Celtic Banter Archive November 07 2015

07 Nov 2015 22:30:59
In my opinion RD needs another year in that time I think he needs to pick his own back room staff and have last say in the new players we bring in then if he fails its all up to him no one else. He talks the talk would love to see him walk the walk.

08 Nov 2015 00:10:51
Mate I think it's widely regarded that he wanted the three boys from Dundee Utd after being impressed with them against us last season and also wanted the bombscare that is Boyata. His judgement appears to be poor in player recruitment, it's no coincidence for me we've suddenly went down the local recruitment route (Our Countries League) and Manchester recruitment route, a route Ronny frequented regularly whilst he was at Stromsgodset. Just for those four your talking £5M alone excluding wages and for me they have no-resale value between them certainly not what we paid for them as they're poor players imo there's a few more but these stand out for me and then when you add in the £40M or so we've lost through not qualifying for CL to years on the spin you can see why fans are becoming less and less convinced by Ronny like myself, his judgement of a player appears to be extremely poor and I wouldn't trust him with another window. He does talk the talk very well however I agree with that and the brand of football he talks about is what everyone wants to see but it doesn't look like becoming a reality.

08 Nov 2015 06:47:52
@celticforever that's just a bare faced lie in a shallow attempt to slander Ronny Deila. He had no say in transfers of cifti, armstrong or gms. Nor did he have a say in Boyata.

08 Nov 2015 08:35:04
Dn30 you should have read Chris suttons column in record yesterday he says he asked Ronny in an interview if he in charge of player recruitment and it was an emphatic yes. Now I might not agree with everything Sutton says but would he lie in a national paper about what Ronny said in an interview? personally I think Ronny has to go sooner rather later as when you start to divide the fans as Ronny is doing there is no way back. @tony2bhoy I read a lot of posters saying let him pick his own back room team. Does anyone know if Ronny isn't happy with them as he does a lot of talking but never criticises them it's actually only been praise I've seen from Ronny about them? If he has no say in transfer policy and isn't happy with the coaching team then he has to grow a backbone and tell everyone he's not happy as he is going to get sacked sooner or later.

08 Nov 2015 09:06:47
DN30,I admire your loyalty to a non experienced, Norwegian league standard manager and how you back him to the hilt shifting the blame to Lawwell and Co. Don't get me wrong they are as guilty as but these last 2 European results were against a team that are presently 6 th in a league played by part time footballers. I'm sure young Teirney is earning more than their best paid player. Are you suggesting that the Molde team are better man for man than the Celtic team?
What I will suggest is that a bunch of part time players were better prepared and drilled than we were. What I would also suggest is when Lawwell does bow to popular demand ( I'm sure like the rest of us he has realised he's made a major cock up) is maybe the Molde manager would have been a better option. He would fit right into Lawwell's cheap and cheerful strategy and seems to know how to prepare a team for the big mid week games we all thrive on.
Certainly wouldn't. be my choice but an acceptable step up from the present scenario we are lumbered with.

08 Nov 2015 09:45:41
I definitely think the 3 D Utd lads would have been put to Ronny, especially GMS and Armstrong, as I think Lawwell and Park realised they had wasted so much bringing in foreign signings that they should look closer to home/at Scottish talent. Boyata I think would have been Ronny's idea because he had watched him for years during his dealings with Man City while at Stromgodset, as far as I know Park suggested Danny Wilson (another young Scottish player) but Deila wanted Boyata! They obviously had a bet to see who could come up with the worst centre half! I blame Lawwell because no one really knows how much power Park has, so they can technically all blame each other while hiding in the shadows. Reading between the lines they must all sit and discuss it but I certainly think that before Deila came in it was decided they were going to go for young Scottish players! The only criteria should be ability, and that's the bit that they're all forgetting about. There is also no aggression in the team, - just watched Match Of The Day and that Berahino was scared to put his head through a ball from 6 year in front of goal, we've got a full team of characters like that!

