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You are at:»»Regrets, we’ve had a few, but then again

Regrets, we’ve had a few, but then again

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By on CQN BLOG & Comments

…OK, I suppose we have to mention them.

I did a preview for STV on Monday and was asked what my expectations were for last night but had to admit I had zero expectations.  This season I hoped we would get into the Champions League group stage, or at least, the Europa League.  We remarkably overshot.  My real hope for the latter stages of the tournament was that we would exit without taking a hiding.

Technically, 0-3 at home is a bit of a hiding but it doesn’t feel that way for several reasons.  The first half was the best football we have seen from a Celtic team in years; far better than either of the performances against Barcelona, and on a par with anything under the Strachan and O’Neill eras.  Unlike Barcelona, this match plan was flawed, but it was an honourable flaw.

The “gamble” to play Efe is one which Neil may consider, in time-honoured Celtic tradition, will be inscribed on his gravestone.  When you face Juventus you need to take gambles; if they all worked, clearly, they were not gambles.  This one didn’t, we learn and move on.  The player put on a brave performance and I’m very proud of his achievements this month.

With an away game at the daunting Juventus Stadium to come, many considered that our best chance of qualification would be to win the home game, and we clearly went about our business with the intention of doing just that.  Had we faced Juve in the group stage it is possible we would have left fewer spaces at the back.  Any watching Barcelona players must have marvelled at how big Celtic Park looked on TV last night compared to their visit two months ago.

We don’t know how good Juventus would have been if we camped in front of our own penalty box, as they did for long periods, but they were a more-than-effective counter-attacking team.

It is hard to pinpoint what we were missing.  Georgios Samaras would have played if fit and would have given us the height-dimension up front we lacked without him.  He would also have given Gary Hooper the support he badly missed.  Charlie Mulgrew’s status as Best Corner Kick Taker in Europe is at risk if he doesn’t take corner kicks until Kris Commons has innumerable tries.

Juve were prepared for the Celtic threat from corners and behaved illegally throughout the game.  One of the referees should have had the strength of character to deal with the problem but they were sadly unable.

There were many positives.  Emilio is back to his very best.  On one occasion in the second half two Juve players were goal-side with only Forster ahead.  Emilio made-up the five yard deficit and stopped the attack.  His pace, skill and decision-making were first class.

Kris Commons repeatedly took-on a crowd of Juventus players before releasing a team-mate or making space for a crack at goal.  He looked like he enjoyed the occasion but didn’t get the clear-cut chance his play deserved.

Lustig and Matthews are both excellent right-sided defenders with pace and skill.  Kelvin Wilson did well, as did Efe for long periods.  Fraser had little to do all night but had no chance with any of the goals.  Victor Wanyama bossed everyone in his vicinity, and this was some vicinity.  Roy Keane played 13 games for Celtic and, after an unfortunate debut, I remember thinking “This is what all the fuss is about”.  Victor elicits the same sentiment; more on the consequences of this another day.

On Friday 1 March the Lisbon Lions will be at the Kerrydale Suite providing commentary and answering questions on their magnificent European Cup final win in 1967. This has never happened in 46 years since that game, to say it is a unique opportunity fails to tell the whole story.

The event is part of our 125 4 125 campaign – central to reinvigorating the charitable spirit which is part of the club we love. It will be a family occasions, tickets are available at £10 for adults and £5 for children. The night has been organised by several fans working in conjunction with the people at Celtic Charity, so please do your best to support this great occasion. Individual tickets or tables are available, details here.
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  4. THE EXILED TIM on

    sipsini

     

     

    Day three nearly over, harder today than the other two, and the next two will be the hardest, get over them, home run, but will do it mi amigo, give it a lash yersel.

     

     

    HH

  9. CultsBhoy loves being 1st forever & ever on

    Ntassoolla

     

     

    After all did you 20 yrs ago hope, expect or dream of a club called sevco?

