When appointing a manager I always want a student of the game. Someone who has got there on merit, not because of who he is, or that he will bring some temporary boost to the troops.
Contrast John Barnes with some Aussie-Greek who had been re-writing record books across the Pacific region. You don’t want the candidate qualified by fame alone.
Occasionally, Scottish clubs looked to Scandinavia for their students. Celtic had Ronny, Aberdeen went back for Jimmy Thelin decades after their first venture north. German coaches are strutting their stuff across the Continent and Motherwell found their current boss there. He’s done very well, albeit with a small sample size.
In the name of all that is sacred, let Newco appoint Steven Gerrard. His previous term there was judged successful having won one trophy in nine. That came in a season which saw Celtic capitulate on all fronts.
St Johnstone won both cups, leaving Newco the only team with enough of a squad to fill the gap at the top of the table.
History will show that Celtic followed COVID test, trace and isolation rules. Others were less observant. Gerrard won by default and would have been sacked were it not for the pandemic intervention.
He would be a short-term sugar rush to take the pressure off decision makers who cannot handle the heat off the Glasgow kitchen. Go for it.
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Strelec on our efforts to sign him last January – “ The Scots came at the last minute in the winter, but they complicated it themselves”.
David Strelec obviously doesn’t appreciate the FSR and tax complexities our board deal with…
Sevco Anonymous – the 12 steps towards a relapse;
1. appoint X – the great hope
2. players get boost and win a few games
3. penalties from MIBs help
4. Form dips but last minute winners keep the caravan rolling.
5. First dropped points, murmurs start.
6. More points dropped. Calls for X to go. He’s not a real ranjurs man. better off with… dyche, mcinnes, mourinho, tommy robinson.
7. ‘Give him time brigade’ respond – can’t keep changing the manager – voice of reason
8. cup defeat/Euro exit – the revolters turn on the ‘give him time brigade’. also ask why the 49ers all have Irish surnames. Must be a conspiracy against the peepul.
9. Celtic win title.
10. X keeps his job. he needs another transfer window say the ‘give him time brigade.’ X wins close season trophy. Starts new season with the next Yamal up front and three other free transfers each now worth £30m.
11. 2-8 above are repeated.
12. The peepul revolt. Give him time brigade defeated. X sacked. And by next October they are back to where they are now.
A Brendan vs Gerard rematch doesnt exactly make the SPFL look like the most progressive league out there, especially with Hearts sitting top of the league with Tony Bloom in the door 5 minutes ago.
—
many of our fan base are as much to blame for this as well.
endlessly going on about which ex-player or ex-manager to bring back next.
bringing back ex-players and managers should be a last resort option for us.
it shows no thought for taking the club forward and is often the easy option to placate the fans with a well liked name.
any of us could do a celtic scouting job if the remit was to see what ex-players are up to now and recommend to the plc which ones to try re-sign to keep the fans sweet.
LETS ALL DO THE HUDDLE on 8TH OCTOBER 2025 2:16 PM
When Gerard left the Huns last time the coach at Brugge now was at Haverford West
Tom Mac
Sorry mate, obviously meant Monday
UEFA have opened up new opportunities for the ‘Old Firm’ model.
How so? By allowing European league matches to be played outside Euro borders.
Barcalona will play Villareal in Miami in December, and AC Milan will play Como in Perth, (no not that one) in February. How about Celtic versus Rangers* in Boston or NYC (which was touted some years back) late this season, (title decider?) might be sellable if Scotland qualify for the World Cup, doubt if any of the two Irelands will though, or we could have used that angle into the bargain. Might get the Donald to show up given his Scottish backdrop. Or a modern day PJ Barnum?
oldfirmruscsc
KINGLUBO
No worries. I thought I had missed something.
Interesting story
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c1mnnzm53e8o
A season at Haverfordwest in Wales, Brugge offered him an under 23 coaching job, after two seasons there he stepped up to be head coach
I don’t know if they have a similar strategy and process for coaches as they do players but unless it happened by accident it looks like a pretty clever way of finding your head coach
Theres so much information out there now, it would make no sense at all not to at least try to use it to find the most important person at the club.
I fully agree with your assessment, Paul67. I DO hope they appoint Gerrard. I also hope when the time comes to replace our current incumbent, we do due diligence and not restrict ourselves to someone from these islands.
