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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I see the BBC are making much of the arrests at the “Celtic Qualifier”
I assume that it was peace and harmony the previous night the petrofas cup game.
001 bhoy – rumours are that ronnie had no choice but to play the norwegian – again only rumours –
Remember this legend, with the chicken, the, Cana lager, some bread, ana fishin rod,
What a plonker.
http://youtu.be/1ZHnWpLQtyo
James Forrest is praying for The Unconquerable Oscar Knox
14:21 on
7 August, 2014
macjay1 for Neil Lennon:
I think a lot of those guys would have stayed if they believed we were serious about adding quality to the team. Had we gone out and spent every penny of the Wanyama money, for example, do you think Hooper would still have gone?
===============================================================
That`s an opinion.
Now,I don`t know and,on that basis, I am not in any position to condemn.
The real cause of the Scottish fitba` malaise is Rupert Murdoch rather than Peter Lawwell,
but that`s only an opinion. :-)
Aff tae ma kip.
Thoroughly enjoyed our wee contretemps.
Hail Hail,James.
Wow, I’m always amazed how down I can get after a bad result and last night, the whole tie, was as bad as it gets.
We were poor, awful.
Does anyone remember when you could get excited during a transfer window, seems a long time ago since I last was.
Modern football is decided by pace, movement and teamwork (a working team), I saw little of that last night and can’t see much of it across the squad.
A couple of things I heard last night and read today have stuck in my craw, however. You can’t accuse the club of downsizing (I’m not saying here we haven’t been downsized) and cite examples like, “didn’t replace Wanyama”. Wanyama was bought for a pittance and turned good, replacing him with something of the same kind of deal (rogic, biton) is not downsizing, it just hasn’t had the same success. I heard last night we downsized the manager by appointing an unproven inexperienced manager who is naïve (cc Tom English I believe) in place of a proven manager in Neill Lennon. Now I’m a big fan of Neill, as a man and a celtic manager, but ‘proven’ and ‘experienced’ are not words that could be used to describe him on his appointment.
oh for a combative and ball playing central midfielder, a striker who strikes (and is quick),a couple of fast direct wide men and a quality number 10 (number 7 for us) Riquelme like (a young zidane if I’m greedy)).
God knows what’s happened to the defence over 4 weeks in the summer, I suspect they are imposters, has anyone tried pulling of their masks scooby doo style?
I’m in for the journey…….are we there yet, ad infinitum
All over the stadium there were Poles who cheered and then goaded the Celtic fans when Legia scored. This was in your face stuff.
In our section 6 or more were led away by police, and we could see the same happening in other areas. What then happened was they were taken round to the away end and a new section was opened to house them all. And there were a lot.
I’m glad we sold so many tickets, that amount of folk intending to disrupt could’ve been a real problem had our end been a bit more sparse and they hadn’t been chased out so quickly.
big wavy
14:27 on 7 August, 2014
Nothing lately mate, last I heard was Monday that there could be movement in the next week. Things I have previously shared on FF, VVD and Matthews are now out there and bids are expected.
On ins names I have heard are Stuart Armstrong and Paul Dixon, mentioned them before. However, I would stress that they may not sign.
I know I may be stating the obvious but I hear there is unrest amongst the Players.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Lennybhoy…Supporting the DAM 5 and CFC until I die
14:43 on
7 August, 2014
Watched Paul Dixon twice in last week or so playing in friendlies for Huddersfield v Sheff Utd and Newcastle. Decent defender who can get forward and isn’t afraid to have a shot either.
CELTIC legend Pat Bonner believes his old club have been too slow off the mark in the transfer race.
He admitted: “Attracting players may be a problem now.
“I think they’ve missed a trick. It should have been done before now.
“But do they spend the money without Rangers in the league?”
Celtic have picked up £33million in prize money from the Champions League in the past two seasons and the club announced pre-tax profits of £21.3m earlier this year.
The sales of Victor Wanyama, Gary Hooper and Kelvin Wilson last summer contributed to the figures and Bonner is concerned the Hoops will find it difficult to hold onto Fraser Forster and Virgil van Dijk.
Former Republic of Ireland international No.1 Bonner added: “That’s the dilemma.
“They have two big assets for whom they can get money to compensate for the loss of Champions League earnings.”
Cheers Lennybhoy as always.
http://m.citywire.co.uk/wealth-manager/aa-rated-nick-train-ups-stake-in-celtic-fc/a766271?ref=wealth-manager-fund-and-manager-news-list
Old news?
mullet and co
a loan of a decent player could well the only option we have now. If we use a bit of nouse, we might get someone to help us.
