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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Squire D
http://www.pitchcare.com/shop/covers/football-pitch-rain-cover.html
Cheap at the price!
Embarrassing that todays game has been postponed. To have a game called off in this day and age because of a water logged pitch is unacceptable. OK it’s been raining all day but its not exactly bouncing off the ground. More often that not this league shows itself up to be pathetic. The most fundamental aspect that will get the game growing in this country is to put the infrastructure in place. Good pitches should be top of the list.
bsr
glad i didn’t disappoint
Squire…..
none of those should be too expensive?
Randolph, GMS and Guidetti out of contract in summer, so minimal fees surely.
As part of the New Year meeja build up to the game against the ranjurs group of clubs ,
expect and look out for a simultaneous upsurge in anti-Celtic propaganda aimed at social media sites like these.
Sleekit stuff.
Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo
So how you come to a slow decline conclusion ?
The decline I refer to is, well, pretty evident at every home game when I look around.
Now the support are the club in my book and without that core the rest is gone.
Nothing seems to spark interest just now.
Word to the wise,
I’ve never worn a Celtic Top…..why….
it wid demean & devalue the meaning of playing fur the jerseys ( ‘cept am a great player and coulda…..;-)) )
H.H.
squire
even port vale have got pitch covers
Big-cup-winners
I like the idea about a media partner. Rangers 1872 had a media partnership with STV who always seemed to give a positive spin to reporting about them. I don’t think that partnership was maintained by Sevco. Maybe we could do something like that.bas for Record, Sunday Mail, Sun etc., I would give them nothing and accept nothing from them.
!!bada bing!!
14:52 on 1 January, 2015
GMS has been a sub as much as he has started this season ,another injury prone inconsistent winger? We already have some…
But an injury prone, inconsistent winger who delivers regularly (like Forrest) when he does play. Not an injury prone, consistent, as in consistently poor, winger like Boerrigter or Tonev
canamalar/david147 – I take your points but is the pitch not waterlogged at the ‘deep end’ at the unroofed end?
Quality of the playing surfaces is one thing but there have been games postponed at Tannadice and Easter Road due to waterlogging at the bottom of the slope, no matter the quality of the playing surface.
Beatbhoy – :D
petec
06:02 on
1 January, 2015
eddiegreenhillsbhoy
05:58 on 1 January, 2015
Petec
Where u from then
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dumbarton — Bellsmyre, then the outskirts of Silverton just below the A82 and the Graveyard.
*just catching up…if your grampa was Jimmy Kerr that worked in Burroughs then he was a lovely man.
aff oot tae pineapple catch up later
Given likelihood of climate change bringin’ more in the way of fixture chaos, all Scottish football should be played in East Kilbride, ideally in the ole daylight.
squire danaher
thanks for the post . I know the weather is outwith anyones control and it is more than just travelling Irish support who have been inconvenienced my original post merely asked everyone to spare a thought for those who were out more than just the cost of a ticket.
as you say Firhill has a history of waterlogging then imo the fault lies squarely with them, in this day and age when stadium has to be of a certain standard then surly it should follow that the playing surface should be just that , playable,
no-one expects them to do unreasonable changes (retractable roof etc) but surely drainage is not too much to expect from a club playing in the top flight of Scottish football
sorry for the late reply was on the phone(honestly)
HH
we_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo
14:50 on
1 January, 2015
BCW
He must be tuning into the last ten minutes of games
====================================
Just another snide piece to hamstring the Celtic. Thousands of Tims still read these pieces and bizarrely, somehow, “form” opinions…….
Now as Sadiesbhoy rightly mentioned some of the MSM are bereft, on their way out. I’d suggest one or more of them would jump at the chance to “partner” Celtic and gain customers.
Best of luck tae John Carver at the toon the day….good guy who was head coach of the Major League Soccer side Toronto FC…..unfortunately he was reporting tae a back stabbing sleekit wee trackie seller so only lasted a year.
1-0 Sheep
BSR’s
got a parlour & Mrs’s BSR’s got a foottballin foot…..;-))
shameCSC
David 147.
I don’t know where you stay but in Cumbernauld it was bouncing down from 7 till 10 as I’ve already posted I thought game would be off.
Widnae send Voguepunter oot on a day like that…..
David Silva, Pablo Zabaleta, Ya Ya, Eden Hazard, Matic, Fabregas, Diego Costa. . .
Being lucky enough to watch players of that calibre today is at least some compensation, I suppose.
Hail Hail!
BSR
How do you walk the Dog wae a phone, I’ve just been told I’m taking the deputy oot next, it’s still hissing fae the heavens, so if available by phone, I would take that option :-)
GMS, can’t even get a regular game with DU, wouldn’t get a game with us, so it’s a no from me – give some of our Youth a Chance ( not McGregor on wing )
Zaluska out of contract in summer, I think is decent back up, rumours of Randolph, give Fasan a chance ?
