AEK Athens are a far sterner test than Celtic or Rosenborg would want in the Champions League third qualification round. Last year they despatched Brugge 3-0 on aggregate from the Europa League qualifiers before drawing home and away against AC Milan. They left the tournament in the first knock out round on the away goals rule to Dynamo Kiev.
On the positive side, they are preseason and the third round will be their first competitive games since May. Although they are a famous European name, last season was their first domestic title in 24 years, when the interrupted Olympiacos’ domination of football in Greece.
Should we overcome Rosenborg, this would be a big task for Celtic. AEK will be favourites, no matter who they face.
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Navanbhoy
I have never been to arizona, but I have heard nice things about it … sagura national park, some of the waterfalls (beaver falls) are apparently lovely …. and the origianl London bridge is apparently there … it was sinking in the thames, so some american bought it and moved it to arizona (or that could be an old wives’s tale)…
Hands
Loanees a la Musanda, Denayer and Roberts……
2 out of 3 ain’t bad,,,,
Liverpool are about to spend £67m on a goalkeeper ffs and it isn’t even Manuel Neuer. These crazy fees are filtering their way down through football causing the price of average players to become unrealistic. We all talk about the EPL bubble bursting but it is not going to happen in my lifetime.
The best team in the tournament, not on the day, won the World Cup but French clubs are perennial underachievers in Europe. Croatia have 2 high profile players in Modrić and Rakitić and with a bit of luck could have won the WC, not bad for a country with a population of 4.3 million.
You don’t need a team of highly paid individuals to win things you need a mixture of experience, ability and hunger but most of all you need a team and some of that magic ingredient luck . Money helps but guarantees nothing.
I prefer to leave team building to our manager, who so far has done a sterling job domestically and not too bad in Europe considering our resources. A lot on here seem to forget what happened to a certain club, that spent beyond its means, in 2012.
Yes we’ve taken some spankings in Europe but so did one or two other high profile clubs.
Anyhoos I’ll be there on Wednesday and hoping for a good win.
The team I am watching right now, I regard as very warm favourites for Rosenborg and also favourites for AEK. I think our players are carrying themselves with greater confidence and authority. Brendan is changing mindsets. I look at our first team and I don’t believe for a moment that these two opponents have superior squads.
Mike in the Big Smoke, very happy to read you’re fine. And your Mom.
I really enjoy Toronto. Folk from the world over have chosen to make it their home. Perhaps recently it’s had more shootings than we expect but it’s still one of the great, vibrant and underrated places on earth.
See you in August.
T
@ BIG WAVY on 23RD JULY 2018 4:34 PM
I understand that you are in favour of using loan players as they can plug some holes. I’m more skeptical as they are a stop gap and, especially when considering the defence, continuity is beneficial.
But to get back to the point, the argument that players won’t sign for us before champions league qualification is confirmed is false: of the three loan players you mention, two signed in January before champions league qualification the following year was confirmed and Denayer signed in the summer before the last round of CL qualification.
As detailed, we have not signed any experienced players recently and the French players all signed at the start of the window. Therefore, the theory that we aren’t signing players now because players do not want to come before CL is confirmed is untrue but is nevertheless an excuse that is continually put forward in certain quarters.
MIT,
Glad to hear you and your Mum are okay. Hope the same goes for all our Toronto Tims ?
Hellbhoy,
Welcome to the madhouse. Hopefully your recovery continues swiftly and successfully.
The Hands.
Okay I’ll respond. Instead of guarantee use reduce risk to an acceptable level but the qualifying for the CL has much greater risk than winning a league.
That is my point. How much is needed to reduce the risk that in the last minute of the last round of the qualifying rounds that any player (like Johanson v Malmo) doesn’t go and throw the winnings away by diverting a ball that is going wide into his own net to give opposition who have been pummeled for 90 minutes and are a goal down as a result, an away goal that takes his team through).
How much needs to be spent within budget to make sure something like that won’t count because we are 3 up and cruising?
Spend isn’t the sole answer, controlling or mitigating the risks that you can is, and so far so good.
