
If he can keep this form going till end of season he will have more than justified his transfer fee.
-
the blogger formerly known.....
i have a suspicion that the first dropped points will be when the on form Hibs visit them this weekend.
luck like that cant last forever.
-
bryce
Jamie Smith?
-
On the subject of bookings, not only does Burkey not see yellow for his snarling petulance towards refs when he doesn't win a free kick/corner kick, but he doesn't even see a card for the dive.
I agree, rest the Scotts against Gretna.
-
Vinnie-
Can you deny anything in the bolded paragraph ?
-
watching Sporting play a determined resolute defending National side, worrying how theyl break down a Rankers 11 defenders, then early 2nd half bosh bosh bosh 3-0 in about 5 mins or less. Theyve even had the luxury of missing a penalty.
Mark my words, Liedson will score at Ibrox and at least one at home....
-
and in a goal that would be worth repeating against rankers one of the players hits that ball up in the air as hes fouled in the box pulls away from the defender to reach the ball and knock it in the air as the 3nd defender fouls him stretches to knock it to his mate just as the 3rd defender completely bins him, his mate at least makes sure his efforys werent in vain and sticks it in the back of the net.
Sporting 4 - National who remind me of Rangers 0 20 mins to go....
-
Bryce.....
Rab Douglas had a fantastic save from penalty at Motherwell after Underhill gave a penalty for SFA. Cannot remember who took it - McFadden? Spencer?
Others perhaps - Dargo, Albertz, Mackie, Pressley, Wyness. I disclaim any responsibility for these five as they are from Bhoy's memory. He is confident that Hearts and Caley have missed pens but was not sure who took them.
-
Han Solo -
I dont need to deny - I like to look at the truth of the matter on the park............and that is...........we are a pale shadow of the Celtic team of three, four or five years ago.
Watching the huns yesterday (and its something i rarely do) made me think that they also are a pale shadow of the team of three, four or five years ago ............and yet are in a quarter final of a european comp!
Loumacaribettingslip!
You are perfectly correct - the huns are a far different team when going in front - make no mistake they can defend and in the spanish centre half they have a very good defender.....for the celtic fans who dont know what that is........its someone who wins most of his headers most of his tackles has a bit of presence etc etc and a bit of pace.
-
jeez 20.25
I cant recall who gave them away but the game you refer to (dundee v rfc) was late in the sesaon and John Rowbotham gave Rangers 3 (yes count em 3) penalties in one game.
I remember it clearly because I was actually in Dundee that day hanging around for my girls to finish a dance competition.
I couldnt watch the game in a pub because i had no idea which pubs were which and feared a lynching for a curse or cheer out of place.
I remember listening to it on a radio and my "paranoia" meter was off the scale.
I saw the highlights on tv later tho and had to accept that Rowbotham was right on each occasion.
Quite what the dundee player(s) who managed to give away 3 penalties were doing is beyond me now as it was then.
TLWIO
-
Sir Paul
I shall preface what I am about to say, with this:
I love Mr.Strachan....I have been, from the very onset of his Celtic Managerial incumbency, a 220 per cent,Gordon backer.
That being said...
Howevvvvvvvvvvvvah...
I am sorry to say this, but circumstances has forced me to bring the following, to your attention.
I have a nagging doubt regarding how much farther into the future, shall we be able to count on Gordon remaining at the helm ...
Why do I think that?
I will tellya.
Putting my own good self, in the shoes of Gordon, I would tender my resignation, at the end of this season.
I am predicating this action, of course.... on the following dismal probability...which is...
Should Our rivals, take the S.P.L.Championship away from us!
My reason for making this conjecture...
The Celtic fans are a fickle bunch...
The Celtic fans are so hard to please..
Most of the Celtic fans ,that I talk to, have the shortest of short memories.
Although, Gordon has carried on ...And Right on ..from where our mostly successful former Manager ...had broken off...and has done that,without missing a beat...
a Large remnant, of the Celtic Support, has continued to be not entirely satisfied, with his undoubted success.
All through his incumbency, Gordon has been plagued by not a few Celtic Fans,who have been unhappy with his Tactical and Managerial Performance. Constantly comparing him with his predecessor in a shabby light.
And why were these complainers, unhappy?
I could tell ya...but I won't!
In light of the above information, it would appear obvious to me.. in my capacity as being the unfortunate possessor, of Mr.Strachan's Loafers...
that,for Gordon, to continue in the Managership at Celtic,it would be a No Win Situation... as...should my conjecture prove accurate...
