The Long Goodbye.....
At least I still have ma hoose in SouthamptonI usually like to let the dust settle. Sixtaeseven match reports usually sum up what we all think- this one is no different- but tonight, marks the end no matter what happens from now to the end of the season.
Like MON three seasons ago, the end is in sight for the custodian of the mangers trackie, a trackie worn by some greats- all remembered in song- and some half wits, how this incumbent will be remembered will probably split the support till the day I die.
Leaving tonight, the wind of change, as sung brutally by the cock rock group The Scorpions, is brewing at CP and GS ears wid have been burning. Rightly so….another performance, which sums up oor season and probably GS reign, that nails his coffin shut. He can add Celtic to the list that includes Coventry and Southampton of clubs he has taken as far as he can and made the same mistakes in all of his posts.
So lets get this pros and cons pish going….
Pros: 2 Leagues, 2 Cups, 2 last 16’s in the place we all want to be….Arfur Boruc, Nakamura and the progression in Aiden McGeady. The fact that we have made a profit on players and he has, sort of, given Youth a chance.
Cons: Countless millions spent wieoot any serious progression performance wise, problems in defense, still there, lack of balance in the middle, still there, the inability to sort these problems no matter who he signs and the inability to change or have a plan B thus producing the type of performance that we have seen in countless games- like tonight, like Clyde, like Hearts, like Fawkirk, like St Mirren, like Killie, like der huns, like 6 away games in Europe…I’ll stop now…I’m not going to mention Adam Virgo.
Verdict: 3 seasons, millions spent and the team is no further forward than that night in Bratislava. Thank you for the titles, the Jimmy Johnstone final, the Scottish Cup win, Milan, Shakter, Barca, Benfica (twice) and Man Utd. Thank you for being a wee cunt to the medija.
Empty seats, apathy, hatred, and splitness and handing the huns a possible treble at the first sign of a challenge does not bore well. The fact that whoever takes the joab after you will have a massive rebuilding joab means that once again oor generation of dominance is a fallacy pandered by a board lackie.
The Thousand Yard Stare had a song called “Comeuppance”, the chorus went “You will get what’s yours in anyway shape or form”. The board and GS comeuppance is in the post and will be delivered no matter what. No matter what, even if that no matter what is a league title.
Wind of change indeed……
Like MON three seasons ago, the end is in sight for the custodian of the mangers trackie, a trackie worn by some greats- all remembered in song- and some half wits, how this incumbent will be remembered will probably split the support till the day I die.
Leaving tonight, the wind of change, as sung brutally by the cock rock group The Scorpions, is brewing at CP and GS ears wid have been burning. Rightly so….another performance, which sums up oor season and probably GS reign, that nails his coffin shut. He can add Celtic to the list that includes Coventry and Southampton of clubs he has taken as far as he can and made the same mistakes in all of his posts.
So lets get this pros and cons pish going….
Pros: 2 Leagues, 2 Cups, 2 last 16’s in the place we all want to be….Arfur Boruc, Nakamura and the progression in Aiden McGeady. The fact that we have made a profit on players and he has, sort of, given Youth a chance.
Cons: Countless millions spent wieoot any serious progression performance wise, problems in defense, still there, lack of balance in the middle, still there, the inability to sort these problems no matter who he signs and the inability to change or have a plan B thus producing the type of performance that we have seen in countless games- like tonight, like Clyde, like Hearts, like Fawkirk, like St Mirren, like Killie, like der huns, like 6 away games in Europe…I’ll stop now…I’m not going to mention Adam Virgo.
Verdict: 3 seasons, millions spent and the team is no further forward than that night in Bratislava. Thank you for the titles, the Jimmy Johnstone final, the Scottish Cup win, Milan, Shakter, Barca, Benfica (twice) and Man Utd. Thank you for being a wee cunt to the medija.
Empty seats, apathy, hatred, and splitness and handing the huns a possible treble at the first sign of a challenge does not bore well. The fact that whoever takes the joab after you will have a massive rebuilding joab means that once again oor generation of dominance is a fallacy pandered by a board lackie.
The Thousand Yard Stare had a song called “Comeuppance”, the chorus went “You will get what’s yours in anyway shape or form”. The board and GS comeuppance is in the post and will be delivered no matter what. No matter what, even if that no matter what is a league title.
Wind of change indeed……
Forza
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20 comments:
“in the morning, you’ll know we won’t remember a thing” sang Razorlight…..pity I still do remember everything from last night.
