I sat beside Stevie Chalmers and Bobby Lennox on Friday night at the excellent Irvine Celtic Supporters’ Club. The conversation eventually got around to Inter Milan. It’s hard to over-estimate the Inter team they faced in Lisbon. Going for their third European Cup in four years, and their fourth Italian title in five, they were the most imperious team Europe had ever seen, and arguably remain so. Real Madrid won five successive European Cups, but that consistency was not repeated domestically.
Despite this, Bobby and Stevie made it clear: Inter didn’t stand a chance. They were going to win that game, no matter what, there was not a single shred of doubt in their minds. It was a confidence which belied external reasoning and could only have existed within the team structure.
Talking about it 48 years later, the sense of purpose remains just as strong. That team believed they could do anything. I’ve heard contrasts. Gordon Strachan’s Celtic never came close to winning the Champions League, but I once heard him break off from a press conference to ask the room, “Who seriously thinks we have a chance of winning this?” Gordon’s lack of confidence was well grounded, but it didn’t feel right hearing him declare in this way. I prefer Ronny’s “We can win everything’ approach.
The Inter of 2015 are not in the same class as the Inter of ’67 but they remain formidable. Like Celtic, they are a team who appear to be progressing after a period of decline, but like La Grande Inter of Sarti, Facchetti and Mazzola, they don’t have a clue what to expect from Celtic.
Thanks for all the ticket requests for CQN11 St Pat’s Dinner over the last few days. It’s at the Kerrydale Suite on Friday 13 March, Cup Final weekend. Email me if you would like a ticket, celticquicknews@gmail.com
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I thought Vidic was injured just seen him on the park at Paradise….
corkcelt
18:38 on
19 February, 2015
Its quiet on here tonight, everybody must be going to game. The quietness is making me nervous, any nonsense at all will do, just so I know I’m not the only guy watching the clock. with a clenched gut.
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Good evening cc.Just got dropped off at the bar there, walked in and was immediately introduced to 2 family members of Stiliyan Petrov !!!
Another omen?
Just wasted an hour of my day trying to add bt sport to my sky box. Online didn’t work, then spoke to an Indian call centre. No joy! Updates appreciated!
Work getting in the way this afternoon so will have to wait until 5pm local time to watch on Celtic TV. First 30 minutes are going to be key. As I said yesterday, If Izzy and Adam are on their best form tonight, we will win.
Don’t see any other option that Griff up front. He is going to find it really tough against their defense. He will defo pull them around but I can’t see him getting many (if any) chances. Guidetti will hopefully get a run after an hour or so. I fancy Joe H to sneak a goal from midfield.
I am sure they will go with a very defensive set up so do not expect them to get many scoring opportunities. Will be happy with 1-0.
Gordon; Matthews, Denayer, van Dijk, Izaguirre; Brown, Bitton; Mackay-Steven, Johansen, Armstrong; Griffiths (MH)
Subs: Zaluska, Ambrose, Henderson, McGregor, Wakaso, Scepovic, Guidetti (MH)
Corkcelt
That’s our settled team..
Big night for the new Bhoys, baptism of fire…
No Stokes on bench?
Not optimistic at all about tonight. We are kidding ourselves if we think Inter are weaklings.
But I travel, as ever, with hope in my heart.
And well done Stan Collymore. In one afternoon he has spoken more sense on this than all the journos in Scotland have managed for 100 years (Ian Archer the honourable exception!)
No James Forrest? injured?
Like that line up
HH
gsu
Who said Inter are weaklings!
No me!
Names please!
Happy to admit I got it wrong, thought Ronny would make changes for tonight .
I suppose most of us will be pleased, but I’d have preferred Efe to AM and Guidetti to Griff. Anyway, COYBIG!
Corkcelt
Cheers. It’s the team we all expected. It’s up to them now
HH
That is a braw braw line up…come on the Celtic give it socks and hats…Griff the Biff to score a double
braw
philbhoy
Hope you are well . Saw your post the other day offering help and advice to another CQNer . Good man and God bless
Players who Ah NEVAH wanna see ..
Play..
fur us..in an European Encounter.
Stokes… Commons… Griffiths.. Mulgrew… EFE… n…
BROONIE.
Why?
Because they CANNY HACK IT.. Agin Top Players.
We wullnae get anywhere..so long as we hiv guys like BROONIE in the Team
He is a Powder Keg.. whenevah he canny Handle WAN of his Opponents..
