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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I’m not sure this will stand on appeal. The guy only played 4 mins when we were beat 2-0. Very likely to be amended to a Fine surely? Don’t get carries away yet.
If it stands then frankly — Im embarrassed. I would apologise to Legia – send them our best wishes and admit they were superior in both legs.
Not the way any of us would want to progress but I’ll take it just hope we can get a couple of first picks in before the next round
67heaven … i am neil lennon ….the angels are with wee oscar in heaven.. ibrox belongs to the creditors
09:51 on 8 August, 2014
big georges fan club – hail, hail, wee oscar
09:50 on 8 August, 2014
Oh, my God
__________________________________ __
This is WEE BGFC. OMG what
Anyway YEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSS GET IN YA BELTER!!!!!!!!!!!!
Every dhog has it’s day…
http://m.youtube.com/watch?list=PLORHj-7drKZpaC1SaOokQl6mriqUmLdxB&v=z64zu9xSfxc
Marvellous.
big wavy, STV saying they have right of appeal. no idea who to and on what grounds. it seems like a simple open and shut case.
The fact they horsed us and the lad only played for 4 minutes is irrelevant to the rules so doubt will form grounds of appeal.
timmy7_noted
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.
My sentiments as well, and also gutted for our own Mr Z
Legia were far better than us, and their administrator should be fired forthwith.
However we live to fight another day … Peter over to you.
The only result to put us through was 3-0
The perfect performance
timmy7_noted
09:56 on 8 August, 2014
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.
______________________
Rules are rules, we don’t make them we play them, where Rapid Vienna embarrassed?
Italiabhoy – The teams we could get in the qualifying round seem beatable to me.
Not on the last 2 performance granted but bizarrely seem weaker than Legia.
Can anyone pop up the names ?
Well rules are rules, so we get a 3-0 victory, thought that third goal was fantastic………..
sipsini
09:58 on
8 August, 2014
ya beauty, telly’s, radios, phones and I pads flying oot of hun windows.
===============================================================
Oh I hope it`s multi-storeys when they jump.
Does an away goal count as 7 now?
Would any of the hunfiltrarors nip over to your beloved FF and tell us what the “chat” is? Hehehe
GOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLL
patrick27
09:58 on 8 August, 2014
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.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
YYYYYYYYEEEEEEEESSSSSSSS ….!!!!!!!!
I can’t help but think that this is wrong,we were pumped over two legs fair and square.
If it was going against us in similar circumstances we would be totally pissed off.
Plus if we had been playing and english/German/Spanish/Italian side the decision would not have gone our way and I think we all know that.
Mr Z….
So sorry….Genuinely.
No doubt you will feel cheated.
There is a lot of it about these days.
Supersutton aye me…….
Whats the chances of Celtic meeting Legia in the later rounds of the Europa?
Written in the wind_CSC
Hx2
Well done Ronny and young McGregor, that away goal was a touch of master coaching, right Whois next.
Buns must be bealin’ :))))))))))))))))
incidentally only on ITV and STV officially…
Cant have gotten it wrong can they?
SuperSutton
10:01 on
8 August, 2014
I foresee a horrible scenario where Celtic and Legia are drawn in the same group in the EL.
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To be fair, it was their own unprofessionalism that cost them.
HH
3-0 Amido hat trick
Superb – rules being applied without fear or favour. Will that ever catch on?
A wee thought for Mr Z and fellow Legia fans but that’s how it crumbles cookie wise – sometimes
Right draw at 11
LaughingCSC
I’m starting to think there might be something in this unseen hand stuff…
We’ve been given a second chance
Let’s no blow it
Get the chequebook out now
Catman
Bought that house we spoke about, next to yer man Alex.
Last season after the 2-0 against Karagandy a zombie had a dig at me wasn’t smiling when I caught up with him after return leg.
He did the same yesterday and although I verbally slaughtered him he walked away smiling’
Not for long he wont
Where’s my shoescsc
FF hilarious right now………brilliant.
tonydonnelly67
10:03 on
8 August, 2014
timmy7_noted
09:56 on 8 August, 2014
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.
______________________
Rules are rules, we don’t make them we play them, where Rapid Vienna embarrassed?
————
Probably not but they ought to have been…
Someone at Legia in comoliance will be losing their job. Shame. But I blame Henning Berg.
BBC shortbread will be in meltdown mode – cue solemn music for today
If it happened to us, I’d be furious.
But my anger would be directed at the club officials who ignored/were ignorant of the rules, not UEFA.
I understand its the rules I just wonder about the fair application of them for all teams in UEFA.
Well done Callum McGregor on the winning goal :)))
Compliance. Sorry.
There is no right of appeal in this sort of offence.
macjay1 for neil lennon
10:04 on 8 August, 2014
Hahahahahahahahaha….!!!!!!!!