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State of the Club Report, summer 2015

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By on CQN BLOG & Comments

Celtic are about to embark on their fourth season as the last remaining Superpower in Scottish football. The old wars were won, while current challenges on the domestic front are accomplished with ease, but many questions remain about the club’s place in the world, what it’s objectives should be and how best to deliver them.

My expectation is that Celtic’s annual accounts, which will be released next month, will show they club washed its face, largely aided by the sale of Fraser Forster, but turnover is likely to be around 35% below the peak figure from season 2012-13, where we progressed to the knock-out stages of the Champions League, selling tickets and merchandise by the ton.

Season ticket sales are down around 10,000 from their peak a decade ago, reflecting the lack of domestic competition, an overhang of the economic climate, and – I expect – a tail off from what was an unsustainable high during the years of regrowth after the long, dark, 90s. The good news is the distress rate appears to have bottomed out. New blood has replaced old in many parts of the stands, as many learn to appreciate The Game for its sporting merit, not simply a means to three points.

We had a terrible start to the Ronny Deila era. We huffed and puffed in Iceland, were torn apart in Poland, but the performance against Legia at Murrayfield was nothing short of a capitulation. From the opening minute of the game we were worse, much worse, than we were in Warsaw.

Results and performances remained disappointing for months as Aberdeen regularly led the league into the new year, but signs of recovery appeared in the Europa League, where we qualified for the knock out stages and put on two credible performances against Inter.

Last autumn Ronny was under pressure. In another era, this could have been overbearing pressure. The change in managers brought a change in tactics, training and personal objectives, which disoriented the club. It also meant that we didn’t have a recruitment strategy in place for the new requirements.

There are many long term strategic threats, but if Celtic ever lose a league again, it’s likely to be when they embark on such an overwhelming technical change. If we do this again, we need to anticipate the shock and compensate accordingly.

Sporting objectives remain clear: win the league every season “forever and ever” and qualify for the Champions League group stages. Having given this some thought, I cannot see the scenario when we will lose the Scottish league title.

A horizon exists in Scottish football, no one can see beyond 10-in-a-row. This season WILL be five-in-a-row, most bookies are offering 1/33, a 3% return on your money, on this outcome. After that the countdown to 10 will grow louder, but 10 is not a real horizon, it just exists because Jock Stein’s ways were eventually copied. He had no mystical touch, only good strategy.

Rangers should never had stopped at 9. The money they had gave them an enormous advantage. Wim Jansen arrived from nowhere (Japan) with half a team signed by Jock Brown. It defied logic how we won that title, but it’s also clear than many at Ibrox had put their tools away before the start of that season. There is a warning here for Celtic. The latter parts of the Martin O’Neill, Gordon Strachan and Neil Lennon eras were all characterised by less innovative signings. More scouting trips to Edinburgh, fewer to Cracow, and the like. When the players, manager or scouts get weary, teams fail.

Achieving Champions League group stage qualification is the most difficult challenge Celtic face. We are clearly a better team than Qarabag, and have considerably more resources, but much of Wednesday night was spent worrying if the goal would come, and about what we would face in Baku. Even if we’re successful, strong unseeded teams will await in our section of the next round draw.

We are more than good enough to win league after league, but we’re not more than good enough to qualify for Champions League after Champions League. This should be Celtic’s objective for the next year – arrive in next summers’ qualifiers with a much better team.

The success of this will depend on Ronny’s ability to turn potential into actual European class players. He can do this, but he’ll need a tail wind. In particular, we have to hope that an earlier, ‘recruit from Edinburgh’ strategy, has not been redeployed in the form of a ‘recruit from Dundee’ one.

There are objective measurements we can point to. We are sound financially, pay our bills when due, have seen off all domestic competitors, will report more than 40,000 season ticket holders, a buoyant retail business and strong commercial partnerships. The stadium looks incredible, whoever conceived of the Celtic Way deserves some credit – but please – finish the job.

Copy what we saw at Murrayfield, put turnstiles at the perimeter of the footprint, build fan zones, build a café outside the ground. 30 years from now people will not sit in stadiums like Celtic Park, they will have better facilities, start planning for them now.

As anyone will tell you, football is a results business, and results over the next four weeks will have an enormous bearing on what state we feel the club is in. Defeat will not mean we are on the wrong path any more than victories mean we are on the right path, but it’s the game we play, so ‘play on’.

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  1. Alasdair MacLean on

    Just in, read Paul67’s article and was compelled to take issue with one tiny detail:

     

     

    “The money they had gave them an enormous advantage.”

     

     

    For me this should read:

     

     

    “The money they WERE USING gave them an enormous advantage.”

  4. Zbyszek on

    DD and Blantyretim Thank you. All going well. Last op was more about doing my life more comfortable in the circumstances and giving more protection from stroke. I heard it went well. Thanks for asking.

