Chris Sutton didn’t read Matt O’Riley’s midweek comments comparing two managers as a slight on Ange Postecoglou.
Hard news and comment has been thin on the ground since Celtic returned for pre-season training with the former MK Dons man put up for the briefest of interviews with Celtic TV.
It was the first training ground comments since Brendan Rodgers took over with supporters interested to see what, if anything, has changed since the iconic We Never Stop phrase was introduced to the training ground.
O’Riley isn’t the type of player that courts headlines, he is laid back, honest and sincere in his assessments with one canteen comment generating reaction among pundits and on social media among fans.
Not to do with tactics, formations or the comparison of training ground drills but eating habits! The new manager might be at your table for lunch, the previous one kept his distance.
In the Daily Record Sutton writes:
I was interested to read the comments this week from Matt O’Riley about a freshness and openness now around the camp at Lennoxtown.
The midfielder was talking about how Rodgers was happy to blend in with the squad during meal times and shoot the breeze. O’Riley suggested it was a change in environment which seemed to hint at the fact that didn’t happen under Ange Postecoglou.
There was always this underlying suggestion the Aussie wasn’t really one for mixing with the group on a day-to-day basis. John Kennedy’s interview during the week said as much when he commented on how Rodgers’ approach involved “being around people more socially.”
It got me thinking about how some of my managers from the past approached things. The most obvious one for me to refer to when talking about Celtic would be Martin O’Neill.
Now the situation would have been slightly different back then because we didn’t have Lennoxtown in those days. We’d get changed at Celtic Park and then jump in the cars for training at Barrowfield. Martin was a bit like Ange. He would hardly be around the lads doling out the brown sauce when it was lunchtime back at the ground.
He kept his distance. It was John Robertson and Steve Walford who were around the boys most of the time and I used to like the fact Martin wasn’t matey-matey with all the players. To be honest, no manager I ever played with really sat and had lunch with the players.
We’d have meals in the same room at Blackburn as staff and management Kenny Dalglish and the coaching team on Friday nights before games, for example. I wasn’t fussed either way.
The O’Riley line was a throwaway. Glasgow being Glasgow, some folk cooked it up into something it really wasn’t.
They tried to claim it was a dig at Postecoglou. I didn’t think so. If it was, I’d be disappointed. But I didn’t read it that way. I thought it was just him being honest. This always happens when a new manager takes over.
Sutton managed to complete his entire column in the Record with constant references to food, meals and eating!
Gossip is never positive and scottish midea newspapers are full off wee inuentoes that are directed at Celtic F.C the last two weeks all about great players that are on there way to ibrox Celtic F.C have signed two on there way to signing more kyoko media have signed longer contracts hardly got on sport pages for Celtic F.C and Rodgers to sign scotland golden boot winner kyoko and midea is bad news for spl teams so why no big headlines ibrox have brought in players that a carpet bagger players and supporters might want more than these honest pros can live up to scottish media build up Celtic F.C have signed to young talents they have been watching for a few years and Rodgers will be at his best bringing these bhoys to another level they wont be under the pressure the press has put in the players that ibrox club signed if the dont hit the ground running fans will be unhappy not cause if there cv which shows they get shipped on to other clubs but by scottish media wishful thinking you dont dont get so many clubs being outstanding another word mentioned beale off by christmass hateto see a man loss his job action not words
Don’t understand this story…Everybody knew that Ange didn’t mix with the players…He said so himself…Brendan,on the other hand, is very happy to get involved on a face to face basis…What’s the problem?…O’Reilly called it the way it is.
A trite point in fairness. Rodgers might not do the same thing again!
If you read Kennedy as saying that that is the way he does things, then Kennedy is chained to the past and needs to loosen up!
We are not going to repeat the past all over again, are we? If we are then it would be a mistake. If Rodgers tries to repeat exactly what he did first time around, then we are going to fail. It didn’t work in Europe for him, so he has to change that aspect of his management.
Time marches on and everybody has to move with it.
A problem I foresee is the new Home-Kit. I don’t like it and others are saying the same.
This issue could split supporters.
It is hard to get behind the team if the kit they are wearing is seen as
“Not serious Man!”
or a joke!
It is not designed in Celtic’s colours. Why should the supporters accept it?
Who at Celtic authorised this? Or have we handed over the rights of the culture of our Club to outsiders who are not necessarily working in the best interests of Celtic?
My understanding is …he is doing it and will continue to do so…and I’m not sure what your concern is.
As for the “new strip “…..
I suggested quite a while ago…that any potential home kit design should be ” shown ” on the Celtic FC site….with comments invited from the support….before going any further.
It would have saved all the “hassle” going on with this one.
And I agree with you…its bowfin’
I think maybe some supporters subconsciously think that getting Brendan Rodgers back is sure to be successful. Just because of what he has done in the past. And so, they will tolerate that!
But most supporters would have been glad to see him go. I didn’t hear anyone else giving him the benefit when he left!
So, have we about-turned?
You would not want to get the same back again, just to repeat the successes of the past are you? Repeating the past is fraught with danger.
The last time we re-appointed a manager it didn’t turn out too well. So the Green Brigade are making a legitimate point!
Gordon Strachan has a far better European record than Rodgers at Celtic. But, apparently, he wasn’t even considered for the post!
So, is Lawwell is at his old tricks again?
History could well repeat itself. But not in the way the fans are hoping!