Alistair Johnston

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

18 hours ago, VinceA said:

It's both hilarious and sad how much more Celtic and Rangers are outclassed by everyone outside Scotland...

Including Real Betis, who are in 6th place in La Liga right now?

https://www.espn.com/football/match/_/gameId/687642

As recently as two seasons ago Rangers only lost the Europa League final to Eintracht Frankfurt on penalties.

Edited November 8, 2023 by Ozzie_the_parrot

[Kent]

They may be bottom of the group, but Celtic even drew Atletico in their other group stage game (at home). I haven't been watching the games, but sometimes teams just have bad games. And a bad game on the road, getting a red card early on, in a game when you were already the underdog, sure it can get ugly quickly. The Scottish teams aren't contenders like they may have been in the past, but it's not like they are an embarrassment to UEFA or something. If the results are bad enough, they will have to go through qualifying to get into the group stage where they would be more competitive. If they bomb there too they will come in at an earlier round of qualifying where they would be more competitive. That's the beauty of how the Champions League is set up in UEFA.

[Bigandy]

1 hour ago, Obinna said:

I wonder if they could do a regionalized superleague:

UK division:

• Celtic
• Rangers
• Man City
• Man U
• Liverpool
• Newcastle
• Spurs
• Chelsea
• Arsenal
• Villa

BeNeLux division:

• Ajax
• Feyenoord
• PSV
• Twente
• AZ
• Genk
• Gent
• Anderlehct
• Brugge
• Union SG

Scandanavia:

• Malmo
• Hacken
• Hammarby
• Copenhagan
• Bronby
• Midtjylland
• Bodø/Glimt
• Molde
• Rosenborg
• HJK Helsinki (I know finland aren't technically scandanavia - but bare with me)

France/Swiss

• PSG
• Monaco
• Lyon
• Marsielle
• Lille
• Nice
• Lens
• Young Boys
• Zurich
• Basel (lol)

Iberia

• Barca
• Real Madrid
• Atletico
• Valencia
• Sevilla
• Betis
• Villarreal
• Porto
• Benfica
• Sporting

I won't go on forever, but maybe something like that would be more interesting, at least to me. Scandanvia and (to a lesser extent) Benelux would still be relatively weak compared to a UK or Iberian league. I got too lazy to consider what to do with Germany, Italy and Central/Eastern Europe....

I beleive belguim and holland have contemplated joining leagues in the past. I would imagine the quality of the league would go up as would revenues. I could see them at the french league level (minus PSG). 

[Cheeta]

8 hours ago, masster said:

Which is one of the reasons why I would be in favour of a European Super League...IF DONE PROPERLY.

Sounds like you're looking for leprechaun riding a unicorn.

Bareback.

(Oh boy.  Can that response be read wrong.)

[dyslexic nam]

2 minutes ago, Cheeta said:

Sounds like you're looking for leprechaun riding a unicorn.

Bareback.

(Oh boy.  Can that response be read wrong.)

I think I read it in the spirit it was intended. 

[Obinna]

3 minutes ago, Bigandy said:

I beleive belguim and holland have contemplated joining leagues in the past. I would imagine the quality of the league would go up as would revenues. I could see them at the french league level (minus PSG). 

Yeah good call on that. I think if you had a UK league, a French/Belgian/Dutch league, and Iberian league, and an Italian/German league, you'd probably have four league of relatively equal strength. If I expand them out to 12 teams:

France/Bel/Neth

• PSG 1070M
• Monaco 344M
• Marseille 280M
• Feyenoord 265M
• PSV 228M
• Lille 226M
• Lyon 192M
• Ajax 185M
• Brugge 148M
• Genk 128M
• Antwerp 121M
• Anderlecht 94M

Italy/Germany

• Bayern 948M
• Napoli 587M
• Inter 563M
• Milan 543M
• Leverkusen 523M
• Leipzig 489M
• Dortmund 466M
• Juventus 421M
• Roma 362M
• Lazio 280M
• Wolfsburg 255M
• Frankfurt 188M

[SthMelbRed]

On 11/9/2023 at 2:44 AM, InglewoodJack said:

I don’t know how a super league would benefit teams like Celtic and Rangers (and to another extent, teams like red Star, Partizan, Kyiv, Donetsk, Sherif, so on). Maybe if the super league necessitated the merger of the English and Scottish pyramids to replace the lost teams, but my guess is that so much money would be extracted from the top European leagues that the premier league would get closer in quality to the Scottish prem than the other way around.

