Martin O’Neill and Gordon Strachan will go head to head with each other in the Euro 2016 qualifiers.
The two former Celtic managers watched the lunchtime draw this morning that brought Ireland and Scotland together alongside Germany, Poland, Georgia and Gibraltar.
Celtic fans have long debated the merits of Strachan and O’Neill who took Celtic to six championships despite being up against David Murray’s financially doped Rangers.
The merits of reaching the 2003 UEFA Cup Final compared with back-to-back qualification for the last 16 of the Champions League has long been debated with no definitive answer.
“The games with Scotland will be great occasions, I’m sure that Gordon will be looking forward to them as I am,” O’Neill said.
“It’s a difficult group but an exciting one, nevertheless. Germany are the outstanding team in the group but there’s plenty to fight for. Let’s be positive and let’s go for it.
“With the exception of Germany, it looks like a group where lots of teams will be able to take points off each other and I think it will be tight right until the end.”
“To reach France, especially out of this group, would be the utopia. It would be amazing but we have a lot of fighting to do between now and then.”
The fixtures have still to be announced and will be arranged, for the first time, centrally by UEFA to create a full week of international football with teams playing on Tuesday and Friday, Wednesday and Saturday or Thursday and Sunday.
With Hampden unavailable due to the Commonwealth Games the SFA may have to ask for Celtic Park if the schedule brings Ireland, Germany or Poland to Scotland in the first half of next season.
Two great trips for the fans.COYBIG.
Whatever the venue, the stadium will need a big new broad fence with the number of supporters wanting a seat on it for these games.
H H
Another tournie without JOCKELAND………
Ireland and Scotland could both go through.
Along with the Germans, of course.
What a cracking photo. Other managers including Wim the tim, Dr Joe, king Kenny and his protege,Tony Mow and Lenny to an extent competed against and beat cheating minty moonbeam Murrays financially doped ibrox club which was filled with tax dodging players, managers and directors.
If you ask me then the ebt cheating players are a disgrace to their profession and the game, with their determined secrecy of ebt side letters and willing participation to deny hmrc what was legally due, they in my eyes are the biggest cheats.
They brought the game into disrepute with their actions and should be held accountable by the sfa/spl/sfl/uefa regardless of the tax tribunal outcome. Now its spfl should matter not, the doping and cheating relied on the cheating players participation. Cheats.
Joe,
With the game now scheduled for Nov14
in Glasgow.It is a no-brainer for the SFA,
to play the game,at the.home of the Scottish Champions.
The simple fact is, Ireland could fill CP
themselves for this game.
To Max Revenue it has to be our 60 k
capacity. (watch Sleekit moaning if it is )
When the game comes,I am not a big Scotland fan.But I want them to qualify
for the Celtic players and Gordon Strachan.
I went to some Scotland games in late 70’s
but I was put off with the abuse Celtic players got.
However,seeing Maradona at Hampden
was special.
As I also have Irish blood,I would love to
see both Ireland and Scotland qualify.
Good luck to Scotland and Ireland. I am the same as last comment I also went to Scotland games(in British military uniform) and the abuse Celtic players got was terrible and of course those screaming abuse at them thought I was of the same mind just because I had on a uniform but I have been going to Celtic Park for over 65 years and still a season ticket holder.Yes there are some very sad people who go to Scotland game just to abuse the people who are trying too win for them. Very strange!
There are people whose lives are so empty and filled with hate that the only pleasure they get comes not from them winning but from someone else losing. They’re called morons.
Been supporting and going to Scotland games for 20 years but wish Ireland all the best in a tough group.