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Ulster medical testing lab cannot whitewash this one

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By on CQN BLOG & Comments

Brendan Rodgers resigned in February 2019, a day before a crucial league game at Tynecastle and four days before a Scottish Cup quarterfinal at Easter Road.  Celtic had around 24 hours’ notice that he could be moving, that was crucial in planning how to cope with two visits to Edinburgh that could have seen us out of a cup for the first time in almost three years and facing a crisis in the league.

I know there are a lot of raw memories from last season, but Neil Lennon stepped up big time then, and in the months that followed Rodgers’ departure, taking the next available five domestic trophies.

Neil wanted the job permanently, Celtic only wanted him on an interim basis, so they agreed that he would take the job until the end of the season on condition he was considered for the permanent role.

I spoke to ‘sources close to Celtic’ when those events were unfolding.  It is fair to say that in late February 2019, few at Celtic expected Neil Lennon to get the gig come the end of the season.  Having appointed footballing and commercial success in Rodgers, they hoped to be able to snag an equally qualified candidate.

What became evident over the three months that followed, is that Rodgers was an exception to the rule – he came because he was an actual Celtic fan, he moved on because he was also a football man, and that’s what 99% of the games’ heroes do, folks.  There would be no box office manager this time.

Appetite for another over-achieving young European, like Ronny, was low.  The spectre of the most intense person to walk the earth (from Cork) lurked, as ever.  There were candidates who took small English clubs for a brief moment into the sun that is the Premier League, but none had managed a club of our size, with our challenges and expectation to win.

Unlike the deliberations in 2016, when Rodgers was appointed, no one felt hopeful at the direction of travel the recruitment process was going.  No one at Celtic would ever say, “We ended up with Neil”, but it’s how I viewed it.

Despite how Eddie Howe is viewed in the rear view mirror, 99% of us were delighted at the prospect of him taking over in the summer, I wrote, “the best English manager in the game” at the time.  When we return to the market after Howe’s rejection, it was roulette time.  There was no indication Ange Postecoglou would be more successful than Ronny Deila or Neil Lennon, but as in February 2019, a second ‘Rodgers-type’ appointment was not going to happen.

Five months in, I cannot believe how well Ange has done.  We are on a path I have faith in, recruiting talented players who excite and are within our budget.  The crucial difference between Ange and Pedro Caixinha, who before coming to Glasgow took his club to the CONCACAF Champions League Final, is hard to spot.

They were both roulette wheel appointments, sometimes the ball lands on your number, more often it doesn’t.  On the positive side, you get to spin the wheel, maybe there’s a Pep 2008 waiting for you, but that transition from Rodgers to Lennon, seven consecutive trophies to five consecutive trophies, was one for the ages.  Replacing an entire management team midseason is a business interruption even an Ulster medical testing lab cannot whitewash.

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  1. Jinkyredstar on

    Patterson played well tonight – he also learned a couple of things-

     

     

    A tackle which would not even be considered a foul when playing for Rankers = a booking in real life

     

     

    Playing volleyball results in conceding a Penalty anywhere apart from the obvious exclusions made for his current mob by the Lanarkshire Referees Association

  2. Jinkyredstar on

    BTW – convenient booking – he gets a wee rest before Hibs

     

    What odds Tony Ralston called up?

  7. petec on

    Tontine Tim on 12th November 2021 5:41 pm

     

     

    Enjoy ppb, I’m now 10 year retired on Halloween, I recall when younger on hearing an oul yin retiring, younger than I am now lol, that if you can survive your first year then you’ll be ok, didnae understand that at the time I do now.

     

     

    I got off the 85 bus at Bellsmyre roundabout and started walking up a hill tae a brand new housing scheme called Glenside.

     

     

    A voice behind me said “first day son”, it was my neighbour who was a heavy machine operator, “aye Mr xxxxx”, oh well he replied you’ve only 50 year tae go.

     

     

    He wisnae far wrong as it was 48 years. However, after all that time between work and college I found it really hard tae change pace.

     

     

    The first year was a nightmare, there are only so many books you can read, Law and Order/ CSI you can watch, that is until I found something else tae do, coaching minor soccer and volunteering to help the less fortunate.

     

     

    Now I’m loving it, still work during elections, censuses etc but that’s just gravy now.

     

     

    After the euphoria is over don’t sit around, make yersell useful, you’ve still got plenty of years left tae live.

     

     

    >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

     

     

    First & foremost, have a Great and Wonderful retirement PrestonpansBhoy.

     

     

    I was up on a scaffold messing about with a sign and couldnae believe my eyes when an OAP hit the car once and then proceeded to dae the same mistake again, I think it was Safeway @ the Time.

     

     

     

     

    Tontine Tim, Glenside is Totally changed and Changing, as Dad is Bonkers currently, I took him up to see Bellsmyre again about 6 weeks ago.

     

     

    Total change.

     

     

     

    I loved being in Bellsmyre, I had to walk a half mile every morning when we moved to stay in wee St Peters.

