Football in Glasgow is a zero-sum game

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They come and go, some kiss the badge, they all talk about how great the fans are.  Of all those who played with Celtic in recent years, it was Christopher Jullien, in a private moment, who asked, “Why would anyone want to leave Celtic?”  At the age of 26, he found his paradise.

We rated him not for what he said in private, but for his performances on the field.  He was the most dominant central defender Celtic had since Virgil van Dijk departed four years earlier.  It was his head, chest, leg, on the ball, when we were under pressure.  He could then pass the ball out of defence with both feet.

Of all the glories during our second nine-in-a-row years and the Quadruple Treble, the 2019 League Cup Final holds a special place.  Celtic were on the rack throughout; with an inspired keeper, Christopher holding the defensive line and scoring the winning goal, the win felt so much sweeter.

His 89th minute winner against Lazio was a perfect example of his aerial dominance.  Celtic were a shambles a year later, when he collided with a post at an empty Celtic Park, but they were not yet out of touch.  Had he remained fit, who knows?  As it was, the shambles continued.

Chirstopher’s exclusion from action on return from injury was down to team tactics.  Ange wants his central defenders wide, leaving them plenty of ground to cover, in the event of a breakaway attack.  This is not Chris’ forte, it wouldn’t work.

Best of luck, Chris, don’t be a stranger.

Ignore it all you like, but the most important game of the season in Scottish football takes place tonight.  It will determine the competitive balance, perhaps beyond even this season.  Football in Glasgow is a zero-sum game.

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  1. Philboy

     

    Expressing the immediate sentiment steeped in disappointment.

     

    Maybe given more time and reflection I should/ would have said:

     

    “Kent hauled back. Pity it wasn’t a Lundstram type tackle from behind that could have put him out of football for 4 or 5 months.”

  2. prestonpans bhoys on

    BSR

     

     

    What about mushy peas, are they the real thing or frozen peas purified in water.

     

     

    We need to know…….

  3. I for one, don’t think the huns are a poor team , don’t think they are anything special either .

     

    admittedly , they did well getting through tonight . although anyone that has watched their games including the last round , would have witnessed the incredible good fortune they seem to benefit from just when they need it most . or maybe im just biased

  4. They will spend the money , meanwhile we will faff around expecting inexperienced players doing a turn in the champs league.

  5. They should not have won either tie.

     

    4 of their 6 CLQ goals have virtually been OGs. Two defensive howlers by USG at Ibrox, the howler by the keeper and that goal tonight

     

    I fully expect this luck – which took them all the way to Seville – to be present in the draw tomorrow. I expect they’ll get a re-match with EF from pot 1.

     

     

    Morelos will probably be replaced within the next 48 hours.

     

     

    We now have a huge fight on our hands in the SPFL.

     

     

     

     

     

    PSV seemed to lose heart when they lost De Jong. They had absolutely no plan B.

  6. Vinnie – I’m with you on that

     

     

    Real Madrid

     

    Barcelona

     

    Inter

     

    Celtic

     

     

     

    Frankfurt

     

    Sevilla

     

    Marseille

     

    Rankers

     

     

    Or something like that – we’re not paranoid enough👍

  7. So, to quote Paul67 a short while ago, it’s ‘game on’ with Sevco/TRFC.

     

     

    Given our fierce rivals can now revise up their budget significantly, do we do anything different ?

  8. Processed peas are for the masses.

     

    The elite want and deserve fresh peas.

     

    Unthinkable to let them eat cake.

     

     

    HH.

  9. So much depends on the draw tomorrow now.

     

     

    I am curious but going by history their ticket pricing will be at least 10% above ours for CL. That will close any revenue gap.

     

     

    I also do think the atmosphere at their place really will spook a few good teams.

     

     

    Our fans sit and wait to be entertained. They are on their feet and bouncing for 90 mins. They do get a benefit from that in Europe.

     

     

    Frankfurt or Porto / Sporting or Donetsk for me plus whatever pot 2 brings but Seville / Leverkusen might be best.

  10. Next week has just got a lot more interesting.

     

    We have 2 Groups to watch out for, we have to wait & see will they buy and if so who they buy.

     

     

    However my main interest over next few days will be the game against Dundee United.

     

    I’ll worry about the Hun Saturday week,

  11. 67 European Cup Winners on

    It all gets a bit tougher now

     

    They will spend and buy over the next week

     

    I would not be surprised if they bid for Haskabanovic and offered him more money

     

    It really is game on

     

    If they spend what they don’t have imagine what they spend when they have it

     

     

    67ECW

  12. prestonpans bhoys on

    That was a game of attitude, one team thought the tie was over, the other loves being the European under dog, limited expectations releases the pressure.

     

     

    One hun on the telly saying they know how to play in Europe; aye they know how to grind out a result; aye fortune has favoured them on numerous occasions. You can’t give away two soft goals and expect to progress into the group stages.

     

     

    Don’t expect future European opposition to treat them dismissively.

  13. 67 ECW, When you have nothing you gamble, there are a lot of guys who have a lot of dough ploughed into the Huns, they just might see this windfall as an opportunity to get some of it back.

     

    Let’s see . it will be an interesting week.

  14. JAMES FORREST on 24TH AUGUST 2022 10:26 PM

     

    ‐‐———————————————

     

    Congratulations. So far, the first bawbag to point the finger at Neil Lennon for Sevco’s success tonight.

  15. Disappointing night but Celtic weren’t playing so we couldn’t influence the result,

     

     

    Last time I looked we were leading the League, I reckon we are a better team than both the Huns & PSV, let’s believe in our Bhoys.

