Confessions of an Armchair Manager
So I wake up, read the blog upto kickoff time which reveals the team sheet, and go to work pondering the selection avoiding any opportunity for the result to filter through.
Shift finishes, some chores get done and it’s time to settle down for the big top of the table clash.
About twenty minutes in I realize the family dinner will interrupt my viewing. One hour into the game I took a long break.
I had watched our team go ahead only to lose momentum, and two goals. Ange was bringing Mooy and G-Mak on just as I was called elsewhere.
An hour later I sat down to finish the affair and said to myself if we pull out a result here it’s because of the changes, the starting eleven hasn’t enough in the tank.
Sure enough, result pulled out of the bag.
Like many others I felt the gaffer got his starting selection wrong and then his first substitute, but the next wave brought a positive impact.
He signed the next wave, he timed their introduction for the big game, and on Sunday it paid off.
Added to this we are in a better position than this time last year, clawing back from six points behind.
So while armchair manager here demands Mooys inclusion week in week out as he seemingly improves our chances of success, there’s irrefutable proof that the team is progressing which is obviously down to Ange. We all have our preferred players but the proof is in the pudding. He might not start my preferred eleven, but the job is getting done and that’s a fact.
It’s easy being an armchair manager, and Ange makes being a real manager look easy, but at the end of the day I can’t argue with facts.
Fact is we are improving. No one will catch us, we will win this league after tearing away during the first half of the season as opposed to catching up.
Ange is doing the best thing possible to shut armchair managers everywhere up, he’s delivering. It’s rarely the team I would pick, but first place and nine points clear is certainly where I’d like to be come the second fixture of the new year.
As such, I’ll try to drop my selection expectations, and place my complete faith in the man in charge.
Being an armchair manager is easy, winning two in a row is far from.
Keep shutting me up Big Man.
By Mahe
sentinelcelts@gmail.com
That’s a interesting read but I don’t have blind faith in any manager, even big Jock made wrong selections. Simply put Forrest and O’Riley shouldn’t have been selected and that was proven by their performance.
Even Jobo’s motm they got null points😏
Auldheid, I’ve had a quick read through from your post last night and allI can say is that I said from the off, when everyone was shouting ‘Tell UEFA!’, that it would not be in UEFA’s interests to open this can of worms as UEFA were, and most likely still are, as corrupt as the SFA.
At that time, as you may recall, the general consensus across the blogs was that UEFA was some kind of benevolent faither who couldn’t quite keep an eye on all his wayward children’s activities, as though no one at UEFA had a clue, nor really cared, about what was happening in Shortbread land, a point I argued vociferously against, that it was UEFA themselves who had something to hide, and I for one am mighty curious about what you think that might have been.
I was reading the developments on SFM at that time and later was a major contributor to the John James site, though a pattern developed over the years and various blogs where the closer I got to nailing what was really going on, I’d suddenly find myself barred from whatever site I’d posted my revelations.
And to this day I can’t help but wonder why I was being called ‘paranoid’ by Celtic fans while the occasional Hun would give me a virtual nod & a wink across cyberspace, with one literally telling me I was on the right path but should stop as I had no idea how deep runs the rabbit hole.
So despite knowing all along that UEFA would play dumb I still cannot trust anyone on the Celtic board and would appreciate your take on why UEFA decided to do the three monkeys act along with the SFA, Rangers, Sevco and, by & large, the Celtic board.
I could simplify mine by saying they’re all Freemasons in it together but any alternative views are always appreciated.
Cheers.
HH
Good morning, friends.
A nice wee article Mahe and transported my back to the pre internet days of avoiding scores and recording big games to watch once the weans were in bed. That’s almost impossible to do jow, for me anyway, so well done in keeping the excitement going and watching the game “as live”.
I agree that we are in a better place, certainly domestically. Our closest rivals are basing their hopes on strengthening their squad in the January window but it’ll be a surprise to me if that happens.
