The Offical Glasgow Celtic thread

[mylestheslasher]

Don't normally bother posting on soccer but a few points on this one...

- Both Utd 1st two goals were offside. Unless maybe you were listening to cross eyed pundits on MUTV that is?
- Celtic are a B rate team. So far behind Utd it is mad. A way poorer team than represented them when Martin O Neill was manager. I can only assume soccer standard in europe is worse now than then as the only explanation how O Neills teams didn't make it out of the group phases.
- Lee Naylor is probably the worst player I have seen in the Champions League. Is he supposed to be good going forward? His crossing was atrocious.
- Utd didn't get out of 2nd gear.
- Celtic will do well to finish 3rd.
- Young Cillian Shierdan looked lively. He played for Cavan minors in 06 when they beat Down I believe but only featured as a sub as he had already gone to Celtic. I'm not 100% sure if he made the team in 05 - I'll have to check.

[T Fearon]

Its true Celtic were better under O'Neill but he had access to far more  money than Strachan and had Larsson as well.

In terms of the respective finances at their disposal is it any wonder that Celtic lag behind the likes of Man Ure in terms of quality etc? Also Man Ure are millions in debt unlike Celtic so when the shit hits the fan as it surely will, Celtic will be in a much better position to cope and an undoubted realignment will take place.

[full back]

Also Man Ure are millions in debt unlike Celtic so when the shit hits the fan as it surely will, Celtic will be in a much better position to cope and an undoubted realignment will take place.

Course it will.
You are an eternal optimist, I will give you that

I wish you were as easily pleased at the dinner table as you were with that performance last night

[An Fear Rua]

What time are you getting to glasgow on the 5th Mr Fearon?, I know a pub with wide seats.

straight forward win for utd last night, celtic just not good enough, too many basic mistakes

[Doogie Browser]

Celtic bashing is all to easy and too many people on here take pleasure at Celtic's misfortunes.  The basic facts are known that the gulf between SPL and EPL is massive, however it is credit to Celtic that they are able to compete and challenge in the Champions league year after year. 
The usual stats can be hammered out like Rooney or Berbatov alone costing more than the sum of Celtic's team, but it was hardly men against boys all night and but for some good keeping by Van der Sar Celtic could have had a couple of goals, this aside I do concede Utd were by far the better side last night, but FFS its worth remembering that they also are against 95% of teams they play at home. 
Also remember this was a depleted Celtic squad last night who do not have the strength in depth of most Premier league teams.

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

Celtic bashing is all to easy and too many people on here take pleasure at Celtic's misfortunes.  The basic facts are known that the gulf between SPL and EPL is massive, however it is credit to Celtic that they are able to compete and challenge in the Champions league year after year. 
The usual stats can be hammered out like Rooney or Berbatov alone costing more than the sum of Celtic's team, but it was hardly men against boys all night and but for some good keeping by Van der Sar Celtic could have had a couple of goals, this aside I do concede Utd were by far the better side last night, but FFS its worth remembering that they also are against 95% of teams they play at home. 
Also remember this was a depleted Celtic squad last night who do not have the strength in depth of most Premier league teams.

Most sensible post on here today.

[Croí na hÉireann]

Although Caldwell didn't do much wrong I still think the selecting of him in midfield was wrong. Naylor was his usual self, enough said. Thought McManus was our best performer. Hopefully this set back doesn't have a knockon effect in the SPL, need Skippy to start scoring goals again...

[Main Street]

Celtic won't get the big TV money, they are struggling at this level like Ajax.
The cash explains the gulf in quality but it doesn't explain why Man U strolled this game.
Man u did not even have to wind down the clock at the end, Celtic did it for them.
Some nice Celtic play but hopelessly overwhelmed by examples of totally inept football mixed in with x rated horror.

Can Darron O'Dea be that poor?

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

Report fromm BBC. I wouldn't be happy about Celtic being taken over.


Celtic rule out foreign takeover 

John Reid says Celtic will not be sold to a foreign billionaire
Chairman John Reid insists Celtic will not be allowed to fall into the hands of foreign billionaires.

Reid says the Scottish champions have global ambitions but stressed the club would not follow in the footsteps of a host of English Premier League sides.

"No, I wouldn't and Dermot Desmond (Celtic majority shareholder) wouldn't either," Reid told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"But we would like access to a bigger platform, whether in Europe or outside Scotland or whatever."

Celtic's Champions League opponents Manchester United were subject to a controversial takeover by American businessman Malcolm Glazer in May 2005.

And United's neighbours City were bought by former Thailand prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra in the summer of 2007.  When we have to play the Barcelona's or the Manchester United's of the world we have to punch above our weight

Celtic chairman John Reid

Seven other English Premier League clubs are in the hands of foreign owners: Aston Villa, Chelsea, Fulham, Liverpool, Portsmouth, Sunderland and West Ham United.

But despite an enormous gap in earnings between Celtic and the top English sides, Reid says his club will resist any temptation to sell the club to the highest bidder.

"Dermot has been a fantastic support for the club," the former Home Secretary said.

"We're quite happy taking the (television) money that we got and doing what we have.

"The key thing about it is not to have somebody who is just handing money out to you, but to run a good business model.

"And despite all of the problems we've had and the limited resources, at our AGM last week we were able to report again that, on the business side, we had the board and shareholders had made a small profit. 

"We had allocated some towards strengthening our squad, but, there's no doubt about it, we're in a limited market in Scotland for multimedia sales.

"Therefore when we have to play the Barcelona's or the Manchester United's of the world we have to punch above our weight because of out sport's size, because of our sporting ability, because of our management and because of the added value we put into that type of players."

[T Fearon]

Things in football can change quickly. As recently as 2000 we were knocked out of the Scottish Cup by Inverness, a mere 3 years later we contested the UEFA Cup Final and only 2 years ago we more than matched Man Ure over two Champions League ties. If Man Ure lose Tevez and Ronaldo, and Rooney loses form, they would suffer a serious deterioration

[full back]

If Man Ure lose Tevez and Ronaldo, and Rooney loses form, they would suffer a serious deterioration

If, if, if
If your Granny had balls she would be your granda...........

[clarshack]

celtic didnt get stuck in which was a disappointment - sutton, larsson, hartson, lennon etc would never have lay down like that. having said that utd were much better and the officials didnt help with the offside goals. the thing that gets me is that utd will beat most premier league teams at home by 2-3 goals or more (remember liverpool were beat 3-0 at old trafford about 6 months ago) yet noone says these teams are sh*t and shouldnt be in the premiership etc. whenever celtic lose its because they are crap and because scottish football is crap and if they win its because they are lucky.

[Main Street]

Hardly worth mentioning this news item because it is just normal.

English cops praise Celtic's Euro tie fans

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/display.var.2462359.0.english_cops_praise_celtics_euro_tie_fans.php

[Croí na hÉireann]

I'm sure that'll be front page of the Record tomorrow 

[Main Street]

celtic didnt get stuck in which was a disappointment - sutton, larsson, hartson, lennon etc would never have lay down like that. having said that utd

Lennon, Hartson and Sutton cost a cool £18m some 8 years ago, probably worth a good bit more in todays money.

Interesting  transfer statistics (approx)
O'Neill In his first 4 seasons signed 17 players  got rid off 34
nett cost £21m

So far   (in his 4th season) Strachan has spent £30m and received £14m in transfer fees.
signed 33   got rid of 36
net cost  £16m