I caught parts of Ireland’s win over Bosnia last night, then read the odd truculent comment about their style. Bosnia are a decent team. They reached the last World Cup and would have reached France, if Ireland didn’t put on a classic Martin O’Neill performance.
Football is a game of systems and Martin’s defensive system is perhaps one of the most effective in Europe. Good enough to get the better of Germany over two games and eliminate Bosnia. The goal Shaun Maloney scored against Ireland at Celtic Park was exceptional, while Scotland’s goal in Dublin was a deflection, any defence is susceptible to exceptional and deflected efforts.
If Ireland had attempted to play the ranging 30 yard passes which Bosnia used to put the home team under pressure, they would have lost the game last night. It’s hard to escape comparisons with our own European performances this season. Robust in Amsterdam, but expansive and vulnerable elsewhere.
The first job of any team is to make itself hard to beat. Martin’s been in the game a long time, and managed this from the off at Celtic, at home, anyway. His systems in the road in Europe failed. Apart from Amsterdam, of course.
The Winds of Change, Managing Celtic 1991 – 2005, published by CQN, is out TODAY, available on the relaunched CQN Bookstore! Alex Gordon, who wrote the prequel, Caesar & the Assassin, covering Billy McNeill and Davie Hay’s time as Celtic manager, leads us from Liam Brady’s time to the end of Martin’s era in 2005.
Celtic transformed beyond recognition during this period. Liam Brady, then ‘Luigi’ Macari managed Celtic through perhaps our most turbulent periods, before everything changed. Fergus McCann arrived, be brought in Tommy Burns and together we built a stadium.
The ultimate prize (as winning the league was then regarded) had to wait until 1998, during Wim Jansen’s short but historic time in charge. Fergus left us with Dr Jo, a man he wished he’d met earlier in his tenure, before the magnificent (cough) John Barnes era, and King Kenny’s League Cup.
Then Martin O’Neill came and took us all to school. We learned things about football that we didn’t know before.
Alex Gordon was a working journalist through this period and gained excellent access and insight into the club and our managers. Forewords by Billy McNeill and Davie Hay.
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And yet, Bada Bing, it might do them, and their country, a whole lot of good.
Nice touch from Johnathan Pierce, commentating, also mentioned victims of terrorism from Lebanon, Africa and elsewhere. They have been forgotten in recent days, when something happens on your doorstep you tend to focus on that, and they should never be.
I would welcome to suggestions, which I will catch up with later, where the following line from Upton Sinclair could fit into the current debate on THEM, a supine SFA and our cretinous media.
“It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends upon him not understanding it.”
THE SPIRIT OF ARTHUR LEE on 17TH NOVEMBER 2015 8:03 PM
The good news for England fans tonight is they get to sing a decent national anthem for once.
=================================================
If,of course,you prefer militaristic national anthems.
“Marchons,marchons”
Looks like Mikel Lustig’s country is off to France. Currently leading Denmark 3-1.
“Amhrán Na bhFiann”
Canny beat it.
T.E.T.
If you like militaristic anthems.
Great tunes both,however.
:-)
Doc-I don’t think the French football bosses had much say in it, I totally understand the symbolism and defiance, but those guys look like they would rather be elsewhere. I read today, the French team have not seen their families since Friday, a bit extreme in the circumstances. HH
Thomas Delaney playing for Denmark?
Wee Chinese bloke jumps into the cab at the central.
He asks to go to Alexander Thomson hotel.
“It’s just roon the corner mate” says me
” I can give you postcode” says he
Naw yir awe right mate I’ll take you round.
Wee man pipes up “Glasgow has famous football team”?
“Aye Celtic”
“Yes Keltic ,there is another one ?” he asked.
” Naw mate….they died”
Liked the quizzical look on his face :O) Happy to help!
VP
Liked the quizzical look on his face :O) Happy to help! and call it twenty quid
Love
VP
Did he tip you ;)
Doc at 8.08 re Jonathan Pierce.
I wouldn’t have expected anything else from Jonathan Pierce. He annoys some posters on here but he is the least annoying of the English commentators. When he’s commentating on an international not involving England, he rarely mentions England and concentrates on the teams playing but with the obligatory EPL comments.
He has always been very complimentary about us. When he covered a South Korea game in the Olympics , he mentioned numerous times in the game about Ki playing with such a great club like Celtic. Ki left us soon after unfortunately.
