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 Beattie is a Civil Engineering graduate who is probably kind to small animals and old ladies.
Albert Einstein he isn’t but when it comes to being media savvy he ain’t very intelligent.
Corkcelt
Auschwitz is an amazing and harrowing place if you get the chance to go there.
It’s quite though in that the main road runs right past it. Off the bus and into the history of hell.
Makes it all the weirder and still more horrific.
HH jamesgang
Tallybhoy
20:00 on 27 March, 2014
One of the most esteemed posters on this blog, BMCUW, is often unfairly portrayed as à serial ‘last train misser’.
This is patently unfair!
Whilst in my company, he has only ever missed one ‘last train to Kilwinning.’ …and this was due to the fact that he took a wrong turn after leaving the pub and arriving at Troon station just as the train was departing.
Could happen to anybody!
Give the ghuy a break!
——————————————————————————————————————— reminds me of the joke about the ****sucker
Just looked at the BBC website. WTF is going on with the polis in this country, they’ve morphed into a business. Just waiting for salmond to announce the IPO.
Scaryshit.CSC
jamesgang, our trip is an organised one where all the stops are pre planned. I know we are visiting the Auschwitz Museum. Not sure if that is in a separate location to the camp. We also have a free day in Krakow but I doubt that I will be able to entice Mrs corkcelt to spend it in Auschwitz.
Didn’t John Beattie go to Ibrox a few years ago and say how uncomfortable he felt there with the sectarian singing?
More than most of his colleagues would have done.
Was Big Johns goal midweek not against Hearts.A 30 yard volley trundler right over Gordon early on.
bhoys3
Absolutely spot on mate
Corkcelt
It’s def not a light touch day.
The city itself is fantastic. Jewish Quarter is full of character and history.
Enjoy.
KTF jamesgang
PeteTheBeat
22:05 on 27 March, 2014
A couple of years ago, yes.
He was completely taken aback by what he encountered.
He’s lived and worked in Scotland (in Glasgow I think) all his adult life.
As I said, thick.
Corkcelt
was in Krakow Paddys Day last year. Great place.
Stay out of the Irish pubs. They aint worth it. Plenty of good spots besides.
Auschwitz is something you should not pass on.
Budapest is a wee bit like Paris but at a fraction of the cost.
Bon Voyage
From the official RCFC website.
Celtic v Ross County
Scottish Premiership
Celtic Park, Glasgow
Saturday 29th March – 3.00pm
For the third Saturday on the trot Ross County will head down the A9.
This time they head to Glasgow to face the newly crowned league champions, Celtic.
With County’s draw over Aberdeen on Tuesday night, it gave Celtic the chance to the win the league when they played Partick Thistle the following evening.
Celtic proceeded to win the game 5-1 with three late goals sealing the win and the league title and starting the celebrations.
These celebrations are set to continue on Saturday with Celtic being at home for the first time since being crowned champions, but County will be looking to spoil the party as they go in search of some valuable points as they try to pull away from relegation play-off zone.
Derek Adams has no fresh injury worries ahead of this match, although he will still be without the services of Stuart Kettlewell, Marc Klok and Darren Maatssen who are still struggling to recover from injury. Derek Adams doesn’t usually change a winning formula, and while it was only a draw on Tuesday night it is likely that he will stick with the same starting eleven for this game.
Celtic’s manager Neil Lennon has said that despite the league being won, he will play fair to the other teams in the relegation fight by playing a strong team, while also at the same time letting the players that won the league take the glory in front of their own support.
So far this season the two teams have met twice, the first being on the opening day of the season, and despite County taking a very early lead through Darren Maatssen’s stunning strike, Celtic came back to score two late goals to snatch the victory.
The return game in Dingwall wasn’t so close though as Celtic ran out convincing 4-0 winners.
Corkcelt
Auschwitz is 70 km distance from Krakow. There are busses who are running through the city, take the tourists and comming back. You would need 2 hours to get from Krakow to Auschwitz and another two hours to get back to the city. Museum is 10 minutes walking distance from the camp (Birkenau ,camp II). If you start early morning you can be back to the city just after midday.
CQN Predictors, if you haven’t Predicted, Predict!
Clink\o/
Agree, I did not like Irish pubs. Plenty of good places and would recommend those far from main streets. Budapest is bit like Paris, much more like Vienna.
John Beattie’s daughter played for Celtic ladies, she now plays with Arsenal.
At times like this minds wander to those no longer with us to share the joy that Celtic gives us. Hope there was a great party in paradise an the Guiness was flowing.
Hail hail
corkcelt-
The Auschwitz museum is in Auschwitz I which is an old Polish army barracks, with brick buildings, the gas chambers and crematoria is still present, you pass through the barracks where you see the mountains of toys, suitcases, brushes, spectacles and personal possessions.