Leeds fansites now cribbing about the split in attention between them and THEM..
TurkeyBhoy – Out of interest, what are they saying?
Post-Ibrox, Gerrard’s managerial record if anyone is interested:
Gerrard’s managerial record at Aston Villa was 12 wins, 8 draws, and 17 losses in 37 Premier League matches, resulting in a win rate of approximately 32%. He was appointed manager in November 2021 and was sacked in October 2022 after 11 months in charge.
Steven Gerrard’s managerial record with the Saudi club Al-Ettifaq, from July 2023 to January 2025, was 59 matches with 23 wins, 16 draws, and 20 losses, ending by mutual consent after a period of poor results. He had led the team to a sixth-place finish in his first season but left them 12th in the league in his second.
He was reportedly one of the best-paid managers in world football during his time in the country.
How w
How would they know someone let off a stink bomb in a hun pub …😜
Chairbhoy 1.16
In answer to ziggy re covid,I know its only part o
Did Nicola Sturgeon need to clearly explain to Bolingoli-Mbombo what his duties under Covid rules were?
Re Boli- a total dumpling that endangered his teammates,staff at CP as there was no telling this eejit(,or his boundless stupidity)
Hope your well.
Remind me of Boli’s punishment?
Now, remind me of the punishment dished out to a group of the R2ngers 1st team who were stopped by police while out at Scott Arfield’s birthday party.
An occasion, if you believe the SMSM
(lamentably many of ours still do) … at which Arfield was alleged not present !!
B2b
Cant recall his punishment,is there such a one for stupidity.
Couldn’t care less what happens to hhun players.
On this occasion my view is nowt to do with msm,at that time was work related
HH
” bognorbhoy on 8th October 2025 3:22 pm
How would they know someone let off a stink bomb in a hun pub …😜”
:-))))))
B2B
at which Arfield was alleged not present !!”
I completely forgot about that one, only the huns would get away with that pish 🤫
“
An Tearmann @ 3:23 pm,
Yes, Bolingoli-Mbombo was stupid and irresponsible.
My point was that Celtic like other Clubs were given special dispensations during COVID and had a responsibility to ensure they were adhered too.
The idea that if you have someone or something to blame it negates you from your responsibilities is a nonsense.
Celtic obeyed the rules, R2ngers never is the excuse and Nicola Sturgeon helped them, so we had a woeful season.
It’s nonsense, isn’t it?
It was left to the football staff to understand and implement the protocols as far as we understand it.
Were they equipped to do that?
Obviously not.
Bolingoli-Mbombo and two other players who we kept under the radar flaunted the rules.
I work in health care, the charity I worked for had several meetings with all staff carefully explaining our duties and responsibilities, we were then asked to sign a number of undertakings, one that we would abide strictly with government guidelines and other undertakings like exclusively working for the charity – I was bank with another charity at that time and had to severe ties – other undertakings over and above, like not using any public transport.
The charity had took advice, put strict guidelines in place and made sure every employee understood them and got every employee to sign off on them.
Any difficulties or issues any employee had as a result of these measures the employee was asked to make those issues known and were given extra support.
That is management, that is process, that is procedures.
Celtic were said to have a rainy day fund for just such occurances as the pandemic but do not seem to have utilised specialists.
As far as we know Celtic gave players time off, without additional support, many young men in a foreign land that had to isolate.
There instructions from the manager were don’t leave Glasgow – yet three of them did.
As for the Dubia trip, again an indication of the lackadaisical attitude to the circumstances – is that giving the right message.
Where was the leadership from within our Club?
Yes other Clubs breached the rules as well but the whataboutery is no excuse.
And the blame game just makes the thing worse…
Hail Hail
Apologies An Tearmann, meant to say I’m very well and the best to you and yours…
Hail Hail
in.
Como in Perth, (no not that one) in February. How about Celtic versus Rangers* in Boston or NYC (which was touted some years back) late this season, (title decider?) might be sellable if Scotland qualify for the World
TITLE DECIDER?
CHAIRBHOY on 8TH OCTOBER 2025 4:24 PM
You’re arguing with yourself.
“As far as we know Celtic gave players time off, without additional support, many young men in a foreign land that had to isolate.”
“Yes, Bolingoli-Mbombo was stupid and irresponsible.”
