Don’t give me your ‘slump’ mockery. Just think for a minute, what if this IS our slump? Five league games in 17 days, four of which were won by a single goal is as bad as it’s been since Brendan Rodgers took over as manager.
We have, of course, shuffled the pack. With a hefty nine games this month, Brendan is correct to rest the weary legs which concluded our Champions League group only two weeks ago. He also has a full programme over the festive period to prepare for.
With 20 wins in 21 domestic games this season we’ve won the first trophy, scoring 11 and without conceding. Win our remaining games this month and we’ll be at least 17 clear “and it’s not New Year”. With a game in hand.
Scottish football has never had such a dominant champion, even during the two nine-in-a-row eras. It’s been achieved with largely the same squad as last season, while we were the only team participating in European group competition – and with a sustainable financial model.
I know talk of “slump” is ridiculous, but I bet you’ve already picked up a shift in perception of what is normal for Celtic. Most of us have been around long enough to remember the dark days. Some of us have been around to remember the winter solstice, which lasted from 1954 to 1965, but we’re all susceptible to recent-experience bias.
The collapse of Aberdeen this season robbed us of what competition we had but in compensation, we’re watching a great Celtic team come together. Team development does not happen on a linear plane. It requires risks to be taken and mistakes to be made, but no one is in any doubt about Celtic’s direction of travel.
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Scott Sinclair is on a different level. We’re lucky to have him.
‘There’s only one Brendan Rodgers
One Brendan Rodgers
Walking along singing this song
Walking in a winter Slumperland’
Ahh,
Our slump continues! It’s mag is is it not?! What a time to be in a slump!
SMSM are so bitter..What with the deadly 4 at liquidated FC scoring 12 between them!!
COYBIG
HH
ID RATHER Hve Snodgrass than mc GEADY OR MC ARTHUR
How about a slumped crest, since we are all so crestfallen by this slump.
League won by March? Treble? 6 in a row? dark days indeed.
Little Micks.
How tall is Calvin Miller?
Young Calvin started as a forward and moved back into defence. Andy Lynch and Big Tam McAdam the same.
Can anyone think of any players who have switched from defence to attack?
BURGHBHOY
Chris Sutton. And I’m pretty sure Charlie Nicholas started as a defender,though that memory might have been dependent on how much bevvy had been consumed by either my source or me.
And John Charles. And Virgil Van Dyke against Morton,for example(!)
Dyke=Dijk in DAVIDOPOULOS spellcheck speak.
Big Sutton was a centre half i think.
High winds forecast over the next few days – take care if you are round govan way
Van Dijk started as a striker…
BMCUW
Knew Big Sutty sometimes played CH for us. Didn’t know he started out there.
Big Virgil was RD’,s plan B!
Never knew that about Chas!
HH
Keech ‘jingle jangle’ Jackhun, the Brian Glanville of Lancefield Quay, says we are not interested in Snodgrass, that will be the end of that one then…
Broonie was a winger I think.
I think Franco Baresi started as a striker, South of Tunis could confirm?
Logically it will get better as we all learn it
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3qz7ncADpes
Found it myself. Calvin Miller is 1. 82m
1.82m= 5ft 11.65354in
https://mobile.twitter.com/katbrown/status/811505759141986304/photo/1
Julio Iglesias was a goalkeeper.
Burghbhoy on 21st December 2016 1:26 pm
Can anyone think of any players who have switched from defence to attack?
______________________________________
A couple of boys in my old Boys Guild team did.
HTH
KTF
Dion Dublin was a defender.
Slump? Aye ok. As pointed out by many, if this is a slump, long may it continue. I was talking to JPT last week on a separate matter, but on general chit chat, I said to him that everyone said we would have to go through a ‘sticky spell’, but actually, we were in the latter throes of our sticky spell right now. Sadly for our pursuers, we haven’t dropped a single point as we negotiate it.
What Brendan has done is similar to what you see to jockeys do on a horse they know is better than anything else in the race. He’s getting a breather in.
With 2 additions in the January window, and the same again in the summer window, the bad news is that 2017/18 will be different to this season in one respect only, that being Brendan will be steering Frankel, and won’t need to take such a gamble. Just keep turning on the after burners and make relentless progress to the finishing line.
The SPL ‘split’ will be a pointless exercise, at least for Celtic, for the foreseeable future.
Gareth Bale used to be a left back,…………….but he’s all right now
thoughts on team changes, don’t mind if its to give players playing time and match sharpness, but would have liked to see players being selected for their normal position i.e. ML is in my opinion never a centre back and i would have much preferred to have seen someone like EO’C playing at centre back if he’s fit.
BURGHBHOY
I remember-vaguely-reading an article in 4-4-2 a few years back.
A well-known centre-back-did I say it was a while back,wi vague recollections?-was talking about his manager’s pre-match at a reserve game when he was regaining fitness after an injury.
“You’re up against a 17yo tonight. He’s a centre-half,apparently. They must be stuck for players”
The Evil Genius. Two goals. Mullered him.
Willie Miller the dandy don started as a striker and
ended up a referee.
TWISTSNTURNS
The split wasn’t far from being a pointless exercise for us last season either(!)
Not a Celtic player but CQN’ers of a certain vintage may remember Paul Warhurst. He was a defender with Sheffield Wednesday who got put up front as an emergency striker following a few injuries. He then went on a prolific goal scoring run helping take Sheffield Wednesday to the two cup finals that season in which they lost to Arsenal. Warhurst even ended up with an international call up for England as a striker.
Ole Celtic legend Harald Brattbakk used to be a striker………….. now he’s an airline pilot.
RON67
Agreed. He is cover during a game because of injury/red card. Not as a starter.
The Calvin Miller situation last night,I’m sure he’s delighted to have got his start,but I’m also sure he sees himself as an attacking mid,not a full-back. Got me wondering how many roles Jackie McNamara
I reckon both full back and wing back roles. Centre defence. Right mid. Centre mid. And bliddy good at them all too.
Mibbe we can clone five of him,four Chris Sutton-he was hard as nails in midfield anaw!-and a Henrik and we can win the Frankenstein League that the huns initiated in 2012…
How did Miller play ?
Delighted to see Henderson start.. was bit worried he hasn’t even been making bench recently .. how did he do ?
THETIMREAPER on 21st December 2016 1:44 pm
Dion Dublin was a defender.
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I thought so; from his performances for us, he was never a striker!
KTF
BARRYBHOY
He won the EPL wi Blackburn too. Good shout!
Not sure which position he played there though. He had one or two decent strikers in front of him!
(Ok,midfield if he had one or two decent strikers in front of him.)
Celtic striking legend ( © Luigi Macari ) Wayne Biggins made 9 appearances in a proper slump that ended with 0 goals.
PROUDBHOY
Henderson?
An assist and Man-of-the-Match.
So…
Two contributions in ninety minutes. Must do better,or he’ll Hibs it(!)
Seriously,looked good from the highlights ‘GG posted overnight.