Menu Close

Celtic Diary Monday February 10

Oh dear. Its worse than we thought.

Neil Lennon, when comparing the defeat on Saturday at the hands of Aberdeen to the one earlier in the season to Morton said;

“This one is far harder because we were more or less full strength on Saturday and we were going very, very well going into it.

“So, it’s a sore one.”

That line up on Saturday is what he considers full strength.

“We need to look at the mentality, look at the way the game went and why it went the way it did – and make sure it doesn’t happen again,”

Well, you could tell Samaras, Stokes and Forrest to either buck up or buck off, and they can do that in the reserves. You could bring in some of the players you have spent money on-or you could promote some of the youngsters who have been dominant at their level in Scotland for the last few years.

That would be a start.

Then you could drop this ridiculous system of four on the flanks and a man in the hole feeding one up front. It doesn’t work. It never has.

You could try passing the ball forward from time to time.

Right, we are sort of halfway there.

“Sitting down with the players and going through the match again is not something I do normally, but maybe on this occasion I will.”

Hang on, the club moans at us when the crowds are down, but they don’t even want to watch the games either ?

“When your passing goes and there is a lack of communication, you get punished. And that’s exactly what happened.”

No, it isn’t. We were shite. Aberdeen weren’t. They won.

And the crowd, as pointed out in a couple of the replies to yesterdays diary, didn’t get behind the team like they usually do when they go a goal down. Why ?

Because the team were insipid. They didn’t care. Sure, the crowd should get behind the team, but its a two way street. If the players can’t be arsed, then neither are the crowd. When Celtic went behind on Saturday, the team and crowd needed to feed off each other, and it didn’t happen. Sometimes you have to make it happen, and there was no-one of a mind to do that.

Lennon concluded;

It was a pivotal game for us,” he said. “We didn’t want to go out of the competition.

“We didn’t work their keeper hard enough, and our decision-making and the quality of our play was poor.”

Er, actually it was Lennons decision making that was poor. From picking the team to the tactics, and also for not changing it when it was quite obvious that it wasn’t working.

But, it has to be remembered that the other clubs know that if they play us in a one off, then they have a chance to beat us. They love it, and they will be up for it. Thats what happened Saturday. We just have to make sure we can be up for it as well.

And thats where we leave that game, because its done now, and we can’t change it. After all, we only lost a game, others have lost their club, and are about to do so again.

 

But we’ll come back to that.

 

The press , not surprisingly, are delighted that Celtic are out. It means that even if one club does have a bigger haul of trophies than the others, it won’t be the Glasgow giants, who just a couple of years ago had, in the eyes of the press,, ruined the game by not allowing old Rangers into the SPL.

Both Aberdeen and Inverness have a chance to end the season on two trophies-new club Second Rangers could win three, but thats unlikely, as they won’t be around much longer-we’ll come back to that. Hell, even Raith Rovers could do a double, which would be superb, on account of the work Turnbull Hutton has put in to make the game a little fairer than it used to be.

Keith Jackson, in the record, couldn’t stop his pen from ejaculating onto the paper when he wrote;

Keith Jackson: How one weekend of Scottish Cup action may have changed the destinies of three high-flying bosses

KEITH believes the outcome of this weekend’s Scottish Cup games may have considerable consequences for Neil Lennon, Ally McCoist and Derek McInnes.

He spelt Jackie MacNamara wrong there, because he cannot seriously mean that Third division leaders Second Rangers are high fliers.

Keith Jackson

Jackson, pictured above during his disastrous attempt in the World Nose Picking competition, is right in one sense to proclaim that the season now has a bit of life in it. To an extent, anyway. The showpiece Scottish Cup is up for grabs, and even the likes of Dumbarton, Albion Rovers and Second Rangers could be in with a shout.

He explained, though it has to be said, not very well. Perhaps the excitement got to him;

” WELL did you feel it? Did the earth move beneath your feet?

