I never really understood what was so special about Roy Keane as a player until he came to Celtic, where he opened my eyes for 11 games (his first two performances, against Clyde and Kilmarnock, were awful).
He’s right up there in terms of great footballers I’ve seen play for Celtic, but he’s difficult to feel affection for. Today’s comments are a case in point:
“When [Celtic] qualified [for the Champions League]the celebrations were way over the top.
“I thought they’d won the competition. People were hugging each other, the manager, the coaches, the players.”
And the fans, Roy, Celtic fans were celebrating every bit as much as anyone you watched on television. No one thought we’d won the competition, but we are all aware of the transformational impact group qualification has on our football club. That’s worth celebrating. Fans all did, even if some former players found it difficult.
Brendan Rodgers qualified for the group stage with what was largely the same squad which disintegrated in Europe last season. He became the first Celtic manager to reach this level in his first season.
This challenge, coming a few weeks into your time as manager, is viewed as hugely difficult objective by the club. New managers seldom takeover successful gigs, with an upward trajectory and a list of targets ready to sign up.
The significant achievement in Europe this season, which has largely gone below the radar, is beating last season’s Champions League group stage participants, Astana, 2-1 at Celtic Park, with 11 starters who were all at the club before Brendan took over (one Rodgers signing started the away leg).
By any measure, Astana should have considered their chances that night and concluded, “We were better than them last season, and they’ve not added a player to the team”. (Two of Brendan’s signing came on as second half subs).
Going into this season we turned-over around 10% of what one of Roy’s other former clubs, or Barcelona received. If we had around £450m extra to spend, every season, there would be less celebration at reaching the group stage, as it would no longer be transformational. Maybe we’d be like football fans in Manchester, and only fill half our stadium against a Bundesliga team.
Or maybe we’ve not lost the joy in supporting our team. Neither have the manager, coaches and players.
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MONTHEHOOOOOOOOOPS!!!¡!
AWE NAW is on the lookout for three tickets for the BM match at Celtic Park if anyone can help.
HH.
I just ignored Keane’s comments.
Here is my latest. About a trip to a very magical place! https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/2016/09/14/billy-wonka-and-the-mockolate-factory/
Davidopoulos on 15th September 2016 11:53 am
Just gonna roll this grenade in and back away…
Anyone got an opinion on Davie Hay’s comments about the Green Brigade today???
See ya….
________________________________
Yeah, I have; the Evening Times could’ve paid TD67 far less to get the same opinion.
The fact that he linked the doll display so tenuously to the GB was pretty shameful IMHO. The GB have never claimed to speak for the whole Celtic support and are very clear that they only speak for themselves. If people want to criticise they should do it from and vantage point of knowledge; he didn’t and it showed.
FAC the Act
KTF
We didn’t beat Astana 5-2. It was Hapoel.
vfr800a8 on 15th September 2016 12:09 pm
TD67, apologies for so shamelessly citing you in my criticism of Davie Hay; I suppose you can take some consolation in that I have compared you to one of the hardest and most talented midfielders ever to don the Hoops!
FAC the Act
KTF
Well said Paul67.
Dearie me. I’m on here couple hours ago moaning about Jim Whyte.
Out for lunch and tuned in to talksport.
Stan Petrov his guest. Superb stuff from Stan.
Nearly choked on my coffee though as Jim described Celtic as a fantastic / amazing club!!
My ghast is flabbered
This wasn’t supposed to happen.
I’ll need to have a think now. I’m confused……
PAUL67
Roy’s comments were fairly accurate but unfair in their delivery.
Worth remembering that his team-and it still is!-would love to be in the CL this season. As would BR’s former club.
And Arsenal celebrated fourth place annually like they had won the league.
The CL is the place to be. Only when you have been in it regularly can you build the quality to compete. And only when you are outside looking in do you make cheap jibes at one of the 32 contestants.
Good article.
Agree with Keane partly on the mindset point only in relation to Tuesday night, we were far too tentative in the Nou Camp.
Rough them up a bit and interrupt their thought process and rhythm. They had it all their own way 99% of the time.
Balls were breaking loose and we were think should we go in for it or should we just sit back and try and stop them some other way! And how many times can we be fooled by the one-two, they’re not that difficult to stop if you are watching a guy with the ball pass it and continue his run.
HH
VFR800A8 on 15TH SEPTEMBER 2016 12:12 PM
Davidopoulos on 15th September 2016 11:53 am
Just gonna roll this grenade in and back away…
Anyone got an opinion on Davie Hay’s comments about the Green Brigade today???
See ya….
________________________________
Yeah, I have; the Evening Times could’ve paid TD67 far less to get the same opinion.
