For all the Ibrox bedwetters. Europa tests

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We saw a thoroughly professional performance from Celtic in Stockholm last night.  AIK were always a team we should have beaten, but ‘should have’ does not always happen, as our previous encounter proved.

James Forrest, Mikey Johnston and Odsonne Edouard were on fire, while Christopher Jullien and Boli Bolingoli looked more comfortable than in previous outings.

Lazio finished eighth in Serie A last season, behind all the big names, but a decent ‘Best of the Rest’.  Rennes are off to a flier, top after three wins from three games, including a win over PSG, but finished 10th in Ligue 1 last term.  They will be better than anyone we have faced so far this season but this is why we want to be in European football.

Cluj are the team I wanted most of all.  They are a strong pot 4 team but we were awful against them and need to put it right.  This is a challenging Europa League group providing lots of opportunity to prove a point.  Bring it on.

48 hours from now, we will be in action at Ibrox, where we were outplayed twice last season in games that ultimately cost nothing.  Those experiences seem to have left some in our number with a bedwetting disposition ahead of Sunday.  Steven Gerrard has added ten to his squad while Celtic, if you read some coverage, have done little transfer business of note.  This is bollocks!

Gerrard starts from a losing position.  His team have not won any major trophies.  Celtic have been imperious on a level never previously known, three consecutive trebles!

Of Newco’s ten additions, two were for money (Helander, who they did not pay the reported £3m for, and Edmundson, sending £700k to the English fourth tier in return).  Two are loans (Ojo and King), but the bulk are the Tried and Tested Free Transfers route to building a successful team (Hastie, Jones, Stewart, Davis, Aribo, Barker).

Bargain bucket- teams are easier to assemble than teams full of players who command transfer fees, but when the trophies are handed out, they are seldom on the receiving end.

By contrast, Celtic have so far spent £12m reassembling their disrupted defence (Jullien, Bolingoli, Elhamed), with Bauer on loan  – and an option to buy him.  There is also a quality left back on his way.

Fraser Forster is here on loan (he’s not cheap).  We took advantage of the cross-country opportunity we exploited to sign Moussa Dembele, to capture Luca Connell for £350k, and I expect another first team addition (as well as the left back) before the window closes.

Celtic got everything wrong on one game this season but have all of the most productive, successful and valuable players in the country on the field at Ibrox on Sunday.  We cannot take any game for granted, and I have seldom gone to Ibrox without concerns, but Celtic will blow Scottish football away again this season.  I’m not buying the Newco threat.

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582 Comments

  1. Corky- we knew 9 months ago the back 4 were leaving, and we signed a LB today, shambolic planning, if there is any planning, loan after loan,a joke

  2. Burnley

     

     

    Brilliant post.

     

     

    As you say in the 80s you could get tickets for Huns end from Huns.

     

     

    Could never do it myself.

  3. Bada

     

     

    Foster – loan fee % wages

     

    Bolingoli – £3m

     

    Julienne – £7m

     

    El Hammed £1.5m

     

    Bauer – loan fee % wages

     

    Elyanoussi (?) – loan fee % wages

     

    Shved

     

    Taylor ?

     

     

    Maybe the deals weren’t right at the time, if your gripe is the Cluj game I think team selection and team performance were more of a factor than transfers

  4. Paul67 says bed wetting. Lets see if Neil Lennon sticks to his guns and plays his best team tomorrow. He knows what it is and plays it every week. If Neil changes the team he shits the bed. Ntcham should not be in, he will not do it tomorrow. ON is a player who does not have defensive instincts, not brave enough and doesn’t work hard enough. Taylor, do me a favour, he hasn’t even trained with his teammates. Boli and Mikey must play. We are Glasgow Celtic, get the tactics right and game management right and we will get a result.

     

     

    If all fit…

     

     

    FF

     

     

    KA JS CJ BB

     

     

    SB CM

     

     

    RC

     

     

    JF OE MJ

  5. !!Bada Bing!! on 31st August 2019 9:49 pm

     

     

    Corky- we knew 9 months ago the back 4 were leaving, and we signed a LB today, shambolic planning, if there is any planning, loan after loan,a joke

     

    ——

     

    We never knew Lustig and KT were leaving, likely but not certain.

