I think it pained us all to see the inglorious departure Martin O’Neill made at Sunderland. He will always remain a hero at Celtic, where he transformed us from a sleeping giant into a Champions League team, but his subsequent record is mixed. He earned a fair return for his spend at Villa but was helpless to prevent the decline of his boyhood favourites, Sunderland.
Eight years after he left we can view his achievements with perspective: fabulous, but Martin falls behind Neil Lennon in scale of achievement. Not only did Neil reach what we used to refer to as ‘the next level’ in Europe, he did so against an enormous redistribution of financial power in Europe. It will be a long time before we trouble the Deloitte Top 20 list of football earners (or spenders).
When Sunderland replaced the student of the game with a showman they lost the sympathy with neutrals, some of their own fans and even the odd Miliband on their board. A dead cat bounce saved them from relegation in May but living with a showman month-in-month-out is harder than enjoying a few outings at the theatre.
Sunderland’s experience demonstrates how few good managers there are and why they are prized so highly.
1254125 at The Great Scottish Run.
On Sunday 6 October there is a 10k and Half Marathon. If that is beyond you. There are family events taking place the day before. This is your club, remind the world of what really counts and get involved in 1254125.
The first thing you need to do is sign up for the Great Scottish Run, or here for one of the family events.
Once you’ve done that, you can register for the 1254125 campaign here.
Then you can create a donations page here. Click Start Fundraising, search for Celtic Charity, setup your My Donate account).
Email me and let me know if you are having trouble signing up or need any more help, celticquicknews@gmail.com.
To read the new issue of CQN Magazine click here (don’t try to read the graphic below).
[calameo code=000390171853d2bfc4f69 lang=en page=4 hidelinks=1 width=100% height=500]
190 Comments- Pages:
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- »
Peggy Babcock
I thought our 1st half performance on Saturday is the best football we have played in years. We have the makings of a fine side now. Efe and Dick are immense.
what a view!
Fit like?
Ulcyr
Bawsman
I agree, but still very few shots on target. Look at the stats. Not one on target in Milan (apart from the Stokes free-kick), only 2 against St Johnstone. This is a problem.
It’s also good to hear that Neil will not be messing too much with the side for tomorrow night, we need to get a settled formation and players playing in said formation week in week out.
Steviebhoy66
Steviebhoy66
The whole ticketing system for the Champions League games home and away is totally unfair on those who are willing every season to support the club buying a season a ticket and I am not only talking of those who reside in the west of Scotland
Imagine for example you are a Leeds Tim and you spend a fortune every second Saturday travelling up and down the country as you have a season ticket for Celtic Park. Now the draw is made for the Champions League and you approach your gaffer and ask for 3 Wednesdays/Tuesdays off between now and December. Nae luck son I can only accommodate you the once…so you approach the club and enquire as to the possibility of buying one match on your season ticket for a home game ……sorry 3 match packages only…..but we will happily take your season ticket money again next season
Then there’s the Celtic travel club ????? Fine and dandy if you live within a cheap taxi ride for a 6am flight from Glasgow airport but what about the season ticket holders who travel from further afield…. Don’t see too many of the travel clubs flight departing from Aberdeen Manchester Liverpool etc.
I assume that everyone who insists the club have to achieve a treble in order to fulfill “their ambition” for Celtic will be turning up for the Morton tie?
Naw??
Bawsman @ 12.25
Disagree! I don’t think a single first-choice player should play against Morton. The League Cup is hardly a priority. Rest our best players.
‘Martin falls behind Neil Lennon in scale of achievement’
Well, in the fullness of time I hope that’s the case.
With respect I think it’s still a bit early to make that kind of judgement.
79caps
12:24 on
23 September, 2013
——————————————
We had the 2 that mattered mate.
Seriously, some of the reverse passing and off the ball movement was outstanding. I think when Stokes, Mugrew, Commons get used to where/how Pukki and Dirk like to run we will have something a wee bit special going on.
Anyone wishing to celebrate the second anniversary of ADMINISTRATION DAY or JELLY AND ICE-CREAM DAY as it is known,on 14th February?
Why not go to The Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow.
THE ZOMBIES
supported by
THE ANIMALS.
Couldnae make it up,UFH strikes again….
TinyTim
There are all types of “supporter”. Some earn their revulsion from Celtic supporters. Others revel in it and wear it like a badge.
There were two of us looking for tickets last year in Barcelona as we thought our supplier had let us down. We were asking everywhere.
