Formidable but achievable task

388

No one said management was easy.  Neil Lennon has spent the best part of a year preparing for this game.  The scouts were told to go out and find pace up front which would allow us to defend in numbers but break effectively when possible.

That plan brought Derk Boerrigter and Teemu Pukki to the club but Derk has only recently returned from injury while Teemu made his debut on Saturday.  Meanwhile, Anthony Stokes has been busy making himself the heart of the team.  If Anthony was having a stinker of a season Neil Lennon would deploy the plan which has been long in gestation, but, unlike his opposite number tonight, Neil has genuine choice.

Before kick-off, there is no correct decision to this choice, hindsight will provide that answer, but we should remember that this is a squad game.  Players tire and performance falls late in the game.  Nine years ago we were within touching distance of a great result away to Milan but attempts to shore up the defence in the closing minutes failed.  If Celtic are in a position to take something from the game, they will have to plan for a 95 minute endurance exercise.

The margins for error in this competition are slight.  We matched Juventus in many areas of the field last season but were walloped 5-0 on aggregate.  Some fine teams found the step up to the big stage a harrowing experience last night but other smaller clubs got it right; Copenhagen made Italian champions, Juve, look ordinary.

The task ahead is formidable but get the plan right and the spoils are there for us.

Prediction: 0-2 to the good guys.  Enjoy your night.

1254125 at The Great Scottish Run.

On Sunday 6 October there is a 10k and Half Marathon.  If that is beyond you. There are family events taking place the day before. This is your club, remind the world of what really counts and get involved in 1254125.

The first thing you need to do is sign up for the Great Scottish Run, or here for one of the family events.

Once you’ve done that, you can register for the 1254125 campaign here.

Then you can create a donations page here.  Click Start Fundraising, search for Celtic Charity, setup your My Donate account).

Email me and let me know if you are having trouble signing up or need any more help, celticquicknews@gmail.com.

To read the new issue of CQN Magazine click here (don’t try to read the graphic below).
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388 Comments

  1. blantyretim is praying for the Knox family on

    Hope the barca fans aren’t let down in the way they were last year when the buses never turned up at the airport.

  2. VP KO'd by fearless Oscar Knox on

    Polite Reqest…

     

     

    Would all mineshafter please refrain from slaughtering the team/players/board/manager

     

    tonight if we happen to get a negative result tonight.

     

    Remember we are playing an Italian great in their own country.

     

     

    Thanks in advance( ;O) )

  3. blantyretim is praying for the Knox family on

    VP

     

    Yesterdays taxi was £6.

     

    I’ve been doing the taxis for 30 years says he..

     

     

    More like doing the punters said I…o))

     

     

    Ole KSC tonight… Cannae wait…

  4. Manihoop if you,re about my bhoy will be in the Queen Vic at the Riviera for the game wearing a kilt and a Celtic top introduce yourself. His name is Martainn,hope you both enjoy the game and we get a favourable result. Hail Hail Hebcelt

  5. DBBIA

     

     

    When I first worked as a Counsellor at an American summer camp lunch was onion soup followed by peanut butter and jelly, which I missed out in favour of the main course. Big mistake, that was the main course!

  6. mncelt

     

     

    16:19 on 18 September, 2013

     

     

    Philbhoy – Don’t get too excited :) I love Laphroig (just behind Lagavulin)

     

     

    Spot on with that! I have reserved a modicum of Laphroig for tonight, with just a wee smigin of water. :-)))

     

     

    Mon the HOOPS!

  7. Marti Sandino

     

     

    “Neil has shown himself to be conservative in these away games though and I just can’tr see him telling the bhoys to go for it. ”

     

     

    We scored 3 times in Moscow and Sammi scored in Barca and Lisbon. We scored twice in Helsinki and Helsingborg and, before that, we netted in Rennes and Udinese.

     

     

    But that may have been too conservative for you. Are you a man for the 5:0 away wins we so regularly enjoy in Europe? :-)

  8. traditionalist88 on

    =======================

     

    setting free the bears

     

     

    Marti Sandino

     

     

    “Neil has shown himself to be conservative in these away games though and I just can’tr see him telling the bhoys to go for it. ”

     

     

    We scored 3 times in Moscow and Sammi scored in Barca and Lisbon. We scored twice in Helsinki and Helsingborg and, before that, we netted in Rennes and Udinese.

     

    ===================

     

     

    SFTB

     

     

    It is possible, you know, to be conservative AND score 2/3 goals in 90mins of football.

     

     

    Being conservative does not equate to never leaving your own half:)

     

     

    HH

  9. ….right, golf finished (only managed 15 in the heat , then early darkness), dinner eaten, dishes washed and just about to sit down and relax……but there’s still 2.75 hrs to kill!!

     

     

    Couple of cheap malts available, Jura superstition and Aberlour… suppose I’ll just have to make do until i get back next month.

     

     

    COYBIG !!!!!!!!!

     

     

    HH

  10. Dontbrattbakkinanger on

    A bloke called adolph invented subbuteo.

     

     

    In a tiny way it helped redress the bloke called adolph harm/ benefit ratio.

  11. greenyinfurrafenian on

    subbuteo subbuteo is the latin name for the bird of prey (raptor) the hobby

     

     

    orno…. orna…. birdwatchers csc

  12. iPaddy McCourt Supports Wee Oscar on

    Feeling good about our chances tonight. Milan are definitely well below their usual standard at the moment and if our bhoys get in about them with maximum concentration and belief then I reckon we’ll get a at least a draw.

     

     

    Prediction: Milan 1-2 Celtic

  13. Heading into Irish Pub in Europa centre, Berlin… Will be obvious, guy shouting at TV (odd sweary word), tutting incessantly, praying for Neil to remove whoever then scores or assists the goal(s) see Shaktar match previous for example… Then going bananas when we score!

     

     

    Also in case of doubt, wearing White 125 polo shirt… If any passing CQN’ers out there…Say hello to me & the missus, who has been buttered up in the KaDaWe shopping centre…

     

     

    Going for a 2-2 and a “we’ve been robbed in Italy again”!!!

  14. Afternoon all,

     

     

    I’m really looking forward to taking on Milan tonight but I can almost write the script. The Italians will do what all Italian teams do ie cheat, the ref will be weak and penalise us at every opportunity while allowing Milan do what they want. I think we have a great manager and a great team who are capable of beating Milan tonight….if treated fairly. The only way I can see us winning the tie is by scoring in the 93rd minute and not allowing the ref the time to work against us.

     

     

    Mon The Hoops!

     

     

    Hail Hail