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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Auldheid. I found the post i was looking for thanks to your dates and times given to me.The post was actually from poster Andrew67 http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/?p=11345&cpage=12#comment-1682208 Thanks again.
Good afternoon CHAMPIONS
Good luck to Gordon Strachan. Seen a quip from twitter he still despises the media. Reporter, ” is this job too big for Gordon Strachan?” Gordon,” listen, this chair’s too big for me”. Class.
Weefra HH
Congrats Gordon delighted with the appointment,looks like I’ll be back watching the national side again.
Bring back some pride wee man.
Treat the MSM with the contempt they deserve.
Happy chappy today.
While I agree with all you say Paul I must put in a good word for Tosh McKinley, I know he no longer is in the media due to a self imposed withdrawl which shines as a beacon to his integrity, whenever he is quoted or interviewed he speaks with the passion of a fan
Rangers fan attacks Celtic players – I965 League Cup Final
Dignity CSC
When Philvis cries it is said that his tears can revive a poorly kitten……………….
Adam – Yosemite Sam also speaks withdrawl. (thumbsup)
philvisreturns
Initialwise, I misunderstimated Gordon Strachan when he arrived at Celtic.
_____________________
What is this – the Charlie Nicholas tribute hour?
Anyway, as Paul pointed out – two visits to the last 16 under WGS. Better than MON and with a much inferior squad.
Paul67,
Couldn’t have put it better myself. Thank you, WGS, for what gave us while you were manager and thanks even more for your support since you left.
I hope you succeed as Scotland manager but I feel things will only change when Scottish football encourages youngsters to learn to play the game in the right way i.e where emphasis is placed on skill first last and always.
Ole podium pants – all work and no play
Gordon Strachan……Now there was a guy who knew how to handle the MSM..Eh!
I wish nothing but the best of luck to WGS and hope his back room staff are of similar qualities however my gut tells me it’s a heck of a job ahead of him and there will be many smiling assassins to overcome
hail hail wee mhan and good luck …yer gonnae need it
Now, just imagine…some time in the future…wee Gordon has done well and taken Scotland to the brink of a major tournament…..and then Celtic come calling. Hmm.
Phyllis Dietrichson
Thanks. Benfica as well in 1961 and 1962 as well although they had a foreign manager.
Mort
Worthy cause, get it signed
http://act.watchdog.net/petitions/930?r=1696043.Sq5iaB
Who dictates that a 3 o’clock Saturday kick off cannot be televised live?
I would advocate all games to kick off at 3 on a Saturday with one match televised live and another at 3 on Sunday, same. I’m sure that would be a huge carrot for a TV Company. EPL games are shown at 3 in Scandanavia.
Football (for me) has been hijacked from us. As season book holders, and other paying customers, we put around £70 Million a year into our club. TV gives us what? £2-3 Million?
Tail wags dog.
In Scotland an early kick off for many means negotiating one of the most dangerous stretches of road in the UK, the Drumochter Pass on the A9 at stupid o’clock. No one should be put at risk to go to a sports event.
Adam
14:10 on
15 January, 2013
While I agree with all you say Paul I must put in a good word for Tosh McKinley
***
Tom Boyd too. Don’t know why he isn’t used more by the media.
Actually that’s a lie, I do know.
Paul67
Well said. Best of luck to one of most successful managers.
I for one will be forever grateful for the success we achieved under his stewardship and also the class he demonstrated on the untimely deaths of Jinky and Tommy Burns.
He may not have been a Celtic supporter when he arrived, but he became one of us the day he became our manager.
I think my passion for the Scottish national team may about to be in an upturn.
PS Ghord – thank you once again for the beauty that was Naka’s left peg.
Paul67 et al
As they say in your part of the world;
I’ll always look up to the Wee Man.
I’m a bit disappointed that Gordon Strachan is taking the Scotland job – only because I think it’s a job that’s almost impossible to succeed in.
I was fortunate enough to be able to attend ‘An Audience with Neil lennon & Gordon Strachan’ at Celtic Park in November last year – a wee birthday treat from Mrs SwanseaBhoy. I arrived a WGS fan and left an even bigger WGS fan. The affection and regard that Lenny and WGS had for each other was obvious and seemed sincere but so too was the sincerity with which WGS spoke about Tommy Burns and the esteem he held him in.
Couple that with his achievements at Celtic and his continuing love for the Club….I wish Mr Starchan only good things for the future and thank him for all he gave us.
In his words “I didn’t arrive at Celtic as a Celtic fan but I certainly left a Celtic fan”.
SwanseaBhoy
Neil canamalar Lennon hunskelper extrordinaire
Signed
WGS always talks up Celtic and Scottish football in general. Coached some average players (Caldwell, McManus, Skippy) into excellent performers for Celtic. No doubt it is a difficult job, but the SFA vmust see this as a long term appointment.
