I remember writing with anticipation 10 years ago as many of Martin O’Neill’s benchwarmers came to the end of their contracts. Martin was not a squad rotator, so those not entrusted with his confidence found themselves on the bench or in the stand on match day, there was little scope to play your way back into the squad, and the wages spent unproductively inhibited our chances of bringing in fresh talent.
Ronny Deila spoke to the media on Friday about the same issue, moving on those who are already well out of the picture, as well as some who played their part last season but who are unlikely to see much in the way of game time in the season ahead.
There’s going to be a bit of churn in the squad, we’re still likely to add three or four players, but it’s been 20 years since a Celtic manager’s talked about creating space in the squad for youth players to fill. This isn’t a criticism of the managers we’ve had since then, more a reflection of the pressure they worked under.
Tommy Burns had to drive us from mid-table mediocrity to genuine contenders. Wim, Dr Jo and John Barnes weren’t here long enough to concern themselves about development, which Martin made it clear from day one that his interest extended only as far as the first team squad.
I doubt any Celtic manager worked under the intensity Gordon Strachan experienced during his four years. Every point dropped delivered a greater trauma than at any time I can remember. Neil Lennon managed through the transition, from competing head-to-head with three-in-a-row winners Rangers, to getting used to life as the last surviving superpower.
This is Ronny’s luxury. It doesn’t matter if we win the league by a record tally, or match the defensive records created in each of the last two seasons. Better to lose more games while giving a chance to young talent, than ask hoary pros to grind through the same gears one more time.
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Channel
I am Partick then Knightswood bhoy. My cool cousins lived in Linkwood and Summerhill. Spookily, I was in my mates house in Peel Glen today, giving him his tickets for the 3 Paisley friendlies. Drumchapel Fenians are taking over the scheme. FTDD. :)
squire danaher @ 20:45 on 28 June, 2015
OK thanks. I take it he had the day off when they did maths in his school.
Alabama Shakes Benjamin Booker Gregory Porter Giant Sand and the whole Mothership spectacle all did it for me
Dexter
We need to start thinking on those lines but first let’s bury the idea that Celtic and the support are two separate entities.
For all our differences of opinion on signings, PL’S pay, the Board etc the inescapable fact is there is no separation.
Those operating Celtic simply gather in then distribute as wages to players and staff whatever income they receive from the support, either directly as in ticket sales or TV subs or kit sales, or indirectly from the support who use what our sponsors want us to consume.
So if we don’t pay to watch Celtic we are not hurting Celtic, we are hurting each other.
The problem comes from the limited ways that Celtic can draw direct income from the support.
Not everyone can go to games but they are as keen on Celtic doing well as those who can attend, so if they are watching a game live remotely why should what they pay to watch not reflect in a more balanced way what match day goers pay?
The Overseas ST is a move in that direction. It was at my suggestion that it was introduced and it is a great deal at £250 a season with TV subscription for all domestic games live and up to 5 home games to go to if visiting the UK.
100,000 tickets at that price but with no limit on matches to attend brings in £25m which is same as 50,000 at £500. Trim off a fifth to be realistic and you have an alternative way to gather the income across the support as a whole that is needed to keep Celtic in business.
I see unbridled IPTV as a real threat to Celtic if we do not rethink in holistic terms what is needed to keep our hopes and dreams alive.
We don’t just support Celtic, we support each other through Celtic.
Delaney’s at 21.02 , the Drum is improving then and not just because I don’t live there any more.
The last time I drove along Kinfauns Drive, apart from where my family stayed and where St Sixtus school was, the changes were unbelievable.
squire danaher
20:51
I misinterpreted your post, I think Stokesy is a player and at times this season him & Izzy were pretty impressive down the left hand side, just an opinion about a player that I think Ronny could help, he has had a few off field problems but I like him, so it’s really just an opinion and I have been known to be wrong, apologies for not having any “workings” for my opinion
Funny……
.http://i.imgur.com/ixcLohi.jpg
Stokes was better out left than Armstrong last season yet one is seen as success the other a failure
Dallas
The immigrants are becoming the cultural saviour that Drumchapel needed. The Drummy Derry who I feared in my youth, with reason, are becoming marginalised. Glasgow’s version of the Shankhill Butchers that evil mob.
Birds eye view of Celtic park as filmed by a drone.
https://vimeo.com/132003042
Great night last night at the 17th AICSC charity dinner. ClogherCelt enjoyed himself judging by his earlier posts. Glad you got home safely. Jay Beattie was brilliant and he led us all with his Here we go, ten in a row chant. Met him at breakfast this morning and he gave me a ‘high five’. I was chuffed.
Jason Denayer won Young Player of the Year award and Stefan Johanson won the senior award. Surplus on the night (usually around€7,000) goes to two local charities.
Lisa Hague also attended and she thoroughly enjoyed herself dancing to the tunes and obliging fans with photographs. She stayed until the second band ended at 4.30am. I told her that a scarf she threw back into the crowd on the lap of honour at the last match of the season was gifted to me by the ever-happy Delanys Dunkey.
After a drunken 4 hour sleep headed home to get ready for the Leinster semi-final where the mighty Dubs drubbed Kildare by 19 points. More significantly, Westmeath beat their arch rivals Meath in a thrilling last fifteen minutes. Somebody posted one fan’s reaction on the previous page which is hilarious. If someone can repost it would be great. Struggling to keep my eyes open
Delaneys Dunky
Rhodes, I’m is going to have a great future if his performance at Glastonbury is anything to go by
Hooe all is wel lwith you and your extended family
Anyhoo need to go battery nearly oot and can’t find the batteries :)
Tell Sips I was asking for him :)
Should be Imo and charger haha!!
