And man of the season, part ’08 is . . .

Gary Caldwell

Of the many qualities that go to making a first-class footballer, Gary Caldwell has one of the rarest in spades: mental strength.

A scan over his early career points to a player who required the greatest determination to rise to the highest levels of the game. A couple of years with Celtic Boys Club before moving to Newcastle in his mid-teens, he secured a contract with the Magpies at 17. So far, so good for the young man.

However, a lack of first-team opportunities saw him loaned out to four clubs between 2001 and 2003. Often that would be a sign that a player was destined for the lower leagues but this is also where Caldwell’s cerebral toughness came through.

During that period, he made his Scotland debut in the most trying circumstances, losing 5-0 to France. If that match was infamous for the scoreline and the subsequent abuse doled out to the then coach Berti Vogts, the enduring image was of Caldwell being taunted by an obnoxious David Trezeguet, who went down in the estimation of many that day.

Many players would have had their confidence shattered but Caldwell used the experience as positive inspiration, determined to be the best player he could be.

Signing for Hibs in 2004, for whom he had played 11 times while on the books at Newcastle, Caldwell soon caught the eye and was described by Tony Mowbray as “the best footballing centre-half in Scotland”. And that soon led to Celtic.

It would be dishonest to say that he was an instant success. In his early days, his performances were sometimes marked by poor positioning and over-ambitious passing that resulted in losing possession. He also found himself playing at right-back – a position that didn’t flatter him, though he performed reasonably enough in the circumstances.

The critics – some not too far from this blog – gave vent to their frustrations but gradually his form improved and his international transformation was illustrated when he scored a memorable winning goal against France at Hampden, by which time an ineffectual Trezeguet had been substituted (he did have a good greet at full-time).

However, just as Gary was starting to look a real player, bad luck struck. An unfortunate accidental collision with David Fernandez led to the former Celt being badly injured. Caldwell was blameless but his performance did seem to be affected. A night to forget away to Benfica was quickly followed by an injury of his own.

On returning, it seemed for a time as if all the good habits had been forgotten and many fans again began to despair of his ever becoming a reliable central defender.

This, though, is where Caldwell has again come into his own. The perfect way to “silence the boo-boys” is always to play better football and Gary’s return to top form was crucial to the run of victories that took Celtic to the title in May. This season, he has been arguably the club’s best player, demonstrating intelligence and maturity in his partnership with Stephen McManus.

Appearances as a defensive midfielder have demonstrated Caldwell’s versatility and given him a chance to display those ball skills that are sometimes best kept hidden by a defender.

He is now enjoying the best football of his career and, in this sort of form, few Celtic fans would want any other player in his position.

A very likely contender for Scotland’s Player of the Year awards, Mr Winning-Mentality is our man of the season, part ’08.





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Aiden McGeady: Penance done – now for contrition, reconciliation and Paradise

It has now been two long weeks since the disconcerting clash between Aiden McGeady and Gordon Strachan led to the player’s suspension.

What now? Well, in such a celebratory week, the best possible end to the year and start to 2009 would be a reconciliation between the two men.

There have been reports that Aiden either had or intended to apologise to Gordon. I hope that, for once, the speculation is true.

Any of us who have ever been young men know how easy it is to blurt out ill-considered words when there is a perception of injustice. One of those hard lessons that you only seem to learn years after it is of any use is that these outbursts are almost invariably a mistake. In fact, as often as not, even when you’re right, you end up in the wrong.

In this case, as has been recognised by most fans, Aiden’s behaviour couldn’t be defended, even if it might be understood. Apart from the issues of internal discipline, the manager’s need to show strength to the dressing room and recognition of the millions of people in soul-destroying jobs who have had to bite their lip when they think their boss is being unreasonable, one fact has been largely ignored.

Gordon Strachan is the manager of Celtic and whoever occupies that role deserves at least the respect that goes along with such a prestigious position at our club. For generations, the manager of Celtic was a figurehead for a community that is unique in football. You cannot abuse the Celtic manager without demeaning part of the club itself.

But there are myriad other reasons for Aiden to take the difficult step of apologising.

Firstly, in his own interests, why would he want to give racist Rangers supporters the satisfaction of leaving the club with so much undone? Thousands of Rangers fans hate Aiden purely because he plays for Celtic and Ireland. If he leaves, it will be the only solace that sorry bunch enjoy this festive season. If he goes without ever having put in a truly memorable performance against them – a Lubo game – he will surely regret it.

Secondly, Aiden really has much to learn about football. He is also in the fortunate position of having all the ability to develop into a top-class player if he can only listen to the advice and instructions of one of the best training ground coaches in the game.

Aiden has been quoted reminiscing on the advice of Tommy Burns, that one piece of magic can win a match. That is true – but the great players look to perform as part of a team for 90 minutes, with the flashes of brilliance merely providing the memorable moments in glittering careers. It is, if you like, the difference between being David Ginola and Zinedine Zidane.

As to taking instructions from a coach; well, where to start? Remember Henrik Larsson when Martin O’Neill came to Celtic? Henrik was already a superstar in the eyes of the fans, yet Martin quickly changed his game, telling him to spend more time in the box and leave the build-up work to others. Larsson could have been forgiven for wondering why anyone should wish to change such an outstanding player. Instead, he chose to put his faith in the manager and rose to even greater heights that need hardly be illustrated here.

Take a star of a different sport: Joe Calzaghe. Calzaghe is probably the finest current British sportsman, thought by very shrewd judges to be the best boxer in the world and, many argue, the greatest British fighter of all time. Yet when things have gone badly in a fight it has been common to see his father and coach, Enzo, berating him on live television, even slapping him.

Did this make Joe “lose face” to the watching millions? No, because throughout it all he recognised that Enzo only ever gave him good advice and had much to teach him about his sport. Calzaghe’s 100% record remains intact and his stature has grown yearly.

Self-confidence is an asset in anyone, especially those who wish to rise to the top. Truly great Celtic players like Tommy Burns, Danny McGrain, Paul McStay and Henrik Larsson married that with a degree of humility that earned them the acclaim so often denied to others less reticent in outlining their own qualities.

It would be deeply sad if Aiden was to leave Celtic without having risen to the standing his talents can and should merit. If he wants to take the place most of us hope he will accede to, amongst the all-time greats, he will need at least two outstanding seasons in the hoops after this one.

Then, when he has learned all he can in the time, when he has been an integral part of great successes, when he has tormented the club’s most bitter rivals, he may wish to look elsewhere – and he will just be entering his peak years.

A couple of other things Aiden might muse on:

- the people who tell you that you are right all the time are rarely the ones giving you the best counsel.
- men who have the ability to offer a sincere apology never lose face – they earn the respect of other men (and women) worthy of the name

I cannot believe that a man like Gordon Strachan – a petulant wee bachle in his time – wants anything other than to reinstate a fruitful relationship with the player who has arguably most to give.

Aiden, I’m sure that like almost all Celtic fans, he expects only the best of you and desires only the best for you. Your future – and a piece of Celtic’s – is in your hands.





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JJB clearance sale now on - everything must go!

Click image for bargains galore!








