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.
Celtic: Fifty Flags Plus One, an anthology of how Celtic won each of their league titles, is available now. Starting with our first title in 1893, it details how Willie Maley brought consistent glory, then the sparse successes over four decades before Jock Stein arrived in 1965 and the more contemporary wins since.
It will rekindle memories you had forgotten and give insight into how the leagues were won.
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Big Jimmy
I saw your selections early doors but I never put a penny on them, well done, great to see the bookies get a scudding.
INIQUITOUSIV on 8TH DECEMBER 2020 4:50 PM
It’s always been stage managed.
No time to discuss R12 to any significant degree but there’s always a stooge to raise idiotic questions like the cost of a pie.
Without wanting to reignite a politics discussions I would imagine the Pie Debate will be replaced by Our Betters releasing their squirrels on why fans are allowed at the Greatestleagueintheworld and not here.
Aye Brendan, a lot of the support are starting to cop on.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1336083227346427904
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Feliz Cumpleanos Marc, I hope you have many many more of them
HH
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DAVID66 and DESSYBHOY…
Pity you werent ON.
Hopefully there will be other days ?
HH
Interesting point you make about Damien Duff. Celtic wre playing a lot of very good football during Damien’s stint as coach. Duff played at an elite level working under the top names in World football winning at European and EPL level, so he had an awful lot of experience and ideas to offer. Looking at the Steven Gerrard model and the way he has Rangers playing, It might not beyond the bounds pf probability to suggest that Damien Duff could well be a Celtic manager of the future with possibly Scott Brown as assistant. An very interesting youthful partnership.
Woke up through the night as usual and a line fae a song was going through my mind “something is happening here but you don’t know what it is do you, Mr. Jones”.
And that’s the problem, something is happening and I suppose we are scared tae admit that like 2011 we are willing tae gift sevco the title and all its trimmings.
In fact if it hadn’t been for the hapless mcsleekit and the points deduction for going intae administration they may have won it again the following season, as it was we contrived tae lose both cups albeit with the assistance of honest mistakes.
Now the feeling is should we lose TIAR we will have to close the top section of the stand. However, let’s be honest here, for most of us our love of the Celtic is unconditional. If it wisnae then why are so many of us having sleepless nights.
Come the summer PL will be gone, BTW tae all you hunterlopers on here as Mrs TT’s auntie used tae say “be careful what you wish for”, as he might resurface in Zurich and all your free rides in Europe may be gone.
Whoever is in charge might pull the proverbial rabbit like a MON or Fraudgers out of the hat and we are back in the high life again.
James Forrest
“Celtic is a well-run business but a badly run football club.”
Morning/Afternoon James, Your article was good but I respectfully disagree with the statement above.
I even think that there’s evidence within your article that supports that conclusion.
Personally, I consider it to be a badly run business with a compliant & complacent board of directors who have consistently failed to exercise the appropriate level of scrutiny of operations & the CEO – primary responsibilities for me.
Again, for me the responsibilities of a board of directors should include the following…
1. Determine the Organization’s Mission and Purpose
2. Select the Executive
3. Support the Executive and Review His or Her Performance
4. Ensure Effective Organizational Planning
5. Ensure Adequate Resources
6. Manage Resources Effectively
7. Determine and Monitor the Organization’s Products, Services and Programs
8. Enhance the Organization’s Public Image
9. Serve as a Court of Appeal
10. Assess Its Own Performance
I honestly question the board’s performance in at least 7 of those categories.
Fluffy positive statements about sound accounts & optimism around AGM time cannot disguise the fact that Celtic have regressed in the last few years – regardless of trebles & however many titles in a row have been secured. Finishing first in a one horse race is not a cause for great celebration.
Measured against European competitors – a real world comparison – we are falling further & further behind. I say this despite the anomaly of last year’s Europa League group performance: the defeat by Copenhagen in the next round put that “success” into cold perspective.
Our business is the running a fulltime professional football club with the objective of being as successful as we can be within the usual parameters of sound business practice.
This objective has been not secured for many, many years – in my opinion.
The performance of the club currently in 1st place demonstrate that a comparatively uncompetitive domestic league need not mean being horsed in Europe. And yes I know that impressing in the group stage doesn’t equate to European success (see above), but from what I can see that team will trouble any of the clubs left in that competition.
Time will tell on that – but would we rather be where they are & with how they are performing than where we are?
Are we showing any signs that we are turning this around?
Are we able to genuinely say that we’re the victims of bad luck & ill fortune?
Are we performing well but being let down by biased officials or missed chances?
If we are a successful business – why are we where we are now in the area of our main purpose of our business?
As others have said, if we turn this around & actually win this league it will be up there with 10 men won the league & the Tommy Burns – Vennegor of Hesselink titles.
We have to win every remaining game & they have to lose at least 3 games over the same period.
The club’s current situation has eroded any confidence I had that we can accomplish that.
HH
Supersutton……….. my post refers to your point about Damien Duff.
BIG JIMMY
Cheers for the heads up on the nags and well done to everybody else that backed them 🐎🐎🐎
TOMMOCELT on 8TH DECEMBER 2020 3:59 PM
Just seen your comment & James’s response.
Think we’re all on the same page really.
Memo to self: Must type faster
HH
James Forrest
“Celtic is a well-run business but a badly run football club.”
