AEK Athens have played only four friendly fixtures since losing the Greek Cup Final on 12 May. They failed to score in three of those games, beating Galatasaray 3-2 at home in the more recent game. The fixtures have been spread out: with 6 days, 8 days and 10 days between them. There will be a gap of 8 days between the Galatasaray game and their visit to Celtic Park tomorrow, so there has been no intensity to their efforts.
AEK needed to prepare an entire squad, not just a starting 11, during these games. This is not appropriate preparation for one of the most important ties of the season. It feels like an inexplicable oversight, I would be livid if this was Celtic’s preparation for this tie. Such complacency deserves to be punished.
By contrast, Celtic have played five competitive games and five friendlies since our 12 May Cup Final. The fitness strategy contrast between our squad and AEK’s is stark. As a consequence, we have to make tomorrow’s game a multi-ball, unrelenting, occasion.
Even if the game is tight at 80 minutes, how we finish the match could have a significant bearing on who progresses. This is when you would expect AEK’s lack of fitness to be most telling. Players lose concentration and coordination when tired. This is when we should look to push the tie over the edge.
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DELANEYS DUNKY
The feelings mutaul pal .
Love this song …sort of have this feeling of Celtic in a funny way
Alloway grove
https://youtu.be/s8URfJ3Ao5E
If I were BR I’d be a lot lot happier with McGinn in the squad than not having him there.
What if Brown is out for a month, who is our mid field battler, a guy who knows Scottish football?
McGinn reminds me of Scott Brown when we bought him in attitude terms and he is just as strong and is not far off Brown in technical footballing terms.
It goes down to what is the cost of saving a million or two over a season?
At some point the cost can exceed the saving.
I reckon I spooked PL by mentioning Steven Fletcher.
JB has given the KB
JLS is going to HKR
TET is joining PSG
ffs man stop taling in codex
Ua not au
Numptycsc ???
Auldheid- if BR wanted McGinn in a month ago, there is a problem for the sake of about 500k? If PL trying to get one over on Petrie, he has picked the wrong guy to be bait.HH
Auldheid, I don’t know how he does it but he sends powerful messages out there without sounding too religious.
Like, separating the sinner from the sin. About Gods absolute Love for us.
It is well Auldheid.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHe_qmo3gX4&start_radio=1&list=RDMMAHe_qmo3gX4
WBGFC, well done, (think we should drap the wee, maybe to young/younger or the big wan tae auld/aulder)………what a year to get 7, yes 7 in ‘A’ row, well done that bhoy
P.S. you and his maw did a great job there GFCTH ( the elder ) :)
Bada Bing @ 12.22….yes, I suppose BR wanted him in as soon as possible but I, like most of us, have no real idea what goes on behind the scenes…right now my only concern is tomorrow night. A good victory and performance will refresh the feel-good factor…
I think a lot of tims are secretly nervous about what’s going on at hunland…
goodnight timland…
St Stivs…I can’t handle the deciphering…puts too much strain on the head, so I will just give him a miss…he knows what he’s doing and gets some sort of enjoyment from it. Each to his own…G’night…
Mahe
“Sftb,,,I told you. I effing did. No one tells the plain truth if unhappy in the bigger jobs. And he clearly isn’t happy,,surely even you can see that now.”
I don’t believe this was ever a point of disagreement.
The issue I took up was with people saying 1) He was clearly unhappy and 2) He was clearly unhapy with the Board for not delivering for him.
I pointed out that he was giving the demanding fans more grief than he was giving anyone else- in that regard he was more specific.
If you look back at the exchange, I was agreeing that transfer windows are a frustrating and anxiety provoking time. Brendan was showing frustration -it was the reasons for his frustration which were being debated and upon which we disagreed- not the fact that there are frustrations in this job (fan demands for one). So when he says he won’t tell the journo his true feelings – he is NOT saying “I am unhappy but I won’t tell you about it” his words say precisely what they say i.e. ” I am not going to discuss this with you”. Good or bad feelings- he is not going to conduct a war with the Board or a love-in with the Board via the Press.
He knew what he was buying into when he agreed to come here- nothing has changed in that regard. Every year, we will fail to land some of the manager’s targets. Every year, players we want will choose to go elsewhere and we’ll often not know whether another million would have swung it or whether he would have proved worth the original set fee and wages or the additional amount we might have had to pay.
