Livingston took the lead at Aberdeen midweek, before the home side scored twice and took the points. That was Livi’s only goal in eight games, a run stretching back two months. Since Celtic’s win at the Plastic Pasta Stadium in September, Livi have scored only three goals in 13 games. I have no record of how many corner kicks they have won in that time, but it we don’t concede one tomorrow, the defence will surely keep a clean sheet.
What Livingston will concentrate on is defending – an objective they obsess with even in prosperous times. Last weekend, Kilmarnock, fresh from a win over Celtic, were unable to break the Livi defence and were ultimately lucky to leave with a point (a penalty kick was not enough of a chance for Livingston to score a fourth in 13 games).
Brendan Rodgers has had a rare week to work with the squad and attempt to arrest a precipitous slide which has seen Celtic give up a healthy lead at the top of the table. In more normal times, tomorrow’s game would be an opportunity to rest some and give a run out to fringe players. Instead, this is one of Celtic’s most important games of the season and one of the biggest games in the rest of Brendan’s career. Complaining about the squad after defeat to Hearts is one thing, but it will not wash if points are dropped to Livi.
I am confident that will not happen. The players will sufficiently find their former equilibrium to get back on track. It will be a relief when the points are safe, though.
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Is the blog broken?
how many corner kicks they have won in that time, but if we don’t concede one tomorrow, the defence will surely keep a clean sheet.
is that down to coaching , our goalie or just poor defenders, what a terrible state of affairs to be in defensively.
The John Kennedy school of defending corners hasn’t improved in 10 years. Perhaps John Kennedy is the problem.
CHAIRBHOY on 22ND DECEMBER 2023 11:42 AM
“The issue is what we should do about it!?”
I’d start with players and management staff all in one room to air it all out. A lot of managers go in to a club with a handbook or a “team ethos”; a set of rules/guidelines on what they expect regarding conduct, attitude, etc. In this day and age players have similar thoughts, chief amongst them being to keep things internal I would imagine. Effectively the group should look to agree a set of standards all round and move forward together with a clean slate.
As a club we need to back the manager with a few experienced pros, loan out as many of the squad BR wont use (or any he sees as the cause of any schisms/disharmony) to other SPFL teams to aid them in all games bar against us and then create a siege mentality within the group as they are fighting against not only their opponents on any given day but also the officials and the strangest pattern of assistance I can remember since the last time a club from £1brox pretty much NEEDED to win the league. This should give extra motivation and not be used as an excuse of “they wont let us win” so why bother.
“Obviously, if BR’s backroom staff aren’t up to it, we need a refresh.
Many have been at the Club a long time, you can say they were part of the serial treble winners, yet…”
I don’t know enough about them but the team performed well under them for a long spell and I assume they are competent enough to run varied training sessions and well enough liked by the players. Attitude and motivation cannot be coached however and comes down to man management, the individuals, the team collective and the personalities at play here. I have no love for my manager at work ATM but my team and I work for ourselves and each other not for the manager or the company per se as we all demand a certain level of each other – CalMac should be front and centre of this and perhaps the huddle at the end of the last game was part of this?
““…whatever is going on inside CP we are seeing a team seemingly lacking in motivation, tempo and commitment at times.
Which was exactly the issue with Lenny MkII.”
The common factor in both for me was a manager throwing players under the bus publicly. A good manager should protect his team (ala “they’re not robots mate”) or even take some heat if required to shield them and not protect himself by blaming the players, board and everyone else.
QB
Well we have gone seven games without a clean sheet so I’m not sure I’d be putting a bet on one, but hopefully we can be a bit more clinical at the other end.
Last year we had Abada, Jota and Maeda to call on. Anybody who can’t see the drop in quality to what we have now, well……….
I’m all for lifting the ban on the GB , the board should never have banned the group in the first place , the timing of them being allowed back inside Celtic Park stinks of panic .
Paul67
Looking forward to this one, back in winning ways
Maeda….Kyogo……Palma in Brendan’s front three, who comes in to join O’Riley and McGregor should be Tomoki Iwata or largely untried Paulo Bernardo. The defence Hart Johnston CCV Liam and Greg is nailed on.
GB will to unflatten the North curve
James Forrest and Oh from the bench in a routine win 3-0
if maeda starts tomorrow make it on the left wing or through the middle and nowhere near the right wing.
I think there’s a fine line between throwing players under the bus and gas lighting fans.
