When looking for a new manager, Celtic usually try to fix the biggest shortcoming the previous guy had. In May 2019, Neil Lennon’s biggest asset was his “eye for a player”. There were other attributes. he twice got Celtic into the Champions League group stage where he delivered some of the most memorable nights in our European history, but Celtic’s decline started with his predecessor’s inability to sign quality players after the arrival of Scott Sinclair.
When it fall apart last season, Neil seemed unable to imagine how to organise a squad that was performing significantly below the sum of its individual parts. Apparently simple tasks, like how to organise at defensive set pieces. The answer to that particular question was Eddie Howe.
Howe took a team of lowly £17m misfits and marshalled them into a very solid unit. He also had other attributes, but that ability to defend a corner kick was very convincing.
I spoke to Peter Lawwell soon after Brendan Rodgers left and again after Neil Lennon’s departure. Neither Neil nor Eddie fitted the bill he was initially looking at. On this occasion, Ange Postecoglou fits perfectly. Technically proficient, capable of withstanding the intensity of our game, with an ability to make us a far better team three years out than we were when he took over.
It’s that last attribute we recruited yesterday. Neil and Brendan both left teams that were poorer than two years previous. We hired a builder.
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I thought for a while the Austrians had a mountain to climb
RTB
To be fair I don’t remember anyone wanting to keep Hendry
I thought Duffy was going to be a good loanee
Ian Wright needs to engage brain before mouth
Gene on 13th June 2021 6:56 pm
RTB
To be fair I don’t remember anyone wanting to keep Hendry
I thought Duffy was going to be a good loanee
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Sadly, you are spot on.
HH
GENE on 13TH JUNE 2021 6:56 PM
he was written off almost instantaneously by the supporters,
you just hope that we have someone at Celtic Park who can spot potential and not be so quick to condemn,
Well done to the UK.
ErnietheegoandJHBunionjackontheroad CSC
RTB
Someone did that’s why we signed him – it was right to send him out on loan – it seems the purchase option turned out to be poor decision but that’s only with hindsight
GENE on 13TH JUNE 2021 6:54 PM
I thought for a while the Austrians had a mountain to climb
————————————-
VG 😂😂😂 👍
HOT SMOKED on 13TH JUNE 2021 6:49 PM
Shouldn’t stop folk posting though. Being familiar with or having experience of the circumstances of JKs situation doesn’t mean you can excuse the absolute shitshow of his tenure.
ITV
Austria v N Macedonia – first let’s talk about England
Netherlands v Ukraine – first let’s talk about England
GENE on 13TH JUNE 2021 7:04 PM
Sorry Gene not buying it mate, indefensible brainless decisions made all season long,
Jack Hendry they took a punt on him and then very quickly – when the defence was all over the place -decided to ship him out on loan with an option to sell,
OK, I’ll give you Jack Hendry – but most of the key decisions made this season were brainless,
in any other business whoever made them would be sacked for gross incompetence.
Warning – non football post.
Please note that the following is not for the main stream reader. I advise only those interested in Ireland to judge its content.
Partition 1921: Portillo condemns ‘shocking’ role of Tory chief in new documentary
Policy in creating partition was intended to placate unionism, finds ex-British minister
One hundred years ago there was no US president willing to give a demarche (diplomatic warning) to the then British prime minister over policies on Ulster.
President Joe Biden’s public dressing down of current British prime minister Boris Johnson over his attitude to the Northern Ireland protocol has no precedent in US-UK relations.
A century ago, then US president Woodrow Wilson was against Irish nationalism, and his successor Warren Harding refused to interfere in what he regarded as the internal affairs of America’s war-time ally.
In 1921, Ireland was partitioned. According to former Tory secretary of state for defence Michael Portillo, much of the blame for this should be pinned on two Conservative party leaders – Lord Randolph Churchill, father of Winston, and Andrew Bonar Law, the Canadian-born son of an Ulster preacher.
It was Churchill’s exhortation that “Ulster will fight, and Ulster will be right” that first stiffened the resolve of unionists to fight against Home Rule in 1886.
