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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1,097 Comments- Pages:
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Ryecatcher
I watched the Germany v Chile game through the week, they ( Chile) played Germany off the park, very very, skillful team, and easy on the eye, they played three at the back the whole ninety mins. Four in the middle, and three up front, it was a treat to watch and entertaining too, it will never catch on. They’re in a tough group, but worth a punt, I think.
Two bits of news…
Tommy Gemmell and his wife Mary are now confirmed for CQTEN.
There were rumours last week that Jim Traynor was returning to the BBC. Having looked into the matter, CQN understands that this will NOT be happening.
BMCUW @ 15:10
Aye, cheers pal :))
As long as the BB just looks like me, and I don’t sound like him.
I’ve a good face for this blog :)))
TinyTim
15:10 on 7 March, 2014
___________________
Yeah, MO’N was the last manager to make feel like I was watching the Celtic !
Folk debate about MO’N v WGS.
The reaction of the crowd at Celtic Park during the charity game were Henrik was partnered in attack by Gerard Butler, was a telling one for me. Going by the amount of chants each manager got that night, you would never have known that WGS managed us.
MO’N would be the 1st person to tell you that he was miles away from Mr Stein but, I agree that he was the best manager – since Mr Stein.
The news from the tax case will be the same news that comes from every other case thems are involved in, they will get a result, trust me I know, and deep down you all know it too I think.
Aff oot for beer with the Villaboys
Are Sevco deed yet?……..show us the deed deeds!!
WC,
FFS, thought you were about to announce that Jabba had paid for his ticket and s̶u̶c̶c̶u̶l̶e̶n̶t̶ ̶l̶a̶m̶b̶ 10 bottles of Merrydown…. :))
FFM
Anytime,bud.
Feel free to use it-in less jest than I did.
Tiny tim…..
You’ve rumbled me haha….
Is my anti Manure stance so obvious? Haha
http://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2014/mar/07/joy-of-six-football-quotes?commentpage=3
Some pleasant reading for a Friday afternoon…..I have already contributed re a certain Mr Stein
Now the debates have dried up, can we please discuss what songs are appropriate to sing on March 17th.
I thank you.
Off oot – as yon fella used to say.
BMCUW,
I take it you’re still bamboozling them in Swindon with this every time you go to the bar? :))
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5-z4iMBFZA
FFM
How about this one?
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bxS9N-npE2Q
BMCUW
Nah, “the Beast” (copyright J.Bartram)
FFM
When a large transfer fee is on the table, does it not mean that the real decision makers are the buyers and sellers? The players would have little say.
If I was managing Vic I would have told him to stay at Celtic for another year and he could have had the pick of teams to sign for.
Celtic do sell players for financial reasons, every team does it, I just think both Hooper and Vic made no secret that they wanted to play in the EPL.
I want Celtic to hang on to FF and VVD but players have the power to sanction a move ( end my —— nightmare and let me go to Ipox )
and there is very little the club can do.
FFM
I’ll have you know that I am very pleasant and polite when I am in my regular haunts in Swindon.
I have to be,I’m barred from the rest!
brth, provisionally reserved. a bit like yourself really
sanna
Sam Wallace in 2days Independent discussing who’s going to Brazil with England. For him goalies will be Hart, Foster and Ruddy. Big Fraser does not get a mention. Typical EPL arrogance.
BMCUW
“I can’t help thinking that you are taking a single point from a post instead of using the whole post in order to justify your own stance.
And not even doing that correctly.”
Aye but did he say it, as I asked?
JEEZ I THOUGHT BLINKER WAS PANTS
Really?
MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA
I suppose he “didnae bring enough to the team”
Quotation marks for the benefit of SFTB.
A little known made-up fact is this song is about Brogan Rogan…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ac9ARPL1xYA
call_of_juarez
15:33 on 7 March, 2014
It will be Hart, Foster & Ruddy. Woy has brought back Foster, his keeper at West Brom, even though he ‘retired’ from international football a couple of years ago so he will definitely pick him and Ruddy only missed out on the Euros because of injury.
SFTB
I have no idea whether those words were actually spoken-or conveyed. As I cannot provide sufficient forensic proof to satisfy a mind like yours.
Suffice to say that this has been a hot topic with plenty of Celtic fans of my acquaintance over the years,who clearly fell victim to mass hysteria and imagined every bad sound bite he ever made,including Kestrel lager and devil dugs.
As to your point about heart surgeons,etc,these are hardly spectator sports. But students watch operations,and are invited to make comments afterwards.
Despite never having performed one themselves.
Now,I’ve spent a lifetime watching the game. As have most of us on here.
But apparently that was to no avail,as I clearly know nothing.
Bollocks.
Some of the best managers in the world didn’t play the game either.
For instance,Celtic v Porto.
Martin O’Neill should surely just have shown his European and English medals to that wee translator fella,no?
Again,please deal with the whole post,and not just the tiny wee bit that suits your agenda.
Did he say you were not entitled to an opinion?
All you have to do is find one quote that proves it. Hardly an onerous or an over-burdening expectation from an over-demanding mind.
One quote.
Oh! and BTW- mass delusion is not unheard of.