Of course, managers do not tell the fans the whole truth in Press conferences. They protect player’s secrets. They protect their own reputation and they protect the reputation of their club of employment. They do not tell the plain truth and that is a good thing as well as a bad thing.
The bad thing is that it leaves enough wiggle room for anyone to impose their own meaning on what is said or not said: and the good thing is, that we can go on conducting our transfer negotiations where they should be conducted – between clubs and players and agents- then, if successful, the manager and club can announce the signing and tell the press what they will.
If John McGinn signs, we will be told that he was always going to come here and was never planning to go anywhere else. We will not be told that he used the Villa interest to get a couple of thousand extra on his weekly wage but that might well be the truth. Are we better of knowing it or not knowing it? Well, I’ve managed fine up to now judging players and managers on the field of play and not on how well they communicate or conceal a truth when I am in no position to judge if it is true or not.
Whether Brendan is troubled by transfer negotiation details, I don’t need to know and I don’t deserve to know. It’s not as if I get a veto on it, is it? It’s not as if I get to dissuade him from walking or persade him to stay when he is not threatening the former nor promising the latter. I expect he will stay. I expect, when the Window shuts, he will be pleased with some transfer outcomes and disappoited in others. But, I have no data, certainly not the herald journo’s readings of Brendan’s satisfaction levels, on which to calibrate how likely my expectations are to be fulfilled.
The transfer window has always vexed the fans and its worse now when we want more and more new bling because we are never happy with what we’ve got- we’ve played with those toys and we’re bored.
Celtic will sign players like Izzy, to be squad cover, or maybe McGinn to be a challenger for a first team place, or we may even sign somebody that will be a “wow” signing (I’d even put Paddy in that category as he was a £12m buy for Man City) but i have no expectations that all fans will be happy.
It would be great, if we kept all our players bar Armstrong (and maybe the loanee Paddy). It would still be good if all we lost was Armstrong and Boyata (I suspect only after CL qualification stage). But it becomes a disaster if we lose Armstrong, Boyata, and either Griff or Dembele, and we replace with lesser. That’s how fine the margins are.
Thankfully, we still have over 3 weeks to buy in players and, I believe we have always brought players in during that period, so I am patient as that is what I expect will happen.
The time to evaluate the success of our trading is when it is over. Anything else is going off half-cock.
And, anyway, AEK tonight should prove enough of a distraction meantime
I’m off to my bed now.
Hi – just enjoyed the last couple of hours reading back. Have noted all of the very kind comments re: Wee BGFC – and I absolutely echo those for CRC and Neganon’s weans – brilliant !!!.
Awfy Braw :-)))
DD- some man.
CRC – delighted for your wee gang – none more deserved.
Neganon 2 – magic – congratulations. another clever cookie !!
Oanywho – WeeBGFC is sleeping soundly on the couch beside me – I have noted all of the kind comments and the wee man will doubtless get back to everyone individually tomorrow.
He (and me) love CQN – met so many brilliant and good-hearted people.
God bless all of us and all of you – and Celtic !!!
HH
BGFC
PS – CHARLIEBHOY – YoungBGFC might be appropriate, but will wait till he is 16 in November :-))
PPS – WeeBGFC has a BURD !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Congratulations to all the parents, grandparents, god parents and siblings of all who had success with their Highers, O Levels, A levels and Level 5s.
Remember where you came from and your family’s desire to overcome the hurdles faced through education.
I’m a wee bit concerned about the message or more accurately the impression Brendan is leaving with these press sit downs.
We have an important game tomorrow, and must not lose focus.
These quotes will no doubt be interpreted as Brendan and the board at loggerheads.
Which may or may not be true.
However, we should not be airy our less than Daz clean laundry in public.
Nor should Brendan be using the less than friendly Scottish press as a cudgel to beat the board.
CQN does enough of that for everybody.
A couple of more weeks of that and we will be giving the Huns some hope.
Back to tomorrow, and I hope our better match fitness will help provide a comfortable win by a couple or three games.
And well done again to the school kids
Must check work before handing in.
I blame the extreme temps. Just checked my garage and it has cooled down to 33C.
House is air cooled to a sumptuous 77F, circa 26C.
