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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HEKNOWSWHOKNOWS on 1ST SEPTEMBER 2019 8:35 AM
:-)
Just here for a bit of an extended vac.
Fascinating place and culture.
Off to O` Sheas fairly soon.
Will look out for Paul and pass on your best.
Morning all. Whatever happens today we now have a squad more than good enough to win the 9. What the MIBs conjure up today won’t derail that. Mon the hoops.
Morning Hoops,
Anyone nervous ? Quietly confident here in the Granite City, and hopefully we can head into the international weekend with daylight between us and The Cheats. Must admit to not looking forward to the experience of another Festival of Hatred at the Victorian Lavvy, especially with only 800 brave men and women to cheer us on, but it is what it is. An unnecessary evil.
Anyway. before the mayhem starts, as promised, the opening fixtures for LMS13 are below. If you want to enter, or need more info, drop us a mail at cqnpredictor@gmail.com and you’ll receive all the details you could ever want, and a bit more.
Everyone who has already let us know will receive a mail this morning, confirming entry and payment details etc. If you’ve already let us know, and don’t receive a mail, it’s purely down to my incompetence and the fact that The Boss (CRC) keeps refusing my request for a secretary, so if you know of an attractive young lady with good office skills, willing to work with a crabbit auld sheeps*****r for nae money, drop me a mail at Bateenbhoy@inmydreams.com
3-1 to the good guys today please.
COYBIG !!!
LAST MAN STANDING 13 WEEK 1
SATURDAY 14TH SEPTEMBER
Hamilton Academical v Celtic 12:00
Aberdeen v St Johnstone 15:00
Heart of Midlothian v Motherwell 15:00
Kilmarnock v Hibernian 15:00
The Rangers v Livingston 15:00
Ross County v St Mirren 15:00
Liverpool v Newcastle United 12:30
Manchester United v Leicester City 15:00
Tottenham Hotspur v Crystal Palace 15:00
Norwich City v Manchester City 17:30
Great place. Great people and awesome golf.
HEKNOWSWHOKNOWS on 1ST SEPTEMBER 2019 8:35 AM
Exactly what I`m discovering.
David66
Just arrived yesterday,so need to rece Celtic Well is that at the square?
Enjoy the trip Macjay…..
These bloody games often just take on a life of their own. I have seen good players not turn up & let the game just pass them by. That is why quite often even if you have the better players, you are guaranteed nothing.
Critical not to allow them to score early preferable not to allow them to score at all.
I just want the game to settle down & all the madness to settle & stay on terms, then start imposing ourselves & start dominating.
First goal will be very important, I reckon the side that scores first won’t lose the game.
*** CQN PLAYER OF THE YEAR 2019-20 ***
** GAME #2 **
Remember, voting will be open from around 1.50pm today until 10pm on Monday night for you to decide on your 3 best performers in the Glasgow Derby. For us, obviously! You don’t need to show the players in order, just the 3 who impress you most today.
Just send a wee email to me at CQNPOTY@GMAIL.COM . And it doesn’t matter whether or not you voted after the AIK game; each game stands on its own. You don’t need to sign up or anything, and you don’t need to vote on every game (just the ones you that you actually see the whole game).
If you could mention your blog name in your email that’s even better, but no obligation. It’d help if you also mention your Blog Name in your email, although there’s no obligation.
Fingers crossed there’s as many good performers to choose from as we had in the AIK game.
Hail Hail!
Cheers, HKWK.
A win today and all will be sweetness and light.
And a fair few Leos.
Only a fool would predict the outcome of the game today. So here I go.
4-1 to the Hoops. (0-0 is also possible).
Taylor deal being held up due to the two going the other way, apparently.
Seems like it will happen but to think it might happen in time for today is fanciful.
BURNLEY78
Great post!
Said a wee prayer for your Dad too!
Take care.
Story I heard is that the deal includes Calvin Miller is heading to Killie on a permanent basis & Hendry on loan but that Hendry is holding it up.
Good to be posting from An Tearmann
A hard day’s work ahead Celtic
Something never shirked by us.
Do your best Celtic we are behind you all the way
HH
CORKCELT on 1ST SEPTEMBER 2019 9:43 AM
Killie need us more than we need them.
I’m off to 10 o clock Mass, hope the Priest is wearing The Green & White.
Stay safe trhoops and here’s hoping for a cracker in favour of Neil and the BHOYS.
Just listened to Walker on Sky. Clown of the highest order.
Rangers qualified for Europe….. Wait for it………. Celtic only did similar. Lmfao……
The guy should not be on tv.
CORKCELT
Agreed. If we play the right formation and our big players turn up, we’ll win.
People say our defence is the concern but these games have been lost recently in midfield. They have an energetic engine room and we need to match that. McGregor simply has to play there and as much as it pains me to say it, we do need to either start using Brown more sparingly or start looking to a long-term successor…..or both.
