Celtic join Barcelona, Milan and Ajax in the Champions League’s only group of former champions.
We beat Barcelona and Milan the last time we played each of them, and eliminated Ajax from the same competition last time we met 12 years ago. This is an incredibly difficult group, but it is the job we wanted this time yesterday.
Now we must get ready for the task ahead. Prepare properly and fear no one.
There will be a ticket scramble, among those who didn’t renew their season tickets………..
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It is s tough group Ajax have Bojan and AC Milan have Balotelli both of whom ate capable of giving our unsettled defence an extremely torrid evening..Barcelona will be very determined to avoid a repeat of their last result at Parkhead
It would be foolish to simply dismiss AC Milan as a team on the decline they will have studied the juventus video of last season. Any point gained in this group will be hard earned. I also expect any future opponent to exploit Celtic’s vulnerability to the long throw . Last but not least the outfield lynchpin of the fantastic barcelona result vic wanyama is no longer with us.
Now.that qualification has been assured i would like to see van dijk and mouyokolo given a sustained run of games in the spl to see.if they can establish a reliable partnership and forge a reliable partnership
Celtic have lacked a solid CH pairing since mcmanus and caldwell became the defensive foundation of gordon strachan’s.success.
Upfront can we also give amido balde a run of games in the spl
Last but not least if james forrest is carrying a long term injury please get him rested and fully fit i think most fans were frustrated with james forrest in the first half on wednesday because we were told publicly that he had been carrying a debilitating sciatica injury for ELEVEN MONTHS
i am glad james scored but no more slection gambles use the spl to develop our strongest team
Fergiehuns quote
“And I honestly believe it’s being realistic to say they’ll be Scotland’s champions again inside of three years.”…
whit? scotlands champions of the third division ‘again’…awe the poor wee lambs…ahhhhh don’t mention the lambs.
lovely way to get the day started cqn, thanks for those posts everyone and star mo chroi, cockanee, Margaret, antipodean red – I was in the dreamland the next day, I’m sure we all are – it was unreal !
GCT – missed out your health updates lately, I don’t get any long times on this anymore as ‘little’ Jackie and jackeen nab the laptop, hope you’re doing well.
Tallybhoy
08:50 on
30 August, 2013
you are correct, Biton is a bit lightweight but that is easy enough to fix. He is very young and a professional athlete – the correct protocol will have him building lean muscle and he will be good to go.
I am certain he is a good signing for us – possibly not a wanyama, but he will be worth far more than 750,000 by the end of his time with us. Of that I am pretty certain.
Cork Celt. Taking into account that your team has never played together I would think it would be a big gamble as the young Hearts side know each other well and have had some good results already this season.H.H.
Tom McL,
Cheers, So Cesar was the name of the actor in Oceans 11 and not the character
Told you I wasnt a film watcher!!
Will do DBBIA my bhoy….extended family not too far away….
Ah Yea Joe, I know it wouldn’t be a practical but if they did get a run of games they wouldn’t be a bad side. Its Dundee United we are playing is it not, Hearts game after International Break.
IMAGINE:
UEFA give Big Billy McNeil the honour of presenting the 2014 Champion’s League Trophy at the final in Lisbon… And IMAGINE that he hands the Trophy over to Scott Brown! In this Beautiful Game that is Football anything can happen!
Our team and Manager on Wednesday left nothing on the pitch, and our fans gave of the same. We can ask no more.
IMAGINE that this Celtic Family do the same in every single game whilst we are still in this competition…
Then who knows where that will take us? I for one BELIEVE in this Celtic Family!
Yours in Celtic,
TB&F.
ILoveThisCelticFamilyCSC
Good Morning.
AC Milan describing our CL Group as ” The Group of Nobility”!
I couldn’t have said that any better myself!
On a bus into town. At the top of one street,I noticed a furniture can which would prevent the bus going down there.
I kindly offered to flag the bus back onto the previous street,from where he could go down the next one.
Offer declined,not very politely.
Ten minutes later,he decided that maybe I was right. Too late. Queue of traffic behind us.
That was twenty minutes ago,still a stand-off.
Drinking time being wasted.
Think I’ll walk…
Whilst the Telegraph were commenting on he CL draw, I’m sure I saw football correspondent Roddy Forsyth sitting laughing and joking with the squad at the Lennoxtown HQ, shown on Sky Sports News.
Other journos could be seen standing at the back obviously run off heir feet with work.
Can=van.