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Cheap shots and dirty tricks in vain as hamstrung team beats club on its knees

We should have known something was in the air. Indeed, we would have been warned had we been the sort of people to buy the Daily Record: Incorporating the Rangers News.

As the worst paper in Scotland heading further into decline, the Record is the ideal vessel as the tabloid of choice for Rangers. However, even by its low standards, choosing the morning of a game against the Scottish Champions to announce David Murray’s team of all-time Rangers greats was questionable. The content of that list pointed at a man transparently desperate to regain popularity with the lowest form of his club’s fans.

Conveying a bizarre message that he intended to pick only players who “knew what the club was about”, Murray therefore confined himself to Protestant Scots, scorning the contributions of the likes of Brian Laudrup, Mark Hately, Paul Gascoigne, Ray Wilkins, Trevor Steven and even Terry Butcher. (His man at the Evening Times surprisingly got a mention).

He began by declaring that Andy Goram, a known associate of terrorists and other gangsters, recently quoted as having boasted about his racial and sectarian abuse of Pierre Van Hoydonk, a notorious debauched drunk and incorrigible gambler was “a great character, … the best we’ve ever seen”. (Presumably a role model for young Rangers fans).

In case you need reminding, this is the same Rangers Chairman who celebrated his 20 years wreckage of the club by insisting that he acts with “dignity”.

So much for the value of the Record-Rangers alliance – they thinking they’re helping Murray but in fact are only giving him a platform to make an even bigger fool of himself and stripping him of every last shred of credibility in the process.

By the time the teams left the tunnel, it was clear that Murray would do anything to regain that respect that others understand as notoriety. Long ago, when he still occasionally bemoaned the “FTP brigade”, however unconvincingly (he never mentioned Donald Findlay by name, after all), Murray admitted that he had to stop playing the Tina Turner number, “Simply the Best”, because his supporters insisted of shoe-horning “F--- the Pope and the IRA” into their rendition.

On Saturday, however, the strains of the song – and the sectarian abuse that goes with it – were again heard echoing around the stadium. Already, we had some indication that Murray policy at Ibrox is dangerously close to being dictated by the kind of supporters groups usually noted for their fondness of Nazi salutes.

On the pitch, there was something more sinister. There has again been criticism of the Ibrox pitch, with the suggestion that the grass had been watered on the coldest day of the year and the undersoil heating “not working properly”. This is clearly a farcical euphemism. Every time a better team plays at Ibrox – that means every time Celtic play there – the pitch, once described by Murray as one of any football club’s most valuable assets – seems to be in any condition from atrocious to dangerous.

Only a very friendly press and Scottish football administration would continually ignore the fact that this has been a deliberate ploy to frustrate superior teams.

They do have form for this, after all. As far back as their European tie with Dynamo Kiev, Rangers illegally narrowed the pitch between Dynamo training on it and the start of the match. Before their tie with Marseille, the pitch was mysteriously flooded. When they are forced to do so in order to play a team seriously hampered by injuries, it makes clear just how desperate their sense of inferiority has made them.

As usual in the game, the match was notable for the Rangers culture of cheating and dirty tricks – apparently the only speciality of the Walter Smith-Ally McCoist coaching partnership. From Kirk Broadfoot throwing Artur Boruc into the net to Celtic reject Kenny Miller’s diving, it was clear that this was to be a day for winning by unfair means or foul.

Having controlled the ball with his hand before diving outside the box to see his Scotland team-mate Gary Calwell booked, Miller screamed at the referee, apparently believing that his cheating merited a penalty. In doing so, he merely further illustrated that bitterness and second-rate football is now the order of the day at Ibrox and that he is better suited to Rangers than Celtic.

However, in contrast to his last outing against Scotland’s top team, when he seemed to celebrate scoring by shouting “We are the f---ing peepul”, at least his form in front of goal showed that he didn’t discriminate when it came to missing chances. It is unlikely that a Premiership club will be pursuing him this season.

The highlight of the match was, of course, the perfect Celtic goal. Brilliance by Scott McDonald, helped by Georgios Samaras, against a backdrop of Kirk Broadfoot defending. McDonald has shown in recent weeks that a player can work his way through periods of poor form and looks ready to find a goal-scoring streak.

There were several outstanding performances but none more so that Scott Brown. Those who think that Brown must be a defensive or “nullifying” midfielder because he makes a lot of tackles are to be pitied. You will rarely see such a compilation of aggressive energy and attacking instincts in any one player and Brown is an asset far too precious to be allowed to leave.

Along with Barry Robson and Paul Hartley, who both performed heroics in the midfield, Brown seemed to particularly relish the occasion. Brown is maturing rapidly and the day when he utterly dismantles a Rangers team is coming soon.

At the end of the match, the Ibrox PA system belted out Rangers songs in a piqued attempt to drown out the singing of the Celtic supporters.

The attempt failed but did allow for ironic context. As the Celtic fans and players shared the victory, the words rang out: “There’s not a team like the Glasgow Rangers; no, not one and there never shall be one.”

To which the obvious response is: “Thankfully true; and we certainly hope so.”





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The inalienable right of the Hun to sing the Hokey Cokey

A few years ago, I was passing a pub when I overheard a conversation between two men. It became clear that one was advising the other on his heroin habit, summarising by saying: “Listen, get oantae the drink; get affae the drugs – and stop aw this pish!”

On first hearing snippets of this sage advice, some might have sneered at its crass nature. For sure, alcohol can be – and often is – a desperately destructive drug. But it is presented in many a benign form, its consumption is ingrained in the social and religious cultures of millions of people worldwide, and it is relished in its many forms across the social spectrum from cherry brandy to tonic wine.

And yet wasn’t there something in those words of street wisdom? Addicts, after all, often replace one destructive behaviour with another less hazardous obsession.

So why shouldn’t someone suggest that a sometimes dangerous, potentially damaging and often obnoxious – but socially accepted – vice would be an almost desirable alternative to something with the even greater attendant physical dangers and social tragedies associated with heroin?

Such thoughts echoed around what was once my mind in recent days, when the right of loyal Rangers supporters to sing the Hokey Cokey became newspaper hot gossip.

Trying to understand the culture of the archetypal Rangers fan is a soul-destroying fool’s errand. For sure, we know that there are thousands of decent, respectable inoffensive football fans amongst them. It is equally clear that those who are not an acute embarrassment to the sport are being lost among the increasingly loud and aggressive drone of the collective moron that assembles itself in the name of Rangers FC.

Suffice it to say that these are the very people whose culture provided the basis for the development of the American Redneck, a “glorious lack of sophistication”.

On the internet, their hatred and prejudices are laid bare, with any whose appreciation of irony might warn of impending embarrassment banned from the forums.

For example, what religious education has to do with Rangers, only a bigot could explain but it seems to creep into every second forum thread or article by the Rangers illiterati.

Do fans of other clubs obsess on the “sectarian” or “apartheid” youth organisations that meet their approval, despite separating young children on the grounds of religion?

When displaying their hatred of the Irish Catholic community in Scotland, do they ever wonder if they might be asked the question: “What part of Scotland is Ulster?”

Do any of them consider that in singing, “The famine’s over, why don’t you go home?” they are denigrating their own fans and families? Probably not.

