One year ago, we dared hope for an invincible treble but it seemed impossible, even the greats never achieved it. The Lions lost home and away to Dundee United in season 1966-67, while we achieved the treble on only two other occasions. When Tom Rogic dinked a 90th minute winner in the Scottish Cup final you and I knew the level of achievement.
At that point, 2017 went down in our history as a year bettered only by 1967. 2003 came close, but season 2002-03 is remembered fondly for its endearing frailties. Celtic were simply peerless as they secured the club’s fourth treble.
With half of season 2017-18 complete, the first leg of what would be an unprecedented second successive treble is complete, but signs are clear that this team peaked some months ago, despite qualification for the Europa League knockout rounds.
Aware of the exceptional (from a Scottish perspective) demands on his players of completing in every round of cup competitions, a dozen European games and international football, Brendan Rodgers has rotated his squad this season more than any previous Celtic manager. While this was doubtlessly the correct action, performances inevitably took a hit when our two exceptional and experience strikers were watching from the side-lines. In football, you often need to take a backwards step to make long-term gains.
This didn’t really bothered me. I liked watching Odsonne Edouard, Anthony Ralston and Calvin Miller. Being able to win the league while developing talent in this manner is one of the few benefits of being stuck in a small league.
Ultimately, even our top performers struggled to raise their game. Defeat eventually arrived, a timely signpost for the club as they plan ahead.
You and I have studied the structure of the club for many years. We have never known it to be as stable. Income last season topped £90m, the first time it reached this level, and with a fair wind, it could reach nine figures this season.
These riches come with fresh risks. Wage levels have rocketed in line with performances. We can afford our current operating levels – and can even afford an occasional reversal in the Champions League qualifiers, but there is a misalignment at the heart of what we are doing.
In his opening transfer window, Brendan added Moussa Dembele (who was already on the Ronny Deila target list) and Scott Sinclair. Both made a phenomenal contribution to the success which followed. This season, with Scott struggling to recapture his earlier form and Moussa hampered by injury, the big contributions have come from players who were at the club under the Ronny regime. Indeed, of the Celtic team which ended the year, only Olivier Ntcham was a Brendan Rodgers signing.
What we have added since the summer of 2016 is management expertise. Brendan took Ronny’s squad to levels none of us thought possible, but only two of his signings are automatic first-choice.
This is not necessarily against plan. When you sign French youth internationals like Ntcham and Edouard you do not expect them to immediately displace more experienced players. Players do not mature at the same rate – Kieran Tierney got their earlier than Kenny Dalglish, so if the plan is to recruit the best French and Scottish youth talent, patience will be required.
Notwithstanding this, Brendan will want to have more of his own signings grabbing starting slots in the big games. The players who were there under Ronny have made Herculean progress, but that invincible treble was their high point.
On that front, Lee Congerton joined in March as chief scout, a few months after the phenomenally successful John Park era ended. Scouting is as much about relationships as judgement and the environment is not conducive to friendship-making. Park’s job became increasingly difficult, despite his encyclopaedic knowledge of players sound judgement. Over his tenure, the Celtic proposition became comparatively less attractive.
The mere fact that Brendan Rodgers is manager changed this. Moussa didn’t sign for Ronny in January 2016 but put pen to paper for Brendan six months later. It is the job of Lee Congerton to make the most of the Celtic proposition, Brendan Rodgers and Champions League football to deliver players that can push us further in the Champions League.
Nothing of significance has changed in our chances of escaping our playing environment. We will remain in Scotland until at least the bubble inflating football incomes elsewhere bursts, most significantly of all in England. Within months the next England and Wales Premier League TV rights auction will conclude.
Premier League audiences have dwindled since the last rights were issued but Sky TV’s entire existence is predicated on winning a significant portion of these rights. The Premier League is trying to attract bids from Amazon and Facebook, so it is possible rights values could increase despite falling audience figures. But we can hope.
Until then, our role in the world is to dominate the life out of our domestic rivals, qualify for the Champions League and continue to add to the unique story of Celtic.