“The idea that if you have someone or something to blame it negates you from your responsibilities is a nonsense.”
“And the blame game just makes the thing worse…”
There are only a few people who know the story about what went on at Celtic during COVID. Processes, protocols, yadda yadda
Trying to piece it together 5 years later based on pretty much nothing is a pretty futile exercise
Talks have already broken down between the Huns and Gerrard as apparently they can’t guarantee his demands.
Apparently he’s asking for a global pandemic.
favourite uncle
Title decider?
For us not for them….
On the Gerrard to Newco speculation
I’m out of my depth on this subject
But is there not a Tax Implication on Gerrard if he returns to the UK before a certain time ??
Hence all the noise that he and his family are Happy in Saudi
Speculation on my part !!!!!
67ECW
67 EUROPEAN CUP WINNERS on 8TH OCTOBER 2025 5:41 PM
No tax on what he earned last tax year to April 2025
If he’s getting paid a salary as part of his payoff and he comes back in this tax year he’ll pay tax on it.
THE BADA BING on 8TH OCTOBER 2025 1:40 PM
https://x.com/zeshankenzo/status/1975856915247718646?s=48&t=pLERKYVBy2vfK2Cym_B3Tw
Slippy G before Covid
————
I know I shouldn’t be but I never ceased to be amazed how often the Permaragers are , well , ragin’…
Celtic40me….
It was said at the time – P67 brought up the excuse again, still too soon…
Hail Hail
CHAIRBHOY on 8TH OCTOBER 2025 6:15 PM
Exactly was said at the time by who?
And what excuse was brought up by Paul67 and when?
I don’t have the same memory of that time as you do. Like you said yourself it was a very difficult time for everyone, I do remember a bit more forgiveness for people making mistakes in the “unprecedented times”
Like a lot of people I had experience of what a desperate time it was for those in care at the time. Strict protocols were the difference between some deaths and a lot so your protocols needed to be far stricter than those at a football club full of fit young men.
Life was so different 5 years ago, we lived in tje craziest of times
An T – cheers.
I take a different view.
If our players and club are being rightly punished while the players of another club are not AND that club are actually praised by a Scottish Government minister?
… I absolutely could care less what happens to them.
Chairbhoy – your point about rigidity of process, management and support is well made.
To be clear, R2ngers didn’t win the league …
… a rare phenomenan which saw serving police officers break the law by celebrating in George Square …
… because Celtic were treated unfairly by the Government (they were).
Celtic managed the circumstances badly and, performance wise, collapsed.
IMHO, what Ange did to lift us from that low base in less than a year was almost miraculous.
Celtic40me
The challenges of covid were many and varied. From tailored bespoke special Belfast labs to approve tests through to a media and witch hunt of all things Celtic and especially those who were new to our environment or young and unsettled.
Forester let us down badly with his about turn which was perhaps understandable but our own agitated support of course went nuts and jumped on any media bandwagon going after we lost 1 significant game to rangers and after that there was no way back.
The same types are at it again. Never happier than when dancing the tune to gen z folks who don’t know what it is like to be dominated by rangers. Either that or bitter old guys who like to kick Celtic to make up for their own inadequacies and seem to prefer us playing second fiddle.
Next our friend Chairbhoy will be saying he never noticed Walter Smith somehow attending every rangers home game with friends each week through Covid. It was evident to all but never questioned. Likewise the exec boxes which seemed fully utilised at ibrox throughout.
Anyway let them go with the media view if it is negative about Celtic. Even agents and the like saying we are tough to deal with seems a stick rather than a credit for our custodian looking after the companies funds rather than pissing them away. Maybe these sorts would prefer a David Murray ?
Well for now we have the exciting tier one 10 years out of date football to enjoy for another 7 months and we can thank the lord the rest have been shite for 3 years.
To be totally frank, I couldn’t give a shit about Gerrard or the hun scum, really. Forget about them
Deniabhoy,
Saying that Parathe ,and the other one,are devoting too much time to the Hun crisis,while they sit 14 the in the league.Could get interesting if Leeds continue their slide.Also about the lack of signings in the window compared to their transfer splurge.
Burnley,
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Just can’t help the bitterness showing through.Really funny watching someone acting like a jilted schoolgirl.
Give it a rest.Making a total arse of yourself with this super bitchy,John Inman stuff.