Would winning the Europa Conf. be an achievement?

Just been checking up on the latest odds for overall winners of this competition and now admittedly could be getting carried away with myself after a few signings but I really dont fear any team left in the competition. Roma are favourites sitting 6th in Serie A followed by Leicester who are a good team no doubt, but what a draw that would be if we got them. Would have a real classic Celtic against an English team derby vibe not to mention Rodgers return. After that Marseille, Rennes and a few of the dutch sides including AZ who we have already beaten this year.
Of course we have to overcome Bodo/Glint first, but if the new boys have half the impact as the lads brought in during the summer we will hold our own against any of those sides mentioned. For me, exciting times ahead!

 

Leicester and Roma are by miles the favourites, but as Ange continues to build his squad I see some synchronicities coming into play.

Ange has only ever worked with salary capped teams, limited funded teams or national teams (where money doesn't matter). Accordingly, he's had to build a system and team spirit/ethos that lifts his team up above the others. Celtic are still a limited funded team but by far the best resourced club he's worked with, which means he has access to better players than ever before, but is still applying his usual team building / man management methods that have so inspired players from the football boondocks.

I'm actually really excited by what he's building at Celtic and reckon we'll be steamrolling all comers by teh end of January.

Neither Leicester nor Roma will want to come to Parkhead.

 

Yes especially since it would be first name on the trophy

 

I need to think some more about this...

 

Practice walking and chewing at the same time.

That might help...

 

Yes.

A trophy is a trophy. Its not where we want to be but in theory.... to win would be amazing. First name and all that.

Also, because I'm a bitter *. I'd love to see how the UK media try and spin it on how Ange who's meant to be this unknown Aussie, 100th choice celtic manager behind Howe, has come to Europe and shone as a coach

 

Any European trophy is bigger than any domestic cup competition in Scotland

 

We still talk about the Lisbon Lions.

We lost the league on the last day of the season in 2003, and lost the League Cup final to the huns. Yet that year is remembered for an eventually unsuccessful run to the UEFA Cup final.

So yes, winning European silverware would be absolutely massive. Hopefully as part of a quadruple, but I'd take it as part of a cup double/treble

 

European competitions started, I think, in the mid-1950s and although it took time for them to expand in number and entrants - we have been to three finals in 66 years (an average of once every 22 years, or a generation).

So in that context, and with respect to the original poster, I don’t think this should even be a question - it would be a great achievement to even reach the final.

I’m excited about the prospect of it actually.

 

I've said from Day One that Ange's focus will be on Europe.

Clearly the league is #1 but he'll see this comp as a basecamp.

First name on the Cup will be an attraction also.

 

ofcourse it be an helluva achievement, much much much harder than winning a domestic cup

 

We know that there will still be some english interest in the competition as long as Leicester are still in it. Roma are also a big name and, along with Leicester will be the favorites, so I think the competition still has some kudos and, although the league is undoubtedly the main priority this season, winning a European trophy would still be an achievement.

 

Sorry to dwell on this, but I think this question comes back to something that really irritates me - which is this phenomenon in Scottish football (across different club teams and the national team) where we’re all too worried about how other people perceive us.

Will we see a thread asking whether Champions League qualification would be a worthwhile achievement?

Of course not. Sure we all want to play in it - but ultimately with the unfairness baked into that competition, we won’t go far and, outside of having banked some money and maybe humbled a big team in one of the fixtures, we won’t go far.

Unless we’re willing to sacrifice the ethos of the club and become one of these awful and unethical ‘clubs’ which dominate that competition, or otherwise luck into producing a once-in-a-lifetime Celtic team which is then quickly picked off by better-financed teams.

So where does that leave you? Yes try and compete in this competition as best as we can, who doesn’t like a challenge after all? But if we have a team giving its best then moving into the UEL or UECL during the season is not some failure - I think it should be seen as part and parcel of the majority of our seasons going forward.

Who didn’t enjoy watching the draws as we moved through the UEFA Cup in 2002/03?

Let’s treat each competition and each tie on its merits, and hope that the odd iteration of a Celtic team can make it quite far, regardless of what branding we’re playing under or what the broadcasters or London-based media companies think of the ‘calibre of competition’.

Because ultimately it’ll boil down to a big crowd watching the team try their best to achieve something that they rarely have.

Enjoying that and the trips abroad for some is what it’s all about, right?

Sorry if that’s a bit saccharine.

 

Actually excited by this competition because there might actually be a chance of going far with some luck. Bodo/Glimt will be a tough challenge mind you. Say we make the semi-final- would anyone on here now be beside themselves with excitement. Even a quarter final would be great.

 

Bodo/Glimt, a fairytale story. Massive respect for them.

10 games to the final. The road to Albania Starts now. 5 at Home and 5 away. 50/50 knockout blows. I believe!

60,000 sell outs.

Fenerbache, Feyenoord, Marsellie, Roma, PSV Eindhoven and Leicester. We'll beat every single one of them.

Brendan Frauders doesn't even know what the conference cup is!

The 25th of May in Tirana. The spirit of Bertie Auld with us.

Mr President Ilir Meta can't wait to welcome his beloved men in the Green and White hoops to his home city!

We can do this. We can go on a run like Seville. It's happening. Hearts on the sleeves!

 

Completely agree with @Mr Shelby

Embarrassing seeing any Celtic fan regard it as a diddy cup and not take it seriously. We haven't won a knockout tie in European football in almost 20 years. I think I'm right in saying that anyway.

Any European football is worthwhile. Of course we all want CL group stages or an extended run in the EL. But we've not been at that level now for years. Think some fans need to realise our place in European football these days.

 

Brendan Fraudgers, dismissive EPL mentality:

"I have to be honest - I don't even know what the competition is in all fairness. I was focused on the Europa League and winning this group, at the very least, finishing second," Rodgers told BT Sport after the Foxes' loss in Naples.

"So with all due respect to the competition, I'm not sure what it is. I'm sure I'll find out soon enough."



With Brendan's mentality as leader. Leicester have no eyes on the prize. Treat the cup with disdain at you're own self entitled peril Brendan!

If celtic win this cup. They'll be 100,000 people on the streets of Glasgow.

It would mean everything to Celtic.

It would mean everything to you and Me.

The dream is to win a European Trophy. We crave success. It's for us. We'll be talking about the cup for 50 years if we win it!

 

It would be huge. Imagine 50 years from now, a 70+ year old Anthony Ralston telling stories about that famous night when we defied the odds to win the cup and The Tirana Tigers were born.