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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Somebody got paid to come up with that 3rd strip,
the mind boggles
EDB
Just on to wish you all the best with your course of treatment!
Keep fighting pal!
Football comes a long way behind family and health!
HH
EDB
LOVE & bestwishes from ML5 aka lennybhoyland:)))))
If Peter Lawwell is such hot stuff why don’t we try to swap him for a decent centre half? Got to think outside the box and all that…
EDB, wishing you all the best pal.
EDB.
Hail Hail.
All the best.
ELDIEGOBHOY:
Came on just after your post. Glad to read that you are staying strong, hopefully catch up soon for a drink, perhaps in the Merchant City or the BV, depending when might even drag along M.
Take care mate and…
Until we meet again…
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
LEFTCLICKTIC on 22ND JULY 2016 7:21 PM
Timing is everything…:)
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Firstly, great to hear from EDB and his excellent news… Nil Illegitimi carborundum… Bada Bing at 637pm, I was not demeaning BBJ by the use of ‘mercenary’ merely pointing out that John Hartson , as was then,(before BBJ,tho’ a certain ex-Celt might disagree) was a person who did things primarily for financial gain and in no way could be construed as being altruistic… Still didn’t stop me from jumping up like a ‘maddie’ in a bar in Fuengirola where I was the only Tim and my wife was with me!! Large bollocking ensued but worth it. Still love seeing him in the Hoops when all those experts post the clips!!!
EDB.
Your post brings perspective. Keep up the good fight and take care.
THE EXILED TIM
Very well said: on my own tonight and was going to have a scroll through. I see more murderous behaviour in Munich, God help them all..
As others have said there is a lot of things more important than new signings and football all around us. I’ll have an early night and hopefully tomorrow will be better than today..
All the best to everyone and their families.
Hail! Hail!
!!BADA BING!! on 22ND JULY 2016 6:34 PM
Apologies if I came across wrong. I didn’t really think before typing. Just hit me hard, got me down.
Of course, it’s a fitba blog and that shouldnae be affected by the worlds other issues. Totally agree, and I never for one minute thought anyone on here wouldn’t spare a thought for the innocent. I wasn’t having a dig at anyone or even saying it’s wrong to moan about this or that…. just a bit of perspective, that’s all. No bad intended.
Anyhooo….. board sacked yet? ;)
-Tambo
What was PL thinking about when he picked that strip? :-)
EDB
Keep the faith. Puts some of the Keech (jackshun) on here into perspective,
That new 3rd strip is absolutely woeful. Is there not supposed to be some sort of connection (historical or otherwise) between the team and the strip that they wear? Pink….maybe if there was a donation to breast cancer awareness ..but ffs someone needs to give their head a serious shake. Cannot see that being commercially viable.
HH
————-Gordon———-
–janko–Erik–lustig—Ajer—tierney–
– —brown–Armstrong—
——————McGregor———-
————Roberts—–grifiths—–
Not overly happy with that
We are lacking a very good centre midfielder and centre half
So Kris is in the squad for the trip to the
” back of beyond ”
Are we all in harmony now??????
El Diego Bhoy
Thanks so much for your update.all the best in your continued fight.
Hail Hail
gearoid1998 on 22nd July 2016 7:31 pm
That new 3rd strip is absolutely woeful. Is there not supposed to be some sort of connection (historical or otherwise) between the team and the strip that they wear? Pink….maybe if there was a donation to breast cancer awareness ..but ffs someone needs to give their head a serious shake. Cannot see that being commercially viable.
—————
I’d imagine (hope) it’s more pinkish than the photos shown so far.
Weren’t the pink Celtic scarfs big sellers? It’s a 3rd strip so I don’t really care to be honest but I’d assume they are targeting a certain market
ELDIEGOBHOY on 22ND JULY 2016 6:56 PM
All the best and i hope you have a speedy recovery.
YNWA
One last wee thing tonight , we all need cheered up. Check out Billy Browns rant on the BBC site where he tells us all where we are going wrong. Staggering , bowling club mentality writ large.