Because what went on over the weekend was the equivalent of a knee trembler with football’s oldest lady. She may have been passed around more often than any other trophy in world football. And, true, she may have seen better days.

( Eh ? For fecks sake, don’t leave him alone with the trophy, and hide the tissues. )

But the Scottish Cup had a glint in her eye over the weekend and her latest mischief making has just lit a fire under the remainder of the domestic campaign.

( So, she’s been “glinting ” at him, and setting fire to things. I knew a lass from Barlanark like that once. )

A season which was supposed to be put to bed in tan tights and belly warmers has popped a stockinged leg out from under the duvet and offered up a flash of racy suspense.

( Dear god. Its like fifty shades of grey. What the feck is a “flash of racy suspense. ? Let me think-

“Hello, love, I’m back early tonight, and I fancy a flash of racy suspense, so I’ll call into the co-op and get you some tan tights.  ” )

Suddenly the earth has shifted under three managers in particular. Because the results which were thrown up over a weekend orgy of shock and awe have completely changed the dynamics in which Neil Lennon, Derek McInnes and Ally McCoist are operating.

( There he goes again. An “orgy of shock and awe ” . Perhaps he’s frustrated. Yer man Freud would have to book him in for a fortnight. )

From nowhere, McInnes and McCoist have the chance to achieve historic successes.

(  Well, thats true. McCoist will become the first manager to lead two clubs into administration, and possibly liquidation. Does he just do it around Valentines Day so he can have an excuse for not buying his missus a card ? )

 

Yesterday’s quarter-final draw not only kept Aberdeen and Rangers apart but also left both heavy odds-on to make the last four.

( It also kept Dundee Utd and Second Rangers apart, and St. Johnstone and Second Rangers apart, and any other team which would have fancied a shot at the overpaid and overrated plodders from Division 3, and surprisingly left them with a home tie against Albion Rovers, who hail from the Republic of Coatbridge, soon to become an independent enclave in the new Republic of Scotland. With the common rule amongst catholics in Scotland being that you never want to be in front of a sherriff with two surnames , this is a football club with two last names, so you can guess where my allegiances lie for this game. If it actually takes place, that is.)

( More later on that. )

” Now destiny is calling them on like some sort of silvery temptress. ”

He continues;

And then there is McCoist, who will be hoping these rising pressure levels inside Pittodrie seriously unnerve McInnes and his group, while confronting a few harsh truths of his own.

( ah, he’s going to break the story-you know , the one when they go bust )

He too has taken every opportunity to shield his players from expectation but there can be no hiding place now.

( Such as the expectation that they are getting paid this month, presumably )

” This Rangers squad is the second most expensively assembled in the country and, with Celtic out of the way, it seems perfectly reasonable to assume that McCoist and his men should be able to take advantage of this unexpected twist of fate. ”

( No, it doesn’t. )

For the first time in nearly three years, the game has become the story again at Ibrox rather than the backdrop to the unrelenting circus off the park. Now that may not last long. In fact, with money running out, the current regime could be only a matter of days away from its next big crisis.

” But for 48 hours or so over the weekend, Rangers were all about the football again. And that might just be the old lady’s greatest trick of all. ”

I thought he was going to tell us then, but the greatest trick of all is how the press cannot see this great big train called The Rangers International football club is hurtling towards the buffers again.

Graham Wallace, the CEO at time of writing, wants out. He has a few pals in the high risk banking world, you know, a sort of corporate Wonga.com, and he’s been filling in the forms and providing proof of income, but he cannot get a loan. His pals down there paid him the courtesy of listening to him, but can’t help him this time. So they are sinking, and the lifeboat isn’t coming.

So we hear from our regular drunk guy, anyway, who has got himself a job selling a popular magazine down that way.

Anyhoo, our man reckons-and we’ve heard it from a couple of other places as well, that Wallace has learnt that he’s going to be the fall guy when it all goes tits again this week, and he has no intention of hanging around for that.