We all have eyes. Going down the Strachan route of defending poor displays would be counterproductive imo.
Looking forward to tomorrow. Goals and more goals please, Celtic. Hopefully more good news on the injury front today. A huge week and an half ahead.
would love to see Hatate playing at some point in the game tomorrow
Brendan will be aware of the warning from Paul67
Sounds to me that if BR cannot get a win tomorrow the party is over.
67ECW
QUADBHOY @ 12:16 PM,
Well, airing it out is all well and good, yet has limited results in my experience, if there is a defective culture, it’s the culture that needs changing.
Brendan Rodgers has a track record over twenty five years, ups and downs for sure, yet a great track record overall.
He brought his own backroom staff the last time he came to Celtic, it worked a treat.
He used Kolo Toure initially as an experienced defender to shore up a lacking defence, then as a defensive coach.
“I don’t know enough about them but the team performed well under them for a long spell and I assume they are competent enough to run varied training sessions and well enough liked by the players. Attitude and motivation cannot be coached however and comes down to man management, the individuals, the team collective and the personalities at play here.
It has been almost five years since BR and his staff left Lennoxtown and the Board believed the remaining staff could step up.
You could argue that in that five years we have had a period eighteen months of exceptional domestic performances – that seemed to be inspired by the Charismatic Angeball effect and 50 mn spent on the team, mostly by AP.
Even his last six months were downhill all the way.
We really don’t want to go down the road of comparing B-JK to Chris Davies, or a least I don’t.
We have to be real and say there is nothing to suggest they are “competent enough”, no stepping up when Lenny was mutualled, no track record outside Celtic – in short, absolutely no proof of competency.
On terms of player attitude, several times since he has come back, BR has been asked about bringing on players and improving them.
Each time, if it’s been Liam Scales or Mikey Johnston, Matt O’Riley or Bernabei, he stated it was up to the players – Celtic will give them the tools and the platform to develop and improve but it was up to the player to take that opportunity
For me this approach is correct – the old saying, you can lead a horse to water… is spot on.
Hail Hail
Lucky Cody
Please give a breakdown of your £100M figure please.solid back up with no mention of the word “if”
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McPhailbhoy
I hope Palmerstons players are all registered properly.-))..och am sure itll no matter.Hope all good bout the town my friend habe a good yin.
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This is what it means to be Celtic,great work by all
https://twitter.com/FoundationCFC/status/1738159952349499647?s=19
Hail Hail
CHAIRBHOY on 22ND DECEMBER 2023 1:00 PM
“Well, airing it out is all well and good, yet has limited results in my experience, if there is a defective culture, it’s the culture that needs changing.”
A meeting to discuss and agree the culture is effectively what I suggested but will only do so much as you rightly say.
“Brendan Rodgers has a track record over twenty five years, ups and downs for sure, yet a great track record overall.”
He has a very good track record results wise. He also has a bit of history of sewing discontent and looking out for himself first and foremost even to the cost of his current team/employers.
“You could argue that in that five years we have had a period eighteen months of exceptional domestic performances … Even (Ange’s) last six months were downhill all the way.”
Agree – though even the 18 month period has some ups and downs but the results were more often than not achieved even when the performance was lacking as the effort, drive and commitment on the whole was always shown; bar the last few months of last season.
“We really don’t want to go down the road of comparing B-JK to Chris Davies, or a least I don’t.”
I wouldn’t know where to start.
“We have to be real and say there is nothing to suggest they are “competent enough”, no stepping up when Lenny was mutualled, no track record outside Celtic – in short, absolutely no proof of competency.”
The coaches we have currently appeared to be competent enough when working under Ange’s instructions and philosophy but those same coaches under Brendan don’t seem as effective if we judge their performance by the teams performances/results. Not sure that is the only measure though to be fair.
“On terms of player attitude, several times since he has come back, BR has been asked about bringing on players and improving them.
Each time, if it’s been Liam Scales or Mikey Johnston, Matt O’Riley or Bernabei, he stated it was up to the players – Celtic will give them the tools and the platform to develop and improve but it was up to the player to take that opportunity
For me this approach is correct – the old saying, you can lead a horse to water… is spot on.”
I agree to a point though I have only really seen regression in most players since BR returned.
Also in order for the player to take that opportunity the manager needs to foster the correct environment for that to work. Creating divisions in the squad/club doesn’t help. Constant sniping about the quality of players wont help motivate them. Players coming in, doing well and even scoring winning goals then dropping out of the squad whilst other subs appear from nowhere also can’t help.
