Every Celtic fan has gone through spells of liking, then disliking, certain players.
At times it goes beyond that. I went off Craig Burley the second his self-loving backside was hit by the door on his way out of Parkhead, and over time that feeling escalated to loathing as he ingratiated himself into the media and became a professional Celtic baiter.
There are some for whom my feelings veer back and forward, like John Hartson, who’s criticism of Ronny Deila at the start of the season made me furious because it was so ill-judged and seemingly spiteful, but who has, along with Chris Sutton, had the good grace to hold up his hands and say “You know what? I got it wrong.”
I remember the day Jackie McNamara left Celtic Park.
I was bitterly disappointed in him, because, at the time, there was a perception that he’d left the club for more money.
He has long denied that, and indeed, looking back, it seems pretty clear that someone inside Parkhead made a judgement call he had no business making.
The manager wanted the player to stay. According to Jackie, he wanted to end his career at Celtic … yet he left, under that big, black cloud.
It’s been a while since Jackie started his managerial career – he went to Thistle in 2011 – and at 41 he still ticks the “young up and comer” box much more readily than did a certain Sevconian now busily pruning his plants.
He has been at Dundee Utd now since January 2013 … and until recently I would have said he matched the template for “future Celtic boss.”
Not anymore. I think he’s blown it.
This was a guy who I thought was forging his reputation on very good, attacking football, the kind of football that you’d pay to go and watch. I also thought he was the kind of manager who did things with courtesy and a certain amount of class.
He started out that way, you know; a coach who would credit opponents, who would act with a certain dignity.
Something has happened to him this season. The attractive football has been replaced by something else, something uglier. His team has become an undisciplined rabble, with Cifiti and Paton in particular revealing the nasty side of McNamara’s developing football philosophy.
His defence of their various indiscretions is equally ridiculous.
Paul Paton, in particular, has gained a reputation as a thuggish ned. He’s been shouting his mouth off this week, saying Celtic “influence referees”, but this is merely one of many instances of this guy behaving like a complete numpty. He is, after all, a player who was found guilty of spitting at a rival this season, in addition to his flying elbows and raised boots … not to mention being due up in court on an assault charge against Celtic’s number two keeper Lukas Zaluska.
Managers stand up for their players all the time; indeed, Ronny Deila has continued to defend Alexander Tonev and has been calm in the face of allegations against other Celtic players … but Ronny has done this in a calm, composed, largely private fashion.
He hasn’t played the Victim Card or anything like it, which is part of what makes McNamara’s attitude towards him – and towards Celtic recently – almost unbelievable.
This seems to have started with Ronny moving for Gary Mackay Steven on a free transfer.
The Celtic boss apologised for this after McNamara had a min-meltdown in the media over the matter. To this day I still have no idea at all what the Celtic boss was apologising for, but he chose to do it anyway as a mark of respect to the other manager and his club.
McNamara has not shown him the same courtesy. In fact, he has actually been very disrespectful of Deila, and Celtic. When he accused the Norwegian of reacting because he was “under pressure” I couldn’t help laugh. With one trophy already in the bag, a league lead and a cup semi final to look forward to, Ronny looks like the calmest man in the world, as he should be. He is the boss of the biggest club in the land and we are playing damned well.
Jackie McNamara, on the other hand, is a manager under pressure, in my view.
They finished fourth in the table last year, and they’re back there again this season, apparently having made no progress at all.
They reached a cup final then too, but unlike Delia the pressure did prove too much for Jackie, and they lost it to St Johnstone.
Two appearances in finals, two defeats. Ronny’s been in one … and he went home with the trophy.
McNamara has had a bad reaction to his teams lack of forward motion.
He is the one cracking, and if he can’t take the pressure at a club like Dundee Utd, with little in the way of expectations, he is not cut out for the bigger stage.
In short, I don’t like what I’ve seen of him lately. I don’t like the kind of players he depends on.
