The reaction to points dropped yesterday was not on the same level as the disappointment after we similarly rescued a point against Hibs late on the game or went out of the League Cup last week, this one was expected by all and did no more than provide further confirmation of where we are.
This run of two wins in 12 games will eventually end, but by then it will be too late – possibly too late to see off Hearts in the Scottish Cup Final. In 11 games between now and February, only two are outside Glasgow, short journeys to Hamilton and Paisley, and we have no international fixtures to contend with, but as St Johnstone, Ross County and others have established, that is no comfort.
St Johnstone’s goal was unlike our most in our recent glut. The defence was briefly in position before breaking into a moment’s disorganisation, Frimpong rushed forward, leaving May unattended, Kane reacted while his marker, Bitton, looked the other way. Neither Celtic player demonstrated defensive instincts.
Not that the defence is to blame. The volume of good chances was insufficient to convince anyone a Celtic goal was coming and those that came were missed by our once-prized asset. The equaliser had more than a touch of good fortune about it. Whatever ails Celtic, it is not limited to the back line.
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THE EXILED TIM on 7TH DECEMBER 2020 7:39 PM
Agree……is there something afoot?…King flogging shares to the gullabillies, the debt the tax the Ashley?…are they thinking the hun will go tits up and it’ll eventually be a walk in the park!
We’re all guessing/desperate I suppose.
SQUIRE DANAHER on 7TH DECEMBER 2020 7:00 PM
SLOLEYBHOY on 7TH DECEMBER 2020 6:29 PM
Why should Neil Lennon wan away from a payoff??
Would you?
——————————————
If I had confidence in my own ability and felt I was the best man for the job then Yes.
Question – if the 12 months notice had been invoked (by either side) and was currently being worked, would this be a notifiable event or only when termination takes place?
Could be that we are where we are til the summer and pay off / garden leave would then be 4 months or so.
TURKEYBHOY
I commented on that during the game
ONENIGHTINLISBON on 7TH DECEMBER 2020 8:45 PM
A Sevco supporting friend just text me saying this “there must be masons on that board”……
===============
Stuffed full of tories amd millionaire business people. Of course there are mason on it.
Now, are there any closet secret society catholics on their board?
Plus ca change
Garden leave is a legitimate way to work a notice period. I know it is very sevco, but we shouldn’t let that stop us.
FOURSTONECOPPI
The way things are just now, they could take a 15 point hit by going into admin and still win the league FFS, it’s that bad IMO, we don’t look like beating anyone
HH
But something is just not ringing true, and when that happens you know something is up
Turkeybhoy
Sadly, the pitch will probably be the only thing we’ll be lifting at the end of the season!
SID – agree 100% – its broken top down this season – the debate is how / when we fix it
The only reason for continuing to back Lenny is financial.
With the bonanza of Ten In A row merchandising revenue streams evaporating before their eyes its now all about ensuring that they don’t also miss out on the Quadruple Treble revenue streams too.
They obviously have had to consider whether to stick or twist and with the SCF only 3 games away have decided to gamble and stick with what we have and hope that we can get it over the line.
To me, nothing else makes sense.
Stebhoy
Doing nothing means more pain, this slow car crash has been 2 months in the making, highly paid professionals who care about the team’s performance would have already acted.
They’ve written the season off now me and you must suffer.
Totally unacceptable.
Billybhoy
Do you think we have a greater or lesser chance of the quadruple treble with Neil in charge?
It’s not that long ago that we used to have a right good laugh at the huns statements.
SID Spot in – although I’d say 12months in the making – the number of saves and MoM awards for Fraser F tells you the defense aint working middle to back. They tried to fix it though and spent plenty money (albeit late desperation deals) – its failed
As F. Scott Fitzgerald might have said…;
“There are no second Acts in the Movie business”
But he would have been wrong.
‘Carry On Lenny II’
I thought the tone on the blog was toxic last night but improved again earlier today after the Mod did his/her work.
Unfortunately the Board statement has us back at each others throats again.
The team and club are in a bad place just now.
We can join together to mount a campaign to try to get rid of the Board (though the details of how to do this without giving Sevco even more of a lifeline, are scarce).
