Last night’s historic win in Brussels feels like a breakthrough moment. It has been 16 years since we first played Champions League group stage football, but our only win on the road in that period was snatched in the final minute by a Georgios Samaras header in Moscow. This time, the victory was achieved while dominating the game from first to last, not conceding, and punishing Anderlecht’s vulnerabilities.
A word for the defence. Those who make it their business to complain about Celtic, reserved their recent venom for the decision not to move to an alternative central defensive target when Rivaldo Coetzee failed a fitness test. With our first choice defensive line-up available this week for the first time this season, we look remarkably solid. The manager will continue to give experience to Ajer, Miller and Ralston as the season progresses.
Pre-match, Dedryck Boyata played down suggestions that playing in his home town would aid his performance, but I suspected it would. The big defender, and his partner, Jozo Simunovic, were imperious. Celtic enjoyed 63% possession, much of it going through these two. Kieran Tierney and Mikael Lustig were always available for a pass, and seemed to demoralise Anderlecht’s creative talents.
The opening goal was a masterclass for the entire team, but especially so for Boyata and Simunovic, who during the build-up, made seven and five passes respectively. Patrick Roberts and Craig Gordon were the only Celtic players not to complete a pass during the move. You have seem great Celtic teams in Europe, but you have never seen anything like this. That 24-pass Liam Miller goal against Lyon 14 years ago remains alive in the memory because it was so exceptional in that Celtic team. Last night’s opener was 28 passes, was away from home, and is absolutely typical of how we now play football.
Celtic’s attacking players (rightly) attract most of the attention, but the foundation of this team is our back line. Our system of play is not possible without defenders who can receive a fast ball, pass, remain alert and calm. If you are old enough to remember the impact the 1974 World Cup made, the final in particular, last night’s game will resonate with you.
Olivier Ntcham picked up the broken pieces of his performance in the opening 30 minutes to split the defence open for the first goal, before collecting a loose ball and feeding Scott Sinclair for the third. The manager will ponder what was going on during that opening period. Despite the generosity of the win, the result could have been in jeopardy if one link in the chain was not performing.
Years ago I remember analysing goals in our Champions League games and noted that mistakes were overwhelmingly influential in determining the outcomes of games. Our second and third goals were down to unenforced Anderlecht errors.
At the second, the Anderlecht right back had comfortable possession and the opportunity to clear up the line, but instead elected to play a ball into the space in front of his own penalty area. At this point, the hosts were a mis-control away from presenting Celtic with a chance, which duly happened. Scott Sinclair’s injury-time third goal came as a result of an Anderlecht pass out of defence, which rolled straight into Ntcham’s path , allowing Celtic to turnover, 4 v 2.
What followed on both occasions is the lesson every football fan knows, make a mistake at this level, and you will be punished.
Well done, Celtic. A magnificent performance and result. The only away win to compare in the last 47 years was when we caught Ajax cold in 2001.
Celtic FC Foundation, Great Scottish Run
I’m doing the Great Scottish Run this Sunday for the Celtic FC Foundation, full of the joys of being a Celtic supporter during these great times. We are not only about winning trophies and the Champions League, this club is as deep as the ocean. On Sunday, it will be about the work of the Foundation, with the poorest in Glasgow and surrounding areas, in the most deprived communities of London, for those marginalised from society, and for the great work with Autism. Not to mention the outreach in Malawi, Haiti and so many other places most of the world ignores.
I’ve never made porridge in Malawi, or fed the poor in Haiti, not would I know how to engage with Autistic kids, but you and me can do our bit for those who have the responsibility of delivering help where needed. What I can do is run on Sunday and ask for sponsorship. If you can help, do so at this MyDonate page.
Thank you.
The CQN Podcast: A Celtic State of Mind (EP14) Champions League Special
A Celtic State of Mind offers an insight into the culture of Celtic Football Club, the city of Glasgow, and fans of the reigning invincible Scottish champions.
Each episode includes interviews with ‘Celtic-minded’ figures from the world of sport, music, film, art, broadcasting, literature or politics.
Ahead of the crucial Champions League match against Anderlecht, ‘A Celtic State of Mind’ goes behind the Champions League curtain for Celtic’s opening match against PSG.
Kevin Graham provides pre and post-match discussion with members of his CSC, as well as in-match analysis in what will be a regular Celtic State of Mind feature.
Enjoy!
