Football Will Eat Itself
Back in the land of Football Will Eat Itself,I think it is fair to say that most of us were surprised by the rise to prominence this season of perennial strugglers West Ham United as they closed in on an unlikely Champions League place. And particularly so,since they are managed by David Moyes,whose ratings have gone through the floor since his elevation to “the top job in football” by Alex Ferguson.
Taking over from Ferguson was always likely to be a poisoned chalice,especially since it could be argued that his finest achievement in over fifty years in the game was to get that team over the line and win the title in 2013. Few if any of that team then would have got near the team that,for instance,won the Champions League in 2002. The few that could were over a decade older!
Moyes had his work cut out to rebuild a shattered team,so the club graciously permitted him to sign one of his former players,Fellaini,for £28m. A lot of money,granted. Still left him with a gutted team,either old or useless. Things proceeded in the obvious manner,Moyes was replaced by increasingly high-profile managers-who were given increasingly high amounts of money!-but failure was still pretty much the result.
To paraphrase,they Arsenaled it,and if they are not careful,well,they could take a look at where Arsenal are now. Even with Arsenal’s lovely stadium-been there,it really is a beaut!-there is no reason why Man Utd can’t do an Arsenal.
Equally,there is no reason why David Moyes can’t do a Lazarus! That is what he has already done at West Ham. It isn’t uncommon on the continent for managers to return,nor in Scotland tbh, He was effectively run out of the club on a rail,then asked back-and has transformed their fortunes!
Personally,I’m really delighted for him. I thought that what he did at Preston and then Everton was a remarkable achievement. I thought he was a bloody idiot to take the Man U job,but if he had refused it he would have been accused of being a coward. Hiding to nothing. One occasion when Fergie got it wrong,I think it might have been better to make the offer easier to refuse. As in,if-would you? Not,as it transpired-sign here!
So speaking of sign here,Man U and WHU,Moyes signed Jesse Lingard on loan from his old club. A forgotten man who has lit up the whole title race since his arrival in January. Admittedly he has a number of England caps,not a lot,but this is a player who has been crying out for a home for his entire career. He turns up at WHU,expectations rather low-!-and WOW
Yep,it all kicks off. The perfect fit in the jigsaw. OK,he’s a winger,it won’t happen every week,we get that. But he has his mojo back,he might even be back in the England squad. Moyes is delighted too,as his form has kept the team fighting well above their weight.
And Lingard has shown his gratitude by offering himself to the club via a full contract,presumably in recognition of the part they have played in rebuilding his career and reputation.
But only if he gets £100k a week!
Fuxake,a year ago he couldnae get a shift at McDonalds!
Yes,I get that it is a short career. But how much money do you need? Go back to sit in the stands at Man U because taking a £20k wage cut at WHU-where you are adored-is beneath you?
Football must be about more than money,and even players who have more money than sense can still play for the jersey-a conceit that Lingard clearly knows f… all about. I’m far from a fan of Ramos,I think he has had less red cards than his record total deserves,but…
“Sergio Ramos gets Real Madrid. On Sunday night, as Real strove for a late equaliser against Sevilla, Ramos was leading his troops into battle: screaming, fists pumping, heading every ball, crunching into every tackle. The fact that he was injured and watching from the stands was but a minor inconvenience: what Ramos gets above all is that even if you are not wearing the uniform, when you are a Madrid player you are never anything else”.
There’s a big problem in football,and the suggestion of a European Super League a month ago exposed it. But the real problem is greed. Not just of those clubs,but of journeymen like Lingard who think they are worth in a week what most of us would take four or five years to earn.
Like I’ve said for years,football will eat itself. Lingard is but another example. There’s a couple nearer to home too.
******
Above article by BMCUWP
Yes. Brilliant. Bill Gates eat your heart iut
Have to disagree on Ramos …dirtier than his former Real team mate Pepe… and that takes some doing…. Ramos tries to injure players…. and the shame of it is that he is a decent player, so doesn’t need to resort to the dirty stuff …
Only Manchester United fans are trying to take their club back before it drowns in a toxic PLC swamp.
Whilst almost all other clubs fans sit on their spoiled erses waiting for their PLCs to come good.
What could possibly go wrong?
Qatar will finish off football once and for all and who seriously gives a fuck apart from bigots?
https://sentinelcelts.com/2021/05/01/score-predictor-may-2021/
Good morning, friends.
