Celtic surrendered another two points to fall further behind in the championship race, drawing 0-0 at home against Hibernian. It was a unorganised looking performance from the home team who gave Graham Stack little to do in the Hibernian goal.
Gary Hooper squandered Celtic’s only gilt-edged chance of the game when, after playing a one-two with Anthony Stokes, he struck the outside of the post with Ki available for the square pass. Anthony Stokes had earlier tested Stack, who failed to hold the ball but did enough to clear.
When the same teams met on Wednesday James Forrest transformed the game when he drifted inside but he spent most of today’s game adrift on the right wing. On two occasions he cut inside with purpose, once testing Stack with a blistering shot from 22 yards and later when a 25 yard pile-drive struck the crossbar, but Hibs were content to limit Celtic to such speculative efforts.
Neil Lennon was justified in his criticism of his front pairing of Stokes and Hooper today but Celtic were equally clueless in midfield. There appeared to be no cohesion and there was certainly not a productive match plan.
Motherwell’s away win in Inverness gives the Lanarkshire side a three point lead, having played a game more, going into next week’s crucial game against Celtic at Fir Park. Manager-less St Johnstone dropped three points at home this afternoon, leaving them four points behind Celtic in the fight for the last Europa League place.
This is where we are people, scrapping between Motherwell and St Johnstone. Get used to it.
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Can anyone enlighten to me what MadMitch was alluding to last night when he posted of various players going to the board and complaining of training and coaching methods
Is this just another rumour or is there an element of truth
Kevin 09.31- what is the “inevitable” you refer to?
SYDNEY TIM 0908
Jee-zoh,you mean you watched it AGAIN?!!!!!! That’s Clockwork Orange-style therapy……
IMO,the change has to begin with the attitude of the board towards what constitutes a successful strategy.
Zero debt is not a success when it provides zero interest. They need to throw off the shackles,loosen the purse-strings,and provide PROVEN competitors on the pitch for Neil to meld into a team of promising young players.
They could also do with giving him a tactician to work with,one who can spot the problems on the pitch DURING a game,and suggest solutions.
Sadly from what I saw yesterday,Neil’s buddies input consisted of WTF?
I mean,I could do that!
All of the above is IMO,obviously. But occasionally I’m right.
Ciao .
Buona Domenica tutti–.
Up early [ a clock change thing ] —– watch yesterday’s guff without knowing the score. Dreadful game of football between 2 very poor teams. The longer it lasted the more I was convinced that Hibs would sneak / fluke the winner..
Celtic were shambolic——— they looked an absolute mess.—disorganized and confused. Sloppy /careless and slack. Leaderless and seemingly devoid of motivation .
So many failings , so many problems ——–. There is mounting evidence that Celtic are prone to dropping points after a midweek game . That suggests there is something wrong with the physical and mental preparation of the players . Late October and the players looked knackered..
The strange Managerial compulsion to play square pegs in round holes continues . The strange inability / reluctance to learn from previous mistakes continues
Things look far from good in Paradise. I t has to be sorted before it is too late-
Off to sell my Pomegranates.
A warm grey day —— way down south.
Some of you on here still believe that any criticism of Neil means that I and others are not true Celtic fans, get a grip of yourselves.
I have the utmost respect for NFL as a man, nevertheless I love my club more and at the moment we are being ridiculed from every corner of the laptop loyal and their fellow FF brigade.Now normally I just ignore their rants and cheating ways, however enough is enough.
Neil you have to leave under your own steam and if it is found that you have indeed been hampered by Peter Lawell and co. then I am sure most of the Celtic family will sort that issue out the only way we can and that means a total boycott until those meddlars are gone.
Having said all that I personaly will think less of Neil for not having the bollocks to walk immediately it was clear he did not have total control of team matters.
For all the other Celtic fans on here I say to you that no one is bigger than the club, no one. Neil is more of a Celtic man than PL who in turn is more of a Celtic man than DD. However none of them is a bigger Celtic man than the fans who pay their hard earned week in week out, nor are any of them in the same league as Jock Stein, Jimmy Mc Grory Billy Mc Neil and many others and certainly nowhere near the greatest two fans of all who lived their dream, the sadly departed Johnny Doyle and Tommy Burns.
So please no more of the tears for Neil the Celtic warrior, he will become just another part in our great history.
The players are not motivated. Some of the required motivation has to come from the players themselves, but when a pattern emerges like we have now – where we have witnessed this season many games where motivation is absent, then we have to look to the management.
Lenny is not performing. As well as not getting the players up for it, he has chosen to say far too much to the media, he’s become a Laptop Loyalist’s dream. The public slaughtering of Hooper and Stokes last night serves no one well except our enemies.
For me, it’s the end of the road for Neil.
