2014 saw Celtic win their third consecutive league title, but we didn’t reach either cup final. A period of significant change got underway during the summer when we said farewell to Neil Lennon.
Neil took over from Tony Mowbray, his first managerial appointment after working with the Youths at Lennoxtown. His first season was the one that got away. Defeat at Inverness with the title within their grasp, Walter Smith’s Rangers took their third successive title against the third difference Celtic manager.
Three months into the next season, Celtic were 10 points behind a Whyte-McCoist inspired Rangers, but that was overcome, with interest, by Christmas. Celtic went on to win the league by 20 points, although 10 of them were as a penalty for Rangers incurring an insolvency event.
Thereafter it was plan sailing for Neil. He never looked back in the league and reached the Champions League group stage twice, progressing to the knock-out stage on the first occasion. He learned the managerial ropes at Celtic and did enough in his four years here to establish himself as a European-class manager. He was our third unqualified success in four appointments.
By this summer it was evidence to all, including Neil, that significant rebuilding was needed. The job was handed to Ronny Deila.
Ronny’s first challenge came in the Champions League qualifiers in the form of Legia Warsaw. Despite the record books showing Celtic progressed after a 3-0 default home win, Legia wiped the floor with Celtic home and away. Celtic looked like a team of strangers, unfamiliar with the system they were asked to play.
That was, of course, true, the system was unfamiliar, but it’s execution was miscalculated, the on-field results were deserved. The Champions League playoff round against Maribor was unusual inasmuch as Celtic dominated the away first leg and deserved more than the 1-1 draw, but the Slovenians arrived in Glasgow with their game face on. Celtic were outplayed and out of the Champions League.
Things slowly got better, although home performances against Motherwell (by my measure the worst) and Hamilton Accies (who were impressive), and latterly Ross County indicated there is still a long way to go.
Ronny’s Celtic found their feet in the Europa League, where they finished second behind a very accomplished Salzburg. The away performances against Salzburg and Astra gave an insight into how things could be for this Celtic team.
It was, to say the least, disappointing not to qualify for the Champions League. It denied the club millions of pounds and shaded our trump card in to be used in attracting players, but in reality we’re not a Champions League team this season. The Europa’ gave us an opportunity to play European football on our level, pick up coefficient points and extended interest after Christmas (if you’re young this won’t mean much, if you’re my age, you’ll recall this being our Holy Grail).
Inter Milan await in the next round. They are also going through a rebuilding exercise and are as vulnerable to lesser-resourced teams as Celtic – so unlike Juventus two years ago – we have a sporting chance.
The tactical direction of the club is visibly distinct from what went before Ronny. Is this a good thing? Probably. Neil Lennon and his players over-achieved in their first Champions League season on a scale it’s difficult to measure. That squad had no right to reach the levels they did; theirs was a herculean effort. Play Matthews at left back, alongside a central pair of Wilson and Ambrose. Put Miku up front, with Mulgrew and Ledley in the middle – then go beat Barcelona. It was beyond impossible.
Barca, Ajax and Milan were prepared for Celtic last season; we finished bottom, out of ideas and direction on that stage. We needed to change, same again wasn’t going to wash.
Ronny’s played a high-pressing game, mostly with players who are unaccustomed to the demands of this game-plan. This has been a mistake on several occasions, most notably against Legia and Maribor. He’s working on player fitness, but in all likelihood it will take the next two transfer windows before he can craft the squad into the shape he wants it to be.
We’re halfway through the season and, with Aberdeen playing before us tomorrow, there’s a chance they could go top of the table, for a couple of hours, anyway. That’s not good enough, by any measure. Notwithstanding the revamp, we should have done better in the Champions League qualifiers and we should be further ahead in the league, but the fundamentals remain intact:
We needed to start post-Neil Lennon with a new tactical strategy.
Trying hard not to be disrespectful to Aberdeen, but we’re going to win the league.
We’re in both cup competitions.
We remain in the Europa League.
I was happy with the direction we took in appointing Ronny Deila and remain so. The problems of the last six months could be classified as First World Problems. We’ll get over them, while others watch on from the Other Worlds.
Have a Happy Celtic New Year, strap in and enjoy the ride, I promise it’ll be a great one.
Sale on at CQNBookstore, fill your stockings.
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Saint Stivs
take his x-box aff him for a week, he’ll soon cave in
the_huddle,
Early days,but I think you could be wrong about Robertson.Young boy with loads of potential to add to his already impressive form.Can see great things for this boy.
Lennon’s Passion
I though Scott Allan actually invited tackles which he then evaded and used the space created.
