retired_bbcarr

Seaon 1 Round-Up

So, it was hardly the all Scottish side i had hoped for that brought my first two trophies to Celtic Park. The league cup campaign saw a good number of young Scots given a chane, and many of them played well enough to make sure that i consider them for pre-season games. The best prospect of the lot was James Chalmers. The boy, though still very young, is showing every quality needed to go and and become a real star. The league campaign was enjoyable, though there were some poor results along the way. To be honest, if Rangers had been at all decent over the course of the season then they would have taken the title to Ibrox as, in the end, we won it with a none too high points total.

There were some Scottish successes. Both Craig Beattie and Shaun Maloney had good seasons in front of goal, and the fact that both Paul Lambert and Darren Mackie reached double figures is pleasing as well. I know i have a number of players who really should not be at this level, but are because of their nationality. And, with a few players still to sell over the summer, their should be the cash available to rectify this. Hopefully Jamie McAllister, Hugh Murray and Ricky Gillies won't have to feature too mch in future teams.

The target for next season has to be to retain the title, win at least one of the cups, and get past the first group phase of the Champions League. Getting to the UEFA Cup semi final this time around was nice, but all the while i watched with envy as the best teams from around the continent slugged it out in the premier competition. It's important to the fans as well as myself that we establish ourselves within that competition, and that means getting to at least the second group phase.

retired_bbcarr

Summer 2002


Awards


Manager of the Year:

1. Bill Wallace (Celtic)
2. Alex McLeish (Rangers)
3. Ian McCall (Dundee United)


Player of the Year:

1. Shaun Maloney (Celtic)
2. Alan Thompson (Celtic)
3. Paul Ritchie (Dundee United)


Young Player of the Year:

1. Sergio Gonçalo (Hibernian)
2. Dean Shiels (Hibernian)
3. Craig Beattie (Celtic)


Team of the Year:

GK: David Marshall (Celtic)
DR: Steven Pressley (Hearts)
DC: Paul Richite (Dundee United)
DC: Jean-Alain Boumsong (Rangers)
DL: Alan Archibald (Dundee United)
MR: Fernando Ricksen (Rangers)
MC: Derek McInnes (Dundee United)
MC: Steven Hughes (Rangers)
ML: Jason Scotland (Dundee United)
SC: Dado Prso (Rangers)
SC: Stephen Lovell (Dundee)

Sub1: Tony Bullock (Dundee United)
Sub2: Derek Riordan (Hibernian)
Sub3: Bobo Baldé (Celtic)
Sub4: Andy Burgess (Hibernian)
Sub5: Gary Wales (Kilmarnock)



There was a lot of movement out of Celtic Park over the summer months. The first to leave was useless French goalkeeper Micharl Herbert, who joined Montpellier for £475,000. Following him out twenty four hours later was Danish defender Ulrik Laursen, who moved to Young Boys Bern for £1M. There was a lull in the market before Joos Valgaeren and Alan Thompson left the club on the same day. Joos moved to HSV for £3M and Alan joined him in Germany, though he decided on Bayer Leverkusen (who paid us £2M for his services).

The exodus continued with Bobo Baldé leaving for FC Metz for a nice £3M, to take our earnings for the summer to a very healthy £9.475M already (though the squad was beginning to look thin).And it got thinner as Aiden McGeady moved to Birmingham for £3M and Juninho left for Real Sociedad, again for £3M. Stan Varga was the last out of the door before pre-season began, joining Shakhtar for £375K. The only player to come into the club over the summer was Dundee defender Lee Wilkie. The big lump cost us £2.5M, but as a nine times capped Scotland international, he fit the bill perfectly.

retired_bbcarr

Pre-Season 2002

With the board demanding the title once more, it was obvious i would have to bring in quality replacements for those who had already left the club. And, added to the list of those out the door were Chris Sutton and John Hartson. Sutton went to try his hand in the Premiership again, joining Newcastle for £4M whilst Hartson fled to London, joining Fulham for £2M.

Our pre-season tour took us to Spain, where we played games against Alaves, Celta and Athletic Bilbao. Alaves were our first opponents, and a quite weak Celtic side took them to the cleaners, running out 4-1 winners with doubles from both Craig Beattie and Ross Wallace. Things didn't go quite as well against Celta, although we did get our first chance to see new signings Zander Diamond and the £3M capture from Dundee, Mark Fotheringham in action. And it was Fotheringham who scored our only goal in the 1-1 draw with Celta. We had another new signing in action against Bilbao. Costing £6M from relegated Everton, James McFadden did exactly what Mark had done against Celta and scored in his first appearence in a Celtic shirt. Thankfully for James, it turned out to be the only goal of the game so we rounded off our tour with a nice win.

