You and I are both optimistic types. So every year on this day, we remind ourselves that ‘these things even themselves out’, and after a run of difficult group stage draws, we expect Celtic to get a favourable Champions League draw this evening.
Pot 3 could make or break the draw. Celtic are in this pot and it is undoubtedly weaker than Pot 4; Pot 3 has only one club from a ‘big five’ league, whereas Pot 4 has six. Drop your cynicism and allow me a few more hours optimism before Uefa’s new computer system determines our fate.
Earlier this week we discussed that Matt O’Riley will become a case study in how to recruit, manage and sell a football player. Within a few days, Matt is subject to another case study. He was injured after six minutes football for Brighton. Today it was confirmed the injury is serious and will require surgery.
This is football. At any point, your biggest asset can be a second away from being finished in the game (not that Matt is in this situation). When you are sitting on an offer for a player, but have a game to play against an ‘industrious’ St Mirren, the potential for things to go wrong is a consideration.
In 2010, Andreas Hinkel was subject to a £1m offer to return to Germany. Celtic were keen to get him off the payroll and recoup some of the outlay on him. Andreas suffered a crucial injury in a reserve game and was ruled out for the entire season. That injury cost Celtic £2.5m (wages and lost fee). Michael Nicolson would have been happy at fulltime on Sunday at more than just the result.
Best wishes to Matt, he will hopefully return for the Paradise Windfall Draw during his convalescence. At least £4m of his fee is performance related; the chances of collecting this portion took a hit today.
I’m also sitting on a lot of optimism for what the next 35 hours will bring. Looking forward to seeing Young Boys and Red Star!
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The guy having a full and frank discussion with his other half.
He says “ and you always have to get the last word anytime you are in an argument”
“Who told you that ? “ says she
tontine tim
There you go. We win the Scottish Cup and go on to win the Glasgow Cup….
A great season in my book…..
Stebhoy,
Nearly.Tried for him and got knocked back.Think it was loan to buy,8 million euros.They dont want to sell him.
Scum going apeshit about the draw.Fighting with one another.,on FF.Shitting themselves we will get enough points to qualify,£50 million.
Deadline tomorrow.
Let’s see what it brings.
Euro results tonight were sobering.
Too much to expect Kilmarnock and Hearts to get through perhaps … but even if they’d gone down swinging (win at Rugby Park / draw at Tynecastle) … the Scottish coefficient would have benefited.
Of five Scottish teams, four have been papped out of the competition they entered.
Not good enough.
Throw that straight back at anyone who blames Celtic.
Next season, national champions 11-14 in country rankings come in at Play Off stage. 15-24 need to play Q2 & Q3.
Scotland’s best hope is 14th but it is a tough ask.
Czechs pipping us on the coefficient equivalent of goal difference last season was a killer.
Maybe the curmudgeonly, skinflint misers hoarding all “our” cash have been doing some horizon scanning after all.
Goodnight CQN.
saw a few articles suggesting Trusty deal is done but for some reason the Daily Record reporting that Celtic face anxious wait for international clearance.
Now I’m no expert, but if Trusty already lives here, has been here a few yrs now and is a fully capped USA international, surely he has existing clearance and tomorrow should be a formality?
Every transfer window sees all manner of footballing waifs and strays move here from all over the planet with no paperwork issues, so why, according to the Record, will Trusty be the awkward, nail-biting exception?
HLS
Because the reporter is thick as two planks or is at the madam? 😀
Clarification from earlier post
——-
Next season, national champions 11-14 in country rankings come in at Play Off stage. 15-24 need to play Q2 & Q3.
Scotland’s best hope is 14th but it is a tough ask.
——-
Next year Scotland are confirmed 11th so the champions of Scotland will start at the Play off round.
It’s the following season (26/27) we fall off a cliff and it gets worse the year after.
Good UCL draw and looks like an excellent transfer window in the end. Especially if Frimpong moves too. A lot of surplus players moved on, quality brought in and good. Indy in for academy players. Matt sale also right ime, right price.
