Celtic are better than Villa...

[UsualSuspect]

Case in point:

Chris Commons - mediocre fizzy pop player and now the Scottish equivalent of pele

kris Boyd - Broke all the SPL scoring records and shit in the fizzy pop

[richard moore]

Anyone see St Mirren vs Dunfermline last night?

It was like watching the Wimbledon of old versus Stoke

Well, maybe not quite that bad....

[WarszaVillan]

Scotland has a population of 5 million people. It manages to sustain 3 competitive leagues and has two internationally renowned clubs that attract huge gates. The problem for them is that the league will never be big enough to attract players of high quality and keep them there. Nevertheless in terms of the size of the population its pretty impressive

[pmarachi]

I have never heard of the guy, but what do you expect him to say? "I can't believe I am here with Celtic! This Sucks!! Who would want to play in the SPL?!?  Hopefully this is just a stepping stone!"

[DBTW]

Anyone see St Mirren vs Dunfermline last night?

It was like watching the Wimbledon of old versus Stoke

Well, maybe not quite that bad....

I did, it was attrocious.

[Dave]

The problem for them is that the league will never be big enough to attract players of high quality and keep them there.

The likes of Gascoigne, both De Boers, Laudrup, Gattuso, Caniggia, Larsson and Van Bronkhorst have all played there so I don't think it's impossible for them to attract high-quality players.

Even lesser names like Petrov, Sutton, Arteta, Bellamy, Moravcik, Di Canio, Albertz and Lambert suggest that it's not impossible to attract good players there.

It's absolutely awful at the moment but there's nothing to say that the quality can't improve in the future if the money comes back.

[Steve67]

I think Dave is right, it's all about money.  When Celtic and Rangers had it, it developed the rest of the division because the likes of the players now being signed by Rangers/Celtic, or chased, for example, Goodwillie, Stokes etc wouldn't have attracted their interest and stayed at the present clubs, improving the whole division. 

These days neither Celtic or Rangers would get into the Championship play off's. Therefore, they have no choice but to sweep up the only talent they have in the division because other clubs are desperate to sell to them in order to exist. As for being better than Villa, I think our reserves would give them a good game at the moment.

[dave.woodhall]

I think Dave is right, it's all about money.  When Celtic and Rangers had it, it developed the rest of the division because the likes of the players now being signed by Rangers/Celtic, or chased, for example, Goodwillie, Stokes etc wouldn't have attracted their interest and stayed at the present clubs, improving the whole division. 

These days neither Celtic or Rangers would get into the Championship play off's. Therefore, they have no choice but to sweep up the only talent they have in the division because other clubs are desperate to sell to them in order to exist. As for being better than Villa, I think our reserves would give them a good game at the moment.

Unfortunately it also meant the other clubs spent money they couldn't afford and homegrown Scottish players didn't get a look in. Only Holland has produced more top quality players for the size of the country yet there hasn't been a great Scot for years. 

[PeterWithesShin]

I see Rangers lost 1-0 at home to Malmo in a CL game tonight. I'm guessing failure to qualify for the group stages would really fuck their finances.

[richard moore]

I think Dave is right, it's all about money.  When Celtic and Rangers had it, it developed the rest of the division because the likes of the players now being signed by Rangers/Celtic, or chased, for example, Goodwillie, Stokes etc wouldn't have attracted their interest and stayed at the present clubs, improving the whole division. 

These days neither Celtic or Rangers would get into the Championship play off's. Therefore, they have no choice but to sweep up the only talent they have in the division because other clubs are desperate to sell to them in order to exist. As for being better than Villa, I think our reserves would give them a good game at the moment.

Unfortunately it also meant the other clubs spent money they couldn't afford and homegrown Scottish players didn't get a look in. Only Holland has produced more top quality players for the size of the country yet there hasn't been a great Scot for years. 

Amazing how it has all changed when you look back through one's memory - Wark, Hansen, Dalglish, Gemmell, Hartford, Archibold, Souness, Masson, Brazil...to name but a few!

