After Celtic beat Dundee United 2-0, Anthony Stokes summed up the new manager with the words that could be used to describe the way Deila has transformed the mentality at Celtic Park.
“He’s relentless “
Goals from Kris Commons and substitute James Forrest secured the League Cup, which could turn out to be an “I was there ” moment if it turns out to be the first in a long winning run for the Norwegian.
The boss had a message for all those who doubted him;
Scott Brown had a message too, for those who thought he was out of line popping out for a drink, a pizza and a lapdancer on his day off, when he rubbed his stomach after saluting the support;
That was a reference to the pizza. Thankfully he didn’t rub anything to reference the lapdancer.
Adam Matthews provided a moment of hilarity when he referenced the pictures that had appeared in the Scottish Sun, showing that the players didn’t think anything of it either.
The team that laughs together, wins together.
Ronny spoke to the media after the game, and it was hard not to feel delighted for him. He’s matching the fans affection for him with his own affection for the club;
“It’s a great feeling. It’s good to get a good start when you are a manager for a club as big as Celtic.
“This was the first trophy we could win and we did it. You get an appetite after this and you want more.
“I’m happy for the boys and I’m proud of them. We had a professional performance today so we should really enjoy this moment.”
“We have talked about the treble many times. It’s a dream and it’s so tough to do it but it’s possible and the dream is still alive and I’m happy for that.
“Now we have one trophy and on Wednesday we have to be back again if we are to get another so it’s going quick.
“It’s too early to say where this ranks for me. It’s not the trophy that gives me the most energy or enjoyment, it’s just a statement that you have done something right.
“It’s the road to do it and that’s why I love the job. It’s a good day, I’m happy for the boys and I’m happy for the whole team around them.
“It just makes us more hungry to keep on working with the things we’re doing.”
He’s relentless.
Although he was quite happy with the game, and the performance, he stopped to point out he wasn’t pleased about the spat between John Guidetti and James Forrest when the latter won a penalty in the dying minutes of the game;
“Both of the players who were going to take the penalty, Leigh Griffiths and Kris Commons, were off the park.
“It looks like it was the first to the ball but I don’t like that they argue about that.
“It is stupid. That is not the team spirit I want. We have to learn from the situation.”
“There is a lot of emotion in these situations and strikers, especially, want to score goals.
“Again, we have to put the team in front of ourselves. It is something we have to work on all the time and learn from through experience.
“This is not team spirit. It is individual thinking and I don’t want anything to do with that.”
According to the Record, Guidetti clearly took the huff and stormed down the Hampden tunnel straight after the final whistle, although the Swede did reappear in time to pick up his medal.
With his phone, which may actually have been the reason he went into the tunnel in the first place, as players are not allowed to take pictures during a game.
Someone else who it was easy to feel pleased for was goalkeeper Craig Gordon, as he walked around the pitch post match with his kids, just enjoying every minute of it.
“It was nice to be able to do that for them.
“They have stood by me and they have supported me for two whole years when I wasn’t working.
“When I was concentrating fully on getting back into football, it must have been a hard thing for them to have to deal with.
“They were so young they never really knew what daddy did for a living. They were a big part of my inspiration to get back to top-level football. I wanted to show them what their daddy used to do!
“It means the world to me to share that moment with my girls out there on the pitch and they absolutely loved it, dancing around and picking up all the confetti. It was special for me and for my family, a moment I will never forget.
“To come from where I was, all the hard work makes it special.
“At times it might have been easier to give up, but the support I’ve had to keep going, to carry on and to get to here is just brilliant.”
“I did take a moment or two towards the end to think of things.
“When the game was already won and United weren’t going to get back into it, it was nice to stand at the other end of the pitch and have a look around at the fans celebrating and singing the songs.
“I just wanted to take it all in, that this was really happening for me.
“I managed to do that. I’ve won a cup again and it’s been a long time coming since the last one.
