You and I are old enough to remember when a home cup draw for Celtic was a rarity, so we’ll take Dunfermline at Celtic Park in the last 16 of the League Cup with good grace. I know this trophy is our fourth priority of the season, but it will not feel like that come the latter stages, should we get there, or even if we don’t.
Get past Dunfermline and there is a maximum of one away game before the neutral venue semi-finals. This competition co-exists in the calendar with European group stage games, so it takes careful squad management to chart a successful course through them.
The League Cup represents every other teams’ best chance of getting a trophy off Celtic this season, especially so, if Celtic are the only side still in Europe. As such, it takes on an importance it has seldom held since its inauguration in 1946.
This exceptional domination of Scottish football by Celtic has made every trophy, every game, more important. This is why Brendan Rodgers was right to rest players for a Europa League game in Leipzig ahead of a League Cup semi-final against Hearts. Conventional wisdom held that domination by a single team was bad for a sport, but there is a timeless truism: sport needs great champions for others to aspire to beat. This is where Scottish football is right now. Dunfermline have their chance in a few weeks.
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imo NL relies far too much on a certain group of players and it concerns me that if any of them get injured as has happened too frequently in the past we will be in a position he will have to play players that he has little faith in , i also have concerns as to how long it takes our new players ‘to get up to speed’ , we have a few weeks left in this transfer window and are cash rich , we are entering a time in our history when we create something unique ’10 in a row’ these times do not come around very often , so we lets not waste all the hard work of the past and get 2 or 3 quality players signed that can hit the ground running not limping into the stating 11 and also give more of the squad players game time or ship them out if you have no faith in them.
I wont attempt to address any of the fine insights displayed in tonights discussion.
Great reading btw.
A vague point is forming for me( no laffin’)….To get closer to us, the huns just need to beat the rest. Their overspending with ill-gotten monies and regular helping hands from hun supportive ‘fishals makes this task a whole load easier for them and the konverse for us.
How much will monies spent by us impact on the cheatin’ and bent nature of the scoddish kompetition? what’s the gearing involved for The Bhoys to countermand hunned-up chicanery.
The fact that Celtic has dominated this League for so long is imo miraculous.
HH
TURKEYBHOY on 29TH JULY 2019 9:07 PM
REGGIE,
You do know that we have a couple of weeks to sign players for the Qualifiers
———–
I get that I do. I think that moving the English transfer window should in theory help us recruit as they have to finalise their squads by around August 9th, giving us an opportunity to snap up players who don’t make the cut and also not having to compete with the EPL for players at the end of the window. The negative side is that given our most lucrative sales are generally going to England, it makes it harder to hold on to our stars until CL qualification is decided.
All that being said, these rules were in place last year, and we had a window to rival Willo Flood. I understand the difficulties in getting players to Scotland. I’m a realist in holding onto our own. Van Dyk, Wanyama, Dembele, KT I hold no grudge should they want to move on. Winning trophies in a footballing backwater and a chance to maybe get into the CL to make up the numbers after having about a 2 week summer break, compared to playing in the English Premier League for 3 times the salary and 100 times the exposure? No contest I agree with you. Even the Championship is more appealing to a lot of players. The difference is despite all historic evidence to the contrary you seem to have faith that we will close the window stronger than we are now. I hope we do. But I’m not sure where that faith comes from.
Anyway game day tomorrow so I’ll happily leave it until another time, let’s see how we look on Saturday.
It would actually be very good for our co-eff and our title challenge IF the ibrox team make the Europa group stages like last season.
I would never openly support them but will be quietly satisfied if they too are likely to be subject to midweek euro games and weekend title matches right up to christmas.
If they get knocked out and we play in either of the competitions they will have a huge domestic advantage this season.
I don’t doubt for a minute that they are going to be a much more effective side at winning 3pts against SPL sides.
I feel that we have done decent work in the market but would like to see a final kick over the line.
I also have 100% faith that NL will be doing all he can and he has impressed to this point.
Next season indeed this season is going to be very exciting.
Have not looked forward to the start as much in many a year.
REGGIE- absolutely
SSN just read out a statement from Everton re a bid for Zaha,basically slapping them down for lying.
AKBW1888 @ 9:37
You talk in riddles. You say Arsenal are not known as big spenders, yet they have just consummated the 3rd largest transfer in EPL history. So which is it?
