1) That was a record. Usually you have hope for around 5 or 10 mins but the Swedish Zander Diamond made sure that after 42 seconds all hope was lost. We needed a miracle after that and history coupled with over average hamstrung squad ensured that wasn’t going to happen.
That 4 min spell when we all started to believe that we could turn it round is just typical Celtic.
2) I lay the blame fully at the door of individuals both on and off the park to this defeat. Looking back, in the cold light of day and re-reading the live blog, I don’t think I have many complaints about the performance, I expected it to be as average and as toothless as our previous two forays onto a football field.
The club had given me an indication of our level and I lowered my expectations accordingly. That’s sad.
3) It’s times like these I look at our balance sheet and weep at the part that says Football Operation Costs. The thought that we pay an SPL Tax to attract players becomes a reality and it’s hard not to fathom that we are over-paying for some of the ability in the squad.
Despite their culpability in our demise the signings of Ki, Cha, Hooper and Kayal (and Izzy) are a step in the right direction, it’s a direction we need to go, until we produce youngsters who can embrace a wider cultural change that is needed in the Scottish game.
The problem we have is guys like Brown, Samaras etc who are overpaid for what they actually contribute to the greater good. More bang for your buck is needed.
4) Talking about Ki and Kayal any bids that were sitting on the table will now be considered. Though the clubs that are tabling them will maybe revise their offers now……
5) I didn’t want to go out meekly or without having a go. We ended up doing both with some wondering why struggling players, mainly due to fitness, weren’t hooked or we didn’t change formation.
My reasoning is that like me our Gaffer didn’t think we were good enough to completely open up and have a go plus was the game really suited to an out of form Commons and Stokes?
In fact the more I consider it and in light of a hapless Swedes contribution I don’t think we could have done much more than we did. He was right to look for a small window for opportunity when we got ourselves back into the game then make his changes.
The problem was that Ki ensured that window was barely ajar before it was slammed shut.
Hi
Nice one, although I have to say you are giving the benefit of the doubt to many of the guilty. Tactically naive, we have signed many more duds than stars and many of the stars choose if/when they are going to give over 80%. The maintaining of Brown as captain has been a recipe for disaster and playing Samaras after his form (over the last three years) is essentially a kick in the teeth to the support. Lennon should bow out and take the Swede, the Greek and Broon with him.
I agree with the Sammy jibe as I mention him in dispatches as I did Broonie. Who would take the job if Lennon walked? I’m sure that some lower level championship manager would fancy his chances now.
Where we are is like asking if anyone fancies captaining the titanic after it has hit the iceberg.
It’s a huge loss to be out of Europe this early, for the club, players and fans. Of course the PLC will only see the financial loss that follows such a failure. That’s hurts nearly as much as losing to Sion.
Lennon decided to take all of the blame after the match, this is very big of him but a mistake in my view. He was as fault for some aspects. Not bringing on Forrest for Samaras after the sending off was a mistake and even worse was not bring on Commons earlier enough and not Stokes at all. Majstorovi? was obviously at fault while being sharper at the second goal may have stopped it while Ki was at fault for the 3rd.
Lessons need to be learned and we must move on. Bring on the Paisley Saints.
Team for Sunday:
Forster; Matthews, K.Wilson, Mulgrew, M.Wilson; Brown, Kayal, Ledley, Commons; Hooper, Stokes.
From him going to attacking in Holland last year to this year being too conservative. Heh, next year is the year….
Dire once again when it comes to the crunch. Samaras got given a 3 year deal on the basis of one decent old firm game. Him and Majstorovic aren’t fit to wear the hoops. More decent players should have been brought in over the summer, we are turning into the laughing stock of scotland let alone europe.
The Sammy decision was baffling. I understood Dan’s signing and if Glenda wasn’t injured Dan wouldn’t be playing. He was a stop gap.
