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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I think we all agree we have had one hell of a weekend . What a day on saturday . ive seen us win many titles. and cups over the years , but lennons title was a bit special . What man deserves to be a winner more than him . god bless him . He has a big task to perform the coming season , we must get into the group for the big cup . I feel we must bring in some quality to compliment our up and coming talent .no doubt we have the making of a really good team but that quality is lacking in certain positions . ,we should have the financial security over them so lets build a team for europe .and if we do that .up here will take care of itself . The opportunity for us to leave them in our wake is here now . please dont waste it this time . .
jimtim.
SydneyTim on 9 April, 2012 at 10:05 said:
Correct ….
Generally, I have a little problem ……… I simply love all things CELTIC … win lose, or draw …….. I REALLY enjoy the good times, and mourn the bad times, but just cannot ‘take’ criticism of anything Celtic ….. We are very fortunate to have been born Celtic fans, and to have our Irish cultural heritage.
I get the impression, for example, that Cultsbhoy dislike of Peter L Is more personal than football related, for some reason. …….? And that gets my back up…
Just like Fergus & WGS, Peter’s contribution to our Club will only be recognised by some once has gone ……. As far as I am concerned, he is the best CEO on the planet….. (Pardon the pun, still smile when I recall Peter’s wee dig at the ranker’s – fantasy- signings….!!!!)
Estadio says:
I am proud and privileged to say that ‘I have met Sydney Tim’.
ST is a modest man of multiple talents.
Hello Estadio from Werribee Pat.
I would really like to meet your very ‘positive ‘ version of Sydney Tim at either ‘Cheers’ in George street or at the ‘Meracantile’ Darling Harbour ( both great Celtic venues) during the Queen’s Birthday weekend. As a fellow CQN poster, it would be really good to meet up with a fellow blogger in the flesh and, hopefully, Estadio reciprocate your very positive potrayal of Sydney Tim.
I will be up in Sydney Queen’s Bithday weekend, with Melbourne No 1 Celtic Supporters cliub and would love to meet this fellow CQN blogger.
How about the meet Sydney Tim?
Hail Hail, Werribee Pat
I
Estadio on 9 April, 2012 at 10:17 said:
One of the nicest assessments ever of a CQN poster who is not always recognised as the person that you have just described.
Many of us are too quick to judge & too ready to be negative.
Nice one.
Jimtim ….Chuckie
Is it wrong that I can gauge the enormity of my enjoyment this weekend by how little I’ve been on CQN?
This might be my second post in three days.
Nurse!
U
67Heaven … I am Neil Lennon..!!..Truth and Justice will always prevail on 9 April, 2012 at 10:54 said:
Jimtim ….Chuckie
share on F’book or Twitter
youve lost me there mate .
jimtim.
macjay1 for Neil Lennon on 9 April, 2012 at 10:41 said:
Jungle Jim on 9 April, 2012 at 10:37 said
Yip.
Cesar very uncomfortable with Frannie Lee.
_________________________________
Even the greats can get rag-dolled – remember Joe McBride (his pal) giving big Billy a very uncomfortable night at Easter Road (many moons ago).
Champions.
TT
Whit. It was out turn 2 years ago? Us again ????
Mm mercantile darling harbour ,
It’s about 30mins walk from
There
It’s in the rocks :)
Frannie Lee, Joe McBride …ahemmm K Miller
not really the same class
anyhow
Loovens is out of contract and hasn`t signed a new one …
Thought I’d throw my pound’s worth into the Loovens debate :
He is a fourth choice centre back , behind Mulgrew, Rogne , Fojut and in front of Kelvin Wilson.
I suspect Lenny has a decision to make as to whether he keeps Loovens or Majstorivic.
Personally , I would dump both and , recognising our budget limitations, I would bring back big Mick, who knows the club, knows the league, is available and given we can’t afford Piqué, he is as good as we will get.
Loovens or Big Dan – which would you keep? Chances are it will be an either/ or although both could go if we get another new signing along with the Polish bhoy
has anyone else noticed that ij this time of great joy that we can win the league again on the 29th april when we play the scum. that would/could be title day if they hadnt lost their 10.
lets just have another party. oh and while im in the suggestion mode, on last day can we do a giant huddle at the same time as the players do their pre match huddle. united as one big family
Ceaser did struggle a bit with smaller quicker centre forwards. Henry Hall of St Johnstone Wallace when at Hearts and Jim Forrest of Rangers could and did give Big Billy a hard time.
Ulysses, it is a known fact (or at least, known to me) that successful times for Celtic make for slow business on the blog. Turmoil and defeat brings many more comments and visitors.
Gordon_J, I don’t see either Dan or Glenn getting a new contract.
“It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!”
Good Morning Bhoys
What a weekend, 1st post since we became world champions,
only surfacing this moring from a string of unplanned parties with friends and family, fantastic,
good morning Cultsbhoy, I see Broonie is still unloved,
hello Glasgowtim
Are ye a hun
HH
Mike
Alex Thomson’s blog, a good read, and interesting video at the bottom regarding succulent lamb.
Alex Thomson Blog
Dan
Weribee. Of course. The jock stein and the Sydney city CSC are like kindred brothers
Both daft as brushes :))
See you in the harbour city
Can’t see us keeping Loovens or Big Dan (though we might give him a short-stop contract due to his injury).
Don’t know enough about the new Polish lad to judge him but………. we do need some stability in the centre-back positions and if we are to make some in-roads in Europe (where we will severely tested) – we need someone with experience and leadership qualities.
