Nailed-on starters missing isn’t always good news

272

It’s always dangerous to welcome news that an opponent will be without an automatic first choice player – think back to last month, when news of Leigh Griffiths’ injury broke, forcing Brendan Rodgers into playing Moussa Dembele against Newco. Well-resourced teams have strong squads, but for every Dembele waiting in the wings, there are a dozen or more Pukkis.

So while news that Borussia Monchengladbach are likely to be without striker, Raffael, winger, Thorgan Hazard and central defender, Andreas Christensen, is encouraging, it’s no more than that. It’s little more than Celtic replacing Roberts, Griffiths and Sviatchenko (three nailed-on starters at the beginning of the season) with Forrest, Dembele and Simunovic.

The absences will have no impact on Brendan Rodgers game planning, but it might play on the mind of Gladbach manager, Andre Schubert, who is dealing with the first run of sustained disappointing results since he was promoted from Gladbach reserve coach last season.

Manchester City looked vastly more accomplished than Gladbach when they met in the opening group game, so the draw City took at Celtic Park, and the manner in which they were forced to fight for it, is likely to convince Schubert that a point would be a good result for his team.

A draw would be an inconclusive result for both teams chances of finishing above the other, but a win for either team would be the most important result of the group.

Looking for tickets for the semi-final on Sunday?

Celtic sponsor, Intelligent Car Leasing, have given us a pair of tickets for the North Stand (Celtic supporters area). Tickets are all sold, if you or your auntie’s brother’s son want one, this is one of the very few ways left of getting your hands on any!

The pair will be raffled together, to enter, email the address below with the correct spelling of Monchengladbach (clue, this is not a trick question).

I’m not taking this too seriously, so all entries will be considered. Here’s the thing, though, we should be doing what we can for the Celtic Foundation on such a great occasion. While you are entering, why don’t you make a donation to YOUR Foundation here.

The last competition winner made a donation. It was a coincidence. Honest…….

Entries to competition@celticquicknews.co.uk . Competition closes at 14:00 on Thursday, winner will be informed that day. Make sure I have contact details for you, it wouldn’t be the first time someone won a CQN competition and didn’t check their email until after the event.

Good luck, and enormous thanks to Intelligent Car Leasing.

For a short period we are shipping a FREE copy of Paul John Dykes acclaimed book, The Quality Street Gang, with Andy Lynch’s autobiography, Hoops, Stars & Stripes, written with Paul. That’s two quality books for £14.99 + p&p – an absolute bargain.

Order now and the CQN Bookstore. We take delivery of Andy’s book later this week, they will be arriving with you soon thereafter.

Fill your boots before The Quality Street Gang offer ends.

img_2429-38.jpg

Click Here for Comments >
Share.

About Author

272 Comments

  1. Never forget the night Netzer took England apart and to make it better Germany were wearing a GREEN strip

     

     

    HH

  2. Parkheadcumsalford

     

     

    Thank you.

     

     

    BobbyR

     

     

    Had the pleasure of your brother and D’s company last night.

  3. Brogan Rogan Trevino and Hogan supports Oscar Knox, MacKenzie Furniss and anyone else who fights Neuroblastoma on

    BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on 18th October 2016 4:43 pm

     

     

    No disrespect to JJ but that post makes no sense at all.

     

     

    I don’t know what the case is about at all but if the Police and the Lord Advocate obtained a warrant then they obtained a warrant.

     

     

    The excerpt from the judgement does not say who granted the warrant nor that whoever granted it was misled as to the reasons why it should be granted.

     

     

    Nor does it say that the Lord Advocates office or the Police seized documents that were not covered by the warrant and it is a matter of law that a solicitors privilege (or anyone else’s privilege for that matter) flies out of the door in the event of a genuine allegation of fraud.

     

     

    If I were the Lord Advocate and the Police I think I would be appealing this but then again I don’t know all the facts. However on the face of it this seems baffling and incorrect.

  4. thomthethim for Oscar OK on

    BOURNESOUPRECIPE on 18TH OCTOBER 2016 5:13 PM

     

    I remember ole Gunter Netzer he looked like a Prussian Gerard Depardieu

     

     

    *****

     

    Actually, he did, now that I think about it.

     

     

    I well remember the night he toyed with England, in his green shirt, but minus his size 13 cowboy boots.

  5. FAVOURITE UNCLE on

    GUNTER wore sizzzeeee 13 boots.germany were 10/3 to beat engerland that night .i filled more than 13 boots.

