A 2-0 lead from the first leg at home is a reliable indicator that you will progress to the next round in Europe. But make no mistake, AIK believe they have a chance of overhauling Celtic tonight.
Towards the end of last week’s first leg, AIK and Celtic both were content to settle on what they had. AIK were worried they would lose another goal and give themselves an impossible task, Celtic worried they would lose that crucial two-goal advantage.
On BBC news last night, James McFadden explained that Celtic were stronger than AIK in every department and should therefore go through. You and I have watched more of Celtic in Europe than the optimistic McFadden. We have schooled teams at Celtic Park before but looked like innocents abroad in the return leg. There is a lot of work to do tonight; we will need leaders throughout the team. There will be goals.
I see some of the dying media digging up Celtic for signing Moritz Bauer on loan, without mention of the fact that we have an option to buy the player. Celtic try to get this arrangement with every new signing. If they get a deal they are happy with, they will ask for a loan option, as they did with Odsonne Edouard.
There generally needs to be extenuating circumstances before the selling club agrees, in this case, Stoke City are financially motivated to get his significant wages off their books before Premiership parachute payments decline further.
By all accounts, he was a star at Rubin Kazan and during his six months in the Premiership with Stoke. We had a false start at right back with Jeremy Toljan, there are no guarantees in life, but on paper, I’m happy with this.
The Newco statement on their second citation from Uefa for sectarian offenses was clear. No equivocation on the nature of the offense, or whataboutery, just straightforward, “You are endangering your club” sentiment. The problem is, the perpetrators are not endangered. This is a free hit to them. That their club may sufferer is inconsequential.
The thin blue line may hold tonight, but there’s no chance of that being the case on Sunday. Scottish football may yet be shamed into action by Uefa, but you can count on a whole lot of whataboutery before then.
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In that case… I hold my hands up.
Donkey of the day.
I was certain I saw a report outlining his sale to Italian top-flight.
Ah well…. here all day
MEA CULPA on 29TH AUGUST 2019 2:29 PM
“if we stop singing these songs it will make the whole match day experience much better.”
No it won’t. You need to expunge the deep seated, generational attitude towards Catholics, Irish Catholics in particular
======
I think for the ‘decent’ ones eradicting certain songs WOULD improve the match day experience considerably, whilst acknowledging they’d still have a long way to go. Much of that hatred comes out and is expressed through song.
They’re essentially starting in the sewer so any improvement would benefit their match day ‘experience’!
Their club started employing Catholics a long time ago so song and ‘kulture’ is nearly all they have left!
But as we all know theirs is a club steeped in bigotry so I don’t know how they modernise without handing out bans to around 2k fans per week until it sinks in.
HH
RUGGYGMAN on 29TH AUGUST 2019 2:35 PM
To be fair its hard to believe Sassuolo were daft enough to pay that sort of loan fee!
HH
https://celtsarehere.com/odsonne-edouard-lined-up-as-caciedo-replacement-reports-in-italy/
One for the worriers.
I’d point out that the first story when you google Caciedo is that he is being offered a new contract.
ruggyman
I think the belief, based on fact, was that Jeremy Toljan had cost Borussia Dortmund £6.5 million back in 2017, not that Celtic were ever likely to pay such a some for the player. Or any sum as it turned out.
Other than that, keep up the good work.
No harm done Ruggy but looked up Sassuolo website & the bold Jeremy is listed there. However the general point is that IMO a loan with an option to buy is the way to go,
If you are not satisfied you just return to sender, how many guys in last couple of years would you have wished to have that option with
Quickie…
Toljan at 2.25
Or Elhamed at half the price?
Simples, innit!
Nothing reliable or concrete on Diabate, Omrani or Meling
Greg Taylor talks are ongoing according to Killie coach. Puts him the most likely signing in my eyes. Good.
I think the various sites are feeding off each other. Some site comes up with Omrani , another repeats it and hey presto and it’s a fact. I have been reading about a couple of dozen guys we are close to signing over past couple of weeks but funnily enough Morit Bauer was not one of them.
I expect a good tussle between Bauer and Elhamed for the right-back slot.
Bauer by reports is athletic / dynamic. However on seeing Elhamed play in the Hoops, he too has decent pace.
My suspicion is, Elhamed is possibly the more defensive sound. I readily admit I haven’t seen Bauer play. But again, reports are his strengths lie in attacking from full-back position..
If we sign Greg Taylor, then I foresee a similar dual / battle at left-back.
