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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anybody think they are worried about Scotlands shame disgracing us again if McGinley gets the job
” Who is Gordon Strachan? I demand tae know! ” says a skelp-faced lardbucket in a tracksuit wi’ a bag o’ chips oan his shooder.
Happy tae loin..
That..
Neil, Took.. collie’s advice..
n
Gave the.. Hi..and the Buy Sign.. tae Pierre..
So Pierre, made the offer .. and
Toro.. or.. As the Uninitiated Know him.. as
Thomas Rogic..
wull be coming tae Celtic.
Greaat Woik..Neil.. Ye hiv landed a Brammer.
It is disappointing that … TORO.. wull no be seen by us Fans.. in the upcoming game agin..the Transylvanians..later,today..
Howevahhhhhhhh..
We wull be lookin forward tae watching oor Heroes..
Nevahtheless.
Kojo.
Still.. Laughin
Serious ? here please.
Anyone know the name of James Traynor’s company ?
I would like to say thanks to Fritzsong for last night.
New addition doing well
TinyTim
15:16 on
15 January, 2013
It was relevant to a discussion I was having on twitter about Peter Lawwell and Celtic looking at the long game in regards to joining a pan-european league.
Paul 67,
Are you joking “while curtailing expenditure”. WGS signed 39 players in 4 seasons, hardly frugal management skills. The wage bill, during his time, was not insubstantial either and I wonder if a Celtic manager since then has had as much to spend on wages and transfer fees
WGS managerial record is chequered, he did well at Celtic until the man with no name came back on the scene. His record before and after Celtic is not littered with success against the odds.
To bring success to the national side will be against the odds
Not that I care 1 jot about the national side anyway,
Emdy got any idea of the Celtic story that stv withdrew today regarding Tony Watt because it was inaccurate?
Weefra HH
Paul67 et al
As Tony Watt might have said;
“What have the Romanians ever done for us?”
Weefra…,
do you know this
I hope you are right
there must be recourse for negative impact on the brand and sponsorships
fra
A google news search for Tony watt reveals that
Celtic have apologised to Romanian giants Steaua Bucharest after teenage striker Tony Watt said he knew nothing about the former European …
Although, when clicked, the page has been taken down , so anyway who else knows anything about Steaua Bucharest other than they cheered them on when the played against the deid yins in Europe?
Henrik
Journalists
Against
Blogging
Bampots
Amalgamated
[-)
I know it’s hard to care about the national team, given the way the SFA has been run as a protection racket for the toxic club. There is no doubt, however – despite the continuing presence of Ogilvie, which is an absolute disgrace – that the SFA is slowly changing for the better. Under the old regime they would have appointed anyone rather than have a Celtic man as manager of the national team.
And as long as Celtic play in Scotland (I’d rather we played elsewhere) I want the national team to be successful. That raises the profile of Scottish football and makes it easier to recruit good players from abroad, not only for Celtic but for other SPL teams too.
Celtic Mac
:)))))))
tamrabam
tamrabam
Friggin ipad, that’ll be the one. Big deal eh?
Weefra HH
neil
Theres your answer :)
Weefra HH
Anti scoddish…………. SFA
…never anti Scotland.
Gaun yersel’ Gordon!
Noo.. Mr Lennon.. yer next Assignment is..
Go oot an’ Get.. Juan… fur he Anither.. Guid Wan!!!
He is a Stoater…
Could be bettah than Tony…
Kojo
Still.. Laughin.
saltires en sevilla
16:39 on 15 January, 2013
Henrik
Journalists
Against
Blogging
Bampots
Amalgamated
LoL.
Good luck to gordon strachan,
I honestly admit to losing patience with him during the very season mentioned in the header when we clawed back a 15 point deficit in April, in fact it was at the home defeat to motherwell that i really lost my patience with Gordon Strachan as Celtic manager only to be reminded to have more faith in the following weeks!!!!
Since leaving Celtic there has not been a more sincere supporter of Celtic on television than Gordon Strachan and one of my favourite pieces of television has to be after we won in Moscow this season.
