I like Neil Lennon. If Neil Lennon is talking about football, I shut up and listen. But I respectfully disagree on other subjects. If the last three years have taught us anything it’s that Celtic don’t need oldco or newco Rangers. Unequivocally, Celtic Park is quieter since Rangers liquidated, the level of competition we previously had added many to the gates, none of us feel the anxiety of genuine sporting challenge, but so what?
If Celtic sell 40,000 instead of 50,000 season tickets are we mortally wounded? The accounts would suggest otherwise. Does it mean we cannot compete in Europe? I refer to Neil’s record. Does it mean we cannot attract quality players? Well, it means we will not be able to attract some players, but I’m more than happy with the calibre of players we’ve recruited at the moment. Good riddance to the parts of Celtic that went out the door when Rangers were flushed down the Liquidation Lavvy.
I’m going to cut Neil some slack. I’ve been among Rangers fans and been generous enough to acknowledge income will rise at Celtic if newco ever reach the top flight. It costs nothing to be magnanimous.
What we do need is competition, the like of which Aberdeen have given us in the league this season and they and Dundee United may provide next season, if current trends continue. Congratulations are due to Hearts, who won the Championship before the clocks went forward, an incredible display of dominance, but as our two cup wins against them this season (3-0, 0-4) proves, they are miles away from providing the level of competition we see from Aberdeen.
Don’t have time to get dragged into a larger debate at the moment, but whenever Scottish football next turns its mind to strategic development, how to bolster Aberdeen and United should be top of the agenda. I enjoyed our four games against United this month and the recent league game against Aberdeen. More of them would be welcome.
We have a league split at the moment, where the top six hive off to play for the title, but it comes with only five games to play. An earlier split, allowing us more games against those at the top, while creating more opportunity for teams at the bottom to pick up points from their peers, makes more sense. Especially if more commercial income could be shared with the likes of Aberdeen and United.
Have you ever walked up Ben Nevis? Will you ever do so? It’s a big task if you are starting from scratch. When is it safe, what do you wear, what if something goes wrong, how long will it take, what about nourishment along the way?
The Ben Nevis Huddle delivers much of what you need on a plate. The Foundation have it all in hand. You get to walk up the mountain with a couple of hundred other Celts. They let you know what you need to know, check the weather for you and generally look out for things. They have left no one on the mountain. Yet.
What’s more, you get to do it in the name of Celtic FC Foundation, for our work with autism, downs, the homeless and destitute, those marginalised from our society, and those living in third world poverty.
907 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- ...
- 16
- 17
- 18
- 19
- 20
- 21
- 22
- 23
- 24
- »
http://www.shoot.co.uk/category/news/an-apology-to-ronny-deila/
A while back in this blog, I wrote that Celtic should consider sacking Ronny Deila after three months in charge (read it here.) Everybody will now argue that this was an unrealistic and stupid demand. And they would be right. Therefore consider this a public apology to a coach who could very well take the Bhoys to their first domestic treble since 2001.
The moves have been positive since that less than fantastic start. Celtic have won their first Scottish League Cup since 2009 after beating Dundee United 2-0 last week. They then knocked out the same team in the Scottish Cup quarter-finals 4-0 three days later. They have also created a five-point gap in the league over their closest rivals Aberdeen. March could be considered the month that Deila seals his legacy.
An underwhelming start brought Deila many critics at the beginning of his reign. Some of it was deserving, but some of it unjust. Sometimes it takes time to instil a new philosophy upon a club, especially one that has had a good run of success under the previous regime.
Deila wanted and introduced Celtic to a high-intensity pressing game from the start of the season. The Norwegian’s lack of experience at this front proved costly at the initial stage of the campaign. He admitted in a Daily Mail article that he needed to introduce this idea more gradually at the club, and his willingness to abandon a game-plan in certain situations have helped the club improve massively in the second part of the season.
His style has meant that Celtic have become extremely solid at the back. Some may point out that the Scottish Premiership does not provide the Glasgow-based outfit with a huge challenge and that point is not necessarily invalid. After all it is remarkable that they have kept 12 clean sheets since the turn of the year. However, the impressive work rate of Virgil van Dijk and Jason Denayer were a significant factor as to why they have been hard to beat at the back.
The way Celtic have conducted transfer business in the last transfer window was very Machiavellian. The purchases of Gary Mackay-Steven and Stuart Armstrong from Dundee United were a stroke of genius by Deila and his team – one could almost say they have adopted a “divide and conquer” approach; whether that was their intention is yet to be discovered.
They took away two of United’s most talented attacking midfielders and their impact at their new club has been massive. Celtic have been playing better at a higher tempo since the signing of these two players and a specific example of this occurred in their 3-3 draw with Inter Milan last month. The fluency and creativity of Mackay-Steven and Armstrong, as well as returns for Leigh Griffiths and Kris Commons, has meant that Celtic have been more successful in creating chances.
