When we drew Maribor I wrote about their performance in last season’s Europa League, when they were eliminated by eventual winners, Sevilla. Our man, Blaz, in Slovenia, also warned me that this was a settled team who had improved since ending Rangers’ interest in European football three years ago.
I watched Red Bull Salzburg destroy Ajax in Amsterdam last season with some sublime football, and my pal in Austria tells me not to put too much store in their 3-0 humbling by Malmo, who, apparently, rode their luck to an incredible degree. Having said that, on the balance of probabilities, they are by far the top seed we would have chosen.
As Croatia Zagreb, Dinamo Zagreb bossed Celtic out of the Champions League play-off round in 1998, our first attempt at the tournament. Zagreb’s stock has fallen since, so while you could make a good case to suggest we are far from ready to tackle any European team right now, this is a good draw. They are also not Legia Warsaw, which would have been an unwelcome confrontation at this time.
So far, so good. Then we draw a complete unknown from pot 4, who happened to eliminate Lyon in the last round.
Between now and the middle of next month Celtic have to be ready for these challenges. We have an opportunity to progress in the Europa League, earn some badly needed coefficient points, and revenue in the second half of the season.
Bring it on.
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Just in case you do get your Independence we have redrawn the coastal boundary’s for England’s gain , in 1999
Its like taking candy from a baby, what a Nation of fools we have become ! vote Yes !
http://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2012/01/scotlandengland-maritime-boundaries/
Paul McCartney sang Give Ireland Back to the Irish, not John Lennon.
Saint Stivs, im trying hard to see that RD has potential etc etc buy my eyes are not deceiving me he is the cheap , patsy option would like to see steve clarke an excellent coach who has fantastic contacts in the game.
Saint Stivs
Aye, his interview was pure bullshit.
And I agree about the transition thing, we shouldn’t even be talkin about transition ffs, we were riding on the crest of a wave a couple of seasons ago, beating the best on the planet, and what the eff happened next ?
NA2 gets slaghtered for telling it like he sees it, I disagree with much of what he says, ST is another who has been banging on for years, the wrong target IMO, but he is on the right lines, why the lack of investment, why the hoarding of the pennies, it just don’t make any sense either from a football point of view, and even less from a business point of view, unless they are not telling us something.
HH
DD – Saor Alba,Cymr
Cymru agus Eire.
Ronny Deila has asked for a year before he is judged as a Celtic manager.
He said: “I take all the criticism, I understand it. There’s a lot of emotions going on and I’m just as disappointed as the fans are so that’s something you have to live with.
“We have to build a team again who can go into the Champions League next year and you can think we have a big chance there.
“This year we didn’t have that team. It’s not just a case of buying a player and putting him into the team, because they might have not played, are not fit or don’t know our style of play.
“Everything takes time. They could have an injury like Scott Brown or like James Forrest.
“You have to train them into a system. This is something we have to develop. We have to develop other players and get new players used to how we want to play.
“In one year I think it is right for the fans and everybody to judge me.
from Belfast Telegraph
Alba is Scotland, Eire is Ireland.
Cymru means Wales I think.
HH.
TET & Stivs we are a big club with small ambition. If only we had a club & players worthy of the fans we’d continue to grow, progress & punch above our weight in the CL. I had hoped that with £90m in past 2/3 seasons from player sales & CL group stages PL would have said enoughs enough & we would only sell if we had to (asset management). What message to fans & players coming in that we never want to progress as we decimate the squad every year. No wonder PL can shut the top tier for this season.
Posted earlier about Peter Lawwell saying we lose 10 million a year without the Huns nobody comments to busy talking about the referendum which is fair enough. Was at the start a definite No voter but now a yes and think I have convinced the wife to vote yes . Don ‘t usually get involved in the politics so this is my final word on it .
pb
The scouting system is on the right track, it’s just not flexible enough, the buy cheap sell for squillions is all well and good when it works, but kissing all the frogs to find the prince has consequences.
Reduce the squad size, pay a few quality players decent money, they will help with bringing on the kids.
And feck the sell on value.
A little leeway is good now and again, rigidity to the policy has gotten us to where we are.
