There are several parts of Tuesday’s performance which could be improved upon, parts which will be exposed by the rigours of Champions League football, but we looked like an experienced European team, one who could go away from home, roll with the early season uncertainties, but still have enough in the tank to win comfortably.
For the last couple of years we have watched a team mature while Neil Lennon has continued to add young blood to the squad. Fraser Forster has become an adept shot-stopper, puncher and kicker-with-both-feet. Joe Ledley has developed into a disciplined anchor in midfield while Adam Matthews, Victor Wanyama and Beram Kayal have progressed even quicker than I am sure the manager expected.
Last season’s Europa League campaign contributed significantly to the development. The team seemed to grow a few inches during the home win over Rennes, which propelled them onto the league title. A Champions League examination will present no fears but will expedite progress.
We could be on the verge of the first sustainable, successful, team development plan in 40 years, one that delivers titles, significant progress in Europe and lives within its means.
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Neil Francis Lennon – The best since Stein.
Smashing all the records – shutting up the critics.
Could somebody post the win ratio stats please?
ALL HAIL KING LENNY!
Andrew67
13:53 on
23 August, 2012
Paul67
Kayal anonymous. I thought so too, never near his man to stop him, ball just always out of reach. However I read on Twitter post match that he asked to be replaced because of an injury (ankle?). Not sure if that is true but it explains a lot about the fade 15 to 20 minutes in.
Magnus
I hope Celtic have added a sell on clause if thats the case.
Sorry to ask again but do you need to be logged in before you can refresh.I have to and I,am wondering if its a fault on my computer.
The Token Tim @14:12
Cheers mate, will do, he has to buy every round next pub night :) I’ll get a wee half in your honour ;)
He’ll be kicking himself when he finds out where the stat came from as he has the Graham McColl book and obviously did’nt read it :D
HH
Lets hope they cut out the individual schoolboy errors and keep a higher % of possession. They showed they can do it at times so it just needs more concentration to avoid unforced errors. That only comes from much more practice at passing quickly and moving instead of holding on to the ball too long and being caught in possession. The Barca players seldom dither and hold on too long to the ball and they make it look easy; thats because they make easy passes to their team-mates instead of hoofing it and giving the receiver 0-50% chance of retaining some useful possession. Practice, practice, practice…and then practice again! Surely its not too much to ask when you are being paid x,000’s a week! Slainte.
I liked the goldfish analogy
===============
How does a Rangers fan comfort his young son who would be distraught at learning of the death of their goldfish?
-Buy new goldfish
-Stick it in the same tank
#problemsolved #samegoldfish
===============
Continuing the history of the old goldfish;)
HH
Steinreignedsupreme
Yeah, the Europa League was good for us last year, being placed in a relatively tough group was no bad thing in hindsight
HH
Auld Neil Lennon Heid
Exactly – if they’re the same club why the need to transfer anything!
HH
philvisreturns 14:03 on 23 August, 2012
Steinreignedsupreme – Title Deedz
Brilliant.
I can’t wait to see other plays based on the now defunct club.
————
Seemingly there is an all-singing, all-dancing musical in production called We Don’t Do Walking Away.
Arlene Phillips has agreed to help Divine Dingwall with choreography and The Red Hand Blue Boyne Young Offenders are pencilled in to perform the score.
One man’s sustainable development is another’s under investment (particularly when it comes to Celtic).
If we do not invest in at least a striker during the window its a slap in the face to the support (again).
TimJIm
You do need to be logged in to refresh the page, so no problem.
Donegal Granite
I have been banging that drum for years.
Take Barca, Real, Milan, Juve to name but four, they train/practice for at least three hours a day more than our players do.
It’s not rocket science to know that the more you practice the better you get.
TimJim @14:21
I just logged out to see if it was refreshing the same way as when logged in. When logged out the last post showed as 14:03 so I don’t think it’s anything to do with your computer.
HH
Philbhoy – It’s just the beginning!
