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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Jungle Jim
14:52 on
8 March, 2013
Fair enough, glad you seen why i thought it was directed at me
Lionroars
” me blog name” . You are not Charles Green are you? 0:-))
SFTB
Interesting point regarding the likelihood of attendances declining further. I agree that none of the knee jerk responses you suggest would arrest them and suspect that until a genuine domestic rival emerges they will continue to slide regardless of how well the team is doing at home and in Europe.
I think the club is at the moment very much at the mercy of events it has no or little influence over. I have not agreed with everything the board has done in the past or is doing- but that relating to the football side of things the strategy seems both sensible and less likely to lead to a collapse in the way that clubs which lived beyond their means did here, in England and Europe
Interesting times ahead as they say
Jimbo
I know I should not be doing this but I will, whyare we encouraging (almost begging) each other to sign a petition pleading (almost begging) for total strangers to fight the fight that we are not prepared to fight ourselves?
What is the CST doing? What is the CSA doing? What is Celtic PLC doing?
I’m not going to sign a petition which in effect is passing the buck.
If I can’t stand up for myself for what I hold dear in my heart, then if I must ask others to fight my fight, maybe after all, I just have a poor heart.
For the love of your club, your multi-cultural culture, and last but far from least, and most important of all, have the decency to stand up for yourselves and if you see a fight that is worth the fighting… fight it.
Jungle Jim
14:57 on
8 March, 2013
Lionroars
” me blog name” . You are not Charles Green are you? 0:-))
Sorry it was typo, you were a headmaster i believe 0)))
A football club is never static it is ever changeing players come and players go this has allways been the way of things.Managers come and managers go that is also the way of a football club and Celtic are no different in that respect.However,we should never under estimate how big a deal playing in the Champions League is for a player and also for a manager and we should be able to get a decent level of footballer to join us for the opportunity to play in the Champions League.However, in the end for most players money is there main motivation players look at others playing in England and getting paid £250,000 a week and think I want some of that and who can blame them ? We must give quality youngsters the platform to show there skills in Europe before they move on for the bigger money as long as we are in Scotland this will be the way we operate so if Hooper and Wanyama want to leave lets say thank you very much Lads and good Luck with your new clubs while we bank the big cheques and bring in two new aspiring hopefulls to replace them.H.H.
But if evil prejudice is your hearts motivator, then count me out.
geryguk
I have not the time to counter all of that.
very quick response and I’ll catch up later.
I did not invent the not-Celtic minded nonsense. It was the self expressed view of many a poster on here and on other Celtic sites. Some of them even posted instances of his celebrating a Rangers goal against us and other rumours.
I am not saying this was bigotted abuse or shortjabd for non-Catholic. i only ever heard one Celtic fan dismiss him as a prod and I am fairly sure he was joking But there were definite assertions that he was not Celtic-minded
I accept the stylistic limitations of his Celtic sides but we have posters now portraying NFL’s team as too attack minded and not shutting up shop. We always complain even when we get what we wish- which is my central point.
WGS never insulted my intelligence either with that or with the devil dug comment. Some Celtic fans chose to cross the street to take offence because it helped re-inforce their already closed minds to anything he did.
The transfer failures are typical of all managers. Steven Fletcher was seen as a mistake only after he was successful in England (same as James McCarthy). Check the contemporary comments- very few Celts were terribly keen on Fletcher or McCarthy then. It is a Monday morning quarterback criticism.
And finally, Maloney for Mcgeady at Ibrox. there was no bigger fan of Aiden’s than me on here but this was merely a judgement call. Aiden was never a star at Ibrox matches and only had one outstanding game against them- the St. Patrick’s day final. And you spoil the impact by adding Crosas to the complaint; I think he should have played Pat McCourt in the run in to the title he lost but neither you nor I would make decent managers.
Catch your reply later
GERRY7UK
Canny argue wi that-pretty much what those I know thought too.
We were ALL itching for him to carry on the fight against the huns the MSM,and the SFA,not to end up fighting-and denigrating-us!
I’ll grant that he achieved much,but against weaker Rangers teams than his four predecessors ever faced.
