Celtic banter 3

19 Aug 2026 12:09:43
I’m expecting Yang to start ahead of Hassan tonight after Martin mentioned Hassan wasn’t match fit last week.
I reckon he only get the last 30 minutes.

19 Aug 2026 12:27:10
I didn't realise MON had said that Buzzbomb.

I hope Yang, like the rest of the starting 11 performs in this tie, and that he can be an effective back up to Hassan going forward.

HH.

19 Aug 2026 13:35:32
Yeah he said the those first couple of days at Celtic was the only time this summer Hassan has trained with players.
He only trained by himself or with a personal trainer which means he’s hardly kicked a ball since last season.

19 Aug 2026 13:39:32
I expect the usual 4-3-3, with

Sinisalo
CD CCV Trusty KT
Nygren CM Baur
Duran Hogh Yang


maybe Scales instead of Trusty but I think he'll settle for the two yanks!

19 Aug 2026 13:39:38
Hassan looked terrible I thought, glad to know it was fitness based.

19 Aug 2026 13:46:37
Tough one for me tonight we'll need to bang on it over the 2 legs, and no silly mistakes make them work fir anything they get.

19 Aug 2026 14:19:03
The picture I saw of Hassan looked like he stayed on in America and ate them out of cheeseburgers. ?.

19 Aug 2026 14:37:45
Given how he played at the W. C. I'd expect him to be upto speed before too long.

Hassan, Duran and Hogh could well give a few defenders some sleepless nights once they click as a front 3.

HH.

19 Aug 2026 14:36:55
Trusty always seems to perform in the more difficult European ties. Think he’s been great so far this year.

It’s CCV we need to worry about.

19 Aug 2026 19:02:53
Trusty looks decent at LCB but is a scare on the right. If CCV gets injured, I hope he plays Murray rather than Trusty and Scales.

19 Aug 2026 11:04:09
What do we reckon then folks.?
2 more signings in the next week. 1 of which will be the Blackburn keeper. not sure how good or bad the lad is but if I’m honest I’m not a big fan of Sinisalo… so hopefully he is better. I don’t think we will get any more in above the 2 unless someone from the main starting 11 leaves.

I don’t think we will replace Hatate if he leaves. tbh I’m not sure he will go this window as his stated preference is a top league and I don’t think his performances have deserved that chance over the last year. perhaps he will be a January departure or maybe even next summer.

19 Aug 2026 12:36:36
Franco79,

the GK position is a must signing and should have been done before this evenings CL playoff tie.

We still need as a minimum of (IMO) ;-

* LB - back up for KT (young lad from Chelsea or alternative on loan? )
* CDM - Gineitis would be good but we'd need to move quickly.
* RB/ MF - Sigur can play both positions and would'nt cost much.

A lot can happen in the last week of the window and players like Balikawasha and Hatate ideally need to be moved on.

HH.

19 Aug 2026 13:37:01
I think Celtic will sign at least 3 more players and maybe more if we make the CL.

19 Aug 2026 14:40:13
Fingers crossed Buzzbomb we hammer the Austrians tonight and MON gets the other players he requires signed up asap!

HH.

19 Aug 2026 14:20:39
We are short in a number of positions, so 2 would not address the deficiencies.

19 Aug 2026 17:30:40
Gk lb mf are the numbers required, then there’s the arguement we could try get ralston/ donavan out on loan so another rb maybe, are we out woods for others being bought and needing replaced, and I don’t know about anyone else but I want another no10 (my wish a loan to buy for a young classy top nationality classy ten, maybe size affecting his potential in big leagues so willing to ply trade somewhere else, but has a bit of class, happy to wait for minutes and take his chance when it comes, allowing us to take advantage of any future Nygren bid)

Don’t want much eh.

19 Aug 2026 10:42:07
Looks like we’re going for the Jock Stein plan of “ as long as we score more than the opposition” because I can’t see us keeping a clean sheet.
Hope it pans out but if things go ‘tits up’, does MON get blamed the way many held Rodgers responsible by many board apologists, last year.