Or we can continue to support Celtic, while holding our nose over whoever is your favourite scapegoat- Desmond, Lawwlell, Lennon or James Forrest (the player not the blogger).
It is a genuine dilemma for genuine Celtic fans.
I know we shouldn’t care about media coverage and the reaction of fans of other teams or, perhaps, the wider Scottish public but they are laughing at Cetic and its fans just now. Do we go on protesting without discipline or is there an organised mechanism for protest like there was with Celts for Change?
Their message was Back the Team- Not the Board.
Seems we have forgotten the first half of that. Whether we like how they have played for us or not, these are the only players we have to see us through to the January transfer window.
We have 4 league games and and a cup final to play before we get a chance to recruit again in January. But we have 5 league games to play in January too and any new arrival will be unlikely to get here in time or get used to his teammates and coaches before half of them are played.
So the choice for me is simple:-
“Continue to bawl out the current players and make them even more miserable and unlikely to perfomr with the courage they will need”
or Adopt the Celts for Change approach of backing the team while reserving ALL the vitriol for the Board.
I don’t see any bigger picture (other than aiding the Huns) being served by getting after the team. For better or worse, they are all that we’ve got to fight with at the moment.
Backing the team does not endorse the Board in any way or in any world.
This is the choice facing each and every one of us.
Me, for what it’s worth, I’m sticking with Celtic. I never have wasted much thought on the Board so I am not going to start on them just now. But everyone can feel free to fill their boots, if that is their wont.
P.s. I will state in advance that I am unwilling to accept an “I told you so” or “I predicted this” from anyone unless you can prove that this is the first year on a Celtic Blog that you’ve ever presented yourself as a Cassandra. Otherwise you jhave a legacy of failed predictions behind you and should be a bit more humble about claiming success at the Xth time of trying to forecast failure.
Are we keeping NL on,to see if he can become a Treble Winning manager?
Stebhoy
FF is only one piece of the regression, hes not here now, we have to work now with what we have, the bigger worry is the player’s who are serial winners have now collectively regressed at the same time. Ajer, Julien, Brown, McGregor, Christie, Ntcham , Edouard, Griffiths all proven players who are regularly producing inferior displays. They haven’t become bad players over night, in fact they are producing better displays for their national teams in between drinkers for us.
The only conclusion you can arrive at points right to the management and coaching staff. Their can be no other reason.
A successful advocate of Moneyball
“https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55146257
Try again
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55146257
SETTING FREE THE BEARS FOR RES. 12 & OSCAR KNOX on 7TH DECEMBER 2020 9:57 PM
The opportunity to recruit in January isn’t a silver bullet as I’m guessing whoever will be doing the recruitment will be the same as who recruited Klimala, Soro, Turnbull, Duffy, Barkas, Boli, Taylor….
For me, any outlay in January is simply adding more deadwood and taking more out of the following manager’s budget when the inevitable happens.
Regardless of the outcome of this season , we will still stump up for season tickets and the board know that!!!
The team chucked it when they didn’t qualify for CL and NFL chucked them under a bus .
Rangers aren’t better or fitter but they are organised, hungry and playing with belief in what they are doing…..the Celtic players don’t believe in NFL …
RIMTIMTIM on 7TH DECEMBER 2020 8:19 PM
Ref your point about Bolingoli’s treatment.
This morning a pal asked me why the Celtic team that took the field against Newco on October 17 were so inept, gutless & feeble. My answer touched on your point…
My answer was Bolingoli & October 5.
I believe that Bolingoli was treated abysmally by Celtic. I’ve posted stuff on this before but in essence I think he was treated unfairly & victimised by so many people across Scotland. Fans, media, First Ministers, Ministers of Justice, former dentists but principally by his employer – perhaps somewhere he thought he might at least receive a fair hearing.
The chain of all the Covid breaches involving all Scottish footballers is pretty well documented but despite that Bolingoli is THE name that is referenced when people talk about spoilt & indulged footballers. He did no more than all the other offenders & there is clearly some mitigation on his behalf but unlike all the other players, HE alone was named & shamed by Sturgeon AND Humza Yousaf. However, the response by Celtic was probably the worst of all.
