Cluj on the break, Forrest, players come and go

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The margin between great success and disastrous failure at this level can be paper thin.  Celtic failed to make the most of a 28th minute corner kick and within 30 seconds, Cluj opened the scoring.  Lewis Morgan missed a challenge in the 70 yards from goal and the inch-perfect through ball got beyond Boli Bolingoli for Mario Rondon to score.

We have seen many Celtic teams wilt after losing a goal away in Europe, but James Forrest made sure the same would not happen on this occasion.

Within nine minutes of the opener, Forrest played a give-and-go with the impressive Hatem Abd Elhamed, collected the return pass and shot, the ball clipping the inside of the post on its way into the net.  This passage of play turned the tie in Celtic’s direction.

While there is a high expectation Celtic will progress to the playoff round, our chances are no more than they were when we secured the same result away to Maribor in 2014.  There is work to do on Tuesday.  In particular, the nature of the Cluj goal is of concern.

Apart from one dreadfully defended corner, Celtic restricted Cluj to few genuine chances, but they were able to punish us on the break.  This will be the basis of their game plan next week.  Soak up as much pressure as possible and overload on our flanks when we are forward.  It does teams no harm to have a simple game plan.  We will need to be at our best.

More on Kieran Tierney later.  There will be chat like: “This is how football works and has done so for decades.  It’s why many players come to Celtic.  They come and go, our job is to understand how the sport works and to be good at it….”

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  1. Delaneys Dunky on

    PB

     

    Aye, Norway, Sweden and Poland markets.

     

    We have done well in those markets previously.

  2. Best of luck kt, it was great watching you become a player, now go show the rest of the world what you’ve got and dont be a stranger, always a celt.

     

     

    Will be delighted if the academy continues to produce players like kt. Players that give us 4 or 5 years then move on having delivered success and a fat pay cheque to reinvest in the Celtic.

     

     

    HH

  3. Delaneys Dunky on

    BP

     

    Gumny and Lewandowski would suit me. Any good Polish goalies like Artur Boruc? 😊

  4. GARY 67,

     

     

    Wasting your time mate.They dont want to know.Stevie Clark must be a numpty,because all these experts know better than him.He is not foreign,and does not cost £7 million,like the useless loanee we had from Dortmund last season.If we had not loaned him,and had bought him this window,they would have been over the moon.This boy has been outstanding in the SPFL,is that not where we play?

     

    As I said,waste of time.

  5. if only we had taken boli boli and jullian on loan and and given them time to settle in as most want on here other than pay up front and make a quick decision on their ability and be stuck them.

  6. Some result for der Hun it has to be said. Did not see that coming after they struggled against Progres and Killie. Didn’t see the game but seeing on social media that Erik had a poor game.

  7. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    DELANEYS DUNKY on 8TH AUGUST 2019 10:18 PM

     

     

     

    Brendan was not the saviour I thought him to be.

     

     

    His tippy tappy tactics at Ibrox played right into the hun ” power play ” hand .

     

    Twice.

     

    Not to mention 4-0 at the hate filled cauldron of Tynecastle.

     

     

    Having said that , Kierans presence would imho have improved our chances.

  8. Delaneys Dunky on

    MacJay

     

    Brendan only lost one game at Ibrox. Lenny was in charge for the second humiliation there last season. KT missed both games.

  9. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    DELANEYS DUNKY on 8TH AUGUST 2019 10:38 PM

     

    MacJay

     

     

    Thanks for that heads up , D.D.

     

     

    I like accuracy.

  10. Delaneys Dunky on

    Gordy

     

    Did your nephew enjoy the Saint John’s Toon game? Was great show on Saturday. Sorry you missed it.

  11. Delaneys,

     

    turned out he couldnt make it,

     

    ticket ended up being unused,

     

    was raging that i missed it.

  12. KT was an exceptional player for us. I wish him all the best and hope he becomes an exceptional player for Arsenal.

     

     

    And he leaves us with an endowment of £25million pounds.

     

     

    So how do we spend that? Now that selling clubs are aware of our windfall, whatever the price was going to be will be doubled.

     

     

    Arsenal were cute in selling Iwobi for £40m AFTER agreeing prices for purchasing players. A tidy wee profit for them.

  13. Delaneys Dunky on

    Gordy

     

    Wish I had taken it. My son Ryan would have used it. Thanks for offer anyway pal. Need to catch up soon G.

  14. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    DELANEYS DUNKY on 8TH AUGUST 2019 10:49 PM

     

     

    The old Alzy kickin` in .

     

     

    Oh happy day.

     

    :-)

  15. Delaneys Dunky on

    MacJay

     

    Haha. I believe you are still sharp as a tack.

     

    Hope your family will care for you when you do lose it. Mine too 😊👍🍀

  16. GuyFawkesaforeverhero on

    Gordybhoy64 on 08 Aug 2019 10:38PM

     

     

    Not sure the point you’re making.

     

     

    I was in H&B for our 2nd rnd 2nd leg in Estonia. Stood at the jukebox to see the game. I was the only man in the pub who wasn’t invited to play your game of killer.

     

     

    Back for a pint with my pals after the St Johnstone destruction last weekend.

     

     

    Drinking in your pub for forty five years, friend.

  17. guyfawkesahero,

     

    not sure if there are crossed wires here,

     

    i dont drink in the H and B,

     

    I asked if you were from Clydebank as i thought

     

    you had posted saying you were from Faifley.

     

    i had a ticket going spare for the St Johnstone game

     

    and it was easiest if i could have given it to someone local to me,

  18. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    DELANEYS DUNKY on 8TH AUGUST 2019 11:01 PM

     

     

    My family is my blessing .

     

     

    That includes the Celtic family.

     

     

    We`re so fortunate to have both.

  19. !!BADA BING!! on 8TH AUGUST 2019 11:05 PM

     

    If we get put out on Tuesday, we will be at the front door

     

     

    ——-

     

     

    We won’t go out. But we must improve for the next round and beyond.

  20. Seen someone earlier on saying they flounced because they didn’t get help looking for a ticket for Valencia. Surely a wind up.

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