Coverage of Neil Lennon’s press conference was curated to show the manager angry and apparently confused about the health of his squad. The reason for his anger was omitted from the snippets available online yesterday afternoon, then mocked by those who should know better.
Neil clearly explained what upset him (full transcript from GlasgowLive). The country is following medical advice to maintain a 2m social distance. Football has followed this rule and it was the determining factor in isolating Ryan Christie and Kieran Tierney when they were within 2m of infected Stuart Armstrong with Scotland in October. Only Christie and Tierney had to isolate as the rest of the squad were not within 2m of Armstrong for any period of time.
Clubs across the UK have made travel arrangements accordingly, keeping a 2m distance between players where possible, or accepting the risk if packing them in any tighter. The 2m rule has been absolute and continues to feature in public health adverts.
What happened politically after Celtic left for Dubai is why you saw an angry Celtic manager yesterday.
On 5 January, Nicola Sturgeon used her daily PR conference to reference photographs of Celtic players in Dubai poolside, and while admitting she had no actual information to backup what she was saying, questioned if Celtic were following her rules. Celtic were following the rules, but that is irrelevant to the Show Trial the First Minister launched.
As Neil Lennon explained, the Scottish Government turned on Celtic, creating a brand new 3m rule for them, while every other club in Scotland with a positive case has been asked to observe a 2m rule.
This is the reason our number of excluded players was as high for the Hibs and Livi games. It is the reason we were subsequently forced to keep players 3m apart when travelling, or 3 players to a 52 seater bus. The rule change was not announced by the First Minister at her PR conferences and has not been forced on any other club, it was delivered below the radar on a vulnerable club with a baying mob (including former players who care nothing for us) ready to lap it up.
Despite the acres of gorging media coverage, no one has solicited a comment on Neil’s claim from the Scottish Government. The Celtic manager appears in front of the country’s media to explain how the Government apply one rule to Celtic and another to the rest of the country, and the headlines are all about his anger! Do you want Tony ‘Take it on the chin’ instead?
The First Minister is on the hook for this. She promised action on Celtic despite knowing they followed her rules, and she followed through with this 3m punishment. It keeps eyes away from her day job. But Neil did the inverted commas sign and he’s having a nightmare season, so some would rather mock, speculate about his mental health or drinking habits. I hope it’s worth the clicks.
Maybe my views were forged when the SFA’s Jim Farry had one rule for Celtic and another for everyone else, but I think the only acceptable reaction to this from a Celtic manager or supporter is seething anger. This is no different in execution or consequence.
433 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- ...
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- »
SQUIRE DANAHER on 19TH JANUARY 2021 6:02 PM
Big Jimmy
Neil Lennon started the rammy yesterday and claimed Celtic have information to support their claim they’re being treated differently.
Why on earth would the First Minister get involved?
The onus is now on Celtic either to produce the evidence, which I doubt they have, and even if they do, the inclination to expose it.
To be blunt Celtic need to put up or STFU.
………………….
i havent read back too much so far this morning, but I agree that Celtic SHOULD ” Put up or Shut Up”…and IF Celtic have evidence they should be bringing it into play IF The Scot Gov DID move the Goal Posts after Celtics Dubai trip.
IF The SCOT GOV did nothing wrong, I would have expected them to call Celtic’s bluff by addressing the matter in Parliament ?
But, I am now at the end of my Tether with all thats going on at Celtic including our poor form, Covid, Scot Gov and all those so called EXD Celtic players sticking the Boot in etc…I give up.
HH Mate.
Big Jimmy.
I don’t think Scottish Parliament is the time or place for Sturgeon to address the Celtic claims.
I expect that will be in today’s briefing, perhaps not in her own prepared speech, but responding to questions from journalists. I’m sure there will many of them only too willing to raise the subject at the behest of their editors.
