I am always alert to the noises coming out of Celtic in the week before we go to Rugby Park, the same was the case when we were at Livingston. They are horrible pitches. Players don’t like them, bookies don’t like them and managers avoid playing injury-prone players on the surfaces.
However, before a game, there are no excuses. We know the surface and we plan accordingly. There is a golden rule when facing an adverse environment: Give someone a reason to fail and they will take it.
I could not believe my ears at the weekend, when Newco manager, Philippe Clement spoke to Sky after their win at Ross County. When asked about the forthcoming games against Tottenham and Celtic he said, “Maybe we need to say financially out of our league, the two games”.
There’s your excuse. Out. Of. Our. League. Four words you do not want to hear from your manager when you are about to face a team you pretend is a peer. Celtic are out of Newco’s league, but not financially. Accounts for the year to June show Newco’s Operating Expenses at £109.785m, whereas Celtic’s only £105.4m.
Celtic operate in a different league when it comes to recruitment, coaching, commercial acumen, sports science, medical care and just about every metric you can think of. Apart from financial.
As the words left his mouth, Clement will have known he made the mistake of letting the world know he has prepared his excuses for failure. There is no financial disparity, the gap is all down to talent.
With two games remaining only Paris St Germain and Stuttgart, who sit outside the top 24, have a realistic chance of making the knockout stage. Both are on 7 points and they meet in Stuttgart on matchday 8.
Before then, PSG are home to Manchester City on 22 January, when there is a reasonable chance City will be out of their slumber, while Stuttgart can be expected to win at Slovan Bratislava.
Dinamo Zagreb (8 points, away to Arsenal, home to Milan) look certain to drop out. Had they beaten Celtic on Tuesday, getting to 10 points would flip that prediction. While our point on Tueday still left us work to do, it eliminated one of our key rivals.
PSV Eindhoven (8 points, away to Red Star, home to Liverpool) also have work to do. A draw in Belgrade may not be enough for them.
Of the clubs already on 10 points, Brugge are home to Juventus and away to Manchester City, and already have a -2 goal difference. While Feyenoord are home to Bayern, away to Lille and on -1 goal difference. Unlike others on the same points (or City on 8), these two will be looking over their shoulders.
A point should be enough at home to Young Boys, who did well for the majority of the game before caving in at Stuttgart last night. It’s set for a memorable Celtic Park winter’s night.
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if anyone is looking to support the scottish team in europe there are still tickets available for the brox tonight.
their forums are worried about tottingham infiltrators buying home seats up.
While I have nerves every time Celtic take the field (especially when we are playing the mob facing Spurs tonight), I seldom think about the Govan team other than to hope they get beat, no matter who they are facing.
Gerrintaethum Spurs!!!!
I hope Spurs scud them in case anyone thought differently
Come on you SPU-URS.
£10 on 3-1 Spurs @ 14/1 🤞
Good article paul67 – could I add ‘culture’ to the list of things which differentiate our football outcomes to that of the unclean – we cut our cloth to suit your measure in the early naughties and bhoy oh bhoy are we reaping the rewards of that and all the other attributes you listed.
their tina turner culture precludes them from starting over and building strong
Do you remember where you were 40 years ago today?
Manchester Stretford end, Celtic v Rapid Vienna 👍
Is the Europa League the same as ours in terms of top eight etc?
It`s OK. I`ve just checked.
This is an important game for Spurs as well tonight and while I quite fancy Tom`s 3-1 Spurs, I think I`ll just go for the simple victory.
Son ,Maddison , Johnson among others will rip the huns a new one .
Spurs – 4
bournesouprecipe on 12th December 2024 5:31 pm
Do you remember where you were 40 years ago today?
Manchester Stretford end, Celtic v Rapid Vienna 👍
————————
I left at half-time (pub) after that arsehole attacked their goalie😠
I’ve not read any negative comments on here about the new Champions league set up. I hope the players and backroom staff are enjoying it as much as the fans.
I also hope that, since we will have some qualification rounds next year ( I think we will win the league), the board and Brendan are preparing for how to get the best chance of qualifying. I don’t just mean buying players in, but having our preseason sorted to be ready for the qualifying rounds.
bournesouprecipe on 12th December 2024 5:31 pm
Do you remember where you were 40 years ago today?
Manchester Stretford end, Celtic v Rapid Vienna 👍
_____
Didn’t realise it was as late in December. I think man utd beat dundee utd 2-0 that night. Of course, we should have refused to play that match. I was just in line with where the bottle landed (nowhere near that eejit’s heid😁).
Guys,
We’ve written off the huns before in Europe then posted how crap the opposition were.
Lets not embarras ourselves if the huns manage a result.
I particularly want Spurs to win because of Ange. But lets see how it pans out.
HH.
Sevco due to lose another exec? One who arrived to great fanfare last year?
