After 14 games Udinese sit joint top of Serie A with Juventus. For a club who challenged, unsuccessfully, for the league only once before, and that was over half a century ago, this is unquestionably the best team in their history. Their home record in the league reads: played 7, won 7, scored 14, conceded 2; they also won Europa League home games against Atletico and Rennes.
They have taken 4 out of 6 points from the San Siro this season and have failed to win only one of their last eight league games. You would be hard pushed to justify nominating anyone else as the ‘form team’ in Europe right now.
This is the test Celtic need. Few positive lessons can be learned from home games against St Mirren, even if they deliver a deluge of goals, but a field in Udine tonight presents our aspiring winners with a stage to demonstrate their potential. Before this month is out we will have different challenges; St Johnstone, Kilmarnock and Rangers present different dangers, but any team that can win in Udine can beat anyone in Europe.
We’ll witness 90 minutes of difficult personal challenges for Celtic players all over the field tonight. It will take more than just concentration to deny goal scoring chances and any opportunities we get in front of goal will be hard earned.
There are reasons to be hopeful. A decade ago a team of equally illustrious Italians were rocked by Celtic, so much so they reverted to diving in the box. Gordon Strachan’s un-fancied Celtic team subsequently took AC Milan to extra time at the San Siro in Champions League, denied by a legitimate penalty claim of their own. There is also the nagging feeling that Celtic’s resources are actually more suited to the counter-attacking game they are seldom able to play. We’ll see.
Birthday wishes to Kano today (or yesterday as it now is in Perth, WA), a child of ‘67. Two years home and still itching for get hold of the keyboard for the songs debate.
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Why would any player want to go to them with the possibility of not being paid a real danger ??
Bad advice by agents should bring legal proceedings, no ??
Neil canamalar Lennon hunskelper extrordinaire says:
Aye but its a good stepping stone to Turkey por cierto
Scott Allan is not good enough to play for Celtic.
Any mediocre player that Sally swoops for is lauded way beyond their talent, I mean, look at this boy Bendikson, scores in a kickabout and is suddenly a Norwegian wunderkid- well at 22 he is more of a slow burner, but all we get now is agents jetting in to tie up a new deal yada yada.
Neil canamalar Lennon hunskelper extrordinaire says:
15 December, 2011 at 16:27
Why would any player want to go to them with the possibility of not being paid a real danger ??
Bad advice by agents should bring legal proceedings, no ??
…………….
If he’s a Rangers fan he’ll be in denial about that, like the rest of them!
Por Cierto
Yes our young players have been better than everyone for years but how many have actually made the grade?
If the management team judge the Utd player to have more promise than our existing group then we should go for him.
Gnome ya hun, gnome
Huns transfer swoop all over the meedja.
Emdae would have thought Celtic were playing in Europe tonight
When’s their next court case?
Screw 4-5-1.
The three teams that have beaten Udinese this season played 4-3-3, 3-4-3, and 4-4-2.
Tora Tora Tora!!!
When’s K.O. http://youtu.be/CLBlcFfVfno
aldersyde avenue
It really is a catch22 situation though.
But my guess is this lad was probably on Celtic’s and thems radar as a young boy, but went to DU for all the usual reasons por cierto.
Come January, all of Rangers’ sellable assets will be on 5 yr contracts.
TBB
That is offensive to Gnomes por cierto.
Even if Allan wants to, it is highly unlikely he will join the tax dodgers XI
West Brom will blow them out the water on wages, signing on fees, bonuses etc
It’s another “chasing rainbows” headline to convince the gullible Huns support that everything is ok
jocky bhoy says:
15 December, 2011 at 15:51
A well f…the logic lump it all on Celtic.
jocky bhoy
Thanks, all is well. I hope we meet when you come over next time.
Dushanbe
I imagine Katowice (industrial city) was not the best place under the sky. Many good places not far distance from it. I hope you have good memories from your stay in Poland.
Another point regards the phantom Hun transfer story
Have you read anywhere that they have agreed a fee with DU, ditto West Brom?
Didn’t think so
Too many players easily injured nowadays, are they getting their kicks, from sham pain?
I dont want to dredge up the debate again on the bill but I watched a bit of it live and a female MSP was putting forward a point that she travels to watch us all over Scotland and has saw first hand the way we are treated. I did not catch her name and cant find her statement anywhere on line. Did anyone catch her name or have a link to her statement?
Bournesouprecipe
Very good.