Then theres the Ibrox investor who has been told he might as well write off his investment. And its a company that is a major investor . This particular investor speaks to the Ibrox board daily, and knows what is going on-or should we say going down.

Because that is whats happening. They’re going down.

Anyone on twitter ? Follow a guy called Bartholomew J Boots. He’s quite good.

Jacksons article is just typical of what will be in the press this week, until that lot goes under , that is.

And its a shame, because he was right, it will be an interesting and even exciting end to the season on the field. But instead of praising the almost defunct Second Rangers, how about a mention for the clubs who have decided to live within their means, who have cut or eradicated bank debt, and kept their most promising players ?

Several clubs in Scotland have been saved or boosted by what their fans have done to help, outwith going to the games, and theres only one who sat back and allowed their club to die. now that their new club is going the same way, largely due to their own stupidity and inactivity , isn’t it time we just forgot about them ?

After all, they would have forgotten about anyone else.

Embedded image permalink

I was speaking to a fan of New Rangers yesterday, he was rather upset. apparently he  had slept with his third cousin.

” Stop counting them, then. ” I advised.

Jim Brogan was the man yesterday, a much  underated player from the seventies.

Someone else who was underated as a player. Who’s this chap ?

 

 

 

0 0 votes
Article Rating
29 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
jas
10 years ago

Wim the tim

10 years ago

WIM YANSEN, STOPPER OF THE 10,

schoosh71
10 years ago

It doesn’t matter which players you pick or which system you deploy, if the ‘players’ aren’t committed, you don’t win football games. The players let themselves, the club and the fans down. IMO. HH

Monti
10 years ago
Reply to  schoosh71

LOL Course it doesn’t Schoosh, course it doesn’t!

IT DOES MATTER!

LENNON IS INEPT & SHOULD GO!

Kitty Clark
10 years ago

Lennon’ comments are contraditory. He says the defence was rubbish and Stokes was one of the two players who played well. The defence all played for 90 minutes and Stokes was substituted??????? Need to look at your own performance Neil. You got it wrong, BIG TIME.

Carntyne
10 years ago

The first defeat in over twenty games and the nutters are out in force.

Jock Stein wouldn’t have lasted a year if this lot were fans then.

We didn’t lose to a team from the lower leagues, we lost to a team improving under a young manager.

We didn’t play well and Aberdeen did.

No team ever goes undefeated forever.

It has happened before and will do so again.

No matter who the manager is.

Monti
10 years ago
Reply to  Carntyne

@CARNTYNE,
2 CUP WINS OUT OF 9, IS THAT GOOD ENOUGH?

I DON’T THINK SO!

EVERY FAN HAS A VOICE & I WANT LENNON OUT!
HE DOESN’T HAVE A FUCKING SCOOBY…..

Carntyne
10 years ago
Reply to  Monti

And you have?

You don’t realise how silly you sound.

Bawsman
10 years ago

Carntyne…………..Less of that common sense bollox.

Carntyne
10 years ago
Reply to  Bawsman

I know…I know.

Don’t know why I bother.

Frank McGaaaaarvey
10 years ago

Just what is our strongest line-up? I don’t think Lenny seems to know either with the constant changes for no apparent reason (see Matthews for Fisher on Saturday) doing no favours for team fluency. Look what happens when players get to play regularly together and begin to show great understanding (Efe and VVD for example) but I don’t think we have played the same forward partnership 2 games in a row all season! How are players meant to gel that way. I don’t mind tinkering with line-ups if it means young players are getting a chance which, barring Darnell Fisher and a handful of fleeting sub appearances for others, hasn’t happened.

I agree that the crowd have a part to play but FFS the team has the biggest part to play and should really be giving us something to shout about. Something which has been missing all too often this season. When most of the crowd seemed to be aware our midfield was being swamped as the game wore on the men in charge seemed to think this would just blow over and normal Parkhead service would be resumed.