If he goes, I can only hope that the board reflect on the return they’ve had from the last 2 cheap option managerial appointments.
Pay top whack for the most important position at the club. Forget negative thinking like no top managers will come if they don’t get a big transfer budget. The remit is to be better than Rangers, that’s all. And that mob will not be without their troubles going forward. Pay what we paid MON, circa £2m per year, ie around the price we paid for Bangura, to get the quality we need.
An experienced manager with a good track record will get a lot more out of these players. This, coupled with as little as 2 signings, a centre half and striker will be enough to turn things around.
Neil Lennon is, and always will be, a Celtic Legend.
I hope to God he learns from this and goes on succesfully in football management in the future.
The Celtic job was never the job to cut his managerial teeth, and it is not his fault the board put him in there as a cheap option.
Luv ye Lenny, but it’s time to move on.
Tully.
Yesterdays result was not about an individual game IMO it was symptomatic of the poor form we have shown most if the season
The guys on here who wan’t rid of lenny are a disgrace..
Kevin
Right on cue…
Delaying the inevitable??? Put the chances away, win games, 3 points!!!
No discussion if the guys put their chances to bed!!!
What if we get beat of Murderwell??? I’ll still go and support the team.
Gloryhunterscsc
goldstar10 says:
30 October, 2011 at 09:42
Kevin 09.31- what is the “inevitable” you refer to?
share
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I apologise for delay M8!
The inevitable collapse of the ‘house of cards’ that is Celtic FC! IMO!
Mickybhoy1888
Totally unfounded and scurrillous rumour
Should have been deleted, he has form for that
Neil Lennon is (and always will be) a Celtforlife (*O*) says:
30 October, 2011 at 09:50
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I have supported the team for 40-odd years now but….
if supporting the team is seen as an acceptance of the board/CEO….
thats where i draw the line!
“Cruel To Be Kind!” CSC :(
I was very disappointed yesterday, but am willing to give Neil the chance to get rid of the non-triers…..this is the problem, and we need to also understand why we are having all these injuries………. the time for panicking is during the January window……if we aren’t able to off-load the non-triers……!!!!
hen1rik says:
30 October, 2011 at 09:49
The guys on here who wan’t rid of lenny are a disgrace..
Why? I don’t want rid of him, I think he should be given the necessary backing in signing the players he wants, but I can understand why many do him to go. He is looking increasingly out of his depth, he has no plan B, he hasn’t got backing from the board and certain players appear to have downed tools. Had the manager been anyone other than Neil Lennon then calls for his head would be at fever pitch by now.
Were guys calling for Mowbray’s head at this stage of the season a disgrace? We are a point worse off now than we were then.
Vinibhoy @ 08:51
He better have a long chat with himself in the mirror then
Mickybhoy1888 is a current bun………
Kevin wants the return of the ‘Jungle’ ASAP! says:
I don’t know who should replace Lennon: all I know is he needs to go.
Celtic pay people lots of money to keep their finger on the pulse: scouts, executives.
They should know who is available, not me.
But, as you press me for an answer… I would say any retiring Celtic player.
Why not? What Management and Coaching skills did NL have to get the job?
Absolutely hee flippin haw.
67Heaven … I am Neil Lennon..!! Tick Tock !! says:
30 October, 2011 at 09:55
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If we off-load the non-triers…
we’re likely to get trialists in to replace them! IMO!
Celticforlife
sorry pal don`t agree
yesterday was another poor performance …we have been awful most of the season …yesterday was not an isolated incident
as for Samaras …do you really think he`ll score more than Hooper
tully57- One inescapable fact is that if Big Sammy slots the ball home from 12 yards at Ibrox Neil Lennon would have been elevated to Sainthood having won the SPL in his rookie year- DESPITE the unbelievable stuff had to put up with in the background.
This season- It’s the same players (hampered by injury) and same management team.
We have played 3 EL games, the last 2 we were very unfortunate not to win, 2 team performances of considerable maturity.
It’s the inconsistency that’s killing us.
Something is not right and I am not sure what it is- but binning Neil Lennon is not the answer.
HH
Clocks went back!
That explains a helluva lot this morning!
Hail Hail
Estadio
Zbyszek @ 9 32-
Michal Zyro ——
Italian football cyberspace pundits credit Napoli with an interest in Zyro.. It is widely/strongly rumored that Napoli will sell Hamsik in the next transfer window. Some journalists suggest that Zyro will be bought to replace Hamsik..
Best wishes ——-
Slan_Abhaile……..BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE says:
30 October, 2011 at 09:57
Celtic pay people lots of money to keep their finger on the pulse: scouts, executives.
They should know who is available, not me.
——————————————————————————————————————–
Celtic don’t pay anybody…
we do!
Who puts in the most money into Celtic, without taking it back out again ?