  6. embramike says "the Huns are Deid" on

    In Phil’s latest article he mentions recent site maintenance to look at problems accessing site after posting new articles. Seems it’s a work in progress !

  7. An Teach Solais on

    Phil’s site still experiencing problems but his latest article can be accessed via his twitter page. HH

  8. BOURNESOUPRECIPE on 18TH OCTOBER 2016 6:11 PM

     

    Floodlights now on full at Celtic Park to guide the German side through training?

     

     

     

    Any loud noises heard from above mate? :-)

  9. Brogan Rogan Trevino and Hogan supports Oscar Knox, MacKenzie Furniss and anyone else who fights Neuroblastoma on

    Latest on the auction of ACGR’s perfect dram.

     

     

    The highest bid currently stands at £162.50 which is still a steal for a privately distilled and bottled 11 yr old single malt.

     

     

    A great present for someone and all proceeds to the Celtic Charity Foundation.

     

     

    If you are interested in bidding you can do so here:

     

     

    http://www.ebid.net/uk/for-sale/extra-special-11-yr-old-single-malt-whisky-you-can-t-buy-this-anywhere-else-151872805.htm

  10. FAVOURITE UNCLE on

    The highest bid currently stands at £162.50 which is still a steal for a privately distilled and bottled 11 yr old single malt.

     

     

     

    A great present for someone

     

     

    whats wrong with just drinking it if you buy it.

  11. Brogan Rogan Trevino and Hogan supports Oscar Knox, MacKenzie Furniss and anyone else who fights Neuroblastoma on

    Favourite Uncle

     

     

    If you drink it all yourself you turn into an ACGR like person!

     

     

    I rest my case ………..

  12. Bhoyjoebelfast on

    Would like HELP !!tablet lenovo ……aw snap reload has taken me 35 mins to get this far

  13. FAVOURITE UNCLE on

    BROGAN ROGAN TREVINO AND HOGAN SUPPORTS OSCAR KNOX, MACKENZIE FURNISS AND ANYONE ELSE WHO FIGHTS NEUROBLASTOMA

     

     

    never had the pleasure but if he is a pal of JJ HOTSMOKED he will do for me.ps wife says nawe TO a bid of £200.so sorry.

  14. Marrakesh Express on

    I spoke to a Gladbach fan in the Brazen last week who was over with his St Pauli mates. He told me he’d be over again in a fortnight to sample the atmosphere that’s being talked about in Germany. He also said Netzer is still regarded as their best ever player, ahead of Heynckes and Vogts.

  15. Big Jimmy,

     

     

    Simples, get your 3 year old joke writer to sort your phone.

     

    Only jesting my friend.

     

    H H.

  16. liking the confidence on here but tomorrow is a big ask again.

     

     

    Still, we ask, we hope and we have a bit of belief.

     

     

    If I can be allowed a bit if a dream, a win and draw against bmg leaves us on 5 points. Two wins gives us 7. City could potentially need to beat us to get second depending on results. Hopefully Barca are group winners by the time we play them.

     

     

    We can but dream.

     

     

    I’d take three/four more points right now, in any way we can get them. It would give us a chance of 3rd.

  17. HEADTHEBALL @ 5:18 PM

     

     

    “you don’t want to cross our Brendan.”

     

     

    Bit racist that clip is it not? ;))

     

     

    HH

  18. Marrakesh Express on

    It was interesting to hear top English writer Henry Winter’s views on the Parkhead atmosphere the day after City game. He said very few stadiums in England are conducive to creating such noise and spectacle. He loved the steep terracing rakes and new standing area. Winter absolutely panned the Wembley design which cost almost £1 billion and can’t compare for atmosphere. The Olympic stadium was another, as West Ham fans are realising too late.

     

    It’s always been refreshing to hear Celtic get some credit from down south.

  19. Netzer, an absolute genius. For a couple of years he was up there with the divine Johan, and Best. Maybe not the best in the world, but the player we all wanted to be. Arrogant, brilliant, irrepressible. As Napoleon said to his generals of Frederick the Great, “Hats off, gentlemen, a genius”.

  20. I see another two Celtic fans appeared in court following the sevco match charged under the offensive behaviour at football act, still no one to my knowledge arrested and charged with over 100k of damage to the toilets in the sevco section of Celtic Park, it is looking to me that Police Scotland have lumped all this together and will produce conviction figures for the match with no breakdown of the incidents, it would look as if the culprits for the damage have been apprehended as part of these convictions, clever eh.