It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope,
thanks, I'm just hopefull he gets a run in the team, never failed to impress me when I have seen him. He remindes me of Arteta and look how good he went on to be. Wont be surprised if we let him go and ends up strutting around the EPL (might suit his game better anyway)
Romanian club blame drunken Rangers fans
08.11.09 | Ian Ferris
Officials from Unirea Urziceni claim that drunken Scottish fans were responsible for the violent clashes between Rangers supporters and stewards last week, reports The Times.
Representatives of the Romanian club said the drunkenness of the vast majority of the Glasgow club’s followers contributed to the skirmishes at half-time at the game on Wednesday.
Mihai Stocia, the club’s general manager, said that if his club’s stewards had strictly applied Romanian law, by refusing entry to people under the influence of alcohol, then virtually none of the Rangers fans would have been allowed into the stadium.
"We only made one mistake — we did not strictly apply the law," said Stocia.
"In Romania, supporters who are in an inebriated state are not allowed to access the stadium, even if they have tickets. If we had strictly enforced the law, maybe no Scottish supporters would have entered the stadium."
Another club official said: "The supporters were really drunk. Only their state and behaviour led to trouble. They started throwing chairs in the air, against other people."
Marius Militaru, a spokesman for the military police force in Romania, who was present at the stadium, denied that any of its officers were involved in the clashes.
Militaru said that around 100 Rangers supporters were refused entry to the ground because they were drunk, and a dispute over banners led to the trouble.
"It was a single moment of tension, which happened during half time.
"During the half-time break, a group of Scottish supporters wanted to show some huge banners, but the stewards from the security company told them not to, so as to leave the seats vacant for other supporters.
"The fans protested against this and started throwing seats around. There was an altercation there.
"It all lasted up to five to 10 minutes, but it was an isolated incident. Around 100 Scottish supporters were not allowed to enter the stadium because they were in an obviously inebriated state.
"Romanian law number 4/2008, the law to prevent and stop violence during sports activities, says the access to stadiums is forbidden to people who are inebriated."
Cristian Ciocan, a spokesman for the Bucharest police, said they had received no complaints about the use of tear gas.
RRC. I Think sky had all but cut the crowd noise for the minute as you'll notice we never heard the refs whistle to end it. Got a bad feeling by Lawells reaction and the boo-ing at the end that something happened. Hope not.
Radio Scotland reported that those who were singing during the minute's silence to commemorate those who have given their lives were outside the stadium. Obviously we were in the situation of a small minority.
BBC reported that within the stadium the silence was impeccably observed. Shame that those protesters turned up. To them Celtic comes second.
Pity the green brigade weren't able to organsie effectively.
Don't know who those 11 strangers are out on that park.
Frankly you could pull 11 guys out the pub and they could present a more cohesive performance than what we are watching.
Just as well it's Falkirk, and they're front men can't finish ... so far anyway.
Appalling show so far from Celtic, we have no get up and go here no desire, no hunger, hopefully some old cliches will kick in at half time, like flying tea cups and paint being stripped from the walls by the management, thanks to the mindless minority clearly heard on the BBC radio mics breaking the minutes silence.
Guess I picked the wrong time to get access to 'tinterweb :o(
Said for a good few weeks now, Tony's got to go !
I know the players have to take a lot the blame, but a good manager makes ordinary players in to good players and good players in to great players. I've not seen many games, but from what I've read, heard and been told, he's just not got it and the few times that I've seen him on the touch-line, he looks and acts like a dead-man-walking.
Shocking performance from Celtic so far. Absolutely shocking.
Falkirk are all over us, making the playing of quick passing football look totally effortless, at times cutting through us with embarrassing ease.
Fortunately, their strikers can't hit a coo's whatsit with a banjo.
By contrast, our expensively assembled collection of internationals are hoofing the ball aimlessly up the pitch; that's whenever they are not tripping over their own feet or gifting Falkirk possession with their inability to pass the ball accurately over even 5-10 yards. Every 50-50 ball is being lost.
As I type, Aiden McGeady misses a penalty, then misses with a pathetic effort from the rebound when it was easier to score.
This has to go back to trhe manager not being able to put a fired up team onto the park.
But this also is a spineless group of players with serious attitude problems.
Hesitant start by the Bhoys. Looks like there are around 6000 fans in attendance, Lots of emptry seats
3 opportunities to get good crosses in all easily caught by their keeper.
Zaluska looking a bit nervous so far
Hinkle links up with Fortune, breaks down the right but another poor cross
Our defence is looking very shakey
Two FK's to them in good positions so far - both wasted. We have yet to string more than two passes together
Aiden taken out - player booked (Arfield). Another poor delivery from the set piece - this time from Fox
Falkirk standing back off our defence knowing they will be happy to hoof the ball up the park. So far we haven't disappointed
Falkirk miss a sitter. Player hits the ball straight at Zuluska. They have had 5 or 6 attempts at goal. We have had none.
Good FK from Robson but Loovens pulled out of the challenge as keeper came out.
27 mins gone. Poor display by every player in a Celtic shirt so far. Lucky we are playing a poor side in Falkirk today
Hinkle and McCourt not on the same wavelength down the right.
Aiden jinks inside and takes a shot at goal - our first on the 35 min mark. Palmed over for corner which comes to nothing
Paddy is wasting his chance to shine today. Likewise Sammy. If this continues we will be happy to see Skippy on soon. Yes it is that bad.
Aiden wins a corner. Fox takes, keeper misses, breaks to Caldwell but his shot was blocked
Loovens looked like he took a man out in the middle of the park there as Falkirk broke. Lucky for him the ref didn't see it that way.
Shot just over from Falkirk
Caldwell continues to punt long balls in Sammi's direction. Sammi has yet to win a single one
Fox wins us a penalty. Did well - beat his man on the edge of the box abd was clearly pulled down. Does anyone have the confidence to score?
Aiden takes and misses. Went for power down the middle, blocked by keeper. Broke back to Aiden for a simple tap in but he managed to mis hit it and allow the keeper to block again.
Cross from Hinkle headed over by Fortune - should have scored.
HT Falkirk 0-0 Celtic
Short HT report. Absolutely shocking performance. The worst I have seen for many years. Not a single player gets passmarks. Had that penalty gone in, we would have been embarrassed to be ahead.
The game here in Dubai showed the singing very clearly. Actually the buggers seemed to turn up the microphone to make it louder. Not sure where we're getting the feed from. ESPN I presume.
Utter scum in my opinion whoever they were. I'm thoroughly embarrased by their behaviour. Not in my name!
Rubbish performance, Paddy has barely touched the ball.
Never heard the minutes silence being disturbed on Sky Television. Mmmhhhhhh... I wonder where those BBC microphones were trained ? I thought a free kick outside the box might have been given.
That has to be the worst performance to date from this stuttering side.
The 'commentators' are almost wetting themselves with glee and spending far more time highlighting how poor we are than describing events on the pitch.
Never mind remembrance, so far this Sunday is the day Celtic apparently forgot how to play football.
Absolutely disgraceful attitude.all 10 outfield players would be candidates for being subbed.Mowbray and Grant need to do some serious bullying in that dressing room
I'm struggling to remember the last time I enjoyed watching a Celtic display.
How many penalties does a player have to miss or shoot unconvincingly before a manager realises they're not a penalty taker? We've struggled with penalties for years, just like the left-back position, just like the central defence, and recently lack of an instinctive goalscorer. An inherent inability to identify a problem area of our game and address it efficiently.
So much for the iddea that we had started heading in the right direction after the Killie game and a credible result against a tidy Bundesliga side.
Start of the game I was thinking we could really put some goals into the bank with this one, after that first half performance I just hope we sneek a win.
Really beginning to wonder about Tony Mowbray. Marc Crosas is, in my opinion, the best midfielder we have at the club. He has bossed our midfield for the last two games - games in which we played pretty well and then is dropped. WHY TONY???? Also, his ability to organise and motivate the team seems to be in question also. There's only one team playing out there today and it aint us.
at least the 2nd half can't be any worse....can it?
for the first time in ages we were looking a cohesive unit who could keep the ball then crosas is dropped and we're a shambles again.
i'm not sure it was even a pen. what an earth was mcgeady doing with the rebound?
. at the moment falkirk deserve to win.
this is not a performance we should expect from celtic, finances/no finances, old manager/current manager's team. did we play this badly under WGS? got to be the worst 45 mins we've played this season?
The distribution from the centre backs is desperate, the midfield is pedestrain, Mcgeady and McCourt totally inefectual.Barry Robson n NGuemo look like they havent met before.
McGeady looked wided eyed and nervous taking that penalty
McCann and blondie on SKY are giving it big licks on how good falkirk are...it should be more about how bad Celtic are........needs to get 5 in the midfield.....
This is absolutely terrible. At least the drink's cheaper in the house, eh, I'd be scunnered if I was in the pub at the amount of drink I'm going to need to get through the second half. Can I sue Mogga for a new liver?
Absolutely disgraceful right the way from the back. Crosas on his own can't salvage this, even though he was the one player I thought would have made a difference to the passing. Caldwell taking fresh air bicycle swipes sums it all up thus far.
One of the worst performances from a Celtic team in a long long time. Reminds me of Clyde in the cup a few years back except Falkirk have not taken one of their numerous chances. We could have been 4-0 down before our penalty.
This is an absolute disgrace.
McGeady penalty and rebound attempt was pathetic. A bit like this team. No pass marks for any player on the park.
Time is up for Aiden "brick-waw" McGeady. Cash-in on him in January. He is the key player, but shows no leadership whatsover. Gets the ball, head down, run, stop, run into brick wall - "Duh, where did the ball go?"
Would have asked the same about McGeady but he pops up at the end to remind us how to hit a penalty "Barry Robson Style" and how to follow up a penalty "No belief/heart/desire style"
Terrible performance from almost every member of the team.
Need a massive improvement second half if we are to rescue a victory. Can't believe i'm saying that about a game against a team yet to win this season.
I am not chewing my knuckles with the defence.
Robson is trying
Fortune is not hiding
Poppy on chest - well done club
No nonsense with silence
Fans singing
Negatives.
McGeady is not in the mood - hook him
N'Guemo, Samaras and McCourt need a super rocket
Zaluskas - his kicking is mince today. He is normally great.
I think Crosas' game is limited and he isn't as bitey as N'Guemo or Robson but we need to control the midfield by disciplined positioning and good use of the ball not by kicking people.
We've reverted back to lumping it up the park. Why is it, time after time, Falkirk give us a lesson on passing and moving. They're a very limited side which makes it even more disappointing that we can't pass the ball and make space for our team-mates.
Samaras and Fortune not working together up front and the full-backs, in general, aren't getting forward enough. Probably as they're worried about the counter.
I have no idea why McGeady is taking the penalties... he took one against the huns to get it up them, but I thought that's all it was.
We better wake up in the second half, they've shown that they lack the class to finish teams off and we're maybe lucky to have the chance to correct the shocking first half performance.
Andy Walker is an uncle tom!!!!He states that trip was on line so may not be a penalty.I always thought line was part of penalty box?
We have no idea or shape whatsoever.
B Robson is to slow of thought and movement for central role.
McGeady showed no confidence at spot kick.
The service to Samaras and Fortune is non existent.
Our build up consists of defenders going horizontal and then hoofing it to an opponent.
We ar sitting deep and allowing them the centre of field.
We need to bring Aiden or Paddy into middle to disrupt falkirks shape.Its to comfortable there for them.
I will just ask two things from the Bhoy's in the second half 1/ get first to the ball. 2/ Pass the ball to a team mate.It's not too much to ask is it ??????
this is a management probelm - WHY is Samaras plaing in the middle of the pitch - he needs to play a striker role and recive croses into the box not prance around on the wing and be ineffectual in the middle. we have no shape the coaches seem clueless today.
Well-flighted free kick from the left flank by Robson, Heid rose at far corner of six yard box and beautifully guided his header down across he keeper into th far corner.
At last!
Sami looking the only man likely to lift us. Won the free.
Sammi does well to win a FK. Robson swings in a good cross to the back post area and Heid rises majestically to head the ball back across goal into the bottom corner. If anyone desreved a goal today in our side it was Heid.
McGeady, mazy run then brick wall.
Anything more than 4 million - away
Brown more than 4 million - away
Zaluska is our most valuable player - what a man he is...
Fortune isnt related to that guy who played for SOuthampton that turned out to be a plumber is he??? He is never a player thats for sure.
Robson should be hitting the free kicks & corners instead of Fox, as his delivery has been woeful, again.
Aiden just had a simple 5 yard pass on to Samaras, which, if he'd played, he could have went for the 1-2. Instead, he turned the other direction and attempted to take on 4 Falkirk players, losing possession.
Seriously, what are we coaching these players for 5 days a week?!?
under wgs we had a lot of wrank performances thats the problem most of this team have been drilled that way for so long they cant shake the habit, a new manager has to get at least 4 or 5 of his own choice players in before we will see things start to change, how long had we been saying that gordons team while winning the league were awful to watch, as i said when the manager gets the players he wants then i think we will see a difference well i hope so.
Mongby: "Duh, me fink that we played well and Samaras and N'Guemo are excellent, i cant wait to get Brown back in to the team. Duh me fink that we can still with the UEFA cup as well"
Load bang in the background..
Doctor: "Ok Tony relax, the mental home are ready for you"
We all disagree with team selection/tactics from time to time,but the personal nature of the abuse Mowbrays getting on this site is shameful.
Woeful defending by McManus for equaliser.Appeals for offside when he himself is playing the Falkirk striker on by several yards,whilst not marking him at the same time.Doesn't make him an alcoholic or mentally ill though.
Paul67 - I think we got more than we deserved today.
This is our season now. There will be many more games like this interspersed with the occassional 5-0 victory. The league will be decided in the last couple of weeks and it could go either way. As someone said earlier, the fun is being sucked out of our lives by this side.
Ok I will finish what I started, never mind the score.
Watch when Caldwell scores the first.
Not 1 player seems happy we have gone in front.
To me that is a very big problem at a club.
3rd goal McGeady seems a bit different but more relief than celebration me thinks.
I do like the coach but he needs to sort this out quick or we will win he haw.
Very easy to be a critic right now but let's talk about what we think we need to do bhoys.
Well , wont be disapointed to see Mowbray away tonight (how many chances can you give this guy ? - not the man for this job for sure) but worried that it may mean the Pointer in interim charge , don't think I could take that.Nil - Nil at half time and we bring on McManus and lose 3 goals to the bottom of the league , another guy who has had more than enough chances .....enough is enough.
Despite the (compulsory?) 'whoops a daisy' decision at the end that was woeful.
It is bad enough that a Celtic side can play so poorly that they find themselves getting stuffed by Falkirk.
It is completely inexcusable that having managed to grab themselves an undeserved lead we cannot hold on for 10 minutes!!!!!
Sorry Tony that was diabolical and you have to wonder whether the club would be taking a huge gamble handing over cash in January (although I appreciate that is a largely hypothetical question).
Nice to see the much maligned Skippy remind us what he can do; about the only positive today...
Totally unacceptable. A team bereft of commitment, desire and ability and a Manager consistently showing he is out of his depth in terms of signings, team selections, and getting his players to play for him.
Just an awful display, but fair play to Falkirk they deserve their point and maybe more.
I despair I don't think Tony is the man to lead our team said it at the time. The tv said some of our support were throwing their scarves on the pitch at the end of the game, if that is true then Tony's honeymoon is well and truly over.
Come on January so we can get rid of some these players that don't want to give the effort for our beloved hoops. Somehow I don't think the board will spend money though if we are still ahead of the Huns in the New Year.
Disgraceful decision by the linesman in injury time - Samaras 2 yards onside and not a difficult one for him. That was even more difficult to take than the injury time penalty we failed to get v Dundee Utd.
Disgraceful decision by the linesman earlier - McDonald 3 yards onside (Falkirk left back standing in front of linesman played him on) - keeper saved anyway but alerted me at the time to that linesman.
Disgraceful decision by Tony Mowbray to split up our central midfield pairing after 3 excellent performances.
Samaras cause the 2nd goal. terrible woeful pass and after he done it his first thought was to saunter back. With that he took Hinkel out of the game as he bombed forward to give us an outlet for a pass.
Feck me how badly do we need two centre halves. GC done a lazy tackle, pen, then McManus, slow to get it out, plays the guy on and instead off going to try and puthim off, he backs away as if s going to cover the line. That is schooloboy stuff. No creation in the midfield. McGeady needs a boot up the arse. McCourt???? this clamour for him to start, well there you go he was given his chance today.
An appalling, genuinely copper-bottomed appalling performance from Celtic.
Totally unacceptable on so many levels.
There is no team spirit, there is precious little composure, and lots of amateurish play, particularly in defence.
This team is a mess, sadly, and needs major surgery.
We now seem to have regressed to the Barnes/Dalglish era in terms of the poverty of our outfield play. I cannot remember anything as poor under MON or WGS, even in defeats like Clyde we were regularly winning league matches.
I have no solutions but I hope Peter Lawwell does.
One final thing. The linesman denied us an (undeserved) winner in injury time. If Alex Ferguson was our manager he would be spitting blood. I hope, I really hope, BTM highlights that. If he doesn't I fear we have become a spineless bunch...
Only positive is I think we might have, through desperation, found our formation - Samaras played well as the 3rd striker when McDonald came on and it opened up the game.
If only the defence weren't so shocking we'd have taken 3 points.
Mick was ball watching - true. Mc Geady gave up on the chase prior to that, Hinkle stood watching and Caldwell stepped forward and failed to get a tackle in. All before Mick stood ball watching.
The old witch hunt will start and a few old favourites will get it in the neck when the truth is that there were about 8 charatans and imposters wearing hoops today.
The away fans by their exemplary behaviour today showed what this club means to them. The "players" could learn from their example.
BTM says he needs ten new players he's not kidding.This must be yhe worst bunch of imposters for years,they do not play for club or supporters they play for themselves.Utter garbage.IMO there is something badly wrong within the club.Slan
I never seen the game,but coming back from a game in Europe seems to blunt the team in their next game,not a great excuse,but better than reading all the rabid comments coming from here.
Derrybhoy - We are all frustrated but take that kind of comment elsewhere.
As I have said many times, I wouldn't trust BTM with a penny in January. No-one will be bought. See my earlier comment - this is what we have until the end of the season
Paul 67, when are you going to do something about the vile posts coming from 'An honest ' I don't care if he is a hun or a seriously warped bhoy, you need to be kicking this guy into touch!
I said at the time that we should have blown our entire transfer budget on Martinez. A good manager gets results that others can't and I have seen nothing from our present incumbent that indicates to me that he's up for the job.
I don't want a "good guy" or someone who's "Celtic-Minded". I want a winner.
In the present economic climate, the last thing this club and board need is someone who doesn't have the fans with him, never mind the players FFS !!!!
italiabhoy - not the first time we have seen cheating from officials this season - bt you are right, they continue to do it because we dont demonstrate - the players or the manager! WE DO NOT HAVE A WINNING MENTALITY. We dont mind drawing!
When mcfdonald scored - NOT ONE CELTIC PLAYER CONGRATUALTED HIM.
This is a team playing with a menatlity caused by TM stupid comments "i could replace 10 players in January!"
We have a manager who is not a WINNER and not a MOTIVATOR.
Get O'neil back now to get pride back in this Jersey!
Caldwell and McManus are both terrible. Caldwell marginally better but both are miles short of Celtic-class.
Fox: starting to look like Lee Naylor
NGuemo: Looks lost without a football player beside him
Robson: A trier, but again, never Celtic class in a million years.
Samaras: What position does he play? left back? Midfield? He threatens to be a great player and then trips over his own feet.
Fortune: have been supportive of him so far but today was woeful.
Aiden: I would sell in January. We're all waiting for this world-class player to emerge and instead we have a winger with next to no football intelligence and an poor attitude..
We are in a hole and I really think that we are waiting for the Huns to implode. Directionless and lacking any strategy to improve, we seem to be gambling that the fans will just turn up to watch that rubbish.
not much we can say that's not been said already ....woeful performance.
lets not kid ourselves ...the Celtic board won't be buying a whole new team in January...we'll be lucky to see 2 or 3 or even 1 new player and for me the players look like they've already chucked it under Tony Mowbray. if that's the case then Tony will find himself under huge pressure from the fans and the board.
what a mess....the board don't miss place passes or miss goal scoring chances but they've put a manager in place who for me is not looking like he's not building a team....but dismantling one.
He may not have bought all 11 players who played today but they are his players if he's the Celtic manager and should be getting more outta them than we're seeing right now.....
I wanted to post at half time but I was too busy fixing the TV I had battered after McGeady's feeble penalty and even more feeble follow up.
Celtic are broken - plain and simple
There is something fundamentally wrong with our club.
There will be the usual suspects trying to defend our team after that performance.
"You're overreacting" they'll say. Maybe
"Tony needs time to build a side" - 10 miles down the road, Jim Gannon has built a side in jig time. Not world beaters but he has delivered an improvement.
"The wee lambs will be tired after a hard game in Europe" - watch Chelsea vs Man Utd in 1 hour's time. Those 22 players won't be tired.
So far this season the following players have come in for criticism here on this site .......
Boruc, Wilson, Caldwell, McManus, O'Dea, Loovens, Fox, Naylor, Hinkel, N'Guemo, Robson, Brown, Crosas, ZZ, McGeady, McGinn, McCourt, Samaras, Fortune, McDonald and Killen (and for good measure, the manager).
I've been one of the harsher critics but I have decided to stop slagging off individuals.
If none of our players are playing to their potential that would suggest an underlying problem. This needs to be fixed before we can move forward.
Excuse the language bhoys, lesson learnt never blog straight after the match. just felt no passion from the side at all today and it really eats away at me. Just seemed like they couldn't be bothered. After alls said at least Skippy showed that he's not finished yet.
we got more than we deserved, pure pish, samaras and mcgeady dont have a football brain between them but they've got more nouse than BTM.
Robson is absolutely dire, N'guemo missing, defence including the goalkeeper just what you would expect really.
So much for the "what would paddy do" clamour for another lazy brainless football player.
I've seen a lot of absolutely garbage celtic teams but there was always at least one piece of class that would bring you back, this is pound for pound the most embarrasing collection of players to wear the hoops in whatever form.
No bottle no fight no desire no class - BTM is out of his depth, he proves it every week with team selections and substitutions.
If WGS wants Robson then bite his bloody hand off. Wish we could get the £20m for heid and captain clappy, cant anybody else apart from WGS see that they are the future of international defending.
The only surprising thing about that game was that we took the lead twice, and still managed to drop points. , I stated the team selection was wrong for that game, (check back my post before the game ) and to start with another untried experiment proved fatal.
Fortune fully fit, looks like a waste of money, Samaras has been kicked out all over Europe, bad day when McGeady is beyond defending, we started without a goal scorer and it showed when McDonald came on, McCourt might be lucky to get another game. McManus is an embarressment, and was missing for two of the Falkirk goals. Hinkel and Fox are poor in defence
What else do you expect, when we picked the wrong manager, it will always be like this.
Disappointing from a minute before kick, to total embarrassment for the following 90.
Just dreadful, can’t defend, can’t control the midfield and no quality attacking play from our strikers.
We weren’t playing Hamburg today a team full of multi million pound players. No we played Falkirk’s second string, most of them youngsters.
Why change the midfield today? I don’t understand.
However no matter who Tony Mowbray picked, we had to expect better than what we got today. Third rate from players who are getting paid handsomely, robbers.
something isnt right at celtic, a team full of internationals who didnt look interested all day. what happened to the free flowing football we were promised, we were outplayed by a team of kids and crocks.
big tony has a job on his hands, hope he's up for it, the signs arent good.
I want Tony to succeed but i am truely worried!! I know he has been left with a terrible squad to work with from WGS, but the players he has brought in so far are terrible. I do hear that the Korean lad he is bringing in during January is class but i am still very concerned.
The thing that is keeping me positive is i hope we will still be close to the top of the league by January therfore giving us a chance of winning the thing.
Who will be sold come January?? Who would want some of the dross thats in our squad??.....Strachan?? LOL.
I don`t know what annoyed me most about today`s performance.
There was the usual lacksadaisical start to the game which has become the norm for this team (see also Hearts (H), Rapid Vienna (H), Rangers (A), Dundee Utd (H), I could go on....). This lethargic start lasted for the whole of the first half, 45 minutes wasted and encouragement and the initiative given to Falkirk.
Its as though the team seem to think that simply by setting foot onto the park at the start of the game they already have a two goal advantage, theres no sense of urgency until its too late.
