Photo: Vagelis Georgariou biglens.co.uk
In the immediate aftermath of defeat in Turin our manager was magnanimous towards his opponents, the television broadcaster and his players. Sky TV were thanked for their treatment of Celtic (note to others), Juventus were encouraged to win the Champions League, and Neil acknowledged some players may want to further their careers beyond Scotland.
Let’s be clear, most of the squad are happy at Celtic. Georgios Samaras could go anywhere in Europe but this Celtic team is his project, as much as it is yours or mine. Many of the others, including Matthews, Wilson, Lustig, Forster, Mulgrew, Commons, Ledley, Forrest and Izaguirre are settled at Celtic with plenty still to achieve.
Hooper and Wanyama have declined contract offers, so will be most likely to leave in the summer, but in the business Celtic are in right now, if they go, who they go to, is important. If we lose players to tier-one clubs it will make attracting others a whole lot easier. If you are a stepping stone to Barcelona, as with Larsson, you are a far more attractive employer than if you lose a striker to Norwich City (I’m friendly with a former Nigerian international who went on trial to Hamilton Accies the week after, and on the strength of, Brian Easton leaving there for the English Premier League).
Selling right makes it easier to buy who you want. Got to get the right price, keep them for the Champions League qualifiers, and make sure you sell to the right club.
See you at 7.30pm tonight at the Supporters’ Association Club on London Road for the Twists & Turns Celtic Supporters Club charity night. There will be Question and Answer session with me, John Fallon, Dixie Deans, Archie MacPherson, compared by Phil Agnew. Afterwards you can enjoy music from Foggy Dew.
Tickets are £10 and you can get them from Phil by calling 07811 178764. Profits are going to the Tommy Burns charity.
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SoT,
Interesting comments from Conte, re studying Celtic’s SPL games.
He knew obviously that we had to go for it, so what better way to respond would be to see how the teams that mugged us in the SPL went about it.
The problem, if any, with the team is that scoring opportunities have not been as plentiful as expected.
I think that as NL stated early on, the CL was going to be a major priority.
To achieve anything at that level, we had to adapt our normal all out attacking policy.
However, I think that he used his “European” style in domestic games also, in order to have the players comfortable in their roles and not having to change styles for either competition.
This approach led to slow methodical buildups, that even SPL clubs could deal with, but unfortunately, on many occassions, the back door was left open.
I fully expect to see a more expansive style for the remaining games, unless Neil can only see the game through pragmatic eyes, as learned from his managerial mentor and his own playing style.
Off oot to try and source a safe burning candle to add to the jumbo sized cup cake I hope to get tomorrow
10th anniversary of Seville coming up in May. Since then this is how we have performed in Europe
2002/03 UEFA Cup final
2003/04 CL Group Stages/UEFA Cup quarter final
2004/05 CL Group Stages
2005/06 CL 2nd Qual Rnd
2006/07 CL Last 16
2007/08 CL Last 16
2008/09 CL Group Stages
2009/10 EL Group Stages
2010/11 CL Qual Rnd/EL Play off Rnd
2011/12 EL Group Stages
2012/13 CL Last 16
For the league we play in and our budget then not too bad a performance. Especially when you compare to the 1980s & 1990s.
setting free the bears
14:04 on
8 March, 2013
SFTB not convinced you have the inside track on the big IF of Neils thoughts and reasons for leaving Celtic
If you are correct, i would give Neil this piece of advice, football fans are fickle the world over, in Italy they could invade the training ground intent on violence, in England……….. well talk to Steve Kean
Lionthatroared.
I could tell you stories about how to grab the SFAs attention.
Have done it twice now.
First resulted in a change to the unfair review panel process and maybe even the resignation of Gordon Smith.
Second got them telling Alex Thomson about the mission statement they were not following. More to come on that front as they clearly put integrity on the back burner in spite of upholding being what they said they stood for.
Think of them as a large dying tree that needs a few more chops to bring it down.