Do they ever ponder how they might logically navigate their aggressive rejection of Nil By Mouth (who dared to challenge sectarianism), while at the same time claiming that NBM’s ridiculously flawed condemnation of the word “Hun” made the term “officially sectarian”? Well, we’re talking about the Huns here, after all.

In the last 18 months or so, we have seen Rangers fans contribute the single strongest argument for creationism in demonstrating their ability to defy the forces of evolution. 25 years after the most appalling display of football thuggery, pre-Heysel, they celebrated the anniversary by again embarrassing the nation they claim to love in Barcelona.

And of course, May 2008 was the occasion in which the most vile display of hooliganism, post-Heysel, was manifest in the celebration of Rangers values that was the Manchester UEFA Cup Final.

Today, their celebration of culture stems around besmirching the name of Jock Stein and defaming companies by associating them with the Rangers form of racist banter.

So imagine their joy when they discovered that the old favourite, the Hokey Cokey was alleged to have its origins in mockery of the Catholic Mass. Some might have mused on the nature of a country in which such abuse becomes so ingrained in the culture that it is taught to children.

But, instead, the combined creative and intellectual powers of Rangers have revelled in their ability to try to offend in a novel way – and fight for their right to do so, brothers!

Is this a desirable trait? No. Would it be better if they just tried to sing some positive songs that didn’t celebrate the principles of ethnic cleansing or religious intolerance? Absolutely.

But seriously, given the alternatives, like the advice to the drug addict mentioned before, isn’t the lesser of two evils that Huns should celebrate and define their identity through the Hokey Cokey, that is presuming that they can multi-task enough to perform the actions and remember the words at the same time?

In the words of Homer Simpson: let the baby have its bottle.

Who knows – they might even develop a sense of humour.
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A present for our hosts on Saturday - a cut-out-and-keep Christmas mask






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EXCLUSIVE: McGeady story sparks tension at crisis-hit Herald

EXCLUSIVE

Only one winner between old guard and ‘Young Turd’

It was the story every sports journalist had been waiting for. Known only to an elite few who browsed the internet from around 9pm on Saturday, The Herald’s Monday edition exclusively revealed that an incident had taken place shortly after Celtic’s draw with Hearts (originally described as a defeat in the newspaper story).

Having caught the rest of the recycled paper part of the industry on the hop, Herald Chief Sportswriter Hugh “Scoop” MacDonald seemed to have scored a coup for his team-mates.

However, we can exclusively reveal that the result has been internecine tension at the crisis-hit Herald.

An impeccable source, speaking on condition of anonymity said: “Darryl is fizzing. I mean how else can you describe the bubbles from his mouth and nose. He feels let down by Hugh.
“He always thought of Hugh as a kindly uncle who would offer professional guidance, try to teach him a bit of punctuation now and then and make constructive suggestions, such as what he should write and how he should write it.
“Then Hugh goes and breaks the only news story The Herald has turned up in the last three years and doesn’t even let Darryl share a byline. You’d have to ask if there’s an agenda.”

Emotions are running high at the troubled title, which has announced that almost all of its editorial staff are at risk of redundancy, prompting some to fear for their jobs.

Our source said: “We all expected Hugh to walk but now it seems that he has notions of breaking news stories before he goes. That can only undermine the rest of the sports desk staff.”

However, we can also reveal that Chief Football Writer Broadfoot, known as “Bombscare” due to his tendency to lose concentration at the most crucial times, is unbelievably one of the highest-paid members of staff at the paper. Said our mole: “He kept getting pay rises to ‘keep him happy’. He even got a rise in return for turning down a transfer to Record PM. It was all very Bobo Balde.”

Now the battle lines have been drawn and it seems that a parting of the ways is imminent but our source revealed that Broadfoot has good reason to worry:

“The trouble is that Darryl has burned a lot of bridges. It all started when he started dating pop stars like Michelle McManus. She seemed to have gone to his head.”

Now, however, having fallen out with predecessor Jim Traynor, the man who once tried to sign him for the PM, Broadfoot’s options are limited. He could theoretically remain at the Herald on reduced terms and conditions or try his luck elsewhere. However, it is thought that his lack of proficiency in English may be a handicap. A move to the internet has not been ruled out.

Both camps seemed to have passed the point of no return last night, with a reconciliation unlikely.

A source close to Broadfoot was recently heard to say: “MacDonald’s values are from the last century. [Darryl] has revolutionised sports journalism with his unique big-page-red-top style. [Darryl] can get exclusives any time I want. No less than a Knight of the Realm has assured [him] that I can have as many stories as I want.”

Friends of MacDonald said he was upset by developments.

“Hugh is adamant he has done no wrong. He was given the story by a guy – we’ll call him Mr M – on strict conditions: ‘Don’t let that wee turd Broadfoot anywhere near it.’ What else could he do?”

It now appears that Broadfoot is having his tantrum in public, ruining the story with clumsy prose. Ultimately, whoever wins, The Herald will be the loser from this undignified spat.

The Herald declined to comment officially.





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Koki Mizuno – Celtic’s rising son

Regardless of the result in our final match of the year, Scottish champions Celtic will be SPL leaders when 2009 begins, thanks to a 3-0 win over Falkirk that was far more difficult than the scoreline indicates.

That victory arrived courtesy of one of the most impressive debut performances from a Celtic player in many years. Koki Mizuno has had just a few opportunities as a substitute since his signing in January, showing flashes of quality that offered great hope for the future.

However, the circumstances of his first start only accentuate the quality of a performance that will be the benchmark for young debutants everywhere. At the end of our “difficult week”, few players would choose for their opportunity to come in December amid gale force winds in a half-complete stadium that is fully at the mercy of the elements.

Add to that the fact that Celtic had dropped five points in the last two games – not to mention the fact that the player wide on the left of midfield would be the most keenly scrutinised – and you have the sort of pressure that invariably either brings out the best in a young player or causes them to choke. Mizuno drew on a rare mixture of industry, quality, intelligence and perhaps most importantly first-class professionalism to produce a performance that would be worthy of an established star at the top of his game.

Mizuno’s one major mistake came early in the first half when he was easily robbed of the ball in the left-back position but he was continually willing to spend time in his own penalty box to assist the defence. His athletic qualities were demonstrated by his burst of pace to score on the 90th minute, having tracked back so often, and the manner in which he so often beat defenders to the ball without ever looking as if he was straining to reach top speed.

The memorable video-byte will be of Mizuno’s goal, hurdling a tackle to then outpace Falkirk’s last defender, fend off the predictable foul and still finish with all the control of a well-struck penalty. However, even more impressive was his passing and movement.

The ability to “find spaces” is often attributed to top players who can marry athleticism with a superior ability to anticipate the flow of play in a match. But the outstanding aspect of Mizuno’s performance was his vision and range of perfectly-weighted passes that created many opportunities for his team-mates. Dare one say it, his use of the ball was reminiscent of Paul McStay.

It is early days for such high praise but Mizuno did turn in what was arguably the best showing in the left of Celtic’s midfield this season and should surely have been a contender for man-of-the-match, despite the excellent work done by Scott McDonald.

Now can he play to that standard every time? If he can, a star is born.





