Granada drew their first two league games of the season (away to 10 man Villarreal, home to Valencia) before losing by four to Rayo Vallecano, so I did not hold out much hope they would tax Real Betis last night. Betis battered them, but it took 89 minutes of effort to score the winner.
The game finished around midnight local time, so even if Betis delayed their homeward journey until today, it would have been a late and exhausting night. 69 hours after full time, they kick off against Celtic. I don’t expect to see hands on hips after 20 minutes, but any port in a storm……….
Betis have now played four competitive games this season, not a lot of game time. Our fourth competitive game was Jablonec away on 5 August, we have played eight subsequently and have five rest days since what was a straightforward win over Ross County.
Celtic have never won a competitive fixture on Spanish soil (even if you include Gibraltar!), we should be in no doubt the odds we face, but if there is a good time to go to Spain, it is in the first group game.
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Interested to see what lessons have been taken on board since AZ away.
It’s a big ask but a game I’m looking forward to.
I’ll make no apologies for saying it’s the second most important game we face in the 5 days ahead.
First ?
Second
There used to be (might still be) a CSC in Seville. The guy who set it up had some connection with Edinburgh, possibly as a student. I remember speaking to him and he favoured Real Betis. He described Sevilla as ‘a bunch or orange bastards’. I assumed the word orange might have different connotations in that part of the world.
it’s an unfortunate time to be missing Kyogo. Betis will dominate the game and we could really do with his pace and movement to stretch them on the counter and get our team further up the pitch.
I’d be encouraged if we saw some resolute defending and no European-away-day howlers.
PLB @ 12.01
And so the campaign continues …
The more that gets out means the more that the board have mucked it up.
So he couldn’t fit in with a exec team that gave us season 20/21.
If he was a “poor fit” — why didn’t he fit in?
He didn’t fit in — I hope he wears that badge with pride.
ERNIE LYNCH
As civil as an orange?
Much ado about nothing if you ask me…
Oddly, I’m a little more confident of us defensively, than in an attacking capacity.
A turnaround from earlier in the season.
Could we nick a draw?
Hhmmmm
Biggest fear for this game is whether Ajeti can give us an out ball.
If McCarthy doesn’t get a start away to Betis then I’ll be wondering why we brought him into the club.
AN DÚN on 14TH SEPTEMBER 2021 12:14 PM
Hopefully the defence will have steadied up with the inclusion of Carter-Vickers and Juranovic . We are also unlikely to concede the kind of bizarre goals we conceded away to AZ .
No doubt we’ll miss Kyogo, but with Ajeti rediscovering his route to goal (and possibly getting a glimpse of Gorgios) , we can score . Especially if Abada and Jota do their stuff on the wings . I would take a draw .
I am relatively new to this group so wondered when I read posts accusing Paul67 of being the Board’s mouthpiece. Of this I am now in no doubt. This was a very carefully constructed but ultimately empty piece of sports writing, designed simply to lay the blame on Dom McKay without an iota of evidence – no a tease isn’t evidence. If Paul was so sure of his thesis why didn’t he state what it was based on. And by the way if Michael Nicholson is a better fit why wasn’t he given the job in the first place? He’s been around for a while and everyone knew him. I’m afraid this whole thing stinks of McKay being misled about just how much modernization he was going to be allowed to achieve. It’s certain McKay could do the job but there are those, especially on the board, who want very limited change. Hiring Strachan was the beginning of the end as far as Dom McKay was concerned ( believe when Strachan was appointed I and others alluded to the likelihood of McKay leaving) – to say Strachan and modernization in the same sentence only invites ridicule.
I know Betis will be a different team at home,but last night,against a team of duffers,they were very poor.Slow,laborious,no great pace.If Kyogo had been fit,I would have been very confident.They also looked dead on their feet getting towards the end.Both teams did.The game had all the quality of Dundee U,vSt Mirren.I see a lot of LA Liga,and cannot remember a poorer game.
Let’s hope they play the same.
ILJASB,
Thank you very much for that really insightful look into what went wrong with the Dominic job.
Only problem being,every insight you dreamed up,has already been posted,Ad Nauseum on here.You know as much as the rest of us,Zilch.
The issue with offloading the CEO, after 70 odd days, is two fold.
