It looks like a combination of pressure and frustration is beginning to eat away at Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers.
With players continuing to take it in turns to be injured and a lack of activity on the transfer front, if you don;t count players going out, it was no surprise when the Irishman threw a wobbly at a press conference, largley aimed at Kris commons, who coincidentally was the first player to be ostracised when Rodgers arrived.
It started when Rodgers was asked if he was under scrutiny to improve the defence, which has had its moments this season, but didn’t concede in the final four games before the break, after the introduction of Kristoffer Ajer.
That seemed to get his back up.
“No there’s not. By who? Scrutiny by who?”
Kris Commons had said on whatever platform he was preaching from that;
“The weakest part of the defence has been the centre-back position with the mistakes and people not playing to their ability at that level.
“I know Jozo Simunovic and Dedryck Boyata are brilliant centre-halves but if they are not quite a their A-game then Celtic are going to get found out.”
There’s a little bit of truth in that, but thats kind of the same for any top level player, in that they have to be at the top of their game all the time, or they will make mistakes.
Rodgers, though, clearly is never going to send Commons a Christmas card…
“Right, Kris Commons … I’m about deeds, not words.
“I’ve heard some s*** since I’ve been up here. I’m worried about deeds. That’s the part of your industry that I don’t like.
“I don’t want to stand here and waste my time. I have a mountain of things to do rather than talk about speculation or what Kris Commons or other guys think.
“Everyone has an opinion but the opinions are not always the reality.”
From outside it looks as though Rodgers has lost a little bit of control where these conferences are concerned, and the personal attack on Commons was unnecessary, giving the former forward a level of credibility he doesn’t deserve.
As for it being the part of the industry he doesn’t like….welcome to our world.
The anti Celtic media agenda is based largely on the simple fact that a bad Celtic story prompts a reaction, and a good “rangers ” story stops one.
The Evening Times , for example, knew exactly what they were doing when they published a story about a man who has lived and worked in Manchester for the last fifty three years getting charged with drink driving…
Former Celtic player charged with drink-driving after allegedly crashing his car yards from his home
A FORMER Celtic player has been charged with drink-driving after allegedly crashing his car just 500 yards from his home in near Manchester.
Gorbals born Paddy Crerand, 78, was arrested at the scene as he headed home from a night out with wife Noreen, The Scottish Sun reports.
Greater Manchester Police confirmed to the Evening Times Crerand was also charged with careless driving following the incident in Sale, early on Monday morning.
The force said nobody was hurt.
First in the headline, and then again in the opening line, presumably to make sure you’d caught the point of the story…
Crerand left Celtic in 1963. No reporter has put their name to this story, but I’m willing to wager a shilling that he or she never saw Crerand play for Celtic…
Another example of piss poor journalism aimed at perhaps a response rather than simply informing surrounded the move of Liam Henderson to Italian side Bari…
Henderson showed a tremendous amount of maturity and respect for his new club when he attempted to speak Italian…which was reported by the Record as…
Liam Henderson goes all Steve McClaren as he switches language during Bari unveiling.
We all remember Shhhteve McClaren’s cringeworthy Dutch accent which came out of nowhere when he was in charge at FC Twente not so long ago.
And who can forget Joey Barton’s attempts at speaking French during his short stay at Marseille? Or David Moyes’ sudden Spanish dialect at Real Soceidad?
Well now it’s time for Liam Henderson to get in on the act.
Er, a young man showing the courage required in moving abroad to earn a crust has decided to start learning the language…and its mocked.
Scotland is noted as being a little up its own arse, claiming to be the best little country in the world yet only last year voting not to be a country at all, preferring to allow its sizable mineral wealth to be exploited by a larger neighbour, and this kind of parochialism inherent in that article shows is another example of the desire of a powerful minority to keep things the way they are.
No wonder Brendan is pissed off with them.
Many years ago, Jock Stein was faced with the same-if not more- level of bullshit from the press.
However, he took control and played them for the fools they were.
To do that, however, he made certain they knew who was in charge of press briefings from the start, simply by calling them for , say, 11am, and locking out anyone who wasn’t there on time. Basic stuff, but it showed who was calling the tune. He wasn’t averse to playing them at their own game either, by having a little bit of knowledge of his enemy either, and using it to his advantage, as is explained in the Archie MacPherson biography of the great man.
Rodgers might want to pick up that tome and have a wee read of it next time he’s on a plane.
