It feels like rock bottom this morning and, as far as Europe is concerned, it probably is. The ties against Legia were our worst performances in Europe. Neuchâtel has a horrible 90 minutes, Artmedia was a 20 minute collapse, and we beat Utrecht comfortably at home, but this was abject over two games.
There are unfathomables, for example, it’s hard to know why a defence which was so solid last season is suddenly inert, but it will surprise no one we didn’t make Champions League football this season. The day Neil Lennon left I suggested it would be a huge ask and it’s proven to be.
We are less than two years since the high point of recent seasons, finishing ahead of Benfica and Spartak Moscow in the Champions League, but the decline can be traced slightly further back than that.
We had an 18 month purple patch of player recruitment, starting when Fraser Forster, Gary Hooper and Emilio Izaguirre arrived in summer 2010, continuing with the arrival of Wilson and Wanyama, and ending with Mikael Lustig’s signing in January 2012. We were bringing players in for a few million who were Champions League calibre.
Since Lustig, the strategy hasn’t changed, but despite signing a raft of players, for much the same money, only van Dijk has improved the team. Most are, at best, misfits or squad fillers. Things started to go wrong with the bizarre signings of Miku and Lassad in late August 2012 and ramped up last summer with the arrival of Boerrigter, Pukki, Balde and Biton. There are more, of course. Some, like Griffiths and Johansen are hitting the modest levels expected of them, but we’ve been missing the target at an alarming rate.
Ronny Deila has so far brought in a six month loaner. He’s working pretty much with the squad Neil Lennon scraped into the Champions League with last season. He’ll now know what you and I knew about the squad months ago. Most importantly, he needs backing from the club as well as the support.
He has to refresh the squad, try to clear out the deadwood, and perhaps accept that one or two of our reliable performers in recent seasons are beyond their peak. It’s critically important that whatever has been going wrong since Lustig’s arrival is put right. Stop haemorrhaging millions of players who cannot command a starting place and start finding value.
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Paul67
“try to clear out the deadwood, and perhaps accept that one or two of our reliable performers in recent seasons are beyond their peak.”
Agree, and hope the board that appointed RD give him time to build his own side. There were players at home and abroad on Saturday, when Celtic’s second string was peddled in Helsinki as something they are not, and quite a few that will require some shifting, before I would spend any money, I maintain, it’s the correct strategy.
Two, or three larger transfer investments might have changed the aggregate score, but not the outcome. I hope when we do splash out RD gets the right men in, but more importantly it’s time to lighten the wage bill, and freshen the side.
Too many of the sack the board brigade have already moved out, and even if there was a boardroom reshuffle or fundamental change, there’s no chance of a change in overall policy, as Europe is Celtic’s fantasy football, since the game became artificially based on ‘the wealthy win’ The parallel is there with Ajax and others, who have little chance in Europe, even though their Leagues are healthy.
The sooner the big money MSM sales are shown the door the better, and Deila settles down to what we have become good at, recovery. where the nonpareil of the Celtic support will be in Perth next Wednesday
The only thing in RD’s favour at the moment is that he is in accord with the support that some Celtic players are not good enough.
We need a Celtic manager and the person in post deserves to time to show, why he was appointed, however even this boardroom structure, won’t survive a TM2.
Clashcitybhoy
Yup another tick in the summer football box.
Last 2 weeks in June/July Scottish Cup festival. Work around WC and ENC games broadcast. Full let’s have fun throttle in the other years.
Could clubs invite guest players or managers to spice it up?
If we cannot get out of this place let’s make it less miserable.
After Reading the Raft of Complaints..
Ah Hiv reached the Concluseion
The SOURCE of awe oor Troubles..
Disnae Lie In the Stars, Virginia..
Nay..Neethur… in the Poor Performances of our Playaer.. nor.. In oor Noo Manager.
NA..
The SOURCE.. the Well Spring( Great Woid..ed).. The Big Spanner in th Woiks..
Has bin Sussed n Located..
it is..
None Ither than
PETER LAWWELL!
So..
That’s easily Fixed..
Why don’t we jist Fire him?
That should Do the Trick..
Right?
Seems the sensible thing ,tae Dae..
Get Ridda Peter, n.. Also.. the Present Celtic Board..(That goes withoot Sayin.. But..
Ah wull Say it.. Anywey~)
n
Voila!
Awe Celtic’s Troubles wull disappear…like a Rat up a Drain Pipe.
