You remember Celtic manager, Gordon Stachan, third manager in our history to win three-in-a-row? Took us to the Champions League knock out stages for the first time, did much of this while comparative economics were moving against us, remember him? Is he the same Gordon Strachan who has transformed the Scotland national team’s results?
Gordon is unequivocally a successful manager but his Scotland team is performing far better than I thought possible when he took over what looked like a poisoned chalice. The most stunning fact of his record there is that they have not conceded a goal in three successive away games. Gordon’s Celtic covered 15 months, across two championship winning seasons, without keeping a single clean sheet away from home, no matter how lowly or distressed the opponent. Even good, experienced, managers learn, especially from their earlier troubles.
Jock Stein is viewed mostly through the prism of 1967 but during his final season as Celtic manager, 1977-78, the sentiment among many in the support was decidedly downbeat. Rangers (remember them, played in blue, I think?) would win their third title in four seasons, with two trebles thrown in for good measure. Celtic finished fifth in the league, Jock’s judgement was widely called into question.
At the time Leeds United were a top club in England and after Celtic sacked Jock they moved to secure him. Leeds had no doubts as to his abilities. A little over a month later the SFA offered him the Scotland job, which he took and excelled at, twice succeeding in World Cup qualifying campaigns. His talents were without question but stood in sharp contrast to how many in the support viewed him a few years earlier.
I don’t know if Jock was a better manager in 1982 and beyond than he was in 1978 but there’s a decent chance his football education didn’t stop when the trophies dried up at Celtic. Gordon Strachan is, like Jock was until the end, a student of the game. Neil Lennon is too, he is also receiving some of the reviews his illustrious predecessors would recognise. Gordon was an excellent Celtic manager but he’s better now, perhaps as a result of life’s experiences along the way.
It’ll be really interesting to see how Euro qualifiers reflect on the comparative progress of Gordon and Martin O’Neill, who for my money was a better manager than Mourinho when the latter deployed some of the best players in the world against Celtic in Seville, and needed to deploy every underhand trick in the book to come out on top.
I was blown away by the stunning contributions to our Mary’s Meals campaign yesterday. First in was an incredible £200 + £50 gift aid donation, followed by others, large and small, every one appreciated. Ignore those who would tell you society is dead. You can get involved here.
Seville, The Celtic Movement, launches this month.
“Porto were favourites and would go on to prove how good a team they were by winning the Champions League 12 months later. Their players would demonstrate their prowess across the world for the next decade. They had fabulous talent, so much so, that they should have aspired to better than the gamesmanship used during their run to the UEFA Cup and Champions League wins.”
Order yours below:
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WeeFra
Been busy assembling a plan for world peace :-)
DD
You could break into Coatbridge on Sunday, there’ll be nobody theeeerrrrreeeee (echo effect!) :-)
TTT
Haha, been told I look 42 :)))
Geordie Munro
Ok bud, I’m cool
Mate o mine was at a Sportsman’s doo a few weekend back where Tam Cowan was one of the after dinner speakers.
Mate said his level of swearing was atrocious, but he did applaud him on this one.
TC : Any Rangers fans here tonight?
Cue pockets of cheering, applauding and general knuckle dragging.
TC Go oan then. Who’s your big team?
Well it made me laugh.
Any entrants for tonight’s quiz ?
HT
Would be worth the drive on Sunday to get Asda Coatbridge to maself. :)
BCW
Cannae wait.coont me in
Two years ago at the Celtic in Greenock, Gahagan was the speaker, a few of us walked out, if I want to hear crap I’ll go and see Chubby Brown. He was a disgrace.
Bma
BCW
Aye, count me in
BCW
Yes please.
BCW,
Bring it on !!
Token
I take it back about Gahagan being old ned. He’s like late thirties early forties.
Went to another one and an ex oldco guy Davie wilson. Now he is an old guy surely I’m not offending anyone with that! In fact he was superb told a few great stories about JJ back in the day. They were good mates it seemed.
Just off the phone to a mate who is a friend of the Easedales. If the huns thought what went before was bad they better get used to armagedon as it’s about to desend on Govan.
On the subject of Sportsman’s dinners……
Attended one with Jeff Winter on the top table around 3 /4 years ago….
I had no idea of his love for Deadclub beforehand.Thought he was a Boro fan.
My Villaboy golfing mates thought he was an absolute prick of a man.
The biggest arsehole I have ever listened to in my life.
He was that bad,they didn’t let him finish his crass act in the second half of the night.
Went to another one the following month with John Conteh the Liverpool boxer….what a gentleman…….genuinely beautiful guy.Wonderfully humble man for all he achieved in life.
Loved talking to him.
Ok eyes down a nice wee easy one to start……
Q1 Can you name the team Henrik Larsson scored his first goal at Celtic Park against, and also the team he scored his last competitive goal against at Celtic Park ?
2 points for each.
St Johnstone and Dundee Utd
Il padrino,
Ive heard dw and you wouldn’t think he was one of thems.
Kilmarnock
Dun Utd
Aaaaaaargh!!!!!!!!!
whit a dobber I am
reade the question…..!!!!!
Celtic
Berwick rangers & Dundee united
Fc Tirol
Utd
Ht
Aw ffs. Spot on
TTT
St Johnstone was his first goal but it was in Perth.
TTT
No comment :-)
BCW
Just logged in on Old Course Hotel Wi-Fi.
Romantic weekend away with the wife.
Damn! Can quiz.
Bring it on.
Celtic and celtic. Grrrr
Tirol Innsbruck. dundee utd
HT,
I know……feckin trigger happy!
knew the 2nd one as soons as i hit send!
hence the dobber comment
Tirol Og
Dundee Utd
PF,
keep it that way
:-)
HAIL! HAIL!
Token
Berwick, Celtic (for Barca)
BIG-CUP-WINNERS
21:04 on
Thanks for running the quiz. Mrs eddieinkirkmichael is well chuffed as she has now taken posession of the remote
Da Hoops and Da Hoops…..
Quite a good player was Henke!!
Ttt,
I’m same. I’m kicking myself
Tirol game is one of my faves ever.
Amazing game.
the token tim
21:08 on 7 March, 2014
HT,
I know……feckin trigger happy!
knew the 2nd one as soons as i hit send!
hence the dobber comment
——
I wasn’t disagreeing :-)
Ok scrolled back and read all the answers EN route. Still don’t know!
‘reckon they all got it wrong anyway!
St Johnstone
Dun. Utd