In my preview for last night’s game, I stated I didn’t think it could get much worse.
I suppose it didn’t. It just stayed the same.
Celtic laboured once more with another inept display against a Livingston side who had dropped seven players in preparation for the League Cup sem-final against St.Mirren at the weekend.
Now even Livi can afford to drop half their first team and we still can’t beat them.
For Celtic, a plethora of players returned from Covid quarantining including Leigh Griffiths, Kris Ajer, Ryan Christie and Mohamed Elyounoussi.
But the result was the same as we drew for the third consecutive time and have now won only six from 21 games.
Livi took the lead on 15 mins as Ciaron Brown rose high to head home unopposed in the box.
Then suddenly we found life and actually dominated the rest of the half getting back on top thanks to superb finishes from Elyounoussi and Nir Bitton to go in 2-1 up at half-time.
But this Celtic team are incapable of holding onto a lead or delivering a 90 mins performance so it was no surprise when Jay Emmanuel-Thomas equalised on the hour mark with the Celtic defence typically all over the place.
Thereafter the most exciting it got was when Scott Brown was brought on to replace Soro on 78 mins – a bizarre decision in itself unless the young Ivorian was injured which there is no indication he is – and then got red-carded five mins later.
It was soft but also typical of Brown who got involved in something which there was absolutely no reason for him to.
Anyway, the game petered out under a snowy blizzard and that’s our seventh draw of the season now and so far it’s a total of 20 points dropped as we sit a mammoth 20 points behind leaders Rangers.
We’re also only one goal away from conceding the same amount as we did in the entirety of last season and have only a 59% win ratio.
Still, Neil Lennon came out all guns blazing in the post-match interviews insisting that he wouldn’t quit before acknowledging that it had been a terrible campaign.
In fairness, I don’t blame Neil.
The job of making changes is down to the board and they’ve been asleep at the wheel all season.
The manager’s position was due for review in the New Year or so we were told back in November.
Well, we’re well into the New Year and nothing’s changed.
Results and performances are still poor yet there appears to be no accountability as we gradually watch the season wither and die.
Again some references were made to a lack of fans affecting the team despite how monstrously absurd that suggestion is.
Every club is in the exact same boat and to suggest otherwise is trite.
What is, without doubt, is that big changes are needed on and off the park.
Some were suggesting that the wheels would be turning at both board and team level as early as last night or this morning.
But as is often the case there is no truth to them or at least none so far.
Change will come. It’s inevitable. It has to be after the complete incompetence and resounding failure of this season.
The only question is when and it’s no surprise it hasn’t been decisive with a dithering has been like Lawwell steering the ship.
But season ticket renewal is only months away and if nothing changes then the club will be met with the only language it understands, that being financial.
There’s nothing like a good old economic reality to bring people to their senses.
....Always A Tim! 