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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sid
19:37 on 31 December, 2014
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.
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Ideal world we spot the super stars before everyone else but Scottish players aren’t super stars so we are already at a disadvantage.
Now if the Celtic youth are destroying other Scottish teams youth, then why would we be picking signing these “inferior” players?
Why don’t we have a left back who was better than Robertson at 14 when he was released now pushing Izzy for that position? That’s what I don’t get.
And we did pick up Watt a year before everyone else seen him and that didn’t really work out :o)
Oh and just to be clear I also don’t want us to be signing these foreign duds, something very wrong there.
HT
I will be spending a few nights with you then (Again)
Love
ElDiegoBhoy,
Don’t be a stranger.
TurkeyBhoy
Enjoy
Auldheid
I share your bias!
HH jamesgang
Sid/the_huddle
Cheers lads. It’ll be interesting to see how he progresses in the coming years, I thought that at the price being spoken about that we should have gone for him.
SOAL
Knew that’d drag you out x
The Huddle,
Robertson is a ship long sailed and I would have thought that £3 Million would have been a step too far for Celtic for a full back. Maybe if we had made a move a season earlier – or better still, snapped him up from Queens Park – it would have been a different story.
I think that he is probably playing at a similar standard to Izzy but has the potential to be better – but that’s pretty hypothetical for now.
By the same token, do you think that Jonny Russell would have been a better option than Scepovic or Anthony Stokes?
Mate’s a Hibby, follows them home and away and says Scott Allan is a stand out every game.
A class above everyone else and the best player he’s seen at Easter Road for years.
I’m sure John Park will be aware!!
Who are the trolls
We need to give our home based scouts and talent spotters a break.
Think how sevconians feel when these players are now going for millions but ally and the flowerpot men couldn’t identify them when they were actually playing against them in the same match.
HamiltonTim
You’re only mildly trollish so you only have to spend the time needed for a pint with SOAL!
HH jamesgang
Tim Malone Will Tell
19:44 on 31 December, 2014
The Huddle,
Robertson is a ship long sailed and I would have thought that £3 Million would have been a step too far for Celtic for a full back. Maybe if we had made a move a season earlier – or better still, snapped him up from Queens Park – it would have been a different story.
I think that he is probably playing at a similar standard to Izzy but has the potential to be better – but that’s pretty hypothetical for now.
By the same token, do you think that Jonny Russell would have been a better option than Scepovic or Anthony Stokes?
——————
I don’t think Russell would’ve scored more goals than Stokes (Scepovic is still unknown).
I would say that we have signed Griffiths who is a better striker than Russell and he’s still a maybe, hopefully comes good (I hope).
tim malone will tell
Russell should have been signed it was a no brainer. Only thing I can think of was that his temperament was a bit suspect. He is a terrific player and a good lad. And he would been a good foil for Stokes.
I for one would be happy to buy Scottish, it would save me going on youtube to watch the latest sensational signing score six breath-taking goals only to find out later that he only scored ten in his whole career. One of which the ball bounced aff his arse when he bent down to look for his contact lens!!
If Scott allan played in Israel maybe John parks agent pal might recommend him.
Jamesgang
Fine so long as he takes the straw out his mouth when he’s drinking :-)
So, what position do these trolls play in?
Confused CSC
Send in the trolls, there used to be trolls
When exactly does the transfer window close?
I really hope at this stage we’ve identified who we want and get them in early. February is a big month for us
The Huddle
I hope you are right about Griffiths. Interesting thing about Russell is that he is versatile enough for Derby to stick him out on the right (Martin is their recognized striker) and he still bags a fair few goals in what is one of the better “technical” sides in the Championship.
I think that he might just have been Ronny’s sort of player – but I guess we will probably never know now.
Probably be quiet on here now, everyone will be out getting TROLLied
Im sick of all the touting of these decidedly average scottish players,remember the so called wonders that hibs had what happened to all of them,only brown can be said tio have made any impact,even if is a piss poor player and the worst capt celtic has ever had,gauld a 2-3 game wonder languishing in a reserve team in portugal.will end up playing with arbroath or some other lower league team, As for the idea that we will do well against inter they may be misfiring,but they are twenty times the team Legia are,and the Norweigian scum has not got a clue,he would struggle in the english conference
Happy New Year to all Bhoys and Girls. Hope 2015 is a good one for all of us.
Right trolls…..come oot, come oot
wherever you are….
HT
There’ll be an umbrella and a maraschino cherry on that pong of lager!
HH jamesgang
I wonder if the new format of CQN will allow for easy outing of Trolls?
Winning Captains, when can we expect the all new format????
Someone’s getting barred in the morning
I think that we’ll win the Scottish Cup this year….
1965
1975
1985
1995
2005
2015?
Trolls should be forced to put a big T after all their posts
T
Is there still a standing area behind one of thistles goals the morra?
If so……is it opened to us?
what is the stars
19:57 on 31 December, 2014
Trolls should be forced to put a big T after all their postsT
——
Joe-kin as they say in edinboorg!
HH jamesgang
What is the stars.
While listening to the Bay City Trollers?
Evening Bhoys just a quick note to you all this flu has really floored me so havent read back and missed the last couple of days :-(((((
Happy New Year to all my friends.in Celtic From one New Years Eve to the next, life can change so very much, enjoy every precious moment with those you love. May 2015 bring you every blessing of health, love and happiness. and remember if it didnt make you happy by december 31st leave it in 2014 , lifes too short.
Hail Hail
Who are the real trolls, the one,s who care about celtic and want the best and can see that the guy in charge is useless or the happy clappers who will put up with anything and give it the faithful through and through shit, bet the second lot very rarely see inside celtic park and never go to away games and support the embarrassing green brigade that bring the club even more negative publicity than usual
Saint Stivs
19:38 on
31 December, 2014
Be scared of the Greenock raven
That’s all I am saying.
===============================================
Saint………..an easy going
what is the stars
aye and a big B before it.
I might be wrong about Scott Allan but posters are aware of what league he is starring in?? :O) Were you creaming yourself over Ally Crawford last season and now that he’s made the jump up to the SPL?? You wouldn’t even believe what he was on per year :O)
doc
19:15 on 31 December, 2014
HT,
2 posters agree with Awe_Naw!
Is that a record!!!!??????
the spirit of arthur lee
19:16 on 31 December, 2014
Doc
Don’t he might wright a song
———————-
Roaring with laughter here
Thanks bhoys
HH