Confidence, which was abundant just a few days ago, is less evident just a few hours from kick-off against Suduva. It’s not that we are short in central defence (we are), it’s more that I’m not sure what’s going on in the dressing room right now.
There’s disappointment, which perhaps contributed to a sluggish, if straightforward, win on Saturday. But the players, manager, you and I need to get over it and, for the players, get a result tonight.
Europa League football is critical to our season. Financially, it is a £10m bonus, which is important but not to a fundamental extent. In football terms, it is necessary. We need to compete and win games in Europe. This tournament gives us a chance to win three of four group games, and possibly progression through another couple of rounds.
The coefficient points are just as necessary. With the great 2012-13 season now a distant coefficient memory, new landmarks are required.
Get the job done, Celtic.
112 Comments- Pages:
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From twitter….
Just received an email from Celtic titled “Shop the Celtic way” so plan to ignore buying things I need, then f**k up transactions on those I dont!
@ !!BADA BING!! on 23RD AUGUST 2018 1:27 PM
I agree we need to offload players. Would add the following points as well:
1. If you are buying players speculatively (i.e. the chance of success is as likely as the chance of failure) then you on the balance of probabilities fill your team with players who will contribute little while being a burden on wages. We should therefore focus on purchasing players that we believe will be first team players and make a positive contribution.
2. While that being true, we do have to maintain a squad of players. We have a first 11 but behind them we require another group of players who are of a decent enough standard to step in when required.
The Hands- I think we are on the same page mate, the age old saying, less quantity- more quality, let’s hope we can bring in a couple of good ones in before 31st, not sure when EPL Squads are finalised? BR always said he would have a look in that overspill.HH
Celtic playing in Europe = EXCITING
At whatever level. It’s Celtic. In Europe.
And our recent CL adventures being discontinued will certainly sort out the Rod Stewarts from the Roger Nouveaus.
Europa group with the like sof Lazio,Leipzig,Sevilla,etc,etc available = EXCITING
SMSM rules:
Celtic in Europa = failure, disappointment, 2nd best.
Huns in Europa = success, glamour, ‘simply the best’.
Lets get in there Celtic and tear it up.
If Athens last week had been a 1st leg we’d have been effusing about a dominant away performance cursed by bad luck and confident of blitzing them at home.
Despite the Cheeky Hun Monkeys on here with their incessant Hun cheekiness trying to tell you different, this Celtic side are functioning just as well as this stage last season – we struggled big-time to scrape a 1-0 at Partick last august.; on Saturday we turned on the burners to ease to a 3-1.
The next three games will tell how confidence is within the squad, if the bullshit we’ve been fed is just that.
Next Sunday we should be tuning up to a domestic peak nicely, injuries healed, perhaps a new player or two coming in. Who comes calling that day?
Intae them ALL, Celtic.
Oh, Roger Nouveaus – you know who you are:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79QDhBtmDdk
TOPKAT on 23RD AUGUST 2018 1:45 PM
Magnus ……aye in larkhall
Aye, that’s cryptic. Please explain.
https://stv.tv/sport/football/1428350-motherwell-skipper-hartley-mocks-rangers-defender-s-injury/
I know ot was against the huns, but he should be taken to task for this…..
BOURNESOUPRECIPE on 22ND AUGUST 2018 11:49 PM
THE GLORIOUS BALANCE SHEET
Celtic were let down by Scottish Football and its authorities, we were marginalised to the point of total isolation.
To have gone public would have made it a Celtic v Rangers fixture, ‘the authorities’, SMSM and Scotland in general as a nation, would have viewed it as such. I believe Celtic would come out second best against that line up, it terms of any sanctions, but I reckon its not over yet re ‘Sevco’, and Celtic won’t remain silent forever.
Scottish Football was let down by ‘itself’ and authority, but I don’t personally need our club to come out and say Rangers aren’t Rangers, there is no new incarnation. Rangers football club died, I don’t care particularly who their fans support now.
It’s not Rangers.
========================
Two Points:
Celtic made an attempt via the SPFL last September to have the SFA and SPFL investigate their handing of Rangers use of ebts. That attempt was rebuffed by the SFA who are made up of member clubs. That is a matter of record not opinon and can be read here:
http://cdn.celticfc.net/assets/downloads/SFA_Correspondence.pdf
So it is completely wrong to say Celtic did nothing since as far back as 2012 they had been making the kind of points that you can read on SFM every week. Have they done enough within those constraints or should they have gone beyond them? That is a decision they will have to make very soon in respect of the JPDT andRangers attempt to throw CAS in the road of a judicial process all clubs signed up to in 2012. Its as if they have something to hide.
Two. I think concentration on the OC/NC angle is a circular mistake as this post from SFM explains:
Barcabhoy 22nd August 2018 at 18:49
Reiver, the blog decides what gets debated not any one individual .
For my part OC/NC has never interested me . I don’t get involved in the argument and i’m probably not alone in that .
