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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Almore
Good on them , not seen any of their games but good luck to them in their group.
Nás na Rí: Just finished reading back. Fáilte romhat ye big Culchie:-)
Now, can you use those culchie connections to get me a ticket for this Sunday’s All-Ireland football final?
Up the Dubs!
I’m glad Roy never became our manager. Everything about him screams EPL.
As for Sevco – marked change in MSM reporting tone this week. I think Warbiola will be the next out the door…
Starry Plough
I agree, it coincides with bad news at the circus of horrors.
They like to change monikers, but the shireen nanjaini’s, still say the same things:)
We are not meant to notice.
HH
THE GREEN MAN,
If you dinnae ken about BlavatSKY, you dinnae ken about Hitler.
Apologies as I had Left the building, earlier.
I ain’t going there tonight either.
HH
C’mon the Glasgow Celtic.
https://youtu.be/U_Klz5qncZQ
No laughing allowed……
An dun …. agree that we could do with some of Keane’s determination ….. not the most skillful player ever, but won a lot of games by hard work and mental toughness…. the European semifinal against Juve was one of the best performances I have seen …. he just was not going to let his team lose that day.
Ye ole Beaver Shavers looking dangerous in Milan, as Inter hit the post.
Petec
I do know about Blavatsky,….a charlatan, and probably some sort of agent.
Hitler…I know a lot about Hitler….but who doesnt.
Where did Hitler get his ideas?
Anyway…crossed wires bud, i dislike people like that.
HH
“Rangers will be making no comment”.
Ha, this from the club that makes a statement at the drop of a magic hat!
Sevco tell Joey Barton………why don’t you go home?
Oh well, watching a programme about sharks, should be set in ipox. Then “Scotland’s game” and after the news Question time.
Noo a bad bit to watch, plus keep an eye on Twitter for Joey;)))
Watching Inter v Hapoel with the Mad mental elderly Inter fan from down the valley .
He has started shouting at the tele /He has expressed thanks that being an old git means He won’t have to suffer ” this shit ” for much longer.Mrs S of T has advised him that if He doesn’t stop shouting she will end his suffering now.
Still to complete the consultation paper to have the OBaF Act repealed?
You can do so here.
http://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/S/FootballActRepealBill/
This sheet it also a helpful guide to answer some of the questions. Come on you know you want to :-)
http://fansagainstcriminalisation.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Crib-Sheet-for-the-Public-Consultation-Survey.pdf
Supporting your team is not a crime.
Axe the Act.
SoT
Your missus reminds me of my mother (Luciana).
Apparently Joey was spotted leaving Tam Shepherd’s with a parcel under each arm.
Ok…something, in moments of reflection, that has made me question life…….
He buys a gun, he steals a car,
He tries to run but he doesn’t get far
Why did he try to run? Could he not have driven the car he had just nicked. ? How did he steal the car if he couldnt drive??
I worry about things like this.
Hail hail
Matt
I don’t really recall Roy Keane’s time with us as any sort of masterclass, not even after Clyde and Killie. I know our fans praised him for our Ibrox win but I think they were desperate to see things that weren’t there. He was basically a busted shadow of his former self when he washed up here. He hated the manager and he hated his comedown in life and footballing prowess. He may have raged against the dying of his light but he did not translate that into performances.
At his peak with Man U and Forrest and ROI- he was brilliant and as a man, he is a bit of a lone wolf and a dissatisfied man, which he used to drive himself on. I see nothing in his post Man U playing career to commend him and that includes his time in a Celtic shirt.
I had a quick look through the match reports of the matches where he impressed Paul and I could not find much to bely my own memory that he was an irrelevance to our achievements that season.
