Celtic 2013-14: O Brother Where Art Thou?

[Biggreenone]

Yep, I'm not expecting much here.

Celtic have the worst possession rate in the CL at 37%, Barcelona have the highest.

Only Austria Wien have a lower shooting accuracy ( 27%) compared to 32% of Celtic.

Barcelona have allowed their oppenents the fewest shots of any team in the CL for a total of 34.

Celtic have failed to score in 6 out of 7 last CL fixtures.

Neymar has attempted 14 shots but has not scored, only Tavez has had more attempts ( 15) without scoring.

All in all, Celtic should be in the driving seat here and have Bacelona on the back foot.............




Team: Forster; Lustig, Ambrose, Van Dijk, Ledley; Matthews, Brown, Biton, Boerrigter; Samaras, Pukkki

Great to see Matthews back.......no Commons no Mulgrew......interesting.


Loving your stats !!!

I fear the worst with that team.

 

[inter tatters]

To those wondering where I heard all about the events at Fir Park (chanting at McCall etc) read Hugh Keevins' column, yup the ex-Celt himself, in the this weekend's Sunday Mail.

 

[CodPiece XL]

To those wondering where I heard all about the events at Fir Park (chanting at McCall etc) read Hugh Keevins' column, yup the ex-Celt himself, in the this weekend's Sunday Mail.

 
 
Since you were too lazy to paste a link I can only assume you mean this article:
 
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/hugh-keevins-must-stop-rogue-2904421
 
The chanting he claims were " Sad Orange Bastard" directed towards McCall , which is relatively mild if you ask me. McCall is disliked amongst some Celtic fans because a) he played for the dead club and b) the perception is that Motherwell bend over when playing dead club and new club ( check out last season in the Cup). 
 
He then went on to say McCall's  feelings should have been considered before flares were let off because of McCalls links to Bradford and the fire. As if the reason flares were brought and let off was due to the Bradford fire. I don't see any reference to Celtic fans chanting anything related to the Bradford fire .....where do you see this?
 
Are you sure this is not something you read on some Newco site like "Swallow , Swallow"?
Keevins is a blowhard who has become the last of the Dodo's. I could go into more detail but won't...suffice to say he was one journalist who said clubs would go to the wall and perish if Newco Rangers had to start in the bottom league. "Celtic need Rangers" etc etc.............quite clearly they don't. I can't honestly take what he says seriously. He claims and boasts that he is banned by Celtic. No he is not....he can walk through the turnstiles like any other football fan, he just can't use the media facilities. ( unless that has changed recently).
 
Edit: and for the record I would be disgusted if there were any chants related to the Bradford fire in much the same way I was disgusted at a Celtic fan making fun of 9/11 by gesturing towards Reyna.

 

[CodPiece XL]

Loving your stats !!!

I fear the worst with that team.

 
Funny, my intention was to watch the game so I went to the bedroom to lie on the bed. It was 12.45 PM local time for me, however, because I had to get up at 1.00 am for conference calls with some project engineers in Asia I landed up dozing off. I woke up to hear the commentator's excitement and saw Samaras rise above the defence to nod the ball into the net. Then I checked the score................aye......i guess we can say that was the "worst". My hopes were up for all of 5 seconds....

 

[Biggreenone]

To those wondering where I heard all about the events at Fir Park (chanting at McCall etc) read Hugh Keevins' column, yup the ex-Celt himself, in the this weekend's Sunday Mail.


The same Hugh Keevins that Celtic have banned from Celtic Park for printing negative lies about the club ?

Jeezo - never in my wildest dreams did I think that in any part of the Celtic supporting world there could be anyone quoting articles that not only appeared in the Sunday Mail but were also written by Hugh Keevins.

I would suggest if you are looking for the facts around the goings on in the stands - the main stream media is the very last place you should look.

Anyone chanting about Bradford or similar would get a sore face very quickly - thankfully some old school traditions remain alive amongst our support.

 

[Biggreenone]

Funny, my intention was to watch the game so I went to the bedroom to lie on the bed. It was 12.45 PM local time for me, however, because I had to get up at 1.00 am for conference calls with some project engineers in Asia I landed up dozing off. I woke up to hear the commentator's excitement and saw Samaras rise above the defence to nod the ball into the net. Then I checked the score................aye......i guess we can say that was the "worst". My hopes were up for all of 5 seconds....


