The media is at it again today with talk of Lazio as a club in crisis. This is all done to present them as a team on the slide so if we beat them they can deny us credit and, if as they expect, Lazio beats us they don’t have to compare their resources with ours but instead call us out for bringing, and heaping, shame onto the Scottish game.
Even if it were true that Lazio were currently in a very bad state, this remains a team of the utmost quality, just as Feyenoord are. I never expected to get credit after our return from Rotterdam; we lost after all and thus deserved none. But I didn’t expect to read sheer guff about how poor the home side were just because they didn’t inflict a PSV style beating on us.
Their own quality was proved at the weekend when they went 3-0 up against Ajax, in Amsterdam, and the home fans rioted to have the match stopped. That shows you how good they are, and that we were still well in the game until we were two players down tells you all that you need to know about how our own performance measured up.
The press will never give us credit for anything. If Lazio come to Celtic Park and leave with their tails between their legs the narrative, which has already been laid out, will be that we caught a team on the downslope at a particularly good time. The idea that maybe we’ll have raised our game to beat a very, very good team will barely be muttered in the press box.
For the record, I still reckon it’s going to be a big ask to get a result. I’m not listening to any of this talk that they are a team in crisis. That won’t fool anybody at Celtic Park and the coaches will be telling the players to pay not one bit of heed to it.
Atletico Madrid, the other side in the group, were, of course, superb this weekend and I watched their game last night as they almost casually swatted aside Real Madrid, their local rivals, who gave us a football lesson on their home soil last season.
These are sides with vastly greater resources than we have; failing to get results against them is no more shameful than Ross County losing at Celtic Park, and the media knows this but will pretend that they don’t just to push the pressure on us.
I’ve said from the start that we will have to be exceptional – absolutely exceptional – to get a win in this Group and that we will need four points minimum just to get to the Europa. I believe we can do it. I am encouraged by the performance in Holland. But by God, it will take some effort and the last thing we need is to be distracted by their PR.
What is it with these FUDS in our media,absolutely full of nickel&dime journalists.
It appears to be that every other club throughout the UK and Europe is in some sort of CHAOS OR CRISIS apart from one,sevco.
Now that is a klub they should be focused on regarding the words CHAOS and CRISIS but for some reason they don’t want to print that.
The fun and games continues though as the sevco board DRAG their heels trying work a way out to bin Beale,now that will a real klub in CHAOS and CRISIS. But watch how a negative story gets turned into a positive with a so called big name mentioned with managing the BIGOTED klub.
Always thought that this group was exactly the type we needed.
A tough competitive group where a huge challenge awaited in all 6 games.
Your right to point out that we were somewhat within our 1st game, but our use of the football wasn’t up to standard to cause enough problems to really get a result from the game imo.
Huge improvement on Saturday regardless of the opposition and a dreadful playing surface.
Will need to be just as good this weekend and even better against lazio.
We all already know this, and with returning players, along with players getting back to form and the settling in period well under way now, we continue to be taking steps in the right direction, even if we haven’t a clue how successful the campaign might yet be.
Of course the Hun scum media are going to try and hammer ourselves within this campaign, regardless.
Yet there shite team isn’t even in it, and the hope of us actually beating there well earned record still looks a long way off, for ourselves to be challenging it.
The lazio game was always going to be the benchmark to find out where we really stood within this group?
A win for ourselves potentially throws the group wide open, a loss gives us an uphill struggle, a draw means us looking at the other result to see where we stand.
All options are upon the table and we need to show better on an attacking front to possibly gain a positive result I would say, but certainly have the players to do so, as long as they turn up on the night.
Couldn’t and wouldn’t give 2 hoots what such thick eejits within the Scottish media have to say, as can hardly make themselves look like bigger dopes than they did with the amount of turd polishing that was done about the shit hole during the summer.
The more attacks upon our club is only trying to disguise the disgust they all have within there scummy club.
They can continue with the likes, we will continue with making them all even more upset, shower of tossers
BR , is capable of masterminding something but let’s not pretend that it will be looked at favourable, F them, it would not make me any happier than I am, just supporting the best team in the country is all I need.
I honestly think we can get 6 points in this group, it won’t be easy but if the team play to their best they can do it. We’ve got to face facts, in this group we’re financially the equivalent of St Mirren in the SPFL.
Hopefully 6 points is enough to get us into the Europa League after Christmas that’s our competitive level these days.
Way in the future maybe we will play in a pyramid version of a European League.
I hope Celtic keep competing at a reasonable level in Europe to enter that League when that day comes.
Exactly the reason why I’m proud not to put one red cent towards them James…
But why on Earth would I when I get awesome journalism on sites like The Celtic Blog !
If wee don’t take maximum points it will be a goodnight from me and a goodnight from him as the 2 Ronnie’s would excellently say. Wee need to be taking these scalps again, our biggest rivals keep taking the scalps so I don’t why we can’t. This oh wee played well last night but still got beat stuff needs to stop, it’s about time we started winning again in Europe. Lazio are not in great form the now, so at home we should be looking to win that match, and I expect us to win the match.