The Golden Vision

fair point as well. Its definitely not "Now or Never"... But I would think its the "Sooner the Better" in terms of getting to work with better players and coaches. Footballers have a short career, it wouldn't be the first time a player doesn't come back the same after an operation. They need to take every chance they get. and that half wit was probably me.....just my opinion. Its the safe option to stay at Celtic for him. the real challenge and risk would be to move. he could always come back.

but disingenuous there, when you know fine well what the point was. Robertson doesn't get to Liverpool without first taking that next step to Hull. Virgil doens't get there either without that next step to Southampton. It would be part of Tierneys development IF he wants to get to that next level......IF. I'm arguing it only on the individuals players development point of view. IF he's more concerned about Scottish League titles then thats his choice. I understand a Celtic fans perspective as what else are they going to win. but not really from a players perspective.

I havent seen this guy in action thankfully. And this isnt directed specifically at your comment Tartan_McCole either. But I agree with Squirrelhumper, in general we arent great at policing ourselves and the attitude"...he's harmless and having fun" is usually why. We may not go around kicking off and throwing bottles etc. as seen in Portugal this week, but many still get away with things they wouldnt anywhere else in public under the guise of just having fun in a kilt.

No I want Scottish Players to improve to help the national team. I'm not arguing the two things are related. But when we had successful teams in the past (defined by qualifying for tournaments) we had players playing at the highest level possible. England and the odd one in Italy and Spain. To improve you have to challenge playing with and against the best. If you want to argue that the SPFL is the highest level possible for a football player, then there is not point in having this discussion. That view point is pretty parochial. As Oniels...says Outside the east end of Glasgow no-one cares about 10IAR, it means nothing to 99.9% of football fans the world over. whats the harder challenge for Tierney ? Playing and winning a CL or winning 10IAR?

What the last few pages tell me is that we all know Tierney has the potential to reach the levels Robertson has .Tierney still lacks the technical ability and big game tactical experience that Robertson has at the moment. The reason for that is that Robertson hard to work extremely hard to get where he is, was humble enough to take progressive steps out of his comfort zone and is prepared to accept he can always learn. He is now doing that with one of the best man to man coaches there is. He is never going to improve to that level at Celtic. What exactly is he going to learn from Lennon or from playing a couple of Champions League qualifiers each season. He may have played 40 odd games in Europe, but he is never going to improve playing in a team that at best can aim to grind out some draws at home to the Barca etc. and habitually falling apart away. Robertson has played 12 CL games. Almost a third of Tierney's. He could play another 60 for Celtic and not progress one iota. What this summer will tell us, If Tierney is not pushing to move. Is that he does not have the required mental strength or the strength of personality to take the next step to better himself. Even if that is a smaller, progressive step than he wishes to an Everton or Leicester that will get him to Barca or Dortmund. Personally I think he will stay. I think he is too cosseted in his wee Celtic bubble having been brought it in it. Big fish syndrome. Football equivalent of the Junior teams that choose not to join the pyramid. As a Scotland fan I hope he leaves and takes that chance.

As I alluded to early, Man CIty as a club (Owners, Manager, players) would now priorities the CL. But there everday fan / season ticket holder its not the priority and never will be, such is there disdain for UEFA. To 95% of football fans (talking all levels here) Its not a competition that gets them excited. The CL Final is like the Grand National. leading up to it is mainly Press, glory hunters coming out the woodwork and for people that don't normally watch a game. The rest of the year they ignore it.

Agreed, as I say we need more players playing at that level. Robertson is an example to all young Scottish footballers. The always excellent David Squires nailed the Farage Final in his Guardian piece Six Six Six Farage Final as it was "Something awful inflicted on Europe by England" and its not often you see Queens Park quoted anywhere.

