Amid the enormous events of the season it is easy to overlook the remarkable transformation in Celtic from a team which was bumping along in third place in October. The 3-3 draw at Rugby Park, when Celtic recovered from a 3 goal deficit in the final 20 minutes to grab a point, is often referred to as a turning point but I don’t subscribe to this, Celtic drew 0-0 at home to Hibs two weeks later as the deficit from the top of the league headed towards 15 points, albeit with two games in hand.
It’s not often I’m told “get a grip of yourself” but that’s exactly what was said when I suggested to our chief executive that if we lost the next game away to Motherwell we were in danger of finishing third.
He then went on to quote me the points gained/lost ratio Neil Lennon enjoyed between becoming Celtic caretaker manager until his team lost at home to St Johnstone in August – a remarkably successful period. He knew the same ratio between that St Johnstone game and the 0-0 against Hibs, which he said was a problem that would be fixed. For good measure adding that we would beat Rangers on 28 December and go on to win the league.
Refreshing, though it was, to hear such utter conviction in The Plan, I wasn’t convinced. Rangers were on a roll and we just couldn’t put a series of wins together. The change came against Rennes on 3 November. Celtic came from behind to win the game 3-1, playing a tactically different game than we had all season.
Since then Neil Lennon has bravely changed tactics with more regularity than any Celtic manager I have known, even during games we have often seen three different strategies deployed. Not all have worked but he has shown a willingness to take chances and has learned plenty about his squad in doing so.
This willingness to take chances and to learn has delivered the league title.
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Just a wee reminder to the SFA / SPL……… They haven’t submitted audited accounts for period ending June 2011 yet …… When are you going to do something about THAT ??????????????????????????
OopsD
he-he, they are so far out of our league, that I’ve just found out that wee reptile awarded them three penalties.
playfusbal4dguilders
Sorry to hear that you havnt heard from Joe in such a long time. Saw Terry at mass last week and Joe flashed thru my mind.Strange eh? Went to St Marys with Joe and we were alter Bhoys there too.
Hope you get some news soon.
My very first post on this hallowed sight was in support of Scot Brown, I asked for patience from the support because of his personnel circumstances, I was told ‘keep up, he ain’t good enough’.
Thanks Scott and Neil
Just back from there from a tapas meal. Championes mushroom dish was lovely.
Life is Sweet.
jelly’n’icecreamCSC No1
PADRIAG HARRINGTON The minute he starts to stop and start for a birdie ,he seems to miss. i think its time he dumped his brother in law as his caddie. but as ever thats my opinion.
hail hail championees
am in my bed, after midnight here in UAE
couple comments
first, met some folk here who arrange u18 fitba tourny with valencia, inter, man city, the like – they’re keen to have Celtic in time to come, may be a decent maketing prospect cum tourny experience should it ever happen for us
and second, met a guy who knows Maradona, says he’s a good lad but thing i wanted to mention was that he says that Aguero wants out of City asap, would prefer R Madrid
lets see what happens
Snake – great video, boss ! thanks !
CL – heard we are to play either a Belgian or Romanian club – as per CQN comments not long ago
leftclicktic – loved yer tears in the eyes post – awesome, thanks
ok am off again
Happy Easter one and all
a poor Indian guy in a fuel station here in the desert gave me a handshake and a big smile at 8am today – happy Easter he says to me – what a guy, he was no even a Christian
Davy Ki pulling shorts down, haha what a guy
Lenny tears in eyes on final whistle yesterday – sideshot on ESPN – thanks to them for the good coverage – and Killie for lettin us play our songs
ok am offski this time :)
hail hail
win win
:)
Mickleson is playing the way I used to.
hail hail
Estadio
Aid the Tim
It was indeed. The bottle of port has just been confiscated. ;-(
HH
Paddy
what`s with the self agrandisment
oh aye
r madrid v valencia on the night too
my own personal highlights of this year were my son explaining EBT’s to his grandad and my daughter humming the footie ditti: mr x is a winker is a winker , mr x is a winker is a winker yesterday – she’s 7 , they miss nothing.I know, I’m sad and vindictive.
celtic4me
I wd have took that info to the grave with me!! Shame on you!!!
Paul
Y card him!!
SFTB re: managers
Too right, there’s hardly ever been a manager who is successful wherever he goes which is why Martin O’Neill & Alex Ferguson are so special.
Danny Boyle, Blaser Brown and Charlie Donnelly and Neil Lennon on 8 April, 2012 at 21:32 said:
OopsD
————————-
Pity that phudd of a manager of Murderwell wasn’t doing a celebratory dance on it at the time! However, this still makes me laugh out loud-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYRQHEOIYD0
HH
THE EXILED TIM on 8 April, 2012 at 21:25 said:
‘Do you reckon he has cut his teeth now ?’
I think he’s cut his teeth but still has a long way to go.
jackie
Sad and vindictive? Never.
But I would teach them the use of apostrophes! :-)
Hail Hail
E’stadio
Paddy G
Broonie is a different matter entirely :-)
I’ve always questioned his ability and his captaincy, this season has gone a long way to proving me wrong on both counts.
I fully accept that we need a player with his desire, strength and drive in the middle of the park.
He still frustrates the hell out of me, like last week against St Johnstone when he passed the ball out the park when making a 10 yard pass.
Watchin the Open there and a golfer thru his ball into the crowd. Thot you had to keep the ball till the game ended??
Ps Stupid game anyway!!