14:29 on
23 August, 2012
TimJIm
You do need to be logged in to refresh the page, so no problem
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Thanks,I take it this is a new thing, never used to have to
Auld NL Heid @ 14:10
“Perhaps the answer can be found in the transfer system for players?”
I like the thinking as a player has a registration which is held by the football authorities just as a club does. Whilst a player can change his name, he is still the same player and his registration is amended with his new name.
The difference is that no other player can take ownership of another players registration as it appears to be one per player, owned by the player and non-transferrable. Clubs appear to be able to transfer memberships and as Airdrie Utd did with Clydebanks and as The Rangers F.C. did with Rangers membership.
The liquidation may be the key point in that Airdrie Utd may have bought and still own the entire Clydebank F.C. business (as opposed to just the assets) which may make their situation different from that of Rangers / The Rangers BUT the SFL pages and the SFA view on this still confuses me.
At the very least if this is their thinking should the SFL page for The Rangers F.C. not state “Formerly Rangers F.C.” prior to listing old achievements in order to be consistent?
QB
Donegal Granite-I think we need to be braver on the ball in midfield,guys who want the ball in tight spaces who can pass it quickly.Far too often there is no angle from a team mate for a pass,and we are driven backwards more often than not,and back to square one.Keeping possession is obviously key,but we need a bit more movement to help the guy with the ball.HH
Paul67,
Today is the first I’ve been on since you made changes to the blog. On the PC the changes are great and the blog looks brilliant but on my Windows phone the changes are terrible. Is it the same for all smartphones?
TimJim
Just since the blog was refurbed the other week!
Your computer is ok.
We will learn a lot on Saturday, make no mistake we will field our second string in Inverness, and how they perform will largely dictate the clubs spending plans, yes we need a centre half and a striker for Europe, but if the squad as is can win the SPL, there is a big argument for enjoying the CL and maybe the EL after christmas, but keeping our powder dry in the market.
Clearly the manager has managed to get this group of players to gel as a team, how far can they grow together? who knows, they wont win a european trophy, but they might just build a reputation that allows us to attract the kind of additions that make success in europe a possibility, just as it was for Athletico and even Porto before them
I am hoping there is a 4 year plan in place, a plan that will see the Strongest Celtic side in 25 years assembled.
Ming
Fantasy League Update
Remember if you have Sergio Aguero (as captain like me!) then transfer for him until September due to his injury
Any new players can join, type fantasy premier league into google, it’s the Barclays one, register your team and the code to join is 721106-181775
I just posted this on TSFM. I think I must be depressed.
“Asset strippers, quasi-crimininal investors, compliant official governance, supplicant msm, rabble rousing,sly and smirking ‘manager, fans viewed as ‘mug punters’.
This, the deformed progeny of the disgraced parent club. And all the while it is making an absolute mockery of the game in Scotland ; taking all the other club supporters into the mire with them, then complaining vociferously when we have the temerity to question the validity of all this.
Is this not utterly shameful? Disgraceful? Apparently not. This is ‘the way it is’ and we just have to take it.
Books will be written,and people will further profit from the scandal,but on it will go. In the end, football in Scotland will simply decay, and we will be left with the arrogant ones, happy in the wateland they have created. Kings of nothing,having learned nothing. They will not even recognise the concept of a Pyrrhic victory. The hollowness of their ambition is abysmal and the actions of those sucking them dry and promoting their lies is pathetic in the extreme.
But my words mean nothing in this moral vacuum,this black hole of corruption.
I am just a fan of football. Someone to be mocked. A potential asset to be stripped.
Sickening. And who am I to complain? All that is expected of me is that I dumbly acquiesce and continue to pay…and pay,and pay.”
Swanseabhoy @ 13:47,
Yeah, that was well put, that’s my take.
Quadbhoy @ 13:47,
The Clydebank history precedent is interesting but was just a device to keep League Football in Airdrie, I could be wrong but I’m pretty sure this was a loophole that was closed and is in any case different from The RFCia situation.
Football Clubs have always (I would imagine with permission from FAs) being able to change their name and keep the continuity of the Club and Titles.
