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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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).
See you said it :))))
Used the word admin :))
Neil was frustated and I fear he will be frustated again
Must remember when we got gubbed by ultrecht , they had paid their taxes , must have been because we had signed no one for our campaign ,
Take a step back, enjoy the huns in free fall
But in Europe there are teams out there with far less income than us, who sign top class players
Cultsbhoy
Scott Brown is Celtic’s captain and will be for as long as he is at Celtic.
He is my captain too, but that matters not a jot because he is Lennon’s captain and he is the player’s captain.
Are you Kojo in disguise ?
ST
I agree re Board.
Success has come more through luck than design IMO.
Lenny was as much of a last chance saloon appointment as you will ever see from a CEO. Lenny wasn’t just a cheap option following disastrous BTM he was the only option,
I too still regard the last 3 SPL losses as entirely avoidable had there been smarter hands on the wheel directing the club.
But
The past is the past- I’m entirely optimistic about our future.
If Our CEO ever moved on I would see that as a positive thing but I don’t feel he can do too much damage should he remain, certainly not as far as SPL goes – which is my major concern. Any games in Europe are a bonus.
..just watching the goals again………….
Charlie’s heider………….
“Ouch!!!…..”
(bet that one hurt a lot o’ peepil)
Belter!
Sydney Tim
Are you the full shilling ……… ? …….
Weriber pay
As I said there are teams out there in Europe who have less income than us and pay their CEO’s the going rate ( we don’t , we pay EPL rates for CEO )
And they progress in Europe better than we do
We will not move forward as long as Peter lawell is our CEO
Cults hoy ……thankfully they are smarter than you …..LOL
Sydney tim why don’t you just stop going to games spending thousands a season following Celtic everywhere. Oh a forgot you put nothing into the club. Your just a mouth piece without the bus fare. GLASGOW CELTIC CHAMPIONS.
“SydneyTim on 9 April, 2012 at 09:36 said:
Just saying it how I see it”
As if that excuses your ridiculous negativity less than 48 hours after we became Champions.
JJ
God bless the Celts after their 12 in a row against the mast majority of the Scottish population, the Scottish media, countless pr firms, the Scottish elite class, the Scottish government, secret societies and some Australian Celtic supporters.
Stand up for the champions!!!
Cults I agree totally ,
But we have our some of our best players coming back from injury
Like 2-3 new signings :)
Just need a wee injection of quality
Not much, just a wee bit
Pps I have already forgotten about the huns and looking to improve in Europe
Sydney – we also pay our players more. This may well be due to location, location, location – half decent journeymen until recently could get much better money in the Championship. Competent players like McArthur and McCarthy can get much much better money in the lower reaches of the EPL still.
We are still not getting value for money as a result of who our neighbours are.
BUT – there are distinct signs of two positives in our own set up:
1. The age profile and ability of the team
2. The European performances this season.
Enjoy them for a while. (I suspect you do but just like a good barney. nothing wrong with that!!!)
ST
Technically NL said it!
My last post to you seems to be stuck in the ether. I was trying to post a link for you to give yerself some peace. You need to let it go.
Think the link creator has got me, but if you go to the video celts article on newsnow, you’ll see what I mean.
Sydney Tim …….. You are bordering on FUD …….. Cults Bhoy has ‘arrived’
Thank goodness all other Tims are delighted this morning ……..
Spikeysauldman
I’m. OT a fan of Brown generally and I don’t feel he is captain material.
I’ve long held the view that he is not suited to Celtic style of play.
I would however expect him to do well should he move to a team where his strengths could be used.
He’s a harrier, a play breaker not a play maker as he lacks basic technique.
Given a full squad he doesn’t make my best midfield for Celtic.
I don’t dislike him Ai just feel he’s not a good fit got Celtic.
I’d be happy to cash him in as i believe we could get someone much better with the proceeds.
Cultsbhoy
” The past is the past- I’m entirely optimistic about our future.”
If you truly believe the first clause, why was more than half your post about the past?
If you are serious about the second,why are you so negative about Peter Lawwell (whom our manager obviously rates) ?
JJ
Lennon passion. Cheek mate
1980 to 2002 home and away every game
What a lowlife you are
Loved the 12 on the Bhoys T’s at full time……………..
Subtle, but straight to the point.
Big Peter on the case…………………………………………………….
bankiebhoy1 on 9 April, 2012 at 09:50 said:
..just watching the goals again………….
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All remarkably good goals too. Well worked, well executed. The last two were brilliant.
Brilliant performance.
Brilliant.
Jungle I am optimistic about future
As I said all these players back from
Injury. It’s plus plus plus for us
Just a wee bit of quality and this manager and bunch of players can go a long long way :))
Anyway, I’m away to clean up the kitchen.
These wee bottles of beer don’t half mount up over the final round of a golf major!
Odd stuff really….
Odd.
BT at 8.45
that was special
Happy Easter Monday to one and all!
CHAMPIONEES! CHAMPIONEES! OH AY OH AY OH EEE!!!!!!
