Gerrard building his own gallows

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I indulged in a bit of radio call-in listening last night to hear how the other side are dealing with their recent implosion.  Blame flows in all directions when aspirational clubs win nothing and perspective is difficult to find.

Steven Gerrard is in his second season as a manager, most of his players have won little or nothing in their careers.  As a club, this is only their second season playing two games a week for months on end.  Contrast this to Celtic, which has years of corporate learning ingrained into the fabric of Lennoxtown.

Celtic know what work to do at the margins to ensure players can deliver at the weekend as well as on European duty.  They learned this through many seasons of fine-tuning.  They know what training and rest is required, what nutrition works best and how to motivate players to continue to achieve.

It is usually fans who have not kicked a ball for decades that accuse players of not trying or caring enough when they suffer a bad result against a weaker team.  In fact, football is far more nuanced.  Players are not machines and never will be.  Get the preparation 10% wrong and even the best are liable to lose.

It is the manager’s job to know this and to find the words to explain what went wrong, while keeping an eye on the next challenge.  Steven Gerrard is not alone in expressing his despair at players’ inconsistencies, but in doing so, he is building his own gallows.  Leave that chat to those who only know how to shout from this sides, but know nothing about dominating an opponent on the field.

It has been a while, but you and I have seen things go wrong at Celtic, as they will do again.  When it happens, don’t be like Steven and his ‘The players are not good enough” fans.  Newco players are, in fact, performing well above reasonable expectations.  That they will forever struggle to win a trophy is not their fault.

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267 Comments

  1. rpmcelticfan on

    I wonder how many posters on this site simply follow the club based on their religion or family tradition and if either were different then thier colours would be blue . Roll on the game even on plastic so we can all unite behind our team ;)

  2. Young Billy Gilmour playing for Chelsea tonight is a cracking wee player. Will be playing for Scotland soon. Sevco fans must be gutted at losing him.

  3. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    RPMCELTICFAN on 3RD MARCH 2020 8:50 PM

     

     

    Dead right .

     

     

    Sad but true .

     

     

    Pen . Hertz.

  4. AuroraBorealis79 on

    RUGGYGMAN on3RD MARCH 2020 1:59 PM

     

     

    “Much hilarity pointed towards thems that is Sevco.

     

     

     Let’s just get through tomorrow nights game, with 3 pts in the bag, then I will begin to feel a lot better about staving off any potential challenge.”

     

     

    Interesting this question comes after Sevco blow their chances of competing for the cup. Considering they’re only an almost 9 year old club you would think that the media would know better than to believe that the main challenge would come from them.

     

     

    Time for the gardening experts to go back to reporting on the Chelsea….. Flower Show !!

  5. ConeyBhoy,

     

    I totally accept that there is room for everyone and every view within the support. However if you cross swords with someone on a blog, you obviously give your point of view, and if someone takes you to task you defend yourself and that is how a blog works.

     

    When the spat is done & dusted, that’s it you move on.

     

    Personally for quite some time I have tended to avoid political debate here & following this will revert to that policy.

     

    However every now & then a particular post hits a nerve, and prompts a response.

  6. TINYTIM on 3RD MARCH 2020 5:36 PM

     

    Am I the only One questioning Paul’s post .

     

    ——————-

     

    No you’re not. I thought the exact same.

     

     

    HH.

  7. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    FAVOURITE UNCLE on 3RD MARCH 2020 8:43 PM

     

    IRA chants alienate us from many of the Scottish population.

     

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

     

     

    Being irish, catholic,clever ,good looking,generous and for putting an end to their empire might also fit in there.

     

     

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

     

     

    Racist mayhap ?

     

     

    But don`t say a negative honest word about Ireland on pain of a charge of racism .

  8. Be glad if the mini Huns beat Hibs and stay up .. a good section of their support are butchers apron waiving scum, but we need all the bigger clubs in the league..

     

     

    Pishy wee teams like Ross County do it no favours..

  9. An T

     

     

    I was at that Dundee game. Dundee were top of the league and that’s where they finished the season.

     

    Frank Brogan was on the wing and captain Billy headed a late winner.

     

    Bobby L scored a fine goal but the MIB penalised . him for excessive speed. He was never offside.