Good morning CQN from a snow covered Forres. Will the game go on tonight or will storm Christoph put the boot into us like many others have done this season? I’m a bit of a fat lady man myself, no, not the type for a relationship more the type for singing. For me NFL must assume that the league is lost whilst still hoping for a Kilmarnock/Anthony Stokes moment. He needs to be brave and try a mixture of new along with some tried and tested players. I would look at playing 2 up front in every single game, why did we ever deviate from this after it turned the corner for us last season? Yesterday’s training suggested that Eddie will not be available so I think the Griffalo and Polish Paddy up front tonight. Patryk will get space to run behind the Livi defence as they are essentially an attacking team.
I’m also in the camp that thinks Kristofer Ajer is wasted at CH. His best performances this season have been on the right side of defence with some excellent runs and good balls in from the right, so it’s big Kris at right wingback for me and Frimpers on the bench.
Central defence is our Achiles heel but young Welsh was excellent against Hibs and made Duffy look more like a CH so it would be that pairing or Welsh and Bitton for me tonight.
LB is a difficult one but my son was pointing out to me that Taylor and Laxalt have played approximately the same number of games with Taylor giving away fewer fouls and having 2 assists to Laxalt’s 0 assists so it would have to be Taylor.
Turnbull and Soro are a given. Mikey Johnston has not been that effective since his return but the boy has been out for a long time and needs game time. On his game he can be brilliant so I’m going to persevere with Mikey on the left wing.
I also feel that CalMac may have run into a brick wall having played too much football in 2 seasons for Celtic and Scotland so a wee rest might do him good and I’m going to rest him tonight and make my son happy by giving Luca Connell his chance in the first team instead of warming a bench.
The keeper position is probably the most difficult, mainly because of the apparent lack of quality. Young Hazard doesn’t do it for me due to his proneness to flap, Barkas may just be at the wrong team or possibly in the wrong job😉 so I’m going for the best of the rest in Bain.
So my team for tonight is:
Bain
Ajer (Capt) Welsh Duffy Taylor
Soro Turnbull Connell Johnston
Klimala Griffiths
I know that Connell won’t get a sniff and Broonie will probably be back in the team and Welsh will be dropped for Bitton.
ACSOM mentioned yesterday that the BBC did approach scotgov with Lennon’s claim and got a no comment in return. Surprising given their willingness to comment on all things Celtic for months now.
Let’s see if it’s raised today and what the response is if so.
AD @ 8.01
The old NC answer you say … Interesting.
Surely they won’t be doing their normal — say nothing …
… until they get their story straight then it is all guns blazing.
I thought they just kept it for government inqiries?
Another £54K up for grabs?
SUPERSUTTON on 20TH JANUARY 2021 7:42 AM
Big Jimmy.
I don’t think Scottish Parliament is the time or place for Sturgeon to address the Celtic claims.
……………..
May I respectfully disagree …Its clear that Celtic’s trip to Dubai IS a Covid issue…so IF The Scot Govt have did NOTHING wrong in relation to Celtic and Neils accusations about the Scot Gov ” Moving the goal Posts”….Why NOT refute them in Parliament and show/prove that Neil Lennon was wrong to make such accusations ?
Again, I am NOT looking for any quarrel with anyone on here…I am just so Pissed OFF with everything thats going on with Celtic….and Covid …self isolation etc etc ( just like MOST Folk I suspect ?)
Apart from watching The Hoops tonight ( hopefully ?)…My highlight for Today will be watching trump being evicted and moved by Pickfords.
LOL.
HH Mate.
Sorry, I have ONE other highlight for Today…My Tesco delivery is due to arrive before 9am this morning…So i have the Privilege of speaking to another Human Being for 10/15 seconds or so….Then again…what if the Delivery Guy is a Hun……the ” Conversation” will be even less than 10/15 Seconds !
LOL.
HH.
It is NOT Snowing in The Calton…just a wee bit Damp.
HH.
I was passing an empty house this morning and something came to mind …
Contrast of a sort.
PL — Car crash interview / husk of a guy / made to go out and say sorry / pet interviewer.
Made a complete erse of it / sucking up to the SG + Not Jacinda.
NL — Over emotional interview / put stuff out straight from the heart / some car crash moments.
Put out some big issues that were live but now the plan is we forget about them.
Generated light and heat.
And guess what — who gets the line by line dissection?
The bold PL or NL — NL got it of course.
