If there is a hierarchy of Celtic royalty – those most of us would feel nervous in front of, Martin O’Neill is sitting on the throne. For those of us who are old enough, his impact on our lives is significant.
When he arrived in 2000, Celtic were marooned in the wilderness. An against-the-odds title win in 1998 was a fading memory as the Rangers motor picked up pace: 11 titles in 12 seasons, most of them won with plenty to spare.
On 26 August 2000, the world changed. Nothing has been the same since. We put six goals past Rangers, announcing not only that we were likely to win the league, but that this time, the foundations were built on granite. We lost five leagues in the 19 years since then, but even those seasons were tight, five won and lost on the final day. Martin was the enzyme for all of this.
His tactics were beautifully simple: be hard in the middle of the park, get the ball down the wing, have players there who can cross the ball, and have the best headers of the ball in the business there to attack those crosses.
It worked and then it stopped working. Alex McLeish won a treble with lesser players, because he figured out that playing three up against our back three was practically kryptonite to Celtic. Tactically, Martin had been rumbled, but his magical quality was never tactics.
Listen now to any of the players he had at Celtic and the respect they hold him in remains absolute. His sheer presence blew them away when he first met them in 2000, and for the next five years. They would run through walls for him. If he said “You’re one of the best players in this league” they played like one of the best players in the league, such was their faith in Martin.
Training sessions were left to others, tactical changes were anathema, key recruitment resources were largely SPL opponents and Match of the Day. The model had many weaknesses and would inevitably crash. Just as when Dalglish left Stein a generation earlier, when Larsson left O’Neill, the magic disappeared.
You and I know Martin’s tactical weaknesses at Celtic, so does he. He knows more about the management game than any of us, so he evolved; eventually, but this was not his natural territory. He was always playing catch up. The game has moved on and Martin’s principle strength, that significant force of personality, was never going to be enough.
He arrived in a militant Nottingham Forest dressing room that had seen off other managers. Roy Keane was his enforcer. If that’s all there was to the game, Forest would have flourished, but this is not the 60s. You can’t bully your way to authority.
I’ve seen enough managers and players to know they all ‘move on’ sooner than we do, and I’ve no illusions that Martin is an exception to this. He is an intelligent man and entitled to find things other than Celtic to fill his life. But still, Celtic Park is his, that is where his throne waits. He won the European Cup for Forest, not Celtic, but he changed our lives forever. For that, I will be eternally grateful, and always nervous in his company.
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Never curse the dark, light a candle instead…
HH. ?
I have not said anything to date about KT but from what I hear it is inevitable that he will go this window. The latest I have heard is that Arsenal have offered Carl Jenkinson as part of the deal.
Remember I only pass on what I hear, please do not shoot the messenger!
Until we meet again…
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Sad news, Lennybhoy. Still, KT’s career might be saved if he moved south, because he is a marked (pun intended) man in the SPFL.
16 Roads
“Extraordinary scenes from North Korea being beemed across the globe.”
A great source of cheap IT hackers from a country that operates total censorship.
You might be right about him stealing 4 more years.
MULLET AND CO 2 @ 10:33 AM,
Yes, that’s possibly true.
However, after years of scratching my head over “the plan”, the way Celtic operate is more clear to me.
A lot of things are quite frankly knee-jerk.
Ronny taking over when Lenny went for example
We now know there wasn’t a recruitment process to find BR’s replacement, just crossing fingers and hoping Lenny came good.
For me it’s the same with the DofF, Head of Recruitment.
On the press conference re-introducing Lenny as Boss, PL stated, for that position a recruitment process was underway and they hoped to announce someone soon.
I’m afraid my trust in that process being undertaken is small.
Likewise, maybe Lee Congrrton was offered the Director’s role as he seemed to be on a very good flame proof contract as H of R.
Bit cynical I know, but with the exception of BR and his staff, and I understand that was outsorced to a recruitment company at the behest of DD, our recruitment in this regard for the last ten years has been opportunist.
Having said that, with hindsight, under the circumstances, John Park seems to have done a very good job.
And it’s interesting that PL was confident of going forward with this window’s transfer business with just him and Lenny doing the job.
Hail Hail
https://youtu.be/_2PgeXAdpj0
Lewis Capaldi at Glastonbury, funny Bhoy…
I can’t join the dots between two scenarios we’re being asked to accept this summer.
A £3m transfer is off because a player’s medical shows an operation is required to prevent a possible future injury.
A £30m transfer is on despite a player’s operation for an actual injury prevents a medical taking place.
DT, KT, Celtic, Arsenal, Motherwell, agents, insurance companies? Somebody’s playing at funny buggers and I know it isn’t me.
LennyBhoy – Rchard McGinley claims KT already said his goodbyes. Anyone know who talked him out of leaving last summer when Everton thought they had him?
And if he is going, is Carl Jenkinson a first-team player for us? No idea as I’ve never heard of him.
Carl Jenkinson is an absolute haddie. An expensive haddie. The worst kind.
It has helped take my mind off KT going, which is horrific but not as a bad as the idea of Jenkinson joining us.
http://celticbynumberscom.ipage.com/measuring-defensive-improvement/
We all want to see players improve season on season. Looking at the defenders, who has shown the most improvement, and who needs to step up?
