A goal down in the second half, having not made a chance worthy of the name. But the Celtic story was going to be told. Hearts pushed, kicked and wasted every possible second of the opening 82 minutes of the Scottish Cup Final. Their game plan worked, for 10 minutes the outcome looked in doubt, until Odsonne Edouard out-witted Heats ‘keeper, Zlamal. Instead of shooting the Celtic striker knocked the ball forward. By this point Zlamal’s momentum was unstoppable, he cleared the Celtic striker off his feet. The penalty was inevitable and a consequence of the maturity of a 21-year-old.
Odsonne’s craft for the winning goal was better still. He was off like lightening after Mikael Lustig’s header put the ball beyond the Hearts back line. Watch Odsonn’e body shape, he opened his foot and drew his right shoulder back, as though to place the ball to Zlamal’s bottom left corner. The keeper followed the body language but Odsonne turned his foot at the last minute and chipped the ball into the opposite side of the net. It was delicious.
I did not think anything in domestic football could match the Invincible Treble, secured in such drama against Aberdeen in 2017, but as this journey of success has continued, the drama, the importance of each subsequent trophy, mounts.
Yesterday we retained the Scottish Cup for the ninth time in our history; the first time we won three-in-a-row and the first time in world football a Treble Treble has been completed. Whatever it is that we are living through right now, let it’s reign be long and glorious!
Condolences of the family and friends of Harry Hood, who we lost earlier. Harry was part of the successful Celtic team on the early 70s and was the last Celtic player to score a hat-trick against Oldco Rangers. On leaving football became a successful business man, running some of the best restaurants, hotels and pubs in Lanarkshire.
With the Treble Treble only minutes in the history books, Celtic wasted no time in confirming Neil Lennon would become permanent manager. We will pick this up later.
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To be fair to the board they have a duty to act in the best finacial interests of the club.
Paying an incoming high profile manager at least 5 million a year on a 3 year deal [15 million]
Funding the undoubted plans of said manager …at least 25 million in transfer fees and possibly as much again in wages.
The whole process could have topped 60 million and came with zero guarantees of Champions league football or indeed another league title although that possibly would be an almost guarantee considering the outlay.
I believe we have between 30-40 million in the bank so the whole exercise would have wiped that out AND put us into the red big style.
People earlier in this thread compared the timings of BR departure and NL previous departure.
Of course I get that but unfortunately BR was allowed to go when he did because Celtic were getting compensated for £9 million .
The board were probably correct to take the money no matter how bad the timing.
The board were also probably held to ransom by BR over the Boyata £9 million bid last summer and the previous manager dug his heels in and cost us £9 million as of course he has just left for nothing after at times this seasons contributing not much.
I doubt that will be allowed to happen again.The previous manager possibly had too much power and should have been better prepared with his management team to replace major assets that needed to be sold with more modest signings lined up.
I’m guessing the more “gallus” of the trolling currants have been making merry with what little thuv goat following our Rebel Treble and Neil’s job offer…………
Snow aff a dyke springs to mind……
…….thull disappear quickly, but return ( albeit briefly) at any given issue. Next season we will be full o’ thum. sadly.
Just my opinion
our team set up and structure needs to change
We have been hugely successful last few yeas due to having better quality players than rest
Quite a few teams, including Neil’s Hibs, had our team structure Sussed and won the midfield battle, hence we have struggled in numerous games.
Now
Players
Kouassi, has not had a real chance, took ill when he joined us, and was out for a period of time due to this, he has since had 2 injuries, and not had a decent playing time.
Sinclair on 17 goals, hugely inconsistent this season, but gives 100%
In my view James Forrest is every bit as inconsistent – invincible in his last 2 games for us
So should we not replace both ?
In my view Lustig 1 more season for his experience to support transition.
DeVries – replace with youth
Izaguirre- we have Hayes and possibly a youth coming through ?
Gamboa – replace with better quality
Boyata – replacement needed
Allen – gone, youth players can take his place
Benkovic – try and keep for another season
Toljan – same replacement as per Gamboa
Burke – need a new forward, need to see Bayo
Weah- sign Paddy Roberts, although we do have Shved coming in, and Mickey Johnstone with huge potential
Ntcham – if can get refocused would keep
Rogic ?? Really struggled this season, for me brilliant on ball, but too slow, Ryan Christie better in there ?
