Arrivederci Foro Mussolini

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This time yesterday, I was full of “Night without usual expectations for Celtic” chat.  Nothing in my years watching Celtic told me we were going to win on our Roman Holiday.  The opening 10 minutes did nothing to change this view.  Lazio scored within 7 minutes and within 8, they were back in possession inside the Celtic box.

The home side needed to win and were prepared to throw men forward in the opening period, which unsettled Celtic.  When Celtic were eventually able to get their passing game going, Lazio adopted a more conventional formation.  Had they continued to throw runners into our box, the outcome could have been different.

So many times after European games you and I have discussed the importance of mistakes in determining the outcome.  Commanding possession is all fine and well, but the team who makes fewest defensive mistakes are more often likely to win.

On 38 minutes Mohamed Elyounoussi lost, but then won back, possession, as Lazio failed to clear their lines.  His pass to James Forrest was too crisp to be intercepted, but James’ defensive marker took himself out of play by vainly attempting to steal the ball.  From that moment, the goal was inevitable.

James scored a similar and equally important goal in Champions League qualification in Rosenborg two years ago.  His shot inside the keepers unprotected far post was thunderous.  Celtic had a foothold in the game which would ask big questions of the team currently in a Champions League qualification spot in Serie A.

My heart was in my mouth only once, when the referee rushed towards Scott Brown while taking a card out his pocket, but the colour was yellow and Scott would remain on the pitch to complete a gladiatorial performance.

Lazio needed to win to give them a realistic chance of qualification and the closing 10 minutes of regulation time saw them again flood into the Celtic box.  Fraser Forster, who two weeks ago produced a Save of the Ages, this time produced three fine stops which would have beaten a lesser keeper.

The more Lazio pushed for a winner, the more space Odsonne Edouard was able to exploit.  The French striker was isolated for much of the two games against Lazio, but whenever Celtic cleared long, he caused the defence problems.  Set free by the impressive Elyounoussi, he had the best chance of the game, but pushed his shot wide of the far post with the keeper beaten.

Edouard had one more decisive action to come.  A careless pass, which should have gone across the Lazio back line, was intercepted by Odsonne, who had Forrest and substitute Olivier Ntcham in support.  Edouard drew the defenders before slipping the ball to Ntcham.

Think back to Blackburn 2002.  That through ball for Larsson, who drew the keeper and deftly chipped the ball into the net.  17 years later Ntcham did the same in the most impressive cameo since Hitchcock folded his canvass chair for the last time.  The Romans were in ruins.

Let’s be clear about the magnitude of this win. Lazio are currently strutting through Serie A and played their strongest team last night.  They have not lost at the Stadio Olimpico in all competitions in over six months.  Six months!  The former Olympic stadium is part of the Foro Italico complex, originally known as the Foro Mussolini (Mussolini’s Forum).  The old fascist’s structure was turned upside down last night.

This is a very good Celtic team, perhaps the best we have seen since 2012.

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403 Comments

  1. A proper non Masonic plan is Happening methinks.

     

     

    Paul67, Thank You very Much for this site to vent our spleen.

     

     

    Please make it as easy as you possibly can to navigate it.

     

     

    It is…….. och Aidan is desperate to see Celtic against the Sevco. Say a a little prayer that Aidan gets a ticket. I’ve told him he will be fine getting oot as I will be parked in ASDA.

     

     

    Me and the wee Man have some record against sevco.

     

     

    Magical CELTIC.

  2. Canamalar it looks like OCD obsession on

    Quite interesting the different responses from GFTB to posters who deviate from taking about the great victory against Lazio.

     

    EL comments on a post that tongue in cheek has a pop at the board, while EL finds the tongue in cheek less relevant than the point made.

     

    Macjay on the other hand has a go at the supporters, using British propaganda as a source of evidence as he normally does, ignoring very relevant information from his own source.

     

     

    One is dismissed with accusations and the other is encouraged with intercourse, one a left wing liberal and the other an outright imperialist who not only tolerates but excuses atrocities committed by the British and American empires while all others must be condemned.

  3. Why did I not turn phone off

     

     

    Canalamar 2.28pm

     

     

    Not like you to read my posts but my take on Ernie was no comment about the game (I did say both posts were merited) but likewise you go on the attack … without posting about the Lazio v Celtic result … sometimes judge your own post before judging others .. although that might take a bit of work

  4. May as well stay up …

     

     

    Canalamar

     

     

    I have said many many times I care not for anybodies politics on here, in reference to Macjay having met the person am afraid politics or not I treat the person not the posts

     

     

    Macjay can fight his own battles on here (seemingly) he has many … but he probably thrives on that :-)

  5. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    Not ” supporters ” .

