Celtic v AEK Athens, Live updates
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- RODGERS HAILS FORREST ‘THE DIFFERENCE-MAKER’
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It’s going to be an even tougher game on Saturday against the Edinburgh Huns, as we need to pick our selfs up.
Levein will have them fired up as usual
Hail Hail
D. :)
I didn’t see who lost the ball to AEK before they launched it – was it Brown or Rogic?
Lustig slack of pace badly exposed then Ajer fails to make the decision to clear. Who left the boy wide open to score?
Didn’t think we were bad but didn’t think we were great either. It was perfunctory without a punch. Time and again we played the same wee cross from the left into no one in the box.
When will we ever nail a corner or a free kick again?
If we receive mental bids tomorrow are we more at risk with perhaps a 30% chance of progressing.
I’m still not convinced there’s not a big bid for someone still to come.
Night Celts.
On wards to Tuesday with (somewhat faint) hope in our hearts
Just back, you will not get very far in Europe losing daft goals like that. Sadly ran out of imagination with 20 minutes to go. Would be surprised if we win over there. Time for a kip
The Kellys and Whites didny have mountains of evidence of collusion and ebt’s jiggery pockery.
Nae, they were told that they were paranoid.
The Kellys and Whites put teams on the pitch that won the European Cup, 9 in a row etc.
The Kellys and Whites put a manager in the dugout, who was so cute, he had the huns rioting all over Europe.
The Kellys and Whites were accused of stealing all the gate money, even though, half the crowd were given a lift over the turnstile’s.
Etc…….
Watched AEK’s goal again. Ajer made a real blunder leaving the ball. I’ve got high hopes for this lad, but he picked a bad night to have a poor game. He kept getting too close to their CF, who turned him all night. Gave away fre kicks on the edge of the box and generally looked anxious. Hendry did okay in the game. Nearly got caught a couple of times when hesitating, but won some good headers and didn’t give AEK much of a sniff. Too many fans too ready to get on the young lad’s case. Won’t help him get better.
Worried about the tension between Brendan and the Board. Potentially very divisive.
Thought not!
Goooood Evening CQN – ???????
Not long in, and not read back
Thought we played ok, and dissapointing goal we lost
Cross for this should never had been allowed to get into our box
Also thought the lack of creativity up front at this level is glaring, and why I would like to see wee Paddy back.
Now, I am no board lover, but how many CH’s do we need ? And new players ?
For the sake of repeating myself, since Jan we have signed, Compper and Hendry, Bain, Morgan and a perm deal with Odsonne
We need to move a few on to create space for those we want at a better standard
Incidentally I was also a huge fan of John McGinn, but do not believe we should have been spending over £20k a week for a current bench place ??
Just my view
Hoping we can find a way to create another goal or 2 next week
AEK showed us how to defend and close out space tonight
Curates egg and then some.
Every current and historic issue rolled into 90 minutes.
43.5 minutes and we seemed to have done well.
Disappointed in TR not getting involved in the game and our general wastefulness.
KT seemed to be playing in a pair of pit boots and the glass jaw was glistening in the sun.
However they were poor while we were energetic and had a good attitude.
Then one mistake and it was all gone.
Hats off to ON and JF in the second half — they tried.
The rest looked lost to the point that the SPL will be an achievement to be celebrated like 1986.
The clearout has to start now — from the top.
SANDMAN’S DEFINITIVE RATINGS:
‘To be read and wept over, biatches, particularly those with pre-prepared slaughter documents, frothing at the bit to deride the Hoops’ Slippy G, Sevco Supremo.
‘Heease eff Kerds, leek a telt yees breddas. Dey ees feck-ed lak a telt yees’ Dav Keeng, Johannesburg.
‘Teacups and storms – the Hoops prevail, ’tis written in the bottom of me cups and goblets. ‘ Captain Charles Vane.
Gordon – 9/10
Pinky the diamond smuggler practically dayglo-ed the wits out of their forward early doors and saved a devastating early goal. No chance with the gift they got, tho almost pulled off a Man City last-kick stop on it as it flew narrowly past his outstretched right glove.
Looked confident and in control; didn’t put a foot wrong.
Tierney – 7/10
KT, one of our own, started like the devastating whirlwind we got used to last two seasons. Tore them up on the left but mystifyingly dissipated second half, despite numerous opportunities failed to deliver a killing ball.