Meanwhile, here’s something Ininly realised last night. We both play another 7 League games between now and the end of March. We have 5 at home and 2 away (to Dundee Utd and St Johnstone). Sevco have just 2 at home and 5 away trips to play Dundee Utd, Kilmarnock, Hearts, Livingston and Hibs. I know which set of fixtures I’d prefer!
Auldheid, I also see you’ve written elsewhere that a lack of response from the Celtic board against these decisions ‘constitutes a threat to Celtic’s future and so the board’s existence.’
But wasn’t that the case when Rangers died and the same Celtic board did all they could to drag the corpse from the grave that they could dress up the zombie in the dead man’s clothes so they could then continue make it dance for us under the false pretence that their beloved Old Firm ‘never died’?
That is, isn’t the Celtic board’s existence actually tied into the future of Sevco, which, as the media keeps telling us, is, in fact, ‘the future of Scottish football’?
Didn’t Peter Lawwell tell Phil MacG right after Rangers were declared dead ‘This has cost us 10 million a year’, which was not only a lie but a lie wholly nullified by the guaranteed 30 million a year from CL income, to whom Celtic then had no challenger?
And didn’t Celtic’s majority shareholder, Dermot Desmond, later go public with the statement that ‘Rangers (sic) are a great club sic (sic) with a long history (sic)’?
Now why would they do all that if they didn’t somehow see Celtic & Sevco’s futures as somehow inextricably linked?
Had Ange picked the in form starting 11 we may well have had the game won by half time. But he didn’t and playing Forrest was tantamount to being a man down. Jamesie’s failure to trap a high ball, first half, pretty much encapsulated all his contributions at Ibrox in a Celtic jersey.
Sorry Mahe, but winning a two horse race when the other horse is bang average is actually easy. The other ten horses in the league tend to pull up lame very early in the race. Celtic sit 24 points ahead of third place Hearts. The quality of the league is dire.
I will judge Ange on Europe. His 2022 record of P8, W0, D2, L6, would suggest that achieving wins against proper footballers might just be beyond him. We will be on the outside looking in when the three Euro competitions resume, and we will need to wait until September until we face proper footballers again.
With Dermot Desmond’s favourite patsy now back as Chairman, goodness knows what 2023 will bring.
In Ange,We Trust!
And we do,but he is not infallible. I’m with PRESTONPANSBHOY on this,Matt and Jamesie should not have started on Sunday. But the big game changer was Taylor getting his early injury. Though nobody could have predicted such a shocker from JJ.
I see Phil’s claiming Sevco will accept around a million for Fat Boy and about 600 grand for Kent.
Only problem is they have no suitors and besides, even if they did, the smart club would simply tap them up now then wait til the summer and get them for free, thereby assuring the two cheats a healthier wage packet.
I reckon both of them will sign new Sevco contracts, much to their own chagrin and that of their agents, and we’ll be treated to their own brand of in match betting far into the future.
https://etims.net/?p=18131
Aye, Ralph’s come out swinging, Gordon, he seems as angry as myself at times at the sheer joke and injustice of it.
Beaton’s ‘It’s no doon to me’ clip is priceless, as he’s talking out of both sides of his shrew-like mouth at once.
Ange made the right calls eventually, albeit the changes didn’t really affect the rhythm of the game in our favour as you seem to suggest. Mooy eventually replacing the hapless Matt O’R helped stiffen the midfield but don’t forget JJ’s introduction for the injured Taylor nearly cost us the game such was JJ’s display. As for Jamesy starting? Sevco contributed as much to their being pegged back as did Ange’s late subs. The Hun’s defense is woeful and despite that how many clear-cut chances did we create from open play for the whole 90 mins? Does anyone remember McShagger’s goal being under any pressure? Was there relentless pressure from us seeking an equaliser? No, in the end, an old-style stramash in the Sevco box, piss-poor defending from the Hun, determination to get on the ball from Mooy and Jota, and Kyogo keeping cool and slotting home the loose ball earned us a point (Kyogo who had been totally anonymous up to this point in the game)
My point is Ange got this very wrong, very wrong as most managers do on occasion. Perhaps there were extenuating circumstances that made him go with the starting 11 but his waiting so long to hook ineffectual players is a concern.