67 Heaven hi we talked last night and you made your position re the manager clear as you have again today. To make your view credible you must have a Plan B replace with who?? You may be right and be a visionary but I would give the guy time and if it does’nt work ok you were right and I was wrong. At the moment I feel the players take the blame some of these guys are “swinging the lead” there may be internal issues but I’m not qualified to comment on them. See you on the 16th. Hail Hail Hebcelt
darwinsbeautifulidea
14:31 on 7 August, 2014
Fed up with all youse andy walkers,we should sign all these scottish duds,these are the players who we thrash every time we play them,last season I did not see one good performance from a scot in any game against us,we are bad enough already without bringing in rubbish
=
Agree Not one of those mentioned currently playing in the SPFL are what is required or anywhere near Celtic class players, unless we all blindly accept that this is now our level – buying the best of an extremely poor lot. We need quality not more ‘distinctly average players’. Lets face it if any of those mentioned were anyway half decent an English championship side would have signed them by now. In the case of one wouldn’t we be competing with the likes of Scunthorpe for his signature FFS. Let’s go and spend some money on experience and quality – there must be some 30+ players out there who happily sign for Celtic. But no sell on value doesn’t fit into PL’s pension plan so we will sign another 5 projects of which perhaps one will make a profit to balance the loss made on the 4 other duds. We are furiously treading water but failing to keep our head above water. Time to change the paradigm Celtic. I still can’t get my head around how we have arrived at this juncture.
Frankie Bhoys say a big NO to Celtic PLC.
Hebcelt
not sure as fans on a forum or attending games we need to have a plan B.
It is those who make the decisions who should always have a Plan B.
It seems to me that in the resignation of Neil Lennon to the appoointment of Ronny D that those muppets don’t even have a Plan A. ronny was meant to be an assistant manager!
MWD says AYE
Moonbeams agreed we are not paid to run the club but when you knock something it always helps your argument if you can suggest an alternative ie sack the “bored” then what? Hope you are keeping well. Hail Hail Hebcelt
Lennybhoy
1st to admit that I have ZERO knowledge of the goings-on inside the Celtic football side of business.
The players may have a right to feel a sense of unrest….some of it may be directed towards the 2 guys in the dugout of the CEO in his box…..just don’t know as an outsider….but I hope to the Big Guy upstairs they’ve also cast an eye over in the direction of us and felt the ‘unrest’ that’s coming down in waves towards their efforts – or apparent lack of – last night.
HH jamesgang
I must say that getting to Embra for a big game is a pain in the arse, but what I will say about it is that the stadium is prob. One of the best I have been in without a doubt, washrooms all over the place, drinking fountains all round the stadium, line ups where no problem for food, yes I must say it’s an outstanding stadium, could maybe have built it more outside the city but all in all, puts most stadiums to shame in Scotland .
Heres a thought no one has mentioned.
We have obviously scouted Poland before (ie Zurawski and Boruc) however we were looking for a different player profile then.
After the completion of yesterdays thrashing, being out passed, out pressed and out thought by the team 10th in their top league, surely its worthwhile sending the scouting team to Poland to look at the 9 above them…!?
What would one of Legia’s top players cost – £1.5-2m…??
” We spoke before last nights game ( Barca 0 -Napoli 1 ) He ( the owner ) would be delighted to make the last 8 of the Champions League but would take no delight in spending the necessary money ”
Rafa Benitez -Italian radio 7 8 2014
TD67 have to agree superb facilities and staff been there twice no complaints. Hail Hail Hebcelt
Surely everyone at Celtic, Club and PLC, should look themselves in the mirror and ask have they given their all. Lets start from there.
I have my own opinions, obviously, regarding quality of replacements (aka downsizing), it starts from the very top and the quality of our chairman leaves a helluva lot to be desired, im sure anyone who has had experiences with him will know this only to well
Hebcelt
Yes the staff where wonderful, no matter where you where in the stadium you could go in any gate and walk round to your area, none of this “awe your at the wrong gate, you have to go round to the. Other side” rubbish, very civilised, but some of our young fans, WOOFT,
A wee lesson on how to behave when your at a football ground, I saw loads of them and there is no way they would remember a thing about the trip never mind the game, I’ve said it many times, “youth is wasted on the young” ;)
hebcelt
15:04 on 7 August, 2014
Perhaps a new owner with a genuine interest in how the team is performing.
