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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Petec 3.47am
Rubbish night shift with no ultra sonic
Celtic Obession :-)
Canamalar
I am perfectly well aware of crimes committed by the British , and their surrogates in the B specials , the UVF , the UDA , against the Irish people over at least three centuries. Bloody Sunday being one of the most obvious examples.
Are you aware of crimes committed by the IRA ? Crimes which imho put back the cause of the reunification of Ireland until today ?
Never a better opportunity for reunification of Ireland than there is today . But it takes visionaries , like John Hume .
Sadly no sign of anyone of his ilk .
GFTB,
Maks sense to little ole me.
Laters.
Gdansk is on.
CANAMALAR IT LOOKS LIKE OCD OBSESSION on 9TH NOVEMBER 2019 3:41 AM
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.
==================================================================
Have no knowledge of the first point , so I can`t comment .
Mind you , the IRA bought weapons from Gaddafi .
The other two I agree with.
Unfortunately , the perception can be more powerful than the fact .
GFTB,
No idea why you revert to the misrepresentation of our relationship with the board.
You believe we hate the board because you read on here that we hate the board.
Let me try and explain the relationship, Res12 was born of a deep distrust of the boards handling of the machinations surrounding the granting of the license to the rotten mob.
There was little doubt that the had done enough to cover their legal responsibilities I’m sure everyone had at least expected them to have written to the SFA, what we did not expect was the meek acceptance of the response. This only fuelled further apprehension.
Finding the it later that they had written again only confirmed that we were not working together and that the board had a superset agenda that they were keeping from us. The fact they were keeping it from us indicated it was in conflict with Res12 agenda which has IMO proved to be the case.
As for hate, no one hates the board, you can’t hate the scorpion for stinging the frog it is in its nature, It the nature of the board to worship money and do all in their power and by any means necessary to make money. They have simply followed this mantra as expected. Morality and integrity are hurdles to be overcome.
Petec 4.01am
Magic …
Got 45mins before the boss gets up for work a wee bit of Ultra Sonic will make me feel as if am just come in fae the dancing :-)
Macjay,
Really no surprised about you lack of knowledge on the first one but there you have it check it out, the Churchill were invested in nazi success.
I’m no sure about your point on Gaddafi supplying the IRA with arms, the IRA were at war with Britain.
Britain were trying to destabilise Gaddafi, seriously I’m lost with the comparison to the leader of the British forc s invested in the nazi war machine.
GFTB,
You should be like me, and just say Mr C.
It is important to give people their proper names. I cannae get ma heid round Calum when its Callum, I’m so very sorry for being like this. Just DEEEEEELIGHTED Callum is staying with us as he is just Simply Sensational.
Anyway I must sleep ffs.
Canalamar 4.05am
Res 12 was about the SFA .. I totally understand that and have done so for a good few years … my opinion is you don’t trust or like Peter Lawell … apologies if I have got that wrong, and by the way trust me what I read on here doesn’t form my opinion … I don’t sit and wait on what’s written on here I try and find out both sides and try and form my own opinion, it might be rubbish but it’s mine … I come onto CQN because i like it not because I believe everything I read on it… you might not believe me but I try and make my own mind up about things, hence my view is you mistrust the board and Peter Lawell … am I wrong
Petec 4.17am
Don’t let that Macjay or Mr C interrupt your night shift :-)
At least David66 & Jobo will have something to read … :-)
Why an Apple with a Byte out it?
Canamalar
After earlier reading the comments of the admirable Auldheid about Res. 12 , and your comments above , I`m beginning to come round to the idea that you have a point .
Hope that the AGM does not turn into a barney and that decorum rules.
The only way that progress can be made.
Good luck .
Definitely bedtime
Canalamar 4.14am
My last word on it (this morning) as a Celtic supporter am gutted the board haven’t supported Res 12 from day dot, whether they want or need a strong Hun is a different matter … at least come out and tell the fans … I have never liked any Celtic board …. but in these terrific times it’s easy not to mind
Fellow Celtic fans good morning & God bless
GFTB,
I mistrust lots of people and things but it does not always mean I dislike or hate them.
It takes a lot of emotional energy to generate hate, that’s energy I do not think the Celtic board or any of the directors deserve, I suppose I have a bit of pity for them if anything as I see them as hollow, soulless like the scorpion that cannot overcome its nature.
Think of the board as the scorpion frog being carried across the river by the frog or supporters and know what has happened and what will happen is inevitable, they can’t help themselves.
Canamalar
Lots of people were seduced by the evil fascism in the `30s. Even Labourites.
After military service during the First World War, Mosley was one of the youngest Members of Parliament, representing Harrow from 1918 to 1924, first as a Conservative, then an independent, before joining the Labour Party. … The New Party became the British Union of Fascists (BUF) in 1932.
And lots of Cambridge scholars were seduced by the evil of Stalinism.
GFTB on 9TH NOVEMBER 2019 4:28 AM
And God Bless you too.
Affoot .
Macjay,
Unfortunately P67 told one of our fellow posters the inside story a long time ago, as far as the board are concerned Res12 is dead in the water, just a bit sad P67 did not have the cahones to relate this messages to us when the information was useful.
I suppose if you want to emulate Traynor….