HH
16r
A united Celtic nation will come when Alba is free. Come Cymru and Eire!
given who we faced in the qualifiers,
first time legia
second time maribor,
the “transition” was we let the one champions league level player leave the club,
and for nothing.
celtic would ave went through either tie with Samaras on the pitch.
who let him go ?
who let his contract rub down ?
the chief executive , not held to account.
keep sammi on a comparative wage.
keep lenny on a competative budget,
keep mjalby for a competant defense.
sack the board.
no ambition.
Peter Lawwell doesn’t half talk one load of shite…..
Know you read this Peter.
Pack up and Feck Off!!
An occasional disgrace and a permanent embarrassment.
Doc
“The point about Scotland not being a left leaning country is a big contradiction for you, given it’s fifty years since Scotland didn’t vote that way! Evidence and all that.
I didn’t say the Yes campaign was optimistic, Isaid I am.
Your argument that the a Tartan Army and Scotland changed in response to what it’s English counterpart did is an argument for, not against Independence,
We want to be different.”
Yes, I am all for evidence and it is all there. Scotland has voted against The Tories as they are perceived to be English, in the same way that the Tartan Army evolved from the pitch invading and violent group it was into the cuddly Do-re-Mi singing modern version. It was a reaction against the English not an expression of our true identity. The farmers in Banff and Perthshire that vote SNP are not going to be brandishing any hammer & sickle anytime soon.
As for “we want to be different”, that begs the question, “from whom?”. I was not being frivolous when I said that I saw Glasgow identity as different from Embra. I have more in common with some Lancastrians than I do with some from Scotland.
—
5 Reasons Why No One Should Be Glad That Galloway Was Beaten Up
————————————
by Raheem Kassam
29 Aug 2014
I really hope my cohorts don’t stoop to the depths that leftists do when they advocate and condone violence and vandalism today.
George Galloway was beaten up on a London street. As yet the motives are unclear, but apparently his assailant shouted something about the Holocaust.
Already I’ve seen people saying that they’re not surprised. And that might be true. But we shouldn’t be gleeful or celebratory about violence, even when it is committed against someone as egregious as Galloway. Here are some other reasons, beyond basic morality, why:
1. He’s a sad, doddery old man
Galloway is in his sixties now. He can’t be doing too well heath wise, I mean look at him. It’s not nice when older people suffer from an attack like this. Especially if the rumours about him breaking his jaw are true. It’ll take a good long time to heal, and will likely be incredibly painful. Galloway causes a lot of emotional suffering to people he perceives as his enemies, but he’d be unlikely to lamp an elderly person in the street, even if they were draped from head to toe in an Israeli flag.
2. He needs his jaw, and so do we.
I reckon every time Galloway opens his mouth, he does more for the pro-Israel cause than he would like to think. I mean he’s a Grade A loon and everyone apart from the leftist hordes that have nothing better to do with their Saturdays but sit in Hyde Park with a keffiyeh and a Hezbollah flag knows it. The silent majority of Britain know him not as a great orator, or a man of significant intellect, but as a man who pretended to be a cat on Big Brother. So let’s be having more of him.
3. But really, we DO need him
One of the best speeches of the past few months has been Galloway’s pro-United Kingdom speech, where he slammed the Scottish Independence campaigners. On the run up to the Scottish Referendum, I reckon those who want the UK to stay together will need Galloway on the stump, convincing his fellow Scots to stick with England and those other places and give Salmond a bloody nose. Ok maybe a distasteful metaphor right now. But really – Galloway can’t do these things over the next three weeks if his jaw is wired shut.
4. It undermines ‘our side’ if we condone it.
I’ve been intimidated at left wing rallies, threatened with violence, been sent death threats, and so on and so forth. It isn’t something we on the right typically do – because we have morals, and aren’t sociopaths, and don’t need physical force to prove our points. And if we did, it would totally and utterly rid us of the high ground that we currently occupy.
We don’t go into supermarkets and trash the places. We don’t shout people down for disagreeing with us. We don’t believe in a freedom for ‘our’ press and no freedom for ‘their’ press. And we certainly don’t condone violence. The second we allow ourselves to become happy, and thus inured to these things, that’s when we begin to lose the arguments.