19 Aug 2026 21:12:40
Chasaboy. Sorry, but I'm getting sick to the back teeth of the phrase "board apologists". For me it's second only to "flatters to deceive" in terms of football fans' bull-dung sayings. It's also often used unfairly by people to describe someone who doesn't agree 100% with their position. Wait and see, I'll be called a board apologist for saying that.

{Ed007's Note - I get called it, it's bizarre! For years I was told I was moaning while I highlighted problems at the Club while we were winning trophies.}

19 Aug 2026 21:26:05
Yeh, you're a right bad yin Ed.

{Ed007's Note -

via GIPHY

19 Aug 2026 10:14:51
Is it worth throwing a Trusty or Tierney into the midfield? McGregor Nygren and Baur give me the fear up against a powerful, athletic midfield.
What I'd give for a Vic Wanyama in his prime?.

19 Aug 2026 11:41:57
Id put yang in the middle, I think he is good at breaking up the oppositions attacks and he has a physicality about him we sometimes lack.

19 Aug 2026 11:52:05
Most suitable CB would be Scales as he's plsyed there earlier in his career, but we shouldn’t be in the position of talking about a Defender playing there 1 or 2 shouldve been brought in already.

19 Aug 2026 12:11:02
Can you imagine the uproar if they played either one in midfield? Trusty is a centre half, and average at that and Tierney is a LB or a centre back. Being a pro footballer doesn’t mean you can just slink into midfield and go a job because your job is ball winning at CH

The pi$h would be ripped out the players first by the opposition then the pi$h ripped by the fans out the management and that would be that. That’s a hot take Stevie.

19 Aug 2026 12:34:09
Some pro footballers can Twinfaither, we used to have one, a certain Mr Sutton. Played at the back, midfield and Striker for us.

19 Aug 2026 12:34:25
You lot can’t be serious.

19 Aug 2026 17:32:27
If baur didn’t play for a non mf what would that say to him, he’s been brought in and was chased remember as a top target to play this role when required ( prob not starter unless someone injured )

19 Aug 2026 06:53:46
Against a countries champions it is and shouldn’t be easy game for us, but lask are not on our level, something as simple as comparing there international players shows a bit of a gulf, them winning in Austria is a bit like hearts winning here, for me we need to do business tonight.
I’m looking for a no nonsense motivated, professional job tonight, want to see our team on park knowing what’s needed and why, they need to feed from crowd and not be nervous of it, players like nygren yang kt calmac trusty who’ve enjoyed success but also failed at this point need to go and drive the rest to win, for lask hopefully we see big crowd startle them a bit, too often teams have enjoyed it and I can see why better teams maybe react that way, for a lask we need to bring them down a peg and show them there visiting a giant who aren’t messing about.

For once in a long time if we don’t get great result and needed something over there next week with mon I’d feel we could still achieve that, all too often under br Ange and few others I always thought it needed to be tonight, domestically we’ve looked ok but it’s all very much been relaxed and smiles with a feel good
Factor of new players etc but I want to see determination and grit from get go tonight.

19 Aug 2026 07:34:57
You would have thought, that after last season, they would have learned their lesson and not went into the match with deficiencies in our team and squad.

Time will tell if their gamble has paid off but if it doesn't, then they only have themselves to blame and deserve the flack from the fans.

19 Aug 2026 07:41:03
Not many clubs can say they have only lost 2 games since September 27th last year and that shows how tough this tie will be.
Celtic have lost 13 games in that same 11 months.
( 9 domestic games and 4 European matches )

19 Aug 2026 07:47:29
We go with what we've got and hopefully we have enough ?

Its just a pity our board have zero ambition. We have millions and choose to gamble once again. The dugs in the street knew Engels was leaving. Did we pre plan ? old fossils on our board hold this great club back.

19 Aug 2026 08:25:13
Hit the nail on the head Jim, under prepared once again, there's an argument that we are actually weaker than this time last season, we are looking decent at domestic level but alarm bells are ringing even at that level with amount of chances we're giving away.

I pray we have enough to get through this tie but can't see it being straight fwd, we look seriously weak in the middle of the park.
Better preparation by strengthening all the key positions would have made this tie a formality.

19 Aug 2026 08:41:39
how many teams have we lost to in CL qualifiers who are not on our level though. I expect us to go through because of the fire power we have but the problem area is still the middle of the park, we do not close down quick enough around the box and encourage pressure onto our back four.

