When we drew Maribor I wrote about their performance in last season’s Europa League, when they were eliminated by eventual winners, Sevilla. Our man, Blaz, in Slovenia, also warned me that this was a settled team who had improved since ending Rangers’ interest in European football three years ago.
I watched Red Bull Salzburg destroy Ajax in Amsterdam last season with some sublime football, and my pal in Austria tells me not to put too much store in their 3-0 humbling by Malmo, who, apparently, rode their luck to an incredible degree. Having said that, on the balance of probabilities, they are by far the top seed we would have chosen.
As Croatia Zagreb, Dinamo Zagreb bossed Celtic out of the Champions League play-off round in 1998, our first attempt at the tournament. Zagreb’s stock has fallen since, so while you could make a good case to suggest we are far from ready to tackle any European team right now, this is a good draw. They are also not Legia Warsaw, which would have been an unwelcome confrontation at this time.
So far, so good. Then we draw a complete unknown from pot 4, who happened to eliminate Lyon in the last round.
Between now and the middle of next month Celtic have to be ready for these challenges. We have an opportunity to progress in the Europa League, earn some badly needed coefficient points, and revenue in the second half of the season.
Bring it on.
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Lawwell gets it in the neck but cowards like Van Dyke enjoy an easy ride.
He will be found out in the Premiership.
By my reckoning, and I could be well out, 50% of the support are unsatisfied at the product on and off the pitch. 25% are in the pissed off category and 25% are happy enough.
If these figures are close to the mark, someone somewhere is getting it wrong.
Isn’t that how a business works Mr. Lawwell?
Time to run.
Target for this week’s Glasgow ParkRun is all the 2’s – 22:22. results update late morning…
Be nice now.
Goldstar10,
Why should Virgil stay when he sees the dross Lawwell has surrounded himself with.
The first investment in the club is Lawwells £1m package
Lawwell created this mess and any player worth their salt should leave. Also for your info Charlie Mulgrew wants away but I don’t think Rob Roy can afford him.
We should have invested to make the CL and if we failed then sell a Forsterr Virgil. This season qualification was crucial as it would have helped secure next season.
I can’t be bothered going to see SPL dross without CL exit inflicted by Lawwell. I wouldn’t blame any decent player for not wanting to play against pub teams.
Lawwells smug show fooled nobody yesterday. The vast majority of fans know who is responsible and he has lost all credibility.
Good luck Virgil and good riddens Lawwell.
Read PLs interview there, makes a lot of sense and if we’re honest it’s what we all already knew.
There are a lot of fantasist ‘cash pile’ believers on here, and I saw him getting it in the neck for our fixtures earlier, seriously.
This is the guy people outside our club hate because they could and can see their own clubs being left behind (some going bust trying to hold onto our coat tails)
Can we keep the hysteria grounded for a while.
Kdc’s wishlist would be to see a playmaker, a midfield hard man and another striker in before close of Windows. At the same time I want 15 of the first team squad players either sold, loaned or released. Having 30 passengers hanging around your first team every week can do nothing but build a malaise through the entire squad
Latchford
And good riddance to you too!
C’MON THE CELTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If VVD wants to go by monday,
surely our extensive scouting
system will already have a
replacement in situ?
HH holdmabreath csc
kdc
Great post!
It is fascinating watching and listening to Lawwell spin his way around the disaster that has unfolded. Listen to this:
“We still have just under 40,000 season ticket holders. Number one, a Celtic supporter supports the club through thick and thin. He is supporting a team which is the best in Scotland by a mile, a club which has ambition and which is one of the best-run clubs in the world. What’s the benchmark? When you compare it to every other club in Scotland, in every aspect, Celtic are miles ahead. In very difficult circumstances, we are still on the right track”
Ambition?? What ambition?????????
His interview in the Scotsman is laced with this drivel.
He then claims we are asking him to spend spend spend.
How about you just spend some money Peter instead of spend spend spending all your time selling our players.
I hope you read this because we see through your sound bites.
It used to be all the money will be reinvested in the team, now that has subtly changed changed to the club. Amped now it’s over the low term. Is that infinite in terms of the long term.
You then go on to tell us how much each manager has spent but of course you omi how much was taken in.
You have presided over an unmitigated disaster. And now you are desperate to tell us that chapter is closed.move on. Nothing to see here.
Well here is the news. We aren’t moving on.
The so called silent majority is a figment of your imagination. A salve to your troubled mind. Invective to your sense of hurt which you are outraged at the criticism that the support dare show.
You have repeatedly lied to us. Why on earth should we believe a word you say? You have not an ounce of humility. You have done nothing about the OB act, gave our details to the police, victimised both the GB and the wider support. Presided over a massive downturn in season ticket holders (stop blaming it on other factors), sell our best players at a drop of a hat then winge that it’s too hard to get players in.
Is it too hard for Legia? They have less money than us and humbled us? Is it too hard for Maribor?
Soon you will sell van dijk. Sure you will claim you tried your best. Funny that other teams simply refuse to sell the player. But not celtic. No. We will get trotted out the same old nonsense that the player is unhappy blah blah blah. And of course it will all be too late to buy anyone else.
We all know you are waiting for your friends from ago van to return. What do you think is going to happen Peter? That we will all go back to our ways? We will return to the back of the bus?
I’m afraid your wrong. The death of rangers always posed a risk to celtic. I know you recognised it. If you had meant what you said when you said we didn’t need rangers and maintained any ambition to that effect we would be pushing on. But you didn’t mean it. When you welcome them back to open arms don’t expect many of the support to be there.
You have presided over an unfolding disaster. Your stewardship will be remembered for the decline underway and the disaster to unfold when celtic crumble over future years.
You had a great opportunity to really take celtic forward. But it has foundered on lack of genuine ambition and a love of the old firm.
