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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Ooh Ahh Samaras a said Ooh Ahh SAmaras
John McGinn is having a medical out of politeness, a courtesy if you will.
I can relate, I once accepted a job in Basingstoke out of politeness…
IF Mc.Ginn chooses Villa, I reckon it will be based on one factor.
That will be, where he will get the most first team action.
Therefore it will be a professional choice, not an emotional one.
WEEBOBBYCOLLINS on 8TH AUGUST 2018 1:17 PM
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Hello, this is WEE BGFC. Thanks very much. You’re right, we need well educated Tims so we have more of a chance of being represented – i.e. government, lawyers etc. – in the future. The inner-masonry in Scotland will be brought down.
HH
WEE BGFC
So I took the plunge and watched the morose red card v Aberdeen.
Looked a red every day of the week.
Retaliation to being bumped on the shoulder by the defender away from play by aiming a kick at him.
It’s immaterial whether the kick made contact or did any damage. It’s a straight red.
I’d love to know on what grounds the red card was rescinded.
All these red card appeals they’ve won over the last few months must send out a very particular message to referees when it comes to officiating games involving them.
cv
Davidopoulos
Vroom vroom!
A contract hasn’t been signed (yet) but do you think Celtic are going to pay McGinn more than established first team players?
If he does sign for Villa who is target 2 and how much will he cost? Could that player have been signed weeks ago avoiding this costly mistake.
McGinn was affordable 2 months ago but our brinksmanship has backfired however this ends up.
Cathedral, see below.
Outcome: Claim upheld in part. A2 – Violent Conduct reduced to cautionable offence – B1d – recklessly kicks or attempts to kick an opponent”
Are we standing still? This time last year how worried would we be if Odsonne was filling in for an injured Mousa? How worried wouldn’t we have been if someone was unsettling Dedryck with transfer speculation? The time to complain about a transfer window is after it slams shut.
THCHWTECS
Can’t disagree. The Board stands or falls by its decisions. The curiosity is that the success of their policy of the last 8 years is forcing them to consider changing it. Being conservative, they’re not comfortable with that.
We’ll see.
Are we desperate for McGinn?
Personally, I wouldn’t give Petrie anything.
That includes loans of players like Allan & Christie.
THOMTHETHIM FOR OSCAR OK on 8TH AUGUST 2018 1:52 PM
I think you could be right with that thought.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Starry, from earlier, I (for once) don’t have an alternative model, beyond more of the same, only better, with a few bigger punts here and there, and a natural increase in wages in step with income.
We’ll see next month what the model delivered last year, but it looks like >£100M revenue, operating profit of £10M, gains on disposal of near £20M (Armstrong was June business, plus VVD sell on, and other bits and bobs) and upwards of £40M cash at bank.
It’s not overstating it to reduce Celtic’s strategic conundrum down to: What do we do with all this cash?
VALE BHOY on 8TH AUGUST 2018 2:05 PM
if Petrie was on fire I wouldn’t…well you know the rest…:)
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
VALE BHOY on 8TH AUGUST 2018 2:05 PM
Are we desperate for McGinn?
Personally, I wouldn’t give Petrie anything.
That includes loans of players like Allan & Christie
_____________________________________________________
Vale Boy
I get the sentiment and share the utter distrust of Petrie, but for me the challenge isn’t about being desperate for McGinn and / giving nothing to Petrie.
It’s about what our Board are giving to our manager. Brendan clearly DID want McGinn, and let’s face it, we can afford him. But for whatever reason our Board have been unable fulfil this. For me the question is why?
Anyway hoping that McGinn comes back up the road and signs, oh and 3-0 tonight ;-)
Erskinetim
THE BATTERED BUNNET
Luxury problem to have:))
More Oli’s and Eddy’s I would imagine would be Brendan’s idea and why not say I.
I know we have a relationship with Man City but is JD for centre half all we can come up with, be disappointing if it was, nothing against JD who I liked when he played with us.
Three weeks to find out out which way the pendulum is swinging!
HH
McGinn having medical at Villa today. Supposedly heading north to be a guest at Celtic Park this evening. Decision yet to be made, allegedly.
i still don’t get this villa and hibs agree a fee means he signs for them , if J.McG doesn’t what to sign and his heart is somewhere else they can’t force him out the door , its up to him and him alone what he does .
matt mcglone @MattMcGlone9
With rumours abounding about McGinn it was time to make that phone call to someone who would know and has been good for accuracy for the last 15 yrs. I’m assured McGinn as of 1-30 today has not signed for Aston Villa & wishes a deal with Celtic HH
1:56 PM – Aug 8, 2018
I know its ok to stab people in street. attack players on park.. riot on pitch .. here’s hoping we catch greeks cold….bring on some snow!
LENNYBHOY
The deal for Arzani , do we have first dibs on a permanent deal after his loan is up ?
Did the huns even have to appeal the red card, or have FTSFA now introduced an automatic rescind process just for them…….never happened, move on.
They’d be as well. Seems every time they have a player sent off the punishment is watered down…..maybe it was part of the 5 way agreement ?
Hun FC. Re-writing history since 2012.
If only we had a midfielder like Socrates
I definitely had a man crush on the big Brazilian genius…in a purely Platonic manner you understand
McGinn chose Villa.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
This is what we could be up against this evening
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ur5fGSBsfq8
Emilio Izaguirre is set to return to Celtic a year after leaving the Scottish champions.
MARSPAPA on 8TH AUGUST 2018 2:30 PM
Don’t know mate.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
matt mcglone
@MattMcGlone9
21m21 minutes ago
McGinn is in the position of knowing Villa want him. There are phones ringing between clubs and agents as we speak. He also knows Celtic have agreed the fee with Hibs and IF Celtic want to conclude this deal with John they’d better get the finger out fast
LENNYBHOY on 8TH AUGUST 2018 2:12 PM
THOMTHETHIM FOR OSCAR OK on 8TH AUGUST 2018 1:52 PM
I think you could be right with that thought.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
******
At 23, he could back himself to do what Armstrong did.
Sign a four year deal at Celtic and be brought up to our level, with title winning and European experience.
If he feels that after 3 years, he would be ready to try down south, then he will be better equipped to succeed.
Unless, of course, he has cemented himself into the team as a vital component, á la Scott Brown.
He takes his money and makes his choice.
new article posted.
I would rather see Kouassi given his chance as McGinn coming in but that’s just me, I don’t really give a shit about his Celtic supporting credentials..
Typical ! I was not really bothered about whether or not we signed McGinn. Now that it looks like he has one to Villa, I think we have missed out !
JJ
Who would win a fight between Matt McGlone’s “McGinn’s deal in the balance” and Lennybhoy’s “McGinn deal’s in the balance”
HH
BGFC
Copyright infringement – sorry BSR :-))
Succulentlambstinks,,
Knock that language on the head pls there’s kids on here