Macjay,
No one was seduced by Stalinism, there is/was no such thing it’s called fascism.
Communism was usurped and a fascist dictator in the hitler mould took power and ruled like hitler.
CANAMALAR IT LOOKS LIKE OCD OBSESSION on 9TH NOVEMBER 2019 4:48 AM
Yes indeed.
Absolutely in agreement .
Leigh.
Simply a striker . And one of the best I have seen in a Celtic shirt.Reminds me of the incomparable Joe Mc Bride .
His absolute cracker from the left side of the box against the huns at Ibrox lives long in the memory .
Not to mention his restrained celebration at the corner flag .
:-)
https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/50350400
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QZrT6AM9GU
18.26 in
You can look at the others if you must .
:-)
Canamalar 4.30am
Now that’s a post I agree with :-)
(not that you need my agreement :-)
Petec .. I can even fix the auto type the next morning
Cold and frosty in ML5 but a lovely clear blue sky
OK, sorry to interrupt the night shift here but may I wish everyone a very good morning from a below freezing, bright and frosty East KIlbride. I fear that this morning’s ParkRun may be a bit slippy underfoot but I’ll give it a go. Then some top class football to look forward to over the next 36 hours. Should be a fine weekend.
Art of War- cracking story.
Today’s CQN Coupon –
Awalkacrosstherooftops – Aberdeen
The Exiled Tim- Montrose
Jobo Baldie – Kilmarnock
Bobby MUrdoch’s Curled Up Winkelpickers – Preston
Gerryfaethebrig – Ayr Utd
Lennybhoy – Leicester
Pogmathonyahun – Hull
Still buzzing about the Lazio result.
Good to see some older infrequent supporters making a return. Hopefully Paul will make the blog more accessible again.
On the Macjay stuff, I am puzzled
I already knew about Skorzeny and his brief period of Irish history.
I am not sure what “education” that I or any member of the GB, who may or may not already have known about this, should take from it. A point has failed to be made, as far as I can see.
Some Germans came to Ireland at some stages post WW2, some of them were active Nazis, some were not. Once, they had been cleared of war crimes, they were free to travel- most stayed in Germany but some went to Ireland though a greater proportion went to the UK and America, the choice of many economic migrants. One of them even went on to be very helpful in the space race.
So, what is the lesson that we and the GB should take?
Should we keep quiet about fascist war crimes because Ireland took in an ex-Nazi or two? Why so?
I, for one, fail to see any moral or ethical link between the two events.
Some in Ireland had ambivalent attitudes towards the Nazis. Some like O’Duffy and William Joyce were active supporters. Most were horrified.
Those attitudes existed and persisted in most countries including the UK and the US where characters ranging from Henry Ford to the Queen Mother and many Royal hangers-on were pro-Nazi at some point.
Thank God, the right side won the war and thank Gos the GB are still able to point out and taunt the Imperialist follies of Mussolini and his ilk because of that win.
No Celt was stabbed because of a GB banner- they were all stabbed because of right wing nutter ideology- there will be no blame shifted on that matter
Aff oot
Must run… ;-)
Found the Vote after Lazio game real hard work, Take Forster, a couple of saves won us the match but if we lost & Julien hadn’t cleared the ball off the line he would be rivaling Elhamed for the wooden spoon.
Elhamed had a sterling game there was very little separating him & a host of others.
Speaking for myself I was looking at the ghuys whose effort was the difference between winning & losing, I went with Forster, Elyounoussi & Brown, but I wouldn’t argue with anyone’s vote..
It was one of those games where every Celtic player deserved a vote,
Gooooooood Morning CQN
Looking forward to seeing the Glasgow Celtic game against Motherwell tomorrow 👍
( hope it heats up a bit 🔥)
PS
Art of War – fantastic story of the joy you had watching the game with your Auld Mhan 👍👍👍
Morning all!
Still buzzing from best Euro away performance in years :)
HH
Gerry
What on earth has Skorzeny living in Ireland post WW2 to do with the fact that Mussolini was a scumbag fascist? So, he (Skorzeny) rescued him (Mussolini) from a mountain top… and?
I really despair at times.
Art Of War @ 11:59 last night.
“Scroll on if not interested”
Why would we?
Absolutely beautiful post.
Hail hail
Having leapt forward to comment on AOW’s post have now gone back and read through the thoroughly merited responses.
CQN, like Celtic, is a mixed bag and a broad church.
On any given day you can find joy, fretfulness, angst, argument, agreement, fear.
Then every once in a while someone posts something that just nails it …. the essence of what we are.
Art Of War – take a bow.
Hail hail
ART OF WAR on 8TH NOVEMBER 2019 11:59 PM
Great to see you back on. Where have you been ???
The power, healing and therapy of a much loved football team cannot be underestimated.
The emotion of Thursday night gave many of us unbridled joy , just like your dad.
HH.
https://twitter.com/delbhoy0077/status/1192925452958085121?s=21
Thoroughly enjoyed the game on Thursday night between a Scottish &.Italian soccer team who have a set of fans known for their fascist leaning ala Mr De Canio.
Comments on here were an enjoyable catchup until one of resident stirrer uppers hi jacked the discussions.
What the feqq a German living in The Irish Republic has to do with Celtic supporters has me baffled can anyone explain,what should we have done?