Celtic Thread

The only players in our first 11 that had any value under MON are Balde, Lennon and Petrov, dunno where you grabbed 'half' from mate?

We'll see if the guys Rangers sign can cut it and if your manager can hack it, heard a few folk say Le Guen is one who when the pressure is on makes odd decisions and he 'cracks' a little, but how much of that is just talk I don't know (plus how much pressure Srachan is capable of putting him under is debateable looking our team).

We need to sign quality at the back, that is a priority but it doesn't look like we are going to. We also need to hope that if Petrov goes, and I'm not so sure he will unless we get what we want for him, we get someone else in to play alongside Jarosik instead of Neil Lennon who should have been a squad player last year nevermind this year. Could do with some more strength up front as well, or just more quality. Like the defense tho, doesn't look like we'll get any of those as we're paying for no CL last year and Strachan hasn't got the stones to say publicly he needs more money (I mind MON slating the board publicly for this in his final few years).

We'll get pumped in Europe if we don't spend, and MON called it right when he said life in the slow lane.
 
Poor performance, apart from midfield where I think we are quite well equipped, Jarosik looks good and with the likes of Maloney, McGeady, Nakamura and Lennon we aren't too bad, that's taking into account that Petrov looks for the off, but still think we're decent in there. Lennon was mince over the Xmas period and a couple of months after that, but before that he was brilliant and at the end was coming onto a right game. Petrov was pretty mediocore by his standards last season and I couldn't believe he was put forward for the POTY awards (and btw that ain't sour grapes, I'm perfectly happy to back that up by pointing any doubters to previous posts on a forum I made way before all his leaving pish came up).

I've got reservations in defence and up front.

However I can honestly say hand on heart that I have no fear of Le Guen and the team he has so far, don't impress me whatsoever and Hearts have done nowt to their team either. Maybe if both strengthen and we stay still then that might make me worry. Maybe the points gap may have dwindled, but still think we're just shading it.


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ClassicD said:
We'll be fine in Scotland in terms of competing (I'm not exactly shaking in my boots at the guys Rangers have signed, what happened to £10m to spend?), but I agree we will get absolutely pumped in the CL this year unless we get some quality players in.
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Who said there was £10m to spend?

Celtic look atrocious. They're travelling round the world to pimp the "brand" of Celtic. It's been hilarious so far. Can't wait until they embarass Scottish football in the Champions League. :roll:
 
Foxy, that's all we heard in the press at the end of last year, the word 'Warchest' must have been used a record number of times.

Celtic have been to the States the past few years it's nothing new, they've plenty of fans there. It's no more 'pimping' the brand than Rangers going to Linfield every summer. Only reservation I have about the travelling is that we're throwing in Japan along with the US this time, but it's folly to sign Nakamura and then not take advantage of the benefits.

P.S. We earned the right to embarrass Scottish football in the CL ;).
 
ClassicD said:
The only players in our first 11 that had any value under MON are Balde, Lennon and Petrov, dunno where you grabbed 'half' from mate?

We'll see if the guys Rangers sign can cut it and if your manager can hack it, heard a few folk say Le Guen is one who when the pressure is on makes odd decisions and he 'cracks' a little, but how much of that is just talk I don't know (plus how much pressure Srachan is capable of putting him under is debateable looking our team).

We need to sign quality at the back, that is a priority but it doesn't look like we are going to. We also need to hope that if Petrov goes, and I'm not so sure he will unless we get what we want for him, we get someone else in to play alongside Jarosik instead of Neil Lennon who should have been a squad player last year nevermind this year. Could do with some more strength up front as well, or just more quality. Like the defense tho, doesn't look like we'll get any of those as we're paying for no CL last year and Strachan hasn't got the stones to say publicly he needs more money (I mind MON slating the board publicly for this in his final few years).

We'll get pumped in Europe if we don't spend, and MON called it right when he said life in the slow lane.
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What about Thompson, Pearson, Varga is another though I've never been convinced about him. These players were a big part of O'Neils Celtic. Also players that left and never really played a part under Strachan were part of the O'Neil experience. The one obvious one that comes to mind is Didier Agathe.

