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First tonight? Let's hope we are first too
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First an omen
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Barcelona
01 Valdes
11 Zambrotta
21 Thuram
05 Puyol
16 Sylvinho
24 Toure Yaya
06 Xavi
20 Deco
19 Messi
09 Eto'o
10 Ronaldinho
Substitutes
13 Pinto, 07 Gudjohnsen, 08 Iniesta, 14 Henry, 15 Edmilson, 22 Abidal, 27 Bojan
Celtic
01 Boruc
12 Wilson
05 Caldwell
44 McManus
03 Naylor
25 Nakamura
08 Brown
11 Hartley
18 Donati
46 McGeady
10 Vennegoor of Hesselink
Substitutes
21 Brown, 09 Samaras, 15 Sno, 17 Pressley, 19 Robson, 27 McDonald, 48 O'Dea
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Make us proud bhoys - on and off the park!
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Drat
Hope its not an omen
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Sky's pregame hype opened up with a nice look back on Celtic's CL goals and some scenes of fhans enjoying the Barcelona sunshine.
:-)
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Ian Paisley has resigned because he knows there's gonna be a great result for the tic tonight.
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...
... ...1967...SECONDS TO GO...
...TO WIN THE CUP... BARCA 7/2... HOOPS 250/1...
...''TASERS TAE MALKY''...
...o1bhoy...
04/03/08 19:16
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hail hail the celts are here
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Come on the Celts!
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fat pat on setanta is an idiot. he's worse than gerry mcnee.
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scott broon 1st goal.
donati 2nd goal.
we win.
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like your style dub-tim, keep it simple.
hail hail
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Here's hoping this isn't the last time this season the haunting strains of Vadok the Priest makes the hairs on our neck stand up, and sends a shiver down our spines. Oh the thrill of it.
Hail hail! C'mon the hoops!
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Final team talk before kick off:
"Get the first goal and see what happens"
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STV or Pat Dolan? What a choice.
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Evenin all.
My money's on for a Hoops victory.
C'mon the Hoops, right from the off.
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How do they do it?
Barca are even stronger tonight than what they were at Celtic Park.
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i dont have the choice. i have to watch setanta. pat does my head in. he slags celtic and then contradicts himself. every time he goes to slag he us says "my dad's a big celtic fan, so he's going to crucify me for saying this..."
we can but hope, pat. we can but hope.
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Sky Sports 2! or is that too obvious an answer to be relevant?
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Everybody on board?
Hold on tight!
Hail Hail!!
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A rare TV appearance by Peter Grant in the studio at STV.
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Mon the Hoops
I Believe
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Evening, C'mon bhoys give it all you've got and give us all a game to remember. Get in there, roast 'em and serve them up as a side dish for paella. Get right in their face, smile and go up the park and score two goals. Gottit? Ok. Now go get 'em.
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the wole world must be tuning into the stv broadband coverage, its started freezing here in manchester
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C'mon the hoops - do yourselves justice and make us proud!
Death with honour (as long as the former ain't fatal)
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I Believe
Keep the Faith
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Remember
Don't be too hard on this young Celtic team.
COME ON THE HOOPS
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peter the pointer seems to have reverted to his natural
colour, never recognised him there on stv
mon the hoops
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Right Bhoys - just out of relaxing bath, drinks cooling in the fridge, wife sorting dinner and the dug sleeping soundly.....just about time for the CQN cyber huddle.
In the spirit of our close friendship with the Catalan giants, let's kick them aff the park!
As Paul said, let's get intae them!
TTTT
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Just moments to go...
Nice touch by Barca playin YNWA over the announce system.
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why play JVoH on his todd....?
He needs someone to play off, and the ball over the top is not an option. No pace. Samaras, on the other hand, is a far more natural choice for this role.
Strange one.
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Evening all,
I'm stuck in Transylvania on business for the week, of all weeks!! At the risk of getting a ticking off from the powers that be on the blog, has anyone a link to a website showing the game? I'd even settle for fat pat or dunphy the squealing clown at this stage!
