I listened to Neil Lennon speak after our last two games with some regret. He has been drawn into justifying the form of a team on the verge of 8-in-a-row, not having lost a goal in 8 hours of football, but who are struggling to put the ball in the net at their usual rate.
Neil was given a great opportunity, having fallen out with Hibernian, he could scarcely imagine being Celtic manager a few weeks later. But the old adage, Never follow Sinatra, holds true. Better to become Celtic manager after Tony Mowbry, or John Barnes, than Martin O’Neill or Brendan Rodgers.
Gordon Strachan will attest that it is hard to live up to the standards of a legend, no matter how many times you out-perform him in the Champions League or in the rate you accumulate domestic titles. Neil is going through a bit of the same.
A team which looked listless before transformational halftime changes at Murrayfield in October, is struggling to spark. The case for changes in the squad is evident, the fact that a manager who took over on 26th February had nothing to do with this situation, should be crystal clear.
Making the right decisions in the summer is a multi-layered question. We want the best manager we can get, but we also have to make the squad as ready as possible for the qualifiers. We want to qualify for the Champions League and we must – must – win 9 and then 10-in-a-row.
This is not a normal summer where we appoint a new manager. The history books will prominently record what happens over the next two seasons. I am sure everyone at Celtic is acutely aware they need to avoid what happened across the city in season 1997-98.
All of these questions need to be parked for the time being. We have a manager and squad who are within a point of winning the league, and a Cup Final of delivering the treble treble. Neil is doing very well wearing another man’s overalls and does not need to answer for the fact that they are torn.
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setting free the bears for Res. 12 & Oscar Knox on 1st May 2019 12:02 am
MADMITCH @ 11:27 PM
‘I don’t know how accurate your figure of £10m for Ajax is.’
****
Seems about right.
https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=7&ved=2ahUKEwiXo7u29fnhAhXKTBUIHbApBu0QFjAGegQIAxAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fswissramble%2Fstatus%2F1065513385708670977&usg=AOvVaw0uRedaErKeNDT5npn9sNcY
https://www.afc-ajax.info/en/television-revenue/2016-17
SFTB @ 12.02
How accurate are my figures — very accurate — local TV money last season was less than EUR 10mill.
straight from the horses mouth mentioned in comparing Ajax to the EPL — please do keep up.
Regarding the rest of your comments and analysis — very thin gruel to my way of thinking. In fact if this analysis and understanding had come from a second rate property bean counter winging it in professional sport I would have asked for better the next time as the whole thrust of the argument seemed to be “oh woe is us”.
It is our future — we need to make the most of it.
Sitting on our rock being all smug because we are better than the TFOD2.1 is not good enough.
Ajax have kicked the doors off their hinges.
We need to be able to rush through and challenge them next or any other season.
Consequently thinking caps on / bonus shenanigans forgotten about.
What is the world coming to?
US / Internal — They do convict plod as long as they are non white plod and the victim was white.
US / External — Invade Venezuela for the umpteenth time using a quisling style puppet / movie stars looks and everything and the world sits back and lets them.
Whole prairie of astroturf and useful idiots give voice to a CIA pre-pack to try and justify it and the Grauniad prints it as news rather than call it out for the propaganda that it is.
What is even worse — DT did not start all this.
The guys who will be slating Celtic for not being Ajax will regard promoting youth players as “downsizing”
EL @ 9.41
Ajax and teams like Ajax are now our challengers.
Not the dried out husk that is TFOD2.1.
Do well in an EU context and we will win the SPL and then some.
Fail in the EU and the SPL will be beyond us.
Next year is a huge season.
We need to be ready to take the big steps forward that we need to make.
Cash hoarding is not the way forward — in fact it will kill us eventually.
First question is not about NL — it is about PL.
Is he worth the money we pay him and does he have the smarts to take us to the next level?
I will save you the wait — we pay him too much and he does not the CEO skillset we need to go forward.
NL — I will leave that for another day.
T29 @ 9.59
Our youth set up needs big changes — total re-organisation would be my thoughts.
