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.
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TheOriginalSadiesBhoy
13:32 on
13 January, 2015
Summa of Sammi
Great post! Made my day.
..
Thank You
LEFTCLICKTIC
Nae chance. Not a single wrong answer did I give,and had I realised that Steelie and Neil were included in the question,I’d have got it 100%
Nae excuse for the Stevie Chalmers one though. I thought it was 225-cocked It up wi 255
He’s a very underrated legend,IMO. I’m glad the question was asked,so that the answer was available.
232 goals. That’s some going.
The Herald:
Walter Smith.. ” I should never have joined Charled (sic) Greens Ibrox board”
Has the Govan club been operating under an undisclosed director who was not approved as a fit and proper person? If so, I demand severe penalties.
TinyTim
13:32 on
13 January, 2015
And so we should give Ronnie Deila more time
I could argue that John Barnes was ahead of his time,misunderstood and a visionary .
Or he was just out of touch and wrong for the job.
One thing I would agree with .
Gordon Strachan is a better manager than Ronnie Deila.
Let’s hope that Ronnie Deila /John Collins don’t have an ICT /Barnes result .
TT
And you are making this decision on who is/was the best manager on what time frame?.
WGS first 6 months?.
You could have added”And lets hope RD and Co dont have a Morton/Lenny result”
Just more guff.The blog is full of it.
Version of an old, old joke…
Q.
You’re in a room with Hitler, Pol Pot and Lionel Messi’s tailor.
You have a gun but only two bullets.
Who do you shoot?
A.
Lionel Messi’s tailor.
Twice.
Just to be sure…
I’mHereAllWeekCSC
HRVATSKI JIM
Nae strangers to penalties,that lot.
One of my proudest moments supporting our team when Morten scored on his comeback from his near fatal illness against Alloa in a cup game.
When he is over for one of our games, he sits just along from us in the South Stand.
His goal in the 97/98 season against Dunfermline at Celtic Park in early 1998 was a cracker.
Both he and Marc Reiper were great for us that season.
I wish we had a centre half as good as Marc Reiper now.
leftclicktic
13:49 on
13 January, 2015
Celtic TV@CelticTV ·
4 pm K.O. today mind :)))
—————————————-
It all depends where you are for K.O. -))))
Leftclick….nice we mensh aboot sellic there cheers:).
H.H.
Geordie Munro
6 football fanatics in my work this morning talking about Ronaldo best player in the world. Bla, bla. bla. Asked if they watched the football last night. None of them did. 5 Jambo’s and a Hibee. They then went on to slate the standard of Scottish football and how they wouldn;t have watched that game if it was on outside the office. All 6 have season tickets at their clubs. They are Sky Sports News brain washed. They think Scottish football is garbage but have a season ticket for a lower league Scottish team.
They talk and talk about Ronaldo and Messi all day. They have never seen either in the flesh. They watch all Barca and Real Madrid games and most EPL matches and think La Liga is best in the world. They think EPL is most exciting. La Liga is a top heavy league with 5 or 6 good clubs. The rest are English Championship level. No danger would Ronaldo or Messi score 40-50 goals a season every year in the EPL. The EPL may have a better standard and less overall quality but it is way more competitive. They disagreed obviously.
I scratch my head at these fitba fans who moan about the lack of money on our TV deal and people constantly slating the game up here and then do so themselves.
It’s madness. Brainwashed by pundits, Sky and the SMSM.
LB
dallas dallas where the heck is dallas
13:48 on 13 January, 2015
—
Cheers .. thats unfortunate.
Was never my pub of choice when in glasgow but was an iconic pub.
Miss the pubs in glasgow and pre match build up
Season ’99-2000
P. . . . . . .L. . . . . . . GD. . . . . . . Points
Rangers 36. 2. +70. . . . . . .90
Celtic. 36. 9. +52 . . . . . . 69
Hi, Martin! Any chance of making this a bit less embarrassing?
Season 2000-01.
P. L. GD. Points
Celtic. 38. 3. +61 . . . . . . .97. (yeah, that’s right, 97!)
Rangers. 38. 8. +40 . . . . . 82.
While being cheated, of course.
More a miracle worker than a manager, really.
Eh?
Well, anyway, y’know what I mean!!
TURKEYBHOY
I remember the good old days when you first joined our motley crew of idiots,a wee joke,a wee tale of heroism and valour,a wee tale of your Celtic history.
Good days. We all have to establish our credentials.
Recently though,you seem to simply trash the opinions of anyone who you view as not toeing the party line,while not adding any positive thoughts or opinions on the way forward for Celtic.
So,positive thoughts? Party line?
Puerile pish?
Your call,old bean.
livibhoy
14:08 on 13 January, 2015
—
Eejits.
My facebook always full of ones (man utd fans) cheering when ronaldo scores or wins something and then the abu fans start arguing that messi is better.
All abit embaressing.
favourite uncle – Happy Birthday! (thumbsup)
the battered bunnet – I’ve never been burdened with an excess of humility.
It does sometimes get me into trouble, like when I decided I didn’t need to listen to the wife when she told me how to give the baby a bath, because how hard can it be?