On one hand, there is the specific and personal aspect. What we he like? What went wrong? Mistakes? Flawed recruitment process? A little of everything?
On a wider scale, is the impact to the footballing operation. We are already pretty threadbare behind the scenes. Can the new guy take on the CEO role whilst covering his old remit? Does someone else fit in? Were the exec under utilised?
This second consideration concerns me more.
I do feel this leaves the manager with even more ground to cover. This is purely my opinion. Other opinions are available
Lawwell Hired Rodgers because he (the failed bean counter) wanted a big bonus
Lawwell Sacked Rodgers because he (the failed bean counter) wanted a big bonus
Desmond Hired McKay because he (the moustachioed,absentee landlord Irish Raj,tory,failed pretendy billionaire) wanted more money and ALSO to keep the Old Firm double act going
Desmond Sacked McKay because he (the moustachioed,absentee landlord Irish Raj,tory,failed pretendy billionaire) wanted more money and ALSO to keep the Old Firm double act going
There ye go…In a nutshell…
ERNIE LYNCH on 14TH SEPTEMBER 2021 9:04 AM
TOM MCLAUGHLIN on 14TH SEPTEMBER 2021 8:50 AM
‘Anyone else utterly bored with the Dom McKay story?’
###
I’m certainly not.
Though I can understand why some might wish it.
Colour me surprised.I know you are not.A lovely big pot of excrement for you to keep stirring.Not anything like you to pass up a chance like that.Problem is,you have a few Commis Chefs,to help you with the flavoring.
WHAT IS THE STARS on 14TH SEPTEMBER 2021 12:56 PM
Exactly.Does not sound ridiculous at all when you say it like that.
EL @ 12.18
Part of any future growth agenda …
CSC in a box — help from the club to set up CSC’s in far away places.
We need to grow our exposure globally — build a ground game as well as from the centre.
2014/15 — Global city of 24 / 28 million and there was no recognised CFC.
Just a couple of wee groups spread about with no engagement apart from the annual St P’s shindig / party.
After 9 months in the place surprised at the number of supporters locally.
However no focus and no growth strategy.
The SC semi final was another downer.
WITS @ 12.56
What about the other 90% of the story?
I fear you were pushing for laughs.
Not very funny.
AN DUN WROTE,
feel Dom was undermined and when I read about Ross Desmond organising transfers then it’s clear that no self respecting CEO would put up with such ,
So,it was not PL that was doing the transfers,Oh I see now.It was Ross Desmond was it,or so you read.Another new character added to the role of the baddy,in a cheap Soap.
It also begs the question,”What kind of self respecting Manager would put up with that”
Surely not Ange ?????????
Opinions are strictly verboten.
Like most, would be very happy with a point and no injuries.
The key for me is not the defence or forwards, it’s the midfield. Too often our passing and ball retention has been dire. Would not start with both Rogic and Turnbull. Calmac, Soro, and (if we can get an hour out of him) McCarthy, would be my picks. Abada and Jota as out-balls. Bench for Ajeti.
On the next CEO. Would not be at all surprised if Nicholson gets the gig ongoing, without anyone else being actively sought. Sleeping dogs will be allowed to lie for quite some time.
On Strachan. Very happy that he is back involved in some capacity. His knowledge of football is second to none. Perhaps he will recommend that the development players should not be playing on the plastic monstrosity in Airdrie ?
WITS,
How dare you not”Be very funny”.You have fallen foul of The MAD One,with your attempt at frivolity.
Get out your Hieroglyphics translator,read the MAD Ones posts to see how it’s done.
TURKEYBHOY on 14TH SEPTEMBER 2021 1:00 PM
I suggested yesterday that those of you who don’t like the fact that some of us are critical of how the board are running Celtic might be happier posting on another Celtic blog where such opinions are less prevalent or less trenchantly expressed.
ERNIE LYNCH on 14TH SEPTEMBER 2021 1:17 PM
I suggested yesterday that those of you who don’t like the fact that some of us are critical of how the board are running Celtic might be happier posting on another Celtic blog where such opinions are less prevalent or less trenchantly expressed.
———
Is there such a place??
JimDom
If Strachan’s knowledge of Football is second to none, then why does he speak nonsense as a pundit.
