Over the course of match day on Thursday I spoke to numerous Celtic fans who all have their opinions on how the game would go and the over all picture now at Celtic. There is a deep divide among the Celtic support. Last week we all had high hopes that talks between the Celtic board and Celtic supporters would see a blanket ban on the Green Brigade being lifted ahead of Thursday nights game.
Sadly it now seems that the meeting was a box ticking exercise by the Celtic board and a PR stunt. Pre-match the Stuttgart fans enjoyed themselves in Glasgow’s city centre pubs mixing with Celtic fans and exchanging stories from their last visit to Celtic Park back in 2003.
Celtic were a different animal back then and Martin O’Neill knew every one of his players inside out, because of the cluster f**k of a season he now has to try plaster over the cracks and do everything he can twice a week to try and get results with the current team. The Green Brigade remain banned and it was the Stuttgart Ultras who were in full voice on Thursday night. They brought their flags, their drums and their loudspeaker. They brought colour and they sang for 90 minutes. They even unfurled a banner in solidarity to the Green Brigade.
Celtic Park is no longer the fortress it once was on European nights. I am not sure if throwing tennis ball onto the pitch served any purpose on the night or brought any more support to the Celtic Fan Collective. Social Media was as toxic on the night as ever. Blaming Celtic fans for the teams performance last night or the state of play at Celtic is wrong. The fault of Celtic’s decline lies with Dermot Desmond and an under performing board.
Dermot Desmond was absent again last night from the directors box. He has not been seen at the stadium since Martin ‘Neill’s first game in charge against Falkirk back in October. It was sad to see the ground almost empty when the referee blew the final whistle. Thursday night felt like the life was being sucked out of Celtic both on the field and in the stands.
Father time is catching up on Kasper but hearing him being booed by Celtic fans is wrong and I think most Celtic supporters would agree with me. The Ultras are not everybody’s cup of tea but win, lose or draw they back the team from the first whistle till the last.
After the game Stuttgart fans celebrated in Glasgow pubs while we watched on knowing our trip to Germany is a lost cause but we will still travel and enjoy the trip. I don’t expect any of the travelling support to boo any of the Celtic players. Lets hope that was a one off.
Martin O’Neill will be able to rest some key players in Germany ahead of the rangers game at Ibrox but before that he must now pick up the Celtic players after Thursday nights hammering for the Hibs game today which should see Alex Oxlade Chamberlain make his first start for Celtic and we will need him.
As the Stuttgart Fans sang last night “Always look on the bright side of life” I try to but it can frustrating when you consider how close Celtic pushed Bayern Munich around this time last year in the Champions League before the club went it to reverse and crashed it into a wall last night in the Europa League.
Andrew Milne is Editor of More than 90 Minutes & Host of the Celtic Soul Podcast
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