Celtic'c European Journey Comes to Decider

Celtic’s remarkably indifferent form on the domestic front must be put to one side as they prepare to take on Spartak Moscow in a make-or-break clash for their Champions League campaign.

The Hoops’ destiny will be partially out of their own hands however, as they must better Benfica’s result on Wednesday night to progress to the knockout stages. Although Celtic aren’t in control of their own fate, they do leave a part of it in the well capable hands of Barcelona at the Nou Camp, which isn’t a bad option to have.

Unai Emery wasn't in charge for half a
season before being sacked by Spartak

The general consensus for the last match of the group stage is that Celtic must avoid defeat to Spartak Moscow in Glasgow, with a victory not being crucial, and all the while remain optimistic that Barcelona can do what they do best.

Spartak Moscow travel to Celtic Park having endured somewhat of a crisis in the past month. Unai Emery, who had only taken charge of Spartak on the 13^th of May, was sacked on November 25^th after a poor run of form for the Moscow club.

Valery Karpin, the man who led Spartak to a runners up position in the Russian Premier League last year, is now temporarily back at the helm. He first took charge of Spartak Moscow in April 2009 after succeeding Michael Laudrup. Although Karpin declared his resignation from the managerial post on the 18^th of April 2011, after leading the club to one of the worst starts to a season in their history, he maintained the position as coach until his successor could be found.

In Spartak’s last four matches they have drawn once, against Volga, and been defeated three times; 3-0 against Barcelona, 5-1 in a local derby against Dinamo Moscow (Emery’s final game in charge) and 4-2 to Zenit St. Petersburg, with each defeat occurring on home soil.

Valery Karpin managed Spartak for 3 years from 2009-12

Barcelona’s thrashing of Spartak meant they were eliminated from European competition altogether, but Celtic players and fans alike must remain cautious. The pain of Celtic’s victory at the Luzhniki Stadium will still be fresh in the memory for the men from Moscow, and the possibility of denying Celtic a place in the last 16 will seem a sweet assertion of revenge.

There is only so long that the undeniably talented team that is Spartak Moscow can be left licking their wounds, before picking themselves up and getting back to winning ways.

The tie will surely be too close to call, for even the most optimistic Celtic fan. The Hoops maintain a fantastic home record in the Champions League, and defeating (arguably) the greatest team in the world at Park Head proved this. However, recent results for Celtic are probably leaving the fans scratching their heads.

Since Celtic battled for a famous victory against Barcelona, they’ve drawn 1-1 at home to St. Johnstone, defeated Aberdeen 2-0 away, lost 2-1 away at Benfica, been beaten at home 1-0 by Inverness, defeated Hearts 4-0 away and drew 1-1 with Arbroath at home.

This mixed bag of results gives us absolutely no indication as to which Celtic side will turn up to face Spartak Moscow in the decisive game of  the group.

Celtic fans will be hopful for at least two more
Champions league games after Wednesday

Lennon will most likely stick with the same line-up that he sent out to play Benfica, although Celtic’s star player Victor Wanyama will be banned from the tie after picking up a booking in that tie and Scott Brown may remain doubtful for a starting place after his recent injury woes.

The Celtic manager will also be hopeful that James Forrest can win his race to fitness and at least make an impact from the bench, as he did in Russia to devastating effect.

No matter what team Neil Lennon sends out, the Celtic faithful will be right behind them and Celtic Park will undoubtedly be rocking once again. If ever Celtic needed their 12th man, it will be then.

The Europa League beckons for either Celtic or Benfica, but neither will want to settle for it. 

Is Hooper Good Enough for England?

England manager Roy Hodgson looks set be attending Celtic’s Champions League tie against Barcelona to run the rule over Gary Hooper.

This leads to the question that many fans have been asking for a while now- is Gary Hooper really good enough for England?

In 2006 Hooper was playing semi-professional football for Grays Athletic in the Conference National, where he was eventually released, and six years on he is playing in the Champions League with Celtic.

