Let’s be honest with each other, there’s a bit of a leap between our European performances in recent seasons and the standards of Champions League football. My expectations for this season’s tournament hasn’t seen me check out accommodation options in Cardiff in May.
With that in mind, if we’re going to fall short, let’s do it against genuine quality opposition, some of the best players and tactically organised teams in the business. Barcelona, Manchester City (think Pep, but with more money) and Borussia Monchengladbach will bring this to Glasgow over the next few months.
Over our 15 year Champions League lifespan, Celtic surprise on the upside more often against better teams than against relative minnows. The biggest disappointments came in Scandinavia, not Iberia.
When the group stage finishes in December, we will faced enormous challenges. Players will have stretched themselves to lengths they didn’t know existed. What we know for sure, is that none of the other three teams in our group will have wanted Celtic from Pot 4. This is a hard draw for everyone.
Huge game tomorrow. Anything less than 100% and we’ll drop points. Enjoy it.
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I think it will be a minor miracle if we get anything from either Barca game but I also think we can get 6 pts from our other 2 games at home. Man City don’t impress me they haven’t got a decent track record in the CL despite spending hundreds of millions. Defensively I think they are still suspect. And Moenchengladbach won’t have experienced anything like Celtic Park on a CL night. It’s a big ask but not impossible. Should be enough for 3rd spot.
Team for tomorrow,
DDV
Lustig Toure Sviatchenko KT
Roberts Brown Bitton Sinclair
Dembele Griffiths
THE EXILED TIM on 26TH AUGUST 2016 1:36 PM
If we invest say half of the CL income, and we can well afford to, it’s extra income we weren’t banking on, and we got an extra £8 mill ish from the pre season comp, investing £10 on three decent players is a very reasonable assumption, we can look forward to CL football again next season, do the same again and it could be CL football for the forseeable, but we must invest, not to do so will see us back to the Ronny years.
I well understand there is a balance to stick to, I have never been an advocate of spending money we don’t have, but to squirrel away money in NOT the answer, we have spare cash, lots of cash, we need to spend it wisely.
This year has shown us that speculating to accumulate does actually work, take note Pedro, there is no reason not to spend now, or in the next window, none whatsoever.
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Agree mate – now is the time to ensure that we strengthen. We need to keep winning the league and qualifying for Europe. How we spend the windfall is more complicated. I’d prefer us to use the cash to attract the kind of players we need through wages rather than splash chunks on transfer fees, but I guess there are a lot of considerations to factor in. Hopefully Brendan will have seen what needs to be improved and we’re on our way to doing so.
JOBO BALDIE on 26TH AUGUST 2016 1:42 PM
With all due respect, I don’t think anyone who has spent two hours cleaning an oven is in a position to admonish anyone to get a life.
Has Senderos failed his medical yet?
DDV
Lustig Toure Sviatchenko Tierney
Henderson Brown Rogic
Roberts Griffiths Sinclair
Dembele Christie Forrest McGregor Bitton Ajer Gordon
ERNIE LYNCH on 26TH AUGUST 2016 1:48 PM
JOBO BALDIE on 26TH AUGUST 2016 1:42 PM
With all due respect, I don’t think anyone who has spent two hours cleaning an oven is in a position to admonish anyone to get a life.
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Widny like to see the state of your kitchen….. :-))
NatKnow
I meant to say that about spending the money on wages, the likes of Kolo will be costing a few bob, but he is worth every penny IMO, it’s players like him I have been wanting for long enough, they will help bring through the weans no end as well, they are invaluable to us, and they are attainable now that we have a manager who commands the respect.
HH
TONYDONNELLY
Over the last wee while,we have stopped referring to a certain rag as The Daily Retard. Certain posters took offence to it,and for very good reasons.
They politely explained those,and requested we refrain. Hands up,I used the term too.
Same thing with your reference to grooming. Most of the requests have been polite,the inflammatory ones are because you’re ignoring it,and perhaps flaunting it.
Just think it through,bud. It’s not pleasant terminology. Whether you think it appropriate or not is another matter,there are other terms which can be used.
HH
Am I missing a bit of the page here or does every Scottish football club now have a special page on The Herald’s website to tell us what telly channel they’re on???
http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/football/14707248.Football_on_TV__Where_to_watch_Rangers__the_Premier_League_and_all_the_other_action_this_weekend/
TET NATKNOW
2 or 3 good signings could make a massive difference to the team. Toure and Sinclair have already improved the team, another couple of experienced players would also help the youngsters coming through.
Oh well done for talking about football… it’ll never catch on
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS (1:23pm)…
I’m hoping for 6 points against BM, but treating every point as a bonus point!
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CARRIGAN (1.36pm)…
How about “The B Team”:
Fasan
Efe O’Connell Ajer
Mackay-Steven Commons Henderson Armstrong Izzy
Aitchison Ciftci
Most of them would walk into any other SPL team.
ernie lynch
With equal respect, I think anyone who questions the critical rights of an oven cleaner should reveal his own experience in that aforesaid task before we can assess his opinion on the weakness of the original oven cleaner`s right to admonish.
