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.
898 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- ...
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- ...
- 24
- »
Hey Joey!
Told you on twitter it was a bad idea turning up to training in yer Hoops!
Barton sent home til Monday.
Must have been some bust up.
Nothing can be a bigger pain than CQN advertising while in a Gazebo having caught two tiddlers eaten alive by vampire mosquito while the battery level plummets.
HH
Joey and sevcos marriage ending in tears
Who would have thought that.:)))))))
AWE_NAW_NO_ANNONI_OAN_ANAW_NOO on 15TH SEPTEMBER 2016 6:25 PM
What browser are you using?
Southside
I think your’s is more likely…
Dolphin
After the fiasco of selling extra CL single tickets to season ticket holders the PLC come up with the three game extra package.
Nice CSC
Good Evening Timland.
Is it safe yet?,still hurting a wee bit.
Joey and Mark won’t be in Glasgow for Christmas.
Sanna
If I end up with spare tickets after this round of international bartering I will donate them to the Martina Kane Foundation. I will let you know
HH
BSR
“The CL should be waved in front of every potential signing, the way it is to season ticket holder and other fans and not just with six days left in a transfer window.”
————
While I often share your frustration at the continued failure to sign players before CL qualifiers in order to give us a better chance of qualification, I think this is wishful thinking. Players will wait until CL qualifying is over to see if they have any chance of a deal with a team already there. The only players willing to sign before this will be those who know they’ve no chance of a contract with a CL team, or getting many games if they do. I think our strategy must be to build slowly year on year. This is very tough as we’ll face the same problem every year. The January window could possibly be our best chance of success as fewer teams are buying, but this has the same problem as far as players wanting or hanging out for guaranteed CL groups. I imagine that in the next few years, a lot of players will rather hang around for the chance of a contract with a team in one of the top 4 leagues who MIGHT have a chance of finishing in the top 4, where they’d probably get more money anyway, than take a chance on 3 qualifiers with us on lower wages. At least they’d have a better league to play in & better wages if CL doesn’t work out. It’s a sad state of affairs, but unless the fundamental structure of European football is revamped, all the board bashing/changing in the world amounts to nothing less than the old deckchairs on the Titanic analogy. What possible strategy could our board employ to change the fact that teams like Middlesbrough will earn £100M this season and UEFA are sewing the CL up to line their own pockets? IMHO of course.
HH
Nobody deserves the benefit of the doubt more than Joey?
Shirley CSC
Barton in training ground bust-up? Clubs tend to want to keep such dirty laundry from the public gaze. Say, you don’t think they are trying to get rid of their highest earner on misconduct charges do you?
This mob are totally…well…I was gonna say transparent but that’s not exactly true is it?
Question is, can they afford the court case?
Is the magic hat now the strict stetson?
Strong manager yada yada yada…
Celtic are a massive name in world football but football has changed. Bournemouth,known more for its seaside sands can now out bid Celtic as can some of those in even lower leagues. Ridiculing Celtic fans for Celebrating qualification to the champions league (you’d think we’d won it) is as silly as doing the same for the Republic,Wales or Northern Ireland’s joy at reaching the Euros.
Someone posted over the weekend of rumours that Barton was at odds with some inside Newco,it would appear to be true.
Martin Kane
HH
AWE NAW
I have 2 seats together in Block 410 Row V and 1 additional seat in Block 407 Row W. I managed to buy an extra package for my Dad on line so all is good for the Man City game but if you cant get rid of the one you got for me Ill still pay for it. Let me know what works for you. I am heading out now but e-mail me maxibhoy@btinternet.com and Ill connect with you later.
Embdy think that Agent Barton may have blown his cover……
Awe naw:
http://dolphin.com/lab/en/
Hi guys – never mind awe the fitba talk.
Just discovered Elton John (the real one!!!) is playing the Airdrie stadium next June 24th. That is MENTAL.
Tickets on pre-sale now via Ticketmaster – £50 – £90, or general sale from Saturday – fill yer boots!!!
Off to get ours…
HH
BGFC
Evening Celts.
The waft of burnt pastry is unmistakable.
HH
RABERTO67
Yip. good shout.
But languishing mid or bottom of the table in any ole league across Europe (or the world) regardless of wage, isn’t the CL last sixteen, which remains an open goal for us to shoot at.
I agree BR didn’t have enough time, we waited till he was available and to allow Ronny a dignified exit.
January will be crucial for us and our “ £30 Million “ if we are really doing it properly.
Watch this space CSC
Breadman getting it in the neck on RS.
Amazing hypocrisy going on re the hacking the WADA website, Russia getting the blame with not a shred of proof, but it suits the agenda, even more hypocritical is they are bitching about getting hacked and not the content that has been released to the world.
A few Sir’s proven to have cheated, all the Sky team proven to have cheated, the whole fecking lot of them proven to have cheated, but they are not Russian so it’s alright.
Feckin Cheating Hypocrits
Good evening all
Saw a wee exchange this morning about having a CQN word of the day. A guy on the phone in there just came out with managers being “pillorised”!
Maxibhoy. VFR
OK I wiill email you both tomorrow and do the bank transfers. Any spares I will take the hit and give them to Sanna
Thanks bhoys ..
Appreciate
5% power left
HH
The huns will go for a Gross Misconduct sacking here, like Sandaza.30k a week for 2 years…
Level 5 protection of The Lying King at Defcon3, Warbiola, Barton , Celtic and Hibs support being offered up ….
VFR
Bloody hell why did I not think of that !!! Doh
Did I ever tell you I agree with every word you say ,? ,:-)
HH
AWE_NAW_NO_ANNONI_OAN_ANAW_NOO on 15TH SEPTEMBER 2016 6:57 PM
Yer a madaman!
We will catch up tomorrow!
FAC the Act
KTF
Maybe we’re being a bit harsh on Keane. Is it the worst Newco side he’s ever seen? well,lets face it,they’re nay Clyde.
Rocket Man at Airdrie – plenty rockets out there already!
Five tickets purchased.
Elton John !!!! Airdrie FFS !!!!! Mental – he must be skint :-)
We were at Billy Joel at the weekend in Wembley (about 90,000 crowd) so watched the new derby with my brother in Cannock, then drove down.
Billy Joel was class, but we should have just invited him up to Albion Rovers and saved the petrol money :-)
HH
BGFC
Joey can you go up to Paul’s office please Mr king wants a video conference with you.
Sure magic hat . no bother we are the diddy men. The diddy men. The diddy men.
Joey its came our attention that on your contract you didn’t disclose your full name. And even with held a criminal past of going to a proscribed school.
We are ripping up this contract as per clause 236 .
You cannot have 2 catholic names or went to a school prefixed by holy. Saint. Mother . or trinity.
Your fired
THEGLASGOWCELTICWAY
Haha,bit harsh!
Mind,we were that bad even the ref felt sorry for us…
MAXIBHOY
AWENAW
Seems the reach of CQN is endless. Well done,fellas.
And to VFR800A8 too.
Joey Barton on the slippery slope at the crumble dome. Been told to stay away until Monday. Barney with Halliday :)))
Startafightinanemptyroom CSC
THEGREENMAN
Aye,that 636 special had a familiar slant to it.
Anyway,offski.
Working shortly. Be nice!
I’m sure Fraser Wishart will be quick to defend his client…