The disappointment online and among supporters in general since Tuesday’s defeat in Rotterdam has been tangible. That’s an indication of just how hopeful we had become, despite extenuating circumstances and an away track record that should have prepared us for much worse.
Frustrations were shared by the squad, who know they let an opportunity slip. For me, a reversal was always on the cards. The game came too soon, with a mixture of players who made their debut just days before and ended with our seventh choice (arguably eighth) central defender stepping up.
We need games and results like that. There is little to learn from wins over Dundee; even the victory at Ibrox can only inform to an extent. You learn more from defeats in places like Rotterdam and Bodo than in a season of home Premiership games.
It should also ground you and me. When Celtic win just-so-many-trophies it becomes difficult not to re-orientate our expectations that the current era is normal. The CQN demographic suggests most of us have lived through the barren 90s and many of us were there during the 50s and early 60s, but even we get dragged into despair by the odd draw. What chance the kids?
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“possibly, fraudulently, over funded rival”
———————————-
Biggest under statement ever on these pages.
D :)
TOM MCLAUGHLIN on 21ST SEPTEMBER 2023 2:11 PM
BURNLEY78
Bada Bing
Curious that you found a stat to make us the worst at something.
Hope you weren’t up all night looking for it
You give him too much credit.
He lifted it from his usual source — The Daily Record.
Sentinel Celts actually,…..you’re not clever enough to be a smart arse
The tetchiness is coming back.
Not all, in fact very few, “mineshafters” are Record readers, Ibrox trolls or entitled Gen Z folk.
Very few “happyclappers” are Board Plants, lacking ambition, and accepting of (GoD) mediocrity.
Most of us, on each side of that shifting divide, want a better set of Euro results. We just differ on the best way to do it and we are united in our inability to do anything about it.
I understand that every draw or defeat results in a lash out. And every win gets greeted with a sense of “So-so- that’s pretty much to be expected”
I don’t like it but I understand it, and Paul67- I told you so- no expectations have been rearranged since the time of “Whatever happened to the Seville Money?”, and it’s not going away anytime soon.
It’s taken us near 30 years to accept that Fergus was a good thing.
“SETTING FREE THE BEARS FOR RES. 12 & OSCAR KNOX on 21ST SEPTEMBER 2023 1:03 PM
“But the solution is not to increase the SPFL to 18 teams because we would still face the same problems of too many teams playing “blood and snotters” football.”
Agree. Sadly without a change of environment / cross-league competitions the only thing I can see to change (that is even partially within our control) is to have the game here refereed to a better standard to reward teams who play football and deter those who just spoil/foul with impunity.
That would bring the level up all around but it wont happen in Scotland whilst we have refs who are “managed” as they currently are.
More competitive games in Europe will help but even with the CL changes these will be hard to come by as we might only see 1 season in a CL like that (if we win the league) and then be back into tough qualifiers and likely EL as often as not.
“My main point is we had 8 experienced selections. The transfer window only deprived us of Jota as a CL starter. Starfelt had only one CL match with us- the 5:1 defeat in Madrid. Aaron Mooy was used as a sub in 5 CL matches and played around 150 minutes.
The main loss to our strength was the injury enforced subs- especially the CBs. We had plenty of (lesser) alternatives to Jota’s position and chose Palma. Whoever replaced Jota was always likely to be, initially, a lesser player, but we can hope that one of our wingers will prove to be , at least, an adequate replacement, for one of the best we have seen at CP in recent years.”
Can’t argue with any of that and haven’t disputed that.
Jota will be tough to replace but if he wanted to go he had to go, simple as that.
QB
Chairbhoy on 21st September 2023 1:32 pm
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
I would agree with you but pray that Oh will come good.
From this window I am reasonably confident that:
Luis Palma ✅
Maik Nawrocki ✅
Yang Hyun-jun ✅
Gustaf Lagerbielke ✅
Mario Tilio????????????????????????
Odin Thiago Holm ✅
Kwon Hyeok-kyu
Tomoki Iwata
Nat Phillips (loan)????????????????????????
Paulo Bernardo (loan) ✅
But, I must warn you that I am a Happy Clapper extraordinaire 👏 😀 😃 😄 😁
🇮🇪 🍀💚
By Celtic FC Foundation
Share
21 Sep 2023, 11:33 am
Following the wonderful success of our Sleep Out events in Sligo and Donegal in 2021 and 2022, Celtic FC Foundation are delighted to announce that we will be returning to Ireland once again, for our ‘Celtic Sleep Out, Derry’ event, which forms part of our 2023 Christmas Appeal.