Troubled Stokes must keep spotlight on pitch in bid to fulfil destiny
by DANIEL MCDONNELL
THIS was always supposed to be the script, the destiny that was predicted in his teens. Anthony Stokes front and centre, delivering a magic moment on a big stage.
Wednesday night delivered a reminder of what comes naturally to a gifted footballer whose main obstacle is often himself.
well worth reading………
http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/troubled-stokes-must-keep-spotlight-on-pitch-in-bid-to-fulfil-destiny-29538573.html
LuxCelt
09:31 on 30 August, 2013
‘Ghuys – i see that people are still going on about PaddyPower, so I’ll repost my message from the wee hours of this morning.
For anyone who has missed it, the Daily Torygraph wrote the following in their live coverage of the CL draw:
17.11 That concludes the Pot 1 teams. Billy McNeill is despatched off the stage in disgrace, with barely a ripple of applause greeting him as he finds his seat at the back of the auditorium, very possibly in one of the Restricted View areas. You had one job, Billy. One job.’
###########
The Telegraph needs to be called to account for that.
I see the byline has two names attached, Jonathan Liew and Alan Tyers.
I presume the other of the two must have posted this earlier entry in the piece. For his sake if no one else’s I ‘d like to know which of the two was responsible.
‘16.53 The preambles/formalities have started. And it’s Billy McNeill carrying the trophy! Someone give him a hand with that, the guy’s 73 years old. Instead, our hosts simply stand there and applaud him. Heartless.’
Donaldo @AllanDonaldson 26m
A #celtic fan walks into a bar in #Barcelona,
“I’ll have the usual please”.
Lennon clarified what he meant on Wednesday night when he said Celtic had qualified with “no help” – and insisted he was not having a dig at the club for not landing more signings. He said: “We’ve done it all ourselves. Seven players went out and only four came in. I always think when you are in a position of strength you try to strengthen. We have tried to do that but not been able to.
“So the players have done it without any reinforcements. They deserve huge credit. It would have been difficult qualifying with Gary Hooper, Kelvin Wilson and Victor Wanyama. But without them it was so tough to do.
“People can interpret it any way they like. I know we have been working very hard to bring players in. What I didn’t want was go to the last couple of days of the window but that’s what we have to do.”
I think we can say yes he was having a dig at the press but whether he insists he isn’t having a dig at the club or not he goes on to say he’s not happy about the hand he had to play with. He might understand the constraints but package it up any way you like. That’s a dig at the board.
Neil Lennon & McCartney (09:28): “Aye, count me in the “we can win the thing” brigade!”
I hope we can count the players in that “brigade” too…
:o)
Not been on over that last couple of days, has anything much happened??
Another amazing European night – we thoroughly deserved to win that match. Thought we looked composed and dangerous all night. Samaras was superb, Commons always dangerous and Matthews always a threat. James Forrest was brilliant in the second half and I’m so glad he got the winner after Stokes’ piece of magic.
What a boring draw. Barcelona and Milan again? Was hoping for some new challenges … it’s a hell of a group though. And we are in there in a group of former winners. Can only enhance our pedigree. We are clearly the outsiders, but who knows??
http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spfl/paddy-power-apologise-for-billy-mcneil-tweet-1-3067116
Already hearing, unfounded, rumours that Milan City Council are considering a ban on the sale of alcohol on the day of the Milan v Celtic match on the 18th September!
Bar owners up in arms and taking to the streets in protest!
HH!!
I hope Neil gets the chance to play his chosen back 4 for a few games in a row… I think that will be a boost to the team and FF as well
Paul 67 etal.
I watched the draw for the Champions League on CQN yesterday and when Barcelona came out my first thought was I hope we don’t get drawn with them, Not for any fear of getting beat by them, just the fear of going up to the Gods, That long climb up those stairs. When Milan went into Barcelona’s section, my thoughts went in a different tack,two Champion league teams in the same section, ( I hope we aren’t drawn in that section) type of mode,Then when Ajax came out in the third pot my thoughts changed again. Another former Champions League winner, what a section to get into, My thoughts went into overdrive,Three times we will have the best teams you can wish for in the same section as us,and playing at Celtic Park, I wanted Celtic to be in that same section. Well, It happened, People from all over Europe will be talking about our section , (The section of death comes to mind) I’m very proud that Celtic are involved in this Champions League, To come out in the same breath as Barcelona, Milan,and Ajax, add in Celtic and it’s a League of Champions. all past winners, we have as much chance as the rest of going through, each team will take points from the other and we will be in that mix, bring it on.
