07 Nov 2015 13:02:32
Reading all the posts about Delia, it seems opinion is divided on him, I am firmly in the AGAINST camp and here are some of my main reasons.
1) we keep being told he was "a bold and innovative appointment by Mr Lawwell, even ED007 has said something similar" No, he was not, he was the cheapest of the cheap available"
2) his admirers on here keep telling us "the team's fitness has improved" again no it has not
3) his awful zonal marking, does any work go into improving this? none that I can see
4) apparently Delia bases his formations on our defenders playing the ball out from the back, why then put Ambrose, Boyata, Blackett there who patently cannot pass a decent ball
5) "judge me in europe" he said, well we are and his record is abysmal.
6)again we hear of him "bringing on" Griffiths, Commons etc but what about the others who last season were standouts and have gone backwards Gordon, Johansen, even Brown, we can all name a good few others
7)where is the passion from him, or the understanding what it means to manage a club like Celtic, maybe below average results were acceptable in stromsogadet but NOT at Celtic.
In summary he was a cheap option that people tried to spin into a world beater, no not a world beater just getting celtic beaten in europe is his legacy.
{Ed007's Note - 1) Don't put words in my mouth Tim, I've warned you about that before. Why are you not that confident in your own opinion that you're dragging me into it?
2) Players fitness and conditioning is monitored all the time and EVERY players has improved under RD's and the sports science department new approach, it's there in black and white so you're talking bollocks there.
3) Gordon Strachan and Neil Lennon both used zonal-marking, you didn't even know what it was then and have only started talking about it since the press mentioned it against RD.
4) Who else should he pick? Ever heard the saying 'You can only pi$h with the c*ck you've got?
5) His record so far is still better than our last manager and comparable to most during recent times, managers who had a far superior transfer kitty and some of them even got to pick who was signed.
6) How can he improve an injury prone 32 year old GK and one of the laziest players ever to play for us, players form goes up and down Tim, that's football. Would Bitton, Rogic or Tierney have been in our first team without RD in charge, Griffiths has improved leaps and bounds, ffs even Forrest seems to be staying fit - that's a miracle in itself.
7) So you've spoken to RD personally and asked him about his feelings? You're a lucky guy.}
07 Nov 2015 14:29:17
Every team has their ups and downs in form, just take a look at Chelsea. So many superstars but their still losing games, against teams everybody think their should be trashing. They have one of the best squads in europe, but still manages to lose against Palace, Southampton etc etc.
You could say that anybody could win SPL with Celtic, but if you look behind the results in Europe, your not that far behind. Should have won against Ajax, should have (with a bit of luck) won against Molde the orher night, and the game against Fenerbache could also with a bit of luck have been won.
Would Bitton sign a new contract if he didn't have confidence in Deila? Would Tierney be such a good talent with out Deila's regime for the last two seasons? You have a great future for your fantastic club, two years in is still a short time for all changes to stick and your now seing results of Deila's youth system. Give him at least one or two more seasons and you will get successfull.
07 Nov 2015 14:34:12
BTW Tyler Blackett did all the same mistakes when he played for United, so its not like Deila has made him worse.
07 Nov 2015 14:46:11
Sorry folks, But I just cannot see where this fitness levels are superior, we are used to bulldozing teams in the SPL games over @ HT and under RD some games we are nowhere near that!
Against Malmo, Molde we were a SPENT force at HT and that is being generous!
Don't get me wrong I WANT it to work
But 80/90% of the team ain't trying for RD/JC/JK it seems SB has an issue now with JC that stems from a decade ago
For sure Biton deserved a new deal but here another way of looking at it what FOUR at this stage of the season would you be short listing for POTY .?
A rest my case!
07 Nov 2015 14:53:52
Nice to see you NorwegianRed looks as though you were right about Forren being a player that we should pursue mate
I wonder Ed how does the Bosman rule work for Norway do yo know? he is under contract there to Christmas next year so when would (if at all? ) be able to sign a pre-contract thanks.
{Ed007's Note - He'll be able to sign a pre-contract 6 months before his deal expires so that'll be 1st July 2016.}
07 Nov 2015 15:30:46
Likewise Jamiebhoy, Forren is a good player and would be a great signing for you, i believe. Him and Simunovic would be a perfect pair if you ask me.
{Ed007's Note - I'm hoping Simunovic is the missing link that will install the confidence in our defence that's been missing. We're missing a leader/organiser at the back, and I include the GK in that, but injuries etc aren't helping matters in letting RD pick a settled back four to let them develop as a defensive unit.}
07 Nov 2015 15:49:13
True ED, i also think Simunovic is your missing link, you could really see that against Molde. Once Simunovic got injured the whole deffence looked like it wa playing sunday league.
