Ronny Deila has been talking about a treble since early in the season, far too early for my liking. History suggests that trebles are notoriously difficult to win, even for dominant teams. The league is usually won by the best team but it’s hard to win every game in two cup competitions, no matter how good you are.
Despite this, I’ll not bet against Ronny getting his wish. He needs to win four games cup games, three of which would be at neutral Hampden, with only one game, the Scottish Cup quarter final, possibly being played away from home.
The cynic among you will, therefore, expect an away draw, possibly in some far-flung end of the country, like Inverness. My money is on a trip to Easter Road. I’ll be happy to avoid Tannadice, scene of our last defeat and a place they’re understandably feeling sort over the loss of Stuart Armstrong and Gary Mackay-Steven.
People of Kirkcaldy: that whole 1994-Ibrox thing, forget about it, we’re OK.
Well done to Celtic for highlighting their position as the least likely football team to financially default, according the US rating agency, Standards & Poor’s. Commercial and ticket income across Scottish football has fallen in recent years but that was only going to result in Armageddon if those in charge of clubs put an inflated sense of their own importance ahead of paying bills.
See the photo above sent by Mary’s Meals last week of the school kitchen we funded at CQ10. Work is already underway to raise funds for a fourth CQN kitchen in Malawi after the CQN11 St Patrick’s Dinner, on Friday 13 March at the Kerrydale Suite. Email me for ticket, celticquicknews@gmail.com
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How corrupt are the SFA?
leftclicktic
Hamilton was always the place for culture Lefty :))
bsr
How many did that make
That’s ‘experts’ on BBC TV and radio said ‘Lee’ had nowhere else to put his foot…
I must be mistaken then.
banthecowardlythugCSC
roy croppie
Did they mention the forearm smash to the guys head?? Totally decks the guy:((
Clink\o/
Two a week?
HT
If timreaper doesn’t want the ticket, I will put my hat in the ring.
Off topic, but did anyone else really enjoy Leigh’s goal at the weekend and realise that it was because we don’t score enough cute headers like that?
The look up from Mikael, the cross, the run, the header. I loved it.
Looking forward to more
Can we have more goals from range or am I getting greedy?
Eddie, I am away on my travels this week, not been and just read of the bother you have had.
Keep safe mhate.
Noone should have to be subjected to that justbbecause knuckledraggers can’t accept the truth.
Hail Hail Eddie.
Coneybhoy – agreed.
LG has only started scoring headers since the hair transplant….coincidence ;-)
Coneybhoy
That cross from Lustig would have skidded of his napper and went past the post, had it not been for the magic of the weave.
NatKnow
18:50 on
9 February, 2015
I think Craig Patershun on Sportscene said something like ‘he (elbows) had to put his foot down somewhere’.
Aye Craig, it’s just a matter of choosing which part of the opponents anatomy.
starry plough
To be fair Peter Houston was pretty clear about it and he brought up last week as well. But as for Nevin last night and Young tonight, apologists of the highest order for ‘Lee.’
HH
Rocket man
Livingston player to be reviewed for the foot up on the Hearts player’s face, according to the BBC
He had been booked.
Every Celtic supporter who phones ssb is playing right into keechone’s hands …… Why can’t they see that , and leave ssb to continue to embarrass themselves trying to resuscitate sevco. ……… It’s the best comedy show on radio
If McCulloch does get hauled up, he will get a ‘not proven’ like ‘Boydie’ did.
Hugh Keevins said McCulloch should have been sent off against both Celtic and Raith Rovers.
He also said Celtic should have defeated both Rangers and Dundee by 5 or 6 goals.
What s guy.
roy croppie
I expect nothing less from them two, Nevin sold his soul a long time ago and Chico well he’s a St Mirren man:))
BFSDJ said the huns need to spend £25-30 million on a team……… nurse, nurse…….
Kenny McInytre (Shortbread) felt the demonstration-that his pals told him about-was the best thing that happened at Ibrokes yesterday. “At least the fans are now working together…”
Clutching at straws Kenny. From the 30 minute video on social media it looked like a rabble of schoolboys wearing Sports Direct hand me downs whipped up by an air playing wannabe Lambeg drummer. They were egged on by a clown trying to hide his face who had the loudspeaker and continually told ‘Ashley to get to f*** ‘ for 25 mins. (Breach of the peace doesn’t seem to apply in Edminston Drive). He got pelters for packing up early and paying into the game lol
wellorchestratedmyarseCSC
Hamiltontim
18:35 on
9 February, 2015
Pedro
No bother mate.
thetimreaper
Do you want the other one mate?
—————-
I managed to get one earlier. If you can’t get rid of it drop me an email tomorrow afternoon i might have a taker. Cheers
Celticray, BSR
Hadn’t thought of that angle on Leigh’s headers :-)
Are the weaves the new cranial Predators?
