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The Best of Times, The Worst of Times

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.
— Charles Dickens
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Well, that was a strange Champions League campaign eh?

Feel free to interpret the word “strange” in any way that suits your mindset as currently the Celtic crowd are very much divided between heralding financial and domestic re-assurance and ruefully asking if we have seen any true actual team play progress in recent years in European campaigns.

Its a tough one indeed.

Overall the campaign was more lows than highs but we remain in Europe and “the goal” as set out by Brendan has been reached.  Does the journey matter as long as you reach the destination?

On reflection the team only played well enough in 1 game, that exciting 3-0 win in Belgium and had abysmal abject displays against PSG.  Did we just get lucky getting Anderlecht when they were rock bottom?

Effort wise, we did see some dogged determination  against Bayern at home but that was coupled with the soul destroying ball/shadow chasing against PSG and Anderlecht at home.  Can this current squad adjust a game to suit immediate needs?

After the game, the realistic\optimistic folk were posting on recent demands and the achievements reached so far…CL qualification in itself, retaining the League Cup, 7 points clear in league, unbeaten in 67 domestic, a recent 4 games in 10 days and now Europa League football confirmed and the £30m in the kitty reward for this years campaign.

On the other hand, others were posting about Fortress Parkhead being a long forgotten football memory. rueing another campaign with no home win, sighing about only 1 goal in Europe at home this year and moaning about games in which we have been shown up in class, determination, confidence and talent.

All views perfectly valid and reasonable in their own way.

Mine?

I was originally gonna write a Players Ratings but theres no point really. The only players showing any quality  over 90 mins were Forrest and Broony. Ntcham did well for his half and Edouard for his 15 mins or so but the rest were poor or average at best. Sheer panic and worry covered the team and then onto the crowd and questions still remain about temperament and confidence when this team is under pressure. Domestically we are fine but our limitations are readily highlighted by any Euro opponent with a football brain.

I think this has been a massive reality check meets massive CL cheque. We are closer to Aberdeen than we are to Group 1, 2 or 3 teams in Europe. For now we should forget aspirations of going toe to toe in the CL and accept that The Europa League is our level but in the light of day, we have no chance of winning that either and being unseeded in the draw on Monday should see us being odds-on to exit the competition.

All we can do is look for steady progress, take the hits when up against the quality foes, but we must reduce their impact. That advancement has not been evident and even Brendan knows that harsh fact. All we can do is hope to gradually edge forward like a limited boxer hoping to stay in the fight long enough to land that winning wonder punch.

How do we do that?

Well that is the question…or many questions, including:

Can members of the current squad really make the step up required?

Can Moussa stay fit / remain at Parkhead?

Will the Board open the chequebook?

Can Brendan buy wisely where needed?

Can Brendan accept that sometimes we need to fight ugly?

 

Time will tell but there are some seeds of hope along with the doubt.

Will we buy Edouard and give us more flexible options up front?

Can we find a way to get the confident on the ball Broony and NtCham playing regularly together?

Can we find that mythical ball playing yet “robust” centre half pairing that we need?

Can we find a consistency were we don’t have our hearts in our mouths every time Boyata\Jozo\Gordon start playing tiki-taka in their own 18 yard box?

 

Its all now in Brendans hands. Even though it was an OG on the 0-1 scoreline last night he knows that we were well beaten and it seems he didn’t miss some of his players when reminding them of the standards needed. Some fans will be citing Rodgers record so far in Europe and others will be saying “in Brendan we trust”.

Only time will tell how it all works out but for now Im gonna keep reminding myself that it still always better to be at the glamorous party getting a knock back from the good looking lassie than standing outside  in the cold alone, looking forlornly through the window.

 

 

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Admin
6 years ago

Its been a strange one right enough. But we’re still around, a little bit battered, a little bit bruised. We just need to start hitting back.
Oh, and whats a “knockback” ?

Monti
6 years ago
Reply to  Ralph Malph

It’s what happens if you put your forehead too close to Mike’s nose.

