From Stein to Deila in the League Cup

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Jock Stein won his first five League Cups as Celtic manager (no pressure, Ronny) but in the 43 years since we’ve won the trophy only eight times, including yesterday.

There has been a bit of chat that the Treble is a bit easier since Rangers were liquidated, but, if you know your history, you’ll know that’s not really borne out by the facts.

We’ve won three of the last 10 League Cups and lost to Rangers once but the six other defeats in that period have come at the hands of the likes of Morton, St Mirren and Kilmarnock.  What’s more, Falkirk, Hearts (twice) and Morton all knocked us out at Celtic Park.  We haven’t actually lost an away game in the League Cup for over a decade.  25 of our 35 defeats since Stein’s five-in-a-row have come to teams other than Rangers.

Here is a list of our eventual outcomes in the League Cup, winners or those who eliminated us:

2014-15 Winners
Morton
St Mirren
Kilmarnock
Rangers
Hearts
2008-09 Winners
Hearts
Falkirk
2005-06 Winners
Rangers (November 2004 Celtic’s last away defeat in the League Cup)
Hibs
Rangers
Rangers
2000-01 Winners
1999-00 Winners
Airdrie
1997-98 Winners
Hearts
Raith Rovers
Rangers
Aberdeen
Airdrie
Rangers
Aberdeen
Dundee United
Aberdeen
Rangers
Hibs
Dundee United
Rangers
1982-83 Winners
St Mirren
Dundee United
Aberdeen
Rangers
St Mirren
Aberdeen
Rangers
1974-75 Winners
Dundee
Hibs
Partick Thistle
Rangers

At the 40th anniversary of Lisbon I wrote about the 1965-66 until 1969-70 period.  Jock Stein won 12 of the 15 domestic trophies available, five Leagues, five League Cups and two Scottish Cups.  We also won and lost a European Cup Final, while beating champions from Italy, Portugal France and England.

That we went on to win nine-in-a-row disguised the fact that the real glory era ended in 1970.  The last four title winning seasons were not characterised by beating anyone substantial in Europe (notwithstanding the fact that we reached two European Cup semis) and a series of capitulations in League Cup Finals. The downwards trajectory from beating Leeds at Hampden and finishing fifth in the league in 1978 is evident.

Two inferences can be drawn:

Winning trebles is incredibly difficult.  One slip, one bad tackle leading to a red card, and you are up against it.

Teams who aspire to genuine historical greatness never switch off. 

We have a ‘never switch off’ manager. No more Mortons, Falkirks or Raith Rovers’.

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  1. Found this on Wiki

     

     

    McGowan was born in Adelaide into a Scottish family from Glasgow.

  2. Morning/afternoon/evening…

     

     

    …wherever you may be.

     

     

    Been internetless for a week.

     

     

    What’s been happening?

     

     

    Anything?!

     

     

    HH!!

  3. GlassTwoThirdsFull

     

     

     

     

    14:06 on

     

     

    16 March, 2015

     

     

     

     

    No Lewis MacLeod in the Scotland squad? Hasn’t put a foot wrong since his million pound move. Don’t think he has played yet mind you….

     

     

    *and the latest superstar who was recently awarded a new contract, murdoch, was dropped on Saturday.

  4. alfie noakes

     

     

    22:24 on 15 March, 2015

     

    NO MORE FROM ME

     

     

    =================

     

     

    Broony lifts the cup, and the Witchfinder general takes a fit and flounces.

     

     

    Victory to Broony. \o/

  5. South Of Tunis

     

     

     

     

    15:12 on

     

     

    16 March, 2015

     

     

     

    Torrential rain -way down south ( worst winter since I arrived in 2000 )

     

     

    *out of curiosity why Sicily, in asking that I’m in my 40th season here in the Great White North and it wisnae my choice.

  6. Who else can the w nkers in the msm trot out before wednesdays game?

     

    An agenda driven anti Irish racists.

     

    Was never a penalty unless it’s a non contact sport.

     

    Dow could have been booked for diving.

     

    Do not recall the same furore about Utd scoring from the spot from a flagrant dive.

     

    Their outraged copy must have fell in the waste basket.

     

    McGowan the thug who was lucky to stay on the park in both games complains that every tackle seems to bring a red or yellow except in his case.

     

    How embarrassed should the msm be allowing to spout his guff in defending the indefensible.

     

    How many other negative stories before wednesday from our jaundiced press?

  7. ernie lynch

     

     

     

     

    15:21 on

     

     

    16 March, 2015

     

     

     

     

    Rock Tree Bhoy

     

     

    15:13 on 16 March, 2015

     

     

    John Kennedy was a young player most of us were really excited about in terms of a home grown commanding centre half, he had the lot and just as it was about to come to fruition he got called up for the Scotland squad.

     

     

    Ever since, I’ve been totally indifferent about our national team, purely from a selfish point of view the less ‘called up’ the better.

     

     

    ###

     

     

    His career was ruined by a psychotic tackle in a meaningless game.

     

     

    And his team mates showed no sign of concern. That stuck in the craw with me.

     

     

     

    *including a future Celtic captain…also one of his team mates, a former Raith and Jambo player, defended the thug that done it.

  8. The thought of poor wee Alfie flouncing off in his tammy and kilt has amused me greatly?

     

    Childish i know.

  9. Delaneys Dunky on

    Leftclick

     

     

     

    Clydebank Celtic Store have LL lower 115 on sale for Wednesday too. Selling fast. :)

  10. squire danaher

     

     

    *completed the survey, thought by your blog name you must have a Connemara connection, just saw your son’s surname and my da had a Ballyconnelly cousin who lived in Dumbarton by that name.