Canny beat cqn for the modren adverts when you log in – to think I get dogs abuse for my Facebook posts
Ooooh Mrs
Soal/tbj
That one way system is a bugger .
BB
My grandfather from Sligo Thomas Delaney emigrated to New York before jumping a cattle boat to Glasgow. I googled his Danish namesake I had never heard of him before tonight. His family are Irish New Yorkers.
Mmmmmmmm ;))
Ali rattles the French
Morrissey the 23rd @7.41
Are you that handsome guy who accosted me in Argyle st because I was wearing my CQN cap? Thanks for the offer , but I have staggered home from Wishaw to ML1 quite a few times! Catch you in the Cross Keys, or you could venture to the Railway Tavern in sunny Motherwell.
MELBOURNE MICK @ 7:52 PM,
Excellent post as usual… Glad you had a top weekend.
Well done, for adding a bit of fun to the aul’ blog with you and Paddymacoz certainly know your Celtic, well, almost:-)
After I posted, I read you had few iconic 80’s Celts in there, a team I’m particularly fond off.
So knew Tommy Would be in there, but stuck with my team. Of course there is a sound argument that says no team of greats would be complete without Tommy.
Couple of your own individual favourites in there obviously, Petrov the biggest surprise I would guess, but I loved the ghuy, box 2 box, and a huge Heart.
Used to have arguments galore with CQN’s erstwhile Kojo, when Petrov played for us. He regarded him as a journeyman… He is well worth his place.
Anyways, once again thanks for the fun, keep up the good work in Celtic and of course a huge congratulation to…
GEAROID 1998.
Hail Hail
UPDATE: German interior minister says no explosives found in Hannover.
MM
Hail, hail. I shall wear it with pride.
Should set up a donate page. Plenty on here would be willing to help our Aussie celts in their endeavours to assist those less fortunate.
Even offer the Polos for sale with a little extra to cover postage and a donation built in (even though I want to be the only Tim wearing one at Celtic ok and on our European travels.
Anyway big mhan many, many thanks it really is much appreciated and thank the wee mhan for drawing my ticket. Made up.
Go raibh mhaith agat Miceal
Bosnia last night & Turkey tonight perhaps it’s only extremist fans that go to the football? https://twitter.com/wscsm/status/666713681284214784 Utter disgrace!
Gearoid
Well played mucker. The shirt is going to a fine Tim indeed. Magic :)
Keatings scores the opener for Hibs v Livingston
Wishy bhoy again
GOAL! Keatings!!!
The key element of any review/investigation into EBT years is full exposure of corrupt SFA et al in the admin of game in Scotland. The full extent needs to be laid bare: officials, refs, media, politicians, police, judges, the list goes on and on….
Rampant and widespread corruption. And it isn’t limited to EBT years. This has been in place for many, many years. The underbelly of Scottish society.
Rasmussen comes on for Denmark. Another that I had completely forgotten about.
Jobo
Is that a league game?
1-0 Hibs
Gearoid congrats
Martin O’Neill gave us our pride back . I feel Martin finally helped us get over the psychological blow of le petit merde and the sticky buns taking advantage of SFA laxity re player registration in the nineties .
We did play some great football at times under Martin with two great team goals I remember being Liam Miller’s v Lyon and a goal Jackie McNamara scored in a five nil win against United in a league opener at Celtic Park.
David Pleat was co-commentator at that Lyon game and was raving about the quality of the build up to it, over twenty passes were made.
Martin’s loyalty to players he trusted let us down at times particularly at the 2002 cup final. It looked like a number of his trusted players weren’t fit in that game and it cost us.
Overall, Martin gave us the lift we so badly needed.
DD-a strange one
Delaney’s Dunky.
Yes. A win would leave Hibs 2 points off top spot having played 1 game more. Livingston host the league leaders this Saturday.
BB
My nosy daughter is messaging him on facebook or something. She thinks he looks like us. :)))
Mea culpa
Don’t forget the ludges.
2-0 Hibs
Jobo
Thanks pal. Thought it was that petro somehin cup.
Just been watching a few minutes of Italy-Romania. 35-year old Lucien Sanmartan would be worth the admission. He has a career plagued by injury, but he’s the nearest thing I’ve seen to Lubo in a long time, a joy to watch when he is on the ball.
Peterhead v Stanraer tonight. Wonder how many Stranraer fans have made the journey.