With champions League football not on the agenda for this season now, the support are wondering what happens next. Well, that’s easy. We go into the Europa League.
But as to who will be in the side when that campaign kicks off, that’s another argument.
Celtic’s policy, well, we think it’s the policy. We’ve not qualified for the UCL recently to see if it was a policy, was to wait and see if we got there, and spend money accordingly. Although in reality that usually meant that the one’s we wanted turned us down and we got some out of favour duds instead.
With Virgil van Dijk now saying he’s open to offers, we may have a bit of a problem on our hands. Last seasons defence, Matthews, van dijk, Denaayer Izaguirre will have all but gone.
There’s less than a week of the transfer window to go, and we need a defence.
The club may argue that the whole pre season was geared to getting into the champions league, although you could argue in return that the players stopped that particular crusade after about half an hour of the first leg.
We may also see one or two other players begin to get itchy feet, and there will be others whose feet will not touch the ground as Deila begins his clear out.
He does have a bot of work to do here, and thats why it would be a mistake to even consider letting him go at this stage. He has started the job, and there is progress, whatever you might think about the drama on Tuesday. There is a lot of young talent at the club, which he has shown he can develop, and whilst Scottish domination is almost assured, the team have a long way to go in Europe.
The Europa League will be their learning experience. We are in there now, and we will have to get on with it.
The money’s not as good, the crowds won’t be as good, and the opposition won’t be as good.
But then, neither are we.
Looking through the comments of the good and the wise in the media, and after having a wee think about it myself, it’s curious that no-one has mentioned the playing of the reserves against Dundee United as a possible factor for the bumbling ineptitude of the Malmo return.
Looking back, it appears to have unsettled the players, broken the rhythym and interrupted the gradual upward curve of fitness and form.
Maybe thats why the players looked lost on Tuesday night. They were used to playing twice a week, were getting into that groove and then had to kick their heels over the weekend. I can understand why Ronny did it, but it never turns out well when so many changes are made.
It wasn’t the only reason, or perhaps even the main reason, but combined with all the other little factors, it sure didn’t help.
But, although mistakes were made, you cannot take anything away from Malmo. They knew how to deal with Celtic this time, and what worked in the first leg wasn’t allowed to work in the second. For all those who reckon that Stefan Johansens miss which would have made it 3-0 in glasgow would have killed the tie, I’m not so sure. The swedes would have just had longer to fight back.
If anything should be taken from this tie, and one would hope lesons are being learned, it’s that you strike while the iron is hot, and do not give the opposition a chance to come back into the game. Until Celtic are adept at closong games down, we will have to continue with the Celtic Way, which usually ends in tears, but it’s a lot more fun.
So, whatever view you may have of the board, the team, or the players, Celtic will be in tomorrows Europa draw.
Along with these guys;
We could end up with Ajax, Legia Warsaw and Rapid Vienna. Or Dortmund, Monaco and Southampton.
At the moment, of course, it’s difficult to engineer much enthusiasm for the tournament, given it’s Thursday night football , followed by Sunday games again. Ridiculous six o’clock kick offs and so on. And the money, whilst still welcome, is nothing like the Champions League;
UEFA Europa League Prize Fund
Group Stage fee €2.4m
Group Stage performance €360k win and €120k per draw
Group winners get bonus of €500k
Group Runners Up get bonus of €250k
Round of 32 bonus of €500k
Round of 16 bonus of €750k
Quarter-Finals bonus of €1m
Semi-Finals bonus of €1.5m
Winners get €6.5m bonus
Runners Up get €3.5m bonus
*All of this excludes home tickets revenue
Still not to be sniffed at, though, and it will keep the liquidators from the door.
But at least only two home games will be affected, against the Dundee clubs, so that’s something, and anyway, there’s nothing else to do on a Thursday.
Nope, it’s not working. It’s a horrible competition to be in, and unless we win the bloody thing, we’ll be in the qualifiers again next year, where the pressure will be even greater.
So let’s dust ourselves down, and get on with it.
The shitstorm the media are throwing in our direction won’t abate until we are back on track. They smell blood, and are sharpening their knives.
At the risk of sounding like the Celtic View here, on Saturday we need to get behind the players, and show that we will still be there, and we do have faith in them.
