Dinamo Zagreb dropped points for the second time in 10 league games this season on Saturday when they drew a blank against bottom of the table Slaven Koprivnica. Slaven took only one point from five league games in August, and lost heavily to Zagreb on the opening day of the season, but have tightened up at the back in recent weeks. Parking the bus on Saturday was enough to curtail the Croatian champions.
That blank score line was a rarity for Dinamo, who had scored in all but one of this season’s 18 previous outings. After losing their first leg at home to Zagreb, Aalborg shut up shop in the Champions League qualifier in Croatia and overturned the first leg deficit.
So what can we expect on Thursday? We’ve kept only one clean sheet in the last 10 outings, and that was to lower league Hearts, who missed a penalty and struck the crossbar. Looking at Celtic’s defensive record, Dinamo will fancy their chances of getting a goal. Like most teams away from home in Europe, they will plan to defend first and foremost, and take their chances on the break.
Having collected a vital point away to the top seed on match day one, the group opens up for Celtic if they can beat Zagreb this week, but how should they go about achieving this? If St Mirren, Motherwell, Dundee and Inverness can score against Celtic, Dinamo Zagreb will do so, unless Celtic protect their back line considerably better than they have so far this season. Celtic are likely to need to score two or more to win the game. Without Goals Guidetti, this sounds like a big challenge.
Going on form, it’s in Celtic interests to ensure this is a tight game, deny Dinamo space to break into, and use their own speed to attack when opportunity arises. We’ll need to hold the ball, and that means Kris Commons will have to play, no matter how fit he is, but I would be tempted to give him a deeper role than usual. Johansen and Brown have critical roles to play in protecting the defence but they will need Commons available to bring calm to proceedings.
I see The Telegraph have taken a punt on Craig Whyte, et al’s, Worthington Group being in sufficient funds to mount their threatened legal challenge to Sevco Scotland Ltd, now known as Rangers International PLC, for acquiring the legal entitlement of Sevco 5088 Ltd. Sevco 5088 had irrefutable entitlement to the assets of liquidated Rangers FC but this entitlement was assumed by Sevco Scotland, then owned and controlled by Charles Green.
Green and Craig Whyte both claimed to control Sevco 5088 when the company’s entitlement was assumed by the other company. So what does all this mean? There’s nothing in The Telegraph story that we didn’t know two years ago. Even if a journo had first-hand information from a prime source, you’d have to wonder what value you could invest in what any of these characters say.
Until Our Hero spins the roulette wheel at the Ibrox Casino, everyone’s chasing shadows on this one.
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BT
Only catching up and see that you’re going under the knife again in the morning.
Keep strong mate and I’ll say a wee prayer that it’s all worth it in the long run for you.
Looks like a Man U club tie Scholes is wearing at the Etihad…
Roberttressell
I got banned for repeating the same club myth……
Off to Nam for a few days.
Anybody know any hoops bars in HCMC?
BT good luck mate hope it works out Hail Hail Hebcelt
BGX
“Spent some time with my son(he”s 12) in Buchanan st and George sq..during the referendum , iwas wearing a green YES badge my son a blue YES badge…both times the atmospere was fantastic, the crowd so friendly and warm…nobody asked me what school i went too or what team i support,Yes wasnt about that, it was about people with a common goal coming together….it wasnt to be
,but i for one wouldnt have missed it for anything, and i would vote YES again tomorrow.Bringing it down to religion or what team you support is , well , low and more suited to others…”
Just as well you did not say “Our Day Will Come” eh or that fantasy might not continue?
Jeanette Findlay article
moonbeams wd. wee oscar’s our bhoy and kano’s our mhan. the vow – critically rebuked by 45% of this fine nation.
19:06 on 30 September, 2014
Vmhan
…….,
Cheers MWD, let him know that my house is available for rest and recuperation if the route allows.
I donated to your page and will do the same for Mouldy67 when he has his donation page up?
