PO Box 306, Glasgow, G21 2AE, Scotland
Dear NTV,
After reading some pretty strong criticism of Gordon Strachan in the letter pages of NTV and listening to the feeling of a lot of Celtic supporters, I thought I'd try to put into words why Gordon Strachan is the right man for the job.
I'll lay my cards on the table now, I like Gordon Strachan. He was brought up in the same area as me, Muirhouse in Edinburgh. I've met him a couple of times because of this and he is a stand up Gadgie as they say in these parts.
That does not make a good football manager though. The character traits that do come from this area are a sharp tongue, dry wit and zero tolerance of fools.
Even in the short time he's been here I think these have already come to the fore and you can see that the players know this. John Hartson for example, for the last 5 months of last season, was a disgrace. Overweight, unfit and seemingly not trying, he was extracting the urine, quite frankly. Jim McInally, now at Morton, upon leaving Celtic is said to have asked Martin O'Neill for some advice on management. After getting it, Jim apparently said 'Can I offer you some, drop Hartson'.
Fast forward to the Artmedia disaster and after that game if there is a Celtic supporter alive who would have played Hartson at Fir Park for the opening league game this season, they are a liar. One hat-trick later may remind folk that Gordon Strachan is paid because he knows what he's doing, get it?
If Strachan's only achievement was getting Hartson trying again, he would be doing well, the fact is he has brought in Nakamura, Boruc, Zurawski, Telfer and Camara who have all slotted into the first team, despite a media campaign to undermine them already.
Football fans all over Britain have changed since Euro '96. They now demand instant success and even if it is delivered, they moan about the style of it. If truth be told, no football fan is ever really happy. I was at Highbury a couple of years back as Arsenal steamrollered their way, unbeaten, to the English Premiership title. Reading one of their fanzines would make you think they were fighting relegation.
I know the days of 'We don't care if we win, lose or draw' are long gone but have the days of 'Faithful through and through' gone as well?
For me there are far too many Celtic supporters out there who want Gordon Strachan to fail simply to say 'I told you so'. Also there are supporters who, having enjoyed the feast of the MON years, now cannot stomach two defeats before they spit the dummy and demand that the manager is sacked.
Here's the reality about Gordon Strachan; he took over a shambles. Players were leaving, the training had gone to pot and too many duds were picking up fortunes of our money. Not only that, young players were unhappy and I've heard it said that if MON had stayed, Beattie, Maloney and McManus would all have gone.
Now what we have is a plan for the future at Celtic, training has been completely overhauled, players now look fitter than they have in five years and the young players now know they will get a chance not just a CIS cup appearance. All of this takes time to implement but already the signs are there that Celtic are about to be on the march again.
None of this said is to even attempt to take anything away from MON, more to make folk realise that times have changed. We're building from the bottom again. Leave the kneejerk reactions to the McNees and Leckies.
PAUL LARKIN
Edinburgh
Neil Lennon
Dear NTV,
Why I ask myself has the inquiry into Neil Lennon's ordering off at Ibrox caused so much controversy?
Sure, in my opinion, he deserved the Red card he received at Ibrox. Sure his behaviour at the end of that match left a lot to be desired. However the rabid ramblings of some of the more excitable, and intellectually challenged, members of the tabloids at his 'only' receiving an additional three game ban leaves me bemused.
To the best of my knowledge none of these so called experts were on the pitch when Lennon confronted referee Stuart Dougal and his assistant James Bee at the end of that match. Nor were they witness to the evidence heard at the disciplinary hearing held at Hampden. Therefore it seems safe to assume that they were not in full possession of all the facts pertaining to this particular case. Yet despite all this they enthusiastically advocated the notion that Lennon was guilty and an example should be made of him by banning him for a lengthy period of time, certainly for far longer than the additional three match ban he received.
Never ones to let the facts stand in the way of a good anti - Celtic Story the tabloid pack vented their outrage at the outcome of the hearing. Reading the ravings of the more excitable members of this group would have you believe that Scottish football was now finished. In their rush to condemn Lennon they seemed to have conveniently, for them, overlooked the facts.
One story that they didn't seem too keen to mention was that Lennon had signed statements from two Rangers players backing him up. I wonder why the Tabloid hacks wouldn't want to print something as vital as that?
