On practically all measures the club has had a less successful 2013 than 2012 but I’m going to give you a positive State of the Club Report today. 2013 gave us one critical achievement, qualification for the group stage of the Champions League. Winning the league title is, of course, critical for most ambitious clubs, but at Celtic it has become a bit like putting your socks on; it’s something we do as a matter of course.
Overcoming Elfsborg and Shakhter Karagandy was a lot more difficult than it should have been. They are to us what we are to teams at the top of La Liga or Serie A, but our superior resources eventually held good. You get a sense from recent comments by Neil Lennon and Johan Mjallby that the realisation we need to shop at least one transfer window in advance of the period we need players to be effective has dawned.
Next season’s qualifiers will, in all probability, be more challenging, so the hard work necessary to ensure a high probability of a successful outcome should already be underway.
Performance at this season’s group stage was ultimately disappointing after a promising start. We held our own for 80 minutes away to Milan, looking as comfortably as we have been away to a top Spanish or Italian club in 30 years. Conceding two late goals felt harsh. Defeat at home to Barcelona was frustrating. The plan worked perfectly while the game was 11 v 11 and even when we were reduced to 10 men we still had a chance to take the lead, but Barca were hot favourites from the moment Scott Brown flicked out at Neymar. We missed Brown’s influence hugely over the next three CL games.
A tactically impeccable performance at home to Ajax but some points on the board but the three remaining games, away to Ajax and Barcelona, and home to Milan, were abject. It was like all our accumulated wisdom of how to compete in this tournament was lost. The Milan game at Celtic Park was particularly disappointing as it mirrored the manner and score of the defeat to Juventus earlier this year. No lessons were learned.
When Teemu Pukki cheerfully told us he would bring pace and strength to the Celtic attack, but not a bundle of goals, there was a ripple of concern across the support. In Europe, we can often only afford one striker, so he needs to be the type of will look away but have the ball bounce off his bum and into the net.
Recruiting a player who possesses this talent and can successfully deploy it on the Champions League, while he does his weekend business in the SPFL, has proven to be the key challenge for the football department. It’s not easy, but it’s certainly not impossible. We know the issue, we have time and money in the bank, so I don’t see why we can’t find a solution.
2013 was not a time of harmony for the Celtic support. Amid vandalism, flares and multiple Uefa fines Celtic banned fans and donated seats in section 111 to charity. We are 10 years after the Fifa and Uefa Fair Play awards. The road back to those times will not be easy but there is a road back.
In early 2012 I appeared on Radio Scotland, where James Traynor insisted that Celtic were doomed if the SPL clubs refused to allow Newco Rangers elevated access to top flight football. I told him the overwhelming consensus on Celtic Quick News was that we were prepared to pay the price to ensure new clubs start at the bottom of the league pyramid. If it meant more youth players, fewer fans, less effective European competition, so be it.
The predictions of doom were largely misplaced. Celtic have not only been able to reach the Champions League group stage, twice in succession. My money is on them qualifying again next year, while season ticket sales in excess of 40,000 is exceptionally robust in the circumstances.
It was almost exactly nine years ago that I suggested the start of the Martin O’Neill era would herald a Generation of Domination, as Sir David Murray’s financial recklessness would lead to Rangers collapse. Now the only questions is, how many generations are we talking about? None of what has happened since is a surprise. Our progress on the field will not be linear, it never was, but it is assured.
Have a great New Year, you deserve it.
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TR
Nope but at that age he’d be way too old for me :-)
Right off to bed sober as can be but with a massive smile oh and tomorrow I get to bring in the new year with Celtic.
Happy days.
Happy New Year CQNers
I wish each and everyone of you all the best for 2014.
Happiness is a journey, not a destination:)
hh
bjmac
X
Jinkyredstar
My dad who died in July was a Bute Bhoy. Killchattan Bay Bhoy.
Teuchter,
Our family were in Winchburgh and John Bann was pinting wae ma da.Paddy is two years dead now and was 90 when we went.God Rest Him.Cannae mind the pub,Yer talking 40 odd years ago
delaneys dunky,
My sisters three girls will be on the Chalmers Street bus tomorrow, they’ll be the extremely good looking gals, keep an eye out for them and make sure they’ve got no pyro.
Happy New Year to you and yours mate, sorry to say but I’m away to the beach!
AR
How many strikers have we signed so far in the new window?
