If a week is a long time in politics, then God only knows how we measure how long it feels in the crazy world of Scottish football.
The last seven days have seen our club battered from pillar to post not just from the usual subjects in the mainstream media but from within the support itself.
It’s hard to argue that any of it hasn’t been warranted.
Last Saturday saw us fail to beat a Derek McInnes led Kilmarnock for the third time this season, and even worse, for the third time we got what we deserved.
A slow, turgid display that seems to have become the norm since the return from the winter break saw the men from Ayrshire have the more clear-cut chances in front of goal. Were it not for the heroics of the soon to be retiring Joe Hart in Celtic’s goal, it could have proved to be an even worse day at the office.
In the aftermath, both Callum McGregor and the returning Greg Taylor have confirmed that there was a full and frank discussion amongst the squad in the dressing room. Senior members of the team have felt the need to lay out in the strongest possible terms what is expected of the new recruits in terms of effort and dedication.
Whilst not usually a fan of these revelations making their way into the public domain, I would imagine that the confirmation of the riot act being read out by those in the team who have seen and done it all here before to the other members of the squad as welcome news.
Standards at this club were set a long time ago and they should not lower simply because a few project signings can’t meet them.
Regardless of how good or bad any individual transfer window goes; it is a supporter’s gift to still expect that a Celtic side won’t be matched or beaten for effort.
And if there are players that can’t meet that expectation then there is only one place for them to go and that is the exit door.
But that is for another day, right now we must deal with the title race. And whether we like it or not, this is the group of players we are relying on to get us over the line.
And whether the mainstream media like it or not, it is mostly a group of players that have risen to the challenge over the years.
For all the premature celebrating and title coronation street party arrangements going on in the red top rags and phone-in shows regarding the Ibrox club’s recent upturn in fortune in results, it is worth remembering that all it takes is one slip up and the table changes again.
I’m already resigned to them being hailed as world beaters come quarter to 5 tomorrow (or more accurately 5pm once you include injury time). But there is still a long way to go in this title race.
Come Sunday, it is vital that we do our talking on the park and not in the dressing room and remind everyone (including ourselves) just who we are.
The interim results show this club is in rude health despite the setbacks of this season, and whilst that is for another article, what it shows is the foundations of the club remain as strong as ever.
Write us off in this title race at your peril.
Anthony Dunn is a regular contributor on the EndlessCelts Podcast. You can watch it live on YouTube Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays 8.30pm
Nicely put, Anthony. I think that’s the first time I’ve read one of your articles (that I know of) and I liked what you had to say. It’s been very negative for so long now that I’ve been sucked into a depressive downward spiral.
But you know what? You could be right. It could be the case that we had to reach rock bottom to realise that there’s a fight on here.
Let’s see what happens on Sunday. If there’s a marked improvement, it might give rise to a few squeaky bums among the chimps. Then we’ll see what they’re made of.
Thanks for making me feel this way. I think I needed that.
Anthony, I’m righting us off, I’m also convinced their will be no peril. If you aren’t seeing the serious issues this squad has then your looking at it from a fans perspective, if you change that to an objective football point of view then your opinion changes.
Ohh and this squad is vastly different from what you called winners. At the weekend only 5 started from last year and only 2 finished. That’s much closer to a completely different squad than mostly winners, kinda messes with your narrative though.
With respect Andrew, how many times have we heard this. Last minute goals against Motherwell was according to another blog going to turn around our season, Nzo it didn’t.
Every point here contains the media. The media weren’t in the opposition team against us at any ground.
Tbh I took a couple of days away from reading the Celtic news because it was getting really frustrating. Celtic hold a heavy weight in my thoughts and the thought of that mob from Govan winning the league is absolutely terrifying. We had a number of people writing on the site about the vicious press. Mark Wilson got it for saying our full back was lazy. Are we really tormented by that. Vicious, really I’m 60 years old and lazy word doesn’t come close in describing my thoughts just now. I’m absolutely Apoplectic at the state our club is in. My thoughts on it recently wouldn’t have been allowed on this site. Sutton and Hartson got it from some as well,. WTF, Chris Sutton tells the truth in stating he would have loved to have played against our central defence and he gets abused in the comments here. Incredible. If you guys are happy with two very average players in Welsh and Scales so be it but my bar is clearly a lot higher than yours.