The loss of three goals resulting from being ripped apart in the exact same area of the park was an absolute joke. Our defenders clearly don`t learn from their (many) mistakes.
I`m sick of seeing the same failings being tolerated on a weekly basis.
A losing team last season with a manager who lost a lot last season. Those combined ain't going to create winners in the dug-out and the park. Losing three goals to a Falkrik side 19 points behind us, played 10 not won, playing without a recognised striker, bring on a guy who's a retired defender to play up front.
Rudderless and shapeless, passionless and soul-less, we are weak of tackle, poor of pass, kerb of control, hoofing long balls forward. We have no leadership in and out the boardroom, on and off the park. We need someone to be brave, someone to put their hand on the tiller and steady us. In short, we are drifting.
ItaliaBhoy, Fox isn't starting to look like Lee Naylor. Lee Naylor, for all his dreadful crossing, actually knows how to defend. Sami and Fortune combined would make a good Kenny Miller - plenty of clever but pointless running with the ball, and plenty of hanging around distracting defenders. And the predatory eye of a Filip Sebo. I'm not really wanting to get ripped into individual players on the back of today, because I've seen most of them play better on better days and today was a complete collective collapse. But some players just generally don't look like they belong there, or would be better served in positions other than the ones they are being asked to play at least.
Skippy today showed us why he must play every week. I am, and always have been, a skippy fan but i know many aren't. He is the only player in our team that will score goals - often close to 30 a season. Sure he moans, he's maybe slightly over weight but he is a goal-scorer and we wouldnt have won the league two years ago without him, wouldnt have been in the title race for so long last season and wouldnt have got a draw today.
Zaluska - 7 - Couldnt really fault him. Almost turned the penalty round the post.
Hinkel - 6 - Not great going forward. Caught once or twice at the back. The 3 goals all came down his side.
Heid - 6 - Good goal. Showed it meant a lot to him. Stupid, lazy foul for the penalty. Stands off too often.
Loovens - 4 - Clumsy.
Fox - 5 - Not hit the same heights since his injury.
McCourt - 3 - Was he even on? Very poor. A reminder to everyone that he is far from finished article.
Robson - 6 - Showed heart and drive but not a lot else. Kind of sums him up. He'll give his all but doesnt have all that much quality to supplement it.
N'Guemo - 6 - Wasnt the worst but loose passes are becoming an all too frequent part of his game.
McGeady - 4 - Plenty of aimless dribbles with the usual, poor end product. Poor penalty and even worse follow up. Only avoided hook as McCourt was even worse.
Samaras - 6 - Looked much more comfortable when Skippy came on and he was allowed to drift left. Great ball to skippy for the 3rd and was onside for what could have been the 4th.
Fortune - 4 - Simply doesnt look like a player worth spending 4million on. Not much pace, no real strength. Can turn a defender but then doesnt seem to know what to do. I fear he will play more and more simply because of the money paid for him.
Mick - 4 - Not a game changing substitution. Well, not in our favour anyway! Not directly at fault for any of the goals but his positioning isnt great and simply lacks quality.
Zheng Zhi - 3 - Didnt do much in the time he was on. Struggled to adapt to the fast paced game.
Skippy - 7 - Saved us today. Got us an undeserved point but again showed why he should play. Misses plenty of chances but also scores plenty of goals.
TM - 4 - Why disrupt the midfield pairing of Crosas and N'Guemo who played so well together? Also i fear he is only playing fortune as he feels he must prove he is worth the 4million he spent - my advice would be dont, as he simply isnt worth that money. Possibly have a bearing on the amount of transfer funds he will get in January.
Overall - 4 - We were lucky to get a draw against a team bottom of the league; who are yet to win this season; who were missing 7 first team players and whose reserve team manager came off the bench in an attempt to win the game. Disgraceful celtic.
At least the gutter press will be able to use some of the headlines they were hoping to use for the minutes silence to describe the teams performance instead of the fans performance.
For all their problems, Rancid f.c. have one thing going for them,.......this present Celtic team.
A Celtic team in name only.
Everyone and their granny is walloping Falkirk, along come the Bhoys at the top of the table and we're looking like we are the one's propping up the SPL !
I will back our manager and every player at the club as long as they are wearing the Celtic strip but where is the hunger, desire & fight ? Tony Mowbray doesn't look like a man with fire in his belly when you see him standing at the side of the dug-out. I know that different managers show different emotions but what kind of message does it show if he's standing around, looking as if he's pondering where to go on holiday !
As for his players ..... they don't half burst your chops with the drivel they seem to be playing. Come on Celtic, sort it out and quick.
Remember this is just a continuation of what we got many times last season . Well maybe its gone a bit worse.
Tony M miserably hunched on the sideline is not an inspireing sight either.
If we sell Artur Boruc we will end up 3rd in the league,I really feel sorry for the Faithful,I sat in the relative comfort of a pub enjoying a few beers with another good Tim whom I havent seen in ages watching amateur football,sincerely my heart goes out to those who travel Europe to watch Celtic,whom would struggle through lack of confidence against an amateur side,God Bless The Faithful,I am sorry you had to watch that drivel.
the poster who suggests that we are waiting for the huns to implode is spot on the mark. thinks. Simply not good enough. i don't subscribe to the notion that the players are "cheats" one or two on here have. i think that they are simply not up to the task. you wouldn't, for instance, call motherwell players cheats, more you would acknowledge that they are not very good. Celtic FC do not pay the players to be best friends. if there are personal issues with certain players then those players must be big enough to leave them at the other side of the painted white line and be professional.
loosing 3 goals to the bottom of the league side is poor indeed, and the worst thing about it is that i am not surprised about it. you have become accustomed to such events.
the board have found themselves at a big cross roads. invest significantly in the squad in january, which i think they will be reluctant to do or run the very real risk of playing to half empty grounds and dwindling interest from sponsors
In my opinion possibly the worst performance by our team in the last 10 years in a league game.
Other than the goals, there was hee haw. Absoulute shambles of a performance. I stopped watching after an hour, my blood pressure couldn't take it.
My son's u/10 team dont make the same mistakes as our defence does.
Aiden's follow up at the penalty reminded me of a similar attempt by Joe Miller in 1989 when he missed a penalty when we were 2 1 down against the horribles, by waiting for the rebound rather than attacking it, same outcome as Aiden's feeble 'effort'.
If the manager has lost the dressing room, we are in trouble.
All the players should stop talking to media and to do their talking on the pitch.
I received a text saying when mcdonald got the, third after Samaras' pass, he didnt go near him to thank him for the great pass. This, to me, shows a lack of team spirit.
By notthebus on November 6, 2009 10:13 PM
Just had a "Not the View" bath..Issue 40 (March 1993).The kelly are in power,Liam brday is trying to "play the celtic way" and terry cassidy has just been fired!
For all thos "This is the worst celtic team etc etc ", here is our form from that time.
Hearts (away) lost 0:1
Dundee Utd *home) lost 0:1
Rangers (away) lost 0:1
Clyde (scottiah cup) 0:0
Clyde (replay) WON 1:0 (woo hoo)
Airdrie (away) WON 1:0 (on a role now)
Motherwell (Home) Drwa 1:1 (darn!)
St Johnstone (Home) WON 5:1 (whit!!)
Falkirk (Scottish cup) lost 0:2
Aberdeen (away) Draw 1:1
So for the PF (post fergus) fans, this was typical of supporting the hoops in the early 90's.Not a European tie in sight,Out of both cups, no where in the league and our top scorer with 4 goals..Tommy Coyne (2 penalties).
Next time you read a post starting with "thats the worst ..." just remember the poster is very young!
You start blaming the manager for that one, you're headiung towards the hun mentality of stamping feet and demanding quick fixes.
TM picked the sort of team a lot on here have been demanding for weeks.
Build a team around Paddy McCourt? Well, Falkirk certainly did today...
McGeady? One significant pass in 90 minutes from our most 'gifted' player?
The seive? Back like Lazarus.
Today was about players proving they were solid professionals, able to follow up a demanding European tie by raising their game to compete against a lowly SPL side.
They COULD NOT do it.
What we found out today was that many players are simply not up to the task of playing for Celtic - note I didn't say they weren't physically GOOD enough at times, just mentally incapable of being quality professionals.
Hopefully, TM will have a notebook full of tday's inadequacies.
But then, he's never hidden what he's thought of the squad's capabilities and it must rankle with some that it is difficult to throw criticism at a manger who's already told us so.
Onwards and upwards, and taxis at the ready for the impostors.
The word was that Loovens had a groin injury, but you are bang on with Crosas, and sadly with Fortune too. Your choice of word on Mowbray is unfortunate, and too far, but I agree with the feeling.
We've had a terrible defence for 5 years what we done about it, how anybody can defend them is beyond me and before anyone pipes up bout best defensive record blah de blah, Real Madrid had the best defensive record the last year the one the league and that was down purely to Iker Cassilas.
Who in that team fill you with any excitement or hope, THG. We took a reserve at Barca who is rapidly looking like our only decent midfielder. Somebody has to be held accountable and soon.
BTM? PL?? Us probably, we've stood by and let it come to this.
I have blameD everyone else for the poor performances this season but it's time TM took a bloody hard look at himself.
His team selections are mind boggling at times, especially with the advantage of hindsight.
Why are we so inconsistent? Why do some of our players not have the technical basics?
No Celtic player should ever need motivated, but this shower of cheats look like they do. Why?
I must confess to having big doubts about the direction of the club and team. This has meant I will not blindly buy European and cup tickets as I can't be bothered.
Is there an arrogance with the players? If so it's misplaced.
Are there problems in the dressing room? If so, drop the offenders no matter who they are and get rid ASAP.
If Falkirk played against the Celtic defence every week they would not be bottom of the league. Ball watchers who dont cover for each other. A complete shambles.
Falkirk had scored a total of 5 goals in 10 league games before today, averaging 0.5 goals per game. They could have doubled their season total in one game against our defence today.
Is it any surprise that we were unable to pass the ball to men in bumble bee strips? No Crosas and no passing. He and N'Guemo had started to put us back together and then the manager breaks this up (unless his hand was forced with injury). If the former is the case then that is Tony Mowbray's fault.
Falkirk are no roughhouse team, they pass it so why Robson in the middle? For Steel? Nonsense. Bad management from Tony. He has watched Falkirk I presume by his comments about Eddie May so this is poor management.
McGeady should have been hooked for that penalty alone and shot for the follow - up. He did nothing all game except that - Poor management.
He stands doing nothing on the side lines - poor management.
His big signing was annonymous - poor management, he signed this guy and blew a transfer budget on him.
Zheng Zhi - I don't know
Fox - Not consistent
N'Guemo - is being exposed too often by the midfield partners he doesn't get - Bad management.
Zaluszka was poor today - he should have saved at least 2 of the goals IMHO. The Penalty definitely.
I am sorry but we lurch from the acceptable to the God awful with far too much regularity for it to be coincidence.
If it is players and cliques the manager should drop them
If it is the management team then the board should act and bite the bullet. IMO Tony Mowbray will never make a Celtic manager in a million years. He is too inconsistent with everything he does and says.
Do we want to give TM whatever money we have to spend?
When are we going to stand up to the establishment..??
Appalling performance from the entire team today, but, and its a very big BUT we should still have collected all three points but for a cheating linesman.
Earlier in the game he gave offside against McDonald who had followed up a shot. He was at least 2 yards onside with the left back the closest player to the linesman.
Then as we all see in the last minute he repeats the trick.
A video of this should be sent to Mr Dallas and an explanation requested. In saying that he will probably just file it with the process that was used for Loovens suspension.
We must start bringing this into the open.
As for the pathetic performance. Enough said...pathetic
Couldnt watch anymore! I actually took the mutt out before half time,Never before have I cringed so much watching Celtic.( well apart from Bratislava )
I've tried my hardest to be patient with TM and his strange tactics and ever stranger substitutions.
Tony u might have got hibs playing some decent stuff and got West Brom relegated while doing the same ,but your well out your depth at Celtic.............BYE BYE !!!!!!!
I am a Celtic fan, I watched those games under brady, I hope we would never return to those days but we have, and Tommy Coyne is a much better player than anyone on that pitch today
I think we have, man for man, better players in most positions than any other team in the SPHell. Difference is...............they dont play like a team. Falkirk passed harried,and seldom lumped the ball up the park. Every one of their players moved in to a position where they could receive the ball. Any time we had the ball, our players were marked and didn't have the vision to create space for themselves. Something in that dressing room is definetly wrong. Clear the air talks required pronto I fear.......
Another really tired performance from usual suspects do we have a defence who is josh thompson he might as well go back to england cause tony aint gonna play you sick of the same old excuses same hopeless players and a message for tony if your players are tired move over and get someone in who will wake them up.
Totally agree re: linesman. For all we were gash, he has cost us 2 points. Big clubs simply don't accept these decisions without an almighty kerfuffle...
Dubhaibhoy@1.36
Singing clearly heard on my service too. Totally agree, morons, waste of space, don't even have the decency to remember their own fans and players. Couldn't even take the hint from the Celtic website about those players who fell. No doubt we will be asked to observe some commemoration by those same people who can't stay quiet for 1 minute.
As to the game - a dreadful display, have never seen such a bunch of gutless inept performers, and the manager must take responsibility for his selections and tactics, if any.
why did we only olay one man up front? we had no pressure on that terrible defence of falkirks. Samaras is our most dangerous man in he air but watch his positions throughout the game - he is either crossing from the left (to who??) or he lingers on the 18yrd line when balls are firing into the box - TOTALLY INEFFECTUAL and shocking management from highly paid experts of the game.
Today was made for Mcginns pace , samaras in the box with mcdonald - I know there is usually a euro hangover but today I'm very worried about , not so much team selection , but team set up and team mentality.
I thought we had turned the corner after the last two games. Maybe we had but the manager, for reasons best known to himself dropped Marc Crosas today and we never looked settled in the middle of the pitch. If it is not broken don't fix it.
Despite the stick he gets from some people among our support Scott McDonald is the only natural goal scorer we have. He was denied a hat-trick by two appalling decisions - one from Fortune and the other from the linesman who, again for reasons best known to himself flagged Samaras offside despite being in a position to know he was two-yards on.
BTM needs to keep the team settled as much as possible. Loovens was injured but at least he started the match. A poor performance. A draw was a fair result, but we should be beating these semi-skimmed Huns any day of the week.
Do not let this particular linesman pass by without note guys.
Despite our woeful inadequacies, we scored a legitimate goal in injury time which should have seen us take 3 points (a win when playing badly is the mark of champions we keep hearing).
It was blatantly wrong - so far onside it is difficult to explain why he flagged.
We were robbed of those three points today by a linesman who did exactly the same thing 15 minutes earlier, although the keeper saved from McDonald that time so no direct bearing on the number of points we would have.
Again, McDonald was so far onside it was difficult to accept the decision was a genuine mistake - the left back was right in front of him - McDonald was 3 yards onside.
Once? By 2 yards? Maybe, just maybe. But twice in 15 minutes, both times with a Celtic striker with just the keeper to beat?? 2 yards and 3 yards???
1st goal Caldwell plays like himself and concedes a needless penalty.
2nd goal centre of defense demonstrates their outstanding ability to ball watch and do what they always do (abdicate responsibility)
3rd goal Ditto.
Tony is looking less and less like a football coach.
Paddy McCourt no thanks cannot even run.
Three so called center backs on the park not one good enough.
ZZ signed and sitting on the bench.
Aidan a one trick pony.
Very close to taxi for TM,he is supposed to manage,something is far wrong in the dressing room,he needs to level with the support.
Hail Hail.
New signings not bloody likely, no one will come in in January, "its not the time to buy" we are constantly told, well i may adopt that regarding Celtic merchandise. We havent bought this Korean guy either and i doubt we will its just what Celtic plc do best "talk".
Lets see how the Board address their lack of football knowledge once the crowds dwindle, and they will, how will they buck the trend. Thankfully i only have £28 still to pay for the Europa package and thats my financial commitment to Celtic over.
How many more midfield partners is N'Guemo going to get? Today it was Robson, then Zhi. In the last two games he played with Crosas, and before that it was Brown, before that Donati.
With any team, but especially with our defence, you need a holding midfield player, one who can tackle and pass and is mobile. Tony Mowbray must decide who that player is. I would say Crosas is our best bet, don't know why the N'Guemo/Crosas pairing was not continued today.
I also noticed there was no congratulations between Samaras and McDonald after Sami played the great ball to Skippy for the third goal. If there is a problem with the team spirit, the manager has to sort it out, pronto! If the problem persists, the league will be lost. Come on, Tony, manage! Paul Lambert is lurking.
I'm not in the "get rid of Tony" brigade yet but if he was a cat he would have used up 8 of his 9 lives today. Strange team selection, lack of application. skill ,confidence. Falkirk showed what can be achieved with limited resources and the right attitude.
Samaras was two yards ONside when put through at the death which makes you wonder about that linesman but I would still be as disgusted if we had won 4 3.
we lose 3 goals in a half with McManus / Caldwell combo. Whatever the reason they were paired today, we must all know that they are our weakest pairing.
for all his faults, Skippy remains our most potent threat up front.
I still think we'll win this league. If only due to toxicassets fc being marginally worse than us.
I don't usually refer to specific posters. For 'an honest tim' I'll make an exception - you're an idiot, son. Please log off and go somewhere else.
sg
Utterly correct! If that had been Rangers or Fergie they would have been goin balistic on the touch line or the players would have rant to the ref - pressure pressure pressure!
But no - we are LOSERS to the core!!!
I'm sick of Celtic LYING DOWN to clear cheating and corruption - Have we lost the fight? certainly looks like it!
Getting rid of Mowbray is not the answer....Who are we likely to get who would be better....and don't tell me any rookie manager in the world is capable of managing our club, with the current players and budget
MON is not coming back...not unless we get into the EPL....
We can talk all day about which positions need fixing...one week its defence, next it's midfield, another strikers....One thing is a constant, regardless of which part of the team fails to function.....we have no leaders....no lennon, no sutton, no aitken, no burns, not a single hard driven , never say die individual....
barry robson is probably the closest we have, but his lack of pace and awareness can't be accommodated in a team so lacking in quality
if we are merely looking for better players than we have just now, there will be more days like today...if we are looking for better players with a stronger mentality and leadership qualities, then we will improve and move forward
the first starting point would be to offload those with not enough ability within our current squad. I wouldn't even start to name names, the manager must be able to see who needs to be sold....we have to trust in the manager, and hope the board put their shoulder to the wheel and get the underachievers out and winners in
I don't post often, but I feel motivated to do so today....
Two wingers leaves two central midfielders. Opposition always floods the middle with 3 or even 4 bodies. None of our CM's are good enough to deal with this. Mowbray is doing eactly what GS did....chop and change the CM's.
Gordon had Graveson, Donati, Jarosik, Hartley, Sno....and quite a few others. It didn't work.
Tony has Brown, Robson, N'Guemo, Crosas, ZZ. It makes no difference who the 2 are on a given day. Other teams flood that area and hound us out of the game. Result? Our center backs don't have confidence in playing the ball into feet through the middle. Instead, they pump it aimlessly up the park.
While all of this is going on, our wingers are not part of the game.
Answer? Three in the middle. Lose the wingers. Play Aiden left, right and through the middle. With 3 in the middle, we'd have players close to each other. The 10 yard pass would always be an option. We'd have shape.
On top of all of that, Maloney is twice the player when playing in the 'hole'.
Tony is making the same mistake as Gordon. Sticking to 'principles', when we don't have the quality of player to play that way.
On the minutes' silence. The sound on TV here in Canada carried the 'singing' very clearly. I think that it is fair to say that everyone in our club was disgusted. I certainly was.
I think it is clear that players cost managers their jobs.
This group of players did not play for Gordon last season and here they are again not playing for Tony.
I suppose we will have "player apologists" coming on to try and justify their level of performance. Each Falkirk goal originated from a professional player dressed in green and white hoops' lack of effort, commitment and willingness to chase back.
Worryingly for Mowbray is that this was from some players he had signed. Obviously we are still good enough to win this league (as we were last year) but some of these players don't want to play for Celtic or even try for Celtic.
this team is totaly gutless no spine or dig it's alright playing great passing football but there is games you need to dig in to win this team would be hammered by celtic ladies team we are utter garbage need 2 CB with pace and dig MF who can play killer pass and striker with pace and killer instinct when he gets chances he will score at least 7 out of 10 chances
We are a lethargic lot, we should be looking to win by half time. When has that happend? It seems we need a bad tackle or to go a goal down before we wake up. Methinks BTM should try and get involved in touchline motivation.
He should be urging and shouting the players onwards, he should be giving direction and signaling - let the players know he is up for it.
I despair sometimes, we have a team in the squad that just wont materialise, we have many good players that can't play or gel with each other. This is BTM job.
We'll be lucky to add 1 player to this squad in Jan, so our work is cut out to get a winning mentality installed in all our players and a fighting team who want 3 points from every game.
All is not lost but it sure fees like it, even when we draw.
Koko
first mistake was why was Paddy doing on today...more of a impact player as I keep saying! Just one foot and the odd mazey run will never make him a Celtic starter and if we had some decent players not even a starter at all !!
Sorry for this comment but have watched the guy for over 4 years now and nothing has changed about him! Great lad but not Celtic Class like another 15 I Could list!!
On another Topic..Franz Backenburer Caldwells DISTRIBUTION today 18 PASSES OUT OF DEFENCE and all went to A Falkirk player!!
We require help as this squad is no better than Falkirks teenagers....Now theres a Thought !!!!
Just in from the game, I don't know what it looked like on the telly but first half was just dire. No midfield, no attacking. Really frustrating to watch. It's Falkirk we were playing FFS! Just not what I expect from Falkirk
The second half was entertaining but still, it's just not good enough. Results like this could and probably will come back to haunt us come the end of the season. As for the Samaras offside, I was right in line with the linesman (opposite side - in that diddy stand Falkirk have) and it was never offside. In all honesty, we were lucky to get a point.
BTW - anyone else see that ESPN burd on the touchline? Minted :)
My Marks - and we lost the grasp of this game in midfield:
Zaluska - 5 Played as if he wasn't there.
Hinkel - 7 Always looked to have the quality others around him lack.
Caldwell - 6 Not good enough for Celtic, poor penalty concession
Loovens / McManus - 7 Not too bad
Fox - Best Left Back in years.
McCourt - 2 I cant remember him doing anything of note and on one occassion he simply ran 10 yards back into Hinkel and lost the ball
Robson - 5 usual dig but poor game
N'Guemo - 7 Hardly put a foot wrong, industrious
McGeady - 4 no footballing brain
Fortune - 5 Came onto a game 2nd half but pretty invisible the first. HAs certain strengths which celtic are not playing to
Samaras - 7 thought he played really well.
McDonald - 7 thought he was going to have one of his days when he missed that sitter but cant fault a sub striker scoring 2 goals
Does anyone still believe that given a good few million quid and a couple of transfer windows that TM can make a Celtic team equipped to do well domesticaly and in the European arena?Mr.Mowbray has difficulty in motivating players why do I say that? well just look at the difference in todays performance and Thursday night its not hard to motivate a team playing against a top european club However,to motivate a team against Falkirk a team bottom of the SPL that hasnt won a game at home takes more skill and yet again TM and the players were found wanting.I think we spend to much time gloating over the problems at ibrox and that is papering over the cracks at Parkhead.IMHO the board have blundered again in there choice of manager nice big guy that TM is he just isnt up to being the manager of our great club.If you feel differently please come on and tell me why in a constructive manner because I do want to be convinced.
Another day another team layout. Why aren't we building partnerships and building confidence on the side. AGAIN the players never knew who was playing beside them and looked uncomfortable when given the ball. For guys who have this as a career this is nothing short of embarrassing. Not even worth naming names, the lot were well below the high standards that celtic should be expecting. Since when has Falkirk been a worry. Good thing my money never came in today, I was so close to putting a 4-0 bet on for celtic. I really don't want to blame TM as he's only here but he's confusing the hell out of me and I'm scared to think what he'll do with any money he's given in January. And again we have another international break to take everyones mind off what needs to be worked on.
A big thanks to Skippy for stepping up and showing he's not finished yet.
" On the minutes' silence. The sound on TV here in Canada carried the 'singing' very clearly. I think that it is fair to say that everyone in our club was disgusted. I certainly was. "
I watched the game on T.V. and didn't hear any singing. I did hear passing traffic due to the fact the Falkirk stadium is not an enclosed one like Celtic Park. What were the songs being sung during the minutes silence ?
I know there were some other tunes sung during the game but i'll leave that for another day or debate.
