The Offical Glasgow Celtic thread

[T Fearon]

Sadly this is the same pattern as last year.Scraping through against inferior sides with much inferior resources, when we should be building momentum during what should be a routine qualifying process,and arrive  in the Group Stages with confidence and ready to be ultra competitive in all six games,and challenge for at least the runner up spot.

[Milltown Row2]

Sadly this is the same pattern as last year.Scraping through against inferior sides with much inferior resources, when we should be building momentum during what should be a routine qualifying process,and arrive  in the Group Stages with confidence and ready to be ultra competitive in all six games,and challenge for at least the runner up spot.

Team is mid way through its season! Celtics season hasn't even started.... so as a manager you have to manage not just for (Tony) qualifying for an unwinnable competition but also the domestic season... players need to have holidays too Tony, you'd much prefer to give them no time off so they can hammer the 'little' teams (Rosenberg have decent euro form) and when the big games matter have a dip in form because they are shattered?

[Hectic]

Yeah when you are not facing teams of a half decent standard in a competitive environment it is tough to hit the ground running. Celtic were the team over two legs that looked rusty despite dominating both home and away legs.

[BennyHarp]

Sadly this is the same pattern as last year.Scraping through against inferior sides with much inferior resources, when we should be building momentum during what should be a routine qualifying process,and arrive  in the Group Stages with confidence and ready to be ultra competitive in all six games,and challenge for at least the runner up spot.

Team is mid way through its season! Celtics season hasn't even started.... so as a manager you have to manage not just for (Tony) qualifying for an unwinnable competition but also the domestic season... players need to have holidays too Tony, you'd much prefer to give them no time off so they can hammer the 'little' teams (Rosenberg have decent euro form) and when the big games matter have a dip in form because they are shattered?

Exactly. These rounds aren't about building momentum they are about getting through. A 7-0 on aggregate v Rosenberg would have zero impact on how Celtic perform in the group stages. Maybe they should have patched up Dembele to get the strongest team on the pitch last night? Or was it wiser to manage the squad with a long season ahead. As far as I can see, a tricky tie at a tricky time of year has been overcome - job done!

[LurganHoop]

Celtic would want to avoid the Kazaks and Azer-bhoys!

Beaten both before.

I mean due to the distance of the away leg!

I have actually always felt that those games are made out to be worse than what they are. Teh opposition obviously have the same travel for the second leg and that suits us given that towards the final stages their body clock will think it's after midnight. Key is keeping things right in the first leg. W rare so far ahead domestically that even if we were to drop points in a game following the away leg it's never going to matter at the end of the season

[themac_23]

Great to get through, few stray passes and heavy touches just not at full match sharpness yet but again, we were able to get through against a team who are top of their league half way through their season. Sinclair was class for me last night, a lot of his touches etc weren't coming off but the tracking, tackling and harassing even in the final stages resulted in a good few turn overs, thats what you need in players when things arent going great for them dig in and put in the hard yards. Delighted with the result

[ned]

Great to get through, few stray passes and heavy touches just not at full match sharpness yet but again, we were able to get through against a team who are top of their league half way through their season. Sinclair was class for me last night, a lot of his touches etc weren't coming off but the tracking, tackling and harassing even in the final stages resulted in a good few turn overs, thats what you need in players when things arent going great for them dig in and put in the hard yards. Delighted with the result

Agree on Sinclair. He made the goal, brilliant turn near halfway with back to goals and run towards their box.
Rosenborg were ultra cautious bar 15 minutes at start of second half. Great result bearing in mind we were without a recognised striker for 3/4 of the tie and had to play a midfielder and a 19 year old in central defence for most of it.

[tonto1888]

Sadly this is the same pattern as last year.Scraping through against inferior sides with much inferior resources, when we should be building momentum during what should be a routine qualifying process,and arrive  in the Group Stages with confidence and ready to be ultra competitive in all six games,and challenge for at least the runner up spot.

Getting an away win against a team half way through the season is a good win. Challenging for the runners spot is probably a bit much given we will be a pit four side and up against teams with much superior resources

[Main Street]

 
You guys fall for the troll every time.
One after the other, line up to get trolled.

[Main Street]

One thing's about 99% certain, If Celtic started off  the CL campaign at the play-off stage, they would be beaten handily just as they were beaten many times in the past. Even Celtic's uefa run to the final with their best ever team since the Jock Stein era, were beaten by Basle in the CL play-off that same season.  Going through the qualifiers, stepping up each round, greatly improves the chances of getting through.

[themac_23]

Sadly this is the same pattern as last year.Scraping through against inferior sides with much inferior resources, when we should be building momentum during what should be a routine qualifying process,and arrive  in the Group Stages with confidence and ready to be ultra competitive in all six games,and challenge for at least the runner up spot.

Getting an away win against a team half way through the season is a good win. Challenging for the runners spot is probably a bit much given we will be a pit four side and up against teams with much superior resources

Read last night that if 1 of 4/5 teams in the non champions draw fail to qualift then we can go in 3rd seeds, would be a great boost

[uimhr ocht]

Fair play to wee Forrest I'm his biggest critic but his strike brings champions league group closer,its ridiculous we have so many qualifier rounds to manage,also talk of 4qualifiers next season a joke really and the team in pre season.

[Hectic]

Na I am kind of in the camp as well that stepped up qualifiers suits us better rather than first competitive game being say in qualifying round against the best standard we are going to hit.  Just one of those things when you are at that stage of the season you have no momentum so it is a great leveller or if you are hitting a team mid season it is a disadvantage.

I would be happy enough to play Qarabag despite the trip - their season has not started and their nearest challengers from last season brought in Andy Halliday to try and improve them so if that is any sort of measure I would be less than fearful of their quality.

[illdecide]

Celtic v Astana

[Main Street]

Celtic v Astana

Is it home game first?