  5. blantyretim is praying for the Knox family on

    AOW

     

    Must commend you on your recommendation of the android box

     

    Still haven’t mastered it but a great bit of kit

  7. Saint Stivs on

    Or,

     

     

    The money that was not theirs.

     

     

    Or

     

     

    The money they held back by not paying taxes

     

     

    Or

     

     

    Or

     

     

    Or

  8. blantyretim is praying for the Knox family on

    Alastair

     

    Are you heading down for the match tomorrow?

     

     

    You are more than welcome to join the grey brigade for a few beers after in town

     

     

    As is everyone as I’m not starting the first clique on the new site :-)

  11. GRAFFITIONTHEWALL on

    Looking for any direction with how to enter the NAPs comp …Saw an email posted yesterday.

     

     

    Thanks …… HH

  18. eddieinkirkmichael on

    To all those lucky enough to be going to the game tomorrow, enjoy what will surely be a great day. Can’t make it myself but will be there in spirit cheering the bhoys to victory.

     

    Hopefully wont be to long till I am able to be there.

  20. blantyretim is praying for the Knox family on

    DD

     

    Indeed, need to give you my new number, long story

     

     

    Graffiti

     

    Usually on last article so should be there mate

  22. Margaret McGill on

    In sex for evil thoughts, thought of by selfish men

     

    It nearly drives me crazy

     

    I am a lazy son

     

    I never get things done

  23. Zbyszek on

    Art of War, good to hear that. Saint Stivs , thank you.

     

    I read few Azeris articles (those that are in Russian). THere is big trust in their coach. They believe he can change the game and keep the chances open.

     

    The biggest danger for Celtic might be high temperature and humidity.

  25. blantyretim is praying for the Knox family on

    Roy Croppy

     

    That could be the Italian staff moaning that we had the best bench

     

    Big Jock sent TOHG out to claim the bench much to inters consternation

  26. Margaret McGill on

    Nah the biggest danger for Celtic is now before and evermore their modus operandi

  27. Alasdair MacLean on

    Blantyre Tim,

     

     

    Thanks very much for the invite – I was sitting here thinking the exact same thing – but I’m afraid I’m not coming down. Long story, but I have a wife who is on holiday from the school, (nurse as opposed to pupil!), and is looking for us to “do something together tomorrow”. did suggest going to Glasgow when I got in this evening, but she said she didn’t fancy the drive. Now she’s at her friend’s up the street and I’m having a kitchen table on the 3rd beer – wishing I was in Glasgow!

  30. Delaneys Dunky on

    Eddie

     

     

    I will be cheering the Bhoys on fae your seat. In spirit indeed. Thanks again pal.

     

    Hail Hail

  33. blantyretim is praying for the Knox family on

    Alastair

     

    The merchant city festival finishes on Sunday

     

    Plenty of stalls etc to keep the good lady happy

     

     

    A wee overnight and there ye go

     

     

    Open invite as ever

  34. Canamalar on

    To be perfectly honest after reading the article I am no wiser as to the state of the club, can anyone summarise for this expert please ?

  36. oldtim67 on

    Blantyretim.

     

     

    Not sure if I like this new format took me a while to get to know how to get on to the site.After 11-12 years on here then they change to a new format who in effin hell want’s a new format after thinking the last format was fine now i’ve to learn it all again.

     

    Never used format before so I thought I’d bore you to hell by mentioning format half a dozen times.

     

     

    Good to see you posting Zbyszek,good sign that your feeling better.

     

     

    I’ll be in town around 10.30am coffee in Tiffiny’s before a couple of beers in my local then heading for the game,BT are you coming back into town for a drink.

  37. saltires en sevilla on

    Play the best 100% fit players tomorrow

     

     

    Only rest injured players

     

     

    Start of season is about getting game time and match fitness, keeping out our key players ‘just in case’ is a recipe for disaster as players learn wee tricks to avoid games.

     

     

    If we go down that road

     

     

    What ones do we ‘protect’?? We can’t save them all – leave out Keeper, Central defenders, what if broony stubs his big toe , Lustig is invaluable in Europe – nooooooo

     

     

    Only the injured stay out to give them time to be ready.

     

     

    If we can’t win this tie with the squad then we are kidding ourselves on. We should have enough to get the job done. The team spirit and sense of being in it together and meeting and beating tough challenges is worth any number of protected individuals.

     

     

    If we are worried about missing Nir because he might get injured then we should chuck it now!

     

    However, If he is 80% now and 4 days gets him to 99.9% that is different, because he cannot play anyway.

     

     

    The covering players will be able enough.

  38. Delaneys Dunky on

    Alasdair

     

     

    I fancy I may meet you in Dingwall this season. Good luck to the County for this campaign.

     

    After tomorrow, of course. :)

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