[WarszaVillan]

I think Dave is right, it's all about money.  When Celtic and Rangers had it, it developed the rest of the division because the likes of the players now being signed by Rangers/Celtic, or chased, for example, Goodwillie, Stokes etc wouldn't have attracted their interest and stayed at the present clubs, improving the whole division. 

These days neither Celtic or Rangers would get into the Championship play off's. Therefore, they have no choice but to sweep up the only talent they have in the division because other clubs are desperate to sell to them in order to exist. As for being better than Villa, I think our reserves would give them a good game at the moment.

Unfortunately it also meant the other clubs spent money they couldn't afford and homegrown Scottish players didn't get a look in. Only Holland has produced more top quality players for the size of the country yet there hasn't been a great Scot for years. 

Amazing how it has all changed when you look back through one's memory - Wark, Hansen, Dalglish, Gemmell, Hartford, Archibold, Souness, Masson, Brazil...to name but a few!

Ask a Scot if he can name the three Scottish players in Villa's EC winning team. Even those who are old enough to remember it will not get it right. It's amazing that 3 Scots in a European cup winning team couldn't become regulars in the Scottish national team. And the reason they didn't was because there were better players ahead of them.

[pablopicasso_10]

No, they probably wouldn't. But they'd immediately have an increase in revenues of 30 million plus per season given the differences in TV money north and south of the border. So, like Rangers, they would almost inevitably gradually narrow the gap after a few seasons. At the moment, the only way either of them can make any serious money is via a prolonged run in the Champions League.

and when they struggled, and they would with their current team, they would get crowds like small heath...

personally, i believe that without winning every week like they do against teams that have the likes of david weir, shaun maloney, and a load of failed championship players being better than the rest, that the fans simply wouldnt turn up, and that negates the "they would make more money so would complete" side of the discussion... lots of english clubs have good fan numbers and premier league money, but they dont compete at the top (newcastle being one)...

its very easy to say that they would make more money in the premier league and close the gap, however, its just as easy to say what i have just said...

both points could be argued, however, its impossible to prove either way...

as it is, celtic and rangers have poor quality players, and would struggle in the championship...

[Gervilla81]

Welcome to our World guys

This is an unknown Kenyan who has just signed for the (Self proclaimed greatest club in the world)

you may or may not have noticed that each and everyone of their new additions is immediately labelled the new (insert name)
who has rejected a whole host of top level European clubs to sign for them

example
Efrain Juarez signed last season for £3.5m and immediately declared he rejected Barcelona to sign for the hoops
Emilio Izzaguirre has declared he wants to stay long term at them disappointing a host of Premiership clubs, Barcelona and Real
and now Victor Wanayma has signed and revealed he is steeped in Celtic tradition and grew up in KENYA an avid fan so much so he has chosen the number 67 in tribute to the Lisbon Lions....!!

As unbelievable as all that sounds that is what the Celtic PR machine fires out on a monthly basis and teh masses of fans believe it and lap it all up.



as for Scottish Trophies amounting to nothing you can only aim to win competitions you are in not our fault standard of opposition is so poor

[Brend'Watkins]

It must be somewhat disheartening when your only hope of achievement is that the team you support is less shit than your main rival.

[Gervilla81]

It must be somewhat disheartening when your only hope of achievement is that the team you support is less shit than your main rival.

it is diheartening knowing that no matter what you do others will always rubbish it

for example A Poor Poor Rangers team as reported in media everywhere reached a Uefa cup final recently and where only team last season to keep a clean sheet at Old Trafford other than Man Utd

I agree SPL is p**s poor compared to EPL but at same time it is competition we are in and as all teams do you aim to win no matter what it is. we manage this more often than not.
In Glasgow first is everything second is failure

I'd be more worried about a team with so much potential constantly under achieveing and never really looking like challenging for any honours I love to see Villa do well and hope one day we will fullfil our potential but come off it mate running down others whilst under performing ourselves isn't smartest thing to do is it