The Celtic Fans would now have a true complaint, to hold over his head.
In saying that ...I do not believe that anything further needs to be said.
Na!
As I said.... if I were in his Tom McCanns...and I was asked about my future Managerial Plans...
I would aver....
"A Fourth Season at Celtic?
I Dinnae think so!"
Kojo.
-
Vinnie-
"we are a pale shadow of the Celtic team of three, four or five years ago. "
We were murder to watch in MONs last season.
Has Gordon Strachan exceeded your expectations ?
-
Han solo - no worse than the dross i`ve been watching since October...........and the present manager does not have the excuse of his wife being critically ill!
If the present Celtic team reaches the points total of that dross team! we shall win the league - but they wont cos they are worse much worse!!
WGS CERTAINLY HAS NOT EXCEEDED MY EXPECTATIONS - BUT HE WILL IF HE WINS THE LEAGUE THIS YEAR.
-
Vinnie-
Martin O' Neill never used his wifes illness as an excuse.
That's a shocking statement to make.
So you expected Gordon Strachan to win successive league titles followed by qualifying for the Champions League last 16 -two years on the trot ?
-
Gordon Strachan is the best manager to grace celtic park since Mr Stein
-
did anyone watch celtic tv tonight ?
it showed footage of the well pitch what a disgrace ...that pitch was completely unpayable
why the match was only called off on saturday morning is beyond me
there were patches of the pitch inches deep in mud with no grass to be seen
most council parks are in a better condition
also
Celtic reserves 4-Trainee huns 1
in the reserve league ....wouldn`t that be a nice score in the next big game
-
Canamalar
If Team 3 lose the league to Walters Team 1 does that put Smith up their as a great manager? You can only be judged against those you compete against. Last summer we were all laughing at the Huns and talking about a G.O.D. If Gordon Strachan cannot win the league against that man with all our superior resources then that speaks volumes.
-
Han solo - MON would never make his wife`s illness an excuse .......he`s far too dignified for that. But if you honestly believe in your heart of hearts it did not make one bit of difference?? then good for you.
I`ve already gave you an answer - Under the circumstances the scottish league should have been a formality and it was. We were the second seeds the first CL year so yes again. It could be argued we punched above our weight this year ...........just...... seconds away from being put out.
Maybe I have higher expectations than you! anyway off to bed.
-
Not all Celtic fans use M O,Neil in comparison to G Srachan.
I for one believe they both have shortcomings.
G Strachan seems to be found wanting at first sign of challenge,hopefully i,m wrong.
The lack of one centre mid showing the same form he had at any previous club to me shows a tactical flaw in our coaches thinking.This problematic area for almost 3 years is not just players losing form.It is a major tactical flaw.Thes players have an area that any midfielder in world football would struggle to cover.
I believe our coach is so versed in playing style ie,mostly non threatening possesion,with only positive threat from widemen.that he doesn,t see the flaws
This system made Barcelona look way better than they actually are by leaving acres of space in centre for talented players to exploit Their subsequent Spanish league form is a truer reflection of their ability
It is for the coach to maximise the talent he has available and since i believe we have by far the best squad of players in the SPL but are poor in substance and results then the blame lies at Gordon and coaching staff,s door.
-
up there not up their...sorry!
-
Bryce
Did our very own Steven Pressley miss one against us?
-
emusanorphan,
are you blind, I just told you he's the best since stein, Fact.
-
Vinnie The Oracle-
can you point me in the direction of this years Grand National winner ?
-
Ben Hutchison. hun skelper!
-
and it was YOU who used Geraldines illness as an excuse.
-
Kojo
If the Celtic fans are of the spoiled weans variety, are we not in danger of indulging them by giving credence to the view that WGS should go? The next manager will be on an even shorter rein as, after his first dropped point against lowly opponents, there'll be massed shouts of Awe Naw No anither crap manager signed by the Shabby suited man again.
Can anyone assure me that we are not in the same position as Man U under Fergie before wee fat Mark Robins scored the goal that saved his career?
My prediction is that, whoever is the manager, there could be a long wait before we have a sniff of last 16 CL again.
-
CALLING BRYCE
Are any of us anywhere near? We need an update, please.........
-
Canamalar
I am not visually impaired. Your "Fact" is not supported by statistics therefore is not a fact but merely your opinion. If Smith wins the league then Strachan should go. He doesn't know his best midfield despite having signed 8 midfielders.
-
People rarely say we're a pale shadow of the team that had Henrik Larsson in it.
-
setting the bears free,
I can assure you.
