Watching your favourite football team is something fans love more than anything.
Or at least, it is supposed to be.
But we all know that there are times, there are games, there are runs, there are spells and sometimes there are seasons when the sense of something going calamitously wrong grows and grows with every week that passes.
Let’s be honest, we’ve all felt that way for at least a couple of months. The fury that has erupted over the signing policy was based, in no small part, on the understanding of what we’ve been watching here, the understanding that this thing was coming apart and that only an infusion of the right quality was going to put a stop to the slide.
The complete failure from everyone at Celtic Park to add that requisite level of quality has led us to the brink. This season isn’t over, not by any manner of means, but right now it is ending one week at a time. Nobody doubts at the moment that we’re very close to a tipping point, where the whole campaign just implodes. Every game brings it closer.
The board carries the bulk of the responsibility for this.
The summer transfer window was one of the most incoherent messes I’ve ever witnessed.
The January window was just unforgivable.
Nobody in the upper echelon emerges from it with a shred of credit or a single excuse to make. It was a lamentable failure, and when Kilmarnock come to Parkhead a week on Saturday the directors are going to be subjected to a response which will shake them in their shoes.
They deserve every bit of it. Every bit of stick. Every bit of criticism. They are done. There’s no coming back for them, the enmity of the fan-base is now a Fact, they will never be able to escape it. These people once dreamed of a shining legacy; instead every single departure from the board, when it comes, will be greeted with derision and contempt.
But the manager, he has a lot to answer for here. This team is awful to watch. The football is chronic. The state of that performance tonight … it’s one of the few times in my life where I’ve watched my team win and felt that we had watched a massive injustice done.
Not because of the decisions – the two penalty kicks were spot on, and the confident strikes from Idah belied the pressure he was under to score them – but we did not deserve three points and Hibs certainly did not deserve to leave that ground without any.
Rodgers and the team were acclaimed tonight at full time by fans more relieved that grateful, but he knows that this doesn’t pass the smell test.
What we watched tonight was a mess, an absolute shambles saved by a late penalty kick. There is no point in sugarcoating that as anything else. People might want to sit back and enjoy the moment, but I did not enjoy any of that.
I am getting no pleasure out of watching this team at the moment; instead every match has the same mounting frustration attached to it, and watching the manager stand there as though he had morphed into David Martindale, clueless except to resort to the most basic ideas, is perhaps the worst thing about it. He gets no credit whatsoever tonight.
That was as incompetent as the directors have been. His decision to play Idah was vindicated, but he persists with the same formation – except when he changes mid-game to that ineffectual version of the 4-4-2 which allows us to be overrun in midfield – and refuses to properly adapt.
This still feels like a season that’s unravelling. That late winner was vintage Celtic, and we got very good at those during Ange’s two campaigns, but those campaigns never felt like this, those performances never looked like that, where you would not have been terribly surprised had Hibs won the match instead of us.
We’ve won the game. Yes, and I suppose in the morning I will feel the appropriate emotions including a not inconsequential surge of relief. But I feel flat and empty after watching that, as though part of my mind is already resigned to how this is all going to go, as if I’ve already started to mentally adapt to the idea that this might be a meltdown.
This feels like one of those movies where you went into it with anticipation because the first few in the series were great, only to find with half the film to go that you are bored shitless and wishing you’d done something else.
There is time left for the film-makers, who you’ve always admired, to leave you stunned and feeling it’s been worth it, but that time is running out one minute at a time and you cannot see a satisfying conclusion.
While I have absolutely no desire to see The Rangers win the title (and get the Champs’ League cash that goes with it) I can’t help feeling that if Celtic do get it together and win that the board will simply see it as vindication of their policy.
The tactics never change, every spl manager knows it stay in gme 1 hf n then 2 hf have a go.We are so predictable it is scary.We rarely move the ball on the break with speed n when we do its usually a misplaced pass.You are right it is torture watching Celtic playing now
Thank you! I thought i was the only one who felt ungrateful at ft to have won that game but still felt so disheartened by the horrendous performance and but for some terrible hibs finishing, our penalty wouldve been a consolation. The defenders passing between themselves and the goalkeeper is rank rotten and on one occasion Joe Hart took FIVE touches of the ball before passing it back to Scales. It’s training ground ‘keep ball’ stuff. The basics are so bad, the movement off the ball is shocking and the long passes are a shambles! Whatever this is, it isnt celtic. I didn’t want Rodgers back in the summer, purely because I remember the fall out from when he abandoned us and took all the coaching staff with him, but his football this season has been terrible to watch! Yes, he was shafted by the board but he still has a squad worth more than probably the rest of the league combined and it’s his job to get the best out of them. They are certainly capable of far more than they’ve shown so far anyway!! Depressing stuff. Roll on the summer!
Absolutely James, that was a stay of execution. That squad is winning nothing this season. A back four of Bernabei, Welsh, Scales and Ralston. What have we become. Still we have fans deluding themselves that we can still win the league. I said it was gone when the window closed. This is going to unravel pretty quickly imo.
The team at present just not with it poor football and we are so flat do the players really want to play for Rodgers well up to what’s on show a big no I just hope i am wrong but they seem gone just scraping by it won’t last like this dredge football.
Sum it up to a tee total shambles definitely two pens but in the second half Hibs could’ve won it should’ve won it it was uncomfortable viewing something seriously wrong in there Lawwell and son and the rest of them get em out Rodgers clueless slow boring build up compared to Ange vision. TOTAL ABSOLUTE RUBBISH
I thank the baby Jesus that we have the Scottish Cup at the weekend. I genuinely believe that will prove to be a turning point in our season. We needed that win tonight, hook or by crook. And we got it.
But honestly to f**k. I am sitting there watching that thinking to myself … “Brendan. What the hell are you watching because it sure as f**k isn’t the same game that I am watching”.
