New formation on the horizon

[Spherical Planet]

There's a good reason why so many decent footballers have often made terrible managers/coaches and it can often be found in their lack of tactical nous.

Guys like Jinky just went and played football. He'd get stuck out wide and the only instruction you would have to give him is to just tie your opponent in knots. Many players focus primarily on their own jobs - they have to trust that their team-mates were doing theirs. More often than not (with good players) it works.

MON's team with Lenny in it could never be regarded as had having a real shape or a strategic gameplan. It cost us in Europe and also cost us two titles which we should and could have won, but for the most part - it was effective and depended upon causing as much chaos and disruption as possible and leaving the genuine (and in one or two notable cases - world class) talent to apply the finishing touches.

It fell short against really tactically aware teams or those with far better footballers, but MON's teams were rarely battered into oblivion and were competitive against top European competition (particularly at Celtic Park).

One criticism I have of Lenny, is that he tends to play in a style that allows opponents to get plenty of bodies behind the ball. We don't play with the tempo we did under the snake and some of our play is reflective of Lenny's own game which was based on breaking play up and laying off the easy ball. That's fine when you have one or two players doing that, not quite so dynamic when 6 or 7 would rather play sideways and then go back. Patience is a good trait in football, but it still requires penetration at the appropriate time and while we see it in flashes, we have players who can be direct and commit opponents, but who tend to turn back inside/outside and play it sideways or backwards.

The key to playing 3 at the back is that it should, theoretically, allow Broonie to play 10-15 yards further up the park, as he shouldn't have to be an insurance policy for a more aggressive defence with Duffy in there. He shouldn't have to be cover when Ajer gets pulled out to the left and he can now properly link up with the rest of the midfield and offer them that third-point in the triangle.

We perhaps put a bit too much emphasis on tactics, but I guess it's important when you have to break down stubborn resistance; however - what really fucks opponents up is when you can alter your shape in real time without having to radically alter your personnel. That was one of MON's teams strengths.........what looked a pretty rigid 3-5-2 could very much end up being a very different formation without many obvious changed having been made. It's the beauty of having genuinely talented players like Lubo, Sutton and Larsson.

Anyway - just some thoughts...........I'm no strategist or war general, I'll trust those who are qualified to know better than me.

 

[Tony]

Eddy unfit- scores for France
Klimala unfit- scores a peach
??????????

Hope theres not a deal being done for him to leave and thatsthe real reason hes out,Lenny the other day saying how good Ajeti is hope thats not an attempt to soften the blow if Eddy leaves.Hope im bein paranoid!

 

[Winter]

Welcome John.

Yes, it'll be very interesting to see how we setup. I think most of us would prefer the 3-5-2 as there are very few games where we need 4 defenders plus 2 holding midfielders to try to beat a parked bus (we still have that 4-2-3-1 option for some bigger/European matches).

We need to spread the play out wide and make sure we have plenty of support up front. If we are to put balls into the box then they have to be high quality. Plus pass and move, pass and move - no point playing pretty triangles if the players are static, as all that happens is we run out of ideas and end up passing all the way back to our goalie to hoof it up to the halfway line.

As well as buying some quality, tough experienced players we need good in game player management to rotate the squad to keep our players fresh, change tactics as required and integrate our highly talented youngsters into the first team.

It is just another exciting dynamic to keep us on our toes during this amazing season!

With julien and Duffy we actually have goalscoring defenders and julien has shown he can score not only with his head but with his feet. I worried when Jozo was let go as he was the only one scoring with the head pre julien but now weve fixed that all we need is for Christie and who ever else takes the corners or free kicks to hit the target and miss the first defender, something that really got my goat was his inability to do so time after time again and again. I agree with john no (welcome to the noise john) that the board have once more surprised us all with the signings especially when after lenny publicly stated that there wouldnt be much business happening. A club like Celtic should have 2 quality players or more competing for every position and its something that weve heard slippy sayvthat he wants ( all clubs do but not all can finance that) we can and it's looking bright right now. I still think that the board can spend more given how much theyve racked in of seasons late. As of now though I cant fault them ( on that side) I can on many other things. I would also say that our back three wont include ajer not after lenny calling him out. El hamed julien and Duffy is the back three I envision for if Celtic can get 20milion for him then weve won a watch as hes simply not worth that much imo so be it milan leicester or Leeds who ever is daft enough to spend that for a guy who has what 2and a half seasons worth of experience as a converted CM to CB ? More power to the board and lawell is not the board I think a lot of folk forget that sometimes . Also encouraging is that it's looking more and more likely that Rogic will be staying as much as the money in Qatar is attractive to say the least he wants to play a higher standard , something if hes fit we can give him , the futures bright, the futures green and white. Lastly to finish off my long winded rant , whilst I don't always agree with the green brigades methods I do often agree with their sentiments and it cannot be underestimated the power of sport in effecting change in the world , one need only look at south Africa for an example. Theres no higher platform these days to voice opposition and can anyone honestly say they are wrong? Methods may be questionable and costly to the club (not financially) it's a penny in the swear jar someone must highlight the appalling treatment ours and world governments have turned a blind eye to so more power to them HH

