Back in October 2011 I was for calling an end to the Neil Lennon experiment. During the previous season he lost the league after a late collapse, while exiting Europe in August after defeats to Braga and Utrecht. That season Sion’s insistence in not playing by the rules allowed us a backdoor ticket to the Europa League but we were 10 points behind Ally McCoist’s Rangers.
Subsequent events proved there was not enough evidence on show to judge the Neil Lennon era early in his second season. Neil pulled things together, finished a credible third in the Europa League group and never looked back.
Ronny Deila has already made mistakes in his Celtic tenure but does anyone seriously believe he has had the opportunity and resources to build a team? Of course not. He needs to sort out the many cousins of George Weah who have arrived recently from the genuine John Guidetti’s. He needs players who can pass the ball with reasonable accuracy but most of all he needs players of courage and attitude.
I would probably be singing a different tune if we still had Rangers to contend with, long-term development objectives are important but the short-term need to win the league remains absolute, but we don’t, which means short-term targets remain well within grasp.
The memory of Rangers’ many mistakes in the years before liquidation offers another lesson. They sacked Paul Le Guen six months into a badly needed overhaul project. Le Guen was appointed months before he took up the reins and had enough time to watch his new team and scout transfer targets, but even that wasn’t enough to ensure a smooth transition, as he found the Weahs living in Austria. Le Guen was decrying his as a heretic by a club incapable of change.
Despite the tiredness after Thursday and a plethora of injuries, Celtic had enough resources to swamp a tiny football club yesterday. That we didn’t, suggests Ronny has a big job on his hands. From the frustration shown by Scott Brown and Stefan Johansen at their team-mates yesterday, I suggest he builds his recovery around these two.
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I’m glad Roy Keane is not Celtic manager.
But our pursuit of him made us look amateurish and showed how bereft we were of proper options for the job when he moved to the top of the list.
As for backing the current manager? Ok then, but that goes for the club too. Give the manager the proper say on the players that come in and those that go out, no more of John Park’s usual suspects and Dudu Dahan’s diddies rushed through the door to wear a Celtic shirt that is way too big for them.
Let’s not be having any talk about it being right that Park and Lawwell identify and sign the players as managers are temporary and there is no long term future in a manager who may be gone in a couple of years filling a team with his men.
Neither is there any long term strategy in us filling the team with other clubs projects and rejects on loan. But we are doing that anyway because it is cheap. And that’s all that matters at Celtic now.
Those who would ask the fans to back Ronny also need to ask Peter Lawwell to back Ronny. 12 million quid banked by Ronny on player sales and a fifth of that given back for new players does not equate to backing Ronny.
I’d give Ronny till the end of the season all right.
i.e. autumn.
ger57 11.07
I agree 100% with you, I posted that I believe RD was the long term strategy but I was intending that to read as a head coach who would change the culture of our youth development, increase the level of professionalism and change the playing style of our first team squad but not as a guru who could manage everything.
I agree that we need a strong director of football influencing scouting and signings who is in tune with the head coach regarding the type of player needed to achieve the playing style we want, I hope that Peter and Desmond have this in the plan but I’m not convinced that they do, if they were convinced this was necessary they would already have appointed someone during Neil Lennon’s time.
Hunskelper
I’d agree with that. Thing is that’s on the provisio that we have someone as manager who can see the obvious.
cards on the table here, I’m not sure we have. Some fundamental managerial mistakes have been made. For example, telling our senior pros publicly they need to change, at the onset of your tenure. That’s major mistake, as he is relying on the players.
Then there is the tactics. some of these things mystify me. For example the wingers position.
Guidetti’s substitution amazed everyone. I can’t think of a reason for that choice. Well I can but it’s so daft to be implausible…..that our bench couldn’t see that the problem is in the supply.
Can’t be?
Roy Keane is on a personal crusade to fall out with everyone.
I liked Roy as a player but what has he to gain with his brutal honesty? Sometimes the working of a football club should stay in house. Roy can’t now be trusted. If you don’t agree with him he will lay it out to the world in a book or article. There has to be an element of discretion. He will not get offered a top level job again.
I suspect that Roy may be in line for the Eire job once MON decides it is time to retire.
