I have no doubt this morning’s press reports on Celtic’s plans for the months ahead are correct. We are told the club “is planning an overhaul of their football operations in the summer that would see significant changes to their set-up.” There is a great deal you can surmise from that statement.
“Overhaul… of football operations”, “significant changes”, leaves zero doubt Neil Lennon will be moving on and suggests wider changes are likely. It is also safe to assume Neil is on-board with this and has agreed to remain in charge until the end of the season, or a suitable replacement arrives.
Neil would not go through this torture were it not out of a sense of responsibility towards the players, several of whom he personally convinced to stay for this ‘important season’. Malicious talk of holding out for a payoff is well wide of the mark.
What is also clear is that Celtic are not happy to appoint any manager who is prepared to come to the club right now. This precludes those out of work, or those who are not prepared to ‘Do a Brendan’ and leave their current project with trophies still to be won and lost.
The new industry is not always as helpful. Last night reports that betting was suspended on Eddie Howe getting the job received plenty of clicks. Eddie has his eyes on a different target and will almost certainly pick up an English Premiership job this year. He is as likely to come to Celtic as another fantasy appointment, Mauricio Pochettino, was, before choosing Paris when he could have made his home in Glasgow. If only it was that easy.
If we take the ‘Get real’ suggestions off the table, I know the photo fit you are working with. Someone who has over-performed in a different environment, who is technically razor sharp and can bring knowledge of a value market.
They will have a successful track record, one that is short enough that they have not already moved up the food chain, but one longer than Ronny Deila’s mercurial rise at Stromsgodset. We now know that the skills required to achieve one season of spectacular success is Norway does not automatically equip a manager for what on paper looks an easier task. The Goldilocks candidate, enough of a spectacular record, but not too much that they have already got their move.
The quick fix if Neil leaves is John Kennedy as interim or someone, like Ronny, who cannot believe he’s been offered the Celtic job. Or let Neil complete the season and attempt to add the Scottish Cup and leave his second term trophy report reading 6 out of 8. I am not recommending either option, it’s too complicated to sit on the outside and suggest a fix with any conviction – not matter how convinced this is an easy one, it’s not.
If Neil remains until the end of the season it will not be because he needs the money, or because he deserves the respect of a Celtic hero (although he does), it is because the business of succession has to be settled. My preference would be to spend these months doing reconnaissance; better to do it right than to do it early, but the galleries have loved a blood letting since the Colosseum, we know how it works.
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How about Rafa Ross
TERRYMAC.
Ha. I wasn’t aware of that particular Malapropism, but it’s in the same vein as ” I would of”, ” ran the gambit”, “the proof is in the pudding” and “mitigate against”.
These get perpetuated by uneducated eejits in the meeja and twats like Trump, and used to do my head in but I’m much more chilled about it now.
My current favourite is ” a damp squid”. Mind you, given it’s habitat, it’s perhaps understandable.
RAY WINSTONE
There is also “Irregardless” recently perpetuated by the Yale educated Missouri Senator Hawley in his defence of Trump.
Turkeybhoy
You are right to highlight our successes over the past decade.
However, our advantage from 2017 til now (momentum and financial) makes it all the more galling to see how far and fast we have fallen.
It is possible to be proud of the past yet critical of the present. The 2 aren’t mutually exclusive.
Other than nostalgic reflection I’m not seeing any argument for maintaining the status quo.
The reason we have had success in the past is due to us acting when necessary and within our financial constraints.
Question – do you believe we are performing well, on or off the park?
not surprising livi are ahead
Favourite football team in the spfhell: celli
Favourite football in the spfhell : that played by livi
Klopp has a fine set of Cowdenbeath on him
his dentist clearly isnt on furlough at the moment
😁😁😁
INIQUITOUSIV.
Dubya was also famous for them; “I am a person who recognises the fallacy of humans”. There was also the Texas Governor who declared that “States are lavatories of innovation” and the one and only Dan Quayle who averred “Republicans understand the importance of bondage between mother and child” (all of the foregoing being Republicans), but closer to home you have Henry McLeish; “Its not rocket fuel”.
Politicians. Whit they like?
Uncle jimmy
What do we learn from today.surely at least if we have clean canvas to build.make us a better footballing machine.put in plan a place.ie kids of all age groups comin here til they run out the tunnel.
HH
Old Trafford pitch like a bowling green. Why don’t Celtic send their ground staff down there for a week to find out the “secret”?
31003 on 24TH JANUARY 2021 5:00 PM
Old Trafford pitch like a bowling green. Why don’t Celtic send their ground staff down there for a week to find out the “secret”?
###
They could sort out those banners while they’re there too.
31003 it’s an easy answer you hold people to account, no need for a trip to Manchester
The Manu game couldn’t be any worse than last week’s😕
Old Trafford pitch like a bowling green. Why don’t Celtic send their ground staff down there for a week to find out the “secret”?
