Underestimating Celtic

213

I get confused with these de Boer boys, one was decent, one was very good, was it one or both who borrowed money through a Rangers Employee Benefit Trust? Who cares, what’s important is that many more than just de Boers took money through EBTs, leading to an unsightly liquidation.

It’s surprising, therefore, to read the Ajax manager refer in his media conference to the consequences of those EBTs, namely “the loss of Rangers”. The price, Mr de Boer, is an honest, clean, game, where everyone respects the rules. No one hides documents from HMRC, the SFA or SPFL. No one goes through the indignity of having their instructions to shred their contract read out in court.  No club would live in fear of having to submit ALL required information to a league Commission.

The price is a clean game and we are thankful for it.

News that Scott Brown is out for several months was an enormous blow. Added to the suspensions of Nir Bitton and Stefan Johansen and we are totally without central midfielders. Charlie Mulgrew has been out for 10 weeks and may limp onto the field, but this will, without doubt, be an emergency line-up.

Despite that, there’s no Surrender Monkeys here. Celtic are never stronger than when they’re underestimated, an no one underestimates opponents quite the way Frank de Boer did yesterday.  Bring it on.

Mike Ashley, why do they prod him with a stick? Don’t make statements which he can and will easily refute.

Bucketeers!

I watched and read the response to the Foundation Sleep-Out event earlier this month. Celtic fans do things in the name of our club which continues to astonish. If you’ve not gotten involved yet, you can do so on Saturday.

Before the Hamilton game the Foundation are having their annual Christmas Appeal Bucket Collection. Come along early, pick up a bib and bucket, and get a free ticket to the game. It’s great fun, a great cause and a wonderful way to pay a bit back to the ethos which brings you to Celtic Park.

Details on signing up here.

Thanks to all who’ve bought The Winds of Change, a great read for anyone who lived through the great changes in our club from Liam Brady to Martin O’Neill.

Alex Gordon picks up the story in 1991 as Liam Brady replaces Billy McNeill and the Celtic support were about to have their boast of being ‘faithful through and through’ put to the ultimate test as barren years followed.

Eight Celtic managers, if you include Kenny Dalglish, sat in the Celtic dugout as our manager with some being much more successful than others. The book ends with Martin O’Neill leaving but there was time for CQN to add a note about the events of November 4, 2015 so that the reader can appreciate the task Celtic faced in these years, playing opponents with a loaded dice.

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  1. Listen, so long as the players all put in at least half of the effort that I just did in trying to access the site and then post a short comment on a works computer then we’ll batter Ajax.

     

     

    Can’t wait for CQN Corner. And can’t wait for the game. Then watching the recording of the full game before climbing into my Celtic jammies and sleeping with a big contended grin on my coupon!

     

     

    Back to work…

  2. The Battered Bunnet on

    Ronny’s been collecting guys who want to play ‘in the hole’.

     

     

    We’ve got Commons, Armstrong, Allan, Rogic, Ciftci, McGregor, Johansen, and of course young Christie and Henderson, both on loan.

     

     

    That’s 9 players for one position.

     

     

    Step back one and we have Brown and Bitton, with Mulgrew and Johansen as back up for 2 positions. There’s an imbalance in the squad.

     

     

    We’re going into tonight’s game without a central midfield given Broonie’s injury, suspensions to Bitton and Johansen and Charlie’s long absence. Starting Charlie is a classic Hope Strategy, and unlikely to deliver.

     

     

    Ronny’s best bet is to perm the fittest two from Armstrong, Rogic, Allan and McGregor. I’d go with Allan and Armstrong sitting behind Rogic.

     

     

    Whatever team Ronny puts out tonight though, it will be a Celtic team, playing at home, in Europe. Despite the shortcomings in the squad and the challenges in selection, I expect a win.

  3. 67 European Cup Winners on

    I would love to see something positive tonight – I am hopeful that the change (forced) to the team generates something less predictable – the suspensions/injuries may force Ronny to do something different – like play 4-4-2 my positive instincts are kicking in as the excitement grows

     

     

    Then reality kicks in and I imagine the team talk before the game, the tactics, the zonal marking, then I realise nothing will change Ronny will play as if Molde never happened

     

     

    my prediction

     

    We play 4-2-3-1

     

    We dominate up to the 18 yard box

     

    We have 65% possession

     

    12 shots 6 on target

     

    lose 1 nil

     

     

    Unless De Bore is really stupid and wants to play total football leaving space at the back – but I think he will have looked at Solskjaer’s tactics (twice) and sit back – soak up the pressure and hit us on the break or at a set piece

     

     

    OK back to positivity a big night great atmosphere 3 nil to us

     

     

    67ECW

  4. thomthethim for Oscar OK on

    TECH HELP

     

     

    Whenever I log into CQN on my iPad, I get an ad, presumably from Apple, telling me that I have “won” an IPhone.

     

     

    There is no way of removing this, unless you click OK, which takes you to another part of the ad.

     

    If I X out of that, the whole CQN page closes.

     

     

    This only happens on my CQN page.

     

     

    Any advice/help appreciated.

  5. TET-If those clowns at Hampden have done a deal with King,400 k fine paid with no title stripping,they will find the 400k very quickly HH

  6. OCROCF :

     

     

    Leith No.1 bus leaves from Sunnyside Bowling Green. guy that runs it is called Martin and i have his number and can pass it on to you if youre not sorted as yet.

