I got my haircut today. Sitting, waiting in line, usual habits were cast aside and I picked up a newspaper; what an alarming read. Neil Lennon was quoted as saying, “I’m not big on tactics. It’s about the players and they have to go out onto the pitch and apply that.”
I couldn’t disagree more. It’s all about the tactics. Players need to be sufficiently fit, fast and fearless but all the talent in the world can be ripped asunder if it’s not tactically well organised. I had been watching Celtic tactics closely for 20 years before Martin O’Neill arrived. Back in 2000, watching Celtic was like going to school. My eyes were opened to how a defence is organised, how to stage an attack that fits your strikers and how to buy with a playing strategy in mind.
We had seen plenty great players since our last great team: McStay, McClair, McGrain, McAvennie, Burns, Nicholas. We’d seen courage and directness: the Bear, MacLeod and Provan, and cameos from Moravcik and Larsson, but we were forever found out, a plucky team who would flatter to deceive. Celtic would regularly dominate Alex Ferguson’s Aberdeen – who understood too well the importance of tactics – and lose 1-0, and we went 30 years without beating a team from a major European league.
Martin O’Neill clearly demonstrated that successful football teams are all about tactics, not the players, nor courage, not even an aggregate ocean of skill.
>90% of football games are won and lost before kick-off.
As for the on-going orgy that is dominating front pages (good grief). Get used to it. As I’ve said many times, positions are absolutely entrenched when it comes to the songs debate. Neil Lennon and Ian Bankier are in for a disappointment if they think they, or any of the rest of us, can “self-police” those who object to being inhibited from singing about the IRA. I’ve encouraged this so often I’m not going to waste my your time with it anymore.
Celtic are set for an extended period when its reputation will suffer, there is no avoiding this. Unfortunately, not everyone listens. My great sympathies go to the £X per hour Celtic stewards who have to put themselves in the front line of this confrontation.
If I can offer any advice on a related subject… Songs and banners affect individuals, who will often be selected randomly for exclusion. Lateral movement in the stands, which happened last weekend, will get an entire section of the stadium closed by Health & Safety. If this creeps back into Celtic Park there is a real risk of council action. I’m pretty sure Michael Davitt didn’t place the sod on Celtic Park before bouncing left to right and back again. It’s not a key part of our heritage, don’t pick fights you’re going to lose.
CQN Magazine, issue 5, will be out soon. After 4 issues online and shipping single copies from Magcloud in the US, we’ve ordered a print run locally. You can order now with credit/debit card or Paypal and buy direct from the UK for only £5 by clicking on the link below.
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uly
wrong lounge mate… o))
a small bird sang..
Enrico Dandolo
And if arrested I will offer my usual defence, “and whose peace did I breach?”.
Finest away result for years, winning domestic run,last minute penalty saves, players hitting form, start players on their way back,January transfer window about to open the huns being reeled in by the week and 10 days till we turn the screw.
And the main point of contention is 4 students holding up a banner with a bad word on it.
The Celtic family are squabbling over nothing.
lets get back to the football.
Paul 67,
Not too sure what you mean, but I’m behind you one hundred percent!
seanbhoy69 says:
17 December, 2011 at 20:49
The whole purpose of the media attack on our club is to achieve (a) in fighting among our support and (b) what you are doing i.e. not going
Don’t fall for it my bhoy. Do what we always do, support our team home and away. It’s the only way if we have any chance to stop 4iar. I’ll be there tomorrow and so should you :-)
Gutted when I heard last night that the u19s game was called off. It is my sons 16th birthday today and was looking forward to taking him and to Perth tomorrow.
Ended up being dragged roung Tesco with the other half and paying for the privelige. Did’nt know how the huns were getting on and saw lots of fellow tims with their missus’s doing the shopping, I think we were all thinking the same and did’nt want to hear any bad news. Very funny saying Hi to them all and not asking how the orcs were getting on.
After reading back on CQN looks like the huns were very lucky again, happening far to often for my liking, and Butcher being gracious in defeat compared to our last game up their, sickening, if only we had more managers (like Levein) who would call it as they see it, the LL would find it harder to ignore.
I really. really cannot wait for their endgame.
A huns newco, with no history will do for me.
Anyway, hopefully a good 3 points for us tomorrow, going to drive up the game which renders me alcohol less tonight,
Just looked at the tickets at i’m in the front row, hope Kayals shooting has improved.