 

[Lubos left peg]

There's a lot of thought been put into all your posts, all great post by the way, but I'm still not convinced by 3 at the back. Maybe if we sign 2 ready made wing backs for the left and right side then it could work but at the moment, when lenny reverts to 3 at the back, teams start getting the upper hand on us. Even our 1st champ league qualifier against that Iceland mob when lenny changed the formation in the 2nd half they got a wee bit more joy. SPFL sides aren't world class but they have some decent, quick players and when they see our 3 at the back formation all they will do is park 8 men at the back. Leave a fast player on the wing and a big 6 foot something target man to aim their long balls at. We are left exposed as all our players are up the field trying to break down their packed defence. Frimpong is quality going forward, not sure about his defending though and taylor isn't quick enough or skillfull enough to do the job on the left in my opinion. Tracking back is also a job that the likes of forrest or eli don't seem to enjoy. As for the board/PL/DDs game plan, if that plan was to consistently fuck up by making the same mistakes year after year damaging the good name of the club and losing them over a £100,000,000 in the process. Turning a blind eye to corruption and cheating even when handed a "smoking gun". Alienating their fanbase by calling them racist. Completely disregarding their passion and love for the club, that they see as a way of life and more than just a football team by calling them "customers". Then well done to them cos that game plan is getting smashed.

 

[Spherical Planet]

With julien and Duffy we actually have goalscoring defenders and julien has shown he can score not only with his head but with his feet. I worried when Jozo was let go as he was the only one scoring with the head pre julien but now weve fixed that all we need is for Christie and who ever else takes the corners or free kicks to hit the target and miss the first defender, something that really got my goat was his inability to do so time after time again and again. I agree with john no (welcome to the noise john) that the board have once more surprised us all with the signings especially when after lenny publicly stated that there wouldnt be much business happening. A club like Celtic should have 2 quality players or more competing for every position and its something that weve heard slippy sayvthat he wants ( all clubs do but not all can finance that) we can and it's looking bright right now. I still think that the board can spend more given how much theyve racked in of seasons late. As of now though I cant fault them ( on that side) I can on many other things. I would also say that our back three wont include ajer not after lenny calling him out. El hamed julien and Duffy is the back three I envision for if Celtic can get 20milion for him then weve won a watch as hes simply not worth that much imo so be it milan leicester or Leeds who ever is daft enough to spend that for a guy who has what 2and a half seasons worth of experience as a converted CM to CB ? More power to the board and lawell is not the board I think a lot of folk forget that sometimes . Also encouraging is that it's looking more and more likely that Rogic will be staying as much as the money in Qatar is attractive to say the least he wants to play a higher standard , something if hes fit we can give him , the futures bright, the futures green and white. Lastly to finish off my long winded rant , whilst I don't always agree with the green brigades methods I do often agree with their sentiments and it cannot be underestimated the power of sport in effecting change in the world , one need only look at south Africa for an example. Theres no higher platform these days to voice opposition and can anyone honestly say they are wrong? Methods may be questionable and costly to the club (not financially) it's a penny in the swear jar someone must highlight the appalling treatment ours and world governments have turned a blind eye to so more power to them HH

On your last point, Winter...........one of the things that really makes my blood boil, is when fans are told that there is no place that sport and politics should co-exist.

That rule only seems to apply to fans, as the political classes are more than willing to choose, use and abuse sport when it suits their agenda.

Even recently, wee Nicola has decided that sport should be held to a different standard than her own government advisors and she is also playing God in choosing which sports are currently available for live public consumption.

