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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**NEW ARTICLE BHOYS AND GHIRLS**
CQN CHELTENHAM Naps Competition
Lads, for anyone who wants to take part in the CQN Cheltenham Naps competition, please post your daily selections at the end of this article :
“Jock, Martin, Gordon and Neil”
N.B.
please bookmark this page, as we will be using the same page for the entire week of the Cheltenham festival !
Good luck… fleagle1888
Lads,
Welcome to the CQN Cheltenham Naps competition
– I hope you all manage to find some big-priced winners and that you enjoy the best four days horse racing of the year !
RULES :
On each day of the Cheltenham festival, pick one selection in every race
(i.e. either 6 or 7 horses, per day)
N.B. all selections should be posted on this article.
POINTS :
Race winner = 10 pts + starting price
2nd place = 5pts
3rd place = 3pts
e.g. Hurricane Fly wins at 5/2 = 10 + 2.5 = 12.5 pts
e.g. Champagne Fever wins at 4/1 = 10 + 4 = 14 pts
WINNING NAPSTER :
The person who accumulates the highest number of points from the four days of the Cheltenham festival – 27 races, I think.
Our defending champion is Cathal who achieved 138 points last year, including 8 winners, so that is your target to beat !
Can you hear the roooooaaaaarrrrr ?
fleagle1888
there will be a new dog at the races this year
First up for the festival.
1: 30 Vautour
2 : 05 Trifolium
2 : 40 Green Flag
3 : 20 My Tent Or Yours
4 : 00 Quevega
4 : 40 Foxrock
5 : 15 Festive Affair
Best of luck ghuys
EC67
Cheers fleags
1.30 Gilgamboa
2.05 Dodging Bullets
2.40 Time For Rupert
3.20 The New One
4.00 Quevega
4.40 Beeves
5.15 Manyriverstocross
Bon chance mes amis,hh
Lads, my selections for day 1 :
1.30 Irving
2.05 Valdez
2.40 Wrong Turn
3.20 My Tent or Yours
4.00 Quevega
4.40 Rogue Angel
5.15 Persian Snow
Fingers crossed… fleagle1888
1.30 josses hill
2.02 rock on ruby
2.40 standing ovation
3.20 my tent or yours
4.00 quevega
4.40 suntiep
5.15 art of logistics
hope i’ve done this right ! best of luck to all.
1: 30 Vautour
2 : 05 Dodging Bullets
2 : 40 Shakalakaboomboom
3 : 20 Our Conor
4 : 00 Cailin Annamh
4 : 40 Shotgun Paddy
5 : 15 Present View
This work bollox really gets in the way of some serious racing! :-(
Anyway…Tally Ho!
TTTT
Hi,fellas.
Many thanks once again for FLEAGLE1888’s efforts to make us all look stupid!
Cheers,bud.
My selections are
WICKLOW BRAVE
DODGING BULLETS
HOLYWELL
OUR CONOR
QUEVEGA
FOXROCK
PENDRA
Usual good luck to everyone bar the bookies.
I hope to have some cash left for my trip to The Gold Cup.
Thanks fleagle1888.
13:30 – Wilde Blue Yonder.
14:05 – Trifolium.
14:40 – Green Flag.
15:20 – Hurricane Fly.
16:00 – Quevega.
16:40 – Midnight Prayer.
17:15 – Manyriverstocross.
Good luck everybody.
VAUTOUR
CHAMPAGNE FEVER
HOLYWELL
MY TENT OR YOURS
COCKNEY SPARROW
SHOTGUN PADDY
PENDRA
Good luck gents
ROARRRRRRRRRR
Wicklow Brave 1330
Dodging Bullets 1405
Time for Rupert 1440
My Tent or Yours 1520
Caillin Annamnh 1600
Midnight Prayer 1640
Many Rivers to Cross 1715
Good luck to all and thanks to Fleagle1888 for organising.
1.30 Wicklow Brave
2.00 Champagne Fever
2.40 King Massini
3.20 Our Conor
4.00 Quevega
4.40 Shotgun Paddy
5.15 Present View
Good luck everyone
1:30 Liquidator
2:05 Dodging Bullets
2:40 Hadrian’s Approach
3:20 My Tent Or Yours
4:00 Quevaga
4:40 Midnight Prayer
5:15 Close House
Good luck everyone,and thanks fleagle
1:30 The Liquidator…..it should be, not wanting to get done
by a technicality…….I know how all competitive yees all ur.