Horrendous display - absolutely no pride in the jerseys or in their profession. Embarrassing (even if it was Barcelona).

Felt sorry for the lads that travelled to watch that disgrace in the run up to Christmas.

 

[CodPiece XL]

Horrendous display - absolutely no pride in the jerseys or in their profession. Embarrassing (even if it was Barcelona).

Felt sorry for the lads that travelled to watch that disgrace in the run up to Christmas.

 
 
Obviously I never saw the entire game and a 6 : 1 hammering is embarrassing.
 
On the bright side, these fans probably paid in advance and had a good time in the warmer climate and a few local bars. How many fans from a different country can walk into a bar in Barcelona bar and say " The usual , thanks"  courtesy of Celtic qualifying for the last 32 recently and their fans being embraced by the locals.

 

[CodPiece XL]

The same Hugh Keevins that Celtic have banned from Celtic Park for printing negative lies about the club ?

Jeezo - never in my wildest dreams did I think that in any part of the Celtic supporting world there could be anyone quoting articles that not only appeared in the Sunday Mail but were also written by Hugh Keevins.

I would suggest if you are looking for the facts around the goings on in the stands - the main stream media is the very last place you should look.

Anyone chanting about Bradford or similar would get a sore face very quickly - thankfully some old school traditions remain alive amongst our support.

 
 
Inter,  who is quoting Keevins is a Newco fan, not a Celtic fan. Which I kinda guess explains it...

 

[Biggreenone]

Inter, who is quoting Keevins is a Newco fan, not a Celtic fan. Which I kinda guess explains it...


Kind of figured that tbh. Are there no threads for the likes of Brechin, Forfar, Stranraer, Sevco etc on here ?

 

[Biggreenone]

Obviously I never saw the entire game and a 6 : 1 hammering is embarrassing.

On the bright side, these fans probably paid in advance and had a good time in the warmer climate and a few local bars. How many fans from a different country can walk into a bar in Barcelona bar and say " The usual , thanks" courtesy of Celtic qualifying for the last 32 recently and their fans being embraced by the locals.


Not sure mate - I know a few lads that made the trip (as they do to most Euro aways) that were well pissed off with the lack of effort by the team they are talking about knocking it on the head.

A lot of negatives between the club and support right now that need sorted.

 

[CodPiece XL]

Not sure mate - I know a few lads that made the trip (as they do to most Euro aways) that were well pissed off with the lack of effort by the team they are talking about knocking it on the head.

A lot of negatives between the club and support right now that need sorted.

Thankfully I missed the game except for the last few minutes. I never bothered to stay tuned to see the lowlights.
 
I'd be pretty pissed if I spent hard earned money to travel and watch that shit....I was just trying to think of the bright side, if indeed there is one.
 
Failure to replace Hooper, little or no dig in midfield ( Wanyama) , no flair and creative outlets from midfield. They simply don't have the talent and skillset to compete at the highest level. Their failure to spend money on quality players has bitten them in the ass. I'm trying to figure out where Pukki fits in....other than saying a tidy player with a good first touch,  he looks positively scared when confronted with a goal scoring chance. I could go on.....the squad needs an injection of talent...not squad players and projects.
 
I don't know has the failure to impliment the living wage contributed to the negatives you refer to....or are you just referring to lack of ambition regarding building the squad on the field.

 

[CodPiece XL]

Kind of figured that tbh. Are there no threads for the likes of Brechin, Forfar, Stranraer, Sevco etc on here ?

 
 
Sorry, my sarcasm detector may have been dulled by going to a tapping/ tasting of some winter brew at a brewery when I posted.

 

[Biggreenone]

Celtic 1 - 0 Hibs. Teemu Pukki with the only goal. Played well until Samaras replaced Pukki. 1/2 empty stadium in the wind and rain. Reports of stewards harassing groups of young fans and removing Mandela banner and Yes flags. Divisions within the support.

 

[CodPiece XL]

Celtic 1 - 0 Hibs. Teemu Pukki with the only goal. Played well until Samaras replaced Pukki. 1/2 empty stadium in the wind and rain. Reports of stewards harassing groups of young fans and removing Mandela banner and Yes flags. Divisions within the support.