08 Nov 2015 10:06:36
Dn 30 I listened to the deila interview and he left no doubt that it is his decision and his alone who signs for the club, also I especially watch ronny during the seconds half when a blind mans dog could see it was going wrong and all that struck me was here we have a manager who give a terrific impression of a rabbit caught in the headlights, I fully understand you want deila to be successful like every other celtic also wants him to succeed, but imo that will not happen not now not in a year's time, not in 10 years time, lawwell took a punt in the dark by bringing in deila and I believe most fans have given him a fair crack of the whip but I ask you this, is the team even slightly better than the team that lost to maribor 19 signings later. the reality is the day lawwell went over his head to bring in Collins and Kennedy was the day that the dressing room was also lost, contradary to what some people think most players are not as thick as an elephants foreskin and very quickly worked out what Ronny was about and that his stay would be short.

08 Nov 2015 12:25:34
Solskjaer just had a year from hell at Cardiff so that is a great shout! We don't want, and don't need anyone else remotely close to that standard. For some reason Norweigan managers have been a nightmare in the UK - Henning Berg was sacked after a record 2 months or whatever at Blackburn, I also remember Solbakken being chased! If we do make a change we need to forget about your Owen Coyle's etc, - if we went and paid £3 million a year for a top top manager it would be the best money we ever spent because it's more important than 3 average players, - the manager will always be the most important person at any club. The board are useless though and simply not qualified to pick a manager, - Desmond wanted Keane because of aura, standing he has, especially as a world class player, he was also desperate for Coyle the first time (when he was at Burnley) - they ended up going for Mowbray. Even wanting Ronny as assistant, but going for him because he impressed at the interview, that's totally flawed also, and I like him, but that's the problem with the country - we have university graduates in high powered jobs because they come across great, look good on paper, the problem is when you are at the coal face, dealing with pressure, that's when many people buckle and it ends in tears! When Southampton wanted a new manager a few years ago they asked different highly respected people in the game and Mourinho recommended Pochettino, that's just an example, but that board of ours are useless, plain and simple!

08 Nov 2015 12:23:54
It's a lose - lose scenario whichever version you believe; if RD had no say in his transfers and signings plus accepted whatever back room staff were allocated - he is a puppet. However if he did make those mediocre and disappointing signings and is content with such an ineffective coaching team and the constant unacceptable defending - then he is fully culpable and must take the blame.

08 Nov 2015 11:30:14
DN30 don't dare accuse me of being a liar to slander our manager, I have never been one on here for slaughtering Ronny at any turn as I believe he's working with an extreme bunch of average, limited mediocre players and has good ideas for what he wants his team to look like and I have always been interested in his philosophy coming to fruition, unfortunately, he hasn't been ruthless enough in selecting the players who can play well to his system.

But what I have said is that he does himself no favours every week with the constant selections of under-performing players like Boyata, Gordon, Johansen, Armstrong, Brown and a few others. That sends no message out to the players if they're never in fear of being dropped despite performance levels and it's these players who are majorly contributing to our poor performances and results.

Lets look at the facts, before Ronny arrived at Celtic his market in Norway for Stromsgodset where he shopped in was the local market (Norweigan Football) and Manchester loan players. This is fact.

Now that he's arrived at Celtic most of our signings have been made from the local market (Scottish Football, Armstrong, GMS, Ciftci, Allan, Christie) and Manchester (Boyata, Janko, Blackett, Guidetti, Denayer) . Are you going to tell me that this is simply coincidence now that all of a sudden we are shopping in these markets now Ronny has arrived? As that would be quite a coincidence. When you also take into consideration that the last time we signed a player from another Scottish team (Stokes, Hibs, 2010) was also five years ago It's time to get your head out the sand mate and wake up to what is happening, these are Ronny signings and whilst he deserves praise for the loan of Denayer he like wise should come under fire of a bunch of imposters as far as I'm concerned that have been signed under his watch.

When he arrived here he talked about the Scottish national team and how the local market bringing in players plying their trade in our own league would be the route we would be going down, taking the best from the rest so to speak. Well I feel he has seriously overestimated the quality of Scottish football and it's only now he may have realised he's made a mistake in these players as they simply aren't good enough, there's no way these players could be sold for better fees than we paid for each of them which represents bad business as well as poor players on the park. Enough is enough for me tbh and I don't trust him with another transfer window and another crack at CL qualification. That's my opinion. I'm still willing to give him the last two games in EL but don't hold out much hope.