We offer special thanks to our friends at The Association of Irish Celtic Supporters’ Clubs, the Derry No.1 CSC and our fantastic GAA hosts, whose unwavering generosity, advice and assistance have been instrumental in the organisation of the event.
This year’s Sleep Out will take place on Friday, November 17 at Derry’s very own Celtic Park. The ground is now synonymous with Gaelic sports in Derry city but it owes its origin and name to its footballing past.
It was first developed as the home ground of Derry Celtic FC in 1894, at a time when football had become the dominant sport in the area. As Derry Celtic’s star began to rise, prominent clubs came to play, not least the famous Glasgow Celtic in 1896.
The GAA took over the ground in the early 1900s and Celtic Park has since been the home of Gaelic sports in Derry.
Celtic Sleep Out, Derry participants will spend the night – from 9.00pm to 5.00am – battling the elements outdoors, all for a wonderful cause.
Registration for the event is now open HERE. Places are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. The non-refundable registration fee is £30 per person. Please ensure you read the Terms and Conditions thoroughly before committing to your agreement and signing up.
Each participant is tasked with raising a minimum of £135 (after the entry fee) to support this year’s Christmas Appeal.
Due to anticipated severe weather conditions, this event will be exceptionally challenging, both mentally and physically. Therefore, participants must be aged 18+ and be in an appropriate physical condition to take part.
Celtic FC Foundation will provide a ground mat and foil sheet/blanket but participants are required to bring the appropriate equipment and wear relevant clothing and footwear.
I still would like an answer as to why Dr John was silenced all those years ago when he said and I quote “Those days are gone”, if only, it seems as if they are worse, he even mentioned the dossier, but never fear, we have a balance sheet that would fear just about anyone in the world, lets play it instead and we would never lose.
OldFirmCSC
Moussa Dembele playing in front of 900 fans in the Saudi League , Jota in contract termination talks but hoping to get a transfer in January.
@CQN
I don’t think younger people see success in the same ways as we did when we were younger.
Win lose draw, leagues and cups, a run in Europe.
These days everyone pores over financials, judges transfer windows as failures or successes as soon as they’ve ended, talk about successful player trading models, net or gross transfers spend. We list every player signed over a period and take a simple tick or cross as an absolute metric of success.
I get that football is far more of an entertainment business these days, (I get as excited as anyone during the transfer window) and the industry around football means that the 90 minutes and the successes and failures that result from it are much less important than they were to the average fan, especially those who don’t get to see the games, but following Celtic during such a trophy rich time does seem to have become a bit of a ball ache.
Paul,
Why did some fans become hopeful?
Because at BR press conference the manager and the club spoke about improving and aiming slightly higher is Europe
Don`t pin this on daft fans who are self-entitled and demand nothing but success, the club started this narrative and in many ways it could be argued that we have bought quantity over quality however will leave that to the experts
If the game was too early for us then the question is why? we knew we had qualified and if the business is not traditionally done until the last few days does that not mean this is the same for majority of clubs?
To round off I’m not overly disappointed as I / we have come to expect nothing from Celtic in Europe except talk that we are a big club etc oh and the magnificent atmosphere lets not forget
Until Celtic are serious about the about Europe nothing will change except the ever increasing champions league ticket prices we have to pay, I cant even sit on my own seat due to UEFA fat cats etc
Too many Old Firm fans/ Masons on our Board, to shake the shackles off,and be a stand alone progressive Club,life in the slow lane right enough.
I think winning these days means something different.
SFtBs,
Apologies, you were the mediocre ghuy, not BSR;)
SCULLYBHOY @ 2:39 PM,
I had noticed:))
As Burnley78 suggests, it’s too early to tell with many of our new recruits.
That’s one of the reasons I left the “misses” alone.
Hope you are right with the ticks and the chances are several will reach their envisaged potential.
It’s a complex issue and players like Iwata might just have not settled and be p¥$$€d Ange went, rather than poor footballers.
Hail Hail
Chairbhoy @ over the page
Yes, seen what you did there.
Love a list , we’re not ticking all the boxes but If you think losing 2-0 to the Eredivsie champions is bad, things will get a whole lot worser. ( see Kilmarnock for example ). There are much bigger more progressive pound sign clubs, than Celtic that can’t lay a glove on the CL.
