Let’s get the result out of the way first. We went out to a weaker team who were nonetheless very well-drilled in defence. AEK scored with their only two attempts on goal last night and with one of their two at Celtic Park. This contrasts greatly with our chance conversation rate. It hurts and is money left on the table.
Recruitment is correctly at the heart of the inquest. Not only did nine of last night’s starters play under Ronny Deila, seven of them were once the heart of Neil Lennon’s team. Only Olivier Ntcham and Jack Hendry were brought to the club by Brendan Rodgers. One of Moussa Dembele or Odsonne Eduard, both Brendan signings, would have started if fully fit, while the Belgian, a Ronny signing, would have started in other circumstances.
This is Brendan’s fifth transfer window, so why do so many remain from the Ronny/Neil eras? There are good reason and bad reasons. McGregor, Rogic and Forrest have improved significantly under Brendan. We want more like this.
We only have accounts for Brendan’s first year, which show a £13.8m spent on player registrations. Since then we have bought big ticket players like Ntcham and Edouard, and more. Total spend will not be a whisker below £30m. Profit for Brendan’s first year was £6.9m. We could spend more (always), but we are still in an expenditure territory that AEK could not dream about.
I wanted John McGinn, but he is irrelevant to last night. He would not have displaced Ntcham or Brown. Not only was John not a solution, he was yet another squad player!
I’m not saying it’s easy, in fact, it’s difficult. We did not fall to a team who necessarily had a better plan for their recruitment budget, every season there is an AEK who hit the right numbers and over perform, before reverting to the mean. These are the perils of qualification.
We do not have a viable plan to continually qualify for the Champions League, and failures like this hurt. But we have been here before.
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AEK were better organised than us…that’s down to the manager and coaches
We have needed better defenders for at least a year that’s down to the manager scouts and board to secure them
We have the money that’s down to the board to sanction the spending
It’s a collective responsibility for failing
The transfer window closing on 31st gives us a chance to sort this out and the EL gives us a chance for further European football.
This is where we are at
??? x 2
Kikinthenakas
SANDMAN
Tried that at Tynecastle to a degree and the result there was a bigger worry for some.
The sad part is we’ve better players the AEK even they knew that, and their celebrations at the end said a lot.
What an atrocious leader article. The ‘Not Lazy Journalism’ tagline ringing hollow these days.
Paul67, did you run that leader past Peter Lawwell for approval or did he write it for you?
No wonder people, including myself, are tiring of this blog.
flunky
Paul 67,
Was it not Ronny Delia who first identified Scott Sinclair and Moussa Dembele and tried to bring them to Parkhead?
HH.
Let be clear about yesterday.
Our first and second choice strikers didn’t start the game.
Our first, second and third choice Centre Halves didn’t start the game.
We were poor at the back, and missed that killer instinct for goal.
None of that is a coincidence.
Dubaibhoy – I agree. 2 first choice reliable Centre Halves required. First choice Right back and I would say that dead ball expert has to be a central midfielder.
These players CANNOT consist solely of EPL development players on loan. At least one I would want to be a veteran.
The closer we get to 10 the more experience we are going to need in that squad.
Celtic need to show intent now as there is blood in the water and other teams can smell it
Kikinthenakas @ 1.29
Nailed it CSC
‘every season there is an AEK who hit the right numbers and over perform, before reverting to the mean. These are the perils of qualification.’
I think everyone is well aware of that P67 but is no excuse for shooting ourselves in the foot and going into these qualifiers with a makeshift defence, again.
HH
Tricky though getting through 4 qualifying rounds is , we should have got past AEK if our defence had been up to the standard of the other elements of our team. We would then have met a team who are arguably no better than AEK in the 4th round , to unlock the £40m treasure chest.
A sensible organisation would then use some of the money and the attraction of CL participation to strengthen the team further.
As soon as the first domino fell we were fecked.
DUBAIBHOY (NEE LONDONBHOY)
– Lustig is finished, at least at right back. He can probably give us a few more years as a back up centre half.
Lustig is finished agree 100% but don’t let him anywhere near the centre back role.
Hi Paul (though I know you long since stopped responding to posters) The John McGinn comment in the article reeks of one-upmanship. ‘Oh yes you did’ ‘oh no you didn’t’. A non football person decided not to do the deal. Good luck getting your tonsils removed by the hospital accountant. At a conservative estimate 100,000 plus Celtic fans saw the need for a centre half and a full back. Brenda asked for same. Lack of same cost us goals in the tie.
Best not get involved.
The Celtic support will ultimately decide, at a time of their own choosing.
No individual is bigger than our great football club.
HH. ?
glendalystonsils on 15th August 2018 1:33 pm
Exactly. Lawwell was happy with this outcome, the retention of the ‘Champions path’. But he has made a series of costly errors in negotiating it and supporting our manager to maximise our chances of progressing through it to qualification.
HH
KEVINJOHN
You’re lettin’ the facts get in the way of some serious panty wettin’!
Great post!
Brenda even!
KIKINTHENAKAS
We are all Celtic or We’re not Celtic!
Rarely does just one thing cause a clusterfunk…
!!BADA BING!! on 15TH AUGUST 2018 1:06 PM
The plan ing for this season’s squad, should have included getting guys out the door,
Comperr
De Vries
Gamboa
Allan
Christie
Miller
Jozo
Boyata
Guys who make zero contribution, or not good enough, could have bought 2 CBs with that lot punted……
……………………………………………..
Apart from Boyata, have we received any offers or has there been any interest in any of these players?