I loved every minute of being a Celtic supporter in 2017. It was thrilling, captivating and inspiring. Whatever it brings, your club will be an exciting place over the next 12 months. Enjoy it.
Take care and thank you for all your support. I hope you each have a Happy New Year and healthy 2018.
NEW CQN PODCAST OUT NOW! CHRISTMAS JUMPERS FOR GOALPOSTS
Paul John Dykes and Kevin Graham are joined by Celtic authors, Stephen Sullivan and Stevie Murray for a special festive episode – Christmas Jumpers for Goal-Posts.
Stephen Sullivan is a former Celtic View reporter who wrote the much-lauded Sean Fallon biography, ‘Iron Man’. He is now the editor of FIFA.com.
Stevie Murray has now written two books on Celtic – ‘Ten Men Won The League’ and ‘Kenny of the Celtic’ – and he is a respected and authoritative voice on the club.
Treat yourself to a signed copy of Jim Craig – Right Back to 67 and you will receive a copy of That Season on Paradise signed by Bertie Auld, just order the Jim Craig book at CQNbookstore.co.uk and we’ll do the rest…
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BMCUW
We call it the Whingers Lounge at Vale :)
Players Lounge? – of course they do – mostly during the game
Strange to have a live efl game on at 3pm
Cannae beat a rerun of The Great Escape on New Years Day ;-)
https://putlockertv.se/watch/maze.oo8qj/28vnvl
Dundee will let the boy hendry leave for anything between 500K and 1 million, its like rodgers says about boys learning celtic for 4 x the wages, aye you can stop them sort term but that will not end well long term.
Never seen the boy play so dont see point of making judgements. This is base on the fact that the griff could not get in a poor wolves side, larsson was struggling for games time in holland, jackie mac, was a scottish championship player at the same age oh and lubo was a grandad
HH
GERRYFAETHEBRIG
Naw,rarely do a first scorer,but good spot!
I’m chuffed to see Wimbledon doing so well. They had their club taken from them,started again from rock bottom with nothing.
No ground. No players. No history.
Respect is due,and has been well-earned. No five stars on their shirts,but five stars to everyone involved in their struggle.
Especially my tiny wee pal,Ivan Heller. Sod all to him bar a powerhouse of wit and determination. Oh,and a guid Tim lass to go home to!!!
BIG PACKY on 1ST JANUARY 2018 12:31 PM
about this time 40+ years ago id be getting ready after scoffing 2 rolls and square sausage to get the muirhead celtic supporters bus
*First place I ever had a drink BP, the Muirhead Inn I think it was called, I was only 15 tae. BTW when I was 15 I looked about 12 lol.
Was walking by the pineapple on my way hame fae school with the Evening Times which I delivered under my arms. The wee happy padre approached tae say the under 18s who were playing that night at Muirhead were short of players, they were running a bus through with a wee dance after it and would I play for them.
Wisnae that good but loved playing so I took my papers tae my wee Carolina who delivered them for me and off I went. Being knee high tae a grasshopper I was stuck out on the left wing, game flew by but I did manage tae cross the ball for the equaliser in a 2-2 draw.
After we got dressed the team headed for the pub, one of them, who was with a big club at the time and was a ringer that night, turned tae me and said you’re with us.
The only time I had a drink before this was when 5 of us got intae a screw tap but what the heck, pint of heavy and a packet of crisps they all asked for including me.
The bartender looked at me and said you’re no 18; aye I am honest with the players backing me. So he served me and then started talking about a wee red heided winger who had tore the deidco left side tae shreds in the cup final the previous Saturday. He also said he knew I wisnae 18 and this was my one and only pint, oh and hoped we would win the replay.
Only in Muirheid one other time and that was 4 year later at a wedding, we beat the sheep up there 5-1 with Pat McMahon scoring the 2nd goal and Bobby Murdoch playing at centre, this is just only 4 months after beating them 2-0 in the SC Final. The Big Mhan really took the hit and a miss that day.