I have no idea what Roy had to gain with this insert to his book. He is being brutally honest but then again what was the point in taking the Celtic job short term?
Roy hasn;t been the same man since he flew out of Saipan after falling out with Mick McCarthy. He has never got over that. He should have stayed and has admitted it once already that he regretted that decision. His stubborness saw him self combust at Man Utd. He had his wee spell in the Hoops and then a few jobs in management when he done a fairly decent job.
Roy may have been a great Celtic manager but he seems to be a loose cannon these days and I am glad he declined the clubs offer of the management job. It’s interesting that he asked the ball park wages but not the ball park budget for players.
That may tell us all what Roy Keane’s priority was for managing Celtic.
Ronny is now the manager and his suggestion regarding Kris Commons is interesting. My train of thought on this is that Kris would be a link to the coaches and the players. Maybe they are slightly detached? Maybe the coaches have recognised that a senior player as part of the coaching team helps them get some of their thoughts across. It’s an interesting suggestion. I’m not sure Kris has that in his thoughts going forward maybe he has. Where does it leave the captain? A coach could be on the pitch taking orders from the captain? Does the captaincy change?
It may not matter a whole deal but it is out of the ordinary for a football club to have an outfield player as coach who as most of us would agree is not a natural leader on the pitch. Even through the captain merry go round of the last few seasons Kris is not even 2nd or 3rd choice most of the time.
It appears to me that the coaching staff see Kris as an influence on the dressing room maybe the biggest influence and want him to quote a phrase in the tent pi55ing out than out the tent pi55ing in.
Thoughts?
LB
I genuinely believe that we are going to put a big run together from November and over the Christmas period.
It usually takes til then for things to take off. Like Strachan and Lennon in their first full seasons.
BMCUWP
Of course it doesn’t but I bet the Valencia manager has his faults too yet gets full support according to the article.
If I were embarking on the current strategy I would see short term support dissatisfaction as a big risk so I’d be looking at ways of addressing it in the short term.
A wee bit dialogue can go a long way to sorting out relationships. Incessant criticism is not conducive to dialogue.
Tractorbhoy.
I hope you’re looking in today, quality CQN…
Roy Keane this, Roy Keane that.
Get lost Roy.
I am only interested in Celtic.
Auldheid ………..
Pope Francis
@Pontifex: Let us ask the Lord for the grace not to speak badly of others, not to criticize, not to gossip, but rather to love everyone.
timaloy29
11:47 on 7 October, 2014
I agree, there’s usually a turning point. Hope it’s soon.
cv
http://www.bdo.co.uk/services/business-restructuring/rfc-2012-plc-formerly-the-rangers-football-club-plc-in-liquidation
” Lest we forget “
CQN response
@hoskas: Dear Pope Francis. Afraid I can’t do any of those things. Lots of love xx
….your only to ask for the grace to do them….
livibhoy
Ronny is now the manager and his suggestion regarding Kris Commons is interesting. My train of thought on this is that Kris would be a link to the coaches and the players. Maybe they are slightly detached? Maybe the coaches have recognised that a senior player as part of the coaching team helps them get some of their thoughts across. It’s an interesting suggestion. I’m not sure Kris has that in his thoughts going forward maybe he has……
_____
Livibhoy
this is simply a diplomatic construct to allow Kris to drink fizzy juice and have a zinger tower meal (regular) on occasion without reproach!
;-)
HH jamesgang
I reluctantly accept Celtic need to downsize.
My personally preference is a squad of 22 with 11 youth players providing the 3 rd option in each position.
In terms of recruiting players and Managers Id cherry pick best from within a Scotland.
A team managed by Jacki Mac comprising of Stevie May, Ryan Gaul, Armstrong etc combined with our existing good players.. Would in my view put more bums on seats.
The alternative is Delia, unknown loan deals and ejection from champions league and a mid table place in SPFL….
jamesgang
I think the coaching staff only eat bread and water while doing sit ups at meal times.
LB
new article posted.
livibhoy
brown bread I trust?
whot about you – you’re a bit of a 6 pack lhad aren’t you???
HH jamesgang
Tractorbhoy
If you stay on the blog I could tell you some stories about when I worked for Guardian Royal Exchange.
I spent a lot of time at their HO in Ipswich.