Jinkylarrson
6 years ago

Should it not be …the best of Tim’s the the worst of Tim’s.

Alex
6 years ago

Good article.I’m in the completely dispirited camp today.BR will have a long think about transfers in and out.

dermot cole
6 years ago

Excellent and pragmatic read. Last night was pretty sobering, and again highlighted the dreadful lack of form of Sinclair and Armstrong, the decline in Lustig as both attacking and defending full back and the complete absence of game management at that level. There are signs of promise but they are fewer than last year. I hate the knee jerk ‘Celtic need five players’ reactions but it’s pretty clear that performance, intelligence, guile and recruitment are needed to make any headway in Europe, whatever the competition.

Devoy45
6 years ago

Ralph, you’ve captured it perfectly and expressed what many of us feel. I’ve been shocked at how easily we give the ball away, especially when we see so little of it and last night, it was harum-scarum in our own half. Fortress Parkhead? I’m proud of our team but worried at the same time. I’m pleased the way Brendan can make changes when necessary. Bringing Ntcham and Rogic on made a big difference and I wonder how things might have gone if they had both played from the beginning?

mike
6 years ago

When you love a fitba. club you commit to it 100%, suffering the lows of defeat and the highs are what you live for. A new manager comes in and then instant success, then more success and your expectations levels no no bounds. Dominant in your league but minnows in Europe, we are not feared in Europe but deemed a soft touch, why because the SPFL a poor mans league and when you step up in amongst the BIG teams, the boot is on the other foot. Its no solace to look at other Scottish clubs being left behind by European minnows like Progress, that’s no true btw. its funny as fuck. A new deflating rational suggests that if we spend monies that we don’t have then we are doomed to flounder in the lower echelons of European fitba. The success that we once enjoyed seems a distant memory as we realise that the huge spending clubs leave us in their wake. The two players that we are being linked with, the Saint Mirren winger, an under 21 International Lewis Morgan and Dundee’s Jack Hendry watched our final C.L. game last night, both being also linked with P.L. clubs. Sadly we might never see again the top players of European fitba. play for the Tic. again. How can you enter the big lottery we should crowd fund it and pay for 1/2 big players….mibbee. Whatever happens my love of Celtic will never ever diminish, I have sold my heart to it completely. B.Mc.C. (big Billy McNeil Cesar).

Monti
6 years ago
Reply to  mike

PISH
We are passive and Rabbits in headlights…..we need to fucking fight, snarl and throw caution tae fuck….
In short….WE NEED TO GO FOR THEIR FUCKING THROATS!

I can handle some not being great players but i’m no fucking accepting being shat on at home!

Celtic needs to develop a real fucking nasty streak, in the stands and on the park, if i hear another commentator mention the fucking ” great atmosphere ” i’ll fucking scream.

The fight Mike, the passion, tbe fire in tbe belly? Where is it?
Last night we witnessed again our defficiency in keeoing and distributing the ball, with purpose, direction and accuracy a fucking myth!

No fucking impressed & i expect more from Celtic and a few players….Armstrong & Sinclair? What did you bring last night?

mike
6 years ago
Reply to  Monti

Do not agree, the fight that you talk about is 60s/70 fitba. if we tried that today then players would get sent of, what we need is skill allied to pace and to many of our players are in help for the aged or should be in hospitals seeking a remedy for their injuries.
We are ALL angry and disappointed AGAIN in Europe, it was only two years back when we were orgasmic about getting through the C.L. qualifiers and now that we have done that x2 we are moaning about being humped by financially doped teams. The reality is in the now and it hurts big time, time to start rebuilding the team.

Monti
6 years ago
Reply to  mike

Mike,
When i say fight i don’t mean ‘ fight ‘ like Terry Hurlock or Rhino Gattuso…i just mean we are standing off opponents and admiring them rather tgan getting close and pressuring them.

mike
6 years ago
Reply to  Monti

Why not say that then because I agree with that, the first thing that occurred to me last night and indeed previous was the lack of our pressing, the high press that’s what Anderlecht did to us, they pressed us high up the pitch and we couldn’t cope with it.

