Empires rise and fall but it is usually not until well after the event that the signs of decline or rise are appreciated. In April 1970 Celtic players took a lap of honour after winning both legs of the European Cup semi-final against English champions, Leeds United, before a record European crowd. They were in their second European Cup final in four and hot favourites to take the trophy again. If ever Celtic looked imperious, this was the moment.
Few watching that lap of honour could have imagined 33 years would pass before Celtic next beat a side from one of Europe’s biggest five leagues. Decline came slowly, a European Cup final loss in extra time, two more semi-final appearances and four more league titles, then decades as an irrelevance in Europe.
Today Celtic are nothing like that force in Europe, but 2018 saw the club secure the domestic treble for the second successive season, the first time this has been achieved in Scottish football. They also retained the League Cup this month and are hot favourites for both league and Scottish Cup. No team has ever been this imperious in Scottish football, not even the Lisbon Lions.
Celtic have lost four league games this season, four more than they lost in the whole of Brendan Rodgers’ first season. They failed to reach the Champions League group stage, losing to what proved to be a poor AEK Athens. This year has seen significant players lost: Dembele, Armstrong and Roberts. Although the latter two were mostly squad players when by the time they left, they still made important contributions.
The club broke its transfer fee record for the first time in 17 years to secure the permanent signing of Odsonne Edouard, but the deadline day shenanigans of Dembele and absences of Leigh Griffiths placed a heavy burden on the 20-year-old. Filip Benkovic was secured on loan from Leicester City but further attempts to reinforce central defence and the right back position have been ineffective, while the predicted signing of John McGinn from Hibs proved to be nothing more than a PR disaster.
Form during the early part of the season was well below standards of the previous two years. It was not until two first half injuries in the League Cup semi-final at Murrayfield to Ebouie Kouassi and Olivier Ntcham allowed Callum McGregor and Ryan Christie to take up central midfield roles, that Celtic started to play with fluency.
Three wins were secured in a very difficult Europa League group, meaning we travel to Valencia in February with a fighting chance of progressing, but you could sense the air escaping from Celtic during December, as eight points were dropped on top of a home defeat to Salzburg.
The question is, was Saturday’s arresting defeat at Ibrox a sign of Decline of Empire, or another sign of retrenchment? To answer that we need to look at the fundamentals.
Celtic are financially stronger than anyone else in Scottish football. We spend significantly more, not just on transfers and wages, but on scouting, sports science, analysis and any other metric you care to mention. We may only be top of the table on goal difference, with a game in hand, but the first leg of the treble is complete and we are the only Scottish team still in Europe.
This season, the rest of the league are getting closer, but if points earned is their measurement, they are not getting any better. Celtic’s lead is small, not because we face better opposition, or because we have fewer resources, but because some in the squad have aged and declined, while attempts to strengthen have not been good enough.
If you are searching for signs of Decline of Empire, keep looking. This is Celtic at the bottom of the curve – with back-to-back trebles, the League Cup secured and resources available to kick on. We cannot win every game, or play well every month. We can’t even win every trophy, but the fundamentals of Scottish football have not changed. Use this week to get in touch with how it feels to be second best in a domestic game. It could be a while before it happens again.
Have a great New Year.
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GerryBhoy: Sincerest condolences to you on your sad loss.
Almore
Hope you had a great trip across the Atlantic.
YNWA
Just saw Charlie Mulgrew’s goal for Blackburn today v WBA. Direct from a corner. Second time he has scored direct from a corner this season. Nice one Charlie.
Not posted for a while due to personal circumstances but Happy New Year to all Tims and all the marginalised and disenfranchised in society.
MAH – best of luck with your trials, your positivity is a credit to you.
GerryBhoy – sincere condolences.
Hope 2019 brings you all health and happiness and a treble treble of course :-)
God bless everyone and God bless the Celtic!
Curly.
Glad to see that you decided to come back on the blog,you were always one of the good bhoys,
hope you carry on posting,you may have noticed that a lot of bloggers have left the site of late.
this is wonderful.
the jungle from the press box
http://i59.tinypic.com/mm4l77.jpg
in my mind i can feel it.
four-leaf-clover
Posts 2,623
Favourite all-time player Tam Burns
First-team captain
Jul 11, 2015 #36583
A Photograph that was taken high up in the press box by the doyen of Scottish sports journalism and friend of Celtic Jim Rodger.
Saint Sivs
Doyen…
Nope…bigot
http://i62.tinypic.com/29ndrm1.jpg
Some things never change…
> Celtic vs Rangers game…
“On the terracing at the Dalmornock end on Saturday there was congregated a gang, thousands strong, including the dregs and scourings of filthy slumdom, unwashed yahoos, jailbirds, night hawks, won’t-works, ‘burroo barnacles’, and pavement pirates, all, or nearly all, in the scarecrow stage of verminous trampdom. This ragged army of insantitary pests was lavishly provided with orange and blue remnants, and these were flaunted in challenge as the football tide flowed this way or that. Practically with out cessation for ninety minutes or more, the vagabond scum kept up a strident howl of the ‘Boyne Water’ chorus. Nothing so designedly provoking, so maliciously insulting, or so beastially ignorant has ever been witnessed even in the wildest exhibitions of Glasgow Orange bigotry…..Blatantly filthy language of the lowest criminal type assailed the shocked ears of decent onlookers. There was no getting away from it, chanted as it was by thousands of voices in bedlamite yells. The stentorian use of filthy language is a crime against the law of the land. Policemen lined the track and listened to the hooligan uproar, yet nothing was done to stop it. The scandal was renewed with increased violence in London Road after the match. Is it possible the blue mob can do just anything and get away with it? Prompt official steps were taken to suppress and prosecute the green brake-club lads who dared to sing ‘The Dear Little Shamrock’ in Paisley Road. Yet thousands of foul-mouthed and blasphemous Orange ruffians are free to run amok over the East End of Glasgow. How do you account for it?”
http://i59.tinypic.com/wu349h.jpg
SAINT STIVS on 1ST JANUARY 2019 7:14 PM
Great photo.
