Celtic Banter Archive April 23 2014

 

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23 Apr 2014 21:33:24
ED007: Further to last nights gossip I thought I would run this by you. Is Mr Desmond, who has backed Lenny, getting a bit fed up with lack of progress on the pitch and wondering why we signed Balde and Pukki when May was recommended by John Park at a fraction of the price? Have you heard that Stevie Clark was sounded out about a role at Celtic? I also heard that the goalkeeping coach is getting ideas above his station. Troubling all this swimming about at this time in the season.

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{Ed007's Note - I'll plead the fifth and just let you deal with any flak.}

ED007: You traitor! Seriously this stuff should not be even out there at this time.What really worries me is the CL qualifiers, if we are not prepared we might get a shock, this is a crucial period for us in my opinion. Do you think there might be a clear out player wise to bring better quality in? On a side note I see Pullis claiming Ledley has been instrumental in the great run they are on.

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{Ed007's Note - I think there will definitely be a clear out of players a) to raise funds and b) free up squad places, our squad is far too big and is lacking any depth of quality. Isn't NL booked to go to Brazil as a pundit?
I would have preferred Ledley to stay and moved into the middle with Brown, but it was never happening and I do think Johansen will become a great player for us, I've been really impressed with him so far.}

Yea agree with the Johansen thoughts seems to be a very energetic player, considering he could not have had much of a break for around a year it augers well.

For me that's our main failing, we never seem to press quickly enough, on or off the ball, and can be very pedestrian at times. We should be zipping passes around defences instead of this continuous trying to get the ball wide for crosses.

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{Ed007's Note - We should be passing teams off the park GJ, we should be fitter and have more ability than any other team in Scotland as a rule. Our defenders need to start passing the ball around between themselves and pushing the MF forward rather than a pass to Forster and punted up the park. We should use domestic matches to perfect our technique for Europe instead of us hitting the panic button for every match in the CL. Nobody ever has to make major tactical changes to play us, it always seems to be us, a good, solid tactical base would stop that.}

I still don't think big amido is a dud like pukki. Guy is still young and I think he will play a big part next season

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24 Apr 2014 11:04:04
ED007 and GJ my thoughts are similar to both of you, we need a clear out of squad members to free up both wages and places, we definitely need to improve both our team's fitness and our passing, yes GJ both Johansen and Biton will develop into valuable assets for us. As for Balde and Pukki we should give them this season, let us hope with a full pre season behind them they will be much fitter and better able to adapt to Scottish football.
As to our goalkeeping coach, he should be working on Forster at handling and coming for crosses, for such a big goalkeeper this is his weak link. Maybe with big Johan going Lenny will bring in a continental coach here's hoping.
GJ like yourself also, I am worried about CL qualifiers we need to be up and running and any players brought in must be signed early.
If Lennon is leaving let him tell everybody so we can now plan immediately for his successor.

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Think we need to call it as we see it balde 23 appearances for 364 minutes for a 22 year old who cost close to 2 million is a dud. If he plays next year and is good that's great but for now that isn't the case

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OUT: Lenny, Mjallby, Parker, Izzy, Ambrose, Sammy, Stokes, Boerrigter, Mouyokolo, Kayal, Forrest, etc.

IN: A manager and backroom staff with fresh ideas, technical training, fast passing football, not tactically inept, willing to listen to a good scouting network, etc.

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24 Apr 2014 16:25:24
@Hamiltonbhoy think you are a bit harsh on Kayal, Boerighter and Moukolo all 3 have had long term injuries and are just now coming back. I hope with a full pre season under their belt they will be better players same as Balde and Pukki.
I cannot see Lennon getting rid of Forrest (he is a blue eyed bhoy) also Stokes seems well in with Lenny.
I do agree we need another class centre half and a proven goalscorer in Europe. Hopefully Forrest and Boerighter will be fit for all our European matches, as I feel both can open up defences at home and take pressure off defence away from home.
I would be happy with only three new players as long as they are of CL standard, maybe get rid of 4 or 5 squad players also to free up wages and space.

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Tell me what Kayal's contributed to the team since he got injured against Deadco back in December 2011? Boerrigter's record proved he can't stay fit, he's probably cost us a fortune on medical bills on top of his fee n wages. Mouyokolo in defence was like a car crash, n God forgive me, but it was probably in our best interests that he suffered a serious injury. I agree Balde n Pukki should be given another year, but I'd move on Stokes n Griffiths. I'd also move on Izzy, he's been better this season going forward but defensively he's a bomb scare. We need another CB, LB, DM, wingers, a playmaker n a goalscorer or two.

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23 Apr 2014 15:07:18
ED007 thought I would ask your opinions on goings on at Manchester United.
I read today that the two most successful managers the team have had Busby and Ferguson went a minimum of 3 years before winning anything so Moyes was harshly treated in not being given at least one more season.
Surely the players must shoulder their share of the blame, it now looks like Giggs, Scholes etc were moaning behind his back, all these United players are on massive salaries yet took the petted lip against Moyes.
Coming back to Celtic, do you think he would do a good job for us? My only worry is that he is a negative coach and both Manchester United and Glasgow Celtic have a philosophy of entertaining attacking football ( yes I know Lennon hardly lives up to this ethos also) but would Moyes be able to abandon his negative thinking?

