Anthony Stokes

Even against teams that are similar to us in the CL, I would still rather go with one up top. As I have said already though, we need to find someone that is good enough to play as the lone striker for us in Europe.

 

I haven't forgotten that in the slightest, it was one of the most abject displays I can remember for us in the Champions League, it was also with a different team. Aalborg were weaker than us, no doubt about that, they were just better than us over the course of the two games. First game we had a perfectly onside goal ruled off and we never recovered from that. 2nd game was a disgrace.

They were weaker than us though, and we should have took at the very least 4 points off of them.

For being one of the 'weaker' teams in the competition we have made the Round of 16 3 times in the last 7 years. Not too bad for a 'weak team'. Our home record is also one of the greatest ever saw in the competition.

This year has been an anomaly, mostly because we were still recovering from selling the spine of our team.

 

The fact that we don't currently have that player, besides maybe Balde (which is highly doubtful considering he doesn't get a chance in the SPFL) I wouldn't. If we found that player, then yes, I agree.

 

I think our record over more than one season and the fact that we ever made it into the third pot in the first place speaks to the fact that we aren't "one of the weakest teams in the competition". There are definitely teams with much worse records than ours. Of course there will be transition years such as this season, when we were indeed one of the weakest teams in the entire competition, but why do you assume that will still be the case next year?

 

I would honestly be looking to buy a striker to play up top on his own and give Stokes the free role behind him in the CL. Commons has just not done well enough in Europe to occupy that role. I think Stokes would excel there.

 

We are one of the weaker teams in the competition and we have received huge credit every team we have reached the last 16 and rightly so.

This year hasn't been an anomaly. It was a reality check. Simple as that. I thought Shakhtar Karagandy beating us was a fluke but the group stage showed me we are just a weak side at that level.

The game against AC Milan at Celtic Park rubber stamped it for me. They are on their knees at the minute and they * battered us.

 

That one was big problem with us this year, playing stokes or pukki up on their own when they aren't really suited to that. That was the main reason we struggled for goals this year, we were unlucky at times as well, especially in the San Siro.

 

It has been an anomaly, it is not within the same form we have always shown in the Champions League, this year we were one of the weakest teams in the Champions League, no doubt. However, I think there was very good reasons for that, any team that sells the full spine of there team and then goes up against high quality opposition are in trouble.

We've since improved on that situation and next year, we'll be back to business as usual.

 

We were definitely one of the weakest teams in the competition this year. Ajax getting horsed in the Europa showed that our group was probably easier than last year's. Having said that, if you look at our entire CL history, your argument doesn't stand up, Spellcheck. This was definitely a transitional season and if we don't sell our best players again this summer, I confidently predict we'll do better next year. I'm not saying we'll get second again or even third; but we should avoid the humiliations that 2013 brought us.

 

Business as usual ? We have had one good season in Europe over the past 6 seasons.

I'm unconvinced. I will just be happy to qualify right now, anything else is a bonus.

 

Why would I look at our CL history ? You are missing the point. I'm talking about the hear and now. We were a much better side in the past. We are a fourth seed quality side and it that was proven this season.

 

18 goals and 9 assists in 29 League games looks good.

But in reality it's 1 goal and 1 assist in the 14 games that matter.

 

All that was proven this season was that we were one of the weakest sides in the competition this season. If you want to figure out how we'll do in most campaigns, then past campaigns are all we have to go on and they suggest you're wrong.

 

I don't think you can really base anything on this season, firstly we were in the toughest possible group, unlucky enough to draw arguably the best team from each pot. This season has also been something of a transition season; we've had two big players to replace in Hooper and Wanyama. Yes, we should have replaced them over the summer, but I think we would have done a lot better with them or similar this season. Look at AC Milan, we outplayed them in both games, the only difference was they were clinical, we weren't. Both those games were like SPL games, only difference being when SPL teams set up to defend against us and let us come at them, they don't usually have the defensive ability or organisation to last it out for 90 minutes or the finishing ability to take the chances they get. You could look at Ajax as well, there really wasn't much to choose between them and us. We played very well at Celtic park and won, then didn't turn up in Amsterdam and lost, with not much in the game. A Wanyama type player would probably have made the difference there, someone to take the game by the scruff of the neck and really stamp his mark on it.

 

That doesn't make any sense as we don't have the players we had in those previous campaigns.

Van Dijk and Forster could leave in the summer as well.

 

What?

 

A poor European campaign in 13/14 doesn't automatically mean a poor European campaign in 14/15. Look at the difference between the last two years. Going by your theory, we should have done well this season since we made it to the last 16 the previous year.

 

We didn't have a tough group. Barça are Barça but that was the weakest AC Milan team of the 3 we've faced in the CL and Ajax got their arses handed to them in the Europa (by a team who themselves got knocked out the very next round). I agree with the rest of your post, though.

 

If we sell Van Dijk and Forster in the summer, then this season will probably be the shape of things to come and I will agree with you. The board need to turn a profit but the board need to realise that permanently getting bent over in the CL (at least the home games) will be disastrous in the long term.

 

They don't give a * as long as we qualify. For me qualification for the CL is the minimum requirement. However with this team i'm not entirely convinced we will qualify.

I think Stokes, Griffiths and Commons on form are good enough to get us there but it is so early in the season and there will be a few ins and outs which might disrupt the squad.

A domestic treble and qualification for the CL is what we should all be demanding next season. Not a profit on the bottom line of a balance sheet.