08 Nov 2015 13:15:53
Don't think that there is much wrong with GMS, Armstrong or Ciftci, in terms of ability, it's just that they're being asked to play out of their best positions, in systems that are not working for them, for instance that game against Molde, how do you think we would have got on, if Armstrong had played in Johansenns place and GMS had played in Armstrongs position.

08 Nov 2015 13:38:27
I think we'd have still been as poor aindoh, Armstrong is such a limited player, a poor tackler, passes, finisher, creator consistantly. He can play decent one twos at times but too few and far between. GMS has been shocking all season and he's even worse when playing in the LW position than the RW. They're not Celtic class mate let's be honest.

08 Nov 2015 14:00:56
Maybe if Armstrong and GMS were given a prolonged run inthe team, irrespective of how they were playing ala Johansenn, you would see what I mean.

08 Nov 2015 14:04:53
Its really bad when a Celtic supporter uses anything from the Celtic hater Sutton to back up his story . Sutton was earning millions at Celtic and refused to train in the afternoon when WGS became manager as he went to the bookies in the afternoon . Having lost all his money and become bankrupt as well as been forced to go from the manager's job at. Lincoln . Sutton licked the arses of the Scottish media and took up the role of Deila attacker . Sutton's new role has gave him new found friendship within the MSSM and indeed more work than if he had remained neutral
A small number of Celts believe him of course but the vast majority wouldn't touch Sutton with a barge pole .

08 Nov 2015 18:25:49
Old Bhoy you may not like Sutton but Ronnid has said before that he is in charge of recruitment. I think I would rather take rinnies word for that than take your view on it! What do you know that we don't? If he was not in charge then what is the point in giving him another season as he has had 19 players that you say we're forced on him so how does he change it anyway if your view is correct.

08 Nov 2015 19:17:05
Old bhoy, I've agreed with somethings you've being saying lately, but your way off the mark with Sutton, WGS got rid of him because he was a high earner, and he was not as great a player as he was.
This Scottish media hates us cr@p has to stop, big Sutton has just been saying the same as a lot of supporters have been saying, his opinion and nothing else.

08 Nov 2015 22:58:52
First of all, if you think Molde has "part time" players just because their 6th in the league this year, your wrong TTTS.
Molde is backed by two of the richest persons in Norway (Røkke and Gjeldsten) and have some of the best paid players in the league. In five years Molde have won 4 major trophies and won the double last season, in a league now rated better than SPL. (Tippeligaen 24, SPL 25)

Molde is rated nr 35 in Europe this season where Liverpool and Tottenham (to name a few) is rated below them.

Elyounoussi, Linnes, Forren, Hestad, Gabrielsen, Kamara, Hussain are all national team players with three of them picked for the play off against Hungary and the rest playing for U21.

Norwgian football has been turned up side down, we have had a few seasons where it seemed that nothing was getting better, but slowly over the last two seasons everything has changed a lot of it thanks to Deila and other managers in the league who understand what it takes too succeed not only in short term, but for generations.

09 Nov 2015 01:10:08
Norwegianred, if I'm honest, I think I've come to the reality that Norwegian football is stronger than Scottish, we went out today (still with defensive frailties) and won in a cantor, but against molde, we looked very weak, for us to be slagging molde, or Norwegian football is, disrespectful, and we in Scotland have to accept that our league is getting weaker every season.

10 Nov 2015 16:19:33
I have little doubt the Norwegian football compares very well with Scottish, they adopted a very defensive formation and structure against us home and away and although we seemed to go missing from time to time with any luck we could have won the home game at least . Two offside goals in first ten minutes, a couple more close things and two great headers cleared . In second half when we were really suffering the most ridiculed Johannson played a superb ball to Griffiths and I still can't understand how we didn't score .
All we get is that Deila is not up to the job, he had a right to expect& get better .

