With Barry Hearn loading his gun and firing at the SFa for being bloody useless, Ronny Deila has taken up arms to join him.
Well, sort of.
The Norwegian has broken completely with Scottish tradition, and spoken up for the game in this country;
“The interest in football in Scotland is there, and so is the talent,” he said. “People are coming to games and when you listen on the radio or watch on TV, it’s amazing how many people care about football, so that’s something which should be spoken about.
“But we have to talk positively about Scottish football, rather than focus on the negative.”
Who knows ? Maybe this new positivity will catch on.
“In Norway everyone is so interested in football and everyone, including youngsters, are coming to games. Maybe the quality isn’t the best always, but people enjoy it and like to watch Norwegian football.
“But here in Scotland, it’s also about getting the big matches at the right time, to play on the days when people can come to the games. That’s so important.
“Here at Celtic we have fans coming from Ireland, and from all over, so they have to know when the game is on, and at the best time for them.”
Almost immediately his phone rang, and Peter Lawwell was heard to say;
” Thats plenty, Ronny. ”
“”I want to connect more with the fans because it’s important. You can see them doing that at clubs like Borussia Dortmund and that’s one of the reasons they have so many fans at every game
” I said that’s plenty, Ronny. ”
Speaking of Dortmund, they are now bottom of the German league, and their support, matchdays biggest in Europe , are right behind them;
“If you fall, I will fall with you. ”
Back home, and the signs are there that a new dawn may be just around the corner for the game. A new dawn which considers the position of those who pay to watch the game. Its not a moment too soon, because when you look back at the massive crowds of yesteryear, and the huge interest in the game, its not all down to the matches being on tv, although the saturation exposure of the English league needs to be stopped, but its about supporters feeling part of the club. All in it together. For the good of the club.
The Thatcher years saw the demise of communities all over Scotland, and football is probably the only industry left that can rebuild them.
Just a thought.
Celtic face Motherwell at Fir Park in the lunchtime kick off tomorrow, and they might have to do it without Charlie Mulgrew. Mulgrew has carried a lot of responsibility this season already, and has appeared tired in his last few outings, which will make him more susceptible to knocks and tears. Time to let him have a wee rest, at least until he heads to Bolton in January.
That means a run in the team for Nir Bitton, who has added mobility and strength to the middle of the park recently, and with Motherwell traditionally a difficult place to play, we’ll need a bit more physical presence in the side tomorrow.
Aleksandr Tonev will also be available after his appeal result was delayed for two weks, presumably to help the SFA come up with a valid reason for their ridiculous decision to ban him in the first place because someone said he’d done something, which he denied.
That new dawn I mentioned ? It won’t appear until these clowns in charge just now have gone. They’re much happier trying to keep things the way they are, even though its plain that improvements need to be made.
With Dundee Utd the first of the pack to get a chance to pull the deficit back in the league tonight against ?ross county, there is no room for complacency. It took us months to get to where we are, and its going to take a huge effort to stay there.
Its not just one club we need to watch out for these days, you know.
Although it has been a whole lot of fun keeping an eye on that clubs successors. With the pantomime season almost on us, its nice to see something new take centre stage as the Ibrox club blunders from one disaster to another.
Ally Mccoist, seen here on his way home after the Alloa game, is under a lot of pressure to quit.
The support are to ask questions of McCoist, and he doesn’t have any answers;
The campaign to get him out of there, dignity intact, has begun. Keith Jackson, an ally of Ally, claims;
Ally McCoist won’t want to walk away..
but to preserve his legacy he might have to
Thats his legacy as a player, presumably, his legacy as a manger is probably not worth preserving. Well, not by him anyway. Although a framed resume of his achievements from the dug out could be a winner in some circles..
According to the Record man;
McCoist has become so unfamiliar with failure that it could be that he is unable to identify it in himself.
You would have thought that the last four years had given him some inkling.
Jackson offers Mccoist some advice…
McCoist should consider calling their bluff and calling time on himself. Waiving his right to a pay-off in order to ensure that his silence cannot be bought.
