Red Star Belgrade V Celtic Wednesday September 24th kick off 8PM TNT Sports 2

I hate that "couldn't give a *" attitude. Since when was fans so entitled that they think we should be winning the champions league and suddenly the europa is beneath us? Never realised we were real Madrid.

And your correct that there really isn't 1 stand out team so far this year. The best memories of Europe i have was this cup. Im fully wanting a repeat, and we have a massive chance of that if we take our chances.

 

I agree with your first paragraph, but we have miniscule chances of winning the competition or even getting farther than the first KO round.

 

For me it’s not about the Europa League. I’d feel the same in the Champions League too.

The whole approach by the club this season has made many in the support not give a * about these games, or care much less than they would normally.

 

What an excuse. We never sell out the europa. They think its beneath us. Well were back to 3 qualifying rounds, get used to it. We'll be lucky to qualify for a few years.

 

Can agree here, as much as we wouldn't want to overly admit to not giving a * about the UCL.

But had we snuck by Kairat on penalties and the rest of what happened over the last month played out the same way, then I think the mood would be as you say James.

Not that we don't individually care for the UCL (or the Europa ) but that we know the squad has been * over and is in no shape prepared for European games. They're a distraction that fans are not caring too much for, because there is bigger issues for us now.
It's hard to motivate yourself when you know the squad is far below the level it needs to be and is done so knowingly by the club.

I can also imagine this is also gonna play a part on the players too.


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I’m curious what other people think about this. I’ve always went to Europa League games and I remember the stadium being full, except for Deila’s first season.

 

I've wanted a chance at a run in Europa for years but our team/sqaud is lighter than last season. I'm boycotting Europa due to our * board not from some superiority syndrome.

Honda you smirk we're not Madrid then go on to expect a Seville season, we're not anywhere near the level of MON's team

 

Braga game will be really interesting. They beat Feyenoord last night. A good gauge of where we actually are.

Can see us making a total * of these Parkhead fixtures. But remains to be seen.

I'm really concerned with how we look when ahead in these European games. Just a total cave-in waiting to happen.

 

Would have taken a draw before a ball was kicked to be honest, we got that. Yes I'm a little disappointed that we didn't capitalise on some of our chances. With certain players off the pace in the first half and a much improved second period it was a point earned. So no real harm done.
Ok, I get we all feel that the Europa League isn't where we should have been (irrespective of the cause), but it's where we are. Can't do anything about that now but perform as best we can with what we've got. Each game that passes shows both the strengths and weaknesses in our squad, something to improve on. We can only play the team in front of us, sure we'd have preferred the bigger names but equally we would have faced some likely spankings off them. This could be a blessing in disguise this season the way things went. So qualification for Champions League football is likely to be more difficult in coming seasons, should we not bother? No, we should rise to the challenge but I rather try and fail than not try at all. Odds on we won't be in the Europa Final but why not strive for it? Just because we aren't in the Champions League we should cut our nose off to spite our face. I will back Celtic loudly and proudly against all comers, in every competition irrespectively. Sometimes I will be disappointed, other times I will be ecstatically proud, that comes with the territory. But I will refuse to grumble at the quality of the opposition we face on the day because the competition is 'below' us.
'Sh*t' happens, it's how you dealt with that counts! We are where we are, lets make the most of it

 

Agree. Put it like this - i would be raging if we dropped points against Braga at home in the CL.

 

Definitely. Would be seen as a massive opportunity missed and considered a must-win game when the draw's made.

They aren't exactly flying domestically either. 2 wins in 6 games and sitting 7th. What I would say though is they're unbeaten in 6 away games this season - won at Cluj too so won't be any mugs.

But aye if you've realistic ambitions of making inroads in this competition then you need to be seeing teams like this off at Celtic Park. Even more so when we play Sturm Graz.

Fortunately we now have a proper focal point up top with a really quick and technically gifted winger now playing alongside him. We have a bit more to us than we did a few weeks ago.

 

That’s not true.

 

Im actually inclined to agree with the OP.

But not for the same reasons.

The quality of Europes second tier has fallen off a cliff, if we're being honest.

And I also agree with your good self. We're in no way capable of winning it.

Thats the exact reason for my own apathy toward it. The quality is so low, and our own quality is so low that we dont have a hope of winning it, is the most * depressing thing ever.

If we were stuck in the europa after spending a good chunk of our so called rainy day fund, made some shrewd signings off the back of real modern scouting and recruitment techniques, and had them bedded in early with a pre season and ready to fire....Id be like "* yeah, let's do this. Lets * go for it!".

The fact that we're so far away from actually competing properly after Christmas in a competition this poor is the real demotivator.

Its not like im CL or nothing. But whats the point in being enthusiastic about a subpar competition you cant distinguish yourself in?

Its like being * blocked for a crack at Sydney Sweeney, getting lumped with 2025 Madonna, and somebody telling you pump her harder because you might get another go around in the morning. Who gies a *. Youre just gonna be thinking about Sydney Sweeney.

Thats my * up logic anyway.

But i totally understand the "better than nothing" fans, especially because of how atrocious we've been on the continent in the past couple of decades.

 

Well thats the point im actually trying to make.

It IS our current level. But it SHOULDN'T be. We should be a Champions League team, with a realistic possibility of making it through to the second stages every season.

Thats the level we SHOULD be at.

"Respecting" the Europa feels like capitulation to the mismanagement that we continue to suffer.

Respecting the Europa league means accepting it. Accepting it means that fans have made their peace with the current circumstances, and have resigned themselves to stagnation.

We are a Champions League club with a Champions League bank balance.
But we're now a Europa League club with a Conference League squad.

We should never be accepting the Europa League. Not with our resources and size of our clubs global fan base.

The board have downsized us to death. The moment the fans downsize our aspirations, is day we find ourselves nothing more than a provincial customer base for a small time football plc.

So no, I dont "respect" it, because we should be too good for it.

 

Mixed feelings about last night.

First half we were woeful, second half we were better although it wouldn’t have took much to improve on the first 45.

Was it a good point?

For this group of players and taking into account the whole feeling around the club just now, 100% it was a good point. On paper, Red Star were flying domestically and it’s a really daunting place to go and play football - which would usually be a recipe for disaster given how easy we’ve folded in these fixtures over the years.

But when you sat and watched the game and seen how poor Red Star actually are, and the chances we missed at the start of the second half, it’s disappointing.

We’ve just spent 3 consecutive years in the CL but it appears we’ve made little to no progress as a team/club. We are still failing to win winnable games on the european stage and that’s why the push for change must continue.

 

Being honest, I feel like Ive really disengaged from this Europa campaign. Wouldnt say 'I couldnt give a *', just significantly fewer * than before.

I was working late but didnt even think about the game until I was on the train coming home and it was 20 minutes in. Listened to it but wasn't really into it.

It isnt a sense of entitlement, it isnt even a conscious decision. I just find celtic hard to engage with at the moment.

Exactly. I dont think I would feel any more excited watching us getting horsed in the Champions League. It is that underlying feeling that there is little point in investing in something when the club isnt even pretending to invest in a competition. Im not going to waste my year fuming at a board who I dont know. But I feel like I naturally disengage.