19 Jun 2016 16:24:45
There seems to be a lot of people worrying about the lack of transfer activity due to the upcoming qualifiers but I'd like to stress that the squad that we currently have got to the knockout round last season and should have got past Malmö so there's not as much of a rush as some people think. One or two key players SHOULD see us safely through and then maybe we can pick up another couple of higher profile players.
19 Jun 2016 16:44:09
Well Said Kevbhoy, no need for panic, let Rodgers do his thing, in his own way and time, we should be able to come through the first couple of rounds if only on players fear factor and will to make an impression.
19 Jun 2016 18:05:44
Is the draw tomorrow morning?
{Ed007's Note - Yes mate at 11 a.m.}
19 Jun 2016 18:34:02
Do u know any the teams we could get ED? I heard there's a few tricky ones even in our first draw!
{Ed007's Note - Teams in green will need to get past their 1st Qualifying Round in order to face us.
19 Jun 2016 18:47:35
Ta Ed. Was reading that Norrkoping and Ferencvaros are about as difficult as the first round will get. We should be ok. I'd like to see a couple of players settled for the next rounds though. Then obviously if we do qualify properly hopefully push the boat out for one or two 'marquee' players as kev says.
{Ed007's Note - We live in hope mate.}
19 Jun 2016 18:48:56
Do u have a list of teams Celtic could get in the draw? I've tried on the uefa website but can't find anything.
{Ed007's Note - Never mind bloody UEFA websites, you'll get everything you need except porn on here. :=D
19 Jun 2016 19:55:50
Haha cheers ed.
{Ed007's Note - (yes)
19 Jun 2016 20:01:21
Ed do you know if we are home or away first leg. If we drew crusaders and were to play 12th July away I think that would be crazy for fans to travel through Belfast.
{Ed007's Note - I'm not sure if the seeded teams are home first.}
19 Jun 2016 20:28:10
The Slovenian Swedish and Hungarian champs in there! Hope we don't get bloody one of them! Be just our luck to draw one of them wouldn't it! Sure we're playing the Slovenians in our pre season! U think there's anything to fear in there ED? Thanks for the info bud ðŸ‘ðŸ»ðŸ‘ðŸ».
{Ed007's Note - There shouldn't be but going with our recent record and Rodgers record in Europe (P.18, W.6, D. 5, L.7, GF. 24, GA, 24, Win% of 33%) anything can happen. We should be fine for the first two qualifiers but I don't hold out much hope of reaching the CL group stages this season.}
19 Jun 2016 20:54:52
Got to agree with u ED, first 2 rounds we should hopefully scrape by! But if we don't buy a couple of quality players then I can see us missing out again! And I'm not even sure I would want to get in to it with the players we've got right now! Think it could end up really embarrassing!
{Ed007's Note - It probably will end up a mauling for us but most fans will accept getting pumped as long as the CL money is rolling in, even though historically we don't actually spend it on the team. Don't you enjoy seeing us getting rattled 6-1 at home to Barca? Before you answer that think of the money - it doesn't matter that everyone in Europe's laughing at us.}
19 Jun 2016 21:32:34
I for one would love to have CL football back in paradise ED but not with that team! If by chance we could invest in some quality to the team that would at least give us a chance to at least give it a go! And no I wouldn't want and don't like us getting pumped 6-1,but on there day Barcelona could beat any team in Europe by that scoreline at the nou camp. just hoping for a decent European campaign after what's happened the past 2 seasons if I'm being honest mate! But we'll just need to see what happens I guess lol.
{Ed007's Note - Wasn't getting to the knock-out stages of the EL and unluckily going out to Inter Milan a decent European campaign?}
19 Jun 2016 21:39:17
Ed mate, you been @ the grumpy pills this weekend? Not like you!
Half the teams in the CL can get pumped like that off Barcelona!
I cannot see BR getting as short changed as previous managers he would surely factored this in?
But historically we have gambled and not spend enough wisely nor enough to feature.
{Ed007's Note - I'm just being realistic, the CL love in some people have is pathetic. What other team in the CL has Barcelona beat 6-1 in recent years?}
19 Jun 2016 22:07:04
Ed, Barcelona hold the record of six 5-0 victories in the CL
My train of thought is if you get pumped off a team that has circa £200 million of a front three then is they're any real shame in that
For me, we got pumped off Legia Warsaw 4-1 and barring to saves (pens) by FF it would have been 6! I was mortified then but so a suppose each to there own (y)
But agreed if we get there bloody spend it on the pitch!