Then at least he would be free. Free not just to to walk away from this toxic, mushroom cloud of a football club but free also to blow the whistle on what he has witnessed of it from the inside.
to which one wag on twitter replied;
@hen1rik @tedermeatballs Perhaps he could tell why he hitched his cart to the Green and Whyte horse, and why he’s taking £800k a year wages
Effectively, Jackson is hinting to Mccoist that should he quit, he’ll make sure he gets a few quid for telling his story. And, of course, it will be edited to leave out the bits where the chubby chuckler took his share of the loot, where he allowed fans to think he was on their side, and most importantly, it won’t ever, ever say anywhere in the piece just exactly how bad he was at his job.
Radio Clyde, glasgows biggest independent radio station has a phone in show of an evening. I don’t get to here it down here, but last nights, hosted by Derek johnstone and someone else, was on the defence of the troubled ibrox boss.
One caller, according to twitter, summed up the editorial direction of the panel with this quip;
Caller “If Ally McCoiat fell oot of his bed tonight Big Derek would blame the mattress”. Outstanding.
Two years after the old club died, theres a chance that the spivs will finally decide they’ve plundered the carcass enough, and will send the rest off to the incinerator.
Not only are things on the field bad, Phil MacGhiollabhan, author of Downfall, which chronicles the demise of the old club, reckons the new one has just been told how much it will cost to bring Ibrox back up to a reasonable standard,- somewhere around £18m- because apparently the lifts are of an older design and need to be completely ripped out.
They showed us no sympathy in 1994.
What goes around , comes around.
Now, can we get on with the the brave new world ? Without them ?
We’ve not done a quiz for a while, so today, heres a picture , not Celtic related , but interesting all the same.
Whats unique about this moment ?
1. the first italian match ever were the ref declined a bribe.
2. the first time super mario was a linesman in italian football.
3. the first time an italian referee has officiated a match with a self imposed wedgie…..jeezuz did he jump into they shorts from the top of the stand.
4. AC Milans franco baresi shaking hands with his son who captained the team who got pumped in lisbon by a marauding pride of scottish lions.
Is the answer, Franco Baresi showing his giant sunglasses to the waiting world for the first time?
Great week to be a Tim (even better than usual that is), good article thanks.
Have we just hired a PR man or Lawyer that’s decided to stand up for us (fans and club) against the almost constant onslaught of pish from all quarters? Hope this is a sign of things to come.
AC V Inter………..Don’t know what the occasion was….European Cup final?
Swapping pendants? Is it a first European meeting of the two?
Bitton is a decent player but I’d much rather see Liam Henderson get a chance in the 1st team.
It’s the Baresi brothers captaining AC & Internationale Milan.
Really love Ronnie’s chat, always have, just wish there was more of a product to go with it. Would also find the manky mobs difficulties a lot funnier if my own team didn’t cause concern; if we take the “get your own house in order” stance on fans at Tynecastle, we should accept the same stance when it comes to the most important aspect of a football club and that is performance on the park.
No scoreline on February 1st will erase the 6-1 Warsaw drubbing or the abject failure to capitalise on the lucky reprieve. Good signings in January, better matchday entertainment, and genuine cause for optimism heading into Europa last 32 are what I want to see, and hopefully Ronnie is the man to deliver it.
I totally agree Gerry,
I have criticised Ronny in the past but there is something about him I like.
Good luck to you Ronny.
Answer:an Inter Italian shaking hands with his AC clone.The first ever footballer clone! Or, it’s the same guy, photo-shopped!
Motherwell the morra.
Gordon
Matthews/Ambrose/Van Dijk/Izzy
Forrest/Brown/Biton/Johansen
Guidetti/Griffiths
Stokes and Commons to figure.
Bhoys 3 Cloggers 1
Guidetti (2) and Griffiths.
Great Diary once again, fantastic picture of the hun family Xmas dinner. Keep up the good work. Any day is never the same without OUR Diary
Ralph,picture gallery is hilarious.Is that not Bjorn Borg with the
Hun ‘looker’.Wonder what he was paid, to have an ‘unhappy’ meal with them.
Devoy,I like your team,but as we know,Ronny won’t budge from 4-2-3-1.Why he brought Tonev in from left-field,then plays him out of position,on the right,God only knows.If Forrest
isn’t fit for the right,I would bring Wakaso in on the left.However,he won’t move Stokes from his left-wing berth.