While my initial reaction has waned, the review still makes grim reading. Like a gluton for punishment I have read everything aboot last night and ma summing up still makes sense to me.
Like, the match report we did dominate but at no time looked like scoring. Yes, we missed a few half chances but as the game wore on we like last week against Utd something was needed to freshen the team up.
Like last week, the manager was found wanting in this, like he has been found wanting in the continual quest to get team 3 in the right balance and his continual, bemusing tactic of playing players who are so off colour they look like a white washing that has been mixed wie a black sock.
We paid last night for being toothless in the last third- a common theme over the last few games- a poor final ball and a system that when it fails it fails big style. We paid last night for a manager who won’t admit he is wrong on tactics- at times-, signings and player selections.
Players do win games but sometimes a wee bit of oot the box thinking widnae go amiss from the sidelines
The last 16 CL experience doesn't seem to do us much good - like last season we are now in free fall.
All in all the season is degenerating into a bit of a shambles (SPL, tactics, postponements, huns, you name it).
We could score 10 against Gretna under19s at the weekend, then find a couple of weeks later that it will be null and void.
I don't think the time is right to focus on GS - plenty of time for that once the league is finally decided and the season is over.
There's only one thing that could save this season from being a complete whitewash and to have any chance of it happening, we've got to stick together and believe.
Some of the football from us last night was actually pretty decent (especially in the first half). It was the same against DU last time out. The team have got to keep working at it - with a bit of luck, the goals will come and we might just pull it off.
But it's gonna be tight.
Thousand Yard Stare - there is a name from the past.
Look I had good reason to distrust the current manager when he signed, disagreed with the Coterie on CQN regarding him, his signings and the quality of his tactics which as have been always pish to say the least. Zonal defending etc...
Now I hate to say it that many Celtic fans have an idea of what the Cov fans suffered under him. The man is a chancer - I've tried to like him and support him but I cannot. The Club I will follow though, through thick and thin.
However I want to go further, I wouldn't be bothered if PL went as well. I've mentioned before that we could do more to build and protect our brand, better exploit commercial opportunities and if the Poisoned Dwarf (one of his nicknames at Cov BTW) goes, then his boss should follow.
To have lost the league (possibly) and cups (definately) to potentially the worst treble winning side in history is just wrong - sorry cannot see the Huns losing the Cup. Heads must role, starting at the top. It is mismanagement of a monumental scale to have thrown away our first competitive advantage in my lifetime.
Even if we do manage to claw back the league - I would still be looking for blood such is my anger at WGS and PL this morning.
At least we can take a defeat here. I think Aberdeen were prepared to risk the wrath of the ref and found that he was in a lenient mood.Celtic didn`t get to where it hurts often enough and the `hail mary` approach in the last few minutes was probably more successful. Makes me think about what George Connelly said recently about how he didn`t like all this square passing. Think of a sentence with `pear` and `shaped` in it.
Forza Andy Murray and good luck to the fighting Dons! :-(
Have I said that we need a leader on the field? Well we do.
Havin to face der current buns today wie a smile and a “that’s the way it goes sometimes” line, isnny something that we have been doing a lot of in recent times. But the facts are we need to improve if we are not to have oor end of season party at 3pm next Saturday afternoon- that’s if we beat Gretna.....
Sixtaeseven- I understand your don’t focus on GS viewpoint but, for me, the problem is the manager and his system that is failing. If he would drop the players that are not performing and have a look at this wingers on wrong wings and un overlapping full backs- well, full back-, then maybe oor one goal in four games record would change.
Thing is, like MON before he won’t change it so we are looking for the players to find form or player to come in and do a joab in the bog standard formation that EVERYONE know has the measure off.
Yes, we played some decent stuff but after 35 mins we all knew that it was following the same game plan as Dundee Utd the week before. Changes should have been made, not just to personnel but also to the shape of the team.
I posted this on KDS and feel it rings true and is the problem
GS’s variation on the 4-4-2 means that there is an over reliance on oor wingers and full backs to create. The problem is with our full backs being poor and our wingers being off colour or just being marked out the game the lack of balance in this system and team is plain to see.
Oor two CM’s- no matter what combo- have never complimented this system. It’s a case of square pegs in round holes and i’m afraid he won’t change it even though the dross in the SPL know how to make us as effective as a chocolate fireguard.
He done the same at Cov and the same at Southampton. We must hope that the players regain form and not look to the manager to change things.