Celtic only have three home games in October, all in the same week, the same week I’m in the Lake District :(
THE EXILED TIM on 26TH AUGUST 2016 1:53 PM
NatKnow
I meant to say that about spending the money on wages, the likes of Kolo will be costing a few bob, but he is worth every penny IMO, it’s players like him I have been wanting for long enough, they will help bring through the weans no end as well, they are invaluable to us, and they are attainable now that we have a manager who commands the respect.
HH
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Yeah – totally agree dude. We have a manager and now a competition that will attract decent players. No doubt wages will be high but you tend to get what you pay for. No guarantees of course (as we know from past experience) but I hope we see another couple in to allow us to compete. We are ahead of schedule I’d suggest – I didn’t think we’d be at this point until next year. Danger of that is that it brings a level of expectation. CL qualification was a game-changer for this season.
Perhaps we could give Griff, Dembele & Sinclair a rest after their exploits on Tuesday and play Janko & Gordon up front. Those two certainly posed more of a goal threat than the usual front three on Tuesday!
No-one wanted Celtic from Pot 4 ? What, no-one wanted a team that couldn’t keep possession away from home against an Israeli team? Surely we are ideal opponents? We bring lots of supporters and are abysmal in away matches. There’s a lot for Brendan to think about.
The exigencies of domestic US of A politics played a huge role in creating the clusterfuck that is Israel /Palestine.Those exigencies continue to have a huge role in maintaining the clusterfuck that is Israel /Palestine.It Should never be forgotten that a huge of American money was spent on ensuring that some countries voted the right way at the relevant UN vote in 48.
JUNGLE JIM
Admonishing an oven won’t work,mate. It needs a damn good kicking and an acid bath.
BMCUW
Shhh.
You`l be giving the SFA ideas about how to treat Celtic players who celebrate the scoring of a goal.
Anyway, too nice to sit here when I could be sitting out in the sun.
Cheerio for now.
JJ
prepare or train (someone) for a particular purpose or activity.
Synonyms: brush, clean, coach, comb, curry, dress, drill, educate, lick into shape, make attractive, make presentable, nurture, preen, prep, pretty up, prim, prime, primp, put through grind, put through mill, ready, refine, refresh, rub down, shape up, sleek, slick up, smarten up, spiff up, spruce up, tend, tidy, train, turn out
PRESTONPANSBHOY
I feel yer pain,bud. If my Mum hadn’t jumped the gun and booked a wee trip to avoid her beloved boy-that’s me,before any of you ask if I’ve got a brother!-I could have been home that week.
As it is,naw. Hence the hoot/dayoooooot on 1/10.
I’ll be sending out the info between 10pm tonight and 8am tomorrow,for those who are interested.
Pretty much usual rules,we should have a lunchtime kick-off in Dundee that day. Take it from there.
I take it that Sevco are offering free medical checks to footballers with no obligation other than agreeing to some spurious publicity
MICKYBHOY
I think your dictionary is nearly as old as your A-Z.
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on 26th August 2016 2:10 pm
If there’s a planned hoot on 1 October then I’ll miss that as well, weans birthday !
Double :( :(
RON BACARDI
Not sure that’s entirely fair,mate.
Senderos comes with valuable experience for the huns.
He has recently been working on a building site,and will have loadsa pals in the scaffolding,brickie,painting,etc,trades.
He might even know a good demolition expert,he’s ideal for them.
BMCUWP
If, at the Hootenanny, anyone mentions flegs, they’ll need a surgeon to remove it from their ARSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Canny wait Big man!
79CAPS @1:58,
I agree, doubt if many teams were worried about getting Celtic in their group.
Huge game tomorrow. Our nearest challengers are coming. Our eye needs to be on th ball.
I hope Nir bitton is dropped. Wrecker of midfield for two years now. Worse than a passenger.
“No one wanted Celtic”
What utter Lilian.
PRESTONPANSBHOY
FFS,I was kinda looking forward to meeting a fellow Ayrshire Tim,but I thought I was a jinx?
Seriously,enjoy both events. PHILBHOY ‘s yer man for the info on The Lake District. But The Guardian food section has some cracking reviews from there.
It’s not all Kendal Mint Cake,you know. Most of its much more expensive(!)
Definition of brainwashing. 1 : a forcible indoctrination to induce someone to give up basic political, social, or religious beliefs and attitudes and to accept contrasting regimented ideas. 2 : persuasion by propaganda or salesmanship.
Jobo
Did you get my selection for LMS?
I thought Ian Rush was brilliant speaking after the draw yesterday.
He was very pro Celtic and her supporters.
Warned everyone to treat us lightly at their peril.
At Celtic Park anyway.
consanguinity
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on 26th August 2016 2:20 pm
Well the wean may dump me – we live in hope
btw I know everything about the Lakes been down there nearly every year since 95 !
PHILBHOY
Aye,me neither. Hardly a cross word between us all-and we run to a fair number-just a catching up,discussing the fitba,how’s life,what you drinking. Even when we obviously have different views on certain things on here,too many examples to mention.
Weird,innit?
Works for me. Way it should be.
HH. And see ya there!