The presenter tried to talk about other results and leave Celtic out of the discussion but Gordon was having none of it and basically told him live on air he wanted to talk about Celtic and what a massive result it was for us.
As he has said himself in a dvd somewhere!! he was not a Celtic fan before coming to the club but he certainly became one, still is and always will be a Celtic fan.
Auldheid
15:35 on 15 January, 2013
I also believe that it is entirely plausible, and infact, I have more belief now than ever
before that we are indeed working a medium to long term strategy to be ready for whatever changes happen in the coming years.
Apologies for confusing you as being the poster I was looking for, it’s only because your posts are usually the most well thought out, forward thinking and educational posts that I read on any site!
Skål
Gordon was asked,”is this the biggest job you’ve ever had?” Reply, “No. No job is bigger than Celtic”. Class.
Weefra HH
They Scotch journos are no gettin the soundbites they’re after.GOODY
Good luck WGS if anybody can do that job it’s Strachan. I was never a fan of his at Celtic although I acknowledge his acievements.
I do think he gives Scotland as good a chance as anyone out there.
weefrathetim
16:57 on 15 January, 2013
Brilliant
Afternoon all
Feeling quite chipper as all clear given at hospital this aft
Congrats to Gordon Strachan – it’s his hardest ever job and I doubt he’ll get no honeymoon from the MSM but with Scotland I feel that the only way is up
Good luck wee man
Jimbo
Steaua ?
Topped their Europa League group ahead of Stuttgart and Copenhagen . Play Ajax in the last 32 .
The presence of lots of Romanians in Sicily means it’s easy to watch Romanian fitba . They are no mugs . Play pass and move football. They have pace and technique . They have 2 good Brazilians. A good challenge .
Celtic Football Club @celticfc
Celtic team to face Steaua: Zaluska, Mathews, Rogne, Wilson, Izaguirre, McGeouch, Wanyama, Ledley, Hooper, Bangura, Watt (KM)
I know this is probably a forlorn post but this auld Celt is not sure of his ticket for the home game against Juventus, I do have one Season Book Holder who has promised to try for 2 on Thursday but same guy is not the most reliable of lads. Another complication is that I’m off to Lanzarote in a few hours for a weeks hols and wont know for sure till I get back. If any SB holder here is willing to buy them for me, I’d gladly take them at any cost. Other then that if anyone hears of a spare anywhere in the coming weeks maybe they might remember corkcelt.
hen1rik
Which came first then, the chicke………. We’ll go there in case it starts another argument. :)))
Weefra HH
My prediction: a hat-trick for Mo…
weefrathetim
17:05 on
15 January, 2013
hen1rik
Which came first then, the chicke………. We’ll go there in case it starts another argument. :)))
Weefra HH
lol :)
Shop windae for Bangura again.
Yep Jimbo67 its a great feeling when you do get the all clear after a health scare. Delighted for you enjoy the match this evening and treat yourself to a Magners.
I was talking to my Dad this afternoon and mentioned the chap Hazlett, who had died. My Dad did indeed remember him. Said he didn’t play too long. No, says I, he went to Belfast Celtic. That had my Dad waxing lyrical about Charles Patrick Tully. What an entertainer, says he. From there, we went on to bemoan the quality of Scottish football. Without any prompting from me whatever, he started off condemning the SFA for pandering to thon deid team’s “get tore into them” mentality. Brawn has replaced skill for far far too long. Let’s hope WGS can begin to redress the balance.
Reading the posts regarding the teams who won the big cup with players of one nationality,must admit,I had always thought we were the only side to achieve the feat,(imo,bucharest should could be discounted,ceacescus son was boss,and simply took any player he wanted from other clubs in Romania,)have to admit to feeling a little deflated to discover I was wrong all this time,still,I can always gee myself up with a quick glance at the fourth tier of scottish footballs league table,that’s a chucklefest.
Was hoping that Tom Rogic would start but hopefully he will get a run in the 2nd half