Celtic couldn’t wait to show public outrage at his behaviour & it was very clear that he was finished at Celtic from that moment on. No support for an employee who had a clear language challenge, or for one who may just have been confused over what he was allowed to do or not do: no acceptance by Celtic that they themselves could perhaps have done more to make sure he & other non English speakers were very closely supported to prevent such a breach.
What he did was a breach but no more a breach than all the other players (eg from Aberdeen) who have just gotten on with their life with hardly a blip. In addition, Celtic have indulged so many of their players who have had personal issues or have misbehaved in some way – Griffiths, Forrest, Gordon & whisper it, even Neil Lennon himself – yet this young man gets banned from Celtic Park & then sent to Turkey on loan.
It felt like Celtic took advantage of this just to get off their books a player that was not in the manager’s plans. He was loaned to Turkey on September 13.
If you were a member of the Celtic squad & this man was one of your colleagues – would you feel he’d been treated fairly by anyone in Scotland, including Celtic?
Would his treatment by Celtic reassure you of their integrity towards employees & their good intentions?
Would you feel for the guy and think that he’d been pushed out using the Covid breach as a convenience?
In my opinion this saga would have eroded morale in the squad.
Our 2 games after he left were the 2-1 win at St. Mirren and the 3-2 home in over Livingston
October 5th was the close of the extended transfer window & we knew from Neil Lennon’s own admissions that some players wanted to leave the club during the window. In fact, as early as August 26 after the defeat by Ferencvaros he commented that some players had to want to be at the club & change their attitude. Despite knowing this & seeing no improvement those same players remained at the club.
I believe that by the time we took the field at Celtic Park on that Sunday lunchtime, October 4 – the day before the window closed – those players who’d been angling for a move away from Celtic during the transfer window knew that they would NOT be leaving.
Of those we’re told were set to leave, only Ajer, Ntcham & Rogic (as sub) were involved that day but with a new nervous goalkeeper, one novice Centre back (Welsh), one on loan CB (Duffy) & one want away CB (Ajer) PLUS an aging & struggling Brown in front of them, all the ingredients were there for defeat. Add in the possible Bolingoli morale effect, the debut of Laxalt, the inclusion of Elyounoussi who chooses when to show up, a struggling Frimpong & Klimala as striker….
Frankly, our team were beaten before we walked onto the pitch.
If your manager throws you under the bus for a previous defeat stating that some of you want to leave the club, then refuses to allow you to leave on the eve of the window closing, I think your motivation might suffer.
If your manager insists on selecting players whose form does not justify their selection, then I think your motivation might suffer.
Ill-prepared, poor team shape, no leaders, low morale, wonky tactics, favourites selected ahead of others…
I’m probably making more of the Bolingoli issue than was the case, but man management is often the KEY element that makes a good team “great” & I think his situation was very badly handled.
I also expect more from our captain on the field – as captain. I accept that he is so much not the player he once was so that he is in may cases more of a liability than an asset, but where is his leadership on the field when we’ve got our backs to the wall or when young players need support. It may be there but I haven’t seen evidence of it at all.
Is Scott Brown being groomed to be part of a future Celtic management team?
Is this why he’s selected by NFL in this of all seasons?
I hope the manager & the players can turn things around but I fear that the cost of doing so will mean a trophyless season for us & a tainted Celtic legacy for many of them.
ANDRENA
You are correct. All started after the Ferencvaros game. He should have been sacked then
That statement is just wrong! I mean it genuinely doesn’t make any sense to me as to what they are trying to achieve other than alienate the support even more. I’m beginning to think along the lines of TET that something is going on behind the scenes that is driving this blatant self sabotage. Who knows what it is but something just ain’t right, no siree!
SFTB
If that was aimed at me, that’s not how the justice system works, the onus is on you to prove my guilt, not me to prove my innocence.
Good luck with that.
Oh and comparing the odd nervous anxious poster in previous years doesn’t quite match the concerted and absolute view of posters on this occasion.
The flashing signs were there, I invited you to ridicule me, I didn’t just predict I gave you the reasons why i was so sure, absolutely convinced.
