Since Dinamo Kiev inflected Celtic’s first home defeat in European competition, on what was our first European game after winning the European Cup four months earlier, last night’s shocker to Sparta Prague was our 36th and worst home reversal in Europe.
Three years ago PSG scored five, but, unlike Sparta, they did not hit the woodwork on two other occasions, and they are PSG. Last season Cluj also scored four, winning by a single goal, but by any measure, across 58 years of home European ties, that is without shadow of a doubt, the low point. We are now the team fans all over Europe point to and laugh, all the money, yet Cluj, Copenhagen, Ferenvcaros, Sparta.
What has gone wrong?
It is not the formation. Without changing to three at the back, I don’t think we would have won the league last season. This season, we tried four, then three, then four, then both defensive lines at different times of games, but the formation is not the problem. It is possible to defend, control games and create chances with either line-up. And as we have seen, a change in formation does not make a slow or clumsy defender fast and assured. If only it were as simple as Scott Brown’s advancing years, or injuries and absentees; they are red herrings, this malaise is more serious.
Post-match, Callum McGregor and Neil Lennon spoke well. The player admitted to humiliation, the manager walked that fine line of showing contained anger, but he was clear: a lack of application from the players was to blame. What a thought to ponder.
I am fond of many in our squad; they have delivered success beyond my wildest imagination. I am fond of the manager too, for the same reason – results are all, and his filled the well some time ago. If I thought sacking the manager would safely resolve matters, I would tell you so.
It is Neil’s responsibility to put the players on the field in the correct frame of mind to compete at their best every time. He is failing in this, his criticism last night is self-directed, but sacking him right now would be a Gambler’s Play. It might work, it might result in carnage, anyone convinced they know how it would play out, underestimates the complexity of the question.
What I know for sure is that we stand at an historic precipice and no one is coping. We need to reframe the challenge ahead, if we do not, the season will play out as you now fear. Together, we have a great opportunity to record magnificent achievements, a fourth consecutive treble, 10 and all the glory that comes with it, but all you see are demands weighing everyone down.
This responsibility lies on Neil Lennon and the players because they are winners. They have the Scottish Government hammering them while punching for Newco, they have 10,000 critics weighing-in online (which they read and are not helped by). These are the wages of success, lesser mortals have six critics, let this fuel their engine.
After the game, Chris Sutton insisted Europe was still important to Celtic. Chris, you don’t live in the towns of Lanarkshire. Europe has gone this season; we need to reframe this too. Our three remaining Europa weeks are an opportunity to develop the squad and rest weary legs, while Newco will have at least five competitive Europa games. We must now think of this as an advantage; make the most of it.
We know how to win leagues and trophies. We were on our knees at New Year but while others “bottled it” and we got on with the business of winning. There are no white, saltire or union flags here, only green league title flags. To the manager, coaches and players, what a privilege this challenge is.
Relive some of the better days that took us here in Celtic: Treble Treble, by Alex Gordon, a 100 page full colour booklet on how the Invincible, Double and Treble Trebles were won. Our stock is available here for £5 each (retail £9.95).
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Paddy, I’ve been listening to music and now off to bed.
Thanks, for the post, you always come across very well.
Taking my boy to a footie session tomorrow morning, but will respond when I get the chance.
I’m amazed that the keeper situation is ignored. Our keepers are conceding 1 goal every 2 shots on target!
Those stats make our keepers almost the worst in the football world. Bain us totally dreadful, his kicking and saving atrocious. The Greek- can anyone tell us where he came from? Totally out of nowhere, and he has been astonishingly bad. Duffy-absolutely needs dropped as he so clearly is terrified ATM. Lennon is the most wrong as he picks these sadly awful players.
P8DDY. You are one of the very few posters worth reading on here. More power to your elbow mo chara.
JPH on 7TH NOVEMBER 2020 12:06 AM
‘The Greek- can anyone tell us where he came from?’
###
My guess would be Greece.
THE BLOGGER FORMERLY KNOWN AS GM…
Paddy, I’ve been listening to music and now off to bed.
Have a fine evening!
Thanks, for the post, you always come across very well.
