Martin O’Neill proves that positivity can get results in football…
Brendan Rodgers was on the whole great for Celtic, to argue with that would just be plain daft, or perhaps just following instructions from up high, his master’s voice and all that. Thankfully the modern day Celtic fan media are collectively more independent and clearly capable of stating their own opinions, good, bad or indifferent.
If you read James Forrest on The Celtic Blog one day you could find yourself thinking that’s a load of complete nonsense whereas a day or two later you couldn’t agree more with what he has to say. It generally worth finding out one way of the other and that applies to many other writers, for instance Niall J on The Celtic Star and there are numerous podcasts worthy of a listen.
Anyway back to Brendan Rodgers and to me it was rather obvious that his style of football was, whilst not drastically effecting results greatly, holding us back from a realising our true potential in an offensive sense, this season in particular. Brendan was of course correct to call out the board for their transfer window failings but as often happens an incoming manager – worthy of the job – can often get a turn out of a squad whose confidence was affected by the disharmony, the atmosphere around the club and the bizarre automobile references that really was the final straw.
That has been reflected in results and performances under our interim manager Martin O’Neill, domestically speaking at least. Under Brendan we were a pale imitation of the free flowing side of this time last year, and had scored only 22 goals since the start of the campaign, 16 of those domestically.
The games we were winning this season under Rodgers, were settled by the odd goal, we even endured our fair share of goalless stalemates. It’s hard to remember a time when Celtic actually had so many goalless draws, not surprising as the club has won 13 titles in 14 seasons and you do that by scoring plenty goals as the support celebrated each one like a tidy win at a licensed online casino in the United Kingdom.
Yet when we look at that the goals scored stat under Martin in a domestic capacity, we’ve scored 11 in just three games, including two comprehensive 4-0 wins and three against theRangers. That’s the difference and that’s why Celtic supporters are encouraged by Martin’s second tenure in the Parkhead hot-seat, which could last just a little bit longer than initially expected.
Martin O’Neill has delivered as he has always done for Celtic. There’s a massive improvement in the football the the atmosphere, and it’s no fluke as anyone paying attention to the side under Martin’s leadership will see that they have developed a more positive outlook when it comes to the offensive side of the game. The possession for the sake of possession days are over and once again Celtic are going all out to attack.
As a result the Celtic players are not only creating more chances, but are more effective via the wide areas. The number of times the ball ends up back with our central defenders has deceased sharply under O’Neill’s tactical tweak which has paid great dividends as four points have been gained on Hearts over the past week or so, thanks to Martin O’Neill’s approach.
You only have to notice the difference in stats of Johnny Kenny to prove the point. Johnny was struggling badly under Brendan, and now he has four goals in as many games, that’s not a coincidence, that’s just more competent service and a style that suits him and many more in Celtic colours, including record signing Arne Engels. Did you see that assist for Daizen Maeda against Kilmarnock and his unstoppable penalty, which was the last kick of the match in another 4-0 win.
Kenny’s reward can be seen in his call-up to the Ireland squad after initially not being named. His goalscoring form at Celtic has clearly been noted.
Promote Martin to the board . Get rid of waste of space Brian Wilson and offer Martin O’ Neil his position…toute suite !
I’m not into starting Rodgers bashing, as still totally respect all the good he has done for our club.
Yet in terms of getting to the maximum levels given by himself, seemed to peak in Munich.
Why such a decline set in afterwards, still cant answer the question?
Yet the motivation factor was non existent within our last 2 games of last season, with a fair few beforehand also.
Players not responding to managers instructions are a very concerning sight, especially with the demands required within our club.
Don’t buy into the amount of excuses for the likes being in existence, especially with so many players that Rodgers trusted so hugely imo?
In the footballing world, when players aren’t responding to a manager, then a change of manager is usually the first call that is made, especially without a time factor approach within our club in existence imo?
Unfortunately for Rodgers, things had come to a head at hearts, especially when his own decision making was becoming even more questionable, and the football on show was as dull as dishwater.
MoN renewed motivation within our squad, not only within players, but allowing more freedom within our players, to play a more attractive attacking game for ourselves.