Good Morning Celts – Grand Day To Be A Tim
Well chuffed with the draw, no glamour ties, what a relief…
From the official site…
Celtic’s 2024/25 UEFA Champions League Draw
By Matthew Campbell
29 Aug 2024, 5:55 pm,
After this evening’s UEFA Champions League draw in Monaco, Celtic know who they will be facing in the biggest club competition in world football.
From pot one, the Scottish champions have been drawn against two of Germany’s top teams, playing RB Leipzig at home and Borussia Dortmund away.
The Hoops defeated RB Leipzig at Paradise in the Europa League back in 2018 and also faced them in the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League group stages, and the German side will return to Paradise for this season’s UCL clash.
Borussia Dortmund, who the Celts last faced in 1992, reached the UEFA Champions League final last season where they were defeated by Real Madrid. Brendan Rodgers’ side will travel to the iconic Signal Iduna Park for the league phase match against the Bundesliga giants.
Celtic will also face Atalanta (A), Club Brugge (H), Young Boys of Bern (H), Dinamo Zagreb (A), Slovan Bratislava (H) and Aston Villa (A).
Fixture dates and details will be announced on Saturday by UEFA and will be available on Celtic’s social media channels and the official club website.
Once the dust settles and we take a more realistic view, we have a very tough draw.
Borussia Dortmund, we are away to last seasons UCL runners up and a top German side
RB Leipzig, home, a side Ange’s revered team couldn’t live with home or away two short seasons ago
Atalanta, away, Europe’s in form team, winners of the Europa League so know how to play European competition
Aston Villa, away, a top English Club, they played a Scottish Club in Europe recently and it was not pretty
Now, with all the opTIMism in the world any points we get from those games will be a hard fought bonus – the sequence we play them in could be crucial
A lot of these teams have a tough UCL journey and will be looking at their games with Celtic as crucial three points to advancement
Yet aving three of our toughest opponents away might not be the worst, as any points from these teams is a bonus, then it follows that our points tally will need to come from our peer group Clubs
Club Brugge (H), Young Boys of Bern (H), Dinamo Zagreb (A), Slovan Bratislava (H)
We have three of these at home…
We are of course playing “inform teams”, getting through the UCL qualifiers is no mean feat, three of these teams are qualifiers and are alrady on a European roll.
No doubts qualification is doable but we’ll need to be at our best
It will be interesting who we face at the end of January, depending how our summer transfer recruitment finishes… we may need the January window to give us the extra boost to get our play-off spot.
Yet whatever happens, fortress Celtic Park is an absolute necessity from September onwards.
Aff oot
Hail Hail
Hail Hail
Good morning from a dry, bright North Staffs.
Let’s see who actually lands before the deadline
https://x.com/CWN1967/status/1829166265606238534?t=Mt8tz-RIjTnkLwOPj6ODPA&s=19
https://x.com/GreedyPete11/status/1829221673863680068?t=pXWpmjyeOY5Y9kgm-JB_XA&s=19
https://x.com/McCeltic1888/status/1829220225897902437?t=n4_TijgB6VNQsawkMUBwpA&s=19
https://x.com/888MumbaiMagic/status/1829385779434369207?t=wapQ4pyl_jRX8grAdGRFHw&s=19
A barrel of laughs on X yesterday I will post the top yins above.
https://x.com/henriks_tongue/status/1829263992658985212?t=_7uE1xQzfQ-thMAZJ6VtUQ&s=19
Gene on 29th August 2024 6:34 pm
Big Jimmy
We won’t know until Saturday when fixtures are released
………….
GENE and DESSYBHOY…
Yes, I realised that after my Post about VILLA being the last game ?
However, NO MATTER who we are due to play in the LAST or 2nd Last games, its ” Possible” that Celtic may have already qualified BEFORE those Fixtures ?