Morning all
Interesting read Mahe. I rarely post during games but just before Jota picked up the ball on 87 minutes I was considering posting that whilst some players- including all subs bar Mooy- had done little right after the first 25 minutes the person who had had the bad day at the office was Ange Postecoglou. I did not as it happens think O’Riley stood out as being worse than most but I would have had Mooy in before him. Bringing on Juranovic ahead of Bernabeui ( probably sic!) seemed risky to me and whilst James Forrest has been a terrific player for us his record at Ibrox is not good. I hesitate to say we and Ange got away with one but it’s not far from the truth. I do also wonder if Beaton/Collum accidently did us a favour not giving a penalty- since Tommy Gemmell left we have not had a penalty taker who I’d bet on to score in that situation
TLR
I think football has been corrupt for a long while- British football has not had a bribery case at a high level that’s led to convictions since 1964 but I doubt that was the last of it- Fashanu and Grobelaar seemed to be quite lucky to avoid porridge 28 years ago. I would doubt many of those corrupting are more than incidentally masons- this is organised crime and I cannot imagine too many of the participants ‘ride the goat.’
Scotland may be different- we have people who are biased against us and for Rangers who regard the financial rewards for being like that as a nice wee bonus. And a lot of them will have an unhealthy interest in goats, aprons and funny handshakes
Work beckons
Jimbo
‘ That’s not just yesterday as it has been going on for decades. We have to grasp this and until we do, the same things are going to keep happening.”
Andy Walker: “I don’t believe the game is corrupt Frank, do you?”
Frank: “In my almost 50 years of watching Celtic, I have been watching a rigged game.”
https://thecelticstar.com/celtic-supporters-have-asked-for-years-decades-for-celtic-to-step-up-and-say-enough-is-enough/
Sorry Mahe, don’t agree. The manager got it wrong with the selection of Forrest and O’Riley.
Bringing on Juranuvic instead of Bernabei was also a mistake.
As for improving as a team. I’m not convinced that we are any better now , than we were in the second half of last season.
We still need more quality in.
Hopefully the 2 new Japanese acquisitions provide that.
Jimbo, it is indeed organised crime and the goat tamperers play a huge role in that worldwide.
From my first or second game up on the auld man’s shooders I couldn’t believe what the ref was letting the oppo away with and was told quite simply that that was how things are in Scottish fitba and that we just had to score more than the ref could chop off.
I don’t just think it’s in Scotland the game’s rigged either as organised crime isn’t called organised for nothing but there’s no doubt that the bigotry and bias has been rubbed in our faces game after game, decade after decade, and the Celtic board can make as many silent behind the scenes complaints to the SFA as they like but so long as these alleged discussions remain backstage rather than out fron t & centre then the board are basically doing the SFA’s work for them by not telling us what was said.
We know what was said anyway …
‘Take your seat at the back of the bus, Timmy, and keep yer eyes, ears and mouth shut.’
I’ve even had Huns laugh right into my face, lassies at that, because of their joy at knowing all the refs who attended all their parents’ ludges and who seemed to think that having every ref in Scotland in yer Masonic pocket was a great hoot, especially when they got to rub it in Fenian faces like mine.
Even the men weren’t that grossly blatant.
HH
Over the last 48 hrs or so I have read a multitude of posts and articles around our performance / team selection on Monday. Most of them all say the same thing where Ange mafe the wrong selection or we wrre robbed due to VAT decisions. Althpugh it was really disappointing not to bury the huns I think peoplee need to remember its not a god given right that we win every game. Yes we were poor 2nd half. Yes we had players underperforming. But the end result with regards to league standing is status quo. A bigger issue right now in every game is the bVAR devisions we arent getting and its high time our noard stepped in regarding them. BTW its happening to other clubs when visiting our neighbours too . What is the ansswer to the problem. I dont know but the highly paid CEOs etc need to come up with one before people stop going to games because of the mibs blatant incompetence or cheating.
