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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JJ
He came into the lounge like a bear with a sore head last Saturday and we just smiled at him
☘️☘️
Ha,
as Hitlers younger brother sais….if you can’t fool all of the people all of the time…..get married in Glasgow on April 1st…..and fool yer wife ;-))
FTSFA
H.H.
Ron Bacardi etc
That was a cracking last show from Brian Matthew. Interesting to see what they’ve got lined up for the old guy. Glad he’s not totally finished.
Was thinking the DC 5 Catch us if you can might go down well on the 12th March over the Parkheed tannoy.
BT
Best approach, I would think !
Time for me to depart on the Arbroath Emerald CSC bus.
Cheerio for now and all the Best to everyone,
JJ
Tim Rice was excellent I thought, but looking forward to Tony Blackburn taking over next week. Wonder if Arnold will show up.
Sotstims cfc
jmccormack….it’s gettin close….u still needin a ticket. ;-))
FTSFA
H.H.
Some HH know doubt made up this p!sh…..
“Mark Warburton’s phone number was published on the internet shortly after his departure from Rangers a fortnight ago, leading to him being deluged by abusive calls and messages, largely from Celtic and Hibernian fans. (The Times, print edition)”
Schoolboy error and arrived at park run without my running watch. So need to wait on the ole official email with my result coming out over lunchtime.
My uncle Billy was a handsome hun…
and a thouroughly good guy, he was a proud bluenose and loved his ‘Gers.
My father died at the young age of 47 in the stand at Celtic Park in ’76 during a Huns game. Jock Stein and 8 or 9 of the Lions attended the funeral in Ardrossan. Billy came up from England, he had travelled up with only the train fare to his name, borrowed a fiver from me, the 20yr old “man of the family now” (and probably a few others) “to buy Big Jock a pint”, that was Billy.
I moved to Englandshire coincidentally 20 miles from him. Hogmany was special again but his extensive collection of “bluenose records were never played in my company, no matter how drunk he was, a gentleman.
He introduced me to golf and I would sneak out to travel the 20 miles to Telford to have a round or two and the inevitable session at the 19th once or twice a week. He was a lovable rogue, the women called him the black sheep of the family but being in his company was the best.
In the days before mobile phones my wife on noticing me missing would be on the phone to the golf club asking if I was there, he took the phone off the barman and said in a thick accent ” he has been keednapped by bandits from Mehico. you must breeng a ransom by car and take him away at closing time”.
In the mid 90s I found myself helping to nurse him through his last few months with Pancreatal cancer. When wheeling him through town in his wheelchair I had to avoid shop windows so he wouldn’t see his now withered reflection.
In his last days he perked up a little and he wanted a trip so I put a bed in my dining room for him to sleep over. I’ll never forget as long as I live his reaction when the double butler doors were opened to reveal a room decked in green and white, a Celtic duvet and pillows, Celtic scarf and tammy on the bed posts, a tricolour on the wall bed and Lisbon Lions book to read on the bedside.
” You’ll no get me in that room! I’ll die fighting in the chair” but there was a smile on his face. I stripped the room and settled him down but left the Lisbon book.
I was at his bedside when he died a few weeks later, towards the end, with what little strength he had, he winked at me.
A week or so later I found the Lisbon book hidden in the folds of the curtains, how he found the strength to hide it there I’ll never know.
My uncle Billy was a handsome hun…
and a thouroughly good guy, he was a proud bluenose……
Floatin’
THELURKINTIM
I’ve no excuse for forgetting the anniversary…or maybe I do….
Jobo,
well done on yer made up time……20:48…..yae cannae beat it ;-))
FTSFA
H.H.
Good Morning Bhoys a good win for Caley last night the rumour over Govan way is that John Bomber Brown will replace Murty as caretaker manager you couldnt make it up. Hamilton at Parkhead may be harder than we imagine as Hamilton are fighting for there SPL lives I will go for 2-0 to the Hoops. H.H.
Is it true that the interim manager at Sevco is in fact an innertim@
Davidopolous,
haha….can’t believe it’s true…..am sure there’ll be help on here…..wanted or not…..for instance…..I live in Glasgow southside…..more than happy to firebomb the chapel ;-))
FTSFA
petecparoxymsCSC
H.H.
isms ;-))
FTSFA
H.H.
Davidopolous, best wishes for the big day!
Aoife, enjoy the big day:-) !!!!
