There was an unusual reaction at full time last night. Some attempted to boo, but the applause from the majority in the crowd soon drowned them out. Not all defeats are the same, this one came after one of our best performances of the season, against an undoubtedly better team.
It was important to qualify for the knockout stages of the Europa League. Bereft of domestic competition, Celtic need to test their abilities against top teams, they need to be stretched, forced to defend for long periods, parts of the game which simply never happen in Scotland.
It’s also important to see tangible signs of improvement. Those four weeks of summer, which saw defeats twice to Legia, to Maribor and Inverness, were signs of a team in crisis. They cost us Champions League football, and revenue, but finishing our Europa League group in second place behind Salzburg is the top end of where we expected to be three months ago.
I’m not happy with this morning’s line that we qualified thanks to the result in Romania; we qualified because we collected eight points from our opening four games, including a highly respectable draw in Salzburg. Win, lose or draw last night, the qualification work had been done. We can now start planning for the second half of the season.
Those three months since the summer crisis passed with only one defeat, an ultimately costless, if embarrassing, reversal at home to Hamilton. We can afford a similar episode on the next three months, but not this Sunday. The visit to Tynecastle is our most important game in the next two months, considerably more so than last night’s.
Commons and Forrest return to full fitness will be closer, while it would be good to see Denayer and Lustig available again.
It was kind of Rangers International to publish their accounts as a pick-me-up for us when we got home last night. More tomorrow, if we have time.
Shocked and stunned at the news Roy Keane has chucked it at Aston Villa. No way did I ever see his appointment as assistant to Paul Lambert looking like a pointless distraction so quickly. Next time we appoint a manager, cut the lines to Barbados and keep Martin’s mobile engaged!
Pre-orders are being accepted for the 2015 CQN Annual, which will be posted week commencing 8 December. Get your orders in now…
1,028 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- ...
- 28
- »
I have cancelled my Sky Sports subscriptions citing corruption in the game and the fact that almost all the games are on BT. No more football in my house. Still have a Matchday subscription but after performances like last night I’m beginning to wonder why I bother.
Just popped in, as I’m busy today, to say that I should have said earlier that I thought Tonev when he came on was a vast improvement on Stokes.
“also agree we are where we are because the points had been secured earlier”
Dena,
Absolutely, only the warped worry about what order the points were accrued.
What if the crowds are further down next season when sevco return ?
Geordie Munro
:-))))))
HH
MWD
I think there is a difference between expectation management and good customer relationships.
I cannot think of a way to get across either the interdependent nature of football, particularly as it applies to Scottish football and it not been perceived as saving Rangers by the club’s detractors or indeed spelling out the economic realties that support the reality that we are at best a EL standard club, without that being used to back up claims of lack of ambition.
I think doing so is a Ratner risk. Just let supporters argue amongst themselves about “what is” and “what is not” whilst “what is” does the expectation management job by itself. On reading Token Tim’s last post I think that is what he is saying (but happy to be corrected).
Now on Customer Relations there is much can be done, but even there it takes two to tango. Dialogue is a two way street and requires that all parties truly listen to each other and are prepared to set aside their own default positions during dialogue so that if they put themselves in the shoes of the other and understood their feelings and reasons, they might be persuaded to accept the other person’s view even if they do not like it or can do nothing to change the circumstances that cause it..
There is a way to go there but as you say there are signs of improvement.
We all have the choice of course of just walking away if our expectations are not met and there has to be a level below which they cannot fall, but if we all walked away and withdrew our financial support we would have no Celtic to follow and that really does not bear thinking about.
However I think we would better handle our expectations if the customer relationships improved to reflect the kind of things supporters do expect of a professional business off the field. On that we are less hostages to fortune.
Going to watch Celtic for many is really just a social gathering, a reason for like minded folk from varied backgrounds to come together and that need not be totally dependent on performances, although we all purr after a good one. Moving more in that community direction is one that perhaps many clubs that were once seen as “big” might have to make to keep their fans happy.
Any chance of us signing wee Shaun again?
Auldheid
A half time performance from J-Lo would help.
How difficult can it be?
MWD said AYE
phils latest
http://www.philmacgiollabhain.ie/the-devil-is-in-the-retail/#more-5356
hh
Craig Whyte when asked to state his name in court earlier.
“My name is Craigimus Timothy Whtyeius, commander of the wee Runkers of the South, General of the Poppy thieving Legions, disloyal servant to the true emperoress, Queenus Elizibus”
oh. but no wolf whistling now.
tha twould be inappropriate and have the weseeareasonformoaningaboutPCstuffjustforthesakeofamoanandgroan going aff their trolley’s.
