Celtic Diary Friday November 7,2025: Back In The Real World

Celtic were handed a bit of a lesson last night in Herning by Europa League pacesetters Midjytlland.

Well, a lot of a lesson, when you look at it closely. A ten minute spell in the first half ripped the heart from the players and the support in such a way it could be years before we recover.

Well, before I recover.

We did a podcast last night, and for some reason I was compared to Rikki Fulton’s Rev. I M Jolly, though I doubt I came across as happy as the comedy character.

Celtic were doing okay up until the 33rd minute, not great, but just about holding their own, and just when you think a few tweaks at half time might lead to the hoops possibly even coming home with a point, the roof caved in.

And they were all avoidable goals. simple player errors.

It would be too easy to blame individuals, or decide the manager got it wrong. For all concerned, it’s still early days. We can bemoan the lengthy injury list, sadly now two names longer, but that isn’t the issue either.

What was a peak earlier this year in Munich has now descended into the trough of last night in Denmark.

We were undeniably up against a far superior side, stronger, quicker, cleverer, and we didn;t know what to do about it.

Hopefully, Martin O’Neill and Shaun Maloney will know what is needed to move the squad forward now, with regards to personnel, shape , formation and so on, but more importantly, where changes have to be made.

For me, the low point of the night was when the commentator announced that a player was “receiving instructions from Gavin Strachan “, that noted and respected elite coach.

Maloney may be guilty of micromanaging players during games, but if he thinks that will get a result, then that’s his decision.

But Strachan ?

One of the problems with interim managers is that they cannot make long term decisions, even if it’s bloody obvious what they are.

There were two more hamstring injuries last night. There is a treatment room full of players carrying long term injuries. We even have one or two that took part last night who have just returned from injury.

Whatever the fitness coaches are coaching, it isn’t fitness.

They have to go.

Sadly, we also discovered that Seb Tounetki, Ben Nygren and that Balikwisha bloke aren’t actually all that good. Of the three, Nygren is the most likely to succeed, having a natural talent for being in the right place at the right time, it’s just when he gets the ball it goes a bit awry.

I hesitate to call it a rebuild, maybe a rebirth would be better, ironically yesterday was exactly 138 years from the formation of the club, but change is needed at all levels.

Including the board. Or at least some of them.

Celtic have stagnated, on and off the pitch.

The board, and some of the support, have an unhealthy interest in events over the river, and yes, while they do affect us, they shouldn’t drive our policy.

On and off the field.

Scottish football has more than it’s fair share of problems, and whilst a considerable number of it’s participants and organisers are happy enough with the status quo, we should be above that.

Martin O’Neill looked shell shocked in his post match interview. I think we all know how he felt.

He , too, had a rude awakening last night, He, too, realised there is a massive amount of work to be done at the club.

Which may well hasten his departure, unless he really has caught the bug again.

The next week or two, to say the least, is going to be very interesting.

Friday has rolled around again, and that means it’s time to once more laugh at someone who has made himself look a bit silly this week.

Tom English, the Irishman who works for Radio Scotland, has once again annoyed the Celtic support.

I’m not quite sure getting beat, away from home by the top side in the tournament so far, is a grim chapter.

I am sure that English will not be giving the same amount of vitriol to the other Glasgow side who have now had seven successive defeats in Europe.

Or that their new manager has the worst first five game record in the clubs, sorry, both clubs histories.

I wonder if there’s an email somewhere that states he has agreed to have a pop at Celtic to help deflect attention from Ibrox, as we know he has form for that sort of thing.

Anyway, a round of applause, if you will, for this week’s

Etims Knob Of The Week

Tom English

On Wednesday, we had this…

Today…