Really have to agree with the first post,the players mentioned are letting the club and the support down.I have alot of respect for Neil Lennon but i believe the buck stops with the manager,his tactics are shocking at times.A club the size of our should not go two years with out European football.The second post says some lower level championship manager would fancy it,the sad fact about this is that is not even an option Neil was the cheap easy choice for the board who are happy to give us the same old tosh about being debt free
The size of the club is not getting value for it’s money. That’s the problem and always has been the problem.
I must add though size doesn’t mean nothing if you don’t earn success like all the rest.
It’s not the first time we have been in a bad place and it won’t be the last. NL is not the first manager to buy from lower English Leagues – we can’t compete financially with English top tier – FACT. We were beaten by a team who played players who may or may not be subject to a transfer ban (and who are a team who wouldn’t have beaten us but for the chain reaction to a silly, last ditch tackle from a defender who is part of a record breaking defence last season). If any of you remember the guy who used to encourage his Celtic team to punt the ball from defence to attack and ignore the best midfield in Scotland or England then draw breath – this is not the worst – its a very bad result, painful but that only. Lennon is on the right track and if not then which big manager is going to come in with our budget for players. Maybe it is time to hit Pay TV where it hurts and stop subscribing to English matches unless they give us a decent deal
Your positivity shines like long life bulb in a basement of negativity. The reaction Dan has more to do with this result than any major failing. People need to accepted that we are an average side in the greater world…
Surely there is a bigger picture here? O’Neill was backed. We didn’t get into the Premiership (the main reason why O’Neill got money) Since then we haven’t been very ambitious. We’ve in the main spent what we’ve earned in transfer fees.We aren’t going to be allowed to outgrow Scotland any time soon. So maybe we have to alter the way we perceive ourselves and get together with the other clubs in Scotland and try to find a way to make our league better. Look at the Swiss league. The top 4 or 5 teams can win it.I watched the super cup tonight – noticed that Porto went unbeaten in their league last year – they played 30 GAMES in their domestic league. How come they can have 16 teams . home and away once each and be Europa league champions , yet the SFA say that this would be financial suicide for us?
Seems to me we have 3 options – spend some money, be the best in Scotland and gradually try to claw our way back into the Euro system,accept where we are and hope that in our lifetime the financial ar*e falls out of football, or get together with all teams and make drastic changes to our league – make it fairer and win less league titles and domestic cups.
The one thing we can’t afford to do is continue to believe that we somehow deserve better. I hate the Euro seedings/coefficient.But we are where we are.
I think that could rank as the best post I have read over the last 3 days. Great points and all relevant. We need a culture change as the money game, though it will implode won’t do so for years. If we have a culture change it’s good for the long term of the game and then means we wont be reliant on green backs.
I’m welling up here. Superb.
We need to debate the bigger picture. We also have a bigger picture to discuss.
Commons came on with two minutes to go. Why? To try to get a consolation goal? Kayal was struggling and unfit. He was kept on until he got further injured. Why? We relied on Cha to provide the ammunition for Hooper. Why was headless chicken Sammy on the pitch? Can anyone tell me why Brown is captain? What leadership does Brown provide? Why have we got such a clueless inexperienced coaching staff? When will McCourt be started from kick off? Why do Celtic fans put Lennon first before the good of the club? Why has Martin O’Neill not been asked to come back?
Commons has been attrious this season. The only thing he can’t go past is a Greggs by the looks of things. I hope he comes good. Cha had a decent fist of things as did Ki. Sammy and Broonie do bemuse me but I still support them.
The reality is that Lennon is the only man for the job. O’Neill, left due to the restrictions that were coming see The Torchs fantastic post.
Forget about no money in the SPL, forget the qualifying games because of the co efficient, the reason we are not in the Europa League is 11 players and a managercould not come up with a system of play to beat a fairly average side from Switzerland because whether you like it or not we are now a fairly average side from Scotland and i don’t see it improving anytime soon this may read very negatively but at this time that’s how i feel.
I read it as a good summing up of were we are at. Unlike some you don’t need a reality jump start.