Do anything nice last night? The consequences of what took place at Celtic Park are profound, but there will be plenty of time to discuss them later. For now, let’s concentrate on the small matter of how this result was achieved.
The record books will show 5-0, but there was more to this game than the thumping it turned into. For the first 30 minutes, Astana pressed Celtic high, unsettling our natural game, while forcing the occasional error. We didn’t have the luxury of time and space normally afforded us in domestic football.
This was a worrying period, although there were promising glimpses. Scott Sinclair latched into a loose ball seven yards from goal 3 minutes into the game, but could not find the target. Moments later James Forrest pitched a perfect cross for Leigh Griffiths. Celtic Park stood ready to celebrate, but again, the target was missed.
Those moments aside, the early flow of a game was not going to plan, but Celtic continued to pass the ball with precision, switching play , looking for space. Tom Rogic’s trademark surging run provided the breakthrough. His cross-cum-shot would have gone narrowly wide, but for the intervention of a disorientated defender, who turned the ball into his net.
This goal encapsulated the real chasm between the teams. Astana were good in possession and looked fitter in the opening period, but Celtic had no real weaknesses. A poorly marked corner one minute after the opening goal was the only genuine chance the visitors had all evening. Whereas Celtic probed for, and found, many vulnerabilities in their opponents.
Forrest foraged on the right, Sinclair was scintillating on the left. Ntcham’s neat passing swung the pendulum Celtic’s way, as Griffiths grew into the game through the middle, while Brown bossed proceedings in the no. 6 role.
Olivier Ntcham is still finding his feet in Glasgow, but he will be difficult to dislodge as Scott Brown’s central-mid partner. He’s a different player than Victor Wanyama, but Victor wasn’t as effective, this early, in his Celtic career.
Remember, Olivier has played very little senior football, only 37 games before his summer transfer. Practically everything he does right now is new. Wait until he realises he’s good enough to own the pitch.
Last night’s highlights…
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WEEBOBBTCOLLINS
Reminds me of the time after the jigging getting the 5 bus from St Enoch to Mount Florida in the early 80’s.
There was a dandy fella well attired in his Saturday Night fever white suit with a few mates standing and chatting to girls.
A wee drunk guy gets on with his curry and chips in a foil container.Bus driver brakes hard at one point and the wee guy deposits entire curry down the front of dandy in whites suit. which turned mustard yellow.
All hell broke out as the bus was packed.Polis quickly arrived and arrested dandy and his mates for attacking the drunk guy.
No real damage except to John Travolta.
Thoughts with the people of Barcelona
Fan-a-tic…ha ha…was he wearing his Boogie Shoes?
FAN-A-TIC
I never did get they stains oot.
NIGHTFEVER/CURRYFEVER
Good night all
thank you for being here. HH
Aargh! Joe Cundy, please accept my apologies for repeating your post. I hadn’t seen it. Honest. I’m in the process of reading back!
Gene…we are going through some wicked times at present…and it is so difficult to prevent these kind of attacks…so sorry for the family and friends of the victims…
Sipsini
Haha. Naw BV was 100% Tims last night.
What a beautiful night it was.
Evening all.
Brilliant night last night.
The green brigade deserve a special mention.
We (myself included) have a go when they behave in a way we don’t like.
Last night they were superb.
BTW – had the genuine pleasure of ‘encountering’ Gordon Smith today.
I am no body language expert but he looked grumpy and worried.
Hail hail
Embdae got a link to Lenny cupping his ear on RTE last night?
Club 1872 statement
Ger57
Your timing was perfect mate. Glad you enjoyed one of the great nights in Paradise.
Still on a high! :)
Pedro Caixinha says, “We have already analysed and forgotten what happened on Saturday.”
I’ll remind him…Neil Lennon’s Hibs beat your team of huns 3-2…
What? Obrigado? Aye, nae bother, don’t mention it…
Loony…
Fan-a-tic…nowadays when I go out, I always wear my mustard coloured suit…canny take chances eh?
That awkward moment when you’re responsible for compiling criminal profiles in Brighton, you’re sitting with a cuppa watching the new documentary on ITV, when the camera pans in, and lingers on the mugshot of a guy beside the legend “organises and overseas the drug operation in Brighton”.
Well, I suppose it is a seeside town.
He is now answering question on Scottish football fans, this guy is getting into things he shouldn’t
Hearing Armstrong new Contract to be announced tomorrow.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
“We will take a bad refereeing decision in training to make them understand that things are going in that direction and might happen,” said Caixinha.