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Leave now, Aiden, and take your place in Celtic history

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Sometimes players go a bit left field

“NOW that Tommy’s gone, maybe all the young players Tommy has coached over the years will think about what he’s said to them and take it on board. If they’re intelligent enough and think about the knowledge Tommy gave them, hopefully they will take something from it.”

Danny McGrain

“HE did the right things, he looked after his diet, he worked hard at his game as he just wanted to further himself all the time. The red hair wasn’t purely superficial as he had a wee sharp temper as well, which was excellent as I like people with spirit and Tommy had spirit in abundance. But he was a good example to youngsters because he was dedicated. He didn’t have to tell them a lot as they saw it in him and he was a well-disciplined boy off the park. He was straightforward and honest and upright with it and that was probably Tommy at his best. He treated people as he expected to be treated himself.”

Billy McNeill

So what if I had only just turned 12? I was young enough to read the papers, smart enough to recycle what they – and their TV counterparts – had to say. And that was enough to convince me that the imminent marriage of a precocious talent would work wonders for his maturity and development into a top-class professional.

I remember my father, who devoted less time to digesting the collected wisdom of the popular press, looking at me with an incredulity that bordered on astonishment, with a smidgeon of panic thrown in. Fortunately, these were the days when that sort of parenting was summarised with myriad variations on the question, “What nonsense are you talking now?”

“He’s 24 – bit of a hot-head but he could be a great player. I reckon, now that he’s getting married he’ll settle down and get into less trouble.”

And you know what? I was right. I never again saw that talc-white chest with the wee red nipples topped off with orange paint – because I never again saw him rip off the Celtic shirt in anger at some referee’s (or manager’s) decision.

Now I have to say right now that Tommy did me – and about a couple of million others – proud. But once upon a time some people doubted that he would turn all that skill, talent and potential on the left of midfield into the sort of outcome that would make us sing with joy while he played and look weeping into mirrors, wondering where such a great part of our lives went when he was, unbelievably, taken from us.

It has been said recently that Tommy Burns was the “buffer” between Aiden McGeady (22)and Gordon Strachan.

I never had any advice from Tommy – but if I had, I would have listened.





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Playing the press is a dangerous game, Aiden

While most of us have by now become inured to media stories telling us that we are to lose our best players, the recent revelation by The Herald’s Hugh MacDonald that Aiden McGeady is ready to leave Celtic cannot be dismissed with our now customary contempt.

We are well used to journalists in the red-tops mixing blatant lies with crude PR on behalf of our lesser rivals. And even in the quality titles such as The Herald, we would rarely give credence to such tales if they came from Darryl “I-Learned-a-Big-Word-Today” Broadfoot.

However, the story about McGeady is intriguing on two counts.

Firstly, the writer: unlike almost all of his colleagues, for many years Hugh MacDonald seems to have resisted the temptation to amuse himself or gain notoriety by producing the unadulterated guff that passes for sports journalism in Scotland. So, when he suddenly breaks a story such as this, it is very unlikely that he is making it up.

Secondly, the content of the article, specifically the quotes, point very squarely at Aiden himself or his representatives as the source.

"Aiden took the criticism for some time but then hit back," said the source, speaking under condition of anonymity….
"The manager seemed to be blaming Aiden for the result," said the dressing-room source. "Aiden was quiet but, as the manager went on, he let him have it. He did not hold back."

“It is understood that Peter Lawwell, chief executive of Celtic, has been informed of the breach between player and manager and will advise board members today of the depth of the rift. Sources close to the player believe that the board will have to back Strachan, paving the way for the 22-year-old to leave the club he joined as a schoolboy.”

“The most likely outcome is that the player will be allowed to leave Glasgow with England or Bayern Munich in Germany, his most likely destinations.”

There are a number of interesting elements to these statements.

To begin with, why would Celtic have decided to sell the player 24 hours after Shaun Maloney suffered a serious hamstring injury? The most likely answer to that is that they have not – it is merely wishful thinking on the part of McGeady or his agent, perhaps believing that they can force the club's hand.

Also, while MacDonald has protected him as well as anyone can in the circumstances, the story also reveals interest from Bayern Munich, as far as I know the first time this has been intimated. That would suggest that the dressing room “source close to the player” is very close indeed – in fact, close enough to share the same jockstrap.

Next there is the content of the quotes themselves: "The manager seemed to be blaming Aiden for the result. Aiden was quiet but, as the manager went on, he let him have it. He did not hold back."

Who would indulge in such a self-pitying “’snot fair” whine after a dressing down from the manager, before boasting that he had then let him “have it”?

It is less than six months since McGeady signed a new five-year contract, letting slip in the televised media conference that he expected to remain for “two or three years”. Now is not the time to throw a tantrum demanding a move.

Aiden has much to achieve at Celtic – and a great deal to learn. He can learn respect for people in the game who know more about it than him. He can learn to listen to instructions. He might also learn when to run into players and when to pass.

He could also learn to accept criticism like a very wealthy footballer expected to play to a match plan, rather than impersonating Derek Riordan.

If McGeady was as shrewd a judge of the game as he appears to think he is, he would know that the wisest move is to become the best player he can be at Celtic before moving to one of the world’s top leagues. Gordon Strachan can help him achieve that. We can only imagine how managers like Alex Ferguson would react to any player who cannot follow instructions or who performs inconsistently.

He would also be well-advised to bide his time until it becomes clear how the seismic shifts in the financial world affect the top clubs. For all he knows, this time next season, Manchester City might be the top club in England, while a giant like Newcastle United could be playing in the Championship.

And if he has any sense he will learn of the dangers of conducting his business through the press.

He may think that by avoiding the usual suspects in the Record, Sun and Evening Times, he is spinning this story in a more subtle way than others have done.

But once a player has gone down the route of turning up the pressure by “going public” with a matter that could better be resolved in a more mature manner, he usually ends up losing … often starting with respect.





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Poll result: Lawwell v the legend

The voting has closed on our poll asking fans whose side they were on in the recent spat between Peter Lawwell and Charlie Nicholas.

A respectable 271 votes were cast and the results are as follows:

• Charlie Nicholas – 12% (32 votes)

• Peter Lawwell – 84% (228 votes)

• Neutral – 4% (11 votes)

(figures rounded to nearest whole number)

Lawwell took an early lead, which he never seriously looked like losing, hovering around the 90% mark in the early voting before dipping back slightly. However a late rally saw Charlie peg the Chief Exec back, peaking at just under 12% of the votes as the poll closed.

So, regardless of any grievances or reservations over recent policy decisions, our straw poll nevertheless strongly backs Lawwell against this particular media attack.

The only other thing to say is how flattered we are that Charlie Nicholas has visited the blog more than 30 times in the last week.





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Celtic in crisis – Boruc out – Strachan must go

Just a week after we supposedly won the SPL, it’s crisis time again as our lead at the top of the table was cut to four points.

Of course the talking point will be Artur Boruc’s clanger, which will become a Youtube classic before long. Boruc is good but, whatever his personal circumstances, he does need to concentrate fully on his job as a professional football player – even if John Rankine later said he had been practising his “squiggles” from 40 yards.

That said, the chances of the Celtic supporters being conned by a gleeful press into turning on him are surely remote. Artur has earned the esteem of Celtic supporters and it will take more than the odd howler to challenge his position as first-choice goalkeeper and one of our favourite sons.

