Looking back it’s easy to spot; that moment when an imperious manager peaks before tumbling over the edge, but at the time this moment is almost impossible to see. The moment Jock Stein peered over the mountain was absolutely impossible to identify at the time.
Celtic qualified for the 1970 European Cup final by beating English champions, Leeds United, home and away, and were hot favourites to lift the trophy for the second time in four seasons. They were about to win their fifth consecutive league title and would go on to make record a world record nine-in-a-row, meaning there was a mountain of ‘evidence’ obscuring the peak from view.
We were the most feared side in football in April 1970 but that team’s time as a European heavyweight was over. Stein remained a further eight seasons but he never beat another team from one of the large European leagues. A 1975 win over a relatively obscure Boavista was his best result* in the period before he was replaced in 1978.
The reverence Jock is rightly held in by all Celtic fans now was tested during the 70s when I remember tactics and even minor decisions, like substitutions, were being questioned by large sections of the support. It all ended in ignominy in 1978, fifth in the league and sacked in a clumsy and misleading fashion.
Jock was still a good manager and did well with Scotland but he should have moved on from Celtic years earlier.
Fans of other clubs will always see the moment of inflection before those too close to the event, but even Arsenal fans are now politely making the case that their once-supreme manager is no longer suitable for purpose. Anyone suggesting that Arsene Wenger was finished in 2004 would have been certified. His team had just won the league undefeated, the first team to do so since the 19th century. They won the FA Cup on penalties the following season and reached the Champions League final a year after that, but they have not lifted a trophy since 2005. Wenger was a fine 2004 vintage but has disappointed since.
After a slow start at Manchester United, Alex Ferguson has managed to remain at the top for 20 years. His most important ability appears to be to know when to change coaches, players and tactics. It has long been said that the best managers were not great players as they needed to acquire a conscious insight on the game which gifted players inherently knew. Perhaps enduringly great managers are not even tactical geniuses, it’s more important that they can just spot a few.
Ordered the CQN Annual yet? Get it here in time for Christmas!
Remember being a teenager?** The excitement of waiting for news of the latest pop charts was big news for some. You can relive your youth buy BUYING ROD STEWART’S single before Sunday.
* In European competition, between beating Leeds and when Jock left in 1978, Celtic eliminated Kokkola, Waterford, B1903 Copenhagen, Sliema Wanderers, Ujpest Doza, Rosenborg, Turku, Vejle, Basel, Valur, Boavista and Jeunesse d’Esch. They lost to Ajax, Inter Milan, Ujpest Doza, Atletico Madrid, Olympiakos, Sachsenring Zwickau and Wisla Krakow. And Feyenoord, of course.
** CQN demographics suggest for most of you, your teenage years are now a distant memory.
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Milik signing for Leverkusen acc. to @polishscout
A ceiler….,
Apologies pal, escorting my old old pals to the game take a rain check,
Will try and visit you at your house during the game if there’s no security problems getting there
Hail Hail
Good Afternoon CQN. Looking forward to the game.
Sevco prospectus, hidden in it is 2 loans Chuck got from Ahmad & Stockbridge in a 24 hour period. Why?
Remember I posted a couple of months back he had to pay an electricity bill of £250,000 that had went beyond a red letter.
Glasgow’s Green & Whyte!!
Last week Milik was linked with a move to Germany and it seems from this report he wants to move somewhere in January.
http://youtu.be/H1vGFSRKr9w
Hopefully it is Celtic for him. He will no doubt be speaking to Artur and Maciej
What is the Stars
Nip up to the sportsmans and ask his Da :>)
Initially my job took me here charles, now I’m retired but all my kids & grandkids live around the place so I’m stuck here for life. It has its compensations though only 45 mins from Cork.
Milik ?
Italian media have claimed that he has chosen Stuttgart in preference to Inter / Udinese and 2 EPL Clubs —– Who knows ?
Plays for Gornik . I had a mate at Yooni who supported Gornik . He and I went to see Gornik humping a team called Rangers in Glasgow in late 1969 . A great night.
” open game ” ……….. Meaning Montrose are on top…..and they were denied a penalty a few minutes ago ……
Quick pint in the anchor before walking round to.paradise.
Hoping for an upbeat performance today .
67 u know the rules, the team in blue have to win. : )
KLV
Montrose on top for last 10 mins. 59 mins gone still one each.
kevin Montrose are in Blue today, maybe the Mason will get confused.
mark hateley on sky, blaming the low sun for sevco losing a goal to montrose.
1-1 half time
Sounds ok to me, we know the zombies can only play when the sun has set…
Hope Montrose stick the floodlights on
ha ha
I have plenty of family in tipp – visit as often as I can – what’s your nearest town ?
Genuinely worried for fans in City Centre if the Zombies are on the loose. Keep safe lads.
charles, I live in Clonmel.
No sweat NeilC,
I,ll have another pint of moretti in your absence.
Still no team news……?
Quote of the week time.
Spike Milligan:
“Just because a cat has kittens in the oven it does not make them buns, does it.”
love it
;o)
Corkcelt
‘as you walk without ease
On the streets where you were raised’
StephenPatrickMorrisseyCSC
.
The Boy Jinks..
You be Better back on the Milk..;0)
Summa
The report of him being in Germany right now is incorrect if my translation is correct.
It says he will fly to Germany for medical tests after representing the Polish team in Turkey.
This could mean he could be en route to any club.
A ceiler…..,
Enjoy, hopefully there will plenty of goals so you can work it off jumping up and down celebrating, nothing yet on the team front, about two o’clock is the time
Hail Hail
corkcelt
That’s miles from me – I’m the other side of nenagh from you – just leaving for the game just now – enjoy
This new team in SFL3 are actually ‘utter tosh’
Polishscout on twitter saying he IS in Germany.
Don’t know what is true anymore.
Enjoy the game charles, yep Nenagh is a bit away O.K.,
.
58 Killed by Hand Guns in the UK this Year..
10,758 in America..
*Blank*
Tome to head to The Park. Enjoy your day…
Zombies go 2 to 1 up. switching to EPL
well done to the schizo rangers for overcoming montrose
They’re still utter tosh….!!
Good we band from hazel wood school ( special needs ) playing in the kerrydale suite just now, very enjoyable.
Summa
When in rome ….and as im in the east end of glasgow its mandatory tennents for moi
Celtic Football Club @celticfc
Celtic starting XI to play St Mirren: Forster; Lustig, Ambrose, Wilson; Matthews, Brown, Wanyama, Kayal, Mulgrew; Samaras, Hooper (MH)
Subs: Zaluska, Izaguirre, Miku, Lassad, McCourt, Rogne, Watt (MH)
CELTIC (3-5-2) Forster; Lustig, Ambrose, Wilson; Matthews, Brown, Wanyama, Kayal, Mulgrew; Samaras, Hooper
Subs: Zaluska, Izaguirre, Miku, Lassad, McCourt, Rogne, Watt
Looks like 4-4-2
corkcelt
With that line-up, I pity St Mirren…