A CELTIC FAN ON GORDON STRACHAN
The Quiet One, 10 Nov 2009
I am a Celtic supporter and would like to express my
best wishes to you for the coming season.
Obviously Boro have taken on
our previous manager, Gordon Strachan, and, if you dont mind, I would like
to put across my view of Strachan (I am not alone with these views) as a
season ticket holder during his four year spell at Celtic.
Many supporters,
myself included, feel that he ripped the heart and soul out of Celtic whilst he
was here, despite him winning three titles in a row and nearly a fourth.
Article Continues Below...
His formation and style of
play caused extreme frustration amongst the supporters, which in turn led to
dwindling attendances, even when we were winning League titles
comfortably.
Completely bizarre substitutions became a weekly occurrence, which again
led to fan frustration.
He had his favourite players (I know every
manager does) but even when it was blatantly obvious who to take off, it
never worked out that way.
You will probably see assistant Gary Pendrey
with his clipboard out when subs are about to happen and to be honest, a
substitute can sometimes take about 10 minutes to come on after being
stripped as he is given his instructions by Pendrey. This is, again, another
frustration.
Last but not least were his after match press conferences that always
followed the same pattern. If Celtic had a stinker he would still tell
the press that we were magnificent. Again, it is extremely frustrating for
knowledgeable supporters who watch the team week in week out and know how badly the
side has played.
Anyway you are probably wondering why I am complaining so much after
winning three titles out of four. After all, Gordon Strachan must have been doing
something right, and obviously this is the case.
However, he was a very
frustrating manager whose style of play was enforced upon the team and this drove many
faithful away.
I thank you for giving me the chance to "rant" on your site and once
again I would like to wish Boro all the best in the coming season.
Jimbo, November 10, 2009 at 6:42 pm What a bloody stupid and nonsensical argument. I too am a season ticket holder at Parkhead. 3 titles in 4 years. CL last 16 twice. What a record! All this whilst reducing the average age of the squad and halving (yes, halving) the wage bill. Beating AC Milan, champions at the time, giving Barcelona a really good challenge at home. Some people just don\'t have a clue. \"Knowledgeable fans\"? May be, but not about football I\'m afraid. ian, November 10, 2009 at 6:54 pm
I second Jimbo\'s comments. There were many Celtic supporters who had it in for Strachan from day 1, they just didn\'t accpet him as a manager. No matter what he did he was criticised and he never received full credit for his achievements. Iain Stephen, November 10, 2009 at 7:00 pm Im a Middlesborough fan living in Scotland, sharing a flat with a Celtic supporter and from what I saw over the last three years this article is 100% spot on,his press conferences were straight from the Iraqi ministry of information. Jimbo, November 10, 2009 at 7:01 pm Tommy Burns and John Clark didn\'t think so, Ronnie, and that\'s good enough for me. tim, November 10, 2009 at 7:42 pm i agree with the article,so many bad signings he has left celtic the worst i have ever seen in my life,and in cutting the wage bill in half jimbo you really need to look at the accounts its at 39 million a year while the team that reached the uefa cup final was at 41 million so something doesnt add up!!!all the best boro your gonna need it Andy Smith, November 10, 2009 at 7:56 pm To the Boro \'fan\' at 7:00pm, Middlesborough is spelt M-i-d-d-l-e-s-b-r-o-u-g-h.
I think a lot of our fans also have it in for Strachan - before he\'s been in the job for a month. We need to give him a chance and back our team.
Personally, I thought the Southgate sacking was ridiculous (and don\'t get me started about Keith Lamb\'s role!) but as fans we have to get behind our club and not attack it based on instances passed.
COB pat mc, November 10, 2009 at 8:32 pm As far as I am concerned I prayed for the day Strachan left, he couldn\'t get along with, Thompson, Sutton, Hartson, Balde, Graveson, Riorden, McGeady and probably a few others. I truly believe he knew he was quitting and the last Rangers game left Aiden on the bench so his buddy Walter did not get fired, good riddence Stevie, November 10, 2009 at 8:36 pm Gordon Strachan did an unbelievable job at Celtic - he was committed , dedicated and put his heart and sole into the club (players, staff and supporters).
The anti celtic scottish media were against him from day 1 (largely since he could see through them and gave then not an ounce) - the negative media tarnished the minds of many celtic fans.
Make no mistake - the media in Scotland hate celtic and will do everything in their powers to tarnish the clubs name and elevate the \"establishment\" club.
You have a very passionate manager and an honest man - i wish the Boro all the best. PrairieBhoy, November 10, 2009 at 8:40 pm All Strachan ever did for Celtic was win three straight league titles and three other cup victories. Astounding that he received the stick that he did. That should be enough but he also challenged Man Utd and AC Milan in the CL and had his team playing well.