The fact that he linked the doll display so tenuously to the GB was pretty shameful IMHO. The GB have never claimed to speak for the whole Celtic support and are very clear that they only speak for themselves. If people want to criticise they should do it from and vantage point of knowledge; he didn’t and it showed.
FAC the Act
KTF
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The vast majority of people who were made aware of the dolls thing would have made the same inference. The GB don’t represent all Celtic fans but in the eyes of most of the general public they do – perception being more important than reality. Whatever the GB do/say etc. will be seen as “Celtic fans” doing so. Like it or lump it, the “non-GB” Celtic fan is a hostage to fortune in this respect. Which is why many of them get annoyed I guess.
Yip, our club has a soul unlike the Man City’s of this world. They might rock up with their multi million pound squad and superstar Manager but they’ll never be a patch on Celtic.
I thought the dolls were in the opposite end from the GB?
Roy’s officially now one of the Prawn Sandwich Brigade.
Sneering down his nose at the joy CL qualification brought to a ‘little’ club like Celtic, whereas his half-billion spending Mancs take it for granted.
Or, at least they will, soon as the latest fix is in for the financial doping junkies.
THE GREEN MAN SAYS SACK THE BOARD on 15TH SEPTEMBER 2016 12:03 PM
From Previous:
You see the the beauty of a transparent company like Celtic PLC is that when you ask me waht PL’s total bonus has been for the last 10 years I can go and find out from the published accounts. To whit:
2006 – £67,528
2007 – £128,998
2008 – £257,950
2009 – £200,000
2010 – £152,288
2011 – £200,000
2012 – £399,000
2013 – £398,500
2014 – £400,500
2015 – £417,787
Total – £2,622,551
Now, I’m not going to argue the rights and wrongs of his remuneration package but I will say that I doubt that it made a huge impact on the quality of the squad.
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on 15th September 2016 12:20 pm
I thought the dolls were in the opposite end from the GB?
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Ssh.
Never place facts before hysteria. How on earth can we then conduct a proper witch hunt?
weeminger on 15th September 2016 12:21 pm
THE GREEN MAN SAYS SACK THE BOARD on 15TH SEPTEMBER 2016 12:03 PM
From Previous:
You see the the beauty of a transparent company like Celtic PLC is that when you ask me waht PL’s total bonus has been for the last 10 years I can go and find out from the published accounts. To whit:
================================
Ditto my response to BMCUW.
These damn facts are completely shafting a good internet greet.
Weeminger
Plus a £500k salary. In the last 2 years his coat to Celtic has been £2m plus.
Like you, not debating the merits or otherwise.
Bit of a cheap shot at City, Paul. The game was played the day after it was supposed to be. That would have had an effect.
Coat!! Cost !!!
Weeminger
I still disagree with your figures, but no matter.
Squandering millions on duds….PL and John Park, how much did they cost Celtic?
You see, this is the problem….nobody on the PLC likes to be questioned on their performance, or take responsibility for their obvious failings….usually when things are tough, they hide.
It wasnt me who decided that Derk ‘was a player’….it was some so-called professional at CP, it wasnt me that wasted millions on him.
That is only one player….there are loads more we could talk about.
Usually…in the real world, when you are not very good at your job and fail repeatedly….you dont get rewarded for it….you get sacked.
Lets agree to disagree:)
HH
“maybe we’ve not lost the joy in supporting our team. Neither have the manager, coaches and players.”
Tweeted last night watching the Man City game – the Man City struggling to retain it’s place in the football league played to bigger, boisterous, more energetic crowds than last night, Their soul has gone.
who gives a toss what roy keane or anybody else that isnt connected to celtic thinks about us not me anyway bunch of wankers
Repost from previous:
SNAKE – Great post, only surprise is that it needs to be said as some still don’t appear to get it.
THE GREEN MAN – Does Snake’s post not help you to understand that whatever you think of PL he’s not the main reason we struggle to invest? Whatever the suits take in bonuses won’t be any different to others who do the same job at other clubs, ie – the going rate. Do you really think him handing back a bonus of, say, £1M would help us compete with EPL clubs for players when they know at the start of the season they’ll ‘earn’ £100M even if they finish last? I agree that we’ve made a few mistakes in the transfer market in the past few years, but you have to look at the reality of the market we’re in before criticising. We need to qualify for the CL groups 3 years in a row to match the income Burnley or Middlesbrough will receive this season alone even if they’re relegated. Considering the CL is rigged in a way that makes qualification so difficult and hence far from a banker then I really don’t know what more you expect. So, yes, the scouting system needs to improve, but to blame PL and the board for taking wages they’re due seems to be barking up the wrong tree imo. Do you honestly think if they all move aside and a new board comes in with lower wage demands that we’ll suddenly be able to compete financially with more muscle? I think you’re dreaming mate – which, of course, you’re entitled to do!