And, though the error was inexcusable, Boruc was not helped today by a bizarre team selection. Gary Caldwell was arguably our best player at Easter Road and, at this stage, is vying with Scott Brown for the title of Celtic’s player of the year.

We know he can play in midfield – and more power to him – but it seems ridiculous to have broken up Caldwell’s defensive partnership with Stephen McManus to accommodate Glenn Loovens. Injuries undoubtedly played their part but rather than tinker with defence, surely Paul Caddis or Aiden McGeady could have started in midfield.

If Gordon Strachan didn’t see McManus and Loovens troubled at any time, presumably he missed the first-half miss by Steven Fletcher (admittedly McManus was nowhere to be seen at the time).

Loovens has his qualities but positional sense is not one of them. On several occasions he was caught out of position and indeed the central defenders pushing too far forward was a theme of the game.

And yet – here we go – it could all have been so different if Celtic had invested properly in the summer. We started the season with only three established strikers, two of whom have been injured, with the other one rarely looking like threatening to score.

That was always likely to be problematic and the real surprise is not that Celtic failed to score against Hibs but that we managed to win 12 matches without being fully staffed in that area.

Today, the strikers may as well have been non-existent. Scott McDonald did work hard, Cillian Sheridan, who is still young and inexperienced, made no discernible impact and Georgios Samaras clearly still has some way to go to reach peak fitness.

It has become commonplace for those defending this failure to strengthen (and left-back is still an issue) to portray those who wished to see the club with a balanced squad as demanding reckless spending. That is not the case. Some people would just like to see the club assemble a squad that has adequate strength in all areas. That, we clearly do not have.

Some of the decisions made recently are tantamount to setting up a jewellery store and saying that you don’t have enough money for proper security.

The apologists for this negligence – and that is precisely what it is – insist on comparing our “net spend” to Britain’s worst-run club since Leeds United, one that is in the midst of a calamitous financial crisis brought about by a bombastic impresario.

Is this the only benchmark?

The more I read from some Celtic officials and commentators telling us how it is ridiculous to have expected our worldwide scouting network to have identified a striker and left-back, the more they sound like politicians telling us there is nothing in the coffers to fund free personal care for the elderly.

At football clubs, like central government, funds are found depending on the policy whims of the day.

It is simply dishonest to represent those of us who identified weaknesses in the squad months ago as demanding random, unsustainable spending. And let’s not forget that Celtic’s failure to do so has already cost the club millions of pounds in European football revenue.

Gordon Strachan must shoulder some of the blame, but not the lion’s share. However, if he continues to make excuses for people he believes to be his friends, he may very well one day find himself being held accountable for the failures of others.

The newspapers, of course, will have their headlines, which we in turn will ignore.

Those charged with running the club, those whose only comprehension of ownership is defined by the number of shares certificates with their name on them, ought to think twice before trying to reconcile the supporters to another disappointing transfer window.





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The day the Celtic manager became media-proof

There were many observations – a lot of them ignorant – on Gordon Strachan’s walking out on the Celtic Park media conference on Friday. (Notably Saturday’s Football Focus misrepresented the issue before being corrected)

For those who don’t know by now, having agreed with the media that there would be no discussions on his future at Celtic for the Sunderland manager’s post, BBC Scotland’s Chris McLaughlin decided to ask: “Do you see your long-term future at Celtic?”

What was on McLaughlin’s mind, only he can answer. Was he having a brain-dead moment? Was he trying to be antagonistic? Broadcast or print journalists are rarely expected to respond to such speculation.

And, ironically, the question came after Gordon had insisted on maintaining a gentleman’s agreement, despite others having leaked information on a managers’ meeting to the press.

But Strachan’s upset was clear: “When I give you respect, I don’t get it back.”

He didn’t mention his counterpart at Ibrox (and probably wasn’t thinking about him). But it must irk the Celtic manager that a special level of disdain is reserved for the incumbent in that role in a Scottish media that fawns over anyone who happens to occupy the Ibrox hotseat.

It has always been this way in living memory and Celtic managers have responded in a variety of ways. Alex Ferguson remarked how Jock Stein gathered information on the hacks who followed Celtic around, often making reference to their secret vices just within their earshot.

Billy McNeill famously punched Gerry McNee, who had been so thin-skinned on hearing some implied criticism of his work that he foolishly suggest Billy discuss it with him outside.

Kenny Dalglish moved media conferences to the Celtic social club and had inveterate liar and embittered Celtic critic Hugh Keevins forcibly ejected.

But, when the press held power, many Celtic fans were sadly misled – goaded into abusing the key figures at Celtic by reporters and editors with an all-too-obvious agenda.

Josef Venglos was subjected to humiliating abuse, as was John Barnes, while a torrent of criticism was directed at McNeill, Dalglish, Jock Brown (yes, he was human too), Fergus McCann and latterly Strachan. Even Martin O’Neill was attacked for putting his arm round Neil Lennon in a show of support.

However, I sense that something has changed. With the advent of the internet bringing numerous Celtic sites and forums to fans’ computers, not to mention better-quality sports coverage from non-Scottish titles, supporters have choices. And increasingly, that choice is to make up our own minds, discarding the vacuous pronouncements of the fourth estate with the contempt they generally so fully merit.

Walter Smith or David Murray need not fear criticism from the press because unwritten codes prohibit such comment.

But with Strachan’s defiance, there was a sense of confidence. Perhaps there was a realisation that the Scottish media have damaged their credibility irreparably with Celtic fans to the extent that all their jibes, spin, and venom are utterly irrelevant.

Celtic fans will still criticise the club and certain people when they feel the need to. The debate between us will continue to be vociferous.

But as far as those reporters, writers, subs and editors who think of themselves as bona fide journalists are concerned, they might as well be talking to themselves.

Friday 5th December 2008 – the day the Celtic manager became media-proof.





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Celtic need that Conan Spirit

Crush your enemies, see them driven before you; hear the lamentation of their women

Conan the Barbarian

Enjoyable as it has been to witness fans of our smaller rivals surrender the SPL, we would do well to remember that rumours of our fourth consecutive title are premature.

Competitive European football is now a memory, with a Champions League visit from our friends at Villarreal little more than a prestige friendly, and the time is now to look forward.

Looking as objectively as any Celtic fan can – and noting a fascinating piece of statistical analysis by Pablo 5 on Celtic Underground (one that will surely be copied in every red-top in the country) – the omens are good.

We have a lead of seven points, the best squad in the country, we are anticipating the return to fitness of some of our best players and we have a promise that the squad will be strengthened in the January transfer window, playing under one of the best managers in the UK.

Meanwhile, our most respected and professional competitors (Hibs, Hearts, Aberdeen, Dundee Utd, Falkirk, Caley Thistle, Motherwell, Hamilton, St Mirren) are just some of those who may lose some of their top talent in the new year.

But there is nothing more dangerous in football (outside of visiting Rangers fans) than complacency and that makes me worry when I hear talk of the treble and breaking British records (In fairness to Gary Caldwell, that was tabloid spin on very reasonable comments).

The trouble with too many people telling you that the league is won is that sometimes the wrong people believe it.