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Agreed totally with Paul’s analysis. The most encouraging thing was that Celtic punished errors made by Anderlecht. So many times we’ve seen Celtic on the most fffffffrustrating receiving end of ruthlessness like that. We are growing up in the CL at the grand old age of 16.
Brilliant Result Last night watching in not so Sunny Beach bloody cold. Need a pit of help if anyone from the CQN 5 a side are on could someone tell Paul H, that my ST is behind the bar in Sharkeys Bar for Saturday game for him. Cheers. HH
Great news about the State Aid coming through nicely for the hotel and shop.
Now how about doing something about the South Stand – the facilities in the Stand are poor, the toilets a disgrace. We need to upgrade it soon.
Celtic Park could be more disabled fan friendly too.
I’m sure there would be further State Aid for this project.
In the aftermath of a great win in the CL, here’s my last bump for a wee piece I wrote about my dad and the Lions. Hope it brings back some memories for a few
TJ
A Joyful Lament to a Different Game
Celtic fans around the world have spent a season commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Lisbon Lions European Cup success. The current team have played their part with an unbeaten campaign that culminated in a treble. But amid the joyful nostalgia there is the recognition that that the game has changed beyond all measure in the intervening period.
It is a Saturday afternoon in Paisley, just outside Glasgow. The year is 1967 and a 28 year old man with a whimsical idea in mind is dialling a number in a telephone box, more in hope than expectation. A gruff sounding Irishman receives the call. A speculative request is made, and is granted after brief consideration. The necessary arrangements are agreed. The players of St Charles Boys Club should report to the stadium the next day at 10am for a tour of the ground. Some of the Celtic players – newly crowned European champions – are in for a light training session and will be happy to say hello. The man placing the call – my father – thanks the gentlemen on the other end, the Celtic assistant manager, Sean Fallon. A hectic evening ensues convincing disbelieving kids and parents alike that the proposed outing is not a hoax.
On the Sunday morning, Fallon was true to his word and a dozen or so wide eyed Paisley youngsters were greeted by the man from Sligo, who warmly introduced them to legendary manager Jock Stein and club icon Jimmy McGrory, along with a clutch of first team players who willingly had a kickabout with them at the ground, followed by a full tour of the stadium.
I’ve lost count how many times I’ve been told this story, both by my old man and by those who made the 10 mile trip to Glasgow’s east end with him. As I sat with my dad watching Brendan Rogers’ current Celtic team honour the 50th anniversary of the Lisbon Lions triumph with an undefeated treble in May this year, we reflected again on that impromptu encounter, laughing at the notion that a man in the street would have such direct, immediate and unfettered access to senior players and management at the home of the reigning European champions, while remembering that this was also a time when star midfielder Bobby Murdoch would take the bus to training on a daily basis and legendary winger Jimmy Johnstone borrowed money from the ball boys for a fish supper on the way home. Simpler times undoubtedly, when players and managers were still deeply embedded in their communities and were talented representatives and extensions of the wider support
In football as in life, the generations elapse and things change, but these anecdotes – now half a century old and heavily laden with nostalgia – form the basis of a lament to the modern game, where elite players are for the most part, fiercely protected from their fans. The story of the Lisbon Lions has been split into tens of thousands of narratives but it remains eternal and special largely because eleven men, all from within thirty miles of Glasgow, conquered Europe with an earthy, gallus swagger which is entirely different to the pretentious conceit we often see at the top level of football today.
I often argue with my dad that nostalgia can contaminate the memory when it comes to football but in the case of the Lions, the evidence pointing towards true greatness is overwhelming. Some might also argue, and not without reason, that Celtic fans have an inclination towards the sentimental but it’s important to acknowledge the club would not have the history and romance it has now, had those players not had the courage and ability they had then, but the magnitude of their unique achievements were not always recognised in some quarters. From the UK media, national team selectors and even from within the boardroom at Celtic Park they received contemporary applause, followed by oblivion, with the odd moment of rediscovery. Chief executive Peter Lawell and Martin O’Neill raised their profile greatly again around the millennium, though the fans had never allowed these ordinary heroes to be forgotten.
