There was an unusual reaction at full time last night. Some attempted to boo, but the applause from the majority in the crowd soon drowned them out. Not all defeats are the same, this one came after one of our best performances of the season, against an undoubtedly better team.
It was important to qualify for the knockout stages of the Europa League. Bereft of domestic competition, Celtic need to test their abilities against top teams, they need to be stretched, forced to defend for long periods, parts of the game which simply never happen in Scotland.
It’s also important to see tangible signs of improvement. Those four weeks of summer, which saw defeats twice to Legia, to Maribor and Inverness, were signs of a team in crisis. They cost us Champions League football, and revenue, but finishing our Europa League group in second place behind Salzburg is the top end of where we expected to be three months ago.
I’m not happy with this morning’s line that we qualified thanks to the result in Romania; we qualified because we collected eight points from our opening four games, including a highly respectable draw in Salzburg. Win, lose or draw last night, the qualification work had been done. We can now start planning for the second half of the season.
Those three months since the summer crisis passed with only one defeat, an ultimately costless, if embarrassing, reversal at home to Hamilton. We can afford a similar episode on the next three months, but not this Sunday. The visit to Tynecastle is our most important game in the next two months, considerably more so than last night’s.
Commons and Forrest return to full fitness will be closer, while it would be good to see Denayer and Lustig available again.
It was kind of Rangers International to publish their accounts as a pick-me-up for us when we got home last night. More tomorrow, if we have time.
Shocked and stunned at the news Roy Keane has chucked it at Aston Villa. No way did I ever see his appointment as assistant to Paul Lambert looking like a pointless distraction so quickly. Next time we appoint a manager, cut the lines to Barbados and keep Martin’s mobile engaged!
Pre-orders are being accepted for the 2015 CQN Annual, which will be posted week commencing 8 December. Get your orders in now…
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hamiltontim
18:12 on 28 November, 2014
That’s fine but there where people on here wanting him sacked after 4 games, there the haters mate not yourself HH
Wonder if we can move the Scottish cup final back a wee bit, I notice it’s only two days befor our EL final in Warsaw
Margaret McGil
Celtic qualified due to a result in Romania.
No Celtic qualified because they had 8 points and the next best points score was 4
HH
Davidopoulos
Well youre defintely not arithmetically challenged but if youre happy with the results yesterday then ok.
With all this talk over Mike Ashley, and whether “dual ownership” will hurt Sevco’s chances of playing in Europe, I thought I’d look at what the real obstacles are …
http://www.onfieldsofgreen.com/not-playing-in-europe/
setting free the bears for Res. 12 & Oscar Knox
17:57 on 28 November, 2014
Sandman
“Celtic needs somebody who has practical experience of success and failure and knows how to apply method to reality.”
On the first criteria, Ronny’s record stands comparison with most of our managers when they came to CP. MON had won a LC, WGS had lost a Cup final, Jock Stein had won a SC and a Summer Cup competition, most of the rest had won nothing.
Your second criteria is just a judgement call.
============================================
SFTB:
On the first – Ronny’s record is based on Norwegian football. Stein – strong Scottish football era, MON – down south, ’nuff said.
Second criteria – yes, of course it’s a judgement call, I’m judging what he’s done so far; what he promised and what he’s delivered. Scmidt seems to have gotten it right at Salzburg, Ronny hasn’t at Celtic.
IMO we need someone in who can forge a steady, solid system thta gives us a CORE on the park. Right now, especially last night, we looked spineless and vulnerable when RBS were in the mood. Too much theory, not learning from practical lessons; an idealist as St.Stivs said, but someone who doesn’t appear to evolve his methods with experience; worrying.
A replacement who’s seen it all, at the very top? Steve Clarke for me. Celtic man, worked with Mourinho for years, knows what mega-success is like and also the depths of failure; cannot buy experience like that. Perfect fit for us.
Craigy was the fall guy brought in to dump the debt and allow a zombie club to carry on. Now the establishment has to punish him.
Duped my ass.
Margaret McGill
I am happy that Celtic beat Dinamo Zagreb at home, beat Astra at home, got a draw against Astra away, drew with Salzburg away and thus accumulated more points than two other teams in the group to qualify for the next round, yes.
I’m off to Anfield tomorrow thanks to a good guy from CQN, Phyllis Dietrichson. Many, many thanks sir.
It’ll be interesting to see how the Liverpool supporters react if Stoke score first.