One of the last players to show real loyalty at Celtic was Henrik Larsson. Having been on a downward spiral at Feyenoord, and after a bit of a nervous start at Celtic, within a coupe of seasons he would have been on loads of teams’ radar. But, recognising that Celtic had been good for him he signed another 3 or 4 year deal to stay with us. And whilst he was then the highest paid player at the Club, he was one who clearly was happy with ‘only’ getting £X but being with a team that was rewarding him with trophies and medals. Not all about the money for oor Henrik.
Arguably, Celtic’s 2 best signings of the last 30 years have been Henrik Larsson and Henrik Larsson.
Remember, it’s a 6.30 pm kick off tonight.
Ouroboros that’s the word.
https://images.app.goo.gl/jwH4rXoYjSikjHzR8
From an article about Guardiola this season.
(The manager determined that his priority was players who gave fluidity, whose first touch and body positioning allowed the ball to be moved faster. )
One of my biggest complaint’s about Celtic players in past few seasons has been poor body positioning when giving and receiving a pass.
W e telegraph every pass we make by taking too many touches staring for seconds at player we are about to pass to.
Our midfield constantly receives the ball with poor body positioning that limits their passing options and usually only allowed for backwards and sideways passing.
Turnbull will stagnate if better coaching is not forthcoming.
Mr Jekyll and Hyde himself James Forrest’s level of performance is usually dependent on his position when he receives a pass.
I find it baffling that a guy with his pace is often glued to touchline facing backwards to receive a pass nullifying his best asset?
He is at his best when he is not glued to touchline facing his own goal but just inside with his body facing forward in a diagonal fashion allowing him the option of going inside or outside.
The lack coaching in recent season’s has turned good players into poor versions of their former self
Fan
Near the end of Neil Lennons 1st term as our manager we had an away game at Motherwell.
For whatever reason the team played fast flowing 1/2 touch football. It was an absolute joy to watch. As you say, for that one game the players were set up right to receive and move the ball forwards. First thing I thought was,”where the hell has this been all season?”
Next game we were back to the usual turgidity
31003 – well hopefully that’s what we’ll see tonight. And be left asking the same question, unfortunately.
John Kennedy had weeks to try something different and chose not to. don’t see that changing for our final 2 games.
By the way, we currently have 73 points with 2 to go so can finish with a maximum of 79 points. In 2012-13 we won the league with 79! But that has been the ONLY other season (since we moved to a 38-game campaign in 2000-01) where we fell below the 80 points threshold. So, at best if we win our 2 remaining games we can equal our worst ever points tally this century! Bet that’s cheered everyone up, knowing that the players have something to aim for!!
However, what’s that rule about always ending on a positive – 21 seasons this century and we have won the league in 15 of them. Personally I’d take that ratio for the next 21 years – even if it did include another “only” 9 in a row.
The amount of money thrown about the game today is indeed staggering BMCUW and all funded by the wee guy who pays for it all, it’s just a geez yer money scheme, the wee guy gets shafted and the rich get richer.
Speaking of riches, Sevco’s projected loss for this year is estimated to be somewhere in the region of £26m, more diluted shares issued yesterday £44k, all in all it looks like they will surpass a cumulative loss of £90m.
Doesn’t your heart bleed for em, some peepul obviously have more money than sense.
31003
turgidity…👍👍🥴🥴
HH
Friesdorfer
Turdigity might be more descriptive
Cover up what cover up
https://twitter.com/TheScotsman/status/1392393629021450243
CRAIG76
Releasing documents in that form after a FOI request is quite simply an insult. Two fingers to the public.
BMCUWP
That sums up Police Scotland entirely.
Have Sevco made a statement, telling the hun hordes not to gather on Saturday? Thought not….joke of a country
Surely Dermot will pay for the renewals? No…?
Talksport Bournemouth correspondent just said Eddie Howe is going to Celtic
Wee tune to accompany today’s article.
https://g.co/kgs/BzMXis
Fan a tic
First touch eh? I drummed it into my kids.
The time and space it gives you if mastered.
I got mine playing on the cobbled street surfaces in the Calton with kerbs and an India Rubber ball size 2 that bounced higher on 2nd bounce than first at an angle randomly directed by the shape of the cobble it randomly hit.
I’m not talking cobblers here btw.
I also developed a quick off the mark from a standing positions ability to outrun the chasing polis calling my parentage and height into question and not in that order.
Astro turf and even well tended grass pitches are a luxury leading to first touch decadence.
Afternoon all,
Just arrived in George Square.
