Benfica enjoyed a 0-2 away win on Friday evening to remain joint-top of the Portuguese league with Porto. They will have enjoyed a day off while Celtic played on Saturday and will two days training before tomorrow’s game. By contrast, Celtic player will have rested yesterday and will get no more than a run out inside Estadio da Luz tonight. With games coming thick and fast at the moment, hopefully rest is the most important requirement for the players.
Benfica shredded Spartak for most of the second half in Moscow but contrived to miss what chances they created, allowing the Russians their only win of the group so far. The return game in Lisbon was a comfortable win for the home team.
Neil Lennon has some major tactical decisions to make. He will surely acknowledge the danger Benfica pose but has to find a way of scoring an away goal or two. Match day one between Celtic and Benfica brought a 0-0 draw, ostensibly a good result for the visitors, but the group has matured since then. Both teams played that game as though it was an away game; Benfica were happy to defend and Celtic, in their first Champions League game since 2008, were keen to feel their way back into the tournament.
This time Benfica will attack with speed and hope that Celtic open up a little more than they did against Barcelona. It’s important also to acknowledge that while Benfica are no Barcelona, they will also be less predictable than the Catalans, we will not have it all our own way in the air.
It’s going to be a game tiring 90 minutes where the use of fresh legs could be crucial but an early Celtic goal would allow Neil Lennon to set his stall out clearly.
Orders are now open for the very first CQN Annual, get it here!
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the exiled tim
20:16 on 19 November, 2012
Listening in now, lhad from Derby saying the club should come out and back the GB, well said mate.
Kilbowie Kelt: your comment about “world’s New Nazis” is cruel hyperbole. Must people use this site as a forum for extreme political views? Please consider an alternative venue to make such comments. You invoked the name of God in your post – therefore one assumes you believe all life to be sacred. So why are you not expressing thoughts about the suffering of those who are having rockets directed to their homes? Please consider all the people in this tragedy.
Barach suggested one can simply scroll by comments and links. Of course. However one should not just accept such a hateful comment. I am sorry that I am writing about something unrelated to Celtic. Moreover, that I am probably adding to the problem of unrelated topics remaining in this site.
More and more this site is being used to espouse the values of extreme political thought. This is surely the wrong forum for such propaganda.
Barach, thank you for your reasonable response to a previous post.
Good luck Celtic in Lisbon.
Celtic have been having an amazing run of results in European competitions dating back to the Europa and continuing in the Champions league and I honestly don’t think the team fears anyone at this stage.
The squad is big youthful and athletic with no little skill and players like Wanyama, Lustig, Brown, Hooper , Samaras and teenage Tony Watt can hurt any team.
They may have Cardoza but we have Georgios who can terrorize any team in Europe and is now at the peak of this game. Importantly we now have a solid back four. No doubt this team can score goals away from home.
When I try to access spreaker.com (see TET link above) I am shown this:
Your browser is very old and no longer supports Spreaker. Please upgrade it,
How do I upgrade?
John O Neil
20:21 on 19 November, 2012
What’s the death toll at the moment?
Palestinians v Israelis.
What browser do you use jj?
neil canamalar lennon hunskelper extrordinaire
I am on dodgy ground here mate having enjoyed a post work pint so bear with me. The statement from Celtic is unequivocal. If people know different then they should make it clear and we can hound the guilty parties out of or club.
There is clearly a case to be had against the police. Let’s take it from there. If the police are getting illegal information from Celtic then it should come out in court in the police’s defence.
Let’s take the battle to them but let’s not forget who is on our side.
67Heaven … I am Neil Lennon..!!.. Ibrox belongs to the creditors
It says that they are not involved with the targeting and victimisation of
supporters, but they are not saying that targeting and victimisation
isnt taking place.
Although I find it strange that they could say that and not be involved.
geordie munroe
IE
67 Heaven
Aye that’s right – all those on here who are expressing support for the GB are ‘bhun lurkers and board bashers’ as you so eloquently put it!
Bhunbelievable!
HH!!
Geordie
The Upgrade Browser message also offered me a link to change to Google Chrome
I have just read the full version of the GB statement and the Celtic security team and their bosses in the boardroom should hang their heads in shame.
It is irrelevant whether you agree or disagree with the politics of the GB – they are proud members of the Celtic family, your family and mine. Thats the bottom line.
I hope there is no one out there even tempted to side with officialdom on this matter because we should be treating this as if it was one of our brothers or sisters who were being persecuted.
If you dont, then you only want a selective Celtic family, at selective times and on selective occasions and im afraid it doesnt work like that.
The next time I begin to read one of the usual soundbites being quoted from Lawwell but written by the press team praising the Celtic support or making reference to the Celtic family, I will just simply stop reading immediately.
I hope that there will be a groundswell of public outcry from within the support, enough to force the boards hand into doing something to defend the individual members of the GB they, have proven they wont otherwise.
We should also have more faith and confidence in our collective ability to force someones hand.
United we stand divided we fall
So are the board saying that the police are lying?
Or that the Celtic fan is lying?
John o Neil
So why are you not expressing thoughts about the suffering of those who are having rockets directed to their homes?
……………………………………………………………………………………
Possibly because that what you have just writen is not true.
But as you don’t watch videos you might never find out the truth.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIyLuIiPuIo
JJ, update it though Microsoft updates.
I think ie9 is the latest.
Ive never used chrome jj. Try it if it’s gonna give you access. You can always use ie for other sites.
Erie Lynch
Earlier you asked if I had read some emerald statement and if I believed it.
I have no reason to doubt them but they are not people I know or who have a level of accountability.
Therefore I believe that folk who have taken my club to its best ever position of strength vs it’s competition People who have managed the club and its finances responsibly when others have imploded. People who have directed the club to this position of ascendency against a backdrop of negativity from the media and from many malcontent consumers.