Hail Hail
Sir Paul,
May i make a suggestion, in future when you are having a ‘short-back-an-sides’, please choose an ‘Hello mag’, or such like! To pick up a newspaper, which very few celtic supporters do, is one thing, and i defend your right to do so, however, when you then ‘cite’ our young manager for having the temerity to say, ‘tactics’ are just that ‘tactics’! and that this so incensed you,that you felt the need to parade your ‘feelings’ in your article, and furthermore, chide a ‘fellow poster’, because he dared ‘ask a question’ You have created a great ‘forum’ for celtic fans on CQN, and I applaud all involved!, however,that does not give you the right to ‘quote’ Neil, on here, or anywhere else, especially as he is so obviously preparing the ‘ground’ for the next 11 days!
Disappointing
James Forrest.
You think that uefa have conducted an unofficial investigation and found nothing untoward?
Would they then not have responded to the journalist or other letter writers?
Why would a governing body require a cast iron case to do a spot check or an audit on a members paper work?
OK
so does anybody actually read P67 .s posts…
get a life FGS we need to get a podium..
notthebus says:
17 December, 2011 at 20:57
Couldn’t agree more mate. Daft banner, but that’s all it was. We have a good reputation, and we should protect it from random acts of idiocy, so those who unfurled it are due a wee slap down from the manager, and that’s what has hapenned. End of story for me.
It’s not as if, for instance, there were four or five guys making nazi salutes in Israel. Don’t remember too much front page faux indignation about that one, I could be wrong.
The irritating thing for me is it detracts attention from the very salient points the GB (if it was them who unfurled the banner, and I understand it was) have to make about this dreadful legislation which has just been passed.
JF
Sadly I cannot foresee a day when corporate Celtic will make such a request of UEFA.
And more so, if corporate Celtic did, I doubt very much that UEFA the organisation who
1. Sold us out when we played Athletico Madrid way back when
2. Sold us out with Rapid Vienna
3. Ignored the Huns sectarianism for long enough
4. Ignored the Hun execs sectarianism in Milan
5. Ignored the Huns Blue Tsunami (how appropriate and ironic a definition that phrase is/was)
6. Ignored someone being stabbed in the stadium at the UEFA cup final by a Hun.
7. Forced us to play Sion twice
would give a flying feck.
MWD
mic1888 HT
The 208 is the nearest to the park as is the Tulloch institute. In the town there’s the Foundry,Sandemans, The Twa Tams,The Green Room ;)
which should all be ok. I’d body swerve Dickens and Sportsters but the St.Johnstone club in Barossa St has 6 Celtic buses unloading their cargo
and a band playing a bit of irish folk music to boot. I heard the local rag was round during the week trying to get a story on it, i kid you not. I’m
going to the game with my two bhoys, don’t think i’ll take a banner though :)
HH
The Honest Mistake says:
I’m not saying they have mate, but I’ll tell you, I suspect that the sheer volume of information out there that suggests SOMETHING untoward is compelling enough that they HAVE made some enquiries. If not, they are lazy and incompetent, and although I haven’t ruled that out I do wonder …
But if UEFA ask the questions and get answers, what more can they do? A lot of this depends on what Rangers have disclosed or are willing to disclose to the SFA too. If the SFA have been lied to, or conned, it stands to reason their paperwork will look as it shoud … and only by looking at Rangers could the full facts emerge.
It’s possible – not saying it’s happened, but possible – UEFA have asked the SFA for answers and the SFA have simply supplied them with what they’ve been told by Rangers … and UEFA have to take that at face value as the proof the SFA is satisfied with what it’s found.
You would have to audit the SFA and Rangers both to get results in that case, and as such if I were in their shoes I would not confirm that investigation was ongoing either, until I had definifive answers.
wow how bad was that penalty dive by Milan, Laurdop at his worst
It was actually a good dive I thought, quite convincing at first blush. Larsson v Liverpool springs to mind, didn’t mind then and I don’t now! ;-)
Milan 2-0 dive for the penalty.
Keeper spreads himself at forwards feet. He takes a touch and leaves his leg , to catch the keeper.
the_huddle says:
17 December, 2011 at 21:07
That was one of the most blatant dives I’ve seen in a while. Couldn’t believe the ref gave it!
Very dodgy.
