Celtic Park tonight will feel a long way from home for AEK players. Glasgow is putting on its best dreich show, looking less like Athens than it should be possible within Europe. The stadium will be packed, something AEK players simply never see at home. The cavernous Olympic Stadium they play in had just shy of 20,000 empty seats when they won their first league title in 24 years. The empty seat count is more commonly around 50,000.
Those of us who lamented the four qualification rounds Celtic must endure are less vocal today. The rigours of competition has made us better prepared for tonight. Both teams are missing injured players, but Celtic are not short in any department. We should be ready.
Irrespective of the environment, AEK are a technically good team who will pose greater challenges than Rosenborg. They are a counterattacking side, who will defend deeply, hoping to shut the game out and steal whatever opportunities they can to break. We cannot allow enthusiasm to attack to blindside us of the practicalities. Respect our opponents’ ability to break and be patient in possession.
It will be late in the game when Celtic should have their greatest fitness advantage. Even if the game is tight at 80 minutes, it could end quite differently.
This is one of the biggest games of the season – answer the call, Celtic.
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Hello, this is WEE BGFC. Good afternoon, Timland. I have not been on in a while – I’ve just been reading rather than posting. Can’t say that I know a lot about AEK Athens but I have heard of them and seen their name plenty of times in Europe – never a good sign. Anyway, they’ll have heard of us too and I wouldn’t think they would be overconfident. Up the Republic.
HH
WEE BGFC
ALASDAIR MACLEAN on 8TH AUGUST 2018 12:23 PM
So, Morelos was wrongly sent off against Aberdeen it has been officially decided.
Kicking another player deliberately is a yellow card, not a red.
Just to be clear.
———-
And NOT deliberately kicking another player is a two match ban, if your name is Jozo.
Starry Plough
We may well need a Herculean effort,However the greeks may think our defense is our achilles heel
The disciplinary procedures are a joke. If Morelos wasn’t a red card, what is?
WHAT IS THE STARS
Troy dat, Aeneid a wee lie down before boarding The Wooden Horse:))
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/45112507
Having looked at the above yet again, it is almost as though there were two kicks by Morelos; one a flick and the other an obvious lash out. It would seem the Authorities looked only at the `flick` version.
JJ
Hot Smoked,
I know what you mean…….but to overturn a decision made during the game….are you SURE it was NOT a red card?
Anyway, I’ll be kicking every ball for Celtic tonight. Best of luck from Dingwall.
Haven’t the huns had all their red cards rescinded which means the laws of the game don’t actually apply to them???
Morelos tried to boot the young Aberdeen player in the arse.
He missed. Naturally.
So they let him off. Naturally.
These puns are driving me nuts , i ” opa ” they end soon .
It took me a minautar to understand some posts today
Alasdair Maclean………diving has been replaced by simulation……….moreataloss didn’t kick out..the guys in the rags saying he flicked out……so there you have it flicked out has replaced kicked out……kinda sounds better in the appeal
I hope the press Hectoring of Brendan stops soon.
Dido Dido it’s off to work we go:))
Hello, this is WEE BGFC. Thanks to, Delaneys Dunky, Hot Smoked, Mike In Toronto, 16 Roads, Jamesgang, Celtic Mac, Almore, Saint Stivs, Neustadt Braw, Mild Mannered Pedro Delgado, Leftclicktic, Big Packy 1, One Malloy, Park Road 67, Exiled Tim, Bateen Bhoy, Mahe the Madman, What Is the Stars, Bournesouprecipe, CelticRollerCoaster, FriesDorfer, Neganon2, AngelGabriel, FrannyB67 and anybody else I missed, for the congratulatory posts yesterday.
P.S. I’m pretty sure that they gave me the wrong certificate! :D
HH
WEE BGFC
Hope all those going tonight are aware of the traffic restrictions in place for the Cyclades race.
As for Celtic? They have nothing to Thira…
BSR
Whilst I`ll be hoping we find AEK`s Achilles Heel.
