You and I have watched a lot of Celtic away from home in the Champions League; we know what to expect. Stick to your task, clear the ball long, tackle hard and exploit set-pieces as best we can. That’s been the plan for 27 away games. 25 of them ended in defeat.
Away game 28, in Barcelona, fell apart at the seams, but last night in Manchester built on the progress in Monchengladbach. From nowhere, Celtic have gone two unbeaten away from home in this tournament.
It wasn’t just the result (in either game) we had more attempts at goal, more attempts on target, we passed with speed and precision under pressure. City caught us on the break to score, and could have added another, on the break, but we had the better of the chances in both halves. Moussa Dembele, Gary Mackay-Steven and Leigh Griffiths will all feel they should have scored.
Jozo Simunovic and Erik Sviatchenko again proved they can operate at Champions League level. The difference in central defence since last year, when one or other of them was unavailable, is beyond credible.
The night was another success for Stuart Armstrong, who built on a transformational visit to Motherwell on Saturday. James Forrest took on and beat three players to setup Dembele, but James fell to a familiar foe and retired injured.
Gary Mackay-Steven, playing his first senior game in over eight months, looked exhausted after his first sprint. There are no shortcuts to match fitness. That chance, when he was clean through with Caballero to beat, will no doubt haunt the player, but he delivered a performance reminiscent of the one he gave in the San Siro two years ago, before being sacrificed. As though alchemy is at work, Celtic have squad-fillers from earlier times looking the part at the highest level.
I had a notion that it wouldn’t be too bad if Patrick Roberts had an anonymous game. That lasted all of four minutes, when he waltzed into the Manchester City box to open the scoring. Did he do enough to convince Pep Guardiola that he’ll be needed in the City squad next season when his loan to Celtic ends? Probably not. That’s the way of it at Manchester City. They will spend >£100m between now and 1 September; Patrick will go the way of Jason Denayer.
Bring on Partick Thistle.
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Non football comment.
There will be people out there tonight across the football world who need support and guidance tonight.
Remember them in prayers or whatever means you use to find succour.
HH
There are idiots who support Celtic.
I was once an idiot. I confronted a few Oldco fans on a couple of occasions. And a Jambo once.
It never made the news and it was pre mobile phone times.
I sang a lot of rebel songs at times and places I shouldn’t have.
I’m embarrassed looking back. I don’t think my children would behave as I did.
I don’t feel in any way sorry for the idiots who let Celtic down lately but I wouldn’t fancy being a young chap now with the digital monitoring of every aspect of life or the excessive policing at football –
And that is just football. I wasn’t a thug or a ned but I was a daft young man who drank too much and made stupid decisions at times. I don’t envy the young uns growing up with wall to wall digital coverage of their lives.
BIG JIMMY on 7TH DECEMBER 2016 5:08 PM
TIMALOY 4.29,
I have read some Huns on their media warning their fellow scum to tread carefully, as this could come back and bite them on the erse ?
*didn’t wee bammy8 recently come out with some comments regarding this. Widnae be for oor benefit either.
Someone goading JJ
Anyone any idea of the real big story?
=======
Sean McDougal says:
December 7, 2016 at 2:51 pm
Any word on the “real” big story within Scottish football?
Tenner a month, go on I dare you!
=======
MWD
2 headline news reports on BBC sport and news
Ex-Celtic youth coach charged in NI
Celtic charged after violence in Manchester
good to see Celtic-make the headlines for putting Scottish football back on the map
JMcCormick
Only if Bayern don’t get there first!
Great pass for the goal btw.
VP
I’m guessing here, not having met him at Mass, that he’s quite probably not!
JMcCormick – absolutely! Well said.
HT
Wonder what if it’s Dallas or Campbell O, who has any influence in who monitors us in Europe ?
Re Moussa – i recall a few had him written off after a handful of games. The boy came good for us no doubt about it.
I’m a great believer that young players, including Tierney, Roberts et al, need to be taken out of the team at certain intervals at the Managers discretion. To avoid burnout, both physically and mentally and to keep them focussed on competition for places. Also to be able to watch the matches from a different viewpoint, outside of the pitch as such which could give a different perspective on things.
WINNING CAPTAINS on 7TH DECEMBER 2016 2:52 PM
The reason we are postponing that Q&A is quite simple. We want to get feedback from Celtic about the manner in which the media is dealing with Celtic, specifically in relation to last night’s coverage of the Champions League game in Manchester. However any general questions on the MSM as it relates to Celtic is welcome.
*It’s the beeb they want tae go after and this is no something new with them either, they’ve been anti-Celtic as far back as I can recall with blue peter thops-hun “losing” the 7-1 tape. Sevco have banned them so they’re not just trying tae appease them, it’s just pure unadulterated Celtic/Irish/Catholic hatred.
Sir Furious also had them banned and manure took the fine. So should we as they are costing us money as it is with their constant “revealing” to UEFA the misdemeanors of our support
Robert T
At the recent League Cup final my daughter, who’s 13, stood beside me singing Grace. It’s a song about a militant republican who opposed Brit oppression through active force. She’s not a Ned or a football hooligan.
Personally, as her father, I was incredibly proud.
Cowiebhoy
Who on earth would select someone with that background and hope for objectivity?!
Personally if you sing this song at Celtic Park (even the bastardised version we are fed over the PA) then do you really have the right to shout down those who sing their stories and their songs?
