A few months after that win over Barcelona and being eliminated in the knock-out stages of the Champions League by Juventus, Neil Lennon took his Celtic team to Astana, where Shakhter Karagandy elected to play their home tie in the 2013 qualifiers, while sacrificing a sheep for good fortune on the pitch a day earlier.
We lost 2-0 before performing an heroic rescue a week later to snatch victory in stoppage time, but some of the detail from the defeat in Kazakhstan has been lost.
In the opening stages at the Astana Arena we looked miles ahead before Shakhter scored a 12th minute opener. We continued to dominate possession – 61% overall – but failed to put the ball in the net, before conceding a late second, which must have delighted and surprised the Kazaks in equal measure.
A 2-0 loss away in Europe is a bad result, but the nature of the game gave plenty of room for encouragement. We were clearly a better team, but didn’t have our act together, especially in defence.
This game was the one and only start for that urban legend, Steven Mouyokolo, who partnered Charlie Mulgrew in central defence to give new guy, Virgil van Dijk, his second start, making a very unaccustomed appearance at full back. What did we expect? It wasn’t a surprise that we did enough in the return leg with a more conventional look at the back (Mouyokolo and van Dijk were both dropped).
Astana have several things in their favour. They are fully fit, 21 games into their league season, and 10 points ahead, so they’ve had the luxury of resting players as the qualifiers approached. Shakhter Karagandy have also agreed to postpone their scheduled game on Saturday, so Astana won’t play until they face Celtic next week. By contrast, Brendan Rodgers still needs game-time to work his players up to full fitness.
Last season Astana reached the Champions League group stage, eliminating Maribor (cough), HJK Helsinki and APOEL Nicosia along the way. Their group performances against Atletico, Benfica and Galatasaray were more than credible – two defeats and four draws, achieved by defending in numbers across all six games.
Listen carefully to the confidence the Shakhter manager who faced us three years ago has in his fellow Kazaks. Astana will be buoyed by last season’s achievements and will have watched the debacle in Gibraltar. They think they are the stronger team and, unlike their group stage games last season, will attack Celtic at home.
The last time they attacked at home in Europe was a year ago against HJK Helsinki, who scored three on the counter-attack but conceded four. There will be space to exploit on that bumpy plastic surface in central Asia. Defend, forget faux comforts like 61% possession, and have Leigh, Patrick, James and Callum hit them on the break.
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If we weren’t involved in CL qualifiers I would be all for this little friendly tournament, but our opponents are already in the group stages of the CL, we’re not. Just seems like a big gamble to me.
Paul67
Do you not need better quality defenders to defend in depth?
The plan is now Rip Van Wee Jamesie to waken up three years later and boot them in the Kazakstannies.
SameOleSh@@te CSC
Just saw a Shoreditch beard (crossing at some traffic lights, in his natural habitat) wearing one of these.
https://www.oneills.com/aidan-mcanespie-green-gaa-jersey-adults-1.html
I was, and remain, astounded of forehead
Why do we play friendlies whilst involved in trying to secure a Champions League group spot. Money for the boards coffers.
Fast forward 12 months we get knocked of CL at qualification stage the usual suspects cry “We weren’t match sharp, why were we not playing some friendlies”.
Interesting looking at our last trip to Kazakhstan, at possibly the height of (we hope) the old transfer policy.
We got CH Steven Mouyokolo on a free as his fitness/injury record was patchy.
It was a mistake we weren’t going to make again next time we got a CH with a patchy fitness/injury record we reportedly paid £3 Million for him.
Interestingly the same as Boerrigter, seems the going rate for a crocked player with a great YouTube vid..:)
It’s worth taking the time and getting the right player for the position.
Too many recent mistakes, I reckon BR will get us a good CH.
Hail Hail
TIMJIM WEEMINGER
Playing friendlies allows managers to try different players and systems.
A smart coach will do it with an eye on up coming important fixtures.
The problem is when your team takes a pounding your standing drops.
Celtic’s reputation here in America has certainly slipped after some really dismal friendly performances.
It’s a balance between immediate revenue and future value?