I felt for Bernabei at one point in the last game where he cut inside only to turn back when he heard a loud groan from the crowd. He then misplaced a simple pass up the wing out of play. His confidence looked shot at that point and it can’t be a good environment to work or develop as a player and the manager as much as the board/players/supporters takes a share of that responsibility.
QB
Of course highlighting the highlighting of the lack of quality takes the focus away from the lack of quality! Conveniently…..
I think I know what blind faith is now.
67 EUROPEAN CUP WINNERS on 22ND DECEMBER 2023 12:48 PM
Brendan will be aware of the warning from Paul67
Sounds to me that if BR cannot get a win tomorrow the party is over.
67ECW.
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Surely not. Imagine trying to find a new manager if we mutually consented a manager when we are sitting top of the league with the best GD.and before he has a transfer window.
Now that would reek of entitlement and John Kennedy would be an absolute stick on.
Be careful what you w8sh for.
HH.
We need a change in attitude from Brendan and his players. We lost the last 2 league games due to our performance and it needs improving. Hard Work is the key and it is not down to individual players but the collective will of the squad.
QUADBHOY @ 1:36 PM,
Again, agree.
Let’s change perspective a bit
Our current challenges in this context…
35 mn Lenny spent on players, Ange needs to rebuild, 50 mn Ange spent on players Brendan needs to rebuild
We had Ronny – lost the dressing room
We had BR – eventually lost the dressing room
We had Lenny – lost the dressing room
We had Ange – Players not performing in the end
We had BR again – Yet to find the dressing room.
We desperately need expertise and continuity at Executive level on the Football Club.
Dominic McKay came from a sports background and seemed to hit the ground running and picked things up immediately.
It is inevitable, we are going to change players, we are going to change managers, we have major projects going ahead at Barrowfield and Lennoxtown that will have a long term impact on the Club.
Yet where is the direction, where is the expertise, where is the continuity for the medium/long term?
We are rudderless and hoping we can get a manager in to give us a short term boost every two seasons, it is a non strategy.
Hail Hail
67 EUROPEAN CUP WINNERS on 22ND DECEMBER 2023 12:48 PM
Brendan will be aware of the warning from Paul67
Sounds to me that if BR cannot get a win tomorrow the party is over.
67ECW
Woe.haud oan there.P67 dishing out warnings.your havin a laugh at extrapolatin the obvious.
Good for the windae hingin bettys as gossip tho!!
HH
It is very much in Celtic’s interests to win this particular league. If not, we are gifting £60 million to an undeserving competitor. The fix – there’s no other way to describe it – is already in. The Govan side is now averaging almost one penalty per game. Incidents which routinely result in ‘Penalty, Rangers’ are brazenly ignored if they occur in the Rangers box.
This has always been the case but it’s becoming more shameless. If Celtic secure nine points from our next three games we should set ourselves up nicely for the title – always presuming we strengthen in January. If we don’t win and we don’t strengthen we’re bust.
AN TEARMANN @ 1:58 PM,
“In more normal times, tomorrow’s game would be an opportunity to rest some and give a run out to fringe players. Instead, this is one of Celtic’s most important games of the season and one of the biggest games in the rest of Brendan’s career.”
What do you think this means?
Just curious like…
Hail Hail
I liked Dominic Mckay’s ideas. However how many Season Books do we have to sell to pay James Mccarthy’s renumeration .
BIGBHOY on 22ND DECEMBER 2023 1:55 PM
“We need a change in attitude from Brendan and his players. We lost the last 2 league games due to our performance and it needs improving. Hard Work is the key and it is not down to individual players but the collective will of the squad.”
Couldn’t agree more! It’s an old cliché but rings true – hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.
CHAIRBHOY on 22ND DECEMBER 2023 1:55 PM
“We desperately need expertise and continuity at Executive level on the Football Club. Dominic McKay came from a sports background and seemed to hit the ground running and picked things up immediately.”
The whole Dom McKay episode is a mystery to me but football expertise at the top I agree on. One of the reasons I like the DoF model is that it can give clarity to scouts and continuity between coaches if the club has a single vision and picks managers to match then gives the DoF the available budget and leaves the football department to it. When you see us sign players like Klimala who don’t fit our system or see one manager after the next switch systems (and often players to match) it just seems very short term oriented.
