14 Sep 2015 09:31:27
Just replying to Killy who says I'm way off the mark to say Lennon would have got us threw against your malmos maribors and legia! Forgive me mate but did Lennon not put out the Swedish champions twice in the champions league qualifiers?? Or did I make that up! Did he not get us into the champions league? Did I make that up! I don't think I'm way off the mark at all! The facts are down in black and white! Forget what u said about defeats to St mirren and the rest! I'm talking about Europe,were every Celtic manager is judged! And my belief is with the players we have and using the them in a better system and in there proper positions Lennon would have got us in the CL!!
{Ed007's Note - How many attempts did NL need to get us into Europe never mind the CL? Lets look at some facts -
First season - None, put out the CL & EL Qualifiers,
Second season - EL Group Stages, it wasn' until NLs THIRD season in charge that we managed to qualify for the CL.
Or am I making all that up?
If you're judging CFC managers on their European record, after one season in charge even Stevie Wonder can see that RD has surpassed NLs first season and emulated his second. It's all there in black and white.
Or am I making that up?
Or is it only the good things NL's team done later on in his time as manager we're allowed to compare with RDs time so far, what about the first 2 1/2 years of NL's reign?
You've went from 'facts down in black and white' to 'my belief is' which one are we sticking by because the facts don't back up what you're saying?}
14 Sep 2015 12:14:34
Well said Ed007. That's not even mentioning that the calibre of player was better not so much 'a work in progress'. Also that we had to beat Karagandy 3-0 at home to go through with a Forrest last gasp goal.
14 Sep 2015 12:35:41
Rather than judge Ronny on Neil Lennon's start why not judge him on "judge me in a years time"his own words . Are we attractive to watch this season - no. Are we learning from tactical errors - no. Is he continuing to play poor players - yes. Do I think he is progressing us - no. Is youth being given a real chance - no.
If anyone can tell me where we are improving on the park this season then please tell us where?
{Ed007's Note - Well the only disappointment for me so far this year, outwith the disastrous transfer window where the board and PL let down another CFC manager, is not qualifying for the CL and I put that down to the players so overall I'm happy enough with the job RD is doing, he's not the only CFC manager to fail to get into the CL and he won't be the last.}
14 Sep 2015 14:08:07
Same here Ed i'm sure RD felt as let down as the rest of us by the players. RD has a bit of blame to shoulder, sure, but it was a gutless display from the XI on the park in Malmo and to be fair they only got by from a few corners. Yes the money spent on the two sides is night and day but that doesn't paper over the fact our board didn't do any where near as much as they could and even made money this window. That suggests to me we have lost something out of the playing side. I was yet again appalled by our transfer activity and when you said the other day that by getting our tickets we've put more in than the board I didn't even think of it like that. Shocking.
14 Sep 2015 14:37:41
Surely you can't be happy with the level of performances in domestic games this season in comparison to the tail end of last season? It's not good enough to have to wait 15-20 games in to a season before we start rolling crap teams over convincingly. For me that is where the frustrations have resurfaced because we've regressed to last seasons start rather than continue on from last seasons ending as progress was going to be hard as we are all disappointed with the transfer window.
{Ed007's Note - Results come first - then you look at improving performances. We have a team that has had the wind knocked out of them after the disaster in Malmo and it's obviously taken it's toll on them. Our current problems are down to the players. We're still 2 points better off in the league than we were at this time last year, we lost on Saturday in what is traditionally a tricky away tie, even when we were pumping Aberdeen in every game there was always that chance of going up there and losing, it's never an easy place to go.
Although there were some very poor individual displays we lost to a penalty and a GKs error, what could RD have done to change either of them happening, without giving away a penalty and CGs blunder we'd have won 1-0 and I'd take a 1-0 up at Pittodrie any day. And that was with half the team not turning up or giving a good enough account of themselves.
Come the end of the season Saturday's performance will be nothing more than a distant memory.}
14 Sep 2015 15:22:06
Right so it took Lennon his 3rd attempt to get to CL! So what happened on ronnies 3rd attempt! The 3rd attempt in a year! I maintain that Lennon with the players we've got would have made it past Malmo or the other 2 who put us out! It's a fact that Lennon got us threw at his 3rd attempt and Ronnie didn't is it not? My question is if we have a shocking EL campaign do we give him 4 trys at it! That's if we even finish top and get a CL spot! Like I said I like Ronnie and he talks a good game! But we've went backward under him! Of that there's no doubt! To the point were we are actually saying Aberdeen are genuine title holders! Just totally frustrated ED to be honest mate! It's been a long long time since I felt this uninspired by my team!
{Ed007's Note - Well if you want to be pedantic we need to bring in the Sion situation during NL's reign, that'll go down as another Euro exit for him as well. His first qualification, his third attempt for Europe was by default or that would have been no European football in his first two season without Sion's problems and crazy owner.
It wasn't NL that provided us with EL football that season, it was UEFA and the CAS.}
14 Sep 2015 15:40:42
Yes we will win the league and possibly the double or treble but it just feels like Groundhog Day seeing the same mistakes recurring and same baffling starting lineups/substitutions. Yes individual errors are costing us but it's largely by the same people so he needs to address this as continually selecting them is showing a lack of control of the problem.why not play mcgregor,o'connell,tierney and bailly for a few games to give Gordon mulgrew ambrose boyata etc the proper warning that they must improve
{Ed007's Note - I'd agree with that, my feelings on Mulgrew and Gordon are very clear, that's two weak players in your defensive unit right away. Boyata I'm willing to give a chance to, especially alongside Simunovic, let's see what sort of partnership they make, I'm not even going to think about Lustig as I don't see him being here long term for one reason or another. I'd say our long term back line will be Janko -----Boyata ----- Simunovic -------- Blackett that's four new players and a brand new defence who haven't had a chance to play together yet, playing Simunovic on Saturday wouldn't have helped any, they guy had only been in the country a couple of days and was nowhere near ready, Blackett got a surprise at how tough the Scottish league is but he'll learn and do us a turn this year.
The CL exit was a major disappointment but I'm willing to give the team a chance to settle down and find some form before pressing the panic button, that's a whole new defence out there and after so many people wanting to see Ambrose, Mulgrew and Izaguirre dropped you have to give their replacement's a chance, hasn't RD (JP & PL) done what people wanted and brought in a new CB and a new LB?
Again the timing of the signings is hardly RD's fault, who can say what difference Simunovic could have made to the CL qualifiers playing besides VVD?
Where's the fans who were screaming out for Mulgrew to play over Izaguirre in Malmo? They got exactly what they wanted and it backfired big time, RD again identified it as a problem position and a new LB was brought in, apart from being a loanee it's what everyone wanted.
Everything the fans wanted, every area they said needed a change of personnel got one, CB, LB and a striker were the positions we all highlighted needed changing and that's what's happened, the quality and timing of the signings can't be blamed on RD.
On May 4th Peter Lawell said this: 'It’s never easy. We have to do it within our financial constraints, timing is an issue – we need to get players in, preferably, before the qualifiers. But normally you can see in transfer windows that most of the business is done at the end. So these are the challenges, we've been planning for them, we face them. We've got a lot of experience in terms of dealing with these sorts of circumstances, but I'm really confident.'
So how did all that experience and planning pan out for you, Pedro, because it was pretty $hitty from a supporter's point of view....AGAIN!}
14 Sep 2015 22:21:06
The great coach Lennon is being found out down south in for a relegation battle this season!