-
emusanorphan,
we could both use statistics to claim and counter claim for our arguments, but we both know that 95% of people dont give a monkeys about statistics, so in the interest of arguments sake, I'm right and your wrong QED, FACT.
-
A very belated Beannachtai La Fheile Padraig to all on CQN.
A good win next week with the possible dropping of points by the horribles may lift the spirits a bit.
I watched the match yesterday and DUFC played them of the park. Yes they ultimately lost and I'm not in the business of rubbishing them as they are still in front but feel that if we score first we can beat them at mordor (yes pfayr that would do nicely). Then things will get really interesting.
Still believing ArdMacha
-
WeeMinger
Would the Seville team have beaten the Lions? A hypothetical question. Are the Huns better than us? Well they are who we are competing with and can be our only metric to measure ourselves against. Not teams from the past.
-
canamalar
Of course you can.
For a start, we are not in the EPL like he was.
We don't have a golden generation of young players coming through.
But... the interesting comparison is that a lot of uninformed fans with unrealistically high expectations wanted him gone. You can't find one of them now who'll admit they wanted him out but I/m betting all their mates will remember the loudmouths who dismissed him as a Jock only fit to manage at SPL level.
There are similar preconceptions about WGS. He's only fit to manage a mid level or lower league club. Every subsequent fact is filtered through that existing viewpoint.
That leads you to mad opinions such as the worst Celtic team in living memory fluked last 16 CL qualification twice and fluked 2 league titles. Every good thing was luck and every bad thing was bad judgement. I see no balance at all.
-
setting the bears free,
yer right, its terrible innit.
Oh and amsterdam is full of drugs and women of ill-repute, at least it was this morning.
-
Bloke109 - Thanks for the footage.
Watch the ref at the third goal. I think he wants to book Ben for running into the "crowd".
P.S. - Just watched the hilarious news about Smeato being a fake. Believe it or not - at the time a friend of mine said that the Celtic fans who took down the terrorists would be ignored while the Rangers fan would be paraded prominently .... and Nostradamus he ain't!
-
Canamalar
I'm right and you are wrong. Opinion.
Nakamura, Sno, Riordan, Hartley, Donati, Gravesen, Jarosik, Brown, Robson. All signed by Gordon Strachan. Fact. Our best midfield? We are still experimenting with 9 games to go.
-
Kojo, you have given me a lot of material to consider.
Gordon has indeed suffered more than most in his current position, which is a disappointment. He will also not be short of an offer of considerably more money to move on.
Whether this is in his mind or not I cannot say. I do believe that he genuinely loves the job and has taken the club to his heart.
As for the matter you will not tell me, but… which you do not need to manifest in language, I’m not convinced, but, that conversation will need to wait for another day.
For reasons SFTB points out, it is important that the manager of Celtic Football Club is protected from the vagaries of sentiment, which can change as often as the tide.
Emu, the Seville team would have beaten the Lions by the odd goal in seven, but that team were well into their sixties and seventies by then.
-
canamalar
And your point is?
-
setting free the bears,
does there have to be a point ??
emusanorphan,
that looks like no a bad team you just named.
And I thought this was about opinions, silly me eh. FACT
-
Paul
When the Huns lost to Marseille and the Laptop Loyal were comparing them to the Lisbon Lions, Bertie auld was asked if the current Huns would beat the Lions. They would have won by the odd goal he confessed. As they gleefully prepared their copy, Bertie retorted "mind you, we are all over 60 now"! The great man confirmed this story to me. Bertie Auld, Celtic Legend!
-
... and Kojo; the banks; my powder is dry. For now.
-
It took Sir Alex Ferguson 7 years to win the league with Manchester United.
He took a further 6 to win the European Cup for only the second time in the clubs history.
During his THIRD season there were fervent calls for him to be sacked but the board stood firm and the rest, as they say, is history.
I am not suggesting that Celtic will win the European Cup under Gordon Strachans stewardship, but simpy saying that it takes time to rebuild a team.
Doing so, on what is relatively a shoe-string budget, while still maintaining the level of success we have enjoyed over the past three seasons is no mean feat, and the man should be given credit where it is due.
At the moment i cant think of a better replacement....one who would actually take the job anyway.
Any suggestions?
-
emusanorphan - couldn't agree more. There's no point in comparing us, or our results, or our potential league points tally, or the opposition or how past teams would compare against the current Rangers team. It's totally pointless and meaningless.
However, it just struck me in the myriad of posts you read regarding how good bad or indifferent we are compared to previous teams, that there may be a fear of accepting that we were the product of a team not crystallised by the manager but by a player. I know which one's departure made the biggest difference to the team.