IniquitousIV
BANKIEBHOY1 on 29TH JULY 2019 9:51 PM
In 02/03 we won 2 drew 1 lost 1 v the EBT huns in the League. From memory Hartson had a goal disallowed in the league cup final from a full 2 yards onside. Hartson not Agathe. Make of that what you will. G’nite
Forrest and McGregor haven’t travelled for tomorrow’s game, rested
IniquitousIV @ 9.24
Take a bow. 100% spot on
I’d add one other factor. The goat bothering officials who will be worth 1+ to the respective team’s goal difference per match….. and possibly more in Glasgow derbies.
And their be-suited employers at hampden who have already made their first play by banning Jozo for being sent off in a bounce match.
HH jg
Inquitsov 9.24pm & Jamesgang 10.19pm
Don’t take a bow as i think that’s a lot of rubbish :-)
Remember this … worry about things when they happen worrying about it beforehand is silly
Neil (not Neal) Lennon will be victorious this season … you read it here first :-)
By the way I agree with Bankiebhoy01 earlier … it’s always good to disagree and take other Celtic fans opinions on board … am just happy I am right :-)
AKBW1888 on 29TH JULY 2019 9:40 PM
In my opinion Boyata was over rated a bit of a bomb scare like Tebily remember him?
Hi mate.disagree with you there.Boyata had a great season for us in the games he played.okok I get the upset over aek Athens but he contributed professionally to our success last season.
His contract situation lingered.but he played well.
HH
Anyway hope big Julian cuts it;-)
GFTB @ 10:33
You miss the point entirely. The idea is to PLAN ahead, not worry beforehand. If you plan ahead, you will diminish any worry. Our succession planning over the past few transfer windows has been sadly deficient.
You just stated, “Worry about things when they happen.” Hardly the way to live your life, far less manage a football club.
And, btw, dismissing an argument in it’s entirety by saying, “That’s a lot of rubbish,” really clarifies your debating ability ( or lack thereof ).
IniquitousIV
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/jul/29/bury-suspend-efl-league-one-match-mk-dons
This how a real football association behave.
Inquitisov 10.48pm
Apologies… I was looking for a debate
I do prefer to worry about things when they happen … if you think Celtic aren’t preparing fair enough
Treble treble suggests the preparation is going well …
Again if I wanted a debate I would look for a debate … for me I think Celtic are doing absolutely fine … but hope they can do better ….
Still gutted we didn’t sign David Turnbull I think that bhoy is a star ⭐️
That should read “I wasn’t looking for a debate” :-)
Inquitisov
It’s a Celtic blog so better off keeping your “life advice” to yourself am pretty sure I wouldn’t preach to you :-)
Am pretty content in the way I live my life hope you enjoy your …
“succession planning” :-)
Celtic have spent £13m on 3 defenders in case you have missed their succession plan
Hello again all you young rebels.
Finally recovered enough to make a post after our battle at the
brewery, it’s very difficult when your heid and liver are vying with
one another to give you the most pain.
Didn’t help trying to log on and all yon foreign language stuff and
ERROR what is that all about?
Anyway, another coupla weeks and it’s our treble treble dinner
dance here at Mornington Golf Club.
Who said supporting Celtic is not often easy?
Apart from being in an alcoholic stupor most of the time i think
it’s fantastic.
H.H Mick
GFTB…
Reckon we are planning for the future, we have a young exciting team, as witnessed last week but Inquitous makes a fair point.
We’re sitting on a bucket of money unlike oor wullies.
We need to get the quality in that will enhance our team and the kids to learn from.
We get 9 then their walls will crumble,.
We can’t afford to sit on our hands, just spend wisely.
Sipsini 11.16pm
Totally agree … but we could have all the money in the world but some players still not interested …
Think Jobo mentioned about us starting with 8 Scottish players last week; I want the best players for Celtic if Scottish that’s a bonus …
Bhoy that works with me, Celtic season ticket holder said when the Sports Direct stuff broke last week … “they better not go back down the leagues again” our succession planning is hopefully collecting trophy after trophy after trophy :-) the youngsters want a team fae Govan to beat and some Celtic fans should realise we might never attract top players if the Huns go bust again … we might not like it but the Huns are a big part of any succession plan :-)
INIQUITOUSIV…
Sorry about the spelling mate, tired eyes.
We all want the same.. Ten would be great.
Wee beginning of the season bet in work.
£10 a point on the gap at the end of the season.
