A look at the fixture list will not provide immediate comfort, we have away trips to Sparta and Milan ahead in the next 10 days, both of whom won comfortably at Celtic Park earlier in the campaign. The principle positive is that after the team arrive home in the early hours of 4 December, the farthest we travel from Glasgow for the rest of the month is the 10 miles to Hamilton.
We have a meaningless home game against Lille on 10 December and the Scottish Cup Final 10 days later, but that Hamilton game is the only league match in five away from Celtic Park. This will be our least taxing month of the league campaign. It is an opportunity to get things right ahead of the Ibrox visit on 2 January, but as we saw with Newco last season, even easy looking games can result in defeats when the heads are down.
If arrive at Ibrox solid in defence, controlling I midfield with an additional 15 points and a fourth consecutive Scottish Cup win, it is game on again, but I doubt any of us are complacent about those 15 points.
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I assume you all know MON is 68. Would anybody on here want such a high profile, 7 day a week challenge at that stage in life.
Football has changed so much since Martin was in his prime.
If there was a vacancy, we really need to look further than former employees.
HH to all.
Greenpinata
Are we looking at bringing in Martin O`Neill?
BIG SAM to DERBY
Phil may or may not be a fantasist, but this is a fascinating, and forensic, analysis of the Sevco accounts by his mate. Well worth a read.
https://philmacgiollabhain.ie/2020/11/23/rugger-guy-does-a-deep-dive-in-to-rifc-year-end-accounts/
HS,
I has been mentioned by numerous posters on here today. Seemingly it was the buzz on other blogs.
But of course you already knew that.
Dumbest guy in the room Maxwell says sorry.
Well that’s alright then
If Allardyce is at CP,someone can have my season.
December 5
Ross County vs Rangers 12pm
Celtic vs St Johnstone 3pm
December 13
Dundee Utd vs Rangers 12pm
Celtic vs Kilmarnock 3pm
December 19
Rangers vs Motherwell 12pm
Celtic have Scottish Cup Final same weekend.
December 23
St Johnstone vs Rangers 7.45pm
Celtic vs Ross County 7.45pm
26th Dec
Rangers vs Hibs 12.30pm
Hamilton vs Celtic 3pm
30th Dec
St Mirren vs Rangers 7.45pm
Celtic vs Dundee Utd 7.45pm
Having been unable to log on yesterday and busy today, can I just say Big Jim, Rock Tree bhoy, bANKIEBHOY , An Tearmenn, and a few others
your utter celticness fairness shines through, that was a good read back.
keep it lit
SID1888 on 23RD NOVEMBER 2020 8:23 PM
‘the buck stops firmly with PL.’
###
No.
Greenpinata
`But of course you already knew that.`
Yes, I did but I was surprised enough that you SEEMED to be taking it as a fait accompli that I thought I had better ask.
Ernie
DD ?
I asked earlier:
“Sid 1888
What precisely has Paul67 said in his article that shows he is toeing the Party line or has lost touch with reality?”
Are you still looking?
I`ll check tomorrow for any response .
Cheerio for now.
If you compare Neil Lennon’s reaction to Celtic’s Scottish Cup semi-final defeat to Ross County in 2010 to his reaction after the draw with Hibs at the weekend you will find it almost identical. Thing is Neil was the caretaker manager back then, and the team Tony Mowbrey’s. This time around he has been in charge for over eighteen months not eight weeks. Back then we should have won the title in 2011, and only a lack of professionalism in preparing for a key game prevented us from doing so. We were a good team for a couple of seasons, albeit with some bad domestic cup results, after which key players were let go, forced out, transferred call it what you will, end result Neil left in 2014, for a Bolton that even then were heading in a downward spiral, from which they have never recovered. His team was at its’ strongest when both Mjallby and Thompson were at his side, no shrinking violets, (witness Alan’s reaction to Neil being attacked at Tynecastle) but that said Ronny Deila found a dressing room culture which was well, less than professional, something Brendan was not prepared to tolerate, especially from his Captain. Though no shortage of good players at Celtic now, this team is not as good as Neil’s earlier versions, nor of Brendan’s at its’ best. The only real common denominator I can think offhand from 2010 till now are the Manager and the Captain, during which could be yet another historic season. Neither are delivering.
HOT SMOKED
Have you read what Paul67 said.