I’m not calling for Lenny to go but he has to question whether he and his team really can take this team further not just in improvement from this season’s disastrous CL campaign but to ensure that embarrassments like Morton and Arbroath do not happen again.

IF Lenny did decide he couldn’t then who would the board bring in? They have proved that they won’t push the boat out when it comes to the playing side of things so what makes us think they will do any different for a top-notch proven manager?

10 years ago

Gut reaction only serves the forces of darkness. Well played Aberdeen. I fancy them to go on and lift the old trophy now and the also rans to be given credit only when they are up against the zombies.

Take it in your stride and enjoy the circus.

deadhead67
10 years ago

The point is we lost the game before it started,with Lennons selection ,tactics and formation,
to drop a player who was playing well and replace him with a guy who had been out for ages and had hardly trained to leave the midfield under occupied and allows us to be overrun ,not to change things quicker,and when he did change it all the wrong players were brought on,and im not just reacting to sat,Ive never been a fan of Lennon,his teams play like him slow plodding dull boring pish

Monti
10 years ago
Reply to  deadhead67

Can I just confirm that my reasoning for Celtic being better off without Neil Lennon is based on regular embarrassing cup exits, playing Samaras & ah…fuck it!

pJ 447
10 years ago

Was disappointed with performance of the team on sat.if the defense and midfield were so bad ,why did the subs. Made by Neil not made in this department.It was obvious to anyone who was there were we were so weak..Our midfield were totally outmanned and out played,and also out managed by Aberdeen.Anyone who has been at.the last number of home matches and watched the warm-ups of samaras training with his hat and coat on,totally disinterested must have wondered at his selection on sat.Why are we playing him when it is obvious that he is off elsewhere.We could be doing with promoting some of our youth into the Team,thereby injecting some pace and guile to entertain the Fans.Neil please please get back to playing 2 Strikers and forward thinking midfielders and let’s go out to batter the opposition especially a Parkhead.HH.

pJ 44
10 years ago

Sorry typo PJ44

San Miguel
10 years ago

I think the old adage about learning more from your defeats needs to be where Neil moves his focus.

As was said eraler with a 22% success rate in the domestic cups it does reflect badly on him.It might be his last season as I think that the recently reported non footballing issues might have taken its toll on him.

Tactically he needs to be more fluid , but he learnt alot I’m sure from MON who had the exact same fault as a manager and indeed played the same players in the same wrong positions. The only difference is MON kept loyal to the players way onto their thirties. Peter Lawwell makes sure that doesn’t happen now.

A period of reflection is what is required, Neil needs to ask himself , Can I improve ? What can I change ? Can I take the club any further ? Do I need this hassle ?

Knee jerk reactions are just as bad as blind faith – we got beat fair and aquare -its a sore one . But we move on.

martin
10 years ago

There’s no getting away from it, the further Sevco get in the Cup the angrier most of us will get about Saturday’s performance and Lennon’s tactical mistakes….they’ve now got an easy home game, they will then have a home tie in the semi final and undoubtedly against the easiest team available….they’ll then get Aberdeen or Dun Utd in the final and anything can happen in a one off game, especially as the SFA will bring Hugh Dallas back to ref the game.

I know I should just focus on my own team but if we are forced to endure the media frenzy and sevco triumphalism if they win the cup, then I’ll find it very difficult to forgive Lennon and the team for that performance.

boyceybhoy
10 years ago

Two words…”Tactically Nieve”

10 years ago

WITABUNCHA MOANIN’ FACE WANKAS YOU LOT ARE, I’LL TELL YOU THIS AND I TELL YOU NO MORE, IF NEIL LENNON WINS THE LEAGUE AND GET’S TAE PLAY 12 YES 12 GAMES IN EUROPE EVERY YEAR THEN I’LL BE A VERY HAPPY MAN, AND AM NO EVEN A CELTIC FAN BUT AT LEAST THE WEEMAN IS DAEIN’ HIS BEST FOR THE CLUB ,YA BUNCHA CLOWNZ,YOUSE LOT DON’T KNOW WHEN YOU’VE GOT A GOOD CELTIC MAN WI’ A GOOD CELTIC HEART @ THE CLUB,SO BACK OFF YA SCABBY BUNCHA BASSAS ER NUFF SAID… FECKIN’ EEJITS

Frank McGaaaaarvey
10 years ago

Nurse! Meds! Now, if not sooner!