Tommysbhoy, Player32, Truth_Beauty_and_Freedom:
Three of the most vivid and indelible images in my Celtic mind are of Billy McNeill when he broke the drought – rising to head home the winner, against Dunfermline in the 1965 Scottish cup final, again rising to head home against Vojvodina, and as long as there’s a Celtic somebody, somewhere, will carry my minds image of Billy holding the European Cup aloft in Lisbon..
Billy was a quiet man in a team full of stars and strong characters, Jimmy Johnstone, Bertie Auld, Bobby Murdoch, and the like. Quiet he might have been, but nobody ever doubted, nor disputed, who the leader was. Billy was a rock, he was always dependable and he never needed to shout to be heard. He never commanded respect; he never had the need to.
Billy did what he did at the draw because he saw it as his duty, and he, regardless of all that ever stood against him, or ever tried to keep him down, as always, he, Billy… stepped up to the plate. Billy has got guts and class to spare.
When I saw him coming off the stage at the Champions League draw I choked up a wee bit, for as he came off that stage I saw the ghost of my father in him.
I think a lot of people might’ve shared that experience too.
Sometimes it’s nice to pay homage to the living; especially those you have deep affection for.
Regards Paddy Power and that message… I think Billy would have a wee chuckle to himself. He’d never call for the authors dismissal but he might give him a wee Gerry McNee to remind him of his future manners if he ever meets him.
Paddy Power owe a personal apology to Billy and his family. I’m sure that they will make it happen soon.
“…it would have been difficult qualifying with Gary Hooper, Kelvin Wilson and Victor Wanyama. But without them it was so tough to do. People can interpret it any way they like”
..happy clapper or mineshafter?
Re Big Billy.
At the 25th Annivesary Dinner in Edinburgh he signed my programme –
………………………..Thre’s only one King B
……………………………That’s McNeill!
My most treasured piece of Celtic Memorabilia.
Love the Big Mhan!!
Watched the Shakhter game on TV 300 miles away and was very impressed with the maturity of Ambrose. He has had a sticky spell in the past 6 months, but I thought his concentration and decision making was terrific all night.
Similarly pretty much most of the team. A mature performance.
The draw is an absolute belter, and I am looking forward to it immensely.
These are great days. Enjoy them.
For what its worth, I couldn’t care less what snide and infantile remarks a newspaper or bookie make about Billy McNeill. I doubt he does either.
He’s 10 times the man now , let alone in his prime , that any of them could ever be.
As any bookie knows form is temporary and class , which Billy has naturally in spades, is permanent.
Malone Bhoy in support of Wee Oscar
09:59 on
30 August, 2013
Lennon clarified what he meant on Wednesday night when he said Celtic
Good rule to follow for Neil finding yourself in a big hole, stop digging
tallybhoy
10:05 on 30 August, 2013
Ehhhhh that will be the same ban on alcohol that was doing the rounds before Turin last season
Re the poster who said Big Billy had “no formal education”.
Lots of posts since, confirming the man is a highly educated and qualified individual.
One of my earliest memories of Billy is that Bob Kelly would not let him become full time at Celtic as he was forging a professional career at an insurance broker in the city centre.
I was working for an insurance company at the time and that’s why this sticks in my mind.
Can anyone expand or confirm please?
TBB- Ole Efe had a good game, but I’m worried he may think he’s good enough to play the ball out of defence against a higher standard of opposition.
If in doubt he should blooter it- no one has ever scored from the ole gazebo.
A Stor Mo Chroi
I have said it here previously.
Billy McNeill is the greatest Celt ever.
My dear late mum, God rest her, Billy McNeill was her heartthrob I think she was pleased that I was a Celtic supporter so she could watch the games too.
A report this morning says that most cheating husbands drive an Audi and drink Guinness, Corona or Peroni!
Anyone think this will boost the sales of these brands?
I really think we should leave the clapper/shafter dispute re the Bored drop for a while. We made the Group Stages and by midnight tomorrow we will know what reinforcements we have got in. In the meantime we have a game tomorrow which after the midweek efforts is going to be a really big ask. I have no doubt it won’t be too long before another dispute kicks off.
Brogan Rogan Trevino
Thank the lord i canny drive
BRTH,
More likely when the missis reads that then asks about the Audi and the bevvy her man drinks, there will be trade ins and different drink selections, so I think it’ll go the other way.