HH
ELDIEGOBHOY
Good to see you posting again. Your spirit and inner strength will get you through this battle. God bless you and yours. Prayers offered for a full recovery and you will know that everyone on CQN is thinking of you and sending their best to you. YNWA.
Looking back on Celtic,’s last visit to Astana stadium we almost scored twice in the opening minutes and it looked an easy night’s work in store. Karagandy scored twice from long throws into our penalty box and some shocking defending. Kris Commons scored a cracker just on half time in the return game at Celtic Park if memory serves correctly.
Tambo-sorry if you thought it was directed at you my friend, these atrocities are daily now,I think the news channels have to stop giving oxygen to these bastards, they feed off the publicity,a wee spell on a blog can be a bit of freedom from the depressing news HH amigo
hankray on 22nd July 2016 7:45 pm
Looking back on Celtic,’s last visit to Astana stadium we almost scored twice in the opening minutes and it looked an easy night’s work in store. Karagandy scored twice from long throws into our penalty box and some shocking defending. Kris Commons scored a cracker just on half time in the return game at Celtic Park if memory serves correctly.
——————
Karagandy were awful, one of the worst team’s I’ve seen in Europe against us. We were so ill prepared and lazy that day. The Imps would’ve beaten them.
EDB-best wishes HH
jmccormick on 22nd July 2016 7:38 pm
Remember Billy when he and Jeffreys were at Kilmarnock. After a defeat at Celtic’s hands Billy raged about a hundred years (100 – Yes) of discrimination by pro-Celtic forces.
When asked about the decline in Scottish football standards he talked exclusively about Henrik, Gascoigne and Laudrup.
CCB-thanks for reply mate HH
ELDIEGOBHOY
Great to read your post!
Love, best wishes and prayers to you from me C and O!
God bless!
EDB
And from me too, of course!
Cosy Corner Bhoy
John Hartson v Liverpool
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iodsuIr1zDk
ELDIEGOBHOY
Good to hear from you mhate , met you once in BV glad your’e getting there take care HH !
!!BADA BING!! on 22ND JULY 2016 7:46 PM
Cheers m’man.
They say ‘no news is good news’….. it’s almost as if they want to drown us in bad news, as if an agenda depended on it. It’s seriously wrong. I avoid tabloids and mainstream media for that reason. Rips ye up inside at times.
HH to ye, aw the best :)
-Tambo
Eldiegobhoy
Thoughts and Prayers are with you Bhud, a true Bhoy
Proudbhoy
I wouldn’t mind that back 5 or 6 if you include The goalie,
Like you I would change others though
Hail Hail
Have we signed Efe’s ol’ school teammate yet? ;-)
-Tambo
Goodnight Timland.
Now that Celtic have got the ball out for real hope that
some of cqn’s absent poster’s will start battering the
keyboards.
Guys its a Ripleys moment at the something cup.
The new team got a penalty
Believe it or believe it not
FAN-A-TIC on 22ND JULY 2016 3:27 PM
67 EUROPEAN CUP WINNERS
Aston Villa did not pay 12 million to Swansea for Sinclair.
They had him on loan from Man city and purchased for 2-5 million.
Quoting an imaginary price does not give credibility to your post.
FAN-A-TIC
There is an old theory that says a good lawyer will prove he is right with a good intelligent argument and a bad lawyer will accept he is not capable of making a good argument so will simply attempt to prove the other guy is wrong
So sit back enjoy a cigar you have proved me wrong Scot Sinclaire was sold form Man City to Aston Villa for just under £3m – so not £12m as I mistakenly said
But you have completely missed the point
67ECW
I heard Billy Brown’s conclusion that the answer to Scottish football’s lack of success and entertainment is ……………………………………
.
.
.
Walter Smith.
Remember how his 2008 ream thrilled Europe on its way to the Manchester riots?
Obvious really.
Good luck EDB.
Tambourine boy@6-04pm
Ridiculous post.
All on here will be saddened about events in Munich.