 
 
It's December, nearing Christmas, doesn't the attentance usually drop around this time? Add the wind and rain and I would not read too much into it. All Cetic home games are limited to me looking for a crappy stream over here, however, all their away games are carried by Fox. I chose not to try and find a shitty buffering stream so I never saw it.
 
I'm trying to figure out if my enthusiasm for supporting Celtic would have diminished as I got older and stayed in Scotland or has my diminished interest been due to me moving to the U.S and having baseball and the other football take up some more of my time and interest. Perhaps a mix of both.
 
I find that I am more glued to watching the CL qualifiers and CL games than the domestic games and I plan my days accordingly.....not so much domestic, I stll get nervous as hell. They have more than replaced the dead team being a regular fixture, at least for me it does.

 

[Biggreenone]

Things have been a it dull of recent.

However as there is a wee stretch in the nights it seems there has been an upturn again in Jelly and Ice Cream sales in the green half of Glasgow.

Couldn't die again could they ?

 

[CodPiece XL]

Things have been a it dull of recent.

However as there is a wee stretch in the nights it seems there has been an upturn again in Jelly and Ice Cream sales in the green half of Glasgow.

Couldn't die again could they ?

 
 
I ran into a Rangers fan in Scottsdale the other day, he was attending the Barrett Jackson auction with his U.S cousins. I kind of had to humor the guy initially, then I was asked why a Protestant like myself would support Celtic. It immediately reminded me of why I dislike the Old Firm rivalry and how much I don't miss it and the majority of their fans.  I pointed out they had "died" . If they were the same club they would have played in Europe the following season since they finished second, their players would not have been allowed to leave for free, nobody would have had to TUPE over,  no licence would have had to be transferred, in fact, they held two at one point, they would not have been punted to the lowest league in Scotland, even though they were lucky not to have to start in the amature lower divisions. Aye...sure ...you are the same club. They have already died in my eyes. Suffice to say he got a bit worked up and I was told to be "nice".
 
The media in Scotland wants to peddle the myth they still exist because it will appease their support and save their windows from being broken, death threats and tires slashed. The media and SFA indulged the Sevco 5088 supporters when a replacement club rose from the ashes. That does not change the decades of duplicity, dual contracts, a sectarian employment policy which brought about administration and finally liquidation. Liquidation = Death
 
Anyhow....on to real Celtic news, I was going to post this yesterday, the first signing in the transfer window......http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spfl/celtic-confirm-stefan-johansen-signing-1-3268643
 
3 and half year deal with 1.7 Million being the initial up front fee. Hopefully he does better than Tom Rogic who signed at the same time last year. Supposedly trying to loan him out. What's up with the Yankee Hat?
 
I wonder does this mean Joe Ledley is leaving....Samaras sure sounds like he is.
 
Motherwell this weekend.

 

[Biggreenone]

Yeah I'm heading across on Saturday for the Motherwell game and hoping the new guy gets a run out. Hopefully the players are raring to go after their break as our football at home this season has been hard to watch.

Seems that Samaras is for the off - I'm not a big fan tbh and won't miss him. Ledley may stay but tbh we can't really justify the type of wages he is on for an SPL midfielder (particularly with Brown on high enough £££ too).

We still need a quality striker - that is our priority if there are any greenbacks left in the biscuit tin.

 

[CodPiece XL]

No chance Johansen gets a look, not even on the bench this weekend. His last competitive game was about 3 months ago and he just joined. However, Holmbert Fridjonsson has been training since he signed a pre-contract. 20 year old kid with potential. I'd like to see what he can do, although Balde was impressive in that Turkey tournament.

 

[Biggreenone]

With our cushion at the top of the SPFL I'd love Lennon to play the likes of young lads Henderson, Atajic, Biton, Fisher and Fraser get a runout but there seems to be a determined bid to try and go unbeaten which is forcing Lennon back to his old faithfuls.

 

[CodPiece XL]

With our cushion at the top of the SPFL I'd love Lennon to play the likes of young lads Henderson, Atajic, Biton, Fisher and Fraser get a runout but there seems to be a determined bid to try and go unbeaten which is forcing Lennon back to his old faithfuls.