Monti
6 years ago
Reply to  Monti

Shut yer pus, ye kent what a meant…like.

charlie
6 years ago
Reply to  Monti

they pressed us high up the pitch cause they had fuckall tae lose

Doc
6 years ago
Reply to  Monti

Spot on, Monti. There’s no fire, no passion and no one giving it their all.

mike
6 years ago
Reply to  Doc

But there is passion in the SPFL otherwise there would be no 67. its just transferring that to the European games.

Doc
6 years ago
Reply to  mike

The passion rarely materialises, it’s there when we are chasing games against Hibs or Motherwell but from kick off it’s rare. Brown has it and the team do worse when he isn’t playing, Tierney and Ntcham look lively. We seem to lack an intensity, how often have we seen a player knackered at full time and though ‘he put in a shift’?

6 years ago

Where to start on last night….Rodgers has to take most of the responsibility for THAT performance, once again team selection was bad, what warranted Armstrong in the starting 11 over Newham i don’t know, that will possibly be the last time we see Armstrong in the hoops in Europe, and I’m not to upset about it, Sinclair again was a wasted shirt, gave little support in defensive duties, and even less in attack, KT is having to carry Sinclair down that wing and it’s showing, KT needs some rest or someone to actually help on the left, and that help is Hayes, why Rodgers won’t play him in his natural role of left wing but persists with a consistently poor Sinclair i don’t know. How long can we keep relying on Broonie to carry the midfield, once again he was immense last night, Ntcham and Kouassi need to be playing as much as possible along side Broonie to learn what that role entails, he’s not going to be there for ever. Come January I’d be happy to cash Dembele in, fantastic prospect, but injury prone of late and certainly replaceable, €8million fur Edourade and still plenty left to strengthen the squad. But we’re in the draw, and a transfer window approaches, so offload those who can’t make the grade anymore, invest in 1/2 quality additions, and put more faith in some of the academy player’s who have the hunger to make it…KTF

Doc
6 years ago
Reply to  Desi Mond

Brown was exceptional last night, won the ball lots, intercepted a lot, always in space and I don’t think he had a bad pass all game.

mike
6 years ago

My post of complete ignorance and wind has been shot down.

mike
6 years ago
Reply to  Desi Mond

Well go find it then, it wis great, a true reflection on what being a Celtic supporter is….an eternal dreamer.

Rab Wallace
6 years ago

The only thing we need for the CL is a much better football team,there endeth the lesson.

6 years ago

There is improvement in the team since deila though deila got a creditable 3-3 draw in Milan and nearly got through with a weaker team. I think brendan is projecting his own fall abilities in tactically preparing a team for European football. Maybe we can do it together. I’d sell Armstrong and lustig get at least one other cb. And hope to hell dembele picks up. Boyata was letting balls dip over his head and passing the ball straight into dangerous positions for the opposition. But hey sometimes these things happen when options become limited due to a lack of cohesiveness. Even the the great psg were humbled last night and made errors not seen up till now. Brendan can turn this around and I hope he doesn’t crumble and relishes the challenge and picks the right team when it matters. He can practically pick any combination to win at home domestically. That luxury isn’t there against primed European competition it really is up to him. Knocking the players last night isn’t a good sign for improvement to happen. Shades of wgs with this inferirity complex with his comments

SamiGod9
6 years ago

I think the biggest thing for me, is how uncomfortable Gordon and Boyata are on the ball. Jozo isn’t too bad. The other 2, just aren’t adapting to how Brendan wants them to play. I still think we would struggle to find a better keeper than Gordon – we might find one that pass out from the back, but Gordon has other big qualities – that we’d struggle to find (on our budget).

Definitely time for a new centre half though. Erik wasn’t/isn’t comfortable on the ball either. Either no real grumbles with Lustig though.

There definitely is some truth in playing in the SPL and then having to turn it up it up in Europe though. We rarely face a Scottish side that plays possession football – so we always get our own way and dominate.

