Success against Kairat Almaty would see Celtic qualify for the group/league stage of the Champions League for the fourth successive season, a feat never before achieved by the club. Before this successful run started in 2022, Celtic did not appear at the top table of European football for four years.
Those seven seasons have had one consistency about them: we get to the Champions League when the Scottish champions are granted a place automatically. When we have been asked to qualify, we found luminaries like AEK Athens, Midtjylland, Ferencvaros, and Cluj too much.
Indeed, the last side Celtic knocked out on their way to qualifying for the CL group stage came from… Kazakhstan. A bizarre 5-0 first leg win (we only had three attempts on target all night) in 2017 against Astana was enough to make the second leg a formality.
I don’t expect the Kazaks to be as generous tonight. They are midseason and have been hardened by three earlier rounds against the Solvenian, Slovakian and Finnish champions. Slovan Bratislava were expected to have enough to see Kairat off in the last round, but a dogged determination to defend a slender 1-0 home leg saw the underdogs prosper.
Resource-wise, this is a no-contest. Transfermarkt have Kairat’s squad value comfortably below that of Aberdeen, Hibs and Hearts and under 10% that of Celtic. They are led by a man with less than a year’s experience in his first managerial role; the comparison with Brendan could hardly be more stark. But still, this is Champions League qualification, and you and I have too many scars to take it lightly.
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Slept in. Had a late night on the Brugge.
We’ve played Kazakhstan opponents 3 times in these CL qualifiers and on 2 of those occasions, we needed a last minute winner to go through.
I expect a tough tie. I expect us to have a lot of the ball tonight. Whether we’ve the forwards to put the ball in the net remains open to question for me.
We’ve done ourselves no favours but I still expect us to get through, albeit with some degree of apprehension and squeaky bum moments.
‘But still, this is Champions League qualification, and you and I have too many scars to take it lightly’
——————————————————————————————–
Tell that to those in the boardroom. That’s exactly what they’re doing.
Tight as f defence tonight please Celtic.
2 nil us
It’s a similar situation to the cup final for me.
We should have the team to beat them. But if their low block is well organised, if we miss a few then you’re looking at bring KT and Forrest off in the hour mark and for me, you’re finishing the game several level of talent below where you started. The drop off when the subs come in will be marked.
Hopefully we’re a few to the good after 60 mins.
Timmy 7 10.47am
From previous
Nice to agree with you for once sir.
100% we have regressed.
Straight line since Ange walked out the door leaving a really strong squad which had just won a treble.
A squad he and the club had built in 4 windows.
We have got progressively weaker since.
Let’s hope we can start to build back constructively after a good result tonight.
more of this please Agent Russell
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=itr10Q8Klik&pp=ygUOc3BvY2sgdGhlIHBhaW4%3D
Have to admit to being a bit apprehensive about coming on today, for fear of hearing that we had been outbid by Hartlepool for Stevie May.
Certainly a tie we SHOULD win but in football you never know.
Leaving aside the likely consequences of (probable) qualification it’s good to see a club from a small league demonstrating what can be done with a bit of ambition.
And if that means Cercle Bruges getting left behind and having to find their own level then that’s just the way sport works. In most places, at least.
Bruges would have turned Celtic over last night as well,given the current squad
We are Celtic suppressors
Faithful just like you, watching Match Day 4 press conference you don’t need to be an expert to notice Brendan Rodgers sounds, and looks totally scunnered. ‘No intensity’ ‘ no physicality’ no longer bullish about a conviction and ambition to strengthen ,the disconnect is nearly complete, has Celtic’s recruitment gone off a cliff? Why are we signing players for tomorrow when we need them today? In fairness there’s every likelyhood ole David Pleat is asleep at the wheel, but has Paul Tisdale aka Dr Football?, delivered is in his second window, if he has, is someone unwilling to pay for the orders?
BR team coached to peak level, and the results look decent, but bizarrely the conversation was more inclined to players leaving than players coming in. What you see of Celtic is what you get, Forrest Idah Maeda but has the infamous Celtic spend always in search of value, suppressed everyone including the head coach , or do we have clear direction ready to ‘kick on’ in the CL after the ‘easy’ Kazakhs?
As ever CSC
We’ve known for a year or more qualification was coming and haven’t prepared properly for it, so we go into the qualifiers with no back up left back at a time when our first choice can’t finish matches, our best striker having to play left wing as we’ve no other alternative, leaving our development back up strikers up top and a RW choice between a 34 year old Forrest (who also probably can’t do a full 90 mins with three games in a week to manage) or Yang who is (at best) a development player.
Just as well we’ve learnt from those past failures in qualifying eh?
I’m still waiting for someone to tell us that the team hasn’t regressed.
Seems the only thing B78 and I agree on is that. We obviously disagree on the reasons why.
Maybe for the first time that I can remember we have concensus on CQN, with respect to regression of the squad at least.
10 weeks ago I expressed concern with our planning and preparation prior to our CL qualifiers.
We have been fortunate with the draw, however I am concerned with our perceived lack of ambition.
I would imagine BR will have similar concerns.
Its so sim0le to gauge our aspiration against the huns. I do not buy into this barometer. We need more pressure.
I prefer to ask; Are we being the best we can be.?
HH.
I think it’s pretty obvious that Brendan won’t be here next season. He looks scunnered with all the transfer nonsense and probably doesn’t have energy to go through it all again. It will be interesting to see how all his detractors polish the turd when we announce some obscure manager to replace him next year.
Deja Vu ?