A good Europa run will wipe away the memory of Tuesday to some extent, and by taking out our frustrations on St. johnstone with the mythical 7-0 win would help the players and fans alike.
In times of adversity, real character begins to show through.
Management and senior players need to show they have it.
Starting now.
It amuses me how .any of “The Greatest Fans in The World” turn on the team and club so quickly……think back to days watching Mike Galloway, Steve Fulton and willie falconer….and they may see its not so bad…..we lost to a well organised team in a tournament for the best……..lustigs injury was every bit as key as the last minute goal against us…….armstrong isnt 100% fit….Johansen, Brown are off form…..Bitton looked a bit overawed by the task…..and Boyata, Mulgrew and Van Dijks a funnier threesome than King, White & Green…….fine margins……this time we failed…..i cant wait to try again.
Let me start by saying that – even those Celtic fans who moan & bitch and want Ronny sacked, or blame Lawell, or the players – are entitled to their opinion. We’re all hurting and some us take our anger out in different ways. However, after one of these painful defeats, there’s one memory that never fails to remind me that things could be much, much worse …
In my very first season 59/60, as a wee bhoy, Celtic were truly woeful and finished 9th (that’s not a typo – I do mean NINTH!) in the league and never won a single thing. Closest we got to silverware was a semi-final cup defeat against the cloven-hooved ones. But I still came back for more because – call me a mug if you like – it was Celtic – more than a club.
In the past, those who’ve stuck by through thick & thin were eventually awarded (Lisbon… Centenary Year Double … Stopping 10 in a row… Seville…). I’m realistic enough to know the real glory days might never return but – like my granda & father before me – & my son after me – we’ll never stop hoping & believing it’s possible.
The whole point of being the greatest fans in the world is that, despite our own outcry over a woeful defeat, we are still here to support our club.
No matter how much we don’t rate individual players / managers / directors we still support our club.
I was just as angry as everyone else, and the passion we all have for Celtic is evident from the unbelievable number of posts on yesterdays diary, but we move on.
All we ask is the players show the passion and commitment we do as supporters.
Sorry but a 7-0 win (I aint falling into that trap again Ralph or should I saw Paddy Power) will just paper over the cracks.
I’ll be there, I’ll support the team but by fuck I am still raging
Not so sure Ralph about the Johansen bit. I feel if he had scored Malmo would not have come back. When the second goal went in their players looked defeated. When I played you could see it in the other teams faces that they were fucked, Malmo were like that. Instead of finishing them off in the first half, Celtic deliberately slowed the game down obviously with the attitude of game done. The chance was there to go on and Forrest was in the mood but we just stopped playing and allowed them back in, a habit we must kick.
HH
I’m with tam.They get up a head of steam then not just slow down, but almost lose interest.
It would be nice to see them start at a tempo that they could maintain for 90 mins.
Whatever ever happened to this high pressing game RD goes on about?
If you go back to the plan Ronny outlined last year he stated he wanted the players to get fitter a lot fitter.
By the end of the Season we were and we were still chasing goals at the final whistle.
He also stated he wanted us to press teams high up the park ,this would force teams into making mistakes.
This was happening after Christmas we started dominating games and forcing the play.
Ultimately though he wanted us breaking at pace ,passing the ball quicker and generally playing at a tempo most sides could not cope with.
To a certain extent we accomplished most of that but he maintained we had more to give.
The Season for us has hardly started,we are still rusty in a few areas and ultimately causing ourselves our own issues due to this.
I think come week 15 we will be moving and passing a lot better than we currently are.
The first half hour against Malmo was electric if we can replicate and keep that going for 60 70 minutes then most sides should be put to sleep by then.
It’s just needs time.
Great diary today. A realistic assessment of where we are. I think the sentiment of dust ourselves down and get on with it is right on. We will have plenty of big games ahead. By the way the pisspoor Scottish press wasted no time in ridiculing us and went as far to say – Aidan Smith in Scotsman – that the current incarnation of Johnny Hun is the best team in Scotland – you can’t make that up and yet there it was in black and white. The Europa league will give us a good chance to redeem ourselves and learn how to handle European teams better and the pressure that goes with it.
Wait a minute lads.