 
 
I would like it too. I also think that if there was apathy amongst the support that having a chance to see the kids play regularly would spike some interest. I know for certain that if I was local, I would be more inclined to want to see the youth players playing rather  than seeing the same old faces such as Stokes and Samaras. Lennon confuses me sometimes, he's quoted as saying his players are knackered because of the amount of games they have played. At the same time he picks the same players ( injuries permitting) and then decides to take them off for some tournament in Turkey. Although, I did hear they were given a million pounds for showing up and he did field a youth team in the final against Galatasary which was 0:0 ( Chelsea should slaughter them). 
 
If Lennon's reluctance to field the younger players regularly is based on wanting to go unbeaten the entire season, then his priorities are certainly questionable. Atajic, Fisher and Biton have already shown they can do a job in limited playing time...give them a run in the first team. At least then you will learn if they are just squad fillers or they can save you a bob or two by not going out and buying more players although Biton was a transfer. Both Johansen and Biton are what I'd call box to box players, willing to surge foward, which is not a bad thing. However, what this team really needs is a creative midfielder ( better than Commons) and a poacher who can put the ball in the net on a first touch.

 

[Biggreenone]

So that's the January window closed and out go Joe Ledley (Crystal Palace) and Mo Bangura (terminated) Samaras stays and will run down the final few months of his contract and leave as a free agent in the summer.

Sad enough to see Joe go, he was a decent player but was too often anonymous. He was out of contract in the summer so shifting him on for any fee was smart (he was never worth keeping on a large wage).

Bangura was a huge failure having shelled out £2 m - he never looked like a footballer from the moment I saw him tbh - someone cocked up big time on that one !!

I'm disappointed Samaras is still with us as tbh I've never been a fan, for every moment of genius there are 50 moments of utter frustration. We are a better team without him in the line up and I expect his appearances to be scarce between now and the end of the season - not smart when he's heading to the WC in Brazil.

In comes Leigh Griffiths from Wolves (£800k) who has split the support. Personally I think he's a decent player and will bang in the goals (but needs to sort out the off field issues). Griffiths scored 28 for a poor Hibs team so the ability is there.

I think the Griffiths backlash may have as much to do with Lennon's £6m player talk a few weeks back which again proved a smokescreen and the support is left disappointed with the calibre of the players coming in when their expectations had been raised (allegedly according to NL we missed out on a big money signing from Turkey at the last minute after agreeing a fee - aye right !!)

St Mirren on Sunday at CP should be handy then it's Aberdeen at CP in the cup which I'm really looking forward too as the league us all but clinched.

 

[CodPiece XL]

Anyone have experience of Celtic TV? They have made Fox Soccer Plus a premium channel now, it was free as part of my sports package now they want $14.99 a month. It only shows Celtic away games but for a bit more cash I can watch them all through Celtic TV but I've heard their streams are crap.

 

[Biggreenone]

Anyone have experience of Celtic TV? They have made Fox Soccer Plus a premium channel now, it was free as part of my sports package now they want $14.99 a month. It only shows Celtic away games but for a bit more cash I can watch them all through Celtic TV but I've heard their streams are crap.

I know a few guys over there who have it with no major complaints. I'm watching their feed of the St Mirren game right now and it's very watchable.

 

[CodPiece XL]

Yeah, I'm watching a "free" stream right now. It just happens to be some dodgy link to Celtic TV.  The commentators are gash........but I can always turn the volume down. That's what I do to Davie Provan anyway during CL games. The ground looks half empty.....I missed the Celtic goal.

 

[mic99]

Yeah, I'm watching a "free" stream right now. It just happens to be some dodgy link to Celtic TV.  The commentators are gash........but I can always turn the volume down. That's what I do to Davie Provan anyway during CL games. The ground looks half empty.....I missed the Celtic goal.

 
I have Celtic TV and it works fine.  The announcers aren't the best and a tad biased but that is to be expected.  They used to have (4-5 years ago) tons of matches from previous seasons you could watch at any time but that is no longer available.  

 

[CodPiece XL]

Pathetic.
 