No fool like a hun fool. ☘️☘️☘️
Defo bed time
Cheers for the Celtic chat
I will apologise in advance as I have no work until 20/8/19 … CQN passes the time … hope Maccabi Haifa can overcome Cluj tomorrow so I can get to the Market Inn for 5pm next midweek …. if Cluj win then kick off is a hour later … obviously this depends on Kelju not scoring 6 :-)
Hail Hail
GFTB @ 10:33
You wrote, “Remember this – worry about things when they happen. Worrying about things beforehand is silly.”
Sounds a wee bit like preaching to me.
Mbombo for KT. Jullien for Benkovic or Boyata. Elhamed for Lustig. Do you think we are stronger in defense than last season? Not even slightly concerned?
IniquitousIV
Complacency is the enemy of progress.
The belief that we just have to turn on the machine and we get to nine is a nonsense.
They have improved.
They might be skint but they have found a way to be clearly a better team than a couple of years ago.
We cannot start the league season like we did last season and we cannot afford to play the way we did at Ibrox on two occasions last season.
Neil Lennon will make sure we are ready for the challenge and I am confident we will be champions again.
I do not see it as a shoe in however.
LAZY DYNAMITE…
Cobblers. 🤭☘️☘️☘️
An Tearmann,
Thank you for the mention.
I suppose I was on a close season break as I cannot abide the transfer speculation nonsense.
I don’t have a clue who we will sign or even how the ones we have signed, will perform.
Nobody does!
I haven’t a clue if Sevco will improve but I hadn’t heard of any of their signings until they did, ( excepting low quality Scottish bosmans).
Speculation, I find tedious.
I do agree with South of Tunis’ “echo chamber” comments however.
HH
Eurochamps67
SIPSINI on 29TH JULY 2019 11:48 PM
Their manager is famous for his ‘slippers’…..
SIPSINI and GFTB. I agree we all want the same. The point I was trying to make, rather badly, was that we should always look forward, and not backwards. The treble treble was superb, but we should never, never rest on our laurels. The treble treble will be no comfort if we lose out on the 9th in a row.
A poor AEK knocked us out of the CL last season. So we should prepare differently, no? And having a settled defense before we reach a play off spot sounds like a no brainer, right? Well, we have been knocked back for one right back after another since last season. No wonder some fans, (and posters on here) are getting just a tad concerned. Those who ignore history are condemned to repeat it, and how frustrating would that be?
IniquitousIV
SIPSINI
What was “Cobblers” about LAZY DYNAMITE’S post?
IniquitousIV
INIQUITOUSIV on 29TH JULY 2019 11:57 PM
I took it as a wee joke on my ‘shoe in’ remark…….
Apart from the signing of players, Celtic’s forward planning in extending other player’s contracts sometimes gets overlooked. There was a vast number of players who last season and the season before extended their contracts and most on 3/4 year deals, that is big time forward planning in my books por cierto.
I’ll take a repeat of a history that has given us 9 trophies in 3 seasons, who wouldn’t want that bit of history! por cierto.
We will have a job on our hands to get to 9 . Unless we toughen up our midfield , and I mean toughen up with guys who will go to the Victorian lavvy and roll there sleeves up and battle , because they know we are soft in midfield , they are even queuing up to batter broonie now . The scouser won’t need to tell his team to battle ,the hatred they have instilled in them against celtic the minute they walk in the door will come to the fore . We cannot play with the same guys who went missing the last twice we played them , we need all hands to the pumps . I would recon NL knows this ,a harder task will be getting peter lawell to back him . The nine is in his hands .
jimtim on 30th July 2019 12:16 am
——————————————————-
You’re having a laugh if you think Sevco will cope with our fire power served up by the midfield we’ve got.
HENRY JOY
Who would you select in midfield for the bigotdome on September 1?
IniquitousIV
LAZYDYNAMITE
😊😊😊
IniquitousIV
Henry joy
@@@@
What the same midfield that went missing the last twice we played them in govan , I know who’s having a laugh pal . And btw it gave me no pleasure writing that post , but there are many posters on here who also see the problem . HH
Who would win in a fight between……..
Hun Hubris and Fenian Feartiness
Sevco self-satisfaction and Celtic cowed
Blue-nosed bravado and Tims’ tremulousness
Gers grandiloquence and Hoops hysteria
Rangers rodomontade and Bhoys bowel-emptying
Can’t wait till Saturday when we get the first chance to prove things on the pitch.