The phrase Poisoned Chalice could have been written with the Scotland national team manager’s job in mind. Even in the 80s when we had great players, and the likes of Stein and Ferguson in charge, a sense of under-achievement followed Scotland in tournament football.
In Gordon Strachan’s favour as he takes over at Hampden today, is the 14 years in the wilderness which has reset expectations to ‘Incredibly Modest’. This contrasts with his arrival at Celtic Park seven and a half years ago, a few weeks after the messianic Martin O’Neill left the premises. Then expectations were huge, but Gordon had to achieve put a winning team on the field while curtailing expenditure against rapidly increasing budgets in the English game.
The result was not always pretty but it was effective. He became only the third manager in our history to win three-in-a-row and took us to the knock out stages of the Champions League twice, eclipsing O’Neill’s achievement in Europe’s top tournament. Few could have measured up so well.
In 2006, when he won the league at the earliest date in the history of Scottish football, he took his players, backroom and support staff onto the field in a moving movement of triumph. The stoicism with which he clung onto the league campaign in 2008, when all seemed lost, was remarkable. There can be few more enjoyable ways to win the league than from a 15 point deficit in April – one of the great times to be a Celtic supporter. When his team ran out of steam in 2009 he left the scene with much less fanfare than he deserved.
Of all the former Celts working in the media Gordon is truest to the club. Celtic is his team and the joy he gets as a supporter is evident. Such comment will be tempered now he is Scotland manager, but we wish him every success.
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I canter think of many more
tonyg
21:42 on
15 January, 2013
Yeah beat me to the post?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Didn’t get that initially ……..absolutely brilliant !!!!……LLOOLL
WGS said that Scotland would be galloping up the table
You should have seen the dressage Voguepunter had on last week….
hat,breeches riding crop bed.
tonyg
21:44 on 15 January, 2013
Lets just end this and call it a dead heat
Stope it…..
How could you possibly eat this? A beer fetching horse :
http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=kwYOFQz0rvc&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DkwYOFQz0rvc&gl=GB
Glad to see the blog coming to it’s senses and settling down to more stable topics
saw a horse with dinner jacket on – said he’d been to dressage
Weefrathetim.
Is horses a hobby of yours.hh
HT
That is reassuring.
Weefra HH
!!bada bing!!
21:47 on 15 January, 2013
You should have seen the dressage Voguepunter had on last week….
hat,breeches riding crop bed.
>>>>>>>>>>>>
He told me he borrowed it from you……
sipsini
Brilliant :))
Weefra HH
WGS got the Scotland job by a short head.
I once bet a horse called Landmark legs fell aff it!!
Celtic_First
You could be right about the Mustangs but I was just repeating what I read in an article over the weekend. I tried to find the report again without any luck. I’ll keep searching.
Whether they are currently culling them now or not maybe debatable, they definitely have plans in place to reduce their numbers. Too many big farmers are complaining about the wild horses.
Hail Hail
Off now for a rub down – wonder if oats are on the menu tonight
BadaB
Nay chance of seeing me in a bookies here, I’ve never seen one.
Weefra
I’ve tried most of the French delicacies but haven’t mustered the courage to having horse yet ;-)
67Heaven
It widnae fit ,the ghuys a freak,think honey monster to my Richard Gere in American Gigallo.
big g
21:47 on 15 January, 2013
Glad to see the blog coming to it’s senses and settling down to more stable topics
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Absolutely, and we’ve cut awe the ‘muck oot’
Gigolo ya spasm,sorry.
Anyone suffering from constipation after eating horse meat is recommended to take………….. stirrup of figs!
67Heaven-It suited me better ,VP was like the back end of a pantomime horse.
HT
I couldn’t even contemplate eating it. But everyone on to their own. Anyways how are you this freezing weather?
Weefra HH
Wee Gordon will certainly have the bit between his teeth.
Great game in san siro. Inter 2 Bologna 2. Last minute.
Dublinbhoy
at 21:51
I’d be very glad to see the report if you can find it.
If you think about it, if owners cannot send a horse to the abattoir because the abattoirs won’t take them, numbers are bound to go up.
Very interesting.
Can we get back to discussing the mane event tonight ?
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/horse-and-pig-dna-found-in-some-supermarket-burgers-3354449.html
praecepta
Absolutely brilliant.
Weefra HH
Extra time in San Siro!
Clydesdale Super Scoreboard was the usual guff tonight.
!!bada bing!!
21:53 on 15 January, 2013
Are you VP’s wife ……all this horseplay and sniping….LOL
Weefra
Very busy mate not been getting much chance to even lurk never mind post.
Thank heavens for small mercies was the cry!! ;-)
Hope you’re keeping warm up that hill?!
Even the zombies are horsing around :
http://img594.imageshack.us/img594/7189/1358286912076.jpg
headtheball
21:55 on
15 January, 2013
Wee Gordon will certainly have the bit between his teeth.
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah
Just got kicked out of Tesco for asking the cashier, why the long face.
Kirk Broadfoot just missed a sitter in the FA Cup.