Hello again all you young rebels.
Our bhoys had a comfortable 3-0 win today to keep us in contention.
Still to play the leaders at home and they will feel the thunder.
The weemhan never got on the scoresheet today, not surprising as
twice he had to leave the park for a toilet break, Montezuma’s revenge
or the Vietnamese equivelant.
Not liking that news from Lennybhoy, puts a great big hole in my
unbreakable faith that our club still have bhoys who’s whole being is
Celtic.
Wonder what the Green Brigade think? they absolutely adore him and
think ” he is one of us, he is Celtic.
If it’s true, a lot of realighnment of my, and many others priorities to
consider.
H.H Mick
If KT is leaving us, why oh why pick the Arses???
One of the worst under performing premier league donkeys of a team..
The bhoy surely would have better offers than them?
As a club we should not accept anything less than £30-£40 mil plus add ons and if not he goes nowhere, he still has 4 years left on his current deal, no?
Arsenal – seriously, what a lack of ambition by the young fella.
I know he will go there with anticipation of doing well then moving on, but ffs Arsenal.
D. :)
Pound signs broke more than a few hearts…the pull is irresistible…
See you on Match of the Day…
WEEBOBBYCOLLINS
Surely not another Charlie Nickelarse?
H.H Mick
It KT is for leaving for whatever reasons you need an agreement of all three, the player the buyer and the seller, there is in my opinion far too much certainty about this for it not to be what is going to happen, Lennybhoy has just reiterated what I have heard locally, do not understand why he is choosing Arsenal but that is his decision.
Under no circumstances should we take their rubbish off them , cash, plenty of it or Foxtrot Oscar.
Maybe we’re just accepting what Lennybhoy has heard, and i know
his info is usually spot on, but i’m betting our young hoopy capo
who leads the green brigade with his megaphone and considers
himself one of them, won’t have the badness in him to just break
their hearts for more dosh or the bright lights.
Timmyfaithfullness@ paradise.
H.H Mick
DENIABHOY on 30TH JUNE 2019 1:11 PM
No views on Jenkinson but at 27 he would be expected in my opinion to be a first team player. Two loan spells at WHU and Birmingham las year says it all for me.
Until we meet again…
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
It was great watching Kt go from wee bhoy to grown mhan in the hoops. if he goes i hope he is very successful and become better and better. if he goes i hope to god we have a good quality leftback to take his place. We are also crying out for a rightback and that needs sorted asap.
Good to see mulumbu leaving after a poor time at our club. Wish him all the best but we should never have bought him in the first place.
As much as we want players in the exit door should remain open too!!!
I suspect £75k a week is why he’s off to Arsenal. The chance to develop himself even further.
Robertson at Liverpool, Mendy at Man City, Rose and Davies at Spurs, Alonso at Chelsea are reasons why he’s not further up the food chain than 5th placed Arsenal.
FFS it’s not Southampton we are talking about here.
Melbourne Mick…I am now at an age where I just accept whatever…dreams are just that…dreams.
Aston Villa have not only moved the goal posts in any potential move of Kieran Tierney, they’ve lost them, and the Celtic board better believe it. The John McGinn alleged asking fee trashes Scottish football, and if a player who plays one season in the English Championship can suddenly command a £50M price, the game truly has gone mental.
Celtic need to learn from Virgil Van Dijk the worlds most expensive defender, coupled, with in demand McGinn, Arsenal should be told where to shove their derisory £20M, until the proper valuation of Celtic is met.
Ask Celtic fans whether McGinn or Tierney is worth £50M? and you’ll get a unanimous answer, we are told there is no pressure on the player, we don’t need to sell, so no more wee diddy league evaluations for Peter to consider, and when we sell, we get Villaesque, or have the club ripped off, via SKY and the national disgrace of discriminatory capitalism.
TakeYourPick CSC
We are Celtic, and we love Celtic. As does KT. But money talks; in fact, it whispers sweetly and convincingly.
Yet and all, if we get a club record 20m+ for a young Scottish player – PLUS an EPL backup fullback – and a meaty sell-on clause for KT, we may come to see – dare I say – be grateful for, our continued upward trajectory as a strong club from a marginalised league.
SERENITYPRAYERCSC
Well, well, they lined up to call Rodgers a snake and money grabber. Will Kieran be subjected to the same treatment? Or should one take the time to look at the source. Follow the money…
David 17. No comparison, Rodgers an already extremely wealthy man with no worry that an injury could suddenly end his career choose to walk away at a crucial time of season.
CORKCELT on 30TH JUNE 2019 2:58 PM
Kieran is already an extremely wealthy man with a 4 year contract term remaining on over £1m per annum. The Board could have refused the Leicester offer for Rodgers and could do likewise with Arsenal. The minute they accept the bid Kieran is away, thats that way football works.
As an aside, a quick look on Twitter and its shocking how many have already turned on Kieran.
Well I won’t turn against him. Still hope he stays but if he goes then he will go with my best wishes.
https://twitter.com/Friel19_/status/1145273745742938113
Apologies for the sweary words in that link.
