DMAA

32 minutes ago, Thinker said:

The coefficient system for those playoff rounds is contrived even by UEFA standards. No points awarded for the actual results, but we are guaranteed a bonus point for reaching the last 16 proper. We're currently sitting on 9 for the campaign.

We do get country coefficient points for individual results, it is only club coefficient points that are awarded only for progressing to the next round.

We got 0.4 points for Scotland for the win in Germany and 0.2 for the draw last night. Serbia are behind us and still have Red Star and Partizan competing. They get 0.5 points for a win because they have fewer teams competing in Europe so their points aren't diluted as much as ours. This blasted Conference League is going to sink Scotland's coefficient.

I'm delighted with GVB and the management team above all. At half time I said on here that we need to make a big change because this isn't working, they are going to score again.

The first half was similar to Parkhead, the goals were inevitable because they were getting straight through us and had loads of space in the final third. The system simply wasn't working. In fact, the only criticism I have is do we really have to wait till half time to make the change that clearly needs made? Celtic was the same, we waited till the game was out of sight.

In any case, GVB's "plan C" was brilliant and it is great to have a manager who is flexible enough to change system mid-game. He deserves all the praise and it's given me hope that he has what it takes to bring the title home. 

Didn’t realise there was a thread on this. Spartak and Galatasaray are having shocking seasons domestically so look like the best draws. 

I love the day of a Europa league knockout draw. Hoping for Galatasaray or Spartak Moscow. Both languishing way down their domestic tables, don’t know how they’ve gone this far. 

Wow. Just wow. Tactical genius from GVB at half time there to totally turn the game around. Enjoy the moment! We are IN THE HAT TOMORROW. 

GVB has done exactly what I asked and it’s working so far. 

Just now, weebluedevil said:

Agree, we need Balogun on and Bassey to LB. I'd be tempted to bring Sakala on for Arfield as early as possible too. We repeat that 1st half performance at the back and we won't even make extra time. 

I’d get Kamara on for Arfield. 

Just now, ian1964 said:

If he isn't bombing forward he isn't worth playing tbh! he is a good attacking full back, but is a terrible defender

It’s not just his defending that’s going wrong though. Keeps making mistakes with his passing. 

2 minutes ago, ian1964 said:

Barisic is our weak link! would rather Bassey at LB with Balogun in CB

I don’t know what’s happened to Barisic. He can’t find the consistency of last season at all. 

Nerve shredding stuff. I was surprised how confident people were for this one. A 2 goal lead isn’t much if a team like this really want to win. They are levels above us, regardless of last week. I hope we won’t be rueing that big miss from Arfield. Big 45 minutes ahead. We need to change something at the back though. They are slicing us wide open time and time again and seem to have loads of space, the goals were coming. GVB needs to try to do something. 

3 hours ago, BEARGER said:

Conference winners €5M

Europa cup winners €8.6M

I went back to the link I had used and yes, it said 2021-22 prize money in the title and then listed 2018-19 numbers underneath! That explains it.

Despite the winners prize money having more than doubled since 18-19, for the rounds we are likely to make it remains almost exactly the same. Every change UEFA makes affecting finance is geared towards benefiting the bigger clubs.

There isn’t a huge difference in the conference league prize money tbh, the winners actually get more than the Europa League winners. So it’s a big bonus for us if Celtic go out. The money really adds up when you add in the ticket money. 

Just now, the gunslinger said:

this for me is still a free hit. We just have a far better chance at a knock out. 

 

If we do go out people will try to make out it is some kind of disaster but that in it's self will be a measure of how good we are. 

 

 

The money to go another round further would be very welcome. I’m not sure exactly what it would be but you’re getting the prize money plus another sell out home game with high ticket prices and added broadcasting revenue too. 

It’s just incredible to be in this position and we have the team to thank for that.

12 minutes ago, the gunslinger said:

The very one. 

Mirko Ivanic. Yeh that was a very interesting link, scores a lot of goals in a very similar team/league.

Interestingly Red Star are also 2nd after having an incredible season last season, just like us. They ended with 108 points from 38 league games and undefeated. They also unexpectedly tumbled out of the Chmpions League against lesser opposition (Sheriff). There's definitely something in it psychologically, it's really hard to follow up a season like that. Slavia Prague are similar, undefeated last season, tumbled out of the Champions League against Ferencvaros and are only top on goal difference, with no strong challengers.

17 minutes ago, the gunslinger said:

our defence is probably the only department that scores anywhere near enough goals for their positions. 

 

This is very much an issue for us. 

It feels a lot like this time in the 19/20 season at the moment with the same issue causing us trouble. Remember the 1-0 loss to Hamilton?

Roofe, Ramsey and Diallo all add a goal threat to the squad though (whatever you think of them). I do think we will have recurring issues with goal scoring with a front 4 of Kent, Morelos, Aribo and Arfield though and we need to start getting Roofe at least into the team. He played a huge part in the months that won us the league last season with 8 goals in 9 (November and December).

19 minutes ago, der Berliner said:

We have, but we don`t play them. We persist with low-scoring attack-minded midfielders against packed defences and hope some piece of skill or the prowess of the one striker on the day will drag us out. What we see is toil and more toil. While our lethal folk warm the bench. And it is even more frustrating when you know that Roofe, Sakala, Morelos and even Itten can all operate in a 3-attacker line up and have done it before. Even a basic 4-4-2 would be more lethal than what we have now ... and have had since MW.

I'm not sure that we do though. I had a look at the stats graphs of all their signings on Twitter when they signed so I could get an idea of the type of player they were getting. Abada and Kyogo's graphs showed that they excelled at scoring goals, they had ridiculously high xG for their positions.

The Greek guy very much had the stats graph of a poacher too. None of those players looked great in general on the stats graph, but they did excel at goal-scoring. They have bailed Celtic out time and time again from very similar games to the ones we've had where we haven't found that winner.

Roofe is the only player we have who I would really put in that category. I think Ramsey is a very high xG player for his position too but that's a different position. Sakala has done well generally but I wouldn't put him in that category. 

I’ve been a bit worried for a while that we don’t have as many goalscorers in the team as Celtic do. We should have scored far more than 1 yesterday, and they found a goal from a poacher again. 

30 minutes ago, compo said:

but we should prepare for a blitzkrieg at Ibrox 

Don’t mention the war remember

Overzealous pressing there again though. The pressing has to be so disciplined at this level as this team really know how to take advantage. 

Absolutely incredible

Some of our pressing doesn’t look purposeful at all. We’re taking 4 players out of the game by pressing a ball we have no chance of getting and it almost cost us there. 

I'm not sure about that lineup. It's lacking in defensive ability in the midfield. Playing Arfield, Aribo, Kent and Morelos seems very attacking. Kamara should be in there at least to shore us up a bit.

Sakala and Roofe are a loss obviously, our options on the bench are much weaker as a result. The vaccination rumour must have been true.

1 hour ago, ian1964 said:

 

Jeezo, they really are petty.