I don’t like the aggressive, vicious style of much of their play in the last few months. I don’t like his snarking, bitchty attitude in front of the media, so reminiscent of McCoist.
I don’t like the way he lacks class and the good grace to accept that, over the last few games, his team has been completely outplayed.
McNamara once looked like he had the stuff to aspire to the manager’s office at Celtic Park.
He’s blown in recent months.
If we wanted an arrogant, underachieving, aggressive blowhard in that job we’d have hired Roy Keane.
What does Jackie McNamara’s playing career with Celtic have to do with his current job as Dundee Utd manager?
I see a gaffer who has come to his current employers’ and players’ defence, not someone who is bashing Celtic at every turn. Perhaps if you look at everything from a “not praising Celtic at every turn is a war crime” perspective (which I suspect you do) then you might hold the kind of opinion that you do.
That would also mark you out as an absolute gobshite, which you definitely come off as in this piece.
You’re definitely in the arsehole category. That’s for sure.
Awww didums … did I upset someone?
Very professional and grown up reply to someone who doesn’t feel the need to big you up. Best you stick to mouthing off in the stands.
total pish my friend…..you cannot defend thuggery…enuff said move on….hh
McNamara is a c*nt end of story.
Bigger w@nker than sally mcmoist
Not once did he congratulate Celtic winning the league cup. Lack of class shown by a former Celtic idol
Totally gone off him too. You make a lot of good points. But maybe a wee bit harsh. He was playing nice football but has had all his best players sold from under him. He couldn’t come and play football against us because he doesn’t have the players. He lost Robertson gauld Russell mackay-Steven and Armstrong over the last year. feel a bit sorry for him but totally agree he’s been lacking any class in the press lately. How that Paton doesn’t get slaughtered in the press I’ll never understand. Apparently alleged verbal abuse is a worse crime than proven physical assault. Also a guy who decided not to play for Scotland and no one said a word.
Agree with your thoughts apart from when he left Celtic. IMO he was influenced by his agent to make the whole scenario public which was never going to work. His time at Celtic was up it was time to move on and with his testimonial under his belt his agent should have let it be rather than try and make money for himself & not his client IMO. I never ever considered him Celtic manager material and if he ever had designs on that position he sure as hell has blown any possibity of that. I think him and Simon Donnelly will be shown the door at DU sooner rather than later.
I agree with some of what you are saying, particularly regarding the type of football his team has played this season. But to be fair to McNamara, he has watched as his best 5 or 6 best players have been sold and his comments and behaviour are probably borne out of frustration more then anything. The fact that two of those players ended up at parkhead and then shortly after we had 4 games in a row against each other raised the tensions and pressure.
I do think he has potential and another season at utd next season will probably be make or break for his managerial career so next year will be interesting.
Really total B..I dont like these articles or wannabe journalists with the bias nonsense. In fairness to Jackie he loses his most skillful players and has make do with the rest.
Maybe they did play the physical game but so did we to an extent but luckily for us we have better and skillful players as well.
Does he feel hard done by and bitter at losing to Celtic 3 out of 4 times of course he does. Most manager like players have a hard time now and then and hit a wall especially ones that continuously lose their best players.
I agree pinkmartin.
He must be frustrated beyond belief. But some of his comments have really lacked class. Jackie wanted to blame Celtic for leavibg the way he did, but if you remember, he received a call to come back in for talks before he spoke to Wolves.
As a player Jackie was brilliant, and probably should have been part of a UEFA cup winning team had O’Neil not brought back Mjalby for that game. But Jackie like so many before him, Nicholas, Provan, Walker, Burley, McLeod, Dalglish etc have all thrown their toys out of the pram at sone time or another. Jackie, like his dad before him thought he was bigger than Celtic, though his dad almost was, fat lump!
You can tell good managers when they show class when they speak. Jackie does not tick that box well.
As for Ronny, I still have serious doubts about him. He sure talks some crap!
Ronny talks crap ? And you still are not sure of him ?
