The players would have had a light training session at Lennoxtown today as muscles continue to refill after Wednesday night’s exertions. Expectations of Celtic in the Champions League are not high, and were exceptionally low when this group was drawn, but even so, these games have a huge financial, physical and even emotional impact on every area of the club.
One argument suggests the last thing we need is a cup semi-final four days after a Champions League outing. An alternative thought is that this is the perfect game for Celtic right now. Memories linger of sitting stressfully at Fir Park days after Celtic beat the reigning European Champions, Milan, as (subsequently liquidated) Grenta held onto a lead until the 87th minute.
While playing (subsequently liquidated) Rangers away 64 hours after winning a Uefa Cup semi-final 1200 miles from home in 2003 proved to be the perfect game to instil steel into the legs.
With what passes as a fully fit squad, Brendan has choices to make for Sunday. Did Patrick Roberts do enough off the bench against Borussia to justify a start? Perhaps. He’s a player who owes us one at Hamden too.
Callum McGregor will also fancy his chances ahead of Nir Bitton, who didn’t have a great Scottish Cup semi-final against the same opponents in April.
It would be a huge surprise if Moussa Dembele didn’t start as the lone forward, despite Leigh Griffiths itching to get on alongside him. Brendan will not change formation for this game, while Moussa will fancy his chances against a defence he punished to ruthlessly last month.
For me, our two most important players on Sunday will be Scott Sinclair and Tom Rogic. They are the epitome of the modern footballer, strong, skilful, intelligent and difficult to defend against. If we can get them on the ball often enough we’ll score a lot of goals.
Pretty much every Celtic fan I know expects Mark Warburton to have learned a lesson from his Celtic Park whipping and for him to deploy a more defensively-minded team this time. My Newco pals don’t expect this to happen. Warburton hasn’t varied his game-plan since arriving at the club and is apparently reluctant to start experimenting now.
He took his team to Hampden to face Celtic against similarly long odds last season. Within minutes we knew we were in a game, and despite the clear chasm between the teams, it was Newco who faced Hibs in the Scottish Cup final.
A repeat of the 5-1 win at Celtic Park is possible, but you’ve seen enough football to know that nothing can be taken for granted on Sunday. Remember that Newco came close to levelling that 5-1 game at 2-2 early in the second half, and the latter part of their collapse came after going down to 10 men.
I’m off later to meet those from the Tyneside No. 1 and friends, who have walked (yes, WALKED), from Merthyr Tydfil and will reach Doherty’s Bar in Hamilton this afternoon. They’ve pretty much walked a marathon a day for 13 days and will make the final journey to Celtic Park tomorrow.
This herculean effort has been made to mark the memory of Jonathan Thomas, who aged 30 lost his biggest fight one year ago tomorrow.
We’re lucky as Celtic fans that we get to meet and read about people who do these things in our name. It’ll take you 2 minutes to let them know how inspiring they are here.
It’s also worth marking the events in Aberfan, the village a few miles from Merthyr Tydfil which was visited by unimaginable tragedy 50 years ago today.
John Humphrys: What we owe the people of Aberfan 50 years after tragedy struck the village, and why it shows authority must be challenged. pic.twitter.com/OdjyaAGTsQ
— BBC Radio 4 Today (@BBCr4today) October 21, 2016
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Matt, Novel business. I had no idea you sold it. Gardners and allotment owner market, presumably? How much do you generally get for your stools?
Fine result for East Kilbride FC today, knocking out Donald – The Sash – Findlay’s Cowdenbeath.
1-0 in the end, goal scored early by the Kilby Eusebio, Kilby having had a man sent off with 30 minutes to play.
Billy Bhoy
No I meant Russell Grant not Grant Russell.
TBB
Tribal regions of brigton regard My stools as an aphrodisiac. In some parts of the world they are celebrated by everyone talking shite.
Hail hail
Matt
The missus had tickets for a Russell Grant gig a few years ago, but it got cancelled at short notice due to unforeseen circumstances.
What better way to open my 2nd last (from the fridge) Cala d’Or balcony Heineken than to toast EKFCs cup success today and to wish CFC every success in their, sorry, our cup game tomorrow.
onemoreSpanishsleepCPC
Brogan, great post about Star Tree’s Mr Sulu earlier.
The treatment of Americans of Japanese descent should have been better after Pearl Harbour.
Their treatment in comparison to that of Americans of German and Italian descent during World War two never seems to be commented on for whatever reason.
I believe one of America’s most decorated units in World War two was one. who comprised of soldiers who were descended from Japanese immigrants. They served in Italy.
Thanks for the responses re last playing Aberdeen in a Cup final. Answer, hasn’t happened too often. So Scottish Cup, 1990, remember it now, the no replay final, something to do with the World Cup finals back when Scotland used to qualify, and League Cup 2000, after John Barnes sacked and before Martin came in. Let’s get a result tomorrow and make it the first in a while.
Jobo, enjoy your cold continental swallay tonight.
It’s been a glorious week, weather-wise, in your home town.
Best paella is con mariscos but absolutely essential is a Rioja red or well chilled Albariño, imo
+3 tomorrow HH
TBB
Congrats to EK beating Old Mutton Chops team. Hope he was as annoyed as he was on the Royal Mile when ‘wound-up’ by a bunch of Hibee joiners – sparks were flying from his segs (on the brogues) when he did a sharp about turn – followed by much gesticulating with the old briar during an exchange of pleasantries!
Believe your guys are on par with Ajax to set the longest undefeated run?
