Precious Cargo
Big Joe has followed Celtic for over forty years but he wasn’t a
happy man when I met him this week. He muttered through his face mask at me, ‘Did ye watch that pish last night?’ He
was of course referring to Celtic’s dreadful display against Sparta Prague. ‘A kick up the arse required for a few of
those players,’ he went on. He then outlined what was going wrong with
Celtic and pulled no punches. ‘Edouard-
clearly wants away and not interested, Duffy, another player from the English
league who thought Scotland would be a doddle currently getting a big shock.
Lennon’s tactics are all over the shop and looking like he doesn’t know how to
change a game. Don’t get me started on that defence! They couldn’t keep weans
oot a fuckin’ close! He finished
with a warning, ‘If we don’t sort this
out soon we can forget about the league this year.’
Joe, like many Celtic fans has seen it all in his time and isn’t
given to overreaction but alarm bells are ringing for many Celtic fans over
erratic form, dreadful defending and powder puff attacking. All of this is
coming in a season which is weighted with historical significance. Only a fool
would suggest Rangers aren’t a more solid unit this season. Their defence is
the meanest in the land and they work better as a unit. They also have a hunger
which seems to be less acute at Celtic Park at the moment. Anyone expecting
then to collapse in the new year as they did last season may be disappointed so
it’s up to Celtic to stop them.
At the start of this season Celtic seemed intent on
strengthening the squad for a big push for the title. Millions of pounds were
spent but that is only effective if you scout, assess and buy the right
players. In recent times Celtic has paid big money for players such as Mulumbu,
Burke, Weah, Bayo, Shved, Gutman, Perez De
Vries, Compper, Hendry, Musonda, Gamboa, Kouassi and Morgan. None of them
enhanced the first team to any degree. As supporters we’d all like to see one
or two experienced, reliable pros come in to bolster the first team instead of
so many projects. We understand Celtic’s policy of finding young talent,
nurturing it and selling it on one day but in this season of all season’s we
need good additions to the first team squad.
I believe there is a good team there, one certainly
capable of winning the SPFL but it needs to be organised, galvanised and the
dead wood shunted out the door in the January transfer window. If you don’t
want to play for Celtic then off you go. We’ll find players who do and who have
the hunger and fight required to wear the hooped shirt. Neil Lennon is of
course feeling the pressure. One win in six matches is unacceptable at a club
like Celtic and although some of his players have let him down, it is his
responsibility to motivate and organise the tactical game plans for each
opponent Celtic faces. The ease with which teams score against Celtic is hugely
concerning and all good teams are built on the foundation of a good defence.
Tommy Burns’ side played some of the best attacking football you could wish to
see but it ultimately failed to wrestle the title from Rangers because all too
often the back door was left open.
Celtic has good attacking options when the
players are in the mood and Edouard looks interested but the defence continues
to undo any good work they do. Until that is sorted out the team will struggle
against even moderate opponents. I believe Lennon should be given time to sort
things out. After all he is one match away from being a Treble winning manager
and has one of the highest win ratios in Celtic’s history. However, if Celtic
continues on this inconsistent path until the turn of the year, the dream of
ten in a row will be gone and most likely Lennon will be gone with it.
Professional football is a ruthless sport; yesterday’s successes are soon
forgotten if today’s results aren’t good enough. The rewards are high, Lennon
will be receiving the sort of wages we ordinary fans can only dream of, but the
price of failure is high too.
The Celtic Park trophy cabinet currently
contains a precious cargo. All three major domestic trophies have resided there
for the past few years and the biggest of them for the past nine. They won’t
stay there forever but it is the fervent hope of every Celtic fan that the
championship trophy can stay for at least one more year. In 1974-75 season Celtic
failed to make it to ten in a row after a loss of form in the second half of
the season. In 1997-98 the hoops stopped Rangers in similar circumstances on that
tension filled last day of the season.
This season our football is being played out in
the midst of a global pandemic and in empty stadiums. It really is the
strangest season any of us will witness but Celtic must overcome all of that
and focus on the task at hand. Sort out the best team and formation, get rid of
those who are not committed to the club and remind every one of those players
who pull on that shirt that hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of us care
passionately about our club and that they should feel the same. Save your angling
for a move till the next transfer window, get out there and do the job you’re
paid to do.
Playing for Celtic should never be just a job.
Get the passion back, get the fight back and get the dedicated professionalism
back. Otherwise the chance for a unique piece of history will swirl down the
plug hole and that would be such a wasted opportunity.
The future starts today at Fir Park. Let’s make
a statement of intent. There is a long way to go in this campaign so let’s see
some traditional Celtic fighting spirit. We fans pour millions of pounds into
Celtic to give those players lifestyles most of us can only dream about. The
least every last one of them can do in return is to give 100% every game and
demonstrate the same commitment the fans do.
We’re out here for you, we always have been, be
out there for us.