I am getting way ahead of myself here….but theres ” Hope in my Heart”.
LOL
HH Bhoys.
Maestro
Laughing at THEM can be fun but I have to say that I find (quite) a few Celtic fans just the same. ie Green Huns.
Anyway, lovely day here in Aberbrothock so off to the golf.
Cheerio for now.
Big Jimmy on 30th August 2024 7:48 am
You`ll be buying polish for The Big Cup before long !! :-)))
I hope your health improves as soon as possible.
Definite cheerio now !
As I watched the Champions League Draw LIVE….I could NOT follow the format at all. I was totally confused until I read the CONFIRMED CL Opponents on here after the Draw had ended.
Was I alone in being confused……..or am I a CHUMP ?
LOL
HH.
CHAIRBHOY on 30TH AUGUST 2024 6:37 AM
Already planning for the January window before the ink is dry on the cheques for the considerable Summer spend. Excellent foresight.
Transfer fee record broken twice, big spend on a few players, Brendan’s men brought in. And our best CL draw ever. Do you think Brendan is happy with life at Celtic finally? Has he finally got what he needs? Can we stop worrying about him walking?
Or is the plan for total control over strategy, budgets, recruitment, structure and personnel like all those other tier 1 managers before we can expect the promised land of a play off round?
So by the end of the window we will have quality cover in all places. Arguably 22 of a first team squad with each role having a deputy. Possibly Yang and Holm as 2 extras on top that have still to prove themselves at Celtic . (Although Holm tackle on Cantwell at ibrox was one of my moments of the season). Maybe we will have even more.
Welsh and Ralston as cover RB and CB help on quotas. As will McCowan in Midfield. James similar on the wing. Every other position is covered with huge potential.
80% of the squad have been over the course and distance and currently know the system.
Similar have CL experience and bursting to go further. They know they can do this. The additions will help of course.
We don’t have to change much and can evolve introducing the new talent over the coming weeks. We have a solid and settled playing structure.
We have a good CL draw with scope to progress and few travel challenges etc but need to be really ‘at it’ to achieve what we really can from the opportunity.
A win on Sunday would be huge for so many reasons. These games are never easy. They will always have punchers chance. They are a wounded animal and will be out to scrap and the officials are not known to favour us.
A win for us on Sunday would be the icing on the cake at the end of a great week and would close the first chapter of what could be a historic season for our club.
Celtic40me
Just enjoy the moment.
Some people just love to be malcontent.
Some who create most noise don’t even come and support Celtic.
These are great Celtic times.
Chairbhoy
I’m also looking forward to Brendan’s theory about 7/8m players becoming 30-40mbplayers being tested.
Time for talk is over, time to judge everybody at Celtic to the same high standards
Welcome to Celtic Arne
THE TERMINATOR….👍🤨
You’ll never guess what happened to yesterday….
I parked my van up and decided to go for a wander down the Clydeside to see the new bridge.
Anyhows as I was strolling along , out the corner of my eye I could see someone cycling towards me…
This voice suddenly says in a bit of a weird accent… “ Excuse me mate but have you got 3 quid for a cup of coffee…
I thinks ..that seems a bit steep for a cup off coffee but when I looked up I noticed it was non other than Philipe Clement…
I said to him …..hold on a minute aren’t you Philipe Clement the Rangers manager…he said aye but don’t tell anyone,this is a great wee sideline a I’ve made £40 quid this morning and it’s no even 10 o’clock…
So we gets chatting and he obviously finds out I support the other lot he says I’m not jealous of your lot anyway as we’ve got Bridgey… I says Bridgey , who’s he is he a midfielder, defender ?
He says no daffty ..over there look… we’ve got a new bridge.. my directors had it built for me so that I can cycle from the west end over to Govan…and they have said it’s going to be named after me….The Philipe Clement Super Highway Into Europe bridge or PCSHITE bridge for short
…( the time I took trying to come up with an abbreviation for that !!)
