History will record that season 2012-13 was more successful for Celtic than season 2013-14 but the champions’ league performances this season have been comparable only to those of season 2003-04, when the club completed a 25 game winning streak.
With seven games to go we have already collected five points more than the team which reached the knock out stages of the Champions League last season, and this season we have had a worthy competitor for second place, who are favourites to complete the domestic treble of League Cup, Scottish Cup and Best of the Rest titles.
Kris Commons, Virgil van Dijk and Fraser Forster have correctly gained enormous plaudits throughout the season but the story of Celtic’s success is more nuanced. We don’t just have a great keeper and a great central defender, we have a central defensive partnership which is better than either of the two partnerships I watched in the Manchester derby on Tuesday night.
In other times the story of our season would be the injuries at right back, but the standard of cover there, with Lustig, Matthews and Fisher, is such that no one really noticed.
The strikers didn’t really get going until Leigh Griffiths arrived in January, and much of our player investment over the summer missed the target. This had consequences on the autumn, when we came up short of last season’s (over) achievements in the Champions League, but we have a plentiful squad of players, including Forster, Lustig, Matthews, Izaguirre, Ambrose, van Dijk, Brown, Johansen and Commons who are more than capable at Champions League level, with others knocking at the door.
Congratulations to Neil, his technical team, the many who work to keep the ship pointing in the right direction, some behind the scenes and some front of house, and to each of the players who left their mark in the history books.
On the equivalent day six years ago, we recorded that Gordon Strachan had joined Willie Maley and Jock Stein as the only Celtic managers to have won three consecutive titles. Neil Lennon’s name is now added to that list.
With all this championship coverage, did the phrase ‘Good day to bury bad news’ slip into anyone’s mind? “There is a reasonable expectation that the Company has adequate resources to continue in operational existence”.
You know when your chairman tells you he has a reasonable expectation the company will continue in existence that there’s nothing to worry about. All the doubters have been put in their place.
Seville – The Celtic Movement, is out now:
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HH
Go wee Oscar!!!
3 in a row
DRATTTTT!!!
, and this season we have had a worthy competitor for second place
NICE ONE
Top 5?
PL been on RS yet?
HH
top ten.Champion
auldheid
12:21 on 27 March, 2014
Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha….
Liked the way Liam did a K of K’s when he scored!!!
justafan
Prob 1.35pm
jamesgang
09:35 on 27 March, 2014
BRTH
With your permission perhaps we could hold the ‘dreams thread’ at the ready to put onto the blog for the next time we get too bogged down in politics, history and Board/bored stuff!?!?
My best one featured a very young Jane Fonda. No dinosaurs were involved I’ll grant you!
HH jamesgang
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..my dream was of raquel sqwelch, with the dinosaurs (oops)
justafan
On telly btw.
We really are in a good place, I recommend we all savour times like this.
My dream involved John Wayne dragging Maureen Ohara down wishy main st. Saying haw hen were going to miss the bus fir the game.
A great league title – they all are.
FWIW we have been so untouchable this season that we would have won the league irrespective of what incarnation of thems might have been competing with us.
Tamrabam from previous article.
UTT has been heard. Judge is away collating report and/or determining a result or whether to send back to FTT to be heard again. I imagine the judge will go down copout route and send back to FTT to be re-heard as he doesn’t want the air in his wheels let out daily or his house windows replaced on a weekly basis. lol Saying that for a judge to refer back to FTT it would be a first ever. So we just have to hold out a while for him to collate his report.
MWD
Has noone told PL that rankers are deed ?
greenpinata
Re Craig Gordon. It just shows you how opinions can vary so much. Some posters think getting him in for a trial/signing would be worthwhile, whilst you clearly don’t rate him. I think he’s been easily the best Scottish keeper for years, even better than McGregor who is a great goalie.
Straying a wee bit here but rarely, imho, have we have had a top keeper in the past 50 years, whereas the deid mob have had some absolutely brilliant keepers. I reckon since Faither we have had only Boric and FF that could be considered in the same level as say, Goram or Klos. Maybe Ally Hunter getting close.
Anyway, I think FF will be away and we need a replacement. The strange thing you mentioned was that CG doesn’t command his area, neither does FF.
If CG is truly fit I would love to see him at Parkhead.
Very well put, Paul. Also a much younger squad than in 2004.
A decent summary there from Paul 67. I don’t agree with the point about our defence and the Manchester defences though. They play against a much higher standard of opponent. When our defence played sides with a better calibre of player, they didn’t look so hot. I am thinking of Milan. However, I didn’t see that game, due to a flight, but the goals conceded were poor. I have always( and will continue to) defended Efe. He plays in the Celtic traditions of adventure and attack. He is a damn fine player. A most welcome contrast to the MO’N days when our defenders just lumped the ball up the park. Izzy is another who I love. Plays in the same spirit.
