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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Virgo, Gravesen, Camara, Jarosik, Mizuno, Due Wei, Donati……turn it up….the bhoys done well during his reign but he sure wasted a bucket load of cash and bought some dumplings
Paul67
Great shout out to Gordon – well done.
Best wishes to a superb Celt in a challenging role …give them laldy wee man.
Juventus away game!!
Spare seats available on our bus to Juve game- (no tickets) Leave Renfrewshire on Monday 4th March with pick-ups en -route. 1 x overnight in Lyon Tuesday 5th March £175 and bus straight back after securing QF slot.
Not authorised by Senate to cross Rubicon -but who cares about permissions eh? :-)
contact.
tullylish@googlemail.com
HH
Auldheid
I don’t think WGS played against Celtic when they beat us in the league cup final.
TT
Skal 14.03
What interests you about that post?
TT
Had a wee look – yep all 11 Real players in ’66 were Spanish – in fact the opposition Partizan Belgrade also had 11 native players – Yugoslavia as was!
Much more common in those days – although the Lions will (IMHO) be the last.
Hail hail
Real Madrid v Partizan Belgrade European Cup Final 1966
Puskas was not Spanish- The galloping major was Hungarian who held a naturalised Spanish passport to allow him to play for Spain
HH
Mort – one of the Madrid team, Pirri, was born in a Spanish enclave but I think it would be hard to argue that it wasn’t part of Spain.
mickmacaroon 15:09 on 15 January, 2013
“Virgo, Gravesen, Camara, Jarosik, Mizuno, Due Wei, Donati……turn it up….the bhoys done well during his reign but he sure wasted a bucket load of cash and bought some dumplings”
Every manager at a big football is guilty on that score.
Puskas didn’t play in 1966.
1966 RM keeper was Basque,but that was all I could get on it.
For a long time Ive had a soft spot for the Scottish national side, ever since a certain Gary Makay scored in Bulgaria in 1987 to be exact! From today, I am a bigger fan.
Wishing WGS all the very best. Brave or stupid? I think brave myself. Taking on, as Paul says a “Poisioned Chalice” can be seen as a strange move. However, to get the chance to coach your national side is both a great honour and challange. Stephen Staunton, who I know very well, got offered thre ROI job and as he told me himself, he couldnt not take it. However he was always on a hiding to nothing. Unable to handle even the most basic media duties and never accepted by the Dublin media or fans as he was not from the capital. I dont think wee Gord will have that problem! Im sure some that used to have a football club to support in scotland will give him a hard time alright but that will be water of a ducks back! How many people would have taken over at CP after MON? How do you follow that or even try to better it? Gord did and he succeded. 3 in a row and 2 x last 16 of champions league with less resources than Martin. I, like many many others, was very unsure of his appointment at the time although it did come on the recommendation of MON and didnt always like his style on the pitch. Just like when I doubted NFL, Im delighted to say I was wrong. Gordan Strachan you are a Celtic Legend.
Anyway, back to Celtic, is Stokes back tonight?
That should have been – at a big football club.
Phyllis
yep correct mate -neither did Di Stefano –
my apologies
HH
Phyllis Dietrichson
I’ll have to update my memory to include Real Madrid of 1966 into this glorious trio.
Incredible to think that in over 50 years, only three teams have won the European Cup with 11 players born in their home country.
Will never happen again.
Mort
mickmacaroon
I think most managers we have had and have have wasted cash
Good luck, Gordon.
I think that the first thing he should do, is visit the referee’s inner sanctum and inform Mr.Fleming that he wants to see games refereed in Scotland, using the same interpretation of the rules as happens on the continent.
Only then will Scottish players be able to compete with their European opponents without the risk of being penalised for every tackle they make.
P.S.
Forgive my fading memory, but who was Gordon’s assistant at CP?
Gary Pendry
RM Keeper in ’66 was defo Spanish
José Araquistáin Arrieta (born 4 March 1937 in Azkoitia) is a retired Spanish football goalkeeper who played for Real Madrid and was part of their European Cup victory in 1966. He earned 6 caps for the Spain national football team and was part of their 1962 FIFA World Cup squad. –
However none of them were born within 30 miles of Glasgow – so there!
TinyTim
Memory playing tricks with me I fear.
I was at that game but maybe GS was’nt.
I am sure I saw him in a Dundee strip at some point and definitely in the Aberdeen one Always wanted him to sign for us. Great player.
Auldheid
14:51 on
15 January, 2013
Thanks for that……………She won her case and I can (and do) watch live football between 3-5 in the pub in England.
blantyretim
15:27 on 15 January, 2013
Gary Pendry
*****
Thanks. Ah yes, the unforgettable Gary!
Di Stefano was born in Argentina.
Puskas was born in Hungary.
Did either play in the 66 final?
TT
RM Team from 66
GK 1 Spain José Araquistáin
RB 2 Spain Pachín
CB 3 Spain Pedro de Felipe
CB 4 Spain Ignacio Zoco
LB 5 Spain Manuel Sanchís Martínez
RM 6 Spain Pirri
LM 7 Spain Manuel Velázquez
RF 8 Spain Fernando Serena
CF 9 Spain Amancio Amaro
CM 10 Spain Ramón Grosso
LF 11 Spain Francisco Gento (c)
skal
14:03 on 15 January, 2013
I remember reading that now and it is an extension of my thinking that is entirely plausible/possible.