He then said he has been asked to open the bridge when it’s eventually ready….…,don’t go there !
He also said …it that weird accent” It’s been daiyin ma nut in… when is the bridge open ….”is it when the boats can go up and down the river or is it when it’s closed and people can cross over it.. or …..open “?
so after a bit of chat he says need to go I’m a bit late,
he then cycles off with his cape blowing in the wind ..I was just thinking he’s not too bad a guy really when he suddenly turns round a shouts …We are ra peeeep….
just as he was about to finish the immortal words………I shouts “Philipe look out for that barrier”….well poor Philipe…he hits the barrier sumersaults over it and rolls down the riverbank into the Clyde.
I ran over to the side of the river looking for him and waited what seems like ages when suddenly I see something emerging on the other side of the river with what looked like a shopping trolley attached to his ankle…
So I shouts are you okay….he says typical .. “I fall into the Clyde and come out with a shopping trolly “… ( bit of a cryptic clue there bhoys )
Anyhows.. once he gets onto the other bank he shouts…in that weird accent again… “Im drookit”..he then shouts can you look after my bike as I need to rush I’ve got training at 11.00 o,clock…
So the last I see of Philipe is him walking away down a side street pushing his shopping trolley…..he then turns a corner I suddenly hear him shout…… NOOOOO….
I thought deary me I hope someone hasn’t stole his shopping trolley………then I hear him shout I’ve lost my fekin £40 quid…..poor Philipe couldn’t help feel sorry for him.
Just as I was putting his bike into the back of the van I seen some bubbles appear on the surface of the river when suddenly two salmon appear… one turns to the other and says “jeeze that wis a close shave”…..
BURNLEY78 on 30TH AUGUST 2024 8:00 AM
Fair comment.
For clarity we may need just 7 but probably 8 points from the 8 games to qualify.
I am confident our manager with a squad as strong as he has assembled can ensure we achieve this. This is his big chance to address the blemish in his career. I really think he can grasp it now. I am sure our home support can play its part too.
I wonder if the £2m that rangers get for hearts failure last night will be paying
Off the ‘pay day loans’ or securing a new player today.
Happy B-Day Bobby.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqLNg5rOMLE
Good morning all from a lovely sunny morning in the Garngad.
B78 – Yes the squad will be bolstered and if we get the Lad from Dundee I would say a great window with hardly any sheckles being spent when you take MO cash and MJ, Oh and 10 or !1 million for Frimpers.
All good.
We should now be looking at the January window and forward planning not leaving to the last minute.
Hey as I say today I am a happy clapper.
D. :)
Maestro on 30th August 2024 7:19 am
https://x.com/henriks_tongue/status/1829263992658985212?t=_7uE1xQzfQ-thMAZJ6VtUQ&s=19
———————-
Thank you for posting this. It is an eye-opening, eye-watering, piece of information.
Settled – Solvent – Successful – Satisfied
What a well run club Celtic is – ok the knockers harp on about our lack of recent success in European Competition – I get that. However would we trade the odd good result and the odd progression to one more round in Europe to be in a state like the Ibrox club?
Ange was great for us, but again no progress was made in search of the Holy Grail in Europe. The success rate of Ange’s signing burst, rightly lauded for its speed of execution, and is on a par with most of sizeable intakes over the years at around 50%. We have had of course great successes in Hart, Johnston, Hatate, Kyogo, Maeda and O’Riley, so this is no criticism of Ange. We were good for each other.
Bringing Brendan back was a masterstroke that honestly no one was expecting, and regrettably a substantial minority of the support vented their anger about. It’s not only the way we have been playing at the tail-end of last season and the beginning of this that is so impressive, it is the effect that Brendan is having on the whole composition of the squad. Proven loan signings from last season made permanent – top quality being pursued and captured for big money and, just as important, the ‘deadwood’ in the squad being moved out quickly, without fuss and in some cases producing another chunk of cash. The one downside was of course losing Matt – however as the tragic events at Brighton the other night shows, a player is only ever one bad tackle away from his career being put in jeopardy. Matt wanted to go and he went with our best wishes, plus we stuck to our guns and got the right price in the end.