The Joke of VAR So Far
I’m with Ange when he said these players aren’t robots. And, I don’t expect to steamroller over everyone ..needs to be earned.
I also think it’s obvious why a foreign manager would put the players in who have experienced this fixture many times.
How many games have we actually lost since Ange arrived? The man and his team have been magnificent.
On Monday’s game. We had COMPLETE control until the incident with Joe holding the ball too long …again, they ain’t robots.
I hate playing them …I hate how everyone acts like they are relevant to us …they ain’t in our league! I hate how we all need to ignore reality to make this whole charade work …it’s bizarre.
If they ever win the league again, it’ll be because those further up the food chain have decided it has to happen to keep the whole freakshow rumbling along.
I keep trying to imagine explaining Scottish football to an outsider …where would I begin?
With us being cheated literally every week now, I also wonder what would need to happen for our support to rediscover our rebellious side, or are we now just numb to all this? Have they made the seats at the back of the bus a little more comfy ffs!?
We wouldn’t put up with being treated like this in any other facet of life, so why do we accept it because it’s football?
Ps, Did anyone really think we were getting out of that cesspit without getting cheated? If Celtic had played on a level playing field since inception, we would need to have built another couple of trophy rooms!.
HH
Anyway,the important thing is that we preserved our lead at the top. And there is one game less for them to try to reel us in. Oh,and they couldn’t even manage that draw without some serious help from a not unexpected source or two.
More importantly,our next seven league games,as JOBO points out,will perhaps give us the chance to stretch it even further. I will even venture that being as disappointed in Sunday’s result and performance is a plus sign,that Ange has us in a very good place indeed.
(Honest,sir. We aren’t a bunch of ungrateful basterts. We just want the best,same as you!)
BIGAUDIODYNAMITE
“If Celtic had played on a level playing field since inception, we would need to have built another couple of trophy rooms!”
Line of the week…
The Leopard’s Rimshot @ 9:06 am,
Of course it was all a sham and Celtic were up to their neck in it
There is truth in what BMCUWPS @ 10:17 pm
says, that Peter Lawwell was out maneuvered and felt stupid about raising the issue – I think he got certain assurances on title stripping
Yet the fact remains that there is no honour amongst theives and if he chose to be in the thick of it, then he can’t moan about the consequences
It was a pantomime that was played out in front of our eyes.
==================================
It was a great game of football on Monday and we all know that Celtic’s superiority had to be nullified to create tension in the old firm league
That’s why Beaton as ref and Collum on VAR were hand picked.
I very much rate Mick Beale as a coach and manager – he changed the game quarter of the way through and he changed the game after the halftime team talk
Yet make no mistake, it was the officials that got them the draw
Hail Hail
https://twitter.com/zeshankenzo/status/1610583489627160576?s=48&t=OKXX6X-9N_5jr4S_sp7J_w
I wonder what the former Grade 1 referee would say here?
If they are 3 up at Tannadice, with 5 minutes to go on Sunday, you can bet your bottom dollar on Dundee United getting awarded the softest of penalties…….or any game in the next couple of weeks, with similar circumstances.
Oglach,
I agree with every word of your post. Trouble is the same problems are cropping up in matches against lesser opposition….matches we have won by the odd goal.
Rebus
bada bing1
If they are 3 up at Tannadice, with 5 minutes to go on Sunday, you can bet your bottom dollar on Dundee United getting awarded the softest of penalties…….or any game in the next couple of weeks, with similar circumstances.
===================================
Our goal difference advantage is 20. They need every point and every goal.
They will wait until they can’t catch us then turn up the VAR volume in their games.