Yeah I suppose so ..guess it just reflects my personal opinion on the Champions League as a whole though. As you say arguably is the key word. Its a cup competition, so knock out when it gets to the business end. You can't tell me if Spurs had won, they were the better team on the night, that they would have the right to say they are the best team in Europe? Even Liverpool who are closer to making a claim for that title, aren't even the best team in their own league and haven't been for close to 30 years. So it is only the biggest prize for like 6 clubs that even have a hope of winning it. To the rest of every day football fans, its over hyped as the ultimate prize. In fact, arguably, one of the clubs set up to win it and may well do in the next few years. There fans actively boycott UEFA run games in significant numbers and could care less about the CL. apologies for derailing the thread. point is its easier to get the CL final than win other competitions so dont agree its the biggest prize.

think a few need to take there saltire coloured sunglasses off... again his "good crosses" were the equivalent of one of those saves a keeper makes now again for the cameras, Look great but basically a waste. No one scored from the 2 crosses that looked great, in fact no liverpool player as anywhere near getting on the end of them. They were a hit and hope, rather than an actual pass to anyone is his team. He's good and Scotland need more like him at that level, but that was a truly awful game that no one came out with any credit with. Also a plus for Scotland is the snide side he seems to have developed at Liverpool. Thats two deliberate slaps to opponents face / head he has got away with in the semi and the final. Going to need the same fight against Belgium etc.

Its great to see a Scottish player involved, even if it was a dire game. I hope it inspires a few more scottish youngsters to work hard. He wasnt a stand out at any age progressing through. but hard work and the right attitude have got him that medal and where he is today. He wasnt outstanding in that game, no one was. How Kane stayed on at half time I'll never know. Its nit picking really but a few have mentioned world class deliveries, yes they were good crosses that looked great as they were in behind the defence but moving away from the keeper. But if you look at the again, no liverpool player was anywhere near them. It was a hit and hope. He actually would have been better keeping possesion.

indeed but it was a slow day in work....and I actually read the full report. It was trying to claim it was based on a combination of all those things including player valuations. But there is no way it was anymore than just a finger in the air valuation.

Pretty meaningless isnt it... ...even based on the debatable assumptions I'm not sure why Celtic would have increased in value over the last 3 years to move into top 32? none of the squad over that time can have increased much in value. The TV and prize money received hasn't significantly changed. (Maybe more a case of other teams losing value)

Agreed...ElChris obviously has a massive chip on his shoulder. Broadcasters are inherently biased, especially in football. Count the number of Old Firm ex pros that get media jobs in Scotland compared to Non OF. Or the insane number of ex Liverpool players that are wheeled out by the BBC and Sky even when there is no LFC connection. And to say the English hate us is a massive stretch......unfortunately in a footballing sense we dont even register most of the time, until we do have our semi-regular embarrassing result.

But the national press in Netherlands, Portugal or Switzerland wont if they win in it? Note sure why you would expect them to do anything different?

..and your club can have a hand in who they allow to speak to the players ....of which there are a few examples in the west of Scotland.

Hard to criticise that when the Scottish Champions major shareholder is not British never mind Scottish either. The people that own Spurs are English, even if its an Offshore company they use (who doesnt!)

remind me, is it not just some sort of gentlemans agreement or hitstorical precedent between all the home nations in terms of deciding there own stricter elegibilty rules? Given its the UK thats issues passports and where you are registered as born. From a legal point of view to every other nation outside the UK where are all just from the same country ( I know, I know...keep it for another thread). ...at the back of my mind I seem to recall that there is really nothing stopping someone born in England with no family connection to Scotland being picked? or I possibly made that up ....?

At this top level, being ultra organised, making small incremental improvements, making the most of a limited pool of "limited" players is what it is all about. Thats exactly what we need to see some improvement, rather than go backwards by treading water with the cookie cutter mangerial type we have picked in recent years. ie. mediocre managers that have found some artificial success by winning a 2 horse or at times 1 horse race. everyone can name "smaller" nations that when doing the above can and do qualify regularly for major championships. Iceland, NI etc.....

So there's your answer, we, as a nation, are apparently shit at football because we show another nations games on the TV and we arent abusive enough to foreign people. change that and we'll be back in the 70's when co-icidently we happened to be better at football than we are now.....