We lost by 2 corners to one, 2 which were allowed and one which was disallowed. Wee Forrest was the best player on the park and although I’m as peeved as anyone, I do not think we should go doo-lally about it all. What must be taken into account is that in order to qualify, we need to have the extra quality players, we can’t wait to see if we are going to qualify as that’s a bit silly really. You have to speculate to accumulate, we need the players required on hand, not in the bank. If we need them to play in Europe, we need them to qualify.
I agree with your point Cliftbhoy, but how many ‘quality’ players will sign for the possibility of CL?
More likely agree to sigh IF we qualify but not before.
Have read the players views in the papers and it’s good to see that some (not commons)are hurting as much as me but hey ho prove it talk is cheap attitude,intelligence,performance,and ambition must improve it’s not enough that the club have a fantastic support with a huge ambition when player’s and club don’t
give us shalke from group 1 legia fae 3 and sion fae 4 then we will see if it was a bad night on tuesday
Gutted about the defeat still but realistic enough to know that it is something that can happen in competitive sport. Better luck next time.
Don’t think Ronnie should go, and hope that those who make these decisions have patience and wait to see what he builds this year. Very concerned that the momentum built toward the end of last season couldn’t be carried over into this pre-season, despite preparations being what Ronnie wanted, some lessons to be learned there.
Hopefully a season of silverware and mixing it effectively in the Europa, and developing (Janko) and integrating (Ciftci) our players with possibly shrewd acquisitions in these windows. But this time next year if it’s 0 for 3 I think I will have to give up on Ronnie. In the meantime full support required from the fans; best in the world, let’s prove it!
schalke would shit all over us
Guys, we’re still kidding ourselves. We’re the best team by a country mile in a piss poor league. You and I could win it with the resources available but we are MILES away from the next level. “We could end up with Ajax, Legia Warsaw and Rapid Vienna. Or Dortmund, Monaco and Southampton.” yes and we would be lucky to get a point! I’m as loyal as the next and yes i remember Galloway and co but we shouldnt have tolerated it then and we shouldn’t have to tolerate it now just because we are loyal. Both legs were a shambles and showed Ronnie to be out of his depth. The quality of signings is poor when your last 4 big names were 3 from a struggling provincial Scottsh club and a cheeky cheap buy from a Championship club. Lowell??
Lawwell
Oops big “Duncan” Rasmussen he say no to Southampton.
all this guff that uefa is a bad competition and there is nothing like the champions league music riles me . its meeja talk. Celtic are not and have never been good enough for the CL.
all of our great victories and there has been a good few are from an odd goal. we qualify on an odd goal and go out on an odd goal.
Cl plays on a Tuesday night which means 1200 ko on a sat as awkward if not more than a sunday. apart from earning more cash , that we cant spend improving our squad as decent footballers don’t want to play here , those that do can earn more else where .lets get real , we are packed with internationals that are just short of being good, we cant improve unless we generate more tv dough on a regular basis, that’s almost impossible |HH
The idea that we should keep that diddy of a manager is pathetic,usually only has plan a,on tues no plan at all,then blame the players saying they were frightened,now most of them are saying that was a load of bollocks,looks like he has finally lost the dressing room,we will struggle on saturday as we will face a ten man defence and only one mediocre striker upfront,with useless tossers like brown and johannsen in midfield ,while our best young player is wasting away in the lower league, We should stop buying second rate players from rubbish scottish teams,we looked like european losers because we signed perennial losers,from dundee utd.players that usually get pumped by icelandic and latvian rubbish.we may not even win the league if we lose players and do not replace them with as good,like losing denayer and signing bombscare boyata,RD FUCK OFF ASAP
Foamtastic.
Sometimes when we or a colleague messes up in work or personal relationships we need an absolute roasting to quantify our/their depths of misdemeanours.
I hope Ronnie and the pampered ‘stars’ at Celtic got the message; they bottled it when it counted most- we as fans can all take a defeat just not a complete capitulation- still raging if truth be told.
They better man up and earn their corn and Rd has to sort out that defence oh and the Scroatish MSM can go and take a Fuck to themselves; they never have not never will be friends of ours..
We can start with a humping on Saturday just lay off the Ronnie Roars for a while..