Yon Zagreb manager couldn’t do what our PE teacher could do
Draw away from home -twice
Last 32
Also
Top of league
New footballing philosophy in progress
Buckle in Bhoys it’s going to take a looonnggg time n more than a few few broken rattles :-)
HH
We might find out I next round how maribor and legit compare with salzburg.
Let’s see what the draw brings.
I hope we get inter.
minx1888 –
don’t forget to get your pick in for Last Man Standing… ;-)
Sandman
Steve Clark didn’t want the job
I thought we qualified because we got more points than two of the three other teams in our group, not because Dynamo failed to get a result last night. We won two games, drew two and lost in a game that could have gone either way.
HT
Back in time for Swinecastle?
Good evening all.
HT
I’m getting pretty peed off with what I’m watching. I hope this window will deliver what we all want, an exciting, exhuberant and skillfull Celtic team. Failing that, a major reshuffle throughout the Club, including the Management, Scouting and Board. Anything other, and the troops will be more in decline than recently. IMHO. Great meeting up again last night, as was all others. :-))
Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.
RANGERS are reportedly sizing up Mark Wotte for a director of football position at Ibrox.
The Scottish Sun reports that the Dutchman, who stepped down from his role as the Scottish FA’s performance director, is high on a list of candidates to fulfil the position at Rangers.
Ha ha ha ha ho ho ho ho ho,Oh my fekin achin sides.Thats enough.
Hey Mark,bring your wallet.
Celtic have been officially crap since 2009 and for all you 55% wankers out
there even more keech now than in a long time.
Canny wait for the huns tae get back so that our keech can play their keech in
the urine stench agricultural keech that we’re used to with Ross county and the rest .
Transfer window and Europe….thats for the deluded Tims!
hun skelper
18:13 on 28 November, 2014
He will get time it’s Pedro’s experiment. As Hamilton Tim said we all want him to succeed but the same brutal one dimensional football is taking its toll.
Whats this I hear about league restructuring?
embdy?
Isn’t it possible to post on here without constantly being crude?
Margaret McGill
18:22 on
28 November, 2014
Celtic have been officially crap since 2009
sorry ;but who or what makes that statement official?
HH
Neil canamalar Lennon hunskelper extrordinaire
18:19 on 28 November, 2014
Sandman
Steve Clark didn’t want the job
========================
He was offered the job? You know this how?
As far as i know he was interviewed, no decisive comment either way.
Regardless, he’s the choice fit for what we need.
Some money, time and effort invested in getting Craig Whyte extradited from Mexico of all places.
They would be better off spending tax payers money in pursuing child murders, drug barons and killers with such vigour.
He’s Craig Whyte, he isn’t Whitey Bulger ffs.
HH.
Margaret McGill
You’re funny.
Margaret McGill
chill out I am feeling some anger issues in the past few posts…
Well said Spencey!
Bit confused on our heroes charges, he was offered the club for a pound and bought it with his own money (I think:), the club transferred to his ownership for a pound, how he maintained the clubs debts was his responsibility and only he could make decisions on which debts he could/would pay and how he would raise the money to meet those debts were all his problem to deal with. This is not and was not a governmental or publicly funded (well except the tax mans cut) organisation. I think this case will set a new precedent.
Bourne
Of course. I’d hoped to stay either tonight or tomorrow night but daughters have scuppered tonight and Celtic on Sunday have scuppered tomorrow night mate.
WeeFra
Reply later F just off to pick up No1 wean :-)
Ah I see some of us are celebrating our 3 1 defeat at home last night.
I admire the ability to be happy and content no matter what.
The smugness from our host is becoming somewhat tiresome and dare I see a tad triumphalistic (without any discernible triumph may I add). Strange times indeed.
Also when Craig Whyte informed Murray that he was a billionaire with wealth off the radar – Murray didn’t think to ask him, “very good Mr Whyte, I’m delighted to hear that, but could you be so kind as to provide me with some evidence that would back up your claims?”
“But why David, sure you said it is only going to cost me a pound coin?”
A joke and a nonsense it is.
HH.
Happier Times
dena29
18:25 on 28 November, 2014
Willo Flood ? :)
Just seen tv clips of some Craig Whyte doppelganger patsy. Bloddy hell it doesn’t even look like the Craigie boy we know and love.
Sandman,
Was a quote here around the time that he did not want to up sticks and move his family from down south.
The evil genuis.
HH.
Paul67
“We can now start planning for the second half of the season.” ???
who is “we”?