We do!
Us! The fans/mugs/turnstyle-fodder….
We ARE Celtic….
and don’t EVER forget it!
67 heaven
the problem is Lenny signed most of the non triers …they are his players
the management of the team is extremely poor …the make up of the defence changes weekly …Cha in/out, Wilson in/out,Matthews LB/RB
Dan in/out, Loovens in/out, Rogne in/out
as for El Kaddouri …who signed him if he is so bad that we will play players out of position rather than play him
the substitutions are scattergun
very disappointed and very very concerned
Our worse start to a season since 99/00, the barnes/dalglish debacle where we finished 21 points behind.
The greatest fans in the world my arse…
Another very very poor showing yesterday. This cannot continue.
These young players need organized and they are not getting it from our coaches, everybody can see that.
We play very negative with safety first the priority and that was exactly the way Lenny played.
How many times yesterday when breaking forward yesterday did Stokes and Hooper pass the ball back to a central midfielder who were miles of the pace thus losing any chance of catching Hibs out.
That is all down to coaching.
The club needs a manger and a couple of coaches who can organize the team.
If we lose to Motherwell then very painfull descisions must be taken.
Lawell and the board should pay the price as well but we know that wont happen.
KTF
Kayal
depressing, it annoys that the hunes are looking at us like we did during advocaat and le guen’s reign
Good Morning to the Celtic Family from a dull but dry Central Scotland. Two huge games coming up this week one at home in the Europa league the othere away to Motherwell.Now we are not guaranteed to win either of these games our great European home record has gone we are nervous and unsure of ourselves in ouir home matches and if we dont win on Thursday night that will be our chance to qualify for the next round gone.Not so long ago a trip to Motherwell we knew would be a hard game but we still expected to win however,currently we dont have that type of confidence the game is a real six pointer and if we lose thats how many points Motherwell will be ahead of us.This is for me not how we Celtic fans should be feeling change is needed at Celtic Park before further damage is done to our once great Club.H.H.
The assertion that the huns are to big to fail may be true but I would hazard a guess and say that every club that has unmanageable debt will follow suit as the precedent will be set. How would the authorities deal with that one ? For a company that does not exist? I think the idea of transferring 100m pounds worth of assets without any recourse of action by HMRC is complete pie in the sky. It would attract the criminal underorld into investing in Scottish clubs. The 2 billion of debt that EPL clubs own could also be removed and for three years CL money and exposure.
HH
Hard (harsh too) truths:
The players are unhappy in their workplace. They are not performing to anywhere near the standard required.
It has to be personalities at work here. Now I could imagine that money, like Kayal’s increase, has others well and truly upset.
But it’s more than that, the apathy of several players, is a fact.
Oh the harsh truth: when a team is as bad as ours the manager goes, we may drag it out for a few weeks, even months, but it’s the solution that will inevitably be proffered.
Now that’s a really bitter pill to swallow for us and Neil.
But can anyone give an example when a manager turned things round mid-catastrophe ?
Good morning fellow Celts from a grey, dreary North Hampshire
Feeling like the weather
Stayed away from blog after final whistle and now reading a few comments…not making me feel any better
Our manager has had to put up with personal abuse like no manager before him
He has lost a few games and drawn a few games ..the record this season is not comparing well with Celtic managers who have lost their jobs due to poor results.
In his first full season Lenny put a team on the park that performed very well against wattie -some say a converted penalty kick away from the title
Everyone knew we were not scoring enough goals last season – that we needed a player who could get on the end of a high ball and heedie a goal
Everyone knew that we needed a ball winning midfielder to protect the back four
Everyone knew we needed 2 x CH
Everyone knew we needed an experienced first choice ‘keeper
Everyone knew we needed to get rid of a posse of underachieving and mediocre fringe players accumulated by previous managers
Everyone knew our new manager would make mistakes and need our support thro’ tough times
Everyone knows that our players are being assaulted on the park – resulting in high levels of injury and lack of momentum in games ..there is a real fear of serious injury
Everyone knows our players cannot go into full blooded fair challenges without getting booked or conceding fouls in dangerous areas. Again, disrupting our flow and momentum.
Everyone knew that Lenny’s assailant at Tynecastle was guilty of a sectarian attack on our manager and should have been punished accordingly.
The question I am pose this morning:
Given that we should have known that there would need to be changes this season- how much support has the club and it’s fans given our manager in his time of need. Has the SFA and wider society afforded our manager the level playing field he is entitled to expect?
My take on that question is that the board have provided a strong tackling midfielder in Vic67, the goalkeeping solution is probably ok if the defence is sorted…
we are still weak in central defence and Lenny’s (own choice) CH had a tough time at poundland and then became injured…where was his partner -an experienced CH what happened there?
