Celtic earned lots of credit for their 3-0 first leg Champions League qualifier win over LASK, but Hibernian’s 0-0 draw away to Gent in the Conference’ playoff was in its own way equally impressive. There remains a lot of work to do in the return leg next week, and it is Hibs after all, but at least two Scottish clubs have reasons to be hopeful for European group stage football this season.
Motherwell had by far the toughest opponent and went down to a predictable loss. At least they were able to enjoy the opening goal against the side who reached the Europa League final last term.
Hearts found Austrian opposition trickier than Celtic. Their 2-2 home draw and a performance which was clearly below Rapid’s standard suggests they may have another crack at Celtic this season without having to worry about too many midweek games.
What can we say about Newco? I’m of the view that despite the early signs, the league season has not yet caught hold and we cannot discount either of the two clubs who pushed us all the way last time. If Celtic are in Champions League duty until late January, while Newco and Hearts have clear midweeks, they have a material advantage over us.
We can enjoy the laughs when they continually fail, but I am not convinced it serves our purpose for them to have a free run at the domestic trophies. It would also suit our purpose if Hibs, Hearts and Newco could all pick up more coefficient points.
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Dreaming of more green-chip signings for the Champions League! 🍀🙂
Freiburg reached the Europa League final last season, not the Conference League final.
Good afternoon from the great city of Glasgow. Let the good times roll. 👍
Where’s Aipple?
The new Scotland manager watched Sevco last night but only one Scottish player was in their starting eleven. However, goal machine Shankland did come on in the 92nd minute. That must have delighted him.
Lazy journalism ?
====
I’m expecting a comedy skit …
Who plays centre forward for Celtic ?
Hogh
Aye that’s what I asked , who ?
Hogh that’s ,who, plays centre forward
Who…
79caps.
He’s offered shankheid the jobs of bus driver and laundryman.
79 Caps
Re Scotland boss at last night’s game…….maybe,down the line he may be their new ‘thingy’.
BRRB
😁😁
Joe
What de fook is a thingy?🤔🤣🤣
Having watched about 20 mins of the NeoHunz last night, allied with the bits I’ve saw from earlier games, I see an amorphous, insipid clutter delivered with a snarl.
They are no real threat to us. In short, they’re pish.
Drek McInnes must stay.
As usual, the competitive level of our league will be decided/defined by us.
Last year the Europa league had better teams in it than the CL according to the Huns. I assume they will apply the same logic to the Conference League if they qualify
You know Shankheid scores so many headers because his foreheid is so big it has its own gravitational field and attracts flying balls…
Signing for Sevco sure don’t cure ugly
Everything still seems in the balance to me.
All or none could still qualify although Hibs and the huns have the best chance.
Regardless, I agree with your logic P67.
I can accept all making it through.
I hope Lawrence Shankhill’s misery continues for a long period.
The counter-argument to the article today is that playing Champions League football improves our players; those clubs not participating in European football don’t have that benefit or advantage.
History has shown us the more time Sevco have on the training pitch the worse they get
It also puts our players in the biggest shop window outside of the World Cup, play well and you will be noticed by Europe’s top clubs.
That is what can help secure another 2-3 quality signings this month
What happened to the Raskin money?
Emenalo at Lennoxtown, announced this afternoon possibly, Chelsea LB on loan
BADA
👍
Ermin Mahmic on his way over too apparently, €10 million seemingly
Bada Bing
All sounding good then.
We just need either the Lithuanian lad or the Canadian boy to complete the set.
Mahmic will be a really good signing but as an attacking midfielder he will want Nygren’s position, no?
I’d love to know what all the Benji doubters are saying now. Maybe a bit of humble pie for tea !!!!
KINGLUBO
Celtic are having a really strong window. Fair play to Nicholson. Amazing what can be achieved when the will is there.
Huns will get through. It will be laugh watching them have to go to places like Larne whilst we are at the Bernabeu. Oh the glamour.
Hertz will get horsed. I can’t decide which of they and Rapid i despise more. Their defence is porous and they won’t present a challenge to us this season.
I want Hibs to get through but they’ll Hibs it.
So they reckon Shankland is going to be top scorer this season by a long chalk? Well the only way that,ll happen is , if they make him Shankpen!!!
BSR,
IT was spent on quantity,along with the Chermiti money…..
KL- I think Nygren is a different player with a CF in the team,Mahmic plays same position as him….mmm
Hope Tuesday is relatively low drama. 0-1, 1-1, 2-2 kind of night.
We should get more clear cut chances on the counter as they have to go all out attack. If we score they will lose hope.
KINGLUBO
Nygren has been fantastic…attacking.
Without his goals we wouldn’t have won the league.
However, he is one of the reasons we need some muscle in that midfield.
I believe we shall see some rotation this year, depending on the opponents.
It could be that Benji and Wee Mika don’t both always start or that Calmac gets some rest.
We’ll see.
I’ve no concerns about the huns or their cousins regardless if they’re competing in Europe’s third tier, or matches against Larne really going to stretch them ?
The reason they competed last year was because we regressed – Kenny and an unfit Iheanacho were our striking options.
When we do our business, we’ve nothing to fear.
Nice one, Paul.
… but you’ve started talking coefficients
… which means I won’t shut up about it on here for a while.
PS – from last thread …
——–
TLWIO @ 11:29 am
I’ve just watched McInnes’ interview on the Devlin red card. He’s lost the plot already.
Also – and of course it’s a small point – it seems to me his Glasgow accent has gotten much more pronounced / extreme since he’s become their manager.
——-
Small point perhaps TLWIO but, IMHO, an important one.
McInnes’ speech has CLEARLY become rougher, more Glasgow vernacular.
He sounds like a supporter, not a manager.
This is a CLASSIC indicator of stress
… when professionals who have been trained in public speaking
… forget their training and revert to type
It strongly suggests they are speaking emotionally from the heart as a regular person would …
… rather than coolly from the head as a pro
Just wondering if we should be giving one of our own Academy players more of an opportunity rather than bringing in a player from Chelsea’s Academy??
Now we seem to be going in the right direction, would it not be a better idea to invest in the players we’re bringing through and plan a pathway to the first team?
Time to improve our own co-efficent, this season ideally.
We should be aiming to get into the top 40 in the er charts.
If they lose next week the new Glasgow club’s will start falling off a cliff.
Doesn’t help I know.
The Huns could buy 3 quality players if they cash in on Fernandez 😈
79caps on 21st August 2026 12:11 pm
The new Scotland manager watched Sevco last night but only one Scottish player was in their starting eleven. However, goal machine Shankland did come on in the 92nd minute. That must have delighted him.
————————————
i thought very much, if the guy wants to impress as the new scotland manager why would you go see 2nd rangers
hearts and motherwell have more scottish players,
seemed daft to me.