DAVIDO
ahh….. the ole sash my window wore
@AULDHEID on 23RD JULY 2018 4:48 PM
Thanks for the response. If you are taking risk as the point of consideration, then the approach should surely be this:
What is the greater risk facing Celtic: is it overspending which will be financially ruinous and lead to our liquidation or is it the risk of our revenue falling off a cliff from failure to qualify for the champions league? I would suggest the latter. It is the foreseeable, obvious and proximate risk to our continued success.
The question is then whether we have the means to effect the outcome of our qualification without overextending ourselves? The answer to which is yes; we have vast sums in the bank and circa £15m the bank from player transfer.
Obviously, we should then be making some of those funds available to increase the probability/likelihood of qualifying. We currently have a back 5 which costs around £1.5m (Gordon, Lustig, Tierney, Boyata and Ajer), I refuse to believe that we do not have the funds to improve upon this situation.
Orange sash windows
Last week I thought one of my neighbours was suffering from severe rickets until I saw what she had in her bedroom window ?
Can any of posters posting that we should buy a fb and a cb please also tell us the name of one who is,
available,
willing to come to Celtic,
at a price we can afford,
willing to take the wages we can afford,
at a club willing to sell,
and available for CL and/or EL fixtures?
Eurochamps67
Wow. It’s gone all happyclappers v mineshafters 2004 style!
We did well to get Rogic extended and Edouard in permanently. Might well do more business by the end of the window.
I said at the end of the season that I was confident for the qualifiers but we would have to make sure we had extra cover at the back.
In terms of how many defenders do we need then that depends on how many we have available. We are stretched to the max.
If you look at the combination of quantity/quality/availability then we are far better off in midfield but we are still trying to add there. How many midfielders do we need?
I reckon we have enough goals in the team to beat Rosenborg. Hopefully by the time AEK come around we will have more numbers in defence. We will need it.
NAVANBHOY on 23RD JULY 2018 4:19 PM
MIKE IN TORONTO
Don’t worry buddy we will still visit Toronto, we will be staying in Mississauga for the 1st day (close to the airport) as we are doing the bus tour to Niagara on day 2, then a visit into Toronto on day 3 before flying down to Arizona, so it’s a short enough visit
*I first moved out here 50 year ago and lived in TO; it was a great place and safe. I was downtown twice and got lifted staggering along the street, I blamed it on the heat and humidity lol, first time two Metro officers, one with the same accent as me and the other from the black north, took me to the nearest subway station and dropped me off, the 2nd time I was flung in the back of a cruiser, when he asked where I was going I said the New Windsor House (well known Irish pub), his response was but that’s a bar, I told him my brother was there and he’d see me home, dropped me off at the front door lol. That’s the kind of place it was nice and friendly but don’t embarrass us by being drunk and uncatchable lol.
I went back hame shortly after and returned here 6 years later moving to the suburbs this time, still a safe place. First time a murder occurred it was in the parking lot of the biggest mall in town on a summer’s Saturday night, the place was in shock, it was a transient; they caught him several years later.
In my working life I’ve been with the 4th largest city, 2nd biggest municipality and number one airport in the country, all in white collar positions which meant I was privy tae a lot of secret and security information. In fact in my last job I had one of the highest security clearances in the country, I dealt regularly with the RCMP, Homeland Security and CSIS, Canadian version of the latter.
A couple of weeks back I was castigated for voicing my opinion on the potential reason for a nutter driving down the sidewalk on the biggest road in the world killing and maiming innocent people, this was based on what I knew and how the GTA has changed in the 43 years I’ve been back living here.
I now live up in the sticks as the place I came back to has grown dramatically from 60,000 to 10 times that amount and with it came the problems that a larger population encounters; I actually gave up living on a golf course where last week there was a shooting. I can now go out anytime up here even through the night tae walk my dug.
In saying all that, I travelled and still do a bit extensively in the states especially down the eastern seaboard; I still feel a sense of relief crossing back intae Canada. TO is still a safe place as long as you stay out of certain IMHO no go areas, one of which is less than 30 minutes away from where the maniacal driver ploughed into pedestrians, last night down in the Danforth aka Greek Town was an isolated incident as far as I am aware.
Come to TO, enjoy it, it’s still clean, relatively cheap and safer than Arizona where open carry is still the policy. I’m heading down there at the end of August for one of MrsTT’s checkups at one of NA’s finest hospitals, my only concern will be the traffic, there are only 2 seasons over here winter and construction lol.
