Celtic planning now clear as season opens up

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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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  1. stephbhoy,

     

     

    Why not bring back a reserve league and give free entry to season book holders like was done in the past.

     

    A couple pf pounds on for non sb

     

    holders…let the youngsters learn against the seasoned professionals …it worked in

     

    the past and we’re certainly going nowhere fast with our academy!

  2. An Tearmann

     

     

    Just finished the Annual – long shift!

     

     

    Re the CQN names in the Annual – yes they are in there. Indeed if those who have received their copy of Caesar & The Assassin have a wee look right at the very end there’s a few pages with plenty of the CQNers featured – I compiled the list the weekend that bam was on attacking Hamiltontim who was not even on the blog at the time – so he’s not there. You are however.

     

     

    I need to go through the blog and add guys who have been missed out (including Paul and myself!)

     

     

    Re Tommy – it not been a good week for the Lions all round. Hopefully things will pick up next week. Tommy is doing okay in the circumstances.

  3. Would it make any difference to the whingeing mob if Celtic beat Hearts on Sunday?.

     

    Just another day to have a go at the manager.

     

    Oh how they must love match days.Well their 5 minutes of fame after the game on here.

     

    All the usual suspects.Win ,lose or draw,RD gets it.

     

    Then they come on and slag Jackson,and the rest of the SMSM for what they write.

     

    I firmly believe a few are waiting on RD to get knocked out of something.Never would have thought this before,but I do now.Their glee will be matched only by the huns,who by their behaviour,they are doing their damndest to emulate.

     

    Sickening

  4. Life’s a sair fecht

     

    Nae Rainbow withoot rain

     

    If ye cannae see the bottom dinnae complain if ye droon

     

    Dinnae expect onything an yell no be disappointed

     

    Yer sins go doon beside yer name in the book of no rubbin oot.

  5. Sipsini

     

     

    No winners on the euromillions tonight mhate.

     

     

    Apols.

     

     

    So can you wait till next wed and I’ll buy you your new studmuffin wagon having won the £80m the night before?

     

     

    Night Timdom.

     

    Daughter trying out for triathlon tomorrow -7am swim!!!

     

     

    WTF?

     

     

    HH jamesgang

  6. bundoran bhoy – team oscar forever

     

     

    Ho you! Enough!

     

    Doc’s a legend!

     

    He told me so don’t you know…..

     

     

    ;-)

     

     

    HH jamesgang

  7. sipsini

     

    22:41 on

     

    28 November, 2014

     

    stephbhoy,

     

     

    Why not bring back a reserve league and give free entry to season book holders like was done in the past.

     

    A couple pf pounds on for non sb

     

    holders…let the youngsters learn against the seasoned professionals …it worked in

     

    the past and we’re certainly going nowhere fast with our academy!

     

     

    good call but it was scrapped because clubs couldn’t afford to keep it going

     

     

    HH

  8. Winning Captains

     

     

    Cheers for reply.I just thought cqn were maybe doing the annual on a more formal,traditional manner.:-)

     

     

    No need to tell Tommy all the best from us Tims here.Get well soon big shot.:-)

     

    hh

  9. neganon2

     

     

    22:51 on 28 November, 2014

     

    Turkeybhoy what colour is your tongu?

     

     

    ——-

     

     

    Too personal a question mhate.

     

    A Mhan’s tongu is his own private business.

     

     

    TskTskCSC

     

     

    HH jamesgang

  10. jude 2005 is neil lennon

     

     

    cheers mhate for enquiring.only read a small report,they only had 1 shot.glad we got victory asnyway

     

    :-)

     

    hh

  11. jamesgang,

     

     

    Better luck next time mate and goodluck to your daughter tomorro.

     

     

    Butsybhoy,

     

     

    Something has to be done with our youth making the final yard…maybe too pampered now and just accept when their time is up for us, the step down is still a noo bad living with other clubs…money down the stank for us though. HH

  12. TicGaz, but seemingly not this, odd that is.

     

     

    The results elsewhere were incidental to Celitc gaining enough points in the league to qualify.

     

    I read earlier some saying differently, that I found odd.

  13. sipsini

     

     

    think the thought now with the exception of wee jamesey and callum if your no 6″7 you get released. just my opinion

     

     

    HH

  14. Oh, and regarding the names of CQN’rs at the end of the new book, how on earth did I end up between Sipsini and VoguePunter!!!!!!!!

     

     

    Jeez.

     

    :-)

  15. Doc , we had more points than the two teams below us combined ,

     

    if my arithmetic are correct ?

     

     

    We haven’t gelled yet , lets see what happens….

  16. Back in again,

     

     

    Doc

     

     

    I hope I’m no wan o they 7 dwarfs?? :-)

     

     

    Jamesgang

     

     

    Careful now. :-)))

     

     

    Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.

  17. Sipsini, so I’m the meat in the sandwich:)

     

     

    TicGaz, wee have failed to get out of European Groups with less, against better quality admittedly, we are a work in progress.

     

     

    WeeFra, very good:-). You know you are, you’re Cuddly

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