Even included some bold words about being a big NL fan.
Well no matter the headline the comments were pure anti NL bile.
Funny that — NL gets both barrels.
PL gets silence and with it tacit agreement.
Aye right.
Astro-turf in play.
Privately educated astro turf at that.
Marx must be turning in his grave at the thought of that strand of support.
File under ego tripper with an agenda and a huge sense of entitlement.
Will Trumps mate…Boris ….be lending a hand with the Flitting ?
My ..How I despise those Two Chumps…Good Riddance.
HH.
If Neil Lennon is allowed to ” Rant” ( According to some ?)…….why not ME ?
LOL
HH.
AN DÚN on 20TH JANUARY 2021 8:01 AM
ACSOM mentioned yesterday that the BBC did approach scotgov with Lennon’s claim and got a no comment in return. Surprising given their willingness to comment on all things Celtic for months now.
Let’s see if it’s raised today and what the response is if so.
Intead, they leaked stuff to the Record.
They can deny this and distance themselves from the content. c*nts.
And the Garngad voted for them ;-))
Even weirder – the story has disappeared from the Record – only read it about 20 mins ago
The fight back starts tonight🤞😢
DAVID66…
I hope that you and the family are good as possible. given the horrible times that we are in etc ?
MELBOURNE MICK…
Is it snowing in OZ…The Calton so far is Snow Free…I may go out and Feckin sun bathe later ?
HH Mate.
DR Story — the fightback starts now.
The fightback of the SG not us unfortunately.
Pog @ 8:01 am
I enjoyed that post. Calm and reasoned. A bit of an oasis on CQN !!
Big Jimmy
Good morning to you, big fella. You, too, make your points in a reasoable manner. There is hopr yet for CQN :-)
Golf day for me so cheerio for now and let`s hope :
a) The game goes ahead;
b) After the game we are glad it went ahead !
It is also time to plan for the future – send the loan players home, we probably need to cut costs, as their combined contributIon to the team probably equates to the square root of very little, being a tad diplomatic here.😉
HOT SMOKED on 20TH JANUARY 2021 8:47 AM
Thank you JJ, I hope you are well.
Just remember to get your yellow balls out in case it is snowing on the golf course, a wee word of warning however, they may turn blue due to the drop in temperature.😉
Hope they have a mini plough at Livingston, with the amount of snow expected in Lothians they’ll need it.
Good riddance to Donald. This is really good.
https://twitter.com/ionafyfe/status/1349731542977789952
Might be a bit early but worth a watch
Born on the Bayou with Billy Gibbons
https://youtu.be/WfIlDk-FoCQ
Hopefully Trump the Chump will be moving from One Big White Hoose TO another Big NOT so White Hoose sometime soon….maybe he could also consider a Swim in those Florida Swamps,… Gators and all ?
LOL
HH.
Good morning, friends and Happy Matchday (I hope). Despite these troubled times I still get excited every time I get to see The Champions play.
Winning the league seems an impossibility. But that doesn’t mean we chuck it. Just play every game with the aim of winning and at least start to close the chasm at the top.
I was looking at the upcoming fixtures and see that our games in hand have eventually been scheduled. By Wednesday 17 February, 4 weeks from tonight, we will have played the same number of games as the current league leaders. We win our 8 games (I know….) and they lose away to Hibs and draw away to Hamilton and Bob’s yer uncle – the current 21 point gap is down to 7 with 2 games against them to come.
You may say I’m a dreamer. You may suggest I should seek help. But our 8 games are all ones that we could and should win.
Aff oot for a trudge through the snow….
CHs Welsh, Ajer and Diamond for me tonight (Soro, Turnbull, Christie and McGregor) with 2 forwards.
Barkas in Goal and frankly from a pool of really poor full backs, who cares, they are all not good enough – El Hamed, Frimpong, Ralston, Laxalt and Taylor….
Oh and pre-match entertainment of Walker and Lennon slugging it out in the centre circle….
2-2 draw probably….
HH
Jobo,
You’re a dreamer.
And you need help.
:)
HH
AN DÚN on 20TH JANUARY 2021 8:01 AM
ACSOM mentioned yesterday that the BBC did approach scotgov with Lennon’s claim and got a no comment in return.