Players and supporters enjoying the changes far more, than such a stale approach, that had grown within our playing style.
As to why, such an approach developed over a 6 month period, remains as a guessing game?
That doesn’t mean that just a change of manager resolves everything within our club either?
Far from it, as many issues that have been masked over for years, haven’t been resolved whatsoever imo?
The changes within the footballing calendar, along with the increasing matches in European football, have changed the landscape of football, and as a club, we haven’t addressed the changes involved, that well at all imo?
Scottish football in general, with all it’s past glories, has slipped down so dramatically without a development plan within it.
There is only a development plan for SPFL clubs, that involves a player trading model, to be created for themselves.
That is no good whatsoever for European competitions, especially with the coefficient dropping like a brick at present.
As a result, the quality players that’s a requirement, won’t be so readily available, with the SPFL hardly an attractive proposition for such players imo?
So trying to get the development process increasing, and keeping the demands of our club intact, is no easy task for ourselves to resolve whatsoever.
But is becoming a bigger factor to try and find solutions to all the same?
Personally believe that the lowland league is nothing more for potential u19 players.
Yet something has to try and fill the void that exists between lowland league and SPFL.
Even our loan system is no more than putting players in the shop window, who aren’t within the plans of a manager for squad positions imo?
As Scottish football is prepared to offer nothing for ourselves to fill such a void.
Then personally believe that as a club, we should be looking to leave Scottish football, where a development team could be introduced into the English development market at u23 levels imo?
So as a collective in operation now, then fail to see why such an important issue, isn’t getting addressed sufficiently enough at present imo?
All the while the board continues to ignore the issue, then fail to see how any meaningful changes will be made, to potentially change the structure of Scottish football, and clubs like ourselves can progress in a European stage, where we are getting totally left behind within?
Nothing new for ourselves to be bringing in development players, yet without a development process in operation, then it’s no real surprise that it fails to bring about the results that’s a requirement for ourselves.
Unless answers aren’t found to this ongoing issue, then can only conclude that this board remains part of the problem in existence?
To long have we set back and allowed hun scum dictate the terms of Scottish football. Even at present they are trying to use cheating officials to try and benefit there own cause. As if they haven’t been given enough of a helping hand in there 2 versions within Scottish football.
Until our board, make a stand against them and the Scottish FA, then our board will remain as part of a huge and massive factor within Scottish football imo?
Hopefully the collective can address the issue, looking for answers, moreso than highlighting individuals who haven’t got any power to address this ongoing issue, that’s starting to bite ourselves now imo?
Rogers, like most modern managers/coaches had a system of play, and recruits accordingly to fit this system. The reason the team looked mince was because the board torpedoed this ‘system’, and practically made it impossible to implement properly. Was Rogers supposed to change to the boards system?, or completely change his own tried and tested model, the one he was hired to implement?.
You can argue he was intransigent, but what was he supposed to do, go back to pre Stein days and basically let the board pick the players and system?. He was hired to do a job, and as we seen in Europe last year it was starting to pay dividends. It doesn’t take a genius to come in and change the system to suit the players he’s inherited, professional players of our teams calibre should almost be able to play on their own against most opponents in the SPFL, play with freedom and get results.
The crunch comes when we step up into the European arena, and from being cheated against Bayern, to ensure they got a result, we now can’t beat Scandinavian teams. This is where you need higher level tactics, players, systems etc, and a club with a coherent plan and structures to deliver it.
This is not beyond Celtic, far less well resourced teams make a good fist of it, but we never will as long as a minority shareholder thinks he knows better than the football professionals, and unfortunately Martin ain’t gonna deliver it this time, much as I would love to see it. Like when he gives players multi million pound deals to send them off into retirement, and they basically never kick a ball for us. The plaything of a billionaire, who thinks he’s the cleverest man who’s ever lived, but then don’t they all.
It has however been great to see Martin back as a figurehead, and great to see us get some good SPFL victories, even if it was obvious it wasn’t going to translate to Europe, and in spite of this being the boards plan, cynical as it is.