Champions league

[ian1964 10,761]

Another ''Glorious Defeat'' for timmy.

 

 

Neil Cameron: Celtic may be out of Europe but this is a team going places and they will be better next season

 

CELTIC may have reluctantly been dragged into their own version of a soft Brexit but at least they have a plan and are an awful lot richer.

 

This was not failure. It was reality of the harshest kind. The richest club in Scotland by the length of London Road are minnows compared to just about all in Europe which operate at this level – and look at who they were up against in the name of Jinky.

 

That this new team have given their supporters many reasons to feel pride and optimism – remember, Molde was just over a year ago - means Brendan Rodgers is doing his job and then some.

 

It is the end of this season’s European campaign; however, don’t think for a moment that the manager isn’t already looking ahead, that players have not been targeted and next season, if he can keep this group together, Celtic will be far better placed to make more of a fist of the Champions League.

 

This was a year too soon – utterly understandable -and just getting to the group stages was victory in itself. Anything else: well that was asking a lot. The year 2016 has been one of shocks but it was not to be.

 

Sit down for this revelation: Barcelona are a lot better than Celtic. Also, Borussia Monchengladbach can play a bit and were good enough to win in Glasgow and, crucially, draw with Manchester City who are bankrolled by a family who own oil. Lots and lots of oil.

 

Imagine how Kilmarnock, Hamilton and Motherwell feel when they give it their all against a team worth 50 times their own squad, do okay but still lose at Parkhead. That was Celtic on Wednesday night.

 

It is not patronising to call Celtic brave, at least in a football sense. it is absolutely fine to point out they were out of their depth in this season’s Champions League, as long as you add the caveat that this group of players are not drowning.

 

Rodgers could have gone with five at the back, but 4-2-3-1 is how this team will play. He could have told his players to be more defensive. That’s not his style. Celtic have their formation, they have a philosophy which they are faithful to and if Barcelona beat them, so be it. This is how Celtic are going to play from now on.

 

The manager knows what he is doing. He believes this team can go far. Any Celtic who can’t see the vast improvement and reasons to think that something good is happening at their club really needs a word with themselves.

 

It would have been nice if, when going into the final game at Manchester City, that Scotland’s European flag bearers still had a chance of the Europa League. But the home defeat by Borussia did for them. Ah, well.

 

All the big guns were inside the ground. Jorge Valdano, who won the World Cup with Argentina, Jamie Redknapp, great names from Celtic’s past such as Jackie McNamara, Pierre van Hooijdonk and, unbelievably, Chris Kamara

 

And they could all see that Scott Brown, Scott Sinclair and Moussa Dembele played like Champions League players. As for the rest, they were far from disgraced.

 

Who would have thought, as last season limped dismally along, that one day soon Brown, Callum McGregor, Stuart Armstrong and James Forrest would do themselves justice in the Champions League group stage against one the greatest club sides the game has ever seen and a footballer who in perhaps the best of them all?

 

And speaking of Lionel Messi, watching him is a privilege. He wandered around that pitch as if he owned it – which he did. He owns them all.

 

Kerrydale Street was the place to be. It always on such nights.

 

In the first few minutes, Stuart Armstrong robbed Messi, and then Brown snapped into Sergio Busquests, winning the ball and leaving a multiple Champions League winner on the ground.

 

Celtic were pressing, but Barcelona were poised, Messi played a pass to Neymar so perfect it would make grown men weep, the Brazilian showed some skills and while the ball was eventually cleared it was a reminder – as if it were needed – that some special footballers were visiting.

 

However, Celtic were playing well. Confident on the ball, looking for and playing passes and while Barcelona were creating chances, it was more than encouraging.

 

But, sadly, there are people playing for Barcelona who operate in a dream world. Neymar flicked the ball over the Celtic defence as if he were playing in the street and that wonderful genius from Argentina found a space between Craig Gordon and his post that didn’t seem to be there.

 

There was six green and white jerseys around Messi. They could do nothing.

 

Italian referee Daniele Orsato hadn’t given the home side much and when he pointed to the spot – Emilio Izaguirre was too rough on Luis Suarez – and Messi to the surprise of no-one didn’t miss from 12 yards.

 

Although had Dembele scored with a header a minute before then, well, then Barcelona would still have won.

