I am not an encouraging person to speak to ahead of a Champions Legue game against a side from one of the big leagues. The exertions of playing in the EPL is a couple of levels above what we experience in the Shires of Scotland. Add into the mix the suspension of Daizen Maeda and the worry about Cameron Carter-Vickers, and you are justified in feeling some trepidation.
There is no doubt there were reasons to sell Kyogo on Monday, not least of all getting Jota in the building on the same day. However, selling your talisman two days before a Champions League game sets your stall out: We are not taking the trip to Birmingham seriously. Brendan Rodgers’ first job today is to shift that mentality.
Aston Villa are motivated with the likelihood of a top eight finish if they win. Celtic actually anticipate a more difficult playoff opponent if they win. I do not expect that outcome.
The game is important nonetheless. It is a rare occasion when we face a team from England, our nearest and most lucrative sales market. To fail there would hurt brand Celtic, to perform well, if not win, would do the opposite. Mostly, I look forward to the playoff round draw.
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TWENTE ENSCHEDE look set to try and turn their loan move of Celtic defender Gustaf Lagerbielke into a permanent £1.75 million deal this week.
The 24-year-old stopper was shipped out on loan to the Eredivisie at the start of the season and broke into the Twente Enschede team after initially struggling for game time.
Kerching CSC
bournesouprecipe on 29th January 2025 2:10 pm
The mood/attitude of many Celtic supporters is astonishing at this point in our history. Whether or not I agree with attitudes and views, I do try and understand them, and where they are coming from.
Sometimes, it is supporters in the stadium deciding not to support. Sometimes it is members of my local CSC vocally abusing some of our players. A lot of times it is folk on the internet crapping on our own..
Here we are, heading for a League win which would give us 13 out of 14 league titles. During these 14 years, we have had a bunch of trebles, and loads of Glasgow Derby wins. The continuing improvement of the economy of the ‘big league’ countries means that, from a Champions League point, we have had to make do with off an on qualification. That said, we have done quite well in this new format.
So where is all this negativity coming from?
Stuff being said about James Forrest, Greg Taylor, Brendan Rodgers has been astonishing.
In my local CSC, there is anger when we don’t knock early balls forward. This coming in an environment where we often can’t see (on TV) what is ahead of the player in possession.
On places like CQN, there is criticism of the timing of Kyogo’s departure. It’s hard to believe that there isn’t a logical reason for that….even though not being public knowledge.
Paul is a bright guy. I can only surmise that his digs at Brendan are often delivered in order to create discussion. I am sure that Paul wouldn’t care whether the discussion agreed with him or not. It’s all clicks either way.
So, does anyone have a view as to why all this negativity is flowing through the Celtic support? Bearing in mind that it is happening at a time of huge domestic success, and decent (given the economic circumstances) European results?
Cheers,
Weeron
Hopefully another Lawwell and Hardy signing out the door,the Brendan haters sharpening their crayons….
THE RETURNOFWEERON
Well played 👍
HH
I’m not convinced Kyogo would have started tonight, given the height in their team,I think Idah was always lined up to start tonight
It’s the Lunar New Year and now the year of the snake.
The returnof weeron on 29th January 2025 2:50 pm
an excellent post.
is it simply that negative peole just have to have a moan about something.
Polite suggestion?
How about we lay off Burnley78 for speaking an opinion many of us don’t agree with?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evelyn_Beatrice_Hall
Back to basics, it’s a blog. If you’re up front you’ll get feedback.
bournesouprecipe on 29th January 2025 2:10 pm
I hope that you aren’t asking ME to ‘lay off’ said poster.
I am trying to understand WHY so many Celtic supporters go out of their way to take shots at certain players and the Manager. Just as I try to understand why blue collar workers vote for tories.
Weeron.
We’ll destroy these dumplings tonight. Adam hat trick and Scalesy.
BRRB has spoken.
BRRB
Think the Guinness is kicking in 🤭
The returnof weeron on 29th January 2025 2:50 pm
The general negativity is not surprising and its not confined to the Celtic support. I don’t believe it is an exclusivlly football issue.
It is January, on record the most depressing month of the year.
It’s not hard to figure out why.
The bills come in from all those generous gifts you gave back when the holiday spirit had you feeling rich. Payday is not until the end of January with everything coming in already spent and gone.
All the decorations, excitement and noise have all gone. Houses look so bare.
The resolutions you made on December 31 are, well, broken. And it’s cold, dark, and dreary with ice, snow and storms all applicable.
Lots of people have various forms of cold and flu they can’t shake.
The economic outlook for many is break and depressing.