“ I’ve got a huge respect for the people that work at this club – the board and the directors. They’ve created a very stable foundation, and I have to respect that. ”
” Of course, as a manager, I always want the club to be the very best it can be for the supporters, but I have to maybe understand where the limits are sometimes. ”
Brendan Rodgers 2018
Just before we lost a qualifier to Athens👌
Timmy7_Noted – There’s a consensus among a small group who feed off each other’s negativity on here that we have regressed. I prefer to look at bothersome facts, history, and current performances which all make me feel very comfortable with everything about our club. Results have not regressed and that is all that counts at the end of the day. As the manager tells us almost every interview, we are going to improve and he is hopeful we will land some re-enforcements before the window closes.
I’ll be expecting a big enough win tonight that makes the return a formality.
“Christ you know it ain’t easy…
You know how hard it can be…
The way things are going….
They’re going to crucify me”
That is the answer Brendan should have given. But didn’t.
Credit to FC Kairat for getting past three decent opponents en route to Paradise.
Or rather on reaching Fortress Parkhead, or something beginning get a bit closer to it. That is what gives me the most confidence, that slowly, surely, madly we have become a more difficult place for European opponents to visit. Four Champions Leagues in a row? That is a prize worth winning.
It appears that the Bookies feel that KEIRAN TIERNEY MAY be on the Score Sheet Tonight as KT is ONLY at 3/1 odds to Score at ANYTIME ?
Those are very skinny odds on a left back to score, although KT MIGHT Fancy a Goal IF his over lapping leads him into the opposition box on occasions ?
I have a small wagers on KT to score at ANYTIME and Celtic to win 4 – 0 and 5 – 0 ?
Lets face it…KT is just as likely to score a Goal than IDAH and/or KENNY IMHO ?
HH.
Lunch time Sports news……… Gers Champions League hopes hanging by a thread
Allegedly CSC
Attending fans should be Celtic’s number 1 priority. I understand the emphasis on safety and the club have a responsibility.
I do question, is it all about safety or a wee bit about control.
The internal fence seems OTT and deliberately non anaestheticly pleasing. It’s like a statement barrier more akin to Egypt than a Celtic supporters concourse
HH..
Oot CSC
If BR walks due to the board being unwilling to spend on his vision and that is clearly obvious to me, then the support has a decision to make, to continue to buy season tickets that supports this plc first football team secondary in everything, it will be in their hands.
Rangers defender claiming at Burgge’s first goal, that he heard someone in the crowd shout “Simon says stop!”
😂😂😂
or stop is missing
Medical booked for Belgian winger Balikwisha from Royal Antwerp.
There’s a hold-up at Antwerp’s end. Something to do with them still owing Standard Liege part of the player’s transfer fee.
While TIERNEY is only 3/1 to score at ANYTIME Tonight, our Right Back ALISTAIR JOHNSTON is 13/2 to Score at ANY Time.
Do the Bookies KNOW something we don’t ?
HH
Before the Celtic match Tonight, I will be trying to get some winners at YORK Racing Today.
FOUR Days of good Racing at YORK.
My Bets are ON…..
Fingers crossed.
HH.
Those seven seasons have had more than one consistency, Paul. The other most definitely is the continued lack of preparation in time for this stage of the season. That resulted in defeats to those named sides who we should have been beating over two legs and if we had prepared we would almost definitely have qualified on more than the occasions we did. It’s the same old, same old from those that run the club whomever is CEO or Chairman. We will be fine by the 1st September so that is fine? Isn’t it? Eh, no it isn’t.
We will win over the tie I am sure. I hope for the sake of the sanity of so many of us season ticket holders that we improve on the mediocre front line we have.
From last night’s winnings, just placed a tenner on 4-0 to Celtic @ 15/2 🤞
My nerves are shredded already 🙄.
Tom McLaughlin
Excuse me Tam, your winnings will be spent on beer for me and Pete E in the Grosvenor. Just saying like.
BIGRAILROADBLUES
You’re barred
Thank fook at those prices.
Timmy 7
We probably are both guessing at the reasons why. In reality neither really know. Your assumptions are based on your intel and seek confirmation bias and me the same.
Net net though not great for the club but hopefully we have enough in the tank to get the job done tonight and next week and we can see where it takes us.
Bored of blame “the board” meltdowns. DD makes all the big money decisions at Celtic. Only one consistency, always value for money.
Celtic 6 KA 0 (bet sensibly)
B78, I would agree with that.
MNCELT, that’s fair enough I don’t discount opinion. However how about this bothersome fact, a champions league qualification match worth approx £40m where we could finish with Liam Scales at left back and our front three containing Yang and Jonny Kenny.
Fair enough Paul.
Your standard cautionary narrative before we play X noted.
5½ hours from now the action will begin and the background noise will stop
(OH NO IT WON’T !!!)
FWIW – over 2 legs I expect us to win this tie by a couple of goals.
Time, as it always does, will tell.
The Celtic team last season – at least up until February – was the most capable team we’ve had in a long time.
I think perhaps that’s part of the disaffection many of us are feeling at the apparently diminished first team squad we’ve got right now. The natural expectation is, given our financial position, that we should be better again but the sense is that we’ve regressed a notch or two.
We’ve played 3 strikers in our 3 competitive matches to date and none have bothered the opposition goalie. In part that’s down to poorer supply with Kuhn gone and Jota out. In part it’s down to the performances and qualities of the individual strikers.
As a result, absent performing strikers, we are reliant on our midfielders (plus Maeda) to score the goals, and against a stuffy team, that’s a concern.
And here we are with a binary tie against a stuffy opponent, the result from which is a £10s of millions outcome.
I’d say on balance, irrespective of the reasons we will never know, that being hacked off is a fairly natural reaction to what is a disappointing situation.
That’s difficult to shift without either a series excellent of performances or the arrival of a couple of demonstrably excellent players to fix the goalscoring deficit.
That’s controversial or even original.
Tonight is a good night for Adam Idah to blow the socks off the crowd. Now’s the time for a performer. What are you waiting for, Adam?