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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Put simply….
Doncaster has confirmed our “game” is not worth ploughing money into week in week out.
A Scottish football club CAN now be on financial steroids provided by others and fold a company in the
background.
Why would any fan think this has nothing to do with Celtic? Sounds a tad naive.
If your comfortable throwing your hard earned cash at celtic (not exactly a footballing spectacle) then fill yer boots.
I’m too clever to be compliant!
This is simply a brilliant article on Wings regarding Servco and Doncaster.
Please read.
http://wingsoverscotland.com/the-neerday-game/comment-page-1/#comment-1944715
eddieinkirkmichael
19:20 on 1 January, 2015
____________________
The clubs on the surface, held firm until LNS’s verdict…followed by Celtc FC’s silence or, rather…Celtic FC’s tepid response of – “We’re surprised.”
My granda always said Partick Thistle was the wee huns!
Visitors…laters CQN.
embramike
19:13 on 1 January, 2015
the glorious balance sheet @ 18:59
By making such a false and controversial statement at this time a matter of weeks before we play Sevco, Doncaster has unnecessarily further heightened tensions between both sets of supporters and set the scene for an ugly clash that is now more likely to be beset by trouble.
My sentiments exactly and a real concern to me. I won’t be attending and I didn’t want the draw initially. I just hope that my fellow fans attend and get home safely.
Doncaster’s statement would be inflammatory regardless of which stance he advocated – the timing is mind-boggling for all the reasons above! Surely the subject of an SPFL board meeting next week?
———————————————————————————-
I honestly think in any buisness if he made these comments at this time then he would be disiplined.
As much as I hate the lies and falsehoods I will watch and hope we destroy the orcs in whatever form them appear against us as I do when we play any team
I don’t think it was losing 30k supporters alone was the concern, think why this league isn’t sponsored and the TV deal that was agreed to give newco money, under no circumstance was a team in blue to cease playing football out of Ibrox, then when it transpired the CVA was rejected by HMRC, the myth of same club was allowed to take root and this is the view pushed by the media, given authentication by the CEO of the SPFL, he should get his jotters for this and as soon as a board meeting can be convened.
Mate of mine asked me this question any ideas?
“who was the Celtic defender a few years back who thought he was a goalie and gave away several penalties by handling the ball in the area?”
Caldwell
All these years I believed Murray International Holdings plc were the effective de facto “Holding” Company of Rangers FC Plc, owning 90%+ of the issued shares of RFCplc.
could never understand why folk used to venture out to shawfield carntyne and those other places to see the greyhound racing,, knowing full well it was corrupt…..sadly football is taking over…..I think PL has taken a back seat in all of this knowing his views are meaningless….the odds are stacked against him…..why is he there in the first place……im not saying hees a stoogie or a greyhound more of a sort of lap dog for Mr Doncater and his cronies.
Competition returns – after a loss of quality from our team and many years in the wilderness for Aberdeen- I hope they keep their run up and all in the aftermath of cultural incompetence at whoevertheyarenowco. I hope the unexpected postponement helps RD get his players up for it and get a couple of players into the club. I didn’t want us to be in second place in the New Year but at least it will dilute the hype with a game against ashleyco coming up. I think we’re with RD for the medium term and the board will have to back him now that we’re second. Having been outplayed by European minnows and held out by spl minnows I’m not confident this squad can be consistent for the rest of the year. I’m backing RD but he needs new faces now – there’s no spine to the team, his favourite striker isn’t scoring, players who can turn it on aren’t, he’s unlucky with injuries, he’s still learning about Scottish pitches and refs.
Anyway, happy new year all, this treble year
Ma heids nipping with awe the posts on here tonight. makes we wonder if I’m the only Celtic Supporter on here. Sad place indeed. But hey ho I’ll still be there regardless. KTF.
Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.
Hi-diddle-dee-dee(tis an actors life for me)
19:19 on
1 January, 2015
BIG-CUP-WINNERS
19:17 on 1 January, 2015
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Eh?
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Banner was 2012…………..
So spurs win the late game ,never as glad to have a coupon go down in my life
Who will Jose blame as it can’t be his fault
topkat
Was worried reading your post there
Thought for a minute you where referring to the leader of Glasgow city council.
topkat
PL has a little more credibility than that and deserves a bit more respect. Doncaster, Regan etc, are charlatans and frauds PL is far from that.
I don’t understand why a vote of no confidence hasn’t taken place on Doncaster , Regan etc. They are asleep at the wheel and have been for a long time, stumbling from one disaster to another.
magnificentseven – The statement today was not just about claiming the new Rangers are the same club as the old one, it’s also about preparing the ground for the trick to be repeated
Precisely.
