And so it starts…

Pre-season has finally arrived and the question has to be asked – has that much changed since last season? In my view, pre-season has always been the time to refresh things, in terms of personalities, tactics and of-course new strips!

At the end of a long, hard season, a lot of fans, both Celtic and Rangers, were glad to see the back of it. However, with the month of June passing quietly (at least for us) and a couple of friendlies under our belt, the most potent point has been that little has actually changed at Celtic.

Firstly, under Gordon Strachan, pre-season performances has always seemed to go quite slowly with little energy or vigour. This has culminated in the last few seasons starts being quite slow with last seasons’ opening game/letdown against Kilmarnock (that actually typified the season as whole to a large extent) and of course the infamous Artmedia Bratislava debacle both springing to mind.

Secondly, it also has an effect on the fans. Look at this time last year, Celtic’s performances against Newcastle United were a joke while the previous pre-season had seen morale sapping defeats against American opposition. If the management and the team aren’t going to put much worth into these games, then how can supporters? Consequently, the attendances at home friendlies in the last three years has also further entrenched the notion that a lot of season-ticket holders are picking and choosing their games more carefully (I know I was).

What all this has done is create a stale and negative atmosphere at the club before a serious ball has been kicked in anger. While Martin O’Neill’s pre-seasons were generally quite positive and noteworthy due to high profile games against English Premiership opposition, Gordon Strachan’s are exactly the opposite – games that have more to do with commercialism than entertainment or rewarding fans for their loyalty. Indeed, the club nearly scored an own goal with their Irish supporters when it was announced that the Celtic under-21 team would play Glentoran, a Belfast team with a large loyalist following!

My advice to Gordon is therefore very simple and pragmatic – plan at least some PR and passion into your next pre-season. Take the team to Ireland and/or the north of Scotland to reward fans to travel hundreds/thousands of miles and spend thousands of pounds to support the team. The team should then play a few home games against top-drawer opposition. It’s nice to be nice, and for once, the supporters might even give you the benefit of the doubt for a change….

Sean Huddleston

Comments

[Sean Huddleston]

Hi guys,

First of all, thanks for commenting on my article and hopefully it provided food for thought.

However, I would like to reply on a few things you have brought up.

Firstly, with regards to the Glentoran game, the point I was making was that their are hundreds of thousands of celtic fans in Ireland who dont get the chance to see their team. These supporters will not go to Glentoran's ground for various reasons including safety. I am very familiar with the good friday agreement (Im from Belfast myself) but that does not mean everything in the north of ireland is tolerable and it does not make certain places easier/safer to visit or go to. There are also other clubs in Ireland where if Celtic visited them, they would receive more of a welcome (Donegal Celtic, cliftonville, Derry City spring to mind) thus securing better p.r and competition against the deluge of premiership coverage.

Secondly, with regards to the benefit of the doubt to Gordon Strachan, as you've already mentioned we only won the league within the last ten mins of the season. We only brought ourselves back into the race with the last seven games of the season. Up until that point, the quality and success of the football provided had been a mixed bag to say the least. gordon strachan still has something to prove because of these points above. We didnt find our best team of the season until we found Scott Brown suspended and even then we were far from convincing in certain respects. We do not see a coherant plan b when plan a goes wrong and alot of supporters have become increasingly tired of this.

Dont get me wrong, I was as delighted as any celtic supporter when we won the league. I have also got behind the team when they needed it. However, I have seen a misplaced confidence/arrogance in the last two pre-seasons about celtic's quality and Rangers' lack of it - we've seen this emerge already within the celtic cyberspace community. I have also seen a lack of quality in celtic's approach and tactics continue unaddressed for a considerable period of time(to allow Walter smith to have a FOUR game unbeaten run against us was criminal for example). I dont believe in divine rule but i do believe that when you've had the kind of financial outlay that celtic have had on players in the last four years then the quality of football and consequent success should be more accessible. The large numbers of empty seats in games obviously bear this frustration out.

I hope Ive qualified a few points and thanks for reading the article.

[Michael Treanor]

I for one agree with Sean, not a truer thing has been said about the state of the game in recent years. Well done in putting it out there for discussion.

[Alex]

Gordon Strachan has won the league in each of his seasons in charge and some Celtic fans still aren't happy?

What a joke. 1967 was more than 40 years ago, and the face of football has changed hugely since then.

Clearly you need to get over yourself Sean. The wee man has become legendary for some of his quotes - the last thing he needs to do is change his gameplan to listen to the rantings of someone who has no experience of managing a large football club.

As for the game against Glentoran, I take it you are aware of the Good Friday agreement? It's the fans who are still living in the dark ages that need to change their viewpoint, not Celtic Football club - if there are sections of fans that don't want to build bridges, they should be treated with the contempt they deserve.

[world citizen]

Sean said:
"the supporters might even give you the benefit of the doubt for a change…."

Sorry Sean,
What doubt is that? Doubt that he can deliver three-in-a-row league titles? Doubt that he can take us through the group stages of the European Cup two years in succession?
Sure, there were ups and downs last season. It's called sport, Sean.
.... and we won in the end (compare and contrast with 2003 and 2005).
The league was exciting - the result was in doubt up to the last 10 minutes. Would you prefer an annual procession to the title? what would be the point? Please leave non-football reasons for dominance to others. Celtic have no need for it.