When Jock Stein arrived as manager in 1965 there was no drum roll to accompany him. Trumpets did not play. His limited playing career and plain speaking offered no hint of his visionary attitude to the game. He was an ex miner whose values of modesty, humility and teamwork were forged in the pits, a man who in the words of Hugh McIllvanney was “educated below his intelligence”. His impact on the club and on his players was seismic. Victory over the mighty Inter Milan in Lisbon was as one sided as a 2-1 victory could possibly be, where Celtic dominated proceedings entirely, despite the oppressive heat and the concession of an early goal. It is unlikely that there has ever been a more fruitful or historic collaboration between two full backs than Jim Craig’s perfectly timed cutback for Tommy Gemmell to hammer in the equaliser from the edge of the box, a combination which epitomised the relentlessly attacking nature of the Celtic performance. When Stevie Chalmers diverted Gemmells strike beyond the one man barricade of Giuliano Sarti, the Italians had long since abandoned any pretence of attempting to win the game.
Re-watching the entire ninety minutes is an illuminating experience; Celtic were absolutely masterful.
Millions of words have been written about this special team so when the anniversary documentaries and articles began to be trailed it was hard to see where the fresh angle would come from. The new perspective on their achievements came with a heavy dose of melancholy and sadness, with news earlier in the year that team captain Billy McNeill was in advanced stages of Alzheimer’s disease, which was closely followed by the passing of Tommy Gemmell. These were hard blows for a group of men who are close as brothers and the anniversary celebrations were coloured by recent developments. The sight of Billy McNeill with the group in May this year prompted some throat clogging emotions for Celtic fans of all ages.
Jimmy Johnstone overcame the limitations of his genetic inheritance, not to mention some medieval tackling, to be voted the greatest Celt of all time. Bertie Auld epitomised the Glaswegian essence of the team with streetwise attitude and ability, while Bobby Murdoch held the compass every time the team advanced. But McNeill was the undisputed leader of the team. This son of a blackwatch soldier led the team out in Lisbon with the quiet nobility of a gladiator and ended it by ascending the concrete stairs alone, to be immortalised in the most famous photograph in the clubs history with the big cup. It must be difficult for family and ex-team mates to see a figure of such physical and mental fortitude in his current health.
Sporting icons, even the greatest, do not exist in a vacuum and the remaining Lisbon Lions are old men now. Even those St Charles Boys Club youngsters who attended Celtic Park on a bright Sunday morning are in their sixties. While all would acknowledge the incredible job Brendan Rogers has done in his maiden season to connect players, fans and management again, it would be an offence to most fans sensibilities to compare the two teams. It is equally futile to compare eras and traditions but one wonders what Jock Stein would have made of the corporate carnival of vanity that passes for the Champions League today, or what McNeill might think of the actions of Sergio Ramos in ensuring the dismissal of his opponent in the recent Champions League final.
The remembrance of the Lions has been a season long celebration and they were commemorated brilliantly by supporters in the 67th minute of every game at home and away, in Scotland and abroad. For Celtic fans of my father’s generation, that Celtic team were men like themselves with the same daily concerns, who just happened to be sportsmen. Perhaps this is part of the reason why they continue to be so celebrated.
Sometimes it’s unhealthy to dismiss modern progress or to lapse into sentimentality for an extended period of time, but in the year of the Lisbon Lions 50th anniversary, it’s been entirely justified. There will never be another team like them.
RAYMOND SHANNON61 on 28TH SEPTEMBER 2017 1:52 PM
Will do
HH
CRC
Hotel name:
Sign of the Crossroads
The Timperial
Fenia Inn
Ancelotti bagged by Bayern…..The Magic Hat in?
Not a fan of international football, Scott Sinclair scoring regularly, playing well in the Champions League, not in Engerland squad….
With last nights score, did Celtic become the first Scottish club to avoid defeat in three consecutive champions league group stage away games?
First Anderlecht and now Bayern – group opponents sacking manager before they face us !
Just Emery to go – I suppose only if he is bored !
Nice to see our defenders getting deserved praise.
Lustig was being burned for pace by a good opponent in the first half but in the second got tighter and rendered their main threat impotent.
Simo was strong and read the game well.
Boyata was excellent and drove us on all night.
Tierney was himself giving them nothing and his pass for Griff’s goal was fantastic.
Gordon made the necessary saves and commanded his box.
Under Ronny both Boyata and Simunovic took a lot of flak for a porous defense.
I defended them often and blamed a poorly implemented system that unfairly exposed them was an issue.
Happy that Simo medical failed and Brendan subsequent ability to spot talent has them thriving in a properly implemented playing system.
A good lesson in not writing players off to soon.
The more you think about last nights result the better it gets,
3-0 away to the Belgium champs and last years Europa quarter finalists.
