The BBC has become almost unbearable.
The glee some of them took in yesterday’s result was obvious.
They’ve been waiting for their chance to lord it over this Celtic side for a while. Ange already knows what to expect from them. Repeatedly, since taking the reins, he has had to respond to them angrily or with biting sarcasm.
Yesterday was no exception, and as per usual I thought he nailed it.
The first thing to take note of is that Ange did not hide from responsibility.
He embraced it.
He said that perhaps he’d made too many changes.
He accepts that this may have upset the rhythm of the side. Most people agreed; what’s unusual is that here we have a modern boss who was not afraid to hold up his hands and say maybe he’d gotten that wrong.
It’s a great tactic to use, that one. Immediately, it catches the hacks off guard because, really, they don’t expect managers to do that. Ange handles these people very deftly. He’s got the right attitude.
I always enjoy listening to him, even on the bad days.
And as Paddy Sinat over at 67Hail Hail pointed out this afternoon, they tried to press him on what impact the result might have on “momentum.” Not that “momentum” necessarily matters after you’ve already won the title. Few people expect – although you know some of them do hope for it – that morale will crash so completely that we’ll lose the final.
Ange shot back quickly.
“I mean, like I said, it’s a poor performance, but we’ve had one of those earlier this year as well and we bounced back okay,” which is a typical Ange understatement.
That was the catalyst for the superb run of form which won us the league.
What you didn’t get from Ange was any sense of panic, and we should contrast that with the way in which the Ibrox club reacts to every setback. Plans are tossed aside. Players are thrown under the bus. Threats are issued. Tempers flare.
At Celtic, we react calmly, and we go away and lick our wounds and see what the experience has taught us.
But what it almost certainly has not taught us is that there are things we need to do in the summer.
As we all know, as good as this squad is every single player in it can be replaced by better … and Ange knows this as well as anyone and he didn’t learn that watching one game, he’s known it for a while and has undoubtedly been planning accordingly.
His comments to that effect are interesting;
“Today was an opportunity for some of our guys. It is a tough place to get an opportunity. They need to understand what this club’s about. You don’t get an easy ride, you don’t get a cushy introduction into life as a footballer. It is demanding from the moment you put on a shirt to the moment you leave. It is fair to say it wasn’t just about the guys who came in. Obviously, the changes I made didn’t help but I just thought the general performance, and the level of performance, wasn’t there.”
Whilst not directly addressing the summer, I think we know that he sees areas where improvement is needed. He’s not going to write off guys like Kobayashi after a few months – it would be nonsensical to do so – but he also knows where we need a little more strength in depth.
I expect what we’ll see this summer are the first building blocks of Celtic 2.0
Ange himself has pointed out that the team which stands still is the team that isn’t top for long.
There was never any chance of us making that mistake.
We’ve all seen some issues which need addressed these past few weeks … but I’m sure Ange was way ahead of us there.
James, again, spot on with the BB Scotland, so over the top with their praise for the serial losers, it was quite astonishing. Why do we all pay a license fee to an organization so very obviously biased. Maybe it’s time to let BBC UK know how appalling commentary is up here? Just a thought. Do we have a bigoted org here in Scotland as to commentary, presenters, etc??
Don’t pay it!!
James , He certainly did “make too many changes” and good that he can admit that but surely he could have made those changes in next game (St Mirren)…….as one of your posters have already said we need real steel put in to that midfield….was too easy for thug Lundstrum and co………brushed our players aside (Kobi too)
HH
Best team won, nothing lost really, moving on….
There will certainly be more leaving Celtic than coming in imo.
Out:
Bain, Hazard, Barkas.
Welsh Turnbull, McCarthy, O’Riley, Forest, Abada, Shaw, Urhoghide, Soro, Montgomery, Kenny, Ideguchi would all be candidates for me. Sold, let go or maybe on loan.
Keeper, Striker, couple of midfielders and a fullback but maybe Johnston and Scales knock on the first team door.
