AIK came through a tense final few moments in a 1-1 draw with Moldovans Sheriff in Stockholm last night to face Celtic in the Europa League playoff round, the first leg is in Glasgow on Thursday.
AIK were bottom seed in the Champions League first qualifying round, where they overcame Ararat-Armenia 4-3 on aggregate, but were bottom of the unseeded pack for the second round, which they lost 4-3 to Maribor. Maribor were beaten home and away by Rosenborg in the last round.
Last season AIK eliminated Shamrock Rovers from the Europa League qualifiers before losing home and away to Danes, Nordsjaelland.
Neil Lennon twice faced Swedish opposition in Champions League qualifiers in his first term at Celtic. Two comfortable 2-0 wins over Helsingborg in 2012 were followed by a more testing examination by Mo Bangura-inspired Elfsborg a year later, which resulted in a 1-0 aggregate win for Celtic.
Ronny Deila needed to overcome Malmo to reach the Champions League group stage in 2015 but despite racing into an early 2-0 lead, the first leg at Celtic Park was turned on its head when Malmo scored an added-time goal to make it 3-2. Jo Inge Berget, who Ronny had on loan months earlier, scored both Malmo goals. The Swedes won 2-0 a week later to knock Celtic out.
Although AIK are 19 games into their domestic league campaign, there should be a negligible gap in fitness by the time we face them on Thursday. There can be no excuses.
You and I were there in the dark summer of 2010, when Utrecht and Braga were the last teams to deny Celtic group stage football, and a year later, when Sion came within a CAS ruling of doing the same. It took Neil time to get it right, but a year later he earned 10 points in a tough Champions League group.
Before AIK, we have the small matter of a League Cup to defend against Dunfermline at Celtic Park tomorrow. Celtic have won a record 27 consecutive domestic cup games. Avoid defeat tomorrow and we set an unbeaten record. Let’s hope Dunfermline feel a backlash.
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James Forrest: petty
T
@ TAURANGABHOY on 16TH AUGUST 2019 1:01 PM
They just thumped a team that finished 2nd in the Danish League 7-3 on aggregate, but that doesn’t worry you?
I dislike Sevco as much as anyone but I’m objective enough to call a spade a spade; they are a decent enough standard now and have year on year under Gerrard strengthened their team. Have we?
And please don’t blame it all on BR for not strengthening- we have made the same mistake of not strengthening from a position of strength for years.
Some will deny it, but most of us if offered a point at Ibrox would take it now.
Imagine the result if you performed the same experiment a year ago?
HH
GO TELL THE SPARTIM on 16TH AUGUST 2019 12:53 PM
Reducing revenue and in turn reducing our competitive advantage makes no sense. That is not the answer. We need to continue to drive up revenue as much as possible but use those funds more effectively than we are at present.
Dross.
Taurangabhoy on 16th August 2019 12:44 pm
We need a left back, we need another centre forward. We have players competing for every other jersey. Stand up for the champions.
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Centre forward wise. Edouard is our No. 1 striker, and has competition in Griff, No. 2 striker, and Bayo No.3 striker.
I agree we need a left-back to compete with Boli. Or feasibly a left-back better than Boli.
But you say, we have players competing for every other jersey ? I don’t see it that way. What real competition or cover does Elhamed have at right-back ? Rhetorical question. The answer is insufficient cover.
@ BURNLEY78 on 16TH AUGUST 2019 12:26 PM
How did you feel about the old board? Was it Hunterlopers who stood up to them?
Bada bing apologies I didn’t mean to imply anything on you. When you swap out a whole defence it will take time to gel. When I was back a few years ago watched Lyon tear us one preseason 0-4. I used my cousins book. He asked how Ntcham and a few other newbies did. I only had praise for young Ajer. At times we were woeful last season. Other than Tuesday the football we have played has been outstanding. Only as good as our last game. I actually like our new look and attacking game. We do need a left back ( see CQN from 2004- 2014) but I have faith that the bhoys that they have brought in defence will start to work, and our playmakers will run riot in the SPHEL.
