It feels like rock bottom this morning and, as far as Europe is concerned, it probably is. The ties against Legia were our worst performances in Europe. Neuchâtel has a horrible 90 minutes, Artmedia was a 20 minute collapse, and we beat Utrecht comfortably at home, but this was abject over two games.
There are unfathomables, for example, it’s hard to know why a defence which was so solid last season is suddenly inert, but it will surprise no one we didn’t make Champions League football this season. The day Neil Lennon left I suggested it would be a huge ask and it’s proven to be.
We are less than two years since the high point of recent seasons, finishing ahead of Benfica and Spartak Moscow in the Champions League, but the decline can be traced slightly further back than that.
We had an 18 month purple patch of player recruitment, starting when Fraser Forster, Gary Hooper and Emilio Izaguirre arrived in summer 2010, continuing with the arrival of Wilson and Wanyama, and ending with Mikael Lustig’s signing in January 2012. We were bringing players in for a few million who were Champions League calibre.
Since Lustig, the strategy hasn’t changed, but despite signing a raft of players, for much the same money, only van Dijk has improved the team. Most are, at best, misfits or squad fillers. Things started to go wrong with the bizarre signings of Miku and Lassad in late August 2012 and ramped up last summer with the arrival of Boerrigter, Pukki, Balde and Biton. There are more, of course. Some, like Griffiths and Johansen are hitting the modest levels expected of them, but we’ve been missing the target at an alarming rate.
Ronny Deila has so far brought in a six month loaner. He’s working pretty much with the squad Neil Lennon scraped into the Champions League with last season. He’ll now know what you and I knew about the squad months ago. Most importantly, he needs backing from the club as well as the support.
He has to refresh the squad, try to clear out the deadwood, and perhaps accept that one or two of our reliable performers in recent seasons are beyond their peak. It’s critically important that whatever has been going wrong since Lustig’s arrival is put right. Stop haemorrhaging millions of players who cannot command a starting place and start finding value.
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How can playing a banned player be a clerical error?
I understand we are in the Europe league
Hurry up
I have a spreadsheet that need updated!
Clerical error? So teams can just ignore the rules and plead administrative mistake?
What happened to ignorance of the rules is no defence?
…..and, oh, I forgot to mention ……..if we get into the next round of the CL, I’ll be doing cart-wheels ……….. and hoping Legia win the EL…..
Europa that should be
Polish guy saying “clerical error” has only 42 Followers :-)
my F5 buttons taking a doing!
They’re out. UEFA team briefing Legia why that is the case before making announcement.
Ah well, it was a rush, better than the two games we played against them, twitter? I hate twitter.
Will Celtic appeal the decision ?
67Heaven –
I think you should read my comment again.
I don’t believe PL should be sacked.
I was question neganon on why he thought DD would want to sack PL if he was, AS NEGANON CLAIMED, his puppet.
Those were not my words.
I was questioning neganon’s logic.
What right of appeal do we have?
Neganon2
Check back to page 18 for a report.
Doing nothing is not an option for Celtic if rules were not observed, especially in light of earlier SFA responses to questions in 2011 and 2013 to Celtic.
If rules not broken then Celtic will report that back to shareholders just as they will have to report back if they were.
That is the process Celtic agreed to when THEY proposed an adjournment rather than vote against the Res which they could easily have done and it would all have been forgotten by now.
Ever thought why that was not the route taken if Celtic wanted nothing done?
According to your belief system that is what was easiest for Celtic in terms of doing nothing. Cognitive dissonance?
Staying silent and being patient is the price paid to get at the truth. It was a judgement call.
I had no idea this would result in attacks from fellow Celtic supporters that would need to be defended like now, and whilst I cannot speak for the other guys I reckon they will feel the same disappointment.
Attacks from Rangers supporters yes but not Celtic.
Now why not just exercise the same patience until we get answers and don’t mention my name again in any of your posts and I’ll not need to respond.
Twitter still saying legia in ” clerical error “- last tweet was from Eurosport.com
Somehow, “Doin’ the huddle in the Europa League” just doesn’t carry the same gravitas …
Is uefa don’t chuck Legia out then we have to take it further
Rules are rules
HH
There is precedent for this exact case. The club could easily fight the decision. As a business I think we should and maybe have to. As a football club we have no right to.
So playing a suspended player is now a “clerical error”?
RobertTressell
09:47 on
8 August, 2014
I’m hearing ‘are you on that bloody cqn again?’
*******************
ha ha
cheerio amigo!
V
catman
09:43 on 8 August, 2014
im hearing we are back in……..
fingers crossed my source is right
_______________________________
Hello this is WEE BGFC. Your not the only crossing your fingers and clenching yer backside. And i dont even know what site your on
gordon_j backing neil lennon
09:48 on 8 August, 2014
Absolutely…. (Except when it came to oldco, but they got their deserts)
Have a feeling if we hadnt gotten pumped the clerical error might have been viewed more harshly.
big georges fan club – hail, hail, wee oscar
09:50 on 8 August, 2014
Oh, my God
Don’t see it
Big Wavy, I’m just feeling pessimistic.
an dun
09:48 on 8 August, 2014
They’re out. UEFA team briefing Legia why that is the case before making announcement.
They’re out? Strange post, not we are out?
Cheers BRTH
Looking forward to it. Hope you had a good one last night
Patrick27
Agree.
But don’t think we will.
If Fergus were still here though…
Celtic have never done well when going to UEFA
Not looking promising then. H.H.
Raman Bhardwaj @STVRaman 8s
Led to believe that Celtic are back in the champions league
Robert T. Błaszczak@RobertBlaszczak · 6s
LEGIA HAVE BEEN ELIMINATED FROM THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Robert T. Błaszczak@RobertBlaszczak · now
LEGIA HAVE BEEN ELIMINATED FROM THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
TD67 – It looked like An Dun was referring to Legia
Ran from stv saying ” led to believe Celtic now back in cl”
Legia out
Looks like we are back in Champions League???