“To be honest, at one stage, I just wanted to play a game of football again and once I managed that I realised I was capable of getting back to a high level. That’s when I started to think about what is possible. But to do this in my first season back is just amazing.
“When I first signed for Celtic, Fraser Forster was still here.
“So to get in and have 40 games under my belt plus a medal in the bank is hard to contemplate.
“It was always the aim to get back to the best level that I possibly could. So to have done that and to already have won a trophy at Hampden and to have a medal in my pocket is more than anything I could have ever have hoped for when coming back.
“It’s a dream come true, all over again.”
Goalkeeper coach Stevie Woods must have felt good as well, as his faith in the stopper has been more than justified this season. There were doubts over the big man, but they have long been removed.
Meanwhile, Dundee United manager The Rev. I.M. Jackie wasn’t happy.
“I feel frustrated and disappointed, but I’m proud of how the players responded. I thought a lot of things went against us.
“But we stuck to the task and went right to the end, despite the disappointments and setbacks in the game.”
“I feel we should have had a penalty. It looked like a penalty. I’d like to see it again. The referee was very slow to make a decision, or not make a decision. But in Celtic’s case, he was very quick to point to the spot.”
Because it was a penalty ?
“I’d like to see the challenge (by Van Dijk on Dillon) again that caused the damage to his leg to see if it was fair. Celtic ended up getting a throw-in from it. Sean has got a bad gash on his shin.
“For the red card, it was Sean’s momentum and pace. I don’t think he has gone in to cause damage. But he’s given the ref a decision to make and we know what happened.”
Surprisingly, no one asked him why he felt it was neccessary to play on while Dillon left the field for treatment, and even he didn’t seem to know if he was coming back on. If anyone is guilty of indecision, its Jolly Jackie.
To help clear things up, however, here is van Dijk on Dillon;
Oops. my bad. Thats Kris Commons with the Cup.
Never mind, here is Dillons tackle on Izaguirre.
and here’s another picture of Kris Commons, showing how he has firmly consigned his bobble hat of a few weeks ago to the dustbin.
Dundee united midfielder John Rankin thinks he knows why his side lost. He says Celtic…
put pressure on the officials and I don’t think it’s merited. The officials’ jobs are hard enough without putting pressure on them.”
It could also be that Celtic scored more goals than the Tayside men, but I could be being a little picky.
Not all of the press were in a congratulatory mood. Not surprising, but you would have thought even the most bitter of them would have nodded respectfully at Deilas achievement.
Alan Patullo wins the first ever nomination for this new prestigious Etims Press Award;
SO WE’LL just slip that How To Be An Athlete manual quietly into the bin, shall we? Jim McLean, the former Dundee United manager, once articulated his despair at goalkeeper Hamish McAlpine’s eccentric ways by claiming “he is the one player who single-handedly destroys everything I have thought or believed about the game”.
Similarly, Scott Brown has now handed Ronny Deila, together with all other managers who worship at the altar of sports science, reason to reassess.
As Brown helped run the League Cup final for Celtic yesterday, there were clearly no ill-effects of the excesses that saw him, literally, plastered all over the front page of a tabloid on Friday. Brown even seemed to make comic reference to the stooshie by rubbing his tummy amid the celebrations at the end.
It was a reference, perhaps, to the fast food nourishment he was photographed delicately eating on a kerbside on Wednesday night. A hug from Deila proved there were no hard feelings. Indeed, Brown continues to bring new meaning to being let off Scott-free. Some would argue that this extends to referees.
Yesterday saw another decision appear to go his way after he nudged Ryan Dow over in the box in the first-half. United players were still venting their frustration in the bowels of Hampden long after the final whistle. Brown, meanwhile, was being feted by the Celtic supporters; forgiveness already assured.
Once was the time when “doing a Broonie” meant standing bug-eyed in front of an identified foe with arms outstretched. Now it has come to mean something else.