Sir Paul
Right On… !
Mr. Strachan, served us well..
Ah Liked his Style..and His.. Guile.
Howevahhhh..
His Appointment, tae the Managerial Chair.. of the Anti- Catholic , Masonic Run,Team who wear the Lion..
Leaves me..Cold… As… well.. Lady Thatcher’s .. Well.. HEART..
(Is that Cold Enuff??)
Ah dinnae gie a Fig ..fur How Scotland fares in International Competition.
In.. fact
Ah dinnae gie a Lemon.. How…Any Internationa Side.. diz ,.. in International Soccer Competition
Hoevahhhhhhhhhhhh.
Ah wid be mair than Ecstatic.. tae gie….. a Whole DAMN..
POMEGRANATE…
To Find oot…
How..
‘
Ma Beloved Celtic Dae..in
‘ANY SOCCER COMPETITION`!!!!!!
Kojo.
Still, Laughin
I’m determined not to allow Steau Buc. the honour. One of their team, Miodrag Belodedici was an ethnic Serb born near the Serbian border. Romanian was not his first language.
Have to admit he was born in Romania though.
Belodedici later “escaped” to Yugoslavia to play for Red Star. Can we really call him a Romanian? I don’t think he was born within 30 miles of Bucharest anyway.
WGS now there’s the man to sort out the Scotland team no more old pals acts no more yes men
Plus the MSM are terrified of his acid tongue
Good luck wee man
All info courtesy of Wiki, who also tell me I should be called 80 caps.
After initially being gutted that he went into the nest of vipers,I feel it is better the wee man than anyone else.
He will NOT be Campbell Ogilvies pick thats for sure,
Delighted for Strachan, hope they’re paying him plenty too. Good manager, Celtic legend.
This deserves a repost every day for 125 days (may 5th)
10p a day £12:50, 20p a day £25:00.
A fantastic gesture I’M IN :)).
Vmhan
10:48 on
6 January, 2013
While its quiet I’ll repost Kitalba’s message from the KANO 125 CFC fundraiser:
kitalba
11:15 on
28 December, 2012
Kano got sick one night, very sick. If it was not for so many Celtic Supporters, from so many places, then Kano would be an ornament in a sterile hospital room. That is not nice because Kano still breathes and he still thinks and he is still a Celtic Supporter to his very core.
A lot of money, by a lot of people, was raised to take Kano home. He can’t ever balance the books, but he’d love to.
None of us gets more than one go on the roundabout of life.
Celtic is celebrating their 125th Birthday and indelibly stamping it into their history by encouraging all to embrace the simple ethos of the clubs founding… let’s try and help those who just don’t have more than the air that they breathe.
A lot of Celtic Supporters are doing a lot of different things to raise money for to help those less fortunate than ourselves. To a lot of people that is no big deal.
I’m determined to help Kano pay back the kindness shown to him by the Celtic Support by supporting my club to help unfortunates. No big deal.
There are some from here who have said they will help me to help Kano to help Celtic to help others.
I give up the bevie for 125 days and I give up posting on here for 125 days as of the 1st Jan.. No big deal really, Kano has done both for the best part of four years.
I ‘m going to put a wee bit aside for each day that I don’t drink or post and forward it to Celtic to hopefully fill a belly that needs a feed or to make an unfortunate hope where only darkness is their dawn.(but maybe I can have St. Pat’s day off so I can share a day with some good Tims)
I’ve only one life and when I’m gone I soon be forgotten but if I’ve ever managed to feed one hungry person, if only for one day, then my life was worth something.
No big deal to me or you but the person I fed, he/she will never know where the food came from and they won’t ever be visiting my grave to put some pretty flowers at the base of a head-stone, they’ll be too busy worrying about tomorrow.
I can live with that and like Kano, once I’m gone, I’ll know that I never changed the world, hardly left a mark, but still I took to Celtic and I did something to try and ease the pain of others… sort of the Celtic way.
Vincent Company’s red card has been rescinded after a successful appeal.
Must be nice to play in a league where that sort of thing is handled fairly!
HH
/Bishop B
Although i have no interest whatsoever in International football, i would like to wish WGS
the best of luck on his appointment.
I have all the time in the world for the wee guy, his wit is second to none,
makes me laugh anyhow!
A great Celtic manager and promoter of the Club.
Awrabest Gordon!
Auldheid,
From earlier re.G.Strachan.
Like yourself,I recall seeing a young Gordon Strachan play against us for Dundee at Hampden.
If my memory serves me well,it was a League Cup Semi-Final that we won 2-0 thanks to two Joe Craig goals.An evening game I think
Dundee gave us a really tough game and I remember discussing GS with my father and us agreeing he would be a good signing for us.
The rest,as they say,is history
Well, I liked him as a Celtic manager for the success he brought us, a great job in difficult circumstances, however I used to cringe at some of his jokes, mainly because there he was representing Celtic and at the same time trying his hardest to be seen as a funny man, usually at somebody else’s expense, some of it was cringe worthy, but as Scotland manager who cares – if he wants to be a comedian as well good luck to him, hope he succeeds.
why is the european ryder cup captains announcement being made from outside europe
Because the world is mental.