Muzzy_Larsson

Better bringing back Matt Elliot and throwing him up front!

Your taking your argument to the absolute literal definition here, no one is saying you shouldn’t celebrate. Gerrard was well within his rights to celebrate, it was over egging it to the point that it’s come back to bite him on the arse that’s the point. If he never over egged it to such a degree we wouldn’t even be having this conversation now.

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Because when your winning every trophy in sight for nigh on half a decade you earn the right to milk it like that. What you don’t do is make an arse of yourself after winning one game in what proves to be another season with nothing to show for it at the end.

You tell me, but given the reaction to it now and given how his team have utterly folded since it’s made him look like an absolute laughing stock up here, everyone in the media is making reference to it. He celebrated as if they’d just won the league or a trophy, I’d have expected him to celebrate like that if they had indeed won a trophy, but it was 3 points that was all. He’d have been better served keeping his powder dry and laying it on thick when his team won something as now it’s just made him look daft and is being used as a stick to beat him with.

It was the same thing that was riding on both encounters, 3 points. It was only a big moment if they kicked on and actually challenged us, they've not, if anything it motivated us to go and win every game since. Celtic nor Rangers supporters won't even remember that game come the end of the season when as looks likely we win the treble again, which makes the celebrations look all the more daft. I agree it could have been a watershed moment if Rangers built on it, but they've not and this season has followed a similar pattern to the last four with Rangers miles behind us.

It doesn't really, beating us in a one off game doesn't mean there is competition all of a sudden, Livingston beat us in a one off game also. Rangers beat us a year previous at the same point in the season when Rodgers was manager. Didn't make it any more difficult than usual for us to win the league either year, in fact this season it looks like we're going to win the league by a greater margin than last season. Providing proper competition would be serving up an actual title challenge whereby the league isn't over by February ever year or dare I say it someone other than Celtic actually winning a trophy. Celebrate by all means but going OTT the way he did just makes him look a tool now given how they have capitulated since.

Sure do, makes him look even more of a tit than everyone already knows he is.

Gonna be a big miss for Atlanta losing effectively Martinez and Nagbe from last season's side and not really replacing the latter. I know they've got Hyndman there permanently now but he played in the same side as Nagbe second half of last season.

This is what surprises me, Rodgers in our first season (at Celtic) wasn't afraid of doing this, quite often when the possession based stuff wasn't bearing any fruit we'd go direct to Dembele, into feet or more usually over the top and it really worked as an effective plan B. However, after the first season we completely stopped doing it, it was so obvious you can only assume this was under instruction. Having watched a lot of Leicester games this season, the approach, certainly the second half of the season anyway mirrors Rodgers last two seasons here in terms of a reluctance to go direct now and again. I don't understand it either because Vardy is perfect to play that sort of game on occassion with his pace to run in behind and getting centre back's having to turn.

I guess regular European football could offset any need to sign a player. That's how it generally works at Celtic, we qualify for the CL then we don't have to sell anyone, we don't then a big player usually gets sold. That's what they tell us anyway despite the fact we haven't qualified in two years and our most recent results show us having £40m sitting in the bank.

This is correct, asset amortisation it's called I'm sure.

Watched a few MLS games this weekend given it was the opening weekend and although they've had it in play for a couple of seasons now they are infinitely implementing it better than in the EPL. The Sounders scored a goal that was marginal last night in terms of offside and it was clarified within seconds. In the EPL it would have taken about five minutes to draw all the lines and be as pedantic as they could about it. They really stick to the "clear and obvious" mantra in the MLS and it makes a big difference. Italy and Germany are largely the same. I find it ironic in England that they are so reluctant to let the referees check the pitch side monitors, in the interests of keeping delays to a minimum yet they'll happily take 3 or 4 minutes trying to clarify an offside decision by drawing lines and applying mathematical theory to get to the decision. Surely when it comes to the point of doing that it infers that the decision is not "clear and obvious".

Idrissi's finish for the second was delightful.

You know that sound on the old game show family fortunes when they got a wrong answer, that one is applicable here.

Rangers hopefully Most likely MLS though given the timing of this, wouldn't be surprised if he ends up at Atlanta Utd given Martinez has just done his ACL at the weekend.

I'll blame Congerton, not due to any inside info, evidence or logic, simply because I hate him anyway

Looking like an expensive squd player for me at the moment as he doesn't do enough, consistently in games for me to be someone who can be relied on as a first pick. I get the theory around his signing, provide back-up for Vardy and a wide player in a two birds with one stone approach but he really doesn't look any good out wide at all. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but given the lack of quality and depth out wide the money spent on him really should have gone on a proper wide player.

This is the nail on the head. There is a trend of on here of extremism both ways I've noticed. On one side of fence those that demand that manager walks after a single poor result or performance and on the other side a band that get aghast at any form of criticism of manager, player or whatever else because you were playing in the third tier in 2008. Both of these views are of course ridiculous. Some people really need to realise it's ok to be concerned at the current form and exhibit constructive criticism all the while still being fully behind the manager and his plan going forward.

I think missing Vardy/him going off form for a prolonged period is one of the biggest factors, there’s simply not enough goals across the rest of the squad.

Tbh I wouldn’t see what point he’s trying to make as he’s spent the guts of £80m since he’s been here on guys who to be frank haven’t cut the mustard so far. It was as plain as the nose on your face back in the summer a natural, dynamic wide player was needed and he’s had to windows to get one and done nothing in that regard.

I’ll try and look at it from my perspective, that’s like me saying Celtic nearly went bust x years ago so that makes out capitulation at home in Europe the other night ok. Come one now, let’s get real, it’s about the here and now, not what happened yesteryear. Your standards, objectives and aspirations should be based on where you are now, not over a decade ago. Your sitting third, with champions league qualification in your own hands with one to the best paid managers in European football, stop looking for excuses and cop outs.

I think saying that at the start of the season would be fine, but having been in the top 3 for virtually all the season, with what 11 games to go and then failing to achieve champions league football would be a disaster, it would be an absolute collapse given CL qualification is so firmly within your grasp. Saying we were shit x however many years ago as if that’s somehow a reason or excuse for passing off a collapse is a pretty poor, unambitious cop out imo. For what it’s worth talking of his position being under threat however is ludicrous imo. That said he’s not above criticism.

Sarr really beginning to look the part with every passing game in the EPL now. At an age he’ll only get better too. Can’t help but think he is proving the one who got away in the summer, would have been very much attainable and would have been a better option than the money spent on Perez.

Yeah it’s a good question, your summation is probably about the size of it, which would be a good thing as that sort of structure would limit Congerton’s influence. The problem with him at Celtic I think was he had too much influence, via proxy of course through Rodgers. Rodgers had complete control and final say in all aspects of the football operation including recruitment so it basically went Congerton would identify the player and Rodgers would have utmost trust in him and we’d then try and sign the player. Leicester thankfully seem to have a better structure than we do/did.