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State of the Club Report, year-end 2014

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By on CQN BLOG & Comments

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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  2. Lennybhoy on

    cowiebhoy

     

     

    21:48 on 31 December, 2014

     

     

    A happy and prosperous new year to you, H and the Family.

     

     

    Roastercfc…

     

     

    Keep the Faith!

     

     

    Hail Hail!

  3. dena29 on

    lurgan57

     

    21:51 on

     

    31 December, 2014

     

    Dena29

     

     

    It is a few years since I was last over, for years never missed a home match but with personal commitment at home and the gradually downsizing I just could not make it over plus the fact it was a very long day travelling, but my love for the Celtic will never cease.

     

    L57

     

     

    your always welcome to travel with me I go with the Portadown club and have an additional season ticket that is always going spare , it belongs to my brother Owen another cqn’er who lives in Cork but renews his ticket . As you say always a Celt :-))))

     

     

    KTF

  4. Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo on

    Foot down. We are staying in. She seems happy about that.

     

     

    In ten years CQEnning I have offered to flounce once before I got excommunicated. It was out of sheer embarresment. Paul67 who was lying on a beach at the time with his family started getting sms’s by the dozen and his mobile was red hot after I pretended to have hacked the bllog and got everybody’s email addresses, bank tans and directory listings of their personal porn stashes. I could not believe that anyone would fall for it.

     

     

    Unfortunately a few never came back to the blog after that wind up.

     

     

    I would live to see a review of that blog. There was clearly mire worry about the stashes than the personal bank accounts.

     

     

    ok away tay watch Still Game

     

     

    HH

  5. hun skelper on

    greeninbingley

     

     

    20:27 on 31 December, 2014

     

     

    If that arsehole isint banned from here I won’t be back, never a Celtic supporter HH

  8. Doc on

    Awe_Naw, the surprising thing is that people believed that someone who can’t spell blog could hack one:-)

     

     

    I know you can!!!!

  11. spiritof67 on

    Thanks for your kind offer but nae bother i will manage no probs

     

     

    Keep it simple and the game’s easy , Jock

  14. dena29 on

    lurgan57

     

    22:03 on

     

    31 December, 2014

     

    Dena forgive for asking but was you Dad called Owen and worked in Goodyear?

     

    L57

     

    you are correct sir ,

     

     

    HH

  15. Ginger on

    Happy new year to all

     

    Looking forward to a good game tomorrow hope all posters lurkers and currants have a prosperous new year

     

    Well two out of three anyway

  21. lurgan57 on

    Dena

     

    Knew you father well, many a conversation we had regards Celtic in New’s Bar, I have fond memory’s of your Father. Might take you up somtime on your kind offer

     

    L57

  24. the_huddle on

    Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo

     

     

    21:59 on 31 December, 2014

     

     

    Foot down. We are staying in. She seems happy about that.

     

     

    In ten years CQEnning I have offered to flounce once before I got excommunicated. It was out of sheer embarresment. Paul67 who was lying on a beach at the time with his family started getting sms’s by the dozen and his mobile was red hot after I pretended to have hacked the bllog and got everybody’s email addresses, bank tans and directory listings of their personal porn stashes. I could not believe that anyone would fall for it.

     

     

    ———————–

     

    That was funny :O)

  25. dena29 on

    lurgan57

     

    22:12 on

     

    31 December, 2014

     

    Dena

     

    Knew you father well, many a conversation we had regards Celtic in New’s Bar, I have fond memory’s of your Father. Might take you up somtime on your kind offer

     

     

     

    you would be most welcome its not such an arduous journey now as it used to be we leave Lurgan 5.50 am and are usually back by 10.45 ish so compared to the old boats its easy lol now you know who I am you can introduce yourself if you see me in town

     

     

    HH

  30. lurgan57 on

    Dena

     

    Will do my friend, I used to travel with the Celtic Club same time as yourself, we probably pass one another on the Boat over and home, but I am getting on a bit now Lol.

     

    Had some great times in Bairds and 67 and Braizen head.

     

    L57

  34. dena29 on

    lurgan57

     

    22:25 on

     

    31 December, 2014

     

    Dena

     

    Will do my friend, I used to travel with the Celtic Club same time as yourself, we probably pass one another on the Boat over and home, but I am getting on a bit now Lol.

     

    Had some great times in Bairds and 67 and Braizen head.

     

    L57

     

     

    :-)))))))

     

     

    Hail Hail

  37. the_huddle on

    nakasammi

     

     

    the_huddle

     

     

    Apologies for addressing you as The Huddle earlier at 9.20!

     

    ————————-

     

    I’m only the_huddle cos The Huddle was taken when I registered I think :O)

  40. leftclicktic on

    Well thats the wee mhan crashed :))

     

    Wished him a Happy new year at 9pm to the moscow fireworks and he loved it.

     

    He arrived tonight with his wee bag to stay inside was his cough bottle his jammies and the In a league of their own Celtic Dvd to watch wae his papa.

     

    1st game of the season 9/8/2003 O-0 wae dunfermline and Neil says in the papers the next day “you would have thought the world had ended”, then we went on the 25 game run,Nowwwwwwww i’m not saying we will go on the same run again but I truly hope we do starting with giving thistle what we gave dundeee utd a 5 nil doing.

     

     

    I felt the pain of Bobos hand ball against lyon for the penalty to beat us 3-2 as if it was yesterday,and still was in awe of big rab Douglas penalty save against Murderwell.

     

     

    The days of those players are gone but starting tomorrow I hope to be feeling the same joy as the Hoooooooooops score no matter who has the jersey.

     

    All the best for 2015 all and it looks like I will bring it in on here .

     

    Magic wee mhan snoozing and family at a gathering

     

    Life is GoodCSC

  41. BGX on

    Just wanna wish all the CQN brigade..a happy new year..i still think deilas a waste of time…but im happy in the thought that…

     

    We are a year nearer INDEPENDENCE…Yes ..peace and bless…

  42. boabyevans on

    Good evening everyone just popping in to wish you all & your families a happy New year , I hope 2015 brings you all everything you could possibly wish for health luck & happiness & of course plenty more laughs at the sevco comedy show we’ll away to catch up

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