Here it is......THE OFFICIAL TALKCELTIC TEAM OF THE DECADE

After six weeks of arguments, counter arguments and most importantly voting, TalkCeltic are proud to announce the Team of the Decade that you have all chosen as the best team in the past 10 years.

So here it is Bhoys and Ghirls, the TalkCeltic Team of the Decade:

Goalkeeper - Artur Boruc
​

Coming in with almost 97% of the TalkCeltic community's vote, there was only ever going to be one man who would be entrusted with wearing the gloves for our Team of the Decade. The man affectionately christened "The Holy Goalie" may have left the club this summer but will always be remembered fondly by all who had the privilege of watching him.

Artur joined from his boyhood heroes Legia Warsaw in 2005 on a loan deal that soon became permanent when manager Gordon Strachan realised just how good a player he had on his hands. Boruc was never far from the limelight during his time in Scotland with his antics during games against Rangers especially earning him an almost cult hero status amongst the Celtic faithful but made him an easy hate figure for Rangers fans. However, Artur still did most of his talking on the pitch. Countless compilations of his wonder saves exist on YouTube to prove just how influential this man was. His heroic saves against Spartak Moscow and Manchester United on the biggest stage of all are proof that he relished the big occasion and often excelled when he was needed most. His perfect penalty in the Hampden shoot-out against Dundee United put a smile on the face of every Celtic fan who had long wanted to see Artur hit the back of the net for the club that he had welcomed into his heart.

[FONT=&quot]It goes without saying that the fans also welcomed this legendary goalkeeper into their own hearts and I'm sure the debate will rage on for many years now as to whether or not Artur Boruc was the greatest goalkeeper ever to enter Paradise.
[/FONT]

Central Defender - Johan Mjallby
​

Johan Mjallby is without doubt one of the most reliable, honest and hardworking defenders ever to have pulled on the famous hooped jersey. The Swedish international is aiming to instil his own characteristics into the current Celtic squad which he presides over along with manager Neil Lennon but for many years he was one of the best defenders in Britain. Coming in with the lion's share of the defensive vote (almost 95%) is extremely impressive due to the competition that he had for a place in our Team of the Decade and it is a place that is well deserved.

[FONT=&quot]Johan joined the club in 1998 for over 1 million pounds in another of Dr Jozef Venglos' masterstroke signings but was originally intended to be played as a central midfielder. However, after a few seasons he began to adapt excellently to a central defensive role and it was here that he was at his most effective for the club. Johan has also had the privilege of captaining the club on several occasions in what he says was a "great honour" and also chipped in with a fair few important goals for a central defender with many coming in the last minute of games. Mjallby left the club in 2004 after a series of recurring injuries had hindered his progress and he and the club parted on good terms. He returns now as part of Neil Lennon's coaching staff and we can only hope that he can help to deliver the same level of success that he himself experienced as a player here. Time will tell.
[/FONT]

Central Defender - Bobo Balde
​

[FONT=&quot]
The final few years of Bobo Balde's tenure with Celtic may have left a sour taste in many supporters' mouths but he deservedly takes his place in this side based on his performances during Martin O'Neill's years and his first season under Gordon Strachan. During these happier times at Parkhead, Bobo was an immensely popular figure with the fans who would often cry out the immortal phrase "Bobo's gonnae get ye" at opposing strikers who dared take on the big defender. At almost 6"4, Balde was a towering, imposing presence at the heart of the Celtic defence and went on to make more than 230 appearances in his time at the club. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Balde, like Mjallby, also had a knack for finding the net in important games and even managed to find the net against Rangers on no less than three occasions in his time here which of course didn't do him any harm as a fan favourite. Bobo was an absolute rock in Celtic's most important season since 1967 when, in 2003 we were challenging for four major honours and was dominant in the UEFA Cup Final run. In the Final itself, Bobo was harshly sent off when he became victim to the disgusting play acting of the Porto players. However, he ended that year on a high by becoming the winner of the first ever Celtic Player of the Year Award. Despite what many think of Bobo off the pitch, there is no disputing that he was a fantastic player on the field throughout his time with the club.
[/FONT]

Central Defender - Joos Valgaeren
​

The big Belgian defender Joos Valgaeren was one of Martin O'Neill's first, and definitely most important, signings after he took over the Parkhead hotseat in 2000. O'Neill had been hugely impressed with Valgaeren's defensive displays for both the Dutch side Roda JC and the Belgian national side. Joos quickly became an instant hit in Glasgow with his no nonsense defending and his take no prisoners attitude that saw him fear no player or no team that he came up against. His never say die spirit and bravery were features of the entire side that O'Neill led to a Treble and memorable European adventures. Along with his two central defensive partners in our Team of the Decade, Joos was yet another player who knew how to find the net on a big occasion when the team needed him most.

