“Sell Out Saturday, show everyone the SPL doesn’t need the Old Firm to thrive”. Discuss.
You have to admire the Aberdeen fans, and fans of every other club in the league, even Kilmarnock fans, who are clearly infuriated by the actions of their chairman. For perhaps the first time in history they have stood up to their clubs and football administrators and effected real and genuine change in our game.
Aberdeen fans produced this Sell-out Saturday graphic, urging people to “show everyone the SPL doesn’t need the Old Firm to thrive”. By ‘Old Firm’ I am sure they don’t mean the cash-cow rivalry Celtic had with Rangers, they mean without Rangers, and without Celtic too.
For every other club in the SPL, Celtic are now their most precious visiting brand. For fans of every other club in the SPL, Celtic are a competitive irrelevance. This season our income is likely to be greater than that of every other club in the league. We pay superstar wages while, for the most part, they pay real world footballers real world compensation.
In short, the SPL doesn’t need the SPL to thrive. The clubs may (or may not) believe they need Celtic to pay bills, but recent events have demonstrated that might not be the case.
There is another problem to consider. If the SPL keeps Celtic, in a decade or so they will have Newco-Rangers, and the whole dysfunctional business will start all over again. Kick Celtic out now and Newco-Rangers will never materialise in the manner it would if Celtic remained.
SPL fan power has one more club to sort out.
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Bada Bing
Unfortunatly I tend to agree with you, I don’t think Lenny is learning from past mistakes.
I also hope to be proven wrong.
BSR @ 22.58
I think we are now a £40mill football club with a £20mill football wage bill. When you have SR / ND fogging the dead horse that was the TFOD2 into the 1st Div so hard you had to wonder whose agenda were they working to?
I fear that the lack of imagination and poor strategic leadership that is PL means that he cannot see how the world would work without the TFOD2 in close proximity. The current situation suggests that the CL qualifiers are not top of the agenda at the moment.
Consequently I will have to add backward looking to PL’s ever growing list of faults. At this rate he would struggle to get a job with G4S.
I don’t like Ajax,and i don’t like Holland either.
Lowlands eh? Lowlifes more like.
Just in from the pub. Have not read any posts. This was a total embarrassment. Don’t tell me it was only a friendly. It was a friendly for both teams and we were totally, shockingl inept. Ajax had two keepers over the 90 minutes. Neither made ONE save.
To cap the indignity, our 3-1 victory over the was shown at half time. In 1991, we could have beaten them 8-1. Today, we had NOT ONE shot on target. Absolutely fricking awful. What did we do for the Celtic brand today? What did we do for the traveling support? NADA!
I am so angry, I could.. Never mind. We have known for years that we had a hole in the middle of the defense. For Ch— s, Lawwell, fix it!!! Otherwise, we will be booted out of the CL by some Finnish amateurs.
A few years ago, when we were our heyday, with Henrik and Sutton, we struggled to beat HJK 3-2. We are so far behind that team, it beggars belief.
Did we have ONE single moment of skill in the whole game? Did we create ONE single scoring opportunity? I watched the game in the company of some Americans. After 15 minutes, they were so bored, they got their IPods out. Jes — fric –ing Ch –, we were so bad, it was appalling. Football is supposed to be entertaining. Where was the entertainment?
We can’t even get the basics right. After we get possession, does our defense move up to the halfway line to force their forwards to do like likewise? No. Do we press their defenders like they do ours? No. Unlike Ajax, do we try to to dribble, then lose possession? Yes.
I don’t see any signs of progress. Brown. Shocking performance. Izzy? Totally anonymous. Hooper and Stokes? Didn’t try a leg. Rogne? Disaster. Wanyama? EPL? Dream on.
Ponderous, pedestrian, no pace, no goal threat, no shooting, no imagination, no creativity, no fast break, boring, boring, boring, boring, that was us today.
We play Real Madrid shortly. I am convinced that if they wanted to, they could keep the ball away from us for the entire 90 minutes.
Ah, the joys of watching Celtic.
Iniquitous
Bada Bing
I agree that we possibly had players on more money than some of the Ajax players tonight
I can understand us losing to the big european teams but some of the teams that have beaten us over the last few years have smaller stadia,smaller budgets,smaller tv revenue,smaller support maybe even smaller ambition,certainly smaller european history
itsabouttim on 21 July, 2012 at 23:11 said:
Don’t know mate,he would never get on our team anyway,but he could have been a useful squad player.
What is the Stars,
I agree wholeheartedly with your post.Friendlies or not,I think it is very easy to dismiss these results without being more than a bit concerned.The fact that we failed to even score against two pub teams in Germany has alarmed me.Furthermore we sent a team to Firhill today and by all accounts we were totally outclassed by Partick Thistle.Again for me that is very concerning.