     

     

    It`s the GB propaganda which needs to be countered .

     

    With facts. Truth .

     

    However embarrassing that truth may be .

     

     

    That`s the job of any anti fascist.

  6. Bed Time – the Virgin trains have the most uncomfy seats for getting a bit of sleep.

     

     

    Magical Lenny and the Bhoys – I’m hoping Olivier really owns Scotland up until Christmas.

     

     

    Never forget that the Huns were celebrating Neil getting the job after Brendan.

     

     

    Neil is a Genius

  7. Canalamar 2.28am

     

     

    Funnily enough BSR copy and pasted the post about EL trying to take the blog another way …

     

     

    I take it you missed that post or maybe didn’t suit your board agenda …

     

     

    Hope you enjoyed our team reaching the last 32 with 2 games to spare

     

     

    Any thoughts on that ?

  8. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    GFTB on 9TH NOVEMBER 2019 2:39 AM

     

     

    In fact I thrive on Celtic.

     

    A life long friend of mine and those before me.

     

    A friend to be protected from those who wish to impose their divisive views on her.

     

     

    As a Tim in a class of non Tims aka Rangers supporters and their fellow travellers , I spent my student days defending Celtic ( and Catholicism ) from frequently uninformed criticism.

     

    Never did I think I would feel the need to protect her reputation from the frequently uninformed criticism of fellow Celtic supporters.

     

     

    Facts are always the weapon of choice.

     

    But only useful against the ideologically non blinkered.

     

    Sadly a rare breed .

  9. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    CANAMALAR IT LOOKS LIKE OCD OBSESSION on 9TH NOVEMBER 2019 2:44 AM

     

    Macjay,

     

     

     

     

    Your reference was the BBC

     

    =========================================================

     

     

    The facts corroborated by the Irish Times.

     

    I can provide an RTE source if you wish.

     

    Even more embarrassing as it mentions a number of other Nazis .

     

     

    Can we keep it civil ?

  10. Macjay 2.49am

     

     

    Am stupid enough to just go with how I meet people …

     

     

    I come on here to talk about Celtic, our interactive Tic boozer … but obviously like any normal pub some don’t like the conversation just being about Celtic

     

     

    That’s what makes CQN good.. it would be shoite if we all agreed … at least when you leave the real pub you go home … on here you have another look to be polite :-)

     

     

    By the way I still think you are a mile off the mark with the Green Brigade and my nephew, his kids and my daughter all love the GB … maybe Canalamar is right and you should stop reading the BBC … most Celtic fans in Scotland don’t :-)

  11. Canamalar it looks like OCD obsession on

    GFTB,

     

    It was as described and was an observation, an attack is quite different.

     

    So “great victory against Lazio” does not count as a comment on the result, very good.

     

     

    Macjay,

     

    I suggest you you go back and reread the whole article in your original post.

     

    You might note the Americans found him not guilty, and the atrocities committed by the nazis did not become public knowledge in Ireland until the 70s a time when the British establishment was propping up South American dictators such as Pinochet who was implementing nazi style policy against his own population.

     

    England produced more nazi sympathisers than Ireland pre and post war including royalty and media. But as usual only the Irish deserve condemnation, it’s like macjay rues the day the Irish destroyed the trading company empire.

  12. Canamalar it looks like OCD obsession on

    Macjay,

     

    It also mentions that not all were nazis, some were anti nazi German is resistance.

     

     

    Just goes to show who was hated most by the Irish eh, like GFTB, the Irish could only go by experience, their experience with the British was similar to that of the Jews in Germany.

  13. Canalamar 3.04pm

     

     

    “Great victory against Lazio”

     

     

    Is 4 words about last night and your post contained 121 words

     

     

    What were the other 117 words about ?

     

     

    Me & Macjay

     

     

    Ah well glad you enjoyed our first victory on Italian soil … 4 words

  14. Canalmar 3.14am

     

     

    So it wasn’t my post to Ernie that annoyed you it was because I was responding to Macjay

     

     

    Because BSR didn’t respond to Macjay that was ok for BSR to comment to Ernie

     

     

    Playground stuff

     

     

    Am pretty sure Macjay posted about the game but I can assure you when you meet a poster you can interact without others permission

  15. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    GFTB on 9TH NOVEMBER 2019 2:58 AM

     

     

    The problem is politics.