——
An Dun – good one.
Madmitch’s “no comment” comments also noted.
It takes two to tango.
Shortbread may very well have “approached scotgov” but it wasn’t the first question hurled at the FM’s stand up.
Semantics.
If I am walking through Atlantic Quay and inadvertently stroll towards a junior civil servant heading back to the office late from lunch and say “how are you?” ….
….. I have “approached ScotGov” !
The cosy relationship between media and politics (not just in this instance – across the whole UK) is insidious.
Frank Terry – with you on Brexit.
A failure of the entire political process. All parties culpable.
That said, how anyone with any semblance of working class values can repeatedly believe a single word the Tories say is beyond me.
Pog
Many thanks for your reply. And I also very much enjoyed your post this morning.
I’ll be tuning in with my usual childlike excitement, hoping for the best. Seeing a team that matched or closely resembled your suggestion would be a fine start.
Thanks for the diet advice. I’ve lost nothing during lockdown, despite regular exercise. So for the first time, I’m really counting calories. The various apps that allow you to scan barcodes and record every morsel kinda play to my OCD-ish traits.
I’m allowed between 1,900-2000 calories a day to reach my desired weight.
So far, I’m finding it pretty achievable to hit about 1,000 a day, with me using my limit (and a wee naughty bit more!) on Friday and Saturday.
No beer during the week. Heineken 0.0 doesn’t taste too bad. And I always quaff gallons of water anyway. Fingers crossed.
I read your comment about AnT’s post with thought and sadness. We’ve perhaps lost some of that sense of community we had on here. I think that not being able to meet a poster – even briefly/once – had de-personalised too many. And has made too many posts too personalised. Like blog road rage. Made worse by lockdown our the 10 IAR implosion.
Stay safe, ya skinny bam you! 🥰
HH jg
Back to Basics – Do the Orange Order not advise all hun like morons to vote Tory to save the Union?
Shettleston had a Tory MP I am sure.
Meeting beckons, laters.
D :)
JOBO
With a new management team in place, there I’d no reason why what you say , can’t happen
Is no reason
Caught James Maddison”s post match interview. The Leicester players have completelely bought into the Brendan Rodgers philosophy. They are a club who are light years ahead of where we are now.And Neil Lennon is still our manager. Shocking.
AN TEARMANN
Tragic story. May Jack RIP.
Donation made
Biggest thing I notice with Leicester is their pace and strength on the ball, they also dont dither but use the pace of Vardy to run channels, they are a good team who could win the league if they avoid injuries, but Rodgers will be off to pastures new most likely Chelsea should they manage it.
JAMESGANG on 20TH JANUARY 2021 9:48 A
JG, thank you.
I was going to post the diet stuff again in case you missed it. Your calories intake sounds like a plan.
Part of the programme is not to buy the things you would snack on/crave. If they are not in the cupboard then temptation is out of the way.
I agree wholeheartedly with the loss of the CQN community spirit and as you say we’ve all maybe lost that edge during this period in human history.
Good luck with diet, and hopefully see you in Coia’s when we eventually get back to seeing the Bhoys in the flesh and we can compare our lithe torsos. 😉😂😂
Watching Leicester -; hope PL was thinking – this is what we could have won
Pog
I have willpower when shopping. I can also leave things in the cupboard. My weakness has been guzzling once it’s opened! So the app mitigates against this, cos everything is recorded and can’t be ‘blind eyed!’
It’s also a product of my upbringing. Loads of tatties and always clear your plate. Discovering that I can eat a taste of tatties, rather than a field full, has been an education.
Let’s share a table at Coia’s. Or even perhaps the same seat!!
HH jg
JG – I hear ye, with regards to the oul’ spuds……………..
I went “cold turkey” for 3 months…… :)………, same with white bread…….(hellish)….now I rarely touch the stuff.
That and increasing all kinds of aerobic activity – transformed my outlook on eating and the bevvy.
DryJanuaryBore! CSC
HH.
And bread!!!🙈
Again, bread is like tatties, a slither. Not half the meal