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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Green Man. I am critical of the board as well but they have done some good things. PL follows the DD strategy.
If Ronny has lost the dressing room then it would be game over for him as it always would be for any manager.
Is this just what some people want us to believe?
Club captain should make a stance and sort it out if there is any truth in it at all.
You will see it on the park if that is happening IMO.
Until then let’s see how we play on a plastic pitch on Monday.
Different tactics? Team formation?
My smile is stuck
I cant go back to yer Frownland.
Sdstim
James is a great player that cannot unfortunately stay fit for any decent period of time.
HH
CRC
Kayal? Better him being in midfield than Forrest.mcGregor, or Mulgrew. Commons doesn’t fit into RD’s style. so best let him go (I would play him)
Maradominic
We should make changes in the board.
For example….As Aberdeen currently are top of the league, shouldn’t we employ their CEO, as he seems to be doing just as good a job as Peter Lawell.
And with far lesser revenue streams than Celtic have.
HH
Everythings cheap in Frownland
MINCEYHEIDMAN
I don’t think Kilmarnock have a plastic pitch,do they?
Plastic Proddy hun fans,mibbe. But a guid place for a sesh before the gemme.
ScarfinpoakitCSC
Burnley78
14:39 on
2 January, 2015
Great stuff re Celtic underground and losing dressing room
Back to the old days of media undermining what we are doing.
Great to see some pathetic Celtic consumers dying to say ‘ told you so’.
Thick clowns.
Yep,and not a few on here slavering all over themselves that its true.
Beware the trolls today …out in force…!!
SOUTH OF TUNIS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zONMBOFNKXI
Last Train To Frownland Central….
turkeybhoy
15:32 on 2 January, 2015
Not to worry…..we can smell the trolls a mile away …. Hahahahahahaha
SOUTH OF TUNIS
Apologies,should have been Aaron Neville.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9I68fua61CA
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS
Just going off what I read in the evening times bud.
That means Monday, but the artificial surface at Rugby Park will ensure Deila puts even more thought than normal into his team selection.
James Forrest was due to return for yesterday’s game, while Mikael Lustig, Jason Denayer and Beram Kayal have also finally pushed their way back into contention after several weeks out.
But, given the nature of the surface, this could be deemed the wrong time and place to bring any of these important players back into the side.
Apparently Fernandez is now Man City’s Spanish scout. Hope he manages to keep his eyes open.
The Green Man
“We should make changes in the board.
For example….As Aberdeen currently are top of the league, shouldn’t we employ their CEO, as he seems to be doing just as good a job as Peter Lawell.
And with far lesser revenue streams than Celtic have.”
and when we win our games in hand and go back to top of the league, then sack the new guy from Aberdeen and ask Peter Lawwell (note the spelling) to come back por cierto.
67heaven
Is that the pro or anti board trolls or both? :-)
HH
CRC
BMCUW.
That link – why ?
67Heaven
The constant refrain on this site when argument fails, is to attempt to brand people as trolls, etc.
Its the oldest trick in the book.
But, it wont work.
You will need to come up with something better, lets see if you can.
HH
Saltires en Sevilla 1523-
I`ve no problem with our young players being given a chance. In fact you could argue that we`re not doing enough of it, for example I`d like to see Wakaso and Tonev`s loans cancelled and their fringe places in the squad being given to up and coming young players. Money saved in the £15k per week per head wages and an opportunity to blood some young players for 15-20 minutes here and there.
My issue was with Calum McGregor being sent into the press conference ahead of the Partick game just after what had happened to him v Ross County. It allowed the press vultures to cast up his substitution and could have easily been avoided had we sent one of the many other players from our squad to the press conference instead.
MINCEYHEIDMAN
Cheers,mate. Genuinely didnae know Rugby Park,famous when ah wer a lad as the best surface in Scotland,is now plastic.
I hope my wee sister is careful wi her fag-ends on Monday.
BMCUW .
Second link makes much more sense .
Big thanks!
SOUTH OF TUNIS
Apologies for the confusion,bud. The first one is a laugh,btw.