Going to have a couple of pints before strategically planting land mines to go off sometime on Saturday afternoon.
HH 🍀🍀🍀
Bada
Talksport talk shite.
https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/s/tottenham-plan-allow-fans-non-executive-board Tottenham plan to allow fans on a non-executive board
31003
🤭🤭
https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/something-to-hide-police-scotland-release-17-pages-of-redacted-documents-connected-to-shameful-rangers-scenes-3232991
Bobby et al,
I think Davy Moyes is the classic example of football support snobbery. Can’t remember how many times I’ve read I don’t want him by Tic fans.
Why?
Once a name is deemed not sexy enough it’s hard to turn that around, very hard. Even now when a lot of Tims should have backtracked on him, very few will have despite the fact he is clear a good manager. I’ve always been impressed by him, and his one blip was likely to happen given most following a legend/icon flop as they are judged only by previous standards.
Football will and is eating itself, but it’s lifeblood aren’t helping the situation by not becoming more hands on with their team.
If we just show up and pay up, with zero speaking up, we will get scraps as just witnessed.
This weather is stunning. Loving it.
Hail Hail
Wonder what the banner said
https://twitter.com/gmakaay/status/1392450740413730817/photo/1
https://celtsarehere.com/the-green-brigade-fly-the-flag-for-palestine-inside-celtic-park/ 🇵🇸
Club Statement
We had invited supporters to pay tribute to our Club captain, Scott Brown, by giving them the opportunity to display their own banners in the stadium.
Unfortunately a small group, which was given access in good faith, has attempted to exploit this opportunity, taken advantage of an occasion intended for our Club captain, Scott Brown, and used it for a different purpose.
Clearly this is unacceptable and the display was immediately taken down by the Club.
GORDON64
If the club have removed those flags,it is disgraceful. Practically every news outlet on the planet is condemning events in Palestine,and Celtic decide to shun that condemnation?
Showerac…s.
Removed: Celtic take down North Curve’s Palestine display 🇵🇸
G64
Our board are even more Right Wing than I thought they were.
God bless the people of Gaza.
That’s despicable tbh re removing flags
On the latest Board v support drama my view on Twitter is ” it’s how you do it, not what you do.
If the method chosen is a cause of division is that division not the cause of the very thing in Palestine the support want to end?
Lessons here for everyone.”
If an agreement was reached and it was hijacked it makes the job of building trust ON BOTH SIDES a hard sell.
The solution is a better communication process, no more dealing with support in silos.
It is more in The Company’s interests to lower the bridges and the supports not to deepen he moat.
Just informed my son that I will not be watching tonight’s match with him.
Absolutely disgusted by the actions of our PLC.
Lost all interest in Celtic FC. Despicable bastards.🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸
Paul Fein, welcome and dont be a stranger
Hail Hail
As well as saying farewell to Broonie IF we had been allowed into CP for the game tonight there would have been hundreds of 🇵🇸 flags HH
Another fine PR mess by the Club 😱
No official announcement yet on a new manager. To Eddie Howe or not to Eddie Howe, that is the question? Do I still care, one way or the other? It least I know the answer to that! Nope!
Howe may or may not be a success story if he comes but, IMHO, the club has blown the potential of this (possible) appointment. Why? Simply because of the protracted nature of it. No matter the reasons for the delayed announcement, the club has got this badly wrong. Regardless of whether the delay had to do with Howe’s gardening leave, his need for a break, or the selection of his team, the needs of Celtic should have come first. Sorry, Mr Howe, we understand your reluctance to take the job but we need an appointment in place by the end of March 2021, not June. The Board should have walked away and pursued other candidates even if it meant paying compensation. I suspect the Board had neither the range of vision to see other candidates, nor the desire to spend money on compensation, so we have had to endure months of cycling backwards. The farce of a season has been followed by the protracted farce of a managerial appointment. During this ‘waiting’ fans are expected to watch a demoralised, over paid team under perform in games that have become meaningless. If they could not get up for a cup tie then it is a sad day.
Who ever comes in now faces a far more difficult task than if they had been appointed at the end of March or earlier. Half a squad to be replaced, new approaches to be introduced, new coaching staff to be bedded into a new football environment and all of this coming together in a couple of months during which players will have a summer break. Honestly,” how” do you see this unfolding?
No managerial candidate was worth hanging the club and fans out to dry like this. Oh, and do not get me started on how this process was handled from a Communications perspective.