JIMDOM on 14TH SEPTEMBER 2021 1:10 PM
Like most, would be very happy with a point and no injuries.
The key for me is not the defence or forwards, it’s the midfield. Too often our passing and ball retention has been dire. Would not start with both Rogic and Turnbull. Calmac, Soro, and (if we can get an hour out of him) McCarthy, would be my picks. Abada and Jota as out-balls. Bench for Ajeti.
———
Hello m8.
I respectfully disagree with your midfield.
On the basis ball retention is assessed, reasonably enough, as a priority on Thursday night, Mr Soro would not be starting for me.
As someone else suggested, if McCarthy is fit on Thursday and not picked, then WTF was he signed for?
Recalling the AZ away game, it all happened too fast for the Sydney Sloth and no reason to suppose Thursday would be any different. That game changed when we got energy into MF and Edouard taking the ball for a walk.
Get it sorted, Ange.
I agree with you re: Airdrie pitch and Nicholson.
Hail hail
SQUIRE DANAHER on 14TH SEPTEMBER 2021 1:27 PM
ERNIE LYNCH on 14TH SEPTEMBER 2021 1:17 PM
I suggested yesterday that those of you who don’t like the fact that some of us are critical of how the board are running Celtic might be happier posting on another Celtic blog where such opinions are less prevalent or less trenchantly expressed.
———
Is there such a place??
###
Oh I’m sure there must be, otherwise it would suggest that the board loyalists on here are in fact very much in a minority and totally unrepresentative of the support as a whole, and that’s certainly not the image they project of themselves.
If it was Ross Desmond on the transfers, then he did a decent job.
Thought it was our best window in a long long time.
However when it comes to Celtic everyone knows everything cos someone in the know told them.
In other words none of us including me, know anything of what happened between McKay & Desmond, or who was to blame.
However why leave a little matter like that spoil a debate that could last weeks.
BIGBHOY
Talking after one game this season, before the transfer window closed, Strachan was asked by Sutton how many players Celtic needed. Strachan said “2”, to which Sutton scoffed.
Since then, we bought Hart, Carter-Vickers, Jota, Juranovic, McCarthy and Giorgios.
Where would we be if we had listened to Gordo?
TURKEYBHOY
I read on here yesterday that Ross Desmond was involved in our transfers.
If you’ve an issue with that then take it up with Paul. He wrote it.
The Aul Dominic Debates Does Ne’er Abate…
That of course is a very good thing, there are plenty that would like everyone to shut up and let the highly discredited board off the hook.
We’ve seen all the tactics before…
Giving Rangers Supporters Ammunition
You Can’t Possibly Know What’s Going On
Couldn’t Care Less About The Board It’s The Team That Matters
It Has Been The Most Brilliantest And Greatest And Marvellousest Time In Our “History” Ever! Ever!
All nonsense of course.
Let me give you an analogy.
Your Kid Borrows Your Car – it comes back all pranged up yet again.
Jumping to the assumption that your Kid’s to blame would be wrong
Jumping to the assumption that your Kid’s not to blame would be wrong
Not trying to ascertain the facts would be wrong.
However, pretending there wasn’t another car crash would be pure ignorance and the height of stupidity.
Let me just say this, Dom did not make a largish mistake, standing up to a Board of dysfunctional lap dogs headed up by a bullying, autocratic, egocentric maniac, shows bravery and integrity – never a mistake in my book!!
Hail Hail
Paul67
Real Betis have never beaten Celtic 👍
ERNIE
That’s you in another minority.
AN DUN
I read on here yesterday that Ross Desmond was involved in our transfers
In the last few days of the transfer window, Celtic were negotiating the transfer out of 3 players – Edouard, Christie and Griffiths. At the same time they were working on several incoming transfers, three of which were concluded on the final day, one in the final half-hour.
For you and other posters to expect Dom McKay to have done all this without any assistance from other Celtic people beggars belief.
We don’t like the way you went and spent a lot of money in the transfer window we think it was a ‘largish’ mistake and for that reason Dominic …..you’re out
We are third in passes per game league across Europe!
https://football-observatory.com/IMG/sites/b5wp/2021/wp347/en/
Right lads, listen up bigstyle
One, Jerry’ll be knackered after launching their all night barrage
Two, they don’t like it up em
On three boys, over the top
winningineuropecsc