Dinamo Zagreb v Celtic 6pm KO(Thursday 11th December- BT Sports 1)

Exactly.

Just an added point. Who is the only manager out the 5 to get * all cash to spend ?

 

Martin O'Neill was a strange one. We underperformed quite badly at times away from home in the Champions League under him but we were actually really good away from home during the run to Seville. I've never quite been able to figure out why that was the case.

 

First, I should preface this by saying I missed the first half as I was still working, so i'm basing my opinion purely on the second half.

That said, I thought we were very, very poor tonight. We seriously lack guile going forward, are an absolute shambles at the back and, going on the six games played in that group, we have the poorest overall technical ability of the four teams. We've been outplayed for large parts of every single game, even by Astra at home.

I won't say it's purely luck because Gordon is an excellent keeper, however if it wasn't for him I don't think we'd have qualified from that group. We have been very fortunate he has helped us get points from games we were largely outplayed.

We seriously need to strengthen in January.

 

It's been the same story all season, as a defensive unit we are utter * gash.

 

Aye Seville run aside of course

It's just so frustrating, but it just doesn't seem to change, year after year- with exceptions here and there.

 

I think what we take away from that is travelling away from home in Europe is * hard

 

Imagine that team with Boruc, Forster or Gordon instead of Douglas or Hedman. We would definitely have done better.

 

Thought Fisher and Henderson looked hungry when they came on. Usual from Commons too: offered nothing but a goal. I don't know if that's good or bad, he'd be as well just doing what he's doing if Ronny insists on pushing the full-backs on and not having a real sitting midfielder.

 

Is strengthening the answer though? I'd say we already spend more money than Zagreb and most certainly Astra, yet they looked like they had more control of the ball than us. We either need to play to our strengths, or Ronny needs a different kind of player in most of the positions. I find it hard to stomach that there is only one or two players in that team who can pass the ball more than 5 yards. I used to be disillusioned with Lennon's style of football, but maye he knew that Scottish teams are * technically and played a different game. I'd be interested to see how he's set up Bolton.

 

Defended like we did against Legia warsaw which is very worrying, does that mean ronny has learned his lesson? Dynamo are in a terrible stated just now, hardly any fans, knocked out of Europe and we still can't go there and beat them.

 

It is. And I'll never criticise Celtic for going away to teams like Milan, Barcelona, Shakhtar Donetsk or Benfica and getting turned over. Those are quality sides.

It can't be denied though that there's been umpteen times over the last decade where we've played away from home against bang ordinary teams and failed to do the business.

FC Copenhagen
Sion
Utrecht
Legia Warsaw
Aalborg
Astra
Rosenborg
Artmedia
Hapoel Tel Aviv
Braga
Shakhter Karagandy

Through the years we've punched below our weight away from home in Europe. I'd have been happier taking a few more thrashings off the really good teams if we could've taken care of the teams we should've taken care of. We rarely disgrace ourselves when we go away to the big teams but for some reason we often fall flat on our faces against teams you'd think we would have a good chance of beating.

 

Totally agree mate, we've never got the hang of being able to go away, keep it tight and control a game while not being too attacking though. No matter who was the manager, Lenny came closest for me.

Martin O'Neill's UEFA Cup away victories were because we genuinely were good enough to just play as we did at home.

 

It must be in the players minds that we are gash away from home, and recently at home, in Europe.
Its an endless cycle, years of * performances and no amount of managers seem to be able to change that.
So poor like it's * to think how bad we actually are.

 

Our midfield is absolutely pish. We come up against a half decent and we get bossed and outplayed through the middle. We need a commanding centre mid, badly.

 

We do have Brown, but i do know what you mean we miss Wanyama for being that water carrier between the defence and midfield, which takes the pressure of the defence and allowed the midfield to be creative

 

Was on BT tonight, Broony's statistically the modt commanding midfielder in the Europa League this year, tackles and interceptions.

 

Not much of a surprise. Hopefully that wakes a few people on here up. I doubt it though, most of the Brown doubters have an amazing ability to ignore facts.

 

Phoned died on the train home from London and I've just got in to see the score, how'd we play?