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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moonbeams wd. wee oscar’s our bhoy and kano’s our mhan. the vow – critically rebuked by 45% of this fine nation.
10:50 on 2 January, 2015
Ah! No change for 2015.
Blog still full of brown brogued and nosed loyalist unionists.
God save your Queen.
MWD said AYE bendy banana brained trumpets
——-/
Can you help me by pointing out who the brown brogued loyalists who post on CQN are? I would like to avoid them in future, but can’t think who they are.
ernie lynch
As I posted a few mins. Ago we all know where PL stands on the newco, Oldco, so if someone comes out every week and says it’s the same club, then you want PL to tell you the same thing he already has, grow up Ffs. As far as I know he has not changed his stance on it unless some one can prove me wrong?
Rangers outcast Sebastien Faure: Ibrox players can eat as much as they like.. and Ian Black has cake at half time
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/rangers-outcast-sebastien-faure-ibrox-4906490
Quality read, the bit about super salary dropping his shorts so players can hit his arse??
Comedy gold!!
HAPPYHOOPYBIRTHDAY
to
Miss Doc,or Rachel as her Mum calls her.
Eighteen,go and get blootered and put it on yer tightwad Dad’s credit card.
Betcha the pin is 1967….
Celtic will not make any announcement on this. They want Rangers to return and are relying on it. Dermot Desmond has said as much and Lawells 10 million proclamations back this up. Celtic want them back and they are relying on a hunch that their supporters are thick enough to pay to watch the same old story being played out.
Rangers will return, the press and the authorities will continue their support of them. The Celtic support will get angry and turn up en masse to vent against the cheating.
When is the CQN statement about the zombies being published in the Herald ?
(was there not a raffle involved in the funding ?)
winnertakesitallCSC
If the new huns are really the old huns I hope that we are looking to buy Messi, Kompany and Wanyama.
I kn ow we don’t have the money but they could help us win a European trophy before liquidation.
I would accept the “relegation” penalty as 3 years in the lower league would be worth it if we could do well in Europe and just come back debt free as the same club.
Well the huns got to do this,why can’t we?
I’m more annoyed at this than the statement on their website that the new club were forced to retract.
Doncaster should be wearing size 48 shoes and a polka dot dickie bow that revolves and shoots water BUT he is the CEO of the SPFL and he has just said that. Club who were liquidated are the same club. Celtic are members of the SPFL so does he speak for Celtic.
I think we should be told.
Cocotheclowncsc
When you get right down to it, it’s just another PL hate day.
I could sit here all day answering you lot, and you still wouldent get it. So annoying every day it’s the same auld shite.
Come in here and slag everything that involves Celtic because some phanny from the SFA SPL touched a wee nerve, the SMSM have got you lot in the palm of your hands your as gullible AS thems.
gary67
11:27 on 2 January, 2015
Do you think we will come close to 99pts in the league? 9 points down compared to this stage last year is poor IMO.
Unfortunately, I think we will remain in transition under RD for the whole season and beyond.
HH
CRC
Happy new year fellow Tims, and a festive get it right up ye to any lurking Clive Dunns. Have we signed anybody yet?
If people want change then 51% fan ownership of Celtic should be the aim. Otherwise you will always be pushing wealthy business people to do what wealthy business people don’t like doing.
I think we are having the wrong arguments.
Rangers, dead as a door nail and the Impressionist Rangers in a state close to death, do not warrant Celtic’s public attention – private pursuance of individuals involved with the cheating ways of oldCo perhaps, but there’s nothing to gain from public remonstrations against the new or old club unless they directly owe us money!
bournesouprecipe at 12:26 on 2 January, 2015
End of year review 2014
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That looks very much like a copy and paste job to me, sir. The very least you could have done was to give credit to the original author ;-)
mullet and co 2
12:29 on 2 January, 2015
What planet have you just landed from……?
TONYDONNELLY
It’s not a PL hate day. Its a question of did Doncaster speak with the approval of all member clubs.
If not,and his comment was made in his official capacity,then our highly paid CEO needs to earn his corn.
The strength of feeling on this is obvious,but directed mainly at Doncaster.
If it is not challenged by yer pal,that will change.
It is his call.
Is he for Celtic?
Or is he for The Establishment?
BMCUWP @ 12:29
You idiot you have just divulged the whole of CQN credit cards, burglar alarm codes and sky bet pin codes.
Can you get Paul67 to delete your post pls :-)
HH
CRC
bobby murdoch’s curled-up winklepickers
Ok, fine fair point, then why don’t you ask Doncaster then he made the statement?
tonydonnelly67
12:38 on 2 January, 2015
Has subtlety not reached Castlemilk yet ….diplomacy never will….
Robert88 11:45
Was thinking the exact same re Spurs.