With the season almost upon us, there was time for one last signing as Motherwell left back Steven Hammell joined for an exorbitant £5.5M. I had been trying to get the two times capped defender since before deadline day in March, but Motherwell kept rejecting my offers until the £5.5M sounded just too good to refuse.


Likely starting XI (4-4-2)

David Marshall; Jackie McNamara, Lee Wilkie, Zander Diamond, Steven Hammell; Darren Mackie, Mark Fotheringham, Paul Lambert(c), Stephen Pearson; James McFadden, Shaun Maloney

retired_jgirl87

That's a lot of big names that you moved out at the end of the season. I hope the new boys can fill their boots. Good luck with this challenge. :thup:

retired_bbcarr

cheers, spav. i think it's the most players i've ever booted out of a team over a summer period. i've been having a lot of folks moaning about the squad being too small but there'll be more faces brought in. i know the players i've brought in aren't as good as some that i've moved out, but hopefully they can perform above their level

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August 2002

The season actually began in July with a visit from Aberdeen on the final Saturday of the month. A dull and uninspiring draw with Dundee United was all we could muster on opening day last season, but perhaps the unfurling of the Championship Flag before kick off inspired us, as we destroyed our northern visitors. Paul Lambert, whose form in front of goal alst season was outstanding, got us off on the right foot when he fired past Ryan Esson in the ninth minute. Aberdeen gave themselves a repreive when Fergus Tiernan equalised, but the second half belonged to us, with Lambert netting a second to put us ahead before Maloney and Pearson wrapped up the game. All that was left was for James McFadden to grab his début goal and the perfect day was ended.

In recognition of an impressive pre-season, James Chalmer was given his first start in the league when we visited Tynecastle. The game started badly for us when Stephen Simmons gave the home side the lead, but Chalmers stepped up to the occasion and pulled the scores level at halftime. We lost our way in the second period, though and goals from Craig Burley, and a Dennis Wyness double sent us crashing to defeat. Rangers' 5-0 demolition of Dundee meant that we dropped early points on them as we slipped to 4th in the table.

Our third qualifying round match for the Champions League was the next port of call as Kispest-Honvéd came to Glasgow. They proved to be tough opposition, and for a long time it appeared as if they would leave Celtic Park with a 0-0 draw. But a final push in the last ten minutes saw us grab two vital goals through Pearsen and Fotheringham. The bad news of the game, though, was that we lost both Shaun Maloney and James Chalmers for ten days each, both with damaged heels.

The win over Honvéd was a leasing way to bild confidence before the league game against Dundee Utd on our own patch three days later. We had taken a battering in the press after the destruction by Hearts, and the boys looked distinctly nervous against United. And that wasn't helped when we had two first half goals (one from Stewart, one from McFadden) disallowed for offside. But, we did eventually bag the only goal of the game, a wonderful solo effort from James McFadden which would surely be a candidate for goal of the season.

Twenty-four hours after the win over Dundee Utd, our morale was boosted further. Craig Beattie's contract had been due to run out in the summer of 2003, but the young hot-shot decided his future lay at Celtic Park and he signed a three year extension. It was a big relief to me as he'd rejected three offers over the summer, and with my plan to have success with an all Scots team, it's important that i hold onto my talented Scots.

A visit to Rugby Park was next up, and i feared the worst when Kilmarnock took the lead through Danny Invincibile. The home side proven incapable of holding onto their lead; however, and it was Lambert who got us on level terms on the half hour. We pushed on for the win in the second half, but it was only when James Chalmers came on for Beattie that we looked threatening. And it was Chalmers, first from a Mackie knock down and then from a Pearson lay-off, who scored the two goals which game us the three points.

The squad was added to before we flew out to face Honvéd in Budapest. Derek Carcary, a 19 year old left sided midfielder had been released on a free transfer over the summer by Rangers. I couldn't see why, though as he looked a good prospect to me, so we snapped him up and he went straight onto the bench for the Honvéd game.

Our task in Budapest was made a lot easier when Luigi Apolloni was sent off inside sixty seconds for a professional foul on Stephen Pearson. Five minutes later, we effectively sealed the tie when Beattie headed home from O'Dea's corner, and he struck again in the tenth minute from Pearson's cross to put any doubt out of our minds. The tie was finished off late on when Fotheringham put McFadden clear, and James chipped the 'keeper to give us a 5-0 aggregate win. The draw for the first group phase put us in with Basel, Marseille and Milan. Whilst Milan are clear favourites to win the group, i certainly felt we had a chance of getting into second place.

