I’ve never been comfortable with the ‘Greatest of all time’ comparisons. Pele or Messi, Cruyff or Maradona? It is clearly impossible to compare players across different eras, different competitions or playing in different teams.
Which makes the return of Jota so interesting. Jota Mark I was a Celtic icon, who left for a new club record fee and a little piece of all our hearts. Then the pesky stats guys got all interested in Nicolas Kuhn this season. Nicolas’ goal contributions are a step up from those which elevated Jota to that iconic status.
The players are similar height (Jota is 2cm taller) and build, and are at the same stage of their career (Jota is 9 months older). They are both ripping it up in the Scottish Premiership and were star performers on Champions League duty in Munich last month (less so at Paisley on Saturday). There are clear differences, though.
Jota has the better touch and is more effective in close proximity to a defender. For this reason, opponents are reluctant to get too near him, as he can ghost away. Kuhn links with others better. He seems to have a helicopter view of the pitch, allowing him to understand movement beyond the vision of most.
Hopefully we get to keep both for a few seasons anyway, and get to answer the question of who is better with some hard data and lots of subjective analysis. On the Greatest of all time question, Ronaldinho did things on a football field I have not seen from anyone else.
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managerial highlights.at the two rangers
McCoist took charge of his first European game on 26 July 2011 at home to Swedish side Malmö FF in the first leg of a UEFA Champions League third round qualifier, losing 1–0 to suffer his first defeat as Rangers manager.
McCoist’s first Champions League campaign ended at the first hurdle after drawing 1–1 away to Malmo in the Third qualifying round second leg, losing 2–1 on aggregate and having Madjid Bougherra and Steven Whittaker sent off.[
espite dropping into the Europa League, McCoist’s first European campaign as Rangers manager ended early after another defeat over two legs in the play-off round by NK Maribor.[5
his side were shocked by First Division side Falkirk in the League Cup a few days later.[53] McCoist suffered a fourth cup competition exit of the season on 5 February 2012, in a 2–0 defeat at home to Dundee United in the Scottish Cup fifth round.[54]
Rangers’ SPL title challenge was virtually ended after the club entered administration on 14 February 2012 and was docked ten points as a consequence.[56] McCoist was able to see out the season with Rangers finishing in second place despite the points deduction.
Rangers won the Third Division championship and promotion to the third tier.[58] They exited the Scottish Challenge Cup by losing to Queen of the South in a penalty shoot-out.[59] They defeated Motherwell in the League Cup, but lost 3–0 to Inverness in the quarter-finals at Ibrox. Rangers also suffered a 3–0 defeat in the Scottish Cup, against Dundee United at Tannadice.
They also progressed to the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup, but lost 3–1 to Dundee United at Ibrox. Rangers reached the 2014 Scottish Challenge Cup final, but lost 1–0 after extra time to Raith Rovers at Easter Road. They suffered a first-round defeat in the Scottish League Cup at Forfar Athletic.[60]
Rangers fell behind Hearts in the 2014–15 Scottish Championship as they lost 2–1 at home and 2–0 away to the Edinburgh club. Rangers progressed to the semi-finals of the 2014–15 Scottish League Cup, but suffered a defeat in the 2014–15 Scottish Challenge Cup against Alloa Athletic. McCoist submitted formal notice of his intention to resign as manager in December 2014 and began serving a 12-month notice period.[61] Later in December, McCoist left his position with Rangers and was placed on gardening leave.[62] This continued until September 2015, when McCoist and Rangers agreed to terminate his contract.[63]
https://www.celticfc.com/news/2025/march/05/celtic-football-club-statement/
More tickets for the Hampden Hospitality….
How did Aberdeen not get cited?
Alisson has to have made more saves tonight than he has since Christmas in the league
Liverpool score with first shot on target, ridiculous after all the Psg attempts
Rope-a-dope.
Liverpool smash and grab.
Yip.
Tiny margins.
Liverpool hung on by their fingernails.
A team operating at 2% lower (maybe us?) would have been 3-0 down at half time with a procession to follow second half.
Slot made changes tactically and people.
They stuck at it and were a tiny bit better second half.
PSG ran out of ideas at 75 minutes, belief at 80 and energy at 85.
Great result for Liverpool.
PS – Salah? An absolute shocker.
Oh, there’s Rio now. Sick as a parrot.
(Two of which he sat next to during the game)
Talentless berks.
Paris gubbed by Liverpool keeper.Fantastic performancce by him.
That result in Munich,shows how well we played.You know,that easy group we had !!!!!!!!!
What a performance tonight from Alisson Becker…and how must young Harvey Elliot feel?
I think they’ll go through now…
Night all.
Easy group indeed.
