Celtic v West Ham, Saturday 24th July, Celtic Park

[Magnificent 7]

To any wee Tims going to their first game today. My first was a 5-1 scudding off Arsenal at home pre-season, scarves on the touchline - still have one. Keep the faith.
Cesar won us the double that season... if you are however a young lad with access to Celtic Wiki ignore everything past Joe miller's '89 cup winner. Press fast forward til the wee Dutch guy with the perm gets the gig. Ta.

We roll this 5-1 result out every year we have a poor pre- season. ...and I remember it well Niall ...Truth is we are miles behind and today it was laid bare. Does anybody really fancy a go at the champions league...God help us if we were to actually qualify which we won't...sorry for the negativity but that today is a reality check..pre season or not.

 

[green sprig]

Exactly losing 6 is bad but it's pre season as long as we are ready wen the league starts

Exactly Cairnsybhoy that has to be the target this season..

HH

 

[neganon2]

Tarzan sorry but absolute bollocks. Why the fuck are you apologising for a board that took 4 months to get a manager? We are now throwing in youth players to a champions league qualifier simply because the board and McKay (having learned from lawwell) just fucking around. The board have stuck two fingers up to us on numerous occasions and this embarrassment is only the start.

 

[lennono]

We roll this 5-1 result out every year we have a poor pre- season. ...and I remember it well Niall ...Truth is we are miles behind and today it was laid bare. Does anybody really fancy a go at the champions league...God help us if we were to actually qualify which we won't...sorry for the negativity but that today is a reality check..pre season or not.

M7...I understand your frustrations mate.....but what we have to realise that it takes it time to gel a new manager, new team together.......They are still not firing on all cylinders, but they will .....

 

[McGarrell]

All I can say is thank fuck the ballot was kind to us and never drew our names out for this game, we dodged a bullet

 

[rip sevco]

IMO, A.P. is not getting the recognition from the press he sorely desreves.
I cant remember a team at Parkhead so depleted as the one he has inherited,
I think he has done well to get in the people he has especially without a director of football
to help him..
Obviously that mug of a human being Boyd will have something derogatory to say about him after he finds out what derogatory means..

HH.

boyd should concentrate on his own club....the fact morelos is went awol might be more of a concern...slippy sayin he dizny know when he s comin back...is it no up to them to tell him...went in the huff coz sevco want mega bucks for an over rated buffoon...he wants away but sevco need dembele dollars...aint gonni happen..
so he s fuct off again ....the media dont want tae print that tho....defo injured....roofe suspenden n the man child awol...nae strikers fur europe....hope the get fucked...cheatin bastards

 

[The Shamrock]

Bracing myself here, what was the final score?

 

[Niall J]

We roll this 5-1 result out every year we have a poor pre- season. ...and I remember it well Niall ...Truth is we are miles behind and today it was laid bare. Does anybody really fancy a go at the champions league...God help us if we were to actually qualify which we won't...sorry for the negativity but that today is a reality check..pre season or not.

Spot on re the reality check. Of course we're miles off it M7 this is a 2 year job - at least.
Tactics are only as good as the players you have to implement them and it will take at least that if not longer to make a team capable of challenging the likes of top 6 EPL opposition.
As TET pointed out the gulf is huge and false but it can be bridged to a point but never completely, but those sort of clubs will chuck money at every problem, and gamble, yet foolishly at times because they can will always be a weakness. we will have to box clever. that will take patience from us and a board who back without overstetching. That can be done, first we deal with the local challenge and then we aim for more further down the line.
We all complained we'd all but disintegrated, perhaps we have to realise a rebuild won't happen in a summer.

 

[Cairnsybhoy79]

Exactly Cairnsybhoy that has to be the target this season..

HH

Was hard watching the young ones today but will help learn them and we will have more brought in HH

 

[Tony]

We roll this 5-1 result out every year we have a poor pre- season. ...and I remember it well Niall ...Truth is we are miles behind and today it was laid bare. Does anybody really fancy a go at the champions league...God help us if we were to actually qualify which we won't...sorry for the negativity but that today is a reality check..pre season or not.

We ll be better with Jullien and Starfelt coming in ...the rest im not convinced by and the keeper can get tae ..feel sorry for big Ange getting hit with this lot.

 

[rip sevco]

a dont look intae friendlies....there a kick aboot ffs....they ll be more signins to come....europa league will do this year as long as we win the league....ad be mare worried if a wiz a hun wae no a pot tae piss in

 

[Lubos left peg]

I know we lost 6-2 but it was only a friendly. New players, New manager and new system. Some of our passing in the game, especially 1st half, was quality. Quick 1 touch football. A far cry from lennons slow side to side passing crap of last season. Our defence will be sorted in the next few weeks I think. Hopefully New right back in. Its early days but you can see things starting to click and when it does, not a single team in scotland will be able to touch us. Everything will be fine.

