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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received this from oldtim at half time on Saturday.. just found it..
Today,I shall reach the age of 65 and our beloved football club,Celtic F.C. will be champions once again-a quite perfect day.At this age,you reflect (momentarily) on life where there has been change but the one thing that remains constant in our life is our football club,Celtic F.C.,so let me share with you what people say of Celtic;
‘Every professional player should seek to play at least one game at Celtic Park.I have never felt and never will anything quite like it’. (Paolo Maldini,AC Milan&Italy legend).
‘It will stick in my mind forever,the Celtic players were extremely good sportsmen and along with their supporters gave us a standing ovation as we received the Cup’.(Eddy Pieters Graafland,Feyenoord goalkeeper,European Cup final 1970).
‘Celtic have all the cool people supporting them.Rangers have me and Wet,Wet,Wet!.
(Alan McGee,manager of Oasis).
‘The Celtic fans are incredible.It’s always great to play there,truly amazing.
(Ronaldo,Man U-Nov 08).
‘Celtic fans,you are great,you are marvellous’.
(Sepp Blatter,UEFA President,2003).
‘Celtic enjoys a greater community spirit than any other club in the world’.
(Archie McPherson,sports commentator).
‘Celtic fans are the greatest supporters I know’.
(Clarence Seedorf,AC Milan,2007).
‘Anyone going to Celtic Park is now saying ‘you’ve got to beat that atmosphere,the energy they expend in their games;the best atmosphere in Europe on Champions League night’.
(Alex Ferguson,Sept 08).
‘Rangers or Celtic?.My first feeling was Celtic and has never changed.When I was aged 13,I saw my first European Cup final,Inter v Celtic.That image,even today is clear in my mind;the game, the day,Jimmy Johnstone-all so impressive.Even far away from football in Europe,when I’m in Mozambique I always remembered that game and that team (Celtic).
(Carlos Quieroz,Assistant Manager,Man United).
‘With the Celtic it will be a special party and a great celebration of brotherhood and football.
(Villareal CF).
‘Celtic, like Barcelona are more than a football club.Our clubs are a symbol of a culture and community that has not always been made welcome in their respective countries’.
(Xavi,CF Barcelona).
‘Celtic went to Seville and and took over 3 times the amount of fans there.We had no trouble,not one arrest.Every team should follow the Celtic fans’ behaviour and that mentality’.
(William Gaillard,UEFA director of communications and public affairs,May 07).
‘This was the essence of sport.To see 10,000 Celtic fans at the end of the game in the San Siro,singing and chanting was incredible.
This is what we need in Italy,this type of environment’.
(AC Milan coach,Carlo Ancelotti).
‘When I was at Porto,my team played in the UEFA Cup Final against a Scottish side but no ordinary side-it was Celtic.
I’ve never seen such emotional people .It was truly unbelievable and quite astonishing.
(Jose Mourinho looking back on the 2003 Final).
‘Celtic, more than a club-a state of mind ‘ (Pat Burke, 7 April 2012).
Following Celtic in your life is best summed up as the Agony&the Ecstasy and today is included in the Ecstasy as we watch Scott Brown lead the players applauding the fans
celebrating our league championship win.
Some have said (including ex-Celts Burley&Nicholas) that the league win is tainted or devalued due to the 10 point deduction .What can be more tainted or corrupt than a football club who commits corporate tax fraud,doesn’t pay even a bill for £18 to Electrical Waste of Durham,a club who admit to shredding documents on the EBTs and withholds monies (tax&NI) that would fund hospitals,council run childrens hospices,care for the infirm&elderly,assist poverty stricken households.I’m glad they’re not my club,aren’t you?.
I will feel especially pleased for Neil Francis Lennon as he celebrates his first league championship win as manager,a man who has been subjected to the most vile and despicable assaults on him ,internet abuse and death threats.And yet some say ‘Ach,he brings it on himself’.Shame on them,I say.
After the game,I shall go and watch a local amateur game and tonight be out for dinner with the family.I will have a glow of satisfaction.
I hope you have enjoyed reading this as much as I have had writing it.Enjoy your day and toast the championship win with a glass of wine,cup of tea and a Greggs pie or cake,a sherry,pint or Smirnoff vodka&diet coke.Embrace the day.
Stephen.What a great first half,and it was a great game throughout,I post a post I received from my friend ,I hope you like.Copy and paste it on too CQN for me . .
PARKHEADCUMSALFORD 0827
Indeed he did,thanks for that. Glad I got it in a tad before you,or I’d never live it down,haha!
Got a feeling you might know my Uncle Jim from Alfie’s. Well,he doesn’t actually live there,but he used to have a camp-bed behind the bar when it was still owned by the august Mr, Agostini.
If so,say hi to him for me. Just not when he’s reading the pub’s paper!
Macjay. Aye right
Hope you kept your bald patch covered in the garden
Did you see the hail stones last night ?
Size if one dollar coins !!!!
Kojak on 9 April, 2012 at 08:31 said:
:-) A cracker !
MACJAY 0839
Old enough to know my history,you say?
Jee-zoh,mate.
I’m old enough to forget what I did yesterday!
But I can remember what I did on Saturday……..
SydneyTim on 9 April, 2012 at 08:47 said:
Macjay. Aye right
Hope you kept your bald patch covered in the garden.
Hang on,Syd.
You been checking me out,big boy?
Hailstones? Missed them,mate.Under anaesthaesia at the time.
Joyous days.
Macjay. Certainly was. Yesterday was a null day , sore sore head
Missed the replay of game on setanta
It’s on at 5:30pm Tommorow :))
Must leave work on time
Pity setanta stopped it 3 minutes after final whistle :(
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on 9 April, 2012 at 08:48 said
But,you can remember the auld sangs.