After the SPFL dug their heels in re Murdoch McLennan, rightly, the position of Stewart Robertson on the SPFL Board was untenable. It’s no surprise he has gone. Interesting that the two other Huns on that Board have gone with him.
Stevie Gee and the Zombies are operating in the ole Dead Lites window
@ EUROCHAMPS67 on 23RD JULY 2018 5:13 PM
You are confusing strategy v implementation of strategy. People are concerned about the lack of signings and money spent generally.
As far as I am concerned , whoever does the sanctioning of spend at our club , is surpluse to requirement . Every year we have the same debacle , From the position of strength the club have enjoyed over the past few weeks years , our football people should have been pinpointing the areas we could maybe improve the team from the previous season , and there are positions we could improve . Here in Scotland we are champions on merit , and hopefully that position will remain for many more seasons to come . But in Europe oh dear , and so far this shot at qualifying will be taken on , by a slightly weaker team than the last few attempts , a scandalous position to be put in . Reading CQN there , a few punters are not even sure of beating Rosenberg . Now talk is a plenty that we have the resources to delv into the transfer market . Talk s aplenty that BR. Want a few in . Just makes me wonder if BR IS CALLING THE SHOTS .
THE HANDS CANT HIT @ 5.21
Speak for yourself
Then they made an Orange Kit they can’t sell
@ BOURNESOUPRECIPE on 23RD JULY 2018 5:27 PM
Well Brendan Rodgers seems to agree that we need more signings:
“We know we need to strengthen.
“We lost Stuart Armstrong and Patrick Roberts who were really influential players for us in all the years I have been here. We need to at least replace that and if we can also add to the squad.”
I would disagree with P67s assertion that AEK will be favourites should we get past Rosenburg. If we play them, and play close to our best, we will win.
I was at the San Siro last season when AEK drew 0-0 with AC. Not sure who they’ve signed, sold since then but they should have won that night. Good solid, organised defence, pass the ball well through midfield and have pace up front when counter attacking. What they did lack was the killer final ball and composure inside the box. As difficult a tie as we could have got in this round but i’d be confident of progressing, especially if we pick up no more injuries and don’t sell any of our main players to EPL before there window closes (the night after the first leg).
The Hands,
No I’m not.
We cannot buy anyone that meets the criteria I set out.
No-one has come up with a suitable suggestion.
My contention is that BR, PL, DD and the team will spend if and when the desired player is available.
The McGinn case is an example. We value him at £2m tops. Hibs want £4m. He is not worth that to Celtic as we don’t need him just now. Therefore, so far no deal.
Celtic are willing to buy, but only the right player at the right price.
Let the paid professionals do what they are paid to do.
TONTINE TIM
I know what you mean to an extent at least!!
I grew up in the northside of Dublin city where in the 1980’s it was a really run down area but (at least to locals) felt very safe and friendly, not any more!!
We now live in the middle of nowhere in County Roscommon where we really do know everyone and each other’s business!! but there is still that sense of safety, security & tranquillity. I would not move back to Dublin for love nor money! although I still love to visit and am a proud Dub!!
It’s far too busy for me now.
As for our travel plans, we are heading to Arizona to visit the Grand Canyon & the likes of Sedona before heading for 5 days in New York city on the way home!!
Bit of a family holiday of a lifetime with our 16 year old who probably won’t go anywhere with us after this summer!!!
HH
The Hands can’t…
Of course he does, but ‘the window’ is still open and we don’t know who is staying, and who is going.
That’s why its the same ‘debacle’ right up until midnight in August every year, and not because we don’t spend money or plan for the qualifiers.
The plan was for Simunovic to be available.
We’ve already spent more money on light bulbs than the SPL has collectively on personnel.
As We Do CSC
In European terms, Brendan got the tactics spot on at home against Zenit, by tightening the midfield.
In that one game, I thought that Brendan had found our perfect, formation, tactics etc, for the European games.
A tight midfield, helps to consolidate the defence and gk, imho.
Why is that set up so difficult to consistently deploy ?
Surely its a no brainer for the manager ?
Also, I don’t in any way want to be unkind to Brendan, just to say that, in two of the 3 years since he left Liverpool, they’ve been in 2 European finals.