Sydney Tim …… Correct….our focus will be on Europe …… Which will be some achievement if we can remove the anti- Celtic mentality outwith our support in this Country ….. Having said that, we are their only hope now, with the cheats having been caught ‘at it’……..onwards and upwards
Robert T
Absolutely.
Shades of Martin’s time when we ran over and ran thru teams like it was an exercise…..
Delighted for Neil.
Delighted.
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on 9 April, 2012 at 06:51 said:
”Anyway,here is an unusual thing-a fine article by Tam Cowan…………
Looks like Uncle Jack doesn’t have any content on the bold Tam”
########
It is, as you say, a fine article, and hits the nail on the head.
I wonder what Cowan’s views are on a newco huns being allowed straight into the SPL?
As for Irvine and Media House, although still owed money by the huns they are still, literally, in the picture.
#######
‘Andrew Dickson with Ramsay Smith in the directors box’
http://willievass.photoshelter.com/image/I0000VXh8hKLUG_I
Ramsay Smith is the guy at Media House who runs the huns account.
And Andrew Dickson, well you couldn’t make it up…….
”AS Rangers’ head of football administration, Andrew Dickson is a key member of the executive team on the business side of the club.
He first joined the Light Blues in 1991 as a qualified chartered accountant and became financial controller in 2001.
It wasn’t long before he was promoted again though and Dickson has occupied his current position since 2003.
His day-to-day role encompasses a wide range of responsibilities, including football finance at first-team and academy levels and player contracts.
Dickson is also the main point of contact concerning football rules and regulations governing the administration of the game.
A director of Rangers Youth Development, he acts both on behalf of the club and the SPL on a number of external committees too.
Dickson is the SPL member club representative on the SFA General Purpose Committee and the association’s Professional Football Committee.
He is also the club’s representative for the Glasgow FA and is a former member of the SFA’s Disciplinary Committee.
In addition, Dickson is Rangers’ liaison with UEFA for organisational aspects of European fixtures such as Champions League matches.”
http://www.rangers.co.uk/coaching-staff-profile/article/1529357
Cultsbhoy ……. Are you a bhun????
67heaven In Europe refs are not biased against us
We are not playing against cheats
Europe is the place to push our club to the limits we can afford to
As I say. We have a great chance with a great bunch of players
But just need that wee injection of quality
One player to be signed only will do me
ST
That was quite a gracious reply so I feel a wee bit bad in saying that I am not convinced that you will ever be happy that that “wee bit of quality” has ever actually arrived.For instance, we have had more than just a wee bit of quality arriving in the collective shape of Emilio, Berim, Victor,Joe, Adam,Charlie anf Thomas R. Has their arrival made you happy? Or, by “quality” do you mean the kind of player we cannot afford?
JJ
We will only be in Europe if the powers that be overlook wee fat alecs very public “save the huns” campaign.
A campaign designed to get the rest of us, including the mighty Scotland national team, papped out of Europe.
Or am I just paranoid?
Cutlsbhiy – i disagree with your evaluation of Scott Brown especially compared to all other Celtic midfielders over the course of the season and especially in big games. That said. He’s no paul McStay. However neither of our opinions.
Hes Neil Lennons man.
He is the player’s captain.
He is the Celtic Captain.
Get behind him.
SydneyTim on 9 April, 2012 at 09:56 said:
So the last time you put money into the club was 10 years ago,know you just put the boot into them. Up there was most bigoted Huns and I’m the low life.
SydneyTim on 9 April, 2012 at 09:19 said:
Macjay.
Wee Sydney Tim a little too wee and today just downright grumpy at the zoo, I wonder where she gets that from :))))
Mate,been there.
Grumpy is good.
Cultsbhoy
So we were lucky & Loovens as CH. You certainly know a lot about football!!
JJ / 67 heaven
I am entirely optimistic about our future.
I am not however re writing history as a consequence.
I have toned town my PL rants of late but still pertly hold my view on his poor performance over the ‘lost’ SPL titles.
It’s a valid opinion. ST is booting the r’s out of it but I feel great intolerance towards him by those who want to re write history- hence my post.
That said I’m a happy Atim focused on the future- full of expectation and enthusiasm for the coming season(s ).
I font feel we need anything to repeat our SPL success and I’m easy on Europe as I don’t feel we have the resources to compete so would question any reckless investment on that front,
My ambition for Celtic is that we are always 1st in SPL . To that end – job done!
Sydney Tim,
from Werribee ‘Pat’ not Pay. Are you really a Celtic Minded supporter? I feel you consistently make Aussie Tims appear in a qurter full glass light . Even Gold Coast Tom is more positive than you are. Thank god for Samma of Summi and Tulips from Hamster Jam. They and he, at least, prove that being an Ex- Pat (TIM) does not mean losing a Tim’s ‘positivity and sense of humour.’ Hopefully we can meet Queen’s Birthday weekend and you can dispel my ‘negative’ perception of your “Celtic mindedness.’
Werribee Pat
CultsBhoy loves being 1st on 9 April, 2012 at 09:56 said:
I know someone who works up at lennoxtown,Scott Brown is the man all the pranks,banter start with him. When he shouts at training the players all listen. He will be our captain next season.