I’ve watched a large number of insipid end of season efforts over the years. The one that stands out most is home to Falkirk in 1987. It was probably the first time it was clear to me the white flag had been raised on a campaign (had results gone our way, we could still have won the league that day). Only a year earlier the same squad delivered the most unlikely title in the final game.
There was no white flag yesterday, quite the opposite, the league is all-but won. Instead we looked like a team with a lot of players wondering if they had a future at the club. The next two games, away to Hearts and home to Aberdeen, should provide enough focus to allow the level of performance to rise, but I thought that about the semi-final too.
It’s the end of the road for a few players, and for a system clearly few still believe in.
On the way into the ground a few of us wondered how often Kris Commons would be used going forward. He will be 33 in the summer, ahead of the last year of his contract. Whatever the reason he didn’t make the starting line up yesterday (or last week), his 9 minute cameo demonstrated the directness, not to mention game intelligence and skill, that Celtic are badly lacking.
Despite the plethora of No. 10s and creative wide players we’ve recruited over the last two years, Commons remains by far our most effective creative player. Without him we look to be punching with an empty glove; I hope whoever takes over takes note.
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M O’N is not a Celt and I would only see him coming in if it is worth it financially. Don’t see it.
PAUL, well seen its your blog.
There was no white flag yesterday, quite the opposite, the league is all-but won. Instead we looked like a team with a lot of players wondering if they had a future at the club. The next two games, away to Hearts and home to Aberdeen, should provide enough focus to allow the level of performance to rise, but I thought that about the semi-final too.
It’s the end of the road for a few players, and for a system clearly few still believe in.
No white Flag? Brown, Bitton, are a disgrace to the jersey that supposedly does not shrink. They should never wear one again. No not even if we lose the league with young players there and please do not include Callum or DMS as young players they will never make it.
System? what system Ronnie is a dud and would know a system if it bit his erchie.
We will struggle to win this league Hearts will pump us. Better system? No because as guid scots proddies they will want and fight to beat Celtic. Bitton hab better wear his incontinent pads os brown shorts.
The Dons wull pump us just because they want to.
System? Ronnie? Future career forget it these clowns have thrown in the towel and are having a good chuckle at the “fans” jost like Lawwell and DD they don’t give a tinker’s curse and why shou;ld they/
The “fans” will cheer the jerseys anyway. Despite the fact that seven of the jerseys are empty.
c ya
Bada Bing 8:08
15/20m…
Lawwell just spit out his champagne reading that.
I’d love to see MON back but cannot see it happening.
In case anyone’s forgot, the Tinkerman’s team are in pole position to win the EPL.
Imo, Celtic should continue appointing a manager like Ronnie Deila. We are not going to make meaningful progress (and certainly not in Europe) if we confine ourselves to Scottish/Irish or even worse so called Celtic-minded men.
If, indeed, there is any truth in the rumours about senior players ignoring the manager’s proper demands, they should be shown the door and the support should be told why. They have cheated us.
Sadiesbhoy,
Thanks. I haven’t seen much of Allan, but I think there is potential in there. That said, I think away from home, playing 2 up top and 2 winger types, we’d need a bit more dig in the centre, hence my favouring Henderson. If money were no object, and if neither Henderson or Allan “cut it” I’d favour a buying someone who combines the two – not sure who as they are pretty pricey these days!!
Ajwr probably is a good talent, but I’d have him on the fringes first season to bed in. He’s only 17 after all, and if nothing else The SPL is a tough league, as Roberts is finding out a bit!
scullybhoy on 25th April 2016 8:19 pm
M O’N is not a Celt and I would only see him coming in if it is worth it financially. Don’t see it.
————————————————————————————————–
Correct and he never was.
He was in Nottingham on the wednesday before the mptherwell game, Giving it large at their celebration of winning the Euro Cup. Tim? My behind he is a pro plastic Paddy like his master DD.
c ya
Fan-a-tic…
The difference between him and Ronnie was he had a track record and also he actually has introduced youth.