JJ
Surprised if Red card reduced. At other levels of Scottish football there is no distinction between kicking an opponent or attempting to kick an opponent. A suspension is punishment for either offence, very odd that these sanctions don’t apply in the professional game.
TBB
thank you. Very kind.
Traffic restrictions call off at 3.30 bit of a Feta Complait
Anywhere in Inverness have the game tonight. Hoping a pub has celtic tv
Hearing McGinn will be heading back north to do his medical, tonight or tomorrow and deal wrapped up by Saturday. Only spanner is the Agent who maybe trying to get more out of Villa.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
We’re a big fish in a minuscule pond. How the fugg we manage to get decent football on the pitch is a mystery to me looking at the challengers’ game at the weekend. The dons were dreadful and gevco ran around a lot. As far as I can see, we have utilised a variety of strategies to get decent football on the pitch – loanees, pay broonie and JF decent money, give young players a chance when you can, buy when you know you have quality, stop paying hasbeens ridiculous money, sign Gordon, match the playing surface with your playing stylesell the nature of the club to a quality manager, scouting away from the EPL, develop the East End to develop the Celtic experience to increase crowds etc. liase with and manage the GB to improve the Celtic experience to increase crowds etc. innovate gender provision in the park, innovate seating etc. etc. I am proud as fugg to be anyway associated with all of this. One of our challengers’ responses to an EL tie was knife crime – consider their situation and how important the EL group stages could be to them and what do their community do – get the knives out! The other challenger has stabilised second position with a very limited manager and limited approach on the field – fair play to them, it’s up to them how they do it but again it’s not a challenge we will learn anything from. Hearts grew the grass long to stop us passing the ball – just think about that. Hearts didn’t want to be able to pass the ball!
I hope we win tonight of course and I hope the transfer window doesn’t leave us short in any position. To me though, getting a squad together which can challenge for the CL qualifiers is a miracle and something to be celebrated.
Hello, this is WEE BGFC. I’m troy-ing so hard to stop these greek puns. :D
FarFetchedCSC
HH
WEE BGFC
With all these transfer fee experts on here,I’m losing my Elgin Marbles.
2-0 The Mighty Hoops.
Although born in Egypt to an Italian min and Greek dad i give you ..
Forever and ever …
https://youtu.be/F3vCB3YBMUo
WEE BGFC
Belated very well done on your excellent exam results!
ConCRETEulations!
HH!!
HS
This is the bit where somebody says it’s all Greek to me.
Prince of Keepers.
No distinction? Really? That is interesting and, if true, makes the rescinding of the Red all the more ridiculous.
Anyway, enough of Morelos etc . On;y tree hours until the Emerald Express departs Arbroath.
JJ
Everybody enTroy the game.
Nana Nana, Nana Nana wey hey Glasgow Celtic:))
Mouskouri CSC
I hope Celtic will be able to abZORBA the pressure that AEK may apply tonight!
Coat on!
HH!!
Looking at the Morelos incident, big Tam could have appealed the sendings off against West Germany and Racing Club.
TALLYBHOY on 8TH AUGUST 2018 12:59 PM
WEE BGFC
Belated very well done on your excellent exam results!
ConCRETEulations!
HH!!
___________
Hello, this is WEE BGFC. Thank you very much. My mouth’s a little dry, I’m going to go get some Cyprus fruits. :D
EvenFurtherFetchedCSC
HH
WEE BGFC
Auldheid
I that your analysis of the transfer policy is spot on.
One thing also to consider is buying players who don’t deliver Dirk Boerikter, for example.
These players don’t play and have no value and sit and see their contract out. We have had our fair share of these over the years
De Vries, Commper, Kouassi, Benyu don’t contribute much and have little (or Nil) transfer value
This results in their wages being wasted and the rest having to carry the dead wood
However, recent events may result in changes to our strategy going forward
The Bhoys should be too strong for AEK tonight but Fans should be patient
Compare Broonys punishment for a flick out at Neymar.3 game suspension.
A kick out is an automatic Red.In any football rule book.
I hope Celtic can cause the Demis (e) of AEK’s Champions League ambitions.
Hopefully the ref will be a Homer tonight.