 

Real life can be so unfair.

 

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/14925082.Neil_Cameron__Celtic_may_be_out_of_Europe_but_this_is_a_team_going_places/

[MacK1950 2,399]

Sob Sob Sob Sob:roflmao::roflmao2::bouncy:

[Yorkshire Bear 0]

After reading that I was in tears................of laughter.

The man's demented.

[26th of foot 6,119]

Neil Cameron is just reinforcing the on-message line handed to him by CQN's Paul Brennan. Remember, CQN's strap line is, 'not just lazy journalism'!

 

Ra Sellik have improved is a line you will hear tonight from Gerry McFcukwit on Radio Snyde, it was broadcast continually by Tom English, Scot McDonald, and Alan Stubbs(yep seriously) last night on BBC Radio Scotland.

 

Thus, Gerry, Tom, Neil, Alan, Scot, .......................... et al; your team lost nine nil on aggregate,(that's 9-0) to Barca. Before any Yahoo bemoans this illustration, it being the Champions League group stages. May I remind you of the joy that Paul Cooney, Jim ra Tim Delahunt, Richard Gordon, ....................... etc took in continually repeating Rangers/Juve twenty years past culminating in a 1-8 aggregate score line?

 

Actually, these days; I would say deluded Tom English is the biggest on-message Sellik cheerleader?

[Uilleam 5,960]

An off form Barcelona team, on a freezing cold November night, came to Glasgow, and - in front of tgfitw, who (it is now axiomatic) create the most magnificent atmosphere in world football- playing within itself, beat rahoops, who were brave (again, axiomatic, nowadays), with little ado.

 

Is there anything else to say?

Edited November 24, 2016 by Uilleam

[boabie 230]

Mutton said during commentary last night near the end , "sellik have shown they can compete in the champions league."

Sorry halfwit, but "competing" as far as sellik are concerned means they qualified to take part and no more. One look at their section table proves that.

[StuGers 477]

Neil Cameron: Celtic may be out of Europe but this is a team going places and they will be better next season

 

CELTIC may have reluctantly been dragged into their own version of a soft Brexit but at least they have a plan and are an awful lot richer.

 

This was not failure. It was reality of the harshest kind. The richest club in Scotland by the length of London Road are minnows compared to just about all in Europe which operate at this level – and look at who they were up against in the name of Jinky.

 

That this new team have given their supporters many reasons to feel pride and optimism – remember, Molde was just over a year ago - means Brendan Rodgers is doing his job and then some.

 

It is the end of this season’s European campaign; however, don’t think for a moment that the manager isn’t already looking ahead, that players have not been targeted and next season, if he can keep this group together, Celtic will be far better placed to make more of a fist of the Champions League.

 

This was a year too soon – utterly understandable -and just getting to the group stages was victory in itself. Anything else: well that was asking a lot. The year 2016 has been one of shocks but it was not to be.

 

Sit down for this revelation: Barcelona are a lot better than Celtic. Also, Borussia Monchengladbach can play a bit and were good enough to win in Glasgow and, crucially, draw with Manchester City who are bankrolled by a family who own oil. Lots and lots of oil.

 

Imagine how Kilmarnock, Hamilton and Motherwell feel when they give it their all against a team worth 50 times their own squad, do okay but still lose at Parkhead. That was Celtic on Wednesday night.

 

It is not patronising to call Celtic brave, at least in a football sense. it is absolutely fine to point out they were out of their depth in this season’s Champions League, as long as you add the caveat that this group of players are not drowning.

 

Rodgers could have gone with five at the back, but 4-2-3-1 is how this team will play. He could have told his players to be more defensive. That’s not his style. Celtic have their formation, they have a philosophy which they are faithful to and if Barcelona beat them, so be it. This is how Celtic are going to play from now on.

 

The manager knows what he is doing. He believes this team can go far. Any Celtic who can’t see the vast improvement and reasons to think that something good is happening at their club really needs a word with themselves.

 

It would have been nice if, when going into the final game at Manchester City, that Scotland’s European flag bearers still had a chance of the Europa League. But the home defeat by Borussia did for them. Ah, well.

