Celtic’s statement yesterday had interesting parts to it. First was timing, it was released early evening, after a full working days’ deliberations on what to do next. I suspect the appropriate reaction to the home draw with St Johnstone was under review for much of that time.
The second element that stuck me was the voice, this was “The Board”, not more commonly used “The Club” voice. The Board is more personal, it was a choice to identify with the decision.
Several points stood out:
“understands the importance of winning the league championship this season..
“deliver the tenth championship in a row that is so important to us all.
“operate according to our Club’s values.
“our collective objective is best served by continuing to support Neil
“Neil has the support of the players…
“The Board recognises the range of views expressed by our supporters and the strength of those opinions.
Talk of winning the league this season and delivering the tenth championship in a row is ballsy. I cannot say I’m optimistic.
Some have wondered if the dressing room was behind the manager. It was not necessary to address this, but the statement confirmed it to be the case.
“The strength of those opinions” translates as “we hear you.”
“Our collective objective is best served by continuing to support Neil” alludes to the options that you and I have pondered. Sacking the manager is the easy part, replacing him with someone who will turn things around is the greater challenge.
Operating according to the Club’s values is an opaque statement, you can interpret it as you wish. Neil looks lost in his challenges, but I don’t like the way he has been hounded. He has been through traumas due to his association with Celtic that no one has ever had to tolerate and achieved greatly as player and manager. We do not owe him a living, but he deserves dignity and respect, especially when vulnerable. That’s how I interpreted that part of the statement, anyway.
I suspect if the board were confident any alternative course of action would increase our chances of winning the league, a different statement would have been issued. Pragmatism is greater than sentiment. Instead, they have placed their chips on the man from Lurgan. If he delivers, it will be one of the most remarkable titles in our history.
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Words fail me Paul.
Never mind winning the League , winning a game would be a step in the right direction !
Simple question when is enough, well….. enough
Emperor’s New Clothes…………
I’m all in and will never give up on Lenny or the players in regards to the title until it’s mathematically impossible to win. It may take some sort of miracle but I happen believe in those.
Things are dire and need to change, I’m not aff ma nut. But there’s no way on this earth I’m ready to concede the league to a bunch of players and a manager who’ve won hee haw in their respective roles to date, something they’re accutely aware of.
There’s still a mountain of points to play for and 3 games against Sevco. Current form isn’t filling me with confidence but things can change. We have a squad full of players who know what’s required to put a run together, why they’re so far off it is baffling to me. I know they can do it and refuse to give up.
If all our fears are realised regards the title, I will take some comfort in the fact that I would rather be a defeated Tim than a triumphant Hun, any feckin day of the week!
We can win this title. If that’s with or without Lenny, we’ll have to wait and see.
HH
The positive health of an ‘old firm’ club is in direct disproportion to the frequency of its statements.
This took so long to wordsmith because they have nothing new to say or offer.
HH jg
Can we bring back “they embarrassed the Hoops” feature that was in Not the View?
Confidence is born out of competence. From the boardroom down to the manager, coaching team and now players, we are incompetent. So many dysfunctional decisions and ritals and habits that have created this perfect storm.
This is false bravado Paul67. An allure of confidence in a decision. The elephant in the room is collective incompetence from people incapable of having the ability to do their jobs properly.
In any other walk of life that’s what a social contract is premised upon.
Sack the lot of them. Incompetent fools.
HH
So basically the personable Board are saying we win this title with NL or we don’t win this title with someone else?
‘Pragmatism is greater than sentiment.’
###
Absolutely.
This is intentional.
I am back to 1993 sentiments. Back the Team, Sack the Board. Will not spend another penny on Celtic, till the masonic, tory, parasites in our Boardroom are gone.
Have not run up the white flag regarding the league title. I believe it can still be won, despite our current custodians. Like DBhoy, I believe in miracles.
From the header…
Neil looks lost in his challenges, but I don’t like the way he has been hounded. He has been through traumas due to his association with Celtic that no one has ever had to tolerate and achieved greatly as player and manager. We do not owe him a living, but he deserves dignity and respect, especially when vulnerable.
———————-
Agree completely, well said. It’s the very least he deserves.
HH
I believe in miracles, where you from, ya (deluded) thing….
The road to Galway defence. Dire.
Lennon was a woeful permanent appointment. It broadcast a failure of ambition and imagination, complacency and self-interest from a controlling, unqualified CEO/ Director of Football.
It was negligence and it was called out as such on that day by most Celtic fans. Just go back and check.
This garbage about values and appeals to sympathy for Lenny (which I do happen to retain) just won’t wash.
This is what historical failure looks like. The dogs in the street know it. Post-hoc rationalisations and faux appeals to unity won’t deflect from it.
Those responsible will never be forgotten or forgiven for their failure. Not because they failed, but because of the manner of their failure.
Big Wavy
Partick. Why should that matter?
Paul
I feel for you every day having to put lipstick on this metaphorical pig.
You interpret that “Our collective objective is best served by continuing to support Neil” ‘alludes to the options that you and I have pondered.’
It hurts to say that the option I have pondered is that their collective objective is no longer mine.
I want the continuation of your much lauded Generation of Domination.
They want the Blue Pound.
I maintained on here 10 years ago we threw the 2011 title to keep the Huns alive.
They’re doing it again.
This year of all years.
Sorry Paul. Won’t wash.
Ernie’s theory is the one that makes most sense so far.
Has anybody any updates as to what Paul67 was referring to with “Things a are going to get a lot worse” comment?