Standing bug eyed in front of a hurting journalist with arms outstretched ?
Now it means going on a bender in less salubrious parts of town four days before a major assignment. It means over-doing it to the extent that you are found slumped in a street before the clock has even struck midnight.
With just four days to recover !
I wish I had four days to recover every time I’m slumped on a street corner anywhere. Though to be fair, there just aren’t enough days in the week.
Its hard to say whether Patullo is more annoyed by the story not breaking the bond betwen player, manager and fans, or just simply that he’s pissed off Celtic won.
A combination of both, perhaps, is the answer.
A thought did occur to me, as we are still on the subject of recent press coverage, that the Gerrard to Celtic nonsense in the Trinity Mirror papers wasn’t quite the usual tittle tattle associated with the fourth estate.
A few years ago, a rumour was doing the rounds that one of Celtics current players had been involved in a major row with Gerrard, who, it is alleged, has some pals who have been known to punch people on the nose from time to time.
This rumour was doing the rounds all over the midlands and north west of England at the time, and my own somewhat imaginative thought process turned over the possibility that it was placed yesterday to throw the concentration of one of the hoops key players. especially with the Brown scandal not actually turning out to be much of a scandal.
Just a thought, mind. Theres probably nothing in it.
Like theres nothing in the story, actually.
Who cares ?
One down, two to go.
Oh, before I forget, credit where credits due. The BBC coverage wasn’t bad, so well done to John Hartson, Kevin Gallacher and the easily recognisable Pat Nevin;
The picture yesterday showed Stephen MacManus lifting the League cup back in 2009, after a 2-0 extra time win over Rangers. It had been so long since our last success in the competition, that the team we beat to win it are now no longer in existence.
Caption competition, before there little row yesterday, Guidetti and Forrest seemed rather close. whats going through their minds, or coming out of their mouths here ?
SuperSwede (legend in his own heid):
I’m not going to be here in the Summer but I’m going to milk your applause anyway…
Forrest:
I know ya fud and if there’s a penalty to be taken later I’m taking it fannybaws.
Broony is our own Alf Tupper, The Tough of the Track.
John Guidetti makes James Forrest feel like a left tit!
Agree about Rev I.M. Jackie.
He is beginning to resemble Glum Jum Jefferies, the original Greyfriars Jobby.
Magnifico,the laptop loyal are screaming unfair today, the Arabs should have had a penalty, Dillon should not have been carded, Van Dijks tackle on Dillon a fifty fifty should have been a red card.
The team deserved the win, it should have been more, let’s get the next two and having a season which started badly, on to remember.
If we get a penalty today, am taking it ya wee prick .
Good win, first of three for the treble. Only thing is Celtic were very sloppy at times and a slightly better team would have caused problems. Wolfsburg easily beat Inter 3-1 in the uefa cup which shows how poor the Italian team are. Ronnie is the man but I have serious doubts if some players are the men. Basically its time to open the biscuit tin, the board will be happy to rest on the laurels while the manky mob slowly gather strength, the lesser manky mob will be back next season and could prove a challenge. Its time to move forward and make the gap so big they can never get close.
ian
You do realise Wolfsburg have been second to Bayern practically all season and I am surprised they only took 3 off Inter given how good they are domestically. Yes, Inter are only a shadow of some of their teams of the past but that does not mean they are a “poor” team. All comparisons are relative.
And you want us to open our biscuit tin to try and compete with England’s Fort Knox or the carte blanche spending spree of latino Europe? Come on. It is time for a reality check. Right now we simply can not compete with the big spenders and any success e.g. Barcelona 2012, is what we old fashioned guys called a fluke. You need to accept where we are right now in relation to Europe and all the biscuit tins in the world aint gonna build a Sky high bank. It will be best to build some solid foundations for any better future from home grown materials supplemented by the odd decent brick from elsewhere if we can afford it. Mass spending = mass grave = Govan cemetery. Oh, and by the way, if we need a good builder, I think the man in the manager’s job right now might just be a fair bet.