In his early years with the club, he scored a vital opening goal in a crucial Glasgow derby against the Ibrox men and the look of joy and euphoria on his face after finding the net show just how much playing for the club meant to the Belgian. He also found the net on a thrilling European night at Parkhead when Italian giants Juventus were overcome in a 4-3 victory but one of my fondest memories of Joos in a Celtic jersey was when Celtic went to the Camp Nou in 2004 to take on the mighty Barcelona in the Champions League. Valgaeren expertly man marked the influential Ronaldinho out of the game in one of the most assured and confident defensive displays I have ever seen a Celtic player produce on such a big stage. Joos left the club in 2005 but is still widely thought of by Celtic fans as one of the bravest and strongest defenders of the past decade and one who has definitely earned his place in our Team of the Decade.

Midfielder - Neil Lennon​

Neil Lennon was signed by Martin O’Neill in December 2000, having worked together previously at Leicester O’Neill was well aware of Lenny’s love of the hoops and battling determination that was needed in the engine room of the Celtic team he was building. Lenny makes it into the TalkCeltic Team of the Decade with nearly 54% of the vote. A strong defensive midfielder, although unglamorous, Lenny fulfilled an import role by making sure we kept possession, even if that meant passing the ball backwards.

Throughout his 7 years with the club he had great success, winning the league 5 times, the Scottish cup 4 times and the league cup twice, he was made captain of the club in 2005. His ability to boss games, the fact that he was one of the bhoys and the victimization he suffered off the pitch was sure to make him one of the fans favourites.

Midfielder - Stiliyan Petrov​

Stiliyan Petrov was signed by the disastrous Barnes/Dalglish partnership in 1999 from CSKA Sofia, unfortunately his first season with the bhoys didn’t get off to a great start due to a combination of being unsettled, suffering from homesickness and being played at right back by Barnes. However, his second season showed us how good a midfielder he actually was. In 2001 he was voted young player of the year in Scotland (despite breaking his leg during the season).

Petrov was the type of midfielder the current team is crying out for, unselfish in the pass, huge amounts of energy, fantastic work rate, box to box runs and the ability to chip in with the goals when it really mattered (scoring over 60 goals in his Celtic career). These characteristics were the reason why 71% of the TalkCeltic voters put him in the Team of the Decade. Just 3 months after signing a contract extension he announced his desire to leave Celtic and left to join up with Martin O’Neill once more.

Midfielder - Lubomir Moravcik​

When Dr Jo Venglos signed his compatriot in 1998 the press had a field day questioning not only Dr Jo’s sanity but also Lubo’s ability, however, Lubo soon made them eat their words as he proved how much of a magician he really was with the ball, truly ‘A Gift from *’. This magicians tricks saw him win over 73% of the vote for the TalkCeltic Team of the Decade.

The sheer look of bewilderment as he scored twice in a 5-1 hammering of Rangers was a sight to behold and will live long in the memory of those lucky enough to witness it. A complete player he was equally comfortable on either foot, had an eye for goal and his tricks and flicks were a joy to watch. Although an obvious abundance of talent when he joined Celtic aged 33 he had never won a major trophy, thankfully that changed with the bhoys and this wonderful player has a few winners medals to show for his endeavours.

Wing-back - Didier Agathe​

Signed by Martin O’Neill in September 2000 from Hibs for the paltry sum of £50,000. His speed was his main asset as he could bomb up and down the wing as his acceleration got him past most players. Despite being in the Seville team his biggest achievement was probably against Barcelona as none other than Ronaldinho applauded his skill on the pitch.

Public fall outs with Gordon Strachan resulted in the club agreeing to terminate his contract in February 2006. Three titles, three Scottish Cup wins and 2 league cup wins as well as the UEFA Cup runners up is the reason Agathe received 63% of the votes and makes it into the TalkCeltic Team of the Decade.

Wing-back - Alan Thompson​

Alan Thompson was another one of Martin O’Neill’s first year signings, joining the Bhoys in September 2000. Although many of us were unaware of what to expect from him, he showed us just how important a player he was by scoring over 50 goals in his time at the club. However, it was the number of goals that is important when you think of Thommo, it’s the quality of those goals and the quality of the opposition he scored against.

As well as his goal scoring capabilities Thommo will also be remembered for his ability to put in tackles when required, he was a physical player and as with the rest of that team he was not easily knocked off the ball and was always up for the fight, showing exactly why 66% of voters included him in the Team of the Decade.

Striker - Chris Sutton​

Another one of Martin O’Neill’s major signings, Chris Sutton joined the Bhoys in July 2000, and although 57% of voters have chosen him as one of the two strikers in the Team of the Decade his contribution to the midfield and defence should not be underestimated. Sutton was truly an all round player who commanded whichever position he was asked to play. Although he scored the winner on his debut he really cemented his place in Celtic folklore in the Demolition Derby, scoring twice in the 6-2 annihilation of Rangers.