Are you for real ?
I love the way he talks about the game and his vision for what he wants at our club and the football we are playing is a joy to watch, did you watch the first half against united on Saturday ?
Also we have just won the league cup, in the semi of the Scottish cup and have a nice lead in the league and you are still not sure about him ??????
Jackie was a totally committed , loyal, hard working pro wherever he played. Especially at Celtic. You’re quick to forget… He hung in there under Martin ONeil, not always first choice but eventually became the club captain .Played in most positions in defence &midfield ! Scored in a cup final ! Kept his head down , played for the jersey every single time he wore it! His testimonial money in which all the legends returned for , went to charity , Fact!, Shame on you my friend for the disrespect shown to a former club captain , stalwart , all round nice guy who never ever let the club down ,on or off the park .And to his father , who never spoke a bad word of Celtic . Just ask any of the expros who played alongside young Jackie, they would love him back as a manager! Maybe not now but certainly in the future .
Sour Grapes one must say by Jackie as Celtic proved the better team overall in all games, bitter pill for him to swallow by his sad comments. He’s for sure the manager under pressure as his team’s performances have been catastrophic leading upto the Hoops Whipping their asses.
So he’s a dead man walking and knows Utd fans are begining to ask questions of his tactics and selections even when GMS and Armstrong were at
Hence his outrageous outbursts as the cracks begin to appear within his management.
I’ll give him at Max another season at Tannadice.
Agree with the article, but considering he had a big fallout with the board when he left as a player, I cannot see them hiring him at all in the future, but we have seen recently that we have a great manager already so im not really that bothered.
Boohoo Jackie. Yes you’ve lost players but that’s no excuse for your petulant bitter behaviour. Your players were disgraceful in the park and in the press. You tried to ridicule and accuse our manager of behaviour he didn’t display. Grow up. Part and parcel of being manager is having to accept defeat . You’ll not go any further till you accept that
Think he has shown a distinct lack of grace in his comments before during and after this series of matches.He has gone down in my estimation sort of rubbish i expect from other quarters,showed a lack of respect to our wonderful club and got personal afraid thats him off my christmas card list.
I was a big Jackie fan as a Celtic player. I have been really disappointed by his attitude towards us over the last few weeks. Think he maybe has a chip on his shoulder about something with us. Ronnie seems to have a grip on things now and thankfully isnt the numpty i thought he was. Keep er lit Ronnie
His problem is he has no savy when it comes to changing the game when he is down. Ian CATHRO is next up for unt job. mcnammara will be lucky if he gets a position in junior football
Rev. I.M. Jackie not Celtic class. His team are a bunch of thugs and cowards – Paton McGowan Ciftci et al. and he’s the manager so responsible for their behaviour and endorses and excuses it at every turn.
We don’t need a new manager and hopefully so for the forseeable future, but I would take Paul Hartley over Calimero McNamara in a heartbeat if forced to choose.
I was also a fan of McNamara but I think the last two week`s he has been on the “weed” with some of his comments he is way off the mark. Having played at Celtic Park for so long he knows more than most that we do not get things easily from ref`s. It also seems funny that with all the mud that has been thrown about from Utd that not one of them mentioned that their keeper should have been sent off in the first minute of Wednesday`s game.! I put this down to the same thing as some(and most) of the newspaper reporters that it is down too selective reporting. Oh how the mind goes funny at times.!!
What upset me about McNamara was his remarks regarding the McGowan tackle on Henderson .He deliberately raised the John Kennedy career ending tackle to take a cheap shot at Ronny Deila .What an thoughtless ,self centred person.Obviously gave no thought about how that could bring back painful memories to John Kennedy, a man who could have been a Celtic great,but for that incident.All he thought about was how HE (McNamara) looked.I thought the comparison to McCoist appropriate.
If Jackie McNamara were a true Celtic man, then he would have celebrated every Celtic goal alongside Ronny Deila. Instead, he dared to defend his own players and his own employers, instead of throwing both of them under the bus in order to curry a few favours with his former club.