He put together three different teams and managed to win consistently. Who cares what his press conferences were lick. He hated losing, hated repetative questions from the laptop loyal and got frustrated ultimately not being supported by the board. Yes he had some transfers that did not work out but most have. He got stuck with Graveson\'s contact (Gordon\'s fault) and Balde\'s (O\'Neil\'s fault) between those two contracts and the lack of productivity from both players, it handcuffed Strachan for at least a season and a half.
He wasn\'t \"Celtic minded\" enough for some (translation - a former Celtic player or supporter)so guys like Gerry never warmed to him.
He is going to be able to spend more at Boro in a transfer window than he could at Celtic in 2-3 transfer windows. Good luck WGS, I\'ll be rooting for you Chris Bhoy, November 10, 2009 at 9:03 pm Absolute tosh. I\'m a lifelong Celtic supporter, and can honestly say I think he was a good manager.
He was brought in as a hatchet man to cut down the wage bill of an ageing side, and form a side capable of winning the SPL, both of which he achieved throughout his time.
Granted his attitude and selections often caused raised eyebrows, but he\'s an old school manager who believes in trai ing hard, getting fitness up and not letting a players ego stand in his way.
I wish he\'d been shown some money in January and stayed another season. Perhaps if I have a gripe it\'s that he didn\'t stand up to the board and DEMAND more transfer money, which he clearly needed, but perhaps he was too accepting and pragmatic, where lots of fans wanted a Celtic man who would wouldn\'t accept that attitude in Celtic.
With the right resources he could be a great manager. chivs, November 10, 2009 at 9:33 pm I couldnt agree more he was useless at times but was still successful but as the guy says you will get really frustrated with him, his man management tactics and substitutions were a pure utter joke, and a couldnt wait to see the back of him, he will get you promoted boro fans but with him at the helm in the premier he wont last Vini, November 10, 2009 at 9:46 pm This article is utter nonsense.
WGS had a brief when he joined Celtic. He was told to help the board cut debt/and the wage bill whilst winning titles.
He helped us win 3 titles out of 4 and we lost the last one on the last day of the season. Not bad whilst reducing the debt IMO.
Its a disgrace that Celtic fans are slating him. He absolutely loves our club but the minority of spoilt fans dont seem to appreciate anything he did for us.
You should be ashamed of yourselves.
Greatest fans in the world my ar**! Ross, November 10, 2009 at 10:04 pm The reason fans stopped going wasn\'t because of Strachan - it was because they were sick of listening to the so called experts - like the idiot writing the article.
Most season ticket holders I know don\'t have a clue what they are talking about - sure they have an opinion and Strachan definitely divided Opinion.
But these will be the same people telling us MON did a good job at Celtic and look at the difference in resources available to both managers - enough said! BERNARD STUART, November 10, 2009 at 10:18 pm i stay just around the corner from lennoxtown and used to go to watch the training frequently wgs was there first in the morning and the last to leave in the afternoon the man was totally commited to celtic and i for one appreciated the job he did for us Chris, November 10, 2009 at 10:53 pm I would love to know where Jimbo got the wage bill stat from? Strachan did not half the wage bill, he reduced it certainly but by nowhere near that figure.
Strachan was a success but he\'s left the club with a huge squad rammed with average journeyman pros. It\'s no surprise Celtic\'s 2009 has been shocking. stevie m, November 11, 2009 at 12:02 am I fear for your chances of promotion! As this new bloke you have as the gaffer has serious misunderstandings of how to communicate to its customers(the Boro fans) and will utterly fail in trying to re-educate you the Strachan-Pendrey Way!!Get used to boring football!! and watch how he sets up his zonal marking! After all this hold your nerve!..cause some Tic fans thought he was ok! Time will tell...I only hope it does not last 4 years! SFTB, November 11, 2009 at 1:30 am As you can see, Gordon Strachan, split the Celtic support down the middle and, at the end, had to leave for the sake of his own sanity.
Many Celtic fans did not support him from day one, and, when we had bad early results, they were confirmed in their prejudice. Thereafter, he delivered 3 titles in a row and took Celtic to the last 16 of the Champions league twice. Those unprecedented (at least since 1974) achievements are in the Record book and his begrudgers cannot take that away from him. However, at Celtic, it merely earned him the right to keep going for another year. When he failed in that year, and he and the players did fail, he had to go.
His critics said he would be no match for Rangers\' manager(s). He was.
They then said anyone could manage in the SPL but he\'ll never succeed in Europe. He did.
They then said, that\'s all very well, but his team is boring to watch. That argument did hold water and, when he lost his first league in 4 years, he was out.
With a club, like Boro,willing to support him, you will get well coached players and a rather rigid style of play. His team will be effective rather than exciting.
I liked Gordon as a person. I wish him and Boro success. I hope he gets a chance to settle somewhere and not be forced out by fans whose agenda for success changes day by day.
