The Celtic soap opera season continued through the weekend. We were taken to the school of St Mirren on Saturday, then watched incredulously as a central defender we knew little about but who Sky incorrectly reported had signed a pre-contract, was instead heading for Liverpool.
Vasilis Barkas was dropped after the 2-2 draw with Livingston, he would be forgiven for being grateful as Scott Bain was given the unenviable burden of coping with a level of defending unseen at Celtic in decades. For the good of the player as well as the team, Neil Lennon has to accept Shane Duffy does not have what it takes at this level. A midweek pantomime against Hamilton went unpunished, while St Mirren fully exploited his meanderings.
In early December, I was assured Neil Lennon had the full support of the dressing room. Speaking in the heat after Saturday’s defeat, he questioned the players’ attitude and behaviour. There was no containment of the problem, no deflection of pressure off the squad and onto his more capable shoulders. Whatever goodwill exists must be under strain.
It must be difficult to find the words for so many post-match failures but throwing players under the bus is not the received wisdom. You and I are left to ponder what direction our season will plunge towards next.
Deadline Day in the ‘January’ transfer window leaves us with little to get excited about. We can hope for a central defender to fill the gap left by Christopher Jullien and a right back to allow Kristofer Ajer to move back into the middle. We cannot, though, buy confidence.
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Don’t know if some will agree with this but,…….if it was Aberdeen or Hibs who were 23 points ahead of us, and not thems…..although we’d be angry, would we be AS angry?
Celtic40me
In your opinion of course., if it’s from the same pool as our current incumbent then I fear you will be wrong.
Depending on who is still here during the summer, determines the rebuild.
Don’t think it’s a crime nor is it a fault to want what’s best for your club, as I asked earlier are we the best we can be, the answer is ……….
Kilmarnock sign young central defender from Arsenal till end of the season……..Why would they want to do that , that’s just daft !
31003 on 1ST FEBRUARY 2021 9:26 PM
I think in this season of all seasons, to blow the 10 would be enough to provoke the anger we are seeing at present no matter who was in front.
ONENIGHTINLISBON
You’re probably right…..but it makes it a wee bit harder to take for me
Jonjoe has signed until end of season official – now for a panic buy CB … or we just move Ajer into CB and hope he learns how to jump.
The board and recruitment team has done nothing to help Lennon this season – in fact, if you wanted a team to fail – these are the types of players you’d sign!
31003 on 1ST FEBRUARY 2021 9:31 PM
Absolutely. To see that mob win anything is hard, but this year….
Celtic40me – no I don’t, but not because we play in Scotland. He’s all about having control of the footballing side of things and being backed to crack on and do it. He wouldn’t get that with us so he’d pass on the opportunity.
He’s previously left good jobs to drop down the divisions in Germany for that reason (he went to Hoffenheim in the second or third division to get that level of control when he could easily have got a Bundesliga job) and he’ll soon get bored of his current gig with Red Bull, so if the offer was right he probably would think about it (in my view).
But we won’t give him that level of control and backing, so probably not worth thinking about. We’ll end up with Malky Mackay or someone like that…
Signing confirmed
31003 – yes I think we would – blowing the ten (whoever was ahead of us) so spectacularly would bring the same anger I think! Remember how furious folk were when Aberdeen were running Ronny’s team close?
Also, I accept we can’t win all the time, but the capitulation of this season is shocking!
Rumour doing other boards & Twitter than NL is on a £1.6m bonus for winning the 10 and club will need to pay him that bonus if they sack him while mathematically still possible to win league.
Rumour mill usually pish but nonetheless I can’t understand why else he is hanging around. Financial reasons seem like only reasonable explanation to me.
players don’t want to come to Scotland (poor league reputation and horrible weather) – fact! We need a manager who players want to come and play for. Ex pro, ex international eg
SAINT STIVS on 1ST FEBRUARY 2021 8:14 PM
The director may also help to stabilise the club – many examples exist of director stepping in as a caretaker manager on the departure of the manager.
*like winning the League Cup giving Lubo his first medal in the game.
SPIDEY101 on 1ST FEBRUARY 2021 9:37 PM
What role do you think he would do at Celtic?
I thought he left Red Bull?
He’s never managed outside of Germany has he? Do you not think its a bit of a step down to be set up for a top job in Milan and then consider coming to Scotland to manage in a two horse race? This a totally different challenge from the ones he’s taken on before.
Malky Mckay as our next manager its just silly. We know thats not going to happen.