Whereas Ronnie loans them out.
—————
You’re probably one of the notable statations on here and I find your posts are most educational.
Do you think Ronnie had a choice on the players being loaned out?
Maybe, it was financial, due to our pennypinching policy of late!
Ref skills….best skills I see are from the non playing subs before the game and at half time.
Ironically often led by commons and stokes while here. Bailly does a decent ‘around the world’.
Sadly that’s usually the last you see of the self expression.
Sips – do what your enemies would hate most. Wise mechanism for defining our recruitment policy!
Fitness and speed. Did anyone see the Leicester winger for one of their goals at the weekend. Down the left. 30:70 ball. He went off like Roadrunner and skipped in a took it.
Pace commitment. End product. Cannae whack it!
HH jamesgang
PARKHEADCUMSALFORD
The choice is do we want to just win everything domestically and like the other Scottish teams get put out of European competitions at the first or second hurdle. Which means a “Scottish style” manager or do we want to become more European with the holistic approach of a European manager which might mean the occasion getting done over by “agricultural” Scottish teams aided and abetted by incompetent (or biased) Scottish referees?.
If RDs original appointment was youth development he should have been left to get on with that aspect of development.
In Celtic’s present situation multi-million buys are out of the question and, rearing our own is the only valid option in the longer-term.
I think that first and foremost the new manager should be experienced, strict disciplinarian but wants entertaining football and expects consistent development of all players.
However, as posts on this blog show there are many with limited patience, overblown expectation and a tendency to scapegoat. HH
Yesterday after we scored some of the players celebrated with Griffiths, some celebrated with CKR. Bitton walked back to our half an his own. Reminded of this as I watch the Spurs players celebrate all together.
O’neill isn’t a Celt .. Dear jaysus.
Read it all now.
Christorey
Start your own blog. . Will you? Course not. Another nobody. Plenty of you around.
JAMESGANG…
That was the policy adopted by the cheating monkeys during their cheating years, it worked for them.
Reading between the lines of Pauls article…its time to take the gloves off.
Hope the jobs going well big chap and family is good. Ps…we won’t need to cheat to play that game. HH
Sipsini
I have no idea or information of anything that goes on at Celtic.
Perhaps Ronnie had no say in players being left out as a matter of financial prudence.
But whoever decided the players to be loaned had flawed judgement?
The unbalanced nature of the squad is a testament to this.
He as a coach should have stamped his authority.
The post was about a comparison between him and Pochettino and could see none.
A good example of man management was Pochettino’s handling of the brilliant Dembele.
Last season he had a lot of sub appearances and of being subbed.
This year he seems to be chosen regularly.Did the coach just teach him to be a team player on top of his natural talent?
That’s what’s so sad about Ronnie as apart from Tierney i can’t think of one player who has improved in his tenure.
Every day is a school day on here is it no?
MON isnae a Tim after all…
To describe Ronny’s system as 4-2-3-1 is to ignore what actually occurs on the pitch during a given match. It’s essentially little more than a shorthand that allows us lesser-informed folk to apply an orthodox team shape to what is an unorthodox approach.
First up, we don’t pay 4 at the back. We play 2 at the back. Except when one of the centre halfs steps forward into the midfield.
Our full backs are actually attacking wide midfielders, playing further forward than the 2 sitting midfield players.
In essence, the full backs play as doubled-up wingers, playing at or within 10 yards of the offside line when we’re in possession.
Our 3rd mifielder is a second striker, playing most of the game on the offside line when we’re in possession.
Our nominal 4-2-3-1is effectively a 2-2-6 when in possession.
We lose goals (excluding those (many) at corner kicks) when one of our centre halfs steps forward into midfield, creating a 1-3-6 shape, and wesubsequently lose the ball. You’ll see it occur in the goals we’ve lost most of the ‘big’ games we’ve played this season, and in ordinary play in pretty much every game, win, lose or draw.