     

    Sport and politics mix. No question about it .

     

    The exclusion of South Africa from international rugby was an important step on the road to ending apartheid.

     

     

    My best mate , with whom I travelled to Leeds for a memorable victory in `70 loves the G.B.

     

    I see things differently .

     

    Their vocal support for the IRA alienates many Scottish people who MAY otherwise support Celtic.

     

    Their waving of Palestinian flags alienates Jewish people who MAY otherwise support Celtic.

     

    The anti semitism accusations against the Labour Party are currently damaging their electoral prospects.

     

    BUT they are a political institution .

     

    Celtic are not. Although some pretend that we are.

     

     

    I have no wish to talk politics on CQN . However others do .

     

    I feel the duty to respond.

     

    That`s the DUTY.

  16. Macjay 3.19am

     

     

    Again… we will never have the same political “leaning” as I work under a Tory government and witness the poverty at first hand .. BUT I don’t come on here to discuss politics … when I was a wee eijit in the 70s I always remember my mum & dad not telling anybody who they voted for … obviously it was labour but they were adamant you weren’t allowed to tell anybody … it’s not like that these days

  17. Broonie was my Numero Uno in Rome.

     

     

    Such a hard choice. Definitely Time to sleep.

     

     

    I dinnae like saying who I picked as it can influence others.

     

     

    He had a shocking pass late on but that didnae effect the game.

     

     

    Really could have picked 3 or 4 MOTM’s. I said to the older dudes in work that Celtic would need EVERY player to be on their game for Celtic to get ANYTHING against a hurt and Angry Lazio.

     

     

    Every Celt wiz on their game – Neil yer Magical.

     

     

    Defo outie.

     

     

    God Bless y’all.

  18. Canamalar it looks like OCD obsession on

    GFTB,

     

    Your just clutching at straws to justify your hypocrisy,

     

     

    As I said at the start, an interesting observation on how you address the same subject depending on the poster. Nothing more nothing less.

     

     

    Neither mentioned the result but only one got panned, I did mention the result but got panned for its brevity,

  19. Petec

     

     

    Ffs 3.28am

     

     

    Mate getting pulled up about spelling is a bit rich when we need to read some of your posts …

     

     

    iPhones have predictive spelling and can pretty sure Canalmar isn’t set … but delighted your on the ball

  20. Canalamar 3.26am

     

     

    Snap …

     

     

    With me & BSR’s response to Ernie

     

     

    Irony is ….. lost

  21. GFTB,

     

     

    I AM – nothing.

     

     

    I’m irrelevant.

     

     

    The Book of Isaiah has a mad wan saying all sorts.

     

     

    Celtic is Fundamentally Good Bro.

     

     

    Defo Sleep Time – magical Lenny.

  22. Canamalar it looks like OCD obsession on

    facts are only facts when they support the agenda,

     

    Fact-Churchill’s family fortune was invested in German arms manufacturing before and during the war.

     

    Fact-anti-zionism is very different from anti-semetism

     

    Fact-waving a Palestinian flag does not equate with anti-semitism regardless of what the Zionist’s tell you to think.

  23. Canalamar 3.26am

     

     

    Hypocrisy ???

     

     

    Am pretty sure we all have a tinge of it, in fact some more than others …

     

     

    I wish you would read my posts earlier but obviously you think I love the plc … maybe it’s more difficult for you to realise a very large majority of Celtic fans just want Celtic winning .. o commend you & the other Res bhoys but sometimes don’t let your hatred of the board eat your love of Celtic … it does seem that’s what’s happening

  24. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    CANAMALAR IT LOOKS LIKE OCD OBSESSION on 9TH NOVEMBER 2019 3:04 AM

     

     

    Skorzeny was a member of the SS.

     

    Pinochet was a fascist who was indeed supported the CIA . And whose assistance over the Falklands was much appreciated by Thatcher.

     

    As was Argentinian Galtieri , of Falklands fame , whose invasion has bizarrely been supported on CQN .

     

     

    ” You might note the Americans found him not guilty, and the atrocities committed by the nazis did not become public knowledge in Ireland until the 70s ”

     

    Sorry . That is simply not true.

     

    The knowledge of German atrocities was public knowledge during the war and during the Nuremberg trials , immediately post war.

  25. Canalamar 3.44am

     

     

    I hope that never happens …

     

     

    We all know the Huns cheat it’s in their DNA

     

     

    Enjoy Celtic … I know it’s easy for me to type it but am afraid it’s the truth … if we can’t enjoy Celtic then they win