If you had you wouldn’t need to ask questions
INIQUITOUSIV on 23RD NOVEMBER 2020 8:48 PM
No disrespect my friend and I know you’re only posting the link.
But Phil’s ‘Rugger Guy’ has been spouting this stuff for the last 8 years and that mob are still swilling around the plug hole.
Anyone thinking they will be allowed to go pop this season, when 11-14 pts ahead having played maybe 3 games more, really needs to wise up.
HS @ 7:31
Because it all needs to be resolved sooner rather than later. Otherwise it is just hoping for a miraculous transformation to occur during what Paul describes as our least taxing month of the league campaign. Clearly that’s our strategy (no laughing at the back) as “if we arrive at Ibrox solid in defence, controlling midfield” then it’s game on apparently. That’s one hell of a big “if” and imho isn’t grounded in reality nor plausible based on what we’ve all witnessed these past 6 months or so. I believe that Paul must know this hence my comment.
Ernie Lynch @ 8:59pm
Yup!
Celtic Mac- I posted a few weeks ago that IMO, Neil Lennon Mark 2,has lost his edge, sitting passive in the dugout, his man management ‘bark’ was a stick to beat the guys with when required, the ship has sailed now….
Watching the Hearts documentary, the way they treated Stendel was absolutely disgraceful, he gave up his wages as soon as they went into lockdown,Levein, who was still there,didn’t….
!!bada bing!!
Not only just his edge, but his focus as well.
Therein lies the tale…
A bit of bully is always good 😉
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marco_Silva
New manager, Wiki sorted it
CELTIC MAC-really good post @9:12pm
Although to compare things now from to back then is unfair I think.
As a player our captain only went one way.Our manager stayed still
You have to wonder if young strachen being signed up as a coach was just coincidence
fairhill bhoy
Whoever takes over whenever might see a parallel
If Neil is replaced – don’t relish it, but it looks inevitable – they need to know their foe from day 1.
Our most formidable foe in Alba being the Scottish meeja (and our own Execs some have claimed!)
Talk of exotic, young aspirants is nice but I’d fear they’d get bushwacked by agenda-driven bluenose journos.
Overwhelmed by the scale and scrutiny as the Scots fitba ‘system’ coalesces to roar Den Huns onwards.
I think our strategy needs to be a wily auld heid to get the season back on its bullet-train tracks again, before that person mibby moves to a mentor role for a fresher face in the dugout, after the 10th title’s in the bag.
A WGS or MON could bolster us in the short term; a father figure type.
For those thinking they’d be too old, I hear some senior blokejust got a pretty big and busy gig in the US at the age of 78 where the requirements are almost as tense (and stakes as high) as our club hotseat?
HH
CELTIC MAC-canny see any parallel with whoever our next manager maybe.
I think our captain and our manager unfortunately are both at the end of their careers.
Scott has been flogged to death and it’s unfortunately been showing for a while
So what’s it to be then
Wgs or mon?
MON for me all day long.
I still remember Wgs and his last season playing football across the back four like it was the new craze 😡
FAIRHILL BHOY on 23RD NOVEMBER 2020 10:04 PM
Agreed but do you also remember O’Neill’s last season – and pretty much every team he’s put out since?
Neither fills me with great optimism to be fair.
Sevco fans will be hoping Lennon stays but if he is to go, they’d be in hysterics if Scotland’s wealthiest club goes back in time for O’Neill or WGS.
SQUIRE DANAHER
With respect, the accountant doesn’t specifically forecast they will go bust. I think the assumption is that the Directors will keep digging in the pocket until they get what they want. Stop the 10, and get into the CL.
I agree with you – they will not be allowed to fold. And it looks as if the SPL winners in season 2021-22 will go directly into the Group Stages. If we lose the 10, and sad to say, it is looking more likely, we will be in a real pickle next season. We will not have Laxalt, Duffy or Elyounoussi, and we will probably not have Eddie, Ntcham, Ajer, Christie or Brown. Even if a Covid vaccine is efficacious, we may have to shutter the upper deck, as the fallout will be significant.
That is why I think Sevco are looking more to next season than this. The Goggle eyed guy from Castlemilk said they only need to win one and we will fold. He is looking remarkably prescient. In fact, I think we may have folded already, without a whimper. Just sickening.
