Celtic have point to prove in Europe

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Celtic will face their first Champions League qualifying opponents on either 31 July or 1 August but heartbeats among the scouting staff will quicken tonight and tomorrow when every potential opponent will play in the second qualifying round.

A number of potential opponents from eastern and northern Europe are mid-season but all will benefit from successfully coming through two qualifying games before tackling seeded opponents two weeks from now.

It is crucially important that Celtic are ready for this tie.

The final qualifying round, scheduled to take place during the last two weeks in August, will offer a greater challenge on paper but European qualifying games in July are notorious for catching better teams unprepared.

After a credibly, though ultimately unsuccessful, Europa League group campaign last season Celtic’s domestic form clicked into place and we looked like a team capable of becoming champions.  There was some regret that we didn’t hit form early enough to make the most of our European adventure.  Neil Lennon will also be keen to avoid the anaemic performance against Sion, who beat Celtic on aggregate but were subsequently awarded two 3-0 defeats for failing to observe rules.

These Celtic players found hidden depths last season but they have a point to prove in Europe. There is also the nagging suspicion that this Celtic team is more talented that the two Gordon Strachan took to the later stages of the Champions League.

Bring it on.

Get your season ticket and saddle up for the ride.

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  1. The bould bhoys….. Tá ár lá anois on 17 July, 2012 at 14:23 said:

     

    >>>>>>

     

    $H€€£T…….I slammed through the vid…..braindead brittle blond bimbo,sounds like she’s been done like rush hour in the Clyde tunnel,a horde of bankster/gangsters. This is why Fidel took back Cuba.

     

    Where’s a grenade and a machine gun when you need one.

     

    Meanwhile…..at the JokeCentre directly opposite where I live, I see a man on crutches,lookin’ no well at all being helped in by his carer to attend a mandatory ‘back to slavery’ interview.

     

    If I didn’t know better I’d start screaming.

     

    October 20th. : massive demo in London organised by the TUC to give a message to this shower in power they won’t forget.

     

    Karma….schadenfreude….comeuppance.

     

    HH!

  2. Dontbrattbakkinanger on

    I see a man on crutches,lookin’ no well at all being helped in by his carer to attend a mandatory ‘back to slavery’ interview.

     

    -Paul Gascoigne not going to be fit for Div3 after all?

  3. !!Bada Bing!! on

    ASonOfDan-I’m sure Vincent Lunny would have been made aware of his duties by Turnbull Hutton,as it was his fellow director at Raith Rovers who received death threats.

  4. ASonOfDan on 17 July, 2012 at 14:06 said:

     

    >>>>

     

    So,Dungcaster,in his masterful fuddishness,wants to financially punish everyone for no givin’ some wee no-mark team called Sevco5088 a place in the spl and loadsa dubious points for violent bigotry,on and off the pitch.

     

    That really is his brilliant brain at work?

     

    We get the leaders we deserve, but this guy is beyond the pale.

  5. miki67 on 17 July, 2012 at 14:41 said

     

    We get the leaders we deserve, but this guy is beyond the pale

     

     

    ….and apparently he takes a good bucket

  6. Dontbrattbakkinanger on 17 July, 2012 at 14:37 said:

     

    >>>>

     

    Unfortunately….the likes of Gazza don’t have to sign on.or claim anything.

     

    I know that the miming alcoholic flute player has a hefty stash of cash,but in deference to his blootered brain,I’ll say no more,except that he’s in a helluva state and is suffering hard for his sins. I actually pity him. All of his career,all of his money,has amounted to nothing; and in real terms he’s still a young man,but wrecked. And the scurrilous msm is still milking him,along with all the other chancers.

  7. Henriks Sombrero on

    Guys – quick question. Is the Norwich game on the season tickets next week ?

  8. stevenagebhoy on

    Starry Plough – not James Jamerson?

     

     

    _____________________________________________________________

     

     

    One of my not so guilty pleasures when driving is to turn the bass up on the Jackson 5’s ‘I Want You Back’ so that the seats and upholstery vibrate.

     

     

    Was tha JJ on bass?

  9. Now……Nacho Novo : a dead ringer for Ratso Rizzo in ‘MIdnight Cowboy.’

     

    Maybe Dustin Hoffman could play him in the upcoming movie, ‘ Death by Monnbeams.’?

  10. Henriks Sombrero on 17 July, 2012 at 14:48 said:

     

    Guys – quick question. Is the Norwich game on the season tickets next week ?

     

     

    Sure is along with 1 CL qualifier

  11. The bould bhoys..... Tá ár lá anois on

    miki67

     

    Aye…I watched a few Youtubes this morn….films from the latest Muppet Parade in North Ireland. I didn’t think I could loathe a group of people more, but that lot are contending.

