Celtic in Europe 2018-19, the long and winding road

[Jacksgranda]

7 hours ago, Henrik's tongue said:

I had chicken & dumplings.

Insert joke here _ _ _ _ _

"I didn't know dumplings were green."

[Mastermind]

An absolute minter that the best team in Scottish football by a country mile can’t even make it as far as the playoffs to get into the CL. How did our game sink so low? Embarrassing stuff.

[Melanius Mullarkey]

[Ylf]

Still laughing. Celtic absolutely kicking the shit out of the coefficient [emoji849][emoji849][emoji849]

[TheScarf]

Celtic trying to get into the CL with players signed from Dundee is like when England went to the 2010 WC thinking they were going to win it with the Portsmouth goalkeeper and West Ham players in defence.

[Ylf]

Jack hendry is far too good for Celtic imo [emoji1]

[TheScarf]

Mintermind.

[Bairn Necessities]

Good news for Scottish football. Hopefully see some more infighting, players wanting to leave and Rodgers beelin'.

 

[Dons_1988]

Brendan has taken this throwing matches to prove a point to the board a bit far I think.

[Mr. X]

Must be shite when you're a glory hunting c**t and you choose a big ugly bloated giant to follow as it's a safe bet, only for them to get stuffed two games in a row.

[Estragon]

Alan Brazil and Jim White giving their pal Brendan a reprieve on talksport this morning by laying into the Celtic board.  Not only does this tact bring back comforting memories of the "biscuit tin" era to the yellow-tied quisling sex-pest,  but also allows them both to continue along the well-worn rhetoric path of English football superiority - particularly in light of the fact that the player, who I'm sure both have watched extensively, and who would indisputably have sent those pesky Greeks packing, has been transferred to the English second tier...

The reason why Celtic went out last night, and the reason why they'll go out in the group stage of the EL, is that they employ a manager who is incapable of organising a defence.  It's a failure that has dogged him throughout his entire career.  His Liverpool team that were unlucky not to win the league title four years ago conceded a goal fewer than West Ham in 13th.  Even his invincibles, a triumph of superior budgeting, conceded two goals every three games.  Whether it's arrogance or incompetence remains to be seen, but it won't change. 

[Diamonds are Forever]

4 minutes ago, Estragon said:

Alan Brazil and Jim White giving their pal Brendan a reprieve on talksport this morning by laying into the Celtic board.  Not only does this tact bring back comforting memories of the "biscuit tin" era to the yellow-tied quisling sex-pest,  but also allows them both to continue along the well-worn rhetoric path of English football superiority - particularly in light of the fact that the player, who I'm sure both have watched extensively, and who would indisputably have sent those pesky Greeks packing, has been transferred to the English second tier...

The reason why Celtic went out last night, and the reason why they'll go out in the group stage of the EL, is that they employ a manager who is incapable of organising a defence.  It's a failure that has dogged him throughout his entire career.  His Liverpool team that were unlucky not to win the league title four years ago conceded a goal fewer than West Ham in 13th.  Even his invincibles, a triumph of superior budgeting, conceded two goals every three games.  Whether it's arrogance or incompetence remains to be seen, but it won't change. 

 

Second paragraph is bang on, and is the major flaw in the argument that this is all the board's fault, Rodgers has a track record here. I've never worked out whether it is an inability to recruit and organise a defence, or just a refusal to acknowledge that he needs to. He's had 3 summers to sort it and it's probably got worse each year. Their superiority in Scotland means they get away with it, but come up against any half decent European side (not even sure AEK are that) and they fall apart.

[Acastus]

1 hour ago, TheScarf said:

Celtic trying to get into the CL with players signed from Dundee is like when England went to the 2010 WC thinking they were going to win it with the Portsmouth goalkeeper and West Ham players in defence.

Yeah like they'd ever win it with West Ham players in defence. 

Tbf Mathew Upson was no Bobby Moore. 