  11. Brought a smile to my face on Sunday some Arabs in the Mount Florida end proudly displaying the Star of David flag

  12. 16 March, 2015

     

    Wee Gordon a class act!

     

    Talking of the Broonie furore…..tell people to “Get a life” :O)

  13. voguepunter

     

     

    18:22 on 16 March, 2015

     

     

    16 March, 2015

     

    Wee Gordon a class act!

     

    Talking of the Broonie furore…..tell people to “Get a life” :O)

     

     

     

    ==============================

     

     

    Just saw that. Wish there had been a camera trained on his SMSM audience – would have seen some red-faced wankers among them.

  14. Gerryfaethebrig on

    WGS on stv news gets asked about Broony sitting down on his night out, just an excuse for them to show the photo, wee man says about people arguing about it on Facebook… Quote from our former very successful manager “get a life”

  15. Squire Danaher, just completed your son’s survey, very well-thought-out questions there. Good luck to him.

  16. thomthethim for Oscar OK on

    Is everyone aware that Scott Brown accompanies the Development team to their matches, as part of the coaching team?

     

     

    No wonder he needs the odd day off.

     

     

    A good club captain.

  17. South Of Tunis on

    tontine tim @ 17 42..

     

     

    Why Sicily ?

     

     

    I like it / I wanted to.Add cheap land / cheap property/Relative absence of that ex pat thing/ next to no Brits./ a 7 month summer / beaches .Married to an Italian / I spoke Italian.My weans were all grown up and sorted..Living in the UK was giving me the heebie geebies.I was developing Travis Bickle tendencies.It was time to go.Peace and quiet was required.I got what I wanted / needed .

  18. GlassTwoThirdsFull on

    Tontine Tim 17:40

     

    *and the latest superstar who was recently awarded a new contract, murdoch, was dropped on Saturday

     

    ————

     

    Aye, but there’s a new new one they’re bumming up now – Walsh?

     

    No doubt weary Dave aka the new Souness is keeping tabs…..

  19. Gerryfaethebrig

     

    18:26 on

     

    16 March, 2015

     

    WGS on stv news gets asked about Broony sitting down on his night out, just an excuse for them to show the photo ………

     

    ==========

     

    The Stv report was by Peter Smith and so we should be grateful that Gordon was not asked his opinion of Irish nationalism.

  20. Paul 67 et al

     

     

    Jock Stein’s team were far from past their best post 1970. Not sure if we could have beat either Ajax in 1972 or Bayern Munich in 1974, but we would have made a gallant bid. In 1972 Celtic were still a formidable team, in any company. We thrashed a Hibernian 6-1 team full of good players in the Sc Cup Final, and scored goals a plenty towards the end of the season. The EC was straight knockout draw in those days so you played who they put in front of you. We knocked out Ujpest Dosza, remember them, who had beaten Valencia home and away, and could and should have beaten Inter Milan, and we had a squad in 1972 which included McGrain, Murdoch, Connelly, Johnstone, Dalglish, Macari, Hay and Lennox.

     

    I guess you had to be there!

  21. Celticrollercoaster supporting Shay,our bhoy wonder along the way on

    Evening fholks

     

     

    Got my ticket plus 2 for C&D for Wednesday. Looking forward to the game, but think it will be a toughie. Dundee United will be hurting and looking for revenge.

     

     

    Thanks to the 31 teams that have so far registered for Last Man Standing 4. Still time to register, but don’t forget deadline is Friday.

     

     

    Will post an update on Wee Shay Bhoy later. Never had a chance yesterday

     

     

    HH

     

     

    CRC

  22. FAB Virgil@9.32

     

     

    “If I want the latest on Jim Zion Murphy I’m sure SFTB or Bawsman can keep me right.”

     

     

    Never once have I or Bawsman brought news about Jim Murphy to you or anyone on CQN. I have very very very very rarely been the first to introduce politics to the blog.

     

     

    What I have done is counter the stuff produced by countless SNP men and yessers on here that you have not placed in your particular “politics” section, possibly because you agree with the sentiments.

     

     

    You heard far more about Jim Murphy from your fellow travelers than you ever heard from Bawsman or myself.

     

     

    You will not find one instance on this blog that refutes this.

  23. GlassTwoThirdsFull on

    Houston speaking well about our captain. Wilson sounding rather bitter. Maybe trying to deflect from King Dave being a wee bit short of the 30m he was going to put in to Sevco.

  24. timbhoy in spain on

    South Of Tunis,

     

    I was on a Med cruise recently & we had a day in Messina.

     

    What a brilliant place.

     

    Me & the wife thoroughly enjoyed it.

     

    And the main Church was absolutely fantastic.

     

    It was the highlight of the 2 week cruise & that included Rome,Venice etc.

  25. lennon's passion on

    That’s 2 emails sent in last few days about last man standing. No reply Times like this I wish I was in the clique. I’m sure I will survive though.

  26. hebcelt

     

     

    18:19 on 16 March, 2015

     

     

    ‘Ernie thanks for the info was,nt too hard was it?’

     

     

     

    ###

     

     

    Not hard at all.

     

     

    Makes me wonder why you couldn’t do it yourself.

  27. From Reporting Scotland,although I do not know the exact circumstances,it seems that even the most docile of Munros can still be killers

  28. Dallas Dallas where the heck is Dallas on

    Was John Guidetti not tackled in a similar way to Ryan Dow yesterday by Sean Dillon in our last league game at Tannadice and no penalty given.

     

     

    Ryan McGowan is worse than Frazer Wright, Lasley, Jamie Hammill & Richie Foran put together.

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