Well everything okay or to orrow’s game! Having a pint in the Portobello and game on tomorrow here so no need to be abstemious and drive 15 km to watch
Regarding culinary comments about ‘rabbit’ , may I say you cannot beat a bit if ‘el conejo’ !! Only time I get it is HERE,
TET: Will search out your vino suggestions on Monday!!
Can you email me re VPN so that I can get my Sky-Go here. BMCUWP has e mail address Tks!
Forgot specs so many errors in this text……
Bayern Mun one up against Bor Munch
Does anyone know if the game is being shown anywhere on The Strip in Las Vegas?
CCB
How much do you want to spend on a bottle ?
I can give you a cheap, mid range if you wish, the exp is a bit out of my wallet range, now that would be Spanish prices, and it also depends where you are shopping.
This is the VPN I use, you have to reconnect to it every time you switch your computer back on.
http://www.bestukvpn.com/
HH
Praecepta
Th Ajax record is 26 wins in the trot. Kilby are on 25 after today’s win.
We’ve got Vale of Leithen in the league at K Park next week. We beat them 9-1 last month…
I understand though that the official record is confined to top-flight professional football, and Kilby – as an amateur club – won’t be getting into the Guinness book any time soon.
Bayern completely dominating BMG.
The 2-0 half time score doesn’t even begin to illustrate the chasm between both sides.
LMCBHOY.
I agree about the shellfish but I can’t be arsed with all the breaking shells and messy business. A little place I was in Tenerife did all the shelling for me and called it a ” ladies Paella “. I took the insult in good spirits…..Rioja has a calming effect on me.
MS Elaine
I’m not aware of any US stations carrying tomorrow’s game.
A testament to the marketing skills of our brogues and blazers brigade?
Celtic TV will have it but there’s no CSC in Vegas.
CQN for live updates is your only hope.
The game will be on the Bet365 betting site, and others probably if you don’t want to stream it.
Hello this is WEE BGFC. Just on to say that Blantyretim and Paul67 are total LEGENDS. Looks like me and Da have tickets for Ross county away. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!!!! YAS!
Ps. Lets get ripped into these deider than now huns!!
HH
WEE BGFC
high tempo game from us tomorrow ,don’t give them a minutes peace, always remember first never follows.
Wee BGFC
Tickets picked up tomorrow wee chap
They are all yours ☘️
BIG GEORGES FAN CLUB – HAIL, HAIL, WEE OSCAR on 22ND OCTOBER 2016 6:36 PM
great post as always WEE MAN.and you prediction for tomorrow is????
BT… You in the PV Sunday???
Regards & Hail Hail…
TBM
Bayern absolutely cruising against BMG. BMG seem flat. Maybe tired from midweek.
BMG hit the bar.
Almore, table booked for 12:15 in Coias under my name.
FAC the Act
KTF
TBM
Yip, u and Marspapa coming in?
TBM
Mass at 10, picking up tickets for BGFC and Wee BGFC
Then breakfast in PV before watching hoops destroy sevco
A wee reminder that Andy Lynch will be on CQN on Monday evening from around 7pm for a few hours to discuss the game tomorrow and his career.
Andy had an interview in The Herald last week who picked up on what the former Celtic captain had to say about getting a job in Scotland in the 1980’s in Scottish football and what Jock Stein told him.
We have just posted an article with the exact quotes from the book as it has taken on legs of its own on various Comedy Club Sevco Rangers sites and has also involved Police Scotland intervention to remove sectarian bead rattling comments.
We understand that the offender was a former Police Officer who was previously labelled as PC Bigot!
Maybe the Green Brigade should set up a unit to monitor the Polis!
Andy is also playing CQN Fives starting this Thursday. He asked about players he had to look out for. Told him that Hamilton Tim was a dirty so and so!
West Brom score. 2-1
23 last man standing entrants tighten their sphincters
WC
After all the problems on Cqn re advertising is unusual that I even log on to Cqn full site as I use addblocker
Can u post a link which would enable us to read the article and allow u to get the required hits?
If not no problem
Munster win after a tough week
http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/munster-rugby/david-kelly-munster-reborn-as-players-and-fans-pay-homage-to-anthony-foley-in-fitting-fashion-35152907.html
http://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/2016/1022/826104-erasmus-relieved-by-munster-victory/
BT… Mass at St. Cadoc’s 11:30, breakfast at Amen Corner then PV… Look forward to seeing your good self and comrades! Spoke with Marspapa this a.m. Hopefully, he will join us…
Back to ‘The Valleys’ Monday!
Regards & Hail Hail…
TBM
Since it’s quiet on here tonight
We are having a wee night in St Joseph’s church hall 25th November for Paul Larkins anyone but Celtic
Church hall not as big as KSC so tickets going fast.
Pop-up ads are making it impossible to access CQN. This had been going on for over a year.
I have adblocker installed on iMac and iPad, but still I have to fight with invitations to see Tiger Woods, every 15 seconds, invasions of half-screen blocks inviting me to see 15 celebrities who died horribly, pop-ups from below, pop-ups from above, that freeze my iPad, meaning I have to reboot, when all I want to do is read a page of comments.
Trying to access CQN these days is a shit-storm of grief.
I come on here – less and less now – to read opinions. I don’t come on to spend 75% of my time fending off obnoxious crap, which then infects my computer.
The Man C game at Celtic Park, I was working. Every time I tried to access CQN, I got a flashy full-screen betting website without a ‘go back’ option. So every time, I had to shut down and restart. Then it would happen again, and again.
So I took the hint and logged on to BBC Sport for live updates, which came through faultlessly.
CQN for me is now unworkable as a blog.
TBM
Looking forward to it