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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CULTSBHOY CAN NOT RELATE TO CELTIC BOARD AMBITIONS ON OR OFF THE PARK on 25TH APRIL 2016 2:21 PM
Some people out there are supporters. They try to be positive and support the team. Some people would want to reserve judgement after one sub appearance.
Yet here you are gloating. So big and clever.
We’ll see what happens with CKR. It hasn’t been fantastic so far but maybe he’ll find himself a place under the new coach.
We’ve not been very good at integrating strikers in recent years. Miku has won LaLiga player of the month in February and scored against Real Madrid. There was a player in there and we had no scooby how to use him.
Disappointed with the result yesterday but, strange to say, not disappointed with the game. Ross County didn’t bank up and didn’t throw the heavy hammer, so the game moved up and down and passed fairly quickly for me.
Patrick Roberts has the tools to be a really good player and just like Kieran Tierney will learn his trade through time and games. Defenders are leaning on him, arms wide, knocking him off-kilter and mindful to avoid obvious contact low down so, I say, to help the team just move the ball on quicker. Stop allowing them to run you off it, Paddy.
Kris Commons showed what a difference it makes to team-mates when a player wants the ball. Compare and contrast with that half shift out wide at Rugby Park. KC is my pick to play behind Leigh Griffiths for the next two games.
Still think we can be a quick fix
SPIDEY100
Should you not be on another blog,mate?
Bow,I replied to one of your posts earlier on there. You made a damn good point.
Welcome to this madhouse. And it is. But we don’t bite. Well,I don’t.
“Plenty players throughout history have adapted to new positions and gone onto be quite successful.”
Clydesider,
This is true. But the guy we are talking about has had his biggest success playing on the right and occasionally behind a striker and even less occasionally on the left.
Wgs done similar with naka.
I think managers look at wide men and say, is he better cutting in and shooting or is his delivery his strong point.
HH
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on 25TH APRIL 2016 2:28 PM
Bliddy iPad
Won’t is not wont. Time these smart machines learned to leave my spelling and punctuation alone.
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Tee Hee, you any good at making banners?
BARRYBHOY
RD probably had the players to play the system he wanted to play. But he bottled dropping the big-name players who couldn’t.
Too set in their ways,the only way they could change their game was for the worse.
What I will say about Phil is he did state previously in a blog Celtic contacted UEFA regarding Res 12. Now if this was the case then why would the Res 12 boys need to contact UEFA recently if the club already did ?
I asked Phil about this and funnily enough he didn’t reply.
This is the the piece here.
http://www.philmacgiollabhain.ie/celtic-send-letter-to-uefa-about-resolution-12/
no one doubts Commons ability when he’s up for it, but he’s not been lately.
Why has he not been up for it throughout his career, as talent without dedication wont get you far and by all accounts he couldve went far.
thats not the traits id look for in a gaffer or indeed their lieutenant, Commons No.2 id throw my season book back.
Quick fix is six out, and three in, including a new twin striker, experienced centre mid, and a right back.
GREENPINATA
I would like to think I’d have spotted that one. Though as has been suggested,it might have been a two-finger job. Canny even be bothered spelling yer name right.
Doubt it,mind…
HEN1RIK on 25TH APRIL 2016 2:37 PM
I’m also sure he stated a couple of weeks back that DD was taking a personal interest in Res 12 now, yet there’s still no progression from the club on that.
Is it just me or does the recent content of some of his blogs seek to place DD in a far better light than Lawwell?
Weeminger-KC has been an outstanding Celtic player ,about 7 goals short of the Hundred Club,great return from a guy who is not a striker. HH
Twin strikers- or striking twins ?
My friends in Celtic,
Never have I ever imposed conditions for my continued active support of Celtic.
However if and its still a big if we promoted players who were proven not to be giving 100%, then I would have to have a serious think.
HH.
!!BADA BING!! on 25TH APRIL 2016 2:42 PM
I’m not disputing that he’s been a great player for us. He’s not been that player this season, and those suggesting he’s our most creative player may be right for previous seasons but this season we’ve been scoring more when he doesn’t play.