V
Hamiltontim
19:07 on
30 September, 2014
You obviously had a seat close to mine as thats how I seen it.
Very poor, compounded by the appearance of the dis-interested Scepovic.
Cheers Vmhan. You are a gent.
MWD said AYE
SFTB
Spoke briefly outside the ground prior to the game on Saturday.
You wouldn’t believe the lies, abuse, agendas and scheming that has been visited upon her since that article.
SFTB…read the article onfieldsofgreen days ago….what can i say ..Clowns to the left of me jokers to the right ,here i am stuck in the middle with You…
BT
Best of luck with the op friend. I take it you wont be in attendance on Thursday.
HH
skyisalandfill
Have you bumped into JL since we spoke after the Aberdeen game ?
excathedra44
I know it’s all about opinions but I cannot get my head around any Celtic supporter not wishing Commons in the starting 11.
Without him we’re pedestrian and workmanlike.
I made the same point you’ve made regarding Scepovic. On Saturday his runs were often mistimed and unproductive, so much so that he was spoken to by team mates on at least 3 occasions, twice by the captain.
Currently, his body language is extremely poor. Who knows, maybe a goal will help.
blantyretim…
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Good evening all.
BT
Best of luck tomorrow, I hope it sorts all yer problems. Just get better. :-)) KTF.
Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.
Half time.
Young Celts winning 2-1.
Pen citeh
Evening wee man :-)
HT
Great point, you heard my reaction when he was benched for the murderwell game. Shocked.
Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.
Darnell Fisher making comeback tonight
Man C 1-0
tomtheleedstim
17:27 on 30 September, 2014
A Ceiler Gonof Rust
17:40 on 30 September, 2014
Thanks Guys,I only play that one weekend of the year so teeing off is a real Knee trembler for me!!!
Interesting,lots of comment about DD.
Of course he provides a security,however as he previously admitted his attachment is emotional,therefore he ensures we tick over,thats fine but what we really need is a passionate bad loser,I actually thought his answers were vague regarding RD.
Perhaps if the loan which was applied for,to an Australian based Bank is secured by another ,DD can concentrate on his golf whilst retaining his emotional low key interest and transfer a few shares.
Lots of empty seats at the Etihad tonight .
hamiltontim
19:50 on 30 September, 2014
Evening wee man :-)
I presume that’s me yer talking to. :-))) Evening to you and yer beautiful lady as well. Hope all the ghirls are well. KTF. :-))
Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.
Celtic have taken a massive risk with RD but I’m still happy with DD’s overall running of the club.
There are no Scottish businessman with enough money to buy out Celtic.
The Ibrox fiasco is a lesson to all who think there is someone better out there.
The Irish have (not Fergus) have been Celtic Scotland’s biggest club.
Scrub last line
should be
The Irish have made Celtic the biggest club in Scotland, not Fergus.
PSG 1-0
And it’s Messi!
McMurdo (apologies if posted already)
The Penny (Arcade?) Drops For Gers Fans
Hibs came to Ibrox last night and tore apart a Rangers team in a blistering first half performance. The half-time whistle has surely never been so welcome as it was an absolute rampage by Hibs, who looked likely to continue the rout.
The result was not the most significant thing last night, however.
What was the most significant thing was the perceptible change in the atmosphere. It was like a big penny had dropped and everybody in the stadium finally realised the cold hard truth:
It isn’t going to get any better.
This management team is simply incapable of molding these players into a credible contender for the Premiership. The proof is how much they are toiling – and already well adrift – in the Championship.
At this rate, Rangers’ best hope is a shot at the play-offs. And in this critical season, where progress is absolutely imperative, that is not acceptable.
At least three of the players on display in the famous light blue looked as if they had absolutely no clue as to what position they were supposed to be playing. The tactics were naive, the team shape indiscernible and the leadership completely lacking, both on the pitch and from the sidelines. Hibs dismantled Rangers with an ease that should concern every bluenose.
