Rangers, Airdrie and Falkirk fans travel to London to cause trouble

It was widely predicted that there would be crowd trouble when Celtic played Chelsea, largely due to the neo-fascist elements that have followed Chelsea for years. How sad that they should be joined by Scots - no doubt neo-fascist Scots - who seem intent on damaging Celtic's reputation driven only by hatred.

A report from a Chelsea fan site gives details:

http://chelsea.rivals.net/default.asp?sid=884&p=2&stid=8418965

"The Chelsea supporters were joined by others from Millwall, Glasgow Rangers, Airdrie Utd and Falkirk who were there to take part in trouble on a scale that had not been seen around Chelsea for many years."

"Following the game, the Fulham Rd was shut until 11.30 pm until Police were able to clear away the Chelsea supporters who had gathered to try to attack the Celtic fans. Under Police guidance, the visitors were escorted back to Fulham Broadway underground station.

"Although the Police had hoped to get the Celtic fans away quietly, they were kept busy as Chelsea supporters boarded trains at Parsons Green to try to get to the Hoops via the underground system, thereby evading the Police cordons that had blocked off the back roads leading to the Fulham Rd."

Celtc swoop - well swish - erm maybe hover about a bit looking interested

Diligence is good. Care is essential. To fail to prepare is to prepare to fail.

But, oh how tedious it is watching Celtic trudge through the transfer market.

Today the latest in a long line of left-backs has been mentioned, after Kadlec, Bridge, Naysmith and Petkov – probably a few others too. Lee Naylor from Wolves has apparently been the subject of “official interest” and Mick McCarthy has responded: “I would expect interest because Lee is a good player … but the other side of the coin is that he's only got one year left on his current contract."

That, of course, is manager speak for: “make us a decent offer and he’s yours”. And right now most Celtic fans would probably go for digging up one of Saddam’s defence team if it plugged a hole at left back and allowed Mark Wilson to move to where he belongs on the right.

But this whole practice is become incredibly boring. I admire Strachan’s thoroughness in researching alternative targets. I sympathise with anyone trying to compete with others who have far greater budgets and I respect Lawell’s insistence on not being pushed around. But, for the fans, sometimes it would be nice to just see the business getting done rather than wading through weeks of misinformed news.

So much for the wisdom of a guy who thought Chelsea would gub his team last night. We’ll take a 1-1 draw against the English champions in these times. Bring on Europe’s finest!

And, hopefully, with more cash. Sure, I buy into the idea that we should support other Scottish clubs, in principle. In practice, I subscribe to the other traditional stance – laughing at them while hoping AEK finish the job and provide Celtic with additional funds (in getting the full Scottish share of TV revenues) so that we can go watch players flood in at Christmas like so much molasses.

Closer to home – but a match too far?

The moans about Celtic’s pre-season travels are still ringing in our ears; the memory of the cold fish showing in Japan still raw. But tonight’s game against Chelsea may yet prove to eclipse the rest with regard to negative impact.

Before Celtic take on the as yet unbeaten St Mirren at Celtic Park, the players must face a side set to include Michael Ballack, Andriy Shevchenko, Salomon Kalou and Mikel John Obi in their team. That, given the paucity of fringe players apparently able to step up to first team level, can only suggest that Celtic could well be onto a very public hiding at Stamford Bridge. In fact, in the great tradition of making stupid predictions that are there to be thrown back at you, I am expect the score to be around 4-0 to the homes side. And it need hardly be stated that such a reverse would knock morale and Celtic’s standing as a club.

Worse, though, is the core of right wing extremists who have long used Chelsea as a means of facilitating their desire to indulge in violence – thinking it all the better if there is a racist side to their attacks. This is something of which the shakers and movers at Celtic Park should be all too aware.

They should be aware too that a club has a responsibility to all fans whenever they are asked to follow the team and that means not undertaking high-risk matches unnecessarily. Should any trouble arise the reputation of Celtic fans ought to be a small consideration next to their safety but perhaps the damage to “the brand” is more worrying to some.

What proportion of the gates receipts would compensate for that?

Finally, Celtic have again been lauded by the Chelsea manager and probably the best centre back in the world, John Terry. Celtic fans still retain grudges over the diving and time-wasting of Mourinho’s Porto side in the Seville UEFA Cup final but it is time to set that aside.

Celtic were indeed “cheated” in Porto – but by a better side. And in truth the major wounds were inflicted by players who made serious errors, not least getting sent off. Time to let the old wounds heal.