07 Nov 2015 19:50:29
Whilst standing on the Erskine bridge after Thursdays game, I suddenly realised that it may all be bad. Last year we conceded 10 goals in the EL, this year we have only conceded 9 so far, if we keep two clean sheets in next two games then we have made progress!

However the chances of us keeping 2 clean sheets seem unlikely! I suppose the point is that our defence was pants last year in Europe but we raved about Denayer and van dijk?

Scottish football is pretty poor now and that includes Celtic but everyone goes on about money? Molde and malmo teams cost pennies but they knew how to play as a unit and be difficult to break down that's what we need to be. I don't know how but thought I would share my thoughts. Any views?

07 Nov 2015 22:14:30
That is why it's more about recruitment rather than money Marty, our transfer strategy is now flawed and needs re-looked at. Our current strategy is only seeing us develop players and being used as a feeder club to Southampton.

We need to just go out there and bring a few seasoned pros in from leagues such as French League, Italian league etc where decent players can be picked up for £2-3M well within our budget and a lot better than the players we've been purchasing from within our own league.

08 Nov 2015 12:32:02
The club needs a total scouting overhaul and the manager needs an experienced director of football to liaise with and co-ordinate the signing of quality, value for money targets.
We are unable to compete with the big clubs any more but there are still plenty avenues to explore and exploit, only if we have the right scouting system in place.

07 Nov 2015 19:25:15
We need to move on . We have to park Thursday's night game in the back of our mind and look ahead to our most important game of the season, so far . Away to Ross County, our next game is always the most important . We need 3 points tomorrow to keep the MSSM off our backs and keep them from wetting themselves with the thought of both Hearts and Aberdeen finishing ahead of us in the SPL . Then we would have a crisis . A major crisis.

07 Nov 2015 20:34:08
Yeah and we win and everything's rosey in the garden lol
Can only paper over cracks for so long.

07 Nov 2015 22:06:56
We could lose tomorrow and maybe that would please our fans who want Deila out
Our goal has to be to win the SPL, every thing else can be seen as a bonus .
Europa League is certainly a mere pipe dream we were never going to win it this season yet the media and some of our fans have made reaching the last 32 a Deila breaker
Let us all support the Celic tomorrow and let the naysayers continue in their negativity.

08 Nov 2015 00:19:40
Old Bhoy I admire your enthusiasm and strong backing of where we are as a club as it is sometimes too easy just to be so negative when a few results aren't going our way.

However this is more than just results it's about performances as well, trying to get past the likes of Legia Warsaw, Maribor, Malmo and Molde shouldn't be seen as a bonus, it should be almost expected. Our budget outweighs them tenfold and with that we should be expecting to cast them aside and make the groups of the CL, then anything after that should be seen as a bonus.

08 Nov 2015 14:20:32
Celticforever you are spoil ing whatever merit there may be in your argument by going back 12/14 months to pick out bad results .
Have you a personal interest in getting RD out? Do you think u have a chance of replacing Deila? You post like Chris Suton.

07 Nov 2015 15:09:32
Player recruitment has been the biggest problem for me over the last few years, the level of player we have brought in just isn't the same as it has been.

People sight the window in which we purchased Boeriggter, Pukki and Balde as a bad window which in fairness it was, a waste of money, although Virgil and Bitton arrived in the same window. Fact is though, that the last couple of windows after that have been even worse in player recruitment. When fully fit Boeriggter is a better player than both Armstrong and GMS and Pukki is a better striker than Ciftci. So we've went backwards even more in the purchases of the trio from Dundee Utd who are average, mediocre players whom we should never have bought for the total sum of £3.5M for the three of them, a waste of money and are not of the required level at Celtic who could make an impact in Europe.

A pointless loan move for a terrible player in Blackett and a signing which has failed in epic proportions in Boyata whom I have no time for and is a terrible defender and footballer. Obviously can't really judge but the signings of Allan and Christie I also don't hold out much hope for in their ability to step up suitably enough for Europe coming from Scotland is just the way I view the leagues and countries quality.

When you add to this we still have stubborn, ageing and players who have well past their sell by date but are still clinging on to their contracts like Stokes, Mulgrew etc it just isn't a good mix.

