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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Leftie
your post last night made me smile a wee bit and made mrs jg say ‘oh he’s so sweet’ as usual!
And like you I awoke as the same Tim I went to bed as!
Peace n love pal
HH jamesgang
Did emdae notice there was a couple of back heels involved in the 2nd goal?
kitalba
13:20 on 7 August, 2014,
Good post mate, I saw the hurt and disappointment in my kids eyes last night before going to work.
Saying kids 17 and 18 and diehard Celtic fans…not a good way to leave the house both disconsolate at the result.
jimbob71 is praying for wee Oscar
Welcome Home :))))))))))
Till later all
Still, never mind, we have a board of top level businessmen who are very well respected.
They will do everything in their power, to keep Celtic at the top table in European Football.
Shame on anyone who has the cheek to question the ability of these fine businessmen,
they are a credit.
Don’t you know, that we are one of the best run clubs on the planet.
And so on.
There ive done it all for you, no need to defend your strategy….you clappers know best.
HH
Jambos know whats what
Having had a player sent off in three of their last six visits to Ibrox, Hearts have included 10-man training drills in preparation for their Championship opener on Sunday. (Scotsman)
jamesgang
Hugs tae the gang.
traditionalist88
13:24 on
7 August, 2014
You mean, whilst lying on a beach in Australia telling us its fine that we are treated like criminals whilst travelling to support our team?
=================================================================
I was responding to James Forrest 13.14
Strange you should put that bizarre interpretation on what I said to him:
“Celtic supporters put their money where their mouth is.
Can you point us to your comments after we beat Barcelona?”
If you`re his mouthpiece,perhaps you would answer the second question as well.
kilbowie kelt will vote yes
13:24 on 7 August, 2014
What a good post / viewpoint …… We need a reality check ……. get us out of here, Board
sipsini
13:31 on 7 August, 2014
My bhoy’s 15 and he was the same. Sadly I don’t think I’d still be going if it wasn’t for him.
67Heaven
No….Im the Green Man
HH
gorbalstam
very quickly as I am running out.
I was not referring to myself or I would have said so.
I was criticising the attitude of people who call on other people to take up their views and run their campaign on their behalf. I have utmost respect for the Celts for Change people who actually did their own work on behalf of their own beliefs.
All else is venting on an internet Board, whether the vent is happyclapping or mineshafting.
Do you not agree? catch you later
Auldheid
“Like it or lump it not supporting only makes matters worse not better.”
Hmmmmm!
Celts for change? Old board – The Battered Bunnet.
That’s all I have to say about that.
Any comparison you make between the Hun and us is weak in that they are reactionary beyond the point of salvation. Whereas us Tims have got a might strong force when required to enact change if required albeit a little more difficult now with the nature of the beast that is a public limited company. But our PLC brat pack should remember that.
Forgive me also for my cynicism but I do not truly believe that our current oligargh’s give a flying monkey’s about working together. Lip service allied with some pretend sympathetic listening at best. What Resolution is the fine number for Resolution 12 this year?
MWD says AYE
jude2005 is Neil Lennon \o/
13:30 on
7 August, 2014
Did emdae notice there was a couple of back heels involved in the 2nd goal?
________
That is a direct quote from RD to our defence in the dressing room last night.
corkcelt- beat me to it,that team last night were not playing for the manager,it could be a credibility issue.Not seen such a clueless ,gutless performance like that for many a year.The pathetic sight of PLs minder,pointing guys out to stewards, to have them ejected from the ground,for having the cheek to voice their displeasure..I said to Eric Riley the performance was unacceptable,and needed sorted out asap,he stopped dead in his tracks, open mouthed.These guys are so out of touch with the support, it’s scary.
HH
PL treats supporters & even managers with contempt.. He does NOT get Celtic.Never has,never will.. A part of me now believes he’s our very own Trojan horse..preventing us progressing..
Only at Celtic is success NOT praised or built on…
PL is building his very own,shiny new McCaigs folly.
A coliseum , which will be devoid of supporters….the commonwealth games,showed the fact that many people love and are good at other sports…currently they will be lost FOR EVER..The lack of bitterness and bile @ the games was a breath of fresh air..PL in his myopic world thinks supporters will just role up…
Eh Peter…they won’t…ambition is not a shiny Celtic way.. I would watch Celtic on an ash park in the Shetlands if the players were motivated and good..
PL is quite frankly extracting the piston from us….he has ZERO ambition…
We know that because in recent yrs the loss of talented players has become an epidemic…
Europe Peter?
To succeed,don’t sell your players,say thanks to your manager who wins you league title after league title..and don’t treat fans like fools..
Most of us know more about Celtic than you do Peter…fact…
Success? You ARE allowed to win year on year and leave other standing..stop hanging around in the hope of having a cheating,discredited franchise reappear..
Peter I ll tell you why…because if that comes to pass,the return of the bigotry,the bile of a cheating organisation,the remaining decent supporters with vision,will turn elsewhere..
Your folly will be complete,your stadium empty and other sports will benefit..
It’s your choice Peter…but please,do NOT patronise Celtic supporters EVER..
HH
burghbhoy
13:25 on 7 August, 2014
……… And when our absentee supporters turn up at games like last night (those who can manage / afford to, of course) …… now is the time for ‘support’ .. and a change of manager :)
I read in a few posts about an issue I have noticed- that is the growing phenomenon of youngsters choosing to follow EPL teams rather than Celtic- despite the support for the bhoys of their older siblings or parents.
Results like last night act as further impetus for the decline in support. Parents’ enthusiasm wanes, trips to CP become less regular etc.