Hendry is on the best contract and at the biggest club he’ll ever play for. He’s within his right to sit on that…
Right :-
Took the good lady for messages✅
Now waiting for pub at 11am
Win our personal battles and surely our better players/skill should shine through, but no matter what, win your personal battles, then you can come off the park knowing you done everything possible to help the cause.
—————
DAVID66 on 1ST SEPTEMBER 2019 8:12 AM
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. :)
Miild mannered – yes Celts well at Jardinell square.
Hail Hail have a Beautiful Sunday
D. :)
Its a good move for Hendry.He only has to look what it did for Big Kris.I believe there is a player there,but he has to prove it.We are not getting rid of him.Taylor has an injury,so would not have been available today.
I hope Lenny does the right thing today.If Bauer is fit,and he should be,play him.Dont change the team about.
Liked Lennys comments this morning.We have scored 40 goals this season already.People forgetting that fact.
The Huns will flood the midfield today,Broony needs back up.Would not be averse to Biton in beside him.More defensive than Ntcham,more diciplined.People forget,he is no shrinking violet.
Get right into this mob.
Think the sectarian cesspit that we face today may be the biggest issue for some of our players. It was clear they didn’t handle it too well last season and Dodgy Dave’s decision to limit our tickets seems to have worked so far. If we can handle that we have the players who can really hurt them and if we can cut out the mistakes at the back we should be in a good position to record a victory.
I’m trying to tell myself, it’s only the points either way, that’s not working though!
Best of luck to the Bhoys and safe journey to the crusaders facing the horrors of the bigotdome….
Celtic full backs are like buses, you wait for ages and then two come along at the same time, and with militaristic precision to beat the clock the Celtic scouting network strikes again, from Motherwell to Kilmarnock. Brendan Rodger’s blubbed last summer and left us in no doubt, as well as the lurch, that there is a Celtic system for signing players, it could be that nobody including him was in total control.
Who tracks Moritz Bauer from season to season, then contacts Stoke to set up a loan deal twenty minutes before the window closes?, eludes SMSM no ‘dithering’ here, as its straight onto the Celtic website. Similarly, who calls Southampton about Mohamed Elyounoussi ‘got this one over the line’ no bother, medical in London hey presto hooped up, and raring to go.
There is a signing strategy its just that, if its not Peter then who is it?
Today’s fixture in hell, has hardly had time to develop a pattern for a new club finding its way, but since they were allowed to move the goalposts reducing fenian bastard numbers to hundreds, Celtic are on a losing streak of two. Being found guilty of racism by UEFA is new for Sevco, being found guilty of racism twice in the same week is a new world record – shirley?
Neil Lennon has made selection mistakes in his short reign, notably against Cluj, he faces choices at full back again, and I hope he doesn’t repeat them, only a fool they said would predict the score in an ‘old firm’ game, and since the fixture, or term doesn’t exist I’m going for
Sevco 0 Celtic 4
Boli Bolingoli Mbombo CSC
GEEBEE1978.,
Hendry is not losing money.Its a loan.As I said,he only has to look at Ajer.
My thoughts on today is to play 5 across the Middle
Forrest. Brown Ntcham or Bitton Cal Mac Ryan Christie
A place on the bench for Mikey for me, but hey what do I know.
I too think midfield is crucial and a good tempo and get at them attitude.
COYBIG
HH
D. :)
David,
SURELY that was Treesco Express as it certainly wasn’t LIDL… Far too quick for my liking.
Don’t complain about your tea tonight if it’s a microwave job…
Selfishcsc
THE_HUDDLE on 31ST AUGUST 2019 10:02 PM
!!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.
Boyata had no intention of extending his contract, Benkovic on loan,Arsenal were in for KT for about 6 months, Lustig was getting messed about for his year option, 1st September still trying to get a left back in,great forward planning. The loans? A bit like winning £40 million on the lottery, then renting a house.
Tesco
Could be your dream rental home :-)
TURKEYBHOY
True, my mistake. If it’s a loan, it should be a no-brainer.
An easier 3 points we will not get. Class will overcome them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXc0RV5kN6c&feature=youtu.be
KINGLuBO
If big Kris is fit,I would hope its him and Jozo today.The Drug Mule,and the ageing Jaques Cousteau,are a dodgy pair of bassas,Morelos,both know all about.
I wanna be Edouard…..
3-1 to the good guys today.
DAVID 66,
“But what do I know”
Going by your comments on the midfield,quite a lot.
HH.
Lovely bit of blogging by Burnley78 last night. If you haven’t read it, here it is: https://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/for-all-the-ibrox-bedwetters-europa-tests/comment-page-13/#comment-3401963