HH
tontinetim
long shot but did you know bill jeffrey, he was a rcmp guy.
@ EUROCHAMPS67 on 23RD JULY 2018 5:36 PM
I think you are confused. You asked various speculative questions to which no one could reasonably provide an answer. Again, it is different to discuss strategy (i.e. limiting ourselves to a net spend of £2m v £10m) and the merits of that strategy v “name a player we should sign”.
The Hands.
How many players of a higher quality than we have is £15m going to get you?
I’d go for 3
Does that cover transfer fee because good players don’t tend to cost nothing in transfer terms?
Let’s assume £5m a year in wages ie 50k a week and £9m xfer fee spread over three years.
There comes a point when failure to qualify over the 3 years those 3 mainstays are available week in week out, turns a positive return negative.
It would be less of a risk if £5m a year was guaranteeing quality but as ever, wage inflation means a pound of beef mInce cost 3 times as much as it used to but it’s still beef mince. Steak mince of course is simply unaffordable.
In such a market Celtic’s policy of developing its own or spotting talent – Tierney Ajer McGrego Forrest Rogic Dembele is much more sensible than taking a punt on the number of players needed to ensure the risks of not breaking even are as low as possible.
Hey don’t get me wrong. If we signed a marquee player of a higher level worth everything paid for him I’d be delighted but amazed that anyone of that standard wanted to play in the SPFL unless he was on a retirement plan.
Now if you were to accuse me of talking mince I could hardly argue, but my overall point is all costs over 3 years needs to be considered as does impact of not qualifying once – ok.Twice – amber alert. Three times. Yer in the red.
@BOURNESOUPRECIPE on 23RD JULY 2018 5:40 PM
The debate is that we have underprepared for the CL qualifiers once again. As discussed previously in the blog, there is no merit in the argument that players are waiting to see if we qualify.
Navanbhoy, my Nana is from Killina parish. Her maiden name was Cummins. Longshot I know but do you know that area/family?
AULDHEID on 23RD JULY 2018 4:48 PM
That is my point. How much is needed to reduce the risk that in the last minute of the last round of the qualifying rounds that any player (like Johanson v Malmo) doesn’t go and throw the winnings away by diverting a ball that is going wide into his own net to give opposition who have been pummeled for 90 minutes and are a goal down as a result, an away goal that takes his team through).
*didn’t he also miss a sitter when we were 2 up.
no way on this earth is J.Mc.G going to make us a better team , the money being branded about that we have offered for him is way over the top for a player lacking in quality. What he would bring if we buy him IMO is numerous yellow and red cards, surely we as a club can do much better in the transfer market than another project ‘squad’ player at best who would end up being loaned out back to Hibs or some team at that level. If we are desperate for him why the rush ,we have better already at the club patiently waiting on their chance.
A couple of former German international CBs are allegedly free agents and looking for clubs
Robert Huth – 19 caps
Philipp Wollscheid – 2 caps
seems there are decent players out there looking for clubs. Now if they would be interested in joining us or if they even fit the profile of what we are, hopefully, looking for is an entirely different matter
@AULDHEID on 23RD JULY 2018 5:49 PM
As a preliminary point, what seems to escape your argument is that failure to invest can inexorable lead to the failure to qualify (which is compounded with each passing year, i.e. failure to qualify detracts from investment which in turn reduces probability of qualification etc).
Now, as for your other argument about signing players and their cost, I think you are purposefully exaggerating and massaging figures to fit your argument.
Celtic do not have anyone on £50k per week in wages. We only have one player who cost more than £5m (Edouard) and even then, his true cost is not known.
We were able to sign Sinclair, Ntcham and Edouard who have all made a substantial impact to the team (the latter only as the season was in the later stages) for well under the transfer fee and wages quoted.
Now, why is that in order to improve the defence, we now have to spend £5m per player and pay £50k per week in wages? It is clearly the case that the team can be improved without spending that sort of money.
It appears as if some people have a binary argument that the team can only be improved by spending substantial sums not yet within our gift, or not at all. It’s not true.
Navanbhoy
What part of Dublin are you from….and why the feck are you called Navanbhoy
It is my, probably wrong, opinion that the ongoing McGinn soap is nothing more than a ‘ look a squirrel’ manoeuvre.