After the World Cup, I wrote on here that the Qataris were immensely disappointed on their return for paying Sir David of Beckham the astonishing sum of £120M to be their ambassador. For that huge outlay, they expected him to vigorously defend their positions on homosexuality, the LGBTQ rainbow coalition, women’s rights, rights of immigrant workers, deaths of construction workers, and other issues. Instead, they got mumbling replies to reporters’ questions with banal statements that football was ‘fantastic’ and ‘brought everybody together.’ He apparently thought that, for £120M, all he had to do was turn up in a suit at functions and smile at people.
I wrote that the Qataris should have consulted me first, as I would have informed them that Beckham did not have the intellectual capacity of a grapefruit.
It turns out that some English friends of mine, lovely people, but sadly infatuated with Sir David of Beckham as some sort of superhero, complained to me about this, and asked me to apologize and withdraw the comment.
As they really are nice people, I agreed. I’m sorry I worded my criticism as I did, and now take the opposite position. What I really should have said is that Sir David of Beckham DOES in fact have the intellectual capacity of a grapefruit.
There, fixed it for them.
Hope they’re happy.
For me the ongoing issues about refereeing are spoiling the game. If a team is good enough to beat Celtic, then fair enough. Celtic need to improve as a sporting entity. The opposite is also true.
The controversy over the Goldson non penalty has two aspects to it, IMHO. Firstly, is the rule and/or the interpretation of the rule fair and reasonable. Secondly, is the rule and the interpretation of the rule being applied consistently.
The first issue about fairness and reasonableness needs re-examination. If an opponent is close to you and fires a hard shot at your face, is it reasonable to expect you not to protect your face? Ducking out the road would not constitute a foul but would raising your hands automatically result in a foul? This needs to be clarified. Safety in the workplace is also a concern here, although Sports tends to consider this after the horse has bolted. If raising your hands and touching the ball is automatically a foul, then players need to be coached to keep their hands behind their back, as they do for other challenges within the box. Anything other than hands behind the back should then result in a foul, provided the defender is upright. On the other hand, if protecting your face is permissible, then the rule has to be clarified on what is/is not an acceptable use of the hands for protection.
I do not think any of the above is in the rulebook.
The second point, namely interpretation of the rule consistently, is where the real controversy lies. If the rule, itself, is not clearly spelled out, it is little surprise that it cannot be interpreted consistently. Clearly, there is too much subjectivity in how this rule is being interpreted. There have been clear examples of similar situations on handballs being called as penalties in one case but not another. If this is not seen as a red flag by the SFA and the refereeing body, then there is no hope for the governance of the game. Both bodies need to act on this and instruct the refs, on field and VAR, on what constitutes consistent interpretation of the rule on handballs in the penalty area. The refs should welcome this as it makes their life easier. If they do not, then something darker is at play.
One of the supposed advantages of VAR was that it would provide consistency of decision making for both teams on the park, and across games. Subjectivity would be reduced. Unfortunately, so far, the evidence suggests the opposite is happening. VAR is here to stay, whether fans, clubs, or associations want it or not. The inconsistency of it, paradoxically, suggests that VAR needs a VAR system to regulate it!
Rebus
Iniquitous,
Did you consult grapefruits on how they feel about this association?
Rebus
Thanks Mahe for the article.
Improvement?
At the end of last season we averaged 2.25 pts per game.
To date this season we’re averaging 2.75 pts per game.
27 pts at home, 28 on our travels, 2 more away fixtures so far. Points dropped at Paisley and Ibrox.
Goals 63, average of 3.15 per game.
Goals against 17, average of 0.85 per game.
Last Season,
Total of 92 goals, average of 2.42 per game.
Goals against 22 average of 0.58 per game.
A great deal to be grateful for there,
Top Scorers in SPFL this Season:
Kyogo (Celtic) & Shankland (Hearts) 15 goals.
Top Assists, O’Reilly, 8 assists. (Celtic)
Most Clean Sheets, Hart, 8. (Celtic).