Shame on you.
And in the meantime not a single penny more.
Lawwell thinks we are on of the best run clubs in the world
That’s the top and bottom of the problem right there bhoys
Roundly embarrassed in Europe ( again) this season …..failed to win he maj of domestic competitions
Not really about football for these guys …
Balance sheet win you funk all …apart from him his bonus
Mcdowell
As much as I rated VVD last season I was perplexed by most of his displays this season
Pretty sure he played all 180 mins against legia and IMHO was as bad as the rest of the team
He was also shares the fault at the Maribor goals and although he is a defender who was pushed up front at the end of the second leg ; he was the player who missed the chance with only the keeper to beat In injury time
So I agree that he should just do one now as he is clearly not interested in Celtic football club
Is the game on the telly today bhoys ?
HH
KDC your wish list is purest fantasy. How much do you think our small cash reserve is?
KDC
Kdc’s wishlist would be to see a playmaker, a midfield hard man and another striker in before close of Windows.
If you don’t get those,who will you hold responsible for wasting another transfer window?
And now we are moving into gleeful acceptance mode that van dijk needs to be sold.
Celtic are like a kind of upside down version of football reality. Where selling your best and buying dross are celebrated.
Quite remarkable.
Tomorrow 12:30.
latchford- So you clearly state any decent player wouldn’t want to play against “pub teams”.
So why would anyone come here in the first place?
You clearly grasp the problem we have.
Regarding the Lawell interview…hardly surprising but he was given an easy ride…I don’t doubt anything he said however..why wasn’t he asked about
The criminalisation of our supporters and the free ride visiting fans get
The issues surrounding the GB
Our strategy for getting out of Scotland
Who is responsible for our signings
Standing areas
These are concerns for the fans I know.
Regarding VVD …sat next to some Dutch national team scouts last year and they were not overly impressed. Made one or two comments regarding his game which I have kept an eye on and they were spot on. If we can get decent money he can go…he would improve here…but don’t believe the hype.
Kikinthenakas
Oh and in the meantime Ronny doesn’t regret a single thing……
Goldstar10
How much effect does VVD have on the running of CFC
How much authority ??
He is a bit part player in the business ..a commodity …when he goes we will have had good service from a reasonably paid employee and made a handsome profit ….good deal for all
A problem arises when we don’t reinvest the funds …or invest the funds in chasing rainbows in the form of dross projects
PL — Second rate property bean counter totally out of his depth trying and failing to run a football club.
You know he has lost it when he comes over all RN — silent majority indeed.
Just hat will it take for him to be removed from his post — lose the SPL?
How much more damage has he to do before he is shown the door?
And yet still they clap …
Do we recieve transfer fees in a oner?
You know, £12,500,000 upfront for Wanyama.
£10,000,0000 upfront for Forster.
Or do we get them on the drip?
The latter would blow your estimates of mountains of idle cash lyinf about out of the water.
in my opinion.
Kikinthenakas
Promise you’ll share their comment if VVD goes??
I’d be genuinely interested ….
I think is a good player …but lacks concentration
Bobby
It’s a wishlist, it’s what I think we’re lacking. If it doesn’t get delivered I’ll go and watch my team and get my football fix. I’ll not throw a wobbler guess that is all down to someone lighting cigars with my 50 pounds notes and claiming I know better than every other person who works at or loves my club
Neganon
Is a one track record mate, how often does it need repeated?
Philbhoy
The reverse is probably true…ie …we won’t pay out transfer fees in one go …should allow fir a surplus ..no
Unless we’re trying to massage the books …we wouldn’t do that would we ???
Having watched vvd he is a player with a lot of potential. Physically he is very good but he is prone to lapses in concentration which leave him out of position. His pace and strength often compensate but I have seen us concede a number of goals which were down to his poor positioning and not one person on here gave him stick. Contrast that with the times poor ambrose makes an error. He will be a loss to us but he is nowhere near as good as say wanyama.
NegAnon2
He has a plan, he has tried to implement it with the players he has at Celtic. It patently worked against Dundee Utd but failed against higher standard of opponent.
We need to see if he can bring in players who can achieve his aim.
Interesting times.
Good morning CQN
CQN Coupon for Saturday
AWATR: Portsmouth
BT:
GL2: Hearts
Jobo: Hamilton
Lenny: Derby
PF: Wigan
POG: Norwich
TTT: Doncaster
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Pf
I think you have my email, happy to send you their thoughts. Get it from Paul if you don’t have it already…mentioned this to a few cqners in person and they see him in a different light.
Kikinthenakas
Vvd is currently our best defender, end of
KDC
I hope you don’t go around claiming I know better than every other person who works at or loves my club.
That job is already taken!
KDC it gets repeated every single time we repeat the same mistakes over and over.
Until we learn not to make them.
tbj 8.47
Couldn’t agree more.
And he has no left foot.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Batsman. Ronny I out of his depth and a one trick pony. I genuinely feel sorry for him but he accepted the job knowing he had no power or say.
He is already sounding like he just makes excuses, talks big and delivers nothing.
I fear for him. I really do.
But Peter has told us the strategy and Ronny won’t change. So the one thing he is right now is secure in his job.
As long as he can out up with the ire coming from the stands I guess he will contribute to our ever decreasing spiral.
Celtic are run well but maybe the board want a bigger trophy return in domestic football to reflect our financial wealth.
Last season was not good on the park we need to improve.
One way to do this is sell big and improve more parts of the team.
Maybe the board are as frustrated as their critics on here with the lack of trophies.
We need to be smarter and move on players that are not contributing but picking up a wage for years of being on the fringe of the squad.
kikinthenakas
08:59 on 30 August, 2014
I’ll send you PF’s email addy and you can email him.
PF, will I send him work’s or home addy?
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!