Neil Lennon took his players to the vast open spaces of the Camp Nou last year, took the lead and held onto a point until the fourth minute of added time. It was an enormous and disciplined achievement. I feared we would suffer a backlash when Barcelona visited Glasgow.
What we experienced instead was more of the same. Barca played some of the most mesmerising football we have ever seen, but it took them until the 92nd minute until they managed to beat Fraser Forster, this time, too little, too late.
Barca have the best Plan A in football but they were unable to effectively change when making no progress and unable to cope with Celtic from set pieces, while their own concentration was called into question.
While our visitors will be keen to make up for their disappointing result in Glasgow last season, Celtic have their own disappointing result to avenge. The heroic tales from Milan last month count for nothing. Celtic need to show they have the necessary edge.
We are the team with something to prove. We are the only team who can leave Celtic Park tonight with any material achievement; a win would do nothing for Barca, whose place in history is already acknowledged. The only prize in the game worth having – professional honour – is only available to Celtic.
Tonight we have a rare opportunity. Take it, Celtic.
A good day to bury bad news
Rangers International FC PLC accounts, released this morning, curiously report “First team wages/turnover ratio at 43% while total staff costs are £17.9m, or 94% of turnover. I’m not convinced this is evidence of a vast and unnecessary filtering of cash out of the club. While the board and management will take a slice of the extra wages this total figure is not unusual, or unexpected. It takes several hundred people to run a football club with an average attendance at 39k. There is not a whole lot they will be able to do about this figure.
DM Hall, who produced fabulous property valuations for Ibrox and Murray Park when Sir David Murray was in charge, are back, this time valuing the assets at £65.2m and £14m respectively. This is vastly more than was paid for them last year but still a fraction of what DM Hall valued the properties at in 2005. The combined existing use valuation recognised in the accounts is £42.5m – a tidy sum, if achieved by sale and leaseback.
The club has operating costs of £33.6m while income is £19.1m. They are clearly spending more than necessary. When looking to cut costs there will be some low lying fruit (or Greggs pies) but cutting into the player budget, or back office staff costs will be difficult, while cuts to policing, rates and utility costs are unlikely.
Cash at 30 June 2013 was £11.198m, so, before cost cutting and after exceptional costs are removed, they are looking for circa £18m cash to fund operations until 30 June next year. There are several established ways to achieve this, including ticket securitisation, used by both previous owners of Ibrox.
A significant uplift in season ticket prices is also likely to be necessary. Charles Green set initial ticket prices low. An appeal could surely have been made to fans to step forward and offer support at a higher price, but Green was under pressure from Paul Murray’s various attempts to win control-while securing fan support for his Blue Knights group.
If Murray hadn’t run his ultimately-doomed campaign, Green’s need to over-promise and under-price, in order to sell any tickets, would have been different. As would the operating deficit reported today.
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Inga problem vet du….
pessimistically I see us losing a goal within the first five minutes, then we need the crowd to get us going, maybe get an equaliser, then we will get a late winner or they will sicken us with a late winner
Evening all
Tonsillitis prevents me from being in Celtic Park tonight. Dejected.
A more attacking line up than a home match v Morton? God knows what this quack had given me.
Good luck Bhoys!
Jimbo67 supporting Oscar Knox
Desertbhoy
Went to a non denom in D’Chapel. Its no poor Andy’s fault :)
Gallowgate is amazing.
COYBIG
Celtic need to avoid conceding a goal in the first 10mins and last 10 mins of the game.
These are the time-periods where we are invariably vulnerable in Europe.
Achieve this and we will have a very good chance of a result tonight.
Hail hail.
Iki, came through fethiye when the electric went out. (Staying at latoonia). Tv signal has now gone. Now on hands and knees praying to the rain god’s for mercy.
Sure, I know it’s mighty Barcelona but Celtic have a fairly good record against them and we also have tradition on our side with a wonderful record at Celtic Park. Good selection by Neil and Anto should be fired up after getting selected back in the ROI panel.
Anto is a clever footballer and goalador and is what we need against the Spaniards.
Another god performance from Celts. C’mon the HOOPS.
Billy Bhoy
At 18.09
Thanks fur the Nod,pal
Ach..Ah Write wan o’ they Little Anecdotes..
tae Keep In Practice..
Ye never know.. Ma Auld Agent may See it..
‘
And Gie Me a Call.., That son of a Lady Dug, Did Mak An Awy loata dough Affa Me.. when Ah think Aboot it!
Can’t Hoit?
Right.
Kojo
Still,Laughin/
puffnstuff
Thanks for that bro !
Lying in a hospital bed in Germany after a Angiograph and warned to limit my movement for the next 24hrs. Could be problematic for the next 3.Laptop is on the trolley in fron of me staring at 2 sq sausages now. Back-up u know ! Bring it on ….coybig
Took the day off to watch this. COYBIG!
live updates IS ON
If we don’t lose a goal in the first 45 minutes and the second 45 minutes, oh and in any extra time, we should be ok!
C’MON THE CELTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We can get something from this c’mon the hoops
germanjim that warmed my heart. Helping you is well worth a telling off from Kojo. mon the hoops
New article
Good Luck guys,c’mon the Celts,3-1 to the good guys,
Nervous early touches from Sammie & Kris
Nervewracking!!!!!!
Cannot keep the ball….FF was damn lucky there when he completely missed the cross.
Hopefully we will grow in confidence in the 2nd half. KTF
A bit nervey at the back at times and Lustig’s booking makes him Nemeyer’s target but did quite well when you consider it is Barca we are playing.
Anyone got the number of ITV HD?
The 103 on Sky is crap, keeps breaking up so I have gone on to Terrestial.
Celts need a wee bit more quality in their passing and have a wee bit more confidence in their ability.
Can’t be faulted for effort.
Fans great as usual.h
Ref punishing us systematically at corners and set pieces when it’s obvious that they are at it. Same old…
We’ll be ok second half – a goal for us – of any sort – would be welcome!
Gardez la Foi
Sixtae
The boul’ Oweny is co-commy on RTE………
……..’.the voice of a football’
Broonie off – Scandalous decision.
Up against it now.
A galant bid as usual
but …
why do we always get these refs?
Guys that have never played the game – and fall for al the tricks.
Why is that?
We are mah-handled in the box even BEFORE a corner or free kick, and we are the ones sanctioned ?!?
Don’t know why Barca are held in such esteem, they employ all the tricks of the trade and have debts that the huns couldn’t even calculate.
Proud of our team tonight – we are not cheats and give our all.
Gardez la Foi
Sixtae
On further viewing maybe sending off not such a scandalous decision.
Shove that city