We saw a thoroughly professional performance from Celtic in Stockholm last night. AIK were always a team we should have beaten, but ‘should have’ does not always happen, as our previous encounter proved.
James Forrest, Mikey Johnston and Odsonne Edouard were on fire, while Christopher Jullien and Boli Bolingoli looked more comfortable than in previous outings.
Lazio finished eighth in Serie A last season, behind all the big names, but a decent ‘Best of the Rest’. Rennes are off to a flier, top after three wins from three games, including a win over PSG, but finished 10th in Ligue 1 last term. They will be better than anyone we have faced so far this season but this is why we want to be in European football.
Cluj are the team I wanted most of all. They are a strong pot 4 team but we were awful against them and need to put it right. This is a challenging Europa League group providing lots of opportunity to prove a point. Bring it on.
48 hours from now, we will be in action at Ibrox, where we were outplayed twice last season in games that ultimately cost nothing. Those experiences seem to have left some in our number with a bedwetting disposition ahead of Sunday. Steven Gerrard has added ten to his squad while Celtic, if you read some coverage, have done little transfer business of note. This is bollocks!
Gerrard starts from a losing position. His team have not won any major trophies. Celtic have been imperious on a level never previously known, three consecutive trebles!
Of Newco’s ten additions, two were for money (Helander, who they did not pay the reported £3m for, and Edmundson, sending £700k to the English fourth tier in return). Two are loans (Ojo and King), but the bulk are the Tried and Tested Free Transfers route to building a successful team (Hastie, Jones, Stewart, Davis, Aribo, Barker).
Bargain bucket- teams are easier to assemble than teams full of players who command transfer fees, but when the trophies are handed out, they are seldom on the receiving end.
By contrast, Celtic have so far spent £12m reassembling their disrupted defence (Jullien, Bolingoli, Elhamed), with Bauer on loan – and an option to buy him. There is also a quality left back on his way.
Fraser Forster is here on loan (he’s not cheap). We took advantage of the cross-country opportunity we exploited to sign Moussa Dembele, to capture Luca Connell for £350k, and I expect another first team addition (as well as the left back) before the window closes.
Celtic got everything wrong on one game this season but have all of the most productive, successful and valuable players in the country on the field at Ibrox on Sunday. We cannot take any game for granted, and I have seldom gone to Ibrox without concerns, but Celtic will blow Scottish football away again this season. I’m not buying the Newco threat.
582 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- ...
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- ...
- 16
- »
NIQUITOUSIV on 30TH AUGUST 2019 10:36 PM
BIG WAVY
Arzani is also a loanee, so that makes 4, with Forster, Bauer and Elyounoussi. I think that would rule out a loan move for Wanyama.
IniquitousIV
Yep. Forgot about him. Ah well – let’s just spend £13m and bring Vic home…
maradominic, for weeks ye have been moaning Celtic won’t spend a bob we will sign nobody,
Well this window so far we have brought in Shved, Forster, Julien, Boli, Elhamed, Luca, Afolabi Bauer and now Mohamed and ye’re still moaning.
Just popped in to say welcome Ely.
There is obviously no work going on in the background and all the recent (welcome) signings that have not been mentioned in the SMSM show that they have their finger on the pulse.
Played Celtic. 😎
I would just like to say that James Forest is worth his weight in gold and has proven this with crucial contributions in his time with us.
Guys like Eddie can’t shine unless he has class supporting him (sorry Norrie). Must be due a testimonial! 😁
Not worried about Sunday as I will be up in Kilmartin looking at neolithic standing stones.
Hope James makes their defence look similar.
HH
Bhoylo
That is true. I think Neil deserves the chance to finish what he started.
Anger is an Energy. Love is a much better Energy.
Magical Neil was appointed as a head of Managers thing I think, that shows proper respect, in SCOTLAND.
I dinnae ken if the Almighty will let us get 9 nevermind 10.
NFL is a wee Genius.
Erins Isle 🇮🇪👍🇮🇪
CORKCELT on 30TH AUGUST 2019 10:34 PM
aye very good ,its a pity our defence are not as quick minded
I praise players….. but board are worse than negligent. . And go to age ..s
Neil has got The Terminator Primed.
He is easily the best CH @ Celtic.
His head was a bit messed for a while.
I found that very telling when Lenny stepped into the job.
The Terminator is hard as nails a bit like an Essential mix back in the 90s by Dave Angel.
Maradominic,
Why are you so worried about next season.We have to win this season first.Next season will take care of itself.
You just cant help moaning,can you?
MARADOMINIC on 30TH AUGUST 2019 10:59 PM
I praise players….. but board are worse than negligent
AGM is in November. That’s your opportunity to say this directly to the board and ask for a response. A handful of shares costs a couple of pints – easily affordable if you don’t already own some.
Ron67 you’re not related to Sydney Tim? Away to yer bed man and think positive things about our club. you’ll feel the better for it – promise oichde mhath H H Hebcelt
RON 67,
Which defence would that be?The one that played against Cluj.Or the one that has not lost another game this season?Has the defence always been the same line up.Maybe it has had to be changed around a lot,which would not make it the same defence.
