[hibeejim21]

Is it just me that is wondering what the controversy is with his comments ? I mean it's not like the scottish media talk the game up here at the best of times or anything. Yet here they are leaping all over this.

I know john can be a cocky so and so but all he's said as far as i can gather is that smeltic don't get punished like they do in the champions league domestically ( backed up by facts when you look at the stats). And thats something that del mcinnes admitted himself back in july before they played that croatian side.

Sportsound last night even pulled out the footballing colossus that is ryan stevenson to have a pop. Personally i think jc has just (shock) told it how it is. Do any of us really feel different ?

[0762]

Collins' remarks were frank and honest. The problem for quite a few football people, incl Derek McInnes, in Scotland is the fact that the truth hurts and that's the real crux of this matter! I reckon the general standard of football in Scotland is about lower League1 - League2 level in England and there are many football folk in Scotland who still can't get their heads around it - some of them made their anti Collins comments last night on Sportsound and no surprise that Mikey Stewart had another go at Collins, well highlighted by a Hibs texter!. On the Euro football front, just study the efforts of Scottish clubs (non-OF) for the past 20 years - the consistent failure is damning!

[Fredstersafool]

Hold on here his comments are poor,he's saying there chances in Europe are hindered because of a lack of competition and the Scottish players aren't good enough it hasn't stopped his club buying them has it,what are clubs to do put themselves at risk by getting players they can't afford to help them out??i don't xxxx think so that's been tried and look how it's almost ended,if he desires competition then try putting a side together on the budgets other sides are playing with,either that it get Desmond's hands in his pockets and buy better players to achieve Euro glory, the mans a cock

[0762]

I didn't see many football people actually disagreeing with Collins' comments (IMO taken out of context by the media, but what's new? He intimated that Euro football provided a bigger challenge to Celtic than that provided by Scottish clubs and their players!) because there was nothing to disagree with! He could've been more diplomatic with his view on the subject but what was there to disagree with? Of course there are a few players in Scotland who are possibly above average but it's a team game and Scottish football clubs generally win the little battles and lose the war, for want of a better description - they've been consistently doing it for years!! As Paul Hartley commented - limited resources make it very hard for other Scottish clubs to compete with Celtic but we try to do our best. Also any good players, who play well up here, will jump at the chance to head down south at the drop of a hat or, if that is not gonna happen, signing for Celtic is an attractive option as we've observed with ex DU players like Ciftci, GMS and Armstrong + other gifted players down the years who were very quick to say ta ta to their smaller, poorer-paying football clubs. I think Collins disturbed a lot of frustrated people in Scottish football who try very hard to compete but they all know the score and the difficulties they will encounter compared with a massive football club like Celtic FC, one that clearly has so many advantages over the rest. I envy Celtic's success TBF. It would be wonderful to get away from parochial football politics and buy success so easily as Celtic can consistently do it and get something to watch with great interest + reap the inevitable success on the lucrative investment as well!!

[Fredstersafool]

Let ten spend to gain success then and leave us out of it

[hibeejim21]

Journalists,pundits and fans have been saying the same sort of thing for years now. So i dinnae see why folk are getting that outraged about it personally.

But i guess a bit of contrived controversy like this might spice some of the games up!!

[0762]

It might spice up some of the games hibeejim21 but ultimately positive results are linked to quality players and the rest of the Scottish football clubs don't generally have that quality. Collins comments will blow over very quickly and nothing will change. One thing that football and fans are good at is being very fickle and that won't change - it's just a storm in a teacup exacerbated by a very bored group of newspaper people!!

[El Car]

I think it's true and fair enough to say that Celtic aren't challenged as much by the players in Scotland. That much is evident from the cakewalk the league has become for them. But it's a load of balls to say their European results suffer in any way from it. Celtic played 12 ties in Europe in the first few months of last season, more than enough to be able to set their standard in Europe in its own right. And their much vaunted defence conceded 19 goals in 12 games against poor to middling opposition. Can't blame anyone but themselves for that.

[ritchiebaby]

John Collins has every right to be a cocky so-and-so - he's been there, done it and got the t-shirt. What he's rightly being picked up on, is the fact that Celtic can buy the other club's best players, weakening them and strengthening Celtic. So it's Celtic that is the cause of the problem of lack of serious competition in Scotland.

[HerefordBull]

Agreed Ritchie. Celtic and the old Glasgow Rangers cherry picked all the best Scottish players for years. ( look at Dundee United this season with 3 of their best players from last season in hoops ) Any that they didn't want / couldn't afford found a better living down South so its no wonder that Scottish sides in general cannot compete on a level playing field. OK it happens in the EPL also but the effect is spread round a number of top clubs so the effect is not as dramatic as in Scotland. All that happens then is that the rest of the Scottish clubs bring through more youngsters untill spotted and get their big move away. In the EPL the lower clubs are still able to  bring in good usually continental players.......look at Villa who lost Delph and Benteke but were then able to spend to bring in the French legions. The lack of money in Scotland means this scenario cannot happen especially as these best players are cherry picked at relatively cheap prices. The amounts Celtic paid for the Dundee United trio were peanuts for the quality of player when one considers now that 10 million etc doesn't buy much in the EPL. Benteke was good for Villa but over 30 million????   

You are therefore correct and Celtic will continue to be the most competitive side and that is no surprise and their challenge will only be met by Sevco if their renaissance continues over the next few years. The press and the media will then be happy as their beloved Celtic and Rangers will be back to where they want them. The effect is to keep the general standard and competition in Scottish football poor with them just creaming themselves over the Old Firm games and the mistaken belief that they can compete with the best teams in Europe   .