Problem is and I am not supporting Lawell as I personally believe you need to speculate to accumulate … But it’s hard to attract any “blue chip” player to play in Scotland … Unfortunately the finances aren’t here .. If the powers that be wanted to work harder and market the brand in a positive way then maybe .. If we could get a league sponsor where ALL clubs got a bonus of say 10 million … You could improve everything … Coaching facilities everything … Scotland has a population of over 5 million according to the census in 2015 … If only 10-15% of that were football fans (personally I would guess it’s higher still) then the market is there … The financial crisis is hitting everyone so here is a thought … Lower ticket prices … Get more people in to the grounds … Let people who are watching from outside see full stadiums … Sponsors then see a product worth investing in … Why do you think that Sky is falling over themselves to invest down south ? Stadiums are almost always full .. In Scotland is that the case ?
Stadiums down South are, mostly, half our capacity, but a fair point all the same.
sevco in the cup draw today anyone?
Can’t believe the clamour to get rid of Ronny, We’ve won the league and league cup at a canter, cheated out of the Scottish cup , pumped our nearest rivals home and away , brought quick, precise , attacking , entertaining football back to Paradise, and there is a vision for the
future !
Ronny will get it right , I have every faith ! With some support in key areas from the board, I’m sure progress will be made.
I was completely fucked off tuesday night like all of us, and I’ve never been a ‘happy clappper’ – but ffs 90% of the ‘fans” who are demanding he goes, were lauding him last week !!
It took time for Ferguson to build a system that he wanted,with the type of players he wanted, and when it fell into place they completely dominated.
Given some time and resources , Deila will get there- i’m absolutely positive!!
Besides , who’s the alternative – you tell me?
Yir man from Malmo would be a start…
Spot on great post.
Took Ferguson 4 years to sort out Man United.
He was one game from getting the bullet when they won the Cup.
People, really need to get a grip. Yes it is a shocking performance and a kick in the stones we are not in the champs lge. Lots of short memories,Neil lenny Lennon had a shocking european record in his first 2 season with a much better squad of players than Ronny Deila.Pumped of Braga, then Utrecht, following season pumped of Sion and got back in Europa League because of ineligible players didn’t qualify form group. Yes again last year should have had enough to see of Maribor and qualify but got trough group stage of Europa.Club has downsized on players quality we all know it and see it with our transfers for the last few seasons as well as the inability to buy a decent striker after a rake of duds.
Another great post.
stu67- im sorry i just dont see this quick, precise and entertaining football people go on about?!?!? couple of moments last season when they played well but not alot… and lets not get started on tuesday night… how many times does he need to get it wrong before he gets it right?? wasted a small fortune on scepovic who im convinced is a player and just doesnt suit his syste,… i said it yesterday the fans only started taking to him after the ronny roar was invented…. i cant see where they are going not after that abysmal performance on tuesday…
Did he buy Scepovic and on whose say so?
We tried to sign Scepovic when Lenny was still at Celtic I gather.
Scepovic declined the offer then Deila was appointed.
Celtic went back for him so it must have been the scouts who made that call.
Just like the other duds they have brought in..
Pukki Balde Fridjonsson Miku Rasmussen Fortune fuck me it’s a train crash full of shite forwards at Celtic in recent years.
Oh and the lesser spotted Boeriggter.
Let’s not forget him..where is he anyway?
Derk…
Derk……..
DERKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!
I’ll always remember an incident that happened about 35 odd years ago, I would have been 14 or 15 and was in the jungle with my pals at a European game, can’t remember which one.
There was a guy next to us, looked to be about 30 years old, giving Peter Grant dogs abuse about how shite he was and how he was a useless such and such.
Behind us there was an older man, looked about 60, one of those big Glaswegian blokes, nearly 6 ft tall and about the same across the shoulders with hands like shovels and a voice that made everyone shut up when he spoke. After a while he’d heard enough from this bloke, tapped him on the shoulder and said
“Son, that man’s wearing a Celtic jersey, he might no be great but he’s giving his best so you’ll get right behind him and give him your support cos that’s who we are”
That, has stuck with me forever.
Ronny might not have a history with our club but you sure can see that he’s taken us to his heart and that he’s developed a love and a passion for Celtic. He’s become one of us.
*thinks 35 years ago and he looked about 60? – Naw. It wisnae me (I’m no that old!) but it might have been my Uncle Pat 🙂
League Cup draw in a few minutes. It would be good to get that new team Sevco in the final.
For now, this might work: Dunfermline, Morton, Livvy, Falkirk or Raith at home or any of those same teams away.
