I was shouting at Martin O’Neill through the television last night. With the game at 0-0, Wales’ Joe Allen was off getting treatment, which lasted several minutes before he was eventually replaced. Ireland had a man advantage, but still refused to press Wales, who were able to comfortably pass the ball around the back.
Ireland needed a victory, they had a brief window where they would enjoy the advantage, but they chose to defend instead. Then I remembered the game against Barcelona in March 2004. For much of the game Celtic enjoyed a 10-9 men advantage, but it didn’t look that way. We defended our territory and ventured up field only when a mistake or long clearance permitted.
We won that game, the first leg of a knockout tie, 1-0, but there were grumbles among the support in the days thereafter. “We should have gone for them, 1-0 will not be enough.”
Martin gambled successfully against Barcelona as he did last night. There was probably an acknowledgement on both occasions of the comparative limitations of his players, so his game plan was easily understood and scrupulously followed.
He could have urged his players to press forward for the period Allen was getting treatment, but that would have been counter to his simple message. Permitting such off-the-cuff decision-making would have been a fatal mistake.
Teams in possession are more likely to make bad passes in their defensive area than teams who have been drilled to get the ball as far away from their defensive area as possible. You don’t need to like this type of football (I don’t), but Ireland are in the World Cup play-offs when countries with more talented players are out of the competition, including Scotland and Wales.
You wouldn’t want to watch this football at Celtic today. Even back in his Parkhead heyday, Martin received complaints about his team’s robust, target-man, playing style. Ireland are simultaneously an echo of a bygone era and a lesson in winning against better-resourced opponents. I would take it for international football, or even for Champions League group stage, but it would shut the stands at Celtic Park if we tried it domestically.
Celtic wore commemorative shirts against Hibs to mark National Famine Memorial Day. One million people died in Ireland’s Great Hunger in the years of famine, from 1846-50. Millions more left the country, some of whom arrived in Glasgow, and formed the communities which founded Celtic 40 years later.
One million people dying of starvation in what was then part of the United Kingdom is an unimaginable horror. Scotland was also affected by the Blight, although to a lesser extent.
James Forrest’s shirt from the game against Hibs is available for raffle to aid the Celtic FC Foundation’s work (James will sign the shirt). Your Foundation carries on the mission that gave birth to Celtic 130 years ago. It feeds the poor in Scotland, Ireland in London and across the globe, but it also works with many disadvantaged groups of children and adults.
The Foundation is core to our mission as a football club. You can enter the raffle by making a minimum £5 donation on this MyDonate page and answering this question:
Which PSG player was booked for diving against Celtic last month?
Please forward your donation confirmation with the diving player’s name in the SUBJECT line to celticquicknews@gmail.com The raffle will close on Monday.
——
The new Invincibles treble disc DVD is now available from CQN Bookstore HERE. It is quite simply unmissable. What a season that was!
All CQN t-shirts are now reduced to £10, choose from our Invincibles shirt, the Jock Stein one or the Gotcha classic! We’ve added some new books too and there’s some crackers on the way! More on that over the next few weeks or so.
240 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- »
Congratulations to MON and team for getting into the playoffs. An achievement in itself.
So far it’s Iceland for me so far, with other teams fielding Celts. It will be interesting to see what sort of a tournament Gamboa has.
We hadn’t recovered from the the psychological blow Muurray made us when le petit merde went to Ibrox . Martin was what was needed and boy did he deliver.
Martin ‘s Celtic could go route one if required but the likes of Liam Miller’s goal against Lyon involved more than twenty passes in the build up.
Didier Agathe was not everyone’s favourite but he was crucial, among others, to our play in Martin’s time as our manager
BB-I thought Duffy was outstanding last night,defended really well.
Read the Charlie Tully article and it is/was just as I remember it. Always been my favourite player of all time for the Celtic (though that wee number 63 is starting to come into the frame!) and he played quite a few positions in his Celtic career. I think he was the last player to be signed from Belfast Celtic before they withdrew from their league.
The story of a sending-off was when being told ‘Mr.Tully, I am sending you to the pavilion’ by the referee replied ‘Could you not make it the Empire?They have a better show!’
Probably a load of mince but I could believe it then and still think he probably did.
Anyway,what a player! Thanks,Paul, for reminding me of him on that GLORIOUS Saturday. Stayed up in Glasgow that night for the dancing(cousin -best pal’s granny stayed in Nuneaton Street) and the night was good as well!
Funnily enough we never ever stayed at my Granny’s house but that might have been due to it being in Mossblown!!!!
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on 10TH OCTOBER 2017 3:12 PM
BENDIGO
https://m.imgur.com/gallery/gxuM60O
Nice one:)
Will never forget what MoN did for us Edythe early years, he was up against what we now know was an illegally funded team also bankrolled by BoS and so on.
