Shakhtjor shaft more than just Celtic

Perfectly happy to see Celtic go out of Europe. It would be hypocritical in the extreme and just downright unnatural of me to say I wanted them to progress in ANY competition or any arena.

I’ve never had a problem letting my heart and head go their seperate ways on football matters and while I would have choked on the sight of Celtic defeating MIlan, there’s no denying an admiartion for the way those hooped herberts continually manage to keep far more technically gifted football sides at bay. From Blackburn Rovers to Barcelona (in March) to the Rossoneri tonight, it’s somewhat ironic to see those one-match aesthetes who moaned the loudest during Walter Smith and Andy Goram’s rope-a-dope heydey of “hit-and-run” wins at parkhead now appreciating that all the good build-up play in the world isn’t worth a jot if you can’t put the ball in the net. Or, in Milan’s case, the opposition BOX.

Celtic ARE a credit to Scotland, despite the fact it gives me no joy.

However, nether can I take any great scahdenfreude in the fact Shakhtjor Donetsk’s defeat of Barcelona tonight left Celtic lying bottom of their Champions League Group and out of even the Uefa cup in much the same way we were this time last season.

As we’ve all been discussing over the last few weeks, both halves of the Old Firm are being pegged back to some extent this term by the erstwhile “also rans” of the SPL. Dundee United have taken a point at Ibrox, Hearts, Aberedeen and Inverness Caley have denied us wins at their “own” places (PS - Congratulations to Caley on today’s decision to let them play the second half of the SPL at their VERY OWN stadium). Smelltik have lost at home to Aberdeen while also drawing at Dens and Easter Road.

The squads of both Glasgow’s ugly sisters are better than anything anyone else can offer in Scotland. But they’re not as great as they once recently were and financial restrictions are hitting us both with almost equal rigour. As the gap between US and THEM shrinks to the single point it has been for the last fortnight, it’s clear that any extra playing pressure on either club will have a huge effect - almost certainly detrimental - on their domestic chances.

Celtic only have domestic chances now - Europe’s over for them but, in eight day’s time, it could be the same for ourselves if we don’t do the biz against Auxerre and other results don’t go our way. Personally I always think winning big games is as energy-giving as sapping but, as per the Alkmaar hangover, losing them can add to the physical drain. Having as basic a squad as we currently do, in European terms, is also not helping.

You want to win at all times - I’m desperate to see us advance in Europe. But if the duff display at Aberdeen on Sunday was indeed a direct result of our exertions in Holland on Thursday then, married to Celtic’s renewed determination to compensate for their Euro exit, we might just push ourselves too far. The Smellies are our main rivals and the rest are getting closer to Rangers already.

I’d put European glory above the domestic any day and what am I saying here anyway - deliberately lose the Uefa Cup game to Auxerre and hope we go out of Europe? - no. But we should all be well aware of just exactly how progress to thr knock-out stages beyond Christmas will increrse the demands on our already beleagured squad.

We need more players, yes, but I doubt we can afford to improve our squad significantly. In fact, Boumsong might even leave in January, weakening us. So The Gers players deserve all our support and all our understanding. For every hurdle we o’erleap in Europe from now on this season, we’ll have to allow The Gers another domestic display like Sunday’s.

I say it’s worth it.

About this entry

You’re currently reading “Shakhtjor shaft more than just Celtic,” an entry on FatEck.co.uk

Published:
12.07.04 / 10pm
Category:
News