Angriest I've been for a long time, watching that today, with the players Celtic have available compared to Falkirk, is leading me to believe all is not well behind the scenes.
Why with the score at 3.2 did Fortune try and score himself and not pass to McDonald for a tap in?
How many players do we have who regularly play better than players they are up against?
Most weeks we are playing against teams where the players are earning a tenth of the Celtic players.
We are starting to look like an SPL select team who can't cope in midfield, can't defend and strikers who don't play with their heads up.
The day Robson become an important player for Celtic was the day we reduced our expectation levels.
That group odf players(they aren't a team) should be made to watch that performance tomorrow at training.
They should, if they have any decency then appologise the the Celtic fans who attended.
Last point about today.
Well done to those today who upheld the one minute silence.To those who were either in or outside the ground singing, it was one minute of your life to shut it.
They may have hijacked the Poppy rubbish over the last few years but many, many people died who were no more than cannon fodder, including many Irishmen.
My own great uncle was living in Glasgow when the war broke out and as a result was conscripted to the Navy, reported missing in 1943.
Only heard the last ten minutes or so on the radio, so can't comment on our overall performance, or lack of it according to the general view.
The team line up surprised me in a couple of places. I had expected to see Fortune'e in for MacDonald, but did not expect to see Crosas dropped, or apparently rested. Too many games someone suggested? We have a 2 week break coning up. It made no sense to me to break up what was becoming a promising partnership.
I was also surprised to see McCourt starting in a game that was always going to be quick and frantic. For me McGinn is ahead of him in the pecking order on recent performances and should have started.
One more point. As 89 minutes ticked around the BBC Scotland commentator noted that there would be a very lengthy period of time to be added. But only 3 minutes was announced.
Now it may not have affected the result, but another example of a referee failing to follow the basic rules really annoys me. There were five substitutions which is 2 1/2 minutes alone. So only 30 more seconds for stoppages caused by a penalty, six goals and any injuries, etc? Nonsense.
The ref should be asked to explain why he only added 3 minutes.
Possilbhoy, it is quite possible that Sky cut the mics during the silence, as the referee's whistle wasn't audible at the end of the silence, and they clearly showed Lawwell shaking his head at something during it.
Others reporting that it could be heard on Radio Scotland. When the sound came back up on Sky, booing could clearly be heard.
90: Samaras runs through one-on-one with Olejnik but he sees his driven effort parried by the Falkirk goalkeeper. The linesman raises his flag for offside before McDonald knocks the ball into the back of the net but that looks like the wrong decision.
you know somthing i dont care anymore, i am sad that it has come to this but the way we are run has sickened me so much i just dont want give those in charge 1 penny, i cant stand there spin and arrogance anymore this isnt celtic anymore we dont feel like a family anymore, it has been plain for a good few seasons now that this was coming and yet a club that is in such a poor financial position is allowed to dominate now, ah the cry thats why we have been prudent look at them, yes thats factually correct but why do i feel this way, because it was blatantly obvious if we had bought a couple of decent strikers 2 seasons ago we would have been well and truly in a period of GOD,i have no faith whatsoever in this jaunta that we have in charge.
Tony do the honourable thing and go now,you cant manage you would not know a good player if you saw one.Tactics non existent.The board will never give you any more money to waste.Previous boards waited too long i.e Barnes.
I’m trying to be positive, which I believe, we’ve got to do at these times. We hung on today, on a day when we were weak all through the team but actually scored three goals, all of which were well made and well taken. The opposition were not only fired up, but played very well and teams who play a crisp passing game do very well against us.
I agree with an earlier poster, a point was probably more than we deserved today.
I would like to make one further point for which I might get shot down. We badly need Artur back. Artur makes crucial saves, Zaluska almost saves them. We need the former.
That could have made all the difference today.
would you want to play for a manager who constantly tells you that you are not good enough?? it may be true to a point but you need to get the best out of what you have at your disposal until you are in a position to change it!
At the moment Celtic are a mess, Mogga appears to have lost the dressing room, but did he have it to lose in the first place??
Last season was shocking, letting those muppets win the league was unforgivable, major surgery is required starting with the defence, then central midfield, we constantly lose cheap goals and Mogga's decision to drop Crosas was ridiculous.
I'm struggling to name my MOTM today as the first half was as bad as i've seen us play, possibly McDonald as he had a point to prove when he came on.
I'm not one for calling for the manager's head but something aint right at CP just now, we're rank rotten, but Mogga isn't getting the best out of his players, and that is a major concern.
You could be right but I thought he could have played the ball across earlier before McDonald moved offside, I could be wrong.
Over the last few weeks I've noticed quite a few times McDonald getting into great positions to receive a pass, but it never comes, this is what's making me think things aren't right behind the scenes.
no cohesion.
no continuity.
no organisation.
no fight.
no leadership.
no togetherness.
no belief in the team (not from me anyway).
no pace.
no skill.
no-one taking responsibility.
WGS-esque forcing of players into the same 'system' that doesn't work.
poor SPL yet we struggle against them, despite being highest paid squad by far.
we talk about the gap between our finances and europa league/CL opposition but the relative gap must be similar with us and the SPL.
They were injury ravaged to the extent they had to bring on a guy who is 39 and supposed to be retired.
They had scored 5 goals in the 10 SPL games to date.
Their manager in a pre match interview explained he had the lowest budget in the league. (Wattie might dispute that one)
I think we had our first goal attempt against this makeshift team after 30 mins.
By time up, they had managed to score 3 which was a 600% increase in todays game on their normal 0.5 goal per game rate.
Zaluska can take the credit that they didn't hit 5.
It was quite simply the worst first 45 mins I've seen from a Celtic team in my memory, and yes, I was around in the 90's.
If the team next week was:
Zaluska
Caddis
Thomson
Marr
Naylor
McGinn
Flood
Crosas
Ferry
Skippy
McGowan
then not one of the players left out would have any reason to complain. I leave the keeper who did well and Skippy who despite a poor season did his job today.
The rest should donate their wages to charity and start packing their bags now. Who, however, would buy any of them?
TM?
I've tried, believe me, I've tried,to give him a fair crack. That today, was the final straw for me. They cannot pass, cannot defend, appear lacklustre, uninterested, untalented. He has to shoulder some of the blame.
Tactically he seems to have only one oar in the water.
thanks. I did hear booing after the minutes silence but just thought it was Falkirk fans giving our lovely away support their usual awayg ground reception.
The trouble with this present squad is that there are too many big time charlies,Caldwell being the biggest,strolls about at the back,passing the ball sideways then backwards always pointing as if he was some kind of superstar.The attitude of this lot stinks,if they start the game at the correct tempo,as they did against Killie it becomes easier.They didnt give Falkirk respect and paid for it bigtime.I am sorry I have to say it but the only way this will change is to stop going to games,and you know something,after watching Celtic for over 50 years,I dont think it would bother me.This lot are a total arrogant team of imposters.Slan
oh how the orcs are so so sooooooooooo disappointed that the silence was observed impeccably.
conspiracies of sky had turned the volume off blah blah blah
let me ask this...
IS THERE ANYTHING MORE DISRESPECTING TO THE 'WAR DEAD' THAN THIS:
***************************************************************** http://img400.imageshack.us/my.php?image=2qm0jmfoo8.jpg
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I CERTAINLY DONT THINK SO.
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What a terrible performance both on and off the pitch - my worst fears realised at the minutes silence. Just proves that we have just as bad a section of mindless morons as the other lot.
Then it got worse - losing 3 goals to Falkirk is an absolute disgrace. All 3 goals down our right hand side - hinkel? caldwell?
I like Tony Mowbray, he's a genuine guy and at times he's had us playing some nice stuff. Early on he was a breath of fresh air, in terms of his handling of the media and his honest assessments of our performances(Good or bad).
However it appears there has been a marked change in his outward persona. From the outside looking in it seems there are dressing room problems. Since the so called "clear the air meeting" his comments have been less critical. Any manager worth his salt would not be dictated to, he must be stronger, on the surface it looks like he has been.
If Tony Mowbray is to keep his job and be a success at Celtic then he's got a massive job on his hands. First and foremost he has to remove elements in the dressing room, who from the looks of it have been undermining him. Then he has to get players with better attitudes and who fit with his ethos, all on a shoe string budget, it's not going to be easy.
We have a plethora of players who believe they are better than they actualy are and who are being paid over inflated wages, unfortunately one of which seems to be one of his signings. I think Fortune could ultimately cost Mogga his job. All managers make mistakes in the transfer market, however this player was not an unknown element. 3 months with Mowbray at West Brom and he made him his number 1 target, can’t be any excuses for blowing his budget on such a poor player.
To keep his job he needs a massive overhaul.
Caldwell
Mick
Fox
Robson
Fortune
Brown
McGeady
Plus many fringe players all IMO need massively improved upon.
Alarm bells ringing
TM might not be the whole problem but today showed that he is part of it !
Took far far too long to get a response from him
Changes should have been made after 20-25 minutes !
When you are getting out played by the team at the bottom of the ;eague you know that you're in deep trouble
TM waited until half time before making an enforced change
Let's be honest
Cauldwell
McManus
McCourt
Robson
Samaras
are just not good enough
N'Guemo
MAF
Fox
jury still out but today was not good if that is a portent for their future
We were lucky to be one up yet a blind man could see that either McGeady or McCourt had to come off - yet TM waited until we lost the goal - - poor poor management
We get back in front yet fail to see out time - - truly shocking display
Our only realistic hope is that the huns go into meltdown - today proved that we are just not good enough
When MON left GS was already in place. A seemless transition some would say. Not so when GS left. My point is that although I don't think TM is the man to take Celtic forward, I don't blame him for taking the job, lets face it given the chance we would all do the same. The lack of ambition within the board is the problem, TM is just a symptom. We should have had a new coach identifyed last Jan when we all knew that it was going to be GS's last season.
Total agreement, The players and management out there today should be a shamed of that performace and be made to watch your team selection next week!! At least that team might have the passion to allow us to support the Bhoys!!
Let's get this straight right from the off - this team today is fully deserving of the ire and anger of every single person on this board. Shameful, without passion, inept and woeful. But the fans inside the stadium were impeccable, there were some singing outside, OUTSIDE, but DO NOT ANYONE DARE equate that with the rioting, sectarian bigots of the Huns.
Our support did us PROUD today. The fans are the ONLY good thing about this club right now, and slandering THEM is what I find to be unacceptable today above all.
If we were to buy any of the current Marx Brothers in central defence we would be unhappy.
None of them are good enough, I feel Loovens is the best.
I was actually plaesed with McDonald's attitude when he scored today.
The gestures he made indicated that he knows what the feeling is with the fans about his mouthing off.
It's a sad day when playing a bad lotwe looked as bad.Any idea why the Falkirk fans were singing "we are the people".
3 words to describe Mowbray: Strachan in disguise!Same dire football.Same crap defence.Same stupid team selctions, i.e. breaking up the Crossas / Nguemo partnership just when it was starting to show promise.Same lack of cohesion and tactics. Changing our team to combat a team of reserves at the bottom of the league. Shocking mess.
Better in the second half. Good to see Skippy get a couple.
But! Let's show some fairness to Falkirk, who actually played damned well: Nice triangular moves, with a will to score goals.
How often do we complain about teams just sitting back with eleven men behind the ball, trying to hit us on the break with a lucky hump up the park. Well Falkirk certainly didn't try to do that today.
In fact, we were the ones usually punting the ball aimlessly forward.
Where to go from here? Back to the training ground. We all know the players are capable of playing so much better.
Getting a wee bit peed off by comments about Mowbray having lost the dressing room. Absolute dross. He probably never had it because, quite rightly, he recognised from day one that most were posers with no guts. Don't blame the manager - the team have been playing like this for about 2 yrs and it has been downhill all the way. We've gone past crisis and are now in embarrassing mode. And, please, can we drop all this **** about "It's OK, the Gers are ****"? That lot are no longer relevant but if we just settle for staying above them then the game is up!
We need a radical injection of talent and a thorough clearout. I'd also risk some of the young boys - they are either ready or they're not but surely we'd get effort and commitment from them.
Falkirk deserved to win today and that was largely with untried products of their academy.
Don't blame the manager, he's got the experience to guide us through this nonsense. Blame the attitude of some of the players.
there is noone managing that squad, full stop, period etc etc How many times have I raised the issue with our manager now?
Our manager left out his key player for HIS system, Crosas. Now our manager stated that this was because of fear of injury due to multiple games. Now, Im sorry, this goes back to our managers statement that he doesnt have the ethos that every game is a must win game. That is quite clear when you leave out a key player in case he might get injured. That suggests to me a blase attitude today from our manager. So how on earth is such a blase attitude from our manager going to G up our post euro jaded players??
The problem we have is acutely obvious, well to me anyway (and kojo and pjdali)
People have been saying "oh you need to give him a chance, he has to get his own team".
Well Tony has had has chance. He is tactically inept. He cannot motivate players. The players are not playing for him. He makes bizaree decisions on starting line ups, player criticism and substitutions.
We know what the board is like regarding money. We cannot give him the January transfer window to spend. He is not up to the job and he should be shown the door.
Highest paid squad in the SPL and he can't even coax consistency out of them. He has a worse home record than John Barnes and has presided over one of our most pathetic Euro campaigns.
The board have to do damage limitation now. They blundered massively listening to fans whose managerial wishlist consisted solely of "good Celtic men". Start rectifying your mistake. Start tomorrow. Tony has to go. And go now.
Ulster-Celt, aye, that's the facts. But the reality is that we are just top over a rank-rotten Rankers side who have a game in hand. The bare statistics can paper over some cracks, but would you REALLY want to watch another performance like that one we just saw? I've already seen a couple of humdingeringly bad ones (Rankers at the HunHole, Hearts at Celtic Park in league and cup), and a defence gifting goalies like sweeties to guisers. We might still be top of the league, but I don't think anyone's happy about what we've been doing on the way (and that's without taking into account our European misadventures).
Tony's signings played today (4 of them) and we were worse than ever. I guess it's not all down to Gordon Strachan after all. Will be interested to see the article we get based on that performance. Even if we had STOLEN it, it wouldn't have disguised the dross we had produced. They had seven attempts before we mustered one. They are bottom of ther SPL, that was a second team and they brought on the reserve team coach for the last fifteen minutes - God help us!!!!
We conceded all our goals while McManus was on the pitch, This is not coincidence. I have never thought Mick to be a great player, but he was previously fairly steady. I think that the managers chopping and changing of centre halves at the start of the season, as well as a his obvious lack of confidence in all his centre halves has left Mick's confidence shot to pieces. I only hope that O'dea can step up to the mark come january.
In midfield we had no shape whatsoever. Not for the first time this season, Nguemo turned in a very lacklustre performance. I actually think he is a decent player, but he needs to sharpen up at times. Robson huffed and puffed, but as usual, didn't really offer very much. Paddy, I player I have been keen to get a look at from the start, proved that he is much better as an impact player. In the current formation he is never going to be a first eleven regular. The midfield though, looked a whole lot better when Samaras dropped into the left hand side, and I think we may have stumbled on his best position. I mean let's face it, he spends half the game out on the wing anyway so why not play him out there. Playing the big Greek here also has the added bonus of keeping him further away from the goal, thus reducing the chances of him hitting one of his trademark powderpuff strikes.
Thought we looked better up front after McDonald came on, and hopefully with a few more games Fortune can establish himself. But overall just it just wasn't good enough. Again!
Celtic had their lead at the top of the table cut to two points after they were held to a draw by bottom of the pile Falkirk.
After a minute's silence for Remembrance Sunday which was well observed by all the fans inside the ground Alex MacDonald twice blasted shots over the Celtic crossbar.
Does anyone know why only Sir Alex Ferguson (in the Man Utd party) is wearing the poppy for Remembrance Day.....I know it's 'freedom of choice', but was just surprised....
Radio Scotland mics clearly (almost as if the mic was in the middle of the group) picked up 2 renditions of the chorus to "Aidan McAnespie"
At the end of the minute the commentator suggested that this was being carried from outside the seating area.
Regards the game, with the same players who were not good enough for the last 2 years (we almost won the league by default when they got to Manchester) augmented with some new faces that are not good enough, how can we expect anything better? This is every bit as bad as the latter period of WGS's reign - however let's not forget how bad that actually was by saying this is worse!
The manager has no goodwill left to call upon, therefore he must start making the correct decision, rather than more mistakes.
A wholesale clearance of dead wood required, however I cannot see this happening as anyone under contract is not good enough to have the interest of another club who will pay anywhere near wht they get paid at Celtic Park!
"Yes I get the feeling that they do not LIKE one another. I was thinking it at the time you posted. There is something very wrong".
Jiri Jarosik commented on the lack of team feeling when he was at the club, comments for which he was flayed on this blog.
Well the fans (?) got their wish, Jiri got punted, we lost a very good player - the same bunch are still out there playing for our team and putting in performances they deem good enough, and are not supporting the manager.
If Mr. Mowbray goes then perhaps the directors of Celtic should bring in someone to get rid of our current bunch of "Stars".
Looks like the managers comments of needing 10 players was spot on.
Just spent 45 mins on the phone wi' No 1 brother and neither of us can figure out how to "fix" Glasgow Celtic. Even I know that we had an utterly terrible first half, that we were a bit better in the second half is perhaps pushing it, but we did score goals at least.
It's hard to love the hoops when we play like that.
Maybe the manager knows a bit about the gamme when he is reluctant to start with Paddy all the time. Paddy let himself down today, even I know that.
Cool Hand Luke was unlucky with the pen, but if his right haun was as cool as Artur's he'd a saved it. Come jan big Luke is a "keeper" in both senses of the word. However there's a fair few who need to be moved on, and Mick should lead the bunch.
A settled formation with Crosas playing, and Sammi and Mcdonald on form might help things eventually. After today they can't get much worse.
Time for some changes in mood, tempo, temperament and endeavour.
It seems as fans we may have to wait a wee bit longer to see higher levels of professionalism from the team. That is sacrilegous. Tony, you are the Boss, the Gaffer, the High Heidyin it is up to you to lead the changes and effect the required improvements.
Timdom expects that each Hoop should do his duty, and when they do we shall remember them.
If you've been watching Paddy McC for 4 years then you must have been watching him in the Celtic reserves last season and Derry City where he played before that.
He is indeed an impact player and a cracker at that, was he any worse than the rest out there today?
Barcabhoy, I agree we need to back TM, but I fear we won't and we'll be stuck with a fill in manager come Feb. This is a big transfer window coming up, and will I think define our season, do we have the desire to back the manager or gamble like last season.
Well, the board is at its usual doom and gloom best after another disapointing performance and result, but i am going to give my views on where we are after the first round of games as a club;
Lets start of with the team, the squad as a whole is weaker than last years, we struggled in numerous games last season so it should surprise absolutely none of us to see us struggle again this season, quality has not been replaced with quality, and down the spine of the team we look weak.
The sieve has continued to leak goals, the addition of Fox for Naylor for me has not had the impact i had hoped it would have, Fox can deliver a ball better but is he a better defender? He hasnt conclusively shown me that he is anyways.
Hied and Hoof are well.........Hied and Hoof, the problems in our team emenate here, if you cannot defend you will not win games, Loovens goes off injured today and we concede 3, after 2 clean sheets, hmmmmmmmmm Hoof McManus on at half time, coincidence aye right! Tony needs to sort out the middle of our defence pronto!
Hinkel has been inconsistent also adding to the mix of mediocrity at the back.
Midfield; Enigma after enigma, no settled formation, Landry has done okay since coming in and there is a player there, he needs more time and a settled partner. MCGeady although our most skillfull player flaters to decieve on far too many occasions, the one brain cell he and Scott Brown share looks overworked week after week, Brown is probably our most maligned midfielder, big signing and a lot of promise, i like many others had high hopes for the lad but how many chances is he going to get although he hasnt been helped playing with an injury for far too long.
Aiden or Brown, one of them must go to give the manager funds to strengthen in January.
Maloney, Robson & McCourt have all shown flashes in games but fitness has let all of them down and can only be described as bit part players.
Crosas IMHO has not been given a fair crack of the whip under BTM, he seams to be the only player we have that plays the easy ball to another hooped jersey consistantly keeping the game flowing.
It was a mistake to sell Massimo Donati whom was by far our best midfielder at the start of the season, and he has gone on to make an impact back in Italy, a big loss IMHO.
Strikers; Firstly Fortune, whom has done nothing so far to justify his price tag, he was starting to come onto a game before he was injured so i will reserve judgement until january, but it was a lot of money for a guy who is not a goal scorer. Sami, is another enigma, he shows some great touches and vision at times and at others he trips over a blade of grass, not a goal scorer and never will be.
Skippy, if there is a striker with a worse first touch in Scottish football i have yet to see him, saying that he does score goals, he will miss a few as well but gets pass marks for goal scoring, just!
Management team; Big question marks remain about Tony's ability and his tactical awareness, he has inherited a squad going backwards and his first signings have not helped stop the rot IMHO. Football is a results driven business and the more we do not get results against the likes of Falkirk the more fans will turn against him and the clock is always ticking, he must not be sacked at least until the end of the season, as failure to win the SPHell as lloyds FC implode would be an unmitigated disaster.
The Board and CEO; Spin Spin and more Spin, downsizing and cutbacks yet the support are continually asked to pay top dollar to watch a squad that is the poorest arguably this decade.
An absentee landlord owner who seams to most of us to contribute absolutely nothing to the Celtic cause and never talks to the support, a chairman who likes the soundbites of his own voice and the sycophantic laughter of the hangers on sorrounding him, and the CEO who is paid a kings ransom to see the club saving money going backwards at an alarming rate of knots.
All in all, the highpoints have been the impending doom of Bigotry FC and the laptop loyals attempts to re write history, another battle honour for their hall of shame won in Bucharest on Wednesday and a Uefa ban this Thursday would be nice, but this should and must not be allowed to deflect the attention away from the numerous problems at our own door, we are likely to see many more performances and results ala Falkirk in the weeks and months ahead!
I would hope the manager's 'lost the dressing room' because the dressing room isn't good enough right now.
I would point out to the many imposters in 'the dressing room' that it would be percipient of them to try and win back the manager, and most of the suppport.
2 years of barely sufficient effort for astronomical wages compared to the common man is not any way to endear your cause the a passionate fanbase, hoping that it'll be the manager's neck they want before he sells you...
As for playing Crosas all the time - I think TM would love that but let's bear in mind the clauses and 1.65 mill fee the board are trying to avoid. I think he'll be used sparingly for purely financial reasons..
This link (from an Arab channel?) appears to suggest a lusty rendition of Aiden MacInespie, replete with swearing, all the way through the minute's silence. The pics look like Sky's but perhaps the broadcaster has not turned down the mikes as Sky appeared to do...
PL can be seen shaking his head.
What can you say? Probably grown men singing as well.
To be fair when i saw the team the only change i would have made would have been Crosas for Robson. But too many didnt turn up and i was especially disappointed with McCourt and MAF. i dont really know where the team goes from here and we didnt even have broonie to blame
Thanks to a combination of TinyTim and SFTB/Gordon, I managed to pick up a spare for the game today after travelling through to meet What is the Stars. Many thanks guys and well done to our Irish buddy for the race sponsorship - hopefully meet you for a pint next time.
Weeron - the minutes silence was observed impecably within the stadium, but there was a group of Hoops fans outside waiting to get in who were singing a rebel song. The away stand only has 2 turnstiles at each end and we had to join long queues to get into the game. Two turnstiles and no riots, so well done to the Hoops support!!!
Whether we like it or not, Falkirk deserved their point today. Our defence is a shambles, but I fail to see how you can blame Big Mick when Heid gave away a daft penalty and the other two goals came down Hinkel's side of the pitch.
Poof centre midfield and poor CB's. Tony, you better sort it or they will get you the sack.
To the lurker I was sitting next to today, enjoyed your company mate and good luck with your Dubai business trip.
Didn't think it was as dire as so many think. These away games in winter sunshine invariably go like this. Doesn't seem to be conducive to us picking up 3 points easily.
Results and performances like today's are always likely in these conditions.
Sorry Mountain Bhoy if I had a go at you - just frustration. I just don't think one player would have made a difference - the team attitude is all wrong and has been for at least 2 years.
Moybray needs time, a clearout and investment before we blame him, in my view.
Like the GB I was late (to the puter) and missed the silence so can't comment. I would not personally condone anyone not keeping stum.
However, I did hear Roll of Honour sung with gusto and I really can't think of a better context in which it should be when Celtic FC succumb to poppy fascism for the 2nd year running.
Just wish the players had half the class of the support.