Just out of curiosity with the UEFA restrictions on 8 locally trained (Scotland not the UK as has been claimed elsewhere) with minimum of 4 of those being trained at Celtic .. can you tell me which players will be in our squad ? Of those that you have mentioned 3 are locally (non celtic) and 4 are Celtic trained .. as we just made the criteria with the above players.. who will be in the squad next season? I may agree that some have reached their limit but unless we have someone coming through or there is a locally trained player at another club, then I cant see the likes of Bain Welsh Montgomery and Forrest going anywhere this summer.
Yeah that’s an issue that’s been bothering me a while mate.
At the moment we have Bain, Ralston, Welsh, Taylor, McGregor, McCarthy, Forrest and Turnbull. That’s our eight, including four produced by the club.
But realistically, Bain and McCarthy aren’t in the running here, and at the moment I don’t see any domestic player in Scotland who reaches the standard we’re looking for. It’s a huge problem. In addition, at least a couple of the current squad would HAVE to miss out due to the 25 man registration limit … so we do have an issue here, and I’m sure it is bothering people inside Celtic Park.
James he did not say he was “wrong” he said the changes didn’t help in terms of performance. The goal yesterday was to see what certain players were capable of and yesterday showed him what he didn’t to see.
Yeah I suspect he knows those. I reckon we’re gonna see at least one tough-guy hard tackling SOB in midfield.
And I do think, and have thought, we need a centre back. Just in case.
certainly not Turnbull, O Riley or Abada, all quality players!
They can go tomorrow for me, need way better
You are kidding right ! I would give abada away for free absolutely melts at ibrox + any big European game which is them all
Agree, Celtic deserved to lose and some better players needed, but are you missing the point about the biaised SCOTTISH part of the BBC …..
Cracking column James the beeb are just so happy to be back inside the hallowed walls of castle greyskull, they’re forgetting about objectivity, even though we’re all paying there salaries.??
Snake mountain! Greyskull was where He man lived ! The Good guy! Like us in comparison to that utter vile posion
Pisses me off reading about how we are so much better than them. We are better. No question. But? We need to be at 100% every time we play them. Every time. Otherwise they will beat us. Like they did yesterday. So James? A bit of advice. Leave it out with the “they’re shitting it over at Ibrox”. They aren’t. No more than we would be in reversed circumstances. We need to be constantly aware that they are a threat……so we keep them where they belong. As perennial runners up.
They are definitely a threat. But only if we sleep at the wheel.
This guy is not going to let us sleep at the wheel.
The glee you refer to by some at the BBC at the derby result yesterday took place because bosses at the publicly funded organisation allowed it to happen ,and have done so for decades with our money paying for the biased privilege.The Beeb have an alleged principle of its presenters and guests to have this mythical moral obligation of being completely impartial. Maybe it’s every nation and region …..Except Scotland!
Not my money! More fool you mhate
Nor mine !!!!!
Ange, admitting that he made a mistake with the team selection and reminding them that the last time we were beaten it produced a positive reaction wasn’t exactly slapping down the Beeb, and I’m sure they will not feel bested this time around, As regards the team selection, he actually only made two changes that were not forced on him, the LB and the CF, both players that he bought and are not nearly good enough, He is going to have to write them off eventually and admit it was money not well spent, He’s not infallible.
As you say ‘every player (in the squad) can be replaced by better’. That includes the captain. Until people – the manager included – start to look at mcgregor’s contribution in big games more objectively, more critically, I fear that that performance will be repeated every time we play anybody other than SPFL diddy teams.
I agree,Jorge.
McGregor is a good player and gives a good performance in most matches but yesterday wasn’t one of them.
He was the main cause of their third goal as well ……just in case the usual boo bhoys start on Starfelt.
If Calmac hadn’t got in his way Carl would have easily cleared up the danger but was tackled by our captain.