Absolute cretin of a man, indeed.
(am I doing this right?)
Jackies a wank. So are all managers, except Ronny. I love Ronny.
Good article. JMcN picked up a small fortune from a testimonial (which I gladly contributed to at the time) then flounced at the instigation of his “agent” and mate Darren Jackson. Whatever Celtic were up to it’s well known Jackie wanted more than 10 grand a week when frankly he was near the end of his useful playing career.
His lack of grace over the last few weeks has been exactly what I expect of him. When managers whine this much, their players take their cue and that’s partly why United lost three games in a row – it broke their concentration, just as Celtic broke them on the pitch.
Do you Celtic supporters ever listen to yourselves? Your so full of yourselves!!!
You chuck money at United and buy the league cup. Your no different from those other Glaswegian gob****** mouthing off about how oppressed you are and how everyone’s out to get you. Celtic class ma erse!
How did we buy the cup? The players we bought from United were cup tied.
So we played and won the cup with the players we’ve had all season.
How is that buying?
He’s just not good enough to manage Celtic
Ur a tit
Tricky one this. I liked Jackie as a player, I watched him be the easy target of the boo boys and I genuinely liked him for sticking to it despite being moved around the team at the time. When Simon Donnelly left he struggled not having him in front of him the following season. So as player I liked him, he suffered a lot from a section of the fans and I liked the way he just got his head down and got on with it.
Like 40,000 others I went to his testimonial, took my son along too, Martin’s last game I think. A few days after he was leaving to go down south. Then we got the “Peter didn’t phone me in time, I was already on my way down to Birmingham” excuse. At that point my opinion of him changed. Stop the car turn round and come back, but maybe the £1.0m in his hipper prevented him. I genuinely felt he’d ripped the p!sh out of the Celtic fans. Although I knew the Club had played a part too.
Moving on to his management career, my opinion changed again, I put his leaving the Club to the side I saw an ex Celt who looked like a progressive young manager who could well be in line to pick up the Celtic job at some point and I openly supported his progression.
I have to say since the start of the Utd run of games he has changed, ok I get he’s defending his own Club and players, would be disappointed if he didn’t but there is no need for some of the other comments aimed at us. He’s almost becoming McInnes like, trying to be a wee bit snidey but not as subtle. I don’t expect ex players to praise Celtic but I would just like a little respect from them. I don’t think Ronny is particularly snidey or mischievous in the media, think he’s pretty honest most times and not sure where Jackie has found the need to have ago at us. It’ll be interesting to see the outcome of the Paton charge and court appearance at some point. I’m hoping he gets found guilty of assault and Utd have no choice but to bin him. Jackie has to continue to play him, innocent until proven guilty etc. But if he is found guilty and Jackie doesn’t bin hm subsequently then frankly I wont want to see Jackie any where near CP afterwards.
I still think he has the makings of a future boss. He has suffered losing good players, (Russell left before he started I think) but Robertson/GMS/Armstrong are hard to replace. I can see Robertson signing for a bigger club this Summer too. He’s been under pressure I get that too, I think he just needs to lose a bit of his pettiness and grow up a bit.
Jackie had Thistle kicking everything from knee high and is now adopting this at United. I think he is just lashing out of frustration with his comments, but thought he was better than this to be honest.
When he left Celtic he talked of getting a call from them while he was half way to Wolverhampton, the bottom line is that he should have turned the car.
You live and die by the choices you make in life. Jackie made a wrong call then and is making some poor choices again now. I would have probably had Jackie as a potential future Celtic boss, but I think he needs to do a hell of a lot better than at present. Class costs nothing Jackie, take a leaf out of our present managers book.
Never liked him as a player thought he was vastly overrated,we called him “scoop” for his proclivity for scooping the ball up the park to no one in particular,more often than not it was to an opponent.
Agree with the points made.Jackie MC has went down in my estimation.hh