Strachan, Sutton, Bratislava and losing interest in a job

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It didn’t occur to me until I read the CQN this morning that today sees a return on active duty to Bratislava for Gordon Strachan and David Marshall. 11 years ago Gordon started his competitive career as Celtic manager against previously unheard of Slovak minnows, Artmedia. The scouting had been done and Gordon was privately confident of progressing but the evening turned into his worst 90 minutes in football.

Six days later Celtic came close to overcoming a 5-0 first leg deficit, but could not add to the scoring after going 4-0 up with 20 minutes remaining.

Gordon went on to win three consecutive titles and took Celtic to the knock-out stage of the Champions League twice, no manager had previously done this once, but he never really shook-off the baggage from that night.

David Marshall wasn’t to blame for what happened on the field but Artur Boruc had signed a few weeks earlier and would soon supplant Marshall as first choice.

Chris Sutton picked up an injury away to Artmedia but I’m not convinced he really took to Gordon Strachan’s attempts to improve training ground habits. The last days of the Martin O’Neill era will never be recalled as a time of intense work. Gordon’s first job was to change this. It didn’t go down well with some senior players.

11 years later you can see the echoes of that time, as Chris wrongly tells the nation Gordon has lost interest in the Scotland job. I’m not a footballer, or manager, so don’t know if it’s possible for someone to lose interest in a job. It’s got me wondering, though, did Chris ever lose interest in a job?

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389 Comments

  1. notthebus on 11th October 2016 9:27 pm

     

     

    Its Peter Lawells fault

     

    ———

     

    You jumped the gun, a few previous were still working their way to that point ;o)

  2. ItaliaBhoy on 11th October 2016 9:29 pm

     

     

    Can’t believe there isn’t a better Scottish midfielder than Barry Bannon.

     

    ——

     

    I remember the many posts on here criticising Celtic for letting this guy “slip through the net” and then not trying to bring him back.

  3. Dallas Dallas where the heck is Dallas on

    VFR, Danny is a hero no matter where he came from.

     

     

    One of his daughters was a midwife at the Queen mum’s at York hill. She looked after my wife during her last two pregnancies. She was good at her job.

  4. The end for WGS I feel.

     

     

    Scotland just terminably bad.

     

     

    Forrest, Griffiths, may have made a difference. But we are basically rubbish. Even Norn Iron are better than us.

  5. Watching The Story of Whisky much more entertaining than watching a Nation previously (but long ago) good at football.

     

     

    Scotland…….formerly known as a football nation.

     

     

    HH

  6. The Ghost O’ Genk’s……………a cert……………and the digitally controversial baz……….

     

    ………. wull complete the dream ticket.

  7. Goooood evening CQN

     

     

    Not the slightest bit of interest with international fitba, particularly that FTSFA team

     

     

    So glad we now get back to CELTIC

     

     

    Now why do we have 9 games in Dec ?? That matters to me

  8. WITS: Happy to look after that. Will take a horse myself.

     

     

    Pity I won’t be able to meet VFR at the fans’ café beside the superstore. Maybe there’s a fans’ café at Hundump. Although if there was, I would buy sfa in it.

  9. vfr800a8 on 11th October 2016 8:55 pm

     

     

    DALLAS DALLAS WHERE THE HECK IS DALLAS on 11TH OCTOBER 2016 8:48 PM

     

     

    I lived in Invercanny Dr and went to St Sixtus and St Pius.

     

     

    *I played against St Lawrence BG at St Sixtus School, one game was on a Friday night and if my memory serves me well there were houses on one side of the school with verandas and punters were watching us.

     

     

    In one of the games SLBG had a very good player called Charlie West who I believe played for the Thistle a few years later. Ironically, so did we.

     

     

    Funnily enough, we moved to Cumbernauld in late ’76 but I was in 4th year by that time.

     

     

    *I had family move there and lived on the first street built in the first scheme. Don’t laugh but I used tae go there for my summer holidays as I had former primary school pals living there by then.

  10. The Spirit of Arthur Lee on

    Putin just tweeted… Don’t worry Scotland.. there wont be a World in 2018″

  11. Raymond Shannon61 on

    Kikinthenakas. Big Jimmy. VFR. TTT. And Kevjungle from earlier great post’s. What did I just watch there sorry but WGS times up. HH.

