It wasn’t so long ago that Celtic were doing well to win any more than two or three games in a row, when we had some terrible players and some equally bad managers with some pretty low attendances.
Back then, I think it would be safe to say that our team was rubbish.
When we have just completed a successful European campaign, you might wonder why I’m reminding you of some of our older and not so good teams.
The reason for this is that I have read a lot of criticism directed at Neil Lennon and the team this season. I am not saying that the team have been performing well and that I am not unhappy with some of the performances but I do think some of the criticism has been way over the top.
When the team wins and performs well, we praise Neil Lennon so it’s inevitable that he will be criticised when we are not doing so well.
Perhaps what he said after the Ross County game is true. That some players have their mind elsewhere. If that’s the case then I think it’s impossible to have a go at the management,
Yes, the management team sign the players but if a player agrees to a deal and then decides that they don’t fancy it any more and stops performing to the top of their game there isn’t very much the gaffer can do. Due to the restrictions of the transfer window, you are pretty much stuck with what you have.
The obvious counter argument would be that it’s up to the manager to ensure the players do perform but the players must have to share the responsibility too.
Another possibility would be to drop the under achieving players and replace them with youngsters. However, a regular criticism is that we change the starting 11 too often.
I don’t normally like to criticise individuals but I feel that there’s a few who are not doing what they should be doing. For example Charlie Mulgrew was last season’s PFA Player of the Year. He played most of his football at centre half last year yet this year has rarely featured in that position.
Is that a fault of his or is that the managers problem? I’ve mainly picked out Charlie because I feel the ‘spine’ of the team should stay the same. Over the years, a strong team tends to half a recognised centre half pairing along with a centre mid and centre forward player.
I don’t understand why last years player of the year isn’t playing in the same position. Another I cannot understand being picked is Thomas Rogne. Since joining, he has never been a top performer, has had ongoing injury problems and has recently rejected a contract extension.
Moving to the middle of the pitch, why oh why do we have so many changes in the centre midfield position? We can have Victor Wanyama, Beram Kayal, Scott Brown, Joe Ledley, Kris Commons, Dylan McGeough, Tomas Rogic, Filip Twardzik or Paddy McCourt.
At times, I wonder if the management know what the best mid field combination is. For me, the two centre mid players would always be Wanyama and Ledley. Both can defend, chip in with a few goals and both are decent in the tackle and have a good reading of the game.
Next year, it’s highly likely that we wont have Wanyama so we give Kayal the chance to get back to his first seasons level of performance or look at a new player coming in.
As well as Wanyama, Fraser Forster and Gary Hooper are two others that are expected to move on. Again, who do we replace them with? Is Lucasz Zaluska able to be a first choice keeper, perhaps but given the lack of football he’s played since joining Celtic, it may take a while to get him back to being sharp enough for a regular game.
Do some of these guys earn too much to drop them or does the management not think the alternatives are any better? If not, then why not? Why haven’t inferior players been moved on?
Years ago, I was lucky enough to bump into Billy Stark outside Celtic park, when I asked about a player who was in as a trialist, Billy told me we were not signing him because he was no better than what we already had.
A very simple and obvious statement but it does ask the question why do we keep or bring in players who are not as good as the team who regularly start games.
As well as the three mentioned that we expect to loose, I would say a few more should be sold.
As much as I do like Mikel Lustig, I feel that his injury record is not good enough to bother keeping him at the club. Would anyone sign him and could we get a better replacement?
We also hear about “one season wonders”. For me, Kayal and Commons both fall into this category. When Kayal signed his last contract extension, I read that he refused to travel to Tynecastle with the squad until the contract was sorted out. I don’t know if that’s true but if it is, then he should have never been allowed through the front door of Celtic Park again.
Commons scored 20 goals between January and the end of his first season. In close to two seasons since then, he hasn’t scored as many games. Does he create enough to merit his wages at Celtic Park?
Or should we take some money and perhaps get a more effective player to replace him in the squad ?
Moving to the forwards, it’s a position that I feel we badly need to improve on. After Hooper, who has been hopeless since January and is likely to leave, we really only have Anthony Stokes who can be described as a regular scorer.
It’s safe to say with the policy now adopted at the club, we are in for a very busy summer. More so if we are going to have to play a Champions League qualifier in July. On an unrelated note to the squad, I think a club who gets to the last 16 and or is the champions of their league should never be asked to play a qualifier but that’s another blog for another day.
Share your views with me on twitter.
CLICK HEREÂ Â for would Celtic get an invite to Qatar Dream League?
Follow Video Celts on Twitter and Facebook
Well said Joe…some great points
I keep reading about players being tired, but feel our top players should only be asked to play 35-40 games per season. We have enough strength in depth to cope with the remaining matches.
Use of the entire squad properly hasn’t been nearly good enough this season. I’d also be looking into WHY we are picking up so many injuries compared to other clubs in similar situations.
I can’t claim the credit, steven1888 is the writer.