Far more common, though, is the twisting and interpretation of words, to reinforce a shared delusion.
SETTING FREE THE BEARS
Unfortunately I do not have a list of quotes from Gordon Strachan with the times and places that they were said,and to whom.
I also could not possibly tell you who was involved in the other quotes which are attributed to him,nor time nor place.
It matters not. He said them,you know he said them,he dissed the vast majority of Celtic supporters as know-nothing’s when he said them.
And as I said earlier,deal with the rest of the post. It’s true as well.
We had a higher wage Bill with inferior product. Yes,we won three in a row,but Celtic were largely bloody awful to watch while he was there.
Now,if that disnae fit with your opinion,tough. It’s mine,though open to debate.
It certainly doesn’t deserve to be lost in a fog of aye he did,naw he didnae.
He put a team on the park which made me-for the first time in my life-prefer to go to the pub.
Bmcuw
A few Celts, based their belief on WGS being dismissive on the devil dug quote. I give it below, in full, to see if a reasonable person could take from that, his wish to deprive them of an opinion:-
“You talk about that question (of pressure) but that shouldn’t be asked now because I think I’ve proved that. What you should ask is who is posing the question? Not an intelligent person, that’s for sure.
“It’s someone who’s sitting with his tracksuit on, his devil dug at his side and a can of Kestrel in his hand, maybe coked up to his eyeballs, shouting down the phone.
“I’m not answering to that. I’m not answering a question from Mr Ned.”
WGS on stress before the Champions League qualifiers (Aug 07)
Of course, you may be thinking of another quote.
Kano’s Ghirl running tonight at Dundalk (6:45)
Trainer fancies her chances, but he would say that, wouldn’t he ;-)
Having survived last year.
http://www.celticfc.net/newsstory?item=5545
I wont be doing the Skydive this year but you can.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qF57gPbuq24
Advanced warning:
As I said I wont be doing it but my lovely girlfriend will be.
Another quote from WGS re opinions.
“I say things and I say them tongue-in-cheek, I don’t have a problem with people having opinions as long as it’s done in a respectful manner. I just like good manners.”
WGS on interviews (Dec 07)
ATR in bother after trainer Jim Old drops the F word
live on air.
Might have been posted already:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26480459
6′ 1″ @ 13.
macjay1 for Neil Lennon
14:28 on 7 March, 2014
Leigh is ours.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeaF7DXByU4
So the next time he just done this :)))
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0-_MPKiCiA
Leigh will be a sensation with us..
———-
I’m Neil Lennon (tamrabam)
15:01 on 7 March, 2014
any UTT news yet?
Just updates from some TSFM bloggers
as the SMSM are trying to avoid it.
http://www.tsfm.net/utt-thread/
Geordre: ‘Big Vic said from day one we were going to be his springboard.’
========================
So did big Bangura:) Both were wrong…
For the record, I believe Hooper and Ledley were open to staying, I also believe their replacements however were already identified and when it became apparent the replacements could be brought in on significantly lower wages, lower deals were offered to Hoops and Ledley as a result.
I have no proof of this but it makes sense. And maybe time will prove the club got it right… certainly if Leigh could have been signed in the summer the CL campaign could have been better for us.
The Wanyama deal was a no brainer. As for the other two, losing two of your top players to Crytal Palace and Norwich for lower fees, money we didn’t really need, was disappointing.Doesn’t do wonders for the morale of the support either. But, onwards and upwards with the new bhoys.
HH
SETTING FREE THE BEARS
I reckon quite a few Celtic supporters,season ticket holders,fans of long-standing,who had supported our club for up to half-a-century or more,were critical.
He dissed them all with that statement.
And it was not a one-off. And you know that.
Aside from his statements,real or perceived,history has been kinder than he deserves,IMO.
For the reasons stated.
I stand by that. You can stand by your opinion.
BMCUW
“It matters not. He said them,you know he said them,he dissed the vast majority of Celtic supporters as know-nothing’s when he said them. ”
And yet I’ve produced two quotes, quickly located, which seem to me to go against the depiction of WGS’s opinion which you feel is solid and shared.
“Now,if that disnae fit with your opinion,tough. It’s mine,though open to debate.
It certainly doesn’t deserve to be lost in a fog of aye he did,naw he didnae. ”
If it’s open to debate, is it open to evidence?
If I said you called my pint a poof, would you be convinced that you had said it, if i got my brothers to back me up in lying?
You took that impression of meaning from some source- where was that?
My only recollection was the contemporaneous one that everybody was quoting the devil dug statement as “WGS disses Celtic fans right to hold an opinion” and god help anyone who gets in between me and my right to hold an opinion.
My contention, backed up by the quotes I provided, is that WGS was comfortable with opinions, per se, but less impressed by the way in which they were delivered.
If you are not a ned, if you do not possess a Devil Dug, If you would rather drink Vimto than Kestrel, how could you possibly take offence and expect me to join you in that outrage?
MORRISSEY THE 23RD
Just remind Saba that she MUST look down all the way.
You know why….
MORRISSEY THE 23RD
You denyying yer good lady a chance tae shove you ooooot a plane :)))
Catch you next week bud