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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Turkeybhoy
You want to go to the game mate and sit amongst some of these jokers.
The standered of our play against sevco was awful and people have a right to hold an opinion about the team they financially fund, i would prefer they took that opinion outside the stadium, never one to boo my own team, make no sense. Hope we get our groove back in the New Year.
HH
Stephbhoy
You know mate, all the time I’ve followed Celtic…………I’ve never thought of it like that.
Surely the majority of the paying fans ,in the main stand, should kick up hell ,with the board at Celtic, about facilities,I have said many times on here Lawell and co get a easy ride ,with a lot of the fans,so forget about the state over at Greyskull,and put pressure on the board to get the main Stand upgraded,and yes they are awash with money , our money
JIMBOB
Never thought of it like that either……..
Floatin’
Likewise! Great to meet you. Hopefully next time we will be able to enjoy a better result!
Williefernie,
Good post.
47 years ago in a match involving Celtic, 66 fans never returned home.
RIP.the 66.
HH.
GENE on 2ND JANUARY 2018 12:23 PM
Facilities – last season got the use of a ticket to the Main stand and was surprised at the state of the toilet and catering facilities. When you look at the facade from the Celtic Way it’s definitely a case of fur coat and no Knickers.
———————————————————————————————————
You better watch or the “faithful through and through” Uber tim brigade will get you for criticising the board for penny pinching.
The sad fact is there are no supporters at football clubs these days as far as the PLC are concerned. You and thousands of others are regarded as consumers of a footballing brand, there to have you wallet or bank balance emptied on a regular basis for the sole benefit of the shareholders (which includes me as it happens). The business will therefore only spend money on maintaining the stadium if it has to for H&S reasons or if there is a critical business reason for doing it. Other than that they will spend the bare minimum on the stadium as longer as the consumers continue buy the products in sufficient volumes.
Professional football at the top level is a bottom line business and spending money on maintaining the stadium means less for the Hotel and other revenue generating projects. The major shareholders (not me in this case) wouldn’t have it any other way.
Lewis Morgan deal almost complete. SSN Breaking. Might come in now instead of staying at St Mirren to end of season since Hayes and Roberts out long term.
Big cup winner, i take it we are talking about facilities at celtic park.
I hope celtic will see the light and realize future generations will demand better because they will continue to have greater choice.
ffs as i get older my wish list get bigger because comfort become very important ps who knows what the future hold
HH
GARY67 on 2ND JANUARY 2018 12:48 PM
Lewis Morgan deal almost complete. SSN Breaking. Might come in now instead of staying at St Mirren to end of season since Hayes and Roberts out long term.
——–
I hope Bill Leckie is OK. Enjoy the game Gary.
STEPHBHOY
No mate, I was referring to the “financially fund” bit.
BMCUW
You’ll definitely see a stronger side following this mini break. The batteries are dead.
I’m not sure people appreciate the impact that 6 x CL qualifiers, then 6 group games, and throw in international WC qualifying games plus a run to the LC final has on our squad.
We’ve now gone through that programme twice in a season and a half.
At some point something was going to give, and it has, starting at Tynecastle.
I wonder what people will think if we fail to qualify for Europe in July/August but run away with the league by the time next Xmas comes around?
There’ll probably be some saying BR has failed by not qualifying for Europe in one season out of three, and winning a pub league is easy.
If he does qualify and we are involved in a close SPL league, it’ll be that BR is not up to it as he’s not strolling away with a pub league.
So in summary, there appears to be a growing number of supporters who will only recognise what a good manager we have, when we are doing well in the CL AND sweeping all before us domestically.
It won’t happen. No matter how much faster Usain Bolt was than his opposition, he can’t keep beating them if he’s running too many races in a compressed timescale.
Of course players , and the manager can be criticised for poor performance but there has to be some reality applied.
On Saturday the Huns were playing their cup final. We were playing what must’ve seemed to the players like their 20th cup final.
