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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sixoclockatthechapel
03:02 on 1 January, 2014
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More defiant than ever mo chara.
We can never be defeated.
10-I-A-R.
16 roads -Slainte mo Chara!
10 iar- and more!
DD
50 to 1 apparently.
Seems short odds to me
10 in a row is probable.
To shout about it in advance is counting chickens before the hatch. Shhhhhhh
16 roads – Wee Oscar the Celtic warrior. 03:03
I don’t think we are far away, the game in Milan was an exceptional performance for a team in transition. I sincerely hope all our best players hang around a bit longer and we have a real go at the CL next season.
The defence is looking fantastic. Adam Matthews in Milan was amazing and we are now seeing Emilio coming back to the form we know he is capable of, the 2 CB’s well, they are just Excellent fitba players. And we got Mr Lustig too who is a brilliant player at CL level.
So you may well be right there m8ty. ;))
DD – It’s in our own hands my friend.
The only thing that can beat us is ourselves.
SFTB – Happy New Year to you and the family chief.
Nil desperandum.
Delany’s Dunky
Robert Mac- cooncillor of this Parish?
Tommy D- pub / taxi business
McIntyre ra Butcher
SFTB
Commons 4-0 & Commons 4-1 are my two bets.
Petec – Never a truer word spoken.
There ye go chief:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tIkTfKM9wPs#
And the verve said the drugs dont work ?
James forrest hat trick
Aye.. is he gonna wear a trilby
And.. There will be no new dawn in this new year
Same shoite … different number
Accept it bhoys… were forever doomed and downtrodden
Jinky
All of them are related to me.
HH
Happy New Year to Paul 67 and all at CQN
and all you fabulous CQNrs out there.
Delaneys Dunky
Maybe see you in the Galatea one day
HH
Gordon64
All the best to you and yours
Too many legends!!!
G64 agus Jinky in the place to be.
16 Roads
As someone once said
‘We haven’t gone away’
Look forward to a less lurking role in this year
HH
Gordon64
03:27 on 1 January, 2014
Happy New Year to Paul 67 and all at CQN
and all you fabulous CQNrs out there.
______________________________________
A mighty Happy New Year to you me olde mucker.
My favourite concert was definitely this one.This is the One
DD
Are you Peter Lawell in the skies
16 rodeos
G64 … im bored with fkn G4 …. next time I see one of the asda cheerleaders trying to get a smoker in the lavs.. or a season ticket holder standing up… im gonna custard pie the kent :)
Jinky
I am sure you spoke to my dad in the Galatea. I love that pub. My dad drank there and the Criterion.
jinkyredstar cuts it back for neil lennon
03:32 on 1 January, 2014
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Too much gurning on here this past year chief.
We should be thankful.
HH & KTF.
TBJ,
Neil has loads of faith in wee Jamesie Forrest, that will do for me.
A product of our own schooling, we need a lot more of this type, if Truth be told.
His performance against Udinese over there said a lot about how good this young man is.
He is still learning but is he still being hampered by injuries? hard to tell.
TBJ
?? I do know Peter. Why did you ask that??
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7B-4Lsrx8IA
Something inside so strong – HAPPY NEW YEAR CQN’rs HAIL HAIL
pyfinl
pedro pete…. from Frances
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgFU5Ak88-k
16 roads,
We are under a Massive Attack from dark forces. We should always be Thankful for what we have.
Celtic
TBJ – The ghetto Fenians score out the union fleg on their Reebok whites
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QJecbuxW3PQ
16 Roads – I agree – time we had a wee bit of perspective- this is a great time to be a Tim- winning ugly is sometimes necessary- I remember losing beautifully on too many occasions – as u know I am of the ‘slightly older’ brigade!
Delaneys- I will certainly have met your dad – my first game in the Gala was the Pierre cup final in 95 – it has been a privilege to know the guys who sail to the games
FFM,
It is a tremendous privilege to be your friend, Frances is the most amazing person I have never met, I will keep Praying for her wellbeing and yours as well.
Thank You.
Thank You Frances & FFM for bringing this track to my attention, It is one of my favourites ever.
The Arrows
jinkyredstar cuts it back for neil lennon
03:48 on 1 January, 2014
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Bloody marvellous!!
FFM – Happy New Year chief.
The rebels fae the Glasgow housing schemes will die before Celtic oor cause do. We all live in a Catholic housing scheme.
Celtic are oor team
The Provos rule supreme.
Good night and God bless guys – onwards – we carry the hopes and dreams of those who took us on the bus, punted us over, bought us a ‘macaroon bar’ and a ‘spearmint chewing gum’
Now is the time to remember and the time to celebrate
Hail hail
5 Star Skills
A Celtic product.
Wishing all cqn’rs and celts everywhere a champion new year.
I’d rather have a winning team than a losing one here we go 10 in a row God willing. KTF.
Gedro,
Love you amigo !
16 Roads,
You too !
Mrs FFM has decided to join the madness under the name GreenBawbag :))
Good luck, she’s a pain in the erse, loves One-D obsessively and loves the board :))
Jinky
My dad was a Bute Tim. He was proud of that. The dark side on Bute were always laughed at and pitied. :))
Pedro,
Apols
this keyboard clearly belongs to a bawbag :)
DD
Whose that team they call the celtic, whose that team we all adore, we play in emerald green f### king billy and your queen and we’re off to show the world what we can do.