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Frustration and promise in Seville

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By on CQN BLOG & Comments

A game most of us expected to lose without fuss instead turned out to be a frustrating look into what could have been.  Again, we lost four goals in Europe, as we did on three occasions in our Europa League group last season.  Again, we allowed a two-goal lead to slip away.  Despite the superficial similarities to last season, there are reasons to believe we are on a different trajectory.

Celtic bossed Real Betis for the first 30 minutes; the home side could barely hold possession in the final third.  At 0-2, the game could have slipped away from them, but a couple of breaks of the ball 18 yards from the Celtic goal was enough to bring them back into contention and transform the night.  Celtic were too fragile to assert telling authority.

Tom Rogic was head and shoulders above everyone else on the field.  On nights like that, you wonder what he is doing in Scottish football.

After an uninspiring start against Ross County on Saturday, Jota showed us what all the fuss is about.  Forced to play on the right, his deliveries were a delight.  His chance to put Celtic three up may, or may not, have changed the outcome of the game; if you can lose four so readily, there are no guarantees.  The winger pulled up with cramp on Saturday and was visibly waning after 75 minutes last night, when his touch and composure deserted him, but we have a player straight from the ‘Bums on seats’ drawer.

Albian Ajeti’s movement inside the box set the game alight.  He got onto the end of Jota’s cross to score the opener, then tempted Claudio Bravo in the Betis goal into a challenge before nipping the ball away from the keeper.  Would Eduard have made either run?  Not recently, that’s for sure.  The penalty was of the stonewall variety.

After the game, when asked why we keep losing so many goals in Europe, I protested.  The central defenders only met last week, the left back has never played there before this month, and the right and left side pairings were completely new partnerships, “This is different”, I insisted.  Time will tell.

I have watched a lot of Celtic teams lose in Spain but do not recall going there with such an attacking strategy.  I suspect it would never occur to Ange Postecoglou to play any differently.

The game had the look of one of those all-star games we used to see in the 80s, “England v The Rest of the World”, type affairs.  Plenty of talent and lots of goals, as no one really knew each other or what the structure was.  Both Celtic and Betis will improve.  Going on my expectations before the game, there were reasons to be encouraged, despite all the goals against!

BT will be interested to hear that Uefa permit member clubs to veto broadcaster staff assigned to cover games.  I doubt it.  BT subscribers were denied the channels’s top team when Newco refused to allow Neil Lennon and Chris Sutton entrance to Ibrox on security grounds.  Where else outside of the Gangster Clubs will you see behaviour like this?  It is like a club being run by children.

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  1. lionroars67 on

    Good morning CQN

     

     

    Israel…………who to believe ?

     

     

    JERUSALEM, Aug 22 (Reuters) – A third dose of Pfizer (PFE.N)’s COVID-19 vaccine has significantly improved protection from infection and serious illness among people aged 60 and older in Israel compared with those who received two shots, findings published by the Health Ministry showed on Sunday.

     

     

    The data were presented at a meeting of a ministry panel of vaccination experts on Thursday and uploaded to its website on Sunday, though the full details of the study were not released.

     

     

    The findings were on par with separate statistics reported last week by Israel’s Maccabi healthcare provider, one of several organisations administering booster shots to try to curb the Delta coronavirus variant.

     

     

    Breaking down statistics from Israel’s Gertner Institute and KI Institute, ministry officials said that among people aged 60 and over, the protection against infection provided from 10 days after a third dose was four times higher than after two doses.

     

     

    A third jab for over 60-year-olds offered five to six times greater protection after 10 days with regard to serious illness and hospitalisation.

     

     

    That age group is particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 and in Israel was the first to be inoculated when the vaccine drive began in late December.

     

     

    In recent weeks, the health ministry has said immunity has diminished over time for seniors and younger people as well. Most vaccinated people who fell severely ill in Israel were over 60 and with underlying health conditions.

     

     

    Israel started administering third jabs to over 60-year-olds on July 30. On Thursday it dropped the age of eligibility for a booster to 40, and included pregnant women, teachers and health care workers below that age. Third doses are given only to those who received their second shot at least five months ago.

     

     

    The United States has announced plans to offer booster shots to all Americans, citing data showing diminishing protection. Canada, France and Germany have announced booster campaigns.

     

     

    Fighting an outbreak of the Delta variant since June, Israel presently has one of the world’s highest infection rates per capita. Close to 1.5 million people out of the country’s 9.3 million population have taken a third jab.

  3. David66 on

    Good morning cqn from a grey and rainy Garngad

     

     

    Matchday again COYBIG, if we can get a win and no injuries then job done.