The Celtic fans are used to seeing Hooper celebrate 

Celtic’s number 88 has been no stranger to the score sheet since joining the Hoops in 2010 and this has perhaps forced Hodgson to consider him for the England squad.

In Hooper’s first season with Celtic he found the net 22 times in 36 appearances, with one European goal against S.C. Braga (Champions League qualifier). He finished the second highest scorer in the SPL and picked up three yellow cards.

During his first season with Celtic he had the best strike rate of any player in Britain, scoring 20 goals in 26 games.

His second season saw him score 29 times in 49 appearances, this time scoring two European goals against Stade Rennais and Udinese respectively (Europa League).  He finished as top scorer in the SPL and picked up three yellow cards.

After not scoring in his first five games of the current season, Hooper has regained his scoring form and netted 10 times in 18 appearances. He has scored two European goals thus far, one against Helsingborgs (Champions League qualifier) and the opener in Celtic’s famous away victory at Spartak Moscow (Champions League group stages).  

Hooper doing what he does best in the Champions League

Hooper has scored 61 goals in 96 appearances for Celtic, averaging around 0.63 goals per game.

Celtic goalkeeper Fraser Forster has already had a call up to the England squad after some fine European performances, but it’s fair to say that as long as Joe Hart is fit and able Forster will find his time on the pitch for England very limited.

Hooper will also have to outshine the likes of Daniel Sturridge, Danny Welbeck, Andy Carroll and maybe even Jermain Defoe if he is ever going to make the grade for his national team.

In England’s last three games Sturridge, Welbeck, Carroll and Defoe have all featured on the team sheet, and if Hooper was to force his way into the England squad one of these players would probably have to make way.

Daniel Sturridge has made eight appearances so far this season for club and country. In his seven appearances for Chelsea he has found the net once and he failed to score for England against Ukraine.  

Manchester United forward Danny Welbeck has made 15 appearances for United and England, scoring twice in England’s 5-0 victory over San Marino and once in United’s 4-2 win against Stoke.

Andy Carroll began the season with Liverpool, playing in a 3-0 defeat at West Brom and a 2-2 draw with Manchester City, before being sent on loan to West Ham. He has failed to score for Liverpool, West Ham or England in 8 appearances so far this season.

Jermain Defoe has played 12 times for Tottenham and three for England this season.  He has scored once for England, in their 5-0 win against Moldova and five times for Tottenham in the Premier League.

Hooper’s scoring statistics come from a league which is a world away in terms of quality compared to that of the Premier League, but he has managed to score in European compeition this season- something which Welbeck, Sturridge and Defoe have not.

It's unlikely Forster will take Joe Hart's place
 in the England set up any time soon. 

The Hoops' forward has fallen subject to some criticism this season for looking lacklustre at times, but his scoring statistics for Celtic make for impressive reading and he has seemingly turned his season around after a slow start.

There is more to Hooper's game than just being a goal-scoring poacher; he can fall deep, hold up the ball well and is more than capable of picking out a pass.

However none of this ability was displayed against Barcelona when Celtic played them at the Nou Camp, with Hooper stuck in uncharted territory up the field in Barcelona’s half.

My initial feeling is that Hooper is not good enough to play for England. Although, if he was surrounded by a squad of a far higher standard than he already is, who knows what he is capable of.

Perhaps there is only one way to find out.

If  Roy Hodgson does take a trip to Celtic Park next Wednesday night, it will at least not be in vain should Hooper fail to shine; Fraser Forster will have numerous chances to show the England manager what he’s made of. 

Anti-football or Intelligent Tactics?

Former Barcelona player Bernd Schuster has lashed out at Celtic for their style of play at the Nou Camp, branding it ‘anti-football’.

The comments come three days after Celtic lost out narrowly on taking home a point from Spain in the Champions League.

