SENTINELCELTS

Morning,all.

We all remember the pre-season video clip of AP rousing his troops at training,reminding them that they do the business on the training ground and on the match day. 

“Then we celebrate”

When we saw that,we knew we had a hands-on manager who meant business,a man who had standards and wouldn’t allow them to be undermined by players who either couldn’t or wouldn’t live up to them. This was such a pleasure after recent events prior to his arrival. 

It was also a pleasure to hear him coming out and telling it like it is,no pulling of punches,after Sunday’smatch. That was no surprise of course,as he has long been used by now to stupid questions from our media. What WAS a surprise,perhaps,is that he fired in with both barrels. In public. 

Our performance was not good enough,well short of the standards he expects. We train with intensity and he expects intensity on match day. Etc,etc,etc.

He certainly did not hold back,in the manner which has become almost a trademark of Celtic managers since the departure of Martin O’Neill. How long,how many years,have we complained about our managers praising performances which we knew to have been rank rotten,having watched them with our own eyes? Strachan may have been the worst,as he insulted our knowledge of the game by telling us that we knew nothing as we had never played the game. Others though were just as bad,and it certainly didn’t endear them to the fans.

There is a problem though with playing the intensity game,and that is the likelihood of running out of steam before the ninety minutes are up. That though is down to intrinsic fitness of individual players,and we have all seen that drop in the two years or so prior to Ange’s arrival. It is Angeball now,and if the players didn’t know it before Sunday,they certainly know it now. 

One or two players were given an opportunity on Sunday,and I think they failed the audition. Others will be told to ramp up their fitness levels,their ability to perform at the levels that the manager requires. These players have put our club back on top of the league,and for that we should be grateful. And we are. 

And so too,I suspect,is AP. He will know that his success is measured by results,and that those results only come about because of the input from the players. Our results so far this season scream that the players have bought into the new high-intensity regime,exactly what players at the top level need,that encouragement to improve and the means and methods to do so. Such a change from recently,when players got out the pipe and slippers. 

But just when they think they are on the top of the world,AP does his job,brings them back down to earth and tells them the truth while letting us all know exactly the same. I’ll be my usual honest self and tell you that I knew the square root of eff all about this man before he joined us,so therefore when he was appointed,I certainly didn’t criticise that. I looked at his record and,frankly,crossed my fingers. 

But he has me more enthused about the progression of the club than anyone since MON. 

If the team continue to buy into his philosophy,get their core fitness up so that 60 minutes isn’t a barrier,listen to the man,we can do great things. I believe most of them wish to do so,but I’m not sure everyone is capable. Ange will know for sure who is up to the job. 

Meantime,I am 100% convinced that AP himself is up to the job. And I think he is only starting it. It might be an idea to get him off that iniquitous 12-month contract and signed up to a proper 3,4,5 year deal. Quickly. 

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Above article by BMCUWP