The way Deila has handled the fans should be applauded too. When some fans were disgruntled by their lacklustre start, Deila had only one way of dealing with it – by showing his raw passion. Usually intangibles such as determination should never be considered more than folly when measuring impact both on and off the pitch. Yet “The Ronny Roar” has united the fans to stand by him even when things were looking grim after struggling in the Europa League group stage and not being on top of the Premier League. The fans were patient and now he has won them over with better football.
Overall, Deila has created a team that is resilient, composed and full of flair. It is something that looked far from happening back in September when I wrote that piece. Therefore, like many of his critics at the beginning of the season, one has to apologise. Moreover, if Deila does keep up this momentum that Celtic have at the moment, they could end up with the domestic treble. And if that is the case then there could be reason to suggest that he may just be Celtic’s best manager since Martin O’Neill.
For example, in the context of the currant buns are pan breid.
67Heaven 10:18
That was my point.
He can’t very well say he had nothing to do with it going up, but claim he helped to get it down.
Bawsman – You can add Nacho Novo to that list…
Thunder Road
Good man..
I don’t remember the HUNS singing to us go home YA HUNS, not saying they didn’t, I’m just saying I don’t remember.
Anyway…..afore ah go oot….
Jeanette Findlay and her ilk….
To control Celtic Football Club….
Or, be happy being…..
The punchbags fae the back of the bus…
Dont say yeez wurny telt……oot.
Peter Lawell is fast turning into the Thatcher of Scottish football. Everything is his fault.
weeminger
The anti-Celtic agenda…..I don’t think the board understand whats going on, they are all too busy….looking the other way.
While Celtic are disparaged on a daily basis in the hun media……where are the Celtic board?
I tell you where…..hiding.
HH
The link below is on the official The Rangers website and is the “bio” for Mark Hateley. It does not contain the word, however I don’t know of any other Attilas who weren’t Huns.
If this inference to the word in question can appear on their official website, it’s reasonable then to think that the club doesn’t find it offensive ;
http://www.rangers.co.uk/club/history/hall-of-fame/item/596-mark-hateley
I do laugh at the predictables in here when there is bad news or some sheet flying around about Celtic, they honestly just can’t wait to put the boot into PL and the board, these guys I find worse than any establishment in this country.
It’s the same old tripe, the same old agenda, the same old posters, with Groundhog Day posts, honestley you just see the name of the poster and you just know it’s the same aul sheet, and they never let you down it is.
If they ever had a positive post about CFC Pland The Board, it would be a first, oh and you will almost find that most of them are not happy at the success RD is having at the moment, as he was PL cheep option, or have we forgotten those posts?
I assume BBC Shortbread still has the film of Stirling Uni students advising Betty Windsor to – Go Home Ya Hun – in 1972
I see…..so a mob of knuckle dragging bigots, who hate everybody and everything…..don’t like to be called huns.
Seriously?
Is this the true extent of sectarianism……where the point is reached, that vile bigots can complain about being subject to bigotry.
That is total madness….That is Scotland.
HH
What the feck is all the fuss about. I thought the Huns were deid. What a load of shite
The Hunguffery we are being subjected to is part of a bigger putsch….
…..fought out in the meeja, orchestrated by paid up pro’s in collusion with sympathetic, compliant placemen “the likes we know so well”…………….oh aye.
Those that support that awful klub also actively seek to denigrate the good name of Our Great Club.
Our great point of difference has always been the founding ethos of Celtic and the positive support from our fans…………….
By talking about this hun guff we sadly let thum putsch their sleekit agenda.
Guff, the worst kind – hun-guff, taken to a whole new Level.
It must be bitterly cold in our shadow.
Guid.
It’s going to be a long 10 days before Celtic play again.
Happy Birthday to Roy Croppie & Lucy.
Sonas oraibh inniu.
Árd Macha
Timjim,
The huns ARE deid!
That’s the point.
They don’t like being reminded of it.
EC67
TD67
You probably directed your last post at me….so I will say this.
Its a pity that PL and the board weren’t as vocal as some of the posters on here.
Maybe we wouldnt be subjected to the constant ant-Celtic agenda from the hun media.
Maybe if somebody from the board challenged the hun media…things might be a bit different.
Maybe if we stood up against it….it wouldn’t happen.
But no…..you have to defend PL at every opportunity….while having a go at Celtic supporters who want change.
The world is moving on…..its the 21st century ffs…..no 1960.
HH
Can someone lease clarify?
Is the issue that the new huns don’t want to be called huns because they were not the original huns?Or do the new huns claim to be the same huns as the old huns?