“ST TAMS on 23RD NOVEMBER 2020 9:12 PM
HOT SMOKED
Have you read what Paul67 said. If you had you wouldn’t need to ask questions”
My reading of what Paul67 said is that we can forget progression in the EL but we have a set of fixtures coming up which could yield fifteen points and a Scottish Cup. Paul then suggests that such a scenario ( which he accepts is not guaranteed) could lead to improvements in our team which would ensure that we would have a decent chance of beating Sevco in January.
Do you think I have misread Paul`s article?
fairhill bhoy
The parallel with what Neil took over in 2010
And what he is likely to leave behind in 2020
That parallel
Irish pickers on virgin channel 270 is worth a watch bhoys.
D :)
GEEBEE1978-I think MON team was aging at that point.
And fair play to WGS for taking over that team ,cutting the wage bill and still giving us great nights in Europe.But his last year was chronic 😉
Had a good long walk with the wee man today, I think both our ears are still burning about the Celtic!
My own thoughts.
Some of the vitriol that Lenny has received recently has been absolutely abhorrent. Despite everything, the guy deserves to be treated decently and with respect.
However, I’m on record as saying that I’ve never rated him as a coach. I’ve read up on the top coaches, and that includes Rodgers by the way, though he’s not in the elite bracket. Watch the respect that they have for each other at the end of a game. Why? Because they all do the same thing. They’re diligent and thorough in everything they do, from diet to fitness to tactics to preparation, absolutely everything. Compare that to Lenny’s recent comment that he’s worried we’re giving the players too much information. Fuck sake! All these top coaches study the opposition, the individual strengths and weaknesses and they give this to their own players prior to games to ensure that they’re best equipped to deal with the players their up against. He’s worried we’re giving players too much info! You can’t give a player too much info!!!
While at Celtic, Rodgers was in control of every aspect of the footballing side of the club, from pro youth to first team. That’s a fact. He controlled the length of the grass to the team on the Saturday. Where are we now?
We have a purpose built room at Lennoxtown with state of the art technology, providing every iota on the statistics of every single player from training to actual games. It now lies dormant and empty.
I’m not just blaming Lenny, I’m also holding the board culpable. They appointed him on the back of a cup final win in the hope that it would be swallowed amongst the hysteria of another treble. It wasn’t, I’m certain that the sense of bewilderment
and disappointment was felt on hundreds of buses just like ours. It was rushed and unprofessional. Lawell et al must take responsibility, they took the cheap option and it’s coming back to bite their arse.
I’ll repeat, Lenny doesn’t deserve the disgraceful treatment he’s received on social media. However, see this ‘he answered the call’ pish! Over the years he’ll have received in excess of £10m from Celtic. At the time he came back to ‘answer the call’ he was out of work. Lenny has been brilliant for Celtic. But Celtic have been brilliant for Lenny! It would take him years to get to the knowledge and level of these top coaches and we don’t have that. We’ve got a once in a lifetime opportunity to win 10 in a row and we’ve got an amateur at the helm. Don’t give me the ‘keep the faith’ ideology, absolutely no harm to lennybhoy, as good a Tim as you’ll find, but it means nothing. It doesn’t win you games and it doesn’t win you 10 in a row.
I’d love nothing more than for Neil Lennon to be the man who leads us to this unparalleled, unprecedented holy grail but the sad fact is that the Huns are now better drilled, better coached and a better team under Gerard then we are under him. They’re not better players, we’ve shown that, but individually and collectively they’re on a different level from us now.
The plc board underestimated Gerard and his coaching staff on a wing and a prayer in the hope that a guy who believes tactics are overrated would be sufficient.
Lawwell’s legacy is in the balance as is Desmond’s.
In my opinion this can’t be turned around without a change at the helm. To suggest leaving Lenny in place to see how things pan out from now until January 2nd is madness.
I’m not giving up hope, these players are good enough, they just need an appropriate leader.
Change has to happen now!
CELTIC MAC- I think if Lennon does go then he leaves a much better squad than 2010.
INIQUITOUSIV on 23RD NOVEMBER 2020 10:09 PM
Agree with everything you’ve said but Sevco might have a bit of rebuilding too. Morelos and Barisic will probably be off and I have a sneaky feeling that this might be Slippy’s last year too…
If he stops the 10, his reputation goes through the roof and he’ll be looking at top Championship/middle-ranking Premier League clubs. His stock will be as high as it might ever get and I don’t think he’ll risk that by staying at Rangers…..