Folks continue to peddle that.
I do enjoy watching this guy for a wee 30 second football chuckle.
Laughter heals.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/lPffm8LtoZo
An Tearmann on 5th March 2025 5:40 pm
A little update regards OLDTIM67
……………….
Cheers AT for the update.
MON the DAVIE BHOY….A very fine Celtic GENTLEMAN.
HH Mate.
Note how it’s Celtic before R2ngers in the “ticket row” and ‘Old Firm Pyro Ban” but R2angers before Celtic when Morinho talks about the two “Glasgow giants”. 😉
The sleekit ways of the SMSM.
Good morning CQN.
Looks nice out there.
GM this morning – yip.
Deliberate editorial policy.
Why Celtic fans give these imbeciles money to carry on disrespecting our club is beyond my limited comprehension.
Meanwhile, Sunday edges closer.
Can’t wait.
Sooooo, the authorities remove 500 tickets from our allocation .
But they will then sell said tickets to “Fatcats” for more money.
They are absolute conmen who think we are all dafties.
If they were serious then a block containimg 500 tickets would be left empty. This block would be prominently displayed on TV as a message to all attendees and viewers.
HH.
PS : AT : Big shout out for your caring with Oldtim, an original giant of the blog. And I agree with your sentiment re Parkers.
Whats the CQN thoughts on reintroducing. ‘The bevvy’ at games?.
for me a big NAW
Good morning all from Govanhill. The Brazen Head is the venue for today’s celebration.
No hun in Paradise.
Re. the 500 tickets decision.
As someone else mentioned why was Aberdeen not cited as they certainly had pyros in the semi final as well, or was there some of those pesky Celtic supporters in the Aberdeen end too?
Lastly, Up to your Knees in Fenian Blood, The Famine is over why don’t you go home? all ok but smoke bombs, how dare you bring those in to a stadium
McPhail Bhoy on 6th March 2025 10:12 am
Re. the 500 tickets decision
🎯🎯🎯
Hilarious to see anyone suggesting we did not have a really easy run of group fixtures. Never likely to be repeated.
4 teams we played eliminated in first stage.
3 of those in the bottom 4.
Only 1 of those we played in league stage will get to last 8.
An T – scrolling quickly through the blog last night (while footie on in the background)
.. I missed your message about OldTim.
Human kindness in action.
Respect.
Fourstonecoppi – personally am fine with alcohol being sold.
Oft repeated – bit rich it is allowed at rugby.
Fully accept concerns about culture of excessive drinking.
Technically, it’s a criminal offence to sell alcohol for immediate consumption to someone who one has reason to believe is inebriated.
I’ve occasionally, but all too rarely, seen a publican enforce that one.
“Hilarious to see anyone suggesting we did not have a really easy run of group fixtures.”
That might have been considered ‘a really easy run of group fixtures’ for a much better team than us. We are not at that level YET…but we will get there. This is just another sleekit dig at Brendan from you. You’re obviously not going to give up till Brendan’s gone…
4 teams we played eliminated in first stage.
3 of those in the bottom 4.
—
yes,
but us getting results against them and them getting eliminated are not unrelated events, you cant look at those events in isolation.
part of the reason they got eliminated was because of our results against them.
thats the point of a league – you get results against other teams in the league to try make them finish below you.
Whats the CQN thoughts on reintroducing. ‘The bevvy’ at games?.
for me a big NAW
—
if they can make sure that no one can bring/sneak their bevvy up to their seats (including in soft drink cups) then i would be fine with it.
but there are too many wee arseholes at games, especially huns and euro games, who will just start launching their drinks all over the place when celtic score.
and that will happen.
cant be dealing with that.
New High Definition footage of Lisbon 67
Aipple
You in Glasgow already?
I too wonder at Aberdeen not being sighted (pardon the pun) as there is plenty of evidence of their pyros going off at the semi-final. Only excuse I can come up with (and I may be well wrong) is that this was their first offence.
As for drink in the ground, a good idea in principle but too easy for too many to abuse.
read
Let’s bring Lennon back…..
The Blogger Formerly Known As GM on 6th March 2025 7:19 am
Morinho himself not only put Celtic first but praised Brendan whilst simply naming Ferguson !
WEEBOBBYCOLLINS on 6TH MARCH 2025 10:58 AM
Brendan Rodgers – My part in his downfall
bournesouprecipe on 6th March 2025 11:10 am
Still exciting and brilliant.
still thousands of tickets available, cmon celtic supporters, its going to be a nice sprind day, get there and support the bhoys at a proper cup tie.
https://www.eticketing.co.uk/celtic/EDP/Event/Index/7060
BRRB
I fly in on Tuesday.