On a global scale, news coverage of events in Gaza and the West Bank are often filtered through a very narrow lens and the viewer is often spoonfed a narrative which gives neither context or meaning. It's not a straightforward subject and the (various) religious and political divides which have permeated throughout this region - have been a feature for a good period over 2,000 years. The Green Brigade have built a platform based on many our own experiences of living in Scotland and Ireland and can draw a comparison between events in the Middle East and similar atrocities which have occurred in our own towns, cities, villages and countries.

Yeah, you can debate some of the methodology and you have to pay heed to the fact that there is a decent proportion of the Israeli population who want to co-exist with Palestine and also it has to be stated that there are elements of the PLO that have no desire to acknowledge Israel. I believe the message that the Green Brigade wish to convey is that there is no need for human atrocity in any way, shape or form. Especially against a section of society which does not have the means to effectively defend itself.

Any venue which provides a platform to relay a message to a broader audience is fair game in my book. Politicians have hijacked sporting events to elicit a political advantage, but the same politicians seem hasty to take umbrage when the electorate use the same platform to convey their own message.

Whatever message the GB are hoping to transmit can be counter-demonstrated by fans with an alternative view. I personally believe it is our responsibility and obligation to give voice to the voiceless, but I respect the right of others to disagree. I do not respect the right of politicians and an agenda-driven media to condemn the rights of free and public speech.

Palestinian Lives Matter too.

 

[Spherical Planet]

This transfer window has possibly been the most intriguing that I can ever remember. We went into this window mainly in the hope of keeping hold of players more so than looking to bring new ones in. I think most would have been happy just for us to keep hold of Eddie and Foster would never have imagined so much activity with more still to be done i believe. The main reason for this as I can see a new shape developing plus 2 players at least for each position on offer. I also believe we have not shown our full hand yet as with the vultures looming from down south why would we want to put all our jewels in the shop window now. With the signing of Duffy I can see us going 3 at the back with jullian to the right and ajer to the left should he wish to Stay mind you a left footed center back would be very useful. I can see us only playing 1 holding midfield with maybe a line of 4 in front of that with either wingers or wing backs in that role and 2 in the middle with 2 up top. I can see us playing a much higher pressing game in order for oppersition to go long and our centre backs to mop up. Let them try and play through us with the speed of our midfield would be very high risk. As we should have great possession we will hopefully have the players who can go at these tight net defences from all angles. Of course that decision remains with the coaches and ultimately team selection with Neil himself. This process is still ongoing at the moment as a left back in the form of another frimpong is required. But at the moment we are not in bad shape if this should be our future style of play as most of the players are already intact as well as plenty been developed for replacements in the long run. To maybe balance the books we may well be able to sell ntcham as this long term plan would have been funded just on his sale alone. Ajer would mean a huge profit of course a replacement would be needed but I hope that is for next season as a development would be good enough for now. I am really getting excited about the prospect of what we could have in store thís season with the 10iar as well as other trophies. Getting back to becoming that force in Europe again whether that is with Neil remains to be seen. But for now the board needs to be given great credit for what they are looking to assemble not for just this season but for many to come.

And by way of a welcome, John........that is an outstanding contribution for such an early post.

I hope you will be a regular contributor based on this thread, but beware the bad lads (and lassies) on this site.

Stick wie me, mate........I'll keep you on the straight and narrow.

 

[Spherical Planet]

There's a lot of thought been put into all your posts, all great post by the way, but I'm still not convinced by 3 at the back. Maybe if we sign 2 ready made wing backs for the left and right side then it could work but at the moment, when lenny reverts to 3 at the back, teams start getting the upper hand on us. Even our 1st champ league qualifier against that Iceland mob when lenny changed the formation in the 2nd half they got a wee bit more joy. SPFL sides aren't world class but they have some decent, quick players and when they see our 3 at the back formation all they will do is park 8 men at the back. Leave a fast player on the wing and a big 6 foot something target man to aim their long balls at. We are left exposed as all our players are up the field trying to break down their packed defence. Frimpong is quality going forward, not sure about his defending though and taylor isn't quick enough or skillfull enough to do the job on the left in my opinion. Tracking back is also a job that the likes of forrest or eli don't seem to enjoy. As for the board/PL/DDs game plan, if that plan was to consistently fuck up by making the same mistakes year after year damaging the good name of the club and losing them over a £100,000,000 in the process. Turning a blind eye to corruption and cheating even when handed a "smoking gun". Alienating their fanbase by calling them racist. Completely disregarding their passion and love for the club, that they see as a way of life and more than just a football team by calling them "customers". Then well done to them cos that game plan is getting smashed.