You don’t need to see an old man in shorts.
Sftb,,,
I have bad news,,its set in worse than I thought . Your happyclapperness has almost total control from sitting too close to the boardroom too many times but luckily for you I am a leader in my field and if anyone can help its me. Sit back and “ listen “ ;)
“his words say precisely what they say”
No,,a diplomat and a leader chooses words carefully and they will ,, often not always,, have a innuendo or point to them.
“ he is NOT saying “
If you didnt understand the above,,you dont know what hes getting at .
“ Good or bad feelings- he is not going to conduct a war with the Board or a love-in with the Board via the Press. “
Youre wrong if youre suggesting he will not be using the press. THats already started .He had a love in over the 4 January signings ( “In terms of experience, quality and players we think we can develop, they delivered everything I wanted so it’s a great credit to them and our recruitment team. )
Hes now put pressure on via the rags “ We need to complete deals. It is as simple as that. “
Dont tell me he wont be using the press. And like I pointed out the other day the only managers that slam the owners are ( theres always exceptions but in the main ) those who dont need them ie they have made it. If he thinks he has got the wrong end of the stick,,,well does he need them? He will get a job in the prem no worries no matter what happens north of the border.
On Mc Ginn ( never seen him so no opinion ) he would have done the deal,,no doubt about it.
“ That is the gamble you take if you wait.” on going down to see Villa.
“ He knew what he was buying into when he agreed to come here- nothing has changed in that regard “
Sorry if you have to resort to the press to put pressure on your CEO then a lot has changed. He got supported and was happy and then when the feet are under the door and the bank account is flush he and everyone should be in heaven instead hes no happy. For the first time seemingly our gaffer is unhappy and that is a big change.
“ We will not be told that he used the Villa interest to get a couple of thousand extra on his weekly wage but that might well be the truth. “
Hold on,,the only reason he is still available is because we never paid the asked fee ( not saying thats wrong or right ) so he can hardly use Villa when he thought he would be a Celtic player. He should have never been near Villa and I doubt he himself thought he would be. It seems our CEO has now matched Villas offer. He shouldnt have been anywhere near Villa,,,if we were gonna pay it,then pay it before he can speak to anyone. That is amatuer hour letting him go somehwere else and then saying we will match them. And he himself might have been forced to use Villa to get his dream move. We will not be told I effed up either by the CEO I suspect if he gets away.
“ we are never happy with what we’ve got- we’ve played with those toys and we’re bored.”
You might honestly think that but I see fans asking for the same positions to be filled because we know they need filling . We dont seem spoilt or bored to me and Im glad everyones on the same page that we need a LB and CB. No ones asking for buys for buys sake,,just fill the gaps. And as the fans know we have funds they expect gaps to be filled.
“ I’d even put Paddy in that category as he was a £12m buy for Man City “
I also would put Paddy down as a WOW signing.
“ But it becomes a disaster if we lose Armstrong, Boyata, and either Griff or Dembele, and we replace with lesser. That’s how fine the margins are. “
Disaster for the fans maybe but no for the balance book and if we were to downgrade in three positions in one window while seriously flush I expect you to help me getting the CEO out asap.
LIke yourself I will assess when the window is closed and yes I expect a few faces.
No matter what happens here though a few things,,was it wise to upset the probably the best manager we can get ?
The CEO has become divisive whether you believe the tag is justified or not . He will probably be looking at the 10 though and thinking going nowhere until thats done.
I suspect the gaffer will do 10 and walk also.
However if ( before the 10 ) the gaffer takes an EPL job when the position becomes open,,,I know who I will blame and its not Stevie G.
Hail Hail partner and hope youre feeling better.
MAHETHEMADMAN
Looks to me too like BR ain’t the happiest he’s ever been,but hey,apparently we’re reading too much into it.
None so blind,etc.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Emperor's_New_Clothes
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Make sure you are ready and able to get yer arse outa Dodge at ultra-short notice,mate. You don’t need me to tell you what a shift in wind-direction can do,nor how quickly.
HH.
Good morning, friends, from a dry, bright, broken clouded, windless East Kilbride.
13 hours till we rock and roll!
Aye, ee’s jist a fudge alright.
