If you watched the game at Ibrox last night you’ll know that you saw two teams who were very poor in terms of their overall quality.
The Dutch surprised me on that score.
They could barely string three passes together, which for a technical nation like Holland should be a contradiction in terms. This was not Ibrox’s team pushing them either, these were mainly unforced errors.
Some commentators have wondered if either side was at their best. Which is why the take others had on the game is so bizarre. None was more bizarre than the one The Scotsman had when it was doing the ratings for the Ibrox players.
If you watched the game you know that there was not really a standout player on either side, although I thought Veerman at least showed flashes of what he’s allegedly capable of. His passing was notably better than many others in his team.
They thought Kent played really well, The Scotsman writer David Oliver in particular, who wrote that he “ran rings” round the Dutch right back. In what game? Not the one I watched.
At one point in the second half Kent did, in fact, beat a couple of players.
But he then ran straight into a defender.
I can take the Kent love-a-thon because they do think the sun shines out of this guy’s backside, and they need a hero in that area of the pitch whilst we’ve got Jota to boast about having in our ranks.
But stranger, by a distance, is the gush of praise for Steven Davis, of whom Oliver – who really ought to have been wearing a scarf in one of the stands – wrote this; “Deserves the Champions League, and the Champions League deserves Steven Davis.”
If you’re sitting there thinking, “What …?” you aren’t alone. I read that last night and burst out laughing. The greatest club football competition on Earth … and it won’t be complete without the ageing Ibrox midfielder. That the tournament “deserves” to see this plodder trying to get up and down the pitch. I mean, come on …
I know these people can’t be expected to write objectively and without bias but there’s that and there’s letting your inner gushing fan-boy take over.
Honestly, The Scotsman won’t win many football writing awards but I reckon, just based on this match report, that Oliver has a shot at doing comedy. He’d be good.
Some of psv passing was to close and not getting anywhere to many close touches.
Thought PSV were one paced all night, but def the better team imo. Especially second half, until their keeper’s brain failed when a fairly timid lookin free kick, that Frank Haffey wouldve saved, was hit straight at him. Its the usual pro ibrox media hype BS tho.
Those of us who saw Haffey playing knew that he was a really good keeper. Wembley was a lot to do with disappearing defenders but it was a lot less dangerous for journalists to single out the Celtic goalie.
Never saw him myself. But accordin to most opinions I’ve heard or read, he was unpredictable rather than reliable and that was in domestic games. Wembley aside. Just a wee joke tho. Never mind, nothin malicious intended.
Probably Oliver got a helping hand from that clown Joel skid .
both teams not great PSV a bit over rated but overall the better team on the night the bigots average team both defences a bit suspect 50/50 on the return match but home advantage PSV hope so .
As bizarre as a guy who manages another team in the same league appearing on the telly cheerleading them to the hilt
I could not believe how bad psv were surely next week we see the real psv and what about goldson I have seen the statues in George sq move quicker than him ha ha
It’s a pity the away goals don’t still count double in the event of a draw, but PSV are the happier team and will surely make the home advantage count.
i too was surprised at how poor PSV were defensively…am sure they will kill off the huns in eindhoven…however, i thought davis had an excellent game…his pass to tavernier for huns 1st goal was brilliant…if turnbull or oreilly played that pass we’d be raving-rightly so….and kent WAS threatening on the left, tho that rightback was pretty poor…
the huns did have some excellent passages of play…lawrence has been a very good acquisition and i think they will give us a sterner test this season….
i know this is a celtic blog james, but if you gonna comment on a hun match…try and be objective…otherwise you just the same as the likes of the boyd’s of this world….IMO.
I actually thought Kent played really well, he has lots of skill, and when he’s on it he’s dangerous. I was actually expecting more from PSV, I thought there wide players would have had a big day in the result, but I thought they were well marshaled. Will be different in Eindhoven I would imagine. The boy Colak was getting wrote off like our big Greek, which I thought was ridiculous at the time, but that’s 4 goals in 4 matches now for him. He looks a player like big Giakkoumakis.
Haffey was the fall guy to cover for the deficiencies of the r4ngers players in front of him, especially bus owner Shearer.
Huns are PISH & the LUCKIEST PUB TEAM I’VE EVER SAW!! Look oot fur a repeat of AZ result.. 7 zip BAWAHAHAHAHAHA!!
The Scotsman – Anything but – by all accounts it should be named The Englishman for it’s love of all things Union Jack esque and very strange how an Edinburgh rag can be so pro Sevco FC….. There again it’s not so Bonny Scotland it’s from so why am I surprised in the least !
So you didn’t think Rangers played well last night? Interesting. Didn’t watch it myself; no opinion. But let us know when they do play well.