Slow. Ponderous. Totally unconvincing.
We don’t need the Scottish Cup. Just go for it against the Buddies. Please.
PS. Yes. I am pished. I can’t watch Celtic straight just now.
Could not agree more, perfectly articulated. Its almost as if you’re Dad has left the house (Ange) and now some bloke you don’t know is cooking bacon in his Trunks in your kitchen.
LOLZ!
That’s is a hilarious comment!!! Brilliant!
Board are to blame for our situation but Rodgers is worrying me, he has to get more out of the squad he has than that. The players look like they don’t know what they are supposed to be doing or they don’t believe in what they are told to do. We look like the team that could drop points in the run in
another disgraceful performance….we are gonna win NOTHING this season…i’ve been saying it since sept/oct….we are hopeless…
joke of a club….FAIL FAIL
I think your article echoes a lot of the emotions, currently encompassing our fanbase. That was a brutal watch and we all know we were dreadful.
However, the three points were absolutely vital and I’m absolutely delighted we got there…just !!!
We also know from our long, unbroken and illustrious history that results like tonight, can change events in a hugely positive way! This title has a lot more twists and turns to come, and it’s imperative we start to play and demonstrate our ability, like champions should ! Onto the Scottish Cup and another win !
Take the win, see some players back and hope the corner is turned. HH
Couldn’t agree more, for me it’s already imploded… The sickening feeling showing negativity to my boys watching Celtic right now is so disappointing… Enthusiasm is contagious and there is no enthusiasm what so ever in that camp… Nothing! Great article James and well written mate. KTF! ??
I will take the 3 points, as I suppose that’s what it really all about at the end of the day. I concur though James, it wasn’t a great performance, to win by 2 penalties is not really what I was hoping for, I was wanting a great performance before the break for the Scottish cup. I am off-course delighted with the 3 points, so hopefully it’s onwards and upwards, and who knows it could be the catalyst that we need. HH
Like most fans i hold the board totally accountable and their day will come but i badly want to get behind the manager and team to try and pull them through this.
However it is becoming increasingly difficult. There are too many sub par performers and i have the same awful feeling that the cliff is just around the corner. If we are not 2-3 goals ahead by half time i have no confidence that we can beat any team in this league home or away. Hibs were on an atorcious run before tonight. Aberdeen were before the weekend. Ross County before that.
Hart has been a great servent in the short time he has been here but he should of been upgraded on in the summer. He will not come off his line and is not good enough with his feet. Welsh and Scales are both squad players. Neither should be in the starting 11. Scales has won many plaudits this season but there are many weaknesses to his game, not least that he is too slow and ponderess in the build up and also not commanding enough. Last ditch tackles might look good but they are as a result of poor defending in the lead up. I lost count of how many times our centre backs passed it between them tonight with not a hint of penetration.
Whoever sanctioned the signing of Bernabai needs sacking. He is atrocious. (Although give him him his dues he played ok in the last 20 mins tonight when i thought he was a stick on to crumble or do something stupid)
Abada is a player that did well in Angeball but is extremely average. Why have a winger who is afraid of taking on defenders and whos only desire seems to be to pass it backwards to the full back. Palma is too slow and too predictable.
I am well aware i will be controversial in saying Calmac is not a good holding midefielder. He is not strong enough and often gets caught out of position.
My feeling is that the only thing that is going to save this season is a change in formation.
Idah looks like he could be a good short term addition and maybe it is time to play him and Kyogo as a front pair. This might also give Kyogo the spark he needs.
Whatever happens, like you say, this board are done. They can no longer pull the wool over everyones eyes and take them for mugs. Even if we win this league, they have to be forced out. Its dispicable that we dont have a squad that is miles ahead of everyone and winning leagues at a canter. Especially this season with the CL riches on offer to the winners. It is either by design to keep the chase competitive or it is gross mismanagement. Either way they need to be forced out.
Just about sums up how ah would imagine the majority of us are feelin tonight. Ah had actually resigned myself tae a defeat after hibs equalised, then we get the ‘get out of jail card’, if ever their was one at the end. Sloppy, nae impact in the final 3rd, one paced, lacked urgency and looked like the confidence throughout the team has gone. Only savin grace was the 2 pens. Relieved at the win, although still totally deflated at the performance and actually have serious doubts about our SC game against St. Mirren. Incredible how this has came about.
The blame starts and finishes with one man, we have an owner who has obviously more concern about the clubs balance sheet than whether we could actually move forward as a football team. There is an obvious concensus at board level that trying to improve in Europe is a waste of money which then impacts bonuses, so when they come calling for ST money everyone should remember that all you are paying for is being able to beat the zombies. I love Celtic always will but I’m not stupid and they are getting little from me as of now.
It was a turgid insipid display .. all this passing backwards .. sideways. I was nearly crying with relief at the end of this game .. Kuhn did feck all never took on a man all night .. he is not the messiah.. maeda actually looked knackered and had his slippers on. Bernabai .. nuff said ..
Hoping things change ..
Elite coach,? Your words James,,he needs to go ,along with the board,,the players aren’t very good but,he should be getting a lot more out of them,, Tactics are shocking,,thinks he,s still at Reading,I was embarrassed watching that tonight,,,
Couldn’t agree more, we needed 2 penalties to see off a hibs team that have been on the slide for several weeks, , I’m no manager, far from it but that was an awful game to watch, Roger’s has 2 accept his game tactics are awful and teams know how 2 play against us , this is a team that he inherited that won a treble with flair and now looking a poor shadow of itself , again 2 PENALTIES to see off a poor hibs team , he has 2 shoulder the blame for this , window or not he has quality players at his disposal .
It’s like watching the old program 1 man and his dog