  7. Billybear might be this :

     

     

    lifted from wiki

     

     

    Jumping the shark is an idiom popularized by Jon Hein that was used to describe the moment in the evolution of a television show when it begins a decline in quality, signaled by a particular scene, episode, or aspect of a show in which the writers use some type of gimmick in an attempt to keep viewers’ interest, which is taken as a sign of desperation, and is seen by viewers to be the point at which the show strayed irretrievably from its original formula. The phrase is based on a scene from a fifth-season episode of the sitcom Happy Days when the character Fonzie jumps over a shark while on water-skis.[1][

  8. BILLYBEAR @ 1 42 .

     

     

    Can’t speak for The Clumpany but my understanding of Shark Jump – a term for a media product which has declined in quality . … . See the Fonze / Happy Days

  9. Joe Filippis Haircut on

    BADA BING. Indeed you are in my opinion correct this can still be hushed up as you say.We are repeatedly told they are running out of money but it never happens they are getting money from some where. The ending to this sorry farce looks likely that much will be hushed up they will get there SPL spot and many many decent fans will walk away from the rigged game that is Scottish football.I believe if it had been any other club in the land they would have been wiped out by now but the Rangers the SFA and the SPL are all one and the same thing and they are abely supported by the MSM. H.H.

  10. Bob LobLaw on 26th November 2015 1:05 pm Wait.

     

     

    Didn’t John James tell us all that Charlie’s case was watertight, and this would lead the newco over the cliff “when,” the court found in his favour.

     

     

    I would posit ( see what I did there) Mr James is no more informed on matters than the vast majority of us who are not involved in this shambles. Just because he tells a very articulate story, it doesn’t mean it’s not a fiction.

     

    —————————————————————–

     

    Exactly correct. In fact at least one of our own (either Auldheid or The Battered Bunnet) presciently made the point that chickens should never be counted in relation to legal decisions a few days back.

     

     

    Auldheid/TBB – apologies but for some reason I always conflate your virtual personas – I think it’s the association of Heid and Bunnet…

     

     

    Anyway – the Heid/Bunnet axis predicted as much.

  11. Joe Filippis Haircut on

    NATKNOW. Sometimes on CQN I get amazed anyone who thinks any case against the Rangers or anyone connected to them either now or in the future in Scotland will have a water tight case against them.If we have not learned that over the past years we have learned nothing. In Scotland the Rangers are part of the Establishment and they are treated as that as are folk connected with them. H.H.

  12. glendalystonsils on

    Joe Filippis Haircut on 26th November 2015 2:39 pm

     

     

    Too right. They look after their own.

     

     

    If turkeys were running the country, there would be no Christmas.

  13. Tonight I would go with 4-5-1

     

     

    Gordon

     

    Lustig

     

    Boyata

     

    Simunovic

     

    Tierney

     

    Izzy

     

    Efe

     

    Armstrong

     

    Allan

     

    Forrest

     

    Griff

     

     

    Efe in defensive midfield and Izzy in front of Tierney.

  14. Joe Filippis Haircut

     

     

    Yup your right, even in the by gone days of yore, that would of course be the William Wilton / Bill Struth era, nothing to see there, hardly even documented, even on Wickapeadia.

  15. Jungle Jim Hot Smoked on

    For those mixing up Auldheid and The Battered Bunnet,.

     

    AULDHEID is on word and begins with an `h`.

     

    THE BATTERED BUNNET is three words and begins with the definite article.

     

    Hope that helps,

     

     

    JJ

  16. On the train between Perth and Glasgow.

     

    I’m a bit worried about tonight.

     

    Whatever makeshift midfield we play tonight are either inexperienced or short on match fitness.

     

    Like most I’ve been turning round possible personnel in my head and think it could be

     

     

    Gordon

     

    Listing boyata simo tierney

     

     

    Forrest Efe Mulgrew izzy

     

     

    Allan

     

     

     

    Griff

     

     

    HH

  17. Champing at the bit here. An hour tae go. Would encourage anyone to get along to the CSA on London Rd for a few Richard Gere’s.

     

     

    Choakahauntus CSC

     

     

    Let’s get intae these horrible caants

  18. Afternoon Bhoys.

     

     

    Id play Scott Allen….Lets see what all the fuss is about.

     

    Young Tierney got to play surely.

     

    I don’t like those Ajax fellows with their Hun arrogance, hope our bhoys can wipe the smirk of the boring one’s face.

     

    But….do not start the game all guns blazing, because when we do, we score, tire badly, then concede.

     

    So…A measured tight start….keep it simple….then gradually lift the tempo….so we have gas in the tank in the last 5 minutes.

     

    We need to think about it, rather than run about like madmen.

     

    Anayway…C,mon the Hoops.

     

     

     

    HH

  19. I never worry before a game, what’s the point, I get excited aye, but never worry, I love European nights at Celtic Park, but when we’re up 1-0 2-1 with a couple of mins. To go, worry is not the word for it , and I don’t know what the word for it is, but it’s not comfortable, no worries so far but :))

  20. Cmon Celtic let the people sing.

     

     

    “Celtic park where magical things happen”

     

    As ooooooooor lennybhoy says

     

    Keep The Faith

  21. A few years back you would fear no team in a European game at Celtic Park now no team fears Celtic. It’s a sad situation, caused mainly by stupid tactics. The first & foremost thing to get right in football is defence. Your defenders first job is to defend and not go careering up field and fire in hopeless cross balls.

     

    Tonight because of injuries and suspensions Ronny will be forced to innovate and will also be forced to give a few fringe players a start. It just might be a blessing in disguise .

     

    I am not confident but I am always hopeful. Would love to see Stokes get a run, for me he is a much better bet then Ciftci.

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