Perhaps the photo just came out wrong, as it appears to have captured an affectionate moment between new manager Ronny Deila and and his assistant John Collins. Deila is staring deep into his new pals eyes and Collins is responding with a look that he usually saves for his bedroom mirror.
Perhaps it needed a better background to reduce the homo erotic overtones….
Like this one,perhaps….
or maybe this one…
The picture shows the affection, but not the mood. Any photography student will tell you both are equally important, and frankly, if this is an example of the shoddy work we can expect from the couple, sorry, partnership, then I want Neil Lennon back.
But thats not going to happen.And the two made it clear what their plans are for the season ahead…maybe dinner, a little dancing, and a stroll on the beach.
Ach, I’m only kidding.
Collins gave his first press conference as Celtic no.2 yesterday, and it made for interesting listening. The press, obviously, wanted to bring up the spat he had with Scott Brown when , apparently, the Celtic captain led a dressing room revolt against his methods while they were at Easter Road. You might remember it, because the revolt against modern, efficient methods meant that players like Derek Riordan and Gary o’Connor went on to succeed at the very highest level.
Collins dismissed any problems;
“It’s important we nail that. I never had any problems with Scott when I was Hibs manager.
“On the training pitch he was brilliant for me. During every match he was fantastic and that’s why he got his big move to Celtic. I actually played a little part in him coming here as Gordon asked me, ‘What’s the boy Brown like?’.
“I gave Gordon a glowing reference and told him to make sure he didn’t miss out on him. I told him to pay what it would take to get him as he was a top player.
“I’m sure Scott knows that anyway. I enjoyed working with him. He’s my type of player. He trains properly and has developed into a leader and captain of Celtic.”
“He’s a man now. I always knew he had the attributes to be an international player and to play at the top level.
“He’s got great self-belief, he bosses games. It was only a matter of time before he moved on to a bigger club than Hibs.
“Our job is to try and improve players individually. Ronny asked me if there were any problems between myself and Scott and I told him there were none whatsoever.”
Glad we got that out of the way. Whatever it was.
Anyway, then they got down to business, and revealed that they had discussed tactics over dinner using the cutlery and condiments..
Oh wait, thats Frankie and Johnny. This is Ronny and Johnny, wondering what to wear..
“We had one dinner in Glasgow and another in Edinburgh.
“When we met it was a case of moving the salt and pepper pots around the table. The forks were involved as well, I think!
“I had a phone call from Peter Lawwell asking if I would be interested in talking to the manager. I said, ‘Of course, I’d be delighted’.
“I met Ronny a few weeks ago and we had a long chat about his football philosophy, his way of doing things, my way of doing things and we discovered we’re very similar indeed.
“We had another long chat together over dinner, talking football and philosophies, how we do things and how we’d like to do things.
“We again got on very well and I was offered the job. Obviously, I am delighted.”
Still, if it doesn’t work out….
Collins did give us an idead of the way he is thinking, though…
“Everyone knows at Celtic that you have to win, that’s what is expected of you. But the target for the manager and myself is, ‘Can we win in style? That’s the Holy Grail, isn’t it?
“You want to win but you want to win in style and entertain. It’s an entertainment business.
“We have a beautiful stadium and you want to fill it, you want the fans to come and see not just winning football, but attacking football with lots of goals.
“The team has had great success in the last few years. There have been some excellent performances. So we have to try and maintain that, try our best to kick on again.
“But let’s not make any mistake, the team have been doing very well under the previous manager and coaching staff. You’ve got to give Neil Lennon and his staff a huge compliment.
“They won leagues and got into the Champions League.
They did a great job and hopefully Ronny and I can pick up the baton and continue that good work.
“It’s a hard act to follow, of course, but as managers and players the key word when you walk through the door to work every day is ‘improvement’.
“Everyone has to try to improve – me, the manager, the players. That’s got to be the mindset, to try to get better results and performances. It’s going to be very difficult.
Woah, there, hoss. slow down.
If Collins and Deila go into Lennotown and immediately tell the players they have to improve then that will create a division in the camp almost immediately. Footballers are a delicate bunch, and any disruption will upset their sense of security. Change things slowly, and only improve where necessary, not just for the sake of it.
Its extremely important to keep the good ship Celtic steady just now, and making waves will worry the captain, the crew and the passengers.
Theres a champions League campaign on the horizon, and they are making the draw on Monday. We need to be ready.