Rico
gallagher
You watch yersel with that bhoy of yours mate :)))
googybhoy
my wee mate from the Calton going to Manc in the new year fora few months…
MWD
Most will have done stupid things when young
However the banner had to be thought up ( 2 seconds granted ) but then actually made up
– somewhat longer – then taken to the game – then displayed
All this to me shows a degree of organisation but if it was the work of an individual then he/she should come forward and admit it
We can debate among ourselves all day long about what should be sung or not
However we now know that such behaviour will get the club in to trouble
Those who insist on continuing with such behaviour are simply playing in to the hands of our enemies
HH
Oh the rangers are sh*te
And they’re totally skint
Oh the rangers are sh*te
They’re about to be binned
:)
Rico
Barcelona maybe the best team in the world
But with no doubt.
Celtic supporters are the very best.Bar none.
It’s what makes our club so special.
Embrace it.
HELP PLEASE….what tv outlets showing the game tomorrow………..cannot be bothered schrolling back…..much appreciated
James Forrest.
I would be surprised if the paperwork that the sfa submit to uefa didn’t contain a copy of audited accounts or audited interim accounts.
I would guess that uefa haven’t the stomach to open the can of worms that is the investigation into the Huns inclusion in the tournament. Whatever the reasons, FIFA, uefa and the sfa do not act to protect football and the Corinthian spirit of the sport. They are all enemies of football and right thinking football fans.
Ronaldo puts Real Madrid 1 up at Sevilla after a glorious pass from Di Maria
Casillas just made a great save to stop Sevilla equalising
Great game so far
blantyretim/hamiltontim/Gordon64
Cheers guys.
Hail Hail.
topkat says:
17 December, 2011 at 21:15
None, go for internet streamimg and it you want to listen to the commentary – then brush up on your arabic !!!
TMWTL, Garry Parker watching Diawara tonight according to CU. They are playing Porto.
SffS
hamiltontim
He’s sick of the sound of me trying to teach him the merits of boxing clever ;)
HH
10 men
cheers
Im watching Harry Fecking Potter… p((
The Honest Mistake says:
That is something I can accept, and well believe. If they found, now, that Rangers should not have played in the last two years of European competition, they are wide open to legal cases from several clubs in this country, those who Rangers defeated in Europe and it would certainly have to result in investigations in other countries where the same thing might have happened.
It would be a headache of EPIC proporitions. What I think we HAVE achieved by our highlighting the possibility is that next time the scrutiny will be fierce.
An accomplishment in itself, I would suggest.
Paul67,
I think it is time for a Cqn hairdressers. No magazines or papers. Only CQN on laptops. Could have copies of CQN magazine strewn about.
For the obsessive CQNERS we could have a keypad built in to the send of the chair. CQN on the mirror live feed.
The occasional celebrity hairdresser or top models to cut or wash hair. I am sure it would do a great trade.
What you Bhoys think?
Oasis
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZHHXrBXzkc
Good Tims allegedly
Hope we shut them all up tomorrow.
A solid performance with strikers getting a goal each would go down very well.
croppybhoy says:
17 December, 2011 at 21:14
I agree, this songs debate has a few levels, the first one is by far the easiest to resolve. We play in UEFA competitions and under the auspices of the SFA, SFL and SPL at home. We also attend a stadium owned by Celtic’s shareholders. If, unanimously, these bodies require that certain songs are not sung, then don’t sing them, unless your arrogant belief in your personal conception of what the club is and represents is so perfectly distilled that you consider your point of view ought to be made all the while the club is deducted points and fined money.
Personally, I think the club needs to provide us with a list of songs that are allowed, and which are not, in order firstly that we can stop singing them in the interim, and in the longer term have a proper debate about what ought to be allowed (why the distinction between SS, BoToB, and the Marseillaises for instance?)
However, the new legislation is an abomination. I think that Paul67 made the point earlier in the week; despaitring and cringing at the lounge-bar Republican repertoire in a football stadium, and endorsing the Club’s decisions to root it out in order to prevent sanction from footballing authorities, is not the same as wanting to see hte behaviour criminalised. The former is a no-brainer, the latter is very dangerous indeed.
SB
No probs pal.
Email us anytime.
No game in TV?
Ha, ha. I will watch it in Polish Orange Sport TV, with Polish biased pro-Celtic commentary.