Yaaaaas managed to get logged in again.
That statement from the club yesterday is a shambles just like everything to do with our club just now.
D :)
How much good is being done to Neil’s state of mind by leading a charge that is beyond him, racking up defeats and going through the motions of a continuing with the same compounded errors. If our guardians were worried for a minute about Neil, they’d take him away from this situation for his own good.
They don’t is my guess. He’s a convenient human shield with nowhere else to go after this or nobody looking for his services. Kept in play with the promise of a much-needed payoff.
HH
Big Wavy
Behave yourself.
HH
Delaneys
Failed gallows humour on my part. It’s all I have left in the barrel.
HH
FrankTerry on 8th December 2020 8:30 am
Thanks for posting that article.
——————–
Most welcome. Yip, sometimes it is hard to keep up with the news here and the old country. Some of my family were split over the Indy Ref, none though are split over Brexit.
DD
Good to see you on. Hope you’re well and coping ok with the lockdowns etc, weird times we’re in in every sense.
HH
Big Wavy
We are all at our wits end just now. Nothing wrong with a bit of humour mate. Just never interpreted your post as humorous.
DBHOY on 8TH DECEMBER 2020 12:25 PM
Big Wavy
Behave yourself.
HH
—
You don’t think for a minute he might want away? That staying in such a toxic environment is good for his health? How own legacy over the last two decades?
The only way we can win this league is if sevco were to implode. Last season they imploded because we were relentless which placed them under intense pressure. The reverse is now the case. They are relentless and we are under intense pressure.
I cannot see a positive outcome. It is likely that we will finish the season closer to Aberdeen and Hibs than to sevco.
DBhoy
Been very busy lately, working in the food supply industry. Supermarkets orders for Christmas have never been greater. Grateful to be working and kept busy though. Good distraction working 60 hour week, from Celtic just now.
Hope all well with you sir.
“…operate according to our Club’s values…”
—
i always cringe when i hear PLC chiefs talk about values
meaningless pish
i remember when my former employee (a PLC) started to sponsor one of scotlands most famous sportsmen
the CEO said it was a natural fit because the company and the sportsman shared the same values
a load of utter meaningless empty pish
you couldnt get further away from the line of business of that PLC and a top sportsman
in fact you should always be wary when CEOs say anything – at the back of their minds they are just thinking about their pay
“I suspect if the board were confident any alternative course of action would increase our chances of winning the league, a different statement would have been issued.”
————
Or maybe a better manager appointed in the first place!
Can only be one of three things:
1. They genuinely believe Lennon is a top manager and will “turn it round”.
2. They have twigged that he isn’t but are too arrogant to admit they got it wrong.
3. They have decided to make a change but are so clueless they don’t know who to get or nobody decent wants to work in the current setup.
Whichever one it is just underlines how utterly incompetent they are.
Oh, and if you are going down the “look what he won as a player” road you must know you have lost the argument.
What the heck relevance does that have?
Are the Liverpool board regretting appointing Jürgen Klopp instead of Graeme Souness?
Why not highlight any RELEVANT attributes (top coach, player developer, “an eye for a player”)? Surely that would have been more beneficial to Neil Lennon, which was presumably the purpose.
And then to say that you are going to review things in the new year??? What will be different then? He will still have been a successful player!
As bad as the communication has been, sometimes it is better just to say nothing.
On the plus side the longer it goes on the less likely a potential replacement will be to turn it down for fear of being blamed for not winning the league because it will already be practically out of reach.
Interestingly, the header is an anagram of
“Board Statement – Window Dressing”
(Well, if it’s not, it should be)
As interesting as your deciphering of their statement’s intent is Paul, a few points arise…
Rather than have YOU spell out what the statement actually meant for them in punter-sized chunks, why didn’t they just write it clearly, expressively, meaningfully as as unambiguously as possible in the first place?
Still and all, your read is kinda what I sense they wanted to communicate.
Tho perhaps unwise of ‘The Board’ to piously flag up the spectre of club governance ‘values’ what with the whiff of sordid scandals pertaining to predatory trainers, the underpayment of temp staff and their blithe dismissals that rankle so many of us so deeply.
I’m w DBHOY on hopes for the 10 and deep respect for Neilly.
HH
For me, the criticism has went beyond Neil,he should have been mutually consented a few weeks ago, I wouldn’t be surprised if he had offered to go,he is a human shield for Lawwell and Desmond now,they don’t have a clue what to do now if he did walk,they would be totally exposed. I think he’s doing it out of loyalty to Lawwell.
A happy birthday to Marc crc rollercoaster
A good guy with Celtic and family at his base
God luck
HH
Turkeybhoy.
So sad when you lose a companion. Haven’t had dogs in the family since 1992 and they were my mum and dads.
My wife has been anti-dog since forever. Then 4 weeks ago my son got himself a Boston Terrier. He lives on his own and a bit of a party animal so lockdown was really getting to him.
Since the first day my wife was smitten. She can’t go a day without at least getting a face time. And she gets withdrawal symptoms is she doesn’t see him in person for more than two days.
Already I can see the how hard it will be when the wee guy is no longer around.
A twelve week old puppy 🐶
Heart goes out to you and Mrs TB.
Neil Lennon YNWA. 💚👏
Off oot.
PS; I meant the blithe dismissals of the Res12 campaigners.
I read something very different into the statement.
I saw it as, Neil is here until January and that is all. Does it mean there is someone else lined up to splash the cash in the next transfer window?
CELTIC40ME – It was 17 in a row not 19….if you want to talk about memory!