{"id":14103,"date":"2019-04-13T09:30:47","date_gmt":"2019-04-13T08:30:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/etims.net\/?p=14103"},"modified":"2019-04-13T09:30:47","modified_gmt":"2019-04-13T08:30:47","slug":"celtic-diary-saturday-april-13-cool-heads-required","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/etims.net\/?p=14103","title":{"rendered":"Celtic Diary Saturday April 13: Cool Heads Required"},"content":{"rendered":"

After my punishing work schedule, the diary returns ( punishing work schedule, you’ll never get anyone to believe that-Ed) for more fun, frolics and frivolity.<\/p>\n

It’s cup weekend, and Celtic have another one of those season defining games tomorrow with a short trip to Hampden to face Aberdeen, where it will be established if there’s still a chance of a third consecutive treble.<\/p>\n

Neil Lennon will be in charge for the game, regardless of what you may want or read in the papers, and he has the full backing of the players.<\/p>\n

If only he could count on the full backing of the support.<\/p>\n

A lot of the grumbles, eagerly fed by the media, surround his record at Hampden in the first years of the decade. Defeats to Ross County, St Mirren , Hearts and Kilmarnock have led some to proclaim the Irishman has a Hampden hoodoo, despite winning a couple of cups there.<\/p>\n

He moved to dismiss our fears..<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot\u2019s been made of that this week but I can\u2019t get those games back and in a few of them we should have won but we didn\u2019t.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cCall it Lady Luck or a curse or whatever, I\u2019m not into that superstitious stuff.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes, it\u2019s just what happens on the day. I don\u2019t think we played badly in any of the games at all and I won two out of four cups.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all right, but compared to Brendan, it\u2019s not, because you have to be perfect to match that record.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI look back on some of the games we lost, you think, \u2018is it a psychological thing?\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cBut whatever I missed Brendan obviously remedied with this squad of players.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI might be giving him a call tonight or tomorrow just to get a bit of advice from him\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Yeah, and ask him why we’ve got a squad of about three hundred and a bloated wage bill while you’re at it.<\/p>\n

What is important is that whatever happened at Hamoden nearly ten years ago is irrelevant now. These players have won a few trophies there recently, and are well used to the place.<\/p>\n

That hasn’t stopped an outbreak of the collywobbles though, and a lot of it is backed up by recent match statistics which imply that Lennon is not up to the job of managing the side, although the statistics seem to reflect a tired team that is being urged to go that final mile during the business end of the season.<\/p>\n

Less goals scored , fewer convincing performances and so on point more to fatigue than a lack of management, although he has amde an arse of a couple of things of late, notably the Rogic appearance against “rangers “.<\/p>\n

Reminscent of Ambrose versus Juventus, Lennon fielded a player who clearly wasn’t fit, which allowed the Ibrox side to feel they might get something from the game, and gave us all the collywobbles for about half an hour or so.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The man has a dilemma. does he change things around to allow a freshness back into the side, or does he stick with the regulars and try to coax one more big result out of them.<\/p>\n

Whatever he does, if it goes wrong, he’ll be vilified.<\/p>\n

Even if it goes right, he’ll be told that he could have done it with more style. In fact, pre-Lennon, Rodgers was sending us all to sleep with his turgid efforts as well, and its too late to teach the players something new.<\/p>\n

And far too risky.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The same goes for any new manager next season.<\/p>\n

With ten in a row now just a couple of seasons away, does the board want to risk a new face ?<\/p>\n

Especially given the curious nature of the Scottish media and the SFA.<\/p>\n

The new man, should he be Benitez-has met Desmond, Villas Boas-has met Desmond, or even Gordon Strachan, who has met Desmond, but presumably only for advice,<\/p>\n

Then again, if meeting Desmond suggests that someone is on a short list for the hot seat, we could really be in trouble..<\/p>\n

\"Image<\/p>\n

The board, conservative in politics and outlook, are unlikely to risk upheaval at this crucial point in history.<\/p>\n

Despite names such as Mourinho and moyes being mentioned, Lennon is their preferred option, simply as a safe pair of hands, but they will give him a few quid to spend in the summer, and a few players will move on.<\/p>\n

It appears will be allowed to reshape the team rather than rebuild it, with a couple of defenders and a striker a priority.<\/p>\n

The system used on the pitch just now is getting results, but other sides have countered it and a new approach is required, but one the players can handle.<\/p>\n

One that they have confidence in.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The speculation will continue, the supporters will continue to moan, but Lennon can handle that.<\/p>\n

Ask yourself if you think a new manager would, especially if he happened to draw 0-0 with Livingston…<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Elsewhere, and the drive to make Peter Lawwell and his yes-men take notice of shareholders concerns about lost income continues.<\/p>\n

Resolution 12 now has a website, which I’m sure you’ve all read…come on, you’ve had all week, and now that all the evidence is out there, its time to take back the smoking gun from wherever Peter hid it and use it ourselves.<\/p>\n

We can start with pressure from certain supporters groups..the Affiliation, for instance, has already declared its intentions..<\/p>\n

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Affiliation_CSCs<\/strong>\u200f\u00a0<\/span><\/span>@cscaffiliation<\/b><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n
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