ColePorterCSC
Rangers FC do not ‘buy’ or ‘sign’ players. They ‘swoop’ for players. The extraordinary nature of these swoops must be emphasised at all times by preceding the word “swoop” with at least one of the following choices – ‘sensational’ ‘stunning’ ‘exciting’ ‘audacious’ or ‘ambitious’.
Ten Men Won The Leaguesays:
15 December, 2011 at 16:37
As you say smoke and mirrors. Judge them by their actions not their words.
How many players has CW bought?
Celtic_First
Ever heard Paul Robeson singing Kevin Barry?
Well, Ole Man ernie lynch posted a link last night.
*too deep CSC *
Rangers News
Allan has rejected a £2m bid from West Brom. He will be joining Rangers having bought out his own contract and paid the £2m transfer fee to Utd. himself.
Super Ally says ” Allan and Aluko are the type of players we want playing at our club. Selfless players willing to pay anything for the shirt”
I hope the Celtic trust forget this stupid idea of putting up candidates at the next election.
If you want to punish the SNP then voting individual MSP’s out of office is the way to do it.
Vote for he candidate/ party who have the best chance of defeating the SNP candidate.
In most cases that will be Labour, in some seats Liberal and maybe even the odd Tory.
It would stick in my throat to vote Tory but I would hold my nose, put a cross on the ballot paper for them if I thought it would oust a sitting SNP member.
Tora! Tora! Tora!
Love that.
Nothing to lose, a wee bit of Celtic history to be gained…
HH
googybhoy ♥ Kano 1000 – How many players has CW bought?
That is defamatory and Craig Whyte will instruct his expensive London lawyers to instruct less expensive Scottish lawyers to think about maybe suing you, possibly.
Craig Whyte owns a £5m castle. (thumbsup)
aldersyde avenue – I hope the Celtic trust forget this stupid idea of putting up candidates at the next election.
Me too, they’ll only lose their deposits. (thumbsup)
Bournesoup
Interesting. I started singing it in my head in a Paul Robeson voice, but decided I had better stop before I got five years inside. Just in case.
philvis
With a leaky roof :/)
rangers register an interest when WBA have already agreed a fee with Utd.
This transfer window will be nothing like the summer then.
The boy has only played 6 times in the SPL so far this season…
Techy question-any bhoys got an Acer 4820T Laptop? If yes,how do you rate it?
I regret not making the effort to travel to Udine to get to the match tonight, but then I read this and didn’t feel so bad:
“a person may be regarded as having been on a journey to or from a regulated
football match whether or not the person attended or intended to attend the match”
I remember reading Catch 22 when I was a teenager, but Joe Heller is a rank amateur compared with Alex Salmond.
ASonOfDan says:
15 December, 2011 at 16:51
Tora! Tora! Tora!
Please do not chant this at CP in the new year. You could be lifted.
It could be offensive to the Japanese Match Commander. It could be misconstrued as an IRA chant by Pat Nevin.
Auld Heid said 14 December11.05
“Here is the stance of Celtic after consultation with supporters groups. This absurd idea that the Board colluded with the Government simply does not stand up in the face of the submission Celtic made to the Justice Committee.
Read it. It makes all the same objections made here and elsewhere in the lead up to the bill.
http://www.celtictrust.net/index.php?func=d_home_article&id=285
share
Auld Neil Lennon heid said at 11:07
“dallasnomore says:
15 December, 2011 at 11:04
I have expanded on the tripe comment in my post to KevJungle.
You were talking tripe.
Prove me wrong.”
Why don’t you be honest for once.
I have already said in my argument that the Board’s collusion is in relation to the UEFA charges and not to yesterday’s Bill. The latter is work for another day.
Your obfuscation in dealing with my question is 100% in keeping with the dishonest nature of your posts in defence of our corrupt, irredeemable Board.
You still haven’t answered my one question; why have they not given specific guidance on the songs/chants that our support can get done for?
STV……..
Sion vow to continue with their fight
hearts players received their outstanding November wage today.
No date given for when December wage will be paid.
After a lengthy rant the hearts board declared they had a plan and now prepare for next season.
It is December mate! You still have half of this one to go.
HH
Celtic_First
5 years inside your head! Now that’s a stretch ¬;)
Ten Men Won The League says:
15 December, 2011 at 16:40
Another point regards the phantom Hun transfer story
Have you read anywhere that they have agreed a fee with DU, ditto West Brom?
Didn’t think so
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Due to his age if he did turn to the dark side a tribunal would determine how much the Ibroke club would pay Dundee Utd in comp. Transfer only applicable if he leaves Scotland.