The club really is at an important stage now. A further season of apathy by the Bored and the support may not be rescued by the introduction of another Glasgow team
Player recruitment and sales are only about 30% of the problem.
The root cause is a strategy that is non existent. We lurch from one crisis transfer window to the next sometimes with a new manager in place.
Pukki and Boerigter were bought when they were second string at other top sides. Injury prone in the case of Boertigter and this should have been his red flag. Pukki was bought as a non goal scoring goalscorer!
How do we fix this?
Forget the Europa league. Punt the players we can fit as much as we can get, keep a core of hardworking home grown talent with a feel for the place, get a few leaders with experience in. Buy a frigging goalscorer.
We will soon know if Ronny is a man or not. That will take care of itself.
This is a football club not solely a nursery for the EPL.
Auldheid @ 13.12
For the life of me I cannot understand how a scout looked at Amido Balde and thought “yes, he’s a player” – I genuinely don’t understand how we would end up with someone with such limited ability.
Dexter
13:39 on
7 August, 2014
jude2005 is Neil Lennon \o/
13:30 on
7 August, 2014
Did emdae notice there was a couple of back heels involved in the 2nd goal?
________
That is a direct quote from RD to our defence in the dressing room last night.
=============================================================
:-))))))))))))))))
Humour.
Exactly what we need.
When my father & uncles seen me disconsolate and crying when things seemed at an all time low for me in my Celtic journey,to a mhan they told me that “Nobody said it was going to be easy being a Celtic supporter son but it sure as God is worth it”.
There is a lot wrong just now as there has been in the past but it is fixable, people may have to come and go to fix it but He – Ho so be it.
KTFcsc
away this time
T Mc L You wdnt say that to Neils face TFS!!!!
And as the sun set on a long, long day, Big Peter walked in to the distance, dragging his sack of loot with him, followed by his loyal minions.
He stopped for a moment to look back, all he could see was a mass of Celtic supporters, and the last thing he heard, was the huge roar of the supporters as they chanted…GTF,GTF,GTF.
THE END.
HH
Legia were much fitter faster and more committed. I presume they are well into their season. If Scottish clubs want to compete in europe we have to start the season earlier. Its odds on the sheep and the farmer boys will be turfed out tonight as well.
Dexter & macj
Thers always a funny side!! lol
Well, I agree with everything in this mornings missive! Biton is a player though.
I think we are getting to the heart of the matter here. The board clearly think we overachieved and that SPL and some Europa games are acceptable.
They clearly do not have any ambition beyond reigniting the panto with Rangers. They clearly think of the fans as Newcastle united did of theirs.
With all the opinions being put forward, just wondering how many posters on CQN are SB holders, or attend matches, or have Celtic TV, or buy merchandise etc?….. In other words, actually support the team …..faithful through and through ……. We have no chance of progressing in the CL (year on year) if we don’t consistently fill Celtic Park, even through difficult periods…….. We have a part to play also
gorbalstam
13:36 on 7 August, 2014,
I’m at a loss just now regarding where we are going.
I hate sounding negative but I see RD being used as a fall guy, unless he gets the backing any new manager deserves.
I know some on here pop into the hun sites as I do, to be honest we’ve probably helped give them a sell out for Sunday with our last two performances.
We all know that thems will be assisted by any means possible, as has always been in the past, when the new creature arrives on our doorstep.
How our board are not financing a team that will pummel them for years to come is beyond me.
bamboo
13:47 on
7 August, 2014
Polish league started 3 weeks ago. Most countries who we’re likely to meet in European qualifiers each year will have either started their leagues in early-mid July or, like the Scandanavians and Irish, play a summer seasons so are midway through their league campaign.
Unfortunately those who run our game cannot see the disadvantage that puts all Scottish clubs at and with each passing year our ranking gets lower and lower.
Never seen Collins get off the bench once last night,like he doesn’t want to be associated with what’s happening on the pitch.
macjay1 for Neil Lennon:
Your argument holds no water. I have better things to do with my money than fund this abject failure, and I’ll hold fast to that.
My comments following the Barcelona game …
http://www.onfieldsofgreen.com/the-incredibles/
In full. Tribute paid to all those who deserved it. You and the other guys who put in every penny. Because that night was for you.
It’s you I wrote last night’s piece for, in case you missed it. The guys who go every week, who put in every penny they can afford, and sometimes what they can’t. The guys who give their heart and soul to this institution, this badly botched balls up of a club which has way too many nights like last night and not enough nights like the one I write about in that link.
Yes, criticise me if you like. Anything not to face the truth of what I’ve written.
But the real truth is simple; I love this club as much as you do. Days like today sap at my soul.
jude2005 is Neil Lennon \o/
13:49 on
7 August, 2014
Dexter & macj
Thers always a funny side!! lol
=============================================================
And thank god for it.
One of my best memories of schooling in Glasgow “back in the day” was a pal whose great line was…………………
“Ach. Anything for a laugh.”
Years later I understood what that meant.
67 heaven, there’s faith and there’s blind faith.
I believe that if you care about something you should question it rather than just accept everything.
Presumably you think what is happening is acceptable?
Gary67
Och don’t worry those happy chaps at the SFA will sort all that out..
!!Bada Bing!!
13:54 on
7 August, 2014
Probably biding his time and thinks the job will be his by Christmas
I think I detected a difference from last season in the way the defence are playing.
It seems the defenders are under orders to keep possession at all times. This is leading to them crumbleing when they are harrassed and pressured. Our defenders were getting mugged or giving the ball to the Legia attackers where-as the Lennon-O’Neil philosophy was more “if in trouble dont mess around just boot the ball out of play”. Ambrose started adopting this approach last season and was a far more effective player.