My friends in Celtic, 10 trophies in a row has been achieved, a level of dominance over Scottish football not known, even under Jock Stein. With the League Cup secured, we have won 17 out of 20 league games, topped our Europa League group for the first time, but all of this will count for little if the league title is not won come May.
By any objective measure, Celtic have improved this season. Had we started this season as we started last, the league title would already be beyond our reach. However, marked improvement is not enough. Newco have made even more significant gains. They have won 16 of their 19 league games, came second in their Europa League group and reached their second major final. A win in their game in hand would put them to of the table by one point.
December started with a comfortable 1-4 win at Ross County, but in the eight games since then we failed to score more than two goals. A late rescue against Hamilton Accies painted over some cracks but the edifice came crashing down as Newco deservedly won 1-2 on Sunday.
We played terribly, lost the tactical battle, missed a penalty and invited crisis into our world. It is likely to be several months before we get a chance to feel better about our league title chances.
Those objective measures of improvement are of no comfort, it is vastly more important how we are measure against domestic rivals than how we performed in previous seasons. The objective State of the Club is impressive. The trophy cabinet is full, most games are a sell-out, and finances are sustainable, despite no Champions League income. We recruited well in the summer and continue to transform young players with potential into valued talent.
We are seeded and favourites to win our Europa League last 32 game, and based on our group stage, there is every reason to hope for a run deep into that competition. Our perspective would look altogether different if only Newco were their usual shambolic selves. But they are not. They are a good team with a good manager who have many of us worried.
Celtic have been getting things strategically right for a long time. The level of dominance we have, together with our financial strength, does not happen by accident. We are a well-run club that has absolutely no intentions of letting this league title slip.
Newco are at their best. They recruited well and have not endured the injury record we have this campaign. They are financially below the water line and will find it difficult to recruit in order to improve their team next month.
Celtic, despite their high points total, have not been at their best. They can and will spend. Several areas of the team will improve. The team that visits Ibrox on 15 March will be ready for the challenge.
Had we won on Sunday, the league title would be considered a given. Much of our chat in the weeks ahead would be about the Scottish Cup and a fourth consecutive treble. Instead, we need to quickly up our game. Situations like this are why we run our business on a sustainable model, with flexibility available when required.
You could make the point that winning everything all of the time is not good for the long-term development of a football team. Without a viable challenge, aspirations are not set as high as they otherwise would be.
It was different when we faced Oldco for the title. Like now, they were forever spending more than they could afford or raise, but their budgets were similar to ours, which meant we had to walk a line between financial viability and being competitive. If having little or no competition is not healthy, the scenario we faced with Oldco was a lot worse.
Celtic are now planning to form a team capable of winning pretty much every domestic game between now and the end of the season. That is the bar required. It will be difficult and there are no guarantees we will win the league, no matter how much money is spent.
The one thing you know about Celtic is that they know how to win trophies; in fact, they have forgotten how to lose them. Enjoy the remainder of this season, it will hopefully deliver a cherished and historic title.
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We were schooled tactically on Sunday and we must first acknowledge that, ask why and then make sure it doesn’t happen again.
We should not get sidelined about Morelos rumours or Sevco admin.
They will stick with us right up to and into May 2020.
I would not be surprised if King gets the club credit card out again and brings in more players this window.
Regardless though, If we don’t learn from our mistakes and how Gerard and his team are beating us, we’ll lose the league.
There appear to be one or two thugs in this hun team and coaching staff. In the not so distant past the players of both Celtic and rangers, if not best pals, at least had a healthy degree of respect for each other. The rangers chairman, John Lawrence, even suggested that Jock Stein should be awarded a knighthood for his 1967 achievement. Yes, that was the old firm at its finest. 80, 90, 100,000 crowds often with trouble before, during and after games. We fans have always hated each other but it was different for the players. Paddy Crerand and Jim Baxter, Jinky and Willie Henderson, big Billy and John Greig…always great respect regardless of results…I always enjoyed these games. Hated losing to them but gloated gleefully when we won…Nowadays, I loathe the fixture. I haven’t been since Barry Robson scored the penalty winner in 2008…and I doubt I’ll ever go back. There seems to be a growing hatred from all connected to their club and not just their pond-life fans. I do hope they crash, burn and die again but this time permanently…although, something tells me they will always around.