Antipodean Red,
All girls from Clydebank are lookers.Always have been.
Happy New Year and time for the scratcher.TAL
AR
My son and daughter who will be on the Stevie Chalmers St bus with me must know them. :)
Happy New Year CQN
A tune, about Celtic :o)
Always On My Mind
http://youtu.be/R7f189Z0v0Y
voguepunter
God bless you and yours mate
HH
team for tomorrow.
winners no less.
onwards.
TCR
Probably the ‘tic shop – Tally Ho.
My sister is contacting George…will get back to you.
Antipodean
Beach FFS…..I’ve just shovelled 2 feet of snow from the driveway :-)
today even.
Delany’s Dunky
Kilchattan is a lovely place- know a few folk there
If you ever come over let me know
Cheers
AR
Feck yer beach bro. We’ve got the Saltings. :)))
Zombie Nation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuuO3JbY6Mc
Watch til the end and hear the chant
This is our City
These are our colours
AND
This is my team
pyfinl
Jinkyredstar
Anyone called Duncan or MacIntyre on Bute is my cousin.
leftclick together we will get justice for the dam 5
01:17 on 1 January, 2014
——————————
Lefty,thank you my brother.
If I can begin to live my life just a wee bit the way that you live yours…then I will be doing alright,to say the least.
InspirationalCSC.
Happy New Year Leftclicktic.
LEGEND.
New Year Predictions/Guestimates
Celtic will sign three players in the transfer window:
A striker/Hold Up man–probably the Alkmaar centre.
A cover for LB who can also double at CH—probably the Partick lad
A creative midfielder or a direct replacement for Ledley —probably the Heerenveen lad or the DU fellow(not Gauld).
We shall lose 2 players in the window:
one of Sammy and Ledley
plus one other that will surprise us.
The Uninformed One—Rebus
Going into the bottle now!
Good night Paul 67,and everybody who his is pal.
All the best you,who cannot say, what they want to.
Hail Hail.
2014…a great year for the Celtic!
Every year a great year for the Celtic!!
Happy New Year to everyone who belongs to the Celtic!
A very Happy New Year to all on CQN, lurkers and posters alike. I hope everyone has as good a year as possible and I hope Celtic go from strength to strength. We’ve all got a part to play in that.
Everyone makes mistakes, even those running Celtic, it is imperative that we all learn from mistakes made.
Let the people sing.
Here’s a song for absent friends.
You all who your absent friends are.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZd8eU5CMt4
For ma da, and miki 67.
They are Celtic
I think we will sign Taylor Sinclair, Stuart Armstrong and Jermaine DeFoe this January.
Me thinks back in the Jungle we were all in the Green Brigade.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boWM7zvmvcM
Song for Scotland 2014
Best concert of 2013
Looking forward to the Thistle game. A hat trick from James Forrest.
‘Twas down by the glenside, I met an old woman
A-plucking young nettles, she ne’er saw me coming
I listened a while to the song she was humming
Glory O, Glory O, to the bold Fenian men
‘Tis fifty long years since I saw the moon beaming
On strong manly forms, on eyes with hope gleaming
I see them again, sure, in all my sad dreaming
Glory O, Glory O, to the bold Fenian men.
When I was a young girl, their marching and drilling
Awoke in the glenside sounds awesome and thrilling
They loved dear old Ireland, to die they were willing
Glory O, Glory O, to the bold Fenian men.
Some died by the glenside, some died near a stranger
And wise men have told us their cause was a failure
But they fought for old Ireland and never feared danger
Glory O, Glory O, to the bold Fenian men
I passed on my way, God be praised that I met her
Be life long or short, sure I’ll never forget her
We may have brave men, but we’ll never have better
Glory O, Glory O, to the bold Fenian men
Nite all.May only the best things happen to you.
SFTB,
James Forrest to score a hat trick is 50/1 on Bet365.
I’ve decided to have a punt on this one, this time.
All the Best for 2014 and I hope it is a prosperous New Year for you.
Billy’s finest
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQ1vvMoRugc
SFTB
Forrest hat trick? What odds?
16 Roads -love that song.
Thanks for posting those fine words.
ACGR & 16 Roads,
All the best for the New Year. Glasgow is Green and White!!!!
Petec,ACGR and the rest of the crew…Last year we were good,this year we shall be great.
Simul fortes sumus.
Commons 4-1 scorecast is ma mad bet