Oh! The Deadwood Stage is a-headin' on over the hills

Suddenly, things seem to be moving – and yes, it’s a little unfair to refer to Adam Virgo, Mo Camara and especially Stephen Pearson as dead wood but none of those three have looked like being able to make an impact on the Celtic first team.

Virgo arrived as a “hotly-tipped” prospect who, unusually for hotly-tipped prospects, very few people had ever heard of. I am one of those who suspects that Virgo was one of those transfer targets previously identified by Martin O’Neill but Gordon Strachan ought to think more carefully before buying players from an old team mate in future I fear. The utility man was equally ineffectual in a variety of roles for Celtic but the chance of an extended run in a Coventry side might yet enable him to prove wrong the doubters and there are plenty of doubters to choose from.

Camara, as we all know, had a disastrous start to his career at Celtic, often displaying the positional sense of a lame, partially-sighted woman pushing a trolley with a dodgy wheel around Liedl. On the upside, he is certainly fast so nobody would beat him to the last packet of Liebkuchen.

Pearson is more disappointing and I remain hopeful that he will develop into a more than decent player. The trouble with him seems to have been his inability to make an impact consistently. Celtic have relied much on wing play in recent times whether in firing in early crosses for Sutton, Larsson and Hartson or more recently just using width to stretch opposition defences. Pearson, I suspect, probably needs a really long run in any team to hit top form but that would have to be in a more forgiving environment than playing for Celtic, where the competition is strong in that area. If the expected move to Derby pays off, I suspect he will be one to watch, though it is fair to point out that two Celtic managers have looked at him and apparently decided he couldn’t pass muster.

In fairness, all three players did their best for Celtic and deserve the best wishes of the fans.

The same could be said of Stillian Petrov, who is anything but dead wood. A few glimpses of Petrov and Jiri Jarosik playing together suggested to me that they could achieve great things with Celtic but, alas, their relationship was doomed from the start.

A few mumps and moans aside, Petrov’s contribution to Celtic has been immense and his conduct exemplary. It seems only fair to allow him to leave to fulfil his further ambitions but I would be disappointed if less than £7.5 million was coming in the other direction. Martin O’Neill at least knows his quality and joining an Aston Villa that may be about to experience a renaissance would be a fitting move for a player who, just a few months ago, Lothar Matthaus tipped as Bayern Munich’s replacement for Michael Ballack.

There has also been speculation – already denied - that Neil Lennon might join Petrov at Villa but my money is on that being a non-starter. O’Neill might well like to add Lennon to his squad but has already reportedly identified Own Hargreaves as his preferred option to fill the holding role. Admittedly, O’Neill did use two players in that role in the past, pairing Lennon with Paul Lambert but, unless that is his plan for the coming season, he would be asking his former protégé to give up a last season as captain of Celtic in the Champions League for a supporting role in the Premiership. Right now I suspect Neil just wants to play games for Celtic.

The good news about all this is that the sudden movement leaves room for hope that one or more of those much-touted signings is about to take place and that managing down the salary bill will allow the club to afford a better quality of player.

Now Martin, remember how much you liked Alan Thompson and Bobo Balde?

Apology due to Le Guen

If reports are to be believed, Paul Le Guen was spat at and abused by Celtic fans at Tynecastle while one fan exposed himself.

It is always worth recalling “thugs and thieves” headlines and mythical riots on planes before accepting the words of scribes as fact. However, it would be naïve and wrong to presume that Celtic fans are incapable of such despicable behaviour

We continually hear that football attracts less trouble in Scotland than it did in the eighties and before. But – maybe I’m getting old – there seems to be a constant general decline in standards of behaviour such that some people are incapable of discerning the amusing from the vile.

I don’t doubt that footballers and managers have always endured some unsavoury incidents. It is, though, as sad as it is disgusting that Celtic fans should sink to the depths reported in the newspapers.

It is clearly another outmoded concept that visitors to our country should be shown the best side of it and treated as guests. But if Celtic fans value their reputation as the best in the world, they should be prepared to be self-policing when unacceptable actions take place.

There could also be worse outcomes than an apology to Le Guen on behalf of one or more of those mouthpieces that claim to represent all Celtic fans.

I’ll be frank – what I’ve seen of Le Guen so far has made a positive impression on me. His record is solid and his demeanour modest and respectful. He is also one of that near-extinct breed of managers who demands certain standards of behaviour from his players. With more like him, we might see players becoming role models of decency and fans trying emulate them.

