04 Aug 2017 10:01:16
After the EL qualifiers it's getting harder and harder to argue any sort of case for Scottish football being anything other than garbage - with us being the exception to the rule. The problem is that it's only going to get worse unless there's some serious financial investment but nobody wants to invest because it's so bad currently. In case anybody is thinking "who cares? ", a stronger domestic scene would mean more money for us and more chance of attracting better players.


1.) 04 Aug 2017
04 Aug 2017 10:26:45
I care. More than anything it would just be more enjoyable to watch. No doubt it would help Celtic too. I think clubs need to start by getting bums on seats and by getting the next generation (schools, youth groups etc) interested. The problem is they'll always be satellites as long as Celtic and Rangers remain as supported as they are in such a small country.


2.) 04 Aug 2017
04 Aug 2017 10:52:19
Celtic will draw Astana. let's see how far we are in front compared to ladt year. We would have lost that Rosenborg game lady year so hope we can get through next one. Liverpool will get Istanbul. Easy tie. that's my prediction. Lol.


3.) 04 Aug 2017
04 Aug 2017 11:09:18
Can't argue about the atrocious state of our opponents in Scotland when it comes to Europe, but this is nothing new and while our game is governed by corrupt and self- serving, buffoons, we will stagnate and die.
Our season has been out of sinc with the qualifying rounds for a long time and we have done nothing to address the football calendar and fixtures to improve our preparation, while the governing bodies have been preoccupied with pockling registrations and licenses and other monkey business to address and improve this crisis.

{Ed007's Note - The Cypriot league runs from August to May so what difference would it make when our league starts? Summer football would be an unmitigated disaster and the annual calls for it are only used as an excuse to cover up failure.
Do you think Dutch fans will be talking about summer football because Ajax were eliminated from the CL or Rosenborg fans think Norway should change to winter football after Wednesday?}


4.) 04 Aug 2017
04 Aug 2017 11:44:51
Do Norway not already have summer football Ed? If so then it obviously doesn't guarantee success in Europe.

{Ed007's Note - That was a typo, Kev - it should have said winter football there. I've changed it now.}


5.) 04 Aug 2017
04 Aug 2017 12:05:07
I think we could right off buying players of any quality if we switched to summer football.
It's maybe not a popular view, but I think that there are far too many teams in Scotland. If you take a 40 mile radius of Celtic park, there must be 20 or 30 clubs within it, that's far too many when you haven't got much talent to go round.
I think that fewer but bigger clubs would be a better bet, rather than changing the calendar. I can't see it happening though.


6.) 04 Aug 2017
04 Aug 2017 13:06:55
Why would it be a disaster ed? Don't you think there would be more of an appeal to go to the match during decent weather than during the winter?

{Ed007's Note - And that's it, the only plus is the weather the fans are watching the game in, name one other plus, players wouldn't be attracted to come here, it'll clash with European Championships and World Cups and games wouldn't be allowed to be broadcast the same time as any matches from those tournaments which would affect any TV deal and sponsorship deals we have. How many young kids would turn down watching Brazil v Argentina in the World Cup on TV to watching Celtic play Accies in the League Cup just because the sun's out?
The stuff that we'd be better prepared for CL/EL qualifiers is just an excuse to cover up for teams failure to qualify, it's nothing to do with when we play football and all to do with not being good enough.
So our season finishes in November, how well prepared for a CL/EL group game in December would our teams be and how would it help if we qualified for the KO stages which would be played during our close season in February and the beginning of March? I'd rather face the smaller clubs in the qualifiers during our preseason than face Real Madrid in the Last 16 during it.}


7.) 04 Aug 2017
04 Aug 2017 13:13:36
Is there any limit to the amount of foreign players you can have in a team now?, don't think there was many Cypriots in that team,


8.) 04 Aug 2017
04 Aug 2017 13:22:40
Agree Gerry to many clubs and far too many utter dross clubs at that.


9.) 04 Aug 2017
04 Aug 2017 13:29:18
Being political but I blame the governance of the game as a whole for the state of Scottish football to many rules getting bent and not enough grass roots help to improve the quality of the game With not enough investment.