Thank you! It’s easy to discuss on here – We share the same aims, hopes and dreams even if our methods differ.
Taking my boy to a footie session tomorrow morning, but will respond when I get the chance.
With the risk of sounding even more down on Celtic, I’m jealous! You’ll get to *enjoy* the football for a change! :) I’m going to start taking my wee boy to football soon, I think I’m looking forward to it more than he is!
/p
Could anyone, maybe one of the nats, point me in the direction of Sturgeon’s press conference where she, or maybe Leitch,excoriated Jones and Edmundson?
I’m sure it must have happened but I seem to have missed it.
Ta.
ERNIE LYNCH…
Sturgeon insisted that Celtic games were cancelled.
Agreed?
Kind of. But for the purposes of the debate, it’s close enough.
That’s a punishment. Agreed?
No. As a matter of public health and reducing the risk of virus transmission the games were postponed. The devil is in the detail here – the games were not cancelled. They were postponed. The second point – what did you expect? To let a squad of players who were exposed to Bolingoli over the course of several days loose to infect and potentially kill others? How many people being injured or killed would make the risk worthwhile? One player with long covid? A dead tea lady and a player with permanent lung damage? I’m absolutely serious here. Was it an inconvenience? Yes. Was it annoying? Yes. Was it punishment? No. But this was Bolingoli’s fault, not the governments. And I have no issue with a postponement under the circumstances.
Celtic took action against Bolingoli immediately they knew of his breach. Agreed?
Absolutely.
So both clubs took the same action, at the same time. One is punished, the other is commended.
No one was punished, no games were missed. Anyone with vulnerable, elderly parents, sick relatives or underlying health conditions will attest to the worry they feel at being needlessly exposed. A game of football requires a lot of support staff. Celtic becoming super spreaders wouldn’t be a good look. Further, a compassionate, safety first approach works better than the Tories ‘go to work, eat out’, which has demonstrably cost lives.
Rangers gained no advantage, Celtic were not disadvantaged and maybe lives were saved. Maybe also the tone has changed as public patience has changed – for example, it’s a particular issue amongst the right wing to be covid sceptical, and people are railing against wearing masks. Maybe highlighting a football club with those affinities sticking by the rules might persuade some with issues to act responsibly?
Maybe the people involved just aren’t really football people, have tried to adjust their approach from the earlier approach that got them a kicking. politicians want to be popular – after getting shouted down by pretty much everyone they try a different approach.
Neither of us know – and in the absence of evidence, accusing people of being sectarian when it looks more like they’ve simply prioritised public health seems pretty unfair. We’re fighting on a few fronts, let’s choose our battles wisely.
/p
Agreed?
Folks,
I’ve read a few very nice comments pushed my way. Thank you one and all. It’s very much appreciated – and I’ll remind you all of them when you’re telling me to shut the damn up! :) It’s all of you guys that makes this such a vital place for chatting about Celtic, life and everything.
We’re family – We might be more like the Munsters than the Waltons, but that works for me. :)
Have a fine evening one and all – hopefully tomorrow will see Trump out and Rangers implode spectacularly.
/p
ERNIE LYNCH…
Apologies about that ‘Agreed’ at the bottom of my reply to you. My ctrl c/ctrl v needs some work. :)
/p
Ernie, you are one bitter gobshite of a man.
Some on cqn have a hard on for you but I think, like me, there are more that think you are poison.
Do you even live in Scotland?
You are a wretched patronising freak who nobody on here has met.
Why is that? Are you house bound? Are you afraid to meet Celtic supporters?
P.S. Thanks for your advice on transferring Celtic shares. Worked perfectly.
I wonder what Neil Lennon will be doing today?
Briefing ministers on the clubs COVID activities?
Sorting out the defence?
Scouting players?
Preparing an AGM paper on the clubs response to Res12?
Working out tactics?
Talking to the media?
I dont about ‘we are all Neil Lennon’ it seems more like ‘Neil Lennon is everyone’ when it comes to Celtic Park.
Time for the board to stop being anonymous and start doing their bloody job!
Has any member of our board added any value in the past 12 months?