Bert Kassies site is the definitive guide to the Champions League, and from that, we can see where we are up to, and who we could be up against;
| 1st Qualifying Round (6 teams) |
|---|
Seeded teams coef. Unseeded teams coef. ------------------------ --- ---------------- ------------------------ --- ---------------- Levadia Tallinn Est 4.575 Banants Yerevan Arm 1.325 HB Torshavn Far 3.175 La Fiorita Sma 0.699 FC Santa Coloma And 2.166 Lincoln Red Imps Gib 0.000 |
Unseeded teams in the 1st qualifying round that qualify for the next round take effectively the coefficient of their opponent in the next round. The reason for this is that the draw for the 2nd qualifying round is made before the results of the 1st qualifying round are known.
Which is where we come in.
| 2nd Qualifying Round (34 teams) |
|---|
Seeded teams coef. Unseeded teams coef. ------------------------ --- ---------------- ------------------------ --- ---------------- Steaua Bucuresti Rom 39.451 Dinamo Tbilisi Geo 6.975 Celtic Sco 36.813 Malmö FF Swe 6.265 BATE Borisov Bls 33.725 KR Reykjavik Isl 5.350 Sparta Praha Cze 28.870 F91 Dudelange Lux 4.975 Dinamo Zagreb Cro 23.925 Strømsgodset IF Nor 4.855 Ludogorets Razgrad Bul 18.125 The New Saints Wal 4.850 Maccabi Tel-Aviv Isr 17.875 St. Patrick's Athletic Irl 4.775 Sheriff Tiraspol Mol 17.075 Skënderbeu Korçë Alb 4.600 NK Maribor Slo 16.200 Levadia Tallinn * Est 4.575 Legia Warsaw Pol 15.275 Rabotnicki Skopje Mac 4.550 Partizan Belgrade Srb 14.825 Valletta FC Mlt 4.466 DVSC Debrecen Hun 10.325 Zrinjski Mostar Bos 4.000 Slovan Bratislava Svk 8.700 Cliftonville Nir 3.225 FK Aktobe Kaz 8.150 HB Torshavn * Far 3.175 FK Ventspils Lat 7.750 Zalgiris Vilnius Lit 3.050 Garabag Agdam Azb 7.575 Sutjeska Niksic Mon 2.450 HJK Helsinki Fin 7.435 FC Santa Coloma * And 2.166 |
Theres no point in looking any further ahead just yet. Celtic will face one of the teams in the unseeded column, after UEFA have split it into regional groups, which usually are no reflection of any particular region. The likelihood of a Scandinavian, Irish or Welsh team is quite high.
And of course, Stromgodset are the standout name on that list. Not only because its one of the few that is pronounceable for those of us who like to move our tongue when we are talking, but because of the obvious connection with Ronny Deila and Stefan Johansen.
Realistically, no-one on that list should offer any problem to Celtics experienced side, but thats no reason to take it lightly.
Elsewhere, and sadly for those of us who like to see the self righteous taken down a peg or two, it looks like England have made an arse of their world cup campaign. Two games in, two goals scored and two defeats mean its unlikely they will provide us with our regular chuckle as they crash out due to an inability to handle the pressure of a penalty shoot out.
Luis Suarez scored a couple of times to dampen spirits south of the border, and place ITV presenter Adrian Chiles on suicide watch. Incidentally, any Liverpool fans would have been delighted at the link up play between Steven Gerrard and Suarez for the second goal, so its not all doom and gloom.
There was also delight when a Scotland fan was seen amongst the crowd cheering the Uruguayan winner, and the search is on to identify him;
England now need a sequence of results that are at best unlikely to sneak through to the next stage, the first of which would be a win for Italy over Costa Rica tonight. so , with an early exit on the cards, plans are already underway to greet the team when they get off the plane home..
Its not that I have anything against the English-~I’ve been down here improving the gene pool for many years now, its the commentators, the presenters and the newspapers that make any exit from a major tournament such a pleasure.
Despite being paid handsomely for their insight and knowledge, very , very few of them actually have any. Add to that a distinct blandness and lack of personality in the studios, and you start to crave the chat at the pie stall at half time who tells you that he thinks Paul Lambert is having a great game, even though he retired from playing a hundred years ago.
( This did actually happen to me once. A guy on our bus nominated him as man of the match, against Motherwell at Fir Park. In 2012. Of course, we all Bobby Lennox was the outstanding player that day. )
Comedian Mark Steel, in the Independent discusses the tv pundits in his column this week, and its spot on.
Elsewhere, the BBC claims that Davie Moyes has turned down seven jobs since leaving Manchester Utd, one of which is believed to have been the Celtic hot seat. Just weeks after the Diary revealed not only that he had turned it down, but why.
