Exactly one year ago today, just after lunchtime, one of the pivotal moments in Celtic history occurred. Neil Lennon took his Celtic team to Kilmarnock, who had lost their three previous league games, and for 73 minutes looked like surrendering their league title chances just as Tony Mowbray’s team collapsed at St Mirren Park seven months earlier.
The manager later admitted to thoughts of resignation. 3-0 down at half time while already in heavy deficit to Rangers, who were riding a wave of positivity under the reinvigorating ownership of Craig Whyte, events looked to have escaped Neil’s grasp.
It is tempting to write the narrative that a half time talk or tactical change turned things around but turnaround was more difficult to explain. Celtic were awful for the opening 28 minutes of the second half; like condemned men waiting for the inevitable.
Anthony Stokes started the recovery by exploiting Kilmarnock’s weaknesses. A free kick drifted over a wall which didn’t jump and into the net. Had the wall jumped, would history have been different? Three minutes later Stokes fired into the corner of the net from distance, Jaakkola in the Killie goal was not equal to the challenge. Suddenly, we were back in the game, back in the title race.
Charlie Mulgrew, who erred to gift Kilmarnock their third, equalised with 11 minutes remaining, surely there was only one winner now? Not so, images of Heffernan’s last minute header from inside the Celtic six yard box gliding over remain vivid.
We escaped with a draw but it felt like a stay of execution, not a pivotal moment. Neil didn’t resign, he stayed, beat Stade Rennes in the Europa League and never looked back. The imperious positivity which surrounded Craig Whyte was ultimately proven to be a charade, those of us who told you Rangers were in peril were proven correct.
It is impossible to calculate just how much football has changed since Anthony hit that free kick, although imperious positivity still surrounds a charade which is doomed to fail, leaving a lot of football fans out of pocket. If only the football authorities had a warning from recent history that light-touch regulation is dangerous, or had the mechanism to order a financial audit. They do, of course, but despite the traumas of 2012 I doubt they have the appetite to head-off potential problems. It’s easier (in the short term) to hope everything will turn out well.
Not that you need worry about any of this, you can chill and enjoy the season.
Click here to read the fabulous CQN Magazine for free, or strain your eyes squinting below. You can also buy a hard copy of the magazine here from Magcloud.
[calameo code=000390171a36dad35d58c lang=en page=10 hidelinks=1 width=100% height=500]
820 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- ...
- 15
- 16
- 17
- 18
- 19
- 20
- 21
- 22
- »
kitalba
Nice one.
Sometimes we allow too much negativity to get at us,mainly by listening to anti-Celtic influences.
Take for example former players,whom make a living off the back of our club,so-called pundits.As much as i am annoyed at the fact that the likes of Andy Walker,Burley and Davie Provan never seem to have a good word to say about Celtic – I remind myself of other former players that are now pundits – Men like Tommy Boyd,John Collins and Packie Bonner – They always speak highly of the club,they are always positive and never have a bad word to say.
I try and listen to and concentrate on what they,the later have to say,rather than dwell on the words of negative parasites.
ernie lynch:
I tried to open it too but it wouldn’t work for me either, but I will take your word for what you remember him saying if you wish to share it. However, in doing so I personally believe he is more a friend than any childhood flirtation could ever taint.
!!Bada Bing!!
One day everybody will be heard, I honestly believe that. I also believe that there are so many silent voices with wisom and humour who deserve to be heard but who are – in all shame – intimidated to perpetual and humble silence by the dogmatic and the overbearing.
Morning from a dull and showery North Staffordshire.
Enjoyed the Port Vale game last night with a deserved 3-0 win
Good to be able to shout God bless the Pope at a match without fear of being lifted.
Tom is now the league’s top scorer with 12 in the league so far.
Prefered bidder announced today to take them out of administration – hope he’s not a Chuck type character. Time will tell.
Don’t give Scotland much of a chance tonight – but here’s hoping.