Kojo
Still,Laughin’
Blantyre Tim
I saw that. I was wondering if they would and on what grounds but a dude on Twitter put me right. :)
Auldheid I see you are continuing with operation distraction. Summer football? How about trying to play football first?
The loss of Champions League revenue will have a detrimental effect on the balance sheet but not for the average fan.
How much from recent profit has been invested in the team ?
The appointment of RD was lauded as forward thinking.
Those responsible for the appointment have only one “get out clause”.
Back the new man or remove yourself from decision making at Celtic Park.
The player’s (excluding McGregor) need to have a hard look at themselves.
Overpaid , comfort zone , or mind’s elsewhere sums up the various attitudes.
Leadership not strategy is required but from where ?
If energy and pace are required in the team
let’s not limit potential signings to those with only a (sell _ on ) strategy.
Experience will also be required.
Tough decisions ahead.
If summer football brings only one benefit, being that the team is better prepared for those nuisance CL qualifiers – then it is worth it for that reason alone.
HH.
Has Mr Lawwell released a statement today , addressing the issues we have and reassuring the support we have a plan ?
Yeah thought not
Well it seems that the happy clappers fall into two broad camps.
The ones who say it’s all just too hard and we should accept being terrible. Bournes and Auldheid good examples.
And those who blame their fellow supporters for reading newspapers or being like thatcher.
And bourses you said
The sooner the big money MSM sales are shown the door the better, and Deila settles down to what we have become good at, recovery. where the nonpareil of the Celtic support will be in Perth next Wednesday
Err who are these big money MSM sales? I must have missed em?
Neganon
I think its more to do with trying to sort out the state Scottish football is currently in and suggesting ways to make it better?
Feel free to join in
The last thing PL or any chairman/CEO should do after a defeats in football is release statements.
BBC reporting that a statue of Clyde has been stolen from its place in Govan..
Meantime Rangers announce a press conference to unveil a new centre half.
So Ronny Detractors resort to Claiming mentioning the Artmedia defeat was in fact the happy clappers saying our start under O’neil was just as week in Europe? That Neil got time because things slowly improved? Well it takes a lot more than 2 games to see gradual improvement and even in those 2 there was a modest but not impressive improvement from a 4-1 going on 10 embarrassment to a team edged out by the superior technical team. As for folk Calling Neil a Coward not sure where any one has said that, if someone has I’d like to see it quoted. Seems the negatonians are happy to invent/ignore facts as they see fit. For example we gave Mowbray a near full season inspite of continued evidence of regression, he only did well at the start in europe because he still had the bones of a competent side which he dismantled. Now Ronny has the bones of a side weakend by Injury to its key men and a side that was crumbling due to sales of best players and a lack of technical ability. He deserves more than 2 games to show us what he is worth, he deserves his own players.
Oh I forgot another camp of happy clappers think it’s all due to a sense of entitlement from celtic fans……go figure…..
Bournesouprecipe:-
Who are these big money MSM signings that you wish to be shown the door? What are your thoughts on the performance of the scouts and John Park who draw up the shortlist of players to be signed by Celtic?
Nhoylo83. Ok. How about reinvesting profit to try and make the team better? That sounds like a sensible idea?
Incidentally peters too busy trying to sell players to make a statement.
Neganon
Yep, i agree..
But whats your thoughts on Summer football?
This is another fab post from mceltic
Onwards and upwards. We are all hurting after two awful performances but we will be back. As I said on the last thread too many things were stacked against us. To blame the board or the manager is nonsense. Every single player who played in either of the two ties could have done much better.
To say we did not strengthen the squad for the qualifiers may well be true, but who was going to buy the players we needed? The CEO? The manager has been chosen to re-build a squad. He has inherited a fair bit of deadwood. He had no choice but to try and get what he could out of the squad he was given. He could not go out and buy someone without understanding how that player was going to fit with what he already had. He needs time to assess the current squad, weed out the players he doesn’t want and invest in some much needed midfield and forward quality. The problem as I see it is that he has to sell our better players, who are all defenders, in order to do it.
It’s going to be a season for domestic dominance and slow building towards Europe next year. If we can qualify for the Europa League and stay in beyond Christmas that would be an unlikely bonus
Err well ,mceltic PL recruited CG without a manager and he picks all the other players too. So what you on about. Poor Ronny was quoted as wanting to bring in players but we haven’t been able to do so yet. Cos PL is busy selling probably.