Monti
6 years ago

Disillusioned with Celtic in Europe today, i can accept being beaten by the ‘ Super clubs ‘ in the CL but not Anderlecht, they aren’t a bad side but they shouldn’t be coming to Paradise & leaving with the points, after a comfortable night.
If Gordon didn’t save that early chance for Anderlecht, we may not have got through.

We need a higher standard of player now, we are fine domestically but poor in Europe.

There are not enough true leaders/Captain’s in this Celtic squad, Brown & Tierney have it to lead but no one else.
It’s a sad day when you are glad our CL campaign is over, but i am glad.

Time to invest & invest heavily into the side!

God bless the Pope, our church & our Priesthood!

Bigdunno
6 years ago

I watched the game back on tv last night when I got home from Parkhead.

Sutton and Hartson having anargument about our team. Two players who are still (along with Lenny) the most expensive that the club have bought. Players we bought 16 years ago.

We are where we are and I for one am glad that we got there without cheating.

We can’t compete with PSG who brought a player they paid £50 million for (Draxler) off of the bench, money talks and we simply don’t have that kind of cash. Yeah it was a doing and yeah I hated seeing it, but I travellled to support my team.

We need to be realistic as to where we are, and take what we can when we can take it.

I’m happy with European football after Christmas but not with that performance last night.

Brendan and the players need to step up or the players need shifts out for ones who can step up – but within our budget!

Monti
6 years ago
Reply to  Bigdunno

Bigdunno,
I think each and every one of us fully accept we can’t compete with PSG, but we should be able to perform better against the Anderlecht’s of Europe.
I really hope it’s true Boyata wants to leave…thank you Santa.

€1.5m cheque lost last night as well, i do not understand how we could perform like that last night, it’s not fucking good enough and i hope Brendan plugged the hair dryer in last night & gave them a blast.

Has the team progressed this year? Anderlecht away and Bayern at home aside…it’s been poor.

FredCDobbs@hotmail.com
6 years ago
Reply to  Bigdunno

We can’t compete with PSG

I am fed up with the we cannae compete against real football teams shite. That’s what managers are there for.

Monti
6 years ago

Your team cannae cope with Dundee & Hamilton ya Hun prick!

MCGUIREED
6 years ago

Anderlecht were a far superior football team last night. They moved and passed the ball quickly and if they had a centre forward would have given us a roasting. The constant passing the ball back and forward across the 18 yard line by the defence gives the opposition so much time to get organised and to press means that we gave the ball away constantly. We need to start, domestically, by playing at a much higher tempo, getting the ball forward and supporting the striker. This then needs to be the template for Europe. Clearly last night showed that some players are not up to the European standard

Monti
6 years ago
Reply to  MCGUIREED

MCGUIREED,
Spot on!

Doc
6 years ago
Reply to  MCGUIREED

I thought they were slow on the ball, we gave them time but they didn’t use it, when we were poor they didn’t up the pace and go for the kill and when Ntcham was direct and upped the pace they couldn’t cope.

CarlJungleBhoy
6 years ago

Good stuff Desi! I think the majority of us are a bit down after last night. No hiding the fact that – even ‘though we also lost at home to Bayern, that performance was much more encouraging than last nights, with essentially the same starting line-up. (Bitton, rather than Jozo)

It was almost as if we didn’t turn up “mentally”. – Whether that’s down to the players or BR is open to debate, but no doubting we’ll need a dramatic improvement no matter who we get in the Europa League.

ewanbhoy
6 years ago

you know last night might actually be a good thing…..it has shown up our weaknesses at this level of football, 5 defeats from 6 and god knows how many goals conceded …..we simply are a mile away still.
on the positive side Ntcham was excellent and 2nd half we were not too bad and if we can sign a coulpe of key players in January then we could have a right good go in the Europa…..
this is not a knee jerk reaction but we should sell Armstrong in January…..he has not really committed himself to our club and we could get about 6M for him and also he is not good enough for CL football.
1 question……what the hell has happened to Sinclain this season ??
anyhoo we will grow and learn from this and get better.

