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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Did Coyle just say there “We had 600.fans here today”
And you had a chance to manage Celtic????
BelfastCityCelt says:,
From your earlier post.
I don’t know about Matthews but Ledley tweeted he would not be back until the Kilmarnock game.
Árd Macha
James Forrest.
Diawara is the better player by a country mile, we missed out in the summer, he will not be a Celtic player, just a hunch.
Rhodes, I doubt it, every goal he scores adds another few bob on to his fee, it won’t be paid, I don’t think he is good enough just now anyways, he may well be in a year or two.
Celtic is a joyous family.
One which i’m proud of.
Fortunes Favour Mibbes says:
17 December, 2011 at 23:00
I take it you are on the booze or your tongue is firmly in your cheek
hail hail
Fortunes Favour Mibbes says:
17 December, 2011 at 23:02
When we get all our players back from injury,we are going to take some stopping.Selection headaches for Lenny,but sure.
For once,i wouldn’t even be concerned if we didn’t sign anymore players in January.Keeping hold of the players that we have should be the main priority,as our players are being coveted by a host of clubs.But sure that has to be expected,what with the undoubted quality that we have in the squad.
Frightening wee team they are,frightening.
Fortunes Favour Mibbes says:
Lol not sure what you mean. I’ll be honest and say I view the whole notion of signing either of us these guys with the deepest skepticism. I really do. I have seen and heard nothing that convinces me we will go the extra mile, but I also sense a change in Lenny.
That night at Kilmarnock he watched this job slipping away from him. I think perhaps he has woken up to the reality of things should Rangers make it FIAR.
That may have strengthened his resolve to get the man he needs, and if that is true we WILL get one of the guys he wants. If I had my choice, yes, it would be Diawara.
I wonder if we will have that choice.
googybhoy- Aye, maybe next Sunday Owen Coyle would be prepared to crawl up the road on his hand and knees for the Celtic job. What goes around comes around. Tough.
C’mon the hoops
http://youtu.be/Mu-mKaqlAjY
FSTB @ 23:08
Firmly in cheek while a tsunami of pink wine batters my teeth away:) But with a genuine concern for the future. This was all predicted some time ago, and it’s about to get a lot worse. My puir attempts at humour stop me getting too depressed about it. It was only a few weeks ago Bishop Tartaglia complained at seeing a 12 yr old boy get his scarf confiscated because by Strathclyde’s Finest because it had a picture of the Pope on it.
Árd Macha says:
17 December, 2011 at 23:06
Chuck can play left back then.Almost forgot about him.That’s what i am trying to say macara – we have so many fantastic footballers in the squad that it’s going to be difficult deciding who to start each game and who to leave out.
You look at when we had that injury crisis,and the stick Lenny was getting – at times we didn’t even have enough regular players to fill the bench.
Madness it was.
Googy, yes you heard correct. “We had 600 fans here today giving tremendous backing” Celtic had more in Italy on thursday! And HE said NO to US. All just to manage a medicore team in the self proclaimed best league in the world.
Ill tell you one thing, when Coyle is retired and in his 70s looking back on his career he will regret turning Celtic down.
SffS
Last glass of wine for the night, looking forward to the game tomorrow.
Good night all in Celtic Land……………………………………………………..
FFM
We can win, and we will, I honestly believe that, maybe not in my lifetime, but definatly in my young fellas lifetime.
2020
BelfastCityCelt @ 23:09
That’s a good point bud. It’s the first time in a while in the run up to the window there hasn’t been cries for certain positions to be filled. And I still think we’ve to see the best in several other players who’ve been sidelined. We have a lot to be optimistic about on the pitch, especially after a certain respectable result on Thurs night which they don’t seem to want to talk about too much in Scotia :))
Nothing changes when it comes to Scottish referees. Our two greatest managers said the following on this subject – Willie Maley (100 years ago) -‘I will only congratulate Rangers if they win the League by 10 points or more
(15 points in to-day’s currency) because that’s what referees are worth to them’; – Jock Stein (40 years ago) – ‘Just keep scoring; they can’t chalk them all off !’ Plus ca change!
James Forrest is Lennon @ 23:10
Aye, would be very surprised to see a smidgeon of money spent this window, but as BCC said, is there really a need? Don’t think so myself. Fair point on Lenny, I was worried he’d had enough during that dip, but he’s turned it around in a very impressive way. Football wise, which as we know should be the only thing we need to talk about (FFS), things are looking good :)
We dream the same thing
We want the same thing
And all that we need is to
See it together
We dream the same dream
We want the same thing
For now, for love, forever, amen
TET @ 23:16
I share that same belief, and have noticed a few of us mentioning this here on occasion.
20/20 indeed :)) Sometimes all the other stuff can be v.v. depressing, but you’ve got me recalling how we spoke about this in the past. Last fight of a cornered, dying rat and all that.
Let’s nail these ugly b’s.!! Lenny’s the Mhan !