McCowan should not be anywhere near a CL match, I assume the new lad will start ahead of him but he will certainly appear at some stage due to our lack of numbers.

19 Aug 2026 08:45:50
It's a fair point Buzzbomb,
I wonder though, if you took away the 'Nancy factor' for some of those losses and did the Austrians play in Europe (I'm not sure) over the same period - perhaps that would give a different perspective, albeit only 2 losses is impressive.

Jim, you're spot on.

HH.

19 Aug 2026 09:16:45
This isn’t a gamble, it’s utter incompetence.
Read that Sigur could be coming but NOT until his club have negotiated their European players off tie. Do some clubs still do that nonsense ?.

19 Aug 2026 09:30:32
Every team at our level and this point
In cl qualification have deficiencies, there’s an argument ours are a lot less than any of other qualifiers and most of the qualifying teams would want our team over there own, of all the qualifiers with our issues we prob have best team. At some point we need to see this and make the manager and team accountable.

19 Aug 2026 09:39:22
Our board demonstrated their naivety with the Engels deal, either that or greed their for money.

We are interested in Sigur and his club have said he is not going anywhere until they have completed their Conference League qualification games. Total common sense. A stance we should have adopted.

We have left ourselves short in midfield for our biggest games of the season.

We are also short at right back so I hope Donovan or AR can step up.

KT will need to avoid injury or we could see Scales as a makeshift lb.

I appreciate there is still time to get players in before next week but by that time it may be too late, so we have to go with what we have.

MON seems happy with what he has which a concern in itself.

Surely someone at the club knew about the Oxs situation with bookings, if not that is a poor poor lack of planning, especially as it appeared like we were counting on him instead of replacing EA, because everyone knew he was leaving.

He made a big thing of playing against Killie to SM and didn't want to play in these 2 games.

The club must have known before that, that he was def going if an offer came in which we would accept. So why did we not have a replacement ready to push the button.

These are 40m games which we are not properly prepared for. Last season should have given the club enough of a warning about poor preparation.

I will be crossing everything tonight that we can keep it tight at the back and create and take chances at the other end.

19 Aug 2026 09:42:26
We keep talking about teams "not at our level" but usually when it comes to the players performance on the park, they are at our level!

This is due to the deliberate managed decline of our squad quality by those who measure success by £s in the bank rather than success on the pitch.

They are again gambling with £30-40m potential prize money, by not signing enough players and more importantly not signing them soon enough. I expect two even, high scoring, entertaining games against LASK. Hopefully we prevail but if not, we know exactly where the blame lies.

We are still well short of a CL squad of players and the Europa league may be our level anyway. So it's a case of wait and see where we are 8-9 days from now!

19 Aug 2026 09:48:36
Jaa11

Of course every team has deficiencies. How many have 10s of millions in the bank?. How many would use that to try and sort those deficiencies?

19 Aug 2026 09:54:27
The common thread here, as I see it, is the fact that we still don't have a Lenny or a Broony type of player in the midfield (yet) .

Our current midfielders can all contribute offensively, passing, creating and scoring but defensively, particularly at European level, they'll struggle, as it's not their game.

This tie (as important as it is) aside, I really hope that MON brings in a CDM before this window closes, not just to add balance and physicality in the midfield, but to allow his team mates to do their best work going forward.

Domestically we'll get away with it but any half decent European side will bypass our midfield, unchallenged, and next stop is a one on one (or worse) with our CB's and we know how that will end.

HH.

19 Aug 2026 10:03:48
Prob exception Lyon and fenerbache, if Engels was still here would we be playing a player that doesn’t want to be here and would we still be complaining, using words like gamble, incompetence, under prepared, zero ambition, we really are at times a greeting faced bunch, we’ve lost meada and kalechi, Engels from a starting eleven, this time last year kalechi wasn’t here Maeda was sulking and missing and was Engels offering much and kt unfit trusty injured I think Adam idah not giving a jot and all playing under a manager in a huff slagging the team off daily for not being good enough (that’s facts) , we have baur Hassan Duran hogh, aj injured but is an example of why we no longer have Engels as an option as he wanted away, a management team motivated to do well and a team winning domestically, weaker isn’t even close and frankly ridiculous and stinks of someone sitting ready for a poor result to ignore all of the above and blame the board.