Neil Lennon has dampened down speculation about his future as Celtic manager by insisting he does not see any reason why his status would change.
In the wake of the Hoops’ Champions League last-16 exit on Wednesday night at the hands of Juventus in Turin, the prospect of the Northern Irishman attracting interest from other clubs on the back of such a remarkable run was mooted, with chief executive Peter Lawwell admitting his manager could be in demand.
However Lennon said: “It (speculation) makes no difference to me. I can’t stop speculation about players or myself but at this current period I am Celtic manager and I don’t see any reason for that to change in the future.”
He added: “I am the manager of Celtic and I am one of the privileged few who have been lucky enough to do this job. I enjoy it, I love what I do.
“Does it flatter you? It just means that you might be doing a decent job along the way.”
AULDHEID
I’ve only once ever had reason to disagree with your approach,which was the mooted sponsors boycott.
I’m delighted to have your analytical process on our side.
Hail hail to a damn fine TIM!!!!!
Lionroars
`Headmaster` was a promotion given to me by A Ceilor Gonof Rust. As a good, honest Tim. I would never have joined The Establishment 0:-)
Jungle Jim
15:15 on
8 March, 2013
Lionroars
`Headmaster` was a promotion given to me by A Ceilor Gonof Rust. As a good, honest Tim. I would never have joined The Establishment 0:-)
Will put you down as a rebel then
LR 67
One of the few `put downs` I will readilly accept.
JJ
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS
15:14 on
8 March, 2013
AULDHEID
Spirted defence mate, is Auldheid under attack?
If he is who’s doing it
Gerryguk7,
agree with most of your points, never even thought of his non celtic background, I felt he was a football pundit for to long, his statements about watching football for the last 18 months, watching players, wanting to play fast attractive football was all in his head, he said for 18 months he scoured europe looking for talent and I think his 1st signing was Paul Telfer, he was totally out of his depth in Artmedia, played the wrong team, Boruc shoul have been in goal, next match against Motherwell he persisted with Marshall, look what happened, he bored the life out of me and eventually led to me giving up my season book, he will do the same with Scotland, I could go on about him all night, only my opinion
Jungle Jim
15:19 on
8 March, 2013
LR 67
One of the few `put downs` I will readilly accept.
JJ
LOL was that a put down, wish i only received put downs like that
Less than 24 hours until we KO against Ross County in a League which still has to be one. Any views on tean selection and predicted score?
JJ
WON!!!!!
`Tean` selection is to do with energy drinks but if anyone would like to suggest a team selction instead, feel free.
JJ
Italian press praise Celtic supporters
By: Newsroom Staff on 08 Mar, 2013 15:23
CELTIC may have lost their UEFA Champions League tie against Juventus, but on Wednesday night it was the Celtic supporters who once again triumphed on the European stage.
The backing that the large travelling support gave to Neil Lennon and the players, from first minute until last, was characteristically impressive.
But it was something that the Italian press and Juventus supporters weren’t used to seeing, because they lavished praise on the Celtic fans after the game in Turin, which Juventus won 2-0.
“The Celtic fans gave an authentic lesson in sporting civility, of fair play and passion,” the Calcio Mercato wrote. “Despite losing the game and being eliminated from the Champions League, the Celtic fans never stopped singing and encouraging their team, while they also paid tribute to Juventus.
“The Juventus fans and manager, Antonio Conte, complimented the Celtic fans at the end of the match.
“Celtic have been a worthy rival of the black and white stripes of Juventus. Those green and white Hoops are the uniform of a team worthy of applause from the football world.”
Celtic Chief Executive Peter Lawwell said: “We’re delighted but not surprised at the compliments from the Italian press after our game in Turin.
“Our fans have a superb reputation, and wherever we have played in Europe, they have ensured that we have made new friends along the way.
“Their backing of the team is something that Neil and the players always appreciate, and it has been an important part of what has been an exciting Champions League campaign, both home and away.
“And while that support may have taken the Juventus fans and the Italian press by surprise, given the result on the night, it’s something that we know is characteristic of our supporters who are always faithful through and through.”
gerryguk7
I know of some who didnt like him cos he wasnt a celtic man.