Hendry – 7/10
Roams around young and raw like a clean-cut American high-schooler from a John Hughes movie, but the experience will be invaluable. Did the simple things well, didn’t try and elaborate. Same needed next week if Jozo not fit. And he’ll get the chick at the end of the movie…
Ajer – 8/10
Our Praetorian guard solid and consistent against a very good centre forward; facing some of the best hold-up play I’ve seen outwith the group stages (sign him!). Kept his nerve and wits; some perfectly-timed intererceptions.
Once he developes a menacing snarl and top-class vicious streak I will look forwward with a delicious bag of sunkist popcorn to seeing the body parts strewn around our defensive half..
Lustig – 8/10
World Cup madman returned to the fray and delivered the consistent performance of a seasoned international. Next week, he will be VITAL. You hear, naysayers? V-I-T-A-L… Like Y-M-C-A at a buftie bash.
Ntcham – 7/10
Tick-tock. Novelty Sam Jackson metronome played the part we want every time – switching, nicking, closing, dictating; perfect bar the scorching finish we craved. Sometimes it runs for you, motherf#####s, and sometimes the Lord lays down his vengeance upon you…
Broon – 7/10
Captain marvel ran the show again. Great recoveries, great tackling, constant endeavour. Urging his creatives to pony-up, berating the ref and connivers of AEK.
But… Should he have had their goalscorer? That time and space to crash it in – where was the deep cover pit-fighting dog-dogging breakup maestro we’re used to? Who’s job was it to take that runner?
McGregor- 8/10
Great goal. Wonderful first-half, always a tricky presence. Unable to carve them open all second-half.
My MOTM, simply because he made the difference we needed but was let down by his team mates who failed to capitalize.
Still the most improved player we’ve had in years, now pipping Jamesy for consistent eyebrow raising.
French Eddy – 6/10
A presence, yes, but without a partner was closed down far too easy. Never found a yard of space in their box all game. Whether this was down to sheer bad fortune on his part and pure luck for their defence will be put to the test next week. C’mon the Panther!
Rogic – 3/10
“Whit’s Tam daein, Tam? Whit’s the big lunk daein?”
Nothing, as it haoppened.
Miserable night for our Oz wizard. Hardly on the ball, unable to force himself into the game.
Where was the svelte Velvet Underminer? (see what I did there Lou Reed fans?)
Unusually Weird Scenes Around The Velvet Goalminer (see what I did there, Doors fans?)
Appeared once in the 2nd half when his number was up. (see what I did there, bingo fans?)
Cannot possibly manage Big T to perform so poorly again, which is the one thing that provides optimism.
Forrest – 5/10
The Prestwick Flyer couldn’t take off. Chose the wrong option too many times, didn’t make the convincing forays that have marked him under BR, and like everyone else never found a final ball all game. Next time, Jamesy, next time…
Sincy – 5/10
FFS. You’re a mercurial presence with the appearance of a moderately powerful Pokemon who earns 40 grand a week and has playtime with a soap-opera uber-hottie. Yet you appear to have the confidence of a Hun at a spelling bee.
Good grief, Sincy, if I was you I’d be calling out Ronaldo at a narcissists’ mirror-gazing contest; get some belief, bhoy, keep the faith and deliver with those magic feet. The legions of Hoops are behind you; savage those defenders, give us joy!
Griffiths – 5/10
Sparky also failed to spark. Typical of our matchwinners, bar Calmac. Lots of effort, no impact. Not something his burds will testify too, however…
BR – 7/10
Did he do much wrong? nope. Set-up well, picked the right subs at the right time. Let down by the big-game performers. Haven’t heard him at the time of writing but I’d be surprised if he was too unhappy as they were no formidable opponent.
So…
OVERALL – 6/10
FRUSTRATION! ‘More than a board game…’
And that six about covers the defence and mid. Solid at the back, competent in the middle bar the bemusing lack of wits for their goal.
Mid to front cost us the win, tho looked right on it early game. They would have capitulated if we’d got the second goal.
The red card actually worked against us, forcing them more compact and deeper. But we still had so much possession with so little reward; it must be a first in Europe to so dominate and fail to capitalise – over to Celtic by Numbers to confirm that.
On another night we score 4 or more – a per Astana last year. The performance was decent, they were decent but average, we could and should have put them to the sword.
They will think they can coast the second leg. We are in the best position for this Celtic squad- needing to win; a defined goal that eradicates the defensive requirements which have let us down so often in Europe.