On players singled out for criticism. I certainly can't defend Paddy's performance but the glee with which some fans single him out is strange.
As far as I can recall that is Paddy's only substandard performance in a Celtic shirt; a little quick to write him off aren't we?
Compare this to the lack of criticism for Mr Costa. As far as I can recall he has only produced one performance even approaching the (comparatively) huge outlay.
Looks like a waste of money and the poster who doubted Tony's ability to be trusted with cash in January raises a very good point...
Where is that team that not long time ago won against Villarreal, Milan, drew against Manchester Utd ?
Maybe people who at Celtic are responsible for physical trainings do not well for the players? I do not believe two or three transfers can do this team decent.
I'll just state what I have been stating for weeks it now seems...
Tony Mowbray is never a Celtic manager - never mind a good one.
Before he signed for Celtic our host referred to him as a manager who took over a mid league Hibs team and kept them there.
As someone has asked before - If Tony Mowbray had taken over Dundee United would anyone have been surprised?
The Blinkered Tinker Man will burn our money. Mark my words.
Rangers will survive their present condition because of Celtic's parsimony and inneffectual employees.
Make the change now.
Mowbray's appointment did not invigorate this team - that's a sign something is wrong.
A new manager should at least improve then enhance. He has done neither.
If this is the best team in Scottish football there will be an upsurge in PS3 purchases - works out about the same as a season ticket after you buy a few games...
Have some guts Celtic. Other results are defining our seasons not our own. get a good manager in.
Zbyszek, I dont believe the main problem is the players, Im tired of saying it but Ill say it again. The managers system is wrong and the man management is clearly wrong. The players are far superior to any player in Falkirks squad (or any other SPL sde for that matter).
However, it is worth remembering the trajectory of John Barnes' Celtic career. An impressive start was followed by a gradual decline, culminating in a 2-3 defeat at home to Hertz (after being 2-0 up), and then ICT.
It was clear Barnes had lost the dressing room by about Christmas.
Once this happens I don't think there is a lot of choices. Either you back the manager and root out the troublemakers (ManU circa 1986); or you get rid of the coach...
The players it seems to me are not playing for the manager. This MUST be sorted one way or the other soon.
mountain_bhoy, although I'm no great fan of the tactics and choices and baffling subs, one of the most worrying things (not just today) is the inability of our well-paid superstars to master the basics like trapping a ball and aiming a pass at a guy in hoops. I'm not sure our guys *are* better than their SPL peers (some of them actually are their SPL peers, remember - MacDonald, Caldwell, Brown, Robson, Wilson, Killen, Zaluska, Flood: all signed from SPL clubs), but they should be capable of playing basic football, or we should have left them where they were.
oneanton & jinky - where's a moderator when you need one?! :-)
Uly - maybe this team are beyond being invigorated. It's mostly the same guys from last season and there's hardly one I would be upset at losing for decent money.
The manager and the formerly untouchable CEO have a lot of trading to do in January, with jobs at stake come season end.
I don't expect any significant net spend, unless we sell one from Aiden/Broon/THG.
Difficult post this one for me. I'm unsure I've got the vocabulary to make this point, but it's an important one and I'm going to try.
I was driving to a youth game this afternoon with my boy. We were listening to the preamble on BBC Radio Scotland before the match started.
Minute of silence commences.
Cue singing.
My son became upset. He said; "That's a disgrace Dad. Is that the Falkirk fans?"
"No son, that's the Celtic support."
Nothing more was said by either of us until we got to our destination 30 minutes later. Just silent humiliation.
A low point in my time as a Celtic supporter.
Now those who watched the television heard nothing apparently, while those who endured the radio braodcast caught every pitiful word if it. Inside the stadium, peace. Outside the stadium, shame.
You people, and you know who your are, you self righteous, self appointed arbiters of adolescent morality, you disgrace your parents and your community. You are detritus. Effluent. Scum. Is my vocabulary working?
I wouldn't have played after that. I'd have walked off the park. Seems the Celtic players were similarly inclined.
For all the fans advocating the sacking of Tony can i ask a few questions;
1. Who would you replace him with?
2. Justification on his sacking after a 1/4 of the league.
I honestly dont know if Tony is the correct man for the job, but he is the manager now, woould i have signed him, probably not but now he is here he must be given some time, to sack him now would be ludicrous.
The players have to shoulder some of the blame for recent performances as the board has a modicum of blame as well as to our current malaise.
Sacking the manager now would set us back even further IMHO, but as i said in my last post, football is a results driven business and ultimately that will affect the level of support he has.
BT, I know mate, but we know they are also capable of MUCH better, and there are some decent additions to the squad. I think our problems stem from both the management team and a core of arrogant players with ideas above their station.
So last year we had the happy clappers vs the mine - shafters. Those who simply hated Strachan and those who liked/put up with him as a winner.
TM is now dividing the support. He gets a lot of grace because he was a Celtic player and his personal circumstances that took place while he was here. He is a likeable man and pleasant in public, all very worthy things BUT</
1st
shhhh
4 nil to the Bhoys, c'mon the Hoops
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAN9sKlOZxE
Haha yessss! Thats made my day!
Mon the hoops
3-1 Celtic in whats soon to be known as "The Paddy Show"
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope,
Come on the Hoops
6 nil today
Very interesting team selection again by TM.
Curious to see who is playing centre forward?
Although by the looks of it, we have four players who like the flanks, as neither Samaras or Fortune can play as a centre.
Hope there will be someone in the middle waiting to cash in on McGeady and McCourt's crosses.
Looks like TM is fed up with McDonald's misfiring.
HH
Twists
Shhhhh
Carlo Cocozza
TM has apparently said Crosas has played too many games in a short period, and he fears him getting injured.
HH
24 Zaluska, Lukasz
2 Hinkel, Andreas
5 Caldwell, Gary
11 Fox, Danny
22 Loovens, Glenn
6 NGuemo, Landry
19 Robson, Barry
20 McCourt, Paddy
9 Samaras, Georgios
10 Fortune, Marc-Antoine
46 McGeady, Aiden
I like the look of this team. Thank you Tony
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1A_uSEjTIQ
2-0 Celtic, 3 points is a must.
Hail Hail
i've got a whole pound on a MAF hat-trick!
Bonkers bet of the day 14-1
bournesouprecipe,
thanks, I'm just hopefull he gets a run in the team, never failed to impress me when I have seen him. He remindes me of Arteta and look how good he went on to be. Wont be surprised if we let him go and ends up strutting around the EPL (might suit his game better anyway)
Just noticed the game is on H.D.
So……………………………………………
Staying in daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa………
Hooooooooooooooooooose…………………..
BigJoewhoisAfanofHD
Romanian club blame drunken Rangers fans
08.11.09 | Ian Ferris
Officials from Unirea Urziceni claim that drunken Scottish fans were responsible for the violent clashes between Rangers supporters and stewards last week, reports The Times.
Representatives of the Romanian club said the drunkenness of the vast majority of the Glasgow club’s followers contributed to the skirmishes at half-time at the game on Wednesday.
Mihai Stocia, the club’s general manager, said that if his club’s stewards had strictly applied Romanian law, by refusing entry to people under the influence of alcohol, then virtually none of the Rangers fans would have been allowed into the stadium.
"We only made one mistake — we did not strictly apply the law," said Stocia.
"In Romania, supporters who are in an inebriated state are not allowed to access the stadium, even if they have tickets. If we had strictly enforced the law, maybe no Scottish supporters would have entered the stadium."
Another club official said: "The supporters were really drunk. Only their state and behaviour led to trouble. They started throwing chairs in the air, against other people."
Marius Militaru, a spokesman for the military police force in Romania, who was present at the stadium, denied that any of its officers were involved in the clashes.
Militaru said that around 100 Rangers supporters were refused entry to the ground because they were drunk, and a dispute over banners led to the trouble.
"It was a single moment of tension, which happened during half time.
"During the half-time break, a group of Scottish supporters wanted to show some huge banners, but the stewards from the security company told them not to, so as to leave the seats vacant for other supporters.
"The fans protested against this and started throwing seats around. There was an altercation there.
"It all lasted up to five to 10 minutes, but it was an isolated incident. Around 100 Scottish supporters were not allowed to enter the stadium because they were in an obviously inebriated state.
"Romanian law number 4/2008, the law to prevent and stop violence during sports activities, says the access to stadiums is forbidden to people who are inebriated."
Cristian Ciocan, a spokesman for the Bucharest police, said they had received no complaints about the use of tear gas.
Rangers declined to respond to the accusations.
Well, the next 5 mins will shape tomorrows press..here we go...
Caldwell captain today. minutes silence to follow.
Silence is Golden!!
Well Done all the Bhoys
Outstanding!
What was being sung?
shame
Sounded ok but Lawell seemed to shake his head at something?
Well done, Celtic and all their away fans. Now, let's get back four points clear at the top of the league.
I never heard anything
Did I miss something?
Well that could have been much worse :o)
Looks and sounds……………………..like
the sound of silence ……………………………..
And we are OFF………………………
BigJoewhoisHD’dUP
A very very small amount of fans singing....radio mic picked it up..ss3 didn't
Well observed by all the fans in the stadium. Huddle in - here we go
paddy looks good
shame on what history reader? no one in the stands made a noise.
RRC. I Think sky had all but cut the crowd noise for the minute as you'll notice we never heard the refs whistle to end it. Got a bad feeling by Lawells reaction and the boo-ing at the end that something happened. Hope not.
Follow follow will be gutted.
From the BBC site:
1246: Generally impeccably observed. Poor show from a section of the away support.
Wasn't picked up on the TV, but I imagine the papers will be all over it tomorrow.
Laptop loyal raging at non story for tommorow
Get Naylor on
Bright sunny day in Falkirk. Pitch in good shape. Paddy tries to bend in a shot from the corner flag. Punched clear
Mon the hoops
give me 5
Radio Scotland reported that those who were singing during the minute's silence to commemorate those who have given their lives were outside the stadium. Obviously we were in the situation of a small minority.
BBC reported that within the stadium the silence was impeccably observed. Shame that those protesters turned up. To them Celtic comes second.
Pity the green brigade weren't able to organsie effectively.
From BBC live text:
1246: Generally impeccably observed. Poor show from a section of the away support.
1244:We're nearly at kick-off in Falkirk. First, a minute's silence on Remembrance Sunday.
GARBAGE
Has Tony Mowbary resigned ?
Absolutely dreadful performance today.
Falkirk 0 Surrogate Celtic 0
When are we gonna turn up?
This is dreadful!
Team performance akin to the server - dreadful...
There will be the expected "sniping" from the usual "look outs".
No prisoners will be taken.
No Crosas means no one can pass the ball
WE are the famous Glasgow Celtic.
Don't know who those 11 strangers are out on that park.
Frankly you could pull 11 guys out the pub and they could present a more cohesive performance than what we are watching.
Just as well it's Falkirk, and they're front men can't finish ... so far anyway.
Disgrace Celtic.
Yep blog and team performing poorly.
this is a falkirk team struggling with injury
TM needs to get rid of many of these underperforming players
This is a totally unacceptable performance.Penalty Celtic.
penalty celtic
N'geumo and robson winning nothing, front men completely isolated, PEN!!
must
McGeady misses. Twice.
out passed
out fought
out thought
we're playin gash...
PEN!
Hmmmmmmm.
bad
This is really pathetic Celtic so far. should be behind .........but wait a minute .....penalty
MISS!!!
Underperforming players - any names?
Says it all!
Not one player looks up for this, interested or of any use.
Lucky to be level.
That just about sums it up.
Penalty
McGeady misses
Twice!!!
This is becoming farcical
Fortune heads over from 7 yards,easier to score.
FFS!!!!!
BigJoe do we look any better in HD cause we look pure mince to coin a phrase
McGEADY is a plum
Shocking Shocking performance capped with an awful double penalty miss
mcgeady your a disgrace, actually all of them are
Appalling show so far from Celtic, we have no get up and go here no desire, no hunger, hopefully some old cliches will kick in at half time, like flying tea cups and paint being stripped from the walls by the management, thanks to the mindless minority clearly heard on the BBC radio mics breaking the minutes silence.
Guess I picked the wrong time to get access to 'tinterweb :o(
Said for a good few weeks now, Tony's got to go !
I know the players have to take a lot the blame, but a good manager makes ordinary players in to good players and good players in to great players. I've not seen many games, but from what I've read, heard and been told, he's just not got it and the few times that I've seen him on the touch-line, he looks and acts like a dead-man-walking.
pablophanque
Hunt these players from Celtic Park. Shocking.
Well I think the whole lot of them need a kick up the backside completely awful !
Horrible first half performance. It was a clear penalty but we didn't deserve to go a goal up.
Poor penalty and even worse second attempt from Aiden, should have hit the rebound with his left foot.
This "team" is showing no heart or commitment at all. Is this all we have to look forward to under Mogga? Dark days ahead...
historyreader
Every oitfield player has been rubbish.
Robson and N'Guemo haven't done anything except give the ball away.
Thisn is a truly shocking performance and TM better use half time to get this sorted.
PLaying the worst team in the league and you play like that. Absolutely awful.
Andy Walker is a disgrace. "That was on the line, Celtic got a break there"
On the line is in according to the rules you Muppet
Shocking performance from Celtic so far. Absolutely shocking.
Falkirk are all over us, making the playing of quick passing football look totally effortless, at times cutting through us with embarrassing ease.
Fortunately, their strikers can't hit a coo's whatsit with a banjo.
By contrast, our expensively assembled collection of internationals are hoofing the ball aimlessly up the pitch; that's whenever they are not tripping over their own feet or gifting Falkirk possession with their inability to pass the ball accurately over even 5-10 yards. Every 50-50 ball is being lost.
As I type, Aiden McGeady misses a penalty, then misses with a pathetic effort from the rebound when it was easier to score.
HT 0-0 and this is an atrocious performance.
This has to go back to trhe manager not being able to put a fired up team onto the park.
But this also is a spineless group of players with serious attitude problems.
horrendous performance so far against the SPL's whipping boys.
can anyone explain to me what celtic use Lennoxtown for?
we can't pass, can't score, can't control a ball, can't cross a ball.
I think lennoxtown must be a holiday camp.
Just when it seemed things were on the up. Desperate stuff.
Can't shake the feeling that the players aren't playing for the manager.
Oh, and Andy Walker... no matter how hard you try to ingratiate yourself with your new friends in the press, they'll never like you you know...
Hesitant start by the Bhoys. Looks like there are around 6000 fans in attendance, Lots of emptry seats
3 opportunities to get good crosses in all easily caught by their keeper.
Zaluska looking a bit nervous so far
Hinkle links up with Fortune, breaks down the right but another poor cross
Our defence is looking very shakey
Two FK's to them in good positions so far - both wasted. We have yet to string more than two passes together
Aiden taken out - player booked (Arfield). Another poor delivery from the set piece - this time from Fox
Falkirk standing back off our defence knowing they will be happy to hoof the ball up the park. So far we haven't disappointed
Falkirk miss a sitter. Player hits the ball straight at Zuluska. They have had 5 or 6 attempts at goal. We have had none.
Good FK from Robson but Loovens pulled out of the challenge as keeper came out.
27 mins gone. Poor display by every player in a Celtic shirt so far. Lucky we are playing a poor side in Falkirk today
Hinkle and McCourt not on the same wavelength down the right.
Aiden jinks inside and takes a shot at goal - our first on the 35 min mark. Palmed over for corner which comes to nothing
Paddy is wasting his chance to shine today. Likewise Sammy. If this continues we will be happy to see Skippy on soon. Yes it is that bad.
Aiden wins a corner. Fox takes, keeper misses, breaks to Caldwell but his shot was blocked
Loovens looked like he took a man out in the middle of the park there as Falkirk broke. Lucky for him the ref didn't see it that way.
Shot just over from Falkirk
Caldwell continues to punt long balls in Sammi's direction. Sammi has yet to win a single one
Fox wins us a penalty. Did well - beat his man on the edge of the box abd was clearly pulled down. Does anyone have the confidence to score?
Aiden takes and misses. Went for power down the middle, blocked by keeper. Broke back to Aiden for a simple tap in but he managed to mis hit it and allow the keeper to block again.
Cross from Hinkle headed over by Fortune - should have scored.
HT Falkirk 0-0 Celtic
Short HT report. Absolutely shocking performance. The worst I have seen for many years. Not a single player gets passmarks. Had that penalty gone in, we would have been embarrassed to be ahead.
The game here in Dubai showed the singing very clearly. Actually the buggers seemed to turn up the microphone to make it louder. Not sure where we're getting the feed from. ESPN I presume.
Utter scum in my opinion whoever they were. I'm thoroughly embarrased by their behaviour. Not in my name!
Rubbish performance, Paddy has barely touched the ball.
wow. our players are poor.
nothing i didn't know before but FALKIRK!!! are much better than us!
they can find each other with a pass.
why can't we???
it's incredible
Fair play to Falkirk at least their guys are trying, Celtic are dire, how do we change it? Hail Hail Hebcelt
MINX1888………………………….
Hi…………………………………….
We……………………………………
Are……………………………GASH
In H.D…………………………………..
Believe YOU ME………………………………………..
BigJoeWHOwantsCrosasON
Hook Samaras, McGeady and McCourt.
Sorry about that lengthy post - having some issues with the blog today.
Great save and follow up on penalty.
Can't see how we can win this, zheng can maybe make a difference in the centre, the whole team needs a shake.
not one player on that pitch WORTHY of pulling on the hoops...
not one
Can we replace all 11 at half-time?
Emabarassing.
Árd Macha
Never heard the minutes silence being disturbed on Sky Television. Mmmhhhhhh... I wonder where those BBC microphones were trained ? I thought a free kick outside the box might have been given.
Hail Hail
That has to be the worst performance to date from this stuttering side.
The 'commentators' are almost wetting themselves with glee and spending far more time highlighting how poor we are than describing events on the pitch.
Never mind remembrance, so far this Sunday is the day Celtic apparently forgot how to play football.
Robson off, Crosas on minimum...
Hope the players have the heart to win this.
This is the bottom team in the league playing us off the park
What's with the long balls?
Every outfield player should be ashamed of their contribution, spineless.
Absolutely disgraceful attitude.all 10 outfield players would be candidates for being subbed.Mowbray and Grant need to do some serious bullying in that dressing room
I'm struggling to remember the last time I enjoyed watching a Celtic display.
How many penalties does a player have to miss or shoot unconvincingly before a manager realises they're not a penalty taker? We've struggled with penalties for years, just like the left-back position, just like the central defence, and recently lack of an instinctive goalscorer. An inherent inability to identify a problem area of our game and address it efficiently.
So much for the iddea that we had started heading in the right direction after the Killie game and a credible result against a tidy Bundesliga side.
Start of the game I was thinking we could really put some goals into the bank with this one, after that first half performance I just hope we sneek a win.
Pull the finger out Celtic!
Tony Mowbray's response is that he never bought these players.
That does not excuse their performance. they never did it for Gordon Strachan either.
How are Celtic Playing?
Well..
To sum it up, accurately...
is answered, by the question..
"Which Team is the Top of the League, Dad?"
it's just getting worse and worse.......Here's hoping for a complete turn around in the second half.........won't be holding my breath though.
I had 47 minutes of silence during that first half.
keech. this half time is very important for big tony.
So is my spelling.
Árd Macha
Dear oh dear
Everyone that has been asking for McCourt and robson in the centre
have their wish.. They are both rotten! form is temporary class is permanent
Loovens is worst player on the pitch...Caldwell is the best defender we have...
Mcgeady and hinkel at least trying
things can only get better.
for those fans singing at the minutes silence thanks for
embarrassing the club..!!
we are playing awful need to buck things up second half
Really beginning to wonder about Tony Mowbray. Marc Crosas is, in my opinion, the best midfielder we have at the club. He has bossed our midfield for the last two games - games in which we played pretty well and then is dropped. WHY TONY???? Also, his ability to organise and motivate the team seems to be in question also. There's only one team playing out there today and it aint us.
at least the 2nd half can't be any worse....can it?
for the first time in ages we were looking a cohesive unit who could keep the ball then crosas is dropped and we're a shambles again.
i'm not sure it was even a pen. what an earth was mcgeady doing with the rebound?
. at the moment falkirk deserve to win.
this is not a performance we should expect from celtic, finances/no finances, old manager/current manager's team. did we play this badly under WGS? got to be the worst 45 mins we've played this season?
SHOCKING!
Where to start?
The distribution from the centre backs is desperate, the midfield is pedestrain, Mcgeady and McCourt totally inefectual.Barry Robson n NGuemo look like they havent met before.
McGeady looked wided eyed and nervous taking that penalty
The worst half of the season by a country mile.
The only positive is that its 0-0
bbc quizzing on name celts who played in the bundesliga - 13 names
Worst 45 min of the season for us but THINGS CAN ONLY GET BETTER,
2-0 Celtic
Hail Hail
This is awful, thank god its half-time.
Why is Crosas not playing?? At least he can pass, unlike N'Guemo!! ZZ for Robson too!!
Roll on January!!
Keep the faith!!
Fortune and Samaras are not a partnership- they are both playing so wide we basically don't seem to have a centre forward.
As for the pen- really pathetic from Aiden, no other word for it, especially the follow up.
Players' minds just do not look to be on this game...
McCann and blondie on SKY are giving it big licks on how good falkirk are...it should be more about how bad Celtic are........needs to get 5 in the midfield.....
If anyone is stupid enough to give us any money for any of these players take it. But for Zaluszka we would be behind TO FALKIRK.
this will not do
This is absolutely terrible. At least the drink's cheaper in the house, eh, I'd be scunnered if I was in the pub at the amount of drink I'm going to need to get through the second half. Can I sue Mogga for a new liver?
Absolutely disgraceful right the way from the back. Crosas on his own can't salvage this, even though he was the one player I thought would have made a difference to the passing. Caldwell taking fresh air bicycle swipes sums it all up thus far.
Paul Lambert
Murdo MacLeod
Any Thom
Alan MacInally
One of the worst performances from a Celtic team in a long long time. Reminds me of Clyde in the cup a few years back except Falkirk have not taken one of their numerous chances. We could have been 4-0 down before our penalty.
This is an absolute disgrace.
McGeady penalty and rebound attempt was pathetic. A bit like this team. No pass marks for any player on the park.
No commitment and no leaders...CLUELESS!
lubo
Time is up for Aiden "brick-waw" McGeady. Cash-in on him in January. He is the key player, but shows no leadership whatsover. Gets the ball, head down, run, stop, run into brick wall - "Duh, where did the ball go?"
Very. very poor.
It is an arrogance for this Celtic team to play four attacking players, five, if you include Robson.
Absolutely no midfield presence, leading to the ball being humped up from the back.
Aiden should never take penalties. He cannot kick the ball.
Robson should be the taker, when he plays.
Fox should never take a free or corner.
We just don't seem to have a basic level of game to which we can gauge our performance.
There clearly is something seriously wrong.
Perhaps we are inhaling the properties of the poppy.
Has McCourt been playing?
Would have asked the same about McGeady but he pops up at the end to remind us how to hit a penalty "Barry Robson Style" and how to follow up a penalty "No belief/heart/desire style"
Terrible performance from almost every member of the team.
Need a massive improvement second half if we are to rescue a victory. Can't believe i'm saying that about a game against a team yet to win this season.
If the team doesnt pick up in the 2nd half I think it indicates that Mogga can't moticate that team
Poss the worst domestic 45 mins I can remember seeing
Cmon Celts
He isn't Larsson but without Scott McDonald Celtic are even less of goal threat.
Our latest midfield combination is just not working today.
A lot of work for Mowbray to do at HT.
The worse penalty taking, I have seen, this season..maybe in
my life!
McGeady.. a Professional..?
Kojo.
So far………………..to sum us UP
WE………………………………………
ARE………………………………………
GASH…………………………………………BUT
BigJoethinksWEmustIMPROVE
Positives.
I am not chewing my knuckles with the defence.
Robson is trying
Fortune is not hiding
Poppy on chest - well done club
No nonsense with silence
Fans singing
Negatives.
McGeady is not in the mood - hook him
N'Guemo, Samaras and McCourt need a super rocket
Zaluskas - his kicking is mince today. He is normally great.
They need a bloody good hauling over the coals
Watching this is sucking the joy out of life. Truly awful display.
SwanseaBhoy
tommy g
Loovens off mcmanus on
poppy scotland should be receiving a huge cheque from Celtic, 11 players wages for this week.
Gold Coast Tom
I hate McGeady for those reasons. He does nothing on a regular basis and gets the rep best Celtic player.
