Celtic FC 2010/2011 Season Thread- Over and Over

I figure this is as good a time as any to start the thread for the upcoming season. The sooner we can move past last season the better. And now that we have our gaffer we can see what's in front of us.

I personally think the appointment of Lenny is brilliant. He knows the club inside and out. He knows what it means to win and lose in the hoops and puts winning ahead of everything. I'd expect to see some relatively entertaining football when appropriate but the key is going be inspired performances from our players. That's something that was lacking for much of last season. Anyway, now we can move forward and start buying players in earnest, shedding the dead wood, and get ready for the new season which is rapidly approaching. Hail, Hail

So what do you think? Do you like this appointment? Cautiously optimistic? Do ya hate it? Why?

http://www.celticfc.com/news/stories/news_090610125420.aspx





lennon: this is a wonderful moment in my life

Mark Henderson
NEIL LENNON had walked out of the Celtic Park tunnel many times before. But this time was different. It was the early hours of the morning and he had just been confirmed as the new manager of Celtic.

Surveying the 60,000 empty seats under the moonlight, it really began to hit home to the Irishman about the significance of the task he was taking on,and the legendary figures whose footsteps he would be following in.

“It’s a wonderful moment for me and a wonderful moment in my life,” said Lennon, speaking after being unveiled as the new manager.

“Things were concluded pretty late on the other night. I have walked out that tunnel many, many times but when I came walking out on my own, I think it was around half past twelve in the morning and I have never seen Celtic Park like it.

“It was a beautiful night, the only light coming in was from the moon. It was a very special moment to know that I would be in charge of the football club and would be walking in the footsteps of the likes of Mr Stein, Martin O’Neill, Billy McNeil, Dave Hay, Wim Jansen, Tommy Burns and Gordon Strachan.

"It was a very special moment for me personally and I am ready and looking forward to the challenge."

Now the Irishman is relishing the opportunity of emulating some of the success of those pervious incumbents of the Celtic hot-seat – something he did on many occasions as a Hoops player.

The first priority will be making big improvements on the pitch from last year and winning the title. One thing is certain - you can be sure Lennon will make the most of his chance.

“I am confident,” he said. “I think it’s a priority to challenge for the title. I think it is every season. As a player I knew how to get it done and I did it once as a coach, albeit for eight or nine games under Gordon
Strachan.

“We know last season wasn’t good enough, but the players showed me that they do have it in them. Over the last eight or nine games they showed a level of consistency that maybe they had not shown previously.

"They proved a lot to themselves in the run-in and we can go forward and hopefully carry that optimism through to the start of the season.

“I know that we have to hit the ground running. But I am looking to bring in a few players with a bit more experience and nous, and a better mentality than we showed last year.”

He added: “When I was a young lad, I dreamed of playing for Celtic. I never envisaged myself actually being the manager. I think when I retired and started the coaching badges, the next logical step for me was to go into coaching.

"So it was an ambition of mine. I didn’t expect it to come so soon, but I have to take this opportunity and maximise it as best I can.”

 

frasers thunder can't be stolen i'm afraid. i've only started this years thread at his request. we're hoping this will be the catalyst that will reverse the fortunes of our beloved celtic this year. lol

 

Lenny understands the fact that entertaining football is nice to have wherever possible but winning is what really matters. He was here when MON first took over (after much string pulling and waiting and negotiating by MON) and he saw the difference between the regime that proceeded MON, trying to play pretty football vs. MON's focus on doing every small task the best it can be done.

This is how I see his tenure starting off and taking shape. There are so many parallels between the transition from the Barnes era and the transition from the Mowbray era. Many folks point to the fact that Valgaeran and Sutton were brought in and MON just had an eye for talent but it's more than that. The first several games of MON's tenure there was something drastically different amongst the remaining players. Petrov was a completely different player and was proven to be the player we all thought and hoped he'd be when he was bought for the giant sum of 3 mil quid (i think). He got the best out of Petta, McNamara, and Lubo where Barnes could only stand around and watch while those players seemingly did the same. Sure Sutton came in and was great for us but if you recall he had a dreadful year prior to that with Chelsea. He flourished under MON's leadership. Not because MON was a master strategist. Not because he was undisputedly world class. Lenny will do the same with those brought in and those already here.

This isn't a bad team, full of bad players, needing an overhaul. This is a team that needs to begin anew from the ground up by excelling at the smallest of things first and moving on to excelling with the big things later. Adopt the mentality of total excellence over theories of the best way to play. Lenny didn't win 9 league games in a row by accident. The teams we faced during the run in didn't give up and stand aside because they hoped Lenny'd get the job. Lenny got the best out of the team we had and Mogga, as much as I love him as a man, did not.