I don't mind opponents getting 'at us', Lubo, as long as we're focused on the job and that we are able to properly exploit the space.

For as much as I want Celtic to win, I also like to see competitive and entertaining matches too.

One of the best games under the snake was the 4-3 away at murderwell. They went for it, we fought back and it was a proper blood and snotters game of frantic football.

Same in the 3-3 with City.......just let's fuck it and go for it.

I definitely agree that I can't tolerate laziness and Abdication of duty though. The defence have been rightly hammered on occasion, but you can also point fingers at some joggers and trotters in some of those instances who didn't have the will or inclination to do the hard yards.

 

[Lubos left peg]

I don't mind opponents getting 'at us', Lubo, as long as we're focused on the job and that we are able to properly exploit the space.

For as much as I want Celtic to win, I also like to see competitive and entertaining matches too.

One of the best games under the snake was the 4-3 away at murderwell. They went for it, we fought back and it was a proper blood and snotters game of frantic football.

Same in the 3-3 with City.......just let's fuck it and go for it.

I definitely agree that I can't tolerate laziness and Abdication of duty though. The defence have been rightly hammered on occasion, but you can also point fingers at some joggers and trotters in some of those instances who didn't have the will or inclination to do the hard yards.

Agree completely SP. As long as we score more than the opposition I dont care the score. My worry is that at times we don't seem to have a plan on how to break down packed defences. To often jamesy cuts inside into crowded areas. Eli runs into players then completely gives up. Brown has been half a yard off the pace. Ntcham is fully aware he is off and isn't putting the effort in and mcgregor is sitting to deep. Eddy is a superstar but due to our opposition defending so much a lot of what he tries doesnt work out. I worry, with 3 at the back, we will see a lot more 1-1 draws than we will 4-3 results this season. Its not just the huns that want to stop 10. Every club will want to play a part. A draw will be like a win to all that play us.

 

[Spherical Planet]

Agree completely SP. As long as we score more than the opposition I dont care the score. My worry is that at times we don't seem to have a plan on how to break down packed defences. To often jamesy cuts inside into crowded areas. Eli runs into players then completely gives up. Brown has been half a yard off the pace. Ntcham is fully aware he is off and isn't putting the effort in and mcgregor is sitting to deep. Eddy is a superstar but due to our opposition defending so much a lot of what he tries doesnt work out. I worry, with 3 at the back, we will see a lot more 1-1 draws than we will 4-3 results this season. Its not just the huns that want to stop 10. Every club will want to play a part. A draw will be like a win to all that play us.

Hey, you're bang on the money, Lubo. Every concern there is a valid concern to me, but that's where I believe Lenny has to trust players a wee bit more and encourage them to take a game by the scruff of the neck.

Lenny was an effective player and better than he got credit for, but he was overly cautious too and didn't always trust his own ability to pass a ball (which he was really quite good at). I think some of that caution is evidenced in how we play sometimes. We set up in certain games (against the huns) to accommodate their features. Fuck that........they should be shitting bricks at the prospect of what we can do to them.

Lenny goes with the tried and trusted methods and while the goals have been achieved, it's still not entirely based on playing to our strengths. Eddy is far too isolated and we don't commit players to the box when the ball goes out wide. It's all there, it just hasn't been fully utilised yet.

 

[Lubos left peg]

And welcome to the noise John.

 

[Shadow2]

There's a lot of thought been put into all your posts, all great post by the way, but I'm still not convinced by 3 at the back. Maybe if we sign 2 ready made wing backs for the left and right side then it could work but at the moment, when lenny reverts to 3 at the back, teams start getting the upper hand on us. Even our 1st champ league qualifier against that Iceland mob when lenny changed the formation in the 2nd half they got a wee bit more joy. SPFL sides aren't world class but they have some decent, quick players and when they see our 3 at the back formation all they will do is park 8 men at the back. Leave a fast player on the wing and a big 6 foot something target man to aim their long balls at. We are left exposed as all our players are up the field trying to break down their packed defence. Frimpong is quality going forward, not sure about his defending though and taylor isn't quick enough or skillfull enough to do the job on the left in my opinion. Tracking back is also a job that the likes of forrest or eli don't seem to enjoy. As for the board/PL/DDs game plan, if that plan was to consistently fuck up by making the same mistakes year after year damaging the good name of the club and losing them over a £100,000,000 in the process. Turning a blind eye to corruption and cheating even when handed a "smoking gun". Alienating their fanbase by calling them racist. Completely disregarding their passion and love for the club, that they see as a way of life and more than just a football team by calling them "customers". Then well done to them cos that game plan is getting smashed.

