We’re close enough to the English psyche to intimately understand their hopes and fears ahead of a tournament like the World Cup, but the M74 provides enough space for those of us based within a short distance of Celtic Park to have the kind of perspective that’s not possible for most fans immersed in the moment.
For long enough, England, along with Spain and France, were the perennial underachievers of European international football, which was dominated by “skilful” Italians and “efficient” Germans, while even the Dutch and Czechs have managed vastly more major final appearances than England.
France, then Spain, got the monkey off their backs, but England still relive their regular tournament nightmare, although this time it looks likely they will bow out before troubling any of their players in a penalty kick competition.
So cut England open and what bleeds out? After the game last night Danny Murphy on BBC Radio 5Live tried to offer objective resistance to the idea that England lacked passion from a tidal wave of calls, asking “Where is the Terry Butcher with a blood soaked bandage around his head?”, “Where is the crying Gascoigne?”
Fans often confuse sporting defeat with a lack of will to win. This notion was expressed last August when Celtic lost to Shakhter Karagandy, aided and abetted by an ITV commentator who proposed the notion during live broadcast. I’m pretty sure upwards of 95% of us have played the game at some level, but time seems to remove the memories of what it’s like to be losing in a team sport, and importantly, just how difficult it can be to reverse momentum.
Suggesting professional footballers don’t try during some of the most important games of their season is an embarrassing failure to think from another’s perspective.
Listening to the radio last night and again this morning, there was no dispute to the claim that what England needed was a manager who could lose his temper in the dressing room.
Even Murphy didn’t feel comfortable enough to take on the nation on this one, instead assuring listeners that Roy Hodgson was capable of losing his temper. This was mean to be supportive. It was surely viewed as such by many. This morning, Kevin Phillips trotted out the hoary old “lacked passion” line.
Is there any other field of human endeavour where losing control of your emotions is viewed as an attribute? Football managers exist in a highly competitive, technically exacting environment. At the top level they have to communicate subtle instructions to highly skilled professionals who have heard it all before from lippy managers. By the 30th rant they are all immune and it’s highly unlikely that intimidation led to an increase in performance first time out.
Despite this, managers are supposed to demonstrate a primitive human weakness to an audience who can often scarcely tell the difference between a football match and a pantomime.
We have to be different. We have to be cleverer; let the rest satisfy their need for an alpha-male role model – because make no mistake about it – this is what they’re really craving, while Celtic show uncompromising adherence to getting the best people for the job. On a side, note, can you imagine what appointing Roy Keane would have said about our strategy?
Roy Hodgson has done enough in the game to prove he’s a good manager but he’s more Euro-sophisticate than an archetypal alpha-male. Best of luck to him.
The Celtic Graves Society are having a fundraising raffle to generate funds. 50% will go towards their excellent work and 50% will go to the Northern Ireland Childrens’ Hospice, who looked after Wee Oscar recently. For the cost of a £5 raffle ticket, you can win a singed boot from Scott Brown or from Virgil van Dijk.
To buy your ticket go to Paypal and send £5 to donate@celticgraves.com
Don’t worry if you don’t have a Paypal account, you can still work through Paypal with a debit or credit card. Please add the phrase “Boots Raffle” to the Paypal subject line, and they have asked if you could alert them to which site you picked the message up from, so “CQN” will do.
Good luck
Visit the CQN Bookstore to get Tommy Gemmell to sign your personal copy of his book, All the Best.
[calameo code=0003901719d82038831a9 lang=en page=126 hidelinks=1 width=100% height=500]
2,002 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- ...
- 43
- 44
- 45
- 46
- 47
- 48
- 49
- 50
- 51
- 52
- 53
- »
Craigellachie10
Just along the coast to the west – close. :-)
Not noticed many long balls punted up the park from the keepers. Most teams seem confident to play it out from the back… Great to see.
Wife just back in from Rods concert at Falkirk stadium
Says he had the hoops very prominent on the stage and screens
Nice :-)
Tell you what.
If a single player wore black boots he would be a standout in this world cup.
tooooooooooooooooooooooooo
much
alcohol
Paradox
baw baws
Enjoy the rest of your evenings folks :)
Sponsored by Cheetah
aye a fantastic time New York and Florida,i remember meeting Brian Wilson in the CSC club in Kearney,were you one of the bhoys that decided to stay on after we had qualified out of the group stages
16 roads @22.47,
Ye were full in the Gallowgate.?.nah, no havin that.
Never, haven’t even saw ye half cut…
Saint Stivs
When did you last see black boots at Celtic Park either?
Green and White hooped boots-that’s the way to go.
Dallas
I passed first time luckily. Mr Waugh being a Jordanhill man who worshipped in Corpus Christi alongside myself was coincidental. :))
Tom, good for the blog your back in Scotland.
The time difference means less chance of the tedious intericine antipedion boredom of the very personal attacks of the down under community.
Hame ish .
don’t engage again, enjoy your freedom.
Marspapa, i love the fact that mr whiskers tory, god save the queen Findlay was born on St Patrick’s day.
A builder I know was doing some work at the house of former bbc Scotland reporter, Paddie Christie. Whiskers was her bidey in. Frank arrived at the house to be welcomed by the QC(apt initials) who was smoking his pipe. He the stood under a smoke alarm with it then going off .
Paddie Christie came storming into the room calling whiskers for everything as it wasn’t the first time he had set the smoke alarm off with his pipe smoking.
Frank thought how cam someone so intelligent have so little sense. The QC’s subsequent sing along after the stickies won a cup bears witness to that.
Mouldy hows the prep trainin goin on the bike race?