So, when we sang,” The Huns are going Bust!” we were actually saying that the many factions of the Protestant religion were facing financial bankruptcy ?
JJ
tonydonnelly67
10:48 on 24 March, 2015
I do laugh at the predictables in here when there is bad news or some sheet flying around about Celtic, they honestly just can’t wait to put the boot into PL and the board, these guys I find worse than any establishment in this country.
It’s the same old tripe, the same old agenda, the same old posters, with Groundhog Day posts, honestley you just see the name of the poster and you just know it’s the same aul sheet, and they never let you down it is.
If they ever had a positive post about CFC Pland The Board, it would be a first, oh and you will almost find that most of them are not happy at the success RD is having at the moment, as he was PL cheep option, or have we forgotten those posts?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Good mhan – I agree with you 100%
HH
The Shadow Of Yale Policy Center
THE 1912 PLEDGE, BY JOHN URE PRIMROSE EFFECTIVELY CAUSED GLASGOW RANGERS F.C., A FOOTBALL CLUB, TO JOIN THE MASONIC LODGE. PRIMROSE THE RANGERS CHAIRMAN, AND BILL STRUTH, WHO IS AN IBROX LEGEND, IMMEDIATELY STARTED TO RECRUIT AMONG THE RANKS OF THE MASONIC AND ORANGE LODGES. AS ONE MIGHT IMAGINE, THEY DID NOT RECRUIT PLAYERS ONLY, THEY RECRUITED FANS, BUSINESS ASSOCIATES, TRADESMEN, CLERKS, ACCOUNTANTS, POLICEMEN, JUDICIAL OFFICERS OF THE COURT, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY MEN OF THE MEDIA, WHO WOULD CHAMPION THE CAUSE OF GLASGOW RANGERS, QUIETLY IN SOME PLACES AND VOCALLY FROM THE TERRACINGS AND INTO THE MODERN STANDS. RANGERS RUN OF SUCCESS IMMEDIATELY CAUSED THEM TO HAVE AMAZING SUCCESS IN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHSIP MATCHES, BUT IN THE ONE OFF CUP TIES, THEY STILL HAD TO STRUGGLE FOR A TIME, FOR THE ASSURED CUP WIN. FROM 1912, GLASGOW RANGERS ENTERED THE MATCH FIXING GAME, BUT NOT LIKE WE CONSIDER MATCH FIXING IN ANY OTHER NATION. FOR ONE CENTURY RANGERS PLOUGHED OVER EVERYONE WITH CARELESS ABANDON, UNTIL FINALLY, GLASGOW RANGERS WERE CAUGHT, RED HANDED, WITH THEIR HAND IN THE COOKIE JAR, IN THE BACK POCKETS OF THEIR FELLOW FOOTBALL CLUBS, AND AT ODDS WITH ALL THAT IS FAIR AND HEALTHY ABOUT THE BEAUTIFUL GAME. TODAY RANGERS ARE 200 MILLION DOLLARS IN DEBT, AND IN SCOTLAND, THE CONNECTION MADE IN 1912, ARE STILL FIGHTING TO SEND THEM DOWN THE ROAD, IN THE SAME WAY THEY FORCED THIRD LANARK, CLYDEBANK AND GRETNA TO DIE, LIVINGSTON TO THE THIRD DIVISION, AND MOTHERWELL AND DUNDEE TO SHED A HUGE GROUP OF PLAYERS AND MANAGEMENT STAFF ON DAY ONE OR TWO OF THE ADMINISTRATION PROCESS.
GLASGOW RANGERS F.C., THE ESTABLISHMENT TEAM, LIMPED THROUGH THE SEASON 2011/12 WITH A WHOLE SLEW OF PLAYERS THEY COULD NOT AFFORD AND HAD NOT PAID FOR, TO A CREDITABLE SECOND PLACE IN THE SCOTTISH PREMIER LEAGUE (SPL) AND A 2 MILLION POUND REWARD. THOUGH A DOZEN OR SO MEN WERE EARMARKED TO BE RELEASED FROM THEIR CONTRACTS, TWO YOUNG MEN WERE SO ASHAMED THAT THEY WALKED AWAY, WHILE THE REST OF THE SQUAD, HAD LOADED REVOLVERS PUT TO THE HEAD (METAPHORICALLY) AS THEY TOOK WAGE CUTS OF 25%, 50% OR 75%, TO ALLOW GLASGOW RANGERS TO FINISH THE SEASON AND FULFILL THERE FIXTURES. UNABLE TO DO THAT ON 14TH FEBRUARY, THE ST. VALENTINES DAY MASSACRE OF GLASGOW RANGERS WOULD HAVE EXPELLED THEM FROM SCOTTISH FOOTBALL. EXPULSION, FOR THOSE WHO MAY NOT KNOW, IS AN AUTOMATIC PUNISHMENT FOR CLUBS WHO FAIL, FOR WHATEVER REASON, TO FULFILL THEIR MATCH SCHEDULE. RUNNING A LOSSES OF 1 MILLION POUNDS PER MONTH, WITH A HOLE IN THEIR BUDGET OF 10 MILLION POUNDS, RANGERS WEALTHY BOARD MEMBERS SOLD THE CLUB FOR ONE POUND STERLING, AND WALKED AWAY TO ENSURE THAT THEIR PERSONAL WEALTH WAS NOT USED TO CLEAR THE DEBTS THAT THEIR ACTION HAD CAUSED TO BUILD UP IN THE LISTED BUILDING CALLED IBROX STADIUM.
