History will record that season 2012-13 was more successful for Celtic than season 2013-14 but the champions’ league performances this season have been comparable only to those of season 2003-04, when the club completed a 25 game winning streak.
With seven games to go we have already collected five points more than the team which reached the knock out stages of the Champions League last season, and this season we have had a worthy competitor for second place, who are favourites to complete the domestic treble of League Cup, Scottish Cup and Best of the Rest titles.
Kris Commons, Virgil van Dijk and Fraser Forster have correctly gained enormous plaudits throughout the season but the story of Celtic’s success is more nuanced. We don’t just have a great keeper and a great central defender, we have a central defensive partnership which is better than either of the two partnerships I watched in the Manchester derby on Tuesday night.
In other times the story of our season would be the injuries at right back, but the standard of cover there, with Lustig, Matthews and Fisher, is such that no one really noticed.
The strikers didn’t really get going until Leigh Griffiths arrived in January, and much of our player investment over the summer missed the target. This had consequences on the autumn, when we came up short of last season’s (over) achievements in the Champions League, but we have a plentiful squad of players, including Forster, Lustig, Matthews, Izaguirre, Ambrose, van Dijk, Brown, Johansen and Commons who are more than capable at Champions League level, with others knocking at the door.
Congratulations to Neil, his technical team, the many who work to keep the ship pointing in the right direction, some behind the scenes and some front of house, and to each of the players who left their mark in the history books.
On the equivalent day six years ago, we recorded that Gordon Strachan had joined Willie Maley and Jock Stein as the only Celtic managers to have won three consecutive titles. Neil Lennon’s name is now added to that list.
With all this championship coverage, did the phrase ‘Good day to bury bad news’ slip into anyone’s mind? “There is a reasonable expectation that the Company has adequate resources to continue in operational existence”.
You know when your chairman tells you he has a reasonable expectation the company will continue in existence that there’s nothing to worry about. All the doubters have been put in their place.
Seville – The Celtic Movement, is out now:
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John O’Neil I believe any person interested in the future of their country should take the time to vote.
Apricale
Patsy Gallagher is a fair shout. For a moment I was going to be stupid enough to produce a list of contenders, was just a moment right enough !
ElDiegoBhoy
Bring back the Bin
How are you doing auld yin
McGrory was manager when Celtic reached their first semi final in Europen competition in 1964.
SFTB
Don’t quite know how I remember that ,was at the game and had one pilsner too many
in Stuttgart supporters club…I do remember they were all dressed like the dancers fae
MUD…including the frauleins ,friendly types though.
HT,
My daughter sent it to me earlier in work and I just thought of your good self getting smacked wae the baw. :))
I’ll get you a beer at Bobby’s nite to make it up. HH
Apart from 1979 and 2008 and last night, can anyone remember the Hoops winning the league in a midweek fixture?
big-cup-winners
20:53 on 27 March, 2014
I can remember moving house when I was 18 months old. My pal started going to Celtic games when he was 4 and remembers them.
I was thinking a 5 year old might remember Jimmy McGrory so would have been born in 1932. That’s why I thought over 80. I agree someone over 88 (great number that) would be more likely.
Anyone over 88?
….PFayr supports WeeOscar
20:57 on
27 March, 2014
“In contrast Richard Wilson appeared fair and reasonable”
Eff me! It must’ve been bad. Wilson is the guy most likely to be in an argument live on air with Chick Young about which of them is the biggest Sevco cheerleader once it all goes moobs up and Sevco 2 is launched!
Sispini
In that case……you’re forgiven :-)
….pfayr supports weeoscar
20:57 on 27 March, 2014
They were in such a good financial state, murray couldn’t sell them for 6 years, and eventually had to sell for £1…. Just to get rid of them. bwahahahahahahahahahahahahaha….!!
My old man watched celtic from 1920s to 2000s and always maintained that Malky McDonald was the most complete player he had seen. said he played every position for celtic, even keeping goal in a five a side competition. Even thought he was better than henrik. The only player I heard him rate as close was Lubo.
ekbhoy
19:21 on 27 March, 2014
Just received a meal bill for 16.90 –
‘And how was your lamb, Sir? Succulent I trust?’
Waiter’sFaceInPlateCSC
HH jamesgang
….pfayr supports weeoscar
20:57 on 27 March, 2014
I wondered about Wilson tonight. He did seem fair and reasonable. Then I concluded he is in the King camp.
The Sevco management team must be idiots if they think that, by announcing their bad news on the day that Celtic win 3-in-a-row, the press will simply gloss over how horrendous these financial results are.
Oh…hang on…
Tom Molach….
My auld 84 year old da can remember Jimmy McGrory playing but can’t remember where he left his reading glasses after going to make a cup of tea.
sipsini
21:01 on
27 March, 2014
HT,
My daughter sent it to me earlier in work and I just thought of your good self getting smacked wae the baw. :))
I’ll get you a beer at Bobby’s nite to make it up. HH
—————————————————————
Don’t bother getting him a drink….he’s lived off his moment of fame….Parents night
he had posters up of himself with ‘HT as seen on TV’…he’s even goat wan of they Wags noo.hh
SOAL
Good, amigo. Our wedding anniversary as would have been this Saturday so going to have a few bevvies in the usual lounge with our daughters and hopefully enjoy the game. Thereafter they’ll ditch their old da cos they’re off to Barrowlands for a Paulo Nutini concert. It’s a hard life.