Sheer nonsense.
A permanent enigma and an occasional matchwinner
Poor poor poor...
I think Crosas' game is limited and he isn't as bitey as N'Guemo or Robson but we need to control the midfield by disciplined positioning and good use of the ball not by kicking people.
We've reverted back to lumping it up the park. Why is it, time after time, Falkirk give us a lesson on passing and moving. They're a very limited side which makes it even more disappointing that we can't pass the ball and make space for our team-mates.
Samaras and Fortune not working together up front and the full-backs, in general, aren't getting forward enough. Probably as they're worried about the counter.
I have no idea why McGeady is taking the penalties... he took one against the huns to get it up them, but I thought that's all it was.
We better wake up in the second half, they've shown that they lack the class to finish teams off and we're maybe lucky to have the chance to correct the shocking first half performance.
Time for Mowbray to earn his money.
The Spirit of Arthur Lee
Brilliant, LOL didnt think I would be able to raise a smile after that....mind you if you didnt laugh you would cry!!!
Is MacDonald coming on ?
Andy Walker is an uncle tom!!!!He states that trip was on line so may not be a penalty.I always thought line was part of penalty box?
We have no idea or shape whatsoever.
B Robson is to slow of thought and movement for central role.
McGeady showed no confidence at spot kick.
The service to Samaras and Fortune is non existent.
Our build up consists of defenders going horizontal and then hoofing it to an opponent.
We ar sitting deep and allowing them the centre of field.
We need to bring Aiden or Paddy into middle to disrupt falkirks shape.Its to comfortable there for them.
Brian O'Neill for Wolfsburg.
BTM NEEDS to settle on his midfield pairing. Shuffling around like this is doing us no good.
Ne NEEDS to settle on a striking partnership. I cannot remember a Celtic team so toothless up front.
Games like this are scary. It's starting to look like a complete rebuilding job as opposed to getting a few players in...
I will just ask two things from the Bhoy's in the second half 1/ get first to the ball. 2/ Pass the ball to a team mate.It's not too much to ask is it ??????
Dear Big Tony Moggggga
Please……..please……………PLEASE
Bring oot a midfield on the second ½
JoetheLARGEwithNOhairleft
What a waste of a sub
Loovens off for McManus.
Everything should be fine now...
mcmanus for loovens.
wtf is that gonna do? what is the thinking behind this change?
KrakowBhoy
He's also one of our hardest working players and our only out ball.
If that penalty had went in I would have been embarrassed.
There is something profoundly wrong here. We do not appear to have a team today.
Not even the remotest hint of one. Very very odd....
McManus on for Loovens.
Hmmmm..
not the subs I was hoping for.
When i think things cant get any worse......Captain idiot is on!!
Oh Nooooo!!
micks on- nooooooooooooooo
Loovens injured? Hardly the kind of game-changing substitution i was hoping for!
P.s. I wish Andy Walker would observe rememberance sunday with a second half of silence. The guy is almost as bad as Booth.
Mowbray ????????????
Hooked Loovens for Mick???
That will help....
When we interview do we put any tests on mental ability? Is Mowbray mentally ill?? He sure sounds like it and is now acting like it.
My tip of the day lump on Falkirk to win!!
What a joke!
Get rid of McGreedy and Samidontcare!!
Mick is out for the second half for Loovens.
Loovens has a "sore groin"
They should all have sore groins..imposters the lot of them
We have 10 very poor outfield players on that first half showing so...
...lets have a go at McGeady.
I've seen lots of poor penalties in my time, some from world class players. Perhaps they weren't professional either?
Artur could have a problem mind. What a star this guy is proving to be.
"Glen Loovens has a sore groin which is why he has been replaced"
Kicked in the baws at half time perhaps? Surpised the rest of the tean dont have sore groins!
mcmanus on.....FFS this is the same s*** i watched last season.
unexplainable substitutions that make no sense
Loovens has a sore groin.
He wasn't the only one needing a kick in the haw-maws for that first half performance.
Not one player performing to acceptable standard.
Bottom of league Falkirk manage 8 attempts at goal,we miss a penalty and rebound.
I fear this is a collective malaise.
Fumes from chemicals dumped from Lennox Castle Hospital before it became our training facility?
Don't think so.
Its the managers job to motivate the players.Some of these guys have got worse.
why is sammy on the wing?
PJ - agreed. Motivation seems to be left behind somewhere. A baffling performance thus far.
McCourt has the team awareness of my 3 year old son..
BTW Boruc may not get back in straight away..
I am enjoying watching Zaluska.
McGeady = sold in Jan. Well in old red - 5 Million thanks.
This is shocking stuff, Samaras has made two good runs this second half and both times he's had no support.
Sammi has two breaks down the left - very Aidenesque as both come to nothing
The real reason for the comtinuing Malaise,in the celtic play?
The Celtic Players as individuals..are playing..
like ..weel...
Individuals!
Whose fault is that?
Some people..like me..
Might say..
"It is the Fault of the Coach/Coaching."
Maks sense tae me!
Kojo.
Who`ll pay 5mill for him?
An Honest Tim
Should you not be out offering to help folk pack their bags in Asda (other supermarkets are available) tae get some money for yer team!!!
Paddy will be lucky to last another 10
Kojo - you are right.
Mowmince has lost the plot - is he a pi$$head like Burley??
Robson and Sammi at least showing some urgency
unsurprisingly looks no better this half.
awful. just awful.
Get McGinn and Skippy on for McCourt and Fortunè in the next 10mins please. Need to change this quick.
McCourt and Fortune should be hooked, neither contributing anything.
Mowbrays Bhoys - i bet your name changes by the end of the year!!
This goon is away soon.
Worst since the Clyde game, at Lennoxtown do we train these chimps to trap a ball and pass it or are we to busy posing for the catalogue???
slightly better
this is a management probelm - WHY is Samaras plaing in the middle of the pitch - he needs to play a striker role and recive croses into the box not prance around on the wing and be ineffectual in the middle. we have no shape the coaches seem clueless today.
Embarassing, outplayed by an understrength Falkirk side who are yet to win a game this season.
If we win it'll be a set-piece.
nice dogy style tackle
Peter Grant was one of my fac players but he is not a coach neither is Mowmince.
I wish for WGS now.........
Well I wont be changing it to Lloyds Bhoys anyway that's for sure!
heeeeiiiiiiiiidddddd
Goaaaaallll
Caldwell!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
TFFT!
Bit more urgency and effort from Celtic.Free kick edge of the box to be swung in, 1 nil Heid
Finally,
yesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
GOAL!
Caldwell
heid heid heid heid heid
1-0 get in
Goal for Celtic!
Gary Caldwell header from a Robson free kick.
0-1.
where did that come from?
Why is Sammi back defending, what are our midfield doing.
Brilliant.
Best performance of the season. Surely Caldwell will be player of the year again this season!
Let's build on this Celtic.
Caldwell scores 1-0
The only thing worst than the Celtic first half performance is listening Andy Walker.
Playing better in 2nd half. Sammy is beginning to make things happen.
1 - 0 Caldwell header!
Thank god!! About time Heed done something.
Malone19......Correct!!
Goal - heid
Spot on kojo.
Wan nil, undeserved, put a second half shift in deserving of the goal, shirt and wage bhoys!
Maybe we will settle down now ????
well done samaras,robson and caldwell.
look what can happen when you do the basic things well.
Come on another 5 please
Goal! HEID!
With the heid!
Well-flighted free kick from the left flank by Robson, Heid rose at far corner of six yard box and beautifully guided his header down across he keeper into th far corner.
At last!
Sami looking the only man likely to lift us. Won the free.
Thoroughly undeserved lead, but who cares?
No mistakes now Celtic, please
Sammi does well to win a FK. Robson swings in a good cross to the back post area and Heid rises majestically to head the ball back across goal into the bottom corner. If anyone desreved a goal today in our side it was Heid.
Come on now - let's get another
The bbc radio scotland commentator sounded as though a bird shat on his shoe when GC scored.
McGeady, mazy run then brick wall.
Anything more than 4 million - away
Brown more than 4 million - away
Zaluska is our most valuable player - what a man he is...
Fortune isnt related to that guy who played for SOuthampton that turned out to be a plumber is he??? He is never a player thats for sure.
Fans today have been brilliant!!! Well done
Samaras must stop playing left wing
How long to go? Must be nearly time up? Feels like we've been playing 3 hours........
Couple of things in the last 3 minutes;
Robson should be hitting the free kicks & corners instead of Fox, as his delivery has been woeful, again.
Aiden just had a simple 5 yard pass on to Samaras, which, if he'd played, he could have went for the 1-2. Instead, he turned the other direction and attempted to take on 4 Falkirk players, losing possession.
Seriously, what are we coaching these players for 5 days a week?!?
I will comment at the end of the game for what I have just witnessed at the goal.
Sammy making the difference, gets enough stick time for some credit.
Malone19
Next weeks lottery numbers please, your timing was impecable lol.
Pen falkirk
Heid gies away the pen....
penalty to Falkirk
ahh fur fcks sake!!!!
Nice one Gary
Pen to them
Heid gives away pen..
We draw to this pub team..
HEID IS A CLOWN!
Cmon Zaluska. Please.
Oh Dear !
Thank you Barry Robson!!
I mean you couldn't actually make this up!
Caldwell gives away a penalty,
Cheers, Gary
1-1
well heid just makes up for scoring, by conceding a peno
goal 1-1
Zaluska gets his hand to, but can't keep it out.
I mean you couldn't actually make this up!
...And like it was christmas when Falkirk got a penalty...good old BBC eh.
under wgs we had a lot of wrank performances thats the problem most of this team have been drilled that way for so long they cant shake the habit, a new manager has to get at least 4 or 5 of his own choice players in before we will see things start to change, how long had we been saying that gordons team while winning the league were awful to watch, as i said when the manager gets the players he wants then i think we will see a difference well i hope so.
Midfield's a disaster today - a fe wplayers being found out big time.
Now they get a pen after we gave the ball away.
Heid concedes a penalty - very similar to the one Fox won for us
1-1. Zaluska almost saves
Ever got the feeling our playaers dont actually LIKE each other?
MOWBRAY TO GO AND NEVER TO BE ALLOWED TO COME INTO CELTIC PARK AGAIN.
WHAT A COMPLETE TO$$ER.
GREAT CHINAS CAPTAIN IS COMING ON...
UTTER MINCE!
HOW CAN I GET THE LAD TO SUPPORT THIS???????
Time for paddy to go back to the bench
chuff
an honest tim
give it a rest....try supporting the team rather than slaughtering them
any celtic team playing FALKIRK should always start with 2 strikers playing up front - Is TM WS in disguise?
heid doesnt go to the player again 2-1 absolutely awful
JOKE!!!
IF HE ISNT SACKED I WILL DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!
Superb play!!! What a team Falkirk are!!!
LMAO
2-1 Falkirk.
Sorry but this is laughable.
If I didn't laugh,,, I would cry!
Time for TM to go
We are all pissed off honest time but get a grip FFS
We really are rotten today....They are doing ma heid in!
2-1 Falkirk
Shocking. Defenders all ball watching as the ball came in and a simple tap in. Scoreline now more reflective of the game
Jing chang is coming on, he will do loads.
Oh and fat skippy as well.
This is killing me, my lad wants to watch the Hull game FFS.
Mowbray should be sacked after this game. If he isnt then mark my words, Celtic will suffer.
skippy and zz on
mccourt and robson off
2-1 to Falkirk. The sad thing is here,it's a fair reflection of how the game has gone.Skippy and Zhen Zhi to come on for McCourt and Robson
Ya beauty! McDonald on now. We're bound to score a barrowload now!
bandwagonesque
All the time.
Get Samaras off - never to return. A disgrace to the Hoops!
an honest tim
i would swear if I could
but go away
Robson off for Skippy
Paddy off for ZZ
NEVER A PENALTY IN A MILLION YEARS
How long has tony got?
Worse start than barnes, nice guy and a Celtic man apart, times running out.
Tic talk, tic talk!!
ps i have 100 quid on at half time for a Falkirk win :-) might not be all bad lads!!
That was like: "oh he got a penalty last time he ran into the box, better not tackle him this time."
Well, chaps..
That does it~
I am switching aff...
There is only so much Punishment a Guy kin tak..
Murder Polis!
Seeya!
Kojo.
On a more positive note glad to see everyone ignoring the troll.McDonald misses a sitter,offside.
Andy Walkers comments are spot on . This a team with no guts and no brains.
zz nearly scores
An honest tim on November 8, 2009 2:10 PM
I hope you're educating you're son and letting him know that supporting Celtic is a lifelong thing and not for one day.
HH
Celtic are now starting to play. Skippy misses from 1 yd - given off-side even though the FB played him on
Honest tim
Back to follow follow. Fooling no-one. Go away.
An Honest tim, shouldn`t you be watching the Hull game? Prick.
This is a joy to watch!!
Falkirk are superb....with 7 1st team players out mind!!
vmhan
this "one day" has felt like a lifetime.
How can anyone defend this moron on the bench.
Press conference after todays 3-1 defeat.
Press: "So Tony what do you think?"
Mongby: "Duh, me fink that we played well and Samaras and N'Guemo are excellent, i cant wait to get Brown back in to the team. Duh me fink that we can still with the UEFA cup as well"
Load bang in the background..
Doctor: "Ok Tony relax, the mental home are ready for you"
Faithfull through and through Kojo - atta boy.
The Spirit of Arthur Lee on November 8, 2009 2:08 PM
Not a lot LOVE in your post but I have to agree with you.
Get on the Red Telephone and bring in Willie McStay he couldn't do any worse.
skippppppyyyyyyyyyy
2-2 skippy get in there
2-2 McDonald
2-2
Radio Scotland commentator sounds like someone just spat in his bovril!
skippy rescues us 2-2
well done fox as well
go on the bush kangaroooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Stunner from Scott McDonald.
Rescue it now, Celtic.
I was just about to type...McDonald looks like a man with a point to prove. And then he goes and scores!
Maybe he's been reading the blog recently.
Skippy scores 2-2 What a player
Yes, the BBC commentator`s voice goes down a couple of octaves as Celtic score.
SKIPPY !
Briliant header!
Now if the rets could just get their fingers out we might win it. Clowns.
Come on Celtic you can do it!!
Fox turned his marker inside out wide left, excellent cross and a really good header from Skippy.
Inspired substitution by BTM.
An honest tim……………………
Where did u get 100 £…………….
Rob you’re piggy bank……………
Please go away……………….
2………………..2 game on…………………
BigJowUrgingEVERY1tooooKeepthefaith
Radio Scotland turns into a morgue, we must have scored again.
good play from sammy free kick
we nearly score
Celtic pushing now no one at the back to finish it off there
Has McGeady turned up at the ground yet?
Could we get 15 minutes out of him to help the cause?
Only if you can be bothered, Aiden. No need to rush...
Listening to the game on bbc radio scotland...
Don't know who the commentator is but he sounded devestated when we scored the equaliser!
get it right up yeeeeeeeeee!
Celtic pushing now no one at the back to finish it off there
Here comes Ben Stiller
twists n turns on November 8, 2009 2:15 PM
aye, a ken whit ye mean mate.
I think we'll win this, 3 points please.
HH
SKIPPY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
twists n turns on November 8, 2009 2:15 PM
aye, a ken whit ye mean mate.
I think we'll win this, 3 points please.
HH
but passing........simple passes ......thats all we are asking f..............GOALLLLLL
Skippy is king!!!!!!
yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeessssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
twists n turns on November 8, 2009 2:15 PM
aye, a ken whit ye mean mate.
I think we'll win this, 3 points please.
HH
3 2 Skippppy,skipppppy,skippy the bush kangaroo! What's that skippy? Celtic are two one down and you need to bag a brace?
Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaasssss!!!
Skippy!!! Unbelievable!!
Credit to Big Geogre and Scott McDonald there.
Now, lets hold on, please!!!!
Yabba Dabba Do!
Falkirk starting to look rattled. Is a 3rd on the way?
The angry wee Aussies scores again.
woohoo!
Tell you what lads, we should keep slagging him off on here, maybe its just the motivation his wee fat arse needs! :o)
Falkirk starting to look rattled. Is a 3rd on the way?
Excellent play by McGeady and Samaras, McDonald does what the other strikers need to learn and finds the tap in.
3-2 Celtic!
N'Guemo's fault for givining it away that time.
Hopeless.
Sammi found some space down the left. Great ball across goal - not sure what their keeper was doing - but a tap in at the back post from Skippy.
Skippy has been turgid all season but fair play to the wee man, he has taken the game by the scruff of the neck and led by example here.
Great chance for Fortune there but shot instead of passing
3-3 Falkirk break and score. Mick ball watching
At least we are being entertained this half
We all disagree with team selection/tactics from time to time,but the personal nature of the abuse Mowbrays getting on this site is shameful.
Woeful defending by McManus for equaliser.Appeals for offside when he himself is playing the Falkirk striker on by several yards,whilst not marking him at the same time.Doesn't make him an alcoholic or mentally ill though.
Looks like the Seive has struck again. Lucky if we get out with a point. Jeez...
Samaras was onside there by a country mile. Cheating bar steward linesman.
Over. 3-3
Ball in the net but Sammi given off-side. He looked well on to me
Got what we deserved.
BTM has to realise that McManus is a liability.
Pathetic hun linesman decision denies us a winner in stoppage time. Sami 2 yards ONside.
Fortune is DUD
Too little too late.......
Paul67 - I think we got more than we deserved today.
This is our season now. There will be many more games like this interspersed with the occassional 5-0 victory. The league will be decided in the last couple of weeks and it could go either way. As someone said earlier, the fun is being sucked out of our lives by this side.
Ok I will finish what I started, never mind the score.
Watch when Caldwell scores the first.
Not 1 player seems happy we have gone in front.
To me that is a very big problem at a club.
3rd goal McGeady seems a bit different but more relief than celebration me thinks.
I do like the coach but he needs to sort this out quick or we will win he haw.
Very easy to be a critic right now but let's talk about what we think we need to do bhoys.
Well , wont be disapointed to see Mowbray away tonight (how many chances can you give this guy ? - not the man for this job for sure) but worried that it may mean the Pointer in interim charge , don't think I could take that.Nil - Nil at half time and we bring on McManus and lose 3 goals to the bottom of the league , another guy who has had more than enough chances .....enough is enough.
Disgusting.
Absolutely unbelievably disgustingly awful.
I am accused sometimes of using ten words when one will do. So I will keep this short and sweet.
The worst Celtic team in YEARS. No direction. No long term vision. We are going backwards.
ABSOLUTELY PATHETIC
out fought, out thought, heartless, gutless performance, something is very wrong at the heart of the celtic dressing room
Just seen more of the posts from the guy is subjecting Mowbray to vile personal abuse,and I now realise he's a Hun.Thank God for that.
Despite the (compulsory?) 'whoops a daisy' decision at the end that was woeful.
It is bad enough that a Celtic side can play so poorly that they find themselves getting stuffed by Falkirk.
It is completely inexcusable that having managed to grab themselves an undeserved lead we cannot hold on for 10 minutes!!!!!
Sorry Tony that was diabolical and you have to wonder whether the club would be taking a huge gamble handing over cash in January (although I appreciate that is a largely hypothetical question).
Nice to see the much maligned Skippy remind us what he can do; about the only positive today...
Totally unacceptable. A team bereft of commitment, desire and ability and a Manager consistently showing he is out of his depth in terms of signings, team selections, and getting his players to play for him.
Just an awful display, but fair play to Falkirk they deserve their point and maybe more.
I despair I don't think Tony is the man to lead our team said it at the time. The tv said some of our support were throwing their scarves on the pitch at the end of the game, if that is true then Tony's honeymoon is well and truly over.
Come on January so we can get rid of some these players that don't want to give the effort for our beloved hoops. Somehow I don't think the board will spend money though if we are still ahead of the Huns in the New Year.
Disgraceful decision by the linesman in injury time - Samaras 2 yards onside and not a difficult one for him. That was even more difficult to take than the injury time penalty we failed to get v Dundee Utd.
Disgraceful decision by the linesman earlier - McDonald 3 yards onside (Falkirk left back standing in front of linesman played him on) - keeper saved anyway but alerted me at the time to that linesman.
Disgraceful decision by Tony Mowbray to split up our central midfield pairing after 3 excellent performances.
All in all - Disgraceful from Celtic.
Samaras cause the 2nd goal. terrible woeful pass and after he done it his first thought was to saunter back. With that he took Hinkel out of the game as he bombed forward to give us an outlet for a pass.
Feck me how badly do we need two centre halves. GC done a lazy tackle, pen, then McManus, slow to get it out, plays the guy on and instead off going to try and puthim off, he backs away as if s going to cover the line. That is schooloboy stuff. No creation in the midfield. McGeady needs a boot up the arse. McCourt???? this clamour for him to start, well there you go he was given his chance today.
An appalling, genuinely copper-bottomed appalling performance from Celtic.
Totally unacceptable on so many levels.
There is no team spirit, there is precious little composure, and lots of amateurish play, particularly in defence.
This team is a mess, sadly, and needs major surgery.
We now seem to have regressed to the Barnes/Dalglish era in terms of the poverty of our outfield play. I cannot remember anything as poor under MON or WGS, even in defeats like Clyde we were regularly winning league matches.
I have no solutions but I hope Peter Lawwell does.
One final thing. The linesman denied us an (undeserved) winner in injury time. If Alex Ferguson was our manager he would be spitting blood. I hope, I really hope, BTM highlights that. If he doesn't I fear we have become a spineless bunch...
is anyone really surprised? The fans gave the hacks no fuel but instead the team and the manager did.
I would rather we'd had controversy and 3 points
Well mibbe no but you get the point
Shocking stuff!
Only positive is I think we might have, through desperation, found our formation - Samaras played well as the 3rd striker when McDonald came on and it opened up the game.
If only the defence weren't so shocking we'd have taken 3 points.
I'm normally all for retro-nostalgia, but this return to the pre-Tommy Burns era of performances and results is uncalled for.
Mick was ball watching - true. Mc Geady gave up on the chase prior to that, Hinkle stood watching and Caldwell stepped forward and failed to get a tackle in. All before Mick stood ball watching.
The old witch hunt will start and a few old favourites will get it in the neck when the truth is that there were about 8 charatans and imposters wearing hoops today.
The away fans by their exemplary behaviour today showed what this club means to them. The "players" could learn from their example.
BTM says he needs ten new players he's not kidding.This must be yhe worst bunch of imposters for years,they do not play for club or supporters they play for themselves.Utter garbage.IMO there is something badly wrong within the club.Slan
I never seen the game,but coming back from a game in Europe seems to blunt the team in their next game,not a great excuse,but better than reading all the rabid comments coming from here.
Derrybhoy - We are all frustrated but take that kind of comment elsewhere.
As I have said many times, I wouldn't trust BTM with a penny in January. No-one will be bought. See my earlier comment - this is what we have until the end of the season
Disgusting lack of committment from most of those players.
They are, lazy arrogant cheats.
Go a goal up and it's job done, not today with a shocking attitude.
They acn all leave off to Plymouth where the expectation level will suit them.
Today was one of the worst performances I have seen in recent years.
Robson, N'Guemo, McGeady, McCourt,McManus, what did you do for your team today?
Bottom against top (though not for long).
Can't wait for Tannidice!
Not to worry, Rangers are rubbish.
Paul 67, when are you going to do something about the vile posts coming from 'An honest ' I don't care if he is a hun or a seriously warped bhoy, you need to be kicking this guy into touch!
Eddie May: 'we scored three goals with a striker'.
DerryBhoy @ 2:47.
Enough of this behind the dorr stuff!
Just come right out and say what you think!
53
* d'oh! WITHOUT a striker
What's Wee Gordon Strachan up to these days ????
I said at the time that we should have blown our entire transfer budget on Martinez. A good manager gets results that others can't and I have seen nothing from our present incumbent that indicates to me that he's up for the job.
I don't want a "good guy" or someone who's "Celtic-Minded". I want a winner.
In the present economic climate, the last thing this club and board need is someone who doesn't have the fans with him, never mind the players FFS !!!!
pablophanque
Paul Lambert for Manager, Henrik as his assistant! Mowbray GTF!!!
DerryBhoy on November 8, 2009 2:47 PM
chill mate, there's kids reading the blog.
Hail Hail
Blonde smirking just to rub it in . Just about everyone in the team vying for the worst player award. What discrace to the Hoops they are.
Bandwagonesque@ 2:07
Yes I get the feeling that they do not LIKE one another. I was thinking it at the time you posted. There is something very wrong.
