Chris Sutton

In my columns in Record Sport I made references to Ronny’s talk about progression and I wasn’t convinced I was seeing at that point the way we are all seeing it now.

Ronny was perhaps seeing it on the training pitch but we could only comment on what we could see on the pitch on matchdays.

Myself and the supporters don’t get to watch the training sessions at Lennoxtown every day, so that’s all we can go on.

Ronny knew how he wanted to play but he inherited players who didn’t fit the style and he’s had to mould his team and get his own boys in.

That’s not easy but if you look at the team now, only an idiot would think there has not been a lot of progression from the team at the beginning of the season to the way it is now.


All of the above points made by Sutton, applied at the start of the season and to a certain extent still do just now. What got me about Suttons criticism was that he appeared not to consider these points.

 

Sutton was one of the few people who didn't see any progression during Ronnys first few months. He was blinded by negativity and obviously didn't WANT there to be any progress.

And now he keeps saying "me and the supporters" as if most of the fans were on board with his views at the time. One only needs to read some of the threads on here to prove that wrong.

He also says Ronny was a "novice" when he first came to Celtic, which is wrong. He had managed for severeal years in the top division in a European league, had gradually progressed and won that league. He also managed in European competitions narrowly losing out to Atletico over two legs. It would be fair to say Ronny was less of a novice than some other Celtic managers were when they first arrived.

Sutton then puts the teams improvement down to Ronny learning on the job. As if to say he was right about Ronny not being adequate and out of his depth from the start, but that -luckily - he was smart enough to change his ways and learn. But as we all know - Ronny came with a vision and a way of playing football, he declared it in his very first interviews - and he has not changed his basic ideas. The way his team plays now is very similar to how his former team played. Ronny has stated so himself. So it is not a case of a useless but smart novice being clever enough to learn and adapt, as Sutton portrays it.

Then he says that "Celtic has the strongest squad in Scotland and we all expect them to win the treble" as if having the strongest squad would make the treble childs play, or even something remotely likely. There is a reason it has only been done three times in history. Again, Sutton is reducing the glory of a possible treble, thereby reducing any accomplishment the team or Ronny might achieve this season. Might as well pack it in. Why even play football if any achievement, even a historical achievement, is so mundane.

To sum it up: what I have read above is not what I would expect to hear from an honest, straight talking man. He obviously has agendas which cause him to dread any success the team might have under Ronny. Of course he had to wind down some of the hyperbolic negativity to not look like a total and utter fool. His blinkered negativity was turning into comedy for a while there.

He puts on a friendly face now, as best he can, but he still has that knife in his back pocket. The slightest sign of weakness, a faltering step, and he will be reaching for that blade.

 

Good post.

Personally, I think Sutton has/had an agenda against Deila simply for the fact he replaced his mate Lennon, even though it was Lennon who walked away.

Far too much negativity from him to simply put it down to being a "worried supporter".

 

jury,s still out on Sutton the pundit . Ronny however is doing a grand job .

 

This is what it is ,Suttons only changed his tune because of the backlash from us.

 

Spot on. Very good post.

 

Could quite believe that, but I heard a rumor he was knocked back the assistant managers job along side Keane or something along those lines

 

Firstly, fair play to him for changing his mind.

However, there was no need for him to be so impatient and relentless in his criticisms against Ronny and the team. A guy with his experience should know that any manager takes time to implement his ideas into a team and it may be shaky at the start.

Chris has made obvious errors and I for one was raging at him, but im willing to forget about it if he stops being (for want of a better word) a *.

 

Lets just pretend that the first few months were great then. Tisssssss this place. No matter what Sutton says people are going to pick at it. First they came for the socialists.....

eh?

 

Iv forgiven him

 

He's repented. Sutty genuinely cares about the club. He's naturaly a moany * but his heart is in the right place with Celtic

 

Chris Sutton has rightly changed his tune.....Im willing to forgive and forget. He has got Celtic at heart.

 

Embarrassing..

You just know that interview and tonight has killed him, he'll be killing his rabbits out the back garden later..

 

I actually enjoyed listening to him tonight because when analysing the SPL games he is brutally honest and talks a lot of sense.

You could see he's sick of the negativity he talked about earlier in the season being brought up. I've forgive him now.

 

Absolutely loved him shooting down the point about no strikers scoring double figures, 100% bang on.

 

He's sick of the negativity being talked about him? Lol.

That'll be the CONTINUOUS bullshit he spouted coming back to bite him on the * like a big Ronny Rottweiler......

 

Is there anyway I can watch the interview?

 

You can read what was said here http://www.scotzine.com/2015/04/face-to-face-chris-sutton-interviews-ronny-deila/

 

He hasnt really got a choice