El cormaco watched the game last night, and after reading the Diary this morning sent this response.
A couple of days ago I predicted that Celtic would lose the game in the last 30 minutes as they started blowing out their arse. Yesterday I pondered in what ludicrous fashion we would concede goals.
It honestly gives me no pleasure in being right, I’ m a Celtic supporter and I want to see the team do well. Sadly though I didn’t need to be Mystic Meg to make these predictions, the same scene plays out time after time while we are supposedly learning.
To take a recent example, Klopp has gone into Liverpool and within about 6 weeks you can see a team that is more together, working harder and playing a style of football. I accept the players are form a different level but there are fundamentals about organisation, shape and effort that are the same at any level.
This is half way into Ronnie’s second season and apart from a slavish adherence to one striker what have we seen?
Ronnie asked to be judged after a year – long passed, and made assurances about what we could look forward to seeing, so
Are the team fitter? Absolutely not
Do we defend better? No way
Do we dominate possession against European teams? No
Are we playing high tempo pressing football? No, we aren’t fit enough to
So against his own criteria he is failing but we should all keep the faith and wait for jam tomorrow?
Last night wasn’t terrible, and this is frustrating, in patches you can see there are good players in there and we do have a way we want to play. But it’s never sustained and always undermined by horrendous mistakes or over commitment – again last night conceding a goal from our own corner, why did some one not haul the boy down as he ran away and take the card?
Despite these little glimpses of what could be, 2 points from 5 games will tell you we have a mentally weak, predictable, poorly organised team who display little passion, poor technique and an alarming ability to concede every type of bad goal you can think of.
But this is all okay, apparently, because next year, well next year, things will be better.
Know what, I don’t believe him. I don’t have the faith in him, my view is he’s a spoofer, the players have seen through him and are not working and playing to and beyond their best for him
While Ronnie is our manager this is our level, he isn’t making us better, he is taking us backwards. He is a nice guy, but he is not up the very challenging job of being Celtic manager
We may have some good young players coming through, but I wouldn’t credit Ronnie with that as most of them will have been at the club before him and he doesn’t coach the youth teams. If Ronnie goes those boys will still be at the club and might have a manager who really will make them better.
Another thing I predicted in my crystal ball was that Ronnie would end up dividing the support, and here we are, calling one another names because we are pro or anti Ronnie.
Clearly I’m anti Ronnie, but everyone has an opinion and that’s fine.
I ‘m saying no more about him now, there is nothing more to be said , while he is there I do not believe we are going to improve enough and so until he is gone there is no point saying the same shite on a different day. I m sick of watching the team now, and it only brings me down watching their latest failings.
So thanks Ronnie, you have actually achieved something quite difficult, you have made me apathetic towards Celtic.
A big change needed at Celtic NOW!
This board will not listen to the fans,why do we have to put up with the same excuses from the manager and Collins,
He might think he will have another crack at the CL BUT he like Tony Mowbray is only one bad defeat away from a team in Scotland and he will be on his way,…..if the attendances fall drastically then the board/Lawell might have second thoughts about keeping him.
HH
I was one of the lets give him time brigade but no more.Where has gone the super fit team who will out run opponents and play a high pressing game that he promised.Sure he talks a good game but sadly rarely puts out a team to prove it.Too many overseas players who have no fight or passion in games when its called for.He gets away with in scotland but so could any coach employed with the club at any level.What saddens me most is the inadequate performances at home to nill of the road european teams at home and that includes last nights opponents Ajax who are a shadow of their former self.Time for ronny to go and to get a british manager in.
Excellent summary
Thanks bud! HH
Agree with every single word of this. Sadly, we’re being contemptuously ignored and that can only lead to disaster.
I’m just disheartened now. I like what ronnies doing bringing through young talent. But it wasn’t his fault he was offered the job.
The problem is from the top. It’s the 90s all over again.
Good article.
The first half Celtic played a 4-5-1 formation, we scored right at the start of the game, Brilliant.
But, the ‘players’ after scoring early sat back too deep, (it happens), even although when we lost possession every man was getting goal side and the team had a good shape.
Although we couldn’t keep the ball when we got it, Rogic not a defensive midfielder was taking to many touches and kept losing the it.
Lustig played a bad pass (To Heavy) to McGregor who loses the ball, Ajax get a shot off and it rebounds into the path of one of their players, Gordon makes a good save and Boyata can’t react quick enough.
Now are you really blaming the manager for that.