1.30 irving
2.05 rock on ruby
2.40 Hadrian,approach
3.20 hurricane fly
4.00 quevega
4.40 foxrock
5.15 Ericht
hail hail
1.30 gil gamboa
2.05 dodging bullets
2.40 Alfie Sherrin
3.20 Hurricane
4.00 cockney sparrow
4.40 shotgun paddy
5.15 art of logistics
1:30 Vatour
2:05 Rock on Ruby
2:40 Wrong Turn
3:20 Hurricane Fly
4:00 Quevega
4:40 Foxrock
5:15 Ericht
Good luck bhoys, needing a few winners to help pay for the Vodka at CQTEN HH
My picks for today. Ones to avoid for the rest of you.
1.30 Splash of Ginge
2.05 Dodging Bullets
2.40 Green Flag
3.20 The New One
4.00 Highland Retreat
4.40 Shotgun Paddy
5.15 Ohio Gold
Won’t be gambling much this week so this allows me to get involved in all the races.
Well done organising Fleagle.
Good luck to all punting.
LB
1.30 Vautour
2.05 Brick Red
2.40 Tour Des Champs
3.20 Our Conor
4.00 Doyly Carte
4.40 Herdsman
5.15 Art of Logistics
Good luck to all
HH
Irving
Dodging bullets
Tour de champs. (ew)
Jezki
Quevega
Foxrock
Attaglance
Gilgamboa
Champagne Fever
Green Flag
Hurricane Fly
Shutthefrontdoor
Tofino Bay
Present View
The votes from The Token jury are as follows:
1.30: Gilgamboa
2.05: Dodging Bullets
2.40: King Massini
3.20: Hurricane Fly
4.00: Cailin Annamh
4.40: Suntiep
5.15: Buywise
Not necessarily what I have bet, but decided to pitch these in anyhoo….
Also was going to go for an AP Fest today, but again decided against.
HAIL! HAIL!
Token
PS – just heard on C4 about a £10k ew bet on Wicklow Brave that just been put on!!
Eddieinkirkmichael,
I think you’ve mixed up your selections somewhere – I don’t see a selection in Quevega’s race, and I can’t see Tofino Bay anywhere today ?
fleagle1888
Sorry missed first 2 races
3- Holywell
4-Hurricane Fly
5-Cockney Sparrow
6-Shotgun Paddy
7-Buywise
!!Bada Bing!!
Probably still do better than me. 0 from 2.
LB
LivibhoyHolywell is my nap
!!Bada Bing!!
Good luck. Decent price at 10’s.
LB
Twists
Thanks for the tip, just bagged Jezki at 11-1.
Great race
Grrrrr… well done twists… (he says through gritted teeth)
fleagle1888
Day One leaderboard :
PFayr 51.50
Cathal 38.73
TTTT 36.50
twists n turns 34.73
BMCUWP 33.73
valentinesday 33.73
Eurochamps67 32.23
16 Roads – 3IAR 31.73
Bada Bing 25.00
Hutchybhoy 24.23
green T 23.73
Som mes que un club 23.00
eddieinkirkmichael 23.00
fleagle1888 15.73
voguepunter 13.73
Hotel de Paris 13.50
FrankMarker 10.73
LiviBhoy 8.00
whitedoghunch 5.00
The Token Tim 3.00
Well done – and unlucky – to PF Ayr who found two winners (Vautour & Holywell), but three seconds (beaten by a head, a neck, and a neck), and a third…
fleagle1888
Outstanding punting from PFAyr , well done pal, on
a very hard day…….the morra will be a walk in the
park …smiley face thing!!!
Thanks for all your hard work fleagle.
RED SHERLOCK
LE BEC
Sorry for today’s mix up mate, wont have any internet connection tomorrow probably so getting my selections in early.
RED SHERLOCK
LE BEC
WHISPER
SIRE DE GRUGY
BALTHAZAR KING
BALLYGLASHEEN
KILLULTAGH VIC
Here the guesses for Wednesday.
1:30 Royal Boy
2:05 Smad Place
2:40 Bayan
3:20 Sire de Grugy
4:00 Hey Big Spender
4:40 Handiwork
5:15 Killutagh Vic
Very difficult day ahead. A very poor Champion Chase IMO.
Hey Big Spender to win or be nowhere and Any Currency to be placed in the 4:00.
Best of luck everyone.
EC67
Day 2 picks from moi.
1.30 Rathvinden
2.05 Ballycasey
2.40 Dunguib
3.20 Wishfull Thinking
4.00 Uncle Junior
4.40 Ivan Grozny
5.15 Namoose
Thank oo much
Gents
Done myself out of a new accum by being greedy and not going for Quevega…stupid ,,,,!,
Bloody Champagne fever done me for a right good start to the meeting ….had it win VAUTOUR in a £10 db…and two £10 singles …
Had Holywell too so wasn’t too bad …could have been a right crack in day tho
Probably get cleaned out tomorrow