He gives away.. Far Too Miny.. Stoopid Fouls..
N..this kn be Fatal… Tonight.. He may sell the Jerseys… Ah am afaid that is a Truism.
Broonie.. should Never, Never, Play in a Euro Contest..
Well… It looks tae Me that Guidetti..Must Lead the Line..
Because..tae Send oot.. Stokes or Griffith ,tonight.. wid be ‘
SUICIDE.. oan
Wheels.
The Guys as Two Puff Balls.. Weans agin Men..when the Play gin Tough Euro Competitors..
The Serb or Guiddetti..Must Lead the Line..
Noo Ye know..
Kojo
No Confident ,at awe..
oan Tonight’s Out Come..
but..
Ye Gotta Have HOPE..
n.. Kojo,his Good n Plenty of THAT..
Yea.. Ah Sure Dae, Dae..
N
A fair referee please.
That’s all I ask.
If Inter get a man sent off and we win 3-0 we should ask for the score to be reversed.
It’s only fair.
Hard work is the key…
Mon the hoops !
borgo67
Hope all is well with you too!
Made contact and had a blether already!
Hoping for the best tonight which is a victory for us, any victory!
Take care my friend!
RONNY Deila has kept faith with the team which beat St Johnstone 2-1 at the weekend for tonight’s UEFA Europa League last 32 clash against Inter Milan.
New Bhoys Gary Mackay-Steven and Stuart Armstrong will make their home debut in front of a sold-out Paradise as the manager decides to make no changes to his starting XI for the Hoops’ biggest game of the season so far.
The former Dundee United duo joined the champions at the end of the January transfer window and celebrated their move to Celtic with a goal apiece in their first match against Partick Thistle last week.
The pair will now make their bow at Celtic Park as part of an attacking front three alongside Stefan Johansen, who will fill in behind main striker Leigh Griffiths.
The hit-man has bagged four goals in his last six starts and will lead the line for the Hoops as they look to take a positive result over to Milan for next week’s second leg.
Head to the official Celtic Twitter account @celticfc for all the pre-match build-up and live match updates for tonight’s game, which kicks off at 8.05pm.
CELTIC (4-2-3-1) Gordon; Matthews, Denayer, van Dijk, Izaguirre; Brown, Bitton; Mackay-Steven, Johansen, Armstrong; Griffiths.
Subs: Zaluska, Ambrose, Henderson, McGregor, Wakaso, Scepovic, Guidetti.
borgo67
Best wishes to your wee sister too, and of course AM!
Saint stirs looking for crc at pools office corner
keep laughing Kojo…
braw
philbhoy
All well thanks. Working much longer hours these past few months.
Starting to get really nervous now, find it very difficult watching on the TV , quite often find myself walking out into the hall.
https://twitter.com/celticfc/status/568482130537385985/photo/1
5 past 8!!!
What a daft time for a kick off!!
We are normally 20 minutes into it and 1-0 down by then.
Might be a good idea right enough.
Them’s:
Carrizo, Campagnaro, Ranocchia, Juan Jesus, Santon; Medel, Guarin, Kuzmanovic; Shaqiri, Palacio, Icardi.
C’mon da Hoops
79caps @ 19:04
Efe? 10 out of 10 for comedy post of the evening!
borgo67
Nervous too!
I will watch the whole game come what may.
My Dad kept me at games for the full 90 minutes when I was a bhoy.
Support your team son, ’til the end of the game.
I remember once at Ibr*x we were the only two Celtic supporters still in the ground after a real drubbing. (Well it looked that way)
We were supporting our team until the end.
borgo67
Nervous too!
I will watch the whole game come what may.
My Dad kept me at games for the full 90 minutes when I was a bhoy.
Support your team son, ’til the end of the game.
I remember once at Ibr*x we were the only two Celtic supporters still in the ground after a real drubbing. (Well it looked that way)
We were supporting our team until the end.
He was a good man my Dad.
I expect the poorest Inter Milan team in decades still to be too much for this Celtic team and this tactically naive manager.
I expect that the label of flat track bullies will be fairly applied to us after the two ties are over.
But I HOPE that I am wrong.
As I have been on many occasions .
That the team expand into those wonderful Hoops ,inspired those wonderful fans.
Whatever the outcome .
I just love The Glasgow Celtic.
For we only know……
TT
Skippy talking nonsense on BT re Sevco.
2 in a row!
Den and paddy boy met.
Nae crc.
Beanie less