Celtic Banter Archive February 07 2016

07 Feb 2016 22:37:35
The one thing that terrifies me about deila is that when he came in he had a strict philosophy. We had a pressing style based on superior fitness that would allow us to attack aggressively but also entertain. the shape of all our sides from first right the way down to youth would be 4,3,2,1.

Now it took him the best part of 6 months but the second part of last season we totally looked the part and after having defended deila to friends all season I felt vindicated.

However this season, bit by bit. that philosophy has wittered away. we no longer press in any type of disciplines system, there has been multiple instances of us blowing ourselves out after 70 minutes and our play has become slow and deliberate.

I understand that deila is not in total control of recruitment but this loss of focus in his original watertight philosophy on football worries me to the point I question everything on him.

Is it just me that thinks this?

07 Feb 2016 22:49:03
My thoughts exactly cmcelt I remember watching a game last year against Dundee I think when every player in the team touched the ball before Brown Scored it was a great goal and at that moment I thought this is it! Delia has finally got the team playing his way! But unfortunately there is no consistency in our play! One week we get beat by Motherwell the next we hit 8 past Hamilton but more ad more it seems to be the poor performances we are seeming we never seem to be able to built up a mometom!
Again today we looks like we lacked ideas! Our passing isn't fast and slick it's slow and predictable!

08 Feb 2016 02:01:00
I have posted similar myself about my concerns about the deterioration since the second half of the previous season.
The quick tempo and high fitness has definitely faded significantly, but the slump in form of so many players who were outstanding last term is also worrying.
I would have hoped and expected us to improve even more this season, but a mixture of poor displays, numerous basic errors, lack of energy and disappointing signings have contributed to a noticeable decline.
I thought we had managed to get past our slump in Nov/ Dec, but we seem to have hit another at a crucial and costly time and there is something not right about our whole game right now and it is clearly a concern for a lot of us and the manager.

08 Feb 2016 11:52:59
The High press, fast, fit, entertaining football last 6/ 8 games maximum, regulars in those games were, Stokes, Emilio, Henderson, and a player we used to have called Johansson.

08 Feb 2016 18:00:14
That player called Johansson, is suffering. From chronic injury this season . That plus the fact that some of our fans at matches have got to him mentally with the abuse hurled at him . He is quoted as finding it hard to take as he says he is trying as hard this season as last season when he was player of the year .

07 Feb 2016 18:03:19
ED

setting aside what's been said by all of us over the past few months what do you think needs to be done to

Get CFC back playing winning football

Get CFC back to being the sort of club that makes the fans feel proud

Get CFC in the ascendancy before every match whereby domestically speaking we are feared

Get an atmosphere back in to Celtic park

Get the fans united

What happened to us ED that sees a great divide open up whereby fans are happy to cling on to what we have ( which is below standard) because we think that anything else out there would take us to an ever darker place? Why do we see our club in such a poor light whereby we feel that managers across the globe would all give us a wide berth? How did we get it so wrong or are we actually closer to the light than we think and the recent responses or narrative has been exaggerated?

Your views kind sir?

{Ed007's Note - Get rid of PL and JP would be a good start. Those two are THE major problem at the club and if RD is sacked both of them have to fall on their sword and be sacked or resign as well.}

07 Feb 2016 20:33:55
Have to agree after all its pl who hired Ronny and jp couldn't find a striker on a match box.

07 Feb 2016 21:37:38
The thing that really irks me is we have the best players in Scotland by far, a squad mostly all full internationalists, i'm not saying they are Europes finest but any 11 from probably 17 should be able to walk onto any park in Scotland and win 90% of their games, so in a way that takes the blame away from PL, he's supplied us with enough to comfortably wipe the floor with anything Scotland has to offer. European level is a different matter PL has let us down by only buying for domestic competition. As for the current squad not performing it can only be the fault of the coaching abilities of the current regime , whether that's down to trying to play a formation that none are comfortable with or players have no respect for certain personnel I don't honestly know. Maybe our squad just aren't very good

07 Feb 2016 21:20:29
Ed, you don't sound convinced Ronnie should go though.
I agree PL, JP and JC should be punted (they won't resign as they would lose money)
RD is just not putting any entertainment out there and the players are just not up to it. In a game like today you would expect someone to have a real go but it was the same old boring game we get every week. If that had been Aberdeen they would have humped us again.

