Celtic Diary Wednesday September 16: Agenda ? What Agenda ?

Crisis hit Celts…Under fire Ronny.. Deila faces sack…

Here we go again.

Even Jeremy Corben is on record as saying “thank fuck I’m not Celtic manager, then they’d really have it in for me. ”

Celtic, Scotlands only surviving European representative, received their traditional amount of good wishes and support from the media as they flew out to Amsterdam.

Bet they were glad when the plane left the runway.

Celtic have hit a little dip in form, and the solution is to play through it.

Ronny wants to see everyone get behind the team, and help the players to get back on track.

Well, that’s what we do. And at least it’s not a home game next, where the punters are sometimes a little less patient. The away fans, especially in Europe, tend to offer a more vocal and consistent support. We’ll need it. The opening twenty minutes or so on Thursday promise to be a little nervy.

Ronny called for unity in an interview with Celtic TV, thus thwarting any editing which may have distorted the interview. something he might want to do a little more of.

“We have been in a bad period and have lost a lot of confidence. We need to get back on track again.

“We have to stay together and that is also the supporters.

“I know it is frustrating and a lot of people are very angry or sad about what is happening. That is the same as we are – but we have to go on.

“We really, really need the support of Celtic because that makes the players much better. To stay together now is so important.”

All together now….For it’s a grand old team to play for….

We’ve been through worse, and will do again, so let’s relax a little and get this show back on the road.

Ronny continued;

“We know what we are doing. We know what is going wrong and what we have to improve.

“We have conceded too many goals lately but that’s not just the defence — it’s the whole team.

“We play together and we have to defend together. We also have to sort out the set-plays to get that better.”

That’s fairly obvious.

Celtic have had bad periods before and we will come again,

Hang on, that’s what I said. He’s just saying what we want to hear!

( Sorry, just updating my MSM job application with a little anti-Ronnyism . )

Now we want to come out of it as quickly as possible.

“We have to turn this around. Every team loses games and every team has bad periods. It’s how you get out of them that’s most important.

“I’m working really hard, together with the players, to get back on track again.

“How’s the morale and mood? It has been a few tough weeks but you can’t go around feeling sorry for yourself.

“You have to move on and look at the next game. Only three weeks ago we were playing fantastic football and winning a lot of games.

“It’s not about the quality, it’s about rhythm and winning games again.” 

Charlie mulgrew was left behind when the team flew out, much to the amusement of one of his children, as he has a thigh strain. John collins explained;

“Charlie is the only one not here

He has a thigh muscle injury, so we’re still waiting on confirmation of the scan result but it looks like it will be a few weeks.

“It is a blow, he’s an experienced player

He’s played in a lot of big games so we just hope he has a speedy recovery.”

Supporters will be debating as to whether or not this is a good thing, but at least any rampaging Ajax wingers won’t leave him in their slipstream, and a refreshed and rested Emilio Izaguirre can come back into the team. 

 We missed him against Aberdeen. The Honduran has the designated scapegoat recently, which is extremely unfair, and he could well silence a few critics in the Arena.

 If mikael Lustig is fully fit, the full backs are sorted, it’s in the vcentre of defence we have a little problem.

Could we see the debut of Jozo Simunovic, or will Efe Ambrose line up with Deydrick Boyata ? Or will Boyata skip out of the hotel to indulge in his recently revealed shisha pipe fetish, second only to heroin addiction in the things you don’t want to discover about your heroes.

Seriously, it’s a fruit flavoured harmless recreation. The pipe, that is, not Boyata.

Or will it be Ambrose and Simunovic. The more experienced Nigerian would be a better bet than the terrified Belgian, but the latter needs a good game to get his own confidence back.

 Collins threw in his opinion;

“The team has not been picked but Jozo trained very well and there’s every chance he could get his debut.

“It’s the start of a group and it’s going to be a tough challenge.

“Ajax are a good young team

I watched their Champions League qualifiers and they were very unlucky not to qualify.

“They are a great club with a great history, so it’s going to be a wonderful challenge for us.

“We are looking for a reaction (from the Aberdeen game), a good performance, but we are going into a different environment and it’s going to be a great challenge for the players, a new challenge.

“We don’t play teams like Ajax every week, they have a lot of new players, doing very well and only lost their first points at the weekend in a 2-2 draw.

“It is another game, another tournament, and I thought we did fairly well in it last season getting out the group stages, so we want to do exactly the same this season.

“We won’t be favourites, it will be a tough match but one we feel we can go and win.

“I’m very excited. 

Excited, I suppose, is one way of describing how most of us feel about the prospect of facing an in form and confident team when our players are reminiscent  of a frightened puppy when a truck goes past.

Ajax captain Davy Klaasen reminded us that there is also pressure on his side;

The Europa League kicks off against Celtic. I have nothing but good memories of Celtic,” Klaassen told the official Ajax website.

“It’s a beautiful draw. It’s a shame that we are not in the Champions League, but the Europa League is great as well.

“Normally, we should be able to survive the group stages. I don’t know too much about Molde. Everybody will expect them to finish last in the group. Fenerbahce are really strong in my opinion, but so are we and Celtic.

“We will have to collect most of our points at home, starting on Thursday. I hope we can get the best out of ourselves.” 

That last sentence shows that they are a little nervous themselves.

Perhaps no-one has shown them this, from Goal.com’s match preview.

The Bhoys are winless in their last five Europa League matches and have not won any of their 10 away matches in the competition, losing four and drawing six. 

Against Aberdeen, there was always a feeling that the game, the most difficult fixture in the domestic calendar, against a side who are only playing once a week, flying high with confidence due to a perfect start to their campaign , would be a problem for Celtic. Too often we examine ourselves and our own failings before giving any credit to the opposition.

They may not have entirely deserved the win, but it wasn’t a surprise when it came. Instaed of wondering why our defence lost another late goal, praise may have to be given to the dons for keeping going in search of a winner, when other teams may have settled for the point.

Tomorrow night is an important game, but in a six match league format, it’s not a be all and end all. Anything from the game would be a bonus, and that includes a good performance to help the players get back into their stride.

So, ronny’s right.

Let’s get behind the team, and not the couch.

I was in Glasgow and Dunoon again yesterday, and whilst waiting for a train at Central station, i nipped outside for a livener at the Toby Jug.

Yet again, whilst standing outside , pint in one hand, fag in the other, a young man , short on teeth and hygiene, asked me for “some spare change to get a drink. “

At least he was honest, and I wondered where spare change would get you a drink these days.

My reply, was equally honest. I held my drink up and told him he wouldn’t enjoy it. He moved on. Every time I go to Glasgow someone is asking me for money. What has happened to the place ?

Oh, and that bloody woman on the train who was doing the crossword and reading out each clue to her pal.

Old people should be shot at birth.

Here’s a curious picture. what’s the story behind it ?