Great post Lubo

 

[John nó]

I love at the moment reading everyone's views and deep love and passion for the club plus a big thank you for making me feel so welcome. First of all all I don't really care about a board as they would be on a totally different wave length to us. Mind you they have a huge global business to run that costs millions upon millions and yes that financial burden may have been made easier with CL football but instead that lose has been covered by the investment made in untried young players that have been turned into players that are now worth millions with huge profits to their name. I for one think this is a safer bet in generating money in the long term. All the while we have still dominated the domestic game with 11 and counting still on the go. Of course on the big stage in Europe is where we all want to be but we need to be patient to gain a more settled and experienced squad to face that challenge ahead and believe we are in the process of doing that now by getting more established players on bigger contracts to help and form that unity and yet still keeping that conveyer belt of talent still moving forward. For me to feel comfortable with a board is unusual but I am only a supporter that reveals in the success of what we do on the pitch and its the first time I have ever given any credit for those off the pitch. Of course they will make tough decisions that are not to all of our liking but for the moment I shall give them respect for I think they all have the good of the club at heart unlike that other shower of con merchants. That is there problem not ours and we shall savour in our pride while they look on with eyes of envy.
For this season of all seasons I was not one bit interested in what the riches of the CL could bring as I was far more concerned about what players we may lose in our quest for the 10iar. Of course eddy was our main worry and with him unavailable for the CL match and lennys outburst after it had me really worried for what laid ahead. Since then we have finally made a couple of brilliant signings and things are starting to look very bright again especially that of duffy which has settled most of our support down again. There is still work to be done as the left hand side of the park is still not complete but like most supporters we want this sorted out yesterday as we do struggle to understand why these deals take so long to get finalised. Apart from the quality and long-term we have bought in we can also stand to lose a few. Of course we can not match the wages that may be on offer down south and if ntcham and ajer would prefer the money ahead of the glory we have on offer then so be it. Most will wish them well and thank them for their service they have given but they will only be moving on to clubs that don't really have to much to offer in terms of trophies as they are both not ready or proven enough yet to walk into any of the big clubs in the big leagues. Taken the route van dyke is a chance and both are no way near his class of late. They will also be leaving a club that supports it's Players through thick and thin unlike most other clubs. We also have the issue of how our captain marvel will be used this season and it is an issue that will divide many supporters. I think we are all in agreement that this will be broony last in the green and white and could there be a more fitting way for him to finish with lifting the 10iar trophy and would there be a dry eye in the house when he does, of course not. I feel he is just to slow for Europe nowadays and would like now if he was not playing for the europa campaign as we have got cover and leadership to replace his loss. Plus thinking he can be on top of his game playing Thursday night and Sunday would be madness in my opinion. He still has a huge role to play this season on and off the pitch and how hard that may be at times he will be up for the challenge with the support all around him and the legions behind him. Of course the role everyone will play will all rest upon one man and that of course is Neil Lennon. I personally was not in favour of him getting the job again full time as in the past some of his signings and more so his team selections have been very questionable to say the very least, idiotic more so. One thing we can't question is his love for the club as he is like a stick of rock green and white from head to toe. That passion has got the better of him at times in the past and I hope it don't get the better of him this season to cause any unrest in the changing room. His tactical awareness again is something of a concern for myself as at times our build up play has been to slow and laboured which has made it to easy for defences to get themselves set. As we have seen so far no team has been willing to come out and give either us or the scum a proper challenge. I cannot see that changing for the entire season as if a team came out to have a real go at us they would leave themselves open to be taken apart by us and then been accused of lying down by the bigot scum. So maybe it may be easier for them all round to just park the bus for both. We all know we have the quality to do this eventually and it may be hard on the eye at times. Lennon has not done to much yet to inspire us that he has the tactical know how to do so as it was never a suit of his as a player. We have got the players to do so with width and individual brilliance as well as set plays and good team play. So the board have given him the tools to get the job done we just have to depend on him been able to use them properly. The only buck will be upon his shoulders to deliver and I will give him that as weather you love him or loathe him he is a true celt and of course he wants the glory every bit as much as all of us so he dose deserve respect and it will be down to him how far up the legend staircase he goes. Before a ball was kicked thís season I had no interest in European football as I feared it could be a huge distraction for what was really at stake this season. Saying that I was still fuming at the manor we went out. Since then I have done a Lennon u turn and got excited at the prospect of having a right go at the europa league as with the squad that is forming we can mount a serious challenge as well as the 10iar intact. Preparation for league games will be limited this season with the amount of midweek games so hence a fully focused squad is a must. When you look across at sevco it is just a case of stop Kent stop them with nothing else on offer. But Mr oh yeah is he playing for you or just the shop window to get the fuck out of it before he loses a few bob when the liquidators move in and sell them on for there true worth which is not to much at all. It will be a interesting season to say the least with a few bumps along the way but in true celtic style should that be the case we will as always dust ourselves down and march through all the obstacles they put in front of us like cheating ref's etc as we will hit our biggest target of greatness this season with a 10iar amongst other trophies in a packed and overwhelming trophy cabinet as it is. This really is a great time to be a celt and all we can do is put our faith in the one's that matter to deliver and are there anyone that can do this better than us I THINK NOT HH

