Can Celtic get back to the Glory Days?

Hi I'm new here.
Seeing how much the EPL will be getting (£30million for last place), losing players like Stokes to a Championship side & being bombed out of bidding for other Championship players - £6million for Lafferty !!
Some might ask, what the * can we do to compete?

But I feel that Celtic are on the up, Lawell has the reputation for getting deals done pretty quickly without much fuss, he puts the milage in too. We have a good scouting system I feel (that can get better if Park is joining), We've a good string of quality youths who will get excellent coaching in a World Class complex (when it's finished) & I think WGS is doing well within the new(ish) financial restraints - he's dropped the wage bill & age of the squad whilst winning back to back leagues & getting to last 16 (at least) in CL.

If we qualify for CL proper again next season, the current squad will have this seasons experiance & have played together longer so hopefully we could get through to last 16 again - especailly if we strengthen the squad.
Success breeds success as they say.

We have a good chance of dominating SPL for the next few years, with Rangers getting into UEFA last 32 & Scotland doing pretty well, we could start to qualify for CL proper every year just by winning SPL. This will give us exposure in europe & not every player wants to play for money alone - so Bolton, Villa etc... might not always get their man.

Anyway my question is -
Can WGS build a team that will get us back into the quarter finals & beyond of European Competition on a regular basis?

I think he can.

 

We have been in the cl for a while now but always unluckly got knocked out if we can start going through and have the new training complex finished we can maby get back to glory days.

 

Hopefully when plan B comes to fruition we can compete with the best but the money is a major obstacle!

 

I liked your optimism

I think we should be setting the last 16 of the Champions League as a realistic target for every season. If we can achieve this, we will be doing OK in terms of finance and achievements.

But the problem is that clubs in the EPL receive so much more money than SPL clubs - and many clubs around Europe. So we need to make do with low cost transfers where we can. If there is a player that Celtic want and Everton want who costs £5 million - Everton can sign him easily whilst if we signed him, it would be our whole season budget. Equally, if we did match a bid with a club like Everton then they would always be able to offer more wages.

Thankfully there is an attraction to Celtic over clubs like Everton. The Champions League is the biggest stage a player can play on. Celtic win trophies. Celtic are one of the biggest clubs in the world and have a massive following.

We need to continue in the route we're going because it's the right one for now. Hopefully the SPL can continue to grow in financial terms (I believe we get more money from Setanta than Sky ever offered). Time will tell..

 

Its unfair on leagues like the spl coz they cant compete in the same way if the bottom team in a league is gettin 30m.

 

Would love to see it happen, but it wont because of the vast differences in revenue involved in the European game. 30 million to get relegated from the premiership is just ludicrous, 30 million for being *, will kill off a section of English Football.

 

TBH soon the EPL will be like a big Champions league with the money theyre gna get. adraino playing for portsmouth n stuff.

Forgot we have to qualify next season

surely we will be seeded?

 

WGS is a frigging genius...
He has done it once...he can do it again
Best manager for us since Jock Stein IMO

 

Yeah.

 

Well obviously with the kind of money the epl is getting and the other big 4 leagues Spain, Italy, Germany and France probably in that order Celtic simply cannot compete with the big guns in those leagues on anything other then a one off basis.
But I think given the brilliant job being done by those in charge currently at Celtic Park I think we could reach a point where we achieve consistent European success on a level as say like PSV Eindhoven.

 

Yes. Unearth a few talents with the youth systems, one or two quality big name signings who aren't flops, and if we beat Milan, a lot of people will want to come to us. I think WGS can do it if he tries his absolute best.

 

Theres always hope. Like Ive said probably 2 dozen times on here, Celtic are one of the biggest clubs in the world. And that means we will always have merchandise and recently I feel soccer is moving on the up and up here in the states a bit. More coverage such as the ticker on the bottom of ESPN having UEFA news sometimes.

Celtic have a huge lure here especially with the fact that so much of America is made up of ancestors of the Irish diaspora. I know people who know nothing about the club who still buy Celtic merchandise.

And this little tangent just illustrates the possibility of how proper marketing will always insure the Glasgow Celtic FC will grow.

 

Is there any real chance of us beating AC Milan? Yes there is.

Have we signed players to play in the SPL within our wage structure, who have gone on to attract top 4 EPL clubs - but we've got them on long contracts?
Yes we have. Boruc (Arsenal) JVoH (Liverpool) Naka (everyman & their dog).

Have we unearthed any good potential international class talent at a cheap price from within the UK & ROI?
Of course. Caldwell, Brown, Naylor, O'Brien, Wilson, O'Dea, Riorden, McManus.

Unearthed any potential international class young players from Europe? Yes (getting boring now ) Sno, Bjarnason, Finnbogason.

Are we expanding our World reknowned Club into the further reaches of newly emerging market places, with huge potential for money spinning Tours, training camps & of course Shirts & merchandising sales.
Yes. USA, Japan, China....(hope we sign Sharlie Joseph for this reason, as long as he has the goods on the pitch, which I'm led to believe he may have).

Are we fighting religious, racial & social bigotry & intollerence - something UEFA & FIFA are really cracking down on in this era?
Errmmm, I believe that Celtic Charter leads the way in this area & has been adopted in other Countries, not to mention our Fair Play awards for the Clubs Fans - proving we're indeed a cut above the rest!

Are we well placed to move the Club forward & regain our rightful place in Europe's Elite? To * with it....The World's Elite?
I'll leave you good people to decide for yourselves.

C'Mon the Hoops

 

How many 'E's have you had mate ? You are one positive *.

But you are right. I have said in other threads that we are not as far off the top tier teams as we think. WGS I have to grudgingly admit has done a very good job so far and IMO we are only 3 good signings away from having a real chance. If we can maintain our home form in Europe and we get over the bogey and learn to bag the odd away draw we will, by definition, progress in the tournaments. Strachan has built a good squad in a relatively short time - if he continues to make good signings we have a real chance of making, with a bit of luck, the semis. Then who knows what.

I think if we made it to the semis this year for example (I don't see it happening) and played, say, Barca if there was a 50/50 decision - it would go against us. UEFA want Barca (and the other top tier teams) to do well in the glamour tournaments - it's good for business. So we have to spend a few years getting through to maybe the last 8 and then we will become bigger in UEFA's eyes and the 50/50s will then slowly go our way. Then you've got a real chance.

We are not far off it. One more quality signing in each department and we'll give anyone a go.

 

I believe we will beat AC Milan...and get into the last 8, and then it is
anybody's Cup..

WGS will be sweating blood and tears to get us there....

Start praying is my advice...

 

one more quality signing in EACH DEPARTMENT yes you hit the nail on the head - you need a new team -

 

Three players do not make a team, * for brains. How many new players do the TFOD need ?