So,expect the usual system,with at least ONE player played out of position.
Wakaso missed last couple of games through illness so likely not fir for tomorrow.
Ha, how’s that for a Freudian spelling error! Should have been FIT for tomorrow.
Thanks,Morto
I knew that.But,I believe he trained,the last two days ??
Was it no something to do with the fact that on black and white TV you couldn’t tell which team was which??
WTF…..PMSL!!!!!!!
The Baresi brothers are certainly retired,but they aint that old.
No it wasn’t lol,
Milan play with white shorts and Inter with black shorts.
To my knowledge that is still the same in black and white.
Strange..
The only hope for scottish football is to play in the summer.
Hopefully the product and crowds would in prove.
Agree with Andybhoy, its Franco Baresi (Milan) & his brother, Mauro? Antonio? Or something else entirely? Che ne so! (thats Italian for “What do I know about it?”, I know that much)
Found myself in a strange position yesterday, agreeing wiht the dreaded DH, that Celtic should play with two strikers. Yikes, not happy!!
Guiseppe is Franco’s big brother.
Non e un cattivo giocatore era Franco.
Stokes is a Striker as far as I am aware he’s on the Park at the same time as Guidetti ,Scepovic or Griffiths.
So in effect we have 2 strikers on the Park at al times.
He’s just being utilised in a far better position behind and on the left where he does more damage.
Too many fixated with 2 up front in a traditional sense failing to understand when you have to up front against sides who come to play us with 1 up front this means we lose out in the middle of the Park where most games are won and lost.
Many of the Worlds top coaches are now going with one main Striker being fed from 3 further Attackers from behind or the sides this way when you are a side who spends the bulks of the game on the front foot like we do you have effectively 4 attackers breaking at once.
Not just 2 stood up the Park doing fuck all for the most part but running side to side.
You are related to Ronnie aren’t you CZ? Or doe she have dodgy pictures of you? 😀
Your backing of our manager is commendable, i remember people backing Mowbray, Barnes, Brady, etc to the hilt too. But it’s not good enough for Celtic, sorry. How anyone can think it is or that it soon will be under this regime i’ll never know. Talks the talk but does not walk the walk.
Since Ronnie came in:
1. We’re easy to score against
2. We’re easy to defend against
3. Player constantly played out of position
4. Almost religious faith in a the same formation
5. Team lacks shape
6. Individual players have pulled us out of trouble time n again
7. At team has a chance against us. No one fears us, and i mean no-one.
Today after a good start i was starting to wonder if it was a Celtic player that got red today. Our discipline went out the window, players roaming all over the park! Totally shapeless, got complacent, only Murderwell being even more pish in the box prevented them from scoring. Was resembling a playground kickabout.
So, results domestically this season have been acceptable at best (good recently) but if i hear one more word form the happy clappers about THAT Dundee Utd game i think i’ll spontaneously combust. ONE game where it clicked, ONE! Seriously?
Put simply, Aare Celtic a good side just now? No, they are not. Do they look as if they will become one? Sadly, no. If you think i’m wrong please give me the evidence.
Yet somehow – we’re top of the league, and in 3 cups inc. next round of Europa. Feck know hows how, but i’ll take it. Unfortunately i can see us getting a few pumpings when we play good (or even average) teams, and by the time wwe are playing the SPFL teams for the 3rd / 4th (maybe more dep. on cup draws) they’ll have worked us out (isn’t difficult).
I was starting to wonder if it was a Celtic player that got red today. Our discipline went out the window, players roaming all over the park! Totally shapeless, was resembling a playground kickabout.
As ever, i dearly wish i am proven extremely wrong but almost every test we’ve had against a decent level of opposition we’ve failed.
All I have done is listen from day one as to what it is he want’s us to achieve at Celtic.
I totally get his philosophy as regards pressing,closing down and attacking at pace.
It is not his fault that several key players were missing early on through injury,it is not his fault if several key players have underperformed and had a slow start to the Season.
It is going to take time for players to adjust all I have done for the past 3 months is afford Deila that time for his alterations to start taking shape.