The format can’t change quickly enough for us, and as you already know the plan this year is ‘do a bit better with Brendan’. ( AP’s we never stop, you score three we’ll score four plan never had a cat in hell’s chance in the Europa never mind the CL ) FWIW I think it’ll eventually fail in England, too.
The problem with Brendan is despite having gone from sign someone, to signing too many overnight, is that, he’s inherited another man’s team. He’s faced with replacing £2M players with players from the same shop, for the same prices. Nobody came in for Hatate ( funny that? ) and his struggles continue.
CQN fills up when there’s a poor result, the single thread format means unfiltered og ins that post perpetual negativity, nobody can prevent . Indefatigable SFTB and one or two others posters, are like ‘the little bhoy with his finger in the dyke’, trying to stem the flood.
l
Sadly, labelling and name calling takes over, by the time it gets to midnight. If it was a pub there’d be closing time, and we all get flung out.
As you know I don’t subscribe to us having no men of reverie on the board, it does need fresh blood, change is good. But it’s hardly ‘Celts for Change’ 1993, some supporters just need to calm down, straight after a widely predictable away defeat with an injury ravaged team in the CL is hardly time.
HH
Burnley78,
I have said on here many a time, our major problem (and I see no way of changing things) is that we play in the SPFL. No class player will want to come here, no matter the wages. Those we have never face an opposition that prepares them for the CL. Far from it. In fact, imo, the opposite is true.
Did anyone manage to get to The Evening with Martin O’Neill at Dundee Rep last night? Lots of fun from Martin. I think the cleaners went in this morning and he was still talking!!!
Chairbhoy
“SFtBs,
Apologies, you were the mediocre ghuy, not BSR;)
——————————————
whatever it was – I missed it and I am still missing it so no harm done.
BOURNESOUPRECIPE @ 2:57 PM,
Yes, totally accept the issue BR inheriting Ange’s team.
Yet surely that’s the point.
Ange’s teams in Europe were good value for entertainment but the players were well below the standard that playing Angeball in the UCL would get you results.
So a re-think was necessary, as has been noted, positive vibes, Brendan’s early pressers – we weren’t going to go daft though, no player over 10 mn…
Yet this Board and Executive are incapable of a rethink.
In the summer of 2022 an inflexible moneyball “model” was reintroduced.
We’ll park the wisdom of that to one side for the moment and just say that the “tired” performances of the late season, with Ange and significant player departures not only called, but screamed for a very different window.
Five years ago our Board was an anachronism
The CEO left, he was replaced by a younger man of vision
It lead to a brilliant turnaround in fortunes and arguably the best transfer window in recent times (player wise, finance wise).
Too rich for the old bhoys diet and he was quickly mutualled and we went back to a totally moribund, anachronistic Board and Executive.
Sure, it’s not Celts for Change 1993, but things do need to drastically change or the grand work of those valiant fholk will be lost.
Hail Hail
Let’s imagine we buy players in the January window.
Unless the model changes they will be projects or just punts going by recent experience.
Which players will we offload to make space for them. Going by the summer it will be proven first team players.
Good news for the balance sheet
Rodgers will be sick at what is happening — our Chairman is swanning round waving the balance sheet.
2 nil.
RAB HAWE on 21ST SEPTEMBER 2023 1:52 PM
BURNLEY78
I agree. The root of our CL problems lies in our domestic league situation. Champion League ready players, ones who would help us step up, would also be sought after by clubs from bigger leagues with deeper pockets. That leaves us with, at best, players with CL potential, which is never guaranteed. Quality young players with potential, come to us as a steppingstone to the EPL, asap. I think it takes until the second season for a team to be settled sufficiently to make a decent stab at Europe. Ultimately, the problem lies within the SPFL.
*Fully concur here but I would take it a step further and say the root of our problem is with the parent body determined tae keep the bastard child of a corrupt organisation propped up.
SFtBs @ 3:21 PM,
No worries, hope all’s good…
Hail Hail
I have it on good authority, okay Jim White on TalkSport Monday with Martin O’Neill & Simon Jordan, that the Brighton team which started against Manchester United at the weekend cost in total £18.2 million….
Ye get wit ye pay for
No?
What would the TV deal look like without SEVCO? How many Scottish clubs would go to the wall?
Does anybody think we wouldn’t be closing stands again? Rock and a Hard Place comes to mind, por cierto!