H H
ian
commented on this but as usual the moderator was lying in wait.
H H
Jamesy, if ah keep rubbin here will ye get the boaby oot?
Only if ah score from the penalty spot Johnny!
|I thought United put it up to Celtic yesterday, gave us a good game and the team has maybe come off the boil a wee bit in the last couple of weeks.
Not to be churlish, we won a cup and thats great, but we didnt create lots of chances yesterday and guys who are normally key men like Johannsen were kept fairly quiet.
No arguments about key decisions, it was a red, Van Dijk, didnt hear any one bar Jackie even raise a question agaisnt it, their penalty would hve been very soft and ours was fairly soft but a foul.
So well done Ronnie and the boys, 1 downn, 2 to go, Hail hail.
Jackie. If you send a team out to draw then the best result you’re going to get is a draw. Dry yer eyes wee man tho a do think it was a penalty but ho hum. Well done the Tic!
Well done to the players and everyone at the club for a good day out yesterday.
Special mention to Ronny Deila,I was a big critic of his but he has turned it around and I’m on the Ronny bus now, well done Ronny!
Jamesie,” You can squeeze my nipple,all you like,but I’ll be here next season,will you ?”
Ralph
Who was the old fool who compared Ronny Deila to Jock Stein way back around July 2014? Thank God he has been put to rest, eh! Well, I am the first to admit one 3rd rate LC is not quite the same achievement as Stein but it confirms my contention then that something about Deila reminded me of the whirlwind of fresh air that Jock brought to the club after the disastrous (not his fault at all) Jimmy McGrory reign. Now I did not claim Deila would do a Big Jock. Only an “old fool would think that. However, I did spot something in the make-up of the man that reminded me so much of Stein’s approach. Now, after one trophy, and a rather insignificant one at that, many want to deitise Ronny. So, may I remind these converts to Deilaism to remain calm; keep their size 24s firmly on the ground and bring their expectations back to reality. From day one I was a Ronny man and I remain a firm adherent. However, I am not “old fool” enough to believe the world is a guaranteed oyster when their are so many divers still diving in the trophy sea. Wednesday night could be significant in more ways than one though even Stein only won one trophy in his first season. Martin O’Neil won the treble but he never went on to many better things even allowing for Seville. So, Ronny will achieve what he can, no more, no less. Let’s give the guy the space to get where he is going and not build him into a god and then seek his destruction when he does not deliver.
Anyone who reads my comments on James Forrest may have gathered I am not a fan. If truth be known, I simply can not stand the lad (as a footballer, of course). I know I am really old and the brain is fast declining but how anyone can see a gram of football in the at laddie just beats me. A winger with pace? Wingers are there for the purpose of getting down the wing and making telling passes, or better, dangerous crosses into the box for the forwards to get onto. When he does this, he either runs out of pitch, hits the nearest defender and, at best, wins the odd corner. However, for the most part he tends to turn inside and 10 times out of 9 ends up losing out to a flimsy tackle. How many men does he beat in a game. What was that? Minus how many? As for speed. I am no sprinter, but given a decent wheelchair and I could leave Forrest standing scratching in my vapour trail – forgot, my wheelchair is jet propelled. Seriously, the boy has all the qualities of a bow legged chicken and a knock kneed hen. As for a footballer, someone needs to redesign him. Now comes yesterday. I actually prayed he would miss the penalty – I felt I could afford to given we seemed to have sewn the game up by then – after witnessing the dummies out of prams behaviour of him and Guidetti. What a sight to see the two real dummies fighting over who should miss the penalty. It was quite disconcerting to see the most disgruntled player at Parkhead and the most disillusioned winger in my time fighting over “ma baw”. Both should be shipped somewhere safe well away from the team at the earliest opportunity. Thank God for pizzas, pints, prostitutes and Brown ale.
