Qualification for the knockout stages of the Champions League is an astonishing achievement for a team seeded in pot 4. You need only look around Europe to see how unforgiving this tournament is. The champions of England and Europe are both out, while England’s reigning champions last year went out at the group stage (to Benfica).
Amid numerous predictions of a comfortable victory I suggested yesterday that last night’s Spartak game would be difficult. What we now know is that Celtic eliminated two very good teams from this season’s Champions League. Benfica took four points off us, by all accounts, were the better team in the Camp Nou and dominated Barcelona in the early part of their game in Lisbon. They beat Spartak at home and pinned the Russian’s back into their own box for long periods of their game in Moscow.
This is the fourth time Benfica have faced Celtic and they have been eliminated on each occasion, always by the slenderest of margins.
Spartak finally got their act together last night under new boss Valery Karpin. Reaction in Russia suggested this was their best game of the season, and that Emenike, who has seldom shown the appetite for the game, was playing for the attention of scouts. They are a good team who enjoyed 60% possession away from home in Europe, although Celtic denied them genuine chances for most of the game.
Thanks for the great support for the CQN Annual. You can order online here!
Spartak and Benfica will both believe they could have done better in the group but we got further evidence of a few football facts from this campaign:
It is more important to prevent defensive mistakes than to create chances.
The margin of difference between a well-organised team at this level and the very best in the world is slim, especially if the above point is observed.
Possession is overrated as an indicator of progress. Learn not to be stressed by it and to remain organised.
Discipline is an underrated indicator of progress.
I started Monday’s blog by saying, “Here is a prediction for you, Wednesday’s Champions League game at Celtic Park will not end with 22 players on the field”. Spartak are a good team but they had a man sent off against Celtic in Moscow when in a winning position, then kicked everything that moved last night, culminating in a red card for an assault on Kris Commons.
Indiscipline is an expensive commodity.
Neil Lennon will now have time to review the several elements of this campaign which worked well and the few which didn’t. Each tactical decision made was a risk but will have taught him things about his team. We will be well prepared for the next round.
As for Georgios, what a performance.
Epilepsy Scotland have a Celtic ball with certificate of authenticity, signed by 12 Celtic players on the day of the Barcelona game which is available for auction by email. The competition closes tomorrow (Thursday) at 20:00. To win this fantastic piece of Celtic memorabilia email your bid to trusts@epilepsyscotland.org.uk. The prize if for collection only, any postage required would need to be paid separately. All funds raised will go towards Epilepsy Scotland.
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would prefer to avoid dortmund and bayern, their formidable and juve seem to be a powerhouse again. dont want fergies mob , played them too many times down the years. would be good to go back to paris or sunny spain but hoping for shalke even though they probably want us. too nervy last night to enjoy it with our own game and confusion about the other game but its been fantastic overall in europe this year apart from the midweek hangovers. hh roll on saturday
TET, my mistake mate. Izzy cleared it up.
Clashcitybhoy
I’d heard the song before a good few times and the zombie part was there in the deepest recesses of my mind but FFS it was magical. A great Celtic moment as we left the stadium. This club is so unified and they are having to use every state aparatus to stop us. They Will Fail.
Once again I seen a single person way before the game being stopped at least 600 yards from the stadium and being questioned by cops on Springfield Road. It is really annoying having my Son seeing this regularly.
PC67, affirmative. Book me a table, beer and a turkey as fat as the baldy monk aka the useless apprentice manager. 22nd is definite, I’ll be there before that, dont we have a home game on 15th?
HH Bruv.
.
the boy jinky
21:23 on
6 December, 2012
Summa
Around 75 mins I decided to say the magic words … Get big sammi off.
Works every time ;)
..
You’ll Never Learn.. You would of Thought the Goanese Culture would have Sorted You out..;0)
Just sign up to the ..Disiples of The Prophet Samaras..
Summa of VoteIzzyCQNsPROfficerMakesSenseTaeIzzyCSC
edward ursus
23:23 on
6 December, 2012
StringerBell :- I can’t answer for everywhere but I know that in Ayrshire games must be played on a grass, 3g or 4g pitch. The same applies for games that fall under SAFA authority. Sadly the wimps today will never know the joy of pulling lumps of cinder out of your leg :-)
—-
Used to play at glenconner BLACK ash pitches next to the Garngad. It was murder, like playing football on a coal slag heap.