And given we have money in the bank why the hell do we need to sell first? Same old trash trotted out year on year.
For those advocating summer football…..and in the process really killing Scottish football as we know it………..I always thought going to see Celtic in winter brought I bit of sunshine and warmth into my soul !!!
Winter football is not the reason we are pash!!!
neganon2- Imagine for a minute you were a top quality footballer, of any nationality- the kind that Celtic need- what would attract you to come to Scotland and play in one of the poorest leagues in Europe?
It’s times like these that Celtic Quick News comes into its own. I was howling at the moon last night, and obviously still gutted, but a few logical and well written posts on here have soothed my ire.
God bless CQN and all who sail on her.
Árd Macha
Got a text from our prominent CQN texted toady, which fair cheered me up today
“We will be back” so “Keep the Faith” – thanks Bhud,
On another positive, when when we make the Europa League, we could pick up more coefficient points than we would in the Champions League :-)
Oh
And I did waken up, and still a Proud Tim :-)
Hail Hail
Bhoylo83. Glad you agree pity we don’t do it eh?
Or how about not doing daft friendlies all over the world to make money and instead preparing intensely for qualifiers?
Or how about not selling your best players before qualifiers?
Or how about having strikers who can score goals?
Or having strikers full stop?
Or stop criminalising your support?
As for summer football. That’s a distraction that Auldheid is hoping will take to avoid talking about the painful truth.
I know there’s a few posters saying Legia are a good side. I doubt they’ll get througfh the next qualifier and I’ll be putting money on it. If they do somehow manage to get through, I’ll bet on them finishing last in their group with a couple of bob on nil points. They’ll not score an easier goal than their second last night.
Ah Goldstar 10. You are in the it’s all too hard camp.
Well how about we try? And how about we spend some of the money we have to achieve it. And how about the fact that most players salivate at the thought of celtic park on CL night?
Or how about we just buy some good scottish talent that we can afford?
How about we just fedkin try?
neganon2
Who did we sell this year before qualifiers ?
Oh yes Tony Watt, who wasn’t getting a game
St j 1 up
Just another Tim, cheers mhate.
goldstar10-
sorry to jump in to your question to NegAnon2.
In 2010 Izaguirre and Forster joined Celtic after we had been knocked out of the CL and EL at qualifying stage. Ledley and Hooper joined when our European status was not assured. Ki had joined earlier in 2010 after we had been knocked out of Europe.
In 2011 Wanyama signed before we played the EL qualifier.
In 2013 van Dijk signed before we played the CL qualifier.
All very decent players who were more than happy to come and play for Celtic, regardless of whether European football was guaranteed.
Yes, its not easy to attract players to Scotland. But good players will always be interested in signing for Celtic. The trick is finding these players and paying the money to sign them up.
Whatever the outcome of last night it is too quick and too easy to say bin the manager. He is 6 weeks into a job and has a way of playing that is something the existing playing staff will not immediately be in tune with. I listened to Clyde on the way home from dropping my brother in law off at the airport (I tell you priests in this day and age get far too many holidays). Anyway Keevins and Frankie Bhoy were saying its legitimate to ask if the players are playing for Ronny! Utter tosh, they seem to have forgotten about Morton,Ross County, Aberdeen, St Mirren, Kilmarnock etc under NFL and other bad days under WGS and MON. Not happy about last night but manager must be given time and allowed to assess squad and bin those he sees on a day to day basis that just don’t get it……Peter Lawell appears to be caught in the headlights where he doesn’t want to pay £6m on a player(would they come) but is happy to spend 600k to £1m on guys who more often than not are no better than what we have. Like everything else the answer to our transfer strategy is probably in the middle but a growing number of our fans are on the edge and we could see some real tension at our games this season if the fans and the board don’t get on side soon.
Neg Anon What about the happy clappers that just say to be faithful through and through? You have an issue with that? Or that until we give Ronny some of his own players we cannot make a judgement on a team in not much healthier shape than the one Mowbray Left to Neil? 2 games against a class side is no way to condemn a man as a no Hoper. After all Neil had no experience of any level of management and did an adequate if not devastating job, no doubt the off field abuse held Neil back a lot from what he could do if he did not have morons assaulting him or sending him bombs and bullets and a MSM telling us he brought it all on himself.
I do not care if the board only give Ronny peanuts to spend what I care is that they let him bring in many players no matter what league we go to. There will be quality playing for the Rotherham’s of this world that we can afford who would improve the squad, Journey men with no sell on value but who would help make us a stronger team in europe and domestically.
