Expectations in Europe

Lesson from.tge last week, don't change a winning side unless there is injuries, form at match fitness over a side like zenit would have got us through.
I wanted Rogic on but it was clear he's not up to speed, Rodgers was bound to know this, plus why take Forrest off.

 

expectations .. nothing just the cash to stay ahead in this wee place . European football is now a joke same as world cup and European championship a fekkin farce .

 

What do you expect then mate?

 

A team of which we can be proud - nothing else.

I am more than happy with group stage European football, but performances - both collective and individual - have been well below the level that I expect from Celtic, in most European games this season.

 

That’s fair enough.

 

Just a shame where we are at, we need to improve levels above our performances in europe otherwise this will happen every year. Its all well and good getting that champions league money, but its about time we spend some of it. None of us want to see us getting hammered in europe, its unacceptable.

 

I don’t really expect us to reach a certain stage or achieve a certain amount of wins, as there are too many variables that can be thrown in to the mix which will impact how far we have progressed.

I think we performed better in Europe last season, despite the fact we actually stayed in European competition longer this season.

It hasn’t been all bad this season in Europe, we have shown glimpses of the team we can be but we’ve also shown our glaring weaknesses at the same time.


When we are on it, we are * fantastic to watch, but ultimately way too soft and susceptible to crumbling under pressure.

At home to Astana we were immense, away to Anderlecht we showed a bit of nous and balls and and got a very impressive result, and then at home to Zenit we were immense again and should really have won by more. I thought we were also brilliant at home to Bayern but again, conceded two very soft goals. Have to think that results like that must have been so disheartening for the players, worked our bollox off against a team of genuine world class ability who will likely be in the last four of the competition, only to get sweet * all from the game because of our inability to deal with fairly straightforward attacks.

The PSG games were a total embarrassment, Anderlecht game was poor but at least with that there was a sense of “just get the job done, qualification is most important” so it didn’t really have the sting to it that tonight’s game did.

This is probably the most frustrating Celtic team I’ve watched, because we can be so good, get ourselves in to great positions but we always seem to just crumble. Even going back to our best European performance under Rodgers, 3-3 against City - we scored three fantastic goals and ran them ragged at times but conceded three equalisers all within 8 minutes - still an issue for us this season and has to be down to a lack of mental toughness/experience.

We went to Paris and scored a magnificent goal inside the first 5 minutes from a corner and you’re thinking, “great, we’ve done our homework, have something to hang on to here and restore a bit of pride from the reverse game against what is admittedly a top outfit.” How long did our lead last, about 8 minutes again? Then once they equalised you knew the floodgates would open.

I hate to be so critical of the team and of Rodgers as last season they gave me what was probably my most enjoyable domestic season to watch in my life, but I just can’t get the fact we are soft as * and slowly but surely becoming the whipping boys of European competition out of my mind.

For next season I won’t “expect” us to get to the last 16 of the Europa as I think that can give a false sense of progression. What I will expect and even demand, seeing as it will be Brendan’s third full season at the helm, with 5 full transfer windows behind him - is that we become a lot harder to beat in Europe against any half decent team we play and that when we do actually show out strengths and quality in the final third, that we can actually match that with a bit of balls and desire and protect our leads, and stop allowing absolute * gifts to teams that will punish us time and time again.

 

Well said ,just said similar in another thread ,harder to beat should be the objective in europe next season.

 

Can’t disagree with any of that.

 

I expect at the least, for Celtic to contest the game.

Too often in away games it simply has not been the case.

If we can make the game a contest, there is always a chance we can draw or * a win. It also makes a defeat a bit less deflating if we play well and make a game of it.

 

I didn't see the game last night, but even domestically the team is mentally fragile this year. It isn't only in Europe, witness the collapse at Hearts. I've said it before, but those absolute doings we took in the CL really knocked the stuffing out of a mostly pretty young team.
Actually, they knocked the stuffing out of me as a fan: I also have no belief anymore. I'm sure I'm not alone in this.

Technically and tactically I can see progress (in players like Forrest and McGregor for example); but last year's team would beat this year's team quite comfortably IMO, because Rodgers' style (by his own admission) requires bravery and we don't have that. We also don't have that belief and fight anymore. Heads drop now.

Hopefully see some signings in the summer; but just as important, Brendan has 6 months to get some belief back into this squad.

Next season will tell us whether overall this year was progress or not.

 

I expect us to reach the Champions League group stage. After that I expect nothing.

 

Really what we're getting, cl and drop out to el. But at least show a bit more mettle in the games, too many pumpings for my liking

 

Realistically my expectation was just to reach the CL so the fact that we reached the last 32 of the EL means that my excpectation was exceeded.

However looking back at it we really should have done better performance wise. Two pumpings off PSG (which worryingly seems like becoming a recurring theme for us in Europe under BR) and dismal displays against Bayern and Zenit away and Anderlecht at home has ruined what seems like a decent campaign on paper. There's absolutely no excuse for performances like that, if we go down fighting and still lose then we can't ask for anymore than that but these kind of Deila esque shitebag performances can't be allowed to continue and it's sometime Brendan and the players will have to answer for.

In future if we're to have a chance of success in Europe we're gonna need to change back to the old Strachan style of play (in the CL at least) instead of this free flowing football BR is trying to introduce. As much as I hate to say it we're just not good enough to play that way at this level.

 

We need to play a quicker style of football, first and foremost. Our slow build up doesn't work in Europe. Need to be braver and more incisive too. Even tonight there were players open, but most of the time we took the safe option and went sideways and backwards. Even at the stage when we needed two goals.

 

With our resources it should always be a given that we get to the final qualifying stage to enter the champions league, once we are in the champions league anything is a plus unless we are handed a 'easier' draw. If you told me last season we would finish 3rd in the group I would take it.

 

Champions League group stages for the money, anything after that is a bonus. if you had offered me europa league last 32 at the start of the season i'd have been happy but cant help but be let down after yesterdays performance.

 

It's great that we got third place but we performed more poorly than last year in doing so. So you have to question if that's really 'progress'.

 

Champions league group but we have to be tactically better , we have been very one dimensional this year in europe and teams know if they press us high up the pitch we will make mistakes . Got to get the defence and Gk sorted in the summer .

 

To get to the last 32 should be considered a success especially with the group we had in the champions league. But it feels worse than it is because all the poor performances.
I don't expect to beat PSG or Bayern but what I expect (especially at home) is to compete ie not get a battering. Its really difficult to watch your team get beat by 5/6/7, we should be coming up with tactics combat this, difficult I know but we have proven in the past it can be done.