{Ed007's Note - I'd like to see what RD could do working under a strong Director of Football who will fight his corner against the board. The influence Park has on our footballing recruitment is dragging us into mediocrity. For me, if Lawwell wants to save his own neck he must replace Park and RD should be part of any process of selecting a DOF and allowed to bring in at the very least his own assistant.
The last few years it's been as if Park has read the paper and seen that the press and fans were raving about the likes of GMS, Armstrong, Ciftci, Scott Allan and decided they must be good enough. How can fans demand CL football when you're signing players like them? We replaced an England internationalist GK with a injury ravaged crock who had hardly played a game in years. I said at the time CG would never get his sharpness back and he hasn't. Going with a central defence of VVD and Denayer that had both players leaving was a major mistake too, PL and JP knew that VVD was leaving and that Denayer would be going back to City so where was the forward planning in that? We've been trying to bed a new defence in all season and injuries haven't helped with that.
I'll shut up now - I'm starting to bore myself - before I prattle on all night on one post!}

07 Feb 2016 22:06:18
Stevie

The problem is we don't have the best players by far. 2 or 3 of Aberdeen's back four would get a game for us plus Hayes and Rooney would improve our squad.

I have said it before, when Celtic come calling the price doubles if the selling club are in a good position with the players contract. We might be buying 1.5 million pound players but they are 750k to 1 million max for other teams.

07 Feb 2016 22:51:36
There only two players I would take from ANY SPL team and we gave both of them away Jackson Irvine and Niall McGinn no way would any other Aberdeen player improve us IMO.

{Ed007's Note - Exactly. Yet people expect us to be signing players of SPFL standard and still be a force in Europe. Who had the bright idea of 'Let's sign 3 players from Dundee Utd and one from Hibs and have a right go at this CL.'
Does anyone honestly believe that RD came to Scotland, and a year later he thought the best way to have spent nearly £4m was to sign GMS, Armstrong, Ciftci and Scott Allan? Surely if it was his decisions he would have signed some players he knew better or knew more about. After 6 months in the job, in the country, and he wanted Armstong and GMS whose team we humped 6-1 in one of RDs first games? It's not as if their Scotland careers caught his eye is it?}

07 Feb 2016 23:24:14
Not boring Ed, quite practical and informative. Its comments like yours and others on this site which changed me early days to give RD a chance. I have always felt that he has one hand tied behind his back but that was mainly in JC being influential. Like many, we have to assume that RD has some say in who is signed so he is open to criticism on that. I also feel that once the team is out there, then we have no plan B if plan A is not working for whatever reason.
I feel we either have a system which is not working or we do not have the players to accomplish what RD wants.
I also think that we will struggle next season when sevco, Hearts and Hibs are challenging (cant see sevco not getting automatic promotion being realistic)
Todays showing should have embarrassed a lot of so-called professionals against a group of hard working part-timers. No one earned their win bonus and the pot should be donated to charity.
Anyway, still top of league, still in Cup and still Glasgow Celtic, eh? Hail Hail.

{Ed007's Note - I'll be delighted if CFC wins another double this year.}

07 Feb 2016 23:51:20
Ed if you think pl is that bad he is behind Ronny like you if pl goes so does Ronny after all he hired him I agree both should go because pl is standing by his man surely you must agree if pl standing by him is a mistake then both have to go.

{Ed007's Note - Did you miss my answer to the OP?}

08 Feb 2016 00:38:02
Totally agree Ed, For me only Armstrong could be enhanced / improved IMO and don't get me started on Ciftci and the jersey he filled

As you pointed out earlier in the season we lost VVD and Denayer and in that entire cluster of midfielders we don't have ONE! natural CDM and we gave away Irvine drives me daft that heard John Hughes recently wax lyrical about the lad, just plain daft and now by all accounts we are in the market for a natural CDM! (y)

{Ed007's Note - I thought Armstrong could have been the long term replacement for Scott Brown but even though he is playing out of his natural position he's been an empty jersey. Sadly I don't think he has the mental toughness to be a CFC player.}

08 Feb 2016 00:55:49
Wouldn't give up on him yet Ed but your probably right, certainly since he started to get niggles/ injuries this season he has been posted missing for sure

I think Ed that RD cannot get them anywhere near as fit as he wants/ needs them to be only LG, Brown maybe Boyata can get as fit as he wants be interesting to see the levels Sviatchenko gets to

If LG had got injured the day on that surface in that tackle early on we would have been in big bother IMO.