 

[kelly]

we missed ajeti

expectations this year are low , we never qualified for the champions league with a team of winners so no point greetin about the weans having no chance
a run in the europa and the league is the best we can wish for and a couple of defenders before the window shuts or then we really well be fecked

 

[Magnificent 7]

a dont look intae friendlies....there a kick aboot ffs....they ll be more signins to come....europa league will do this year as long as we win the league....ad be mare worried if a wiz a hun wae no a pot tae piss in

My point isn't about the friendlies I suppose rs ..more about were we find ourselves in regards to time to get players in re covid. It would be difficult enough rebuilding under normal circumstances so inevitably this will take longer...my worry is the early damage while we get there.

Spot on re the reality check. Of course we're miles off it M7 this is a 2 year job - at least.
Tactics are only as good as the players you have to implement them and it will take at least that if not longer to make a team capable of challenging the likes of top 6 EPL opposition.
As TET pointed out the gulf is huge and false but it can be bridged to a point but never completely, but those sort of clubs will chuck money at every problem, and gamble, yet foolishly at times because they can will always be a weakness. we will have to box clever. that will take patience from us and a board who back without overstetching. That can be done, first we deal with the local challenge and then we aim for more further down the line.
We all complained we'd all but disintegrated, perhaps we have to realise a rebuild won't happen in a summer.

Of course what you say makes sense Niall and I am long enough in the tooth to mange my own expectations. However it is vital that we win this title this year for obvious reasons re a double hit on our own finances and giving more flickering hope to the coffers of the Scottish football coffin dodgers across at the zombie pit. My fear is the time it takes given where we are ...we don't have 2 years unfortunately.

 

[tictastic]

Better days to come bhoys, seen a few green shoots of a decent fitbaw team there today, and with Ange and more recruits ,who knows. keep the faith.

 

[dungloe67]

I’m not blaming Ange.
The manager should have been in February, maybe even September but as usual the board were too slow.
We still need a Gk, RB, LB and at least 1 striker..... and we need them quickly.

 

[The Deadner]

Anyone losing their shit over that needs their head examined. A nothin game. No trophies handed out for winning friendlies.
Win or learn!

 

[CarlisleReiver]

6-2 is a hammering, but it was a pre season friendly. Entertaining for a friendly to watch.

Possitives - passing very crisp and with good attacking intent.
Negatives - basically the ones we know (so no point hammering players for it) - defensively a shambles with a dodgy keeper! When is Eduoard going to turn up? Ajeti where was he today? Griff actually looked over weight or was it just me?

Midtiylland is the most important game.

 

[50 Shades of Green]

Seems as though some of you thought Ange had a magic wand and was going to solve everything with a quick wave of it.

A fairly young couple of Cbs got ripped apart by a very quick pressing team, they chose their moments and sprung the traps and caught us out, the 2 full backs struggle with what Ange wants and it showed, the min the Hammers played wide men our shape went to pot, going forward we played some nice one twos but not enough.

It will take time to get up to speed with Ange's tactics, but with a couple more signings to join up still and hopefully a right back and a proper Keeper things will change quicker than expected.

Being back at Celtic Park was a wee bit more emotional than I thought and I was glad of my sunglasses when we sang YNWA at the start, to go from that to fans booing Griff was gut renching to be honest.

I dont think Griff should be playing for us at the moment but booing him done nothing to help the team and there was a noticeable dip in our play, although most fans in the end started to applaud when he was on the ball the booing was very much a low in my time as a Celtic fan ( 60yrs and counting).

 

[rip sevco]

My point isn't about the friendlies I suppose rs ..more about were we find ourselves in regards to time to get players in re covid. It would be difficult enough rebuilding under normal circumstances so inevitably this will take longer...my worry is the early damage while we get there.

Of course what you say makes sense Niall and I am long enough in the tooth to mange my own expectations. However it is vital that we win this title this year for obvious reasons re a double hit on our own finances and giving more flickering hope to the coffers of the Scottish football coffin dodgers across at the zombie pit. My fear is the time it takes given where we are ...we don't have 2 years unfortunately.

surley there will be some activity nxt week...a couple more in n we re no far away....we ve enuff in the tank for the hearts game a think....but we defo need a keeper...barkas aint gonni cut it....a,would put bain in until we sign one