07 Nov 2015 15:52:19
I can only judge the team on what I see week in week out. In my opinion we are in a worse state than when he took over, we have gone from a team who were in the Champions League to a struggling Europa League team while he has been in charge. I fully accept that players have been sold, and that his job has not been easy, but these conditions were not thrust upon him out of the blue, I'm sure he took the job knowing that we are a selling club, so he can't really complain.
Selling players doesn't stop him motivating the players that are left, it doesn't stop him being a good tactician and playing to a system which suits the players he has, and which they are comfortable and confident in playing.
These are the areas where Ronny looks badly lacking to me, by all means improve the fitness, but that doesn't make you a good coach, any fitness instructor at a gym could improve the players fitness, but you wouldn't put them in charge of the team.
I have yet to see what managerial ability Ronny has that I haven't seen, as I said before, you don't need great players to demonstrate that ability, good man- management, and tactical knowledge can just as easily be shared with lesser players.
{Ed007's Note - 'we have gone from a team who were in the Champions League to a struggling Europa League team'
When we were last in the CL our record was P.6; W.1; D.0; L.5; GF 3. GA 14 GD −11; Pts 3.
Last season we reached the KO stages of the EL and were unlucky not to get by Inter and yes this season has been a disaster but don't make it out as if we were any big deal in the CL, we were the whipping boys and were embarrassed 7-1 on aggregate by Barca. For the record Ajax were also in our group that year and look where they are now - and we lost 1-0 to them in Amsterdam that year.
I think a more accurate statement would be 'We have gone from a CL laughing stock to a struggling EL team', I don't really see the difference except the £ and I couldn't give a stuff about that.}
07 Nov 2015 15:58:17
Yeah Norwegianred Forren reminded of a Stevie Bruce type of defender not scared to put the boot or head in where it hurts IMO and can score from a set piece (y)
07 Nov 2015 16:06:05
Hope your right about missing link with jozo the bhoy does look like he's the no nonsense type just hope he's not going to be injury prone. For me what's missing at the back is an experienced head there doesn't seem to be any organisation in the back 4. It's been stated by many in here about lustig moving into the middle that for me could be the answer with a fit jozo and tierney and Janko at full back. My best mate is city season ticket holder and couldn't believe we took boyata let alone paid for him he is always going to cost us goals.
07 Nov 2015 16:49:49
Ed you can try and dress it up any way you want, but whether or not we struggled in the Champions league, at least we were in it.
I personally do think the money is important, as I can't see any other way of raising money that would enable us to buy better quality than the likes of Cifti, Boyata etc.
I don't get the argument that says it's unacceptable to be pumped by Barcelona, but it's okay to be humiliated by, Molde, Maribor, Malmo, and Leiga Warsaw.
In my opinion, losing to the likes of Barcelona, although it is painful, cannot be compared to losing to the likes of Molde, we know Barcelona are way ahead of us, and always will be, but are we now saying that we cannot even compete with Molde, a team who are sixth in the Norwegian league.
I totally respect your views Ed, but I can't believe that celtic shouldn't be aiming a bit higher than that.
{Ed007's Note - At least we were in it, is that it? That's like something Lawwell would come out with, I'd rather see us compete in the EL than be ripped apart in the CL, no matter how you dress it up CFC are not a CL team or club at this moment at time, we don't deserve to be in it because we don't try hard enough for it, we piss players, agents and clubs around all summer and then if the gamble of qualifying doesn't come off we're left scrambling for diddies like Ciftci and Scott AllanSo what did we spend the last lot of CL money on? Not to mention the income from transfers, even when we have the money we don't spend it.
Molde might be sixth in the Norwegian league but we're buying players from Dundee Utd, players a lot of fans wanted signed btw, I'd say Molde are a higher level than Utd wouldn't you? What about Scott Allan, a Scottish second division player that people want to see playing in Europe for CFC after being here for 4 months! I'd say 6th in the Norwegian league is a higher level than 3rd place in the Scottish second division where Scott Allan came from. There would be people foaming at the mouth if we were signing second division players from abroad.}
07 Nov 2015 17:21:59
ED why are u not interested in the CL money. Surely given that we get it then we are more likely attract better players as obv they won't come to just play in our league.
Obv I don't expect the board to spend all of the money we get but we can certainly spend more with it than without it.
Also surely with it we can increase the wage structure you clearly crave. Regarding the Barcelona result we were well beaten but Barcelona can do that to anyone. Look at Barca/Bayern games recently they have beaten each other easily so we in good company.
