23 Jul 2018 11:11:08
We’ll play AEK Athens if we get through, don't know much about them nowadays but would have thought there would be easier ties.
Like I said last week if we can’t beat teams of this quality over two legs then we don’t deserve to be in the CL.
{Ed007's Note - AEK only won the league - their first in 24 years - because PAOK were deducted points because their president was running about with a gun on the park. I can't see the second best team in Greece causing us too many problems.}
23 Jul 2018 11:52:12
While I am still confident of reaching the CL group stages, it just proves the point that from now on in for seasons to come, qualifying will be that much harder with Champions League standard teams as opposition. Both Rosenburg and AEK Athens are regular fixtures in european football. We can expect the same next season and the season after that.
Celtic really need to find a way to raise our coefficient to elimate these hazardous early season ties.
{Ed007's Note - This is AEK's first competitive match of the season, with a new manager and they sold their 2 main CBs and striker this summer.}
23 Jul 2018 11:53:08
Their top scorer was Sergio Araujo (once linked with us) and he's gone back to Las Palmas - for now.
23 Jul 2018 11:54:24
Not going to lie Ed as much as I trust your info I googled it, thought you were having me on.
Wtf?!
I see their team is filled with Greek players, even if they were all in the Greece national teams first 11 I wouldn’t be too concerned with that.
{Ed007's Note - It'll be tough over there, Andy but I can't see us losing either leg.}
23 Jul 2018 12:02:42
Ach at least we are not going to fekin Kazikstan lol.
23 Jul 2018 14:45:03
On my phone, it said it was 'Cork City v Celtic/ Rosenberg', in the next round, I thought, mmm that's a good draw.
23 Jul 2018 15:15:20
If we lost to Rosenborg Aindoh, we would play Cork city in Europa qualifier.
23 Jul 2018 15:27:06
This is where Brendan earns his huge wage packet. He's been slowly adapting our team for the European game which has let us down so much in the past. Dominating domestically can be marked off the board, Europe is now where we see our team really mature and go forward. I don't think we should fear any team we are up against as on our day we can beat anyone. It wasn't that long ago that it was Fortress Parkhead with various Euro teams coming and leaving defeated. Who can forget Barcelona, AC Milan, Juve, Man U to name a few.
Would love to get us back to that position where teams are cacking it when they play us at home.
I'm confident we can get through to the group stages but it will be tough.
23 Jul 2018 15:52:38
Best get those signings in pretty quick.
23 Jul 2018 16:49:43
Right Stevie, understand now.
23 Jul 2018 17:29:15
Ed, you say the second best team in Greece shouldn't be a match for Celtic. The Greek league has been ranked higher than ours for probably close to 20 years so I would imagine any of their top 6 would be.
Why wouldn't they? Do you watch a lot of Greek football?
{Ed007's Note - Yes.}
23 Jul 2018 19:22:49
Never mind that Zikos let's get to the important stuff can you tell us where we can get a decent Greek salad in Athens? :-D.
23 Jul 2018 19:34:44
I also try and keep up to date with Greek football, (not as much as I used to to be fair) . Personally I think that AEK will give Celtic more of a game than you Ed.
I haven't seen anything from Brendan Rodgers Celtic that would warrant a favourite tag (very poor in Europe of late) and I wouldn't be surprised if AEK win.
{Ed007's Note - I'd be amazed if AEK win.}
23 Jul 2018 20:01:52
Haha, think a gyros would be more suited to a boozy trip to Athens.
On a serious note try and keep safe. Crowds can get nasty if there is a lot at stake. Last time I tried to go to a game in Greece I was refused entry for safety reasons. Watched the game on TV only to see a full blown riot where the stadium was set on fire! With seats (on fire) being thrown into the away end! Dodged more than a bullet that day.
23 Jul 2018 20:53:08
Very poor in Europe of late? Based on what?
Being beaten by teams with hundreds of millions of pounds worth of players?
We came 3rd in our group as a pot 4 team, what more do you expect when the other two teams are PSG and Bayern?
23 Jul 2018 21:48:00
Based on us getting absolutely tanked probably.
23 Jul 2018 22:44:02
AndyH93 - not simply because Celtic were beaten by Man City and PSG and Anderlecht. But more the manner in which they were beaten. They got slaughtered. I remember watching the PSG game thinking that it should have been double figures.
And I don't buy into the "but they spend hundreds of millions" BS. Any manager worth their salt should be able to set a team up to be well organised and difficult to beat, highlight weakness in the opposition that you can exploit and hopefully with a bit of luck get a win or at least a draw.
Also, which PSG players would have got into the Barcelona team that Celtic beat? Not many.
Brendan Rodgers domestic record is unbelievable, but his European record so far has been extremely poor. Imo Celtic shouldn't view just getting to the group stages as a success they should be looking to get there and get respectable results and finishing 3rd should be the minimum expectation, with the odd year getting out of the group.
24 Jul 2018 07:26:00
So we’re supposed to go from dominating possession domestically to parking the bus in the CL?
What’s been evident under Rodgers for me is that yes against the top teams we will struggle (as expected) as they can keep the ball better than us and have more of the ball to exploit us defensively which admittedly we haven’t been great.
However under Rodgers we’ve been much better than under previous managers against teams of a similar quality. I would suggest AEK Athens fall under that category wouldn’t you?
I just can’t see how us getting pumped off PSG has any baring on our games against Athens.
24 Jul 2018 07:27:02
Zikos good post. BR has to change how we play in Europe. We set ourselves up to get smashed. European record is poor.
24 Jul 2018 00:16:36
If you are beaten, you are beat, it doesn't matter by one goal or twenty, you get no points .
Ed, Do you think will the weather be warm in Athens when we play there?
{Ed007's Note - It'll be anywhere between 24 and 32 degrees according to Google, it's at 30 for today.}
24 Jul 2018 16:26:26
AndyH93, for the record I actually think that Celtic will beat the current AEK team as ed mentioned they have a new manager and would doubt they will be as well organised as last year. If they are as good as last year Celtic will struggle especially at home as they were extremely well organised defensively and didn't lose many goals, even away from home and when they did they generally also scored.
However in regard to your post in how getting horsed by PSG is relevant to playing AEK is there is a tactical stubborness to BR. He refuses to change his tactics and always plays for the win. Imo that's just crazy, sometimes the win is almost impossible but the draw isn't and you also get points for draws! That is how teams of Celtics level get past the group stage.
Also you forgot to mention how they also got horsed from Anderlecht (granted not to the same extent) .