Brendan even!!!
Centre halves please
The Spl should introduce a rule that allows us to buy any player we want to.
No matter what we offer.
No matter the wages we offer.
No matter the other club disny want to sell to us.
No matter the player disney want to sign for us.
There, sorted.
When, and in what circumstances, will Peter Lawwell cease to be CEO?
Disappointed with last night’s outcome, where a difference of around 6 inches (on at least four occasions) would have seen Celtic progress at the expense of the champions of a country ranked three places higher than Scotland in the UEFA country rankings.
Alas, in spite of all the hoo-ha about our defence, perhaps we should be looking at the other end of the pitch. As mentioned by Paul, our chance conversion rate was badly inferior to that of AEK. In fact, over the whole tie Celtic had 37 shots at goal to AEK’s 15, so Celtic needed more than 18 shots per goal scored, while AEK needed just 5. And it wasn’t a case of Celtic failing to create chances, as they created more than twice as many chances as AEK. We also had 13 corners to AEK’s 2.
So whilst the defence does need some help, and a more commanding, experienced figure-head (which is what Completely was supposed to be!), the coaching team need to improve the accuracy and effectiveness of our forward players. We also need to improve the variety and inventiveness of our attacking play, as we are too hesitant and predictable when we are in the final third. This has seen us struggle in the SPL of late too, as even the SPL teams have worked this out.
Alas, whatever the reasons we are where we are, and we have to ensure that we beat (probably) Suduva to qualify for the EL group stage. And that could throw up some pretty tough opposition. We could be in a group alongside Sevilla (EL winners 5 times since 2006), Eintracht Frankfurt and Spartak Moscow (former employers of Aiden McGeady). But for once we can’t be drawn with AC Milan (who will actually be ranked below us in the draw), as they will also be in pot 2.
Let’s hope that there turns out to be a similar sequence of events to the last time we dropped out of the CL to face Suduva in our first tie in the “B competition”, but this time with a better outcome in the final chapter!
Faithful through and through!
ernie lynch
Mate, we’re only 15 years into his 1000 reign…
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DkiQxp9XcAAXCS1.jpg
A row of coal miners’ houses with no windows to the street, East Durham in 1937 by Bill Brandt.
Nostalgia is a seductive liar.
smiley make of that what you will thing
in Brendan Rodgers I trust
Braw
*1000 year reign
Peter Lawwell stepping down as CEO
or
Celtic scoring from a corner
Which will happen first?
If they ever happen.
Could have paid £3m or wait and get Mcginn for free in January,
That cunning plan worked out well for us.
Still our disco lights and sound system will be the envy of all Europe.
Absolutely disgraceful.
This shambles can and will be spun but like every supporter , totally sickened and disillusioned today.
PL cannot remain at CP . Simple
If and I stress if there is a rift developed between Brendan and Peter I suggest there will only be one winner and it wont be Brendan. Brendans interview after last nights game was extremely down beat and he said he saw this coming.Now if that is correct and he flagged it up with the board and nothing happened we are in worse position than any of us realise why would the board not back Brendan ? it makes you wonder do they really trust him ? do they really want him as the manager over the long term ? something is not right and we the supporters are left in the dark it seems to be you lot buy your season tickets and the merchandise and we the management of the club will tell you nothing.Well we have had a few good years and the party had to end some time but so soon and insigated by our own board is not how I visualisd it ending. H.H.
ernie lynch on 15th August 2018 1:45 pm
When, and in what circumstances, will Peter Lawwell cease to be CEO?
————————————————————————————————————
In his study, with an ice pick after a window slams shut…
How many times have you watched us on the attack, approaching the opposition box and just as your arse is getting up out of your seat in anticipation, the ball is then played backwards, sometimes even all the way back to Gordon…it frustrates the life out of me…possession-possession-possession…???
Just shoot ffs…(sometimes)
Peter Lawwell will be CEO for as long as Dermot Desmond can’t be arsed attending board meetings…
It is “not rocket science” to say Celtic should have strengthened as they attempted to qualify for the Champions League, says manager Brendan Rodgers.After Tuesday’s 2-1 defeat in Athens, he said the club had to “always guard against becoming complacent”.
“You do that by adding to the squad,” Rodgers told BBC Scotland. “It’s pretty obvious, you have to keep progressing and keep getting stronger.”
In Brendan, I trust, the manager who has won us 6 trophies out of 6.
He’s telling us, how he feels and giving us some insight.
Hail Hail
ERNIE LYNCH on 15TH AUGUST 2018 1:45 PM
When, and in what circumstances, will Peter Lawwell cease to be CEO?
———————————————-
If we don’t win the league this season.
Dermot Desmond probably won’t ever set foot in Celtic Park again.
These people are good businessmen, accountants, executives etcetera – but they don’t know the first thing about football.
HH. ?
Madmitch earlier
Yes there are countless other songs out there that we could adopt/adapt to our needs. For example, we have JCGE, but there is also untapped potential in songs like EWTRTW, AHWNN, HB, SBM, WMUBYGG etc
GB take note.
HH
NATKNOW on 15TH AUGUST 2018 1:54 PM
ernie lynch on 15th August 2018 1:45 pm
When, and in what circumstances, will Peter Lawwell cease to be CEO?
————————————————————————————————————
In his study, with an ice pick after a window slams shut…
————————————————————
It will definitely be the Rev Green, who is responsible
cluedocsc ?
Rangers FC – SPL Champions 2018-19!!!! Send that to Mr. Lawwell Paul……sends a shiver down ma back that does!!!