A seven-point lead can evaporate in football faster than you can blow a fortune on Deal or No Deal – a couple of draws and the picture can look very different. And winter football is notoriously turgid, where nil-nils thrive along with all the other bugs.

Seven points, at this stage, is no more than a platform. What is needed now is absolute ruthlessness, a revelling in crushing the ambitions of our rivals. None of them will stand back and applaud us to the title.

You could call it the Conan spirit. After all, why should all the barbarians be on the other side?

• Well done to Gordon for telling the punters where to go as they tried to goad him into discussing leaving the club after they had been asked not to. Tomorrow's rags will no doubt carry headlines "Strachan refuses to rule out Sunderland move"
  

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Gers reach for the stars with celebrity swoop

The rest of Britain might be feeling the pinch but, while the credit crunch bites elsewhere, Rangers are dancing with the stars.

The Glasgow club’s celebrity fans reads like a Hollywood A-list and now one of the most illustrious of that elite band is to join the club.

Darts ace Andy Fordham is to join Kenny McDowall and Ally McCoist as club conditioning coach, bringing his Celebrity Fit Club secrets to the stars of Ibrox.

Having lost 17st, Andy has some handy pointers to pass on with programmes that will be tailored to individuals.

His input is already being tipped to turn the Ibrox heroes of today into the international superstars of tomorrow – and home-grown talent will benefit the most.

One early beneficiary could be Charlie Adam, who Walter Smith expects to be transformed from left-back to legend.

Said an Ibrox insider: “Andy immediately identified Charlie as someone he could help. He was amazed at the similarities between their diets and fitness regimes. One of the first things Andy will do is recommend that Charlie adopt his trick of cutting out the daily 23 lagers and lamb bhoona. Andy has also suggested he swap his training couch for an exercise bike.”

“His sale value could rocket before January though we are under no pressure to sell our players.”

It is expected that others could benefit, too, with a weight-loss programme likely to ease the pressure on Allan McGregor’s knees, which we understand are nevertheless in perfect condition.

But our source was quick to emphasise that every player has a tailored fitness regime and that some are already at optimum fitness.

“Some guys – like Kris Boyd – are just naturally fit. For Kris, the lager and kebabs actually help him reach peak form due to his unique metabolism. He is market ready right now, though only a major offer would land him and we don’t want to sell.”

If the news from Murray Park is exciting, it’s just the first of many ventures that add glitz and glamour to an already illustrious club.

We can exclusively reveal that talks are underway to engage celebrity chef and former Rangers reserve Gordon Ramsay to pop in to offer anger management training and relationship advice.





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Plans leaked for Rangers BBC protest

At some personal risk, one of our contacts has obtained a pre-issue copy of the planned itinerary and code of conduct for the next Rangers supporters' protest at the BBC. We would like to stress that no civil servants or senior parliamentary figures were involved.

BBC Scotland Protest – Dec 20th 2008 – 12.45PM – Outside BBC Scotland HQ Pacific Quay

Brothers and sisters, As many of you will know, we the Loyal followers of Rangers Football Club have been denigrated and depicted as animals by Republican Romanists in the Scottish media and their counterparts across the continent.

Every right-thinking individual knows that we are a happy-go-lucky, dignified, honourable group of men and women and we have taken this stand to demonstrate that we will not be portrayed as racists, bigots or sectarian thugs – especially by Papes, Fenians, Timmies and former pupils of apartheid educational establishments – and are prepared to use force as a last resort to make this point clear.

The joint command of the Rangers Volunteer Freedom Defence Fighters have issued the following statement outlining conduct to be followed at all times and a handy programme of events for our peaceful assault on Pacific Quay.

11.00: Assembly – Bears will assemble in good order at the Govan Orange Halls

1130: Parade on the Queen’s highway towards Pacific Quay. (The precise route will be as follows: O’Halloran’s Butchers (spending no more than 15 minutes. Beware of broken glass), St Gerards RC Church, Our Lady of Consolation RC Primary, St Patrick’s RC Church, Lloyd’s Pharmacy, Subway (Sandwich shop – NOT the Undergound this time), Glasgow RC Cathedral, BBC HQ in Pacific Quay. Time is limited so stops at these points on the route will have to be minimal. Be warned.
We have been advised that Papists and Celtic supporters hell-bent on disrupting our protest may be within these churches in large numbers provocatively practising the Sunday Mass and making various religious gestures. Rise above them!
And DO NOT partake of refreshment at their bread and wine stalls!

1245: Peaceful Protestantism at BBC HQ. Several events have been planned and thanks go to all who have contributed to the organisation as well as our many celebrity fans.

1300: There will be a mass recitation of the news bulletin completely exonerating Rangers of any wrongdoing by UEFA in the disappointed voice of Kheredine Idessane. This will be led by former Ranger Bob Malcom (FTP), who is having his hair specially styled for the occasion.

1315: There will be a minute’s silence for those who lost their dignity for the cause. Special remembrances of the day: Donald Findlay and Andy Goram (whose bar is sponsoring the armbands).

1317: (to be confirmed) Depending on how long the minute’s silence takes, we will then be treated to a stand-up comedy routine by celebrity Bluenose Colin Montgomerie. He will also be signing copies of his book, Smiling in Adversity

1330: Hell’s Burger Stand – Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay will exhibit his special meat and two veg. (Thanks go to Sisters, Mrs Wilomena Wright and her daughters Chardonnay and Blossom Hill, who have agreed to accommodate and entertain Gordon).

1400: Special message from world famous Bluenose Mr S Connery from the Marbella Loyal RSC, who is to send a video message highlighting 007 points.

1415: Sean Connery will then be repudiated as an enemy of the union with an all-too-suspiciously sounding Timmy name

1500: Guest star, Bluenose and anti-drugs campaigner Marti Pellow will lead the singing with a specially-penned version of Ulster, Just Say No. It is hoped the crowd will join him in community singing of “Wishing I was lucky”

1530: Irish flag/Celtic shirt burning

1540: Run like *&$% to try to catch the end of the Rangers game

NOTES

• Throughout the day, Jimmy Spratt and Northern Ireland Culture Minister Gregory Campbell will be on hand to offer personal hygiene advice to the Manchester and Barcelona heroes.

• Beware Timposters and infiltrators! We have already had to deal with an enquiry from a couple claiming to be Bluenoses named Rose and Harry, before an eagle-eyed volunteer spotted that this could be contracted to the Rosary! We have also dispensed with the services of Mr Chapel.

• We have been legally advised by our legal advisers against exercising our right to free speech by singing the Famine Song, as this may tend to open us to criticism. As a compromise, we have decided that old favourites A Father’s Advice and the Billy Boys will be sung to the tunes of Sloop John B and Home on the Range respectively. We are confident that this cannot be portrayed in any negative way.

• Robust protesters (all you Lambeg drummers out there) are especially welcome to carry banners. A 3mx2m monitor displaying the offensive headline: "Rangers in Union Flag row" will be carried and ceremonially disconnected, at which point it will be pelted with beer bottles in a controlled and peaceful manner.

All in all, it should be a great day out where Bears come together to stand up for our culture, dignity and parity of esteem.





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Who to back - Lawwell or the legend?

