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.
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PF
From earlier
Sorry bud, was off running. Hills which looked like Everest today due to alcohol consumption last night.
Horses, didn’t stake very heavily on the majority of the races since I was heavily into Telescope which fortunately did the business. Good Ascot for me considering the difficulty of the cards.
Things You Don’t Often Get To Say In Ireland……No 1 ( in a series)
” It’s now cool enough to venture out into the garden.”
HH
Good morning from a bright & sunny Florida, should get up to about 90F today.
Off to the beach for a couple of hours before the EK weather rolls in.
Rainy late afternoons are great when the WC is on, ‘Mon the Yanks………
http://www.cbs12.com/weather/features/interactive-radar/
I’m sure I read recently that we were going to promote the U20’s keeper, Leo Fasan, to the first team squad.
Perhaps that was the old regime’s intention.
History repeating itself in the proposal to offer a contract to Gordon.
Some comments mirror the ones on the signing of another has been keeper, R.Simpson, if memory serves.
Big day of football today.
Donegal up first, then three WC games.
Hope the ol’ hamstrings stick it out!
Did anyone who was at the Wimbledon CSC get together have a chance to speak to Angela Haggerty?
I’ve never met Angela but I know from Twitter that she’s spoken quite negatively about the Celtic support on occasions.
Curious as to why she was there actually as I was under the impression that she lived in Glasgow.
OldTim67
Many thanks for a fantastic spread that you put on yesterday. You were remarkably chilled about the whole thing :-)
Great company as usual amongst good Tims, thank you.
NEIL LENNON has backed John Collins’ idea to buy the best of British.
Celtic’s new assistant boss will urge Ronny Delia to snap up the cream of the young Scottish talent.
Collins said: “I would imagine there are one or two out there just now, but they have to be very good to get to the Celtic team, not just good.
“There’s no point in signing them to play in the Under-20s or reserves. They have to be ready for the first team.”
Lennon, who ended his four-year stint as Hoops gaffer at the end of the season, agreed with Collins.
He said: “We had success at Celtic with signing foreign players.
“But a lot of our signings from Britain were among our best when you look at the contributions made by Gary Hooper, Fraser Forster, Kris Commons, Joe Ledley, Adan Matthews and Charlie Mulgrew.”
Lennon added: “It was my intention to use my visit to Brazil to run the rule over some new signings targets when I was still manager of Celtic.
“You know right away at least 80 per cent of the players on show would be outwith the club’s financial grasp.
“For example, I was at the Spain v Chile game and I noticed Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini running the rule over the players.
“In fairness, with the money he has at his disposal, he could sign just about any player he wants.
“So, too, can a lot of the managers at the leading clubs in Europe.
“But for the gaffers in charge of clubs without that sort of spending power, you need to try and spot a player who might be within your budget.
“There are certainly one or two who have caught my eye.
“I’m not going to reveal every player because I might look into trying to get some of them when I return to management!
“But one player who did impress me was Australia’s Matthew Leckie. I thought he gave a decent account of himself in his two games so far in Brazil, even although his country lost both of them.
“As it happens, he has already signed a Bosman deal with German Second Division side FC Ingolstadt 04. He’s only 23 and looks a decent prospect.
“So, you do spot one or two you can keep your eye on, but it’s very difficult with many clubs represented and others watching TV.”
At least ole Harald’s size six’s were proper Fitba Boots
HAMILTON TIM
Difficult to talk to anyone last night-and not for the reasons you might expect!
Very few introductions being made,so if you didn’t already know people-embarrassingly for me,my memory for faces is still abysmal so apologies to the Irish fella at the bar!-you were on yer own.
I did meet AULDHEID though. Lovely bunnet. And I tried to grab a convo wi Garcia Lorca,but he managed to avoid me.
Had an excellent Thai meal wi STEINREIGNEDSUPREME and then listened to a genuine LEGEND explain why he feels the way he does about things,some of which are not to the credit of our club,now or then.
But his appreciation and genuine delight at still being held in high esteem by us,the fans,is what shone through.
Grateful thanks are due to him,BRT&H, THE HONEST MISTAKE and the rest of the WIMBLEDON CSC.
Great night. I recommend such events to anyone.
BMCUW
Never mind all that, did you make your train?!
bournesouprecipe
4 weeks today PORTA P for me.
new article posted.
Steinreignedsupreme
Jackson’s pal talks the same amount of cr@p as his loyal friend. Jackson is a full blown hun – was in his company a few times when the tunnel first opened. He’s a tadger
Hamiltontim
Just spoke to BRTH who is boarding his flight back to Glasgow.
He mentioned that Angela got a big round of applause when she was introduced at the Wimbledon CQN event last night.
I organised the event and invited all the Celts we know who are in the London area. Angela recently moved there and as she writes for CQN Magazine I was happy to invite her along.
She has taken quite a bit of stick on Twitter as you point out but so too has Paul! She is a big Celtic supporter and has like the rest of us made her opinion clear on certain matters that hasn’t always been popular. She didn’t like the chants aimed towards the two Swedish girls in the Champions League qualifiers last season. This incident was perhaps both funny and also embarrassing at the same time. Angela gave us a row for it, while many thought that it was simply a case of Bhoys being Bhoys. We tried to cover both points of view on the mag.
More serious is the sectarian abuse she had to endure in Glasgow for her opinions on the Rangers demise. As a journalist she covered the story in a way that was both honest and brave and being slightly sexist she did amazingly well for a girl! In my opinion she deserves her place at any Celtic function without question.
Can anybody tell me? How much sevco are getting for useing ipox for the commonwealth games? Is this what is keeping them alive?
Morning…….
Seems Ronnie & JC were runs real close
http://metro.co.uk/2014/06/21/six-year-old-applies-for-celtic-job-gets-brilliant-reply-from-club-4770995/
HH
and to think you provo lovers expect us english to let you join us in our league…fail..fail…we have memories of what your hero’s did with bombs that were paid for with money raised at parkhead….now piss off and stop begging to join english football….and shut that fergus up
god bless
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2ZKQfp7D6U