     

     

    We also finished the season with Ajer and Simo at CH and KT hardly played, so it’s a bit of a exaggeration that we went into this season needing a new back 4.

  6. Burnley 78 – great post

     

     

    My own dad ended up with dementia before he passed but could remember old games as well.

     

     

    Enjoy your time with him and bring back a victory from the bigot dome

     

     

    Hail Hail

     

     

    D. :)

  7. Hunderbirds are Gone on

    I can’t agree with the raft of posters championing N’tcham for a starting berth tomorrow. I think he is a bit of a chicken heart, and not suited to the attritional contest we will face tomorrow. I know he scored against them last season at Celtic Park, but that game was his high water mark for us. Since then he has been a shadow of the player he can be, and imo has a poor attitude. He will be fine against teams in the bottom half of the league, but tomorrow? It’s a no from me.

     

    I agree we should look to tighten up a bit in the middle for this game, but fit centre half’s allowing, I would rather see Bitton in midfield.

     

    🍀⚽️

  8. Hunderbirds are Gone on

    Anyone else notice that Mad Mitch took control of David 17’s keyboard halfway through his last post? 😃

     

    🍀⚽️

  9. Go tell the Spartim on

    All this fluff and pedantic p*sh about not knowing a, b and c isn’t alarming we see the same response every transfer window to justify PL’s laboured dealings

     

     

    We all know the qualifiers are important and more specifically when they are, same time each year but we’re never prepared.

     

     

    So just to keep the pedantry going the proof of the pudding will be at the end of the season , or at Christmas and then and only then can we say we were stronger at the end of this transfer window.

     

     

    PLApologists CSC

  10. Not a pundit, a workmate, a bookie or anyone else other than I think most Celtic fans, players, manager etc give us any chance tomorrow.

     

     

    I think we’ll win well by 2 or 3 goals.

  11. Celticrollercoaster......Hail, Hail Cesar on

    SAINT STIVS on 31ST AUGUST 2019 9:56 PM

     

     

    It was lovely to catch up with you last night at the Greenock CSC sportmans dinner. A great night as always. Thank you for your very generous donation to An Gorta Mór, which I will match and pass onto Hamilton Tim

     

     

    We need to get a lorryload of CQNers together to go and see (again) Bend it like Brattbakk. If you are free on Friday, come and visit. You will have a great nite

     

     

    HH

     

     

    CRC

  12. Celticrollercoaster......Hail, Hail Cesar on

    BATEEN BHOY on 31ST AUGUST 2019 7:12 PM

     

    Evening all,

     

     

    Before all the drama of tomorrow’s Glasgow Derby kicks off, i have the pleasure of announcing the launch of Last Man Standing 13.

     

     

    This will take place following International weekend, when we return to domestic duties. ( we did think about launching with Internationals next week, but a quick look at the fixtures next weekend changed our minds )

     

     

    Fixtures for round 1 will be posted tomorrow morning, before the fun starts at noon.They will also be mailed to each participant, along with a full set of rules.

     

     

    The main beneficiary from the competition will be announced shortly.

     

     

    If you wish to play, just drop us a mail at cqnpredictor@gmail.com – if you haven’t already done so.

     

     

     

    Celticrollercoaster and Bateen Bhoy

  13. DAVID17 and HUNDERBIRDS – pretty much on the money.

     

    Starting Greg T at LB would double down on Lenny’s mistake of replacing Boli with CalMac and would not only upset the ‘forming; defence and shatter Boli’s confidence I’d wager; what does Boli have to fear; Capn Tav??

     

    And as silky as Olli can be, he lacks the appetite for a scrap which is pretty much what they’ll bring to ibrox. If we can play Ajer, Jullien, Jozo and Boli across the back, I agree with Nir into the midfield.

     

    But caveat; like everybody else here, what do I know ;) HH

  14. Everyone is asleep confident that Eddie will deliver tomorrow / later today.

     

    3-0 after a game we will dominate.

  15. Mahe the Madman on

    Clinks,,, the team that had approx 3 times the turnover of their rival should not be worried when visiting that rival right ?

     

    Yet many see defeat.

     

    Now even if we dont yer beat what does that tell you?

     

    It tells you we dont have a good confidence inspiring team and manager.

     

    Now with 50 million in bank and being one of the world’s top 60 clubs why would that be ?