As said every team has deficiencies at this point, we need to deal with it,

19 Aug 2026 10:30:49
If we think the Europa League is our level, it’s through choice and we still wouldn’t be at that standard. At the moment with the board we have, our level is rank amateur!

19 Aug 2026 11:33:24
Jaa11
You’re missing the point. This isn’t just about Engels, it about our whole approach to be ready for what in front of us in a defined timeline. What part of 7 out of 9 failures in qualifying do you consider to be not an issue?

19 Aug 2026 12:17:32
You’re right Pedro,
Nancy lost 6 times in only 8 games and LASK never played in Europe last season.
I know the figures are a misconception but not losing is a good habit to get into.

Although Celtic had not been beat for a long time or only once all year but then we lost 7-1 in Dortmund.
Hopefully it’s similar for LASK tonight.

19 Aug 2026 13:44:46
I’m not missing anything, we’re playing a team that have actively and publicly said they will concentrate on internal player development and maximising players from there usual price pot, over trying to buy success, yet as fans some out outside can’t find positives in what we have already and concentrate on the small issues we have compared to a team like lask, I’m specifically discussing this fixture and the current squad but some are blinded by past failings.

To be fair I thought Same last year and put that exit firmly with br.

{Ed007's Note - Last years exit was 100% on Rodgers and the players, no matter where we are in transfers the Celtic should always be capable of beating a team of Kairat's level. LASK are a different kettle of fish but we should be too good for them, especially in the final third - and we have MON in there organising it, there will be nobody hiding out there tonight like against Kairat.}

19 Aug 2026 14:19:41
Nice one Buzzbomb, winning is indeed a good habit.

3-1 to the Hoops tonight!

HH.

19 Aug 2026 14:45:58
It will always be on the manager and the players but the frustration is that we have the financial muscle to move the needle in our favour and choose not to.

18 Aug 2026 21:27:36
Adam Montgomery is listed in Celtics CL qualifiers as well as the Ox Montgomery has moved to Livingston on loan and the Ox is banned from the two rounds, Great Administration error Celtic.

18 Aug 2026 23:24:53
Some people just like to complain about anything.
The squad list deadline was the 13th and I'm assuming the boy was on it then.
Montgomery joined Livi on loan this afternoon and Celtic are getting mumped at for having him in the squad list.
In regards to the OX, he needs to be registered as part of the squad to serve the ban, if we didn't register him until the group stages then he would have to miss 3 of they games instead of one.


I'm pretty sure Celtic knew that and in fact there is no Administration error on there part.

19 Aug 2026 07:33:54
Journalist told O'Neill Ox was banned. He replied he didn't know that ?.

19 Aug 2026 07:37:39
If we had bought a left back, then he wouldn't have been on the list in the first place. We go into this game with a weakened defence and our board failed to address our defensive frailties, yet again.

19 Aug 2026 10:18:07
I think some hate board more than love Celtic on here, yes they deserve flack but also credit, 4 signings we have made have been great, maybe the rest of signing hoping to make are as good n not wanting quantity but quality, win lose or draw I’ll still b a fan until day I die.

19 Aug 2026 11:59:30
Jim1888, I wouldn't believe everything that MON says in an interview with the press.

19 Aug 2026 15:39:53
I get your point about the Ox, Montgomery as far as I know is the only back up left back, we have Scales but he isn't a true left back ( not his usual/ natural position) ? We register him for the qualifiers then ship him out on loan, I don't hate the board but I do think they aren't running the club as a top club.

There is clear positions we had to fix by the end of last season YES we have done work to fix that and as I have said on here looks like good work. But IMO we should have done more before this qualifying round.

19 Aug 2026 16:24:45
And can I add it was a guy on the Celtic way platform that brought it to Celtics attention that the Ox is illegible to play not anyone at Celtic. Or we could have been in the same scenario as that Polish team ( sorry can't remember who) that we played a few years back.

