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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IMO
What’s Peter Grant and Paddy Bonnner up to these days? I’d like to see our players shirking in training drills with them watching over.
Ave Ave
ps Under the auspices of MON and Keane.
Rodgers is very shrewd.
He was always going to use Celtic as a stepping stone to the EPL eventually.
However the process was speeded up when he went head to head with Pinocchio Lawwell.
I imagine he must have thought to himself that how on earth could an accountant be picking players for the club over the managers head.
Rodgers confirmed this with the Shved signing and Arzani loan, saying that he didn’t want the players at the club.
I will always be grateful to Rodgers for publicly calling out Pinocchio and slagging him off for signing players that the manager never wanted.
This had never happened before as Pinocchio surrounded himself with yes men.
The rumours and whispers about Pinocchio were shown to be true.
In truth, he’s a coward who would never publicly acknowledge that he, an accountant, had made himself DOF.
Pinocchio preferred to be sleekit instead.
Henry Joy
I have heard from my nephew that Peter Grant is an excellent coach, but not particularly well liked by those he coaches. Hard taskmaster. Maybe what we need in a coach.
Henry Joy
Peter Grant is currently manager of Alloa.
DELANEYS DUNKY on 8TH DECEMBER 2020 7:56 PM
Henry Joy
Peter Grant is currently manager of Alloa.
He also managed Led zeppelin, what a guy
Celtic Dawn
The Song Remains the Same. 😊👍
DD
I’ve been there alongside Paddy at Largs. He has a genuine “soft” side that Peter would long for in a coaching capacity -recognising players training as hard as they can. Both a perfect combination alongside MON and Keane or Neil Lennon.
As season ticket holders,be called gullible is pretty fkn annoying to be honest.
Show more respect
TET@7:28pm -very subtle but effective 👏
And can we not get a manager who has no links to Celtic please.
There is a big world out there .
Forget about ST sales.
That’s just silly
Giving up on what we support is not the last line of defense. it is desertion.
Last I heard McNee was a Manchester United fan, obviously when their star was high. Another reason to dislike him.
DD it was Peter Grant at the behest of Mogga who kicked Lenny off the team bus before it left for the bigot dome as he was seen as a mole.
Probably doesn’t read correctly 😉
Can we get a manager who hasn’t got a link to Celtic please.
Hopefully I’ve corrected that before the weekend fan bhoy shows us how well spoken and intelligent he is🤷🏽♂️
As for Dellahunt, the dropping of the family Y indicates a multi-generational liking for soup.
Test
Tontine
I played against Peter Grant once, for Saint Thomas Aquinas Jordanhill Glasgow against Saint Patrick’s Coatbridge in the Schools Scottish Cup. Before the game, Tosh McKinlay warned me about my direct opponent in centre midfield Peter Grant. Can honestly say, that I have never played against a dirtier player, who used every trick in the book to gain an advantage. We had last laugh, as Saint Tams beat Saint Pats, but Grant gave me a bit of a lesson in the dark arts that day. Have never liked him since. 😊
DELANEYS DUNKY on 8TH DECEMBER 2020 7:51 PM
Henry Joy
I have heard from my nephew that Peter Grant is an excellent coach, but not particularly well liked by those he coaches. Hard taskmaster. Maybe what we need in a coach.
——-
As a pointer, at least he’d unfold his arms. And mibbee even shout instructions?🤷🏼♂️
Good to see you, RastaTim. Missed my Irie Brother.
HH jg
JG
Cheers mucker. Hope all is good doon in that London. Irie bro.
Iniquisitov – My friend in Celtic – don’t think of it as a correction.
In hindsight wish I hadn’t replied.
I gave credit to BBC Sport Scotland.
Spoiled my dinner.
I and I will see you through
🏴🇯🇲🇮🇪🇵🇱
We’re not looking at Peter the pointer for gods sake 🤔
How fkn low does this go😡
If I that this right ….the PSG game abandoned for racial abuse by the fourth official😱😵
Have not looked in here in the past month.
Has anyone heard from South of Tunis?
Always been one of my favourite contributors to this site.
If I heard that right……
Not intended to be a squirrel …
Man Utd’s back four of Shaw, Maguire, Lindelof and Wan-Bissaka combined cost £186 million in transfer fees …
… and they are not very spectacular.
Money ! Huh !
Ok game was suspended for fourth official racial abuse, jings
Oh CRC, happy birthday M👏👏👏👍
For South of Tunis and Jamesgang. Irie
https://g.co/kgs/K8VMAi
This “Statement” from the Board, with its whiney mealy-mouthed patronising “we’re all in this together” sentiment, simply underlines my belief that they have been grossly mismanaging affairs for quite some period of time.
For them to have painted themselves into a corner in such a fashion reiterates the belief of many that they have been amateurish in the extreme.
They have only been allowed to get away with it due to the paucity of any real challenge that has been our lot for so long.
Classic Hare and Tortoise scenario where our dozing Leadership have allowed the only viable opposition to catch and now overtake us.
Whether this was allowed to happen by design, or has just been down to sheer incompetence is irrelevant.
Either scenario ought to see those responsible getting their jotters.
The fact remains that we are one of the most prestigious, financially stable clubs in the world. It should not be beyond our leaders to entice a top manager to the club with the promise of regular domestic success as well as the potential for European involvement pretty much guaranteed.
They have presided over a slowly evolving shambles and are well on the way to snatching defeat from the jaws of victory in what is our most important season in a generation.
Shame on them.
DD
South of Tunis disappeared from the sight not long after the covid oitbreak. Numerous attempts to contact him have failed sadly.
KEEP THE FAITH
OUTBREAK
TonyRome
When I last looked in here in October, a few posters mentioned SoT. Was hoping he had been on, or someone had contacted him. Sadly not 😔
DD
I believe Paul and a couple of others had email addresses for him but they either bounced back or no reply.
Cut back on the overtime to much work isn’t good for anyone.
KEEP THE FAITH
Anyone seen that Bolingoli team land PSG walked off the pitch after accusations of racial abuse from linesman.
D : )
FAIRHILL BHOY on 8TH DECEMBER 2020 8:33 PM
I really don’t think there are any decent managers with Celtic links left. The fact that Paul Lambert’s name has been thrown around says it all.
I would even argue looking beyond these shores. I like the look of Hassenhutl – never heard of him before Southampton snapped him up. Remember the headlines of “Arsene who?”?
Does our board have an extensive footballing knowledge that can look high and low in Europe’s big and small leagues and find a progressive up and coming manager who’d jump at the chance of managing a club like Celtic? I refuse to believe they aren’t out there.
And as someone pointed out earlier, with Sevco making it two consecutive years in the EL knock-out stages as a pot 3 team, the argument that we “don’t have the finances to compete at this level” can finally be put to bed.