     

     

     

    That was beyond even my wildest dreams…

  10. sipsini on

    tet.

     

     

    Your doing well as you say the first days are the hardest.

     

    My daughter was giving me a hard time tonight about it as I’ve had a form to get patches for a month.

     

    I told her about yourself, her reply was… atleast you learn something of cqn.

     

    cheeky mini.

     

    keep it up tet.hh

  19. Summa of Sammi.... on

    .

     

     

    MWD..

     

     

    Considering l had a Few Nome De Blogs on Here..(All ended with 001)..

     

     

    Now I can’t even remember the Names never mind the Passwords Etc..Ha..

     

     

    Summa of TheresOnlyOne001CSC

  24. Summa of Sammi.... on

    .

     

     

    moonbeams wd. kano 1000 \o/ supporting neil lennon 100%. champions. c’mon wee oscar.

     

     

    00:55 on 14 February, 2013

     

    Summa of Sammi 001

     

     

    MWD

     

     

    Ha Ha..

     

     

    And to think I Used to Organize Events..:-(

     

     

    Summa

  25. 'GG on

    Ash Wednesday evening and still with ashes on my forehead.

     

    I am going to use Lent to drop a few pounds. My cardiologist insisted.

     

    So today I went past the Cadbury’s Dairy Milk in the candies aisle of the supermarket, where I was buying salmon for dinner.

     

    As I walked past, glancing over at them sitting on the shelf like sirens calling me to partake of abundant pleasure, I felt like an old pervert have a wee sly look at an attractive blonde in a mini skirt and thigh high boots. (Oh Ethel)

     

    Now I know it’s not like I am trying to stop smoking, but recently I have been consuming a cake of Dairy Milk every day, and helped by the vanilla ice cream sandwiches, Kit Kats, ginger nuts and the Prince of Biscuits, McVitie’s Dark Chocolate Digestive, I have added 10 pounds to my already rotund waistline.

     

    Progress or regress reports will be added weekly.

     

     

    ‘GG trying to get to get down to 185 pounds.

  26. Margaret McGill on

    ok I think I’m getting the gerontion gist of the gibber gee on CQN

     

     

    Life’s a sair fecht

     

    Nae Rainbow withoot rain

     

    If ye cannae see the bottom dinnae complain if ye droon

     

    Dinnae expect onything an yell no be dissapointed

     

    Yer sins go doon beside yer name in the book of no rubbin oot.

  31. Margaret McGill on

    By the way. As I claimed last night that like FIFA coaching refs at world cup games same happens w/UEFA and Champions league i.e. “watch Celtic at corners”. Some of the man handling of Celtic players in the box at corners was just outrageous.

     

     

    Same tonight at just before full time at the Bernabeu. Ref blowing for full time at 1-1 from a Man Utd free kick before the ball was kicked. Cant have Franco’s 11 going to old Trafford 2-1 down.

     

     

    Why give the free kick in the first place?

  34. 'GG on

    OG story may have been the AT revelation of Jabba clearing his articles with Craig before printing.

     

    AT blog on Ch4 If I find a link I’ll post it. Twitter has been all a tweeter about it.

     

    It even prompted RTC to put aside his single malt and pipe and slippers to comment.

  37. saltires en sevilla on

    Celtic_First

     

    22:13 on

     

    13 February, 2013

     

    praecepta

     

     

    22:08

     

     

    I know, but you can’t download my text messages to your PC and I can’t download yours.

     

     

    ———–

     

     

    in some circumstances you can

     

     

    e.g. if an employee is using a phone paid for by the company -there are ways to access txt messages and load them onto another device/print etc.

     

     

    not suggesting that is what happened here -or that it’s a practice that can be condoned

     

     

    but

     

     

    It happens…

  38. 'GG on

    AT BLOG ON CH4 NEWS

     

    http://blogs.channel4.com/alex-thomsons-view/succulent-lamb-rack/4144

     

     

    Rangers: succulent lamb on the rack?