I look at the position we are in right now regarding defending,creating and attacking then I balance it against where we are at in each Competition and I say there is very little to be concerned about and more to be excited about as we aim for 4 Titles going into January and the Transfer window.
Barnes was a dick never bought into him,Mowbray was a mistake heid full of wee motors but Deila is aiming to achieve a style of Football that is both attainable and achievable at Celtic.
I’m in till he proves differently bud.
HH
Just gflciked over to the Record there (i ve washed since) and I was struck again, by what amazing times we live in.
I moved over to Glasgow from Ireland as while Rangers were on their 9 in a row roll, Gazza, Laudrup etc up against guys like Paul Byrne & Rudi Vata. Grim times, you wont need reminding.
And now… Rangers are dead. Dead dead dead dead dead. Their tribute act, 2nd Rangers, are nakedly scrambling around for money, cap in hand, knowing they need £8m just to keep the show on the road, not for any “we ll have 3 teams” pish or “moonbeams of success” clap trap. Just to stay open with a 2nd, or 3rd rate squad of knackered journey men players ready for the glue factory, in the hope (most likely vain hope) they can make it to the top league, where with no money and an entire squad out of contract, their situation once more looks extremely precarious. And not forgetting the going concern issue in their accounts – which were only signed off on the condition that a series of unlikely events occur – they get promoteed, they increase season tickets & a lot more people buy them, they get super duper new advertising deals & TV money.
Meanwhile, the Daily Ranger is openly asking if Super Ally, legend etc etc etc, should walk away,(there is apoll – only 41% think he should stay – you know what you need to do guys – vote early & vote often) its an open secret the board would sack him if they could, while fans are thinking of having a whip round to get the money together to have him paid off. All this to “Super” the man who pished liquid gold for DECADES in the eyes of the Scottish press.
There are many many investigations and courst cases ahead as to what happened at first Rangers, and possibly 2nd Rangers, the fans who TUPE’d over are fed up and walking away, one dodgy saviour after another pops up, does nowt (bar perhaps strip a bit mmore from the carcass) and goes away again, and there really seems to be no hope for them.
So I love Celtic, obviously, but there is no point denying the last few years watching the car crash that is “the mighty Glasgow Rangers” stagger about like a jakey on Sauchiehall street has been an almost endless source of laughs and fun. Enjoy it while it lasts, it may not go on forever, you gotta love karma baby!!
Aaargh, help, long post – espousing the joyous times we live in has been lost!
Charlie, I respect you a lot – you make good tactical comments backed up with stats, but sorry, I m not having this.
Stokes playing on the left does not equate to Celtic playing with two strikers (I admit I dont rate Stokes in any position but thats another matter)
Europe is a different argument, but in domestic football, Celtic will always have most of the ball given the quality difference betweeen our players and others teams – not meanign to sound rude or arrogant, and the two strikers will not be standing up there doing nothing, theyll be moving, asking centre halfs to make choices – one comes short, one goes long – do I go to the ball, or follow the run- you take them out of position, leaving space for teh other striker, midfielders, wide men whoever to join in and exploit
With one striker being supported from wide, you can man mark the one and the second centre half can provide cover. The full backs, with wide midfielders coming back, and the spare centre half can cope with the wide men, so you are really relying on midfielders getting in and supporting and going beyond the stiker, something Johanssen is okay at, Brown doesnt do
there is a saying in football – put your money on the park – ie, identify where are your most talented players in your squad, and find a way to get them out and being effective on the park.
We have Scepovic sitting in the stands, Griffiths on the bench – both of whom cost a hefty amount of money, Pukki & Balde away on loan, Guidetti and Stokes – so 4 decent strikers at the club (counting Stokes as decent for the sake of argument here)and two oout on loan – so 6 players of varying quality, but who all cost decent money to get in or are on decent money to get in, and only one is playing up front as a striker at any time?
Not good enough imo, its up to Ronny to find a way to get more of our talent out ont he park, and this is celtic, a team brought up with aculture of attacking football, and certainly in my time our best teams – the Seville team for example, always played with two up top[, and sometimes Sutton in an advanced role – we re celtic, we attack in mumbers, always ahve doen, always should – teh Tommy Burns team that didnt win the league, okay with ax expensive rangers team they came up just short, but by God tehy were more entertaining that watching teh team just now.
