tonybhoy
10-31-2011, 08:22 PM
Posted on Monday, 31st October 2011 by Harper
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I’ve been fighting the demons inside, looking for the positives, fighting the negatives and looking for answers for the last month or so. I’m now at a stage where I accept who we are and what we have become. The only thing that is important now is how we shape the future.
At the moment that future looks very bleak, if your being honest with yourself that is.
The decline of Celtic Football Club has my heart broken and no less frustrated as like the early 90’s I see no light at the end of the tunnel. I don’t know the answers but I do know there are massive questions going unanswered and those questions are being aimed at the entire organisation.
Let’s look at the burning topic right now. Neil Lennon should he stay or should he go?
I’ve actually changed my mind on Neil, sorry Lenny it’s time to walk away before your reputation is sullied anymore by a position that was too big an ask of you in the first place. Only yesterday did it finally dawn on me once and for all that the players simply aren’t responding to the management team. We can’t change all the players in January so something has to give and that something is our novice manager.
I feel sorry for Lennon as he faced an uphill task that was never going to be easy but of course he knew that when he took the job and equally he knew he wouldn’t have full control over footballing matters when he signed on. It was also a mistake on his behalf to surround himself with a backroom staff with no more experience than he had. Mjallby was doing nothing much in Sweden, Thompson was coaching kids at Newcastle, while Parker was a painter & decorator in Leicester. I’m surprised Dermot Desmond signed off on all these appointments. Of course they would have come under Lawwell’s recommendation of balancing the books partly too. you get what you pay for.
Lennon has also made some terrible mistakes and ones that he has repeated over and over which has been a worry. Of course I’ve said many times that a complete trainee manager is to be expected to make these mistakes and actually he outperformed himself last season in my opinion. Last season is gone now and currently the side lies in absolute tatters. The fact is we have pretty ordinary players being managed by novices. Yesterdays performance is now one that I accept will be the norm for the foreseeable future and that is the biggest worry of all.
The attitude shown by some of these overpaid players has been nothing short of disgraceful. You wonder how they can imagine that such a lazidasical attitude will be tolerated. When Hooper stood at pitch-side last weekend arguing with Mjallby over instructions he was receiving spoke volumes to me. I’m not making Hooper a scapegoat by the way just using that as an example of a widespread problem. Get on with it or get out.
It’s not all lack of effort though as I think much of it is purely a lack of backbone, a good portion of the players just don’t have what it takes to play for Celtic. They don’t seem to be able to deal with pressure at all and with out Scott Brown driving them on they are leaderless on the park. Brown himself has the support split to his ability and I don’t even want to get into that now.
For me Brown and Commons have been the biggest catalyst for the failings this campaign so far. A lot was made of the return of Kayal in January last season but it was in fact the Kris Commons show all along which inspired the play of others around him. How many goals did he score and create even when not playing well last season? His has been the biggest miss of all and I include Izzy in that. Rumours are abound of fall outs with Lennon while injury and suspension have kept him out too. Whatever the truth of the matter there is definitely something going on and it would maybe explain his best mate Hooper’ performances and attitude too.
Maybe a change in manager now will bring a change in the players similar to when Lennon took over from Mowbray and went on a run in the league. That’s one of the reasons Lennon should walk now.
Another reason is that I think when Lennon walks it will open the eyes to a few as to where this board of directors ambition lies. I have no confidence that the men in charge will be able to get the type of manager the support demands. Rather they will want another man they can control, manipulate and interfere with. Let’s not kid ourselves on here Lennon and Mowbray didn’t make all the signings, some they did some they didn’t. Maybe Lawwell made the good ones and the mangers made the bad ones I don’t know the answer to that but I’m sure the responsibility is shared. I don’t think anyone thinks it was a managers decision to fling in Mizuno at Ibrox or Zhi at Ibrox…
Celtic TV played a 5min video about Wim Jansen at half-time on Saturday and one quote from the man that stopped the ‘ten’ (http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/wims-tims-the-best-thing-to-hit-scottish-football-in-10-years/18460333) stuck with me as he explained why he left the club “if a coach is going to go down, he better make sure he goes down because of his own ideas”
The board got the type of manager they wanted when Lennon got the job and they made sure we wanted him too. I keep hearing the fans pushed for Lennon to get the job but that is only true to an extent. Most I spoke to thought the job should go to a more experienced campaigner with the likes of Owen Coyle and Martinez heavily mentioned. Young managers still yes but at least they had a bit of experience. Instead we were reduced to Mark McGhee being the bookies favorite at one point, this is when there was a groundswell of support for Lennon, myself included. Once the man the board was always appointing was in place they then went on a dog & pony show to sell the idea to the supporters who were yet to be convinced this was the way forward.