So towards the end of the first half, as Ajax were on top RD makes a change and reverts to his 4-2-3-1 and we did have a bit of joy through that, with Rogic returning to his best position that gave us more support to LG.
Half-time, 1-1 not bad, but not great, even although we didn’t have our 4 best/experienced players against an Ajax team, who ALL had a great first touch, who ALL were good passers of the ball and ALL had good movement.
2nd half I thought the young Bhoys ‘upped’ their work rate although the fluidity of their play was off at times. Celtic were the better team and created the better chances. LG could/should have had a couple as well as created a couple more. Bad decision making at crux moments.
So I’m led to believe this is also the managers fault.
I seen a team of young Bhoys try their hardest to get a result for not only themselves but the club and the ‘FANS’. Just look at the shift Forrest put in, not once in your life under NL did you see that.
For the last goal we’ll just blame the manager for that as well, as he should have ran on the park and tripped up the Ajax player.
If Celtic fans want to live in a deluded state and have thoughts of grandeur compared to the reality of were Scottish football is in the grand scheme of things, that’s up-to them.
Kieran Tierney would be nowhere near the first team under MON, WGS and NL and that’s what RD has been brought in for. To see if he has the formula to create and develop a champions league standard of player, that’s NONE, NONE of his predecessors was able to achieve, apart from the Big Man himself.
Maybe it’s just all ‘moonbeams’ or cause ‘they’ aren’t in our league.
It’s always easy to criticize, but what’s your solution.
you wan,t to put up with shite for how long.Tierny may not have got a game under o,neil but thats because we had top class defenders,the team is full of mediocre SPL piss,mostly from a piss poor team from dundee.its ok to maybe play 1 upfront away in europe ,but to play against park sides like kilmarnock at home is just awful,meanwhile our man utd supporting majority shareholder,never turns up to watch,out playing golf or watching egg chasers,the crowds are falling,season tickets numbers are down and down,that shows the boards tactic of appointing the cheapest option up,we are losing money hand over foot,and the prat that has cost us at least 30 million over the last 2 seasons is still manager,our most talented midfielder hates his guts,and probably many more do too,he should have the guts to resign,and we could put the cleaning lady in charge,she could not be any worse.
Solutions? How you going to make a champions league player after only 18 month in the job?
Some good points you have made but its not just the individual mistakes last night that is making the support unhappy,
sure players can have an off night BUT it is the big picture for Celtic fans, poor tactical decisions, team spirit, a team willing to fight for the manager……this current team has not got it , neither has Ronnie .A job too big for him in the first place…IF he is given more time then what happens next time round if he fails miserably again.. will he ask for another year?…..time for change is now and not when he falls flat on his face again
There is no doubt it was a gamble appointing him or whoever comes in to the Celtic managers job, for your under pressure right from the off.
How do you deal with living in the goldfish bowl, not everyone can, but I would give him the 4 years to see the ‘project’ through.
In that time he will have taken U17 to U21. How is it possible to create champions league players, is the question. Does he have the answers, I’d say he’d have a whole lot better of a clue than you or me or anybody on this blog. HH
Why did lustig play that pass in the first place, who the fuck is couching these players to try and ” play” football in front of their own fucking penalty box. I’m away to find a razor blade. Hh
What a fantastic article! spot on and the sooner we get rid the better.
The problem isn’t just Ronny. We need to follow Ajax and get more kids into the first 11. We also need more fans on the pitch. But most of all we need Summer football to negate the advantage that molde and Malmö have over us. This whole European campaign has been about injuries in key positions and players not playing at their best.
Cant fault your post.
Ronnie is not a Celtic manager.
It isn’t his fault but the club is too big for him. He has my sympathy as the players continually play like headless chickens.
But last night rogic is to be subbed its 1-1 we need to win lets throw on Charlie mulgrew cmon.
He needs to go its a game we should have won.
Could not have put it better,Peter lawell has a big decsion to make,its imperative that he gets it right,can Ronnie take us into the CL next year,no chance.Charie Saize was calling for fan investment,the CL will provide that investment if we are smart enough to access it.
You’d expect the highest paid players in the SPFL to perform at a much higher level than they’ve shown since Ronny took over. But they can’t even beat Kilmarnock never mind Ajax, Molde and Fehnerbace.
However *IF* (and that’s one helluva big *IF!) they do win against Fehnerbace, then you can bet dollars to donuts that the Celtic Board and PR Dept will, as they always do, immediately start shovelling the bovine excrement by claiming exoneration and telling any idiot who still listens to their verbal diahorrea. that this win PROVES Ronny is on the right track.
