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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Morning to you all and a happy hoopy new year to you all..looking forward to the glasgow derby today and maybe a glimpse of our new striker..hope fans make the effort to turn out today but with the lack of public transport i think we’l do well to get 30k ..have a great day hh
On the Lisbon Lions – did they not all turn out in the final game of the 70-71 season against Clyde. Even faither made an appearance that day in a 6-1 victory.
Dontbrattbakkinanger
09:25 on
1 January, 2014
Guid New Year
Why you looking forward to beggars?
Mendacious mebbe?
:-)
Craigellachie, I think R Simpson led the team out, and J Fallon actually played in goal that day.
Macjay, you’re right.
Not a great start to the new year for ole dont’y.
A very hoopy new year to CQN, lets hope 2014 continues to see lazy journalism ridiculed on these pages, worrying trends in some posts to suggest MSM being accepted
Sum up Radio Clyde and other S88t You Don’t Need @S88tUDontNeed
Corporate talk radio, every single host is paid by corporations to represent corporate interests, the truth is secondary
West wales. Why don’t we just swap pukki for griffifths
Or pukki for May. Or pukki for a mark 2 escort
Happy New Year to Paul 67 and all Supporters of Celtic.
P67 – thanks for continuing to provide this Dear Green Place.
Here’s to 2014.
Thanks Celtic, thanks Neil, Peter and Dermot.
HH.
.
Craigellachie10 and Dontbrattbakkinanger….
Ronnie only took part in the warm up that day in 70/71 v Clyde. John Fallon played in goal.
correction….
Evan Williams played in goal that day v Clyde (sorry BT!)
Good mornings friends and a Big Happy New Yearto all contributors and lurkers as well as that Paul67 bloke from a damp but pretty bright East Kilbride.
Less than 5 hours till kick off for the ole Glasgow Derby. Can’t wait.
Beautiful morning in Bonnybridge!
Gordon
I could be wrong here, but did big Yogi not start in that game? I could have sworn that team never played a competitive game together again, I could wrong mind yi ;)
TONY DONNELLY
http://www.thecelticwiki.com/page/1967-09-20+Celtic+1+-+Dynamo+Kiev+2
Good Morning Timland.
Have we made a signing yet?….anyways, a big welcome too
all the Bulgarians and Romanians hope you find peace and
prosperity in Scotland, get yourselves along to CP, you’ll get
a warm welcome from the Celtic fans who know their history.
I was just about to correct both dbbia and gordon..but you beat me to it G..o))
Happy New Year to all….. First resolution is to post at least once daily on CQN, so that’s a tick.
Bright and calm in the north east.
Dontbrattbakkinanger
10:26 on
1 January, 2014
Not many I would be able to have a laugh with on trivia.
Some prickly punters on here.
Cheers.
Happy new year to all from a sunny Inverness, all the best for 2014..
Happy New Year to all.
Many thanks to Paul67 for this place.
Happy new year bhoys and ghirls.
A Happy New Year from Arbroath.
Cheerio,
JJ
Happy New Year to everyone!
Hoping for a good win today, bring on the Thistle!
Happy birthday to young blantyrekev…
Now joined the 40 somethings. …
BMW
I beg to differ. I could swear Yogi played in both those games, almost positive.
Happy New Year to everyone on CQN.
We’ve been staying with my sister and brother in law in Nice and after being out for the Bells returned to find that their apartment had been broken into and all money, jewellery and some Christmas gifts has been stolen. There is a big old sturdy door and they had to use some kind of crowbar to force their way in. The place was left in a mess and stinking of weed. Scumbags.
Anyway enjoy the game today. Can’t wait to get back home!
TONY DONNELLY
He replaced Stevie Chalmers for the second-leg.
Seems we had a dodgy ref for that game,btw.
WINNING CAPTAINS
Bad start to the year,bud. I hope it gets better for you all.
Pub-time!
Happy New Year to All,
A good article in the FT today http://www.ft.com about Chelsea and their challenge on meeting FFP rules for UEFA. This will be interesting as Bayern Munich will push this hard ( and they have the clout to do it ) as they are profitably run and influential. Uli Hoeness ( altho he has his own financial problems ) and Beckanbauer have long complained about the English and Spanish Clubs.
If a certain tribute act ever reached the heady heights of Europe again they also have this financial doping mentality.
The football world is starting to turn slowly and the Germans may be just the guys to make it happen.
A happy and prosperous New Year to one and all!
And a cyber hug to all those that need one.
God bless all.
£1m bid for Leigh Griffiths according to BBC gossip page. Better bet than May or McKay but if the manager can’t handle Tony Watt what chance this zoomer?? Certainly a goalscorer, but then so was Stokesie when he joined us (and for the first 2 seasons).
Happy New Year from a wet north staffs
“Wherever my travels lead me, Paradise is where I am.” ~Voltaire
TimsAreEverywhereCSC
Happy New Year Paul and all who contribute and lurk. Yes, even you huns who read and writhe in guilt, as you can’t help but digest real information and news.
BMW
I don’t know how to post a google in here, but I just googled it, and it’s sais Yogi was in that starting line up, I did put it on my Facebook , if anyone wants to have a look.
What a start to the New Year for me!
Usually have 2 bacon rolls for breakfast on Ne’erday.
Only had one!
Fed the other roll and the uncooked bacon to the birds!
(Fekn starvin’ by the way)
C’mon the Celts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Macjay, where on the mineshafter- happy clapper continuum are you placin’ the ole prickly punters?
Got Sir Alex Ferguson’s biography – Football, Bloody Hell – by Patrick Barclay for Christmas.
Just been reading about his early trials and tribulations at Old Trafford and how he missed out on Trevor Stevens because United couldn’t match the wages being offered by Rangers.
Changed days indeed, but more pertinently, it exemplifies how much influence EBTs had on the Ibrox signing policy, yet we are told they brought the club no on-field benefit.
Aye right!
Happy New Year to everyone here’s to another victorious year.
HH
Mick