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.
2,512 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- ...
- 50
- 51
- 52
- 53
- 54
- 55
- 56
- ...
- 67
- »
An official statement
The Official statement mentioned
with regards to the official statement
afore mentioned to the official statement
made in regards to the statement which is official.
‘The huns are deid’
BMCUWP’s, it’s no an English exam!!!!
:-)
Bobbio
He’ll yes buddy!!!!!!!
HH jamesgang
Bobbio
I had an entire PhD thesis of 300 odd pages where the flippin computer wanted to replace Brezhnev with ‘breeziness’!!!!
HH jamesgang
GORDON64
I’m looking forward to it immensely. Pity JAMESGANG won’t make it.
His missus just found out you,VP and three mates are off to Belfast that day,and he’s babysitting.
She’s ‘Just nipping out for the papers!’
DOC
I cured it by reading The Grauniad…
Sandman
23:17 on 1 January, 2015
There’s not a Hun in this world – not one single hate-filled Zombie on this earth – who wouldn’t trade their club’s position with Celtic’s in a heartbeat; I find some solace in that which indicates Celtic are getting it right in some criucial areas.
I trust Celtic to deal with the Doncasters of the world in the way Celtic see fit.
………………………………………………………………………………..
I am with you on that.
Doc-io
How you doing?
Still as gorgeous in 2015 as you were in 2014?
All quiet with cowiebhoy. So you got him settled and off to sleep okay I presume?
HH jamesgang
JAMESGANG
You had a computer when you were doing your PhD?
I thought they were relatively new contraptions…
Bobbio
She loves Belfast. She loves valentines day. She likes all the zoomers she’s met briefly via CQN.
If ‘her Patrick’…the Leftie Bhoy was there she’d likely be there in a heartbeat!!!
HH jamesgang
Off to work,congrats to JAMESGANG on the first 1888 post of the year!
Update on the Official statement
regarding the official statement.
The official statement was not sufficiently
official enough to make it official.
Therefore we withdraw our initial official
statement and will make a new official statement
in due course.
And that is official.
Bobbio
A joking aside I got so lucky.
Did it during a brief opening/warming of the auld irn bru curtain and with the advent of email that allowed me to get input from ex CIA in Hawaii and ex Russian military intelligence in Moscow.
‘Twas fun. Great fun. I found out some groundbreaking stuff but wrote it up like some kinda pretentious tw&t!
No surprise there, eh! Bad kinda Hoops to jump through in academia!
HH jamesgang
1888
Tis a sign.
It reads………KTF!
Always.
Drive carefully bobbio. You’re one of a kind……..!
;-)
HH jamesgang x
Sandman,
Your talking about us moving where exactly ?
BMCUWP’s, a well read chap:-)
JamesGang, indeed I am.
CowieBhoy, safely in the land of nod by now:-)
Doc
That’s grand.
We all base our lives on a handful of certainties!
;-)
HH jamesgang
neil canamalar
To the back of the bus?
HH jamesgang
Don’t know if was ever on but I think we should have bid for Jelavic when it was clear his Ibrox departure was imminent.
Officials in EPL as bad as up here
I’ll support the Celtic
come hell or high water.
Except a rather rainy, blowy day
in old Glasgow toon.
Well it was Ne’er day and steakpie
was on the menu.
FairweatherCSC.
Watching MOTD, the refs down South are Collumesque in their incompetence
Hoooooopy Birthday Miss Doc, 18 today.
Due to global time zones it isn’t quite 2015 yet everywhere.
In Rochester & Strood for example
it’s still Berlin 1935.
Sanjeev Kohli
Sandman,
“Celtic haven’t so far, and may not again. Screw Doncaster and his cronies – words are cheap, real action is where we come in.”
Exactly what action have the board taken ?
As a shareholder I expect the board to protect my interests, they have not done this at any stage of this fraud, I think its time for a statement of intent to advise me that the CEO of the SPFL does not represent their views. I would also like to know what they intend doing about having an incompetent CEO running the SPFL.
You don’t look auld enough!!!
Hoopy birthday to the ever patient and understanding Miss Doc who somehow puts up with her Dad and his friends!
You’re a better woman than I am!
HH jamesgang
I was just wondering if the bookies would be worried about Doncaster confirming that the game in Scotland is rigged.
There will be those who’ll still go along, for various reasons, but they surely wouldn’t be having a gamble on any of it.
I mean, can you bet on the WWE?
Ridiculous idea, eh?
Well, actually. . . . .
http://www.metro.us/playing-the-field/can-you-bet-on-wwe-pro-wrestling-yes-here-s-your-wrestlemania-30-odds/tmWnda—45nGuDzna2dIA/
Petec 21.17
Thks still running the spybot scan zzz
Gordon64, in Govan and parts of NI it’s still 1690!
Jamesgang,
Apparently
JamesGang, I take it I don’t look old enough?
Do Celtic think ‘The Rangers’ football club currently playing in the second tier of Scottish professional football is the same football club as Rangers who used to play in the SPL before they were liquidated in 2012?
It is a simple fucking question.
Why doesn’t Paul67 ask his pals in Celtic this simple fucking question.
It has only two answers.
YES.
or
NO.
This question now needs answered.
I have taken the last three seasons of lack of direction from Celtic on this question with quite a quiet shrug of the shoulders.
Season tickets have been bought without question.
However, if Mr Doncaster comes out in his capacity of (whatever it is) at the SPFL and says sevco is the same club as rangers, well now I need an answer from Celtic.
It may not be the answer I wish to hear, but an answer I need.
And if the answer is that Celtic consider sevco to be the same club as rangers, them they will receive not one single thin dime from me ever again.
But an answer is needed.
It is not fucking difficult.
been busy and not had time to read Paul 67 state of the club report
i have now, its like reading a report from david cameron on how the UK is doing
Peter lawell could not have written it better
Now paul67, in reply
going back to last season when we scrapped into CL with very little investment, the warning signs were there. we had no striker and we blew over 5m on striker projects. Neil wanted a goal scoer but Peters bonus was more imporatnat than that. No one was held accountable ( Should have been lawell and park) on the striker shambles
On to this close season. Huge amounts of income were received in January 12 months ago for Vic, a massive opportunity to invest for our qualifiers. We know what happened there, again no goal scorer for CL and lack of center midfiled made us easy targets for european teams. We needed investment and experience at the helm, we never got the 1st one and for our coach a project was put into place,
we have our only creative player sitting on the bench( Commons) he is the best we have, but sadly he is the wrong side of 30 for Peter lawell and would have no resale value at end of his contract
Once again, no one held accountable and then turns out the man who made the diasterous decisions on our transfer budgets was given his biggest every salary at Celtic park showing that indeed, only Peter lawells personal income is key to all the decisions
We have had the Lisbon lions and Jock stein stands, We now have the Peter lawell upper( closed) stands now
sadly things will not improve to our policy of rewarding failure and empty seats is changed and the closer PL gets to his retirement, then the less liky he would gamble with our cash to improve our team
So happy new years to all mineshafters and happy clappers
ST
Tell you what, I’ll buy in, Neil.
But I want to see a script in advance, before committing.
neil canamalar
‘Move along Timmy’ doesn’t wash with me.
HH jamesgang
Doc
Yes you!!!
When you’re 18 it’s okay to look 18!
Them were the days!
HH jamesgang
Its amazing that people who don’t believe the new Ibrox club carries the history of the old or any significance spend so much time writing about the newco club.
As Sevco rip themselves apart there is absolutely no point in Celtic getting involved.
If they need a statement from Mr Doncaster it says it all.