We are a very average team with the above two and many others in the team not nearly good enough. European football is the level we should be aspiring to. To he’ll with the press our troubles are self inflicted from the complete apathy from the board downwards. It is terrifying yet we wish to discuss Sutton Wilson Mcavennie and others. They are hurting like the rest of us because we are 2nd in a two horse race at present. Seen Sutton getting it recently, please tell me where he is wrong. If you don’t like the truth that is for you.
All good comment Anthony…
Aye a big, big day on Sunday when we could be five behind –
We’ll soon see if it’s men or mice that day on The Fir Park field of play…
Would it be too much to expect a favour from The Edinburgh Establishment Calvanists –
Never say never as they very very nearly pulled it off in the autumn at Liebrox…
But then came the cheats with the whistles, flags and monitors –
And they’ll be there tomorrow as well unfortunately !
2 points are all that ???? zombie ???? FC have in there advantage , this is the first time they’ve had the lead, as we’ve dropped points guaranteed they will too , we’ve been in this scenario before and prevailed, let’s see how they feel and cope when the pressure is turned up by the shit show media/ Newspapers, pressure is something they have not had to cope with considering the free ride from the media/ rag arsed excuse newspapers.
Again another sevco manager who hasn’t seen or been under this kind of pressure will soon be scrutinised in every detail in team / tactics, substitutions when points are dropped
Something Rodgers has had to Deal with since returning under scrutiny from day 1 regarding fan’s, previous record , dealing with the board.
We have a team with certain players experience and knowledge how to persevere, hopefully we have winners that can push this team on and constantly pressure the sevco wannabes
It’s the manager at fault 100% Not just 9 of the players. Kyogo told to let the am to score all season, hence is low scores. Then moved to a 10 instead of the main striker? Brendan need to foff, or let Kennedy run the team now.
Unfortunetly we have not got the players in this current squad who are good enough to haul any defecit back.as far as i am concerned Lawell has more or less engineered this in favour of them across the City i cannot for the life of me see it any other way, and the drivel that was released yesterday from him was a F—–g! insult to us all we have a handful of decent players the rest well??? and sorry for anyone who disagrees, but Brendans current way of having us play is turgid to say the least and most teams have got it sussed, he is bereft or seems to be of ideas to fix this so it really pains me to say it, i think the league has all but gone for us this year on the basis of current displays the lot in charge have to go.
It’s okay talking in the dressing room after dropping points, but if we’re really honest here, the league is gone. When Rodgers was appointed again, l knew we,d get pumped in Europe, but at least l thought we would do well domestically. A return to form at Firpark will only just delay the inevitable. I fear we haven’t seen the last of the bad performances. We are just too slow in the build up play. We haven’t got a clue what to do in the final 3rd of the pitch. Palma is a disaster of a signing. And l don’t think Idah is Celtic class either. To make matters worse, we,ve got Mr Smug in the dugout at Ibrokes, claiming after drawing Benfica in the knock out stages of the Europa, quote “l think it,ll be the first time since l have arrived at Ibrokes that we won’t be favourites to win a match.” Ffs Celtic, if that won’t stoke you up, then what will?
I just looked up BR’s stats, Celtic have been good for him, out of 720 games he has managed, he has won 370 games. Imagine what it would be without the Celtic stats? This can’t be right, can it? This must be a typo or something online.
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1453081702299501
You’ve probably seen this. The reason we are short of goals.
I’ve said it myself, not good enough so far but missing CCV, hatate and Johnston is huge, kyogo will score when given the chance, calmac needs support, but it’s still only February and we can only get better, they can’t, we will win the league, but the board needs to step up in the future, Celtic fans deserve more