{Ed007's Note - It's ridiculous if fitness is still an issue and any player not meeting standards need to shape up or be shipped out. Those demands aren't going to change under a new manager. Even before RD came in regarding playing in Europe I said there was no excuse for us not being the fittest you can be, why shouldn't every single CFC player not strive to be as fit as Ronaldo or have the same focus as Roy Keane? I've often thought the fact JC is a fitness freak is one of the reasons he got the assistant's job, JP knew him from their time together at Hibs and he knew RD's attitude and approach to fitness and conditioning.
Younger players understand all this, do you think Patrick Roberts needed any diet or fitness advice when he took his medical? He'll have been living the life of an athlete for years.
It's a Scottish thing, the same as PLG at Ranger or Keane getting on the bus to see Hartson stuffing his face, the game and the majority supporters haven't moved with the modern game, if Roy Keane thought that back then what's the big deal about RD changing things now? And why has it taken so long for us to catch up?
It's took us long enough to catch up with the rest of football. One of my good friends runs the local boys club and does some scouting for Hibs and he says he is learning stuff about fitness and conditioning at courses for the BC that he didn't learn at professional clubs during his playing days.
John Barnes and KD gave us Petrov, Jansen gave us Henke, Dr Jo gave us Lubo, MON gave us Seville, WGS gave us CL, Mowbray gave us nightmares, NL gave us beating Barca and RD has dragged our asses into the modern approach to the game. Even if RD leaves I still think a young hungry manager is the way to go.
I wonder if Moyes came in with his approach to this stuff people would still say the same, Everton used to use Football Manager's statistics in their player recruitment and then there's Everton's School of Science. Moyes is not dissimilar to RD when it comes to utilising at the technical side of management.

08 Feb 2016 10:17:07
Agree with you most of the time ed and have a lot of respect for your opinions. I know you're a fan of Deila, as was I. But would you take him being sacked if it meant PL and JP would go too? In effect, who is most important?

{Ed007's Note - I'm not sure what you mean buddy. The way CFC are structured just now the all 3 positions are just as important but ultimately the buck stops with PL. For me there's two ways out of the current situation, either all 3 of them leave OR John Park leaves and RD is given more control or a proper DOF is appointed for RD to work under.}

08 Feb 2016 13:54:18
Your right it is a Scottish thing Ed, Following on from this and the top point I think you have just nailed the FULL reason JC was appointed! due to his ideas on fitness and RD's

But anybody can see 95% are not interested in buying into it mate

For the first time ever I noticed yesterday and it was probably because it was against PT opposition we were more than happy to stand off the ball, let the other team have the ball we have no one in that team who can "nastily" get us the ball back or even disrupt the other team

Conditioning is everything these days and NL really had more MON in him so they are not used to it IMO and have went from one extreme not to the next level but to the opposite end of the scale that's what is wrong with GMS IMO you take him out and rest him a few weeks put him back in and he is great for two games then he just wilts IMO because his fitness is just not there (y)

{Ed007's Note - My argument is that it should have never been an issue in the first place and RD should be applauded for changing it. We had young players leaving the club and their new managers commenting on how unfit they were and that's embarrassing as hell.
The press made a mountain out of a molehill over the changes RD made and a lot of the support jumped on the bandwagon, some have never gave him a chance since. At any other top club in the world the changes wouldn't have needed to be made and the fact they did shows how badly the club has been ran over the last few years.
Why hadn't our Football Development Manager sorted this out years ago as it's a vital part of developing players and he spends enough time at other clubs to know this.}

08 Feb 2016 16:08:49
Your far more advanced in that Ed than probably all of us that post on here

I wonder initially when RD was approached to be number 2 that was to be a big part of his remit ie to take a new approach

I think PL in all probability got lazy giving RD the post directly coupled with the fact how many knock back's PL took

Would it be possible to place RD as director of youth if removed as manager? A good friend of mine has that post @ a championship club and bearing fruit or is it to big a come down for RD

You really need to equip and educate the young they embrace change much better IMO he would be great in that post IMO (y)

{Ed007's Note - In my opinion, long term RD has more to offer the club in any capacity than JP has. Unless it was a step up the way though I doubt RD's pride would let him take on another role at the club, running the youth set up would be a step down for me.}

08 Feb 2016 17:19:52
Ed I don't think anyone is disagreeing about the fitness and medical science thing. The issue is that they don't look any fitter now than they were under NL! So the issue must be that they are not taking on board what RD is asking them to do. It's up to him to sort that out. No use him just telling us what he wants he needs to get the players to do it.

