Neil Lennon

Great goals................

 

Reported by McGowan what wages he wanted same as Norwegian boy Celtic walked away immediately

 

The majority wouldn’t beat Sarajevo. They were poor but actually resembled a football team.

Kalju were genuinely abysmal. Couldn’t string more than a couple of passes together even when they weren’t being pressed so much. Had we been a few games into our season and as sharp as we could be, it would have been verging on double figures.

But it was definitely a pleasing performance. Some nice finishes and quick build up play.

 

I would put them alongside someone like Hamilton. We pressed very well for the majority of the game and they struggled with it. To beat a team that stuck ten men behind the ball 5-0 is always good going. Don't fancy 3 at the back against any decent team though, far too exposed and our defence isn't settled yet.

 

They'd have hammered the sheep team of 2010/11

 

Did I say Sarajevo? Sarajevo would pump Kalju.

 

Kalju are genuinely no hopers. They had 0 shots on target and we had 26 shots (14 on target). They aren't representative of the standard level of competition we'll face in these qualifiers, they are well below that level. I think it's fair to say most teams in the SPL are at or even slightly above that level. Interview that the 90 Minute Cynic conducted with an Estonian football journalist substantiated how unbelievable it is that Kalju had even made it to this stage, saying it was a monumental achievement. He even said that a 3-0 loss in that first leg fixture was a result that would have been generally well-received by their supporters.

By the way this isn't me trying to take anything away from our performance! We were scintillating and that should not be downplayed.

 

I'm taking nothing away from the performance mate. As a unit we played very well and it takes a fine performance to score 5 when the opposition keeper also had a very good game.

I'm just going by the bookies odds which are carefully calculated for good reason. When has a Scottish Premiership side ever been anything close to 75/1 to beat us at Parkhead? The side Aberdeen drew to would also be big enough favourites against Kalju. The Kilmarnock result was laughable but Partizan Belgrade only beat them 1-0 tonight.

Motherwell and St Johnstone finished 8th and 7th last season and I assure you they would both be firm favourites against Kalju.

 

Exactly this. This mob were very probably worse than Cliftonville.

 

The side Kalju put out last round, Shkendija....the sheep only scraped through on away goals against a few year ago..

Scottish team's are abysmal in Europe..

The sheep were outplayed and lucky to nick a draw today as well against proper diddy Georgian minnows..

We would've scored a few against anyone in Scotland last night..

 

Making your way in the world today
Takes everything you got
Taking a break from all your worries
It sure would help a lot
Wouldn't you like to get away?
Sometimes you want to go

Where everybody knows your name
And they're always glad you came
You want to be where you can see
The troubles are all the same
You want to be where everybody knows your name

You want to go where people know
The people are all the same
You want to go where everybody knows your name

 

NEIL LENNON has accused Uefa chiefs of ‘poo-pooing’ Celtic’s title triumphs.

The Hoops boss is angry at having to play four ties just to make it through to the Champions League group stages.

Yet the top four clubs from Germany, Italy, England and Spain automatically qualify — no matter how far they finish behind the title winners.

Lennon, who takes his players to Estonia on Monday ahead of their second-leg tie against Nomme Kalju, said: “It’s damaging the game the way it’s set up just now.

If you finish fourth in certain countries, you qualify and that’s unfair.

“Winning the title in any domestic league is difficult. People sort of poo-poo what we do.

Juventus, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Real Madrid have all dominated the landscape in their own countries for a while.

“We’re the same, so why should we be treated any differently?”

Last season’s losing Champions League finalists Spurs trailed 27 points behind Manchester City in England’s top flight — but go straight back into the groups.

Valencia finished 26 behind Barcelona, Inter Milan collected 21 fewer than Juventus and Bayer Leverkusen had 20 less than Bayern Munich.

But new Uefa rules mean they’ll all be in Monaco on August 29 when the draw for the group stages is made.

In the meantime, Celtic have been flying around Europe while trying to bed in new players and get their squad up to speed.

Cluj boss Dan Petrescu, whose Romanian champs could face the Hoops in the third qualifying round, has hit out on the issue.


And Lennon backed him up by saying: “Dan’s right to have a complaint.

“When you are champions of your country you shouldn’t have to play four qualifiers to make the group stage.

“I watched PSV against Basel in a qualifier that would grace any Champions League group. It’s incredible, really.

“It will only get tougher. If we qualify — and it’s still a big if — it would mean eight games.

“That’s a quarter of a season before a ball is really kicked in anger in your domestic campaign.



“It’s difficult to balance your squad for Europe and league games.”

Celts lead 5-0 from the first leg against Kalju and will face either Cluj or Israel’s Maccabi Tel-Aviv for a place in the play- off round.

 

Do we take anything from the fact Lennon watched Basel v PSV? with us apparently interested in Silvan Widmer?

 

NEIL LENNON has revealed he won’t even mention nine in a row to his players.

Celtic are chasing history ahead of next weekend’s Premiership kick-off against St Johnstone.

But boss Lenny is refusing to put any extra pressure on his Hoops stars by bringing up the milestone.

Asked if he will speak to his squad about winning a ninth title, he said: “No, it’s just the next one.


“The most important one is the next one. They know what’s at stake.

“We had all the talk of the treble Treble last season. That got very wearing on the players — as you can imagine.


This will probably be no different. We’ve got to keep a perspective on things.

“You can’t control the uncontrollables. That is what I’ve learned as I’ve gone along.


“I used to get agitated by stuff, but things like that are out of my control.

“If you are conscientious in your work and you think you are going about it the right way — doing the hours and the players are giving you what you want — then you can’t ask any more really.”

Meanwhile, Celtic’s £7million summer signing Christopher Jullien will MISS next week’s Premiership opener against St Johnstone.

The Frenchman has a suspension held over from his Toulouse days and will join the banned Jozo Simunovic on the sidelines at Celtic Park.


Lennon said: “Julien can’t play the first game and neither can Jozo.

“That’s something we’re already taking into account going into the game against St Johnstone.



“We know that some players we bring in aren’t quite in the right condition for the start and that’s fine.

“We have ample cover in many positions but you want to make it better if you can.”

 

He couldn’t have the night before a Celtic game

 

Why not? Lenny just said he watched the game, he never said he went to it.