We're in an absolute mess with our squad with very little sellable assets. A bunch of average/mediocre players the majority of them whom we've no chance of parting with for years.

I really don't know where we go from here and how this problem gets fixed in time for next season. I don't see Ronny being strong enough to drop players like Johansen, Armstrong, Boyata and even Gordon who are going to cost Ronny his job if he keeps persisting with these serious under-performers. Something radical needs to change urgently, I'm giving Ronny the final two games in the EL to turn this mess around, he has a final chance to get it right but if we don't beat Ajax and put up a decent performance in Fenerbache then it's the end of the road for me, I like his ideas and beliefs but I don't feel he's a strong enough character to pursue these beliefs in his team selection.

07 Nov 2015 15:55:58
Spot on post.

07 Nov 2015 18:36:16
The real problem is not so much the quality or lack of it, of the players it is obviously the coaching and motivational skills of the manager and coaches, its to easy to blame the players abilities and let Ronnie of scot free every time when critiscm is . getting thrown about.

07 Nov 2015 19:00:47
Welcome back Celticforever
Do you still think Celtic are better or worse with Scot Brown?
Every club has players like Boerittger Mulgrew and Stokes drawing their wages and contributing nothing . Every club signs some players that progress and do well and players who just don't .
We have signed a lot of young Scottish players, having tralled all over Europe with mixed results . Time will tell us if these players come good . I wouldn't write off Boyata yet, he could well come good .

07 Nov 2015 19:04:07
Can't argue with that and I only wish Lawell could read the comments on here from concerned, disappointed and angry supporters who love this club with all of their being.
When rangers died in 2012 Lawell and co have adopted a complacent and arrogant stance, assuming Celtic would sweep all before them domestically - even with untested managers and selling off all of our decent players, in the absence of a serious domestic rival of equal resources.

The result is a Celtic team that is a shadow of what fans expect and deserve coasting domestically and failing drastically in Europe for the past two seasons.
Obviously we are by far the best in Scotland, but that honour is fast losing credibility and credence, while we continue to lose against European minnows.

07 Nov 2015 13:02:32
Reading all the posts about Delia, it seems opinion is divided on him, I am firmly in the AGAINST camp and here are some of my main reasons.
1) we keep being told he was "a bold and innovative appointment by Mr Lawwell, even ED007 has said something similar" No, he was not, he was the cheapest of the cheap available"
2) his admirers on here keep telling us "the team's fitness has improved" again no it has not
3) his awful zonal marking, does any work go into improving this? none that I can see
4) apparently Delia bases his formations on our defenders playing the ball out from the back, why then put Ambrose, Boyata, Blackett there who patently cannot pass a decent ball
5) "judge me in europe" he said, well we are and his record is abysmal.
6)again we hear of him "bringing on" Griffiths, Commons etc but what about the others who last season were standouts and have gone backwards Gordon, Johansen, even Brown, we can all name a good few others
7)where is the passion from him, or the understanding what it means to manage a club like Celtic, maybe below average results were acceptable in stromsogadet but NOT at Celtic.
In summary he was a cheap option that people tried to spin into a world beater, no not a world beater just getting celtic beaten in europe is his legacy.

{Ed007's Note - 1) Don't put words in my mouth Tim, I've warned you about that before. Why are you not that confident in your own opinion that you're dragging me into it?
2) Players fitness and conditioning is monitored all the time and EVERY players has improved under RD's and the sports science department new approach, it's there in black and white so you're talking bollocks there.
3) Gordon Strachan and Neil Lennon both used zonal-marking, you didn't even know what it was then and have only started talking about it since the press mentioned it against RD.
4) Who else should he pick? Ever heard the saying 'You can only pi$h with the c*ck you've got?
5) His record so far is still better than our last manager and comparable to most during recent times, managers who had a far superior transfer kitty and some of them even got to pick who was signed.
6) How can he improve an injury prone 32 year old GK and one of the laziest players ever to play for us, players form goes up and down Tim, that's football. Would Bitton, Rogic or Tierney have been in our first team without RD in charge, Griffiths has improved leaps and bounds, ffs even Forrest seems to be staying fit - that's a miracle in itself.
7) So you've spoken to RD personally and asked him about his feelings? You're a lucky guy.}

07 Nov 2015 14:29:17
Every team has their ups and downs in form, just take a look at Chelsea. So many superstars but their still losing games, against teams everybody think their should be trashing. They have one of the best squads in europe, but still manages to lose against Palace, Southampton etc etc.

