The fall out from Celtic’s defeat in Molde won’t be a 24 hour wonder.
Whatever happens against Dundee United on Saturday the 3-1 defeat in Norway is going to dominate events at the club for a considerable time.
Central to the debate will be Ronny Deila and Peter Lawwell with Kris Commons not far from the conflict.
Deila has been given every backing from the support as has Lawwell and his fellow directors. There has been a few pockets of dissent, even malcontents to use a phrase from the early nineties, but by and large both men have been given the benefit of the doubt from a support eager to engage and see Celtic move into a new era of success.
In that respect the 2013/14 Champions League campaign helped. After a decent, perhaps unlucky, start to that campaign the defeat at Ajax, home loss to AC Milan and hammering in Barceleona it was recognised that the club was way short of being able to put up a decent fight in the premier tournament.
Changes were required. Fast forward two years and the changes have been drastic. Four points were taken from AC Milan, Ajax and Barcelona with four goals lost. This morning Celtic have taken two points from Ajax, Fenerbahce and Molde.
The concerns that followed last season’s matches against Legia Warsaw and Maribor have been reinforced by this season’s European displays. Since drawing 0-0 away to Qarabag Celtic have shipped 11 goals in five matches, it could have been more with the restructured defence a constant source of complaint.
While Deila retains 100% belief in his 4-2-3-1 system more and more supporters are doubting that formation and/or the manager.
Whether it’s the system or the players that are at fault the evidence so far is that Celtic are further away than ever from being a team that can make a fist of it in the Champions League group stages.
When that happens the finger of blame is pointed at the dug-out with the boardroom also in sight. Has Deila been given the backing and support that he needs or are there doubts among the directors about the decision taken last summer to embrace a new direction.
After losing out worryingly to Malmo in the Champions League qualifiers the Europa League bought Deila time with half-full supporters anticipating a Europa League campaign that could steer the club towards a meaningful Champions League effort next season.
Commons is a favourite of most supporters but if he was to be a casualty of change then so be it. Football is a brutal business, yesterday’s hero can quickly become a liability.
With no sign of an improvement in performances the former Derby County midfielder is a focus for those questioning the way that the team is heading, comparing his treatment with Stefan Johansen is an obvious sore point.
Before Molde turn up at Celtic Park for an unappealing Thursday 6pm kick off Celtic face three demanding domestic tests against Dundee United, Hearts and Aberdeen.
The margin for error is minimal, the supporters that retain faith in the management are going to have that trust tested if domestic results take a downturn.
In situations like this we are told that football is a results business. Celtic supporters have a better grasp of the changing nature of football than most, they accept the reality of the club’s financial position and the environment that Celtic play in.
Being turned over by the seventh best team in Norway is a step too far, under no circumstances can that level of performance be excused or justified.
Navigating next season’s Champions League qualifiers, assuming that the title is won, looks a tall order. Anything less than full points at home to Molde will see more than Commons turn on the management.
Football for me is all about how it makes me feel! Time and again under the current management we suffer the keystone cops attitude to defending, it’s frustrating! In interviews I listen to Delia (painful as that is..), and wonder how anyone gets a rush of anticipation before playing for Celtic.
Too many times this year I have seen headlines from a stalwart Captain saying “we never turned up tonight” no wonder! Football is about hearts and minds, taking the players to the next level, getting the most from every performance they provide for the club, win lose or draw doing their best for the fans and each other.
Look at our history of winning against the greater odds! This man Delia does not fit the Shirt!
Regardless of budgets and boardroom edits, Delia is clearly out of his depth. He has one trick and everyone knows it!
I said last season and I believe it true for this year as well, our squad size verses our opponents in the SPL will deliver the title.
Delia and his team have to deliver in Europe and the cups, and afraid we have simply taken a knife to a gunfight!
Enough is enough ronny has had his chance and thrown it away a hate this one up front and also the players who make mistakes time and time again and yet come a European night a see them on the team sheet and panic efe boyata izzy good going forward but not best at defending and sorry stefan either has a injury or is not at same level as last year plus the guys ronny has brought in are squad players how aren’t gonna improve us.