Modern fans are somewhat spoiled. I hope Boro fans can resist the loudmouths. Paranoid Timdroid, November 11, 2009 at 1:38 am Strachan done as good a job at Celtic as he possibly could. The team left behind by O\'Neill was dying on its feet and he managed to replace an unbelievable number of players while keeping us at the top. Yes, some of his signings were poor, but O\'Neill also had plenty of suspect dealings. Sadly a lot of fans didn\'t like him from day 1 and will never give him the credit he is due. bigpaul, November 11, 2009 at 3:13 am Poor Boro fans must be bemused after reading this. He was good, he was rubbish blah! blah !.
In case you have not noticed wee ginger baws divided opinion among us Celtic fans.
Personally, I find it hard to argue with his record.
However what I can say is that as a season ticket holder the last four years have been excruciating to watch in terms of entertainment, with the exception of the comeback in 2008.
So goodbye wee Gordy and good luck Boro\' you might just need it. jmp, November 11, 2009 at 3:47 am Celtic supporter who watched every game that Strachan managed, this man should not be in football…he doesn’t like it!...read his book. I am totally surprised that he is managing again. Not a clue how to motivate a player, the only player that improved under his stint at Celtic was Nakamara and that’s because he couldn’t understand a word that he said. TruthHurts, November 11, 2009 at 4:23 am I genuinely feel sorry for Boro fans now. As a Celtic supporter for over 50yrs, Strachan was easily the worst Celtic manager in my lifetime. People seem to forget that his only opposition in the SPL was the worst Rangers team in living memory. His head is full of fantasy crap that will never work in British football, and was the most boring rubbish i have ever seen. If you look at where his previous clubs Coventry and Southampton are now, you`ll find that proves my point. It will take Celtic a few years to recover fully from the mess he`s left us in. The only reason he did reasonably well in Europe is because he didn`t even attempt to attack Man U. and Milan, and relied solely on free kicks from Nakamura from the edge of the box, and world class goalkeeping from Artur Boruc. I wish Boro fans and the club all the very best, you will need it. You will probably also need plenty Prozac to watch Strachan`s garbage i`m afraid. kempe, November 11, 2009 at 6:56 am As a Celtic supporter Strachans reign was as dire as they come, sure he won 3 titles in a row but there was no opposition.
And if you dont know some of his other records are losing at least a goal every game for over a whole year, given the poor quality opposition that is some achievement.
Anf\\d like when he was at Coventry he signs loads of average players hoping to coach them to greatness, in his time here he signed over 4o and only 2 were any good.
What the original poster said is true Moikow, November 11, 2009 at 8:45 am Strachan destryed Celtic for years to come - he squandered million on Karap and treated us like we didn\'t know fitba. He wrecked (or almost wrecked) careers of some promising a telented young players. He was a fud and I could only wish that he went to some place like..Middlesbrough. Actually, Chelsea would have been better as I don\'t like them much (I don\'t mind Boro). At any rate Sasanachs, prepare yourselves for boring, frustrating and dire football the consequnces of which will be that your younger support goes over to Sunderland and your seasoned supporters start weatching tennis. Oh, and the post-game interviews are like listening to a mental patient who was at a shinty match tell you how a football game was played.
Sliante Andy, November 11, 2009 at 8:46 am Regardless of the achievments of Strachan at Celtic, the team were dire to watch and that in itself is unacceptable. I\'m a season ticket holder and some of the worst football I have ever seen was on display when Strachan was in charge. Granted the team aren\'t playing too hot just now either but that is probably due to the fact that a lot of the dead wood signed by our former manager is still there. The argument for 3 titles out of four blah blah - pales into comparison when the team were not enjoyable to watch and should have easily beaten the pathetic teams our rivals had anyway. stephen, November 11, 2009 at 2:20 pm Rubbish won the championship 3 times in a row,and got to the last 16 twice get real here celtic fans ,players we had punched above there weight great manager .ps John Barnes was great aye! WEE MAY THE CLEANER, November 11, 2009 at 3:57 pm SHOOSH,MON THE HOOPS Gerry Grant, November 11, 2009 at 9:07 pm I was at every match that Strachan was Celtic manager, Celtic got worse and worse each season under his management. It is very simple to say 3 in a row blah blah, but look at the points totals, we got worse year on year. In any other industry a manager who doesn\'t make improvements would have been out on his ear.
To those who say 3 in a row last 16 twice, tell me, did you go to see celtic week in week out? I didn\'t think so. ringtone, November 11, 2009 at 9:09 pm Paranoid Timdroid, you say O\'Neill left a team dying on its feet, but in O\'Neill\'s last season Celtic got more points than Strachan ever did. Go figure. paddy, November 12, 2009 at 1:34 am everyone, keep saying bout how many titles gordon has win. how many champions leagues did he get us into!!! i think u have a great manager in gordon strackon boro, the beast celtic had in a long time, everyone goes on bout martin o neil, look at how much he spent, an if he did ent get us to the uefa cup final, he prob would of been sacked!