And my source was a lot closer to the story than any of theirs.
Bobby Charlton was the first player to arrive at Celtic with a World Cup medal in his pocket. Heres the Daily Records take on it..
Q Can you confirm Bobby Charlton once played for Celtic? TC, Glasgow.
A Yes – as a guest. The Manchester United legend wanted to prepare for a playing comeback with the side he managed, Preston North End, and Hoops boss Jock Stein was happy to field him in the testimonial game for Liverpool defender Ron Yeats at Anfield on May 13, 1974. Celtic won 4-1 with goals by Charlton, aged 36, Vic Davidson, Bobby Lennox and Harry Hood. Sub Tommy Tynan scored for Liverpool. The starting line-ups were:
LIVERPOOL – Lawrence, Smith, Lindsay, Thompson, Yeats, Cormack, Hall, Hunt, St John, Heighway, Callaghan.
CELTIC – Connaghan, McNamara, Brogan, Murray, McNeill, McCluskey, Hood, Davidson, Charlton, Callaghan, Lennox.
And as a guest, he had to sign for us. Insurance and all that.
Which player, who has played for Celtic, has the most international caps for his country ?
Kenny Dalgleish?
Robbie Keane
Packie Bonnar I think.
Robbie Keane?
Bobby Charlton ??
Its not just the commentators some of their fans are totally delusional,there was a guy on bbc breakfast who said he thought they would win comfortbly,he should look at uruguays record in competitions recently plenty of semi finals
Plus, despite having a population less than half that of London, Uruguay have done something England hasn’t (and may never): Win the World Cup twice …
If any of the players don’t want to buy into, what the new management team want to implement, they will need to go. simple, really. I’d like to think our board will back the manager, unlike that other dead mob, who didn’t, when PLG tried to turn them into a footballing team. HH
Lubo?
PS….
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup/10913694/Scotland-fan-spotted-supporting-Uruguay-at-Englands-2-1-defeat.html
Desi
More likely Blotto!
H H
The amount of racist abuse this guy is getting is shocking, I’m sure FOCUS will be right on the case and year long sentences handed out. Aye right.
Mark McConville was the Scotland fan in the Uruguay crowd last night. He actually followed Uruguay to South Africa during the last World Cup. He’s a real character, spent the last few weeks delivering football tops to poor kids in the Amazon. He’s a tim too which is always nice.
Go easy on the poor wee sensitive footballers at Lennoxtown, aye right. They are well paid to do what they’re telt by management and if they don’t like it then tough. Time to earn the money by playing well not just winning
Big Bobo must have quite a few caps too.
Ralph
I would just like to assure you my recent silence has been more indisposition than boredom. I mean, I haven’t watched the world cup so that is proof enough. Sadly that meant missing one of the great joys of my life seeing the disillusioned world beaters return with something other than a ball between their legs. I have been looking out my big wide bay window at nothing but George’s crosses and bed sheets for more than a fortnight now and distracted by bunting covered cars that make the roads look like the middle of the Glasgow Taxi Drivers’ Childrens’ Rally. Hopefully the streets, houses and deflated camp followers will get a proper clean out by next week. Earlier I sent “need to get better” cards to several neighbours which were greeted for the most part by confused expressions. Today the postie will deliver my well timed “with deepest sympathy” ones. Only time will tell whether they get irony or believe they have a genuinely caring neighbour. I am tempted to hang a few wreaths on doors next week but feel I might be pushing it given my sticky position over my opinions on the September vote. For heaven’s sake you would think by now that if you are going to blow your clapped out horn, make sure you have enough puff to at least get a wheeze out of it.
I am a bit undecided about the love-in at Parkhead just now. While it brought a big smile to a miserable Mr. Glum this morning, it is worrying that Peter Lawwell is content that his management team are doing the pulling together. After all, I thought pulling was his sole preserve? I guess only time will tell if they are a couple of goers or a couple of wankers. Seriously, I think the new season might just be a thriller, at least from the entertainment point of view. I also think we should not expect too much too quickly. Stamps are ready to hand but the wax takes a bit of heating up before they can make their mark.
There are a few potential candidates for international caps but I have a feeling the obvious ones will be wrong. Dalgliesh, Charlton and Petrov have all got 100+ but not Packy. Ach, I am just not an international fan.
H H
shay given?
kenthehorse
You just might be the genius in the black chair today. He had 125 – way past the ones I mentioned.
Is it horses that never forget, ken?
H H
Rudi vata? I’m sure he has most caps
FC Santa? Do they only play once a year?
God forgive the new mgt team for wanting the players to improve