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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Twists n Turns Leaps n Bounds
TNT cheers for tip another great tip
Ronny won’t be changing things soon
His press conference tells you that his system is working
The players aren’t scoring from the chances created says Ronny
I don’t know whether it is the formation or the personnel but surely a blind man can see that almost every team we have played has overrun us for substantial parts of the game
It seems that RD hasn’t noticed that yet.
I was very positive about his appointment but on the evidence of what I’m seeing I’m very worried.
brnobhoy
14:26
Get my email address off P67 and I will put you in touch with an Architect that I do work with. Nice lad – reasonably priced work.
vmhan
well done….nice wee lift after a miserable Sunday in paradise.
twists n turns – you absolute beauty. Well done yet again sir.
twists n turns
Brilliant mate, had a score on and have it in another few lines. Yer some man
HH
twists n turns
Good Mhan! Just recouped my CFC losses for the past few weeks – must be an omen. :-)
Robert88
Mowbray got almost a full season.
I think Ronny currently has his head stuck in between a rock a hard place.
He seemed to wobble after the furore of leaving certain players and playing certain systems.
I think he and Celtic would do better if he grew a set and picked HIS team.
Because Kris Commons was the most productive player in the old system doesnt mean he will be in the new system – just as Callum McGregor wouldnt have suited the old system but suits the new one.
If the players he currently has are actually so weak that they pass the buck toward Commons when Kris is on the pitch – meaning Celtic are so easy to play against you simply mark Commons to nulify Celtic then take him out of the equation to force them to stand up to be counted and take it from there – those still hiding can do one.
However he also needs to acknowledge that his 4-2-3-1 formation is only an attacking one when you are involved in the usual tit for tat square go kind of football match.
when playing against 10 men defenses its actually too defensive.
Sometimes I just have to laugh at the comments on here, the latest being from a few, Oh, we’ll probably win the league!!! Are you kidding? If we do not improve we have very very little chance of winning the league. Get it!! Little chance.
I by nature, am realistic and certainly not a “knee jerker” but this system we are playing at the moment won’t win us the title, sorry.
Very sad situation but we as a club, from top down, simply have to get real else we’ll be in pretty deep doo-doo.
KINGLuBO
TnT
Well done. You certainly put my prediction of Saturday 3pm home games in the shade :-)
StillwaitingCSC
Police probe racist graffiti in Dedridge area of LivingstonPolice are hunting a man who spray-painted anti-Muslim graffiti at several locations in Livingston.
The racist slogans were sprayed in the Dedridge area of the West Lothian town from 02:00 on Saturday morning.
Police Scotland said the suspect may have been wearing yellow “marigold” gloves.
He was described as white and wearing a black baseball cap with ear flaps, and a red, white and blue striped football scarf wrapped round his face.
He had a dark coloured zip-up jacket, jeans and black boots.
He is thought to have used a large white tin of red spray paint.
Det Con Steven Telford, who is leading the inquiry, said: “Anyone who recognises this man or has information about this incident is asked to call Police Scotland on 101 or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
They were only here for one day!
LB
LiviBhoy
14:43 on 6 October, 2014
Good post and I agree – am starting to worry that RD might be the best ASSISTANT manager in the world.
I have not seen any of yesterdays match and have had to rely on the match updates and subsequent posts about the game and have tried to take what i could from all those posts but opinions vary!
Some say this yin played well and others say he was crap.
Spoke to a few tims on the bus to work on Friday morning about the Zagreb match and i think the only thing we all agreed on was that we all went……EEK…..when 3 of our players ran after the ball gifting them THAT chance!
Still gonna stick my opinion in despite not seeing the Hamilton match though!
A few areas of the team have clearly been a problem yet they continue to be so…….mainly our right side, midfield and attack.
Will Ronny Delia EVER fix them?
By the looks of things regarding our engine room and attack…..NO!
Whether a big improvement in the danger supplied from the right side will make enough of a difference to the rest of the team, i guess we will just need to wait and see, but i think Ronny Delia should at least get time until Lustig, Forrest and Mathews are all fit(i know) and have had a few games together while getting their match fitness up before the knives get stuck in.
As for the horsey analogies of us being 6th in a 1 horse race…..well…..it still isn’t a 1 horse race if there’s 12 horses despite us being clear odds on favourite.
There’s still plenty to beat in there and if we are not up to it on the day any 1 of them is capable of beating us.