The one stat that sticks out is in the increase in the number of goals against per game (av of 0.58 to 0.85).
To date this season we’ve conceded 17 goals over 20 games.
Over 38 games last season we conceded 22 goals.
Two additional away games so far? CL? Injuries? Tactics? Form? Refs(VAR)? World Cup?
Who knows?
We only conceded 1 goal in our first six SPFL games (v Ross County). The CL fixture v Real Madrid saw a 0-3 result and a change to our goals conceded rate in Europe and domestically.
13 goals for and 4 against in 5 games since the World Cup.
Two narrow victories upon our return before beating St Jonstone 4-1 and Hibs 0-4.
Then to Ibrox.
Averages out at 2.6 v 0.8.
It’ll be interesting to watch the goals conceded rate in the forthcoming fixtures.
https://fbref.com/en/comps/40/Scottish-Premiership-Stats
The general consensus seems to be that UEFA and FIFA are relatively happy with the performance of VAR.
England have recruited Howard Webb, the problem seems to be with the general performance of referees during the course of games in the EPL.
– Not just VAR.
How did VAR perform in Qatar? This is supposedly the best of the best.
ESPN produced an article looking at every VAR intervention. There’s a good video analysisanalysis below too.
My feeling is that this is similar to how judges interpret and develop the law.
Over a period of time a better understanding will develop as scenerios are judged and precedents set.
Every incident is different of course but what we are really identifying is a lack of consistency, poor standards of refereeing and a lack of understanding of the VAR Protocol and Rules of the Game across the spectrum.
The introduction of technology in Scotland is simply highlighting the problem that was already there.
The inconsistency we’re seeing means the system is doing what it’s supposed to. It will improve standards if the process is followed.
Scotland? A bridge too far for VAR?
The prerequisite is of course, confidence in the integrity of the officials.
That is something that’s missing in Scotland.
ESPN.
‘We’re analysing every VAR decision made throughout all 64 games at the 2022 World Cup.
After each game, we take a look at the major incidents to examine and explain the process both in terms of VAR protocol and the Laws of the Game.
Total overturns: 25
Rejected overturns: 2
Leading to goals: 6
Leading to disallowed goals: 10
Penalties awarded: 10 (6 missed)
~ for holding: 2
~ for handball: 2
Penalties cancelled: 1 (offside)
Penalty retakes: 1 (GK encroaching)
Rejected penalties: 2
Goals ruled out for offside: 8
Goals after incorrect offside: 2
Red cards: 1
Dec 17, 2022.
Dale Johnson
General Editor, ESPN
https://www.espn.co.uk/football/fifa-world-cup/story/4807433/var-review-every-decision-at-the-world-cup-analysed
A review of the thinking behind all of the VAR decisions at the WC, 17 mins.
VAR Explained
https://youtu.be/ZTMrwvEPhy4
Till later.
Italian games live all day on BT Sport
Good article, Mahe.
Here’s the thing about our beloved board, apparently questioning the SFA, about some pretty atrocious VAR decisions against us. Even IF such is the case, and even IF matters were to improve as regards decisions against us, the Huns would, on a weekly basis, still be given the same helping (Red)hand, as they are being given at the moment. The only way to end this feckin’ farce, is for the PLC to withdraw all funding with immediate effect. We may well have paid up the funding for this season. If that is the case, it is what it is. There should be no funding for next season.
As for VAR itself? In truth, when the issue was first proposed, I was all in favour of this happening. However, once it became clear that VAR officials would not be independent, and would on the contrary, be the same shower of bluenose bastards already cheating us every week, I kind of reckoned that the introduction of VAR would be a disaster for us, and a boon to the Ibrox club. In point of fact, VAR has turned out even worse, than the most cynical among us could have imagined. The SFA, Scottish referees, VAR officials and the PLC board, are not fit for purpose.
Hail Hail.
Good evening all from the Victoria Bar. I hope to meet some of you lovely people on Friday at the Shipbank. Cheers!
