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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Happy New Year Everyone! por cierto
Morning all. Still dark but quiet and still.
Will the gemme be on the day?
Happy New Year to all at CQN from a dull but dry Eas Mhor
Parkheadcumsalford who is supporting the Amsterdam 5
just looked out the window here in Cambuslang.The weather is still and a little damp so I dinne see why not .
Dr John on that feeling you get waking up and remembering you support Celtic:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6awYoJv6jY
HULL CITY are eyeing a £1million swoop for Celtic contract rebel Georgios Samaras.
Tigers gaffer Steve Bruce wants to add extra firepower to his squad and is a long-term admirer of Greek striker Samaras, 28, who is out of contract in the summer and has yet to accept the new deal on offer at Parkhead.
Celtic boss Neil Lennon is ready to flog the hitman if he continues to stall — and Hull lead the chase.
Lenny could then move for Wolves hitman Leigh Griffiths — last season’s SFWA Player of the Year after he hit 28 goals on loan at Hibs.
Bruce could be set to test Celts with a seven-figure bid for Samaras.
He said: “We are in a fantastic position in the league. But if there is anybody I think can improve us, then I will ask the question.”
However Samaras may not fancy a move to the unfashionable Tigers.
Lazio and Fiorentina have also scouted him and a move to Italy could be more tempting.
NEIL LENNON has warned Celtic are ready to give someone a HAMMERING.
Hoops gaffer Lennon is delighted to have got through tough away games against St Johnstone and Inverness with 1-0 wins.
Now Lenny, whose team host struggling Partick Thistle today, wants his champions to turn the screw on opponents by blowing them away in front of goal.
Talisman Kris Commons is in great form, scoring seven goals in his last seven matches, but hitmen Anthony Stokes and Georgios Samaras have been struggling to hit the net. Lennon expects them to click in front of goal, starting today.
He said: “Sooner or later we are going to give another team a bit of a beating.
“I think the players are ready for it.
“We have to take more chances and I would like us to create a little bit more than we did against Inverness.
“But we can’t have everything. It’s been a really heavy period and we are going well.
“It’s just a question of keeping the run going.
“If we keep a clean sheet in the next game that’s seven, almost a club record.
“So the players have plenty of incentive at the minute.”
Most people expect Celts to steamroller the Jags, who are on a nightmare run.
Alan Archibald’s side have lost seven of their last nine matches, meaning all the momentum they built early on has evaporated.
But Lennon insists he will remind his players of results like the League Cup humiliation at the hands of Morton as proof every team is dangerous.
Lennon added: “Whenever the players are getting a wee bit ahead of themselves we give them little reminders of how far we have to go.
“We are nowhere near what we feel to be the finished article, if you ever get that.
“But this team is very much a work in progress.
“I think Thistle will bring a few fans with them. With it being the festive season we will hopefully get a good turnout from the home crowd as well.
“It will be a decent atmosphere and the players will feed off it.”
Lennon has been linked with Jags full-back Aaron Taylor- Sinclair, but the Celtic boss insists he knows nothing about any move for the Firhill youngster.
He said: “It is nothing to do with me, I don’t know where the speculation has come from.”
TONY WATT has revealed he will be heading back to Belgium to resume his loan spell with Lierse.
The unsettled Celtic kid held talks with Parkhead boss Neil Lennon and trained with the Hoops at Lennoxtown on Hogmanay.
Watt, 19, had admitted he wasn’t sure if he would return to Belgium after scoring twice against Mechelen on Boxing Day.
But he has confirmed he will finish the season at Lierse.
He tweeted: “Only back doing extra training over next couple days before I go back, but buzzing to see everybody.”
THEY are team-mates, pals and countrymen.
And both arrived at Celtic after learning their trade with Cardiff City.
But Adam Matthews hopes Joe Ledley isn’t going anywhere near Wales any time soon.
The Hoops midfielder has been linked with a move to the Premier League, with former club Cardiff and Crystal Palace among the teams watching his situation at Celtic Park.
Bhoys boss Neil Lennon might have to cash in if the 26-year-old doesn’t sign a new deal by the end of the month.
And Matthews hopes Ledley is able to reach an agreement to extend his stay in Glasgow.
He said: “Joe has been a brilliant player since he came to Celtic.
“He’s a mate of mine as well, so hopefully he will put pen to paper on a new contract.
“He showed in Inverness that he works really hard in midfield, where he and Scott Brown have a great partnership.
“If we can keep him that would be very good news.
“I haven’t spoken to him about the details, it’s up to him now. But I hope he signs and stays in Glasgow.
“It wouldn’t be a surprise at all if there were clubs down south having a look at him because he has been a great player for us.
“He showed he can play at the very top level in the Champions League time and again.
“I think a club like Celtic needs to keep all of our top players — and Joe is definitely one of them.”
Lennon has spoken about his desire to sign more British players after so many foreigners were brought in to develop and sell on.
He’s already watched Huddersfield pair James Vaughan and Oliver Norwood, with a view to signing them in this transfer window.
And while Matthews has been impressed by the club’s foreign policy, he believes it’s also important to bring in players who know the British game.
He revealed: “It’s a great squad and you don’t want to see that change. Even the foreign lads that have come in have got on well and it’s a great changing room to be in.
“But it’s good to have a British core because they know what to expect in Scottish football.
“The foreigners take time to adapt sometimes, so hopefully we can keep the British lads like Joe here.”
Celtic’s unbeaten record will go on the line against Partick Thistle today.
They have chalked up 18 league games without loss after negotiating two tricky away trips to St Johnstone and Inverness after Christmas.
Both times they scraped 1-0 wins and Matthews is in no doubt how big an achievement going unbeaten for a season would be.
He claimed: “We want to keep it going for as long as we can.