“It is inevitable, we are going to change players, we are going to change managers, we have major projects going ahead at Barrowfield and Lennoxtown that will have a long term impact on the Club.
Yet where is the direction, where is the expertise, where is the continuity for the medium/long term?
We are rudderless and hoping we can get a manager in to give us a short term boost every two seasons, it is a non strategy.”
Depressing yet rings true. Not sure how much of a long term impact on the club the BF and LT projects will have though? Without a commitment to youth development it could prove to be a waste of money.
There was supposedly a big sit down meal during the week with “major investors” – I wonder if they explained any strategic thinking at that event? The senior executive certainly don’t communicate much to the ordinary paying customers, or fans if you prefer, nor to shareholders at the AGMs.
QB
I have nothing but absolute contempt for the board of directors but, leaving that aside, if we fail to beat Livingston tomorrow, Brendan Rodgers should be sacked whilst the season is still potentially salvageable. You don’t come back from the position he would find himself in.
I don’t think he really wants to be here and wouldn’t be surprised if the players are getting those vibes from him. It would certainly explain a lot in terms of recent abject performances.
GP- from a very good source, McCarthy was a Dermot Desmond production, a la Roy Keane….
GREENPINATA on 22ND DECEMBER 2023 2:11 PM
I liked Dominic Mckay’s ideas. However how many Season Books do we have to sell to pay James Mccarthy’s renumeration .
—-
How many 5 year contracts will we have pay off to get rid of the dross we’ve signed over the last 3 windows ? There seems to be some people above accountability.
Sky Sports linking O’Riley to Inter this January has to be a piss take.
Got a email from Celtic about new safety code amendments for the rail standing area. Most if it obvious stuff like no pyrotechnics but found this one below interesting:
Not to display banners or engage in any singing/chanting which could reasonably be considered to be racial, sectarian, political, homophobic or discriminatory. To bring banners and flags and to sing songs which support the team positively. The banner protocol must be complied with.
Welcome back the GB.Now behave.
Maybe if BR would try playing at least one CH who can jump,Lagerbielke,alongside CCV ,not done before.
Tomorrow should be a try out,but wont be,same defensive line up that keeps screwing up.Make no mistake,Hart is also a big reason for this.Glued to his line.
Please,no one start discussing the MOR story,to Inter.Its LA LA Land nonsense.A loan into the bargain !!!!!.
It’s a loan with obligation to buy being reported.
It’s got the Frimpong/John Joe Kenny transfer window written all over it.
Hopefully we’re not writing the league off this January.
An Dun
What was the issue re Frimpong ?
Chairbhoy
Paul being consistent in his non support of Brendan Rogers,his appointment was snarlingly accepted.Pantywetting blogging at its very best.cover all angles but shite it awith no dissent shown to he who lays out(news) crumbs on the table.
Earlier you were writing of our staff,who or what is B-JK?
HH
The issue was not so much selling Frimpong – it was the circumstances.
We sold him because we’d written off the league by the time we got to that window.
I don’t want to be going down that road again next month.
I want us to be in a league fight and keeping our best players for that fight.
QUADBHOY @ 2:16 PM,
At one point the arguments for and against a DofF seemed balanced.
Now there is no doubt that we desperately need a DofF to meld the disperate; Executive, football team management, player recruitment clusterfalange.
In fact with the challenges we face a separate Board would be a very good idea.
Hail Hail
AN TEARMANN on 22ND DECEMBER 2023 3:24 PM
“Earlier you were writing of our staff,who or what is B-JK?”
It caused me pause for thought but in the end I read it as big John Kennedy.
QB
AN TEARMANN @ 3:24 PM,
Yes, Paul not wanting Neil mid-season as it would be very bad for our ability to attract a new manager a few seasons ago was an interesting take.
His non support of the manager has been consistent as you say, yet seems to manifest a certain cognitive dissonance.
Well B-JK, is big John Kennedy of course, why would he, or any other member of our staff be written off.
We were debating the Chris Davies effect.
Does Brendan Rodgers need that type of second in command to get the best results!?
It was thought, a few seasons back, that consistent backroom staff would provide greater continuity, that doesn’t seem to have happened – B-JK has had several positions in the Club through the years, a real Club stalwart.
There is certainly no reason to through out the baby with the bathwater.
Or to empty the manager for that matter.
Hail Hail
Neil’s departure that is…
Hail Hail