I will sit back and wait and see, I have always felt confident in PLG's arrival at Ibrox, I did expect more money but not qualifying for the CL has clearly got a lot to do with that. I do expect some money to be spent between now and the start of the season. We do have the better manager and our squad will be better than last season. I honestly think if he can get us a few players in the right positions, we will be a very hard team to beat in the SPL. I don't honestly see anything to fear from Celtic, Nakamura is a good player and Jaorsik is a good player but whether they will make much difference in a very average side time will tell.

The signings I do feel confident at Ibrox are Svenssen and Clement. These players will do very well in the SPL and Im sure more of the signings that will come to Ibrox will be at least on the same level. I dont know where the hell you have got PLG is a manager that can crack under the preasure, he has a record that shows no real sign of such stories.
 
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4-0 thumping by dc united of celtic, i was at the game, and i realize a couple of things

a)celtic must have been drinking all night, cause they were awful
b)Miller is a fucking prick, who tried to end our one of our players carrer last night, cock should be tied by his balls and left to hang
c)dc united is in top form, only 1 loss this year, 17 points ahead of second place, and looking for there 5th title, we are in great form, celtic was having a jog about the park
d)freddy adu did up maloney a couple of times, was sweet, so was his goal
e)celtic is big and slow
f)jarosik is HUGE, he will fit in niceley into your squad


the best part of the game is when the dc united supporters started chanting

WE WANT RANGERS!
WE WANT RANGERS!
WE WANT RANGERS!

i wish we had, maybe they could have given us a game
 
Thompson, Pearson, Varga, Agathe, none of these guys were favoured by Strachan and he rarely played them. He played Sutton now and then for half a season before he punted him and played Hartson because he'd practically no choice due to long-term injuries to Zurawski and Beattie (we had no one else). He's since punted Hartson. What I'm saying is there is very little of MON's team left in the current Celtic line-up, even guys like Maloney, McGeady and McManus didn't get much joy out of MON.

PLG will improve Rangers of course, but whether he'll improve them enough to close the gap after last year is debateable. Buffel and Burke are two decent players and Boyd will score goals in the SPL, but other than that there's nothing there I'm worried about. Clement is obviously someone PLG knew about from Lyon but I'm not sure how often the guy played for them, he certainly wasn't a first-choice player anyway and I have no idea how good he is. Svensson I've never heard of, again not a clue as to how he will do.

The pressure thing is something I've heard mentioned off-hand so like I said it could be mince. Heard he has come out with some strange outbursts ion the media after defeats, hopefully he'll take a pumping over here and we'll see if he can cope ;).

The one thing I will say is at least you're going into the season looking positive, after last night and the lack of quality I'm not too upbeat about our own chances this season.
 
csaunders yep, Miller's challenge was a disgrace.

We don't really have a big team though, apart from McManus and Jarosik our side was pretty lightweight last night? And you're right about the fitness levels, maybe DC could come over to Glasgow and play Celtic in their pre-season about the time Celtic are half-way thru their own domestic calender ;).
 
I think regarding the gap that has a lot to do with McLeish, now take in some simple facts. Our squad will be better yours will be weaker, then the obvious reason why I think we will be a lot stronger, PLG. It is going to be the factor you had a few years ago when O'Neil took over, he is going to make us a very solid team that will hopefully play decent attacking football. I don't think you will see the completed product until a year or two but I'm sure within the next season you will see drastic changes.

ClassicD said:
The pressure thing is something I've heard mentioned off-hand so like I said it could be mince. Heard he has come out with some strange outbursts ion the media after defeats, hopefully he'll take a pumping over here and we'll see if he can cope ;).
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I dont think he can say anything more strange than Strachan. :D

ClassicD said:
The one thing I will say is at least you're going into the season looking positive, after last night and the lack of quality I'm not too upbeat about our own chances this season.
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I relise our pre-season is going better than your's, and I think your's will get a lot worse. Though I wont take anything from it as it is only friendly's.
 
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ClassicD said:
csaunders yep, Miller's challenge was a disgrace.

