Yogi Hughes Junior has described Celtic’s attitude to Champions League qualifiers as absolute insanity.
After two seasons of direct entry Celtic face one qualifying round and went into that draw in the seeded half.
On Wednesday night Kairat Almaty earned a 1-0 home win over Slovan Bratislava visiting Celtic Park on August 20 with the return leg six days later.
After taking 12 points from eight group stage matches and being level 2-2 with Bayern Munich at the 180 minute mark the prospect of facing Slovan or Kairat shouldn’t be overly concerning for anyone at Celtic.
Of course all of the homework has to be done, opponents assessed, strengths and weaknesses identified but if you truly consider yourself as a Champions League club you wouldn’t be preparing for another 8/10 matches in the group phase rather than hedging your bets over whether you can get through a Play Off tie against lower rated opponents.
So far in the transfer window the Balance Sheet has given the team sheet a hammering.
The transfer fee for Gus Lagerbielke and the Jeremie Frimpong add-on has covered the costs of Ben Nygren, Hayato Inamura and Shin Yamada. The Nicolas Kuhn fee from Como remains untouched just like his place on the right wing.
James Forrest is a brilliant impact sub, exactly what you want but after two years only a fool is stating the case for Yang Hyun-jun to be starting matches. There is a reason that only Norwich seem to be interested in the Korean winger.
Celtic’s lack of interest in the transfer market has three critical consequences
- Making the SPFL title more competitive
- Reducing the chances of Champions League qualification and building on last season
- Confirming to Brendan Rodgers that his talent and ambitions will be better suited elsewhere next season.
Wednesday’s ACSOM usually features Yogi Junior, he doesn’t hold back on his opinions about what is going on at the club his father played for with distinction throughout the sixties
10 minutes
Going back to your original point Kev (Graham) about waiting to sign players to see what competition you are in…
This year, with one qualifier that is insanity, absolute insanity. We’re one qualifier away and we’re giving them (Slovan, although it could be Kairat) an opportunity to beat us. We are weaker than we were last year when we played them. And you know Bratislava I’m assuming was going to win it.
I think it’s wild wild decision and what it means to me is apart from the fact I think it’s a massive slap in the face to the fans, I think it’s so lacking in any sort of vision or courage, it is just lacking in backing of the manager.
But what it means is if we get through the Champions League, this will be the last time we’re in the Champions League for a good few years because they’re not going to back us for one game against unseeded weak opposition that we previously beaten, hat’s the chances of going to back the manager for three qualifiers against quality opposition?
You know, which is what we’re facing in the next few years. So if if we get through, we better enjoy it because we’ll not be there again for a long time potentially depending on how the the coefficient goes.
It really shouldn’t need to be highlighted why a football club should be looking to strengthen and improve during a transfer window, FIFA provide clubs with two defined periods to do business.
Ideally you have better players in for the start of pre-season, Plan B would be for the start of the domestic season with only the desperate boasting about buying in the final two days of the window.
Celtic failed miserably in the transfer market last summer, fortunately despite their late arrival Rodgers got a turn out of Adam Idah, Auston Trusty and Arne Engels to deliver Celtic’s best European performances in more than a decade.
The January reward for the manager was the sale of Kyogo with no replacement brought in, well into August he is still waiting on Michael Nicholson concluding a deal for an equivalent striker.
Not content with that shambles Nicholson is repeating that error with Kuhn. Fans know that players will be sold, have to be sold but with that there is an expectation of well sourced and profiled replacements.
Another fail for Celtic.
With less than two weeks to go Celtic have a 50-50 chance of reaching the Champions League, it certainly appears that there are people within the club that would happily pin the blame for that on the manager and look forward to Thursday night under the floodlights with less demands and expectations to deal with.
Last season on Champions League Matchday 1 Celtic beat Slovan 5-1 with goals from Liam Scales, Kyogo, Engels, Daizen Maeda and Idah.
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Another great rant from you John. Keep on telling it like it is. Being a Celtic supporter is certainly not easy just now. Hail hail 🍀
— Caroline (@CMC7691) August 6, 2025
Thanks buddy👍
— John Hughes (@yogijunior3) August 6, 2025
3 Comments
by Che
Greed that’s the whole problem and they don’t care what anybody thinks, the money is staying in the bank, stop giving them your cash then they might listen
by Frank Forrest
Can anyone give three positives or benefits of having Dermot Desmond as the de facto kingpin at Celtic? As far as I can see, he has done nothing for Celtic ,other than hold us back. What is the point of accruing vast sums of money in the bank whilst the team suffers?
Failing to prepare is preparation for failure. It’s beyond understanding and a dereliction of responsibility by Desmond and the entirety of the Yes men board. I wish he would sell his shares and f**k off to the golf course.
I’m not trying to get anyone riled up, I just don’t get it or him, at all.
by Eddie Mcfadden
Dermot Desmond needs to xxxx off and let Celtic take there rightful place Competing at the Top in The Champions 🏆 League COME ON THE HOOPS