I’m genuinely struggling to think of anything.
A Celer Gone of Rust
You echoed my thoughts re Ernie – has he ever appeared at Babbity Bowster, met outside the ground or any of the other venues where CQN have gathered face to face? If he did I wonder whether he would use the same venomous language to fellow supporters that he does online – like many others here I have engaged politely with Ernie and tried in a reasonable way to present my opinion only to be met with unpleasant personal response -easy to do from behind a keyboard – Celtic supporters have a tradition of being inclusive- the Blog in recent times has been far from that
I think Barkas has to be cut a bit of slack here,and the criticism he has received is well over the top IMO.A young guy coming to a new country, probably still in a hotel,new language etc.I don’t think he has been culpable for many goals, if any.Sure,I want him to be more commanding, and dominate his area,but if you look at the defence he’s had in front of him,it hasn’t helped the guy.I would play him on Sunday, and tell him he’s No 1 GK,hopefully might give him more confidence.
I see the cybernats are ganging up on anybody that dares to question them, our host included.
True to form.
I see the cybernats are ganging up on anybody that dares to question them, our host included.
True to form.
——
or maybe folk just dont liike keyboard hardmen like you calling them names?
yeah, that could be it
DETTOLANDTHEBLACKASH on 7TH NOVEMBER 2020 6:39 AM
………….
FACE to FACE ?
We have had Posters ( not too many thankfully) on here in the last 18/24 hours saying that ” Neil Lennon is Peters PUPPET”…
Would that CHUMP(s) DARE say that to Neils Face ? Would Chump(s) like that EVER say that IF they ever got round to Meeting up with several CQN Bhoys over a few Beers…I seriously doubt it…although they are probably stupid/ Chump enough to do so… after Two Half Pints of Feckin Lager….and their Weekly intake of a SNOWBALL !
Chumps like that will always hide behind a Feckin Keyboard…
Our Greek Goalie papped us out of the CL – did he not ? You know world football goalie stats but dont know where a 4M+ keeper came from ? How many goals has he cost us ? How many games has he played ? How many defensive combinations has he played behind ? Let’s be nice to each other but not our own players ?
!!BADA BING!! on 7TH NOVEMBER 2020 7:26 AM
I think Barkas has to be cut a bit of slack here,and the criticism he has received is well over the top IMO.A young guy coming to a new country, probably still in a hotel,new language etc.I don’t think he has been culpable for many goals…
………………
I agree with that part of your Post mate…for what my opinion is worth ?
its maybe just to soon to have him back between the sticks against Motherwell though imho ?
Barkas AND Bain MUST be less than confident when trying to keep out the opposition with THAT defence in front of them ?
So, I tend to cut BOTH of them a bit of slack.
HH.
Sutton finally questioning Lenny’s part in the shambles:
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/neil-lennons-celtic-culture-change-22971194
Big Jimmy
I agree -I am all for robust online discussion when it comes to matters Celtic and I understand that when it comes to politics matters can get heated but the tone of comments and the abusive name calling is not what we should from a genuine Celtic community. I am sure that these comments would not be made in person and I also wonder whether many lurking avoid posting their views because of the venomous reaction that they might receive. I respect the right of the owner of this blog to voice his political views however when set in language as ‘daughter of Ayrshire’ my concern is that he is playing to a particular sectarian tune -that has been subsequently reflected on many of the subsequent blog posts.
Passions running high on here and elsewhere which is understandable but the blaming and shaming of this one and that one is helping no one or our club in general.
I refuse to lay blame on this slump at anyone person or group as I don’t know the inner workings of Celtic Football club as an operation.
I suspect that very few if any posters on here do have that knowledge. It’s basically all assumptions based on their own biases.
I’m fairly certain our detractors in the media and throughout Scotland in general are loving the infighting and calls on social media for this one and that one to be replaced or sacked.
If this doesn’t end well for us this season in terms of the the title, I will remain grateful to Lenny and the players for all their graft and effort to bring the unprecedented success to our club that we’ve seen in this glorious era. So many great memories and moments I will never forget or tier of when retelling to my children.
That may sound defeatist, but It’s not. It’s still all to play for.
