It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what was different from last night’s performance to our previous outing against Ross County, and so many this season. Kris Commons was on from the start, but our tone of play was different, even as Kris limped on the side-lines during the opening minutes.
How that tone was set is worth examining. Celtic were denied an opportunity to train on Kilmarnock’s new artificial pitch, in a move demonstrating the hosts legendary welcome and sportsmanship, but when Ronny Deila spoke pre-match he made his position clear, “The pitch is great”.
One of my pet hates is hearing a player or manager establish a reason for failure before kick-off. Record your complaints about the pitch, or even being denied the chance to become accustomed to it, and you’re subliminally setting yourself up for a fall. It didn’t matter if a pitch is great or not, the manager and players have minutes to convince themselves it’s good enough for them to put on a show. Nothing got in the way of Celtic’s can-do attitude yesterday.
Kris was phenomenal. He got a hat-trick at Rugby Park last season and deserved no less this time, only the crossbar, twice, and some fine goalkeeping denied him. In a team short of goals, his focus on the target is unceasing. There were important Champions League games when he didn’t make the team under Neil Lennon, and there will be occasions when the game doesn’t suit him, but he’s the required fulcrum against a packed SPFL defence.
We’ve touched on this theme a couple of times but it doesn’t seem to be getting traction. For two years shareholders now newco Rangers have been advised to step aside, or as now, sell control for £18m, in the best interests of the club. No deal will be done until the best interests of the controlling shareholders are considered, any approach which doesn’t recognise this is no more than a distraction.
Newco have four directors, two non-execs, who do not work in the business on a daily basis, and two executives, who do. The latter, chief executive Derek Llambias, and yesterday’s appointment of Barry Leach as financial director, both came from the Sports Direct stable. They are the men working on fixing the funding gap. It is inconceivable they will overlook the interests of investors.
On 27th of this month newco will face an SFA disciplinary hearing over an alleged breach of a written agreement not to allow Ashley influence at the club, in place before they appointed two former Sports Direct staff to the board. I would be very surprised if the Sports Direct owner didn’t have the club’s short-term funding and his long-term security secured prior to that date.
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melbourne mick,
Unfortunately not, I am over in Western Australia but our club would like to make a donation, if it is ok with you I will get your e-mail address from Paul 67?
AR
cowiebhoy,
Thanks for your offer, Mick was on shortly after.
AR
M6bhoy
Hopefully Willie McStay and JimMcGuinness can make the changes at lennoxtown to allow the bhoys who have talent to best channel it into making the grade at Celtic .
Meanwhile in the mad world of the world’s
number one league ;-)
Defoe will return from across the pond for a mere £ 80 grand aweek.
Szczency the Arsenal keeper decided it was a good idea to have a fag in the shower following a defeat from Southampton. Correctly fined by his manager.
Different planet .
Notformecsc.
m6bhoy
09:20 on
7 January, 2015
There is justified criticisms to be levied at out transfer dealings in the last 4/5 years, Amido Balde and Derk boerrigter being two perfect examples, however that is not related to the youth system, those questions on our first team squad transfer dealings need directed at PL and John Park for answers.
Who Scouted these players
Who made the decision to buy them and why
This years plethora of loan signings suggests we are currently reviewing our transfer dealings
lionroars67,
I’m not letting you away with those two without Mo Bangura getting a mention! :-)
AR
al jolson,sorry al johnston in the daily rag wearing what an only be described as an ill and i mean very ill to the point of death fitting suit.you ever noticed all these rangers people dont dress very well.
may as well mention his parting shot,,,,srew with rangers at your peril.
he will be back next year.
like most places greenock is in for a wet n windy next three days….rain in greenock …never..
m6bhoy
09:20 on
7 January, 2015
I do have sympathy with your view. I just think it’s a far more difficult job than many think.
We used to get people expressing similar views only a couple of years after Lennoxtown opened. At the time I thought we wouldn’t see the benefit until those that were 12-14 when it opened came of age – guys that would be 19-21 now. I would expect an upsurge in the numbers from here on in. That’s when we can really judge if it’s working.