Schuster, according to the Scottish Sun, stated that Celtic “do not merit their place [in the Champions League] if they are going to play in this style” and “You see Celtic defending with 10 ten men and almost snatching a point- that is not fair.”

In 2007 Rangers held Barcelona to a 0-0 draw at Ibrox, and it wasn’t long before the performance was branded ‘anti-football’- by none other than Lionel Messi.

If Celtic had indeed taken away a point from a scored draw, or if Rangers had snatched a 1-0 win in 2007, would these remarks about ‘anti-football’ still be voiced? Or would it be hailed as tactical genius?

Rubin Kazan successfully overcame the Catalan Giants

Rubin Kazan are also one of few relatively average teams in the past few years to successfully deploy the defensive and counter-attacking styles of play against Barcelona in the Champions League, however they managed to defeat Barcelona 1-0 at the Nou Camp and draw 0-0 at home.

I can’t seem to remember the ‘anti-football’ argument being used on this occasion, although it wouldn’t surprise me if it was.

Bernd Schuster blamed Chelsea for generating a “school for teams like Celtic to study”, after putting Barcelona out of the Champions League semi-final last year with an incredibly defensive display.

There is no doubt that watching a match in which one team has 10 men behind the ball at most times isn’t what we like to see when watching football. Neutrals like to see high scoring games that are end-to-end.

However, with Chelsea aside, I fail to understand why people like Bernd Schuster cannot see the need for these tactics, which he brands ‘anti-football’, to be used when playing against teams such as Barcelona.

Chelsea FC have a seemingly unlimited amount of money at their disposal, which they use to attract top quality players- Rangers, Rubin Kazan and Celtic do not.

The cost of the Celtic team to take on Barcelona is as follows:

6.7 million pounds worth of players in this photo

Frazer Forster: £2 million; Mikael Lustig: Free; Kelvin Wilson: Free; Efe Ambrose: £400K; Emilio Izaguirre: £700K; Georgios Samaras: £2.2 million; Scott Brown: £4 million; Victor Wanyama: £900K; Joe Ledley: Free; Charlie Mulgrew: Free; Gary Hooper: £2.5 million; Lukasz Zaluska: Free; Adam Matthews: £200K; Miku: Loan; Kris Commons: £300K; Thomas Rogne: £300K; Beram Kayal: £1.5 Million; James Forrest: Free.

The total cost of the squad Celtic brought to Spain is approximately £14,920,000.

This figure is somewhat shy of what Barcelona’s squad to face the Hoops cost. Excluding players from their youth system the Barcelona team is as follows:

Adriano: £8.3 million; Javier Mascherano: £17.6 million; Jordi Alba: £12 million; Alex Song:  £16.7 million; Alexis Sanchez: £22 million; Cesc Fabregas: £30 million; Jose Manuel Pinto: £500,000; David Villa: £35 million.

Apart from highlighting just how successful Barcelona’s youth academy is, this shows the total cost of Barcelona’s squad to be approximately £142,120,000, for just 8 players.

Over 54 million pounds worth of players in this photo

We all know that money doesn’t always buy success in football, but it does buy the best players.

With this in mind, how can anyone expect a team like Celtic, costing just under ten times that of Barca, to go out and try to play attractive, attacking football against the best in the world?

If you attempt to play attacking football against Barcelona or any team that can afford such talent, with a relatively cheap squad in comparison, there can only be one outcome- defeat.

Neil Lennon has all the resources and financial backing to easily handle the SPL, but when it comes to Europe these resources appear incredibly limited.

As a result Lennon, much like Walter Smith with Rangers in 2007-08, has to use any means possible to win in Europe against teams that eclipse Celtic’s spending capabilities.

Thankfully it was a past player from Barcelona who made these comments, as it is often a current one. Tito Vilanova and his players were fair in their comments after the match, stating they deserved victory and crediting Celtic for their efforts.

