The beautiful game has no shortage of excuses for failure.
In that, it has a worrying similarity to real life.
However, the Sevco psychodrama has perhaps unearthed a new one:
“We would have won if the gaffer had not been so famous!”
That, in a sense, it what is now being said.
As I have stated here recently, the utility function of hiring Mr Gerard last summer was, quite frankly, to sell season tickets.
Initially, things fell favourably for the ex-Liverpool U18 coach.
Celtic had a shambles of a summer transfer window and Sevco manoeuvred into the Group Stages of the Europa League.
His brought in much needed extra revenue for the basket of assets.
Of course, it also allowed the klan to take their Herrenvolk supremacism on tour.
Mr Gerrard’s stock was at its highest when Sevco beat Celtic at Ibrox on the last day of 2018.
The chaps in the Blue Room started to believe and the boat was pushed out into the middle of the Atlantic when Davis and Defoe were brought in on EPL wages.
Apparently, the chaps in the sports desks also believed.
Now, there appears to be a marked change in the narrative within the SMSM.
In fairness, there have been a few lone voices in the mainstream who called this from the start.
Before being hired by Dave King, Mr Gerrard had only one year as an U18 coach at Liverpool.
This was hardly adequate credentials for someone able to take on the mess at Sevco.
During this international break, with no club matches, the back pages are available to either trash the Sevco manager or give him a timely boost.
A cynic might conclude that the chairman, a man of many convictions, has already ratted him out.
I, of course, couldn’t possibly comment.
Aon rud eile…
Voting in the Football Blogging Awards is still open.
In an entirely glib and shameless manner, I am soliciting your votes in the “Best International” and “Best Established” categories.
You can vote here.
Míle Buíochas
“Too Famous”? There will have to be an addendum to the klan’s Big Book of Excuses. HH
Kirk Broadfoot received a record ten match ban from the English FA while playing for Rotherham for vile sectarian abuse of one James McLean , something no Scottish tabloid seems to want to mention . One of their own .
I had another look at the Record’s season preview issued in August, and it’s fascinating to see who the, ahem, journos, tip for honours at the end of the season. Although they were all wetting their trousers at Gerrard’s arrival and hailing him as the messiah every single one of the ten picked Celtic for the League, and a few of them, including Jackson, picked Celtic for the treble. They knew the score even then.
Where did Fleming’s latest fast track ref appear from?
Can’t say I’d heard of this Greg Aitken previously.
Way, way out of his depth. Fortunately Alan McGregor was on hand to help him make the decision just to yellow card Goldson after he’d halved the Killie player in half.
Just when you think Fleming’s officials couldn’t get any worse, up pops another one to prove you wrong.
And still Fleming remains above criticism from the media and presumably from his employers at the SFA as he’s still in post and in with the bricks it seems.
How did the ref, both linesmen and the 4th official miss the handbags between Broadfoot and El Buffoon at half time?
I thought that the officials were last to leave the pitch to ensure that there was no ‘ coming together’ of opposition players.
It’s way past being funny or ironic that the men in black are sponsored by Specsavers!
Maxwell has been invisible throughout the season as mistake follows mistake then when reviewed many of the decisions are rescinded, yet you can bet your bottom dollar that one or more of the officials will get more big games including the Scottish Cup semis and finals.
This the same Greg Aitken who’s being slaughtered by SG for not protecting sevco players? I actually thought that, other than the very obvious Goldson howler, he was pretty fair. Broadfoot and El Buffoono was girls netball stuff, as was Ryan what’sisface and the fanny he danced with.
Vote’s in Phil.
Stevie G will have the same problem that many great players turned manager have.
The players at his disposal, by and large, are unable to hit the heights that Gerrard did during his playing career.
What was meat and drink to him is way beyond the capabilities of his current charges and without significant spending that’s not going to change anytime soon.
In addition there is nobody in the youth department knocking on the first team door whereas Celtic can boast of Ralston, Tierney, McGregor, Forrest, Johnston having come through the system with Dembele likely to follow them.
I think that Gerrard is only now realising what he’s taken on and it’s likely that the majority of any funds raised from the sale of Morelos and Tavernier will be directed to running costs, leaving him the task of finding marquee Bosman’s.
Despite Celtic’s failure to qualify for CL this hole in the finances has been filled with the sale of Dembele £20m, Armstrong £7m, Van Dyk £7m from the add ons and £9m for Rodgers and his coaching staff.
Thats £43m before adding in the gate receipts from CL qualifiers and Europa matches.
I see that some of the Ibrox club followers are taking the Dave King line on league titles and are refusing to count the titles won by Celtic whilst their club/company/thingy was on the journey.
Of course the decade during which their teams were stuffed with ‘ imperfectly’ registered players seems to have passed them by.
And so it begins…
Surly he has more sense than to do the ‘walking away’ thingy,then again,he was daft enough to take the position.The overwhelming tirade of abuse,that is probably on the cards for him,may prove too much for the rookie,time alone will tell.I think when we beat them the pressure will intensify and he may walk then.
For if the sevco board think he’s been a success,I would have to refer them to their previous two managers records,whom,at this stage of their seasons,had better stats than sg.
Ah ‘it’s great tae be a Jungle-Bhoy in these times,schadenfreude anyone?
Two votes duly added and more than deserved
I see the ‘PAYG Undercover Blogger’ has gone on an all out Neil Lennon Offensive…
Entitled to an opinion like the rest of us.. but should really base it on facts rather than bogus assumptions of the likes that emminate from down Edmiston Street.
There’s a decent proportion of Celtic fans that don’t want Lenny beyond May…
.. but his previous achievements are to be acknowledged as much as completing the 3×3 will be should it happen.
As for Mr G MBE .. he has been found out and while his limited grey matter is slowly letting HIM know that…
…. the rest of us already know it..
… the media know it, but won’t admit it (yet – give them time)
…. and the entire onlooking world of football know it.
Unfortunately, Mr G MBE won’t be able to know that we know it until he actually knows it himself.
Liverpool told him he didn’t have the skills or brainpower to make it as a coach – he chose not to believe them..
Would Sevco or ANY top flight club in Europe for that matter… take on an under 18s coach with one years patchy experience and NO qualifications to his name?
His was always about trying to make Sevco seem relevant, to keep them in the news. And to sell tickets.
Mr G MBEs brief career as a manager is coming to an end..,
You won’t hear too much criticism from the media when he goes , especially from his ‘friends’ from the EPL media… but they will all know he has failed.
When he does eventually find out that he has ‘resigned’…. I doubt very much that Stevie G will accept that he has failed.
If he wants to continue his dream it will have to be at a league 2 or lower club if any is prepared to take him on.
Just think…. there are those in the Scottish media that seriously thought that should Jurgen Klopp depart Anfield…. that Liverpool would straight on the iBrokes hotline to poach Mr G MBE
I wouldn’t be surprised if Mr G MBE actually believes that himself!