One also has to wonder why these impartial journalists didn't ask any questions as to what actions may have prompted Lennon's misbehaviour at the end of the match. Precedent had been set when the Hearts player, Mikoliunas, received a three match ban (his ban was reduced to three matches after appeal) following his sending of towards the end of last season. Lennon's behaviour, while bad, was not as aggressive as Mikoliunas's. Lennon did not make any real physical contact with the officials.
Lennon's previous disciplinary record in Scotland is excellent - not only has he never been sent of in an SPL game (his one sending of coming in a CIS match against Rangers) he has never collected enough disciplinary points in his five years in Scottish football to miss any SPL games as a result of being banned. Hardly the record of a troublemaker.
Given the above the real surprise would have been if Lennon had received more than a three game ban.
The tabloid witch hunt against Neil Lennon, of course, came as no surprise to most Celtic supporters. No doubt, their hatred of Neil Lennon is based on the way he plays football. There couldn't be any other reason could there?
Yours etc.
THE VOICE OF REASON
by e-mail
poor taste
Dear NTV,
Hi, first of all great fanzine I buy every issue (well my dad does).
I just want to bring something to the attention of all football fans, not just Celtic's. During the TV programme 'Mike Basset: Manager' the main character referred to another character in the programme as a 'Jock Stein' after the character had died beside him on the bench.
I just wanted to bring this to the attention of football fans everywhere and to join me in complaining to ITV. The Big Man deserves so much better than this. To phone in a complaint phone 020 7255 3000.
MATTHEW
FORAN
Ayr
new Orleans Celts
Dear NTV,
Hail Hail Bhoys n Ghirls, 5 of us from the Global Hoops CSC set off and did a sponsored walk along the Forth and Clyde canal on Saturday 17th September. Spirits were high even though we heard the Huns got their usual penalty. We ended up raising over a thousand dollars to help the American Celts in New Orleans who have been affected by the recent disaster there.
For the people out there who'd like to help there is still plenty of time to donate whatever you can to help our fellow Celts who have lost their homes in New Orleans. I know I don't normally do charity but to me this is different - this is Celtic fans who need our help not mega rich Americans which someone said to me.
I have included some pics of the walk and Finn McCools bar where the New Orleans CSC were based. No money will be going to the bar, other agencies, just Celtic supporters.
Thanks,
Average
Joe.
www.global-hoops.com.
changing of the guard?
Dear NTV,
Celtic's last league result was a 5:0 defeat of Livingston. Given the disparity in resources between the two clubs you could be excused for thinking there was nothing unusual or significant in that score. If the scoreline was no great surprise then perhaps the make up of the Celtic team could be viewed as surprising.
Of the players that remain at Celtic, from those who took us along that magical Road to Seville, only three started the above match - Balde, Petrov and Sutton. Agathe and Hartson were on the bench and only came on for the last few minutes by which time the game was long won. Thompson was injured and Lennon suspended.
Just over two months into the season it looks like WGS has already got what is basically his own team on the park. Changes were required and changes he has made. As the season unfolds we will see how successful his changes to the starting 11 are. I can't help but wonder how easy it will be for members of the 'Old Guard' like Agathe, Thompson, Lennon and Hartson to get back into the starting 11 on a regular basis. Given the quality of football played against an admittedly poor Livingston would WGS want to change a winning team to accommodate any or all of the above?
Fast forward a few months to January and the opening of the transfer window. Could that be the signal for some of the Old Guard to move on especially those whose contracts either expire next summer or those who can no longer be guaranteed a regular starting position in WGS's first choice 11?
The coming and going of players in the summer was perhaps an insight into the fact that WGS is not afraid to use the transfer market to move players on and bring new players in. As Mr. Bob Dylan suggested It would indeed seem that, 'The Tim(e)s they are a changing.'
Let us hope that under the stewardship of WGS they change for the better.
R ZIMMERMAN
by e-mail
confession
Dear NTV,
To all Celtic fans, I'm afraid that I have a confession to make. It's so embarrassing to admit that I have considered going for therapy. Yes I do realise that I should have consulted my doctor first and been inoculated for God knows what kind of viruses that I might have picked up. I must get it off my chest. I accessed the Huns web site!
Now I do understand that it's not 1984, but three weeks ago this website omitted Celtic in their league table. Honestly, talk about rewriting history. I had another look today, Sunday 2nd October, and now Hearts are missing! What's going on?
If you are brave enough have a look and you will see that the Huns are doing their best to eliminate any team that dares to sit above them in the table.
MIKE DOYLE
Pravda Correspondent
Milton Keynes