I was disappointed for St Johnstone at their exit from the Europa League last night but not for Scottish football, or our coefficient points. Saints are a provincial club in a very rural part of Scotland. You only have to travel through the hills to Perth to realise that pocket of Scotland, with its tractors, knitwear and wellie boot shops, has no God given right to beat a team from any municipality anywhere.
They have done very well for the last couple of seasons, from a tiny catchment area, but managed to reach Europe by pipping Dundee United, who ironically were good enough to have key players poached midseason.
St Johnstone don’t have potential superstars, they are also the oldest team in the league, which gets you through a long campaign but they are never going to sparkle. Or earn Scottish football a hatful of coefficient points.
Dundee United were decimated by the loss of those two players midseason, and were done no favours with the shadow of uncertainty which enveloped backroom and boardroom for months, but they, Aberdeen and Celtic are the only Scottish clubs capable of getting their act together to the extent required to reach European group stages. For everyone else, Europe is strictly a July pursuit, so don’t stress about it, and Tommy Wright is well within his rights to talk up his own club.
If Scottish football wants to get all introspective about last night, we should concern ourselves with concentrating resources on clubs who are independently financially viable: Dundee United, Aberdeen, Hearts, Celtic, Hibs and maybe Dundee. If more of our sponsorship and TV money went to Aberdeen and United and less to the thirty-or-so hangers on, they would be better placed to consolidate their development work and compete in Europe.
Celtic are five days away from their opening competitive game of the season, so I would think tonight’s friendly against Davie Moyes’ Real Sociedad will be the last strenuous exercise the players go through after what will have been a taxing first few weeks of preseason. After this workout it should all be about recovery before the visit of Stjarnan on Wednesday. The usual caveats apply to Nadir Ciftci, if he looks like he couldn’t run upstairs, he’s about where I’d expect him to be right now.
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Citfcie will be a revelation this season
Thunder road
Agree!
HH!!
Janice coming on for GMS and makes his debut wide right.
The signs are very good with our new signings.
Clare Tomlinson at it now, Real held Celtic for 69 minutes well behind Celtic in their preparation, beaten by Dukla Prague in te previous game, Why do Sky sports presenters hate Celtic?
Janko sets up Stefan who hesitates and Chance is gone
Janice ??? meant Janko – damn predictive text !!
Sometimes jo Hansen is a dumplin
Big Ciftci looks good at linking play
He will surprise many
Madden bang at it now…
Mystery foul awarded by Madden when Janko had broken past defence.
Refereeing is well up to the standard of the SPFL. Dire.
embramike
Mine corrects to Jamal. Pain in the Erchie
Any chance someone can post clip of the goal
Can’t get on Celtic telly
Says error in loading
No playable sources
I’m 55ye know
When watching youtube 2013/14 and 2014/15 for
Ciftci goals and assists
which was followed by 2013/14 goals and assists
for GMS
was surprised by how many times our 3
ex arabs set up each other i.e virtually every goal.
Brown fouled and is not happy.
Get him off Ronny
3 separate posters criticise Madden at exactly the same time. It must be really bad.
Boooooooooooooo!
thunder Road
The problem for me is that I type slowly … so I read a post, then try to type a response, but by the time I have finished typing, the page has often changed, and I miss a few other comments..
a much more entertaining second half ….
The bhoy Janko looks like he will do the biz for us.
Strange tho, all thems who are criting the team after a couple of pre season games, IMO, don’t have a feckin clue about football.
Thankfully they have feck all to do with coaching or picking our team :-)
HH
Madden is a total wanker
We have dominated this half Craig hasn’t been bothered
There might be clear benefit in playing preseason games in Scotland but the hun basket refs certainly ain’t one of them.
Sick to death of Madden before the real action starts…
TheOriginalSadiesBhoy
The Basques will be on the plane saying I wish we could have that ref every game:))
Madden awards a corner. Fans behind goal say it was a bye
Thunder road
You must be talking about the prima Donna clique. They blank me all the time
They are the true sons of the true sons of the keepers of the holy flame. They only to fellow members
Dessybhoy
Presenters don’t hate celtic. You are being paranoid
Wow just wow
boaby madyin total hun bastard!
Billy Ocean now on
Craig saves low from a nice volley
Cmon the Celts
Shoot some goals
Exiled, anyone who takes friendlies seriously is bonkers
TSOAL:
Dentil Washington shurely…
Real shoot over Looking for a late equaliser
BT
Madden isnae a wanker.
The W(wankers) D(efence) L(eague) insist he’s a great guy, and a St Mirren fan.
Allegedly.
HH!!
Denzil even…
starry plough
21:22 on 10 July, 2015
TheOriginalSadiesBhoy
The Basques will be on the plane saying I wish we could have that ref every game:))
………,,……………..
They’re just an ignorant shower of Hurtin’ Huns. They deserve everything that has happened to their club. I bet the Basques are bemused by it all.
SOAL
You listening to Radio 2?
The Spirit of Arthur Lee
21:24 on 10 July, 2015
Billy Ocean now on
————
Slipknot on ere
Seen them at download
Sensational
As were muse and kiss
WITS ….. some truth to that, but, if it is the last friendly before we embark on our european campaign, then I think that is a bit different from the first of, say, seven preseason matches …..