Newton Heath – Man Utd
St Mary’s YMA – Southampton
Celtic Athletic & Football Coy – Celtic F.C.
This is not what we have with regards RFCia – This SFA membership fudge is to me a Red Herring, as the SFA have failed to (or cannot) clarify what the NewCo SFA membership situation is:
Is it a full membership?
If so how did the qualify?
If not, what sort of membership is it?
Does the Club have a Licence?
If not are the Club playing under restrictions?
If so where is the precedent for this?
This is before we ask:
Is this OldCo’s membership?
If so where is the precedent for a liquidated club passing on it’s membership?*
If it is OldCo’s membership does OldCo’s History come with it?
If NewCo has OldCo’s History then they must accept any and all of OldCo’s penalties, sanctions and fines, past, present and future.
*Liquidation by it’s very nature means the entity ceases to exist, the last two points are only there to highlight where this ridiculous SFA fudge leads. No supporter will except this Ger, Tim,Sheep or Arab.
Philbhoy – It’s just the beginning!
Cheers it will stop anybody( Hun lurkers) getting to much info from the site
Patrick27 @14:37
Just tried to join your league but it says the code is not a valid league code
HH
I dont go with we must get Rhodes campaign. Id rather we got J R & J D we’d get 2 good players for the price of Rhodes. I’d like to see the big Hearts defender at the back for us too.
Can anyone tell me whether the CL tune was played at the start of the game on Tuesday?
TimJim
I wonder if it gives Paul67 a more accurate number of posters/lurkers?
Might help him with securing sponsors/adverts.
Take care.
QuadBhoy
We all know that it is marketing that is driving the SFL/SFA and they will do what they can get away with to sell tickets.
Chancers to a man.
My point though is that a transfer of itself does not mean the same entity exists in the same form after the transfer as before. It might in all respects, it might in some respects the question are the differences enough to say it is not the same entity. They clearly are otherwise Rangers would be playing in the SPL and trying to qualify for Europe with more or less the same squad as before the transfer.
Back on your point, a guy on the Scottish Football Monitor has written to Trading Standards and there are insolvency rules on names that Sevco might find themselves breaching. Only if civil authority rule SFL marketing out of order will the advertsing have to change as far as football goes its no longer a sport, its a business.
From Garngad To Croy @ 13:38hrs
Was in ticket office last week gettin helsingborg ticks and seen a few bhoys claiming the vouchers
On the subject of the Huns history:
As someone posted earlier the Huns will always have a history in the same way that Belfast Celtic, Third Lanark and Airdrieonians will always have their history.
In the case of the Huns though that history is likely to be altered before it is officially parked in an archive full of cobwebs. But their records can never be enhanced as the club no longer exists.
They know it. We know it. They know we know it.
The last conversation I had with a Hun was the night we played Aberdeen. He finally touched on the subject of ‘liquidation’ and his interpretation of it after a couple of hours. He was never a great scholar but I let that slide and listened to his argument about the company being separate from the football club.
When he was done I asked him ‘why, if the company is separate to the club, did Rangers accept a 10-point deduction against the team for going into administration last season?’
He nearly answered a couple of times but couldn’t quite get the first word out – so he settled for staring into space (which he does well, to be fair) for about 20 seconds.
I told him to behave and get his round in – which he did.
He started talking about music when he came back.
itsabouttim @14:43
It’s hard to tell. I just watched the recording of STV’s coverage and Raman Bawbag was talking over the player’s coming onto the pitch but I think the CL music was playing when they did.
HH
Did stv not go to an advertising break when the music was due to be played?
The CL theme tune was defo played.
Paul67 et al
Asil Nadir gets 10 years. Pour encourager les autres. And phlvisreturns!
Philbhoy – It’s just the beginning! @14:56
They did indeed, but they showed about 10 seconds of the players walking out before they went to the ads
TET
I must have been in the kitchen getting a beer!!
Celtic Mac
Is that the Poly Pec bloke ?