Additionally , any perceived bad news about our team is amplified out of all proportion .
This will change and by the time we are all celebrating another league title in the Gallowgate, Trongate , Merchant City and venues throughout the world we will be back to being happy clappers.
HH.
THE RETURNOFWEERON
Not at all, FWIW I’m all with B2B and his Voltaire. It’s self entitlement at the moment, we’ve come a long long way . If we post as ‘bedwetters’ then the dry bedders better be prepared to take some flak
HH
CHAIRBHOY on 29TH JANUARY 2025 12:06 PM
Misleading. Our predicted finishing place was predicted on past performance and not on our “weight,” and the opposition we would face
So rather than showing us punching above our weight (which we may have done) it shows we have improved on expected performance based on recent results. Which have been, indisputably poor.
celtic40me on 29th January 2025 3:49 pm
“Misleading. Our predicted finishing place was predicted on past performance and not on our “weight,” and the opposition we would face”
Are OPTA projections and EUFA co-efficients also based on past performance? If so are they misleading too if used to assert the “easiest draw possible”… ?
I’m sure the initial assessment was that 9 points may have been enough to qualify for the knockout round- later revised to 10.
So much for predictions.
We are a pot 3 team so the expectation would be to beat the pot 4 teams and beat the other pot 3 team ie 9 points – but the pot 4 team is Villa.
Have we achieved beyond initial expectations?
My immediate reaction to the folly of Kyogo’s departure was a big negative midway into the season. However the business was done , the money was on the table and incredibly Jotta was returning to the fold. Pity Kyogo is not available tonight for Villa but injury could have meant the deal falling through.
For me there is alot of pride at stake and unforunately it’s a considerably weakened team facing the English chaps without Maeda and CCV.
However Brendan faced Man city in Europe in his first stint at the Hoops and achieving two credible draws. However a good performance by the team willl be ok by me.
Greenpinata on 29th January 2025 3:45 pm
Fair point on it not being confined to us. Stuart Kettlewell has just left his job at Motherwell following sustained abuse towards him and his family.
I get that supporters get emotional. And, hiding in a crowd means they can get away with stuff, much of which would be deemed criminal if they weren’t hiding in a crowd. And of course, the internet is a big hiding place as well.
However, it continues to confound me that so much of this is going on at our club at this time with so many reasons to be cheerful. Not only on the field. We have quite a bit of money in the bank. We are spending significantly on players and facilities. We are winning trophies, etc, etc….
Anyway, I need to go. Lunch with an old friend, followed by a short walk to the Ottawa CSC to watch the game.
Stay safe everybody.
Weeron.
Weeron.
!!Bada Bing!! on 29th January 2025 2:54 pm
Hopefully another Lawwell and Hardy signing out the door,the Brendan haters sharpening their crayons….
——
Amusing pun BB.
Genuine Lol.
As for the Brendan haters …
… if they are looking to win the gold medal for “sharpening their crayons” they might as well stand down.
The Lawwell haters have a march on them.
Maybe toning this whole tiresome Punch and Judy routine starts with individuals.
I’ll pitch in.
The Lawwell haters don’t use crayons but the finest ball point pens.
OK. That’s pretty weak. How about this.
Brendan Rodgers and Peter Lawwell both
– love Celtic
– are pretty decent at their jobs
– are smart/astute/cute enough to play what’s in front of them
– have egos (like many successful people)
– occasionally make mistakes
– are assets to our club
Neither of them are interested in Bond villainy levels of world domination?
B2B- agree, but I think there’s definitely a lack of trust on both sides
Oh ye of little faith….
Gene
Aipple
Not on the Guinness. Yet. Easy peasy for the Celtic tonight. You heard it here last. 😁
Gene on 29th January 2025 4:13 pm
We are a pot 3 team so the expectation would be to beat the pot 4 teams and beat the other pot 3 team ie 9 points – but the pot 4 team is Villa.
Have we achieved beyond initial expectations?
—————–
i was on here at the time of the draw.
my prediction based on previous performance was we would do well to get 8 points to now and would be going to villa to try stay in the competition, but i really was not hopeful
2 home wins to bratislava and young boys.
