Celtic were invincible domestically in season 2016-17. Players like Tierney, Dembele, Roberts and Rogic lit up the league, but Scott Sinclair was unequivocally Player of the Year. His impact on the team was immediate, scoring 20 minutes after coming on at Tynecastle on his debut and turning up on all the big occasions.
His partnership with Tierney on the left forced opponents to become preoccupied with stopping Celtic down that wing, which allowed others freedom elsewhere.
One moment in particular stood out. Celtic were 65 games into their unbeaten domestic run when they faced Motherwell at Fir Park in November 2017. The same teams met three days earlier in the League Cup Final, which was settled when Scott won a penalty, converted by Moussa Dembele, which saw Cedric Kipre ordered off.
At Fir Park, the Motherwell fans jeered Scott every time he touched the ball, blaming him for making the most of the contact from Kipre. It must have been a torrid experience for the player. An own goal by Mikeal Lustig gave the home team a lead on 78 minutes but Celtic won a penalty with two minutes remaining.
When many players hide under that kind of scrutiny, Scott grabbed the ball, scored the penalty and extended our unbeaten run. It was a great moment in our treble treble years. He was a player who never hid.
The decision to take up the option to extend his contract by a year in May looked obvious. He was a known resource at a time when the team faced a number of changes. I have no idea why Neil Lennon left him out so much this season. Mikey Johnston and Mohamed Elyounoussi are at the top of their game, but have been out injured simultaneously. Still, Scott was only used for a meaningless Europa League fixture.
He leaves for Preston a Celtic great.
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Kiss My Arse Also Known As Laird of Smiles so you are a Proclaimers Fan
Hopefully Soro turns out to be a good acquisition & not another squad
player we will see if he can make an impression & break into the first
team & stay in the first team time will tell
Like a lot of modern managers slippyG will be on to 10pc of any transfer fees coming in.
Hence the Morelos pish.
No one hates Morelos, its just we know he’s not as good as what Gym Trainer wants him to be.
They need £20m to see the season out after the Sports Durect judgement this month.
But Celtic NEED to tool up with MEN.
UTR
POG………..
sadly, no.
AKBW, I had the same issue with my credit card in a Chinese Restaurant in Clonmel.
There are Malaria issues in Countries all over the World, In Asia, South America etc. All I’m saying it’s not right to brand an entire Continent as a major malaria risk.
@SETTING FREE THE BEARS FOR RES. 12 & OSCAR KNOX on 9TH JANUARY 2020 8:50 PM
Thanks for the reply. Again, not sure that it’s an entirely fair assessment.
Firstly, the WGS years are quite a long way back and at that time we could bring top internationals to the club (Gravesen, Jarosik, JVOH, Naka), so quite difficult to compare directly to the BR years. NL’s first stint is more apt for comparison I’d say.
The problem is that your focus on Neil’s tenure relates to his one very successful campaign, whereas you critique each of BR’s years one by one.
If you looked at the full picture under Neil’s first stint, you would have to acknowledge that Neil failed to qualify for any European competition in his first year; failed to qualify for any European competition in his second year (but saved by the bell due to Sion’s transgression of the rules); his third year was exceptional (in every sense of the word, as it was an aberration- we were also lost 5-0 in the knockouts), his fourth year we finished bottom of the group (Ajax who finished 3rd lost 6-1 on aggregate in the next knockout game; AC Milan who finished 2nd in the group lost 5-1 on aggregate in the next round, finished 8th in the league that year and have not been seen in the CL since).
I would say BR’s three years in sum were far more successful than Neil’s four, although Neil hit higher heights with qualification to the round of 16 in the CL. Still, BR had formidable groups. Had he have been luckier, maybe a last 16 place would have been possible.
BR was far from perfect. His hubris led to some incredibly embarrassing individual results in Europe, but his period at the club raised the bar in a lot of ways and his European record (participation in Europe each year- something both WGS and NL failed to do) is solid.