{Ed007's Note - James Forrest is fitter than he's ever been in his career, LG looks fitter and sharper than ever, Craig Gordon's fitness has been managed magnificently even though I don't like him as a player as has Lustig's problems, I could go on. Just because Kris Commons isn't running marathons doesn't mean it isn't working for those that are willing to work at it. Johansen covers some amount of grass when he's playing and Ambrose never stops running for 90 mins. Do you think KT looks unfit or lazy? If KT's an example of the fitness levels, focus and attitude we're instilling in our youth players I don't think there'll be any complaints from fans or their future managers if they're moved on. Even the newer players for that matter, for a big lad Sviatchenko can fairly get up and down the park.
Players themselves have came in and spoke about the difference, here's what Stuart Armstrong had to say soon after he signed:

'I didn't quite realise how hard the boys work until I came here, in training and the games, it’s phenomenal the amount of work we put in. In one of the first training sessions, we played a big game. It was up and down – relentless. I was thinking: "Bloody hell – this is actually quite hard!"
'That was a bit of a shock to the system. A few days in, the sports scientist said to myself and Gary (Mackay-Steven) to watch what we were doing and to ease our way in. He’s been great with us and has looked after us really well.'
'The training definitely will help. The tempo of it will help my fitness gradually improve. But it was a bit of an eye opener to see just how fit the boys here are. If I can get to that level in a few weeks’ time I will be delighted.'

08 Feb 2016 18:20:40
We can mutter all day and all night about the usefulness or otherwise Of PL, R D,
J. C. Many individual players and at the end of the night we won't have got anywhere we will have the same problems tomorrow and so forth .
However all is not doom and gloom we have the power to make change . We are the supporters and we can unite and build up the support, build up encouragement and build up confidence within our players. We can make Celtic Park a fortress that every team fears . We can inspire our team to victory home and away . That's what us supporters can do.

{Ed007's Note - Muttering all day and night about it all is the point of the site though. Other guys luckier than me make a living from it.}

09 Feb 2016 14:01:17
When your team is playing twice a week from start of August to start of December and away on Int duty any week that he isn't playing twice it is very difficult to build real fitness as the amount of games curtail the number of full training sessions .
Hopefully R D has managed to get the fitness level increased just now and we will benefit for the rest of the season.

07 Feb 2016 18:36:49
Jock Stein once said the best thing he ever did in football was to get Jinky to play on for another 2 years.
I think the worst thing Ronny has done is to get James Forrest fit.

08 Feb 2016 18:23:13
Rayman that's a smart - arse statement which may make you feel smug, but it doesn't do anything to help Forrest or Celtic.

07 Feb 2016 17:34:06
Thought after last week it should have been 100 and out. After wed and today even more so. Hard to say sack the manager but this has to stop before we lose the league.

07 Feb 2016 18:27:10
I honestly believe at the present time we would be better without a management team between now and end of season. There is something far wrong in the dressing room and it is severely hampering us at a crucial time of the season. My suspicions as I've said many times on here is Collins , I think he is despised amongst the team and its having an effect on team morale hence performances

07 Feb 2016 18:28:36
Half pint it looked a poor performance but I don't think you can read much into that game. Celtic never got out of second gear. It was a waste of time game. What was telling however was that Carton Cole does not even make the bench and yet Ronnie sets up as a 4-4-2? Once again shows what a waste of a contract the CCole deal was. Now Ronnie saw him train for 6 weeks and he was given a contract so Ronnie must have been in agreement to take him.

07 Feb 2016 20:16:08
Carlton Cole is injured not sure where but is waiting on scan results pending an operation.

07 Feb 2016 20:22:46
Johnnymac, that is my whole point. You say we didn, t get out of 2nd gear. When was the last time we dug in and turned a game around? Sorry but ronnie has to go or we will lose the league god forbid.

08 Feb 2016 17:22:27
Half pint I am no Ronnie fan and agree we should have been out if 2nd gear. Let's see what happens next game. I really think pressure is right on him now he can't afford another defeat especially if Aberdeen go out and win again.

