I loved the Leicester City story as much as any of you. Well, maybe not just as much. Leicester’s title win was astonishing, but it was no fairy story. They outperformed far wealthier clubs, sure, but this was achieved by spending the kind of money Celtic couldn’t dream of parting with.
Apart from their league win, Project Leicester was typical of the financial chicanery which has been prevalent in English football for so long, and which Financial Fair Play seeks to end.
Right now they are in freefall. If they go down, loaded with an underperforming squad on eye-wateringly high salaries, they will find it impossible to downsize sufficiently to give anyone sitting around the King Power Stadium boardroom table that they will be able to achieve stability in the Championship.
Once you drop out of the Enland and Wales Premier League, the biggest parachute in the world simply isn’t big enough. Two of the three Championship relegation places are currently occupied by recent Premier League clubs. Aston Villa, twice the size of Leicester but with a far smaller wage bill, are currently 17th. Leicester will look ominously at Blackpool, 14th in League Two, and appreciate how rapidly a Premier League relegation fight can turn into something altogether more serious.
Claudio Ranieri is a football hero, but even from the outside it has been plain to see that something has been seriously wrong under his control in recent months. His comments before the Sevilla game, “we know they are the better team”, spoke of a man who didn’t believe in himself or his players anymore.
It is never easy to spot when a managerial hero should move on from a club where he’s loved, exect in hindsight. Clough was the greatest English manager, but stayed on far too long at Nottingham Forest. Relegation was his reward.
Jock Stein’s sacking as Celtic manager in 1978 was shabbily handled, as was the way at the club back then. I was too young to know the best of Jock’s years at Celtic, but I remember the grief he got from the terraces during his last four seasons, when Rangers (remember them?) won three titles and two trebles.
No one will tell you they got on Jock’s case back then, but it happened. Football fans in the 1970s took no prisoners.
Looking back, Jock stayed too long at Celtic. He produced miracles for five years then managed decline for eight. He should have taken the Manchester United job when offered. Clough squeezed two League Cups out of his squad in 1989 and 1990 and should have headed for this hills right then.
As for Claudio, he should have bowed out a champion in May. He didn’t have managerial alchemy after all, it was inevitable that performances would return to his normal trend this season. Someone at Leicester had to take responsibility. That’s football – and it’s not even a modern aspect of it.
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CELTICROLLERCOASTER SUPPORTING @WALKWITHSHAY on 24TH FEBRUARY 2017 10:01 PM
Soz
I think we need 7 more pts to ensure that the zombies do not overtake us :-)
Oh the worry, Just 30 pts ahead of them :-)
HH
CRC
I think we have an advantage with goal difference
Mike in Toronto- I do have a way with words – I’ve been referred to as the bard of the bathroom and the wordsmith of keech talk…..
Sevco statement saying that tonights warm up will be a DVD.
Floatin’ on the Thames, sitting on deck on a mild night after the storm yesterday, sipping a glass of wonderful Campo Viejo Gran Reserva Rioja.
Life aint bad at the moment.
Floatin’
Jobo Baldie
Well that turned out how you said it would , a late winner hurts more . :))
They’ll be fighting each other on the way home on their buses…..no doubt started by some tim !!
BSR
I’ll pray for you……..yir a bad mhan :O)
ROBERTTRESSELL
Well said. The loan players who are there must be wondering what their parent club thinks of them to send them there.
KEEP LAUGHING
KEEP THE FAITH
CELTICROLLERCOASTER SUPPORTING @WALKWITHSHAY on 24TH FEBRUARY 2017 10:01 PM
Soz
I think we need 7 more pts to ensure that the zombies do not overtake us :-)
Oh the worry, Just 30 pts ahead of them :-)
HH
CRC
I think we have an advantage with goal difference
We might jist edge the head to head as well if it comes to that.
HH
The dilemma for the huns is to bring in a Messiah like McLeish or Davies, 4 page pull outs in the rags, come to CP and get pumped 4 or 5,what do they do then? A perfect storm because Murty looks like he should have stuck to gymnastics
Yorkbhoy @ 10:00pm – brilliant.
Laughed out so loud I gave the family a fright.
Floatin
Tis a fine drop, just finished a bottle of the same masel :-)
HH
Marspapa
Wednesday night, no excuses ya big chancer
Night all, despite the hilarity from Inverness I am watching elected representatives on news at ten wringing their hands and apologising for 9 years of hopeless management at RBS.
How many decent people have suffered whilst the suits prospered? Pathetic.
At least they still have 2/5ths of Dave King’s warchest to spend……
Floatin
I was Floatin up the Seine in 2011 when a cheer went up from four tims at that back of the boat. The hun v malmo result came through. Downfall kick off.