The winter break will give us a chance to reenergise and kick on again in latter January and February.
For anyone expecting us to qualify for the CL, and stroll the league and cups, with no occasional lapses in form, I suspect they’re in for a lifetime of disappointment, regardless of whether it’s BR, Jose or Pep that’s in charge, and whether it’s Messi or Broony that’s wearing the hoops.
Football simply doesn’t see teams win everything, every season nowadays.
Embrace what we have for now would be my message. 10 in a row is possible, but let’s just focus on the here and now and let BR continue his work and see where it takes us.
I think at the AGM the condition of the Main Stand was raised by a shareholder. If memory serves me right Lawwell said there were no plans to look at redevelopment.
Does that mean no upgrades to basic facilities?
Might be an idea to write to the club requesting clarification on that AGM response as a starter for 10.
2 1 1971 .
Home from Yoonie for the Christmas and New Year Holidays — go to the fitba , the New Year Hate Fest, score very late , concede the equalizer even later . Leave the stadium feeling miffed . Walk to Garnethill — learn of the tragedy –66 dead . Know that it could have just easily happened at the end I was at . .Take their money ,cram them in – they’re only punters who gives a #### – certainly not us .
Absolutely minging day -way down south — howling wind and mega hailstones . Perfect day for a trip with Mrs S of T to the Prada / Armani outlet near Enna. She’s got money to spend –
https://youtu.be/fQ7P0PqOIi4
Simple question/poll:
Are Celtic, the club, in good shape ?
Yes or No.
No caveats, no narratives – we can all do that, mineshafter or happy-clapper*.
One poster, one vote.
*Hell, it’s the Festive period even interlopers can have a vote.
Main stand, huh ?
Put all the moany fans in there.
Let them get full value :-)
FLOATIN’
Lang may yer lum reek and yer boat float. Marvellous to catch up,and by ‘eck,it’s a small world,innit?
Fancy a wee dayoooooot in The Gateway in Reading next time? Guid Tim pub,right beside the station,and the local supporters club are based there.
Plenty of time,we can discuss it nearer the time.
Meanwhile,Saturday-thanks,mucker.
BCW
That sounds like the Brexit question
“The standered of our play against sevco was awful and people have a right to hold an opinion about the team they financially fund,”
Everyone at the game funds the team.
Everyone apart from those who boo knows that booing will adversely impact the players.
Not even the Hun support can do that to Celtic players.
Bill Leckie wrote in article in the Sun saying ‘we’, whoever we is, need to make sure Lewis Morgan doesn’t become the next Scott Allan or Ryan Christie. Convieniently he didn’t mention various other players who have been a success at Celtic, instead he focused on those two. He also hasn’t noticed Ryan plays for the second best team in the country and is one of the best players in the country and has just won his first Scotland cap. In the same article he also says that Morgan is one of few players to get him excited in his 50 years watching St Mirren (cough cough), he notes other players such as MacAvennie and Billy Stark. Of course the irony that those players also went on to make it is completely lost on him.
His article can be translated as ‘we hope he signs for anyone but Celtic’.
At the end of the day, if he is as good as they say he is, he will make it.
SOUTHOFTUNIS
My Dad was there,along with his pals. Like you,he knew nothing about it. I’ll let him tell his experience afterwards if he feels like it.
Shocking. Football supporters were treated like the shit on the shoe of the owners for decades.
http://www.thecelticwiki.com/m/page/Rangers+-+Falling+Masonry
Dessybhoy
Not at all. Are you suggesting putting all the yes Brexit voters in the channel ?
Big Cup Winners
Yes – club in good shape buddy!
HH
BIGCUPWINNERS
I’m on record as generally delighted.
66 dying at a fitba match saw a media flurry re the absurdity of that Old Firm bigotry and hate guff .
Celtic View said this –
” They must see in the light of this appalling tragedy how futile , barren and petty their ancient feuds are “.