HH
Tom McLaughlin
23:28 on
21 June, 2014
Wake up Kitalba, Sydney Tim, Antipodean Red, Proudbhoy, Summa of Sammi and Macjay.
——————————————————————————————————————-
Last,but definitely not least.
TCR
Hows you mucker?
Dalmuir is Tartan.
The Bankie weans love our new away strip. :)
Cowiebhoy missed your reply earlier about the horse.
It was running when I went in to stick a couple of quid on Efe.
Even though I never bet it and after finishing 6th of 8I daft as it sounds ,I think they will get a turn with it sometime this year it looked as though it had more to offer.
Says the man who doesn’t know much about the horses csc.
Ps my bro and wife went to see rod in blackpool last night he treated her with a new outfit for the show a new Hoops top:)))))))))))))))
Good night all
M
Gordybhoy64,
Went home as planned after 3 games, think James Laffey and Joe Sheridan stayed on, I had done my tank by that time, like many others.
Mexico game was the hottest I have ever been at a game, we were pouring water on each other, did not help that we were sitting at the very back of the stands with no roof, think it was over 100 in the stadium, do you still keep in touch with The Sons?
marspapa
23:29 on 21 June, 201
No worries mate, BT has my Moby as well, he dropped me off earlier after a day out.
Or e-mail me, Mass at 09:30 other than that I’m free.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
The local celebration of the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn took place today, and it was a great family day. They called it The Longest Day, we were well entertained, and it was proven, beyond doubt, Bannockburn has talent, the main stage had lots of talented singers and dancers, great day out. I hope they do it again next year.
The big national stuff takes place next week, £25 entry, good luck with that.
Bannockburn inaugural 10k in the morning. Looking forward to it.
It’s a bit hilly though.
an tearmann
23:44 on 21 June, 2014
Home then?
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
How would Pablo commented on the Beatles night that changed the world tonight.
And a bald burnt heid!
dd,
What’s wae the Bay City Rollers jargon…? HEHEHE
Hope yer well pal.
Dalmuir is GREEN AND WHITE.ALWAYS..
Ach
1 FOR THE ROAD
Cowiebhoy
23:35 on
21 June, 2014
Wife just back in from Rods concert at Falkirk stadium
Says he had the hoops very prominent on the stage and screens
Nice :-)
———————-
Cowiebhoy
Not Rods fault but a lassie was meant to be getting married today at Falkirk stadium.
The wedding was then cancelled and a new date and venue had to be organised acrimoniously because Rods concert was organised.
liitlepeoplemeannothingtosome…….not a dig at you btw and i hope your missus had a great night.
Sponsored by Cheetah
naw mucker me and my mate were from Clydebank and we had only
got in touch with the sons after seeing a notice in the evening times,
I was given a ticket for the Mexico game by an American and all he asked was that
I bought him a couple of beers at the game.
another memory was walking to the game and seeing a big crowd round one hot dog seller,when we got closer we saw why,it was a stunning blonde serving hot dogs wearing only her underwear,happy days
Delaney’s, It certainly wasn’t.
Emmenike causing the Bosnians all sorts of bother. Even though he did score against us, I’m pleased he didn’t play as well that night we played Spartak.
Efe was lucky with the Dzeko goal that was disallowed. He played him on apart from that, he has done well so far.
DallS dallas
Sums up the fekker to a tee
Him and all his ilk chill me to the bone , if only their hatred of catholisism could be educated out of them , then this wee country of ours could possibly move forward , defo aff tae bed , roll on the cl qfs ;))
Macjay –
Like good wines, always keep the best for last.
Who are these guys on BBC for Nigeria v Bosnia? An absolute breath of fresh sir.
Lennybhoy
johninmamncsc ;-)))
Good to see Nigeria do themselves justice after stinking out the place in their first match.
The pace of Odemwingie, Musa and, particularly, Emenike is vital at this level. Did he not score a couple of goals for Spartak against us?
I thought the pitch in their match against I affected the game badly. That stadium will next be used for the Algeria:Russia game on 26th June so get that one down for a 0:0 borefest too.
Re the earlier 1970 World Cup posts.
The ‘keeper Pele ‘dummied’ was Mazurkiewicz, of Uruguay. He also volleyed a goal kick straight back at him from over 35 yards out, forcing him into a save.
I think it was the semi-final, and Uruguay took the lead, bringing back bad memories to the Brazilian fans of their defeat in the 1950 final to Uruguay in the Maracana. But that great team didn’t panic, and I can remember Clodoado scoring a beautifully worked equaliser just before half-time. Brazil went on to win 3-1, setting up their glory final against Italy.
I’d settle for half of the great, long-lasting memories of that tournament in this one.
And I agree Tom, that was a better England side than ’66, and,but for Jeff Astle missing a late ‘sitter’ they would have got a draw with Brazil in the group stage.
Their defeat to West Germany in the QF from two-up is yet another great memory of that tournament.
There was also the 4-3 aet Italy v W. Germany semi-final to add to the wonderful matches there.
oops johninmancsc
match against I should read “match against Iran”
Pharel Williams (think that’s his name) is stinking out Here Comes the Sun
TCR
We are breeding the hun out of Republican Clydebank. Clearing the way for our returning King of Kings.
Tom McLaughlin
23:53 on
21 June, 2014
Sounds like you`re in really good form,Tom.
Must be great to be counting down the days till you return to Celtic Park.
A return to your spiritual home.
Its as if ever manager has said
If you can’t go out and play attacking attractive football
At the world cup in Brazil what’s the point.
Can we no just give it to Brazil every 4 years ????