The story from last night was that we did not play as a team and the staff struggled to get their message across to those on the park.
We need higher standards all round when we are under pressure from a TFOD2.1 youth set up that should a class below what we can put on the park.
The fact that is is not suggests that we need to change — players and coaches.
MJ has talent dripping out of him but he is 18/24 months away from playing against full grown men on a weekly basis.
If he had come through the Ajax system that would not be the case.
I fear that too many people in our youth set up carry him about in a shawl too many times in a season.
Just finished watching the City of Glasgow cup final and enjoyed watching the young bucks win.
Even more pleasing was the performance of the officials, who I don’t think got a decision wrong all night – even the fouls given against the ‘tic were correct.
It was as if we had finally reached that level playing field we have been shouting for all these years.
Then I thought about these officials, who we so desperately need to fix the problems in the game in this COUNTRY, who will be taken aside and have it explained to them exactly what they will need to do to further their careers – and that my friends is a shame. Aye, Scotland’s shame.
HH
@ TIMALOY29 on 1ST MAY 2019 9:59 AM
While Ajax promote youth they also supplement their talented youth players with first team purchases. Four of their starters yesterday cost €10m+.
I posted this link yesterday which shows Ajax spending this year relative to other Dutch teams (although PSV also spent a decent amount of money): https://i.redd.it/8k3kzlnv7ev21.png
Celtic’s problem is not that we do not promote youth (Forrest, McGregor, Tierney, Ajer, Christie etc), the issue is that we are not investing the funds we have available in some quality first team players to assist the progression of the youth players/team.
Ajax have Van Der Sar and Overmars as directors, we have accountants.
I remember a mnemonic for the geography of Central America, Green Bees Eat Honey Not Coco Pops. Try forgetting it.
Is there something similar for South America? Where exactly is Venezuela? (rhetorical – i’ve googled)
were literally playing with only 10 men against a very good opposition Mob.
PRAY tell us what parish had a MOB.
BIG JIMMY
AJAX
I know little re their finances and care even less
I really enjoy watching them play football.Really really good at creating angles and space and then using quality technical skill to put the ball where they want it to be.Wanyama and Sanchez looked to be utterly perplexed by it..
AVOURITE UNCLE on 1ST MAY 2019 10:51 AM
were literally playing with only 10 men against a very good opposition Mob.
PRAY tell us what parish had a MOB.
…………………
THAT Mob were St Ninians Hillhouse from Hamilton.
Although that Mob Won that Final, their Mob fans STILL decided to invade the Pitch with Sticks etc, and try and start a fight with us, still on the Pitch after the Final Whistle.
The League Committee were ALL from Hamilton, St Ninians were from Hamilton, The Ref and his Linesmen were ALL from Hamilton, The Final was Played at Hamilton Accies…and when we arrived about an hour before Kick Off, we discovered that the other Mob had been allowed to use Hamilton Accies Pitch to train on for 2/3 days before the game ?
We didnt even SEE the Pitch until we ran out for our Warm Up , never mind Train on it !
Were we Paranoid…Too Right we were…that Mob got EVERY decision and assistance BEFORE and During the game.
HH
Our Boys Guild Team Under 18’s were Saint Benedicts from Easterhouse, and the League Committee viewed US as Scum cos we came from Easterhouse ( Gang warfare and all that Crap).
ALL the other guild teams came from Hamilton, Motherwell, Bailleston etc.
The Boys Guild League was called “The Motherwell Diocese” , and we weren’t the so called Scum 1
HH
SoT
The irony being Sanchez came from Ajax
In the last 6 years Ajax have made £150m from players who’ve come through the academy. De Ligt will take that well over 200m
That doesn’t include players who’ve been bought from other Dutch clubs and sold on, like Sanchez for 42m, Suarez for 22m and de Jong for 65m.
Over 300m quid in income from players brought through the academy or bought from the domestic league and sold on
Van dar Saar looks like he’s doing a good job but he’s been there for 2 1/2 years. Last night 8 of the starting 11 came from the academy or other Dutch clubs, not including Blind who did but who was sold and then bought back at a profit. The core of the team wasn’t purchased from foreign leagues
De Jong didn’t come through the academy, Ajax paid €10m euros from the equivalent of St Johnstone.
