SENTINELCELTS

Morning,all.

It has been famously said that a week is a long time in politics. Well,I can assure you that it is the same too if you are a Celtic supporter! A week ago,we were wallowing in the sheer pleasure of a comfortable away win against Hibs,the culmination of a five game winning streak in October. Yet only a fews days later,the wheels had come off the wagon with a thoroughly unsatisfactory performance at home to Livingston,and the post-match reaction from many has apparently brought us to the brink of a crisis?!!

Blinkin’ flip,we are a fickle lot right enough…

Actually,when I was in my late teens and early twenties-when we had Billy McNeill then David Hay as manager-October was the month I hated more than any other. For some reason we frequently put together a bad run of results during that month-and they were often a damn sight worse than a scoreless draw with Livingston! Sometimes we could get some momentum going again,regain the initiative-more often though,we were now off the pace and remained so throughout the remainder of the season. Truly,we would suffer a month long Rocky Horror Show,culminating in a Hallowe’en Howler. And usually put out of Europe into the bargain.

So should we be panicking on the back of Saturday’s turgid borefest? Or should we simply shrug it off as a day that simply didn’t go well,just didn’t turn out as planned? Well,I think the answer might lie somewhere in between,and for that we also need to go back slightly further to the second half against Hibs. On that occasion,we got absolutely battered,but our much-maligned defence stood up to everything that the hosts could throw at us. In that respect,I was a happy man. In another,I certainly wasn’t-our midfield and forward line were completely incapable of providing any respite for the beleaguered backline,and that lack of guile from middle to front reared its ugly head with a vengeance on Saturday.

Let’s be honest-up against visitors who got a nosebleed in our half,every one of the six in the middle and up front had a howler. On top of that,we have an international right back being played as a left wing back-which is pointless,as he can hardly be expected to hit the line and cross it with his standing foot! These are issues which AP has to address with some urgency,as we are unlikely to get the result we need tonight,one which will keep alive our hopes of European football post-Christmas,if these faultlines continue.

We are all aware of the rebuild required over AP’s first three windows,and of continuing injury problems too. Many of us will cut him some slack based on that,and I don’t buy into the hysterical reactions heard from some quarters since the weekend. But we need to get back on track,and we need to do so tonight,with a victory and a confident display. Then we need the same on Sunday as we head into yet another international break.

The international break,of course,is also when  the AGM-Annual GerryMandering-is scheduled. The board have already tried to prevent some difficult questions being asked,and there is some doubt about the motives or direction that our fan representatives are displaying in this regard. I’m still stunned that Lawwell was allowed to get away with either lying to shareholders at an AGM-a striking off offence-or gross dereliction of duty with regard to whether he had seen the 5WA prior to the 2019 AGM. 

Quite frankly,I don’t hold out much hope for transparency at this one either. We,the fans and the lifeblood of the club,are simply outvoted and outmanoeuvred every time. Maybe it is time for a new approach,but to do that will mean pulling together all the disparate threads of the Celtic support,including those small shareholders who between them hold around a quarter of the stock in the Plc.

Aye,I know. That will be like herding cats. But unless this is done,we will simply be treated with contempt year in and year out. And no,I haven’t a bloody clue where to begin with this either.

But by God,I am open to suggestions!

Get us a result tonight,Celtic. Knock some smirks off a few coupons. That will be a start.

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Above article by BMCUWP