Ah, that’s better. I just took off my Jackie mask. It was not the best of games yesterday. Nor were we as convincing as we should have been given all the circumstances and our superior squad. But, given this was a big, big occasion (albeit it normally would not be that big) for the manager and many of the players in this first trophy of a first season, I think we came through it pretty well. As many have said, it was more about actually winning yesterday than how. Wednesday will be the same and perhaps we may need to take that with us to the end of the season. I hope not because the football was becoming that little bit more entertaining. And it would not be Ronny’s way if we should simply go out just to win. Now who had a similar idea when I was in my …s!!!! Stein might be able to tell you.
Well done bhoys, well except for two of you:)
Picture caption: Aye Jamsie, stick it up them. We still get paid.
H H
Ralph
Even “old fools” might get the comparisons wrong. I just want to point out that Stein did not have a full season at Parkhead when he won his first trophy, the Scottish Cup, in 1965. It would not do to be unfair, eh?
H H
Just got my ticket for Wednesday.Would be great if the part-timers who went yesterday,could boost the crowd,for this massive game.Alas,we know this won’t be the case,and they will be the first ones to complain if it goes tits up.
The next 2 games are huge.In case,anybody has taken their eye off the ball ‘re Treble talk,the sheep are still hanging on,in there.
Focus from players, and vocal support from fans is required in these next 2 games.
Caption:
“I LIKE TO MILK IT, MILK IT……That my friend is something I picked up over in the Dam”
“Oooooooh, they don’t do that down Prestwick way.”
Excellent wee video from the SPFL covering yesterday’s Final
https://youtu.be/OU-LX1G8j8M
Judging by Johansens fizzer on the above Broonie has just let rip a Kebab/Beer Fart…
‘I actually wanted him to miss’
Take a look at yourself Pesionerbhoy…cannot believe you wrote that. 3 is better than 2 anytime and helps scud it into them for the next two games, scuds everyone else and helps further boost team spirit.
Forrest took helluva abuse near me when coming on and I can see his failings but he wears the jersey so I’ll support him.
We need fit Lustig and Mathews,even Charkie, and a STRIKER !
Steve Naive
maybe you should give Jock stein a new epitaph
“Take a look at yourself, Jock”
Remember this: “”Celtic jerseys are not for second best, they don’t shrink to fit inferior players”
Forrest’s jersey has been oversized since day one. Maybe that is why he misses so many games.
And, by the way, I am consistent and persistent in my criticism of him.
H H
I do get much of what PB has said reference our man Ronny.
I too have been a fan of his approach since his arrival at Celtic I got his message loud and clear and shared his thoughts on how it makes more sense to deploy a type of Football that’s practical both on the Domestic front and in Europe.
Gone are the days of having to alomost deploy a split personality for both when commons sense say’s adapt one type of game and stick to it.
The fitness, the more attack minded high pressing game is a damn sight more easy on the eyes when we get our shit together now.
But like PB although I am behind Ronny I to am not going to go overboard because one Diddy Cup is in the bag.
The League is still incredibly tight and Aberdeen are grinding out results with real consistency now so there is little room for error or easing up as in day’s gone by.
One third of a very tough job is however complete and should rightly be savoured and for Ronny it is a major boost as he focuses on the run in.
On the Players I too think Forrest is overrated by a great many I also think he’s guilty of shite delivery most of the time.
He has an uncanny habit of over running the ball into touch and also as injury pron as Kayal…another severely overrated player at Celtic who thank fuck has been shipped out.
However that said I looked at Forrest coming on he looked sharp and quick very quick the bhoy PB has pace some players can only dream of but if you look at the quality of his finish on the second goal he made Commons previous 3 or 4 efforts from range look desperately poor.
Real quality strike put into perhaps the only area the keeper had little chance of getting too.
He uses the defenders to disguise the shot to great effect.
On Commons I thought he had a decent game away from his shooting and showed how far he has come under Deila in such a short space of time?