Played one Saturday morning when the hibs walk was leaving robroyston and all hell broke loose as the walk entered Garngad, as some EDL types had gathered. Cue horseback police riding through our pitch as game went on trying to grab marchers and demonstrators as we continued to play through the melee.
Can’t remember our result but when game finished went back to dressing room only to find caretaker had been lifted and we didn’t have acces to the changing rooms.
Amateur football, you have to love it.
Noel90
Another CQNer that needs to get his butt back on here. How was life in amongst the Moscowvites last night. Good to see you Aiden cross back onto the hallowed turf once again. Would love to see him do it one day in the future wearing the 4 leaf clover on his breast.
Hail! Hail!
MWD
Hmmm……it looks like CQN posters are suffering the same sort of post Champions Leauge fatigue and loss of form that has afflicted Celtic recently.
So……Clearly it is NFL’s job top manage that problem for the Celtic team and make sure that we don’t let domestic sucess slip away and create a crisis when achievemnts have never been better.
But…….Surely it is just as much CQN posters responsibility as it is Pauls to see that the best Celtic blog bar none is not turned into some playground “I said” …. “No you didn’t” squabble.
First step IMHO would be banning repetative and dull posts like Izzys.
HH
Pedrocaravanchio
You mentioned Avrika Legionaire for Cheltenham,
I was at Fairyhouse last sunday and was very impressive,but…..
Cheltenham is a long way away and you never know what other good horses are waiting
Also … will he even turn up
best of luck with your bet,he sure looked a decent horse last sunday
Eurochamps67 did Neil Kinnock draft that question for you?
Debate isn’t asking a question over and over again till you hear the answer you want.
EU is likely to leave this site as a result acute boredom.
If Celtic had gone bust what rose from the ashes would still be called Celtic.
If Microsoft bought the stadium naming rites the media could be made to use any new name but it will always be Celtic Park to people who come from that area or Parkhead to those from further afield.
The name of the new entity is the business of the supporters of that club.
Not some sanctimonious moral high grounders.
For clarity, I was not referring to Izzy.
For more clarity all posters have point of view, I am interested in all of them.
MWD
You been on the vino, lost me, wouldn’t be hard mind you :>)
Kilbowie Kelt
whoa….
I said in a later post that i didnt want to stir up a hornets nest. i asked Ed a few questions and he seemed happy to answer them. I haven’t been posting on here as long as most and am not familiar with Ed. I have no beef with Ed, but was curious to find out his stance on a few things. He seems to be liked and respected on here.
I’m cool with that……we move on.
PC67
PC bruv, I’m still trying to master gibberish. English will come later.
Let me know asap if you can sort me out with tickets for the game on Wedneday, I’ve already gone begging to jungle jim on the off chance he know’s where the fence is at it’s weakest at gaypark. I dont think either of us could climb over it:-)
TET
You’ll need to think back a couple of years. Maybe that ole Celtic crested pool of yours has got the better of your memory. unless of course it is the grapes? :-) Intercontinetal Cement Trucks being sent from Spain to Oz???
Again Tom. My apologies. I’m not digging at you!!! Just trying to rumble the ole dimentia oot of TET. ;-)
MWD
Skutanoust
Away and stick yer heid up yer chuff.
Fortunes Favour Mibbes
When we toyed with them at Ibrox with 10 men that was the day I knew we were going back to the top of Europe. ;))
ACGR
St mirren on the 15th
WITS
I hope he does, was Ruby on him on Sunday? would like to see Ruby take the ride in the Arkle.
Tipota, good to see you’re settling in here and winding lots of tims up.
Your time posting here is adversely affecting the banking system in the UK and is impacting the world ecvonomy.
Have you sold your london gaff yet……………………………….?
Your return to Scotland is becoming like a tolkien trilogy.
has Traynor been outed officially yet as joining Sevco?
pedrocaravanachio67
23:50 on 6 December, 2012
I obviously had not seen your subsequent post.
Fair play to you.
I just get frustrated that a long-time, respected poster should be endlessly given the Third Degree.
Good luck.
It is just in this last hour that I have really been able to enjoy last nights experience!!!
Anyone else feel the same.
MWD PUT THROUGH THE RINGER CSC
Jude,
sorry, remind me ‘MP’?
Brain tired and sozzled (like Swalex, and I have a neb to match)!