We don't really have a big team though, apart from McManus and Jarosik our side was pretty lightweight last night? And you're right about the fitness levels, maybe DC could come over to Glasgow and play Celtic in their pre-season about the time Celtic are half-way thru their own domestic calender ;).
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i know, WE WOULD GET CRUSHED! hahahaha, i guess they seememnd big, jarosik and macmannus are so big, they make eveyone else look big... petrov didnt look like he gave a rats ass, actually no one did... i wish they would have cared a little more.. but it was fun to watch us smack down a CL team...

i have been a season ticket holder for three years now, and i have to say this is the best form we have been in, in 5 years... we might be the best MLS squad ever right now...

did you watch the game? anyone on DC united impress? Adu was in good form, ben olsen was as well, our center back boswell is probably gone to europe in the next few years, he played great..
 
csaunders said:
Adu was in good form,
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I like Adu. I don't understand why so many don't. I'm guessing it's the media, that hyped him up to be such a god the second he stepped on the field. I remember his first game it was like all they tried to do was boot the ball up field and watch him try to do something with it. I never expected him to be the next Pele, I just expect a good player and depending maybe the best USA player (Not if he switches to Ghana which is a possibility). He should really go to europe once he turns 18 and go to a club such as Ajax, where he could get playing time and learn a lot. He'll probably land at Chelsea or some other large club but then rot on the bench and do nothing. Another thing I don't get is how people think he looks over 25? It's rediculous, he looks 18 to me. He's so small does he even have facial hair lol? I've seen kids that at 15 were growing beards. Lebron James at 18 for heaven sakes! Anyways I just hope the best for Adu.
 
csaunders said:
d)freddy adu did up maloney a couple of times, was sweet, so was his goal
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CS - Do you mean Wilson our left back? He had a good game and gave Wilson (who is being played out of position to suit that old fart Telfer) a rough time, I think he beat Maloney on one occassion but it was more a knock by and run when he beat Lennon and Wilson into the bargain, did remember wee Shaun skinning him and one of your midfielders though going between the two of em.

Liked Boswell too, he looked very good.


Cloud - Don't take this the wrong way mate, but saying that Svensson and Clement will be good signings is a bit of guess-work if you ask me because I haven't even heard of the guy
Clement as I've seen as much of him as you have (Setanta - Live French footy) and as for Svensson, who? Not saying they are not good players, but your ticking off Celtic players as average and saying these 2 will be good additions without seeing them play.


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I honestly think they are both players that will come good in the SPL. Clement is a player Lyon wanted to hold onto but only had a year left so they would rather cash in now than lose out in a year. Svensson is a highly rated youngster, that Is back up for a solid Swedish defence. He will get his chance in the national side very soon I'm sure of that. I'm saying that out of the players that are signed these are the two that I fully expect to make the grade at Rangers.

I find it difficult to compare players with the two clubs atm, I honestly feel last season we never had a side that much worse than you just a manager who had his head up his arse. I can see improvements in both aspects this season, which I see the very opposite at Celtic. Can you really tell me you feel comfortable with Strachens ability to manage on a shoe string budget the way O'Neil did? I understand O'Neil had a bit of an injection at first but still he kept the same team pretty much going. Strachen would need twice the money to get the same output IMO. This is why I feel comfortable in PLG, he has achieved more than O'Neil in some respects, three French titles and a team that could compete at the very top level of European football.
 
I think if Lyon rated Clement enough and wanted to keep him, and if the player thought he had a prayer of making the grade there, he'd still be there.

PLG took over a Lyon team who were already champions, who had plenty of TV cash and who played in a far better domestic league than the SPL. MON took over a team who finished something like 18 points behind Rangers the season before - there'd be something far wrong if PLG hadn't achieved more than MON, given the advantage in resources he had.
 
I don't think he is rated as one of the best more so potential. One thing that is obvious is the grade of players also, a good player for Lyon is properly a great player for either of us, the level in Scotland has dropped this has to be taken into account.

Many teams that have been in the same position as Lyon with more money have achieved less. He did take over a team that one a singe French title, but PLG won three after. Santini never got the team through the group stages PLG did twice winning his group both times. He did go out in the 1/4 finals both times, getting beat firstly from Porto(winners) then PSV who were a solid team themselves.

One thing that I also feel PLG has shown is his talent to spot good young players, even before Lyon at Rennes he showed how capable he is at picking up young players.

I guess it can be nothing less than hopefulness at the moment, we are hopefully he comes through and you are not. I do honestly believe he will start something at Rangers with the right financial backing and a bit of luck.
 
I was told, admittedly by a Celtic fan, if you have a look at how many of THE Lyon team he signed I think it comes down to Florent Malouda, Revelliere (who he'd had at Rennes) and maybe Diarra (who didn't even feature in his Lyon teams), that's it. Everyone else was already there, Santini signed the bulk of those guys or they were already there as part of the club's youth academy (Govou, for example). Houllier has also won the league since, despite losing Essien, which says a lot given how poor his Liverpool sides could be.