There is only 1 player I felt was a poor signing and that was Charlie Mulgrew, until he did yon wee dribble against the Caley outside right after about 10 minutes. He hasn’t looked back.
Scott Brown has to be the first name on the team sheet for the SPL.
Ki has to be the first name on the team sheet in Europe.
Fraser Foster HAS to be our manager’s first signing.
HorsesforcoursesCSC.
real madrid 0 valencia 0
60mins
mon the valencia
Joe O rourke making a fool of himself as usual
SFTB must be congratulated on his perspicacity.
What did Fred Goodwin ever achieve after he managed cash convertors.?
QE feckin D
Hail hail
Estadio
Neil Lennon himself would have questioned his own management in the middle of that Killie game.
All of the promising signs that had been hinted at in our league run in the previous season (Inverness apart) were missing from the team in August to October. We had been knocked out of Europe by the Sion cheats with inept defending on display. We lost to Saint Johnstone because we missed a barrowload of chances. We were torn apart at Ibrox in the 2nd half and we’d lost to Hearts.
Of all these results, only the St. Johnstone one was a true anomaly in our history but they occurred at a time when rangers, under Ally, were flying and he was being lauded as an heir to the Cardigan.
And then came Killie.
We were still showing weaknesses that I’d expect a coaching team to have sorted. We were incapable of retaining possession at throw-ins. We were vulnerable to high balls kicked at our central defenders. We did not defend cross balls well and our strikers were hot and cold.
No Celtic fan could have been happy with what they were seeing.
My own view, at the time and it’s on the record, was that something was amiss but that I suspected that the current form was the anomaly and the form of the Mowbray run-in and Neil’s first full season, was what we could typically expect.
From November 2011 until the beginning of March, we had that great run (Atletico Madrid at home, excepted) Neil’s team more than fulfilled my expectations.
But it would not have taken much in the way of adverse results in November & December to have ended Neil’s promising career.
As Wellington said about another victory :- “It has been…. the nearest run thing you ever saw”
Estadio
Try firstrow
dear oh dear, how do you spell embbarrasinck?
PF – I wouldn’t mind having your vocabulary, but I’m a hairy-ersed engineer who was totally pants at English! You’ve put it far better than I ever could.
Minx – Neil has stated that he loves the job and he’s come through the worst of it (God willing!), so I can’t see him leaving now and letting someone else take advantage of his hard work. The only thing that could see him off is your continued stalking….! :-)
BTW, your oldest bhoy is mahoosive! What height is he now?
Hope to see you soon.
T4
.
Bhoys Bhoys Bhoys..
Lenny has Duped You All..
Georgious Samaras obviously had a Charlie Mulgrew Mask on Yesterday..Check the Video Out..When did Charlie ever Have a Right Foot like that..Rampaging Down the Left Rampaging down the Right like a Gazelle..
A Master Stroke by Lenny..Just wish he had Done it for the Cup Final..:O(
Summa ft TonightMathewI’mGoingToBeCharlieMulgrewCSC
….PFayr on 8 April, 2012 at 21:41 said:
Paddy
what`s with the self agrandisment
************
You judge me wrongly mate,
I ain’t prosecuting anybody here, just asking the doom mongers who turned on me for supporting Neil to say that they might be wrong’
Nacho Novo is a nasty wee adrenaline driven psychopath…the epitome of Rankers thinking.
Estadio
“SFTB must be congratulated on his perspicacity.”
I do sweat a lot
TTTT – your probably right I stayed out his way yesterday ..well ok his minders kept me away!
The bhoy is 6ft 2 and still growing! Handy for taking the pics yesterday though :-) Hope you all had a great day and we will deffo catch up soon!
1. Chico Muldini, consistantly consistant.
After that you struggle for players who have played the full season
2. Joe Ledley
3. Fraser Forster.
Young player: Wee Jamesie Forrest, closely followed by Victor Wanyama, Victor Wanyama wooo oh.
timbhoy2 on 8 April, 2012 at 21:49 said:
Joe O rourke making a fool of himself as usual
/////////////////////////
Why has Joe made a fool of himself…..
hamiltontim on 8 April, 2012 at 21:45 said:
Behave yourself ….. LOL
Jude
Nae time for illegal feeds
Illegal Feeds
The pillas are puffed, the wee screen’s turned on
The glow frae its lamp tints the room
The earphones are plugged, ma tea’s by ma side
Ah’m chuffed as a wean in the womb
But whit’s a’ this buzz? There’s snow everywhere
The picture is full of white noise
They’re here then they’re no’, jist blur, fade and freeze
Time tae rise frae ma bed fur the Bhoys
Eight thousand miles isnae really that far
Fur a “PC that’s state of the art”
Wae buttons and knobs tae turn, press an’ tweak
A bargain frae Exchange an’ Mart
Wae ma coat hanger bent, twisted an’ kinked
Its hooked bit stretched up tae the sky
Wae wan foot on flair, and wan on the sill
“An inch or two mair, if Ah try”
The picture looks great from this vantage point
Ma neck will recover wan day
Strain under ma arm or in between legs
See the Hoops really startin’ tae play
Precariously I shift on wan foot
A cramp stabs frae ankle tae spine
The house o’ cards falls, I crash tae the grun’
An erse in ma face – “Feck, that’s mine”!
An’ now the back in bed, wae sweet smellin sheets
Re-running the game in mind’s eye
An angel in white, a cup wae a spout
In traction, in ward six Ah lie
A passing wee thought frae ‘stranded in Rio’.
Hail hail
Estadio