Can’t be long before their meetings are no longer quorate.
The phrase ‘shit show’ no longer does them justice.
Hopefully Ange continues piling on the agony this evening
scotlands champions will only have the playoff round next season.
the runners up, hopefully aberdeen will have 2 qualification rounds AND a playoff.
at this moment the season after 26/27 Scotland will only have 1 representative in the champions league.
the co-efficient, scotland has went 10th, 11th and now 16th in the table.
this seasons co-efficient points become critical.
going to the play off round gives us bonus points, i think 4 more.
so many positives in actually progressing through this year.
this seasons co-efficient points become critical.
as is the clubs ten year record for us, and our bonus point for previous winners,
ps, stupid butchers aprons adorning the hertz end, what is wrong with these little edinburgh englanders.
Good luck to Shamrock Rovers tonight. I hope you score a few lads. ☘️☘️☘️
my only negative about the new CL format (or maybe better to call it a suspicion than a negative) is that it means we now need to pay for 4 home games before we know if we qualify.
though i suspect that was uefa and clubs plan all along to screw more cash out of supporters and tv for no real reason that i can think of.
why could we not have had a similar format but with 3 games home and away as before?
yes we will be in europe after xmas but thats just an arbitrary landmark and is purely a result of needing that time to fit 8 games each in
GREENPINATA
I totally agree , teams from other leagues just think they need to turn up then get surprised mostly with the huns luck but I’m confident Ange will have the spurs team told what to expect from the terracings and duly pump the life outta thum .🤣🙏🍻
Let’s all
Because there’s 4 pots and you have to play 2 from each gives 8 games.
The old format had 4 teams so 6 games
lets all do the huddle on 12th December 2024 6:14 pm
my only negative about the new CL format (or maybe better to call it a suspicion than a negative) is that it means we now need to pay for 4 home games before we know if we qualify.
—————
one of the stated aims of the clubs was to have more games gauranteed,
we have 4, it is magic.
the conference league should up their fixtures to also 8 games each and not 6.
i really enjoy the home/away element being lost.
i was even thinking, make the knockout stages one off cup ties.
now it has bedded in i feel european football if more watchabel and interesting.
allthough, the big leagues are still taking up the primary positions, interesting to see if the final positions match or are near the pots rankings at the draw.
im deinitely all for not playing the same team home and away and having 1 big league. i do like that.
Copenhagen 0 Hertz 0
Greenpinata
Ta for reply re ladies football,thought you were a regular attendee
:-)
HH
I’m going for Sevco 0 Spurs 4
LET’S ALL DO THE HUDDLE
It’s a bit of a stretch to suggest that UEFA and the clubs have given us more games just to fleece us for more money. I could maybe see your point if we were having to pay more money for the same number of games, but we get an additional game for the extra cost.
Apart from the cost, as it is an all-in league competition, it makes more sense to give each club 8 games to allow everyone a chance of recovering after a couple of bad results.
True story.
Al Capone was getting dressed and donned his favourite shoes. Shock horror, they were torn to shreds.
Screaming , big Al says , get ne the person who did that and they will get a concrete overcoat.
Days went by, and then one of his gang arrived with a cat in his hand saying, pardon me Al, is this the cat that chewed your new shoes.
i’ll get my coat
KINGLuBO
No idea how tonight’s fare in the second tier competition will pan out.
2-3 would be ideal for me with R2ngers going all out physically to lead 2-0 … a scoreline they hold to until 82 minutes …. experiencing a real emotional high to boot ….
…. only to tire at the end, lose a goal, run into the ground to hold on to the lead, only to lose an equaliser, then run until cramp as the clock hits 96 minutes and Spurs snatch it.
Physical, emotional, psychological and mental gamuts run ….
… they’ll be in a wretched state for Sunday.
BTW – I’ll say it again.
R2ngers leadership (last man standing) would likely prefer finishing 9th to finishing 8th.
AT@ 18.35 hrs.
I always want the ghirls to win. As yet i have not attended in person but watch the games where possible.
Imagine if only attendees were allowed to post on here, the blog would be devestated
HH.
PS: RE Tony’s funeral; can you just turn up.
Hope Ange runs them ragged and wins 4-0.
Looks like the Hertz super-computer has run out of batteries.
I’m looking forward to the wonderful prospect of the huns being skelped by a former Celtic manager and the current Celtic manager in consecutive games ,3 days apart .
If Carlsberg did the Guinness bookof records ……………… -)))
how many managers have won at ibrox with two different clubs ?
and did jock do it with 3 ?
and i mean all club managers, they dont have to be celts.
did billy ever win at ibrox with aberdeen ?
She is your friend until the ocean breaks
Watching Man U tonight, even the huns would give them a game
I wonder what Hertz will do when in January their big brother offers them £250k for “Shanks”.