I’m not saying he is a must buy, just saying I liked what I saw when he was on the ball. Not only that but 2 of the goals came from his passes.
HT,
2 posters agree with Awe_Naw!
Is that a record!!!!??????
Doc
Don’t he might wright a song
SOAL:-)
The writer of this article is obviously an idiot,Delia knows feck all about football,is just a fitness freak and wont play skilful players if their is a fit useless twat like Johannsen available,Lawwels new year resolution should be get rid of this tosser and bring in a proper football manager or we will lose the league and may even lose out to the shit playing out of govan in february, and we will be lucky to sell 5000 season books for next season.
Turkeybhoy
19:14 on 31 December, 2014
the_huddle,
Early days,but I think you could be wrong about Robertson.Young boy with loads of potential to add to his already impressive form.Can see great things for this boy.
——-
Might be, but £3mill for back up to Izzy doesn’t make sense. Sure if we sold Izzy then bought Robertson that makes sense, but you couldn’t have what 2 £3mill left backs fighting out for 1 place. We don’t have that sort of money.
Hull are heading for relegation this season, Robertson could be plying his trade in the English 2nd division. If all goes to pot we can pick him for even cheaper (though probably not if Ross McCormack is worth what was it £11mill??)
Doc
It’ll no last!! :-)
The huddle, I am sensing we are going to agree to disagree but all of the players mentioned would have enhanced the Celtic team. They are and were better than the alternatives and better value for money than the conveyor belt of sub standard foreign imports.
Value for money includes wages. We would rather pay 2 mediocre guys with some track record in a foreign league 10k than one good one 20k.
Lawells assessment of Andrew Robertson was shocking.
We would have sold McCarthy before now but imagine our side with him in it? We could probably flip Forrest for over 4 million and would have got Gauld for less and less wages.
Does anyone know off hand how Stevie May is getting on at Sheffield Wednesday?
There is not a snow balls chance in hell we will loose to Sevco on 1st Feb, oor 2nd string would rip the pi*h oot o them. Enjoy the New Year 1 and all am going tae have a wee bevy noo so best I log oot
Green Brigade..Awsome , keep up the good work. If I was 25 year younger I’d be there.
HailHail
The Huddle,
I am afraid that ship has sailed.If this boy continues to impress,he will be way out of our league.
lawwellsacountant
Nae mair drink for you…..honestly, relax , have a kip and take it easy, it’s only fitba’…
The Huddle,
Not sure where the figure £3Million is coming from?
The questions we should be asking are:
1. Are they better than what we have
2. Can we improve them
3. Can we afford them
I would have thought that with very few exceptions, the answer to question 3 is “yes” when looking at young Scottish players.
Not sure that speculating on Ambrose, Bitton, Kayal, Balde, Scepovic etc. is actually taking us any further forward than perhaps buying Jonny Russell for £800k for example.
But what do I know?….
Huddle,
A respectable English journalist confirmed that McCarthy went to England as the wages were higher at Wigan.
Hope all on CQN and Celtic supporters (on other sites) have a safe, prosperous and happy 2015.
For me 2014 was going fine up until the last few days. Since start of year I have been cutting & pasting all information from our learned gentry about how to run a PLC football club. Halfway through the year, spanner thrown in the works with a new football manager? so start again with the old cut and paste the info from our learned football , would be managers. Digested all the info, 442 against balance sheet, where do I go? Using all this information , CEO or football manager? Peter or Ronny redundant?
Last week Wee Fra the Tim starts talking about Raven, Craws, Pheasants etc and their standing in Scotland (didnae mention his ducks). Knoo am thinking about birds and Frankie Bhoys job. Any advice.
Just after two thirty on 1st were I am so Happy New Year and HH
Nite nite Timland (ala Wee Fra)
mullet and co 2
19:05 on
31 December, 2014
More recently, Gauld and Robertson.
There is talent there that would enhance our squad but Peter wouldn’t pay the going rate. It was the same in the case of McCarthy and McFadden.
The other side of the coin is that ,as soon as any player (particularly from a Scottish team)
is linked with Celtic ,the price suddenly rockets. One minute he is Mcfadden, the next minute he is Messi.
The blog really has plumbed new lows recently.
I think it’s an appropriate time for me to bow out. Best wishes to the good guys and girls I’ve met through the years but I can’t stomach the trolls any longer.
Well goodnight all,again A Happy New Year to all.No off to fantastic all inclusive party in Kusadasi.Pouring with rain though,but the free Champagne will sort that out.When I say free,you know what I mean.
mullet and co 2
19:21 on 31 December, 2014
The huddle, I am sensing we are going to agree to disagree but all of the players mentioned would have enhanced the Celtic team. They are and were better than the alternatives and better value for money than the conveyor belt of sub standard foreign imports.
