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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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
Summer football — interesting idea.
It is not the magic bullet to save the club or Scottish football.
How about some ideas to improve what we have got?
kilbowie kelt will vote yes
13:24 on 7 August, 2014
Excellent post mate well said
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Summer football not for me
Earlier start – say July time and winter break for 4-6 weeks would be better
TD
I dont think RD is the problem. The football played against LW was really no different than what we have seen over the last few seasons….lack of ability to make or receive a pass (except safe passes backwards), lack of movement, few or no real chances created.
These things should be meat and potato stuff for a professional footballer, and RD probably showed up at Celtic expecting the players to be able to do so ….
And some of our results papered over cracks and gave the mistaken impression that we were better than we really are ….Against Barca, etc., we had everyone back defending desperately …. we were playing not to get a roasting (although even that didn’t always work) … but sometimes we managed to pull one out …. but it was a false dawn (as last year’s results showed)
RD set up the team to try to win (as opposed to trying not to lose) …. perhaps it was a bit too much too soon, but (i) he has to be fair to the players and give them a chance (although many let him and themselves down), and (ii) in the long run, that is the right way, and if we can do it, it will pay dividends ….
unfortunately, a lot of the players have to learn how to play real football, or be replaced … I think RD needs a bit of time to sort out who can be taught, and who simply needs to be replaced….
Too many of our players play like they have no confidence …. they dont try to take people on … they dont run into forward spaces …. I think these bad habits will have to be unlearned … and this will take a bit of time, and some coaching ….
I have lost count of the number of times players come to celtic, start, and then throw up their hands when they have the ball, but no one to pass it to, as everyone is standing still …
I think RD will make some changes … but the game is scotland is already behind most countries, and is falling further behind every year ….
If Celtic is to succeed, they may have to go it alone ….and Celtic are going to have to be prepared for some tough times when they make the changes (Rome wasnt’ built in a day) …I just hope the players buy into it ….
but my concern is that too many of the players in scotland feel like they have already ‘made it’ as a result, they dont like changes/dont want to work as hard as is necessary or make the necessary sacrifices ..
I think someone needs to make some real changes, and RD is (i) as good as anyone for that, and (ii) probably as good as we could expect, given our present situation.
I’ve taken in a few of the Lennon comments on the blog today and surprised that more of us have not concluded that the confidentiality clause works for Lennon as well as it does for Celtic.
He was sacked by Celtic.
£6m spent on dross last season.
Neither Cup returned to Parkhead.
Touting for jobs in England.
The confidentiality clause works for Lennon more than it does for Celtic. Everyone knows how the club is run and it stinks.
But where do we go from here?
Who are Celtic playing this weekend? Can’t see fixture anywhere. Thanks in anticipation.
Hail! Hail!
FORMER Celtic star Murdo MacLeod blames his old club’s decline on selling out.
The ex-international midfielder thinks the Hoops are not replacing the quality players they are transferring out of Parkhead.
Neil Lennon led the team to the SPFL title by a margin of 29 points last season, but MacLeod believes the quality of play is decreasing.
He said: “The players all want to play in the Champions League and if they don’t have that avenue, they’ll maybe look to go away.
“The standard at Celtic Park is gradually going down.
“It’s a very disappointing start to the season. Losing 6-1 to a Polish side is not good enough.”
MacLeod also dismissed suggestions by under-pressure Ronny Deila that the side requires major work.
He added: “The players will be annoyed reading about a side that needs rebuilt.
“I don’t agree with that. I think Celtic needed one or two good quality players to improve.
“That side romped the league. It was a strong side that went on great unbeaten runs and scored a lot of goals.”
Mncelt
Who do you think signed Gordon for the club then if not the CEO?
MWD
On Celtic’s complicity in the OB preparation can someone supply that evidence. I know Celtic reps met in the JAG but that does not mean they favoured the OB as it came out.
For balance sheet reasons they would have opposed it and I have yet to hear a convincing argument that alienating the support was good for the balance sheet.
That is why I need convincing on Celtic’s JAG involvement and that they were for a bill that is costing them money.
On Res12 the problem is of perception as a result of having to act out of the media glare. It was the price of making the progress that has been made.
IanBhoy929
Nobody sir
Week off
Parytick on Wed( Ithink) away, Then dundee utd next Sat at home
67Heaven … I am Neil Lennon ….The angels are with Wee Oscar in Heaven.. Ibrox belongs to the creditors
16:04 on 7 August, 2014
…..been away out for a couple of hours …… are you lurking, Oldtim67…….If so, please let us know how you are today…..
Oldtim67 had an accident in one of the lounges last night…..cut both his legs, after a trip…… as witness to his wonderful personality, he made light of it …….. The First Aiders did a great job ……… Just hoping your OK today, Oldtim67 ……!!??
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He was certainly ok as we left the stadium. Peter Lawell was standing talking to Bankier and Neil Dongcaster was there when we left the lounge and I had to stop him going over to them to “remonstrate”!
Did I do wrong :-)
pauloantony
14:01 on
7 August, 2014
The one thing everyone forgets…..
Who wants to come to the SP HELL??????
Can we afford the £40-60k per week that some are paying for DIDDYS down south?
Wake up folks……
Poor league….and money beyond our means being thrown about else where…
We’ve tried experienced… Keane, graveson, ljunberg…DID THESE GUYS DRASTICALLY IMPROVE THE TEAM?
Or did you prefer the Wanyama, Hooper and the nakamuras?