The strategy of always look for potential needs to be tweaked a bit to provide some known quantities who can give us the solidity to actually make the projects work better than thus far. We also need to start identifying projects with more natural talent than we have actually done thus far. I believe it is possible because Legia did it, Ajax often do it, so can we.
Remember we will still all be Celts tomorrow.
Neganon2 / The Glorius Balance Sheet
Clumsily put, I meant outgoing big sales VVD and FF.
At least that’s if you believe the papers, VVD has been leaving since his second game for Celtic, according to some.
As an aside I’ve not seen him outstanding in Europe, have you?
The keeper could go backwards the way of many keepers in the EPL.
Overall the scouting system have done very well *as the balance sheet shows * The ship hit a rock with the three Amidos – Balde Pukki and Boeriggter.
Like it or not that was the budget, and it was no Willo Flood window by comparison,
They don’t know who to buy especially when they are in a hurry, and are likely to get burned again.
If Europe is our measure, yes Celtic are poor, but a sprinkling of ‘bigger purchases’, is tantamount to madness, and not what is required.
I repeat we need a Manager.
Auldheid,
To me the ibrox club are an irrelevance. There is not one thought to be like them.
Celtic is the pre-eminent club in Scotland. Celtics strategy and execution of the strategy needs to be built on this basis. That is not arrogance but reality.
Lawwell is in charge of a 75 mil operation which is actually small beer. He thinks like a small man and acts like one too. There is no creative thought to take the club to the next level.
There are other more capable people with Celtic leanings who are or were CEOs of international companies. Lawwells resume is of a domestic nature and is reflected in his one dimensional thinking.
Celtic will not progress under Lawwell , it is further decline. Ronny is out of his depth. Time for both to go. I have seen too many decisions delayed hoping time will help. It only makes matter worse. Lawwell has lost the bulk of the Celtic support and Ronny has never convinced the dressing room to lose them.
I pen this note from Berlin where I can take time out to reflect and think of the way ahead.
Paul67 site is a wonder and a joy. However his Achilles heal is Lawwell who is a poisoned chalice. It is well known across the Celtic websites of his connections. He is either a Celtic man or Lawwells puppet. The jury is out on that one.
Best Charlie67
Cowiebhoy. We sold our best players ahead of last years qualifiers……..
One other thing. We all know in our heart of hearts that celtic await the return of the Hun and the bigot pound. That’s what it’s all about for PL. That’s why res 12 is strung along and will be dropped. So really what PL and others are saying to us is. Go back to being victimised and cheated and told you are paranoid. Go back to your rightful place in scottish society. Cos it’s good for business.
Does that make you happy clappers happy?
Robert T. Błaszczak @RobertBlaszczak 4m
Legia have just released a statement that there is a possibility that an ineligible player was fielded against Celtic last night. #UCL
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Robert T. Błaszczak @RobertBlaszczak 2m
Legia’s right-back Bereszyński was red-carded last season but wasn’t registered vs St Patrick’s to serve his suspension.
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Robert T. Błaszczak @RobertBlaszczak 20s
It could still be a matter of interpretation but things don’t look bright for Legia as we speak. UEFA have confirmed an investigation.
I still feel gutted 20 hours later.
it still humiliation.
I want PL and the two Onnies gone.
How much profit in the last 2 fiscal years ? anyone ?
In the bank and not on the pitch, whats the point.
Protect Peters bonus ?
Build a war chest for zombie dawn ?
Position of strenght being eroded.
I cant get my head around it.
Sheik Yerbouti
19:18 on
7 August, 2014
Robert T. Błaszczak @RobertBlaszczak 4m
Legia have just released a statement that there is a possibility that an ineligible player was fielded against Celtic last night. #UCL
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Robert T. Błaszczak @RobertBlaszczak 2m
Legia’s right-back Bereszyński was red-carded last season but wasn’t registered vs St Patrick’s to serve his suspension.
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Chris ReikoDerek Millerthe real teemu pukkilee maloneychristopher blytheandrew youngJoseph Ruddy
7:14 PM – 7 Aug 2014 · Details
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Robert T. Błaszczak @RobertBlaszczak 20s
It could still be a matter of interpretation but things don’t look bright for Legia as we speak. UEFA have confirmed an investigation
———————-
Its ok, ord Nimmo Smith says there was no advantage in playing the suspended player.