[FONT=&quot]Sutton really was a mountain for us in attack, his partnership with Larsson was the most fruitful in many a long year, his physical strength, power and skill combined with his ability to bully defences out of the way (without fouling them) meant he had a great goal scoring record for us finishing just shy of the 100 goals mark. He didn’t just leave an impression on the Celtic faithful, Celtic also left an impression on him as in 2009 he was quoted as saying:

“I didn’t do well at Chelsea, but Celtic was the best, most enjoyable football of my career”[/FONT]

Striker - Henrik Larsson​

How can you sum up Henrik Larsson’s contribution to Celtic in just a couple of paragraphs, Henke (otherwise known as Ghod) is without a shadow of a doubt the best player to pull on those famous hoops since wee Jinky. This can be said with absolute certainty as 100% of TalkCeltic members who voted put the King of Kings in the Team of the Decade.

Our Magnificent Seven was bought by Wim Jansen for just £650,000 which turned out to be an absolute steal. Jansen knew he wasn’t happy at Feynoord but also knew of his talents, despite not getting off to the best of starts (giving the ball away to Chic Charnley on his debut resulting in him scoring the winning goal for Hibs). His European debut wasn’t exactly filled with glory either as he scored an own goal, but 7 years later and his stardom amongst the Celtic faithful led to 60,000 people shedding a tear at his departure.

Larsson’s hero status started as he was part of the team that stopped the ten, from then on it just grew and grew. From his goals tally, to the goals he set up, from his spirit to his encouragement for his team mates, his sheer will to win was infectious. We could be here all day talking about his records, the goals he scored, the games he shone in, the despair of his leg break, his fight back to fitness, but there is no need we all have our favourite Henke memory, the word legend gets banded around far too easily these days, but in Henke’s case it’s the only word that does him justice – The Magnificent Seven, Celtic Legend.

 

As part of the vote it was also asked who should manage this Team of the Decade, well the poll has closed, the results are in and verified, the person voted as manager of the TalkCeltic Team of the Decade is ....

[FONT=&quot]The Manager - Martin O'Neill[/FONT]​

[FONT=&quot]The man who would go on to become such a popular figure at Celtic that he became known as "St. Martin" joined the club from Leicester City in 2000 with the reasonably manageable objective of steadying the ship after the disastrous Barnes/Dalglish regime. He went on to do so much more than just steady the ship in his five years with the club. [/FONT]

The lifelong Celt promised to do everything in his power to bring success back to the club after beating out stiff competition from the likes of Guus Hiddink for the position. O'Neill established his dominance immediately with some excellent signings such as Chris Sutton, Didier Agathe and Alan Thompson and watched his team fire SIX past Rangers in his first Old Firm derby. Martin's men went on to secure a remarkable treble that year and followed it up with another league title and the highest points tally ever in the SPL the following year.

There truly was something special about the way O'Neill went about his business and this was never the more evident than in 2003 when he guided the side to their first European final in over 30 years before eventually being bested by Porto. We may have ended up with no trophies that year but the memories of what the team achieved are worth every bit as much. Martin went on to secure not only another league title and two more Scottish Cups before his departure but also an historic "Green and Whitewash" over Rangers by winning every single game against them that year.

Sadly, in 2005, Martin left the club to take care of his wife who was in ill health and thus brought to an end the greatest managerial reign since the late, great Jock Stein. Martin O'Neill's achievements both domestically and in Europe make him one of the greatest managers ever to sit in the Parkhead dugout and with three-quarters of the TalkCeltic community's vote, he deservedly takes his place as the Manager of the TalkCeltic Team of the Decade.


Special thanks to Dannighirl and The Starman for putting this presentation together.

 

cant argue with that!!

 

Superb Team

 

wish we had them now tbh

 

It is a great team - wish we signed Boruc 3 years earlier instead of sticking with those clowns Douglas and Hedman - we couldve won the UEFA and who knows the CL next year as well just like those cheating b's from portugal

 

Where's Paul Lambert ?

Great Team !!!!!!!!!!!!
But would have preferred Paul Lambert to Neil Lennon as the holding midfielder.
Champions League winner, Celtic & Scottish Captain & much more talented than Lennon could ever be !!!!

Hail Hail

 

excellent

 

Basically the Seville team with Boruc in goal. Can't argue with any decision.

What a team!!!!!

 

No Naka ?

 

No need for Naka when you have the * like genius of Lubo in there :icon_mrgreen:

 

TBH he was class. In that formation Lubo works better. Naka's never a wing-back- baring in mind he played rw for us mostly

 

True. I always thought though that Naka would have been a more effective player for us playing in a free role behind a front two.

That might even be the case with Aiden McGeady as well.

 

I thought that about both of them

Naka played as a CM earlier in his career, but in Scotland he may have struggled there

 

McGeady, Maloney, Nakmura or even McGinn would get in ahead of Agathe for me. Other than that, fantastic team.

 

Agathe was part of the Seville team. An integral one tbh. Thats why he's there. He offered us something unique in a WB that can get up and down with real ease. And if i'm right he played this well because he rarely went inside. I prefer a winger that goes around the full back- and he did.

 

I thought he was * and the the first three I mentioned are far superior players in my humble opinion.

 

Agathe is the only player in that team that I didn't vote for. I voted for Jackie McNamara to fill that position. Agathe had electric pace but I think in every other way Jackie Mac was a better full/wing-back.

 

Yeah Naka would never have survived as a CM in Scotland, he'd have got kicked to death.