     

     

    Anyway, a wee rendition of HS @14:43 for ye there amigo.

     

     

    Hail Hail

     

     

    TAL

  12. stevietar - putting the turd back into the turd division on

    Stop, wait a minute, wait a minute…

     

     

    Are “rangers” playing a friendly against KELTY??

     

     

    I may have picked that up wrong, but if I’m right I may have to be escorted from the office in hysterics…

  13. South Of Tunis on

    Stevenage Bhoy

     

     

    Wilton Felder [ The Crusaders ] played bass on – I Want you Back

  14. Does ‘Nacho Novo’ translate into ‘New really crap crisp to stick in dip’?

     

    ~~~~~~~~

     

    Translation program on Russian computer gets fed in ‘Out of sight,out of mind.’

     

    The translation comes back : ‘Invisible maniac.’

     

    : > ))

  15. leftclicktic on

    The Legend Johnny Doyle on 17 July, 2012 at 13:07 said:

     

    Now where does our Hero wee Craigy Whyte stand in all of this now?

     

     

    I’m missing that wee ghuy ;)

     

    ————————————–

     

    starry plough on 17 July, 2012 at 13:31 said:

     

    From RTC comments…

     

     

    “Now, as I have stated previously, stalking someone is highly illegal in France and Monaco so I have absolutely no idea how someone can tell me that our hero CW boarded a plane this morning at 10.40 to Zurich (LX563). Maybe he has a business meeting there? Maybe it’s just a wild guess? ”

     

     

    Isn’t Chuck”begging bowl” Green in Zurich today….small city Zurich!

     

    ————————————-

     

    More from RTC poster

     

    Casual Observer says:

     

    17/07/2012 at 1:35 pm

     

    33 0 i

     

    Rate Down

     

     

    Corsica

     

     

    I am having a quiet chuckle at the remarkable coincidence of Our Hero flying on the same morning to the same destination as Sevco’s CEO.

     

     

    Of the 475 Million people in Europe, around 2.2 Million boarded a plane today, of which around 33,000 will get off at Zurich Airport.

     

     

    What are the chances?

  16. Dontbrattbakkinanger on

    One of my not so guilty pleasures is to turn up the bass on ‘Just be Good to Me’ by the SOS band.

     

    Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis are big Hoops fans.

  17. Marrakesh Express on

    Just got an interesting wee fact from a young guy in work. Not checked it but I’ll ask anyway.

     

    Who’s the only team in Scotland to have beaten every other league team except Celtic? The guy supports them and is proud of the fact.

     

     

    hh

  18. Son of Gabriel on

    Marrakesh Express on 17 July, 2012 at 15:00 said:

     

     

    Stab in the dark: St Mirren?

  19. re TV deal

     

     

    i worked in middle east

     

    cheap labour is how things operate in that neck of the woods

     

    i am opposed to cheap labour but business is business

     

    and in any case, “cheap” can be a relative term

     

     

    employ 100’s of developing country production staff – cameramen, producers, editors, directors, outside broadcast crew etc – train them if not readily available

     

     

    purchase/hire the relevant equipment

     

     

    ensure professional high quality managerial oversight

     

     

    bobs yer uncle – an effective, low-cost TV operation

     

     

    bin SKY, bin ESPN !

     

     

    DIY !!!

     

     

    if not this season, then next

  20. The bould bhoys….. Tá ár lá anois on 17 July, 2012 at 14:43 said:

     

    >>>>>

     

    TA!

     

    HH!

  21. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    The Battered Bunnet on 17 July, 2012 at 11:45 said:

     

     

     

    Technically, if the disciplinary case against Rangers is continued until after 25th August, when the first round ties are completed, Sevco could accept being ‘ejected’ from the Scottish Cup as they enter at round 2, rather than the alternatives, suspension or expulsion

     

     

    ~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~

     

     

    Personally,I hope they get drawn against Auchinleck Talbot.

     

     

    That will cause more,ahem,mass confusion than Father’s Day in Brixton.

     

     

    Or Kilwinning,come to that………

  22. stevietar – putting the turd back into the turd division

     

     

    A testimonial for a Kelty Hearts player. Tickets can be bought from the local pub.

     

     

    lol!

  23. CultsBhoy loves being 1st forever & ever on

    Affy quiet is oor Sir Minty these days..affy quiet indeed, eh?

  24. The bould bhoys..... Tá ár lá anois on

    SevcoMedia thread

     

     

    Banner Making– Embdy any skills ?

  25. leftclicktic on

    Dont Know answer but was asked this morning to name 10 players who had played for us whos surname ended in o

     

    1 Di Canio

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