KTF
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Good luck to the Bhoys. Looks as if WGS is looking to keep it tight first half with only 1 up front. Not the option I would have gone for but hopefully both Naka and Aiden will be able to get forward frequently. Look for Skippy and Samaras to be on for the final 30 mins.
I'm going into CQN black-out for the rest of the day. Set the DVD to record the game (live on ESPN Deportes in the US) and will be leaving work in about 90 mins to go and watch.
Do us proud bhoys. Looking to Naylor to continue his scoring run tonight :)
Hail Hail
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Time to close down contact with the outside world as the game is on delayed transmission.
Be back after watching it late.
Good luck to the BHOYS.
Hail hail the Celts are here.
'GG
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1-0 Barca.
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MNCelt
If you are still here,
ESPN Classic are showing the game at 5 EST.
GERRINTAETHUM
'GG turning off and tuning out.
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1-0 Barca
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NOOOOOOOO
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2 mins. Goal for Barca, 0-1.
Circa 20 passes with Celtic chasing shadows.
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Unbelievable! Caldwell and Boruc could have done better.
This could be Shaktar again....
TTTT
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I really despair of this defence.
Typical Celtic. Killed our night before it began.
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Sevilla started out well. Up two already.
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Eto'o misses header at front post.
Celtic do look dangerous going forward. Could be a very long night tho' defensively
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Panic stations already. Can't hold the ball when we get it.
Please Celtic, settle yourselves.
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We look absolutely terrible so far. Come on bhoys, the game has started!
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At last. We hold the ball for eight passes....then a big Mick punt to no-one...ffs.
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We leave one man to mark the whole back four of Barcelona, when we have the ball they are going man for man on every outfield player.
No wonder we are losing the ball, we have no movement, and no pressurising when we lose it.
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20 mins.
Barcelona have kept the ball for most of the game so far and look dangerous down the wing. Celtic have got forward a couple of times but not managed to create a chance.
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Watching STV (for now). I would swear I heard Airchie McPherson say that Scott McDonald may be small but he's the 2nd heaviest [player at Celtic after Bob Balde.
Surely not? Has Archie been on the sauce?
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Donati needs to waken up. His passing so far has been shocking.
C'mon Celtic.
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Oh dear, on 3 occasions already our central midfielders have passed the ball straight to Barcelona players from less than 10 feet.
They really don't need this type of assistance from us.
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Donati not at the races so far.
His passing has been woeful.
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This has to be the worst atmosphere for a CL game involving Celtic ever. Everyone at the stadium is now just seeing the game out already, well thats how it is coming across on the telly.
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So far, so embarassing. Conceding possession all the time. An inherent inability to find a teammate with a 10 yard pass, especially Donati who looks like he couldn't find his own arse with both hands. Full backs being exposed every attack.
If we don't waken up we could be on the end of a real hammering
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I would say we would have more chance of getting an own goal, but we would need to be able to touch the ball for that to happen.
Messi down injured, is he going off? Aye, and if he does they bring on Henry. Lovely.
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If we can survive until the half at this score line, WGS will no doubt collectively rip them all a new arsehole and hopefully the second half will be polar opposite of the showing thus far.
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Is Donati playing for Barca??
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Boruc saves well from Puyol.
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Maybe its for the best that I cant see any of this.
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Free kick on halfway line...Naylor looks up and then throws his arms out as if to say "Who's wants it?"
Then an aimless punt out.
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Messi going off....hamstring
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Messi pulls up and if JVoH had been more aware he could have fed Scott Brown in.
Messi going off. Possible hammie injury
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Messi off injured, he is in tears, so maybe it is a bad one.
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35 mins.
Celtic have protected their flanks a bit better recently, but are not getting out of their own half of holding the ball.
Messi off injured.
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If Donati comes out for the second half, the manager needs his head looked. He has been absolutely shocking.
Henry coming on.
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Donati - the only Italian midfielder in the world who can't pass a ball.
Hook him now.
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Donati needs to come off. He did not show up to play tonight.
