Celtic’s world has changed greatly since that moment during the first half at Ibrox on 2 January, with the team well on top, the commentator mentioned they were off to Dubai after the game. Celtic’s dominance did not produce a goal and the game was lost. In the days that followed, a second lockdown was announced, Dubai’s status in the Green Corridor was rescinded, Christopher Jullien became infected and 13 players were forced to isolate. The dominoes continued to fall with Hibs added-time equalise, while we await the outcome against Livingston.
We knew Celtic were off to Dubai for weeks before the post-match flight. Personally, I did not bat an eyelid at the prospect. Very few of us did, remarkably so, considering the angst expressed post-defeat, post First Minister’s “I don’t know, but…” innuendo. After event-ism is often fertile.
I have always thought it is the manager’s job to ask for what is in the interests of the football department irrespective of wider consequence. Of course Neil wanted to go to Dubai, last season’s trip is seen as crucial to winning the title. Similarly, it is Peter Lawwell’s job to ensure that what the football department gets is only what is in the best interests of the club, and on occasion, wider society.
A public apology from Peter is a rare thing, so we can be sure where responsibility lies on this matter. He should have said “No”, but like so much of what has gone wrong recently, wider considerations were set aside in pursuit of the Holy Grail.
With Celtic playing well and the title still in their own hands, Peter was never going to stop the Talismanic Trip, not this season, anyway. Would I have said “No”? Would you? It is an easy question to answer on 14 January. Reality is, I am as confilcted by pursuit of the Holy Grail as much as anyone. I know I would cross lines that would normally be observed, so would we all. Maybe this would have been one, who knows?
Leadership involves making difficult calls and apologising when you miss them. This is not Peter’s first mistake and despite the political grandstanding it permitted, it is not remotely his most onerous. History may regard blind pursuit of the Holy Grail as more consequential.
287 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- »
PETERLATCHFORDSBELLY on 14TH JANUARY 2021 1:22 PM
Remember those halcyon days when P67 assured us no-one but Celtic would ever win the league again? I don’t recall the words holy and grail in those posts.
———–
Interesting PLB – thank you.
No. I don’t remember that at all.
Could you post a link to the above?
Cheers 🙂
Hail hail
Keep The Faith
Yeah, tell someone they cant go to work !
J…O
ADI,
You’ve lost me……if that was for me.
ERNIE LYNCH on 14TH JANUARY 2021 2:01 PM
AN TEARMANN on 14TH JANUARY 2021 1:38 PM
But in the real world, the world that people have to live in, for all their manifest problems, Labour were still the best option available. .
And thats why the bootboy right wing have ushered “socialism” out the way in england.
In Scotland its where?
Its not now the best option as people vote elsewhere.The voters sees thro the markering
HH
MCPHAIL BHOY on 14TH JANUARY 2021 3:11 PM
I see Moussa ‘el Hunskelper’ has signed for Athletico! They’ll be raging about that description in the SMSM! Any ideas on sell on clause?
******
On loan till end of season. A Simeone type of player for sure.
How does no covid help us defend set pieces, how do the fans help us defend set pieces.
We finished bottom of our EL group utterly embarrassed so fans would have changed nothing.
We lost at home to bottom of the league Ross County who had went months without a win beat us comfortably then couldn’t win after. Our stadium that day would have been a quarter full anyway.
We are a massive 21 points behind having played 3 games less in the league.
Please tell me which competition or difference fans make that would have made up for our coaching deficiencies.
If you need delusional excuses to apportion blame in another direction than the real ones , it’s pretty sad imo.
Sid i’m not sure you understand our support- have you ever been to a Celtic match? 🤣😂🤣😂
Martim1980
Fans being in the stadium would make no difference to the MIB – hasn’t stopped them bare faced cheating in the past.
MARTIM1980
So if the fans had been there, we would have beaten Ferencvaros, Sparta Prague, St Johnstone etc.
What a load of guff.
BSR
Big Jimmy
Thank you for your kind wishes.
I’m know I’m v v fortunate compared to most.
HH jg
Martim 1980
You should have stopped your post at “I’m not sure ” would have been your best post of the day. 🙂
MCPHAIL BHOY on 14TH JANUARY 2021 3:11 PM
I read somewhere Moussa had been signed on loan with an option to buy . I understand we are due 10% of whatever fee that is but we obviously wouldn’t get it until the loan period ends .
BIG JIMMY on 14TH JANUARY 2021 3:03 PM
If your application had your name, postcode, DOB etc, I’m sure from that they can access your medical records to determine eligibility,
Ernie,
Who would you think will take over from Richard Leonard?
HH.
😉 my original post said one of the factors. And, admittedly the influence is unmeasurable but that’s either way. Sure we can all say the the refereeing has been excellent this season and the mibs appear very comfortable in these empty stadiums……
My point of view doesn’t suit the repeated points and, therefore, i must be discredited. I get it 😉🍀
Martim 90
My point was that we have been absolutely miles away in each competition that renders the fans excuse nonsense.
If it had been close you may have used that excuse, certainly wouldn’t have been as embarrassing.
The Real McCoy’s must have a couple of decent players with their own strips.
Celtic topped a European Group for the first and only time in their history with Neil Lennon at the helm.
1. Celtic
2. Cluj
3. Lazio
4. Rennes
We did it with a game to spare, and with Fraser Forster being the only significant missing player this season, we then became the lowest finishing Pot One side in any group, ever?
Where did it all go wrong CSC
DAVID 66
What a sad time for you and your family. God Bless you all and may your departed family be in heaven together and happy.
BORGO67
The sad loss of your brother may be made easier with the stories and tributes across the social media world. God Bless him and your family.
