[Football] Celtic in the EPL, how would they do with their current team?

[Gabbiano]

English fans love to shit on Celtic and Rangers.

Celtic would probably be around where Villa are, mid table mediocrity. They have good players and a good manager but nothing special, and they would become more pragmatic in the PL.

Rangers would be well in the relegation mix, but don’t forget that this side also reached the Europa League final. They’d have some fight.

 

[SAC]

With the squad and manager they have, relegation, probably in last place. If they were to win promotion (not guaranteed) then come up and replace most of their squad then they could survive and gradually work their way up the table. Top eight could be possible eventually with the occasional push for European places.

It wont ever happen, nor should it.

 

[The Fits]

Doesn't matter how big your fan base is. Or your ground. Look at the Sheffield clubs. Look at Sunderland. They'd finish bottom and I don't think they'd be favourites to get out of the championship for a good few years after.

 

[Lethargic]

Championship at best

 

[Gonzo BHA]

As many have said, they would struggle initially but with the support & stadium size it wouldn't take long for them to establish themselves, providing they avoided relegation of course.

Putting their extreme political/religious beliefs to one side for a moment and the obvious unfairness of them taking the place of two English clubs, am I the only one who would like to see them competing in the Premier League? How much more exciting would a game against Celtic or Rangers be than, say, Bournemouth or Brentford? Purely hypothetical of course as I can't see it happening any time soon but the thought of it does get me a bit moist.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

No denying that Glesgae is one of Britains biggest footballing cities, the Celtic Rangers rivalry is like no other. I could see Celtic surviving their first season in the EPL, maybe a bottom half finish. After that who knows?

 

[Tom Bombadil]

First Odsonne Edouard, scored for fun in the spl, gets about 1 in 5 for Palace. The pl has been a massive step up for him.

Second the relentless pressure of the Pl. In scotland half the teams have average attendences under 6.5k . Budgets are tiny. It's a lot easier when your next run of games includes teams with smaller crowds than we had at Withdean, rather than West Ham, Newcastle , Brentford and Wolves.

 

[jamie-oh]

Scotland is 10 times smaller than England but I'm not sure the league is 10 times worse than the EPL.

Slightly off topic but interesting nonetheless - adjusting for population, Scottish football is the best attended in europe. It must be the kebab pies dragging people in! (i bloody love the highland league myself, Clachnacuddin, Nairn, Strathspey are all absolutely lovely places to watch football, even when its -5 with sideways sleet)

 

[Braggfan]

Anyway, t'ain't gonna happen. I'd quite like to see the League Cups merged though, with home and away ties between the lower league Scottish and English teams in the early rounds. Scotland v. England ties - always a bit spicy - between, say, Walsall and Raith Rovers, or Cowdenbeath and Leyton Orient might be quite like a European adventure for lower league teams.

I can appreciate that the novelty value of going somewhere different might be fun at first. But in reality imagine Exeter getting Inverness away midweek. I can't imagine many fans would fancy it beyond the first season. And I think lower league clubs might cringe at the expense.

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

Their best striker went to Palace and doesn't play....and is being kept out by players who literally can't get a shot on target.

One of our players, when we were at the wrong end, who would now look hugely behind the pace in the prem is starring in their midfield.

Their current team would be relegated.

Look at it this way. Let's pick a low team, say Bournemouth. Would every player in that team probably start for Celtic? Yes

 

[beorhthelm]

they'd be like pre-arab Newcastle, well supported, high expectations, flirtation with Europe or relegation in any given year.

 

[Nobby]

I would think they would finish bottom.
Every Premier League team and probably the top three in the Chanpionship would win the SPL.
Huddersfield, Blackpool and Wigan would be mid league up there

 

[Eeyore]

I’m convinced 2016/17 Brighton could have comfortably beaten Celtic, let alone 2022/23 Brighton

Possibly, but a Celtic in the Premier League would mean they instantly take on Premier League finances and would have spending power too. They are a huge club. They played Hearts at home recently and had 58,000. If that ground expanded they would be getting more than United, easily.

First season survival, perhaps, but within three seasons they would have joined the 'Big 6' or 7 or whatever it is now. Where their team strength is now would be incomparable to what it would become.

Take out the oil money, create a level playing field, and Celtic and United are the biggest clubs in the UK.

 

[Eeyore]

they'd be like pre-arab Newcastle, well supported, high expectations, flirtation with Europe or relegation in any given year.

Depends how they are managed. Newcastle only did that because they were poorly run. They should be, and always should have been, one of England's top clubs.

 

[BRIGHT ON Q]

It would certainly be tough for teams going up there.
Be like an old firm atmosphere every week

 

[GT49er]

I can appreciate that the novelty value of going somewhere different might be fun at first. But in reality imagine Exeter getting Inverness away midweek. I can't imagine many fans would fancy it beyond the first season. And I think lower league clubs might cringe at the expense.

If you're Exeter you travel a long way anyway! - Carlisle for example. Having said that, Carlisle's not even 2/3 of the way to Inverness - but that probably doesn't make a great deal of difference if you're flying. Don't suppose many fans would travel anyway (or to Carlisle for that matter!), but a novelty for the home fans - and iFollow if it's up to the job.
Maybe you're right and the novelty would wear off after a couple of years though - but also you might be underestimating the draw of a Scotland - England clash. Perhaps more so for the Scots!

 

[albionfan37]

If they didn’t change their team they’d be relegated comfortably. They have about 3 “hard” games a season and coast the rest they would never be able to keep the intensity all season

 

[Brovion]

Possibly, but a Celtic in the Premier League would mean they instantly take on Premier League finances and would have spending power too. They are a huge club. They played Hearts at home recently and had 58,000. If that ground expanded they would be getting more than United, easily.

First season survival, perhaps, but within three seasons they would have joined the 'Big 6' or 7 or whatever it is now. Where their team strength is now would be incomparable to what it would become.

Take out the oil money, create a level playing field, and Celtic and United are the biggest clubs in the UK.

Agreed. Currently if they joined the Prem they'd be like a side being promoted from the Championship. Their current squad probably wouldn't be strong enough to survive, but if they have a pre-season and access to their share of the PL loot then they'll probably build a squad that would be strong enough. Then because, unlike Sheffield Wednesday, they really ARE a massive club with a world-wide following, I guess they would soon become an established PL side. However if they really wanted to kick on and become a top club then they'd need mega-rich owners though, just having a lot of fans wouldn't be enough.

I hope it doesn't happen though, not only because they would push us down the pecking order but because I wouldn't want their (or Rangers) piss-pot bigotry.

And that thread! Jeez, and they call the English arrogant.

 

[dangull]

Celtic and Rangers a bit underrated here. Rangers were a penalty shootout away from winning the Europa league last season.
I actually watch a lot of Celtic games and they play a good style of football and like Brighton have found a few good Japanese players under the radar.
Its the rest of the league which is not competitive would hold them back with the current 10/12 clubs in the EPL until the TV money would kick in.

 

[Swansman]

Dont know what you have to smoke to think Celtic would stay up. They have about five players who'd be acceptable in the PL and then a bunch who might be great in Scotland but wouldn't be competitive in the Premier League.

10-15 years ago they had a team that would end up in the middle of PL, about 20 years they would probably be somewhere around top 4. Today: relegation. Such is the development of the English and Scottish clubs. Celtic hade the choice to take CL money, turn into eternal success and development for them and for Scottish football, but turned all those resources into shit. Currently they're better than in a while but would have problems against every PL side.