David17
It’s as easy to find one or 2 bangers on Twitter as it is on Guy Fawkes night.
Like looking for needles in a Needle factory, so it is.
Kieran’s reputation is safe with us- maybe not with the entitled cry-baby that you linked to- but with the Celtic support as a whole.
The Bhoy has been a great player for us,you can’t deny them the chance, to play in a better league, become a better player, and the money that goes with the EPL,we should be proud of the Bhoy, not castigating him.He will be back…..
The comparisons of players from Celtic that are being bandied about are not helpful.
KT is a Celtic academy product and the club are reported to have rejected at least two offers the latest if which amounts, with addons to, 24 million quid. Celtic have a valuation that they want to be met before they will aloow Aresenal to talk to KT. There is no legal minimum or maximum fee.
With Moussa & Virgil & Victor they would have signed a contract with Celtic that included a provision that once a minimum fee had been offered by certain clubs of from certain leagues, then Celtic were obliged to allow that club to talk to the player. That would be a legally binding provision as part of the original contract.
On reflection, Celtic & the players’ agents agreed a figure that now looks incredibly low. They could have agreed a higher threshold fee but obviously neither side envisaged how silly transfer fees would become. At the time of signing the Celtic contract, had Celtic insisted on a 25 million minimum fee for Virgil then Virgil may well not have joined Celtic. Since Scottish teams had not attracted bids in excess of 5 million at that time, his thinking mat have been that he’d be stuck in the SPFL for the duration of his contract. This was not what he nor the club nor his agents wanted. They all agreed on a sell on minimum fee which is the one that was activated when Southampton offered to buy him.
Celtics job in these cases is to attract players with a view to moving them on, so the minimum fee has to be realistic in terms of the Scottish selling market. To cover for any underselling or for any extravagantly increased fee for the player subsequently, Celtic include a sell on fee. Thus the total fee we got for Virgil was 20 million (13 plus 7) or thereabouts. Moussa & Victor would have been similar.
KT is different since we’ve had since he was 7 years old. But again, we can only get what the market will pay.
Seems that KT knows what is happening & while happy to remain at Celtic, he has no qualms about moving to the right cluc, league for the right money.
HH
Couple of thoughts……
KT going [if he does] is NOTHING like BR leaving.
Anyone who even gets close to saying that is talking mince.
Arsenal are a huge club and they are no ‘middle of the road’ England Premier league team.They are genuinely one of the big boys.
If he does go to Arsenal they will automatically become my favourite English team and I will be rooting for him next season…..That said I hope it all falls through mind
FOOL TIME WHISTLE @ 3:43 PM,
Well, where do we start with that!?
Maybe here…
The comparisons of players from Celtic that are being bandied about are not helpful.
To whom?
It is the first time I’ve heard of Dembele having a minimum fee, why wouldn’t we have known about this at the time?
Also, how does this fit in with the Club keeping him until he threw a strop?
Doesn’t add up does it..?
This does…
…This was not what he nor the club [Celtic] nor his agents wanted.
And as you say, it’s completely irrelevant anyways when it comes to KT.
Lenny made his frustration at the constant re-building of his Celtic team known – before he rejoined.
It should be about building a football team and not about PLC profits.
And don’t say that doesn’t work, we are in our healthiest financial position ever due to our on field triumphs.
LAZYDYNAMITE @ 4:04 PM,
There is a huge amount of similarities between BR and KT moving on, I’ll give you one – ambition – and Arsenal aren’t one of the big boys.
The big boys don’t struggle to find the funds for world class left backs.
Also Leicester City under Brendan Rodgers beat Arsenal 3 to nil.
Hail Hail
david17
dont know why the bashing of kt on twitter, he has not asked for a transfer.
if the club receives an offer that they cant refuse then its up to kt.
love the young man but if he goes all the best to him.
CHAIRBHOY on 30TH JUNE 2019 4:16 PM
Very silly to say Arsenal are not one of the big boys.
Of course they are.!!! GET A GRIP
Top 6 Premier league team since inception of the league and generally 20 years before that.
European final last season FFS.
I would not cross the road to watch Arsenal play, in my books they are pish.
Have been for years.
KT deserves a better team than them. That said he might shine in an otherwise pish team, full of over hyped over priced, wage inflated duds.
HH
D. :)
Heard weeks ago from mate that his son was on night out and talking to KT. The view expressed by KT was that if Celtic accept an offer then he is off. May not come to pass but its what he told the boy.
Folk on here ask why we cant be as successful as Ajax. Well Ajax tend to sell their best young players and get some money in. I we want to be like them then we need to sell when our players are wanted by those clubs with more financial muscle than us.
That said and I hope I am wrong but I cant see us getting anywhere near the amounts some folk on here are suggesting ie £40million.
I suspect we will accept first bid over Dembele amount and if its Arsenal then that’s a good move for KT as not sure he is at the level of the left backs at clubs above Arsenal.
Footnote- rather we lose KT than Calmac if one is to leave.
Surely both cannot be sold???????
Luca Connell is the new KT anyway
B-)