Van Dijk and Suarez came from the equivalent of Hearts
Two of the best players in the world came from the Dutch league, as well as arguable the best young one
Mistake: Sanchez wasn’t bought from the Dutch league
GO TELL THE SPARTIM
Sanchez.
Yes – at Ajax for a season.Voted their Player of The Season and then punted to Spurs for a massive profit..He looked lost last night.
SOT….for you my friend…
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uo7Py7yArac
Big Jimmy…I too know all about St Ninians (mob)…
you should have tried this routine before the final…
Guaranteed no cramp… :-)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8AXkfhqvO44
WEE BOBBY COLLINS
Thanks for the link . My mind’s eye ( and ear ) recalls him singing that on his BBC series in 69 . Student me didnt have a tele and had to beg access to other people’s TVs in order to see the great man . . I was mocked mercilessly for my MOR taste .–
Off oot to a May Day feast .
Today’s choons –
https://youtu.be/N-zgdGQB4S4
https://youtu.be/q4CbkoPccaQ
Happy May Day !!!
Hi bhoys
Past fortnight really sad news with the passing of MAH,CESAR and STEVIE,
my heartfelt condoloncies to all family and friends.
Anybody else having problems with the blog
Pop ups
Freezing
And adverts
Got ad blocker and disabled java,getting very frustrated.
Ps
Anybody heard anything from 50 shades,not noticed him posting recently,when I do get on the blog.
Here’s to the 8 in a row on Saturday.
KTF
@ CELTIC40ME on 1ST MAY 2019 11:31 AM
The figure of £150m over 6 seasons doesn’t include Sanchez? Why is that fee carved out?
Ajax do produce quality youth products, as does Holland as a whole. But there is no reason Celtic cannot buy in the Dutch market. After all, we picked up VVD not too long ago from Holland.
The difference to a large extent between Ajax and ourselves in their level of re-investment in the team. Our biggest transfer fee post MON era was Ntcham at £4.5m last season, bested by Edouard this year. We have painfully reticent to invest in our team when we have received decent transfer fees.
Forgetting Ajax expenditure, PSV spent circa £20m last year. PSV are comparable to Celtic in terms of size and turnover.
We could
WEEBOBBYCOLLINS on 1ST MAY 2019 12:03 PM
Big Jimmy…I too know all about St Ninians (mob)…
………………
To be fair, the St Ninians Team at that time around 1973/74, were formidable opponents, but it is FACT that The Hamilton League Committee and other Clubs viewed us as being “Scum” simply cos we came from Easterhouse, and our Manager and Our Committee would constantly remind us Boys of that, to “Fire Us Up” even more ! Great Days….WITH many games a “Battle” in more ways than one…LOL !
A Great suggestion about Jackie Wilson and how to avoid Cramp…but back then I hadn’t heard of Jackie Wilson, although in recent Years I certainly do listen to his Great Music and Videos…that Boy could Sing and move !
Back then I was into T-Rex and Led Zeppelin, and soon after The Sensational Alex Harvey Band.
HH mate.
new article posted.
THE HANDS CANT HIT WHAT THE EYES CANT SEE on 1ST MAY 2019 12:25 PM
@ CELTIC40ME on 1ST MAY 2019 11:31 AM
The figure of £150m over 6 seasons doesn’t include Sanchez? Why is that fee carved out?
Sanchez was bought from Colombia, they paid a fee for him. The £150m was for players who weren’t bought, they came through the academy.
There is a good reason why every young Dutch player is likely to choose Ajax before us, it would be nice if it wasn’t the case but given a choice between Ajax or Celtic nearly every dutch will choose them
The biggest difference between Ajax and Celtic isnt how much money they spend on transfers, it’s the huge discrepancy in income from transfers. One leads on to the other
The other big difference is how much better their young players and academy graduates are.
” Female athlete” Castor Semenya has had her appeal rejected. She says she feels like she has been kicked in the balls. ?