John Collins

Literally , my only issue here is this from you -

"I think it's fairly evident to everyone else he was talking about Celtic."

Can you now just accept that he was talking about him being maybe the best from both teams ? It is "fairly evident" that he was infact referring to all players on the park , yes?

 

What's that picture about?

 

Opening game of the World Cup in France '98.

Scotland v Brazil, the world is watching, national anthem blasting, proud as * moment and he winks at the camera

Cringe level factor= off the scale

 

Celtic coach in talking up his own player shocker!

 

McGregor had a really good game the other night, he usually gives me the rage but played very well

 

Yeah imagine giving a lad who has hardly had a chance in the team a good confidence boost, * ridiculous eh.

 

Very interesting interview from Collins (the parts in bold I particularly agree with):


“We are bitterly disappointed with the results, that’s for sure,” said Collins. “We can’t butter it up; it’s been a disappointing European campaign.”

Celtic have no challenge for the title, so he must be gauged in Europe. However, how are these parameters set? It seems that a rather arbitrary two seasons has now been decided upon. Yet, in his first two seasons, Deila has won European qualifiers on the pitch and made it out of a Europa League group. Neil Lennon did neither in the same time span. Ah, but it is said, Lennon’s fine Europa League campaign that followed them replacing a cheating Sion showed signs of progress wholly absent in Deila’s second campaign. Wait a minute, though, aren’t results supposed to be the be-all-and-end-all?

“What do you call pragmatism? Have we been playing top European teams? If we set up 4-5-1 against Malmo, Fenerbahce, Ajax, Molde would guys and fans be happy if we sat in? We believed after watching, analysing and assessing our opponents that we could go and play them at football, toe to toe, and beat them.

“We have to have better reactions, get tighter, more compact, instant reactions. That’s something we are working on. That’s when you lose goals. When you win the ball you have to go forward and try and score a goal. The man in possession has got to have players moving in front of him to create a forward pass and get a cross in the box or a shot. When you lose the ball you have got to have instant reactions to get back.

“The positive here’s been exceptional football played during those games. Exciting football in periods, goals scored, chances created. None of the games has our goalkeepers had ten saves and been peppered or pinned in 15-30 minutes. Hasn’t happened. That’s my opinion having studied the games and seen every figure: crosses, shots, passes.

“This campaign has fallen the other way. We have missed chances. In Malmo we had a goal disallowed before half-time, a perfect goal. We could have gone in 1-1. Nobody talks about it. It’s fine lines. Never went for us. These things make a difference. It’s little tweaks like sprinting back in ten yards. It’s not a case of the system, it’s the mistakes within it. The slow reactions. Three goals from setpieces against Malmo is not the system.”

“Ultimately, others will decide our fate. The board of directors and the fans. They always have their opinions and of course I am going to say that we will get better. What makes me think that? The games we have played this season. The football we have produced and the chances we have created has been very good.

“Unfortunately, we haven’t taken a lot of the chances and we know we need to stop conceding goals. That’s the target and we will work on the training pitch relentlessly, back four, back eight, shuttling back, being tight and compact. Problems don’t solve themselves. Hard work and repetition does it.

“But ultimately you can only do so much on the training pitch. You need the test. How do we prepare for Europe? We make sure we are on it when we lose the ball in every league match. It doesn’t matter if we are 3-0 up. When we lose the ball we have to react and get tight, as if we were playing against a Champions League team. That’s the habit we have to get into, no matter who we are playing.”

http://www.scotsman.com/sport/footb...system-not-to-blame-for-celtic-woes-1-3961490

 

Collins having a go at Lenny to take away from their own failings...

Classy.

*facepalm*

 

That's not Collins saying that, its the journalist.

 

Collins didn't say that part mate, the author did.

 

Might want to stop bolding parts from a COLLINS interview that COLLINS never said then. :smiley-laughing002:

 

Aye ok John..

What have you and Ronny learned tho.. Sounds to me they still believe they set us up properly to achieve victory..

Worrying.

 

Thought the quote marks were a decent indicator personally

 

Yep. Fine line's away at Malmo? Nah John, it was * gutless. Does he not remember? I still do..

Excuses..

 

Well the majority you agreed with wasn't actually a Collins interview at all then, it was a hack having a go at Lenny.

 

Collins can go * himself, that's * disgraceful.


EDIT: Just caught up with the convo, whoever is slating Lenny there to cover for how * Ronny is can go * themself.

 

Can we get a link for the article?

I'm guessing it's one of those Daily * opinion pieces.

 

He only stated a fact - no idea why people would get upset at that, genuinely.

I backed Lenny in his time at Celtic, it doesn't change the facts stated does it?

The link's in the article should you wish to read the rest.

 

Great player but i get the feeling Collins is abit of a * no ?

 

I just read the highlighted bits too and thought it was Collins. Lucky for me I decided not to bother my * moaning