Try to remove
Compper & Hendry, and possibly a few other squad members ( Mulumba etc)
Does leave Neil, with a fair few spaces to fill, less heads, but better quality please
???????????
Oh and play squad players in League Cup, tell us up front we are not focusing on this tournament- focus on trying to improve European performance and coefficient
H8il H8il
Incredible treble! Going forward would love to see the club put in place a structure that helped insure continuity. The old fashioned manager’s role means that style and players can be rendered redundant by a change in the person in that role. More on that anon.
Was thinking of Carl Mugleton, Wayne Biggins and more on Saturday. It’s a great time to be a TIM!
ERNIE LYNCH @ 9:44 AM,
Yes EL, it only takes a little bit of logic to see through the thin veneer.
It is galling that news management put a downer on such an historic day for many Celtic supporters.
The decision could have and should have waited until today, or at least until Lenny had accepted it. Did he even have a contract in front of him?
Certainly the idea that Celtic PLC doesn’t news manage to a ridiculous degree (never mind the secrecy culture – not good in a Public institution nor a Public Limited Company) is a nonsense but this line is telling…
“You just need to keep on doing the right things and believe in yourself and making the right decisions.
“That’s what we’ve done – without any outside influences.
If that’s not a recipe for having a despot in an Ivory tower I don’t know what is…
Hail Hail
” It is galling that news management put a downer on such an historic day for many Celtic supporters.”
Many? I didn`t meet ANY Celtic supporters on a downer.
JJ
ernie lynch
` Surely making the announcement when and how they did to kill speculation was reacting to media?`
It was if the Media were the only people speculating.
JJ
Great weekend. I think the board should offer NL a two year contract with the promise of a third year if he delivers the ten. I had mixed emotions about the decision because II felt that it would be a good thing to have a coach / manager who would insist upon players looking after themselves.
Listened to a few of the Simon Ferry podcasts when he spoke to Mulgrew, Ledley et al and they all spoke of the drinking going on at the club when they were there. Also “chips gate” and tales of the three day piss up in Dublin before the sevco game gives me concerns.
However on the other side of the coin, the appointment of a manager who doesn’t know the lie of the land here might have been a problem as a lot of damage could have been done to the attempt to get nine in the early stages as the new boss had to be up to facing the barrage of invective from the hint and their friends in the media.
Now coming round to thinking that a manager who knows the score and has done it already might be the less risky strategy. I have no doubt that had another candidate even appointed, the SPFL computer would have miraculously sent us to Ipox in game 1 or 2, rather than leaving the game to later in the season as they did for Slippy’s first visit to Celtic Park.
A few signings in such as right back, cover for KT, centre back and a striker and we are not far away.
Let’s make sure we get the nine and then worry about the ten at the end of next season.
“hint” should read “huns”
The way the appointment of Neil Lennon appears to have taken place looks autocratic to me, not looking at any other candidates, promises made to him when he took over temporarily honoured, not good at all in my opinion.
What budget for players has NL asked for, what salary does he want, who are going to be his backroom staff, the people who have gone from conditioning and sports science are they being replaced, this is looking rushed and the cheap option, the answer is why and if our ambitions are only to continue to win The SPL then why is our CEO commanding the salary with bonuses he does, Celtic is not there to fill the pockets of Peter Lawweell however this looks like the King is ruling his Kingdom.
I hope Resoulution 12 is still ongoing, I’m sure it is, with the requisitioners anyway.
Celtic linked with five-cap Dutch international Adam Maher – but face serious competition
https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/celtic/celtic-linked-with-five-cap-dutch-international-adam-maher-but-face-serious-competition-1-4935124
https://twitter.com/CelticTV/status/1132945120129671168?s=08
NFL is now our manager FACT
The revisionism and board apologists can dress it up any way they wish, the manager position isn’t gonna change unless PL stifles Neil, but I’d thank you not to insult the intelligence (perceived or not) of many who thinks this is a cheap poor appointment by a PLC (it doesn’t stand for Peter Lawells Celtic, as much as he and many in here think it is) that are fully on board with Old Firmism .