Bada
Did he say David Murray was their sugar daddy?
Four of the ‘Geordie 5’ now injured. Hmm
CB
ha ha, well someone needs to tell Mr Stokes
Coneybhoy
John Collins bendy free kicks, and ‘Thumbs’ up for a heeder ;-)
thetimreaper
The fifth ‘Geordie’ flung himself down the marble staircase…
My friends in Celtic,
For many Celtic supporters reading a newspaper or phoning a radio football phone in is their equivalent of posting on a blog. I also think that we are very knowledgable about what and who says what on the said phone ins. Not that I see a problem in that.
HH, Je Suis faire in choir.
.
Similar Styles..Different Ronny’s..
Ronald Koeman: What’s the secret behind his Southampton success?
The Dutch like mayonnaise with their chips. I’ve seen them do it, they drown them in that stuff. But as a budding professional, Ronald Koeman liked mayonnaise with his chips so much it became a matter of principle.
“The first time I saw Ronald he was this plump kid with white hair and freckles on his face,” says former Hull City and Newcastle United striker Rob McDonald, who joined Koeman at FC Groningen in 1982. “But he had this arrogance about him, a certain authority, even when he was 19.
“We were at an away game once, having our pre-match meal. Our coach, Theo Verlangen, would go mad if he saw mayonnaise on our table. But this time he wasn’t paying attention when the waiter put some down in front of us.
“Ronald took a couple of chips, slapped them in the mayonnaise and just as he was about to eat them, Verlangen said: ‘Koeman! If you eat those, that’s a 500 guilder fine!’ Ronald stuffed them in his mouth and said: ‘Make it a thousand.'”
A thread runs all the way from that cute tale of quiet assurance to the moment he was dropped for Barcelona by the great Johan Cruyff for a European Cup tie in 1993. “Boss,” said Koeman. “This is the first time and also the last time.” And so it was. Koeman has always been a steely soul who usually gets his way.
It was this quiet confidence that led to him accepting the manager’s job at Southampton when many thought they were nailed on for relegation from the Premier League. Where others saw imminent disaster, Koeman saw a long-term challenge.
Ronald Koeman in action for Netherlands against Germany at the 1990 World Cup
Koeman (right) won 78 caps, played in two World Cups and won the 1988 European Championship
Having lost a gaggle of key players, Koeman was confident equivalents could be found. He brought in winger Dusan Tadic from FC Twente and striker Graziano Pelle, whom he had worked with at Feyenoord, for a total of £19m. He also rebuilt at the back, signing goalkeeper Fraser Forster from Celtic and adding defenders Toby Alderweireld and Ryan Bertrand, both on loan deals.
But perhaps the best indication of his abilities as a manager is how those players who were already at St Mary’s when he arrived in the summer of 2014 – the likes of defenders Jose Fonte and Nathaniel Clyne, midfielders Morgan Schneiderlin and Victor Wanyama – have flourished under his leadership.
“He was an amazing player who played for big clubs, so he’s got this experience inside him,” says Schneiderlin, who joined Southampton from Strasbourg in 2008. “He can read the game and can identify a good player. But what I like about him is that he’s a calm person and good with human beings.
“The new signings didn’t take too long to adapt, after a month it felt like they’d been here two or three years. Some football clubs make a lot of changes and they can’t adapt. We made changes and the club’s mentality stayed the same.”
Southampton midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin scores against Newcastle in the Premier League earlier this season
Midfielder Schneiderlin (left) has been a key figure in the Saints’ rise into the Premier League’s top four
Those who knew Koeman in his previous incarnation – as one of the world’s most dynamic defenders, who won two European Cups and a European Championship with the Netherlands – are surprised by the start he has made at Southampton, steering them to fourth in the table. But not all that surprised.
“They lost so many great players and integrating new players usually takes half a year or longer,” says Ronald de Boer, a former international team-mate of Koeman’s who was at Barcelona when Koeman was Louis van Gaal’s assistant.
“That they’re already there says something about the players but also about the manager and his understanding of his players. He could always express himself very well – as a captain and coach he chose his words very carefully and was always very clear. So I always saw him as a manager.
“I think the Dutch national team made a mistake not appointing him when they had the chance [Guus Huddink was appointed Van Gaal’s successor after the 2014 World Cup]. It was time for a younger manager and Koeman wanted it badly. Southampton should be very thankful to the Dutch federation.”
Life and times: Ronald Koeman
The player
The manager
Groningen (1980-83) ,Ajax (1983-86), PSV Eindhoven (1986-89), Barcelona (1989-95), Feyenoord (1995-97), Netherlands (1982-94).
Vitesse Arnhem (2000-01), Ajax (2001-05), Benfica (2005-06), PSV (2006-07), Valencia (2007-08), AZ(2009), Feyenoord (2011-14), Southampton (2014-).
