After losing the second leg against Salzburg in last season’s Champions League 3rd qualifying round, Qarabag eliminated Twente Enschede on away goals before having a good Europa League group stage.
Draws home and away to Saint Etienne, a home draw against Inter after a two goal defeat in the San Siro, and a win and a loss against Dnipro is enough form to suggest Celtic have a match on their hands.
On the positive side, Qarabag are also preseason, play on grass and Baku, their home city, is four hours ahead of Glasgow, so they will have a small jetlag adjustment to make for Wednesday’s game. The final whistle will go after 1:30 in the morning Baku time. Players find the latter part of any big game tiring, more so early in the season, so we have to push hard late in this game. Qarabag will be vulnerable as concentration wanes and legs get heavy.
This tie feels very much like the Shakhter Karagandy play-off tie two years ago. Shakhter arrived with a solid two goal lead, but an impassioned Celtic Park pushed us over the line. A similar intensity will be required on and off the field on Wednesday.
What’s our chances? Not sure, but we’ve a serious challenge on our hands.
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Stringer-
how the hell did berget get in ahead of Commons?
Decisions like that drove the support mental last year. lets hope Ronny is ready this year.
Zbyszek
Thanks for clearing that up. Btw, glad to see you back posting.
HH
Personally I am delighted to see Liam go out on loan. The thing that our youngsters miss out on is first team football. He will get this at a club that has developed three of our likely starters tomorrow. What’s not to like?
Btw if south of Tunis is on. What is the chance of finding a bar with the game on in Taormina?
Stringer Bell
We are far stronger than at this time last year and we are not missing Broonie. His absence cost us very dear.
HH
winning captains
Only getting a problem when trying to access CQN Magazine from your links on here,
But no problem when accessing from Twitter App on iPad.
HH
Financial implosion? God give me the strength, lol.
WARBURTON is still in the market for two or three more signings this window and says he wants to bring hungry young players bursting with potential to Ibrox.
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SNSMark Warburton is on hand at the Petrofac Training Cup second round draw as he sees his side paired against Ayr Utd
MARK Warburton landed a trip to the seaside yesterday and insisted he’s happy to take the kids along for the ride all the way back to the top of Scottish football.
The Rangers boss was paired with Ayr United in the Petrofac Training Cup , 48 hours after his supporters began believing with confidence a return to the top flight is finally on the cards.
Unsurprisingly, the Londoner stopped short of extolling the virtues of Ayr legends Hugh Sproat, Spud Murphy and Dixie Ingram as he anticipated his first visit to Somerset Park.
However, he was happy to sing the praises of the young team in whom he is ready to show faith this season – and beyond – as he also spoke of the support received from chairman Dave King.
Rangers have outlined an ambition to reach the Premiership and lay down a challenge again to Four-in-a-Row Celtic, who have ruled the roost since the financial implosion at Ibrox.
In effect, the Light Blues have three transfer windows to boost their Championship promotion chances and lay down a Premiership title bid but Warburton will not be breaking the bank to land players who have been over the course before.
He anticipates only the arrival of 35-year-old former Derby skipper John Eustace, training at Murray Park as he bids to prove his fitness after a knee injury, to bolster the average age.
He is still in the market for another two or three signings before the transfer window shuts next month but is adamant he will not be turning to players who have Premiership-winning experience.
He said: “No. If you look at our squad we have the likes of Kenny Miller, Cammy Bell and potentially John Eustace. We have enough senior professionals.
“I’m all about them mentoring the hungry, younger players, the ones with potential. They’re the ones you want, the ones who will learn from this season and all the various competitions.
“You learn from your experiences and, if we can give them the right level and variety of
challenges, we should be in good shape.
“One or two more signings are needed in terms of the depth you need. I’ve had one conversation with Dave King and it was a pleasure. I can’t be anything other than grateful for the support we’ve had.
“We’ve got every player we’ve gone for and haven’t missed out on anyone. We’re always looking for players and David Weir and I have used the loan market quite well before.
“We have some good contacts and can offer a different type of learning for young players – for example, the chance to play in front of 45,000 at Ibrox. That’s a steep learning curve.”
VIEW GALLERY Martyn Waghorn wheels away to celebrates his sides second goal during the Petrofac Training Cup First Round at Easter Road
More news from Ibrox
Hearts cantered to the Championship last term after all but forsaking the Petrofac Training Cup, playing a bunch of reserve-team players and kids in a 4-1 defeat at Livingston.