Yes, we have to stick together and believe. I will back the players wie ma support from now to the end of the season but, deep doon, i’m safe in the knowledge that change is coming....and i have accepted that it is needed.
Baldy- Thousand Yard Stare were the first band I ever saw live at the Barrowlands. They supported James the night we crashed oot to Xamax in the UEFA Cup. Sure the singer when the band split- due to money and egos- appeared in one of those horrible Halifax adverts....Stephen from the Slough Branch.....
Heres a stat for you- we have played 44 games this season, we have won only 26. we have failed to win nearly half of oor games. Is that a guid record?
Agree, wie your PLC and PL view. But that is a blog to itself that in the close season. Will be interesting to see what option they go for in the summer but i don’t want to discuss that at the moment as we still have a title to win or a title for the huns to lose.
Ianinjesi- The Auld Hail Mary, the british coaches plan B and C. Thought we played into the dons hands wie this tactic....
Remember oor auld pal D and his quote? “Passing for passings sake” A classic in blogging line that.
Yes, defeat, i didnae have any “Basil” moments last night, i accepted- as i predicted it could- the defeat by drinking four cans of cider when i got in the hoose....
Mick has crippled under the weight of the captaincy, reminds me more and more of McStay franticly trying to steady the ship while treading water and drowning himself.
Ian- I wish Tango and Sash a horrible illness. One that will make them vomit and shite for 40 days and 40 nights.
Remember Sash's quote yesterday and there tactics last night?
They deserve he haw apart from the plague...
Excuse me Kevin, I was trying to be charitable. Easier to write it than actually feel it! :-(
Hearing Calderwood welcoming his boyhood heroes in the final must make the red hoards wonder what he`s on about.
First twenty minutes on Sunday, sling that ball up to the two strikers to surprise the opposition. I`m not saying that we should play without brains but we should stop this passing for passing`s sake!
Sorry Ian if i offended.
Long ba' eh? Interesting feel that we now need to start winning ugly and forget the nambie pambie stuff...
Yay Laptop is now encrypted hve mobile access around the house.
Calmed down since this morning but still questions need to be asked of a number of inds.
HAve to win every match now, no excuses. The team need to rediscover the hunger that made them want to play footie in teh first place. Can't give up until the trophy is awarded one way or another. At the end of the season though, the questions must be asked.
It`s not easy to be a winning manager. Anyone remember when Tommy Burns and Billy Stark were at Killie? They came to Celtic Park with the Marnocks and played just like teams coming to Celtic play now.
When you are a manager at Celtic and are expected to win things it`s a different situation.
It`s easy to get a new manager but would you replace a winner with another winner?
Baldy: after this morning as well, I’m a lot clearer in ma thoughts. We have oor problems but moaning and not supporting willnae help. It will get cleared up in the summer and we still have a league to win.
I am willing to accept the dropping of a winger for a midfield 3 of Robson, Hartley and Broony to add a bit of dig and a bit of ugliness to oor midfield. We need to just get back to winning.
Will I be happy if we fight tooth and nail until the last day? Of course I will. Still look back if it ends in failure wie regrets and knowing it was oor ain fault, right enough.
Ian- did they? I remember getting a shooing at the old rugby park from them and they played the game well that day.
Sure an ex-ayrshire junior scored a few against us...
Correct, changing manager is a risk but I measure it the same as leaving someone in charge that has took us as far as he can...
I will have respect for any man that admits he was in the wrong and tries to sort it....
We have ten games to do it....
Re: square passing...
I actually thought some of the passing last night was pretty good (first half) - I remember thinking that they seemed to be making an effort to make a lot of forward passes (from Donati and Naka, I think) straight to the front men. Unfortunatly, we didn't get the goal our play deserved, and in the second half frustration then panic set in.
The most worrying thing for me I think is that we are having trouble getting an early goal. Skippy is well off form, and his first touch - and going down too easily in the box - is beginning to get to me. Sammy has to start with Jan. In fact I would start with 3 up front next Sunday. Sammy Jan and Deeks. I would also start with Skoosh on the bench, his first touch is nearly as bad as Skippy's - bring him on in the last 20mins.
Surely a change of tactics is a must against a team who must be near breaking point.
We definitely need a good win, not only to get the confidence up before going to the bigotdome but also to get the fans refocussed on the big prize.
We've got to start believing it's possible and it is.
Nous sommes les champions!!!