First time I’ve saved my own posts because I knew the reaction I’d get I even detailed your get out before you’ve given me it, I’m just waiting for the 10 isn’t really that important anyway for a full house to try and spin our incompetence.Its coming.
Our board are prolonging the pain and the recovery do you have a view on that?
Changing the manager is yesterday’s remedy old news,the season’s in tatters, window of opportunity, closed, just a quadruple treble to salvage. What’s important is what we do next and just as important when we do it.
Do we have more or less of a chance at hampden with Neil in charge? Remember 2 in 12.
You know what is really frustrating just now? Itvus like a game in which you are 2-0 down to a weaker side with a good bit of the first half to go, second half to come. A goal back and the momentum swings.
Invariably you claw it back and go on to win. But the next goal is crucial.
In the same way, you can be a comfortable 7 or 8 points ahead but one loss, one draw and your back in the mixer.
This league is still for the winning. But I’ll say it until the change comes, it won’t happen if we don’t change the coaching one way or another.
We will know by the end of December if we still have a league to win.
Commentator made a hood point yesterday. Maybe a change of personell in midfield might be as good as a change of formation. Certainly saw some improvement when turnbull came on. Too little too late, but enough to think he could make a difference if he gets a start.
He should never have been given the job in the first place, just my opinion, but he for sure should have gone after Cluj effed us out of the CL.
Just a wee reminder, Celtic’s budget is bigger than the whole of the Romanian top league, let that sink in, yet we were spanked by a team whom we dwarf money wise, we have a habit of that lately so we do, bang for buck ain’t happening is it.
ROBERTTRESSELL on 7TH DECEMBER 2020 9:20 PM
‘Garden leave is a legitimate way to work a notice period. I know it is very sevco, but we shouldn’t let that stop us.’
#####
Wasn’t that what Celtic did with Tony Mowbray?
One of the arguments on here for keeping Lennon is “Can you name anyone who can come in and do any better?”
Of course, there are no guarantees with managerial appointments but some clubs are better at it than others. I was watching Southampton today and I wonder how Southampton Quick News would’ve reacted if someone suggested Hassenhutl – “what’s he ever done?”, “what has he won?”
How many of them were aware of Pochettino before he arrived? These were informed, progressive appointments from a board who clearly know their football and scour the continent for their next appointment. They don’t always get them right (Hughes and possibly Puel) but our board needs to look beyond the British Isles and realise there’d be a lot of young, up and coming coaches that would love an opportunity at a club like Celtic.
The lack of a plan B is pure negligence and even if Lennon was to walk tomorrow, expect an appointment of the likes of Lambert, WGS or heaven forbid promoting Kennedy.
Is it possible that Neil’s showdown with Dermot and Peter was him complaining that the poor results were due to not getting the players he wanted. Perhaps the January thing is a promise to give him what he wants. Even if true though, that’s probably going to be too late to save the situation.
Entitlement:
We are entitled to a level playing field !
We are entitled to the same rules being applied !
We are entitled to custodians who will stand up for our club!
We are entitled to a press who don’t create the narrative, but report the news!
We are entitled to refuse entry to our stadium anyone who isn’t willing to comply with these rules!
The last time lenny called them out, he received bullets in the post.!
The last time lenny called this out the refs went on strike!
The last time lenny called this out, he got attacked in a live televised game and the culpt was found not proven!
Can someone tell me why we would bring back lenny and subject him to this if he was to call this out again?Please,Please, Please. I didn’t understand the logic then and I still dont understand the logic now.
LETS JUST SIT AT THE BACK OF THE BUS AND BE THANKFUL FOR WHAT WE HAVE.
THE ONLY THING THAT HAS CHANGED IS, WE SAY NOTHING UNLESS ITS TO COMPLAIN ABOUT OUR OWN SUPPORTS.
WE SAY NOTHING ABOUT THE POLICE ABUSE OF OUR SUPPORT. NOTHING THE CRUSH. NOTHING ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO POLICE A PARADE AFTER THE TREBLE, TREBLE. BUT EVERY MARCH UPTO THE TWELFTH, THATS NO PROBLEM.
THE LIST IS ENDLESS.