There are issues of far more importance to me , such as cheating , governance , lying to authorities, lying to fellow clubs , fit and proper suitability , refusal to comply with legal orders, and manipulation of accounts
===================
Auldheid:
Although I have posted on UEFA’s view as stated by Traverso when justifying why UEFA could not sanction the current club applying for a UEFA Licence, mostly to actually bring in someone with authority to speak on the matter, I was not that interested in the OC/NC debate either.
However that changed a bit after listening to Celtic supporters who had spent a lot more of their life travelling the length and breadth of the UK at substantial costs to themselves, than I ever did through life circumstances, and on whom I ultimately have a team to support if from a distance.
Putting myself in their shoes for a minute I could well understand their anger. When they looked back on games Celtic lost to a Rangers fuelled by unlawful financial steroids in tens of millions not to mention a mountain of debt never repaid that again fell on the tax payer and suffered the accompanying taunts, I began to understand why the OC/NC issue was important to them.
But it isn’t that Rangers are the same club that rankles, its that the titles they won by cheating which was what the Supreme Court effectively said, totally undermining the LNS logic of no sporting advantage, that really rankles, particularly when the very governing body that is supposed to ensure fair play not only went out of its way to ensure unfair play (and we know it did) but has the cheek to say they will not reconsider how they dealt with the matter.
That is still the position. LNS was a sham from the word go only possible by the non disclosure of the same information not disclosed the previous year when applying for the UEFA Licence to keep an insolvent club from going under. Two moments of deception covered up so far by the SFA.
It is a fact that key documentation in relation to DOS ebts was kept from the LNS Commission by Duff and Phelps but with evidence pointing to the SFA as being in the know from December 2011. There is further public evidence that LNS decided his Commission need not consider the DOS ebts and side letters for reasons that are questionable.
No 5 Way agreement is more important than reinstating the integrity to Scottish football that those involved negotiating the 5 Way destroyed.
It is significant that whilst there has been a lot of OC/NC circular argument on SFM there is very little on LNS but why it should be the focus of attention is set out here :
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6uWzxhblAt9dnVHSl9OU3RoWm8/view?usp=sharing
In there and in the UEFA licence lies all that is needed to address the issues of far more importance – the cheating , untrustworthy governance , lying to authorities, lying to fellow clubs , fit and proper suitability , refusal to comply with legal orders, and manipulation of accounts.
If only the stomach to do so existed among our clubs and their leaders.
===================
Res12 with its non disclosure links to LNS always was and still is the only game in town and it hasn’t left the stage. However you can see why there is resistance to it from the SFA, as it means revisiting the scene of the crimes , the very thing Celtic asked for.
Having LNS set aside would be a game changer and the evidence that it was fixed or misled along with the Supreme Court ruling that effectively made a nonsense of the LNS justification of no sporting advantage, is where focus needs to be placed. You can only go round in circles on OC/NC but witheld evidence and non disclosure form a straight road.
If they want to be the same club with the same history let that history be a true reflection of who they were and still are.
@ MCPHAIL BHOY on 23RD AUGUST 2018 1:42 PM
Agreed that our expenses have increased under Brendan. As you point out this will largely be attributable to incentivised bonus payments and increased wages for players who have improved dramatically under Brendan.
While the increase in wages is an undeniable fact, does anyone expect that revenue, profits and success on the playing field can increase exponentially without an increase in wages? It seem as if there is a belief by some that our recent successes can be achieved without further expenditure; it’s just not possible.
The question we have to ask is, is it better to have higher expenses and a better and more successful team which in turn creates higher turnover or lower expenses and commensurately lower returns both on the balance sheet and playing field?
I know which camp I am in.
McPhail Bhoy on 23rd August 2018 1:42 pm
———————–
Good post. Net spend doesn’t really mean much on it’s own, lots of other factors needed to be added.
Be interesting to see where we go with our wage bill over the next few years – up, down, no change.
We currently have a wage bill that dwarfed the rest of the SPL (and our Euro qualifying opponents), we’re are not really getting bang for our buck.
Meanwhile the Celtic Share price inches ever higher, 137.80 a moment ago………………
Amid the alleged turmoil throughout the club…………our value rises.
How come?
PHILBHOY
Yes, I noticed that too!
Strange if you ask me!
Are you watching the game tonight Phil?
PHILBHOY
Yes I am Phil.
Looking forward to it!
Are you?
PHILBHOY
Enjoyed our chat Phil but must run now, airport duty!
Philbhoy
probably the most informative conversation you will have all day
Share price is dependent on the market – sometimes makes no sense – usually on financial performance – not spending might do it
Unfortunately won’t see the game tonight – so good luck to the bhoys
COYBIG
Afternoon al…,
BSR was good enuff to post a link to BR’s press conference yesterday… the main asker of questions, during that point anyway was “Ronnie?” embdee know who he is?
!!Bada Bing!! on 23rd August 2018 12:40 pm
If you look at BR’s management of the players over his two years, he has made huge progress inthis respect.
In fact the four Managers before BR handed their successor plenty of deadwood…
BR had a doubly interesting challenge. Both Lenny & Ronny’s squads had their best players sold off, had a plethora of projects and prospects hanging around and there were many players who we just didn’t know what calibre they were – let’s take CalMac, Liam H and Ryan C for example… a few Seasons ago who would you have bet on whom.
