Time Is My (your) Everything

Fitbaw players careers are all measured in time. In the short time they have as top class professionals they have to use it correctly to ensure they are remembered long term or just a footnote in the annuals of history. Correct choices have to be made at a young age and also good fortune to ensure that they don’t succumb to injury.

This has been a week full of probably goings, injuries and debates over who should play and how certain players shall be remembered. With the on-going saga of Neil Lennongate is he the abuser or the abused allowing the meeja to get more money for old rope.

Now, Lenny, oor Lenny has never been whiter than white, well unless you count his peroxide moments in the early years, since he arrived from Leicester.But he never had a reputation for being a nark or a troublemaker doon sooth.

He was not an enforcer of truth and justice or seen as a born leader. Maybe because he played in the same midfield as Robbie Savage kept him quiet as the long haired freak- one player ye widnae get tired of seeing getting a kicking- hogged all the bad press for himself. The only thing Lenny done of note was get his heid on the end of Mr England’s boot.

As soon as he signed for his boyhood heroes, the press gave him the tag of being a nark, loudmouth a dirty player even. Now having a watched Lenny for 7 years I haven’t seen him have a bad tackle in all that time. I struggle to remember him tackle in all that time, he harries, he steals and he annoys possession from opposition players but go into bone crunching lunging tackles? Nah, he leaves that to others like Mick and Bobo.

But, Lenny seemed to like the tag the press had given him. Now the presses motives of this tag are plain for all to see. It was purely sectarian as he was a catholic Ulsterman playing for Hoops. They made him oot to be someone that was easy to hate and the Scottish fitbaw fan and general tabloid rabble readers were only too happy to play along.

I bet you the press loved it when Lenny started playing up to the image they had created. A sending off against R*ngers when he acted as an enforcer, a few scraps outside nightclubs, a few bookings but most off all the FACT that Lenny backed up there claim of him being a troublemaker by ensuring that ANY major flash point- right, apart from Thommo and Ricksen- that the hoops have been involved in his involved the man from Lurgan.

Anything from sledging opponents, to confronting ref’s, flash points during games, spiting on r*ngers scarf’s and giving away fans the burd. Then he sometimes has the cheek to use the vehicle that created his image to complain that he is hard done by.

Mate, you have used the press just as much have they have used you over the years.

Now, over the last few games, again, Lenny has given enough ammo, and for one given me cause to think us as a Celtic support are blinded to the above facts. We back Neil to the hilt as we do any Celtic player, espsically who is the captain of oor club and has been subject to terrible abuse. But sometimes now looking back Lenny’s behaviour makes it very easy to buy into the party line of its behaviour that fans hate.

But anytime Lenny does anything we trot oot the sectarian party line without, maybe taking a step back and looking at the cold facts.

Will this behaviour sully the memory of a guy who should be remembered as an integral part of a team that has dominated at home, rampaged all over Europe and the captain of the side who got into the last 16- maybe further even further – of Europe’s most corrupted competition. Will this stop him being remembered as a Celtic legend?

Is he a legend in the true sense of the word? I mean the word legend is banded aboot so often now it has been devalued for me. I think Lenny has been a fantastic player for us. It’s probably testament to his abilities that at 138 years old he is still the best defensive midfielder we have. For me he will be remembered as a Celtic captain in a guid side. He will for me be remembered as fondly, maybe more so, than most of the Seville team.

But Legend that’s up for debate.

With Lenny still patrolling the midfield in his own unique tigerish manner, it came as no surprise that Pearo has had enough and maybe will soon be plying his trade elsewhere. It’s nice to see that GS didnae want him to go but the bottomline is Pearo missed his chance.

This season he has started a number of games and has failed to shine in all. His performance from the bench have been better but it was plain for all to see that not playing regular was not doing him any guid.

He needs to be playing regular and unfortunately we can’t give him that mainly due to the fact that he is has not performed guid enough for a 1st team slot in oor midfield. The fact that he is still highly rated enough for us to cash in or swap for a better benchwarmer makes a guid deal if one is reached in Jan for all.

Another want away star- copyright of Skysports news- is Aiden McGeady, who is citing possible lack of games as being the cause of him maybe, just maybe not extending his contract over the next 18 months. Now he is fighting for a wide berth currently occupied by another contract rebel- copyright Broadfoot in the Herald- Shaun Maloney and both are coming up to crucial decisions in their careers.

Shaun’s season has been stop start with injuries and frankly poor form. The high’s off last season have not been hit which, a few of his doubters aimed at him. One season disnae mean a summer or in fitbaw terms disnae mean £28,000 a week. But due to last seasons performance when fit he has been a stick on starter for GS.

This is meant oor most impressive player and most improved player this season Aiden McGeady has been left cooling his twinkle toed boots on the sidelines while playing 2nd fiddle to wee shorty. Aiden also knows that Celtic should be looking to start talking to him aboot a new contract this summer, thus avoiding another Shaun situation developing.

For all the plaudits the board have got, I mean the possibility of losing one home-grown talent for he haw is galling but two in two seasons is just mismanagement. So it’s down to GS to keep both players happy by giving them playing time. The fact both were dropped against Man U maybe tells us something aboot how GS rates them both at the top level at this time but domestically there is room for both in a starting 11.

Injuries to JvoH and the beats and the fact that Magic husnae kick his arse this season means that a strike partner is needed for Kenny. Shaun was impressive against Fawkirk there and maybe a wee run upfront is called for?

McGeady after his match saving cameo needs a chance to terrify the sheep of the don on Saturday. Maloney also seems the type of player that needs to being shown the gaffer loves him so, by shoving Shaun upfront and playing McGeady wide he kills to burds with one stone and placates two natural talents for a few weeks.

The sheep of the don come to glesga with a WWDWWW record in their last 6 games. We have a WWWWWD record in the last 6 games. It’s the game of the day 1st v 2nd and it’s been a while since the dandy dons have been this high. Except those dons from Peterheid who I hear are high all the time. Must be something to do with the air on those fishing boats.

Anyway, the dons also come with the knowledge that they have performed well recently at fortress parkheid- copyright Kenny Miller- and once ended a proud unbeaten record there. They can come to CP and again end a proud unbeaten home record for this season at the weekend.

With the fact that oor strikers are not scoring, we only have one fit really and the other one see earlier, we struggle to create chances, except the last 20 mins against Hibs and the fact we have potential CL monkey off oor back away trip to Denmark to come the dons may fancy a smash and grab.

GS will have to ensure the players minds are on this game and not on the CL or in Bobo’s case his mind is doon the M6 it seems. The carrot of a CL away win to at to their already guaranteed place in Celtic folklore may just be playing on their minds and their wallets.

We might require a wee bit of tinkering with shape and formation if Shaun goes up front and maybe a chance of Sno being seen in the east end of Glesga as well. Also, Jaro has done enough to justify another start and he might start upfront if GS again rest’s Miller before a CL game.

Some many questions but one thing is for sure the players have to remember that their time is their everything in this game.

FORZA THE HOOPS