We have got rid of a stack of players but the likes of Murphy,Thompson and Rasmussen are still around and its doubtful if we will get rid of any of them.
I know I’m going to get the old calm down routine,but if we don’t sign a right good centre half shortly we could be in big bother.
WITS @ 23.00
Us vs Euro football.
We have looked undercooked at this level early in the season for the past 5 probably 10 years. Add in the poor showings at a number of high profile friendlies and we are both a declining team and a declining brand.
Bada
I think that you’re probably right, a fair number of Celtic supporters have reservations about Lenny’s ability to learn from previous mistakes.
Mad mitch
I agree,I think we all probably know that,
hamiltontim on 21 July, 2012 at 22:56 said:
However, I’d be concerned if the players and management haven’t learned anything from today. I can accept the defeat and even the scoreline but the by product must be the benefits of developing through the lessons learned.
____________________
I can’t disagree about lessons are there to be learned from most games – conceding poor free-kicks around the box, poor marking at a corner, being caught out by a breakaway – each or all resulting in conceding a goal.
You can go back to the training ground/ video on a Monday and address the problem(s). However (going by the posters who watched the game), we appeared to only be in the game for the first 10 minutes – for the remaining 80 minutes we were systematically taken apart. That’s self-defeating.
Maybe the lesson from tonight is: forget 3-5-2 in Europe – we will only get away with it against certain opposition in the SPL!
hamiltontim on 21 July, 2012 at 23:18 said:
The manager never has any money to spend.
Uly – Polska!
Madmitch – following recent events at Mordor, I can’t believe you’re still criticising BQ! You and Neg Anon should be man enough to offer your apologies to the wee man for saving us from the EBT “armageddon” route.
It’s not his fault that there’s a lack of vision at the club, with our host left to bang the drum for the sought after escape route!
T4
voted MOM today…
big Vik…
http://worldofajax.wordpress.com/2011/04/19/viktor-fischer-danish-dynamite-part-iii/
I’m afraid this is the standard we can expect in the future although I hope I’m wrong.
Sixteen roads to Golgotha on 21 July, 2012 at 23:20 said:
I can’t quite agree with that. How many players has NL brought in?
I’m off… with my half full glass. It was, ahem, only a friendly and it’ll be alright on the night.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: FF ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
::::::: Matthews ::::::::::::::: Rogne :::::::::::: Chuck :::::::::::::::::: Emilio :::::::::
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 67 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
::::::: Brown :::::::::::::::::::: Kayal ::::::::::::: JL :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Commons ::::::::::::::::
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Samaras :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
There we go.Lenny bought the goalie for £1.8million,Emilio for £650,000,Victor for £900,000 and Kayal for £1.2million.Mogga signed young Rogne.
WGS signed SB and Samaras,they cost a few bob,fair enough.
All the others are free-transfers.
Hooper & Stokes were signed by Lenny for a combined total of £3.5million.
This is our manager’s third season in charge,and he has done very well,all things considered.
Neil Lennon is not to blame.
Tomorrow’s Sunday Mail. Craig Whyte, you never fail to crack me up. Haha http://t.co/O1Kb5Fim
Nada @ 23.09
NL got the job because he was cheap, keen and had fan appeal.
Talent and ability did not come into it, he was putty in the hands of the board and would always toe the establishment line.
I am not surprised regarding our slow start, all the building blocks are in place just like last year and to expect any different would be optimism beyond credibility.
We have a coaching staff out of their depth.
We have a CEO at his wits end worrying about the break up of the OF.
We have a squad on edge waiting to be decimated.
The only question is who will be next after Ki.
MadMitch
One bad result in Europe isn’t an excuse on my part to have a go at PL.
But as you say ‘I fear that the lack of imagination and poor strategic leadership that is PL’
I suspect our next set of accounts may show an uplift, but , that is only because of long term declining turnover, declining profits, declining sponsorship revenue, an inability to take advantage of digital media and a declining share price.
Couple this with no lateral or creative routes to get into a better quality league, and you are looking at the reasons why all the famous British car makers of the 50s and 60s have either disappeared or are merely a badge for a foreign producer.
Tesco sacked their main man earlier this year because of a poor Xmas ,….I think he officially stepped down , but , I bet the guy wishes he was at Celtic, as he would still be in situ for another 2 / 3 years.