You could say that anybody could win SPL with Celtic, but if you look behind the results in Europe, your not that far behind. Should have won against Ajax, should have (with a bit of luck) won against Molde the orher night, and the game against Fenerbache could also with a bit of luck have been won.

Would Bitton sign a new contract if he didn't have confidence in Deila? Would Tierney be such a good talent with out Deila's regime for the last two seasons? You have a great future for your fantastic club, two years in is still a short time for all changes to stick and your now seing results of Deila's youth system. Give him at least one or two more seasons and you will get successfull.

07 Nov 2015 14:34:12
BTW Tyler Blackett did all the same mistakes when he played for United, so its not like Deila has made him worse.

07 Nov 2015 14:46:11
Sorry folks, But I just cannot see where this fitness levels are superior, we are used to bulldozing teams in the SPL games over @ HT and under RD some games we are nowhere near that!

Against Malmo, Molde we were a SPENT force at HT and that is being generous!

Don't get me wrong I WANT it to work

But 80/90% of the team ain't trying for RD/JC/JK it seems SB has an issue now with JC that stems from a decade ago

For sure Biton deserved a new deal but here another way of looking at it what FOUR at this stage of the season would you be short listing for POTY .?

A rest my case!

07 Nov 2015 14:53:52
Nice to see you NorwegianRed looks as though you were right about Forren being a player that we should pursue mate

I wonder Ed how does the Bosman rule work for Norway do yo know? he is under contract there to Christmas next year so when would (if at all? ) be able to sign a pre-contract thanks.

{Ed007's Note - He'll be able to sign a pre-contract 6 months before his deal expires so that'll be 1st July 2016.}

07 Nov 2015 15:30:46
Likewise Jamiebhoy, Forren is a good player and would be a great signing for you, i believe. Him and Simunovic would be a perfect pair if you ask me.

{Ed007's Note - I'm hoping Simunovic is the missing link that will install the confidence in our defence that's been missing. We're missing a leader/organiser at the back, and I include the GK in that, but injuries etc aren't helping matters in letting RD pick a settled back four to let them develop as a defensive unit.}

07 Nov 2015 15:49:13
True ED, i also think Simunovic is your missing link, you could really see that against Molde. Once Simunovic got injured the whole deffence looked like it wa playing sunday league.

07 Nov 2015 15:52:19
I can only judge the team on what I see week in week out. In my opinion we are in a worse state than when he took over, we have gone from a team who were in the Champions League to a struggling Europa League team while he has been in charge. I fully accept that players have been sold, and that his job has not been easy, but these conditions were not thrust upon him out of the blue, I'm sure he took the job knowing that we are a selling club, so he can't really complain.
Selling players doesn't stop him motivating the players that are left, it doesn't stop him being a good tactician and playing to a system which suits the players he has, and which they are comfortable and confident in playing.
These are the areas where Ronny looks badly lacking to me, by all means improve the fitness, but that doesn't make you a good coach, any fitness instructor at a gym could improve the players fitness, but you wouldn't put them in charge of the team.
I have yet to see what managerial ability Ronny has that I haven't seen, as I said before, you don't need great players to demonstrate that ability, good man- management, and tactical knowledge can just as easily be shared with lesser players.