One of the most recognizable lines in the Celtic Song is, "If you know you're history, it's enough to make your heart go 1-2-3-4" Those who gave WGS pelters for his style of play and demanded that we bring in someone who'd play football like Brazil or Barcelona forgot their history. For if there is one lesson that we've learned from the Barnes era, is that you can't employ that strategy without the quality of players that are found on those teams. Some may call what is found in Scotland to be negative football. But Scottish fitba must more pragmatic because results are vital. Just ask Neil Lennon

 

beautiful, i was going to start a thread for this so that people can get organized for the American friendlies. PM me with details

 

charlie mulgrew back in paradise

Newsroom Staff
DEFENDER Charlie Mulgrew has signed a three-year contract with Celtic and returns to the club after leaving in 2006 at the age of 20.

Initially he was on loan at Dundee United and then moved south to Wolves and also had a loan spell at Southend United before returning north.

Back over the border he signed with Aberdeen where his performances on the left flank resulted in the move back to Paradise.

http://www.celticfc.net/news/stories/news_010710111629.aspx



I personally would have preferred having Lee Wallace at LeftBack but picking up Mulgrew on a free to bolster competition can't be a bad thing I suppose.

Other rumors for this week include:

The signing of the Korean RightBack Cha-Du-Ri should take place this week. He had himself a nice World Cup recently. What could this mean for Andy Hinkel?
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=804551&sec=scotland&cc=5901&cc=5901

Zheng Zhi and Koki Mizuno have both been released. Players who won MOTM honors in their debuts and never really panned out afterward. All the best to them both. Maybe an indication that Lenny is freeing up funds to pay the wages of a new flock of Celtic players

Jimmy Bullard to Celtic on a year long loan is still making waves in the rumour mill. Bullard has just returned from holiday in Portugal and has said he hasn't spoken to anyone at Hull about his future but whereever they tell him to go and play is what he'll have to consider. Not sure what to make of that.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/c/celtic/8769927.stm

Sol Campbell stopped by Celtic Park and Lennoxtown on Tuesday and promptly let the Celtic faithful know that it may be a month at least before he's willing to make a decision on where he winds up. I'm not encouraged by this. It really solidifies my original thought that he's trying to use us to get a better deal at Arsenal. He's entitled to do whatever but Lenny can't be waiting around a month to sign a proper center half. I say bring in Silva now as we should have done in January.
http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2932...in-no-hurry-to-join-celtic-with-arsenal-still

It is widely reported now that Willie McStay has been sacked by the club. He coached the reserves for nine years before going to Hungary to coach there last summer. He returned to Celtic however after the Mowbray experiment was over to once again take over the reserves. No word from Celtic Park or from Willie about the circumstance of his leaving this time.
http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport...-casualty-of-neil-s-celtic-overhaul-1.1038543

Stephen McManus looks to be on the off as well as the wee man at Boro continues raiding the Celtic roster for his old favorites. I like Mick, he is a brave player that loves the jersey and tries hard but if we can pick up 2 mil quid for him, it's a nice piece of business.


I don't know, maybe I have World Cup fatigue. Maybe it's World Cup withdrawal. I know I have Celtic withdrawal so I figured I'd compile all of the rumours and put it out here. This silly season will be very interesting, especially as I can't see the board just standing pat and not bringing in some serious quality before the beginning of the season. We have a chance of making it to Champions League group stages. I really feel that with a couple of strategic signings, we can compete with the likes of Zenit and Sevilla. Maybe I need to take my green specs off, maybe not. We'll see. Hail Hail.

Oh and also, have a listen to this podcast from Beyond The Pitch. They interviewed Henrik Larsson and it's up on the first page of their website. I've got loads of time for Henke and it's interesting to hear what he has to say about Celtic then, now and when. The audio quality is pretty bad, but if you bear with it, its worth a listen.

http://www.beyondthepitch.net/podcasts/

 

Lot E will be the place. Shouldn't be too hard to find the Tims. I believe that work is being done to put something together with the Sons of Ben.

 

i wouldn't worry. you aren't alone in this and once its discovered that their allowance will hurt the attendance, they'll be banned. although, if these rotten things are going to be blown for the entire game, are the stewards going to continue to harrass the jungle bhoys and green brigade? if their singing can't be heard, are they causing any harm? of course, what's the point of trying to sing over that awful sound that those horns make. i can't see an outcome where they'll be allowed.

 

i'm thankful that many of the clubs here in the US have banned them already. i just wouldn't turn up anymore if they were allowed. rather watch on my tv with the volume down

 

agreed 100%. all it'll take to have them banned is for some fanny to try and play the rebs on a vuvuzela. it'd be hysterical and solve our problem at the same time.

in all honesty, an issue that is this polarizing is bound to lead down a treacherous path to trouble. like you say, it's way to turn over a few quid while the kids are into it and then they'll be just as soon banned from the grounds