HH
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on 15TH SEPTEMBER 2016 12:20 PM
I thought the dolls were in the opposite end from the GB?
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Makes the point re: perception vs reality…
And again:
ERNIE LYNCH – Due to change in circumstances I don’t have as much time to lurk as I did previously, however I notice that you’re still convinced we’re ‘downsizing’ the club at every opportunity. I would argue that what you’re misinterpreting is the ‘upsizing’ a lot of small teams (and big ones) are able to do due to crazy tv deals (EPL) and the manipulation of the qualifying system for the CL. Have the likes of Ajax, Anderlecht and Bucharest all been ‘downsizing’ in recent years, or are they suffering like us due to the pathetic way our game is being run from the top?
HH
NatKnow on 15th September 2016 12:19 pm
I don’t disagree, but as I said, if people want to criticise they should do it from and vantage point of knowledge.
Ignorance is a lame excuse IMHO (unless, of course, it’s my fault).
FAC the Act
KTF
kel fae cowden on 15th September 2016 12:32 pm
who gives a toss what roy keane or anybody else that isnt connected to celtic thinks about us not me anyway bunch of wankers
======================================
lol. Exactly.
Plenty of us still having a ball this season. L5-influenced miseries can bleat to the mirror.
The thing that gets me is that all the goals were Barca-type goals.
If they had stuck a 6ft6 centre forward and fired up long balls to him and scored three, then got another four on counter-attacks I could maybe accept that a bit easier.
EVERYTHING they did was predictable. They have been playing pretty much the same way for 25 years!
Had we not properly prepared for the game?
http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37372412
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on 15th September 2016 12:20 pm
I thought the dolls were in the opposite end from the GB?
____________________________________
It was. Don’t let the truth get in the way of a good story though!
FAC the Act
KTF
VFR800A8
Yeah, I have; the Evening Times could’ve paid TD67 far less to get the same opinion.
The fact that he linked the doll display so tenuously to the GB was pretty shameful IMHO. The GB have never claimed to speak for the whole Celtic support and are very clear that they only speak for themselves. If people want to criticise they should do it from and vantage point of knowledge; he didn’t and it showed.
FAC the Act
KTF
———————————————————————————–
Knowledge of the salient facts is not mandatory for Level 5 referees.
Whilst Barca are an amazing team, we cannot simply say that they could do that to anyone. The reality is that only a couple of seasons back we put in some very creditable performances at Camp Nou against a similarly amazing side. Our team then wasn’t of a vastly different standard.
That performance last night was unacceptable. Barca never got out of second gear. They didn’t actually play brilliantly. I watch them every week. I consider them my second team. I have seen them play much better and with sharper and quicker passing, though not scoring as many.
We gifted so much of last night to them. They were not faced with an opposition who harried and chased, who were physical. When Barca get beaten, that is how it’s done. It’s not easy but that’s what needs to be tried at least.
Bitton offered nothing. De Vries was poor. All the lads lost possession easily and so many times they failed with the basic skill of trapping the ball or taking a first touch. I think the team froze.
Right back/midfield was the glaring weakness and Barca quickly exploited that. Rodgers should have switched Lustig to RB and/or introduced armstrong to offer more protection.
Barring a huge change in application and effort, City will similarly trounce us.
VFR800A8 on 15TH SEPTEMBER 2016 12:34 PM
NatKnow on 15th September 2016 12:19 pm
I don’t disagree, but as I said, if people want to criticise they should do it from and vantage point of knowledge.
Ignorance is a lame excuse IMHO (unless, of course, it’s my fault).
FAC the Act
KTF
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Couple of years back I got into a serious stand-up argument with a guys in the office where I worked. He had all sorts to say about the Green Brigade being terrorist sympathisers etc. I asked him where he got his info from. The Daily Record. Suggested he buy a proper newspaper. Personally I’m surprised at DH’s comments – perhaps I shouldn’t be though as we have plenty of ex-players who take cash from the MSM
Interesting to see the PL myth debunked by cold hard facts.
That bonus is not excessive.
I guess it’s going to have to change from ‘That Lawwell, screws Cellic for a million pound bonus a year, so he does,’ to ‘That Lawwell, sortay rips Cellic for a few hundred grand extra on a good financial year, so he does.’
Derk Boeriggter has earned more in 3 years at celtic, playing xbox and swanning about fashion events than PL has in a decade.
PL’s remuneration is fair enough in CEO terms. It’s his PR that needs some work now.
Twists N Turns – Any horse tips for today? Caught yesterdays, thank you.
HH
The dolls ?.
Symbolic and therefore open to subjective interpretation .
I thought ” dead / murdered” plastic fantastics full of hot air blowing in the wind .Temporary Licence FC summed up. .
This Stan Petrov stuff on talksport is compelling listening. What a great example and inspiration to all. Top top man.