  12. THE EXILED TIM on 11th October 2016 8:44 pm

     

     

    Tontine Tim Aye, Big Jock sure made Bob out to be better than reality, but he did have a few endearing qualities :-)

     

     

    *He did and was all Celtic but he also had that “fault” of seeing only good in people which is probably why he was allowed to be president of both the SFA and SFL.

     

     

    Apart from the “Flag” and Czechoslovakia there was allegedly a board meeting after the humiliation at hunden in the 1963 SC replay where he was accused of trying to sign and play Catholics only.

     

     

    His response was along the lines of at that time the Glasgow area Catholic schools were producing some outstanding players and we as a club would be remiss if we didnae try tae sign them and in his defence he mentioned one young player on our books, who was not of the Catholic faith, that showed a lot of promise and had already made his debut. That player would write history for us 4 years later. Bob was indeed a visionary there.

  13. thomthethim for Oscar OK on

    Bob Kelly endorsed the Corinthian spirit of fair play and it was the game that counted.

     

     

    Unfortunately, he was operating in a different world and it took Big Jock to bring pragmatism into his world.

  14. International footie is dross.

     

    Watched a dull England v Slovenia.

     

    Hart who is a decent shot stopper saved them 3 times.

     

    The only passion was from the fans.

     

    Is the default position now for players to keep there stats up by playing the easy pass?

     

    Are the agents telling them high pass completion stats are good for your next contract?

     

    On numerous occasions if the player receiving ball had looked up there was plenty space to advance but they all seemed focus on keeping possession.

     

    Coaches have got to work on a better shape that allows creative players to take a risk.

     

    Having a simple defensive posture when possession is lost would be a start.

     

    Ability is being coached out of the game for rigid systems that are boring.

  15. TONTINE TIM on 11TH OCTOBER 2016 9:50 PM

     

     

    I was at 66 Invercanny. I reckon it’s pretty nailed on that you knew someone in my family.

     

     

    My family was there from early ’60’s through to ’76.

     

     

     

    FAC the Act

     

     

    KTF

  16. Scotland are never going to do anything with the centre halves we’ve got to chose from.

     

    Having said that, unlucky for the first goal and looked in control up until that.

     

    One point behind second place, only need to beat the English away in the next game, and we’re right back in it.

     

    Scotland are never going to do anything with the centre halves we’ve got!

  17. vfr800a8 on 11th October 2016 10:05 pm

     

     

     

    *it was Cumbernauld no the Drum I spent my youth

  18. The incompetence of the blazers who have presided over the demise of a once decent footballing nation is there in plain sight.

     

    As someone pointed out their sole focus is to keep Timmy down no matter the impact it has had on our game.

     

    They have been enabled by a complicit mssm.

     

    Time the Scottish fans woke up to this?

     

    Or are they of the same mindset who would rather have no game than admit that the Tims bring a huge positive impact?

     

    Prosperous and positive writing about Tims does not fit with the watp attitude of most of the country.

  19. TONTINE TIM on 11TH OCTOBER 2016 10:14 PM

     

    vfr800a8 on 11th October 2016 10:05 pm

     

     

    *it was Cumbernauld no the Drum I spent my youth

     

     

    ————

     

     

    Ah, right. I was in Condorrat from ’76 and spent time at OLHS. So our paths may yet have crossed!

     

     

     

    FAC the Act

     

     

    KTF

  20. 67Heaven .. CHALLENGING THE LIE ..I am wee Oscar...... Ipox belongs to the creditors on

    Makes one glad one supports Ireland , since the age of about 22…

  21. The joys of pronunciation rules.-

     

     

    Italian radio stating that Kylie Lafferty got some game time v Germany tonight.

  22. 67Heaven .. CHALLENGING THE LIE ..I am wee Oscar...... Ipox belongs to the creditors on

    From our school days, they have told us we must yearn for liberty

  23. FAN-A-TIC

     

    “Or are they of the same mindset who would rather have no game than admit that the Tims bring a huge positive impact? ”

     

    Pretty much hits the nail on the head.

     

    HH