I attended the Q&A in Dublin, it was a party political broadcast and something I won’t attend again. I hate being lied to blatantly to my face and was even more annoyed at myself down the line for swallowing the false propaganda and misinformation that was peddled.
When Neil Lennon does walk away I think it will possibly be the most important thing he will have done for the club. Be sure there isn’t another Celtic hero the board can move into the job next time. Lennon leaving could be the catalyst of change where the support will be galvinised to demand answers from our majority shareholder as to what direction the club is heading.
At the moment I only see it going from bad to worse, our decline is rapid and doesn’t look like it will slow down any time soon. I fully accept playing in Scotland is part of the problem with the SPL only a few years away from being at the same level as the League of Ireland. Make no mistake the likes of Shamrock Rovers would beat half the teams in the SPL right now. I genuinely believe the SPL will be wide open to Hearts, Aberdeen, Dundee Utd putting in a serious title challenge in only a matter of 2 or 3 years so quickly Celtic and Rangers are being dragged down by circumstance.
The thing is we need to be better, we need to ask why a club with a bigger support and income to similar sized European opponents is doing so badly.
It’s easy for me to say if I was a billionaire I’d fling some of my money at the club not caring for its return, most Celtic supporters would say the same. But then we’re told all our board are Celtic supporters so they must be hurting as much as us…shouldn’t they…
All I know is I am very very worried as to where we are and even more worried about where we’re heading. I had a season ticket all through the 90’s and it’s a place I don’t want to visit ever again.
Change is required from top to bottom and I just hope it comes before the damage gets any worse.
Harper (twitter @Harper1888 and for podcast and website updates @TheLostBhoys & @HomeBhoys)
*Unfortunately there will be no HomeBhoys show again this week as I’ll be attending to some family business in Scotland. We’ll be back on Monday 7th November.
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http://www.lostbhoys.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/233003-statue-unveiled-for-celtic-great-jock-stein-410x230-300x168.jpg
I’ve been fighting the demons inside, looking for the positives, fighting the negatives and looking for answers for the last month or so. I’m now at a stage where I accept who we are and what we have become. The only thing that is important now is how we shape the future.
At the moment that future looks very bleak, if your being honest with yourself that is.
The decline of Celtic Football Club has my heart broken and no less frustrated as like the early 90’s I see no light at the end of the tunnel. I don’t know the answers but I do know there are massive questions going unanswered and those questions are being aimed at the entire organisation.
Let’s look at the burning topic right now. Neil Lennon should he stay or should he go?
I’ve actually changed my mind on Neil, sorry Lenny it’s time to walk away before your reputation is sullied anymore by a position that was too big an ask of you in the first place. Only yesterday did it finally dawn on me once and for all that the players simply aren’t responding to the management team. We can’t change all the players in January so something has to give and that something is our novice manager.
I feel sorry for Lennon as he faced an uphill task that was never going to be easy but of course he knew that when he took the job and equally he knew he wouldn’t have full control over footballing matters when he signed on. It was also a mistake on his behalf to surround himself with a backroom staff with no more experience than he had. Mjallby was doing nothing much in Sweden, Thompson was coaching kids at Newcastle, while Parker was a painter & decorator in Leicester. I’m surprised Dermot Desmond signed off on all these appointments. Of course they would have come under Lawwell’s recommendation of balancing the books partly too. you get what you pay for.
Lennon has also made some terrible mistakes and ones that he has repeated over and over which has been a worry. Of course I’ve said many times that a complete trainee manager is to be expected to make these mistakes and actually he outperformed himself last season in my opinion. Last season is gone now and currently the side lies in absolute tatters. The fact is we have pretty ordinary players being managed by novices. Yesterdays performance is now one that I accept will be the norm for the foreseeable future and that is the biggest worry of all.
The attitude shown by some of these overpaid players has been nothing short of disgraceful. You wonder how they can imagine that such a lazidasical attitude will be tolerated. When Hooper stood at pitch-side last weekend arguing with Mjallby over instructions he was receiving spoke volumes to me. I’m not making Hooper a scapegoat by the way just using that as an example of a widespread problem. Get on with it or get out.