Feeling compelled to criticise your club is an unpleasant endeavour at the best of times. Finding that some of your views are shared by Charlie Nicholas, can just make you feel dirty.

So we are presented with a dilemma. Who would you back – the former idol of the terraces who quite rightly points out that Celtic were ill-prepared for the recent European football campaign, or the suit, who finally snapped and hit back in a bitter personal dispute?

Well, for me, that’s a no-contest. I don’t like some of the decisions that have been taken at Celtic lately and I like even less the attempts to manage the expectations and opinions of the fans.

But Peter Lawwell, like everyone who rises to the top in commerce, is a survivor. Charlie Nicholas, on the other hand – like most former Celts in the media – can most kindly be described as a buffoon.

His latest bitch that "Lawwell's ego has become so big he has forgotten the true soul of the club, the fans," at least allows us a laugh. Nicholas has many qualities – but he will never have to fear accusations of modesty. This is a man who has been known to list himself in the list of Celtic legends.

We also don’t need to dwell too long on the quality of this pundit’s judgement. After all, when faced with the first possibility to jump ship from the club you claim to love, where you had been given the opportunity to fulfil your dreams (and yes, for a short time, he was very, very good), should you:

A – Stay for another year out of loyalty
B – Go to Liverpool, the most successful club in Europe
C – Join perennial challengers Manchester United, the biggest club in Britain
D – Sign for Arsenal, a team going nowhere, in the belief that you are so fab you will single-handedly make them world-beaters while visiting London’s glitziest clubs?

Charlie’s choice is now as legendary as “and-Smith-must-score” – but who could blame him for having his head turned? By that time he had already been modelling white slip-ons and pleated trousers for the Evening Times and giving fashion tips advising young men to reallocate the resources of their sock drawer.

It says much of Charlie’s ability to waste his own talent that the most significant contribution he made to any team was to Aberdeen and yet he barely rates a mention among the Dons heroes.

Having steadfastly refused to return to Celtic because “that would be a backward step”, he eventually did come back to a team that would be eliminated from the UEFA Cup by Xamax Neuchâtel – a team so bad that, even following a 5-1 defeat in Switzerland, there was hope that Celtic could yet qualify.

An early penalty miss at Celtic Park from – you guessed it, Charlie Nicholas – put paid to those ambitions. That said, an aggregate win over Germinal Ekeren can hardly be discounted in perusing the European achievements of that team of Charlie’s.

The final benchmark on Nicholas’s return was the manner in which he was outshone by a Frank McAvennie whose own second stint at Celtic (we had beaten Partick thistle to his signature) came after years of boozing, cocaine abuse and with an ankle that had been smashed to pieces by Chris Kamara.

However, Nicholas is not alone in believing too strongly in his own greatness. Having, for years, rubbed shoulders with Rodney Marsh, who thinks his talent comparable to George Best’s, he found a spiritual home at SkySports TV.

And something about media punditry seems to turn Celtic players into idiots who take pleasure in putting the boot into the team. Alan McInally (he played for Bayern Munich, you know) made the flesh creep with his nauseating sycophancy in trying to win over Rangers supporters.

Murdo MacLeod – the epitome of “boy done good” sports broadcasting – also revels in opportunities to roundly condemn Celtic while being far more circumspect with his comments on Glasgow’s smaller team. Davie Provan gives the impression of a man who is embittered by everything while Craig Burley deludes himself that he is still widely loved and admired for his modest skills.

MacLeod and Provan at least can have genuine claims of making a sustained and outstanding contribution to Celtic. John Hartson, as yet appears to have resisted the tradition of unfairly criticising Celtic to win over Rangers fans, though anyone who writes columns for Scotland’s tabloids will rightly be viewed with some suspicion.

And, of course, Bertie Auld has recently joined in with his comments, probably designed to promote his book. In Auld’s case, at least no-one can doubt his desire to see Celtic prosper and his place as an all-time great will never be challenged.

But that is where Lawwell and Nicholas really don’t stand comparison. Whatever your opinion of some of his decisions, it is undeniable that Lawwell is one of the best in his field and has made a huge contribution to Celtic’s recent (and hopefully future) success. He may never be accorded legendary status but the empirical evidence suggests that his importance to Celtic dwarfs that of middle-rung players like Nicholas and Burley.

It is true that ex-players have every right to express their opinions, even if it is remarkable that the same behaviour is almost never given page space when the subject is Rangers.

When those comments seem to be exclusively the embittered rantings of players turned media whores, they should expect a response.

Nicholas 0-1 Lawwell
(Missed pen. - Nicholas)





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More work for Media House after Rangers terrorist chants

Democratic Unionist politicians will no doubt have been dismayed watching television footage of Hearts v Rangers.

Not because, in the absence of Kevin Thomson, Hearts coursed through the visitors’ midfield like a dose of salts – no, this will particularly interest Jimmy Spratt and Gregory Campbell.

As both have been quick to express offence at the conduct of Celtic supporters, they will presumably be contacting Rangers and the SPL to complain about the pro-terrorist singing from the visiting supporters.

The old dirge, A Father’s Advice, rang from the stands. Admittedly, like most Rangers songs, it is primarily offensive to the art of song-writing. Rarely can one group of people have embraced such a repertoire of a-poetical drivel as an expression of their culture.

However, the song is an exhortation to join the YCV, a sectarian paramilitary youth organisation, re-formed by Loyalist killer Gusty Spence as a youth wing of the murderous UVF.

We await the condemnation of this celebration of terrorism from Northern Ireland’s elected representatives.





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Three key players who wrecked Celtic’s European dreams

Celtic fans have rightly sneered in recent times at the increasingly crude media management employed by David Murray and his Media House cronies, using second-rate Play-Doh hacks to deflect attention from the behaviour of Rangers fans.

Celtic have been much more subtle. Peter Lawell, for example, is a much more shrewd operator than Murray (and could teach him a thing or two about dignity). But that’s not to say that certain figures at Celtic have made less strenuous efforts to spin their way out of the public eye when the club’s failings have been concerned.

And chief victim of this is Gordon Strachan. Has Strachan made mistakes? Is he often too reluctant to make attacking changes? Could he sometimes be described as too much a coach and not enough of an old-fashioned manager? Undoubtedly.

Has he been a Chief Executive’s dream? You betcha!

Let’s be clear about one thing – Celtic, above the coaching level, did not plan for the last 16 of this season’s Champions League. The club calculated for a lucrative UEFA Cup run and championship-winning season.

They watched a pitiful Rangers side clump to a final in Manchester and said: “We’ll have some of that.”

How do we know this? Because Celtic’s unofficial channels that explain away policies before they have even become official told us so before a ball was kicked in anger. When the club was crying out for the left back and striker the fans expected, suddenly the focus turned to “cash in the bank”, and “financial consolidation” keeping us ahead of our domestic rivals for the foreseeable future. It was then that speculation turned to the benefits of a UEFA Cup run in comparison to one more round in the Champions League against a club we had little hope of beating. This does not happen by accident.

Well, when you aim for second best, you very often end up with nothing.

Now, however, the same “insiders” are telling us that, whatever else may be wrong at Celtic, lack of investment in the team isn’t one of them. “Net spend” is relatively high, we hear. The implication is clear – Peter Lawwell, Dermot Demond and John Reid aren’t to blame; Gordon Strachan is.