There rests the case for the defence.
HEBCELT on 30TH AUGUST 2019 11:13 PM
are you corkie’s side kick
Ron, Maradominic, St.Tams et al
Lads, we are all going to die some day, relax and try to enjoy life
😁
I’m nobody’s sidekick
TURKEYBHOY on 30TH AUGUST 2019 11:15 PM
the defence that looks lost when attacked my lord
A wee bit of digging on Elyounoussi. Southampton fans generally glad to see the back of him. Too ponderous and not physical enough for the EPL the main complaints. Flourished at Molde, superb at Basel. For whatever reason it didn’t work down south. With us playing on the front foot relentlessly hopefully that is something he will thrive on to rediscover himself.
DAVID17 on 30TH AUGUST 2019 11:23 PM
better watch what you say as you end up getting a reputation for saying things as they are, you will upset the majority before he has kicked a ball for us and allowed to settle in by christmas.
Dave17,
Here is hoping.
The Big Mans Story.
Celtic, I feel, is Blessed.
Just because of so Many like CrC and Jobo and so many before them.
Love is the actual Law.
If we can sign up a good leftback before end of player monday we will have a player for every position as below:
Foster
Elhamed ajer jullien Boli
Brown mcgregor
Christie
Forrest Elyounoussi
Eduard
…………………………………………………………………….
Bayo
Johnstone shved
rogic
ntcham henderson
new lb bitton jozo BAUER
Bain
Outside the first 22 Gordon, connell and Griffiths could also offer us something too.
…………………………………………………………………….
Hazard, Ralston, miller, hendry, sinclair, hayes, arzani and morgan are for one reason or another not quoted and/ or not good enough at this stage and so should be moved on asap.
……………………………………………………………………
The following season the Scouts will need to identify a:
gk If Foster does not sign up
left winger to support johnstone
dcm to replace/ support brown
rightback If BAUER is not a success.
perez (Rb) and gutman (LB) will be on board having player professional football for over a year. Dembele (RW) and Oxo-flex (LW) will likely be pushing hard too.
corkcelt
You should know by now some folk are never happier than when they are moaning and miserable about celtic and those in positions of authority…….deflects from miserable lives for many folk my old man used to say.
You will note this guy always disappears from the blog when we are winning . Sad but not worth getting too concerned about.
Ron
moravcik, sinclair, larsson, sutton and even bertie auld were not popular successes with their clubs prior to joining or re joining celtic…..
oichde mhath , good night all , enjoyed the chat.
HH
Far much prefer the Europa league draw rather than the group of humiliating we would have drawn
What to do with Sinclair do we have floorboards to stick him under, over to you pistol Pete
burnley78
bertie auld was my favourite celt , be careful.
What kind of fuds would have a go at Celtic fans for being concerned about the way Celtic are being run a few days before the transfer window closes when several places in the team have been weekend and no serious atempt to strengthen have been made
big g
agree.
BURNLEY78 on 30TH AUGUST 2019 11:46 PM
Have to disagree about Bertie.
He was a big success at Birmingham City and fondly remembered , I believe , by their support.
Just found out 16 Roads is Permanently Banned.
Yeshuah is the Man.
Jamesie Must in my little sway be unbanned. He is a fallen Like us All.
Big G
The kind of fuds who know that grinding boring negativity is a self fulfilling prophecy .
Few can argue, we have the best team in scotland.
Equally, the same few couldn’t dispute that sevco are the most improved team over past 18 months.
This is what frustrates most genuine Tims.
We have gone from winning, imperiously, at ibrox to losing the previous 2 games.
Negligence has crept in. To suggest bed wetting, does not befit this site.
I pray for victory on sunday. I’d happily say a Novena for a score draw.
Enjoy this weekend all Tims.
God loves his children.
https://youtu.be/fHiGbolFFGw
UNCLE JIMMY on 31ST AUGUST 2019 1:10 AM
In spite of ultimately posting a convincing win in Sweden the other day , I was concerned about the fact that we never seemed to be in control.
That , for me , was the principle reason we lost twice at Ibrox last season. The huns controlled both games .
We were never able to settle on the ball. They were right in our faces from the word go.
The slow ponderous ball retentive build up which Brendan favoured , was stymied from the word go.
Fascinating to see how Lennie approaches this game in a tactical sense.
In addition , the hun tactic of reducing our ticket allocation has proved to be a successful ploy.
G-Thang. Word.
UJ
Yer at it.
Jamesie is harrrrd cORE.
About Cwltic.
Stop these ever decreasing circles.
Wake up Wake up.
D.D.
Thought you might have joined your Polish soul mates at Ibrox the other day.
:-)
MacJay
My grandad was a big Lechia Gdansk supporter. He had no time for the Polski Army team Legia Warsaw. Like me supporting the huns.
Lech Walesa Solidarinosc CSC
Lechia Gdansk are the Green and Whites in Polska. Give Legia credit for the Saint John Paul tifo though. Class wind up at doomdome. 😊👍🇵🇱
Pete
Will Dumbarton Harp CSC be showing the game on Sunday and let us in? Fancy meeting me there? Peace and Love bro.