     

     

    D :)

  5. David66 on

    On the Zombiie/walking dead parades yesterday any and I mean any credibility and the little faith I had in Police Scotland has gone as far as I am concerned they aid and allow Racists to walk our streets.

     

     

    The Orange order branch of policing which is police scotland should be disbanded and a whole new force put in place, a modernisation across all Faith’s and demograph.

     

     

    Another organisation NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE. GET RID.

     

     

    D :)

  8. celticforever on

    I was in Glasgow the day of the last Georges Square

     

    celebrations took place (May I think) and deliberately

     

    stayed home all day so not to encounter the

     

    orange bigots

     

     

    I remember politicians calling the amount bringing into

     

    disrepute was in the minority when on my own viewing

     

    I dont think there was enough police cells to hold 15000

     

    drunken racist and sectarian bigots

     

     

    Would have had to arrest half the police force anyway

     

    as they were enjoying it too

     

     

    Hun scum

  9. McPhail Bhoy on

    LIONROARS67 on 19TH SEPTEMBER 2021 8:11 AM

     

    Man of the people and an Irish treasure. Cultured, articulate, and egalitarian.

     

    ——————————–

     

    Lionroar67

     

    Man of the people?

     

    Evicted students from one of the many houses he owns, so he could sell it.

     

    The man of the people who has a University lecturers’ pension, a TDs pension, a Ministerial pension as well as an annual salary of €250,000 can I too be a man of the people?

  11. McPhail Bhoy on

    I’ve no issue with most of what he has said and talks about but as a politician and public figure he really needs to practice what he preaches otherwise it can be seen rightly as empty rhetoric. He was a member, TD and minister of a political party which cut both services and payments to people who are disabled, sick and elderly. The day his party removed medical cards (free health care) to children with disabilities they awarded their party advisors pay rises.

     

    Again while he says the right things, like most politicians his actions and lifestyle point in another direction.

     

    I admit my cynicism of political parties and politicians in general after many years of stroke politics has poisoned my view of pretty much the lot of them. He’s nowhere near the worst, but I’m always very wary of describing any politician as a man of the people.

  12. fourstonecoppi on

    LIONROARS67 on 19TH SEPTEMBER 2021 8:11 AM

     

    Man of the people and an Irish treasure. Cultured, articulate, and egalitarian

     

     

    Outstanding

  16. Philbhoy on

    I was in London on a course with my work, Royal Exchange Assurance in 1968.

     

     

    We had the Wednesday night off and one of my colleagues, who was a Spurs fan, suggested a visit to White Hart Lane for the visit of Southampton (I think).

     

     

    Anyway Jimmy was magnificent and scored twice in a 2 – 0 win.

     

     

    Lovely memory.

     

     

    Can’t remember much about the trip to Soho that followed the game though.

     

     

    Rest in peace Jimmy.

  18. Philbhoy on

    Look I’m not suggesting anything, just making an observation.

     

     

    JBH last posted at around 8:00am yesterday.

     

     

    Not been on since.

     

     

    Perhaps he went for a walk.

     

     

    Anyway, hope he’s awright.

  20. st tams on

    I remember my oldest brother telling me that he went to ibrox in 1962 , just to see Jimmy Greaves play .

     

    What a player

     

    RIP Jimmy

  21. Majestic Hartson on

    Fourstonecoppi,

     

     

    I’m sure there will other links online you could watch it – if you don’t mind buffering and being a few minutes behind the action.

     

     

    Try Hesgoal 👍🏼

  22. Majestic Hartson on

    I always enjoyed Edward Ursus (sp?) posting on here.

     

     

    I hope he’s keeping well.

     

     

    Also, who was it that posted on here who lived in the north of England and drove a taxi? Was on the news for raising funds for an old dear who lost her purse.

     

    I’m not sure if he’s been on for a while.

  25. !!Bada Bing!! on

    Jimmy Greaves

     

    579 games 382 goals

     

     

    44 in 57 games for England

     

     

    Retired at 31……unbelievable

  26. Hot Smoked on

    MAJESTIC HARTSON on 19TH SEPTEMBER 2021 11:10 AM

     

     

    Yes, Edward was a good guy and added something to the site. If memory serves me well, some others did not see it that way and Edward the Bear decided to stop posting.

  29. An Tearmann on

    ST TAMS on 19TH SEPTEMBER 2021 10:48 AM

     

     

    I remember my oldest brother telling me that he went to ibrox in 1962 , just to see Jimmy Greaves play .