MACJAY1 FOR NEIL LENNON on 15TH AUGUST 2019 11:26 PM
DELANEYS DUNKY on 15TH AUGUST 2019 11:10 PM
MacJay
I think we will destroy the vermin in their Glorified Victorian Lavvy. Exterminate them before they pollute our City again.
============================================================
Reminds me of that grand old ditty I first heard as we marched through Govan after Jock Steins reserves had cuffed the huns 5-2 at Ibrox.
To the tune of the drunken sailor. It started:
Burn , burn burn……………
Right now , however , to use a cricketing term , we need to ” steady the ship”.
No knee jerk response.
Lenny will be feeling as we do. He needs our support.
…………………………………
Lenny needs relieved of his duties.
THEORIGINALSADIESBHOY on 16TH AUGUST 2019 1:12 PM
TAURANGABHOY on 16TH AUGUST 2019 12:21 PM
So many panty wetters. The entitlement at this time of year is becoming sad sack. Show me a team who wins every game every time. One loss and the whingers are out. Fuck sake call yourself supporters. Same thing happened last year, and the year before. How many bed wetters apologised at the end of the season when Neil Lennon delivered two of the three trophies, in a historic trebel treble. None. Nine in a row coming up and you can cry all you want. See you at the end of the season. Hail Hail. Standing up for the champions. Mon the hoops. Can’t wait for Neil Lennon to pick up the nine. It will destroys them. Hail Hail
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Your arithmetic’s not too good. ‘One loss and the wingers are out ……………. Same thing happened last year and the year before.’ Surely that’s 3 losses. It’s not just the loss on Tuesday night that has enraged supporters. It’s the perennial clusterfuck that we have to endure during every transfer window. It’s the annual failure to prepare for these CL qualifiers when we know they are coming. It’s the appointment of a manager that most people opposed. It’s the cavalier way they did it (in the showers). You have said that we will win 9 in a row. Yes, I think so too. However, we will be having the same conversation at this time next year if the fans do not force action now. We need a change of manager and a change of strategy. We need to get in players now and in January who will give us the best chance of qualifying for next year’s CL group stages.
Taurangabhoy, the dead weight that have been replaced by these 10 ‘loan signings’ were more than a match for our team on two occasions last season – in head to head games, they matched us. I honestly think that their signings have improved their squad since last season, do you honestly think that our squad has improved since May?
The Ibrox mob were at rock bottom under Brother Pedro.
There was only one direction to go in. Still, that doesn’t mean they have caught us yet.
still people defending PL policy of going into quailfiers with the leftover squad from previous year. We didn’t reach play-off last year with a much stronger squad. if we hadn’t lost whole defence and loan players Weah and Burke we should have been strengthening the squad. to not do so after losing all those players is negligent to point iof a sacking. At your work if manager left and you gave job to your pall without checking applications you would get the bullet
https://www.zocalopublicsquare.org/2018/04/06/authoritarian-voters-really-want/ideas/essay/
“In 2016, at our request, the American National Election Studies (ANES) included two statements expressing aggressively authoritarian attitudes that respondents were asked to either agree or disagree with. These strongly worded statements, which were pioneered a generation ago by psychologist Bob Altemeyer of the University of Manitoba, evoked equally strong responses
The first statement was unambiguous: “Our country will be great if we honor the ways of our forefathers, do what the authorities tell us to do, and get rid of the ‘rotten apples’ who are ruining everything.” The second test statement was similar: “What our country really needs is a strong, determined leader who will crush evil and take us back to our true path.”
Our analysis of the ANES data shows that voters who pulled the lever for Donald Trump in 2016 loved these statements. Only a few other ANES items divided Trump voters from Clinton voters as significantly and reliably—mainly, statements expressing resentment towards women, minorities, immigrants, and Muslims. And population variables (age, gender, education, marital status, and income) proved comparatively insignificant. Voters who wanted domineering leaders to crush evil and get rid of rotten apples supported Trump at every age and stage, at every level of education and income. These voters wanted to win the culture wars, and their “submissiveness,” we think, is better understood as fealty to a culture warlord.”
Hopefully, this weekend, the realCeltic fans will get behind the team with a few chants of, “Make Celtic Great Again”, “ lock someone up …”. … “time for you malcontents to go home”. (Hey, if we are going to act like them, might as well save some time and borrow their songs ….
