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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Off today …had some time to study …probably mean I’ll not even manage my customary seconds
Here goes
1 BROUGHTON
2 NEVER ENOUGH TIME
3 BRIAR HILL
4 SILVINIACO CONTE
5 ON THE FRINGE
6 ROYAL REGATTA
7 CLARET CLOAK
good luck bhoys ..great night ahead …enjoy yer day
HH
Today I’m on a daytrip to disaster and in bad/smashing company.
Choices are
PLINTH
DIAKALI
CAPTAIN CUTTER
SYLVINIACO CONTE
THATS RHYTHM
RUM AND BUTTER
RAYA STAR
Didnae look at the prices before I picked them. Might be going e/w once or twice!
FLEAGLE1888
Thank you so much for your efforts once again,bud.
YOU ARE A STAR!!!!!!
BMCUWP
Have a great day
Btw my reply to you was in jest too
Whit a pair o fandans we are
HH
Day 4’s Selections
Guitar Pete
Cinders and Ashes
Briar Hill
Bobs Worth
Oscar Delta
Full Shift
Tanks for that
Cheers Fleagle for running the comp and hopefully catch up with some of you bhoys tonight at CQTEN HH
Fleagle
Forgive my rudeness
Many thanks for your efforts this week
No doubt I’ll finish second …beat by a short head ….:-))
PFayr-you not had a placepot up this week?
1.30-ROYAL IRISH HUSSAR
2.05- ARCTIC FIRE
2.40- KINGS PALACE
3.20-BOBSWORTH
4.00-DIVINE INTERVENTION
4.40- VIEUX LION ROUGE
5.15-COMPETITIVE EDGE
THANKS FLEAGLE
Broughton
Cheltenian
Briar hill
Last instalment
Oscar delta
Full shift
His excellency
Lads, good luck to all for the final day…
BMCUWP – you will have an amazing day, Cheltenham is unbelievable…
1.30 Abbyssial
2.05 Cinders & Ashes
2.40 Kings Palace
3.20 Bobsworth
4.00 Tammys Hill
4.40 Vieux Lion Rouge
5.15 Tanks for That
6 winners, easy… :o)
fleagle1888
Bobby – have a ball (!) at Cheltenham today and win loads. Try a wee ew on Lord Windermere…he won the RSA last year on similar going!
Fleagle – you sir, are a star for sorting this. I’m assuming you won’t be there tonight, so us horsey types will drink a toast to you at CQteN.
Haven’t seen one race this week due to feckin work, but just heading home to watch a great days racing. Good luck all and hope to meet some new faces tonight in the Kerrydale.
HH
TTTT
Guitar Pete 1330
Never Enough Time 1405
Briar Hill 1440
Last Installment 1520
Oscar Delta 1600
The Skyfarmer 1640
Eastlake 1715
All the best everyone and thanks again to Fleagle1888 for the organisation.
rutherglen
last minute rush due to feckin work getting in the way. Not got a scooby on these.
1.30: Royal Irish Hussar
2.05: Cheltenian
2.40: Kings Palace
3.20: Triolo D’Alene
4.00: On the Fringe
4.40: Royal Regatta
5.15: Next Sensation
HAIL! HAIL!
Token
trutherglen
alaivan
captain cutter
Silviniaco Conti
on the fringe
leo luna
ned buntline
Ruby Walsh injured in 1st race,finished for the day
BB – looked like a broken arm. He was lucky it wasn’t worse! Maniacs, the lot of them!!
T4
T4-tough game,McCoy could hardly walk yesterday and still rode a winner.Compound fracture of upper arm for RW.
BB – puts into perspective these diving primas donnas we see on a football pitch!
You going tonight, big yin?
T4
Jumped off Arctic Fire as Ruby Walsh injured…..on to Lac Fontana
T4- off at 6.30 am to The Belfry for golf mate,bad timing;)
BB – a right good winner. What a forecast that would have been!
Enjoy the gowf. Catch a beer with you at another CQN sesh.
T4
T4-for sure,i know CQN has only 1 thread,i think a separate one for punters,buying/selling tickets etc could be viable…….oh and one for the Yes/No vote ….:(
Davy Russell had his whip in his right hand….he must keep the race. Near greeting here, he ran that poorly for 2/3 of the race! What a finish….!
T4
Lads,
I will be stepping onto a 4 hour light in 10mins, so final updates in the morning…
Hope it’s as close as the Gold Cup !!!
fleagle1888
TTTT
Great winner bud. Well done. Enjoy yer bevy tonight….I’m sure ya will:-))))
TTTT
Some tipping mate…….wish the fek I had saw it earlier……hate Cheltenham :O(
TOMMYTWISTSTOMMYTURNS
If I had been able to get a signal on course I’d have put a tenner on each way.
That was a marvellous spot. Well done,bud.
Personally,got pasted. Heyho…
Lads, final results from Cheltenham…
is it any surprise that the bookies are minted, when today’s winners were :
10/1, 11/1, 33/1, 20/1, 15/2, 12/1, and 16/1…
I guess no-one had the 177,044,867-1 accumulator ???
Drum roll…
eddieinkirkmichael takes the Cheltenham honours, with Don Poli sealing his victory in the penultimate race… well done Eddie !
Hard lines to TTTT who finished second… but was surely financially compensated by finding the biggest priced winner of the week :
Lord Windermere (20/1) in the Gold Cup…
It will be no surprise that PFayr finished in the places, overall third – 8 runners-up selections in 4 days, agonizing my friend…
Day 4 and Final Leaderboard :
eddieinkirkmichael 32.00 138.75
tommytwiststommyturns 33.00 116.00
PFayr 6.00 111.50
Som mes que un club 3.00 100.50
twists n turns 0.00 96.23
Eurochamps67 3.00 94.48
FrankMarker 21.00 94.48
BMCUWP 0.00 90.73
Cathal 8.00 83.98
valentinesday 0.00 76.73
16 Roads – 3IAR 30.00 74.73
fleagle1888 17.50 70.48
Bada Bing 21.00 68.50
green T 8.00 66.23
Sandman 3.00 66.00
The Token Tim 3.00 65.00
MHARK67 26.00 64.50
Hutchybhoy 3.00 59.73
voguepunter 8.00 40.73
Hotel de Paris 0.00 40.50
whitedoghunch 8.00 34.00
LiviBhoy 0.00 25.00
call me Gerry 0.00 10.00
Eddie/PF/TTTT
Well done all.
Fleagle , tyvm. Great fun.
Congratulations and well done Eddieinkirkmichael.
I really enjoyed that wee competition.
HH.
Kudos and doffing of cap to Eddieinkirkmichael/TTTT/PFAyr
It certainly Was a bookies festival but the excitement of the gold cup itself was one to remember
Again many many thanks go to FLEAGLE for making it a very enjoyable ….if frustrating competition :-)
I just about cleaned my face with three winners but daughter has still got bragging rights with WHISPER AT 22/1 !!! Sigh
Well,it comes as no surprise that I got a sebo on the last day!
Thanks to FLEAGLE 1888 for organising.
Away to lick my wounds.
Bar de Ligne 330k
It won’t be carrying my money though as not that confident. Oh,and there’s another reason too.
Cheltenham!