When watching Real Mardrid, Barcelona or Bayern Munich it is easy to be discouraged at the gap between where we are and the quarter finals of the Champions League, but despite the many hundreds of millions spent on both Paris St Germain and Chelsea, the standard of passing and decision making throughout their game last night was abysmal. Despite their win, PSG were the worst offenders last night, even the Great One was poor.
There is now a real prospect that no English side will make it to the semi-final stage of either European tournament for the first time since 2003, when Liverpool were last to drop out, at the quarter finals stage of the Uefa Cup…….. You’re welcome.
What struck me most watching last night’s game was Sky TV’s Gary Neville pondering how long PSG’s star players would languish in such a poor league. This is the French league we’re talking about here, not the Scottish Premiership, it’s Paris, not the ‘New East End’!
It’s easy to mock Neville but he asks an interesting question, will players always migrate to a higher-profile league? If so, there are more clubs than just Celtic in need of structural change.
Seville – The Celtic Story:
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blantyretim is praying for the Knox family
13:47 on
3 April, 2014
Your fellow Tims are with you.
R.I.P. Jim.
I saw PSG play against Monaco in February, and I must admit that the pony-tailed one was not too special. They passed the ball around with comfort for the first 15 minutes, but when Monaco pressed them they lost their cool, and I suspect that if Falcao had been fit Monaco would have taken all the points. Best man on the pitch for me was Moutinho (of Monaco) – if he gets space he will kill you.
I don’t think that the French league is a great league just now, but they have a couple of very good teams in it, and it is improving. The Premier League is a good league, but it is distorted by a huge amount of TV money. This makes it a bit like lets say the footballing equivalent of Saudi – lots of windfall riches, and lots of desert in between. And of course all the commentators we are exposed to have an interest in talking it up (no TV pundit is going to say “This is an not the best league and I don’t know why you are watching it” – they don’t even say that in Scotland!). I suspect that if all the teams in the PL had to line up against their equivalent in Germany or Spain then we’d see the PL coming a poor 3rd.
BT
Mates wife was buried last Saturday ..5 Months after being diagnosed with this horrible illness.
Sorry for your loss mate.
My first European away tie was Paris, as a young lad from Bathgate at the time, I seen a different world, in Paris and in the days spent on the bus from wee mans bar!
When a trip was an adventure.
BT – sorry to hear that.
Thanks folks
Won’t be back for a while take care..
BT
Sorry for your loss. R.I.P. Jim.
B.T.
R.I.P. Jim
Hail. HAIL.
newradbhoy
Celtic better sign that Argie keeper before the Indy Ref just in case we vote YES and we are thrown out of Europe like the Brit politicians say we will be. :-)))
MWD will find every possible way to mention the Indy Ref and YES to annoy the Irish Republican unionist Loyalists on here.
BT
Sorry to hear that – R.I.P. Jim.
Who forments Revolutions?
God has made everything very Simple.
Lucy, is uber jealous and really really wants to be the mostest High.
Never forget the Commandments that BMCUWP posted recently and I don’t mean the rank and file.
Life is never easy, I just heard of a a guy (yesterday) commiting suicide, who was around about my age, This should NEVER happen, it would never happen if the Rock that Christ was adhered to, I could have been that guy, my olde Mammy’s continual prayers for the “Black Sheep” of that there is nae doubt, have me.
Stayin Alive
Sleepparalysis.csc
Really enjoyed watching Jose squirm – a reprehensible person. More importantly though, has anyone got photos of the latest improvements to the stadium?
Does anyone else believe the blowing up of houses to coincide with
the opening of commonwealth games is a bit….sick?
petec
Your up late my friend.
petec
13:58 on
3 April, 2014
Sleepparalysis? Grog,apparently is a big factor.Ca` canny,Pete.
Chelsea are not out of it though.
Additionally, if Man U had not been so abysmal this season, I would put their chances at 50 50.
One thing I find strange is that the French league is traditionally low scoring. The Bundesliga is always a jolly romp by comparison.
BT thoughts and prayers with you and your buddy Jim’s family and friends.
MWD
Mrs TET had her computer hacked a while ago, and she has just found out who done it, thanks to a friend in Dublin, who confirmed her suspicions.
Anyways, I never realised how easy it is to hack a computer remotely, piece of cake really, even hacking a password is easy enough.
Beware when opening links, unless you trust who is posting them, or sending them.
HH
voguepunter
14:01 on 3 April, 2014
petec
Your up late my friend.
_______________________
Or Early.
Hows the eagle eyes doing?
You should become a referee, cor blimey.
VP
What?
JJ
Things to do, laters.
HH
I much prefer Neville’s commentary to that of that eejit Gray and his ilk -the games changed so I like hearing from players who have just recently retired not those whose opinions are outdated -however I’m sure he castigated French football last night when having a pop at their pitches -for goodness sake they now have the best league in the world played on the best grass !!
Sorry to hear your news Bt. Take care.
macjay1,
haha, n1.
