It is a measure of how far we have come during this Champions League campaign that a 2-1 defeat away to Benfica, leaving us favourites to qualify in second place for the Champions League knockout stage and assured of European football after Christmas, is a disappointment.
Unlike previous defeats in this competition, this one has not limited our ambitions.
Around this time of previous Champions League campaigns I’ve opined that Uefa Cup/Europa League qualification would be preferable to finishing second in the group stage, leading to inevitable elimination to a group winner. Teams who drop out of the Champions League have the prospect of a decent run in the Europa League, earning more coefficient points and potentially more cash, whereas Celtic never convinced me they could reach the last eight of the Champions League.
This time is different. We got it wrong last night and as a result lost the head-to-head against Benfica but this was not the case against Barcelona. Most of the current group leaders are better than Celtic, all would create more chances and have more possession against us, but here’s the rub, Celtic can score goals against anyone and can defend remarkably well.
Georgios Samaras has now scored in three consecutive group stage away games; he scored in all of Celtic’s five away games in Europe this season, surely a record. This is beyond a mere statistical oddity, it’s a result of a strategy which Benfica, Barcelona and Spartak have been unable to cope with (last night’s block-and-free-header routine was a thing of technical brilliance).
We’ve scored five goals in total in our three away group stage games. In the eight away games in the competition proper before this season, since losing in Copenhagen, we scored only once (remember against whom?)! In short, we can go anywhere and play effective counter-attacking football which even the best team in history had trouble dealing with.
That doesn’t mean we are champions-elect, of course. Benfica, who are a worthy team but are not tier-one material, got the better of us. They played to form last night and Celtic dipped. Scott Brown was clearly unfit, Charlie Mulgrew may-or-may-not have declared himself ill before kick-off but his condition did not help (stunning corner aside).
Neil also left out Kris Commons. Kris’s form has shaded since The Beating of Barca, so I was not surprised to see him on the bench, but did you notice we started to get balls into the Benfica box after he came on? More of this and I fancy Benfica would have yielded. In his post-match comments Neil Lennon reminded us his players are young and will learn from the experience.
It’s easy to overlook the fact that the manager is also young and learning as he goes along. His tactical decisions have been the real revelation of this group, even if he did leave Kris out and his gamble with Scott Brown didn’t work. His progress as a manager has been, as our old friend might say, astonishing.
Fraser Forster provided more evidence of his outstanding ability. Mikael Lustig and Kelvin Wilson looked perfectly at ease with under frenetic pressure but Efe Ambrose particularly impressed. I’ve watched Celtic defences for decades and we always seem to have a ‘junior partner’ but not now.
The defence made two mistakes last night but in all their games together they have yet to conjure up a Big Dan Moment.
My objectives for this Champions League campaign have already been surpassed but expectation levels are never level, so let’s take care of Spartak and see where the adventure goes next.
Orders are now open for the very first CQN Annual, get it here!
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Pebbles does a great version of YNWA.
That’s entertainment.
Thanks mighty tim, should we be starting him with Wilson on Saturay, putting in Dylan McGeouch, Kayal, Ibrahim, Big Vic (I’d keep playing Vic as he is suspended for Spartak game) with maybe 2 of Watt/Miku/Lassad up front.
.
Kev Jungle..
I’m glad you brought Up Susan Boyle..
And some People on here Accuse You of Talking Sh*te..
I Was @ Susan Boyle’s New Album Party last Night..
Called..
..
Susanalbumparty
wtf..??
Were YOU there Kev Jungle..?
Summa of SubosBumCSC
Ernie
Ogilvie then,hence why he got ‘side shuffled in the cabinet’ to the SFA?
and Mr Black cannae afford to question the probity of the top man at Hampden for fear of dislodging ‘our man in mount florida?’
I find the “soup-taker” slur very offensive – I really wish posters on here would stop using it.
Calling a person a soup-taker is very offensive in Ireland. Its another word for traitor.
Phyllis….
…what else should call these people?
Corkcelt I think Lenny will stick with tried and tested at the moment and introduce young guns from the bench if we have a decent lead. Vic will stay in team to make sure we get result against ICT hammerthrowers. I also think he will stick with Hooper to get him up to speed with Spartak in mind but will give Watt/Miku/Lassad some game time, maybe on as sub for Sammi and Hooper.
HH
.
Robertto Di Matteo..
Fernando is the Type of Player who could get me the Sack..
Summa of LifeImatatingLennyCSC
Sing T.R.F.C. to the tune of “Y.M.C.A.”
Young man, there’s no need to feel down.
I said, young man, pick yourself off the ground.
I said, young man, ’cause you’re in a new league
There’s no need to be unhappy.
Young man, there’s a place you can go.
I said, young man, you can spend all your your dough.
You can buy shares, and I’m sure you will find
Many ways to help Chic Green.
Liquidated at the T.R.F.C.