5. It could have been a lot worse, and I don’t want him to be ‘martyred’
No doubt Galloway will trade off this incident for years now. I can hear it already, in his Arab-inflected, pidgin English: “Aye was brrrrutally… attacked… on the stritssss, of Lundun! By a rabid! Zionist! Imperiaaaalissst!”
It’s inevitable really. But we shouldn’t let him follow that with, “And just loooook at the reaction, on Twutter! They all loved it! They all loved a suxty-year-old maaan… being punched in the face!”
Boring, right? He’d love the martyrdom. And it could have been worse. Imagine Galloway had been beaten to death tonight (stop it)… he’d be a Saint to the left in a matter of minutes. Owen Jones would be on the TV talking about “his good friend George” and there’d be a campaign to have the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square dedicated to him. They’d probably build a Qassam rocket launch site or something. Yikes
No. Galloway mustn’t suffer. And he must NEVER die. Because that is a truly terrifying prospect.
http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-London/2014/08/29/Wish-Galloway-A-Speedy-Recovery
~~~~~~
Jings..! Crivvens..!
Some Classic Submissions….
In The ‘Comments Section’ For This Article…
Including A Couple From Oor Very Ain Sycophants Of The Ayatollah Of Lochee…
ErnieN’James..????
O Me Miserum..!
Still….Laughin’
Away Aff Tae The Jiggin’….
——
Maybe PL if he misses Sevco so much should stop bleating & give them some of the cash to keep them going if thats all thats concerning him at least be honest with the fanbase & stop bullshi”ing!
Can’t stand Mrs Brown’s Boys but Brendan on ‘Who Do You Think You Are’ was brilliant.
Like an Irish Rab C Nesbit…..,rubbish tv
someone recently advised me that Paul67 gave leeway to this guy because he might be mentally ill.
i think his lat post proves that.
Saint Stivs
01:41 on
31 August, 2014
someone recently advised me that Paul67 gave leeway to this guy because he might be mentally ill.
i think his lat post proves that.
——————————————————————————————————————-
Totally unacceptable comment.
Most Irish people commenting on the issue of Scottish independence, are more than likely doing so because of selfish reasons.
For as sure as day follows night, a yes vote will inevitably lead to a united Ireland.
Not me though, I just like to see people do well for themselves, particularly the poor, and especially Celtic supporters.
I have met a brave few of yousins, in person – and may God strike me dead – I have yet to meet anyone that I did not like.
Vote yes,no or don’t vote atall.
I will still carry my Irish passport, regardless.
And that’s good enough for me.
The passport matter wasn’t by design, it was because a hell of a lot of people fought and died.
Simple as that.
The only explanation – because I reside in what is supposed to be a part of this Britain thing.
No issues, no nothing.
I am surprised that the English haven’t put the passport question on the table, to be honest.
HH.
a sentimental song.
the vovage
christy and john dunham.
heres to a scotland living on our own.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRPY3FLfmco
Rye
No intae tranny comics maself. :)
A late night sign in just to say, how do we go about beating Dundee? Will RD start Mubarak ?
Marti
Marti Sandino I was going to say use the reserve players but that didn’t work! Maybe prayer & goat sacrifice :-)
macjay1 for Neil Lennon
its a good thing that galloway was beaten up ?
thats a comment allowed ?
i dont accept , that what i say is unacceptable,
haahhahaha
macjay,
baiter,
how you voting ?
delaneys dunky
01:29 on 31 August, 2014
———————————
DD – Yer an absolute legend mo chara, but here, ye don’t need me to tell ye that.
HH.
Reg indy debate
I would rather make our own mistakes than a foreign country for us.
Vote YES.
You know it makes sense.
KTF.
paolosboots fc before plc
Ha ha! The way it has been going, I’ll be praying for sure! The setup of the team will be interesting though. Who does he really believe in? Will Commons start? Big day for Ronny in a lot of ways.
Marti
Just in case any of our more sound posters were at all convinced by the nonsense being peddled by our bigots last night re “our women” being sexually assaulted by Muslims, especially taxi drivers, at epidemic levels, here are the stats from 2011:-
Demographic breakdown of offenders convicted for sexual offences-
80.9% were white
7.6% were black
8.7% were Asian
2.8% were other ethnicity
The sexual violence visited upon women is disgusting and is nowhere near a monopoly of any ethnic or religious or non-religious group. It shames all of us and anyone trying to shuffle it off as typical of one group only, has a serious problem.