As we approached Murhied travelling through several the mining villages a couple of our supporters looked a wee bit inebriated boarding a supporters bus, it must have been about 9:00 a.m. lol. Only thought on my mind though was “who the fck gets married during the season”.
I know I rambled on a bit there but there isnae much tae dae the day and its half time in the game at Turf Moor.
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on 1st January 2018 1:06 pm
Neil Cameron’s article enticed me to look at what I posted on the Madden blog. Here it is with an edit to clarify a point in [ ]
Auldheid on 29th December 2017 4:06 pm
Paul67
Very serious allegations that should require Madden to be removed from suspicion until SFA investigate.
If this is a sign Celtic are playing hardball then it’s about time.
The SFA are an incompetent shower of lying bassas. The evidence is there but removing them depending on processes that they control is not working. Four months since the Compliance Officer started to investigate the UEFA licence process an 201. Those who have seen the evidence know it [the UEFA licence] was obtained by deceit. The only question is how deep and far does it go.
It’s high time Celtic took their concerns to UEFA about the negative impact the SFA failure to govern fairly and apply club licensing properly is having on Scottish football.
How all clubs can ask their supporters to pay to watch a corrupt game is beyond me, but as long as the majority of supporters are happy to pay to be shafted nothing will change.
A boycott of ST purchases until reliable assurances are given that the game is clean really needs to be threatened in the new year.
A delay in take up of just one month will not harm Celtic but it would focus the minds of the Directors of other clubs with no appetite to rake over the coals.
======================
Now if Neil Cameron is looking in and on the matter of Madden’s performance I agree with Neil, it was a much improved performance on last year, but it was because of last year that he was held with suspicion , that and the rumour that he was a ST Holder at RFC.
If Neil can say the gambling story is without substance can he
a) confirm that the RFC Season Ticket rumour has no substance and
b) if it has substance does he think it right that referees are able to referee games where the outcome can benefit the team they support? Does he see no moral hazard in allowing something that is not allowed in England for moral hazard reasons, to be acceptable in Scotland? Or are we all paranoid Tims?
c) Does Neil not see that an arrangement similar to England protects the referees as well as the game and why does it not happen in Scotland?
On the basis of Saturday’s performance it will be difficult to view future Madden appointments to Celtic v TRFC games with the same suspicion although the old maxim that the behaviour of anyone being observed changes as a result of knowing they are being observed might just have had an influence on Saturday. Regardless of the factors Madden had a good game.
My open point on the Madden blog about replacing Madden whilst SFA investigate was as it said to remove any suspicion. It is common good practice in situations where accusations are made, so I don’t recognise myself in the general description Neil applied to CQN bloggers.
His point of hiding behind anonymity would have more value if the lack of anonymity did not prevent main stream journos publishing or commenting on the sort of articles like the Tax Justice Network report on LNS or UEFA Licence 2011. Fear is the key here. Stay anonymous and say what the msm will not or be up front but avoid saying what bloggers will for the same reason, fear of personal threat. I speak from experience.
Has for example a case ever been presented by msm on how much the integrity of Scottish football has been damaged by the events the SFA do not want to rake the coals over?
Has any msm journo investigated why there is no appetite to rake over the coals and put forward their view in support of the SFA position, a position that in the absence of msm scrutiny appears to be more about protecting the SFA than the integrity of our game?
Finally will Neil be asking the SFA when their Compliance Officer is going to report the findings of his investigation into the granting of the UEFA Licence in 2011 or does he believe that case is unfounded?
I cannot answer for Paul Brennan who is not anonymous on the Madden gambling angle, but what I would say to Neil Cameron is people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.
BMCUWP
I sort of like Wimbledon as well, even liked the original mob with Fashanua & co
Talking of new clubs bumped into a couple of Sevs earlier after exchanging pleasantries and wishing all the best they both tried to slag me about our 0-0 on Saturday and told me what a night they had in the “Seggie” for Coatbrig punters that’s the Segton, my first response was
Good stuff celebrating not getting beat
2nd response
Lads…. your teams deid, beat it :-)
just had a little tiff with the brother in law phoned me up before, said he had a spare ticket for goodison today, he is a mad evertonian, jeff i said id rather watch paint dry, what says he and you watch that pub league, what year did everton win the european cup jeff remind me, puts phone down.