     

    We are nowhere near our potential and even worse in the Irish eyes we refuse to stand up for ourselves,,,something every single person in my circle will do until dead.

     

    Those heroes who stood up we sing about sometimes,, we need to adulate AND EMULATE.

     

    You will soon be asked to make a choice my friends,, and you will stand up.

     

    By eff you will.

     

    You did for Kano.

     

    You did for Oscar.

     

    You will for our club, that great bastion that has brought us heroes pain and joy.

     

    Soon you’ll be asked to make a choice.

     

    Dont listen to this blog ,, that blog. ,the paper or yer man.

     

    Just ask yourselves these questions ,,

     

    What would Tommy do?

     

    Are Glasgow Celtic trying to be the best they can ?

     

    Would our heroes be proud of us now?

     

     

    It’s up to us all to try and make that club better while we are on this earth.

     

    The hard work starts soon but the first step is recognizing that questions are not bad and neither is wanting the best for our beloved team.

     

    You will stand up when needed, be proud of it,,and tell stories to the next Hoops to help them stand up I’d needed.

     

    You will stand up.

     

    Or explain why not.

     

    Find your pride and your Irish blood,, roll them sleeves up and stand by Mahe.

     

    ABC

     

    A

     

    Better

     

    Celtic

     

     

    I wanna club to be proud of before I pass on and God help anyone gets in the way of that novel and worthy aim.

     

    They must be smashed.

     

    That clubs worth it.

     

     

    God Bless your Soul Tommy , Oscar and Billy.

     

    We will rise again and do you proud.

     

    We f@#king will I swear it.

     

     

    Hoops 2 – 2 The undead

     

     

    Mahe the Madman

  16. Well no need for a pep talk from Broonie in the huddle.

     

    All he needs to do is to read the predictions of the Daily Record Hun journalists.

     

    Only 1 has us winning, and the rest are waxing lyrical about Sevco’s chances.

     

    However this one takes the biscuit

     

    ——

     

    Mark McDougall

     

     

    When Rangers are in full flow at Ibrox very few teams can deal with them and that’s going to be how Steven Gerrard’s side are on Sunday.

     

    With Celtic’s defence in a bit of a makeshift state, Alfredo Morelos should have a field day.

     

    As much as Celtic are good going forward, Rangers built on a more solid defence and that will be the big difference. Comfortable Rangers win.

     

    Rangers 4 Celtic 0

     

    Apologies for reproducing such excrement but I visited the site so you don’t need to.

     

    Shower in order.

  17. Good morning CQN from a green and white Garngad

     

     

    Some of the pish these journos are talking is incredible. Nailing their colours to the mast me thinks.

     

     

    Although we do need to try and get a settled defence, hard when we pick up so many injuries, down to referees refereeing our games differently I suppose.

     

     

    Anyway, whatever team Lenny puts out, need to keep their shape (hopefully 4,5,1) and counter attack, quickly. Please let’s just shut these monkey zombies up.💀

     

     

    HH 🍀🏆🍀🏆🍀🏆🍀🏆🍀🏆🍀🏆🍀🏆🍀🏆

     

     

    D. :)

  18. mild mannered Pedro delgado on

    Morning,CQN

     

    From sunny Santa ponsa

     

    Nervous today, as I always am before we play our glasgow rivals. but even more so that they have become world beater,packed with leaders(sic, Kris Boyd)

  19. Heknowes – you are correct. Sorry our little monkey friends, especially Cesar from planet of the apes.🐒

     

     

    Right Shower ✅

     

    2 x Black Coffees ✅

     

    Take the good lady for messages – still to do

     

    11am for pub – still to do

     

     

    Nerves beginning to kick in now

     

     

    COYBIG

     

     

    HH

     

     

    D. :)

  20. Mild mannered – how is Santa Provo this Beautiful Sunday😎

     

     

    I take it that its Celts well for the game??

     

     

    D. :)

  21. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    HEKNOWSWHOKNOWS on 1ST SEPTEMBER 2019 8:13 AM

     

     

    :-)

     

     

    2.26 PM IN Bangkok

     

     

    FYI

     

    Morning Glory is a veggie dish here.

  22. HeknowsWHOknows on

    Macjay,

     

     

    Lived over that neck of the woods for many a years :-)

     

     

    Enjoy the game and pass my regards to Paul (Bangkok / Singtims cscs)