On hearing the results from England’s vaulted competitors in the Champions League last night, against teams ten points off the pace in the Netherlands and seven adrift in Germany, my first thought was, I wonder how they’d get on against Barcelona? This is a guide to the magnitude of the challenge facing our manager and players this evening.
You can forget notions of stoical performances two weeks ago, that game counts for nothing, which we will find out within the opening minutes. If Celtic are going to earn anything substantial from their group-stage games against Barcelona, they will need to open better, retain possession higher up the field, and maintain energy and concentration levels until the final whistle.
Barca have had an incredible start to the season, winning nine and drawing one of their 10 domestic league games, while winning all three in the Champions League, but each well-oiled machine is susceptible to having a spanner thrown in.
Nine years ago the same team arrived at Celtic Park on the back of a nine game winning run, the best in their history at the time. The trip to Glasgow didn’t work out so well for them as Celtic punched a hole in their defences and used what, at the time, I assumed was voodoo to prevent the visitors from scoring. They travelled home blaming hex, bad finishing and the foreign conditions for their defeat, but the truth is we spooked some of the most experienced players in the game.
This is not a team of diminutive super-humans. They are enormously skilful and effective, clearly the best team in the world today, but they are vulnerable at the back, as Celtic proved two weeks ago, and struggle to vary the formula, if required, up front.
Celtic need to concentrate on winning possession on the wings inside the opposition half. Do this regularly enough and opportunities to fire high-balls into the box, directly or from free kicks, will follow. Neil Lennon will decide if this is a game for Kris Commons but even if it’s not, it is a game for a Commons-style intelligent use of body and ball.
If voodoo is your thing, knock yourself out. The rest of you wear your lucky socks/shirt/shoes/Hector mask and arrive ready to participate. Fortune favours the Celtic.
I attended the 125th Anniversary celebrations at St Mary’s and later the Kerrydale Suite last night. I’m not sure what I expected beforehand but it was not the funny, touching and unmistakably-Celtic occasion we experienced. Well done to the magnificent Celtic Graves Society for getting the tone absolutely right, and to Celtic for bringing the event together. If Messi and Co were in attendance they would be reluctant to leave the dressing room tonight. The Barcelona directors who were there will now where to aim for with their club.
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Looking at that, I think the game plan will be to bring Watt on for Sammi in the 2nd half.
Philbhoy
You’re right of course – but I grew up with the notion that the BBC was some kind of impartial “reference”. So much for that!
Anyway, C’mon the Celts!
And Barca, welcome to Celtic Park but don’t get too cumfy, cos you’re in for a game tonight!!!
Good luck to Neil and the bhoys tonight, hopefully we can trouble their dodgy defense some more and keep it tight in the middle of the park.
Hail Hail
the blogger formerly known as gm
Try Ginger’s Ale House 3801 N. Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL, 60613 (773) 348-2767
You should have no problem finding a bar showing the match
Four teenagers on the bench tonight.
Bhoys to mhen?!
Cmon Celtic!
HH!!
Off to the game – Looks like Kayal and Watt will definitely make an appearance from the bench tonight.
3rd sub- anyone’s guess.
Would Neil risk Paddy again?
Is Dylan back to fitness?
Do we need to risk Marcus? 2 appearances for Celtic, both in the CL?
Wish us luck!
.
G’Day Fae a Absolouter Still Dark Down-Under..
Let The Barca Breakfast Commence..
Australia is Ready..
Summa of Samaras..
Disappointed young Tony not on from the start – all the best to Miku!
Cmon Celtic!!
HH!!
I will be replying. Their reply stinks of an agenda being pushed by bbc news. Facts a
Thanks expat Celt!
I hope and pray that Miku makes all the posters, who called him a dud etc, eat their words tonight
Oh Miku, Miku,
Miku, Miku, Miku, Miku Flo—res
in the middle of nowhere at a very posh hotel, all country set. No Sky, no transport, dodgy poor internet and even worse phone signal. My heart will be at Celtic Park and I envy all who are there especially my Lhad who will be seeing Barca at CP for the 3rd time.