{Ed007's Note - So they've never beat any other team 6-1 then? My point is that supporters don't care if we're getting drubbed as long as it's the super-duper CL, they're happy to accept and more than happy to see Celtic getting beat as long as the pay day is enough.}
19 Jun 2016 22:14:53
The only way for the players to improve is to play at the highest level i. e. the CL. Its the prestige of the competition and the teams in it that sets it apart from the EL, not just the money. Our name deserves to be in there with the best. I'm confident we'll get there this year. Patrick Roberts could run riot against most of the teams we could face.
{Ed007's Note - That's a stupid argument with absolutely nothing to back it up, clubs spend billions of pounds disproving it. So why have Man City loaned us Denayer and Roberts? You're saying Roberts won't improve at Celtic because he isn't playing at the highest level, didn't you see Denayer improve before your very eyes when he was here?
Why do you think big clubs send young players to lower leagues and lower teams if they only improve playing a the highest level?
Players will improve if they are coached and trained right, chasing shadows in the CL isn't going to improve any player. NL's team became a CL after working their way up from the EL, I don't think anyone can disagree that playing in the EL - not the highest level - done NL's team a power of good.}
19 Jun 2016 22:32:33
Did they not pump Roma 6-1 last season mate? Not trying to be smart ED just saying that on there day they are more than capable of spanking any team! But kind of getting off track bud. yeh u could say the campaign when we were unlucky to not go through against inter was decent! But even the group stage of that was a struggle really. just hope there's better times ahead mate, and I'm sure all us fans are the same ðŸ‘ðŸ»ðŸ‘ðŸ».
{Ed007's Note - I don't know bud, that's why I was asking as I don't really watch any CL football. We all hope that there's better times ahead but just because we've appointed Rodgers is no guarantee although we're still miles ahead of anyone else domestically.
As I mentioned earlier I spent years reading Liverpool fans ripping Rodgers to shreds and laughing at the terrible mistakes he was making there, the guy lost the plot and his interviews were as cringey as they were bewildering and stupid. Now he's our manager his treatment of young players and his approach to the the youth system really concerns me. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Izaguirre as our starting LB next season.}
19 Jun 2016 22:40:21
Hapoel beer sheva and ferencvaros are the 2 teams you would want to avoid most in that first round but in saying that i would still fancy is to get past both if them if we did happen to draw them.
19 Jun 2016 23:08:18
So you're saying you don't want us to get to the CL for fear of getting a hiding? Would you rather have been beating teams like Elgin and Queens Park 4-0 and 5-0 the past few years than losing 6-1 in the Nou Camp? The only reason we get players like that is because Man City expect us to get to the CL. They aren't loaning us players to play in the SPL alone. Of course players can improve in the SPL and EL but if they want to reach the very top they have to be tested against the best in Europe in my opinion. I'd rather lose 6-1 to Barcelona than 3-1 to Molde. I know what result I found more of an embarrassment that's for sure.
{Ed007's Note - I'm saying the same thing I've been saying for years, the CL isn't the be all and end all of football and if more supporters could see that then it would be better for Scottish football as a whole.
Celtic getting beat by Molde goes under the radar, if Barcelona beat anyone 6-1 it's known all over the world. I'd bet there's more people in the world know we beat Barca and know we got pumped 6-1 than know we got beat by Molde. Do you think getting beat 6-1 by Barca is a good argument to get in any breakaway league or would losing 4-3 on aggregate to Inter look better on our CV?
Who at Man City told you they expect us to be in the CL and that's why they loan us players because that's the first I've heard of that? I suppose it's nothing to do with Peter Lawwell's son working there and the fact they knew their players were going to be looked after and treated right whilst picking up valuable experience. Not to mention as a club they have a lot of respect for RD and his methods.
So will Man City stop loaning us players if we don't qualify for the CL? No, they won't.}
20 Jun 2016 06:28:48
They didn't give us Denayer for a second season even though we did a good job with him. Went to Galatasary who had guaranteed CL football. I'm not saying the EL is a poor stage for us to play on, I just want us to be playing at the very highest level and against the very best.