Regarding Stuart Armstrong at Dundee Utd..Ronny should get a hold of the Scottish Cup Final when his team played St Johnstone .he Armstrong was posted missing in that game.and having seen him a few times this season. I don’t think he is the player they are making him out to be.me I would rather they Celtic give that role to young Liam Henderson.
Who would Armstrong replace in the 1st team?
antipodean red
09:30 on
7 January, 2015
lionroars67,
I’m not letting you away with those two without Mo Bangura getting a mention! :-)
AR
But the KOK recommended him did he not………………………………..
Why could Celtic not help with the development of Ryan Gauld?
Ah mean, nae huns in the League and the Celtic management team couldny groom RG?
Why?
timbhoy2
09:35 on 7 January, 2015
_____________________
Hear, hear mate.
I thought Liam Henderson played very well at Killie. Good in posession, tackled well and showed awareness of who was around him. Hope he gets a run in the team to show waht he can do over a period.
timbhoy2
09:35 on 7 January, 2015
Why not Armstrong and Henderson?
I went to Goodison to watch the youths play Everton.
On the way in I was chatting to an Everton fan who said he was looking forward to the game as Everton had some great prospects.
Celtic played 5-6 players who have had extended exposure at 1st team level, they were head and shoulders above in quality,assurance and confidence from their scouse counterparts………..the future is bright.
Gordon_J backing Neil Lennon
09:48 on 7 January, 2015
_____________________
Agreed fella.
Also, I would advise Celtic to keep their money in their pocket during this window and give players like the ones the other night there – more opportunities in the 1st team, rather than ‘waste’ the fans money on another tream of projects that everybody knows will not bear fruit. There was talk on here yesterday about Robbie Keane coming back? Why?
DD is surely ripping the p#ss here, eh?
tream=stream
timbhoy2
Agree, young Liam deserves a run of games.
Armstrong in many of the games I have seen D Utd has been posted missing.
HH
lionroars67,
Don’t tell me that about the KOK, when everything else in life is bad, I just reach for my Larsson DVD then I feel better.
AR
A sunny 18 degrees – way down south.
Inter – common view on their blogs is that they are improving .
There is much noise re the likelihood of signing Shaqiri and even more noise re Mancini having to decide between Podolski and Shaqiri for the 1 possible Europa League registration.
Murdochbhoy 0807 ‘Gerrymandering’. About 65/66 I was Presiding Officer at a local election station when I was asked by the clerks to help a man whowantd to vote but wasn’t on roll. Enquiries solicited he lived in another town but ‘I have a shop in Kilwinning’ /. you are not in Northern Ireland noo,sir. One man one vote’ .
What is it like at CP? On way for another ticket.
Pure magic
Kev,
so some people speculating about Robbie Keane becomes Dermot Desmond taking the piss, gonna tell me how that link is made
I recently heard a shortbread pundit describe Lewis McLeod as a scottish international !
He was was saying how lucky Brentford were to be getting such a high quality player.
BRTH.@ 8.32.
I have bad mid 1960s memories of being ” dug up ” and chased by the Garngad Baby Sham.Unfortunately their ranks didnt include relatively cuddly people like Jim Duffy and Charlie Nic.
bamboo,
Clearly Brentford are the only English team reading the Scottish press – or they would all have known about the new Messi
m6bhoy
08:09 on 7 January, 2015
We could fill our team with youth like hamilton dundee Utd and the rest and win nothing just like hamilton dundee Utd and the rest, we as a club and support need to win trophies that’s why we can’t put youth in at the same rate as the other clubs IMO HH
As my title illustrates I have no expert knowledge or ‘inside track’ just my own observations…
Stuart Armstrong is a future Celtic captain and successor to Broonie on the field.
I had to smile at other opinions about SA being posted missing in SCF. I think it is forgotten what happens to young players. They have impact, they are inconsistent, they get overawed, they make mistakes, they lose confidence but the best of them learn from their experience and more game time gives them the platform to grow and develop.
