Tonight we will find out if that feel good factor that has been kicking around for the last fortnight is built on bedrock or a more malleable material. AZ Alkmaar finished a point shy of PSV Eindhoven last season, a side that tore Midtjylland apart in the last round of Champions League qualifiers.
AZ are the highest seed we could have met at this stage and at the start of the season would have expected to reach the Europa League group stage. They came to Celtic Park in a friendly 11 years ago with former Rangers former manager, Dick Advocaat, and left with a win, although Celtic were in a dark, post-Tony Mowbray lull at the time.
There are plenty of reasons to be hopeful. Celtic are creating chances and scoring goals with ease. A sell-out crowd will do its best to intimidate the visitors and put steel inside the hoops. Ange Postecoglou should have Liel Abada available for selection, the latter point could be crucial.
If I picked on anything Ange has done since he arrived, it would be not introducing fresh blood early enough in Midtjylland. Both sides were short of numbers but Midtjylland made earlier changes while Celtic stalled. It was not great game management.
AZ have played one solitary competitive game this season compared to Celtic’s seven. They will inevitably tire, Celtic have to be ready to hammer home any advantage possible late in the game. A flurry of fresh legs at the critical moment could be telling.
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PHILBHOY on 18TH AUGUST 2021 5:12 PM
ST STIVS
I guested for STV a few times.
No a bad side.
————
A team of ringers – fireman ,
ST STIVS
Indeed!
Happy birthday to one of CQN’s finest!
LENNYBHOY, hope you are having a good one!
Best wishes buddy!
Celtic keeper saves penalty!
I think it’s craigens wife who is commentating.
Away to prep the tea (and open the wine!)
C’MON THE CELTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Happy Hoopy Birthday Lennybhoy.
HH
Agree way mad Mitch’s comments there spot on.suppose there’s always first eh 😂😂
Happy Birthday LENNYBHOY.
Hopefully the Celts will give you another reason to celebrate tonight ?
HH.
vinniethedog on 18th August 2021 3:40 pm
Depending on AZ tiring would be a tremendous folly …I don’t believe they will….in fact I think we will tire before them ….
Agreed………we know these continental slither merchants of old. They can be out of a game and the ball is in the back your net in the blink of an eye. Take nothing for granted is the name of the game.
Happy birthday LennyBhoy,hope you have a grand ole night (at the fitba:)
A cleansheet would a huge achievement tonight
Teuchter ar la
PL st Vincent primary school then Bellarmine
Por Cierto Eastwood was quiet back in day.still is the a little run down since the pitcaple(dr)pirate
Inquisioutiv that would have been Bellarmine back in day.Bundy was flattened and is now ‘brock’ silverburn
shopping centre.
Do you ever remember a driver called Alex McShane ?.
A neighbour of mine.
A victory tonight Celts
HH
LENNYBHOY
Happy birthday to you.have a great one.
HH
not the first time I have said this,
andy halliday is very fair and even handed in his comments about Celtic.
His insights about playing against us at weekend are excellent.
Kyogo done him back, and thats fair enough, still limping two days later.
Tony watt also mentions the defending as not being as bad as made out, this is what happens if your all out attacking.
and the croat is on his way, fee accepted,
and and, celtic women pull a goal back in spain. 2-1 doon now
A wee story from 1965. I was playing for Strathclyde Uni at Cambuslang. Back then, the Uni had an amazing 11 teams, and every Friday, 11 sheets of paper would appear on the John St. Student Union notice board with 121 names ( no subs in these days ).
I came off the park and was approached by a guy who asked me if I would be willing to have a trial with Maryhill Juniors. I can’t remember his name, but he worked for WD & HO Wills on Alexandra Parade. The game was a friendly with Rutherglen Glencairn at Southcroft.
Having not slept much the night before, and having no car, I turned up early with my kit bag and freshly dubbined boots. There were 2 lads there ahead of me playing keepie uppie. They stopped and asked me if I played for Maryhill. I said no, I was there for a trial. So are we, said one.
Well, I was 5’8” and 10 and a half stone soaking wet, and these 2 lads were shorter and slighter than me, I’d say 5’5 to 5’6” max. I joined in the keepie uppie and we formed a triangle.
Then the Glencairn lads arrived all at once in 4-5 cars. My first impression was that they all seemed pretty big, and were all smartly dressed, many with jackets or suits. They stood and watched us for a minute. Conscious that we were being watched, we tried pretty hard not to let the ball hit the ground, and we did pretty good, keeping the ball up with little effort.
Finally, we heard a voice. “Who’re we playing?” Then a second voice – “Maryhill.” Back to the first voice, “ What? Maryhill Midgets?” Cue many guffaws and much hilarity, which did absolutely nothing for my confidence.
The game was an unmitigated disaster for all 3 of us and for Maryhill. I had the worst game of my life, and we were utterly overwhelmed. We were down 7-0 at halftime and the game finished 15-2 to Glencairn. Apart from remembering that I couldn’t get on the ball, and when I did, I was instantly dispossessed or flattened, my 2 abiding memories were of having my muscles massaged pregame by a physio for the very first time, and listening to the senior players loudly berate the manager post game for playing Glencairn “With a bunch of wee boys.”
So did I get signed? Erm, No.
breaking team news
Abada in for Eddie only change.
SS- bus league needed some quality 👍
Hoopy Happy Birthday Lennybhoy…hopin the Bhoys result later is a gift ;-))
Am a wee bit nervous…am sure Alkmaar will provide our sternest competitive game so far…they’ll be well drilled am sure…so 3-1 only ;-))
C.O.Y.B.I.G.
Expected Abada to start…in place of Forrest.
Eddie can do his damage against a tiring back line later in the game.
Any win will do tonight. A goal lead or better would be outstanding.
Not sure what to expect, we could sober up fairly quickly if they score for fun against our open defence.
AN TEARMANN
Sorry, I don’t remember him. To me, it was a temporary job, and something to keep body and soul together, because after leaving Uni with a Masters Degree, I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do. (And I was a bit of a wastrel ).
It ended when an old classmate ( employed in a ‘real’ job ) boarded my bus, looked at me stupefied, and said, “WTF are you doing driving a bus?” I realized that although all work has dignity, it was pointless going to Uni for 6 years just to end up driving endlessly back and forth between Arden and Radnor Street or Clarkston and Millerston!
Happy Birthday to LENNYBHOY 🍾🍾🎊🎉🍀🍀
Again the concerns. Can the quality of attack make up for the deficiency in defence .
What now for Eddy, dropped to the bench after scoring at the weekend to make way for a 19 year old.
15Hart
56Ralston
4Starfelt
57Welsh
3Taylor
14Turnbull
42McGregor
18Rogic
49Forrest
8Furuhashi
11Abada
Substitutes
1Barkas
6Bitton
10Ajeti
12Soro
16McCarthy
22Edouard
26Urhoghide
29Bain
30Shaw
41Robertson
54Montgomery
Here are tonight’s Celts:
Celtic: Hart, Welsh, Ralston, Taylor, Starfelt, Rogic, Turnbull, McGregor, Abada, Furuhashi, Forrest.
Subs: Barkas, Bain, Bitton, Edouard, Ajeti, Soro, McCarthy, Shaw, Montgomery, Urhoghide, Robertson.
Ange did say he was concentrating on players who wanted to be there.
live updates up
Leenybhoy-happy birthday mate.Enjoy yir night hopefully 🍀👍😉
ppv just quit and logged me out ffs