I have to say that I agree with a few others that this statement is utter bollix, had we been a well run business we would be dining at the top table, we had the chance to invest long before the “big leagues” drew away from the rest, we didn’t, as ever the OF took center stage and cos of this we are where we are and it ain’t a great place to be just now.
Apart from that, great stuff as ever.
HH
I would be interested to see a breakdown of the money Pedro has pissed up against the wall looking for that rough diamond, I remember seeing one a few years back but can’t for the life of me find it, in another computer that’s dead, but it was frightening, easy to see that it’s no his millions he has taken out of the club he was spending.
Fr. McGreer :
Red card
THE EXILED TIM
Neil has an eye for a player apparently
My Grandmother`s name was Margaret Keenan !!
Mod2, post of the day. That was a shocker.
CRC, Hoopy Birthday!
this is unlikely but we are talking about football directors – who haven’t got to be Directors by being nice to everybody,
Sevco Director (DK) speaks to DD front end of this season and tells him we are all in this season, all in, if we don’t win the league title this year, chances are we will go down the pan again,
DD tells him not to worry, he has a cunning plan – which we are now seeing being executed,
unlikely but who knows – stranger things – just don’t trust any of these guys
Got a chance to see the highlights of Sunday’s match and once again Celtic had a lot of chances to win the game but failed to put the ball in the net. The Saints had one chance and one goal.
We are all Celtic fans on here and love the club of that I have no doubts. I have had my moments when maybe iI was less respectful than I should have been – apologies to anyone I have clashed with. That post just was a disgrace.
St Tams
So I am led to believe.
Seems that they couldn’t give a eff about playing for him tho
HH
MOD 2
Spot on
MODERATOR 2 on 8TH DECEMBER 2020 5:31 PM
Surely to goodness the post that you red carded was not made by a Celtic Supporter – if it was – omg – we’re doomed!
ONENIGHTINLISBON on 8TH DECEMBER 2020 5:37 PM
Good Post – will stop scrolling by🙂
Just let you all know any of your post that referred to them that posted I have deleted, apologies to you as some were answering other bloggers about their posts. Please repost without referring to said red carded post.
ROCK TREE BHOY on 8TH DECEMBER 2020 5:44 PM
We are all guilty of being twats, me more than most. I have been one to you and Big Jimmy recently and unreservedly apologise as I say. I have supported our club for over 50 years (despite me getting 1970 mixed up with 1971) and will do until the day I die.
ONENIGHTINLISBON on 8TH DECEMBER 2020 5:47 PM
Good Man – all hostilities suspended🙂
THE EXILED TIM on 8TH DECEMBER 2020 5:28 PM
Interesting you say you would like see exactly what fiscal damage PL has done or should at least be accountable for. Perhaps a joint effort and put it on a spread sheet. The figures are out there we just need to reel them in. There is a lot of guys on this site and others that are very much switched on and know the answers to this stuff.
I would like to make a point again that when it comes to turn over that the first £45 mil is down to season tickets and fans CL & EL qualifiers and we don’t need a CEO to bring that in
MODERATOR 2 on 8TH DECEMBER 2020 5:31 PM
Fr. McGreer :
Red card
———-
Thank you.
HANKRAY on 8TH DECEMBER 2020 5:17 PM
Supersutton……….. my post refers to your point about Damien Duff.
——-
Thanks for the name check. I had guessed it anyway.
Also, regarding the St Johnstone game, I posted at half time that finally I was able to complain about missed chances as we hadn’t been even creating them in previous games.
So what was the tenor/gist of the banned red card post for those of us who missed it?
Sounds like a beezer.
No half decent manager would take the job while the present board are in charge. I am beginning to change my opinion on the Brendan departure.
SAOR ULADH on 8TH DECEMBER 2020 6:00 PM
Rock Tree Bhoy on 8th December 2020 5:56 pm
I’ll have you know you little tout that i have been on here longer than you. The only difference between you and i is that i don’t ramble on long enough to put a glass eye to sleep.
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😆
“Just to let you all know any of your posts that referred the posts I have deleted, apologies to you as some were answering other bloggers about their posts. Please repost without referring to said red carded post”
Cheers Moderator.
Have just jumped back on and missed the deleted post before you deleted it.
Was going to ask to see the deleted post
(It’s human nature – the joke you don’t hear, the TV show you don’t see, the party you don’t go to – all are the best ever).
Problem – I can’t ask to see the deleted post without referring to the deleted post.
I could just ignore it but, somehow, I feel unfulfilled, not having reviewed Mr X’s post (or should that be “Fr X”)
🙂🤔
Anyone old enough to remember the old apocryphal tale about the internal memo that was sent to some staff in error?
The one that concludes …
“Please delete your initials, then initial your deletion”
Nurse !!!
Hail hail
Keep The Faith
ROCK TREE BHOY on 8TH DECEMBER 2020 5:54 PM
Cheers pal. Life’s too short!
James Forrest
Just to let you know until you barr that Hun idiot Ted from your blog I will not
be anywhere near it.
AIPPLE on 8TH DECEMBER 2020 6:04 PM
100% agree – excellent post
Tommocelt
I had the info on another computer, it was up to date till about five or so years ago and it was mind boggingly unbelievably bad, the past few years have fair added to it as well, the list was so long I was astonished reading it, I have never changed my attitude towards the board and I sure ain’t changing now, they are tory parasites and need to GTF.
HH
SAOR ULADH on 8TH DECEMBER 2020 5:44
Red card.