Where is the CF who can lead the line and offer a genuine scoring option with the ‘heid’ when teams cannot be broken down in the preferred way?
What is being done by the club/sfa to deal with the blatant assualts on our players- disrupting our playing style and leading to injury to key players?
Why is our squad littered with ‘haddies’..hanging around getting up to no good when they should have been paid off (we committed to them & due to pay their remaining contracts , I have no problem with that , but don’t have them hanging around disrupting the first team and blocking the progress of the youth..make a provision and pay them to go now!!)
Then the fans …I totally ‘get’ the frustration of watching the currants lead the league by 12 points and going on an almost unrpecedented run of results..it annoys the hell out of me given the extent of financial doping and cheating on the park.
However, can we react like we are surprised by any of these things? If blog comments in close-season are anything to go by, we all understood what the issues would be – and what was needed to change it to ensure success.
Not enough has changed to help our manager.
Some fans are now blaming Lenny, making comments about him and his ‘cronies’ and dredging up stories that are dodgy at best and malicious at worst.
Some are calling for him to be replaced!!
What happened to standing up for Lenny.. What happened to the team that was almost there last term and needed specific strengthening?
Is it really Lenny’s fault?
Some fans need to get real and understand what Lenny is having to cope with every minute of every day. Sometimes Celtic teams lose games ..I have seen a lot. lot worse ..a hell of a lot worse, and my dad and his dad watched even worse ..they stuck with the club and we went on to win the Big Cup..good times generally follow bad but that takes stability and it takes time.
Do some fans really want Lenny to step aside now and have him endure the smug, smirking, gloating, mccoist? ..Really!
Peter Lawwell -For a long time I have suspected you have much to answer to/for. It is difficult to know where to start. If you are being ‘hamstrung’ by the major shareholders on the Celtic board, you should remember your roots and call them out right now ..or be forever remembered as a self-serving lacky! You have made good money at Celtic and should be financially secure. Call them out, and if that means you have to walk away then do it. You might get some respect back from some fans. Right now you have lost the trust of the majority of fans, that might be underserved as we cannot know all the background issues..it might not be fair , but it is how it is …you will never get it back in the role. You might just salvage some self-respect if you declare!
Or, will you hold on for the options and the deferred bonus and simply fill your boots at the expense of the fans?
It’s not really all that tough choice…for a Celt
I am going to continue to stand with Lenny -because the man has earned the right to have my full support.
Hail Hail
M
Posted earlier….
Suggestions for new Celtic Board members….
Matt McGlone
Paul Brennan
Janette Findlay
Willie Haughey
Billy McNeill
George Galloway
Tommy Sheridan ?
Martin McGuinness ?
Dominick Diamond ?
Gerry McNee(Celtic Oracle) ?
Hugh Keevins(see McNee) ?
Paul McBride QC ?
Jim Delahunt(trying to hide being a Tim) ?
Murdo Macleod(Wim the Tim’s sounding board) ?
How many of our worldwide support actually contribute to the club. would be interesting to see the stats and where strips etc are sold. i personally think alot of our support have lost interest and sold their souls to liverpool and manchester united. As i have seen over the last 3 seasons with guys at work.
is this what the dire state of scottish football and our boards serious lack of ambition is doing to our support. it is a worry.
Apostasy is both ripe and viral on here. Shame.
Remember I told you “I see Green Huns”, well they are walking among us today. Under various guises they first condemn our club and our manager; under other guises, (when we record a decent result) on they come praising the club and its staff, waxing lyrical about our ability to come back from the dead. Then lo and behold we turn in a mediocre performance, consequently dropping points and the green huns return and scream once again diametrically opposed opinions elevated to the level they now want to burn our manager at the stake.
What sort of person feels the need to post so many antipodal views yet has not the courage to do so under the one banner.
I watched the huns game and they could easily have dropped a couple of points. I watched the Celtic game too, after watching the Glasgow Water Rats, and although Celtic did not turn in a memorable performance they could without stretching the imagination, they could have come away with all three points.
Most of those players that wore the hoops are internationalists with one nation or another. They have to take their share of responsibility too.
For the record, we can still win this league, I think we will win the league and until it is mathematically impossible to do so… I will go on believing that we will win the league.
If the players and management were to stop believing – then we might be in trouble.
A burning pride deep down inside keeps hope a friend of my heart.
Hen1rik
As I posted last night some people on here have put Neil Lennon on a pedestal and worship him more than they love the club
Awe naw.
Paying of directors salaries at the expense of paye, continuing to pay other creditors at the expense of paye and the owners previous history will most probably result in years of litigation.
Then again if the owners previous record is anything to go by will he care about being dqed for 15 years?
Kevin.
I know you’re at the wind up with that list. You’re making yourself look a bigger idiot than usual in the hope that someone bites.