Stop dreaming… and get into reality…
Same old crap.Yes there are plenty of players who will come to the SPL.Hundreds of them in Spain,Portugal,France,etc,who are lucky if they gey £20,000 a week,with no chance of CL,winning trophies.Why do people like you keep bringing up EPL ?.They dont interest us.They and a few select others are on a different planet because of Sky cash.
leftclicktic
Many thanks.
Auldheid
Res12 – what is the progress?
Frambo11 – I suspect discussions had been going on with Gordon for some time. I think Ronnie was onboard when the decision was made, so he would have blessed it. Gordon is not a player who adds any strength to our team – he is there for cover for Forster. I would bet my monthly salary that Peter did not make that decision (or any other regards signings).
Discussions had been going on… Of course it was a Lawell signing.
Lawell signed Murphy for Desmond to help his pal Quinn out with his balance sheet.
leftclicktic
16:31 on
7 August, 2014
IanBhoy929
Nobody sir
Week off
Parytick on Wed( Ithink) away, Then dundee utd next Sat at home
St.Johnstone away next Wednesday it is bhoys
Mike in Toronto
Yes I totally agree with you on all points.
mncelt,
Disagree, any player resembling the quality of “Celtic class” has been punted for short term gain.
Summer Football
What’s so sacrosanct about summer holidays? Fans going on their vacation would miss 2 games. Well paid players can follow the sun anywhere/anytime so it makes no difference to them.
It could be argued that our world cup players, Izzy and Efe, came back jaded and didn’t help in our qualifiers.
If Scotland were to qualify for a tournament (I know) then we could make adjustments that season.
On Res12 the problem is of perception as a result of having to act out of the media glare. It was the price of making the progress that has been made.
_________________________________
One question, you are having a laugh right?
Paul67 et al
Summer fitba?
Is that no what we were playing last night?
Here was me thinking James Forrest was an injury prone winger, never likely to ever fulfil his potential…. instead it turns out, he spends his free time as an inspired writer. Well done James.. putting your recuperation time to good use.
Sydney Tim…. cheers for posting the James Forrest article. Apart from the obvious constraints of operating within Scottish Football, it is hard to argue with any of the points made by Jamesy Bhoy
Just Another Tim
Thank you
ger57
Summer football? Our players will go on loan to England in the winter. That will save us a few quid in wages. Ticks a few boxes for the money men.
LB
Summer Football would have to be renamed Middle Of Year Football, or MOYF to be brief.
Follow Follow would then tender the accusation that MOYF is ‘Micky’ sounding in a ‘Murphy’ sort of fashion and state that if the Queen had wanted football to be played in the Summ… Blah blah blah…
Marching Season Fixture Chapter, or MSFC to be brief would be the safest recourse…
FF & VVD
http://youtu.be/kHjT-TEqLBs
Gordon was a double edge signing .
al the work of Peter lawell.
Cheap adequate cover when he sells foster……
poke in the eye of the hun who he trained
with for 6 months
Only thing about Europa Cup, is the longer we in it the more Sunday games we play, right?
Mike in Toronto
You offer a plausible defence of Ronny D…. I just hope the hysteria surrounding his worth subsides. Time is the only baramoter of whether this guy will be viewed as a good, bad or indifferent Manager. I for one, am willing to afford him time.
Obviously if we trail Aberdeen in the league at the turn of the year…. it’ll be a different story.
I hope however he gets the chance to oversee a clear out… Vey few of the current crop would i keep. Scott Brown + Lustig of the experienced players… Young Henderson, and McGregor… I would keep Johansen too. As much as he hasnt impressed of late, i sometimes understand a team player like him is only as effective as those that surround him. Think he will be a good player with good players around him.
I will do cartwheels once the likes of Stokes leaves. Sulky, moody, wrong attitude, thinks he’s better than he is. Please leave. As for the rest, they simply wouldnt be missed !
Start a few weeks earlier in mid July, that is the best compromise at the moment.
There is a much bigger picture than the troubles at Celtic, there is a great buzz around a number of clubs at the moment at Scotland, ticket sales at many clubs have actually gone up and Armageddon was proved to be a myth.
That doesn’t solve the issue of the poor TV deal that we are tied to, making it difficult to compete/retain quality players.
Why shouldnt the bigger clubs in Scotland be able to compete for higher quality players? Clubs can survive in the EPL on crowds of ~20k, buts its not the crowds that matter any more its the TV money.
Hopefully it will blow up eventually but in the meantime, instead of laughing at each other getting put out of Europe, maybe it is time Scottish football fans realised our collective power and got together to form a plan to return Scottish football to levels it can compete more readily at a higher level?
The powers that be in our country certainly don’t seem able to provide leadership.
HH
67heaven … i am neil lennon ….the angels are with wee oscar in heaven.. ibrox belongs to the creditors
16:04 on 7 August, 2014
Been texting oldtim today he didn’t mention his fall.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
leftclicktic
16:31 on 7 August, 2014
Partick was to be this Saturday, St. Johnstone away next Wednesday…
I’ll keep you right old yin…:)
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Lennybhoy…Supporting the DAM 5 and CFC until I die
Spoke to him last night. He was in great spririts.
The fall didn’t keep him down. His attitude would be great on the pitch.
LB
Just Another Tim,
I owe you an apology for last nights post, there was nothing wrong with any of your post’s, there was in my interpretation and lack of dexterity in opening a link.
I’m sorry for my post at 1:07am, it was uncalled for and undeserved and plain wrong.
Doc
Naughty Step for you sir
LOL
It’s Friday it’s five to five……………..well maybe not
Bhoylo83
Summer footballs a nice idea, but how would it work around World cups and Euros etc?