I’ve said it since the beginning. He may make an excellent Boys Guild coach. but he’s totally useless as the Celtic Manager. Quite simply, he’s Mowbray Mk II.
The players don’t want to play for him, as his “system” is pure shoite. It consists of playing 4-2-3-1, repeatedly spouting his “footballing philosophy” to explain why we didn’t win, and playing Johansen even if he’s on crutches.
If Deila had any integrity at all, he’d admit that the job is far beyond his extremely limited capabilities and resign immediately before the Parkhead terraces are barren and empty.
Well said Monty!
Great article…says it all…and has my total backing.
Well done…
Its about Celtic…and nothing else..!!
Too many average players same old story. Chris Sutton got it right poor recruitment.
If we don’t have the money (or the inclination) to go after a ” big name” manager…and we obviously don’t… Here’s one I’d think about…
Gary Neville…He’s knowledgeable and passionate about the game..and has played at the highest levels.
Yes he’s untried…but so were Lenny and Ronny.
Worth a punt..?
I’d say so.
Well said elcormaco.
When the apathy sets in and you’re certainly not alone there and it’s not just the fans, then he (Deila) should do the decent thing and end this malaise. I don’t think I’ve ever detested a Celtic manager in my life, but this guy has managed to do a really good job of tipping me and many others over the edge.
Andybhoy,
The saddest thing of all is I bought into the Deila thing, I wanted it for him.
It is not working!
Monti, as I said before, there had to be a change to the way things were done in the past, but this guy was never the answer.
Yep, Monti. We all bought into it, as proper supporters do. It’s wholly apparent that it’s not worked but the board (& I doubt that many of them are proper supporters)is determined to protect it’s wrong decision out of sheer arrogance (you reading this, Bankier?). The club can only continue to suffer unless we’re listened to.
“its wrong decision”
The defence is dire. The defence coach isn’t getting anything sorted out. Ronny keeps promising blah,blah,blah. J C keeps telling us we’re better than the teams that are skelping us. It’s all getting too predictable in Europe.
Elcormaco,
Fantastic piece,
Two things I would like to share, Peter Lawwell said Deila was a gamble, I would strongly argue we shouldn’t be gambling.
The other thing, I watched the game in the house last night with the father in law and you know what, I wasn’t even that upset we lost because I knew it was coming.
I don’t know why I feel so numb when it comes to Celtic just now, because if you spoke to anyone that knows me, they would tell you how much Celtic football club means to me, when Celtic are down I am down, when we are up I’m buzzing.
It’s more than a football club, but this board are bringing the support down, it can’t continue.
Hail Hail!
Spot on monti,you feel the way i feel and i dont like that feeling,when we get beat it should hurt but last night it didnt hurt and that hurt,if you know what i mean,the way the fans are being treated by the powers that be is nothing short of scandalous we have a second rate team awmd a second rate manager and we are expected to accept it,there is malaise setting in at celtic park were we are getting spoon fed seconds and are expected to enjoy it..time for change,this is not the celtic way.
Bhoy1967,
Surely it is mate, this club means so much to do many.
I just wished the fans who are so accepting of defeat would waken up.
I respect other Celtic fans thoughts on our club tho, I might argue with them, but I love all of them.
We must fight for our club, never accept this Downsizing caper!
Monti
Keep the faith, this board just passing through. There not celtic.
London,
I just want Celtic to be touching the stars, we have been there before, that night we beat Barcelona will live in our hearts forever, they were/are the best footballing club side ( after the Lions) there has ever been….and we beat them.
We fought and played with pride in our jersey that night, so proud of them.
We have all been with Celtic through the good and the bad….but it’s time to harden attitudes now.
Not accepting this rubbish, not now, not ever.
Ironically, the closest connection I ever felt with Celtic was in the years when we were winning nothing and struggling.
The more Rangers ( IL) were winning and keeping us down, I loved Celtic even more, my club were on it’s knees but I like the rest of us, picked our club up again.
Correct but they appear to be intent on doing as much damage as they can. Looks like real scorched earth policy to me.
I wasn’t that upset either when Ajax got their winner because you get used to it now. My young son always says watching us play that we aren’t fit enough, Ronnie’s team is no longer a team I can ever look forward to seeing. Davie Moyes please!
AMEN!!!