Marspapa
Am well high. Love you B. ;)
Evening all,
Got a big friend of many years , lives in Greece,big Olympiacos man, but also big Celtic man of 15yrs standing. Been emailing him over last few days re. the bank crisis, things are pretty grim. What I really want to say is this, the sooner, the EU, the IMF, this government,among others stop equating people with £sd, I’m sure it would be a better world all round!
On a lighter note. In one of his emails he was saying about the Greeks, being a proud nation, and finished by saying, and I quote ” We will never surrender”, I just thought to myself, ffs don’t come away with that on here!!
Lily’s
Ps Clogher Celt. Sounded brill!!!
Im gonna miss Jamie T as I need to hit the shops for supplies before the 10 final whistle
Gerry
Stokes and Izaguirre were notably very effective in LC tie v the Purple Pests. I struggle to recall them repeating that.
I don’t object to you having an opinion, nor am I condemning you. However you have again said you “think Stokesy is a player” but don’t say why. I was being a bit flippant “asking for your working” but tell me what he brings to this Celtic team and who would you leave out to accommodate him.
The Huddle
The comparison between Stokes/Armstrong is unfair IMO. Stokes being used wide left often resulted in Izaguirre being badly exposed, especially bearing in mind he was often tearing up the flank himself, I recall a defensive shambles early on at Dundee.
Almore
Nevermind the scarf touched by the hands of Lisa.
Have you opened the James Delaney book yet? ;)
Almore.
Do you feel sorry for Meath. Ten points up and losing.
Glad you got back okay.
The Huddle
Run. Jamie T coming on now. Dynamite!
Bognor bhoy
19.56
Keep making the pancakes!!!
Lost a mouthful of cider there!
Lilys
almore
Here’s theclip you wanted
http://bit.ly/1Lw5r1W
I hope Ronny is able to give the youngsters a chance, but only if they deserve it.
At times I wonder if we should dump our whole academy system, run a community set up, and pluck the best of talent from other Scottish clubs.
When I look at the supposed cost of our youth system £2m ? , it is on a par with Dundee United’s total club wage bill, and given their success with Gauld, Robertson, Russell, etc etc, the numbers put our success to shame
The Huddle
Jamie T has promised to dedicate a song to Rangers. Zombies on BBC3 soon. ;)
The Huddle 21.12
I couldn’t agree more.
TT
squire danaher
21:29 on 28 June, 2015
Am not qualified to leave anybody out, I done some quick workings, our Anto has played 145 starts and 44 sub appearances (in all competitions) notching 76 goals, not sure if that backs me up or your opinion but i had a tenner on Anto hattrick at 25/1 when we pumped Aberdeen 9-0 so my opinion is fixed…..think Anto and Izzy had a right good few games last season but not got they stats at hand, sometimes he infuriates me because as a striker he doesn’t like being in the blinking box but who am I too judge
By the way I would have loved to score one goal for Celtic never mind 76
Dallas
Thanks for that post earlier.
lilys grandpa
cheers
Bognorbhoy,
I’m still smiling can I use it if I go for a drink during the week?
Lilys
Our income is shrinking year on year and has been since Strachans 3rd season.( if you ignore income from European football)
We are in a league for minnows.
With very little commercial appeal.
What commercial appeal there is affected by the bigot old firm pound.
I am tired of saying it ,but we will never reach our true potential and free ourselves of the bigot old firm tag unless we leave Scottish football.
Yet again I find myself criticising our board for making no attempt and having no plan to move us into the EPL or into a more commercially rewarding European league.
As a European force we are dying a death of a thousand cuts.
Promoting youngsters who are not good enough will not improve our lot.
Frustratedasfeckcsc.
TT
i don’t have copyright…..
i stole it off someone else ;-))
Okay open season!
Cheers
Lilys
Fgf: cheers.
DD: ahem, mañana:-). I’m notoriously reluctant to pick up a book but it’s here beside me and I promise I will start it in the next couple of days. Once I start I will stick with it until I finish. The last book I read only took me a year and a half to finish but in fairness it had more than a hundred pages.
ClogherCelt: Fingers crossed for tomorrow night.
Delaneys Dunky
21:33 on 28 June, 2015
The Huddle
Run. Jamie T coming on now. Dynamite!
——–
And I’m back in the room cargo chilling
Clashcitybhoy at 21.36, I hope you and the family are well.
Our youth system seems to benefit other Scottish teams more than ourselves going by the number of our ex- youth players playing in the four Scottish leagues and the English leagues from the Championship down.
Ronny looks as though he means business with our development of players through our ranks to the first team.
In the last twenty years ,players coming through our ranks for a prolonged run in the first team has reduced to a very small amount.
The last players who came through our system I can think and were in the first team squad for three years or more were Gerry Creaney, Brian O’Neill, Mark McNally and Stephen Crainey. Not the greatest I know.
Brian O’Neill, in particular, should have had a long career with us. His potential was never fulfilled. There may be some disagreement with my assertion about Brian O’Neill
Gerry 21:41
£10 @ 25/1 is entitled to an opinion ha ha
Hail Hail
Lets be honest there’s not been an above average Scottish player in what 20 years? Celtic look like they are trying but if the players aren’t there what can you do??
delaneys dunky,
I got woken up this morning by the sound of a band marching somewhere close by here in Antibes in the South of France. I thought, surely not, but I through some togs on and went for a look. Happy to report that it was a bunch of merry French folk led by the local priest and carrying what I think was a statue of St Peter, the local version. Not a blue plastic bag in site, just happy smiling people.
Hope your well my friend.
AR