One thing I do know,the scum will be lapping this up.BURNLEY,and HOT SMOKED,agree with you 100%.
We have serial Board haters on here.When things are going well,they are still on,griping and whingeing.When things go wrong,Dear God,we get them on in Tsunami mode.Just what is it that gives supposed Celtic fans the enjoyment of Celtic failing,so they can redouble their attacks on their Celtic targets.It is perverse,how they wallow in it.They are all over the place.Twitter,these are the ultra eejits,on a par with the Record and Clyde phone in lunatics.I did say I thought £15 would be a decent price for the AIK game.OK,its£20.That has sent them in a new direction to catcall the club.Wailing to a media,only to glad to let them vent their spleen,while gloating in their stupidity.We got beat,by the Rumanian champions,for Gods sake,not by some nonentities from Luxembourg.
All this nonsense about “The Celtic Family”,”TGFITW”,has been shot down in flames since Tuesday night.
To make it worse,we now have many thinking The Europa League,is beneath us.Delusional.
Only winners here are Hun supporters,and Hun SMSM,laughing their asses off.You must be so happy.
MARADOMINIC on 16TH AUGUST 2019 1:21 PM
still people defending PL policy of going into quailfiers with the leftover squad from previous year. We didn’t reach play-off last year with a much stronger squad. if we hadn’t lost whole defence and loan players Weah and Burke we should have been strengthening the squad. to not do so after losing all those players is negligent to point iof a sacking. At your work if manager left and you gave job to your pall without checking applications you would get the bullet
____
I guess some of us disagree with what went on against Cluj.
I honestly feel the manager had everything he needed to get a result and he blew it.
We have a squad of 29 players at the club.
Am still on a downer Lawwell oot HH
Burnley78
You are one sad, sick individual, saying that they need psychiatric help, I note you were called out a couple of days ago for the same thing, people have every right to differ if they so choose, you seem to believe you have the right to comment on their mental health because you disagree with their views, views that are growing by the day I may add.
And some wonder why CQN is loosing decent posters.
Interesting to see Auldheids post on collusion at the higher levels to bury Res 12.
If true then those involved need removing from the club.
I’m not in favour of binning Lawwell right not but he needs put back in his box and to concentrate on the other non football related elements that he is supposed to be good at. I say supposed to be based on some of the numbers flying around just no which suggest he is the main benefactor financially.
It’s confusing as heck.
On the field, no more meddling with Cal Mac at full back etc.
We have a team of players capable of beating any SPL side ( and I don’t believe Scott Brown is finished either). We need to source his replacement with proper scouting resource doing that diligence.
If Lawwell continues to stand in the way of that element then it will be time for him to go. IMHO
I’m rambling a wee bit as I start to get angry the more I think about it so nothing more for the moment.
Hail Hail and a win for the Good Ghuys.
we will end up buying Killies full backs on last day of window. Unless we get knocked out of EL…then we won’t sign anyone PS do we have any scouts at all?
Here’s hoping recent events will perhaps galvanise the squad to push on… tough one to get over but, yes, move on. And… if you pay good money for defenders, play them in; tomorrows game is an ideal opportunity; Gordon, Elhamed, Bolingoli, Jullien, Ajer, Brown, McGregor, Christie, Forrest, Edouard, Griffiths for me HH
Too many on here taking their eye off the ball. The discontent about Tuesday night has less to do with the CL than the possibility of feckin-up 9IAR. We currently do not have a left back and are lightweight in midfield. Anybody currently watching sevco can see they have improved and have a beefed up midfield that I’m afraid will overrun ours at Ayebrokes. If anybody thinks that the huns won’t push us all the way then you haven’t been paying attention.
NL does not do himself any favours by trying to pass the buck for Tuesday’s failings onto his players. He lost the dressing room at Easter Road because of this and by publicly slagging off Florian Kamberi, who I personally think is an @rse, but you keep these things in-house.
There is a saying “piss poor preparation will result in piss poor performance.” So far our preparation has been sub-optimal, as usual, so no surprise at crashing out of the CL.
Interesting to see one or two standing up for their close pal Peter Lawwell but I suppose when you are trying to sell gin you don’t rock the boat.