{Ed007's Note - 'we have gone from a team who were in the Champions League to a struggling Europa League team'

When we were last in the CL our record was P.6; W.1; D.0; L.5; GF 3. GA 14 GD −11; Pts 3.
Last season we reached the KO stages of the EL and were unlucky not to get by Inter and yes this season has been a disaster but don't make it out as if we were any big deal in the CL, we were the whipping boys and were embarrassed 7-1 on aggregate by Barca. For the record Ajax were also in our group that year and look where they are now - and we lost 1-0 to them in Amsterdam that year.
I think a more accurate statement would be 'We have gone from a CL laughing stock to a struggling EL team', I don't really see the difference except the £ and I couldn't give a stuff about that.}

07 Nov 2015 15:58:17
Yeah Norwegianred Forren reminded of a Stevie Bruce type of defender not scared to put the boot or head in where it hurts IMO and can score from a set piece (y)

07 Nov 2015 16:06:05
Hope your right about missing link with jozo the bhoy does look like he's the no nonsense type just hope he's not going to be injury prone. For me what's missing at the back is an experienced head there doesn't seem to be any organisation in the back 4. It's been stated by many in here about lustig moving into the middle that for me could be the answer with a fit jozo and tierney and Janko at full back. My best mate is city season ticket holder and couldn't believe we took boyata let alone paid for him he is always going to cost us goals.

07 Nov 2015 16:49:49
Ed you can try and dress it up any way you want, but whether or not we struggled in the Champions league, at least we were in it.
I personally do think the money is important, as I can't see any other way of raising money that would enable us to buy better quality than the likes of Cifti, Boyata etc.
I don't get the argument that says it's unacceptable to be pumped by Barcelona, but it's okay to be humiliated by, Molde, Maribor, Malmo, and Leiga Warsaw.
In my opinion, losing to the likes of Barcelona, although it is painful, cannot be compared to losing to the likes of Molde, we know Barcelona are way ahead of us, and always will be, but are we now saying that we cannot even compete with Molde, a team who are sixth in the Norwegian league.
I totally respect your views Ed, but I can't believe that celtic shouldn't be aiming a bit higher than that.

{Ed007's Note - At least we were in it, is that it? That's like something Lawwell would come out with, I'd rather see us compete in the EL than be ripped apart in the CL, no matter how you dress it up CFC are not a CL team or club at this moment at time, we don't deserve to be in it because we don't try hard enough for it, we piss players, agents and clubs around all summer and then if the gamble of qualifying doesn't come off we're left scrambling for diddies like Ciftci and Scott AllanSo what did we spend the last lot of CL money on? Not to mention the income from transfers, even when we have the money we don't spend it.
Molde might be sixth in the Norwegian league but we're buying players from Dundee Utd, players a lot of fans wanted signed btw, I'd say Molde are a higher level than Utd wouldn't you? What about Scott Allan, a Scottish second division player that people want to see playing in Europe for CFC after being here for 4 months! I'd say 6th in the Norwegian league is a higher level than 3rd place in the Scottish second division where Scott Allan came from. There would be people foaming at the mouth if we were signing second division players from abroad.}

07 Nov 2015 17:21:59
ED why are u not interested in the CL money. Surely given that we get it then we are more likely attract better players as obv they won't come to just play in our league.
Obv I don't expect the board to spend all of the money we get but we can certainly spend more with it than without it.
Also surely with it we can increase the wage structure you clearly crave. Regarding the Barcelona result we were well beaten but Barcelona can do that to anyone. Look at Barca/Bayern games recently they have beaten each other easily so we in good company.
I would much rather be a CL embarrassment than a EL embarrassment, and people can't bring up the Barcelona humiliation without mentioning beating them previously.
Its 1 of the greatest results in our CL history and every celtic fan remembers it.

{Ed007's Note - The money doesn't get invested in the team and the entire competition is a cancer in our game that is only there to favour the rich clubs, I couldn't care less if CFC never played in it again. The CL and the EPL are slowly killing the game and some CFC supporters would sell their granny to get into either, whilst preaching to their Zombie pals about financial malpractise.
I support Celtic, not any particular competition, I supported CFC before the CL was invented and I'll still be supporting them when the next money spinner tournament is invented to swell the coffers of the super powers and the officials involved.}

07 Nov 2015 18:24:56
Well said ed! If you weren't from the Hamilton area I would call you a good man haha.

07 Nov 2015 18:26:35
ED I with you about the CL cancer but we cannot avoid it, its there its a huge cash cow and it brings the huge games we crave as supporters. We do invest in the team, maybe not to the level we would like but I suppose 99% of fans all over the world would say the same about their team.
We will prob buy 2to4m player if we in it regularly, maybe even more. But if we a EL team consistently then it will prob be 1-2m. That's the difference. Better player means better football.