So most creative player or not, it’s not manifesting itself in improved goal scoring. That’s all I’m saying.
WEEMINGER on 25TH APRIL 2016 2:40 PM
Is it just me or does the recent content of some of his blogs seek to place DD in a far better light than Lawwell?
___
Well, that might suggest where Phil is getting info from.
Regarding Sevco, he’s definitely being fed info from Sports Direct HQ. As a result, he has to praise Ashley in every blog.
Though considering Phil is the most irish man who has ever lived… how could he put down another irishman?
GEORDIE MUNRO
Fair point. Maybe Roberts is just a crap crosser of the ball. It would though be nice to see how he does skinning defenders and heading for the bye line. It is possible that he is is truly terrible at that and that’s why RD has not given him the opportunity to do as such. Or it is a requirement of his loan agreement that he is played on the right, who knows.
Timalloy,
Speaking of miku (one of our barca bashing bhoys) one of the pundits on one of them la liga shows mentioned that only…in fact I’ll make it a quiz.
Who is the only la liga player to score against barca both home and away?
Man I hope this ‘fact’ is correct. :)
HH
TIMALOY29 SLEEPS ON THE HEATED DRIVEWAY on 25TH APRIL 2016 2:32 PM
CKR is a symptom not a cause IMO.
Any sane scout/ manager need only have checked his 13 club record to get an idea of what they were assessing.
I just can’t see him fitting Celtic- he is also a majorly volatile character – not what we needed. He is also not a striker – his stats before Celtic confirm that. My issue was that Griffiths needed someone to help him out/ push him on,
I don’t know if you noticed Griffiths Gosl yesterday. CKR screaming for it but LG weighed up he was more likely to score from a a more difficult position and fully delivered. Watch CKR body language after ball goes in the net. Telling.
I’m not being big or clever I’m just telling it as I see it.
HH
CB
Greenpinata on 25th April 2016 2:44 pm
My friends in Celtic,
Never have I ever imposed conditions for my continued active support of Celtic.
However if and its still a big if we promoted players who were proven not to be giving 100%, then I would have to have a serious think.
HH.
=================
Very hard to prove, so to speak.
Case in point – The ball drops at the edge of the Ross County box yesterday, a 55/45 ball in Nir Bittons favour.
Bittons craps it in case he gets clattered, hesitates, the ball becomes a 40/60 and Bitton clatters into the Ross County player, conceding a free kick.
Is he not giving 100%, or is he just a pure sh1teb*g?
He wouldn’t be on my keep list anyway.
HH
It would be hard to look like a 12 million pound player in the current Celtic side.
To be honest, PR is a good player….but i doubt the price tag.
He could always prove me wrong though, as he is only a kid, however, id say he needs a good coach to get the best out of him.
Then again, wont matter,…he is not our player, and will be gone within a year.
Cant really see the point of it myself…but there you go.
HH
Interesting comments on Phil MacG.
There’s much to admire in his output, but he is very definitely hit and miss. His lionising of Mike Ashley is embarrassing (particularly from someone who constantly bangs a left-wing drum), and lots of his Sevco material has been a bit “meh”.
But then he will occasionally bring out a brilliant scoop.
His latest piece I read as a defense of Dermot, as much as an attack on PL. This might just reflect where he is getting his info from…
Weeminger-thanks for reply HH
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS
It was not the ideal performance for her introduction to Paradise, but fortunately, unlike us, she has probably forgotten it already.
She did ask, if there was a CQN for weans… I told her just to login here . :-)
TRADITIONALIST88 on 25TH APRIL 2016 2:50 PM
Yeah, very hard to prove.
Personally I think the inevitable repercussions at the end of the season will reveal much. I realise that confidentiality clauses will be in place, but I expect the truth to emerge when reputations are being trashed.
HH.
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on 25th April 2016 2:34 pm SPIDEY100
Should you not be on another blog,mate?
Bow,I replied to one of your posts earlier on there. You made a damn good point.