Anyhoos we have a game to win on Saturday and as I will be in Glasgow on Thursday night, en route to Cologne for KölnCelt’s 50th, I’ll probably ignore my better judgement and buy a ticket for the EL qualifier.
willineverlearncsc
Everyone who thinks that the sevco’s newest set of loanees will bear us will have a chance at I told you so in a few weeks. I am not buying into it and have no fear of them. I am more worried about dropping points to Hinpbs away. We will see soon. One bad game doesn’t make a ream bad.
Sorry, joined two posts together.
TAURANGABHOY on 16TH AUGUST 2019 12:21 PM
So many panty wetters. The entitlement at this time of year is becoming sad sack. Show me a team who wins every game every time. One loss and the whingers are out. Fuck sake call yourself supporters. Same thing happened last year, and the year before. How many bed wetters apologised at the end of the season when Neil Lennon delivered two of the three trophies, in a historic trebel treble. None. Nine in a row coming up and you can cry all you want. See you at the end of the season. Hail Hail. Standing up for the champions. Mon the hoops. Can’t wait for Neil Lennon to pick up the nine. It will destroys them. Hail Hail
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Your arithmetic’s not too good. ‘One loss and the wingers are out ……………. Same thing happened last year and the year before.’ Surely that’s 3 losses. It’s not just the loss on Tuesday night that has enraged supporters. It’s the perennial clusterfuck that we have to endure during every transfer window. It’s the annual failure to prepare for these CL qualifiers when we know they are coming. It’s the appointment of a manager that most people opposed. It’s the cavalier way they did it (in the showers). You have said that we will win 9 in a row. Yes, I think so too. However, we will be having the same conversation at this time next year if the fans do not force action now. We need a change of manager and a change of strategy. We need to get in players now and in January who will give us the best chance of qualifying for next year’s CL group stages.
NL comments about reading riot act at half-time was nonsense.. It Is his job to have players ready for kick-off. He basically admitted he never gave them a ‘pep talk’ before the game or it appears tell them what the tactics were. Also we now have SS severely pissed off with him, also joined by 2 new dropped defenders and Calmac
TAURANGABHOY on 16TH AUGUST 2019 1:33 PM
One bad game doesn’t make a ream bad.
Agree, in isolation but it’s the constant failure to prepare for Europe that cause so much unrest.
Why do they never learn?
Big Swee
Regards to Scott Brown. He was all over the place on Tuesday night. Literally. He had negative contribution in 3 of the goals.
And I’m not taking the Cluj game in isolation. He hasn’t put in a good performance, this season to date.
I’m not writing him off completely. However, he had a summer break, more time off than some others who were still involved Internationally. He has had a preseason, and we are only in to week 4 or 5 of the new season.
The fact that he is off the pace, in these bigger games, is a worry. That can’t be disguised, or simply put down as an off night.
Look at guys like Iniesta. Got to 33, and started to play less and less with Barca. Got to 35, and moved to J-league.
Someone, whether it is Brown himself, or Neil Lennon. Someone needs to recognise he isn’t the force he once was. There should be no room for sentiment.
To me, I see a player on the slide. And that alone, should mean that he ain’t paramount to our team, if we have ambitions / intent on progressing as a football team.
When’s his press c9nf?
Father Jack – agree entirely. Long thought of him as a nasty piece of work. Intellectually limited and smug. An ad hominem bore.
Don’t agree with P67 at all on this, but no doubting his decency and intellect.
Hairlikespagetti I do think that we have improved from the beginning of last year. We were shite until Ryan Christie started playing in November. Players move on, we can’t stop that. Will Julian and bolingoli and Elhamed be great.? Time will tell but now us far too soon. Bain is a shadow of himself, not sure what’s going on in his head. Exciting stuff at the other end plenty of goals which no one seems to be talking about. I am sure than the buns are getting their hopes up. It is the hope that will kill them. I am quietly confident that we have enough for nine and to be honest that is enough for me. Europe can wait.
