Muzzy_Larsson

I'm crowdfunding to commission the erecting of a statue of Congerton outside Celtic Park just so I can damage it.

Agree with this, Barnes proved last season he's worth persevering with, the only way he'll continue to develop is to by keep playing him. He's already making a great contribution imo.

Tbh Celtic fans are typically a bit deflated when we don't make the CL and qualify for the Europa however the last two seasons it's been a lot better and quite an exciting competition, we've had some good groups and faced some good sides. I'd be excited if I were you guys as I think it's a competition you could go far in if you take it seriously and Rodgers sorts out his approach in Europe. If anything it may be a more viable route to the CL for the season after next than trying to break into the top 4 domestically.

This would really be a fantastic replacement for Chilwell if both moves happen.

Come on there's no need to be like that, I've admitted Leicester are a better side on paper and would more often than not beat Celtic, all I argued is if all the stars align we could potentially cause an upset and beat you, particularly if your poor form were to continue. Based on that and the sides we have defeated in Europe in recent years and our performances against EPL sides over the same period I don't think that is outlandish or offensive. To say we are a pub side when we have already beat the third best team in Serie A home and away this season and a few other very good European sides in recent years is ignorant and petty. I imagine you are exactly the sort of person that is irate when the shoe is on the other foot and the traditional big sides such as Man Utd, Liverpool, etc and their fans look down on you disparagingly.

System's don't always win games tbh though mate, football's a funny old game and who knows what would happen, on most days Leicester would beat us but we've beat enough better sides in Europe over recent years that I think there's a chance we could cause an upset.

Drawing with any Pep side probably comparable with taking three off Leicester though. If you guys are going to continue with the level of form of the last 6 months I'd be pretty confident of turning you over at Celtic park anyway.

When they played us they had played ten league games and won every one of them, we were the first side to avoid defeat against them that season. Anyway, any Man City side under Pep are lightyears ahead of Leicester tbh. Like I said it's probably a daft conversation as we'll likely be in the premier European competition. May meet you guys when we drop out of the groups though if you make it through your group and Rodgers doesn't have an arse collapse in Europe again.

No in the qualifiers again, first two rounds have been drawn, we're playing tonight. As of next season we have two CL places again though and if us and Rangers can have a similar campaign to last we could end up moving up the rankings enough to get an automatic place again a couple of years down the line.

Like I said you should, but football isn't played on paper and far stranger things have happened, Man City couldn't beat us home or away under Pep a few years ago and they are obviously a far better side than Leicester. We beat Lazio home and away this season who finished I think third in Serie A. You've got a better side, better players, more money but I'd fancy our chances of taking uz at Celtic park, particularly if you are going to perform the way you have for the last 6 months. Rodgers seems to wet the bed in Europe also, at any club he's at.

On paper you should, but so should have Man City on paper, not many English teams have got the better of us in the last 20 years, for what reason I don't know as like I say on paper, we should have got a doing off Man City, Man Utd, Liverpool, etc.

Probably not something you should be worrying about as we'll likely be dining at the top table in the Champions League

Yeah good point.

That conference cup is going to be a plie of absolute dog shite.

You just know if we don't make the CL we're getting drawn in a group with you guys

Exactly.

Tbf that was Southampton's model and he would have been well aware of that when he took the job.

Yeah of course, my point is they'll be in a decent position to be able to sit tight and get what they want for any of their assets, there'll be no need to sell to balance the books or whatever. It's obvious guys like Lewis, Godfrey, Buendia will likely move on.

That's where I disagree tbh, I don't think a club like Norwich will be under any real pressure to sell.

They'll have released players and there'll be a few they know who'll definitely leave and most likely for good money which reinforces my point, the additional expense of the 7 players in terms of the wage bill will not be something that'll be of any concern, they won't be under massive pressure to sell unlike a club like Burnley or something like that had they went down.

Yes but your missing my point, they're existing players will have relegation clauses on their contracts that will reduce the overall wage bill and likely offset some or all of the additional expenditure on wages. It's not as black and white as 7 new players and a bigger wage bill in this scenario.

I'd imagine a club like Norwich will have relegation clauses in all contracts however and added to that the parachute payments will help. Norwich will be in better financial health than most clubs relatively speaking, they very much live within their means.

Tbh Koeman fits Barca's recent recruitment policy of manager and players in that it's a disaster. I'm not so sure re Pep, he's never went and rebuilt a team as such, taken a team who were at a really low ebb and turned them around. At Barcelona he inherited an unbelievable squad just about to enter their peak, at Bayern he inherited a squad who had won every trophy available to them and again at City he took on a squad littered with quality that weren't far off being champions again. He chooses his steps far too wisely to go back to Barca in their current state of disrepair, he knows he'll be able to go back there whenever he wants so it'll be best to let someone else handle the pain of the post-messi period beforehand.

Ahh the Lincoln Red Imps! We played them in our first game under Rodgers and lost

Xavi would be off his head to go near Barca at the moment. The word last was night Pep has in fact signed an extension, although not a long term one, two years is what was reported.