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There is no support to JVOH. When we do get forward, the midfield aren't supporting quick enough.
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ManU up by one. Ronaldo.
Sevilla up 3-1 now.
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Donati for McDonald at HT, we have nothing to lose.
McGeady gets his first clear run and is fouled by Puyol.
Since Zambrotta is clearly covering him out the game, we should switch him, see how Silvynho likes someone running at him.
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his stv streaMING IS A NIGHTMARE, BUT READING THIS ITS PROBABLY JUST AS WELL
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Realistically we were unlikely to take a result from this game tonight but this is far worse than I had anticipated.
There are several players wearing the Hoops tonight who I'd happily see the back of.
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A goal just at the end of the half will do as a power of good
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Half time:
Barcelona – Celtic
Barcelona keeping the ball from Celtic and controlling the game. Any time McGeady or Naka get possession they are too deep inside their own half to be productive.
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H/T 1-0
The early goal was a sickener and really we haven't been in the game.
Donati worse than anonymous.
I don't want to believe it's game over but these players are not doing anything that gives me encouragement for the second half.
For me, there are no plus points yet.
Please Celtic, show up for the second half. Please.
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Next few weeks Celtic: Passing practice!!!
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Dire dour stuff. Leaderless both on and off the park and gutless. Professional players have bottled it and cannot make 5 yard passes.
It does not come much worse than this.
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It's a different level of football and I think we're unfortunately shown up. Our passing has been shocking at times and we never have a player available for a forward pass.
To be fair to Barcelona, they are fit, skillful and swarm round any of our guys with the ball.
But it's still only 1-0 so all is not yet lost. Optimism is hard to find, but hey, that's why we're Celtic fans. Dream the dream.
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I know it's Barcelona we are playing and I know they have some of the world's best players, but this is a shambles.
Our inability to execute the most basic things suggests to me that the problem is not one of ability but of bottle.
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pity about losing the goal otherwise we did reasonably well.
come on guys this is just a wee holiday for the fans going over there.
damage limitation is all that we can expect and leave the tournament with our pride, maybe grab a late equaliser.
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Naka looks like he could cause them some problems through the middle. The barca defence struggles against big front men, we just need to try to get it to JVOH.
We'd be as well taking Donati off -no point in five across the middle if one's a passenger. Put Skippy on to make a nuisance of hinmelf & pick up scraps from JVOH
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What time does the game start?
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Now we have lull them into a false sense of security this is where the cunning plan comes to fruitation.
Samaras, Skippy and Sno to come on to start the second half.
The Triple S on for Donati, JVoH and Hartley.
Baldrick CSC
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Come on Celtic get stuck in this half.
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In posession Barce work hard to ensure there is always a player in space to receive the pass. When we have posession they work hard to ensure that there isn't a forward pass on.
They are a better football team than us, plain and simple. Formations don't really matter. They are playing at a level that is above us.
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What an anticlimax.
Donati is a mad player. Some games you think he's settled down and is starting to click. Others, today for example, he's worse than my dog.
MacDonald for him at half time.
The one positive - and this was the same as the first leg - is that JVOH wins everything in the air. We might need to swallow our pride a little bit and pump it up the park for a spell and see what pans out.
cantgetanyworseCSC
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H/T and Barca are playing a clever passing possesion game, Donati not at the races and the team are being forced to play deep, however Barca are a multi million pound team, we do not have that luxury, the fact that we are here in this game speaks volumes for what our team and manager have produced this season in the champs league, I for one am proud we are here as I know many of you are, Lets hope for a better 2nd half
Hail Hail
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Naylor off, Donati ,off, Brown, off Artur, off, Hartley, off, JVoH, off, Naka, off.
Did anybody really think we could live with these guys?
Great players make ordinary players look stupid- and Barca have great players.
This always was a write off game, lads. We have to escape without too much psychological damage.
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Disappointing. A general lack of confidence throughout the team. Hopefully the second half will see us build confidence. Are Celtic so second rate?