TONTINE TIM
That was a ramble?
Loved it and keep on rambling!
Hope you have a great NEW YEAR!
AULDHEID
I wish I’d said that. But you put it much better. But as you know,no matter how cogent an argument you make…
Yer still an internet bampot.
They ignore us at their peril.
GFTB
That’s the only way to respond to thems mhate ! BMCUW Swindon doing it again away from home
PHILBHOY
I’m just worried he keeps on rambling and disnae come back! Definitely one of my favourite posters,he can conjure an image like no other.
TONTIMETIM
Totally agree mhate i hate that scouse version of the Fields and few other crap songs of theirs !
BMCUW
Got them on ma coupon mhate !
Park Road 67 4.19pm
For my sins I get on really well with loads of Rangers/Sevco fans (I married one !!!) but at times they need put in their place
Cheating tax dodging bams who have the morals of a cockroach :-)
Lurking Huns …. your teams deid beat it
TONTINE TIM on 1ST JANUARY 2018 4:00 PM
Nothing wrong with Muirhead – I went to St Barbara’s primary
67ECW
GFTB
I know where your coming from mhate regarding family/friends that are sevconians, so it’s good keep them in their place !
Afternoon all
Now finished work and first drink of year nestling in my palm. Good word that – nestling I mean.
I thought we were poor on Saturday- especially second half. Very poor on both wings with James F quiet , Sinclair looking as though his mind was elsewhere, Mikael L tried hard but never got over a shocking opening 20. As for KT he looked ‘Daffy Ducked’- reduced to cynical trips to stop players who could not outrun a milk float. The lack of form of these players meant we tried two forwards who barely got a sniff of a chance. Armstrong played well in the first half but faded whilst Callum Mac did nothing of note. The rest of the team – all four of it plus sub Ntcham did well.
I also think we have not played anything like as well as we did last season other than on a few occasions. Europe has been an ordeal on at least 6 of the 12 games we played and after our best display we still lost. We have looked stale and predictable in a lot of matches since the home draw with St Johnstone.
The previous two paragraphs are my assessment of what I have seen this season. The old school report card comment of ‘could do better’ seems right to me.
Some of the criticism of Brendan Rodgers and almost all of the players I have heard in person as well as read here and elsewhere seems hysterically over the top though. Comments from two posters here yesterday were nauseatingly personal. One was from a serial moaner, the other a less frequent poster whilst there was the usual pompous stuff from the man who uses initials instead of nouns.
The easy cry is of course ‘what would these people have done in the 90s?’. They would have done what they did then- stayed away and paraded their staying at home as a virtue. In the early 90s – when I stayed away from Celtic Park for 4 months it felt (and I think was) rhe right thing to do but I sure as hell did not feel virtuous to do so.
We are a million miles from where we were 24-28 years ago. We have a smashing – if imperfect stadium- qualify for Europe every year and sometimes make it past Christmas during those continental expeditions. We are top of the league by a mere 8 points and have already won the league Cup- a trophy we did not win a single time between December1982 and November 1997. We are maybe not as good as we thought we were 6 months ago but if this is calamitous, embarrasing failure –
A ‘disaster’ as I was told on Saturday- then I can live with it.
Part of the fun of following any sport is its unpredictability and this season has had its unhappily unpredictable moments and maybe we will do a PSG from last season and blow the league. Some who profess to be Celtic fans will be gleeful if we do. I am prepared to wait and see what happens.
Enough wittering from me – where is my steak pie?
Jimbo67
Just to say a belated Happy New Year to all on CQN; up, down and in between.
Personally, I think these are magical times. Brendan Rodgers is repositioning us to look outwards, away from the swamp, and I cannot think of a better man to do that.