     

     

    22020240 Votes

     

     

    Channel 4 News understands very well that sportswriters need close relations with the football clubs they report on. But what follows stands out because of the culture peculiar to Rangers FC and the media during the reign of Sir David Murray and Craig Whyte.

     

     

    It also stands out because it concerns a former reporter in that culture, who now runs the Rangers media operation.

     

     

    In response to last week’s media coverage of Rangers’ disputed bills for £400,000 Rangers FC did not answer any of Channel 4 News’ questions directly.

     

     

    Instead the club website – now controlled by Ibrox press boss James Traynor, attacked the media en masse, accusing them of being “at such a damning low”: “…it has become clear Rangers cannot rely on basic honesty, decency or integrity from enough of the country’s media…”

     

     

    It struck many appropriate that Mr Traynor should issue such a rallying cry in defence of Rangers. For he stands as one example of the curious Glasgow concept of “succulent lamb” journalism:

     

     

    SECRET FEAR THAT DRIVES ME TO WIN; 10 IN A ROW

     

     

    (Daily Record – November 19, 1998)

     

     

    Exclusive James Traynor

     

     

    Rangers chairman David Murray opens up on the highs and lows of his decade in charge of Rangers and promises that the best is still to come…”

     

     

    So ran Mr Traynor’s now infamously sycophantic article on how Sir David Murray would conquer the world with Rangers, building to those fateful lines:

     

     

    “He was about to take in another mouthful of the most succulent lamb – anyone who knows Murray shouldn’t be surprised to learn he is a full-blooded, unashamed red meat eater – when he put down his knife and fork.

     

     

    It was like a statement of intent and looking directly across the table to make sure I hadn’t yet succumbed to the wine, he said:

     

     

    “Bring on the next 10 years, there’s more to come for Rangers.”

     

     

    There certainly was more to come from Rangers: sold for a quid, put into administration, liquidated and lucky to be playing fourth-tier football.

     

     

    And that “succulent lamb”? Well it’s so engrained as a concept in Glasgow’s media culture that these days it even has its own Wikipedia entry.

     

     

    In the light of this, Channel 4 News can now reveal exactly what “succulent lamb” journalism means, from the hand of the RFC press supremo James Traynor.

     

     

    Let’s go back just a short time to when the current Ibrox director of communications was football writer at The Daily Record and its sister paper the Sunday Mail.

     

     

    Back in July 2011, there were searching questions to be asked of Rangers. Like just who was Craig Whyte? What was his business record and just what was really happening inside Ibrox?

     

     

    But far from it.

     

     

    In fact, at times, so unquestioning of Mr Whyte was Mr Traynor that we know of at least one occasion when he actually sent an article to Craig Whyte for prior editorial approval before it went into the newspaper.

     

     

    July 14th is the day the French celebrate the overthrow of deference. But not in Glasgow where, on that day in 2011, James Traynor submitted an article due for the Sunday Mail, to Craig Whyte, with the following message:

     

     

    14 July 2011 14:49

     

     

    (Hi Craig, as agreed the following is what I think would cover the Sunday Mail piece. You’ll notice I start with the £15m but also that I haven’t quoted you on that amount. There might be one or two minor alterations between now and the deadline but these would only be cosmetic and grammatical once I’ve had a final look.Thanks, JT.)

     

     

    He then submits his Sunday Mail article to Craig Whyte in full, for Mr Whyte’s approval, quoting the Rangers boss on grand plans in the transfer market and writing about the £15m to be spent buying the best.

     

     

    Much of the article in fact is simply a string of quotes from Mr Whyte on his vision for Rangers after just a few weeks in the job.

     

     

    The next day, Craig Whyte replies to Mr Traynor saying he’s satisfied the article can go in the paper, subject to a change:

     

     

    Date: 15 July 2011 10:47

     

    Subject: Re: Sunday piece.