Also agree with mncelt. We got more than we deserved....
We do not have a team.
We appear to have cliques who play in fits and starts...
We have players who lack urgency....
And yes...Samaras was wrongly judged to be offside at the end...
But I cannot get angry about that. ...
I am too concerned at more pressing issues.
vmhan
Lambert for manager Henrik as striker.
italiabhoy - not the first time we have seen cheating from officials this season - bt you are right, they continue to do it because we dont demonstrate - the players or the manager! WE DO NOT HAVE A WINNING MENTALITY. We dont mind drawing!
When mcfdonald scored - NOT ONE CELTIC PLAYER CONGRATUALTED HIM.
This is a team playing with a menatlity caused by TM stupid comments "i could replace 10 players in January!"
We have a manager who is not a WINNER and not a MOTIVATOR.
Get O'neil back now to get pride back in this Jersey!
Only positives today were Zaluska and Skippy.
Caldwell and McManus are both terrible. Caldwell marginally better but both are miles short of Celtic-class.
Fox: starting to look like Lee Naylor
NGuemo: Looks lost without a football player beside him
Robson: A trier, but again, never Celtic class in a million years.
Samaras: What position does he play? left back? Midfield? He threatens to be a great player and then trips over his own feet.
Fortune: have been supportive of him so far but today was woeful.
Aiden: I would sell in January. We're all waiting for this world-class player to emerge and instead we have a winger with next to no football intelligence and an poor attitude..
We are in a hole and I really think that we are waiting for the Huns to implode. Directionless and lacking any strategy to improve, we seem to be gambling that the fans will just turn up to watch that rubbish.
Well they won't, not these days.
That was an awful display. I'm seriously worried about Tony Mowbray's abilities now. Is he up to it I wonder?
I don't think the players not getting on with each other is anything to do with Mowbray to be fair...
That problem existed well before he joined the club.
not much we can say that's not been said already ....woeful performance.
lets not kid ourselves ...the Celtic board won't be buying a whole new team in January...we'll be lucky to see 2 or 3 or even 1 new player and for me the players look like they've already chucked it under Tony Mowbray. if that's the case then Tony will find himself under huge pressure from the fans and the board.
what a mess....the board don't miss place passes or miss goal scoring chances but they've put a manager in place who for me is not looking like he's not building a team....but dismantling one.
He may not have bought all 11 players who played today but they are his players if he's the Celtic manager and should be getting more outta them than we're seeing right now.....
I wanted to post at half time but I was too busy fixing the TV I had battered after McGeady's feeble penalty and even more feeble follow up.
Celtic are broken - plain and simple
There is something fundamentally wrong with our club.
There will be the usual suspects trying to defend our team after that performance.
"You're overreacting" they'll say. Maybe
"Tony needs time to build a side" - 10 miles down the road, Jim Gannon has built a side in jig time. Not world beaters but he has delivered an improvement.
"The wee lambs will be tired after a hard game in Europe" - watch Chelsea vs Man Utd in 1 hour's time. Those 22 players won't be tired.
So far this season the following players have come in for criticism here on this site .......
Boruc, Wilson, Caldwell, McManus, O'Dea, Loovens, Fox, Naylor, Hinkel, N'Guemo, Robson, Brown, Crosas, ZZ, McGeady, McGinn, McCourt, Samaras, Fortune, McDonald and Killen (and for good measure, the manager).
I've been one of the harsher critics but I have decided to stop slagging off individuals.
If none of our players are playing to their potential that would suggest an underlying problem. This needs to be fixed before we can move forward.
Hail Hail
Excuse the language bhoys, lesson learnt never blog straight after the match. just felt no passion from the side at all today and it really eats away at me. Just seemed like they couldn't be bothered. After alls said at least Skippy showed that he's not finished yet.
COM THA HOOPS
we got more than we deserved, pure pish, samaras and mcgeady dont have a football brain between them but they've got more nouse than BTM.
Robson is absolutely dire, N'guemo missing, defence including the goalkeeper just what you would expect really.
So much for the "what would paddy do" clamour for another lazy brainless football player.
I've seen a lot of absolutely garbage celtic teams but there was always at least one piece of class that would bring you back, this is pound for pound the most embarrasing collection of players to wear the hoops in whatever form.
No bottle no fight no desire no class - BTM is out of his depth, he proves it every week with team selections and substitutions.
If WGS wants Robson then bite his bloody hand off. Wish we could get the £20m for heid and captain clappy, cant anybody else apart from WGS see that they are the future of international defending.
Stebhoy - I think the players were embarrassed when we scored today. They understood they deserved nothing
The only surprising thing about that game was that we took the lead twice, and still managed to drop points. , I stated the team selection was wrong for that game, (check back my post before the game ) and to start with another untried experiment proved fatal.
Fortune fully fit, looks like a waste of money, Samaras has been kicked out all over Europe, bad day when McGeady is beyond defending, we started without a goal scorer and it showed when McDonald came on, McCourt might be lucky to get another game. McManus is an embarressment, and was missing for two of the Falkirk goals. Hinkel and Fox are poor in defence
What else do you expect, when we picked the wrong manager, it will always be like this.
HH
Disappointing from a minute before kick, to total embarrassment for the following 90.
Just dreadful, can’t defend, can’t control the midfield and no quality attacking play from our strikers.
We weren’t playing Hamburg today a team full of multi million pound players. No we played Falkirk’s second string, most of them youngsters.
Why change the midfield today? I don’t understand.
However no matter who Tony Mowbray picked, we had to expect better than what we got today. Third rate from players who are getting paid handsomely, robbers.
Today was a total embarrassment.
Total disgrace,
Something is clearly not right, we are stuttering towards January as if it is going to make a big difference.
And why do these wee teams always play out of their skins when its on the tele!?
Been sayin this all day but Im going to say it again...
Crosas plays = Celtic play
got to agree with walter neff
something isnt right at celtic, a team full of internationals who didnt look interested all day. what happened to the free flowing football we were promised, we were outplayed by a team of kids and crocks.
big tony has a job on his hands, hope he's up for it, the signs arent good.
Dont really know what to say!!
I want Tony to succeed but i am truely worried!! I know he has been left with a terrible squad to work with from WGS, but the players he has brought in so far are terrible. I do hear that the Korean lad he is bringing in during January is class but i am still very concerned.
The thing that is keeping me positive is i hope we will still be close to the top of the league by January therfore giving us a chance of winning the thing.
Who will be sold come January?? Who would want some of the dross thats in our squad??.....Strachan?? LOL.
I thought N'Guemo tried very hard second half. I was critical of him earlier in the season but he is improving.
I don`t know what annoyed me most about today`s performance.
There was the usual lacksadaisical start to the game which has become the norm for this team (see also Hearts (H), Rapid Vienna (H), Rangers (A), Dundee Utd (H), I could go on....). This lethargic start lasted for the whole of the first half, 45 minutes wasted and encouragement and the initiative given to Falkirk.
Its as though the team seem to think that simply by setting foot onto the park at the start of the game they already have a two goal advantage, theres no sense of urgency until its too late.
The loss of three goals resulting from being ripped apart in the exact same area of the park was an absolute joke. Our defenders clearly don`t learn from their (many) mistakes.
I`m sick of seeing the same failings being tolerated on a weekly basis.
A losing team last season with a manager who lost a lot last season. Those combined ain't going to create winners in the dug-out and the park. Losing three goals to a Falkrik side 19 points behind us, played 10 not won, playing without a recognised striker, bring on a guy who's a retired defender to play up front.
Rudderless and shapeless, passionless and soul-less, we are weak of tackle, poor of pass, kerb of control, hoofing long balls forward. We have no leadership in and out the boardroom, on and off the park. We need someone to be brave, someone to put their hand on the tiller and steady us. In short, we are drifting.
ItaliaBhoy, Fox isn't starting to look like Lee Naylor. Lee Naylor, for all his dreadful crossing, actually knows how to defend. Sami and Fortune combined would make a good Kenny Miller - plenty of clever but pointless running with the ball, and plenty of hanging around distracting defenders. And the predatory eye of a Filip Sebo. I'm not really wanting to get ripped into individual players on the back of today, because I've seen most of them play better on better days and today was a complete collective collapse. But some players just generally don't look like they belong there, or would be better served in positions other than the ones they are being asked to play at least.
So poor. No heart, no drive.
Lack of ability and craft all over the park.
Skippy today showed us why he must play every week. I am, and always have been, a skippy fan but i know many aren't. He is the only player in our team that will score goals - often close to 30 a season. Sure he moans, he's maybe slightly over weight but he is a goal-scorer and we wouldnt have won the league two years ago without him, wouldnt have been in the title race for so long last season and wouldnt have got a draw today.
Zaluska - 7 - Couldnt really fault him. Almost turned the penalty round the post.
Hinkel - 6 - Not great going forward. Caught once or twice at the back. The 3 goals all came down his side.
Heid - 6 - Good goal. Showed it meant a lot to him. Stupid, lazy foul for the penalty. Stands off too often.
Loovens - 4 - Clumsy.
Fox - 5 - Not hit the same heights since his injury.
McCourt - 3 - Was he even on? Very poor. A reminder to everyone that he is far from finished article.
Robson - 6 - Showed heart and drive but not a lot else. Kind of sums him up. He'll give his all but doesnt have all that much quality to supplement it.
N'Guemo - 6 - Wasnt the worst but loose passes are becoming an all too frequent part of his game.
McGeady - 4 - Plenty of aimless dribbles with the usual, poor end product. Poor penalty and even worse follow up. Only avoided hook as McCourt was even worse.
Samaras - 6 - Looked much more comfortable when Skippy came on and he was allowed to drift left. Great ball to skippy for the 3rd and was onside for what could have been the 4th.
Fortune - 4 - Simply doesnt look like a player worth spending 4million on. Not much pace, no real strength. Can turn a defender but then doesnt seem to know what to do. I fear he will play more and more simply because of the money paid for him.
Mick - 4 - Not a game changing substitution. Well, not in our favour anyway! Not directly at fault for any of the goals but his positioning isnt great and simply lacks quality.
Zheng Zhi - 3 - Didnt do much in the time he was on. Struggled to adapt to the fast paced game.
Skippy - 7 - Saved us today. Got us an undeserved point but again showed why he should play. Misses plenty of chances but also scores plenty of goals.
TM - 4 - Why disrupt the midfield pairing of Crosas and N'Guemo who played so well together? Also i fear he is only playing fortune as he feels he must prove he is worth the 4million he spent - my advice would be dont, as he simply isnt worth that money. Possibly have a bearing on the amount of transfer funds he will get in January.
Overall - 4 - We were lucky to get a draw against a team bottom of the league; who are yet to win this season; who were missing 7 first team players and whose reserve team manager came off the bench in an attempt to win the game. Disgraceful celtic.
Lou, jist told me the Score..
Ah am no surprised!
We couldnae haud a lead..and.. agin a lowly Team like Falkirk..
Why was that?
Weel .. let's see if Ah can figger thist Oot..
Half-Time..
Celtic 0 Falkirk 0
Hmmmm.
Mr. Mowbray, makes his Second, Mistake of the Match..
Brings oan.. Mc.Manus.. McManus...
His First Mistake, wiz dropping Master Crosus, and
Replacing him with, Mr. Robson.
Mr. Robson, is on his last legs,he is no the player, we
knew,a coupla Season's ago.
Back tae .. the Bringing on of Mc.Manus...
Oh! Oh!
That wiz the turning point..doonwards~
No maitter, the ither subs that Mr.Mowbray brought oan.. the
Bringing oan of McManus..
WIZ THE SUB THAT TORPEDOED THE GUID SHIP LOLLYPOP!!!
Plus, of course..
Master McGeady's Most Derisory Attempt at Penalty Taking!
Fortune did not make a Fool of Me.. he showed that Ah hiv goat him taped.
I did not expect that he would.
Fortune, is simply a Bad Buy..and the Buying of him.. was what tipped me off..
Tae this..
Mr. Mowbray, is an Ass!
Kojo.
heartless - reminded me of last years run in - players out there who should get fined for lack of effort
Shameful Embarrassing Disgraceful Unacceptable......
At least the gutter press will be able to use some of the headlines they were hoping to use for the minutes silence to describe the teams performance instead of the fans performance.
For all their problems, Rancid f.c. have one thing going for them,.......this present Celtic team.
A Celtic team in name only.
What is wrong at our club ?
Everyone and their granny is walloping Falkirk, along come the Bhoys at the top of the table and we're looking like we are the one's propping up the SPL !
I will back our manager and every player at the club as long as they are wearing the Celtic strip but where is the hunger, desire & fight ? Tony Mowbray doesn't look like a man with fire in his belly when you see him standing at the side of the dug-out. I know that different managers show different emotions but what kind of message does it show if he's standing around, looking as if he's pondering where to go on holiday !
As for his players ..... they don't half burst your chops with the drivel they seem to be playing. Come on Celtic, sort it out and quick.
Hail Hail
Remember this is just a continuation of what we got many times last season . Well maybe its gone a bit worse.
Tony M miserably hunched on the sideline is not an inspireing sight either.
If we sell Artur Boruc we will end up 3rd in the league,I really feel sorry for the Faithful,I sat in the relative comfort of a pub enjoying a few beers with another good Tim whom I havent seen in ages watching amateur football,sincerely my heart goes out to those who travel Europe to watch Celtic,whom would struggle through lack of confidence against an amateur side,God Bless The Faithful,I am sorry you had to watch that drivel.
the poster who suggests that we are waiting for the huns to implode is spot on the mark. thinks. Simply not good enough. i don't subscribe to the notion that the players are "cheats" one or two on here have. i think that they are simply not up to the task. you wouldn't, for instance, call motherwell players cheats, more you would acknowledge that they are not very good. Celtic FC do not pay the players to be best friends. if there are personal issues with certain players then those players must be big enough to leave them at the other side of the painted white line and be professional.
loosing 3 goals to the bottom of the league side is poor indeed, and the worst thing about it is that i am not surprised about it. you have become accustomed to such events.
the board have found themselves at a big cross roads. invest significantly in the squad in january, which i think they will be reluctant to do or run the very real risk of playing to half empty grounds and dwindling interest from sponsors
In my opinion possibly the worst performance by our team in the last 10 years in a league game.
Other than the goals, there was hee haw. Absoulute shambles of a performance. I stopped watching after an hour, my blood pressure couldn't take it.
My son's u/10 team dont make the same mistakes as our defence does.
Aiden's follow up at the penalty reminded me of a similar attempt by Joe Miller in 1989 when he missed a penalty when we were 2 1 down against the horribles, by waiting for the rebound rather than attacking it, same outcome as Aiden's feeble 'effort'.
If the manager has lost the dressing room, we are in trouble.
All the players should stop talking to media and to do their talking on the pitch.
I received a text saying when mcdonald got the, third after Samaras' pass, he didnt go near him to thank him for the great pass. This, to me, shows a lack of team spirit.
Iposted this on Friday night
By notthebus on November 6, 2009 10:13 PM
Just had a "Not the View" bath..Issue 40 (March 1993).The kelly are in power,Liam brday is trying to "play the celtic way" and terry cassidy has just been fired!
For all thos "This is the worst celtic team etc etc ", here is our form from that time.
Hearts (away) lost 0:1
Dundee Utd *home) lost 0:1
Rangers (away) lost 0:1
Clyde (scottiah cup) 0:0
Clyde (replay) WON 1:0 (woo hoo)
Airdrie (away) WON 1:0 (on a role now)
Motherwell (Home) Drwa 1:1 (darn!)
St Johnstone (Home) WON 5:1 (whit!!)
Falkirk (Scottish cup) lost 0:2
Aberdeen (away) Draw 1:1
So for the PF (post fergus) fans, this was typical of supporting the hoops in the early 90's.Not a European tie in sight,Out of both cups, no where in the league and our top scorer with 4 goals..Tommy Coyne (2 penalties).
Next time you read a post starting with "thats the worst ..." just remember the poster is very young!
Totally dire today,big mick ,well what can I say?never a defender in his life.
Defence(do we have one?)shocking as usual,and any money for aiden will be gladly accepted ,punt him now.
You start blaming the manager for that one, you're headiung towards the hun mentality of stamping feet and demanding quick fixes.
TM picked the sort of team a lot on here have been demanding for weeks.
Build a team around Paddy McCourt? Well, Falkirk certainly did today...
McGeady? One significant pass in 90 minutes from our most 'gifted' player?
The seive? Back like Lazarus.
Today was about players proving they were solid professionals, able to follow up a demanding European tie by raising their game to compete against a lowly SPL side.
They COULD NOT do it.
What we found out today was that many players are simply not up to the task of playing for Celtic - note I didn't say they weren't physically GOOD enough at times, just mentally incapable of being quality professionals.
Hopefully, TM will have a notebook full of tday's inadequacies.
But then, he's never hidden what he's thought of the squad's capabilities and it must rankle with some that it is difficult to throw criticism at a manger who's already told us so.
Onwards and upwards, and taxis at the ready for the impostors.
Kojo
The word was that Loovens had a groin injury, but you are bang on with Crosas, and sadly with Fortune too. Your choice of word on Mowbray is unfortunate, and too far, but I agree with the feeling.
We've had a terrible defence for 5 years what we done about it, how anybody can defend them is beyond me and before anyone pipes up bout best defensive record blah de blah, Real Madrid had the best defensive record the last year the one the league and that was down purely to Iker Cassilas.
Who in that team fill you with any excitement or hope, THG. We took a reserve at Barca who is rapidly looking like our only decent midfielder. Somebody has to be held accountable and soon.
BTM? PL?? Us probably, we've stood by and let it come to this.
wonder how much the media will make of the horrendous 'offside' decision in injury time.
I can hear the tumbleweed already...
I have blameD everyone else for the poor performances this season but it's time TM took a bloody hard look at himself.
His team selections are mind boggling at times, especially with the advantage of hindsight.
Why are we so inconsistent? Why do some of our players not have the technical basics?
No Celtic player should ever need motivated, but this shower of cheats look like they do. Why?
I must confess to having big doubts about the direction of the club and team. This has meant I will not blindly buy European and cup tickets as I can't be bothered.
Is there an arrogance with the players? If so it's misplaced.
Are there problems in the dressing room? If so, drop the offenders no matter who they are and get rid ASAP.
CLUELESS
If Falkirk played against the Celtic defence every week they would not be bottom of the league. Ball watchers who dont cover for each other. A complete shambles.
Falkirk had scored a total of 5 goals in 10 league games before today, averaging 0.5 goals per game. They could have doubled their season total in one game against our defence today.
That's a pretty damning stat.
DerryBhoy on November 8, 2009 2:47 PM
chill mate, there's kids reading the blog.
Hail Hail
I can take a defeat or a draw but I cant except players with the attitude that we have recently been witnessing.
Is it any surprise that we were unable to pass the ball to men in bumble bee strips? No Crosas and no passing. He and N'Guemo had started to put us back together and then the manager breaks this up (unless his hand was forced with injury). If the former is the case then that is Tony Mowbray's fault.
Falkirk are no roughhouse team, they pass it so why Robson in the middle? For Steel? Nonsense. Bad management from Tony. He has watched Falkirk I presume by his comments about Eddie May so this is poor management.
McGeady should have been hooked for that penalty alone and shot for the follow - up. He did nothing all game except that - Poor management.
He stands doing nothing on the side lines - poor management.
His big signing was annonymous - poor management, he signed this guy and blew a transfer budget on him.
Zheng Zhi - I don't know
Fox - Not consistent
N'Guemo - is being exposed too often by the midfield partners he doesn't get - Bad management.
Zaluszka was poor today - he should have saved at least 2 of the goals IMHO. The Penalty definitely.
I am sorry but we lurch from the acceptable to the God awful with far too much regularity for it to be coincidence.
If it is players and cliques the manager should drop them
If it is the management team then the board should act and bite the bullet. IMO Tony Mowbray will never make a Celtic manager in a million years. He is too inconsistent with everything he does and says.
Do we want to give TM whatever money we have to spend?
The evidence is not overwhelming in favour.
allgreen
he doesnt know his best team. i think we all now know his worst. changes needed.
When are we going to stand up to the establishment..??
Appalling performance from the entire team today, but, and its a very big BUT we should still have collected all three points but for a cheating linesman.
Earlier in the game he gave offside against McDonald who had followed up a shot. He was at least 2 yards onside with the left back the closest player to the linesman.
Then as we all see in the last minute he repeats the trick.
A video of this should be sent to Mr Dallas and an explanation requested. In saying that he will probably just file it with the process that was used for Loovens suspension.
We must start bringing this into the open.
As for the pathetic performance. Enough said...pathetic
Catman
Couldnt watch anymore! I actually took the mutt out before half time,Never before have I cringed so much watching Celtic.( well apart from Bratislava )
I've tried my hardest to be patient with TM and his strange tactics and ever stranger substitutions.
Tony u might have got hibs playing some decent stuff and got West Brom relegated while doing the same ,but your well out your depth at Celtic.............BYE BYE !!!!!!!
notthebus
Are you suggesting then that we are bloody lucky
I am a Celtic fan, I watched those games under brady, I hope we would never return to those days but we have, and Tommy Coyne is a much better player than anyone on that pitch today
I think we have, man for man, better players in most positions than any other team in the SPHell. Difference is...............they dont play like a team. Falkirk passed harried,and seldom lumped the ball up the park. Every one of their players moved in to a position where they could receive the ball. Any time we had the ball, our players were marked and didn't have the vision to create space for themselves. Something in that dressing room is definetly wrong. Clear the air talks required pronto I fear.......
Another really tired performance from usual suspects do we have a defence who is josh thompson he might as well go back to england cause tony aint gonna play you sick of the same old excuses same hopeless players and a message for tony if your players are tired move over and get someone in who will wake them up.
Catman,
Totally agree re: linesman. For all we were gash, he has cost us 2 points. Big clubs simply don't accept these decisions without an almighty kerfuffle...
Dubhaibhoy@1.36
Singing clearly heard on my service too. Totally agree, morons, waste of space, don't even have the decency to remember their own fans and players. Couldn't even take the hint from the Celtic website about those players who fell. No doubt we will be asked to observe some commemoration by those same people who can't stay quiet for 1 minute.
As to the game - a dreadful display, have never seen such a bunch of gutless inept performers, and the manager must take responsibility for his selections and tactics, if any.
andybhoy
Merely suggesting perspective to the rants of "worst ever"
I watched those games too. We are light years away from those days.
Bloke109
A Bad choice of Woid?
Mebbeso..
Howvehhhhhhhhha
It comes closest tae the Real Description that Ah wid use, if ah
wiz having a Private Conversation!!!
Ah feel so frustrated wi Mr.Mowbray..
Ah figgered that he wid Learn.
But..
The Upsetting of a Mid Field, that showed that it had great Potential.. set me off agin Mr.Mowbray Agin.
His Team Selection today.. and his subsequent Bringing oan .. McManus..wiz ridiculous..
In my opinion.. Master Thompson. wid hiv been a Bettah Sub..
Gie this young fellah a shot..or .. bring back Master O'Dea..which I believe Celtic Could..
If they cannot, then Whoever Made out the Loan Contract..is a PIKER~
Kojo
why did we only olay one man up front? we had no pressure on that terrible defence of falkirks. Samaras is our most dangerous man in he air but watch his positions throughout the game - he is either crossing from the left (to who??) or he lingers on the 18yrd line when balls are firing into the box - TOTALLY INEFFECTUAL and shocking management from highly paid experts of the game.
Today was made for Mcginns pace , samaras in the box with mcdonald - I know there is usually a euro hangover but today I'm very worried about , not so much team selection , but team set up and team mentality.
UNACCEPTABLE AGAIN
Dont let TM buy or trade any players
Fox
Fortune
N'Guemo
Plus two million bucks for him and the pointer sisters.
JVOH Scores 2 -1 Hull
Big Jan scores the winner for Hull.
JVOH Scores winner for Hull
I thought we had turned the corner after the last two games. Maybe we had but the manager, for reasons best known to himself dropped Marc Crosas today and we never looked settled in the middle of the pitch. If it is not broken don't fix it.
Despite the stick he gets from some people among our support Scott McDonald is the only natural goal scorer we have. He was denied a hat-trick by two appalling decisions - one from Fortune and the other from the linesman who, again for reasons best known to himself flagged Samaras offside despite being in a position to know he was two-yards on.
BTM needs to keep the team settled as much as possible. Loovens was injured but at least he started the match. A poor performance. A draw was a fair result, but we should be beating these semi-skimmed Huns any day of the week.
Do not let this particular linesman pass by without note guys.
