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:
[calameo code=0003901710a55b5798f06 lang=en page=52 hidelinks=1 width=100% height=500]
745 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- ...
- 20
- »
the bbc news headlines…..rangers chairmen warns that they could go bust, if season ticket money is withheld, followed by and celtic are crowned champions with seven games to spare……I remember Lisbon,just, but is there a better time to be a tim than the times we are living in and paul67 you make it even better with CQN and all who contribute
john o neill at 12.52
regarding MON defenders who apparently just lumped the baw up the park aimlessly
do you mean Jackie MacNamara or Didier Agathe or who?
Still got s lovely warm champions glow. Wee Tanner and the numpty head steward will still be in pain today.
45-0
Hh
Bobbyr
Or it could mean he wanted hearts to take a point or 3 out the game and wasn’t really bothered if we scored. ;)
Someone mentioned izzy crossing has improved.. Iv noticed that alot.
Young henderson.. Swinging in the corners already. Fine whip he puts on it . Stevie gerrard style. Hoping we have a player there.
Since atajic,mcgeough, watt have all been loaned out… Who is nxt youngster that should get run of games.
I think fisher and henderson have already shown they have what it takes to wear the hoops for few seasons at least.
I’m Neil, afternoon.
Varga, Vega,Balde, Laursen etc.
Siesta time. Wonder what ill dream abt???
HaiL HaiL
“Got rather annoyed at Tanner trying to rain on our parade to 3iar and counting. Should Celtic be winning the treble he asks”
Auldheid,
I didn’t hear tanner say that but it’s a comment made by Thems, media and even some of our own because the huns are where they are, we should be winning trebles.
When tf was it that rangers (il) were the team that stops us winning the cups therefore treble every year???!!!
Perhaps wee ally could sign Flash Gordon as a centre forward.
Makes sense to me.
Hail Hail the Champions.
Stuck in the house today with a bad case of man flu. Wouldn’t be that bad but I think I’ve given it to wee hendrix. I’m a terrible father.
Philibhoy
No, I’m Craig Gordon.
SpartacusCSC
Celtic have won the league once for every 801 days (801.16 to be exact) that I have been alive.
Yesterday – a day in 801!
Let us hope that average falls over the years.
Please excuse me – I like statistics.
Apricale,
Vg:)
apricale
13:22 on 27 March, 2014
Philibhoy
No, I’m Craig Gordon.
SpartacusCSC
————————————————-
No, I’m Craig Gordon and so is my wife!
I think I over partied a wee bit last night :(
https://www.facebook.com/tony.donnelly.773/posts/10151977746966611:1
Andy Walker coming up on H&J on Talkspurt soon to give his opinion on the Champions.
Please avoid if you already have high blood pressure.
radioaff.csc
HH
/Bishop B
Proof once and for all, tony, you`re full of sh@t! :-)
tonydonnelly67
thats a crap photo :-))
Jaysus Tony that is gross. I was going to say crap but that would have been too obvious. God Almighty I’m just after finishing lunch.
hrvatski jim
13:23 on 27 March, 2014
HJ – after reading that I have to ask….are you a…..
…..statistician?!?!
HH jamesgang
Cork Celt
That was my lunch :(
Thistle putting boot into Celtic fans as usual….
During the course of last night’s match it
became apparent that a number of away fans
had obtained tickets in sections designated for
home support. We would like to apologise to
all Thistle fans and, in particular, to any that
felt intimidated or uneasy as the match
progressed.
Unfortunately, due to the exceptional
circumstances of Celtic being able to win the
league, interest in the game was higher than
usual. We would like to emphasise that every
possible effort was made by the club to ensure
that any tickets sold for areas of the stadium
designated for home support were not
knowingly sold to away supporters and,
anybody requesting Celtic tickets, were turned
away.
Obviously last night was not the type of
atmosphere we expect or encourage at Firhill.
We will be closely reviewing our match day
operations and sales procedures to help
ensure that a similar situation never happens
again. As part of the review process we will be
liaising with supporters’ groups to gather
feedback, as we continue to try and improve
the match day experience.
I just saw Partick Thistle have a comment on their website about Celtic fans getting tickets for the Thistle end last night and how they not knowingly sold tickets to away fans.
What a bunch of hypocrites they are, do they really expect us to believe the late surge in ticket sales was from Thistle fans.
