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You are at:»»Resist or wither like Miss Havisham

Resist or wither like Miss Havisham

1974
By on CQN BLOG & Comments

Defining Cruyff is not easy but there are some objective facts to assist: three times European Champion, three times Ballon d’Or winner, voted Europe’s Player of the Century in 1999, and third place in the World’s Player of the Century at the same time.

On the field, the most damming criticism of him is that he wasn’t Pele or Maradona, both of whom won World Cups, but neither changed the direction of travel in the game as Cruyff did. Pele’s Brazil seemed out of sight as they strutted their stuff at the 1970 World Cup. By 1974 the Dutch, with Cruyff pulling all the strings, had tactically moved the game on a generation. It would be decades before Brazil won the tournament again.

The Dutch know all this and, rightly, place Johan at the pinnacle of the game, but there was more going on in the Netherlands at the time. Feyenoord beat Cruyff and Ajax to the European Cup by 12 months as a generation of players matured together.

While the Netherlands took hosts Argentina to extra time in the 1978 World Cup final, Cruyff was watching on TV. Of course they would have won had he played, but that they came so close without him is a testament to the rest of his Dutch generation, forever in his shadow, but great nonetheless.

So would the Dutch revolution have happened without him? Something would have happened, Luxemburg would not have beaten the Netherlands in the 1970s, as they did in the 60s, but it would have been a revolution you might not have noticed. Ajax’ European Cup adventures may have ended with the 1-3 home defeat to Benfica in the 1969 quarter final. Feyenoord may not have edged extra time in the final the following season.

Allied to his skill, speed and strength, Cruyff opened the eyes of all who played with and against him. After Cruyff, opponents knew the old rules didn’t apply anymore.

Yesterday’s story in the Guardian, citing “sources at a major Premier League club” would signal the end of the last pretence of meritocracy in football, where the most wealthy will only play each other in European competition.

Resist of wither like Miss Havisham.

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  10. The Green Man says SACK THE Board on

    The Outcome.

     

    We fight hard…We win.

     

    Simple strategy.

     

    No more hiding.

     

    Confront it with a vengeance.

     

    Peter Lawell does not represent me.

  13. sid on

    The huddle

     

    My post was about doing the right thing and still being good for business.

     

    The trophys will have to be looked at again anyway so deal with everything in one statement, short and sharp.

     

    Unless you feel trophys shouldn’t be stripped for the DOS years?

     

     

    You asked me the other day about proven corruption.

     

    Here’s a reminder of what the late Turnbull Hutton had to say.

     

     

    Raith Rovers director Turnbull Hutton says clubs in the Scottish Football League are being “lied to, bullied and threatened” by the Scottish FA and Scottish Premier League to accept a newco Rangers into the First Division.

     

     

    Hutton says the attempts to force teams to bypass a formal application process for Charles Green’s company are “corrupt”, following threats that finances from the SPL would be cut off and a breakaway league formed.

     

     

    He said: “It is not an SFL issue. We’ve been lumbered with this. There are rules we feel they should be followed. They [newco Rangers] should apply for the Third Division.

     

     

    “[We are being] bullied, railroaded and lied to. We are being lied to by the Scottish FA and the SPL. We are being threatened and bullied. It is not football as I know it.

     

     

    “It was a ridiculous document which came out last week whereby the threat was there that if you don’t vote for an acceptance into the First Division, a breakaway SPL2 will come along and those who didn’t vote wouldn’t be invited.

     

     

    “What kind of game are we running here? It is corrupt.”

  14. The Green Man says SACK THE Board on

    SFTB

     

     

    Same artist….The Lakes of Pontchartrain.

     

    What are the chords for Arthur Mc Bride?

     

    Looks to me as though its not standard tuning.

     

     

    HH

  16. the_huddle on

    sid on 25th March 2016 11:01 pm

     

    ————

     

    It’s not proven corruption though, as much as we know it is.

  18. PJBhoynyc on

    Hamilton Tim @ 10:54

     

     

    In short I do not know… But I do know certain things.

     

     

    The corruption of the SFA is small beer to the wider corruption that facilitated it…. And there is plenty of evidence of the latter.

     

     

    Secondly I believe that the RES12 Bhoys would not go into a contest naively. I think and hope they have a few jinkyesque twists and turns in this saga.

     

     

    Finally, I believe the words of DD. He wants them back as a package. I hope that fails.