 

[Millsy]

I love at the moment reading everyone's views and deep love and passion for the club plus a big thank you for making me feel so welcome. First of all all I don't really care about a board as they would be on a totally different wave length to us. Mind you they have a huge global business to run that costs millions upon millions and yes that financial burden may have been made easier with CL football but instead that lose has been covered by the investment made in untried young players that have been turned into players that are now worth millions with huge profits to their name. I for one think this is a safer bet in generating money in the long term. All the while we have still dominated the domestic game with 11 and counting still on the go. Of course on the big stage in Europe is where we all want to be but we need to be patient to gain a more settled and experienced squad to face that challenge ahead and believe we are in the process of doing that now by getting more established players on bigger contracts to help and form that unity and yet still keeping that conveyer belt of talent still moving forward. For me to feel comfortable with a board is unusual but I am only a supporter that reveals in the success of what we do on the pitch and its the first time I have ever given any credit for those off the pitch. Of course they will make tough decisions that are not to all of our liking but for the moment I shall give them respect for I think they all have the good of the club at heart unlike that other shower of con merchants. That is there problem not ours and we shall savour in our pride while they look on with eyes of envy.
For this season of all seasons I was not one bit interested in what the riches of the CL could bring as I was far more concerned about what players we may lose in our quest for the 10iar. Of course eddy was our main worry and with him unavailable for the CL match and lennys outburst after it had me really worried for what laid ahead. Since then we have finally made a couple of brilliant signings and things are starting to look very bright again especially that of duffy which has settled most of our support down again. There is still work to be done as the left hand side of the park is still not complete but like most supporters we want this sorted out yesterday as we do struggle to understand why these deals take so long to get finalised. Apart from the quality and long-term we have bought in we can also stand to lose a few. Of course we can not match the wages that may be on offer down south and if ntcham and ajer would prefer the money ahead of the glory we have on offer then so be it. Most will wish them well and thank them for their service they have given but they will only be moving on to clubs that don't really have to much to offer in terms of trophies as they are both not ready or proven enough yet to walk into any of the big clubs in the big leagues. Taken the route van dyke is a chance and both are no way near his class of late. They will also be leaving a club that supports it's Players through thick and thin unlike most other clubs. We also have the issue of how our captain marvel will be used this season and it is an issue that will divide many supporters. I think we are all in agreement that this will be broony last in the green and white and could there be a more fitting way for him to finish with lifting the 10iar trophy and would there be a dry eye in the house when he does, of course not. I feel he is just to slow for Europe nowadays and would like now if he was not playing for the europa campaign as we have got cover and leadership to replace his loss. Plus thinking he can be on top of his game playing Thursday night and Sunday would be madness in my opinion. He still has a huge role to play this season on and off the pitch and how hard that may be at times he will be up for the challenge with the support all around him and the legions behind him. Of course the role everyone will play will all rest upon one man and that of course is Neil Lennon. I personally was not in favour of him getting the job again full time as in the past some of his signings and more so his team selections have been very questionable to say the very least, idiotic more so. One thing we can't question is his love for the club as he is like a stick of rock green and white from head to toe. That passion has got the better of him at times in the past and I hope it don't get the better of him this season to cause any unrest in the changing room. His tactical awareness again is something of a concern for myself as at times our build up play has been to slow and laboured which has made it to easy for defences to get themselves set. As we have seen so far no team has been willing to come out and give either us or the scum a proper challenge. I cannot see that changing for the entire season as if a team came out to have a real go at us they would leave themselves open to be taken apart by us and then been accused of lying down by the bigot scum. So maybe it may be easier for them all round to just park the bus for both. We all know we have the quality to do this eventually and it may be hard on the eye at times. Lennon has not done to much yet to inspire us that he has the tactical know how to do so as it was never a suit of his as a player. We have got the players to do so with width and individual brilliance as well as set plays and good team play. So the board have given him the tools to get the job done we just have to depend on him been able to use them properly. The only buck will be upon his shoulders to deliver and I will give him that as weather you love him or loathe him he is a true celt and of course he wants the glory every bit as much as all of us so he dose deserve respect and it will be down to him how far up the legend staircase he goes. Before a ball was kicked thís season I had no interest in European football as I feared it could be a huge distraction for what was really at stake this season. Saying that I was still fuming at the manor we went out. Since then I have done a Lennon u turn and got excited at the prospect of having a right go at the europa league as with the squad that is forming we can mount a serious challenge as well as the 10iar intact. Preparation for league games will be limited this season with the amount of midweek games so hence a fully focused squad is a must. When you look across at sevco it is just a case of stop Kent stop them with nothing else on offer. But Mr oh yeah is he playing for you or just the shop window to get the fuck out of it before he loses a few bob when the liquidators move in and sell them on for there true worth which is not to much at all. It will be a interesting season to say the least with a few bumps along the way but in true celtic style should that be the case we will as always dust ourselves down and march through all the obstacles they put in front of us like cheating ref's etc as we will hit our biggest target of greatness this season with a 10iar amongst other trophies in a packed and overwhelming trophy cabinet as it is. This really is a great time to be a celt and all we can do is put our faith in the one's that matter to deliver and are there anyone that can do this better than us I THINK NOT HH