CorkCelt I’m not saying the whole of Africa is a Malaria Zone the point I’m making is
that it does have serious health warning issues & its not just Malaria it also had a
Ebola Virus epedemic as well in some of their Countries so put it this way its more
safer to go around say parts of Europe which is more nearer & more safer than
going to one of the 56 Countries of the Continent of Africa that is a fact
Its getting past bed time later folks.
I had my credit card cloned in Manhattan at the Royalton………….
……..I was alerted after the nugget had bought a Bible and hunting gear in Costco.
You could pick up Malaria in Heathrow airport.
Airport Malaria:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airport_malaria
BANKIEBHOY1 on 9TH JANUARY 2020 10:43 PM
I had my credit card cloned in Manhattan at the Royalton………….
……..I was alerted after the nugget had bought a Bible and hunting gear in Costco.
——————————————————————————-
BB,
The nugget wasn’t Johnny Cash by any chance? 😉
“I went out walking
With a bible and a gun
The word of God lay heavy on my heart
I was sure I was the one
Now Jesus, don’t you wait up
Jesus, I’ll be home soon
Yeah I went out for the papers
Told her I’d be back by noon”
POG…………
It was a while back, so ye might be right…………..
:)
He bought other stuff too but the bible and hunting stuff stuck out a bit.
Having just the one cc that really mucked up that trip.
Thankfully – had enough (johnny) Cash to tide me over.
HH
I know I shouldn’t have but had a wee look at Soro on YouTube – strong lad with an eye for a pass.
So we won’t be signing him then.
Good luck to Sinky with his move to PNE. I remember watching his debut, August 2016, against Hearts in Captain Morgan’s pub in Hayes in the company of fine CQN’r Cyrenean and a few others, before I flew out to Brunei for the first time.
On 18 September, Sinclair became the first Celtic player since Jimmy McGrory in 1922 to score in each of his first five league matches.
the hands cant hit
The problem is that your focus on Neil’s tenure relates to his one very successful campaign, whereas you critique each of BR’s years one by one.
Fair point but the reason for that is that I was providing the alternative evidence to Chairbhoy’s hypothesis that bringing in BR was a change to our mis-termed “risk-averse” strategy and that this signalled a stage of “planning to do better” or “speculate to accumulate”.
I provided the evidence that, while acknowledging improvement in style, trophies won and league winning margins, it did not improve the number of league titles won nor our position in Europe. Brendan managed 2 Europa League last 32’s in 2 of hs 3 campaigns. That’s no more than ok in anyone’s assessment. He did this at a cost of us beoming a less competitive CL outfit in each passing campaign. CL 1- promising. CL2 – record heavy defeats and CL3- failure to qualify. He did not improve our standing at CL level. He did not guarantee improvement in the round. He did not vindicate a “non-risk-averse” approach.
Of course MON’s reign was not all Road to Seville glory but overall was palpably better than BR’s and more supportive of the “invest for success” approach but hardly vindicates the hypothesis as he never qualified out of a CL Group.
WGS has the best bang for buck Euro record with 2 last 16 CL stages achieved but his face never fitted well with the Celtic support and it took only 1 lost league in 4 to produce a clamour for him to go. Admittedly, his team’s playing style was less adventurous but he did make us harder to beat in Europe.
NFL has a mixed Euro record but he too , in one season, got a CL last 16 place, an achievement I rate as comparable with being losing UEFA finalists, even though his team was much less stellar than the Seville side.
Ronny Deila’s overall Euro record is weak but he can argue that his tilt at the last 32 Europa tie was a better challenge than either of BR’s 2 attempts at it.
My point was not to belittle BR’s Euro expertise. In my mind he took a brave approach of asking our players to be better than they thought they were capable of being. It was a worthy attempt but, in any assessment, it ended in failure, heavy CL defeats and no tangible return from Europe.