I think G.Taylor is more defensively sound compared vs Boli.
However home games in the Scottish Premiership, Boli has attacking adventure, that needs to be encouraged.
Has anyone else tried to subscribe to Premier Sports for tonight’s game – it just keeps failing for me.
For all EUFA cup competitions, 2 observers are appointed, one of whom is the referee observer (typically a former UEFA referee). Here are the officials appointed at said fixture showing Willie Young was not there:
8 August 2019, 20:00 CET – Herning (MCH Arena)
FC Midtjylland (DEN) – Rangers FC (SCO)
Referee: Kristo Tohver (EST)
Assistant Referee 1: Silver Kõiv (EST)
Assistant Referee 2: Aron Härsing (EST)
Fourth Official: Juri Frischer (EST)
UEFA Referee Observer: Markus Strömbergsson (SWE)
UEFA Delegate: Ivan Tsitovich (RUS)
PL will be raging missing a freebie in Sweden 🇸🇪 HH
I wonder how a back four of:
Bauer, Ajer,El Hamed, Boli/Taylor ( Home / Away) would perform?
JJ
HOT SMOKED on 29TH AUGUST 2019 3:24 PM
I wonder how a back four of:
Bauer, Ajer,El Hamed, Boli/Taylor ( Home / Away) would perform?
no place for our £7m cb
EPL clubs receive incredible TV and Sponsorship monies. Remove that from the equation and I suspect Celtic is the most financially sound club in Britain. Surely PL should be given great credit (?) for that?
JJ
Ron 67
Quite simply, I don`t know. El Hamed , for me , has been the most impressive of the defensive newcomers. Early days, though.
JJ
Jim, I;m more worried about the back 4 tonight. Just two & a half hours to kick off in a key European game & very little discussion about it. Are we being a bit complacent here thinking the tie is a done deal.
I hope not, one European kick in the ass is enough for me, I was supremely confident we would beat the Cluj.
I just hope that Lenny does not get stubborn & play CalMac at left full.
HOT SMOKED
agree
El Hamed is a centre half, so play him there!
Just wondering if anyone heard the rumour of Jozo to Olympiacos to be replaced by McKenna. Got a text earlier but dismissed it as usual shite but just seen it alluded to on a Facebook post, a few minutes ago.
Corkcelt,
No complacency from me, T !! Mentally, I hope for the best whilst preparing for the worst .
I do expect to go through tonight but, as always where Celtic are concerned, I am, irrationally, far from confident. I felt we were a cut above AIK and even at 0-0, I felt that, should it remain like that, we would still go through. So, at 0-2, I should be extremely confident ! Overall, I feel reasonably secure.
I am not so confident Der Hun will prevail. I can see a 0-0 there.
JJ
Corkcelt
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
ones as injury prone as the other but i know who id rather have and it is not McKenna, at 52 and with limited football ability i could keep the ball off him in a phone box
Moritz?
Saint or Sinner?
I fancy a 1 each draw… although edging towards a 2-1 victory
Over at the dark side, I fancy a surprise…. a 1 each draw.
Wouldn’t let McKenna in to watch us…
Bada
;-))))
Any team news?
JJ
21 degrees with sunshine and light showers in Stockholm this evening.
4.30pm Teams should be announced.
Nothing so far JJ
—————-Gordon———————–
Elhamed Ajer Jozo Boli
——Brown McGregor———-
Forrest Christie Johnston
————Edouard——————
Ruggy Elhamed didn’t travel. Neither did Jozo. Try again.
Rangers to go through comfortably .
Us to go through on away goals……..
JIMTIM , get back on and put your thoughts and opinions across , its alternative views that are needed to breath life into this site……
Corkcelt
Cheers… Interesting then.
Back 4 : Ajer Bitton Jullien Boli
GORDON
AJER , JULLIEN , BITTON , BOLI
MCGREGOR , BROWN
FORREST , CHRISTIE , JOHNSTON
EDOUARD
Marspapa – assuming Elhamed hasn’t made it then I agree your team with only 1 exception, Ntcham instead of Johnston. We’ll know any minute from Embramike ;-)
Today’s confirmed starting line up ……
Gordon, Ajer, Bitton, Jullien, Bolingoli; Brown, McGregor; Forrest, Christie, Johnston , Edouard
Subs: Hazard, Ralston, Hayes, Ntcham, Morgan, Bayo, Griffiths
So the big AIK danger player (forget his name) hasnt made it again. He must have got injured at weekend when he came off early. Hopefully a good sign.