I will continue to back Neil Lennon and the players to do what’s necessary to get this title. Everyone still here from the start of the current 9IAR has never let us down, despite recent disappointments I don’t think they will now.
They have delivered so much for us in this run and produced levels of consistency in terms of results and performances we’ve never seen before. I will never give up on them.
HH
P8DDY on 7TH NOVEMBER 2020 12:50 AM
The squad are regularly tested for Covid. None were infected. There was no risk. Sturgeon made it clear games were not to be played. That was against Celtic’s wishes. The postponment has proved to be a handicap. A punishment.
If you are a Celtic fan it should be clear to you that both clubs have been treated differently by the SNP.
And the offending players have been treated differently by the SNP. Bongoli was publicly slaughtered by Sturgeon. Not a cheep about the two huns.
If you weren’t a member of a cult you would question why that is.
A CEILER GONOF RUST on 7TH NOVEMBER 2020 2:19 AM
Aye, it’s a feckin conundrum as to why I wouldn’t want to go out of my way to associate with people like you.
DETTOLANDTHEBLACKASH on 7TH NOVEMBER 2020 6:39 AM
‘Celtic supporters have a tradition of being inclusive’
Doubtless the irony will have escaped you.
Looks like some of the vituperation directed at NFL on here comes from his criticism of the cult’s dear leader.
Just another thought…
I don’t think the level of reaction on here to a defeat is helped by the pandemic and all the ramifications that follow it. We live in highly charged times.
A lot of folk are stressed oot their tits due to a multitude of factors affecting their day to day lives (Our manager and players are not immune to this).
Peace and love to you all.
HH
welcome to Brit Quick News
P67, Ernie Greenpinta et al wrapping themselves in their union jacks and having a go at anyone who doesnt share their love of the union
no wonder a lot of sleekit huns come on here – they get to read views that match their own
its like last night of the proms
Vituperation…Jeezo Ernie, I had to look that up.
Use of this word peaked around the 1830s and it’s use has been in decline ever since to now when according to reports it’s barely used or seen.
Is Ernie a time traveler from the 1800s?
Far fetched maybe but preliminary investigation would suggest it’s a possibility.
HH
Don’t klick on the Rekord…………….
Please…..
Don’t buy it, Back The Bhoycott.
HH.
ernie lynch @ 8:17 am
At least you said `some`.
Dbhoy @ 8:17 am
Good point re `highly charged times`. ( Though ` stressed oot their tits ` also makes the point :-)) )
“BANKIEBHOY1 on 7TH NOVEMBER 2020 8:29 AM
Don’t klick on the Rekord…………….
Please…..
Don’t buy it, Back The Bhoycott.:
I agree so:
a) Ididn`t;
b)I don`t;
c) I do.
JJ
Independent of what?
NS says “the Queen will still be Scotland’s head of state.”
NS says “she’ll ask the BoE to be allowed to keep the UK currency.”
So, Independent of what, or whom?
Not seeking to be mischievous, I’m asking because I’m confused about, NS’s answers to the question’s that I reiterate.
Just nipped back oan…………………………………………….ahhhhhh!
Bolded by P8ddy!…..FANtasticccccccc.
I probably agree with most of what ye say Bhoy. Probably.
Context is everything. Bhlog fun’s a serious business and in short supply “currantly”…………
Keep it Lit and Keep it Bold.
HH
Big Jimmy- thanks for reply, I don’t think Bain has taken his chance either, but as I said, with the uncertainty in the defence, it’s difficult for any GK right now.
Hot Smokie………..
Good Mhan……………………….
Every Little Helps…………………………….
HH
Wooft this place can be really messed up !
Five in Polynesian Islands with first Russian teamaker (7).
Stevie Clarke would’ve put a bank of four in front of, Duffy, and Bain, then we’d all be talking about how wonderful, Duffy, and Bain are. Football is a simple game, a great man once said.
Jack Murphy
Whenever I read of the Queen and the currency from SNP, I always feel uneasy.To me, it offers a futuristic glance at the Hun-like road an Independent Scotland would take ( if the SNP were to gain power in such a Scotland).