WEE BOBBY
Agree with you on that, Crerand and Baxter who really should have been
a Celtic player were very close.
I’d luv to meet you and tell you some juicy tales lol.
But even back in the day there was some measure of respect from both clubs
but nowadays it’s all gone, and my opinion is it’s down to Jabba and his cohorts
and the desperation to keep the same club myth going.
H.H . Mick
Great photo St Stivs – look at that Right Back! There must have been a huge gap behind him – that guy Stein must have been really naive with tactics😀
Happy New Year to all
Lawwell has repeatedly stated that it’s the Board key policy to have a stronger first team squad at end of each and every transfer window. When was this policy last delivered? – summer 16? Repeated failure with key policy in any business would result in contract termination but our board appear immune from such action. In addition to recruiting a minimum of 2 first team ready players, we also require to significantly reduce the bloated squad.
Victor’s return is regularly getting mentioned in despatches. In response to a question on his possible return at the AGM, Lenny specifically and worryingly stated that he was more than happy with the number of midfield options currently available to him.
If we had a full back with big Tam’s cannonball shot we widnae need another striker -))
To all on CQN,
I hope you all have a happy and healthy new year for 2020.God bless you all and God bless Celtic
HH
BACK TO BASICS – GLASS HALF FULL on 1ST JANUARY 2020 11:56 AM
No such excuses for her deputy, the Minister of State for NI – Adam Ingram.
Well known Orangeman and a nasty piece of work.
————————————————–
As far as I’ve read, Adam Ingram was in a flute band as a teenager. That was his brush with orangeism over.
So, was it Morelos, in the tunnel, with a football boot?
Cluedo csc
A big well done to Tony and all involved with the Foundation’s Christmas Appeal raising, a record breaking, £310,000. Although a significant and praiseworthy sum, it only represents less than 9% of Lawwell’s 18-19 pay packet
happy new year to all tims.
weebobby.
sitting here thinking the same, i even go back a bit farther.
this lot are easy to dislike from there king to gerrard and some players(kent and morelos)
every mason and orangeman are in full attack mode now and our club have to stand up and be counted, if not your comments will come to pass.imo
Wee Boby Collins & Melbourne Mick
Celtic won the title in 1967 with a 2-2 draw at Ibrox. Players on both sides left the pitch like one band of brothers. The in your face nastiness emerged in the 1980s. Many causes including ‘The Troubles’.
Rangers implemented a sectarian signing policy long before ‘the troubles’.
I afraid there is no correlation between the departure of ‘El Buffalo’ to his homeland and Sunday’s events – I read last week that he was off home to arrange a kid’s charity event right after the match on the 29th.
That fantasist JohnJames in full New Years Day begging bowl mode amongst our ripe and ready Celtic fans, the ones who’ve allowed the Huns to live rent-free in their heads since Sunday.
A full-on attack on our manager, seizing upon the ‘I never wanted him brigade’ after 1 defeat top cough up on a pay-per-pish basis.
Protected: Exclusive : Drunk & Incapable At The Helm
According to The Times (Grant) Morelos is in Columbia doing fine work for Charity so obviously nothing happened post match which required him to exit the country so swiftly!
JINKYREDSTAR
Maybe he just ran out of his national powder.
Melbourne Mick…I do like a juicy tale or two.
About 20 years ago I had a wee run-in with Del Boy Murray (he asked if I was ‘one of them’) which I later related to Jabba who told me it was typical of the man. He said Murray often ended phone calls with, “Traynor, I must go now, I have an empire to run. No surrender!”
Timhorton-Fritzsong…yes, it has become more sleekit and menacing these days. Does anyone remember after we won the Big Cup, Glasgow Corporation gardeners decorated a wee garden in George Square to commemorate the victory? I don’t recall the garden ever being vandalised. Today, those same gardeners would be attacked before completing their job…
Yes, changed days!
Happy New Year to all, John James should have stuck with the Colbys.
Big Wavy,
Is John James suggesting that Lennon was drunk on Sunday? Have you a password for his site?
HH
Happy New Year to all the good guys n girls on here.
HH jg
Overseas Bhoy – Lol.
MM,
I too have always thought Baxter should have been a Celtic player. Greig,,,,never in a million years.
YogiHughes
Seems to be some sort of suggestion. No password from me. I’m not that gullible fella to give that shyster my hard-earned cash.
