Celtic Banter Archive September 30 2014

30 Sep 2014 21:37:09
This whole RD argument is a little futile is it not?

Supposition built on supposition built on supposition.

He might be the best thing since sliced bread and then again he might not!

He might be overawed by the job, or he might be taking it all in his stride.

He might have big (BIG) ideas that are taking their time to be properly relayed and absorbed, manifest in quicker, fitter, better players, or he may be getting absolutely nowhere.

When you set about improving every aspect of a player's game technically (and their physical and mental personas), you do run the risk of destroying confidence and as Mrs E pointed out, players play their BEST football when they are "in a good place/space", mentally. A little bit like doing your best work when you are happy at your work!

The science, the diet, the curiosity, the fitness, the well-being, the bonding, and the players off field situation should be a focus (by all means) but IT IS TOO FAR FETCHED TO ARGUE that celtic needed to be revolutionised in every single department. Some may need more work than others but when it comes to the OUTPUT and the results that stem from such improvement, that too is a matter of opinion.

Can we agree that domestically speaking, RD inherited a "winning team"; can we at least agree on that? Can we agree that CFC looked like winning most of the "domestic" games they played, surely? Can we agree that the football was not exactly horrific? Can we also agree that the players were not falling over after 60 minutes? Squad rotation was not part of the Lennon "chapters", and so we had allegedly UNFIT, UNHEALTHY and UNAWARE players playing an awful lot of games and coming out on top more often than not.

Mrs E makes some very good points. This is not ticket science and to suggest otherwise is silly. Maybe the players can train harder and play smarter and eat better and meditate and become buddhas (not little buddhas!), but in the end it will ALWAYS come back to whether or not we are EFFECTIVE as a group of 11 passing a ball around, and running faster and jumping higher and tackling better and scoring more and conceding less than the opposition; it has been and always will be about that AND AT THE MOMENT WE LOOK LIKE WE ARE LACKING.

So the question is WHY ARE WE LACKING?

I think we have a poor squad but nonetheless also think we could opt for different 11s and systems to be more effective "domestically" with the squad.

There is little fluidity

As Jamiebhoy points out, we are not creating nearly as many chances as we would otherwise be accustomed to

The middle of the park (minus Brown) has been like a ghost town

Up top, we don't have any real dynamism (albeit JG is showing some promise)

At the back we appear short in numbers (a back 4) that too often looks like a back 2

There appears to be no "nucleus", IE any portion of the park that we dominate with ease

At the moment, we don't know where the next goal is coming from or what that goal will look like (because there is no rhythm or rhyme / reason to our play

We look like we could concede at any time

The problem with LACK OF rhythm, and partnerships, and leaders is that the outfield players cannot settle. Midfielders who would otherwise go and support, sit back and cover "potential mistakes" that haven't actually happened. That is a confidence thing, but not on a personal level. It is confidence in your colleagues and confidence in the system and its flexibility.

The criticism of CFC and the management team is undeniably UNDERSTANDABLE.

We are playing a game on Thursday evening and I have not got the slightest clue what we have in the "tank" at this early stage to secure 3 points. I look at the game and the likely starting 11 and find myself scratching my head wondering what we will have to do to score and who is on form to do it.

Can I see Izzy whipping in a cross and Scepovic darting near posit and tucking it away, or Brown firing home from 12 yards via a cut back? I am not so sure. I don't imagine Efe will fire in that cross, so we are back to McGregor .18 years old and mentally exhausted (due to the expectation and pressure on him to keep up a degree of decent form) .


When things are not going well, we need to (at the very very very least) expect to see a hungry, motivated, committed Celtic. it is amazing where GOOD CHARACTER gets you

Opting out of a fizzy drink or a bag of walkers will only do so much

SOS to Celtic FC; give us MORE REASONS to be cheerful!

Hail Hail

A great amount of sense, Paradisewon
You are right we haven't a system or a style . 3 midfielders would in my opinion solve many of our problems . With 3 we would have more freedom and flexibility, we would expect our defenders to be less exposed and our attackers to be better supported .

30 Sep 2014 22:30:58
Another gem paradise, ed paradise is proving a worthy apponent 2 take your keyboard warrior status. HH

Agree with a lot of what you say however Callum McGregor is 21 not 18

Thank you Paradise and much the same as my thoughts.

I was actually chatting in work about this whole diet debacle and most of the guys thought we were reading way too much into it so i'm going to leave it. As you have rightly pointed out Celtic are not some Junior team that lack facilities and staff.

Teams at the top have to spend millions on transfer fees to stay at the top so diet will only get you so far. There's no doubting they also have the best facilities and get advice from the best of experts, again money talks.

Its no coincidence that the Clubs consistently progressing in the Champions League are amongst the richest in the World.

End of diet chat!

Also the last time I'm going to mention that my original post was why do we need a new regime to beat St Mirren?

Ronny might come good, all we are commenting on is the early signs are not awful encouraging. (Note - I said early)

See your typist paradise? Does she have a great pair" up- front" or does she have great legs for a centre half /?

In all seriousness paradise a real good post

Right Jamiebhoy, you are beginning to sound like a Tory MP!