The month came to an end with a visit from Motherwell in the league. We were not at our most impressive again, but another three points meant that we went into September in 2nd place. Mark Fotheringham got us in front when he ended a wonderful thirty yard run with a low shot past Steve Simonsen in the Motherwell goal. The visitors were showing attacking intent, but Michael Stewart was on top form, breaking them down before they got going. And the points were sealed in he second half when débutant Derek Carcary, on as a sub for Fotheringham, wieghed in with a superb solo effort of his own.

retired_bbcarr

September 2002

Craig Beattie passed a fitness test on the morning of our league encounter with Livingston at Celtic Park, but not even he oculd spare us from total embarrassment. With twenty four minutes on the clock, our defence went AWOL and Craig Easton was given as easy route to goal, and a stunned silence fell on Celtic Park as he hammered his shot past Marshall. With us still unable to believe what had happened, Lvi dealt a crushing blow when John O'Neil put them two in front. Try as we might, we couldn't find our way back to level terms. Even when Hugh Murray pulled one back with ten minutes of the match left, it was never going to be enough to spare us from a shocking defeat.

And that was hardly the best way imaginable to prepare for a trip to the San Siro to face Italian giants Milan. But, perhaps it did work in our favour as it made us concentrate on the things we were doing wrong and try to correct them before our vital Champions League game. And, for 85 minutes of the match, the work we had done paid off. OK, so we didn't manage to find our way into the lead, but we never looked like losing it either. Van Nistelrooy and Shevchenko (perhaps the best strike partnership in world football) were kept quiet, and the threat of Andrea Pirlo was nulled by a quite simply superb Paul Lambert. But, as is often said, you can't afford to lose concentration for one second against the big sides, and we did just that as Ruud van Nistelrooy was left unmarked as Pirlo pumped a long free kick towards our box in the 86th minute. The big Dutchman rose unchallenged and placed his perfect header beyond Dave Marshall, dealing us a cruel blow and stealing a point that we rightly felt should have been ours. Much would now rest on our double header with Basel.

With SPL action back on the menu, we travelled to Easter Road to face Hibs. I was beginning to ****ing hate Hibs, such was the trouble they'd already cuased me, but at least i could blame this defeat on the most inept refereeing performance ever witnessed. Beattie had put us into a well deserved lead just before the half hour, and though Paolo Vernazza pulled Hibs level shortly afterwards, we were convinced that we could go on to claim the three points. But then, on the stroke of half time, referee John Fleming decided he wanted some attention. Though Jamie McAllister didn't even come close to touching David Hannah, the Hibs midfielder threw himself to the floor and Fleming was convinced enough to give a penalty and show McAllister his second yellow card. Hibs' Kevin Thomson lost his footing in the ensuing melee and tumbled into Lee Wilkie, who in turn fell into Derek Riordan. Fleming managed to see this loss of balance as a push, and produced straight red cards for both Thomson and Wilkie, reducing them to ten men and us to nine. After everything had calmed down, Hannah tucked the penalty past Marshall. And when Stevie Nicholas scored to give them a 3-1 lead, we knew it was all over and the defeat condemnded us to seventh place in the table. Despite the fact that the over-zealous ref had shown 10 yellow cards and three red in what was, in no way, a dirty match, the SFA totally backed his decisions and refused to overturn any of the bans placed on the unlucky players.

Again, it wasn't the best way to prepare for a vital European game, but once again it worked for us (this time for the entire ninety minutes) as we tore Basel limb from limb at Celtic Park. Lambert ensured that we got off to the right kind of start when he fired in two goals before the tenth minute had been reached. Add to that a Pearson goal in the fifteenth minute and one from Mackie in the 34th and the game was ours well before half time. The singing from the stands contineud throughout the second half, even though we didn't manage to score again and Basel pulled one back through Fabio Celestini. The 4-1 success put us right back in the hunt for a place in the second group stage. In the night's other game, Marseille had claimed a great win for themselves, over coming Milan 3-2 at the Vélodrome (despite going 2-0 down). That result meant that, whilst Basel were cut adrift at the bottom of the group with 0 points, the other three sides were tied on 6. We led the way on goal difference.