Our berth in the Jungle in the 70s was always a wee bit in from the Celtic End, halfway up the terrace. All the Clydebank/Dalmuir uncles were over towards the huns end, and all us cousins congregated at the opposite end.
Used to see Father Cairns from St Benedict’s Drumchapel there, because him and his mates stood close to us. Lovely man was wee Joe, despite dropping me from the under-16s for persistent violence and no innate talent.
My sister and her fiance from Glenboig used to favour the huns end because it was covered (they have been married now for nearly 50 years), and my mad squad mates from Bishopbriggs were always in the Celtic End.
Memories abound, but we were in our usual spot to watch the Bhoys beat Real Madrid 2-0, and that was something.
posted this on another tim site big packy
the exiled tim and jimmynotpaul luv ya to bits, where do we go from here, don’t know but in my 65 years on this planet im sick of being at the back of the bus because im a roman catholic yes a roman catholic feckin hell have I got leprosy because I go to mass on a sunday morning.
Reply
36
GERRYBHOY
Thoughts with your family at this time Y.N.W.A
Just saw Charlie Mulgrew’s goal for Blackburn today v WBA. Direct from a corner. Second time he has scored direct from a corner this season. Nice one Charlie.
——-
ach he wouldnt be any use to us these days cos we are so good at scoring from corners anway
????
http://celticbynumberscom.ipage.com/celtic-fail-to-adapt-when-pressed/
Celtic did not have the squad depth nor the correct alignment to cope with a relentlessly energetic opponent. The Rangers deserved their win and it could have been worse.
Gerrybhoy
May he RIP.
God Bless
BIG PACKY 1,
Leprosy?Dont know.Might depend who you are sitting beside at Mass.
Or even up the back of that bus.Got to be careful.
TURKEYBHOY love your posts if only you knew the anti catholic posts hh.luv ya to bits
GerryBhoy,
Sincere condolences on the loss of your father-in-law, may he rest in peace.
https://kerrydalestreet.co.uk/imageproxy.php?url=http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/q753/munrofillipi/Celtic%20and%20others/paradise_zps5qxwmt0b.jpg
take me up to paradise.
BP
Do you experience as much anti Catholicism in Cheshire, as you experienced in Lanarkshire. I do not experience it in Clydebank. I know it is still there but it is mainly around games like Saturday.
YNWA
https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/sport/football/3690375/celtic-lee-congerton-anderlecht-signings-transfers-scout/
Lee Congerton apparently of interest to Anderlecht
I hope that they replace Rosenborg as our regular European opponents.
16 ROADS. on 1ST JANUARY 2019 1:23 PM
Hush , my friend.
Lord Reith would be turning over in his grave.
The BBC.
Just another trusted institution gone to the dogs.
danny blue eyes at the peak of his powers.
what a specimin. world class
http://i57.tinypic.com/2r7vp0o.jpg
offski before the right wingers start
Happy New Year to CQNrs at this time. Optimism and positivity abounds.
The three wise men are on their way, not sure about the centre back, full back and striker mind you!
Off to watch Bridge of Spies, we made a point of crossing it as soon as possible after the Wall came down.
From the East side if memory serves me well.
Saint Stivs
My favourite ever Celtic player.
Drumchapel’s greatest ever son.
Daniel Fergus McGrain.
YNWA
no garry only on remembarance sunday, when you get the orange lodge bands belting out their tunes of hate, I just ignore.hh.hope your ok .hh.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVavtX80m3Q
Happy New Year to all of CQN
My Bhoy of the Year is MAH, you’re an inspiration.
Celtic By Numbers….brilliant, brutal and simple summation of the tactical fiasco that was ibrox.
HH jg
Saint Stivs – what a series of pictures there, culminating in the one of my favourite EVER seen-in-the-flesh-Celt (Just ahead of Henrik and Bobby Lennox). Quite simply, THE best ever full back EVER to play for Celtic (and Scotland) EVER.
BP
I try to ignore the bigots in blue/orange as much as I can. I follow Celtic home and away. Would never take a ticket for Ibrox ever again. I avoid Glasgow when Orange Walk is on for same reason. Avoiding them keeps me safe. ???
James
I second that emotion.
MAH is CQN Inspiration of the past and present years.
YNWA
Well worth a watch, Dunphy and Souness
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=87&v=F1w9irpYVVI
JAMESGANG on 1ST JANUARY 2019 9:08 PM
Celtic by numbers…..’appalling squad management’.
Brutal right enough , but right on the button. I think it’s the first time I’ve read anything so emotive on what is usually a cold objective blog.
DD: had a great time but looking forward to getting home. Enjoying the last 30 mins of the airport lounge. ????
Almore
Safe Journey. See you soon at Paradise.
YNWA
THE EXILED TIM on 1ST JANUARY 2019 9:30 PM
Thanks
12.20 mins. in relavent to Brendan .
Happy New Year to all Celtic supporters!
CELTICBYNUMBERS
Great analysis.Your work and detail is remarkable.