How was I supposed to know he’d taken to standing up in the bath, and emulating the Manneken Pis, with disgustingly accurate aim?
But in general, it’s hard to be humble when you’re astonishingly brilliant. (thumbsup)
Hooking up the big TV for the CTV Game this evening, last time i done this the lekky went off !!!
fingerscrossedCSC.
Livibhoy,
Good job you are there to keep them right;)
I didn’t see the game either if I’m honest, but as I said all reports were good.
proudbhoy
Ah I know the guys you mean. These boys have about 8 teams in Europe and support them across the whole weekend.
Does my brains in. I support Celtic and nobody else. I like to se certain teams do well but I don;t support them or lose sleep over them. I wouldn;t even stay in to watch them.
LB
dallas dallas where the heck is dallas
14:06 on 13 January, 2015
One of my proudest moments supporting our team when Morten scored on his comeback from his near fatal illness against Alloa in a cup game.
When he is over for one of our games, he sits just along from us in the South Stand.
His goal in the 97/98 season against Dunfermline at Celtic Park in early 1998 was a cracker.
Both he and Marc Reiper were great for us that season.
I wish we had a centre half as good as Marc Reiper now.
——-
Ditto a thousand times over.
2 of my most highly ever esteemed Tims. Marc’s broken toe broke ma heart!
HH jamesgang
Proudbhoy, I was only in Bairds a few times, mostly before gigs at the Barras. It certainly had a lot of character and characters.
We preferred Heilan Jessie just up the Gallowgate from Bairds.
Bobby @1412
Sometimes the utter drivel wears you down neebs.
Geordie Munro
To be honest I am just a narky bassa. I wind them up daily and they know it. If they say one thing I condradict them. They continually tie themselves in knots with their own argument. I was just a bit miffed that the Hibee sided with the jambos this morning. He is usually in my corner. Noted! Next time he is being 5-1 slapped I will be quiet.
LB
weet weet weet(GBWO)
13:56 on
13 January, 2015
From the last article
Am I right in thinking that Danny Blanchflower refused to go on this is your life.
he said he got the fright of his life and ran away.
tinytim
13:48 on 13 January, 2015
I was thinking the very same thing at training last night. (Which was excellent on an excellent surface, imagine training on a grass or ash pitch after the weather of the last week, stuff of nightmares)
The new artificial pitches are excellent. Every fully time professional club should be using them in their stadiums as their pitch
I used to have some memorable nights in a bar called Norma Jeans when I was a regular at games in the early 80’s. (I think it was in the barra’s ? )
My visits to Scotland and Parkhead have been infrequent since then sadly.
Is Norma Jeans still on the go or has it gone the way of too many great pubs ??
Jeezo Livibhoy
Sounds like you work doon a stank mhate!
Bambos, plastic Tims fae the east (don’t say that to your mrs!) who watch SSN and big up sky bluster while all the while neglecting some great wee football played in their great wee nation.
Dude, move west to Delaney’s Fenian Republic!
The plastic pitches are still not as good as top class grass but so much better than eg motherwell’s mire of recent years. Brill for the kids too. Eg my wee Bhoy scores on the same hallowed alloa astro where stickies are usually put to the sword/astro blade.
Braw, I think is the word for it.
HH jamesgang
Beatbhoy @1409
And absolutely nothing to do with the return of the king of kings. No siree ;)
Jamesgang, thanks. Marc Reiper’s presence helped Stubbsy a hell of a lot also.
Marc having to chuck it because of a toe injury reminded me of us losing another good player for us, Steve Murray. Steve was a very underrated player for us before he had to finish around 1975.
The legned on sky sevco news the now. Time to change channel.
Who mentioned the Heilan Jessie -))))
And
Are you a hun?
Hearts fans unhappy that the ref for friday nights game at ibrokes has been changed to mr madden….powers that be making sure bobbys upto speed for the semi final….
jude2005 is Neil Lennon \o/
13:48 on
13 January, 2015
There was about 30 pubs on Bank st & Main St in Coatbridge years ago!!
I was told in the 70s that at one time it had the most pubs in The Main St than anywhere else in Britain.Cant remember the number I was given,but from a guy who did own a pub there and a life long Coatbridge man.
Any other Main St,I should add.
Favourite Uncle.
He also famously said, “The game is about Glory”.
Of which there is none when the game is rigged.
Unquestionably, Scottish football authorities have applied the brakes to any promotion or development of the local game.
The refusal to seek a sponsor and the negative message they emit, aided by the media, is, in my mind, part of the campaign to stop the bus until They catch up.
I also believe that the seemingly irrational refusal to sanction our safe standing area is another act in preventing us from enhancing our home games experience, to the mutual benefit of club and supporters.
BC or DC.
Cliftoncelt
I am sure Norma Jeans is now Bar 67,
just cant understand the whole MON was rubbish and WGS was a genius mince
its right up there with the WGS did it without spending any money mince
Geordie
Let’s just say they made a great team.
I’m sure Henke was delighted to be given partners up front of the quality of Sutton and Hartson!