We can’t draw the seeded teams: Aberdeen, Caley, St.Johnstone, Dundee United, Ross County, Killie, Motherwell.
The worst draw we could get would be Hearts away.
If Sevco want a test (they haven’t had one yet) let them get Hearts at Tynecastle.
Good luck!
Raith at home did you say?
Draw made. At home to Raith. That’s ok
It’s unbelievable but I see sevco get another home draw how many times
It’s hunbelievable’…. fixed that for you Drew .
At the risk of sounding like the Celtic View here, on Saturday we need to get behind the players, and show that we will still be there, and we do have faith in them.
Ralph, couldn’t agree more.
However, it a two way street. There is an onus on players and upper management to walk ehe walk and get right behind the fans.
Tuesday night was not simply about Celtic having an off night.
It was simply the inevitable outcome of years of downsizing that left a dearth of quality that could stand up to the plate.
When did we ever think that we would hear a Celtic manager imply that his side bottled it.
He was not alone. At half time on Tuesday Pat Bonnar was speaking in similar terms.
There is simply no use throwing money at Celtic’s problems unless you can guarantee that the money will be well spent. The evidence of recent years is that it tends to be squandered.
Great Diary once again Ralph.
It is really good to see all the positive comments now that we have had a wee bit time to calm down and reflect. I think most people have missed the point, that Ronnie is hopefully a long term investment, with the view that he develop our youths and as we can see, buying the best of the young Scottish talent and further develop them also. We have all witnessed the Wanyama,s and the present Virgil using Celtic as a stepping stone to the riches of the English premiership, no thought or feelings about Celtic or the support, just a way of getting to England.At this point in time Ronnie, after one year may not have taken us to the promised land(which I must point out, we are not ready for) However hopefully the plan is to have a wealth of Scottish talent playing to a system that can vastly improve what we have been watching for the past number of years. Alex Ferguson who was mentioned earlier was one game away from the sack and look how that turned out.We do not have the money nor the means to generate the money to compete with the top clubs, therefore the club are trying to nurture our own.Lets have a wee bit of patience and hopefully by this time next year we will once again be the envy of all our rivals across Europe. One more point, half of the Malmo squad came through their youth system. HH, Keep the faith
We said the same last year and unless there are changes we may well be doing the same a year from now.
Doc
In my opinion even with changes, for many a year form now. That is just how it is.
H H
Maybe it might be time to stop buying fairly expensive, for us, duds;
Balde 1.8 million
Scepovic 2.3 million
Pukki 2.4 million
Boerrigter 1 million
And giving the guys from the academy a real run in the team, esp as the SPFL current state of affairs might allow us to give them a real run without it harming our title chances.
What is the point of having such a big academy system if we rarely give players are real shot at it. Surely we must a few decent full backs, a couple of strikers and a center half amongst our ranks.
If we don’t or we do but won’t give them a real chance, just close down the youth set up and use the money for other purposes, try and buy better players, or just more duds or maybe get in better scouts…
I’d rather see guys who have a bigger attachment to the club pull on the jersey than the assortment of duds and rejects we seem to be going through from here there and everywhere.
If Ronny was to go and I don’t want him to we’d end up with Collins or Mcnamara then the shit would hit the fan.
Ralph
Pissed – yes. Angry – no. Listen, we might be capable of beating say a Malmo on our day but, if we are honest, we are simply not proper CL material by a very, very long shot no matter how painful that is especially for those of us who scaled the heights in that competition. If we were, why would there be so much diarrhoea going about as early as the first qualifying game? I am still right behind Ronny. He showed against Quarabang that we can defend for 90 minutes, though we were then criticised for being negative. You simply cannot win with some people. If he has failed in anything so far it is in instilling consistency for 90 minutes in the players. His metal will be shown by what he does about those who do not improve not by resigning or doing a U turn. For fans, I think the reality check is knowing what our level is and currently it is the best in Scotland and Scotland simply does not figure in European terms – for many reasons over and above football quality might I add. I kept reading before the game about how we will do this and do that to Malmo who were full of bluster and brag. I was even tempted to take a couple of steps along that road myself even though I did not quite believe myself. I know it sounds like hindsight but I honestly expected a doing because all of us were getting just that wee bit too cocky for comfort, a wee bit too big for our very flimsy boots. Sadly when my water broke, I had produced a bummer.