{Ed007's Note - Fans carry on like the CL is the be all and end all, it's football snobbery at it's very worst and our own attendances show we're as guilty as anyone of it. The strange thing about it is that RD is being put under more pressure over failing to qualify than previous managers, that again shows how far out of touch with the realities of the club sections of the support are.}

07 Nov 2015 18:31:56
Are you really trying to say ED that when we were losing in Malmo, you were sitting there rooting for Malmo because you didn't want us to get into the Champions League.
I too support Celtic, I support them in every match we play in whatever competition, but I want us to try and win every match we play in, so that involves trying to get into the Champions league, I want us to try and reach the best standards we can manage.
You may not like the money in the Champions league, but you can't compare being in it to what the zombies did, they cheated their way to titles and stuff by dodgy tax dealings, as far as I know there is nothing illegal about being in the Champions League.
I don't view it any differently to wanting to reach the next level, if we finish runners up in the league, then I want to win it the following year, if we lose a Cup final, I want us to try and win the next one, and if we are in the Europa League, I want us to try and go up a level and get in the Champions league, it doesn't mean I stop supporting them if they don't.
I just want Celtic to get to the highest level they can manage, I don't feel with this current board and the present manager, they are giving it their best shot.

{Ed007's Note - I read the first line and that was enough for me.}

07 Nov 2015 19:14:41
Deila isn't doing it in Europe So what? His predecessors didn't either and they all went on to have various degrees of success once they got more European experience . I can't understand how Deila can be blamed for Johannson's loss of form . Deila has dropped him and given opportunities to rest-up but some think Deila should be able to switch on last season's Johannson form . Instead of having our new Centre half for our four Europa League matches so far, we have had him for only one .
By the way was his injured ankle targeted on Thursday?

07 Nov 2015 19:02:18
Ed u living in the past mate u need to move with the times. We may not like the way CL is set up, but it means success to a lot of fans being in it. U got leccy in hillhoose yet lol.

{Ed007's Note - No it means money to fans, and money is all that seems to bother modern fans, success would be winning it. I don't stay in Hillhouse btw.}

07 Nov 2015 20:08:24
Sorry ED007 for this late reply but I was doing my taxi driver as girls would not go on bus in the rain (I ask you. )
I am older than your goodself and have witnessed the good and bad times at celtic, yet I am still here getting excited when they play well and yes angry when I watch rubbish.
Please answer honestly are you happy with the progress? we have made under Delia, fitter? I see little evidence of it. Also honestly do you think Lawwell picked Delia for his coaching abilitities or as myself and others suspect his low salary.
You continually knock Lennon and Oneill but both got us playing some really good football and gave us good memories in CL, yes both made mistakes but FFS Delia does not even come close to giving us good memories in europe, instead he has made us a laughing stock.
Delia has come out and said he has had major say in all our signings since he came in so he must take blame himself instead of passing blame on to players. he says they lack passion where is HIS passion.
You continually criticise Gordon yet criticise posters like myself who ask questions about Delia. I can honestly say I have tried to get behind Delia can you say the same about Gordon.

07 Nov 2015 21:44:55
CL is the holy grail and we SHOULD be in it 3 of every 5!

You want to drive the best car you can afford

You want your kids to get the best education / best schooling

You want to stay in the best house in the best area you can

Sleep with the best looking female you can

Why would anyone not want to be among the best they can?

07 Nov 2015 08:29:35
Well it's the weekend horses again and nothing daunted putting up a couple of long shots at Doncaster
IT MUST BE FAITH (sums up my betting lol) 1.50 Doncaster 25/1 and
STORM FORCE TEN (what Delia is getting from angry Celtic fans) 3.30 Doncaster 12/1 . First race paying 4 places, second 5 places so go small each way bets.