Paul
It’s still a cornerstone in all our lives.
Like Celtic.
Never forget or underestimate the good thing you’ve given us.
Fair play to you.
And thanks mate.
Ulysses McGhee
Re the Joe O’Rouke witch hunt. In my opinion all Joe is guilty of is being misconstrued and deliberately misquoted. I understand that at no time did he mention Protestants drowning in the Titanic disaster. All he said was that it wouldn’t have been such a bad thing if those that built it were onboard when the ship sank. Lest any on here need reminding H&W shipyard was a Catholic free zone – policed by the very workers who built such ships as the Titanic. There were pogroms in the shipyards to ensure no Catholic ever set foot in that bastion of Protestant Ireland. Catholics that had the audacity to work in the yards were killed, assaulted and threatened by their ‘Protestant’ colleagues. A fact that was raised by Sinn Fein is a recent debate regarding the centenary of the Titanic disaster and the money spent to build the Titanic exhibition in the NI assembly, that it was not something that the Nationalist community could ‘buy into’ given the bigotry that was endemic in H&W during its existence.
Joe’s comments at worst were ill advised given the number of innocents who perished. But to try and equate them to an anti-protestant rant is exactly the type of journalism that we are accustomed to reading from the LL and the rags in Scotland. It is an attack on the Celtic community.
Slow times on the blog indeed. I haven’t posted much recently. I don’t have much to add. Others have already expressed how I feel towards the team, the management and the support. I’m only just starting to come down from Saturday’s high.
The next few games should be interesting. I hope we get a chance to see Ibrahim. And Brozek (if the management think he has a future with us…).
re. the defence
I would agree with the assessment of Loovens as ‘decent’ – nothing too controversial about that.
The defence does need to improve, although it would be idiotic to bring in radical changes ahead of European qualification. Perhaps more than any other area, a good defence depends on mutual understanding, which takes time to develop, and with no time to gel, a spanking new defence would get, er, spanked at the end of July. We need to go with what we’ve got.
For me, Mulgrew and Wanyama are our best CB pairing, and neither would necessarily put down CB as their preferred position.
Bhoy67 – Ha! Not a hun, and not called Glasgowtim either!!
the celebrations that have surrounded the Titanic anniversary have been puzzling at best
a strange topic for such festivities
67heaven
I’ve never met Peter Lawwell I can only judge him on results and decisions taken over the course of his tenure.
To be fair he has been good and bad in broadly equal measure.
I think for the money he takes he could be better.
I regret getting your back up… I’m only expressing my opinion- not re writing the bible. CQN is a forum for that purpose.
Just one wee observation to add re Loovens – I LOVED his lung bursting run to try and score a second on Saturday – like Hoops Vs Them, but without the finish!
Jungle Jim on 9 April, 2012 at 10:37 said:
As one who was there, Caesar had his off days.
However they were few and far between.
Playing week in week out for seventeen years, his back to the wall determination not to lose (despite being a gentleman, he absolutely hated the idea of losing) was often the difference between Celtic winning than losing narrowly or on occasions getting a right doing.
It is this consistency over such a lengthy period of time that makes him my greatest ever Celt.
glasgowbhoy on 9 April, 2012 at 11:24 said:
Bhoy67 – Ha! Not a hun, and not called Glasgowtim either!!
Welcome mate,
you have to make some allowance for my slow surfacing towards sobriety,
HH
Mike
glasgowbhoy
The ball that came to him wasn’t helped by the state of that pitch. I rolled an egg down a hill yesterday that bobbled less!
ulysses mcghee on 9 April, 2012 at 11:16 said:
Dead right CQN is a cornerstone in our Celtic lives.
I’ve not been on the blog near as much in the last few months as I normally would due to much busyness and a few other reasons however I could nopt shut my eyes at night without at least reading the daily article or articles.
Cornerstone indeed.
SwanseaBhoy
…PFayr on 9 April, 2012 at 11:24 said:
As one with a family background in the place, Belfast is an odd enough place to make such festivities seem perfectly normal.
Personally I can understand a Titanic museum. However commemorative trips to where it sank seem a bit off.
On a personal note it was launched on my wife’s birthday and sank on mine.
No crack’s please about me apparently have been around long enough to get a telegram from her maj.
.
G’Day CQN..
Just had a Wee Nap.. First Since Good Thursday.. Fell asleep Reading one of SydneyTims Posts..;0(
Sydster..
Don’t You Mess With Werriber Pat aka Wing Commander.. I’m his Minder/Muse..
Sorry I can’t Make Sydney Queens Birthday.. Euro 2012 Eire.. :0)
Pat l also Have Met the Charismatic Sydster and His Guid Lady.. She had Trousers on and He Wore a Kilt.. ( Do the Math )..;0(
Summa of RPCS(Repetitive Post Content Syndrome)CSC
quonno
At last!
We finally agree on something!
Big Billy is my all time Great Celt too!
A great Captain on and off the park and a real legend!
Hope you are well!
On the subject of Loovens
I find him to be a bit of an enigma,
He has the qualities in a footballer to be very good and really pitch in with a performance, however he also is capable of some outragious mistakes that have cost the team,
As Quonno said re mcneil, it is the inability to maintain an extremely high level
of consistancy that has done for Loovens and will see him moved on,
HH
Mike
Summa
Read you post a bit after you put it up, will be looking at the golf this week. & thanks for your kind words ;-)))
Hope all is well your side. Hopefully catch up when you’re over – I’m back on the road, so will be a lot easier to get a game.
Speak soon.
hh
bjmac