Interesting being in a different area of the ground (father and son teams having swearing contests :-/)but a very bad omen.(as predicted!) These cup matches in a half full stadium are not great occasions.
I don`t advocate a long ball game I just think that we can mix it more and give opposing defenders the option of making mistakes in dangerous areas.
A pity that we play football on Easter day.
Football on Easter day?
Omen for a Rising
:o)
Unlike you guys, I'm a bit of an imposter. I don't get to the games, so I don't get the gut feeling "live" in the ground. I don't have to listen to the abuse, see the quarrels, or feel the disappointment of others.
Also, I don't often have to come across govanites, so there that takes away some of the unpleasantness of the whole situation.
I get to follow the games, mostly thru' the internet and occasionaly on the box. I skim over the "papers" but just to get a feel of what's going on.
My perspective is therefore a bit out of phase with you bhoys who are actually in the front line, going to the games thru thick and thin.
However, despite being slightly detached, I can't help feeling that there has been a general over-reaction to recent games/results.
I think we are still by far the best team in the league. We have been unfortunate in the last two or three games in that the good football and effort we have been putting in just hasn't seen the deserved reward.
Despite ourselves, our success is always measured in relative terms.
In relative terms, the Waistcoat XI have been getting results.
But the football they are playing has been dire.
Ask anybody (outside Alba) about their football. It is dire.
But as we know, football today is a results business. And we need to get back on track quickly.
The big prize, the only one that really matters, is not for them: they are not good enough, they don't have strength in depth, and they are starting to feel the strain of too many games.
Most of all, the big prize is for us. We need to keep working at it and it will come - a few goals on Sunday will get us clicking again.
Hail Hail and KtF!!!
Sixtae,
you are only saying this to cheer us up! :-) Don`t worry, it is working.
Sixtaeseven- I think we do pass the ba’ well but we don’t go anywhere wie it. Oor movement is all wrong and non-existant at times. Esp Naylor not over lapping Aiden.
Us getting an early goal I think has always been a problem under GS. We seem to like to wear teams doon hence the number of later goals we score. For us to come oot of this run and win the league I reckon we need to score the first goal in the first 20 mins in a vast majority of the remaining games.
Canny disagree wie your dropping Skippy shout but ma midfield would be Skoosh, Hartley and Robson wie either Aiden or Naka.
We could do wie an easter rising right enough!!!!
But, you are right, there has been an over-reaction over the performances and recent results. The reaction has been doon to fear or losing the league to a poor huns side, the feeling that GS is not up to the joab, puzzlement at how, wie the best squad in the league are we not performing the way we should and the major factor is that I don’t think we want to see the same historical mistakes being made again and we are throwing it away.
Also, the fact we have had to listen to the press and have been waiting since August for wattie, the monk and mccunisty to get their comeuppance.
This article wisnny a over-reaction for me. Yes, it was posted after a bad defeat but I have tried to defend GS to others but I find maeself now knowing that it is futile cause I believe that he is failing wie the best squad he has had and I don’t think he can take us further. But I will support him all the way.
Cybertimdom is prone to over-reaction as is the success spoiled season ticket holder now. Just the nature of the over exposed beast of today’s game.
Being in Paris probably means you are more objective mate, it’s difficult being objective watching “live” at games but usually the sense prevails after a few hours. Take a step back and think aboot things, which I have and still feel the same.
Bet your glad you dinny meet many stankmonsters…it’s murder just now….
Ian- I had a ten year old sitting next to me singing aboot Charlie Adams sisters pants wie his proud shellsuited Da’ looking on smiling…..
I think even when we are on a winning streak, there are always folk who are willing to pick holes and find faults.
"Oh, aye, I know we hivnae got beat but that's 10 games we hivnae had a clean sheet away"
"Oh, aye, I know we got tae the last 16 but we are crap away in Europe"
"Oh, aye, I know Strachan has won us 2 leagues but we played naebody these last 2 years"
"Oh, aye, I know Sno's only 19 but did ye no' see thae 2 bad passes"
"Oh, aye, I know Donati is still finding his feet in the SPL but he's a shitebag"
"Oh, aye, I know we've got the best team but we'll never beat THEM"
etc etc
We all need an outlet, do a bit of slagging, shouting, complaining.
It's all part of it.
But at the end of the day, we all love the club and what it stands for. We are hooked. We are scared in case we fail and end up with nothing. We are horrified that we can give it away to them.
But we won't.
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