2024-25 season non-Hibs games thread

[ionahibby]

The problem is Celtic don’t have much of a challenge back home, the minute they meet a decent football they crumble. Scotland needs a bigger league, a top league of 20 teams. Would make things more interesting as well

[He's here!]

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An official UK league would/should never happen. It would mean the end of the 4 national teams that we are fortunate to have in the British isles. I would not be interested in watching Hibs play in League 1 against teams such as Rotherham, Mansfield etc and away trip to Exeter would hardly set the pulse racing. Our league has a lot of faults but it is OUR league.

Anything that has the potential to raise the standards of Scottish football is surely worth considering? Financially it would enable us to compete with English clubs who have the edge over us in transfer budgets and would make a move to Hibs more attractive to players down south if we were part of the same league. There remains a perception that a move to Scotland is step down.

Just because our league is OUR league doesn't make it untouchable. Getting rid of the Old Firm would make it more competitive, but probably only in the sense that it would ensure more uniform mediocrity, plus the TV deals would become pitiful.

Last night's Celtic result (and numerous others like it over the years), while amusing enough, was a pretty scary indictment of how low standards are in our league when the runaway best side in Scotland can be humiliated like that. It really could have been double figures.

[He's here!]

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The problem is Celtic don’t have much of a challenge back home, the minute they meet a decent football they crumble. Scotland needs a bigger league, a top league of 20 teams. Would make things more interesting as well

I agree a bigger top flight which didn't involve playing the same sides so regularly would be a better experience for fans, but it would do nothing to lessen Celtic's untouchable dominance.

[Since90+2]

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The champions league is gerrymandering now. You need to be incompetent to have celtcs budget and not progress.

Do they have a bigger budget than most teams in the group stages?

[Cabbage-Patch]

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The problem is Celtic don’t have much of a challenge back home, the minute they meet a decent football they crumble. Scotland needs a bigger league, a top league of 20 teams. Would make things more interesting as well

Whilst I would like to see that happen also it would make zero difference to celtic as they would still scoosh the league every year. Scottish football isn't attractive to investors because they know it's a two team league. For the benefit of all Scottish football the old firm need to leave and join a more competitive league.

That would then see a league where realistically pretty much any team in the league could win the title in a season. Would mean more investment and more even distributed TV money etc. Literally everything in our game is skewed towards OF and it's absolutely killed our game.

[Smartie]

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The problem is Celtic don’t have much of a challenge back home, the minute they meet a decent football they crumble. Scotland needs a bigger league, a top league of 20 teams. Would make things more interesting as well

I agree it would make things more interesting.

It wouldn’t make Rangers or Celtic richer though, so it’ll never happen.

I can’t really be bothered with any soul-searching about what went wrong for Celtic. There’s merit in the argument that they don’t have anyone that gives them enough of a game in Scotland that lets them get practice at the sort of “backs to the wall” performance they need against better European teams.

That’s by their own design though (same for all the big teams who dominate their own league) so frankly - **** them.

I just don’t have any interest in watching that level of football any more. Can’t be doing with the players, the clubs, the fans. Totally style over substance, although I respect the opinions of those who enjoyed an evening of watching Celtic take a total hiding.

[Billy Whizz]

Think Celtic middle to front are decent, but I think their defence without Carter/bickers is average at most

[Hibs Go Bragh]

Celtic’s star signing in the summer was a guy from Norwich for 9 or 10million while still having many many more millions in the bank. They then sign someone from Dundee! If they genuinely want to progress at champions league level, or even Europa league they need (and can afford) to sign better players. This is entirely their own fault.

[JohnM1875]

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Celtic’s star signing in the summer was a guy from Norwich for 9 or 10million while still having many many more millions in the bank. They then sign someone from Dundee! If they genuinely want to progress at champions league level, or even Europa league they need (and can afford) to sign better players. This is entirely their own fault.

Totally agree but I also get why they don't do it. Why ***** many more millions just to get a wee bit further in the Champions League when they walk the domestic league anyway?

Just keep banking the money and stay rich. Brutal for fans mind you.

[Since452]

It'll somehow be St Johnstone's or the 9 other non Glasgow clubs fault for Celtic getting absolutely scudded. Personally find it brilliant. It's the one time they get a wee taste of what it's like being unable to complete financially.

