Tucked in nicely behind Bayern Munich in second place in the Bundesliga, above Dortmund and comfortably ahead of Leipzig, Bayer Leverkusen are in the kind of form that they have not known in 20 years. It is safe to say their trip to Glasgow this week will not cause them sleepless nights.
On returning to Germany, they have a trip to winless, 16th placed, Arminia, on Sunday. Leverkusen will doubtlessly have a sense of security about this week’s fixtures; one that few would suggest is false.
Celtic could see tomorrow’s Europa League encounter far enough. Having shipped five Premiership points in a week, domestic form is the only priority, an exhausting encounter against a top German side before Sunday’s trip to Aberdeen can only multiply Ange Postecoglou’s problems.
If anything, I could make a case for Celtic resting players ahead of Pittodrie, but that’s not how European football works. We will attempt to reestablish the form we showed early in Seville two weeks ago; that two goal lead seems a long time ago.
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Lynch and Son of Sam,
Oh,FFS there’s two of them.
CQNs Mike and Bernie Winters.
Does anyone realise the injury problems we have?Reading the comments,it does not seem so.Now we have Juranovic out.If anyone can think of a line up for tomorrow,with what we have,that can give Leverkusen a hard game,please inform Ange.
RIP Garry with the 2 R,s….may those who loved and knew you find condolence and peace.
A family man and a Celtic man…..came out of Dalmuir but always accepted that Bankies Rule OK…:)
I will miss you …catch a whole lot of tears pal…you will never walk alone …
NB
.
Players out through injury feel free to add;
Cal Mac
Greek Giorgio
Kyogo
Juranovic
Juliene
Foresst
Mikey Johnston
D :)
James Forrest even
It amazes me that so many Celtic fans were definite about giving Ange the chance to rebuild the shambles he inherited,that some are now calling for his head.Well,on here they are.Filling the Media with all sorts of shit,that they use to try and talk down our manager,feeling emboldened.So October not here,and all that has gone out the window.Where is the elation that greeted the early season form,when our new signings were running riot.Since then,that team,style, has been destroyed by injuries.No idea what it is about blogs,or the people that come onto them,but I am so happy,I am on a Whatsapp group of around 20 fans,who can see the problems.Every one,willing to give the manager,another transfer window,at least,to see what he needs.
Faithful through and through.Just a byeword for some.About time they started showing it.
Support Ange.
CELTIC40ME
“There was nothing more predictable than you talking about Sheriff FC today in comparison to Celtic.”
Do you think we should just meekly accept that Celtic and the champions of the mighty Moldovan league are going in different directions? Desmond and the Board obviously don’t give a tinker’s cuss. How many Moldovan teams can you name, right off the bat? Don’t worry, I can’t name any either. Doesn’t that tell you something?
DAVID,
You forgot Taylor.
Sherrifs win last night was a one in a million against a Real team in free fall.Been coming.Same as Barca.
Sometimes the football Stars align.
BSR
Just being realistic. We’re significantly weaker than we were even last season when we lost 1-4 to Sparta’s B team. Injury situation is grim and we have no squad depth. Leverkusen are excellent – I’ve seen them in the flesh and I expect them to be unrelenting.
Matt McGlone doesn’t miss the no-marks responsible here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcYwF9RiOrU
I dinnae always agree with ernie but the abuse he is taking from a real nomark is kinda surrreal.
3 points on Sunday way more important than tomorrow night.
For this calling for the manager’s head before September is out – would like to hear who would do the job?
*those
Anyway,a good win last night on PSG.Not my doing,My Turk betting partner.He is on a roll.Took Man City to gub Chelsea,then stuck the winnings on PSG.Leaving him to do it tonight.I shit it.
On last night ,I thought PSG were abysmal in defence,how Man C never won,beyond me.PSG,a team full of highly paid Superstars,could not play the ball from the keeper out of defence,but kept trying,and never got better.Left to the greatest player on the planet to score a wonder goal.
Somebody will hump them.If they persist in playing out from the back.Not very good.
David66
You can also add Dembele.