MWD said AYE posting for clarification
An Tearmann, never ever allow me to eat a kebab at two in the morning again:-)
Fanx
Awe Naw
“What if the crowds are further down next season when sevco return ?”
Well, I will have been dead wrong and will admit it.
However, unless there is a further recession, the I remain both confident in my prediction, even though I am saddened to make it.
There are few things more embarrassing in life than having a misfiring Soldado.
neil canamalar lennon hunskelper extrordinaire
15:14 on 28 November, 2014
Barca…,
Would you consider the scattergun approach to finding the next big sellable asset as the biggest factor in our downward expectation management strategy ?
——————————————-
Celtic’s results in player recruitment over the last 4 years have been very good. It’s nonsensical to make a judgement on one window , whilst ignoring previous windows..
The club are adapting to the circumstances we find ourselves in, through no fault of our own. They have also taken the , in my view, sensible approach to long term sustainability by recruiting a manager who is a believer in maximising all aspects of player development and potential.
That change will take a period to achieve, and there will be speed bumps along the way. We need to get away from being held hostage by average players who’s sense of entitlement outweighs their onfield contribution.
Almost every club has finding sellable assets as part of their strategy. Players won’t stay at Everton if Man City come calling, they won’t stay at Spurs if Real Madrid are intereted and they won’t stay at Valencia when Barca put in an offer.
Should Everton, Spurs and Valencia just give up trying to find new players who will be much more valuable in future ? Are they guilty of lack of ambition because they sell at a profit to wealthier clubs. Or are they just realistic ?
Lack of realism and an unchecked sense of entitlement and ego was the start of Murray’s downfall at Rangers. He preached totally unrealistic goals and when it became obvious they couldnt be achieved within the rules, he set about breaking them , cheating and tax evading……..and still failed miserably.
I’ll stick to being realistic about whats achievable.
TT/OFGH/T
I’m well fanks. U?
MWD said AYE
SFTB
I agree and I take no pleasure in saying I hope you are wrong.
HH
Remember the good old days, late 70s and early 80s, when you couldn’t move inside Celtic Park for games against Dundee Utd. and Aberdeen. I would go home and tell my dad “there were at least 55,000 at that game today” and then reading in the Sunday Mail the official attendance was 28,000. Without fail.
Now it’s the reverse.
MWD, I left a post for you earlier re emailing me.
justafan\weeminger
points taken but I still believe the marketing and PR policy of the club since the demise of the huns and the rise of their metamorphisis has been poor.
MWD said AYE
ACGR
missed it but got it now. Will drop you an electronic communication of high importance tonight.
MWD said AYE
Barca…,
No sure if you got my point, being, we have kissed a lot of frogs and are still carrying quite a few paying wages as a result of bad bets. Remember being told the club would not gamble but then proceed to take on a fortune worth of bad wages through scattergun approach, when concentrating on a slightly higher level of class would have probably brought a better class of player into a smaller squad, no ?
I’m no even sure its fair to say we have done well at this, for every Wanyama or Forster we are left with four or five other players who simply drain the resources.
Haven’t had the chance to read back today, so apologies if this has already been discussed/dismissed.
Stokes’ corners are not very effective …very few seem to get past the first defender. Conversely, RBs’s goal last night was a lovely flick on … so, are AS’ corners just honkin’, or is someone supposed to be making the run short (but is failing to do so).
If not, and if AS cant hit the corners where we need them, then why (i) is AS still taking them, or (ii) isn’t RD having someone run to where the corners are going?
This football thing really doesnt seem that complicated …. :)
Barcabhoy
I realise it was mainly Niels team, the wholesale changes I was referring to were formation and system, Niels formation and system suited that team they knew how to win .
Thanks for the reminder on pukki and amido and of course your right there’s too many mediocre players in the squad HH
celtic were not turgid last season.
we had many 3+ goals for games where we pumped the opponents.
this season we are crap all over.
its there in front of us.
the manager is a diddy.
we aint improving, its crap.
I can see Commons and Matthews at Bolton next season.
Like a lot of folks on here, I too think we need a striker who will play well and fit with JG. I would take a punt on Stevie May as I’ve always rated him quite highly.
said it time and time again but we are crying out for a creative midfielder, yes a Lubo type, David Silva, Luca Modric, you follow my drift.
