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Expectations but remember Gretna (liquidated)

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By on CQN BLOG & Comments

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.walk-for-jonathan

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.

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  1. vfr800a8 on

    THETIMREAPER on 22ND OCTOBER 2016 10:25 PM

     

     

    yep, we will have a chat about it tomorrow. I hope you are wrong about him tomorrow!

  3. vfr800a8 on

    MNCELT on 22ND OCTOBER 2016 10:28 PM

     

     

    It was great to meet you and yer bhoy! It was a defeat, but it was still a pilgrimage!

     

     

    Glad you both enjoyed it!

     

     

     

    FAC the Act

     

     

    KTF

  4. Gerryfaethebrig on

    Melbourne Mick

     

     

    Count me in for both, our Coatbridge shop is sometimes taken for granted but it’s magic, because it’s ours :-)

     

    The day that shop shuts is the day people will realise what they have !

     

     

    Hope all is good and keep us updated with you & the wee mhans stories, love them !

  8. Delaneys Dunky on

    HT

     

     

    I am needing a ticket for Wednesday at Dingwall. My sis and two nieces have claimed the comps. Would prefer a Celtic end ticket. :)

  13. BIG-CUP-WINNERS on

    TTR

     

     

    There was more than Nir had a nightmare on Wednesday.

     

     

    It’s the support from the stands that I worry about most. We earned plaudits after the 3-3 draw. But in reality we are a double-edged sword at times. On Wednesday, some had an air of expectancy, that quickly turned to panic and then wailing at every error.

     

     

    Shouting at someone performing poorly never worked, it never will.

     

     

    That lot will cheer the slightest positive tomorrow. Our support will hopefully leave the “expectancy” and back the Bhoys from start to finish.

     

     

    This is the attitude required:

     

     

    https://www.google.co.uk/imgres?https://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hailhailmedia.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2016%2F09%2FThey-hung-out-the-flag-of-war.jpg&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hailhailmedia.com%2Frenewed-rivalry%2Fthey-hung-out-the-flag-of-war%2F&docid=c6nXqpmgp6qbCM&tbnid=Ch5I4ncWO0QPrM%3A&w=634&h=447&bih=776&biw=1164&ved=0ahUKEwjy0_-ar-_PAhWEthoKHVVNAg0QMwghKAIwAg&iact=mrc&uact=8

  15. glendalystonsils on

    HUNDERBIRDS ARE GONE on 22ND OCTOBER 2016 9:49 PM

     

    Modern Chanty Wrasslers are rubbish. Pure rubbish ;)

     

     

    They’re nowadays called bidet botherers.

  18. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    DELANEYSDUNKY

     

     

    Seems HAMILTONTIM is yer man for the tickets,bud!

  24. Cosy Corner Bhoy on

    VFR800A8 1021: Re Bitton on Wednesday evening. HE WAS A CHARLATON!! and I don’t mean Bobby or Jack! Virtually every bal he received from a ‘defender’ he fired back at him AT SPEED. No attempt to TURN and play a ball forward. IMO, when the team are ‘cruising’ he can play a bit ,but, when it is pressure on us he might as well be sitting next to me as he is completely lacking in ‘dig’

     

    I will be surprised if he gets a starting place tomorrow but then again I would have subbed him at half-time if not before!! Good job for him I am not the manager!! BTW deliberate misspelling to get my wee joke in about Bobby and Jack!!!

  26. Gerryfaethebrig on

    Roy C

     

     

    To a far lesser extent so did mine :-)

     

     

    The more good Celtic people on here the Celtic blog will always win

     

     

    Hail Hail fae soon the road :-)

  27. Melbourne Mick on

    GERRYFAETHEBRIG

     

     

    Yes Gerry, those bhoys keep me going, need to stop calling him

     

    wee mhan though, him and his mate 13 yo and inches bigger than me

     

    when you see them in the hoops like a couple of Lisbon Lions my

     

    heart swells.

     

    H.H Mick

  31. Celticrollercoaster supporting @WalkWithShay on

    CCB

     

     

    BMCUWP rescued your LMS8 entry this week :-)

     

     

    HH

     

     

    CRC

  33. castlebhoy on

    Apologies. Infrequent poster. Just came in wife got the TV remote. On comes Phil Collins Arsehole. Funnily enoughgot a book coming out alongside a back catalogue being released. Comfortable win tomorrow. Thank you for allowing me to vent my spleen. Goodnight

  35. Gerryfaethebrig on

    Melbourne Mick

     

     

    Wee Mhan is a term of endearment, he will always be your wee Bhoy, just you keep the young mhan on the right road…. he’ll never be on the wrong road …. and keep spreading the good Celtic word :-)

  37. vfr800a8 on

    COSY CORNER BHOY on 22ND OCTOBER 2016 10:54 PM

     

     

    We’ll agree to disagree. He was poor on Wednesday but so were most of the team. When Bitton or Brown got the ball they were closed down by 2 Germans. The lack of movement from the front 4 and the 2 fullbacks left them with no one to play the ball to.

     

     

    We played relatively poorly but without the Toure gaffes we may well have escaped with a point. That fact seems to have been glossed over by a lot of people.

     

     

    FAC the Act

     

     

    KTF

  40. Burghbhoy on

    I’ve given away my ticket for tomorrow.

     

    Why?

     

    Loads of folk wanted it .

     

    Nobody understands my reasoning

     

     

    Sadcsc

     

     

    HH

  41. vfr800a8 on

    CASTLEBHOY on 22ND OCTOBER 2016 11:03 PM

     

     

    I agree. The man’s a cretin. I was never a great Genesis fan but like Gabriel’s solo work. Never liked Collins’ solo work.

     

     

     

    FAC. The Act

     

     

    KTF

  42. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    CELTICROLLERCOASTER

     

     

    Joint effort,bud. Just as well someone was on the ball!

     

     

    I posted his CQN Nap as well. Bliddy won.

     

     

    I should probably have put the lottery on for him too(!)

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