     

     

    Thanks for the chat, Good Night & God Bless All,

  16. Huns better team over 2 legs,hate praising them,but when you get a Draw like,Red Star Belgrade,PSV Eindhoven, Red Bull Leipzig, Borussia Dortmund, etc,etc,do not be afraid of the name,which might have been regaled in the past,like Celtic, go out and take them on at today’s level.I couldn’t believe how bad PSV were,re first touch, team formation, movement off the ball, they had nothing.

  17. I’ve no idea if the Huns have a better team than us or a better system or better management or a better Board.

     

     

    The Hibs result suggests they are not that good. The PSV result suggests otherwise.

     

     

    We’ll know a bit better when we meet them but that won’t be the end of the story. A league cannot be won in September and is rarely lost by then. A good squad of 11 to 16 players needs to have a decent back up squad that covers injuries and suspensions.

     

     

    Tonight was bad for us financially and good for them. It was good for their confidence too but it needn’t be bad for ours.

     

     

    It’s gonna take a while for this league to be won and , anyway, the Lizard People will probably have turned us all into spare parts for the Fake Moon Landing Industry by then

  18. Watching the way we play,and the way they play so far this season anyway.

     

    It’s day and night.Some folk keep saying they’re lucky.

     

    Gary Player once said,the more I practice ,BLA BLA

  19. spikeysauldman on

    that f4nny in goal for psv makes barkas look like buffon…

     

    every team on a euro run gets a wee bit of luck along the way but ffs..

  20. 442 park the bus on

    HAIRLIKESPAGHETTI on 25TH AUGUST 2022 12:41 AM

     

    FFS 442, you don’t half post a load of infantile shite from twitter, pal. Bet you log off each night feeling really pleased with yourself….

     

    ““““““`

     

     

    Pity you missed all the good stuff that the Mod deleted, or maybe you saw it and waited till it was deleted, and then decided to appear?

  21. Sevco beat psv alway from home to qualify for champions league proper. However, some folk go into hyper drive to talk them us as something they are not.

     

    They are a decent team and not much more. Truth is celtic are sililiar a decent team and not much more. If I have learnt anything regards football it is that it is overhyped, well at least the levels below the champions league proper.

     

     

    Also for those that think this is some kind of game changer, think again, it’s a gamble that paid off this time. Buy like all gambles, if you keep doing it eventually you will lose heavily.

     

     

    O

  22. Hopefully Paul67 will draw some light soon on what some fickle Fenians can’t see because they are short sighted as well as feart. Sevco qualifying for the European Cup group sages benefits us lin the long war strategy. Ave Ave

  23. Could not give a monkeys who sevco sign up or not, celtic can’t change plans based on that lot. I am very happy with ange’s coaching and buys so far. Celtic, it is estimated, will make 8 million more than sevco before a ball is kicked in champions league . On top of that celtic will pick up 6 million pounds for a couple of kick abouts in Australia. Celtic have a bigger stadium, more corporate and by some measure more money and credit in the bank despite the fact they sold their best midfielder and centreback this year. Celtic’s biggest challenge is making sure we take full advantage of being the biggest club in scotland.

     

     

    HH

  24. 442 PARK THE BUS on 25TH AUGUST 2022 12:58 AM

     

     

    I support celtic football club and will until the day I die, I could not care less about other teams in the league.

     

    You call supporters dumb because of their desire to support their club.

     

     

    you spends your time on a celtic blog complaining about the celtic while pretending to hold some moral high ground, if celtic bother you that much and you don’t feel part of the community just find something else to do and fuck off, thanks 👍

     

     

    Ps the international rangers football club was formed in 2012, (companies house). The rangers football club was incorporated so the club and company are one and the same in scottish law, and the law of the land supersede footballing law ie. See bosman ruling for details. A myth is a myth regardless of people’s beliefs, I know the truth as does everyone else pps try having a conversation with a servconian and call their team servco see the reaction, its funny as fuck cause they know the truth, go altra defensive or don’t want to talk about it.

  25. Some part of me always feels displeased when rangers win but the bigger and better part sees it as good for Scottish football, good for Celtic actually. I don’t want Celtic strolling to winning the league every year because there’s no real opposition. as that would be boring, I have nothing against their players (most of them anyway) or their manager and many of their fans are not that different from ours – some good some bad. We need a more competitive league to up standards. I only wish Aberdeen, Hearts and Hibs had more support and could do better. It benefits everyone.

  26. I’ve had time to digest this while celebrating a meal with my grand kids, one of whom is 16 tomorrow.

     

    Is it good for us? I don’t think so.

     

    Is it bad for us? Only in the type of coverage from the fawning media.

     

    No doubt I’ll wake up to the news of the draw and see if the Huns’ good luck continues.

  27. GG – good digestive thoughts – watch Ange; he is focused on Celtic only and we need to be the same, while enjoying the positives to our game from last night.

     

     

    On hun luck?

     

     

    We need to add that to the same folder as plastic pitches – it’s about what WE do collectively that matters. Forget about the peripheral issues.

     

     

    Tunnelvisioncfc

  28. As much as I would have liked them to lose so that we would get extra cash in the biscuit tin, it is pretty good for Scottish football to have 2 teams in the top 16. It’s going to help the old coefficient and allow us to have another start to next season like this one when we win the league again,

     

     

    I really couldn’t care less who they get in the draw. It’s all about the Celtic.

  29. Morning all, we worry about getting our own house in order.

     

     

    We ain’t doing to bad on the pitch just get rid of our corrupt board and we be fine.

     

     

    Iljasb- I do not know any bad Celtic supporters, none, zilch, nada.

     

     

    Can you explain what constitutes a bad Celtic fan?

     

     

    Now I reckon 95% of Sevco fans I know and see on tv are bigoted.

     

     

    D :)

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