Like many i enjoy the GB enormously I do know of many ill informed rumours which sweep the web and which have little foundation.
Just as many maligned fergus and Brian Quinn at some of our better times there will be many malcontents who seek to campaign against the board on such rumour.
Rebels sits better amongst many of the following than leaders or winners that seems for sure. Never happy than when given a cause to complain or campaign.
Geordie
Thanks
ernie
My question exactly…….and I am genuinely confused but the tone of the Statement leads me to suspect that The Board are referring to the Celtic fan/Govan Emerald. I hope I am wrong.
JJ
…the fantastic result that Celtic recorded against Barca has upset many of those for whom our success is a kick in the guts……………
………they’d prefer to sleekitly spread division than see us happily bestride the European footballing stage…..
……….Let’s frustrate them.
They don’t like it.
Hello UTLR and other GB’ers
Just wanted to express my support for you guys. Leaving aside the politics (although, I’m definitely on your side … we aren’t the same as them, and our songs aren’t the same as their hate filled dirges), after NFL, you guys would get more credit than anyone for ‘bringing the thunder back’. I hurts me that the club (my club) hasn’t come out publicly and backed you guys.
So, it is with regret to tell you that I wont be able to honour your boycott this weekend…
as some of you know, my dad passed away this summer, and my brother and I made plans to bring his ashes back to Scotland this week (and hopefully spread some at Celtic Park this weekend)…. not sure when my brother and I will ever get the chance to come back together again, and we owe this our dad… I know he would be supporting your boycott… but I hope that you (and dad – I believe he still watches the games from up there) understand if we have to go to the game this weekend.
If I can help in another way, I would be pleased to do so.
HH
” ernie lynch
20:28on19November,2012
So are the board saying that the police are lying?
Or that the Celtic fan is lying?”
What say you?
A policeman in Scotland lying, surely some mistake…
Very good show tonight
http://www.spreaker.com/page#!/show/hail_hail_media
ernie lynch
They are saying whatever folk believe they are saying according to their own inbuilt unmovable perspective.
As such no statement will change that.
Eyes wide open
Read your last sentence. Whose agenda are you dancing too.
Certainly the division being driven in our club by this stuff will only please our opponents for sure.
But it seems being winners and aligned sits badly with many at Celtic.
There are many GB suppositions and accusations which are well wide if the mark.
Easy for folk with no accountability to cast stones.
Billy Bhoy – thanks will have a look at them as well! Expensive lark this parenting :-)
……………there must be a big game coming up chaps…………
………………c’mon……..think about it.
HHH.
” A policeman in Scotland lying, surely some mistake…”
Starry its pathetic.
‘Polis are liars. Polis are dishonest. Polis have nae integrity’
Then when the police say something that suits their agenda they are bastions of honesty.
Straight from the hip –
It is, therefore, simply NONSENSE to suggest that the Club has been in some way involved in these actions – the question should be asked, what would our motive be? The question should also be asked what the motives are of the people who choose to make such false accusation
So the POLICE are responsible for their own actions. What exactly is the accusation here? That the club are providing the Police with information to bring down the GB?
Mike in Toronto @2033
Well said that mhan!
Thoughts with you, your brother and the rest of your family!
Che Dio vi benedica!
HH!!
ernie lynch: your comment is crass. One loss of life is a tragedy.
THE EXILED TIM: you are wrong. Radio 4 has interviewed people whose homes have almost been struck by rockets. They are living life in shelters. Please consider how this affects the population there.
One can obviously appreciate people wish to express their outrage at this carnage. However, why is it being written about here in such detail? Moreover, numerous posters show contempt for the suffering of the people of Israel in this horror. Innocent people. People like you or I.
Regards supporting the gb
Would it not be funny, if all the fans who turn up for a certain game,(especially)
a televised one, wearing a false beard and glasses, possibly a bunnet as well.
I think the cameras would pick up on this and when they ask why, tell them it is in support of the gb, the harrasment etc.
It (in my eyes) would not only be funny but it hopefully would draw attention to the gb’ s plight.
Jeezoh………the spinners emergency response dept are fair puttin’ a shift in…
………….’new balls’ please!
I am underwhelmed by Club Statement. I am glad they denied any complicity in targeting supporters but it wouldn’t have killed them to show a bit of appreciation for The Green Brigade for the colour and atmosphere they bring to the Stadium and in particular for the fantastic display at the Barca game. I too hate to see our support divided on any issue and would like to have this matter patched up asap. We will just have to wait & see what response if any this elicits from The Green Brigade.
Bankiebhoy
Way too sensible.
Self destructing as we are on verge of greatness is much more the way.
Victim mentality to the fore. Rage against authority figures whether ours or the others. Much more like what we do.
ernie lynch
20:20 on 19 November, 2012
I don’t think our Board would lie about it……best to wait for any feedback from the GB before we engage in bitter ‘finger-pointing’…?
tomtheleedstim,
disagree mhate, the statement is far from unequivocal, the only poit it is unequivocal on is that they blame a Celtic supporters for relaying what he was told by the police, there is nothing about contacting the police for an explanation.
They unsuprisingly address no other claims made by the GB about harassment.
They do not address issuing of personal details, they dont address the harassment issue at all, that whole statement is telling us they know nothing of any harassment and anyone who thinks they are being harassed should contact them and wait for a reply.
As I said they know exactly what is going on and this statement is a three wise monkeys fob off.
Sorry pal to me its shoddy at best and disingenious at worst.
It will not stop me requesting the information I am currently chasing.
Last night, all night, it was Celtic must make a statement.
Tonight Celtic do make a statement.
Now it is, we don’t like your statement.
What?
EC67