What I found was that Roy Keane did not reappear in a Celtic jersey until the 4th game after those Clyde and Killie unfit performances. He scored with a deflected shot in a narrow 2:1 win over Falkirk and the most notable thing apart from his goal was the amount of bad tackling he attracted. His next game was our 1:0 win over the deid club at Ibrox. I remember our punters being happy with his performance but he attracted no plaudits in the press coverage of this match though the Guardian did comment on his snarling rebuke of team mates. I attended the next game an 8:1 win against Dunfermline, memorable for a rare Neil Lennon goal an an effective Zurawski performance but I have no recollection of Keane magic that day.
Next up was a 3:0 beating of the Dons and Keane’s name is notable in match reports for a number of shots saved by Dons keeper- seems to have had an effective game. He missed the next 3 games which we won in March and April as we cruised to a 17 point lead in the SPL, mostly gained without Roy. He missed a friendly defeat to Coventry before reappearing against Hibs at CP in a 1:1 draw when we got our trophy presented. Roy was as flat as the rest of the team that day as the job was done.
Next up was a 0:0 draw at home to the deid yins and Roy was subbed on the hour mark with newspaper reports praising Gavin Rae for matching the Celtic midfield. He then appeared in a 3:0 defeat to Hearts, a game we probably threw by preferring this outcome (so that Hearts could finish 2nd) so it is unfair to judge Keane who was as deliberately ineffectual as his mates. He did not play in our final competitive match at Aberdeen but he did trap for a post-season friendly against Man U , a 1:0 defeat playing for us till half time and then switching to Man U
The Green Man,
isn’t it Ironic.
Adolf got rid of the Masons. :))
Most Leaders now have Wives that are really into the occult.
Pray for Every Leader.
I’m with the JunglistKev in his admiration of a Legend in the Celtic Support getting in with the Fascinating Rhythm…
Claudio is that you?
CC mix
Who leaked the story from Ibrox?!
Lee’sAGrassCSC
Hamiltontim,
We are on the Road again
YES
Reckon Warbo has now realised what this club and it’s supporters are about
Underdogs.CSC
HAMILTONTIM on 15TH SEPTEMBER 2016 8:52 PM
Thanks for the reminder, done.
Like you I will continue to support my Team, not illegal as far as I know…:)
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
HT@9.05,
What leak, what’s going on this time with the deadly bears?
I reckon Joey was telt in no uncertain terms about his wee jolly over to Belfast the other week, I also reckon we will get a chapter and verse of his time at the bigot dome, for all he is a bam, he is no as daft as he is made out to be, he will see a book in this and he will milk it for all it’s worth.
Petec
Yep!
Lennybhoy
Great stuff D get all the guys/girls you know to fill it in! :-)
Prestonpans
Haven’t you heard about Barton?
Beer Sheva leading inter 1-0 in the San siro
Hapoel Beersheba go 1-0 up away to Inter after 54 minutes !!
Hapoel go 1 up
THE EXILED TIM,
The thing about Joey, he is mad and totally sane, if that makes sense.
Fascinating to see what is about to happen.
;))
Go on the HBS.
Maximum respect to that Team – they played fitba the RIGHT WAY.
Ressssspect the Footballing Teams.
Joseph and his amazing Auchenowie exit?
ALMORE on 15TH SEPTEMBER 2016 8:40 PM
Thanks for the welcome and sorry I can’t help you out with a ticket for the Dubs v Mayo game. Pretty sure the touts will have plenty on offer around the pubs in the city centre and outside the game, but as usual they will be expensive. I had an uncle who used to work for Irish distillers and his boss was I think a selector for the Dubs or involved in the management and he often sourced good tickets for my uncle whenever Kildare managed to make it quarter or semi final which was about as often as Hayley’s comet. If you do make it to the game enjoy nothing like a packed croker and although the Dubs(red necks) will outnumber the Mayo fans it will be a passionate affair but from what I’ve seen of Dublin the last few years I expect them to have too much for Mayo.
Cill Dara abu
Astana – Nasty.
Bourne
Very good.
Hapoel are all over Inter, away from home … !!!!
Joey Barton’s comeback will be like a new signing
Spin by Low Level 5 could turn this negative bust up into the return of the prodigal son ready to rumble and show Broonie whose boss………again