HH

Monti
6 years ago
Reply to  ewanbhoy

£6m for Armstrong? Sold!

Monti
6 years ago

Desimond,
“Does the Journey matter as long as you reach the destination”?
Yes it does.

Monti
6 years ago

Celtic player ratings:

Gordon 8

Lustig 6
Boyata 2
Simunovic 6
Tierney 6

Forrest 6
Brown 6
Armstrong 4
Sinclair 3

McGregor 5

Dembele 6

Subs: Edouard 5 Ntcham 8 Rogic 6

ewanbhoy
6 years ago
Reply to  Monti

i would go with
Gordon 8
Lustig 5
Boyata 4
Simunovic 5
Forrest 6
Brown 7
Armstrong 2
Sinclair 3
McGregor 5
Dembele 5
Ntcham 8
Rogic 7
Edouard 6

ewanbhoy
6 years ago
Reply to  ewanbhoy

sorry missed Tierney 6

Monti
6 years ago
Reply to  ewanbhoy

Boyata 4 ?

ewanbhoy
6 years ago

we really need to freshen the team up in January as we have stalled and look flat and are not playing as well as last season……time for new blood and move on a good few too

6 years ago

Would you all have been happier if Anderlecht put us out last night , getta a fuckin grip o’ yir keyboards yi bunchabawbags we are still playing European fitba next year,let the weeman_fix things out thats what he is there for get behind your club and stay behind yir club you lot are a total sqaud of girney arsed baskets rant over hail fkn hail tottiebag celtic fans

Monti
6 years ago
Reply to  The Deesk

Fud!

6 years ago
Reply to  Monti

Don’t you know it fud snr moanin faced gits

charlie
6 years ago
Reply to  The Deesk

hun fud

6 years ago

And i mean that yi buncha A.Hs.

mike
6 years ago

Duck Grenade!! 😉

SteveNaive
6 years ago

You know that way when somebody say’s “No being cheeky here but….”. then they proceed to be exactly that ? well we are where we are because our players are really only capable of playing at this level of technical ability and intelligence. Our physical movement is limited although we seem to be fit but our lack of just knowing what to do at times, or knowing but unable to, let’s us down. Except for once…the all out blitzcreig that was the ‘67 final. They don’t mean it, there would have been a personal win bonus last night but silk purses, sow,s ears.n

Doc
6 years ago

Another big game, another no-show. Tactically outclassed once again, Rodgers got it wrong again, Sinclair and Armstrong didn’t turn up again, asking Boyata to play it out of trouble didn’t work again. Painful to watch, again. Anderlecht didn’t even have to play well and they still beat us.

We have achieved our goal of being in Europe in the new year but are we getting better? Are we going to get the wins required to be in pot 3 next season?

Few positives, Brown was our top player and Ntcham played well when he came on.

We need to take a look at ourselves for improvement and stop making excuses. Rather than blaming ourselves for poor displays, we tend to lionise any team that plays well against us: PSG put a record score past us and we were told they were ‘unbeatable’, certain CL winners and, some said, the greatest team we had ever played yet they’ve been beaten twice in a week. Copenhagen were poor and we struggled but we were told they were a good team yet, in the UEFA Cup they managed only one group win, at home to the mighty Zlin. Astana destroyed us for a half, yet we are much bigger in football and finance. Anderlecht are above us in the rankings but were poor both games and this year our turnover has overtaken theirs by a decent bit. We need to be more critical of ourselves to improve.

Doc
6 years ago

Big comment stolen.