Man ute just being humped by Dortmund won’t matter as they have huge epl publicity machine to dismiss result and talk them up way beyondd their actual ability.
We on the other hand have spl and mssm to overplay our poor performances and deride any success.
A good CH, when? We should already have one by this time or at least one that BR rates.
Whilst agreeing with the poster re ‘ friendlies there are two aspects of that. Firstly,we are involved in CL qualifiers and secondly we need games to improve fitness. I would think BR will use a lot players tomorrow. But, the main point,surely, is WE were invited along with Barcelona,Inter Milan and Leicester. What’s not to like about that? You could be at Falkirk watching East Stirling…… BTW the barmaid in the pub in Spain I have mentioned before many times ( that’s the pub no the barmaid) wants everything I can get from the game…. So all you CQNrs with the free programmes etc. you know where there is a home for them! Not back in Spain till October.
GO TELL THE SPARTIM @ 4:39 PM,
Well! I’m not going to disagree with that…
The delay is definitely disconcerting however, We need an Erik++, not a Simonuvic, Blackett, Bhoyata, Mouyokolo, etc, etc…
Hail Hail
Game on BT Sport on Wednesday
My punt at it would be :
———————–C.Gordon———————-
——–Lustig. Svietchenko. Ajer———–
Jancko ————————————–Tierney
——–McGregor. Brown. Armstrong ——-
-–—————–P.Roberts———————-
——————-L.Griffiths———————-
As an aside,,I was/am in the city on a Friday so thought I would visit a couple oft named hostelries Just my luck …. Bereft of CNrs…. them’ the breaks
As hot as in the hun free valley.
Astounded of forehead at all the excuses for not signing players.
We have been in the market for a CB for eighteen months….that is 18 months and still we are grubbing about looking for one, and still the excuses are being made for Pedro.
I will wager now that those making the excuses will be at the front of the Q slagging off the players and coaching staff if we don’t qualify, and Pedro will escape yet again.
TH EXILED TIM
Well said.
I often wonder why we perennially allow someone, who’s pay and bonus are never affected, gamble with our money on Champions League qualification.
Introspection CSC (places still available)
Cosy Corner Bhoy
Get BobbyM to send me your addy here and I will sent you a Celtic bracelet for the young wan.
HH
Out there we should play a back 7 comprising of
Mark McNally, Wullie Falconer, Efe Ambrose, Pearce Oleary, Du Wie, Rafael Schidt, Anton Rogan
No getting through that wall of classic
THE EXILED TIM on 22ND JULY 2016 4:54 PM
We spent quite a lot of money on one less than 12 months ago, he looked not too shabby, then he got injured. Then spent a wee bit on another one in January, and he looks ok.
So we have actually bought two half-decent looking CBs in the last year.
It’s not that we haven’t tried to plug the gap. In some respects it’s bad luck that we find ourselves hitting the transfer window once again looking for one.
Barney67 on 22nd July 2016 4:08 pm
If we weren’t involved in CL qualifiers I would be all for this little friendly tournament, but our opponents are already in the group stages of the CL, we’re not. Just seems like a big gamble to me.
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Surely Celtic need match fitness and the better quality the games are all the better?
Damned if you do and damned if you don’t.
ruggygman on 22nd July 2016 5:04 pm
Out there we should play a back 7 comprising of
Mark McNally, Wullie Falconer, Efe Ambrose, Pearce Oleary, Du Wie, Rafael Schidt, Anton Rogan
No getting through that wall of classic
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Was Willie Falconer not a striker of sorts?
Weeminger
As soon as Jozo got injured RD said he needed a replacement, needed not just wanted, he knew he was out for some time, fine we got Erik, kudos to whomever scouted him as he is a decent player for the money imo, but to got into a CL qualification with one, 1 CB is a joke, everyone knew CM was for the ofskie and the whole world knows that Efe is Efe.
Pedro is gambling again as he has done for years, he imo doesn’t give a toss else we wouldn’t be in this position.
But it’s only my opinion so it will count for feck all, all the Pedro lover wouldn’t hear of it.
