Celtic Diary Wednesday September 26: Eye Of The Tiger

It seems the manager has awoken from his slumber, and any toys that had left the pram have all been tidied up and put back in their box…

“I take total responsibility for the two games we’ve lost,”

“I made big changes to the teams in both games we’ve lost. I trust all the players that come in, but it’s something I need to look at if we’re going to lose that sort of stability.

“We have a blueprint which is very stable in terms of how we play football. Normally when we execute that we have a winning strategy. From time to time, we won’t win games and we have to accept that. When you’re at a big club you have to accept there’s a bit of heat that comes with that, but what’s very important is that you stay calm and unified and that’s very much what we are.

“What we’ve shown over the few years here with how we work is there’s lots of variation within that. At the moment we’re short in that variety in our play which can then look a bit stiff and rigid. That’s not normally how we are, but we’ll get back to our way of working. That’s my responsibility as the manager to ensure that I can take the team back to that.” 

Effectively, what he is saying is that the changes made have meant that those coming in have stuck too rigidly to the plan. That makes sense.

What is pleasing is that he is not hiding from the problem, and is going to deal with it.

and it looks very much like Celtic will be told to come out swinging tonight up in Perth, and therefore put a few doubters back in their boxes…

There have always been tough games against Tommy’s teams and I don’t think it’ll be any different tomorrow,” 

He means tonight, because he said this yesterday. I hope.

“We’ll expect a tough game and we go there looking to respond after the losing at the weekend.

“I can see a slight shift in how they’ve played. Tommy’s done really well with the players he’s brought in and the dynamic of the team has speed in it. He obviously made a change at the weekend and he may reflect on it and go back to what was working. I thought for parts of the game, especially the opening period of the game against Rangers, they did well. They went 1-0 and changed the game for them.

“They’ll look it this game as a chance to put things right and for us it’s the same. We lost at the weekend and we’re now looking to go and win a quarter-final of one of the major cup competitions.” 

And keep talk of a treble treble alive.

Longer term, Brendan also addressed the rumours that he had handed in his resignation…

Well, he worded it a little differently…

“The only message I can give them is that I am absolutely privileged to be here. I want to continue to be here.

“Yes, we haven’t had the start. Yes, we haven’t had the Champions League qualification, but I still love my work here, love the challenges here.

“This is our little period where it hasn’t gone well and this is where you show what you’re like as a team and how you respond as a manager and players.”

He also referred to Kilmarnock fringe player Kris Boyd, who had talked of a dressing room split in the media, telling him to concentrate on getting back into the first team at Rugby Park, and for some reason told him he’d be as well deleting Kris Commons’s number from his phone.

Well, he didn’t, but he should have….

Kris Commons …a sort of Maurice Johnston but only in secret…from all accounts.

And with far less honour and morality.

So, onto tonights game, and can Celtic put their troubles to one side and get that mojo back ?

No, not that one. no one wants him back.

One would hope so, yet there is still a little doubt concerning the fragility of the side.

But, this is different, this is a one off cup match, and there can be talk of taking the foot off the pedal.

Bertie Auld, who knows a thing or two about football, gave the manager and the players some encouragement, and perhaps the arm around their collective shoulder they needed..

“Even Jock Stein had his critics. When Celtic had a stutter in the sixties or early seventies there would be all sorts of talk about the bubble being burst and opponents sussing out how to play against us.

“Big Jock ignored the circus and got on with the job and made sure everyone continued working hard to maintain the values of the team. 

“No club is guaranteed an exceptional performance and a good result in every game. You can’t even begin to believe you are going to stroll through a month of football without some sort of obstacle being put in front of you.

“Listen, what Celtic achieved under Brendan Rodgers in his first two seasons has been nothing short of phenomenal.

“He has done something even Big Jock couldn’t manage and that is the double treble. That’s going to be in the history books and that will be testimony to the manager for all time.

“But I get the impression Brendan, like my old gaffer, is a believer in hard work to maintain consistent performances and to make sure you are the team everyone wants to beat.

“I accept Celtic appear to have lost a bit of their cutting edge, there’s no arguing with six goals from six league outings.

“But I wouldn’t bet against things clicking into place and Celtic taking off in the right direction again.” 

Well, thats down to the players on the park.

Its their turn to do their talking…

Whichever eleven puts the shirts on tonight-and I hope its the hoops, so that no one passes to a steward, -needs to have a good look at that shirt and ask themselves if they can grow into it before they put it on.

It’s always good to change things, to freshen things up a bit.

I’m even heading out today for one of those health thingies, you know, a sort of new image and that kind of thing.

Theres a new place in town that looks promising..

Its important to change, becuase if you go back to yesterdays diary, you’ll recall an excerpt from the Times that reported on a move to ban tricolours at the football.

It was from 2002, which Etims colleague Desi Mond pointed out , but in fact the extract was used to demonstrate that the Herald story at the weekend proved that there is an undercurrent in society that has an inbuilt Anti-Irishness, and its still in positions of influence.

I was trying to see if anyone noticed. ( Aye, okay-Ed )

The more things change the more they stay the same. That much we have noticed.

Casual bigotry is on the rise again, under the guise of banter.

Neil Cameron, who works for the Herald Group showed an astonishing level of ignorance on twitter yesterday..

Discussing bigotry, he said..

Did the Record try to hide this clear and present instance of sectarianism ?

If so, why ?

There is a degree of sectarianism, bigotry and racism still prevelant in Scotland.

Its why some of us moved away.

Meanwhile, its time to offer a hand of friendship and rise above all that.

Will someone help this guy before its too late.. ?

Whoever is responsible for parading a clearly ill man in public, presumably for a few quid, should have a look at himself, and those who attend such functions should maybe desist until the fellow in the picture is better.

I mean that. I hate to see anyone going downhill like this, as there is only one way it will end.

And whatever any of us may think of him, he’s still someones father, still someones son…

Yesterday, we showed this picture..

Today..

and it is a real picture, apparently..