….pfayr supports weeoscar
20:57 on 27 March, 2014
Heard that too -laughable
Forsyth was deid club shareholder as he was ribbed about it on previous occasions
They still think deidco are goin to somewhat magic £squillions
Brill !
Just dont understand why they dont comment on circa £22m squandered
But hey ho
Here we go to TIAR
Rye catcher
Ayr utd at Hampden on a Thursday night when the main stand at celtic park was closed. Celtic won 2-0. I think it might have been the Thursday before the Lisbon lions final game v clyde around 1971.
This video clip doing the rounds – Tim in a Spin routine…..
…..you sure it wasn’t HamiltonTim exiting the school after the parents’ evening?
Apparently this was him going through the puddles in the car park!
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7pOiwNLaz4M
Anyway mhate. The Bhoys were kind to you and waited till you arrived before turning on the style!
HH jamesgang
Ryecatcher
I’m sure we won the league midweek under Strachan with a Hartson goal.
LB
ryecatcher
21:07 on 27 March, 2014
:-)
I know how that is.
Where’s my keys?
ElDiegoBhoy
I will be in town after the game if you fancy buying me drink
Ggh….
Remember my da taking me to Hampden for an Ayr United game around then on a midweek night,was probably too young to realise how significant the game was.
Also remember him taking me to see the Lions valedictory performance,but don’t think Ronnie Simpson was fit enough to play.Sure we beat Clyde something like 8 or 9 that day but thought it was at Paradise and not Hampden.My memory is fading fast these days.
PFAyr 20:57
Couldn’t believe it when I heard Forsyth. Claiming they were perfectly viable until Whyte went in.
The reason he didn’t pay the tax was BECAUSE they weren’t viable! They had only survived the previous two years with CL money.
Murray took them to over £80m debt. This was running a viable business???
Tom Molach
I have memories of the white wall at the front of the Rangers end, memories of the Jinky blow up dolls too. Think I must have been 4 ? Can remember hee-haw of any game or player.
….PFayr supports WeeOscar 20:57 on 27 March, 2014
Forsyth really should know better. He was a shareholder in the old club and was present when liquidation was confirmed in the nine-minute meeting.
Their hurt amuses me. The MSM are having a breakdown in public and we are only on the third straight title. That picture of Charles Young at Firhill tells the real story of what they are feeling.
After today’s Sevco revelations the Zombies must be tearing themselves apart. Only the really dumb ones fail to understand Sevco will not offer a threat to Celtic for a decade at best.
Tom Molach
That’s probably the reason behind Wilson’s demeanour
Livibhoy….
Think you’re right mate
V Hearts 2006?
ryecatcher
21:03 on
27 March, 2014
1966 first of the 9. Motherwell, Bobby Lennox goal.
Yogiy, I won’t be able to. To other matters…
‘Keep the faith!’ A noble phrase. Why am I writing it? Why because I am a Northern Soul lover. You are going to get some recommendations from little old me. Don’t like it? Scroll by. For the pop-pickers, here goes:
EDDIE HOLMAN /’EDDIE’S MY NAME’. Quite bluntly, this fella’s raison d’etre is S-E-X. He co-wrote this little gem in which he cheerily accepts his fate, that being a lack of money, success and possessions. Here’s where he differs from us though. The guy has a voice. Initially he keeps cool and retains a gentle rasp but Eddie has a surprise for us(and for the ladies) near the end of the track. Firstly though, he describes his manifesto… ‘Eddie’s my name, pleasing all the girls is my game’. That’s McAvennie talk. Such bravado is however merited. Towards the song’s conclusion, the bold Eddie unleashes a breathtaking falsetto(his nuts may have been crushed) which is higher than Kate Moss. It is certainly sweeter.
Does Eddie get the ladies? As the renowned brain Sarah Palin would say, ‘you betcha!’. Dig it out soul fans. Another choice will come another day.
SOAL
And you captured your lovely lady with pish like that:o)
voguepunter
I was in Stuttgart in 2006 or 7 at the game VFB : Bayern Munich. Can only confirm that they are very nice folk. We travelled from the city to the stadium in the same train with Bayern supporters. VFB have small group of ultras who sing during the game, the rest is quiet. Laudspeakers make the stadium laud.
Livibhoy
Think you’re correct
Poor game won by a BBJ early goal
Can’t remember against who
Rye catcher
Ronnie had retired. He came out with the team but Evan Williams ( I think) played in goal.
ElDiegoBhoy
Aye
And the good lady will be there also to listen to your pish
Love
The Blogger Formerly Known As GM
20:48 on 27 March, 2014
‘John Beattie ………………….
I thought the guy had half a brain’
####
Your getting confused with Johnny Beattie the actor.
John Beattie is as thick as mince.
He presents a sort of dumbed down news magazine show on Shortbread. I don’t know whether the dumbing down is intentional.
I suppose he appeals to their target demographic: middle aged, middle class and middle of the road.