I’m not too pissed off with the way things went yesterday as it gives Ange a bargaining tool when it comes to extracting cash from the board for upgrades in whatever areas he sees fit.
I’m closely watching the parasite who goes by the name of Lawwell and anything resembling his fingerprints on team related matters.
Hell mend him if Ange decides to leave and cites his meddling as the reason.
Just saying.
Excellent post William, if I did not live abroad and was a season ticket holder, I would have handed it in when Lawwell came back. That man cost us the 10 almost all on his own. It has been my fear that since he came back he will start interfering with Ange and we could lose him.
I do think the manager got it wrong but not necessarily in the selection, per se – as he stated, he put out a side he expected would win. The mistake was in failing to put out the best team possible against the bitterest rivals, to prosecute dominance and to dent the psychology of the pretenders going forward.
It was obvious before the game that Rangers* needed and were desperate to win, yet only for prestige, not points. The players who did get the opportunity to represent Celtic seemed to be unappreciative that all games against clubs from Ibrox are ‘must wins’.
Tends to go unnoticed within today’s game of the importance of squad building, especially within our club where the demands of success remains so high.
This involves a process and with the success gained in 2 seasons then we are still way ahead of schedule.
Still trust the process of our squad building, and work still has to be done as not finished yet.
It gets overlooked also that a celtic squad to date has been built upon the 25 man European numbers which is always going to be hampered with the 8 Scottish players, and possibly never fill that quota sufficiently either, to match the demands of the club.
This in turn makes us overly dependant upon only 17 foreign players, made worse when still far to many are no longer required and without any future with ourselves.
We still imo, are well short within the spine of this celtic team with at least 4 required in strengthening through the centre.
With CL in mind next season hopefully this will get addressed and could go as far as 5 if Ange sticks with a back 4.
Although we can field a very strong team with useful impact subs, we still remain short within our squad depth still.
The process of squad building is even more important next season with having to win the league and still be in a position to handle the extra games that will follow in the expansion of CL matches.
We still remain in a very strong position and the process will become easier when we tidy-up the failures within our recruitment a few seasons ago.
Our recruitment of players has in general been excellent under Ange to date, and hopefully that continues and seen nothing to suggest otherwise either.
Wouldn’t say Ange will be looking to much into the Asian market during the summer, especially when a bit more steel would be more beneficial for ourselves next season imo
A great assessment of things James
We have a manager who will make changes wherever he thinks they have to be made in terms of personel in and out. He seems to have the backing of the people who can make things happen, and the club will continue to thrive for as long as he is at the helm. No doubt about that. Willing to put the hands up when he thinks he’s wrong is the mark of a good manager.
Losing to your main rivals is never a good experience but, we have to take it on the chin now and again but move on. Getting through the remaining league games injury free is important to us now with the cup final looming. Pretty sure Ange will have the squad well prepared for that and an overview of where we are and what will be required for next season can be carried out following that. Here’s to another treble HH?
I agree with that, one thing bothered me about Ange’s comments on the day prior to the match.
When asked about the amount of respect Rangers show Celtic, being related to the guard of Honour thing, he replied ” I think Rangers have shown us the right amount of respect ”
Well, I don’t, since the moment Beale’s plook entered the door followed shortly by his head he has shown nothing but disrespect to Celtic. The not mentioning Celtic by name is a major one in my book, the last two players he has signed are not Scottish, one English and one Belgian.
Neither of these two have a good word to say about Celtic, strange, coming from countries not associated with the Billy Boys etc
Had , John Brown been about I would have said , yes , he is in charge of Hatred, I fink its a personal fing between Beale and a deep lying hatred of Celtic , that is actually driving him, who cares, that hatred will be his undoing, he Is blinded by it , no matter what the media tell us.
I won’t entertain an argument with those who believe they’re own lies. Because in the end there is no argument. Hail Hail, Bring it on.
The guys got it,well see big changes in our team,MONTHEHOOPS