Now for the buddies on saturday
setting free the bears
11:18
If you think Brown can chase the ball against Barca the way he did in Moscow or at paradise you need your meds checked, they play teh ball too quickly and move to fluidly. I’m trying not to forget Spartak were without their cheif CM playmaker.
I’d be happy to put 3 mids in the centre against them, man for man, but has to be the 3 most athletic mids we have. I’d even play james wide right and tell him to play the way Brown does when he is out there, offer passes wide right, close down their back, and flood the midfield when its getting tight.
We need his pace to hit them on the break, and I do realise what I just said might lead to a team selection with only Commons OR Samaras when Id rather we have both, but that might be a price worth paying. Otherwise we go 2 vs 3 in centre mid area. And remember Song will probably be in the Busquets position.
@Wee_Oscar: It’s only 6.15am but big signs of improvement for Oscar today already!Looking forward to doctor summary for first time.AMAZING little man Xx
@Wee_Oscar: The @ChildrensPhila hospital used experimental techniques to save Oscars life. An absolutely amazing place to be. #keepfighting #nevergiveup
Sixteen roads to Golgotha:
History taught us that some sold their soul for 30 pieces of silver and modern history reminds us that the price of souls was never subject to inflation.
God bless wee Oscar
BroonSauce
Before i shoot the crow.
If any of yous ever get a wee chance,check out Mick McCarthy’s biography.
You will never read any former player speak so highly about Celtic,and the time that he spent at the club.
There is also a bit in the book where he recollects a battle that he had with the Mike Galloway,when the bold Mike played for Hertz – It is a sketch.Tough,tough players they both were.
Over & out.
God bless Oscar.
Keep fighting wee man!
And God bless wee Oscar.
Slan.
kitalba
11:25 on 16 October, 2012
FFS He wasn’t in the BB.
He tells the story of his older brother applying for an office job in one of the steelworks in Motherwell.
His dad knew they wouldn’t employ him if they knew he was a Catholic so told him to say he’d been to Motherwell HS rather than the Catholic school, which he did. The interviewer then asked which BB company he’d been in. He didn’t get the job.
Gene’s a Bhoys name
11:31 on
16 October, 2012
_______________________________________
Fine performance, had a wee wager on @ 5/6,
an absolute steal, thank you Willy Hills!
ernie lynch
FFS I’m not a mind reader. I don’t know every thing that ever happened in his life. Do you?
God bless the wee man that is Oscar !
Sixteen roads to Golgotha
For the avoidance of doubt, I really like Scott Brown and, all things being equal, he’d be in my first XI – horses for courses.
sftb & Son of Gabriel
It’s time to put the ‘agree to disagree’ seal on this one. Sammi, Hooper and Mulgrew (a revelation at central midfield) were wot won it for me.
ernie`s potato famine comments created enough interest in me to see if I could find out any more. I couldn`t find how many died in the Highlands but a great many left to avoid that fate. Ireland`s figures dwarfed all other countries. Perhaps a million deaths in Ireland and 100,000 in the rest of Europe. Belgium and Prussia accounted for around 90,000 so ernie`s question: Why a joint memorial? is valid.It is difficult for me to escape the conclusion that it is “joint” to appease those of an anti-Irish catholic persuasion in Scotland. Sad.
JJ
ernie lynch:
Oh and by the way Ernie, in my youth I was asked on several occasions whether I played the flute or the drums in the BB. I never got the job(s) either. But I never ever lied about which school I went to either.
Son Of Gabriel
I did not say that he would “chase” the ball as successfully against Barca’s midfield as he did against Moscow’s defenders but his work rate and pressing will be needed in that area.
If your 3 athletic central midfielders include Brown, then we are in close agreement. We need people who will close down space. Kayal and Brown both do that. Do you add Ledley or Wanyama to that pair or do you only use one ball chaser and choose between Brown and Kayal?