 

Probably just cynical, but I think the only way for a team like Celtic to compete with the big dogs is to integrate them into the premier league as it currently exists, but even then, I don’t think there’s interest in that from fans, and there’s no guarantee they don’t just immediately get relegated and end up a team like Watford or Sheffield that will have some good premier league seasons, many championships, and absolutely no Europe.

If you dropped Celtic and Rangers into the National League North for the start of the 2024/25 season, they'd be playing in the Premier League in 2029, guaranteed. Well, Celtic would be guaranteed. Rangers might take an extra year, or two. Once they got to the Premier League, and started to see the huge PL TV bucks roll in, they'd be locked as Top 10 teams year on year.

[QBCS]

On 11/9/2023 at 10:53 PM, SthMelbRed said:

If you dropped Celtic and Rangers into the National League North for the start of the 2024/25 season, they'd be playing in the Premier League in 2029, guaranteed. Well, Celtic would be guaranteed. Rangers might take an extra year, or two. Once they got to the Premier League, and started to see the huge PL TV bucks roll in, they'd be locked as Top 10 teams year on year.

Agreed, but honestly now I wouldn't put them past a mid level championship team as of now.

[SthMelbRed]

6 hours ago, QBCS said:

Agreed, but honestly now I wouldn't put them past a mid level championship team as of now.

They get TV revenues below Championship levels at the moment. As soon as they got EFL, then PL TV money, they're other advantages would propel them above all but a handful of English clubs.

[WestHamCanadianinOxford]

Just picked up a yellow after a bit of a dive from my old friend Felipe Anderson.

Generally doing well against some decent attackers.

 

Unfortunately Immobile comes on and with a little luck and a little weak defending by a centre back, Celtic lose 2-0.  Bottom of the group and no longer in Europe. 

Edited November 28, 2023 by WestHamCanadianinOxford

[Cheeta]

Man had a good match.  Looked more like his old self there today and that wasn't going to be easy given roster adjustments Rodgers had to make due to suspensions.  

Seriously, switching Maeda, who sees and plays the field the same way as AJ does with a Matt O'Reily, who can be an absolute donkey at times is going to have an impact on your day.  O'Reily is a project and has his days but he's a project and doesn't have his days either.  More of the later today.

Had more than a couple of those on the trot passess (absolute beauty to Koygo) that we expect from the man.  Hot knife through butter stuff that'll penetrate a defence.  Wonderful stuff that didn't produce for Celtic in the end but still great to see.

Got a harsh caution to my eye.  One of those otherwise good tackles where the the trailing leg gets into the action.  Nothing vicious or dangerous but there it is.  One more yellow card for Mum to put into a photo album. 

Ug.  The match really summed up this editon of Celtic's Champions League all by itself.  Rotten luck, a soft moment and you're losing by 2 with 5  minutes to go.   Text book. ☹️ 

[Unnamed Trialist]

4 hours ago, Cheeta said:

Man had a good match.  Looked more like his old self there today and that wasn't going to be easy given roster adjustments Rodgers had to make due to suspensions.  

Seriously, switching Maeda, who sees and plays the field the same way as AJ does with a Matt O'Reily, who can be an absolute donkey at times is going to have an impact on your day.  O'Reily is a project and has his days but he's a project and doesn't have his days either.  More of the later today.

Had more than a couple of those on the trot passess (absolute beauty to Koygo) that we expect from the man.  Hot knife through butter stuff that'll penetrate a defence.  Wonderful stuff that didn't produce for Celtic in the end but still great to see.

Got a harsh caution to my eye.  One of those otherwise good tackles where the the trailing leg gets into the action.  Nothing vicious or dangerous but there it is.  One more yellow card for Mum to put into a photo album. 

Ug.  The match really summed up this editon of Celtic's Champions League all by itself.  Rotten luck, a soft moment and you're losing by 2 with 5  minutes to go.   Text book. ☹️ 

Couldn't you argue he was not in ideal position on two goals against? I thought so watching highlights.

[Cheeta]

For sure. 

