another year in paradise

With three trophies delivered in his first season and another league championship added last term, George of the Jungle ponders what we can expect from the Blessed MON's Hooped Heroes this season and in the wake of rising expectations muses on what will count as success this time out

Who is going to win the SPL this season. Let's contemplate that question for a few nanoseconds and come up with the two most likely contenders. Yes, you're right. You don't have to have the intellect of Albert Einstein to work that one out. The hairstyle or the funny moustache will do.

And the nominations are... Celtic or the MIM Works XI.

Viewed through my impartial eyes I'd suggest that the Hoops are deserved favourites to win the title for the third season running. Allow me to elucidate (I've warned you what will happen if you keep doing that! concerned ed).

Celtic's squad - if not the usual starting eleven - has been improved with the signings of Hedman, Laursen and Fernandez. Assuming progress in Europe, it has to be assumed (although I might be being unreasonably optimistic or naive here) that additional sums will be released for the manager to invest in improving the side.

Over at the death Star, TFOD are so hard up they are charging reserve players admission when they force them to watch their first team comrades from the stand. Having offloaded a few expensive under-achievers during the summer, The Cat in the Hat finds himself in a situation where he can't buy a player without selling a diddy or two first. Which is, of course, exactly why it's big Eck who is faced with this problem and not Fabio Capello.

Assuming no disasters with multiple injuries to key players, extremely long periods of suspension for same or the satanic intervention of the Men in Black, Celtic have a bigger and stronger squad than Rangers. Like the Danube suddenly engulfing a sixth floor flat, a tide of optimism began to wash over the Laptop Loyal towards the end of last season thanks to two Rangers Old Firm cup final victories of the 'Plucky Rangers pull off cup shock' variety. But it's the league that matters, and it's going to be a long season. Celtic, in my view, will be better placed to cope with the attrition.

The only show in town, of course, is the Champions League and for a club with Celtic's ambition (at least as far as the fans are concerned) progress must be measured by qualification for the group stages. This year's failure suggests that we have, at best, stood still.

The least important of Celtic's ambitions will be to win either of the domestic Cup competitions. The League Cup has assumed less value than being nice to your opponents during the season while the Scottish Cup final is a good day out in May for the fans but of little real consequence besides.

It would be good this season to see more of the promising youngsters get a run out. Let's see Fotheringham, Lynch, Kennedy et al make a few substitute appearances at Celtic Park in addition to Maloney and Crainey. While sentiment should not come between us and three points, most home games are such a stroll (think 6:2 against Rangers for example) it's difficult to see why promising youngsters can't get the last 20 minutes or so. It would be good experience for them and would allow us to gain an impression of how talented our youngsters are.

Sooner or later MON is going to have to alter the starting eleven. He has strengthened the squad over the last two summers but the starting team hasn't really altered. This might mean buying players to replace crowd (and managerial?) favourites but the team has always been bigger than any individual. Arsenal won the double dan sarf last season but that didn't stop Wenger bringing in a Brazilian World Cup Winner.

Looking at last season's stats it's difficult to see how these achievements can be surpassed, other than perhaps winning every single league game, which, as we all know, isn't possible... is it??

It's also true that our expectations are maybe a trifle high for a club that plays in the eighteenth best league in Europe. But here's a wee wish list for OFM, whether he stays or goes at the end of the season; deliver the League Championship and let's have European Footy of some sort at Celtic Park when the daffodils come out.

Back to top