The media agenda, whilst well established, isn;t working though. Recent figures suggest that print media is still suffering a drop in circulation…
For the Record, the trend began back in 2003…
However, it seems they have bottomed out, with MediaTel reporting yesterday..
The Daily Record was the only newspaper in the popular market to see an increase in sales, up 0.5% PoP, while the Daily Star was down -2.5%, the Daily Mirror down -1% and the Sun down -0.8%.
Cause for celebration ?
Er, not really..
| Daily Record | 160,557 | 138,560 | 139,237 |
The first figure is December 2016, the second November 2017, and the third is last months.
The overall picture is still one of massive decline, and the December “boost” is probably down to people buying the holiday tv pullout, which is cheaper than getting the Radio Times.
All of this could be avoided with an increase in the standard of reporting and a more flexible editorial policy, as opposed to piss poor reporting and an imaginative editorial policy, the one which promotes refreshing and novel ideas about company law, business rules and football governance.
Rodgers is under pressure to produce , if he thinks he has enough at his disposal already to deliver a treble and possibly a wee run in Europe, then we’ll have to acknowledge that, The time for criticism is when we see how it turns out, as indeed is the time for praise.
Thats not to say I’m not a little concerned, as most of us are, but at least it won’t be dull, and that should make up for it.
Elsewhere, and Steven Naismith, who refused to line charles Green’s pockets when he didn;t join the new club after Green bought the assets and started up his charade, has joined Hearts, which disappointed the Scottish sports media as he was supposed to join “rangers” and be roundly abused for walking out in them every week.
Naismith said, and this will further endear him to the hordes..
“It is a club which obviously has had its difficulties in the past but it is definitely flourishing now under the leadership of [owner] Ann Budge and the gaffer, and if I can help that move forward I would be delighted to do so.
As opposed to the other offer on the table, from a club which has had its difficulties and is going backwards at an alarming rate..
Barry Ferguson, former captain of the former Rangers, wailed in the Record..
Fucks sake, work it out Sherlock. they can’t afford him and he knows exactly what is going on, just as he did six years ago.
Which reminds me… January 24…
The legal fees alone must be crippling them…
Those of you who have read Paul Larkins trilogy on Scottish football should find this interesting..and conversely those who find this interesting should read Larkins trilogy…
“I raised a case against a referee for fabricating a report.” Former compliance officer for the SFA – Vincent Lunny – reveals a “difficult time” in the role. Hear the full interview: http://bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05v6m32 …
The end may also be nigh for the unpopular and unworkable OBF act…
MSPs recommend repeal of Offensive Behaviour at Football Act
MSPs on Holyrood’s justice committee have recommended the repeal of the Offensive Behaviour at Football Act.
A majority of members on the committee backed Labour MSP James Kelly’s members bill, while stressing that they strongly condemn sectarian behaviour.
SNP members do not want the legislation repealed, but are outnumbered by MSPs from opposition parties, all of whom are in favour of scrapping it.
The first vote on the repeal bill will take place at Holyrood next Thursday.
Email your MSP…make sure he knows what he has to do.
You can do that here..
Back at the ranch, and if the desire to play for Celtic is important, then we may have found a new centre half after all, and he can look after himself..
Bring him home….
Fair play to the management at Ibrox, who are trying to clean up the image of their support by nipping a major aesthetic problem in the bud…
We hear that a major marketing deal is in the pipeline over there, with a multi national company negotiating to use their brand as part of a major sales drive…
Its Frday, and of course that means its time for the Etims
Knob of the Week
to be revealed..
Easy really… well, as soon as he surfaces he’s always going to be up there with a chance.
Actually. its a joint award in a sense, as the two pictured were having a wee chat about something they had lost, when the fatter of the two funsters said..
Obviously Dave King would have a major say in that because he is still currently there, I genuinely don’t think that there is a massive ill feeling towards Mike Ashley.
“I think what Mike Ashley was attempting to do at ‘Rangers’ was make the best of a situation for himself which for a businessman he has done throughout his life.
“I think there’s a lot of the Rangers support that would welcome somebody coming in with finance who would want to invest in the team and the club.”
Talksport. Aural intrusion for the heard of thinking.
Captions now, and we go back to Wednesday-i was at the hospital yesterday seeing about how to get rid of an old friend who has popped back so there was no time to do a diary.
Caption:
“Smile Fergus, I’m telling you this camera on a stick invention will be massive in the future.”
And today….