2 away defeats to dorrtmund and atalanta
1 home defeat to leipzig
1 away draw to zagred
1 home draw to brugge.
that we are were we are i find remarkable, and dortmund apart i seen improvement in every game in some aspect of our tactics and general play.
pragmatism and back to wall defending sometimes, great goalkeeping for sure often, some excellent goals,
and very few total blunders, ccv own goal and arne penalty miss.
but in summary i am very proud of what we have done, and in that i want to thank brendan, his coaches and our players.
one wee hindsight thing though, the haste with which Kyogo couldnt wait to get on that plane to france, is there something else bothering him about life in scotland ?
onwards to tonight,
and just dont get pumped.
i dont need entertained, or expect anything , just dont get humiliated, a 0-0 would do me fine.
and a buy the way, when was the last time in history we went 5 home games undefeated in the champions league ?
rare photie of Peter training a young Michael on how best to use a quill to sign cheques.
https://img.apmcdn.org/744c191f5adf2245b8fc8a471a1f2f83ca88fa08/normal/acc1ec-20191224-christmas-carol-guthrie01.jpg
BB – cheers. Fair point.
Timmy7_noted at 3:31pm – another fair point.
But we would all (myself included) do well to play the post.
Playing the man is easy.
Maeda 2 match ban,misses first leg of next round
I don’t understand why some want to downplay our European performances so far. I’ve been delighted. If you had told me we’d beat leipzig and draw away in Italy I’d have bitten your hand off.
Those were two of the best performances and results we’ve had in years.
To now say we had an easy draw is just rewriting history to allow attacks on the manager. Particularly since those doing it spend most of their time defending everything the board does.
There’s an unwritten convention among BBC Football online editors to focus Champions League night articles on Champions League teams …
… with Europa and Conference relevant stuff keeping until Thursday.
It’s just good online journalism.
Wilson broke that convention with his latest KRR piece.
Pathetic behaviour from a pitiful human being.
The year of the snake. Hmmmm.
What if one of the many snakes from the Celtic PLC chain of command has bunged an Aston Villa command line snake, to get AV manager to get one of his players to put the boot into Idah early doors knowing that we didn’t replace Kyogo before he left with requisite cover?
Making Rodgers look like an arse.
What if Rodgers himself has sought a favour from AV manager to get one of their players to do the above?
Giving Rodgers room for one of his whingefests or maybe worse…before he gets fun oot by Tony Doherty Again? lol
Reality is always far better than blind succulence. If you don’t know who your real enemy is then you will get done.
In a world full of suckullent liars, hurty word trolls are the only truth speakers.
The Celtic executive is full of snakes, and throw in 60,000 sheep with no balls who live on their knees sucking woke narratives, then it sure pays to be on the Celtic executive gravy train with Gold Plated Pensions.
All 20 PLC executive buses full of unobtainable Cup Final tickets, etc, etc, etc. lol
The 60,000 cucked season ticket sheep are more insufferable than the Old Firm ticket price fixing since 2016, PLC snakes.
What a time to be alive.
In an ideal world we would have been at full strength for the game down at Villa. Kyogo would lead the attack with Maeda and Kuhn giving support and regularly scoring from wider areas. Not to be. Palma can play a bit at this level, and Yang has recent game time, and Idah will probably start. Pity about CCV but we have been there before. All games tonight kicking off at 8pm, our game on live on Talk Sport radio with highlights on MOTD at 10.40. This is where we want to be, in big games, on various platforms, and with a bit of luck, Brendan’s style might just work against Villa, we put on a good footballing performance.
ordinary joe on 29th January 2025 4:57 pm
EH?????????????
2 game ban for Diazen is harsh.
Two game ban for Maeda is indeed harsh but not unexpected.
The second game must be for stupidity. Undoubtedly we will miss him tonight.
HH.
On the transfer front.Bernebei,Kyogo,and Lagerbielke,look like bring in,£ 18 million.
Out is Jota,around £7 million.Whatever Kvistgarten costs,its not going to put a dent in our finances.A couple of million if we can’t get them down.£10 million and a sell on clause might do it.
We have scouted this boy for years.Won’t get a cheaper way to buy him.
Personally,I would have Maedah,Idah,but most want another striker,so I fail to we the problem.
Wee Ron,
Really liked your post. I think we have become so used to success and spoiled that any little setback, even a draw, brings out the ire in some folks. It’s almost as if we have become entitled when that is something we should never be as Celtic fans. The Club and its support has never had this period of unprecedented success, even during the original 9 n a row, we weren’t winning doubles and trebles. Players are not being given a chance by some fans. We expect every player to come in and it the ground running, and forget where they have come from, leaving their families, or their country/environments for the first time ever. Its time we started appreciating what we have in front of us and enjoy these times as much as possible as we know that it will not always be like this.
Just my tuppence worth.
Sean
Good luck to the travelling Celtic support…. stay safe and to the Celtic side give it your best shot.Could this be the night Yang delivers.
Come on the leather belts.