Seven Fishes Four Steaks says:
17 December, 2011 at 23:16
A chance he will never get again.
He is a Celtic man so best of luck to him.
Fortunes Favour Mibbes says:
17 December, 2011 at 23:16
Well chief,let them talk about whatever da f**k they want to talk about.They know,in their own black hearts that Lenny and his wee team are a class outfit.Let them keep trying to distract and divide,the sneaky rat bags that they are.
We are going to turn them upside down on the 28th of this month.
There is a steam roller heading their way.
BelfastCityCelt,
I agree that when we have our players back we’ll take some stopping. Like setting free the bears, I want us to be as close if not closer before we meet them on 28 December.
They are struggling big time but getting the usual assistance from the MIB.
Árd Macha
Shieldmuir Celtic @ 23:18
Aye, shame on them, no change in 100 yrs. Aye, and that’s right, 15 points in today’s currency, the 2pt for a home win, 3 pts away win!
Time for us to claim back some overdue debt amigo.
Time to retire, it’s tomorrow here, and a car boot beckons in a few hours, more crap for the wife to buy :>)
A hard game the morra, they won’t make it easy, they will set up 1-9-1, 2-1, I would bite yer hand off for a 1-0.
BelfastCityCelt @ 23:28
I may well have several heart murmurs that day :)) It’s a big one. Fingers crossed that the Scottish establishment can leave it all alone and let it play out as nothing other than a game of feckin football on that day. And maybe arrest some un-nameables for chanting illegal racist bile rather than use their resources to intimidate our own support. Dreamland, eh.
Goodnight a’body
Aff tae dream o’ Maggie Broon wearing a tight sweater agin. SMB Ah Hiv wet dreams aboot yer burd.
See yees a’ in Perth
FFM
As the hun they are will be gone, there is no doubt about that.
What emerges from the sewer is what worries me, more rabid than what presently exists, hard to imagine I know, but I think I will be proven correct.
They are doing their level best to bring us down with them, but they will ultimatly fail, we will prevail, we are a global brand, and the people who matter know this, money will talk at te end of the day, and with that I bid you goodnight.
Take care and god bless all good Tims out there.
An education as always
HH
KTF
I stated at the time when Lenny was appointed that he was offered the job and took it .
IMO you should not be cutting your teeth at Celtic ,so if it went pear shaped I would absolve Lenny of blame and lay it firmly at the door of the board .
The fact that many could be surprised when Lenny expresses a lack of tactics surprises me slightly as he is surely learning whilst on the job .
The lack of organisation has been evident at times and I suspect Lenny knows that .
He is right regarding work all week but a manager needs to react to a game as it is being played .
he will learn ,if it is in time we will learn that too
hail hail
Bed for me. Early start in the morning.
Hail Hail.
Shieldmuir Celtic @ 23:18
According to the media there was bias in the past, but no any more, when asked when the bias stopped……………………….
I am very much looking forward to the official explanation for Bonkle’s appearance today.
I am sure it will be some b******* that he just happened to be in the vicinity, when his car ran out of petrol, and as there was snow forecast ,he knocked on a door looking for food and shelter etc.
Gordon64 @23.02. Enjoy your Kinks I,m a big fan of Ray Davies, if you have,nt heard “I,m Not Like Everybody Else”, live version from To the Bone recorded at the Barrowlands, it is awesome. Kinda sums up what it,s like to be a Celtic fan. If any body can do the linky thing for this song I,d appreciate it. Hail Hail Hebcelt
fergus slayed the blues
Seems to me that Lenny is learning how to play the euro thing ok.
As for the spl, he can do nothing, the officials control what happens in scotland.
THE EXILED TIM says:
17 December, 2011 at 23:37
Will they fail ,if we keep giving them the ammunition to fire at us
United we stand ,divided we fall
IMO we ALL need to get behind the club and try to secure the title
Then we can all debate the rights and wrongs of the season .
hail hail
Hebcelt
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3iyDlQ6UeA
Enjoy
Árd Macha says:
17 December, 2011 at 23:29
Fortunes Favour Mibbes says:
17 December, 2011 at 23:33
They can put an extra half dozen of their referees on the park – it won’t make a blind bit of difference,we are going to beat them,and beat them bad.
Remember how we picked them up and dropped them on their heads last season,in their own midden? The Cup game? 70% possession with only 10 men?
They caught us cold last time,that was a fluke,a freak result,a one off.
Lenny won’t let them off the hook this time around.Let’s see how they cope when they step into the lion’s den.
THE EXILED TIM says:
17 December, 2011 at 23:42
Agreed regards the MIB but in midweek the opposing manager nullified Sammi whilst Lenny rode his luck with our left side
That said I think Lennys tactics more than matched the top of the Serie A in the first half .
It’s all about learning you know
hail hail
If i was the Dj – this is the tune i would be playing as the teams walk on to the hallowed turf in our resplendent area:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kr8-E8may2Y
We need to have the right attitude,supporters and players.