09 Feb 2016 18:13:55
Just listning to tam Boyd talking there! A guy I've got respect for what he's done for the club! But he's just spouted the biggest load of pish I've heard in a long time! We don't need to win any cups and we all want a competitive league! Obviously a coincedince him coming out with this garbage on the day he gets a nice cushty job with the club! Talking about towing the party line! Think lawell helped him write his wee speech today! Expected better from tam Boyd!
09 Feb 2016 18:36:44
He works for Celtic TV mate, so he couldn't say anything else! I don't care if it's Andy Walker or Tom Boyd, as long as you are being fair! The standard at the moment is unacceptable, not because Aberdeen have become brilliant, they have improved, maybe by about 20% though, we have went around 50% backwards in around 4 years!
09 Feb 2016 19:40:18
Totally agree mate, if there opinion is fair then I've no problem with it. but what Boyd came out with was nonsense! Right u work for Celtic t. v and your now an ambassador, but please don't feel the need to be lawells mouth piece! This pish we all want a competive league somehow justifies the Shoite we're getting served up! They are not fooling anyone! Be interesting to hear boyds opinions in private about what's going on with the team! I'm guessing they would be different from the public garbage he spoke today!
09 Feb 2016 20:06:32
Why wouldn't you want a competetive league?
09 Feb 2016 20:25:01
There's a difference between the league being competitive and us being that poor that we're getting dragged down to the rests level! Because make no mistake, it's us that's going backwards not the others going forward!
09 Feb 2016 20:25:47
If the whole league were at the level of Kilmarnock or Motherwell it would be competitive Jim! What does that tell us? It tells me I want Celtic to be much much better! As it stands we aren't that bad, but we're not that good so I want us to be, maybe not much much better, but much better! There's nothing wrong with that. Regardless if Ronny was the manager, or if it was Pep Guardiola or Billy Ogilvie I'd be looking for better than this crap! It's nothing personal - people are obsessed with Deila getting picked on, I'm simply being honest, I'm not going to sit and be a hypocrite!
09 Feb 2016 20:33:14
I know there is. Part of it is Aberdeen improving though. The season points tallies are there to see. Was just wondering why you think him saying we would like to see a competetive league is pish. I'd love a competetive league.
09 Feb 2016 20:34:15
Cmon Jim you don't honestly believe our league has become competitive because Aberdeen have managed to come up to the standards we have set in the last 15 years? Or are you happy to be in a competitive league by dropping our standards to their level. The Scottish 2nd division is competitive but it's still crap
09 Feb 2016 20:56:07
The race for the title is tighter again this year. I find that more exciting. Sorry.
Of course I want to see Celtic improve.
Have we went backwards this season? Yeah I suppose we have a bit. Particularly in defence we look weaker, but it's pretty much a new back line being bedded in this season and even add to that injury spells etc.
You can't improve your points total every season! There will naturally be steps sideways and backwards here and there over the years. As for our level in Europe, well the level of player we sign getting worse creates problems. We're in a funny old position. Imagine a club in a better standard of league signing Carlton Coles and Scott Alans for their campaign at the Champions League!
09 Feb 2016 21:11:43
It's clear to most people that we have gone backwards, admittedly some teams have marginally improved but it's that's took the massive downturn. How many of these improved teams have done well in Europe and I include the new and improved Aberdeen in this equation. The football on offer from all clubs North of the border is a poor level unfortunately, and there is reasons for this . The main one being no money in the league but to keep trying to tell us that everyone is improving. ðŸ˜.
09 Feb 2016 21:57:17
@Delphic - Curious at how you arrived at the figure of 20% improvement for Aberdeen and 50% decline for us. Would it be possible to show us your calculation as I would love to be able to do this.
Cheers.
09 Feb 2016 22:24:15
Lots of people saying we have gone backwards and that Aberdeen have improved. Therefore, I have decided to investigate to see if there is any truth.
Here are the number of league points and league position for Celtic and Aberdeen. I started 5 years before Deila took over and ran to present day.
Lennon takes over from Mowbray in this season
---------------------------------------------
2009/ 10 - Celtic = 81 (2) | Aberdeen = 41 (9) - failed to qualify for CL and knocked out at group stage of Europa
2010/ 11 - Celtic = 92 (2) | Aberdeen = 38 (9) - failed to qualify for CL or Europa group stages
2011/ 12 - Celtic = 93 (1) | Aberdeen = 41 (9) - qualified for Europa league group stage because Sion got punished but failed to get out of group
============================================
Demise of Rangers
-----------------
2012/ 13 - Celtic = 79 (1) | Aberdeen = 48 (8) - got to last 16 of CL
2013/ 14 - Celtic = 99 (1) | Aberdeen = 68 (3) - got to group stage of CL
============================================
Deila takes over
----------------
2014/ 15 - Celtic = 92 (1) | Aberdeen = 75 (2) - failed to qualify for CL but made last 16 of Europa league
2015/ 16 - Celtic = 55 (1) | Aberdeen = 55 (2) 14 games left to be played in league (failed to qualify for CL but made group stage of Europa)
If we were to win every game until end of season we would have 97 points. Not saying we will win every game though. Looking at last 7 seasons, we have made CL group stage 2/ 7 and Europa group stage 4/ 7. There was only 1 season we did not have group stage. Looking at this I would not say Celtic have greatly declined and you could actually make the point that Ronny has performed above average and that we only have a 28.5% record of making CL group stage.