Floatin,
you’ve just stopped St Stivs search…..mark the time….’cause I don’t believe it…..Uncle Billy was a handsome hun….;-))
remeniscensesCSC
FTSFA
H.H.
FLOATIN’ on 25TH FEBRUARY 2017 10:55 AM
Great story. Thanks for sharing.
FLOATIN’ on 25TH FEBRUARY 2017 10:55 AM –
Nice t read that mate – your uncle sounds like a sound guy and a good laugh :-)
Aoife
Have a great day.
Hot smoked
Take plenty pictures
IKI on 25TH FEBRUARY 2017 10:32 AM
“I am looking forward to the day when things are so bad that the Ibrox die-hards are insisting that it is not the same club.”
*****
More chance of them saying it than Celtic, or the other member clubs who help sustain the Big Lie by their silence on this:
http://spfl.co.uk/clubs/rangers/
Memorable season, it being the first time we’ve won a league that was a farce.
Beware the Ides of March, that’s going to test some mettles.
22’30”. 20th (19th male) out of a field of 149.
FLOATIN…
Enjoyed that,good wee post.
===
Time to make tracks.To those attending and those not,Hail!Hail! and enjoy.
Be good to each other.
COYBIG
The Ritz Calton…………..
……still laughin’….
…and then you see the huns score….
…and then you hear that ra Bommur may have been coachin’ “Murts”
Too funny.
:)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
This week’s CQN Coupon –
Jobo Baldie – St Johnstone
Pogmathonyahun – West Brom
BMCUW – Doncaster
Gerryfaethebrig – Huddersfield
Awalkacrosstherooftops – Man U
Lennybhoy – Man Flu ;-)
The Exiled Tim – Brighton
Everyone is focusing on Murty’s comments about having a “helper”
But what about his whine about “being placed in a very difficult situation”?
That sounded like two fingers up to the board. There is a grimness about The Rangers these days – they just look like they are going to lose every game they play.
Italiabhoy
“There is a grimness about The Rangers these days”
*****
Must’ve caught it from that Reaper bloke!
BANKIEBHOY1
Whoever the man in the shadows is he’s doing a grand old job..
Played 2 Lost 2
Long may he reign o’er thum
HH
SANDMAN
Quality, Schadenfreude Freitag is becoming Smirking Samstag!
HH
God bless the uncle Billy’.
A fine man for sure.
Fourgreenfields and Bundoran Bhoy
So sorry to read about your Mum.
Thoughts are with you bhoys.
YNWA
Sandman….I salute yer immunty to that shite…..Agent Murty….come in Agent Murty…..
Agent Murty: Murty here….over
Control: Agent Murty….it’s time to come in from the cold…
Agent Murty: Control….you’ve got to be sh****ing me…..I’ve just got started….
Control: It’s yer soul that’s worrying us….
Agent Murty: Aye….gimme till the 12th March….then you’ll see….
Control: Roger that…..we’ll make sure yer family is taken care of…..Control out….
FTSFA
H.H.
Starry Bhoy………
:)
Aye, the unseen hunned-up haun on the…. *cough*….tiller.
HH
Mibbes the Big Wig has made a comeback as well………
………..offerin’ explanations
an’ everything for the pressers…………
ZeroMostelForKitman CSC
Lurking Tim.
All sorted on ticket and family front. Am good to go and looking forward to it, apart from the roadworks. Thanks. HH
“Late drama as ICT defeat Rangers(sic).
Inverness CT marked their landmark 1,000th game by beating Rangers(sic) 2-1 to move off the foot of the Ladbrokes Premiership table”
*****
Sevco . . . 18 seasons short of a 1,000.
Match day, cannae beat it.
Nags selected, turf accountant donation posted.
Multiple layers coordinated, choice of scarf predictable.
Wee drive to Lower EK / Burnside to pick up the redoubtable BSR and onwards to Paradise via the Gazebo to meet an array of stellar CQNers.
What a wonderful time, we, Celtic fans, are living at this moment. Enjoy it to the full my friends!
Eurochamps67.
I do belive some level 5 Hun has seen fit to moderate my selection of angst from the FF darkside.
Well, there’s thanks ye get on here for taking time to provide a laugh or a dozen.
Not like any sensitive mod has never read Hun swearies before… and with asterisks too, jeez.
I’ll repost after adding more later, along with a fully risk-assessed disclaimer and hyper-sensitivity caution for the more delicate sensibilities among us.