Welcome to this madhouse. And it is. But we don’t bite. Well,I don’t.
I’ve been a long time lurker and very occassional poster here. Post more on the other blog as it is quicker to read through all the earlier posts than it is here. I usually see someone has made the point I would have here, so limited need to comment.
Thanks for the praise on the other post – I’ll look at it now.
I am going to be controversial and state I thought CKR had a decent game yesterday and was one of our better players.
KJAM
Thats not controversial.
Thats a symptom of how bad it is,.
HH
James Tavernier used to play for Farsley Celtic AFC who were formed in 2010
when Farsley Celtic FC were dissolved by the administrator.
Not The Daily Record CSC
I`d like to be wrong but I think Kris Commons WAS a first class Celtic player.
I always though PR was brought here to enhance our CL prospects which is asking a lot of a teenage prospect but of course we didn`t already have good wide players did we?
GLASGOWDAVE on 25TH APRIL 2016 2:53 PM.
She’ll fit in perfectly.
The childish clique is long establish, very vociferous and probably the biggest of the many cliques on here.
Loads of prams, loads of toys but never together.
HH. Tantrumscsc.
Greenpinata on 25th April 2016 2:56 pm
Agreed, the tone of RD’s comments so far has revealed a fair bit, along with his famous ‘theres no player I haven’t said no to’ remark…
Back to the Bitton thing, its those incidents, the small details, that ultimately affect the flow of matches and by shirking that ball that he should have won, could conceivably be accused of shirking his responsibility and not giving his all. Unforgivable – we hope to have high stakes CL qualifiers again in August and need players who set the right example,
HH
!!BADA BING!! on 25TH APRIL 2016 2:53 PM
Which leads to something else.
I don’t think as a club we can afford a manager that has ‘a system’, as we can’t turn around players quickly enough if they don’t fir it.
We need a manager that can organise a team to fit his best 11. If that’s 4-1-4-1 on a day or 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 so be it. Provided he can the best from his players the formation should be secondary – up to a point.
An interesting summer ahead maybe.
Safe Standing – design at CP
COOLMORE MAFIA on 25TH APRIL 2016 9:05 AM
Kiki 16 ROADS – CELTIC ÜBER ALLES… on 25TH APRIL 2016 3:56 AM
People from all over the world, running that race, the majority to raise money for charity.
Why?
For the sake of what?
https://youtu.be/b6M7o1UFG3E
Unbelievable.
This mindless savagery has got no place in any society, never mind European society.
What’s it going to be like in ten years time ffs?
Every European citizen should have the right to own a gun, for their own protection, at the very least.
Welcome to reality.
Sin e.
HH.
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P67
This man/woman is a racist posting undisguised racism on the blog. Surely he should be banned for the above post alone.
Savagery. We need guns. All because people took free water which is being thrown out after the marathon had just about finished. But most pertinently, they were black.
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Hahahahahahaha! :) :) :)
Everything that you have written there was a lie – that’s why I haven’t been thrown off the blog, because if anything that you have claimed to be accurate was true, then obviously I would have been thrown off the blog.
How about I throw you off the blog?
Water thieves in the video, lowest of the low regardless of what their skin colour is.
Listen to the steward – the main group had passed, the majority still hadn’t.
Look at the designer gear the water thieves are sporting for crying out loud – I presume that the lowlife water thieves are unemployed, or unemployable – which means that my taxes are paying for their designer pluck, well maybe they just stole those coats as well.
Arm every native European, give the people guns for their own self-protection.
Welcome to the year 2016 – the European people have had enough of your multicultural bs.
Respect the rights of the minority.
Just because you are politically correct, doesn’t automatically mean that you are correct.
HH.
History repeats itself, first as tragedy, then as Farsley
DBBIA/KarlMarxCSC
I hear you
@ The Green Man says SACK THE Board on 25th April 2016 3:00 pm
16 ROADS – CELTIC ÜBER ALLES… on 25TH APRIL 2016 3:11 PM
Define ‘native european’.