INIQUITOUSIV on 29TH SEPTEMBER 2021 3:55 PM
Doesn’t that tell you something?
With respect, it tells me that you don’t know what you’re talking about when it comes to Sheriff FC. I’ve got a feeling they’ll be added to your list of clubs and players you’ll be keeping an eye on to show how Celtic could and should be better. Looking forward to your next update on AZ’s fortunes to prove how bad we are soon.
If you werent so desperate to run Celtic down you would have been able to spot the real story from the game last night. 3 years ago Madrid were celebrating winning 4 champions league titles in 5 years, since then they’ve won 1 la liga title and are facing years as a second rate European power because of huge debts and the failure of the ESL. They’re just another European team now, and emblematic of a shift in power in the European game
But Celtic though
PETEC,
Not sure if it’s me you are talking about,slagging Lynch,but you being a Bible Thumping,usual Moonhowler,posting all sorts of unintelligible gibberish,should take a good look at yourself.Anti Vaccine nutters like you are costing lives.Sending people who listen to you,to meet their maker,according to you,Jeshua,a lot quicker than they wanted to.Nothing more than a Two Bob Bible thumper.
Fear is the Ki.WTF does that mean.You charlatan.
INIQUITOUSIV on 29TH SEPTEMBER 2021 3:55 PM
Did you watch any of the game last night btw?
I did watch a bit of it, I spotted their odds of 26/1 and thought they were a decent shot at that price. I did t in the end, but I put my mate on it who had a few quid on it, so I was interested in the game
Madrid battered them, they were very lucky, which of course you’d need. But it wasn’t like they were the better team
he is getting pissed off with them.
Full Celtic Media Conference: Ange Postecoglou (29/09/21)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nL_o4oviWBw
Players out through injury feel free to add;
Cal Mac
Taylor
Greek Giorgio
Kyogo
Juranovic
Juliene
Forrest
Mikey Johnston
Dembele
Thanks bhoys
An ever growing list
D :(
Iniquitous
There are always gonna be clubs who manage a season or two of achievment before slipping back to their default level. It is Sherif Tiraspaol this season, it has previously been Apoel Nicosia.
Neither of these clubs can compete with the record of Celtic over the past 20 years or even 5 years.
We need to stop comparing with the likes of Benfica (who were relevant in Europe before, during and after our great period of 66-74, which is almost half a century away now, and AJax who have won far more Euro finals than we have contested semis).
The clubs who can be seen to be as relevant as us, like Zagreb, Copenhagen, Basel, Malmo, Vienna teams (but not Red Bull as they have a franchise relationship with Leipzig and their feeder clubs), Prague teams and Belgrade clubs as they are all big fish in small peripheral leagues with small populations.
Some of them are doing slightly better than us and some are doing worse. Most of them are not spending as much as we are to reach this level but the most obviou reason for our “decline” over 20 years is the ever growing hegemeony of the rich clubs from the big 5 leagues and their monopoly earnings from Euroepan competition and their wn leagues.
Until that changes, European trophy winners will still come from England, Spain, Germany, Italy and France. Big football nations like the Dutch and Portuguese will provide an occasional challenge at q-f or, in a rare year, semi final stage. And occasionally a minnow or two will qualify from their group stage, as we have managed 3 times in CL, and some like APoel might f;uke it to a q-f one year if they catch a team off form.
But until the structure and finance changes, all we have on offer in Europe is a small chance of earning better money than our peripheral league rivals, and a one year in 7 or more chance of getting good enough resulst at Group Stage to get to the last 32 or 16.
It is now 17 years since a team outside of the top 5 leagues won the CL – Porto in 2004. You have to go back to 95 for the last Dutch win and 1991, before the Bosman and Premiership movement s were established to see a 3rd tier club win- Red Star Belgrade in 1991 in a bore draw penalty shoot out.
There has been no beaten finalist outwith the big 5 leagues since 1996 when Ajax lost on pens to Juve and you have to go back to Benfica in 1990 and Steau in 1989 to see when this finacnially determined outcome started to hold sway.