Many talk of a work in progress or early days but the fact is we are trapped in a depression, granted not wholly of our own making, but one that has us hogtied. As for us, the support, we need to make up our minds whether we just want to win and achieve things or have the entertaining football Big Jock himself always asked for, for the fans sake – see Wee Bertie’s recent interview. That is where the cavalry charge starts come from. But too furious and too fast inevitably brings flatness when it hits brick walls and teams now build such walls to block our initial charges. Of course if you have reckless or dumb or careless horses at the rear, then the enemy can simply pick them off at ease while frustrating and exhausting an already flat forward line. It is all a question of balance and if Ronny has anything to work on and yet achieve it is stopping the teetering on the brink with composure, consistency and complete concentration.
Here is to a treble and being satisfied for now that that is the best we can offer.
I have to say I am joyously overwhelmed by all the dusting down. That has lifted my spirits more than anything today. That’s ma bhoys!!
H H
Ralph
I have avoided comment for fear of saying the wrong thing. It seems the monitor thinks I definitely have 🙂
H H
The monitor stole mine, so maybe he’s reached his quaota and yours will get through fine
I want Deila out, not a reaction or because he cost me a big win at the bookies (again) but because he’s tactically inept, Deila said judge him after a year and, for me, the verdict is in. When folk asked last year why I doubted Deila was the man for the job and I wrote that I thought he was naive and that an opposing manager with a decent understanding of tactics would show us up and it came to pass on Tuesday.
To say we were beaten by the better team just isn’t true, Hilland only got into the Sweden squad due to Magnus Hedman (remember him?) retiring, Tinderholm is 3rd choice and only gets onto the bench when Lustig is injured, Arneson failed to get a contract at Hearts a couple of years ago and then theres Berget. Of the comparable players, Celtic’s are far superior.
The difference was the manager. We started the 1st leg and showed the gulf in class, their manager adapted and reduced the number of chances we created, at halftime he changed the shape of his midfield and the game evened up, both teams had chances and they took theirs. The 2nd leg he changed the formation completely and had our number, with 3 up top they were a constant threat, stuck to our defenders instead of dropping back and that effectively forced us to give Gordon a lot of the ball and stopped us playing out from the back. They harried in centre midfield and with no defence to pass to to and little up front we ratained posession like a sieve, they allowed us to have the ball in the flanks as they saw we were little threat from those positions, crosses to no one and our running midfielders being tracked and marked greatly reduced any threat we posed. The defence kept their shape well and sat very deep to counter our pacey players reducing us to inaccarurate balls over the top that Van Basten would have struggled with. We were outmanaged, well outmanaged.
Did we see a blueprint to beat Celtic that the SPFL clubs will copy? Only time will tell. We’re still in the Europa League but as Malmo’s coefficient would put them in pot 4 then we have to expect the the teams we face will be a fair bit better than them. We could be in for a long season.
Can’t wait to see how many SPL teams will play 3 up against us it has never happened in my experience and never will. It is time to get behind the team and the manager and starting Saturday ,wipe the floor with the SPL and have it won by Christmas. That would give us time to build for next year in CL qualifiers.
As an eternal optimist, I have to say……..I am still beelin.
There has been a fair mixture of points and statements.
I had been gung-ho on taking on Malmo. We had the goods to put them away, if properly used.
It was a great disappointment to lose the late goal in first leg, but especially taking our feet off the gas.
I think that tactically, we can all agree that that was a mistake.
From then on, they were on the uppers and we were on the back-foot; which should never have happened in the first place.
Regardless of which, when situations like that occur, we should have the character/bottle/mettle to deal with set-backs.
The Great Celtic teams have been teams of leaders, or should I say teams of Captains; using a recent example:
Lennon, Lambert, Mjallby, Petrov, Sutton, Larsson, Boyd;
these were guys who could wear the arm band in many a team.
Apart from an actual poacher and reliable LB, and an uninjured reliable RB.
That is what we are missing most: character.
When the whistle blew, and the game in Malmo started, and a couple of minutes I was in fear – and I wasn’t even playing!
Ultimately it is the gaffers responsibility to keep fear out of the hearts of his players. To motivate them.