Yip,playing in Scotland…….
1) McCluskey and Nicholas
2)McGarvey and McGhee
3)Larsson and Sutton
4)Larsson and Hartson
5)Hooper and Stokes
To play football…..the Glasgow Celtic Way !!
Sos,2) meant to be Mc Avennie.
Sorry, not drunk btw, just hard to type in thi sbox and correct spelling mistakes.
Hope my happier – “dont forget to look around once in a while and remember Rangers are dead and 2nd Rangers are dying, while we die laughing at Ally” post comes up.
Sorry Charlie,
I know you love Ronnies 4-2-3-1 system.Yes,all top teams use
it.But,2 factors my friend.This is Scottish football. No need to
play your system.Secondly,and more importantly,we DO NOT have the players to play this system.Guidetti plays on the shoulder,and is not a target man,who holds the ball in,to bring thhe 3 behind into play.He needs a partner.Stokes effective as a left-winger,get real.He is a striker,who wants to be in the box,
that’s why he has only scored 6 goals.
Yes,4-2-3-1 is the way to go in Europe,but NOT Scotland.But,
Ronny,like you Charlie cannot see this.
Could we have lost late goals to Inverness,Dundee and Partick ?
Yes,we have to score goals,to make sure we win games.So,give me 2 strikers all day long.Against 10 we can obviously score, but the system or players HAVE TO change m8 !!
I have been watching Celtic almost 40 years we have had many decent parings up front one of which was not mentioned and I happen to think was one of our best in that time Johnston and McClair.
For all these great pairings one thing has stood out to me…
How little success we have had in real terms in Europe?
3 Finals since and including 67 and only one of those in the last 30 years?This points a flaw with our approach.
There is a gulf of quality between playing Football in Scotland and then atepping up to playing in Europe and only the naive among us would think that with our resources we are in a position to play two different styles during a Season to suit both and be successful.
What Ronny Deila has done over the past few years is look around Europe at the Coaches who are not only progressive in their approach but also ultimately successful.
He has rightly highlighted the need for smaller Clubs (that’s us btw) to up their Fitness and endurance Levels and also for those Clubs to press teams higher and harder than they most probably face in their own Domestic Setup.
Most sides after all tend to sit off teams like Barca or Chelsea or Bayern;
He has also picked up on the tactical advantage of effectively splitting your side into two functioning sides in one.
A defensive unit of 4 across the back with 2 in front and an Attacking Unit of one main Striker with 3 in behind in Support.
Chelsea have perfected this in England now and are beginning to bear real fruit.
Jose uses the same setup both in the EPL and in Europe and from what I have seen and no doubt Deila has seen it is working fairly well.
He that is Ronny has to start implementing this setup on the domestic front he has no option as we are not a Club who simply go out and buy high end polished diamonds like Chelsea or Bayern.
No we have to build up a side capable of taking on these sides from scratch and this is exactly what he is doing now.
Some players will not cope with the transition most will though I believe as they are both young and hungry enough.
The fact we create enough chances in all our games to win them comfortably seems to have eluded a few of you?
The system works it’s the Strikers who have to put the final piece in for it to be complete.
I look at our current position and ask myself is it bearing any fruit yet?
Still in 4 Competitions going into January?
I would say so so most probably would Ronny.
Patience is the key here.
I wrote a long piece on how I think you are wrong on this unfortunately as per it’s dissolved into the Ether.
We are now actively involved 4 Competitions in January thanks to this system and approach.
We dont have the players to operate 2 separate styles both at home and in Europe Deila is trying to create a System that can work just as well in both.
After having watched Celtic for nearly 40 years I happen to think 1 Final in 30 of them is a piss poor retun for a Club our size myself.
That’s 30 years of playing 2 up front btw.
Further to that Johnston and McClair were probably two of the best and never even got a mention.
AndyBhoy is right, Franco & big bro Giuseppe Baresi
Consistently great work with the diary Chaps. Well done.
You know, you have a book in here at the end of every season. A review of the fit a and all the. Surrounding stuff.
like these things below. Remember these?
http://www.thecelticwiki.com/m/page/Celtic+Books+-+Playing+For+Celtic