Despite benefiting from the worst goal I’ve seen conceded against Celtic, a well-drilled by no more than competent Kilmarnock team came from behind to take all three points and leave Celtic at a multi-year low yesterday.
Excuses are available: the pitch, the fact that we made six changes to the starting 11, but the reality is yesterday’s performance was little different from what we have seen so often this season. I could make a case that we were worse still in the home win over Hamilton. The latter performance took place on a pristine Celtic Park with Dembele and Griffiths both starting.
Two seasons on, teams with vastly inferior resources have figured out how to play us and we have not figured out how to compensate for this reality.
I trust the manager. He has delivered and deserves our faith. He will get it right and deliver 8-in-a-row, but I fear for our treble on Wednesday night. Having failed to win any of our three away games against Premiership opposition, the pattern is too complete to ignore.
Apologies for the radio silence on CQN yesterday. The server was knocked off by the volume of visitors and the recovery process caused further issues. Been ages since this has happened, but I suppose it’s been a while since we’ve had results like this.
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@ POR CIERTO on 24TH SEPTEMBER 2018 2:34 PM
Our wages fell as a percentage of earnings last year.
We also have 9(?) players out of contract at the end of the year, so there will be a significant drop off fairly soon.
Add into the mix that Sviatchenko, Dembele, Ciftci and Armstrong (and anything we paid for Paddy and Musonda) has disappeared off the wage bill and been replaced with: Arzani (loan), Morgan, Izzi, Benkovic (loan), Mulumbu and Edouard and I’d wager we are in a net positive position in terms of reducing the wage bill this summer.
!!Bada Bing!! on 24th September 2018 2:23 pm
I think some guys on here,never supported the team when Macari, Brady,Dr Jo,Barnes, Mowbray were in charge.
———————————————————————————————-
I remember reading posts regularly during the invincible season that we should appreciate these days. Seasons like that don’t come around too often.
How true! I didn’t think we would see games like recently so soon afterwards.
Should’ve threw in Scott McDonald, Robson and Hartley who all did well for the club in 07/08 season.
Por Cierto
No need to apologise but can you expand/explain to me where the board have supported Brendan in the summer transfer market . I can’t see it.
HH
@ GOVAN X BHOY on 24TH SEPTEMBER 2018 2:40 PM
What about a cool £50k for Didier Agathe from Hibs?
THE HANDS CANT HIT WHAT THE EYES CANT SEE
Yes, your right por cierto
DBHOY
They went after every player Brendan asked for por cierto.
i think until we get this sorted the europa league should play second fiddle to all our domestic games.
60million in wages, thats up there. we should be able to beat teams like st mirren and killie with players who demand such wages.
i have no idea what is wrong behind closed doors and i dont think anyone on this blog knows but it has to be sorted out pronto.
bada bing i remember all the managers and still loved them because they coached my team.
they still had faults and upstairs more faults.
RON67
“i think until we get this sorted the europa league should play second fiddle to all our domestic games.”
Aye I think you’re spot on there por cierto.
SIPSINI- JTT- Totally agree,the Transfer Window was a joke, amateurish to say the least. We have created our own mess,as Tony Soprano said ‘you can’t put the sh#! back in the donkey…’ we have to buck
Por cierto
And how many did they deliver on?
Bearing in mind it’s fundamental in their role to support the manager in football related matters which has a enormous bearing on the football team we all watch.
HH
….the style of play,and get on with what we have,we still have better players than the rest. We all see our play as predictable just now, teams are delighted to see us pass the ball side to side endlessly. As I said Brendan needs to be able to change it,and players need to be braver .Mulumbu looks like he has the right stuff, showed urgency, and has a pair.
We can and will get better, starting this Wednesday.
GO TELL THE SPARTIM on 24TH SEPTEMBER 2018 2:38 PM..
I’ve not seen any posts advocating for Brendan to go!
What I have read is the disappointment of our board ie… Peter lawwel penny pinching on signings to take our team forward when in a position of strength.
It was disappointing that the fringe players were given an opportunity to step up and make the manager think twice about dropping them. No one really made an impact Christie and Johnston both had chances and didnt take them, think we’ll see a more usual line up on Wed night.
@ TIMHORTON on 24TH SEPTEMBER 2018 2:46 PM
That wage bill is for Celtic PLC and not just the first team.
