Orbix

I thought it was 'Celtic embarrass themselves in Europe' tbh.

Given that Dortmund are going to be all out on the attack, I wonder if we'll start with Kent and Diallo as pacey outballs for counters.

Think he’s mistaken 4 away games without a win into 4 games without a win.

I’m not surprised but I’ll shorten some of the longer words. If every association around the Scottish league in UEFA’s top ten, twenty, or thirty (those leagues that get meaningful entry to European competitions) implement VAR, then across Europe VAR is a de facto standard in men’s top flight football. If the major leagues in CONCACAF, Conmebol, OFC and AFCON have also implemented VAR, then it’s a standard for top flight men’s football worldwide. They all have. From Peru to Australia. The US to Morocco. You could argue that “professionalism” is too broad a statement, and that there are leagues with 100% full time teams, or a pyramid structure that don’t have VAR. It’s a vanishingly small number though. Given the current position and strength of the domestic game, and even accepting a position between 8th-14th in the rankings if you assume recent over-performance, Scotland not having VAR or plans to implement it currently makes the league an outlier amongst its peers. There is an expected standard for professional top flight football leagues that we will not be meeting.

VAR, clearly? Every UEFA league with any level of professionalism has VAR. Scotland is currently 9th in the standings. The next country to not have an implementation of VAR is Norway in 21st (coming in 2023), and after that Romania at 25th (plans to implement this season and next). After that you’re getting into Azerbaijani closed shop 8 team round robin games and the Gibraltan National League (though with one stadium I guess costs might make it worthwhile). it’s like arguing against goal line technology or the implementation of offside.

There’s now a minimum standard for leagues in Europe to be considered professional. Not reaching it out of some kind of weird push for shite football purism will just hold back the league entirely.

I think every ground has got LED hoardings now, you can stick a fancy scrolling ‘Check: Penalty’ on that with little outlay.

Get the feeling that Borna is going to spend the next couple of training sessions being banned from turning back towards his own goal, Gio and Shagger both went ballistic for it at different points tonight.

Thought bar his first couple of touches, Sands came on and had a calm one, which bodes well.

Haaland is a doubt for the first leg. Obviously wish the lad well, and hope he concentrates on recuperating ready for his move to Real Madrid in the summer. Not worth risking him imo. If Bellingham, Reyna, Hummels and Reus want to keep him company on the subs bench then it'd probably be for the best as well. He's busy posting club promo if you've missed him though. What an accent. Also shows Jamie Bisgrove is slacking on the adverts side, we could do exactly the same with Alfie, Tav and knock off energy drinks.

To be fair to Rocky, he'd just picked up a booking - got to think he'd handed Alfie over.

I don't even know if you can blame him for whatever this is. Going to though 'cos it's funny.

Been named in 2 squads, we’ve won 2 games, scored 7 and conceded 0. Better players have had worse luck.

He was on by two players lol

How does a team playing 7-2-1 lose Alfie?

Walsh has been weirdly inconsistent with what he’s calling. Bassey on Porteous is a penalty, so is the push Kent gets in the back. Him being lenient with fouls that break up play is annoying?

In fairness, you've had 2 shirt pulls that are supposed to be auto yellows that Walsh has just spoken to players about. Assume that's what he means. Jasper’s one of them, and has had two fouls on Borna since. Walsh is playing imaginary advantage a lot.

I’d leave criticism about lack of yellows alone given Hibs currently have 0

I like the bit where if you push an opposition player in the back in their own half it’s a foul, but in your half it’s not a foul. Contextual football

Morelos would get it though*

Were expecting the usual ten minutes grace for fouls/decisions

It would be nice to score 15 goals without reply in the next three games. We should really try to do that.

They've got pills for that now, you don't need to read the posts e: my mistake

The defence last season is going to be a record that stands for decades as well. Wish they’d turned up this season

Keep GVB, let Gerrard stay at Villa, sneak Beale back in when nobody's looking.