Honours: 4 Dutch titles, 3 Dutch Cups, 4 Spanish titles, 1 Spanish Cup, 2 European Cups, 1 Super Cup, 1 European Championship.
Honours: 3 Dutch titles, 1 Dutch Cup, 1 Spanish Cup
Total games: 695. Total goals: 239.
Total games: 544. Win percentage: 55.88.
It hasn’t all been plain sailing for Koeman. After an early-season, 10-game run that included eight wins and only one defeat, the Saints ran out of wind, losing four successive Premier League matches. Some observers thought the honeymoon was over. Koeman, supremely confident in his own methods, knew different.
“Ronald does everything he can to win,” says former Netherlands goalkeeper Hans van Breukelen, also a team-mate of Koeman’s at PSV Eindhoven. “He’s almost obsessive about it. But he also has an accepting side.
“I can’t remember ever seeing him nervous, not even when he first came into the national team as a 19 year old. That’s because he believed in himself and his skills and opinions. If you believe in yourself, why would you be nervous?
“He knows he’s put everything into every game, he knows his teams prepare properly for every game, but he also knows his teams won’t win every game.”
David Endt is a journalist who was Ajax general manager when Koeman was boss at the Dutch giants between 2001 and 2005, winning the Eredivisie twice.
Endt remembers Koeman as a gentle, reserved man, in marked contrast to Manchester United boss Van Gaal. But Endt believes Koeman’s serene demeanour cloaks a man who is every bit as driven as his Premier League rival.
“They don’t differ much in their football philosophies but they are very different personalities,” says Endt, who was Van Gaal’s press officer at Ajax between 1993 and 1997.
“Van Gaal is blunt, says what he thinks. Sometimes he would explode if things were done wrong, he could be very fierce. Koeman was very nice to work with, could be very easy-going. But you could feel his ambition.
“That’s one of the beautiful things about football, there isn’t one law, one truth. Maybe Koeman has the capacity to achieve similar things to Van Gaal, but in a different way. ”
Ronald Koeman as manager of AZ
Koeman lasted just 24 matches as boss of AZ Alkmaar, a time when Steve McClaren was at FC Twente
Koeman might be single-minded, but he has also learned that one of the keys to successful leadership is surrounding yourself with the right people. With this in mind, he installed older brother Erwin, by all accounts a more outgoing personality, as his assistant manager. Liverpool legend Sammy Lee, one of the most respected and infectious coaches in English football, is also on board.
And while outsiders thought Koeman was joining a club in crisis, Koeman’s risk was a calculated one, because he had done his homework and knew he was actually joining one of the best-run clubs in England.
He trusted Southampton’s scouting system and the ability of its academy to produce players good enough to replace those who will inevitably leave for ‘bigger’ clubs, as Adam Lallana, Luke Shaw and Calum Chambers did last summer. And in the club’s forward-thinking director of football Les Reed, he saw a kindred spirit.
“Southampton have got a Dutch scenario in place,” says McDonald, who now recruits professional coaches in the Netherlands. “The way Southampton bring players through their youth system is pretty normal in Holland.
“And he was smart enough to go in there, see how they had been trained and accept that Mauricio Pochettino [who joined Tottenham last summer] had done a great job before him. Therefore it was just a case of adding his little nuances.”
It is doubtful Southampton’s state-of-the-art training centre, opened last November, serves mayonnaise in its canteen. But the odd dollop never did Koeman any harm. Memo to Les Reed: mayo at away games (maybe just once a week).
001
I heard Andre Previn held a protest outside ibrox today.
Not many there but it was well orchestrated…apparently
!!bada bing!!
19:22 on 9 February, 2015
BFSDJ said the huns need to spend £25-30 million on a team……… nurse, nurse…….
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Why the fook would a “club” / “company” reject the chance to fill the away end of their dilapidated stadium on a cold Friday night mid February when half said stadium will be empty, could trouser a few needy sheckles
Sorry, spell check error, it was Andrew Preview
ExSlaemuirBhoy
19:31 on
9 February, 2015
Why the fook would a “club” / “company” reject the chance to fill the away end of their dilapidated stadium on a cold Friday night mid February when half said stadium will be empty, could trouser a few needy shekels
——————-
Big Mike doesn’t want any more cash coming in. He canny spend what they have fast enough.
Hun on SSB.
Best call ever.
LG’s success with headed goals is indeed a direct result of his new herry heid.
It seems that when Henrik Larsson was shorn of his dreadlocks, he donated them to a secret archive within CP and these are the very follicles which wee Leigh had implanted.
When Stokesie heard about this ,he snuck into the vault and nicked some hair for his own transplant. Unfortunately in his haste he grabbed some of Wayne Biggins nasal hair by mistake……………
Hun on SSB,very funny, telling the Compliance Officer to ban Elbows for 15 games
The smsm / ssb etc STILL think that Michael is going to defeated …. hahahahahahaha