manager’s record
deserving of
wholehearted support

if we don’t, who will?

 

 

The serial killers within the Scottish media seem determined to create the impression that the Celtic support do not wholeheartedly back Gordon Strachan.

They like to convey the feeling that WGS is unappreciated, beleaguered and with his coat on an ever more shoogly nail. With WGS in charge Celtic is a club with a seemingly permanent sense of crisis surrounding it.

At least one of the intellectual pygmies who writes for the fish wrappers thinks WGS should resign.

Resign? The manager whose team is at the top of the league?? Is this hack extracting the urine or simply perfecting his comedy routine before next year’s Edinburgh Festival?

Let’s take a step back. This columnist, for one, is quite happy to nail his colours firmly to the Pro Strachan mast. Additionally, it is my belief that the vast majority of the Celtic support also back WGS and are appreciative of the good work he has done in his two seasons in the job.

Let’s look at the job description handed down to the manager and see how he has coped.

He was asked to put a winning team on the park while cutting the wage bill. Success on the cheap was basically what the board
tasked him to do.

Has he achieved that? You better believe it.

He has led Celtic to two league titles in a row, four trophies out of 6 and into the last 16 of the Champions League for the first time.

This season, despite playing 7 of our first 12 league games away from home (Rangers, by contrast, have had 7 of their first 12 games at home) we are three points clear at the top of the league.

He has achieved all of this on a budget far smaller than that enjoyed by his predecessor while bringing through young players, for example McGeady and McManus who, in all probability, would never have got a chance under MON.

And to round it all off Celtic, last season, based on the back of the team’s success announced record profits. Money which came in very useful when financing the construction of the new training complex at Lennoxtown which will hopefully serve the club well for many years to come.

For someone who his critics claim is not a good manager he has an excellent track record in seeing off Rangers mangers. So far he has seen off not one but two. This summer that number could easily rise to three – assuming Rangers have enough money in the piggy bank to pay Wattie an early retirement package.

The soothsayers in the Scottish media could hardly contain their excitement as to how McLeish then Le Guen would wipe the floor with Strachan. Celtic would be lucky to finish in the top three according to these experts. Yet history will record that Celtic had the league title pretty much sewn up in his first two seasons in charge before the first muzak version of Jingle Bells was heard in the shops in the run up to Christmas.

In future years historians of Scottish football will proclaim, ‘Celtic, led by Strachan,won the league by how many points. What a remarkable achievement.’

Critics can, of course, point out flaws in WGS and his Celtic team. For example this season the ‘Media serial killers’ are taking an almost orgasmic delight in
mentioning the fact that it’s now over a year since Celtic last kept a clean sheet in an away match.

Funny, none of them mention that this season we have the equal best defensive record in the league along with Rangers. Both teams have conceded the same number of goals but the Laptop Loyal focus on how strong the Rangers defence allegedly is and how bad ours is.

Going a calendar year without keeping a clean sheet away from home is not good and I wouldn’t pretend it is. But remember, we have played most of this season with no recognised right back. Wilson, Doumbe and Caddis are all injured. How do you legislate for having every right back on the books injured?

The Laptop Loyal also continue to wet their knickers at our failure to win away from home in the Champions League. Celtic have played 15 Champions League away games in total, including AC Milan in last season’s last 16 encounter. We have lost 14 (Milan after extra time) and drawn one.

Not good reading, I will admit. However, MON was manager for 9 of these games. WGS has only been manager for the other 6. Whatever else people criticise Gordon strachan for, surely they can’t hold him esponsible for the outcome of the first 9 away games we played in the Champions League?

What the Laptop Loyal serial killers seem reluctant to do is praise Celtic for their magnificent home record in the Champions League.

Can you just imagine the joy they will feel when eventually we do lose a Champions League game at Fortress Celtic Park?

Here’s another interesting statistic about the Champions League you won’t see getting much space in the fish wrappers. Rangers have never won two home Champions League games in a row. How embarrassingly bad is that?

Other critics of WGS condemn the way he treats the Scottish media. He’s too much of a smart Alec, too cheeky, lacks respect.

That’s a criticism? That he won’t be intimidated by the hacks in the Scottish media?
To me, the contempt in which he holds much of the Scottish media is a bonus and something for which he should be praised not condemned. Maybe his critics would prefer him to be an ‘Uncle Tim’ figure?

When he was entertaining the media in England with his wit and wisdom the Scottish press loved it. Now when they are the ‘victims’ they rise up and complain. Poor wee things. Free speech for the serial killers of the Scottish media but not for everyone else would seem to be their preference.

We all know the ranks of the Laptop Loyal are full of Rangers-supporting members. A roll call might include the likes of the Darryls, King and Broadfoot, Graham Clark (who called Celtic squatters for going to Hampden in 1995), Andy McInness (one of MON’s bette noirs) David Leggat, Andy Devlin ... and so it goes on. At last we’ve got a manager who won’t let them peddle their agenda without at the very least having to squirm a bit.

Some of Gordon Strachan’s transfers haven’t been a success. Yep, correct. Next, tell me one manager who always got it right in the transfer market, whose every signing was a success. I’m waiting... still waiting...

Some transfers work, some don’t. C’est la vie. If people want to criticise WGS for making some bad signings then that’s fair enough by me as long as they praise him for the good signings he makes.

By the way, I wonder how many of those among the Celtic support, and elsewhere, who criticised WGS when he bought Scott McDonald now think that was a bad signing?

And while we’re on the subject of bad signings, what value for money do you think Rangers have had from Steve Naismith and Steven Whittaker?

£4m the pair and hardly a first team game between them. I must have missed the Laptop Loyal’s crticism of Wattie for spending money Rangers didn’t have on players who can’t get a game for them. And that’s before any mention of Kirk Broadfoot and Andy Gow.

To sum up, when you look at the facts rather than the opinionated bile that emanates from much of the Scottish media, WGS has done far more to be praised for than condemned.

His critics should bear in mind the old adage that in life you should be careful what you wish for. Just about two years ago we were led to believe by the intellectual dwarves who make up much of the Scottish football media that Rangers would flourish when Alex Mcleish left and that under the leadership of Paul Le Guen they would rapidly enter a promised land of moonbeams where success was guaranteed. The Orcs lapped this up.

Within 6 months PLG was a goner. Europe’s brightest and best manager (copyright the Scottish fishwrappers) seen off by Wee Gordon Strachan.

As far as I’m concerned, long may he be in charge at Celtic and long may we go from strength to strength under his leadership. I hope he is bringing success to Celtic for years to come.

 

GEORGE OF THE JUNGLE