With McAllister and Wilkie suspended, Dundee visited Celtic Park as we looked to get our league campaign back on track. And, despite the fact that the game was about as entertaining as a night spent watching endless re-runs of Noel Edmond's House Party, we managed to sneak a win thatnks to a late (ans stunning) Shaun Maloney solo effort. It was a good way to end the month as it put us back up to 5th in the table, but there was still a whole lot of improvement needed if we were to end the season on top of the tree.

retired_bbcarr

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">********************************************* ************************************************** * Scottish Premier Division - Wednesday 2nd October 2002********************************************** ************************************************** ================================================== ============================================== 2002/3 Table============================================= ================================================== =Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag Won Drn Lst For Ag Pts--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1st Hibernian 9 3 1 0 10 3 3 1 1 10 5 20 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2nd Rangers 9 3 1 0 8 0 2 2 1 8 6 18 3rd Livingston 9 4 0 0 8 3 1 2 2 4 6 17 4th Motherwell 9 3 0 1 5 4 2 1 2 6 6 16 5th Celtic 9 4 0 1 10 3 1 0 3 5 9 15 6th Hearts 9 2 2 1 11 8 1 3 0 5 2 14 7th Dunfermline 9 2 2 1 6 7 1 2 1 12 10 13 8th Aberdeen 9 3 1 1 13 6 0 0 4 3 10 10 9th Dundee Utd 9 2 2 1 8 10 0 1 3 3 7 9 10th Kilmarnock 9 2 1 2 5 7 0 0 4 3 12 7 11th Dundee 9 1 2 1 4 4 0 1 4 3 11 6 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------12th Partick Thistle 9 1 1 2 7 10 0 0 5 3 11 4 </pre>

retired_bbcarr

October 2002

The chance to blood some more of the club's youngsters presented itself inthe form of a League Cup third round tie with Kilmarnock at Celtic Park. David McEwan, a young defender who could play either at right back or in the centre was the latest to make his debut, and he put in a good performance in a game which saw us put Killie to the sword and book a fourth round tie against Hibs. Ross Wallace got things off to the perfect start when he volleyed home Lee Wilkie's cross in the sixth minute, and he doubled the lead after half time when he converted a lovely lay-off from Ricky Gillies. The win was complete ten minutes from time when Darren O'Dea's corner was headed into the net by James McFadden.

A visit to Firhill on league duty was next on the agenda, and Partick put up a very good fight in a game which they really deserved at least a point from. But football is a cruel game, and an inspired performance from Rab Douglas kept the scores level until we managed out first shot on goal in the 83rd minute which Beattie put away, having been sent clear by Stewart. And a minute from time the points were safe when Severin passed into the area for Gillies to net.

We then travelled to face Basel in a game crucial to our chances of progressing to the second group phase of the Champions League. Considering that we were unlikely to get anything from the home game again Milan, we needed to beat Basel and probably at least draw in Marseille if we were going to go through. So when Rab Douglas got himself sent off in the 19th minute for a foul on Julio Hernan Rossi, things began to look very bad. Dennis Serban missed the resultant penalty (a superb save from sub goalie David Marshall tipped the ball round the post) but on the half hour mark the home side found themselves in the lead when Rossi rounded Marshall and fired into the empty net. And when, a minute after the re-start, Fabio Celestini grabbed a second for Basel, we were up shît creek with no sign of a paddle. Craig Beattie netted us a late consolation, but our defeat coupled with Marseille's dogged 0-0 draw in Milan meant that if we failed to beat Marseille in the Vélodrome in the next round of games then our Champions League dream would be over for another year (because, let's face it, there was no way that Basel we going to do us any favours and win in Milan).

A lot of tired legs meant that some youngsters were given their chance in a league game when we visited Tannadice, and James Chalmers was the one who took that chance with both hands, netting the two goals which saw us come away with the win. Both goals came in a wonderful first half performance and the 2-0 saw us stay firm in 4th place. Chalmers, who had just turned 17, had made a brilliant start to his Celtic career. In his sixteen games (7 starts, 9 sub appearences) he had netted 10 goals. Hopefully he would just keep getting better.

The less said about the game in the Vélodrome the better. We needed to win. We didn't. We played quite terribly. We got humped. The score was only 2-0 but should have been six or seven. Milan beat Basel meaning that we were definitely would of the Champions League. Simply put, the worst day of my managerial career.

The final game of the month saw us back in the league, and we got over our Champions League hangover by jumping up to third in the table with a 3-0 win over Dunfermline at Celtic Park. Shaun Maloney netted twice before half time to put us firmly in control, and Derek Carcary swung home a free kick in the dying seconds to put the icing on the cake of a good performance.

retired_confal2

Never a good idea to come to the Velodrome needing a result

(I wish... )