Read A Question of Trust update and original on TSFM where supporter trusts of many clubs were asked to convey their feelings to SFA.
One,ICT replied illustrating what Celtic are up against. The fact the proposal came from a Celtic background might have put them off.
Watch out for another attempt at involving FIFA using their new whistleblower web site.
It is a matter of chipping away and not giving up but the SFA have pissed all over sporting integrity to such an extent heads will have to roll to even begin a restoration of trust process.
Self respect, well mine anyway demands that I do not allow others to treat me like a fool and use my emotional attachment to rob me in the process.
Excuse me getting a bit irritable but its hard enough battling them without support from your own.
Jungle Jim
I was told it was complex and to trust that Celtic are working on it.
I decided I would but if I can keep chipping away in any way then I will.
SFTB
I agree with many of your points. But this isn’t Celtic’s fault. It’s just modren life, which, as we all know, is rubbish.
Nobody takes anything on the chin any more. Everyone is within a few millimetres of mercury of bursting a blood vessel any time another person plays their music too loud on the train, objects to music being too loud on the train, cuts in front at the self checkout at Tesco, blocks the pavement, looks at us the wrong way.
We are mental.
Tabloid culture has a lot to answer for. Everything is either magic or, much more commonly, tragic. There are no ordinary days when you just read your library book and have some tea. Everything has to be about building ‘me -the brand’ and me showing me who’s the boss of me, which is me.
All tosh. Where is the laughter or the peace? Where is the stillness? Where are the good manners? Plus, I’ll say something else that will seem idiosyncratically old-fashioned to lots of people. People no longer know how to speak to one another. Or even dress properly.
I used to think DBBIA was exaggerating, but he is older and wiser than I am. And he was right all along.
Steinreignedsupreme
Aye, you are of course right, just does my head in when they can cheat, and tell the world what they are doing, and get away with it.
Auldheid
14:16 on
8 March, 2013
Continue the good fight clearly i am not fit to be in your presence
lionroars
I have no inside track nor do I claim it.
I have seen indicators, from people and posters I trust, that Neil is considering it (not yet determined to go).
Neil is like any player or manager. If a “bigger” club comes along offering a hugely raised salary, it will be considered.
Maybe Neil is merely advertising his availability to smoke out offers. Maybe the clubs that approach him will not be as attractive as Celtic. I am not speculating that Neil will go this summer but I am certainly not expecting that he will be here beyond 2014 if we do well at CL group stages next year.
Ferguson and Wenger are anomalies in modern football. Other successful managers, Hiddink, Mourinho, Ancellotti, Capello etc; move around with varying degrees of success until they exhaust their own patience, their chairman’s patience or the patience of club fans.
I have always said that the club which changes its manager more than 6 times a decade, is a club showing sure signs of decline. The exceptions are those with strong Central owners or Chairmen, who adopt the role of providing stability and continuity.
Auldheid @14:19 if someone patronises me with “It’s complex” I reply “All right. Go on. I’ll try my best to keep up.”
When I hear “Trust me” it has the opposite effect. Always.
Petition signed.
HH
SFTB
Although I agree with most of what you write I would say that whilst your point re Celtic being no different from equivalent big clubs in Hungary, Norway, Slovakia, Denmark and Sweden is a logical one it misses out that Celtic is in terms of support and achievement – and therefore expectation- a much bigger club than any single club from the leagues of these countries. As I say illogical that this is the case but true nevertheless. I am mostly happy with our lot, like our manager a lot and think he and his team have done very well with the failures you highlight glaring- albeit at the time infuriating- blips. But I can understand why younger fans who have only dim (if any)memories of the disappointments of the 80s and 90s get upset when things don’t go well.
Apologies for the overly long paragraphs.
Hail! Hail!
Jimbo
Auldheid
I agree with you. Those who can find the words must speak up. If you speak up well enough at the right time to the right people, it will make a difference. You have made a difference.
