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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Delaney talks in the present tense
hav we signed Eboue Kuassie ;-))
FTSFA
precontractCSC
H.H.
and if you ask How I am feeling
I Love Celtic.
GLASGOW CELTIC.
Nae triangle sh!t.
Eboue is gonnae be More than a Leo Sayer, IMO.
Dinnae Ever…..
The Celtic Song
THELURKINTIM on 25TH FEBRUARY 2017 2:29 AM
Not sure if you`re joking , mate.
He`s in the squad.
Sorry……
The Celtic Song
Interesting.
Foderingham is at least a metre off his line when he saves the penalty.
Magical
Celtic First.
MacJay
Their cheating doesn’t matter anymore. We are too far ahead of them culturally in Scotland. Tiochfaidh ar la
This is sensational
Legendary
WOW
I ain’t got the Blues no more.
CELTIC AL
Wonderful.
Majestical.
He Runs doon the Wing.
Jamesie Bhoy
Majestical.
He Runs doon the Wing.
Jamesie Bhoy. :))
MacJay1…..testing…..;-))
Said to my sis…..why didn’t u tell me ye wer going to Toronto…..there’s a couple of guys on my ‘Tic blog that could’ve helped…..response…..It’s not all about you…..pfffft….awe well…..explains the Country & Western bar u ended up at ffs…..;-))
FTSFA
H.H.
sorry dudes, Excited.
Catch you all later.
DELANEYS DUNKY on 25TH FEBRUARY 2017 2:55 AM
Their cheating doesn’t matter anymore. We are too far ahead of them culturally in Scotland. Tiochfaidh ar la
======================================================================
Culturally ?
Now , that is interesting.
From afar , I get the distinct impression that you have a point.
And on the football field , well the time to strengthen is when you`re ahead .
And are we ahead ?
Or what?
THELURKINTIM on 25TH FEBRUARY 2017 3:11 AM
THELURKINTIM on 25TH FEBRUARY 2017 3:11 AM
Couple of A1 guys on here from Toronto.
They`re your men.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68cbjlLFl4U
:-)
MacJay1…..video not available on my mobile…..mmmmm……jist add it to all the twitter links av missed…..yer right…..she missed a turn…..not that she knows it…..c’est la vie ;-))
FTSFA
H.H.
One can only live vicariously in Scotland if you are not there. Like me. I havent been for 21 years but return annually for various periods. I left during the thatcher era like many of you old chumps here on CQN . between 1997-99 i worked in Edinburgh and Aberdeen. Thats a separate discussion.
Retrospectively I dont see any real distinction between huns and Tims on the football front. It depresses me. ideological front for sure (the GB) but football front no not really. I say this because the huns are still around bating and abating and cajoling and most of you clowns lap it up via the board under the auspices of triumphalism which we are supposed to be appalled by. Green huns. Now we are to abdicate our European ambitions by defeating the huns on the glorious balance sheet or maybe even 10 in a row. makes me want to puke. Walfrid Astoria indeed. Go light a match where the sun dont shine. Not only walfrid but big jock must be spinning in his grave. If the huns were gone I’d accept everything. But they are not.
GIRFUY
MM 4.48
“If the huns were gone I’d accept everything. But they are not.”
HH
^^^^^^
Makes sense tae me!
Aaah ..The GB Inspiration
https://youtu.be/MUEwZxcjkPY
HH
THELURKINTIM on 25TH FEBRUARY 2017 4:35 AM
Good `ol boys.
Oklahoman from Muskogee.
Hey Mags,
Chumps n Clowns…..they’re my Accountants…..I should take exception to that….but my life coach says to ignore ye ;-))
How u doin ya past tashio nutter ;-))
FTSFA
H.H
Morning
Woke up a few minutes ago so head a bit scrambled so apologies for being even less coherent than usual.
Just reread the article and am still astonished to learn that Big Jock should have left us in 1971. Not written with any irony I can detect though as I say I am half asleep. As I recall it we would not even have got 6-in-a-row if Jock had left when Man U wanted him. As for the support turning on him in his last 4 seasons. Not how I remember it, jeez in one of those seasons he was recovering from the car smash and in another he returned to guide us to a Double and one of the happiest seasons I can remember post our 9-in-a-row.i don’t like to criticise and I especially don’t like to criticise our host but that article has really annoyed me.
As I say I am tired but I am tired of reading rubbish and all this Triangle stuff from earlier in the week has left me a bit cold. Announcing we might build a hotel is hardly beat8ng Boavista or Vojvodina though from the gloating reactions on Social Media you would be forgiven for thinking it was.
I am though looking forward to actually watching Celtic play today.- not because we are miles better than the shambles across the city or because we are a rich club but because I enjoy watchng us play football the way we usually do these days.
Good morning
Jimbo67
Macjay1
Oklahoman from Muskogee……can you whittle it down for me…..youtube is fulla ;-))
Just off the old online pokir….87 grand up…if only it wiz real…..;-))
FTSFA
H.H.
Got my 18 month old grandson Harry staying over and, as usual, he’s up bright and early and watching children’s TV. One of the characters on screen just now is called Orange Bernard. For some reason Harry doesn’t like Orange Bernard. Not sure why.
Good morning CQN from a dry, mild and overcast East Devon.
Let’s pump the Academical today.
YNWA
Was introduced to one of my son’s friends last night. A really nice guy and a Rangers supporter. He played in the Rangers youth team and was booted out at age 17 by coach Ian Durrant who had found out that he had got drunk at a party after a game on the Saturday.
Imagine being sanctioned by someone like Ian Durrant for drinking. Oh the irony.
The youngster told me he doesn’t go to games any more because “They are an embarrassment.”
I almost felt sorry for him. Almost.
Wind and rain battering off my window so I shudder to think what it’s like in EK
3-0 to the Celtic today.
CQN Saturday Naps Competition
Lads, for those in the CQN Naps Competition, please post your selection here :
http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/this-is-just-the-next-step-for-the-celtic-triangle/comment-page-13/#comments
All the best, fleagle1888
–NZ Auckland CSC–
to be honest….sounds wild out there…..canny be bothered raisin the blinds…..if the gemes on 4-0 the guid guys ;-))
A Griff double an awe ;-))
FTSFA
H.H.
is this the Doris….that’s gonna be blowin especially in EK …..no lining up & hamilton…..nae pockets tae pick…..;-))
FTSFA
H.H.