As a blog and support that prides itself on standing up and being counted, I am appalled at the silence in face of an obvious injustice ….
How long must Wee BGFC have to post under his da’s blog name?
Surely. He has earned the right to post under his own blog name
How long will this injustice continue?!
Free the Wee BGFC!!
Like Ronnie’s team, we’re now too easy to play against.
DBHOY
Well, we know by the results of the last transfer window how many we signed, but the board don’t decide to not buy anyone, that’s a football department role. por cierto.
Is the gemme on the telly on Wensday, please naw!
It’s at times like this that you start to realise why winning league games are so much more important than cups and euro ventures…
HH
This sideways and backward passing, Is this Brendan’s tactics? Are the players coached to play like this? Some people have suggested it’s more a case of lacking in confidence by the players. Not wanting the ball. Not wanting to go forward.
Does anyone know?
It comes across as possession for the sake of possession.
PHILBHOY
Aye, BT Sport por cierto
POR CIERTO
Seriously? They went after every player Brendan wanted?
Well,that’s a huge problem then,isn’t it?
It’s quite clear that we have a CEO who can’t deliver a deal,get it over the line. I thought it was his BillyBigBaws approach,I’m in charge.
But no.
Turns out he’s incompetent!
Well,thank you for that. I assume he will fall on his sword PDQ.
POR CIERTO
Thanks!
HH
The Transfer Window hangover, needs to be shaken off,man up and get on with it.
Why is he incompetent, there are many factors in getting a deal over the line, such as the player wants to come, if he wants to play elsewhere then no one can convince him otherwise if he wants more than the football dept. are willing to pay for him then the deal doesn’t go ahead. por cierto.
Por cierto
I don’t think we will agree on this which is fine.
My take is that Brendan in the main identifies the targets and the board negotiate/finalise the deals. The board in this regard have been negligent ( I’m being polite ) imo.
HH
The Hands- Gamboa and de Vries ,will be about £1.5m a season in wages,for nil return, and a few more should have been told to get a new club in the summer.
DBHOY
No problem. That’s what the blogs about, debate and opinions por cierto.
Sipsini
The inference has been there for a while. Some of it not even dressed up as constructive criticism, as is their want.
Personally i dont buy the slow turgid play, of late, is down to the managers instructions, to many players not standing up to be counted. Undoubtedly, we are weaker as a squad at this point, though Benkovic seems a welcome addition, but no replacement for Dembele (too late) Roberts or Armstrong has hamstrung us a bit.
@ !!BADA BING!! on 24TH SEPTEMBER 2018 3:12 PM
They may very well have been but have not moved on.
Also, £1.5m for Gamboa and DDV. Taking that as split down the middle, we pay them £750k a year each?
So £14.5k a week in wages? Really?
We have been told that John McGinn is earning £23k a week at Villa (which is supposedly more than any of our players earn) but yet we are paying Gamboa and DDV £14.5k a week?
So the defence was ragged at the start of the campaign. Then 5 clean sheets in a row coinciding with the return of Boyata and very importantly the absence of Jack Hendry. Jack Hendry comes back in yesterday and we concede two goals, both of which he was at fault. It’s not rocket science. We would not have lost that game yesterday if Benkovic had played and we will not lose on Wednesday if he plays with Boyata.
RON67 on 24TH SEPTEMBER 2018 2:13 PM
Agree on Mulumbu; finally a midfielder to support SB in the graft – he can fight and win a contested header (which none of the other mids can). Agree too on KT; powerful, dynamic athlete coached against instinctive enterprise (Gamboa has it and is dropped for it) alas often skinned by conventionally tricky wingers. We will come good/will we come good.
I don’t think that there is any manager who is in charge of all football matters.
I believe that they are given a budget and it is up to them how they use it.
Perhaps Brendan didn’t use his wisely.
Brendan……Board’s Fault
Ronnie………Not up to the Job.
Neil…………..Board’s Fault
Gordon…….Manager’s Fault
Martin………Board’s Fault.
I can’t be sure, but I suspect there may be a pattern forming!
The Hands- I believe so, de Vries POTY previous 2 years at Nottingham Forest, Gamboa came from PL West Brom, they will be on big bucks, and wouldn’t have signed for less than they were on.HH
Philbhoy
Many thanks for the link.
KINGLuBO