Chief Executive Peter Lawwell had this to say "This proves we have the fundamentals right and that our business model is working,"
Yes Peter, the business model does appear to be working but at a time where we are in a position to step further away from the chasing pack should financial frugality be the order of the day? Yes we have secured the services of our brightest talents for the long term but what about strengthening the areas in which we are weakest also?
The news that Thomas Gravesen has been removed off the wage bill today is also welcome but based on the lacklustre performances we have been subjected to in the opening two fixtures of the season are we playing a dangerous game? Can we assume that this team will come good without significant investment or should we gamble on success based on the plight that others find themselves in?
The performance of the team yesterday at Tannadice was decidedly below par and we must improve if we are to prevail for a fourth season in a row. It is worth pointing out that yesterdays result was as much to do with a fine performance by United as it was a poor Celtic one but improvements are required if we are to have a successful season.
The performance of the midfield in particular yesterday has been the point of debate. With the omission of Barry Robson due to a virus we lacked the cutting edge and guile that we have enjoyed since the Ginger assassin came to the club. The system we play requires our midfield to retain possession as much as possible but too often yesterday we were hassled and harried out of possession in what was to be a poor central performance. Credit to United aside we deserve better.
On the positive side however, we will improve our sharpness as the season progresses but we cannot afford too many off-days, especially if we are to learn the harsh lessons that last season almost taught us. We cannot rest on our laurels and expect our opposition to implode, we must ensure that we get things right ON the field otherwise any success of the field will have been in vain.
One can only hope that a few players will be suffering from sore posteriors this morning after getting rockets fired up their backsides!
Yours in Celtic
Clydebuilt