MARRAKESH EXPRESS on 24TH FEBRUARY 2017 9:55 PM
VFR
Has Drumroyal got Tourettes?
What do you mean,he is the Blog Chaplain.
VP
We want a statement
We want a statement
We want a statement
As the Rioja level drops I’m eying a bottle of Pauillac on my wine rack. A quality Bordeaux which will be all the better tomorrow for having a glass tonight.
If I don’t finish it… in the mood :)
Floatin’ (maybe literally at this rate)
another good one from zombiemedia … one of them thinks that Dave King is a Lawell plant …”How else could he pass the fit and proper?”
made me laugh
Turkeyboy
Pmsl
MIKE IN TORONTO
Superb I’m nicking that:))
TET/Floatin
A bottle in the mountain region will be more reasonable than the big smoke
Blantyretim
A double edged sword today …two years ago wee Lewis did’nt make it out the hospital :(, but , his twin sister did and today we celebrated her 2nd birthday :))
Left the party at 1-1… if Rangers keep this going , i’m going to need “incontinent pants”
Pissed masel laughing !!
Yes wednesday pal .:)
ICT’s League form updated:
DLLLLDDLLLDLDDW
ROBERTTRESSELL on 24TH FEBRUARY 2017 10:02 PM
Anyone stupid enough to be involved with them just now, anyone who can’t use google and check out the state of the club or who has an agent who is negligent enough to let a client sign up to them really deserves what they get.
Roberto, cracker of a post – commonsense, but that doesn’t seem to compute over ‘there’!
My better half, who’s an accountant to her background, consistently (over YEARS) has asked why anyone, with a business background, has got involved with Them. I’ve been unable to explain the ‘Scottish’ connection to her satisfaction.
Bada Bing
There is, of course, a precedence for this.
Princess Di lay down her life for the hoops. She spiked her chauffeurs drink and caused the fatal crash that led to the cancellation of the forthcoming OF game. A game we were hopelessly prepared for due to injury. When the game was eventually played we got a 1-1 draw.
That was the catalyst for us stopping their 10.
That Tom Boyd keeps shamelessly stealing the credit. But some of us remember who the REAL hero(ine) was.
I don’t know if Ms Middleton would be as prepared to lay down her life to stop Sevco dropping into the bottom six.
Lost to Dundee who hadn’t won a game all year.
Lost to ICT who hadn’t won a game in donkeys.
Purely in the interests of a healthy democracy – can they play the Labour party next week?
Hail hail
THE EXILED TIM
Bet the Campo Gran is a lot cheaper down your way…
Marrakesh Express
Floatin’ as the huns sink, can’t beat it…
Floated over to Oostende in July, Hun with a red hand flag on his shoulders (in July???), his face was redder than the hand when I laughed in it…
Floatin’ (still)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGZqDzb__bw
will2203
First Team
will2203
First Team
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Posted 55 minutes ago · Report post
Useless papish c___t. Get the f__k out of our club.
1 person likes this
blantyretim is praying for the Knox family
£15 in Waitrose…
I’m a champagne socialist with a dug called Engels to match. There! admitted it.
Floatin’ on the good stuff
BT
???
HH
TET
As Floutin said the cost in your area will be cheaper than £15 in Waitrose
bournesouprecipe on 24th February 2017 10:34 pm
ICT’s League form updated:
DLLLLDDLLLDLDDW
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Luv it :)
Floatin
It’s 5.95 euros a bottle, cheap enough, but when I can get three bottles of superb and I mean superb vino for the same price.
HH
—–
For My Dear Friend,Macjay…
From The Southern Anglosphere..
A Man Of Taste & Distinction.
Incredible String Band – The Half-Remarkable Question
https://youtube.com/watch?v=O3vWQY7k3zs
Incredible String Band – Painting Box
https://youtube.com/watch?v=XOyiDIUhbAE
——–
Have they not suffered enough , WITS ?
On 2/23/2017 at 7:48 PM, Valance1690 said:
Fingers crossed….having the next game being at home on Wednesday might might help us…
Better not get called off.
I’ve taken a day off work to travel up as have many other bears.
1 person likes this
MARRAKESH EXPRESS on 24TH FEBRUARY 2017 10:26 PM
I was Floatin up the Seine in 2011 when a cheer went up from four tims at that back of the boat. The hun v malmo result came through. Downfall kick off.
That reminded me that in 2008 we (the extended family, including Eenglish members) were in central Italy. Sitting around the table my phone beeped, and within seconds my two lads’ phones also went off. We looked at each other – surely not? But yes, Kaunas had fecked the Master Plan!!!
How we giggled and laughed that night! Petty I know, but that’s me.