Managing confrontation

When Gordon Strachan was sent to the stand on Sunday, the look of surprise on his face was consistent with someone who genuinely considered himself to be the innocent party, despite which he later expressed regret at “letting his team down”.

Neither surprise, regret nor a shred of humility could be said to apply to Hearts coach John McGlynn who was seen to approach the Celtic bench to direct an uninterrupted stream of abuse. In contrast to his dignified superior Valdas Ivanauskas, McGlynn, would appear to fancy himself as a would-be hate figure for Celtic given some of his comments and actions over the past couple of years and his claims to have been “intimidated” into abusing the Celtic bench betray an idiocy that seems to be ably complemented with illiteracy. Hate figure? Try a panto villain in a cheap costume.

But “uninterrupted” is the operative word on this occasion, given that the approach of the fourth official seemed to be to allow McGlynn to leave his technical area to vent spleen while the man who should have been in the middle simply listened in. Stewarding unruly coaches can be a difficult task for a football official but, apart from checking the odd substitution number and some ritual stud inspection there is precious little for a fourth official to do other than to shepherd coaching staff to within their pens.

Enter Stuart Dougal, whose attention-seeking attitude should increasingly give cause for concern. It would appear that Dougal has identified a vacuum since the retirement of Hugh Dallas. Whether that vacuum is best filled by vacuous responses to situations he is expected to deal with professionally is by no means proven.

Regardless of suspicions and absurd incidents, Dallas was genuinely the best referee in Scotland. Dougal, on the other hand seems to be guilty of provoking confrontation and enjoying the headlines that result. It is surely a coincidence that in the infamous first Old Firm game at Ibrox last season, Dougal’s controversial dismissal of Alan Thompson came after Rangers fans highlighted statistical anomalies relating to their amazing lack of success against Celtic when Dougal had officiated.

Rumours persist, though, that the “lenient” treatment Neil Lennon received, after berating the official following his own red card, had been in part due to accusations that Dougal’s own conduct was not that expected of an official – at least the second occasion on which such criticisms had been levelled at him.

At that point Dougal was said to be ready to resign, prompting an imminent strike due to the fear that referees could no longer feel safe with the likes of Neil Lennon around. Dougal has continued to seek publicity and controversy in what could only be described as a bald attempt to raise his own profile above his fellow referees. That is invariably the wrong step to take.

Is he driven by ego or perhaps noting the income Dallas is able to make with radio appearances and newspaper articles? Does he imagine that by incensing Celtic fans, he will gain more publicity and thus credibility?

Whatever his motivations, his treatment of Strachan – agreeing then refusing to explain his reasons for sending him to the stand – do nothing to encourage respect for referees. It also leaves room for suspicion that Dougal may prefer to deprive Strachan of the opportunity to prepare a defence for accusations that may be made against him.

Dougal ought to wake up to some realities of football:

• Respect is reciprocal

• Managers are there to lead, to be noticed, to give confidence by their presence – publicly backing down to boorish behaviour would display a weakness that would be seized upon by opponents and drain the players of respect

• Like little boys, referees should be seen and not heard.

At the Heart of defeat

Hearts 2 - 1 Celtic
On Sunday the crisis deepened. Celtic lost 50% of their SPL games.

In truth, Hearts were good for the three points they won on Sunday. I can't be the only one to suspect that the excessive watering of the Tyncastle pitch was to combat Celtic's passing but that is perhaps allowable gamesmanship. However, even without Paul Hartley, they looked rather more convincing than Celtic over the piece.

That owes much to the relative defences. With Petrov and Jiri Jarosik both looking to play attacking roles, there was always the feeling that Celtic’s central pairing would come under attack. But one man in particular could look down the pitch for a few valuable lessons.

Gary Caldwell has long been thought of as a quality footballer waiting to happen and was described by his former manager Tony Mowbray as “the best footballing centre-half in Scotland”. Comments like that have ruined many a half-decent defender. It’s hard to figure where Caldwell’s mind is in matches but in recent weeks, it seems that there has been a Caldwell-shaped gap in key areas of defence every time the opposition have scored a goal.

He is also prone to Wannabe-Baresi syndrome in feeling it necessary to run-Forest-run with the ball, without knowing when to stop, pass it short or hoof it. As I have yet to see him make a decent cross and with the very thought of a cross-field pass from him filling me with the Tebilly’s, I would entreat him to look at that mud-and-wattle defender Steven Pressley and learn.

