| Matches: 2008 – 2009 | League Table 2008-09 | Champs Lge 2008-09 | Statistics 2008-09 |
A Bitter Pill To Swallow
How to follow on from last season's highs and lows? Not an easy task, and the most oft-repeated phrase throughout was "4-in-a-row". So, was WGS to cement his name as a legend at Celtic by achieving the coveted "4-in-a-row" of league titles? But more important how was his relationship with the fans going to develop this year? It was a (near) clean sheetfor many on WGS after the emotional end to last season, so it was hoped that bridges could be mended between the manager and the support.
Before the season even began, rumblings (as usual) had begun about WGS and his transfers. Few buys to excite the fans made many apprehensive about the hope for greater entertainment, but in general the mood was that despite everything we were going to win the league (confidence was high).He sacrificed the potential to buy a single or two big money buys fora numberof small transfers in, so a bigger squad. Relatively,a comparatively better squad than the Huns with the added confidence from last season's league title should be enough to push us through to the end. Or was it really to be that easy? Definitely not.
Pre-season was the usual nervous stuff, not helped by a few points: 1) an embarrassing defeat to Fulham (very demoralising), 2) Skippy coming back after the summer break looking like the Marshmallow Man and 3) a disappointing set of transfers in. The last point being a bug bear for most, as its was obvious to practically all that we needed a new left-back as Naylor was fading fast, but to no avail. Other signings didn't seem to flatter and boost confidence.Change was expected after some unflattering performances in the past season, but to not avail. In fairness, competing with the money-laden EPL is just a step too far for Celtic at the time. Rangers on the other hand were profligate with their spending over the summer in comparison, something that bit them on the arse when they were knocked out early against Kaunas in Europe (so a lot of lost revenue for the Huns(hee hee!)).
The season started off rather easily until the first Old Firm game where basically we were turned over (at home) 4-2 and lucky not to have lost by more. We were hopeless, and the daggers were out for the manager. The pent up frustration from sections of the crowd was released in one big explosion, and the tone was decidedly frosty for the rest of the season with respect to the manager's relationship with the fans. Not a good start.
Nevertheless followed on from there was a cracking set of games which saw us take advantage and overhaul Rangers to go top of the league. One notable game saw the real Celtic spirit in action, where against Aberdeen at home, having gone 1 up, we saw Aberdeen come back to lead 2-1 after half-time! We'd thrown it all away, until two late goals saw us steal a victory and a mess-up by Aberdeen at the death allowed us to keep the 3pts. Add in some great footwork by Jan Venegoor to get that winning goal and that was a case of great teamwork we expected to see more of into the season (if only!).
A repeated line ever there was a good victory like this was that it showed the camaraderie in the squad and this was to be the start of a great period! In truth, there was some great football in the first third of the season, and was the best to watch Celtic for a few seasons at least. It was nothing special but in the right direction at least we all thought.
Anyhow, the big headaches of the season began with injuries besetting the manager in his aim to overhaul Rangers. Credit to WGS as his policy of squad numbers above single big signings did pay off which enabled us to be able to squad rotate players to cover for gaps in the side and keep our nose in front. Amazingly we went 7pts at the end of November, and December became the brightest time of the season and it was capped off with a 1-0 victory against the Huns. Chuffing great! We thought we were set up for the rest of the campaign. How we were to be disappointed.
During all this was our Champions league escapade. A poor final set of results saw us finish bottom and again fail to win any of our away games (see link for full write-up). A major disappointment following the achievements of the past two years, and some of it can be put down to bad luck, esp in the Aalborg game. However, after 4 years WGS still hadn't managed an away win in Europe, something that can't be put down to bad luck alone and something that was noticeable to all. Ironically, this season did see us play some of our better stuff away in Europe, and we were genuinely unlucky against Villareal. We got the breaks last season; this time we didn't.
Back to the league, so where did it all begin to go wrong? Basically from the turn of the new year. We dropped points to Dundee Utd, and very embarrassingly lost convincingly to Aberdeen 4-2. From then on things never recovered. A soft victory against Queens Park (2-1!) in the Scottish Cup should have finally heightened the lack of heart amongst many of our players. Yet WGS seemed to do little.