Mort – I don’t count Benfica as they had Eusebio who was born in Mozambiue.
Mozambique.
Paul67
I liked Strachan first time I saw him play v Celtic for Dundee in a LC final in the early 70s. I think Dundee won on typical wintry day. Even then he had character and lots of football ability. I think he will do ok.
Ten Men Won The League
13:36 on 15 January, 2013
Bada Bing.
I think the article says Sky have first dabs on any ESPN withdrawal but the reason BT Vision got involved in football at all was to get folk to move from Sky delivey platforms to BT ones.
Now that BT Vision have a strong and ever strenghtening delivery infrastructure in place, what an opportunity to make Scotland a BT only province as the population ditch Sky and Virgin to put money into a company who are intent on supporting Scottish football and not undermining it because whether intentionally or not, that is what Sky have done.
The ONLY thing that will improve the SPL’s bargaining power with Sky is competition to hold on to Sky’s customer base and BT would create the competition.
I wish BT all the best of fortune in this respect.
All of this is not lost on Celtic or the SPL/SFA with PL on the Professional Game Board and Ian Livingston of BT on the Celtic Board.
Bawsman
14:26 on 15 January, 2013
Who dictates that a 3 o’clock Saturday kick off cannot be televised live?
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It is either UEFA or FIFA but it is a rule that clubs strangled by it must challenge.
Auldheid-Agree,thanks for your reply .HH
Hi Paul67,
I’ve got to agree the Scotland job is a Poison Chalice…
Mind you Gordon May have done a MO’N on the job, and picked the right team at the right time.
The way the National team has been performing and the League position he is in means there is a lot of room for improvement.
Add to that that the finals of the major tournaments are expanding to fit more Countries.
And there a few young Scots who look preety useful, he also knows the older guys as well as anyone.
Congratulations Gordon and Good Luck…
…in Brasil!!
auldheid
Is BT a cable supplier or signal? I do not have a cable choice being out in the sticks.
Weefra HH
Bawsman
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/feb/03/ec-tv-rights-premier-league bottom of page
Could 3pm Saturday games be shown live?
Since the first live matches were shown on British television, long before they became the driver of a pay TV industry that would pay £1.7bn for domestic rights alone, there was collective agreement that a “blackout” from 3-5pm on Saturdays was desirable to protect lower-league attendances and participation.
But today’s intervention by the EC’s Juliane Kokott in the case brought against Karen Murphy will revive the debate about whether it has become an anachronism that does more harm than good. Kokott suggests it “cannot be ruled out” that the agreement is based on maintaining rights value rather than protecting small clubs.
She said: “It is, in fact, doubtful whether closed periods are capable of encouraging attendance at matches and participation in matches. Both activities have a completely different quality to the following of a live transmission on television”. It has not been adequately shown to the court that the closed periods actually encourage attendance at and participation in matches.”
The voluntary agreement – backed by the English football authorities, the government and Uefa – has held. But as the number of live matches has mushroomed so has the number of fixtures rescheduled as a result, in many cases angering fans.
If the Premier League was forced to start selling on a pan-European basis, it might have to take the decision to scrap the blackout to make the same number of games available across Europe. That could open up for the first time the possibility of selling club-by-club “season tickets” to watch every match on television or online – which might even increase revenue for clubs at all levels.
PD
I hadn`t noticed that you had missed the `q` and thought you were repeating it because you liked the sound of the word! Mozambique……ahhh…Mozambique 0:-)
JJ
WeefratheTim
It is neither. http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/products/tv/what-do-i-need-to-get-youview
It uses the telephone lines. If you are that far out then you would have to wait for mobile broadband providing you with enough bandwith at an affordable price to watch.
Check the BT Vision web site.
Loving the Peter Lawwell jokes about appointing WGS.
Zombies raging as usual. lol!
The Benfica teams of 61 and 62 had Afican-born players,Colunha and Eusebio.
Not sure about the RM 1966 team,though-I think they were,indeed,all Spanish-born.
auldheid
Cheers for that, it will be worth looking into when my contract with sky is up. I do get a good broadband connection at the mo from sky.
Weefra HH
Good luck Gordon, you’ll certainly need it. Any success achieved,will be in spite of, not because of, what the MSM and SFA say and do.
Treat them with the contempt they both deserve.
(ok, I know one of them pays your wages!), however…….
I hope you still find the time to do your “punditry”, as you’re one of a very,very few, who are able and ready to defend our club.
As has been said on here already, I might start watching Scotland again.
HH
Another cracker from WGS. Reporter, “and where do you see Scotland in a years time?” WGS, “Hampden”. The wee mhan oozes class.
Weefra HH
Phyllis Dietrichson
Yeah, that was what I had in my head.
Were all real Madrid players born in Spain as I have had it my head for a long time that it was just Celtic and Steaua. One of those little things you hear and never forget.
Mort