07 Feb 2016 17:32:48
@the poeticpatient he's happy enuf to watch our 8/ 10 team beat EK and only 2-0 god forbid when it cums to tryn the champs league with ah squad lyk that. our players ARE good but can't PERFORM. assuming under RD.

HH

Chris1888.

07 Feb 2016 17:58:25
Did I say that anywhere?

Let me guess-you read my mind. If everything is so black and white, why do members of this board continue to range from simple misquoting to downright lying about what someone has said/ is saying? It's almost like it's the only way to make your point.

And another thing, running away from the thread the conversation is already on to post anew reeks of trying to get sympathy/ support or, to put it another equally pathetic way, "honners".

As for your fractions - I don't understand what that is supposed to mean.

07 Feb 2016 17:23:21
Unless Gary m Steven is injured why on earth take him off and bring the waste of a shirt James forrest over to the right you then have ambrose and forrest in the same side. A team going through the motions not a hint of wanting to show the fans a performance to try to make up for the last two shambolic displays. We are dreadful.

07 Feb 2016 22:54:09
Apart from running past a few Ek players with a bit off footwork he never really done much interms of creating chances in the box tbf.

07 Feb 2016 17:08:10
This game was always going to be a lose lose for us. If we thrashed them everyone would have expected it. If we lost then it would have been the greatest upset in British footballing history. However I would have expected the level of the win to show the gulf in class between the two teams. But it wasn't. The energy passing pace and decision making were not on show and to be quite honest EK did not look out of place being on the same pitch as us.
Another disappointing display.
I can't even comment on Charlie Mulgrew I'm so annoyed.

07 Feb 2016 23:58:24
It's terrible that lawman is loss for words and cannot comment on Scottish International Mulgrew.

07 Feb 2016 17:01:43
And here comes the Rd bashers.
Honestly hardest part of being a celtic fan is other celtic fans! !
If ronny lost they'd complain
He won they complain
I swear if ronny won the champions league theyd complain he didn't do it the celtic way.

07 Feb 2016 17:14:12
GL what ever the score today we RD could not win some fans over.

07 Feb 2016 17:14:53
Green lantern he has to get in the CL before he can win it! Maybe he'll manage that next season at his 4th attempt at qualifying! Get your head out the sand mate! That was utter garbage today! Yes we were in a no win situation, but the level of performance was woeful!

07 Feb 2016 17:28:42
GL

Your lantern needs oil as it would appear that all you see is darkness or whatever the Celtic view says

j Gas do good deals

Let there be light.

07 Feb 2016 17:44:11
Celtic supporters have complained or bemoaned every manager [including Big Jock] and many, many players in some shape or form since I was a kid and it will always happen.
Comparisons will always be made and opinions will vary, but when we have endured such a week as this with very little [if any] positives then of course the person who makes the decisions will be blamed.
The current level of performance and other aspects of the team are without doubt below what is expected and the fans are anxious.

07 Feb 2016 17:44:48
Beav81 as ed has always said when has any celtic manager been judged on Europe? .
Honestly mate with all the ronny bashers out there and there never give credit attitude I'd rather stuck my head in the sand . It's why I don't post . I'd have better luck trying to get a date with penelope Cruz than see ronny given a chance by the majority of my fellow celtic fans.

07 Feb 2016 17:53:54
Cprs you've got one thing right in saying whatever the score today RD couldn't win the fans over.Well done on that . Are you one of those supporters that judge Celtic week by week, if we win 8-0 one week all of a sudden we're world beaters? And don't expect many plaudits for the present team and management if we scramble over the finishing line and win the league. Winning this league with our resources must be the easiest job in European football and anyone should be able to do it

07 Feb 2016 20:15:53
Green lantern your just being silly now mate! Give Ronnie a chance! Ronnies had more chances than I care to Remember! Starting with the 6-1 trouncing from Warsaw, right thru to the Shoite we're getting served up now! As soon as we finished the EL group stages winless this guys feet shouldn't have touched the ground! So don't start with the give him a chance garbage!

08 Feb 2016 00:04:09
Beauv1.many previous Celtic managers didn't qualify for the Champions League in their first two seasons with Celtic and have went on to have had reasonable success with the club . I know you deserve better now, but sometimes we have to be patient.

07 Feb 2016 16:54:10
Total garbage once again! That was like watchn paint dry by the way! We really look like a team, and I use that word loosely! We look a team that just don't seem in the least bit interested! Poor stuff.

