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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In addition to Cifcti, Izzy is also suspended for tomorrow’s game. Will Mulgrew be risked ahead of Wednesday’s match? If not ready yet, who else could fill in ?
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Griffiths is our only real option up front – let’s hope he doesn’t pick up a knock. We have 38 games to win the title, only 1 game to ensure a CL Play off tie.
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Interesting selection dilemma for Ronny – rest key players or play the strongest team to prepare for Wednesday. Answers on a postcard please ….
TBB,
Your post might be thrown together but makes perfect sense on why we are playing on an uneven field.
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I got really angry last season at the amount of games I couldn’t attend due to sunday games and games being moved to suit a tv audience…hence I haven’t renewed my ticket.
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I will go, pay as you go like a lot of Good Celtic men are doing.
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We get a pittance from tv rights which would probably be covered on the loss of attendance to games played or more…time to play hardball with sky/Bt for what we are worth. HH
Maybe play 3 at the back tomorrow?
Testing123…ABC
BT
Three at the back tomorrow for me. Mik/Efe,Virgil and Dedryck.
Mike in Toronto…..
Game is at 7:45am Eastern time tomorrow.
Unless your cancelled flight was to take you a couple of timezones west…….
The Battered Bunnet.
Don’t want to say, not my place . Just delighted for the boy.
This taken from Sporting Life….
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Celtic (from): Gordon, Lustig, Boyata, Ambrose, Van Dijk, Johansen, Bitton, Armstrong, Brown, Forrest, Commons, Scepovic, Mackay-Steven, Stokes, Henderson, Griffiths, Fisher, Bailly, Janko.
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No sign of Charlie.
I’d have thought Ronny would prefer not to play Lustig.
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Janko and Efe as fullbacks?
I believe if we played Stokes and Griffiths upfront between them they would score 40 goals and yet we are prepared to sell Stokes we will not get a huge fee for Anthony probably some where between £750,000 and 1 million. I cannot help feel this is a mistake leaving us only Griffiths Cifti and Scepovic with only Griffiths being prolific . I am hoping that we bring in another striker but will he be as good as Stoksie ? I hope Ronny proves me wrong but I think we have lost a little focus. H.H.
Embramike
I would rest Nir & play Rogic,
I think Kris C will get some game time from the start to get him primed for Wed,
The wee mhan Griff will play hopefully and on Wednesday ,
I’m at the Galway Races. Just had a 16/1 winner Rogue Angel. I’m going for a big fat one in the 6.50
Papa’s Way. I met his owner a few minutes ago and he thinks he’ll be placed
Houl yer whist
Well done
JOE FILIPPIS HAIRCUT on 31ST JULY 2015 6:26 PM
I hear we will bring another Striker in. Stokes will go, probably to a Championship Team. Scepovic will probably go out on loan as well…just what I hear.
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Keep the Faith!
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Hail Hail!
leftclicktic,
I’d be getting Nir over to Baku, the noo.
He is so essential for the Champions League.
Even more so that we still have to qualify.
Mike in Toronto
What is this 5:45, tomorrow MORNING that you speak of?
5:45 – Is that not the cut-off time to order a quick pint before the 6 O’Clock news?
Houl yer wheest
well done
yer post triggered a memory from many years ago, the mind is a wonderful thing:)))))))
Rogue – fallen Angel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3ga9EYOOVU
LEFTCLICKTIC, Thanks for your welcome earlier.”Madhouse” is certainly one way to describe the site but frankly without the variety of posters and the differing viewpoints “bland” would be an alternative too dull to contemplate.
BURGAS HOOPS, All the best in facing the big challenge which now confronts you. Listen to the experts and behave yourself and you will be fine. I came through something similar, years ago now, and I still feel like a new man.
In some ways I’ll be sorry to see Stokes leave us. He’s had some success in his chosen field but just can’t find it within himself to step up and excel although he would seem to have enough natural talent that would allow him to do so. I’m still reminded of our “miraculous” recovery at Rugby Park which might not have happened without him.