AEK were competent and organised. and that was it. We were average, often promising, ultimately – and unusually – laborious when we needed to be incisive. They got the run of the ball, the luck in their own box as deliveries were missed or runs mistimed; when the ball broke, they were on it.
I will be surprised and disappointed if we cannot go to Athens and beat them well. There’s plenty more in that Celtic tank; up to the Bhoys to deliver next week.
We’ve lost to better.
But we’ve beaten better.
Onwards and upwards.
Sandman oot.
STARRY PLOUGH on 8TH AUGUST 2018 11:37
PM16 ROADS.
Kin he play centre half???
HH
——————————————–
No doubt whatsoever.
KTF. ?
Some divisive stuff on here tonight but I can’t help thinking that tonight proved what we all knew, we cannot defend well and against better organised teams we pass too much from side to side without ever really threatening to open them up. All this ‘it’s the board’s fault’ stuff may be true (certainly not convinced they have backed Brendan this pre-season/window) but we fail to get the basics right year after year in Europe when it comes to defending. Not seeking to apportion blame but just observing that we repeatedly make too many basic errors and leave decent players in acres of space to do what good players do – exploit it! We really need to work on our tactics and shape when we haven’t got the ball IMHO.
I thought AEK were piling on the drama with their diving and dropping to the deck.
However, they’ve been surpassed by some of the drama queens on here tonight.
We dominated most of the game but didn’t have the final ball or a wee rub of the green inside the box. We needed to be sharper and get shots off more quickly.
I have a big basket and I’ll be collecting all the towels later.
No DD extolling the virtues of the Bankie bhoy?
DELANEYS DUNKY
any thoughts on the bankie bhoy not signing , gone quite on the subject
SANDMAN on 9TH AUGUST 2018 12:03 AM
SANDMAN’S DEFINITIVE RATINGS
pish.
One other quick point
Should we take the hit thus season on The Champions league
And persevere with Ajer ( 20 yo and less than 100 first team games) and (23 but less than 50 first team games) ? Build their experience and game time together ?
Boyata, not for signing a new deal, so we should sell in my view
Simonuvic at 24 has just over 100 games experience
I think we should also be looking at cutting our losses with Compper, then try to bring in experience to support Ajer and Hendry
Hail Hail
MADMITCH on 9TH AUGUST 2018 12:03 AM
Curates egg and then some.
Every current and historic issue rolled into 90 minutes.
43.5 minutes and we seemed to have done well.
Disappointed in TR not getting involved in the game and our general wastefulness.
KT seemed to be playing in a pair of pit boots and the glass jaw was glistening in the sun.
————–
pish
Sorry another point
Anyone else notice Brendan giving Griffiths a rollockng for constantly being out of position he was put on to play in ??
PETERLATCHFORDSBELLY on 8TH AUGUST 2018 11:59 PM
Watched AEK’s goal again. Ajer made a real blunder leaving the ball. I’ve got high hopes for this lad, but he picked a bad night to have a poor game. He kept getting too close to their CF, who turned him all night. Gave away fre kicks on the edge of the box and generally looked anxious. Hendry did okay in the game. Nearly got caught a couple of times when hesitating, but won some good headers and didn’t give AEK much of a sniff. Too many fans too ready to get on the young lad’s case. Won’t help him get better.
————-
the same
ajers hands on pull, pull, but get turned anyway.
hendry, all style, with no substance, he isnt going to get hurt to win the ball,
If there is a bid of £9 mil.plus for Boyata , we have to take it IMO, The planning for CBs needs to be adressed now, and McKenna not an option.
SS- PLB- a commanding CB , with a voice; is what we need; i think when teams like us don’t have one, opposition teams take confidence from it.
NORRIEM
Don’t know if it was just on the telly but Griff looked to be carrying a bit of weight???
It would seem that relations between Brendan and the board are not as good as we would like.
He has delivered back to back trebles and CL qualification, but has been found wanting ,even humiliated ,in some matches at CL group level.
Do the board see him as a terrific coach ,but not a terrific judge of a player?
Let’s look at some of his recruitment decisions.
Sviachencko not given a run of games and replaced by Comper.
Musonda .
Izzy let go ,and Calvin Miller as his replacement.
We are now trying to get Izzy back.God forbid that we are planning to sell KT.
We are short of experienced full back’s and central defenders.
We need someone who can consistently deliver good corners and take free kicks.
Mulgrew did all of that .
Brendan decided to let him go.
He has been a revelation at Blackburn.