Elvis has rarely been feted for his silky skills but rather was one of those promising players at Rangers who turned into nonentities ( sort of like an early Bob Malcolm). But over the years, Pressley has learned much – not least to play within his limitations and concentrate on old-fashioned proletarian defending. It is a philosophy on which many a good side has been built and in Elvis’s case has turned him into a player who retains limitations but is the most sound centre-half Scotland has.

Caldwell has another example much closer to home (when he is in the position he should be) right beside him in Stephen McManus. McManus has sought nothing other than a chance to play for Celtic by getting on with his job to the best of his ability without delusions of grandeur. I doubt that he will ever make a top-class international but, even accounting for a few too many mistakes, neither is he likely to be the subject of the derision that Caldwell has already attracted.

The choice is stark for Caldwell – take the Elvis approach and grow or stick resolutely on his path to Amorusodom.

The (recent) story so far

It’s always the same for Celtic. No matter what has gone before, a cloud of doubt seems to be hoisted above Celtic Park. Why should this season be any different.

Last season, Gordon Strachan took over the club in the most difficult circumstances possible.

His predecessor had been deified by the fans – and had left in circumstances that could only add anguish to the disappointment of his departure.

There were the remnants of a squad who had achieved much but blown plenty too. So Strachan was looking at an ageing group of players who had just received a kick in the guts on the last day of the season.

But there were other negatives. “Big personalities” was what we were always told we had at Celtic, meaning players who had attained a certain status for their past achievements. There was a downside to that – the same big personalities had enjoyed the favour, and some would say excessive paternal indulgence, of their manager. The result was that too many of them no longer needed to perform to earn their places. In any competitive environment, that’s a disaster waiting to happen.

The best professionals push themselves further and further regardless of what they have achieved and who is barking at them – the Roy Keane mentality. These are rare. Most “ordinary” players – even very good ones - need to be under pressure to perform to maintain the highest levels.

For too many players, that wasn’t happening and they weren’t doing the business as often as they should. The other result was the stifling of emergent talent, bitterness and resentment within the squad. Great performers like Jackie MacNamara felt hard done by seeing players who rarely approached his consistency rewarded far more handsomely.

In walks Gordon Strachan a man who, let’s face it, would be handicapped in any circumstances because he lacked that “Celtic-minded” background that guarantees an opening balance of goodwill and trust from the Celtic faithful. The guy was even assaulted by a Celtic fan when he was an Aberdeen player!

But, with no small amount of guts, he set about rebuilding a squad with precious little money (much of it tied up in old guard salaries) and that meant upsetting favourite players – fans’ favourites and favourites of a much-loved manager).

Strachan made mistakes – learned the hard way about European football; crashed and burned against Clyde. But through it all, in a season in which we were treated to the emergence of a very good Hibs side being eclipsed by an incredibly improved Hearts, he took on the role of alchemist and won the league by a mile – Strachan’s half-built squad skooshed it!

So why the fear? Pre-season was “not ideal” as we keep hearing but then we played some good sides rather than rattling up 12-0 results against Dutch part-timers as was traditional.

Against Kilmarnock, in contrast to the whining mean-spirited observations of Jim Jefferies – Celtic were, in parts, inspired. The “forward unit” displayed real quality – playing pass-and-move football at a pace that Celtic fans have not seen for many years.

Against Hearts, the deficiencies were obvious – but this squad is not built yet. Petrov looks bound for Aston Villa and a comparable replacement will be hard to find. We all know about the full-back situation but when a decent left-back comes in (and he doesn’t even have to be a world-beater), we will find ourselves with a quality right-back to boot (please don’t boot him).

I have to admit that I am gobsmacked to hear Strachan say he is happy with his central defensive pairing – not least because I have yet to see Gary Caldwell play a solid game for anyone and he ain’t half the footballer he’s cracked up to be.

But ultimately, we have the makings of a very good team. Strachan will downplay it because he knows the dangers of the burden of expectation. But he is an excellent coach who is building a team capable of playing fast-moving football that is technically and tactically excellent. I really believe it is starting to happen but our friends in the media – as well as our famed prophets of doom – disagree.

Are we good enough yet? No. The best in Scotland with better to come? I sincerely believe so. Let’s just watch, shall we?

So why do we need another Celtic blog?

The truth is we don’t.

There are already loads of blogs, message boards and websites around devoted to our club.

They represent as many views and backgrounds as you would expect of a club as great as ours.

But Celtic are big enough to accommodate more – and like all blogs, this one is personal. It’s my view on my club and I hope some people find it worth reading even if they hate it.

And remember … one star means more.

• Contact the Blog at:

theceltsarehere@gmail.com