What was going on? To our surprise, WGS summarised the situation well in a post-match interview: "You have to determine your own destiny. The eyes of the football world are upon us all. The question being asked is, 'Are you a team that plays just when everything is right for you?' That can't happen. The best way for us to recover is to get back on form as quickly as possible." (Mar 09)
However, he quickly turned back to old ways by stating in an interview a few weeks later: "If anyone can find a negative – and I'm sure they will – then they are warped!" after the Dundee utd game in April where we drew 2-2. Clearly and sadly showed a dividing line between the management and the fans.An unnecessary dig and it was an unworkable relationship. We'd squandered a good chance to go back 5pts in front, and drew the match when we were ahead then behind before being saved by unlikely hero Naylor. The comment post-match was very insulting and patronising to the support (and uncalled for). Difficult to see how things were going to mend easily for many. Why exactly did WGS have to patronise and insult the support? Only he could answer this question, but best left to end of season.
Added to that, complaints about lack of entertaining football were being swatted away with abandonment: "In terms of entertainment, yes, we do have responsibilities at Celtic and Rangers, because we have greater resources than most clubs up here to entertain, But most of the songs that the supporters sing are all about winning trophies — they don't sing nice wee ditties about the beautiful game. No one remembers the beautiful football, but they do remember the defeats." This line seemed to show his distance from the Celtic ideal.
One nice break for us was the league cup final, beating the Huns in extra-time, with both goals scored by our Irish internationals (O'Dea & McGeady). Nice way to get it right up them, and ensured no clean sweep for the Huns this season. The highlight of the season and it was brilliant to see us lift the trophy with the stadium half-empty as the Huns traipsed up early. Not a classic game, but we deserved to win this game.
From then on in, little went right for us again, and after dropping points, we were up against Rangers to see who was to win the league. The final league game v Rangers was a failure, losing one-nil and from then on the writing was on the wall. Nevertheless, the lead position switched on occasion between Celtic & Rangers, and a reprieve at the end of the season saw us requiring to win our last two games (and hope Rangers drop pts) to win the league. We drew both nil-nil without putting up much of a fight.
It was all over.
We'd lost the league to a poor Rangers side. Our players did not perform, and the apathy around the club was heart-breaking. It was overall a poor season with under-performing players.
The football was generally poor to watch and it had been a continual complaint over the past few years. For many who were tried of the turgid football on display this was a bit much, and swathes of empty seats at Celtic matches became the norm rather than exception. With the global credit crunch beginning and hitting one and all, it was not a time to alienate the support. Yet he did, so why? Who knows? It doesn't require much to get on the side of the fans.
There are many reasons for the loss, but the manager has to take the flak and he was not one to ever take criticism lightly, being self-admittedly easily irritated. In fairness there were mitigating points, e.g. the loss of Barry Robson to injury has probably been more costly to us than we realised, as he was a strong driving force to the title run-in last season.
WGS handed in his resignation with little surprise the day after the league defeat and left rightly with his head held high for his achievements over the past seasons and uncharacteristically no smart remarks (thankfully). There was actually some sadness to see him go as there have been many good memories over his time. He had been the creator of his own downfall this season, and in his self-reflection on this last season will have to admit, to himself at least, where he went wrong.
The search was on now for our new manager and a fresh new start, and a recycling of the squad with some to go and others to come in.
Champions League
Review Following on from last year's Houdini act where Celtic somehow managed to squeeze through into the knockout stages ahead of Benfica and Shaktar, was it to be three in a row qualification for Celtic? Luckily we didn't have to qualify through a preliminary round, straight into the group stages this time around (phew!), but we were grouped with Man U (1st seeds and reigning European Cup champions), Valencia (2) and Aalborg (4).
Kicking off, what should have been an easy starter against Aalborg at home was just that, yet we played an over cautious game and missed a penatly, ending up somehow with a no score draw. Bit of an irony for us in that for the first time playing cautious in Europe has made us suffer (rather than it being the other way around).