We managed to buy one on the day of the game from a bloke in one of the “Irish” bars for about 40 euros (from memory) as his mate hadn’t made the journey. When we checked the ticket afterwards the face value was about 50 euros. He had charged us less than it had cost. We went back in and gave him the difference (after insisting) and bought him a pint.
Later on our supplier (sometimes of this parish) showed up with the original two tickets (also at face value) and we sold the extra one on to fellow Tim, again at face value.
Three tickets changed hands a total of four times – not one penny put on top.
setting free the bears supports Celtic’s best fighter- Wee Oscar Knox
15,000 if we are lucky.
Martin O’Neill worked miracles at Wycombe and Leicester.
He revolutionised Celtic.
I was in Birmingham last weekend and spoke to a few Villa fans.
He had Demi – god status with them.
They feel it has been all downhill since he left.
Only at Sunderland did he struggle.
I believe he would have kept them up, and that they would be in a stronger position now.
If Lenny decides to leave , MON would be top of my list to replace him.
He would have something to prove , and he can work within restricted budgets .
He did it at WW and LCFC.
He is still a hero of mine.
I am his biggest fan (probably)
TT
Effe is an out and out athlete with all the potential going.he has just been crying out for a steady partner at the back who he can learn from and listen to…
In came Virgil van dijk, a player we can even see,even so soon in his celtic career has ALL the attributes to be a great captain some day.
Its fair to say im very optimistic about our latest young player to arrive at lennoxtown.
Paul 67
Any news on when the accounts will be out? They appear to be slightly later than usual i think?
got my 3 tickets for the CL games seen the post regarding more tickets being available so I call my son who is home from the rigs and ask him if he wants a ticket, I then go online to buy one and see £49 a pop, ffs celtic get a grip, I know its a buyers market but an extra £21 on top of what I paid is shocking….should be no more than £35, disappointed…
SFTB
Great point.
TT
Afternoon Paul,
‘Martin falls behind Neil Lennon in scale of achievement’
Yes in terms of going further in the champions league, a great achievement. Overall Lenny could not lace Martin’s boots as a manager, and I expect that to be proven over time.
Dan
Recently the Celtic pricing policy for Season Books, Champions League 3 game package, Cup games , has all been sensibly priced, and I think a fairness in an approach that recognises the fans (the well) needs some sustainable incentives to keep buying, its tough times for many, and no matter how much you want to be there, its often a sacrifice for many to balance their own finances.
However,
todays realease of a few hundred tickets for the Barca game, , marked up to top dollar, smacks of a detachment as to who is left that can pay these prices ?
Single adult ticket – £54.
Single concession ticket – £39.
It was only a few hundred tickets, why bother pricing them at the high end ?
and I know there is the incentive of seeing some of the worlds best players , and Barcelona as well, but come on.
TinyTim
villa are in good hands, lambo will do a fine job there,almost a MON clone…
DBBIA
It’s an ambiguous statement on which to make a clear judgement.
In strictly factual terms, Paul67 is right. When we got to lose a UEFA cup final, the pinnacle of MON’s achievements, these pages were full of exhortations that we now kick on to reach the next level of European competition, qualifying from the Group stages of the CL. We recognised then that last 16 CL was a greater achievement than getting to a UEFA final and probably a higher footballing achievement than winning a UEFA cup.
However two things happened which caused cognitive dissonance on this point. Firstly, Rangers achieved last 16 status first in 2006 and, secondly, a disliked manager of Celtic did it twice.
How could we possibly acknowledge that Alex McLeish or Gordon Strachan had out-achieved MON? We resolved that dissonance either by changing our opinion and over-valuing the UEFA final, or we resorted to the non-explanatory factor of luck.
However, there is still a case for MON’s achievements in that he had to transform a sleeping, near comatose, giant that had been in the European wilderness for over 20 years. He made us a credible competitive force again but his tangible rewards 3 out of 5 contested league titles and one losing UEFA final, were less than the standards achieved by both WGS and NFL.
In Tennis terms, MON brought us from the Challenger Tour onto The Masters series of events and a top 50 ranking. WGS and NFL took us to Top 20 level and we beat an occasional top seed
Fair play to Celtic for the cl ticket prices. If you want a guaranteed ticket for the cl games at bargain prices then buy a season ticket. If you don’t buy a season ticket then expect to pay a surcharge.
Tiny Tim,
I always enjoy and respect your views. That being said, I would not want us to have MON back. He did what he did, and I will be forever grateful.
However, there was nothing sustainable about his strategy. All our assets were spent by the time he left. I don’t believe he ever intended to stay on after the retirements of Sutton, Hartson, Thompson, Lennon and Larsson.