It’s not all lack of effort though as I think much of it is purely a lack of backbone, a good portion of the players just don’t have what it takes to play for Celtic. They don’t seem to be able to deal with pressure at all and with out Scott Brown driving them on they are leaderless on the park. Brown himself has the support split to his ability and I don’t even want to get into that now.
For me Brown and Commons have been the biggest catalyst for the failings this campaign so far. A lot was made of the return of Kayal in January last season but it was in fact the Kris Commons show all along which inspired the play of others around him. How many goals did he score and create even when not playing well last season? His has been the biggest miss of all and I include Izzy in that. Rumours are abound of fall outs with Lennon while injury and suspension have kept him out too. Whatever the truth of the matter there is definitely something going on and it would maybe explain his best mate Hooper’ performances and attitude too.
Maybe a change in manager now will bring a change in the players similar to when Lennon took over from Mowbray and went on a run in the league. That’s one of the reasons Lennon should walk now.
Another reason is that I think when Lennon walks it will open the eyes to a few as to where this board of directors ambition lies. I have no confidence that the men in charge will be able to get the type of manager the support demands. Rather they will want another man they can control, manipulate and interfere with. Let’s not kid ourselves on here Lennon and Mowbray didn’t make all the signings, some they did some they didn’t. Maybe Lawwell made the good ones and the mangers made the bad ones I don’t know the answer to that but I’m sure the responsibility is shared. I don’t think anyone thinks it was a managers decision to fling in Mizuno at Ibrox or Zhi at Ibrox…
Celtic TV played a 5min video about Wim Jansen at half-time on Saturday and one quote from the man that stopped the ‘ten’ (http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/wims-tims-the-best-thing-to-hit-scottish-football-in-10-years/18460333) stuck with me as he explained why he left the club “if a coach is going to go down, he better make sure he goes down because of his own ideas”
The board got the type of manager they wanted when Lennon got the job and they made sure we wanted him too. I keep hearing the fans pushed for Lennon to get the job but that is only true to an extent. Most I spoke to thought the job should go to a more experienced campaigner with the likes of Owen Coyle and Martinez heavily mentioned. Young managers still yes but at least they had a bit of experience. Instead we were reduced to Mark McGhee being the bookies favorite at one point, this is when there was a groundswell of support for Lennon, myself included. Once the man the board was always appointing was in place they then went on a dog & pony show to sell the idea to the supporters who were yet to be convinced this was the way forward.
I attended the Q&A in Dublin, it was a party political broadcast and something I won’t attend again. I hate being lied to blatantly to my face and was even more annoyed at myself down the line for swallowing the false propaganda and misinformation that was peddled.
When Neil Lennon does walk away I think it will possibly be the most important thing he will have done for the club. Be sure there isn’t another Celtic hero the board can move into the job next time. Lennon leaving could be the catalyst of change where the support will be galvinised to demand answers from our majority shareholder as to what direction the club is heading.
At the moment I only see it going from bad to worse, our decline is rapid and doesn’t look like it will slow down any time soon. I fully accept playing in Scotland is part of the problem with the SPL only a few years away from being at the same level as the League of Ireland. Make no mistake the likes of Shamrock Rovers would beat half the teams in the SPL right now. I genuinely believe the SPL will be wide open to Hearts, Aberdeen, Dundee Utd putting in a serious title challenge in only a matter of 2 or 3 years so quickly Celtic and Rangers are being dragged down by circumstance.
The thing is we need to be better, we need to ask why a club with a bigger support and income to similar sized European opponents is doing so badly.
It’s easy for me to say if I was a billionaire I’d fling some of my money at the club not caring for its return, most Celtic supporters would say the same. But then we’re told all our board are Celtic supporters so they must be hurting as much as us…shouldn’t they…
All I know is I am very very worried as to where we are and even more worried about where we’re heading. I had a season ticket all through the 90’s and it’s a place I don’t want to visit ever again.
Change is required from top to bottom and I just hope it comes before the damage gets any worse.
Harper (twitter @Harper1888 and for podcast and website updates @TheLostBhoys & @HomeBhoys)
*Unfortunately there will be no HomeBhoys show again this week as I’ll be attending to some family business in Scotland. We’ll be back on Monday 7th November.