19 Aug 2026 16:28:13
I totally agree with you in regards to the way the board are running the club but If anyone is responsible for Montgomery leaving on loan it's the Management team and not the board.
There is no way the board chose to send him on loan without MON saying it was ok for him to leave, obviously the MON and SM don't think he is good enough just now and are happy to role with Scales as backup to KT until we bring someone else in.

18 Aug 2026 20:04:43
Bobo folk. only say that because it's exact same cms, apart from bernardo and angles leaving and he's definitely not Engles replacement as look 2 different types so effectively we are a cm down in numbers from last season. I thought a read and may be wrong or read rubbish that he was supposedly hatate replacement.

18 Aug 2026 22:17:31
We might get another goalkeeper in, so we might be playing 2 ( goalkeepers) 432 against LASK ?.

18 Aug 2026 23:03:41
Martin O'Neill confirmed that baur is not the replacement for Engels and that they are still working on replacing Engels.

19 Aug 2026 06:25:43
Yeah bobo he’s not here to replace Engels, we’ve lost Engels but reo while still here hasn’t featured at all and Bernardo even less, none the less by courting him and buying him we can assume mon wanted him so we should expect him in there I’d imagine,

I don’t know what bigger risk would be, playing Engels who now don’t want to play or reo, can we trust reo one more time? (twice lol)

I think we will see another 2 cm s before window ends, although me personally would take one and try fix reo. An alternative 10 to Nygren who looks to me will be first name on teemsheet weekly is really want to offset the games he disappears although admittedly he looks more involved now hogh is here,

Duran on left and Yang right for me, Duran looks to be a player that has something extra, at one point against Dundee United I’m sure he took on the form of a maeda and ran back bypassing other Celtic players to chase ball from a United player,

19 Aug 2026 08:57:06
I'd imagine MON will start with his strongest 11 this evening.
That being the case Hassan should be playing on the right wing.

HH.

18 Aug 2026 20:02:33
UI a was in the understanding he was meant to be hatate replacement as similar player, but doesn't look like that now, only replacement he is right now is Bernardos.

18 Aug 2026 20:19:46
Probably won't get anyone till after the champions league qualifier, I think we should get Cheick Souare and Miguel chaiwa we'll have a lot more money left to spare that way and spend it on the squad.

18 Aug 2026 16:25:19
Get the Canadian CDM/ RB and the Chelsea lad on loan that will cover CDM and both full back positions if required.

Buy Mahmic and the Blackburn GK and we will be well set up for the season.

18 Aug 2026 18:20:01
Mon saying that we won't get anyone for Engels untol later in the window. Who knew?

18 Aug 2026 20:04:22
Agree with that MIB.

Sigur and Mahmic tick a lot of boxes and combined don't seem to be a lot of money.

Toth, at 28, is a good age for a GK and if decent, could be at the club (along with Sinasalo) for a good few years to come.

The youngster from Chelsea is highly rated by his club.

HH.

18 Aug 2026 16:05:10
lot of post saying we let engles go without bring another cm in. did we not bring baur in i'm confused or does he not count.

18 Aug 2026 16:22:40
Oneil said Engles wanted out and didn't want to risk an injury in our play off tie. Obviously he wanted him for the game. Hatate can step up and show us his A game. Help win us the game and made get a bigger move with he craves.

18 Aug 2026 16:53:33
Just read that we wanted Engles to stay for the Lask games but he wanted to go and didn't want to play another game for us in case he got injured.
I understand his point of view and no point in holding on to him if he refused to play.

18 Aug 2026 18:34:58
Baur isn't Engles replacement. Hatate/ Bernardo type.

18 Aug 2026 18:42:18
We did bring in baur but for some reason some fans think he’s Bernardo’s replacement don’t really think we need replacements for players who barely touched a ball for us.

18 Aug 2026 19:34:09
Listen the squad is the squad for now.

We have enough attacking ability on the field and a raucous passionate support who will be make it a cauldron.

3-1.

18 Aug 2026 20:35:50
Baur was taken in for Hatate when he goes. We are looking for a replacement for Engels.

As for Bernardo, who knows if we will replace him but as he is out on loan, we may stick with Magowan and Ox with the new midfielder, once we get them in and Baur.