If all players are fit, I’d go for :-
Forster
Matthews Ambrose Wilson Izzaguire
Forrest Brown Wanyama Kayal Sammi
Hooper
What’s your team?
MWD
Good news on Oscar’s fighting spirit.
kitalba
11:42 on 16 October, 2012
‘ernie lynch
FFS I’m not a mind reader. I don’t know every thing that ever happened in his life. Do you?’
Naw. It was meant to be a humorous reference to his CV.
If anyone can access that video link it’s worth watching.
setting free the bears:
No Lustig or Charlie?
ernie lynch
No worries Ernie but in my ignorance I thought you were alluding to a boyhood flirtation with the dark side. (A wee :-) would have kept a slow mind like me on track)
If anybody can get me a copy of McMillan’s speech – ‘Scotland’s Shame’ – I would be both grateful and oblidged.
Big Nan
There wee excellent articles in this week’s Sunday Times, by Denis Walsh, who, along with Paul Kimmage, carried the fight to report the crimes of Armstrong.
The ammunition came from two brave ladies, Betsy Andreu and Emma O’Reilly, who exposed Lance Armstrong’s lies.
In his back page spot, Hugh Mc.Ilvanney has a column on Armstrong, and my on reading both his and Walsh’s articles, it took no stretch of imagination to transpose Armstrong and the cycling authorities actions with Rangers and Scottish football’s.
Add in a compliant media and the morphing is complete.
Saw maggie thatcher’s picture in the paper and wondered if she and sir david murray said “0h, shoite, what have I done” at the same time ………!!??
setting free the bears
I think Lustig will get the nod, tall, athletic and a decent cross on him, also a bigger goal threat..
If Kayal starts I would love to see him have a big game for us, his Celtic career has been stop start stop…
Big game for us and the players should enjoy the occasions, they don’t come much bigger at this stage in the competition..
kitalba
I chose Adam over Mikel because we need fast moving defenders, rather than height, as they will have us twisting and turning.
I’d happily have Lustig as a CB perhaps in place of Kelvin, but this might not be a game for Charlie. He has had trouble against nippy attackers on the ground and he’s not really the fastest in midfield at plugging gaps.
To be honest, I don’t think we have any CB pairing good enough at this level and I’m hoping their makeshift defence gives us as many opportunities as we might leak to them.
Come match time, I’ll be less pessimistic. Promise!
kit
That Tom Devine article was a good read. Thanks for posting.
SwanseaBhoy
setting free the bears
I know it is Barca but I fell we can take them if they have another ten injuries to their first team squad.
Lustig at RB ,can’t see Forrest making it .We can’t carry any bhoys next Tuesday.Brown (hopefully) Kayal,Wanyama,Ledley,Samaras across the middle.The big worry for me is in some Euro games this year,is we have a gap from midfield to our defence.The sort of space Barca look to get in to.
kitalba
11:45 on
16 October, 2012
ernie lynch:
Oh and by the way Ernie, in my youth I was asked on several occasions whether I played the flute or the drums in the BB. I never got the job(s) either. But I never ever lied about which school I went to either
………….
My CV proudly states that I went to John Bosco RC Secondary School in Glasgow.
I think for the barca game we need to phone Gerard Eadie and ask him for the loan of two goal sized windows.
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves – a win at Love Street before we taken on Barce will be good
setting free the bears
11:46
Thats pretty much my 11.
Ledley should be involved somewhere though.
Perhaps in place of Kayal.
OR, whoever is on a booking or struggling after 60 mins.
Also your point about Lustig at the back is another one I considered as he is good at reading game and not like you need tanks at the back but against Sanchez who I reckon will play the false 10 you do need speed.
SwanseaBhoy
Sectarianism – The Myth that tarnishes Scotland
Gordon_J
You know I forgot about that game!!
I thought we had a free weekend.
Well, I’d mix the team about, rest those who were away and let a couple of fringe players try to get in Lennys thoughts.
It wont happen this week but I really wanna see Miku and Lassad play together