Celtic fans face Mowbray dilemma

Last game: Celtic 1 – 2 Hibs

Celtic form after 5 games: DDWWL

By Séan Walsh

For Celtic fans, this evening’s result only added to the ongoing enigma and uncertainty surrounding Parkhead. Mowbray’s team sit now 10 points behind an injury weakened and uninspiring Rangers side whilst recording their 5^th home defeat (Along with 5 home draws) in all competitions at a once impregnable Parkhead. Celtic have so far have fared poorly in all domestic competitions, whilst drastically suffering in Europe, the paradise all Celtic fans aspire to see their side succeed in.  In short, Celtic look potentially to have failed this season losing out to a poor and financially crippled Rangers side as well many unsatisfactory results against technically lesser teams.

However, whilst Mowbray’s success in the record books is dreary, on the park Celtic have improved on many aspects of their game that they were heavily criticised for last season. None more so has been as evident as the style of play between the current gaffer and former manager – Gordon Strachan. Many, including myself, heavily criticised Strachan’s desperately dull and “snorefest” football that Celtic played. When Celtic grounded out results with last minute winners and fortuitous goals, the fans remained happy, but any loss only furthered to add to our anger. In comparison, Mowbray has developed his team to adapt a fast tempo and slick passing game in order to win over the crowds. Though he has achieved in getting Celtic to “play the Celtic way” – his desire for flair and ability has lead to the team focussing on creating chances rather than grabbing them. The last Glasgow derby was clear evidence of this, as Celtic pummelled an ineffective Rangers squad with chance after chance but only converted one into a goal. Where does the balance lie for admittedly the greedy Celtic fan base – good football or good results?

It is here that the dilemma lies. Mowbray has ruthlessly shipped out deadwood that had weighed down Celtic under Strachan. Whilst players like Caldwell, Robson, Flood and Killen had some successes in the SPL, their type of style was simply not conducive to the European standard of play all Celtic fans yearn for. Mowbray has worked to bring in new players to areas that underperformed last season – see Marc-Antoine Fortune showing up the “lazy strikers” of McDonald, Hesselink, Killen and to some extent Samaras. Landry N’Guemo, the Cameroonian dynamo fits perfectly with the calculated and cool Catalan – Marc Crosas, a centre midfield problem for nearly two seasons that saw Scott Brown being paired with everyone from centre backs to strikers. New Bhoys, Hooiveld and Rasmussen will hopefully bring to the table two things Celtic currently are badly missing – leadership and goals respectively. However, the radical overhaul of players this season, from 19 players leaving to nearly £10 million pounds worth consisting of 11 players is a difficult prospect for any manager to control, especially when most of the activity is mid-season at one of Europe’s most fanatical clubs. Celtic fans may see the deadwood shipped, they may see the team playing better football, and they may even see that the club financially has sailed through the recession unlike those who share the same postcode. But, and crucially “but”, Celtic fans expect league championships, we can only see one season ahead and ultimately the term “team in transition” is one completely lost on us.

So the question is, does Celtic FC look to the short term and try rescuing their reputation against a severely poor Rangers side, thereby giving some of the support what they want but basically dismissing a man they have handed £10 million to? Or do they take a large risk (In that millions more could be spent on a team incapable of ever ‘stepping up’) on Mowbray and hope that the Yorkshire man’s long term plan of young players and entertaining football will begin to reap rewards soon enough to start hammering out opposition?