     

     

    What a player

     

     

    RIP Jimmy

     

     

     

     

    ST.TAMS

     

     

    You should get a hold of his documentary that game is in it.season 62/3 gubbed thum 5-2 1st leg Govan 3-2 in London.greaves ran riot

     

     

    HH

  30. bamboo on

    Greaves was the best goal scorer Ive seen. Was in London in the early 60’s and watched him playing alongside Alan Gilzean quite a few times.

     

    The funniest goal was against Leicesters Gordon Banks. Spurs got awarded a penalty and Banks was going through his pre-kick ritual -taking a drink from a water bottle or something.

     

    And Greaves strolled up and stroked the ball into the the other corner of the goal.

     

    The referee allowed the goal to stand.

     

    Cue a laughing Greaves being mobbed by team-mates and an furious Banks screaming and the ref that he wasn’t ready.

  33. st tams on

    AN TEARMANN

     

    I watched it during lockdown last year.

     

    I didn’t remember him much as I was too young.

     

    It was when discussing this with my brother, that he told me about that game he attended.

  34. Tom McLaughlin on

    I loved Jimmy Greaves when I was a boy in the early 60s and remember him in the double-winning Spurs side, the first British team to win a major European trophy – ECWC.

     

     

    I saw him in 1967 in a 3-3 pre-season draw with Celtic at Hampden. In the 70s I read his autobiography. It was both uplifting and heartbreaking as he wrote openly about his alcoholism.

     

     

    A true great of the game.

     

     

    RIP Jimmy Greaves

  37. bournesouprecipe on

    Celtic versus Tottenham Hotspur

     

     

    1967-08-05: Celtic 3-3 Tottenham Hotspur, Friendly

     

     

    Match Pictures | Matches: 1967 – 1968 | 1967-68 Pictures

     

    Trivia

     

     

    This game was played at Hampden in honour of and to commemorate the centenary of Queens Park football club.

     

     

    Both Jock Stein and Bill Nicholson the Tottenham manager had agreed to allow three substitutions during the game, and on the day they changed that to four. In the event, the game was going so well that neither side made a substitution.

     

     

    Celtic’s first game in Scotland as European Champions.

     

    Before the game the two captains, Billy McNeill and Dave Mackay, exchanged rugs instead of the customary pennants. Both men then paraded the respective rugs to the spectators.

     

     

    Jimmy Greaves scored twice, and to time of writing remains the highest scoring player in top tier English football history. A legend of the game who sadly for himself didn’t make the team for the 1966 World Cup winning final. Very well remembered for his ITV lunchtime show in the 1980s with Motherwell & Liverpool great Ian St John called ‘Saint & Greavsie’. Died 2021, RIP.

     

     

     

    European champions Celtic took on FA Cup winners Spurs in a high-scoring pre-season friendly which delighted the 91,000 plus crowd.

     

     

    This is a game that was fondly remembered for years to come and was often shown at functions by the Celtic film club.

     

     

    Despite it being a friendly this was a showpiece game by two top sides. The amount of talent on show was amazing, Johnstone, Murdoch and Auld against Mackay, Greaves and Gilzean.

     

     

    Within a minute Tottenham were ahead with a sweeping move that Jimmy Greaves finished. Celtic fought back strongly and Bertie Auld scored one of his finest goals after playing two 1-2’s and beating Pat Jennings.

     

     

    Late on Celtic went for broke with Chalmers hitting the post and Johnstone striking the bar with a lobbed shot.

     

     

    At the end of the game the huge Hampden crowd gave both signs a rousing reception on a warm sunny day.

     

     

    Teams

     

     

    Celtic:

     

     

    Simpson, Craig, Gemmell, Murdoch, McNeill, Clark, Johnstone, Wallace, Chalmers, Auld, Lennox. Subs: Fallon O’Neill Hughes Gallacher

     

    Scorers: Auld 2 (7, 25), Chalmers (60)

     

     

    Tottenham Hotspur:

     

     

    Jennings, Kinnear, Knowles, Mullery, England, Mackay, Robertson, Greaves, Gilzean, Venables, Saul Subs: Brown Beal Clayton Jones

     

    Scorers: Greaves 2 (1, 49), Gilzean (36)

     

     

    Referee: W. M. Syme (Glasgow)

     

     

    Attendance: 91, 708

  41. David66 on

    My team for today:

     

     

    Hart

     

     

    Ralston Starfelt CCV Juranovic

     

     

    Abbada Rogic McArthy Turnbull

     

     

    Ajetti Jotta

     

     

    That’s assuming Cal Mac, Johnston, Forrest, Giorgios, Taylor, are not fit even if they are maybe rest to Thursday to avoid aggrevating their injury again on that surface.

     

     

    COYBIG

     

     

    D :)

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