Taking our money then saying they didnae know
Stuff them I say we will do our lap of honour this weekend at the home of the champions
Hail Hail
asonofdan
13:37 on 27 March, 2014
Did they ‘phone them to ask? All 47 of them?!!?
HH jamesgang
1 2 3. O’Leary
http://www.thedrum.com/news/2014/03/27/warm-cuddly-humble-ryanair-notorious-chief-michael-o-leary-outlines-his-plans-start?utm_source=Interspire&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=The+Drum+Afternoon+Eshot+-+27th+March+2014
philbhoy
12:54 on 27 March, 2014
Billy Bhoy 05
Are you Craig Gordon?
No, but i wish i had his cash.
Some comments about CG sprinting up the park for a corner. How does that compare to the wee B at Motherwell scoring against Celtic to change the flight of the helicopter towards Edinburgh, and he was SUPPOSED to be a Tim.
A true Tim would have went on the sick that day. Even when he was Celtic I disliked him as a person
Thistle statement
“Obviously last night was not the type of
atmosphere we expect or encourage at Firhill.”
Och, the wee lambs…
Sonofdan, good to see you back.
What a bunch of wet blankets. They must have wet themselves trying to read ‘War and peace’ in one sitting.
Down with celebrations.
I was 20 when we won the title in our centenary year. I never thought for a second it would be 9 years for another one, it made it all the sweeter all the same. I married in 89. After the Raith Rovers league cup final I thought it’s probably my wife that’s a jinx and maybe best to head for a good divorce lawyer. I said I’ll stick with her to the end of the season and see how it goes. Sure enough we beat Airdrie in the cup final and the jinx is lifted. Since then we have won 10 league titles and numerous cups and have been a force in Europe again..If it wasn’t for those cheating bar stewards we’d probably have won every league since then but I can’t be picky.
Anyway all I’m saying is any league title is a good one (and maybe sticking with the missus was the right decision. lol)
Thistle knew the score simple as that, and the thistle fans knew the score, BUT! The Hun that tells you he supports thistle didn’t like it, that’s where the problem is.
A lot of Jags “fans” are closet huns who don’t have the guts to admit it.
Like their fellow travellers they wouldn’t recognise a football player if he ran over them.
Hurtin’ bealers.
Har de Feckin’ Har Har.
Had a look at web site http://www.investigate.co.uk / rangers
Now I am no accountant but using simple logic
Cash in bank at 31/12/2012 £ 21.2 m
Cash in bank at 31/12/2013 £3.5m
A drop of £ 17.7 m in a year or an average of £1.49m per month expenditure
Operating cost at 31/12/2013 £16.8 m
Average of £1.4 m per month
Taking their ” loan ” into consideration then they have £5m in bank
Jan costs £1.4m
Feb costs £1.4m
Mar costs £1.4m
Apl costs £1.4m
Total £5.6 m
Outcome BOOM… THEY ARE FECKED
celticchampions @celticchampionz 38m
The Lawman. http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/player/bbc_radio_scotland …
Watched the game when i woke up this morning.. Try an avoid result when i record to watch later but couldnt. Knew we won but not the score.
1- i was wrong about griffiths.. Dangerous, good finisher, good passer and surprisingly of all great work rate.. Still believe we need another forward who is abit special. We need luck getting one of those on our budget.
2- jealous as reading all the comments of people at the game… Going with their fathers etc. hopefully i’ll be back at it nxt end of next season when we return home.
Love to take the old boy to parkhead… First stop will be to brandywell Thou. He would rather be no where else. Football is special, it can achieve great things when the right people come together.
Cqn is proof of that. Keep up the good fight people.
ASonOfDan
You should have a read at their forum!
http://www.wearethistle.co.uk/forums/index.php?/topic/9438-hate-to-say-i-told-you-so-but/
LB
Billy. Re Gordon sprinting up the park. He`s a goalkeeper, they normally only do that in desperate circumstances, not when there is f`all to play for. Scott McDonald, a professional striker, paid by his employers to score goals. No comparison. Should he have deliberately missed them? Dont we complain enough about teams that lie down to others?
Unfortunately we have hun sympathisers at a few of our senior clubs like Thistle, Kilmarnock, Dundee to name a few
But we are Celtic and will rise above these hypocrites