BJF
6 years ago

Too many times I have come away from Celtic Oark exhilarated by an attacking and scoring Celtic just not doing enough to get a big result that last night was odd, good outcome poor performance especially in the first half. Even Broonie and KT werte poor in the 1 st half. Rodgers changed the shape, Ntcham was really good, even showed pace I didn’t know he had. I hoped last night would have us moving to 3 rd seed level but it was not to be. Celtic played like a team in their 6 th consecutive month without a break. We are going thru the motions. That said good tactical switch and good substations. Dembelle has two chances, skipped with both, what’s
that all about? Lustig, Forrest and Ntcham had one each and if Simunovic’s chances had fallen to a striker…….Gordon made a number of vital saves and Edouard looks really good. I also fancy the Anderlecht player Onyekuru.

charlie
6 years ago

weev got 9 games in december and done what we needed tae dae ffs

6 years ago
Reply to  charlie

Exactimundo charlie T Y.V.M.

charlie
6 years ago
Reply to  The Deesk

kiss ma arse hun

Cartvale88
6 years ago

Playing the expansive way in Scotland against poor teams is alright, but not in UCL
Have a look At how other wee teams have done against the great and the mighty, not bad, no five or seven goal gubbing said.
BR has to realise there are two ways to play, defensively does not mean you are failing. We require 2 centre backs of quality, Gordon flatters to deceive and this should be resolved in the next transfer window.
Armstrong, Boyata, Simunovic, should be transferred. Also we lack a leader such as the three ex Celts commentating on the game.
Gordon 3
Lustig 3
Boyata. 2
Simo. 2
Tierney. 6
Brown. 6
Armstrong 2
McGregor. 5
Sinclair. 2
Forrest. 7
Dembele 5

Ntcham. 6
Rogic. 5
Ted. 6

alan
6 years ago

jesus Christ . if anyone would pay 6m for Armstrong, we should take hand and all.

as someone said above, stealing a living.

and its a shame cos I thought he would become a very good player.

Stevie D
6 years ago

Had a horrible feeling about last night and can’t explain it to myself. Spent the first half skulking down the concourse and was back in Possil for half 9. Never happened before. Hope it never happens again. Never saw a thing.

Anthony Martin
6 years ago

“We are were we are”, “we need to be realistic”, “Brendan will sort it out”.
Our recent European campaigns have been nothing but an embarrassment.
All the wrong records are being broken and CP holds no fears for anyone.
It would also appear that any criticism of BR is classed as heresy, with the growlers demanding total obedience or take a hike!
We have definitely gone backwards this season and the number of times I have heard the word ‘dire’ to describe performances is growing by the week.
Armstrong looks as though he has wandered in off the street by mistake and Sinclair has become the invisible man. Our defence has been a major problem for years and has still not been addressed. Dembele looked as though he was playing with Wellington boots on.
We are good enough domestically but like a duck out of water in Europe. I have no expectations whatsoever about the impending EL campaign as nothing will change. After watching and following Celtic from the early sixties it galling to think that we are now regarded as nothing more than cannon fodder.

jimmybee
6 years ago

Brendan has to take responsibility and stop blaming the players.
The first half he set out the same team he would play in the spfl in the same set up. It isn’t Partick or Hamilton its European football. Brendan has definitely improved the players since he came but he is also failing them in the tactical side in the champions league.
When I saw the side he picked I fancied Anderlecht. I have witnessed the team picked dismantled too many times in Eurooean matches. I had no confidence that we would win this match.
We needed Ntcham to start we needed a sitting midfielder to protect the two centre backs to take the ball and allowed Broony and Ntcham to get us up the park and dictate the pace.
Bitton would have been ideal.
We don’t need 2 wingers,or midfielders who can’t track back and defend.
It has been the same culprits all through this campaign and previous.

BondiBrian
6 years ago

Someone said on here a week or so again it might be in oor long term interest ti lose a domestic gemm and get the albatross off oor back, mibbie he’s right if it happens then let it be ti Hibs.

Start afresh, BR knows the gemm, knows whats required that’s why he the highest paid manager in Scotland. Europa league…for me am glad were I it but fear a hiding if we get another thrashing. The PSGs of this world are gonny take 7 off bigger and wealthier teams than us…possibly on the way ti this years final. We got Euro fitbaw next year, puts a smile on ma coupen. HAIL HAIL THE CELTS ARE HERE!

Monti
6 years ago
Reply to  BondiBrian

NURSE

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