I don’t want to start who runs the club debate again, but I was told the other week that the only player Lenny has brought in is Hooper, the rest are PL signings.
celt55 on 21 July, 2012 at 22:20 said:
The whole thing stinks …..l can’t believe they are still feckin’ about ….. Any other team and they would be gone by now ….. Soon, though… Inevitable, despite all the nonsense going on ‘behind closed doors’ …… I suspect green and sally are at loggerheads …….like 2 farts in a trance …..LOL
Tricoloured Ribbon on 21 July, 2012 at 23:00 said:
Praecepta,
Was the Spurs score not 2-2?
_______________________
3-3 at Hampden.
I believe: Greaves, Auld (2), Gilzean, Greaves, Chalmers – and we hit the woodwork a couple of times before the end with Jennings well beaten!
praecepta on 21 July, 2012 at 23:20said:
If the lesson is, as you say, that 3-5-2 won’t work in Europe then that’s a blessing!! :-)
TopCorner on 21 July, 2012 at 21:30 said:
some images from today’s game at Partick Thistle
http://www.ptfc.co.uk/media/photo_galleries/match_galleries/2012-2013/partick_thistle_v_celtic_xi_21_07_12
scores…
Partick Thistle 2 Celtic 0
Airdrie 1 Everton 2
—————-
the new retro 1924 strip looks a million rimes better without back soaks
“spiv”
haha
they’re hurting
:)
TET
I can’t believe that’s the case. Regardless off everything else that will be said in light of today’s result, I don’t accept that NL is a yes man.
T4 @ 23.22
BQ’s vision saw the club’s debt balloon to unsustainable levels, so much so that the Irish Raj was forced to go against his instincts and stated position to fund an emergency rights issue to keep the show on the road.
That is what BQ’s lack of ability in leading a football club, specifically after Seville, got us into. He had many talents which has been highlighted by his handling of the EBT issue but he could not do growth in the context of football in the SPL.
Sixteen roads to Golgotha on 21 July, 2012 at 23:28 said:
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: FF ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
::::::: Matthews ::::::::::::::: Rogne :::::::::::: Chuck :::::::::::::::::: Emilio :::::::::
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 67 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
::::::: Brown :::::::::::::::::::: Kayal ::::::::::::: JL :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Commons ::::::::::::::::
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Samaras :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
There we go.Lenny bought the goalie for £1.8million,Emilio for £650,000,Victor for £900,000 and Kayal for £1.2million.Mogga signed young Rogne.
WGS signed SB and Samaras,they cost a few bob,fair enough.
All the others are free-transfers.
Hooper & Stokes were signed by Lenny for a combined total of £3.5million.
This is our manager’s third season in charge,and he has done very well,all things considered.
Neil Lennon is not to blame.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Correction – Commons was signed for about £300,000,as he was in the last year of his contract.
What is the Stars on 21 July, 2012 at 23:00 said:
The Europeans are playing a different sport.
They exploit our inferior skill level when we try and keep possession. When they have the ball, options in front, left and right. They have both composure and strength to retain the ball and play it bac-the-way to start again.
We are 20 years behind them.
Better go now.
Depressed & stressed.
Slan.
Some right laffs the nicht………………….
Seriously.
HH.
HT
I didn’t want to believe it either, I was given chapter and verse about the relationship between JP and PL, this came from a man who knows PL very well, and used to go to all the games with PL years ago.
Lenny has his dream job, he will do whatever it takes, if that is called being a yes man, then that’s what he is, there is no shame in that, that’s just the way it is
MadMitch
European Football respectability is presently beyond Celtic who’ve survived ( just ) in a bankrupt and becoming more so, league. I don’t think the parameters for Euro success are set out behind closed doors, at Celtic Park.
Anything that comes along like a Seville, will be seen as bonus time, but Neil Lennon has only moderate aspirations given the budget he’s allocated by the money men at Celtic, and they’ll say “we want to do better in Europe” but don’t really do anything to prove it.
Centre Back is a position polarised again tonight, ( for years it was Full Backs) because we don’t have one worthy of the jersey in Euro terms, but tonight the gulf in class was evident, in every facet of the game and wasn’t about absent signings, or lack of investment, it was much more stark than that.
It was about the way the game is played, and three of the goals were almost apologetic.
I hop ‘them in Division Three’ doesn’t become a constant point of reference, like ‘look what happened to them when they overspent’.
SRTG @ 23.36
Is the team you mention playing above or below its ability level.
If not then coaching is to blame.
Regarding the finances you highlight the broken PL inspired business model – cheap players on big wages not producing the goods on the park until the clocks go back.
Clocks go forward and the lack of drive, focus and delivery returns.
Unfortunately the season is longer than 5 months.
hop = hope
I remember someone writing in the media that we were ten years behind Rangers just before Martin O Neil took over.Those ten years past very quickly over a pre season actually.