THE SHADOW OF YALE POLICY CENTRE FINDS THIS TO BE THE WORST, MOST SCANDALOUS STORY IN THE HISTORY OF WORLD FOOTBALL, AND WHILE THE FANS ARE CONSPIRING TO DESTROY EVERY OTHER CLUB, THE POLICE STAND BY AND WATCH THE ABUSE OF OTHERS INSTEAD OF ENFORCING THE LAWS, WHICH WERE PUT IN PLACE TO END SECTARIANISM, OR AT LEAST PUT A LID ON IT, AND ALLOW THE RANGERS FANS TO BE APPEASED AND FEEL AGGRIEVED AT THEIR SITUATION. TO ONE GROUP OF GLASGOW RESIDENTS, THIS IS SCOTLAND’S SHAME. HERE, IN NEW HAVEN CONNECTICUT, AS WE LITERALLY FALL IN THE SHADOW OF THE MIGHTY ELITE SCHOOL CALLED YALE UNIVERSITY, WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT CORRUPTION MUST BE CRUSHED AND HEADS MUST ROLL, METAPHORICALLY, AS WE DETEST VIOLENCE.
Apply for entry into the Conference League, anything is better than staying in this bigoted wee country.
I do laugh at the predictability of those who make the claim that if anyone criticises the Celtic board or PL then it would equate that they’re not happy that Ronny and the team doing well.
TIMJIM
Alternatively,instead of running away,we fight our corner.
Certainly,the current handwringing isn’t doing us any favours. We have the strength in depth to fight back,and it’s high time we started.
TonyD 67
Where did you get that from? Who is:”The Shadow Of Yale Policy Center.” ?
An `interesting` piece of writing!
JJ
PS I treat those who ALWAYS trash Celtic on here in the same way as I treat the MSSM ie I don`t read either.
HAMILTONTIM
Maybe they view Celtic and PL as one and the same.
TD67
That last post you put up….which I agree with…begs the question.
Where were the Celtic board when this was all happening?
HH
I think the best response to this latest piece of SFA stupidity is to ridicule it and laugh at them and their role as “The Offended Polis”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHMoDt3nSHs
JUNGLE JIM HS
I dunno their background,but they’re banned by the Record.
https://mobile.twitter.com/davidgillies5/status/454976593291931648
To those, and there are many, who say Celtic should be much more aggressive in `fighting our corner`, I ask the question: Why do you think Celtic do not take your recommended approach?
Genuine question so thoughtful responses would be appreciated.
JJ
Funnily Enuff that particilar choon has got me into a fix.
On the way to a game we were singing there’s only one Nakamura, got to the point where … He eat’s chow mien and he votes…. and a Japanese women came over – exhibiting typical orderliness and decorum – and asked me what the words meant.
Still don’t think it’s died Huns that gets them, it’s super swede that gives them sweats and palpitations.
When they put their kids to bed they say….
“Rat on your pop and super Swede is going to get you”
BMCUW
Wow! Very interesting!
Thanks.
JJ
JJ
Just google…. John Ure Primrose Rangers
It’s all there, and it VERY interesting. HH
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS
11:11 on
24 March, 2015
TIMJIM
Alternatively,instead of running away,we fight our corner.
Certainly,the current handwringing isn’t doing us any favours. We have the strength in depth to fight back,and it’s high time we started.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
How do you suggest we do that, when our board are only willing to issue statements that merely say the obvious
the green man
Running cfc.
Hamiltontim & BMCUWP
Absolutely agree. Criticism of aspects of how the club is run is not a criticism of the football team manager or players. We had years of deference to those who wore suits and sat in the directors box and knew better. We know how that ended up.
As for Newco, they too have seen where blind deference and a belief that the board and the team are one gets you. They still don’t get it though. Hence the gift that keeps on giving.
HH
JJHS
Oh that’s right….we better not complain eh, things will only get worse.
The sevcoite hoardes will terrify Scotland like a mongol army on the rampage.
We better just shut up then eh.
In case they get upset.
Oh help…mammy daddy….its the huns….ahm terrified.
HH