Lennon has since dismissed Bernd Schuster’s comments, saying he wouldn't listen to the ramblings of a failed coach.


http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/4610480/Kick-Celts-bores-out-of-Champs-League.html

Celtic Suffer Heartbreak in Barca

Celtic’s late defeat at the hands of the mighty Barcelona will be a hard pill to swallow for the players and fans alike.

With the final play of the game Barcelona’s Adriano whipped in a teasing cross which only needed a slight touch from full-back Jordi Alba to clinch all three points, diminishing the Hoops' valiant efforts at the greatest footballing theatre in the world.  

Even the most ardent Celtic fan can’t deny Barcelona deserved their last second victory and if there was ever an acceptable way to lose a football game, losing in the dying moments against the greatest team on earth is the way to do it.

Regardless of this, Celtic can leave Spain with their heads held high. They caused Barcelona trouble with their resilient defending and excellent discipline in the midfield. The counter-attacking style Celtic attempted to deploy was often a cause for concern to the home side. 

The opening minutes of the game set the tone for the rest of the match, with Barcelona, as is natural to them, completely dominating possession.

Samaras heads the Hoops into the lead

However, on the 18^th minute, a quick counter attack from Celtic and a nice bit of skill from Scott Brown drew a Jordi Alba foul on the right-hand flank, which Charlie Mulgrew drove in beautifully to meet the head of Samaras and, after a deflection off Mascherano, ended up in the back of the net.

This was Georgios Samaras’s fourth consecutive goal in as many away European games for Celtic, which all ended in victories, and the Green and White faithful dared to dream.

Samaras was holding up the ball well, making brilliant forward runs and winning everything he possibly could in the air. The kind of ability he was displaying would make you wonder why he was the whipping boy for Celtic some time ago.

The big Greek’s fortunes were to turn on the 40^th minute however, when a dual with Adriano in the air caused him to land awkwardly on his ankle and subsequently Celtic lost their best attacking player. James Forrest was the replacement for Samaras; with the tricky winger being over eight inches smaller Celtic lost their aerial threat up front.

Five minutes later, on the stroke of half time, Barcelona’s dominance finally paid off when Victor Wanyama was caught unawares to allow a pass to Andres Iniesta to be threaded through by Messi, and a quick one-two with footballing guru Xavi was finished off by Iniesta tucking the ball into the bottom corner.

The second half resumed in the same manner that the first half did, with Barcelona completely dominating possession and getting multiple chances but, with Fraser Forster in inspired form, the Catalonian side struggled to take the lead.

Messi was kept at bay by the Celtic midfield 

Effe Ambrose appears to be another gem that Lennon has unearthed, and with a great display against Spartak Moscow in Celtic’s last Champions League clash, he carried on that form against the finest the competition had to offer, intercepting Barcelona’s attackers on numerous occasions and distributing the ball well.

Praises can also be sung of Victor Wanyama, who Celtic will undoubtedly struggle to hold onto once the January transfer window commences. Apart from his error for the Barca leveller he was fantastic in the midfield. Joe Ledley, Scott Brown and Charlie Mulgrew’s performances also cannot go unaccredited.

Celtic’s defensive efforts mean they are now the only team in 2012 to prevent Lionel Messi from assisting or scoring a goal.

Perhaps the only player to not shine on the night was Gary Hooper. He found himself stranded at the forefront of Celtic’s attack and found it difficult to hold the ball up when it was passed to him, often passing the ball straight to a Barcelona attacker. His inability to maintain possession would eventually lead to the 94^th minute heartbreak Celtic suffered.

Jordi Alba meets Adriano's cross to deny Celtic a point

When substitute David Villa hit the Celtic post on the 90^th minute it appeared luck was on the Hoops’ side to clinch a famous draw, however Barcelona continued to attack and on the 4^th and final minute of added time Jordi Alba crept inside James Forrest to meet Adriano’s fantastic cross at the back post.