07 Feb 2016 16:51:31
No passion or drive and 2 of the scruffiest goals you will ever see! Glad with the win but shame on you celtic.

07 Feb 2016 16:00:52
Why isn't patrick roberts in the team? . dearest player in our squad.

Sh/ t forgot ronnies pickn t team

Or lawell

HH

Chris1888.

07 Feb 2016 16:30:30
Tbh is this an embarrassment 2day? . some of the passing n players thinking they can skin every1 infront o them!

Jus sayn eh

HH

Chris1888.

07 Feb 2016 16:54:31
Are you asking or telling?

If you're asking, it's not. If you're telling, you're wrong.

07 Feb 2016 17:08:24
Uv answered your own question then?

HH

Chris1888.

07 Feb 2016 17:18:49
No, I answered both variables to save it going further than one message. Alas I/ it failed.

07 Feb 2016 17:25:05
Not really mate. because if u read upwards 🔝 they've answered if for me and u! .

HH

chris1888.

07 Feb 2016 17:31:51
No, they've came on and spouted the same garbage that was coming no matter what happened. I'm not getting involved in that because we could have won by ten goals and it would have been "only EK".

07 Feb 2016 12:30:26
Osman sow has signed for 1.5mil for a Chinese team. I'm sure he's out of contract in the summer. Could we not sell Ambrose, biton, Armstrong, mackay Steven, Cole, Forrest and mcgregor to Chinese teams?

07 Feb 2016 12:36:53
Please God!

07 Feb 2016 10:45:03
ed, hoping for something to cheer us up with EK the day. Wee update on my daughter going from strength to strength back at school and swimming doing great. Not sure if its the done thing but if it is would ye mind posting my link? Doing the Brighton Marathon in April to raise money for Great Ormond Street

{Ed007's Note - Now that's the kind of news you love to hear when you get up in the morning. Well done, Erin (heart) Send in the link mate and I'll put it up no probs on all the busier sites.}

07 Feb 2016 12:44:31
Daviebhoy great news about Erin, hope you raise lots, I will certainly support you.

07 Feb 2016 13:31:54
Nice to hear.

07 Feb 2016 14:27:38
Put the link up and I will get on and support your efforts. Love to Erin😄.

07 Feb 2016 20:07:21
Cheers Bhoys

goo.gl/azrTCA

07 Feb 2016 11:18:23
Checking on the odds again today and surprised to see a second half penalty is as big as 11/ 4 and a second half ordering off 13/ 2, as I said yesterday Celtic playing a part time team they should tire as game goes on, I am lumping on these bets.

07 Feb 2016 13:16:35
surely we won't tire in the second half against a part time team.

07 Feb 2016 14:13:23
There's always a good chance we will give away a penalty and have a man sent off - but I see Thomson is doing the Edinburgh derby today.

07 Feb 2016 09:22:16
Here's a thought, remember the last successful manager Leicester had? Imagine if we somehow managed to steal this one too. We can live in hope!

07 Feb 2016 10:05:59
There's another wily Italian I'd prefer, and who's out a job because he couldn't deal with the Galatasaray, Cesare Prandelli is out a Job, and my family in Italy rave about this guy! The job he did at Fiorentina was incredible, then his wife died of breast cancer! He's very technical and tactical, he mixes the old school ideas with real passing play also! He is in his 50's, has a real aura, for me someone like him would be ideal! We know there is a huge Italian community in Glasgow, which has helped previous players really settle in and love the city! We would have to make him an offer he couldn't refuse, no pun intended, but if he went to Turkey which would be even more alien then we'd have a chance! Celtic are still highly regarded in Italy, because of the history with Inter etc, so why not!

07 Feb 2016 11:36:53
You could argue that Leicester's success this season is as much down to Nigel Pearson as Claudio Ranieri
This run that Leicester are on probably started last season when they had a brilliant run in their last dozen or so matches to go from being bottom of the table in April to surviving with ease.
When Ranieri took over he never really changed anything, he just let everything tick over the way it was. Fair play to him for that, it was sensible management, but I wonder if Leicester hadn't been doing well when he took over if he would have transformed them into the team they are now.