I point this out only to , yet again, state that there is no guaranteed approach to European success or improvement for a club from a peripheral Euro league. And I accept it is harder in Brendan’s time to do so than it was in MON’s or WGS’s but we must also acept that it is also harder for NFL to do so in his 2nd stint, though I think we have, at least a 50:50 chance against Copenhagen to go further in Europa than we have managed since MON’s time. The glass ceiling gets ever harder to break.
For years we said
Look at Benfica! or Look to Ajax! forgetting their relative size and standard of competition compared to the SPFL.
Then we started to say. Look at APOEL or Zagreb or Qarabag or BATE or whoever had a better one-off Euro season than us, ignoring the fact that over the long run, our Euro record is better and more consistent than those comparator clubs.
There is no easy solution to this dilemma. On CQN we are still prone to present solutions that are nothing more than wishes- Buy better players! Play better football! Get different managers/players/subs/ fitness coaches/psychologists/bus contractors!
Yet, year on year , European success drifts further and further away.
I have no solutions. Just a healthy scepticism for the simplistic “throw money at it” solutions I hear on here from many. I want a development coach that improves players but I want a less idealistic and unbending one than BR was.
There are guys out there like that but do we , as fans, have the patience to give them the time to build a squad and a team and carry out the necessary experimantation to do so. I see no evidence that we are. Certainly not at a time when 9iar is on the line. We are far too anxious and wound up to give anyone time or allow players to have an off day.
Just having a wee chuckle at all the Evertonians on Twitter absolutely imploding at the idea of Hummel making their kits from next season.
We are very slow when it comes to signing players, surely you identified targets before jan, start talking to clubs and have them signed up when the transfer window opens. Not impressed with the soundbites, its the worst time to be a celtic supporter.
The ability to change tactics to defeat teams is actually more important that
Get French Football News
@GFFN
Breaking | Tottenham Hotspur have in recent hours made an approach for Lyon striker Moussa Dembélé, according to
@B_Quarez
. More follows tomorrow on Get French Football News.
THE HANDS CANT HIT WHAT THE EYES CANT SEE on 9TH JANUARY 2020 10:36 PM
BR’s record in Europe was solid?
We took 6 points from 12 games in the champions league and lost 5 out of our 6 home games including defeats by BMG and Anderlecht
Even ignoring the humiliations away to Barcelona and home and away to PSG 3 draws and a victory against an awful Anderlecht team in a total mess is an embarrassment for a club like ours.
WGS had a back four of Telfer, O’dea, McManus and Naylor and took a Milan team who won the tournament to extra time in the knockout stages.
DAVID17 on 9TH JANUARY 2020 11:29 PM
Get French Football News
@GFFN
Breaking | Tottenham Hotspur have in recent hours made an approach for Lyon striker Moussa Dembélé, according to
@B_Quarez
. More follows tomorrow on Get French Football News.
———
Saw earlier this evening that Kane is out till April with a hammy op. Dembele and Eddy both popped into my head.
HH jg
“£65m” for Dembele?
Wow. I hope so.
Hail hail
GOING NOWHERE Lyon president insists Moussa Dembele will NOT be sold amid Manchester United and Chelsea links
https://talksport.com/football/653326/lyon-president-moussa-dembele-manchester-united-chelsea/
Good morning CQN from a cold and dark Garngad
Woke up at 1am for a Lillian Gish and there was snow on the ground all gone now though brrrrrrrrr⛄️.
Just looked at my phone and I have 2 texts from a different group of people saying Eddie was on the plane home apparently, their thinking is he is away.
I cannot see that happening until the summer, so I don’t think it’s true and hope not.
Probably a play by the smsm to play down another transfer window for Celtic (although we seem to help them with that) and get a low mood/ feeling around the club before we start back a week on Saturday.
So come on Celtic, get some players in.
D. :)
I have thought that Taylor should be our first choice left back. Nice to see this supported by the excellentCBN.
http://celticbynumberscom.ipage.com/patient-taylor-deserves-his-chance/
Off for a cold game of golf.
Cheerio for now.
