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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ANSJ saying the idea of stripping titles doesn’t exist “anymore”. Anyone recall him saying that there should be the option to do this?
Jabba”ashamed to call myself a journalist…” the irony ……
.
SOAL..
I Swear l picked Tomatoes with the Absent Lord in Heraklion May 85′ (Sammi was born March 86′)..Yes he was Late..:O)
Summa of CretinCreatinsCSC
can someone please explain why my tv license is paying for Jim Traynor to insult me?
Does this mean the charity face painter had now been paid
bt –
Keeping my powder dry for the moment.Though I do hope it wasn’t personal :-)
Hector must appeal this, the scottish establishment is condoning non payment of tax
Mountain_Bhoy is Neil Lennon
18:45 on 21 November, 2012
can someone please explain why my tv license is paying for Jim Traynor to insult me?
Exactly – why does the supposedly impartial BBC allow someone from a paper which could certainly NOT be described as impartial to spout their impartial views as if they were fact?
Ziggydoc1
141 creditors waiting with bated breath?. They are now looking for an apology from all and sundry which never came from them. Many have suffered from RFC not paying those that were due money from the “institution” that’s Glasgow Rangers.
Huns running around today as if they had won the Champions league
The smug look on their face is hilarious.Do they not realize they implode and are now high fiving over the grave of their club.
meanwhile back in Div 3, charlie chuckles has a bag full of shares he wants you to buy
sipsini
Leggo, he’s a total looper, a dangerous one as well, can wind them up like a spring.
This is where the MSM have the upper hand, the internet bampots have taken a spanking, our voice for a time is only a whisper.
We will see what happens next, but am not too hopefull of justice of any sort.
Will creditors urge BDO to chase loan recipients .? Hmmmmm
TET
Picked up on your good news when scrolling back – know the worry you and the family must have been going through. Very glad things are looking up.
KTF!
If the result has been available to both parties for a few weeks I’d have expected HMRC to already have their appeal application ready by now, who will further delay benefit ? Certainly not HMRC as delay will only allow political pressure to be applied.
Anyone think Alex Thomson’s most recent TV report might have had an effect on the FTT panel members (and their decisions)?
johann murdoch
18:57 on 21 November, 2012
‘Will creditors urge BDO to chase loan recipients .’
Nothing to do with BDO.
Oldco huns transferred the money to trustees. The trustees made loans. If the loans are repaid they will be repaid to the trustees not BDO.
See things in Lisbon have not improved since last night……………..
Youths trailing 1-0 to Sporting Lisbon after 26mins.
.
Sevco fans to Sing 1 in a Row.. On Sat..
Summa of CourtDatesCSC
Traynor stirring up the hun masses on shortbread…’witch hunt against an innocent party’ he cries.
Packy Bonnar calling Rfc a ‘fantastic institution’….
Not heard the famine song then Packy?
Packy also doesnt believe in stripping titles. I cannot see one single ex hun coming out with those words if it was us.
Packy wants a regular number on radio obviously.
GlassTwoThirdsFull
18:59 on 21 November, 2012
No.
The tribunal members will have made their individual decisions a long time ago and will have been trying to persuade each other to accept their view.
Shameless Traynor slagging fellow hacks for pedaling mis-information…..whit!
Corkcelt 16:22
Well said that man.
They were dead and they’re still dead.
The MSM argument is ” Did they have to die ? “.
I don’t care, at least, eventually, everyone agrees they are dead.
The first phase of the inquest has been published, and it poses more questions than it answers.
I have to admit, I was hoping for prosecutions. But Murray played his hand to the limit before folding at the right time. Whyte upped the ante before folding. Green just folded.
Next Hun watchers date is dec 5th. What creditors have disappeared from the list provided by D+P ?
Have they been paid ( by the RFF ), or subsumed by Sevco ?
A poster on TSFM ( I’ve forgotten the name to credit, and its murder to log in there ), suggests we look for major creditors like Ticketus, Close Leasing, and our Player Of The Year, Craig Whyte.
If B.D.O dont name them as creditors, then we’re being introduced to the owners of Triggers Broom F.C.
Whenever I hear Jabba on the radio I switch channels.
Why listen to him then moan about it?
Ernie..,
Are BDO not within their rights to audit the trusts and their operating procedures to ensure administration compliance with the rules, after all the report does raise questions on how the trusts have been administered ?
Bonnar like everyone else is entitled to his opinion, in my opinion him NL and DD on this subject are out of touch with the mainstream support.
Alternatively may be his attempt to endear himself to the sevco media
Was expecting a much more vociferous react from the media on the FTT decision ……. I think they’re so stunned, they don’t know how to react …..LOL
….AND they’re now criticising Murray for selling to Agent Whyte for £1 ……….lively jubbelly ….. I would like to thank him …LLOOLL….!!!!!
is ole Packy taking a bowl of soup
sporting institution packy ?that will be you signed up now.
praecepta
Thanks.
A wee treble tonight wouldn’t go amiss tho :>)
I just canny decide, might leave it to the in play.
Shockeroonie-Walker calling out the huns “shameful trail of debt….”
Sfa to hear big paky holding the soup bowl to his lips
Neil canamalar Lennon hunskelper extrordinaire
19:05 on 21 November, 2012
No. The money was paid to the trustees and that’s the end of it as things stand. If HMRC appeal and win it might open up other avenues.
not one of them will come out and say what they really think and know.
Lhads lhads ….. Thems are deid….. They are looking for someone to blame and keep coming back to themselves and their ilk…. Sit back … Chill…. And let them turn on each other as only thems can … We can just enjoy the show…… as it kills them that they Cannae blame us champions league types ….what’s not to like about that?
Can anyone advise if the next tier is in court, if so can those who were described as obstructive be call to give evidence under oath ?
Cant bring myself to share Paul’s view of the preference to qualify for CL KO stage. Likely opponents are one of Porto, Schalke, Man Ure, B Dortmund, Bayern, Shakthar and Malaga. It is almost certain that we will be outplayed by all these teams and, in all likelihood, lose, albeit, valiantly.
Whereas, if we drop into Europa League, we are far more likely, not only to win, but compete on, more or less, equal terms.
Having said that, I will be cheering on my beloved Hoops against Spartak Moscow when the time comes.
On the other subject, the more the years pass, the more I realise what a primitive and narrow minded place the country of my birth is. The targeting of the GB is another example of how we Tims/Taigs are discriminated against. To the establishment, we are scum unless we beat Barca then we represent everything that is good about Scotland. Utter fools, those who spout the nonsense; deserving victims, those who dont challenge the bigots!
HH
dessybhoy 18:29
What is Zenit policy?
Here you have a lot of pictures of Zenit from many different years.
Try to find one black player. Hulk got death threads. Few weeks back the security found bomb in Zenit building with Hulk address. His darker skin is not acceptable.
http://rusfootballteam.ucoz.ru/blog/futbolnye_kluby_zenit_sankt_peterburg_rossija_ch_1/2012-02-18-101
crawford says the establishmint dud it to rangers.
hehhehehehehe
voice breaking now.