It will be interesting to see who if any backroom staff Neil brings in
https://www.footballscotland.co.uk/spfl/scottish-premiership/celtics-neil-lennon-offer-unambitious-16336164
@LAZYDYNAMITE on 27TH MAY 2019 10:39 AM
Is anyone advocating that we spend £5m a year on a manager. There must be about 20 managers (if that) in the world that earn that kind of money (and most of them are either in the top 10 in the EPL or scattered amongst the top teams in the world). There is surely a happy medium between paying Brendan circa £2m and Neil a quarter or a third of that (presumably).
On top of that we must be one of the few teams in the world where the highest earner at the club is not the manager or a player but the CEO. PL’s wage is quoted from £2.5m-£3.5m. How can we afford such a monstrous wage for an executive but the the mention of that for a manager is construed as financial mismanagement?
If the last three years taught us anything it is that having a quality manager pays dividend. Our problem seems to be that out CEO does not necessarily get on well with other strong characters and that’s an issue as good managers tend to have a strong personality.
Re the Boyata sale. I’m unsure how anyone can criticise BR. Armstrong was sold earlier in the summer and we failed to replace him. What impetus did BR have to sell knowing that Boyata would not be replaced or if he was it would be inadequate (e.g. Hendry, Mulumbu, Morgan style signing)?
‘We see things not as they are but as we are’
(Emmanuel Kant)
Yes we get some things wrong, and that includes the board.
It’s all about the outcome.
Treble Treble indicates we are, collectively, doing lots of things right.
Personally, I am loving it.
Hail hail
@ RUGGYGMAN on 27TH MAY 2019 11:55 AM
That’s a decent article, although I’m not sure it will prove popular on this blog.
A tale of two headers.
When Neil Lennon was appointed he had a good look at Jeremy Toljan the right back brought in by the January window, he quickly restored Mikael Lustig to the berth, as soon as he was declared fit.
By and large in the run in, Neil made a wise decision, maybe BR would have did the same, but right from the Valencia game in which Jeremy Toljan was preferred the Celtic jury was not convinced.
Move forward to Pittodrie and the veteran Swede set up the League winner with his diving header, at Hampden he saw the acres for Odsonne and headed him in for victory in the Cup and a goal fit to win a world record.
So we never looked for a manager to replace BR? Incredible. PL should be sacked. Giving job to his pal. We all said it was a joke that SFA did it with McLeish. But I didn’t care about them that’s what Masons do. But we should be looking to improve the team. NL will not do that. Plays his favoutites . Always has excuses.. His behavior at the games standing at sideline not changing anything was nonsense. We were extremely poor in almost every game. If Edouard had been injured we would have lost league and cup. The timing was shocking.Also should they not be informing the stock exchange first?
Guys, let’s be absolutely honest about this. If NFL had not got the Celtic gig he would be looking at Inverness, Falkirk or a Barnsley.
Because he is ” one of us ” does not change that.
HH to all, preparing for a new journey.
THE HANDS CANT HIT WHAT THE EYES CANT SEE on 27TH MAY 2019 12:00 PM
Of course I am going to blame BR for the Boyata fiasco.
Nobody else to blame.
As highly paid and lauded manager of our club he should have been under no illusions that the Big Belgium was entering the last year of his contract.
Or was this news to Brendan?.
He should also have been aware that we are a selling club and indeed it has been part of our package and promises laid out to players to get them here in the first place.
Digging your heels in and keeping Boyata costing us £9 million and a half hearted player who even blow us off for the biggest game of the season was piss poor managment.
A replacement should have been lined up and indeed the whole Dembele saga where Rodgers nearly did the same scenario until he changed his mind at the last 12 hours leaving us without a replacement again.
If Neil Lennon comes in is more submissive to PL then perhaps it is not all a bad thing at all.
BR made a complete arse of everything in his last 8 months at Celtic Park.
new article posted.
BR made a complete arse of everything in his last 8 months at Celtic…??
Eh… lets be fair here. That’s not even remotely accurate.
8 points clear. 8 consecutive wins since the beginning of the year.
Mon, behave yourself