09 Feb 2016 22:32:06
Rab Mac last season we lost 4 times and drew 5 times. So far this season we have lost 3 and drawn 4, so it looks as if we will have less points this season. Is that due to teams getting better? I don't believe so. We have had our worst performance in European competition for years maybe ever. Looks like we will have our worst points total in about 5 years. No coincidence in my opinion. There is no doubt that the majority of supporters feel that the standard of our football has gone down. So all is not well. Don't think we are 50% down and Aberdeen are getting better so if Aberdeen can improve why can't we?
09 Feb 2016 22:43:01
You should try basing your opinion on fact Johnnymac.
You say this season is perhaps our worst performance ever in Europe. However, you only have to go back to 2011/ 12 season for a worse performance in Europe as we crashed out at first game of CL qualifier and only made Europa league groups because Sion forfeited game for fielding ineligible players.
You then say it looks like this will be our worst points total for 5 years. However, if we maintain current form it means we will drop 10 points (2 more losses and 2 more draws) between now and end of season and this will give us 87 points. You may notice that 87 is better than the 79 points we got in 12/ 13 season.
09 Feb 2016 23:16:14
You know what they say about lies, damn lies and statistics.
The bottom line is we have definitely declined in quality and so have the rest of Scottish football - with some of our so-called bigger teams from Ednburgh playing in a lower division recently and others like Motherwell and United who used to be decent - struggling badly.
The calibre of player at Celtic has definitely dropped as we continually replace star quality with basic economy brand and you just have to look at a cross section of Celtic teams and squads over the past decade to see what direction we are heading.
We all know the cash and geographical restraints that limit us, but every manager after MON had a strict budget to work in but we are not attracting or signing the likes of Nakamura, Ki, Forster, JVOH, Ledley, VVD or Wanyama.
10 Feb 2016 00:14:47
Yeah I'm really missing that defence of Naylor, Telfer, McManus and Caldwell. Those were the days.
10 Feb 2016 08:43:07
That would near enough be the same defence that won 3 titles on the trot and got us to CL last 16 twice
10 Feb 2016 08:45:56
Well done Rab for putting that together. Thought about something similar but facts don't sink in on here, and opinion is often branded as fact. And that statement is a fact. Like any season i'll assess it at the end. All i'll say is i'm not too confident of us breaking that 92 points. Would love it if we did AND Aberdeen are close behind.
10 Feb 2016 09:24:05
Rab Mac your analysis is based on what if we only drop 8 more points till end of the season so we will see. We won't achieve as many points as we did last season and the two seasons before so we are going backwards. Let's see what happens till end of season. One thing is for sure the football is poor so that's all we need to know.
10 Feb 2016 09:56:29
Why are people so obsessed with the dons, The reason they can do what their doing on their budget is because the do not have to win anything for the manager to keep his job (like most of the league) So DM can do what he wants ie try out players formations etc etc as he doesn't have to worry about 40,000 fans calling for his sacking because he lost 2 important games. Last season Aberdeen finished without a trophy yet people think they are even close to the level celtic are at, If mcinnes wins the league he will go down as one of aberdeens best managers, but ronny wins 2 out of a possible 4 cups and everyone wants him sacked. let's face it the bottom line is success depends on him keeping his job, We can win every comp by defending for 90mins and scoring once and people would still not be happy, Do you want excellent football where you fall at the final hurdle (arsenal comes to mind) and end the season trophy less like the dons? . My point is celtic have a way and that is stick by the team, Do any of you think delia is not frustrated by the system he has found himself working under (JP, PL, JC, JK) but he knows the honour of managing celtic and he's willing to try his best, Delia has good ideas we have just got to force the board to go with them and stop selling him down the river if we back ronny and not the board they cannot sack him to keep us happy (as someone suggested may happen) RANT OVER! .
10 Feb 2016 12:00:06
@Johnnymac, by all means you can say that you do not rate Ronny or that you do not like the football, as we are all entitled to opinions.
I was merely pointing out that some people's opinions are based on what they think is true and not on what is actually true.
10 Feb 2016 14:52:36
Rab Mac, that back four you mentioned would still be better than anything with Lustig, Boyata and Ambrose in it - not to mention Gormless Gordon.
10 Feb 2016 16:21:21
I would take Ambrose before Caldwell or McManus and Lustig before Telfer.
10 Feb 2016 22:19:21
I have read the greatest bit of push for a very long time . Tom Boyd played at the highest level for Motherwell, Chelsea& of course Celtic . A very long club and International career, Tom has continued to show an interest in Celtic, unlike others who have grasped the SMSM £ and sold their Celtic soul for the blue £ Tom Boyd says what he thinks and delivers the simple message for all Celtic fans to get behind R D and help to lift us out of our "mini crisis" . The alternative could well be another period like the 1990's and none of us want that .
Surely Tom Boyd knows more about getting Celtic up and running properly , than posters on Twitter and fan forums.