EVENING ALL,and JIM, been reading the blogs here and the other channel, ive lived down here in england for 40 plus years nobody has never asked my religion, unlike when i lived back home, job interviews what schools did you go to mr christie, i just got passed our lady and st josephs, they didnt wait for the secondary school, will let you know timmy, they never did, as regards cheating, 3 games, first at hampden late sixties, jimmy johnstone got scythed down in the box in front of tiny wharton, tiny waved play on, 10 minutes later wullie henderson falls over his bootlaces in the box, tiny gives a penalty,,,next at ibrox bobby lennox was through on goal about to score ronnie McKinnon brought him down ,clear penalty, jim mcluskey waved play on,,next at parkhead dixie deans thru on goal, only the keeper to beat, john greig pulls him down, another stonewall penalty, mr davidson waves play on ,THE LEOPARDS RIMSHOT keep on teling it as it is you know what i mean, wee joan sends her best regards, another true story.
Bigrailroadblues
You in training for Friday 🤣
Lots of great reading today guys – particularly around the introduction of VAR.
I fear that any attempts by the Board to raise issues will be fruitless. Unfortunately, we live in the most anti -Catholic and anti-Irish country on planet Earth. That is never going to change and unless it did we are trapped in a league where we are never going to get a fair rub of the green. All the data – and CQN is full of it today – shows this in a crystal clear way. The penalties awarded/conceded/not awarded/not conceded by the two top teams beggar belief – season after season. The introduction of VAR has simply resulted in the truth hitting us right between the eyes.
We either get a Hun referee or someone like Collum or Clancy who are terrified of giving us a decision. Either way WE lose!
Could be 2 Korean strikers incoming, some cryptic SK sports media posts….
Part of the data Billy Bhoy mentioned.
I assume it’s correct.
5 seasons (2018-19 to 2022-23) League penalties awarded minus penalties conceded:
The Rangers +28
Hearts +9
Celtic +8
Kilmarnock +7
St Johnstone +2
Hibs +1
Aberdeen -1
Hamilton -1
Dutd -3
Livingston -6
Dundee -9
Motherwell -10
St Mirren -12
Ross County -12
FRODSHAMBHOY
Those are scary stats!
Relax guys,these things even themselves out…..
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS
FRODSHAMBHOY
Those are scary stats!
Agreed. Absolutely amazing.
Can’t believe we’re +8.
Huns will call out the cheating. We should be -8 in their world 😁😁😁😁
BADABING
Aye,so they say. Ask “they” to justify their theory though…
Can see how the wee dick who hosts ssb gets a gig on Sky now,always trying to confuse issues, and shut down any anti Celtic stuff
TLR
My approach to setting out my views is to get as much evidence as I can before yelling fire.
The proof that you have a point iro UEFA is a consequence of that approach.
Res12 was the only avenue to get that proof unless some millionaire was going to bank roll a law firm.
The e mail between SFA and Rangers of 19th September 2011 had me wondering, but what SFA told UEFA is still an unknown. So more is needed.
Being told Celtic do not want to bite the hand that feeds you without that hand being specified is another indicator of Celtic’s reluctance to go to UEFA.
Then as result of Res12 pressure on Celtic after the CW trial testimony (after requisitioners suggested Celtic wait for that event to end avoid interfering with justice claims) Celtic and SFA agreed to release correspondence between the two.
I was surprised to see amongst it that in May 2012 a letter to SFA about consequences of uses of ebts by Rangers was copied to UEFA. My surprise was based on the fact that not once from 2014 to 2017 at Res12 exchanges with Celtic , was that letter mentioned in the context of there is no need for Res12 we wrote to UEFA in 2012.
Then I watched the documentary on UEFA on Netflix that saw Infantino take over as Mr Clean. That took me back to the May 2012 letter that was copied to him by name as UEFA General Secretary, responsible for the then new FFP in Oct 2010 that Rangers/SFA had drawn a horse and cart through, a reason for UEFA not to want any investigation.