Am I too late in logging a complaint about new HOTEL with GCC
I am in North Stand at Celtic End. (443)
We park in a Car Park one street after Nuneaton Street as used to cut across Old bus PArk
This will not be doable now and will mean extra journey time of approx 300 meters.
Yours demented in GREEN
ps Had nothing to moan about last nights display so have to fill my time somehow
pps NAW thinking about Shy’s still Pi$h last night we nearly lost a goal from one
Rodgers linked to Bayern gig!
Fishul!
the first goal last night …. a thing of beauty.
great vision to see the space by Ntcham, and a beautifully weighted pass (although I will be honest, and thought for a second that he had held the ball too long and that KT would be offside, but he timed it perfectly)…. great run and timing by KT to run into space …. beautiful cross …. and again, a great run into space by LG ….
look for space/passing lanes… run into space …. the game can be at its most beautiful when played simply ….
RAYMOND SHANNON61on28TH SEPTEMBER 2017 1:52 PM
Brilliant Result Last night watching in not so Sunny Beach bloody cold. Need a pit of help if anyone from the CQN 5 a side are on could someone tell Paul H, that my ST is behind the bar in Sharkeys Bar for Saturday game for him. Cheers. HH
I feel a Spatacus moment coming on
20 ghuys in the pub saying ..naw i’m Paul H .
BR 5th favourite for Bayern gig, 25/1. If you put £100 on that you will lose £100.
Spar , Doh !! Yeez new whit a ment :))
Scaniel @1:05pm
HH! ( That’s Hail Hail, not Hugh Hefner).
JC2,
I constantly rant on about our inability to profit from a shy,we would be as well just giving the ball to the opposition,and this has been happening for as many years as i can remember,
I think its time to scrap the throw-in for a kick-in,it is after all supposed to be football!!
I`ve got that off my chest at last!
where do I start the petition?
HH
The Henrik Larss-Inn for the Hotel
ancelotti has gone
Celtic hotel name.
The Lions Den.
Telephone 2551967.
“With last nights score, did Celtic become the first Scottish club to avoid defeat in three consecutive champions league group stage away games?”
Stairheid,
Probably not. Huns had a pretty good away record. Stinking home record mindya.
HH
Ancelotti bottled it before the visit of the Famous Glasgow Celtic ☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️
Starry,
Anderlecht done the same.
And what with psg panic buying…
We’ve got them feart ;p
HH
Docu on revamped Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork – known locally as ‘The Park’. Unfortunately TG4 are having subtitle issues. Some good memories – not all GAA
http://www.tg4.ie/en/player/home/?pid=5588369893001&teideal=An%20Ph%C3%A1irc&series=An%20Ph%C3%A1irc&dlft=35
For the hotel – how about
The Feen-yInn
HH
Slabhoy
The new hotel?
The Henrik Lars INN.
HH!!
Thank You CRC and MARSPAPA that was Brilliant it’s the one game of the Season I did not want to miss but don’t get back till Sunday. HH
What about…………CAESARS PALACE?
Ross County beat Bayern to snap up Coyle!
New Ross Co manager the big fitba’ story on lunchtime Reporting Scoddland. The only one, in fact.
Glad to see its calmed down from The North Korean CQN of last night,when certain people were,I would imagine,sitting at their laptops dressed in their best military gear,with medals hanging everywhere.
“ALTERNATE OPINIONS WILL NOT BE TOLERATED”.
“The Walfrid” has a certain appeal
Cesar,s Paradise
Keep battering out the “State Aid”story.
Hooks,lines,and sinkers will be going off the shelves faster than last seasons T_Shirts did at the Huns hilariously named,Superstore.
IMATIM WANTS JUSTICE AND THE TITLES TO BE STRIPPED FROM THE CHEATS on 28TH SEPTEMBER 2017 3:59 PM
“The Walfrid” has a certain appeal
Yes.Sounds very,Victorian.Bit like The Waldorf.Very posh.
Did Radio Scotland also fail to mention that Celtic won a Champions League match with 6 Scottish players making an appearance
If Broonie had stayed on and Armstrong had came on for Ncham it would have been 7
Anybody have any ideas when that number of Scots played in a UCL group match for one team?
!!Bada Bing!! on 28th September 2017 2:04 pm
Ancelotti bagged by Bayern
——-
I wondered if that might happen last night. Was supposed to be that he was going at the end of the season anyway, with Nagelsmann coming in.
Be interesting to see what happens next. Nagelsmann in now, caretaker till the end of the season or somebody else in now?