Choon for the road to Enna –
https://youtu.be/_NqNcAg4oDU
A choon from 67 -on the great Okeh label. A Golden Torch choon .
No, yes or no will have people who are happy with some things but not others, it depends what people consider to be good shape, is it domestic football success, Euro football, finances,governance, standing up for the integrity of the game, feel free to add things as you see fit.
Uxbridge came to an end yesterday but I list some of my unpublished favourites today and supply the source websites for anyone wishing to use them.
Site 1
Site 2
Avoidable: What a cow with a headache does
baccarat: to risk a punt in the exciting world of rodent steeplechase
Bacchanalian: To bet on a Martian
Bishoprick: Unpopular member of the clergy
Boulangerie: To heckle underwear
Canape: Scottish inability to settle your bills
Countryside: To kill Piers Morgan
Dichotomy: A surgical procedure for the removal on an unwanted Welshman
Ee-by-gum: Drugs taken orally in Yorkshire
Excrement: A drop in pay
Fallacy: False belief that your penis is bigger than it really is
Feckless: An unsuccessful Irish lethario
Focaccia: A bread with no interest in the far east
Geranium: The cry of the parachute regiment’s flower arranging display team
Gondolier: Something you catch from a boatman
Hundred: A fear of Sevco fans
Ice Cream Sundaes: Iain Paisley’s autobiography
Kinship: An unpoular boat
Lawyer: One who tells lawys
Nubile: Recent speech by Iain Paisley
Semolina: A system of signalling with puddings
Toga: Dyslexic goat
Humpty-Dumpty: One who is humped and dumped
Intercontinental: A person who’s wet themselves all over the world
Nothing wrong with asking for decent facilities at the stadium, when we have the money to do it.As for people who boo the team, don’t come back.
DESSYBHOY
Too serious mate ? Just your knee jerk reaction of overall picture.
Ps You can devise a more comprehensive all-encompassing poll later on :-)
SETTING FREE THE BEARS FOR RES. 12 & OSCAR KNOX
Is that a yes or no vote ?
SALTIRESENSEVILLA 1221
Shocker,mate.
Football success definitely.
So far we have 2 votes for “yes” and one “spoilt” ballot paper.
I’ll start by asking if James McCarthy would be beyond our reach now?
I see we are 8 points clear on the league and 11 points clear of Rangers.
The plan has changed for Dembele. Big teams will not buy him and play him. A bidding war is underway with sell on clause key to negotiations. The clubs being mentioned in the papers are realistic.
Simunovic and Sviatchenko will go if not now defo summer. Armstrong has maintained his price but most go January but we have adequate replacements in mind if that goes ahead.
The key is helping Brown and in time replacing him before his legs go.
http://charity.celticfc.net/news/713
BCW
Put me down for a resounding YES. (Does that count for two?)
+ve
Domestic record- undefeated 2 years in Paradise
Europe Qualified for CL groups 2 seasons in a row
Willie Maley’s 100 year record domestic undefeated run reset
Undefeated treble- heading for back to back
4 domestic trophies in a row – with 5th well in track
Safe standing introduced – leading the UK
Financial stability – investment in Hotel project
Brendan and Chris – unifying effect at club
Fans are broadly aligned behind management team
More home grown players emerging into first team
Feelgood factor is very high – a positive outlook (despite recent slump ;-)
Heading into mid-term break 8 points and umpteen goals clear of nearest rival
-ve
Club not doing anywhere near enough to debunk claims by Sevco to 54 titles etc.
Resolution 12 kicked into long grass and not enough drive to force the issue
Perception remains that CFC Board want a strong ( but not too strong ) sevco
Full matchday experience ( non fitba) could be more enticing/welcoming
Catering for majority if fans is rank rotten
Toilet facilities are below basic requirements
I dont feel that players can pass the ball with variation well enough or quickly enough under pressure.
Europe- too many absolute humpings due to above ( repeating same mistakes)
Concerns management asking some players to play to a system they are not capable of achieving
Overall – +ve outweigh -ve