Champions League Feyenoord v Celtic Tuesday September 19th kick off 8PM TNT sports 1

I’m still raging.

I think the thing for me is we bang on about luck but it’s in our control.

If Hatate plays in Kyogo it’s 1-0.

If Kyogo stays square or someone else is in the wall they don’t score.

If Lagerbielke just uses his body rather than his arm he’s not off.

If Holm doesn’t make that challenge we could nick a draw with 10.

We need to stop feeling sorry for ourselves and start taking some accountability, start creating our own luck.

Some massive overreactions. We aren’t as bad as that result suggests, not by a long way.

 

They weren't a great team by any means and it was an opportunity for us to get some away points on the board however, we still aren't strong enough to compete at this level and I firmly believe that it's all down to our board's failure to speculate to accumulate again and, once again, concentrate on the bank balance. We all knew that we needed to strengthen the team in a number of positions in the summer - especially LB, CM, and GK but we didn't. We also still lack physicality and height and still get overrun in midfield. The signings we did make are clearly not good enough but might come good but, by the time that comes, we could be sitting bottom of our group. We are also still not streetwise in Europe and don't look for fouls the way Feyenoord did last night.

 

*.

 

Watched the game back before work this morning. They were so * ordinary.

You’re never getting a pot 1 team like that in the history of the tournament. They might get better. Who knows? Who cares?

Last night they were * * and we went down like a limp *.

 

Another thing that * me off last night (although I should be used to it by now) was the commentary. You would think a Scottish commentator would be batting for a Scottish side but that * certainly wasn't and big John Hartson doesn't half talk some * also. The studio panel also looked pleased with the result and went on as if we hade been thrashed.

 

Don't get this at all. We are miles below the required standard and yet we were arguably the better team in the first half away from home to the Dutch champions. You saying with 11 men on the park there's no way we equalise 2nd half?

I get your no happy with the transfer window but let's no blow things out of proportion to try and prove that point. For me, I'm confident we'll beat them at parkhead.

 

Said the same at the time mate. The Scottish commentator seemed delighted with the 2nd half.

 

I’m not trying to prove a point for * sake.

I’d obviously rather I (and many others) were proven wrong and we looked like a functioning team capable of doing a bit of damage in the group.

You don’t get any points for being arguably better than anyone in any half, and for the record, they were * * as well.

A pot 1 team from the Gods.

 

Aye I get that mate, I credit them looking * on the way we played and pressed them. Its the comment you made about us being way below the required standard I disagree with.

We're still a few of players short of being a decent champions league team, absolutely, but we're not miles off it imo.

 

Fair play to you mate. I just think we’re a long way off it. Thought that before, during and after the game. Miles is a figure of speech that probably comes off as hyperbole.

So much so that we wouldn’t have negotiated the qualifiers if we didn’t win the league, and I think we’ll be doing very well to get a win in the group.

I’m perennially pessimistic I suppose, about Celtic at least, and from your previous posts you’re mostly positive so that’s why probably disagree from time to time

 

I like your thinking but he's on record as saying that he and his family are there to provide 'intellectual capital' and tot the Pounds and Pence form of capital you'd (and me) like to see

 

Yup, the hard luck story is a lot of pish. It’s unlucky once or twice but this is a trend dating back decades.

Players need to learn and learn quickly to have any chance at this level.

Decision making all over the park tends to be terrible.

 

Aye, for me it's an opportunity lost for picking up a point even 3..

Thought they were poor and looked nervous..

We were naive, poor mistakes, wasteful in possession and a bit unlucky..

 

They were a pitiful outfit devoid of ideas..

It's laughable how easily beaten we were in the end..

We'll never ever face an easier pot 1 first game away in the future..

We've got fuckall in the final third and no belief really..

Always crumble under pressure as well..

Proper annoyed about last night and where we're at. A decent Celtic side at any point takes at least a point there..

 

No one more wasteful than Hatate.

When you are riddled with injuries, you absolutely need your top performers like him to show up. He delivered an absolute stinker.

Defo agree that we should’ve taken points from that last night. Thought we were the better team in the first half in all honesty.

 

He only looks at it when VAR says you need to look at this as we think its a mistake. If his mates in VAR think his decision was correct there is no check from him.

 

Unless the striker they were missing is like prime Ronaldo, I'm guessing it's between us and them for 3rd spot.

How decent are Lazio and AM nowadays ?

Unless any of the 2 of them are even more average than that Feyenoord side.

 

I won’t get into individual moments in the match because it’s been done and quite honestly I think Feyenoord would have eventually won in another manner.

Because we started well but thereafter persisted with playing the game in our own box. They knew we couldn’t get up the pitch and were forcing us into lots of mistakes. Eventually that would have told.

Why we didn’t play more direct I don’t know? Because what we did well was defend in numbers behind the ball - had we tried to go long and surrendered the ball, they showed no ability to make chances.

So what was to be gained by continually asking Hart and his defenders to play out? While I do think Feyenoord can be beaten at home, that won’t happen if the manager or players are dead-set on playing a set way when it’s not working.

I also thought there was a real lack of leadership during the game - e.g. McGregor uncharacteristically not showing for a pass (maybe this was under instruction). Or having your wee guy on the end of the wall, or conceding straight after the second red card (albeit ruled out). There could have been a point in that match - even at nine men - but it did feel like as things got worse they resigned themselves to defeat.

 

Both are superior teams.

Unless Feyenoord had a huge off night, I’d be amazed if Atletico and Lazio don’t top the group.

I really wasn’t impressed by Feyenoord last night, which is a damning indictment on us.

 

For me the most frustrating thing about yesterday:
they were so beatable (on the day), absolutely an average display

Just like Shaktar last year away - a game to be won.

We seem to have coped really well with conditions, heaviness of the ball, the pitch - everything which contributed to this game being generally * to watch.

I hope I'm wrong, but I'm worried they'll gonna turn up stronger at Celtic Park, just like Shaktar (and many others recently) did.