BFTB- another one doing the rounds, can’t chase him until it’s mathematically impossible…..
GO TELL THE SPARTIM on 1ST FEBRUARY 2021 9:27 PM
It goes without saying that we all want what’s best for our club.
Lhads………..
Genuine question – have any of the rumours been proven correct…….
My own view those putting the rumours out are only attempting to make a situation worse…for what end, one can only imagine!
Whoever told the monosyllabic, one expression Harrison Ford he could act?
!BADA BING!! on 1ST FEBRUARY 2021 9:54 PM
The way he’s going Sir, there is not a long wait😱
All the reasons that are being forwarded as to why we are still persisting with a manager who is not getting a tune out of the team are just specuation and guesswork based on absolutely zero inside information.
The only sure thing is that the team has been harmed abd is continuing to be harmed by this stance. Though losing the 10 has blown a massive hole in the season, this is not a dead rubber. I expect NL can negotiate this squad to 2nd place in the league but I doubt he can get them playing to a level where the SC is likely. For that reason alone, we need a change, even an interim manager.
It is crucial that we put some fear into the Ibrox mob for next season’s campaign. If we cannot compete better and beat them in the 2 remaining fixtures or beat them to the SC, we leave their rampant confidence intact and undented.
PL is on a farewell tour and is unlikely to be supplying that drive. Neil has exhausted all his attempts to get the players going. The reins need to be handed over to someone however un-forein and non-stellar his name is, because we still have a trophy to play for, a CL qualification to secure and, I would hope some pride left in our club.
We can do nothing about SBs or boycotts till May (then we’ll see how many threats are followed through).
But our team are still playing football matches and the results still count for something.
Saint stivs.
If the celtic board think they can sell 50000 seasons tickets irrespective of having a good manager and good players and a successful team then why bother?
Why spend money on the team if you know you can sell 50000 season tickets?
My take on lawwell’s thinking.
We have sold 50000 season tickets and we have a waiting list so do we really need Martin O’Neil?
We have sold 50000 season tickets and we have a waiting list so do we really need Brendan Rodgers?
Would you walk in to a restaurant and call over the owner and tell him that you don’t care if the food is awful, the wine is rubbish and over priced and the service stinks but you will be here every Saturday for lunch because you are a loyal supporter of this restaurant.
If you are willing to give your unconditional support to anyone, whether it is a religious leader, a political leader ,the people who run your football club or you local restaurant owner then be prepared to be treated badly.
I know :-)
Oops, above comment in ref to –
31003 on 1ST FEBRUARY 2021 10:03 PM
Whoever told the monosyllabic, one expression Harrison Ford he could act?
Lovely picture of Errigal
https://twitter.com/DonegalWeatherC/status/1352056446251388929
Forgot to link it
PB- 3 games in a week, and ive no confidence of winning against anyone right now.
FRANKTERRY
Heehee
I’ve done that a million times. Commented on a post without referring to it. You can just see the faces of those who think your disagreeing with them, or laughing at a post when someone else has posted something serious
31003 on 1ST FEBRUARY 2021 10:22 PM
Indeed!
http://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-12205873
Report saying we could all be vaccinated by May 🤞
WESTCRAIGS on 1ST FEBRUARY 2021 10:08 PM
Well said 👍👏👏👏👏
Bada
Does that include Scotland?
If Lennon is still here in May ,we will all need a vacation.
31003 @ 10:03 PM
Whoever told the monosyllabic, one expression Harrison Ford he could act?
——–
His agent.
Who was on 10%
ON — If we have let him go with an option to buy set at EUR 5mill then I would checking some mobile phones to make sure there wasn’t any double dealing.
Also waiting to see if the mythical £60K tariff charge / special bonus payment makes an appearance?
This is up there with LM pushing SG out the door in mysterious circumstances in 93/94.
Any “positive” news from The Dilapidated Edwardian Toilet Block?
BACK TO BASICS – GLASS HALF FULL on 1ST FEBRUARY 2021 10:46 PM
31003 @ 10:03 PM
Whoever told the monosyllabic, one expression Harrison Ford he could act?
Probably the same person who told Shane Duffy he could play fitba .
R
Sometimes you read stuff on here…. And you know its a total wind up……. ‘I don’t think we’ll get anywhere near the 9 million we paid for eddy’!!…… Yep someone actually wrote that……. Tho we’ve just received 12 for wee Jeremy 😂😂😂😂….. Brilliant……