We have known for a year that Dembele and Griffiths are regularly injured ,yet no cover has been sought.
We agreed to sell Simunovic last season ,but he failed the medical.
We have known for months that Boyata was going to be at the WC and that he had declined to sign a new contract,
We knew last season Armstrong had itchy feet.
We knew Roberts loan was coming to an end.
Perhaps the board feel that Brendan has not planned and recruited well.
Perhaps Brendan is being let down by our scouts and the board .
Brendan is always very calm when interviewed by the press.
His answers are always measured and intelligent.
He is the perfect politician.
So why the change of tactic before our most important fixture of the season?
Is he Lettings potential suitors know that he is unsettled ,and at the same time getting in his excuses for a failure to qualify for the CL?
Who the hell knows?
But one thing is clear.
Our recruitment and planning is not working.
All our recruitment should be done so that players are bedded in for our CL qualifiers.
The one constant is that this lack of planning for CL qualification was there before Brendan came.
Neil Lennon was hamstrung by it as well.
We gamble every season .
It’s simply not professional.
TT
TINYTIM on 9TH AUGUST 2018 12:39 AM
pish
I didn’t see any signs of complacency in the AEK Athens side tonight.
I saw a team who looked well drilled, tidy on the ball but not world beaters.
Perhaps the signs of complacency were instead to be found in the Celtic team sheet where 2 young guys with a handful of European games between them were to be found.
Would be interesting to compare the levels of experience in the spine of sides in these CL qualifiers who I think could be reasonably compared to us.
The likes of Zagreb, Salzburg, Ajax etc
I doubt they put forward a novice centre half pairing at this stage of CL qualifiers.
On a separate point ScotRail and their “customer service” staff at Bellgrove, aided by their useless pals in the BTP, are a disgrace.
I watched them tell people that there were no trains eastward and folk would have to make their own way home at their own expense. A clearly vulnerable old guy asked them how he was meant to get to Armadale to which they told him to make his way to Glasgow city centre, get a train to falkirk high then get a taxi at his own cost from falkirk to Armadale.
I doubt that they’d have spoken to rugby fans the way they were treating the football fans tonight.
I made my way to queen st to find that ScotRail were laying on taxis to get people to Coatbridge, airdrie Armadale and Bathgate. Why didn’t the diddies at bellgrove let people know about that?
I hope the old guy is ok. I’m not one for complaining but that was an appalling way to treat customers, especially an old guy like that, to leave him stranded 25 miles from home and not care less. They must’ve known free taxis were being laid on at queen st but elected not to say. I’ll be raising this with ScotRail tomorrow.
Vale Bhoy & Ron67 12.08 am
DD gave an opinion that McGinn would sign . The opinion came from talking to family & friends of the player. He wasn’t the only one .
It didn’t work out that way. Hey ho . Are you both actually blaming DD ?????
Dry your eyes and grow up .
Saint Stivs on 9th August 2018 12:09 am
SANDMAN on 9TH AUGUST 2018 12:03 AM
SANDMAN’S DEFINITIVE RATINGS
pish.
===============================
I appreciate your considered input.
Ya tragic fanny.
StStivs
That for you erudite musings and detailed response.
Slainte.
TT
ta.
ANGELGABRIEL on 9TH AUGUST 2018 12:44 AM
Vale Bhoy & Ron67 12.08 am
DD gave an opinion that McGinn would sign . The opinion came from talking to family & friends of the player. He wasn’t the only one .
It didn’t work out that way. Hey ho . Are you both actually blaming DD ?????
Dry your eyes and grow up .
only asked for his opinion following J.McG signing for villa , stupid remark am i blaming him for not signing for his one and only team , i didn’t want him to sign for us anyway as he would tell you.
Tinytim
a retraction, yours was good.
sandmans was iffy,
Tiny Tim.
Some valid points , good recruitment is difficult when basing it on progression in Europe, against a philosophy of trying to play pretty football, and the obvious step up from the domestic game.
Loads of conundrums , helped with the benefit of hindsight. I whole heartedly agree that the planning through the seasons, including this one , could have been better. HH
!!Bada Bing!! on 9th August 2018 12:17 am
If there is a bid of £9 mil.plus for Boyata , we have to take it IMO, The planning for CBs needs to be adressed now, and McKenna not an option.
======================================
£9 million for Dedryck is insane. Really. Every man has his price and that’s about double his, realistically.