Of course, Rangers are capable of winning games and putting in some decent displays. They have done so already this season. But it is the underpinning weakness that is the problem. When they come up against an opposition which is proving tough to break down, there is a deeply worrying lack of nous in the dugout to change things around.
I watched Hearts get taken to the cleaners by a poor Celtic team last week and there is no doubt that Hearts are the best team in Rangers’ division. This is the gap that must be filled and what is really disappointing is not that there is such a gap but that it is becoming increasingly clear that the present Rangers management team do not have what is required to even come close to filling that gap.
Rangers are already lagging behind and this just piles the pressure on for every game. This pressure is clearly already getting to some of the players and it is hard to see how this will get any better.
The big keeper is simply not Rangers class and Mohsni is a Bombscare Bertie who does nothing but destabilise the team. Boyd and Miller have proven to be ineffectual buys so far. But you could go through the whole team.
Aird and Templeton had an impact when they came on but it was a big ask of them to drag the team back from a 3-0 deficit.
It’s not a pleasant sound hearing thousands of Rangers fans booing their team but there was very little to cheer. Last night’s dire display has done nothing to dispel the gloom hanging around Ibrox, with off-field issues still very much a cause for concern. A winning team is always a great tonic for such off-field troubles but loyal Gers fans are unable to enjoy that.
Rangers don’t have their troubles to seek but both on and off the pitch strong leadership would go a long way to dispelling those troubles.
Hamiltontim
19:39 on
30 September, 2014
SFTB
Spoke briefly outside the ground prior to the game on Saturday.
You wouldn’t believe the lies, abuse, agendas and scheming that has been visited upon her since that article.
It is ridiculous that she does receive some OTT attention for being brave to put her head above the parapet, i have a lot of time for her both as a person and in her Celtic trust position
Having said all of that it was a very poor article IMO
Kevtic
19:53 on
30 September, 2014
There are no Scottish businessman with enough money to buy out Celtic.
=================================================
Yeh ?
Deid club supporter on SSB : were no gonnae be second never mind third .
Bada Bing from 17.20
I am with you on this.
The GB openly canvassed for a Yes vote and now they decide is the right time to fly a Scotland flag.
I am not remotely interested in their political views, their choice of beverage or the colour of their underwear.
I do not want them insisting on sharing any of these and many other non Celtic matters with me at a Celtic match.
I often heard it opined on here that certain non playing Celtic staff consider themselves more important than the club. This point also applies to some fans: those that get us fined and banned for pitch invasions – and those who deliberately set out to follow their own agenda regardless of the ramifications for Celtic.
The GB are such a group. They are hiding in plain sight. They are merely trying to test Uefa’s resolve and rules over their own past misbehavior. A Scotland flag at any game in Scotland has instant credibility and deniability, but at a Celtic game – in Section 111, during a Euopa League game. Two fingers to Uefa is what that is.
A non accountable group of people who think they know best. No, I don’t mean Uefa.
The perceived sectarian angle to the referendum made it easy for some people to just choose the opposite of the other tribe, and ignore everything else. The flying of a Scotland flag at Celtic Park in this context is merely an extension of that mentality.
HH
*****Wee Shay Update******
Hi folks
Tomorrow we are hoping to launch the next phase of assisting our bhoy wonder, with
“Shays 12 weeks to Christmas”, where we will ask you, your family and your friends to save your small change between now and Christmas for Shay. Yes it is really only 12 weeks until Christmas: -)
Some of you will remember that we ran a similar event for Wee Oscar at the start of his campaign. More details to follow but you can email me in the interim if you wish to take part or indeed help.
You can catch up with Shay and his latest news here
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Help-Shay-Along-The-Way/814451225255695?fref=ts
HH
CRC
celticrollercoaster@yahoo.co.uk
Lovely goal Totti!
Citeh 1-1