A LOT to take in ...can I suggest paragraphs ? LoL !!

HH

 

[michael duffy]

Is Greg Taylor our only left footed defender? mon the Republic!

 

[Spherical Planet]

Aye, he's taking the written language course after he completes 'semantics and pedantics 101'

 

[John nó]

A LOT to take in ...can I suggest paragraphs ? LoL !!

HH

English not one of my best suits

 

[Spherical Planet]

English not one of my best suits

It's intelligible, intelligent and perfectly readable. If I had one constructive criticism, it would to avoid being too sensible as I'm usually too blitzed to make sense of anything!

 

[boab1916]

A LOT to take in ...can I suggest paragraphs ? LoL !!

HH

 

[Bellshill bhoy]

I love at the moment reading everyone's views and deep love and passion for the club plus a big thank you for making me feel so welcome. First of all all I don't really care about a board as they would be on a totally different wave length to us. Mind you they have a huge global business to run that costs millions upon millions and yes that financial burden may have been made easier with CL football but instead that lose has been covered by the investment made in untried young players that have been turned into players that are now worth millions with huge profits to their name. I for one think this is a safer bet in generating money in the long term. All the while we have still dominated the domestic game with 11 and counting still on the go. Of course on the big stage in Europe is where we all want to be but we need to be patient to gain a more settled and experienced squad to face that challenge ahead and believe we are in the process of doing that now by getting more established players on bigger contracts to help and form that unity and yet still keeping that conveyer belt of talent still moving forward. For me to feel comfortable with a board is unusual but I am only a supporter that reveals in the success of what we do on the pitch and its the first time I have ever given any credit for those off the pitch. Of course they will make tough decisions that are not to all of our liking but for the moment I shall give them respect for I think they all have the good of the club at heart unlike that other shower of con merchants. That is there problem not ours and we shall savour in our pride while they look on with eyes of envy.
For this season of all seasons I was not one bit interested in what the riches of the CL could bring as I was far more concerned about what players we may lose in our quest for the 10iar. Of course eddy was our main worry and with him unavailable for the CL match and lennys outburst after it had me really worried for what laid ahead. Since then we have finally made a couple of brilliant signings and things are starting to look very bright again especially that of duffy which has settled most of our support down again. There is still work to be done as the left hand side of the park is still not complete but like most supporters we want this sorted out yesterday as we do struggle to understand why these deals take so long to get finalised. Apart from the quality and long-term we have bought in we can also stand to lose a few. Of course we can not match the wages that may be on offer down south and if ntcham and ajer would prefer the money ahead of the glory we have on offer then so be it. Most will wish them well and thank them for their service they have given but they will only be moving on to clubs that don't really have to much to offer in terms of trophies as they are both not ready or proven enough yet to walk into any of the big clubs in the big leagues. Taken the route van dyke is a chance and both are no way near his class of late. They will also be leaving a club that supports it's Players through thick and thin unlike most other clubs. We also have the issue of how our captain marvel will be used this season and it is an issue that will divide many supporters. I think we are all in agreement that this will be broony last in the green and white and could there be a more fitting way for him to finish with lifting the 10iar trophy and would there