     

     

    My expected outcome?

     

    A surprise… Hopefully from those Pesky Res12 kids.

     

     

    Aff for a Scooby Snack…

  22. petec on

    roy croppie on 25th March 2016 10:54 pm

     

     

    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cd-loQHWIAAaqmX.jpg

     

     

    iT’S GONNA BE 5 INA ROW

     

     

    HH

     

     

    ……………………………………………………………………………………….

     

     

    Don’t let anyone kid you on it is easy to win the League in this Country (being Celtic).

     

     

    The Referee can win any game, he is the controller and it is harder and harder to get TOUGHened enough players to play just Good Football and also dig deep.

     

     

    The SFA Referee machine is totally outrageous, so overt and it is dangerous to our fitba players, Kieran has been assaulted badly at least twice now – no reds. Sick.

     

     

    The reason Scotland are doing so sh!t is because of this SFA.

     

     

    This SFA must be dealt with.

  30. The Green Man says SACK THE Board on

    Can anyone going to Dublin do me a small favour.

     

    I cant make it.

     

    But when you stand outside the G.P.O

     

    Will you say a quick prayer for Pearse, Connolly, Clarke and all the Volunteers….with me in mind.

     

    I would appreciate it greatly.

     

     

    HH

  32. THE EXILED TIM on

    Sips

     

    Aye Celtic is an addiction, how can I turn my back on the club, no matter who or what is running them, but the sooner the parasites who are in control are gone the better imo.

     

    HH

     

    …………………………

     

    PJBHOYNYC

     

    I know fine well it’s complicity, I just want someone to tell me it no :-)

     

    When you get down to the brass tacks, if we did have a level playing field, we wouldn’t have any competition, we are where we are in spite of all the cheating and corruption, take that away and we wouldn’t have any rivalry, no rivalry means no money, it’s a catch 22, but and always the but, there is honesty and integrity, it’s what we are all about, and IMO, if the club were to grow a pair, it would give the club a chance to GTF out of scotland to a league set up that is befitting, there is no way we would be allowed to go under, fia and uefa wouldn’t let it happen, we ahve been on the receiving end of massive corruption and cheating for decades, the football world would be on our side for sure, the football world knows what is going down, but we have to fight our own battles.

     

    A 2016 Celts for Change is in order me thinks.

     

    HH

  35. The Green Man says SACK THE Board on

    GLENDALYS

     

     

    I think you could be right there.

     

    DADGAD is tricky.

     

    Practice required to nail it.

     

     

    HH

  36. sid on

    Peter

     

    Spot on about the SFA.

     

    We haven’t qualified for a tournament since 1998, the year the DOS scheme started.

     

    Quincidence?

  37. sipsini on

    RC…

     

     

    I forget so many songs from the past, you seem to be in my era and bring back a lot of memories, cheers for that…kip time for me.

     

    Murder hitting the eighties :))

  41. The Donald on

    ——-

     

     

    Would Johann Cruyff have gotten into the Lisbon Lions…

     

     

    Afore Stevie Chalmers…?

     

     

    Not even if he gave up the fags!

     

     

     

    Went tae see the Dutch Left winger Rensenbrink playin’ fer Anderlecht at Tannadice….

     

     

    Directly after the ’78 World Cup.

     

     

    What a WASTE OF TIME that was…!

     

     

    Like watchin’ Boabbie Petta…

     

     

    Oan a BAD DAY….

     

     

    Or Wee Wullie Henderson….

     

     

    Anytime..!

     

     

    ———-

  42. bournesouprecipe on

    The Green Man

     

     

    If it’s just about the team – we’re right behind Efe Ambrose? :-)

     

     

    I think Celtic have distinct restrictions at boardroom level, one or two slipped up and showed it, but we are an all inclusive club Catholic, Protestant et all.

     

     

    It’s all strictly business, nothing personal, not you or I’s wee exclusive notion.

     

     

    We may at the moment lack at boardroom level, a definitive fenian bast88d for example, but we live in Tinderbox City, and I agree with others, Celtic have to be very careful, in this regard.

     

     

    We will be disappointed and have been so on ‘the cheating’ since 2012.

     

     

    If you are waiting on Celtic businessmen possibly leading the riot act, we’ll wait, and ultimately, this will come down to wee bhoys going to see Celtic ( or not.)

     

     

    If you find the men of reverie to take over our club, I’ll be with you.

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