Kayal, openly stating he wants away, let him go, Henderson already replaced him in squad
Tonev, I believe Werder Bremen want to sign him ( they are about to sell some winger) issue being his loan deal with Celtic and payment for such, yes if deal is strict let go
Wakaso, I would let go back
Berget, going back
& if we could send Boerrigter away on loan, yippee
Even without these 6 we still have enough in our squad to win the league, if Ronny could get the tactics right :-)
I also believe Kris Commons will be sold ?
Our squad is already too big, so only need 2 or 3 max players in ?
Hail Hail
A very happy and prosperous new year to all CQN’rs
Neil Doncaster below sets the agenda for the up and coming League cup semi
Enjoy your steak pie……………………………………..
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/30646033
How concerned should the league be about what’s currently on-going at Rangers?
“It’s very difficult for a league to get too concerned with the individual affairs of any one member club.
“We have a rule book, which is agreed by all member clubs. Any club within the league has to play by those rules and our job as a league is to apply them, so that’s what we do.
“Any commercial partner we work with wants as much stability in the game as possible. The more stability we can have at all 42 member clubs, the better.
“In terms of the question about old club, new club, that was settled very much by the Lord Nimmo Smith commission that was put together by the SPL to look at EBT payments at that time.
“The decision, very clearly from the commission, was that the club is the same, the club continues, albeit it is owned by a new company, but the club is the same.”
So the official take from the SPFL is that Rangers Football Club continues, it’s the same club?
“Yes, it’s the same club, absolutely.”
People have extreme views on this, so what’s the difference between a club and a company?
“The member club is the entity that participates in our league and we have 42 member clubs.
“Those clubs may be owned by a company, sometimes it’s a Private Limited Company, sometimes it’s a PLC, but ultimately, the company is a legal entity in its own right, which owns a member club that participates in the league.”
So, once and for all, the league is putting this to bed, it’s the same club?
“It was put to bed by the Lord Nimmo Smith commission some while ago – it’s the same club.”
JNP
Just glad someone can take them mate.
Disappointed as I was going to head up to the town centre for a few pints with your Bhoy before heading to Firhill.
BCW
If you sell your best players, bank the money, disenchant your best players and coaching staff, cooperate in the criminalisation of the support, stay silent on the governance of the game, downsize on the playing side, increase salaries on the back of the above for non playing staff, make up policy on the hoof and to suit. Then the only fans still turning up are those that hope the ‘punt’ eventually works out or the faithful who cannot accept/see that the above is about Old Firm realignment.
HH
Off our perch
Jimmynotpaul
15:07 on
1 January, 2015
David 147.
I don’t know where you stay but in Cumbernauld it was bouncing down from 7 till 10 as I’ve already posted I thought game would be off.
————–
The games are on at St Mirren and Hamilton ?
Squire D..,
Decent drainage would sort it, there’s no excuse for ineffective drainage except as an excuse to have games called off or deliberately make the going heavy, even up lack of skill.
IMO Capello’s comments re CFCs current standing in European competition is accurate
Beaten at home by Legia ,Maribor and Salzburg …..previously unbeaten at home in many games against teams of significantly better standard
TheOriginalSadiesBhoy
I listen to Clyde SSB………
Laughable and Bizarre content. But the tone, as ever, is Anti-Celtic. Keevins will be battering on about Celtic’s poor quality and Ronny not being up to the job.
Then a CFC advert ” Come along and see the Champions play”………
The damage clowns like Keevins perpetrates is difficult to measure. But it’s the way it’s always been eh ? Just think we are strong enough at the moment to break that mould right now.
WITS out
Doncaster needs to embolden this argument before the Old Firm game. It helps our club maintain its present three monkeys strategy.Another reason for the decline in attendances.
HH
Dodgy ref at Anfield it seems:
“Oh dear! Raheem Sterling cuts back a cross which strikes Wes Morgan in the face – and a penalty is given for handball. That is a rotten call”
Ok lads away oot first footing
HH
Not really into the New Year being a big deal, I have always thought it a wee bit …. nah! not worth it; but hey, Happy New year to everybody, sincerely.
Just finished watching ’71’, the movie… was it based on fact or just fertile fiction?
From the Neil Doncaster interview …
So the official take from the SPFL is that Rangers Football Club continues, it’s the same club?
“Yes, it’s the same club, absolutely.”
So that’s it bhoys – straight from the horse’s mouth!
Wonder what Celtic’s reaction will be to this comment – anyone ???
today bbc 4…22.45
http://www.theclashblog.com/starting-the-year-with-the-clash-at-the-roxy-courtesy-of-the-bbc/
HH
Have just read Capello’s comments. We are not a long ball team but everything else he says is correct.