After a season where our main central defender went on strike in August, our manager set about working his ticket, our main striker went off message with the manager, before the manager decided it was better to shuffle him off the premises on deadline day, and then the manager walked out on us, we appear to have won the league by the same nine point margin as last season.
We have seen some disruptive seasons in our time (although not recently), but this has to be up there with the 1993-94 season, when we sailed perilously close to administration. This is what modern Celtic looks like when it is vulnerable. Not quite imperious, but still a game away from the treble.
Everything else is just background noise. We are eight-in-a-row champions, double treble winners and that could soon be treble treble winners. Next season will be nowhere near as disruptive. We will have a manager who wants to be here and players bursting a gut to do it on the park.
There is a stable and clear vision for the club, experience at delivering sustainable success that seems to be more imperious each passing year and money in the bank to take us there. If you are taken in by the change in who came second, more fool you.
It was a treat to watch Karamoko Dembele for 45 minutes yesterday. He is small, how would he cope against grown men? Quite well, as it turned out. He has fantastic ability to change direction and great pace over 5 yards, talents that allows him to get away from opponents.
If he is as good as some hope, our place in the food chain will become evident soon enough, but we will enjoy watching him when he pulls on the hoops.
I got a text on Saturday evening, “7-1 in jeopardy”. The FA Cup Final was on; this could only mean Man City were threatening to breach the British cup final record win. 62 years and counting.
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I saw hoopslegend wee Marvin Compper pick up his medal on Sunday, like sports day at the mixed infants.
Everyone’s a winner.
Haha I think the real winners medals are delivered in a couple of weeks and the old criteria still applies.
These ones were just ceremonial.
Personally, I’d give Anthony Ralston a run in the team. A consecutive run in 5 or 6 games to properly assess his talents. I don’t think a further loan would work. The purpose of that for most young players is to “bulk them up a bit”. Tonys already strong enough. And wise enough to snarl over a diving Neymar.
Last season Celtic had a turnover of 100 million and ended up with 30 million in the bank. Is that a good ROI (return on investment) or is that too simple?
In future posts I will usee ROI as I have already explained what the acronym stands for the.
HH
I don’t usually agree with Madmitch @3.25 but he’s right when he says that Ronny D. left us in a much better position than BR. We scored 7 in Ronny’s last match and he left BR with a strong team, enabling the latter, admittedly a better manager, to go unbeaten in his first season. I believe that Liverpool supporters warned us that BR would start brilliantly but it would get progressively worse under him. That was definitely the case. Of course he was using us to get back into the EPL. Wouldn’t Moyes be doing the same thing?
Sorry, if its been mentioned since yesterday but…I was quite peeved off with Scott Sinclair yesterday when we were awarded the Direct free kick 20 yards out, and Young Karamoko looked to be “all over it”, only for what looked like Sinclair “Pulling Rank” etc ?
We are forever being told by Managers and Players that it s Great to give Young Players opportunities,and the more they get hopefully their confidence will grow etc, etc…..
Yet, yesterday Dembele was DENIED that “opportunity”, and what a real confidence boost for the young Celtic Bhoy IF he had taken it and the Ball hit the net ? Obviously, we will never know IF Karamoko would have scored, but any attempt surely couldnt have been worse than Scott Sinclairs ?
Of course I could be wrong, and if so I would apologise to Scott Sinclair, but it looked to me to be a very selfish act, by a senior player who has hardly kicked a Ball all season ?
We are always being told that Players will take Penalties because they are Full of Confidence etc, Scott Sinclair can NOT be full of confidence, while young Karamoko appeared to be right up for taking that free Kick, which was in an ideal spot, for him to place into either side of Hearts Goal….the Roof would have came off it that wee Bhoy had been given that great opportunity and scored ?
Maybe Neil Lennon SHOULD have told Sinclair to leave it for young Dembele ? Maybe he did…and Scott Sinclair ignored him….who knows ?
HH
HH
TIMALOY29 on 20TH MAY 2019 4:33 PM
Haha I think the real winners medals are delivered in a couple of weeks and the old criteria still applies.
These ones were just ceremonial.
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As is marvellous Marvin himself.
Jobo Balde
I agree that Ralston should not be loaned out again .
I am however always perplexed at the green coloured glasses that seem to accompany many Celtic fans recollections of Ralstons performance against Neymar .
Neymar toyed with the Bhoy , and went past him with ease when he wanted.
TT
Karamoko made me happy yesterday
I was smiling every time he got the ball
Anthony Ralston didn’t have a great game yesterday.
But aside from Mikey Johnston, Ntcham, Dembele, and Henderson to a lesser extent, no one else can really lay claim to having a good game either.
Prior to his injury a few months back, Ralston did string 3 or 4 games together, and at that time he looked decent.
He seems to be a robust in stature. Maybe a bit agricultural in playing style. Whoever the manager is going in to next season, should assess young Tony closely during pre-season… both in training and in games.
In meantime, we should acquire a bonafide right back regardless.
Neymar does that to most opponents…..I agree with Jobo,give him a run in the team,will he get that chance?
In so many of our lacklustre performances lately , the players seem to be going through the motions. Contrast that with young Karamoko who looked to be thoroughly enjoying carefree fitba’ like a kid in the street.
Treble treble on Saturday high as kite Sunday Moyes announced as manager downer ? HH
I may start taking an interest in the National team again , now that Clarke is manager.
a bit late in the day to be suggesting AR requires a run in the team to be assessed on his ability and suitability , he will have been closely watched at lennoxtown , time to move him on and several others to free up spaces for quality.
To think Dortmund were quoting £6 million for Toljan.
I just hope we recruit wisely.
