To be perfectly honest, last season I could barely watch our team play simply because I didn’t have confidence in their ability to win that I now have.
The difference between the two seasons is night and day.
Last season, we had a disenchanted team with players low in moral, and we had lost that oh so important cutting edge that has been the backbone of Celtic over the years, this culminated in player’s wanting to move on and try pastures new.
Then AP appeared on the scene and took the team by the scruff of the neck and shook it violently until all the wantaways fell out, and the players he kept on were told in no uncertain terms, play my way, or you won’t play in my team full stop.
He was so astute by going into an untapped market to replace the deadwood in the team.
He brought in Japanese players that most of us had never heard of, most new players need time to bed in, but the Japanese players brought in knew AP and they knew his style of play, so they were able to hit the ground running.
Furthermore, he also brought players in from other leagues, not marque names to keep the fans happy but players who he thought would buy into his philosophy, his style of play, his fast tempo, relentless pressing, one touch football.
I dread to think what the existing staff thought when AP laid out his vision and style of play to them when he came in, I would love to have been a fly on the wall during those conversations, but it looks like they have all bought into it now, even if at the time they might have been unconvinced or doubtful.
To sum it up, AP has brought a smile back to my face, and now I can’t wait for match days to come around because this new team is a joy to watch, unlike last season when match days came around the only word that sprang to mind was trepidation.
Onwards and upwards is the only trajectory now. Hail, Hail 