Morning, David 17 ! Yesterday Lewis Morgan in team for the shop window 😂he will still be here if that’s the case HH bhud
Good morning from a somewhat chilly Forres. For those of us who have lived through transfer windows, ie everybody, we will recognise the scenario as another Groundhog Day.
For those who think Lenny will spit the dummy out regarding Peter Lawwell remember this – Lenny was unemployed when he got the Celtic gig again, and his managerial career was going nowhere. He is now in his dream job with decent remuneration and a more than even chance of winning trophies. He like the rest of us will put up with whatever PL delivers the only difference is unlike us he will not be vociferous about the transfer policy. There is no Leicester City sitting in the wings waiting to lure Lenny away.
We still need a decent CH, a defensive midfielder and and a goal scoring roughhouse up front. Secure these and we should retain the league.
Meanwhile Hatem and Tom Rogic are apparently injured again along with Mikey Johnston. 🙁
Ever since Dembele left us, I have expected Edouard to follow the same route. A couple of seasons with us, a couple of seasons back in France and then a mega move to England/Spain/Germany.
If Dembele goes in January to EPL, for 60 million or so as is being touted today, then would anyone be surprised to see OE being the subject of a 30 million bid from Lyon? If so, I would hope the board have the cajones to get Lyon to wait until June as they have nothing much to play for this season.
One thing we know,our board, will allow him to go if he wants the move and the price is right. I
Pog
Read el Hammed, has started 3 of 20 league games, so out injured for 85%
Frightening statistic
Yes looked good when played, but at 15% is not acceptable
Mind you Jozo Simonuvic is at 100% missing on leagues games so far this season
Tom Rogic, has managed to make the squad on 8 occassions
Going by Neil’s update yesterday on injuries, Elhamed won’t play for a few weeks, Ely has just had a cast removed from foot so who knows when he will be ready, MJ needs a thigh scan and Rogic hasn’t progressed out of the gym and onto the park yet.
So that is us 2-4 first team players down for a while yet.
Elhamed is the most worrying – injures his groin two months ago, does his rehab, comes back and is injured again without playing a game.
worrying injury stats indeed
so our wee boys who cant handle sevco games are generally fit
and our bigger guys who can take care of the hun are generally injured so cant play
an issue to be addressed before the window closes gently at the end of the month
DENIABHOY on 10TH JANUARY 2020 8:31 AM
The Board will have no option but to allow him to leave IF , on signing for Celtic , there was a clause in the contract allowing him to leave if certain conditions were met by the prospective purchaser.
That`s IF.
NORRIEM – I said back in November that Elhamed is either extremely unlucky or had underlying fitness issues before he joined us.
Plays a couple of games, misses a couple of months. We’ve been here before.
If Eddie is for the off then no worries, the well oiled machine has replacement already lined up, we won’t be caught on the hop no siree
MACJAY1 – for sure. IF there is a clause I can only hope it was not set at 20 million which, at the time, we thought was good value for Dembele.
Mousa, surprisingly, had no other big offers for him so no bidding war. PL will def be aiming to create a bidding battle this time – hence, in my opinion, the 25 million to Leicester spin in the press. Reminds suitors that within 5 months, France’s hottest young striker is up for grabs.
It is not only Jabba that feeds the journos rumours.
Why are we weakening squad? Lewis Morgan sold for a profit , SS to reduce wages.. Something not right
Morgan is a decent player. Is an inside forward , not a winger or CF.Never played in PL needed a settling in period
Lenny says he want a couple of experienced players rather than projects in to help the team – come home Victor !!!
Losing Morgan is not weakening the squad.
Losing the recent incarnation of Scott Sinclair is not weakening the squad.
Good move by the club on both.
Now spend the money Celtic !!!!!!!
DENIABHOY on 10TH JANUARY 2020 9:09 AM
For all its other alleged and supposed shortcomings , I feel we can be confident that the Board and the much maligned PL will maximise the financial benefit to our Club.
Probably including a sell – on bonus.