be a dry eye in the house when he does, of course not. I feel he is just to slow for Europe nowadays and would like now if he was not playing for the europa campaign as we have got cover and leadership to replace his loss. Plus thinking he can be on top of his game playing Thursday night and Sunday would be madness in my opinion. He still has a huge role to play this season on and off the pitch and how hard that may be at times he will be up for the challenge with the support all around him and the legions behind him. Of course the role everyone will play will all rest upon one man and that of course is Neil Lennon. I personally was not in favour of him getting the job again full time as in the past some of his signings and more so his team selections have been very questionable to say the very least, idiotic more so. One thing we can't question is his love for the club as he is like a stick of rock green and white from head to toe. That passion has got the better of him at times in the past and I hope it don't get the better of him this season to cause any unrest in the changing room. His tactical awareness again is something of a concern for myself as at times our build up play has been to slow and laboured which has made it to easy for defences to get themselves set. As we have seen so far no team has been willing to come out and give either us or the scum a proper challenge. I cannot see that changing for the entire season as if a team came out to have a real go at us they would leave themselves open to be taken apart by us and then been accused of lying down by the bigot scum. So maybe it may be easier for them all round to just park the bus for both. We all know we have the quality to do this eventually and it may be hard on the eye at times. Lennon has not done to much yet to inspire us that he has the tactical know how to do so as it was never a suit of his as a player. We have got the players to do so with width and individual brilliance as well as set plays and good team play. So the board have given him the tools to get the job done we just have to depend on him been able to use them properly. The only buck will be upon his shoulders to deliver and I will give him that as weather you love him or loathe him he is a true celt and of course he wants the glory every bit as much as all of us so he dose deserve respect and it will be down to him how far up the legend staircase he goes. Before a ball was kicked thís season I had no interest in European football as I feared it could be a huge distraction for what was really at stake this season. Saying that I was still fuming at the manor we went out. Since then I have done a Lennon u turn and got excited at the prospect of having a right go at the europa league as with the squad that is forming we can mount a serious challenge as well as the 10iar intact. Preparation for league games will be limited this season with the amount of midweek games so hence a fully focused squad is a must. When you look across at sevco it is just a case of stop Kent stop them with nothing else on offer. But Mr oh yeah is he playing for you or just the shop window to get the fuck out of it before he loses a few bob when the liquidators move in and sell them on for there true worth which is not to much at all. It will be a interesting season to say the least with a few bumps along the way but in true celtic style should that be the case we will as always dust ourselves down and march through all the obstacles they put in front of us like cheating ref's etc as we will hit our biggest target of greatness this season with a 10iar amongst other trophies in a packed and overwhelming trophy cabinet as it is. This really is a great time to be a celt and all we can do is put our faith in the one's that matter to deliver and are there anyone that can do this better than us I THINK NOT HH

If it’s more than 10 sentences I can’t be arsed reading it, keep it condensed, This is a forum, not a blog.....

 

[Tony]

If it’s more than 10 sentences I can’t be arsed reading it, keep it condensed, This is a forum, not a blog.....

who pished on your cornflakes