It is a shoddy way to treat a manager who has continually delivered success under extreme financial constraints and sung the praises of his “friends” at the club in the process.

Did Strachan, who maintains the most detailed database of players, say he didn’t want another left-back, additional top quality central defender and proven goalscorer? If he did, he should come out and say so. If instead he was forced to accept that sufficient funds would be unavailable, those who made that decision should be held accountable.

Strachan still has and always will have fans who compare him unfavourably to Martin O’Neill. How would he have reacted to this?

I suspect that he would have publicly embarrassed the officials who were failing to support him. I doubt that he would have quietly acquiesced while players like Du Wei were foisted upon him to “appeal to the Chinese market”. I wonder if he would have sat back while players like Marc Crosas (admittedly a good addition) were delivered in deals that were conducted in the board room without the coaching staff being asked for an opinion.

You can be certain that O’Neill would have raised the roof if he suspected that private briefings were being issued to have the blame laid entirely at his door while those who frustrated his attempts to improve the squad were exonerated.

I suspect that this will be Gordon Strachan’s last season at Celtic, though I hope I am wrong. If that is the plan, then some figures at Celtic may think they have little to lose in feeding him to the piranhas to enable them to hide.

It is true that some fans judge ambition only on the size of the transfer fee paid for “wow signings”. It also appears that, whatever the financial climate, some of the recent calls for prudence would have been more appropriate to the last Chancellor of the Exchequer than the former Home Secretary. There is a middle ground – sign better players than you have and build the squad you need.

Notably, Celtic’s own website has only two news items on the exit from Europe. The names Reid, Lawwell and Desmond are not mentioned. They should not, however, believe that underhand tactics will fool all of the people all of the time.






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Amateurs embarrass fans

We can say all we like about Celtic’s “mystifying” inability to win away from home – even laugh about it from time to time.

But there is no excuse for losing to a team that was easier to break down than St Mirren at the weekend. If Georgios Samaras is unfit, then his place should have been taken by Cillian Sheridan (himself unimpressive in the time he was on).

What is the story with Samaras in Champions League games?

The man with the lowest pulse rate in the SPL has been conspicuously bad in his European ventures for Celtic, panicking into making no decision, rather even than the wrong one in front of goal.

And ridiculous decision-making is one of the major criticisms to be levelled at Celtic especially away from home. How many times did Andreas Hinkel play the ball backwards rather than across the field? How many times did Celtic players pass to Aalborg players rather than find their own men?

Aalborg are the worst side Celtic have ever faced in the Champions League group stages, yet still the Danes managed to take four points.

Gordon Strachan could do worse than offer his own explanations. I didn’t see what happened off the field preceding Shaun Maloney’s arrival, one minute before the end of ordinary time. I’m quite glad as, for several minutes prior to that, I had been predicting that Gary Pendrey would be drawing diagrams three minutes before the end.

It’s too easy to name names of players who badly let Celtic down – Scott McDonald, for example – but that would be to exonerate the rest. Boruc, Wilson, Brown and Robson can perhaps be given pass marks.

Territorial dominance and creating chances mean nothing if you throw away chances and bring poor teams into games with absurd passing and players who look like they should be in their beds. If you do you that you deserve to lose.





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Keep politics - and poppies - out of football

In these times when supporters are urged to keep politics and football separate, it is unfortunate that an SPL dictat will see all players forced to wear a poppy during matches this weekend.

More disappointing is the foolish and insensitive actions of Celtic’s representatives at SPL level, apparently waving through this decision with as much resistance as is met by teenaged neds encroaching on the pitch on Champions League nights.

Predictably, and understandably, Irish supporters have expressed their concern. The Association of Irish Celtic Supporters' Clubs was quoted as saying in their statement:

“While respectful of the symbolism of the poppy in Britain and keeping in mind those Celtic players, employees and supporters who either lost their lives or those of family members and friends in war, we are disappointed at this decision (apparently taken without consultation with supporters' groups) in light of the fact that the poppy is seen as a more divisive symbol in Ireland where many Celtic supporters are based and from where many others claim their heritage.

“Many supporters in general and members of the AICSC in particular will have wholly negative views of the British army's operations in Ireland and, indeed, have also lost their lives or those of family members and friends as a result. We feel that they too should be remembered at this time and regret the potentially divisive nature of this weekend's planned initiative.”

The AICSC statement was measured and appropriate, not least in recognising that players and fans fought in those wars, a practice that was supported by no less than Willie Maley.

However, with respect to the club’s thousands of Irish supporters, Peter Lawwell and John Reid might have focussed on other interests of even more direct relevance to their responsibilities. That is to Celtic players themselves.

It is quite conceivable that Celtic could have four Irish nationals, a German, an Italian and a Japanese player featuring in this weekend’s match against Motherwell.

Even given the disdain with which the sensitivities of the Irish are routinely dismissed in Scotland, did Celtic officials consider the dilemmas posed to players like Massimo Donati, Andreas Hinkel or Shunsuke Nakamura to be forced to wear a symbol in remembrance only of those who were engaged in war against their ancestors and countrymen?

How, one wonders, would it be received if Nakamura was to instead prefer to wear a chrysanthemum or any player wear a white poppy as a symbol of peace?

It is every nation’s right to remember those who died in its armed forces, whether in defence of the nation or in blindly pursuing the political aims of its government. For that reason, audible or visual protests are not appropriate on these occasions.

However, questions must be asked of the Celtic hierarchy – not to mention those of other clubs. Did anyone ask Andrius Velicka or any of the other Lithuanian players in Scotland how they feel about the poppy, given that their country fought against the Russians during WWI?

What about Andis Shala, a Kosovar German playing for Dundee Utd?

Does anyone care about the feelings of the many Irish internationals at Dundee Utd and elsewhere, instructed to honour men who became Black & Tans or who were serving when Lloyd George threatened “an immediate and terrible war” in 1921, not to mention those who took part in the summary executions of the 1916 rebels?

Only those with Britain’s famed insularity could fail to recognise that wearing a poppy – while quite acceptable for those who choose to do so – has oppressive political connotations for those whose national loyalties and familial interest in the wars lie elsewhere.

That Celtic – and every other club – should fail to defend the interests of their own employees in such a matter is a disgrace.

The Scottish Poppy Appeal does a great deal of fine work for men and women who are deserving of the support of their nation.

That does not mean that anyone should be required to wear a symbol that, above all, celebrates victory in this the most obsessed of nations with its wartime past “glories”.

One need only witness the abuse directed at those who choose not to wear a poppy – or to wear a white poppy symbolising a commitment to peace – to understand that this is an intrinsically political statement

Is it really so much worse to sing The Boys of the Old Brigade (a song your writer would deprecate in any Celtic context)?

Given that our chairman, according to George Galloway, was once known to make it his business to educate new old Labour recruits in the Irish Republican songbook before going on to be an enthusiastic protagonist in Britain’s illegal wars, it is perhaps unsurprising that Celtic officials display a split personality disorder on this issue – even to the extent of neglecting the interests of their own employees.

The Celtic supporters, who better understand the identity of the club are likely to be less negligent, even if this is one occasion for silent dissent.





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