Geebee
When we recruit -the fans expect that we are recruiting first team ready alternatives but that is rarely the case.
In the last bout of recruiting there was a lot of this- Boli and Taylor were supposed to fight it out to be KT’s replacement- neither was expected to be as good as KT currently is- but both were hoped to egg each other on to be adequate replacements. Boli has gone on to be a CL level performer with his loan club and will continue to have a safe career in decent leagues but he never looked close to the full part with us- he was a sub-Izaguirre option. Greg Taylor had a massive jump to make to get from Killie level and fringe Scotland squad level to make it. He’s young enough to persevere with but few Celtic observors would judge him to have the qualities Laxalt has, just yet. However, he is ours and Laxalt is not, until he commits.
Shane Duffy was seen as oven ready bit has been a massive failure. A few good attacking headers followed swiftly by a series of defensive mistakes. I do not believe he is as bad a player as he has been for us but he’s not doing it and he merits his period on the bench. Remember though, he is an experienced internationalist and he saw both Balogun and Goldson off the premises at Brighton before he, too, became surplus there. With the right organisation, Shane can be a useful stopper for us and a goal threat but he will never be a reliable footballer.
Barkas is a decent keeper but he has not adjusted to us, for whatever reason, yet, and looks to be earmarked for the exit. Again, he will impress elsewhere, like Pukki did, but he is not at ease with Celtic pressures. Between Hazard and Doohan we should get one good young back up keeper to persevere with but we need a strong first choice keeper in the mid-term future.
Turnbull and Soro were brought in as development projects. Like Christie, McGregor and Ajer before them, they needed a loan spell elsewhere to kick them on before they could bridge the gap to Celtic level (or what used to be Celtic level) .
We are a victim of previous success- McGeady, Wanyama, Van Dijk, Ki, Forster, Armstrong and Tierney have all kicked on here and moved on to higher level football and vastly increased salaries. Some of them improved under Neil Lennon’s guidance too.
But, for everyone that worked there were three that didn’t- Balde, Nguemo, Kouassi, Wakaso, Shved, Musonda, Hendry, and som here who don’t look like making it Afolabi, Bayo, O’Connor but I hope we wil see Scott Robertson back along with Cammy Harper breaking through so development work still gives something, on a very strict triage system.
HEADTHEBALL on 7TH DECEMBER 2020 10:37 PM
I’ve got a scary feeling that they still believe (as Paul67 alluded to) that we have an “easy” run of fixtures that can build confidence and momentum before the trip to Ibrox.
However, since then we’ve lost to Ross County and drawn with St Johnstone at home and right now no fixtures look “easy”.
It looks like we gambled with the 10 and will lose….I’m worried we’re gambling with the cup too.
The other thing I’m not buying is this January rebuild nonsense. Especially when the message comes from the same person who has continually preached that January is a difficult month not the time for signing players. Its pure spin the opposite spin from previous years, they are insulting our intelligence and memories.
My only explanation for our kamikaze decision making is financial. Follow the money. We’ve spent our budget and no money left for new regime until we spin again to get next season’s money. Watch for a decent signing early doors, front loaded with the promise of more that never materialise once the money is banked.
We need real change.
SETTING FREE THE BEARS FOR RES. 12 & OSCAR KNOX on 7TH DECEMBER 2020 10:43 PM
That’s exactly my point. So why should anyone, including the board think that January will save our season?
A change of manager, while no guarantees, has more chance of improving the squad in the short-term rather than the usual last-minute “project” signings.
Sid
You asked me:
Do you think we have a greater or lesser chance of the quadruple treble with Neil in charge?
I suppose it depends who replaces Lenny.
They might promote Kennedy, although after that footage of him shrugging his shoulders at Lenny yesterday I would toe his arse all the way down to London Rd!
I’d bring Gordon Strachan in tomorrow and give him till the end of the season. He knows how to organise a team. I cant believe we would be as clueless as the Ross County and St Johnstone games. They were completely unacceptable.
Right now, the Jambos must be licking their lips. Its clear now that either the team have stopped listening or their confidence is rock bottom. Either way Lenny is not turning this round.
I’ve no confidence in him beating Hearts at Hampden. It sickens me to have to type that!