Club-v-country has never been so acute as Celtic-Scotland right now

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These pages have seen Gordon Strachan written off many times since those four days in August 2005 when Celtic conceded nine goals to Artmedia and Motherwell. Last night, as Scotland manager, he got the breaks. First, at the most ridiculous dive for a penalty ever perpetrated by a player on a yellow card (and I have seen Steven Naismith), then, when tired defensive limbs contrived to concede a late winner for Scotland.

If he gets a result away to Slovenia on Sunday, he will have earned whatever grudging appreciation goes his way. A generation of adults have never seen Scotland at an international tournament. They don’t know the joys of losing 3-0 to Morocco, watching a defensive wall shirk at a free kick, or celebrating as an Iranian scored an own goal to deliver a point. It’s time they learned.

Little about Scotland’s success is good news for Celtic. Should we win the league, our first qualification round will start two weeks after the tournament kicks off. Although that round is unlikely to provide a particularly stiff challenge, consider what happened to Newco when they arrived unprepared against Luxembourg semi-professionals.

Even if Scotland don’t reach the finals in Russia, a second place finish in the group for Scotland would see the players face two play-off games in the middle of our Champions League group games, and the possibility of a League Cup final.

Brendan Rodgers will wish his players every success, but he would surely not be too distressed to share hard luck stories with them when they return to training next week. The club-v-country debate has kicked around for decades, but I doubt if any club/country combo has seen it as acute as it is for Celtic and Scotland right now.

Catch up with this CQN Podcast from last month when we interviewed Celtic star from the Centenary season, full back Chris Morris. It’s a great listen…

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  1. Archer and McPherson.

     

     

    Commies aren’t commies now. Rarely does a commie commentate a game. They just talk pish pish and a wee bit of shit.

     

     

    MWD

  2. Delaneys Dunky on

    Bateen

     

     

    Sad loss indeed. See you in München in Bayern in Deutschland or Bavaria or Germany or where ever it is? :)

  3. Voguepunter,

     

    Ok. I may never be taken seriously again after this but…….I really liked Jerry Mcguire. There. I’ve said it.

     

    By way of apology, here’s something awesome – not Tom Petty, but two guys who have played here tonight for our entertainment…..

     

    The Boss and Eddie Vedder, in Australia….just smashin’. :-)

     

     

    https://youtu.be/s25WLbQKMCU

  4. weet weet weet on

    I think MON must be getting old

     

     

    I remember him asking for and getting

     

     

    A one year rolling contract

     

     

    HH

  5. Hi Bhoys

     

     

    One more before bed. Got the baptisim of our latest wee tim in the family tomorrow. There’s hundreds of us now.

     

     

    Stereophonics – Traffic

     

     

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3DCPiEE1Vc

     

     

    Oh hell one more for the wee tim the morra

     

     

    The Beatles – Hey Jude

     

     

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_MjCqQoLLA

     

     

    Guess his name. Welcome to the gretest family in the world Jude.

     

     

    The family of The Famous Glasgow Celtic

     

     

    KEEP THE FAITH

  6. HRVATSKI JIM on 6TH OCTOBER 2017 9:12 PM

     

    Pukki comes on for Finland and sets up a good opening with his first move.

     

     

    *cannae be, he’s a breest according tae sydney whim’s mates in the fatherland

  7. Voguepunter,

     

    Thanks for reminding me i need to listen to more Springsteen. That was brilliant.

  8. TT

     

     

    If we had not already given him a chance to play for us, I would gave been phoning Brendan in the morning .

  9. Just the 5 picks awaited now for week 2 of LMS9.

     

     

    This weeks name ’em and shame’ em quintet are –

     

    anhan2000

     

    Taggsybhoy

     

    The Exiled Tim

     

    The Young Fella

     

    Leftclicktic

     

     

    The things some folks do to see their name in lights ;-)

  10. Delaneys Dunky on

    BP

     

    My da hated Alex Cameron. I was too young to understand why. I remember my da being in hysterics watching the wee hun getting a doing aff a Polis horse.

  11. Gerryfaethebrig on

    Jobo 10.31pm

     

     

    My entry would be in on a Sunday or as soon as the fixtures are issued, but am carrying a couple of passengers :-)

  12. Tonyrome – fantastic!

     

     

    Health and good fortune to baby Jude. May he bring joy in a long and fullsome life.

     

     

    Enjoy.

  13. Final tune of the night. Another great collaboration, Pearl Jam and Neil Young

     

    Keep an eye out at 2:40 for Mike in Toronto doing “Brendan Rodgers here for 10 in a row” a couple of rows back from a young lady wearing a shirt with hoops on it.

     

     

    https://youtu.be/hvtdbfI1sqQ

  14. HRVATSKI JIM on 6TH OCTOBER 2017 10:22 PM

     

    TT

     

     

    If we had not already given him a chance to play for us, I would gave been phoning Brendan in the morning .

     

     

    *some players urnae suited tae certain teams or leagues, Di Maria is a current example.

     

     

    Starred with Benfica, Real and now PSG and enroute tae a hunderd caps for the Argies. When he joined manure it was one of the biggest transfers and the highest fee ever paid by a British club at the time.

     

     

    Just didnae work out.

  15. Delaneys Dunky on

    TonyRome

     

     

    Saint Jude is the guy I pray to and admire after JC. Hope Jude remembers this lost cause prayers. :)

     

    Congratulations on our new life Jude.

  16. DELANEYS DUNKY on 6TH OCTOBER 2017 10:33 PM

     

    BP

     

     

    My da hated Alex Cameron. I was too young to understand why. I remember my da being in hysterics watching the wee hun getting a doing aff a Polis horse.

     

     

    *alice cameron as he was known in the sellick end. His brother was the shop steward in the Blackburn Factory in Dumbarton, well liked and a different kettle of fish fae the wee hun.

  17. Cheers G, found out a day or two ago that could be in for min 3 months. Perhaps longer. Thought my maw was joining him on Mon night. Sprinting along Baldwin Ave at 1.00am in morning after she phoned saying couldn’t breathe. Mental but sorted. I was the one needing O2 :-)

     

     

    Hope all good with you.

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