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{Ed007's Note - It was never going to work out for Moyes at Utd Tim, I said so when he was appointed, I just didn't expect the decline to be so quick. His training methods are archaic, his man-management is questionable, he is poor tactically, he struggles to handle or promote youth players. Rooney aside he held back players like Barkley and Stones, even when he had signed them but even Rooney knew he needed to move on to improve. So yes - Moyes probably could do a better job than Neil Lennon!
The entire Fellaini signing saga only highlighted his indecision when it came to the transfer market, Utd could have signed him for less earlier in the window and although Mata is a far superior player than Fellaini, and a definite asset to Utd, neither player was what Utd were needing, improvement to the CM positions. Losing Pogba was a big blow to Utd's plans for the future and AF also neglected strengthening in there. Moyes did have one of the best and most thorough and extensive scouting systems in England but his final judgement
The players have to shoulder some of the blame, you shouldn't go from being champions mid-table mediocrity in less than a year, even with an ageing squad.
The job was just too big for him and I'm sure he will get a job again no problem but I would rather it wasn't the CFC one simply because of the negative way he sets his teams out to play. Playing a 4-4-2 is very outdated but he persisted with it for most of the season and it cost them in the league.
IMO we have had enough of that sort of football at Celtic Park to last us a life time.}

In a way though ED, I feel he didn't get enough time to attempt to make an impact, although I totally agree he should never have got the chance due to his inexperience of CL football. Most managers inherit a squad and promptly get rid of the players they don't want. Don't know the in's and out's at the club as I'm not a Man U fan but as far as I can see he didn't stand a chance with Fergies boys. Some strong characters are in that dressing room and Moyes couldn't stamp his own authority due to his failings in bringing in his target players. Felaini will go for a much smaller fee but Mata should get a reprieve. As for Rooney, the most over hyped over paid player I have ever seen in the prem, will probably like to stick around for a while.
Man U have got big off the field problems as well as on the field. What's your opinion on the Glazers Ed?

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{Ed007's Note - Apart from the way they bought the club landing them with debt I think they do an overall decent enough job as owners go. They tend to leave the footballing side of things to others and the club's income and profits are on the rise year after year, it's just a pity a lot is going to the debt but that is decreasing year on year. They, and their people, certainly know how to market a brand and bring in high end advertising.

Again ED, I apologise for my lack of knowledge of anything Man U but in my understanding, they allowed the departing manager carte blanche decision on his successor. That to me looks like a board who were scared to challenge a club servant. They must have secretly realised Moyes was not the man for the job, so why didn't they intervene? It's not as if they would have risked the wrath of the fans as most of them were astonished he was even in the running for the job.
As for our own board, do you think any of them will have the cahunas to agree to fire Lenny and look to the future?
Probably not, and another year of transfer speculation and stale football looms on!

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{Ed007's Note - Did you miss the part where I said they tend to leave the footballing side of things to others? Including Ed Woodward, Alex Ferguson, Bobby Charlton and whomever is the current management team, the Glazers are only the owners, Rab. They might not be everyone's cup of tea but when you compare them to guys like Mike Ashley, The Oystens, Hicks & Gillett, The Kellys and Whites, Ken Bates or even Charles Green, they aren't all that bad.}

Sorry ED, didn't make myself clear there. I wasn't implying the Glazers as owners would intervene in an important management decision but as you also state, there was a football management structure of directors whom the Glazers have saw fit to install to run this huge asset of theirs. Would you say that they might be found guilty of not acting towards the best interest of the club to let an outgoing employee, no matter how good he was in the post, to decide who follows on from him? To me it seems at the very least, stupidity or could be construed as crass incompetence towards owners who have invested millions. I am in no way owner bashing here as other clubs have suffered from poor management decisions namely Chelsea and Abramovich but as I understand it, Abramovich has a lot of say in the running of his club and has acted upon poor management be it right or wrong.
But this is a roundabout way of getting on to an important point about Celtic. Can our board members muster up the courage to look to our future and do the right thing? We crave a change of style and investment in the team so we can take advantage of our domestic situation and qualify for the CL every year without fail. This, in my opinion, will never happen with our interfering, penny pinching board. I think it's not just NL and his coaching team that needs a clear out.

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{Ed007's Note - The board might not need to make the decision, remember the old cliche 'by mutual consent'. I still think if the right club in England wants Lennon he will go.}

Ed, I remember Lenny saying some time ago that he would only leave Celtic for one of the big EPL clubs. Can we expect him to be taking his lunch break on the steps of Old Trafford over the next few days? lol

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23 Apr 2014 14:30:19
Hi Guys, if lenny goes what about Malky Mackay. He was up at our New year day game with PL.

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That would be my first choice to replace Lennon. I would also be happy with Steve Clarke.

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There are a good few names being quoted. Mackay wouldn't be my first choice, but if he was to be the next manager I would be happy at his appointment.

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23 Apr 2014 13:11:42
Neil Lennon, Stuart McCall, Derek McInnes and Tommy Wright are the guys nominated for the PFA Scotland Manager of the Year award. In my opinion, Lennon won't get it. Aye we ran away with the Scot Prem (in a one-horsed race) but McInnes won Aberdeen their first trophy in about 20 years, Wright has St Johnstone on the verge of winning their first ever major trophy + McCall's Motherwell have virtually qualified for Europe again for the 3rd year on the trot.

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Lennon certainly shouldn't get it especially with the 2 cup exits at home. For me mcinnes deserves it

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