Would any of you throw away your betting slip if you had backed an odds on favourite while it was behind after just 2 furlongs of an 8 furlong race?
Maybe its got a crap jockey who will never improve its position, while a new jockey would?
Maybe that jockey just needs enough time to get to grips with his mount?
Give the man the time that is needed to see IF he is good enough.
After that….well????
KDC FROM EARLIER
Hear hear. Well said
KINGLUBO
I was a supporter of Dr Jo Venglos who I seen as a very adept tactician who had the ability to spot a player, put out a team, and change tactics and games as needs must.Still think he was one of our best.
I also agreed with the intention from the board and the appointment of RD this season and welcomed the opportunity to change in a season which we could afford to do so with only the pressure of winning the league against what I assumed to be middle ability opposition.
Some time has now passed since his appointment and I dont see this as a success and I disagree with the article. We are 6th in the league.There is no progress or even, at the basic level, stability from last season.We are going backwards, it is there for all to see unfortunatley.
I dont see RD as a Tony Mowbray as has been quoted by several posters, I see him more recently as a Davie Moyes. A good decent man but hopelessly in over his head and out of his time. Perhaps with investment the experiment would be a success but with no budget and with time being a factor as we have to win the league I am sorry but RD is out of his depth. Maybe he would have been a good number 2 and some years from now would have graduated into the No1 job? a gradual transition rather than a drastic immediate change would have been better for everyone involved.
I dont know who the options would be, I dont think Owen Coyle is the answer, David Moyes will have bigger fish to fry. I would love to see Tony Pullis if we could afford him. Perhaps even Billy Davies if he can set aside his leanings and if he isnt in line for the Cheeky Chappies job. He put out good strong teams at Derby and at Forest and he wouldnt take any boardroom interference.
Anyway, unfortunately, I think its time to look at alternatives and there wont be many possibilities.We have to affect a change, sooner rather than later. I see the end of this month being the pivotal point. No change or improvement by then then we must look to the future, ensure the league title and make a change.
Anyway, what do I know…………….
sandman
13:36 on 6 October, 2014
Good post
Looks a lot like Che Guevara
You lost me at Billy Davies.
LB
From Day 1 of RD appointment my 12 year old son has held a belief that Henke would be brought in to replace Ronnie in November….
Twisty well done pal . A nice wee tenner on at 13/2 , many thanks
CultsBhoy
I think bringing in Henrik would be a major mistake. A much weaker gaffer than Deila.
I think our blend in the coaching department is all wrong.
I think Mjallby was a huge loss.
LB
Further on Brown and Johansen.
What do we do if these players are injured?
Kayal would be an automatic choice but the other midfielders are not in the same mould they would be a square peg in a round hole.
I would have serious concerns about building a team around Brown given his injury record, age and the fact his contract is up next June.
Johansen had a better game yesterday but I think that is in part due to him going and seeking the ball rather than it bring passed around his closing game. He closes and closes in other games and the opposition just pass round him.
As for other players hiding or not trying. Who are we actually talking about?
Gordon? No
Two centre halfs? No
Wing backs ? I can’t see their numerous attempts to cross the ball as not trying I would say that to try repeatedly to do what you couldn’t do was courageous.
Brown and Johansen are exempt as they were good
The wingers though and Commons? Wakaso tried but could have done with running more to the bi line. As others said , he cut inside more often than not. I wonder if that was on instruction to get Efe down the outside. Commons was like the wee buzzer in a pin ball machine. Every time it came near him it cannoned away off a few legs and away to safety. Stokes was ok first half but frustrated with choice of pass and the 45 minute wonder of the hearts game disappeared. He then contrived to miss a couple of sitters. I’m not sure if that’s lack of effort or lack of ability. Guidetti is patently unfit and was taken off.
Conclusion, its not lack of heart, its lack of ability and a formation that handicaps our players.
We play with wingers and wing backs plus two holding midfielders. That’s 6 players who’s job is not to go into the opposition box. If you exclude the defence and goalkeeper you are left with 2 players who can be in the box when crosses come in unless the opposite side winger comes in at the back post.
Time and again poor crosses looked worse yesterday with a maximum of 3 Celtic players v 8 of Hamilton.
Billy Davies: Too Hunish …
LiviBhoy
14:54 on 6 October, 2014
Looks a lot like Che Guevara
You lost me at Billy Davies.