[Unleash The Nade]

[No_Problemo]

 
Second paragraph is bang on, and is the major flaw in the argument that this is all the board's fault, Rodgers has a track record here. I've never worked out whether it is an inability to recruit and organise a defence, or just a refusal to acknowledge that he needs to. He's had 3 summers to sort it and it's probably got worse each year. Their superiority in Scotland means they get away with it, but come up against any half decent European side (not even sure AEK are that) and they fall apart.

I think it’s an arrogance in terms of the type of manager he is. He has more interest in his back four being able to pass the ball than being effective defenders.

As you say, get away with it in Scotland but continue to embarrass themselves once they get to the group stages due to the naive way he sets up.

[Ross.]

43 minutes ago, Estragon said:

Alan Brazil and Jim White giving their pal Brendan a reprieve on talksport this morning by laying into the Celtic board.  Not only does this tact bring back comforting memories of the "biscuit tin" era to the yellow-tied quisling sex-pest,  but also allows them both to continue along the well-worn rhetoric path of English football superiority - particularly in light of the fact that the player, who I'm sure both have watched extensively, and who would indisputably have sent those pesky Greeks packing, has been transferred to the English second tier...

The reason why Celtic went out last night, and the reason why they'll go out in the group stage of the EL, is that they employ a manager who is incapable of organising a defence.  It's a failure that has dogged him throughout his entire career.  His Liverpool team that were unlucky not to win the league title four years ago conceded a goal fewer than West Ham in 13th.  Even his invincibles, a triumph of superior budgeting, conceded two goals every three games.  Whether it's arrogance or incompetence remains to be seen, but it won't change. 

I don't get the biscuit tin accusations. They have spent a lot of money on that side. They've just not spent it in the correct areas. The defence is honking and has been since Deila took over.  The only real chance since Deila is that Van Dijk and Denayer have been replaced with various combinations of Boyata/Simunovic/Hendry/Ajer. The big issue has been the right side of the defence. Lustig has been a liability for at least 4 years and remains so. Boyata, Simunovic and Hendry aren't good enough, and Ajer is too young to be relied on.

The second paragraph is largely correct, though suggesting that conceding less than a goal a game is anything other than excellent is maybe taking it a bit far. Whatever the case, if Celtic don't fix that defence I think they can forget the domestic league title, let along European success.

[Estragon]

15 minutes ago, Ross. said:

I don't get the biscuit tin accusations. They have spent a lot of money on that side. They've just not spent it in the correct areas. The defence is honking and has been since Deila took over.  The only real chance since Deila is that Van Dijk and Denayer have been replaced with various combinations of Boyata/Simunovic/Hendry/Ajer. The big issue has been the right side of the defence. Lustig has been a liability for at least 4 years and remains so. Boyata, Simunovic and Hendry aren't good enough, and Ajer is too young to be relied on.

The second paragraph is largely correct, though suggesting that conceding less than a goal a game is anything other than excellent is maybe taking it a bit far. Whatever the case, if Celtic don't fix that defence I think they can forget the domestic league title, let along European success.

I'm not suggesting that the biscuit tin accusations are accurate, I'm just saying that they are being made.

Also, I think it's a worthwhile observation to make in relation to the 2/3 goals a game.  Remember that this occurred in a season when Celtic won 34 league games out of 38, and had a wage budget roughly equivalent to 75% of the rest of the division combined.  In ordinary circumstances, obviously that kind of defensive record is impressive - but in the context of one club being so far ahead of the other eleven, both on and off the pitch, it's another symptom of the problems that we agree on.

[The Minertaur]

The above posts are correct.  Celtic have been crying out for a solid back 4 for a while now - one which you would expect to be solid at Europa League group stages level.  Which defenders has Brendan signed since becoming manager?

Jack Hendry 
Marvin Compper
Cristian Gamboa 
Kolo Toure

Are any of these players at the level required to improve the club? Hendry has potential obviously but the others I wouldn't describe as being good enough. There is bound to be dozens of players out there they could have gotten cheaper who would improve that back line.

[ayrshire_nomad]

Celtic got what they deserved...

I mean why rest Boyata for the partick game, that's just arrogant

[LinkinFighter]

Stevie Gee seems to be able to find better centre halves than Brendan.