Hope yer having fun in London,I gather you found out-after all those years of living there!-why it’s called The Big Smoke?
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS
My pal here always goes on about the fabulous Killie pies.
Can you vouch for him?
celticrollercoaster supporting shay,our bhoy wonder along the way
15:36 on 2 January, 2015
A troll is a troll for awe that…..hahahaha …HH
new article posted.
bobby murdoch’s curled-up winklepickers
15:32 on 2 January, 2015
MINCEYHEIDMAN
I don’t think Kilmarnock have a plastic pitch,do they?
Plastic Proddy hun fans,mibbe. But a guid place for a sesh before the gemme.
ScarfinpoakitCSC
#############################
Aye they huv….
Us Ayrshire folks are far advanced….
THEGREENMAN
The ‘trolls’ are rapidly becoming a majority on here. And this is a site which historically has been largely pro-board.
That SHOULD set off alarms. But it won’t.
Oops the PL defensive mechanism has kicked in.
The blessed Peter, worlds best CEO/Businessman cannot under any circumstances be criticised.
Seriously, its like the old Politburo on here.
Dinosaurs.
Idol worship of downsizers and businessmen, Pravda right enough.
Its laughable, when will you clappers take a bit of responsibility?
Whinge, Whinge, Sob, Sob….don’t say that about Big Peter,….petted lip.
Grow up FFS
HH
Thanks for the memories Kris – good luck at Bolton.
P67……….Have a Happy Celtic New Year, strap in and enjoy the ride, I promise it’ll be a great one.
an unfortunate sentence…….if the suits agreed to the Donkeys statement….a water shed moment ….”pick up that soap Timmy” …..seems to me it is time to “strap-on!” no strap in ….
braw is not hoopy…..
green man
15:38 on 2 January, 2015
I didn’t actually call you a troll but ‘if the cap fits’ ……. Whatever you are, you don’t half talk some ill-informed shoite about the Famous Glasgow Celtic”s (non-corrupt) Board ……
TGBS
Yes, agree. I would prefer a few development bhoys to those loanees and feel RD will do that given time. ( yes I know ;-)
Slightly different take on the press conference: I see that as an endorsement of Callum by manager and a wee test of his mettle (I expect he had a few fortifying words of wisdom before entering that bear-pit)
HH
67Heaven,
That will be the trolls who go to Celtic Park on a regular basis that have watched the team being weakened by our illustrious CEO over the last 6 transfer windows. At this rate there will be 20k season tickets sold next season.
We have a cost cutting CEO downsizing all aspects of the club except his package. We have a CEO who has too much power. He decides who comes and goes at Celtic ; Strachan, Lenny and Delia have all experienced that.
We also have a CEO who has done more in the last 3 years to sanitize the Celtic support by aiding and abetting young Celtic fans ending up with a criminal record.
We also have a CEO who sits on the SFA Board and is party to all the efforts to help a dead club back asap.
Now you may be happy to have such a person lead the club ; however there are plenty who do not.
We are sick of this one guy running Celtic from top to bottom. The last time anybody challenged was John Reid and he helped secure the investment to deliver Strachans 3 in a row. That would never have happened under a Lawwell.
Under Lawwell the downsizing will continue. We will be weaker at end of Jan because of Lawwell. Inter will beat us home and away…easily. We will win the league but fail in CL qualifiers..even with £30M BT money. That will be £50M Lawwell has blow with his poor decision making. Europa League may even to much of a stretch as VIrgil will be long gone by then and the replacement will be a low cost project.
Lawwell must be desperate for Sevco to come up or version 3 as without them you can close the top tier for all league games.
There is some good news….Lawwell will make his bonus again and hits the £10M mark in compensation for taking Celtic to its weakest position in 10 years.
I need to go to the sales and look for some green tinted spectacles or can I borrow yours.
Latchford.
Hope that makes you feel a lot better ? It must be tough for you right now.
overseas – is KC gone ?
turkeybhoy
14:48 on 2 January, 2015
Not for the first time, I agree with this Bhoy!
Eh TurkeyBhoy, what’s cojones in Turkish?!!?
That’s what we need.
HH jamesgang