Ibrox Can Get The Occasional Good Euro Result, But They Failed The One That Mattered.
As the Scottish football commentariat wets its pants over a “sensational” European result last night, mad fantasies abound of their team going all the way. Forgive me if I laugh into my beer. Their victory covers a multitude of other issues which the media doesn’t even want to talk about.
Let’s not forget, shall we, that this Euro campaign of theirs opened with their losing the tie that really mattered this season, the Champions League qualifier, when they were dispatched neatly by Malmo home and away. They lost at Ibrox against a team that had only ten men on the park. That was the one they had to win … and they didn’t.
Their Europa League campaign wasn’t much better. They qualified from the group with two wins out of six and eight points; we went out with three wins and nine points in a far tougher section with teams from Spain and Germany. I am not impressed by their exploits in these competitions thus far, even if the press today hails them as world beaters.
The press would love you to forget all that, to forget that Ibrox’s procession through Europe hasn’t exactly been seamless. They want to focus on the “success” now that they’ve beaten Dortmund. I think it’s a shocker of a result and one that will have repercussions for the Bundesliga side. I am actually astonished that they lost over two legs.
But my astonishment does not translate into an over-estimation of Ibrox’s victory nor any sense of panic or envy. European football is an adventure which this season I will not miss. I was not by any stretch of the imagination “desperate” to see them go through as the idiotic Ricky Foster was at great pains to suggest, but nor am I stupid and see an extended run for them as something that is potentially useful to us in this title race.
Their celebrations will be short-lived if we extend our lead this weekend, or if they return from Belgrade exhausted and with injuries and the clock on this title race ticking down. Europe is a sideshow this season, with that £40 million on the table for the champions. That pot of gold was what they were after when this season kicked off, but they had qualifiers to navigate to get it and in spite of the honey being poured on them tonight they failed spectacularly.
Under no pressure, and the weight of zero expectations they secured a place in the next round. But when it really, really mattered in Europe this year they were found wanting. The press may not want to remind us all of that, but we know how impactful that early exit was and how disastrous it may yet prove to be for them.
I’d like sevco to advance to the next round tbh..
They will convince themselves they will win outright, just like they did at the start of this season…league is ours, malmo who and all that bolloxology ( I’ve saved the best tweets from the new skum klub and they r beauts)..
It was only a little over 2 weeks ago when Celtic dismantled that sevco team so I’m very much looking forward to Qing up in the winners enclosure when Patrick Power pays out early..again!!
Meanwhile, let the sevvies soil their pantyloons at the prospect of winning a European trophy—-which ain’t gonna happen but let’s all laugh when a proper European team susses them out and do exactly what ‘The Mighty Glasgow Celtic’ did to the bang avg glasgi wangers..!!
Don’t jump the gun James. They are still at the races.
In truth James, Sevco are under no pressure to beat top German teams or others in Euro games. This was the patter prviously. UEFA WOW, back home Sunday WOE. Lasrt season no pressure in SPL, WIN. This season back to Eurowonders, Dundee flounders, this week? Let’s see if the “form” continues when the need to win is there.
If we were in Sevco’s position this season, this story would have been much different. For the last few seasons they have outperformed us. It is not the occasional good result.
What they are doing in Europe is exactly what I want Celtic to be doing – performing well against Euoprean opposition on a regular basis.
Under Rodgers we didn’t really do much (in spite of 2 CL group stage qualifications). Under Lennon we got the great results against Lazio. But like he did when we beat Barca, he followed it up with an utter shambles.
Under Ange we have a real opportunity to build a team that can do exactly what the huns are doing but in a sustainable fashion. But first we need to win this League. That’s all that matters. That lot need the CL cash. If they don’t get it they are fucked. End of.
Fuck the huns. Fuck Euorpe. Till next season.
Sevco have the luck of the devil in Europe. It’s one of the great mysteries. Bottom line is that good teams seem to underestimate them. Dortmund were caught out by this and played well below their standards. Hopefully Red Star Belgrade will have more about them.