Despite our woeful inadequacies, we scored a legitimate goal in injury time which should have seen us take 3 points (a win when playing badly is the mark of champions we keep hearing).
It was blatantly wrong - so far onside it is difficult to explain why he flagged.
We were robbed of those three points today by a linesman who did exactly the same thing 15 minutes earlier, although the keeper saved from McDonald that time so no direct bearing on the number of points we would have.
Again, McDonald was so far onside it was difficult to accept the decision was a genuine mistake - the left back was right in front of him - McDonald was 3 yards onside.
Once? By 2 yards? Maybe, just maybe. But twice in 15 minutes, both times with a Celtic striker with just the keeper to beat?? 2 yards and 3 yards???
Ask the question.
Big JVOH just scores an injury time goal to put Hull in the lead.
For all those who maintain that nearly 30 games later, this is not Tony Mowbray's Celtic can you let me know whose Celtic it is?
When does TM become the manager?
Did you see fully fit Marc Fortune today?
Will the board give money to repeat this type of signing January?
1st goal Caldwell plays like himself and concedes a needless penalty.
2nd goal centre of defense demonstrates their outstanding ability to ball watch and do what they always do (abdicate responsibility)
3rd goal Ditto.
Tony is looking less and less like a football coach.
Dire,perhaps not even that good.
Paddy McCourt no thanks cannot even run.
Three so called center backs on the park not one good enough.
ZZ signed and sitting on the bench.
Aidan a one trick pony.
Very close to taxi for TM,he is supposed to manage,something is far wrong in the dressing room,he needs to level with the support.
Hail Hail.
New signings not bloody likely, no one will come in in January, "its not the time to buy" we are constantly told, well i may adopt that regarding Celtic merchandise. We havent bought this Korean guy either and i doubt we will its just what Celtic plc do best "talk".
Lets see how the Board address their lack of football knowledge once the crowds dwindle, and they will, how will they buck the trend. Thankfully i only have £28 still to pay for the Europa package and thats my financial commitment to Celtic over.
How many more midfield partners is N'Guemo going to get? Today it was Robson, then Zhi. In the last two games he played with Crosas, and before that it was Brown, before that Donati.
With any team, but especially with our defence, you need a holding midfield player, one who can tackle and pass and is mobile. Tony Mowbray must decide who that player is. I would say Crosas is our best bet, don't know why the N'Guemo/Crosas pairing was not continued today.
I also noticed there was no congratulations between Samaras and McDonald after Sami played the great ball to Skippy for the third goal. If there is a problem with the team spirit, the manager has to sort it out, pronto! If the problem persists, the league will be lost. Come on, Tony, manage! Paul Lambert is lurking.
I'm not in the "get rid of Tony" brigade yet but if he was a cat he would have used up 8 of his 9 lives today. Strange team selection, lack of application. skill ,confidence. Falkirk showed what can be achieved with limited resources and the right attitude.
Samaras was two yards ONside when put through at the death which makes you wonder about that linesman but I would still be as disgusted if we had won 4 3.
very disappointing today. Few thoughts...
we lose 3 goals in a half with McManus / Caldwell combo. Whatever the reason they were paired today, we must all know that they are our weakest pairing.
for all his faults, Skippy remains our most potent threat up front.
I still think we'll win this league. If only due to toxicassets fc being marginally worse than us.
I don't usually refer to specific posters. For 'an honest tim' I'll make an exception - you're an idiot, son. Please log off and go somewhere else.
sg
allgreen ,
you're correct in saying that if there are players causing problems in the dressing room, drop them ASAP, no matter who they are.
Hail Hail
U2_1888
Utterly correct! If that had been Rangers or Fergie they would have been goin balistic on the touch line or the players would have rant to the ref - pressure pressure pressure!
But no - we are LOSERS to the core!!!
I'm sick of Celtic LYING DOWN to clear cheating and corruption - Have we lost the fight? certainly looks like it!
Getting rid of Mowbray is not the answer....Who are we likely to get who would be better....and don't tell me any rookie manager in the world is capable of managing our club, with the current players and budget
MON is not coming back...not unless we get into the EPL....
We can talk all day about which positions need fixing...one week its defence, next it's midfield, another strikers....One thing is a constant, regardless of which part of the team fails to function.....we have no leaders....no lennon, no sutton, no aitken, no burns, not a single hard driven , never say die individual....
barry robson is probably the closest we have, but his lack of pace and awareness can't be accommodated in a team so lacking in quality
if we are merely looking for better players than we have just now, there will be more days like today...if we are looking for better players with a stronger mentality and leadership qualities, then we will improve and move forward
the first starting point would be to offload those with not enough ability within our current squad. I wouldn't even start to name names, the manager must be able to see who needs to be sold....we have to trust in the manager, and hope the board put their shoulder to the wheel and get the underachievers out and winners in
The fact that Tony Mowbray was our second biggest signing of the summer at a cost of £2 million means that he isn't going anywhere.
How would our famously frugal and highly cost-efficient board explain a wasted outlay of £2 million to the shareholders?
I don't post often, but I feel motivated to do so today....
Two wingers leaves two central midfielders. Opposition always floods the middle with 3 or even 4 bodies. None of our CM's are good enough to deal with this. Mowbray is doing eactly what GS did....chop and change the CM's.
Gordon had Graveson, Donati, Jarosik, Hartley, Sno....and quite a few others. It didn't work.
Tony has Brown, Robson, N'Guemo, Crosas, ZZ. It makes no difference who the 2 are on a given day. Other teams flood that area and hound us out of the game. Result? Our center backs don't have confidence in playing the ball into feet through the middle. Instead, they pump it aimlessly up the park.
While all of this is going on, our wingers are not part of the game.
Answer? Three in the middle. Lose the wingers. Play Aiden left, right and through the middle. With 3 in the middle, we'd have players close to each other. The 10 yard pass would always be an option. We'd have shape.
On top of all of that, Maloney is twice the player when playing in the 'hole'.
Tony is making the same mistake as Gordon. Sticking to 'principles', when we don't have the quality of player to play that way.
On the minutes' silence. The sound on TV here in Canada carried the 'singing' very clearly. I think that it is fair to say that everyone in our club was disgusted. I certainly was.
I think it is clear that players cost managers their jobs.
This group of players did not play for Gordon last season and here they are again not playing for Tony.
I suppose we will have "player apologists" coming on to try and justify their level of performance. Each Falkirk goal originated from a professional player dressed in green and white hoops' lack of effort, commitment and willingness to chase back.
Worryingly for Mowbray is that this was from some players he had signed. Obviously we are still good enough to win this league (as we were last year) but some of these players don't want to play for Celtic or even try for Celtic.
this team is totaly gutless no spine or dig it's alright playing great passing football but there is games you need to dig in to win this team would be hammered by celtic ladies team we are utter garbage need 2 CB with pace and dig MF who can play killer pass and striker with pace and killer instinct when he gets chances he will score at least 7 out of 10 chances
barcabhoy
Celtic are by a long way the highest paid team in Scotland, if you cant get them to work then you have to go.
I still say the board should have walked with Strachan after Artmedia game, and dont give me last 16.
We are a lethargic lot, we should be looking to win by half time. When has that happend? It seems we need a bad tackle or to go a goal down before we wake up. Methinks BTM should try and get involved in touchline motivation.
He should be urging and shouting the players onwards, he should be giving direction and signaling - let the players know he is up for it.
I despair sometimes, we have a team in the squad that just wont materialise, we have many good players that can't play or gel with each other. This is BTM job.
We'll be lucky to add 1 player to this squad in Jan, so our work is cut out to get a winning mentality installed in all our players and a fighting team who want 3 points from every game.
All is not lost but it sure fees like it, even when we draw.
falkirk played well today it is the standard of player is our problem at caltic we will still win the title
hh
tick tock
Koko
first mistake was why was Paddy doing on today...more of a impact player as I keep saying! Just one foot and the odd mazey run will never make him a Celtic starter and if we had some decent players not even a starter at all !!
Sorry for this comment but have watched the guy for over 4 years now and nothing has changed about him! Great lad but not Celtic Class like another 15 I Could list!!
On another Topic..Franz Backenburer Caldwells DISTRIBUTION today 18 PASSES OUT OF DEFENCE and all went to A Falkirk player!!
We require help as this squad is no better than Falkirks teenagers....Now theres a Thought !!!!
Just in from the game, I don't know what it looked like on the telly but first half was just dire. No midfield, no attacking. Really frustrating to watch. It's Falkirk we were playing FFS! Just not what I expect from Falkirk
The second half was entertaining but still, it's just not good enough. Results like this could and probably will come back to haunt us come the end of the season. As for the Samaras offside, I was right in line with the linesman (opposite side - in that diddy stand Falkirk have) and it was never offside. In all honesty, we were lucky to get a point.
BTW - anyone else see that ESPN burd on the touchline? Minted :)
Hail hail.
Barcabhoy,
Good sensible post.
Kojo,
i agree about crosas
Mowbray refuses to condemn the defence on SSN
My Marks - and we lost the grasp of this game in midfield:
Zaluska - 5 Played as if he wasn't there.
Hinkel - 7 Always looked to have the quality others around him lack.
Caldwell - 6 Not good enough for Celtic, poor penalty concession
Loovens / McManus - 7 Not too bad
Fox - Best Left Back in years.
McCourt - 2 I cant remember him doing anything of note and on one occassion he simply ran 10 yards back into Hinkel and lost the ball
Robson - 5 usual dig but poor game
N'Guemo - 7 Hardly put a foot wrong, industrious
McGeady - 4 no footballing brain
Fortune - 5 Came onto a game 2nd half but pretty invisible the first. HAs certain strengths which celtic are not playing to
Samaras - 7 thought he played really well.
McDonald - 7 thought he was going to have one of his days when he missed that sitter but cant fault a sub striker scoring 2 goals
cfc
Same lassie that worked for Setanta - and she glories in her wee parades around the track
Patrick27
Why not give more opportunities for ZZ every hope that he scored with 20 minutes to do?
Bad defender, goal, against, goals for, against and, goal, against, God angry!
Auldbhoy
Pal.. so ye dinna like , Master McCourt?
Then..
Woop de DOO!
If this is your best attempt at contributing tae this Forum..
oa a Day such as this..
When Celtic wur Oot Played by a Mickey Moose Team..
Then..
Ah guess ye jist dinnae get it..
Dae ye pal..
So ye dinna like Master McCourt?
Does anyone still believe that given a good few million quid and a couple of transfer windows that TM can make a Celtic team equipped to do well domesticaly and in the European arena?Mr.Mowbray has difficulty in motivating players why do I say that? well just look at the difference in todays performance and Thursday night its not hard to motivate a team playing against a top european club However,to motivate a team against Falkirk a team bottom of the SPL that hasnt won a game at home takes more skill and yet again TM and the players were found wanting.I think we spend to much time gloating over the problems at ibrox and that is papering over the cracks at Parkhead.IMHO the board have blundered again in there choice of manager nice big guy that TM is he just isnt up to being the manager of our great club.If you feel differently please come on and tell me why in a constructive manner because I do want to be convinced.
Another day another team layout. Why aren't we building partnerships and building confidence on the side. AGAIN the players never knew who was playing beside them and looked uncomfortable when given the ball. For guys who have this as a career this is nothing short of embarrassing. Not even worth naming names, the lot were well below the high standards that celtic should be expecting. Since when has Falkirk been a worry. Good thing my money never came in today, I was so close to putting a 4-0 bet on for celtic. I really don't want to blame TM as he's only here but he's confusing the hell out of me and I'm scared to think what he'll do with any money he's given in January. And again we have another international break to take everyones mind off what needs to be worked on.
A big thanks to Skippy for stepping up and showing he's not finished yet.
Hail hail
weeronn ,
you posted the statement below.
" On the minutes' silence. The sound on TV here in Canada carried the 'singing' very clearly. I think that it is fair to say that everyone in our club was disgusted. I certainly was. "
I watched the game on T.V. and didn't hear any singing. I did hear passing traffic due to the fact the Falkirk stadium is not an enclosed one like Celtic Park. What were the songs being sung during the minutes silence ?
I know there were some other tunes sung during the game but i'll leave that for another day or debate.
Hail Hail
Angriest I've been for a long time, watching that today, with the players Celtic have available compared to Falkirk, is leading me to believe all is not well behind the scenes.
Why with the score at 3.2 did Fortune try and score himself and not pass to McDonald for a tap in?
How many players do we have who regularly play better than players they are up against?
Most weeks we are playing against teams where the players are earning a tenth of the Celtic players.
We are starting to look like an SPL select team who can't cope in midfield, can't defend and strikers who don't play with their heads up.
The day Robson become an important player for Celtic was the day we reduced our expectation levels.
That group odf players(they aren't a team) should be made to watch that performance tomorrow at training.
They should, if they have any decency then appologise the the Celtic fans who attended.
Last point about today.
Well done to those today who upheld the one minute silence.To those who were either in or outside the ground singing, it was one minute of your life to shut it.
They may have hijacked the Poppy rubbish over the last few years but many, many people died who were no more than cannon fodder, including many Irishmen.
My own great uncle was living in Glasgow when the war broke out and as a result was conscripted to the Navy, reported missing in 1943.
andybhoy - WGS has gone. Get over it.
was it me or did skippy display a bit of giruy towards the bench after his opener?
Jamsie on November 8, 2009 3:39 PM
Maybe because McDonald was offside.
gsu
Koko
I said PADDY was not Celtic class like another 15 I could name and shame! As im sure you could as well!!
I like Master McCourt but fear he is not the answer to our problems nor is he the cause of our problems!...We all know were these lie!!
Only heard the last ten minutes or so on the radio, so can't comment on our overall performance, or lack of it according to the general view.
The team line up surprised me in a couple of places. I had expected to see Fortune'e in for MacDonald, but did not expect to see Crosas dropped, or apparently rested. Too many games someone suggested? We have a 2 week break coning up. It made no sense to me to break up what was becoming a promising partnership.
I was also surprised to see McCourt starting in a game that was always going to be quick and frantic. For me McGinn is ahead of him in the pecking order on recent performances and should have started.
One more point. As 89 minutes ticked around the BBC Scotland commentator noted that there would be a very lengthy period of time to be added. But only 3 minutes was announced.
Now it may not have affected the result, but another example of a referee failing to follow the basic rules really annoys me. There were five substitutions which is 2 1/2 minutes alone. So only 30 more seconds for stoppages caused by a penalty, six goals and any injuries, etc? Nonsense.
The ref should be asked to explain why he only added 3 minutes.
Possilbhoy, it is quite possible that Sky cut the mics during the silence, as the referee's whistle wasn't audible at the end of the silence, and they clearly showed Lawwell shaking his head at something during it.
Others reporting that it could be heard on Radio Scotland. When the sound came back up on Sky, booing could clearly be heard.
If only we had got 3 points.
90: Samaras runs through one-on-one with Olejnik but he sees his driven effort parried by the Falkirk goalkeeper. The linesman raises his flag for offside before McDonald knocks the ball into the back of the net but that looks like the wrong decision.
PF Ayr
First time in two seasons I didnt go for the Caldwell bet. hope you did..
Chelsea bet of the day with Valencia and Inter.
EN
paulo
No doubt he did but doesnt every striker who didnt get to start do that if they score
you know somthing i dont care anymore, i am sad that it has come to this but the way we are run has sickened me so much i just dont want give those in charge 1 penny, i cant stand there spin and arrogance anymore this isnt celtic anymore we dont feel like a family anymore, it has been plain for a good few seasons now that this was coming and yet a club that is in such a poor financial position is allowed to dominate now, ah the cry thats why we have been prudent look at them, yes thats factually correct but why do i feel this way, because it was blatantly obvious if we had bought a couple of decent strikers 2 seasons ago we would have been well and truly in a period of GOD,i have no faith whatsoever in this jaunta that we have in charge.
Tony do the honourable thing and go now,you cant manage you would not know a good player if you saw one.Tactics non existent.The board will never give you any more money to waste.Previous boards waited too long i.e Barnes.
GSU
When Fortune shot he was, but he had the opportunity to play the pass earlier.
how about this for a cb?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k52QWFeP7OY
Fortuneately for McManus she is has been suspended
I’m trying to be positive, which I believe, we’ve got to do at these times. We hung on today, on a day when we were weak all through the team but actually scored three goals, all of which were well made and well taken. The opposition were not only fired up, but played very well and teams who play a crisp passing game do very well against us.
I agree with an earlier poster, a point was probably more than we deserved today.
I would like to make one further point for which I might get shot down. We badly need Artur back. Artur makes crucial saves, Zaluska almost saves them. We need the former.
That could have made all the difference today.
Hail! Hail!
Jamesie
I thought Skippy had strayed a bit too far and was offside.
ggh
btw, does anyone know if Andreas Hinkel objected to honouring the British war dead with a poppy on his shirt?
By U2_1888 on November 8, 2009 3:23 PM
im sure as hell wattie waistcoat would be asking the questions loud and clear
would you want to play for a manager who constantly tells you that you are not good enough?? it may be true to a point but you need to get the best out of what you have at your disposal until you are in a position to change it!
Gordon J- 3.41 Maybe hes a Celtic fan and was worried that we might ship another goal.I know I was.
This is my first post lads,
At the moment Celtic are a mess, Mogga appears to have lost the dressing room, but did he have it to lose in the first place??
Last season was shocking, letting those muppets win the league was unforgivable, major surgery is required starting with the defence, then central midfield, we constantly lose cheap goals and Mogga's decision to drop Crosas was ridiculous.
I'm struggling to name my MOTM today as the first half was as bad as i've seen us play, possibly McDonald as he had a point to prove when he came on.
I'm not one for calling for the manager's head but something aint right at CP just now, we're rank rotten, but Mogga isn't getting the best out of his players, and that is a major concern.
garygillespieshamstring
You could be right but I thought he could have played the ball across earlier before McDonald moved offside, I could be wrong.
Over the last few weeks I've noticed quite a few times McDonald getting into great positions to receive a pass, but it never comes, this is what's making me think things aren't right behind the scenes.
no cohesion.
no continuity.
no organisation.
no fight.
no leadership.
no togetherness.
no belief in the team (not from me anyway).
no pace.
no skill.
no-one taking responsibility.
WGS-esque forcing of players into the same 'system' that doesn't work.
poor SPL yet we struggle against them, despite being highest paid squad by far.
we talk about the gap between our finances and europa league/CL opposition but the relative gap must be similar with us and the SPL.
Falkirk are the worst team in the SPL.
They were injury ravaged to the extent they had to bring on a guy who is 39 and supposed to be retired.
They had scored 5 goals in the 10 SPL games to date.
Their manager in a pre match interview explained he had the lowest budget in the league. (Wattie might dispute that one)
I think we had our first goal attempt against this makeshift team after 30 mins.
By time up, they had managed to score 3 which was a 600% increase in todays game on their normal 0.5 goal per game rate.
Zaluska can take the credit that they didn't hit 5.
It was quite simply the worst first 45 mins I've seen from a Celtic team in my memory, and yes, I was around in the 90's.
If the team next week was:
Zaluska
Caddis
Thomson
Marr
Naylor
McGinn
Flood
Crosas
Ferry
Skippy
McGowan
then not one of the players left out would have any reason to complain. I leave the keeper who did well and Skippy who despite a poor season did his job today.
The rest should donate their wages to charity and start packing their bags now. Who, however, would buy any of them?
TM?
I've tried, believe me, I've tried,to give him a fair crack. That today, was the final straw for me. They cannot pass, cannot defend, appear lacklustre, uninterested, untalented. He has to shoulder some of the blame.
Tactically he seems to have only one oar in the water.
Absolute and utter garbage.
oneantonrogan ,
thanks. I did hear booing after the minutes silence but just thought it was Falkirk fans giving our lovely away support their usual awayg ground reception.
Hail Hail
The trouble with this present squad is that there are too many big time charlies,Caldwell being the biggest,strolls about at the back,passing the ball sideways then backwards always pointing as if he was some kind of superstar.The attitude of this lot stinks,if they start the game at the correct tempo,as they did against Killie it becomes easier.They didnt give Falkirk respect and paid for it bigtime.I am sorry I have to say it but the only way this will change is to stop going to games,and you know something,after watching Celtic for over 50 years,I dont think it would bother me.This lot are a total arrogant team of imposters.Slan
oh how the orcs are so so sooooooooooo disappointed that the silence was observed impeccably.
conspiracies of sky had turned the volume off blah blah blah
let me ask this...
IS THERE ANYTHING MORE DISRESPECTING TO THE 'WAR DEAD' THAN THIS:
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http://img400.imageshack.us/my.php?image=2qm0jmfoo8.jpg
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I CERTAINLY DONT THINK SO.
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Its time for BTM to realise that he has to some decisions and stick to them for the next two months
central defensive partners any two from Hoddit doddit or ploddit but its Caldwell and Loovens for me
Central Midfield partners - for me its Marc and Laundry
Strike partners - stick with Sammy and Skippy for me
Wide boys - Aiden and McGinn for me
All the choppind and changing does no good
What a terrible performance both on and off the pitch - my worst fears realised at the minutes silence. Just proves that we have just as bad a section of mindless morons as the other lot.
Then it got worse - losing 3 goals to Falkirk is an absolute disgrace. All 3 goals down our right hand side - hinkel? caldwell?
I like Tony Mowbray, he's a genuine guy and at times he's had us playing some nice stuff. Early on he was a breath of fresh air, in terms of his handling of the media and his honest assessments of our performances(Good or bad).
However it appears there has been a marked change in his outward persona. From the outside looking in it seems there are dressing room problems. Since the so called "clear the air meeting" his comments have been less critical. Any manager worth his salt would not be dictated to, he must be stronger, on the surface it looks like he has been.
If Tony Mowbray is to keep his job and be a success at Celtic then he's got a massive job on his hands. First and foremost he has to remove elements in the dressing room, who from the looks of it have been undermining him. Then he has to get players with better attitudes and who fit with his ethos, all on a shoe string budget, it's not going to be easy.
We have a plethora of players who believe they are better than they actualy are and who are being paid over inflated wages, unfortunately one of which seems to be one of his signings. I think Fortune could ultimately cost Mogga his job. All managers make mistakes in the transfer market, however this player was not an unknown element. 3 months with Mowbray at West Brom and he made him his number 1 target, can’t be any excuses for blowing his budget on such a poor player.
To keep his job he needs a massive overhaul.
Caldwell
Mick
Fox
Robson
Fortune
Brown
McGeady
Plus many fringe players all IMO need massively improved upon.
Alarm bells ringing
TM might not be the whole problem but today showed that he is part of it !
Took far far too long to get a response from him
Changes should have been made after 20-25 minutes !
When you are getting out played by the team at the bottom of the ;eague you know that you're in deep trouble
TM waited until half time before making an enforced change
Let's be honest
Cauldwell
McManus
McCourt
Robson
Samaras
are just not good enough
N'Guemo
MAF
Fox
jury still out but today was not good if that is a portent for their future
We were lucky to be one up yet a blind man could see that either McGeady or McCourt had to come off - yet TM waited until we lost the goal - - poor poor management
We get back in front yet fail to see out time - - truly shocking display
Our only realistic hope is that the huns go into meltdown - today proved that we are just not good enough
McGeady needs to leave for his and our good
When MON left GS was already in place. A seemless transition some would say. Not so when GS left. My point is that although I don't think TM is the man to take Celtic forward, I don't blame him for taking the job, lets face it given the chance we would all do the same. The lack of ambition within the board is the problem, TM is just a symptom. We should have had a new coach identifyed last Jan when we all knew that it was going to be GS's last season.
twists n turns
Total agreement, The players and management out there today should be a shamed of that performace and be made to watch your team selection next week!! At least that team might have the passion to allow us to support the Bhoys!!
Hail! Hail!
No, no, no, no and NO AGAIN.
Let's get this straight right from the off - this team today is fully deserving of the ire and anger of every single person on this board. Shameful, without passion, inept and woeful. But the fans inside the stadium were impeccable, there were some singing outside, OUTSIDE, but DO NOT ANYONE DARE equate that with the rioting, sectarian bigots of the Huns.
Our support did us PROUD today. The fans are the ONLY good thing about this club right now, and slandering THEM is what I find to be unacceptable today above all.
jinkysboy
If we were to buy any of the current Marx Brothers in central defence we would be unhappy.
None of them are good enough, I feel Loovens is the best.
I was actually plaesed with McDonald's attitude when he scored today.
The gestures he made indicated that he knows what the feeling is with the fans about his mouthing off.
It's a sad day when playing a bad lotwe looked as bad.Any idea why the Falkirk fans were singing "we are the people".
biddulph bhoy the silence was observed dont try any mixing.The laptop loyal seem to have a new follower.