BR sorted much of that out, not only that but he went through the Academy players with a fine tooth comb.
He has shifted plenty of players, he has greatly improved plenty of players and he has given plenty of players a further chance, this is an ongoing process but he has 11 prospective first team players in his squad in reality that means he is working with a very small first team.
Now while he has been getting the squad ready for the League campaign and the Euro qualifiers managing the squad is further priority that’s happening…
While he’s doing this up pops Arzani… how good is he? Another Liam H, or Ryan C or Calmac?
Never ending ain’t it….
Hail Hail
I think a major factor in the CL (and to a far far lesser extent EL) qualification is being missed not only by fans but perhaps by those who hold the purse strings. We all know fine well that we can’t guarantee qualification or success but it goes without saying investment makes it more likely. For PL the key is balancing the risk vs reward. We know that qualification brings in £40m+ fpr CL and EL probably £10m+ but playing in the Champions League in particular adds zeroes to our players values – if Dembele does well in the CL he’s worth £30m, if he does well in the SPL he’s worth £5-10m. Without the CL our player value drops by a huge margin.
We don’t want to be losing players like Dembele but if we do we all want top dollar…
Chairbhoy- thanls for reply, he has improved players, but players he has bought not always so good mate.HH
By the general lack of activity on here it seems apathy is the general feeling among us today. It wasn’t so long ago when we would be full of anticipation in the hours before a European fixture, even if it was the Europa.
The guardians of our club are to blame for this. WE have done nothing wrong.
Peter Lawwell take a bow. Thanks for doing what no ‘Rangers(sic) Manager or owner or player has been able to do since they began 6 years ago.
Deflate us. Nice job.
The Hands Can’t Hit What The Eyes Can’t See
————————
No argument from me either but that’s where it gets interesting speculate to accumulate is VERY tricky and another issue that very few have mentioned here Scottish football just doesn’t interest many footballers they will go to more ‘appealing ‘ places before here even if we match fees and wages Celtis is well known but money talks
CHAIRBHOY on 23RD AUGUST 2018 3:03 PM
Ronnie Esplin a well known writer of ranger’s books
P.S, I’ll still watch full of expectation, HH. Its what we do.
Auldheid
Thanks P.
Indeed, it is and a lot more besides that isn’t made public knowledge .
I think your point further illustrates how isolated Celtic are and were.
Chairbhoy
Ronnie Cully gentleman of the press
The Two Ronnies
BSR,
I will see your Ronnie Cully and raise you a Ronnie Esplin ?
https://mobile.twitter.com/RonnieEsplin/status/1032574332592168961
!!BADA BING!! @ 3:10 PM,
Yes, no doubt we’ll have to thin out the prospects but I believe he’s made progress so far… although we may need some after the window closes – to play CH against Sevco;)
Pog, BSR, thank you…
….that clears that up then;))
Hail Hail
Esplin and a stooge tried to set up LG at Glasgow Airport last year, when LG told the stooge that his team was deid…..?
Isolated LoL
For the avoidance of doubt, I am looking forward to the game tonight and hoping for a positive result. I will be at CP next Thursday, God willing, as well as making the day return trip on the Megabus from Inverness on Sunday for the Hamilton game.
I’m supposed to start a job in Harrogate on Monday 3rd so sevco game may be a doubt but I’m sure my son will step up to the mark.
COYBIG
Apathy will empty the park, like it did when Ronny the puppet and his plastic roar was here.
Tic toc……
50 Shades, keep well fella HH.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Hearing Gamboa n Mikey J starting
HH
Seen this movie before.
1988 double in the centenary year . We don’t strengthen and the huns go into overdrive in the transfer market and we lose the league next season and many more.
1998 stop the ten. We don’t strengthen the huns spend millions and we don’t win the league again till Martin comes in.
2008 three in a row. We do buy players (Sammy, Maloney and Crosas of the top of my head) again the huns hit the transfer market big time going for broke . We lose the league for next 3 seasons then the huns die.
2018 Who knows ? Hopefully we can change the script , apart from when the huns die.
Premier Sports 1. If you are hoping to watch tonight’s game via Virgin Media the channel is currently out of service. The picture is frozen. Virgin are aware and trying to fix. Worryingly their website saying repaired by 29th August!!!
CHANNELISLANDCELT on 23RD AUGUST 2018 3:49 PM
Hearing Gamboa n Mikey J starting
That was the rumoured team from earlier today.
2 hours to go…
Promised I would give an interim update after last week.
Sadly neither of the last two of the 24 teams that played in the First Qualifying round for this year’s CL registered a win last night. Vidi were beaten, and Red Star Belgrade drew 0-0. Both were at home.
They are both looking to be the first team ever to make the CL group stages when having to play 4 qualifying rounds. The other 500 clubs who have tried since 94 have all failed.
For reference: Celtic will forever be in the First Qualifying round due to Scotland’s position in UEFA league rankings (currently 26 – under the Azerbaijan league ), and will from now on, always have to play four qualifying rounds to reach the CL group stages.
????????