I’ve never treated the Ballon d’Or seriously, but would you be alarmed if your manager overlooked two of the most outstanding footballers of all time, to vote for one of the poor relations in an outstanding, if waning, Barcelona team.
England manager, Roy Hodgson, is entitled to his opinion but in nominating Javier Mascherano, he’s started a debate which will not reflect kindly on him.
I remember when Martin O’Neill was in charge of Celtic, he could do or say anything and no matter how incongruous it seemed, we all looked for hidden wisdom. Martin knew much more about the game than all of us but this authority was uniquely evident. I don’t remember any other Celtic manager being regarded with such awe, and I go back to the latter Stein days.
Whether Mascherano is fit to pass the ball to Leonel Messi is beside the point, Roy’s opinion is a prisoner of fortune. He’s dead meat to his critics.
For all of Martin’s brilliance he wasn’t one for cutting edge tactics. He knew what worked for him and stuck to it. So when Gordon Strachan came along with some new, ‘ideas’, the reaction was not appreciative.
Gordon’s early days (years) were remarkably hostile but it’s what I’ve regarded as The Ross Wallace Deployment which remains in the mind as an unfinished debate.
Ross was a left winger. But, five goals down after a first leg capitulation in Bratislava, Gordon deployed him on the right. The outcry was palpable. We’d never heard of playing a left footed player ‘out of position’ like this. What is now commonplace – to mix a left and fight footed full back and winger on the same side – was both new and proof positive that Gordon Strachan was a deluded simpleton.
There’s value in the opinions of the outliers, so my vote for the Ballon d’Or would have gone to Efe Ambrose. Gordon Strachan was a better manager than any of us knew at the time.
[calameo code=0003901718eccc6101c78 lang=en page=1 hidelinks=1 width=100% height=500]
1,125 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- ...
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- ...
- 30
- »
Young Fifer scores.
Cracker
Goal Thompson 2-3
Paul 67,
Re the Ross Wallace experiment.
Thankfully Gordon learned from his mistakes.
I’d be a lot less critical of our current manager if I saw any sign of him learning from his mistakes
Livi bhoy
1719
I agree. I’ve never understood why clubs don’t lower their prices to get bums on seats, even if just those for youngsters or parents with kids.
In any other business if your product isn’t selling you generally would reduce the price or incentivise with BOGOFs or the like until the market / customer starts buying again.
One of the worst things about football is the mantra that “Football isn’t like any other business” (usually trotted out by the likes of BFDJ or Keevins who know nothing about any business , including football.)
It isn’t – it’s the same.
If people aren’t buying it it’s overpriced or badly marketed or both.
Is shootin fae distance allowed?
PCS @17:20
I agree, and am not suggesting a change right now. Just becoming concerned that the players dont seem to be taking on board what RD is obviously telling them.
PetetheBeat
I have noticed that myself. I often watch our new strikers … when they come, they make a run, but no pass comes through… they do it again, throw their hands up in despair… and eventually, they stop making the runs.
great strike their by celtic. more of that please.
mungolying boy
Sadly, they wouldn’t be free :-)
O’Çonnell looked lost there.
Great goal !!!
: Celtic have approached United for permission to speak to Gary MacKay Steven
: According to jake the snake
Jim Spence @bbcjimspence 2 mins2 minutes ago
Celtic have approached @dundeeunitedfc to speak to Gary Mackay Steven about a pre contract agreement.
——-
Bags of talent, not very consistent. Mibbes the RD fitness regime can take him to the next level.
People no doubt rather have Armstrong, but GMS on a Bosman is low risk.
Private Eye story makes sense, TGEF still owns Ibrox, hasn’t called in the debt yet as being the biggest Creditor means he controls the next insolvency event (and can do it all over again). He can call in the debt whenever anyone else increases their own debt to a level where it might threaten his top creditor rating and force an insolvency so he’s bulletproof. That’s why his patsies on the board want to ensure the loans from Ashley (and anyone else) were secured against assets. The problem is there’s now no more assets. If any ‘real’ Sevco men want to keep the club from an insolvency they’ll have to loan the club money secured against either player sales (won’t get more than a months money that way) or the old Ticketus trick of securing loans against future season ticket sales, thereby utterly crippling any future. Unless someone comes up with a £100 Million/crazy full buy out its Third Rangers-and very soon.
O Connel put into trouble by his keeper, got away with it
That’s 4-2 to those who say he’s got a ‘p’ in his name.
Hail hail
Estadio
Kittoch
You don’t rate Zaluska as blaming him for first goal showed
I was surprised when you never moaned because he didn’t save the pen. O))
Scepovic unlucky after some brilliant footwork from Bitton.
Syd
Good one lol
I have seen young O’Connell in a few of these games. I have to say that I’ve still to be impressed.
Livibhoy, do you think it would have a positive effect if season tickets didn’t guarantee an individual seat, but rather just entry? You could sit where you wanted with your friends if early enough, supporters buses could sit together if they wanted. People who wanted to sing would gravitate towards the singing areas- no need for official ‘singing sections’.
Was the point of Pauls article that those of us who criticise Ronny shouldn’t do so because he may turn out to be as good as Gordon Strachan,he could be a genius so far ahead of his time that us mere mortals cant see it.
Ah ,now where did I hear that before
Oh back in my childhood I think it was
Yes yes its coming back to me now
The story about the king having no clothes
By The way Gordon Strachan was a good manager, I liked him
BT
LOL, the first one came from a fair distance, he was dreaming again, should have done better, I think if Graig Gordon was in goal we would be 2-1 up.
Always thought Zaluska would come good, but he has been too long on our bench, and unfortunately happy to be there, He’s lost any hunger he ever had, needs a move I think.
Actually, contrary to Kittoch, I think our goalie has played quite well. He has had little chance with any of their goals and the defence hasn’t exactly been outstanding.
DU wanting 450k for GMS now,they are having a laugh…….
Cool more
Great idea
Izzy’s coming on
IZzy on at RB
Parkheadcumsalford
It’s all about opinion my fellow Celt, I’m trying to remember anything he has done today apart from pick the ball out of the net three times.
In saying that, I bet your quite pleased Gordon will be back in the sticks for the upcoming important ties ahead.
Bada -why not a player swap? by god we have enough!:) Hh
paulmcstaysshorts
17:33 on 13 January, 2015
Who’s TGEF ?
Bada Bing
Sheffield Utd offered £80k yesterday for GMS !!!
Frantic
You will beat this big man. Would love to meet up with you again soon.
KTF
What a boost to receive an e mail from the Legend Willie Wallace.
YNWA
What a stramash!
RD completes the set I think with Izzy at RB and Efe at LB just to prove the games have got nothing to do with football.
JM Good shout,we have young guys on the books,who won’t get near a jersey,Twardzig {sp} for example
LiviBhoy and tlwio
“I’ve never understood why clubs don’t lower their prices to get bums on seats, even if just those for youngsters or parents with kids.”
It has been tried by John Boyle at Motherwell. Their income fell.
That’s not to say its not a good idea. We had to lower our prices to persuade the current diehards to keep attending as so many of ours deserted us because of a lack of a Rangers match to keep them interested. But it usually means less income and lower wages and transfer fees available to attract better players.
Lowering prices is a good idea in itself but it is not a solution to bringing the crowds back- that is too simplistic.
We need a livelier game- talked up a bit more instead of the dominant narrative that “its rubbish without the Rangers games”
Frantic
Good to see you on and fighting as hard as those who know you expected
Keep the faith
We actually do have summer football-its called the CL quailfiers!