Celtic left the Falkirk stadium last night with a vital three points in what is becoming the tightest race for the league title in many years…
Before I get to the negatives I want to say this, if Wilfried Nancy was in the dugout last night we would have lost that game, there is no doubt in my mind. So kudos to Martin O’Neill to have the nous to get us over the line and out of Falkirk with all three points in hand. Apart from that I don’t have many other positives to take from last night.
It was a poor performance, and that’s probably me going easy on the team. The first half in particular reminded me of the recent game at Fir Park where Motherwell completely outplayed us. You could blame the weather, you could blame the pitch, in fact Martin O’Neill actually did, before in his usual deadpan manner corrected himself by saying it didn’t seem to affect the team too much a few weeks ago against Livingston! It was more than just the pitch however. Last night couldn’t have painted a clearer picture to anyone watching.
This team is absolutely crying out for reinforcements.
People may disagree with me but personally I think this is one of the poorest Celtic squads in decades. We are absolutely bereft of real quality. If you go back even nine or ten years to Brendan Rodgers first squad. Would any of the current players make that team? I genuinely don’t think so. Obviously Callum McGregor and Kieran Tierney were there at that time but the rest? Squad players at best.
It says it all when I think Kasper Schmeichel probably deserved the man of the match.
We have a makeshift striker who wanted to leave in the summer, and has a habit of missing clear cut chances. We can’t replace him however as the two other strikers in the squad would struggle for a game at Ross County never mind Celtic.
Our match winner last night Benjamin Nygren genuinely does nothing most games but we can’t drop him because he’s seemingly one of the only players in the squad who can score goals. We have an abundance of ‘talent’ in midfield, yet the only reason I think Arne Engels is starting matches is due to getting the odd set piece right. I suppose when the likes of Bernardo, Hatate and McCowan are offering next to nothing then hitting the odd good corner puts you front of the line for a start.
I feel sorry for Martin O’Neill.
He’s trying his best to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear but he’s not a miracle worker. This board is sending him into war with a penknife, one that’s been used so often it’s almost blunt. Some of these players have given a lot over the past few years. They need help as much as Martin does. We need fresh faces in this squad, but more than that, we need quality.
I’m glad Martin O’Neill has been turning down a lot of the ‘projects’ he’s been offered. We don’t need them. We need players who will come I and make this team better. Players like that will give a huge boost to those already there, many of whom must look around the dressing room and feel disheartened.
This board has been managing a steady decline at this club for too long.
They have ran out of excuses. We have heard them all – ‘January is a tough time to recruit’, ‘players are looking too much money’ and ‘players only become available towards the end of the window’.
We don’t believe you anymore, most of us never did. Look at our title rivals who are going all out to get players in for this title race. They know the outcome of the league will probably come down to who recruits the best, yet there Celtic are, still flicking through the Rolodex trying to find an agent who owes them a favour or a former player whose career has hit the skids and might fancy another crack at it at Celtic.
This team needs quality added to it, and it needs it now.
Anything less than two or three players who are able to come in and automatically improve this team will see us clinging onto our title by our fingertips. Whether it’s a few expensive loans or paying a bit more for a player who would come cheaper in the summer it doesn’t matter. The board has got us into this mess so it’s on them to get us out of it.
They better be prepared for an almighty backlash if they let us down yet again.
Conall McGinty
All Books Now Half Price in the Celtic Star Books January Sale…
Please note that p&p is priced at £4.50 is only charged on ONE book so you can buy as many of our books as you like and the postage cost will remain the same. Why not expand your Celtic library today?
Have you bought more toys to throw out of the pram? Found more dummies to spit out?
I 100% trust MON and his staff! Why would any player want to come to Celtic right now? We are as much part of the recruiting problem as the board. We used to claim, “best fans in the World.” Right now we are acting like, “the Most Spoilt Fans in the World.”
Board PR troll. Fuck off you arse licking clown
Board PR troll. You’re no fan. Ar** licking creep.
Most of us agree with you but some of us like to look at the club and how hard it is to bring a top player to spl and there three plastic pitches and there park the bus tactics trying to sell spl to players yes we have europe to tempt them bug plus is champions leahmgue but we have to get there look at Enlish clubs and france italy spain they have more players on loan than that can make up two squads our football bodies are corrupt the normal fans are getting forced out look at world cup look at wages so why blame Celtic like most pundits last nite punters in tv blamed Celtic for everything our wingers couldnt play on that pitch yes falkirk players look good but you get a guy running from 40 yards out beat two players then misses an open goal from 5yds if it was grass it woudnt happen O’Niel was right to point out the pitch weather strong wind it was a bannana skin we came through it and getting slag by scoring with a set piece and other teams are praised for it you keep forgetting Celtic are a goal down in most spl games before it starts a draw is a poor result and hearts and the rangers will find out how that feels you see clubs supports and players drawing with Celtic as a great result a win is like cup final win motherwell players and dundee utd where doing a lap of honour thats the standard Celtic have set in the last decade and we all musymt take the plaudits for that club management and players but managers and biard members are talked about more than players our club have attracted some oeople who want to save the world gazza ukrane we are football people not human rights for 90 minutes or even that day we would like to get ready got to watch your team afterwards talk about it not whose bombing who that political stuff should be anywhere but sport but these activis have seen if they stand in cerymtain areas of Celtic park there plotical flag will be seen by large tv audience than outside milarty base or goverment house Celtic supporters are getting used by wannae be activist
Would be great if you could use punctuation.
Many thanks.
Will take 3 points every day, when finding ourselves playing catch up football.
Even so, it’s not easy to overlook such performance levels, especially as another one, as poor as last night yet again in an away fixture?
I don’t expect for one minute, that all the problems within our squad are going to get resolved, during this January window either imo?
Personally believe that out of our 20man match day squad last night. There is at least 8 of them 20 players, who i would be amazed will be within our squad next season?
And possibly being generous at only 8?
Even with a returning kelchi and Saracchi soon enough, then at present, we still haven’t a full 16 players, committed to a SPFL league campaign imo?
What’s potentially worse, is that out of them 8 players, upon the current out list, the best part of them are still required to complete our remaining 2 europa league matches?
That’s potentially the task Mon and Maloney are currently facing, and looking for solutions within it, to try and salvage this season.
And all the while, with it well known that they possibly won’t be in such a position come the summer?
So think it’s ridiculous to think that everything is going to get resolved during January imo?
So can Mon, get more out of some players, that seem to have already mentality checked out with ourselves, yet we still need the likes within our squad?
Never been a fan of keeping unhappy players around, but more than likely, we will have to keep the likes around until the summer. Then hopefully a proper rebuilding process can begin?
Until then, another couple of uncomfortable weeks awaits for ourselves. And still wouldn’t like to call how these weeks are going to unfold?
Especially as any new arrivals aren’t going to resolve everything that’s wrong within our playing squad either imo?