  10. IniquitousIV on

    Just as well Scotland won today. If the Israelis hold on, we would have needed to beat Denmark to qualify for play off spot.

  11. petec on

    ANGE being backed in January will mean we Skoosh the League – I have no Faith in this Celtic Board.

     

     

    2 players of Quality.

     

     

    The MSM are Dastardly, the SMSM take it to another Level – Masonic Scum.

     

     

    DD and his Jetski possee.

  12. celtic40me on

    INIQUITOUSIV on 12TH NOVEMBER 2021 8:28 PM

     

     

    I can lip read a bit of Hebrew, there was definitely something about thanks, YouTube and celticquicknews in his celebration

  15. IniquitousIV on

    Portugal, Serbia, Sweden, Italy, Switzerland, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Wales, Norway, Russia, Croatia, Poland and North Macedonia all possible opponents as it stands. No gimmes there.

  16. joe ordinary on

    JINKYREDSTAR on 12TH NOVEMBER 2021 8:15 PM

     

    BTW – convenient booking – he gets a wee rest before Hibs

     

    What odds Tony Ralston called up?

     

    •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

     

    Ralston is the only die hard Tim in Celtic’s team.

     

    Trophies will define his career not “grudged” caps.

     

    Celtic players should refuse to represent a Celtic hating establishment, especially if the government of that establishment nakedly detests everything about our club, and nakedly and maliciously covers up the Ibrox EBT corruption scandal that saw Celtic fans cheated out of 20+ trophies, and government takes Celtic fans for fools by prosecuting squirrels, and making these cheated fans pay for that EBT corruption, through sleekit tax increases which has resulted in Glasgow having more rats than people, etc etc, compounded by the inexplicable stupidity levels of our clubs supporters who help to construct such a backward thinking basket case, by lazily and narrow mindedly with a me me me attitude before voting for this sewer full of stinking rats prowling the Glasgow streets in gangs.

     

    Celtic fans who are continually outplayed by sleekit cliques inside Parkhead, and sleekit cults that they vote for should have their season tickets put under review as all these dafty voters are doing is destroying Scotland, and financially fueling OF hatred.

     

    Its a schools issue.

     

    Who votes for the serial wreckers of schools?

     

    hh ✌

  22. A fiver for your thoughts on

    JHB @6.07 pm

     

     

    I have said before that when Gerrard arrived on the scene, Brendan would have told his people “find me a way out”. There was no way he was putting his reputation & CV on the line in a two-horse race in Scotland against a rookie whom he had recently coached – it was essential to negotiate a move as a current winner, and leave as a guaranteed winner mid-season – the title was not wrapped-up.

     

     

    ———-

     

     

    So your suggesting NR done a runner because he was terrified of the upcoming challenge from Gerrard?

     

     

    Your having a laugh

     

     

    But for sure Gerrard done a runner as soon as he knew Ragers were downsizing in January

     

     

    Two entirely different scenarios

  30. Hot Smoked on

    “If Steven Gerrard had a pound for every trophy he’d won at Glasgow Rangers, he’d be able to buy Glasgow Rangers”

  31. Melbourne Mick on

    Prestonpans Bhoy

     

     

    Enjoy your retirement, find a pastime you enjoy.

     

    Just like Tontine I coach kids footy as you probably know from

     

    my posts and it’s very gratifying, nothing better than showing

     

    the young wannabes you can play keepy upper better than them 😁

     

    Off to feed my green parrots 🦜

     

    H H Mick

  32. petec on

    Aidan is going with his Pal against the Saints. I Hope it is the most Amazing Celtic Performance and I regret not going – No Chance.

     

     

    This Madness has to end…… the Societal Engineers will determine so much unless people say enough is enough, I fear it is too late in this cycle of events.

  33. fanadpatriot on

    So disappointed to see the union flag flying above Cork City Hall today ,

     

    The dead republicans from this great county must be turning in their graves today .TAL

  35. JHB on

    A FIVER FOR YOUR THOUGHTS @ 9:00

     

    ——

     

    The inference that I am drawing is that if you are serious about your reputation, your future and your managerial CV, and want to move ‘up the ladder’, then if you come to (two-horse)Scotland, you better make sure that you leave as a success. If there is the slightest possibility that you could be ‘pipped’, then you get out while the going is good.

     

     

    Brendan ensured that, so yes I believe the Gerrard appointment hastened his departure. Gerrard has also ensured it with the financial situation at Ibrox, a drop in performance this season and a perceived stronger Celtic challenge, combining as the trigger.

     

     

    The timing of the vacancies at Leicester & Villa respectively were either very fortuitous, or, perhaps engineered by the representatives of messrs Rodgers & Gerrard promoting their successful(to date) clients’ wishes.

  42. celtic40me on

    INIQUITOUSIV on 12TH NOVEMBER 2021 8:37 PM

     

    CELTIC40ME

     

     

    No wee swearies, I hope?😊

     

     

     

    “Ya something beauty”. Couldn’t quite make it all out

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