It’s also reassuring that Celtic are still working on this. And it’s equally important for the club to know how badly a lot of us want them to fight this fight (because otherwise too many of us will lose too much heart).
Celtic First
Excellent post. I would just make the one distinction that it is not always the younger generation that are guilty of those faults.
lionroars67
You have made good points in a civil way. Your last remark to Auldheid is out of keeping with that.
Celtic first:
If we’re exhalting a honey hued, “leave it to beaver”, sepia tinged vision of old-fashioned standards, I might point out that use of proper English grammar should be mandatorily composite of said ehaltation.
In that regard, your sentence “I used to think DBBIA was exaggerating, but he is older and wiser than I am” requires revision as the “am” at the end is superfluous; the sentence ought to read: “…he is older and wiser than me”.
Auldheid
Thanks for the reply. I sincerely hope your source is reliable.
JJ
PS petition signed.
ET.
Why should it be left to the shareholders to fight the issue of a licence, if as you say a halfwit lawyer would win that breach of eufa rules , why isnt our club fighting it .
Jimtim
Auldheid 14.16
……..Excuse me getting a bit irritable but its hard enough battling them without support from your own.
_________________
You can get as irritable as you ever feel the need to.
You do more in the battle for fairness than all the rest of us do collectively.
Your energy & persistence are awesome.
WE OWE YOU.
THANKS.
I’m not a big Hooper fan. He’s ok.
His positives are his strength, shot, and positional sense.
His negatives are his lack of speed , lack of aerial dominance and his first touch.
We really need a top class striker if we are to progress.
Just as importantly, we must toughen up physically.
Our bhoys were too easy to knock off the ball on Wednesday.
But we are certainly on the right track and our club is on the rise.
Lionthatroared
Your self respect aint my problem.
31003
13:51 on 8 March, 2013
A gentleman would have offered a hand :)
Natsoola
I never mentioned patronise. I took statement at face value on basis I did not know what he knew.
That left trust.
jimbo
You are right.
In the post Bosman era, at least once we got to grips with the post-Bosman era from 2000 onwards, Celtic are doing better than Ferencvaros, Copenhagen, Malmo, Austria Wien and, probably, Basel.
Scotland is a one sport nation whilst all those other nations manage to support several sports at a high level. I worry that Scotland’s football supporters will get sickened with our treatment on several fronts.
Attendance at football matches varies over the decades, not always correlating with competitive success. We have done well to maintain a healthy level in a time of recession and dislocation between fan and club but we can see a possibility of reduced attendances ahead and it will not be reversed by becoming a fan run club as we’d never agree, or via big money signings as that is a false road to go down; that was the rangers road of pretending to be a bigger club than you are. It was fur coat and nae knickers when there was a cold wind blowing from the south.
Auldheid said:
” Excuse me getting a bit irritable but its hard enough battling them without support from your own.”
Auldheid,
You are doing a fantastic job in trying to apply pressure and keeping many Celtic fans informed. I would stongly recommend that you ignore the views of those Celtic fans who simply regurgitate the MSSM`s bias. I am certain you can spot those to whom I refer, effortlessly . Use your energy for the real fight; don`t waste it on trying to educate those who are determined not to be (educated).
JJ
Gerryguk7
“…he is older and wiser than me”.
—
No, no and thrice no, sir.
SFTB
I agree with you about there being a lot to be optimistic about in young people.
setting free the bears
14:29 on
8 March, 2013
Recently Neil has been very irked with the MSM here, living life with the Glasgow MSM has been likened to that of living in a goldfish bowl, given what we all know what has happened to him here in his 10 years, for Neil and his family magnify the goldfish bowl by what 10 times at least, it really is no surprise to hear his mind is wandering to looking at pastures new, leading a different life, a quieter life with his family, he is only human.