The PLC will do what they do with all Celtic manager’s
they’ll scunner him oot the door, knowing full well that he’ll have signed a confidentiallity clause but, the real reason they’ll do this, they want to put a spoke in the wheels, because the PLC would not be able to detoxify Scottish football if Celtic win 10 in a row.
Whit happened to the Commonwealth games money ?
Aye.
Old Firm FC, you’ll never be free, till your rid of the PLC.
Empty the park, and stop being played.
Later.
” I’m a wee bit concerned about the message or more accurately the impression Brendan is leaving with these press sit downs.”
Obviously, the MSSM would NEVER put their own slant on ANYTHING any Celtic manager ever said?
I am astounded of forehead at how desperate some on here appear to be to accept the interpretation of a hostile Press in Fair Caledonia.
Quite confident re tonight. You know, we have an important game?
Cheerio for now.
JJ
Good morning all from downtown Govanhill.
Has anyone driven John McGinn back up the M6 themselves yet?
Good morning CQN from a dry Garngad.
Dearie dearie me, I cannot believe some people’s posts (49rs and shit tip jungles etc) I don’t think in the years I have been lurking or posting iHave ever seen a post supporting our beloved Celtic.
Mon the hoops
D. :)
Should clarify from these guys….
D. :)
DAVID66
Never mind the bollocks,we’ve got a big game tonight!
As usual,I’ll be relying on R5 for updates-maybe the odd text too-as I barrel down the A34. I hope everyone has a great time tonight,with a goodly advantage to take into next week.
It’s absolutely imperative that we qualify for the CL group stages. Only then can we programme our ringtones to ZADOK THE PRIEST to mightily annoy the huns in our midst.
Nothing is more important.
BMCUWP you win sir. Hail Hail
Just done a big post and lost it on this feckin iPad aaaaaaggghhh.
This will be a very tough game tonight, but with 60,000 tic fans behind us we can do it.
D. :)
DAVID66
Nothing more annoying. I run my iPad by hotspot from my phone. The only thing my iPhone is any use for,worst thing I ever bought apart from that.
Result is,I often lose a post. Hotspot dies just as I send.
Quite often though,I can I can hit the left-hand arrow-top-left of the page-and retrieve it. May be worth a try-certainly a lot easier than supergluing an iPad back together after you’ve launched it at
a wall(!)
You got a ticket for tonight?
BIGRAILROADBLUES
Howdy,mucker. You another one making me jealous by attending tonight?
I see we have upped our bid for J McG, get him signed then bring Paddy Roberts home.
If keeping DB then fine lets go with what we have at centre back.
Get a decent right back in, Gamboa has done well, but not in same class as ML (finished now I think) although he might have something to prove.
HH
D. :)
BMCUWP yes Club Celtic for tonight
Hail Hail
D. :)
BMCUWP. That’s a good tip I will try it next time thanks.
Costing a fortune on ipads???
D. :)
Bobby 7.34. Nope young fella, watching with Dad at home. No beer, work tomorrow. Bollix.
JOBO BALDIE on 8TH AUGUST 2018 6:47 AM
Good morning, friends, from a dry, bright, broken clouded, windless East Kilbride.
13 hours till we rock and roll!-
——
Good morning Jobo
Hail Hail
D. :)
Ah well guys work beckons, I wish it was 4.30pm.
Have a champion of a day everyone and God bless.
HH
D. :)
DAVID66,BIGRAILROADBLUES
Both of you will be nearer to the action than me,jealous as.
Canny beat good Celtic company. Except,maybe,good Celtic and family company.
Ya perra basturts,you’ve got me near suicidal wi feelings of deprivation now!
Enjoy it,fellas.
HH
My friends in Celtic,
Surely it can’t just be me thinking “ What are our scouts doing “
While Jason Denayer , Emilio Izaguirre, Paddy Roberts, may do a job for us it’s not exactly imaginative.
I mean even the predictive text on this device remembers them.
HH,
I would take Denayer back, but not at 9m. If Paddy returns we have a really strong midfield, no need to strengthen there. I think it would best for McGinn’s future if he goes to Villa. He’d find it hard to break into our midfield over the next few years.
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on 8TH AUGUST 2018 7:48 AM
whits scouse for deprivation.
morning bhoys from a very cloudy Cheshire. hope the weather is better in glesca.hh.