Rebus
Fuck the board
I stand with Palestine 🇵🇸 🇯🇴🇯🇴🇯🇴
Baz (@BarryMcGonigle) Tweeted:
https://t.co/BxHDG9PZUM https://twitter.com/BarryMcGonigle/status/1392461728873582593?s=20
Garry- aye,whatever….
Bada
Eh????
What you on about???
Right, I’ll go Devil’s Advocate here. Apparently the facts are (1) Green Brigade (or was it North Curve) get permission from Celtic to get access to the stadium and set up a display honouring Scott Brown for his last home game. (2) Instead, they set up a display of solidarity with Palestine – something I completely agree with but not what they were given ‘permission’ to do. (3) Celtic decide to take down that display. If those turn out to be the facts then I think there are losers on both sides here. If the GB seek access for any future displays how many on here think they’ll be allowed?
No-one on here should be in any doubt that I DO wish that our Club was one that would encourage solidarity with Palestine. But I also think that the GB took advantage of a situation and changed their ‘authorised’ Scott Brown display, putting up the Palestine one without seeking the OK from Celtic. Did they really expect that no-one would notice prior to kick off?
When is enough, in fact, enough? More to the point, when is it time to cut your emotional losses and change the nature of your affiliation to a football club/team? Each of us will have our own pain thresholds but we should, at least, be aware of what they are.
This season, I believe I reached mine with Celtic. I have had previous with emotional lows due to football. The end of my playing career, short as it was, took years to get over but did give me a satisfying work life. More recently, the Ally’s Army fiasco cut deep. The hype associated with that squad teed me up for a fall that finished my interest in the national team. Yes, there had been disappointments before but nothing like that. I swore I would never let hype obscure reality ever again. Years before, Jock Stein appeared as a TV pundit before an England vs Scotland game at Wembly, and showed how expectations should managed.
He was the one tame Scot appearing on the show alongside two English experts, whose names I forget. As a quiz, one of them was a professional Geordie, managed Southampton, I think? Laurie, ah, it has gone! Anyway, the usual claptrap is spouted by the presenter and the English pundits. Home advantage, fire power of the English forwards, plucky Scots but just not enough. Finally, they turn to Jock, who was as taciturn as ever. Who do you think will win? Then came the masterclass and I paraphrase. Well, England should win, he said. They have 10x the population, some world class players and home advantage. Yes, they should win. However, I think we shall see a surprise. And we did! Jock knew all about expectations and how to manage them. Contrast that with the current PR coming out of Celtic Park, or, perhaps, not coming out.
Expectations are the key to managing fans’ emotions. Set them high, you better deliver. Moderate them, and you give yourself wiggle room. Expectations of Ten in a Row had to be managed to allow wiggle room. Notice there has been no official response to that loss. Further, a delayed managerial appointment is amongst the worst possible responses.
So, in summary, this season was my Ally’s Army moment with Celtic. The response from the club has been dreadful as has their amateurish PR. I shall not let my emotions be played with again. Watching better football being played, albeit with little emotional involvement, is my new norm. I enjoy seeing Liverpool try to recapture their form and strive for a top 4 finish. I puzzle about what has gone wrong with them and try to fix it in my head. It is different but it is more comfortable. I can easily withdraw at any moment because I have replace emotion with preference and analysis.
The above is purely show and tell, it is not intended to suggest guidance. Make your own mistakes, I have.
Rebus
Garry- I listened to the Talksport Bournemouth reporter say Eddie Howe is a done deal, which is now being covered by the MSM,but you say it’s shite,not a problem…….
Various MSM outlets reporting that ‘Eddie Howe has agreed a deal to become the new Celtic manager’
Bada
It is MSM rumour and speculation.
Talksport do indeed talk shite.
Aye whatever
Time for some cat amongst the pigeons! The Palestinian demo should have been permitted tonight, as should any other “worthy” political cause. We are egalitarian after all. Further, political causes are so much more important then mere football games, that the game should be replaced by people on soapboxes expressing their views. These views are important, right?
Would the club be fined by the SPFL for these actions? Probably, but the club should pay such fines. They are all fat cats anyway. If we followed this format each week, TV coverage would increase. Our “causes” would be publicised nationally, internationally. TV companies and advertisers would be rushing to give us amplified contracts. It is merely a beginning but I can see this catching on with other clubs, other football associations. These causes are so much more important than a game, we could even dispense with players and teams. There simply will be no room for them. Who needs them, fat cats anyway!
Rebus