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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Where do you start ?
Memories of the Tony Mowbray season , shambolic defending , midfield not covering runners , centre forwards picking and choosing when to turn up.
Serial incompetence at every turn which in football doubles up as a bad luck magnet.
Based on the last 2 seasons Neil can’t cut it Europe and god knows what has gone on this year …. traditionally something as bad as this is the players have just stopped listening to the manager … and the manager leaves ….
We’re in no mans land without the benefit of a ceasefire ….
It will need an experienced boss to turn this round … sadly past experience is against us pulling up any trees …
In the short term Neil needs to turn to a basic 451 and play centre half’s in their position …
Hazard
Ralston Welsh Ajer Taylor
Johnston Brown McGregor Laxalt
Turnbull
Klimala
Bench full of youngsters
Wee Soro looked as though games were catching up and he can sit this one out.
Ed, Griff , Mo and Tom , Ryan can stay at home and watch it on the telly … Shane ditto
Big JC……….Wrong temperament for management…..has some of the skills and a lot of the mental capacity without the emotional intelligence perhaps!?
:)
JACKIEMAC
Going with what’s been happening over the past two years why on earth would you assume that?
THE_HUDDLE on 1ST FEBRUARY 2021 7:29 PM
Or we could try those that aren’t ex Tims, and approach those that have a record of achievements & experience in management and DOF.
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THE HUDDLE
That’s a ludicrous suggestion !!
Will never catch on, unless Mr McKay brings some bizarre logical thinking to the party.
All I can say is thank goodness Lennon was kept on to oversee the January transfer window, eh P67 ? That particular article has aged very well.
don’t think we will get anywhere near the £9m we paid for Eddy
In the short term Neil needs to turn to a basic 451 and play centre half’s in their position …
Ajer is never a centre back
20 – 30 m pounds for Eddy Bhoy………………
31003 – I’m trying to get me head around it. The only explanation I have is that it’s hectic at CP; there’s all sorts being sorted out and arranged for sept – but then why not get a caretaker in.
Are they in shock ? Are they in denial? I have no memory whatsoever as a celtic team as bad as we are now. Do they think this is a blip? I know St Mirre was bad but for me the bottom was a draw with livi’s second team – I put 50 p on livi to score a 3rd because I was sure they were going to our entire team is playing poorly.
Maybe I’m in denial. They must be bothereed by this. Please tell people at CP feel sick.
Are the Opta stats ever made public?
It would be interesting to see how the performamce indicators have changed overtime?
IS in for SB — does that help the stats?
£17.5m for Ntcham a couple of years ago, £5m this year. Does it matter? Either way, if we want a player to replace him it’ll be either a loan deal or £500k project
£100m it’d still be the same
Watch LFC
@Watch_LFC
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34m
Newcastle United had agreed a deal with the Turkish defender Ozan Kabak before Liverpool nipped in to sign the defender from Schalke. #LFC ‘blew Newcastle out of the water’ once they registered their interest.
It happens FFS
Don’t know about anyone else ,but I had my thoughts and fears on what we were in for after listening to our majority shareholder on the golf course . This character has no interest in Celtic . As far as I’m concerned he has left the decision making to Peter lawell , and what a hash of it he has made . It was over the papers that Davis had agreed a pre contract , a bit iffy that it was Liverpool who gazumped us , but that aside we should have got the lad to put pen to paper . Lawell has form on this dilly dallying can he be trusted to secure other potential deals , I wouldn’t bet on it .
JACKIEMAC
Wasn’t a dig by the way. I hope you are right
squire danaher on 1st February 2021 7:34 pm = I think you are right. I did remember there was another player along with Stevie Clarke but wasn’t sure.
!!Bada Bing!! on 1st February 2021 7:30 pm
Mick McCarthy is Cardiff manager now
Sorry, I didn’t realise that.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I will throw another name at you and then put my tin hat on. Michael O’Neill (currently at Stoke). He was brilliant for the North of Ireland. He has a home in Scotland (I think). I taught his sister. He can get players to give their all. Finally, he is tactically very astute. Oh well, Celtic are in a mess, but you will all be saying, thank God I am not in charge.
Now I am off to hide (I actually wanted Michael O’Neill before NFL got the job). Good night and for the first time ever I don’t give a feck who Celtic sign or don’t sign this window.
apologies for typos
THE_HUDDLE on 1ST FEBRUARY 2021 7:29 PM
For a manager, I completely agree that somebody with no prior connections would be the better move.
However, for DoF, it’s not unusual for clubs to have someone who knows the club – Ajax, Juventus, Real Madrid, Bayern…..