Ordered the Seville book after bombardment of E-Mails from CQN.
Loved the way young Henderson got involved last night when there was a bad foul on Kayal, gaun son that’s the attitude we like to see!
RobinBhoy
Billy Bhoy 05
Are you Craig Gordon?
moonbeams wd.
12:24 on 27 March, 2014
That would be nice……it would make me feel part of the CQN community what with all the bubbling that goes on in here by spacemen
I see that UEFA are going to add another teat to the football cash cow.
Can’t see this to be any benefit to clubs, who pay players wages.
Paul 67
It was the same when they produced their previous set of accounts. That day was overshadowed by the fact we were playing Barca that night.
I heard from a good source, last years Champions League and Europa League winners have been told there will always be an asterisk next to their wins in last years competitions cos Ra Gers wurny in it.
“[W]e have a central defensive partnership which is better than either of the two partnerships I watched in the Manchester derby on Tuesday night”.
Shhhhhhhhhh………………….let’s keep it a secret.
Craig Gordon, he who sprinted up the pitch at Tynecastle a few years ago at a late corner kick, which had they scored would have been totally MEANINGLESS for Hearts. however, it would have seriously dented Celtics hopes of winning the league, some ex club would have benefitted. Craig Gordon can go and do something to his person.
On a brighter note, (for me)…….
Had Celtic minus 2 and minus 3 last night. When our `fourth`goal got chalked off, then they went up the park and scored I thought to myself, one minute my 2 bets are coming in, next minute none are. Then there was the disappointment of Leigh Griffiths being subbed as I thought he could have a goal or two to contribute. Love big Sammi but I thought he had given up playing for us. WRONG!
Boscobhoy2
last years Champions League and Europa League winners have been told there will always be an asterisk next to their wins in last years competitions cos Ra Gers wurny in it.
a very valid (and funny) point. i wonder if the astrisk will be engraved on the European cup itself or only shown in the wee red book and the record
MWD
Thanks for the update about the UTT situation, it just seemed to go cold there.
MWD
67Heaven … I am Neil Lennon, supporting WEE OSCAR..!!.. Ibrox belongs to the creditors
12:50 on 27 March, 2014
Has noone told PL that rankers are deed ?
SPOT ON PALOMINE.JUST LISTENED TO HIM ON RADIO.IT ONLY TAKES ONE STATEMENT “.CELTIC DO NOT ACCEPT THAT THERE IS A RANGERS F.C. THEY ARE IN LIQUIDATION.”
“Craig Gordon, he who sprinted up the pitch at Tynecastle a few years ago at a late corner kick, which had they scored would have been totally MEANINGLESS for Hearts. however, it would have seriously dented Celtics hopes of winning the league”
Is that not just one big contradiction bobby?
Given all the tears we shed between us – joy, mirth and pain – we better watch out the Dreaded Bored/Board don’t sell the naming rights for Celtic Park!
My wee guy asked why rod stewart (‘that old man’) was crying at the Barca match. Couldn’t answer. I was greetin’
CFC@KleenexArenaCSC
HH jamesgang
You know when your chairman tells you he has a reasonable expectation the company will continue in existence that there’s nothing to worry about.
———————————————————————————–
At least it’s only the company that might be in trouble, not the club……
Geordie,
to me it meant he would rather the Huns woin the league than us, Hearts were not beneficial in any way. FCG
Won, even…..
PL on RS next I think
Dreams?
My favourite involves finding myself in the film ‘The Queen of Sheba’, starring the delectable Gina Lollobrigida in the title role.
She invites me into her boudoir. Then I wake up!
Damn!
HH the champions!!
There are some right good players in our squad and on song they play a beautiful game.
I loved the response to Henderson ‘s goal from the other players.
At the end Lenny goes up and congratulates him and as the lad walks away from the camera he seems to be broad shouldered and I’m wondering is he out of the Wayne Rooney mould physically i.e. stocky and strong ?
For if he is at 17 then ( and I dislike putting too much expectations on young shoulders no matter how broad) we have some prospect on our hands.
Got rather annoyed at Tanner trying to rain on our parade to 3iar and counting. Should Celtic be winning the treble he asks. THREE in a row is a treble ya numpty!
Their attempts at trying to denigrate our achievements reflects the narrowness of mind and meaness of spirit at play in some commentators. How would they feel though if we had cheated our way to 3iar and got away with it?
Their heads would explode.
But back to the good guys.
We won.