That Wee James has not moved on further is a pity but he is exciting and talented but his development as a professional has been limited by too little game time due to injury and IMO some personality issues. His learning is behind schedule but I see no issue in him becoming an excellent footballer at 23/24 rather than at 21/22.
So what if players disappoint at times? Sometimes they will not turn up, sometimes they’ll be responsible for giving goals away. What’s expected? Perfection? Always? The 24/7 TV age is crucifying.
For those of you too young to realise the Lisbon Lions came through the failures initiation…cup final and semi final defeats where young on form players couldn’t apparently hack it when the pressure was on. Anyone looking at the SC win in 65 will note the absence of ‘The greatest ever Celtic player’ who many thought was not consistent enough and was not a team player!
A generation later King Kenny was always going to be a success but was “the greediest player seen at Celtic”
All players are due criticism that’s a given and it is for the good of all concerned but it should be grounded and measured and allowance made for the different ways players end up making the grade (or not) with us.
Hells teeth we’d all swap with them in a heartbeat no matter what lol.
HH
hun skelper
10:27 on
7 January, 2015
m6bhoy
08:09 on 7 January, 2015
We could fill our team with youth like hamilton dundee Utd and the rest and win nothing just like hamilton dundee Utd and the rest, we as a club and support need to win trophies that’s why we can’t put youth in at the same rate as the other clubs IMO HH
Correct.Look and listen to them at the moment,and we are a game in hand from being 2 points clear.Imagine if we were in Dundee U position?.
Justa-verywise-fan
HH jamesgang
About a year or so ago, Winning Captains and I went for lunch with Willie McStay in East Kilbride and listened to him talk about the youth set up at Celtic.
Recently, I have listened to Willie talking about Youth Coaching in general, what to look for in a player in terms of fitness, attitude and most importantly in decision making both on and off the park.
If I remember correctly, Sir Alex Ferguson once had Willie take a training session with the Manchester united First team and later said that it was one of the best thought through and innovative coaching sessions he had ever seen!
I absolutely believe that Willie McStay can make a huge difference to our youth set up and most importantly he can make a difference when it comes to bridging the gap between a group of promising youth players and a stream of young players who can challenge for a regular place in the first team squad.
BUT
To achieve that he has to be working within a set up and with a first team coaching staff who are prepared to allow the youth development squad to come through and grow alongside the senior professionals.
If we do not have a system whereby the youth are allowed a crack at senior football within our own club when the signs and times are right, then the investment in youth development is not, and will not, be designed to enhance our own first team squad but rather to develop young talent to a level where other clubs take that talent forward and Celtic pocket some youth development cash.
As BT says Willie McStay and Jim McGuinness will do a brilliant job but someone higher up the food chain has the final say on whether the results of their labours will ever get a chance at Celtic Park.
I see islan feruz is being allowed a trial with cardiff and could make a move.
turkeybhoy
10:36 on 7 January, 2015
You just have to be on here after a bad result to see why we can’t play youth in numbers, not winning is a disaster for Celtic, the other teams take it in there stride. HH
gordybhoy64
10:20 on 7 January, 2015
_____________________
Sorry about the delay fella – was out in the real world there…..
Anyway, to yer point yeah, Robbie Keane…well, DD interfered onc ebefore when, BTM was crying out for a CH…DD dropped RK, right onto BTM’s head from a parachute?!?!
Was RK needed then?
Is he needed now?
Was Roy Keane needed when, DD dropped him onto WGS?
None of these players were needed and, Karma executed instant justice by, giving the message that Robbie winy needed by -blowing- our Title chances in his 1st game away at Killie were Killie parked the bus and, well…ye know the rest.
Roy was dropped into SC game away at Clyde and, we were put outn the cup – Karma again? I would say that the lesson on both ocassions was – dont let DD pick the team!
DD tried to influence team recruitment when he said to MO’N – “Why are you buying Chris Sutton?” Well…on this ocassion it worked the other way coz, MO’N let DD know that hw isny a puppet where as, DD knew that WGS was puppet and, now he might be sussing RD?
Hopefully that helps – Hail Hail
winy=wisny
Folks
Any guide watch channel the games at weekend will be on.