Warburton will spread the load in the competition but will not turn from the tight group of around 22 players he hopes will form the basis of his squad in the months ahead.
He added: “I don’t see involvement in every competition as fighting a war, I see it as an educational opportunity for our young players.
“You want to give your defensive and midfield units the chance to work together so you have to use every opportunity.
“The senior players can handle all of the fun, so to speak, but we also need to make sure it fits into a balanced schedule.
“At Brentford last season we were playing Tuesday and Saturday every week. That’s not so prevalent in Scotland but we’ll look to use the games we have to our benefit.
“I don’t know a great deal about Ayr but I will by the time we play them. It will be tough.
“We have an idea about them because we played in a closed-door game but it was in the early part of their pre-season preparations.
“Any competition you enter you want to win but it also offers all of our players the chance to be involved. It’s not about an 11 or 14, it’s about using your entire squad and making sure that every player, at any given time, is in shape to play.
“We’ll keep it lean, tight and make sure everyone feels part of it. It’s important, having entered the tournament, that we win it or at least go as far as we possibly can. Our aim is to collect the trophy.”
Warburton refused to be drawn on his club’s interest in Scott Allan, although he suggested pictures on social media showing the Hibs star socialising with Gers players were taken long before the weekend.
He added: “Research and homework should be done in that regard. I don’t want to avoid the question but if someone was talking about one of my players then I’d be irate.”
Warburton was still absorbing the impact of his first competitive game, that 6-2 Cup thumping of Hibs which had Rangers fans leaping on the positives.
He said: “It takes time to bed in a squad but I hope the fans saw enough against Burnley and then Hibs to suggest there are signs we have a good group.”
winning captains
Yes it’s an ipad, sorry didn’t know that you where aware of it, my appols
Sittin here thinkin about young Liam H
He is good enough for our bench every week and would have no fear in starting him if needed ,but regular 1st team football will do him the world of good at this time.
Buttttttttt If we let a player like this bhoy slip through our net I will be more upset than I have with any in recent years.
Ps went to the shop for a couple of rolls there and came back with two rolls & £20 in donations for the Kano bucket collection.
these ML5rs are not bad at all :))))))))))))))))
Rebecca Curran @STVRCurran 26m26 minutes ago
Jackson Irvine says he can ‘rest easy’ as he pens 2 year deal with staggies today @RCFCStaggies
Jim Spence cynically now tweeting anything Irish and Celtic, in order to seal his list seat on Tayside; gullible Celtic supporting SNP ‘numbnuts’ in Dundee, will no doubt do their best to elect him.
I say give the SNP independence, or, full fiscal stupidity, and let them turn us into Greece Mark 2 – which will heavily impact on all their ‘new’ converts, who are expecting a Benefits Bonanza. It won’t affect me and many like me, who will enjoy sitting on the sidelines watching these amateur and economically illiterate comedians make an ar** of it – and be very sure, with this Tory government, there will be no way back.
Scotland is only of use to the UK because of the Trident base, once a solution has been found, and I’m SURE that this is being worked on at the moment, the UK will be only too glad to jettison Scotland and say “GOOD RIDDANCE” into the bargain.
btw – Has anyone ANY idea about ANYTHING that the SNP are proposing for Scotland, in addition to lashings of JAM TOMORROW?
They keep the political process, separation, constitution and second referendum ‘pot boiling’, so their deluded ‘new’ supporters don’t ask silly questions like “what are your new policies for Scotland” & “how much more benefit will I actually get” – THEY HAVE NO ANSWERS, just as they have no OIL tax income to speak of.
Austerity? – with a current account ‘black hole’ of £10 billion/year and no Barnett formula – SNP would triple austerity in Scotland, whilst the UK starts to enjoy a period of growth that is the envy of the industrialized world.
lymmbhoy
We are changing things around for the new site – so I won’t need to post these links very soon! Can you try these two alternatives to see which one works better at your end?
LISBON LION’S FLAG DAY
http://www.cqnmagazine.com/lisbon-lions-flag-day/
or
http://www.cqnmagazine.com/?p=6667
winning captains
Second link works perfectly.
Hope that helps.