     

    To: jxxxxxx@xxxxxX

     

    Hi Jim,

     

     

    Only one thing – I’d rather not be quoted being critical of a particular player, ie. Danns. Other than that it’s fine.

     

     

    Best,

     

     

    Craig

     

     

    Just four minutes later Jim Traynor is emailing Craig Whyte straight back to assure him the offending quote will not appear in the Sunday Mail:

     

     

    From:

     

    Date: 15 July 2011 10:51

     

    Subject: Sunday piece.

     

    To: cxxxxxx@xxxxxxx

     

     

    No problem Craig. It’s out. Thanks. JT.

     

     

    And that, ladies and gentlemen, is what’s known as the “succulent lamb” in the world of Glasgow journalism.

     

     

    In goes the article to the Sunday Mail, all about Mr Whyte’s £15m transfer treasure chest and all the rest of it.

     

     

    Crucially, the glowing piece came after several months of doubt about Mr Whyte’s financial clout and willingness to invest his own money into the club.

     

     

    The big spending promised in the article, approved by Mr Whyte, never did materialise.

     

     

    One small episode in a greater scheme of things where – across all sections of the mainstream media – too few searching questions were asked about Sir David Murray and then Craig Whyte – successive owners who ultimately brought the club to its knees.

     

     

    But there’s more.

     

     

    Far from probing the probity of Craig Whyte, James Traynor was actually going on to probe him for a job at Rangers.

     

     

    And here, for the first time, is your proof.

     

     

    It comes in a series of text messages exchanged between James Traynor and Craig Whyte just a few months later in January 2012.

     

     

    By now of course, the mounting problems at Rangers would have been more apparent and fans needed to know the full scale. But Mr Traynor had other things on his mind – a job under Craig Whyte. Here’s the text exchange:

     

     

    6 JAN 2012 11.43

     

    Hi Craig, haven’t been sacked, haven’t resigned despite all the rumours. However, I’m almost certain I can get out within weeks if I insist. Do you want to talk? JT

     

     

    6 JAN 2012 16.07

     

     

    Hi Jim, I’m back in Glasgow next Friday. Let’s meet up then and discuss. C.

     

     

    6 JAN 2012 16.32

     

     

    Okay, see you then.

     

     

    Of course, there’s nothing wrong in looking for a new job – we all do it all the time. And of course we don’t know the preamble to these texts, but the curio here is merely the context that an experienced journalist should apparently be seeking a job from Mr Whyte, should want to be part of his Rangers operation. Channel 4 News understands they did indeed meet and discuss a job at the club. One month after that text exchange – one year ago this week – Rangers filed legal papers at the Court of Sessions to appoint administrators.

     

     

    Did James Traynor simply not know things were amiss?

     

     

    Craig Whyte was banned by the Scottish football authorities from the game for bringing it into disrepute after Rangers ended up liquidated. They fined him £200,000.

     

     

    So there you have it. What so many fans long suspected is laid bare. James Traynor has since made it to Rangers under the new Charles Green regime on a reported six figure salary.

     

     

    Today Mr Traynor, through channels at Ibrox, issued this statement to Channel 4 News: “These suggestions are malicious and misleading. Anyone who knows anything about events at Rangers knows that James Traynor, in his capacity as a journalist, was instrumental in exposing the activities of the Craig Whyte regime which are currently subject to criminal investigation.”

     

  40. Summa of Sammi.... on

    .

     

    Courtesy The Scotsman..

     

     

    Neil Lennon Twitter war of words over Efe Ambrose

     

     

    CELTIC manager Neil Lennon became embroiled in angry exchanges on Twitter yesterday as he defended his decision to play Efe Ambrose in the 3-0 Champions League defeat by Juventus.

     

     

     

    Ambrose was included in the starting line-up on Tuesday night despite having been part of Nigeria’s Africa Cup of Nations winning side in Johannesburg just 48 hours earlier.