To me, a modern day full-back needs to be athletic / dynamic. Much in the way Andy Robertson plays at Liverpool.
Good full-backs should be the source of the teams width.
Good wide players should link and support the centre forward and contribute goals.
Like the top sides in Europe just now, our full-backs should be high-up on the assist count for the season.
I would have Moyes in a heartbeat .
He has managed at a higher level and at a bigger club .
He did well over a long period at Everton , and saved West Ham when asked .
TT
DONTBRATTBAKKINANGER on 20TH MAY 2019 4:15 PM
this time last year the ole CQN Brains Trust would have looked at young Hoopslegend Ryan Christie and decreed that his time as a Celtic player was over, and he would never make it.
Now , when fit, he’ll be one of the first names on the teamsheet.
it’s amazin’ what a run of games will do for the confidence and self belief of a young player.
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I was an RC proponent before he even signed for us! I’m beyond chuffed he’s been given the chance to realise his potential.
HH jg
Dortmund paid Hoffenheim €6M for Jeremy Toljan, a perfect example of how expensive it will be, to buy a player better than Mikael Lustig.
http://www.celticfc.net/news/16194
A tribute to Billy tonight in the House of Commons tonight.
I’m sure the DUP will join. ….
JJ
From your teaching days…….if you had a pupil who was consistently getting a ‘B’ in a class of limited talent, you’d push them and expect more. To realise their full potential. They may be top of a class of lesser talents, but you’d still want them to get the ‘A’ they could achieve.
Still more, when you saw them flunking the European ‘examination’ in which they should have done much better.
That’s why people like me can celebrate the eight, but still believe we could do better, we should do better and to win 9IAR, we’ll NEED to do better.
HH jg
…
In
Ryan Christie is every bit the modern midfielder.
Again, dynamic, high on energy, full of running…. no less ability.
Our team I believe needs to be full of similar types. The experienced heads will come in the shape of Forrest, McGregor.
I hope we purchase an experienced centre half… to complement Ajer and Jozo.. particularly with Boyata and Benckovic both away.
Jamesgang
I have no problem with continually striving for improvement but if my `B` pupil had been working hard to reach that level, I would have praised him first before raising the bar.
Haven`t seen you for some time. We shall have to have a pre-match drink at the time of the Qualifiers.
JJ
New Hertha Berlin ‘bombscare’ Dedryk Boyata leaves us after winning 4 league titles, 2 League cups, and 2 Scottish cups. A major player in the invincible season and pivotal in winning two trebles and helping in a third.
He also played himself into his national team whilst with us and a World Cup , so for as much he’s been good for Celtic, Celtic have been very good for him.
BOURNESOUPRECIPE on 20TH MAY 2019 5:04 PM
Maybe we could save a bit of cash by simply buying Mikel two new legs and hiring an inexpensive transplant surgeon?
I hear you can get almost anything on ebay.
JJ
I’d love to share a few drinks with you my Fhriend
HH jg
Agreed paul67 but we got to get going soon with first team quality players – when injury takes out our quality players we are vulnerable and some formations which br and lennie had to play have been slow and predictable and narrow
JG
We`ll sort it.
Cheerio for now,
JJ
Again I take umbrage with Paul67
“The Manager set about working his ticket” “A manager who wants to be here”
Blimey Paul67 you really have got it in for BR
I can think of a few reasons where BR did not cover himself in glory – European Results, Compper, being the obvious one’s
But the facts are he won every domestic competition the club entered
Would we have got Dembele if Rony stayed ? Sinclair, ? (I know this year not great)
Financially he has added over £100m to the club (Dembele £20m 2x CL Group stages £70m and a sold out stadium £10m) and this is not counting the £9m from Leicester
Whoever we get to replace him, will they achieve the same domestic success – its a risk
We had the tried and tested answer in BR but we let him fly – for what
The big question is why is BR not our manager today
It’s possible he is a greedy bastard and just jumped at the best deal available
It’s also possible PL did not manage the situation (as CEO it is a crucial part of his job)
Its possible BR felt undervalued by PL and that was the start of BR ‘Working his ticket
Paul67 if you want the debate please do not insult us with its all BR fault and PL is the saviour
For clarity and balance I am a PL fan I respect and acknowledge his brilliant contribution to Celtic
But it does not mean he is infallible
As you continue to have a dig at BR the more paranoid I become about PL editing CQN
Now let’s go and win on Sunday
67ECW
Celtic to win Nine in a row, by Nine points, would complete a new Treble.
BIG JIMMY on 20TH MAY 2019 4:42 PM
Sorry, if its been mentioned since yesterday but…I was quite peeved off with Scott Sinclair yesterday when we were awarded the Direct free kick 20 yards out, and Young Karamoko looked to be “all over it”, only for what looked like Sinclair “Pulling Rank” etc ?
______________
I thought the wee man took the free kick. Unless I’m mistaken, or there was a second.
3×3 =9
Loannees goodbye (4) – Burke, Weah, Toljan and Benkovic
Contracts up (4) – Lustig, Izzy, Gamboa and De Vries
Time’s up (2) – Boyata (Hertha), Allan (Hibs)
Whazzup (8) – Hendry, Comperr, Benyu, Calvin Miller, Morgan, Gutman, Perez, Mulumbu…
(18 gone and we wouldn’t even notice)……..
I think Lambert is merely raising the point that one character is suspiciously absent from mention in Paul’s article.
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Actually Paul’s Article is missing another major character “Griff” losing your two top strikers (Moussa and Griff), and still finishing the season champions is no mean feat gentlemen.
HH
yeah ASUPPORTERWHOGOTLUCKY, we don’t have a centre forward.
add AR and JHendry to the list and make it 20 and we still wouldn’t notice.