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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Welcome to PTBQN
(Polish Tourist Board Quick News).
Looks like a lot of ghuys have visited Poland.
Havent heard a bad review yet.
Cannt get better than that can you.
I’m thick
HH
John Beattie spoke out against the bigotry at Ayebrokes and said that it wasn’t for him.
He is a big gentleman ,a really nice bloke and far from thick.
TT
1981 title won at Tannadice – Tommy Burns scored a cracker into top corner – I wasn’t there I had only just made my debut at Airdrie 2-1 win (March) and home debut v Aberdeen 1-1 the following week.
Since then seen us win it in
1982 v St Mirren home 3-0
1986 v St Mirren away 5-0
1988 v Dundee home 5-0
1998 v St Johnstone 2-0
2001 v St Mirren home 1-0
2002 v Livingstone home 5-0
2004 v Kilmarnock away 1-0
2006 v Hearts home 1-0
2007 v Kilmarnock away 2-1
2008 v Dundee United away 1-0
2011 v Kilmarnock away 6-1
2012 v Inverness home 4-1
2013 v Partick away 5-1
10 titles since Fergus takeover
7 in last 10 years
3 in 3
All bought and paid for with great cash reserves in the bank!
Alasdair MacLean
22:49 on 27 March, 2014
Maybe he holds the position he does because of his relatively privileged background?
Who Ernie? Ed Milibland?
macjay1 for Neil Lennon,
—–
I used to play in a wee folk band at ceilidhs up North , Killin was one.
—–
Ha ha,
Sorry – it’s funny when you describe Killin as “up North” to someone with from the nort of Inverness fraternity!!
Love it all though….and I’m sure I would enjoy listening to your band. Well, I KNOW I would.
I’m going to Glasgow this Saturday and I usually end up listening to whatever mad youngsters are playing in the Park Bar. It’s still as good, if not better, there than it ever was
John O’Neil
22:55 on 27 March, 2014
Who’s father hated Britain said the man from The Daily Mail.
Don`t have a clue who John Beattie is.
David Beckham was always portrayed as “fick”.Seems to be crying all the way to the bank these days.
A fool and his money…………on the other hand.
Come to think of it,I find it impossible to believe that a smart footballer can be a “thick” person.
John O’Neil
http://ianbone.wordpress.com/2014/03/27/kinnock-won-aberafan-selection-vote-by-106-105-something-stinks/
jc2
22:29 on 27 March, 2014
ryecatcher
Remember winning at Tannadice midweek.
Think Tommy Burns scored
I wasn’t there maybe on a school night : > (
—————-
Are you a teacher :))
Evening Celts,
Zbyszek got your message earlier and yes it must have been a wee bit daunting on the night with all the different accents etc, need to do it again soon :¬)
I’ll reply properly later, tomorrow I have a wee visit to Scotland for a funeral, so it’ll be perhaps Sunday.
Keep the faith Z bhoy
V
Tally hoy
Sorry, had a time-out, now reading back!
Jumped ahead, just to reply to you!
No need to shout!
If you know his Christian name, why don’ t you use it!
Smacks of disapproval!
Sorry, but that’s how I see it!
H.H.
Ps, continuing to read back, will catch up!
TALLYBHOY 2000
Naw,trust me-it’s fair comment.
Even when I do manage to catch the darn things,my travel travails are frequently not yet done.
I blame the fact that by the end of a Saturday sesh,I’ve not seen my cot for over 24hrs. That,and being pashed….
Ernie,
Without doubt.
It’s not HIS fault though.
What should he do?
It nips my erse as well – the privileged ones…….but I don’t think he’s “big on it”. As many are. The ones that are, well, these I wouldn’t defend.
I am also fat.
In saying that, I have lost 8 kilos this year, still fat mind you.
What else am I ?
Stupid, grumpy, boring, sober, an all round twat in fact.
HH
TinyTim
22:52 on 27 March, 2014
He shouldn’t be presenting a flagship news programme on the national broadcaster.
He’s neither sharp enough nor knowledgeable enough.
It’s embarrassing.
Alasdair MacLean
22:56 on
27 March, 2014
How `bout Aviemore,then.That far enough North for you? :-)
We were introduced to the scene by a lovely heilander guy whose sister subsequently had a big hit with “Japanese Boy”.