The bottom line is we don't know how he'll do. You think he'll do great and I think he's overrated, although still a good coach. We'll find out soon enough. It's amazing how when Rangers lose to a team they shouldn't though, it's because they had players missing and were playing on a bad ground, you're telling me Mamelodi Sundowns are better than DC United and that Celtic have played a full team every match?

P.S. Monaco reached the CL final and Marseille won the thing.
 
I thought Celtic did quite well the other night, didn't know that boy Bravo played for them (guy that scored the brace against Mexico).

Thought Caldwell and Wilson did well, although the whole defence was okay.

Jarosik looks a bit of a player I have to say.

Forwards still look off the pace, Zurawski excepted, maybe him and Miller might be a combo but I've always liked the big and small man tbh. McGeady is looking good in pre-season too.


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I'm also sure he signed Cris, Frau, Diatta, Abidal with the players you also mentioned. His time at Rennes he also discovered players like El Hadji Diouf and Nonda. I think he may also have signed or had a part in Luis Fabiano and at a push Peter Czech.

Houllier knows French football inside out, he is greatly responsible to setting up the way French football is now. Add to this his career at Liverpool where he won 4 Major trophies shows he is a decent manager. I'm not saying he could build a decent side but he has got a record of winning trophies.

I don't know who are better or worse, it is very hard to compare such sides. Can you also find a comparison with the two Polish sides you face. Its irrelevant IMO, the real test will be when the League starts and the only test that will come from a friendly is when we play English sides.

P.S. Monaco also got beat from the same side that Lyon did, that's also cause they had the Dado. ;) Secondly Marseille, they won it with money and not with merit. They were lucky not to be stripped of it IMO, they were proven to have won the League in the same season using a very smiler method.
 
The Polish teams Celtic played were up against our team with players such as Lawson and Mulgrew in it, and those were our first games back. The standard of opposition was also higher than Linfield or Jomo Cosmos IMO, I think we should have played the first games back against lower-quality opposition.

I agree these games are just about fitness, but openly admit I'm glad we've no qualifiers for the CL this year, given our form!
 
The real proof of the pudding will come when the league starts.

Tbh, personally I think Celtic have played better teams so far, Linfield like all the Irish teams are always rather weak (as is backed up by their European results) and as for Cosmos (???) did you see Boyd’s goal? LOL…………..the centre half made big Bobo seem as composed as Fab Cannavaro.


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I know this was up before but it deserves to be back.

mviyk0.jpg


:lmao: :lmao: :lmao:


JFH, Tristan and now Kluivert, all these strikers have had a quality European pedigree and if one were to be at Parkhead Id be a little bit concerned. Dublin on the back of your shirts however does the exact opposite for me. I think you may be taking a leaf out of Juves book cause god only knows where your money is going.
 
Yep, if Dublin re-signs it is a disgrace. No harm to the big guy, seems a decent fella but he's done, and I'd rather have Hartson which is really saying something. Still over 5 weeks to find someone, here's hoping (and praying).
 
Tbh, I'd rather have him than no big striker at all.

I have concerns over our forward line and defence but our midfield looks very strong.

The board do look to be working the oracle again with the money but that's to be exepected from that lot.

Thank god Rangers and Hearts haven't done much to their team.


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i know we have been slated in the press by the fact of our results but i think they will pull it together for the start of the season as for another striker well we seem to always have a crisis before the start of a new season....lol
 
Espanyol claim they've turned down a £2.7m bid from us for Raul Tamudo - link.

If that's the case then why is Strachan mouthing off about Dublin, and why is he going for Raul Tamudo who, while a great striker, certainly isn't a target man?

Not really sure what's going on here. We're getting stories of poverty on one hand and on the other we're making bids for Diego Tristan and Raul Tamudo. :eh:
 
They both seem like unrelistic targets IMO, not in the sense of quality just more where they are from. Two players that play in La Liga, I'm pretty sure they would only move to our kind of weather would be if it were to play in England.
 
Did anyone catch the Strachan interview on SSN??



I know you are champions, 20 points and all but somethng about the way Strachan tells it kinda takes something away from it. ;)
 
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