“It’s going to be tough because everyone is going to want to end the run when they play us and step it up another ten per cent.
“I think it would be a massive achievement. It’s going to be tough, but I think we can do it. We just have to try and concentrate on one game at a time.”
Celtic return to home soil after two away matches and Matthews admits they’re looking forward to playing at Parkhead again.
While on recent form it should be a simple task for Celts, Matthews knows from bitter experience of the League Cup exit to Morton earlier in the season that NO game in Scotland is a foregone conclusion.
He added: “It’s not easy when you play away on some of the pitches you have to deal with. You can’t play flowing passing football.
“Partick have shown they can play nice football this season. When we played them away they gave us a tough game, so we know what lies ahead.”
Good morning and a happy new year to everyone.
Good luck to Lenny and the bhoys today.
Celtic 3-0 Partick Thistle.
Hail Hail
Good Morning all fellow Tim’s,
Once again big thank you to the Barrow in Furness cfc for transporting me to Paradise today.
DBBIA
Hope to see you later today
Once again big Hoopy New Year to everyone
To and an awe…a very Happy New Year!
Hope the Bhoys put on a s
… show today!
Cause its to be pouring again…
Lookoutthewaterproofs CSC
Justafan
Just read your post and singing in the rain is on radio 2 , which l hope we will be doing
AT Paradise today
Malorghoy
Just heard that too.
Did you have a good festive season?
HH
Sorry Malorbhoy
Fatfingerscsc
Sky
High Big Mhan wonderful time thank you, see you are working today all the best see you next time for a champions League day
Malorbhoy
Hoping to get down for a few games before CL duty!
Take care
HH
Happy new year and hopefully a harmonious and peaceful one to all..
Malorbhoy hope to see you in lounge today. Was at a charity event and won a couple of lounge passes at the auction..
Belated Buon Anno everyone.
Hope it’s a good one for you and yours.
BLANTYRE TIM
in turncoat scandal!
Enjoy the match,bud. Pig out on the freebies!!
Bmcuw.
Indeed I shall. Trying to source some passes for mini and mrs bt .
They have tickets but no passes . Im all heart…o))
BT
Look forward to it there might be a famous Cqnr visiting the lounge as well today
Mysterycscript
Malorbhoy.
I coming along with keepthehighballslow.
Think you met him at cqn golf..
There are three kind of lies, lies damned lies and official attendance figures.
Lookin’ forward to joining the ole mendicants today.
DBBIA
Have you hacked into The Daily Mail?
“Meanwhile, two potential midfield targets seem to be moving out of Celtic’s reach, with Egyptian club Al-Ahly insisting Mahmoud Hassan will be going nowhere until the summer and Beijing Guoan slapping a prohibitive £4m price tag on Chinese international Zhang Xizhe.”
April 1974 Celtic played 10 games.
7 in the league, W 4 D 3
1 in Cup, W1
and also notorious E/Cup semi against Atletico.
They played league games on 27, 29 and 30. All were drawn,including two games against Morton.
The last home league game was an unscoring draw against Morton
, played in front of a scarcely credible 9,000.
BMCUWP, only if I can get hold of a flamethrower.
Happy New Year to all CQN-ers and your families. Hope this year is good to you all.
Curly
Ylurc, yhapp new year to the turra Tims, feat. Ymurph.
DBBIA
It gave me horrible flashbacks to Zheng Zhe.
Think I’ll crawl back under the covers….
Paul67,
I would like wish you and all contributors and lurkers a Happy New Year.
TGSC,
Sailing On….
Happy New Year from a bright and sunny Nordrhein Westfalen. Had a ‘first footer’ turn up last night for the first time in many a long year. Resplendent in Highland Dress, he was tall, used to be dark and I’m sure his wife thinks he is handsome but most importantly he’s a Tim. I hope it is a good omen for the year ahead.
Today’s prediction – 5-0 to the Bhoys.
Happy new year to everyone.
Except the lurking Huns.
I hope your year is the same as the last two.
If not even worserer ;)
Any way, Chelsea £50 mil. Ind debt, and it’s ok as it falls within the European FFP Rules, a mean come on, who was on that committe ? LNS? what chance to other teams have who like us are playing with in our means, it’s a joke, and it’s all going to end in tears, thank god for PL, and The Celtic Board running a tight ship, and good house keeping has it’s rewards, others went down another road up here in Scotland, and look what happened to them, they even get there fans to come in here and tell us this winning thing Celtic are doing is not good, they are even going as far as to say, the chances we missed in 67 against Inter Milan was shocking, and it should have been 5 or 6 that day, and even then it took a defender to score the first goal, Jock Stein must have had the same feeling as the moaners in here, WHY.? Because that team never played together in a competitive game again, ;)))
Church bells gein it laldy ootside. I suppose that means I should get up!
Happy new year to all from the Frantic07 household. Looking forward to a return to a ner’day derby game. Been to so many in my time..so I’m told! Remember try to get somewhere open to get a wee curer, usually end up in the Market bar just off the Gallowgate along with half the Selic end! One year after a trip to Hades and a 3-0 defeat I surfaced in the carnival at the Kelvin Hall because someone knew the upstairs bar was opened, how desperate we must have been. Anyhow bring oan the Jags.
The window opens, so where is WGS?
Miss his bampot signing targets…
Leighgriffiths?????CSC
tonydonnelly67 @ 9:48…
I like your style, happy new year.
The Lions did play together again though, v Dinamo Kiev in the first round of the following year’s European Cup at Celtic Park.
Same fate befell Feyenoord as well of course.
Happy New Year to all on CQN and good luck to Neil and the Bhoys today.
In the mad world that is football, Luke Shaw (18 yo) will line up against Chelsea 10 years after being rejected by them for being too small!
Ffs we were all wee when we were 8!