At his presidential inauguration in 1963, Lydon B. Johnson said, “I would give anything not to be standing here today”. It is with a similar sense of mourning that we look at tonight’s Europa League qualifier between two Baltic sides, Spartaks Jurmala and Suduva, to discover who we face in the play-off round. I wouldn’t give anything to be in the Champions League qualifier, but I’d happily concede a few league defeats.
Europa League group stage qualification can be worth up to £10m to Celtic, but even winning the trophy will not come near to closing the financial gap between this tournament and Champions League group stage money. Still, it is an important tournament for reasons other than money.
Accumulating Uefa coefficient points in the Champions League has proven very difficult for Celtic. Winning games in the Europa will be easier; we have to deliver on this target. It is also important to qualify from the group into the knockout stages. We have not faced genuine domestic competition in a very long time, and I see little change this year. As a consequence, we need European action after Christmas. Better teams that Celtic have licked their wounds and got on with life in the Europa League, we need to do the same and prepare for the tournament in a professional manner.
I don’t know if the intervening 16 years have been kind to Suduva since we last met 16 years ago, but they hold a special place in our folklore, so I hope they progress tonight. I also have a great wee story of one man pitching up in the North Stand for a few minutes at the home game, just to be there.
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THEORIGINALSADIESBHOY on 16TH AUGUST 2018 1:58 PM
DAVID17 on 16TH AUGUST 2018 1:04 PM
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There are too many guys on the payroll not earning their wage. We are playing Partick Thistle, that team is more than good enough.
All about the money, momey, money
I myself, don’t care about the money, I care about the team and the Glory and the most important part of the team is the Manager- not the CEO.
CQN has tended to forget this over the years and between proclamations of great balance sheets and over-indulgence in triumphalism of late, seems to be more off than pace than ever.
Time to get back on track P67 and stop been the green version of BFDJ.
Saturday is now the most important game of the season, start supporting the players and the management and not some overpaid wide-boy. …
Wee Aretha…what a shame!
Hi Paul67,
Very good article, we need to re-group and focus…
…”Winning games in the Europa will be easier; we have to deliver on this target. It is also important to qualify from the group into the knockout stages.”
Totally agree, first we must qualify of course yet if we do, the top seed in the group could well be a UCL Pot 1 or 2 level side, a team that will really test us home and away. However the other partcipants in the Europa group will be Clubs at a similar level to those that we met in the last two UCL qualifying rounds.
It is important we have a complete and unified team to build a successful platform in Europe.
A few good results in the group stages followed by a good account of ourselves after new year will be just the tonic we need.
Hail Hail
While I’m normally a board apologist I’d agree that the current situation is far from ideal.
I’m unhappy about missing out on McGinn. I’m unhappy to be eliminated by an unremarkable AEK Athens. I’m unhappy with how we have handled Boyata. I’m unhappy with the finger pointing in the media. I’m unhappy with the decision to play Hendry ahead of Jozo.
I hope we play a more positive attacking style against Thistle.
Tell wide men to face forward and encourage team to play balls behind defender for them to run on to.
This would stretch the field and allow our creative guys more space.
And a directive given to players to attack the ball in both penalty boxes rather than the passive and static approach we have now.
The way I see it, the board, Congerton and BR have two weeks to fix the squad and we’ll have to write this off as a learning experience.
Seville began with disappointment in Switzerland. I don’t expect to reach the Europa final but we need to pick up some coefficient, get some experience and give the fans some good European nights.
Sure, Stuttgart and Blackburn Rovers were hardly titans of Europe but I still have fond memories of those ties.
The one thing I’d say as well: what’s the point in signing the likes of Johnny Hayes and Jack Hendry if the coach can’t trust them in the qualifiers? We only made two subs!
https://twitter.com/SarahDuggers/status/1029514363122659328?s=08
A Brexit classic…
Hot Smoked, getting your ‘principals’ out there is all well and good! Conversely, imo Denayer made VVD look good. Opinions, eh (not facts). HH
WBC- Just putting another slant on Dafabet figures HH
DAVID17 on 16TH AUGUST 2018 3:16 PM
THEORIGINALSADIESBHOY on 16TH AUGUST 2018 1:58 PM
DAVID17 on 16TH AUGUST 2018 1:04 PM
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There are too many guys on the payroll not earning their wage. We are playing Partick Thistle, that team is more than good enough.
………………………
I’m glad you’re not the manager.
My bug bear with wingers we have is they’re always on their heels instead of on their toes, but it might help if we pass it in their stride and not having to stop
Can’t agree more,. The pass should always be in front of the winger.