Fits with the wider hun narrative of dehumanising our manager, which some of our fellow fans seem to want to play (and pay) along to.
Big Wavy,
Thanks. I didn’t think you would pay, but thought you may have been a whizz kid who had worked it out. lol
HH
East lothian has sadly lost one of its finest today.
Scott glynn a man who selflessly done loads for charities in the previous years and also lots of pantos where he waived his fee.
Suffered a long illness but fought to see the birth of his first grandchild.
Prayers please.
You will be missed Scott.
Requiensce et pace.
Stuart Armstrong starts for Southampton again today, getting a few games recently, I always like to see an ex-Celt doing well. Unless it’s Eyal Berkovic, of course.
Come to think of it, there’s a few…anyway, good to see Armstrong getting games and playing well. Smashing player.
From @utlr1888
At the latest AGM Peter Lawwell spoke about “our enemies” and the damage they try to inflict on the club, yet, since then Celtic have done more to target their own fans than deal with the lies, assaults and slander from these so called “enemies”.
Brendan Rodgers looks up to every other manager in the Premier League…he really is a tottie wee guy.
I hope 2020 has started well for all of you.
It is understandable that there has been a massive fall-out from last Sunday’s game and the return of that popular sport of towel throwing, but we need to gird ourselves up for the opening of the transfer window at midnight tonight as it will only give us 30 or so days in which to moan about the paucity and cheapness of the players who are arriving.
Only 30 days to describe every player sought from Man City as a Lawwell & Son deal and every buy from the Israeli league as a Dudu dud. Only 30 days to call every player under the age of 21 or who has not played EPL a project or a prospect. Only 30 days to denounce every striker as injury prone or “never a scorer”, but you can only use that one if you have inside info from a group of Germans. 30 days to tell us we are buying players too early or too late or too middling. And only 30 days to tell us that Stevie Gee is doing it better.
So, here’s our dilemma. We can stop moaning about last Sunday’s defeat and get a head start on the transfer window moaning by starting straightaway today.
Who’ll be first with the line of “Transfer window is nearly open and STILL we haven’t signed anyone”?
Who’ll be first to denounce the first loan deal as us “developing a player for another club”?
Who’ll be first to confidently declare after the first transfer deal “That’s yir lot- don’t expect anymore!”
And who will offer the first free taxi ride back to the airport for our newest signing?
On your marks….
Get set….
Aaaah! Gowan gowan gowan gowan and on
I see Pope Francis had a hangover this morning :-)
HOTEL DE PARIS on 1ST JANUARY 2020 1:39 PM
Pay peanuts.
Get monkeys.
P67 and The Celtic Undergound have said the aim in this window is to get players ‘with the aim of winning every remaining domestic game of the season’.
That sounds like it’s come from someone within the Club.
So that’s our yardstick for this transfer window.
I hope these fighting words will be backed up, I think they will.
GLENDALYSTONSILS on 1ST JANUARY 2020 1:32 PM
If we had a full back with big Tam’s cannonball shot we widnae need another striker -))
Yes Glendalystonsils however we deffinitely do need another striker @ present along
with another left sided centre back. On one of my old VHS tapes about Celtic’s past
history if my memory serves me right we where playing Benfica @ CP in Season 1969/70
in a European tie & big Tam unleashed a cannon ball shot into the top corner of the Net
& the TV commentaitor said oh what a strike that goal equals the one he scored in
Lisbon damn tooting
AKBW
I was at the Benfica game and remember it well . I’m even older than your VHS tape!-))
We are in a mess of our own making and it was entirely predictable.
I think we have to be realistic about how this could all pan out.
Thank God we won the league cup. In over 60 years as a celtic supporter I cannot think of a luckier victory. We could have lost by 3 or 4. This league is too tight too call.
The 9 in a row ended because we fell below the standard of rangers not because they built a better team.
We sold our best players, with the exception of Danny Mcgrain. It was all about money in the bank.
Nothing has changed. The old board are long gone but the contempt the director’s have for the managers and the celtic support remains unchanged.
It’s all about the profit statement and the balance sheet and the dividend and the bonus.
From PaulLarkin74
As usual, when questioning Peter Lawwell, his acolytes and those he provides comfy seats for, come out the woodwork. My message is simple, I speak through the love of Celtic not the love of money or the love of power. It’s a big picture about the collective good of Celtic. 🍀