And maybe, we can but dream, a regime where the most high profile individual at the club isn’t the CEO.
Other European clubs seem to manage it.
Doc
10:04 on
7 August, 2014
(previous article)
Absolutely no reason for you to apologise mate. I should not have posted it, whatever the song.
HH
MWD
It takes two to dialogue a point I made a long time ago to PL when talking about the Membership Scheme.
Res12 will tell us and me if he listened. So far so good. I will also remind you that Res12 was not voted against. Ever thought why that is (outside the default position it was a ruse pulled by the Board on shareholders).
The point I’m making is the adversarial approach which is or was the way unions and management locked horns in the 70s is inappropriate for Celtic but has become the approach. I wonder how support and clubs relate to each other in Germany where the union management culture was one of cooperation? Has that rubbed off on how clubs and support relate to each other there? Aw Naw can maybe answer.
Attacking folk without listening to their point of view (from either side) generates nothing but heat and conflict.
It also creates a siege mentality. It was obvious to me in the first meeting I had with Tony Hamilton but made slightly easier because he knew my daughter who coached kids in the summer programme.
So I encouraged him to get out more and in the social media sense Celtic are doing that.
I could suggest the Board need to get out more but here is the thing.
When an explanation is given on Celtic’s position on say the OB and Celtic then act to bring the review forward and STILL get criticised or simply disbelieved, tell me this how would you react?
Keep the drawbridge down or pull it up?
So it’s not as I said all one sided and the portrayal that it is only results in those, like myself who try to make the point being accused of defending the Board.
The thing is I don’t see A Board/PLC and the support as two separate entities but one entity in conflict with itself.
It’s a blessing and a curse because you also see the promised land of atonement always out of reach and you try to point at it but everybody is too busy defending themselves from the attacks on each other they never see Paradise.
Fancy yourself as the next Ronny Deila? Think your better than Stein? then here is the invite code to the CQN Championship Fantasy Football League, we are now approaching 80 teams entered.
296638-123206
You have 9 days left to register your team & join the league.
http://fantasy.premierleague.com/
As an added incentive I’ve decided to offer some prizes for the top 3 come the end of the season. The winners will each receive items of their choosing from the Official Celtic Webstore to the tune of
1st £100
2nd £75
3rd £50
Or alternatively, winners can choose to donate any winnings to a Celtic charity of their choice.
Also if by some miracle I end up in the top 3, the winnings will be passed onto the next placed team.
HH
tonydonnelly67
15:15 on 7 August, 2014
‘the staff where wonderful’
###
Don’t want to upset you (I can’t speak for anyone else on here), but there’s a fair chance a lot of them were students.
jude2005 is Neil Lennon \o/
13:59 on
7 August, 2014
B B
Ive never ever saw J C get off the bench. I think thers a harmony prob there. Both of them are out of tune!!
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Maybe they couldnt believe how bad the team was and no amount of pointing /shouting would make a blind bit of difference! hh
Just Another Tim
Maybe you want to change that first statement now :)
Don’t know if it’s selling the concept today of all days…..
EL which high profile clubs would you be thinking of? The German teams spring to mind. Hail Hail Hebcelt
ernie lynch
15:27 on
7 August, 2014
tonydonnelly67
15:15 on 7 August, 2014
‘the staff where wonderful’
###
Don’t want to upset you (I can’t speak for anyone else on here), but there’s a fair chance a lot of them were students.
————————
second….and def biggest…..laugh of my day so far!!!!
HH jamesgang
Anyone else for Summer football?
EL ok so they were wonderful students and your point caller? Take a day off from being the eternal cynic. Hail Hail Hebcelt
Bhoylo83
15:32 on
7 August, 2014
Anyone else for Summer football?
Yes. No brainer for me, far greater positives than negatives.
We should at least be looking to start the league in early/mid July if summer football doesn’t happen.
Macjay1, I agree re mget och breaking Scottish fitba. As In life so in fitba. Money and inequalitydominates, the rich get richer. The whole game is bloated and broken. Clubs living within their means and the rules cannot compete.
Champions league? No. Call it the BundEPLigascudetto (ft. Special guests PSGand the gang)
Another bore fest awaits once it starts and barring a dark horse or two the last 8 is already decided.
Ernie lynch
So what if they where students?
big wavy
15:29 on
7 August, 2014
lol…damn! As Homer would say. DOH!!
HH