John Murray
10 years ago

If there is an up-side to going out of the cup, and I’m truly scraping the barrel, it is that The Imposters won’t have the chance of a big pay-day by drawing us!

Monti
10 years ago

I’ll start the ball rolling ( that’s a forward moving ball Lenny ) who I would like to see replace the Lennon man.

Jupp Heynckes!

bogbohy
10 years ago
Reply to  Monti

Anybody, buy we’ll go for more cheapy cheapskates like malky mackay. Lennon is a huge problem, he’s is just atrocious in so many different ways and areas. The problems won’t stop tho until our board go. Remember losing the league to sevco before they went bust and what a terrible side they were. Our board haven’t improved from then, just lucky there’s no competition. We’ve been appalling now for years and the stadium is empty. It’s hard to watch on TV now never mind spending money going to games. Just wanna mention Scott Brown again and what a terribly embarrassing player he is. He wouldn’t get a game for my local side Derry City and if he did, his lack of ability would be shown up. He does everything wrong all the time yet he’s our captain. How must the other players feel about that if they were allowed to be brutally honest? Imagine being left out of the side for someone who can’t hit a five yard pass or a shot on target from a yard out. We have big problems for the future, I can’t see anything changing with dickmond and liewell around, just more managers who are cheap and easy manipluated so we can pursue players who offer ‘value’ Like pukki, balde, boerrigter, juarez, daryl murphy, miku, lassad, gershon as well as many others. We’ve had some good successes too but far too many players signed who have been awful. It’s just luck, we take whoever is cheap and hope it works out. I’d love to see a foreign manager come in who would instantly drop kick broony, mulgrew, samaras etc out the door.

MarkyBhoy
10 years ago
Reply to  bogbohy

You’re right about the Board but they’ve made bigger mistakes and we as a support are split on how to deal with it. This Board has colluded to keep the manky mob alive. Helping officials and administrators to break rules haw raw while lecturing sections of our support on how we stand, move, dress and talk. Nothing is going to get any better until we change the guys at the controls. Everything else is sideshow bob.

Aldo
10 years ago

Bring back Watt and the Green Brigade!

Monti
10 years ago

I understand we don’t have real financial muscle or play in a competitive league at the moment, however Celtic is a magical, inspirational club & the stadium & Lennoxtown are excellent.
For me going out of both cups at home & in the earlier rounds of those competitions,IS unacceptable!
If anyone is saying anything else you need to wake up, winning the league title is the key to the champions league & obviously is the priority, however cup finals are fantastic occasions, Celtic are now being beaten at Hampden by St.Mirren & Kilmarnock when it counts, we are being knocked out at home by Morton & let’s be honest here, a very workmanlike,average Aberdeen…is this now acceptable to the Celtic fans?
All you need to do to beat Celtic is stay solid, use the ball well & hit on the break.
For me getting to Hampden & seeing a Celtic captain in the Hoops lifting silverware & showing it to the supporters is fantastic & those memories stay with you forever.
Celtic have lost the famous ‘Celtic spirit’,there is no fight in the team!
It bothers me that I have lost faith in Neil Lennon….but I have! HH

gerrybhoy
10 years ago

Went on to twitter to have a look at
Bartholomew J Boots
and what did I see NOTHING not one single tweet
has jack Irvine been busy again

Follow us on Twitter @ETimsNet