Taurangabhoy?? you don’t fear Huns at Ibrox? wouldn’t you rather improve team and go there trained to win well? We get hammered if we don’t sign LB and play a midfield that can win the ball. Forwards playing well means nothing if you can’t win ball and look open with a big punt up our left hand side They beat Hibs 6-1 it should have been double that , hibs ,Dons, Killie hearts will take no points from them this years they have all went backwards
Night all, my battery is gone. Be nice to each other. Keep the faith. Hail Hail.
“We get this every season now”How quickly some forget.Just how do we go about recruiting players in the “Close season”with a couple of weeks to get the signed players up to speed.This is not soley down to Celtic,this is,to use the term recently mentioned”A clusterfuck”of UEFAS making.Last season,we had Internationals going on,whilst trying to qualify.This year,the under 21s Internationals.Players on holiday,after hard seasons,telling agents,we will discuss when I get back.Our players getting 2 weeks off,after a 9 month season.
Saying we should recruit in January,is a nonsense.Teams dont want to sell then.Very difficult market.
Telling us the Huns have recruited well.A bad result against Legia,they will be balancing on a precipice.To those complainers,if PL had gambled our future on CL and failed,would that have made him a hero.?If the Turnbull deal had not collapsed,he would have given Lenny,around £16 million.
“He’s the head of a country, and I mean, he’s the strong head, don’t let anyone think anything different,” Trump said during an interview on Fox & Friends. “He speaks and his people sit up at attention. I want my people to do the same.”
Donald Trump in 2018, speaking of Kim Jong un
“But, what I really wants is the kind of unquestioning obedience that even Kimmy (that’s my pet name for him, and he calls me DJ… it’s so cute) doesn’t have … and Kimmy agrees with me … because I’m a stable genius … but he agrees with … we want what Peter Lawwell has.. almost 20 years …no challengers … he doesn’t even have to say anything and they agree with him …. I want him to do the introduction for my next book”
Donald Trump in 2019
Just an observation on ticket prices.
Last season my season book cost me £514, the Champions league qualifires were free, £22 and £25, the Europa League qualifier was £20 with the group stage package being £72 and the last 32 game against Valencia priced at £35.
THis season by season book rose 2.9% to £529. The 3 qualifiers cost £2 more in total than last season and the coming game is priced the same as last year.
For what it’s worth, I think the £20 is a fair price. In addition I’m not quite sure that our elimination by Cluj was any more disappointing than last season’s elimination by AEK Athens.
Back to workin and lurkin…
TAURANGABHOY- no offence taken mate,still a few with the keep calm and carry on attitude, the point is we should be much better than where we are,that’s not arrogance, that’s down to our bank balance. HH
Originalsadiesbhoy,So according to you we don’t have any say on how Lennon and his coaches manage the players,Well you must be happy how he sets up the team,I don’t,he shouldn’t have been made the first team coach again,remember he walked out on us ,went to Bolton ,were he was a disaster,then he ends up at Hibs,but that’s another story,in my opinion I didn’t want him back at Celtic,and mark my words ,he threw a few players under the bus,which some of them will down tools,and personnelly I can’t blame them,so the sooner he and the rest of his coaches are sacked ,the better it will be for THE CLUB and THE FANS
Tae feck with Dunfermline…..a relatively meaningless game . I would much rather lose to Dunfermline and beat Cluj.
20,000 tomorrow tops.
Auldheid,,
Fergus would have went after SFA ; he invested his fortune to rescue Celtic —-it was personal and business. He was also a straight down the line guy —- no grey areas although he could have had some come and go eg Taoiseach Berlin Ahern being denied access to Celtic dressing room even after a request from Dermot.
Also remember he took the SFA to court risking the wrath of UEFA and took out the cheat Farry over the Cadete registration delays.
Fergus was a straight shooter and had integrity in spades —- although he was difficult to deal with. He also wanted to merge league and SFA bureaucracies and compared their real estate/headcount/revenue with Canadian ice hockey. Fergus knew he was dealing with the bowling club committees.
At the same time as undermining Res 12 Lawwell helped ensure a pathway for Sevco with the trophies of RFC would proceed unhindered.
Lawwell has systemically damaged the club, allowed the SFA off the hook for Res 12 and played his part in the return of rangers/old firm business model.
Has Lawwell ever laid out Celtic’s strategic plan. Did he share it in the shower on treble treble day.
He is just not very good at his job.