Since Ronny Deila became manager I’ve met a Norwegian journo a few times who has been keen to discuss our manager’s progress. One of the points he’s continually made is about Stefan Johansen, who he insists is known as a creative midfielder in Norway, someone who regularly makes defence-splitting passes.
Until recently, we’ve not seen this, Stefan has played as a box-to-box midfielder. Something changed against Hamilton Accies two weeks ago. Celtic were inept in many areas but Stefan seemed particularly exasperated at the lack of penetration. He ran and harried, pushed and prodded. It was as though the general malaise around him afforded him the authority to take control of the situation.
Late in the game against Accies he bent double with his hands on his knees, the outward sign of exhaustion anyone over 40 who’s played fives is familiar with, but which you seldom see from professionals, as it’s a sign your batteries are empty. When fans see this in a player the natural reaction is to berate him but Stefan’s knees deserved to be held, he’d put more effort in over the 90 minutes than anyone I’d seen all season.
Saturday’s performance from Celtic seemed to come from nowhere; suddenly we looked like a team. Stefan’s newly acquired authority, which I think he acquired two weeks earlier, goes some way towards explaining why.
I’m loving the love being shown to the glib and shameless one today, especially the accompanying commentary, “are you a fan who is staying away from Rangers matches?”, “this Rangers support is already dangerously close to a full-scale rebellion”. Framing the debate like this is an explicit call to Newco Rangers fans to ditch their hard-up club.
I would like to echo this sentiment. Go find another sport, or take up a higher education class instead.
That’s easy for me to say, I care nothing for Newco, but at least I’m being honest about it. There are those prepared to drive the club into the Clyde in their attempts to grab control on the cheap – i.e. instead of buying shares on the open market.
Good luck to them. I’m sure Mike Ashley and the Easdales will be easily bullied.
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Cowiebhoy 14:45 on 20 October, 2014
“Why would the name of the attacker need to be protected for legal reasons. ?”
In order not to prejudice the trial.
GerryBhoy
12:25 on 20 October, 2014
Congratulations to your daughter and also to the parents
Be proud sir .
Has the suspect been charged yet?
Cowiebhoy
Never heard a word from them since I mentioned Goa … Lmfao
No new news since JW was sent packing but I hear she is taking them to court
It would appear that the rumour about AG is true and he’s working his notice .
Been a few farmers blockade rumours but didn’t affect BH or CP
STV has learned that Celtic ‘keeper Lukas Zaluska was attacked by a Premiership player while on a night out http://t.co/fW4i4Xj3op #celtic
the name i am hearing plays for Hamilton,ex St Mirren,
!!Bada Bing!!
15:00 on 20 October, 2014
STV has learned that Celtic ‘keeper Lukas Zaluska was attacked by a Premiership player while on a night out http://t.co/fW4i4Xj3op #celtic
the name i am hearing plays for Hamilton,ex St Mirren,
———————————————————
The wee nyaff?
Rpmcmurphy
Vmhan in the case…
G’day Celts
Someone on CQN looking for a venue in Blackpool for the Celtic game?
I can’t see the post but please pass on Celts:
The Blackpool Shammy CSC meet in the excelsior for the live footy, the pub is the old St Cuthberts on Lytham Rd,
http://excelsiorblackpool.com
Cheers to BT
Vinny
BT good teamwork amigo ✊
davidopoulos-yes,still to be confimed mate.
TBJ
I will drop you a private note, with further details :-)
Hail Hail
Bada
Is that the same person who was signed as a pro for Clyde by graham Roberts
BT / Vmhan,
Cheers guys, appreciated.
RP
Cowiebhoy
Hope your holiday has went well … I’m over in BH on Wednesday if your around
Have been saying it for ages.Give the manager time to get his injured players back.Broony and Charley are our midfield.When Scotland play Ireland,WGS will have them in.They compliment each other very well.SJ revelled in the freedom these two gave him.Lustig,as great as it was to have him back,was pretty quiet.A nice wee comeback.
Just a word on KC .When the manager has dropped him before,and the result has not gone our way,we have had uproar on here.Calling for the managers head.Now some of the same people saying,stick with the same team.We are getting there.I am content to be in this for the longer haul.The panic merchants can just keep on doing what they do best.
rp mcmurphy
15:13 on 20 October, 2014
BT / Vmhan,
………
De nada amigo!
My mate Dunky Campbell will be on the door, all Celts are welcome, nae Huns ✊
Hx2
That follows. The wee git ran about Celtic Park trying to assault izzie.
Still, we bring it all on ourselves.
Apparently.
HH jamesgang
Turkeybhoy
Do you think Charlie/Broony/Johansen is his first choice in midfield?
BRTH
Best wishes for your Mum. Auld Dears! What are they like?!!?
HH jamesgang
Melbourne Mick I know the McMillans. Good bunch of bhoys and all pretty handy in the ring. Donny and Angie probably the best of them. The youngest Freddie and me drank together for a while and worked in the same pub back early 80’s. Freddie and Donny worked on rigs. All from Possil although Freddie lived in Bishopbriggs when we hung out.
Gerry great news on your daughter. Spoil her.