Allen were s he why did we buy if not at the standard were buying spl players and that fine fir league but a disgrace for Europe ronny please stay in Norway about your level not are s and lawell and Desmond grow a back bone and support this club too not get embarrassed by pub teams ie molde malmo maribo legia who are small little clubs in garbage leagues them self’s cheap oppion we take all the while disgrace very annoyed with same old same old
Taxi for ronny wish half the team showed same desire as kris commons we are going backwards with ronny and his puppett john collins
My 17yr old son could manage celtic and win the league europe is were the much needed money is and at the end off the day delia blew it for the 2nd year on the trot and on this ronny roar pish that didn’t cut the mustard with me either he has to go.. Hail Hail
I lived through the late 5o’s and early 60’s as a travelling Celtic fan…I watched the “Kelly Crew” make us a laughing stock, with only 7-1 to retort to the sneering Ibrox hordes…but I stuck with the team, pissin’ in a what passed for a toilet, a 45 gallon bucket cut in end under the jungle,…on match day, half the turnstyles un manned and locked as a 10 or 12,000 crowd queued patiently at the few gates the management bothered to open…
and then Thanks be to God along came the blessed Jock Stein….but the board couldn’t keep up the momentum he created ….I travelled with my wee boy from Oban to Glasgow for a nonentity mid week game, when wee wheel chair bound DJ Tiger Tim made an innocuous joke about rangers losing in a European tie the night before….The game started late incidentally ‘cos of a floodlights failure ..BOOM big brave director is onto the public address “apologising ” for the wee joke, a wee ray of sunshine…and sacking Tiger Tim on the spot…
I cringed when a section booed Fergus McCann, who did more for Celtic in 5 years than the Kelly crew did in 5 generations. In my 60’s I sang “We don’t care if we win lose or draw” and followed the bhoys all over Europe and Scotland with the Famous Tommy Craig CSC ,,I took my sons…I took my wife…I took my English friends…I took my grandsons…,but last night was the worst!!
last night blew my fuse..Dermot ye can stick yer business plan where the sun don’t shine , Peter your buy cheap sell dear (Wanyama, Foster, VVD ) is an illusion and Deila PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE GTF!! You couldnae pick yer nose. Take Collins with you. How dare you talk about “team spirit” when Kris Commons blew his top..before ye get “TEAM SPIRIT” ye need a team! 5 years we’ve had no rangers… had it easy… 5 years to either build from the academy or at least let our young players understudy the buy ins…
Well, here’s a 55 year Tim who won’t spend another penny supporting my team, and I mean on the park, in the dug out and up stairs….J’Accuse You have all betrayed my club, our club, the club of Maley, Thomson, Jinky and the other Lions, of Stein and TB…Neil lLnnon saw the writing on the wall and abandoned Celtic for the turmoil of a second rate league in England…. so please I say to the Celtic management again…all of you
GTF! and give back our club to someone who understands what it means to real Celtic fans!
Delia has to go now, no doubt at all.
I’m not one for a knee jerk sack the manager reaction bur he’s proving himself tactically useless and the performance against a mid table Norwegian team was diabolical.
Boyata is a bigger hindrance than Ambrose, Izzy defensively is a nightmare.
Johnson was completely anonymous yet played the 90 minutes.
His persistence in playing 1 up, particularly, in the SPFL is nonsensical.
I heard his comments saying we are top of the league, still in the other domestic cup competitions, won 2 trophies last year, blah, blah………….these are the very least we expect given the size of our budget compared to the competition.
He’s cost us £30m plus with failure to overcome Maribor and Malmo, it’s nothing short of disgraceful.
The board have to act now because there’s no way we will get the minimum 7 points required to progress in the Europa Cup………anyone that thinks we will is kidding themselves on.
Get rid now and move on before it’s too late, probably already too late for thousands of hacked off fans
Agree with some of the comments earlier…but not all.
I myself happen to be 60 years of age in November of this year…..
My Father took me to parkhead for the first time in the early 60s,
They particular years where tough….no trophies….small at tendencies at parkhead….etc. etc.
The as somebody said earlier….Big Jock came….the Transformation was incredible…I don’t need to say anymore than that….since then the worst period was the early nineties…”tough again”
But let’s not lower ourselves to the “other Mobs” level….Yes I’m not happy just now…with the way things are going ! Particularly Teamwise….l have to say mr Ambrose…should never pull on the hoops again…after the most recent blunder….and a FEW others ….enough is enough….
This constantly playing him ,brings “Unsteadiness” to whole defence….I don’t care who plays beside him…nobody is comfortable with him at the back….Ronny please…..!
Again though remember,we are top of the League….& still in all tournaments….
The main thing is backing the team at Parkhead and away games….the “ugly mob” will e back next season…and make no mistake…there will. Be new Investment in them ….
Times are not going smooth as I said….but it’s nothing compared to times in the past….
I would just ask all Real Celtic Supporters to support the team….and our. day will come…
K T F Joe – W