Let the People sing
For those who are in love
There’s a song that’s warm and tender.
For those who are oppressed
In song you can protest.
So liberate your minds
And give your soul expression.
Open up your hearts,
I’ll sing for you this song.
Let the people sing their stories and their songs
And the music of their native land
Their lullabies and battlecries and songs of hope and joy
So join us hand in hand
All across this ancient land
Throughout the test of time
It was music that kept their spirits free
Those songs of yours and of mine
It was back in ancient times,
The bard would tell his stories
Of the heroes, of the villain,
Of the chieftains in the glen.
Through Elizabethian time
And Cromwellian war and fury
Put our pipers to the sword,
Killed our harpers and our bards.
Let the people sing their stories and their songs
And the music of their native land
Their lullabies and battlecries and songs of hope and joy
So join us hand in hand
All across this ancient land
Throughout the test of time
It was music that kept their spirits free
Those songs of yours and of mine
Ireland, land of song,
Your music lives forever
In its valleys, in its mountains,
In its hills and in its glens.
Our music did survive
Through famine and oppression.
To the generations gone,
I’ll sing for you this song.
MWD
Ipcress File bbc4 tv
Last football comment.
Well played Dortmund.
MWD
In my opinion, no they don’t or they’re guilty of hypocrisy.
Happy non birthday!
Maybe a wee protestation is in order to remove said song from the PA hymn sheet altogether for the sake of sanitisation. Yes even that bastardised version. If you must!
MWD
HT
I’d hope not. I’d hope not even a hum or sway to the tune and just total disgust.
MWD
I have said many many times Celtic are akin to a Jewish team playing in Germany in pre war days.
I have been mocked for saying this but I believe it to be true, they would see us dead and gone given half a chance, the anti Irish-Catholic sentiment will never ever leave, they are in the vast majority and to appease them by doing what they tell us is only going to send us further to the back of the bus.
They are offended by our very existence, never give in to them, never.
Our songs are virtually all we have left, feck them
TET
Not that old chestnut again
The Manuel programme,
Quite excellent acted.
Tinytim-Ron B- re Dembele-you might be guys on here a couple of years ago saying we would be doing well to get £5 mil for van Dijk, wake up and smell the coffee….
St Stivs
Is that because the wee Bhoys fae Greenock :-)
THE EXILED TIM
Well said.
Why should we let Scottish bigots decide what is acceptable.
A country that tried to bury figures showing clear anti Catholic bigotry in hate crime stats.
We should take no directives from hypocrites.
Stars
So tell me why it’s wrong, I have yet to hear a valid argument against it, just mocking, nothing else.
There was a civil war happening not that far away from you a year or so back, some may say it’s still happening, they said it could never happen……
HH
Fan
We are in the minority, the appeasement is rife sad to say.
HH
I like to think of modern Celtic as a progressive club, with progressive supporters and Brendan Rodgers as a progressive Manager, Leader and person. In this day and age I dont think pro IRA sings have any place at Celtic matches. I don’t and never will sing them.
TET
I agree. Constantly we have Celtic supporters criticising the behaviour (singing) of the Celtic supporters who at the same time highlight those who criticise those in the media who criticise our support. I don’t get it.
Wee martin
I think he is a brilliant actor from the tribe.
Magic Tim sentiments in most of his films.
Sweet 16 port images are great captures of a day in the port.
So.
Better than a knighthood
Martin is an honouary PORT ONION
Keep it lit
TET
You cant make a serious comparison between the treatment of Jews in Nazi Germany and Catholics in Scotland
Ok ,what you have said is that Celtic are akin to a Jewish team playing Germany in the 1930s
One big flaw of course is that there were no Jewish teams playing in Germany in the 1930s and if there had been they would have been rounded up and taken to concentration camps.
I dont think Scotland for all its faults comes close to that.
We all accept that there is and has been anti catholic/anti celtic bias in Scotland over the years but seriously ….you cant compare it to Jews in Germany….you simply cant
As someone sat in Man City end last night with my nephews and bhoys
We all agreed that we were glad that the City fans around us
didn’t know what was getting sung at other end of the ground
Most City fans were OK and let another couple of pi$hed Celtic fans along row from us
sing their heart out whole game but even they knew what songs
not to join in.
As good a Manager is Brendan is, as a Leader and a Person he is an example to all of us. Absolute class, dignity and respect in abundance.
Neganon I grew up in Invercanny during the 60’s and 70’s. St Sixtus and St Pius.
KTF
Celtic supporters singing Irish nationalist songs.
Wtf.
At match in england.
Wtf.
I don’t know who it was but.
“The laughter of our grand children”
KEVJ
I agree with a lot of what you say BUT the Irish heritage is still there. It’s about deciding what is appropriate within that heritage in current times.
KTF
Timereaper
Does that include ‘Let The People Sing’?
MWD
Stars
Do you think they would see us dead and gone given half a chance ?
As I said a few short years ago people were burning families out of their homes just up the road from you, they were getting help from the brit authorities who were colluding and turning a blind eye, people were getting killed just for being Catholic, if they could transfer some of the troubles over to scotland they would in a heartbeat and the same would happen in scotland imo, and please don’t say it could never happen, that doesn’t wash, it could happen very easily, the world is a changing, money and jobs are in short supply.
Humans are evil, their hate for us is palpable, it wouldn’t take much imo to spark things off.
Oh, and I did say we are a modern day version.
HH