Of all of this could not have been done without the oft unfairly criticized administration team at Celtic Park, and the strong financial position that the club is in. After this season there will be a harder route to negotiate to get to the riches of the Champions League – the CEO and directors know this, some people, obviously and unbelievably, think they don’t – that is why we have a solid bank balance as insurance. A bank balance that will ensure that we can maintain standards and continue to dominate domestically in the coming years – because if we don’t win titles in Scotland, we don’t get the chance to compete at the top-tables in Europe.
We are in a better position now than for many years.
Settled – Solvent, Successful and Satisfied (well 99% of us) HH
Ps wew will beat Der Hun anyway without the additions.
D :)
I think in terms of managers pedigree this seasons CL gives Brendan a better chance to improve his
Last season he was up against major European trophy winners and an upcoming guy who was on his way to Liverpool, this year it’s only Rose, Gasperini and Emery with better records
Now we’ve spent the cash let’s hope he can improve our record and his at the same time!
Burnley78 on 30th August 2024 8:04 am
For clarity we may need just 7 but probably 8 points from the 8 games to qualify.
I am confident our manager with a squad as strong as he has assembled can ensure we achieve this. This is his big chance to address the blemish in his career. I really think he can grasp it now. I am sure our home support can play its part too.
——
You almost sound sincere.
D :)
https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-RlwppxEVDs4%2FXXj0Lv0NGjI%2FAAAAAAABKj8%2F-WXpp5ch3jsYlk-3aYfjOuD_gucfKNvjwCLcBGAsYHQ%2Fs1600%2F3.%252BBobby%252BLennox%252Bdisputa%252Ba%252Bbola%252Bcom%252BEddie%252BGray%252Bdo%252BLeeds%252BUnited%252Bna%252Bpartida%252Bentre%252Bas%252Bequipes%252Bpelas%252Bsemifinais%252Bda%252BCopa%252Bdos%252BCampe%2525C3%2525B5es%252Bda%252BEuropa%252B1969-70%252BGetty%252BImages.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=7a9adeaaabfef4dcdcdc80fb556b6db6e93c05b10078304e1675687fecd24ee9&ipo=images
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https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/6755468174709744/
https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Falchetron.com%2Fcdn%2Fbobby-lennox-d2d72c6e-4ad9-4f64-808c-e02cbf35e0d-resize-750.jpeg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=67b687891891a579990b33c5f965f81dd91f75d25c130d646981584d35fe0e5e&ipo=images
BURNLEY78 on 30TH AUGUST 2024 8:04 AM
For clarity we may need just 7 but probably 8 points from the 8 games to qualify.
I worked out that using the last few years results that 8 would probably get us through but 9 would almost definitely but it wasn’t the most scientific approach. I hope you’re right about 7 points although if you add two more games against pot four teams I don’t think 7 points from 8 is an improvement in 4 from 6
https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fcelticunderground.net%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2016%2F01%2Frangers-66-aug-2.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=67de7de49eecdf842b6b99352398575b7d4f86a1129b650904b1dc1f9891cd51&ipo=images
His greatest game ever?
Oh they paid a hundred thoosan’ for the Smiths
Oh they paid a hundred thoosan’ for the Smiths
Oh they paid a hundred thoosan’
And the b******s kept on losin’
Oh they paid a hundred thoosan’ for the Smiths
https://i2-prod.dailyrecord.co.uk/incoming/article4741055.ece/ALTERNATES/s1227b/GL944168.jpg
What future Bhoy is Bobby up against here?
https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/506162445598836123/
Enjoy your day, Celts.
A great time to be a Tim.
STEVIE MURRAY….Who left the Dons and became a CELT.
HH