Auschwitz II, also know as Birkenau- is a few km away, this is the vast purpose built extermination camp which housed hundreds of wooden huts and is where the trains came directly into the camp where the human cargo were sorted immediately on arrival. The massive industrial scale crematoria (x4) were destroyed by the Nazis prior to the liberation, the ruins are still there as they were found by the Soviets.
Now it is very quiet, we were there on a pleasant spring day but it was still a harrowing place, an uneasy hush. Our local tour guide was very knowledgable and ever mindful of the enormity and respect that must be afforded.
We also did the tour of Schindler’s factory, just south of the river in Krakow, again a humbling experience, but worthwhile if you don’t have time to get to Auschwitz.
ryecatcher
Remember winning at Tannadice midweek.
Think Tommy Burns scored
I wasn’t there maybe on a school night : > (
John Beattie
He’s a decent guy. And he’s not thick.
I’d be very surprised if he ‘got’ bigotry. And I would expect him to have been shocked to have heard the ibrox hymns of hate.
Doesn’t that make him a better person, not a thicko? It does in my book.
HH jamesgang
natknow – supporting wee oscar
21:07 on 27 March, 2014
The Huns are happy with there financial results well the daft ones (99%) HH
Alasdair MacLean
21:39 on
27 March, 2014
Lovely stuff.
Now,I`m not the music critic of the Sunday Times,but I felt the performance was crying out for a “rhythm section”,particularly bass.
Bognorbhoy 21.50
Booooooooooooooooooom! HH.
It is mind boggling to think that some poor souls, a fair few Communists, were sent to Nazi camps and Communist gulags.
Some Nazi camps were later used by the Soviets.
jamesgang
22:29 on 27 March, 2014
By the standards expected of people who host and present a live news programme on the national broadcaster, he’s thick.
macjay1 for Neil Lennon,
No bad for an impromtu street performance though….well half-impromtu.
Although the absence of the percussion stuff I quite like – lets one hear the notes better – a big bass – maybe.
I can’t play a note I have to say – well, apart from a few rebel tunes on a tine whistle. (Or should I say, a few notes of rebel tunes!)
Krakow is to be recommended to anyone. Auschwitz and Bergenau are harrowing, yet some of the stories are uplifting. I loved the food and the beer. Poles seem to be like the Irish–like their music and drink. Stick to the Polish pubs–great!
oscar
https://scontent-a-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/t1.0-9/10150739_538851456232405_1235895997_n.jpg
hope it works
more oscar
https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/t1.0-9/p261x260/1521378_538733776244173_1367477227_n.jpg
Zbyszek
22:21 on
27 March, 2014
Couple of years ago,my son ,with his school,visited the main European battle grounds of the first and second war.France,Belgium,Munich in Germany,Auschwitz in Poland.On his return to Oz,we naturally asked him about the most memorable parts of his trip.
“I want to tell you,dad,those Polish women are lovely.”
An educational trip ,right enough.
I spent a fine night sat at this very bar a couple of years ago. The other side of it was a vision of loveliness, one of the Zeppelin sisters I believe, who spent a great deal of time bent over in front of me slicing limes for the Mojitos.
The Spencer pub, Katowice.
iveneverbeenthesamesincecsc
Terrible guy for tutting this Chris Graham
beautiful and appalling, gorecki’s lento e largo from song of sorrowful songs, word at the beginning of the video explain it – not easy reading
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miLV0o4AhE4
night night champions
Rye catcher
We won it at Tannadice midweek around 1982 ish.
3-2 I think with TB hitting a great goal ,Murdoch may also have scored that night.
TT
Alasdair MacLean
22:38 on
27 March, 2014
I used to play in a wee folk band at ceilidhs up North , Killin was one.
Kept the rebel tunes for the party scene.:-)
Chris graham looking a bit depressed on stv haha
Reality beginning to bite down ibrokes way HH
On the John Beatie debate…..
Like most Scottish rugby players I imagine he came from a relativley privileged background.
Now, I’ve read the “thick” slur lined up against him and I’m sure in some circles he IS relatively thick.
But is he thicker than say, Chick Young, Gordon Smith, Derek Johnstone…?
You get my drift.
Is he being subjected to a degree of prejudice tonight?
Surely not because he is from a (relatively) privileged background?
Not Murdoch ,Murdo McLeod.
TT
Evening all. Just home after a business trip to English FAs national football centre.
I’ve been lucky enough to visit a number of stadiums/iconic locations albeit for business but I’ve got to say I was totally blown away by the set up, the facilities, the professionalism, the focus on achievement but not very happy with sir bobby robson looking down on me when I woke up this morning!
Driving in you’re met by the Kelly Smith park. Lovely wee grass park, floodlit though could be mistaken for a bowling green.
The whole site, to my dismay, is centered on achieving success for England.
Does anyone else believe that mentality is missing in Scotland ?
P