: Mon Apr 09, 2007 9:35 am  

Thats one thing which is really getting my irk. Lennon ahead of Gravesen and (before he was injured) Sno.

FWIW, I can see Rangers winning the SPL next year, full of cut price Scotland B players on Bosmans unless Strachan gets a couple of players with flair to compliment McGready and Nakamura, but that isn't his style. I hate Smith with a passion but one thing he can do is motivate.

: Mon Apr 09, 2007 10:20 am  

muskuk69 wrote:

Thats one thing which is really getting my irk. Lennon ahead of Gravesen and (before he was injured) Sno.

FWIW, I can see Rangers winning the SPL next year, full of cut price Scotland B players on Bosmans unless Strachan gets a couple of players with flair to compliment McGready and Nakamura, but that isn't his style. I hate Smith with a passion but one thing he can do is motivate.

TBH Im hoping an English team comes in for Gordon Strachan and we can start a rebuliding program and get back to the style of play we had under Martin O'Neil.

: Sun Apr 22, 2007 6:43 pm  

Hail Hail...

<REMOVED>

Read the AUP.

: Sun Apr 22, 2007 7:18 pm  

Oh great. Celtic have won the Championship for the 41st time.

It must be April.

: Sun Apr 22, 2007 10:15 pm  

I don't see how fans can complain with the side Strachan is developing. it is young and full of good Scottish players aswell as a few Brits. Compare this with a team a couple years back when I think in 1 Old Firm game there was about 2/3 Scots in the whole of the line up.

It's a big improvement and I'd personally rather see country based players rather than foreigners. At least with the foreigners they have they are top notch and also young compared to some they have had in the passed.

I think Strachan has a good balanced side with plenty of depth too. I do think it is time for Lennon to go though, possibly Balde and sign top quality with a couple of players that will give further depth in the Champions League if Celtic want to progress on this years run.

: Sun Apr 22, 2007 11:31 pm  

I think the whole thing was so appropriate.

The game today was simply a mirror image of the season. Celtic play utterly poop for 90 minutes, yet pinch it with a last minute bit of brilliance by Shunsuke Nakamura.

It was so typical of the entire season it's untrue.

Strangely, this year has been possibly the worst the team has performed in ten years but the Championship has been won with four games to spare.

As Phonic Bhoy says though the future is bright. Celtic have won the league twice (with something to spare) in a major transitional phase. How many players remain from Seville?

The reserves/under 19s etc have dominated for years, and that can only auger well for the future.

Congratulations to the Hoops, and I foresee I will be able to say this for a few years yet!

: Mon Apr 23, 2007 5:55 am  

The problem with Strachan is this:

He plays his team no matter what. So... for example, he plays Lennon week-in, week out. Now he's playing Hartley along side him week-in, week out. Lennon has been extremely poor. Hartley is now starting to get pelters from the fans.

To me, its summing Strachan up to a tee. Poor purchases (barring Nakamura, Naylor and Venegoor) and relying on flashes of brilliance to win games.

Rangers are going to do a lot better next year, and unless Strachan looks in the mirror, it will be a long season for us next year and the writing is on the wall.

: Mon Apr 23, 2007 7:15 pm  

muskuk69 wrote:

The problem with Strachan is this:

He plays his team no matter what. So... for example, he plays Lennon week-in, week out. Now he's playing Hartley along side him week-in, week out. Lennon has been extremely poor. Hartley is now starting to get pelters from the fans.

To me, its summing Strachan up to a tee. Poor purchases (barring Nakamura, Naylor and Venegoor) and relying on flashes of brilliance to win games.

Rangers are going to do a lot better next year, and unless Strachan looks in the mirror, it will be a long season for us next year and the writing is on the wall.

All very true, but after that Motherwell disaster two years ago, everyone was stating that Rangers had it in the bag for the next few years and all the facts pointed to that.

O'Neill had mistakenly let all his team grow old together, and there was little in the way of young talent in the squad ready to take the places of Larsson, Sutton, Hartson etc etc.

Gordon Strachan has had to rebuild that team almost from scratch, mainly with players with age on their side, yet, despite the fact that Celtic are in a major transitional period, they have romped home to the league twice.

That said, Celtic have been very, very lucky this season, because they seemingly get outplayed on a regular basis but just rely on one or two players to get them through.

However, a forward minded midfielder and a decent strike partner for Vennegoor and Celtic would rightfully be hot favourites again.

Remember there has been a massive upheavel in the squad over the last couple of years and there will be troubles along the way, but if those troubles mean only winning the league by 13 points rather than by 20, then it's not too much of a crisis.

There are warning signs though, and Celtic's rotten form of late (has it been any good all season?) is possibly the best thing that could have happened to them because Strachan can be under no illusions that if they play the way they have this season again, then there will be no hat-trick of titles, I'm sure about that.

: Mon Apr 23, 2007 7:20 pm  

Taken From BBC Sport.

Shunsuke Nakamura, revealed as Scottish Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Year on Sunday, intends staying with Celtic next season.
There has been speculation that the midfielder, whose goal clinched the title on Sunday, will quit this summer.

But he said: "I'll definitely be at Celtic Park next season, hopefully to lift my third championship in a row.

Just what we needed to help build into next season,i will be very sad to see Arthur Boruc go if the rumours are true he will take some replacing.
I see we have been linked with Jason Koumas from WBA aswell today which would be a excellent signing IMO.

: Mon Apr 23, 2007 7:28 pm  

Celtic Parkside Warrior™ wrote:

Taken From BBC Sport.


Just what we needed to help build into next season,i will be very sad to see Arthur Boruc go if the rumours are true he will take some replacing.
I see we have been linked with Jason Koumas from WBA aswell today which would be a excellent signing IMO.

Koumas would be just the style of player Celtic could do with in midfield.

What's the rumour about Boruc then? That would be a bad loss. Not sure how good Mr. Brown is but he has to be better than the ninety minute wonder Marshall.