We are in better shape now.
And I say that having loved every minute of his tenure.
Dan
What are you basing your supposition on?
Masty
Oh aye no no swishing or speeding with brushes and rollers, I take it you stayed A later after I left the Brazen ;)
ha ha…….got some bangers on this site for sure
first manager to get the bump in the epl
and guess what
lenny getting linked with the job
sunderland bottom of the epl and not in europe
meanwhile back in the real world
celtic joint top of the spfl and with a chance to get back in the champions league again next year
in europe and playing the top teams in the world
yeah lenny going to go for it
pmsl
jam67
Not so sure about MON v NFL v WGS v TM debate
One things for sure no former Celtic manager has achieved a great deal when they moved on or have they?
Maybe NFL will buck that trend as well.
Today, the 23rd September, is National talk-like-a-pirate Day…
..or if you’re from Bristol it’s Monday…
tomtheleedstim
12:25 on 23 September, 2013
Have never known a travelling Celtic supporter ever being unable to lay his hands on a ticket for Camp Nou unless they are pished of course. Las ramblas on most match days has a wee kiosk selling surplus tickets
The Dam is going to be a different prospect altogether conservative estimates put the travelling support so far at Circa 7000 Ajax refusing to come up with more than 2600 tickets
There again a lot of that 7000 won’t necessarily be travelling with a game of football utmost in their minds
Just bagged tickets for myself and ss junior. £91 for row B. and it’s on the telly!
Still. Ma Bhoy will be most pleased!
Toutsruscfc
Tiny Tim
I would have Mon back tomorrow on the proviso that he bring Henrik back with him
.
I’m in the Mountains.. In the Middle of Nowhere by a Lake..16,900KM from Paradise..
Me and My Wee Ghirl and in our 3 Bedroom Tent.. On the First day of Our Adventure Holiday..
My Wee Ghirl has Just said to Me: “Dadda is Wee Orcar getting Better..?
Jeezo l can’t even remember mentioning him to Her..
Kids Ehhh..
Summa of BestWeeGhirlInTheWorldCSC
Sunderland fans must be wondering what they’ve done in a previous life. Di Canio gets the boot and they wake up to find that one of the favourites to replace him is Alex McLeish!
Like Bawsman I am looking forward to tomorrow’s game and I hope Lenny plays a strong 11. I hope to see the excellent Efe/Virgil partnership blossom. I hope to see Chas cover when one of our centre backs goes on a maisy. I hope to see the confidence flood through the team as they realise they have dependable people in all areas of the park. I hope to see Kris develop a telepathy with Pukki and Derk. In fact I hope to see a repeat of our first half performance from Saturday when we played with width and flair and to add on a few wee strikes at goal.
Gotta good feeling about our guys just now.
EC67
http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spfl/tony-watt-branded-lazy-and-unfit-by-loan-club-1-3107023
ELTIC striker Tony Watt has been called ‘lazy and unfit’ by boss of loan side K Lierse SK – despite scoring a debut goal for the Belgian side.
Stanley Menzo watched the young Celtic forward come off the bench to seal a 2-0 win at home to Kortrijk at the weekend but hit out at the 19-year-old at full time and again at training the following day.
The Ajax legend said: “I spoke to Tony after the game and told him what he needed to do to get fit and to become better.
“I think he has talent. But he has to do more with that talent.”
Watt, who scored a stunning winner against Barcelona in the Champions League less than a year ago, was sent to the Belgian side in order to boost his confidence. But Menzo added: “It is not just about scoring goals. Of course, we want him to score goals. But he won’t score the goals he CAN score because physically he’s not good.”
Menzo revealed that Watt had agreed with some of his points but had been ‘disappointed’ by others. The former Ajax goalkeeper explained: “I don’t know him so well to know how he is and how he worked in Glasgow.,
“I see him as the type who thinks by doing a little bit he can get a lot. I think that is wrong. I told him by doing more he can be a much better player.”
However, the Lierse boss added: “If he scores the winner against Barcelona then he must have talent.”
Watt told Lierse’s official TV channel: “Before I came on the coach said go and do your job, your job is scoring goals, after the game he said I’ll play on Monday to improve my fitness.
“There’s a lot more to come and if I don’t start the matches I’ll come on and try my best again.”
The Lierse side, who have one-time Rangers target Enar Jääger in their squad, face Lommel United in the Belgian Cup this Wednesday before taking on Anderlecht at the weekend.