Liquidated at the T.R.F.C
They have everything, to fleece you outright,
H.M.R.C. and boggle eyed Whyte …
Liquidated at the T.R.F.C.
Liquidated at the T.R.F.C
You can get yourself dressed, in your new Ibrox trash,
You can wear your fathers old sash…
Young man, are you listening to me?
I said, young man, you’ve lost dignity?
I said, young man, forget all your dreams?
Cos your top flight football is gone!
Your club, cheated all by their self.
I said, your club, put their pride on the shelf,
Now just go there, to the H.M.R.C
I’m sure they can help you today.
Liquidated at the T.R.F.C.
Liquidated at the T.R.F.C
You can get yourself dressed, in your new Ibrox trash,
You can wear your fathers old sash…
It’s no fun to be at the T.R.F.C
It’s no fun to be at the T.R.F.C
da da da da da da da da da
Prince the tribunal operates under UK wide legislation.
Tax legislation is UK wide. (Wee Fat Eck wants to change that).
My view is HMRC will want no possibility of an argument that a decisions is not UK wide.
A question I have.
Does anyone know who is paying for the Rangers side of this legal battle?
For all those Sevconians out there read this from your ex master and weep
Murray told The Herald: “Nobody has won, there is no point in me waving a big flag and saying we have won – Rangers has been destroyed.”
‘have been destroyed,David.’
schoolingcsc
F5 buttons at the ready bhoys….Paul67 tells me he’s posting the new article at 12.30 on the dot…
Thindimebhoy good post. Perhaps Murray should have tagged “by me” onto the end.
.
I Asked the Question Re; Soup Taker..
Cannot believe People would refer to Packy Bonner with that Term..
I Know People who Changed their School on a CV to get Work..and with Welding Mask down were told Not to come back to Work to Avoid a Bullet..Not that Long ago..
Summa
I will call the Packy Bonnars of this world, QUISLINGS.
Now that word rings abell.
“Those quislings who sold out, the Patriots game.”
I take it Packies been saying titles shouldnt be stripped while takung a wage?
Ntass Oolla
Aye
By me Sur Minty of Moonbeams for every taxable fiver you spend I will borrow a tax free tenner and never pay it back
Philboy – call them traitor, turncoat or somethng of that ilk.
It’s offensive on a number of levels though:
– If your family were starving during a famine, and you were offered food on condition you changed your religion, who amongst us would choose death for our families?
– it’s used by non-Irish people as a term of abuse when its origins are strictly Irish – like a white guy calling a black guy “Uncle Tom”;
– it trivialises the Famine – like Craig Burley’s commentary is analogous to the starving family above.
Phyllis……
Quisling it is then!
Let’s not have a spat about slurs from another country whose meaning is different there.
Phyllis’ post covers it imo.
Would Packie Bonner have expounded those views in a pub in Glasgow/Belfast/Donegal, where they would have been challenged by way of reasoned argument rather than name calling?
Summa of Sammi….
12:12 on 22 November, 2012
__________________________
Thanks for the reply M8.
Yes…I do talk sh###.
But…who dizny ?
The orcish type of contents
contained within yer post
ach….what can I say ?
I will repeat what I posted last night.
Packie gave them the one thing they don’t understand. The thing they really hate.
He gave them a calm, intelligent, tongue- in- cheek demonstration of the difference between the two clubs.
He gave them sympathy for their sad plight.
Some CQN-ers are thicker than our recently deceased neighbours.
Kilbowie that’s your view.
Why comp[are fellow Celts to huns because they don’t share it?
As I said name calling is not my bag.
Re: Packie Bonnar
I saw PB the other week there on Sportscene.
He was joined in the studio by ex-hun Stephen Thompson.
And ye know what…if ever there was a ‘trap’ laid out for anyone
that was for PB.
Every time PB offered an opinion…ST was all over it like a rash.
It seemed to me that ST had been coached by the – Dark lords
before the program started.
I only watched the Cellic stuff then put it off.
The whole set stunk to high heavens with – cloven-hoofs – pointy-hats etc. imo
Never heard what Packy said,so cannot really comment.Appeasement is not really my cup of tea.HH
Ntass Oolla ,
At no time did I compare any poster to a HUN.
I simply pointed out that some of us appear to be as naive as our departed neighbours.
HH.
Back to the grind.
Well done Tom English. What a revealing article on the Big Tax Case. How unusual for a member of the Scottish Football Media. If Murray and Co. were so confident that their E.B.T’S. were allright ,why all the secrecy and evasion? Why did it take the Metropolitan Police to find them at Murray Park, while pursuing the Boumsong Case? Why the reluctance to name E.B.T. holders?. I think this case still smells and we, the public ,deserve more clarity and transparency. Where is our successor to the late Paul McBride?
there’s a new article up bhoys
Yes! anti podium :)
http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/640×360/legacy/episode/b01nxxg6.jpg?nodefault=true
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0074hf7