Spot on, just as I pointed out on today’s Diary but you covered it in much more detail and even more heart. nothing I see inspires me and it’s a while since I could say that. How long should fans wait for the signs of real growth. More chance of a Tory finding a conscience.
Molde away was the worst euro set up I have ever seen from. Celtic manager. Worse than Xmax or Hamburg (home) under Liam Brady and TB.
from a couch in Coatbridge it was obvious we were going to lose after 3 mins. Bitton 30 yards advanced of Brown, both full backs giving it the full wing back treatment.
Molde waited their chance and cut us dead.
I could see this but our manager couldn’t.
It was then I lost faith in the Ronny D experiment. I had wavered up to that point. Ronny had done ok and deserved time.
Ok,Craig Gordon qualified us from least years group stages -some of his saves defied belief – after a CL disaster. Inter showed signs of progress and the January signings looked good. We won 2 from 3 pots domestically, so , ok, let’s go again.
It hasn’t worked. We won the league last year and we will win it this year because we have the best players, not because we have the best manager.
We have gone backwards overall . Lenny must have had a wry smile last night when the 24 hour athletes were breathing out of their arses after an hour. He was forced to defend his standards as a manger remember, after RD’s PR offensive on fitness when he took over.
I think it should end now, the Ronny experiment. He has no clue how to build shape in a team and play a style that suits the players.
If Lenny was in charge we would have progressed against Maribor last year. No doubt. Probably this year too, vs malmo.
As I watched last nights game my overriding thought was…
“Thank fuck we’re not in the Champions League”
This great European club in the 80’s/90’s went almost 30 years without European Football after Christmas . The club survived , Ronny achieved that last season . Ronny has changed the team from an experienced dour side to a young team who last night in particular played an attacking game with no little skill
We didn’t pay £400 + for a season ticket in the 80’s and 90’s.
What I witnessed last night yet again, was a team that could barely string three passes together and were breathing out of their arses after 65 minutes. As for last season, we were pumped by an average Polish team, Maribor couldn’t believe their luck that they played a team so badly organised that they made it to the group stages and the following Europa League group was mainly about Craig Gordon at the peak of his powers, saving us from elimination and embarrassing scorelines in a very poor group.
For all those who want Ronny gone, what I want to know is who do you want to replace him? Who do you think would honestly be interested in the job and would make things better?
David Moyes or Brendan Rodgers is my thinking, two excellent managers.
Some say they wouldn’t come……How do they know?
Just ask them for fuck sake.
Me and my claw hammer. Hh
10 men win the league,the 85 cup final,love street 86,the centenary year all classic/iconic Celtic moment’s for me. Sure we all would like to do well in Europe but it seems to me that fans take domestic success for granted as if its not worth celebrating. If my memory serves me well we did fuck all in Europe around this time. Also played with mainly Scots and two strikers.
We have moved on since those days, IT IS ALL ABOUT EUROPE!
This is the platform that will lift the club to great heights, achievable heights.
Do you not want nights like Man Utd, Barcelona and Juventus?
I found this blog after reading through my daily diet of ‘Celtic news’. It’s really ironic thst you say you feel apathetic towards Celtic now, when just today, I was saying the same thing to a friend of mine. I used to be glued to the football, either at Parkhead or on TV, but now when this team are playing I’m am both bored and depressed.
I just can’t figure out where some fans’ loyalty to Delia comes from. Because of the Ronny roa? Don’t make me laugh! As you say, this has divided opinion more than any issue in our recent history. Delia is a syster and I fear the board are too stubborn to do the right thing.
Would John Hughes or Stubbs etc (not that I’m saying they’d be my first choice ) be doing any worse than Ronny? Not a chance. Every man writing on this forum could win the league and probably get a home win against Ajax!!!
Thanks again for an enjoyable read. Good to know I’m not alone!
Iain Ferguson, I just about dropped my beer when I saw your name lol,
Listen mate, none of us are alone and we all care and we all talk pish….especially my pal Charlie Saiz, but we all love Celtic, that will never change.
I know my fires will be ignited again….soon.
I so wanted RD to get it right but I can’t accept what we are seeing now.
I feel the same way, I can’t be bothered watching them,, as it is too depressing.. it is time the squad was trimmed, get rid of half a dozen squad players and invest in three quality players and develop around them.
Ronny needs another 2 seasons. We had 7 Scots in the starting 11, we have great kids coming through the youth team THAT is where we need to be going, you need imagination not more of the shite we’ve had in the past, grow our own!!!!!!