WTF? Man’s a loony…players must be sniggering at that…
Lennybhoy
Good news , I like him as a player, hopefully a deal to 2020/21
WBC
Pedro will be lucky to get out of there alive:)
He should get a medal for bravery, and one for stupidity as well:)
HH
LENNYBHOY
I hope you have the same hearing as Neil Lennon
LOve
TOSB: Nae bother, I have the same problem regularly! Dallas Dallas, thanks, thought that GC had been with us, but wasn’t sure of the details. HH to all! Argyle correspondent CSC
I know it’s good to have depth but our midfield is far to busy and we really need to move a couple on and that excludeshe the 2 out om loan hh
The green man @1036
Guys a complete nut job, almost as stupid as his support, great fun long may it continue :0)
THE SPIRIT OF ARTHUR LEE on 17TH AUGUST 2017 10:38 PM
You ever seen Neil Lennon and Lennybhoy in the same room, I have and Johann Murdoch will testify to that.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
TGM…A Carlsberg Saturday would be, defeat from Hearts, Goncalves scoring and Jack getting sent off again…and all this following a severe humping of Kilmarnock by the Bhoys…
WEEBOBBYCOLLINS
Two own goals first from Jack would be nice. Especially if he gave away a penalty when he got sent off.
Maybe they’d then appeal today’s decision and demand the Hearts game be replayed.
WBC
I think we might see the entire sevco support selected for the team.
Surely 40,000 zombies and a masonic referee can prevent Hearts from winning:)
Its not football, its pantomime:)
HH
Oh! And a wee victory for Ross County as well…that would leave the huns in 8th place…
Plummet FC…
TONYROME
Sounds like it ‘s nice and hot in Zante ! Make sure you and your good lady A have lot’s of nice cold drinks ! Looking forward to going there next month HH !
Great imagination guys… lol
Have they not suffered enough
WITS
Just Naw:)
HH
One of my dogs is giving me the old, ‘I need to go’ look…he canny tell the time, daft as Pedro..other one is snoring away…oh well! Nature calls…
Hasta tomorrow guys…
Suits.
Back in the 90’s I was working for a bank. Christmas night out and we were out on the tiles suited and booted. My boss had a white linen number on – thought he was gallus! We were in a pub in Rose St. and bumped into the ladies from the works canteen who were also on their Christmas night out. Everyone pished, banter flowing, all having a whale of a time. On her way back from the bar, one of the ladies tripped and poured 2 x glasses of red wine all over my boss. He was soaking and suit was red top-to-bottom! She was so apologetic and told him to wait there and she would fix it and ran off. Came back two minutes later with 2 x glasses of white and before he could utter a word she had thrown the 2 x glasses of white all over his new suit telling us all it was the best way to get red wine stains out! Cue us – tears of laughter and the boss man in a pink suit and utterly soaked. To his credit he just shook his head and bought the wimmin another round. What a laff. :-)))
Slightly quirky observation from las night.
All 5 goals were scored from within a few metres of the same spot (inside-right position). Weird. What’s that all about?
Fantastic performance. Great credit to the Supporters (Welcome back GB), the players and the Manager and coaches. Couldn’t help being reminded of the Sporting Lisbon game in 1983. We had lost the first leg 2-0 in Lisbon, but blew them away in the second leg. Different scenario last night with the first leg at home, but the outcome will be the same – progress to the next stage of the tournament.
Not a weak link in the team last night, but special mention must go to Griffiths, Brown, Forrest and Sinclair. However, Ntcham’s performance was hugely impressive, and he looks a tremendous acquisition. Bitton showed great bravery I thought under huge pressure. He certainly improves our ability to take the ball forward from defence. I have not been a great supporter of him in the past, but last night, he gave me cause to reconsider my judgment on him.
With the loss of the 16.860 co-efficient from the 2012-13 season, for next season, it is important to gain as many points as possible this year, to protect our seeded status in future seasons. Two or three wins in the group stage, and then dropped into the last 32 of the EL, and a wee run there, would do nicely, thank you very much.
As we start qualifying next season at the first qualifying stage, we will have to start even earlier than this season. I think we have to give serious consideration to only playing squad players in the latter rounds of the Scottish Cup. If (trying not to be Hunnish) we win the spfl, and win it early, say start of April. The senior players should be released for their summer holidays there and then. This would allow the players to get a decent break, and allow time for a proper period of close season preparations to allow the players to hit the ground running for the difficult third round and play-off round matches. The squad players can play in the later rounds of the Cup if we are involved.
Who knows? The second string might win it, but if not I personally would sacrifice the Scottish Cup for group stage qualification. I know it is never guaranteed, but we must give ourselves the best chance. Every advantage we can gain should be taken.
JEROMEK67
Sorry this is my first time in Zante so no good with the geography but we are in Kalamaki.If it’s anything to go by no problem for seeing the games plenty pubs with sky and bt sports
Have great holiday and ask PARK ROAD 67 when he is coming over here. Him and his wife are real good folks.
KEEP THE FAITH
Dallas, sorry for late response was checking up on the folks and all well.
My dad helps out at St Ninians and we always go thru the routine of who’s funeral he attended today.
I Always say ‘Rangers!’, ‘Naw” he shouts – as he is deaf as the proverbial post- ” already passed”.
“Wee Jimmy- stays near you, bad breath”.
” Well he will have, he’s deid!”
” Cheeky bugger, you know who i mean.”
“Naw, i don’t!”
“Aye, wore a white bunnet and had a boil on his neck…..”
I could go on but for blog sanity wont….
Anyhoo, I’m proud of him. 89 in 2 weeks and can hook his laptop to TV via HDMI, find a decent link for Celtic games and watch on the big telly. This is what it means to be Celtic.