[andrew70]

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Celtic’s star signing in the summer was a guy from Norwich for 9 or 10million while still having many many more millions in the bank. They then sign someone from Dundee! If they genuinely want to progress at champions league level, or even Europa league they need (and can afford) to sign better players. This is entirely their own fault.

they bought Arne Engels for a club record £11million fee.

They will continue to invest too but a lack of a proper tactician means they’ll struggle in Europe.

[Jones28]

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I'd love to see the back of them but is there even a semblance of an appetite in England for this to happen?

More beneficial overall would be a UK league. Sure, Hibs wouldn't be near to top flight but it would beat the monotony of playing the same old clubs four times (or more) every year.

A UK league would see us never play in Europe or win anything ever again. **** that.

[Smartie]

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Totally agree but I also get why they don't do it. Why ***** many more millions just to get a wee bit further in the Champions League when they walk the domestic league anyway?

Just keep banking the money and stay rich. Brutal for fans mind you.

Because if they invest the money properly they can make more, from selling players for more and from progressing further in Europe?

Yes, they're dominant domestically but I find it pretty staggering that a club with shedloads in the bank can tolerate Liam Scales at CH whilst getting 7 taken off them in Europe.

Surely "improved European performance" must be one of their club's KPIs?

I'd expect attracting players who will improve them sufficiently to Scotland might be a big part of their problem. Pumping Ross County and Dundee every week (even Hibs nowadays) isn't likely to be on the bucket list of top players. Playing in the Champions League every year could well be though.

[Lendo]

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[Since452]

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A UK league would see us never play in Europe or win anything ever again. **** that.

Away to Stevenage on a Wednesday night? No thanks

[TrumpIsAPeado]

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More beneficial overall would be a UK league. Sure, Hibs wouldn't be near to top flight but it would beat the monotony of playing the same old clubs four times (or more) every year.

That's not going to save it mate.

[Lago]

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Away to Stevenage on a Wednesday night? No thanks

Yip can't beat Ross County on a Wednesday night🤔

[TrumpIsAPeado]

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Yip can't beat Ross County on a Wednesday night🤔

We really can't. So what hope would we have of winning anything in a far wider league set up?

[Springbank]

the only benefit of a UK league is it would show a wide range of visiting supports how much nicer life is in the ancient European capital of Edinburgh than it is in Hard Brexit Britain

[blackpoolhibs]

That Celtic back 4 last night was as poor as i've seen from them for a number of years. And the keeper is well past his best too.

Scottish football is sheite, it really is, but it's our sheite and bar them it's quite competative.

Even the huns have come back a bit to the the group below now.

Celtic will still win most of the trophies, but they will never attract real quality that improves them to the next level while playing in Scotland.

I dont know how they get better, and that must be a worry for them, apathy could very well set in with their support.

[Pagan Hibernia]

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the only benefit of a UK league is it would show a wide range of visiting supports how much nicer life is in the ancient European capital of Edinburgh than it is in Hard Brexit Britain

Careful, you'll get a load of people on here soon telling you Edinburgh is a dump.

I've never felt comfortable with the ugly sisters leaving for the English leagues. Not because I have the slightest respect for them as organisations and would miss them, but because I've always felt it would reduce the Scottish league from it's already poor state to the status of the Welsh league. The 3 biggest clubs in Wales don't play in the Welsh league. And as a result the Welsh league is virtually meaningless. Imagine winning it and trying to claim the title of Scottish Champions when the two cheeks arent involved. I find the idea embarrassing to be honest. And yes, things are far from satisfactory as they are, I'm fully aware of that.

An all UK league doesn't really appeal to me either, and league reconstruction leading to a larger division, while it would make things more interesting for the away fan with more places to visit, wouldn't really achieve much else. Allowing more crap teams in isn't going to improve the standard.

Just a rubbish situation all round really, and I don't see a solution

[hibsbollah]

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Do they have a bigger budget than most teams in the group stages?

No, but they have a bigger budget than 8 or 9 teams in the competition (brest feyenoord salzburg young boys sturm graz red star the croatians, bratislava, not sure about girona or brugge but possibly them too. Finishing 24th out of 36 is all you need to do to progress.