Your not allowed to sublet here ;)
CRC
No I don’t think we’ll come close to 99 points. My point was last season, at this stage 18 games in, our points total wad exceptionally high compared to recent years, and this season is probably about average. Aberdeen and DU have significantly higher totals and that’s why we still have a league title race in January. Its a positive Imo, we were always going to dip slightly in a transition year, the others have improved, enjoy the race while it lasts (mid April would be my guess)
There’s a thing WHY doesent someone put up the SFA SPL website and we will all e mail Doncaster and ask him if he speaks for every club?
Naaaaaaa to easy, let’s just stick to PL again.
Jobo
Took ages to type, so no way was it only getting posted
once.
It’s lashing and freezing in Low East Kilbride BTW.
Gary67
Fair point, and I do enjoy being in the most competitive league in the country, provided we win it. :-)
Reading Ceasar and Assassin book at minute. So whilst re-living my young teenage years supporting the Tic, also remembering those years when the New Firm would often give us a kicking. Perhaps, we just don’t accept defeat these days as easy, or more to the point unrealistically expect to win all games now.
The run in will interesting as we will probably play Aberdeen, Dundee Utd and Hamilton away.
HH
CRC
Greetings and very Happy New Year from a sun-drenched G74
67 heaven, nice retort From you as usual.
I suppose you are taking my comments on being thick personally because you will follow the team regardless of the celtic boards contempt.
This is like the Freddy Shephard faux pas when he was caught out calling the Newcastle support for what he saw them to be only Dermot has made his intentions known in support of the new rules.
They want Rangers back and will support any agenda to get them there because they think me and you and all of the Celtic support are thick enough to follow a past time similar to Saturday afternoon wrestling.
I’m not calling you thick the Celtic owner has done that already.
I find it difficult to believe that Doncaster and Lawwell who by themselves and on behalf of the league negotiated the TV deal which kept Sevco on the screens Internationally to the financial detriment of all member clubs were unaware of the same club rouse championed by the league and the association. They were all either press ganged into the decision or saw the benefit of it.
It is my opinion that Celtic PLC who stood to lose the most. 10m according to PL have been the most active of the other clubs in ensuring this.
HH
Has that budge wumman opened her yap yet? Maybe she’ll wait till three days after the event again.
notholdingmybreathcfc
AVGR, CowieBhoy, Leftclick, BMCUWP’s, and anyone else who posted Birthday wishes, she says thank you very much.
She’s having a good day, and is having a wee party tonight, tomorrow she is out with her mates, and won’t need fake I.d.!
Off to change my PIN number:-)
CRC
Also reading Cesaer & the Assasin, was at the majority of games in those days and forgot how poor a record we had against Aberdeen & DU, especially at home. What I do remember was it was the last era we had a truly competitive league, no financial doping,, everyone living within their means. Probably being a bit nostalgic but a return to the first half of the 80s would be great for Scottish football and Celtic
Gerrard to leave Liverpool the club he joined as an 8 year old breaking news. H.H.
The only way we will get 99 points is by winning every game.
The max points you can get is 38*3= 114.
We have dropped 15 points. 3 loses and 3 draws.
Good post earlier re Dundee United and Aberdeens increased performance in terms of points this season v others Gary67.
My friends in Celtic,
I do not see the brown brogued loyalists, the huns and trolls that some see on the blog. I do see a lot of passionate debate with many, many differences of opinion.
I would suggest that this should be expected with so much diversity in the posters with the common denominator being the support of Celtic.
IMO our custodians are definitely missing a trick. We got it wrong with Tonev and we have got it wrong with “Rangers”.
Whether we like it or not some entity of “rangers” will exist. It may be “rangers 3”, “rangers 4” but no matter; they are a new club, and our club are failing our supporters by not stating this in writing.
If they ever win our top league it will be for the first time and we need to make that completely clear to all now. Not argue about it in many years to come when they are proclaiming number 55 or what ever lies they will spout.
Many will not agree and say Celtic should remain silent, but IMO not to make this statement lets us all down and gives credence to the lies.
HH to all.
Greenpinata,
Spot on. However Lawwell will do zilch as it has no material effect on his bonus.
Anybody think we won’t win the league ????
Anybody think the mob playing out of ibrox are rangers formed 1872 ????
mullet and co 2 12:29 on 2 January, 2015
Celtic will not make any announcement on this. They want Rangers to return and are relying on it. Dermot Desmond has said as much and Lawells 10 million proclamations back this up. Celtic want them back and they are relying on a hunch that their supporters are thick enough to pay to watch the same old story being played out.
Rangers will return, the press and the authorities will continue their support of them. The Celtic support will get angry and turn up en masse to vent against the cheating.
—————————————————————-
Except they won’t. Attendances at CP have been in steady decline pre-zombie and whilst there may be a slight temporary uplift if/when zombies join the top division, there will be no return to the MON/Larsson era crowds. I say might be a slight upturn as any new custom may only replace those who cancel their STs as they don’t want to watch the footballing equivalent of WWE.
Doncaster is speaking on behalf of the clubs, If he wasn’t, you would soon hear about it.
In my opinion that is.
mullet and co 2
13:03 on 2 January, 2015
…….dooooohhhhh ……hahahahahahaha