Inevitably, one day, a 2nd tier team will amke it t the final and perhaps even win it- Ajax came close a few years back but, until finaces change, the trend will just re-assert itself. If the Lions were around today we would have seen Johnstone, Murdoch, Lennox Wallace and Gemmell sold for big money. Mind you, back then- we could have raided half a dozen other Scots clubs and bought the best of Aberdeen, Hibs, Hearts and Dunfermline to replace adequately but not with equality. We could not do that today – a) because those Scottish clubs do not have that quality of player and b) because they too would be raided by clubs from the Big 5 leagues with more money than we do.
The Board and managers have made many mistakes but they did not create the conditions which allow our best talents to see Southampton, Brentford and Bournemouth as a step up in the football hierarchy.
I commend Hawkeye’s words from Last of the Mohicans- we need to Stay Alive until changes are amde that break the current monopoly
P.S. Reading back- could I ask if we can have a bit of respect for Garry and his family by not fighting the Covid Culture wars until his funeral is out of the way. I have no doubt that people will have understandable views on a vaxxine sceptic being felled by a Covid condition, but it does no service to his memory to call out each other on this battle now.
The viewpoints are well known and well aired.
SFTB
Well said mate.hh
Aye, well said Tony.
Always thought this was a celtic blog.
Fed up with eejits coming on here spouting political pish.
They are not going to change anyone’s views so maybe just accept that and comment about Celtic instead.
A lad has lost his life, we should be mindful and respectful of that fact above all else today.
SFTB
Excellent comment.
SFTB , suberb post !
ONENIGHTINLISBON on 29TH SEPTEMBER 2021 4:08 PM
For this calling for the manager’s head before September is out – would like to hear who would do the job?
—
I believe Eddie Howe is available, as is Neil Lennon.
:)
BIG WAVY on 29TH SEPTEMBER 2021 5:11 PM
LOL…..
peterlatchfords @ 4.02
That’s not realism that’s cynicism.
Even it’s partly historically statistically based it has nothing to do with Celtic v Leverkusen whom we’ve never played in Parkhead just like we’d never played much ‘better teams’ in Juventus blah. blah, blah
The team is weaker than NL’s team wow, not much point in AP getting out of bed if he’s set to take the internet pounding NL took with a much better record, especially in Europe.
There are two contrasting football cultures meeting tomorrow we don’t often play Bundesliga sides and when the pictures inside Celtic Park at KO tomorrow come up .
Your Celtic supporter’s blogging 0 – 3 will look even worser than it does today.
Setting free the bear 29/9/2021
couldn’t agree with you more regarding European football and the cartel who now run it, just wish we could be competing a bit better in domestic football. Last season was a shambles from the Manager, CEO and the board and not forgetting the first team coaches.
I hope that Ange gets at least two transfer windows to attempt to put things right, he should not be judged until this time next season although hopefully when some of the injured players return there’s a big improvement from the team.
INIQUITOUSIV on 29TH SEPTEMBER 2021 2:49 PM
Just tragic, sad, and so preventable.
What? The comparison? If so.sorry.it don’t exist?-if so how comes we have not heard you or anyone speak of the Moldovan but handy for piling into Celtic.yawn.
But carry on harming yourself with a wee bit implied hurt on Celtic.anyold excuse.
:-)
HH
Players out through injury feel free to add;
Cal Mac
Taylor
Greek Giorgio
Kyogo
Juranovic
Juliene
Forrest
Mikey Johnston
Dembele
Gillespie..
Sorry Bhoys I’ve not been on this green wee place for ages but I would like to say my condolences to Garry’s family and friends.
YWNA DD 🍀🍀💚
Can’t say I looking forward to the game.
Considering 9 players out,of differing levels of importance,I think.Ange should forget his style of play and put out a team not to lose.
In my view Biton should be playing in front of a back.4 in his recognised Intermational.position,most of his disasters for us has occurred with him out of position.
I would be delighted with draw,as I am more concerned with League success.
CHANNELISLANDCELT
Good to hear from you .HH fae the vogue
Sorry to hear that Garry has died,he was a contributor on here for many years.
Condolences to his family
RIP