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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Italiabhoy
It would be ridiculous not to, as we’d have a very good chance at appeal
Robert T. Błaszczak @RobertBlaszczak 20s
LEGIA HAVE BEEN ELIMINATED FROM THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
feel like im on a seesaw.
We are in !
Main polish source says Legia are out!!!!
Tea’s oot……….
I genuinely think we can go on and win this competition now :)
Goal!
YEEEE HAAAA
I agree with the posters about the result having a bearing on the outcome today, If it wasnt so emphatic in Legia’s favour we would stand a chance..
Not too hopefull
KLV
Well blow me down…
Looks like my source was right again
You cant beat getting it first hand……!!!!!!!!
Ok, the world of twitter seems to be turning
Now seem to be saying we are back in…….
Can we sign Klerikal Eror – ? ( who is 1.68m tall )
Raman Bhardwaj@STVRaman·57 secs
Led to believe that Celtic are back in the champions league
Not Official news yet .. but looking like we won the Lotto … again
Yesssssssssss what a goal
Ronny: “Oh s***….”
Official on STV
Anything official yet?
Will PL breathe a huge sigh of relief as we all have and sanction investment in the team?
Please.
I feel sick with nerves :)))
Please let it be so
Wow
Anyone up for a virtual huddle ?
I could hug a Negatonian I’m so happy…..
Sorry Mr Z
Wow, Twitter was wrong, roon ye:-)
Sign Klerikal Eror! Funny.
Goose bumps. I just hear the collective roar there. Well done everyone. Slaps own back
We all know supporting Celtic is a rollercoaster like no other.
Who the heck invented this new ride!?!?!?!?!?!?
Great news. Now to buy a team that care before next week.
Obviously happy as a Celtic supporter if this is true but its really unfair on Legia,we don’t deserve it and we’ll probably be embarrassed by who ever we play.
http://m.stv.tv/sport/football/clubs/celtic/285545-celtic-reinstated-in-champions-league-play-offs-after-legia-forfeit/
Celtic reinstated to CL
So … second chance? Let’s make sure we take advantage.
Can they sort every round like that.
That was brilliant.
What a rush…..
Holy Moly…
Mr Z so sorry for your team, they outplayed us home and away..
Sometimes you need a bit of luck. Hope the players realise how lucky they are and get their erchies in gear for the next game.
#FourLeafClover
Get in!!! Might just be what we need. Reality check to the big wigs.
Robert T. Błaszczak@RobertBlaszczak · 8s
UEFA have ruled Celtic’s 2nd leg win 3-0. Celtic have qualified to the play-off round of the Champions League.
Only Deila could have played that master stroke of letting them score twice in order to get complacent and put all their subs on. Man is a bloody genius.
Celtic have been reinstated in the 2014/15 UEFA Champions League after third qualifying round opponents Legia Warsaw were forced to forfeit their second leg.
The Polish side fielded a player who should have been suspended, Bartosza Bereszyński, as a substitute with four minutes to go in the 2-0 victory at Murrayfield.
UEFA rules state that any side found guilty of fielding a suspended player are to forfeit the match in question.
After a meeting of the governing body on Friday morning, Celtic have been awarded the second leg 3-0, levelling the aggregate score in the tie to 4-4 and allowing Ronny Deila’s side to progress on away goals.
Celtic will be in the hat as seeds for the play-off round stage of the UEFA Champions League on Friday.
Legia Warsaw have the right of appeal.
The mix-up by Legia lies in the exclusion of Bereszynski from their squad for the two second qualifying round matches with St Patrick’s Athletic earlier in the competition.
The player was due to serve a three-match suspension after a red card in the UEFA Europa League last term and Legia believed his absence from the two games, as well as the first leg against Celtic, cleared him to play in Scotland.
However Bereszynski was not included on Legia’s squad list submitted to UEFA for the St Patrick’s Athletic games.
As a result, his suspension was not served and, following his subsequent inclusion on the squad list to face Celtic, he should have served the second of his three-match ban in the tie at Murrayfield on Wednesday night.
ya beauty, telly’s, radios, phones and I pads flying oot of hun windows.