I see the team and I fear for us , but know that we , the entire club, will put on a show.
God bless the Celtic way . C`mon the Hoops!!!!
Mon the Tic!
Bus is buzzing…… Paradise approaching……bricking Masel !
Have a feeling we can get a result
Broonie will be a big miss as will Hoops, however we have 12 men, lets blow Barca away !
Hail Hail god bless CFC & all CQNers
The young lads on the bench,will be desperate to get on,they will not let us down.HH
tontine tim.asked my wife where BALLYCONNEELY was .right off the top of her head.”MAYO right on the coast.”and we are both 5fit 7..thats you and me 5fit 7.
just realised after i wrote that wee poem that half of me is from DONEGAL,rest CORK and SOUTH DOWN.god bless your big grannie hope she is cheering when we score our 3rd tonight.
Sorry to see that Voodoo doesn’t even make the bench.
COYBIG.
we need Ledley to turn up,been coasting most games this season imo
I don’t understand the way football managers who can be awful at their job can possibly expected to be handsomely rewarded for failure. If any of us on the blog performed at work as poorly as the recently departed (probably not lamented) we’d get a p45 and a weeks wage if we were lucky. Football managers seem to collect obscene sums of money for being hopeless at their job. I must be doing something very wrong.
CQN about to go into meltdown!
Cmon Celtic!
HH!!
.
Welcome to the Sammi and Miku Show..
Summa
Hail hail
This is not the time to be critical of any CELTIC player.
Please!
We need the whole feckin team to turn up :>)
I said-
This is not the time to be critical about any Celtic player.
Please.
Thought this was funny………..
RACISM?
Everyone seems to be in such a hurry to scream ‘racism’ these days.
A customer asked, “In what aisle could I find the Irish sausage?”
The assistant asks, “Are you Irish?”
The guy, clearly offended, says, “Yes I am. But let me ask you something. If I had asked for Italian sausage, would you ask me if I was Italian?
Or if I had asked for German Bratwurst, would you ask me if I was German?
Or if I asked for a kosher hot dog would you ask me if I was Jewish?
Or if I had asked for a Taco, would you ask if I was Mexican?
Or if I asked for Polish sausage, would you ask if I was Polish?”
The assistant says, “No, I probably wouldn’t.”
The guy says, “Well then, just because I asked for Irish sausage, why did you ask me if I’m Irish?”
The assistant replied, “Because you’re in Halfords.”
yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees
1………………………………………………………………….o
BigJoejusttesting
Come on you Bhoys in Green!
HAIL! HAIL! THE CELTS ARE HERE!!!!!
GLASGOWS GREEN AND WHITE!!!
COME ON YOU BHOYS IN GREEN!!!
I just posted “Mon the Tic” and I’m being told my comment is awaiting moderation.
Have we been infiltrated by the dark side?
Anyway. MON THE TIC!!!!!
Did y’all know that there’s a NEW ARTICLE POSTED!
Nae jokingCSC
Lubo is at the game tonight.
He’s on the phone from Slovakia talking to the TV here
GL
same thing happened to me1
THE EXILED TIM
18:54 on 7 November, 2012
I hope and pray that Miku makes all the posters, who called him a dud etc, eat their words tonight
______________________________
No way would anyone call him a dud on here unless they were a hun.
Miku is a fantastic footballer, Sunday’s goal showed UBER confidence in his own ability, no nerves about having to do something to get into a team. Miku will respond (hopefully – as you never ever know anything for sure) to the Celtic Support tonight and I feel he will Love playing for this Club. ;))
Only a couple of weeks ago we were saying that we had a really strong bench.
Fast forward a couple of weeks, and we see the result of referees allowing our players to be kicked and fouled with impunity.
We love you Celtic oh yes we do, we love you Celtic oh yes we do, we love Celtic we do, oh Celtic we love you…
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