MoN turned the tide from years of Huns trophies and sent them on their way to destruction, EBT’s was 1 of their ways at fighting back against us at that time.
Could argue all day about style of football but before MoN trophies and great memories were very hard to come by.
If anyone can remember the Anderlecht game at Celtic Park in the CL when Martin was manager, I think our second goal was scored after the completion of 32 passes. Celtic didn’t play a long ball game under Martin but worked very hard on scoring goals from set pieces, at which we were very successful. We had midfielders, Stan, Lenny and Alan Thompson who could play a whole range of passes between them. Henrik’s goals didn’t all come from long balls or set pieces.
Martin did a brilliant job for us. My criticisms would be that, in his final season, we had games won 2-0 quite early on in games and we showed no willingness to go on and thrash teams. He also handled events surrounding Black Sunday very badly, in my opinion. He admitted to the smsm before the game that he was leaving because of his wife’s illness. He should have done so such thing. He should have denied it until the game had been played. He should have been more professional and he owed the Scottish media nothing. How many times did he sue the DR? Admitting that he was leaving was bound to have an effect on our players. The papers were jubilant. The other mistake that he made was his handling of Paul Lambert. Paul had been injured earlier in the season. Martin gave him permission to go to Germany to take his coaching badges while earning £10000 per week from Celtic. However, he was fit for the Motherwell game (and I think for weeks beforehand too) and was on the bench. With half an hour to go and Celtic leading 1-0, if ever a game needed Paul Lambert to sit in midfield in front of the defence and close down the opposition, that was it. It was what Lambert was famous for. He had won a Champion’s League medal doing it for Dortmund.
I loved Martin’s tenure as Celtic manager but I have very mixed feelings about how it ended.
With regard to James McClean, I doubt if anyone cheered his goal louder than I did last night. I also cheered James two goals in Moldova. I admire James greatly for the stand he has taken on the Poppy and GSTQ because of his strong feelings about them due to his upbringing in Derry. I think he is a brave and strong individual. If James was a Celtic player I would support him in the same way that I support our current players, 100%. However, as a fan and having watched James play for West Brom and Sunderland, I don’t think his style of play suits the way that Celtic currently play but it is always good to have players in the squad who can offer something different if Plan A isn’t working. To me, James would be a squad player at Celtic and I think he is entitled to think that he can do better for himself elsewhere. I wish him luck and I will be supporting him and The Republic in the play offs and hopefully in Russia next summer.
Corky, vote cast and verified for your wee lass. I also voted for a funky waterside hotel as best venue. Nae idea if it was but I liked the sound of it.
Will vote again on my other various accounts.
Well done ROI and St Martin.
HH
Just been listening to last night’s Sportsound. Bod(y) was a total embarassment trying to defend the indefensible, egged on by McIntyre, who does anything to undermine anyone who would point to Celtic having a positive influence in Scottish football. Michael Stewart is articulate and even Chick Young sounded balanced. Imagine anyone talking down Scottish football so that no credit can be put at Celtic’s door. Only in Scotland and even with the National team.
See Celtic FC, urging kids to buy a ticket,for the stadium tour,next week, done it,it’s ok but not worth the money,I bet them kids or adults , won’t even get a Coffee or a Drink or something to eat,
SadiesBhoy- posted similar re MON last season, he should have stepped back and let John and Steve step up.I think it would have galvanised the team and the support , hindsight is 20/20….:)) HH
Corky – Vote cast all the way from sunny Toronto:)
slainte
tony
Great praise for Ireland on Talksport this evening. James McLean in particular and the fact that many of the players have come through the L O Irl. A blogger. Described Daffy as a lion of a centerhalf what an apt description.
JIMBOB: A stadium tour is just that. You go to see the stadium and all the trophies and the whole caboodle because it is where your team plays and you sit (or stand if you are in that area) and to soak up the history and nostalgia.
Not really about the worth the money but I have done it a couple of times because that’s the way am.My wife ,however, regarded it like the Pyramids and once was enough for her! ‘ They’ve been there for thousands of years and will look just the same.Why bother to go to the same place . We’ve seen them already!
Canny beat a Kilwinning woman’s logic!!!!!!
I wonder if the SFA will announce something about the enquiry by the Compliance Officer into the licence issued in 2011to RFC , Celtic have arranged the AGM for November 11th, I would imagine this might be brought up again. No doubt the SFA will say we are on it, when nothing could be further from the truth.
remember sitting round the tv as a ten year old 1963. something about charlie tully on tv was it london palladium or something.
The organizers of Corkcelts daughters comp
Must be wondering why there are so many males voting
Good luck hen
HH
Any news on our Bhoys recovering from injury?
any news on gordon strachan getting sacked.