The Celtic midfield was overrun by Flood and Robson. Lennon's selection baffled me. I really have my doubts about Lennon but at the same time how much of this is not bringing in quality players. The squad is average and taken a few steps back, the investors may be happy with the bank balance but this lack of investment and poor signings could have a significant affect on season ticket sales. Do they normally close the entire top tier ? The quality of football has been dire.......Aberdeen deserve some credit obviously but....come on.........there should be no excuses. Lennon's record in Cup games is pretty atrocious given the level of competition. The Aberdeen midfield were snarling in the faces of Celtic players who had the ball...that "used" to be the Celtic way. Sad times.....

 

[Biggreenone]

Just in the door from the game and disgusted. Fuming with that abysmal showing. Lennon's team selection was bordering on criminal. Samaras - why ? Another cup capitulation.

 

[CodPiece XL]

So.....now the next really meaningful game is going to be in July.
 
Meanwhile...Tony Watt has been reinventing himself recently with 7 goals in the last 5 matches on loan with Lierse. Nice to see he may be getting his head out of his arse. He was never the same after the Barcelona game. I'd still like to see him wear the hoops again. He certainly has the talent. So....they have all these players out on loan now:
 
Dylan McGeouch - Coventry
Bahrudin Atajic - Shrewsbury
Jackson Irvine - Kilmarnock
Callum McGregor - Notts Co
Tony Watt - Lierse
Paul George - Hamilton

Stuart Finlay - Morton
Tom Rogic - Melbourne Victory
Joe Chalmers - Falkirk
Mikey Miller - Dumbarton
 
As for Griffiths, I'm sure he will get on the scoresheet but I think he's a bit of a ned, not the player I wanted Celtic to sign. I keep thinking of Derek  Riordan for some reason.
 
The team looks completely stale..the support look stale.........and I'm well by my sell by date if Lennon persists in fielding the same shit........at least give Henderson a few games, let Fisher continue playing...etc etc. I'm done with Stokes and Samaras and the irony is not lost that they were the two players who created the goal against Aberdeen.

 

[CodPiece XL]

A hat-trick today for LG, great second goal. Nir Biton is improving each game.....could be a bit of a find. Lenny needs to keep playing him.

 

[Biggreenone]

A hat-trick today for LG, great second goal. Nir Biton is improving each game.....could be a bit of a find. Lenny needs to keep playing him.

Was over at the game on Saturday and it was really enjoyable - it was like the loss at Pittodrie was a monkey off their backs as they opened up an played some great stuff. Griffiths looks a great signing (as I thought he would be) and yes Biton looks better with each game. I'm hoping we get a look at young Henderson soon too.

There is a bit of competition for places with Commons, Pukki, Johansen, Balde, Fischer, Lustig (when fit), Kayal all looking for a game on the team that started on Saturday.

 

[CodPiece XL]

LG will score plenty of goals, if he can bang in almost 30 for a weak Hibs team, he will certainly find the net for Celtic. He's not bad for the money and whilst I did not share the hatred some fans had for the signing, I see him more as a complimentary piece who should replace Stokes. If the Celtic Board harbor any ambitions towards qualifying for the CL they need better quality. They are crying out for a play maker in midfield as well. Commons is good enough for the SPL but again, I think better quality is needed for the CL. The whole "let's go unbeaten" in the league thing was counter productive, time for Lennon to see what he has or has not in terms of dead wood.

 

[Biggreenone]

I agree LG will score loads in SPL but CL is a different story. Again agree about playmaker as teams know that if you stifle Commons then we have no creative alternative.

A run in of performances such as Saturday will put a shine on an ultimately disappointing season.

 

[CodPiece XL]

Henderson is playing tonight against Killie.
 
I may make a point of watching this game.

 

[mic99]

http://articles.philly.com/2014-03-17/news/48301332_1_northern-ireland-belfast-brain-injury-awareness-month
 
It doesn't look like Tony Watt's loan spell is ending well.
 
I really hope he doesn't throw away his potential.  

 

[CodPiece XL]

Done deal......League Champs.
 
Roll on CL qualifiers and a couple of good signings....Samaras era probably over.

 

[Biggreenone]

Here we go ten in a row !!

 

[Conigliaro's Potential]

Is Celtic winning the title in the Rangers-less SPL the least impressive top-flight achievement in world or European football? Not meaning to be snarky...just wondering if there are any other leagues where the outcome of the title race was such a foregone conclusion from the very start of the season. 