-
what he said
-
Sir J.Stein
Your last post says it all for me.
Give Gordon some leeway. I believe he has earned it.
-
WeeMinger,
your right, we're still missing bobby petta
-
A serious question now.
has there been a more sucessful manager than Gordon Strachan for the first two seasons in office ???
-
Canalamar - I was thinking Vidar Riseth, but now you mention it...
-
sir J Stein
Last 5 months of last season we were poor. it was suggested because we were so far ahead the players had taken their eye off the ball. As Champions we should have put down a marker at Ibrox last season. This season we have been poor again. Everyone on here thinks the Huns are mince. If so where does that leave us?
I'd love to see Mark Hughes here but that's just my opinion as BFDJ would say.
-
emusanorphan are you BFDJ ?
-
At 17/03/08 22:09, emusanorphan said…
Canamalar
If Team 3 lose the league to Walters Team 1 does that put Smith up their as a great manager? You can only be judged against those you compete against. Last summer we were all laughing at the Huns and talking about a G.O.D. If Gordon Strachan cannot win the league against that man with all our superior resources then that speaks volumes.
erm Rangers spent a fair few bob this year.
-
Dad Where are you? That wee boy Han Solo has been leaving messages on the answering machine all day for you to, Put em up, Put em up.
Mum is up stairs at Mrs O'Neill's party a think she's been drinking.
Bring me crisps will you?
Jnr
-
canamalar
Martin O'Neill. Treble in 1st and Championship in 2nd. Same trophies as won by GS in his first season but MON won more points and scored more goals.
-
Madeira Bhoy
Do you think the Huns are better than us?
-
For all out there searching for the truth about our team, listen to the wisdom of SFTB.
The man knows what he is talking about.It could be me writing his posts, such is his all encompassing knowledge.
I think the midfield problem can be traced to the failure of Gravesen and Jarosik not delivering on expectations. Expectations we all shatred, before the finger pointing starts.
Due to budget, the measures taken to rectify that flaw have not been spectacularly successful, but have put a marker down for the future, hopefully next season, due to the age of Brown, Donati, Sno, etc.
Vinniethedog,
Whenever you get outr of bed, uncalled for comments including Mrs. o'Neil's health in your attack on our manager. Bad form ,stay in the doghouse.
Han Solo,
Keep going for the jugular. This site needs a cross dog to protect the club fair weather whingers.
-
The only bit area of team 3 which picks itself and doesn't divide the support is the goalkeeper.
Artur Boruc has been the one true success.
Goalkeeping Irony? It's was the only part of the team which Martin O'Neil failed to adequately resolve.
The defence is the most consistent part of the team in more than one way. It pretty much picks itself every week in Hinkel, Caldwell, McManus and Naylor. It also consistently looks vulnerable to aerial attack and to pace. Neither is a desirable quality of any defence.
Defensive Irony? Bobo Balde has watched from the stand and has aerial strength unequaled in Scotland and plenty pace.
The midfield is the most expensive part of the team and the most unstable part of the team. Lightweight and prone to losing the battle too often. Approximately £16million has been spent and we still can't find a stable midfield 4.
Midfield Irony? £16million has been spent on it and our best midfield player cost us nothing.
Up front we have frustrated so often, from Kenny Miller to JVOH. From Magic Zurawski to not so magic Chris Killen. Scott MacDonald has had a wonderful first season but has been lacking sustained support in the goalscoring stakes all season. High hopes that Samaras may be the difference between title and no title.
Striking Irony? The best finisher at the club can't get a place on the bench never mind in the team. Even when there have been droughts.
The Manager? A passionate man who fervently believes in working with players who are willing to learn and work hard at improving their game. A man who has come to love the club and understand what it means to be a Celt.
For all those qualities he has failed to create a team worthy of the standards he himself set. Fast, passing, flowing football has visited this team on 3 or 4 occasions this season. The points tally looks like being less than each of the first two seasons. Rangers may have improved but the others haven't, and it's the others who have taken points from team 3 when they really should not have.
Management Irony? Two titles and two last 16 CL achievements have not masked the fact that this current team isn't anywhere near as good as it should have been this season.
WGS may have peaked in year 2. I sincerely hope he wins the title this year as I think he has worked hard every single day of his time at the club and deserves to be remembered as a success.
Either way, I would be surprised to see him here to mould team 3 into team 4.
He has my support every single day he holds the office but I suspect he hasn't much left in the tank to reach any higher.