These will be the guys appointing the manager and would hopefully appoint someone best equipped for the job but someone they also think would be a good fit for our club.
is swampy tunneling into paradise to get NL out
SCULLYBHOY on 1ST FEBRUARY 2021 7:50 PM
I liked the idea of Michael O’Neill too although my only doubts were his lack of club experience. The way he has turned Stoke around though, suggests he has a good future in the game.
Jeremie Frimpong
@JeremieFrimpong
·
Jan 28
wanna thank my teammates for their help, the Gaffer for his trust and all the
@celticfc
fans for their love!
I will forever be grateful to Celtic and I wish you all the best in the future!
Four leaf clover
RC
Re Ajer counts as a centre half in the current shambles…. but I take your point
I can’t figure it out.
GEEBEE1978
I don’t think the DoF would have sole responsibility for appointing the manager. I’d say more likely the entire board, or going by recent seasons, by DD
31003 on 1ST FEBRUARY 2021 7:58 PM
No, he wouldn’t and ultimately the board decide. But he would use his footballing background to scour Europe and come up with recommendations.
I’m guessing if we had Moravcik as DoF, our next manager won’t be from UK or Ireland.
I know it wasn’t 31003. I cannot square any of it. None of it adds up.I’m listening to ACSOM aswell going through some of the finances at the moment – not easy listening.
As feared a car boot sale to make up revenue numbers for this Financial Year
Expect more later in season at knock down prices.
Interestingly though, Ajax appointed Van Der Sar to the board and Juventus gave a similar role to Pavel Nedved. It doesn’t hurt at all to have “football men” in high positions.
I’m not confident…but I hope Big Dom takes the time properly to build something sustainable.. Have a common sense approach, manage things on an interim basis,ie) get someone in who wont scare the horses, steady the ship / yacht……..and use the operation to involve the support and mend fences along the way.
I’d hope he plainly sticks it to the huns and emphasises their liquidation…….but not sure how possible this is now.
HH.
WESTCRAIGS on 1ST FEBRUARY 2021 6:15 PM
If anyone considering signing for our club read this site they would be appalled at the abuse our manager and players receive.
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thought the very same when the post game pictures of the buschasing were text to me from tims around the planet.
hh
I tried researching “what is the scope and roles and responsibilities of a director of football ?” yesterday.
It varied, massively, club by club.
what was often cited was “act as a buffer between CEO and the Football manager”.
The google search was littered with fallouts between these 3 layers and often the board/owners.
Mostly on the perennial buying players within a budget, or the transfer selection committee, or projects bought.
for sure, if we are going to apoint one, I would go for someone currently in that position elsewhere, and definately not an ex player with a celtic connection ………….
jock brown maybe.
Didn’t we have a former captain and legend with another club as DoF and he appointed a former teammate as manager.
JACKIEMAC on 1ST FEBRUARY 2021 8:00 PM
I know it wasn’t 31003. I cannot square any of it. None of it adds up.I’m listening to ACSOM aswell going through some of the finances at the moment – not easy listening
this years figures- bad
next year bad to oblivion!
hh
geebee1978 on 1st February 2021 8:01 pm
Interestingly though, Ajax appointed Van Der Sar to the board and Juventus gave a similar role to Pavel Nedved. It doesn’t hurt at all to have “football men” in high positions.
——
I don’t mind football men in high positions, I’m doubting there are any ex Tims that suit the bill at the moment.
I like John Collins, but why hasn’t anyone else employed him? Coach or DOF?
Henke, failed manager, now a coach. Big risk to give him the DOF or Manager.
Lubo, not had much of a successful post playing career, now the vice-president of the Slovak Football Association
£400K for Dubai, An Tearmann – jeez
A director of football is a senior management figure at an association football team most commonly in Europe. The exact nature of the role is often unclear and causes much debate in the sports media.
The presence of a director of football acts as an intermediary between the manager and the board and may relieve pressure on a manager by handling aspects away from day-to-day coaching, allowing a manager to focus on on-pitch performance. 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. The director – often an experienced football figure – may also positively advise a less experienced manager or the board of a less well developed club.
In contrast, there are many examples of tensions arising between director and manager, often due to questions over the remit and powers of the two positions; particularly with regard to control over transfer policy. This had led to many well publicised and often highly damaging disputes within clubs.
In general, directors of football are not shareholders in the club, or hold a nominal stake. This is opposed to other members of the board with whom the director of football will sit.
While most common in association football, professional gridiron football teams often have a similar director of football operations or vice president of football operations position, who serves as the second in command to the general manager or team president.
Contents
1 As a figurehead
2 As a technical director
3 As a go-between
4 As a general manager
5 References
SS- 🧨
SS- thanks for the weather forecast earlier
6 An Accountant