That awkward moment when somebody compares you with BFSDJ
Workmate supports Ayr and he said Thistle are dire, they destroyed them last week
Time to start on the Brandy Shandy with TOHG
Thanks for the birthday wishes for him this morning bhoys????☘️☘️
Does STV Raman have a wee excitement in the underwear arena every time he says Rainjurz?
At the moment, the silence is deafening from within Celtic.
I would hazard a guess that we are also completely redundant in terms of player recruitment this window.
I just don’t see anything happening. Every day you wake up, zero developments.
Rodgers has spoken openly about complacency. Yet we seem intent in achieving exactly that.
Is it the weekend yet, I need a strong drink
Paul67
Time will tell whether you are right to be dismissive of Sevco as title challengers , Aberdeen seem weaker for the loss of Rooney ,Christie and McLean , but i fully expect these two to be vying for second spot again.
Tiume now is to look to do well in the EL , no more wringing of hands over McGinn/AEK/Boyata.
Arzani (is he coming or not?) could be this season’s Paddy Roberts ,even from the bench ,While Denayer and a RB would at least see us back to last season’s strength level. Advancing from EL group stages would be much more valuable psychologically than financially.
Tiume?? Time!
No sooner have our arses hit the ground after being booted out of the CL , than the meeja are selling off the Celtic family silver. Moussa , Ollie blah,blah,blah.
Not recruiting is one thing , further regression by selling off our stars would be a step too far. Probably just paper talk hopefully.
Scottish football shouldnt be mocking us. we provided them with a £3m bonus to share amongst themselves last year.
From CL participation I should add.
No to Denayer for me. Has already knocked us back – what – three times?
Haven’t seen anything from him since he left that impressed me.
Need a solid, experienced CB who can lead, communicate and organise.
Never sure about players who have “lost their way” (can go either of two ways) but Micah Richards could be an option for RB. Scott Sinclair would probably know him quite well to know what kind of character he is, but always liked his athleticism.
Like the lad Boyle at Hibs. Not really short in that, but he looks more of a natural wide player.
DILLIGAFBHOY on 16TH AUGUST 2018 4:35 PM
Scottish football shouldnt be mocking us. we provided them with a £3m bonus to share amongst themselves last year.
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Wouldn’t worry about it mate – it’s loser no-marks like Shat Logan on Twatter – hardly worth a raised eyebrow…
Aretha Franklin RIP.
Respect.
Friesdorfer
Did I reallywrite `principals` ? Shame on me.
Incidentally, I have no problem with opinions offered as opinions. It is when the author of the opinion begins to give it a stature that it doesn`t deserve ( owing to lack of supportive evidence ) that I take exception.
The next Emerald Express seems quite a way away !
Hope all is well with you and B.
JJ
HOT SMOKED on 16TH AUGUST 2018 5:27 PM
Incidentally, I have no problem with opinions offered as opinions. It is when the author of the opinion begins to give it a stature that it doesn`t deserve ( owing to lack of supportive evidence ) that I take exception.
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Just to clarify – my comment on Shat Logan being a no-mark loser is offered as fact, my evidence being…….Shat Logan…
:-)))
Nat Know
I was at our final game of the season. There`s your evidence :-))
JJ
we didn’t sign denayer
but we signed boyata
so it doesn’t…..
oh hang on!
Anyway, it`s a cheerio from me for now.
Come on the Hibs and Maribor !!
JJ
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-45201246
This’ll cover Sergios Ramos’ fee!
Tallybhoy on 16th August 2018 5:26 pm
Aretha Franklin RIP.
Respect.
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Very good, I see what you did there.
Moment perfectly timed.
I knew you were waiting…
Roberts has joined Girona on loan.
I’m beginning to think this Daniel Arzani loan may have hit a snag. I was fully expecting him to be wheeled out this morning as the new Messiah after the last week’s debacle.
I have a leetle problem – no Cl, no come? Time will tell.
If Celtic bring in a player or even two for defensive positions lets hope we get senior citizens tie guys in mid to late twenties with experience and forget the callow teenage youths for the present.
Any sausages for Hibs game…
From todays Herald.
It has been made plain from sources at the club that the German
defender didn’t cost Celtic a penny in a transfer fee, despite reports at the time claiming up to a million pounds had gone to RB Leipzig in exchange for a man who was earmarked as the experience Champions League level centre-half that the team was crying out for.
And who was the biggest advocate for the level of support provided to the manager in a January window when Charly Musonda, Scott Bain and Lewis Morgan were also signed up? Well, Brendan Rodgers himself.
“Today I have to say a big thank you to Dermot, Peter and the board at Celtic,” the Celtic boss said back in early February.
“January was going to be an important month for us and everything I asked for I was able to get.