—————————————
starry plough on 9th August 2018 12:30 am
NORRIEM
Don’t know if it was just on the telly but Griff looked to be carrying a bit of weight???
=========================================
So much downtime, and with Griff’s track record, he’s probably gone and gotten himself pregnant…
While more than a few posters who take delight in every opportunity to deride Celtic, the board, the players and our achievements, the manager thinks we can win in Athens.
BRENDAN Rodgers insists Celtic can record a positive result away to AEK Athens and reach the UEFA Champions League play-offs following tonight’s 1-1 home draw in the first-leg. The Hoops deservedly led through Callum McGregor’s accurate finish but Viktor Klonaridis levelled for the Greek title-winners just before the break.
AEK were then reduced to 10 men early in the second half when Konstantinos Galanopoulos saw red for a second booking. The Scottish champions were already dominating the second half, but the sending off sparked an onslaught on the visitors’ goal.
And although they created a number of promising positions and had plenty of attempts on goal, the Celts couldn’t fashion a winning goal and had to settle for a share of the spoils.
Despite not taking a lead to Athens for the second-leg, the manager was still proud of his players’ efforts and, on the evidence of their performance, was confident that they could still progress in the tie.
Speaking after the game, the Hoops boss said: “Apart from that one error just before half-time, I would be talking about a fantastic performance. I’m still very proud of how we played and I thought we started the game very well in every element – our shape offensively when we had the ball, along with our defending and pressing, was a real high level.
“We were in really good control of the game and probably Athens were waiting to half-time to regroup, and then we obviously conceded in the 44th minute.
“The game didn’t change so much in second half, whether it was 10 or 11 men. They set out in deep block and I suppose there’s a bit of frustration we couldn’t make the final pass count in the final third of the pitch.
“But, overall, we’re still in a good position. It was always going to be a difficult game over there for us anyway, but certainly after tonight and how we played and the performance, it gives us great hope of going over there and getting a result.”
He continued: “I think we were playing against a good side who can defend well and are strong and we threw everything out there into the game in terms of attacking players.
“It was just final pass and sometimes that bit of luck you need for it to drop to you, with so many bodies behind. It’s never easy, but the effort of the players and some of the quality they showed was very good. We would’ve liked to have got the second goal but it didn’t come for us.
“That’s how Athens play and how I think they’ll play like that out there as well. They play deep and compact in a 4-4-2, so the sending off didn’t change that side of it, but it made their mentality a bit more defensive I suppose.
“We continued to still dominate the ball and get into good areas. We had opportunities but weren’t clinical enough to finish them. We knew they were a good side but we proved we’re also a good side and can go over there and get a good result.”
And the Hoops boss was adamant his side could score an away goal, though he acknowledged his team would also need to be discplined defensively.
“I don’t think there’s any question of that,” said the Irishman. “I think we’ll have enough of the ball and we’ve got the players of quality who can score and we won’t have to defend well.
“It was always going to be a difficult game, whether we were 1-0 up or at one each. But I always felt we were going to have to score there anyway. It’s still very much in the balance. Of course, it swings to them a bit as they’re at home but we certainly know we’ve the quality to go and perform well after seeing that this evening.”
I can’t fault his logic.
Ron67
Fair enough. It didn’t help that your post was immediately after Vale Bhoys post , so I maybe reacted to soon .
I didn’t like the tone of either, but I get your drift.
That came from the Celtic site BTW
Strange and frustrating night for Celtic.
After a ropey first couple of minutes, the next 20-30 suggested we could take a comfortable lead to Athens next week. Goal didn’t stop us coming forward and getting in to decent positions, but the threatening edge we had in the first period seemed to be gone.
Them losing a man made no difference – there was no real expectation that we would score after that.
As for McGinn – I can’t go along with all of this “you can’t blame the boy”, “good luck to him”, etc.
As far as I’m concerned he – supposedly a lifelong Celtic fan – had a chance to come to Celtic on very good money.
HE chose Aston Villa over his ‘heroes’ – it wasn’t Petrie or Lawwell that made the choice – it was McGinn. And apparently because he had a ‘nice chat’ with Steve Bruce and a good meal.
Not much of a price to turn the head of a ‘lifelong Celtic supporter’ who would do anything to join his ‘heroes’.
I hope he wakes up at some point soon and realises that he’ll never look back on a career where he has achieved his boyhood dream of playing for Celtic – and I hope he regrets his decision.
Celtic fan my arse.
Bitter? Me? You bet !!!
HH
BGFC