The financial consequences for Scottish football in 2011 confined to that season and to Scotland because Rangers lost their two qualifying games in CL (Malmo) and EL (Maribor) I did not think merited enough of a reason for UEFA not to investigate. As I said it had to be something bigger than that.
In 2016 attention was drawn to the Giannia case who had a licence application refused after a CFCB investigation into an overdue payable at 31st March but the CFCB investigators found 5 private agreements with players and deemed that a breach of FFP ” fair presentation” rule covering accounts. That was not looked at by CAS as the overdue payable was enough not to grant a licence, but were ebts with side letters not private agreements?
If so, and it is an unknown, then suddenly the consequences of Rangers beating opposition in UEFA competition over 10 years becomes a plausible reason for UEFA not wanting to call in the CFCB as requested by Res12.
In the absence of the reply from Infantino to Peter Lawwell in 2012 we will never know, so the foregoing is just my reading of events joining dots that answers my frustration in early years at Celtic’s reluctance to go to UEFA, paricularly as I had every indication from PL that Celtic wanted to tackle the SFA.
You are correct that the starting assumption going in was that Celtic and UEFA were the good guys. An unforeseen consequence of Res12 is it has undermined that perception and that makes us all uncomfortable.
The irony is the amount of shit penalties Collum has given over the years,is off the scale
Bada
I disagree. The guy is in fact separating the wheat from the chaff and helps getting at the nub of the issue which is the pattern of hand ball decisions that Celtic have been on wrong side of and Rangers have not.
A good caller had his good point undermined by introducing something that was not a fact.
Precision is needed when entering this debate that goes round in circles without it.
Because Gordon Duncan takes a forensic approach I’ve a letter ready to post him and after giving time for a reply I’ll copy here.
It’s about having a debate on what can be done to address an issues that fuels SSB callers so I’m not hopeful of a reply but we’ll see.
If Gordon Duncan would like a break from going around in circles a positive reply would be an indicator of non bias which is his position and frustration at accusations he is biased.
Auldheid- A good caller had his good point undermined by introducing something that was not a fact.
——-‐————
That’s exactly my point,he’s full of obfuscation, and whataboutery when it comes to anything negative brought up about Celtic
TLR
A PS.
Because of the consequences of a club and national association breaching FFP for UEFA and evidence provided by Res12, as well as experience with Serbia, Albania and Kasakstan, where UEFA reached Settlement Agreements, FSR is not just about keeping clubs sustainable it’s also about reducing the possibility of compensation claims killing the goose that lays UEFA’s golden egg.
All because of the interdependent nature of football that does not recognise borders.
Not my take Bada.
If a caller gets it wrong and in doing so undermines his point it’s the presenters job to point it out.
He does the same with the pundits regardless of which point affects which club..
It’s a bit like me explaining some of the reasons why Celtic might have acted as they did and getting accused as a plant because the info challenges a long held belief.
Eventually iro SSB it gets down to the nub of the issue which in case of Goldson is was he protecting his face? There is photographic evidence it was more than that and that is where the opinion of a referee not from Scotland is required before challenging our referees.
Otherwise the case gets booted out.
Auldheid,
I was going to say to you earlier ” jist gonny write the book – jist gonny!” but you’ve shown that 12 years later there are incredibly still unanswered questions. So, I suppose, the book is going to have to wait!
Re Gordon Duncan my view is that as a Motherwell fan he just cannot conceive of any club being systematically and deliberately cheated. And I get that. At least his sidekick tonight accepted that Celtic have, more than any other club, been very hard done to.
A thought iro hand ball decisions.
The pattern seems to be any ball to hand by a Celtic player is a penalty but when it involve Rangers it depends what the circumstances are.
The penalty not awarded v Hearts is the outlier. What “it depends” rule applied to not getting that one?
We are not going to get change on one incident put identifying a pattern and asking what is causing it might..