For the record my secretary is called "Kevin" and he does have big t*** and a pair of pins that should have made him a centre half but he speaks in a very high pitch……it was a telephone interview and I thought I had clarified the t*** part with him!

And don't you be thinking you can headhunt him either….he's like Scott Brown, indispensable

Mrs E, last word on the diet chat but there is a rumour that Commons was put on a staple diet of celery sticks for 4 weeks and after 4 hours was caught munching through a super-size bag of chip sticks (salt and vinegar) and that is why he has been in and out and playing sluggishly

This came from a good source of mines who so happens to be a dietician…

30 Sep 2014 20:39:56
Walking the dog tonight and I was reflecting on Celtic 'keepers that I've seen. From big Frank (the Crooner) Haffey to our present maestro Craig Gordon.
The only guys I ever had REAL confidence in were Ronnie (Faither) Simpson, Artur (The Holy Goalie), and Craig Gordon.
We have had some decent keepers, Packy for example but you always felt a banana skin was in that penalty box somewhere for most of them. I once saw big Haffey take a goal kick at Celtic Park and swerve the ball into his own net :) Our number 2 Zaluska worries me everytime I see him play.
Anyway we have been fortunate in recent years and have had some real presence between the sticks. I've been very impressed with Craig, keep up the good work laddie!

Was that you in the park I heard commenting on Celtic games from 30 years ago and running around impersonating Pat Bonner…that solves it …

I was 100 yards away with my dog kidding on I was Henrik Larson . running about with my tongue out

I liked Ally Hunter, Peter Latchford, Jonathan Gould and Hedman was OK;
but we had some real bingers like Denis Conaghan, Carl Muggleton, Ian Andrews, Kerr, McKnight, Rab Douglas and that diddy Rough.
I remember two Gordon Marshals and David Marshall might have been a good one had he stuck around? Bonner as you say and Evan Williams was established under Big Jock;
and were a few other brief-stay guys like Kharine, Warner and another who came from Dundee for a game or two, but never got a contract?
Aye we have had the good, the bad and the ugly for sure.

01 Oct 2014 01:13:23
Don't forget shay given! Allowed to leave for free!!

30 Sep 2014 15:08:34
Rip Jinky (70)

30 Sep 2014 12:14:17
I really hope Ronny Delia is a big success as Celtic manager, I would think everyone does.
The comparison between him and when Lennon took over is not really valid, as when Lennon took charge we were an absolute shambles after the Tony Mowbray reign. we were getting hammered 4-0 at St Mirren amongst other things. Also we had Rangers in the top flight then who were winning the league.
Ronny Delia on the other hand has taken us over when we had won the league by 30 odd points, been in the last two champions league competitions, and doesn't have Rangers to worry about.
My worry is that despite all these advantages, the performances are getting worse.
This new regime he is introducing is all well and good, but management is also about motivating the team and getting them to enjoy what they're doing.
It just looks to me at the moment as if the team are not enjoying playing football.
Villas Boas tried this at Spurs and Chelsea, it failed because although everything was done scientifically, he didn't have the man management skills needed when dealing with footballers.
I hope Ronny doesn't make the same mistakes.

Club was in a far worse state when Delia took over from Lennon rather than when lennon took over from Mowbray. Don't know how you can possibly come to that conclusion

I'm coming to the conclusion that your dislike of Lennon is personal as you cannot give the man a break everything is his fault. I wanted to replace Lennon a year before we did so I'm no Lennon apologist, I wanted the club to go in a different direction and style to what Lennon gave us only I wanted it to be through a Spanish/Dutch/German coach not a Norwegian route. But even I can appreciate he did give us highs as well as lows in his tenure but the rug was getting pulled from under his feet in the last 2 years which is why Johan and Lennon both left and many players also. I think it's time to stop looking at Lennon as at fault for everything and look at who is structuring our club over the last few years as that is where our decline lies.

We'll agree to differ on that,
When mowbray was sacked just about everyone agreed with the decision. We were awful.
Before Lennon resigned at the end of last season, I didn't feel there was a huge appetite for change.
Sure everyone wanted some new signings, but it didn't feel that the whole club was in crisis.

30 Sep 2014 19:29:26
Dn30, again everything is lennons fault,people ar growing tired of this argument,Nobody dislikes roony as per say,they just don't think he's the Man to lead celtic to the next level,other than his new scientific approach,which I hope works,the club/team wasnt in the worst condition

every.U Told me u didn't hatelennon ,i finding that hard to believe,Did he turn u down once for an autograph??

Lennon had his faults, but he created a bit of history too and it was the right time for the manager and club to part. A new chapter awaited:-
Unfortunately, I was disappointed when Deila was chosen from that (in)famous short-list of '5-10 top candidates' of Mr Lawell.
However The Support welcomed his fresh ideas and positive philosophy.
The players have been slower to buy into this however and the displays have been patchy and uninspiring.
We are a shadow of what a Celtic team should be in this situation and at this time of the season and I cannot get used to the expressions of fear, doubt and panic in the new managers face whenever we struggle.