  10. Chelsea using the olde “shoot on site” policy and are two up against Liverpool.

     

    We should try that tomorrow night

  11. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    PITYMEVIN on 3RD MARCH 2020 9:09 PM

     

    Good evening Mackay,

     

     

     

     

    Why was celtic founded ?

     

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

     

     

    To support the IRA ?

  12. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    JOHN1314MAC on 3RD MARCH 2020 9:09 PM

     

    Be glad if the mini Huns beat Hibs and stay up .. a good section of their support are butchers apron waiving scum,

     

     

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

     

     

    Ok.

     

     

    Lets try ” tricolour waving scum ”

     

     

    How does that sound ?

     

    Racist perhaps ?

  13. The IRA was formed in 1919.

     

     

    So, not correct.

     

     

    The Irish Republican Brotherhood were their predecessors I think.

  14. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    PITYMEVIN on 3RD MARCH 2020 9:13 PM

     

    Wrong

     

     

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

     

    Wow

     

     

    Shocker.

     

    Tell that to those imposing the IRA on Celtic .

  15. I for one find the Hamilton Tim posts interesting.

     

     

    As I find some other non related football posts interesting, if I don’t want to read something I scroll by. Simples. My choice

     

     

    D. :)

  16. AuroraBorealis79 on

    GREENPINATA on3RD MARCH 2020 9:00 PM

     

     

    TINYTIM on 3RD MARCH 2020 5:36 PM

     

     

     

     

    Am I the only One questioning Paul’s post .

     

     

     ——————-

     

     

     No you’re not. I thought the exact same.

     

     

    Praising the board & sniping at the fans has become common practice for Paul. Only he is qualified to comment on club affairs as hes been on the succulent lamb for quite some time

  17. William and Kate Windsor laid a wreath at the Garden of Remembrance in Dublin today. On a previous visit William’s mother did the same.

     

     

    The Garden of Remembrance honours those who fought for Irish freedom against the British.

  18. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    ALMORE on 3RD MARCH 2020 9:19 PM

     

    William and Kate Windsor laid a wreath at the Garden of Remembrance in Dublin today. On a previous visit William’s mother did the same.

     

     

    The Garden of Remembrance honours those who fought for Irish freedom against the British.

     

     

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

     

     

    Grandmother . No ?

  19. For anyone who hasnt read them before , can I recommend the following books.

     

     

    Celtic: The Early Years: 1887-1892 Hardcover – 3 Nov 2015

     

    by Brendan Sweeney (Author)

     

     

    The Celtic, Glasgow Irish and the Great War: The Gathering Storms Hardcover – 1 Dec 2013

     

    by Ian McCallum (Author)

     

     

    If you want to deny that several founding fathers of the Club had strong Irish National views , then it is explained in here. They hosted Irish politicians, they joined home rule movements , they distributed the press. They funded events in Glasgow and Scotland. They made donations.

     

     

    At the sametime the explanation of the historical reasons Irish men, inclding the Glasgow Irish made up huge percentages of the British empire is laid out , in stark economic and poverty stricken details.

     

     

    Reading the books, Willie Maley , the son of a soldier, a great admirer of much victorian and edwardian advancements, and his own sons join the army, and he and colonel shaughnessy were key recruiters of the irish diaspora. Some comment on “helping the emigrant catholics from belgium, like us displaced by tyrants”

     

     

    However, a club open to all ? maybe not the creed or colour of the man who wears the jersey, but a strong nationalist, irish, catholic , pervcentage majority of supporters for a very longtime.

     

     

    Some need to go learn our history.

  20. Macjay:

     

     

    Grandmother? Correct, of course.

     

     

    They also spoke ‘as Gaeilge’ – the language their ancestors brutally tried to suppress.

  21. Have to admit, I had a laugh with my colleague after Celtic lost to Copenhagen…

     

    Wouldn’t it be hilarious if the Sevconians, having gone one step further than Celtic, end up having the entire tournament canned due to the Sevcoronavirus?

  22. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    ALMORE on 3RD MARCH 2020 9:33 PM

     

     

    As you will probably be aware , I don`t need an education on British crimes in Ireland.

     

    Over centuries.

     

     

    I`m sure you don`t need an education about IRA crimes against innocent civilians .

     

    Which achieved precisely what ?

     

     

    Catholics believe that the end never justifies the means.