Focus is turning to Europe as a benchmark – as opposed to the Old Firm kailyard bragging rights crap.
Rangers are dead – my dad, maw, uncles and aunts, all now gone, would have called the men in the white jackets if you’d predicted that any time in the past 50 years.
And we are moving on. A draw with the Sevco tribute act and some splutterers are heading for the car park.
I quite like it when a draw against a new club, a mediocre mid-table bunch of journeymen dressed in the colours of bankrupt bullies, sparks outrage.
Never mind Espanyol – the team playing out of Govan will, in a couple of seasons if any manifestation of them still exists, be on a par with Clyde.
Meanwhile, we focus on Europe, with one of the best managers in the business taking the long game.
I like that.
+++++++++
Big Packy
I’ve been running up and down the country with my 12-year-old daughter so didn’t get your reply to posts of a few days ago till today when I got back to Oslo. Sorry for the late reply.
I don’t want to put the Glenboig man’s family name on a public forum – small world and that – but I want to get over to CP more often this year so maybe we can have a pint sometime.
HH
67 EUROPEAN CUP WINNERS. what year my 3 brothers went there mid 70s.
jimbo67
Enjoy your drink sir
LCT
I am ! Hope all good your end!
Jimbo67
Auldheid,
A happy new year to you and yours.
Excellent response to that article by Cameron. Imo, Paul67 must have had the evidence on Madden before penning the article. Cameron and the rest of the media (Scottish sports of that ilk) are beneath contempt.
Big Sam says he’s made 7 changes to Everton team tonight due to tired legs because of the amount of games they’ve played since he took charge , cannae be many games !
Happy New Year to all at CQN and to all the posters on here.
Thanks for all the match day updates and the links to the goals.
More of the same in 2018 please.
I hope all of your wishes come true in the transfer window
I hope we come out of it stronger and refreshed……..
Glenboig…ah memories……always thought a malt should be called that.
HH
BIG-CUP-WINNERS on 1ST JANUARY 2018 12:22 PM
It’s my belief that Brendan is building the club for the next decade(s), the next level. He’s stated as much.
It’s just we the fickle support live for today. The last result is the most important sets the tone. We blow like the wind.
++++++++++++++
I agree totally.
Brendan is rebuilding Celtic from the bottom to the top, changing the culture, and that takes time.
I don’t mind a 0-0 at Celtic Park in December, when our season started in July, and we’re knackered.
Long game.
ADI DASLER @ 1742
Funny! ))):
HH
TC45
ADI_DASLER, im from glenboig 80 percent tims.
GREENINBINGLEYINOSLO. no problem understand deffo have a pint.
Parkhead,
You’re right there is no way Paul would have went to print without evidence.
Oh happy new year to all !
TC45
Cheers judt thinkinabout my next drink
Watchin p**h ‘Best league in the world’ & bored with it…..
Man U have some cra* players.
TheCelt45
Don’t think many Goals Galore 3 will be on double figures, not many goals about over the weekend :-)
ADI – DASLER
Watching the same p***!
About to shut it down. Just as bad as the L’pool game.
Just after 10 am here, headed across town to visit family and grand kids……and a rather large Bloody Mary
HH
TC45
GFTB,
How goes it mate?
I had Chelsea on a Joker, so mibees a good start!
HH
TC45
(My old stomping ground was just across the other side of North road, ML4)
BIG PACKY on 1ST JANUARY 2018 5:00 PM
Ah a wee bit after me – I was there until 67 ( and that was a good year!!)
67ECW
TheCelt45
All good here hope the same for you, I also took the London huns but alas no joker used yet
ML4 … got a couple of pals originally fae Mossend but I don’t hold that against them :-)
Best of luck with the Goals Galore 3, I will be happy if I even get to 10 :-)
I thought the referee did have a good game on Saturday and I also think that if Paul’s pre-match blog was brought to his attention before kick off it probably helped him have a good game. Happy New Year to all Celtic Supporters. Onwards and Upwards.