Value for money includes wages. We would rather pay 2 mediocre guys with some track record in a foreign league 10k than one good one 20k.
Lawells assessment of Andrew Robertson was shocking.
We would have sold McCarthy before now but imagine our side with him in it? We could probably flip Forrest for over 4 million and would have got Gauld for less and less wages.
———-
Oh we certainly disagree, though I think we are talking about slightly different things, what a player is doing now shouldn’t detract from what he was doing at the time of Celtic interest.
Celtic agreed a fee for McCarthy, he chose Wigan, not out fault if he then went onto to Everton.
Celtic would never have signed Naismith when he left the huns, 100% on here hating him and didn’t rate him, again doesn’t matter that he’s now playing ok with Everton.
Robertson was sold for £3mill and someone mention £30k wages a week, you really think he is worth that after one season with Dundee Utd?
Jamesgang
With regard to women in football and avoiding the bums on seats angle …
My daughter
Scored twice in The ladies Scottish Cup final for Glasgow City circa 2006/08.
Played at Wembley v England U 17 around then
c) coached the kids of Celtic supporters as part of the Community Coaching initiatives.
As a result I think there is an untapped marker there.
So yup. I’m biased.
EDB
Scroll by mate, you know it makes sense.
Turkeybhoy
Have a good night and Happy New Year when it comes.
Captain Beefheart
19:26 on 31 December, 2014
Huddle,
A respectable English journalist confirmed that McCarthy went to England as the wages were higher at Wigan.
——-
WGS confirmed this, said we were blows out the water by Wigan. Though I also heard that WGS told McCarthy and his agent that they didn’t think he was ready to start in our midfield
Hamiltontim
Doing well, plays every week, think he will do just fine, has great attitude real grafter, started at Alloa, wish him well.
ElDiegoBhoy, don’t let the Trolls drive you away.
Tim Malone Will Tell
19:25 on 31 December, 2014
The Huddle,
Not sure where the figure £3Million is coming from?
The questions we should be asking are:
1. Are they better than what we have
2. Can we improve them
3. Can we afford them
I would have thought that with very few exceptions, the answer to question 3 is “yes” when looking at young Scottish players.
Not sure that speculating on Ambrose, Bitton, Kayal, Balde, Scepovic etc. is actually taking us any further forward than perhaps buying Jonny Russell for £800k for example.
But what do I know?….
————–
Dundee Utd confirmed the £3mill.
Do you think Robertson is better than Izzy?
Butsybhoy
RD could have done with the advice of the ” Barca way’s” inventor last Saturday.
“The most difficult thing about an easy match is to make a weak opponent play bad football”.
Cruyff believed that, when faced with a rigid defensive system, the way to do this was to disrupt the defensive mechanism by being 100% focused, circulating the ball with speed, and, most importantly against a weak opponent, having smart movement without the ball.
0/3 then?
Smug article, as well as a rewriting of history re. Lennon’s departure.
March can’t come soon enough.
Hamiltontim
19:22 on 31 December, 2014
Does anyone know off hand how Stevie May is getting on at Sheffield Wednesday?
———
Doing ok, works very hard, fans love him but struggling to score (though has been very unlucky, seems to have caught the every shot hits the post and bounces out curse)
ElDiegoBhoy
19:28 on
31 December, 2014
The blog really has plumbed new lows recently.
I think it’s an appropriate time for me to bow out. Best wishes to the good guys and girls I’ve met through the years but I can’t stomach the trolls any longer.
_____________________________________________________________________
I don’t know you but I have some observations based on reading your posts over the years.
While I agree with your assessment of the way things have been going on the blog, I think these trolls will tire and move on. I’m sure Paul 67 would rather guys like you stay and reclaim your territory.
I can see where EDB is coming from. Make what you like out of that.
Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.
The huddle
Can you imagine if we moved for these players a year earlier.
A top scout is somebody who can recognise a player, before his performances has dozens of scouts watching him.
Have just found out 2015 is the year of the sheep in China ! Aberdeen are not a threat to 4 in a row are they?
Or 10 in a row i should have said !
Be scared of the Greenock raven
That’s all I am saying.
I’ve got an idea.
Maybe in the new year we could have a kind of troll armistice, where every troll has an opportunity to out themselves and if they do so within a specified time frame they have to spend a night with SOAL.
sid
Is Robert Baden-Powell we need
Love