HH
Good Afternoon.
New blog about Keith Jackson saying that the game needs the ‘Old Firm’ rivalry, and his remarks about those who let ‘hatred’ colour their view…
https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/2016/07/22/the-hate-game/
HH
RUGGYGMAN on 22ND JULY 2016 5:04 PM
Out there we should play a back 7 comprising of
Mark McNally, Wullie Falconer, Efe Ambrose, Pearce Oleary, Du Wie, Rafael Schidt, Anton Rogan
No getting through that wall of classic
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
I would make it a back 8 with Olivier Tebily marshalling the defence.
HH!!
In the past year we have signed 4 CB’s,Boyata,simunavic Blackett (loan) and Eric,it’s not as if we haven’t tried but it was always gonna be a hard task to replace VVD and Denyer
RUGGYGMAN on 22ND JULY 2016 4:49 PM
That’s 12 players you have there.
(I’m assuming you just forgot to include Efe). ;)
On another note, this place has really become the place for flying handbags and scratchy-slappy bitchiness. Wind it in folks. No need for it.
Before anyone asks…. nobody made me the ‘internet police’, haha. Seriously though, it’s worse than it needs to be at times!
-Tambo
Scullybhoy
Falconer was a poor mans Chris Sutton.
He played centre half or up top.
Genuinely I remember watching a Celtic team at the time that had Mark McNally at right back, and big Falconer beside Brian Oneil at centre half…. Can’t remember now who was playing left back.
But you can imagine why we weren’t too successful during that period.
Oh and I forgot to include everyone’s favourite, or at least Brian Laudrups favourite….. Scott Marshall….. Our big keepers brother. I’m sure he was a hairdresser. Played like one.
WEEMINGER @ 5:04 PM,
You are obviously a smart ghuy…
So could you explain to me, when you buy (£3M) a CH with a history of knee injury and that CH ends up out for at least a Season with a knee injury. How that constitutes “Bad Luck”
Hail Hail
Tambo
I listed forename and surname…..u maybe counted both?
ruggygman on 22nd July 2016 5:23 pm
Scullybhoy
Falconer was a poor mans Chris Sutton.
He played centre half or up top.
Genuinely I remember watching a Celtic team at the time that had Mark McNally at right back, and big Falconer beside Brian Oneil at centre half…. Can’t remember now who was playing left back.
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I think you could be right lad about big Willie filling in at centre back – deep in the mists of my mind that sounds familiar.
BTW did he not have a knee ligament removed and still continue as a pro footballer, maybe I just dreamt that which seems to be happening to me more as I get older.
CHAIRBHOY on 22ND JULY 2016 5:23 PM
Er because many players come back from injury – some break a leg and look better after the return ;).
So if the medical indicates that previous injuries didn’t leave behind anything resembling permanent damage you go ahead with purchase. I never actually checked the detail of his injury with us. Was it a recurrence of something he’d previously suffered?
RUGGYGMAN on 22ND JULY 2016 5:25 PM
You’ve lost me, sorry.
-Tambo
I know it is risky but if Celtic bring in a CB as a wild card before the next European match they will probably play him and yet he may well be not 100% match fit. Now if it is right we are re signing Charlie Mulgrew ( personaly I wouldnt ) we could risk playing him in his best position centre back we as a club are gambling on our progress anyway so a little more risk might pay off. H.H.
Take 5 everyone and relax……..
https://www.youtube.com/embed/cfoLYTKObiU
WEEMINGER @ 5:34 PM,
Yes, seems to be a reoccurrence…
Celtic stated that before completing the transfer they sought advice from an expert in London.
Now, do you what that sounds to me like…
Someone didn’t do their job properly
OR
Someone was prepared to take a RISK
It’s just one example that is all to indicative of a (from my perspective) failed transfer policy.
Hail Hail
Bringing in a central defender now and playing him in the back-of-beyond cant be riskier than say playing someone just aff the plane from the African Nations Cup can it ?
Make of that what you will.
Anyway would you say yes to Ya Ya ?
Reports of multiple deaths after a shooting incident
in Munich.