—
im not sure saying “because we want our grass to look pretty” would qualify as essential business travel needs during the lockdown
😄
that and it would cost money to send the ground staff down there which could be put to better use topping up PL’s bonus
which he fully deserves this season
PITYMEVIN on 24TH JANUARY 2021 4:03 PM
How about Rafa Ross
________________________
excellent, or alternatively Jack Benitez
THELURKINTIM on 24TH JANUARY 2021 2:31 PM
WITS…those Liffey Wanderers chants are suspect ;-)) Incredible life by him…but he wasn’t without his faults.
*he also had a season at boagheid and I don’t think he endeared too many people there tae him, rarely mentioned in dispatches down in the Rock.
Jack Benitez sounds better, continental and very exotic.
HH
ernie lynch
Probably labouring your point here, so to speak, but I for one have never considered Police Scotland to be independent of the SNP government, indeed that organisation was created by them as a national police force. Not to say the eight Constabularies they replaced were without fault, far from it. Part of the paradox of devolved government in Scotland is that the Police, is now far more centralised than it was under the old Secretary of State for Scotland. Plenty of examples where this has proved an unhealthy development, not least in the role of Police Scotland in sanctioning Orange Walks including areas where they had all but died out decades earlier. (I gave an example on here some years back of senior police officers attending relevant committee meetings in support of applications)
……but surely if players and staff, totalling 60+ can go to Dubai, then oot resident gairdnern his apprentice can go tae Manchester. It’s not a jolly, even if they dae manage tae squeeze in a few sherbets
31003 pubs were shut, no worth the effort
mnau liverpool is hotting up
* man u
WEEBOBBYCOLLINS
RAYWINSTONE
THELURKINTIM
Let me point out at once that I have never used the expression ‘Escape Goat’
My wee post was a diplomatic way of pointing out to a couple of our more
esteemed bloggers that their wrong interpretation of the phrase did their
musings no favours whatsoever!
Recently. a regular contributor to ‘Celts are Here’ headlined his article in
bold capitals ‘CELTIC HAVE BLEW IT!’
I blame Catholic schools!
Hail! Hail!
Before throwing the ball to his team mate, Robertson, anticipating the return, looks across the pitch and sees Alexander Arnold unmarked.
Takes the throw in, accepts the return, then whacks it across field to Arnold before the Man Yoo player closed him down.
Thinking 2 passes ahead. It’ll never catch on
If this is the ‘official’ line then I despair. Absolute charlatans in charge of our Club. The Scottish Cup is there to be won to try and salvage what little we can from this season. Shkws the ambition of the Club if Lennon’s still charged with managing us into this competition. He needs to walk and at least an interim put in place.
JACKIEMAC on 24TH JANUARY 2021 5:30 PM
Certainly a lot better than last week’s rubbish!
31003
Watching the game also. Robertson has a tendancy to pass back regularly rather than going forward.
HH
celtics short throw ins consist of the thrower throwing to a team mate but bouncing it 2 yards in front of him so it makes it hard to control meaning the passback goes straight out the park
the long throw in consists of aimlessly throwing to an opponent
our average time of keeping possession after a throw in must be about half a second
Adi
Yet he’s up there for assists
LETS ALL DO THE HUDDLE
Agreed
I think that’s known as the “you hiv it” pass, and, if the receiver manages to get it under control, he reciprocates by returning it to the thrower. This is known as the “holeeee shit” pass as the thrower didn’t want it back in the first place
31003
Agree, but watch him 2nd half. He does tend to play safe.
I see Paddy Roberts got a whole 9 minutes for Middlesbrough today.
Adi
Again agreed.
It’s down to the coaching manual I guess.
Watch Luke Shaw, he does the same.
Something I’ve noticed though, left wing backs seem to pass back more often than right wing backs!!!!
Work that one out
Leicester taking care of Brentford in the cup under the leadership of Brendan/Rodgers/Fraudgers (delete as appropriate).
Brentford tried hard but Toney’s have dried up.
Take it mccann really is a Morton supporter by how much he hates the Buddies or mibbees it’s their exCelt, something he cannae sat, manager.
Hearing Big Shuggie Edvaldsson passed away
Based on current points per game averages The Rangers will finish on 105, whereas a]Celtic are on course to hit 79 points.
This latter figure is based on whole season performance levels; ie includes the run of pre-“Old Firm’ defeat at Parkhead. (averaging 2.8 points per game).
Perhaps more realistic would be to project based in points per game since then as it may be a better barometer of our ‘form’. (1.6 points per game).
On that measure we would finish with 72 points. Even that might be optimistic given the remaining fixtures are balanced towards the top 6 teams.
Based on current form trends it seems likely we will finish upwards of 30 points behind Sevco at season’s end.
31003
I have a theory about lefties but that can wait for calmer waters 😂
Back to
Toney wasn’t in the squad – may be injured.