Didnt he refer to phone-in callers in general as kestrel lager drinking yobs ? maybe it was just rhyming slang !
WGS has been fullsome in his praise of the club including the fans.
Jarosik and Graveson did okay in Europe – Graveson v Milan away – looked the part.
Not too unlike Sammi in Europe v SPL.
I’ll love WGS for Naka, for Boruc (who was good in his last few months with club too), for Tannadice or for beating Man. Utd if you want to talk about individual games for being the first manager since Jock Stein to win 3 titles in a row.
ArranmoreBhoyLXV11
13:52 on 8 March, 2013
HH
Kilbowie Kelt.. Love you testing my Archdiocese knowledge with the OHR, abbreviation.Years ago My mum s Catholic calendar was always handy….
holy and redeemer have to be in there? Nice one.
JUVENTUS IMO prepared for the games in part, with an American football style ” play ” strategy.
They HAD obviously watched us in forensic detail and developed plays which were executed by players who had the speed of thought and intelligence to do so.
Pirlo in the Quarterback role was able to orchestrate many moves..
They knew how to disrupt our set plays,even illegally.
They knew we had wandering full backs , vulnerable to a long ball over the top.
Ultimately they had the speed and intelligence to score if given a chance.
Gary s lack of spatial awareness and tired mind, led to him losing the ball in midfield to an opponent that seized the ball with a razor sharp attitude. Two seconds later, as Gary is wondering what happened , the ball is in our net.
We did it last week to St Mirren at a corner.. A training ground move.
I’m only using an example , not beating up Hooper..I like him a lot.
There was so much to be learned from Juventus, in game preparation. I hope we take that with us next year.
HH
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A quality post.
Last 8 next season, if not next season then the season after that.
Neil will have learned so much from these two games. How old is Neil?
Mr Anagram
You accuse me of being a multi poster.
I respond.
You then state that I am back to harrangue you.
To be honest I dont think Ive addressed you before yesterday.
And that was only one post.
Or maybe….
Now forget all the bluster and answer the question that was asked.
Which multi poster do you accuse me of being
Just found out that smashinmilkbottles, for the first time in his 56 years will miss 2 celtic games in a row….. Juve game followed by Ross County game……..shame on you smashy
Haw Clink\O/ Comfy Collective…
What’s In Them Kebabs….?
Still….Laughin’.
BeretWearingHeroesCSC
Now that he’s been outed he’ll probably come on and post something derogatory about me….don’t listen to a word of it….
Was there a SPL meeting scheduled for today or did I just misread something
wait…wait…here it comes….
Content clinko. It’s what drives the site.
I didn’t accuse you of being any particular multi-poster.
Double questions. I don’t answer them. I’ve deconstructed yours as a wee favour.
Do you always become so furious as the weekend approaches?
Do you get kept in or something?
It will be a hard game in Dingwall. Any win will do.
I hope Rogic and McGeouch play and do well.
Can people not disagree without being disagreeable? Please. It’s a football blog. Say what you think, disagree with whomever you choose, but it’s a football blog and we are expressing opinions about football (and sometimes a few other things).
People have to stop expressing their disagreement with fellow CQNers as though they were trading insults as part of an eight-generation-long blood feud.
Peace. Please. And love.
Is this a double question? Me being thick an aw…
• Ntassoolla
20:12 on 28 February, 2013
SFTB would you like to see Celtic move to Dublin?
Do you agree with describing Scotland as a cesspit? As bigotland?
Celtic_First
15:50 on 8 March, 2013
Can people not disagree without being disagreeable? Please. It’s a football blog. Say what you think, disagree with whomever you choose, but it’s a football blog and we are expressing opinions about football (and sometimes a few other things).
People have to stop expressing their disagreement with fellow CQNers as though they were trading insults as part of an eight-generation-long blood feud.
Peace. Please. And love.
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Well Said.
Strange
Two accusations of multi posting.
Both from newish contributers.
Hmmmmmmmm………
I am a multi poster….but always under the same name….
Kit
Youll be accused of being me next.
Hes not worth breaking the 125 on.
HH
Ntassoolla is the reason Durex now carries 1 billion dollars of public liability insurance.