The Offical Glasgow Celtic thread

[weareros]

Shouldn't surprise. Scottish league soccer low standard. The fact that Celtic struggled to win league over Hearts shows they are now back in the pack of average Scottish teams. It's not a case of other teams catching up to them, but Celtic dropping further back.

[reddgnhand]

The Europa League is the level Celtic are and they may even struggle in it. But that was still horrendous. McCowan and Ralston do not have the quality on the ball, and the midfield has little positional discipline, physicality and can't tackle. Engels whilst a good player was the same, Baur looks decent but again he is hardly the biggest.
Stop buying tricky wingers and playmakers, get some steel into the side. Tierney and Johston are not imposing full backs which makes the need for a few big men in midfield even more important. It is why Scales always looks good in a Celtic jersey as he is one of the few who puts himself about.
It is a pity for MON unless they turn it around in the Europa this game will be an oversized part of his legacy.

If Celtic want to be taken seriously heads need to roll for this result. At 74 years of age and not managed in 7 years is MON the right man for the job?

[GTP]

I wouldn't change manager now at least the current staff know the players and know the set up in Scotland. You would hope the club would work in the background to ID the next management team and plan with them for next season.
If you look at the managers appointed by Scottish teams the pool available doesnt seem to be that big. Most clubs seem to appoint someone up and coming which leaves you in danger of picking a Delia or a Nancy.

[An Watcher]

The Europa League is the level Celtic are and they may even struggle in it. But that was still horrendous. McCowan and Ralston do not have the quality on the ball, and the midfield has little positional discipline, physicality and can't tackle. Engels whilst a good player was the same, Baur looks decent but again he is hardly the biggest.
Stop buying tricky wingers and playmakers, get some steel into the side. Tierney and Johston are not imposing full backs which makes the need for a few big men in midfield even more important. It is why Scales always looks good in a Celtic jersey as he is one of the few who puts himself about.
It is a pity for MON unless they turn it around in the Europa this game will be an oversized part of his legacy.

If Celtic want to be taken seriously heads need to roll for this result. At 74 years of age and not managed in 7 years is MON the right man for the job?

Absolutely not.  I think MON is a victim of his own success here.  He took a pretty poor outfit to a domestic double last year.

They were in no way ready for the Champions League.  The first leg result was fantastic but the second leg highlights exactly where we're at.

Without MON at the helm we wouldn't have won the league, probably wouldn't have some of the players that were signed and would be trundling along in much worse shape.

[bennydorano]

Only watched bits of the match but saw McCowan embarrassing himself a few times. Reinforcements undoubtedly required in MF. That keeper has got bombscare written all over him too, need someone there as well. Get a few more in and the Europa campaign could be watchable.

[RadioGAAGAA]

I'd leave the goalie alone for now. Bigger problems elsewhere.

Aside from the subs that did nothing:
Trusty by name... not by nature.
Captain America... or was he the Invisible man the other night? Easy to talk big after the game - a big look in the mirror wouldn't go amiss.

New physical centre-half and defensive centre-midfielder needed.



Nygren we know is a bit of a passenger if he's not on the edge of, or in, the opposition box. At least he contributes plenty of goals.
Hogh unfortunately does look a bit of a donkey that'll score a few in Scotland - but mightn't do so well in Europe. I know he did ok with Bodo, but his goals there weren't very technically clean (for want of a better expression).

[Orior]

This is up there with the worst nights supporting Celtic in 40 years

Honestly, it's for the best. No point going to the Champions league and losing every game 4 or 5 nil.

True

[NAG1]

This is up there with the worst nights supporting Celtic in 40 years

Honestly, it's for the best. No point going to the Champions league and losing every game 4 or 5 nil.

True

Massive opportunity missed, only way to get better is to get the CL money in on the regular basis and attract better players over a consistent period of time. Realistically as a squad they are Europa League at best but as a club they are CL and therein lies the problem.

[No1]

Nothing changes until everything changes.  At this point Celtic are not a serious football club.

[Blowitupref]

Who LASK have got in the Champions league

Liverpool,Porto,Fenerbahce,Bratislava at home

Away to Real Madrid,Sporting,Bodo Glimt,AEK Athens

[marty34]

I think that trouncing falls, on the main, on Martin O'Neill. 4-0 and lose 5 goals in an hour or so is some statement in mismanagement.


That said, this is a regular pattern with Celtic over this past 8 years or so. Last year was bad but the other night was twenty times worse. 0-0 after 180 mins, then extra-time. Then beat on penalties.


But there is a list of defeats like these two recent results for champions league qualification. A long list. In fairness, the opposition deserved to win as Celtic weren't good enough. The LASK home tie was a warning - score should have been 3-2 as they had serious chances. They are a very decent team.


Celtic, the other night, looked as if it was their 50th game this season. I'm not sure what the S&C's are doing but the players looked as if they had run a marathon that morning. Nowhere near fit in my opinion.


But ultimately it comes down to Desmond and the Board. Celtic are not a well run club. They should be in the Champions League every year. What happens after that, who knows? But they should qualify at least.


They have one job to do every year - qualify for the champions league. Simple as! Be organised and spend the money early and give the players a chance to settle in. I, personally, couldn't really care much for the Scottish league now. 14 wins in 15 seasons like - Win it and move on. Get ready and prepare for Europe.


Look at Bodo Glimt for example. What a fantastic example of a club - probably a quarter of Celtic's size and look what they can achieve. A club like that embarrass Celtic.


I'd wonder did O'Neill bring in those new players or what input had he in that process? He usually builds his teams on big strong defensive units e.g. Balde and Mjallby etc. A strong defence first, then build around it. I mean people on here have been saying (and we're no experts) that Celtic need defenders and a few defensive mid-fielders but O'Neill, who should know that also obviously, doesn't get them in in over two months during the summer. Something wrong there.


There's a BBC article on their website now about Mc Ginn of Villa and he said he'd have gone to Celtic but the board were too tight and wouldn't spend an extra few pound to get him. They wanted him for peanuts. They thought as he's a Celtic fan that he'd go. But in fairness to Mc Ginn he told St. Mirren that he'd not go unless their valuation was met. Celtic lowballed them and he Villa swooped and took him.


That mentality is still very evident in the club. That won't change until the board and Desmond go. Unfortunately the fans have been sucked in and bought season tickets and merch etc. but the board have them now where they want them. Not for the first time, they are hooked. So unless the fans, go all in and boycott fully, there will be no change.

[tonto1888]

Rangers seen Celtics disaster on Tuesday and just thought, hold my beer

[GTP]

That won't change until the board and Desmond go. Unfortunately the fans have been sucked in and bought season tickets and merch etc. but the board have them now where they want them. Not for the first time, they are hooked. So unless the fans, go all in and boycott fully, there will be no change.

There has to be someone who would want to buy and invest in the club for any change to happen. A boycott wouldn't drum up interest, I think we are stuck with the current ownership for the forseeable future.