It was a strange experience watching Sevco last night trying to negotiate a qualifying round in the Champions League.
There was something familiar about the entire shitshow.
The front three definitely had a new look about them.
Had they been formally introduced before the match?
Genuine question…
Two of the outstanding players in the run to the toilet drinking fiesta in Seville have, of course, been sold.
So there was a bit of newness about Sevco last night in a crucial area of the park.
This was Celtic’s normal predicament for all the years that Lawwellball was in operation.
Playing the first European match with a scratch XI was situation normal for the Hoops.
Unfortunately, SNAFU was often the order of the day.
Ironically, this season, with no Champions League qualification required, Celtic are more than ready to play in them!
The fact that a certain individual is no longer in the building is not a coincidence.
Sadly, at two nil down, Sevco are still in it.
People who know their stuff tell me that Giovanni prefers to be in a situation where his charges can play a counter-attacking game.
Obviously, that will not be an option next week as they have a two-goal deficit to overturn.
The likeable Dutchman will soon realise that the Ibrox klanbase aren’t blessed with a forgiving nature if the results go awry.
Being bested by a club with a much smaller budget did not go unnoticed by this dignified chap.
This is what Lawwellball looks like.
Celtic haven’t won a knockout tie in Europe since 2004, when Martin O’Neill was the manager.
Once the CEO was able to develop a role as the unofficial director of football, then the Euro rot set in.
Whatever happens against the Belgian side next week, the ten-year-old club is guaranteed Europe Group stage involvement.
My information is that before the match last night, five players in the current squad had been told that they didn’t have a future at Ibrox.
Now, I wasn’t given names but was assured that the quintet accounted for £80k per week in basic salary payments.
My information was that this squad trimming exercise was driven by both the new UEFA Club Licensing and Financial Sustainability Regulations (FSR), which came into full effect from 1 June 2022 and just the ongoing operating losses at the basket of assets.
Unlike the original Rangers in 2011, failure to get to the Champions League Group Stages isn’t an extinction-level event.
What it does represent is the possibility of yet another bit of financial distance between Sevco and the club that has dominated Scottish football in the 21st century.
Here’s a clue, they’ve got the biggest stadium and the most season ticket holders.
It’s almost as if these facts are relevant.
Almost…
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Failure to overturn the 1st leg result against the Belgians will bring huge pressure down on Gio.
Dropping into the Europa Cup will be little consolation to their fan base, nor their bank manager.
Throw in a couple of dropped points before the journey across town to Parkhead where a home win is likely to see some crisis headlines in the media.
Whatever happened to the millions they allegedly accrued due to their efforts in the Europa league that they need to offload players to reduce wage bill
A certain spat with a Mr Ashley esq has not cost them dearly has it .
It was never a smart move to think they would get one over on him .
I admit, I pay scant attention to whatever combination of journeymen they field on a match to match basis. Looking at that line up you have posted Phil, is it really any surprise to them that they got pumped? That is a bang average group of players, at best.
You miss the point.
Who would have thought that financial reality would ever be faced up to at Ibrox?
Gio Van Barry needs to make up his mind. Does he change his opinion of the Sevco manager on a match by match basis???
It’s not even match by match Barry – a cheeky wee look at FF the other night had them going after GVB at half time. Less than 1 hour previous they were predicting a repeat of last season but replacing EC with UCL. They really are beyond parody.
Every club has “fans” like that, including our own. We can play really well but get beaten by a better team on the day, or by a stroke of bad luck, or by a bad refereeing decision, and I personally know guys who will verbally slaughter the team, the manager and anyone else they can think of. It’s almost as if we have a good given right to win every game. They simply cannot get their heads round the fact that the other side are also trying to win……. usually, and even the best sides in the world lose occasionally. I would offer as evidence of that, Barcelona on a truly memorable night at Celtic Park around 6 decade ago. At that time they were arguably the best club side on the planet, also supplying a fair chunk of the best international side on the planet at that time..
Completely off topic, but I was impressed by Dundee United tonight. They were turgid to watch last season. I don’t think I have ever before seen in any league, anywhere, a team finish fourth with more points than goals scored. On the evidence of tonight’s performance they will be a handful for anyone domestically this season.
Gio Van Barry is such a fan that he’s already changed his Twitter handle to eliminate all traces of GvB 🤣
Can you imagine any of the inhabitants of Snake Mountain ever singing “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life”?