     

     

    The 24-year-old defender was at fault for Juventus’ third minute opening goal at Celtic Park, missed a glorious chance to equalise and then blundered in possession to present the Italian champions with the chance from which they made it 3-0 in the closing stages.

     

     

    The defeat has all but ended Celtic’s prospects of reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League when they face Juventus again in Turin on 6 March in the second leg of the last-16 tie.

     

     

    Lennon, who admitted in the immediate aftermath of Tuesday night’s match that playing Ambrose had been a “gamble”, initially took to Twitter yesterday to praise the Celtic supporters for their backing of his team against Juventus. “Whilst the result last night was very disappointing I want to pay tribute to our magnificent fans last night . . . there is no support like them,” said Lennon.

     

     

    But the tone quickly changed as Lennon engaged with some responses from fellow users of the social media outlet, some of them Celtic supporters and others clearly followers of rival clubs.

     

     

    “The same fans that can’t be arsed watching Celtic at home in any domestic game? Aye they’re class #indenial,” was tweeted by @michaelgray89, prompting Lennon to reply: “Ssshhh there there . . . you just keep watching us from your tele.”

     

     

    “I had a great time watching Ambrose last night on my tele. He is an egg lol,” was the response, to which Lennon retorted: “Go away now little boy.”

     

     

    When quizzed further on Ambrose’s inclusion by another tweeter, Lennon said: “I wanted the pace at centre-half plus he and Kelvin Wilson been fantastic together in Europe.”

     

     

    Lennon also took issue with several assessments of Celtic’s performance. “You must have been watching a different game from me . . . we pegged them back for long periods of the game,” he said in one tweet.

     

     

    In another, he stated: “Utter rubbish . . . they wanted control of the game but the players never let them breathe . . . our pressing was great.”

     

     

    As the exchanges continued, Lennon became more dismissive of those questioning his view. “Just a stereotypical way of looking at the game . . . there is no depth to your opinion on the game,” he added.

     

     

    One account user asked Lennon if he was aware of Spanish referee Alberto Mallenco’s son playing for the Juventus Under-12 side.

     

     

    “You’re kidding me right . . . have you any evidence of that,” replied Lennon. The mischievous claim was not substantiated.

     

     

    Several tweeters urged Lennon not to respond to criticism, one of them suggesting it was inappropriate for a Celtic manager to do so in such a public forum.

     

     

    “Could you imagine big Jock sitting arguing with them the day after a massive defeat? Lacks professionalism & class,” it said.

     

     

    An unapologetic Lennon replied: “Get off your self righteous pulpit, am defending myself and team.”

     

     

    Another tweeter said: “Please do yourself a favour and delete your Twitter, genuinely get embarrassed 90% of the time you’re on this.”

     

     

    Lennon retorted: “Don’t follow me then.”

     

     

    Lennon’s Humour returned during the night

     

    @KevBungle tweeted: if you continue to buy squad players like..Wanyama..Izzie..Kayal while continuing to play 15 Minutes a Season players like Samaras and Charlie Mulgrew we will lose up to 30,000 ST holders every season for the next 10 Years..

     

    Lennon retorted: You don’t have a Tele do you? Still Laughin..like Henrik..

     

     

    The Celtic manager, who has almost 180,000 followers on Twitter, has previously attracted headlines for his use of it when he raged at decisions which went against his team in their Scottish Cup semi-final defeat by Hearts at Hampden last season.

     

     

    Summa

  41. TwoMacaroons on

    I will never understand twitter. Oh I know what its about and how it works, but I cannot for the life of me understand why people use it, like all text based media including this one, it is very easy to get the context mixed up, some thing just get taken the wrong way. Twitter seems to become quite addictive to those using it, again something this forum has in common with it. It’s an open txt massage to the world, why Lenny feels the need to use it is beyond me. And I don’t give a sh** how many followers he has.

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