I wish on my part Neil would treat the Glasgow MSM with a disdain and minimalist approach, ignore the fickle fans, smile at them and walk on by, it is impossible to please every fan, maybe Neil should also consider finding for him and his family a quiet part of beautiful Scotland were he and his family could relax end enjoy life more, i do hope that Neil explore all options to stay here before he makes the call to leave, thanks for your reply
Was chatting to a colleague there…..
” The bhoys haven’t done too badly this season, eh ? ”
His immediate response
“At least we’re still alive” …………LOTS OF LOL followed…..
Jungle Jim
14:42 on
8 March, 2013
I take it that post was directed at me
Madra Rua said re Hooper:
” His negatives are his lack of speed , lack of aerial dominance and his first touch.”
I agree with the last two but lack of speed? Hooper is incredibly quick over the all important 10 yards. The fastest I have seen in Scotland this season. For a while, I couldn`t see what Neil Lennon saw in Gary H but I can now. He is having a dry spell but, ironically, it is during this spell I have come to realise what a powerful and significant player he is.
JJ
Auldheid
14:38 on
8 March, 2013
Try getting my blog name right
SFTB
WGS wasn’t disliked for being “not a Celtic man” as you state; at least not among any of his detractors i have spoken to.
He was disliked (by me among others) for his failure to act with any imagination in the transfer market after his first season; for the withering away of his team in the second half of 2009; for his refusal to go along with the board’s provision of money for Steven Fletcher in January 2009, which refusal I ahve on good authority; the selections of Flood and Caldwell in midfield against Rangers in February 2009, in one of the most woeful games of football I have honestly ever seen,leaving McGeady and Crosas on the bench; for his description of Celic fans as kestrel lager drinking yobs; for the generally dreadful standard of football from late 2007-summer 2009, acknowledged successes notwithstanding; for insulting the intelligence of the Celtic support further for suggesting we would be “warped” not to have been enthralled in a game we drew 2-2 with Dundee United; for his complete blindspot when to came to centre halfs; for his insistence on stocking the squad with mediocre SPL all-stars; for his repeated failures at the other end of the market (Gravesen, Jarosik, Donati,)
These are legitimate grievances about Strachan, I personally know of nobody who disliked him because of his background, and I think it does our support a dis-service to state otherwise.
lionroars
I agree that MSM is showing few signs of re-evaluating their “snarling ned” portrayal of our manager. Sure it is even echoed on here by some of our own.
However, having faced down the worst of what they’ve thrown at him, I do wonder whether other “pull” factors rather than those “push” factors are influencing his thinking.
We will know soon enough.
I’m aff oot- wonder if I’ll bump into KevJ there?
Lionroars67
After I had posted it and read some other comments, I thought you would think that 0:-)
Honestly, I was NOT addressing it to you.It is patently obvious that your posts are genuine opinions and not the simple minded regurgitations to which I was referring. Not only that but I agree with most of what you post.
JJ
jimtim
I can’t answer for the club, but I would imagine that if the club were to take issue with the sfa through the courts, we would have problems with uefa and fifa.
We are Celtic, now if we were another club from the other side of the city, it wouldn’t be a bother, the other club can do what they want, where they want.
Just ask the residents of Barcelona, Pamplona, Manchester, Berwick etc, etc….
THE EXILED TIM 14:23 on 8 March, 2013
“Aye, you are of course right, just does my head in when they can cheat, and tell the world what they are doing, and get away with it.”
I agree. But make no mistake – there is not one Zombie that wouldn’t swap places with us right now.
That is the comfort blanket for us – and no amount of spin will alter that one bit.
And at the risk of tempting fate – should Celtic qualify for the Champions League again next season Sevco will not get anywhere near us for at least 10 years.
Gerry-spot on for me.
setting free the bears
lionroars67
You have made good points in a civil way. Your last remark to Auldheid is out of keeping with that.
He took a badly written post of mine the wrong way in the last thread, i did apologise in a latter post which was ignored, since then he has a adopted what i consider to have been a patronising condescending attitude towards me including me blog name being twisted.