Ritchie,Shearer,Caldow…..ETC……ad nauseam.And I do mean nauseam.
I took my harp on the cruise,but nobody asked me to play.
Ageism.
Or Ricky Nelson.
BT
great post
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/9193334/Apple-faces-tax-scrutiny-in-the-UK.html
NOT ONLY THE ORANGE LOT DODGING TAXES,APPLE ARE AT IT TOO!
Off to the pub. Have a good time,folks.
re joe o’rourke – have any of the MSM commented recently on the RST’s Dingbat and his cesspool of vermin that he calls a fans forum ? Murray himself used to belittle this Lon Chaney. Haven’t heard much of late.
MACJAY
I took my harp to a party once,but no-one asked me for a drink!
It’s ok,I know,I’m offski………
SydneyTim on 9 April, 2012 at 08:56 said
Sore heid,but worth every minute.
For me ,Syd,my young Aussie bloke ( that`s my son,in case you`re wondering) shared the occasion.
When yours are older,you`ll understand how much that means.
Hail,fellow Tim.
I hope M.C.is still also engaging.
BT
just shared the Xavi quote on FB just about sume this whole shitty country up for me, and when its noticed through the eyes of others….
nah im paranoid
B.M.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PECmjB9df0w&feature=related
I need 273 Tims to help me out with something. These Tims all need to be located in the upper tiers of Celtic Park whether it be JS/North/LL.
Each Tim has to make up a banner for the Orcs Game.
Each banner will state
‘Debt of Honour’
Creditors Name ££££’s.
Say No To Newco!!!
Just need 273 good Tims now.
MWD
Serge
Where’s the Joe Ledley quote from mate?
Cheers
SydneyTim on 9 April, 2012 at 08:41 said:
Summi just back
From the zoo
Yes I saw those headlines
Neil was referring to the backing he recieved after the attacks on him
Neil said Just after the huns went into admin ” that he was frustated When Peter lawell did not go the extra mile to secure his targets”
1st he said it, it disappeared under Hun headlines, but never less it’s there
———————
You have taken NL’s comments out of context.
He said it as a positive, because if the board hadnt shown restraint, look where we could have ended up (admin).
He was praising PL when he made the comments.
Macjay. Sounds special Indeed
MC still about, but got a little frustated that cqn became more and more spin from Peter lawell
Lurks but does not bother posting as does not want to get into arguments
Me. Well that’s another story
Wee Sydney Tim a little too wee and today just downright grumpy at the zoo, I wonder where she gets that from :))))
Feedthebhear
It’s in the sun mate.
Just read this from the Guardian yesterday:
There are others, too, whose worth is obscured by long-term injuries. Emilio Izaguirre, a dynamic left-back, is sidelined with ankle trouble, as is the holding midfielder Beram Kayal.
Is this referring to the original injury, or has there been a recurrence? I noticed Emilio sporting a real shiner on Sunday and assumed that might be why he was out – thought he played well when he came on against the huns.
Stringer. Neil also said he was not happy that he we did not land the young polish goalie
Then we find that we have moved to other targets via cqn!!
Think that means Neil was overruled
Don’t every compare the Huns spending squillions and us not spending about 5m for a center half
Huge huge huge difference
Neil was very frustated that he did not have be striker this season that he wanted
You can spin it any way you want
Whats next?
We signed wilo flood to stop our club going Into admin
Jeezo, what a weekend……
Well done to Neil and the Bhoys.
(when I locate my head and liver I’m sure they’ll agree too)
What a performance!
From Boardroom, to backroom……….From front room, to front stand……
In all the bars in all the World……
Celtic, Celtic, that’s the Team for me.
‘The Capitalised CSC’
Sydney Tim
YYYAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!
MWD
Grim and lowering rainclouds over a wet North Ayrshire this morning
Now, when does the, ‘Rangers’ Demise’ channel come back on?
SydneyTim
I would not like to take home a broken pay packet to you. :-)
Stringer. Exclusive. Celtic sell Boruc to stave our club from admin
Never mind us throwing away euro income by going into Europe with no Goalie
But you are right stringer we grabbed that 1.1 that we needed to stop us going into admin
ST
why is the wind always in yer face
smile and be happy …try it it`s good fun
ST
Little point getting into, your pathological dislike of our board has repelled logic for years, don’t see it changing now.
You continue to spin in any way you want mate.
Solvent, honest and champions. Words that haven’t sat together comfortably for a few years.
Our boards have done well in a very uneven playing environment.
Just saying it how I see it
Total tosh to say we have not bought a center half or striker as we could have gone to admin
ST
Who said we could have gone into admin?
Good morning friends from a wet and grey EK.
Jobo
If youve drunk half a glass of Champagne does that leave you with a half full glass or a half empty one?
Even someone as thick as me can appreciate the blog is all about opinions but dearie me we’ve just won the League, enjoy it.
Not much required for Champion’s League.
1. Clear out of players, McCourt and the like ( 2 season rule applied)
2. Goalkeeper FF if possible if not then a permanent GK of some sort.
3. Mulgrew as permanent captain
4. Settled central defensive partnership – rogne and loovens for me
5. A striker who can head the ball
SORTED!
Incredible………..
Paddy Crerand.
….performance!!!
Sydney Tim,
give fellow Aussie tims a break. Celtic won the league. Willo Flood, young Polish goaly, et al, are yesterday’s men. I am still enjoying yesterday’s great win. Please stop spoiling a great win with your constant negativity and dwelling on past failures. I’ll be up in Sydney on Queen’s Birthday week-end with Melbourne No1 CSC. I would like to meet up with you and get your face to face take on this fantastic young team’s achievements and how the future looks bright rather than read your repetitive reflections on past regime and manager’ failures.
Hail! Hail!
Werribee Pat