Guardiola’s system was based on having more people in the midfield than the opposition. They added one, he added one more. Ronny’s system is to have more people in the forward line than the opposition have in defence.
With all the forward players on/ near the offside line all it takes is one pass to miss the target, at which point we have 6 men on the wrong side of the ball, and 9 on the wrong side when the opposition play the obvious forward pass.
Double up wide both sides. Double up at the front, then add a centre half to the midfield. That’s Ronny’s system.
And it doesn’t work. Patently.
Quote: I have it on good authority…………………….
“………… the cow jumped over the moon.
The little dog laughed,
To see such fun,
And the dish ran away with the spoon!
More Rumours than Fleetwood Mac!
‘Our nominal 4-2-3-1is effectively a 2-2-6 when in possession.’
Laughed out load when I read that!
Loud**
PARKHEADCUMSALFORD
The Tinkerman hasnae tinkered at all this season.
Should change his name to Simpleman.
Bet Verthongen 1st goal ffs 35/1….
Thetimreaper
Personally id go with Sydneytims 4-4-3 that he suggested last night/this morning ;)
Others may want to adopt such a formation as well if we get away with it!
Good form sips.
Family good.
The Wee Mhan’s just turned 11 and is really enjoying his (playing!) footie.
Coincidentally the brothers of both his coaches are posters on here. Small world up in here!!
Hopefully see you soon if you can shift your cute Wee erchie away from the padded seats and prawn sandwiches!!
HH jamesgang
HH jamesgang
Bada
looked like an og to me. W.Brom defender fell on the ball and it went in off him. Don’t think Verthongen got any kind of touch on the ball.
And before you ask…….no, I’m not a bookie_:))
Why wouldn’t Martin O’Neill go to Nottingham and celebrate their European Cup win?
He was part of their team ffs.
More jam tomorrow coming out of Parkead, this time courtesy of Skoosh Broon http://www.celticfc.net/news/10392.
So much jam under Lawwell’s reign in fact, it’s a wonder we aren’t sponsored by Robertson’s.
This team is all talk and no troos I’m afraid.
Big change needed. Does Dermot have the appetite for it? That’s what it’ll boil down to.
We used to play with 7 fish and 4 steak
Now we play with 7 pish and 4 mistakes
Glen D-agree unfortunately:((
Christorey
Plastic Paddy who can do the job that MON did will do me every day of the weekend!
Don’t care if the throws the baton at the walk, if he does the job for us I don’t give a damn!
HH
Martin O’Neill isn’t a Tim and 16 roads is a racist according to people on here eh?
Zoomers..
PROUDBHOY,
No news on the baby front?
SFTB
surely a fishsteak ?
Fan-a-tic
When he turned up at Southampton my recollection is that half the people hadn’t heard of him and the other half thought he had a poor record. Might just have been perception right enough.
Was anybody seriously thinking this guy would be lifting the title three years later? Or even two years after he rocked up at Tottenham?
GlassTwoThirdsFull
Paul67
liked the cut of his jib way back
Martin did a great job for us with sackloads of cash and some brilliant players. Well, if he could do that again I don’t care if he’s a Tim, Bluenose or the Sheriff of Nottingham!
Evening Timland from a warm hun free mountain valley.
Couple of years ago, Pottichino’s first season at Sthampton, game at Old Trafford, swalex was gushing in his praise for yer man, saying it was the best team Utd had played and he would be a top coach, you don’t hear swalex dishing out praise like that very often.
It’s where we should be looking, they could be had for a song and they will take us to the level and beyond that Ronny was supposed to.
The problem isn’t systems. It’s that the team isn’t a team. Players lack confidence in one another’s abilities. They don’t make themselves available to team-mates. Some hide for long periods. Very few take risks. Others are downright scared.
The first step in solving this is to get a manager.