Given a choice, you would rather a rival pitch up to play you with a lame duck manager who has clearly lost the dressing room, than sack him and allow players and coaches an opportunity to disavow some of his more glaring errors. Rene Weiler took Anderlecht to the Belgian title in May, his first season at the club. But, when he was sacked yesterday, they sat ninth in the Jupiler table with just two wins and eight goals in seven games.
They have a cup game away to lower league Westerlo tomorrow, the third consecutive away game in a series of four, before Celtic come to town in eight days. The Anderlecht board’s hope is that they can remain in the cup, then pick up a win against Waasland-Beverent (seventh, but on the same points as Anderlecht), in an attempt to stabilise the club before the crucial Champions League game with Celtic.
By any measure, Anderlecht have been rubbish this season, but they will employ the weapon all rubbish teams have, that of an embattled underdog who is capable of raising standards by exception. Their performance at the Allianz Arena last week, where 10-men gave Bayern Munich some nervous moments, is an indication of what we are likely to face next week.
The game in Brussels is not only our most important game of the next week, it’s the most important game between now and December, when Anderlecht visit Celtic Park. Despite their historical-comparative rubbish status, Anderlecht are better than any team we will face in Scotland. Notwithstanding that, our objective has to be a win in Brussels.
I was there at Hampden when Paul Wilson scored twice as we won the Scottish Cup against Old Airdrie in 1975. Paul was an exciting player during an era when our star was fading. We enjoyed the thrill of seeing a breakthrough, flamboyant, talent emerge. I still recall that header against Spain which seemed to affirm Paul as the genuine article.
The four years after nine-in-a-row finished was an era of decline. Kenny Dalglish carried the team to an extent we have never really acknowledged as a club, or a support. But Jock Stein’s period of pre-eminence was long gone before Paul Wilson and his contemporaries made their mark. Paul moved on in 1978 to little fanfare, as Celtic finished fifth and Stein was asked to leave the dugout.
On his death yesterday, he was noted as a trailblazing player of Asian descent in British football at a time when inclusivity was not a term society was familiar with. He was that, but for me, he was a young and powerful Celtic striker who put the ball in the net with ease.
Win tickets for Ibrox
Our raffle to win two tickets to the Celtic end at Ibrox for Saturday’s game ends at midnight TONIGHT!! If like me, you’re stuck without a ticket, this is your chance. Celtic sponsor and all-round good guys, Intelligent Car Leasing, provided the tickets to support our work with Mary’s Meals.
As you will know by now, over 3,000 children in Malawi and Liberia eat a school meal each day because of money raised by CQN’ers. This improves lives in a profound way.
To enter the raffle, answer this question:
Which Belgian team will Celtic face in this season’s Champions League?
Please donate a minimum of £5 to this MyDonate page. Then forward your confirmation email with your answer in the SUBJECT LINE to celticquicknews@gmail.com . Winner will be informed early tomorrow, so make sure you include adequate contact information.
Many thanks to you and Intelligent Car Leasing.
Good luck!
NEW CQN PODCAST OUT NOW, BEHIND THE SCENES AT HAMILTON v CELTIC WITH BT SPORT AND AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH CHRIS SUTTON – LISTEN BELOW
Hardback, now only £10.00 plus p&p from cqnbookstore.com
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THELURKINTIM
Eh, where did you hear that it was Goals For Shay though? ;-)
Me thinks Pena needs a few lines of coke to get him going
Must say Thistle are shite so far.
Defending in numbers & just hoofing the ball upfield & of course the Huns come straight back with it.
The annoying thing is that on the couple of occasions they got a couple forward with the ball, they looked dangerous or maybe it might be more accurate to say the Hun defence looked shite.
Same foul Jags got a yellow MacLean a cheating hun…
Saltires Bada etc.
Thanks for the various replies about our passing.
I do think that as a team we are improving, but the fact that every week we play against teams that sits 10 yards off us means it’s hard to improve.
I was disappointed with the youth’s result but not the performance. I used to watch the youth teams quite often in the past and saw players that I thought would come through to the first team but very few did. Our youth team now looks more promising as they play the same style as the first team so are closer to being able to slot in.
Just realised I was watching BT…..thought it was a the rankers tv sausage…..ffs…..is there no such thing as objective sporting reportage, in any sphere, when it comes to thems
Hibs down 1-2 to Livi
H.H.