After the bad start, two defeats away in a row against Valencia and Man U away effectively ended our likely qualification hopes to the KO stages. Truth is that there is little better that WGS could have done in either of those two games. In the Valencia match, Celtic more than held their own, only to be outdone by a free-kick that shouldn't have been given.
In the Man U away game, we were comprehensively beaten and outplayed, however their first two goals were given despite being offside! Man Utd is a side when in front will pulverise the opposition, so if those goals hadn't been given maybe things could have been different (probably more in hope more than anything else). For example, in our 1-0 win against Man U in 2006, we held out a dominant Man U to beat them, so maybe its not as unrealistic a thought.
Three games to go, out of the Champs Lge effectively and (worst of all) no goals scored so far! Man U at home was a face saving exercise, and Celtic competed better and finally scored our first goal, an absoulte cracker by Skippy McDonald! Almost a victory but an aggressive Man U side pushed hard for a goal and were awarded with one late into the second half. One each full-time, and at least we'd regained some of our pride back. Aalborg away should have been a straight forward winner takes all match (for a UEFA cup spot), and a first half goal set us up nicely. Then we blew up, losing two goals to Aalborg (one being an own goal (pure bad luck)). Aalborg are probably the poorest side we have yet faced in the Champions League, in financial as well as in football terms, yet we only took one point from six against them, and defeat meant we were bottom of the group and out of Europe completely. A last game victory v Villarreal at home restored batterred pride, however too little too late.
The Champions League campaign was disappointing to put it mildly. For WGS, to be fair he got tactics and teams correct against Villarreal and Man U in the four games, and defeating either of them was always going to be a tall order for any team. However, against Aalborg, it is hard to know what to say. At home we were too cautious, but then again its the Champions League and all teams deserve respect and the more successful sides are those that note this. In the away game, it was the players at fault, and not WGS, conceding unnecessary goals and not taking advantage of the many early chances we had in the game (esp ones by Naka and an out-of-sorts Samaras). After last season where we scrapped through (undeservedly in some ways) to the KO stages, this time our luck wasn't there.
One major problem continues, and that is of our away form. Our "Fortress Parkhead" remains, as we were unbeaten at home for all three games, yet again though we lost all three away games! We have not won away in the Champs Lge group games to date. It's embarrassing and the excuse about poor luck doesn't cut ice anymore. We scored our first away goal in the Champs Lge since Spartak in the qualifiers over twelve months earlier which highlights our poor form. Hard to know what we can do but its the manager's responsibility, and in many ways this has now created a psychological barrier for the team in our away games in Europe. Must do better.
In any case, its better to be there than not as any Hun would tell you.
Links
- Matches: 2008 – 2009
- League Table 2008-09
- Champs Lge 2008-09
- Statistics 2008-09
Manager
Players
| NAME |
| Artur Boruc |
| Mark Brown |
| Scott Fox |
| Gary Caldwell |
| Scott Brown |
| Stephen McManus |
| Scott McDonald |
| Andreas Hinkel |
| Shunsuke Nakamura |
| Aiden McGeady |
| Georgios Samaras |
| Paul Hartley |
| Lee Naylor |
| Shaun Maloney |
| Jan Vennegoor |
| Glenn Loovens |
| Marc Luque Crosas |
| Barry Robson |
| Mark Wilson |
| Darren O'Dea |
| Gary Caldwell |
| Cillian Sheridan |
| Scott Brown |
| Shunsuke Nakamura |
| Mark Wilson |
| Massimo Donati |
| Andreas Hinkel |
| Scott McDonald |
| Aiden McGeady |
| Lee Naylor |
| Paul Hartley |
| Willo Flood |
| Paul Caddis |
| Koki Mizuno |
| Cillian Sheridan |
| Christopher Killen |
| Patrick McCourt |
| Ryan Conroy |
| Simon Ferry |
| Paul McGowan |
| Paul McGowan |
| Marc Crosas |
| Ben Hutchinson |
| Paul Caddis |
| Mark Millar |
| Milan Misun |