The result cannot be argued, Barcelona had 72% of possession and completely dominated the game in every aspect besides goals, but Celtic’s determination, discipline and effort left much to admire.

Neil Lennon, his management team, the players and the fans can all hold their heads high yet again after another European away performance that won’t soon be forgotten. The home-leg now looks set to be another fantastic game.

Celtic may not have left Barcelona with any points, but they did leave with their pride. 

Jelly and Ice Cream or Boring Times When Rangers Die?

I, personally, do not want Rangers to ‘die’.

I am, perhaps, among a minority of Celtic fans who wouldn’t like this whole scenario to end with Rangers ceasing to exist, and no Old Firm matches to look forward to.

While I was listening to the chants from the stands at the Caledonian Stadium last weekend it got me thinking, more than usual, about a potential life without our bitter rivals, the ones we love to hate and the other half of arguably the biggest rivalry in football. And, I must admit, whilst the immediate aftermath seemed sweet, the long-term did not. This is all purely hypothetical, of course.

Can anyone say they wouldn't miss the Old Firm rivalry? 

At first, the hilarity of Rangers going bust would fill our days with joy and we would sing songs and tease fans of a 'past' football team. But then, how long would it take for us to miss Rangers? Some would say never, while some would say years. Others would say that a new Rangers team would emerge and make their way back up the ranks, creating a ‘New Firm’ perhaps.

I do not have sympathy or empathy for Rangers’ current struggles though, why would I? These problems have caused them to sell one of the best strikers to play in the SPL for some time, with no replacement bought.

Much has changed since I last bothered to write a blog. The Green half of Glasgow were undone by their Blue counterparts, 4-2, and times looked like they couldn’t get worse, but they did. However this proved to be the dark before the light, the ‘things will get worse before they get better’ stage. And they did get better.

Even Scott Brown is making it hard for me to dislike him now, with his fine displays and goal-scoring form, most notably in last night’s 4-0 thrashing of Hearts at Tynecastle. 

The 15 point lead Rangers once had is now gone, as they look up the table at Celtic sitting 4 points clear. This all makes for some pretty depressing reading if you’re a Bear, and the near future doesn’t look too bright either.

I don’t want to suggest that Celtic will head down the same road as Rangers if they are without their Glaswegian rivals. I also don’t want to comment on the financial implications this would have for Celtic if it did happen, because, quite simply, nobody really knows.

Sone 'Money' Aluko paid his own transfer fee.
I can't see many more doing that, can you?

However, what I can say I probably do know is that, if we were to bid a sweet farewell to Rangers FC, Celtic would have a clear stroll to the SPL title, completely unopposed for many years, at the very least.

This total dominance of Scottish football would perhaps be a positive thing for most fans. Celtic would eventually catch up to Rangers’ 54 league titles, that they like to remind us of so often.

But could any Hoops fan really say they’d rather achieve this without beating the Teddy Bears each season? Without having any opponents to add a bit of excitement to a league which is already branded as a boring, two-horse race?  And how long before winning the SPL becomes so much of a formality that it’s boring?

I also believe that the standard of player at Celtic would slip, further, if this were to happen. Celtic and Rangers are so far ahead of the rest SPL already that without having to beat Rangers the standard of players coming in wouldn’t need to be as high (yes, I know it isn’t very high at all) as it is now.

In an ideal world, Celtic and Rangers would both be dominant European forces, with Celtic always a step ahead, of course. But this isn’t an ideal world, as Rangers, Ally McCoist and Craig Whyte well know, but whatever happens to Rangers will likely (hopefully) hurt them for years to come. But preferably not ‘kill’.

A potential life in Division 3 looms for Rangers should they liquidate, one which will be considered 'death' to the Celtic fans, but one which will inevitably see Rangers back in the top flight again. 

With that circumstance in mind, it will indeed be a lot easier to enjoy my jelly and ice cream, should Rangers 'die'.