To mold a team of captains. Ronnie needs to show that he can do, and do it soon.
Strategically, as long as we are in Scotland, we will not be in the races for the Champions League.
I have been saying this for many years now.
It looks like the majority of supporters would rather keep playing in the SPL, and that’s fine and good,
but we then have to accept all that comes with that; and that means accepting our level.
Personally I think we need to vote on this issue, because if we stay in the SPL, we will remain in the Euro slow lane.
Even worse, remain little more than a feeder club for the EPL.
Just seen champions league draw feel sick.
Lawwell and Desmond get your fuking finger out your arses and get us a couple of quality players a don’t give a fuck if it’s loans we need a quality striker and a left back, a don’t care what we can and can’t afford, I can’t afford a season ticket but a still buy one.
Adebyor or Borini and Jose Enrique will do and are available on loan put your hand in your own pocket Desmond and go and get them, you done it with Keane and Bellamy.
Give us something and the stadium will full, prove that we are still a big club.
What did Roy Kean ever do in a Celtic shirt? We lost in the Scottish Cup in his first game FFS. One decent game against the dead club and that was it his cameo was over . Bellamy was a great player and exciting to watch but we did not win anything with him in the team so be careful what you wish for.
im sick to death hearing celtic lose 15m. How? is not as if they gonna spend it.
Received 20m on Wam, FF & Hooper. what we get?
I tell you, 3 amigos for Dun Utd. And loan players all for a price of the Matthews fee.
We’ve been taken for a ride. And we laugh at the Zombies!!
Time for Tims to wake up That CL draw, doesnae make me angry, more relived…
Yeah Peter Lawell pocketed the rest , it’s a business ,have a look at what it is costing Sevco to run their shambles before players wages and double it for us because we are good at what we do financially. Of course we can take the Old Rangers route ,is that what you are suggesting?
If Celtic could move to another league/Country, do you honestly believe we would be playing in the SPL. We are where we are and we just have to live with that, there are no other alteranatives
There are always alternatives. The question is always if we want to take them on.
For example, Swansea. Instead of being one of their feeder clubs – why not press to emulate them?
Yes, it would be a hard road up through the leagues without any euro money and the 200 in a row would no longer be possible; but the opportunities are vast if you play on a global stage. That is where we need to consider being.
I know it is risky, but if we don’t look beyond the promises of Hampden then run the risk of being the company we keep – parochial.
Your relieved that your no going to see Ronaldo Benzema Bale Ramos ibrahimovic etc playing at celtic park.
Geo
I am not relieved but I support Celtic, not Real Madrid.
H H
aye we are were we are but we have a billionaire as our majority shareholder surely were due one big signing every few year he’s supposed to be a supporter so how can he look at they empty seats and no realise the fans need a hero a player that will put bums on seats, fuck he could buy one with his spare change.
It is a good point Geo. Our “sugardaddy’ has never been sweet to us in my experience; sometimes I wonder if he knows we even exist.
DoubleD is no Abramovich that is for sure. Like you, I would like to see top quality brought to the club.
However, unlike Blackburn and such we would have to make sure that the salaries are sustainable; or pay the longer term consequences.
Totally agree absentee landlord who sits on his shares doing sweet fuck all as the seats empty year on year.
Since being commanded that “we’re better together” why aren’t we allowed to join the EPL and prove how groovy being together is? We also have a good Irish fan base in most English cities. That would be our only salvation and would give us the money to compete there and on the continent. Berwick plays in Scotland, Cardiff and Swansea play in the English leagues.
Wouldn’t it be fun to bloody the noses of Liverpool, Man Utd. Chelsea, etc? Imagine if we could pay £100,000 weekly wages! Trouble is, getting into Europe competing with Chelsea, Man City, Man Utd, Arsenal, Liverpool. We’d end up every year in the Europa League, same as now! Help ma boab, jings, crivvens!
No exit, no escape, we aa doomed!
DD could at least giving half the transfer jackpot reeived to NL or RD.
Thats all. No dearboat signings, just good enough players, loanees dont give a fook.
Ramos really Geo. Dont make me pish mysell, thank fook your not in charge of the kitty!,,
Lots of familiar names posting today and apparently nae suicides since the calamity on Tuesday. Time is a great healer eh?