HH
KTF
TBJ-Might be,given his initials ,you would think he was a polis…..
BRTH wee prayer said for your ma. I hope she recovers soon.
HH
KTF
STV and media are legally obliged to withold the name of any person charged with an offense. until that point they are free game for the media.
Has the attacker been charged?
MWD said AYE
BRTH
God help her its not easy getting over a fall like that she will need a lot of help regaining her confidence, especially if she intends to do a triple :-))))))))
HH
or did I get that roon that wrang why?
MWD said AYE
BRTH
Hope your Mum gets better soon!
timaloy29
15:21 on
20 October, 2014
Turkeybhoy
Do you think Charlie/Broony/Johansen is his first choice in midfield?
Dont really know,but what I and others have been saying is,give the manager a chance when he has all his players fit.He hardly knows quite a few of them through injury.He can see how some perform with others.Different teams for different games.Far too early to be writing off the manager.KC might have had a hat trick on Saturday,who knows?.
It will take time,and panic merchants aside,we have plenty.
The season ticket story is fairly complex, and attempting to distil it down into a “demise of the huns” narrative is both fraught and misleading.
I’ve noted below the
2013/14 2012/13 2011/12 2010/11 2009/10 2008/9 2007/8
43,072 41,716 44,975 44,734 50,826 54,252 53,517
Figures pre 2007/8 were consistent with the post-Fergus 53,000 level, a level maintained consistently for 10 years.
NB These figures include corporate and hospitality season tickets. The ‘standard season ticket’ figures for the two most recent seasons are 41,467 2013/24, and 40,144 the previous year.
As can be seen, there have been a number of specific events that together have impacted on the figure over the past 6 years.
The first big step down, almost 3500 fewer tickets sold, was the start of Tony Mowbray’s short career at Celtic. I’d point to the ‘Willow Flood Window” on one hand, leading in turn to the loss of the league title.
More significantly, the economic downturn, with a stark jump in unemployment in the UK from 5% to 8% in just 3 months from Sept 2008 to Aug 2009. In Ireland, where previously we had some 8000 season ticket holders, the unemployment rate jumped to 12%, peaking at 15% by 2011.
At a stroke, the ability to pay for a season ticket was walloped at the very time that the willingness to pay was at a decade low.
The most significant drop occurred the following year, 2010/11, Lenny’s first in charge. He may have ‘brought back the thunder’ but he didn’t put bums on seats, with a further 6000 season ticket holders declining to renew.
Again, we need to consider that the economy was wasted, unemployment peaking at 9% that year, and reducing only gradually over the following 2 years.
2011/12 saw season tickets sales of 44,900, maintaining the previous year’s level.
Season 2011/12 saw Lenny’s young troupe win the Championship, while Rangers died a long, slow, painful death.
The close season ahead of 2012/13 was remarkable in Scottish football, as the fans mobilised to prevent the parachuting of the Newco Sevco Rangers into first the top flight, then the 2nd level. Clubs across the country, one by one, rejected the proposed ‘Armageddon defying’ changes to the rule book, and the Newco were ultimately admitted to the bottom tier of the Scottish Football League. (Much more on that elsewhere)
Fans of clubs across Scotland reacted to the new settlement by backing their clubs in increased numbers.
Except at Celtic, where around 4000 fewer season tickets were sold. Clearly, some poor souls amongst the Celtic faithful suffered from hitherto unrecognised Stockholm Syndrome.
Lenny’s fast growing up team delivered big style that season, qualifying from a Champions League group for the first time since 2008, memorably beating Barcelona en route.
An uplift in season ticket sales the following year (last season) was unsurprising given the excitement generated on the pitch, and together with a £100 discount, the club sold 43000 season tickets.
I expect this figure would have been higher had it not been for the emerging confrontation between the club and an element of the support. This reflects new aggressive approaches to Policing and Stewarding in what is seen at large as a developing disconnect between the club’s executive and the support, and which ought to cause concern for those charged with guarding the club’s legacy.
In addition to supporter discontent per above, Lenny left, replaced by Ronny Deila who has thus far overtly underwhelmed. The sale of the top talents at the club has created a huge cash pile at the bank, but little of note on the pitch beyond a succession of ever-more peripheral loan signings.
Supporter enthusiasm has rarely been as low in 20 years.
We don’t know what this season’s ticket sales are, but the word from the annual report last week is paradoxically ‘most encouraging’ and ‘currently slightly lower than last year’.
My sense is that despite the poxy PR and ham-fisted handling of the matters above, season ticket sales are not as bad as we might have expected. Down, but not by too much.
More widely, the economy has recovered to pre-recession levels, employment is at an all time high, earnings are starting to recover form years of stasis, and there is considerably more disposable income to pay for discretionary spending. Despite that, and the roll-over of the £100 discount, season ticket sales are struggling to recover.
That’s for the future. Looking back, which was the purpose of this little discourse, the following factors have impacted most in the diminished season ticket sales of the pat 6 years:
1) The economy in Ireland – 4000 season books
2) The economy in Scotland – 5000 season books
3) Willo Window and supporter disaffection – 2000 season books
4) Old Firm Remorsefuls – 3000
While some of the Scottish economic casualties have returned, the Irish have not, perhaps lost long term now, and the poor Old Firmers are hanging on another season in the hope of regaining their hate-fuelled fix.