He was reading off Carter-Vickers on the 1st though and its hard finding too much fault on that one with either man.  Ball deflecting into the worst space at the perfect pace is hard to defend against.  Second goal he found himself in one of those which is the lesser evil moments.  Me?  I'd have gambled on closing Immobile down.  Doubt it would have worked but that was what was in my mind in real time.  Scales' give away wears that goal though.

LOL.  Nearly got caught early on in the 1st half on an angled run by Anderson.  You can see him recognize the danger and try to correct before the pass came in behind him.  Tried to stretch his foot onto it which maybe put the man off just enough but it was a prettty funny moment from the chesterfield.   Would love to hear the voice in his head as that one played out. 

 

[WestHamCanadianinOxford]

3 hours ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

Couldn't you argue he was not in ideal position on two goals against? I thought so watching highlights.

Only if you have precog powers.

He's the right back, the only way he stops the first is if he's on the other side Immobile, where he's not supposed to be.  He's covering either a left wing runner or if the ball went wide and high to Immobile, he should prevent the knock back across the box. 

The second - again he's a right back, two centre backs should deal with that central attacker - one gets ragdolled and the other isn't quick enough.

If he moves toward Immobile, that's a form of ballwatching, leaving Pedro in front of him wide open for a tap in.

You are asking a right back to play his position wrong in hindsight.

Edited November 29, 2023 by WestHamCanadianinOxford

[Unnamed Trialist]

4 hours ago, WestHamCanadianinOxford said:

Only if you have precog powers.

He's the right back, the only way he stops the first is if he's on the other side Immobile, where he's not supposed to be.  He's covering either a left wing runner or if the ball went wide and high to Immobile, he should prevent the knock back across the box. 

The second - again he's a right back, two centre backs should deal with that central attacker - one gets ragdolled and the other isn't quick enough.

If he moves toward Immobile, that's a form of ballwatching, leaving Pedro in front of him wide open for a tap in.

You are asking a right back to play his position wrong in hindsight.

True, the entire team has been on its back foot and haphazard almost this entire Champions campaign. They have looked like real novices on a competitive level. Then of course they will always suffer with European reffing, since what they see in Scotland is a major outlier.

They have pieces, talent here and there, but what you get in Scotland obviously can't prepare you for the diversity of scenarios you'll see in Champions. Since the early days, decades ago when Scottish teams could surprise, this has always been the case. As we saw with Rangers recently, getting a run at Europa League is a much more reasonable scenario.

[InglewoodJack]

Looks like he played a very good game today against Hibs:

- 92% passing

- 5 chances created, 1 big chance

- penalty won

- 8.5 FOTMOB score

 

4-1 Celtic

[InglewoodJack]

Guess which team took a 1-0 lead into the 81st minute only to give up a late goal to Feyenoord

[MauditYvon]

8 minutes ago, InglewoodJack said:

Guess which team took a 1-0 lead into the 81st minute only to give up a late goal to Feyenoord

They just scored. 2-1 Celtic 

[SthMelbRed]

2 hours ago, InglewoodJack said:

Guess which team took a 1-0 lead into the 81st minute only to give up a late goal to Feyenoord

AJ got sucked inside to cover the ball across, but got no support behind from the midfielder on his side, leaving the Feyenoord player with an uncontested shot for the tying goal.

[Kadenge]

Got subbed off at the half in a 0-2 loss today v Hearts. Was it an injury? One site has him as the lowest rated defender. Dont think he's been the same player since his leg injury with Celtic which he reinjured during NL vs Panama/USA. I havent watched him at Celtic so perhaps someone can chime in, but he  certainly hasn't been the stud he was during WCQ for Canada.

[JamboAl]

Not injured from what I could tell.  But Celtic were very poor overall and they had to make changes so Johnston was sacrificed at the half.  

[Unnamed Trialist]

I'm not so worried about him considering the whole team is slipping lately. 

Not sure but has the CL campaign taken its toll on the team dominating the league?

[PegCityCam]

Back to winning ways...

 

[Kadenge]

It would be a huge bonus if AJ can recover his form for Canada. He was massive defensively during WCQ 

[Shway]

48 minutes ago, Kadenge said:

It would be a huge bonus if AJ can recover his form for Canada. He was massive defensively during WCQ 

I think this can be  said about a lot of our guys albeit for maybe Larin...surprisingly. 

Davies, Staq, Tajon, Allistair, David, were all key and pivotal pieces in us qualifying for the WC... and all those guys I have listed have collectively struggled in the past 4 games.