3 words to describe Mowbray: Strachan in disguise!Same dire football.Same crap defence.Same stupid team selctions, i.e. breaking up the Crossas / Nguemo partnership just when it was starting to show promise.Same lack of cohesion and tactics. Changing our team to combat a team of reserves at the bottom of the league. Shocking mess.
Chelsea Man U
A minutes applause
Very very disappointing first half.
Better in the second half. Good to see Skippy get a couple.
But! Let's show some fairness to Falkirk, who actually played damned well: Nice triangular moves, with a will to score goals.
How often do we complain about teams just sitting back with eleven men behind the ball, trying to hit us on the break with a lucky hump up the park. Well Falkirk certainly didn't try to do that today.
In fact, we were the ones usually punting the ball aimlessly forward.
Where to go from here? Back to the training ground. We all know the players are capable of playing so much better.
Getting a wee bit peed off by comments about Mowbray having lost the dressing room. Absolute dross. He probably never had it because, quite rightly, he recognised from day one that most were posers with no guts. Don't blame the manager - the team have been playing like this for about 2 yrs and it has been downhill all the way. We've gone past crisis and are now in embarrassing mode. And, please, can we drop all this **** about "It's OK, the Gers are ****"? That lot are no longer relevant but if we just settle for staying above them then the game is up!
We need a radical injection of talent and a thorough clearout. I'd also risk some of the young boys - they are either ready or they're not but surely we'd get effort and commitment from them.
Falkirk deserved to win today and that was largely with untried products of their academy.
Don't blame the manager, he's got the experience to guide us through this nonsense. Blame the attitude of some of the players.
deary me..
there is noone managing that squad, full stop, period etc etc How many times have I raised the issue with our manager now?
Our manager left out his key player for HIS system, Crosas. Now our manager stated that this was because of fear of injury due to multiple games. Now, Im sorry, this goes back to our managers statement that he doesnt have the ethos that every game is a must win game. That is quite clear when you leave out a key player in case he might get injured. That suggests to me a blase attitude today from our manager. So how on earth is such a blase attitude from our manager going to G up our post euro jaded players??
The problem we have is acutely obvious, well to me anyway (and kojo and pjdali)
And now a minute's silence with a dog barking?
Krakowbhoy, quiet applause ever at Stamford Bridge...
bad day at the office, euro hangover.
still top of the league.
disband the Huns
UC
notthebus 3:11 PM
1989/90 League games only
Dec 26 Hearts (A) 0-0
Dec 30 Dunfefmline (H) 0-2
Jan 2 Huns (H) 0-1
Jan 6 St Mirren (A) 2-0
Jan 13 Dundee Utd (A) 0-2
Jan 27 Motherwell (H) 0-1 (Famous 'Sack the board' game)
Feb 3 Dundee (A) 0-0
Feb 10 Hibs (H) 1-1
Feb 17 Aberdeen (A) 1-1
Mar 3 Dundee Utd (H) 3-0
Mar 10 Hearts (H) 1-1
Mar 24 Dunfermline (A) 0-0
Apr 1 Huns (A) 0-3
Apr 7 St Mirren (H) 0-3
Apr 17 Hibs (A) 0-1
Apr 21 Dundee (H) 1-1
Apr 28 Motherwell (A) 1-1
May 2 Aberdeen (H) 1-3
P 18 W 2 D 8 L 8 F 11 A 21 Pts 12 (2 pts for a win)
That is relegation material.
As someone who lived through the above I stil find it little consolation for the current fiasco.
So, mountain bhoy, are you saying we'd have won if Crosas had played?? Geez peace!
People have been saying "oh you need to give him a chance, he has to get his own team".
Well Tony has had has chance. He is tactically inept. He cannot motivate players. The players are not playing for him. He makes bizaree decisions on starting line ups, player criticism and substitutions.
We know what the board is like regarding money. We cannot give him the January transfer window to spend. He is not up to the job and he should be shown the door.
Highest paid squad in the SPL and he can't even coax consistency out of them. He has a worse home record than John Barnes and has presided over one of our most pathetic Euro campaigns.
The board have to do damage limitation now. They blundered massively listening to fans whose managerial wishlist consisted solely of "good Celtic men". Start rectifying your mistake. Start tomorrow. Tony has to go. And go now.
So, mountain bhoy, are you saying we'd have won if Crosas had played?? Geez peace!
Ulster-Celt, aye, that's the facts. But the reality is that we are just top over a rank-rotten Rankers side who have a game in hand. The bare statistics can paper over some cracks, but would you REALLY want to watch another performance like that one we just saw? I've already seen a couple of humdingeringly bad ones (Rankers at the HunHole, Hearts at Celtic Park in league and cup), and a defence gifting goalies like sweeties to guisers. We might still be top of the league, but I don't think anyone's happy about what we've been doing on the way (and that's without taking into account our European misadventures).
Tony's signings played today (4 of them) and we were worse than ever. I guess it's not all down to Gordon Strachan after all. Will be interested to see the article we get based on that performance. Even if we had STOLEN it, it wouldn't have disguised the dross we had produced. They had seven attempts before we mustered one. They are bottom of ther SPL, that was a second team and they brought on the reserve team coach for the last fifteen minutes - God help us!!!!
Very poor today!
We conceded all our goals while McManus was on the pitch, This is not coincidence. I have never thought Mick to be a great player, but he was previously fairly steady. I think that the managers chopping and changing of centre halves at the start of the season, as well as a his obvious lack of confidence in all his centre halves has left Mick's confidence shot to pieces. I only hope that O'dea can step up to the mark come january.
In midfield we had no shape whatsoever. Not for the first time this season, Nguemo turned in a very lacklustre performance. I actually think he is a decent player, but he needs to sharpen up at times. Robson huffed and puffed, but as usual, didn't really offer very much. Paddy, I player I have been keen to get a look at from the start, proved that he is much better as an impact player. In the current formation he is never going to be a first eleven regular. The midfield though, looked a whole lot better when Samaras dropped into the left hand side, and I think we may have stumbled on his best position. I mean let's face it, he spends half the game out on the wing anyway so why not play him out there. Playing the big Greek here also has the added bonus of keeping him further away from the goal, thus reducing the chances of him hitting one of his trademark powderpuff strikes.
Thought we looked better up front after McDonald came on, and hopefully with a few more games Fortune can establish himself. But overall just it just wasn't good enough. Again!
Timgreen, I was using crosas as an example of our managers attitude to this game. did you skim my post or read it properly? just curious
From SkyText page 301...
Celtic had their lead at the top of the table cut to two points after they were held to a draw by bottom of the pile Falkirk.
After a minute's silence for Remembrance Sunday which was well observed by all the fans inside the ground Alex MacDonald twice blasted shots over the Celtic crossbar.
Parahurdy
if you knew me you would know how wide of the mark that comment is.
Markyjig
would you want to play for a manager who constantly tells you that you are not good enough??
Aye , if you're a 14 year old you might be miffed and take a wee huff....but not adult , so called professional footballers.
interesting that they brought on their reserve team coach.
anyone think our own reserve team coach would do better than the current lot we have playing? a certain mr neil lennon?
we have not yet found a replacement for his leadership and determination.
Does anyone know why only Sir Alex Ferguson (in the Man Utd party) is wearing the poppy for Remembrance Day.....I know it's 'freedom of choice', but was just surprised....
Possilbhoy,
Radio Scotland mics clearly (almost as if the mic was in the middle of the group) picked up 2 renditions of the chorus to "Aidan McAnespie"
At the end of the minute the commentator suggested that this was being carried from outside the seating area.
Regards the game, with the same players who were not good enough for the last 2 years (we almost won the league by default when they got to Manchester) augmented with some new faces that are not good enough, how can we expect anything better? This is every bit as bad as the latter period of WGS's reign - however let's not forget how bad that actually was by saying this is worse!
The manager has no goodwill left to call upon, therefore he must start making the correct decision, rather than more mistakes.
A wholesale clearance of dead wood required, however I cannot see this happening as anyone under contract is not good enough to have the interest of another club who will pay anywhere near wht they get paid at Celtic Park!
It is going to be a long hard winter...
Bandwagonesque@ 2:07
"Yes I get the feeling that they do not LIKE one another. I was thinking it at the time you posted. There is something very wrong".
Jiri Jarosik commented on the lack of team feeling when he was at the club, comments for which he was flayed on this blog.
Well the fans (?) got their wish, Jiri got punted, we lost a very good player - the same bunch are still out there playing for our team and putting in performances they deem good enough, and are not supporting the manager.
If Mr. Mowbray goes then perhaps the directors of Celtic should bring in someone to get rid of our current bunch of "Stars".
Looks like the managers comments of needing 10 players was spot on.
Oregonbhoy
Just spent 45 mins on the phone wi' No 1 brother and neither of us can figure out how to "fix" Glasgow Celtic. Even I know that we had an utterly terrible first half, that we were a bit better in the second half is perhaps pushing it, but we did score goals at least.
It's hard to love the hoops when we play like that.
Maybe the manager knows a bit about the gamme when he is reluctant to start with Paddy all the time. Paddy let himself down today, even I know that.
Cool Hand Luke was unlucky with the pen, but if his right haun was as cool as Artur's he'd a saved it. Come jan big Luke is a "keeper" in both senses of the word. However there's a fair few who need to be moved on, and Mick should lead the bunch.
A settled formation with Crosas playing, and Sammi and Mcdonald on form might help things eventually. After today they can't get much worse.
Time for some changes in mood, tempo, temperament and endeavour.
It seems as fans we may have to wait a wee bit longer to see higher levels of professionalism from the team. That is sacrilegous. Tony, you are the Boss, the Gaffer, the High Heidyin it is up to you to lead the changes and effect the required improvements.
Timdom expects that each Hoop should do his duty, and when they do we shall remember them.
UlsterCelt....agree with you on one point only....disband the huns..!!...He He
Has anyone any idea who the guy commentating on the game on BBC radio scotland was today??
And an e-mail address would be handy as well...
Got a bone to pick wae them...
I'm more annoyed about his reaction to the goals than the score today 'cos i'm used to that sort of display now, but that guy was a joke!
AULDBHOY on November 8, 2009 3:32 PM
If you've been watching Paddy McC for 4 years then you must have been watching him in the Celtic reserves last season and Derry City where he played before that.
He is indeed an impact player and a cracker at that, was he any worse than the rest out there today?
Barcabhoy, I agree we need to back TM, but I fear we won't and we'll be stuck with a fill in manager come Feb. This is a big transfer window coming up, and will I think define our season, do we have the desire to back the manager or gamble like last season.
Hail Hail
Borabhoy 3:54 AM
Good stuff, Primal Scream was the first concert I went to, 1989 Barras, yet to be beaten.
Didnt get into the Soup Dragons, saw through their fake indie credibilities but Id say they are one of the top five bands from Bellshill.
EN
The Hun next door as started to cut his grass with the noisiest lawnmoor in the world in the dark.
Hunbelievable
SOAL
Quick, ask him fur a minutes silence!!
Well, the board is at its usual doom and gloom best after another disapointing performance and result, but i am going to give my views on where we are after the first round of games as a club;
Lets start of with the team, the squad as a whole is weaker than last years, we struggled in numerous games last season so it should surprise absolutely none of us to see us struggle again this season, quality has not been replaced with quality, and down the spine of the team we look weak.
The sieve has continued to leak goals, the addition of Fox for Naylor for me has not had the impact i had hoped it would have, Fox can deliver a ball better but is he a better defender? He hasnt conclusively shown me that he is anyways.
Hied and Hoof are well.........Hied and Hoof, the problems in our team emenate here, if you cannot defend you will not win games, Loovens goes off injured today and we concede 3, after 2 clean sheets, hmmmmmmmmm Hoof McManus on at half time, coincidence aye right! Tony needs to sort out the middle of our defence pronto!
Hinkel has been inconsistent also adding to the mix of mediocrity at the back.
Midfield; Enigma after enigma, no settled formation, Landry has done okay since coming in and there is a player there, he needs more time and a settled partner. MCGeady although our most skillfull player flaters to decieve on far too many occasions, the one brain cell he and Scott Brown share looks overworked week after week, Brown is probably our most maligned midfielder, big signing and a lot of promise, i like many others had high hopes for the lad but how many chances is he going to get although he hasnt been helped playing with an injury for far too long.
Aiden or Brown, one of them must go to give the manager funds to strengthen in January.
Maloney, Robson & McCourt have all shown flashes in games but fitness has let all of them down and can only be described as bit part players.
Crosas IMHO has not been given a fair crack of the whip under BTM, he seams to be the only player we have that plays the easy ball to another hooped jersey consistantly keeping the game flowing.
It was a mistake to sell Massimo Donati whom was by far our best midfielder at the start of the season, and he has gone on to make an impact back in Italy, a big loss IMHO.
Strikers; Firstly Fortune, whom has done nothing so far to justify his price tag, he was starting to come onto a game before he was injured so i will reserve judgement until january, but it was a lot of money for a guy who is not a goal scorer. Sami, is another enigma, he shows some great touches and vision at times and at others he trips over a blade of grass, not a goal scorer and never will be.
Skippy, if there is a striker with a worse first touch in Scottish football i have yet to see him, saying that he does score goals, he will miss a few as well but gets pass marks for goal scoring, just!
Management team; Big question marks remain about Tony's ability and his tactical awareness, he has inherited a squad going backwards and his first signings have not helped stop the rot IMHO. Football is a results driven business and the more we do not get results against the likes of Falkirk the more fans will turn against him and the clock is always ticking, he must not be sacked at least until the end of the season, as failure to win the SPHell as lloyds FC implode would be an unmitigated disaster.
The Board and CEO; Spin Spin and more Spin, downsizing and cutbacks yet the support are continually asked to pay top dollar to watch a squad that is the poorest arguably this decade.
An absentee landlord owner who seams to most of us to contribute absolutely nothing to the Celtic cause and never talks to the support, a chairman who likes the soundbites of his own voice and the sycophantic laughter of the hangers on sorrounding him, and the CEO who is paid a kings ransom to see the club saving money going backwards at an alarming rate of knots.
All in all, the highpoints have been the impending doom of Bigotry FC and the laptop loyals attempts to re write history, another battle honour for their hall of shame won in Bucharest on Wednesday and a Uefa ban this Thursday would be nice, but this should and must not be allowed to deflect the attention away from the numerous problems at our own door, we are likely to see many more performances and results ala Falkirk in the weeks and months ahead!
gebhoy
timgreen 4pm - spot on.
I would hope the manager's 'lost the dressing room' because the dressing room isn't good enough right now.
I would point out to the many imposters in 'the dressing room' that it would be percipient of them to try and win back the manager, and most of the suppport.
2 years of barely sufficient effort for astronomical wages compared to the common man is not any way to endear your cause the a passionate fanbase, hoping that it'll be the manager's neck they want before he sells you...
As for playing Crosas all the time - I think TM would love that but let's bear in mind the clauses and 1.65 mill fee the board are trying to avoid. I think he'll be used sparingly for purely financial reasons..
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/scotland/6358777.stm#contact
I believe David Begg was the hun (sorry, I mean commentator) in question.
At Falkirk today we...
Couldn't pass the ball
Couldn't move into space....and
Couldn't 'anticipate'at all....
Is it laziness, or lack of quality....
Can't be lack of Quality, since Falkirk did all 3
Tony, you've got a job on your hands !!!!!!!!!!
This link (from an Arab channel?) appears to suggest a lusty rendition of Aiden MacInespie, replete with swearing, all the way through the minute's silence. The pics look like Sky's but perhaps the broadcaster has not turned down the mikes as Sky appeared to do...
PL can be seen shaking his head.
What can you say? Probably grown men singing as well.
I despair.
http://scotzine.com/2009/11/08/scum-nothing-more-celtic-fans-chant-sing-d
To be fair when i saw the team the only change i would have made would have been Crosas for Robson. But too many didnt turn up and i was especially disappointed with McCourt and MAF. i dont really know where the team goes from here and we didnt even have broonie to blame
sandman, if we dont play crosas for financial reasons then that is unforgiveable.
Thanks to a combination of TinyTim and SFTB/Gordon, I managed to pick up a spare for the game today after travelling through to meet What is the Stars. Many thanks guys and well done to our Irish buddy for the race sponsorship - hopefully meet you for a pint next time.
Weeron - the minutes silence was observed impecably within the stadium, but there was a group of Hoops fans outside waiting to get in who were singing a rebel song. The away stand only has 2 turnstiles at each end and we had to join long queues to get into the game. Two turnstiles and no riots, so well done to the Hoops support!!!
Whether we like it or not, Falkirk deserved their point today. Our defence is a shambles, but I fail to see how you can blame Big Mick when Heid gave away a daft penalty and the other two goals came down Hinkel's side of the pitch.
Poof centre midfield and poor CB's. Tony, you better sort it or they will get you the sack.
To the lurker I was sitting next to today, enjoyed your company mate and good luck with your Dubai business trip.
TTTT
I said on Thursday night that I didn't like watching Celtic and that I despaired..
I was amongst others slated...
well guess what..I don't think they deserve us..
I will be at the next home game because I am a fan..of Celtic
Not of that team currently playing for Celtic...
BT
Didn't think it was as dire as so many think. These away games in winter sunshine invariably go like this. Doesn't seem to be conducive to us picking up 3 points easily.
Results and performances like today's are always likely in these conditions.
No need to panic.
We'll be fine.
gebhoy,
Very good post. Major decisions ahead for board and management.
Er , I meant "poor" centre midfield, before I get tagged homo-phobic!!
TTTTdohCSC
Sorry Mountain Bhoy if I had a go at you - just frustration. I just don't think one player would have made a difference - the team attitude is all wrong and has been for at least 2 years.
Moybray needs time, a clearout and investment before we blame him, in my view.
tommytwiststommyturns - freudian slip? Which midfielder are you outing there :-)
TTTT
Why question the midfields leanings like that - we are all upset mate but ........................
Does anyone think for one minute they could continually underperform at their job like that and not be disciplined out the door
possilbhoy - about 3:30pm:
Like the GB I was late (to the puter) and missed the silence so can't comment. I would not personally condone anyone not keeping stum.
However, I did hear Roll of Honour sung with gusto and I really can't think of a better context in which it should be when Celtic FC succumb to poppy fascism for the 2nd year running.
Just wish the players had half the class of the support.
On players singled out for criticism. I certainly can't defend Paddy's performance but the glee with which some fans single him out is strange.
As far as I can recall that is Paddy's only substandard performance in a Celtic shirt; a little quick to write him off aren't we?
Compare this to the lack of criticism for Mr Costa. As far as I can recall he has only produced one performance even approaching the (comparatively) huge outlay.
Looks like a waste of money and the poster who doubted Tony's ability to be trusted with cash in January raises a very good point...
blantyretim
Spot on mate but before the next home game we're away to Tannadice. Dear oh Dear.
The manager should cancel the players days off this coming week after that performance.
If they want the riches that being a footballer with Celtic brings, they should consistently do what they are paid for.
Double training sessions wouldn't kill this lot either.
Hail Hail
Where is that team that not long time ago won against Villarreal, Milan, drew against Manchester Utd ?
Maybe people who at Celtic are responsible for physical trainings do not well for the players? I do not believe two or three transfers can do this team decent.
I'll just state what I have been stating for weeks it now seems...
Tony Mowbray is never a Celtic manager - never mind a good one.
Before he signed for Celtic our host referred to him as a manager who took over a mid league Hibs team and kept them there.
As someone has asked before - If Tony Mowbray had taken over Dundee United would anyone have been surprised?
The Blinkered Tinker Man will burn our money. Mark my words.
Rangers will survive their present condition because of Celtic's parsimony and inneffectual employees.
Make the change now.
Mowbray's appointment did not invigorate this team - that's a sign something is wrong.
A new manager should at least improve then enhance. He has done neither.
If this is the best team in Scottish football there will be an upsurge in PS3 purchases - works out about the same as a season ticket after you buy a few games...
Have some guts Celtic. Other results are defining our seasons not our own. get a good manager in.
U
The Spirit of Arthur Lee.....that's because the grass is green....be fair, he has to do it in the dark.....!!!
Just for clarification - I meant during the game not the commemoration...
Zbyszek, I dont believe the main problem is the players, Im tired of saying it but Ill say it again. The managers system is wrong and the man management is clearly wrong. The players are far superior to any player in Falkirks squad (or any other SPL sde for that matter).
ulysses mcghee,
I don't agree with firing the manager.
However, it is worth remembering the trajectory of John Barnes' Celtic career. An impressive start was followed by a gradual decline, culminating in a 2-3 defeat at home to Hertz (after being 2-0 up), and then ICT.
It was clear Barnes had lost the dressing room by about Christmas.
Once this happens I don't think there is a lot of choices. Either you back the manager and root out the troublemakers (ManU circa 1986); or you get rid of the coach...
The players it seems to me are not playing for the manager. This MUST be sorted one way or the other soon.
any posters at the game today - can you clarify if the minutes silence was adhered to by the Celtic fans
EDB
we will be at Celtic park next week for Kano,
Skippy isn't playing for Oz, he and others should be
with us trying to help a fellow tim...
how many do you think we will get from Celtic current squad?
the care not a jot for Celtic or the fans..
i have said it since May..they owe us big time..
mountain bhoy
tony mowbry didnt loose a 7 point lead.
the same players who lost last year are still playing...
mountain_bhoy, although I'm no great fan of the tactics and choices and baffling subs, one of the most worrying things (not just today) is the inability of our well-paid superstars to master the basics like trapping a ball and aiming a pass at a guy in hoops. I'm not sure our guys *are* better than their SPL peers (some of them actually are their SPL peers, remember - MacDonald, Caldwell, Brown, Robson, Wilson, Killen, Zaluska, Flood: all signed from SPL clubs), but they should be capable of playing basic football, or we should have left them where they were.
jinkysboy- I was there, the silence was fully respected inside the ground.
Aiden McAnnespie was clearly heard from some of those outside the ground.
away to the pub again..
I will return with more powers of wisdon later...
Hail Hail
oneanton & jinky - where's a moderator when you need one?! :-)
Uly - maybe this team are beyond being invigorated. It's mostly the same guys from last season and there's hardly one I would be upset at losing for decent money.
The manager and the formerly untouchable CEO have a lot of trading to do in January, with jobs at stake come season end.
I don't expect any significant net spend, unless we sell one from Aiden/Broon/THG.
TTTT
Difficult post this one for me. I'm unsure I've got the vocabulary to make this point, but it's an important one and I'm going to try.
I was driving to a youth game this afternoon with my boy. We were listening to the preamble on BBC Radio Scotland before the match started.
Minute of silence commences.
Cue singing.
My son became upset. He said; "That's a disgrace Dad. Is that the Falkirk fans?"
"No son, that's the Celtic support."
Nothing more was said by either of us until we got to our destination 30 minutes later. Just silent humiliation.
A low point in my time as a Celtic supporter.
Now those who watched the television heard nothing apparently, while those who endured the radio braodcast caught every pitiful word if it. Inside the stadium, peace. Outside the stadium, shame.
You people, and you know who your are, you self righteous, self appointed arbiters of adolescent morality, you disgrace your parents and your community. You are detritus. Effluent. Scum. Is my vocabulary working?
I wouldn't have played after that. I'd have walked off the park. Seems the Celtic players were similarly inclined.
For all the fans advocating the sacking of Tony can i ask a few questions;
1. Who would you replace him with?
2. Justification on his sacking after a 1/4 of the league.
I honestly dont know if Tony is the correct man for the job, but he is the manager now, woould i have signed him, probably not but now he is here he must be given some time, to sack him now would be ludicrous.
The players have to shoulder some of the blame for recent performances as the board has a modicum of blame as well as to our current malaise.
Sacking the manager now would set us back even further IMHO, but as i said in my last post, football is a results driven business and ultimately that will affect the level of support he has.
gebhoy
BT, I know mate, but we know they are also capable of MUCH better, and there are some decent additions to the squad. I think our problems stem from both the management team and a core of arrogant players with ideas above their station.
A bad bad mix.
goldstar
so your saying that some celtic fans didnt enter the stadium for the start of the game - stood in the car park and sang Aiden - is that correct
btw i was ordering a pint in the pub during the minute - will go to hell for that
So last year we had the happy clappers vs the mine - shafters. Those who simply hated Strachan and those who liked/put up with him as a winner.
TM is now dividing the support. He gets a lot of grace because he was a Celtic player and his personal circumstances that took place while he was here. He is a likeable man and pleasant in public, all very worthy things BUT</