30 Apr 2016 18:22:18
I was delighted with that today, I thought we handled the occasion very well, there has been a lot of times this season when we would have struggled in a game like that.
I'm also really pleased for Ronny Deila, I have always felt that the job was a bit too much for him and his inexperience has shown through on a number of occasions, but I'm glad he is going out with his head held high, he seems a genuinely nice person and that's the least he deserves.
30 Apr 2016 19:01:05
The worst thing about it is that the players are more than capable of playing like that most weeks! As much as I don't think Ronny was the man for the job long term, I feel like he could have eventually left with a lot more credit than he will and part of that is down to players not giving their all.
30 Apr 2016 20:23:14
My main worry is that I am more worried about winning the SPL No 6, than I was three weeks ago under Deila . First of all the Board will be doing their level best IMO to appoint a better man than RD . However with the best intentions in the world we are limited to what appears 8/ 9 possible candidates, Lambert, Lennon Martinez Moyes Rodgers etc . Anyone of these if things go well for him is capable of bringing us to new heights at home and abroad . The same person if things don't go well are well capable of doing a disastrous job . Nobody could honesty say at the time of appointment that big Tony was going to work out so badly .
The difficult thing for any Celtic Manager who is having some success in Europe ( playing in Europe after Christmas ) is getting results in the SPL at the same time . So if our new man has an European run, he could put our No 6 in jeopardy.
{Ed007's Note - Never mind a European run, if the new man doesn't deliver CL football for this coming season there will be calls for his head.}
30 Apr 2016 20:56:50
Yeah gerryc bet "inexperience" wasnt an issue with your hero NL when he consistently failed during tenure and also spent a considerable amount more than Deila.
30 Apr 2016 21:05:07
Old Bhoy, I think it's the league form that cost Ronny his job. The European results were disappointing but it's our league performances which have been worrying for the last couple of seasons.
In Ronny's 2 seasons the gap at the top has been getting narrower, 2 years ago it was 29 points, last year it was 17 points, this season it will likely be less than that. With Sevco in our league next season we can't afford to slip any further.
Too many times under Ronny we have underperformed in big matches, I think it would be a bigger risk not to try and reverse this trend.
30 Apr 2016 21:05:38
There were too many players that played out their skins last season and were poor/ average most of this campaign and although thee manager carries the can for results, performances and consistency, I would really like to know [injuries aside] why the likes of Brown, Gordon, Johansen, Bitton and Lustig found it so difficult to find form?
Even GMS and Armstrong tapered off at the start of this season after seeming to find their feet at the tail end of last season, while Stokes, Izzaguire and Commons were among players that lost their place in the team altogether.
The failure to kick-on and improve was a real disappointment and the European results were a low point but the biggest stomach churner for me was our cup semi-final failures, in games we could have and should have won well.
30 Apr 2016 21:43:01
DN30, Lennon is no hero of mine, your obsession with the man is getting ridiculous.
I only comment on Ronny regarding his ability to do the job, it has absolutely nothing to do with favouring one manager over another.
I think though that you should ask yourself why you are so hostile to Lennon when in his final season he won the league by 29 points, but you are so pro Ronny, when in his 2 years at the helm has cut that winning margin by around two thirds.
Whatever has caused your loathing of Neil Lennon, don't bring me into it.
30 Apr 2016 23:55:33
Why would you worry about sevco in the league next year Gerry? They've dropped as many points as us this season, against alloa, livi, dumbarton and the likes. next season away from ibrox against Aberdeen, hearts, st johnstone, dundee, hibs if they come up, they'll drop points. there is no chance they will mount any challenge next season. But oh wait, they've signed JOSH WINDASS. let me sit down.
01 May 2016 00:55:16
I think we will finish well but let's not be too quick to praise. I'm unhappy at the lack of commitment I've seen from some players. With RD announcing his departure officially every player in our squad that gets game time will be playing to catch the eye of the next gaffer.
01 May 2016 00:55:30
Don't think we should expect CL football no matter who comes in. The team is in dire need of being rebuilt far too many not up to it I'm one of few that was glad we didn't qualify as we would have been totally embarrassed in it the way we have been playing and still fear the worst next season too. I'd be happy with a good run in the EL like a 1/ 4 would be a good campaign for us.
01 May 2016 00:57:22
The point I am trying to make is that we, supporters, board etc know R D strengths and weaknesses . R D knows the difficulties of winning in Scotland and has had 2 successful league campaigns behind him . The league is all about winning the league it isn't about winning by 30 pts or 10 pts . When the board picks our new manager he is going to come from an average pool of managers . He isn't going to be the best manager in the world or in Europe, he won't even be the best there is in the U K but he has to come in reshape the team in a few weeks and as the Ed says have a team successful in European Qualifying as well as preparing for SPL . Not easy for a new man and I would hate to hell to lose SPL no 6.
01 May 2016 01:34:24
We made it so much harder than it has needed to be OB. There really isn't any excuse for not winning the spl all things considered. Europe is where we have a go. I don't think we were too far away from a good run this year. It was sheer carelessness and individual errors that made the real difference. Our defence is getting there and a few careful additions will help restore a bit of pride.
01 May 2016 07:56:57
NT87, I think the best way to approach next season is to assume that Sevco will be a threat.
Hopefully they won't, but I would rather we treated them as possible challengers, and so build our team to combat them.
I think over the last 4 years we have been complacent and assumed nobody would get near us, in my opinion it's lead to a dramatic drop in standards, I would much rather that we treated other clubs as a danger to us then we won't be caught out.
01 May 2016 22:25:56
Rglen 8 aye, u are right we arn't far from having a good competitive team . But
R D is gone. Players and systems are gone too. All starting again.