Beautiful morning (for the time of year) on Lewis this morning. We knew the forecast was better am than pm, so with that in mind we set off early and drove to a small Island called Great Bernera (or is it an Island? It is connected to Lewis by bridge) At the far end of the Island is a really nice beach called Bosta. Set in a bay, with green and white surf crashing on to the fine sandy beach, and a few rocky outcrops off shore. Another visitor told us that some Minke Whales had been spotted just off shore before our arrival. We didn’t see them this time, but did spy one during the ferry trip on Saturday from Ullapool to Stornaway. At the back of Bosta beach, there is a mock up of Iron Age dwellings that were revealed during a storm in 1993.
Spotted a black seabird bobbing on the waves, so was able to hit Mrs H with the old gag:
“What’s the difference between a Cormorant and a Shag?
“You’ll never forget your first Cormorant” :)))
Bless her, she still laughs. Great morning and headed back to the cottage, just in time, before the rain. Had a wee kip, and have been sitting all cosy in the cottage, looking at the worsening rain and gale outside. Magic!
Prosecco and Stella’s opened. New day tomorrow.
Corkcelt, voted
HUNDERBIRDS ARE GONE
Wit kind of carpet do you have
As in pile ;))))
HH
http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/international-soccer/managing-without-managing-how-martin-oneill-turned-republic-of-ireland-into-the-ultimate-big-game-players-36213956.html
Things grandparents do, Mrs TET is taking grand daughter to see Little Mix, whoever they are, tonight, £50 a ticket ffs, I don’t think she is really looking forward to it :-)
Hunderbirds. 6.24.
That sounds fabulous.
If you are inclined, I’m sure you will see plenty of birds too. A great time of the year, migration in full flight.
Wishing I was there.
Hail Hail.
The Exiled Tim,
Someone in work was offering 4 tickets for sale to see them in Glesga’ on 11/11…..£100 each.
Crazy…..but kids will be desperate to go. Peer pressure is a horrible thing.
As for the ‘band’…..very pleasing on the eye, but that’ll be about it, i suspect.
FWIW, i would rather keep the £100 and spend it in the company of some great people on 11/11.
Hankray,
A blogger. Described Daffy as a lion of a centerhalf what an apt description.
*****
That would have been me.
A good man to have in the trenches.
Fearless and committed…….and not to wee.
Bateen Bhoy
I googled them and see they are a Simon Cowell creation, he sure knows how to make money and fleece the kids, must agree about the pleasing on the eye bit mind you :-)
HH
Catalonia has declared Independence , but are deferring it for “a few weeks”, to allow dialogue to proceed.
Perhaps the best solution would be to let Ronaldo and Messi decide it by a penalty shoot out.
Just watched Cranberries singing Zombie on you tube.
I’d actually forgotten about the footage from Belfast and video reference to The Hunger Strikers etc.
Great vocals by Delores and of course,it’s ironic that the sung is sung to Sevco fans.
Hail Hail
I made the mistake of briefly tuning in to Radio Scotland long enough to hear Richard Wilson Derek Ferguson Gordon Smith and Kenny McIntyre about to discuss what is wrong with Scottish football.
Aye Carumba.
See huns…. see irony.
The exiled Tim/ Bateen Bhoy.
My daughter’s friend aged 7 and her mum have two VIP tickets for the Glasgow gig £150 each.
I’ve recently forked out 150 quid for 2 Katy Perry tickets, as a gift for my wife and youngest.
Serious money to be made in concerts these days I think.
Hail Hail
JNP
The last time I was at any kinda music thing was to see the Rolling Stones at Knebworth in 1976, to hear what they are charging today is mindblowing.
HH
CORKCELT-just reading back and have just voted,good luck Niamh:-))COWIEBHOY-not long back from cancun,so forgive the jealousy mate:-))
South Of Tunis.
If you are lurking.
I was listening to Sam Cooke, then Jackie Wilson, I stumbled on to the original of Higher and Higher by Tiny Barge and The Big Chill.
I reckon that you would be the only one to possibly have that version.
Hail Hail.
Martin was great for us and his pragmatic approach works for Ireland
However, while the Irish fans will add something to the World Cup, the Ireland team certainly won’t – horrible football.
The Exiled Tim.
I bet that was some gig.
Stones are definitely one of my favs, although I do love music in general.
I thought I was reasonably knowledgeable, but South Of Tunis is in another league. His collection is just incredible/fascinating.
Girl in work, was in Amsterdam last week for Stones gig, I will need to ask her how much tickets were.
It is incredible that Keith is still alive, what a life.
Hail Hail
Thom the time
Better to have a Spanish-Catalan confrontation – fisticuffs between Ramos and Puyol.