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. Celtic will get goal chances to-night, let’s hope the Hoops can put them away and all will be fine. A point would be fantastic.

  2. Really looking forward to seeing how the new bhoys react to CL football

     

    Despite all the talk about Milan’s weaknesses -I would very happily take a draw right now

     

    Good luck bhoys!

     

    Make us proud and enjoy yourselves!

     

     

     

    HH

  3. Morrissey the 23rd

     

     

    I admire the time and energy you are spending, trying to get the shareholders Canamalar needs. I don’t own shares, but have passed your details to family and friends who do. Good luck to you both and the Celtic tonight.

     

    HH

  4. leftclicktic oscar in our thoughts on

    Remember this AC mob will

     

    Pull, bite ,scratch,push and try and pull every other stroke in the book to win:((.

     

     

    We will have to wise up tonight ,they may be weakened but you dont play for A.C Milan and be a poor player (IMHO)

     

     

    Off to watch, so enjoy getting put through every emotion there is tonight :))

     

    what will be will be csc

     

    but pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease make it 2-1 the hoops.

     

     

    COYBIG

  5. GlassTwoThirdsFull on

    Seem to have stopped the habit of conceding an early goal away in Europe – hope that continues. Think we’ll get a 1-1. Cmon the hoops!

  6. Morrissey/Canamalar

     

     

    Resurrected post on The Huddleboard done along with a wee rallying call.

     

    Fingers crossed.

     

     

    Agree with you canamalar re tonight.Our biggest and most important achievement was to get to the group stages.We can now go out and express ourselves (without being stupid or unprofessional) without fear.

     

     

    Hail Hail

     

    medtim

  7. canamalar prays Oscar can do it again on

    It’s cheaper and quicker to buy shares through a broker than buy an individual share through the novelty purchase outlets.

     

    Single ordinary share through a novelty seller typically £50, mental eh

     

    Anyone suspecting a present of a share should know this and make it known, not as anything like a hint but simply to warn of rip off.

     

    Hail Hail

  8. GlassTwoThirdsFull on

    Chico all over the place. Saying it’s a big risk to play the same centre-back combination as Karagandy away. Then says Charlie played centre-back in the home leg.

  9. thomthethim for Oscar OK on

    bournesouprecipe

     

    17:12 on

     

    18 September, 2013

     

    Duomo di Milano

     

     

    *****

     

     

    That’s one busy looking Mass.

     

     

    Shades of Lisbon’67

  10. Looking forward to the game , we will do fine . IF , we find our players with our passes . IF effie concentrates 100% . And IF sammi turns up .

  11. Cetlic 4-2-3-1 (the gospel according to Clyde Wan)

     

     

    Forster

     

    Lustig Efe Virgil Izzy

     

    Brown Mulgrew

     

    Matthews Commons Sammi

     

    Stokes

     

     

    Mon the ‘Tic!

  12. A Ceiler Gonof Rust on

    One hour and six minutes until we hear ZTP ring out as our CL campaign begins in earnest. Time to sort out the beers, don the onsie, send mrs acgr to another room and settle down with my bhoy to watch Neil Lennon and our champions make us proud in Europe once more.

     

     

     

    £20 on the away win at 6/1

     

     

     

    Mon the Hoops

     

     

     

    Celtic

  13. robinbhoy – supporting wee oscar and mackenzie

     

     

    18:16 on 18 September, 2013

     

    Celbridge Celt

     

     

    Its not really an Irish pub perse and you are likely to get German and English football. I would ask first. Best bet might be:

     

     

    Oscar Wilde Irish Pub

     

    Friedrichstraße 112A

     

    10117 Berlin

     

    Phone: +49 30 282 81 66

     

     

    Cheers Robinbhoy, yeah, got the word on Oscar Wilde… The fact it listed Arsenal & I think Napoli game with 3rd TBA made my mind up… The bar in Europa centre is near Hotel & barman gave us the thumbs up.

     

     

    So not going to travel and beg for the wee telly… Get enough of that in Ireland these days… And who provides the excitement? The lads from the “poor table”…! Anybody says to you tomorrow “what a performance” tell them to go buy a Jersey and join in or shut up!

     

     

    Warming up…. Too much Vino… Not sure it’ll mix with the dark beer… Ho hum, my visit to gym will be interesting tomorrow… I can see me doing a Tomlinson!

     

     

    HAIL HAIL…

  14. canamalar prays Oscar can do it again on

    Hoping dbbia has picked up a few more story’s about how Anthony Stokes saved the day and created Celtic love in far off lands with his quick thinking and distraction during medical or any other emergency predicaments.

     

    They’re my favourite :o)

  15. Like to think of myself as a good dad. And a man who values the gift if education. But must confess that I’m sitting here chiding the wee man to finish his homework while playing Just Can’t Enough on the iPhone!

     

     

    Perhaps it’s a night for a different form of life long learning! C’mon the Hoops!

  16. Nice – Just found a channel in my Directv package that are showing the game live in glorious HD.

     

     

    Would be over the moon with a point from tonight, but the first game in the division is the best chance to get an unexpected result. Show ACM respect but not too much. Go after them and don’t let them settle. A high tempo will provide our best chance of a win.

     

     

    Good luck to the Bhoys.

  17. canamalar prays Oscar can do it again on

    Rocket man,

     

    If that’s the team I’m chuffed,

     

    Both Stokesy and Commons is an attacking team,

     

    Is this Friday cause I’m so excited and I just can’t hide it

  18. Forster;

     

    Lustig, Van Dijk, Ambrose, Izaguirre;

     

    Matthews, Brown, Mulgrew, Samaras;

     

    Commons, Stokes

     

     

    subs: Zaluska, Pukki, Rogic,

     

    Boerrigter, Balde, McGeouch, Biton.

  19. I am very confident we won`t lose tonight. Real confidence; not the bluster type.

     

    To achieve a result, though, I don`t want a park-the-bus approach. Remember the peerless Jock Stein`s words about not just winning the Big Cup, but winning it whilst playing beautiful, attacking football. That is the Celtic way and is one of the reasons they are my team.Of course I don`t expect such a performance from this young team . Indeed, I think 0-0 is quite likely but not a dour 0-0…..a Glasgow Celtic, entertaining 0-0 !

     

     

    JJ

  20. rocket man

     

     

    18:41 on 18 September, 2013

     

    Bier that is!

     

     

    I’m glad you clarified… :o) was looking out for my man… The dark is weaker though, but can see it putting in a bad defensive tackle… From behind!

     

     

    Time to don the colours… Safe watching Celtic, my brethren across the World… Europe is Green & White tonight.

  21. I am Neil Lennon e El Juarez Bravo on

    Happy with the look of that team – big questions for me were whether Ledley would make it and whether to play Stokes or Pukki up front. I expect we will see Pukki and possibly Boerrigter in the last 20 minutes.

  22. Citibhoy Shoulder to Shoulder with Neil Lennon on

    Find myself in the “west end” of glasgow for the first time in Decades

     

    Any suggestions where best to watch the match?

     

    TIA

     

    CB