All very valid points and well put across I think. For me Efe has been very poor. I know we haven’t had him long but I would certainly question if he’s good enough. Ledley on the other hand I think is a real winner for us. A quiet unassuming, get on with it bloke. I feel we’re stronger when he’s there.
Super Joe is our best player by a mile if we can keep him a would be more than happy HH
I think Celtic need a mini clear out of squad players, Not a fan of Rogne,had a good start in his first game against the Zombies ( before going off injured),since then he has been poor, turned down a new contract, bye. Izzy hasn’t been the same since his ankle break,shame as well because he looked real quality,bye.
Matthews should play left back with Lustig right back, I’d have Charlie & Kelvin as centre backs. Wanyama is away, Hooper is away & possibly Forster,Kayal should get Wanyamas place,develop Rogic beside Ledley & Broony & Forrest,we need to get a new keeper if lurch leaves, don’t trust Zaluska, decent no2 tho.
Miki, lassad for a taxi out as well, McCourt I feel his time is up but should have been given more game time.
Would like to see Mackay-Steven,& Johnny Russell brought to parkhead Kevin Doyle seems into a move to parkhead, I think he would do well in a Hoops jersey,finally Celtic badly need a talismanic,fancy pants,creative player who gets the fans dropping their prawn sandwiches & getting us all excited, like Paolo used to,could we get Mcgeady back?
Finally I’d just like to say WE ARE ALL NEIL FRANCIS LENNON! WELCOME TO THE FAITHFUL PAPA FRANCIS I! GOD BLESS OUR POPE! WE ARE THE PAPAL! HH!
Your comments are very good,yes we need a few new faces for next season.HAIL HAIL
Cheers
The guys who went through there 9 and a mean the guys who went to the games will see this period in the clubs history as a great time, the guys who appeared when wee fergus came on the seen are the guys that moan when we lose a game even though were streets ahead in the league. Celtic have 2 very different set of supporters the guys who went when it mattered and guys who came when we had a a big new stadium and a winning team and if a wrong where are the 60000 every home game and the 15000 on the waiting list. Am a half full type of guy because I was there when it was shite HH
Morning Marco,like you I was there during the early nineties & throughout,there is one thing that always stayed inside me throughout this period,my love for my club,Celtic is a rollercoaster,they take you to unbelievable highs & they hurt us at times,strange thing is when Celtic went through our darkest & depressing times,my love GREW,always proud of the club.it’s always going to be like this,I thank my dear mum for bringing Celtic into my life,she despised the Huns as much as me,but loved Celtic more! HH!
Exactly mate the new breed and I don’t mean the young guys a mean the ones old enough to have been there during the bad days but chose not to think this teams murder to watch we had to watch Wayne biggins Stuart slater and worse and your right the love of the club grew stronger with every defeat It’s just the way we are. HH
Steven1888 you no the script slagging Celtic players makes you a zombie, me monti and sands will be all over you Joe get the zombie detector out lol HH
Some good points,think your being a bit harsh on Lustig he’s played something like 29 games for us so far this season plus internationals and is just about back to full fitness, in 2 seasons prior to joining us he played 40 plus club games for Rosenborg,i don’t thimk thats too bad certainly wouldn’t sell him as i think defensively he’s our best fullback
Think there is now a generation of tic fans who didn’t see the likes of Muggleton,Biggins,Hayes,Falconer and the likes when we were really poor,it does make you appreciate the good times and despite the dissapointments,cheating establishment thats exactly what i would call this a GOOD TIME to be a celt HH
That was 40 plus games each season d’oh
We need to learn from mistakes of the past and BUILD on our current success, not sit back and think we have done well, or that we are far ahead of nearest challengers. Worse still that Sevco won’t be back sooner than we think…put clear daylight between us and everyone, step up another gear at ALL levels.
I see we have taken another kid from them at 14s, keep weakening their setup we can offer so much more.
That’s what happened in 88 mate we won the double the huns won the next and the rest they say is history, our history is littered with us not building from strength and paying the price for it but I feel this time if we it right this time we will never look back because we will be so far ahead there would be nothing to see. Weliveinhope csc HH
Looking forward to his Holiness first visit to the Scottish parliament…..Frankie goes to Holyrood…..
Ha! Belter.
Ha ha. Cracker!
Make sure you get your limited edition t-shirt hailing our new pope: ” frankie say c’mon the hoops” 🙂 HH
I’ve been wondering why mulgrew was playing centre mid at times against juve yet wanyama was in defence. In recent games and for Scotland big mulgrew has looked a wee bit nervous. Just hope he shakes it off and return to full throttle.
Good blog! In my opinion our priorities are finding a quality Centre half preferably a commanding one. Also we need a playmaker in CM and adding a quality striker who is a good header of the ball (we currently don’t have any!). I believe we should have a core of 15-17 players fighting for places supplemented by our best young players who are hungry to do well who have a winning mentality they have grown up with and have instilled playing in our youth system. If we are to play in this corrupt backwater for much longer we need ensure we are best equipped to qualify for CL. Quality not quantity! HH
Spot on