Sipsini,
No apologies necessary for the weekend. Somtimes life gets in the way of our plans. No worries my friend. We’ll be munchen lots of beer in Bayern :-)
HH
The Sevs have no defence, I’m sure Scotty and Paddy and Moussa and Griffo are looking forward to visit them:))
If Thistle push on here they can get a result, they look dangerous every time they go forward..
Jobo,
mmmm……out of thin air ;-))…..is it LMS? ;-))
making statements to elicit informationCSC
H.H.
” It has to be said ”
Comical Ally.
Billy Bhoy @ 7:28 pm
Can anyone supply a satisfactory end to this sentence?
Saturday’s referee is ………………………
I’ll go with
Lee Mason-Ennoir
Right, what actually is the story with Peña? He isn’t a footballer, right?
Thistle playing a lot better now, came very close to taking lead. Well saved by Hun Keeper. New guy the great Wez seems dropped. Pity the guy they have in now looks a better bet.
Well, well, well first time I’ve watched Scotland’s most expensively assembled team this season :0)
No penetration and a defence that looks completely mince.
On another note Hun tells me he’s more interested in rugby these days, “no wonder” I said “Yur teams deed” :)
Not wasting the electricity to watch the huns. I care more about the planet, so the tv is off.
I hope they lose, badly preferably, but won’t lose any sleep if they don’t. Just another team to beat is how i see them now.
Stayed in Torremolinos 2 weeks ago & went to John Lemons pub in Benalmadena by taxi I think it was something like 10 euros well worth it for a true Celtic pub night abroad
Trip Advisor csc
Corkcelt
That’s jak Alnwick port vale legend – he’s the league cup keeper don’t ya know
Couldn’t get a fag paper between them two HT 0-0
Ally showcases a variation:
” I`ve got to say “
Leicester v Liverpool not very good 0-0
Ffs Starry,
A mason in black…..;-))
CrypticCSC
H.H.
Sammon chanted fenian you may meet a Rainjur.
Hunderbirds 8:28
Porn star , perhaps….
If Sevco play like that on Saturday… well…
…mmmuhahahahahahaha hahaha hahaha
Hahahahahaha aha… oh dear.
Saltires, sorry for not replying earlier.
We are well thanks.
Plenty of good photos of you and your good lady with the Grahams out and about over the last six weeks . Its very pleasing Mr Graham has recoverec so well from his cancer.
There is a photo outside my mum’s room in her care home with your gran, my two grans , my mum and my dad’s sister , Margaret. My mum is the only one not called Margaret.
I can’t get proper copies of it but did get two photocopies of it which I gave to Anne.
Brendan’s just given the Bhoys Thursday and Friday off…
Saturday’s referee ….. is our worst nightmare
PRESTONPANS BHOYS
He certainly sweats up well.
….. Is surprise surprise a Hun
Sinclair v Cardoso…
Oh ma aching sides:))
Sammon filleted the defence and made a cod of the two best chances of the first half.
PunSRus CSC
Hunderbirds,
I’ve no idea what you mean”………… :0)
Windass the most aptly named player ever.Constantly on his ass having being blown over by a puff of wind.
That defense is truly tragic.
Zero creativity and hump and hope is the strategy of caravan man.
In the best wee country is it a rule to have cheerleaders commentate on sveco?
Telling yo what your eyes did not see and imploring the bums in blue to score.
Declan has now morphed into Danny Alves according to these two.
The other Alves has just morphed into a lump a wood and with his defensive partner managed to make Sammon look like Ibrahimovic .Credit were it is due as that seemed impossible before tonight.
That awkward moment when you realise you could be watching bake off instead
Corkcelt , sorry I never got ack to you following my post about Christian Gamboa probably being transferred in January.
Your first post mentioned the likes of Liam Henderson and Kristoff Ajer and their chances of regular game time. I think Liam will end up at Hibs and Kristoff will be retained as centre back cover.
I woud love if within the next 5 years , we have 5 home grown players as first choices in our starting 11 . It may not happen but I live in hope.
Av gotta say….for the purposes of intelligence gathering…..am watching a Sevco game for the first time this season. Don’t know why I bothered….they’re ( good Glasgow descriptive word ) gash ;-))
H.H.
BOURNESOUPRECIPE
Scale back on the fish puns bud.
When Connor Sammon is one of the fastest players on the pitch…….!