HH
RWE and BMCUWP if you could spell Borrheid you would still be wrong as saltires is a very long golf shot away from the craigie. He does live near a neat little car park. Big game coming our way but confident the we have more than carrier bag in our dressing room and our real challenge will be in the group stage qualifier. Great chance to get our season well underway for our new players to shine and get used to playing the Celtic way. Don’t care if we win 1-0 at home and draw away. Hail Hail
VAN DIJK EURO AIM
http://www.cqnmagazine.com/?p=6669
lymmbhoy
Thanks
THOMPSONTWIN
I’ve yet to see any post from you which doesn’t include insulting comments about your fellow Celtic supporters,whether it be their political allegiances or their desire for an improvement on and off the pitch at Celtic.
Have you considered psychiatric help,perhaps consulting a doctor or two?
And do you have any friends who aren’t deaf?
Have STV ended Scott Allan’s Easter Rd Hell….yet?
Sorry Corkcelt I understand what you mean now – apologies H H Hebcelt
TAURANGABHOY
I was surprised to discover that CB came from Barrhead and not Paisley,and equally surprised that I got away wi that typo for so long.
Damn you!
Afternoon Timland from a hot hun free mountain valley.
Thompdon Twin
Good to see your beloved Labour party throwing their toys out of the pram at the prospect of a real Labour man in pole position to be leader….Not.
They are winkers the lot of them, they care not for the people, only themselfs, and you are trumpeting them to the hilt, says more about you mi amigo.
HH
cloghercelt
I’m from Inishowen, live and work in Letterkenny.
————————
Would like to see Henderson stay with us. With either CL or EL group stages there surely would be enough opportunities to rotate him in league games in the 3 behind the striker.
I reckon Liam Henderson is fully in deilas plans at paradise.
A good full season of SPL games will do the boy good, from what iv seen he is already good enough for the SPL .. Just needs more experiance and he will be a regular in the Celtic team I hope.
His pass to guidetti for the goal against inter last season was brillant..pass of the season .
Aye, a roaster using correct grammar, is a roaster no less (and a troll).
The funniest aspect of troll-like contributions, is that he/she is actually taking hours out of their life to come up with these nuggets.
LIFE is SHORT my friend. Let THAT SINK IN.
:-)
Looks like 40,000 plus are already sold, looking at the celtic stadium plan, even accounting for 415 to 418 being closed off.
Hopefully 50,000 for game and the world’s highest attendance on wednesday.
Still, what about those 10k empty seats eh?
I see Qarabag have Brazillians. We had one Brazillian and he was Scheidt. Why don’t we take all the boys down the local waxer and we could field a team of Brazilians.
I do know we had Juninho but MON dinnae like flair players.
Tickets for tomorrow now available at Argyle St, East Kibride, Coatbridge, Clydebank and Greenock
@celtictickets
Stick, or twist for Liam: if he stays, he might get some games in the first team later in the season when a few injuries kick in. Until then, he is not quite ready in Ronny’s estimation for a run in the first team.
Going to DU playing in Jackie’s team for now makes perfect sense.
Barrhead? Do you mean Borheid?
There is one man who will ensure that Celtic Park will no longer be half full.
His name_________Warburton.
Watch this space____________
Different liquidation rules must be different in Italy
http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/33684256
A roaster who can spell but can’t grasp the most simple concept of the fact that if Scotland became independent the “United Kingdom” would cease to exist.
Mark warburton wins manager of the Month for August
Apart from CQN, can’t see anything on MSM re Henderson Loan to Dundee United. If it’s true then after taking 3 from them it might restore a bit of goodwill. However more importantly if he is playing first team football in SPFL every week, we will quickly know just how good he really can be.
I think it would be an outstanding move for the lad and potentially for Celtic. If he thrives in the Division where we compete then what could be better then that.
Looks like Irvine has signed for Ross County and is eligible to play against us next week.
Celtic Team photo of the month
@maleysbhoys
Winning Captains
Second one for me.
tim tanium two r’s in Borrheid. I blame kaflik skoolz.
SADDO
If you’re not part of the solution,you’re part of the problem.
Tt hasn’t grasped yet that his New Labour project destroyed the party. Nor has he figured out that calling people morons for wanting a return to our terra firma is our only hope of survival.
A Labour Party which worries itself about headlines in the tory press isnae worth voting for.
A Labour Party full of people like the eejit in question is doomed.
I seriously wonder why he posts here except to be an arse and to insult his betters.
Who is the Dad’s Army roaster? Don’t tell him, Pike!
DoyouthinkthatswisesirCSC
BobbyM
I agree with you 100%.
HH