LB
I knew it was a reach but I dont know, he is highly thought of…………..
Still lost you then? :)
kingsnake
14:59 on 6 October, 2014
Billy Davies: Too Hunish …
:) I dont know, if we could see beyond it he would do a good job though how he would cope with being a turn coat would mean he would probably have to keep the house in Nottingham and live there! :) Can you imagine the flak him and his family would get? Would make Alfie Conn look like nothing…………….
Lenny going to Saudi? STOP!!!
Get back to Celtic … NOW!!
TnT
Knocks it out the park again
Thank you
£25 win
HH
Huddleboard poll has Ronnie out. Find most on there go to games seems it’s only a matter of time for Ronnie and his one system must work.
Twisty
you are a star…..
weeron – There is only one thing that is important in football: Winning the next game.
Agree wholeheartedly.
Winning is ultimately the only metric by which a manager’s success or failure can be judged. Everything else is mere commentary, opinion, and blether.
A football manager who can’t – despite considerable advantages over his rivals – put out a consistently winning side is a football manager headed for the exit. He is like a striker who doesn’t score, a salesman who cannot sell, a mouser who doesn’t catch any mice.
You have elegant theories on how the beautiful game should be played? That’s nice, Ronny – how many games have you won?
Consider yourself a diet and fitness guru? Good for you – what was the score in your last game?
You want to bring through talented young players? Glad to hear it! How many points are you leading the league by?
Do we need to bring in Alec Baldwin’s character from Glengarry Glen Ross to explain the facts of life to our players and coaching staff? I hope not. I hope they’re as unhappy at their current predicament as I am.
ABW, guys – Always Be Winning.
I don’t agree that Rangers should have kept Paul Le Guen on either. His signings were poor, his relationship with his players was terrible, his results were disastrous, and the performances of his team didn’t point to any major improvement on the horizon.
He was a great candidate on paper. In reality he just wasn’t right for the Darnel. It wasn’t working.
Worryingly similar to our situation now.
However, Ronny should get till the end of the season to turn things around, barring some major disaster. We can’t afford to sack him now because it would alienate quality potential replacements.
We can afford not to sack him now because the only competition we’re still in that holds crucial importance – the league – is one that any one of us should win handily with Celtic’s resources.
There’s still time for him to make this job a success, I hope he does. But you know the old saw, it’s later than you think. (thumbsup)
Thanks TnT.
Great tip.
The League Cup is huge for Ronny. It is key that he gets a trophy ASAP.
LB
God bless twists n turns I owe you big style, I had £50 ew on it plus it’s the first one on my lucky 15. I’m on the boat in Banbury at the moment I almost thought of jumping on the train to Stratford this morning but the weather put me off, now I wished I did. I’m sitting in a wine bar now in my new Celtic away top toasting your health. Hail hail
Billy Davies FFS…
I give up…
I have been sticking up for RD all seaso,n but only a madman can defend this guy now. How can the same players, with a few additions, go nearly all season un beaten and now play like Raith Rovers!!!
His formation sucks, playing that way in europe is fine, but at home against any team, even away domestically, we must play 2 up front!!
I stuck up for his philosophy, i liked the idea of high pressing, one-two touch football with a big onus on wide play. But lets face it, he does not have the players at his disposal to play this way. It only works for the big teams who have the players. Barca, Real, City etc.
Stokes, Griffiths & Ambrose are terrible. Izaguire should be played as a winger cos he never has and never will be able to defend. Commons has turned average (although he has always been garbage in Europe)
Change formation aspa or we will continue to be woefull!!! Two more losses and he can get to fcuk!!! When losing to Hamilton the last thing I want to hear is “we are making progress.” i had to double take the screen!!!
Here are his comments:
“I understand the fans booing at full-time. We must win games and today we didn’t.
“But I’m not worried at all. I think we’re progressing again. When you have 10 to 15 chances, you have played quite well.
“We got the full-backs more into the attack, we got more set-plays, more crosses.
“But of course you need to put the ball in the net. We need that determination to really want to get that ball into the net.”
He sounds like he belongs in Carstairs. Any more of this and he can burn his Celtic tracksuit.
I’d take McNamara in a heartbeat!!!
TnT
Magic, many thanks.
HH
There is an anxiety that Ronny thinks the punters came into the stadium to get out of the rain…
Good news is, although ketchup’s aff, Coffee’s for crossers.
ABC
Always
Be
Crossing