Celtic Diary Saturday November 28: So, What now ?

Need to make something clear, yesterdays diary was a genuine reflection of how I think things stand at the moment with Celtic. It wasn’t an effort to find out how everyone else thinks, thats not what the diary is about.

However, after reading throiugh the replies, I’m tempted to think that most people are of the same mind. Even taking into account el cormaco’s response, the feeling I get is that more people want Ronny to finish the job he has started, although the voices of dissent are louder.

Fair enough.

There weren’t any arguments within to make me change my mind, but one made me think, and it makes me wonder what will happen next.

The players that played against ajax, and largely made an impression, would not have played, in all likelihood, had Biton, Johansen, Brown and commons been available.

So is it a true reflection of progress within the fringe players ?

If they were not ready to challenge for a top spot under normal circumstances, are they actually progressing ?

Their efforts on the park suggest they are ready, but the question remains , would they have been given the chance to show what they can do ?

If the long term plan is to develop these players into a team capable of at least a sustained run at the highest level, then it follows that from now until the end of the season, they must be given the chance to bed in.

We already know what the regulars can do, and so the rebuilding must start now, with the added advantage of two transfer windows, which will allow the removal of those who have no future at the club, and the introduction of perhaps a wee bit of experience and other places where it will become apparent strengthening is needed.

If we are to move forward, then there’s no time like the present to begin the journey, starting tomorrow up at Inverness.

Away from all that , though, because we can’t change the past, Europe is done with now, and we can only look forward.

All we can do is support whatever the manager decides is best to do next, and support not only him, but the players.

Theres enough detraction of their abilities in the media, and we need to remember that they read the papers, watch the tv and even go into forums as well.

Maybe we should, at the risk of sounding a bit like the old Celtic View, try to instill a little confidence in them ourselves, because outwith the club, they won’t get it from anywhere else.

Especially as when the management come out with this kind of statement which really doesn’t help anyone;

The positive is Kieran Tierney. Nobody had heard of him two months ago, an 18-year-old playing like a £5m full-back. That’s positive, we want to talk about it,”  

That was John Collins. Not surprisingly.

Anyone remember Brian O’Neill ? A midfielder converted to centre back who saved Celtic millions ?

Or Stevie Fulton, the new Roberto Baggio ?

Sure Tierney is a great prospect, but to suddenly come out with this sort of nonsense can be detrimental. The most important things right now are to continue developing him, and to keep his feet on the ground.

Collins is feeling the pressure, claiming that although Celtic have failed in Europe;

 “We’ll be judged at the end of the season”

  “If we’re still here.”   

I love the “we ”

They didn’t come as a package, they didn’t even know each other, and it would be criminal if Deila wasn’t at least given a chance to bring in his own backroom staff, something in itself which needs to be given serious consideration as the run towards next season begins.

The press, eager to pile on more pressure, asked him if winning the treble might not be enough to save his job.

“It would be pretty unique in world football I imagine. But it could be the reality.”

Why is he talking like this ?

The players read his comments, and the last thing we need right now is any sense of uncertainty amongst them.

“I’m not saying we shouldn’t be doing better in Europe. If you don’t win in Europe with Celtic, everyone is talking about you and saying you are no good.

“That’s not easy for new players, young players. Like any situation, the only way you learn and get better is through the experience.

“If you are Real Madrid, PSG or Manchester United, you go and buy £30 million players. Everyone knows we can’t do that. But we can try to develop players. You can’t think it is guaranteed when you are changing players all the time.

“That’s never going to change, the expectations at a massive club. Everyone wants us to be in the Champions League.

“But we are still sitting at the top of the Premiership, scoring goals most weeks and entertaining. We are in the semi-final of the League Cup and still in the Scottish Cup.

“People will say: ‘That’s nothing’. But a lot of clubs in the world would like to be going for a domestic treble.” 

It may be because their own favourites are a long way off a treble, but the press seem to be playing down what would still be a remarkable achievement.

To put this in context, how many trebles have you celebrated as a Celtic fan ? It’s only been done three times.

1967, 1969 and 2001

I’m fifty, and have only celebrated one.

One.

That means realistically that anyone under the age of sixty will share that single memory of going out on the town to celebrate that achievement.

Don’t let the MSM play this down, don’t let them think it’s nothing.

There very scarcity, for whatever reason, backs up that point.

If you are to believe the papers, then this might well be the last time we can reallistically expect to win it.

Second Rangers held their AGM yesterday, and although I largely ignored it, it’s hard to ignore the feelgood factor a few more promises from the glib and shameless liar has put back into the lives of the reporters who hang on every word, although they should be hanging their heads in shame for even giving them the least credibility.

Without checking, i could reasonably guess that he was going to invest in the team, challenge Celtic and pay back all the money he owes to Mike Ashley.

And of course, tell us all how financially sound his club are.

 I’m probably not too far off the mark there, and surely , no matter how much the fawning hacks trumpet this, the support won’t wear it this time.

Right, I’ve just checked, i was on the right lines.

But I didn’t think that some of the questions put to king et al would be so challenging.

“Why aren’t Rangers on FIFA 16 ? “

Well, good to see they have not wasted an opportunity to really get to the issues facing their club.

And , just ten minutes before kick off today, they are right behind him…

The South African entreprenuer also announced his club was going to pay the living wage, presumably so he could use the word living in the context of Rangers, prompting Darren Cooney, who edits the online version of the Daily Record, to announce that it had given Celtic a “beamer “

Darren, who isn’t having the best of times on twitter with his insights, claimed that this “beamer ” was on account of Rangers beating Celtic to paying the living wage. Even though they haven’t.

Still, if Dave King says they will, then they will.

And no doubt Darren can tell all his friends in the playground during break that he was right all along.

An indication of the anti Celtic pro Rangers stance at the paper can be sen in what it publishes, but also in what it neglects to mention.

For instance, I do not recall any mention of Celtic giving Rangers a beamer when they contributed the usual £10,000 to Poppy scotland, while the Ibrox club did their usual miniature mayday parade, whilst simultaneously forgetting to make a cash contribution themselves.

Thats because they needed the collection buckets for the AGM;

Anyway, let’s see if you can come up with a witty or topical tagline for this picture…. taken shortly after the Lennon CSC AGM, held at a local sportsground a few years ago.