I hope I never again here praise for the BNP or hear those unfortunate exploited girls described as “white whores” again on CQN.
I will not be entering into any dialogue with those that do so.
Many thanks for the response of Jimmy Quinn’s Boots last night. It offered me some hope that decency remains a core value of most in the CQN community.
Good night!
16r
Need to spend more time wi ma fenian brothers fae BeilFearst & Doire.
Glaschu Bhoys love ye. :))
Marti, it might be the case of which players believe in RD & his tactics! I think commons is frustrated he needs games due to his make up. Remember he had a poor season a few years ago when he was out of the team, hes like a machine needs to be used regularly. Can’t believe we are dragging feet over this new striker, whats the story there? RD has changed so much in the short time thats why its a clusterf’k.
So Ronny Deila has said that we sign players that he has never actually seen play football in the flesh. Presumably players were signed that the previous manager had never seen play in the flesh either – Amido Balde, Mo Bangura and Hombert Fridjohnsen come to mind.
Yet yesterday Peter Lawwell said that:- “We are recognised wherever you go in Europe as one of the best run clubs on and off the park in Europe, if not the world.”
I think this is fanciful nonsense. Over the last 10 years Celtic have gone from 22 to 56 in the UEFA co-efficient rankings. There are a number of smaller clubs from countries similar to Scotland hugely outperforming Celtic in Europe. Basel are currently ranked 18, Ajax 26, Olympiacos 27, PSV Eindhoven 29, Braga 30, AZ Alkmaar 37, Viktoria Plzen 41, Anderlecht 43, and the likes of FC Copenhagen, PAOK Salonika, Genk, APOEL, Steaua Bucharest, BATE Borisov and Salzburg are also ahead of us in the UEFA co-efficient rankings.
Over the last 10 years Celtic have been eliminated from European competitions at the qualification stage on 6 out of 9 attempts, with 4 out of these 6 eliminations occurring at the hands of lower ranked teams. During this time Celtic have lost to teams who at the time were ranked as low as:-
– 219 : Artmedia Bratislava;
– 127: Utrecht;
– 156: Sion;
– 246: Shakhter Karagandy;
– 108: Legia Warsaw
Yes, we have had success in reaching the CL last 16 on 3 occasions over the last 10 years but such successes are fleeting and quickly followed up with catastrophic results and are more than offset by the number of times we have been eliminated from Europe at the qualifying stage.
This overall European performance, coupled with a player recruitment policy that permits players to be signed that the manager has never seen and a 30% reduction in season ticket numbers over the last 5 years does not indicate that the club is well run, far less an exemplar model admired by clubs all over the world as claimed by Mr Lawwell.
The first step in fixing a problem is to acknowledge that the problem exists. Judging by Mr Lawwell`s comments, he either cannot see or does not wish to admit that a problem exists. He must think that it is of no concern to fail in European qualifiers in 6 out of 9 attempts; that there is no issue with the manager not being allowed to actually watch and evaluate a prospective signing; and that it is perfectly normal to lose 30% of the season ticket base in 5 years.
We cannot learn from mistakes if those in charge do not acknowledge and accept that mistakes have been made.
The current stewardship of Celtic FC reeks of hubris, complacency and a chronic lack of ambition. Mr Lawwell`s complacent response in his state of the nation address on Friday has sadly convinced me that things will only get worse.
the glorious balance sheet
02:06 on
31 August, 2014
brilliantly capured KPIs for the chief executive.
well done.
setting free the bears for Res. 12 & Oscar Knox but saying no to CQN racists
01:56 on
31 August, 2014
Your stats are only relevant if compared to the racial demographic of the general population.
Or,in particular,the racial demographic of the area in which the assaults took place.
Can Any one tell me when James forest will be playing again. I’ve not read anything about the extent of his injury. And can we expect to see our caption back soon. HH
Tgbs
Things always get worse before they get better.
Have patience.
Ktf.
TGBS, some very good stuff there , please post again during the day so others may appreciate your efforts. Its obvious that we are not getting value for our £40m/€50m wage bill. If benchmarked against other clubs of similar revenues i wonder how we do?