I would much rather be a CL embarrassment than a EL embarrassment, and people can't bring up the Barcelona humiliation without mentioning beating them previously.
Its 1 of the greatest results in our CL history and every celtic fan remembers it.
{Ed007's Note - The money doesn't get invested in the team and the entire competition is a cancer in our game that is only there to favour the rich clubs, I couldn't care less if CFC never played in it again. The CL and the EPL are slowly killing the game and some CFC supporters would sell their granny to get into either, whilst preaching to their Zombie pals about financial malpractise.
I support Celtic, not any particular competition, I supported CFC before the CL was invented and I'll still be supporting them when the next money spinner tournament is invented to swell the coffers of the super powers and the officials involved.}
07 Nov 2015 18:24:56
Well said ed! If you weren't from the Hamilton area I would call you a good man haha.
07 Nov 2015 18:26:35
ED I with you about the CL cancer but we cannot avoid it, its there its a huge cash cow and it brings the huge games we crave as supporters. We do invest in the team, maybe not to the level we would like but I suppose 99% of fans all over the world would say the same about their team.
We will prob buy 2to4m player if we in it regularly, maybe even more. But if we a EL team consistently then it will prob be 1-2m. That's the difference. Better player means better football.
{Ed007's Note - Fans carry on like the CL is the be all and end all, it's football snobbery at it's very worst and our own attendances show we're as guilty as anyone of it. The strange thing about it is that RD is being put under more pressure over failing to qualify than previous managers, that again shows how far out of touch with the realities of the club sections of the support are.}
07 Nov 2015 18:31:56
Are you really trying to say ED that when we were losing in Malmo, you were sitting there rooting for Malmo because you didn't want us to get into the Champions League.
I too support Celtic, I support them in every match we play in whatever competition, but I want us to try and win every match we play in, so that involves trying to get into the Champions league, I want us to try and reach the best standards we can manage.
You may not like the money in the Champions league, but you can't compare being in it to what the zombies did, they cheated their way to titles and stuff by dodgy tax dealings, as far as I know there is nothing illegal about being in the Champions League.
I don't view it any differently to wanting to reach the next level, if we finish runners up in the league, then I want to win it the following year, if we lose a Cup final, I want us to try and win the next one, and if we are in the Europa League, I want us to try and go up a level and get in the Champions league, it doesn't mean I stop supporting them if they don't.
I just want Celtic to get to the highest level they can manage, I don't feel with this current board and the present manager, they are giving it their best shot.
{Ed007's Note - I read the first line and that was enough for me.}
07 Nov 2015 19:14:41
Deila isn't doing it in Europe So what? His predecessors didn't either and they all went on to have various degrees of success once they got more European experience . I can't understand how Deila can be blamed for Johannson's loss of form . Deila has dropped him and given opportunities to rest-up but some think Deila should be able to switch on last season's Johannson form . Instead of having our new Centre half for our four Europa League matches so far, we have had him for only one .
By the way was his injured ankle targeted on Thursday?
07 Nov 2015 19:02:18
Ed u living in the past mate u need to move with the times. We may not like the way CL is set up, but it means success to a lot of fans being in it. U got leccy in hillhoose yet lol.
{Ed007's Note - No it means money to fans, and money is all that seems to bother modern fans, success would be winning it. I don't stay in Hillhouse btw.}
07 Nov 2015 20:08:24
Sorry ED007 for this late reply but I was doing my taxi driver as girls would not go on bus in the rain (I ask you. )
I am older than your goodself and have witnessed the good and bad times at celtic, yet I am still here getting excited when they play well and yes angry when I watch rubbish.
Please answer honestly are you happy with the progress? we have made under Delia, fitter? I see little evidence of it. Also honestly do you think Lawwell picked Delia for his coaching abilitities or as myself and others suspect his low salary.
You continually knock Lennon and Oneill but both got us playing some really good football and gave us good memories in CL, yes both made mistakes but FFS Delia does not even come close to giving us good memories in europe, instead he has made us a laughing stock.
Delia has come out and said he has had major say in all our signings since he came in so he must take blame himself instead of passing blame on to players. he says they lack passion where is HIS passion.
You continually criticise Gordon yet criticise posters like myself who ask questions about Delia. I can honestly say I have tried to get behind Delia can you say the same about Gordon.
07 Nov 2015 21:44:55
CL is the holy grail and we SHOULD be in it 3 of every 5!
You want to drive the best car you can afford
You want your kids to get the best education / best schooling
You want to stay in the best house in the best area you can
Sleep with the best looking female you can
Why would anyone not want to be among the best they can?