Another two seasons? Ok, I’ll give him Winter and spring!
Get him tae fuck min!
John Collins: we’re focussed on the positives
“Kieran Tierney – 18 months ago nobody had heard of him now he’s playing like a £5million full-back. That’s positive. Callum McGregor came back in, played central midfield and was maybe the best midfielder on the park.
I’m surprised they didn’t put a price tag on Callum McGregor to help Southampton plan their skyTV finances for a post Christmas raid north of the border.
Our best players, this season, are the ones who have been under Deila’s tutelage the least and our worst player has played under him the longest.
O’Connell Findlay Waters Fisher Henderson Findlay Christie and McMullan all to come back off loan.
We have Calvin Miller and Nesbitt doing the buisness in the development squad too.
Some decent talent in there.
Charlie Saiz,
You are completely missing the WHOLE point, there is no progress under Deila, a massive part of his remit is to get into the CL groups, we aren’t even a decent Europa league side.
It is unacceptable!
Jurgen Klopp is six or seven weeks into his Liverpool tenure and he has Liverpool flying.
Liverpool have better players than Celtic, but that isn’t the point, the point is he has the same players playing a different way and it is WORKING!!
Deila is two and a half YEARS into his job and we are shite!
Liam Henderson never put a foot wrong anytime he featured for Celtic, why was he sent out on loan? If Deila is such a developing manager, why isn’t he not developing Henderson at Celtic?
Deila is a bluffer!
When did 18 months become two and a half years. And you expect to be taken seriously. See a lot of criticizing but not one person can answer the question, how to you create champion league players in 18 months?
It really has gotten very bad hasn’t it?
Helen Keller had more sense of direction.
Okay, if RD goes who do we get in to replace him?
Moyes and Rodgers, no chance Monti, firstly we would not pay them, second there is little or no transfer budget, thirdly we have a strict wage structure.
Be honest, if you were Moyes or Rodgers would you risk your reputation regardless how bad it is now?
Would you??
So who else would take it, possibly Stubbs, Hughes, McNamara but is this what we would call progress??
Suggestions welcome
Yes I would!
Two days after the travesty that was the Ajax, I have read all the posts, the talk is of apathy, predictability, sorry’s and promises of a rosy future. All very lovely and appreciated.
It’s taken me the full two days to figure out what I want from the players after such a humiliating defeat.
ANGER!!!! not well maybees next time, not even we played with a passion, I want them to be F#####G RAGING with themselves, their team mates, the manager and the f#####g board.
I want them to HATE themselves for letting the fans down…
IMO this is what is missing
Has anyone noticed the comic cuts going on at SEVCO? The AGM was classic moonbeams stuff. They have apparently paid back the 5 million to big Mick and are lining up 30million for Warbo to win the champions league. I’ll believe the 5 million is paid back when big Mick tells us it has been and they also put in place yet another soft loan of 2.5 million to get to the end of the season. How does all this square up with fair play rules ? As for the moonbeams 30 million, you just have to laugh. The SFA need to look into their financing. They may be pretending to be solvent when in fact they are insolvent and would get a point deduction. Always a hoot to watch SEVCO
and we think we got problems!!!
He has to go and the board also I live in London buy a season ticket why ? and for the first time in 60 years following Celtic I don’t want to go anymore DOWNSIZING, great post.
team didn’t lack passion to me -that wasn’t what i saw against Ajax..guess people see what they want to see…team absolutely not fitter..so says you and I guess you would know…suppose the fact that we without arguably our best four players was Ronny’s fault as well…nothing worse than people who just can point out negatives but can’t put forth how they would make it better…that bandwagon is getting pretty crowded up there…
Out of all the comments Schoos71 is the most constructive, remember this, if it wasn’t for some DODGY OR HONEST MISTAKES we would have won the treble last year even NOW there have been a few HONEST mistakes, compared to sevco, they give them a penalty nearly every game, I’m sure they have had 10 so far keep the faith it is going to be an exciting season next year we have secured some fine YOUNG SCOTTISH TALENT, and lets not forget young Liam Henderson
Everton fans on Moyes. His tactics leave no scope for creative, attacking football, don’t believe he has the first idea how to coach a team.
Liverpool fans on Rodgers. Rodgers should be sacked ASAP, he has truelly brought the worst dross ever in the history of Liverpool fc.
Can’t imagine why certain people are pushing for they 2 to manage Celtic fc when fans off both clubs wanted rid off them.