Is Van Dyke no away yet? Christ I thought he would have got a flight direct to Ingurrland from Sweden….he’s been desperate enough to go. I know he has potential as a player and we need to replace him, but I just couldn’t take to him with his sly vague answers when asked if he was staying. He seemed to escape the flak that many on this site were dishing out to all and sundry, including each other. He used us..he had zero profile before we bought him..and I hate being used. Now off you go Virgil, jump the Dyke.
The players that are left, all of them, need to step up and never repeat the performance we got on Tuesday, never!! Ronny should use his roar in the dressing room…the only fear they should have is the fear to go in and face him at half-time after playing that bad. Maybe he can use this disappointment to his advantage and start bawling out a few that need it. Apart from everything else, they’re getting paid damn well for it. Time to get ruthless (not toothless) on and off the park!!!! HH
I hate these green tinted glasses. All together now…..
Funky, I don’t think Van Dijk has escaped the flak, the only two that have(and even then they’ve had some not so good remarks) are Gordon and Janko.
Did anybody see the daily records headline on sevco , rangers in stunning away performance , as if this bunch of first devision english reserves have somehow shown celtic how to win away from home.
Delusional and partizan as ever!
Don’t buy it, don’t read it. Haven’t read a paper or listened to the radio since Tuesday and I feel fine. Your eyes tell you the performance was not good enough, you don’t need the Red Tops ps SSB to enjoy adding to the misery. Stick to the Blogs. I feel fine!
Stop moaning, if you buy the Daily Record you know what to expect wi’ their unionist/sevco propaganda. The only papers that I’ve read since 18th September last year are The National and Sunday Herald.
And you don’t think that they are anti celtic and pro sevco?
Come on everyone,cut out the whinging,we are out we move on,we are celtic supporters,now we look forward to the europa league,there will be more ups and downs in that competition too but we will be there supporting the hoops,yes some of us are hurting more than others and that hurt is good,it means you care,the ones that dont hurt as much are the more experienced fans who have been there seen it and done it,we go on with what we have,because we are CELTIC. HAIL HAIL.
I really don’t get what fans problems with the Europa League are?
We have one European Trophy in our Cabinet in all these years of trying.
An estimated 80,000 Tims travelled to Seville in a hope of watching our team lift another.
What happened to that hunger back then?
Has the CL Gold poisoned the minds of the faithful?
Has UEFA done such a number on us all where we can afford to turn our noses up at an extra £5m and a genuine chance of some success?
I tell you this if by some miracle this side or a Celtic side reaches a Europa League Final the clamber for tickets will be no different than a decade ago.
We have absolutely no chance of reaching the last 8 of the Champions League under our current situation in Scotland.
The Europa is our only chance of success and even that get’s tougher by the year.
Go look at the names in the Europa Draw there are some seriously tough games waiting in there.
But games fans can get excited about if they choose too.
I know I am ,I want a tough group ,a group where our players can redeem themselves and put a marker down for next Seasons tilt at the gravy train.
Talk about building teams we have trying this from Lennon , the money in EPl how we can’t compete with wages how the spl is shite, it’s been shite for the last ten year.
Our stadium holds over 59000 and it’s getting near half empty so revenue is dropping, why cause we don’t have a top class players and when we get one their off to the highest bidder.
Spend the money keep the players if they want to go replace them with one of similar class no fuking projects at a fraction of the price if the board show ambition the stadium will full fans will come back.
Do the math 59000 week in week out more season ticket sales ticket for the public in demand your talking over 20 million a season before we have even sold a shirt or sold a pie.
But hey who am I eh only supported them all my life and live a stone through away fae stadium.
Malmo won’t make Europa. In that group.
Maybe so Ian, but many of our support vastly under estimated Malmo, incidentally the last two seasons we’ve failed, they’ve been at the top table.
Looking at the top (Pot 1) seeded teams in the Europa League. Pretty scary. Come 12 noon we’ll see. At least we don’t play teams in our own seed (Liverpool for example) We could also draw Legia Warsaw (pot 3) or Qarabag (pot 4) The draw takes place 12 noon our time.
Different, darker side to Pat Nevin…
http://waterfordwhispersnews.com/2015/08/27/traveller-partaking-in-mass-brawl-wondering-where-the-stereotypes-come-from/
I’m sure Dortmund, Bordeaux and Belensenes would bring some good trips.