His support for Ulster unionism was not based upon conviction, Mr Portillo believes, but on the belief that the “orange card is the one to play” in domestic British policies.
However, it was the behaviour of the Conservative leader Mr Bonar Law which Mr Portillo states was the most egregious when it came to Irish affairs.
Documentary series.
Partition 1921 is the third in a series of documentaries Mr Portillo has made about the decade of Irish centenaries, along with 1916 Rising: The Enemy Files, and Hawks and Doves, about the War of Independence.
The latest documentary, which focuses on how partition came about, is particularly scathing regarding the behaviour of Mr Bonar Law, who was Conservative party leader between 1911 and 1921, and prime minister for just seven months, between October 1922 and May 1923, when he resigned on the grounds of ill-health.
Mr Portillo said Mr Bonar Law’s conduct in stating there was “no length of resistance to which Ulster will go, in which I shall not be ready to support them” in 1912, was “shocking from the leader of his majesty’s loyal opposition. He is contributing to armed rebellion.”
Seen from the point of view of the Conservative party then, the Liberal Democrats, propped up by the Irish Parliamentary Party, were a “band of rascals besotted with remaining in office”.
Mr Portillo compares 19th-century British prime minister William Ewart Gladstone’s conviction that home rule was right for Ireland with that of Herbert Asquith (prime minister from 1908 to 1916) and his government, who were only implementing home rule to stay in office. “The historians who contributed to the programmes tended to think not just that the Conservatives were supporting what the UVF were doing; the UVF would not have developed in the way that it did without unionist support.
“It wasn’t just about Ireland. It was about the British empire. If Ireland moves towards independence, how do you defend the frontier against India slipping towards independence?”
The Curragh crisis of March 1914 (also known as the Curragh mutiny) in which dozens of Anglo-Irish officers preferred to resign their commissions rather than operate against Ulster showed the British army could not be “replied upon to do the government’s bidding”, the former British defence secretary concludes.
‘Parliament has spoken’. This was a major constitutional crisis for Britain, he continues. “Parliament has spoken. Parliament has legislated for home rule and home rule is on its say.”
Mr Bonar Law’s calculations though were correct, Mr Portillo explains. “Bonar Law was absolutely confident … that the nerve of the government would crumble before their [the unionists’] nerve would crumble.”
The Home Rule Act was shelved in September 1914 and never implemented. It was replaced by the Government of Ireland Act (1920), which partitioned Ireland.
Among those who Mr Portillo interviewed for the documentary were former taoiseach Bertie Ahern, Jonathan Powell – one-time adviser to former British prime minister Tony Blair – and former Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams, who states in the documentary that the issue of partition was as live now as it was 100 years ago. Mr Adams points out that the Government of Ireland Act was only repealed by the Belfast Agreement in 1998.
Mr Powell said he hoped the Belfast Agreement would make Northern Ireland politics boring and about bread and butter issues, but that Brexit had made it about identity again. The documentary ends on a pessimistic note. Mr Portillo says British government policy in creating partition was intended to placate unionism.
“The Border is no longer permanent but contingent on referendums on either side of the divide,” he states.
“It is hoped that after so much bloodshed, the question of removing the Border is approached with more wisdom and sensitivity than at its creation.”
Partition 1921 is to be broadcast on RTÉ One at 9.30pm on Monday, June 14th.
Keepthe unionjackflighinghigh
May they never know the fears
That blighted my young years
Nor the shackles that have bound my native land
That they see the joys of life
And not cruel civil strife
Nor the laws imposed by a brutal stranger’s hands
Let them grow in love and truth
Let them blossom into youth
Guided by their mother’s loving hand
May they cherish Ireland’s pride
For this Joe McDonnell died
Let them know their father loved them and his land
GorbalsTam @ 6.25
“Obviously only you can understand the intricacies of temporary management but it seems to me that he was a total failure. Failed to rectify the defensive weaknesses culminating in an embarrassing capitulation to the huns he had a chance to make his mark and ploughed on with the same tactical approach as his predecessor. I’m only a supporter though and don’t have your specialist knowledge.”
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Nice attempt at drawing a conclusion from a misread.