He’s digging in now, tracking back when needs be and also linking up play with Johansen on the right to great effect.
His shooting was rank early on and it had fuck all to do with the pitch (as proven by Forrest) his goal came from a position you would expect Griffiths to be in but under the new System ie 4-2-3-1 we have players in postions now who can interchange and move around to great effect which in turn is causing defenders real headaches picking men up.
The old System of 2 up front Defenders simply defended the men knew the runs they would make etc but not so now we effectively attack with 4 strikers all very capable of punishing any errors and the confusion they are causing just adds to that.
I would never want any Celtic man to miss a chance I simply do not know how any supporter could wish for such a thing?
Seems a bit negative and counter productive if you ask me.
The team did enough whilst never hitting top hear we had plenty to spare I think and that can only bode well for Wednesday.
We can do this if we play to our best ability of that there is no doubt.
Charlie
The penalty thing was simply because for me the last two players who should have been the privilege were Guidetti and Forrest. And did the latter not just live up to expectations. He hit that one in the only spot the keeper could reach it.
By the way, you are right. I should be enjoying the win and not grumping but then my middle name is Jackie 🙂
H H
Regarding Forrest, for me he’s not a starter. He’s a player who can make an impact coming off the bench as he showed on Sunday and i remember him coning off the bench in Moscow to play a huge part in us getting 3 points away for the first time in the cl. wtf has gone wrong with Guidetti, a while back i thought he looked a real prospect and was hoping he would sign for us but lately he looks pish.
Regarding Forrest, totally agree with “wild goose.” Forrest is a natural, a game changer with great pace but often, poor judgement.He is great to bring on with 15-20 minutes to go. He is still young and needs the benefit of good coaching and training. I like the lad. He is exciting to watch. Trouble is, Jinky was the best winger in the history of the game and none of our wingers has since measured up, but who could? Keep Forrest and nurture the lad. I too am a pensioner but Pensioner Bhoy—to hope a bhoy misses a penalty! For shame!
I’m very nervous about Wednesday. Just that feeling in my old bones. How will we line up?
Gordon
Ambrose/Van Dijk/Denayer/Izzy
Brown/Bitton
Commons/Johansen/Stokes
Griffiths
A few ideas.
Matthews would be my first choice and Fisher my second choice, both ahead of Ambrose at right back.I’m very nervous when he’s there.
If Bitton is injured, could we put Ambrose alongside Broony? If not, who else could we put there?
Griffiths is due to score and Stokes looks pretty sharp, teaming up with Izzy.
I can’t call this one because I’m not sure how fresh our lads will be after Sunday. Unlike us, the Arabs have a few fresh players coming in to the side.
Cifci is back in and always gives us problems.
I’m really surprised at Jackie. I never remembered him being much of a moaner or whinger as a player. I rated him highly as a right back but I think he was pretty crap as a captain—not much passion and he was too quiet, in his own right back world. I like him too though. He’s bitter about Celtic stealing his best players!
Got to laugh at the Celtic stealing players stuff doing the rounds?
Had both gone to an English Club would that too have meant they stole them? or would it simply mean both had moved on to better things and United Capitalised on a sale?
Both players evidently wanted to move on.
Celtic stumped up the cash required end of story United simply have to deal with it.
We sold Wilson Wanyama and Hooper in one window I never once heard the word stolen being mentioned in the press?
Good business was the phrase doing the rounds if my memory serves me right.
Celtic bought both because Deila required strengthening in 2 key areas of the Park the fact we have had to go without these 2 in Both Cups seems to have totally gone over the heads of the media.
On that I still cannot get my head round the fact both Clubs were still involved in both Competitions (meaning both players were at point of sale) yet both players have to sit it out.
Why is that?
I get it if they have been knocked out in their previous Club but the fact of the matter is EVERYONE involved loses out under the current scenario but none more so than the players themselves.
Daft ruling if you ask me.