So we get there in the end
It’s all about Peter Lawwell.
POR CIERTO @ 1:57 PM & 3:32 PM,
Spot on post at 1:57 but can’t agree with your last comment.
It’s not up to the old firm business model to keep Scottish football afloat.
The Scottish football TV deal is terrible, there is no evidence that the old firm gives us more value when you compare it with other country ‘s deals
In fact you could argue by screwing the league to having a “big two” has been very, very bad for Scottish football.
Hail Hail
Another puzzler, why the eff did Brendan come back, he has said today that he wanted more players in, didn’t get them, but worded it such a way not to blame anyone, I can see him walking again, sadly.
I honestly don’t believe that the differences have been sorted, just a hunch.
CELTIC MAC @ 3:31 PM,
Total myth we don’t have the money to compete
Look at Feyenoord salaries, they are a smaller Club than us
https://www.capology.com/club/feyenoord/salaries/
It is a matter of competency at the highest level.
Celtic used to be called an F.C. it is now officially and in practical terms a PLC
We need to get back to the football.
Hail Hail
The problem we face now IS the Balance Sheet.
There. I said it.
The numbers on the B/L will be seen by the Board as proof that the ‘model’ works.
Exec bonuses will be fattened accordingly, leading to more desire to sell players rather than win games with experienced players.
Think about it. When Hart and Calmac leave, Celtic could well be a u-21 side.
When Calmac goes, the model will have sold every decent player that we have now.
Yes, maybe our u-21 team of 2027 will still be beating the other mob.
But is THIS what we want?
Madness and sadness….
Weeron
THE EXILED TIM @ 3:51 PM,
Hope all’s going well
Yes, something afoot, amiss, not right
We seem to have a Cult of personalities at Celtic Park that is very unhealthy too many buddies working there too long with little or no accountability.
$69 mn question – why wasn’t Brendan backed this summer?
Hail Hail
Sick and tired of our players and managers trotting out the “we will learn” garbage when we suffer a defeat in Europe.
What about the board and our European aspirations? Do they ever learn?
My expectations have always been realistic, and I didn’t honestly expect us to qualify from this group. However, when Sevco are getting to the final of a competition We didn’t get out of the group in, talks of finances, domestic leagues etc fall by the wayside
CHAIRBHOY
Cult of personalities indeed.
Ever heard of accusation in a mirror? Very popular in politics these days.
If a new player can’t be judged to be a success ir failure within within 12 months , there is something far wrong with our recruitment.
Although it only took about 3 months to come to the conclusion that Bernabei is a dud.
Chairbhoy
$69 mn question – why wasn’t Brendan backed this summer?
He’ll tell you he was and be able to convince himself he was, as he puts out the traffic cones at Lennoxtown and hears his bank balance go kerching.
Personally, as posted before not attempting to make ‘pure kwality’ signings who seem to cost double, with double wages, is a no brainer. We could afford one or two £8M/10M signings but it wouldn’t make us CL ready.
HH
CELTIC40ME @ 4:12 PM,
Have very little interest in politics these days, very rarely watch the news or a political programme, so the only thing I believe in is “polishing your mirror” but think that’s a different approach.
Hail Hail
https://youtu.be/hDW9TXdo9TM?si=FLrN3Q-9O7JtO5y3
BR on transfers….
BSR @ 4:21 PM,
While I understand where you are coming from, this debate is getting on for a decade old.
We have hindsight and results and outcomes to call on.
Good players cost a fortune and won’t come to Scotland, Ange scorched that myth
Scottish teams can’t compete in Europe, the Sevcovians scorched that myth
Every penny we make will be reinvested in the Club £ 7,200 mn reasons not to believe that myth.
It’s not easy, but what did Fergus et al achieved from 1993 to 2000, that was impossible.
Your posts, comments and support of the club are first class, yet living with the enemy, imo, can often colour thinking.
At the end of the day, we are a Football Club who should have proper leadership with the required skill-sets to utilise all resources to maximise our potential.
We don’t need no stinkin’ Rangers and the SFA are a set of empty blazers – we should forget about them and the petty harm they inflict and look at the bigger picture.
Just~a~thot
Hail Hail
“we will fail to win much in Europe’s big cup, no matter the spend. We simply don’t have the competition to prepare us.”
Can`t remember whp posted that ( sorry) but I think it is worthy of consideration before posting about how much better we might be in CL if we spent a fair slice of the money we have in the Bank.