I’m enjoying the “toing and froing” on the improvements topic. I’m “away” so don’t really feel I can add anything to the discussion. Having a presence on the Board by a knowledgeable and seasoned supporter would be no bad thing.
weeron … am off to Calgary to see my mum, so 5:45 kick off … fortunately, I’m an early riser
hunderbirds … as I said, I’m off to Alberta ….mum’s place is near the rockies… so sunrises and sunsets really are spectacular ….waking up to that scenery (and deer in the back garden) makes the early mornings worth it!
I said yesterday that I thought Rogic should play tomorrow. We can’t take any chance with Bitton getting any kind of a dunt. I would have the whole team fly out to Baku tomorrow evening and try and accilmatise.
LEFTCLICKTIC on 31ST JULY 2015 6:26 PM
Embramike
I would rest Nir & play Rogic,
I think Kris C will get some game time from the start to get him primed for Wed,
The wee mhan Griff will play hopefully and on Wednesday ,
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That’s the dilemma for tomorrow’s match – rest players in front of an expectant flag day crowd, or play the key players to work on teamwork and understanding …
Mike in Toronto
I jest. I am actually a fan of early mornings. Rockies sounds amazing, but I live in the Highlands in Scotland and sun/sets/rises are a joy to behold at times. Deer? Major shares in the local garden centre would have been a good idea. Lilac trees are expensive food for them.
RuralPursuitsAndLandscapeGardening CSC
Not been this excited about going to Parkhead tomorrow since …. Wed:))))
clobber all laid out and ready for action, remember if ye have any spare change bring it along tomorrow for the Kano bucket collection,to help ensure that weans who may never get the opportunity to see The Celtic are given the chance.
till later all
I am of the opinion that you should always play your strongest team there is no point worrying about Bitton getting injured that is why we have a squad of players. I am tomorrow looking for some of Wednesday nights underperformers playing better an early goal would settle the nerves but I expect a tight stuffy game. H.H.
Intelligent, dispassionate analysis. Having lived through the late 80s and 90s endless Celtic championships will do me however we fare in Europe.
What channel is our game being shown on Wednesday?
Clondaw warrior. Boom Boom
The icing on my galway cake
Each way double with the plan man and a nice single bet at 11 / 2 earlier.
Can you hear the bookies sing. No oh no oh
play our strongest 11 tomorrow, get the 3 points , wed will take care of itself.
JMcC
Good luck to him.
I remember a couple of years ago, a family group sitting in front of me for a Celtic St Mirren match. They seemed terribly anxious the whole game.
We were comfortably ahead, 3, maybe 4-0, when St Mirren scored an absolute beauty in the 2nd half, and the whole lot of them in front were up and whooping and hollering and hugging each other and generally going mental.
Fellow turned round a little sheepishly when he got hold of himself, and explained that while they were all Celtic fans, the boy who had just scored was their son/brother/nephew, and was making his debut.
Fantastic moment.
The boy btw was Jack McGinn’s grandson, Stephen.
hunderbirds …. a few years ago, I spent some time with the extended family in Garve …. beautiful! you are lucky to wake up to that sort of scenery every day.
and mum loves the deer, except when they eat her garden! Think that is partly why she is moving into a condo!
West-End Bhoy
BT Sports Europe 5:15pm
Mike in Toronto
Any improvement in your flight status yet?
What is the Stars,
Superb stuff. Good to hear the bookies getting it tight.
hunderbirds … no … probably could have made a fuss and got an earlier flight, but it is nice to spend a day not arguing with people for a change, so I decided just to let it go …. but got my ‘Toa of Pooh’ handy in case I need a refresher on how to stay calm at all times. essential airport reading!
WITS – where will it all end :¬)
As people have said is there any point letting stokes go for 750k when we will probably just sign another project for few hundred grand more.
He has proven he can do it at SPL level..I’d take 750k for scepovic instead as he hasn’t proved anything.
Deary me,what’s happened?….cqn went all fancy,
we’ll be going upstairs in the bus next.
Ps…..test.
No point in creating a smaller, leaner squad to allow the young players a path to the first team and then, when you lose your 2 left backs, change the formation or play someone out of position!
My posts have disappeared. No great loss. On the contrary. Test test.
The battered bunnet
In tears me lad
In tears
But for now it’s champagne and Roses