My coaching abilities, such as they were, do not earn me any more right to comment on the football. I made that clear. I have always made that cllear. I am one of the posters on here who consistantly refutes the idea that we, as punters, could do better than the experienced pros.
The only conclusions I drew from my coaching experience were
1) You cannot hold an asst. Coach responsible for the failings of the main coach
& 2) Our Asst. Coach had too short a period in charge at the fag end of the season in order to base any evaluation on him.
I made one further observation and I stand by it. If you could not see John Kennedy’s team trying to do somethings differently than Neil Lennon’s team did, I mistrust your powers of observation.
SS-you don’t get it🤔
RTB
I was only commenting on Hendry – certainly not defending the Neil Lennon shambles of a season.
2. He had too short a period. Says who? You are telling us that this was too short a period? Mind and let us know when the experts decide in what time period we can decide that there is no discernable positive change in how we play football. 4-1 and a disgraceful performance.
GENE on 13TH JUNE 2021 7:31 PM
Fair enough mate, here’s another,
Brendan Rodgers (if you believe him) was given a take it or leave it option for the Leicester job- thats how it normally gets done.
Eddie Howe – “I’m not sure, I’ll let you know at the end of the season”
Us – OK – fair enough Eddie – whenever you are ready…
brainless,
It’s heating up😉
Scullybhoy.
Good post.
The demographic time bomb is ticking for them.
RTB
We showed EH too much respect – but I feel he should have sounded out his backroom staff and ensured they were coming.
3 Lions by Baddeil ,Skinner and the Lightning Seeds,is the best football song of all time, not included are YNWA, Sunshine on Leith etc…..
Discuss….I will check back in next year for replies….😁
BADA …..Vindaloo was better than 3 lions 😃👍
Bada
Vindaloo ☺️
Bada-pish😜
I have a dream 😉
Ally’s army
God – McCoist is co-commentator 😨
Sound off: McCoist commentating. Must be sick already at al those making the Sign of the Cross.
PCS
And with Clive tildsey a dream team 😱
Jeez, ally’ tell us where they live and we’ll get them ‘ McCoist
Open game
ENGLAND have so many commentators talking shit that the english don’t notice how bad” super salary” is.
Ally will be delighted, one team in blue and one team in orange.
Gorbalstam
I would say conflicted 🤭
GENE on 13TH JUNE 2021 8:13 PM
😂
!!BADA BING!! on 13TH JUNE 2021 7:45 PM
If you weren’t so big I’d kick your nuts :O)
Gorbals Tam
“2. He had too short a period. Says who?”
——————————
erm, I think it was me.
You seem happy to put me in the expert box, which is nice but unjustified
Would it not mean then that you are placing yourself in the inexpert box.
P.S. The 4: 1 result was dreadful as was Larsson losing the game at Hibs and Jock Stein losing 4 of his first 8 games to Thistle, Hibs, Falkirk and Dunfermline
ROCK TREE BHOY on 13TH JUNE 2021 7:35 PM
Eddie Howe – “I’m not sure, I’ll let you know at the end of the season”
Us – OK – fair enough Eddie – whenever you are ready…
——–
The Bournemouth backroom staff that EH wanted to bring with him were integral to the whole deal.
Bournemouth were involved in the play-offs and therefore no formal offer could be made until the these games were completed at the end of the season
We then had football related mayhem & arson in the Glasgow area.
The backroom staff said “no chance” and as the Celtic statement said, the deal was dead due to matters outwith the control of Celtic and Eddie Howe.
But don’t let the truth spoil a good rant!
SETTING FREE THE BEARS FOR RES. 12 & OSCAR KNOX
So your comment on your experience wasn’t meant to lend credence to your argument? It seemed to me that you were putting yourself in the expert box and I was trying to respect that. I’d place myself in the same expert box as the majority of Celtic supporters. Shouldn’t we be allowed an opinion because we’ve not reached your level of expertise? You’re comparison is a wee bit daft. You could compare his record to MONs or BRs. Should we have just stuck with Kennedy, if you consider his record to be comparable to jock’s?