 

[Biggreenone]

Is Celtic winning the title in the Rangers-less SPL the least impressive top-flight achievement in world or European football? Not meaning to be snarky...just wondering if there are any other leagues where the outcome of the title race was such a foregone conclusion from the very start of the season. 

 
Bayern Munich clinched the mighty German Bundesliga on Tuesday night. PSG are romping the French League. Yes Scotland is predictable but it's just a reflection on how football throughout Europe is going - the rich dominate. The set up of the CL is another example - seeding ensures the big clubs get richer.
 
The growing gap between the haves and have-nots across the game will be the death of the game imo.
 
I'm delighted we won the league - there is nothing else we can do but win the league you play in. Hopefully in coming years we will see a strong challenge from the likes of Aberdeen and Dundee United.

 

[CodPiece XL]

Is Celtic winning the title in the Rangers-less SPL the least impressive top-flight achievement in world or European football? Not meaning to be snarky...just wondering if there are any other leagues where the outcome of the title race was such a foregone conclusion from the very start of the season. 

 
 
Without question it was predictable....inevitable even  without  a ball being kicked. However, football is about cycles, just look at the Greek League....Olypiacos win virtually every year. I told my German buddy before the league started that his Bayern Munich were just as much a formality to win their league as Celtic were because they were so far ahead of the game. They won it with 7 games left.
 
I remember when Celtic were skint, Rangers were spending millions attracting the best players in Europe, long after the days of Jim MacLean and Alex Ferguson and the "New Firm"....Rangers were just as much a formality to win back then too..they won 9 in a row.
 
I can't speak for Celtic supporters, I just have my own opinion...I don't look at winning the league with any sense of accomplishment and achievment...it's a means to an end. That being entry into the CL qualifiers and hopefully making it to the league stages and the money that comes with it. With the exception of the  challenge of the new firm decades ago...it was for the most part a two horse race, now it's just one. There are plenty of other teams in Scotland ( too many in my opinion given the demographics and economics) but I'm not sure it matters to the average fan in Scotland that does not follow Celtic or Rangers( back in the day) if its a one or two horse race. It of course matters to the sponsors etc...but that's another conversation.
 
The real challenge is having meaningful games, Celtic need a challenge and I would love to see Aberdeen , Dundee Utd etc become better teams,  I would welcome it. However, until there is a fundamntal change within the fabric of the Scottish league set up,  Celtic can only beat teams that are put in front of them. How fans want to celebrate within the context of the competition is up to them. I just don't think we will see a helicopter Sunday for a few years to come.
 
Ha: Biggreen beat me to it as I was typing this.

 

[CodPiece XL]

http://articles.philly.com/2014-03-17/news/48301332_1_northern-ireland-belfast-brain-injury-awareness-month
 
It doesn't look like Tony Watt's loan spell is ending well.
 
I really hope he doesn't throw away his potential.  

 
 
Tony Watt is his own worst enemy. He talks a big game and blames everyone but himself, there is a reason he is on loan. The kid is a natural talent, he scored 7-8 goals on loan in 17 games. I believe some other clubs in Belgium are interested in buying him. If he can't get that ego of his in control ( Barcelona goal helped feed his ego) he won't have much of a future in the game.
 
I can see it, 30 years from now in a Glasgow bar as he sits by himself:
 
Punter 1 pointing Watt out: See him, you know who he is?
 
Punter 2 : Naw, who is he?
 
Punter 1: That's Tony Watt,
 
Punter 2:  WHO??
 
Punter 1: He played for Celtic and scored the second  goal against Barcelona in the Champions League at Parkhead back in 2012.
 
Punter 2: so whit happened??
 
Punter 1: Nothing....nothing happened.

 

[soxfan121]

It got very dusty while watching this...bravo Mr. Lennon and Mr. Samaras.

 

[PedroSpecialK]

Gonna be sad to see Samaras go this summer, seems like the best guy. And he's enraged many an opponent in my FIFA games

 

[Biggreenone]

Great stuff - That wee lad travels to almost every home game. He's been on our bus a few times and see him on the ferry every match. Great touch by Lennon and Samaras.