 

All the big guns were inside the ground. Jorge Valdano, who won the World Cup with Argentina, Jamie Redknapp, great names from Celtic’s past such as Jackie McNamara, Pierre van Hooijdonk and, unbelievably, Chris Kamara

 

And they could all see that Scott Brown, Scott Sinclair and Moussa Dembele played like Champions League players. As for the rest, they were far from disgraced.

 

Who would have thought, as last season limped dismally along, that one day soon Brown, Callum McGregor, Stuart Armstrong and James Forrest would do themselves justice in the Champions League group stage against one the greatest club sides the game has ever seen and a footballer who in perhaps the best of them all?

 

And speaking of Lionel Messi, watching him is a privilege. He wandered around that pitch as if he owned it – which he did. He owns them all.

 

Kerrydale Street was the place to be. It always on such nights.

 

In the first few minutes, Stuart Armstrong robbed Messi, and then Brown snapped into Sergio Busquests, winning the ball and leaving a multiple Champions League winner on the ground.

 

Celtic were pressing, but Barcelona were poised, Messi played a pass to Neymar so perfect it would make grown men weep, the Brazilian showed some skills and while the ball was eventually cleared it was a reminder – as if it were needed – that some special footballers were visiting.

 

However, Celtic were playing well. Confident on the ball, looking for and playing passes and while Barcelona were creating chances, it was more than encouraging.

 

But, sadly, there are people playing for Barcelona who operate in a dream world. Neymar flicked the ball over the Celtic defence as if he were playing in the street and that wonderful genius from Argentina found a space between Craig Gordon and his post that didn’t seem to be there.

 

There was six green and white jerseys around Messi. They could do nothing.

 

Italian referee Daniele Orsato hadn’t given the home side much and when he pointed to the spot – Emilio Izaguirre was too rough on Luis Suarez – and Messi to the surprise of no-one didn’t miss from 12 yards.

 

Although had Dembele scored with a header a minute before then, well, then Barcelona would still have won.

 

Real life can be so unfair.

 

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/14925082.Neil_Cameron__Celtic_may_be_out_of_Europe_but_this_is_a_team_going_places/

 

 

I must be mistaken but I seem to remember defeats to a team from Israel that no-one has heard of, scraping through against a team from Khazakstan and losing to a team from a place that isn't even a country, Gibraltar. Then, what is very likely, finishing the group with a grand total of ZERO wins. And those two points can be attributed to a draft of OGs and penalties.

 

My memory must be wrong and that writer is correct, this has been a splendid campaign for Scottish Football.

[JFK-1 1,693]

Mutton said during commentary last night near the end , "sellik have shown they can compete in the champions league."

Sorry halfwit, but "competing" as far as sellik are concerned means they qualified to take part and no more. One look at their section table proves that.

 

Well i'm guessing absolutely everyone in it can compete using the logic of Sutton. It's brilliant that competing means finishing bottom of a group with zero wins and 15 goals conceded in 5 matches with certainly a bundle more to come at Manchester City who at home took 3 from Barca and 4 from Monchengladbach.

 

Presumably finishing second bottom and actually winning a match means super competitive.

[Uilleam 5,960]

Is there any truth in the story that, last night, the Green "Brigade", and sundry other revolutionists, incendiaries, and all round fantasists chanted,

"We'll eat jelly and ice cream

When Isis kills the Queen?"

 

I ask merely because I have not seen this mentioned in any newspaper.

[der Berliner 3,807]

In fairness, not many British team can do much against Barca this season. The soothing words "xyz have shown they can compete in the champions league" were spoken by the German commentator about last night's draw between Mönchengladbach and ManCity as well, with regard to Gladbach. For they are, essentially an upper mid-table Bundesliga team (which should not play in the "Champions" League, but anyway) with a budget dwarfed by their opponents'.

 

So in essence, it is semantics. Stuff thrown in for the audience, which will gladly soak it up.

 

In the cold light of day, Scum FC never stood a chance in that group and they probably ended it with their (and the CL's) worst record in a group. There is just one "bad thing" that comes out of that: they can now concentrate on all the domestic stuff. Perhaps they'll have to sell a few assets along the way, and I can actually envisage some idiot EPL side throws 10m+ on Dembele.

 

At the end of the eve I still whistled this song, despite the odd naughty word ...

 

Edited November 24, 2016 by der Berliner