I think the wind confused Artur at the goal. :-(
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How we miss the presence and unflappability of JJ. Ah well.
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Reading some of these comments is a disgrace.
We are second best to most things because they are a much better team.
At times we have kept the ball and looked not too bad.
We are not going to win so just get behind the team and hope to take some positives.
We may get a set piece or 2 who knows.
Barca are a class act and far better than us.
We are still Celtic supporters though so act like it.
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I hope there is nobody surprised that a team with £2m.a year domestic TV revenue cannot compete with the Barca billionaires. We are doing as well as we could hope to. This is not the level at which we operate.
Let's get home to our REAL work with no injuries & no disorder among the support.
This is our annual party.
Let's just be glad we can reach this level every so often, & enjoy it for what it is.
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Glorious failure? Not so far. Donati and Naylor very poor. Bring on another forward and Sno. We have nothing to lose now. We are so far out of it, we can only improve.
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After cringing for the first 20 minutes I have started to relax and enjoy the company.
I just hope that in one of the 3 or 4 occasions where we manage to get up the park we actually get the ball in their box.
There is a lot of risky passing going on. I reckon we can steal one of their passes too and capitalise on it if we can drive forward faster than we're doing.
Best player for us so far is Naka with Mark Wilson getting some plaudits for digging in and driving. Everyone else needs to match them in these next 10 minutes and then we have to buy a lottery ticket. No point in just hanging in there on the ropes.
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I know Barcelona are a better team than us.
I just sometimes expect that professional footballers, playing for Celtic, are actually able to execute a simple pass.
Someone else said it was down to bottle. Certainly looks like it.
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At 04/03/08 20:40, Blogger Thom The Thim said…
Naylor off, Donati ,off, Brown, off Artur, off, Hartley, off, JVoH, off, Naka, off.
______________
Are you Gary Caldwells lover? :)
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A lot of recent posts along the lines of 'Barca are great so we should expect to get beat' & 'we should be happy just to have got to this stage'
Maybe thosr posters are right - deep down we didn't really expect to beat Barca, but I would expect a little more that the amateur 3/4 hour performance we have just put in. Inept doesn't even begin to describe it.
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What was the whole "wee boy" crying bit by Messi, and the rest of the Barcelona team standing still; when Getafe went up the park and scored against Real Madrid, everyody thought that was funny; if we had kept playing and scored it would have been hilarious.
Have to say this is frustrating to watch; getting pressurised in the first 20 minutes, I can accept losing the ball; giving it away under no pressure is a real pain.
I would like to see us going for it in the second half; I have no problem with this; I have seen numerous teams play at Celtic park that we have stuffed because of this, but the odd one that got the prize for it.
Come on bhoys, do them in !
Larryhoy, who is letting drink get the better of him......
Again
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I think Donati is taking an unfair amount of stick. He has made a couple of passes straight to opponents, but that aside, there is little to mark him out from his team mates.
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o the the usual predictable line-up and formation with the same psssh performance, flippin great stuff Strachan, no pulling the wool over anybodies eyes with your tactics.
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mincey
Most of the criticism is because we all know we can be doing better. Of course Barca are an amazing team with great talent, but it's obvious we should be making more of a go at things, to show some of our true potential. To me, that is an integral element of supporting a team.
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Sno on for Donati. What do I know?
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Against a team this good working hard off the ball our lack of movement in possesion makes it impossible for us to go forward playing a 'passing game'. We need to work on our movement even when a pass lands its far too predictable and the move breaks down.
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Sno on the first part of the Triple S cunning plan
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Gordon's substitutions home and away seem to point to building experience for future Champions Leagues, no?
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Apparently it's been confirmed that Messi tore his hamstring.
:-(
Here is hoping he has a speedy recovery.
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Sno for Donati.
Has the manager simply accepted our fate?
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a good sub IMO
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It's hard to make a go of things when chasing shadows.
I too live and hope and would love to see us change everything in the second half.
If nothing else let's show we have steel in the tackle and they might just think about fancy flicks here and there.
