The Board

The worst squad Ive seen in many many years of supporting Celtic with the healthiest Bank balance in history. The state of this squad is 100% on the board

 

Other than Jota and Starfelt, it's the same squad that won a domestic treble last season.

 

Using that logic nothing will ever be the boards fault. It's the board which left the squad miles short of where it should be which has resulted in players who are clearly not good enough being signed and/or getting game time.

 

I get that, and I am no board apologist in the slightest, but it always seems to be the go-to mantra for many blaming the board for everything.

The blame for this shambles of an approach sits firmly on Rodgers' shoulders.

 

Agreed Rodgers style of play has been miles off it so far but the squad is miles off where it could and should have been but Rodgers seems happy enough with what he has which I find bizarre

 

I don't like the squad overall - far too many shortarses and weaklings in it, but it's still good enough (domestically) to dominate.

Rodgers has us playing * keepy-fitba and continuous sideyways passing.

 

Right, that wasn't the question I asked. However, I completely disagree and believe the tactics of the manager have a lot more to do with it than the window.

 

As I say, other than 2 players - this is the same squad (if not better) than what Ange won a domestic treble with last season.

The turgid displays are on Rodgers (albeit there have been some cracking results in between).

 

We've played 19 competitive games this season and I feel like we've performed well in 4.

The derby, Aberdeen at home, then the two home CL matches. I know in the CL we lost one and drew the other but the level of performance was decent.

 

The annoying thing is this result came just after the AGM. I'd imagine things would have been just a wee bit spicier if the AGM took place tomorrow.

 

The board are cancerous but the lengths people will go to to defend Rodgers is pathetic.

 

Well, it depends how you want to interpret that. There are several reasonable interpretations; but given that he expressed frustration on several occasions, I don't think we can read that as meaning any position that wasn't filled wasn't filled on his say so.

I can let them off with not replacing Jota (I'm not even sure he can be replaced on our budget) and Abada (who could have seen that coming?) and Hatate missing so many minutes is obviously not their fault either; but everyone knew that we needed a new LB and goalkeeper.

 

I was answering what I though was the underlying question, because we've had an objectively good start to the league and the only reason I think people are rightly complaining is because we haven't kept up the standard set in Ange's second season and, as I said, I don't think we have the quality to do that.

I see now that I should have taken you literally and you really were asking me to restrict my answer to this one-off game. Well, OK. Of course we have enough quality to beat Motherwell. 8 or 9 times out of 10, so what? If we played that match 9 times, we would beat them 8 or 9 times. These things happen in one-off games. But if you are asking me if we have enough quality to almost guarantee that we won't drop points in any given one-off match (such as this one), then I can't do that for this team or the vast majority of Celtic teams in my lifetime.

That kind of statement about a one-off game requires the kind of gulf in quality we saw in peak MON, Rodgers' invincibles season and Ange's second season. We don't have that kind of quality.

I don't know, mate. Either you think (like me) that we should have that kind of quality, in which case you can see why the board is getting criticism, or you think we have no right to expect it, in which case you presumably think our league results are fine anyway*, because by historical standards, they are.

* So far, we have the 3rd highest average points per game so far of any season in the last decade (only beaten by Rodgers' invincible season (2.79), Ange's second season (2.61) and Lenny's treble season (2.67) that was cut short by Covid. Our average points per game so far is higher than the other 6 seasons this decade, including Ange's first season. Rodgers' second, both of Ronny's seasons and that one season Rodgers and Lenny shared.

 

And Mooy, thats 3 excellent first teamers.. Gio and Juri also replace by inferior players. The least Celtic should be doing is winning a double especially with our financial advantage. If you havnt noticed mate the rest of Scottish football is absolutely *, look at Aberdeen, Hibs and hearts in Europe, Motherwell dumped by Sligo * Rovers. Last season the huns had an absolute balloon in charge.

It’s the quality of signings last summer. I’ve no problem criticising BR too but our “project” players aren’t good enough. Squad is shocking. Injuries to key players and we are *.

2 points last season and 1 point this season so far in the CL along with some humiliating defeats. If people are happy just to stay on top of Scottish football, so be it..

So many areas needed addressing and we got mostly projects..our squad is bloated with absolute dross... not good enough

 

Ok so you agree that we do have the quality in the squad to beat Motherwell. Thanks.

The problem today was down our tactical approach, which was far too patient. It was no surprise we looked more threatening when we were forced to play with more urgency as time was ticking down.

 

I agreed that we have the quality to beat Motherwell 8 or 9 times out of 10.

 

I was asking about today.

 

And I answered that. No, if you insist on only looking at a single game, then we don't have the quality of player to definitely (or as near as makes no difference) beat a team like Motherwell. We do have the quality to beat teams like Motherwell 8 or 9 times out of 10.

A question like that confuses the issue. If I simply say we do have the quality (thinking statistically), then it can be taken to mean the one-off game and so it seems like I'm saying Rodgers has the tools he needs when he doesn't. If I say we don't (thinking of the meaning of consistently beating them), then it can be taken to mean I don't think we're good enough to beat Motherwell in the statistical sense and I look crazy. What I am saying is that Rodgers has been given the tools to mostly beat teams like Motherwell but he hasn't been given the tools to do it with the consistency we have come to expect since Ange. In the former sense, we have enough quality to beat Mothewell but not in the latter.

There's an element of chance in one-off games and days like this will hapen; it's just that for much of Ange's time here, we were so far ahead that these days were very rare indeed, which is why it's been a step backwards even though by the standards of most Celtic teams, our start has been quite good.

My argument is that we just don't have the quality in key positions to match the insane consistency of Ange's second season or Rodgers' first and that comes down to recruitment.

 

I don't think he is happy.

For me there's similar vibes of when Lennon took over from Rodgers and he had to play similar style to Rodgers between then and end of that season bcoz that's the squad he had at his disposal.

Rodgers has been forced to play a style that isn't his due to the squad and majority of summer signings being signed for a different manager.

I keep going back to him but that useless wee * at left back is holding us back so much.

Rodgers starterd the season trying to play his usual way and had to alter it after 3 games bcoz he had a left back that was completely incapable of doing his job. Him being inverted isn't helping either bcoz we now have a bang average footballer strolling about like he's some * xavi/iniesta hybrid when the reality is all he's actually doing is dragging Mcgregor's game down and holding back Palma too.

I'll be shocked if a left back isn't signed within the 1st week of the window opening.

 

Dinosaur incompetent board + stale manager + rubbish squad = Celtic this season.

Just have to hope Rodgers gets the finger out and finds some inspiration to make us a good team again. Because I highly doubt we'll bring in any quality in January and Desmond, Lawwell and Co will be here until they * keel over.