The Great White Horse Hotel could also tell you a few tales!
Keep on keepin’ on buddy!
corkcelt
10:36 on 7 October, 2014
—
I think your right.
Also there is no chance Desmond told Keane he would only be boss for a year then ronnie woulc take over.
Ronnie i think was told he had number 2 job and lenny was hally with it so everything was in place, probably ronnies contract aswel.. Iv no doubt ronnie would have been told your number 2 for couple of seasons and if all goes well you’ll be number 1 when lennon moves on which isnt far away.
I do think lennon decided very late on he wanted ou leaving celtic with trying to get a manager who couldnt appoint his own number 2… Not bery easy.
Strange ongoings the padt couple of seasons.
Thompson left …
Mjailby decides he’s had enough…
Lennon runs for the door
15k fans wont cross the door.
Something stinks.
URGENT URGENT
Sign Lubo, or someone like him. We are crying out for one like him
KINGLuBO
annanbhoy
10:39 on 7 October, 2014
@Divitbhoy I would love the tickets if you still have them?
I have 12 and 14 year old daughters who’d be over the moon to go to a European match.
Mate, they are yours if you send me an address to post to, my email is raam2403@yahoo.ie
Ger57
I agree with what you say. But on a technical point, I think that Mr Stein was returning fro a holiday in Menorca when he had his car crash, not a scouting trip. Tony Queen was also in the car, along with Jean Stein and the Shankleys (Bob). Tony Q said that the recuperation was the worst period of their lives, two busy, involved men, with nothing to do. They used to phone one another up to discuss the happenings in “Crossroads”, apparently.
Tractorbhoy, thanks for posting your thoughts. I share the pain you feel.
Celts, spare a charitable thought for those of us who’ve also followed the Boston Red Sox for more than forty years. World Series Champions 2013 are the 2014 basement dumpsters in the American League East, twenty five games behind Baltimore. Yes, the flippin’ Orioles!!
Determined to cheer myself today, I’ve re-written the greatest rally song in the history of world sport (not sung at Celtic Park).
Had The Drop-kick Murphy’s grown up in Calton, G40 instead of Huntington, Ma, this old ditty would be;
“Ronny, nuff said” the jungle shouted, “we’re not here to mess around,
Celtic, you know we luv you madly, here the crowd roar to the sound.
Don’t blame us if we ever doubt you, you know we couldn’t live without you.
Celtic, you are the only, only, o-only!”
Stevie May, Ryan Gauld and Andy Robertson.
For me, May was attainable. I don’t think he is as good or better than Pukki, Stokes, Guidetti or Griffiths tho. Don’t see the point in signing him.
Gauld would have been hard to get. Large transfer fee and the boy wanted to go abroad. Remember, he is straight in the B team at his new club. He looks a prospect but i doubt he’d be troubling our first team right now.
Robertson certainly looks good. But 3 million and 40 k a week? And i watched him play against West Ham and he looked great going forward but lost out on a back post header for West Hams first goal and then was miles out of position for their second.
He is very similar to Izzy. It would be no certainty he would do as good or better there.
So it looks like Neil Lennon has finally seen the writing on the wall and is close to taking a job in the footballing backwater that is Saudi Arabia.
There is a very good reason why Lennon will never be offered a job in the EPL. I’m sure the riches he will now be offered will soften the blow of the penny finally dropping on his head.
Maybe now he can concentrate on the job in hand instead of trying to undermine the Celtic manager.
Never a single word about what Fat Sally said to him at the end of the “shame game” but as soon as a SMSM man asks him to stab Ronny Deila in the back and it’s hard to shut him up.
His new job should keep him out of the picture for a while. Here’s hoping.
Neil Lennon should know better than anyone that most questions asked by the MSM are loaded. We don’t know the circumstances surrounding his departure from Celtic or the background to the offer to Roy Keane.The uninformed speculation only harms Celtic and Celtic people, and is a distraction from the job at hand.
Auldheid is, as usual, on the money when he calls for cool heads; get fully behind the manager and the team NOW; if it doesn’t work out, then we revisit the situation either in January (if things are that bad) or at the end of the season.
There are, unfortunately, some who are never satisfied and others who seem to predict the worst so that they can say “I told you so” if the worst happens.