The worry is that an unknown but considerable number of those previous impacted by the economy, are now disaffected and detached.
Feel free to come up with your own alternative analysis.
TBB
Sending out a few invites for a coupla KANO FOUNDATION occasions,plus a wee trip to Belfast.
Listen,folks-I’m really sorry,there was a batch went out open instead of blind.
Second time that has happened,and I really apologise.
No excuses for it.
On the Hun farce.Were we not being regaled with tales of King standing bye on the wings with the fabled £30 million.KJ has had this figure out there for around a year.Seems he needs the help of another couple of mugs to “Kitty up”to reach £16 million.
As Paul says,when he puts his money where his mouth is,and buys up the shares to give him 51%,then he can be taken seriously.The Easdales,laughing at him at the moment.
A long way to run in this comedy yet.
Saturdays performance was our best this season by some distance.
The return of a natural right back in Lustig helped greatly, providing balance and understanding on that side of the pitch where Efe had been lumbered with a number of different partners prior to this.
Izzy, who had been criticised by many was excellent until being taken out by, what looked to me, a very poor challenge.
The inclusion of Mulgrew allowed Johansen to move in to a more advanced role where he could support Guidetti. As Paul has said, Stefan was excellent on Saturday but he also had a very good game against Hamilton despite many not agreeing with this. His performance on Saturday was his best since his debut last season, where also played in a more advanced position.
Guidetti is a natural penalty box player, the type that we’ve been crying out for since Hooper departed. It’s imperative that we take the opportunity to sign him at the earliest convenience.
Saturday was much, much better and a significant step in the right direction.
Wee Willo’s only lasting Celtic legacy, was his window.
Shame CSC
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS
Whit ye like :))))))))))))))))))))
Phew, nice to see a balanced appreciation of Stefan J. He played just his 28th league game for us on Saturday, he has 12 caps, is 24, and this will be his 4th title race in a row (albeit two overlapped). I like him a lot. His effort, application, touch, and ambition. He’s one of the most technically adept Norwegians I’ve ever seen.
He’s not yet perfect….
However, how can we misjudge with such regularity. How is it that we constantly rush to judge? SJ and RD are arguably the two most important new faces at Celtic, more so because they’re tied together through their past at Stromgodset. Both have had their oppportunity to make a positive impression on us heavily undermined by factors far outwith their control.
We had 3 right backs injured, two of whom are international standard players. In their place, Ambrose may have produced some of the worst performances ever (not just for Celtic or in the SPL, but in all of the history of professional football – and in fairness he had a couple of goodish games in there too). Brown and Mulgrew injured – regardless of the omniblinkered haters, I think if you were to ask Lennon or Strachan they’d say they were two top outfield players, certainly Lennon would have Mulgrew 2nd on the teamsheet to Brown only. And watch Mulgrew claim back his spot in the Scotland squad ahead of Fletcher and Morrison, that will happen and it seems some Celtic fans will be scratching their heads.
What has bred the Mulgrew hate – one bad performance against Legia, when he wasn’t fit and was left with the job of taking a totally dysfunctional team and making it work, virtually on his own. Is that what happened? Is that how we treat our own?
You know how people post their teams on here – as in, this is what I’d do if I had just watched that squad in training/playing. If we took the average team selected by the average CQNer, there would be no place for Mulgrew at all, not even the bench, no place for McGregor, or Johansen, Griffiths would be in every team (even though he’s just a slightly more useful than Riordan) and half of our fans still seems to think Brown is a right midfielder. Stokes, a slim mans Commons, has been retired from football in many of these teams…. Jeezo. Biton and Commons are in virtually every team, neither has done anything to merit such faith. It’s actually bizarre.
There’s not a single player in our squad I’d give up on. Although, I’d concede that I’d have no clue how to make us functional in Europe and give Commons a game and Tonev seems likely to live up to his billing as a shoot on sight player too. Luckily no-one will ever ask.
It’s been another hard start to the season, under another new manager (the last one we united behind from day one… had a lot of money to spend) and again I’ve turned to CQN for news of transfers and to get a sense of the new era, and yet again I’m dismayed at how little patience we have. How little gratitude we have (notwithstanding these players are paid). We like to think we can ask a little more of Celtic players. I’d like to think we can expect a little more from Celtic fans. The two go hand in hand.
Well played SJ, hoping you never knew how far your stock had fallen.
Oh, we should get ‘like/dislike’ buttons on CQN. Save me saying anything at all…
The Battered Bunnet,
If the Hun get promoted we will have 50,000 ST sold next season.If we dont you can come back and berate me for the forecast.
bournesouprecipe
13:26 on 20 October, 2014Looking forward to Movember, in the hope of another of TBB’s Jason King numbers. EuroChamps67 keeps it all year round.
Fanuary is much better IMO…
BMCUW
I stay undercover as a Michelin inspector for 20 years and in one keystroke you……!!!
BontyBhoy
Good post.Head shaking drivel sometimes.