DocINL :- The signing policy ended in 1989 so any fan under their mid thirties won’t remember it, as years go on the percentage of fans in this group will rise. Among those over that age I’m not sure what you mean by address, if asked some will say it was wrong, some will say it was right and I doubt if you will ever change any of their minds.
As far as the tax/EBT’s goes, I could well be wrong here and no doubt will be told if I am, but I thought both were still to be decided on viz a viz rule breaking. If found guilty of one or both then my own feeling (and it is only a feeling) would be that the support would tend to blame the old company for it, there isn’t much else they can do.
Eurochamps67 :- I thought I had answered that one, I really can’t do any better than repeat, factually they are two separate companies, the first f which was liquidated. Heart wise I supported Rangers last year and support them this year, same players, same strip, same park, same team but different company. I’m not trying to dodge a straight answer I’m trying to explain how I feel about it.
Estorilbhoy :- The amateurs have many weird and wonderful stories but that is one of the top ones it made me laugh out loud imagining the scene, the janny getting lifted must have been the icing on the cake for you :-)
Bom Dia,
Currently working in Batam, Indonesia flying back to Brasil on Sunday.
Could SingTim (or any of the other Singapore based CQN’ers) get in touch with me and let me know if the Singapore CSC will be showing the Killie game this Saturday?
Work filter doesna allow CQN (boo) so much appreciated if you drop a line to
rioskorrie@yahoo.com.
THanks
MWD
Naw, the grapes are the grapes, they do what they do, now that you have jogged the old grey cells, I remember, and many thanks for it, I honestly LOLed when I recalled, maybes the grapes ain’t too bad :>)))
sipsin
??
cultsbhoy
Not yet! Waiting on your official outing first. :-) so when are you going to be in Glesga fur that beer?
MWD
FFM
Murray Park. Minty gave it to them the last time they came up to play us.
Kilbowie Kelt
23:55 on 6 December, 2012
pedrocaravanachio67
23:50 on 6 December, 2012
I obviously had not seen your subsequent post.
Fair play to you.
I just get frustrated that a long-time, respected poster should be endlessly given the Third Degree.
Good luck.
_____________________________________________________________
The Third Degree will get the agitators going stir crazy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6fVDAjs9f0
Just after Celtic put Bayern, PSG or Malaga to the sword, I love EU posting and I hope he continues to post right after amazing Celtic achievements. There is a conversion happening and some people are too blind to see it.
I love hearing about so many fans of other Clubs going to watch the Stein European team. FFS that is amazing.
A ceiler I’ve stopped drinking (more or less) and am learning a new software product in anticipation of there not being much work up the road and also because a friend of mine is picking up 1100 sovs a day on that particular gravy train.
Mibbe the reason this site has taken a dive is because of me.
There isn’t an ignore button but I think I can safely say I’ve manoeuvred izzy into ignoring me.
Petec,
You mean, when Sammy and 9 mhen toyed with them! I agree though. One of the many big steps to CL glory coming our way :))
Cultsbhoy is too busy supporting the sheepies these days :>)
KK
Cheers.
I’m definetely off to bed now, i’ll leave the moon howling or whatever it’s called to my older and slightly mad bruv.
night all.
PC67
TET
I knew that’d make you chortle.
I’m going to come for a swim in your pool one day!!! So have plenty of extra water to refil. ;-)
MWD
pedrocaravanchio
yes ruby rode avrika last sunday,got his tactics spot on,went for the race from the off,led by 20 lengths at one stage and was never getting caught,
i
The refusal of Ed – The Duck, to answer a simple question..even with the added incentive of restoring some kind of harmony back to the blog, in order for the many Celtic fans here to enjoy and discuss last nights fantastic result, should say something to the people who were quick to trample over my name in order to valiantly save their sevcovian pal being questioned.
Despite the obfuscation of said question I’ll retire from the blog for a while regardless…so that we can get back to what the blog should be about.
Hail Hail
Chuckles telling the world that any money raised from the DUFC hammering of his third rate outfit will go to a charity of sevco’s choice is somewhat hollow. It’s a clever move to try to stop us buying into supporting DUFC and supporting them on the day.
We all know what happens to charity money in the hands of these theiving reprobates. It just doesnt get to the end user, does it.
Poppy scotland? Their match v AC Milan?, the charities on the list of creditors?
As gollum would say……………………………………………………Filfy feeves.