[Lago]

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We really can't. So what hope would we have of winning anything in a far wider league set up?

We live in hope

[Since90+2]

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No, but they have a bigger budget than 8 or 9 teams in the competition (brest feyenoord salzburg young boys sturm graz red star the croatians, bratislava, not sure about girona or brugge but possibly them too. Finishing 24th out of 36 is all you need to do to progress.

Id imagine the difference in finance between most of those teams and Celtic is fairly small. They'll be less of a financial gap between Celtic and Feyenoord compared to Celtic and Dortmund certainly.

[Saint Hibee]

Any team which think they're going to do well in Europe with Liam Scales at the back deserve every humping they get.

[hibee-boys]

They should’ve spent the money which went on Idah, 9 or 10 million😂 on a decent left centre half and left back. Honestly wouldn’t be that excited if we signed Scales/Taylor.

[NAE NOOKIE]

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That Celtic back 4 last night was as poor as i've seen from them for a number of years. And the keeper is well past his best too.

Scottish football is sheite, it really is, but it's our sheite and bar them it's quite competative.

Even the huns have come back a bit to the the group below now.

Celtic will still win most of the trophies, but they will never attract real quality that improves them to the next level while playing in Scotland.

I dont know how they get better, and that must be a worry for them, apathy could very well set in with their support.

Pretty well this.

The fact is the advent of the 'so called' champion's league has to a large extent caused what was a big disparity in finance to become a massive yawning chasm. Clubs who were already dominant in leagues like ours have now been handed the ability to be utterly dominant. So thanks for that UEFA.

The other fact is that unless some sort of European league is formed we are stuck with Celtic ( and Sevco ) because there is no chance they will ever be accepted into the English system, for the simple fact that there would be no benefit to the already super rich English game. They have a plethora of big clubs sitting outside of the premier league who would not welcome in the slightest competition from two clubs easily capable of competing with them for a place at the top table .... Leeds United, Sheffield United / Wednesday, Sunderland, Norwich City, Derby County, Stoke City etc etc etc ... to them the Uglies would be as welcome as a fart in a spacesuit.

It is what it is. As for me I don't get hung up on the uglies presence. For me the Scottish premiership has 10 teams Hibs compete with and two fixtures where an unlikely point or two is a bonus that gives us an advantage over those clubs.

I've said it before. I would see no shame in the fans of the clubs outside of the uglies getting together and conceiving a 'fans trophy' presented to the non ugly club who finishes highest up the premiership. In a normal sporting environment I could get why folk would baulk at that ..... but in a country where only two clubs have won the top league in 40 years, with that highly unlikely to change any time soon, due to nothing more than a massive financial disparity we have anything but a normal 'sporting' environment.

If nothing else given enough publicity it would make news elsewhere .... Hell, given Paddy Power's propensity for taking the piss ... EG paying out on Celtic before a baw was kicked, I wouldn't put it past them to agree to sponsor the bloody thing

[Donegal Hibby]

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Any team which think they're going to do well in Europe with Liam Scales at the back deserve every humping they get.

I said it a few times to Celtic fans here about Scales and Taylor … Scales is getting away with it at Celtic because they’re not under the same pressures in our league , when he was at Aberdeen he looked a liability which he was against us a couple of times .

[Bishop Hibee]

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The problem is Celtic don’t have much of a challenge back home, the minute they meet a decent football they crumble. Scotland needs a bigger league, a top league of 20 teams. Would make things more interesting as well

Couldn’t disagree more. The gap between Celtc and Dortmund is far less than that between Celtc and Dortmund. Rodgers poor tactics cost them. It’s like Hibs playing Dalkeith thistle then employing the same tactics v Celtc.

Larger league would do nothing to improve the quality of any team.

[Jones28]

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The problem is Celtic don’t have much of a challenge back home, the minute they meet a decent football they crumble. Scotland needs a bigger league, a top league of 20 teams. Would make things more interesting as well

Thats the same *****y line the press and Celtic have been using for decades, its our fault they are outclassed in Europe.

Adding 80% of the championship, including such giant slayers as Greenock Morton and Arbroath will do nothing to add to their challenge domestically.