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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FFM,
Outrageous, it is McGedro and not Gedro.
Pedro Gedro is just so bland.
Oh what a night……Amazin’
I also remember the Jungle the night we won 5-4 against the Partizan, we may have went out but what a way to go.
The Celtic story is anything but boring.
FFM – I’m delighted for ye mo chara.
Best way to deal with the bird is agree with everything she says,and pretend that yer listening to her,even though yer in a trance.
Feed her full of drink so she faks away aff to bed,then let’s ye log on to celticquicknews,and listen to yer own music.
:)
Eddie
From every street in Glasgow, we proudly make our way.
To the place that we call Paradise.
16 roads – Wee Oscar the Celtic warrior.
04:21 on 1 January, 2014
FFM – I’m delighted for ye mo chara.
Best way to deal with the bird is agree with everything she says,and pretend that yer listening to her,even though yer in a trance.
Feed her full of drink so she faks away aff to bed,then let’s ye log on to celticquicknews,and listen to yer own music.
:)
————————————————————————————
I think Frances is likely to be one of CQN’s best ever signings, her music choices are incredible and the stuff she has went through, well let us hope noone ever has to go through what she has, even huns.
BSR – Behave yerself lol.
16 Roads,
:))
Yon burd is goin mental at failed registration attempts.
P67 is the new landlord with detchable phone line :)
Tommy Burns
bournesouprecipe
16:01 on 31 December, 2013
A cheese factory in France exploded and several people
have been injured by falling de bries.
——————–
Well out of sync there,million miles away.
Feed the Bear
DD
And this is what we say.
Has anyone ever enjoyed scoring for Celtic more than the Maestro?
Paul McStay
Sally McMoist is about to be exposed naked to the gullibles. Shitstormtime
Eddie
Oh its Celtic, Celtic thats the team for me.
Drunk & disorderly now,my favourite ever Celtic game.
The final day.
Those huns are going to go through this someday soon.
Can they stop it?
Who knows?
It’s their problem so it is.
They can suffer it:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=i4-i-yYbloU#
Over & out.
Celtic, celtic on to victory we’re the finest team in Scotland I hope you will agree
A favourite of philvisreturns.
Don’t stop believin/a>
A Happy NEW YEAR to the Excellent blogger. Fred C Dobbs.
Struck by Thunder
somethinginsidesostrong.csc
16 roads,
I really love THIS
song.
Many songs are top class but this one really gets me revved up.
Petec
Maestro legend best celtic player I’ve seen since ’78 when I started going to see the celtic on my own when I was a lhad of 12 yrs from ek (apart from henke).ktf.
Hail Hail and G’night.
From GreenHairyBawbag ( Frances)
http://m.youtube.com/user/stevecash83
eddiegreenhillsbhoy,
The Maestro is my favourite Celtic player ever, even Henryk comes a very close second.
The thought of the two of them in the one team is mind boggling. We are not far away from being an exceptional side, I hope we keep on improving and we keep all of our best players beyond this Summer.
HH & NN
We will never give up till we have won the Cup and the Scottish fitba League.
:)
HNY to the NY possee.
The maestro Paul McStay is second to The world class Danny McGrain as my favourite ever Celtic player.
Hairygreenbawbags says who likes ravioli?
She’s more radio rental than me!!!
Howllll.!…..
Love ye all. Happy new year fholks.
FFM,
Get HGBB to watch this olde favourite of mine when she has some time.
The KLF Documentary.
Defo off to bed now. Have a Great New Year all CQNers.
Petec
Paul McStay, Lubomir Moravcik, Henrik Larsson, Danny McGrain, Kenny Dalglish, Nakamura. What post Lisbon talents we had.
Dd .don’t forget Charlie at his time with us he was awesome, but joined wrong team when he should have stayed with us for another season to fulfill his potential .
DD
We come fom Bonnie Scotland, we come from county cork (up the rebels).
Dd
Best centre half post lisbon you have seen? Me; paul Elliott.
I am now beginning to believe that Dermot Desmond and Peter Lawwell were right all along.
As far as I can see,in ECL terms…Celtic are the only stand alone club in Europe.
Chelsea?
I pity the genuine supporters of the said club.
They were never a big club anyway,15,000 max,the old shed section.
Lenders are back in a position of strength again,interest rates are going to rise once more.
They have written off the bad debts,the ordinary debt from the man on the street that they will never get back – now they are going to move against the big mongers – like football clubs.
Lenders don’t lend for nothing,lenders want their money back,with interest.
Celtic will make their move in due course,debt free,with credit.
Champions of Europe once again,eh?
It’s beginning to look that way,so it is.
Eddie
Virgil.
Good morning and Happy New Year
First resolution . No more Mr Nice Guy From Jimbo.
Jimbo67 supporting Oscar Knox
Right,
Time i went to bed.
Night all.
jimbo67
06:17 on 1 January, 2014
————————-
Happy New Year Jimbo.
Champions of Europe once again,very soon my friend.
We get the three very soon…then the four,the five…six?
Heaven only knows that it’s bad now,and we haven’t even got the three yet ffs.
An implosion,the zombie heads are going to explode shortly…they are pishin’ their trunks already.
The Masonic are terrified,for some reason.
10-I-A-R eh?
Hense the terror,They are contemplating it now,they kicking their dogs and battering their zombie wives.
Incandescent with rage they are.
GOOD.
:)
Good morning and happy new year to all cqnrs and hoops everywhere.
Early shift this morning so clear headed due to zero indulgence last night.
I have decided to give up the double demons of drink and tobacco for 2014.
Neither, in the quantities I have been consuming, are doing me much good and I would hate to miss out on any more of the future than I absolutely must.
That story in the mail about Sammy to AM. Pure puff, nae substance, lazy journalism.
Bring us a striker (who can score goals) in the transfer window please.
HH