What I am really concerned about is the slow consistent watering down of the team I love. Season after season we see standards getting lower and lower and what the team will be like in 10 years, goodness knows.
Stay in the present I say to myself over and over again,only way to go.
KINGLubO and lets stuff the sons of William this weekend.
Generally, on the issue of movement (on the corners), I see some glimmers of hope (for example, although he wouldn’t be in my starting 11, AS and EI have some decent – still room for improvement – overlaps down the left )
I still think we need 2 central mids …. I would give NB a run as my holding mid, but we do need to buy someone in the middle of the park to play as the fulcrum/on field general … who can see and make the passes through the middle and out wide….
once we have that area sorted out, I think the rest may fall into place ….
fast offensive pressing football he said.
then he watches us interchage 3 players to take a shy.
its crap.
Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo
15:23 on
28 November, 2014
TTT
I return home today after two years in Munich and Duesseldorf. Start a better paid job locally on Monday and seeing the PARITY in unwarrented old firm bonuses warms the cockles of my heart as we can afford it.
As you know very well it is the other way around. I give promises :-)
Did I catch you on TV last night after Stefan scored ?
HH
Do you have a large telly
LOL
saint stivs
16:01 on 28 November, 2014
Aye your right this season has been a disaster, one we will never recover from.
Top of the league
Last 32 of Europa
Semi final league cup
Where did it all go wrong ????????
As someone said you have to be reasonable about where you are in terms of competing in any European tournament regarding CFC, and so far we are where we are at this moment in time and we may advance even more as things and years go on, we just have to take games as they come and see how it goes from there, even with 60,000 crowds at many of our games we would get on the dance floor, but we would still be a good bit away from the singer.
And I’m a glass half full guy, but honest as well.
Lurking Huns GIRFUYs
SFTB,
On first read of your reply to me I think there may be a bit of cross-firing going on here.
I will go back and read again and reply in the detail your response to me deserves, however very quickly I get the feeling you believe that I am having a go at the Board/plcand the team.
That is not the case. I was merely pointing out that under the circumstances these days I have lower expectations of where we are as a team and the ability of our players than previously was the case. therfore I am not too critical of the team and accept results more easily than i did in past seasons. When I first mentioned managed expectations earlier this morning, I meant that I had managed my own expectations, due to the actions of the Club and our environment, rather than the media or other supporters managing it for me.
However as I say i’ll go back and answer you point by point later.
HAIL! HAIL!
Token
Mike in Toronto
.
When at Lennoxtown I imagine our players could take a 25 yard run up, if required when practising corners
Unfortunately anyone taking a corner at Celtic Park ( especially out swingers) only has two feet of grass to work with
If he steps back any further than a few feet there is a 3inch drop to the ash track
Don’t trip on the cables, or the ball boy or stewards sitting on stools , or the hand held camera man .
I’m amazed he gets any on target
We should reproduce the same conditions at Celtic Park out at Lennoxtown.
I want to apply for the position of annoying camera man if the post is still up for grabs.
He blocks my view every home game so its only fair
The Onlooker
mike in toronto
15:58 on 28 November, 2014
Haven’t had the chance to read back today, so apologies if this has already been discussed/dismissed.
Stokes’ corners are not very effective …very few seem to get past the first defender. Conversely, RBs’s goal last night was a lovely flick on … so, are AS’ corners just honkin’, or is someone supposed to be making the run short (but is failing to do so).
If not, and if AS cant hit the corners where we need them, then why (i) is AS still taking them, or (ii) isn’t RD having someone run to where the corners are going?
This football thing really doesnt seem that complicated …. :)
—————————————————————–
Pahahaha, brilliant – thankfully you didn’t read back. There was a slight disagreement between a few on Stokes’ corners…
Delayed comment on last nights game- work gets in the way of the important things. I really enjoyed the game, if not the result. We were swamped at the start by a very good side and I had visions of us losing by the same score they managed at Dynamo. We scored and they suddenly became an ordinary side, with the rest of the game end to end football with us shading it slightly. We were eventually caught by the sucker punch though if we had equalised I am reasonably confident that we would have gone on to win the game. Big game on Sunday- a lot riding on beating the diets. Oh- I couldnt believe how negative Shortbread were last night.
Ten to two feet bailed!
Awe-Naw,
glad things working out for you for the better!
No it wasnt me as I wasnt at the game. Had other committments that required precedence.
SOAL @ 1609,
as ever your wit knows no bounds….
HAIL! HAIL!
Token