We were just a pub band.So much fun,though.
Not long after Paul started this fantastic blog 10 years ago he spoke regularly about a “Generation of Domination”
I think the titles won as shown above by Kevtic show how right he was in this prediction.
Time now to look forward to another GoD
Alasdair MacLean
23:00 on 27 March, 2014
My criticism is really directed at his employers not him. I’m sure he’s a super chap.
Macjay
What was b-side?
Five seconds…..nae googling;-)
I’m sure there are a few people who think this guy is “thick”
http://www.brianpitbullmoore.com/
I never liked this guy because he was, in my mind, everything I didn’t like about the English, then I grew up.
John Beattie
He was born in Borneo if memory serves. Think his old man worked in rubber.
So doubt he was ‘inculcated’ with traditional Scottish tribalism.
Was a hard boy on a rugby pitch at a time when if you were on the ‘wrong side’ you got a boot full of studs for your troubles.
His professional background was engineering and then a CA. Thick? I think that’s a blunt tool of a phrase. I don’t think however that he’s a blunt tool!
He’s not JS Mill or Adam Smith. But to be fair he never claims to be!
And far more fair and open minded that Chic et al!
Anyway. I’m done with this one.
And no, I’m not john Beattie. Or his mum. And I’m def not a sticky bun!!!
HH Timdom. Night.
Jamesgang
THE EXILED TIM
But still a tim:))
so things are looking good sir:))
Good night all
Geordie
Fenian boy?
Hated Brian Moore in the run up to the 90 grand slam match. Then I grew up. Think he did too.
His autobiography is def worth a read. A harrowing start in life that explains the man.
My fave rugby antsy vid he calls it as it is, no national-based bias.
Off oot this time!
HH JamesGang
corkcelt,
as goldstar10 says the Schindler Factory is worth a visit, now a museum, fascinating yet sombre. As others have said Auschwitz and Birkenau are harrowing, never to be forgotten. Krakow is a lovely city, the people are too.
Ernie, that was stupid indeed. Hobsbawm was a fair target however.
Kinnock. Pig. Trough. Nepotism. Corrupt EU. IMF raping Kiev. Working class will freeze.
Geordie
Sorry.
Went for a wee daunder and missed the cue.
Macjay.
Brilliant.:-)
A fond kiss
Geordie
Then we sever`d.
I`d better shut up.Getting nostalgic,as only Jocks can.
My fave rugby antsy vid he calls it as it is, no national-based bias.
Antsy vid = analyst cos
Mea thicko. Me and the pesky iPhone!
HH jamesgang
Macjay
Goan yersel.
There’s worse you can be doing.
Tiny tim……
Bobby Murdoch hung up his boots long before 1982 mate.
Think we won at Paradise v St.Mirren that year?
macjay1 for Neil Lennon,
Got you. I was a teenager when my parents were trying to get to grips with Mary Sandeman’s faces.
I remember the songs but I’ll have to google the rest of it.
The scottish traditional music scene is so vibrant today with so many youngsters so profficient in all forms, I feel I’ve missed out.
Talk about born too late? It’s now born too early.
Anyway, as I tell them, the ones I know at least, you have to remember that 95% of your audience haven’t a clue – and I should know, because I’m one of the 95% – but they all need to hear what they want to hear – and that is ….somthing that moves them.
Uncomfortable reading derogatory comments on CQN about a broadcaster who as far as I know has never uttered a wrong word against us while he has spoken out against the atmosphere at Ibrox.
Don’t think we can actually select the financial worth of the family we are born into although I believe some spiritualists apparently believe we can actually select our parents.
So if you’re still desperately wanting two of the new CQteN badges, then Doc ( if he turns up on time) and myself will be outside the Pools office(next to the Superstore)from 2pm on Sat. Not the ticket office mind!
You can even buy one of Doc’s copied green badge. Don’t let him pressurise you though, as the sparkling Black and Gold badges will also be on sale.
For all those CQNers that want them posted, don’t worry we are working through the list, slowly. If you want to send a reminder, we will not mind! :-)
HH
CRC
jamesgang
23:14 on 27 March, 2014
————————————
Yep, iPhone, iPod, IPad – if you have one long enough it begins to develop a vocabulary of its own. I now check everything before I send/post it. It could get you into trouble ;-)