Israel is the focal point of the coming events, there is no doubt, a World War may indeed happen elsewhere in the meantime. :)
Petec
i always thought that if you were up during daylight hours you would make more sense. But alas… :-) your just plain nuts. :)))
MWD Yip he say YES
Voguepunter there is a big hoose that should be blown up before the high rise ones.
Moonbeams WD. Rooting for Wee Oscar. Voting ‘YES’ on the 18th of September. Kano’s yer man.
14:15 on 3 April, 2014
Petec
i always thought that if you were up during daylight hours you would make more sense. But alas… :-) your just plain nuts. :)))
MWD Yip he say YES
_____________________________
Danster, who knows, one day I may conform to your mind.
That would be exciting och aye the noo.
I am glad I am unique, it took a long Time to realise it. You know I love you to bits and all the charitable works you do, they are numerous, without a shadow of a doubt.
I’m still me, with my own little parochial Mind, it is Mine, just Mine, ok…..……..
Zlatan seems to be knackered. Perhaps he’ll want to join Celtic now.
BT:
Sad news
Cancer. A real curse.
Lost too many close to me with that disease.
You have to admit that vandalism is a very Glaswegian approach to an opening ceremony.
Paul67,
Like you, I wasn’t too impressed with either PSG or Chelsea last night. I also heard Neville’s remarks. I thought they were born of his working for SKY. Imo, players generally are not first and foremost concerned about what league they are playing in or even what team, money and who pays best is the real criterion. So, I don’t imagine the likes of PSG have much to worry about. Could be wrong, of course.
Petec
I am sure I heard that in One Flew Over the Cokoo’s Nest?! :-)
If you weren’t a lovely guy in real life I think i would have to have you committed. lol
MWD
When did Scott MacDonald start doing adverts. Just seen him in first4lawyers ad with Andrew Castle.
There will be a bigger crowd for the houses being blown up.
BT
You take care out there and may your friend, Jim, rest in peace.
Moonbeams,
Yer not realising things Young Chap, at night you hear Bazookas roar. ;)
Start Believin’ IMO, Prayer is Powerful.
Any Mac experts out there?
I have been getting pop up ads since yesterday whenever I refresh or open a new window.
I have Mackeeper for security and I have run a system scan and an antivirus check, removing 16 files that were said to have been contaminated. The problem is still there and I see my wife’s e mails have been sending out stuff too (she uses Facebook; I don’t).
Is there anything else I should do here?
Libertadores Time
+++++++++++++
Bom dia,
Well what an (insert expletive of your choosing) I made of predicting last night’s games. Managed to get them all wrong. Oh well, there goes ma career as a Tipster (yet again).
Anyway, here’s how they went last night:-
Botafogo (Bra) 0 v Union Espanola (Chi) 1
Best I can say about this, is that I had the wisdom to decline a ticket AND missed the first half on TV last night.
Botafogo were absolutely woeful and despite having the vast majority of the possession could do nothing with it. Probably say’s it all about ‘fogo when the only player to get (barely) acceptable pass marks was 19yr old centre half, Doria (I’ve mentioned this boy before – he’s one to watch).
Espanola played a solid, containing game (considering ‘fogo’s toothless performance – this was’nt hard) and got lucky with a soft penalty late on, in one of their rare ventures upfield.
Botafogo now faced with the daunting task of getting a result away at San Lorenzo next week. Union now likely to qualify as surprise Group winners.
Emelec (Ecu) 1 Flamengo (Bra) 2
What a turn up for the books this result was. This game was on the same time as the Gremio game (which I watched) so I relied on the mega-decibel screams, anguished gasps and turbo Tourette’d swearing of my neighbours’ (my nearest neighbor is an 80yr old, wee wifie) to let me know how this one was going.
A game of two bizarre penalties. The first for Flamengo after 8 minutes, Then Emelec’s pen equalizer midway thru the second half. ‘mengo scored in the final minute as Emelec chased the elusive second goal.
With Bolivar (8pts) at home to Emelec (6pts) and Flamengo at home to Leon (both on 7pts) it’s now all to play for on the final game of this group next week.
Atletico Nacional (Col) 0 Gremio (Bra) 2
The more I see Gremio the more I think this could be their year.
Another highly professional display (if you ignore all the multitude of play acting injuries that is) last night. Probably tells you what sort of game it was when the corner count was Atletico – 14. Gremio – 0. Still, that’s not the statistic that counts. Two well taken Gremio goals from Dudu and Barcos (plus three top drawer stops from keeper Marcello Grohe) do.
Game (in front of 42,000 green and white clad home fans) was a pleasure to watch and once more Atletico failed to turn possession into goals. Hard to pick stand out players, but Gremio’s keeper Marcello was (once again) magnificent. As was, lone striker Barcos, up front. Nacional sweeper Medina and centre mid Cardenas probably the pick of their bunch last night.
With 11 points, Gremio now qualified from this group but tie to watch next week will be Atl Nacional (7pts) away to Newell’s (8pts).
Final two Round 5 games tonight and I’ll see if I can manage to mis-predict the results of these later.
When the World and its granny votes Yes or No, I’m verily likely to vote the opposite way, subconsciously, it tis the way of the World and the way of the exploding Fist.