When I Can’t Believe It’s Not Rangers goes moobs-up – and they don’t seem to have a business plan, merely a begging bowl – then someone will presumably start a new same-club called Rangers.
Before hunageddon, nobody in the wide world of sports had ever heard of this peculiar doctrine that, somehow, a club exists as an entity seperate from its vessel of legal incorporation. Nobody claims AFC Wimbledon is the same club Vinny Jones used to play for, or that Third Lanark is still expected to fulfil its fixtures, since only its holding company was liquidated.
But why is it so important for the furious facecombers to insist that black is white and clubs can survive being extinguished by liquidation?
For the same reason eschatalogical cults double down on their doomsday prophesies even after the world stubbornly refuses to end. Because cognitive dissonance is a defence mechanism against unpalatable truths.
But the ostentatious rationalisations tell their own story. A man who is confident in his sexuality doesn’t need to go on and on about the alleged girth of his tadger and how many birds have succumbed to his manly charms. A group of fans who honestly believe their club was founded in 1872 wouldn’t feel the need to mention it at every opportunity.
They know that we know that they know Rangers no longer exists, and that the tribute act they follow is no more than a tawdry replica, a cheap facsimile, a poor quality knockoff with five stars shamelessly stencilled on it. The truth hurts, so the peepul tell themselves lies instead.
I’d be annoyed at the attempted deception, but I’m enjoying the cirque macabre at Ibrox far too much. Since the old club was sold for a pound, we have truly been spoiled by the colourful characters and zany antics going on at Govan zoo.
It’s like watching The Three Stooges at work. Nyuk, nyuk nyuk! (thumbsup)
Having got the message out I suspect Doncaster will soon announce he’s offski……
Robert88-PL is party to the big lie.
eddieinirkmichael
The possible missing 30,000 fan are immaterial. The SFA/SPL/Huns cheated to have a team placed in the third division against their own rules
.
The rules did not support the placing of a new club in the third division. Celtic did not publicly question this or raise concerns at the level of cheating.
Sadly Celtic are the club who are losing 30,000 fans per week.Maybe the rule can be bent to suit us.
bankiebhoy1
19:43 on
1 January, 2015
Having got the message out I suspect Doncaster will soon announce he’s offski……
Or the same club is dying soon,to come back as …….the same club…..
!!Bada Bing!!
Could you point me to any sources or facts that back that up?
Robert
Got to agree with bada bing
Peter Lawell and Celtic are a major part in the lie that is Rankers
Paul67 et al
I have mentioned on here the fate of Hereford United FC. Less than two weeks ago, after a tortuous crash through the leagues, they were liquidated in the High Court. They have no club, no players, no fixtures and no ground. All results have been expunged, Hereford United is no more. The supporters trust is hoping to start a new club, Hereford FC at some point in 2015 and find a league, somewhere within the pyramid of football.
The interesting part of this is that their nickname was “The Bulls”.
For proper BS though, go straight to Neil Doncaster.
Weefra,
Most are shocked at Doncasters statement and the game being called off.
Not a good start to the New Year, hope you and your family had a good one.HH
Did Mourino just swear like a trooper? Or has my hearing totally gone :))
!!Bada Bing!!
His departure and the answer to unasked questions = you could be right.
My boss always says that there is no such thing as a coincidence.
Perhaps Mr Doncaster’s statement is in retaliation to the well announced soon to be published article in the Herald on the 25th January.
Strike first and upset the natives.
They are panicking and unfortunately our board are complicit within the ‘They’
HH
CRC
Robert
The silence is wrong
Peter Lawell joke at arm 2013.he knew it would be reported but we did nothing
brogan rogan trevino and hogan supports oscar knox, mackenzie furniss and anyone else who fights neuroblastoma
18:50 on 1 January
Thanks for your assessment.
Do you have any involvement in the advert that WC is sorting ?
Bada – quite possibly,
once he has established the precedent further, someone else can do the next one.
HH
Sorry Bhoys , had to go to a couple of Call Out for work there , thanks for the various replies .
Last words on this till I read back ,
FTSPFL
FTSFA
CRC
Accountants don’t have a conscience
Oh PL is an accountant…8)
TMcL
If you are on Happy New Year !
blantyretim is praying for the Knox family
I take it you are referring to PL or the board being mouthpieces for you and me and every Celtic fan worldwide?
Allgreen
that is an indication of how out of touch the PLC is with its own support.
They …our plc… have proven that Scottish football is ran for the benefit of the Old Firm.
The plc are scabs.
HH
FGF
Call out on new years day
You on our board? 8))