{Ed001's Note - Pearson has quite openly admitted he could never have done what Ranieri has mate, so not sure it is much to do with him. He wasn't choosing the players to sign, in fact he wanted to sell Vardy in the summer, against the wishes of most within the club.}

07 Feb 2016 12:45:16
I certainly agree Gerry that if Pearson hadn't been so odd he would have stayed, and his son didn't help! He done a great job keeping them up, and has supposedly got good ideas! Kasper Schmeichel said recently that Pearson had given them great habits and a lot of the fundamentals regards the defence especially has only been tweaked by Ranieri! I must admit though, Italian coaches really have something, they don't reinvent the wheel, but you don't have to! Like Ed touched on, Leicester had a brilliant scouting network, - Arsenal have managed to blag a couple of them, and I think they might be sniffing around the rest!

07 Feb 2016 01:33:54
Don't know if any one agrees best players that celtic have atm commons Forrest stokes izzy at the start different from griff but Ronny had to change his mind with him that's five players half an out field team we have missed these players imo at different stages of the season stokes should not have been allowed to leave commons has no respect from rd and he's our best player izzy could play infront of kt to keep Armstrong were he belongs and Forrest could show gms how to keep possession these players apart from griff have all contributed to celtic being in champions league get behind them as there manager has a different view although he's never been there and may not get another chance.

07 Feb 2016 02:52:52
I don't agree Paddy but what I will say is that if its true that Forrest and Stokes are/ were two of our best players when RS arrived, his entire reign should be reevaluated as an unqualified success.

07 Feb 2016 08:54:01
Absolute nonsense - Stokes hasn't scored a goal in Europe for around 3 years! Forrest is 25 and probably played around 5 good games in his whole career - he's had 1 this season! After a brilliant first season Izzy has went backwards, nothing to do with his injury, he simply can't defend, he gets caught at the back post/ with simple balls nearly every game. With regards Commons, it's quite obvious he has never been happy at having to lose a bit of weight and train harder! You can analyse it as much as you want - it always comes back to the bottom line, this whole season has been hell! Lawwell, Park, Ronny/ coaches, and players, I can't think of 1 positive to say about any of them! So it's obviously not back luck, they are incapable, from top to bottom!

07 Feb 2016 09:28:41
Agree with Delphic's rating of those 3. LG aside, I'd say our stand out best players have been Tierney and Rogic. GMS has had a couple of good games and Armstrong bas been up and down. Everybody else has been pretty rank for a while but don't worry, big Chuck Mulgrew is back now. (Said no one ever)

07 Feb 2016 09:30:25
Brown?
Bitton?
Rogic?
Johansen?

07 Feb 2016 10:24:12
Are you still drunk Jim? I know I am! Was that some sort of riddle you wanted us to solve with those 4 players? The only thing I can think of that connects the 4 is they were all poor in Europe, and let us down when it matters. There is no way in the world you can rate a player on a 8-0 victory over Hamilton, or was it 8-1?

07 Feb 2016 10:31:31
Daviebhoy you forgetting if we didn't have griffiths we would not be top of the league.

07 Feb 2016 10:42:02
Who do you think the best players we have at the moment Delphic?

07 Feb 2016 10:42:02
Sorry, maybe you're saying 4 best players! I can't see straight! Last year I would have said Gordon, Biton, Brown. Lustig. This year Gordon and Lustig have been appalling, but still play, Brown has hardly had 1 good game, and Johanssen hasn't even had 1. This is one of my problems with Ronny, he picks players who are out of form, and picks players who have never justified a jersey! He thinks everyone is brilliant or going to be brilliant, all the while we're becoming a laughing stock!

07 Feb 2016 11:16:52
No probs. Added to Griffiths they're our best players. Regardless of form of course. Still don't think Brown or Bitton are as poor as some make out. Can you leave out all or most of those based on form, not sure. Problem is that they're all down the middle. I have no confidence in our keeper, any of the back line bar Tierney, or any of our wide players.

07 Feb 2016 11:51:26
It worries me that the likes of Johansen, Lustig, Gordon, Bitton and others have been so bad all season, after they excelled last.
The situation with Commons and Stokes is even more frustrating as their attitude and lack of desire has been even more damaging.
Forrest has had many chances to push-on and fulfil any potential he originally showed, but flatters to deceive time and time again.
Of the current team, only Tierney and Griffiths have shown any real consistency, Simunovic shows potential as does Rogic; however, we still have Christie, Allen and the new signings who should be given every chance in place of the under-performers.

07 Feb 2016 11:59:08
I'd like to see Izzy played in midfield. I don't understand the hard time he gets off a lot of people on here, he's been a good player for us.