KEEP THE FAITH
Every day the board choose to do nothing is one day fewer the new management team have to make an impact.
Meanwhile, prominent blogs talk tactics around the best number 10 and travel related hindsight.
We need to open our collective eyes and appreciate how much of a regression we’ve been in for 18 months.
No more delays. No more excuses
KPIs for the season are bust so i wonder what the minimum for the rest of the season is
Possibly
1. Beat huns at home
2. make the Scottish Cup final
3. comfortable second place
Mine are a little less strenuous
1. one game where we hump a team and clean sheet. One where you go ‘wowee that was great’. There has been not one game so far inc pre season
2. Barkas to have one game where he saves our skins with 1 or 2 great stops. Ross County away has been cited here but i thought they were routine saves
AT @ 3.50
Often asked question — what are your politics?
What party / parties have you voted for and what party would you vote for now?
What are your thoughts on economics and industrial policy?
What do you believe in / what would you like to see happen?
From what I can see on here — you have a lot to say about other peoples politics / ideas.
However you have very little to say about your own.
Consequently the floor is yours — what are your politics?
What do you believe in and how would you want to see it implemented?
BSR
Probably against Copenhagen
SId
the intimidating nature of a full Celtic park would have made a difference, i dont hae any doubts about that . The majority of those players are winners who have regular enjoyed adulation by the Celtic support. Eduoard being a perfect example of a big time player who thrives in that kind of atmosphere
I actually think this has helped the huns who have crumbled under the pressures of expectations in the past , they don’t need to deal with the pressures of playing to a packed stadium,
BSR @ 4.25
We have a very good squad which has been hit by injuries and unforseen events.
Last season they still had muscle memory of a coaching ethos that worked for them.
This season they have have had no leadership / no luck / no coaching.
We have a very good team in the making.
We even have some talent coming through the ranks.
However we are rudderless / leaderless / clueless and some have chucked it.
Young JF = Huge talent but no support.
KA = Huge talent / the new DH of 70’s folklore — that good.
CJ = Very good footballer but needs support to calm him down and keep him focussed.
DL = Quality player being lost to the malaise around him.
SW = Looks like he has a bit of quality / needs support and coaching.
JH = How can we cope if he makes a career of it elsewhere?
GT = There is a player in there somewhere.
SD = Looks lost / out of his depth / no support.
IS = Shows a lot of promise.
DT = Looks like he could be a good player in a great team / he has that much potential.
RC = Huge talent that has stopped playing for the team — take the money.
CMcG = 45 good minutes over half a season — there will be no money to take.
SB = Enjoy your retirement.
NB = Repeat after me / Emergency CB only.
ON = Huge talent wasted at the moment / if it flowers elsewhere you have to ask why?
TR = Something badly wrong somewhere / boot up the erse.
Old JF = Take your time.
MJ = Keep the faith.
ME = More good games required / you are on loan for a reason.
OE = Needs support / the talent is strong with this one / Believe.
AA = We need a penalty box striker / he has it but we don’t see it.
PK = Raw as sushi
LG = Cut the crap and get your head down.
Too many players have lost the desire.
NL is not leading this squad towards what they are capable off.
Notthebus
Absolute nonsense, would it have helped us defend set pieces better?
I could turn that around, it should have made it easier at San Siro, Lille, Sparta, Ibrox.
It’s what happens on the park that counts for the vast majority.
Glen D- €1.5 million loan fee,€35 million agreed if successful loan.
BOURNESOUPRECIPE on 14TH JANUARY 2021 4:25 PM
That really is a headscratcher . Possibly some of the players who were happy to be here last season are not quite so happy to be here this season . For example , it’s difficult to imagine this season’s Olivier Ntcham doing what he did in the last minute in Rome last season . Or Fraser Forster showing Ralph Hassenhuttl (sp) what he might be missing . Might be one factor but doesn’t quite explain the cataclysmic disintegration.
Fortress Celtic Park is but a distant memory, put to bed by a whole pile of modest european teams like Copenhagen, Sparta, Ferencvaros and Cluj and the latest manifestation of der hun.
HH
Cricket Quick News enjoying Tea.🏏
!!BADA BING!!
Thanks . So , around £3.5 M sell on fee?
GlenDalysTonsils – no. The sell-on fee is usually a percentage of the profit. So closer to €1.5m unfortunately.
Glen D- we will only squander it on yet another left back…..😵
SETTING FREE THE BEARS FOR RES. 12 & OSCAR KNOX on 14TH JANUARY 2021 3:22 PM
Is that the best you can do?
After reports of the new strain I said on another site that it was a crazy thing to consider.
So f@@@ you, board apologist.
GENE
I see what you did there
Glen
I’m still working through MM’s abbreviations
!!BADA BING!! on 14TH JANUARY 2021 5:19 PM
Glen D- we will only squander it on yet another left back
…….who will then go out on loan until we sell him for half what we paid . In the meantime we can put one of our surplus of midfielders to left back .
Big Jimmy – Do not be surprised you can download a medical exemption card on line without presenting any medical evidence. I have contacted my HR about this as myself and supervisors have to talk to staff and some present these medical cards downloaded from the internet yet we have to wear masks and I’m not comfortable doing this, HR say but you cannot really ask for the medical advice to back up the card we have to trust people….Mmm I sacked a guy for falseifying a test result the feckwit.
Point being some people we do know that they have medical issues but where is the safety for me or other staff members. I have asked if these guys (non mask wearing staff) have a Government shielding letter but only a few have and are now at home safe.
On top of all that you can go online to the Government website and fill in your own Employers Self Isolation note, we have stopped asking for these now.
A long post sorry guys.
D :)